US Failed to Control Incoming Travelers
About 21,000 people who were banned from entering the US for various reasons managed to enter the country despite enhanced security measures at border checkpoints.
According to the Associated Press, such data is contained in a report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), which audited customs and border services from October 2005 to September 2006. It notes that the federal government does not have an accurate picture of how many people on the blacklist were able to legally enter the country through 326 checkpoints at airports, seaports, and land borders.
Although more than 200,000 people were turned away at the border during the same period, the GAO report is considered a warning sign by many experts. After all, the terrorists who carried out the September 11 attacks also entered the US on entirely legal grounds.
One of the reasons for the poor performance of customs and border services is cited as staff cuts and poorly functioning checkpoints. Increased funding is mentioned as a necessary measure.
Meanwhile, security expert James Carafano from the conservative non-governmental organization The Heritage Foundation believes that control should be strengthened not only at the border but also in the places where blacklisted individuals come from. For his part, Lee Hamilton, vice president of the independent commission that investigated the September 11 attacks, while acknowledging that the GAO report revealed serious shortcomings in border services, believes that it is impossible to ensure complete control over the millions of people crossing US borders. //Lenta.ru
British Terrorists to Be Banned from Travel
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom delivered a speech from the throne to Parliament, outlining new laws that the government of Gordon Brown plans to introduce.
In particular, among anti-terrorism measures, it is proposed to ban foreign travel for individuals convicted of terrorism. They will also be required to regularly inform the police of their whereabouts, reports the BBC. In addition, it is proposed to double (from 28 to 56 days) the period for which terrorism suspects can be detained without charge.
Among other initiatives of the Labour government is raising the age of compulsory school education to 18. However, this measure is planned to be implemented only from 2015.
The government also intends to toughen penalties for insulting sexual minorities as well as disabled people. Other bills concern reforms in energy, healthcare, pension provision, and granting parliamentarians the formal right to declare the country's entry into war. //Lenta.ru
Europe Also Wants to Collect Air Passenger Data
The European Commission has drafted a European Union directive under which airlines of member states will be required to create a special database of personal data on air passengers, granting access to national authorities involved in combating terrorism and organized crime.
According to European media, the EU executive hopes that the new system for collecting and storing airline customer information, similar to those in the US and Canada, will allow counter-terrorism experts to assess risks related to possible terrorist attacks on air transport.
According to media reports, the European Commission proposes that EU competent authorities have access to information on air passengers' credit cards, phone numbers, postal and email addresses, as well as data on hotel bookings and car rentals, a total of 19 different categories of information. It is proposed that personal data be provided 24 hours before flights, and again after the check-in process for departure. This requirement would apply to all flights.
Passenger information is expected to be stored for 13 years, but after five years it will only be accessible with special access rights. The European Commission's proposal must be approved by EU states. //RIA Novosti
Spain Decides to Freeze Construction on Islands
Spain has completely frozen construction on the islands of Ibiza, Mallorca, and Menorca, reports The Guardian. According to the government, this measure should help preserve the nature of the Balearic Islands, which is under enormous strain from the flow of tourists.
During the construction moratorium, the island authorities plan to grant protected status to coastal plots and rural lands, meaning that further work on them will be canceled in the future. At the same time, negotiations on compensation for developers and landowners will be held.
The initiative is supported by environmental organizations, which have repeatedly warned authorities that a third of Spain could turn into a desert due to the increasing number of projects, particularly golf courses, which not only attract large numbers of tourists but also consume huge amounts of water. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), each golf club uses one million cubic meters of water per year per hectare of area – as much as a small town with a population of 12,000 people.
The Balearic Islands are located in the western Mediterranean Sea and cover an area of 4,992 square kilometers. Ibiza, Mallorca, and Menorca are the largest islands of the archipelago. //Lenta.ru
US Cities with Most Affordable Housing Named
American magazine Forbes named ten US cities with a high standard of living where affordable housing can be obtained. The ranking was based on data on home prices, as well as quality and cost of living in 50 major metropolitan areas of the country.
Minneapolis took first place in the ranking. In the third quarter of 2007, 61% of housing sold here was affordable to the average American. Indianapolis and Cincinnati took second and third places respectively. In the latter, Americans with average wages can afford to buy 76.5% of the homes offered on the market. The top ten also included St. Louis, Houston, Milwaukee, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Atlanta. In Atlanta, more homes have been sold in the last five years than in any other city in the country.
In July 2007, Forbes magazine compiled a list of US cities with the most unaffordable housing prices. The first three places were taken by Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami. //Lenta.ru
In the gender equality ranking, Ukraine ended up below Asia
The World Economic Forum published the Global Gender Gap Report on economic and political life. Compared to last year's report, Ukraine dropped from 48th to 57th place, and ended up below Lesotho, Namibia, Tanzania and a number of Central Asian countries.
Sweden, Norway, and Finland retain the lead in the ranking, as in the previous year. The top ten also included Iceland, New Zealand, the Philippines, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, and Spain. Closing the list of gender equality in economic and political life are Chad, Yemen, and Pakistan.
Among CIS countries, Moldova occupies the highest position - 21st place. Next come: Belarus - 23rd place, Kazakhstan - 32nd place, Uzbekistan - 41st, Russia - 45th place.
As noted in the report, the gender equality ranking is based on the assessment of four main criteria: economic participation and opportunity (salary level, access to highly skilled labor, and employment level); educational attainment (access to primary and higher education); political empowerment (representation in power structures); health and survival (assessment of life expectancy and sex ratio).
Ukraine ranks 26th in economic participation and opportunity, 73rd in educational attainment, 74th in health and survival, and only 109th in political empowerment. In total, the ranking assessed the level of gender equality in 128 countries around the world. //UNIAN
Israel increases fines for smoking in public places
Since the beginning of November, the law banning smoking in public places, including cafes, restaurants, cinemas and shops, has been tightened in Israel.
Violating smokers will be fined 1,000 shekels ($253) by the police. Owners of restaurants and cafes where the ban is violated will pay a fine of 5,000 shekels ($1,268).
According to statistics, in 2006, 23.3% of the adult population in Israel smoked tobacco - 2.2% less than in 2005. In 1972, there were many more smokers in the country - their number was 42% of the total adult population. //Travel.ru