Britons to pay deposit for their relatives
British citizens who fund trips for their relatives from abroad will have to pay a deposit for them. According to The Guardian, this rule will be included in a list of changes to British immigration legislation, which will be considered by ministers this week.
It is reported that the amount of the deposit is not specified in the prepared documents, but it is expected to be £1,000 per person. The money can only be returned after the guest returns home.
Earlier, the British had already tried to introduce a deposit of £3,000 for relatives entering the country. However, this proposal sparked numerous protests from the Commission for Racial Equality, whose members said it was discriminatory against low-income natives of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
According to Lenta.ru, in addition to introducing the deposit, the changes to British immigration legislation also include reducing the validity of tourist visas from six to three months, as well as introducing a more flexible visa system for business travelers. The main change will be the introduction in April 2008 of an immigration system based on a certain number of points.
Ranking of the most peaceful countries in the world compiled
Norway tops the ranking of the most peaceful countries in the world, compiled by the research company Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a division of the influential magazine The Economist.
The authors of the study assessed 121 countries on a five-point scale, where one point was awarded for a completely peaceful foreign and domestic policy, and five for an extremely aggressive one. Factors considered in determining the 'peace index' included: the number of law enforcement officers and military personnel per 100,000 inhabitants, the percentage of defense spending in the national budget, the number of prisoners in jails, the crime rate, and reports of use of force in dispersing protests.
The leader of the ranking of the most peaceful countries, Norway, scored 1.357 points. The only highest score for aggression that this country received was in the category 'number of military personnel participating in UN peacekeeping operations.' In second place was New Zealand with 1.363 points, also sending its troops to UN peacekeeping contingents. Third place went to Denmark with 1.377 points. Fourth place was Ireland (1.396 points), and the top five is rounded out by Japan (1.413 points).
According to the compilers of the Global Peace Index, the most peaceful state among the former USSR countries is Estonia, which scored 1.684 points and ranked 28th. This country's result was affected by a significant number of prisoners - 333 people per 100,000 inhabitants. As last year, Russia ranks 118th out of 121 in the peace ranking, with 2.903 points. Russia received its highest score for aggression in the category 'arms exports.' Russia earned four points for aggression for the number of law enforcement officers per 100,000 people, crime rate, human rights violations, internal armed conflicts, and the size and technical equipment of the army.
The United States ranked 96th in the peace ranking with 2.317 points. This country received its highest scores for aggression for the number of prisoners - 750 people per 100,000 inhabitants, which is the highest in the world, active participation in military operations outside the country, including those under UN auspices, and the size and equipment of the armed forces. Iran, ranking 97th, lagged behind the United States by only 0.004 points.
According to Lenta.ru, the most aggressive countries in the world, according to the compilers of the Global Peace Index, are Iraq (3.437 points), Sudan (3.182 points), and Israel (3.033 points).
Britons to help migrants send money home
The UK Department for International Development (DFID) has launched a website designed to help migrants send money to their relatives abroad, writes The Independent.
The website Sendmoneyhome.org will provide users with lists of reputable companies that handle transfers, as well as services that allow comparing the cost and speed of transfers. In addition, resource staff will provide necessary consultations to migrants.
According to the World Bank, migrants working in the UK send over $220 billion to their families each year. The commission fee for money transfers in the UK sometimes reaches £40 for sending £100. In total, as Lenta.ru notes, about three thousand organizations in the UK handle money transfers.
Bavaria introduces strict smoking ban
Bavaria is introducing the strictest smoking ban among all German federal states as of January 1, 2008. According to Deutsche Welle, the relevant law was adopted recently at a session of the Landtag in Munich.
The law provides for a complete ban on smoking in cafes, restaurants and bars, in beer halls and even in beer tents at the Oktoberfest festival. The law contains almost no exceptions provided for in some other federal states. The fine for violation ranges from €5 to €1,000. Smoking in bars and restaurants in Bavaria will only be allowed at events declared private or corporate.
According to Interfax, the association for the protection of Bavarian economic culture, which includes owners of 3,000 drinking establishments and restaurants, is considering the possibility of filing a constitutional complaint or even holding a referendum to repeal the law.
French moonshiners stripped of privileges
The French Senate intends to consider abolishing one of the oldest privileges enjoyed by French moonshiners, writes the French Journal du Dimanche.
Each year, private individuals can produce 10 liters of strong alcohol, or 20 liters of spirits with a strength of 50 degrees, tax-free for their own consumption. This right was granted by Napoleon I to his soldiers and has been passed down by inheritance ever since. In France, up to 300,000 people enjoy it. Parliamentarians, senators and prominent politicians have repeatedly attempted to abolish the moonshine benefits. In 1954, the head of the Constitutional Council, Pierre Mendès France, demanded their abolition on the grounds that French rural residents were gradually becoming alcoholics.
Meanwhile, as Journal du Dimanche notes, today most moonshiners are elderly people aged 80 and older. Many of them have not approached a distiller for a long time. Even licensed large producers of strong spirits, such as kirsch, do not believe that private moonshiners pose any threat to their business. The amount of moonshine produced is extremely small compared to industrial production volumes.
Finally, home production of infusions has become a tradition. "For us, distilling homemade schnapps is a matter of honor," a deputy from Alsace declared in parliament. In addition, it is noted that the moonshine stills themselves are genuine antique items: some date back to the mid-19th century.