11/07/23

[Maik]

Kef fire risk 11/07/23: Medium

Today’s bank rates:
1 €UR = £0.8831 GBP
1 €UR = $1.1285 USD
£1 GBP = 1.1324 €UR
$1 USD = 0.8861 €UR

Based on Alpha Bank exchange rates, these are widely used by exchange agencies in Greece.
Other banks likely to offer a different rate which may be marginally higher or lower.
Banks and foreign exchange offices normally charge standard 2% commission.
You may get a better rate changing your holiday money in advance at e.g the Post Office.
NB: some f-ex agencies advertise "No Commission".
Invariably, they deduct commission before they (don't) advertise the rate.
Foreign exchange offices are businesses, not charities.

Ten day weather forecast for Kefalonia:
This is an overall forecast, due to the mountainous terrain the weather can be very localised.
Updated forecast @ weather.com

Day, Date   Hi°/Lo°   Wind sp   Wet   Forecast
Tue 11/07   30°/22°   15 km/h   03%   Sunny
Wed 12/07   32°/23°   22 km/h   05%   Sunny
Thu 13/07   32°/24°   22 km/h   05%   Sunny
Fri 14/07   34°/25°   23 km/h   03%   Sunny
Sat 15/07   35°/25°   22 km/h   03%   Sunny
Sun 16/07   34°/25°   19 km/h   03%   Sunny
Mon 17/07   33°/25°   17 km/h   03%   Sunny
Tue 18/07   33°/26°   18 km/h   03%   Sunny
Wed 19/07   33°/25°   18 km/h   02%   Sunny
Thu 20/07   32°/23°   21 km/h   02%   Sunny

[Maik]

Ithaka coast guard yesterday afternoon towed the boat TIDE into Kioni harbour after it suffered mechanical failure at sea. No injuries to the six foreign nationals aboard and no marine pollution. Boat confined to port until examined and re-certified as seaworthy.

[Maik]

Body of an 81 y-o Greek male recovered yesterday morning from the sea off Souvala beach on the north Evian gulf.

Body of an 84 y-o Greek male recovered midday yesterday from the sea at Analipsi, Astypalaia.

[TonyD]

Time for an upper age limit on sea swimming in Greece?

[Bryan-in-Kilkis]

Time for an upper age limit on sea swimming in Greece?

"Till death us do part"...? 

[Maik]

Ammes beach life guard tower has been resurrected.

[Maik]

Mains water supply likely to be off tomorrow in Sami from start to end of working day due to essential maintenance on the network.

[Maik]

Rural doctor service planned for tomorrow in Lakithra won't occur but there will be a rural doctor service available tomorrow between 10:00-13:00 in Vlakhata. Face masks and social distancing presumably still required.

[Maik]

Cuban trans woman murdered in Athens - Her landlady found her

The motive behind the murder of a Cuban transsexual, who was found brutally stabbed in her apartment in an Athens neighbourhood on Monday afternoon, is being investigated by police.

The body of the 46-year-old transgender woman was found in a pool of blood in a ground-floor apartment in the area of ​​Agios Panteleimon on Phylis and Magnisias Street. A sharp object was the murder weapon.

https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/07/11/cuban-trans-woman-murdered-athens/

[Maik]

Almost 50% of hospitals forced to close wards due to floods, power cuts and maintenance issues

Our investigation has found entire accident and emergency departments, maternity wards and paediatric units at NHS hospitals have been temporarily shut in the last three years due to maintenance problems.

Some hospitals have had to permanently close entire wards because they are no longer structurally safe.

https://www.itv.com/news/2023-07-11/almost-50-of-hospitals-have-closed-wards-over-maintenance-issues

[Maik]

Boris and Carrie welcome third child, Frank Alfred Odysseus Johnson
Mrs Johnson quipped 'can you guess which name my husband chose?'

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/07/11/boris-johnson-carrie-third-child-baby-frank-alfred-odysseus/

[Maik]

Open your homes to asylum-seekers to help cut hotel bills, report urges Britons
Ukrainian refugees-style sponsorship scheme for people from other nations should be adopted, according to study backed by Brandon Lewis

Britons should open their homes to asylum-seekers to help reduce the £2.2 billion annual cost of housing them in hotels, a report backed by a former Cabinet minister says.

The Government should adopt a Ukrainian refugees-style sponsorship scheme for asylum-seekers from other nations, according to the report, backed by former justice secretary Brandon Lewis.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/07/11/open-homes-to-asylum-seekers-cut-hotel-bills-report-says/

Could be a vote winner. Hm, maybe not.

[Maik]

Municipality of Argostoli have signed a contract worth 1 cent less than €1,170,000€ (excluding VAT) for the refurbishment of Argostoli seafront from the Port Authority building up to the Kavvadias statue.

[Maik]

Cyprus becomes ‘island of dead cats’ after outbreak of feline coronavirus kills 300,000

Experts warn that ‘many cats’ could die if the virus circulating in Cyprus makes its way to Britain

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/cyprus-dead-cat-island-feline-coronavirus-outbreak/

[Maik]

Why a bottle of wine is about to get more expensive
Rising taxes and delays in procuring screw caps from Ukraine set to add to the price tag

Wine drinkers are braced for price rises as the biggest increase in alcohol duty for almost 50 years kicks in.

Duty on bottles is increasing by 20pc from August 1, with supply chain issues relating the war in Ukraine and recycling costs also pushing up price tags.

The new tax system will see wine taxed by strength for the first time, with 80pc of wines currently containing enough alcohol to be taxed at new, higher levels.

The cost of an average bottle is forecast to rise 14pc, according to Simon Stannard of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), adding the duty increase on wine will be the greatest since 1975.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/why-bottle-of-wine-expensive-tax-ukraine-war/