29/01/21

[Maik]

EU States Agree on Covid-19 Vaccination Certificate Guidelines

After weeks of disagreement and reluctance EU member states have agreed on a set of guidelines that will allow for the establishment of an EU-wide accepted vaccination certificate to be used for “medical purposes”, said the European Commission this week.

The approved standards, which have the support of the European Commission, also set out the basis for a trust framework to ensure the authenticity and integrity of certificates with emphasis on data protection and security measures.

https://news.gtp.gr/2021/01/28/eu-states-agree-covid-19-vaccination-certificate-guidelines/

[Maik]

EIB And Greece Sign €595 Million Deal To Protect Lives From Natural Disaster And Future Pandemics

Civil protection across Greece to better tackle COVID-19 and reduce loss of life through natural disasters will be transformed under a new €595 million European Investment Bank loan formally agreed earlier today.

Long-term financing and shared technical best-practice will help to transform disaster prevention and response to pandemics and natural disasters including floods, forest fires and earthquakes in all 13 Greek regions.

https://greekcitytimes.com/2021/01/29/eib-greece-sign-deal-protect-lives/

[Maik]

Updated rules for driving tests included in new bill

In a bid to do away with corruption and to better prepare candidate drivers, the Transport Ministry has drafted a bill that changes the way tests for driving licenses are conducted.

https://www.ekathimerini.com/261775/article/ekathimerini/news/updated-rules-for-driving-tests-included-in-new-bill

[Maik]

Greece improves score in global corruption index, watchdog says

Greece has climbed one spot to 59th position among 180 countries in the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2020.

Greece’s score also improved to 50 out of 100 points on the CPI survey.

The group’s 2019 report gave Greece a score of 48, which put the country in 60th place.

https://www.ekathimerini.com/261757/article/ekathimerini/news/greece-improves-score-in-global-corruption-index-watchdog-says

[Maik]

Box seat: scientists solve the mystery of why wombats have cube-shaped poo

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/29/box-seat-scientists-solve-the-mystery-of-why-wombats-have-cube-shaped-poo

Thought you'd want to know that 

[Maik]

BBC Wales guest goes viral after leaving explicit item in background of news interview

https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/editors-picks/bbc-wales-guest-goes-viral-after-leaving-explicit-item-in-background-of-news-interview-zXYZbk9U

 

[Maik]

Looks like the Alpha Bank in Poros has finally shut its doors as the ATM was removed yesterday and signage dismantled. Allegedly the ATM is to be re-sited in Poros but not sure where.

[Maik]

Britain’s Got Talent 2021 officially cancelled due to pandemic

The 2021 series of Britain’s Got Talent has officially been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/britains-got-talent-2021-cancelled-bgt-b1794746.html

 

[Maik]

Single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine 100pc effective at preventing deaths, hospitalisations

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-covid-vaccine-astrazeneca-lockdown-end-schools/

Johnson & Johnson single shot Janssen vaccine shown to work, but not as well as some two-shot rivals

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-01-29/covid-johnson-and-johnson-single-shot-vaccine-shown-to-work-but-not-as-well-as-some-two-shot-rivals

 

[OES]

Alpha Bank ATM in Poros has been installed at Pantelis along the front.  It wasn't operational yesterday but I would imagine it is imminent