goinggreek.info
To Kafeneion => Grapevine / News Briefs => Topic started by: Maik on Friday, 24 June, 2022 @ 03:30:40
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Kef fire risk 24/06/22: Medium (https://www.civilprotection.gr/el/imerisios-hartis-provlepsis-kindynoy-pyrkagias-24062022)
Forty nine new coronavirus cases confirmed on Kefalonia yesterday by EODY, six on Ithaka
Today’s bank rates:
1 €UR = £ 0.8839 GBP
1 €UR = $ 1.0808 USD
£1 GBP = 1.1313 €UR
$1 USD = 0.9252 €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 (https://www.postoffice.co.uk/travel-money).
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 (https://weather.com/en-IE/weather/tenday/l/GRXX0035:1:GR)
Day, Date Hi°/Lo° Wind sp Wet Forecast
Fri 24/06 31°/23° 23 km/h 02% Sunny
Sat 25/06 31°/23° 13 km/h 07% Sunny
Sun 26/06 32°/23° 21 km/h 08% Sunny
Mon 27/06 31°/23° 16 km/h 07% Sunny
Tue 28/06 31°/23° 15 km/h 10% Sunny
Wed 29/06 30°/23° 15 km/h 10% Sunny
Thu 30/06 31°/23° 17 km/h 08% Sunny
Fri 01/07 31°/23° 17 km/h 04% Sunny
Sat 02/07 32°/23° 17 km/h 04% Sunny
Sun 03/07 31°/23° 19 km/h 03% Sunny
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Turtles have discovered how to switch off ageing process, scientists find
Turtles have managed to slow down and even completely switch off the ageing process, according to two new studies which subvert the notion of ageing as an inescapable fate.
https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/uk-news/turtles-switch-off-ageing-b2108123.html
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Greece Can’t Get Tourism Workers? Pay Them More, Says Mitsotakis
With a shortage of some 55,000 workers in Greece’s again-booming tourism industry even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the answer for the sector is to pay them better.
While hotels, bars, taverns and spin-offs in tourism are raking in the cash again, including scamming visitors on Mykonos where a bottle of champagne can cost 1,000 euros ($1,049) some workers there slept in their cars because they were being put up in filthy, unihabitable rooms and relying on tips.
https://www.thenationalherald.com/greece-cant-get-tourism-workers-pay-them-more-says-mitsotakis/
They're lucky if the proprietor passes the tips to them.
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Body of a 75 y-o Greek national recovered from the sea at Koropi, Pelion, yesterday morning.
Body of an 87 y-o Greek female recovered from the sea yesterday at Sounion, Attika.
Body of a 92 y-o Greek national recovered from the sea yesterday at Kechria, Corinth.
A sea turtle was found dead yesterday at the Nautical Club of Thessaloniki.
Also yesterday, a dolphin was found dead in the sea at Lampi, Kos.
Salamina Port Authority officers yesterday morning arrested a 66 y-o Greek who had been seen wandering around with a dead cat which he then dismembered in public. When approached an escape was attempted unsuccessfully. Another dead animal was found in his vehicle. Remains being examined by Veterinary Service to determine causes of death.
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Rail workers and what they earn: who are the real fat cats?
As government says striking rail workers are well paid, we look at industry salaries from cleaning staff to chief executives
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jun/23/railworkers-and-what-they-earn-who-are-the-real-fat-cats
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Rare bumblebee population discovered in Wales
A population of a very rare and under-threat bumblebee was discovered in Wales this week.
The Ruderal bumblebee is one of the UK’s largest bumblebee species, and is thought to be largely restricted to the south of England after a considerable decline through the 20th century.
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/bumblebee-wales-under-threat-rare-population-sighting-b2107790.html
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Low income pensioners to get easier access to free TV licences
New measures to stop over-75s on Pension Credit having to obtain paperwork to get a free TV licence
Under the new plans the BBC will be able to verify automatically whether a person applying for a free TV Licence is on Pension Credit with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It will mean in most cases the 7,000 people who apply to TV Licensing for a free licence per month will simply need to apply online or over the phone without any need to supply additional paperwork.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/low-income-pensioners-to-get-easier-access-to-free-tv-licences
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Eighteen locations in Greece register temperatures exceeding 40C on midday Thursday
https://www.amna.gr/en/article/656620/Eighteen-locations-in-Greece-register-temperatures-exceeding-40C-on-midday-Thursday
Kef not among them.
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2nd booster shot appts available for 30-59 age group as of Monday; optional
National Vaccination Committee... reiterated its "strong recommendation" that those over 60 years of age get a second booster shot.
https://www.amna.gr/en/article/656543/2nd-booster-shot-appts-available-for-30-59-age-group-as-of-Monday-optional
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Athens Launches ‘Heat Alert’, Opens Air-conditioned Spaces for Heatwave
The Municipality of Athens announced this week that it would be launching a “Heat Alert” that will inform residents and visitors of extreme hot weather and provide information on protection as the first heat wave of the summer hit Greece this week.
The health alert classifies extremely high temperatures into four categories:
– Category 0: High temperatures: Danger to the health of vulnerable people
– Category 1: Very high temperatures: Follow the instructions and avoid prolonged exposure to heat – Inform vulnerable people
– Category 2: Very high temperatures: Danger to health – Take precautions – Prepare to help vulnerable people
– Category 3: Extreme temperatures: Significant health risk – Take maximum precautions.
https://news.gtp.gr/2022/06/23/athens-launches-heat-alert-opens-air-conditioned-spaces-for-heatwave/
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3:56
Breaking Labour win Wakefield by-election
4:04
Breaking Lib Dems win Tiverton and Honiton by-election
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-61789404
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‘My film would not exist if the patriarchy did not exist’: the director taking on the Greek establishment
Moon, 66 Questions tackles homophobia, suppression and the expectations placed on women to care for their parents. Jacqueline Lentzou explains the origins of her film
Moon, 66 Questions is in UK cinemas from 24 June
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jun/23/my-film-would-not-exist-if-the-patriarchy-did-not-exist-the-director-taking-on-the-greek-establishment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SXN-ZS2t64
https://youtu.be/1SXN-ZS2t64?t=1
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Marseille, Alexandria and Istanbul prepare for Mediterranean tsunami
A tsunami could soon hit major cities on or near the Mediterranean Sea including Marseille, Alexandria and Istanbul, with a nearly 100% chance of a wave reaching more than a metre high in the next 30 years, according to Unesco.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/23/marseille-alexandria-and-istanbul-prepare-for-mediterranean-tsunami
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Greek state TV broadcasts advice on how to siphon gasoline
Segment in which a repairman also gave advice about to pierce a car’s fuel tank raises eyebrows
Greece’s state TV has prompted criticism over a segment that showed viewers how to siphon gasoline from cars as fuel prices soar.
“It’s not something terribly complicated … you don’t even need a special tube, even a hose for balconies will do,” the station’s reporter Costas Stamou said during ERT’s morning news programme Syndeseis.
After demonstrating the method, a car repairman then points out where a car’s fuel tank can be pierced to steal the contents.
“Are you guys in your right mind? Giving people tips on stealing gasoline?” commented one user on Twitter. Another joked: “After the tutorial on two ways to easily steal gasoline, ERT is now preparing new how-to’s on how to open locks and steal wallets.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/24/greek-state-tv-broadcasts-advice-on-how-to-siphon-gasoline
:blink:
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Rail workers and what they earn: who are the real fat cats?
As government says striking rail workers are well paid, we look at industry salaries from cleaning staff to chief executives
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jun/23/railworkers-and-what-they-earn-who-are-the-real-fat-cats
Are UK rail workers under paid?
The National average wage is £32,000 p/a.
According to the ONS, the median salary for rail travel assistants (ie ticket collectors and guards) is £33,310; for rail construction and maintenance operatives it is £34,998; and for transport operatives (eg signallers) it is £48,750.
Salaries for train drivers vary from company to company but most salaries start in the mid £40,000s and with the highest-paid earning £70,000. The median salary is believed to be £59,189 for train and tram drivers.
https://uk.style.yahoo.com/news/train-strikes-much-rail-workers-153724047.html
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As it says, drivers are a separate union and not on strike. Average wage for RMT members is £32,000 - presumably that includes working unsocial hours and overtime? Not often have I seen jobs on the railways advertised.
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Oliver Dowden resigns as Tory chairman, telling Boris Johnson 'someone must take responsibility'
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/06/24/oliver-dowdens-resignation-letter-boris-johnson-full/
'someone must take responsibility'... hm, now who should that be? :hmm:
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$20,000 worth of cocaine found inside a jukebox imported to Melbourne from Greece
A vintage jukebox used to transport roughly $20 million worth of cocaine to Australia has been seized leading to the arrests of three men.
Police have charged two men after a vintage jukebox was used to smuggle a large amount of cocaine into Australia.
A 39-year-old man from Spotswood, 26-year-old Reservoir man and a 66-year-old Greek foreign national were all interviewed by police.
The 66-year old was subsequently released pending further inquiries.
https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/crime/20000-worth-of-cocaine-found-inside-a-jukebox-imported-to-melbourne-from-greece/ (https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/crime/20000-worth-of-cocaine-found-inside-a-jukebox-imported-to-melbourne-from-greece/news-story/d6003f33412217f33dd929ab7838b1a4)
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Body of a 77 y-o Greek national recovered from the sea yesterday at Alykon, Volos.
Dead loggerhead discovered yesterday on the beach at Ververonta, Ermionida, N. Argolida.
Another yesterday evening on the beach at Magganos, N. Laconia.
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Japanese man loses USB stick with entire city's personal details
The Japanese broadcaster NHK reports that the man, said to be in his 40s, works for a company tasked with providing benefits to tax-exempt households.
He had transferred the personal information of the entire city's residents onto the drive on Tuesday evening before meeting colleagues for a night on the town.
City officials said the memory stick included the names, birth dates, and addresses of all the city's residents. It also included more sensitive information, including tax details, bank account numbers and information on families receiving social security.
Luckily for the man, city officials said the data contained on the drive is encrypted and locked with a password. They added that there has been no sign that anyone has attempted to access the information so far.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-61921222
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'Goat of Kyiv' triggers Russian boobytrap and injures 40 soldiers
At least 40 Russian soldiers have been injured after a Ukrainian goat set off a boobytrap they were laying around a hospital in Zaporizhzhia with its “chaotic movements”.
The troops were setting up a tripwire when an escaped goat from a farm in the village of Kinski Rozdory triggered it.
They had pinned grenades around the edge of a local hospital and placed the trap as a “circular defence”, Ukraine's Chief Intelligence Directorate said.
But shortly after the trap was laid, the goat wandered towards the area, creating a chain reaction that injured dozens of troops.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/06/24/goat-kyiv-triggers-russian-boobytrap-injures-40-soldiers/
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Government declares war on holiday homes
Second home owners could be banned from renting out their properties on websites such as Airbnb, in new plans being drawn up by the Housing Secretary Michael Gove, The Telegraph understands.
The proposals would stop second home owners from renting out their properties as short-term holiday lets, as the Government cracks down on landlords driving up house prices in holiday hotspots.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/buy-to-let/government-declares-war-holiday-homes/
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Medium risk of bush fire on Kef tomorrow, according to civilprotection.gr (https://www.civilprotection.gr/el/imerisios-hartis-provlepsis-kindynoy-pyrkagias-25062022)
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British Airways Heathrow staff back summer strikes over pay
The unions said the action was due to a 10% pay cut imposed during the peak of the pandemic not being reinstated.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61906236
Heathrow's chief executive has received an annual salary increase of 85% to almost £1.5m a year, and the boss at Manchester Airport Group had a pay rise of 25% to £2.5m.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-61917259
CEO at Birmingham Airport received a 49% pay rise from £399,000 to £595,000 p.a.
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Today's coronavirus count on Kef/Ithaka: 52/2
eody.gov.gr (https://eody.gov.gr/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/covid-gr-daily-report-20220624.pdf)
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Body of an 88 y-o male recovered this morning from the sea at Aalipedo, Alimos, South Athens.
Dead loggerhead discovered in the sea at Agios Konstantinos, Fthiotida.
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UNWTO INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR BEST TOURISM VILLAGES 2022
Launched in 2021, Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO promotes and enhances the role of tourism in safeguarding rural villages, along with their landscapes, natural and cultural diversity, knowledge systems, and local values and activities, including gastronomy. At the same time, the initiative also promotes transformative approaches to the development of tourism in rural destinations that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
https://www.unwto.org/tourism-villages/en/news/unwto-invites-applications-for-best-tourism-villages-2022/
Fiskardo has been nominated by Municipality of Sami.
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'Road' down to Koroni beach, Elios-Pronnoi, is now open but needs surfacing, due care advisable.