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The happiest countries in Europe – Where does Greece stand? New figures from the EU’s statistics office rank Austrians as the most “satisfied with their lives” in Europe in the 27-member bloc. Poland, Finland and Romania are also in high positions. As far as Greece is concerned, in this category, it is quite low, occupying the third place from the end in the “old continent”.In particular, Austria scored a total of 7.9 out of 10 in Eurostat’s annual publication of “quality of life indicators”, which is based on surveys carried out in all member states. At the other end of the scale, Germany is officially second from the bottom of the rankings, only surpassed by Bulgaria. Third, from the end, Greece has a slightly higher score than Germany.
Five new soft-furred hedgehog species discovered
Man used puppy as 'punch bag' and dragged her behind electric scooter in PlymouthA Somerset man who was spotted on a doorbell camera dragging his XL bully along while riding an electric scooter in Plymouth has been jailed.Lucas Slim-Fitzpatrick has been sentenced to 19 months behind bars after he was convicted of inflicting serious injuries to the canine.He was prosecuted after doorbell footage of him dragging his 10-month-old bulldog, Luna, in Plymouth was sent to the RSPCA.A vet who examined Luna said the dog had suffered blunt force trauma injuries in at least three separate incidents.
Vet charged owner of constipated cat nearly £40 for two-minute phone assessmentReview of veterinary industry is underway amid concerns over clarity of pricing
Quarter of UK pet owners concerned vets might over-treat, survey saysWhich? research also shows eight out of 10 think treatments and medications are expensiveA quarter of pet owners have concerns about potential over-treatment of their animals by vets amid concerns around unclear pricing, a Which? survey has found.The consumer champion’s research shows that eight out of 10 think that vet treatments and medications are expensive but that it is hard to shop around due to unclear pricing online.A review of veterinary services in the UK has been launched over concerns that pet owners could be paying too much. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said vet fees were rising faster than other services and goods during the cost of living crisis.
Prices bite into Greek Christmas even as economy improvesGreece's traditional Christmas sweets made of icing sugar, honey and powdered almonds tantalise shoppers ahead of the festive season as they do every year. But with prices for the delicacies currently up by seven to 10 percent amid a general cost-of-living crisis, it's not certain whether consumers will be able to afford them this year.At a cost of nearly 24 euros ($26) a kilo for a box of kourabiedes -- the almond biscuits habitually offered this time of year -- Hatzis, a popular pastry shop in Athens, is nearly empty save for a few tourists.It's a similar story in Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, 500 kilometres (300 miles) to the north.In the city market, Petros Elmaliotis has few illusions that his stock of nuts will sell out soon.In past years, people would throng his stand. But this year demand is limited."There were six of us at the stand to serve people. Today there are only two," he told AFP.
Tourism contributed 24 bln euros to Greek GDP last yearThe direct contribution of tourism to Greece’s GDP is estimated to be close to 24 billion euros, or 11.5% in 2022, with five regions representing almost 90% of the country’s receipts, three of which are purely tourist regions.The Region of South Aegean represents a 27% share of the receipts, Crete 21%, Attica 17%, the Ionian Islands 15% and Central Macedonia 9%.
Vasilopita: Peristeri will set the new record for the biggest New Year’s cake – a WHOPPING 9 tons!
Public divided over same-sex marriageOn the issue of same-sex marriage, 52% expressed a positive view overall, with 20% saying they “would like it to be allowed” and 32% having no problem, compared to 33% who say they would like it not to be allowed. Regarding the “legal recognition of children of same-sex couples,” the scales tip in favor of those who say that they would not like such a development to be allowed (47%), compared with 42% who have a positive attitude: Another 18% would like this recognition and 24% say they would have no problem with it.
Greece’s New Tourism Land Use Bill Sets Terms for Airbnbs and Uninhabited IslandsA new spatial planning bill in Greece expected to go up for public consultation in the upcoming period sets limits to Airbnb-style operations, allows the construction of tourism resorts on uninhabited islands and defines shoreline use, among others.The proposed legislation also divides the country into five zones based on saturation levels and sets development limits. These are the “saturated-controlled” zone (red), “developed” zone (blue), the “developing” zone (light blue), the “mild development-supported” zone (green), and the “selective special support” zone (grey).Among others, the legislation sets a 30-day limit to short-term rental activities (Airbnbs) in areas listed in the red (saturated) zones and a 60-day limit in the developed zone, which includes all the islands apart from Evia and Crete.The law also sets quality standards for short-term rental activity, which must be registered on the registry and hold a special tourism ministry seal, and limits the number of permits granted for such operations in saturated and developed areas.For the first time, the new legislation also foresees the creation of tourism resorts on uninhabited islands and sets limits to tourism construction on shorelines.
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Topic: 22/12/23 (Read 859 times)
