Author Topic: 08/12/22  (Read 1267 times)

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Offline Maik

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08/12/22
« on: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 00:30:29 »
Today’s bank rates:
1 €UR = £ 0.8900 GBP
1 €UR = $ 1.0845 USD
£1 GBP = 1.1236 €UR
$1 USD = 0.9221 €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
Thu 08/12   19°/15°   16 km/h   81%   Thunderstorms probable
Fri 09/12   19°/16°   13 km/h   22%   Mostly cloudy
Sat 10/12   20°/15°   24 km/h   88%   Light rain probable
Sun 11/12   18°/14°   30 km/h   99%   Thunderstorms & winds probable
Mon 12/12   16°/12°   21 km/h   72%   Showers probable
Tue 13/12   15°/12°   18 km/h   64%   Showers probable
Wed 14/12   17°/15°   25 km/h   72%   Rain probable
Thu 15/12   19°/15°   17 km/h   60%   Showers probable
Fri 16/12   19°/16°   25 km/h   60%   Scattered  thunderstorms probable
Sat 17/12   20°/14°   25 km/h   57%   Scattered thunderstorms probable


Offline Maik

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Re: 08/12/22
« Reply #1 on: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 04:02:40 »


Quote
First King Charles 50p coins enter circulation

Millions of 50p coins bearing the image of King Charles III will enter circulation from Thursday via post offices across the country.

They are the first mass-produced coins carrying the new King's image, and will be given out in change to customers.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63888781

Offline Maik

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Re: 08/12/22
« Reply #2 on: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 14:48:27 »
In the Spanish World Cup squad...



 :blink:

Offline Maik

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Re: 08/12/22
« Reply #3 on: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 15:25:48 »
Likely Christmas opening hours for shops in Argostoli:

Sun   18/12/22   11:00-18:00   
Mon   19/12/22   09:00-14:00   17:00-21:00
Tue   20/12/22   09:00-14:00   17:00-21:00
Wed   21/12/22   09:00-14:00   17:00-21:00
Thu   22/12/22   09:00-14:00   17:00-21:00
Fri   23/12/22   09:00-14:00   17:00-21:00
Sat   24/12/22   09:00-21:00   
Sun   25/12/22   CLOSED   
Mon   26/12/22   CLOSED   
Tue   27/12/22   09:00-14:00   17:00-21:00
Wed   28/12/22   09:00-14:00   17:00-21:00
Thu   29/12/22   09:00-14:00   17:00-21:00
Fri   30/12/22   09:00-14:00   17:00-21:00
Sat   31/12/22   09:00-21:00   
Sun   01/01/23   CLOSED   
Mon   02/01/23   CLOSED   
Tue   03/01/23   Normal hours   


Offline Maik

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Re: 08/12/22
« Reply #4 on: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 15:44:33 »
Planned mains electricity outage tomorrow between 08:00-14:00 in Farsa, Kourouklata and the wider area of Thinaia, Zola and Angona due to essential maintenance work.

Offline Maik

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Re: 08/12/22
« Reply #5 on: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 16:08:00 »
Quote
Warnings over heated blankets as temperatures plummet across the UK
A fire service has found that 76 per cent of electric blankets failed a fire safety check as people find ways to keep warm

A fire service has issued a warning against using heated blankets as temperatures fall below freezing across the UK.

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, in partnership with Berkshire’s Public Protection Partnership, found that 76 per cent of electric blankets failed a fire safety check.

Of 17 blankets tested, officials deemed 13 were not safe to use. Berks Fire Service also advised members of the public against using second-hand heated blankets and to unplug electric blankets before going to bed.

Their Winter Wise campaign contained further guidance around open fires, with experts concerned that using alternative methods of heating the home could prove dangerous. They warned not to sit near fires and said that fire guards should always be used.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/12/08/warnings-heated-blankets-temperatures-plummet-across-uk/

Offline Maik

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Re: 08/12/22
« Reply #6 on: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 16:13:36 »
Quote
Jersey fishing boat believed to have sunk after collision with ferry

A Jersey fishing boat with a skipper and two crew members onboard is believed to have sunk after a collision with a ferry off the coast of the Channel island. Debris has been found in the sea and a major search and rescue operation is under way.

The 18-metre-long (59ft) wooden fishing boat collided with a Condor Ferries freight vessel, the Commodore Goodwill, off Jersey at 5.30am on Thursday.

Jersey’s chief minister, Kristina Moore, sent her “thoughts and prayers” to the families of the vessel’s crew.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/dec/08/jersey-fishing-boat-believed-to-have-sunk-after-collision-with-ferry

Offline Maik

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Re: 08/12/22
« Reply #7 on: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 17:35:08 »
Quote
How the Global Spyware Industry Spiraled Out of Control

The Biden administration took a public stand last year against the abuse of spyware to target human rights activists, dissidents and journalists: It blacklisted the most notorious maker of the hacking tools, the Israeli firm NSO Group.

But the global industry for commercial spyware — which allows governments to invade mobile phones and vacuum up data — continues to boom. Even the U.S. government is using it.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is secretly deploying spyware from a different Israeli firm, according to five people familiar with the agency’s operations, in the first confirmed use of commercial spyware by the federal government.

At the same time, the use of spyware continues to proliferate around the world, with new firms — which employ former Israeli cyberintelligence veterans, some of whom worked for NSO — stepping in to fill the void left by the blacklisting. With this next generation of firms, technology that once was in the hands of a small number of nations is now ubiquitous — transforming the landscape of government spying.

One firm, selling a hacking tool called Predator and run by a former Israeli general from offices in Greece, is at the center of a political scandal in Athens over the spyware’s use against politicians and journalists.

After questions from The New York Times, the Greek government admitted that it gave the company, Intellexa, licenses to sell Predator to at least one country with a history of repression, Madagascar. The Times has also obtained a business proposal that Intellexa made to sell its products to Ukraine, which turned down the sales pitch.

Predator was found to have been used in another dozen countries since 2021.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/08/us/politics/spyware-nso-pegasus-paragon.html

Article is quite long and detailed, but interesting (IMO).
« Last Edit: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 17:37:22 by Maik »

Offline Maik

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Re: 08/12/22
« Reply #8 on: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 22:11:54 »
Quote
Greece Has 63,000 Millionaires and Rising

The projected population for this wealthy bracket is expected to reach 94,780 by 2026. This would represent a growth of 49 percent between 2021 and 2026.
https://greekreporter.com/2022/12/07/greece-millionaires/

Offline Maik

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Re: 08/12/22
« Reply #9 on: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 22:25:01 »
Rural doctor service available between 10:00-13:00 on Monday, 12 December in Svoronata. Face masks and social distancing required.

Offline Maik

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Re: 08/12/22
« Reply #10 on: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 22:41:44 »


Quote
Albania’s last ‘restaurant bear’ is rescued and en route to a better life in a sanctuary

On 7 December, global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS has successfully rescued the last so-called ‘restaurant bear’ in Albania. 24-year-old brown bear Mark is on the way to his new home, BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach in Austria, where he should arrive on 9 December. Mark was kept as a tourist attraction next to a restaurant in Tirana for over 20 years. After suffering two decades in a tiny cage with concrete floors, unable to live out any natural behaviours, he needs proper care urgently.

After the FOUR PAWS team sedated and freed Mark from his cage, a medical check by the accompanying wildlife veterinarian ensured he is fit to travel. Now Mark is on the way to his new home, from Albania to Austria through North Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary.

In his far-too-small cage, Mark was exposed to heat and extreme weather conditions. He had no place to retreat and was constantly exposed to the stares of restaurant visitors. He has never been able to hibernate either. The restaurant owner handed Mark into the care of FOUR PAWS voluntarily and has agreed in writing that no bears will ever suffer at the restaurant again.

“Mark spent more than 20 years in a barren cage that is much too small and lacks materials to keep him busy and stimulated. Due to boredom and stress, he displays abnormal behaviours, including repetitive pacing and biting on the metal bars of his cage. He is severely overweight, his teeth are partially broken, and the way he moves indicates that he needs further examination and treatment. Soon our team in Arbesbach will provide Mark with necessary veterinary treatments, proper care and species-appropriate food so he can hopefully recover and enjoy a bear-worthy life," [said] Magdalena Scherk-Trettin.

BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach provides rescued bears a life-long home in a near-natural habitat since 1998. It was the first FOUR PAWS bear project and was expanded in 2009. Mark is the first new arrival at the Austrian bear sanctuary since 2015. Including him, currently four bears are living on more than 14,000 m². Located in an eastern region of Austria called ‘Waldviertel’ (forest quarter) known for its unspoilt, rural landscape, the sanctuary offers space for the bears to express their natural behaviors, like bathing, digging, roaming, climbing and retiring in caves, either to hide and snooze, or hibernate in the winter.
https://www.four-paws.org/our-stories/press-releases/albanias-last-restaurant-bear-is-rescued

Edit: photo added
« Last Edit: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 22:50:50 by Maik »

Offline Maik

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Re: 08/12/22
« Reply #11 on: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 22:45:08 »
Quote
€57,000 found in safe deposit box belonging to charity priest’s mother

Officials have found 57,000 euros in cash in a safe deposit box kept by the mother of the priest at the center of a child abuse and financial scandal at one of the country’s best-known children’s charities.

The safe deposit box was held at a bank in Chios in the names of the mother and uncle of Father Antonios Papanikolaou, founder of Ark of the World.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1199798/e57000-found-in-safe-deposit-box-belonging-to-charity-priests-mother/

Offline Maik

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Re: 08/12/22
« Reply #12 on: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 23:33:55 »
Quote
Jet Black: 'Inspirational' drummer for the Stranglers dies aged 84
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-63904248



https://youtu.be/-gfIgA-PYyQ?t=1

Offline Maik

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Re: 08/12/22
« Reply #13 on: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 23:40:33 »
Quote
NHS at 'breaking point' with waiting list in England hitting new high of 7.2 million people

GPs have described the NHS performance figures as "shameful" because they expose a health service "at breaking point" with England's record-high hospital waiting list totalling more than Denmark's entire population.

Meanwhile, in emergency departments, just 68.9% of patients in England were seen within four hours last month, down from 69.3% in October and the worst performance on record.
https://www.itv.com/news/2022-12-08/number-of-people-in-england-waiting-to-start-hospital-treatment-hits-record-high

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Re: 08/12/22
« Reply #14 on: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 23:43:11 »
Quote
ITVX explained: What will I be able to watch and how will it work?

Here's everything you need to know about the launch of ITVX.
https://www.itv.com/news/2022-12-07/itvx-explained-what-will-i-be-able-to-watch-and-how-will-it-work

Offline Maik

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Re: 08/12/22
« Reply #15 on: Thursday, 08 December, 2022 @ 23:46:53 »
Quote
Strep A: Official number of deaths in children rises to 15 across the UK
https://www.itv.com/news/2022-12-08/strep-a-official-number-of-deaths-in-children-rises-to-15-across-the-uk