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Russia to use Fan-IDs (again) as visas for 2020 UEFA Euro Cup visitors

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Upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council, have passed on Monday a bill allowing foreign tourists with Fan-IDs to travel to Russia without entry visas for matches of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup.

Last week, the bill was passed in the third and final reading by lawmakers from the State Duma, the parliament’s lower house, and following today’s approval by the senators, it must be signed into law by the Russian president.

“Within the period, which begins 14 days prior to the first match of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup in Saint Petersburg and ends on the day of the last match [in St. Petersburg], the entrance to Russia for foreign citizens and stateless persons, who come to Russia to watch 2020 UEFA Euro Cup matches, will not require issuance of visas based on identification documents,” according to the explanatory note.

Addressing a government’s session in mid-March, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that the country planned “to employ the same mechanism we used in the past regarding the issuance and operational rules of Fan-IDs.”

Russia came up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup with an innovation, which was the so-called Fan-ID and was required for all ticketholders. This innovation was successfully tested during the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia and earned high marks from the world’s governing football body of FIFA.

The Fan-ID played an important security role during the major football tournament in Russia as it granted admittance to the stadiums and also served as visa for foreign visitors to enter the country.

A Fan-ID holder was allowed to enter the country without having a Russian visa and stay for the duration of the global football tournament. Fan-IDs were obligatory, in addition to purchased tickets, in order to attend matches of the 2018 World Cup tournament in Russia.

2020 UEFA Euro Cup

The matches of the 2020 Euro Cup will be held at stadiums in 12 different cities across Europe, namely in London (England), Munich (Germany), Rome (Italy), Baku (Azerbaijan), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Bucharest (Romania), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Dublin (Ireland), Bilbao (Spain), Budapest (Hungary), Glasgow (Scotland) and Copenhagen (Denmark).

Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg was granted the right to host three group stage matches and one of the quarterfinals of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup.

The decision to hold the 2020 Euro Cup, which will be celebrating its 60th anniversary that year, in various European countries instead of in one or two hosting countries was made at the UEFA Executive Committee’s meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on December 6, 2012.

A total of 24 national football teams will be playing in the final tournament of the 2020 Euro Cup. All 55 UEFA national member teams, including 12 teams from the hosting countries, will have to play in the qualifying matches to vie for the berth in the final 24-team lineup of the quadrennial European football championship.

It is possible that some of the national teams from the hosting countries of the 2020 Euro Cup will not be playing on home soil in case they fail to clear the qualifying stage.

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Brexit has not deterred business travelers in the UK

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UK’s 2018 Hotels Market Report shows that the UK regional capitals are performing strongly with overall room nights booked growing by 8% across the top 250 UK cities.

London continues to be business travelers’ favorite capital for work trips with 663,000 room nights booked in 2018, an increase of 5% when compared to 2017. But Edinburgh experienced the highest level of growth in 2018 with room nights booked increasing by 16%, Belfast was up 13% and Cardiff up 5%.

The 2018 Hotels Market Report analyses data from corporate hotel bookings made between January and December 2018 by Advantage’s TMC members, who represent around 40% of the UK business travel sector, highlighting business travel trends and booking behaviour.

The report also shows significant growth for cities in the Midlands and North East, with Derby seeing the highest growth with 31% more booked room nights compared to 2017, while York, Nottingham and Gateshead also saw double-digit percentage increases.

Top Ten UK Cities – Booked Room Night Percentage Increase (year-on-year), January – December 2018

1. Derby – 31%
2. York – 22%
3. Plymouth – 21%
4. Inverness – 20%
5. Nottingham – 18%
6. Edinburgh – 16%
7. Reading – 15%
8. Belfast – 13%
9. Norwich – 11%
10. Gateshead – 10%

Global Results

The business world continues to travel widely, with the 2018 Hotels Report recording that hotel demand remains strong in many international cities with New York, Auckland, Wellington, Houston, Paris and Sydney topping the Advantage Top Cities list. In total, worldwide volume grew by over 393,000 room nights, a total increase of 8.74% compared to 2017, indicating that SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) corporate accounts, in which Advantage TMCs specialise, continue to perform strongly.

The total number of bookings made by Advantage business travel members in 2018 saw similar growth – up 8.76% – while the average length of stay remained constant, at 1.87 nights. Increased demand and higher occupancy globally meant hotel rates have increased by US$2 to an average daily rate (ADR) of US$169.41.

The report also looks at trends on bookings and ADR for cities and locations around the world, with New York once again topping the list as the highest volume worldwide city outside the UK, with 90,799 room nights booked at an average rate of US$395.97 per night. Increases were also seen in Bangalore (up 54%), Kuala Lumpur (up 36%) and Boston (up 27%).

The corporate hotel sector continues to grow, with another significant increase in bookings year-on-year, made by independent TMCs. Despite continued uncertainty in both the global and UK economies including Brexit, hotel room night demand is at record levels in many destinations. Although not all destinations in Britain saw an increase in room nights booked, ADR remained strong.

The report is representative of hotel bookings made across most of the major international and independent hotel groups including: Accor, Apex Hotels, Choice Hotels, Citadines, Clayton Hotels, Design Hotels, The Doyle Collection, Edwardian Hotels, glh Hotels, Hallmark Hotels, Hilton, HotelREZ, Hyatt, House of Daniel Thwaites, IHG, Jurys Inn & Leonardo Hotels, Loews Hotels, Macdonald Hotels, Maldron Hotels, Melia Hotels International, Millennium Hotels & Resorts, The Montcalm Hotels, NH Hotels, O’Callaghan Collection, Omni, Park Plaza, Pegasus, QHotels, Quest, Rotana, Radisson Hotel Group, Sabre Hospitality, Small Luxury Hotels, TravelClick, Travelodge, Village Hotels Club, WorldHotels Collection and Wyndham Hotel Group.

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Date set for the opening of the Vatican secret archives

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On March 2, 2020, Pope Francis will open the secret archives of the pontificate of Pius XII on the Second World War.

The announcement during the audience to the staff of the Vatican secret archives was, “The Church is not afraid of history, indeed it loves it.” And on the reading of the Pontificate, he said: “In the criticisms against Pius XII prejudices and exaggerations.”

Pope Bergoglio’s Tweet from March 4, 2019 said, “I decided that the opening of the Vatican Archives for the Pontificate of Pius XII will take place on March 2, 2020, exactly one year after the eightieth anniversary of Eugene Pacelli’s election to the Soglio di Pietro.”

Thus the Pope in the audience with his superiors, as well as the employees and collaborators of the Vatican Secret Archives, whose “constant and not slight commitment,” said Francesco, “allows me today, in memory of that significant anniversary, to announce my decision  to open to the consultation of researchers the archival documentation pertaining to the Pontificate of Pius XII, until his death, which took place at Castel Gandolfo on 9 October 1958.

Regarding the Pope’s decision, “I assume this decision,” the Pontiff explained, “having heard the opinion of my closest collaborators, with a serene and confident spirit, confident that the serious and objective historical research will be able to evaluate in its right light, with appropriate criticism, moments of exaltation of that Pontiff and, undoubtedly also moments of grave difficulties, of tormented decisions, of human and Christian prudence, which to some may have seemed reticence, and which instead were attempts, humanly even much fought, to keep on, in the periods of more thick darkness and cruelty, the flame of humanitarian initiatives, of hidden but active diplomacy, of hope in possible good hearts’ openings.

“The Church is not afraid of history, on the contrary, she loves it.”

In explaining his decision, the Pope recalled that “the Church is not afraid of history; indeed, loves it and would like to love it more and better, as God loves it! So, with the same confidence as my predecessors, I open and entrust this documentary heritage to researchers.”

“While I thank you again for the work accomplished,” he added to the staff of the Vatican Secret Archives, “I wish you to continue the commitment to assist researchers – scientific and material assistance – and also in the publication of Pacellian sources that will be deemed important, as you have already been doing for some years.”

The Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI) is good to reconstruct the role of the Church during the Holocaust, stating, “We welcome with great appreciation the decision of Pope Bergoglio to open the secret archive related to the figure of Pius XII. It is positive that we want to make this opening, because it will give way to all those that deal with research to access material of unpublished interest to be able to reconstruct with even more clarity the position of the Church also in the period of the Shoah.”

This was underlined by the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, Noemi Di Segni, and also the president of the Jewish community of Rome, Ruth Dureghello, who commented on the news: “The hope now is that we can clarify the role played by Pius XII during the Second World War.”

“Unfortunately we will have to wait for 2020, in a year and a half,” he underlined. “Better late than never. It is positive news from which we hope to obtain clarity on that historical period and on the role played by the Pope.”

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10 Students Tips For Planning Your Assignment

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The secret to successfully finish everything in time is time management. We all tend to forget about things or postpone them to the last minute, and it might bring troubles and stress to your life. It can also decrease your grades because when you don’t have enough time for an assignment, it is hard to do quality work. Anyone might find him/herself wondering “Can someone help me to do my assignment right now?” Sure thing; you can always use the best essay writing service when you have no other possibility to finish it on your own. Many students in Australia and all over the world have struggled with planning; this guide will help you to manage time properly and be successful with your studies.

Tips on Planning to Do Your Assignment without Stressing Out

How to write an assignment? Well, it takes some skill and researching, but the main thing, of course, is to have all planned and organized, before you even start writing.

  1.      Create a useful time planner. The first thing to mention is that it is better to use a digital calendar or an app that allows creating tasks with due dates and reminders. Of course, you might make a notebook with all the information, but as long as it is in the paper, there is no way to set reminders. As soon as you get an assignment out into calendar and set a due date. Set two reminders, one week before the due date, another one two weeks before. Don’t trust your memory, as it is hard to keep everything in mind; use technology instead.
  2.      Create a rating system defining the importance and complexity of tasks. It is useful when you have several of them at a time. Mark them with different colors and figure out how much time each of them will take you to write. Start with the most complex and important ones, the less crucial you can always trust to an online service, like PapersOwl.
  3.      How to start an assignment? You need to begin with a close reading of requirements and topic; it is crucial that you understand the key question and the demands you are expected to meet. Underline the main words and focus on them, define the crucial question of an essay.
  4.      After the previous step write down what you need to do to finish the task. Basically, you are creating a plan of actions you are going to take. Don’t put huge options like “write an essay.” Divide them into smaller sections so that they are less nerve wreaking and easier to do. Set realistic goals, if you cannot write 2000 words a day, it is ok; just divide the works for two days at least.
  5.      Begin working on an assignment with drafting a structure for it. Whether you are going to a college in Melbourne or any other place in Australia, there are common outlines for any kind of academic paper that are well-known and are publicly accessible. If you don’t have an example, you may ask the professor or look online, the general outline for an essay is always the same. Use it to customize according to your needs and topic.
  6.      Look for useful information. Don’t rush to write everything, do research on the topic first. You don’t have to pay for online sources; there are many of them that are free to use by anyone. There is your local public library, college library, and digital resources. If you don’t know which sources are most relevant, ask someone for help: professor, tutor, and classmate.
  7.      When working with sources make notes and marks on the most important data. After you are done, it will be easier to find this information.

  1.      Work on your thesis statement. Before actually writing it is better to know what your standpoint is and the main idea. That’s why one should spend some time formulating a clear thesis statement that will be a guide to future work.
  2.      Write a draft. Try to focus and not get distracted, don’t be too critical when writing a draft, just follow thoughts and ideas. Remember to put in direct citations primary sources and paraphrase secondary ones. It is not essential where to start; you may begin with the part that is easier for you and then complete other paragraphs.
  3.  Proofread and edit draft to make it a finished paper. Use services like Grammarly that helps to proofread spelling and grammar and use online plagiarism checker, there are several free AU services. But most importantly – reread your text to revise the general logic, readability, strong arguments, etc.

This guide should help you with the understanding of how to do assignments. Remember that it is better not postpone it till the last night, as the more time you have, the better it is.

Author’s bio: Becca Stickler is a freelance writer with a focus on sustainability and eco-friendly living. Now engaged in travel around the country and writing.

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Czech Memorial Scrolls survived the Holocaust and travel to New York City

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The fact that a few of the 1,564 Czech Memorial Scrolls were all in one place at the same time, was almost a miracle. It took detailed planning and the cooperation of many institutions to bring these historical documents to New York City’s Temple Emanu-El for one-evening. It is only through the efforts of the Herbert & Eileen Bernard Museum and the auspices of the Memorial Scrolls Trust of London that this first-time phenomenon took place in New York.

Importance of the Scrolls

Scholars have determined that it would be difficult to identify examples of Jewish culture and religion more suitable than the Torah scrolls. The reading from a parchment manuscript, containing the Hebrew text of the Five Books of Moses, the Divine Teaching handed over to the people of Israel, is the cornerstone to the Jewish synagogue ritual.

More Than Parchment

The Torah scroll is a strip of parchment, prepared from the skin of a kosher animal. Many inches in length, it is supported by two wooden rollers (atzei hayyim, “trees of life”) at each end. Considered to be holy, the text and the scroll hold an exceptional position in Judaism. If the scroll is appropriate for reading in the synagogue, the Torah scroll must be written in Hebrew square script with permanent ink by a professional scribe (sofer). The scroll cannot have textual errors and the letters must be legible. While certain errors and imperfections may be corrected by the scribe, if the damage is wide-ranging, the parchment cannot be used.

Jeffrey Ohrenstein, Chair, Memorial Scrolls Trust, London, UK “These scrolls are survivors and silent witnesses of the Shoah.”

Amazing Grace

The fact that the Torah Scrolls exist at all is a marvel.  They were saved from the Czechoslovakian regions of Bohemia and Moravia during WWII, surviving the planned destruction of everything Jewish and the horrors of the communist regime that controlled the country in 1948.

It is thought that the artifacts survived because Prague, although badly damaged, was not leveled during the fighting. The scrolls were stored in a synagogue in a Prague suburb and they remained (decomposing) in this building until 1963, when the Czech government sought a buyer for the treasures. Eric Estorick, a British art dealer, introduced the opportunity to Ralph Yablon, a founding member of London’s Westminster Synagogue. Yablon purchased the scrolls and donated them to his synagogue.

On February 7, 1964, 1,564 scrolls were delivered to London. According to Jeffrey Ohrenstein, “They were in plastic bags, like body bags.” Many of the scrolls were in disrepair. Fortunately, Rabbi David Brand, a sofer, was looking for work, and presumed that the synagogue would have at least one scroll in need of repair; he was shown an entire floor of scrolls in need of his attention. He worked in the synagogue for nearly 30 years, repairing all the scrolls – personally.

Shortly after their arrival in London, a trust was created to care for the scrolls and repairs were initiated. Over the next 30 years, over 1,400 scrolls were sent to synagogues around the world. Now the Trust focuses on raising awareness of the responsibility attached to the housing of these historic documents. Synagogues and institutions are asked to devote one Shabbat during the year to the Memorial Congregation to coincide with the anniversary of the deportation of that community and to memorialize the many murdered Jews by remembering their names on that Shabbat and Yom HaShoah and Yum Kippur.

The Czech Torah Scrolls Viewed in Manhattan @ Temple Emanu-El, February 5, 2019

With more than 75 scrolls from over 10 different states and countries on view, hundreds of people crowded the auditorium at Temple Emanu-El. The scrolls are identified by number and no longer have their original mantles. The current scroll covers range from sumptuous velvet to tartan plaid with an outstanding cover designed in the stripes of a concentration camp prison uniform. The Torahs were carried by Temple members as well as representatives from nearby synagogues and Houses of Worship. The scroll procession was accompanied by a violin playing Etz Hayim (A tree of life) from Proverbs.

 

 

In his emotionally moving words to the audience, Jeffrey Ohrenstein said: “The Torah is the one thing that binds all Jews together. We would like our scroll holders to use the scrolls in a way that reminds people of what we have in common rather than what divides us.”

For additional information, go to memorialscrollstrust.org.

© Dr. Elinor Garely. This copyright article, including photos, may not be reproduced without written permission from the author.

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