Four people have been arrested on the Greek island of Lesbos after violence broke out during a protest against plans to build a new migrant camp, authorities said on Tuesday.
After a peaceful march to the site in heavy rain on Monday, a small group of protesters set fire to earth-moving machinery being used by a contractor who has started work on the €87.5 million ($99.9m) project.
The four suspects face charges including arson, property destruction and attempted grievous bodily harm, police said on Tuesday. Six more people claimed to have taken part in the violence have been identified.
The site at Plati, 30 kilometres north of the island’s capital, Mytilene, is due to be completed by September and will house up to 3,000 migrants and asylum seekers.
Lesbos was the busiest entry point into the EU in 2015 to 2016 when hundreds of thousands of refugees from wars in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere crossed from Turkey.
An acutely overcrowded refugee camp at Moria, further south on the island, was destroyed in 2020 by a fire that Greek authorities say was lit intentionally by camp residents, and was replaced with a temporary centre.
The EU is funding new camps being built on five Greek islands that face the Turkish coast. Freedom of movement is restricted at the new sites, drawing criticism from human rights groups.
Local authorities on Lesbos are backing the protests and have threatened to challenge the national Greek government in court to try to halt the project.
Greece has long been the main entry point into the EU for migrants and refugees fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Hundreds of thousands of people arrived on Lesbos's beaches after crossing on boats from Turkey.
The fate of the migrants is a controversial issue in Greece and another source of tension with Turkey.
Anghami
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Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
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Sector: Entertainment
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
England squad
Joe Root (captain), Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes (vice-captain), Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson, Toby Roland-Jones, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Champions League Last 16
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Manchester City (ENG)
Benfica (POR) v Ajax (NED)
Chelsea (ENG) v Lille (FRA)
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG)
Villarreal (ESP) v Juventus (ITA)
Inter Milan (ITA) v Liverpool (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid (ESP)
