Archive for 2007

Australia: Fires on Kangaroo Island; Daintree Rainforest May Be Restricted

Date: December 13th, 2007 |

Fires on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island burned for more than a week scorching 115 square miles of scrub and wilderness, with one fire in the Flinders Chase National Park still burning out of control Dec. 12. Tourism operators urged visitors not to cancel their trips to the popular island following moves to reopen tourist areas [read more]

St. Maarten: Water Shortage Should Be Resolved by Peak Tourist Season

Date: December 13th, 2007 |

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This Dutch territory that shares its Caribbean island with the French territory of St. Martin has been experiencing water shortages that have left some residents without water for at least five days. People are collecting rain water for bathing and cooking while authorities say they will begin buying water from French St. Martin to slake [read more]

Venezuela: New Time Zone

Date: December 13th, 2007 |

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President Hugo Chavez moved Venezuela into a new time zone all its own Dec. 10 when he set back the official clock 30 minutes, making Venezuela unique in Latin America as the only country not setting its time in increments of one hour from Greenwich Mean Time. The country is now four and a half [read more]

Dominican Republic: Contaminated Water in Santo Domingo

Date: December 6th, 2007 |

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The U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo reported that following tropical storm Noel and recent heavy rains, the water supply of Santo Domingo became contaminated and should not be drunk or used for cooking or brushing teeth. Visitors should use bottled water that has not been exposed to floodwaters, should boil all tap water or disinfect [read more]

Kenya: Election Violence and Crime in Mombasa

Date: December 6th, 2007 |

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More than 14 million of Kenya’s 35 million citizens are registered to vote in the Dec. 27 election for a new president, parliament and local councils. As in past elections, this campaign has been plagued by violence. Since July, 35 people have been killed in election-related incidents, 13 in the last couple of weeks, and [read more]

Colombia: Armed Robberies on Hiking Trails around Bogota

Date: December 13th, 2007 |

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The U.S. Embassy in Bogota reported that wooded hiking trails in and around the city have been the scene of violent armed robberies of U.S. citizens in the past two months. Embassy officials have restricted American employees and their families from hiking on trails above Avenida Circunvalar in Bogota or at Rocas de Suesca in [read more]

Uganda: Wildlife Official Says Rwenzori Region Safe from Ebola

Date: December 13th, 2007 |

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Some 116 people have caught the deadly Ebola virus in western Uganda’s Bundibugyo district, bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, and 30 have died. Wildlife officials in the popular Rwenzori region were quick to assure visitors that national parks and tourist areas are outside the danger zones, and tourist facilities in the parks are clean [read more]

Bolivia: Unrest Prompts Call for Referendum

Date: December 6th, 2007 |

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Political strife between President Evo Morales’ ruling party and the opposition threatens to tear the country apart as a constitutional assembly tries to draft a new constitution by its deadline of Dec. 14. Violent demonstrations have occurred in Sucre and the Amazonian town of Cobija. Tensions are high and more violence is possible, including blocking [read more]

India: Security Tightened in Delhi

Date: December 6th, 2007 |

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Security has been tightened in Delhi after intelligence reports revealed that two militant Islamic groups may be planning attacks in the city. The reports, released Dec. 3, warned that attacks could take place within two weeks, with the main threat in marketplaces and crowded areas such as malls and transit stations. Police have deployed bomb [read more]

Sri Lanka: Sliding Back into War?

Date: December 6th, 2007 |

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This tropical island nation appears to be spiraling down into civil war again as a cease-fire brokered by Norwegian negotiators in 2002 has deteriorated to the point of collapse and conflict is escalating. Tamil Tiger rebels have been confined to their stronghold in the north but struck Colombo, the capital city, with two suicide bombings [read more]