Europe

Greece: Farmers to Block Roads, Border Crossings

Date: January 13th, 2010 |

Farmers around the country plan to block roads beginning Jan. 20 to protest low produce prices and higher production costs. Last year at this time they paralyzed commerce and disrupted travel when they closed major highways and several border crossings. This year they again hope to raise awareness of their difficulties and obtain more subsidies [read more]

Spain: EU Presidency Raises Concerns about Possible ETA Incident

Date: January 6th, 2010 |

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The EU presidency is Spain’s for the next six months, and with it came a reminder that the Basque separatist group ETA remains an active threat. Authorities are concerned that the group may try to stage a kidnapping or other incident during this period to draw attention to its cause. ETA’s violent campaign for an [read more]

Russia and Georgia: Agreement to Reopen Border Crossing Marks Political Thaw

Date: December 30th, 2009 |

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These two countries that fought a brief war in August 2008 have agreed to reopen a border crossing that has been closed for three years. The Verkhny Lars crossing is on the only highway between the two countries that does not go through the breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, where most of the [read more]

United Kingdom: Train Drivers in Southern England to Strike Dec. 28

Date: December 16th, 2009 |

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Train drivers voted to stage a 24-hour strike Dec. 28 to protest the Southern Railway’s refusal to pay holiday wages for drivers working the Monday after Christmas. The strike will affect Southern’s routes, which run from London to England’s south coast and throughout southeastern England. The walkout will likely cause extensive disruption in service. Thinking [read more]

Italy: Rome Taxi Company Trying to Improve Drivers’ Reputations

Date: December 3rd, 2009 |

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Rome is trying to make tourists feel more welcome and reduce scams perpetrated against them with billboards that proclaim “Rome loves tourists” and posters with the slogan “Be smart, don’t try to be clever” aimed at service providers, not visitors. Part of the campaign is meant to burnish the reputation of Rome’s taxi drivers by [read more]

Ireland: Public Workers Plan Strikes over Pay Cuts

Date: January 13th, 2010 |

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Unions representing government workers are gearing up for possible national strikes to protest their second pay cut in less than a year. Public servants could walk out across all sectors, including hospitals and public offices. Such strikes generally do not affect tourism, but hospital services could be severely disrupted and protests and demonstrations are possible. [read more]

United Kingdom: Winter Chill and Snow Disrupt Travel across the Country

Date: January 6th, 2010 |

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The harshest winter weather since 1981 shut down airports and highways across the country Jan. 5 when some 16 inches of snow fell in various places as a cold front swept down from Scotland. Temporary closures hit Gatwick and Luton airports and Heathrow saw many flight cancellations. Freezing temperatures were forecast for another two weeks [read more]

Europe: Heavy Snow, Cold Disrupt Travel Across Continent, Eurostar to Resume Normal Schedule Dec. 28, Venice Flooded

Date: December 23rd, 2009 |

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Severe winter weather before Christmas disrupted travel throughout Europe, causing flight delays and cancellations in the UK, Germany and Italy, and shutting down the Eurostar “Chunnel” train service between London and Paris for three days. Twenty-five-hundred passengers were stranded without food, water or air conditioning for 16 hours. The breakdown was believed to have been [read more]

Northern Ireland: Police Urge Stores to Check Security in Wake of Car Bomb

Date: December 9th, 2009 |

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Police urged retailers across the province to review their security arrangements because of concerns that a dissident IRA faction might mount a Christmas bombing campaign. The Real IRA splinter group left a car bomb that partially detonated at the Policing Board headquarters in Belfast Nov. 22, and authorities worry that they have access to a [read more]

Russia: Two Train Bombings Raise Worries Over New Terrorist Campaign

Date: December 3rd, 2009 |

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Two train bombings occurred within days recently, raising fears that a new wave of violence against the state may be underway similar to the campaign carried out by Chechen rebels in Moscow five years ago. The first bombing derailed a high-speed train on the main line between Moscow and St. Petersburg overnight Nov. 27-28, killing [read more]