Britain

Europe: Economic Crunch Prompts Strikes Across Continent

Date: February 24th, 2010 |

Strikes hit both the public and private sectors of several countries as the financial crisis put increasing pressure on workers and businesses, and some walkouts will carry on into March. Lufthansa pilots struck, French air traffic controllers walked out for four days, Greek unions blockaded the Athens stock market, and prepared to shut down much [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]

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]

United Kingdom: Anti-Islam Demonstrators Clash with Muslim Counter-Protesters

Date: September 16th, 2009 |

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Authorities are concerned about violent clashes between anti-Islam demonstrators and Muslim counter-protesters that have occurred in the last few months in Birmingham, London and Luton. The English Defense League and other far-right groups have been accused of trying to provoke a response from the Muslim community with their demonstrations, and in several instances they have, [read more]

United Kingdom: GPS Navigation Leads Tourists Astray

Date: October 9th, 2008 |

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Aberdulais Falls in the Neath Valley of Wales has become elusive for travelers relying on their GPS navigation systems rather than on maps or their own eyes. The falls and the village of Aberdulais have the same postal code, which drivers enter into their GPS systems to get directions. Then, listening to commands they have [read more]

United Kingdom: London Tube Strike Coming Sunday

Date: February 10th, 2010 |

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Maintenance workers on the London Underground’s Victoria, Bakerloo and Central routes plan 24-hour strikes every Sunday beginning Feb. 14 until their labor dispute is resolved. The issue involves new work schedules put in place by management and increased use of outside contractors. The strikes are scheduled to start at 6:45 a.m. and could cause disruptions, [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]

United Kingdom: Thameslink Trains Running Reduced Schedule, Driver Strike Possible in December

Date: November 19th, 2009 |

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A shortage of train drivers caused significant delays in service on the First Capital Connect Thameslink line linking London and several cities including Gatwick airport. The drivers are not on strike, but they are refusing to work automatic overtime, forcing the train system to reduce the number of trains operating. A revised schedule is in [read more]

England: Increased Security on the Thames

Date: July 16th, 2009 |

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London’s Daily Star reported that authorities increased security on the Thames in London in response to possible threats to the city’s landmarks, including such tourist favorites as the London Eye and Houses of Parliament, whose most prominent symbol is Big Ben. Security officials identified more than 100 vulnerable sites and tightened security on the river [read more]

United Kingdom: Crime on Buses Still a Problem

Date: January 17th, 2008 |

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Separate reports revealed that the crime rate on London’s buses is up since 2004 but leveled off or declined in 2007. Most officials agree, however, that “anti-social behavior” remains a real concern. A report from the London Assembly showed that crime had increased 15 percent over two years from 2004 to 2006, but decreased slightly [read more]

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