Report Types

Yemen: Attack on U.S. Embassy

Date: September 25th, 2008 |

The attack on the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa Sept. 17, believed to have been carried out by the al-Qaeda network, has authorities worried about a larger issue: militants returning from Iraq schooled in more aggressive forms of terrorism than Yemen had previously seen. Officials worry that this new generation of terrorists will be ruthless in [read more]

Costa Rica: Mugging Is a Lesson That It Could Happen to Anyone

Date: September 11th, 2008 |

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The mugging of a 45-year-old fit former boxer 50 yards from his hotel and two blocks from a police station in Playa del Coco is a reminder that even the most unlikely targets for crime can become victims if they let down their guard. The American tourist took a stroll on the beach alone after [read more]

Portugal: Violent Crime Increasing

Date: September 11th, 2008 |

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Violent crime is increasing, with armed robberies and carjackings up significantly in the past year. Bank robberies have almost doubled and carjackings are up 50 percent. Police believe the spike in crime is due in part to the deteriorating economy, driving otherwise honest individuals to crime to make ends meet. Portugal is now the poorest [read more]

Italy: Government Considers More Troops to Assist Police

Date: September 3rd, 2008 |

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With 3,000 troops already patrolling Italy’s cities along with police, the Italian government is considering adding more after two brutal attacks on tourists near Rome and Naples and an equally vicious attack on monks in a monastery near Turin. In the first incident, police arrested two Romanian shepherds for an attack on a Dutch couple [read more]

Mauritius: Crime Against Tourists on the Rise

Date: September 3rd, 2008 |

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Crime against tourists in this island nation is low, but on the rise, and authorities launched an awareness campaign to alert tourists to the security measures they should take to avoid becoming a victim. These measures are mostly common sense: avoid walking alone at night, avoid secluded areas after dark, avoid beachside bungalows operated by [read more]

Colombia: FARC Threats in Bogota

Date: September 11th, 2008 |

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The U.S. Embassy in Bogota reported receiving information that FARC rebels “may be targeting large-scale chain superstores and other commercial establishments in Bogota, as well as Colombian government buildings and places of worship in the downtown area,” for attack with improvised explosives or car bombs. The warning also stated that FARC may be planning coordinated [read more]

Malaysia: Racial Tensions Concern Military Leader

Date: September 11th, 2008 |

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Racial tensions have been flaring to the point where the head of the armed forces warned the government to calm them or run the risk of threatening the nation’s security. The general was concerned that should tensions be allowed to simmer they could lead to chaos. The issue has been heating up since elections in [read more]

Venezuela: U.S. Says Airports May Not Meet International Standards

Date: September 11th, 2008 |

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned that Venezuela’s international airports may not be complying with security standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization because for the past two years officials have not been granted access to the country’s main international airports to assess their procedures. Warnings are now being posted at U.S. international [read more]

India and Nepal: Floods Make 2.5 Million Homeless, Chase Wild Game from National Park

Date: September 3rd, 2008 |

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Monsoon flooding in Bihar state, neighboring Nepal and Assam has pushed 2.5 million people out of their villages with nowhere to go. The River Kosi breached a dam in Nepal and changed course, inundating villages that had not seen a flood in 50 years. In Assam, the Brahmaputra River flooded half of Kaziranga National Park, [read more]

Mexico: Oregon Tourist Killed in Police Custody; Drug Violence in Yucatan

Date: September 3rd, 2008 |

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Given the worst circumstances it could probably happen anywhere, but the fate of an Oregon crab fisherman who was beaten to death by Mexican police when detained in San Jose del Cabo should be a lesson to all not to tangle with police, especially in countries where you do not speak the local language. The [read more]