Political updates

India: Campaign for Gorkhaland May Disrupt Travel to Darjeeling

Date: May 8th, 2008 |

A campaign for a new state called Gorkhaland in the Darjeeling region caused a West Bengal minister to warn tourists not to travel to the area, stating that demonstrations would disrupt travel, create shortages of drinking water and cause power cuts. A spokesman for the political party behind the Gorkhaland campaign dismissed the warning as [read more]

Brazil: Government to Require Special Permits to Visit the Amazon

Date: May 1st, 2008 |

No Comments

The government intends to send Congress a bill within months that will require all foreign visitors to the Brazilian Amazon to obtain a permit to be there or face a whopping fine of 100,000 reals ($60,000). The bill will apply to all foreigners, whether tourists, businesspeople or employees of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Conservative politicians are [read more]

Armenia: Yerevan State of Emergency Lifted

Date: March 26th, 2008 |

No Comments

The government ended the state of emergency it imposed on Yerevan March 1 when it broke up a week of mass protests over a disputed presidential election. More than 100 protesters remain in custody on charges of causing unrest and plotting a coup, and the legislature passed a new law granting authorities the right to [read more]

South Africa: Local Address Disclosures on Arrival No Longer Necessary in Joburg

Date: March 12th, 2008 |

No Comments

Beginning March 17, visitors arriving at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg will not have to provide immigration officials with their address in South Africa, a precaution implemented because of serious crimes committed against arriving passengers who have been reportedly followed to their destination and robbed. Such incidents have suggested that local addresses and declarations [read more]

European Union: Fingerprinting of Foreigners Traveling through Europe

Date: February 14th, 2008 |

No Comments

The Washington Post reported that on Feb. 13 the European Commission would propose fingerprinting of all travelers entering and leaving Europe, and if the European Parliament approves, the plan will be implemented but not for at least a year. The U.S. and Japan currently require foreigners to be photographed and digitally fingerprinted when they enter. [read more]

Kuwait: Talking on Mobile Phones while Driving Banned

Date: May 8th, 2008 |

No Comments

As of May 1, talking on cell phones while driving is prohibited throughout Kuwait, and police are expected to be vigilant in the coming weeks in enforcing the new law. This edict has been added to a law already in effect that bans eating or drinking while driving. The fine for a violation is 15 [read more]

China and Tibet: Lockdown in Lhasa; Interpol Worries about Attacks in Beijing

Date: May 1st, 2008 |

No Comments

The Chinese government announced a lockdown on the Tibetan capital of Lhasa from May 1 to June 20 to prevent any disruption of the Olympic torch parade through Tibet. Residents of surrounding counties have been ordered not to enter the city, including farmers who would normally come to Lhasa to sell their produce, and all [read more]

Italy: Naples Garbage Cleanup Making Progress

Date: March 26th, 2008 |

No Comments

The piles of uncollected garbage that plagued Naples the past several months are gone from the center of the city thanks to the efforts of “trash tsar” Gianni De Gennaro, but the damage has been done to the area’s tourism industry. Business at hotels and restaurants has dried up and the city is largely empty [read more]

Nepal: Terai Strike Ends, Autonomy To Be Granted

Date: March 6th, 2008 |

No Comments

A strike in the lowland Terai area bordering India that was squeezing off the fuel supply to Kathmandu and causing power shortages came to an end Feb. 28 when the government signed an agreement to establish an autonomous province for the Madhesi people. This action represents a step into the future for Nepal and [read more]

Egypt, Gaza, Israel: Border Crisis Stirs Tensions Between Egypt, Hamas, Palestinian Authority

Date: January 30th, 2008 |

No Comments

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians poured into Egypt after Hamas militants blew open the border partition between Gaza and the Egyptian city of Rafah Jan. 23, relieving tensions in Gaza but creating tensions in Egypt. For the past six months Gaza has been blockaded by Israel because of almost daily rocket attacks on Israeli border [read more]