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The area in the centre of the
Greek capital is playing host to thousands of angry demonstrators
more...
Kidnapping in Tijuana: The New Normal
6/1/2011
Tijuana is facing a new trend in kidnapping. Unlike the
wave of indiscriminate abductions for ransom that hit this Mexican city in
2008, this time the kidnappings seem more of a way of doing business.
more...
Gibraltar fuel depot blast hurts 12 cruise passengers
6/1/2011
Twelve cruise ship passengers have been injured in an
explosion and fire at the port of the British territory of Gibraltar, its
government says.
more...
Pentagon: Hack Attacks Can Be Act of War
6/1/2011
For the first time, the Pentagon has formally concluded that
computer sabotage carried out by another nation can constitute an act of war
that warrants a response of traditional military force, according to
published media reports.
more...
Thailand arrests American for alleged king insult
05/29/2011
Thai authorities said Friday they arrested an American
citizen on charges he insulted the country's monarchy by posting a link on
his blog four years ago to a banned book about the Southeast Asian nation's
ailing king.
more...
Volcanic ash cloud: latest travel advice
05/24/2011
Here is a summary of the flight disruption caused as a
volcanic ash cloud spreads from Iceland to British airspace, causing a
number of airlines to put scheduled departures on hold across Scotland and
northern England.
more...
Bomb warning received in London 05/16/2011
It has not been confirmed whether the bomb
threat was linked to the earlier closure of the Mall A bomb warning has been
received relating to central London, the Metropolitan Police has confirmed.
more...
Bogota's La Candelaria waits for more police after hostel robberies
05/12/2011
The mayor of La Candelaria, Bogota's most touristy district, said Tuesday
that her administration has requested increased police presence after a
series of violent hostel robberies.
more...
Explosion Hits Central Subway Station in Belarus
04/12/2011
An explosion tore through a subway
station near the office of the authoritarian president of Belarus during
evening rush hour on Monday, killing at least two people and wounding
numerous others, according to news agencies.
more...
Spain's airport unions call off strike
03/25/2011
Spanish airport workers have voted to call off
22 days of strike action, a spokesman from Spain's largest union CCOO said
on Friday, averting disruption over peak holiday periods between April and
August.
more...
Burma earthquake: More than 60 killed
More than 60 people have died in a magnitude-6.8 earthquake
in Burma which struck near the Lao and Thai borders.
more...
'Spectacular' cyber attack hits French government
03/08/2011
The French finance ministry has shut down
10,000 computers after a "spectacular" cyber attack from hackers using
Internet addresses in China, officials and reports said on Monday.
more...
Thousands march against India's embattled government
February 25, 2011
At least 100,000 trade
unionists marched through the Indian capital Wednesday in a protest against
high food prices and unemployment, piling pressure on an administration
under fire over corruption scandals.
more...
China's Web police block US ambassador's name
February 25, 2011
China widened its Internet
policing after online calls for protests like those that swept the Middle
East, with social networking site LinkedIn and searches for the U.S.
ambassador's name both blocked on Friday.
more...
Mexico Spring Break Tourism Falls Amid Violence, Universal Says
February 22, 2011
Western Hemisphere > Mexico > Acapulco; Western
Hemisphere > Mexico > Mazatlan
Foreign tourism may fall as much as 88 percent
in Acapulco this year as spring breakers cancel trips because of reports of
violence, El Universal reported.
more...
MULTINATIONALS KEEP EGYPT OFFICES SHUT, WORKERS HOME
February 2, 2011
Multinational companies had no
immediate plans to reopen Egyptian offices or bring back evacuated employees
after President Hosni Mubarak's attempt to restore stability failed to
placate protesters.
Murders Topped 11,500 in Mexico Last Year, Newspaper Says
January 3, 2010
A total of 11,583 people were
murdered in Mexico last year, making 2010 the worst year since President
Felipe Calderon declared war on the country’s drug cartels shortly after
taking office in December 2006, the Mexico City daily Reforma reported.
more...
Mexican violence hitting America's salad bowl December
23, 2010
Western Hemisphere > Mexico >
Nogales
U.S. importers of fresh fruits and vegetables from Mexico say they are
beginning to face losses from delays after U.S. quality inspectors pulled
out of Mexico fearing escalating drug violence.
more...
U.S. tightens air cargo security rules
November 8, 2010
The U.S. has banned toner and ink cartridges that weigh more than a pound
from checked and carry-on luggage. This ban, aimed at preventing a plot
similar to the one foiled last month, also applies to some inbound
international air cargo shipments. In addition, all cargo identified as
high-risk will be subject to additional screening. The U.S. will continue to
ban all air cargo shipments from Yemen, and it has also banned shipments
from Somalia. The Air Transport Association issued a statement noting that
U.S. air carriers "are in full compliance with the new TSA security
requirements regarding printer and toner cartridges."
CNN (11/8)
TSA faces growing criticism of passenger screening
November 8, 2010
Travel groups are voicing increasing frustration with TSA passenger
screening procedures, charging that longer delays, reduced privacy and
embarrassing pat-downs have done little to increase security for the flying
public. "The system is broken, it's extremely flawed and it's absurd that we
all sit back and say we can't do anything about it," says Geoff Freeman of
the U.S. Travel Association, which fears people will eventually stop flying
rather than face the security gauntlet.
Mexican authorities seize 105 tons of marijuana
October
19, 2010
Americas - Mexico
Mexican security forces seized at least 105
tons of U.S.-bound marijuana in the border city of Tijuana on Monday, by
far the biggest pot bust in the country in recent years. more...
US Considers Warning
On Europeon Travel « WWJ AM
-
October 02, 2010
Oct 2, 2010
... A European official briefed on the talks said the
language in the ... The implications of a blanket “travel warning”
for all of Europe could be big. ... While the government
cannot stop people from traveling there or ...
wwj.cbslocal.com/2010/10/02/>us-considers-warning-on-europe on-travel/
Jumbo jet makes emergency landing minutes after
Heathrow take off -
October 02, 2010
Telegraph.co.uk: A British Airways jumbo jet forced to make an emergency
landing minutes after taking off from Heathrow airport.
Security tightened for red rally
September 16, 2010
East Asia / Pacific -
Thailand Bangkok city inspectors, or
Thetsakit, will work with police in guarding about 40 locations in the
capital when supporters of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against
Dictatorship gather on Sunday. more...
Bangkok raises security to high alert after recent blasts
September 03,
2010
BANGKOK : Thailand has put over 460 locations across
Bangkok on high alert on Friday in response to a series of grenade attacks
that have rattled nerves in a city still under emergency rule after deadly
protests. Royal palaces, key government buildings, power plants and public
transport will receive special protection from the Centre for Resolution of
Emergency Situation (CRES), the body set up to monitor security since unrest
in April.
Alleged terrorism plot targeted Canada August
27, 2010
Americas - Canada
Three Ontario men accused of taking part in a
domestic terrorist plot and possessing plans and materials to create
makeshift bombs had allegedly selected specific targets in Canada,
sources told CBC News. more...
Turkey and Russia world's riskiest places to go online
August
26, 2010
Turkey is the riskiest place in the
world to surf the web, according to a recent survey conducted by
security company AVG and reported by softpedia.com. more...
Gunmen Invade a Hotel in Rio de Janeiro
August
21, 2010
A band of gun-wielding men invaded a
luxury hotel in Rio de Janeiro early Saturday and took 35 people
hostage, before the police negotiated their freedom and the gunmen’s
surrender, officials said. more...
July
13, 2010
MEXICO CITY – Federal Police officers arrested
eight municipal police officers in Tierra Blanca, a city in the Mexican Gulf
state of Veracruz, on kidnapping and other charges, the Public Safety
Secretariat said.
The officers were arrested at Tierra Blanca city hall “while roll call was
taking place,” the secretariat said.
Drug war hits Mexico's richest city
July 9, 2010
Mexico's richest city, once a poster child for development with its
high-rise office blocks and flourishing industries, is being gripped by
drug war terror with rising violence forcing dozens of its factories to
freeze investment.
Mexico's drug war heats up near Arizona border
July 6, 2010
Very few residents dare to drive on
one of the roads out of this watering-hole for migrants, fearing they
will be stopped at gunpoint. They worry they will be told to turn around
after their gas tanks are drained or, worse, be kidnapped or killed. more...
Thai government extends state of emergency in Bangkok
July 6, 2010
The Thai government has extended a
state of emergency in 19 provinces, including the capital Bangkok,
because of fears of renewed violence. more...
What foreigners should do if detained
July 4, 2010
Western experts traveling to Ukraine would do well to heed the following
rules if detained by the authorities:
Read more. . .
Pentagon considers sending carrier to Korea
June
2, 2010
WASHINGTON The U.S. is considering dispatching the aircraft carrier George
Washington to the waters where North Korea allegedly sank a
South Korean warship, defense officials said Wednesday.
Jamaica: State of emergency in Kingston
May
27, 2010
Jamaican authorities declared a
state of emergency in Kingston after gang members supportive of an
alleged drug lord wanted by the United States attacked police stations
and blockaded a large swath of the city.
Thailand unrest 'under control'
May
21, 2010
Thailand's PM says order has been restored in the country and calls for
reconciliation after dozens die in political violence.
Based on US advisory, MHA issues terror alert to New Delhi
April
22, 2010
The government alerted the Delhi police on the US advisory on possibility of terror attacks in
the national capital and asked it to take necessary steps to strengthen
security. more...
Thai protesters fortify camps in heart of Bangkok
April
20, 2010
Thai protesters said Tuesday that they would
fortify their sprawling encampment in Bangkok's upscale
hotel-and-shopping district before venturing out to "wage a big war" to
topple the government they decry as illegitimate
Navy ships to aid in ash response April
20, 2010
Royal Navy ships
are drafted into the efforts to return stranded travellers to the UK as
airspace restrictions are extended.
Stranded Britons face air chaos April
18, 2010
Thousands of Britons remain stranded around the
world as UK flight restrictions continue due to Iceland's volcanic cloud.
Thailand's PM declares emergency April
7, 2010
Thailand's prime minister declares a state of
emergency in Bangkok amid growing anti-government protests. In a televised address, Mr Abhisit said the move - which gives
sweeping new powers to the security forces to tackle protesters - would help
restore order. It comes hours after thousands of "red-shirt" protesters
marched on parliament - forcing MPs to flee the building.
Santiago Bombs Worry Officials About Upcoming Young Combatants’ Day
March 25, 2010
The second noise bomb to explode in less than 24 hours in Santiago
went off in the central offices of the airline LAN in Las Condes Tuesday
night. Another bomb had exploded just hours earlier at a Banco de Chile
office in the La Florida borough.
Although the local District Attorney’s Office says there is no proof of a
connection between the two incidents, local officials are on alert in view
of the upcoming Young Combatants’ Day (Dia del Joven Combatiente)
“celebration” which will occur on Monday, March 29.
Thai anti-government protesters picket U.S. embassy
March 17, 2010
Thousands of Thai anti-government protesters
picketed the US embassy in Bangkok Wednesday, accusing American
intelligence officials of bugging exiled former prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra.
Massive earthquake strikes Chile
February 27, 2010
A massive earthquake has hit central Chile and killed at least 122 people,
though the toll is expected to rise. The 8.8 quake
caused widespread damage, destroying buildings, bridges and roads in many
areas, including the capital where a chemical plant caught fire. President
Michelle Bachelet declared a "state of catastrophe" in affected areas and
appealed for calm.
Olympic security doesn't stop at Canadian border
February 10, 2010
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A few days before the
opening ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic Winter Gamesin
Vancouver, the doors to a nondescript warehouse will open here without
fanfare.
U.S. starts aid airdrops
into Haiti
January
19, 2010
The US military begins airdrops of food
and water into Haiti, as aid efforts gather pace a week after the
devastating earthquake. Some 14,000 ready-to-eat
meals and 15,000 litres of water were dropped north-east of the capital,
Port-au-Prince, the US said.
Security fears in quake-hit Haiti
January
16, 2010
Security concerns rise in Haiti's capital as
distribution problems continue to hamper the supply of aid to desperate
quake survivors. Days after the quake devastated
Port-au-Prince, killing tens of thousands, there are some reports of gangs
preying on residents and looting. Officials say thousands of prisoners are
unaccounted for after the main prison was destroyed. Relief has been
arriving, but little has moved beyond the jammed airport.
Vietnam police tear gas, beat Catholics over cross: priest
January
7, 2010
HANOI (AFP) - Several Vietnamese
Catholics were injured when police used electric prods and fired tear gas in
a dispute over a crucifix, a priest said Thursday. . .He
said parishioners had told him the police used electric prods, tear gas and
stones against the crowd, two of whom were seriously injured and taken to
Hanoi for treatment.
. .The clash, as described by the
priest, is one of the most serious incidents in a long-running series of
church-state land disputes.
Shin Bet considers more airport security
January
5, 2010
Middle East / N. Africa -
Israel The Shin Bet (Israel Security
Agency) is considering beefing up its teams of security guards stationed
at Ben-Gurion Airport and on Israeli commercial flights, The Jerusalem
Post has learned.
Third Western Yemen embassy shuts
January
4, 2010
France follows the US and UK in shutting its
Yemen embassy, after threats by a group linked to an alleged plane bomb
plot.
U.S. toughens air screening rules
January
4, 2010
Passengers flying to the US from or via 14
nations deemed a security risk face tougher screening, under new measures.
Volcanic ash disrupts Puerto Rican flights
December
30, 2009
Caribbean air traffic is being snarled by a cloud of volcanic ash floating
10,000 feet above the island of Montserrat, forcing the cancellation of more
than 60 flights in Puerto Rico. At least eight U.S. carriers have had their
operations affected by the Soufriere volcano, which has been spewing ash for
several weeks.
Full-body scanners could get boost from bombing incident
December
29, 2009
Experts say full-body scanners could have detected the explosive smuggled
aboard Northwest Flight 253, but privacy concerns have prevented deployment
of the machines in Europe. That could change, however, as governments
scramble to plug the hole that allowed Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to board
the plane with explosive chemicals hidden under his clothes.
Father warned about 'jet bomber'
December
27, 2009
The father of a
Nigerian man charged with trying to blow up a transatlantic jet had warned
US officials about his son's views.
Malaysia urges focus on South China Sea piracy
November 30, 2009
East Asia / Pacific - Malaysia
Pirates attacks in the South China Sea
are increasing and Malaysia has urged the bordering nations to work
together to fight the threat, reports said Monday.
Syrian carrying $880,000, Hezbollah ring, 9/11 videos, stopped at Canadian
border
November 13, 2009
VANCOUVER — Don't cross the Canadian border with
almost a million dollars that you fail to declare — especially when you also
have a Hezbollah ring and a Palestinian scarf in your possession.
Spain calls for blockade of Somali pirate ports
November 11, 2009
Spain wants
EU naval forces to blockade three Somali ports used to launch pirate attacks
against ships in the Indian Ocean, Defence Minister Carme Chacon said
Wednesday.
Flights cancelled as Beijing blanketed in snow
November
10, 2009
BEIJING - Nearly 70 flights were cancelled and
more than 30 delayed at Beijing's airport Tuesday after the second major
snow storm of the season blanketed the Chinese capital, airport officials
said.
Pirates 'seize UK yacht couple'
October 28, 2009
A couple who
have gone missing while sailing in the Seychelles are feared to have been
seized by Somali pirates.
Massive security at Asian summit in Thailand
October 22, 2009
Thailand has mounted one of its biggest
security operations in recent history with more than 36,000 military and
police to prevent anti-government demonstrators from overrunning a
summit of Asian leaders, an official spokesman said Thursday.
Terror groups gaining Western recruits
October 19, 2009
German security services have been on high alert
since last month, ... The agents provide guidance,
money, travel routes and even letters of
recommendation ...
Chinese ship hijacked in Indian Ocean: EU
October 19, 2009
East Asia / Pacific,
Sub-Saharan Africa - China, Seychelles A
Chinese bulk carrier was hijacked in the Indian Ocean on Monday, the
EU's anti-piracy naval mission in the region reported, immediately
launching an investigation into the incident.
Milan Bomber Had Accomplices, More Explosives - Police
October 17, 2009
MILAN (Reuters) - The Libyan man who tried to bomb a Milan army barracks had
suspected accomplices and the group had more explosives ready, police said
on Tuesday.
Thailand to invoke security act to control 'Red Shirt' protests
October 13, 2009
East Asia / Pacific - Thailand
The Thai cabinet agreed on Tuesday to
invoke a harsh internal security law for 10 days in central Bangkok to
control mass rallies by anti-government "Red Shirt" protesters, the
prime minister said.
U.S. troops aid
Philippine rescue
October
11, 2009
U.S.
troops are drafted into Philippine relief operations, where some 600 people
have died following two typhoons.
Foreigners advised to restrict movement
October
8, 2009
South / Central Asia -
Pakistan A number of foreign missions in
Islamabad have advised their citizens to restrict their movement after a
fresh threat of terrorist attacks in the capital, sources in the
interior ministry and diplomatic circles told Dawn on Wednesday.
Cartels may target U.S. firms
October
6, 2009
Americas - Mexico American
interests could become targets of Mexico's drug cartels as Washington
deepens its involvement in the war against drugs south of the border,
according to a leading global intelligence and security corporation.
China number two in world for rabies deaths
East Asia / Pacific - China September
28, 2009
BEIJING: China is second only to India worldwide
in the number of people killed by rabies every year, the government
reported, making the disease one of the nation's biggest public health
threats.
"China is one of the countries most severely affected by rabies, and in
recent years the number of annual reported deaths from rabies has averaged
around 2,400," the health ministry said in a statement on its website. "It
is only inferior in number to India, and gives us the world's second-place
ranking." The statement, issued to coincide with
World Rabies Day on Monday, said rabies was among the top three infectious
diseases in China.
China Bars Foreigners From Making Visits to Tibet
East
Asia / Pacific - China September 25, 2009
China has stopped issuing travel documents to foreigners
seeking to visit Tibet, according to local tour operators, another
indicator of the government’s skittishness over the coming anniversary
of the Communist victory in 1949.
Australian attacked in Belgrade
September 21, 2009
Europe - Serbia
An Australian tourist has become the second foreigner in
four days to be attacked in Serbia's capital, Belgrade.
U.S. Embassy in Honduras to stop issuing most visas
August 26, 2009
Americas - Honduras The United States will stop issuing
most visas on Wednesday at the U.S. Embassy in Honduras because the current
government is standing by its refusal to sign an accord that would bring
back overthrown President Manuel Zelaya.
Russia detains ship 'hijackers'
August 18, 2009
The Russian navy arrests a group of eight people
it says hijacked the Arctic Sea, the missing ship found off West Africa.
Bomb explodes at airline office in Argentina
August 5, 2009
Americas - Argentina
A bomb exploded early Tuesday at
a Chilean airline office in Buenos Aires, causing moderate damage but no
injuries, the airline and government news agencies reported.
Beyoglu, a safe place to go?
July 22, 2009
Europe - Turkey
After a German tourist was killed in broad
daylight Monday morning on
İstiklal, a crowded pedestrian street in Taksim, the question of safety
in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu area has once again become the talk of the town.
Cartels now killing at will in Chihuahua July 16, 2009
Americas - Mexico The
recent killings of a mayor, anti-crime activists and federal police
point to an uneasy shift in tactics by drug cartels as the violence
continues at an unstoppable pace across Mexico, officials said
Canada toughens its visa demands July 14, 2009
Canada has imposed visa
requirements on travellers from Mexico and the Czech Republic after a big
jump in refugee claims from these two countries.
Calderon's drug offensive stirs 'wasp nest'
July 13, 2009
Americas - Mexico In the
baddest precinct of Mexico's most violent city, Jose Manuel Resendiz is
the law.The army officer packs two pistols and a semiautomatic rifle as
he patrols the Delicias district of Ciudad Juarez, the bullet-scarred
border city that is the emblem of Mexico's drug-war mayhem.
Travelers Face Limit of $630 on New Goods
July 10, 2009
Europe - Russia
Travelers might be restricted to bringing only
20,000 rubles ($630) worth of goods into Russia without paying customs
duties under a government proposal aimed at bolstering crisis-hit
customs revenues.
Swine flu sickens Argentine economy
July 10, 2009
Americas - Argentina
Normally the winter period in July
is the most profitable time of year for children's theatre companies
and cinema owners in Argentina. But swine flu has changed everything
this year.
Hong Kong police investigate acid attacks
June 9, 2009
East Asia / Pacific - Hong
Kong, SAR Hong Kongers ventured out
unafraid Tuesday, as police searched for suspects behind a third acid
attack that injured 24 people in one of the city's most densely
populated shopping districts. Nearly 100 people have been injured in the
assaults so far.
Deadly gun battle rocks Acapulco
June 8, 2009
Americas - Mexico
Sixteen gunmen thought to be linked to drug
cartels and two soldiers have been killed in clashes in the Mexican
resort of Acapulco, officials say.
A look at world's deadliest air disasters
June
2, 2009
French plane lost in ocean storm
June 1, 2009
An Air France
airliner carrying 228 people from Brazil to Paris vanishes over the Atlantic
after a possible lightning strike.
In Venezuela, hundreds march for press freedom
May 28, 2009
Hundreds of opponents of
President Hugo Chavez marched in support of press freedom in Venezuela
on Wednesday, two years after his government refused to renew the
concession of an opposition-aligned television station.
Violence in India over guru's death eases
May 26, 2009
South / Central Asia - India
Tensions eased in the northern Indian
state of Punjab on Tuesday, following widespread violence across the
region after a Sikh guru was shot to death and another was wounded at an
Indian temple in Vienna, Austria.
Venezuela seizes US pasta company
May 18, 2009
Venezuelan officials accompanied by soldiers have seized "temporary" control
of a US-owned pasta producer.
Venezuela says the plant, owned by the big US firm Cargill, had violated
regulations on price controls intended to guarantee cheap food for the poor.
Swine flu: HK quarantines hundreds at hotel
May 2, 2009
East Asia / Pacific - China
Hundreds of tourists and employees were
under quarantine in a downtown Hong Kong hotel Saturday after a Mexican
guest tested positive for swine flu. With the outbreak on its doorstep,
China suspended direct flights from the Latin American country.
Thai troops crack down on protesters
April 13, 2009
East Asia / Pacific - Thailand
Thai soldiers fired volleys of shots in
the air to disperse protesters blocking key roads in Bangkok Monday, as
the first show of force by the government since declaring emergency rule
left 74 wounded.
Ship Captain Rescued From Somali Pirates
Sunday, April 12, 2009
American sea
Captain Richard Phillips was safely rescued Sunday from four Somali pirates,
who had been holding him for days in a lifeboat off the coast of Africa, a
U.S. intelligence official said.
Thai protests cancel Asian summit
April 11, 2009
A summit of
Asian leaders in Thailand is cancelled after anti-government protesters
break into the venue.
Northern India tourist area hit by quake
April
9, 2009
NEW DELHI, April 9 (UPI) -- A tourist district in northern India was
hit by a 5.3-magnitude earthquake Thursday, injuring three people and
damaging a number of buildings, officials said.
Massive Bangkok Protest
Planned for April 8, 2009
On
April 7, 2009,
the
U.S. Embassy in Bangkok issued the following Warden Message:
This warden
message alerts U.S. Citizens traveling to and residing in Thailand that
perhaps as many as 100,000 or more protesters from the United Front for
Democracy Against Dictatorship (aka UDD or the “red shirts’) will congregate
tomorrow, April 8, at Government House.Click
here for full report
Powerful Italian quake kills many
April
6, 2009
At least 90
people are believed dead and tens of thousands homeless after an earthquake
strikes L'Aquila in central Italy.
Government warns of growing terrorism threat
March
30, 2009
The government warned of a growing terrorist
risk from chemical, biological and radiological weapons Tuesday and
pinpointed al Qaeda
in Pakistan as a key threat as it revamped its national security strategy.
The government also said its updated counter-terrorism
policy would focus efforts on trying to prevent young Muslims from being
radicalised by violent Islamists, and involve ordinary Britons in tackling
the threat.
In Drug War, Mexico Fights Cartel and Itself
March
30, 2009
REYNOSA,
Mexico — An army convoy on the hunt for traffickers rolled out of its
base recently in this border town under the control of the Gulf Cartel — and
an ominous voice crackled over a two-way radio frequency to announce just
that.
B.C., Mexico team up to fight gangs
March
24, 2009
British Columbia and Mexico
plan to co-ordinate their fight against multinational gangs smuggling drugs
across borders, B.C. Attorney General Wally Oppal said Monday. more...
UK plans comprehensive terror law
March 22, 2009
Europe - United Kingdom
The UK is planning an updated anti-terror
strategy aimed at tackling the immediate threat of terrorism and the
longer-term causes of extremism.
70,000 Asian children in sex tourism--NGO
March
17, 2009
More than 70,000 children across
Asia are being used by sex tourists, mainly in Cambodia, Indonesia,
the Philippines and Thailand, an independent expert said Thursday.
30 Argentine tourists taken hostages in Brazilian hostel
March
17, 2009
Americas - Brazil
A group of armed men attacked a hostel Monday
by a well-known beach in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, taking
some 30 Argentine tourists hostages for three hours, said police.
Project to get elephants off the mean streets of Bangkok
March
13, 2009
The Nation - Thailand's English news
In honour of National Thai Elephant Day yesterday, the Bangkok
Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced a new project aimed at reducing
the number of elephants on Bangkok streets.
Terrorists put name to bank bombs
March
12, 2009
Europe - Greece
The Revolutionary Struggle terror group, best
known for a rocket-propelled grenade attack on the US Embassy in January
2007, yesterday claimed responsibility for two bombs planted outside
branches of Citibank earlier this week and last month.
Violent spillover from Mexico is focus of House hearing
March
12, 2009
CNN International - USA
In recent weeks, the United States, Canada,
France, Italy and Germany have issued alerts about
travel to Mexico. "The situation in Ciudad Juarez is of
In Mexico’s drug wars, fears of a U.S. front
March
9, 2009
Americas - Mexico
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, made the trip to confer with Mexican leaders about the Merida
Initiative, a three-year plan signed into law last June to flood the
U.S.-Mexican border region with $1.4 billion in U.S. assistance for
law-enforcement training and equipment.
As Guns Go South, Drugs - and Violence - Go North
March
8, 2009
Buzzle - Costa
Mesa,CA,USA
Last year Phoenix police received 366 kidnap-for-ransom
reports, a figure they ... America, he said, was ready to
provide the kind of "intelligence support, ...
Mexico increases airport security after robberies
March
3, 2009
Americas - Mexico
More than 800 federal and local police have
been assigned to improve security in and around Mexico City's
international airport after a series of armed robberies against
travelers who excay.
Facing Counterfeiting Crackdown, Beijing Vendors Fight Back
March 2, 2009
East Asia / Pacific - China
Any tourist who has stepped foot in this
city’s famous Silk Street Market can testify that it is home to some of
the wiliest, most tenacious vendors who ever tried to palm off a fake
handbag on a naïve foreigner.
Sweden probes 'anti-US' attacks
February 27, 2009
Europe - Sweden
Three supermarkets have been destroyed and a
fourth damaged in central Sweden in what police say might have been a
series of anti-American arson attacks.
College students warned about Mexico travel
February 26, 2009
PHOENIX - The U.S. State Department and
universities around the country are warning college students headed for
Mexico for some spring-break partying of a surge in drug-related murder
and mayhem south of the border.
US report highlights human rights problems in Bulgaria
February 25, 2009
Sofia Echo - Sofia,Bulgaria
During 2008 there was an increase in ransom kidnappings involving
wealthy .... Turkey, the Czech Republic, Poland, Macedonia, Kosovo,
and Western Europe. ...
Swedish
Media Report Possible threats to U.S. Interests
February 24, 2009
On
February 24, 2009, the
U.S. Embassy Stockholm issued the following Warden Message :
On
02-19-2009, the U.S. Embassy was notified that there were
reports on Stockholm Radio P4 regarding possible threats to
American interests. A reporter on the radio apparently stated
that individuals were passing out leaflets in Ronna, Södertälje
encouraging the public to make Molotov Cocktails and use them on
shops selling American products.
Deadly Australian bushfires flare
February 23, 2009
East Asia / Pacific - Australia More
Australian residents have been forced to flee their homes as renewed
bushfires destroyed at least one house and injured three firefighters.
Hundreds turn out to protest gang violence in Metro Vancouver
February 23, 2009
Americas - Canada Hundreds of
people, including politicians and police, showed up at a rally in a suburb
of Vancouver to protest gang violence in Metro Vancouver.
British tourists robbed in Brazil
February 20, 2009
Americas - Brazil
British tourists were among a group who were
held hostage for several hours during a robbery at a hostel in Brazil. The raid took place at the SambaVilla hostel in the Lapa area of
Rio de Janeiro and was the second hostel in the city to be held up in a
week. . .
British, French nuclear subs collide in Atlantic
February 16, 2009
Europe - France, United Kingdom
Nuclear-armed submarines from Britain and
France collided deep under the Atlantic Ocean earlier this month, causing
damage to both vessels but releasing no radioactivity, a British official
said Monday.
France's role in Holocaust legally recognized
February 16, 2009
The Times of India
PARIS: France's top judicial body on Monday formally recognized the
nation's role in deporting Jews to Nazi death camps during the Holocaust -
but effectively ruled out any more reparations for the deportees or their
families.
Middle East / N. Africa
Travel Alert: Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf
On February 11, 2009, the U.S.
Department of State issued the following Travel Alert:
This Travel Alert is being
updated to warn Americans about heightened security concerns in
and around the Arabian Peninsula and
Persian Gulf...
Plane crash in NY state kills 50
February 13, 2009
Fifty people have died after a US passenger
plane crashed into a house in Buffalo,tes from Buffalo airport
when it came down at 2210 (0310 GMT).
Officials said
there were no survivors from the 45 passengers and four crew on board the
flight from Newark. One person on the ground also died.
Mexican drug violence spills over into the U.S.
February 10, 2009
The Gulf Cartel, based in
Matamoros just south of the Texas border, is one of the most ruthless
of the Mexican organizations that deal drugs such as cocaine, marijuana,
methamphetamine and heroin. "He was shackled to a wall and one suspect had
an AK-47. ... But El Paso remains one of America's safest
cities, something Cuthbertson said is probably a result of the huge law
enforcement presence in town, including thousands of Border Patrol and
customs agents. ...
SignOnSanDiego.com - http://www3.signonsandiego.com/news/
6.0 quake rumbles in Peru
February 9, 2009
A significant earthquake, measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale, occurred
Monday near the coast of northern Peru, quake monitors said.The U.S.
Geological Survey said the temblor took place at 9:09 a.m. at a depth of 6.2
miles. Its epicenter was 95 miles west of Chiclayo, 470 miles northwest of
Lima and 475 miles south-southwest of Quito, Ecuador.CNN and Sky News said
there were no immediate reports ...
Over 200
Americans killed in Mexico since '04
February 9, 2009
Americas - Mexico
More than 200
American citizens have been killed since 2004 in Mexico's escalating wave of
violence, amounting to the highest number of unnatural deaths in any foreign
country outside military combat zones, according to the U.S. State
Department.
Mexico sends more police to airport after assaults
February 8, 2009
MEXICO CITY –
Mexico has assigned 100 more
federal police officers
to the capital's airport following a series of assaults on travelers who
exchanged money. Five of the victims have been
foreigners, including a French scientist who was killed.
Doc's Talk: Gazans Tell How Hamas Used Them As Human Shields
By GS Don Morris, Ph.D.
iii) A correspondent for Italy 's Corriere della
Sera talked to Gazans about rocket fire from the roofs of private houses and
about Hamas operatives who sought shelter in a hospital. 3. In an article
which appeared on ... In addition, during Operation Cast Lead,
terrorists hid in hospitals and operated from within them, correctly
assuming that the Israeli security forces would not enter medical
institutions and would abstain from attacking hospitals. The New York Times
...
Doc's Talk - http://docstalk.blogspot.com/
Who do pirates call to get their cash? January 29, 2009
Last year alone pirate gangs were paid an estimated £35m
from holding scores of ships and hundreds of crew members to ransom.
But securing their release is ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7847351.stm
Japan sends ships to fight Somali pirates January 28, 2009
Japan on Wednesday ordered its ships to join the international fight
against pirates off the shores of Somalia a move that has drawn criticism
from opposition lawmakers who fear it could draw the country into military
operations prohibited by its pacifist constitution.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-01-28-japan-somalia-piracy_N.htm?csp=34
Maoists torch 11 cement trucks
January 23, 2009
South / Central Asia - India
As many as 11 cement-laden trucks were set ablaze in Rohtas
district and a mobile tower was blown up in Gaya by Naxalites early on
Thursday during a bandh called by CPI(Maoist).
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Maoists_torch_11_cement_trucks/articleshow/4020032.cms
Namibia: Old Mutual Warns Against '419' Scams
January 23, 2009
E-mails
that have been circulating recently purport that certain individuals have
received policy payouts from Old Mutual London worth millions of pounds, and
that they are awaiting the transfer of funds to them.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200901230588.html
Thailand refuses to grant access to Myanmar boat people
January 23, 2009
Thailand's prime minister Wednesday refused to grant UN experts
access to 126 boat people from Myanmar, following allegations that the Thai
army had left them to die on the open seas.
http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=845418&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng
The Road to the Horizon: The 2009 Human Rights Watch Report is out.
January 18, 2009
Succumbing to competing interests and
credibility problems of their own making, they have let themselves be
outmaneuvered and sidelined in UN venues such as the Security Council
and the Human Rights Council, and in the policy debates ...
http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org/2009/01/2009-human-rights-watch-report-is-out.html
Women Against Shariah: Islamic rebels kidnap Red Cross workers in ...
Most were freed after payment of ransom but three were beheaded,
including an American, and an American missionary was killed in a shootout
between the kidnappers and the army. The Abu Sayyaf has also been blamed for
the bombing of a ...
Women Against Shariah - http://womenagainstshariah.blogspot.com/
Dutch seek Somali pirates' extradition from Denmark
January 15, 2009
AFP via Yahoo! News
The Netherlands has asked Denmark to
extradite five pirates detained by the Danish navy in the Gulf of Aden while
attacking a Dutch cargo vessel, the Dutch government said Thursday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090115/wl_africa_afp/somaliapiracyshippingnetherlandsdenmark_20090115175206
2001 terror plot crushed in Bangkok
Jan. 14, 2009
Bangkok Post - Thailand's English news
Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists planned to steal a plane at the Bangkok
airport at Don Mueang and crash it into the Changi Airport but the plan was
broken up when Thai authorities discovered key details.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asian/135861/2001-terror-plot-crushed-in-bangkok
Three Bodies Found Decapitated in Tijuana
Jan.9,
2009
World’s top 5 murder capitals
January 08, 2009
Americas, East Asia / Pacific, Europe,
Sub-Saharan Africa - Papua New Guinea, Russia, South Africa, Venezuela
The Washington DC-based Foreign Policy publication, in its
edition last September, lists Port Moresby alongside Caracas (Venezuela),
Cape Town (South Africa), New Orleans (USA) and Moscow (Russia) as cities
where you have a very good chance of getting murdered. The Foreign Policy website (www.foreignpolicy.com), on which the
listing is still available, says when it comes to brutal, homicidal
violence, these five cities stand in a class of their own.
http://solomonstarnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5748&change=71&changeown=79&Itemid=26
FBI warns of cyber attack threat
January 07, 2009
Sydney Morning Herald -
Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
Cyber attacks pose the greatest threat to the United States
after nuclear war and weapons of mass destruction - and they are
increasingly hard to prevent, FBI experts say.
. .
Evan Kohlmann, an investigator with Global Terror Alert, based
in Washington, said websites and social networking tools already allow
underground Islamist ...
http://news.smh.com.au/world/fbi-warns-of-cyber-attack-threat-20090107-7bot.html
Argentina's Deadly Yellow Fever Outbreak Spurs Mass Vaccination
Jan.6,
2009
Americas - Argentina Argentina is
mass-vaccinating people against yellow fever amid concern its first deadly
outbreak of the disease in 42 years may spread from jungle areas to cities.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601124&sid=aKbfIEUciQ9M
Caracas named 'murder capital of world'
January 02, 2009
Americas - Venezuela
At least 510 people were killed in Caracas,
Venezuela, in December, giving support to a recent report that called the
city the murder capital of the world.
9 Muslim Passengers Removed From Jet
January 02, 2009
Others on Flight Say a Remark Was 'Suspicious'
Officials ordered nine Muslim passengers, including three young children,
off an
AirTran flight headed to Orlando from
Reagan National Airport yesterday afternoon after two other passengers
overheard what they thought was a suspicious remark.
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United Kingdom plans for tougher immigration controls.
Britain:
The government says its
long-term aim is to be able to identify everyone entering and leaving
Britain. It will also make ID cards compulsory for
foreign nationals.
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