Author: The Beetle
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New Corruption Index
Transparency International recently published its new index on the world's most countries. At the top of the list, i.e. the least corrupt country is Iceland, followed by Finland and New
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Space Tourist Returns
The US businessman and scientist Gregory Olsen is the third person to pay to be a space tourist, after American Dennis Tito in 2001 and South African Mark Shuttleworth in
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Tibet Railway To Open
China has announced the completion of the first railway line from Golmud in China's north-western province of Qinghai to Lhasa, in Tibet. The line is expected to start taking passengers
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Red Light Tours
The UK's longest-running holiday operator Thomas Cook is offering family tours of Amsterdam's red-light district. The package costs £12, though half-price for children. Thomas Cook claims the tour, which is
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Get In Print
Europe From a Backpack travel book series are now accepting submissions for Italy From a Backpack and Spain From a Backpack. They are looking for first-person must-tell stories. If you
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Ice Kingdom of Animals
If you happen to be near Lubeck in Germany, there is a huge ice and snow sculpture festival opening 9th December. Forty ice sculptors will create sculptures for the “Kingdom
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Venice Barriers to Go Ahead
Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has agreed that work on an underwater dam to try to save the lagoon city of Venice from floods will go ahead, despite increasing calls
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Been In Prison Overseas?
Philip recently contacted us to say that he is an English producer currently putting together a film about British citizens who are or have been imprisoned abroad. Perhaps, you remember
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Want to Fly Into Space?
Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic has collected $10m in deposits from people wanting a quick journey beyond Earth's atmosphere. More than 34,000 would-be astronauts have registered for rides aboard a
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Plymouth – Banjul Rally
You may have heard of the Paris – Dakar car rally, well, here's a slightly different take on the idea of driving a car across deserts and getting lost, but
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Soccer Flight Scam
Pilots of a chartered jet carrying 289 Gambian soccer fans faked the need to make an emergency landing in Peru so that passengers could watch their nation's team play a
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Crocodile Attacks in N Australia
About a dozen people have been killed by salt-water crocodiles in Australia in the past 20 years. Now divers in northern Australia are calling for development of crocodile warning devices
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Know Your Riyals from Your Kwatcha
Need to convert currency? Take a look at The Globetrotters Currency Converter – get the exchange rates for 164 currencies The Globetrotters Currency Cheat Sheet – create and print a
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Globetrotters Travel Award
A member of Globetrotters Club? Interested in a £1,000 travel award? Know someone who is? We have £1,000 to award each year for five years for the best submitted independent
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No Kissing at Indian Wedding
An Israeli couple were fined 500 Indian rupees ($11) each for embracing and kissing after getting married in a traditional Hindu ceremony in the northwestern Indian town Pushkar. The Israeli
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Journalism a Dangerous Job
An independent media watchdog group, the Committee to Protect Journalists, (CPJ), says press freedom was under siege in every corner of the globe last year. The CPJ says Iraq remained
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F-16 Cause Reindeer to Collapse
The Danish Air Force admitted last month that it paid about $5,000 in compensation to a part-time Santa Claus whose reindeer died of heart failure when two fighter jets roared
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HK Airport Best 2005
Hong Kong International Airport is named Best Airport worldwide in 2005 passenger survey. For the 5th consecutive year, passengers have rated Hong Kong International Airport as the world's Best Airport.
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Being Careful: the Philippines
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all travel to central, southern and Western Mindanao, and the Sulu archipelago including Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Jolo, where military and police operations
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Satellite Photo
Spotted by Webmaster Paul, here's a satellite photo from Google of York Minster: