Spotted by webmaster Paul: “Because your first trip to Tokyo can be like going to another planet.
Planet Tokyo is here to guide you through the culture shock that many western travellers experience upon arrival in Japan. If you're planning a trip, or just hoping to learn something new and interesting in this western traveller's guide to Japan” http://www.planettokyo.com/
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 for it to be halted because of environmental damage. Work on the project known as Mose, Italian for Moses, began in 2003. Designers hope the construction of underwater barriers will protect the fragile canal city from the ravages of the sea. The project aims to construct 78 flood barriers, 20 metres (65 feet) wide and up to 28 metres (92 feet) high, that will be fixed to the bed of the sea at points where Venice's lagoon meets the Adriatic. Venice's mayor Massimo Cacciari, supported by environmentalists and Venetian elders, had asked Berlusconi to consider other measures, arguing the barriers would cause as much damage to Venice as they prevent. The World Wildlife Fund Italy has said that shutting Venice's cargo port and barring cruise liners from entering the lagoon would be more effective in controlling the waters. There are also concerns about the cost of the scheme.
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 the most dangerous place in the world to work as a journalist in 2004. In its annual report, entitled “Attacks on the Press,” the CPJ said 56 journalists were killed worldwide last year as a direct result of their work.
At least 23 journalists and 16 media support workers were killed in Iraq last year. Another 22 journalists were abducted while trying to report on the Iraq conflict. 122 journalists were imprisoned in 2004, three-quarters of them in just four countries – China, Burma, Eritrea, and Cuba.
Eight journalists were murdered in the Philippines last year, allegedly for criticizing the government or reporting on corruption.
Eleven journalists have been killed in contract-style killing since President Vladimir Putin came to power.
Zimbabwe was named one of the world's worst places to be a journalist because of the government's continued crackdown on private media and Bangladesh was found to be the most dangerous county in South Asia for the media.
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 someone who planned something, or in a moment of madness decided to do something, that ended up with a prison term?
They type of story I'm looking for is one about people – 'normal people' faced with a life-changing opportunity and who were possibly convinced it was going to work out? Was it all going to plan when suddenly it went wrong – ending in the shock of going to prison? If you think you've even heard of a story – possibly where somebody remains in jail abroad, I'd be extremely grateful to hear from you. I can be contacted on: philip@rawtelevision.co.uk
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 over his farm. The reindeer, named Rudolf, was grazing at the farm of Olavi Nikkanoff in central Denmark when the F-16 jets passed overhead at low altitude earlier in the year. The reindeer collapsed and died, leaving Nikkanoff with only one animal pulling his sleigh next Christmas. Mr Nikkanoff complained to the Danish air force, which agreed to compensate him for the cost of the reindeer and veterinary expenses. “We got a letter from Santa complaining about his reindeer's death and looked into it seriously,” air force spokesman Capt. Morten Jensen said. The air force checked flight data and veterinary reports and concluded the planes had caused the animal's death. Mr Nikkanoff said he would use the money to buy a new reindeer before Christmas.
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 in 2006. This is one of the world's highest train routes, at 5,072m (16,640ft) above sea level. Trains travelling on the line will have to have carriages that are sealed like aircraft to protect passengers from altitude sickness. The workers who built the line had to breathe bottled oxygen in order to deal with the high altitudes.
At September's World Tourism Day, the the United Nations Today said that more and more people can afford to travel. In 1950 it was 20 million, last year 760 million, and by 2020 it is expected that the number of international travellers will exceed 1.6 billion a year.
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 Zealand in joint second place, Denmark in fourth place and Singapore in fifth place. In sixth to tenth position are Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Australia, and Austria respectively.
Lying at the bottom of the league in joint 158th position is Bangladesh and Chad, in joint 155th place are Haiti, Myanmar and Turkmenistan, in joint 152nd position are Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria. Angola comes in at no 151 and there are seven countries at joint 144 th position: the DRC, Kenya, Pakistan, Paraguay, Somalia, Sudan and Tajikistan.
Skytrax have conducted the world's “largest” passenger survey, was conducted over an 11 month period (June 2004 – May 2005) to find the world's Airline of the Year. The results are as follows:
AIRLINE OF THE YEAR 2005
Beetle: I don't see Ryanair in this list.
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 commercial version of the experimental Ansari X Prize winner SpaceShipOne. If you are wondering about how much this may cost – BBC reports say that between four to five minutes of weightlessness will set you back around $200,000 (£113,242). Test flights are on schedule to begin in 2007, with commercial operations to begin a year later.
The spaceships will be about the size of a Gulfstream Five business jet and like SpaceShipOne, will be attached to a larger airplane before its rocket engines ignite to travel beyond the atmosphere. The joyrides are being designed so that passengers should be able to witness views of Earth-in-the-round. The seating compartments on SpaceShipTwo are being designed so that passengers can float around weightless while still connected to their seats.
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 Embassy in New Delhi confirmed the incident and identified the couple as Alon Orpaz and Tehila Salev, who decided to get married while visiting India.
A local newspaper said that priests at Pushkar's Brahma temple were so cross when the couple smooched as hymns were still being chanted that they filed a police complaint. A court in Pushkar then charged them with indecency and ordered them to pay the fine or face 10 days in prison, the newspaper reported.
The couple decided to pay, it said. “We will not tolerate any cultural pollution of this sort,” the newspaper quoted a priest, Ladoo Ram Sharma, as saying.
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 following two recent crocodile attacks. The numbers of crocodiles have increased rapidly in recent years, due to a ban on hunting passed in the 1970s. The deaths have also reopened debate as to whether limited limited hunting should resume. The salt-water crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is the largest living reptile in terms of mass. There is a large population in Australia, with the majority being in the Northern Territory.
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 currency converter table for your next trip.
Thai Airways, Thailand's national carrier, has announced that it will fly non stop from Bangkok to Los Angeles as of Dec. 1. The flight used to stop in Osaka, Japan en route but now, using an Airbus A340-500, the flight will be non stop.
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. Singapore Changi Airport takes the Silver Award, rated 2nd in the world.
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 for those with less cash. The aim is to drive the route from Plymouth in the south west of the UK to Banjul in The Gambia (on a limited budget) with the principle aim of helping some charitable causes in Senegal and The Gambia. The rules include competing in a car that costs less than £100, not spending any more than £15 on getting the car ready and having no assistance whatsoever, once under way. If this sounds like your cup of tea, take a look at: http://www.plymouth-dakar.co .uk/
US scientists have found that all modern varieties of potatoes can be traced back to a single source – a potato grown in Peru over 7,000 years ago. The team, led by Dr David Spooner of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who spends two months a year collecting wild potatoes on treks in South America’s mountainous regions analysed the DNA of about 360 potatoes, both wild and cultivated. Dr Spooner said archaeological finds had shown potatoes were being grown in Peru by farmers “more than 7,000 years ago”. Potatoes were brought back to Spain by the conquistadors around 1570, and spread throughout Europe. They were later introduced in North America by British colonists.
Travellers are advised to review any plans to visit Zanzibar during late October and early November 2005. Tanzania will hold a general election on October 30, 2005. Previous elections generally have been peaceful on the Tanzanian mainland, but following the 2000 elections, violent demonstrations occurred on Zanzibar (and Unguja and Pemba) and many people were killed. The demonstrations were not directed at tourists and no foreign visitors were hurt.
Tensions are already rising in Zanzibar during the run up to the October 2005 elections. Opposition party leaders have threatened to stage massive demonstrations if their conditions for a free and fair election are not met. The opposition is calling for peaceful demonstrations, but things can turn violent with little or no warning. If demonstrations do occur, they are not expected to target foreign tourists, however, they could disrupt transportation and communication systems.
American soldiers in Iraq claim they uncovered evidence of a terrorist bomb plot targeting the US. People in New York City are warned to remain on alert amid fears of a terrorist attack on the New York subway system. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered increased security on the subway system and warned that the threat – which includes the use of explosives packed in baby strollers – suggested New York’s underground train network and its 4.5 million daily passengers could be attacked within days.
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise caution on Indonesia.
On 1 October 2005, at least 3 bombs exploded in Central Kuta and Jimbaran beach in Bali. Up to 26 people have been killed and over 90 injured. A British/Australian dual national was killed in the attacks and at least 2 British nationals were injured, 1 seriously.
There remains a high threat from terrorism in Indonesia. We continue to receive reports that terrorists in Indonesia are planning further attacks on Westerners and Western interests. Attacks could occur at any time, anywhere in Indonesia and are likely to be directed against locations and buildings frequented by foreigners.
If you intend to travel to Indonesia in the immediate future or you are already in Indonesia, you should exercise caution at all times. You should review thoroughly the latest information on the situation, including media reports; keep in close contact with your tour operator; and follow any advice from local authorities. If you are travelling to, or resident in Indonesia, you should ensure that you are comfortable with, and regularly review, your and your family’s security arrangements.
The Indonesian Police are on a state of high alert and have deployed extra personnel to high profile and sensitive locations including, but not limited to, embassies, consulates outside Jakarta and hotels.
Terrorists have shown in previous attacks, like the attack on the Australian Embassy, the Marriott Hotel, Jakarta and both the Bali bombings, that they have the means and the motivation to carry out successful attacks.
We advise against all travel to Aceh, except for those involved in post-tsunami humanitarian and reconstruction work or in preparations for the Aceh Monitoring Mission. Parts of Aceh remain affected by a long running internal conflict. Two aid workers were shot and injured in separate shooting attacks on 23 June and 7 July respectively. There is a risk that further incidents may occur. You should exercise caution when travelling to remote areas.
We advise against travel to some parts of Maluku, especially Ambon, and some parts of Central Sulawesi, which are experiencing civilian unrest. At least 20 people were killed in a bomb attack in Central Sulawesi on Saturday 28 May.