World Travel News: January 2007

Fidel Castro, the ailing leader of Cuba, has made a rare TV appearance with his close political ally Hugo Chavez, according to reports. Mr Castro has not been seen for a number of months since he reportedly had surgery on a gastric problem. more

A report commissioned by the government of New South Wales has warned of the harsh realities that Sydney could face in the future, according to the BBC. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation study suggests that temperatures in the coastal city could rise by five degrees C above the global average. more

More than 30 people have been killed in two separate incidents in Iraq coinciding with the final day of the Ashura festival, according to reports. The Shi'ite festival has been the scene of sectarian violence before, and today bombs went off in the Kurdish town of Khanaqin and the eastern region of Beladruz. more

The Algerian military has reportedly clashed with Islamist militants in the eastern region of Batna. Five soldiers and ten militants have been killed, with Reuters citing reports in the local daily papers Liberte, Echourouk and El Khabar. more

Thailand's new Suvarnabhumi airport, which opened in September, is suffering from runway cracks, according to reports. Thailand's transport minister, Thira Haocharoen, has recommended that domestic flights from the airport be moved back to Bangkok's former Don Muang facility. more

A Palestinian suicide bomber has killed three people in the popular Israeli resort of Eilat and Islamic Jihad and al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades have claimed joint responsibility, according to reports. The suicide bombing is the first attack of its kind to take place in Israel for nine months and the first suicide attack to have occurred in Eilat. more

The UN mission in Haiti has said that four people have died in the country following battles with local criminals. A spokesman for the force said that a further six people were injured as a result of the clashes, which occurred when Brazilian UN peacekeepers attempted to expand their presence in the Cite Soleil area of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, according to the BBC. more

Violence is increasing in south Nepal as the result of political demands from the Madheshi people of the region. The Madheshi, who occupy the southern plains of the area, commonly known as Terai, are calling for better representation in parliament and greater autonomy. more

Those wishing to combine a spot of altitude training with a fine festival should head to Bolivia this February. The Devil's Carnival, known locally as La Diablada, takes place in the mining town of Oruro from February 24th to 26th. more

If you're in to your greyhound racing but fancy something a little bit different from Friday nights in Romford, why not head to St Moritz in Switzerland next month? There you will be able to see racing greyhounds battling it out on the 500 metre snowy track. more

Although not as famous as its Rio cousin, Sao Paolo's carnival makes for a wonderfully different festival for those prepared to make the trip this February. Although nowhere near as popular in the tourist stakes as the Rio event, those wishing to visit the Sao Paulo carnival will find that tickets to get in to certain events will be pleasantly cheap in comparison. more

Each February in the Indian town of Agra, visitors can enjoy the spectacular event that is the Taj Mahotsava. At the festival, which takes place between February 18th and 27th, tourists will be able to enjoy a range of events celebrating the culture, art and crafts of the region. more

Photos placed on the internet have caused controversy in Brazil, after they appeared to show two policemen in Rio de Janeiro posing with tourists, according to reports. Two officers involved are now under investigation after the pictures showed three women pretending to be handcuffed and one holding a police rifle. more

The US Navy ship Mary Sears has reportedly detected signals from the black boxes of an Indonesian airliner which went missing on New Year's Day, according to reports. A statement from the US embassy in Jakarta, obtained by the Associated Press (AP), said that signals "on the same frequency of the black boxes associated with the missing airplane" had been located. more

Plastic figures of David and Victoria Beckham have been put on display at the New York branch of Madame Tussauds. David, who recently signed a multi-million pound deal with LA Galaxy, is dressed in a black tuxedo, while his wife is fitted with a green dress. more

Floods and subsequent mudslides in Peru have left at least 16 people dead, according to the BBC. Around 20 people have been reported missing in San Roman, with many more left homeless in the wake of destruction caused by the mudslides. more

A diver in Australia has dramatically freed himself from the jaws of a Great White shark by poking it in the eye, according to reports. The shark grabbed Eric Nerhus by the head, chomping down on the man's face mask and breaking his nose, a fellow diver said after the attack. more

Street protests in Lebanon led by Hizbullah and anti-government groups have seen roads blocked with flaming tyres and at least one man killed, according to reports. Shi'ite Muslims and Christian protesters have positioned themselves outside of the Lebanese government's main building in Beirut since December 1st. more

An Australian man has said that he will continue to defend free speech by wearing a T-shirt branding George Bush as the "world's number one terrorist", even after the shirt led to him being barred from an international flight to the UK, according to reports. more

The Canadian government has allocated CAN$30 million for the protection of the British Columbia rainforest, known as the Great Bear rainforest. British Columbia's local government will match the contribution from the federal government, combining with outside contributions to create a total fund of $120 million. more

Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's president, has received provisional backing from the country's national assembly to rule by decree. Mr Chavez has said that the law is necessary to continue the next stage of his socialist revolution in the oil-rich country. more

The Sri Lankan military has reportedly captured a key Tamil Tiger territory in the east of the island, causing 10,000 refugees to flee the area. Vakarai has been controlled by the Tamils since the 2002 peace accords, however, following on from an escalated period of violence in the last six months, the Sri Lankan military appears to have intensified its offensive. more

A leopard was killed by the public in the Indian state of Maharashtra after straying into a populated area, according to reports. People in the urban area became frightened and in a panic they beat the leopard to death, wildlife officials have said. more

Attempts by marine conservationists to corral a batch of dolphins trapped in an inlet near New York's Long Island will resume today (January 18th). Around 20 of the mammals swam into the narrow bay and nine were herded to the outlet on Tuesday. more

The Foreign Office is advising against all but essential travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts region in Bangladesh following political unrest. Bangladesh's caretaker President, Fakhruddin Ahmed, has provisionally set elections for January 22nd after previous polls were boycotted and protested against. more

Margaret Beckett, the foreign secretary, has expressed concern at the decision by a Chinese appeal court to uphold a prison sentence issued to human rights activist Chen Guangcheng. Mr Guangcheng was charged with what the Foreign Office believes were politically motivated charges after highlighting issues related to China's one-child policy. more

A combination of bush fires and extremely high demand for electricity left up to 200,000 customers without power across areas of the Australian state of Victoria, according to reports. Intense heat saw the Australian Open tennis championship abandon all matches on outside courts as demand for electricity surged to cope with the temperatures. more

A high-speed ferry carrying around 150 passengers from Reggio Calabria to Sicily has collided with a cargo ship, killing at least four people according to reports. The four people killed were all members of the hydrofoil's crew, a number of injured people were taken to hospitals in Sicily and on the Italian mainland. more

The prosecution in the trial of six men accused of a London bomb plot has outlined its case against the defendants. Muktar Ibrahim, Manfo Asiedu, Hussein Osman, Yassin Omar, Ramzi Mohammed and Adel Yahya are charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions likely to endanger life ? all six deny the charges. more

A state of emergency has been declared in the central US state of Missouri after at least 21 people were killed in ice storms, according to reports. The violent storms left 200,000 homes without power and forced businesses and churches to close. more

A rocket has been fired at the American embassy in the Greek capital, Athens, it has emerged. The rocket was fired from street level in to the front of the city centre embassy in the early hours of Friday morning, causing some damage to the building but no injuries. more

The number of syphilis cases reported in China has risen dramatically in recent years, it has emerged. According to a report in the Lancet journal, the country has seen cases of the disease rise from 0.2 per 100,000 people in 1993 to 5.7 cases per 100,000 in 2005. more

Two months after winning an election in Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega has now completed a remarkable political comeback by being inaugurated as the country's president. Mr Ortega led a Sandinista revolution in 1979, going on to lead a communist government for 11 years before losing an election to the US-backed Contra rebels after a lengthy civil war. more

Protesters in London will join a global movement of objectors to the continued detention of terror suspects in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Amnesty International hopes that protestors in several cities around the world will congregate outside US embassies, including New York, Tokyo and Rome. more

The family which owns Romania's infamous Bran Castle, the building famous for its links to the 15th century prince that inspired Dracula, has said it is willing to sell the property. Bran's local council is interested in buying the castle, which is a significant tourist attraction in Romania. more

SeaWorld in San Diego has a new star attraction - Seahook the walrus, who is taking his New Year's keep fit routine very seriously. Along with his trainer, Seahook has been dazzling audiences with his multiple press-ups and sit-ups as part of a health campaign that has enveloped the park. more

The Kaiser Chiefs are back in 2007 with a new album and tour, set to be grander and more confident than their previous material. As revealed by the NME earlier this week, the Kaiser's new album will be called Yours Truly, Angry Mob, featuring the singles Angry Mob and Ruby. more

A mystery, gas-like smell spread throughout Manhattan in New York yesterday, as buildings evacuated and people stood out on the streets wondering what exactly it was. At around 09:00 local time officials were alerted to the odour moving its way through the city, with reports of it spreading to other areas. more

A fire destroyed four houses, damaged a further four and affected a number of vehicles in Malibu last night (January 8th). The first reports of the fire came through at 17:01 local time, promptly triggering 300 firefighters being sent to the area. more

An underwater object has been detected by an Indonesian naval vessel off the west coast of Sulawesi, according to reports. It has not been confirmed that the object is the wreckage of the Adam Air Boeing 737-400, which has been missing since it took off from Java Island on January 1st. more

The Cuban home in which Ernest Hemingway wrote the Pulitzer Prize winning The Old Man and the Sea has been opened to visitors. After three years of restoration, Hemingway's home from 1939 to 1960 is now open to tourists eager to catch a glimpse of the author's home life. more

Four British tourists have been injured, with one seriously, after a coach crashed into a rock near the village of Mizoen in the French Alps. The man who was seriously injured has been flown by helicopter reportedly to Grenoble University Hospital. more

A fourth straight day of bombing by Sri Lankan military planes has targeted Tamil Tiger positions in the north of the country, according to reports. Mullaittivu district was targeted and military figures have claimed that a Tamil naval base was destroyed, according to the BBC. more

On January 1st the road which runs past Steve Irwin's zoo was officially renamed Steve Irwin Way, with the park now reopened after the Christmas break. Irwin was killed on September 4th last year after a stingray's barb punctured his heart while filming an underwater documentary. more

Police in India are continuing to investigate the death of a British man found hanged in the jungle near Mumbai, according to reports. Stephen Bennett, from Gloucestershire, was found near the town of Raha after being beaten, throttled with a sari and then hanged on December 12th. more

An estimated 70 million Hindus are expected to take part in the Ardh Kumbh Mela festival in northern India, which starts today. The city of Allahabad hosts the 45-day event which is celebrated every six years and involves worshipers taking a dip in the Ganges river. more

An overweight woman became wedged in between rocks in a South African cave on New Year's Day, trapping another 22 tourists for over ten hours, according to reports. Although staff at the Cango Caves in Western Cape warned the woman that she may not be suitable for certain areas within the caves, she insisted on trying. more

Thai authorities are continuing their hunt for the perpetrators behind a series of bomb attacks that killed three people on New Year's Eve in the country's capital. A further 30 people were injured in eight blasts which targeted crowded areas just as they began to fill up for the New Year's celebrations. more

There is confusion overs reports that the wreckage of a plane which crashed over the Indonesian island of Sulawesi has been located, with 12 people reported to have survived. An Adam Air Boeing 737-400 carrying 102 passengers crashed in heavy rain and was said to have been found in an overnight search after it lost contact with ground officials on Monday (January 1st). more