World Travel News: June 2007

A Florida woman has been arrested for firearms charges, after doctors examining her husband's 'headache' found a bullet. more

The US Department of State has warned travellers that "serious security concerns" exist with regard to Venezuela. more

An eight-year-old girl in the Longjing region of China is probably the loneliest pupil in the world - she's the only student at her school. more

At least 13 people have been killed in conflict between police and drug traffickers in Rio de Janeiro. more

Takeru Kobayashi, the world hot dog eating champion, might not be able to hold on to his title at next month's event. more

Holidaymakers considering a trip to Papua New Guinea have been advised to postpone their journey until the national elections have finished. more

A cyclone hitting the south of Pakistan has caused at least 200 deaths and led to the evacuation of thousands of people along the country's Arabian Sea coast. more

The issue of women officiating in football has caused substantial controversy in the sport already, but a Brazilian lineswoman has taken the issue one step further, reports Ananova.com. more

Tourist access to one of Australia's most famous landmarks, Uluru, or Ayers Rock, may be under threat, due to a dispute between the government and Aboriginal elders in the region. more

A wildfire in California continues to rage today (Monday, June 25th) after forcing over 1,000 people to evacuate their homes. more

Instability in Fiji has led to the US Department of State advising its citizens against travelling to the area. more

The American city of New Orleans, decimated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, is still highly vulnerable to fresh flooding, according to a new report. More than £500 million has been spent upgrading hurricane protection systems, yet the Gulf Coast city would still be brought to its knees by a storm just a fraction the size of Katrina, the study by the US Army Corps of Engineers concludes. more

Tourists are being advised against visiting Saudi Arabia because of the risk of terrorist attacks. more

A large lake in Chile has disappeared in under two months, according to reports. more

A Chinese man's garden seems to be subverting the laws of nature, according to ananova.com. more

Colin Fletcher, a Welsh man credited with inspiring the backpacking craze, has died, aged 85, reports the Western Mail. more

Canadian aviation authorities have implemented a no-fly list, to protect passengers against the threat of airborne terrorism. more

The Chinese government has started building work on a 108-kilometre-long highway on Mount Everest. more

One man has died and another is critically injured, after attempting to rescue a woman struggling with a gunman in Melbourne. more

A plane crash in Malawi has claimed the lives of five British tourists and their Canadian pilot. The sight-seeing tour Cessna was travelling north from the capital Lilongwe before the crash, with bad weather currently being blamed for the accident. more

At least three people have been killed in a train crash on the Italian island of Sardinia, according to local officials. more

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has warned that there is "some risk" for tourists in Fiji, after its top diplomat was expelled from the country. more

A US mayor plans to pass a law banning the wearing of saggy trousers in his Louisiana town. more

A briefing report for aid workers has warned that Zimbabwe will collapse within six months. more

The US Department of State in Washington DC has issued a Travel Warning for tourists considering a trip to Chad. more

Mexican police have blamed the fatal shooting of a Mexican politician on the drug gangs causing chaos across the country. more

Hostages held by militants in the south of Nigeria have been released, according to local officials. more

Rescue teams have confirmed that 103 people have now been killed by floods and lightning strikes in south-eastern Bangladesh. more

An explosion near a downtown Nairobi hotel has killed at least two people and injured more than 30, according to local officials. more

The South African government has said it remains hopeful that successful negotiations will prevent a general strike. more

Greenpeace activists saw their plans for an airborne demonstration foiled by German police, reports Reuters. The environmental group had planned to stage a hot air balloon protest at the G8 summit in Heiligendamm, urging world leaders to reduce their nations' carbon emissions. more

The US Department of State has issued a new travel warning for holidaymakers considering a trip to Colombia. With narcotic crime rife and terrorist groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) at large, the department has urged travellers to proceed with extreme caution in the country. more

Twelve members of the dangerous Mungiki militant sect have been shot by Nairobi police. The Mathare slum has been sealed off as officials continue a crackdown operation against the banned group. more

The central Chinese province of Henan has been disturbed by rioting students, after a female student was beaten up by street inspectors. The student had allegedly been working on a street stall without a licence, when an argument with street inspectors descended into violence, sparking the widespread unrest. more

Spain is once again the target of terrorists, as the Basque group ETA ended a 14-month ceasefire. Attacks by the separatist organisation have killed 850 people in the last 40 years, but had not claimed a life in three years before its announcement of a ceasefire in March 2006. more

A train derailment caused by a landmine in Sri Lank has been attributed to Tamil Tiger rebels. Military officials have laid the blame for the incident near Batticaloa on the east coast of the island firmly at the feet of the militant secessionist group. more

Thousands have been evacuated from Masirah Island in Oman, in anticipation of a devastating cyclone. Tropical Cyclone Goru is expected to cause torrential rain and flooding and its winds have been measured at a maximum of 160 mph. more

A severe train crash has killed at least ten people in south-east Australia, according to local police. Victoria State, with some carriages reportedly tipped on to their side by the devastating impact of the crash. more

The Yunna province of south-western China was hit by a powerful earthquake on Sunday, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale. At least three people were killed and over 300 injured by the quake, the strongest to hit the province in over a decade. more

A grenade attack on a convoy of government troops has killed at least three people in Mogadishu, Somalia. Muslim militants have launched numerous attacks on the government of prime minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi, who was installed in 2005, in order to pave the way for 2009 elections. more

An amateur scientist claims to have captured new footage of the fabled Loch Ness Monster, the legendary sea monster that reputedly roams the Scottish loch, reports the AP. The video, shot by 55-year-old lab technician Gordon Holmes, has been labelled "some of the best footage" ever shot of the mythical beast. more

Muslim rebels have been blamed for the death of seven worshippers and 11 paramilitary troops in horrific attacks in southern Thailand. A roadside bomb claimed the lives of the government rangers on Thursday May 31st in the Bannang Sata district of the Yata province, while a subsequent shooting spree in the nearby Songkhla province killed five Muslim villagers who had been leaving a mosque, (two more later died in hospital). more