The US Department of State warns its citizens of the risks of traveling to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) (DRC), and recommends against non-essential travel to eastern and northeastern DRC. This replaces the Travel Warning dated January 12, 2012. Armed groups, bandits, and elements of the Congolese military remain security concerns in eastern and northeastern DRC. These armed groups, primarily located in the North Kivu, South Kivu, and Orientale provinces, as well as the northern part of Katanga province, and the eastern part of Maniema province, are known to pillage, steal vehicles, kidnap, rape, kill, and carry out military or paramilitary operations in which civilians are indiscriminately targeted. The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is present near the border with Uganda, Central African Republic, and the Republic of South Sudan. The UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) continues to assist the Congolese government with the protection of civilians and efforts to combat armed groups. Read article
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A New York man agreed Tuesday to pay a $6,500 fine to settle a long-running dispute with the U.S. Treasury Department over a trip he made to Cuba as an unauthorized tourist 14 years ago. Read Article
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A British tourist, age unknown, drowned earlier today (July 24) at a Patong beach [Phuket] in close proximity to where two other tourists, one an American and one from Mainland China, drowned in recent weeks. Tragically, the drowning of the British tourist occurred before 0830 hours, when lifeguards are posted. Sadly, the British drowning victim […]
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Non-Muslim expats living in Saudi Arabia have been reminded not break the strict rules on eating or drinking during Ramadan, or face deportation. According to local media reports, the Saudi ministry of interior issued a press statement when the holy month began last week urging expats “to respect the sentiments of Muslims by not eating, […]
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Croatia has evacuated more than 1,500 tourists from the Adriatic coast as a blaze there claimed the life of one firefighter. On Monday, a 45-year-old firefighter died while extinguishing a blaze that broke out near Moscenicka Draga, on Croatia’s Istria peninsula, an official told national television. The fire broke out in the early morning in […]
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* Ash from blaze reaches Barcelona, hits tourist area * Four victims were French, at least 23 injured * Tourists forced to abandon a Croatian camp site Two big forest fires raging in the border area between France and northern Catalonia in Spain have killed a fourth person, the authorities said on Monday, as erratic […]
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ECDC is enhancing its surveillance activities for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. ECDC is watching for any infectious disease health events that could present a public health threat and as of Friday 20 July, a summary of relevant health events will be included in the weekly Communicable Disease Threat Report (CDTR), published on […]
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Five cases of West Nile virus have been reported since early July in a seaside suburb of Athens, the Greek centre for disease control and prevention (Keelpno) said Friday. Since July 7, three 60 year-olds, one 40 year-old and an 18 year-old man have been diagnosed with the mosquito-borne disease, said the centre. While the […]
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The Greek Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) has informed about a recent case of autochthonous Plasmodium vivax malaria. On 22 June 2012, a case of locally acquired malaria infection was reported in Greece. The case is a78 year old Greek citizen who presumably acquired the infection close to Marathon, Attica region; onset of […]
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A total of 33 provinces in the interior of the peninsula and the Canary Islands will alert Wednesday at significantly higher temperatures, which may touch 40 degrees maximum…. Specifically, they are on yellow alert (risk) for maximum temperatures Aragon, Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara, Burgos, León, Palencia, Segovia, Valladolid, Zamora, Lleida, Tarragona, Navarre, Caceres, Ourense, […]
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