UK renews travel warning on the Philippines
SAYING terrorists are in the “final stages of planning an attack in the Philippines,” the United Kingdom has renewed its travel warning to its citizens.
‘’There continues to be threats against Western interests and there is a danger of collateral damage from terrorist attacks targeted at others. We believe that terrorists are in the final stages of planning an attack,'’ the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office said on Wednesday.
The US has also updated its advisory, saying that reprisals by the Abu Sayyaf Muslim militant group are possible.
British citizens are being discouraged from traveling to central, southern and western Mindanao, and the Sulu archipelago where military operations against Muslim groups are continuing.
The advisory noted that “extremist groups,” including Abu Sayyaf and the Moro Islamic Liberation front (MILF), operate in the Philippines, and communist insurgents remain active.
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Australia, Canada and Britain Friday cautioned their citizens not to travel to the Philippines, particularly in the southern islands of Mindanao, following the twin bombings that hit Zamboanga city injuring 26 persons.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in updated travel advisory for the Philippines posted on the website that they continue to receive reports about final stages of planning of terrorist attacks in the Philippines.
"Attacks could occur at any time, anywhere in the Philippines. Australians planning travel to the Philippines should consider this information carefully in deciding
Britain has reiterated its advisory against travel to Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of yesterday's car bomb explosion at Pulwama in South Kashmir, in which 21 people were killed and over 120 injured.
"The UK already strongly advises against all travel to Jammu and Kashmir (with the exceptions of Ladakh via Manali or air to Leh) due to ongoing militant violence. I reiterate that advice today," a British high commission release quoted Dr Kim Howells, UK Foreign Office Minister responsible for South Asia, as saying.
More: hindu.com
Alleged gang rape victim Mukhtaran Mai has said that government has promised to return her passport, however she said she had no plans to travel abroad yet.
In an interview to a Uk based news agency here on Wednesday Mukhtaran MAI said she had met special advisor to the Prime Minister, Nilofer Bakhtiyar who promised that her passport would be returned while district government had also been directed for the return of the passport.
Mukhtaran Mai told that her passport was taken on her arrival in Islamabad. She further said that despite return of the passport, she had no plan
HIGH-STREET travel agents have been warned to change - or become extinct - as fewer holidaymakers opt to use their services for booking annual trips abroad.
Up to 50% of independent holidaymakers, those who book hotels, flights and other arrangements separately, are snubbing high street travel agents and booking breaks on the internet or via phone calls to tour operators.
The Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) yesterday said operators must begin to specialise in areas like cruises or adventure holidays if they are to survive.
And although around 80% of us still use high-street operators for package deals, this too is changing
The US government has postponed an October deadline which would have stopped visa-free travel to the US by Britons without passports featuring a chip capable of containing biometric information.
The US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff made the announcement during a visit to Britain for the G8 Justice and Home Affairs Ministers meeting in Sheffield.
According to the Americans' original deadline, countries in its visa-waiver scheme, including the UK, would have had to have passports featuring digital photographs and the integrated chips for their citizens to enter the US by October 26 this year. Anyone without such a passport would have to
