Burmese Junta Prohibits Relief Experts but Welcomes Donations
Woman Dies, Others Ill on Quarantined Train in Ontario
Fewer Leis for Travelers as Fares Increase, Seats Decrease
FBI Mislabels Curious, Photo-Snapping Tourists as Terrorists
Backseat Plane Pockets Hold Dirty Secrets
BURMESE JUNTA PROHIBITS RELIEF EXPERTS BUT WELCOMES DONATIONS – The New York Times
The United Nations’ efforts to assist homeless, starving and dying victims of Myanmar proved mostly futile on Friday, as military leaders seized food aid, stating they would accept food and medicine donations, but experienced aid workers were not welcome. The junta has continued permitting a limited amount of aid deliveries and stated it would accept an air shipment from the Pentagon, but worldwide concern increases as doctors and disaster relief experts are denied entry, even though starvation and epidemic diseases could kill a catastrophic amount of people. Out of nearly 1.9 million people who are homeless, injured or at risk or disease and starvation, the government and relief agencies have only given aid to 220,000. Danish Red Cross director, Anders Ladekarl, said, “We are simply lacking transportation. There are almost no boats and no helicopters. This is really a nightmare to make this operation run.” Thus far, the government has only allowed 11 airborne deliveries. Foreign Ministry stated, “[A]t present Myanmar is giving priority to receiving relief aid and distributing them to the storm-hit regions with its own resources.”
Link: The New York Times
WOMAN DIES, OTHERS ILL ON QUARANTINED TRAIN IN ONTARIO – Associated Press
An unknown illness killed one woman and infected several other passengers aboard a train in Northern Ontario yesterday, and Canadian authorities quarantined the train. Steve Trinier, the director of ambulance services in the area said that authorities are prohibiting passengers from leaving the train. Nearly 10 people became ill with flu-like symptoms, and officials believe that the illness was contained on two cars of the train carrying 269 passengers and 30 crew members. The woman who died reportedly was in her 60s and had already displayed flu-like symptoms when she boarded the train. Officials have yet to determine the cause of the illness.
Link: Associated Press
FEWER LEIS FOR TRAVELERS AS FARES INCREASE, SEATS DECREASE – USA TodayBad news for travelers wanting to visit Hawaii this summer: Increasing airfares and fewer flight options may keep you from that much-deserved lei. From this June to August, there are 14 percent fewer seats scheduled versus last year. “There are fewer seats in the market, therefore the airlines are able to raise their prices,” says Rex Johnson, CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Board. For the average ticket purchased by March 31 for summer travel to Hawaii, the cost was 9 percent higher than the prior year—and this percentage doesn’t even include taxes or fuel surcharges. For July and August, round-trip tickets from California cost an alarming $700-$1,100 each. Last year peak fares cost $600 to $650.
Link: USA Today
FBI MISLABELS CURIOUS, PHOTO-SNAPPING TOURISTS AS TERRORISTS - BoingBoing
Since last summer, the FBI has been searching for two men who were paying too much attention to a car-ferry in Seattle. The agency took them to be terrorists and guessed they were plotting to explode the ferry. They guessed wrong. As it turns out, the two suspicious men actually were tourists in awe because they had never seen a car ferry. When crew members and ferry riders reported their curious behavior, the FBI launched an international search for the men. The men were citizens of a nation in the European Union, and FBI Special Agent Robbie Burrough said, “Where these gentlemen live, they don’t have vehicle ferries. They were fascinated that a ferry could hold that many cars and wanted to show folks back home.” Moral of the story: Don’t be alarmed if a fanny pack-wearing tourist is taking “uninteresting” snapshots; they’re just not pro photographers.
Link: Boing Boing
BACKSEAT PLANE POCKETS HOLD DIRTY SECRETS – The Wall Street Journal
Think twice before you reach for that SkyMall magazine in the seatback pocket; while some travelers use it to stow their books or iPods, others discard gross trash—from soggy meals to toenail clippings. For some reason, passengers think they can get away with things on airplanes that they wouldn’t dream of doing in public. As reported in The Wall Street Journal, “They pluck eyebrows, polish nails and pick noses. They stick chewed gum in places only other passengers will discover. They blow noses into blankets that get folded up for the next weary traveler.” On occasion, they even give in to hot-and-steamy sex-capades. Steve Cuzzone, finance director for a Birmingham, Alabama manufacturer, has discovered stale French fries, a dank baby diaper, half a hamburger, used Kleenex, and a melted candy bar in seat-back pockets. “Increasingly, passengers are certain that the airlines are not on their side and actually don’t care anything about them,” said Irwin Sarason, a University of Washington psychologist in Seattle who has studied passenger behavior. On your next flight, what will you find in your backseat pocket?
Link: Wall Street Journal
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