U.S. revises travel warning for Syria

The U.S. State Department said anti-foreigner sentiment in Syria is on the rise and warned of a possible reduction in consular services in the country. (more…)

Saudi Arabia urges its Citizens to Leave Syria immediately

The Saudi Foreign Affairs Ministry today urged its Saudi nationals to leave Syria as soon as possible and requested those wishing to travel there to cancel their plans because of the deteriorating security situation in that country. (more…)

Embassies tighten travel warnings for Lebanon

Several embassies have tightened travel warnings for Lebanon, advising their nationals to avoid parts of the country due to unrest in neighbouring Syria and the kidnapping of a group of Estonians. (more…)

Travel: Washington Monument closed indefinitely

Washington, DC- The National Park Service said Monday that the Washington Monument will be closed indefinitely and that the 5.8-magnitude earthquake in August had done more damage to it than had been previously disclosed. (more…)

Google Flight Search takes off

Google’s purchase of Cambridge-based ITA Software started paying off yesterday as the search giant rolled out Google Flight Search, which could help it take a bite of the multibillion-dollar online travel market. (more…)

Earthquake-damaged Washington Monument closes indefinitely

Visitors to one of the capital’s most iconic monuments — the Washington Monument — are out of luck: The 5.8-magnitude earthquake that was centered in Virginia on Tuesday and rocked the East Coast from the Carolinas on up to Boston and beyond also caused lasting damage to the world’s tallest obelisk. (more…)

Leave Syria now, 17,000 Filipinos urged

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday urged some 17,000 Filipinos, mostly women working as domestic helpers, to leave Syria due to rising cases of violence, saying it would cover the costs of their evacuation. (more…)

Syria: Death of tourism most visible sign of major economic damage

The Ayenor boutique hotel in Damascus has a fountain splashing in its sunlit courtyard and four-poster beds in $100-a-night rooms that were usually full, until three months ago. Now, every room is empty, (more…)

Airlines aim to take hassle out of security checks

Eye scanners and futuristic security tunnels may be standard in airports soon as the airline industry seeks to maintain safety while reducing the hassles of boarding a plane that deter some people from flying. (more…)

Passengers stage mutiny aboard Lebanese airline

Passengers ‘mutinied’ on a flight from Heathrow after a thunderstorm left them waiting for take-off for almost seven hours.

Trouble erupted after a Beirut-bound Middle East Airlines plane, with 230 passengers aboard, had to abort a 5pm take-off on Thursday, having already missed its original 1pm departure slot. (more…)