News

Cyprus Overwhelmed By War Refugees

Since the conflict in Southern Lebanon and Northern Israel began on July 12 of this year, nearly 40,000 people have fled to the small Mediterranean island of Cyprus (1) to escape the deadly fighting. Tens of thousands more are expected to follow (2). The Republic of Cyprus’ government has publicly expressed its limited capacity, and […]

Indonesia Tourism Battles Back from Disaster

Following the May 27th 6.2 magnitude earthquake in the Bantul region of Indonesia and further disruptions in tourism after the volcanic eruptions of Mt. Merapi, the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism formed the Java Media-Crisis Center. Under the patronage of the Ministry’s leader, Mr. Jero Wacik, the information center pools the resources of public […]

Petra under Siege

Surviving for more than 14 centuries in the Jordanian desert, the ancient city of Petra is no stranger to invaders. This former capital city of the Nabataean dynasty has withstood Roman conquest, natural disasters, and Swiss bulldozers. A majestic city intricately carved almost entirely out of the canyon’s vibrant pink rock walls is bound to […]

Update on Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi

Last month, Ethical Traveler’s News Feed included a report of rumors in Burma that the health of legally elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi had been deteriorating. When the military junta ruling Burma extended Suu Kyi’s house arrest, these rumors strengthened, despite assurances that a high UN official had seen Suu Kyi and her health […]

Shooting of Judges Highlights Islamist vs. Secularist Strife in Turkey

In what may be the latest setback in Turkey’s ambitions to join the European Union, Judge Mustafa Yücel Özbilgin of the Second Chamber of the Council of State was fatally shot, and four other judges wounded, by an allegedly revenge-driven gunman. The gunman, a lawyer, was said to have shouted “I am a soldier of […]

Tourism Contributes to Machu Picchu’s Status as an Endangered Historical Site

Recently, considerable attention has been paid to tourism’s affect on particular travel destinations. One site under scrutiny is Machu Picchu, an ancient Inca city in Peru’s Andes Mountains. Geological research, controversial development projects, and actions by preservation groups have caused the world to turn an increasingly watchful eye on this historical landmark. A recent Newsweek […]

Amidst Rumors of Ill Health, Suu Kyi’s Detention Extended

Recent promising reports of talks between the Burmese military junta and the Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy (NLD), which convincingly won the country’s 1990 elections but was prevented from taking its role in the government, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1956562.stm , have been overshadowed by questions of Aung San Suu Kyi’s health and status. A letter […]

Human Rights Group Calls on European Union to Urge Abolition of the Death Penalty in Japan at Upcoming Summit

Amnesty International (AI) recently called on the European Union (EU) to step up pressure on Japan to abolish the death penalty at an April 24th Japan-EU Summit Meeting. The London-based human rights organization released the statement the same day it issued its annual report on the death penalty. http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/document.do?id=ENGIOR610112006 While, according to the report, the […]

Medical Tourism in India Criticized for Draining Resources

Stakeholders in the Indian healthcare system contend that the government has been drawing foreign tourists to India for medical procedures at the expense of adequately funding the public health system. In an article published in the British Medical Journal in November, a doctor and an activist wrote that India is among the top 20 countries […]