News & Dispatches

Travelocity and Expedia, Making it Easier for Travelers to Be Green

According to Friends of the Earth, air travel is the world’s fastest growing source of the greenhouse gases which cause global warming. In fact, studies suggest commercial aircraft generate almost as much carbon dioxide annually as the entire continent of Africa. For the concerned traveler, purchasing carbon offsets is one relatively simple and inexpensive way […]

U.S. Government Holds Citizens in Pakistan

Muhammad Ismail, 45, and his son Jaber, 18, are United States citizens being held against their will in Pakistan. Not by kidnappers or by a rogue gang of terrorists, but by the U.S. government, who allege that the Ismails may be al Qaeda sympathizers. The elder Ismail is the brother of Umer Hayat of Lodi, […]

Madonna Adopts Malawi, Seeks to Reduce Poverty

Even the most road-worn travelers scratch their heads when asked to locate Malawi on a map. But as of late, Malawi is entering the spotlight on the coat-tails, or rather the Kabalah strings, of an American pop icon – Madonna. Though Madonna has yet to set foot in the country, she is already causing Malawians […]

Mexico Unstable in Aftermath of Elections

As dissatisfaction grows with recent election results, protests have given way to violence in some Mexican cities; many say the conflicts will escalate, further endangering the country’s citizens, businesses, and tourism industry. After a tight loss in the July 2nd presidential election to National Action Party candidate, Felipe Calderon, and the partial vote recount still […]

New Railway Links China and Tibet

On July 1st, The Qinghai-Tibet Railway made its first passenger trip from Xining, the capital of northwest China’s Qinghai Province, to Lhasa in Tibet. Called the “sky train,” the 4.2 billion dollar railway was built by the Chinese government to “promote stability” and boost tourism. Construction for the project started four years ago. Now complete, […]

Lebanon Once Again in Ruins

In 1990, Lebanon finally saw the end of a bloody and destructive civil war which had been raging within its borders since 1975 and had left most of the nation in ruin. Since then, with the help of substantial foreign investment, Lebanon’s economy had made a sound recovery. Rebuilding of cities and infrastructure began in […]

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 […]