News Watch

December 2015 issue | Appears on page 62

Kyoto Ritz-Carlton classes

These are among cultural experiences offered to guests of The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto (Kamogawa Nijo-Ohashi Hotori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-0902, Japan; phone +81 75 746 5555, www.ritzcarlton.com/en/properties/Kyoto).

• “Samurai Experience” — learn kenbu techniques with real swords while traditionally dressed. ¥8,000 (near $67). 5-6:15 p.m. every Tues. and Thurs.

• “Sushi Masterclass” — make maki rolls with chef Masahiko Miura. ¥3,500. 3:30-4:30 p.m., second Sunday each month.

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November 2015 issue | Appears on page 15

Saudi Hajj deaths

In Mecca, Saudi Arabia, high winds were blamed for the collapse of a crane into the Grand Mosque, which resulted in 107 people killed and nearly 200 injured on Sept. 11. 

The tragedy occurred just before the annual Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, where pilgrims enter the Grand Mosque to walk around the Kaaba, a holy building in its center courtyard, seven times. This year’s Hajj began at the end of September. 

The Grand Mosque has been undergoing construction to expand it...

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November 2015 issue | Appears on page 15

Guatemala landslide

A landslide on Oct. 1 in the village of Cambray, Guatemala, just north of Guatemala City, killed at least 131 people, with more than 300 still missing as of press time. Heavy rains as well as erosion along the bottom of the hill are believed to have caused the slide. In the immediate aftermath of the landslide, rescuers managed to save at least 30 people. 

November 2015 issue | Appears on page 15

French Riviera floods

Heavy rains on Oct. 3 caused flooding throughout the French Riviera and the deaths of at least 19 people, with one person missing as of press time. Thousands of homes were left without power. Cities affected by the flood included Mandelieu-la-Napoule and Cannes. The region reportedly received 10% of its annual rainfall over Oct. 2-3.

November 2015 issue | Appears on page 15

Bombings in China

In Liucheng County, in the Guangxi region of southeastern China, a series of 17 bombs were detonated in the town of Dapu on Sept. 30, killing at least seven people and injuring more than 50. 

The bombs are believed to have been mailed to their targets, which were government buildings, a hospital, a prison and a food market. Authorities have arrested a single suspect and are saying it was not a terrorist action.

On Oct. 1, another explosion in Liucheng occurred in a residential...

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November 2015 issue | Appears on page 15

Tourists killed in Egypt

The Egyptian military attacked what turned out to be a tour group from Mexico in the Wahat area of the Western Desert, near Libya, on Sept. 14. Eight tourists and four Egyptian guides were killed, and 10 other people were injured.

The Egyptian government apologized for the attack but claims that the group had wandered into a restricted area and had been mistaken for a group of terrorists. The head of the Egyptian Union of Tour Guides said that the group was licensed to travel in the...

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November 2015 issue | Appears on page 16

Tourists kidnapped in the Philippines

On a small island just off the southern coast of Mindanao, the southernmost state in the Philippine archipelago, gunmen kidnapped two Canadian tourists, a Norwegian resort manager and a Filipino woman from the Holiday Oceanview resort in the city of Samal on Sept. 22. The kidnappers and victims left the island by boat. As of press time, no demands had been made.

Kidnappings for ransom by Muslim militant groups are not uncommon in the southern islands of the Philippines, though the...

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November 2015 issue | Appears on page 16

Chilean earthquake

An 8.3-magnitude, 3-minute-long earthquake struck off the coast of central Chile on Sept. 16, killing at least 12 people and causing more than one million people to be evacuated from their homes, including in the cities of Coquimbo and La Serena. After the quake, small tsunamis, peaking at around 15 feet, struck the Chilean coast, causing light damage. The quake is estimated to have caused $600-$900 million in damage.