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On the website www.visitnortheastengland.com, the interactive “Ale Trail” map pinpoints 11 locations to try local brews in Northumberland and Durham. Click on a numbered balloon to reach a brewery’s website. To find the map from Visit North East England’s homepage, click on “Explore,” “Visitor itineraries,” then “Ale Trail.”
This interactive crossword puzzle is no longer available online.
As ITN went to press, the State Department had travel warnings on 31 destinations: Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Yemen, Lebanon, Iran, Sudan, Eritrea, Mexico, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Afghanistan, Israel/West Bank/Gaza, Mali, Mauritania, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Chad, Haiti, Guinea, Nepal, Burundi, Niger, Georgia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Philippines, Algeria, Kenya, Colombia, Central African Republic, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Somalia.
An outbreak of cholera in Haiti, the first there in over 100 years, was confirmed in October. Most of the 5,000 cases were in the Artibonite Departmente (50 miles north of Port-au-Prince). At press time, the disease had claimed 330 lives.
The January earthquake and recent hurricanes were cited as causes of the water contamination and poor sanitation that led to the outbreak.
The Department of State reminds travelers that all areas of Afghanistan are unsafe due to military combat operations, land mines, banditry, armed rivalry between political and tribal groups, and the possibility of terrorist attacks.
Some elements in Iran remain hostile to the United States, thus US citizens there may be subject to harassment or arrest. Dual national Iranian-American citizens may encounter difficulty in departing Iran. Former Muslims who have converted to other religions, as well as persons who encourage Muslims to convert, are subject to arrest and prosecution.
Some areas where minority religious and ethnic groups reside, including the Baluchistan border area near Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Kurdish northwest of the country and areas near the Iraqi border, remain unsafe.
In Athens, Greece, the Acropolis was shut down on Oct. 13-14 when Ministry of Culture workers blocked the entrance to protest the austerity-policy cuts by the Greek government. Riot police used tear gas to disperse crowds. A 24-hour strike by civil servants on Oct. 7 caused dozens of flights to be canceled.
In Finland, a walkout by aircraft maintenance crews on Oct. 25-26 resulted in the cancellation of 35 flights.
Other protests and strikes occurred in Belgium, Romania, Italy and Spain, and labor unions called for more protests.
Multiple protests in France over the government’s plans to raise the retirement age to 62 brought travel to a standstill for several days in late October.
Work stopped at oil terminals in ports and at fuel refineries, preventing deliveries to gas stations and practically halting traffic in multiple cities. There were strikes by subway workers and air traffic controllers throughout the month. Train service was disrupted or reduced.
In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 19 police battalion leaders were fired after more than 10 robberies were committed during the first week of October by gunmen who set up roadblocks on city streets. No serious injuries were linked to the robberies, but drivers were removed from their cars and robbed and some of the cars were stolen.
At press time, over 30 mass robberies (including roadblock-type crimes) had occurred in Rio in 2010.
