Miyako Storch of Santa Barbara, California, described her concerns about hotel-room safes in the September 2017 issue (page 50). ITN then asked other subscribers to share their experiences, suggestions and comments regarding hotel-room safes and their general levels of security. Here are responses received.
After the article “Building Your Travel Bucket List” appeared in Contributing Editor Randy Keck’s column (Jan. ’17, pg. 56), ITN asked subscribers to each send in two lists of international destinations, excluding locations in Europe (which is so popular among travelers) and in the United States (which ITN does not cover).
As ITN went to press, the State Department had travel warnings on 42 destinations: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Iran, Iraq, Israel/West Bank/Gaza, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Republic of South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen.
Extremely dangerous amounts of smog blanketed Delhi, in northern India, for more than a week in November, with smog levels reaching about 30 times the safe level as determined by the World Health Organization. The levels of particulates under 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5) were peaking at around 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter. (Breathing in such a concentration of particulates is similar to smoking 44 cigarettes a day, according to an independent environmental research group.)
Ash emissions from Mount Agung in Bali, Indonesia, caused the evacuation of more than 100,000 people from an area within 6 miles of the volcano on Nov. 27 as vulcanologists warned that a major eruption could occur at any time.
Flights were canceled at nearby Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) until Nov. 29, stranding tourists on the island. Another airport, on the neighboring island of Lombok, was also briefly closed. Ash eruptions were continuing as of press time, with airport operations to be determined based on the direction of the ash cloud.
After enduring three destructive hurricanes in late August and September, the Caribbean region is recovering. Though some islands suffered extensive damage to buildings, infrastructure and the landscape, 70% of the islands in the Caribbean suffered very little damage or no damage at all.
Supporters of Honduran presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla protested in the capital, Tegucigalpa, after Nasralla accused the electoral commission of manipulating the results. Protesters blocked the street leading to the vote-counting center, with police responding by firing tear gas into the crowds.
Nasralla was beating President Orlando Hernández in the election when the commission suddenly stopped counting votes for 36 hours. After it resumed, his lead dropped significantly, eventually falling behind Hernández, and the protests began.
