INDIA
Police increased security on India’s rail networks and at airports after a series of bomb blasts in Bombay and Srinigar July 11 that killed more than 200 and wounded hundreds more. The explosions occurred over the course of 11 minutes on Bombay’s commuter trains during the evening rush hour. Hours earlier, in Kashmir’s main city, grenade attacks killed at least eight and wounded at least 30. One of the bombings was on a tourist bus, another at a tourist facility. Seven of the dead were tourists. Authorities believe Kashmiri terrorist groups are responsible for the attacks.
VENEZUELA
Traveling between Caracas and Maiquetia International Airport can be dangerous, especially at night, because of bandits. According to the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuelan officials and media have reported a recent surge in robberies on the La Guaira highway after dark. The Embassy urges U.S. citizens to travel only the most heavily trafficked routes to the airport and to avoid travel after dark.
ITALY
Transit strikes may occur in Italy July 19 and 21. On July 19, Rome’s transport services may be disrupted throughout the morning, and a July 21 national strike by state railway system workers could disrupt rail and maritime transport nationwide.
SOUTH AFRICA
Johannesburg’s Nelson Mandela Bridge, inaugurated on July 20, 2003, the former president’s 85th birthday, has gone from a symbol of hope to one of despair in three short years. Today, in part thanks to a three-month-long nationwide strike by security guards that ended June 22, the bridge has become a hangout for criminals, and vandals have stripped it of its lights, handrails and some cabling, and smashed its glass panels. People are robbed crossing the bridge every day. On a related topic, a South African fed up with the country’s high rate of violent crime has set up a Web site devoted to exposing such crime, hoping to motivate the government to do something about it. The site is at www.crimexposouthafrica.co.za.
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For the latest on world conditions, check the State Department’s automated service at 888-407-4747; fax 202-647-3000; travel.state.gov.
