GREECE
The case of two Scottish men who got drunk and rowdy on a plane flying to Greece and were arrested on arrival should be enough to make anyone behave. The incident took place in August a few days after British authorities thwarted the plot to blow up several planes flying to the U.S., and because of heightened security, the men were put in jail and charged under anti-terrorism laws. They have been held in cramped, “Dickensian” conditions for almost two months and face 20-year sentences for “endangering civil aviation.” They may remain there for as long as nine months before their cases are even heard. Friends, family, witnesses and lawyers for the accused charge Greek authorities with overreacting, but the tourists remain in prison.
ITALY
State railway workers plan a 9 a.m.-5 p.m. strike Oct. 26 that may affect ferry service throughout Italy. Also, airport ground staff at Venice’s Marco Polo Airport plan a noon-4 p.m. strike Oct. 21 that could disrupt flights.
MEXICO
The strike in Oaxaca that has paralyzed the popular colonial city since May spread to Mexico City Oct. 9 when thousands of strikers marched 280 miles to the capital city, but late that night the government and protest leaders reached a tentative agreement to end the dispute. Some of the barricades in Oaxaca will reportedly come down, and protesters will move out and let local police take control of the city center under federal police supervision.
RUSSIA
Three American university students were attacked in separate incidents in St. Petersburg and Moscow in August and September. Unlike many such attacks in recent years, none of these was carried out by skinheads, but rather by what appeared to be gangs of teenage hooligans. Two of the victims were dark-complexioned and thought to resemble people from the Caucasus region. The third victim was Asian-American. The attacks in St. Petersburg occurred in the city center and could mark a new trend because most past attacks occurred on the outskirts of the city.
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Compiled from various news services and travel sources. For the latest on world conditions, check the State Department’s automated service at 888-407-4747; fax 202-647-3000; travel.state.gov.
