Greece
Wildfires raged in the forests of north suburban Athens for four days before firefighters contained them. The blazes were the most destructive in decades in the Attica region and the worst in Greece since 2007. The threat to Athens has diminished, but fire danger remains high throughout the country because of hot, dry conditions. Many localities have banned open flames.
Italy
Authorities closed Capri’s Blue Grotto for the second time in a week after reports of foam and stench in the popular sea cave. On Aug. 20 officials arrested two men who were pumping sewage into the grotto from a tanker truck that collected cesspool waste from homes. Within days the sewage was washed away by ocean currents, but an unusual white foam and stench returned. Authorities were testing the waters to see if the pollution was related to the Aug. 20 dumping or came from another source. Whether the suspects were sabotaging the Blue Grotto or simply illegally dumping waste was uncertain.
Mauritania
The U.S. State Department warned that an Al Qaeda-affiliated group might attack Americans during the holy month of Ramadan, now under way. The announcement said U.S. officials and Americans working for faith-based organizations might be targeted, and it encouraged all travelers to remain on alert. U.S. personnel were advised to avoid non-essential travel outside Nouakchott, the capital, and to avoid places where foreigners gather.
Samoa
Samoa will switch from driving on the right side of the road to the left Sept. 7 to bring the island into conformity with Australia and New Zealand, but many locals are unhappy about it. In protest, villagers removed signs urging traffic to “keep left” and painted arrows pointing the wrong direction on roads. Two villages reportedly threatened to force traffic passing through to switch back to the right side. Apart from the danger in trying to break people’s habits, including pedestrians looking the correct way before crossing a street, most cars on Samoa are U.S.-style left-hand-drives. A group opposed to the change has started a legal challenge.
South Africa
Commuter taxi drivers in Johannesburg plan to strike Tuesday to protest the launch of a public bus system that they say will threaten their business. The South African National Taxi Drivers Council said the indefinite strike will be peaceful, though violence has erupted among drivers in previous disputes.
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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.
