2 January 2008
Today's Top Stories
Clashes continue in Kenya
At least 50 people were reportedly killed yesterday in the town of Eldoret in western Kenya, when a church they were occupying was burnt down. It is alleged that a group of people who were angry with the country's recent election results set fire to the church. Since the disputed re-election of Mwai Kibaki on 30 December, more than 275 people have died in clashes. Extreme caution should be taken when visiting the port city of Kisumu in western Kenya, and visitors should comply with the instructions of local security officials. In addition, the situation can change without warning and local and international media should be monitored. red24 currently advises against all non-essential travel to Kenya. For more information on dealing with civil unrest, please click here.
Pakistan election decision expected today
Pakistan's election commission is due to meet today to decide whether or not to postpone the 8 January elections in light of the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. Most analysts expect the vote to be postponed to late February. The announcement is likely to increase political tension, and renewed violence is possible. Bhutto's assassination on 27 December sparked a wave of rioting throughout the country. Supporters of her Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have directed their anger at President Pervez Musharraf's government. Due to the extreme threat from conflict and terrorism, red24 currently advises against all travel to Pakistan.
Volcano erupts in Chile
The Llaima volcano, located in southern Chile, erupted yesterday sending steam and ash into the air. The volcano is situated in the the Conguillio National Park, 650km south of Santiago. At least 150 tourists were evacuated from the park as a precautionary measure. Authorities have warned that evacuations could also take place in the nearby town of Melipeuco. Although no damage to infrastructure has been reported, authorities have warned that that ash from the volcano could cause respiratory problems. Travellers in the area are advised to monitor local news reports for the latest information, and to heed the advice of local authorities.
Explosion in southern Kosovo
A powerful explosion ripped through the offices of a bank in southern Kosovo yesterday. The blast took place in the ethnically diverse town of Dragas, and targeted the only Serbian bank allowed to operate in Kosovo by the United Nations mission. The bank has offices in areas where Kosovo's Serb minorities live, and handles funds from Serbia earmarked for Serbs in the province. The explosion caused a significant degree of infrastructural damage, but no casualties were reported. Tensions have been increasing in recent months in Kosovo due to ongoing international efforts to reach an agreement concerning the prospect of independence for the region, which currently belongs to Serbia. Due to the ongoing possibility of violence in Kosovo, red24 advises against all non-essential travel to the region.
Cyprus and Malta switch over to the euro
Yesterday Cyprus and Malta became the latest countries to start using the euro as their currency. Both the Maltese lira and the Cyprus pound will be legal tender until the end of January. Commercial banks in Malta will exchange the lira into euros without charge until the end of March, while the country's central bank will exchange lira notes until 2018. In Cyprus, commercial banks will allow free exchange from pounds into euros until the end of June, and the central bank will allow exchange of pound notes until 2017. In Cyprus's Turkish north, the Turkish lira remains the primary currency, however, many businesses have already begun accepting the euro.
Volcano erupts in Chile
The Llaima volcano, located in southern Chile, erupted yesterday sending steam and ash into the air. The volcano is situated in the the Conguillio National Park, 650km south of Santiago. At least 150 tourists were evacuated from the park as a precautionary measure. Authorities have warned that evacuations could also take place in the nearby town of Melipeuco. Although no damage to infrastructure has been reported, authorities have warned that that ash from the volcano could cause respiratory problems. Travellers in the area are advised to monitor local news reports for the latest information, and to heed the advice of local authorities.
Bird flu claims another victim in Egypt
A woman from the Nile Delta region in Egypt died of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu on 31 December, making her the country's fourth casualty in a week. The latest deaths bring Egypt's bird flu death toll to 19 people over the past two years. The government claims that the large amount of people who keep poultry at their homes makes it extremely difficult to control the spread of the disease. Egypt has the highest number of known human cases of the virus outside Asia. For more on the threat from bird flu, please click here.
Eight killed in Gaza Strip violence
At least eight people were killed in fighting in the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours. It is believed that most of those killed were supporters from the rival Palestinian groups, Fatah and Hamas; however, other groups were also involved in the clashes, including the Doghmush clan. Meanwhile, in a separate incident, one Hamas member was killed and five people were injured after Israeli soldiers opened fire on a group of gunmen close to the border fence with Israel. Due to the continuing poor security in the region, travellers are advised to avoid all travel to the Gaza Strip and to avoid non-essential travel to within 10km of the Gaza border.
Pakistan election decision expected today
Pakistan's election commission is due to meet today to decide whether or not to postpone the 8 January elections in light of the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. Most analysts expect the vote to be postponed to late February. The announcement is likely to increase political tension, and renewed violence is possible. Bhutto's assassination on 27 December sparked a wave of rioting throughout the country. Supporters of her Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have directed their anger at President Pervez Musharraf's government. Due to the extreme threat from conflict and terrorism, red24 currently advises against all travel to Pakistan.
Four dead in Colombo blast
A roadside bomb killed three civilians and one soldier, and injured 20 others in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, today. The bomb detonated in the city's Slave Island area near a bus that was transporting wounded soldiers. There were no claims of responsibility for the attack, but a military spokesman said that the Tamil Tiger rebels were suspected. red24
currently advises against all non-essential travel to Sri Lanka, and against all travel to the conflict zone, being the Eastern Province and all areas north of the A12 highway.
Eleven dead in separate attacks in north and east India
Militants armed with firearms and grenades attacked a police recruitment centre yesterday, in the town of Rampur in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. At least seven officers and one civilian were killed in the attack. Police did not speculate over which group they thought were responsible for the attack. Also yesterday in the neighbouring state of Bihar, suspected Maoist rebels ambushed a group of soldiers and shot dead four of them. There are dozens of separatist and insurgent groups active in northern and eastern India, and travellers to these areas should exercise caution, particularly outside the urban areas. We advise against all non-essential travel to the rural and remote areas of Bihar due to the ongoing Maoist insurgency.
Clashes continue in Kenya
At least 50 people were reportedly killed yesterday in the town of Eldoret in western Kenya, when a church they were occupying was burnt down. It is alleged that a group of people who were angry with the country's recent election results set fire to the church. Since the disputed re-election of Mwai Kibaki on 30 December, more than 275 people have died in clashes. Extreme caution should be taken when visiting the port city of Kisumu in western Kenya, and visitors should comply with the instructions of local security officials. In addition, the situation can change without warning and local and international media should be monitored. red24 currently advises against all non-essential travel to Kenya. For more information on dealing with civil unrest, please click here.
Fighting in Nigeria kills 13
Yesterday in the Nigerian city of Port Harcourt at least 13 people were killed when gunmen opened fire on two police stations and a hotel. Niger Delta militants have claimed responsibility for the attack. In addition to the four police officers and six rebels who were killed, three civilians lost their lives in the crossfire. Numerous armed groups in the Niger Delta continue to fight for a greater share of control over the resources in the region. Due to the ongoing violence in the area, red24 currently advises against all travel to the Niger Delta region. For more information on the conflict in the Niger Delta, please click here.
US diplomat killed in Sudan
A US diplomat and his driver were killed yesterday by gunmen in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. The attack took place in a main street of the capital, shortly after midnight. It is unclear what the motive for the attack was, although the Sudan foreign ministry believes it was an isolated incident. Travellers are reminded that significant insecurity persists throughout Sudan and red24 continues to rate the country as extreme and advises against all travel there.