TBA Corporate: 2014

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Ebola travel restrictions changed - Seychelles

Seychelles has amended its Ebola travel restrictions.

Previously, travellers were not allowed to enter Seychelles if they had visited Nigeria; Guinea; Liberia; Sierra Leone; or the Democratic Republic of Congo within 21 days of their arrival dates.

However, Nigeria has now been removed from the list of restricted countries.

More importantly, Mali has been added to the list following the confirmation of Ebola reaching the country.

Daily Ebola updates can be found here or under the ‘Additional Information’ heading on the TI Plus homepage.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Metrolink to use replacement buses

Metrolink will use replacement buses during work on Manchester Airport's station platform.

Early Sunday morning Metrolink services to Manchester Airport will be replaced by buses throughout November, while work takes place on the fourth platform at the train station.

Work to complete the new fourth platform at Manchester Airport station will resume in January as Network Rail begins to install the new track, signalling and upgrade the platforms.

The work means that there will be changes to services between Manchester Airport and Wythenshawe town centre.

Metrolink will not operate trams between Wythenshawe Town Centre and the airport until 08h30 on November 16, 23 and 30.

Before 08h30, there will be a bus replacement service in operation, running a 15-minute service between Wythenshawe and the airport.

Next year, throughout January 17 and until midday the following day, there will be no Metrolink services between Wythenshawe and the airport.

A replacement bus will operate to cover the usual service.

Strikes may disrupt public transport

Strike action is anticipated throughout Belgium in November and December.

This may cause widespread disruption to public transport in and out of Belgium and travellers are advised to allow additional travel time for all journeys.

Protest marches and demonstrations may also take place in central Brussels. Travellers should remain vigilant and follow advice given by the local authorities.

Country cancels hosting of AFCON

Morocco has confirmed it will not hold the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2015 tournament due to the risk of the Ebola virus.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reportedly approached potential alternative hosts for AFCON 2015 but with the first game due to kick-off on January 17, time is running out to make the necessary preparations.

CAF will meet in Egypt tomorrow to decide whether to cancel/postpone the tournament or announce a new host nation.

Arctic blast to chill 42 states

As the polar vortex gets displaced to the south, the door will open for arctic air to plunge over the most of the United States as this week progresses.

Only the Southwest; Hawaii; Alaska; and South Florida will escape the grip of the upcoming arctic blast that the polar vortex can be blamed for.

The harshest cold will hit the northern Rockies and Plains. However, temperatures will also plummet throughout the Northwest and to the Gulf Coast and I-95 corridor.

The arctic blast will drop into the northern Rockies today, accompanied by a snowstorm, and will then spread across the Northwest and Plains through Wednesday.

Tomorrow and Wednesday will prove to be the coldest days of the week across the northern Rockies and northern High Plains. The cold will raise the risk of hypothermia and frostbite for those not properly dressed.

Across the Northwest; South; and I-95 corridor, the arrival of the cold air will create a December-like feel with a 10- to 20-degree (Fahrenheit) change in high temperatures from the preceding day.

The adverse conditions will likely cause delays on roads and at airports. Travellers should expect disruptions.

Temperatures are expected to remain below freezing for nearly two weeks in the Upper Midwest, including Minneapolis.

There is a possibility for another winter storm crossing the nation next Thursday to the following Monday. With the cold air still in place, there could be a swath of snow stretching from the Northwest to the central Plains to the Northeast.

Enough cold air could even be in place for ice to glaze Portland, Oregon, and snow to fly around Seattle, Washington.

Renewed flood threat from Italy to Greece

Additional flooding rain is expected across southern Europe this week, just on the heels of last week’s flooding rainfall.

Moisture from the Mediterranean Sea will fall across areas from southeastern France to Italy and from Slovenia to Greece.

While this system does not look as potent as the storm that occurred last week, it will still bring the potential for additional flooding. The greatest threat for flooding will occur in northern Italy, especially on the southern slopes of the Alps.

In addition to heavy rainfall, over a metre of snow will fall in the Alps, adding to the vast amount of snow that fell during the last storm.

Rainfall in excess of 150mm is expected to soak parts of northern Italy where major flooding is possible.

Not only will flash flooding be likely, but long-duration river flooding is possible as well. Due the heavy rain during the past week, and the expected rainfall this week, larger rivers like the Ticino and Po may spill out of their banks for several days.
The heavy rain is expected to begin today across southeast France and northern Italy and will continue at varying intensities through Wednesday. The flooding threat will spread farther to the south through the remainder of the week.

Majority of Catalonians want independence

An informal vote on independence for Catalonia over the weekend has shown more than 80% of its participants are in favour.

The provisional results followed a day of voting across the autonomous region, which includes Barcelona, in north-eastern Spain.

The non-binding vote went ahead after Spain's constitutional court ruled out a formal referendum.

Voters were asked two questions: whether they wanted Catalonia to be a state and whether they wanted that state to be independent. More than two million people took part in the vote and with almost all votes counted, 80.72% have answered yes to both questions.

Opinion polls suggest that as many as 80% of Catalans want an official referendum on the issue of Catalonia's status, with about 50% in favour of full independence.

The ballot was held in the face of fierce opposition from the Spanish government.

Additionally, the Libres e Iguales (Free and Equal) group, which opposes the vote, held protests in dozens of cities. One protest in Barcelona witnessed minor scuffles but no arrests.

Other rallies in favour of the vote were also held.

Travellers are advised to avoid all public demonstrations.

Sphinx courtyard set to reopen

Egypt will soon reopen the courtyard in front of the Sphinx to tourists.

The monument has been under restoration for nearly four years.

The Sphinx courtyard will be opened for the first time since the restoration. However, a date for the opening has not yet been set.

Once the courtyard is opened, tourists will be free to walk around the monument.

A small temple built next to the Sphinx by pharaoh Amenhotep II of the 18th dynasty will also be opened to the public for the first time.

Meanwhile, the Menkaure pyramid (the smallest of the three Great Pyramids of Giza) will be reopened today, November 10, after three years of restoration work.

FCO advises against use of public transport

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is advising against the use of public transport in Jerusalem due to recent incidents that left a number of people dead.

On October 22 and November 5, cars were driven into pedestrians at public tram stops in East Jerusalem.

On August 4, an industrial digger was driven into a bus in East Jerusalem.

Additionally, there have been frequent reports of stoning of public transport, including buses and the tram.

There is an ongoing risk of security incidents on public transport in East Jerusalem, particularly the Light Rail. The FCO says that these incidents are unpredictable and advise against the use of public transport throughout Jerusalem.

Travellers should consider alternative options.

Visa decrease- Germany

Germany has decreased its visa costs.

A Schengen visa (Tourist and Business) now costs R830, down from R860 previously.

A child visa (aged 6-12) decreased from R500 to R490.

An Intergate Visalink appointment fee remains R285.

Airport upgrade on schedule

Walvis Bay Airport’s upgrade remains on schedule and is expected to be completed by July 2015.

The upgrade includes the renovation of the terminal building and expansion of the whole facility.

The N$67 million upgrade started in September 2013.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Ebola travel restrictions: Mauritius

The Mauritius High Commission has announced that any foreign nationals, including South Africans, who have visited one or more of the countries affected by Ebola in the last two months will not be allowed to enter the country for the time being.

Ebola-affected countries include: Guinea; Liberia; Sierra Leone; Nigeria; and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Senegal will be removed from the list of affected countries on October 10, should no new cases emerge before that time.

Daily Ebola updates can be found here or under the ‘Additional Information’ heading on the TI Plus homepage.

Breaking news: First Ebola case reported in US Today's News

Breaking news: First Ebola case reported in US Today's News
Wed, 1 Oct 2014

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday confirmed the first case of Ebola in the US. The patient travelled to Dallas, Texas, from Liberia. The patient did not have symptoms when leaving Liberia but developed them about five days after arriving in the United States.

The CDC does not recommend that people travelling on the same flight should be monitored, as Ebola is only contagious if the person is experiencing active symptoms.

CDC director, Dr. Tom Frieden, reassured the US public and said: “Ebola can be scary. But there’s all the difference in the world between the US and parts of Africa where Ebola is spreading. The United States has a strong health care system and public health professionals who will make sure this case does not threaten our communities. While it is not impossible that there could be additional cases associated with this patient in the coming weeks, I have no doubt that we will contain this.”

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Airport dealing with delays and cancellations

London City Airport has been struggling to get back on schedule following a morning of severe delays and cancellations due to fog.

Aberdeen is also reporting weather-related delays.

Authorities say that there could be delays of up to five hours at London City. Airlines have also reportedly cancelled some services.

The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for south-east England; East Anglia; and the East Midlands.

Heathrow said they had no delays caused by fog, while Gatwick said that the airport was 'operating well'.

The Woolwich ferry service, which runs across the Thames in east London, has been suspended.

Travellers heading to the airport should check the status of the flight and expect delays throughout the day.

Hurricane to deliver flooding rain in the southwest

Tropical moisture from the approaching Hurricane Odile will deliver another round of heavy rain and flooding downpours to the interior Southwest by the middle of this week.

Odile will weaken significantly before reaching the Southwest, likely not even being a tropical storm when reaching the region.

The moisture associated with the system will still be enough though to spread showers and flooding thunderstorms across the interior Southwest from Wednesday through Friday.

Cities that could be impacted by the heavy, flooding thunderstorms include Phoenix, Flagstaff, Tucson and Yuma, Arizona; Las Vegas; and eventually Salt Lake City.

Flash flooding should be anticipated. Additionally, mudslides; washouts; and dust storms may also occur in areas affected by the worst of the storms.

Delays are likely on major roads and airports.

A few showers and thunderstorms may even make their way into coastal areas of Southern California, including Los Angeles and San Diego, but the worst of the flooding is expected to stay over the desert areas.

Volcano showing signs of unrest

A volcano in the Philippines is showing signs of heightened unrest, and an eruption is possible within weeks, government scientists have warned.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level to "critical" for Mt. Mayon in eastern Albay province late yesterday after recording within a 15-hour period an escalation of unrest, including 39 incidents of hot rocks falling in the summit area and 32 low frequency volcanic earthquakes.

As a result, Albay Govenor Joey Salceda ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents within a 6- to 8-kilometer radius of the volcano.

Mt. Mayon, located about 340km southeast of Manila, has erupted more than 40 times over the past 400 years.

Visa regulations for travel with minors postponed

The Department of Home Affairs has delayed the implementation of new visa regulations regarding travel with minors until June 1, 2015.

Under the new visa regulations, anyone travelling with a child under the age of 18 will be required to present an unabridged birth certificate for said child. The new ruling was set to come into effect on October 1.

Additionally, in the instances where children are travelling with one parent, the written permission required under the new regulations will also be postponed until June 1.

The announcement was made by minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba, at a media briefing earlier today.

Gigaba has also encouraged parents and travellers to apply for unabridged birth certificates well in advance of the June 1, 2015 deadline.

The postponement is believed to apply to both South African citizens and foreigners.

Flight disruption to rise as strike continues

Air France has warned that disruption will get worse as a week-long strike by its pilots continues.

More that 60% of its flights are likely to be cancelled today as a result of the strike, which began yesterday.

The pilots are protesting against a transfer of jobs by the airline to a low-cost European carrier.

Air France is urging passengers around the world to change or postpone travel.

Passengers who have booked a flight between September 15 and 22 September can delay their trip; change their ticket free of charge; or claim a refund.

Travellers due to fly with the airline are advised to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.

Tourists held back while police search for killer

Tourists are being held on the Thai island of Koh Tao after the ferry port was shut to stop the killers of two British backpackers escaping.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) described it as an 'isolated incident' but warned the ferry closure could impact on other travellers.

Local authorities have begun a thorough investigation and have put temporary restrictions in place to prevent potential suspects from leaving the island.

TAT said that while Koh Tao was not on the main tourist trail, it was popular with backpackers and those with a keen interest in snorkelling and diving.

TAT also said that Koh Tao, and other destinations across Thailand remain safe for tourists.

Typhoon cancels hundreds of flights

Typhoon Kalmaegi swept past Hong Kongearlier, closing schools and disrupting flights as strong winds pounded the territory.

More than 500 flights were delayed as the storm passed by on its way to China's Hainan Island.

Morning trading was cancelled on the Hong Kong stock exchange, while schools and businesses were ordered to close until the storm warning was lowered.

The storm came in from the Philippines, where it cut power and soaked farmland.
At least six people are reported to have died when a ferry sank in the central Philippines on Saturday evening, after running into bad weather.

However, Philippine officials said the storm largely avoided heavily populated areas.

In Hong Kong, a level-eight cyclone warning was in place yesterday evening, on a 10-point scale.

Twenty-five people needed hospital treatment for storm-related injuries.

Before noon (local time) today, the warning was down to three, with the storm headed to Hainan.

In China, dozens of flights have been cancelled with the typhoon approaching. This includes all flights out of Haikou, the capital of Hainan province.

Quake rattles Tokyo

An earthquake measuring 5,6 on the Richter scale shook buildings in Tokyo early this morning.

The quake, which struck at 00h30 local time, was centred about two kilometres west of Iwai, Japan.

The operations of some train lines were temporarily suspended, including the Shinkansen bullet train in the northeastern Tohoku region.

There were a few minor injuries and damages reported, but no tsunami warning was issued.

Hurricane damages tourist resorts

Hurricane Odile has left streets flooded, and homes and packed hotels destroyed in the beach resorts of Mexico's Baja California peninsula.

The storm has eased since Sunday from category four to one but is still packing winds of up to 160km/h.

Mexican authorities are warning of more landslides and flooding in the coming days, as the storm moves northwest. However, experts say the storm will steadily weaken over the next two days.

At least 26 000 foreign tourists and 4 000 locals were in the region as the storm made landfall, and those in areas at risk of flooding were evacuated.

The region, which includes Cabo San Lucas, is home to massive resort complexes, as well as fishing communities and low-lying shanty towns.

Luis Puente, the head of Mexico's civil protection agency, told reporters that 164 shelters had been readied with a capacity for 30 000 people.

Meanwhile, a 4,9-magnitude earthquake struck near the Baja California peninsula early yesterday morning.

The quake struck around 05h23 at a depth of 10km.

It was the second moderate tremor to hit the region since Sunday.

Train driver strike

Train drivers represented by the GDL Union in Germany are reportedly planning to take industrial action next month.

Early reports suggest that the drivers will strike on Thursday, October 2.

No further information is available at this time but the situation will be monitored and any relevant updates will follow.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Shortage of overtime staff causing Tube delays

Please be advised that London Underground station staff and supervisors are no longer working overtime hours.

Additionally, 970 other staff members are to be let go.

Travellers should be prepared for delays and plan their schedules accordingly.

New visa requirements due to Ebola

As part of enhanced precautionary measures in the Seychelles, a temporary visa requirement has been imposed for the nationals of countries affected by the Ebola outbreak, as well countries bordering these affected countries and others in the region.

Citizens of the following countries are now required to be in possession of a visa prior to travelling to Seychelles: Sierra Leone; Liberia; Guinea-Bissau; Guinea; Nigeria; Cameroon; Chad; Niger; Burkina Faso; Senegal; Mali; Benin; Ivory Coast; Ghana; Congo; Democratic Republic of Congo; Gambia; and Mauritania.

All Seychellois nationals will not be allowed to travel to Sierra Leone; Liberia; Guinea; Nigeria; or the DRC without the express permission of the Public Health Commissioner until the epidemic has officially been deemed to be over by the World Health Organization (WHO). Travellers from these countries will not be allowed to enter Seychelles until the epidemic has been deemed over.