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WikiLeaks founder Assange arrested in London after Ecuador axes asylum deal

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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been dragged out of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London where he has spent the last seven years. That’s after Ecuador’s president Moreno withdrew asylum.

That’s only a day after WikiLeaks Editor-in-Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson claimed that an extensive spying operation was conducted against Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy. During an explosive media conference Hrafnsson alleged that the operation was designed to get Assange extradited.

Assange’s relationship with Ecuadorian officials appeared increasingly strained since the current president came to power in the Latin American country in 2017. His internet connection was cut off in March of last year, with officials saying the move was to stop Assange from “interfering in the affairs of other sovereign states.”

Assange garnered massive international attention in 2010 when WikiLeaks released classified US military footage.

The footage, as well as US war logs from Iraq and Afghanistan and more than 200,000 diplomatic cables, were leaked to the site by US Army soldier Chelsea Manning. She was tried by a US tribunal and sentenced to 35 years in jail for disclosing the materials.

Manning was pardoned by outgoing President Barack Obama in 2017 after spending seven years in US custody. She is currently being held again in a US jail for refusing to testify before a secret grand jury in a case apparently related to WikiLeaks.

Assange’s seven-year stay at the Ecuadorian Embassy was motivated by his concern that he may face similarly harsh prosecution by the US for his role in publishing troves of classified US documents over the years.

His legal troubles stem from an accusation by two women in Sweden, with both claiming they had a sexual encounter with Assange that was not fully consensual. Assange said the allegations were false. Nevertheless, they yielded to the Swedish authorities who sought his extradition from the UK on “suspicion of rape, three cases of sexual abuse and unlawful compulsion.”

In December 2010, he was arrested in the UK under a European Arrest Warrant and spent time in Wandsworth Prison before being released on bail and put under house arrest.

His attempt to fight extradition ultimately failed. In 2012, he skipped bail and fled to the Ecuadorian Embassy, which extended him protection from arrest by the British authorities. Quito gave him political asylum and later Ecuadorian citizenship.

Assange spent the following years stranded at the diplomatic compound, only making sporadic appearances at the embassy window and in interviews conducted inside.

Assange argued that his avoidance of European law enforcement was necessary to protect him from extradition to the US, where then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions said that arresting him is a “priority.” WikiLeaks was branded a “non-state hostile intelligence service” by then-CIA head Mike Pompeo in 2017.

The US government has been tight-lipped on whether Assange would face indictment over the dissemination of classified material. In November 2018, the existence of a secret indictment targeting Assange was seemingly unintentionally confirmed in a US court filing for an unrelated case.

WikiLeaks is responsible for publishing thousands of documents with sensitive information from many countries. Those include the 2003 Standard Operating Procedures manual for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The agency has also released documents on Scientology, one tranche referred to as “secret bibles” from the religion founded by L. Ron Hubbard.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Strange blue lights over the arctic stun travelers

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Travelers were stunned this weekend to spot strange blue lights appear in the Arctic skies. The blue lights appeared in two clear spots in the sky causing stargazers to look on in wonder.

These stunning displays of the Northern Lights above Lapland were captured by photography experts at Lights Over Lapland.

Founder of Lights Over Lapland, Chad Blakley, said; “I first spotted the lights on our Aurora Web Cam which continually captures the night sky above Abisko in Sweden, and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was completely out of this world!”

Since the sighting, social media has been awash with speculation, however the phenomenon has since been attributed to a scientific experiment from the Andøya Space Center in Norway which launched two rockets that released metallic powder into atmosphere inside the Northern Lights.

“Although every experience with the Northern Lights is different – this one was a complete mystery and surprise even for me,” adds Lights Over Lapland founder Chad Blakley who has been photographing the Northern Lights for the last 10 years. “It just goes to show that there is always something new to experience on a Northern Lights holiday.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

Summer Schedule 2019: Frankfurt Airport puts spring in its step

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New flight schedule to take effect on March 31 – Total flights expanding moderately

Frankfurt Airport (FRA) continues to strengthen its status as Germany’s leading international aviation hub. Starting on March 31, travelers will be able to fly from Frankfurt to a total of 306 destinations in 98 countries.

In this year’s summer season, the number of flights will increase moderately (by more than one percent) compared to last year. Seat capacity will also grow by between one and two percent.

European, domestic German and especially intercontinental flight offerings will all expand. A rise of between 1.5 and two percent of aircraft movements is expected in the intercontinental category, with seat capacity increasing by 1.5 to 2.5 percent.

 New long-haul destinations

United Airlines will introduce daily services to Denver (DEN) in early May. Lufthansa will also offer a once-daily flight to DEN, while adding Austin (AUS), Texas as a new destination in North America. Cathay Pacific is increasing the frequency on its Frankfurt-Hong Kong (HKG) route, thus bringing the total to three services a week. Qatar Airways will offer more seats on one of its two daily flights to Doha (DOH), which will now be operated by an Airbus A380.

The intercontinental connections available from Frankfurt are marked by an impressive diversity, serving a total of 137 destinations. Lufthansa is continuing the new services introduced last winter to Cancún (CUN) in Mexico and Agadir (AGA) in Morocco. Condor will retain its flights to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) in Malaysia while stepping up the frequency to Phoenix (PHX) in the U.S., Calgary (YYC) in Canada, and Mombasa (MBA) in Kenya. Air India will also maintain its Frankfurt-Mumbai (BOM) route.

More connections to Turkey from FRA

Holidaymakers who wish to spend their vacation in Turkey have quite a few options to choose from: 11 airlines will now fly from FRA to a total of 15 destinations in that country, 15 percent more than before. They include a new service to Bodrum (BJV) by Lufthansa, which is also adding two other European holiday destinations: Heraklion (HER) in Greece and Tivat (TIV) in Montenegro.

Lufthansa will also continue flying to the new destinations it inaugurated last winter. Among them are Thessaloniki (SKG) in Greece, Trieste (TRS) in Italy, and Tromsø (TOS) in Norway. The airline is also adding more frequencies to Tirana (TIA) in Albania and Sofia (SOF) in Bulgaria, as well as Palma de Majorca (PMI) and Pamplona (PNA) in Spain. German leisure carrier TUIfly is strengthening its services from Frankfurt to Lamezia Terme (SUF) in Italy, Larnaca (LCA) in Cyprus, and Djerba-Zarzis (DJE) in Tunisia. In late March, Ryanair will add more services to Dublin (DUB), the Irish capital, bringing the total to 12 a week. Altogether, the total number of European destinations served from FRA will climb to 154, and within Germany to 15.

The impact on Frankfurt Airport of recent airline insolvencies is negligible. Flybmi will no longer be serving Bristol (BRS) in the United Kingdom and Jönköping (JKG) and Karlstad (KSD) in Sweden but because the aircraft used on those routes had only limited passenger seating their cancellation is only minimally affecting FRA’s total capacity. Nor are the failures of two other airlines, Germania and Small Planet Germany, having more than a very slight effect on total traffic. 

Good preparation for a positive travel experience

The moderate growth in flight movements is fully in line with the expectations of Fraport, the operator of Frankfurt Airport. To handle the increase, Fraport has been hiring more staff and allotting more space for additional security checks during the summer season. Nevertheless, passengers may still experience processing delays on peak days. They are therefore advised to check in online before leaving home, arrive at the airport at least two and a half hours before departure, and then head immediately for the security checkpoint. Travelers intending to drive to the airport and leave their vehicles there can book parking spaces online in advance. Passengers are also advised to observe the airlines’ rules on cabin luggage. Fraport recommends taking as few carry-on items as possible. Information and pointers on travel and carry-on luggage can be found at www.frankfurt-airport.com.

Travel News | eTurboNews

British Airways Pilots thought Edinburg was in Germany and landed in the wrong city

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Passengers at London City Airport today boarded British Airways flight BA3281 assuming they would fly to Duesseldorf, Germany but were surprised when landing they saw a sign: Welcome to Edinburg after landing at Edinburgh,  United Kingdom. Edinburg was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2018, handling over 14.3 million passengers and an unexpected landing did not raise any eyebrows.

The plane used is a Saab 2000 twin-engined high-speed turboprop airliner. It is designed to carry 50–58 passengers and cruise at a speed of 665 km/h. Production took place in Linköping in southern Sweden. The Saab 2000 first flew in March 1992 and was certified in 1994

Welcome to Edinburgh was the message after landing, when in fact every passenger expected to get off in the German city by the Rhine river instead. The flight was operated by WDL Aviation. WDL Aviation GmbH & Co. KG is a German charter airline headquartered at Cologne Bonn Airport and flies also for British Airways.

British Airways is currently working with WDL to find out why it filed the wrong flight plan and flew to Edinburg without realizing.

“We have apologized to customers for this interruption to their journey and will be contacting them all individually,” BA said in a statement.

On its final flight on Sunday, the plane flew to Edinburgh and back so it seems that someone at WDL mistakenly repeated the same flight plan for the next day, according to BA.

When the crew arrived at London City airport on Monday it is thought that they saw Edinburgh on the flight plan from the day before and followed the old flight route.

The BA statement said: “At no time has the safety of passengers been compromised. We flew the passengers on the flight with number BA3271 to Düsseldorf after the involuntary stopover in Edinburgh,”

BA declined to say how many passengers were affected by the mistake.

The plane sat on the tarmac at Edinburgh for two-and-a-half hours, before flying onto Düsseldorf.

The toilets were blocked and they ran out of snacks.

For the passengers involved, will they get compensation for the delay? And ultimately – what does this do for trust in British Airways that such a mistake can be made?

Travel News | eTurboNews

Europeans travel to GCC in record numbers: 29% increase by 2023 expected

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Arrivals from Europe to the GCC will increase 29% over the period 2018 to 2023, driven by new and direct flight routes, a growing number of millennial and middle-class travellers and competitive airfares, according to the latest data released ahead of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2019, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 28 April – 1 May 2019.

According to ATM’s research partner, Colliers International, as many as 8.3 million EU residents will travel to the GCC in 2023, an additional 1.9 million travelers when compared to 2018 arrival figures.

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Adding to this, figures from ATM 2018 show the number of delegates arriving from Europe increased 5% between 2017 and 2018, while the number of delegates, exhibitors and attendees interested in doing business with Europe increased by 24%.

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “Historically, Europe and the GCC have enjoyed excellent travel and tourism links and this trend is set to continue over the next four years.

“The UAE and Saudi Arabia are expected to continue to be the preferred GCC destinations for European tourists, welcoming a projected 6.15 million and 1.11 million visitors respectively by 2023. Oman will follow with 720,000 visitors, while Bahrain will welcome 310,000 and Kuwait 140,000.”

Driving this demand in the UAE throughout 2018, Emirates introduced new flights to London Stansted, Edinburgh, Lyon and Paris; Etihad to Barcelona; flydubai to Catania, Thessaloniki, Krakow, Dubrovnik, Zagreb and Helsinki; and Air Arabia to Prague. While in Saudi Arabia, new routes to destinations including Vienna and Malaga were added during the same period.

Looking at the outbound market potential, GCC travel to EU countries is expected to grow by 50%, with 6 million GCC residents projected to visit Europe by 2023. The Colliers data indicates that Saudi Arabia will lead this growth with 2.98 million KSA residents travelling to Europe in 2023, followed by 1.73 million UAE residents, 600,000 Kuwaitis, 340,000 Bahrainis and 210,000 Omanis.

While part of this growth can be attributed to the UAE and Saudi Arabia’s large expatriate populations, GCC nationals are no strangers to European destinations, its culture and history – as well as its retail and luxury hospitality offerings.

Curtis said: “Saudi Arabia is predicted to retain its position as the largest outbound travel market destination in the GCC, with an additional 1.2 million trips forecasted per year by 2023 – a 70% growth on 2018 trips. Driving this growth will be the rising spending power of both millennials and females in the Kingdom.”

According to the Colliers research, the UK, France, Switzerland and Sweden will be the top European destinations for GCC nationals to visit, with the UK expected to account for 890,000 trips by 2023.

“In the UK, Brexit has weakened the British Pound providing an additional incentive for Gulf tourists, while the relaxation of tourist visa requirements and GCC residents’ growing interest in medical tourism is encouraging travel to countries such as Switzerland and Sweden,” Curtis added.

ATM 2019 will welcome more than 100 European exhibitors to the show, with names such as Armani Hotel Milano, the German National Tourism Board, Port Aventura World, the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia and the Austrian National Tourism Office as well as various new exhibitors including Belarus National Tourism Agency, Moscow Committee for Tourism and Montenegro National Tourism Organisation.

Considered by industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa tourism sector, ATM welcomed over 39,000 people to its 2018 event, showcasing the largest exhibition in the history of the show, with hotels comprising 20% of the floor area.

Brand new for this year’s show will be the launch of Arabian Travel Week, an umbrella brand comprising four co-located shows including ATM 2019, ILTM Arabia, CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa – a new route development forum and new consumer-led event ATM Holiday Shopper. Arabian Travel Week will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 27 April – 1 May 2019.

The Seychelles Islands displayed at the MATKA Nordic Travel Fair 2019

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The Seychelles Tourism Board team in the Nordic Regions brought some sunshine to cold Finland as the Seychelles destination was represented at the MATKA Nordic Travel Fair 2019.

The Matka trade show, which is the largest travel fair in the Nordic Region, was held in Messukeskus Helsinki from January 17 to January 20, 2019. It’s the main travel platform in the region where everyone meets to conduct business.

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During the 4-day event, the Seychelles Island stand, which consisted of the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), team members alongside other trade partners was located in the ‘Sun & Sea’ themed area together with other exotic destinations. The opportunity allowed the team to actively entice visitors to get to know the Seychelles Islands.

The delegation comprised of STB Marketing Director for Nordics, Ms. Karen Confait and Marketing Executive from STB headquarters, Ms. Melissa Samardzija, Mr. Ash Behari from Coco de Mer Hotel & Black Parrot Suites and Ms. Amy Michel representing Mason’s Travel.

The other participating partner on the STB stand included Finnish Tour Operators “Mr. Travel”, who was also present to assist with the promotion of the destination and offer their services to Nordic customers willing to visit Seychelles.

Several other operators also provided flyers with special offers, which were important as clients were looking for prices and packages.

The first two days of the trade show were mainly dedicated for trade professionals (B2B), whereas the remaining days saw a high attendance of the public in general. Ms. Confait mentioned that they noticed that many visitors who visited the STB stand for information, had already booked their trip to Seychelles, while others were shopping around to decide on their next holiday destination.

On the first day of the fair, STB in partnership with Emirates hosted the main Finnish trade partners to a networking dinner, a small token to thank them for their continued support on the market and to encourage them to keep Seychelles in mind while proposing holiday destinations to their clients.

Talking about Seychelles participation at Matka 2019, STB Marketing Director for Nordics, Ms. Karen Confait mentioned that the STB team took the opportunity to meet several regular collaborators including Qatar Airways, Emirates and Turkish Airlines as well as our main trade partners from both Finland and Sweden. She also commented on her satisfaction at the volume of people visiting the stand this year.

“It is very encouraging to see that the destination is thriving in the Nordics. Each year we have seen the growing interest and Matka is the ideal platform for us to meet our main partners at the beginning of the year to discuss the action plans for the year as well as to continue to build and strengthen our relationship with the travel trade” said Ms. Confait.

The Matka Trade Show 2019 recorded a total number of 64,589 visitors compared to 63,599 visitors in 2018, showing an increase of 1.56% in the number of visitors attending the show this year.