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A law which practically provides tobacco lovers against possibility to enjoy smoking even outside, at home or in automobile has been accepted in the Republic of South Africa.

Henceforth, any attempt to smoke standing closer the established distance from a window, ventilation hole, door or entrance to public place is considered an offence. The penalty will amount at 500 rand (more than $70).

Smokers won’t be able to enjoy tobacco even being at their own home, in case it is also used as a room for day nursery, kindergarten or private/school lessons. And also in own automobile in case it transports a child younger than 12 years old.

Employers not managing to protect their nonsmoking officials from tobacco smoke are being mostly severe punished, they are charged 100 000 rand ($15 000).

travelime.com

New Zealand Ruapehu Mountain started to burn again without warning.

Outbreak of volcanic rubble flow erupted on two sides of volcano paralyzed the traffic on the main highway and railroad of the North Island state, which were shut off by the police.

Though volcanic explosion was insignificant at Tuesday night, there is information about a few injured people who were not far from the snowy mountain peak with the height of 2 797 metres.

According to volcanoligists’ data, this eruption had the second level of danger that is considered as insignificant volcano activity.

The Forbes Traveler has published the rating of hotels which have become a history. The first place is given to Singapore Raffles Hotel: in 1942 it was a base for Japanese armies and after reconstruction it has turned into magnificent hotel complex decorated in colonial style. The second place is given to the well-known Parisian Ritz, the place where Proust has written his “In searches of the lost time”, and princess Diana has spent her last night.

On the third place stands the Fairmont Hotel (San Francisco). In 1945 here was held the meeting of 50 countries’ delegates, and has been formed the United Nations Organization. Moreover all American presidents since Truman stayed in Fairmont Hotel. The fourth place is given to Parisian Hotel de Crillon, constructed by Lui King the XV in 1758, and during the First World War being the base for the French and British armies.

Lorraine Motel, located in Memphis (USA) is on the fifth place - here Martin Luther King has been killed. Copacabana Palace (Rio de Janeiro), Inter-Continental (Berhtesgarden), The Greenbrier (White-Salpher-Springs), La Mamounia (Marrakech) and The Mount Washington Hotel (Breton-Woods) are also included in the list.

Online bookings in China lag far behind much of the rest of the world due to thin travel agent profit margins. Flight attendants have one of the toughest jobs in travel. The Europe Union passes new laws to protect disabled air travelers.

An awesome tropical “Ivo” hurricane at the moment has weakened till the storm rank and has been moved to the lower danger category. This information is provided by the scientists of American Hurricane Center. Meantime the cyclone is approaching to the Mexico.

The wind speed in the very center of the hurricane has reduced to 110 kilometers per hour and now the storm is slowly moving to the north-west. Meteorologists suppose that getting closer to the mainland the hurricane gets weaker, probably because of so-called “tropical depression”.

Now Mexico is waiting for the cyclone approach. This country has recently suffered from another storm. On the 4th of September here was “ruling” the “Genrietta” hurricane. It caused deaths of ten tourists, 2 foreigners of them.

ABC News

A Senate inquiry has found there is an urgent need for a set of national standards to coordinate the support schemes for patients who have to travel for medical treatment.

The inquiry has made 16 recommendations to improve the Patient Assisted Travel Schemes and wants their importance recognised in the next funding agreement between the states and the Commonwealth on health.

Committee member Liberal Senator Judith Adams says the inconsistent levels of support across the states and territories has made it very difficult for patients to receive the most appropriate care.

“Often they were denied that because of financial constraints,” she said.

“There were a number of people in rural and regional and remote areas that just were not being able to access health care, that was probably the biggest issue.”

travelime.com

In Great Britain was made up a list of the hotels which don’t harm the environment with their activity. In this list there are the independent corporate hotels which are situated on the territory from the England’s coast till the North Scotland plateau.

“It is mare than just a list, it is the list of future, because more and more people prefer to accommodate in the hotels which don’t harm the surroundings. Our experts have visited each hotel from the list and checked the correspondence with requirements. We are glad that such a great number of hotels is striving to obtain our highest approval - Gold Award, many receive Bronze Award and Silver Award. These are the pioneer hotels”, pointed out Andrea Nicolas, the chief of The Green Tourism Business Scheme.

In Great Britain “ecologically rational” tourism becomes an important part of the travelling industry. The lately made research has shown that 84% of tourists choose the tourist agencies which keep to the politics of “ecological rationality”, 68% of them have pointed out that they will cooperate with the “green” agencies even if their prices were a bit higher.

Tourists can see the sights of the old Vilnius in Lithuania while drinking some beer and twiddling the pedals. It is possible to do this with the help of special transportation mode, which name changes depending on the assortment of heating drinks that tourists take with them. For some people it will be a beer-bicycle, and for the others it will be even a vodka-bicycle. It is better to travel by such transport in a large company. Tourists sit down in the armchairs of this alcohol-bicycle and go to see the sights of the old Vilnius simultaneously twiddling the pedals and seeping alcohol. Beer-bicycle enjoys a special popularity among tourists from Great Britain and Germany.

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CANBERRA (Reuters) - Plans to build the world’s longest golf course, across 1,200 km (750 miles) of treeless desert, received a welcome boost on Wednesday when the Australian government offered seed funding for the venture.

The 18-hole course will stretch along the Eyre Highway which crosses the arid Nullarbor Plain in the south of the continent, with one hole placed in each town along the way, and one at a remote sheep farm.

Doughty golfers who tee off in the Western Australian mining town of Kalgoorlie will end their round in the South Australian south coast town of Ceduna, more than 1,200 km to the east. (more…)