Government offshore asylum idea attacked as ‘morally bankrupt’ – The Guardian

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Humanitarian groups and charities have reacted with fury to revelations that No 10 officials explored sending asylum seekers to offshore detention centres in Moldova, Morocco and south Atlantic islands, branding the move morally bankrupt.

A source close to the Home Office told the Guardian that the prime ministers chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, had become obsessed with the Channel crossings in the weeks before documents on the implications of the idea were produced in mid-September.

Hes annoyed that its always in the press and he thinks it goes down really badly with the red wall voters, which it does, the source said. And he wants to deal with it. And he thinks these quite extreme ways would be totally fine with red wall voters, which it probably is.

The documents seen by the Guardian suggest the government has for weeks been working on detailed plans that include cost estimates of building asylum detention camps on the south Atlantic islands of Ascension and St Helena, as well as Moldova, Morocco and Papua New Guinea.

Humanitarian groups and refugee charities condemned the proposals. The Amnesty International UK director, Kate Allen, said: It is a dismal reflection upon Home Office ministers that this idea to effectively exile people seeking asylum to far-flung and isolated places has been given any consideration at all. This would be entirely immoral and inhumane.

The chief executive of Refugee Action, Stephen Hale, said: The governments speculative plans to round up human beings and confine them to prison boats or camps on remote islands are inhumane and morally bankrupt Britain is better than this. We need a fair and effective asylum system, based on compassion, safety, and the rule of law.

Andy Hewett, head of advocacy at the Refugee Council, said: The Australian model has shown that offshore detention leads to catastrophic outcomes, including high levels of self-harm and mental illness. Its an immoral and inhumane policy.

Minnie Rahman, public affairs and campaigns manager at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), said the proposals were cruel and farcical, adding: These proposals are so ridiculous, theyre almost laughable.

However, some Conservative MPs expressed support for the idea. Andrew Bridgen, the Tory MP for North West Leicestershire, said he had been a long-term supporter of offshore centres to hold asylum seekers.

He said: This is a terrific idea and would be popular. I hope we use unused ferries and unused cruise ships. I have been suggesting this for a while. It would mean that the people who come here could not abscond and could be quickly assessed and considered for removal at speed.

This could dissuade them from putting their lives in the hands of the ruthless people-traffickers.

George Freeman, the Tory MP for Mid Norfolk, said: With 50 million asylum seekers in the world, and forecasts of 1 billion global migrants as a result of climate change, the government is right to look at what a responsible, fair and sustainable asylum policy would be, to avoid the appalling scenes of refugees and victims of human trafficking flooding to claim asylum in the UK.

A senior Whitehall source played down the possibility of an offshore centre ever being established, but said the idea had to be taken seriously because, as assumed, it comes with the backing of Johnsons chief of staff.

This is still at the Doms brain fart stage. No one in government has as yet identified a place for an offshore centre; there have been no talks with other governments. But everyone has to kick the tyres, because it came from him, the source said.

A Conservative source said the idea of offshore holding centres for migrants was raised by Oliver Letwin when the Conservatives were in opposition and under the leadership of David Cameron. David and George [Osborne] rightly told him to have a cold shower, the source said.

The documents reveal that trials had taken place of a blockade in the Channel similar to Australias controversial turn back the boats tactic. Seven thousand migrants have arrived in the UK in small boats across the Channel so far this year, according to PA Media analysis more than three times the number of arrivals by this route in the whole of 2019.

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Government offshore asylum idea attacked as 'morally bankrupt' - The Guardian

The Secretive Networks Used to Move Money Offshore – USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

USC Viterbi researchers have discovered a unique and highly-fragmented organizational network within the Panama Papers. Image/Wikimedia Commons

In 2016, the worlds largest ever data leak dubbed The Panama Papers exposed a scandal, uncovering a vast global network of peopleincluding celebrities and world leaders, who used offshore tax havens, anonymous transactions through intermediaries and shell corporations to hide their wealth, grow their fortunes and avoid taxes.

Researchers at USC Viterbi School of Engineering have now conducted a deep analysis of the entities and their interrelationships that were originally revealed in the 11.5 million files leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The academic researchers have made some discoveries about how this network and transactions operate, uncovering uniquely fragmented network behavior, vastly different from more traditional social or organizational networks, demonstrating why these systems of transactions and associations are so robust and difficult to infiltrate or take down. The work has been published inApplied Network Science.

Lead author Mayank Kejriwal is an assistant professor working in the Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and USCs Information Sciences Institute who studies complex (typically, social) systems like online sex markets using computational methods and network science. He said the research teams aim was to study the Panama Papers network as a whole, in the same way you might study a social network like Facebook, to try to understand what the network behavior can tell us about how money can be moved.

In general, in any social network like LinkedIn or Facebook, there is something called Small World Phenomenon, which means that youre only ever around six people away from anyone in the world, Kejriwal said.

For instance, if you want get from yourself to Bill Gates, on average you would be around six connections away, he said.

However the team discovered that the Panama Papers network was about as far removed from this traditional social or organizational network behavior as it could possibly be. Instead of a network of highly integrated connections, the researchers discovered a series of secretive disconnected fragments, with entities, intermediaries and individuals involved in transactions and corporations exhibiting very few connections with other entities in the system.

It was really unusual. The degree of fragmentation is something I have never seen before, said Kejriwal. Im not aware of any other network that has this kind of fragmentation.

So (without any documentation or leak), if you wanted to find the chain between one organization and another organization, you would not be able to find it, because the chances are that that there is no chain its completely disconnected, Kejriwal said.

Most social, friendship or organizational networks contain a series of triangular structures in a system known as the friend of a friend phenomenon.

The simple notion is that a friend of a friend is also a friend, Kejriwal said. And we can measure that by counting the number of triangles in the network.

Countries with individuals implicated in the Panama Papers. Image/Wikimedia Commons

However, the team discovered that this triangular structure was not a feature of the Panama Papers network.

It turns out that not only is it not prevalent, but its far less than prevalent than even for a random network, Kejriwal said. If you literally randomly connect things, in a haphazard fashion and then you count the triangles in that network, this network is even sparser than that. He added, Compared to a random network, in this type of network, links between financial entities are scrambled until they are essentially meaningless (so that anyone can be transacting with anyone else).

It is precisely this disconnectedness that makes the system of secret global financial dealings so robust. Because there was no way to trace relationships between entities, the network could not be easily compromised.

So what this suggests is that secrecy is built into the system and you cannot penetrate it, Kejriwal said.

In an interconnected world, we dont expect anyone to be impenetrable. Everyone has a weak link, Kejriwal said. But not in this network. The fact it is so fragmented actually protects them.

Kejriwal said the network behavior demonstrates that those involved in the Panama Papers network of offshore entities and transactions were very sophisticated, knowing exactly how to move money around in a way that it becomes untraceable and they are not vulnerable through their connections to others in the system. Because it is a global network, there are few options for national or international bodies to intervene in order to recoup taxes and investigate corruption and money laundering.

I dont know how anyone would try to bring this down, and Im not sure that they would be able to. The system seems unattackable, Kejriwal said.

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The Secretive Networks Used to Move Money Offshore - USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Danish Offshore Wind Project Goes Into Overdrive – Offshore WIND

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Danish transmission system operator Energinet is starting offshore surveys at the Hessel wind project offshore Denmark.

Fugro is deploying two vessels to carry out a geophysical survey of the 248 km2 area located in Kattegatt, 20-30 kilometres north of Sjlland.

The campaign is expected to be conducted over the next four to five months, Energinet said.

At the same time, Energinet is starting surveys along the two proposed export cable routes with potential landfalls at Gilbjerg Hoved or Kyndby. The decision on the export cable route will be made by the Danish Energy Agency later this year, Energinet said.

During the winter of 2020/2021, Energinet will also carry out environmental studies for the project. The metocean surveys will be conducted over the next year and a half. A geotechnical survey campaign is scheduled to start in the summer of 2021.

Energinet will also carry out environmental studies and obtain environmental and planning permits for the necessary land infrastructure including a small switching station.

Danish Energy Agency instructed Energinet to start preliminary investigations for the project at the beginning of July. The agency has now granted Energinet the permit to carry out the investigations which is valid from 1 October 2020 to 1 April 2022.

Hessel is the second of the three offshore wind farms proposed in DenmarksEnergy Agreement 2018, the first being theThorproject.

Initially, Hessel was scheduled for commissioning in 2028, but according to therecently approvedClimate Action Plan, both Hessel and Thor will be commissioned in 2027.

Denmark plans to start the tendering procedure for the development of the wind farm in 2021 and select the winner in 2022.

Normally we carry out seabed surveys during the summer, where there is little risk that the ships will have to go into port due to bad weather, said Jens Colberg-Larsen of Energinet, in charge of carrying out the offshore surveys.

But for Hessel Offshore Wind Farm, we have to do the surveys in the winter. This is due to the fact that the offshore wind farm has been advanced and must be ready to supply electricity in 2027 compared to the original 2028.

The Hessel wind farm will have an installed capacity of between 800 MW and 1,200 MW and can thus potentially become the largest offshore wind farm in Denmark.

Between 800 MW and 1,000 MW of the capacity will be used to produce and deliver electricity straight to the national grid. The developers will also have an option to develop up to 200 MW of overplanting capacity.

This additional capacity can be used to ensure a more continuous flow of electricity to the grid, or it can be used in combination with battery storage or power-to-x projects.

The developers should include the battery storage and power-to-x projects into their bids if possible, the Danish Energy Agency said, adding that the preliminary studies should also take these options into account.

Danish Offshore Wind Project Goes Into Overdrive - Offshore WIND

Moray East Offshore Construction Ramps Up – Offshore WIND

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Cable laying vessel Living Stone has started the first inter-array cable installation campaign at the 950 MW Moray East wind farm offshore Scotland.

The wind farm will feature 100 66 kV inter-array cables and two offshore substation interconnector cables supplied by JDR Cable System.

The installation campaign will be carried out in three phases. The first campaign started on 29 September and will continue for eight weeks.

Boskalis is in charge of supplying and installing the inter-array cables for the 100-turbine project.

Export Cables

Cable laying vessel NKT Victoria is expected to lay the wind farms three export cables by 3 October. Havila Phoenix is burying the cables.

The first export cable made landfall at Inverboyndie in late August.

Cable burial and trenching work is ongoing, with the trenching expected to continue until early November.

This will be followed by a separate campaign to install remedial protection over the cables on any remaining unburied or unprotected sections.

NKT is in charge of delivering and installing the wind farms export cables.

Foundations

As of 28 September, 35 out of the 100 turbine jacket foundations were installed at the site some 22 kilometres off the Aberdeenshire coast by Seajacks Scylla.

The wind farms three Offshore Transformer Modules (OTMs) have been in place since mid-September.

DEME isthe EPCI contractorfor the wind farms turbinefoundationsand three offshore substation foundations, as well as for the transport and installation of the OTMs.

Moray Eastwill feature 100 MHI Vestas 9.5 MW wind turbines scheduled for full commissioning in 2022.

Moray Offshore Windfarm East Ltd (MOWEL), the developer of the project, is a joint venture company owned by Diamond Green Limited (33.4%), Ocean Winds (56.6%) and CTG (10%).

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Moray East Offshore Construction Ramps Up - Offshore WIND

British plans to ‘offshore’ asylum seekers have a long and grubby history – The Guardian

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

The home secretary, Priti Patel, has reportedly been exploring a range of outlandish plans for sending refugees who arrive on British shores to very faraway places.

The week began with a Whitehall leak that revealed officials had been asked to consider setting up an immigration centre on Ascension Island, over 4,000 miles away in the South Atlantic. When that idea was kiboshed, further leaks identified other territories being considered for extraterritorial processing, including Moldova, Morocco and Papua New Guinea.

Britain has a long and rather grubby history of sending people to faraway territories in order to solve political problems. The principle that out of sight is out of mind first underpinned the establishment of penal colonies where hundreds of thousands of criminals and other undesirables were banished throughout the British empire.

Other European states have followed suit, the most famous example of such a place being Devils Island, in French Guiana. More recently, in 2002, the United States started using Guantnamo Bay, a US naval base on the southern tip of Cuba, as a detention centre for handling hundreds of unlawful combatants that it refused to put on trial in the US.

In the past two decades governments have toyed with this extraterritorial solution to try to look tough in the face of small numbers of desperate people arriving in Britain. In so doing, asylum seekers who share with you and me the legal right to seek refuge are being treated as criminals.

It was a Labour government in 2003 that first came up with the idea of using offshore immigration processing centres. The context was a rise in asylum applications to the UK, which had seen a 20-fold increase over 15 years. Having already considered both harsh clampdowns and amnesties for deterring asylum seekers, the then home secretary, David Blunkett, enthusiastically supported by Tony Blair, floated a number of proposals for immigration centres outside the UK.

He suggested creating regional protection zones, which would be in, or next to, areas witnessing major flows of people. These zones would offer a safe haven to those fleeing persecution but keep them within touch of their home countries.

His second proposal was to create transit centres on the fringes of the European Union, which would hold all applicants heading west and handle applications for those seeking to enter the UK. The list of proposed sites for these centres has a rather familiar ring, and included nations on the major transit routes such as Turkey, Somalia and Morocco.

Blunketts ideas received the welcome backing of a number of thinktanks, including Demos. But, not to be outdone by New Labour, the Tories followed up a few months later with their own proposals.

The then shadow home secretary, Oliver Letwin, went to the Conservative party conference in October 2003 promising that all asylum seekers arriving in Britain would be immediately deported to a far-offshore processing island. Letwin told the conference in Blackpool: We will replace the present asylum system, in its entirety, with a system of quotas for genuine refugees and the offshore processing of all claims, to deter all but genuine claims for protection from persecution.

And he made clear that under this policy all asylum seekers who reached Britain would find the door closed firmly in their faces. There will be no applications in the United Kingdom, he said.

Asylum welfare groups reacted to the plan with horror ,and there followed an instant chorus of disapproval on human rights grounds. The Refugee Council said it was unlawful, inhumane and ridiculous. Its deputy chief executive, Margaret Lally, said: The UK is committed under international law to providing a safe haven for those fleeing persecution. Others compared the policy to plans more associated with wartime emergencies

But the Tory idea turned out to be half-baked when Letwin admitted that he did not have the slightest idea where the island would be.

However, it is the immigration policy of a former British colony that has given new life to the current home secretarys offshoring designs. Asylum seekers stopped in boats in Australian waters are held in facilities on the offshore islands of Nauru and Manus Island under a policy called Operation Sovereign Borders. There is another one, on Christmas Island. The government seems to believe that if this can work for Australia, there is no reason to stop Britain doing the same.

But these notorious facilities have been a source of much controversy during their time of operation. There have been a number of riots and escapes, as well as accusations of human rights abuses from organisations including Amnesty International, the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Human Rights Watch and the United Nations.

The British governments reliance on the Australian solution to a refugee crisis risks once again dangerously muddling refugees rights with those of people convicted of criminal offences. This is a slippery constitutional slope that could cast us adrift from well-established international law. Instead of adopting humane policies for the processing of asylum seekers, the government seems keen to create legal black holes for people who have the right to a fair hearing on British soil.

Robert Verkaik is an author and journalist specialising in extremism and education

British plans to 'offshore' asylum seekers have a long and grubby history - The Guardian

Hornsea Two Offshore Construction Begins – Offshore WIND

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

The jacket foundation for the offshore substation at the Hornsea Two offshore wind project in the UK has been installed.

The installation of the 4,800-tonne jacket marks the start of the projects offshore construction.

Six weeks ago,10,000 tonnes of steel framework for the pin piles, reactor compensation and offshore substation jacketssailed from Batam, Indonesia, towards the wind farm site in the UK.

Sembcorp Marineis in charge ofthe construction of the offshore substation and RCS at its yard facilities in Singapore.

Were delighted to announce that weve now officially commenced our offshore construction for Hornsea Two with the installation of our offshore substation and reactor compensation jackets, said Patrick Harnett, rsted Senior Programme Director for Hornsea Two.

Through a remarkable feat of engineering together with our partners, weve overcome COVID challenges and are on track for fabricating the worlds largest AC offshore substation, which will be supported by this gigantic steel structure.

Hornsea Twowill comprise165 Siemens Gamesa 8 MW turbines located some 89km north-east of Grimsby. The 1.4 GW project is scheduled to be commissioned in 2022.

Qtum Founder Patrick Dai Confirms that Blockchain Platforms Developers are Working to Increase Network Speed for DeFi Apps – Crowdfund Insider

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

The developers of Qtum (QTUM), a platform for creating decentralized applications that aims to leverage certain technical aspects related to the security of the Bitcoin (BTC) network while providing smart contract functionality (somewhat similar to Ethereum), have confirmed that the month of September 2020 continued with their Stake-A-Thon program and the Qtum decentralized finance (DeFi) Grant Program.

As covered, Qtum has set aside $5 million to support the development of DeFi apps launched on the Qtum blockchain network. The blockchain developers claim that theyve received several applications already.

They explain in a blog post that Qtum users can create apps on a network offering a high (transactions per second) TPS rate. The Qtum blockchain also has relatively low transaction fees.

Additionally, Qtum provides greater scalability by allowing users to change the parameters of the network without requiring a hard fork (or backwards incompatible upgrade).

The Qtum team further noted that their Offline Staking mainnet Stake-A-Thon had been launched in late August 2020. The Qtum developers claim that the offline staking protocol allows users to have full control of their assets at all times while still having the capability of earning block rewards.

As noted by the Qtum team, users will no longer have to operate a full node to stake their Qtum. They explained that the Stake-A-Thon has 3 ways that people can enter or participate to win. These options include address delegation, super staker, and pool delegation. (Note: for more details on these options, check here.)

As confirmed by the Qtum team, Staked.us has announced support for Qtum Offline Staking and has minted many blocks (of transactions) already. At present, Everstake is leading the Stake Race with more than 1 million QTUM tokens delegated to their Super Staker.

As noted in Qtums September 2020 report, Crypto.com has listed the QTUM token. Its now possible to deposit and withdraw these tokens from the Crypto.com exchange.

Qtums co-founder, Patrick Dai, has also confirmed that the platforms developers are working on a network upgrade in order to increase the speed of block times to cater specifically to Qtums DeFi market.

The Qtum developers further noted:

BitPie, one of [the] largest [Chinese] multi-currency wallets [thats supported with investments from] Chinas Merchant Bank, has added support for all Qtum QRC20 tokens. Bitpies support is warmly welcomed and couldnt have come at a better time for our Chinese community. We expect a nice uptick in the number of QRC20s generated with new DeFi projects on horizon.

(Note: for more details on these updates and other information related to Qtum, check here.)

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Qtum Founder Patrick Dai Confirms that Blockchain Platforms Developers are Working to Increase Network Speed for DeFi Apps - Crowdfund Insider

Blockchain Promised Democratization Of Finance Collaborating With Microfinance Can Make This A Reality – Forbes

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

By collaborating and working with microfinance organizations, blockchain applications can truly deliver on the promise of democratizing access to financial resources.

2015 Bloomberg Finance LP

Before diving into how blockchain is connected, and can improve, applications such as microfinance, it is important to make sure that the terminology is defined. Even though these ideas have been in existence, have been discussed, and been implemented by organizations across the world, there is still some ambiguity as to what these concepts actually mean.

Microfinancing arrangements can take several different forms, but it is generally designed and implemented to democratize access to financial resources. The specific amount of financing that is provided will, of course, vary depending on the projects being considered and geographic region, but the idea is the same. Providing this financing is not usually done by incumbent financial institutions since these loans are generally speaking not profitable for incumbents, or the individuals/organizations seeking this credit might not qualify for traditional loans.

If that seems a lot like the idea behind blockchain and crypto, that is because the core idea of democratizing access to financial information is common to both ideas.

Even more encouraging is the quantitative evidence, documented by the World Bank and other institutions, that microfinance if implemented correctly does in fact generate economic wealth creation for those participants involved.

Despite this success, however, there are pain points that continue to hinder microfinance initiatives, and prevent the true potential of this concept from being realized. These include, but are not limited to, the high operating costs (compensated through the high rates charged to recipients), slow transaction resolution, lack of transparency and standardization, and the potential for corruption. No single technology tool can address these issues, but blockchain-based applications can certainly help.

Blockchain, with transparency and data integrity lying at the core of the system, is uniquely well positioned to make such arrangements more accessible to wider groups of individuals and organizations. Lets take a look at how a blockchain-based microlending platform can improve and increase accessibility to microfinancing options.

Increased trust and transparency. A core issue whenever there is external financing of ownership concerned is how these various ownership interests are recorded, maintained, and communicated to the marketplace; microfinance is no exception. Especially since many of the recipients of these microloans do not, for any number of reasons, have access to incumbent financial services, establishing and maintaining integrity over this financial information is critical.

An additional benefit of this increased trust and transparency is that, as awareness and access to blockchain-augmented microfinancing increase, the interest rates charged to borrowers should be able to be lowered. This not only reduces the burden on borrowers, enabling more focus on the projects versus making interest payments, but will also help improve the reputation of the industry as a whole.

Digital first identity. To an individual with a U.S.-focused perspective or world view, this might come as a surprise, but the so-called emerging markets have, at least some extent, leapfrogged the U.S. and Western Europe in terms of digital-first payments and identities. This is not to say that every single non-U.S. market is the same, but this bias toward digital payment creates an interesting opportunity as it connects to microfinancing. Put simply, a digital-only or digital-first financing model might actually be better suited to emerging or developing markets than might otherwise be suspected.

In order to succeed in this creation of a digital-first identity, however, the security over this identity must be as strong as possible. Particularly since the rules and regulations toward consumer information and privacy can vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, a blockchain-based platform can serve an important role as a neutral third-party guarantor of identity security.

Banking the unbanked. This is something that has been said so many times that it runs the risk of becoming a clich, but one of the most prominent underlying goals of blockchain was to democratize access to financial resources and information. Whether that took the form of banking the unbanked, disrupting incumbent financial intermediaries, or some other application, this democratization is not something that can be relegated to the back burner.

Microfinance is the epitome of the attempted democratization of the financial resources and payments system. For all the good that has already been accomplished, there are issues related to costs, transparency, and the potential for bad actors that continue to serve as headwinds to wider and more comprehensive adoption.

Blockchain is not a perfect technology, and has evolved rapidly from the original bitcoin blockchain that attracted so much interested into the space. By collaborating and working with organizations and individuals in the microfinance space, blockchain applications can attain many of the original goals associated with the technology, and democratize the wealth creation process across the globe.

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Blockchain Promised Democratization Of Finance Collaborating With Microfinance Can Make This A Reality - Forbes

Celebrities flock to Las Vegas. It started with this downtown hotel. – Las Vegas Review-Journal

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Thanks to its fine dining, clubs and luxury hotels, Las Vegas has been known to attract A-list celebrities.

The citys ties to Hollywood fame date all the way back to the early 1930s.

Back then, celebrities considered the Hotel Apache a property on Fremont Street with fewer than 100 rooms the place to be, whether they were in town to gamble or get a quickie divorce.

The hotel didnt have a five-star spa or headliners like todays megaresorts, but the amenities it did offer air conditioning, electric elevators were unique for its time.

Its an important part of (Las Vegas) history, UNLV history professor Michael Green said.

Decades later, one woman is working to make sure the history of the hotel and its founder is preserved.

Vegas is on the move

Las Vegas was unrecognizable from the sprawling, urban city of lights we know today when the Hotel Apache opened its doors.

The town housed fewer than 6,000 people. Fremont Street, which had been paved just seven years earlier, had fewer buildings the Sal Sagev, now the Golden Gate, among them.

The Hotel Apache was considered one of the first luxury properties, offering guests rare features such as private bathrooms, automatic locks and tall ceilings. While it opened without a casino, gaming equipment was added shortly thereafter.

Robert Stoldal, a member of the Las Vegas Historic Preservation Commission, said it was the hotel of choice for celebrities and the wealthy, and comparable to luxury hotels in larger cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

When you walked into those rooms, you felt like you were in something special, he said. The artwork, the furniture, everything was a Western theme, but it wasnt overwhelming you. There was a lot of detail that went into not only the (overall) architecture but the architecture of each room.

The Apache Hotel gave guests a sense that big things were happening in little Las Vegas, Green said.

By God, Las Vegas is on the move, folks. That was the sense, he said. Its sort of a sign of the growth of the area and the success, or the expected success, of the community and legal gambling.

Gina Silvagni Perry, the granddaughter of the hotels founder, Pietro Ottavio P.O. Silvagni, said the hotel helped put Las Vegas on the map, and eventually became a common stomping ground for celebrities including Clark Gable and Lucille Ball.

It was the nicest place in town, Perry said. It brought a light on this town. It made it more than a red-light district and a train stop. I think (P.O.) had a huge part of making our town become the hospitality city that it is and the entertainment capital of the world.

Lost in time

Las Vegas history, and her grandfather, mean a lot to Perry. Thats why shes doing her best to make sure theyre presented accurately.

Silvagni, a native of Italy, immigrated to the U.S. in 1905. He worked in Colorado and Utah before packing up his bags to look for subcontractor work on the Boulder Dam project at age 60.

Silvagni discovered a region rife with opportunity.

Thousands of men had moved to Southern Nevada to work on the dam, a boon for the region. The state also made some major changes in 1931 that spurred growth: legalizing gambling and allowing quickie divorces to those who established a six-week residency in the state, the shortest waiting period in the country.

All those things started to bring a lot of attention and bring more people into the town. But he saw there was no place to go and have fun, Perry said. He had a vision. He wanted to build a place for people to have fun, a nice place, and he wanted it to be the nicest place on the Arrowhead Trail, the first all-weather road from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles that ran straight through Las Vegas.

There were a lot of people thinking it this was a good place to invest, but (Silvagni) was the one that did it, Stoldal added. It lived up to its reputation. When you stayed at the Apache, you were not disappointed. One Hollywood star would tell another and its reputation continued to build as a place to be in the 1930s.

Parts of the property have been leased out to various operators since it opened in 1932.

Benny Binion leased the property in 1951. Several years later, it was leased to Joe Brown a fellow gambler and friend of Binions after Binion was incarcerated for tax evasion. In 1973, the Binion name returned to the property after the Silvagni family signed a long-term lease with Jack and Ted Binion, Bennys sons.

The remaining Silvagni family doesnt operate the property but acts as landlords.

The Great Recession led to the propertys hotel closing in 2009, though the casino and other amenities remained open. The Hotel Apache reopened in 2019 after major renovations.

In spite of its long legacy in Las Vegas, its founders name is often unrecognized. UNLV gaming historian David Schwartz said the buildings location may play a role.

It wasnt on the Strip. It didnt have the notoriety, he said.

Green agreed that there have been many more notable hotels built since 1932, many of them larger, more prominent and with more mob connections, making for a juicer story.

Biases against Italian immigrants may also have played a role in the Silvagni name fading over time, he said. But Green believes Silvagni played a very important role in Las Vegas history.

He accomplished something in his time, Green said. P.O. deserves a lot of attention.

Perry is working on a book to give her grandfather just that. She said the countless hours of research shes put into the project has made her feel closer to her grandfather, who died when she was 4 years old.

Before, she had only hazy memories of her grandfather his constant cigar smoking, his love of three-piece suits and his buongiorno greetings.

I feel a very close bond with this man that I didnt get to spend that much time with, she said. I think some of the things I am are because of him the will to succeed and accomplish.

Perry hopes to release a book on her grandfather next year.

The history is getting lost. Its going away, she said. I want to preserve it.

Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @bailey_schulz on Twitter.

Derek Carr hoping to turn frustration into progess – Las Vegas Review-Journal

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

After the Raiders fell to 2-2 with a home loss against Buffalo on Sunday, Derek Carr expressed growing frustration with the mounting losses the team has suffered since he became quarterback.

The 29-year-old understands the challenge now is to find a way to turn that frustration into positive development.

Carr said a team meeting Monday started that process. Several players not only took ownership of the mistakes they were making, but outlined plans to fix them.

When you do that, at least it gives you a chance to do things the right way, Carr said. Ive been on some teams here in the past where there was none of that and it just went haywire.

The seventh-year pro credited coach Jon Gruden with setting a high standard. He said players feel they must own up to what they need to do better individually to help the team improve.

Coach does a really good job with accountability, Carr said. I think thats the word that it comes down to for everybody. Holding yourself to a certain standard. And when you dont meet that standard, just owning it. Saying Hey man I didnt meet that standard.

The words will be put to the test on Sunday when the Raiders go to Kansas City to face the defending Super Bowl champion and undefeated Chiefs.

Sticking to the routine

While there are many moving pieces in regard to the rash of positive COVID-19 cases around the league, Carr is trying to block out the possibility of games being postponed or rescheduled.

I have my weekly process, he said. Im very much into my schedule. Im going to do my process. Im going to do my weekly routine how I would normally do it. Then if things change, Ill adapt.

Youve got to make sure you stay with your process and whats helped you have success.

The Raiders had one positive case this week. as Maurice Hurst went on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Kansas City also had a positive test from a practice squad player. The Chiefs also are awaiting any potential fallout from playing a Patriots team that has had multiple positives.

Tennessees outbreak has its game against Buffalo in question for this week.

Injury report

Maliek Collins did not practice Wednesday due to a shoulder he injured in Sundays loss to the Bills. He also has an undisclosed illness.

Wide receiver Bryan Edwards remained out Wednesday with foot and ankle injuries. Veterans Rodney Hudson and Jason Witten both had rest days.

Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins was limited by an eye issue and receiver Rico Gafford returned to practice, but was limited as he recovers from a hamstring injury. Tight end Darren Waller was limited with a knee injury.

Flag on the play

The Raiders came away from Sundays loss to Buffalo lamenting several key penalties that cost them in critical portions of the game.

Las Vegas was flagged seven times for 66 yards during a week where flags were uncommonly rare.

Week 4 in the NFL saw 10.26 accepted penalties per game, the second-fewest in any week since 2010.

The only week with fewer penalties per game over that span was Week 17 of 2013 when there were 9.63 penalties per game.

Penalties are down overall this season. Through the first three weeks of the season, NFL games averaged 13.65 penalties. Thats down from 18.54 per game last season.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.

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Derek Carr hoping to turn frustration into progess - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Las Vegas police need help to identify persons of interest in MGM shooting – KTNV Las Vegas

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) On Oct. 2 at 2:38 a.m., Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department patrol officers were notified of a shooting inside of MGM Grand hotel-casino. Hotel security gave the arriving officers the handgun used in the shooting. The investigation initiated by the LVMPD Gang Detectives determined a group of people had been involved in an argument inside of the casino.

Two individuals broke away from the group and walked towards the elevators, where one of them pulled out a handgun.

Another patron of the resort noticed the armed man and attempted to disarm him. Police say as they struggled over the weapon one round was fired and the handgun was dropped.

The patron picked up the handgun and turned it over to an arriving security officer as the person who had the gun and the second male fled from the area.

The man is described as a Black male, thin build, 6-feet tall, last seen wearing a dark shirt, baseball hat, whitewashed pants, and white shoes.

Detectives are also seeking to identify a person of interest who accompanied the man. He is described as a Black male, thin build, approximately 5-feet 8-inches tall, dreadlock hair in a ponytail with colored tips, goatee and was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt and blue jeans with white shoes.

Anyone with any information about this incident is urged to contact the LVMPD Gang Crimes Section by phone at 702-828-7826.

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Shriners Open never considered allowing fans to attend – Las Vegas Review-Journal

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

His name is Bronson Burgoon, and the hope among Shriners Hospitals for Children Open officials is that he becomes the answer to a one-time trivia question.

When Tony Finau, the worlds 16th-ranked player who finished eighth at the U.S. Open, tested positive for COVID-19 under PGA protocols this week, it opened a spot for Burgoon, whose previous claim to golfing fame was hitting a wedge shot within 2 inches of the final hole to clinch the 2009 NCAA championship for Texas A&M.

Finau was the 13th player or caddie to test positive since play resumed in June after shutting down in March.

It also showed why it still isnt totally safe to allow even a small percentage of spectators to roam TPC Summerlin despite Gov. Steve Sisolak recently having eased restrictions on allowing them at Nevada sporting events.

The PGA Tour has yet to permit fans to attend tournaments. Tournament director Patrick Lindsey said through a spokesperson that the governors announcement had no impact on tournament planning but that COVID-19 would affect its bottom line.

Our expenses have decreased, but in turn, so has our revenue, Lindsey said. In previous years, we have welcomed over 70,000 fans, which would benefit the amazing work of Shriners Hospitals for Children through ticket and concession sales, corporate sponsorships and more.

Missing Alec

Las Vegas resident Kevin Na, the defending champion, said he is going to miss spectators flanking the hills around the closing holes at this years tournament, and one spectator in particular.

Na said he met Alec Cabacungan, a national Shriners spokesman who lives near Chicago, last year on the practice green, where the teenager described Na holing a long putt.

to take the lead from l-o-n-n-g range. Oooh oooh there it goes! the teenager exclaimed in a voice-over that would have done Jim Nantz proud.

Hes a great guy, and I know his dream is to become a sports announcer, Na said during a videoconference call Wednesday about writing a $50,000 check to Shriners Hospitals after winning last year. I hope his dream comes true.

Whats up Doc?

Rickie Fowler, the former wunderkind still seeking his first major championship, said he was looking forward to playing exclusive Shadow Creek in North Las Vegas next week after the CJ Cup was moved from South Korea amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Its a special place; Ive only actually played it twice, Fowler, 31, said Wednesday. One of the times I played was (with) Doc Rivers.

The former Oklahoma State phenom said hitting the links with the longtime NBA star and coach was a memorable experience.

He was awesome; hes like, Man, Im a big fan I was kind of shocked, Fowler said. It was cool to see someone who is big in another sport who is a lot taller and bigger than me complimenting me about my game and stuff like that.

19th hole

Two former UNLV stars worth keeping an eye on at TPC this weekend are Charley Hoffman (three top-10 finishes in 14 starts) and Ryan Moore (2012 champion with a record-tying 72-hole winning score of 260). Sergio Garcia, winner of last weeks Sanderson Farms Championship, missed the cut in his only prior Shriners Open start in 2003 and has never won back-to-back PGA Tour events. The recent Safeway Open at Napa, California, was delayed by fog, which wont be a problem at TPC Summerlin. Sunny skies and high temperatures of 95, 91, 90 and 84 degrees are forecast Thursday through Sunday, though it could get breezy for the final two rounds.

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.

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Aces cant weather Storm, swept in WNBA Finals – Las Vegas Review-Journal

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Seattle Storm star Breanna Stewart went to the bench with three fouls early in the second quarter of Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Tuesday.

It was the opportunity the Aces had been looking for the entire series, but they couldnt take advantage.

The Storm outscored the Aces 16-9 the rest of the quarter with Stewart watching. She returned in the third quarter and finished with 26 points to lead Seattle to a 92-59 victory and a three-game sweep of the Aces at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

Stewart won her second finals MVP award for the Storm, who claimed their second championship in three years. They have won a record 11 straight finals games and joined Houston and Minnesota as the only franchises with four titles.

Jewell Loyd added 19 points for the Storm. Sue Bird, who has been with Seattle for all four titles dating to 2004, had seven assists and finished with 33 for the series.

The Storms average margin of victory in the three games was almost 20 points.

I just want to say congratulations to Seattle, Aces guard Kayla McBride said. Theyre a great team. They have a lot of experience winning together. Stewart was on a mission, and Sue was Sue.

Stewart, also the finals MVP in 2018, has scored 20 or more points in a record six straight finals games. She averaged 28.3 points and 7.7 rebounds against Las Vegas and shot 62.7 percent from the field, including 65 percent (13 of 20) from 3-point range.

Aces star Aja Wilson scored 14 of her 18 points in the first quarter and added six rebounds and four assists. She was the only Aces player to reach double-figure scoring until the fourth quarter, when Jackie Young joined her with 11. Carolyn Swords had 10 rebounds.

Angel McCoughtry, the Aces second-leading scorer, finished with seven points. She was making her fourth finals appearance but is 0-12 in those games.

Here are three takeaways from the loss:

1. Turnovers doom Aces

One reason Stewarts absence in the second quarter didnt hurt the Storm was a rash of Las Vegas turnovers.

The Aces had five in the final 2:31 of the first half and six during the 7:13 that Stewart was on the bench in the quarter.

That was basically the end point of the game, Aces coach Bill Laimbeer said. We didnt take advantage of our opportunity. Like Angel said in one of the huddles, it just sucks the life out of you when you keep turning the ball over.

The Aces, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, finished with 18 turnovers, their second straight game with at least 15.

2. Closing out quarters

Wilson has talked all season about the importance of closing out quarters.

The Aces had leads of 7-0, 11-2 and 13-4, but the Storm went on an 11-2 run in the final 3:58 of the first quarter, then scored the first four points of the second.

That was a huge deal, Wilson said. That can switch up a game.We knew we were going to have to close out quarters, but its not easy to do.

The Storm, the No. 2 seed, put the game away by outscoring the Aces 32-14 in the third quarter for a 75-48 lead.

3. Let the confetti hit you

The Aces roster was full of players making their first finals experience, and they vowed to learn from it and come back stronger.

The biggest thing I learned from this is sometimes you have to let the confetti hit you, Wilson said. Ive been in a lot of situations where the confetti fell on me, and it was in my favor. The confetti hit me, and Im like, OK, thats not for us. Were going to try it again. Sometimes you have to feel that to know its not easy.

Contact Jason Orts at jorts@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2936. Follow @SportsWithOrts on Twitter.

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Toys for Tickets offers alternative to paying parking tickets – Las Vegas Review-Journal

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

The city of Las Vegas will allow people to pay for some parking tickets by donating childrens toys ahead of the holiday season.

The Toys for Tickets program will cover non-public safety parking tickets issued between Oct. 15 and Nov. 15, the city said in a statement Wednesday morning. Tickets may be resolved by donating a new, unwrapped toy of equal or greater value than the fine through Dec. 15.

Drivers must bring the parking ticket and a receipt for the toy to the Parking Services Office, 350 S. City Parkway, within 30 days of the ticket date. Office hours are 7:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Parking tickets for public safety and handicap-related violations such as parking on a red curb, double parking and blocking traffic are excluded from the program.

The toys will benefit the nonprofit HELP of Southern Nevada.

Contact Jannelle Calderon at jcalderon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @NewsyJan on Twitter.

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Toys for Tickets offers alternative to paying parking tickets - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Lonely Planet’s new Ultimate Travel List reveals the world’s unmissable travel experiences – Lonely Planet Travel News

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Increasingly, more of us are making wish lists ofdestinations we're determined to see once it's safe to spread our wings again. So to help with our bucket-list plans, Lonely Planet has ranked the world's top 500 unmissable travel experiences and put them all together in one handy book: Ultimate Travel List.

Ultimate Travel List is the second edition of Lonely Planet'sbestselling coffee table book. Designed to be a companion to your armchair travels or the tool to refuel your wanderlust, it features more than 200 new destinations in a picture-perfect wish-list of 500 places, each ranked in order of brilliance.

The list contains "a mix of knock-out new openings, sights that have upped their game, or places more relevant to the way we travel now," says Lonely Planet. And as the pandemic changes our travel priorities, the company has changed how it calculated the list. For this edition, we awarded extra points to destinations and attractions that are managing tourism sustainably, says Lonely Planets VP of Publishing, Piers Pickard.

Outdoor adventures and classic backpacking experiences feature heavily in the book, but overall the list is a mix of thrilling, memorable and interesting travel experiences, with something for every travelerin every corner of the globe.

The longlist was compiled by highlights found through Lonely Planet's expansive archive of guidebooks, before being carefully whittled down to a shortlist. Everyone in the Lonely Planet travel community was asked to vote on their top 20 experience to create a well-rounded mix of adventures. Weve all got a list of places that we want to see for ourselves: places friends have enthused about, places weve read about, dreamed about. This is our list, says Lonely Planet'sChris Zeiher.

"After seven months of staying at home, now's the perfect time to start thinking about where and how to travel once normality returns, Pickard adds. "In putting together this book, we were excited by changes in both the where and the how."

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4 Travelers on Life Around the World: Women Who Travel Podcast – Cond Nast Traveler

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

You can listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify each week. Follow this link if you're listening on Apple News.

Seven months into the pandemic, we wanted to take a look at what lifeand travel, for that matterlooks like for those living abroad. In our latest episode, we catch up with four women based in very different cities to find out. Lale chats with travel writer Julia Buckley about her decision to ride out the pandemic in Venice, and Meredith compares notes with illustrator Lindsay Arakawa about cycling in New York versus Tokyo. Meanwhile, associate editor Megan Spurrell talks to content creator Lee Litumbe about life returning to normal in Dakar, and director of strategic projects Lauren DeCarlo speaks with travel writer Imani Bashir about juggling work and parenting in her temporary home of Cancun.

Thanks to Julia, Lindsay, Lee, and Imani for sharing their stories and thanks, as always, to Brett Fuchs for engineering and mixing this episode. As a reminder, you can listen to new episodes of Women Who Travel on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, every Wednesday morning.

Meredith Carey: Hi, everyone. You're listening to Women Who Travel, a podcast from Cond Nast Traveler. I'm Meredith Carey and with me as always is my co-host, Lale Arikoglu.

Lale Arikoglu: Hello.

MC: This week we're doing something a little different. As travel editors, we move around a lot, but this year has been different and we've relied on the women we admire around the world to give us a glimpse of what's going on where they live.

LA: In this episode, we called up a few of those women, based everywhere from Cancun to Tokyo, to get a glimpse of what their life and travels look like right now. We talk about missing being on the road, finally having the time to explore where we live, and much, much more.

MC: First, Lale caught up with travel writer, Julia Buckley, who we spoke to in an episode at the very onset of the pandemic, who recently relocated to one of the most visited cities in the world, Venice. I'll let Lale take it away.

LA: Hi Julia. Thanks for joining us.

Julia Buckley: Hi, thank you for having me.

LA: So the last time that you came on the podcast was pretty early on in the pandemic and you had gone through somewhat of a travel odyssey to get back to the U.K. from Uruguay. Talk me through how you were feeling when we last spoke, now that you've had a little bit of time to look back on it.

JB: Oh, well, I don't even know where to start with that. I think I was in a very weird state of mind without really realizing it. I hadn't quite realized what the next few months were going to be like, even at that stage. I was still kind of looking back at my trip and thinking how amazing it was and looking at the headlines of what was going on in Italy and how terrible it was there. We'd just gone into lockdown in the U.K., I think, and it hadn't quite exploded here and I still hadn't realized what was about to happen.

So now I feel exhausted by the last few months, but I also feel like I'm coming out the other side now. I feel like it's easier for me to see or to start guessing what travel is going to be like. I've just this week gone on my first trip since March and it's been really weird adjusting to it. So I've started to kind of look to the future now, instead of... I spent the last few months being absolutely terrified, but I'm coming out the other side.

LA: So when you talk about taking this first trip, you're not actually in the U.K. right now, right? You went to Italy once the borders opened up and you've been there ever since, correct?

JB: Yeah. So one of my realizations during lockdown, and I think it was one of the things that made me realizeit was bursting into tears on your podcast last time that I was on hereis just how much Italy has meant to me. It's my life and my beloved, basically, since I was a student, since I did Italian at university. Until now, [I was] going over there and traveling there all the time, like every month I would be there, has been enough and I would always be really sad going home, but then being separated from it for five months, I felt so heartbroken.

It was like I was in a long-distance relationship and we'd been separated and it was awful. So yeah, as soon as the borders opened, I realized I needed to be there back in June. So as soon as we were allowed to fly in July, I just flew straight to Venice, rented an apartment, and last week had an offer accepted on another little mini apartment, like the cheapest apartment in Venice. And I've spent all this week trying to sort out a mortgage, which is less exciting, but very exciting for the future.

LA: Wait, so are you saying that you, in this time, have made the decision to move to Italy?

JB: Yes. I haven't really talked about it yet or told people. I felt the minute that I got there, it felt like coming home. I felt so happy to be there. It's just, I walk out just to do the grocery shopping and I do the grocery shopping in an old theater from the 19th century with all these frescoes on the walls. Just everywhere in Venice is just a dream and I've never, ever lived anywhere where it's actually pleasurable to step outside your front door and go and do a really boring errand. It's amazing. I didn't realize that you could be so happy living in a place. So yeah, I'm staying.

LA: Obviously, Venice is usually filled with tourists and it's probably the only way that you've actually known Venice. How are you getting to know the city now without those hoards of people? What does it feel like to walk around?

JB: Well, it's definitely more empty than it normally is right now, but this is the thing about Venice is that it's always been like that. If you just go one block off the main street, there's always been empty streets, empty canals, places where you could be suddenly 500 years ago because there's no cars, no people, nothing. It's just you and the buildings. So I don't want to make myself sound like I'm not a tourist, I'm a traveler, but I think people who come for a couple of days haven't experienced that before, because obviously, you're going to see the main sites and tick off the main sites.

But I think people who know better, it feels more normal for them. It's been interesting watching it change. When I arrived in the middle of July, it was completely empty and the main street going down to St. Mark's Square past the Rialto, it was just me and five other people on it. But now it's, I think, because everyone's been talking about how empty Venice is all summer, everyone who can come has come. And so now it's kind of rammed and now I'm getting totally Venetian and like, Oh, these people are so annoying, as I'm walking down the street.

LA: It's interesting because I feel like the impression I've got is that everyone in Venice, or the assumption that's being made is that everyone in Venice is like, We're so traumatized by the levels of overtourism, we don't want those volumes of people coming back. Do you think that's the case or do you think that people do just want the money again?

JB: No. I think it's definitely the case because the problem with overtourism, she says getting on her Venetian high horse as a local now, the problem with overtourism in Venice is that it's not the people who were coming and staying overnight and eating in the restaurants that's the problem. It's not the tourists like us who go and stay there and go and have a break in Venice. The problem is the people that come on day trips and there are, I've forgotten the figures, but I think of the around 26 to 30 million visitors a year, I think about 16 to 20 million are day trippers. So those are the people that they don't want back. They don't spend any money. They leave their rubbish, so they're actually costing the city money. So they'd be really happy if they don't come back. But as for normal tourists, it's been really interesting talking to people because they all say, We don't hate tourists. We really love visitors.

And Venice has been based for centuries on international trade and welcoming people who don't speak our language and showing them our culture, and we want to do that again. So this image of Venetians hating tourists, I think, just I'm not sure if it was ever true, but I really don't think it's true now. I think they don't like a certain type of visitor as you wouldn't like someone that came to, I don't know, Fifth Avenue and just sat down on the sidewalk and started eating a sandwich. Nobody in New York would tolerate that. And that's what people do to them in their city. So they don't like that behavior, but that's what's been amazing for me, finding how easy it is to fit in and how welcoming everyone is. I feel like an honorary Venetian already because everyone's just so friendly and welcoming and easy and sharing their, I don't know, their city with me and it's like that for everyone if you just speak to them.

LA: I love that. And so you mentioned that you've just taken your first trip and you started to dip your toes into traveling around Italy a little bit now. Beyond the obligatory social distancing, have you noticed any changes in your behavior as a traveler? Are you moving around differently? Are you paying attention to different things or prioritizing different things?

JB: I would say I'm a lot more cautious. I'm a lot more wary. I've had to get two trains and one coach so far, so I'm not doing what I would normally do, which is, I don't know, drink something and get my laptop out. So I guess it's made me more thoughtful like that. I think if I went to a big city, which I'm not planning to do for a while, but if I did, I think I'd be a lot more cautious about where I went into. It's definitely made me appreciate it more, even tiny things like the tea bags I'm sitting next to in the hotel right now in their little pots and hotel toiletries. I didn't realize how much I'd missed them. And just the idea that someone else has made the bed for me and I don't have to wash my towels and stuff. I'm clinging to that a lot more than I ever thought I would.

LA: Looking ahead, which obviously is a very difficult thing to do right now, so tentatively looking ahead to 2021, what do you think your travel priorities are going to be and what do you hope to get out of that year?

JB: I think it all depends on whether there's a vaccine and I don't want to be a Debbie Downer about everything, and I also say this with a caveat that I am high risk. I had pneumonia and bronchitis and recurring nastiness last year, so I know that if I get this, I'll get it badly. I think I'm going to dial down my traveling a lot next year because I don't want to get it and I don't think things will have gone back to normal next year. Also, I'm in a place where I'm traveling every day now, so I can travel around Italy. It's fine. I really, really wanted to get back to Uruguay where I was right before the lockdown, and to Brazil, where I was supposed to be going afterwards, and Argentina. I'm not sure that I can see myself going to any of those places next year now because Uruguay and Argentina are being really good about not letting people in and Brazil, I just wouldn't want to go to right now.

So I think I'm going to stay closer to home, enjoy here while there aren't so many people enjoying it with me. And I think, maybe I'll wind back to a point where travel is a massive, massive treat rather than an everyday thing of, Oh God, I've got to get on this plane to go to this different continent today. Oh, it's okay, I'll only be there five days and then I can get home and see some friends and then I've got to go off to another place. I think that will be... It's kind of scary. Someone said to me, Oh, your life's changing massively. You're settling down and you're not going to be the same person anymore, and that's terrifying to think of it that way. But I think also, I do want to be really responsible and until this is under control everywhere, I don't, even if I feel safe, I don't want to be part of a movement of people hopping on a plane and traveling halfway across the world and potentially taking something to people whose healthcare system isn't as good.

So I think, I mean, personally, I think it's everyone's responsibility to think like that, but I don't want to be part of a wave of the first people going to Bali or whatever. I'd love to go back to Bali, but it's not going to be next year I don't think.

LA: Bali will be there way beyond 2021.

JB: It will and when I finally make it, it's going to be so much better because I'll have been waiting for it for so long. I'm going to put my purity ring for Bali on and we'll see when it gets taken off.

LA: Well, that feels like a very nice note to wrap things up on. If people want to follow your travels around Italy and get a peek at life in Venice, where can they find you on the internet?

JB: They can find me on Twitter at @juliathelast, but you can also follow Instagram for my Italian food business supporting farmers who were devastated by the pandemic. You can follow that on Instagram at Mangiare Bene, as I say my best English accent. So M-A-N-G-I-A-P-E-R-B-E-N-E and it means... It has lots of meanings, but it means eat for good, eat up, eat well, everything.

LA: Love it. And we will make sure to pop that in the show notes so you can find it there as well. And you can follow me along at @lalehannah.

MC: Next up, Lauren DeCarlo, Traveler's director of strategic projects and a previous guest host on the podcast, chatted with travel writer Imani Bashir, who was on vacation in Malaysia in December when the coronavirus hit Wuhan, where she was living at the time. Since then, she's been trying to find a place to call home with her husband and three-year-old son, traveling from the Czech Republic to London to the U.S. and finally settling in Cancun, Mexico, at least for the time being. She's had a whirlwind couple of months, but like the rest of us she's figured out a way to make it work.

Lauren DeCarlo: So Imani, thank you so much for taking the time to be with us today. I know as a mom, time is not something we have a lot of, so I really appreciate it. So tell me, you recently moved to Mexico. What is it like settling into a place, a new place during a pandemic?

Imani Bashir: You know what, it's interesting because I feel like this is the first time we've actually settled because we'd lived in Wuhan and we had to make that transition from like, not being able to get back into China, not being able to get our things. So in the process from like January until now, we've been in like five countries, like making our way back home, trying to figure out where we were going to go, because we've been expats for yearsmy husband since 2013 and myself since 2015. So coming here, actually it's finally like a breath of fresh air. Like I was explaining to my husband, I'm like, it's so interesting that we can finally take clothes out of our bags. We've been living in Airbnbs for months Airbnbs, hotels. And so to actually I'm like, wow, this is really like a form of self-care to actually put my underwear in the drawer.

LDC: It must be difficult though, to get like a true sense of like the vibrations of a place when everyone is not fully 100 percent living out in the open. Right?

IB: Yeah.

LDC: Unless, or they are, maybe they are there. I don't know what it's like there now.

IB: Well, here it's so interesting because it's like, coming from Asia and seeing how it is that we had to be there, and how things were so locked down and how from that side of the world, we're watching Americans and everybody's just going about their day and then jettison to now, we're like, Wow, now America is completely like still in lockdown and stuff. So Mexico, well, where we are specifically in Cancun, it's been pretty open. We still have to, like, they don't allow like little children into stores like Walmart or big supermarkets. Only over a certain age. They still have mass policies. They're still taking temperatures. Still have to hand sanitize. So there's still that luring of COVID-19 in the air. In some parking lots, they literally block out spaces so you can park every other parking space.

And so there's still the fact that some things aren't open and obviously I wasn't here, like in the midst of when it was like really heightened here. And so we kind of came when it was a little bit more open. I mean, obviously, you can't get on the beaches. You can only go like, possibly if you're staying at a resort. So there's still like stipulations. A lot of the archeological sites aren't open, the tourist sites aren't open. And so it still has that linger of this pandemic, but it does still give us a sense of normalcy. Our community is enclosed, it's gated, but it's so many expats and also Mexican families that live in here. So my son's made a ton of friends and they all speak different languages. And so it's just interesting to watch how the community has really come together and it's just a good feeling.

LDC: That's interesting because it seems like maybe the opposite of what I was saying before, like it may be difficult to get a sense of what the city is like, but maybe it's somehow easier or you get like a more authentic feel because there's not many tourists mulling about. It truly is the locals on the streets and

IB: Oh yeah, and it's fantastic. Like, I mean, literally we do go to the Walmarts. We do go to the bigger stores, but for the most part, we love getting our tostadas like right on the street corner. My husband literally just got some fajitas from a local guy who's like my husband goes there very often. So it's like, it's very communal and like you said, you get that very localized feel of a place because you're not jumping into just all of the tourist attractions and all of that stuff, which we've always been that way in all of the countries that we've lived.

We're street food eaters. We love going to get the authentic food, not necessarily the sit down restaurants, but those hole-in-the-wall-type mom and pop spots or just open grill outside. And so we do have our key spots that we get fresh juice and fresh fruit and it's good and it feels enclosed a little bit. It feels like just our little corner of the world even though obviously this is a big tourist destination, we haven't felt the brunt of what it would probably look like normally around this time of year. So it feels really good to feel like we've like been ingratiated into the neighborhood.

LDC: That's amazing. What is it like? I mean, I'm sure we could talk for hours about this, but what's it like being a mom right now having just moved to a place, surviving a pandemic. Being a working mom, how are you managing? How are you holding up?

IB: I'm doing much better. Now, time management is something that's very nonexistent to me. I don't know what that means. So we're still trying to work on that. But thankfully, I mean, my husband's been amazing. We've kind of had to flip flop; whereas before he was like the full-time worker, I was like freelance writing, and then pandemic hit. It's like, boom, he's unemployed, I'm working full time. And so he stepped up a lot as far as like being 24/7 dad and just keeping our son occupied and things of that nature. And we were able to find a daycare that's open from 9 a.m. So now we have that time, where he can go there and it's absolutely secure. They've done health checks every morning. He has to get sprayed down with his little self and his little book bag, but it's completely sanitized and they're only allowed a certain amount of kids per classroom.

And so it's good now, but before it was so hard to explain to him that certain things are closed because he's used to just going out to play or going to the pool. Like, my son loves to swim and he's only three and a half, but he can swim the length of an adult pool. And so when we first got here, the pool was closed and he just didn't understand, like, but it's right there. I can see it. What do you mean it's closed? It's right there. And so now we just kind of, we've explained to him people are sick and so we can't go to certain places because people are sick.

And so that's been the thing and so he knows now to wear his mask, he's got his Mickey mask and he's got all different other characters. And so thankfully, like I said, it's not as locked down here as it was when we first got here. And so now he can go swimming and he can do other activities to where he's not locked in the house. Because having a toddler and trying to like get work done and trying to eat and just do basic stuff like take a shower. Yeah. It can be very tough.

LDC: Are you thinking about traveling? Is that something that you're talking about doing, you've already started doing? Like, what does the fall winter look like?

IB: So for us, it's more, just anything like in this Quintana Roo area. So we've been to Playa del Carmen, I've been to Tulum. My husband and I, we went to Playa del Carmenwent to an amazing resort there for his birthday, just a couple of days because my mom actually flew in. So she was able to watch our son and so we're kind of keeping it as local as possible. I mean, although, like Playa is like maybe an hour from here and Tulum is like about two hours. So, we try to keep it like that. As far as like possibly getting on another plane before December or January, probably not. I would say the only reason that we would possibly do that is to have to go and apply for our residency visas. But other than that, I don't really foresee us making any like drastic trips anytime soon, anytime before 2021.

LDC: Imani, this feels like a good place to wrap up. But before we go, can you let everyone know where they can find you on social?

IB: Absolutely. I'm @sheisimani be everywhere, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. That's @she S-H-E Imani, I-M-A-N-I-B, sheisimanib. And you can find me on all social media platforms. Say hello, don't be afraid.

LDC: That's so great. And I'm Lauren DeCarlo. I'm @ldecarlo on Instagram. That's L-D-E-C-A-R-L-O and thank you, Imani. Thanks for joining us.

IB: Thank you so much for having me.

LA: Then we traveled to Dakar, over Zoom of course, with associate editor Megan Spurrell who chatted with Lee Litumbe, a Dakar based content creator, who is usually jet-setting all over the world and sharing her travels on Instagram. But over the last few months, she's been taking the time to explore and appreciate Senegal and take care of her new kitten, Miso, who she recently rescued.

Megan Spurrell: Hi Lee, thanks for joining us from Dakar.

Lee Litumbe: Thank you. Happy to be here.

MS: So to start, can you tell us a little bit about what the city looks and feels like these days? What is the sentiment in Senegal right now?

LL: Ooh, Senegal. I would say, so like I said, I'm in Dakar and it's a coastal city, very cosmopolitan, and the whole time throughout COVID, there was this strange element because it's such a busy city and there's so many people who live day to day. There's like markets, it's a very lively place and to kind of see it kind of get quiet and like buses no longer running, that was a little bit eerie. Nowadays, things are almost back to normal. I think that the government here has done quite a good job of managing things and so I mean, we're required to wear masks when we leave home. At one point during the height of the quarantine, there was a curfew here. But now there's a semblance of back to normalcy, but of course, hand sanitizer when walking into any establishment, masks are required, and everyone seems to be perfectly fine with wearing them here.

MS: And are you able to like go out to restaurants now and kind of really do all the normal things you usually do?

LL: Yes and no. So I want to say that only just this past weekend were the beaches officially opened up again. [But] restaurants, yes. Again, even though there isn't a huge element of that still happening here, I still like to kind of pay attention to [social] distance and all of that. But for the most part, there really is a semblance of normalcy, which sometimes feels okay but then other times it kind of feels like, hold on, you're actually too close to me. Could you take a step back? So yeah, so it's on the day-to-day, especially going back to grocery stores, it feels like normal because at the beginning it was so strange to see the long lines and like people, I mean, no one was hoarding toilet paper like it sounded like what's happening in a lot of places worldwide, but there definitely were people who were like stocking up and all of that, but now it's like you go to the grocery store, it's back to normal. Yeah.

MS: I mean, I've loved following you on Instagram for a while because it feels like, before all this, you're always on the go. You share photos of beautiful boutique hotels that you find in Tanzania or your trips to Morocco but I feel like, I mean, from everything you just said, it sounds like the past few months have been a lot more, I mean, quite different. Have you been managing to do any kind of exploring beyond or within your neighborhood or within the city?

LL: I have. So I have to say it's been, and I know there's a lot of problems around the world that are much bigger than this, but it has been quite a challenge because I genuinely love to travel. I feel like my best self when I'm traveling, and so it's been an adjustment, to say the least, to go from constantly being on the go to really having stillness. One of the main questions I got at the beginning of everything was, So how are you? What is your routine? How are you getting back into routine? I'm like, Well, my routine is travel, so I have to create a whole new one. I don't know, I have to literally cultivate a new routine, but I think that also having this stillness has also been great. There's the other side of the coin of traveling all the time is you never really have a break and you never really cultivate relationships with where you're based, and so that's been also a really positive outcome of not being able to travel, is focusing on building a life in one place, which is not as easy to do as one would think.

MS: No.

LL: Locally, I've been doing a lot more exploring in surrounding areas. So lucky for me, again, we're on a coast, and so we're also bordering on Mauritania, and so there are some places that have desert. So there are places that I have been able to go to safely, but at the beginning, there were limitations for how you could move from place to place. Now it's fine, so I'll do like a long weekend here, I took a girls trip, things like that.

But mostly, even though I'm taking trips locally, it's still not to the same extent. So if I go somewhere, I'm not exploring areas, I'm more so booking a villa and staying by the beach in a private space, so that is something that I normally wouldn't do say pre-COVID where I'm someone who really loves to get into like the culture of the place and mingle with people, and that's not really what I'm doing these days.

MS: It's an adjustment for all of us, and I just can only imagine, given the extensive travel you did before. But with these smaller trips, renting a villa and exploring the coast, have you had any experiences that have really stood out or at least been a nice glimpse of travel again during this time? Are there any trips in particular that you really enjoyed?

LL: Yes. I recently did two different trips. I did one with some girlfriends and then one with just a group of friends. And it was really nice to discover, because they were both in parts of Senegal that I hadn't been before. I went to Popenguine as well as Nianing, and both of them are still coastal, but very, very quiet. So it's not as busy as the city where I live, and it's also a lot more green. So something about Dakar that doesn't really stand out until you live here is how much there is an absence of green spaces, and particularly with COVID, you really... Of course, we have the ocean and it's always nice to go to the beach, but there's something about just being able to go to a park and read a book and just see gardens and all of that. So there isn't really a green space in Dakar, and so to go to both of Popenguine and Nianing and see how lush and green they were along the coast, it was just so nice. Also, seeing a lot of fishermen take their boats out to, just back to their day to day as well, because the thing about... I can talk a lot about how my life has shifted, but living in an area where there are so many communities that depend on day-to-day interaction with sales, again in markets, it's quite beautiful also for their benefit to see how they are able to go back to that normal. And so watching the fishermen take their pirogues, which are these massive canoes, colorful boats, out was just also very nice and cool. And yeah, again, I'm a lover of travel, so even if I'm just traveling to the grocery store after being forced to stay at home all day, it's just nice to get out of bit.

MS: How are you thinking about carving out moments like that in the months to come, where we are in this limbo where it's returning to normal, but people are unsure of when it'll be 100 percent back? How are you thinking about spending the fall?

LL: Ooh, it's an interesting question for a few different reasons for me. So on the one hand, because my platform is so influenced by travel, and my audience is primarily American, I feel a huge ethical obligation to be cautious the way I document travel, because I don't want to incite people to forget that this is a very real and serious thing. And yes, I am an American, but I'm living in a completely different country, and so the people consuming my content are mostly American, and I'm just always trying to straddle the fence of sharing hopeful and exciting content for them to be able to look forward to travel, but then also, I don't want to influence anyone to travel, particularly in the U.S. where things are particularly in limbo.

So I'm very aware of that responsibility and I'm trying to navigate that responsibly. However, from a personal standpoint, I would like to explore traveling. I don't know if internationally, or maybe even further away than where I've been traveling, and maybe around maybe October, November, and just seeing how that goes. I'm not sure again how my responsibility to be a positive reinforcement online, how is going to play into it, but it's something that I'm always thinking about and I'm always aware of.

MS: Yeah. And I'm sure it's hard when your travels are the content you create and produce and share with everyone. It must feel hard to separate that from your personal life, but is there space for you to maybe take a trip and not post about it, find a trip that feels responsible in the context of where Senegal is at right now and maybe just do it for you? Is that something you could see yourself doing?

LL: Oh, that's something I'm dying to do. My happy place is Tanzania. Like I always love to, there's just something about being in Zanzibar that makes me feel at ease, makes me feel inspired, and I would go there with no camera, with no anything, just to be able to feel like I'm being refreshed and rejuvenated because this year has been a lot. And again, trying to do that in a way that also doesn't put myself in harm's way as well as other people in harm's way. So it's a strange thing, but I definitely am eager to get back into the skies and into exploring and documenting the beauty of the world.

MS: Well, Lee, I think that's a pretty good note to end on. Where can people find you online?

LL: Thank you. You can find me @spiritedpursuit across all platforms.

MS: And I'm @spurrelly on Instagram. Thanks so much.

LL: Thank you so much.

LA: And finally, Meredith caught up with Honolulu-born, Tokyo-based creative Lindsey Arakawa whose psychedelic Instagram illustrations have brought us plenty of joy these last few months. She's been using the travel pause to explore the capital city and perfect her Japanese, and like many of us, she's now grappling with holiday travel and what family visits will look like this year. I'll pass it over to Meredith to kick things off.

MC: I would love for you to just give us a snapshot of what your life looks like on a day-to-day basis right now. What are you doing in your free time?

Lindsay Arakawa: Yeah. So I feel like my day-to-day recently has been a little bit different than what it looked like in the beginning half of the year, just because I had so much free time in the beginning half of the year that I wanted to do something with it because I'm a freelancer. So I signed up for these intensive language courses, which are in Japanese obviously, because I'm in Tokyo, but it's every weekday from 9 to 12, so it's three hours a day, five days a week, I'm in this intensive language course. And then afterwards, if I'm feeling lazy, I'll just lay around, watch TikTok for the rest of the day. Or if I want to be productive, I'll get on my bike and ride to somewhere nearby to run an errand or something, but pretty simple looking life right now I think.

MC: What pushed you to enroll in the Japanese courses?

Lindsay Arakawa: Yeah, so there's a couple different reasons I think. When I initially moved to Japan, that was my big goal that I wanted to achieve. I had taken Japanese language courses throughout my life, but it's a lot different when you're living in it, and you're now in a classroom setting, and you have to learn how to gossip in a different language and talk about, I don't know, there being a bug in your food, not that there are bugs in my food or anything like that, but just things like that that you wouldn't ever think of before.

And so, I wanted that too, it was a major goal of mine when I first moved here, but then this is like, I'm coming up on my second year of being in Tokyo and the longer I'm here, I thought... In the beginning, I thought I could get away with speaking more English, but that really isn't the case here, I'm finding, at least through my experience, especially because if I'm wanting to work with like local clients or go on interviews, Japanese is a necessary must, or it's a required skill. So that's what pushed me.

MC: Makes sense.

Lindsay Arakawa: Yeah.

MC: The other thing, you mentioned your bike. Having a bike has given me, and I've talked about this on the podcast before, but having a bike has given me so much freedom this year because I have not had one before, and being able to move about the city on my own has been a real blessing, especially when I'm not taking public transportation and everything else. What has that been like for you?

Lindsay Arakawa: Did you buy a bike because of the pandemic?

MC: I had my bike from high school shipped from my parents' house.

Lindsay Arakawa: Nice.

MC: Simply because I can only get so far on my own two feet.

Lindsay Arakawa: Yeah, for sure. Having a bike in Tokyo has been a major game changer for me just because I relied so heavily on the trains in Tokyo to get me from point A to point B because they're so convenient, in the previous year that I lived here, but Tokyo is a really easy city to bike through, especially with the type of bike that I bought secondhand. It is called a mamachari, which is the type of bike that all the moms ride around with their kid in the front and the kid on the back.

I don't have any kids, but I mainly got it because it has an electronic battery that you attach to it, so it makes going up hills very effortless. And so it's been really great. I just installed a basket on the front and the basket on the back so I can carry a bunch of things if I decide to go grocery shopping or something like that. But yeah, it's been great. I love it.

MC: I think I need to get baskets. That's my downfall right now, is that my backpack is not quite big enough to fit the things that I need it to. So I've been following you on Instagram for a while now, and it's been really nice while I've been staying in my home through everything that's been going on in the U.S., for me to be watching your stories while you're exploring Japan. How have you been traveling around and what has it been like for you to explore when there aren't the international tourists that would usually be there as well?

Lindsay Arakawa: So I only started to venture out recently. In the beginning half of the year, I don't think I left my house at all, and I'm sure everyone can relate to how stir-crazy you go, but that's just what we have to deal with at the moment. But Japan, as a country itself, has kind of started to loosen up on a lot of the restrictions, and they even put into place something called a go-to travel campaign, which encouraged locals to go to different parts of Japan to help revitalize the economy in different cities. So they would pay, I think, for a percentage of all of your travel fees, which was really nice. In the beginning, it didn't really apply to Tokyo because we have the highest case numbers. But I think in October, so now, maybe the last time I checked, it applies to people who are currently based in Tokyo. But it's been interesting because it is nice that there aren't a lot of tourists everywhere.

Where I live in Tokyo is very close to Shibuya, it's maybe a 15 minute walk for me, or 10 minutes, and so not having the crowds around has been really nice. Just because Shibuya Crossing or Shibuya Scramble can get so dense, I guess, or it's normally very dense. And so seeing the city a little bit more cleared up has been really nice to kind of just see from my bike and ride around and stuff. Recently my partner and I went down to Kyoto just as we want to see it when it's not super-duper packed with tourists because it's a major travel spot, I think whenever anybody comes to visit. And we also rented bikes when we were down there, so we kind of avoided all public transportation and that was really nice to kind of just see the city when there weren't tourists every which way you look.

MC: What did you guys prioritize seeing when you were in Kyoto? What was on your must see list? Must eat list, probably.

Lindsay Arakawa: It's a little strange, or it felt very weird and it was something that we talked about like a couple of days into our trip there, where we were like, Oh, vacations are meant to feel very like relaxed, but I kind of feel on edge the entire time. Because we weren't going to restaurants that we would have normally have gone to, if there wasn't a global pandemic, because we always tried to eat somewhere that we could sit right by the door that was open or a window that was open or somewhere that was outside. So we couldn't go to a lot of the bars or the restaurants that we had on our list, which is fine. I think it's kind of just nice in itself that we get to kind of like go outside of Tokyo still.

But initially we had planned to go see all the major tourist spots, like Kinkaku-ji, which is the golden temple, or Fushimi Inari temple, which it has all of these red gates that lined up. Just the super hot tourist spots. But we went on a four or five day weekend and I think everybody else in Japan had the same plan as us. And so it ended up being a little bit more crowded than we expected. So we ended up avoiding the super touristy areas. And luckily enough, there was a photo festival that got pushed back from the springtime called Kyotographie to the weekend that we were there. And so we just rode our bikes from the different locations to kind of see the different art installations, which is really nice, and we got lucky.

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4 Travelers on Life Around the World: Women Who Travel Podcast - Cond Nast Traveler

President Trump positive is a red alert for World Travel and Tourism – eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

President Donald Trump and his wife Melanie Trump are both positive for Coronavirus. President Trump may have been positive at the debate with the Democratic Presidential Candidate Vice President Joe Biden Luckily Vice president Biden was tested negative twice, and so was US Vice President Pence.

What is National Security Implementation? This is a true Red Alert considering the people a president meets.

Open Florida for business, specifically tourism business. Making masks not required and reopening US travel destinations. This was all election talk and overnight may move to a different dimension.

We all know the tweets, we all know the background.

US President Trump getstested for COVID-19 constantly. Anyone who wants to talk to him gets tested. Itwas the reasoning the president didnt think he needed to be worried.

This all changed today. The United States failed in keeping the most protected person safe. COVID 19 has no boundaries that can be set by men.

Breaking news is President Donald Trump and the First Lady are COVID-19 positive and so is a growing list of people close to the president and the White House.

This is shocking not only for the US government and the American People but an eye-opener to political leaders in the United States and anywhere in the world. It may give a second thought when focusing on restarting an economy. Will it go so far to put health over financial gain, most likely not.

It will be seen if also the Florida Governor Ron DeSantis may get up and make wearing a mask is the law in Florida. It didnt happen yet.

Will this situation delay the reopening of Hawaii Tourism again? It doesnt look like it will.

Just days ago President Trump claimed were at the end of the epidemic and now he, his wife, staff, and others connected him are diagnosed with Coronavirus.

This is bad news for tourism, or perhaps good news for the travel and tourism industry encouraging leaders to put health over economics.

Juergen Steinmetz is the founder of rebuilding.travel , a free global discussion with tourism leaders in 120 countries. More details on http://www.rebuilding.travel

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President Trump positive is a red alert for World Travel and Tourism - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News

After six months, Germany eases world travel restrictions – The Tribune India

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Berlin, October 1

Germany lifted its blanket warning against travelling to all countries outside the European Union (EU) early on Thursday, although little is likely to change for most travellers under the new regulation.

The cautious reopening, agreed by the German cabinet three weeks ago, comes as Europe faces an uptick in Covid-19 cases, with many warning the continent is on the cusp of a second wave of the Covid pandemic.

Germany imposed a global travel warning in March, when the virus was raging in northern Italy, but lifted it for most European countries in June. In September, Berlin began reissuing warnings for regions within Europe when infections rose above the level of 50 cases per 1,00,000 people over a week.

In future, the same standard will be applied to the rest of the world. This means that provided the prevalence of the virus is below that threshold, travellers will be able to return to Germany without going into quarantine pending a negative test.

At present, entry and exit without restrictions will only be possible in parts of Europe and Georgia.

But with more warnings being lifted in the near future, the change could prove significant for non-European tourist destinations that have traditionally received large numbers of visitors from the EU's most populous country. Reuters

Italy to extend stateof emergency till January

Rome: Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Thursday he would ask Parliament to extend the country's Covid-19 state of emergency to the end of January, as the government tries to avoid the surge in cases seen in other European countries. The state of emergency, due to expire in mid-October, gives greater powers to the Central government, making it easier for officials to bypass the bureaucracy that smothers much decision-making in Italy. "We will propose toPparliament to extend the state of emergency, probably to the end of January 2021," said Conte. Reuters

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After six months, Germany eases world travel restrictions - The Tribune India

The world’s 10 coolest neighborhoods, according to Time Out – CNN

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

London (CNN) This year we've all been spending more time than expected in our own neighborhoods.

While lockdown and safety measures have hit our city centers hard, in many places local communities have been thriving.

Proclaiming that "It's cool to be kind," the magazine's focus this year is on places where neighborliness is king, and communities and businesses have pulled together and prospered during this toughest of years.

Here are the top 10.

10. Marrickville, Sydney

Marrickville doesn't hold the monopoly on Australian cool, though: There's another Aussie entry later in the top 10.

9. Haut-Marais, Paris

Not to be confused with Marais proper -- delightful, of course, but rather touristy, darling -- Haut-Marais is the northern, bleeding edge of this historic district.

8. Dennistoun, Glasgow

The highest point of Alexandra Park offers views north to Ben Lomond mountain.

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In the East End of city, bordering the Necropolis -- Glasgow's Victorian-built "City of the Dead" -- the historically working-class neighborhood of Dennistoun has seen its young student population grow in recent years.

"Yet the tide of redevelopment is coming in slow," says Time Out, "and its charming blonde and red sandstone tenements remain affordable to most."

Editors single out the Zero Waste Market, "a refill grocery shop that prepped handy boxes of food essentials during lockdown," and Alexandra Park's Food Forest: "where locals of all backgrounds meet to plant and grow."

7. Shaanxi Bei Lu/Kangding Lu, Shanghai

Once part of the Shanghai International Settlement -- a Western enclave until 1941 -- this formerly sleepy neighborhood is "quickly morphing into a buzzing destination of new cafs, bars and restaurants," says Time Out.

6. Wedding, Berlin

No, don't have bridal gowns on the brain. Wedding is a neighborhood in the northwest section of Germany's capital.

Though the city is known as a place for 24-hour partying, Wedding's side streets are quiet enough to guarantee you'll get a good night's sleep once you're done hitting the beer halls.

By day, you can enjoy the great outdoors at Pltzensee lake and woodsy Volkspark Rehberge.

5. Yarraville, Melbourne

Yarraville: "The cross-section of food, drink and things to do here is pretty remarkable," says Time Out.

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Two lockdowns may have put Melbourne's culture scene into hibernation, but, says Time Out, "Melbourne's community spirit has never been stronger, and the neighborhood that best embodies that is the westside suburb of Yarraville."

Skater Belle Hadiwidjaja has been roller-skating through the neighborhood in an array of costumes to keep families entertained on their daily strolls, while local Lee Smith-Moir cheered up residents by adding "happy signs" on the area's walking tracks.

4. Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York

This Brooklyn neighborhood of Victorian brownstones this year became, according to Time Out, "New York's greatest incubator of the future."

During the Black Lives Matter protests, it served as a main hub, and as the city was gripped by the Covid-19 pandemic, "it gave birth to mutual aid networks like Bed-Stuy Strong to protect its most vulnerable members."

3. Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong

Sham Shui Po is one of Hong Kong's oldest working-class neighborhoods. Its rustic vibe is attracting creative souls, from street artists to coffee artisans.

CNN Travel called it back in 2018, when it described this working-class neighborhood, whose rustic vibe had been attracting creative souls from street artists to coffee artisans, as "Hong Kong's new cultural capital."

2. Downtown, Los Angeles

"This became the most painful year in L.A.'s recent history," says Time Out, "and in a city with no single, central gathering place, Downtown became its supportive soul."

It was in this resurgent city center that shocked residents gathered to mourn after the death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant.

And it was here that Angelenos came to make their voices heard after the death of George Floyd. "It wasn't without strife," says Time Out, "but there was a palpable pivot toward unity the day that thousands streamed through Downtown's streets."

1. Esquerra de l'Eixample, Barcelona

Catlan enginer Ildefons Cerd was a pioneer of urban planning.

Shutterstock

Eixample is Catalan for "expansion" and this sprawling neighborhood, on a strict grid pattern, falls into two distinct sections: The luxurious and touristy Dreta de l'Eixample, and the more down-to-earth, residential area, Esquerra de l'Eixample.

"During Barcelona's strict lockdown," says Time Out, the courtyards of Esquerra's apartment blocks "became focal points for the city's energy -- as in the pop-up Hidrogel Sessions, in which residents dressed up in costumes and organised mass dance parties from their balconies."

Time Out's full list of 40 coolest neighborhoods

1. Esquerra de l'Eixample, Barcelona

2. Downtown, Los Angeles

3. Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong

4. Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York

5. Yarraville, Melbourne

6. Wedding, Berlin

7. Shaanxi Bei Lu/Kangding Lu, Shanghai

8. Dennistoun, Glasgow

9. Haut-Marais, Paris

10. Marrickville, Sydney

11. Verdun, Montreal

12. Kalamaja, Tallinn

13. Hannam-dong, Seoul

14. Bonfim, Porto

15. Ghosttown, Oakland

16. Chula-Samyan, Bangkok

17. Alvalade, Lisbon

18. Noord, Amsterdam

19. Centro, So Paulo

20. Holeovice, Prague

21. Lavapis, Madrid

22. Opebi, Lagos

23. Narvarte, Mexico City

24. Uptown, Chicago

25. Little Five Points, Atlanta

26. Wynwood, Miami

27. Phibsboro, Dublin

28. Nrrebro, Copenhagen

29. Bugis, Singapore

30. Gongguan, Taipei

31. Soho, London

32. Binh Tanh, Ho Chi Minh City

33. Melville, Johannesburg

34. Kabutocho, Tokyo

35. Porta Venezia, Milan

36. Taman Paramount, Kuala Lumpur

37. Allston, Boston

38. Bandra West, Mumbai

39. Arnavutky, Istanbul

40. Banjar Nagi, Ubud

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The world's 10 coolest neighborhoods, according to Time Out - CNN

Travel agents wait for the world to reopen from COVID shutdowns; heres how theyre staying afloat with trave – MassLive.com

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

NORTHAMPTON The DRI-Voyage, as travel agent Martha S. Borawski describes it, is the travel option for people who normally like a cruise but are not getting on a plane much less a cruise ship anytime in the foreseeable future due to the risk of coronavirus.

Its a three-night hotel stay package you can drive to in your own car and Ive got great deals lined up with hotels and resorts in the northeast, says Borawski, president of Pioneer Valley Travel in Northampton, of the mini-vacation concept she originated in the midst of the pandemic.

Shes been working at the family-owned business for 50 years.

The DRI-Voyage is one option for travelers concerned about venturing out amid the pandemic, focused on destinations within two- to three-hour drives from Western Massachusetts. So, too, are deals shes worked out with RV rental companies for driving tours in the United States and, once travel restrictions are lifted, in Europe.

I have a great rate for a river cruise on the Columbia and Snake rivers for May of 2021. We are encouraging people to travel to Alaska in 2021 which I truly believe will be a hot destination and there are so many wonderful deals out there, Borawski adds.

She says shes also talking with groups about trips to Portugal and customers are inquiring about Alaska, saying they want something exotic without leaving the United States.

Borawski adds that customers keep telling her they have postponed, not canceled their trips into 2021. I think it is going to come back gangbusters, she predicts of the travel business.

But is anyone taking the deals?

The trade group the U.S. Travel Association said recently that travel spending is running about 45% below last years numbers. And the airline industry is pressing Congress hard for another bailout to avoid layoffs.

Whats going on with the industry is not very good, Borawski acknowledges.

Shes traveled herself in recent weeks, taking one of those three-day dry-cruises to an inn in Vermont, where it was a relief to check out a bustling little village and see some new scenery for change.

People want to get away, she says, but they want to do it safely. Showing people that proper precautions are being taken will build confidence.

There are lots of things changing in the travel industry, including at Borawskis business.

In response, shes now partnered with two other travel industry veterans. Barbara Burati, whose father started Carroll Travel in Springfield many years ago before selling it, has brought her agency, Burati Travel, with offices in Avon, Connecticut, and East Longmeadow, into the fold.

Debbie Wilcox, of Cruise and Travel, in Turners Falls, who has been in the travel business for more than 36 years, is also part of the partnership.

The arrangement allows the three travel agencies to combine back-office operations like computer systems, while also allowing all three businesses to keep their individual identities, Borawski explains.

Hopefully this will be a really good fit, Borawski says. We all feel the same way about travel and a passion for travel.

As time passes, she adds, if any of the partners decide to retire, then they can transfer clients to the other partners.

COVID-19 and its disruptions have also pointed out the utility in having a travel agent, Borawski adds. People who booked online either directly or through third-party websites had trouble getting refunds this spring when coronavirus restrictions canceled trips. Some of those would-be travelers came to the travel agents in search of help.

(When you book online), there is nobody you can talk to, Borawski says. Were here. Were local.

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