nullINnullUND
A
T
CHES
Pnull
null
null
nullnullnullnullnullnull
null
nullnull
null
null
DISnull
null
Risky Business
French hostages rescued by commandos may
soon be faced with the true cost of their free-
dom. France’s government recently announced
it no longer wants to pay for expensive rescue
operations that can total millions of euros.
Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has intro-
duced a bill that would enable the government
to take legal action against evacuees, demand-
ing reimbursements from thrill-seekers who
ignore official travel warnings. Journalists are
exempt, but aid workers and tourists could be
asked to repay some of their rescue costs. The
state is worried about the growing trend of
Pnull
null
war tourism.
null
nullnull
nullnullnullnullnull
Pnull
null
Germany and Switzerland already have
null
null
nullRnullnullnull
nullnull
similar laws in place. Last year a German
nullnull null
court ruled that the government could recover
almost $20,000 in helicopter costs from tour-
ist Reinhilt eigel W who was rescued from
the Colombian jungle in 2003 after being kid-
napped by leftist rebels. —Candice Kung
null
nullnull
Amazon Outranull
Pnull
null
null
nullnull
nullnull

nullnullnullnull
nullRnull
W
ith the prospect of renewed protests onstrators opposing government plans to
by First Nations in the Amazon offer parts of their homelands to foreign-
region, Peru’s government is facing mount- owned corporations.
ing pressure from the international com- Over 74 percent of the Peruvian
munity to overhaul its relationship with the Amazonm— uch of it indigenous landh— as
indigenous population. been leased out to multinational energy
Brighter Days Ahead
The government has not fully inves- companies. Peru has recently allowed the
tigated the Jun. 5, 2009 protests that led Anglo-French oil company Perenco to drill
Lebanon has around 300 sunny days every
to a massacre known as the “Amazon’s on land allegedly inhabited by two of the
year, yet 97 percent of its energy comes from
Tiananmen.” Dozens were killed and world’s last uncontacted tribes, raising fears
imported fossil fuels. Schools and hospitals in
hundreds wounded near Bagua Grande, that the company will decimate a popula-
the remote northeastern district of Akkar are
which is about 600 kilometres southwest tion that has no immunity to diseases com-
about to see the benefits of changing that.
of Iquitos. Peruvian police fired on dem- monly found elsewhere. C— andice Kung
iW th the help of the Lebanon Recovery
Fund, photovoltaic systems are being
installed on the roofs of small schools. Until
now, frequent power outages have forced
Iraq: Sun and Sand Playground?
instructors to spend a lot of time teaching
in the dark, leaving the new computer room
unused.
A new destination may be emerging for the moted include the ancient cities of Ur and The project is also installing large solar
truly adventurous traveller. In November, Babylon, a UNESCO oW rld Heritage Site at water heaters atop public hospitals in the
the Tourist Board of Iraq was set to promote Samarra and the palaces of Saddam Hussein. region. The Abdallah Rassi Hospital, pictured,
its country at Britain’s oW rld Travel Market A British operator called Hinterland which spends one third of its funds on hot
exhibition, its first appearance at a European Travel reopened its Iraq tours this year and, water, stands to save a lot with its new heater.
travel show in over ten years. Known as according to the Daily Mail, has taken 50 As general manager Ali Saada told IRIN News,
the Cradle of Civilization, Iraq is the place people there so far. The owner, Geoff Hann, “That means the intensive care department
where agriculture and writing are believed co-authored the 2008 Bradt Guide to Iraq. could open earlier and we could afford to buy
to have originated. Potential sites to be pro- —Julia Steinecke a new scanner and other equipment.” R— oop
Gill
8 : verge winter 2010
v.null i.2
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52