Windsor Genova – AHN News News Writer
Rome, Italy (AHN) – Divers recovered on Sunday two more bodies inside a cruise ship that listed off the coast of western Italy, bringing the death toll from the accident to five. The Italian coast guard said the bodies of two elderly persons were found in the submerged restaurant of the Costa Concordia, which hit a rock near Giglio Island off the coast of Tuscany Friday night. The rock caused a hole in the hull of the ship, causing it to take on water and lean to its right side. Also among the dead were two French passengers and a Peruvian crew member. One of them died of heart attack after [...] Continue Reading…

Linda Young – AHN News Writer
London, United Kingdom (AHN) – Venerable travel agency Thomas Cook has announced plans to shut 200 of its branches in the United Kingdom over the next two years. The closures are part of its UK business turnaround plan designed to restore the confidence of investors. However, the plan now calls for the agency to shutter 125 more of its branches than previously announced. The company is focusing on underperforming branches with leases set to expire in two years or less. Company officials said that 661 employees at 115 of the branches slated for closure would learn their fate on Wednesday. Thomas Cook is the world’s oldest travel agency. It has [...] Continue Reading…

Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter
West Palm Beach, FL, United States (AHN) – Millions are traveling over the river and through the woods this Thanksgiving–42.5 million, according to estimates from AAA. About 42.5 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more during the 2011 Thanksgiving holiday weekend, a 4 percent increase from 2010. It is also the highest number since the start of the recession at the end of 2007. AAA predicts that about 900,000 people are expected to travel by train, bus or other forms of mass transit, and more travelers are also expected to take to the skies. More than 23 million people will fly to their Thanksgiving destination. The 90 percent [...] Continue Reading…

Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter
New York, NY, United States (AHN) – Scary but true: pumpkin prices are higher this season due to a wet spring and summer. The higher prices, while unnerving, are no trick. Heavy rains from Hurricane Irene and dry weather in other parts of the country have contributed to the frightening price increases. While some areas in the country may face lesser quality and limited supply, other areas have no shortage, but have raised prices just the same. Prices for pie pumpkins grown in New York state are a bloodcurdling 60 percent higher they were in 2010. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “In general, the 2011 pumpkin seasons will feature [...] Continue Reading…

Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter
New York, NY, United States (AHN) – For kids it is never to early to start making a Christmas list. That is why one of the most referred to toy guides comes out in September. Among the top 20 toys for the 2011 are, according to the Toy Insider: Scene It? Harry Potter: The Complete Cinematic Journey; Let’s Rock Elmo; Redakai Championship and Leap Pad. Now in its sixth year, the Toy Insider features expert toy and gift recommendations at all price points for a range of ages. Their aim is to make it easy to find the perfect holiday gift for kids and tweens on anyone’s gift list. All of the [...] Continue Reading…

Windsor Genova – AHN News News Writer
Nairobi, Kenya (AHN) – Suspected bandits killed a British tourist at an exclusive resort in Kenya’s Lamu Island and kidnapped his wife on Sunday. Six armed men attacked the couple, who were the only guests at the luxury Kiwayu Safari Village, according to police. Police commissioner Mathew Iteere identified the couple as David and Judith Tebbut, both writers. The husband was shot dead apparently for resisting the armed men, according to Iteere. The attackers then fled with the wife on a motor boat heading towards neighboring Somalia. The couple checked in at the private resort on Saturday afternoon. They were coming from a tour of the Masai Mara reserve. [...] Continue Reading…

Windsor Genova – AHN News News Writer
London, United Kingdom (AHN) – A newly-wed man from Britain honeymooning in Seychelles died Tuesday from injuries he suffered from a shark attack while snorkeling off Praslin island. Ian Redmond, 30, lost an arm and part of his leg in the second such attack in the Indian Ocean tourist destination’s Anse Lazio beach area in two weeks. He was pulled out of the water by other tourists who heard his cries for help but succumbed from loss of blood. His wife, Gemma Houghton, 27, was sunbathing in the shore when she heard his screams. The two were married on Aug. 7. The Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration temporarily banned swimming in [...] Continue Reading…

Diane Alter – AHN News Trivia Writer
London, England, United Kingdom (AHN) – The calendar reads July 28, and the temperature is a balmy 77 degrees, but for department store giants Harrods and Selfridges, it is getting very close to Christmas. At 8 a.m., the department stores opened their Christmas departments, a full five months before the big day. While both stores traditionally open their holiday departments early, usually in August, this year marks their earliest opening yet. Harrods and Selfridges stressed the need for the very early open due to increased demand, especially from China. The Chinese “Peking pound” spent in the UK has seen a jump in sales of Christmas goods as many Chinese tourists view [...] Continue Reading…

Tejinder Singh – AHN News Correspondent
Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – The United States on Tuesday launched a new smart i-series application for American travelers during their trips abroad to keep track of American citizens in a changing and threatening world. Releasing the new application Smart Traveler (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/smart-traveler/id442693988?mt=8) for the U.S. travelers going abroad, the State Department in a statement said, “Smart Traveler provides easy access to frequently updated official country information, travel alerts, travel warnings, maps, U.S. embassy locations, and more.” “Travelers can also set up customized e-tineraries to keep track of arrival and departure dates and make notes about upcoming trips,” the statement noted, adding, “Additionally, the app provides a link for travelers to enroll [...] Continue Reading…

Tejinder Singh – AHN News Correspondent
Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – The United States on Tuesday launched a new smart i-series application for American travelers during their trips abroad to keep track of American citizens in a changing and threatening world. Releasing the new application Smart Traveler (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/smart-traveler/id442693988?mt=8) for the U.S. travelers going abroad, the State Department in a statement said, “Smart Traveler provides easy access to frequently updated official country information, travel alerts, travel warnings, maps, U.S. embassy locations, and more.” “Travelers can also set up customized e-tineraries to keep track of arrival and departure dates and make notes about upcoming trips,” the statement noted, adding, “Additionally, the app provides a link for travelers to enroll [...] Continue Reading…