25-year-old British tourist has drowned after falling into an Indian river, despite the desperate efforts of her lifeguard boyfriend to save her.

Christina Reed, from Torquay in Devon, was travelling with 28-year-old Anthony Biddlecombe when she went slipped and fell into the remote, monsoon-swollen Umkynsan river on Saturday.Mr Biddlecombe, a qualified lifeguard, dived into the river to try to save her but found her trapped by a boulder under the water.He repeatedly went under the waves with mouthfuls of air to try to save her but by the fifth attempt found that she had become limp.Mr Biddlecombe returned to the surface to try to find help but was unable to and when he dived under again he found Miss Reed had been swept away.Her body was reportedly recovered from the river yesterday afternoon by police divers and identified by her boyfriend.Miss Reed and Mr Biddlecombe met while at the University of Sussex, where Miss Reed gained her...

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Travellers have been warned to expect delays on arrival at UK ports and airports on Thursday as hundreds of immigration and customs officers are due to join the public sector strike.

People are being advised to think about travelling on alternative dates.Up to 750,000 teachers and civil servants are due to strike over planned pension changes they say will mean them working longer and paying more.Business leaders have warned of the impact of the walkout on the economy.Airport operator BAA, which runs Heathrow, Stansted, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton airports, said in a statement: "We have been informed by UK Border Agency that arriving passengers should expect delays at the UK border on Thursday as a result of industrial action by immigration officers."UK Border Agency are advising that passengers who can do so may wish to travel on other dates."Jonathan Sedgwick, acting chief executive of the UK Border Agency, said: "We will do everything we can to minimise...

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Holidays at risk as Virgin pilots vote to strike in pay row

Tens of thousands of families face having their holidays ruined after  Virgin Atlantic pilots voted overwhelmingly for strike action.The walk-outs by the airline's 750 pilots will hit key long-haul routes, including flights to Disney theme parks in California and Florida as well as  destinations in the Caribbean, the Far East and Australia.Although strike dates have not been announced it is likely that a first walk-out would take place in July - with more to follow over the summer. Chaos: The threat of summer holiday havoc at U.S. airports was raised today after Virgin Atlantic pilots voted overwhelmingly to strike in a row over payThe pilots, who earn up to £110,000 a year, are angry at a 4 per cent pay offer after three years of salary freezes, says the British Airline Pilots'...

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Majority of Brits unsure of cover whilst driving abroad

Recently conducted research from one car insurance comparison site found that the lion’s share of Brits have no idea if their motor car insurance covers accidents that happen whilst driving abroad.Online car insurance site Moneysupermarket.com, which conducted the research study, urged motorists to ensure their existing cheap car insurance policies will provide proper cover for their cars while motoring overseas.  The study findings demonstrated that one out of every three motorists in the UK are labouring under the sometimes mistaken believe that their UK cover, which may be fully comprehensive at home, will carry over to the rest of the Euro zone.The price comparison site revealed however that there are many different car insurance companies in the UK that will downgrade their cover...

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The cold blooded murder of an Argentinian tourist on Thursday in the beaches of Costa Rica has again raised the question of insecurity and safety for tourism in the Central American country

The cold blooded murder of an Argentinian tourist on Thursday in the beaches of Costa Rica has again raised the question of insecurity and safety for tourism in the Central American country, which receives every year more than 2 million visitors.Carolina Silva, 29, who was shot in the head in Playa Samara by two criminals to steal her laptop, is joined by the death of a young American who was shot by a hotel security guard earlier this month, when he tried to sneak in after curfew.A French couple have gone missing in the last couple of months, the couple disappearing in March after spending several days holidaying in Costa Rica. A similar fate befell English journalist Michael Dixon, who hasn't been seen or heard from since last October, after he disappeared in the Pacific beach town of Tamarindo,...

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Tube workers are to go on strike from 9pm today, in protest at the sacking of a driver, and this is the first of a number of strikes due to take place in June and July.

The walkout by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) members will go on from 9pm on Sunday to 3am on Monday. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) is alleging that Arwyn Thomas was unfairly sacked for his union activities and are demanding his reinstatement. London Underground (LU) said it would abide by the outcome of a tribunal ruling which is due shortly, and that the strike would 'achieve nothing. The strike is due to last six hours, but LU claims it will cause little disruption. LU said: 'We expect this strike to have very little impact both on Sunday evening and on Monday morning and are working hard to ensure this is the case.' An RMT spokesman said: 'Unfortunately, management refused point blank to even discuss re-employing Arwyn. 'Therefore, we have...

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Pilots working for Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. will probably go on strike over pay rates

Pilots working for Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. will probably go on strike over pay rates, the London-based Times reported, citing a British Airline Pilots Association official, who it didn’t identify.Walkouts are set for next month at an airline that’s never before had strikes, according to the report.“We have offered everybody the same increases and only one group of workers has refused it,” Richard Branson, president of the airline, told the newspaper. “I am sure we will get it sorted.” A ballot of workers closes June 21, the Times sa...

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WWF says Croatia is destroying 'Europe's Amazon'

Croatia's waterway management plans, being enforced as the country closes in on European Union membership, could destroy Europe's largest river protected area, nature defenders WWF said Friday.The environmental watchdog said that "111 kilometres (69 miles) of 'Europe's Amazon', comprising parts of the natural meandering river stretches of the Danube, Drava and Mura rivers in Croatia, could be channelled in a way that would destroy Europe's largest river protected area without bringing any real economic benefit to the region."Three major river regulation projects in the border area with Hungary and Serbia, that Croatia has tried to implement since 2008, comprise construction of 190 new structures, and include dredging gravel and sand from the natural river beds to increase navigation and flood...

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TWO South Bucks residents have been hit by suspected bouts of the potentially deadly e.coli virus.

David Tassell of Beaconsfield, and Harry Pinder, 28, of Chalfont St Peter, have both been rushed to hospital in the past week after suffering from symptoms which match those of the deadly disease.Mr Tassell caught the illness after returning from a summer break in Marbella in Spain, while Mr Pinder was struck down following a trip to Germany.Both men were in good health before the trips, but suffered from symptoms including vomiting blood, diarrhoea and double vision.The pair have now made full recoveries but say that their experiences were terrible.Mr Pinder said: "I was fine while I was away, and enjoyed the trip. I heard about the outbreak while I was in Germany. It was big news over there because it is believed that is where it started, but I didn't think too much of it."The day after...

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West Kerry girls teach the jet set how to sail

TWO young West Kerry women will spend the summer as sailing instructors on the higly exclusive holiday island of Martha's Vineyard, which is a favourite destination of American Presidents.Lís O'Connor from Dingle and Lily Ní Dhomhnaill from Camp flew out to Boston at the weekend and will take up their jobs on June 20 on the island off Cape Cod in New England . Both have been sailing since they were small children and have accumulated an impressive list of sailing qualifications."A few people from the Dingle Sailing Club have been instructing in America over the years so I asked Lily to apply to a few places with me. We'd heard good things about Martha's Vineyard so we sent off our forms and kept our fingers crossed. We got a good response from the sailing club in Martha's Vineyard but we had...

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British holidaymakers are much more likely to head abroad for their holidays this year,

British holidaymakers are much more likely to head abroad for their holidays this year, with the unreliable weather leading to a decline in so-called 'staycations'.According to figures released by the Office for National Statistics yesterday (12 June) the number of Brits travelling abroad during the first three months of the year rose by 4% in 2011.France is one of the key destinations likely to see a boost in hotel bookings as a result of this trend, as a recent survey by the Co-operative Travel found that French holidays are 31% more popular this year.Natalie Goulet, spokeswoman for the France tourism development agency Atout France, said that this was not surprising as the country offers 'good value for money'.'City breaks and short breaks continue to be strong… France [is] well positioned...

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A Cornwall fisherman is claiming that a species of shark blamed for countless attacks on humans rammed his boat.

The lifelong sailor believes the shark was an oceanic whitetip, a species that usually inhabits warmer and deeper waters.He claims the 2 metre (7ft) long predator "zigzagged" towards his vessel and "slammed into it" before circling a second boat.The 60-year-old mackerel fisherman, who asked not to be named, reported the sighting to the harbourmaster's office in St Ives, north Cornwall. He said he was "interested" when the shark began heading towards his boat. "I stood up to have a good look at it. As I was looking over the side of the boat, it just slammed into it."Then its head came out of the water by about a foot. It was that close to the boat that it slammed the side of the boat with its body and tail. It came as a bit of a shock. It was aggressive and we don't tend to have aggressive...

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Cornwall may charge £1 'tourism tax'

The proposed £1 a night charge would be the UK's first tourist tax and would help pay for infrastructure maintenance costs in the area, which are rising due to the high number of visitors.Visitors to Cornwall could pay a £1 tourist tax per night under new proposals (Thinkstock)It is estimated that a whopping £25 million could be raised each year through the tax, with around 4.5 million people heading to Cornwall to sample clotted cream and enjoy the sea air each summer alone.But while local residents may welcome the improvements such a tax would lead to, tourism bodies have reacted angrily to the suggestion.Kevin Oliver, chairman of the Cornwall Federation of Small Businesses, said it could be detrimental to the economy, telling the Daily Telegraph: 'If you introduce a tourist tax you turn...

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Thousands of travelers have been left stranded in Australia owing to hundreds of domestic and international flights canceled on Sunday, due to volcanic ash plume from Chile

Thousands of travelers have been left stranded in Australia owing to hundreds of domestic and international flights canceled on Sunday, due to volcanic ash plume from Chile which has made its way across the Atlantic and Indian oceans is wreaking havoc on Australian airways.Qantas canceled all 14 flights in and out of Tasmania on Sunday while eight flights between Australia and Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown of New Zealand were canceled on Sunday morning.Low-cost carrier Jetstar canceled 12 flights between Australia and New Zealand, 24 services between Tasmania and the mainland, and 30 domestic New Zealand flights.Qantas and Jetstar said that they expected about 16,000 passengers will be affected with their cancellation of flights.Virgin Australia continued to fly using alternative...

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Athletes pay tribute to crash pilot

A signal from a mobile phone led emergency services in Florida to the site of a plane crash in which a British trainee pilot, who had represented Scotland in athletics, and her brother were killed.Tributes have been paid to Carly Beattie, 21, who was flying in a Cessna 152 with her brother Daniel, 24, when it crashed on Thursday in a wooded area near Blue Cypress Lake.Ms Beattie was in America as part of her degree course at a British university and her parents were visiting from Scotland when the tragedy happened.&nb...

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It was vicious. It was frightening. There were punches going off in all directions'Up to 12 people are being questioned by police in Barbados after a fight broke out mid-air on a flight from Gatwick to Barbados

A man aged 76 and two members of his family were arrested after a ‘vicious’ punch-up on a plane that took cabin crew 30 minutes to break up.Derek Edmond, his daughter Zoe King and her husband Martin were on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Gatwick to Barbados when a Danish family sitting nearby accused them of being too noisy.Police said Mrs King, 46, was celebrating her birthday and she and her family had been drinking for much of the eight-hour flight.Rowdy: British passengers who were allegedly involved in a mid-air brawl on a flight to Barbados being questioned by police on the islandFracas at 30,000ft: Up to 12 people are being questioned by police in Barbados after a fight broke out mid-air on a flight from Gatwick to BarbadosAfter the Danes complained, other passengers watched in horror...

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The British government has updated its travel advice about Costa Rica to note that eight foreign nationals, including one British citizen, have gone missing in the last two years

The British government has updated its travel advice about Costa Rica to note that eight foreign nationals, including one British citizen, have gone missing in the last two years, with some in suspicious circumstances.This follows a report by BBC World's Fast Track programme into the disappearance of British journalist Michael Dixon, who went missing while on holiday in Costa Rica two years ago, and an appeal from his family to the Foreign Secretary William Hague.The Costa Rican authorities concluded that his disappearance was due to accidental death, but with no evidence to support this. Michael's family believe he was the victim of a violent crime.Michael's brother David believes that if the official travel advice had contained a stronger warning two years ago, his brother may not have gone...

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The deadly new strain of E.coli that has killed 18 people in Europe risks spreading from person to person in Britain

seven cases of the food poisoning bacteria were diagnosed in Britain, the agency said that the mutant strain was so virulent that sufferers risked spreading the infection to friends and relations through close contact.With more than 30,000 people travelling between Britain and Germany every day, officials fear the outbreak could take hold here.The agency said anyone who had recently travelled to Germany should be vigilant about their personal hygiene to minimise the risk of passing on the bacteria, which can attack the kidneys with potentially fatal consequences.The outbreak is on course to be the world’s “biggest ever”, according to one of the country’s leading microbiologists. The agency added that it was shocked by its “unprecedented” scale and severity. More than 1,600 people have been...

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Health Official Says E. Coli Strain Was Previously Unknown

The World Health Organization said Thursday that an unusually lethal strain of E. coli, which has infected more than 1,500 people in Germany, mystified public health officials and threatened to touch off panic in Europe, was a previously unknown variant of the bacteria, raising new concerns about the extent and severity of the contagion.RelatedAs consumers across Europe weighed whether it was safe to eat raw produce, Russia extended a ban on fresh vegetable imports, initially imposed on produce from Spain and Germany, to encompass all of the European Union on Thursday, triggering a sharp response from European officials who called the move “disproportionate.”Britain’s Health Protection Agency, meanwhile, confirmed Thursday that the number of cases in Britain had risen from three to seven,...

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Britain has changed its advice for travellers going to Portugal after a tourist was killed in a gang attack

Britain has changed its advice for travellers going to Portugal after a tourist was killed in a gang attack. A man form Gateshead was beaten up in Faro, a Portuguese town and after two weeks died as a result of his injuries.The Foreign Office has reported that Britons should be wary of such attacks when they are on holiday. They said they are taking the matter very seriously and that visitors should be careful. They are providing consular assistance with regards to the attack and have changed their travel advice to warn Britons travelling to the area to be careful of the possibility of violent attacks.They have not advised against all travel at all, so there is no need for anyone to panic. However, it is a good idea to be cautious while in the country and avoid anything that looks like it...

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Two men are due to go on trial today accused of murdering Ben and Catherine Mullany nearly three years after the British honeymooners were shot dead in Antigua.

Kaniel Martin, 23, and Avie Howell, 20, both Antiguan nationals, will appear at the Caribbean island's High Court for the start of what is expected to be a lengthy trial.The Mullanys, from Pontardawe, South Wales, were staying at the five star, £330-a-night Cocos Hotel when intruders broke into their cottage in the early hours of July 27, 2008.Mrs Mullany, 31, a qualified paediatrician, died instantly from a single gunshot wound to the head.Her 31-year-old husband, a student physiotherapist, was placed on a life support machine before being flown home to the Morriston Hospital in Swansea, where his wife had worked.Mr Mullany, a former South Yorkshire Police officer who had also served in the British Army, was pronounced dead a week after the shooting.&nb...

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London’s Attractions: 10 Must-Sees

Ah, London Town! Home of the Queen, Chelsea FC, Sherlock Holmes… and of course, millions of tourists every year. So how best to make the most of your London experience? With thousands of things to, see, eat and try, it’s important to stay organised…and to remember that when it comes to deals it isn’t just cheap theatre tickets London has to offer.To that end, simply read through this handy list of must-dos we’ve compiled for you.For the refined at heart (or romantics), you simply must try high tea at Claridges. Mouth-watering, indulgent and very English, this afternoon treat is perfect for people with a sweet-tooth. With sandwiches, scones, cakes and a selection of 30 different teas, there's enough to spoil even the most picky of people, so it’s best to wear something loose-fitting but fabulous...

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Holiday Village hotels are proving very popular this summer thanks to the great facilities they offer for children and adults alike

Travelmatch, a new travel discovery engine, is reporting a significant surge in the popularity of Holiday Village hotels from First Choice. Spots such as Holiday Village Rhodes have received a large amount of visits during the past few months as families opt for stress-free luxury holidays.There are numerous Holiday Villages in spots around the Mediterranean, and customers booking with travelmatch.co.uk can choose to visit the likes of Cyprus, the Red Sea, the Balearic Islands, the Algarve and Turkey. The hotels offer a wide variety of activities and amenities suitable for children and adults alike: Holiday Villages are equipped with kids' pools, playgrounds, sports academies, gorgeous restaurants and comfortable rooms.According to travelmatch.co.uk, the popularity of these hotels is only...

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