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Whether your concerns are beefed-up airport security, SARS or road rage, you'll get the latest travel industry news here.

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'This could be way worse than SARS' *
A deadly avian flu in Vietnam raises fears that it will be transformed into an infectious human killer. PAUL TAYLOR reports. [More]

* Chloé Hourdé tries to scam us . . .again! *
This trouble-maker and scam artist attempts to scam evalu8.org -- and its loyal readers -- once again. We have checked her out, and she is not the injured party, here! [More]

*West Nile virus warning issued *
Ontario health officials warned tourists and residents to take precautions over the long weekend after discovering mosquito pools in the Toronto area that tested positive for West Nile virus. [More]

2002 BC Study Results Fact Sheet *
Here is a summary of the stats on British Columbia's share of Canada's aggressive drivers... [More]

Air Canada workers to vote on contract *
Air Canada's largest domestic unions are set to start ratification votes this week on tentative agreements they reached with the insolvent airline last month to cut labour costs by a collective $186.5 million a year. [More]

Air Canada, CAW talks break off *
Air Canada broke off talks with the Canadian Auto Workers union Wednesday, saying negotiations on cost-cuts have reached an "impasse" and that it will start talks "immediately" with Deutsche Bank and GE Capital Aviation Services to find a resolution that would save their financing agreement. [More]

Air Supply Air Purifier *
Ideal for use in a closed environment (elevators, office cubicle, airplane travel). [More]

Airline union says vote can't meet deal deadline *
CAW says it was unaware of cutoff date imposed by Air Canada's financier GECAS. [More]

Airlines on high alert as terror threat thwarted *
Thwarted: Alleged terrorists planned to use liquid explosives concealed as sports drink bottles and common electronic devices to bring down as many as 10 planes in a nearly simultaneous strike. [More]

Another suspected case of SARS found in China *
Investigators scoured an apartment block in southern China on Sunday to determine if it played any role in the infection of a SARS patient who lived there -- the season's only confirmed case of the virus so far -- while a new suspected case of the virus emerged in the same region. [More]

Antivirus worm chews through Canadian systems *
A computer worm designed to eliminate an earlier virus brought computer networks to a standstill Tuesday, hindering efforts in Ontario to recover from last week's power outage and forcing Air Canada to check passengers in manually across the country. [More]

Armed bandits rob tourists, kill gardener in Jamaica *
Bandits armed with guns and machetes robbed six tourists, including a Canadian woman, and killed a gardener at a resort town in western Jamaica, police and the resort's manager said Friday. [More]

Asia's toll from bird flu rises to 22 *
Two four-year-old boys became the latest victims of the bird flu virus sweeping Asia, bring the human death toll to 22 on Wednesday. [More]

Asian bird flu spreads to Pakistan *
Asia's outbreak of avian influenza spread to Pakistan yesterday, alarming health experts who fear the virus could mutate with a common flu bug to create the world's next human flu pandemic. [More]

Assaults on tourists increasing in Guatemala *
Guatemala has become increasingly unsafe in recent months, and a reduction in the level of violent crime is not expected until well after presidential and parliamentary elections on Nov. 9, the Foreign Affairs Department says. [More]

Avian flu creates caution among travellers *
The outbreak of avian influenza, which has spread to 10 Asian nations, has, to date, done little to dissuade Canadian travellers to the region. [More]

B.C. ferry union goes ahead with illegal strike *
A full-scale strike has begun on the B.C. ferry fleet. [More]

B.C. optometrists offer summer vacation eye care tips *
Being prepared for unexpected problems or accidents with your glasses or contact lenses will help you enjoy your well-deserved vacation, says the B.C. Association of Optometrists. [More]

Bali: Resurrecting paradise *
On the eve of the Bali bombing's first anniversary, JOHN WEICH examines the security and marketing measures being taken to lure visitors back to this idyllic island. [More]

Bargains banish lingering SARS blues *
There's nothing like a few good bargains to ease the lingering fear of SARS in Toronto. [More]

Beauty aids and playing cards latest tools of terror *
From belt buckles to keys to a deadly deck of cards, the FBI is warning security personnel about dozens of everyday items that can conceal knives or other weapons terrorists could use to hijack an airliner. [More]

Bedbugs: coming soon to a single-family home near you *
This week, the University of Toronto released a research bulletin by urban entomologist Tim Myles confirming that local homeless shelters are infested with bedbugs ... [More]

Beijing bans Canadian birds *
China has joined other Asian governments in banning imports of Canadian poultry after avian flu was reported in birds on a farm in British Columbia. [More]

Beijing rushes to calm SARS fears *
More than 80 people have been quarantined in southern China after the first suspected case of a renewed SARS outbreak in Guangdong province, the epicentre of the original eruption of the deadly disease. [More]

Bird flu death toll hits 15 *
Asia's human death toll from bird flu rose to 15 on Wednesday while China addressed its broadening zone of infected poultry with a new bird flu headquarters and Singaporeans turned in pet chickens for slaughter. [More]

Bird flu hits second B.C. farm *
An extremely virulent form of bird flu has spread to a second B.C. hatchery where 36,000 chickens must now be slaughtered, prompting officials to step up inspections in their fight to keep the outbreak from getting out of control and crippling the industry. [More]

Bird flu in Asian chickens since April, WHO says *
The bird flu sweeping across Asia has been in chickens in the region since at least April, tests conducted by the World Health Organization revealed, giving reassurance the virus has not been very successful at jumping to humans so far. [More]

Bird flu killing 70 per cent of victims, doctor says *
Up to 70 per cent of people who contracted avian flu in the Asian outbreak died of the virus, about twice the level of the 1997 outbreak in Hong Kong, a doctor from the territory said yesterday. [More]

Bird flu not being spread by people, WHO says *
Genetic evidence shows bird flu is not being passed from person to person in Vietnam, reassuring news that suggests the outbreaks that have killed 18 people have not become an epidemic, the World Health Organization said yesterday. [More]

Bird flu spreads to China; Canada prepares *
Ottawa makes plans to battle outbreak... [More]

Bird flu toll rises to 20 *
A 13-year-old boy died of bird flu in Thailand on Saturday, an official said, bringing to 20 the human death toll from the disease that's also killed millions of chickens and ducks across Asia and is now feared to have jumped to other animals. [More]

Bird flu toll rises to seven *
Thailand's prime minister said Saturday the bird flu epidemic could hurt the country's giant chicken export sector, as the virus claimed another life in Vietnam, bringing Asia's death toll to seven. [More]

Bird-flu blueprint sees up to 58,000 deaths *
Health Canada's preparedness document says pandemic would hit children, elderly. [More]

Britain downgrades security alert *
The British government downgraded its terror threat level from critical to severe Monday, saying intelligence suggested an attack was no longer imminent after security forces foiled an alleged plot to bring down transatlantic airliners heading to the United States. [More]

British Airways considers missile defence *
British Airways is considering fitting its aircraft with anti-missile systems and has begun talks with manufacturers Boeing and Airbus about adapting the technology to commercial planes, the airline said Friday. [More]

Calgary Health Region fights legionella bacteria *
Specialized water treatment units are being installed at all Calgary-region hospitals after the discovery of the potentially deadly legionella bacteria at a second city health centre. [More]

Can't carry-on your laptop? Here's the answer *
I must travel by air in the next weeks. How do I take my -- absolutely essential -- laptop with me, and assure its safety? [More]

Canadians warned about travel in Bolivia *
The Department of Foreign Affairs is advising Canadians travelling to Colombia to avoid overland travel outside the capital La Paz and other cities stretching from Lake Titicaca to the Altiplano region. [More]

Cap-Haitien in chaos *
Residents go on rampage of looting and reprisals. [More]

Cellphone law ignored in N.Y. *
To be as effective as seat-belt legislation, publicity drive needed, researcher says. [More]

Chan fights to revive Hong Kong tourism *
Action film hero Jackie Chan is starring in a television advertisement that will be broadcast in 30 cities around the world in a bid to revive Hong Kong's battered tourism industry after the SARS outbreak, officials said Saturday. [More]

Chickens poxed in B.C. *
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Thursday that it has confirmed a case of low-risk H7 avian flu on a chicken farm in British Columbia. [More]

Child , 2 seniors, die as flu bug spreads *
This year's flu, expected to be the worst in decades, is hitting children so hard that infectious-disease specialists are urging parents to consider having them vaccinated. [More]

China confirms new bird flu *
China said Tuesday it had confirmed new cases of bird flu in poultry in an eastern province, nearly four months after declaring victory over the highly-contagious disease. [More]

China lifts ban on animals linked to SARS *
The ban, which involved 54 types of wildlife, lasted for five months [More]

China reports bird flu in three more provinces *
China said yesterday the bird flu virus that has killed 10 people in Asia had struck in three provinces, and further cases were suspected, including one in Shanghai. [More]

China's taste for exotic flesh ripens the risk of another SARS *
She calls herself Miss Chan, and she offers you a world of illicit wildlife to titillate your taste buds. [More]

China's war against SARS now includes death penalty *
Beijing unveils Draconian new measures in bid to stem spread of deadly disease [More]

Cruise ship hit by virus skips Canada *
A cruise across the North Atlantic, which was supposed to include a stop in Canada, was cut short yesterday after more than 300 passengers and crew members became sick with a highly contagious stomach virus... [More]

Curfew continued for a second night in a row in Halifax *
Nova Scotia's largest city, still reeling from a fierce blizzard that dumped a record amount of snow over much of the province, will be subjected to a curfew for a second consecutive night, Halifax officials announced Saturday. [More]

Drive sober: The strategy is working *
As a new year approaches, drunk driving is still a problem on our roads. The good news is that progress is being made. [More]

Evalu8.org's Travel Tips online resources *
Where-to-find-it resources online, for everything about travel, from time-shares to travel insurance. . . [More]

Experts say the world is going to have a new flu pandemic, but can't say when *
For influenza experts, the question is not whether the world is going to have a new flu pandemic, but when. [More]

Fear factor: So just how big a risk is SARS? *
Severe acute respiratory syndrome is an international bug of mystery. By hitching a ride with travellers, it has caused thousands of cases around the world -- so many, in fact, that it has been dubbed the most significant outbreak ever spread through air travel. [More]

Fire evacuation alerts lifted in B.C. *
The threat of evacuation in the face of forest fires is no longer imminent in the B.C. Interior as alerts were lifted Saturday. [More]

Five herbal remedies THAT are 'must haves' in a travel kit *
Natural options aid jet lag, motion sickness and offer comfort while away from home. [More]

Five more human cases of bird flu suspected *
Vietnam reported five more suspected human bird flu cases Saturday, as the World Health Organization confirmed that a fourth death was caused by the disease and Taiwan began culling 35,000 chickens at an infected farm. [More]

Flying in U.S. to mean background checks *
U.S. Homeland Security officials say a government plan to check all airline passengers' backgrounds before they board a plane could be implemented by this summer. [More]

Germany checks woman for bird flu after Thai trip *
Doctors in Germany are examining a woman suspected of contracting bird flu during a recent trip to Thailand, officials in Hamburg said Monday. [More]

Get smart: Use bank machines as little as possible when travelling *
It's summertime and the living is expensive if you use bank machines as a money-well while travelling. [More]

Haitian opposition will consider power-sharing deal *
After a heated five-hour meeting with international envoys, Haitian opposition leaders agreed Saturday to consider a power-sharing plan that would give the poorest country in the Americas a new government but leave President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in office. [More]

Haitian rebels seize Cap-Haitien *
Rebels captured Haiti's second-largest city, Cap-Haitien, after just a few hours of fighting Sunday, claiming their biggest prize in a two-week uprising that has driven government forces from most of the country's north. [More]

Halifax repairs the ravages of blizzard *
Nova Scotia is slowly but surely getting back to normal as it digs out from a record-breaking blizzard. [More]

Halifax shudders as Hurricane Juan crashes ashore *
Coastal waters churn in advance of hurricane. [More]

Health Canada launches West Nile phone line *
The toll-free line is 1-800-816-7292. Information on the virus can also be found on the Health Canada Web site at www.westnilevirus.gc.ca. [More]

Holes remain in airport's SARS screen *
More than a week after Canadian officials assured the World Health Organization that airline passengers leaving Canada would be screened for SARS, little monitoring appears to be taking place. [More]

Hong Kong declared free of locally spreading SARS *
The World Health Organization yesterday removed Hong Kong from its list of areas with recent local transmission of SARS, leaving Beijing, Taiwan and Toronto on the list. [More]

ICE (In Case of Emergency) *
A simple yet important suggestion, courtesy of evalu8.org. [More]

In Haiti, the fear is all around *
Fear is a gaggle of menacing toughs on a ramshackle main thoroughfare, waving rifles and pistols to halt vehicles and summarily search their occupants. [More]

India Fully Geared to Combat the Outbreak of Bird Flu *
...no cause for worry. [More]

INDIA – SAFE DESTINATION FOR TRAVEL *
Cases of dengue fever and chikungunya have been reported in India. But the Indian government assures us there is no cause for concern -- as long as certain simple precautions are taken. [More]

Indonesia seventh country to confirm bird flu *
Indonesia became the seventh country in Asia to confirm an outbreak of deadly bird flu, as the World Health Organization warned Sunday the virus could be resistant to basic human influenza drugs. [More]

Inquiry needed to probe cold facts of backcountry dangers *
high in the air, the eastern flank of British Columbia resembles a wild sea that has been frozen in the middle of a storm. The Rockies, Columbia, Purcell and Monashee mountains rise up in towering ranks where snowy peaks claw at trailing clouds. [More]

Isabel to drench Ontario, Quebec *
The weakened remnants of Hurricane Isabel will still cause very heavy rain and extremely high winds when they strike Canada, weather experts said Wednesday. [More]

Italian power outage more sweeping than North America's biggest blackout *
A massive blackout struck almost all of Italy early Sunday, leaving millions of people without power, stranding planes and trains, and leading to traffic accidents as drivers sped through darkened streets. [More]

Italy confirms 108th case of mad cow *
The Health Ministry confirmed Italy's 108th case of mad cow disease Thursday, saying a four-year-old cow from a breeding farm in Pordenone had tested positive [More]

Japan bans Thai chickens over fears of avian flu *
Thailand swore yesterday that it is not covering up cases of bird flu, but Japan suspended imports from the huge Thai chicken industry until it is sure there are none. [More]

Juan begins assault on Halifax *
Hundreds of residents were evacuated in low-lying areas in the Halifax region as hurricane Juan hit the province Sunday, bringing 130 kilometre an hour winds and torrential rains. [More]

Last 12 SARS patients virus free, China says *
The last 12 SARS patients in Beijing have been declared free of the disease but remain in hospital, state media reported yesterday. [More]

Magic of Asia newsletter *
SARS has hit hard in Asia -- here's the first newsletter (to try to alleviate that situation) from Shangri-la Hotels and TravelWeekly... [More]

Malaysia on bird-flu alert *
Malaysia went on a nationwide alert against bird flu Thursday after officials confirmed that a deadly strain of the disease, blamed for the deaths of 27 people in Asia, had been found in a tiny northern village. [More]

Massive forest fire approaching B.C. border *
A massive forest fire approaching the edge of the B.C.-Washington state border could spread into the province in a few days, a U.S. fire information officer said Thursday. [More]

More harm than good *
Homeland Security's warning system scares off tourists and investors, while advertising America's vulnerability, says security analyst EDWARD LUTTWAK. [More]

Overseas visits to Canada plunge *
Growing concerns over Iraq, SARS and an increase in the value of the dollar cited. [More]

Paris-L.A. flights cancelled amid security fears *
Air France cancelled several flights to the United States after U.S. officials, on heightened alert for holiday terror attacks, passed on "credible" security threats involving passengers planning to fly from Paris to Los Angeles, U.S. and European officials said Wednesday. [More]

Planning to travel without insurance? Don't get sick *
The whole reason you go on holiday is to get away from complexities like buying travel medical insurance. [More]

Poultry disease threatens Thailand's exports *
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra invited foreign reporters to join his cabinet for a chicken lunch yesterday as he tried to soothe public fears after an outbreak of poultry cholera. [More]

Radioisotopes from scans can trigger airport radiation alarms *
People having a scan that involves radioisotopes should be warned that they could set off security radiation alarms in airports for up to 30 days after the procedure, state the authors of a case report in this week's issue of The Lancet. [More]

Rebels target Haiti's second-largest city *
Frightened police barricaded themselves inside their station Wednesday and said they could not repel a threatened rebel attack on Haiti's second-largest city, the last major government bastion in the north. Officers in other towns deserted their posts with no guerrillas in sight. [More]

Rolling up the rim rules change in light of virus *
The SARS outbreak has put a crimp in doughnut giant Tim Hortons "Roll-up-the-rim-to-win" contest. Customers, at least those in Ontario, are no longer allowed to hand a winning rim to a store employee. [More]

SARS: Crossed wires put Toronto on hit list *
Health Canada's Paul Gully was embroiled in a transatlantic e-mail dispute Tuesday about the state of Toronto's SARS outbreak. [More]

SARS: Disease update *
adapted from the Health Canada Web site... [More]

SARS: No sympathy for Canada's whining *
Canada's campaign in Geneva to convince the WHO to rescind its Toronto travel advisory is shortsighted. Rather than simply fighting to have the advisory lifted, Canadians should look carefully at the far-reaching -- if sometimes draconian -- SARS policies put in place in the countries nearest the epicentre of the outbreak. [More]

SARS: WHO to probe rural China *
Worries that SARS might be spreading to Hebei province sparks investigation [More]

SARS: WHO warning unhealthy for Air Canada, CEO says *
Air Canada's revenue is under "tremendous additional strain" because of the World Health Organization advisory that customers avoid travel to Toronto, president and chief executive officer Robert Milton told employees. [More]

Scientist likely got SARS in laboratory, WHO says *
A Singapore researcher who tested positive for SARS is very likely to have contracted the virus at a laboratory where intensive research on the disease had been done, a World Health Organization official said yesterday [More]

Security threat stops U.S.-bound flights at Vancouver airport *
The discovery of a mysterious powder accompanied by a threatening note at Vancouver International Airport on Friday caused the delay of all flights bound for the United States. [More]

Seventh bird flu fatality confirmed in Asia *
Pakistan joins list of countries affected by the disease. [More]

Singapore confirms new case of SARS *
Health officials in Singapore say that laboratory tests confirm that a 27-year-old man has contracted SARS -- the first case of the deadly respiratory illness since July -- but they insist that the chance of another major outbreak is minimal [More]

Six countries hit by bird flu *
Deadly disease spreads in Asia, emerges as threat to health, markets. [More]

Six U.S.-bound flights cancelled amid terror threats *
Six U.S.-bound flights from Britain and France were cancelled Saturday because of security concerns. [More]

Spread the word: Fear and coughing in Hong Kong *
Canadian novelist CHARLES FORAN has been a Hong Kong resident for two years. He returned there from a trip this week to a panicked place of closed schools, food hoarding and Hello Kitty medical masks. 'Hong Kongers,' a neighbour sighs, 'they go crazy sometimes' [More]

Stars and SARS: the fallout continues *
Toronto is a safe place to visit, the World Health Organization decided last week, but some celebrities, it seems, haven't heard the word. Moreover, the SARS panic appears to be confusing their knowledge of geography. [More]

Stink over skunk blows over in B.C. *
A rabid skunk found sick in Stanley Park earlier this month, prompting health officials to issue a public warning, was infected by a bat. [More]

Swift drive considered to avert flu pandemic *
With a rising death toll in Vietnam and almost daily warnings that an influenza pandemic is imminent, a number of flu experts are wondering whether a pandemic could be averted with swift and decisive action. [More]

Taiwan angry at continued SARS travel advisory *
Taiwan was angry Wednesday about a World Health Organization decision not to lift a SARS travel advisory for the island as it has done for Canada, where -- despite the WHO vote of confidence -- a recent U.S. visitor caught the virus before returning home. [More]

Taiwan announces 12 more deaths *
Taiwan announced 12 new SARS fatalities and 22 more cases yesterday, taking the world's death toll to more than 700 and Taiwan's total number of infections to 570. [More]

Taiwan SARS rate soars; eight more patients die *
Taiwan's SARS crisis escalated yesterday with 65 new cases and eight deaths. The new cases -- nearly double the previous daily record -- took Taiwan's toll from severe acute respiratory syndrome to 483 infections and 60 deaths, according to the Department of Health. [More]

Taiwanese medical researcher tests positive for SARS virus after visiting Singapore *
A researcher at a military hospital in Taiwan has tested positive for the SARS virus after travelling to Singapore a few days earlier, an official in Taipei said today. [More]

Thailand confirms human cases of bird flu *
A man suspected of having bird flu died Friday and two boys have been infected, the Thai government said, while Cambodia became the sixth Asian nation with a confirmed outbreak of the disease. [More]

Third Canadian dies of West Nile complications *
A Manitoba man has died from West Nile virus and an underlying medical condition, provincial health authorities announced Thursday [More]

Toronto off WHO's SARS list *
The World Health Organization has removed Toronto from its list of areas with recent local transmission of SARS. [More]

Transfer of bird flu between humans suspected *
An unnamed 31-year-old man in northern Vietnam has emerged as "patient zero" in the first suspected human-to-human transmission of the deadly bird-flu virus that is sweeping through Asia. [More]

Transport minister urges calm after terror plot revealed *
Canadians should have no fear about flying, said Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon at a news conference Thursday afternoon. [More]

Travel Savvy: What new security measures will mean for travellers *
What impact will security restrictions have on YOUR late summer and fall travel plans...? [More]

Trying to save Hong Kong after SARS *
The Hong Kong economy, which grew 2.3 per cent last year, had been expected to grow faster this year. When Financial Secretary Anthony Leung presented his budget in March, he predicted that real growth this year would reach 3 per cent. Others were even more optimistic. But that was before SARS struck. [More]

Tsunami Warning For Thailand *
Thai authorities issued a tsunami warning late Sunday, after major earthquake in the Indian Ocean. [More]

Two more die from avian flu *
Two four-year-old boys were confirmed yesterday as the latest victims of the bird flu virus sweeping Asia, bringing the human death toll to 22. [More]

Two sisters who died of bird flu may be first human-to-human transmission *
Two Vietnamese sisters who died of bird flu may have caught the disease from their brother, the World Health Organization said Sunday. If confirmed, it would be the first known case of human-to-human transmission of the virus during the current outbreak sweeping Asia. [More]

U.S. cases of West Nile triple in a week *
The number of West Nile virus cases in the United States has tripled since last week and will likely top last year's record total, a U.S. health official said yesterday in the latest warning of the mosquito-borne disease. [More]

U.S. Northeast digs out -- Travel warnings in effect *
Boston's airport partially reopened Monday, but schools and courthouses were closed in many areas of the northeastern United States where people struggled to recover from the weekend's blizzard. [More]

UN doubts bird flu linked with pigs *
The human toll in Asia's bird flu crisis rose Friday to 18, as UN officials in Rome moved to play down test results suggesting that swine might also be carriers of the deadly virus. [More]

UN experts approve bird flu vaccinations *
UN experts approved limited animal vaccinations Thursday in Asia's bird-flu crisis to avoid a mass slaughter of livestock in the affected countries. [More]

Unhappy Skies: Westjet Routes from Hamilton Feedback *
Your article with the comment that WestJet offers a low fare of $166 from Hamilton to Montreal is now irrelevant. [More]

Update: Visa requirement cancelled for Malaysia *
Travel warning for Canadians... [More]

US Airways files for bankruptcy protection *
US Airways Group Inc., the United State's seventh largest airline, filed Sunday for bankruptcy protection for the second time in two years. [More]

Vietnamese girl 5th bird-flu victim *
An eight-year-old girl has become the fifth confirmed death from bird flu in Vietnam, the World Health Organization said yesterday as Asia went on alert against the chicken-borne virus. [More]

Warring Haiti set to party *
Pro-government gangs attacked a student protest march in the capital, wounding at least a dozen people. In the north of the Haiti, armed insurgents maintained their grip on several cities and towns. [More]

West Nile cases *
A breakdown of human West Nile cases for 2003 as of yesterday, drawn from reports issued by provincial Ministries of Health in Canada and by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (figures include probable and confirmed cases) [More]

WHO frees Beijing of SARS travel warning *
The World Health Organization lifted its last SARS travel warning yesterday, declaring the disease under control in Beijing, the hard-hit capital of China where the outbreak began. [More]

WHO holds off on new travel advisory *
Ontario health officials expressed relief Tuesday that the World Health Organization is not issuing another SARS-related travel advisory for Toronto "at this time." [More]

WHO plays down fears after bird flu found in cats *
The World Health Organization played down fears yesterday that the discovery in cats of a bird flu that has killed at least 22 people in Thailand and Vietnam poses increased risks for humans. [More]

WHO travel advisory widens to all of Taiwan *
The World Health Organization extended its travel advisory to all of Taiwan yesterday as the island reported 35 new SARS cases and officials warned that the outbreak has yet to peak. [More]

WHO urges isolation, not travel bans, for bird flu sufferers *
The World Health Organization said Friday that people hit by the bird flu outbreak sweeping Asia should be quarantined to avoid contact with sufferers of regular influenza, because a combination of the two viruses may accelerate the spread of the disease. [More]

WHO warns not to let guard down against SARS *
Countries must remain on guard against SARS even though the disease is being brought under control globally, a top World Health Organization official said Sunday while another WHO official said a cure for SARS is unlikely soon following a conference that failed to agree on how to treat the deadly virus. [More]

Secondary Sites:
2002 AGGRESSIVE DRIVING STUDY *
Are you guilty of "aggressive driving"? This just-released survey may help you to live through the upcoming summer road season! [More]

321 Weather *****
Here's a handy site that offers weather info across the USA. [More]

Active volcano: Flirting with danger *
Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands -- A volcanic eruption on a little-known U.S. island now knee-deep in ash is prompting concern over an inadequate warning system for Pacific volcanoes. [More]

Airline service with a scowl *
Passengers on a late-night Air Transat route from Mexico to Toronto were relieved, at first, when their flight made a successful emergency landing in small-town Texas after an alarmingly loud noise and a sudden lurch by the plane, according to a new report from air travel complaints commissioner Liette Lacroix Kenniff. [More]

Alberta and BC ripe for West Nile virus *
Unseasonably warm, dry weather in Alberta and British Columbia has created the perfect conditions for a serious outbreak of West Nile virus, warned a Harvard Medical School expert yesterday. [More]

Boil-water alert issued for Vancouver *
The ban also applies to brushing teeth and washing food; Showers are okay. [More]

CDC: West Nile doubles again in U.S. *
West Nile virus activity has again doubled, now affecting more than 1,400 people in the United States, federal officials said Wednesday. [More]

China revives Bethune's spirit in SARS fight *
Canadian doctor's legend used to laud modern 'white-coated warriors' battling the deadly epidemic, writes GEOFFREY YORK [More]

Federal lab hasn't found any avian flu viruses in PEI samples *
Questions raised by the discovery of an H5 avian flu virus on a Prince Edward Island poultry farm can't yet be put to rest, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency admitted Tuesday as it announced its laboratory could not find any avian flu viruses in samples taken from the birds on the farm. [More]

First case of SARS strikes Russia *
Russia reported its first case of SARS yesterday. A man living in Blagoveshchensk on the Amur River, which forms the frontier with China, came down with the syndrome as Chinese President Hu Jintao tried to persuade the world his country -- hit the hardest and at epidemic levels -- could contain the disease. [More]

Flu forces special measures *
Two hospitals in Southern Ontario are taking SARS-like precautions to cope with outbreaks of influenza, the latest sign of an unusually severe flu season striking nationwide. [More]

Flu in Nunavut closes schools *
Influenza in Nunavut is causing school closings, cancellations of public hearings and grocery-store clerks to wear masks. [More]

Flu strain striking young children *
The answer to your first question is six months... [More]

Flu threat puts parents on alert *
One child dies in Peterborough from bug... [More]

Girl's abduction exposes extent of Internet luring *
tale of the 12-year-old British girl who ran away with a former U.S. marine she met on the Internet has police and parents concerned that it may be an extreme result of the sexual advances children receive over the Internet. [More]

Halifax invokes curfew for storm cleanup *
The City of Halifax imposed a curfew for the first time in memory as it struggled to keep motorists and pedestrians off streets clogged by a record-breaking snowfall. [More]

Heat blamed for dozens of deaths across Europe *
Head of French emergency doctors cites weather for toll in Paris region; glaciers melting in Alps [More]

Hepatitis outbreak prompts onion warning *
Consumers are urged to not eat raw green onions due to a U.S. outbreak of hepatitis A that has been traced to the vegetable. [More]

Hurricane Isabel roars ashore *
Conditions deteriorated quickly on the eastern coast of North Carolina as Hurricane Isabel sharply picked up its pace before striking land with full force. [More]

Influenza cuts feverish swath across Canada *
More than five million people can expect to be infected, Ontario microbiologist says. [More]

Iraq Museums: A litany of destruction *
It's hard to know which treasures were stolen" from the National Museum of Iraq, which was looted late last week, says Gil Stein, director of the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute. "It's urgent that we put together an inventory, clean up the museum, find out what was taken and what was just smashed. We estimate that between 50,000 and 170,000 artifacts are missing. [More]

Jackie Chan revives tourism in Hong Kong *
Hong Kong is turning to action star Jackie Chan to help draw visitors back to the territory after the SARS outbreak. [More]

Legionnaires bacteria found in Calgary hospital *
Potentially deadly bacteria that cause Legionnaires' disease were found in a hospital patient who was suffering from pneumonia, a health official said yesterday. [More]

Legionnaires' outbreak shuts McCain factory *
A McCain Foods Ltd. French fries plant in France halted production yesterday after Legionnaires' disease was discovered in its cooling system, amid an outbreak that has killed 10 people. [More]

Mad cow confirmed again in Alberta *
Canada's newest case of mad-cow disease was found in a six-year-old animal from central Alberta, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed today. [More]

More Ontario hospitals report lapses in disinfecting instruments *
The list of Ontario hospitals coming clean about disinfection lapses lengthened again yesterday, as Brantford General announced that it was recalling 328 patients for HIV and hepatitis tests. [More]

N.Z. man may have human form of mad-cow *
New Zealand health officials said yesterday they were investigating if a farm worker had an aggressive type of brain-wasting illness caused by eating beef infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad-cow disease. [More]

Nursing aide unwittingly spread SARS *
First Canadian health-care worker to die of virus set off panic in native Philippines [More]

Ontario mum on beef hazard alert *
Few details released about shutdown, recall at Aylmer, ON, slaughterhouse [More]

Parasite may pose a risk to blood supply *
A parasitic infection that is common is Latin America is threatening the U.S. blood system, and Canadian officials say they are evaluating the risk it poses here. [More]

Protect against summer's parade of pests *
Mosquitoes, ticks, black flies and spiders -- summer's parade of pests have made their debut. With fears of West Nile virus and other diseases, cottagers can do several things to protect themselves against insect intruders. [More]

SARS fears deals blow to T.O. tourism *
The latest outbreak of SARS cases in Toronto has dealt another crushing blow to the tourism industry just as it was beginning to see signs of recovery from the SARS scare earlier in the spring. [More]

SARS in Toronto: MD at pains to explain city's setback to Chinese *
In Beijing to tout success story, Ontario's chief coroner calls new cases regrettable... [More]

SARS-like virus puts lab on edge *
Life almost normal again at Winnipeg research facility, but vigilance remains [More]

SARS: $1 flights to Toronto quickly sell out *
SARS-weary Torontonians flocked downtown last night lured by special deals offered to kick-start the city's faltering economy. [More]

Singapore reports new SARS case *
Singapore health officials confirmed on Monday that a local patient has tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, in what may be the world's first new case of the disease in three months [More]

Singapore to blacklist unethical retailers *
The Singapore Tourism Board is threatening to blacklist retail outlets that overcharge or sell fake goods to tourists. [More]

Social Studies with Michael Kesterton: Shark attacks (attacks ON sharks) *
Last week, lifeguards in Rio de Janeiro told bathers to leave sharks alone after three who strayed near the beach were killed, following a suspected shark attack. In one case, a mob clubbed and stabbed a pregnant female shark to death when the two-metre-long fish ventured into shallow water. [More]

Storm puts Nova Scotia, PEI in state of emergency *
Heavy snow, high winds cause zero visibility across the province. [More]

Sunblock and bug repellent -- a dangerous cocktail? *
Just when you thought it was safe to go outside this summer, swabbed in DEET and smeared in sunblock, a new health alert about mixing the two has come out of the University of Manitoba. [More]

Tattoo-parlour customers warned of hepatitis risk *
Health inspectors have shut down an east-end tattoo parlour and warned former customers to contact Toronto Public Health, as they could have been exposed to HIV or hepatitis B or C. [More]

Terror scare creates airline havoc *
Fearing a murky terrorist plot to crash jetliners into buildings or blow them up over Washington or Los Angeles, U.S. security agencies continued to divert and cancel incoming flights last week, while armed warplanes shadowed or intercepted other aircraft. [More]

The meat of the matter *
Food-safety officials in the United States have long been on the lookout for mad-cow disease. Now that they have finally found it, they should note how Canada managed a similar scenario just a few months ago. [More]

Third suspected SARS case in China *
China's third suspected SARS case emerged Monday when authorities confirmed the hospitalization of a 35-year-old man who, like the two others, lives in the southern province of Guangdong — a region under orders to move aggressively against the disease. [More]

Tips for getaways on the waves *
This week's tips and news [More]

Toronto dodges second WHO travel advisory *
UN agency holds off, but cites concerns about spread of SARS, possible exports [More]

Tuning in, reaching out top driving distractions *
Even when they knew cameras were watching, drivers in a study were caught in all manner of distracting activities, from applying eye makeup to opening and reading their mail. Almost all drivers are distracted at one time or another, the study released yesterday concluded. [More]

Two new cases of SARS suspected in Toronto *
Health systems and officials around the world have to work together to contain the spread of SARS and to plan for the emergence of other new infectious pathogens, participants at an international conference on SARS said Thursday. [More]

U.S. got lucky, experts agree *
Medical officials tracking SARS in Canada and East Asia say fate is the primary factor that has allowed the United States to avoid outbreaks of the deadly disease, though precautions against bioterrorism taken after Sept. 11, 2001, have helped. [More]

U.S. official wary of Canadian drugs *
The U.S. official in charge of drug safety warned yesterday that Americans' health is being endangered by potentially unsafe Canadian drugs imported through controversial Internet pharmacies. [More]

U.S. SARS warning 'ludicrous,' MD charges *
Americans who have recently returned from Toronto are still being warned by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that they could have caught SARS in the city, a prospect a leading Toronto SARS expert calls ludicrous. [More]

Virus tears at China's political, social fabric *
Nobody expected it to happen so fast.

Less than two months into his presidential term, Chinese leader Hu Jintao is facing both a career-threatening crisis and a historic opportunity for reform. [More]

West Nile virus fight to employ larvicide *
Facing the impending West Nile virus threat, at least half a dozen Ontario municipalities plan to use chemical agents to kill mosquito larvae, some of them before Victoria Day. [More]

West Nile Virus: No spray of hope *
Massive insecticide spraying of adult mosquitoes won't stop West Nile virus, says pesticide expert BARRIE WEBSTER. Let's get them when they're young [More]

WHO experts search Chinese restaurant *
World Health Organization experts on Saturday searched a restaurant where China's second suspected SARS patient works and where civet cats and other wild animals thought to be possible transmitters of the virus were served. [More]

WHO removes Hong Kong from SARS list *
The World Health Organization removed Hong Kong from its list of SARS-infected areas Monday, but warned the territory to keep up its guard against future outbreaks that might put it back on the list. [More]

WHO voices 'major concern' about SARS in Toronto *
UN agency cites export of disease to U.S. and questions on possible cases in Whitby [More]