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Travel News Highlights (21.03.08)

You’re on the road, making tracks, paying as little attention to the real world as humanly possible – we’d do the same. But sometimes it’s good to get a bit of the latest news, especially if it’s likely to affect your travel plans (for better or worse).

So, seeing as we spend so much time surfing the net anyway, we’ve decided to put together a brief bite-size weekly summary of what’s going on in the travel and backpacking world out there – so you can check it all out in the space of a few moments. Hoorah for all things bite-size!

Right, so here’s the latest news to pop up on our radar this week:

• Heathrow’s Terminal 5 is officially opened by the Queen. Why should you care? Well, if you’ve been anywhere near Heathrow in the last few years you might have noticed that it’s rather an arduous process to get checked in and on to your plane (uber-security measures + unbelievably busy airport = ridiculously unbelievably busy airport). So, a whole brand-spanking new terminal means less cramped conditions, more space for all those travellers… you get the picture. The new terminal begins operations next week. (Source: The Press Association)
• Ryan Air announces a new route: Marseille – Paris. Significance? This is the “first time the low-cost airline has ever offered domestic flights in France”. We like trains better, but if flying’s your game, Ryanair is apparently releasing 25,000 seats on this route for €10 including taxes until midnight Monday. (Source: ThisFrenchLife.com)
• STA Travel Announces 2008 Travel Internship Winner. We wrote about this a while back – the chance for one student out there to travel the world for free, for a year. Well, Pat Blute is the lucky person who got the cut (let’s all hold back on that there raging jealousy developing round about right now…).
• China sends troops into Tibet to quell a week-long uprising against 57 years of Chinese occupation of the country. Things are not looking pretty.

Posted in Travel News