NEWSWORTHY
FBI re-creates decoy heads Alcatraz inmates used in escape half century ago
Half a century after a notorious prison escape from Alcatraz Island, the FBI has created replicas of decoy heads that inmates used to distract guards from a plan that still captivates researchers and tourists. Authorities on Thursday unveiled 3D-printed copies of the decoys that inmates ...
The mayor of Paris wants to pedestrianize the historic center of the French capital, a member of her team says, an area encompassing famous landmarks like the Louvre museum and Notre Dame Cathedral. The project would see traffic heavily restricted in Paris's first four arrondissements, ...
Kyoto Wi-Fi signal sensors to monitor and assist in managing tourist crowds
Kyoto on Saturday will unveil a trial system that monitors, predicts and manages the flow of visitors to high-demand tourist spots, with the popular fall foliage viewing area in Arashiyama as the system's initial focus. In a first for Japan, congestion projections in eight areas ...
Kim Jong Un woos South Korean investors on reviving Mount Kumgang resort
The two-lane highway south from North Korea's Mount Kumgang across the Demilitarized Zone is lined by tall green fences and street lamps that are only turned on for special occasions. Children play on a parallel stretch of railroad that hasn't been in regular use ...
The city of Kyoto, one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, is aiming to attract travelers to lesser-known spots to ease "overtourism" that has increased complaints among both visitors and locals. Having been rated highly in foreign travel magazine polls, the number of visitors ...
Amid cash crunch, Havana fights trash woes ahead of 500th anniversary of its founding
Luxury hotels are rising fast along the Prado, the tree-lined colonial boulevard that is home to many of Havana's best-known architectural masterworks. Yet within sight of five-star lodgings charging $500 a night, stray cats and flies swarm mountains of uncollected trash. Piles reeking of rotting ...
Economic slump, trade war, spy claims cloud horizon for China's top airshow
Trade frictions with the United States and accusations of industrial espionage are set to cast a cloud over China's largest aerospace meeting this week, as suppliers consider what the country's slowing economy could mean for booming jet demand. The biennial Airshow China, to be held ...
The organizing committee for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the metropolitan government plan to operate water buses to transport people visiting the Tokyo Bay area to watch events. Traditional transportation systems are expected to face capacity shortages in the waterfront area, where boat, canoe and ...
NHK expands disaster-related push notifications to include Chinese language
Public broadcaster NHK said Thursday it will now provide push notifications in Chinese for disaster-related information via the NHK World news app amid a growing number of Chinese visitors to Japan. The move comes after Japan experienced a wave of natural disasters this year, including ...
The Imperial Household Agency said Monday that it will start fully offering Chinese-language guided tours around the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Thursday, in an addition to the existing Japanese and English tours. Responding to a rise in the number of foreign visitors to Japan, ...
With border reopened, Jordanians flock to Syria for first time in years for trade, tourism
Jordanians are flocking to the Syrian capital Damascus for the first time in years for tourism and trade after the reopening of a border crossing that had been closed through years of war. The border opened to people and goods on Oct. 15, restoring a ...
North Korea has extended the run of its iconic mass games, which it revived last month to mark the country's 70th birthday. Despite a travel ban blocking American tourists and imposing high prices for tickets for visitors from other countries, the games — which involve ...
