EU cheers Europeans with visa-free travel to exotic beaches

July 27th, 2009 Visa Inc. streamlines management structureSAN FRANCISCO — Visa is reorganizing its management team by consolidating several operations under its chief operating officer, John Partridge. Another executive, John C.

June 3rd, 2009 Hanalei Bay in Hawaii tops list of 10 best beachesHANALEI, Hawaii — Here is the list of top 10 beaches for 2009 from Stephen P. Leatherman, director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research, also known as Dr.

May 20th, 2009 LONDON - More and more East European migrants are leaving Britain lured by increasing prosperity in their home countries, the British immigration minster said Wednesday. Immigration statistics released by the British home ministry Wednesday showed that work applications from the eight East European countries that joined the European Union in 2004 are currently at their lowest.

May 3rd, 2009 KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian authorities rescued a Sri Lankan teenager who had been held captive for eight months and arrested two suspects, a news report said Sunday. The 14-year-old boy was supposed to be on his way to Switzerland to be with his family when the Malaysian agent appointed to make the travel arrangements held the boy captive for ransom, the Star daily reported.

April 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Two US senators have introduced a bill to make it tougher for American firms to employ foreign professionals under its H-1B and L1 visa programmes utilised the most by Indians and the Chinese. The bill introduced by Senators Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin Given Thursday would require US firms looking for skilled foreign professionals to make a 'good faith' attempt to employ Americans first before seeking foreign workers.

March 24th, 2009 BRUSSELS - Brussels-based Europe India Chamber of Commerce has criticized the European Union's restrictive visa policy towards Indian business people and called for improvements, EuAsiaNews reported. 'This goes against the spirit of EU-India strategic partnership as due to the visa restriction it has become practically impossible for Indian business people to fulfil setting up businesses in Europe and also to conclude any business collaboration,' Sunil Prasad, secretary general of the body, said Tuesday.

March 12th, 2009 SYDNEY - A clean-up was under way on Australia's east coast Thursday after beaches were coated with oil that leaked from a container vessel damaged in rough seas. The oil has begun washing up on eight kilometres of beaches in Moreton Bay near Brisbane and there are fears that slicks will also spoil beaches on the Sunshine Coast.

March 10th, 2009 LONDON - Troubled British singer Amy Winehouse's plans for a massive American comeback gig were shattered Sunday night after she was denied a US work visa. Mirror.co.uk reports that Winehouse was due to play at the Coachella festival, California, next month but was told her entry would be blocked because she has been charged with assaulting a fan.

March 7th, 2009 MOSCOW - A Russian-Venezuelan agreement scrapping visa requirements entered into force Friday. The agreement will allow Russians and Venezuelans to visit each others' countries for up to 90 days without having to apply for visas.

February 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - An Indian American jewellery executive and a former Toronto-based US diplomat have pleaded guilty to trading gemstone rings, trips with exotic dancers and other gifts in exchange for expedited work visas. According to court papers, Sunil Agrawal, the chief executive officer of New York-based STS Jewels, gave presents to Mike O'Keefe, who was the deputy non-immigrant visa chief at the US consulate in Toronto.

February 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Eyeing the increasing number of Indian tourists to Britain, the British tourism authority Wednesday launched a new initiative to facilitate their travel to the country. The authority, VisitBritain, launched a range of popular travel products that travellers can buy in India before flying to Britain.

February 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - In a move that will ease processing of travel and visa documents for inbound tourists from Singapore and boost tourism and trade ties between both the countries, the Indian High Commission in Singapore has hired Quoprro Global, a subsidiary of Cox and Kings India Limited, to start visa and passport services. According to the mandate given by the Indian High Commission, Quoprro Global will accept all visa applications for India from Singapore nationals and other foreign nationals, who are residents of Singapore, as well as passport applications for Indian nationals residing in Singapore.

January 27th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Jelena Dokic's notorious father Damir said Channel 7 is trying to bring him to Australia. Damir says the television network offered to pay all his bills and clear away obstacles to his travel.

January 21st, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has no plans to seek a US visa after the change of guard at the White House, an official said here Thursday. Modi has not made any request for a visa to visit the US as he has no plans to go to that country in the near future, an official at the Chief Minister's Office said in a press release here Thursday.

January 14th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Canada Thursday sought the cooperation of the Punjab government to curb the menace of fraudulent visas being issued by unscrupulous travel and immigration agents in the state while sending people to Canada. A delegation led by Canadian Minister for Citizenship, Immigration and Multi-culturalism Jason Kenney Thursday met Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and sought cooperation from the Punjab government to address the issue of fraudulent visa cases.