Sir Richard Branson’s Australian budget carrier Virgin Blue was found guilty of discriminating against older women who applied to become air hostesses. Eight women aged between 36 and 56 took their case against the budget carrier Virgin Blue to a tribunal, after being put through job interviews that required them to sing and dance. Despite all being experienced former flight attendants with the failed Australian airline Ansett, none made it past the first round. One woman was told she lacked “Virgin flair”. “They were after a certain look that appeals to Richard Branson,” Theresa Stewart, 52, who had been a flight attendant for 27 years, told a hearing. “The assessment was designed to view a large number of people in a very short space of time to see how they look. If you had two beautiful, blonde girls, 25 and gorgeous, then they went to them like homing pigeons.” Virgin Blue admitted that it had not hired any cabin crew over the age of 36 in a two-year recruitment drive because mostly young women had applied. The women won their case, with one being awarded �2,000 for hurt and humiliation.

41 of the 110 Orang-Utans are missing from Bangkok’s “Safari World” wildlife and amusement park, known for its Orang-Utan kick-boxing shows. The “Safari Park” manager says the creatures died from pneumonia, but Thai police suspect the orang-utans may have been disposed of to avoid DNA testing, to show if they had been smuggled illegally into Thailand.

The Bangkok amusement park has been the target of animal rights campaigners for some time and last week, Thai authorities forced “Safari World” to suspend its Orang-Utan fights while Police investigated the many claims of cruelty and exploitation. Orang-Utans are protected and endangered animals and only found in the wild in the jungles of Malaysia and Indonesia. Forestry officials from Jakarta visited Bangkok last week with smuggling allegations and to press the Thai Government for DNA tests on Safari World’s apes to determine their origin.

British musicians claim to have set the world record by playing a gig at the world’s highest altitude – above Mount Everest’s Base Camp. The Everest gig was organised by British charity The Nepal Balabalika Trust (Trust for Nepalese Children) and lasted 40-minutes before about 100 mountaineers, and aimed to raise money for children victimised by armed conflict in Nepal. The musicians who played also included Martin Harley of The Martin Harley Band, and solo artists Ben Michaels, Michael ‘Skyhook’, Billy Page, Mike McGuiness and Nick Storey, said trust member Jason Merry.

More than two years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, 10,000 artefacts looted from the National Museum of Iraq are still missing and archaeological sites across Iraq have been plundered. The National Museum of Iraq is closed to the public and inside just about everything portable has been stolen, all except a dozen ancient statues which are just too vast to move. Unfortunately, sue to the on-going violence in Iraq, no-one has the time or manpower to look for either the stolen museum pieces or to protect the sites scattered around Iraq.

13-15th January, 2005 at Olympia, London

Where better to start Planning your Adventure holiday or Career break than at Olympia this January?

• Over 250 exhibitors * Over 100 free talks
• New exhibitors, new speakers, new features, new ideas for 2006

Whether you are a discerning traveller looking for inspirational holiday ideas or a seasoned adventurer, come and visit us at Olympia this January – it’s where the adventure begins. Now in its 11th year, The Daily Telegraph Adventure Travel and Sports Show is the only event dedicated to showcasing the UK’s biggest collection of off-the-beaten-track holidays. For everyone planning a travel experience in 2006 – from gentle treks to rafting the Grand Canyon to taking a career break – this is the only opportunity to meet directly with more than 250 specialist adventure travel providers from around the world.

Visit www.adventureshow.co.uk for full details on talks and features and up to date show news. 13 – 15 January 2006 Olympia, London 10.00am – 6.00pm daily

Globetrotters members can get Tickets for �7 in advance (�10 on the Door) by quoting ‘Globetrotters’ by Visiting www.adventureshow.co.uk or call 0870 161 2122

Survival International, a London-based organisation which accuses the Botswana government of ethnic cleansing against the Kalahari Bushmen has come under fierce criticism for allegedly distorting the true picture. One of the largest Bushmen groups in Botswana, the Kuru Family of Organisations, claims that is untrue. “There’s no genocide taking place, there’s no ethnic cleansing taking place,” said Braam Le Roux, a coordinator of the group.

Stephen Corry, director of Survival said: “Ethnic cleansing, yes. Genocide, it’s a question of looking at the term. We are very close to saying this is outright genocide, although the government has not, as yet, outright killed people.” Survival International works with around 700 Bushmen, either evicted from, or facing eviction from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, their ancestral land for 20,000 years.

Stephen Corry’s understanding of genocide is the forced removal of the Bushmen, which he believes will lead to their eventual destruction as a distinct people.

The Chiang Mai Night Safari Park, part of a huge project aimed at turning the area into “Chiang Mai World”, has received a boost with Kenya agreeing to provide Thailand with 135 African wild animals. Thailand in turn has pledged to provide financial assistance worth 20 million baht to Kenya so it can set up an elephant fund to help Kenya tackle the problem of rogue elephants. Wildlife activists have expressed concern over the welfare of the wild animals. Several major NGOs have expressed strong opposition to the use of wildlife for entertainment. They also questioned the deal’s transparency. One key concern is opposition to the export and exchange of wildlife, particularly species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species list, such as white rhinos, lions and Sita tigers.

Norway’s Directorate for Cultural Heritage has begun a unique program of setting up signs to highlight historical landmarks – underwater. The signs will be placed in order to discourage vandalism and plundering. About 30 shipwrecks in southern Norway will get the familiar preservation sign from the directorate, to help divers appreciate – and respect – some of the country’s less obvious attractions. Signs will be placed at depths of 10-30 meters (33-98 feet), and will point out wrecks and cargo that are particularly vulnerable to plundering.

The head of civil rights for the US Department of Homeland Security is urging Muslim air travellers to register with the federal government before flying to reduce the chances they might be stopped at an airport because their name is on or similar to names on an anti-terrorism watch list. Registering by completing a two-page “Passenger Identity Verification Form” which can be done on-line.�

The Homeland Security department shares the information with airlines, who compare it against security lists that might otherwise red-flag a passenger. The aim is to distinguish a traveller from people whose names – or close variations thereof – appear on US no-fly lists compiled by intelligence and law enforcement agencies. The department says they want to improve their relations with Muslims and Arab-Americans.�

The two-page “Passenger Identity Verification Form” asks for personal information including name, address, birth date, height, weight, eye and hair colour, and requires copies of three of the following documents: passport, visa, birth certificate, naturalisation certificate, voter registration card, government identity card or military identity card.

Jon from the UK writes, in connection with a travel warning issued by the UK government about the Philippines:

I’ve visited the Philippines 3 times this year and travelled widely. I think our FO is overdoing it with its travel warning. The Sulus, Basilan and parts of Mindanao are certainly to be avoided but the rest of the country is pretty safe. Local skirmishes do break out between anti- government forces and the army but you will be stopped from getting too close to such a situation, in the unlikely event that you are close. This happened to me in Mindanao 2 weeks ago.

I have always felt pretty safe and found most people helpful and friendly. I believe the risk of street crime is substantially lower than over here. There is remarkably little begging and hassling, especially considering the low standard of living of many people. Large scale corruption is a way of life, led by the President and her family, but is need not be the concern of tourists. In short, do not be afraid of going to the Philippines on holiday, just avoid southern Mindanao and the Sulu region.