It’s a good time to be a professional bug killer in Asia. Fears of major bedbug outbreaks have been palpable across the Asia-Pacific region for weeks, amplified by breathless news media coverage of an outbreak in France earlier this year and a smaller, more recent one in South Korea. Those cases, along with a general…
When Muchi Gubwe was a fledgling hotel concierge in Cape Town, he would often refer to his seasoned colleagues as “moving encyclopedias.” “Forget Google,” Mr. Gubwe, now the head concierge at the Mount Nelson, a Belmond hotel in the city’s Gardens neighborhood, said on a video call last month. “These are the people you need…
A government shutdown won’t be disrupting travel plans this Thanksgiving after Congress agreed on Wednesday to a funding package that lasts through early next year. But clouds and crowds might make your trip a slog anyway. The Transportation Security Administration expects about 30 million passengers to fly between this Friday and the Tuesday after Thanksgiving,…
From getting a good deal to figuring out insurance requirements, renting a car can be a complicated, pitfall-prone experience. Here are some best practices to follow, from reservations through returns. Compare prices and convenience of airport vs. nonairport locations Prices vary widely based on the vehicle model and the location of the agency. Airport rentals,…
Airfares to many popular destinations have recently fallen to their lowest levels in months, and even holiday travel is far cheaper than it was last year, providing some welcome relief to consumers who have been frustrated for months by high prices for all manner of goods and services. The glut of deals suggests that the…
A gospel singer was threatened with being removed from a Delta Air Lines flight after she refused to stop singing on the plane because, she said, she was “doing what the Lord” told her to do. The singer, Bobbi Storm, posted a video on her social media accounts that showed her and a flight attendant…
A search-and-rescue group in British Columbia advised hikers to use a paper map and compass instead of street map programs after it said two hikers had been rescued by helicopter after likely following a trail that did not exist but that appeared on Google Maps. The group, North Shore Rescue, said on Facebook that on…
The tiny town of Hochatown, on the shores of Broken Bow Lake in the southeast corner of Oklahoma, was created exactly one year ago. And it’s almost entirely thanks to Airbnb. “Airbnb built this town 100 percent,” said Dian Jordan, the mayor of Hochatown. Last November, Ms. Jordan and 128 fellow residents successfully fought to…
A plane flying from London to Orlando, Fla., last month was forced to turn around because some windowpanes were missing or damaged, startling passengers who had reported hearing roaring sounds inside the cabin, the authorities said. The plane, an Airbus A321, had four damaged windowpanes, including two that were completely missing, as it took off…
With some tweaks, the colorful minnow and feathered lures would make pretty cute earrings, I thought, or great Christmas tree ornaments. Spread across a table, the lures were bright and arresting — and would be to crappies, muskies and smallmouth bass as well, as a half-dozen other female students and I learned from the biologist…