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Jet Inspections Continue
The inspections continue on 1100 U.S. jets in the wake of the Alaska Airlines crash off California. So far, they've turned up 19 possible tail wing problems. If that weren't enough to discourage you from flying, the government now says runway accidents and near accidents are on the rise at U.S. airports. The F.A.A. says the number of such incidents has increased 60 percent in the past five years. Fifty people have died on American runways since 1990. But never fear: Washington's politicos are getting involved. They're calling for a summit to discuss the dangers of more accidents and the need to curtail them.

Busiest Hub
It's official: Atlanta's Hartsfield airport is the busiest air hub in the world! The holiday rush edged Hartsfield's takeoffs and landings to nearly 910,000 in 1999. Chicago, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Los Angeles and Detroit round out the top five.

Mandatory AIDS Testing
When heading overseas it's always a good idea to get a physical first...and if you're traveling to some countries you've got to include an AIDS test. The U.S. State Department recently updated its list of countries requiring HIV tests. Some require it only for long-time visitors, but others say if you're staying for longer than two weeks you'll have to show proof positive you're not HIV-positive. Now here's where it gets tricky. Some countries, including the United Kingdom, require AIDS tests for "people who look ill." A pretty subjective thing, according to Samford University law professor Leonard Nelson, who's written on the subject.

Nelson: "That's been the criticism, that instead of just applying it to people who look like they're severely ill they'll apply it to somebody who looks gay, for example, or target people from specific countries that have higher prevalence rates."

There is no legal recourse, because each country's allowed to make its own rules. One piece of advice, though: many countries require you to get your AIDS test there; they won't accept a note from your stateside doctor. If that's the case, and you're heading to the Third World, you probably want to pack you own hypodermic needle, says travel advisor Edward Hasbrouck.

Hasbrouck: "In many poor countries needles are reused even by people who know that that is not optimal simply because there aren't good supplies and because they're expensive."

Hasbrouck always packs extra needles when he's traveling, just in case he needs blood drawn or a shot of antibiotics. The U.S. is one of the only countries that doesn't sell hypodermic needles over the counter, but Hasbrouck says you can usually get a prescription for one from your doctor or a travel clinic.

Art Exhibits Raise Brows
Two European art exhibits are raising eyebrows this week. Danish police shut down a controversial show that featured goldfish swimming in aquariums made from blenders. The Museum allowed visitors to decide whether to turn on the blenders. Several fish died before animal rights activists got involved.

And in Paris, the show must go on! The Canadian government is defending an exhibit it sponsored that features actresses posing as prostitutes and engaging in erotic conversations with visitors. No word what the French think of the presentation.

Travel Advisory
with Cheryl Glaser

Sunny Shores Clouded by Violence
Two famous tourist playgrounds are in trouble. The sun-drenched shores of Southern Spain are reeling from an outbreak of anti-immigrant violence in which mobs of residents chased African immigrants through the streets, chanting racist slogans, trashing foreign-owned shops and beating those they could catch.

Meanwhile, Bali is watching nervously as the religious unrest that has sparked violence on nearby islands moves closer to home. Recently, the houses of several ethnic Chinese in Bali were vandalized; Balinese officials are keen to prevent such disruptions of troubling tourists.

Italian Transportation Strikes
And traveling in Italy is a bit of challenge these days. Buses, trams and subways ground to a halt Tuesday as transport workers protested failed contract talks. Rome is bracing for more trouble: train personnel are upset over a government proposed restructuring of the rail system.

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