Scores of people were missing off Papua New Guinea on Thursday after a ferry carrying about 350 passengers sank, Australian rescue authorities said, with many feared dead.

Australia's Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said 238 people had been plucked from the sea and from liferafts by 5.30 p.m. (2:30 a.m. ET), about 12 hours after the MV Rabaul Queen went down.

"This is obviously a major tragedy - 350 people on board a ship that has gone down," Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard told reporters in Melbourne.

"It is likely a very high loss of life here."

Eight merchant vessels nearby had been diverted to the scene, with helicopters and Australian fixed wing aircraft also sent to help with the rescue, AMSA said.

"We are getting more life rafts out into the water," AMSA spokeswoman Carly Lusk said.

"There have been more reports of vessels sighting people in life rafts, so we're hoping for the number (of survivors) to increase in the very near future."

While earlier reports had said the weather was fair, AMSA said there were winds of 40 knots (75 kmh) and swells of about 5 meters (16 ft).

The 47 meter (155 ft) ship reportedly sank about 9 nautical miles off Finschhafen on the South Pacific nation's north coast. The ferry was on its way from Kimbe, a dive spot on the island of New Britain, to the mainland city of Lae.

The ship's owners, Rabaul Shipping, said they had no information about what caused the accident, adding the vessel sank quickly and without sending a distress message.

"There is no sign of the Rabaul Queen," the company said in a statement emailed to Reuters.

"BRING SAFETY BACK"

Papua New Guinea's maritime authority said earlier at least 28 people had been rescued, with many more floating in the sea where the ferry went down.

Nurur Rahman, acting chief of Papua New Guinea's maritime safety authority, said it was too early to speculate on the cause of the sinking.

Survivors were being ferried to hospitals in Lae, the provincial capital and the country's second-largest city, he added.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said the government would carry out a full investigation into the disaster, given the importance of sea transport in a country where the cost of flying is prohibitive for most people.

"We will leave no stone unturned. We need to bring some safety measures back into this industry," O'Neill said.

"We cannot afford to continue to lose our people's lives. Sea transport is one of the most important forms of transportation in the country."

PNG, Australia's nearest neighbor, is largely undeveloped, with poor infrastructure and limited facilities despite enormous resources wealth.

The majority of its six million people eke out subsistence livings in villages clinging to jungle-clad mountains or scattered around its many islands.

(Reporting by James Grubel in CANBERRA; Additional reporting by Lincoln Feast in SYDNEY and Maggie Lu in CANBERRA; Editing by Paul Tait and Robert Birsel)

Source: Reuters

Guiliano Pisapia, Milan’s Lord Mayor, confirmed in his official statement yesterday, a stop of traffic stop on Friday and Saturday, December 9 and 10, 2011.

The data held by the junta "indicate the continuation of the emergency situation that is at the base, including legal ordinances.

In addition to the expected traffic jam and closed schools for Friday, December 9, and Saturday, December 10, there is a special plan to wash the streets.

Also confirmed is the blocking of diesel vehicles euro3, the extraordinary opening of stores for up to 24 hours, and measures for the reduction of one degree of warming as stated in an offical statement.

It is the first time that a smog alarm in Milan is bringing the city to a standstill during the weekdays. Normally, these measurements have been applied on Sundays, when one could see
people coming on horses into town, or on roller skates, while police was controlling the living quarters where families were gathering on bikes and afraid to leave them when visiting
parents for a Sunday lunch.

An improvement in the weather condition is said to be coming on Tuesday, but that is not enough. Drastic measurements need to be taken and shopkeepers are protesting as the entire circulation in Milan will come to an standstill.

On Friday, schools will remain closed to prevent further pollution caused by heating. While in Milanese households, the avarage temperature is going to be reduced by at least
one point (in Italy most heating systems are regulated by law).

In his speech, Mayor Pisapia had also apologized to the citizens for the inconvenience that the stop of the cars for two days will bring.

"Forgive me if you force her to spend a few days 'walk[ing]' he said,"I do not sleep at night and reflect these days," the Mayor said in his speech.

A few hours before, the Mayor had shown it may be possible for the city to revoke the suspension of all traffic, said Corriere della Sera.

On Thursday, December 8, is a big celebration for the holy Patron San Ambrogio of Milan (a holiday in Milan only). Milan is facing a long weekend of austerity and frustrated Christmas shoppers as well. Travelers should be aware of this.

A alternative solution for Christmas shoppers could be Turin - easy to reach in only 50 minutes from Milan by the new fast train, Frecciarossa - fantastically illuminated with a wonderful Baroque Center and greatshopping... and no smog.

Source: eTN Buzz

KYIV, Ukraine - "In the next three and a half years, essentially, a completely new tourist city will emerge near Yevpatoria," stated the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine - Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Borys Kolesnikov after the conference Inside Ukraine, organized by The Economist in London. The minister said that the development will ensue within the national program to modernize the Crimean peninsula into an attractive tourist destination.

Minister Kolesnikov explained that a new tourist city would be built from scratch on the Crimean peninsula. It will offer hotel accommodation for thousands of visitors along with vast opportunities for investment in the development of infrastructure. Additionally, the plan to develop Crimea stipulates for two new airports to be built in the central and southern parts of the peninsula.

The move is growing in popularity in various countries of the world. In Saudi Arabia six so-called "economic cities" are being built across the country. The aim of the project is to create over a million new job opportunities and provide homes for 4-5 million residents. The project is set to contribute USD 150 billion to the GDP of Saudi Arabia by 2020.

This year the government of Honduras introduced one of the most revolutionary concepts of new cities. The major advantage of the emerging city will be a charter of legally binding rules regulating the life in the area. One of the better governed countries of the world will be asked to guarantee the charter.

Crimea is an autonomous republic of Ukraine located in the south of the country. Its geographical location makes the peninsula the most favorable for recreation region of Ukraine. Crimea is surrounded by the Black Sea and borders on the Sea of Azov. The mildly salty waters of the Black Sea, perfectly warm in summer, attract millions of tourists to the sunny beaches of the southern Crimean coast annually.

As of now, the Crimean tourist infrastructure and the quality of services provided has hardly reached its potential. This serves as an incentive for the Ukrainian government to invest in the development of the region, as well as provides an attraction for foreign investors who have a chance to capitalize on the emerging tourist market with high potential.

Source: eTN Buzz