The volcanic ash has disrupted the air travel in Europe for the fourth day today and the passenger got stranded in the airports without any relief. The disaster had left the airlines with big financial loss and chaos in operation. Several European airlines have already thought of emergency layoffs. The loss is estimated at more than $2 billion. Almost 8 million passengers in Europe and around the world have been affected by the volcanic ash.

Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Air New Zealand, Thai Airways and China Airlines of Taiwan are some of the Asian airlines that had cancelled some of their flights. The airlines are pressing the aviation authorities to clear the ban.

Airlines complained that the European government were overreacting to the threat and were relying on computer model more than the real time safety tests and analysis. The data that the European government were relying on were unreliable and incomplete.

Toyota Motor Corporation has stopped the sales of its Lexus SUV temporarily, in US market. The vehicles are sold in Middle East, Oceana and Russia. The Customer Report, a non profit magazine, has reported ‘safety risk’ and has advised the customers not to buy the vehicle. Toyota did not challenge the report since the good ratings that they have given for Toyota’s previous model have boosted sales for them.

Toyota are planning to recall the vehicle model. They said that their quality service team have thoroughly researched the vehicle and their research team also found that the vehicle slides during some sweeping turns. It is not clear if the sales in the markets outside US would be stopped.

Toyota which is already facing a fall in reputation is very careful about not damaging their reputation any further and thus losing clients. They are taking every efforts to rectify the fault of the SUV and also the owners would be duly compensated.

So far, there were big claims from the credit reports website hosting companies that the credit reports are for free and they largely advertised the needs for going through the credit reports. For using their websites, one has to register and in the process of registration, they asked for the credit card details, duly intimating that the details sought are for information only’. When the credit card bills of the customers came, they would have charged some fees by these websites companies. They would have been given some privilege for a short period of time and if the customers do not cancel the privilege, it would be extended for some charges.

The customers have complaint to the FTC on levy of such charges and the laws have come to disclose to the customers that these websites are not for free and are not mandate reports that the customers are entitled by law. They come with strings attached.

The law wants these websites to clearly mention that ‘notice is required by law’ to notify that the so and so charges would be levied for so and so reasons. The charges should be levied only upon the approval of the customers and should come as a surprise to him.

Russians are observing a day of mourning for 39 people killed in twin suicide bombings on the Moscow Metro.

People have been lighting candles and laying flowers in memory of the victims of Monday’s rush-hour attacks.

President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered increased security and suggested anti-terrorism laws could be reformed.

Police are said to be seeking three people seen with the bombers, and officials have blamed Muslim militants from the North Caucasus for the attack.

No group said it had carried out the bombings, but previous attacks in the capital have been carried out by – or blamed on – militants from Chechnya.

The main lesson that ordinary Russians should draw from this tragedy is that the authorities and the people exist separately from each other

The US has vowed to help bring the perpetrators to justice.

After the credit card policies revised by the Federal Reserve, it is now the chance for the gift cards. New rules have been brought into effect for gift cards. The new rule says that the gift cards should not expire or the value reduced suddenly. The gift card should have the validity of minimum five years and there are also restrictions imposed on the charges levied from the card.

The customers should have been informed about the charges at the time of purchase of the card itself. The card should come with proper terms and conditions. Dormancy charges, balance check charges, service fees, maintenance fees, fees for using ATM , should not be charged unless the card is not used for more than one year, no more than one of the said fees is charged each month, the customer has clear information on the charges.

There are mixed reactions to the rules imposed on the gift cards.

Do you don’t find time to know what is happening around the world? Just have time to get up, get ready and go to office. Do you feel quite outdated. Or you in that part of the country where you do not get the regional newspaper you want to read?

Then logon the innumerable news websites that is there on the internet. Almost all the newspapers with a decent circulation have their own websites and give their news online too. So far, all the news websites comes free of cost to internet subscribers or users. But the same may not be available in future. There are plans to make those websites paid ones like the cable tv connections. You will have to pay for the news websites that you wish to read online. But the cost may be substantially lower than the cost of physical paper ones.

The last few days have been really disastrous for almost every part of the world. There has been abnormal increase in the temperature in the Asian continent and also Australia. Chile, situated in the bottom of South American continent, has been badly hit by a 8.8 magnitude earthquake.
And France has been hit by massive storm and resultant floods in the last 48 hours, as per weather department. And nature’s fury has been the key human destructor in 2009 with floods hitting every part of the world including Europe, China, Americas, Asia and Australia.
As per latest reports, after shocks of over 6 magnitude have hit Chile in the last 24 hours causing further damage to the troubled country. Tsunami alerts have been issued across many coastal countries in the world, including Russia, part of America, Europe and Japan.