Latest news with #Esta
Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Japan to launch pre-screening of visa-free travellers in FY 2028
A record 36.87 million foreign travellers visited Japan in 2024, up 47.1 per cent from the previous year. PHOTO: AFP TOKYO - Japan will launch pre-arrival screening of visa-free travellers in fiscal 2028, as the government aims to boost its booming inbound tourism further, according to the Justice Ministry. The government is looking to raise the efficiency of the process by introducing screening modelled on the United States' Electronic System for Travel Authorisation, the ministry said in April. A record 36.87 million foreign travellers visited Japan in 2024, up 47.1 per cent from the previous year, and as tourism is a main pillar in Japan's growth strategy, the government aims to lift the number to 60 million in 2030. Under the new system, travellers from countries with visa exemptions for short-term stays in Japan will be required to provide travel and personal information, such as their names, purposes of stay and locations, at least several days before arrival. The Immigration Services Agency of Japan will be able to examine the travellers' data in advance, and if they have any criminal history or record of illegal stays in Japan, the agency may not allow them to board planes to Japan, the ministry said. According to the Foreign Ministry, nationals of 71 countries and regions, including the US and South Korea, are exempted from obtaining visas for short-term stays. The US established the Esta system in 2001 following the terrorist attacks of Sept 11 that year. A number of other countries, including Canada, have since introduced similar systems. KYODO NEWS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Times
21-04-2025
- Times
German teenagers strip-searched by US border guards in Hawaii
Two German teenagers who arrived in Hawaii were strip-searched and detained overnight in the latest example of US border officials treating tourists harshly. Charlotte Pohl, 19, and Maria Lepere, 18, arrived in Honolulu on March 18 but appear to have aroused suspicions by not having accommodation booked for their entire five-week trip. They told the Ostsee-Zeitung newspaper they were made to wear prison overalls and were kept in a cell before being expelled by US Customs and Border Protection, despite both having the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (Esta) document required for entry into the country. Reports of heavy-handed treatment by border guards may be a factor in a 12 per cent decline in tourism last month compared with a year earlier, according to data
Iraq Business
15-04-2025
- Business
- Iraq Business
Iraq Signs Contract for Third Offshore Pipeline Project
By John Lee. Iraq has signed a contract for the construction of its third offshore pipeline to enhance the stability and flexibility of crude oil exports from its southern ports. The project, which is being executed by a consortium of Italian company Micoperi and Turkish company Esta, is designed to handle 2.4 million barrels per day. The Minister of Oil, Hayan Abdul Ghani, stated that this project is a strategic initiative and aligns with the government's plan to ensure the stability and flexibility of crude oil export operations from southern Iraq's ports. The operational capacity of the pipeline will be approximately 2 million barrels per day. The pipeline will allow for crude oil exports from three locations: Basra Port, Khor al-Amaya Port, and a floating platform. The project, which has been approved by the Cabinet, involves laying a 48-inch pipeline with a length of 61 km offshore and 9 km onshore. It will also include two offshore platforms, one at Basra Oil Port and the other at Khor al-Amaya Port, as well as a floating buoy for crude oil export. Additionally, the project will include associated electrical, communication, and cathodic protection systems. (Source: Ministry of Oil)
Zawya
14-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Iraq signs deal for 2.4mln bpd subsea oil pipeline
CAIRO: Iraq has signed a deal to establish a subsea oil pipeline for exports via its southern ports, the country's oil ministry said on Sunday. The project is in cooperation with Italian offshore contractor Micoperi and Turkey's Esta for a pipeline with capacity of 2.4 million barrels per day (bpd), the ministry said without providing further detail on the destination of the exports. (Reporting by Muayad Suadi Writing by Jaidaa Taha and Menna Alaa El Din Editing by David Goodman)
Local France
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Local France
France updates travel advice over new 'sex at birth' rules in US
In recent days Germany, Denmark and the UK have updated their travel advice to citizens planning on a trip to the USA - now France has followed suit, modifying advice to people travelling from France. The new French guidance draws attention to Donald Trump's executive order around sex at birth. The French travel advice now reads : "It is strongly recommended to regularly consult the website of the US Embassy in France and to contact the airline in order to verify any changes or new measures adopted. "In particular, for new visa or Esta applications, it should be noted that a section has been added which requires, by virtue of the presidential decree of January 20th, 2025, to indicate the 'sex at birth'." Advertisement The Esta visa waiver is required by all Europeans going to the US for a short trip as a tourist, it must be applied for online in advance of the trip. The US State Department's travel advice FAQs section tells users: "When completing the 'sex' field [of a visa application], please select your sex at birth: male or female. Generally, this will be the sex listed on your passport. However, if your passport lists your gender identity, does not list a sex, or lists 'X'/'unspecified' in a sex identifier field, you must select your sex at birth." The travel advisory stops short of advising against travel to the USA, or of raising the risk level for travellers. In his inaugural address, Donald Trump had said that the United States would now recognise only 'two sexes, male and female' defined at birth, which would do away with the gender marker 'X', for people who identify as non-binary. In France transgender people can legally change their gender on their official documents like a passport or ID card, although there is no option on official documents for an X, or non-binary designation. The general advice to French nationals travelling to the US remains unchanged, with the French government advising: "Tourists are asked to comply scrupulously with the regulations in force. "When dealing with the police, it is imperative not to make false statements, raise your voice, or make sudden or aggressive gestures. In the event of a dispute, please contact the Consulate General responsible for the district concerned." READ MORE: Travel warnings for Americans in France and vice versa
