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WORLD/TRAVEL NEWS


The Sun/Sunday, January 19, 2014


Voters overwhelmingly back Egypt constitution


 CAIRO (AP) -Almost
everyone who cast
ballots supported Egypt's
new constitution in
this week's referendum,
results announced
Saturday show, but a
boycott by Islamists
and low youth turnout
suggest the country is
still dangerously divided.
 Nearly 20 million vot-
ers backed the new con-
stitution, almost double
the number of those who
voted for one drafted in
2012 under the govern-
ment of toppled Islamist
President Mohammed
Morsi. Only a narrow
sliver of voters 1.9 per-
cent voted against the
charter, after a massive
government-sponsored
campaign supporting it
and the arrest of activists
campaigning against it.
 "Despite a milieu of
intense social upheaval
and acts of terrorism and
sabotage that sought
to derail the process,
Egyptians have now
marked yet another
defining moment in our
roadmap to democracy,"
presidential spokesman
Ehab Badawy said. "The


outcome represents
nothing less than the
dawning of a new Egypt."
 The expected over-
whelming support for
the charter is seen as key
to legitimizing Egypt's
military-backed interim
government, and the
political plan put in place
since Morsi's ouster
in July. Analysts say it
also suggests military
chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah
el-Sissi, who led the
coup against Morsi, has
enough popular support
to make a rumored
run for the presidency
himself.
 It was the first vote
since the military
removed Morsi following
massive protests in July.
Hundreds celebrated in
the streets after officials
announced the results,
including Hoda Hamza, a
housewife who waved an
Egyptian flag in Cairo's
Tahrir Square and carried
a picture of el-Sissi with
an inscription reading:
"By the order of the peo-
ple, el-Sissi is president."
 Hamza called the pas-
sage of the constitution a
foregone conclusion.


Holding national flags and portraits of military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Egypti
celebrate the passage of a new constitution after 98.1 percent of voters supported Egy
tary-backed constitution in a two-day election, in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Saturda
lead up to the vote, police arrested those campaigning for a "no" vote on the referenda
little room for arguing against the document.


 Now, "I wish el-Sissi
will be president,"
Hamza said. "We have
no better man.... If it
weren't for the army, we
wouldn't have food on
the table."
 Morsi supporters,
who boycotted the
vote, immediately
challenged the results.


Despite being outlawed
and labeled a terrorist
group, Morsi's Muslim
Brotherhood and its
allies continue to hold
near-daily protests
that often devolve into
clashes with police.
 "Even if 38 percent
of the voters took part,
that still means that


62 percent of thi
rejects" the inte
government, sa
Youssef, a mem
the Brotherhoo
alition against 1
coup and an ult
servative Islami
"They are trying
legitimize their
 Egypt's High I


 Commission said
 38.6 percent of the coun-
 try's more than 53 mil-
 lion eligible voters took
 part in the two-day poll
 Tuesday and Wednesday.
 Judge Nabil Salib, who
 heads the commission,
 called the participation
 of 20.6 million voters
 an "unrivalled success"
 and "an unprecedented
 turnout."
 In 2012, some
 16.7 million voters
 cast ballots on the
 constitution drafted
 under Morsi, repre-
 senting a 32.9 percent
 turnout amid a boycott
AP PHOTO by liberal and youth
 groups. In that election,
ians 63.8 percent voted for
ypt's mili- the constitution.
y. In the Activists and mon-
um, leaving itoring groups have
 raised concerns this
te public new election. U.S.-
erim based Democracy
id Imam International, which
iber of had some 80 observers
d's co- in Egypt, said a heavy
the July security deployment
tracon- and the layout of some
ist party, of the polling stations
g to "could have jeopardized
coup." voters' ability to cast a
Election ballot in secret."


Thai prime minister


 struggles to stay in

 BANGKOK (AP) announced that it will the
From inside her "war probe her handling of a der
room" in a temporary office controversial rice policy, I
at the Defense Ministry, an investigation that could a s(
Thailand's beleaguered force her from office if she bro
Prime Minister Yingluck is found guilty, jori
Shinawatra is watch- What's the best way to the
ing television feeds of deal with it all? an
flag-waving protesters "Keep calm. And stay est;
trying to bring down her cool," Yingluck said, by
government, flashing a brief smile as roy
 The demonstrators have she rode an elevator at the fan


taken over key pockets of
central Bangkok, blocking
off their territory with
sandbag walls guarded by
supporters. They refuse to
negotiate, and they're tram-
pling campaign billboards
bearing Yingluck's image
amid increasing doubt that
the election she called for
next month can be held.
 Yingluck can't order a
police crackdown for fear
of triggering a military
coup. And she is now
facing a serious legal threat:
The country's anti-cor-
ruption commission has



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Defense Ministry this past
week, headed for a meeting
to monitor the crisis and
discuss strategy with top
advisers. Yingluck allowed
foreign media to accompa-
ny her during most of her
activities Thursday.
 Thailand has been
plagued by sometimes
bloody bouts of unrest ever
since then-Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra -
Yingluck's older brother
- was overthrown by
the army in 2006 amid
charges of corruption
and alleged disrespect for


to t
turc
opi
OPI
tha
at t
Shi
the
toi
subL
 T
tak
ana
for
train
the
mo
Adi
sce


 power

monarchy, which he
hies.
The coup touched off
)cietal schism that in
Dad terms pits the ma-
ty rural poor who back
Shinawatras against
urban-based elite
ablishment supported
the army and staunch
alists who see Yingluck's
lily as a corrupt threat
he traditional struc-
es of power. Yingluck's
)onents a minority
t can no longer win
the polls argue the
nawatras are using
ir electoral majority
inpose their will and
vertt democracy.
The power struggle has
en place against what
lysts also see as a battle
control over a crucial
nsition period when
country's 86-year-old
narch, King Bhumibol
ulyadej, passes from the
ne.


18 dead in stampede after


India Muslim leader dies


 MUMBAI, India (AP)
-A pre-dawn stampede
killed 18 people Saturday
as tens of thousands
of people gathered to
mourn the death of a
Muslim spiritual leader
in India's financial
capital, police said.
 At least 40 other peo-
ple were injured in the
stampede when mourn-
ers thronged the home
of Syedna Mohammed
Burhanuddin, the
head of the Dawoodi
Bohra Muslim com-
munity, Mumbai Police
Commissioner Satya Pal
Singh said.
 Burhanuddin died
Friday at the age of 102.
 Thousands of white-
clad mourners had
thronged the streets
of Malabar Hill, an
upmarket neighborhood
in south Mumbai. Many
were wailing and crying
as they inched forward


through the narrow road.
 Singh said the stam-
pede occurred when
the gates leading to the
spiritual leader's house
were closed at about
1 a.m. The crowds surged
forward, with many
people getting crushed
near the gates and with
no way to escape.
 Singh acknowledged
that crowd management
around the Syedna's
home was poor and said
police at the scene were
badly outnumbered
by the huge number of
mourners.
 "We didn't think the
crowd would be so
great," Singh said. "Also,
it's an emotional occa-
sion when police cannot
take harsh measures to
push back the crowd."
 The Syedna had suc-
ceeded his father in 1965
and led the community
for nearly five decades.


He was well-known as a
promoter of education
and spiritual values in
his community.
 Tens of thousands of
Dawoodi Bohra Muslims
from all over India and
several other countries
headed to Mumbai
for his funeral later
Saturday.
 Across Mumbai, shops
and businesses owned
by Bohra Muslims were
closed Saturday in
homage to their leader.
 Deadly stampedes are
fairly common during
India's often-chaotic
religious gatherings and
festivals, where large
crowds gather in small
areas with few safety or
crowd control measures.
 In October, more
than 110 people were
killed in a stampede at a
Hindu festival in Madhya
Pradesh state in central
India.


Merger to alter frequent-flier programs


 By TOM PARSONS
 THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
 American Airlines and
 US Airways are merging,
but it will take awhile for
the two airlines to fully

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 since 1995 4l f


integrate and operate as
one. Frequent fliers,
however, are seeing some
changes.
 Members can now earn
and redeem miles on
both carriers but must
choose between banking
miles with American's
AAdvantage or US
Airways' Dividend Miles
for each flight. The two
programs won't unite until
2015.
 Another change is that
US Airways will exit the
Star Alliance on March 30
and join the Oneworld
program on March 31.


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The Oneworld program
includes American
Airlines, British Airways
and other airlines.
 The downside is that
US Airways miles will no
longer be redeemed for
award travel on United,
Lufthansa and other Star
Alliance members. If you
want to redeem on a Star
Alliance partner airline,
do so by March 30, with
travel up to 330 days from
your date of booking.
 The Star Alliance
change could also affect
United Mileage Plus
members. United won't be
able to offer US Airways
seats after March 30, so
that could make it tougher
to redeem the lower
Mileage Plus awards for
domestic travel.

 There's bad news
for American Express
platinum cardholders.
 For years, American and
US Airways have offered
free airport club entrance
for platinum cardholders
and a guest who have
same-day boarding
passes. The airlines have
announced that as of
March 22, that perk will
no longer be available.
 I can't say it's
100 percent a result of
the merger, but with both
airlines pulling out at the
same time, it's my hunch
that it is.
 If you are departing


from Terminal D at Dallas/
Fort Worth International
Airport, American Express
does have a Centurion
Lounge with free entrance
for platinum cardholders.
 Living in Dallas, I often
see people using the
American AAdvantage
Citibank card. Although
you may not fly on US
Airways often, you should
consider getting a US
Airways Dividend Miles
affinity card.
 Sometime down the
line, the companies'
frequent-flier miles will
merge, and this could be a
quick way to earn miles.
 US Airways has been
offering 30,000 bonus
miles for a card with an
$89 annual fee. The airline
average cost to buy miles
is 3 cents per mile, so
those 30,000 miles would
cost you $900 to purchase.
 The card also offers
a certificate that allows
you to bring up to two
companions for $99 each,
plus tax and fees, when
you purchase a ticket
of $250 or higher. Many
airfares, especially to
the coasts, exceed $250,
so the $99 companion
coupon is pretty good. It's
a companion ticket and
not a frequent-flier ticket,
so you may be limited to
US Airways routes, but I
imagine once the airlines'
operations merge, it will
still be honored.


 If you can get away in
February, we have been
seeing some fantastic
deals to Mexico, including
airfares from Dallas to
Puerto Vallarta for as low
as $309 round trip.
 Vacation packages
with round-trip airfare
and three nights at the
four-star Fiesta Americana
are as low as $480 per
person, based on double
occupancy, and the
package price includes
$100 in international taxes
and fees.
 We're finding many
seats leaving on Thursday,
Friday or Saturday.
January prices are higher,
and in March the ticket-
only prices to Puerto
Vallarta rise to $600 and
up, with many dates over
$700.
 We've also seen
February airfares from
Dallas to Canctiln for $289
round trip, with more
seats midweek. Three-
night packages at the
four-star Intercontinental
were going for $439 per
person, based on double
occupancy. With these
prices, you could fly to
Puerto Vallarta or Canciin
for less than the package
price to Miami, Fort
Lauderdale or Fort Myers,
Fla., during February.
 We were seeing similar
deals to Los Cabos, but
those sold out quickly.


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