Visiting this country? Be very afraid

The US Department of State issues travel advisories for its citizens visiting destinations around the globe.

Its website has several warnings for one particular country that "terrorists have targeted, and could continue to target".

Visitors should "remain vigilant toward their personal security and exercise caution".

They should be "aware that robberies, burglaries, assault, and auto theft are common in larger cities and that foreign visitors in popular tourist areas are targets for pickpockets, purse-snatchers, and petty thieves."

Night-time is particularly dangerous. 

"Be careful when visiting bars or clubs in the entertainment areas of major cities, as “bar brawls” and other assaults sometimes occur. You should watch out for drink spiking when consuming alcohol with unfamiliar people".

Which country are are our trigger happy US "friends and allies" talking about? Australia, of course.

Check out the dangers here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Australia.html

Note: As of March 31, a total of 208 people had been killed and 419 people had been wounded in 125 shootings in the US this year. In Australia there has been one mass killing in 2024, in which seven people died.

Image: Juli Bell, Scop.io 

What a bloody mess: café worker sacked for "job terrorism"

Now here's a seriously weird story.

A Japanese café has sacked one of its employees after she allegedly used her own blood in place of coloured syrup to make cocktails.

The Mondaiji Con Cafe Daku in Sapporo, Hokkaido - whose name loosely translates to 'Problem Child Concept Café' - apologised for the staff member's actions.

The establishment’s owner added that the café had been forced to close for a day while all drinking glasses were replaced as a safety precaution.

“Such an act is no different from part-time job terrorism and is absolutely not acceptable,” the owner Tweeted.

The woman's motive was not revealed.

The establishment is one of Japan's concept cafes offering different experiences. Other offerings include cat cafés and maid and butler establishments.

The bizarre behaviour followed a spate of so-called "sushi terrorism" in Japan, where restaurant-goers interfere with sushi going round on a conveyor belt, Drinks Business reports.

In February, the share price of Akindo Sushiro’s parent company dropped by 5%, after a video was shared of a teenage boy in a restaurant in Gifu Prefecture licking and then returning a soy sauce bottle and tea cup.

Two major restaurant chains have disabled their conveyor belts and returned to a traditional table-serving process to remove the risk of people carrying out the crimes, which have include spraying hand sanitiser on passing plates of food.

Image: Ivan Naunov, Scop.io