U.S. State Department Issues Travel Warning for Major Western European Country

And more of today's top travel news stories.Today in travel, we have several stories that may have flown under your radar. Among them: a Guatemalan volcano is causing alarm in Antigua; the United States has issued a travel warning for Belgium; and airport strikes are causing flight cancellations in Barcelona. Dive into these and more as we examine the latest in travel news. Some or all of this article was crafted with help from AI. An editor reviewed and vetted this article before publishing. 1 OF 5 Guatemala Declares Orange Alert as Fuego Volcano Erupts Near Antigua Guatemala’s disaster agency CONRED has activated an institutional orange alert after Fuego entered a more intense eruptive phase, sending lava, ash and fast-moving pyroclastic flows down its slopes. The volcano sits about 10 miles west of Antigua, the UNESCO-listed colonial city and major tourist destination.Authorities ordered preventive evacuations in at least two communities near the volcano. CONRED said pyroclastic currents continued moving through several ravines early Tuesday and warned that more could follow if activity intensifies. Access to Fuego and nearby Acatenango remains restricted, and residents have been told to avoid the volcano and ravines, follow local instructions and be prepared to evacuate. Schools near the volcano suspended classes, while people in affected areas were advised to keep doors and windows closed because of ash.Fuego is among the region’s most active volcanoes and is closely watched because of its proximity to populated areas. In June 2018, an eruption killed more than 200 people, many after pyroclastic flows swept through the Las Lajas ravine.Read more at BBC. 2 OF 5 Strike Cancels Flights in Barcelona as Palma Walkout Is Called Off Passengers using two of Spain’s busiest airports are seeing sharply different outcomes from ground-handling labor disputes.At Barcelona-El Prat, Groundforce employees began an indefinite strike at midnight Tuesday. By noon, the employee union said 16 flights had been canceled, and two others departed without checked baggage. Affected services included routes to and from Germany, Italy and Austria. Groundforce serves Air Europa, Air France, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways and numerous other carriers. Union representatives say the dispute centers on management’s alleged failure to address worsening workplace health and safety conditions. Government-imposed minimum-service rules require 58% of international flights to operate in August, with different thresholds for other routes.At Palma Airport, in Mallorca, a separate indefinite strike by Swissport staff was called off before its planned August 4 start. The union said the settlement includes an €85 monthly payment for additional summer workloads, two consecutive days off for shift workers and urgent repairs to vehicle air-conditioning systems. The canceled action would have affected Swissport services for airlines including Condor, TUI Group, Air Canada, Etihad Airways and TAP Air Portugal.Read more at El Pais (in Spainish). 3 OF 5 U.S. Adds Crime and Unrest Warnings to Belgium The U.S. State Department has updated its travel advisory for Belgium, adding crime and unrest to the listed risks while leaving the country at Level 2, “Exercise Increased Caution.” Terrorism was already included in the guidance.The revised advisory says petty crime is common in popular tourist areas, particularly thefts such as purse snatching and pickpocketing. It also cautions that large demonstrations, while generally peaceful, can disrupt transportation and other essential services. Travelers are urged to avoid crowds, monitor local news, and remain alert around tourist attractions, banks, and ATMs.Belgian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Florinda Baleci told The Brussels Times that countries have the right to issue their own travel guidance. She added that Belgian security services work together to protect everyone in the country, including visitors.The State Department continues to warn of a risk of terrorist violence in Belgium. Americans planning a trip are also encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, which provides security alerts and can help the U.S. Embassy make contact during an emergency.Read more at The Brussels Times. 4 OF 5 Six MSC Cruise Passengers Accused of Broadcasting Fake Emergency Alerts Six Italian passengers were reported to authorities after allegedly using the MSC Divina’s public-address system to broadcast false emergency messages during a sailing from Marmaris, Turkey, to Naples.The incident occurred shortly before 6:30 a.m. on July 30. Reports say the announcements reached public areas on two decks and included a claim that the captain had lost control of the ship. Other passengers contacted the Italian Coast Guard, and officers boarded after the vessel docked in Naples. Investigators traced the transmissions to the six adults, all from Naples, who were accused of causing an alarm and gaining unauthorized access to a computer system.The precise method remains under investigation. Although Italian reports described access to the ship’s communications network, MSC Cruises said none of its computer systems was hacked or compromised and that the vessel’s safe operation was never affected. The captain later broadcast a clarification and apology. Because MSC Divina is registered in Panama, investigators are expected to share their findings with Panamanian authorities.Read more at People. 5 OF 5 Romanian Navy Blasts Danube Rock Due to Low Water Flow Romanian naval forces used about 180 kilograms of explosives Monday to dislodge part of the Pârjoaia rock formation in the Danube’s Bala branch, an emergency measure intended to send more water toward the Old Danube and the Cernavodă nuclear power plant.Officials said divers found that roughly four meters of rock had been removed. Crews planned to lift the fragments with a crane and continue dredging the Old Danube-Bala sector. Authorities also said they intended to sink four barges by Wednesday morning to form a temporary guiding dike. The structure is expected to redirect flow toward Cernavodă and raise the local water level by an estimated 10 to 12 centimeters.The work comes as the Danube’s flow has fallen to its lowest level in four decades. Keeping enough water available for the nuclear plant is the main objective, though interim Defense Minister Radu Miruță said the operation should also improve navigation and make dredging easier. Officials warned that river levels were continuing to fall as the broader intervention moved forward.Read more at Adevarul (in Romanian).