Eta has planted a number of bombs against tourist targets in recent weeks, creating chaos and uncertainty in Spain's most important industry. It is a diversion from its usual strategy. A Foreign Office spokesman explained: "People should report suspicious packages and be aware of the background to the recent terrorist attacks.''Sometimes, however, the language can sound a bit understated. "They might say 'non-essential trips should be reconsidered' which is Foreign Office speak for don't go there," said Keith Betton, head of corporate affairs at the Association of British Tourist Travel Agents "They have to be diplomatic.". "Such advice is reserved for visitors to places like Georgia, where you must "Be vigilant and take sensible precautions against mugging", and Kashmir, where you are told to be "vigilant" and wary of explosions. Tour operators take their cue from the Foreign Office and describe the information as "crucial" since it is "independent".The travel advice unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises Britons that they "should not attempt to visit" the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Burundi, Iraq, Jammu and Kashmir (India), Liberia, Montserrat, Somalia and Western Sahara.Other countries to be avoided "unless on essential business" are Angolia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Central African Republic, Congo, Rwanda and Tajikstan.The situation in Spain is not yet bad enough to be in the "Be Vigilant" bracket. Tourists are reminded that the "stated aim" of Eta is to disrupt the tourist industry and told to "report any suspicious bags or packets to the local police". The Foreign Office travel advice - which warns of potential hazards ranging from political insurgency and diptheria epidemics to pickpockets - is available on Ceefax and in travel agents.

The amended version refers to the bomb, but otherwise the advice remains unchanged. In the past, the Union Flag has been hijacked by extreme right-wing groups like the National Front. We should now make [it] available to everyone to fly in their gardens and at their place of work. "At the moment, you have to get planning permission before you can even erect a flagpole. Government buildings are allowed to fly the flag only on 20 days a year, and those have to be special days. We should allow them to fly it whenever they want." The Union Flag Bill will come before the Commons next Wednesday..

A row over the use of a Belgian helicopter to rescue a cyclist who fell off a cliff at Dover will leave the Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Portillo, facing Commons questions. Labour has described the incident as "demeaning" and a result of the Government's reorganisation of air-sea rescue services. As it happened, the injured cyclist was rescued by a Kent air ambulance crew of volunteers. David Clark, Labour's defence spokesman, said: "We were only minutes away from the first British casualty on our shores being rescued by a foreign agency This is an outrageous situation. A Department of Transport spokesman said there had been a review of search-and-rescue provision and a response was being considered.. Talks aimed at settling the post strike were halted, last night after leaders of the Communication Workers Union and Royal Mail managers spent more than eight hours at the London headquarters of the conciliation service Acas to try to break the deadlocked dispute over pay and working practices The next strike is due to last for 36 hours from Friday.

The Government has threatened to suspend the Royal Mail's monopoly on delivering letters from that date, unless the dispute is settled. A major sticking point is believed to concern second deliveries. The Royal Mail said that both sides had agreed to reflect on their positions.. Drug sold at a rave party could be contaminated with "something particularly harmful" and could be highly dangerous, police warned last night. Thousands of people from all over Britain attended the rave at The Sanctuary in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, at the weekend and detectives have warned anyone who bought amphetamines at the party to seek medical help if they felt any side effects. Already two partygoers are in hospital in Milton Keynes after taking the drugs and police have arrested a total of 17 people. Police raided the rave during a planned inquiry and more than 30 officers searched some of the revellers. Detective Chief Inspector John McIntyre said the aim had been to target drug dealers who travel the country selling their wares..