U.K. Lists Countries At Risk From Millennium Bug

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

U.K. Lists Countries At Risk From Millennium Bug

Updated 6:10 AM ET September 14, 1999

By Dominic Evans

LONDON (Reuters) - Don't travel to Ukraine at the dawn of the new millennium. Avoid Russian airports, take extra cash to Egypt, and don't get sick in the Philippines.

Be wary of air traffic control at some Indonesian airports and don't even try to fly Air Seychelles -- all flights are cancelled over the New Year, just in case.

Britain unveiled the first installment of its global guide to the millennium Tuesday, setting out how far 50 countries have gone toward overcoming the Year 2000 problem and warning travelers and businesses about potential blackspots.

The report released on a Foreign Office Web site (www.fco.gov.uk) outlines preparations for millennium compliance in key areas including transport, the economy, health, water, energy and communications.

The Year 2000 problem, or Y2K glitch, occurs because many older computers -- which allocated only two digits for the year in a date -- may read the year 2000 as 1900, causing computer systems to make mistakes or shut down.

Foreign Office Minister John Battle said the report was impartial, not judgmental, and aimed to give "the most reliable and impartial information about Y2K preparedness worldwide."

"We want to ease the impact of the millennium date change," he said. "It should be an occasion for celebration, not a time for unnecessary fear and worry."

Not, that is, unless you are planning to travel to Ukraine in late December.

"We advise against all holiday and other non-essential travel to the Ukraine over the New Year period and early January 2000 until the situation becomes clearer," the Foreign Office says in a travel advisory released with the report.

It said Ukraine's cabinet was warned in March that a quarter of government computer systems could be non-Y2K compliant. "Finance, banking, transport, power, defense and social sectors could all be vulnerable," the Foreign Office said.

And 13 years after the explosion at Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear plant, loss of power output from nuclear plants was possible, it said.

Few countries escaped without the caveat that "some disruption" was possible over the New Year.

The report named three Indonesian airports where air traffic control was not yet compliant and said there were worries about other smaller airports. On the economy, interbank transactions were a concern, it said, though most were still done on paper.

Russia faces the "high likelihood" of widespread failures in communications and 400 of its 600 airports are "sure to have some Y2K difficulties."

In Egypt, travelers are advised be prepared for temporary disruption. Precautions should include "checking insurance cover and having enough cash to cover contingencies."

In Uganda, where many people live in rural societies largely untouched by the blessings and curses of technology, the Foreign Office said the main impact would be in the capital Kampala.

"Recent non-Y2K related bank failures and closures have damaged confidence in the banking sector and hoarding of bank notes is already beginning," it said.

In the Philippines, the diagnostic systems of government hospitals contain "embedded systems," which often have computer chips which are date-sensitive and could go haywire at the start of the new year.

Big industrial states don't escape without words of caution.

Spain could face problems in water distribution, while a lack of awareness of millennium problems among small and medium sized enterprises is a major concern for the French government,

Paris at least doesn't have to worry about catastrophe in the Channel Tunnel, which closes for the night of December 31.

==================================== End

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), September 14, 1999

Answers

Link for the article:

http://infoseek.go.com/Content?arn=a0786reuff-19990914&qt=% 22year+2000% 22+bug*+glitch*+y2k&sv=IS&lk=noframes&col=NX&kt=A&ak=news1486

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), September 14, 1999.


LONDON (Reuters) - Don't travel to Ukraine at the dawn of the new millennium. Avoid Russian airports, take extra cash to Egypt, and don't get sick in the Philippines.

Economy of words. Don't travel to Ukraine, avoid Russian airports, take extra cash to Egypt and dont get sick in the Phillipines. All valid advice whether Y2K related or not

Be wary of air traffic control at some Indonesian airports and don't even try to fly Air Seychelles -- all flights are cancelled over the New Year, just in case.

Surely if you're planning to be in Indonesia or the Seychelles over the new year, the chances are you'll be partying rather than flying anyway. Who exactly IS going to be flying that night ?

Britain unveiled the first installment of its global guide to the millennium Tuesday, setting out how far 50 countries have gone toward overcoming the Year 2000 problem and warning travelers and businesses about potential blackspots.

They do the same thing periodically for any country where the situation is other than normal. It's 1) a service to British Citizens who travel, and 2) an ass-covering exercise which basically means . . "if you go there despite our warnings, dont come crying to the consolate for help if you get in trouble".

The report released on a Foreign Office Web site (www.fco.gov.uk) outlines preparations for millennium compliance in key areas including transport, the economy, health, water, energy and communications.

Did they provide links ? Sources ? Oh, wait . . its bad news . . no need for those petty details eh ? *laugh*

The Year 2000 problem, or Y2K glitch, occurs because many older computers -- which allocated only two digits for the year in a date -- may read the year 2000 as 1900, causing computer systems to make mistakes or shut down.

yada yada

Foreign Office Minister John Battle said the report was impartial, not judgmental, and aimed to give "the most reliable and impartial information about Y2K preparedness worldwide."

"We want to ease the impact of the millennium date change," he said. "It should be an occasion for celebration, not a time for unnecessary fear and worry."

Hear hear, but just in case, as usual, they will cover their asses with a timely disclaimer.

Not, that is, unless you are planning to travel to Ukraine in late December.

Ohhhhh . . now I'll have to cancel those tickets I bought to go to UKRAINE for the millennium party. (THATS how much I love beet soup)

"We advise against all holiday and other non-essential travel to the Ukraine over the New Year period and early January 2000 until the situation becomes clearer," the Foreign Office says in a travel advisory released with the report.

Delete all after Ukraine. Still good advice.

It said Ukraine's cabinet was warned in March that a quarter of government computer systems could be non-Y2K compliant. "Finance, banking, transport, power, defense and social sectors could all be vulnerable," the Foreign Office said.

And they arent now ???

And 13 years after the explosion at Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear plant, loss of power output from nuclear plants was possible, it said.

And it isnt now ???

Few countries escaped without the caveat that "some disruption" was possible over the New Year.

Do the same survey, in the same amount of detail, on any given day on any given year, no doubt they could warn you about "possible disruption" in many places. Try visiting Pamplona during the festival, or London in mid-winter. Or anywhere.

The report named three Indonesian airports where air traffic control was not yet compliant and said there were worries about other smaller airports. On the economy, interbank transactions were a concern, it said, though most were still done on paper.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that three Indonesian airports HAD air traffic control.

Russia faces the "high likelihood" of widespread failures in communications and 400 of its 600 airports are "sure to have some Y2K difficulties."

Some might say that travelling to Russia by airplane in winter is a pretty inadvisable thing to do at all.

In Egypt, travelers are advised be prepared for temporary disruption. Precautions should include "checking insurance cover and having enough cash to cover contingencies."

Um . . dont run out of cash in Egypt. This is news ???

In Uganda, where many people live in rural societies largely untouched by the blessings and curses of technology, the Foreign Office said the main impact would be in the capital Kampala.

Darn . . thats Uganda ruled out of my Millennium party locations list then . . *sigh*

"Recent non-Y2K related bank failures and closures have damaged confidence in the banking sector and hoarding of bank notes is already beginning," it said.

Of course, normally its such a model economy that confidence in the banks and the currency is taken for granted, and no hoarding occurs of any sort . . right ?

In the Philippines, the diagnostic systems of government hospitals contain "embedded systems," which often have computer chips which are date-sensitive and could go haywire at the start of the new year.

So if you're undergoing kidney dialysis, dont make any last minute plans to spin out to Manila for the millennium weekend. Right, gotcha.

Big industrial states don't escape without words of caution.

Spain could face problems in water distribution . .

Spain is already dealing with problems in water distribution, because the last 3 years have all been record breakers for low rainfall. Most of the reservoirs and lakes are at minimum level. Is this a Y2K issue ??

. . while a lack of awareness of millennium problems among small and medium sized enterprises is a major concern for the French government,

People who go to France deserve everything they get.

Paris at least doesn't have to worry about catastrophe in the Channel Tunnel, which closes for the night of December 31.



-- Travelguide (Travelguides@R.Us.com), September 14, 1999.


Its server is busy right now, but the link for the U.K.'s report is:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), September 14, 1999.


The Y2K Country Statements page is at:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/travel/dynpage.asp?Page=144

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), September 14, 1999.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ