The BBC and troublesome foreign laws

The BBC report that:

'British holidaymakers have faced fines or worse for feeding pigeons, playing bingo or eating while sitting on a monument, the Foreign Office has said.

It warned that Britons booking foreign holidays without researching their destination risk being caught out by unfamiliar laws.'

The list of countries and odd laws that the BBC/Foreign Office use to illustrate this report is odd:

• In the Italian city of Venice it is against the law to feed pigeons, while in Florence it is an offence to eat or drink in the immediate vicinity of churches and public buildings
• In Barbados it is an offence for anyone, including children, to wear camouflage clothing
• Fiji prohibits topless sunbathing
• It is illegal to take mineral water into Nigeria
• Chewing gum is prohibited on Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system
• Taking more than 200 cigarettes into Thailand is illegal
• In Japan it is illegal to use some nasal sprays which are commonly available elsewhere

So we have Italy twice, Barbados, Fiji, Singapore, Thailand, Japan and Nigeria. No mention of countries such as Saudi Arabia where carrying a bible can land you in prison. No mention of Saud Arabia which operates a system of aparthid such that non-Muslims are not allowed on certain roads or in certain cities.

No mention also of numerous Muslim countries where a public display of affection such as a kiss or taking a drink of alcohol could lead to imprisonment and/or a public flogging.

Odd how the BBC/Foreign Office don't seem to want to mention the problems Britons have in thosecountries that operate some degree of sharia law.