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If you register your trip with the State Department, you will automatically receive by e-mail any travel warnings that are in effect for the country.

For information about avian flu see the Travel & Transportation section of the official U.S. Government website on pandemic influenza athttp://pandemicflu.gov/travel/

If you're traveling to another country for the holidays, be sure to check the Consular Information Sheet for your destination. These reports are prepared by U.S. Embassies and Consulates throughout the world. They contain information about visa and entry requirements, availability of medical care, crime and security, road conditions, location of the U.S. Embassy, and much more information for every country of the world.

South Korea's finance ministry said on Monday it was maintaining its 2008 economic growth target of around 6 percent, due to deregulation and tax cuts, despite a slowing global economy. Economic growth in 2007 was 4.9 percent. Asia's fourth-largest economy is expected to be capable of 7-percent growth and have a stable current account and prices in five years, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance said in a report to the new president, Lee Myung-bak. "The new government will endeavor to achieve a growth target of some 6 percent, continuing efforts for economic recovery and managing risk factors," said the ministry.