US Travel Rules & World Cup: Spain’s 2010 World Cup winner Joan Capdevila says his ESTA was denied, blaming a past trip to Iran—another reminder that US entry can hinge on travel history, not just passports. US Immigration Crackdown: A House Oversight task force says “birth tourism” companies may be involved in criminal conspiracy by helping people enter to give birth and potentially misstate visa paperwork. Laos Methanol Probe: Laos says it can’t assign blame in 2024 tourist deaths linked to methanol-tainted alcohol because families blocked autopsies, even as methanol was found in “Tiger Vodka.” Europe Value Watch: A UK report ranks Portugal’s Algarve as the cheapest family resort for summer spending, beating Bulgaria’s Sunny Beach and Spain’s Lanzarote. Rail & Cross-Border Travel: India eyes a Hyderabad–Amaravati high-speed corridor cutting travel to 70 minutes, while a Russia–China tourist train route via Vladivostok and Suifenhe enters trial service. Tourism Disruption & Safety: Albania’s tourism minister links June slowdown to protests and cancellations; Michigan tourism faces wildfire-smoke haze as storms loom. Air Travel & Airports: Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson tops ACI’s busiest-airport list again; Ghana’s Accra airport rolls out new security scanners so travelers won’t need to remove shoes, belts or laptops from August. On-the-Ground Travel Deals: Omio plans to acquire Rail Europe to expand rail ticket distribution across 70+ countries.