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☆ 'Mind the gap,' King Charles to remind train travellers during coronation weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] People wearing protective face masks walk along a platform on the London Underground, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in London, Britain, July 25, 2021. REUTERS/Henry NichollsLONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - Passengers travelling on British trains during the weekend of King Charles' coronation will hear a special message recorded by the monarch himself, including a reminder to "mind the gap," officials said on Friday. The announcement, by Charles and his wife Camilla, will be heard by anyone travelling by train or the London underground "tube" network between Friday and Monday. "My wife and I wish you and your families a wonderful coronation weekend," passengers will hear Charles say, followed by wishes for a happy journey from Camilla: "Wherever you are travelling, we hope you have a safe and pleasant journey." "And remember, please mind the gap," Charles will add.

CNN —Sudanese actress Asia Abdel-Majid was killed in crossfire during fighting in the capital Khartoum on Wednesday, amid clashes between two warring factions that have devastated Sudan and led to the deaths of hundreds of civilians. The 80-year-old was killed after shells hit her home in Bahri, north of the capital, in fighting between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army, her nephew told CNN. It is unclear if it was the RSF or the army that fired the shot that killed Abdel-Majid. The kindergarten is next door to Abdel-Majid’s home, where she was alone when the shelling took place. ‘Torn apart’Smoke rises over Khartoum during clashes between the RSF and the Sudanese army on April 17, 2023.

The cash-strapped carrier, India's third-biggest and best known as Go First, filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday, blaming "faulty" Pratt & Whitney (P&W) engines for the grounding of about half its fleet. IndiGo has also had to ground planes because its P&W engines faced problems, but its bigger fleet with diverse engines, and its deeper pockets, meant it could overcome the troubles better than Go First. The airline started operations in 2005 and is owned by bed sheets-to-biscuits Wadia Group, one of India's oldest conglomerates. "The Wadia Group, in particular (chairperson) Nusli Wadia, has always tried to see that the company and the airline operations go on, on a normal basis," Khona said. "There is no question of Wadia Group having any intention to exit or move out."

HONG KONG, May 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Chinese travellers are opening their suitcases again, but not their wallets. Domestic travel bookings during the holiday surged eightfold from a year earlier, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, according to online travel agency Trip.com (9961.HK). The return of Chinese holiday-goers should be a huge relief at home and abroad. Before the pandemic, domestic tourism contributed a whopping 11% of GDP and 10% of national employment, according to Fitch. The country's Big 3 carriers - Air China (601111.SS), China Southern (600029.SS), and China Eastern (600115.SS) - are grappling with high oil prices, a weak yuan and geopolitical tensions.

☆ Djokovic able to play at US Open as vaccine mandate set to end
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 2 (Reuters) - World number one Novak Djokovic will be able to compete at the U.S. Open this year after the U.S. government said on Monday it will end its COVID-19 vaccination requirements for international travellers on May 11. Djokovic, one of the most high-profile athletes unvaccinated against COVID-19, missed the U.S. Open in 2022 due to his vaccine status. Djokovic missed last year's Australian Open and was deported from the country due to his vaccine status and has said he would skip Grand Slams rather than have a COVID shot. read moreDjokovic has won three of his 22 major titles at the U.S. Open. Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Chinese tourists flock to gambling hub Macau for Labour Day holiday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Joyce Zhou | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] A view of visitors in front of the ruins of Saint Paul's during Labour Day holiday in Macau, China, April 30, 2023. REUTERS/Lam YikMACAU, April 30 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of mainland Chinese visitors have descended on the world's biggest gambling hub of Macau for the Labour Day holiday, packing tightly into its narrow cobblestone streets and placing bets in its glitzy casinos. Coco Li, a 42-year-old woman from Hubei province who was visiting with her husband, said they chose to come to Macau because travel rules had relaxed. "We've been actively working with the Macau government on our labour requirements," the company said. Reporting by Joyce Zhou in Macau; Writing by Farah Master; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/5] Passengers wait to board trains at Shanghai Hongqiao railway station ahead of the five-day Labour Day holiday, in Shanghai, China, April 28, 2023. REUTERS/Aly SongBEIJING, April 28 (Reuters) - China is bracing for a record-high travel rush over the Labour Day holiday, with popular sightseeing spots selling out of tickets and some cities warning would-be visitors away as domestic tourism rebounds after Beijing ended COVID curbs. Authorities are expecting 19 million trips to be made across China's vast railway network on Saturday, the first day of the five-day holiday, which would be the highest number of rail trips made in a single day in the country's history. Over the 40-day Lunar New Year travel period in January-February this year, 348 million trips were made in total, or about 8.7 million trips a day on average, according to the National Railway Administration. China's aviation authority said it expects air passenger trips to reach a total of 9 million over the five days.

in order to cast their ballot when polling stations open in local elections next week, sparking concern that some parts of the electorate will in effect be disenfranchised by the change. Large parts of England vote in local council elections on May 4, and a national election is expected next year. In Northern Ireland and many countries in Europe, the need to produce photo ID is established and not unusual. But rapid adoption of this new system in England leaves campaigners fearing that voters will be caught out by the change. "There's a lot of risk in doing what is essentially the biggest change to our elections for a generation," she said.

☆ UK's Labour suspends Diane Abbott for saying Jews experience prejudice, not racism
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The equalities watchdog found in 2020 Labour had serious failings in the party’s handling of persistent antisemitism complaints. Abbott, 69, was responding to a writer's claims that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people suffered racism. This is similar to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable," she wrote. A spokesperson for Labour party said she had been suspended pending an investigation. Britain's equalities watchdog said earlier this year the Labour Party had made sufficient changes over the last two years to tackle antisemitism.

LONDON, April 20 (Reuters) - British transport company FirstGroup (FGP.L) and infrastructure fund I Squared are weighing competing bids for parts of Deutsche Bahn's international transport business Arriva, according to a number of people familiar with the matter. The British transport company may also consider partnering with another bidder for the UK operations, the two added. Arriva, Deutsche Bahn, FirstGroup and I Squared declined to comment. A Bloomberg report in January suggested Arriva may now fetch as much as 2 billion euros. Binding offers for Arriva are expected in the next couple of months, two of the sources said.

Charles de Gaulle airport is negatively affected, both as a destination and as a hub," said Olivier Ponti, VP of Insights at travel data firm ForwardKeys. Some 33,300 flights were cancelled this year over Easter, compared with 7,800 last year, while 9,000 flights were delayed by more than three hours, compared to 6,800 last year. Around 73% of flights were on time, compared with 76% in 2022 and 81% in 2019. There were 33,700 flights cancelled, compared with 26,600 last year, while 10,800 flights, which made up 1% of all total flights, were delayed by more than three hours, up from 9,500 last year. Air traffic authority Eurocontrol previously warned that delays could continue into the northern hemisphere summer, especially if strikes keep going.

☆ A Japanese airline accidentally sold some $10,000 business class tickets for $300 after a mistake with currency conversions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

One of Japan's biggest airlines accidentally underpriced some first class and business class tickets. A Japanese airline accidentally underpriced some business class tickets, with a handful of travellers securing $10,000 tickets for only $300, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. Other business class tickets with prices ranging from $8,300 to $10,400 were listed for between $300 and $550. ANA unveiled new first class and business class cabins in 2019 including "The Suite" and "The Room." In 2019, Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific briefly mistakenly sold underpriced first and business class tickets.

☆ German union announces nationwide transport strike for Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 19 (Reuters) - Germany's EVG union announced on Wednesday a nationwide transport strike for Friday, with national rail operator Deutsche Bahn among the companies impacted. The strike will affect 50 companies and run from 3 am (0100 GMT) until 11 am (0900 GMT), the railway and transport union said. The Verdi union has also called on security control workers to strike at three airports on Thursday and Friday. The EVG, which is negotiating on behalf of 230,000 workers, is seeking a 12 % wage increase or at least an additional 650 euros per month. The state-owned Deutsche Bahn has offered 5% more and one-off payments of up to 2,500 euros.

☆ Japan's March visitors at post-COVID high, lured by cherry blossoms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Tourists prepare to take a picture under illuminated blooming cherry blossoms at Gion district in Kyoto, western Japan March 29, 2023. However, arrivals were still down 34% from March 2019, before pandemic travel curbs adopted from the following year. In March 2020, as the pandemic started to widen, Japan placed travel curbs on visitors from China and South Korea, its two largest inbound markets. Chinese visitors last month more than doubled to 75,700 from February, the tourism data showed. A full recovery in Chinese tourist numbers is likely to take time because of a shortage of flights and Beijing's remaining curbs on the destinations of group tours by citizens.

In February, over 150,000 Chinese tourists travelled to Thailand, the latest data from the Thai Ministry of Tourism show - a three year high but still 85% below February 2019 levels. Chinese tourists used to make up 10% of European arrivals from outside the continent. Flights to Europe are up to 80% more expensive than before the pandemic, according to ForwardKeys, a travel data firm. Chinese tourists making a comeback is crucial for regional economies. Reuters GraphicsPre-pandemic, China was Australia's top source of tourists, but numbers following Beijing's reopening of borders have only trickled back.

☆ 'Era has passed' as Beijing subway drops mandatory COVID mask rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"It's as if an era has passed," a user said on China's popular social e-commerce app Xiaohongshu, as social media was abuzz with news of the rules being eased. Staff at a Beijing subway station tore down signs reminding people to wear masks, Beijing Daily reported. Some people on social media voiced concerns over the relaxation of mask rules, saying the virus remains a threat. "Let's hope there will not be a second wave of infections," a user on China's Twitter-like social media Weibo site said. Chinese cities have been scrapping mask mandates for several weeks, including Hong Kong, which ended mask requirements on March 1.

In February, the first full month since China's border reopened, Australia recorded 40,430 short-term visitors from China, government data showed. Government marketing body Tourism Australia declined to comment. Trade promotion office Austrade said Tourism Australia's managing director visited China in March to meet strategic partners such as airlines and the body would "continue to work closely with its key distribution partners in the market to realise tourism opportunities between Australia and China". China was Australia's biggest source of foreign students until 2019, but students of other nationalities have filled its foreign student ranks since Australia reopened its border in 2021. "When Chinese tourists return en masse, I'm worried that the supply will not catch up with demand," he said.

☆ New year revelry returns to Thai streets as tourism rebounds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Devjyot Ghoshal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] People play with water as they celebrate during the Songkran holiday which marks the Thai New Year in Bangkok, Thailand, April 13. Festivities for Songkran, a much-loved Thai festival sometimes described as the world's largest water fight, had been muted or barred for the past few years due mainly to COVID-19 restrictions. ABut as travellers now return to Thailand, the key tourism sector is helping revive Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. Thailand beat its target of 6 million tourist arrivals in the first quarter, recording 6.15 million visitors between January and late March, according to government data. At least 30 million tourists are expected to visit Thailand this year and spend 1.5 trillion baht ($43.74 billion), according to projections by the Tourism Council, an industry body.

☆ French police have warned about an Irish gang posing as builders to defraud property owners, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

French police have warned about an Irish gang defrauding property owners by posing as builders. The gang offers to pave areas with tar at a far lower price than normal but the work is substandard. They actually belong to the Rathkeale Rovers, a criminal clan named after a town in Ireland. Some members of the Rathkeale Rovers were now living in France, authorities believe, acting as a "base" for the scammers, per Le Parisien. The French interior minister didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours.

☆ Masks off, beer poured at Hong Kong Rugby Sevens after COVID restrictions dropped
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The general view of Hong Kong Stadium during the first day of the Hong Kong Sevens tournament in Hong Kong, China November 4, 2022. The Hong Kong leg of British music festival Creamfields is also taking place on April 1-2. The Chinese special administrative region has hosted financial summits in the past two weeks as well as Art Basel Hong Kong, one of Asia's leading contemporary art fairs. Scores of events were cancelled, postponed or taken to other Asian cities such as Singapore, Bangkok and Seoul because of Hong Kong's rigid coronavirus rules. "Over 20% of tickets purchased in the public sale are coming from overseas audiences, signalling Hong Kong’s return is in full swing."

☆ Hong Kong sharpens fine art edge over Singapore
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Thomas Shum | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, March 24 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Chinese collectors are piling into Hong Kong for Art Basel this week. As the financial hub jostles with rival Singapore, its vibrant art market could help it grab a bigger slice of Asia’s wealth management pie. The cream of that crop tends to go on the block in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is hardly out of the economic woods. But the chattering crowds at Art Basel should remind investors that the city retains a profitable artistic edge.

☆ China travel rebound bets turn toward airports, away from airlines
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We are optimistic on a rebound in regional and international travel and continue to get exposure through airports and airplane leasing." Shares of Air China, China Eastern and China Southern have gained between 7% to 17% in the past four months, with Air China and China Southern trading above their 5-year average forward earnings, according to Refinitiv data. Airports under perform AirlinesIn the battle for Chinese travelers, local airlines are expected to fare better than regional airlines such as Qantas (QAN.AX), Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI) and Cathay Pacific (0293.HK), mainly because Chinese airlines kept more widebody planes and staff ready. All three Chinese airlines are expected to swing to profit in 2023 after reporting big losses last year, according to Refinitiv data. Analysts expect Chinese airlines will see profits peak next year as international traffic makes a fuller rebound.

☆ Crowds swarm Art Basel Hong Kong as galleries report sales bonanza
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] An installation titled "Calligraphic Wig" by Daniel Knorr is displayed at Art Basel in Hong Kong, China, March 23, 2023. Art Basel Hong Kong is one of the first big events the city has held since dropping its COVID-19 mask mandate this month. City authorities are welcoming the art fair as they try to reinvigorate the economy and promote Hong Kong as a vibrant cultural hub. Teresa Choi, a visitor from Macau, said Hong Kong was much busier than during COVID times. "Hong Kong has always been the international financial hub for Asia ... Travellers are regaining their confidence about Hong Kong and the economy and want to come."

The Verdi union is negotiating on behalf of around 2.5 million employees in the public sector, including in public transport and at airports. Railway and transport union EVG negotiates for around 230,000 employees at Deutsche Bahn (DBN.UL) and bus companies. Verdi has called on around 120,000 employees in the transport and infrastructure sectors, including ground and air traffic service providers, shipping, motorways and municipal ports, to join the strikes. We want a negotiable offer," said Martin Burkert, the chairman of the EVG union, which represents workers at 50 transport companies, including railway operator Deutsche Bahn. German airport association ADV also condemned the strikes expected to hit around 380,000 air travellers on Monday as all airports across Germany, except Berlin, would come to a virtual standstill.

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