BERLIN — Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking … the German federal government.

Berlin agreed to a €9 billion deal on Monday to save flag carrier Lufthansa, turning the German government into the single largest shareholder in Europe’s second-largest airline as it looks to restart flights next month following weeks of lockdown.

Underscoring the trouble facing airlines, Lufthansa’s current market capitalization is less than the size of the bailout. But as a strategic asset for an export nation, keeping its flag carrier flying is a no-brainer in Berlin with broad political support, despite some concerns from the opposition Greens and liberals.

That’s because a weakened Lufthansa would hurt Frankfurt’s position as a global aviation hub that has developed its intercontinental links over decades. It would also hand important destinations in North America and China for exporting high-value German-made goods, and the executives that run the companies that make them, to rival carriers.

The talks over the bailout, which includes a three-year €3 billion loan, were no secret, but the result is the largest airline rescue package and the biggest backstop yet from Germany’s massive Economic Stabilization Fund launched to keep the country’s economy from collapsing under the stress of the pandemic.

Turbulence could come if Lufthansa is asked to give up some of its airport slots and routes by the watchdog in Brussels.

It’s also the largest airline rescue in Europe; Air France got a €7 billion loan from the French government while Alitalia has been renationalized for €3 billion.

The cash injection gets Berlin a 20 percent stake in Lufthansa and the option to boost that by an additional 5 percent — enough to allow the government to block any unwanted takeovers. Two supervisory board seats are included, and the deal also includes restrictions on management pay and not paying a dividend to shareholders.

“When the company is afloat again, the state will sell its shares,” Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said Monday, adding he hoped to do so with a small profit.

The deal still needs approval from the European Commission’s competition authorities, and Lufthansa’s own shareholders. Turbulence could come if Lufthansa is asked to give up some of its airport slots and routes by the watchdog in Brussels.

“The aid package for Lufthansa … must not be endangered by Brussels overregulation,” said Ulrich Lange, an MP for the ruling Christian Social Union, the Bavarian sister party to the Christian Democratic Union. “The Frankfurt and Munich hubs must not be weakened in comparison with Paris and Amsterdam.”

Boarding soon

Lufthansa has been badly wounded by the coronavirus. Management said last month it is losing around €1 million an hour, and is carrying only about 1 percent of its normal passenger load.

Lufthansa Group, which also includes brands such as Austrian, Swiss, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, was forced to ground almost all of its fleet and close its Germanwings subsidiary. The bailout puts wind behind Lufthansa’s plan to get flights going again to popular tourist hotspots such as Mallorca and Venice from next month.

The government has promised to appoint “independent experts” to its two board seats, which rules out politicians. In Germany’s multitiered corporate governance structure, which mandates worker representation on supervisory boards, keeping politicians out of the boardroom is important for executives who may need to make tough choices.

“Just because you get bailed out it doesn’t mean you won’t need to fire people,” said an industry official working in the German aviation industry, something that might be more difficult if politicians are on the board.

As with other airline rescues, the emphasis is on keeping the company going, and less on environmental goals like cutting emissions. The deal involves only a cursory reference to Lufthansa agreeing to continue with its “sustainability goals” but stops short of mandating a greener way forward.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has likened Lufthansa and other flag carriers to drunks at a wedding.

“Retiring old aircraft is an easy win,” said Andrew Charlton, managing director of consultancy Aviation Advocacy. “Transferring traffic from short-haul sectors to rail has also been mooted. That will free up slots for long-haul flights, which of course, emit more emissions, but which are generally more profitable.”

The airline bailouts have attracted sharp criticism from the bosses of Europe’s low-cost airlines such as Ryanair, the Continent’s largest carrier, and Budapest-based Wizz Air.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has likened Lufthansa and other flag carriers to drunks at a wedding. “They’re just hoovering up state aid to give them unlimited firepower to distort the competition market once we’re all back flying again,” he told POLITICO.

“All these airlines have been poorly managed and poorly run and now they can turn to their governments to get bailed out and it is certainly distorting the market,” József Váradi, Wizz Air’s CEO, told POLITICO before the Lufthansa deal was agreed.

Matthew Karnitschnig contributed reporting.

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In response to the recent Covid-19 outbreak, governments across the world have put measures in place to curb the spread of the disease and protect citizens.

Laos has so far managed to keep the coronavirus under control. As of May 12th, the nation has recorded fewer than 20 confirmed cases, the vast majority of which have already made a full recovery.

With no new Covid-19 infections in almost a month, the Laotian authorities are confident that life can soon begin returning to normal in the Southeast Asian nation.

Changes to Laos Visa Policy during Covid-19

One way in which this low infection rate has been achieved is by restricting entrance to Laos. On March 18th it was announced that all tourist visas were to be suspended until further notice.

Under normal circumstances, tourists are able to apply for a Laos visa online and stay in the country for up to 30 days. With the situation continuing to improve, it is hoped that the normal visa policy will recommence in the not-too-distant future.

The announcement that the Laos visa overstay fees were to be suspended during the coronavirus outbreak came as welcome news to travelers in Laos. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs showed a flexible approach to foreigners with visas that expired during the lockdown period who were unable to request an extension.

Foreign nationals heading to Laos for non-touristic purposes are able to enter the country provided they submit the required health-related documents for approval prior to arrival.

Now that the Department of Immigration has reopened, visa holders are once again required to have a valid visa and pay the extension fees for any days spent in Laos without a valid visa since 9th April. Overstay fines came back into effect from May 8th.

Lockdown Measures Now Being Eased in Laos

Given that no new cases of the coronavirus have been detected in Laos for some weeks, the country is gradually beginning to open back up, an indication that life is slowly returning to a degree of normality.

Lockdown measures had been in place since the end of March. Like in many countries across the world, residents were asked to stay indoors, only leaving for essential purposes such as buying food or medicine. Businesses deemed as non-essential were to remain closed.

It would appear that the lockdown has been effective in preventing more people from catching Covid-19. For this reason, since May 4th, some cafes, restaurants, shopping centers, and offices have been able to reopen. The wearing of masks and social distancing is still required but economic activity can now start to resume, a positive sign.

For the time being, recreational spaces such as bars, cinemas, and gyms are to remain closed and large gatherings are not permitted. The situation is under constant review by the government, the current measures will remain in place for at least 2 weeks.

Except for exceptional circumstances, travel between provinces remains restricted, with the suspension of bus services and domestic flights.

The Importance of Tourism in Laos

Tourism is important to the economy of Laos. A country of great natural beauty with unspoiled mountainous terrain and remote villages to explore, Laos attracts sightseers from all over the world.

Laos visitor arrivals have increased over the past few years. The nation welcomed over 4.5 million international people in 2019, up 8.2% on the previous year. As well as foreign nationals from other Asian nations, Laos receives an increasing number of British, American, and German passport holders.

Tourism has therefore been of increasing importance in Laos in recent years, helping to boost economic growth and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs for local people.

Not only this but the rise of tourism in Laos has contributed to the development of infrastructure in the country. Airports and roads have both seen significant investment.

How will Laos tourism recover after Covid-19?

The coronavirus outbreak has hit global tourism hard, with flights grounded and visas suspended, holidays have temporarily been put on hold.

As Laos is now in the process of reopening, it is time to think about how the nation will recover from the effects of the pandemic.

travel becomes possible, international tourists will be encouraged to return to Laos to experience the landscapes and fascinating culture that so many millions have enjoyed in recent years. In fact, with so little footfall, some of the country’s most popular sites will be even more beautiful.

Luang Prabang, famed for its impressive architecture, temples, and wildlife, is one of the most visited places in Laos. The UNESCO World Heritage Site will surely benefit from this quiet period, ready to welcome travelers again once global tourism resumes.

Author bio:

Susan Noel is an experienced content writer. She is associated with many renowned travel blogs as a guest author where she shares her valuable travel tips and experience with the audience.

 

 

 

 

 

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Tags: Laos, travel

Category: A Frontpage, coronavirus, Coronavirus Global Response

LONDON — It was an unprecedented press conference in every way, not least because the government’s own code of conduct for special advisers states that they “must not take part in public political controversy, through any form of statement.”

But it was long ago obvious, that the ordinary rules do not apply where Dominic Cummings is concerned.

As 4 p.m. came and went, it became increasingly clear that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s chief adviser has as much respect for time as he has for the lockdown rules.

More than thirty minutes passed before Britain’s best known SpAd — short for special adviser — deigned to gift the waiting world with an explanation of why he seems to have violated the government’s strict lockdown rules by driving almost 300 miles to his parents’ farm in Durham, after his wife said she felt ill with COVID-19 symptoms.

When Cummings finally did stroll out into the Downing Street rose garden in his trademark untucked shirt, it quickly became clear that the strategy — hammered out behind closed doors over the last 24 hours — was for him to appear, if not contrite then at least eminently reasonable. And if that failed, he would drone everyone into submission.

“None of our usual childcare options were available,” so the Cummings had headed north.

Over the next twenty minutes, the prime minister’s most trusted adviser  — and the man widely credited with bringing Britain Brexit — delivered a detailed justification for his movements.

In April, his wife had rung him to say she was feeling ill and he had decided that they would therefore drive to a safe space, where help would be available if needed.

Everyone else in the country might have got the message about staying at home and saving lives but uniquely: “None of our usual childcare options were available,” so the Cummings had headed north.

In his version of events, Cummings was both victim and hero of the piece — a family man who had acted reasonably and who had subsequently been unfairly set upon by the press for doing the right thing.

This was an “exceptional situation” and “numerous false stories in the media” had sought to discredit him and make him look as if he had done something wrong. Cummings claimed he had a “full tank of petrol” and knew that he could safely drive to Durham and would be able to self-isolate in an empty estate cottage.

Having reached his parents’ farm, he and his wife had both displayed COVID-19 symptoms and self-isolated with their 4-year-old son. But then after a 14 day period, having recovered sufficiently, decided that it might be time to go back to work.

Cummings had suffered eyesight problems during the illness and his partner was worried so they “agreed to go for a short drive to see if I could drive safely.”

That last admission already seems likely to be a phrase that will launch a thousand memes.

It was during that brief car journey to Barnard Castle and during some subsequent toilet breaks and exercise that he was spotted by members of the public, who were wished a hearty “Happy Easter” by Mrs. Cummings as they stared on from a distance.

It was all very reasonable, he said, and “I don’t regret what I did.”

In ensuing question and answers with the journalists present, he doubled down. He hadn’t bothered the prime minister with the details of his journey because Johnson “had a million things on his plate” and was ill in bed.

Cummings blamed the media, the public, the willful misinterpretation of his words — but he refused to accept that he himself had acted wrongly.

Whatever he might say, however much he might refute it — Cummings did break the rules. While millions of other Britons forewent freedom of movement, while hundreds of thousands struggled with childcare and the effects of the virus, Johnson’s top adviser decided that he was above the fray.

What was on show in Cummings’ performance was the underlying superciliousness of the new elite running Britain — and most of all that of the Svengali who sits behind its throne whispering instructions.

How dare mere hacks and police constables question the judgment of the man who gave the world Brexit. It all made perfect sense to him so why couldn’t they grasp it?

Cummings has always been a whole set of paradoxes. For twenty years he carved a niche for himself in the shadows, cementing the agenda of Euroskeptic conservatism and serving the biggest elite in the land, while claiming all the while that he was some kind of anti-establishment outlier.

The growing antipathy of millions of Britons for an administration that thinks it’s “one rule for them and another for us” might yet frame the government’s future.

He isn’t. He sits at the heart of an overconfident inherently arrogant establishment that thinks it can ride this one out.

Cummings has a lot of enemies both within and without the inner corridors of power, and this performance won’t have won him many fans. Genuine contrition was thin on the ground and he seemed more preoccupied that “media reports” about him were false than anything else.

Perhaps he and Johnson have calculated it correctly. Perhaps he will weather this storm and cling on to power.

But if that happens, the damage it has wrought will linger. The growing antipathy of millions of Britons for an administration that thinks it’s “one rule for them and another for us” might yet frame the government’s future.

Whatever eventually happens, Cummings can add another paradox to his curriculum vitae.

The architect of Britain’s effort to “take back control” from the unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats is now an unelected, unaccountable bureaucrat refusing to cede control.

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International multilateral organisations have a crucial role to play in promoting ICT technologies – to help the European and global economies recover from the Covid-19 crisis, Huawei’s Chief Representative to the EU Institutions Abraham Liu said during an online debate today.

Abraham Liu

“Huawei has demonstrated know-how and dedication during recent months, setting up 5G networks with telecom operators in hospitals, providing technological solutions for telemedicine and for pandemic control procedures,” said Abraham Liu during the debate “Economic Transition into the ‘New Normal’: how can international organisations help European economies bounce back”, organised by The Brussels Times. “5G and AI technologies are also used in vaccine development and have played a key role in reliable medical data quantitative analysis. Our technology has also been successfully applied to managing public and private sector re-opening,” Abraham Liu underlined.

“The process of innovation does not stop at any defined geographical border,” Mr Liu added. “The Horizon Europe research, innovation and science programme 2021-2027 is a key policy instrument that can play an important role in boosting economic competitiveness in Europe, delivering the EU Green deal and tackling the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

As lockdowns lift cautiously across Europe, the focus of collective attention is shifting to what key players can do to help the economy recover. Today’s debate, moderated by Digital Storyteller Dan Sobovitz and The Brussels Times journalist Pauline Bock, asked how the good practice that has come to the fore during the pandemic can be shared in the future, to ensure safe progress to renewed economic prosperity in Europe.

High-level representatives from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), World Economic Forum (WEF), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) andthe Croatian Presidency of the EU Council took part in the webinar.

Learn ON programme

Another good example of Huawei’s collaboration with international organisations is in its Learn ON programme to prevent education disruption during the pandemic. Working with UNESCO and partner schools and colleges, Learn ON has delivered an online distance education system to support around 50,000 students and their teachers.

The programme is continuing for the rest of 2020 with more than 100 online Train the Trainer (TTT) courses, involving 1,500 teachers, and the opening of over 130 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) covering advanced technological fields such as AI, Big Data, 5G and IoT, funded by a EUR 4.6 million Huawei ICT Academy Development Incentive Fund (ADIF).

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Tags: #Horizon2020, 5G, Abraham Liu, china, eu, europe, European Commission, european parliament, European Union, featured, full-image, Google News, Huawei, Huawei’s Chief Representative to the EU Institutions Abraham Liu, ICT, telemedicine, World

Category: A Frontpage, Artificial intelligence, China, Crisis response, EU citizenship, European Commission, European Council, European Parliament, Future of Europe, Google News, Huawei, Huawei, Internet, Politics, Social media

The World Health Organization is pausing the use of hydroxychloroquine in its global study of COVID-19 treatments amid a review of safety data, officials announced Monday.

The move follows findings from a large observational study, published Friday, that found increased risk of heart problems and death in COVID-19 patients who used chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine.

It’s a scientific decision nonetheless fraught with politics: U.S. President Donald Trump is a champion of hydroxychloroquine, revealing last week that he’s taking it to prevent COVID-19. He has threatened to cut off U.S. funding to the WHO within a month absent unspecified reforms.

The executive committee of the WHO’s Solidarity trial met on Saturday, said WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan, and decided “in the light of this uncertainty that we should be proactive, err on the side of caution and suspend enrollment temporarily into the hydroxychloroquine arm.” (Chloroquine is not part of the trial.)

The meeting came a day after the Lancet published the largest observational study of the malaria drugs to date, and as some national regulators began expressing concern about using the drug.

WHO officials estimated the pause would last a week or two as the trial’s data safety monitoring board considers information already collected from the Solidarity trial and other ongoing studies to determine whether it’s safe to continue with hydroxychloroquine.

The study, a randomized trial, has enrolled 3,500 patients in at least 17 countries since March to study four medicines, including hydroxychloroquine.