2014 news

Wednesday, 19 March 2014

Thailand 'emergency' lifted

A woman checks out a wax sculpture of U.S. actor Will Smith sitting in a tuk-tuk outside Bangkok's Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Madame Tussauds Bangkok set up the sculptures to promote the museum to tourists in the wake of the political crisis.

Thailand lifts state of emergency on Bangkok and surrounding areas

Tourism analysts optimistic industry will rebound in coming months

Pacific Asia Travel Association CEO says recovery dependent on lifting of travel advisories

(CNN) -- A 60-day state of emergency imposed on Bangkok and several surrounding areas has come to an end, giving the tourism industry hope that lagging arrival numbers in the Kingdom will improve.

The state of emergency came into effect on January 22 in the run-up to the February 2 general election -- held amid widespread anti-government protests throughout the city -- and gave authorities the power to impose curfews, detain suspects without court permission, censor media and declare parts of the capital off limits.

It has been replaced with the Internal Security Act (ISA), which will be in effect until April 30.

This still gives authorities power to impose curfews, set up checkpoints and restrict the movement of demonstrators but is considered less severe.

The Bangkok Post reports the ISA is needed to maintain law and order during the Senate election on March 30 and reruns of the general election, expected in April.

The caretaker government, led by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, said the decision to lift the state of emergency a few days early was designed to reverse the negative impact Thailand's political crisis has had on the country's tourism industry and overall economy.

"The use of the Internal Security Act will help project a positive image of Thailand, particularly in terms of business, investment, and tourism," said the government in a media briefing on the situation.

Tourism industry expected to recover quickly

More than 20 people have been killed and hundreds wounded since protests erupted in Bangkok in November, hitting the tourism industry hard as the news made global headlines.

The November to February period is Thailand's tourist high season -- record numbers of visitor arrivals were anticipated.

Since the protests started, tourist arrival expectations for 2014 have been revised downward 3% from 28.1 million (a prediction made in July 2013) to 27.5 million, according to a report by the state-run National News Bureau of Thailand.

Ending the emergency decree will help the tourism industry recover within a few months, it added.

In February, demonstrations were scaled back and various protest sites throughout the city closed. Anti-government protesters, still intent on ousting Yingluck, now congregate at central Bangkok's Lumpini Park.

"Provided the protests remain subdued then we believe tourism in Bangkok (it was relatively unaffected in the rest of the country and in the beach resorts) will gradually pick up," Andrew Yates, head of equities at Asia Plus Securities, told CNN.

The lifting of the emergency degree should also have a positive impact on the conference and incentive travel business, which brings a lot of high end travelers to Thailand, he said.

"These trips are generally discretionary travel or can be relocated quite easily," said Yates.

"They are extremely sensitive to political disturbances or health issues like SARS and avian flu."

Insurance is another major issue for many tour groups, as travel insurance tends to be invalidated by civil disturbances and a state of emergency would meet the definition of most policies, he said.

"Even though a tourist's chances of being killed or injured in a protest are slight, it happened to several in 1991, and most tour operators won't take any chances. There is also the risk of being stuck, if airports are shut down."

MORE: Thailand in crisis: What's happening on the ground and why

Travel advisories now a key issue

"The removal of the state of emergency decree is clearly encouraging for Thai Tourism stakeholders," Martin Craigs, CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), told CNN.

"However the key issue is how this will effect travel advisories."

Yates had a similar take.

"Thailand would want to see either a lifting or easing of the travel warnings issued by various embassies, this should help [win] back the mass market tourists, especially from China who are more concerned with safety than a cheap room," he said.

"These warnings were in relation to the street protests, not the SOE itself."

More than 40 countries issued warnings to their citizens relating to Bangkok since protests began in November.

In January, Hong Kong gave the Thai capital a "black" designation -- a dubious honor shared only with Egypt, the Philippines and Syria.

Martin says PATA research showed air travel bookings from Hong Kong to Thailand went down in January over 50%. On Wednesday, Hong Kong updated its warning.

"In view of the latest situation in Bangkok, and the fact that the state of emergency in Bangkok and the surrounding provinces was lifted by the Thai Government, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today (March 19) adjusted the Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) for Thailand (Bangkok) to amber -- the same as for other parts of Thailand," said a government spokesman.

Thailand's Tourism Authority is reportedly now planning a large marketing campaign to promote the country globally. The main theme will be "Thailand: Best Friend Forever (BFF)."

"While the state of emergency has caused little inconvenience to travelers to Thailand, its lifting is a sign that things are fast returning to normal in Bangkok," said Thawatchai Arunyik, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Do anti-pollution car bans work?

March 9, 2014, and all is good and breathable near Paris' Eiffel Tower. But just a few days later ...

... the air looked like this. Public transport was made free and cars were partially banned as the city tried to solve its pollution problem.

Paris made public transport free and partially banned cars to contain pollution levels this week

Drivers unhappy, though some report improved air quality as a result

Biggest changes likely due to weather, long-term measures needed say campaigners

(CNN) -- Running along the banks of the Seine Sunday, I take a lap around the giant hot air balloon in the south of Paris hovering gently over the Parc André Citroen.

Essentially a giant weather balloon, its LEDs sparkled green -- Parisian air quality is just fine, a significant change from just two days before, Friday March 14, when the light flashed ominously red.

Friday's visibility levels were so bad that most Parisians couldn't even see the balloon -- let alone the Eiffel Tower.

Warmer temperatures and scarce winds caused particulate levels to reach record highs, spurring the city into action.

Paris' City Hall launched unprecedented policies aimed at reducing traffic in and around the city.

According to Laure Bencheikh of the RATP, Paris's transit authority, for the first time ever public transportation including the metro, regional trains, trams and buses were all free.

Supplementary trains added 600,000 to 1 million seats across the various lines.

It cost the city around €4 million ($5.6 million) per day.

The measure, Bencheikh said, encouraged those who would normally take their cars to opt for public transport.

The city also waived fees for the popular bike-sharing program, the Vélib, as well as the electric car share, Autolib.

Both services saw 61% and 31% increases respectively during a five day period, according to City Hall.

But do these measures ever actually help to improve air quality long-term?

MORE: World's most polluted city is ...

Varied results to date

Vehicles move slowly through heavy smog in Beijing on Thursday, January 16. China's manufacturing of exports generates pollution that harms air quality -- not only in Asia but also all the way across the Pacific Ocean in the Western United States, according to a new study.

A woman wears a face mask on January 16 as thick smog cuts visibility in the Chinese capital. China has seen a huge increase in coal-burning power plants, and its manufacturing practices aren't nearly as efficient as in the West.

A police officer stands guard in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on January 16. The co-author of a new study recommends increasing the efficiency of manufacturing processes and re-examining energy production to decrease pollution in China.

People use face masks during their commute in Beijing on January 16. The Chinese government is trying to control the number of new vehicle registrations this year in some cities to help improve air quality, CNNMoney reports.

A pedestrian covers his mouth and nose in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on January 16.

A tourist takes photos during a heavily polluted day in the capital's Tiananmen Square on January 16.

Smog shrouds buildings in Changsha in Hunan province on January 14.

Photos: Pollution in China

There are some precedents.

A 2013 study suggests that Beijing's particulate levels dropped by 20% thanks to its 2008 driving restrictions.

Excessive restrictions during a religious celebration reportedly cut 30,000 tons of carbon emissions in Bali by abstaining from almost all carbon-producing activities.

However, a partial car ban in Mexico City actually increased air pollution according to one study, as drivers bought extra vehicles.

Parisians were warned to avoid strenuous activity as a result of the air, but runners weren't about to ditch the final weeks of marathon training before the Paris Marathon on April 6.

Théo Bayssat organizes group runs through Jogg.in, but Thursday night's event just before the pollution hit its peak on Friday was an ordeal. "We really felt it. It was impossible to breath," Bayssat says.

By Sunday, the air cleared up and I joined dozens of runners huffing along the riverbank.

For the rest of Paris, free transport was the cherry on top of an otherwise perfect Sunday as the air quality improved -- momentarily.

Jessica Walker, an American living in Paris, took advantage of the system, though said the smog was unbearable on Friday as she rode a Vélib.

On Sunday, she took the RER C train to Versailles for some sightseeing at one of the world's most famous chateaux. "I went for the first time in over a year. The free ride facilitates things enormously," she says.

Come Monday, it was a different story.

Pollution flared again, and as Parisians headed to work, a system was implemented to allow only those cars with odd number license plates within Paris, with free parking for even numbered plates.

Certain exceptions were noted on the city's website, including electric and hybrid cars, and vehicles carrying three or more people.

The short-term improvements in air quality are most likely due to changing weather conditions, and not temporary car bans, says Charlotte Songeur, an engineer at Paris's air quality control Airparif.

Nevertheless government intervention is still positive, she says.

"Every solution that can reduce emissions is good for air quality," she says. "For one day, it's a good emergency solution."

MORE: 10 best French restaurants in Paris

Long-term measures required

Police check cars are conforming to the temporary ban as Paris attempts to improve its air quality.

A study in San Paulo and other cities concluded that certain restrictions can alleviate extreme spikes in pollution, but only long-term measures will actually improve air quality.

Twitter erupted with Parisians complaining about the restrictions as disruptions hit regional trains to the suburbs including the RER C and RER D.

Around 4,000 defiant drivers were stopped on the way into the city at check points like the Place Vendome and Trocadéro by an added force of traffic police and fined €22 ($31).

For those who couldn't drive, RATP maintained its free transport through Monday evening, and the measures ended Tuesday.

The effectiveness of the free transportation will be hard to measure, and may be speculative at best.

At many stations, access doors were simply left open, preventing an official count of those going through turnstiles or scanning passes, Bencheikh said.

With no official figures available, she said that traffic volume on RATP facilities felt normal. Commuters echoed her observations.

The situation has, however, opened the door for the inevitable capitalization by politicians vying for votes in this month's elections.

Socialist candidate Anne Hidalgo called for electric buses to replace diesel ones on RATP lines, as well as implementing an electric scooter-sharing program, dubbed Scootlib.

UMP candidate Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet used the pollution to criticize Hidalgo's party for a lack of environmental action.

Even Nissan chimed in, using the event to push its 100% electric cars as a response to the driving restrictions with a well-placed Twitter ad.

While some may be capitalizing on an otherwise discouraging few days, this weekend has been a wake-up call for Parisians, making air pollution a concrete issue for the first time.

And Paris is not alone, as parts of southern France are reporting increasingly poor air quality.

Jérôme Giacomoni, cofounder of Aerophile, the agency that designed Paris' weather balloon, said that the weekend's spike in pollution is rare, but everyone is participating in the conversation now.

"Friday was the worst I've ever seen," he said, "but I think people are finally paying attention to air quality."

Bryan Pirolli is a freelance correspondent based in Paris.

Air Canada avoids Venezuela

Prior to the suspension, Air Canada operated three return flights a week between Toronto and Caracas.

Citing safety concerns, Air Canada suspended all flights to Venezuela

Violent clashes between opposition demonstrators and government forces ongoing for over a month

IATA CEO says Venezuelan government blocking airlines from repatriating $3.7 billion

(CNN) -- Canada's largest airline announced Monday it has suspended flights to and from Venezuela capital Caracas as violent protests continue in the country.

"Due to ongoing civil unrest in Venezuela, Air Canada can no longer ensure the safety of its operation and has suspended flights to Caracas until further notice," said the airline in a statement.

Air Canada said its last flight departed Caracas on Sunday, March 16.

Prior to the suspension, Air Canada operated three return flights per week between Toronto and Caracas. The airline said customers holding tickets for later flights will receive a refund.

"Air Canada will continue to monitor the situation and will evaluate the re-introduction of flights with the objective of resuming operations on the route once Air Canada is satisfied that the situation in Venezuela has stabilized," said the statement.

Violent protests have continued in Caracas for weeks.

For more than a month demonstrators have been clashing with security forces in Venezuela, marking the biggest threat President Nicolas Maduro has faced since his election last year.

Students and other anti-government protestors are unhappy with Venezuela's economy and rising crime.

Despite being one of the world's top 10 oil-producing countries, more than 25% of Venezuelans live below the poverty line. More than 20 people have been killed during the demonstrations, according to government figures.

MORE: Protests rage in Venezuela, one month on

IATA: Venezuela not playing by the rules

Air Canada's cancellation of its Caracas services comes amid a financial dispute between airlines and Venezuela's government.

International Air Transport Association's CEO Tony Tyler said in a speech March 12 that the Venezuelan government is stopping airlines from repatriating around $3.7 billion in earnings.

For several months, airlines have reportedly been unable to access money earned in ticket sales in Venezuela due to the company's tight currency controls. Ecuadorean flag carrier Tame suspended flights to Venezuela for three days in January over blocked payments.

"It is unacceptable that the Venezuelan government is not playing by the rules to which it is treaty bound," said Tyler.

"The impact of this blocked cash is quite easily seen when you consider that airlines this year will only make $18.7 billion globally. Of course this is cash and not pure profit.

"Airlines certainly cannot sustain operations indefinitely if they can't get paid. I have written to President Maduro asking for his urgent attention to this issue."

According to a report by Venezuela's Spanish-language daily el Nacional, Maduro told reporters on March 14 that any airline that pulls its operations from the country will not be allowed to return while he's in power.

Why no calls from Flight 370?

Malaysia Airlines says there's no evidence of phone contact from Flight 370

Telecom experts say plane may have been flying too high or fast for passengers to make calls

"Technically it is possible" that cell towers in Malaysia or Thailand could have registered a signal from phones

(CNN) -- It's a popular question on social media: Why didn't passengers on board the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 make mobile calls?

Many recall that when United Flight 93 was hijacked on September 11, 2001, passengers were able to make two cell phone calls during the flight's final moments. Several other calls were made using airphones.

If metadata was detected from cell phones on Flight 370, surely it would shed more light on the missing plane's flight path?

The plane may have been flying too high or too fast to register with cell towers, according to telecoms experts, but careful analysis of the passengers' cell phone records will need to be completed to be certain.

A distraught relative of a passenger on the missing Malaysia Airlines jet breaks down while talking to reporters at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia, on Wednesday, March 19. The Boeing 777-200ER disappeared during a March 8 flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Searchers from 26 countries are trying to pinpoint Flight 370's location somewhere along two vast arcs, one stretching deep into the Asian landmass, the other far out into the Indian Ocean.

A relative of Chinese passengers aboard the missing plane waits for a news briefing by officials in Beijing on Tuesday, March 18.

A relative of a Chinese passenger aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 tells reporters in Beijing on March 18 about a hunger strike to protest authorities' handling of information about the missing jet.

A member of Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency joins in a search for the missing plane in the Andaman Sea area around the northern tip of Indonesia's Sumatra on Monday, March 17.

Relatives of passengers aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 watch a news program about the missing plane as they await information at a hotel ballroom in Beijing on March 17.

Malaysian Transportation Minister Hishamuddin Hussein, center, shows maps of the search area March 17 at a hotel in Sepang, Malaysia, next to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

U.S. Navy crew members assist in search-and-rescue operations Sunday, March 16, in the Indian Ocean.

Indonesian personnel watch over high seas during a search operation in the Andaman Sea on Saturday, March 15.

A foam plane, which has personalized messages for the missing flight's passengers, is seen at a viewing gallery March 15 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

A member of the Malaysian navy makes a call as his ship approaches a Chinese Coast Guard ship in the South China Sea on March 15.

A Indonesian ship heads to the Andaman Sea during a search operation near the tip of Sumatra, Indonesia, on March 15.

Elementary school students pray for the missing passengers during class in Medan, Indonesia, on March 15.

Col. Vu Duc Long of the Vietnam air force fields reporters' questions at an air base in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, after a search operation on Friday, March 14.

Members of the Chinese navy continue search operations on Thursday, March 13. The search area for Flight 370 has grown wider. After starting in the sea between Malaysia and Vietnam, the plane's last confirmed location, efforts are expanding west into the Indian Ocean.

A Vietnamese military official looks out an aircraft window during search operations March 13.

Malaysian air force members look for debris on March 13 near Kuala Lumpur.

A relative of a missing passenger watches TV at a Beijing hotel as she waits for the latest news March 13.

A member of the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency scans the horizon in the Strait of Malacca on Wednesday, March 12.

Relatives of missing passengers wait for the latest news at a hotel in Beijing on March 12.

Journalists raise their hands to ask questions during a news conference in Sepang on March 12.

Indonesian air force officers in Medan, Indonesia, examine a map of the Strait of Malacca on March 12.

A member of the Vietnamese air force checks a map while searching for the missing plane on Tuesday, March 11.

Iranians Pouri Nourmohammadi, second left, and Delavar Seyed Mohammad Reza, far right, were identified by Interpol as the two men who used stolen passports to board the flight. But there's no evidence to suggest either was connected to any terrorist organizations, according to Malaysian investigators. Malaysian police believe Nourmohammadi was trying to emigrate to Germany using the stolen Austrian passport.

An Indonesian navy crew member scans an area of the South China Sea bordering Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand on Monday, March 10.

Vietnam air force Col. Le Huu Hanh is reflected on the navigation control panel of a plane that is part of the search operation over the South China Sea on March 10.

Relatives of the missing flight's passengers wait in a Beijing hotel room on March 10.

A U.S. Navy Seahawk helicopter lands aboard the USS Pinckney to change crews before returning to search for the missing plane Sunday, March 9, in the Gulf of Thailand.

Members of the Fo Guang Shan rescue team offer a special prayer March 9 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

A handout picture provided by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency shows personnel checking a radar screen during search-and-rescue operations March 9.

Italian tourist Luigi Maraldi, who reported his passport stolen in August, shows his current passport during a news conference at a police station in Phuket island, Thailand, on March 9. Two passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight were reportedly traveling on stolen passports belonging to Maraldi and an Austrian citizen whose papers were stolen two years ago.

Hugh Dunleavy, commercial director of Malaysia Airlines, speaks to journalists March 9 at a Beijing hotel where relatives and friends of the missing flight's passengers are staying.

Vietnamese air force crew stand in front of a plane at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City on March 9 before heading out to the area between Vietnam and Malaysia where the airliner vanished.

Buddhist monks at Kuala Lumpur International Airport offer a special prayer for the missing passengers on March 9.

The Chinese navy warship Jinggangshan prepares to leave Zhanjiang Port early on March 9 to assist in search-and-rescue operations for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight. The Jinggangshan, an amphibious landing ship, is loaded with lifesaving equipment, underwater detection devices and supplies of oil, water and food.

Members of a Chinese emergency response team board a rescue vessel at the port of Sanya in China's Hainan province on March 9. The vessel is carrying 12 divers and will rendezvous with another rescue vessel on its way to the area where contact was lost with Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

The rescue vessel sets out from Sanya in the South China Sea.

A family member of missing passengers is mobbed by journalists at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Saturday, March 8.

A Vietnamese air force plane found traces of oil that authorities had suspected to be from the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, the Vietnamese government online newspaper reported March 8. However, a sample from the slick showed it was bunker oil, typically used to power large cargo ships, Malaysia's state news agency, Bernama, reported on March 10.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, arrives to meet family members of missing passengers at the reception center at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8.

Malaysia Airlines official Joshua Law Kok Hwa, center, speaks to reporters in Beijing on March 8.

A relative of two missing passengers reacts at their home in Kuala Lumpur on March 8.

Wang Yue, director of marketing of Malaysia Airlines in China, reads a company statement during a news conference at the Metro Park Lido Hotel in Beijing on March 8.

Chinese police at the Beijing airport stand beside the arrival board showing delayed Flight 370 in red on March 8.

A woman asks a staff member at the Beijing airport for more information on the missing flight.

A Malaysian man who says he has relatives on board the missing plane talks to journalists at the Beijing airport on March 8.

Passengers walk past a Malaysia Airlines sign on March 8 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Malaysia Airlines Group CEO Ahmad Juahari Yahya, front, speaks during a news conference on March 8 at a hotel in Sepang. "We deeply regret that we have lost all contacts" with the jet, he said.

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

Photos: The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

Who was in command of missing airplane?

Data deleted from pilot's simulator?

See officials remove screaming mothers

"So far, we have not had any evidence of any telephone company of any member trying to contact," said Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya at a news conference on Monday.

"But anyway, we are still checking. There are millions of records to process. It is being done as part of the investigation."

Was the plane too high?

According to radar analysis, the plane is believed to have been flying as high as 45,000 feet and as low as 23,000 feet.

But even this lower altitude is too high to register with mobile towers, experts say.

"If you look at the data in this case, the altitude at which the planes were traveling is too high," Vincent Lau, wireless communications specialist and professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology's Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, told CNN.

"Even on the ground it wouldn't be easy to pick up from that distance, and if you are flying it's even more difficult because at those angles you are only picking up what we call leakage from the side loops of the antennas, which are substantially weaker than the signals from the main loops of the base stations."

While business class seats on the aircraft are known to have been equipped with phones that worked via satellite, it would be easy to strike down that system from inside the plane, said Lau.

Reports on Monday that the plane flew as low as 5,000 feet or less over mountainous terrain -- possibly in order to evade radar detection -- haven't been confirmed.

"In terms of the altitude it would have to be no higher than around 10,000 feet. Anything higher ... would be problematic," according to Bill Rojas, director of telecom research at IDC Asia Pacific.

Unlike in urban areas, where cell phone antennae are typically pointed down toward the ground, cell towers in rural areas are up to 30-45 meters high and are often pointed at an angle meant to cover wider distances.

So if you're up in the sky, you can receive the signal as well, Rojas said.

"If the airplane were flying over northern Malaysia or southern Thailand -- basically the rural area -- then it's very possible that a cell tower could register the signal from the phones, assuming they were on," said Rojas.

'No motive' in disappearance of airplane

Watch flight simulator attempt theory

Families not getting enough support

Examining MH370 conspiracy theories

"Technically it is possible."

How do passenger jets change flight paths?

Retrieving the data

If smartphones had been on and registered with a cell tower, the records would be relatively easy to retrieve.

"The registrations would typically be logged and depending on the operator they will be kept for hours, days or months," said Rojas.

The telecom expert said that he'd place particular focus on the phone numbers of passengers from Thailand or Malaysia.

"I would assume that the authorities are checking with the mobile operators by comparing known passenger cell numbers to see if there were any pings or attempted or successful network registrations in northern Malaysia or southern Thailand or possibly even Indonesia," said Rojas. "Any passenger who had roaming capabilities or a local Malaysian number -- if the plane were over Malaysia -- could in theory have been registered on the network if their phone was on.

"If a passenger does not have international roaming then their access would be rejected by the network and for a period of time that metadata might be stored by the network."

If the metadata records were erased automatically after a few days or a few hours, could they be retrieved?

"Each mobile operator will have its own guidelines for the duration of metadata storage and would not normally be made public for obvious national security and law enforcement reasons."

Rojas said as far as speed was concerned, the aircraft would need to have been flying at speeds below 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph) in order for passengers to make or receive calls.

Passengers on high-speed trains in Japan and other countries can make calls via 3G networks at speeds of up to 240 kilometers per hour, but cell towers aren't able to register a signal beyond those speeds, Rojas said.

Experts answer #370Qs tweets about missing Malaysian flight

How do ocean recoveries work?

Astronaut: New satellites could track missing planes