Cathay Pacific bans couple who complained over reclining seat

Published

2 hours ago

September 23, 2024

Cathay Pacific bans couple who complained over reclining seat

Cathay Pacific has banned a Hong Kong couple from its flights after their row with a mainland Chinese traveller over her reclining seat.

The Chinese woman had complained on social media that she was harassed by the couple seated behind her on a Cathay flight after reclining her seat.

The Hong Kong flag carrier said on Sunday that it had added the couple to its no-fly list, saying it has “a strict zero-tolerance policy” towards behaviours that disrespect fellow passengers.

The Chinese woman’s post on social media platform Xiaohongshu, which captured part of the confrontation, had garnered 194,000 likes as of Monday morning and drawn mixed reactions online.

The incident took place on a flight from Hong Kong to London on 17 September.

In her post, the Chinese woman recalled how the middle-aged couple – a husband and wife – had accused her of obstructing their view of the in-flight television and asked her to straighten her seat.

When she refused, the wife stretched her legs and put them on the armrests of her seat, then started scolding her in Cantonese and slapping her arm, the woman said.

“When she realised I couldn’t speak Cantonese, she started calling me ‘mainland girl’ in a derogatory tone,” she said.

The husband, who was seated directly behind her, “frantically pushed” the back of her seat, the woman said. Her video showed the seat vibrating.

Another scene showed the wife raising her middle finger at the woman.

The woman then sought help from a flight attendant, who suggested that she straighten her seat.

“I was shocked because it was not meal time, yet the flight attendant wanted me to compromise,” the woman said. “I rejected the suggestion.”

Several passengers who witnessed the incident criticised the Hong Kong couple’s behaviour.

“Don’t call yourself a Hong Konger, you bully,” one passenger said.

Another said, “This is too much. How old are you? Why are you bullying a young girl?”

The woman’s post on Xiaohongshu sparked similar outrage.

“If they want more space, they should have paid for first-class seats,” one person wrote.

Several commenters were quick to defend Hong Kong’s reputation, with one saying “Most people in Hong Kong are kind, this couple is an exception.”

It has also triggered a debate on whether reclining one’s aeroplane seat is an acceptable practice.

Several users said that it should be acceptable, given that the ability to recline is a built-in function of the seats.

Others said it can get uncomfortable when passengers in front recline their seats too far back.

Source link

Full list of candidates standing in the Holme Valley South by-election

Published

14 mins ago

September 23, 2024

NewsAdmin

Full list of candidates standing in the Holme Valley South by-election

Candidates from across the political spectrum are hoping to secure the vote

Source link

First Quantum plans maintenance for Panama copper mine amid protests

Published

15 mins ago

September 23, 2024

NewsAdmin

FILE PHOTO: View of the Cobre Panama mine, of Canadian First Quantum Minerals, in Donoso, Panama, December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Aris Martínez/File Photo

Business & FinanceEnergyEnvironment

20 November 2023, 3:09 pm 1 minute

Reuters exclusively reported that Canada’s First Quantum Minerals was considering putting its key Panama copper miner on care and maintenance from Nov. 23, effectively shutting production at a mine that accounts for about 1% of global output. Citing sources familiar with the matter, Reuters reported that the move follows protests that blocked coal from reaching First Quantum’s plant. Supply concerns at First Quantum’s Panama contributed to copper prices jumping to two-month highs traders said while First Quantum shares extended fall to drop as much as 5.7% on the news.

Market Impact

Supply concerns at First Quantum’s Panama contributed to copper prices jumping to two-month highs traders said while First Quantum shares extended fall to drop as much as 5.7% on the news.

Article Tags

Topics of Interest: Business & FinanceEnergyEnvironment

Type: Reuters Best

Sectors: Business & FinanceCommodities & Energy

Regions: North America

Win Types: Exclusivity

Story Types: Exclusive / Scoop

Media Types: Text

Customer Impact: Important Regional Story

Source link

News

Court case involving two Lexington councilwomen was mysteriously sealed. It’s now open.

Published

36 mins ago

September 23, 2024

NewsAdmin

A court case involving harassment claims against a Lexington councilwoman has been unsealed and is now available again through the Kentucky’s online court system, Courtnet or KyECourts.

The Lexington-Herald Leader published a story last week questioning why the case was sealed.

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilwoman Denise Gray was awarded a temporary emergency protection order against Councilwoman Brenda Monarrez on Aug. 8.

In her petition, Gray alleges Monarrez was sexually aggressive towards her on two different occasions over three years.

Fayette Circuit Judge Traci Brislin ordered during an Aug. 20 hearing Monarrez attend council meetings virtually and work from home until an Oct. 16 hearing, which will determine if the protection order will remain in place.

Both women can testify at that hearing.

Monarrez has denied the allegations, calling them baseless, vile and politically motivated.

An interpersonal protection order is a civil matter. No criminal charges have been filed.

After the Aug. 20 hearing, the case was removed from Courtnet. The Herald-Leader attempted to access the paper file at the Fayette Circuit Clerk’s office on Sept. 18 and was told the case was confidential or sealed.

On Saturday, the case reappeared on Courtnet.

On Aug. 21, there is a note in the case file that shows the case is now confidential. However, there was no motion from Gray or Monarrez’s attorneys asking the case be sealed. The note appears to come from “judicial staff,” according to the court record.

Brislin conducted the initial hearing on Aug. 20. But the case was originally assigned to District Judge Ross Ewing, according to the court record. Brislin’s staff confirmed Monday the case had been unsealed.

Brislin was not immediately available for comment.

Michael Abate, a lawyer for the Kentucky Press Association, questioned how the case was sealed. Under the law, a hearing must be held to determine if a case can be sealed and media has to be noticed, Abate has said. There was no hearing listed in the court record.

On Sept. 20, two days after the Herald-Leader ran a story questioning why the case was no longer public, there’s an entry in the court record showing the case be returned to the public docket.

“The Herald-Leader is concerned about what appears to a fast-and-loose policy related to secretly sealing and then unsealing this case without an initial hearing,” said Executive Editor Richard Green. “Kentucky law is very clear about how the process is supposed to work. We will continue to look into this matter and remind those in the courthouse of the law of the commonwealth.”

Source link

Business

India flags cricket rights concerns with Disney-Reliance $8.5 bln merger

Published

36 mins ago

September 23, 2024

NewsAdmin

FILE PHOTO: Disney and Reliance logos are seen in this illustration taken, August 13, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration//File Photo

Deals

20 August 2024, 8:36 pm 1 minute

Reuters exclusively reported that India’s antitrust body has reached an initial assessment that the $8.5 billion India merger of Reliance and Walt Disney media assets harms competition due to their power over cricket broadcast rights. It is the biggest setback so far to the planned Disney-Reliance merger, which aims to create India’s biggest entertainment player with a combined 120 TV channels and two streaming services.

Market Impact

The merged company, which would be majority owned by Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance, would have lucrative rights worth billions of dollars for the broadcast of cricket on TV and streaming platforms, raising fears over pricing power and its grip over advertisers.

Article Tags

Topics of Interest: Deals

Type: Reuters Best

Sectors: Business & FinanceMergers & Acquisition

Regions: Asia

Countries: India

Win Types: Exclusivity

Story Types: Exclusive / Scoop

Media Types: Text

Customer Impact: Significant National Story

Source link

Business

OPEC+ sticks to oil policy, repeats could pause Oct hike

Published

39 mins ago

September 23, 2024

NewsAdmin

Reuters was first to report that a meeting of top OPEC+ ministers kept oil output policy unchanged including a plan to start unwinding output cuts from October. The oil producing group took the decision despite sharp oil price falls in recent weeks amid global demand concerns. Brent crude futures fell on the news settling down 1.6% below $80 a barrel.

The post OPEC+ sticks to oil policy, repeats could pause Oct hike appeared first on Reuters News Agency.

Source link

Business

US to ban Chinese tech in cars

Published

39 mins ago

September 23, 2024

NewsAdmin

The US is planning to ban certain hardware and software made in China and Russia from cars, trucks and buses in the US due to security risks.

Officials said they were worried that the technology in question, used for autonomous driving and to connect cars to other networks, could allow enemies to “remotely manipulate cars on American roads”.

There is currently minimal use of Chinese or Russia-made software in American cars.

But Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the plans were “targeted, proactive” steps to protect the US.

“Cars today have cameras, microphones, GPS tracking, and other technologies connected to the internet,” she said in a statement.

“It doesn’t take much imagination to understand how a foreign adversary with access to this information could pose a serious risk to both our national security and the privacy of US citizens.”

Chinese officials said the US was broadening “the concept of national security” to unfairly target Chinese firms.

“China opposes the US’s broadening of the concept of national security and the discriminatory actions taken against Chinese companies and products,” said Lin Jian, spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement.

“We urge the US side to respect market principles and provide an open, fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises.”

The proposal, which will now enter a comment period, is the latest from the White House aiming to limit China’s presence in the car manufacturing supply chain.

The White House has also raised tariffs on electric cars, batteries for electric vehicle and a range of other items. It has separately banned the import of Chinese-made cargo cranes, warning of cyber-security risk.

The US launched an investigation in February examining the cyber risks from so-called connected cars.

The prohibitions on software would go into effect with model year 2027, while the hardware rules would be effective three years later, giving the industry more time to re-work their supply chains.

John Bozzella, president and chief executive of Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents big car companies, said that though there was “very little technology – hardware or software in today’s connected vehicle supply chain that enters the US from China” the rule would force some firms to find new suppliers.

“I’ve said this in other contexts, but it applies here too: you can’t just flip a switch and change the world’s most complex supply chain overnight,” he said.

“The lead time included in the proposed rule will allow some auto manufacturers to make the required transition but may be too short for others,” he said.

He said association would continue to share its perspective as the final rules are developed.

Source link