Travel News

BY  Christian Wienberg, Bloomberg News

The Maersk Sentosa container ship sails southbound to exit the Suez Canal in Suez, Egypt, on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. A steep decline in the number of tankers entering a vital Red Sea conduit suggests that attacks on ships in the area are further disrupting a key artery of global trade. , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Container shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S said it will once again stop letting its vessels sail through the Red Sea, a vital trade corridor, after another of its carriers came under attack in the space of a few weeks.

“We have decided to pause all transits through the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden until further notice,” Copenhagen-based Maersk said in a notice on its website. While it had already announced a pause that was only for two days as it reviewed the situation.

Iran-backed Houthi militants have said they are targeting merchant ships transiting the Red Sea that have any kind of link to Israel to punish Tel Aviv for the conflict in Gaza. Those connections have looked increasingly spurious, prompting swaths of the merchant fleet to stay away.

Tuesday’s decision by Maersk means two of the world’s largest container shipping lines have extended their pause on transits through an area that’s unavoidable for all vessels seeking to use Egypt’s Suez Canal to cut between Europe and Asia.

Instead Maersk, the world’s second-largest container ship owner, will re-route carriers south of Africa where that best serves its customers. Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd AG said earlier it also would continue to avoid passing through the Red Sea. Shares of both firms jumped on speculation freight rates will rise as a result of increased transit times.

Maersk, which only late last year had announced a resumption of transits, rehalted them again on the final day of 2023 after Houthi rebels attempted to board the Maersk Hangzhou, a container ship, with four small boats. In mid-December another of its carriers, the Maersk Gibraltar, was attacked unsuccessfully.

Helicopters from the US-led protection mission, Prosperity Guardian, repelled the latest attack, sinking three of the boats. Maersk said at the time it would reassess the situation no later than Jan. 2.

“We will continue to pause all cargo movement through the area while we further assess the constantly evolving situation,” Maersk said in Tuesday’s statement. “In cases where it makes most sense for our customers, vessels will be rerouted and continue their journey around the Cape of Good Hope.”

Maersk’s home country of Denmark has said it will send a warship to participate in the US mission.

--With assistance from Wilfried Eckl-Dorna.

BY  ADEKUNLE AGBETILOYE

Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Nigeria’s Minister of Interior has confirmed that the automated process for passport applications will commence on January 8, 2024.

Nigeria to begin passport application automation on January 8

• Automation process for passport applications in Nigeria will commence on January 8, 2024.
• Earlier on, the minister stated that the automated application system was "99% done.
• It would include processes such as uploading passport photos and supporting documents.

The minister revealed this during an inspection of facilities of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) alongside the Comptroller General (CG) of the Service, Wura-Ola Adepoju.

Nigerians will now have the convenience of applying and completing their passport application online, eliminating the need for in-person interactions.

The minister had previously announced in December that the Federal Government was actively working towards the complete automation of the passport application system in the country.

During that announcement, the minister stated that the automated application system was "99% done," and it would encompass processes such as uploading passport photos and supporting documents.

What the minister said:

“We are good to go live. We are starting the training and on January 8, the solution will be live and direct for Nigerians to have a good feel, a sweet experience based on the Renewed Hope of Mr President,"

“We have been able to reduce human contact in passport acquisition to the minimum.”

He stressed that this initiative would enhance the country's security architecture by enabling swift detection of fake passport applications and reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks.

As part of this effort, he revealed the deployment of document verification officers across all local government areas in the country. These officers will play a crucial role in meticulously scrutinizing passport applications, ensuring a more secure and reliable application process.

The minister had earlier cleared the backlog of over 200,000 passports awaiting processing within Nigeria.

In a bid to address concerns raised by Nigerians living abroad regarding the slow pace of passport renewal and collection procedures, the Nigerian Government had unveiled plans to establish passport front offices in key cities across the United Kingdom.

This initiative, set to launch in February 2024, would streamline and expedite the passport renewal and collection processes for the Nigerian diaspora, particularly in cities such as Manchester, Birmingham, and Cardiff (Wales).

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has said that the country might lose more than 50 per cent of its skilled healthcare workforce by 2025 due to the migration of health workers, especially doctors and nurses, to greener pastures.

On Tuesday, the Chairman of the NMA, Ogun State Branch, Dr Azim Ashimi, hinted in a New Year message made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Ashimi said the migration of health workers had worsened healthcare indices and caused a wanton loss of lives.

While expressing worries over the attitude of both the federal and state governments toward development.

 He said, “The last few years have been particularly challenging for the health sector in Nigeria given the unabating exodus of healthcare workers, especially doctors and nurses, from Nigeria in search of greener pastures.

“This has worsened healthcare indices and caused a wanton loss of lives. Unfortunately, the government across all levels in Nigeria seems to be trivialising this issue, as no visible concrete effort is being made to retain this critical workforce.

“Rather, triggers for such an exodus continue to surge daily. These include rising inflation and insecurity.

“We are heading for the rocks in the health sector as the projections are not looking good.

” It is likely that by the end of 2025, Nigeria may lose more than 50 per cent of her skilled healthcare workforce, and it will be foolhardy to think that we will have the younger and less skilled professionals to hold forth because they also constitute a major percentage of those not willing to stay.”

 He, therefore, called on governments to pay critical attention to the health sector before it collapses completely.

The medical doctor appreciated the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for allocating more funds to the health sector in the 2024 budget, as well as his effort
in repositioning the health sector.

Ashimi, however, said that doctors in the state’s service are tired, overworked, and sometimes depressed.

“We, however, want everyone to know that Ogun state doctors are tired, overworked, and sometimes depressed.

” We will, however, continue to put in our best to the limits of our human capacities as we implore the Ogun state and Federal government to do the needful by employing an appropriate number of doctors to man the various healthcare facilities that the government have over the years been building, renovating or upgrading,” he added.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has said that the country might lose more than 50 per cent of its skilled healthcare workforce by 2025 due to the migration of health workers, especially doctors and nurses, to greener pastures.

On Tuesday, the Chairman of the NMA, Ogun State Branch, Dr Azim Ashimi, hinted in a New Year message made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Ashimi said the migration of health workers had worsened healthcare indices and caused a wanton loss of lives.

While expressing worries over the attitude of both the federal and state governments toward development.

 He said, “The last few years have been particularly challenging for the health sector in Nigeria given the unabating exodus of healthcare workers, especially doctors and nurses, from Nigeria in search of greener pastures.

“This has worsened healthcare indices and caused a wanton loss of lives. Unfortunately, the government across all levels in Nigeria seems to be trivialising this issue, as no visible concrete effort is being made to retain this critical workforce.

“Rather, triggers for such an exodus continue to surge daily. These include rising inflation and insecurity.

“We are heading for the rocks in the health sector as the projections are not looking good.

” It is likely that by the end of 2025, Nigeria may lose more than 50 per cent of her skilled healthcare workforce, and it will be foolhardy to think that we will have the younger and less skilled professionals to hold forth because they also constitute a major percentage of those not willing to stay.”

 He, therefore, called on governments to pay critical attention to the health sector before it collapses completely.

The medical doctor appreciated the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for allocating more funds to the health sector in the 2024 budget, as well as his effort
in repositioning the health sector.

Ashimi, however, said that doctors in the state’s service are tired, overworked, and sometimes depressed.

“We, however, want everyone to know that Ogun state doctors are tired, overworked, and sometimes depressed.

” We will, however, continue to put in our best to the limits of our human capacities as we implore the Ogun state and Federal government to do the needful by employing an appropriate number of doctors to man the various healthcare facilities that the government have over the years been building, renovating or upgrading,” he added.

Despite the Federal Government’s 50 per cent fare rebate, passengers have lamented that the anticipated relief has yet to materialise, with transport costs remaining high.

President Bola Tinubu announced that the discount effective from December 21 to January 4, 2024, was to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians.

To implement the directive, the government partnered with notable transport companies, including God is Good Motors, Chisco Transport, The Young Shall Grow Motors, God Bless Ezenwata, and Area Motor.

While some Nigerians view that development as a much-needed intervention to lower transportation expenses, others criticised it as an impractical programme that failed to alleviate the burden of high transportation costs.

Some of the passengers, who spoke to The PUNCH, remarked that transport companies continued to inflate prices despite the 50 per cent rebate.

A passenger, Maduforo Okonkwo en route to Aba, said, “The government’s announcement seemed promising, but the actual reduction isn’t reflected in our expenses. We expected a reprieve, especially during the festive season.”

“My brother, who left yesterday using Chisco, paid N27,000 to Aba. Some of these companies did not offer up to a 50 per cent reduction. Yes, the President did slash it but it seems these companies also exploited it.

 “Before now, Chisco was not charging N54,000 as transport fare to Aba. If you are charging N27,000 now that the Federal Government is 50 per cent discount, it means they are purposely increasing.

He added, “No matter how you look at it, travellers are still paying over N25,000 on average on transport.”

At The Young Shall Grow Park, a university student, Nnamdi Chintuwa, who was travelling to Owerri, alleged that the transport companies were unrealistically charging passengers without any reason.

 “Even with the reduction by the Federal government, passengers are still paying above N23,000. Are you saying that these companies would have charged over N45,000 just to travel from Lagos to South East? I don’t think Nigerians would want to pay such money.

“There are always excuses to give that are the truth, but the fact remains that these transporters are not just fair to themselves,” Chintuwa lamented.

Another passenger at ABC Transport Company, Emmanuel Edeh, said before the 50 per cent discount the transport fare was N30, 000 to Abuja from Lagos but now with the discount it had become N42,700.

Edeh added, “It means you are still paying above N21,000. For many people, it is still high.”

As of Tuesday morning, God is Good Motors, one of the companies collaborating with the Federal Government on the scheme, charges N36,000 for the Lagos to Owerri route.

Denmark has opened visa applications for skilled and unskilled foreign workers including teachers, welders, mechanics, and others.

The Scandinavian country is currently dealing with a labour shortage in different sectors, with the authorities saying that the country needs foreign workers to fill job positions.

According to Schengen Visa Info, the scheme was designed to help Denmark address the ongoing labour shortage, in a statement by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) on Wednesday.

“According to SIRI, the new Positive List includes a total of 110 job openings, of which 72 are part of the Positive List for People with a Higher Education, and 38 are part of the Positive List For Skilled Work,” the report said.

The visa applications have been effective from January 1, 2024, as updated by SIRI for the Positive Lists for both graduates and skilled workers. 

The new Positive List for People with a Higher Education includes 72 job titles, while the Positive List for Skilled Work includes 38. 

It said notable additions to the Higher Education Positive List include military officers, heads of logistics management, heads of products management, biologists, mechanical engineers, environmental engineers, quality engineers, business intelligence managers, specialist consultants, marketing professionals, information technology programmers and system developers, web developers, system administrators, legal counsel, and communication consultants. 

Also, notable additions to the Skilled Work Positive List include plumbers, technical designers, sales consultants, human resources assistants, bricklayers, welders, bodywork metal workers, shipbuilders, service technicians with iron and metal, and industrial mechanics. 

It added that, “Notable removals from this list include blacksmiths, automatic technical technicians, electronics technicians, and telecommunications technicians.”

BY  Priscila Azevedo Rocha, Elena Mazneva and Lars Paulsson, Bloomberg News

, Source: Bloomberg model based on data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts

(Bloomberg) -- Europe’s mild and stormy start of winter will give way to freezing conditions through most of January, testing energy infrastructure as heating demand spikes. 

Temperatures are expected to sink below seasonal norms from the UK to France and Germany, the region’s biggest energy markets, according to meteorologists surveyed by Bloomberg. London may see overnight readings drop below zero by Monday, while a low of -7C is forecast for Berlin, according to Maxar Technologies Inc. 

Crisp, dry days will bring other challenges after a string of storms in December boosted wind-power generation to record-highs in Germany and the UK, helping to keep natural gas prices in check. The change to icy, but more settled, weather could stress the region’s energy systems, although high gas storage levels and sluggish industrial demand means Europe is better prepared than a year ago.

“Colder conditions will soon invest Europe more widely, with temperatures steadily dropping later this week into next week,” said Andrew Pedrini, a meteorologist at Atmospheric G2.

In Scandinavia, the icy conditions that have already brought the lowest January temperatures in 25 years to northern Sweden are set to spread south. Residents of Stockholm, who waded through deep snow to get to work this week, are bracing for a low of -14C on Sunday.

In some areas, train and bus operators have stopped services because they can’t risk people getting stranded in the severe cold. The Swedish military was called in to help free motorists as more than 1,000 cars were stuck in heavy snow last night.

To the east in Finland, power prices for Friday soared to a record and grid manager Fingrid Oyj said it would raise preparedness as cold weather sparked exceptionally high demand. The firm had earlier asked consumers to schedule their electricity use away from peak morning and evening hours.

While temperatures across the Nordics are poised to return to near normal early next week, that respite will last only a few days before colder weather returns, according to a report by utility Bixia AB. The cold snap is draining water reservoirs and a 6 terawatt-hour deficit in the region’s hydro balance is seen doubling to 12 terawatt-hours in two weeks, according to Wattsight data compiled by Bloomberg.

Milder Conditions

In central Europe, temperatures are expected to “moderate” in late January, while next month, milder-than-normal weather could spread to parts of the region including the southeast, according to Matthew Dross from Maxar.

Cold spells will remain a risk, with national forecaster Météo-France expecting temperatures to stay 20% colder and drier on average than the seasonal norm through March. 

However, the legacy of what may have been the hottest ever year in 2023 — with records tumbling through the Northern Hemisphere summer, followed by an unseasonably warm autumn — will counter January’s cold blast.

“It is simply a much warmer world now than it was even last year,” Atmospheric G2’s Pedrini said. “While we do expect below normal temperatures across northern Europe in spells, the magnitude of the cold will be considerably tempered by the warmer background state of the atmosphere and oceans.”

Read also: A Year of Climate Warnings, and Hope: Lara Williams

(Updates with record Finnish power price in seventh paragraph.)

BY  Lars Paulsson, Bloomberg News

, Source: Bloomberg models based on data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Global Forecast System

(Bloomberg) -- The deep freeze gripping Europe’s northernmost region is edging south, paralyzing transport systems and pushing power prices to record levels.

The icy conditions, which produced the coldest January for 25 years in parts of Sweden near the Arctic Circle, will spread to Nordic capitals over the weekend. Helsinki and Stockholm are forecast to see lows around -20C, while Oslo is set for a minimum of -28C on Friday, according to Maxar Technologies Inc.

Finland asked citizens to conserve power to avoid outages as prices surged to an all-time high. Freezing temperatures and heavy snow are closing roads and disrupting train services across the region, with an unusual number of cancellations. Finland’s state-owned train operator VR is canceling about 20 long-distance services per day through the weekend.

“Our trains have not properly defrosted and need extra de-icing and maintenance,” said Piia Tyynila, director of long-distance traffic at VR.  

Half of Finland’s roads face difficult conditions, according to state-owned Fintraffic said. A major road in southern Sweden, where some drivers were rescued by the military after more than a 1,000 cars got stuck on Wednesday and Thursday, will only reopen later this afternoon. 

While the likelihood of an electricity shortfall is currently small, Finland’s grid manager continues to operate in a state of heightened readiness. 

Finnish power prices for Friday surged 290% to a record €890.54 per megawatt-hour. They fell back to €167.33 for Saturday, which is still extremely high for a weekend. About 17% of Finland’s consumption was covered by imports from Sweden, Estonia and Norway. 

Sweden, typically a major exporter, is importing electricity from both Germany and Poland. 

Freezing conditions will also engulf other parts of western Europe over the coming week. Temperatures in Berlin will plunge to as low as -8C by Tuesday, while Paris will be -4C on Wednesday, according to Maxar.

“By the mid to latter parts of the time frame, strong cold builds across the continental region,” Maxar said in a daily report. 

That follows the extreme weather brought to the region earlier this week by Storm Henk, with torrential rain and flooding from the UK to Germany and northern France. A 73-year-old man was found dead in his partially submerged car near Nantes in northwestern France.

On Thursday evening, water levels at Colwick on the Trent, the UK’s third-longest river, climbed close to the record reached more than 23 years ago, according to government data. While water levels on the Trent are now receding, more than 200 flood warnings remain in place across the country, including for the Severn and Thames rivers.

The flood situation is also very serious in Germany, according to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, citing Transport Minister Volker Wissing.

--With assistance from Kati Pohjanpalo, Leo Laikola, Elena Mazneva and Priscila Azevedo Rocha.

Brazil postponed for the second time the reintroduction of requirements to obtain tourist visas for citizens of the US, Australia, and Canada, officials said.

Former president Jair Bolsonaro scrapped the visa requirements in 2019 to support the tourism industry, but the three countries continued to demand visas from Brazilians.

Report says the South American country requires visas from travelers based on principles of historical reciprocity and equal treatment.

Meanwhile, the government initially postponed the visa implementation on October 1 President Luiz Silva in September then set January 10 as the new deadline. However, Brazil’s presidency said it would be postponed yet again till April 10.

The statement said the government was still finalizing the new visa system and wanted to avoid implementing it close to the high season, mainly during the New Year’s celebrations and Carnival festivities in February, which attract tens of thousands of tourists.

Lula reinstated the visa requirements after he took office one year ago. The countries in question initially included Japan, but the East Asian nation struck a deal with Brazilian authorities in September to ease travel provisions between the two, keeping its citizens off of the new list.

By Justice Okamgba

Some passengers arriving the country have kicked against the continued delay of their luggage by Paris-based AirFrance.

It was learnt that a number of the passengers who arrived the country ahead of the Christmas and New Year celebrations had yet to pick up their checked-in bags as of January 4, 2024.

Passengers told The PUNCH that over two weeks after their arrival into the country, they had yet to see their bags.

The PUNCH findings show that the development marred the Christmas and New Year celebrations of many travellers arriving the country, while a number of other travellers who came for weddings and other programmes were badly affected.

A passenger,  who identified himself as Mr Kunle Adekola, said he came into the country with his family for the Yuletide celebrations via the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on December 20, 2023.

He expressed anger that as of January 4, 2024, his family had yet to get their luggage.

“We came in to Abuja on December 20, 2023. We are leaving back to the United States tomorrow and our luggage have yet to arrive. It has been very traumatic and sad,” the angry passenger said.

Also, a traveller, Mrs Caroline Ebube, said it was so sad that despite paying high fares, AirFrance still maltreated her.

“It is so sad. Families are going back without their luggage. It’s a nightmare for most folks and the tickets are triple the cost. Yet we are being subjected to this pain,” she lamented.

Also, a passenger who reportedly flew from US on December 19 in Business Class via Abuja, lamented the delay in the arrival of his bag from Paris.

Further findings show passengers who arrived between December 20 and 22, 2023, were the worst hit as the majority of them did not get their luggage.

Industry stakeholders have reacted to the ugly development.

 Assistant General Secretary of Aviation Round Table, Olumide Ohunayo, said, “This travel season witnesses an influx of Nigerians for Christmas, leading to excess luggage that some airlines struggle to manage.”

He suggested that passengers must go beyond social media complaints and formally address issues with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.

“A letter outlining the problems, specifically mentioning AirFrance with the attached necessary information, is the initial step.

“Drawing parallels with past incidents, such as with EgyptAir, could guide the approach. Passengers should utilise proper channels and allow regulators to intervene, considering the availability of aviation lawyers to navigate the situation,” Ohunayo noted.

The Director-General of Finum Aviation, Sheri Kyari, told The PUNCH, “While I lack specific details, a 10-day delay is unusually prolonged and abnormal for passengers not to retrieve their luggage upon arrival.

“Such issues ideally shouldn’t extend beyond two days. It’s crucial to investigate whether this luggage situation affects all passengers,” he said.

The Country Manager, AirFrance, Christine Quantin, could not be reached for immediate comments.

Response to an email sent to her was still being awaited as of the time of filing this report.

However, top officials of the airline in Abuja linked the delays to several challenges including logistics, and delays in transit.

By Damilola Olufemi

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Interior, has launched the online passport application portal to allow Nigerians to apply for their passport seamlessly.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo had announced in December that the FG was working to ensure a fully automated system of passport application in the country.

At the time, the minister said the automated application system was “99 per cent done,” adding that the process would include uploading passport photos and supporting documents.

He noted that Nigerian applicants who want 32-page passports with five-year validity would pay N35,000, while those who want 64-page passports with a 10-year validity would pay N70,000.

Meanwhile, foreign applicants, who wish to apply for passports with a five-year validity period and 32 pages, will pay $130, while those who prefer passports with a 10-year validity period and 64 pages will pay $230.

To apply online, follow the steps below:

1. Visit the online application portal http://passport.immigration.gov.ng.

2. Click on “Apply for Fresh Passport” (for new applicants)

3. Enter your NIN and date of birth and complete other required data

4. Upload your passport photograph and other supporting documents.

5. Visit the closest Immigration Office for your biometric capture.

6. Within two weeks, your passport will be ready for collection.

For fresh applicants,

1. You must be a Nigerian

2. You must have NIN

3. Have a passport photograph that meets ICAO standards

4. Have your documents such as birth certificate, local government certificate of origin, and other documents ready

To renew your passport:

1. You must have NIN

2. Have an old passport number

3. Have a passport photograph that meets ICAO standards.

4. Have your documents such as birth certificate, local government certificate of origin, and other documents ready.

Damilola Olufemi