Bloomberg Southwest Airlines Co and American Airlines Group Inc have scrapped their annual staff Halloween parties because of the coronavirus pandemic, suspending revered traditions amid an unprecedented industry slump. “You all know Halloween celebrations will look differently this year,” Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said in his weekly message to employees. “Please remember to wear your masks while having fun with one ...

Bloomberg Singapore Airlines Ltd will restart 19-hour non-stop flights to New York next month, betting that demand will recover as the coronavirus pandemic eases in its home country. The airline will use its Airbus SE A350 aircraft for the world’s longest flight, with three weekly services starting from November 9 from Changi Airport to John F Kennedy International, according to ...

Bloomberg British Airways is planning to cut the number of flights it operates from London Gatwickas the coronavirus pandemic continues to slam the travel industry, the Mail reported. The carrier aims to shift business to Heathrow — Britain’s largest airport — where it will counter falling demand for business travel by boosting premium leisure flights to long-haul holiday destinations, the ...

Bloomberg White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said the goal in talks with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is a deal on a coronavirus relief package within the next 48 hours. “The last 24 hours have moved the ball down the field,” Meadows said on Fox Business Wednesday, after the latest round of talks between Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven ...

Bloomberg A special unit of Taliban extremists ambushed a convoy of Afghan security forces, killing as many as 34 even as the insurgent group holds peace talks with the Kabul government to end the 19-year-old war. The night raid by Taliban fighters, some armed with night-vision goggles and laser-assisted rifles, took place in Afghanistan’s north as the convoy made its ...

Bloomberg Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha said his government is prepared to withdraw emergency rules banning large gatherings in the capital if the mounting protests demanding his ouster and monarchy reforms remain peaceful. Prayuth’s pledge to review the state of emergency issued last week and open the doors for talks came as thousands of protesters marched to the prime minister’s ...

Bloomberg Malaysia’s United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party expressed its support for the government, in a boost to PM Muhyiddin Yassin’s leadership. The party, the largest block in the ruling coalition, announced a “political ceasefire” and said it will back the government’s efforts to manage the pandemic and boost economic growth, according to a statement from UMNO President Ahmad Zahid ...

Bloomberg Hundreds of young Nigerians defied a lockdown and returned to the streets of Lagos, Africa’s most populous city, a day after the security forces violently confronted protesters. Youths carrying sticks and metal poles set tires on fire and chased cars that tried to evade barricades they’d erected along one of Lagos’s main expressways. Several other streets were also sealed ...

Bloomberg Milan, Italy’s financial capital, will be under night-time curfew starting from Thursday in a bid to contain the renewed spread of the coronavirus, even as Giuseppe Conte’s government weighs softer nationwide measures. The curfew in Lombardy, Italy’s most populous region which includes Milan, will be enforced from 11 pm to 5 am, according to a copy of a decree ...

Bloomberg The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is likely to consider changing its inflation forecasts to reflect the short-term impact on prices of a government travel campaign at its policy meeting next week, according to people familiar with the matter. The central bank will probably discuss cutting its price projection for the year ending in March to account for the downward ...