Covid: Record court waits and calls to fine airlines for refund delayson April 25, 2022 at 6:47 am

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday morning.

Coronavirus restrictions meant many court cases were delayed. As that backlog’s being worked through, the BBC has found recent cases involving serious sexual offences have taken the longest time on record to go through Crown Courts in England and Wales. Justice Secretary Dominic Raab says delays were caused by the pandemic but criminal barristers believe it’s due to funding cuts and a decision to reduce how many days judges could sit.

The UK’s aviation watchdog should have “more teeth” to be able to fine airlines not giving refunds, MPs say. The Commons Transport Committee report recommends stronger powers for the Civil Aviation Authority so passengers hit by the kind of disruption caused by the pandemic are better protected. Read more here.

A spike in Covid cases in Beijing means millions of people are being tested for the virus. The number of infections reported in the Chaoyang district was 26, which the highest number in China’s capital so far. There are fears a similar lockdown to Shanghai may follow, which has seen some 25 million people shut in their homes for weeks. Here’s the full story.

Ethiopia’s historic town of Lalibela has ancient monolithic churches. It’s an area that relies heavily on tourism and the pandemic, as well as the country’s struggle with war, means many people have lost their livelihoods. Watch to find out more.

It’s likely that it take another year before revenues from music gigs reach pre-pandemic levels. The projection from PRS for Music comes after it emerged royalties and revenues from concerts fell in 2021, even though many events returned as Covid restrictions were lifted. Read more here.

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