New EU laws to ease airline passengers woes
Brussels: European Union laws have come into force which will offer airline passengers better compensation if their flights are overbooked, cancelled or subjected to long delays.

The airlines will now have to pay hefty reimbursements to any passenger with a confirmed ticket who gets bumped off a flight. Similar compensation will be offered if a flight is cancelled and the airline is deemed responsible. Delays of two to four hours will require airlines to serve snacks or full meals, while delays over five hours entitle passengers to a refund and a hotel room if necessary.

Return flights must be offered if the journey is no longer necessary, for example if a business meeting is missed.

Airlines will not be held responsible if cancellations or delays are caused by "extraordinary circumstances" beyond their control - such as strikes or security threats.

However, airlines say that they will now be forced to push up ticket prices to cover the compensation claims and have threatened legal action.
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Yukos chief slams Russian govt.
Washington: The chief of the Yukos oil company has urged members of the US congress to protest the Russian government's "systematic and deliberate campaign to bankrupt" his company.

Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at a hearing called 'Democracy in Retreat in Russia', Yukos Chief Executive Steven Theede said the Russian government has set out to dismantle Yukos, through "dubious" and "illegal" means.

He testified that it was yet another example of Russia reversing "its commitment to privatisation and (choosing) instead to increase the role of the state." Theede said the result of the government's practices is the dismantling of his company. He noted the market value of Yukos has fallen to $2 billion from $40 billion in less than six months.

Theede argued that United States has "a direct interest" in resolving the situation, not just because of the large number of Americans who have invested in the company, but also because the US stands as the world's largest oil consumer.

Meanwhile, a group of European Union lawmakers met in Washington, and referring to issues like Yukos, said they feared Russia is on the path towards consolidating power in the hands of a few and ending democratic reforms. They said Europe and the United States need to join together to pressure Russia, or risk "undermining the stability of the entire world."
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