Quick notes: Outbound travel | Comac C919...

• Outbound travel: Indians travelers are searching for international trips faster than travelers in any other market in the world. Last year, Indian travelers spent 20% more than the average Chinese customer on accommodations for their international travels. "Indians like to stay in four- or five-star accommodations, and at branded hotels with names that they are familiar with."



• India Chooses Arm's Neoverse for National Chip Design Push: C-DAC's Aum Arm accelerator promises 96 cores or Arm to beat even supercomputers.



• For a change, try a hard-headed China policy: Despite six decades of experience of Chinese behaviour, India has willfully suspended its disbelief and, by way of a default policy, accepted new sets of promises and commitments to maintain peace and harmony on the border. Beijing plays for time and tests India’s patience, straight facedly repeating the stock phrases about India, in effect, needing to move on and, by the by, to help the Chinese economy get back on its feet by accepting increased Chinese exports even if it means exacerbating the current trade deficit of some $70 billion!
  
  For starters, instead of tippy-toeing around the option, New Delhi has to begin actually applying the tourniquet on bilateral trade, gradually closing off market access, firstly, to Chinese light manufactures and capital consumer goods (mobile telephones of every description, MG cars, Haier household goods — airconditioners, washing machines, etc.) and, secondly, shutting the door on the Chinese teleecom giants — Huawei, ZTE, etc. Recently Vodafone chose the Chinese company ZTE’s 5-G transmission gear worth Rs 220 crore to upgrade its network.



• China's C919 passenger plane enters into service: The 164-seater still relies heavily on Western components, including engines and avionics.. State-owned AVIC Aircraft supplies structural components like wing boxes and flaps; Sichuan Chengfei Integration Technology provides parts and component; and advanced materials manufacturer Western Superconducting Technologies supplies titanium alloys.



• France bans short-haul flights: "On average, the plane emits 77 times more CO2 per passenger than the train on these routes, even though the train is cheaper and the time lost is limited to 40 minutes".



• Big apple is sinking: The ground under New York City is sinking partly due to the sheer mass of all its buildings – and it isn't the only coastal city to be suffering this fate.



• British loot: Greece recovers hundreds of looted artefacts, including bronze statue of Alexander the Great, from disgraced British art dealer Robin Symes



• Khalistan goons: Sikhs in London are scared