The Inside Story Podcast

The global tourism industry has all but ground to a halt because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Most international flights have stopped and hotel bookings evaporated as countries closed their borders and imposed lockdowns.

That has put 100 million jobs at risk, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.

However, countries with falling infection rates are now planning to ease some of those restrictions.

They plan to encourage travellers and their cash to venture abroad again.

So what's the future of the tourism industry?

Presenter: Bernard Smith

Guests:

Kimarli Fernando - Head of Sri Lanka's National Tourism Development Authority.

George Papaconstantinou - Former Greek Minister of Finance and Professor at the European University Institute School of Transnational Governance.

Virginia Messina - Managing Director of the World Travel and Tourism Council.

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Foreign workers are often the backbone of many societies.

They are doctors, nurses, shop assistants and managers.

Others take low-skilled work that citizens of wealthier nations won't do.

They have families that depend on the money they send back home.

But millions of migrant workers have seen their livelihoods evaporate as the coronavirus spreads.

Salaries are being cut, or staff fired as economies are disrupted by lockdowns.

The World Bank says global remittances will drop by 20 percent this year, the sharpest fall in recent history.

So will the crisis change the way wealthy countries use foreign labour?

Presenter: Bernard Smith

Guests:

Arun Kumar - Professor at the Institute of Social Sciences in New Delhi.

Thulsi Narayanasamy - Head of Labour Rights at the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre.

Hasan Youness - Business Management Analyst.

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The United States is removing its Patriot anti-air missiles, and other weapons systems from Saudi Arabia.

Donald Trump says it is part of an effort to scale back on a military presence that he says doesn't benefit the U.S.

American weapons and fighter jets were sent to the kindgom last year after Saudi-Aramco oil facilities were attacked.

They were also intended as a deterrent, as tensions rose between Tehran and Washington.

But the reduction in the U.S. military presence is believed by some to be based on assessments Iran no longer poses an immediate threat to U.S. strategic interests.

So what's exactly changed?

And is oil politics at play?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie

Guests

Joel Rubin, President of the Washington Strategy Group.

Mahjoob Zweiri, Director of Gulf Studies Center at Qatar University.

Mohammad Marandi, Head of the American Studies Department at Tehran University.

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On May third, the Venezuelan government announced it had detained a group of what it called mercenaries - trying to reach Venezuela on speedboats along with several dozen Colombians.

The group reportedly numbered around 50.

At least eight people were killed in the incident as the Venezuelans in effect ambushed the group, having apparently waited for them on the shore.

The mission, according to the government, was to kill Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro and spark a coup in Caracas.

But others claim the plan was to abduct Maduro, and then take him - nobody knows where.

A Florida-based security company has claimed responsibility for the operation - which was coordinated with Venezuela's opposition, led by Juan Guaido.

But President Maduro insists the United States, and specifically President Trump, knew about the plot from the start.

As the U.S and most of Latin America want Nicolas Maduro out of power,

what does this mean for Venezuela?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie

Guests

J.J Rendon, Presidential High Commissioner and General Strategist for the Juan Guaido government

Ramon Muchacho, former Mayor of Chacao District, an opposition stronghold in Caracas, Venezuela.

Isaias Medina, a member of the political party Council of Rumbo Libertad.

Pedro Burelli, a Latin America Political Analyst and Managing Director of B+V Advisors, a business management consulting group.

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It's a very lucrative business and almost recession-proof. But sport is being dealt a financial blow by the coronavirus.

Major events have been cancelled or postponed for the first time in many years.

From the Tokyo Olympic games to football matches; fields, arenas and stadiums will be empty for a long time.

Athletes, organisations and thousands of people who work at sporting events are affected.

Revenues from broadcasting deals, sponsorship contracts and match tickets are drying up.

The business model for many sports is under threat, and has to adapt to measures to counter covid-19.

So, can sport survive the outbreak?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie

Guests

Kieran Maguire, Football Finance Lecturer at the University of Liverpool.

Patrick Mbiele Happi, Manager of retired Champion League footballer Samuel Eto.

Tancredi Palmeri, BeIN Sports Correspondent and former Presenter for UEFA.

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As covid-19 started to hit the world, many of us were concerned about whether we'd be infected.

Some said it's as bad as the flu, others predicted worse. Then news about health systems being overwhelmed and bodies piling up started to emerge.

That gave a bleak picture. But it's not everywhere. Mortality rates in Qatar and Singapore are below 0.1% - among the world's lowest.

The Gulf nation's mortality rate is at 0.07% -- that's 12 deaths in more than 16,000 cases.

And Singapore’s is 0.093% of more than 19,000 infections.

Experts say testing, the availabilty of hospital beds and population age are three critical factors.

Yet, Singapore's outbreak is the biggest in southeast Asia

And Qatar has the second highest number of cases in the Arab world, although the curve is flattening.

So what's exactly behind that?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie

Guests

Dr Ali Omrani, Senior Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Head of Research at the Communicable Diseases Center at the Hamad Medical Corporation.

Dr Annie Sparrow, Professor of Population Health Science and Policy at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Archie Clements, Professor of Infectious Disease at Curtin University Perth.

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Attempts by China's leaders to divert attention from early coverups of the coronavirus outbreak seem to be backfiring.

Airlifts of medical supplies from China to Europe's worst hit countries have been quickly forgotten.

And Australia is calling for an international inquiry into COVID-19's origins.

China's ambassador responded by threatening boycotts of Australian beef and wine.

Chinese envoys in Germany and France have come under fire for criticising how governments there are dealing with the pandemic.

Can China overcome suspicion of its motives and regain trust?

Presenter: Bernard Smith

Guests:

Einar Tangen - Political analyst on Chinese affairs and former provincial government adviser

Bonnie Glaser - Senior Adviser for Asia and Director of the Chinese Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies

Andreas Fulda - Senior Fellow at the University of Nottingham's Asia Research Institute

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It's now more than four months since the COVID-19 started spreading from Wuhan in China.

Although the pandemic hasn't stopped, some countries with falling infection rates are slowly easing lockdown restrictions.

Small shops and restaurants are reopening in a dozen countries across Asia, Europe and Africa.

Some school children are returning to class.

A few more domestic flights are taking off, and train services are increasing frequency.

What are the risks of a second wave of infections?

And how should we adapt to life post lockdown?

Presenter: Bernard Smith

Guests:

John Nicholls - Clinical Professor in Pathology at the University of Hong Kong

Donna Dawson - Psychologist specialising in personality and behaviour

David Alexander - Professor of Risk and Disaster Reduction at University College London

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Thailand has begun lifting restrictions after a steady decline in the number of coronavirus infections.

But many people still need help putting food on the table and some businesses are expected to struggle.

The government will evaluate the situation every two weeks - either determining to further ease the restrictions - or if there is a spike in confirmed cases, they will reimpose some of the restrictions.

Al Jazeera's Scott Heidler reports from Bangkok.

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As Canada’s hospitals and medical personnel deal with the COVID-19 outbreak, calls are mounting to allow more internationally-trained doctors to practice and support front-line healthcare workers. But tight regulations are leaving many shut out of their chosen profession.

Al Jazeera's Daniel Lak reports.

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