Hotels group Millennium & Copthorne today said a strong performance by its London sites helped more than double profits during a “pivotal” year.

TOURISM will eventually recover in the tsunami-hit areas of south-east Asia, but firms may need “aggressive discounting” to do so, a leading consultancy company forecast yesterday.

Health authorities in Canada have closed a hospital to new patients because of a possible fresh cluster of SARS cases and reinforced orders for all staff treating patients in the Toronto area to wear gloves, masks and gowns.