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• US Justice Dept. says Norfolk Southern will give Amtrak priority over freight trains.

  The U.S. Justice Department announced on Tuesday that it had dismissed a lawsuit filed against Norfolk Southern, after the company agreed to give Amtrak passenger train "highest priority" in comparison to freight trains. In a press release, the Department of Transportation said that the settlement reached with Norfolk Southern Corp. and Norfolk Southern Railway Company resolved allegations that the transport firm delayed passenger trains along Amtrak’s Crescent Route from New York City to New Orleans in violation federal law. Norfolk Southern, which controls 1,140-miles of rail on the Crescent Route, dispatches all trains, including those it operates, along this segment. In July 2024, the Biden administration had sued Norfolk for civil damages. The Biden Administration, which placed a high priority on enhancing passenger rail service, and high-speed rail project, filed a lawsuit against Norfolk. Federal law requires Norfolk Southern give Amtrak passengers trains priority over freight trains. However, the Justice Department stated at the time, that Norfolk failed to comply with this requirement, "resulting in widespread delays which harm and inconvenience train riders, negatively impact Amtrak's performance and impede passenger railroad transportation". The settlement also requires Norfolk to train their employees on how to give Amtrak priority in non-emergency situations. It also requires supervisor approval before any dispatching decisions are made that don't give Amtrak priority.

• London commuters switch to boats and bikes as Tube strike enters its second week

  Commuters used buses, boats and bikes to get around London on Tuesday after a strike by staff shut down the "Tube", London's underground network. Londoners were looking for other ways to commute to work. As a result, the demand for river and shared bike transport increased. This led to longer journeys, and congestion on other transport networks. The London-based Centre for Economics and Business Research estimated that the strike would have a direct cost of 230 millions pounds ($310) on the London economy, and many more indirect costs. Lime, a company that operates electric bikes in the city, reported a 58% rise in the number of trips made during the morning rush on Monday compared to the same period one week earlier. A Lime spokesperson stated that "journeys were longer both in distance and duration indicating many riders relied upon Lime for the entire commute, rather than just their first or last mile." Forest, a bike-sharing company that operates 15,000 electric bikes in London, reported an increase of 100% in Monday morning rides between 7 am (0600 GMT). It expected to have 60,000 users active throughout the day, more than twice its normal Monday volume of around 27,000. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers is a river-bus service that operates on the Thames. It said its services are "busier than normal" and added extra sailings, including a shuttle from Canary Wharf to London Bridge. The RMT union called the strike. It is centered on pay, fatigue and shift patterns. Transport for London offered a pay increase of 3.4%, but the RMT union wants to reduce working hours. The government of Keir starmer, who promised to end widespread strikes across the economy when it was elected in July last year, has now called for a solution. Reporting by Sam Tabahriti Editing Alexandra Hudson

• After a double-decker Mexican bus is hit by a train, 10 people are killed and 61 injured

  A freight train crashed into a double decker passenger bus in central Mexico, killing 10 people and injuring at least 61 others. The train operator claimed that the double decker bus was trying to pass the moving train. Canadian Pacific Kansas City de Mexico, the railroad, sent condolences and urged drivers to obey road signs and stop at railroad crossings. Herradura de Plata, the bus operator in question, did not respond immediately to a comment request. First responders had cordoned off and photographed the scene. The bus's metal frame was badly dented as well as the front of its top deck. Local authorities reported that the collision occurred in an industrial area on the highway between Atlacomulco (a town located 115 km northwest of Mexico City) and Maravatio in the nearby state of Michoacan. According to the State of Mexico Attorney General's Office, seven women and three males were killed. In Mexico, buses are the main mode of transportation. Although freight rail lines are widespread, passenger train routes are limited. The government of President Claudia Sheinbaum wants to expand the country's passenger rail system to connect many areas of northern and central Mexico. Reporting by LizbethDiaz; Additional reporting and writing by Stephen Eisenhammer, Rod Nickel; Editing by Brendan O'Boyle.

• Heathrow Terminal 4 in London closed over possible hazardous material incident

  On Monday, firefighters were called to respond to a possible hazardous materials incident at Heathrow Airport in London. Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest international airport, announced on Twitter that Terminal 4 was closed while emergency services responded to an incident. All other terminals are operating normally. The London Fire Brigade stated on its website that "specialist crews were dispatched to assess the scene, and Terminal 4 Check-in was evacuated for safety reasons while firefighters conducted operations." They added that they were first notified about the incident at 1601 BST (1701 GMT). The brigade reported that around 20 people were assessed by paramedics on the scene. At this point, the cause of the accident is still under investigation. Video clips that were not verified and shared online show dozens of people waiting outside the terminal. Heathrow website's departures page shows that flights have taken off from Terminal 4 ever since the incident. A fire that broke out at an electrical substation in March knocked the power to the airport, causing it to be closed for almost a full day. This caused flight schedules all over the world to be disrupted and thousands of passengers stranded. (Reporting and editing by Chris Reese, Rosalba o'Brien).

• Haaland is cleared by Norway after a freak bus accident that leaves him with a cut lip

  Stale Solbakken, the coach of Norway's national team, said that Erling Haaland would be fit to play against Moldova on Tuesday even though he suffered a cut lip after the luggage door of the bus struck him. On Sunday, the Manchester City player was exiting the back of the bus, outside the hotel where the team stayed, when the luggage door opened, striking him in the nose. Haaland revealed his injury on social networks, stating that he needed three stitches. Solbakken, a Norwegian broadcaster, told NRK: "We should have been glad that it went well because this could have actually gone badly." He added, "I think he went to the dental office, had some stitches and stopped the bleeding, but he's fine for the match." Norway is chasing its first World Cup in over 25 years. They have won four of their four qualifying matches, while Moldova are bottom in Group I, with zero points. (Reporting and editing by Christian Radnedge in Gdansk)

• London's Tube system shuts down as workers start a week-long strike

  London's Underground rail network halted on Monday, as workers began a strike over pay and conditions of employment. This caused travel disruptions for both commuters and tourists. The underground rail network is expected to be shut down until Thursday. This means that the 3.7 million people who use it daily will have to work from home or find other ways to travel. Forest, which operates 15 000 e-bikes throughout London, reported that it was experiencing four times the demand for its ebikes at 9 am. Some commuters opted for buses or the few remaining train lines, but most reported longer journeys. Laura Sutton, 46 years old, a legal adviser, was standing near London Bridge Station. Transport for London (which operates London's public transport system) said that it offered staff a pay increase of 3.4%, but the union only accepted a deal if the result was a shorter working week. The RMT union stated that the dispute was centered on pay, fatigue management and shift patterns, as well as a reduction of hours. The spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir starmer told reporters that the PM wanted a solution. They said that "Londoners trying to get to their jobs, dropping off their children at school, and businesses who depend on the Tube to bring in work and footfall, will be tired of these strikes." Outside the Tower of London Peter Rolf (58), a German citizen, told his family that they had decided to reduce their two-day London trip to just one day, and spend more time in England. Patricia Ware (75), who visited from near Chicago, U.S.A., said that it took much longer to get to the historic castle. She said, "We found it difficult to get a taxi here." She was still having a great time in London. "Travelling is at best a hassle. So we just go along with it." Reporting by Will Russell. Marissa Davison. Sam Tabahriti. Sarah Young. Andrew MacAskill. Sachin Ravikumar. William James edited the story.

• London's Tube system shuts down as workers start a week-long strike

  London's Tube system came to a halt on Monday, as workers began a strike over pay and conditions of work. This caused commuters and visitors to the British capital great inconvenience. Between Monday and Thursday, there are not expected to be any London Underground trains. The Docklands Light Railway that connects Canary Wharf with the City of London will also not operate on Tuesday or Thursday. Many Londoners chose to cycle to work and others took detours on Monday morning. Laura Sutton, 46 a legal adviser, was at London Bridge Station. She said, "The prospect of having to wait all week is a nightmare... I've probably taken twice as long this morning." The RMT union stated that the dispute was centered on pay, fatigue, shift patterns, and a reduction of the working week. Eddie Dempsey, RMT's General Secretary said: "They're not looking for a king-sized ransom but fatigue and shift rotations can have serious impacts on the health and well-being of our members." Transport for London operates the public transport network in London. The union said it would accept only a deal that led to a shorter working week. Staff typically work 35 hours. It claimed to have worked hard to resolve the conflict and offered staff a pay increase of 3.4%. During the strike, some train services will run in the capital. There were minor delays on the Elizabeth Line (which operates trains to Heathrow Airport) and Overground rail networks. The strikes will also cause disruption to commuters and tourists. Coldplay, a British rock band, has rescheduled two concerts in Wembley Stadium for this week. Post Malone, a U.S. musician, has also postponed two of his London shows until later in the year. Sachin Ravikumar, Will Russell and Marissa Davison. Reporting by Will Russell. William James edited the story.

• London Underground workers to begin week-long strike action

  London Underground workers will begin rolling strikes Sunday. The action is expected to cause major disruptions for Londoners and bring the network to an end. The staff are staging a series staggered walksouts, so there will be almost no "Tubes" between Monday and Friday. The Docklands Light Railway that connects Canary Wharf with the City of London and its financial centre, the City of London will also not run on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The RMT union stated that the dispute was centered on pay, fatigue, shift patterns, and a reduction of the working week. Eddie Dempsey, RMT's General Secretary said: "They don't want a king-sized ransom but fatigue and shift rotations can have a serious impact on the health and well-being of our members." Transport for London operates the public transport network in London. The union said it would accept only a deal that led to a shorter working week. Staff typically work 35 hours. It claimed to have worked hard to resolve the conflict and offered staff a pay increase of 3.4%. Despite TfL's warning that there would be a severe disruption to train services, some trains in the capital are expected to run during the strike. TfL stated that trains are likely to be very busy. The strikes will also cause disruption to commuters and tourists. Coldplay, a British rock band, has rescheduled two concerts this week at Wembley Stadium, while U.S. singer Post Malone postponed two of his London shows until later in the year. (Reporting and editing by Christina Fincher.)

• Serbian police used teargas to disperse protesters against the government

  Serbian police used tear gas and stun grenades on a campus of a university in Novi Sad, to disperse demonstrators who were demanding a snap election they hoped would remove president Aleksandar Vucic from power and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party. On Friday night, thousands of students gathered on the campus of the State University. They held banners that read "We don't need blockades; we just want elections" and "Students demand elections urgently." The crowd shouted, "Vucic Leave!" Police used teargas to disperse the crowd. Protesters also threw flares in the air. Vucic's SNS party and Serbians have been rattled by months of protests in Serbia, including the blockades at state universities. The protests were sparked last November when 16 people died after the roof of a renovated train station collapsed. The protests were mostly peaceful, until August 13, when clashes between police and civilians resulted in the injuries of dozens. The protesters are calling for early elections to remove Vucic from power and have accused the corruption of the Novi Sad train station disaster. Students, anti-corruption groups and opposition groups have accused Vucic of having ties with organized crime, using violent tactics against political opponents, and suppressing freedom of the media - accusations they deny. Nebojsa Krac, one of the protesters, said: "The solution to this problem is to hold elections." "We want to see peace and democracy prevail and that political institutions do their jobs." This will mean calling elections. The government will then change. Reporting by Fedja and Branko Grulovic; Writing by Ivana Skularac; Editing Alistair Bell

• Ryanair reduces capacity in Spain following airport fee increases in a move that the operator calls "blackmail"

  Irish airline Ryanair announced on Wednesday that it would reduce its passenger capacity for Spain by one million seats next winter in response to a fee increase announced by airport operator Aena, which it called "shameless". Aena's CEO Maurici Lucena responded by accusing Ryanair of "self-righteousness", "rudeness", "blackmail" and greed, as the long-running conflict between the largest airline in Spain by passenger numbers and the operator of most of the country's commercial airports escalated. Ryanair stated in a press release that the Aena fee hike of 6.5% announced for 2026 rendered some regional routes non-viable. Eddie Wilson, CEO, Ryanair DAC, said that the monopoly airport operator had no interest in developing traffic to regional airports throughout Spain, but only wanted to concentrate on achieving record profits at Spain's largest airports. The Irish low cost carrier announced that it would reduce capacity at regional airports on the peninsula by 600,00 seats, and in the Canary Islands 400,000 seats from late October to late March. This represents 16% its traffic at regional Airports. Ryanair said that because it operates the majority of flights from several regional airports throughout Spain, these cuts would lead to the closures of Valladolid Airport and Jerez Airport. Lucena stated that the slots booked by the airline at regional airports during this period are larger than what Ryanair claimed. Aena's price increase is much lower than that of Ryanair, which has increased its ticket prices by a significant amount. Yolanda Diaz, Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz announced on Wednesday that she would request a meeting between Ryanair's Chairman and herself. She told reporters that she would enforce the labour laws. Ryanair announced in January that it would be cutting 800,000 seats at regional airports throughout the country during the summer. Ryanair plans to increase its passenger numbers by at least 3% in 2026, despite the reduction of capacity in Spain. The airline said it would redistribute some of its winter capacity to airports that are cheaper in Croatia, Hungary and Morocco, as well as Sweden. Marta Serafinko, Gdansk reporter; Inti Landauro, Jan Harvey and Inti landauro are editing this report.

• British FCA questions Mercuria on its LME Aluminium Holding

  Two sources familiar with this matter claim that the British financial watchdog contacted commodity trader Mercuria to inquire about its large London Metal Exchange aluminum holdings, which have distorted prices of contracts with short maturities. The LME has not broken any rules, but the disruption of its largest volume market leaves consumers in the packaging, construction, and transport industries without access to aluminium metal and price transparency. Mercuria, a Swiss company and the Financial Conduct Authority of Britain declined to comment. Since May, Mercuria has held over 90% of all aluminium warrants. These are documents that confer ownership. LME data shows that as of September 2, its aluminium holdings were more than 421,000 tons. . According to industry sources, the FCA will likely question Mercuria regarding its aluminium positions at the request of a broker or bank that may have made a complaint, or if the LME refers them. According to two sources who are familiar with the issue, as well as sources in the industry, the FCA will ask Mercuria about why it holds the metal. The FCA will want to know when it intends to use the metal and what it has planned to do, as this position influences prices for aluminium contracts. The LME didn't address any questions regarding Mercuria or FCA. It said that "as per its position management policy, the LME is in place with a number arrangements to guard against undue influences of large or dominating positions. These include lending rules, daily reporting of position and accountability levels." History repeating itself? In recent years, the LME has been criticized for its handling of disruptions. For example, the 2022 Nickel Crisis when the market was closed for over a week following a price spike that doubled in a matter of hours to a record-breaking $100,000 per metric ton. A large company with a high share of LME inventories suggests tight supply and can create premiums or reverses for contracts that are short-dated, such as the cash over three-month aluminium contract. Around $6 per ton. Near-term metals contracts are typically traded at a discount, or in contango with longer-dated futures. This is because it is assumed that higher prices on the short end or a reversed curve will bring metals to the exchange. The September premium is higher than the contract for three months. The October November The forwards for the next three months continue to appear even though aluminum has been delivered into the LME system. The 479,600 aluminium inventories at LME-approved warehouses have increased by more than 40% from late June. Mercuria's position is a familiar one to many in the aluminum industry. Sonny Mcness was a JPMorgan trader who, more than a decade before, used a large amount of holdings to implement a trading plan. JPMorgan declined comment. Mcness has now joined Mercuria, and according to four sources who are familiar with the situation, he is using a similar strategy. Mcness could not be reached for comment. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing owns the 148-year-old LME.

• Ryanair may not return in Israel

  Michael O'Leary, the Group Chief executive of Ryanair, said that the airline may not return to Israel once the violence associated with the Gaza War recedes. He also claimed that airport authorities in Israel "muck around" with the airline. O'Leary, speaking to journalists in Dublin, said: "I believe there's a very real possibility we will not bother going back... once the current violence recedes." The airline announced earlier this summer that it would not be returning to Israel before October 25, at the latest. O'Leary stated that Ryanair is unhappy that Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport charges a higher rate to use the main terminal, when the lower-cost terminal has been closed due to security concerns. He said, "Until the Israelis get their act together, and stop messing with us, frankly, there is more growth in Europe." (Written by Conor Humphries, edited by Sharon Singleton & Emelia Sithole Matarise).