Latest News
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Eurostar announces the return of train services, but warns about delays and cancellations
Eurostar announced that it will resume all of its cross-Channel service on Wednesday, but warned that there could be delays and cancellations at the last minute after a power failure had suspended train trips throughout much of Tuesday. A fault in the overhead power supply caused a disruption on Tuesday that disrupted plans for thousands of passengers across 'London, Paris and Amsterdam during one of the busiest weeks of travel. On its website,?Eurostar announced on Wednesday that services had resumed following an electrical problem in the?Channel Tunnel yesterday as well as some additional?issues with rail equipment overnight. It said: "We intend to run all of our services today, but due to knock-on effects?there could still be some delays or last-minute cancellations." (Reporting and editing by Thomas Derpinghaus; Dominique Vidalon)
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Three children among the four injured in Russian attack on Odesa
Regional authorities reported a drone attack by Russia on Ukraine's Odesa Region overnight. The drone caused damage to?residential structures and infrastructure, and injured four people, including three children. Odesa is a major Black Sea Port that has been repeatedly attacked by Russian drones and missiles over the past four years. Strikes have often?hitted energy, transport, and port infrastructure, as well as residential areas. Oleh Kiper said that drones had attacked the residential, logistic and energy infrastructure of?our region on the messaging app?Telegram. Serhiy lisak, head of Odesa’s military administration, told Telegram that four people, including a 7-month-old baby, two children and a man aged 42, were injured in Odesa, the?administrative?centre for the wider Odesa area. He claimed that drone debris, direct hits and window damage caused by high-rise apartment blocks. Lisak shared images of a smoke billowing from an apartment building with several windows showing flames and what appears to be the water jet of a firefighter aimed towards the facade. Could not independently verify reports. Russia did not immediately comment on the Odesa attacks. (Reporting and editing by Saad Saeed in Melbourne, Lidia Kelly from Melbourne)
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Air China buys 60 Airbus planes for $9.5 billion
Air China, China's largest carrier, announced on Tuesday that it and its subsidiary signed a "pact" with Airbus for the purchase of 60 A320NEO aircraft. The deal is worth approximately $9.5 billion in list prices. This announcement is just the latest of a series made by carriers in the second largest aviation market in the world, including Spring Airlines and Juneyao Airlines. Both plan to buy Airbus aircraft. Air China has informed the Shanghai Stock Exchange that it will deliver its planes in batches from 2028 to 2032. Airbus said that it was "very pleased" with Air China's decision to order additional aircraft of the A320 family. Li Hanming is an independent aviation analyst based in the United States. He said that this purchase was part of a framework agreement between China Aviation Supplies Holding Company and Airbus for 2022. This?deal covered about 132 A320 family aircraft and eight A350 Widebodies with a total value of around $17 billion. Li stated that "negotiations of individual contracts can take time." Airbus has gained an advantage due to the tensions between Beijing and Washington. (Reporting and editing by Clarence Fernandez; Brenda Goh and Sophie Yu contributed to this report).
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Ukraine drone attack damages port, gas pipeline in Tuapse, Russia says
The regional administration reported that a Ukrainian drone attacked the port infrastructure and a gas pipe in a residential area in Russia's Black Sea Port of Tuapse on Wednesday. No injuries were reported. The operational headquarters of Krasnodar Region said via the Telegram messaging application that emergency crews had been dispatched to repair damage. The port's dock had been damaged. A Telegram news channel with Russian security service sources said that a series of explosions were heard late Tuesday over Tuapse and residents in one area reported a fire. On?Telegram, several Ukrainian media outlets, including RBC-Ukraine, published photos that appeared to show a fire in the distance burning at night with a communication mast in the foreground. Ukraine did not immediately comment on the attack. Could not independently verify the report, or the extent to which the damage was caused. Tuapse, one of Russia's most important Black Sea outlets for oil, is anchored by Rosneft Tuapse's export oriented refinery. It has a capacity to process 240,000 barrels a day and provides products such as naphtha fuel oil, and diesel. The port and refinery were repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian drones during the war that Russia started nearly four years earlier. Previous strikes reportedly caused fires or disrupted operations. Reporting by Lidia Kelley in Melbourne, Editing by Chris Reese & Lincoln Feast.
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CSX train carrying toxic sulfur derailments near Kentucky-Tennessee border
Emergency officials?stated that a CSX derailment near the 'Kentucky/Tennessee border early on Tuesday caused 30 cars to 'fall off the tracks. One car was?carrying molten sulfur, which caught fire, and prompted a halt in the train until the toxic threat cleared. CSX, Todd County emergency officials, and the Kentucky Department of Transportation are still investigating what caused the derailment near rural 'Trenton, Kentucky. The town has about 350 residents, is located 60 miles north of Nashville in Tennessee. The accident happened around 7 a.m. Firefighters battled a fire from a rail car carrying liquid sulfur. This is commonly used in industrial applications such as fertilizer manufacturing. Officials said that it released toxic gasses in the smoke. Todd County Emergency Management said the fire was contained by noon. Officials confirmed that air quality testing has shown there is no threat to the public. There were no reported injuries. CSX shares fell just under 1% to $36.36.
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Sheinbaum under pressure over megaprojects after Mexico train derailment
Mexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum deferred Tuesday questions about the?record of a passenger?train that derailed at the weekend, killing thirteen people and injuring another 98. This was the latest of several accidents that put pressure on the?government? to improve the safety on flagship projects. Opposition lawmakers have demanded an investigation after questioning the conductor, who survived. Sheinbaum told her Tuesday regular press conference that the prosecutor's office had already interviewed several people, including the operator. They will need to report on what happens next. This is the third train crash this year in Mexico. Two derailments have occurred on the new tourist-oriented Mayan Train on the Yucatan Peninsula. In both accidents, no one was injured. Mexico's military operates the Mayan Train as well as the Interoceanic Train, both of which derailed on the Sunday. This has led to some questioning its role in delivering safety to flagship infrastructure projects. Gustavo Flores Macias is the dean of University of Maryland School of Public Policy. He said that the government should pay close attention to the safety record of the railroad and take great measures to find out the cause of this derailment. According to?local media outlets, the crash occurred as the train was rounding a curve. The crash occurred on the Interoceanic Railway of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec - a narrow strip of land that connects the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. The railway is part of the Interoceanic Corridor project, launched by Sheinbaum’s mentor and predecessor, former president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in 2023, to create an alternative to Panama Canal. The project was also accused of a lack of oversight, corruption and possible conflicts of interest. In a report for 2020, the federal audit office of Mexico reported irregularities, including an overpayment of materials, in four Interoceanic Train contracts. Local media outlets reported after the crash that Lopez Obrador’s sons’ associates could have benefitted from government contracts related to major infrastructure projects. This includes the Interoceanic Train. Lopez Obrador denied the allegations, calling them political motivated. The opposition lawmakers demanded an independent investigation of the accident. Alejandro Moreno of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) urged the government not to allow any projects to be undertaken that are linked to former President's sons or their business partners. Senator Mario Vazquez, of the National Action Party (PAN), called the derailment a "criminal neglect." Antonio Ocaranza is a Mexican political consultant who believes that the accident could undermine Sheinbaum’s infrastructure plan. "The discussion around this accident could lead to a wider and more damaging conversation regarding other projects," Ocaranza stated, pointing out the Mayan Train as well as the Olmeca Refinery, two megaprojects that have ballooning budgets. He said that if accidents became more frequent, and their causes were deemed to be unreliable then there would be an increased level of public scrutiny as well as a greater cost for the government. (Reporting and editing by Emily Green, Rosalba o'Brien and Raul Cortes)
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Europe stocks close at another record high as banks and miners lead
The European stock market closed at a record level for the second consecutive day on Tuesday. This was boosted by commodity-linked stocks and banks, but gains were limited by thin trading in the year-end period. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose by 0.6% to?592.78, moving ever closer to 600 points. Aerospace and Defence gained 1.4%, while banks jumped 1.3%. The defence index is on track to achieve its largest annual gain since 1996 despite the fact that it has been easing off since October. This is due to increased defence spending pledged across Europe. STOXX 600 rose 1.7% as basic resources continued to rise, with silver and gold stabilizing after a sharp decline from record highs. Energy increased by 0.7%. Oil prices rose by more than 2% the previous session, after Russia accused Ukraine for attacking the residence of President Vladimir Putin. Investors were looking for clearer signals about peace talks in Ukraine. Technology rose 0.7%, while all STOXX 600 indexes were green. The benchmark index for London and Germany both rose by 0.7%. The index is on track to achieve its best annual performance since 2021 as 2025 approaches. This is due to the combination of falling interest rates, Germany’s commitment to fiscal growth, and investors moving away from high-valued U.S. tech stocks. Danni Hewson is the head of financial analyses at AJ Bell. On Wednesday, many European exchanges are closed. Others, such as London and Paris will have shortened sessions in advance of the New Year's holiday. Trading is expected to be light due to the holiday-shortened week. Investors are relying on the U.S. Federal Reserve meeting minutes for the December meeting, which is due later today. Kathleen Brooks is the research director for XTB. She said, "The market mood for European equities at present is'very positive and strong. We expect to see more of this strong performance for 2026, especially for European banks and defence stocks." Fresnillo, a stock that is not included in the benchmark index, climbed by?6,8%. Citi analysts maintained a Buy rating for the stock, but raised the target price. Airbus climbed 1.5% after Air China's s Signing an agreement The planemaker will purchase 60 A320NEO aircraft in a deal valued at around $9.5 billion, based on list prices. (Reporting and editing by Ragini Mathematics in Bengaluru, Harikrishnan Nair, Louise Heavens and Rashmi aich)
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Travel chaos caused by power failure in the Channel Tunnel
A power failure caused the suspension of train services in the Channel Tunnel, which connects Britain with continental Europe. This has created chaos during peak travel times for winter holidays. A fault in overhead power supply caused a 'disruption' that disrupted plans for thousands of?passengers? in London, Paris and Amsterdam, during the busiest week of travel of the year. Eurostar, the high-speed rail operator, posted a statement at 1530 GMT on its website stating that the tunnel of 50 km (31 miles) was partially reopened. Services were gradually resumed. It warned passengers, however, that the fault continued. Eurostar said that it strongly recommended that passengers delay their travel dates. Getlink, the company that operates tunnel infrastructure, as well as the Le Shuttle service for cars and trucks, has announced that repairs are being made to the power supply and traffic services in both directions have been slowly restored. Getlink stated that the problem was a "technical issue" and there was no suspicion of foul play or sabotage. It added that additional services would be activated Tuesday evening and on Wednesday to help clear up the backlog. The disruption is occurring at the peak of the New Year travel period, when one of Europe's busiest international rail corridors is affected. HOLIDAY PLANS UPENDED After passing through passport checks and security in the terminal at Folkestone, several hundred Le Shuttle passengers were stuck in their cars. They were told for several hours that there were no trains and they couldn't go back because they had crossed the French control zone. The workers distributed diapers and baby foods. Alison Raby booked a day-trip to a Belgian theme park, but said that the delay rendered the trip pointless. "We're basically stuck," she said. Phil Groves, a fellow?passenger who worked for Britain's National Health Service, and was on his way to Paris for the New Year's Eve celebrations, claimed that he and family were stuck in Folkestone, England, for more than six hours, and had been held up in a “mammoth line”. "We were told the first train would be leaving soon, but we will not be on it because there are so many people in front of us!" He said when the services resumed. Port of Dover in Britain said that it operated a "turn up and go" system to accommodate passengers who were affected by the disruptions at the tunnel. It also stated that Channel ferry operators had enough capacity for extra passengers. Le Shuttle will carry 2.2 million vehicles, including 1.2 million trucks and passenger cars, through the tunnel by 2024. Eurostar served 19.5 million passengers in the same year. This was its best-ever performance. On Tuesday, stranded passengers filled the concourse of London's St Pancras Station. After an exchange with Eurostar staff, one passenger was led away from the station by police shouting: "I only want to know whether I will see my family." (Reporting from Louise Breusch Rasmussen, YannTessier, VitaliiYalahuzian, and Richard Lough in London, with writing by Richard Lough, Kirsty Donovan, Kevin Liffey and Mark Heinrich).
Monorail train crash in India leaves over 100 injured
A district official reported that two monorail trains collided late on Tuesday at a hydropower plant being built in India’s?northern?state of Uttarakhand. At least 109 employees were injured.
The official said that the majority of workers suffered minor injuries. Four workers suffered fractures.
The trains collided in a 'tunnel' in Pipalkoti. This is the site of a upcoming 'hydropower project owned by Tehri Hydro Development Corp. (THDC) and NTPC Ltd.
Gaurav Kumar, top?administrative official in the?area, said by phone that the accident happened on Tuesday night, after brakes of a monorail train failed.
The trains were used to transport workers and construction materials.
Kumar stated that the tracks were cleared and work on the project will resume on Wednesday.
About?51 gigawatts (about 505 gigawatts) of India's installed power capacity is hydropower. Uttarakhand has more than 10 operational hydropower plants, each with a capacity of around 2.0 gigawatts. Reporting by Saurabh sharma; editing by Raju gopalakrishnan
(source: Reuters)