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• At least 10 people killed when bus plunges into ravine, Bolivia

  Police said that at least 10 people died and several others were seriously injured when a bus fell 'about 100 metres (330 feet) into a ravine in Bolivia's mountains on Thursday night. Residents and authorities in the Camacho Province, north of La Paz's capital, worked long hours to rescue those trapped by the crash. Images shown on local television and social media showed the extent of the tragedy, including the bodies of victims, as well as injured passengers, some of whom were minors. Local media reported that emergency teams evacuated survivors from the crash and transported them to hospitals. Local media reported that the cause of the crash is still being investigated. These?accidents occur frequently in Bolivia where the conditions on the rugged Andean terrain and dirt roads connecting cities to rural communities are often worsened during rainy season. Reporting from Daniel Ramos, La Paz. Writing by Lucinda Elliot; Editing by Cassandra Garrison & Mark Heinrich.

• Olympic Games-From the Games to everyday life: Milan's tram driver shortage

  Stefano De Blasio, a Milan tram driver, was thrilled to see Italian motorcycling champ Valentino Rossi wearing his uniform and ferrying President Sergio Mattarella from Milan's San Siro stadium to the Winter Olympics opening ceremony. De Blasio said, "It gave us a feeling of satisfaction and value for the work that we do every day." He was sitting in the wooden seats of an old tram at the city depot, where the streetcars of the network begin and finish their daily trips. Mattarella, the Italian financial capital's symbol, is carried in one of Milan’s 125 historic Carrelli Trams. Between 2006 and 2019, local transport company ATM overhauled the rattling vehicles, which have been in service since late 1930s. They restored their original yellow and cream livery, and upgraded their mechanical systems. It may be easier to revamp them than to address the driver shortage in the city's bus and tram networks, a problem that ATM, which is owned by the city, faces along with other local transport operators across Europe. One issue is the?rising costs of living in Milan following a real estate bubble, as well as the growing competition among e-commerce delivery companies for drivers. A survey conducted by Eurocities - a network of more than 200 European cities, including Milan - revealed that public transport was struggling with a shortage of staff. 35% of the mayors surveyed reported this as a major problem, which is disrupting service and driving up costs. AMOUNTS OFFERED TO ATTRACT DRIVERS Entry-level wages for bus and tram drivers in Milan are around 1,500 euros ($1,780). Shifts of 6 and a 1/2 hours are required to ensure that services run for the entire?day. ATM, who had to cut back on some bus and tram service, has taken a variety of measures to fill the gap. These include paying for the required public transport licenses, offering initial rent assistance for new hires, and providing a monthly bonus to drivers. The company has also started a project for 150 apartments to be built on the former site of an old company depot in Milan. The company stated that the initiatives allowed it to employ 607 people by 2025. This reversed the trend of leaving employees and hiring new ones at the end last year. Franco Fusca is a local?official for the FIT-Cisl Union. He says ATM is still facing a driver shortage of up to 300. ATM employs approximately 4,000 drivers. According to Nicola Biscotti of the Italian transport association ANAV, there is a shortage of around 8,000-9,000 drivers in Italy. Gabriele Grea is a researcher at Bocconi University in Milan, and a lecturer on?urban mobility' management. She said that the trend has gotten worse since the pandemic. Grea stated that the salary of a public transportation driver was not always competitive, despite it being a job that requires a lot of time and is one of the most stressful. "Companies now try everything." "But the reality is that this is a difficult job to sell," said he. WATCHING CITY CHANGE De Blasio began his career as a?tram driver at ATM around a decade back. He has seen the city change from his taxi, and the emergence of new mobility options, such as e-bikes and scooters, which require greater attention. In the video that was shown at the Milano Cortina Opening Ceremony, Mattarella can be seen giving back a "soft toy" to a child after they dropped it in a tram. De Blasio remembered a similar experience from his own life. He spotted the phone between the rails of a train while stopped at a traffic signal. He stopped, picked up the bag and returned it to the owner. Later, he learned that this person was a well-known anti-mafia activist. "He appreciated my little gesture. He sent me a thank you letter and also sent it to the company. "I was incredibly proud of myself," he said.

• Olympic Games-From the Games to everyday life: Milan's tram driver shortage

  When Milan tram driver Stefano De Blasio watched the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics, he was thrilled to see Italian motorcycling champ Valentino Rossi don his uniform to transport President Sergio Mattarella from Milan's San Siro stadium. De Blasio said, "It gave us drivers a real sense of value and satisfaction in the work that we do every day." He was sitting on one of Milan’s oldest trams, at the city depot, where many streetcars of the network begin and finish their daily trips. Mattarella, the Italian financial capital's symbol, is carried in one of Milan’s 125 historic Carrelli Trams. Between 2006 and 2019, local transport company ATM overhauled the rattling vehicles, which have been in service since late 1930s. They restored their original yellow and cream livery, and upgraded their mechanical systems. It may be easier to revamp them than to address a driver shortage in the tram and bus network. ATM, which is owned by the city, faces the same challenge as many other local transport operators across Europe. One issue is the rising cost of living after a real estate boom in Milan, as well as growing competition from ecommerce delivery firms for drivers. A survey by Eurocities - a network of more than 200 European cities, including Milan - found that public transport in Europe is facing a severe staffing shortage. 35% of mayors cited the shortage of mechanics and drivers as a major problem, which is disrupting service and driving up costs. Incentives offered to attract drivers Entry-level pay for a bus driver or tram operator in Milan is around 1,500 euros ($1,780). Shifts are six and a quarter hours long to ensure that services run throughout the day. ATM, who had to?cut some bus and tram service, has taken a variety of measures to fill the gap. These include offering to pay the required public transport licenses, giving initial rent support to new hires, and providing a monthly bonus to drivers. The company has also started a project for 150 apartments to be built on the former site of an old company depot in Milan. The company stated that the initiatives allowed it to employ 607 people by 2025. This reversed the trend of leaving employees and hiring new ones at the end last year. Franco Fusca is a local official for the?FIT - Cisl union. He says ATM has a shortage of 300 drivers. ATM employs approximately 4,000 drivers. According to Nicola Biscotti of the Italian transport association ANAV, there is a shortage of around 8,000-9,000 drivers in Italy. Gabriele Grea is a researcher at Bocconi University in Milan and a lecturer on urban mobility management. She said that the trend has gotten worse since the pandemic. Grea stated that "the salary of a public transportation driver is not always competitive, even though the job requires a lot of time and is one of the most stressful." "Companies now try everything." "But the reality is that this is a difficult job to sell," said he. WATCHING CITY CHANGE De Blasio began his career as a tram driver at ATM a decade before. From his cab he has seen the city change, and the arrival of "new forms of transportation" - such as e-bikes and scooters. He said that those who do his job must pay even more attention to these new technologies. In the video that was shown at the Milano Cortina Opening Ceremony, Mattarella can be seen giving a soft toy back to a child after they dropped it onto a tram. De Blasio remembered a similar experience from his own life. He recalled a time when he was stopped at a traffic signal and spotted a phone between the rails. He stopped, picked it up, and returned it to the owner. Later, he discovered that this person was a well-known anti-mafia activist. "He appreciated my little gesture. He sent me a thank you letter and also wrote to the company. "I was incredibly proud," said he.

• Starlink satellite internet is chosen by Italian rail operator Italo for its trains

  Italian high-speed train operator 'Italo' announced on Thursday that it will introduce SpaceX Starlink across its fleet, becoming the first major train company in the world to use the satellite connectivity service from low-Earth orbit. Elon Musk’s Starlink is gaining popularity among airlines that want to provide Internet access to their passengers. Other rail operators have also begun testing the system, but they are not yet ready to adopt it. Last year, the Italian state railway - Ferrovie dello Stato - ran a trial with two providers including Starlink. ScotRail, a Scottish rail company, also conducted a Starlink six-week trial in 2025. The French state-owned railway company SNCF is considering combining low-Earth-orbit satellite solutions with terrestrial networks. Italo?said that its decision was made after nearly a year's worth of?testing. The roll?out is expected to be completed in 2027 and aims to?provide?passengers with stable,?high speed connectivity for?streaming and video calls, as well as work onboard. (Reporting and editing by Gavin Jones, Claudia Cristoferi)

• No service disruption after suspected sabotage on Italian Olympic rail line

  Italian police reported that a suspected act of sabotage caused damage to a small section of the railway route leading to the Olympic mountain venues of Bormio and Livigno, in the early morning hours of Wednesday. This follows similar attacks at the weekend near Bologna. A spokesperson for the state-owned Ferrovie dell' Stato railway said that the incident caused no?disruption of services, as technicians worked throughout the night to ensure safe conditions prior to the morning rush. She claimed that no one has yet claimed responsibility. Rail infrastructure near Bologna was damaged on?Saturday?, the first day of the Milano Cortina Olympic Games. This caused delays of up 2-1/2 hours for high-speed services, as well as regional and intercity. The anarchists claimed responsibility for the attack. Seven cables were burned in a trackside switch unit on the Lecco-Tirano Line by a fire that broke out?overnight? near Abbadia Lariana. The police said that?the remains? of a bottle containing flammable liquid? were found at the scene. They said that an investigation has been opened, and initial assessments indicate arson is the most likely cause. (Additional reporting Emilio Parodi, Editing by Alison Williams).

• AirAsia orders small jets and drops Airbus A330neo

  AirAsia X will 'place a large order for small aircraft as it expands its routes and services for 'Asia’s earliest travellers. It has also cancelled the order for 15 Airbus A330neo larger planes. Tony Fernandes said that the choice of regional Airbus or Embraer models will be announced in less than a month, and it is larger than originally reported. Sources in the industry said that it was supposed to be announced by the end of last month. However, they claimed that this order had been 'held up' while budget carrier finished talks about financing or outside investments. Fernandes said, "I believe we are nearing the end of this journey and?within the month we will announce the winning campaign." AirAsia is planning to order 100 Airbus's smallest A220 jets with an option for another 50. Sources claim that the deal may now include 150 firm orders. Fernandes stated that AirAsia was also in the process?of confirming an order for 50 Airbus A321XLR narrow-body long-distance jets. In an interview, the airline entrepreneur spoke after announcing plans for a new Middle East hub with low-fares in Bahrain. Fernandes stated that AirAsia was prepared to resume its growth, but "not by sacrificing margins". FUNDING OPTIONS FOR BOOSTING FLEET Fernandes, when asked how the airline will pay for hundreds new aircraft after it has emerged from financial difficulties said that they would use a combination sale-and leaseback deals and bank loans but would own their fleet rather than leasing them. Sale-and-leaseback agreements, in which lessors buy planes and then rent them back to airlines, have resulted in significant profits for some fast-growing carriers. "That's certainly not my goal." Fernandes replied, "There's a great deal of equity value in there. But I'm doing this not to leverage or trade planes." AirAsia is continuing to reshape the order book. Airbus cancelled an order of 63 A330neo aircraft in 2022 to relieve financial pressure on its largest customer. Fernandes’ decision to cancel a remaining order for 15 A330neos is a reflection of a focus on narrow body jets. However, he didn't rule out the possibility of a future look at Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 jets. Fernandes, who is based in Dublin, acknowledged that the aircraft leasing industry had been through a difficult time, but he dismissed any concerns about funding. He 'confidently' portrays a new chapter for growth, he said. "When you look at what we've achieved, I think it is nothing less than remarkable. In time, I believe those who have suffered a lot - including us - will forget. Profitability can change many things. Airbus refused to comment on negotiations for aircraft. (Reporting and editing by Bernadette B. Baum, Anil D. Silva and Bernadette H. Baum)

• MSCI will add India's Aditya Birla Capital and L&T Finance as part of its flagship global index, while dropping IRCTC

  In a periodic reshuffle, global index provider MSCI has added financial services firms Aditya Birla and L&T Finance into its widely tracked Global Standard Index. State-run Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation was removed. The changes announced on Wednesday will come into effect on the 27th of February. The MSCI indexes are globally recognized benchmarks that large passive funds track. This means that additions to the index typically result in new capital flows, while removals generally lead to outflows. After the rejig the number of Indian companies in the MSCI Global Standard Index is expected to rise from 164 to 165. Abhilash Pangaria, Nuvama's head of Alternative and Quantitative research, said that India's weight will remain at 14.1%. Nuvama estimates Aditya Birla Capital, L&T Finance and?Finance will see passive inflows between $257 and $238 millions. IRCTC, on the other hand, is expected to see outflows in the amount of $141.6 million. Nuvama reports that AU Small Finance Bank is expected to receive $172 million due to the increase in index weight. MSCI has also made major changes to the Small Cap Index. It reduced the number of Indian constituents from 508 to 480. India's Small-Cap Index has fallen 7% since 2025. It is underperforming other benchmarks. The reshuffle is a result of continued pressure on India's small-cap stock market, where concerns about stretched valuations and sustainable earnings have affected sentiment. L&T Finance was promoted from the Small Cap Index to Global Standard Index. 34 companies were also removed, including Dilip Buildcon, Zaggle, Sterlite Technologies, and KNR Constructions. Seven Indian firms, including the renewable energy company Premier Energies, National Securities Depository and Emcure Pharma, as well as cement manufacturer JSW Cement, were also added to the Small Cap Index.

• Spain has agreed to new safety measures, which have led to the end of the strike by rail workers' unions

  Spain's major unions of rail workers have called off their?three-day national strike that began earlier on Monday after the authorities agreed to?boost investment and reinforce staffing in response to a series of high-profile accidents. In the last?month?, several consecutive derailments, crashes, and deaths left dozens of people dead. This sparked public concern about the state of Spain’s rail infrastructure. A high-speed train crash on January 18 in southern Andalusia left 46 dead, while a derailment in northeastern Catalonia two days later killed a driver. In a recent statement, the Spanish Transport Ministry announced that it would invest 1.8 billion euro ($2.15 billion), in rail maintenance up until 2030. It will also hire 3,650 new workers to work for a public-funded rail administrator. The number of vehicles that are used to maintain road vehicles will increase and the number of train drivers who count their hours of work will be changed. SEMAF, the train drivers union, said in a statement that it had 'achieved all its demands through a deal which addressed daily safety concerns raised by drivers from all railway companies.' This included steps on infrastructure investments, working groups, and safety procedures. It added that the Transport Ministry, Adif, and Renfe, a state-owned railway company, had all committed to implement measures aimed at improving safety management. They also agreed to establish clear limits and responsibilities, and increase staffing. The country's two largest unions, CCOO and UGT told their railway members that the strike had been called off. CCOO warned it would closely monitor the proper implementation of the measures agreed upon. The smaller unions CGT, Sindicato Ferroviario and CGT said that they would strike 'until tomorrow, because they were excluded from the talks and hadn't been informed of its terms. The Transport Ministry set high service standards for commuter services, including 75% during rush hours and 50% off-peak. On Monday morning, passengers were checking the electronic boards at Barcelona's main train station, Sants, for any cancelled services. This is my third cancellation. Francois Monti (52), a French commuter, said he hoped the train he was booked on that was supposed to depart in an hour would actually leave. "But I know that the safety situation in the trains is complex, so I can understand the drivers."

• Union: Ukraine wheat exports are low due to logistics problems

  Farmers union UAC reported on Tuesday that wheat exports remain extremely low in Ukraine, with just 27,000 metric tonnes?leaving out of the?700,000.?tons contracted for this month. Ukraine is one of the world's largest wheat producers and exporters. "Logistics is not always perfect." Blackouts prevent ports from operating at full capacity. Wheat is also competing with corn which is loaded before, according to a UAC report. Russia has intensified its strikes against Ukrainian ports and energy infrastructure. This has caused blackouts in entire regions, and severe restrictions on the?energy supply to ports and railways. UAC stated that due to logistical issues, Ukraine would not be able to export the full amount of wheat contracted. In January, 536 000 tons of the 620,000 tons contracted were exported. In December, 586,000 of the 1 million tons contracted left the country. APK-Inform, an agriculture consultancy, lowered its forecast for Ukrainian wheat exports in 2025/26 to 14.5 millions tons on Sunday from the previous estimate to?16.7million tons. The consultancy increased its forecast for ending grain stocks in?2025/26 to 11.5 millions tons, up from 6.8 million tons a month ago. It added that this volume could include 4.3 million metric tons of corn and 4 million metric tons of wheat. (Reporting and editing by David Goodman.)

• Judge temporarily suspends order that Trump unfreeze tunnel funding

  On Monday, a U.S. Judge in New York temporarily put her decision on hold. This forced the Trump Administration to lift the four-month-old federal funding freeze for the $16 Billion Hudson River Tunnel Project that connects New York City and New Jersey. U.S. district judge Jeannette Vargas had on Friday ordered that the funding be reinstated. Justice Department warned that it would have to pay up to $200m in funding for the Gateway Tunnel project by Monday at 1pm (1800 GMT), unless Vargas' order was halted. Vargas said that she would delay her order until Thursday, at?5 p.m., to allow the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to review the government's?urgent?request. She denied the government request for a prolonged halt. New York and New Jersey had demonstrated that the shutdown of operations caused by the funding freezing "would have an immediate, severe impact on the region's economic interest." The?Justice Department argued that it would not be able to recover the money if government wins on appeal. Gateway, USDOT and the White House did not comment immediately. The Gateway project is a construction of a new commuter train tunnel between Manhattan, New Jersey and the East Coast. It will also repair an old tunnel that has been used for more than 200,000 passengers and 425 trains per day. The Hudson Tunnel, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy (2012) and requires frequent emergency repairs to prevent travel on the country's busiest passenger rail line. The Gateway project has halted all construction and will resume once funding is restored. States said that the Trump administration frozen funds as a "brazen act of political revenge" against Democratic leaders. Gateway reported that the Trump administration has withheld $205 Million in reimbursements since October 1. Trump reportedly asked that Washington Dulles Airport and New York's Penn Station renamed after him as a way to unfreeze the funds. This drew strong criticism from Democrats. Former President Joe Biden allocated approximately $15 billion to the project. So far, nearly $2 billion has already been spent on this project.

• Anarchists blame rail sabotage at the Olympics in Italy

  Anarchists claimed Monday responsibility for the disruption of train traffic and the destruction of rail infrastructure on Saturday in northern Italy, on the first day of Winter Olympic Games. Three separate incidents were reported by the police at different locations on Saturday morning, causing delays of up 2-1/2 hours in high-speed services and regional trains. This was particularly true around Bologna. There were no injuries and no damage to the trains. Anarchists said in a statement that the progressive crackdown by Prime Minister Giorgia?Meloni on protests had rendered confrontations on the street "ineffective", and they were forced to find alternative forms of protest. The?anarchists said: "It seems necessary therefore to adopt clandestine techniques, decentralise and multiply the fronts of the conflict, and turn to self-defence, and sabotage, in order to survive the times ahead." The police did not immediately comment on the statement. Matteo Salvini - the Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Transport Ministry - has vowed that he will catch the anarchists. He wrote: "We will do all we can to... flush out and hunt down these thugs, wherever they may be hiding.?To put them in jail and to confront the people who defend them," on X. "Long Live the Olympics! Symbol of an Italy which builds, inspires emotion and never gives up,"? he added. Anarchists have denounced Olympic Games for glorifying nationalism, saying that the event was a "testing ground" to monitor crowds and police them. After breaking off from the larger group of anti-Olympics demonstrators in Milan, the co-host city of the Games, the small group of 100 hooded activists threw flares at the police. Meloni called the protesters on the streets and the saboteurs "enemies" of Italy. (Reporting and editing by Alison Williams; Crispian Balmer)

• Spain has agreed to new safety measures, which have led to the end of the strike by rail workers' unions

  Spain's major unions of rail workers have called off the three-day strike that was to begin on Monday. This is after the authorities agreed to increase investments and staffing in response to a series of high-profile accidents. Several consecutive crashes and derailments last month left dozens of people dead, causing public concern about the state of Spain’s rail infrastructure. A high-speed train crash on January 18 in southern Andalusia left 46 dead, while a derailment in northeastern Catalonia two days later killed a driver. SEMAF, the train drivers' union, said in a statement that it had met all its demands through a deal which?addressed daily safety concerns raised across all railway companies by drivers, including steps regarding infrastructure investment, working groups, and safety procedures. It added that the Transport Ministry, Adif, and Renfe, the state-owned railway company, had all committed to implementing measures that would improve safety management. They also agreed to establish clear?limits, responsibilities, and staffing levels, but did not specify concrete measures. The country's two largest unions, CCOO, and UGT warned their members that the strike in the railway industry was over. CCOO also warned it would monitor the proper implementation of the measures agreed. The smaller unions CGT, and Sindicato Ferroviario, however, said that they would continue to'strike' until Wednesday as they were excluded from the talks and hadn’t been informed of the terms. The Transport Ministry set high service standards: 73% for long distance trains, 75% during rush hours for commuter services, and 50% off-peak. On Monday morning, passengers were checking the electronic boards at Barcelona's Sants station to see if any services had been cancelled. This is my third cancellation. Francois Monti told the 52-year-old French commuter that he hoped his booked train, which was supposed to "leave an hour" would actually leave. "I understand that the safety situation in the trains is complex, and I can therefore understand the drivers."