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BEIJING (AP) — China's Belt and Road Initiative looks to become smaller and greener after a decade of big projects that boosted trade but left big debts and raised environmental concerns. Called “One Belt, One Road” in Chinese, the Belt and Road Initiative started as a program for Chinese companies to build transportation, energy and other infrastructure overseas funded by Chinese development bank loans. China became a major financer of development projects under BRI, on par with the World Bank. Chinese development banks provided money for the BRI projects as loans, and some governments have been unable to pay them back. Now, having learned the hard way through defaults, China development banks are pulling back.

Persons: Xi Jinping's, Xi, “, Alessia Amighini, Kevin Gallagher, Sri Lanka, Christoph Nedopil, Nedopil, Colleen Barry Organizations: BEIJING, Initiative, Silk, Italy, World Bank, Boston University Global Development Policy Center, U.S, Export, Import Bank of, Asia Institute, Griffith University, Associated Press Locations: Beijing, Africa, Asia, Latin America, China, Europe, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Pakistan, Italy, “ Italy, Sri Lankan, Zambia, Sri, Import Bank of China, Australia, BRI, Hungary, Milan

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s President William Ruto sought $1 billion more in loans from China Monday, despite rising public debt that has now reached $70 billion in the Eastern African country, according to National Treasury figures for 2022/2023. President Ruto was was one of a number of global leaders in Beijing to attend the tenth anniversary meeting of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the ambitious plan that aims to connect Africa, Asia and Europe through massive infrastructure and energy projects. Kenya has been struggling with ballooning public debt, with $6 billion owed to Chinese creditors, according to national data. However, it’s not clear if President Ruto and his delegation will be granted a restructuring or extension of the interest payments. Last week, legislators tabled a motion asking the government to reveal details of all the loans it had accumulated since President Ruto came into power in September 2022.

Persons: — Kenya’s, William Ruto, Ruto, Hussein Mohammed, “, ”, SGR, Rigathi Gachagua, Kenya SGR, Aly Khan Satchu, it’s, ” Satchu Organizations: National Treasury, Initiative, Kampala, Kenyan Locations: NAIROBI, Kenya, China, Beijing, Africa, Asia, Europe, Mombasa, Nairobi, Uganda, Central Africa, Turkish, Congo, Satchu

Coal barges are pictured as they queue to be pulled along the Mahakam river in Samarinda, East Kalimantan province, Indonesia, August 31, 2019. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJAKARTA, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Indonesia will seek China's help for renewable energy and infrastructure projects when President Joko Widodo attends the upcoming Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, a cabinet minister said. Erick declined to share JETP talk details, saying only: "We cannot wait...there hasn't been any funding as yet." "We want this to fit our grand plan, the Indonesia blueprint, not the blueprint of other countries," Erick said. Indonesia also discussed the plan with Chinese Premier Li Qiang when Li visited Jakarta in September.

Persons: Willy Kurniawan, Joko Widodo, Erick Thohir, Erick, JETP, hasn't, Xi Jinping, Jokowi, Premier Li Qiang, Li, Gayatri Suroyo, Stefanno Sulaiman, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Forum, Indonesian, United, Premier, Thomson Locations: Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, Rights JAKARTA, Beijing, China, U.S, United Nations, Jakarta, Jokowi, Surabaya

☆ More Chinese companies vow share buybacks as market sags further
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People cross a street during morning rush hour in front of the skyline of the central business district (CBD) in Beijing, China December 15, 2020. This follows more than a hundred Chinese companies committing to buybacks or withdrawing share sales in August after China imposed new rules as part of measures to shore up a sinking stock market as the country's post-COVID-19 recovery lost momentum. Its blue-chip stock index <.CSI300>, however, is near one-year lows as investor sentiment remained weak in recent months despite stimulus policies to shore up confidence. Meanwhile, more than 70 other companies in filings vowed that their major shareholders would not sell shares in the coming months, or withdrew plans to offload shares. Reporting by Jason Xue in Shanghai and Tom Westbrook in Singapore Editing by Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Jason Xue, Tom Westbrook, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, China Petroleum & Chemical Corp, China Railway Construction Corp, China Mobile, Wanma Technology, GoodWe Technologies, Central Huijin Investment, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Shanghai, Singapore

The deal would value Arriva, which operates red London buses and train services in the UK, at around 1.6 billion euros ($1.68 billion) including debt, the sources said. However, while the deal is nearing final stages, the sources cautioned that the timing could still shift. Deutsche Bahn said in an emailed statement: "We want to sell DB Arriva by the end of 2024. Reuters reported in April that British transport company FirstGroup (FGP.L) and I Squared had been weighing competing bids for parts of Arriva. Its annual sales rose to 4.2 billion euros in 2022, making up 7.5% of Deutsche Bahn's total revenue.

Persons: Andrew Couldridge, Emma, Victoria Farr, Andres Gonzalez, Markus Wacket, Susan Fenton Organizations: Arriva, REUTERS, Squared Capital, Deutsche, Reuters, Financial Times, Deutsche Bahn, DB Arriva, London's, Cross Country, Deutsche Bahn's, Thomson Locations: Harlow , Britain, FRANKFURT, LONDON, Miami

☆ Ukraine hit two Russian vessels in drone attacks, intelligence source says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Ukraine struck a Russian missile carrier and a patrol ship in separate attacks this week involving sea-borne drones carrying experimental weapons, a Ukrainian intelligence source said on Friday. "The Buyan missile carrier... was struck today on the Sevastopol route by experimental weapons on 'Sea Babies' (naval drones)." Russian drones and missiles have repeatedly struck Ukrainian port facilities and grain silos on or near the Black Sea and on the Danube River since then. Kyiv has launched several successful missile and naval drone attacks on Russia's Black Sea fleet in and around Crimea peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. Ukrainian officials have said such attacks are intended to deny Russia control of the Black Sea and regain control of vital shipping routes.

Persons: Pavel Derzhavin, Tom Balmforth, Yuliia, Olena Harmash, Timothy Organizations: Ukrainian Security Service, Reuters, Forces, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Sevastopol, Russia, Crimea, Melitopol, Kyiv, Azov

☆ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023: The winning images
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A spooky image of a mushroom, a beached orca taking its final breaths, and a pair of Nubian ibex battling on a clifftop are among the winning images of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023 competition. In many parts of the world, horseshoe crabs continue to be harvested for their blue blood, which is used in the development of vaccines. Young photographer Carmel Bechler discovered several barn owls in an abandoned concrete building near a busy road. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year, in its 59th year, is produced by the Natural History Museum of London. By showcasing the diversity of life on Earth, the competition hopes to inspire people to care and advocate for the natural world.

Persons: Laurent Ballesta, Ballesta, “, ”, Kathy Moran, Carmel Bechler, Doug Gurr Organizations: CNN, Wildlife, Young Wildlife, of London Locations: Mexico, Indonesia’s, Jakarta, Young, Carmel

☆ At Least 4 Killed, Nearly 100 Injured as Train Derails in India
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

(Reuters) - At least four people were killed and nearly 100 injured as an express train derailed in the Indian state of Bihar on Wednesday, various media reports said. Some coaches of North-East Express train, which runs from Delhi to Assam derailed at the Raghunathpur railway station in Bihar's Buxar district around 4:05 p.m. GMT on Wednesday, the reports said. Due to the accident, movement on both up and down tracks have been disrupted, leading to diversion of several passenger and goods trains, reports added. (Reporting by Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler and Lisa Shumaker)

Persons: Shivani Tanna, Leslie Adler, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Reuters, East Express Locations: Indian, Bihar, Delhi, Assam, Raghunathpur, Bihar's Buxar, Bengaluru

☆ Take Five: Volatile start to busy week
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 9 (Reuters) - Financial markets have got off to a volatile start to the week, after Hamas militants launched an assault on Israel at the weekend, triggering violent conflict that left hundreds dead. A bond market rout last week and currency gyrations already had financial markets on edge ahead of U.S. inflation numbers and the start of earnings season. Here's your week ahead in markets from Kevin Buckland in Tokyo, Lewis Krauskopf in New York, Rachel Savage in Johannesburg, and Naomi Rovnick and Dhara Ranasinghe in London. Amid these tensions, the IMF and World Bank are trying to boost their lending.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, gyrations, Kevin Buckland, Lewis Krauskopf, Rachel Savage, Naomi Rovnick, Wells, LSEG IBES, Rishi Sunak's, Sumanta Sen, Pasit, Vineet, Karin Strohecker, Kim Coghill Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Financial, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Labour, JPMorgan, Citigroup, PepsiCo, Delta Air Lines, UnitedHealth, Reuters, LABOUR, Conservative, Labour Party, MOROCCO Finance, Monetary Fund, U.S, Bretton Woods, IMF, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Israel, Tokyo, New York, Johannesburg, London, Central, Morrocan, Marrakech, China

☆ Hong Kong and Australia set for stronger start; China returns from Golden Week
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Passengers wait for trains at Guangzhou South Railway Station on Sept. 27, 2023, just days before the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays. Asia-Pacific markets are set for a positive start to the week as Chinese markets come back from a week long Golden Week holiday. Investors will be watching inflation readings and trade data out from China and India later this week, as well as a monetary policy decision from Singapore's central bank. Japan and South Korea's markets are closed Monday for a holiday.

Organizations: Guangzhou South Railway Locations: Guangzhou, Asia, Pacific, China, India, Singapore's, Japan, South

☆ China's Golden Week: expected consumption boom disappoints
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has concluded its Golden Week holiday on a muted note, with key travel and spending data showing weaker-than-expected recovery in consumption amid a wider economic slump. Before the holiday, the ministry had expected domestic travel to hit 896 million trips, and tourism spending to reach 782.5 billion yuan ($107 billion). According to the National Immigration Administration, on average 1.48 million people crossed the border every day during the Golden Week holiday. Weakness at the box officeChina’s box office hit multi-year lows during the holiday week. A recovery in domestic consumption not related to the Golden Week also fell short of expectations.

Persons: ” Goldman Sachs, Tesla, BYD Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, National Immigration Administration, Shenyang North Railway, Stringer, Getty, Citi, Entertainment, Tencent, China Passenger Car Association Sunday, CNN, EV Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, China's, Liaoning, AFP, Tourism

☆ How 1880s technology made it possible for 2 women to travel around the world in under 80 days
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

In 1889, journalist Nellie Bly set off on a trip around the world, trying to make it under 80 days. "You see a huge emphasis being placed on building ships that were ever faster than the previous generation of ships," Goodman said. Once aboard the train, Bly began to receive telegrams from her editors and well-wishers. "Sometimes it literally literally just says, 'Nelly Bly's train,'" Behn said. For Behn, what Bly and Bisland did remains incredible and deserve to be remembered as much as Verne's story.

Persons: Nellie Bly, Elizabeth Bisland, —, Jules Verne's, Bly, Bisland, Adrien Behn, Matthew Goodman, Elizabeth Bisland's, Victoria, Augusta Victoria, Henry Guttmann, seasickness, Behn, San Francisco —, Bettmann, Goodman, John Mix Stanley, Said, Getty Images Bly, they'd, Alfred Touchemolin's, voyaged, She'd, James Buchanan, Joseph Pulitzer's, Nelly Bly's, Jules Verne, Thomas Cook, Fogg, Nelly, she'd Organizations: Service, Cosmopolitan, Atlantic, Hulton, Western, Central Pacific, Union Pacific, Union Pacific's Overland, Rockies, Railroad, US, Ships, Suez, Getty Images, Workers, SSPL, Headquarters, Thomas Cook &, Companies Locations: London, New Jersey, New York, California, Blackwell's, of, New York Harbor, Chicago, Omaha, Utah, San, Salt, Union, Iowa, San Francisco, Midwest, Between Nebraska, Sacramento , California, Sierra Nevada, Lake Jessie , North Dakota, Washington ,, Philadelphia, Suez, Europe, Asia, Africa, Britain, India, Port Said, Egypt, Yemen, commonwealths, British, Aden, Colombo, Penang, Hong Kong, Singapore, Ceylon, Yokohama, France, Germany, America, South China, Nevada, Russian Empire, East, North America, London's, Italy, Ireland, United States, Japan, China

☆ Brazil's Sao Paulo State Sweetens Railway Concession Proposal, Delays Auction
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Brazil's Sao Paulo state on Saturday sweetened the concession for the construction of a railway line connecting its capital to the city of Campinas and postponed the auction for the project, which is now earmarked at a cost of 13.5 billion reais ($2.6 billion). The bidding document for the public-private partnership linking the largest city in Latin America to Campinas, located 100 kilometers (62 miles) northwest of Sao Paulo, had been published in March. The state government, however, has now decided to raise its participation in the project to 8.5 billion reais, up from the previous 6 billion reais, it said in a statement. It also will reduce what it pays to the winning bidder during the 30-year concession to around 250 million reais, from 400 million reais. The winner will be whoever makes the lowest bid for payment by the state as part of an exchange-for-service provision.

Persons: Alberto Alerigi, Marcela Ayres, Paul Simao Organizations: Reuters Locations: Sao Paulo, Campinas, Latin America

☆ ÖBB Nightjet's new solo sleeping pods aim to revolutionize European train travel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Austria’s state railway ÖBB, which has been leading the revival of overnight services in recent years, has unveiled a new 33-strong fleet of night trains, which will debut in December 2023. From ensuite doubles to solo podsThe solo 'pods' allow for privacy in a dormitory-style setup. OBBThe seven-carriage trains will each have a capacity of 254 passengers, and will be composed of two seating cars, three couchettes and two sleeping cars. In the sleeping cars, all compartments will have their own bathroom, including a shower. That’s why we are working together to further expand the European night train network,” she said in a statement.

Persons: ÖBB, Leonore Gewessler Organizations: CNN, OBB, Comfort Locations: Vienna, Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Hamburg, Innsbruck

☆ Hroza, Ukraine missile strike: No military targets in village hit by 'inhuman' Russian attack, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Vasco Cotovio Radina Gigova Svitlana Vlasova Helen Regan | Vasco Cotovio | Radina Gigova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Members of Ukraine's emergency services at the scene of a Russian missile strike in the village of Hroza, Kharkiv region, eastern Ukraine on October 5. At least 16 people were injured, including an 11-month-old baby, said Oleh Syniehubov, the head of Kharkiv region’s military administration. Ukraine's emergency services work through the night digging through the rubble in the aftermath of a Russian missile attack. Police and military experts work at the site of a Russian military strike in Hroza. The Ukrainian military has since been trying to resist advances from Moscow.

Persons: ” Sergey Bolvinov, Vasco Cotovio, CNN Bolvinov, ”, Ihor Terekhov, Terekhov, Oleh Syniehubov, Dmytro Chubenko, Chubenko, Hroza, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Pedro Sánchez, Olaf Scholz, Zelensky, Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy, Karine Jean, Pierre, Sofiia Gatilova Organizations: Ukraine CNN, CNN, Hroza, Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s, RBC, Spanish, White, Ukraine, Police, NATO, Ukrainian Locations: Hroza, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Kupiansk, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Dnipro, Granada, Spain, Germany, “, Kyiv, Moscow, Russia

The government said the lifting of restrictions applies to companies that supply at least 50% of the produced diesel fuel to the domestic market. Restrictions on railway diesel exports remain in place, with the exception on exports to some ex-Soviet states. A resumption of Russian diesel exports will have the biggest impact on Turkey and Brazil, Russia's two biggest buyers this year. Traders expect the lifting of the diesel ban could mean Asian diesel cargoes which would have replaced Russian exports in Africa and Turkey will now stay in the region, adding to already ample supplies. The diesel ban will have the biggest impact because Russia is the world's top seaborne exporter of the fuel, just ahead of the United States.

Persons: Transneft, Serena Huang, Maxim, Alexander Novak, Vortexa, William Maclean Organizations: TASS, Traders, REUTERS, Kommersant, Kremlin, FGE Energy, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, LONDON, SINGAPORE, Russia, Soviet, Baltic, Turkey, Brazil, Africa, Konstantinovo, Moscow, United States

☆ HS2: Britain's high-speed rail fiasco reflects grim economic reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Mark Thompson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“Our plan will drive far more growth and opportunity here in the north than a faster train to London ever would,” he said Wednesday. Some of the alternatives Sunak highlighted were predicated on the delivery of HS2, said Henrietta Bailey, CEO of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. “This is the biggest and most damaging U-turn in the history of UK infrastructure,” the High Speed Rail Group, which represents companies such as Siemens, Hitachi and Bombardier, said in a statement. “The decision … sends a hugely disappointing message about our commitment to completing major infrastructure projects in the UK,” said Stephen Phipson, chief executive of Make UK, which represents manufacturing firms. The country must hope that his latest policy reversal doesn’t deter investors and further undermine a struggling UK economy, perpetuating a doom-loop of weak growth and underinvestment.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, ”, Henrietta Bailey, Stephen Phipson, Mark Allen, ” Sunak, —, Liz Truss, he’s, Sunak blinked, James Mason, ” — Hanna Ziady Organizations: London CNN —, Leeds, Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, HS2 —, Conservative, Speed Rail Group, Siemens, Hitachi, Bombardier, Make, Investors, Treasury, Business Locations: England, United Kingdom, London, Germany, France, Italy, China, Japan, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester, Britain, West, North Yorkshire

CNN —A Russian missile strike killed at least 51 people in a village near the eastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk on Thursday, officials say, in what would be one of the deadliest attacks against civilians since the conflict began. Moscow’s forces targeted a cafe and a shop in Hroza, in the Kharkiv region, soon after midday local time (5 a.m. Hroza is located about 40 kilometers from the frontlines of the war near Kupiansk, the city in Kharkiv that Russian forces seized early on in the war before losing it a year ago. The Ukrainian military has since been trying to resist advances from Moscow. The UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine said images arriving from the scene of the attack “are absolutely horrifying,” accusing Russian forces of carrying out a war crime.

Persons: Ihor Klymenko, Dmytro Chubenko, Oleh Synehubov, Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy, Klymenko, ”, “, Rustem Umerov, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Europe’s, Denys Shmyhal, ” Shmyhal, ” Denise Brown Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian, Ukrainian Defense, NATO, “, Ukranian, Russian Locations: Russian, Ukrainian, Kupiansk, Hroza, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Hrova, Ukraine, Pervomaiske, Moscow, Russia, Kyiv, Granada, Spain, “ Russia

☆ Alstom cash crunch dents management credibility
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Alstom (ALSO.PA) CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge faces an uphill struggle to shore up his credibility. The French train maker lost 35% of its market value – amounting to 3 billion euros - on Thursday after announcing that it would book negative free cash flow of 500 to 750 million euros this year. Finally, weaker than expected orders in the first half of the year generated less cash in the form of down payments. Given the potential for the group’s net debt to be 3 billion euros by year-end, 1 billion euros more than expected, Deutsche Bank analysts reckon it may soon need a capital increase. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Henri Poupart, Pierre Briancon, Aimee Donnellan, Streisand Neto Organizations: Alstom, REUTERS, Reuters, London Underground, Deutsche Bank, X, Sandoz, Brookfield, Temasek, Thomson Locations: Saint, Ouen, Paris, France

☆ The arrival of migrants in big cities is forcing Democrats to change their immigration politics
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“The border wall – the money was appropriated for the border wall,” Biden told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. JB Pritzker sent a letter to the White House demanding federal coordination to deal with people crossing the border. Pritzker and Johnson both gave White House officials an earful in a hastily arranged conference call late Sunday, according to CNN’s report. CNN reported back in September on the breakdown in the relationship between the White House and New York’s mayor. Earlier this month, CNN spent the night in the Roosevelt Hotel, which closed as a commercial enterprise during the pandemic and now is used to temporarily house migrants.

Persons: Joe Biden, he’s, Donald, Eric Adams –, Biden, Priscilla Alvarez, Biden’s, Alvarez, Read, ” Biden, “, Trump, ”, Brandon Johnson, JB Pritzker, Pritzker, Johnson, Adams, Greg Abbott, Kathy Hochul, they’ve, CNN’s David Culver, ” Read Organizations: CNN, Democratic, – New York, CNN White, Act, Congress, White, Illinois Gov, White House, New York’s, Gallup, Gov, New York Gov Locations: Donald Trump’s, Big, –, Latin America, South Texas, Mexico, Rio Grande, It’s, Alvarez, Eagle Pass , Texas, Chicago, Ecuador, Colombia, New York City, Darien, Panama, New York, Texas . New York, Roosevelt, Venezuela, Haiti, United States, Ciudad Hidalgo, Central

Some railroad unions want more scrutiny of the safety of remote control operations major railroads have used for years in and around railyards without significant problems. Remote control train operators might have only a month or two of training before taking the controls, although the length of training varies by railroad. Safety statistics on railroad crashes are unclear because Federal Railroad Administration reports don't break out those involving remote control trains from incidents involving trains operated by engineers and conductors. Grissom said his union has had three members die in incidents involving remote control trains since 2015. He said Anderson's death, combined with fiery derailments that have happened across the country this year, reinforce the need for stronger railroad safety regulations.

Persons: Don Grissom, Brotherhood of Railway Carmen, ” Grissom, Grissom, hasn't, Fred Anderson, carmen, Anderson, Bryan Tucker, didn't, Eddie Hall Organizations: CSX, Brotherhood of Railway, National Transportation Safety, Federal Railroad Administration, NTSB, of Locomotive Engineers, Railroad Administration, Norfolk Southern Locations: OMAHA, Neb, railyards, Walbridge , Ohio, Jacksonville , Florida, Norfolk, East Palestine, Ohio

☆ Driver may have fallen ill before fatal Venice bus crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Claudia Greco | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Flowers are seen at the site where a coach crashed off an overpass in Mestre, Italy, October 4, 2023. Five Ukrainians, a German and the Italian bus driver were among those killed, Venice's prefect Michele Di Bari, the local representative of the interior ministry, said on Wednesday. "We presume the driver may have fallen ill," Veneto regional president Luca Zaia told Rtl 102.5 radio. The bus had been ferrying the tourists back to a campsite in nearby Marghera after a day out in Venice. "I think the driver had an illness, because otherwise I can't explain it," Fiorese said, adding that the driver had started his shift less than two hours before the crash.

Persons: Claudia Greco, Michele Di Bari, Luca Zaia, Di Bari, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Corriere, Massimo Fiorese, Corriere della Sera, Fiorese, Alvise Armellini, Keith Weir, Bernadette Baum, Gavin Jones, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Rtl, Corriere della Sera, Thomson Locations: Mestre, Italy, Venice Italian, VENICE, Venice, Veneto, Croatian, Marghera, Nigeria

☆ HS2: UK PM Rishi Sunak slashes giant rail project as business warns of blow to credibility
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has taken the axe to Britain’s biggest current infrastructure project, despite warnings from business leaders that the U-turn will damage investor confidence in the country. “This means £36 billion of investment in the projects that will make a real difference across our nation,” he added. “Any deviation could result in a loss of investor trust, and this would have a considerable negative impact on the UK. The ambitious HS2 project falls into this category.”The U-turn was also blasted by Richard Walker, the boss of supermarket chain Iceland, and until recently a long-time Conservative Party member. The government’s “evident inability” to deliver on major projects “is devastating to both its credibility and to business confidence,” Walker wrote in The Guardian newspaper Sunday.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, ” Sunak, Andy Street, We’ve, Tom Wagner, Wagner, ”, Richard Walker, ” Walker Organizations: London CNN —, Manchester —, Conservative Party Conference, Conservative Party, Conservative, Investors, LBC, Knighthead Capital Management, Birmingham City football, The Guardian, “ Locations: London, Birmingham, Manchester, United Kingdom, England, Iceland

Its cost was estimated at 33 billion pounds in 2011, but has soared to more than 100 billion pounds ($122 billion) by some estimates. Sunak said Conservative lawmakers would be given a free vote in Parliament on the smoking ban. He used the speech to give party members and voters a glimpse of the man behind his technocratic exterior. Home Secretary Suella Braverman used her conference speech to appeal to the party’s authoritarian, law-and-order wing, advocating tougher curbs on migration and a war on human rights protections and “woke” social values. “I am confident we can win,” said Balwinder Dhillon, deputy mayor of the town of Slough, west of London.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, he's, ”, ” Sunak, Andy Burnham, ” “, Rain Newton, Smith, “, Margaret Thatcher —, Liz Truss, Akshata Murty, Suella Braverman, Balwinder Dhillon Organizations: Conservative Party, Labour Party, Leeds, Conservative, Manchester, of British Industry, Health, New, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, London Stock Exchange, Treasury, United, British Locations: MANCHESTER, England, Manchester, London, “, Birmingham, Midlands, North, Britain, Britain’s, New Zealand, Rwanda, United Kingdom, Slough

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