2025-01-26 15:05

FRANKFURT, Jan 26 (Reuters) - German chancellor Olaf Scholz has welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's plans for more oil and gas exports, saying it was "good for Europe and Germany," German newspaper Handelsblatt reported on Sunday. Scholz said in the interview the move would help in the transition phase towards climate neutrality, which would last until around the middle of the century. "More supply on the global market means lower energy prices," the chancellor said. Scholz praised Trump for wanting to build new terminals for liquefied natural gas (LNG), something his predecessor Joe Biden did not do. Scholz said he was always opposed to stopping the expansion of LNG terminals in the United States. However, Scholz said he regretted Trump's executive order last week to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. "Global warming is a serious danger," Scholz said, adding that Germany will continue its course in climate policy. On a separate topic, the social democrat chancellor sharply criticised his conservative rival in Germany, Friedrich Merz, over his stance on the ongoing debate about migration into the country. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/germanys-scholz-welcomes-us-turnaround-energy-policy-handelsblatt-reports-2025-01-26/

2025-01-26 11:55

ATHENS, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Greeks protested outside parliament in Athens on Sunday to demand justice for the 57 people who died nearly two years ago in the country's worst railway disaster. Protesters held banners reading: "We won't forget" and "I have no oxygen" - echoing a woman's last words in a call to emergency services that was published by local media last week. "We are here and we will not stop ... until those responsible are held accountable," said Maria Karistianou, whose 20-year-old daughter died in the 2023 train crash. Brief clashes broke out between police and some protesters after the largely peaceful demonstration, which was one of the biggest to be held in the capital in recent years. Similar protests were held in other cities in Greece. A judicial investigation is still in progress over the head-on collision of a freight train and a passenger train packed with students just before midnight on Feb. 28, 2023. The crash, on a line linking Athens with Greece's second-largest city Thessaloniki, triggered angry protests across the country, with many people saying it reflected widespread neglect of the rail network after a decade-long financial crisis. Two years on, the exact cause of death of many of the victims has not been determined. Their families have accused authorities of trying to cover up evidence, something the government denies. "Two years after the tragedy, no one has been punished, no one is in prison," Ilias Papangelis, whose 18-year-old daughter was among those killed, told the crowd of protesters, some of whom chanted "Murderers". The centre-right government, which was re-elected after the crash, says it is up to judicial authorities to investigate the causes. It has pledged to reform the rail system, though the European Commission says progress has been slow. The government's decision to nominate former parliament speaker Constantine Tassoulas as president last week further angered victims' relatives, who say that under his watch lawmakers failed to investigate any political responsibility. According to a report by experts hired by families, the crash led to a huge fireball. It is unclear what caused the fireball. "We don't know what caused the explosion, what the (freight) train was carrying," said Nikos Plakias, who lost his two daughters and a niece in the accident. "We will always have questions ... And if we need to reach the European courts, we will," he added. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/greek-protesters-demand-justice-victims-2023-train-crash-2025-01-26/

2025-01-26 11:38

GENEVA, Jan 26 - Switzerland's President and Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter forecast higher annual budget deficits of around 3 billion Swiss Francs ($3.31 billion) in the next few years due to higher military spending and pension costs, she told Swiss newspapers in an interview. Switzerland has historically had balanced budgets although began reporting larger deficits from 2020 due to extra costs tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, the projected deficit was 2.6 billion Swiss Francs, a government website showed. "In total, there is around 2 billion Francs that were not budgeted for in the 2026 budget," said Keller-Sutter in an interview published in SonntagsZeitung and Tages-Anzeiger on Sunday. "We do have additional income from profit taxes, but they can't compensate for everything," she said, referring to high profits reported in 2022 and 2023 by Geneva-based commodity trading houses. Swiss voters decided in a referendum last year to increase pension payments for older people despite government warnings that it is financially unsound. The neutral country is also upgrading its defences after the Ukraine war, buying new fighter aircraft and missile systems as well as building new data centres to make it less vulnerable to cyber attacks. Keller-Sutter, who took on the rotating one-year presidency earlier this month, said in the same interview that the government was working on consultation procedure documents for new banking regulations after the release last month of an inquiry into the collapse of Credit Suisse. She said such regulations might include new powers for regulators to wield fines for banks as well as individuals plus possible claw-backs for banker bonuses. Asked whether new measures would prevent future government bail-outs, she indicated there was no guarantee. "We in Switzerland...have to do our homework (on banking regulation). But one shouldn't claim 100% security," she said. ($1 = 0.9057 Swiss francs) Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/swiss-president-forecasts-deficits-3-bln-francs-coming-years-2025-01-26/

2025-01-26 10:16

KYIV, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Ukrainian air defences downed 50 of 72 drones launched by Russia overnight and attacked one of Russia's largest oil refineries, Ukraine's military said on Sunday. Military and civilian authorities did not immediately report casualties or damages. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia had used 1,250 aerial bombs, over 750 attack drones and more than 20 missiles to attack Ukraine over the past week. "Only determination can stop such terrorists. We are constantly working with our partners to strengthen our defense capabilities and to reduce Russia's ability to terrorize Ukraine," Zelenskiy said on Telegram messenger. "Long-range capabilities are crucial. Sanctions are essential. Lowering the price of oil is important. The key is to act in unity and protect lives with resolve," he added. Kyiv's general staff said on Sunday its forces attacked Russia's Ryazan oil refinery again last night and explosions and fire were reported in the target area. "The Ryazan Oil Refinery is one of the four largest refineries in the Russian Federation," it said on Telegram. Russia's Defence Ministry said on Sunday that its air defence systems destroyed 15 Ukrainian drones over Russia and two sea drones in the Black Sea. It said eight drones were downed over the Ryazan region, six drones were destroyed in the Kursk region and one drone was hit over the Belgorod region overnight. Ryazan governor Pavel Malkov said on Sunday there were no casualties in the latest drone attacks but authorities were still estimating the damage. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-military-says-it-downed-50-russian-drones-attacked-big-oil-refinery-2025-01-26/

2025-01-26 08:08

ABUJA, Jan 26 (Reuters) - A fuel tanker truck explosion killed 18 people in Nigeria's southeastern Enugu state on Saturday, the national road safety agency said, a week after another incident left about a 100 residents dead in the north of the country. The truck suffered brake failure and the driver lost control, crashing into more than a dozen vehicles on an expressway, Olusegun Ogungbemide, spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps said in a statement late on Saturday. He said 10 people were rescued with different degrees of injuries and another three were unharmed. "Unfortunately, the remaining 18 victims were burnt beyond recognition," said Ogungbemide. Accidents involving fuel tanker trucks have become common in Africa's largest oil producer, which authorities blame on bad roads and reckless driving, often with dozens of fatalities. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/fuel-tanker-blast-kills-18-nigerias-south-east-2025-01-26/

2025-01-25 20:51

PARIS, Jan 25 (Reuters) - French shipping and logistics group CMA CGM will continue to avoid the Red Sea even though it considers the region is more stable following the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, it said on Saturday. Shipping executives remain cautious about a return to the Red Sea, where Iran-backed Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships since November 2023, leading most shipping companies to divert vessels to other routes. CMA-CGM said in a statement the improved stability was "a positive but fragile sign" for the industry, and safety was a priority. "Given the ongoing tensions and associated risks for commercial vessels in certain areas, CMA CGM will for time being continue to prioritise alternative routes, including a significant reliance on passage via the Cape of Good Hope," the statement said. It added that adjustments to the policy could be made on a case-by-case basis depending on security and global operational conditions. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/french-shipping-giant-cma-cgm-keep-avoiding-red-sea-2025-01-25/