The accident took place on Wednesday morning in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, 230 km (143 miles) northeast of Bangkok, on a train from the capital bound for Ubon Ratchathani province
International News via Reuters:
A train derailed in northeastern Thailand on Wednesday after a construction crane fell on three of its carriages, killing at least 25 people and injuring about 80, police said.
The accident took place on Wednesday morning in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, 230 km (143 miles) northeast of Bangkok, on a train from the capital bound for Ubon Ratchathani province.
“The death toll has now reached 25. The search for more bodies is ongoing,” Police Colonel Thatchapon Chinnawong told Reuters by phone.
Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said in a statement that there were 195 people on board, adding that he had ordered a thorough investigation to be carried out.
Those killed were in two of the three carriages hit by the crane, he said.
The crane was working on a high-speed rail project when it collapsed and hit the passing train, causing it to derail and briefly catch fire.
Images shared by the ministry showed carriages overturned next to shrubland and firefighters extinguishing a blaze as smoke billowed out.
Footage of the crash site verified by Reuters shows rescue workers trying to extract casualties from one of the buckled carriages, with some badly injured passengers already being loaded into ambulances.
The elevated high-speed rail project, one of several under construction in Thailand, was being built above the existing rail line. Part of the collapsed crane is still propped up by the stanchions built to support the new rail link.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press briefing that the Chinese government attached great importance to the safety of projects and personnel and was looking into the situation.
“At present, it seems that the relevant section was under construction by a Thai enterprise. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.”
The high-speed rail project will connect to China through Laos. The government said last year that more than a third of construction had been completed in the segment connecting Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, and the whole line to Nong Khai at the border with Laos would be ready by 2030.
Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Panu Wongcha-um, Additional reporting by Ethan Wang in Beijing; Editing by Martin Petty and David Stanway
No financial details were disclosed for the deal, which is expected to close in the summer, but RWE said that both parties will “assess opportunities to extend their collaboration to additional projects”
International News via Reuters:
RWE said on Wednesday it agreed to sell a 50% stake in its Norfolk Vanguard West and East offshore wind projects to investor KKR, after the German utility emerged as one of the winners in a milestone British renewables auction.
No financial details were disclosed for the deal, which is expected to close in the summer, but RWE said that both parties will “assess opportunities to extend their collaboration to additional projects”.
RWE and KKR will jointly develop, build and operate the wind farms, a model referred to as farming down that enables both project developers and financiers to split the bill for large offshore projects, which usually start at 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion).
Shares in RWE, Germany’s biggest utility, were 3% higher on the news, making them the top gainers among blue chips in Frankfurt’s benchmark DAX index.
RWE’s Norfolk Vanguard East and West projects, located 50-80 miles off the British coast, were awarded contracts by Britain, covering 3.1 gigawatts, and will be able to power around 3 million homes once operational.
The deal follows RWE’s sale last year of a 49% stake in two offshore wind farms in Denmark and Germany to Norway’s sovereign wealth fund for 1.4 billion euros.
($1 = 0.8588 euros)
Reporting by Christoph SteitzEditing by Ludwig Burger
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) said its gauge of business confidence fell to -11.1 in the fourth quarter, its lowest since the end of 2022 and down from -7.3 in third quarter
International News via Reuters:
British businesses turned their most pessimistic in three years at the end of 2025 and their mood worsened after finance minister Rachel Reeves’ budget at the end of November, a survey published on Wednesday showed.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) said its gauge of business confidence fell to -11.1 in the fourth quarter, its lowest since the end of 2022 and down from -7.3 in third quarter.
Confidence slid across the September-to-December period and fell from -10.7 before Reeves’ budget on November 26 to its final reading 0.4 points lower.
Last week another closely watched survey, the S&P Purchasing Managers’ Index, showed only a marginal rise in business sentiment in December, in contrast to initial estimates of more of a pick-up after budget uncertainty lifted.
Reeves announced 26 billion pounds ($35 billion) of tax increases but delayed most of them and spared employers the kind of hit included in her first budget in 2024 when she raised a payroll tax.
Reeves and Prime Minister Keir Starmer are trying to speed up Britain’s slow pace of economic growth and have said they will create the conditions to boost business investment.
The ICAEW survey also showed:* Confidence has fallen for six quarters in a row; * A record 64% of firms said tax was a growing challenge,more than double the share at the time of the 2024 election; * Half of businesses worried about regulation, the highestproportion for more than seven years, reflecting concerns overnew employment rights legislation; * Confidence among exporting businesses rose, suggestingdomestic issues were behind the overall drop; * Indicators of sales activity in the months ahead improved; * 1,000 accountants took part in the telephone surveybetween October 8 and December 11.
($1 = 0.7426 pounds)
Writing by William Schomberg; editing by David Milliken
CSG’s roots were in retooling Cold War-era military gear
International News via Reuters:
Czech defence group Czechoslovak Group (CSG) is looking to expand globally, including moves into new areas like jet engines used for drones or missiles, as it prepares for what could be one of Europe’s biggest IPOs this year.
CSG’s roots were in retooling Cold War-era military gear. Its manufacturing of ammunition, military trucks, armoured vehicles and rocket launchers has made it one of Europe’s fastest-growing defence firms after tapping into aggressive military spending in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“When the war in Ukraine started, we were the first to start investing heavily,” CSG’s owner and CEO Michal Strnad told Reuters. “I took the risk and we got going.”
Strnad, 33, took over the business his father Jaroslav started in the 1990s buying Soviet-era military equipment for scrapping. He is now steering CSG towards an IPO as investors funnel billions of dollars towards defence.
Sources have told Reuters that a listing on Euronext Amsterdam could raise over $3 billion and that the IPO process could start as early as this week.
The company, which sealed a $2.2 billion deal for U.S.-based small-calibre ammunition maker Kinetic Group in 2024, is also on the lookout for more acquisitions as it seeks to become more integrated to compete with larger rivals and help control its margins.
“We will definitely be making some acquisitions,” Strnad told Reuters at CSG’s headquarters in Prague, saying the company wants to become “completely, fully vertically integrated” across its range of products.
“I don’t want to be pushed into a corner by suppliers. We don’t want to be hostages, we want to have everything under our own roof, we want to manage it, we want to be responsible for it, and of course we want to keep the margin at home.”
STRONG DEMAND, BUT CHALLENGES AHEAD
CSG faces challenges. Any peace deal for Ukraine – the source of a third of CSG’s 2024 revenue – could take away a key driver of growth, while bigger European rivals like Germany’s Rheinmetall often dominate regional defence contracts. Defence is also shifting toward drones and hypersonic missiles.
“If warfare shifts more in that direction, there’s a risk we see a peak in revenues and valuations across the sector not just for CSG,” said Jens-Peter Rieck, aerospace and defence analyst at consultancy mwb research.
Adrien Rabier at Bernstein, however, said that defence demand was “far outstripping supply at the moment” and would remain so in the years ahead.
CSG plans to conclude talks in the next few months to expand cooperation with the U.S. government to produce jet engines as part of the so-called Golden Dome Project aimed at creating an integrated air and missile defence system, Strnad said.
“We definitely want to grow here, and today we want to localise production,” Strnad said, adding the firm was looking at sites in North Carolina and Wisconsin.
CSG for now relies heavily on large-calibre ammunition and military vehicles to drive revenue. Large-calibre ammo made up nearly half of pro-forma revenue of 5.2 billion euros in 2024.
The 2024 sales revenue marked a nearly nine-fold increase from 2021, the year before the Ukraine invasion, when revenue hit 592 million euros. CSG forecasts revenue of 7.4 billion-7.6 billion euros this year and boasts an order backlog of 14 billion euros.
MAKING CSG ‘TRULY GLOBAL’
Deals have been central to CSG’s rapid growth, with investments including large-calibre ammunition in Spain, a nitrocellulose company in Germany, and a joint venture for ammunition and TNT production in Greece.
The group, which employs some 14,000 people, signed a framework deal with Slovakia’s defence ministry in December that it hopes to turn into multi-billion euro pipeline for ammunition supplies to European governments.
Strnad said he sees big potential with military customers in the small ammunition segment, with NATO states likely to restock small-calibre ammo due to empty warehouses after an ongoing restock of medium and large-calibre ammunition.
CSG has a $630 million contract in the U.S. to build a large-calibre ammo loading facility in Iowa, a $1 billion truck contract with an unnamed Asian customer and a strategic partnership with Franco-German defence group KNDS for the production of hulls for Leopard battle tanks.
“I want CSG to be truly global,” Strnad said.
Writing by Michael Kahn and Jan Lopatka; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Susan Fenton
The blue-chip FTSE 100 closed down 0.03% at 10,137.35 points, following a record close in the prior session
International News via Reuters:
The UK’s FTSE 100 ended largely unchanged on Tuesday as investors assessed mixed corporate updates and U.S. inflation data, while energy stocks advanced due to geopolitical tensions in Iran and Venezuela.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 closed down 0.03% at 10,137.35 points, following a record close in the prior session. The domestically-focused mid-cap index was down 0.47%.
The U.S. inflation report showed core CPI up 2.6% year-on-year, slightly below forecasts of 2.7%. Trump seized on the data, calling it proof that “very low inflation” gives the Fed room for a “big rate cut,” renewing his criticism of Chair Jerome Powell.
Markets, however, still expect rates to stay unchanged this month, with the Fed seen holding its benchmark at 3.50%-3.75% at its Jan. 27-28 meeting.
The FTSE 350 Oil & Gas index rose 2.3%, with BP and Shell gaining about 2% each. Oil prices increased on concerns over lower exports from Iran and Venezuela.
The precious metals and mining index rose 0.7% after gold prices scaled a new high amid refreshed hopes of Fed rate cuts this year. [GOL/]
Separately, UK inflation expectations fell to 3.6% in December, but Citi said the drop may not fully ease BoE policymakers’ concerns about inflation staying above the 2% target.
Smith & Nephew fell 4% after the medical products maker said it will buy U.S.-based Integrity Orthopaedics in a deal that could be valued at up to $450 million.
The stock weighed on the index of medical equipment makers, falling 3.8% to lead sectoral losses. The wider healthcare index fell 0.7%, with heavyweight drugmaker AstraZeneca down 0.8%.
Utilities index also dragged, falling 1.8%.
Raspberry Pi shares were down 2.3% after the single-board computer maker said its 2026 outlook was clouded by volatility in the supply and price of memory.
Whitbread was up 7%, leading individual gains on the FTSE 100 index, after the hotel operator said it expects a lower-than-anticipated hit from business rate hikes announced in the UK’s autumn budget.
Reporting by Tharuniyaa Lakshmi in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar, Alexandra Hudson
A new Human Rights public consultation could be a precursor to more legal protections against age discrimination
Have you ever been made to feel too old, or too young for the job you do?
If so, the Human Rights Commission wants to hear from you.
The HRC has launched a public consultation on age discrimination, particularly at work.
The end goal is a potential change to the law which may go hand-in-hand with Government efforts to encourage employers to retain older workers.
Lisa Reed, Executive Officer of the HRC, says the consultation aims to understand people’s lived experiences, views and perspectives of age discrimination in the workplace, as well as in other areas of life in Bermuda.
She says, “we want to understand concerns, potential impacts, support for and objections to the inclusion of protection from age-related discrimination in the workplace.”
“The findings will inform the Commission’s recommendation to include age as a protected ground in the area of employment and the workplace within the Human Rights Act, 1981.” end quote.
This comes less than a week after Government published a policy guide for employers to retain workers who are willing and able to work past the age of 65.
Labour & Economy Minister Jason Hayward encourages employers to consider the benefits of keeping experienced staff on the payroll, in an effort to address labour shortages and keep our aging Bermudian workforce employed.
The guide notes that one challenge may be that some workplaces are not fully aware of age discrimination laws.
However, the Human Rights Commission has today highlighted that age is not currently a protected area under the Human Rights Act with regard to employment.
Therefore, if the HRC’s consultation leads to a change of law in this respect, some of the recommendations of Government’s policy guide could be even more critical for employers to implement.
HRC Executive Officer Lisa Reed says the Commission invites all members of the public to participate in the survey, and all results are collected anonymously.
“Age-related discrimination can occur at any age”, she says, “therefore, we encourage participation from young people, those who are middle-aged and seniors. Age discrimination can occur whether you are 18 or 81 and beyond.”
The survey can be found online at humanrights.bm, or a hard copy can be collected from the HRC office at 32 Victoria Street.
The deadline for submissions is February 13th.
HRC Press Release:
The Human Rights Commission today announced it has commenced a public consultation on age discrimination on Monday, January 13, 2026.
According to Executive Officer, Lisa Reed, “This consultation aims to understand people’s lived experiences, views and perspectives of age discrimination in the workplace, as well as in other areas of life in Bermuda. We want to understand concerns, potential impacts, support for and objections to the inclusion of protection from age-related discrimination in the workplace.
“The findings will inform the Commission’s recommendation to include age as a protected ground in the area of employment and the workplace within the Human Rights Act, 1981.
“The information will also support education to address ageism in Bermuda and to protect against discrimination and harassment based on age in the workplace.”
Mrs. Reed added, “As part of this initiative, the Commission invites all members of the public to participate in the survey. All results are collected anonymously. Age-related discrimination can occur at any age; therefore, we encourage participation from young people, those who are middle-aged and seniors. Age discrimination can occur whether you are 18 or 81 and beyond.
“In addition to the public survey, we will be speaking directly with stakeholders and will host a community conversation. The deadline for submissions is February 13, 2026.”
“Accommodations are available to ensure accessibility. If you require assistance completing the survey, please contact us by email at info@humanrights.bm, by phone at (441) 295-5859, or visit our office at Milner Place, 32 Victoria Street, Hamilton HM 12.
Both women reported suffering sexual assault and workplace harassment while working for the singer
International News via Reuters:
A Spanish High Court prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday it was investigating allegations in Spanish and U.S. media outlets that singer Julio Iglesias sexually assaulted two former female employees.
There was no immediate response to emails seeking comment, sent by Reuters to representatives of Iglesias, 82. The star’s record label, Sony, declined to comment.
The women, said to have worked in Iglesias’ Caribbean residences in the Dominican Republic and Bahamas over a 10-month period in 2021, were cited in a three-year investigation by U.S. broadcaster Univision and Spanish outlet elDiario.es published on Tuesday.
Both women reported suffering sexual assault and workplace harassment while working for the singer, the outlets reported. The reports said Iglesias pressured them into sexual encounters and subjected them to additional physical and verbal abuse.
The prosecutor’s office said it had opened preliminary proceedings after a claim was filed on January 5. Details of the case were covered by secrecy rules that prevented it from providing further information.
Iglesias is one of the world’s best-selling Latin artists, with more than 300 million records sold in 14 languages. A former aspiring soccer player, he turned to music after a 1963 car accident ended his sports career.
The allegations sparked a noisy reaction in Spain, where he is considered a national treasure.
Ana Redondo, the Socialist-led government’s Equality Minister, said in a statement she respected Iglesias’ presumption of innocence but that she believed the women’s testimony.
“He’s a great singer but people can have a dark side,” she said, praising the women for raising their complaints.
Leftist party Mas Madrid suggested the right-wing government of Madrid region should strip Iglesias of the keys to the city he was awarded as the capital’s most famous son. Iglesias has backed conservative political candidates in the past.
Regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso issued a furious response on X, saying: “The Community of Madrid will never contribute to attacks on the prestige of artists, not least the most universal singer of all: Julio Iglesias.”
Reporting by Emma PinedoEditing by Aislinn Laing and Peter Graff
Today we sat down with actor, comedian and host Nadanja to discuss his event, Night of Games, which will take place on Tuesday, January 20th at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club. He promises an exciting evening of competition and entertainment, and a total of $15,000 in cash prizes.
During our interview, Nadanja shared details about the inspiration behind the event, what attendees can expect, and how Night of Games aims to bring the gaming community together.
The company is focusing on strategic therapeutic areas such as oncology, immunology, neuroscience, and cardiovascular and renal medicine
International News via Reuters:
Novartis will continue to do bolt-on deals and its capital allocation priorities remain unchanged, CEO Vasant Narasimhan said at a major industry conference that kicked off on Monday in San Francisco.
“We are always looking for opportunities that fit our core therapeutic areas,” Narasimhan said at the J.P. Morgan healthcare conference. “We want to do deals that make sense, and we have the capital to be able to do that.”
The company is focusing on strategic therapeutic areas such as oncology, immunology, neuroscience, and cardiovascular and renal medicine.
Novartis has been proactively striking deals to address the impending patent cliff for some of its blockbuster drugs, including Entresto for heart failure, Xolair for asthma and Cosentyx for autoimmune diseases.
Last year, Novartis agreed to acquire U.S. biotech firm Avidity Biosciences for about $12 billion in cash, as it looks to bolster its portfolio of treatments for rare muscle disorders.
The company also acquired Regulus Therapeutics for up to $1.7 billion, giving the Swiss drugmaker access to an experimental drug to treat a life-threatening kidney disease.
“Going forward, the core principles remain the same, which is the four therapeutic areas that we have an interest in, where we look for bolt on external innovation that creates value will remain,” Shreeram Aradhye, president, development and chief medical officer, told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the conference.
The company’s momentum for deal making will remain, he added.
Aradhye also said the company will have significant focus on oncology and would look for additional opportunities in radioligand therapies.
Reporting by Sneha S K in Bengaluru and Maggie Fick in San Francisco; Editing by Leroy Leo
At a time when many households are facing real cost-of-living pressures, it is important that healthcare costs are not made more difficult or unpredictable through unclear and/or improper billing practices. The Bermuda Health Council is issuing this public notice to clarify existing legal protections, promote consistent billing practices, and ensure individuals know what to reasonably expect when accessing care in Bermuda.
FOR INSURED INDIVIDUALS
Hospital Services Provided by Hospital Staff
The list of all hospital services provided by hospital staff can be found on the Bermuda Hospitals Board (Hospital Fees) Regulations 2018 (link). Services listed on schedules 1, 2, 3, and 4a are already covered by local health insurance policies therefore insured patients should not receive a bill for these services.
Hospital Services Provided by Non-Hospital Providers
Some services delivered in the hospital are provided by clinicians who are not employed by the hospital. The provider’s charges and the insurance reimbursement for this care are regulated and there are penalties in place for non-compliant providers or insurers.
For clarity:
· The regulated charges, called the Medical and Dental Charges are publicly available on the Health Council’s website (link).
· It is illegal for providers to bill anything above the published charges for services delivered in the hospital.
· Where a patient’s insurance policy includes coverage for the applicable service, it is illegal for an insurer to reimburse less than 100% of the published rate.
· Discrepancies between what a provider bills an insurer and what an insurer pays are not to be passed on to the patient. It is illegal to balance bill, charge a copay or pass any additional costs on to insured patients for covered hospital-based care.
Patient Protections Are Legislated
All of the protections described above are set out in the Bermuda Hospitals Board Act 1970 (Act) (link). Any practice that involves over-billing, under-reimbursing, balance billing, charging copays or other associated fees, or improper unbundling of services constitutes a contravention of legislation and may be subject to penalties under the Act.
Insurance Is About Protecting Against the Unexpected
Insurance exists to protect against an uncertain future. Personal health status, family history, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance should all inform the type of coverage an individual chooses.
Individuals are strongly encouraged to:
· Confirm their insurance status at least annually or when significant changes occur such as employment status, marital status (where coverage was through a spouse’s employer), or health status.
· Never assume levels of coverage even where there is the perception of “major medical” coverage.
Overseas Care
Insurance coverage for overseas care is not an entitlement. Insurance coverage depends on the specific policy and benefit tier selected by the individual or for employment-based coverage, selected by the employer. Where overseas care is included, the level of coverage can vary by policy and provider networks are selected by the individual insurers.
In many cases, when someone requires overseas care following a hospital admission, it is not a planned or predictable event. Attempting to time insurance coverage or obtain insurance after the fact is both unrealistic and risky.
FOR UNINSURED INDIVIDUALS
These protections do not apply to individuals who are uninsured at the time services are delivered. Persons who are uninsured—whether due to voluntary decisions, employer non-compliance, or other circumstances—should expect to receive bills from the hospital and from health service providers for all procedures performed.
Financial Assistance Is Available
The Health Council recognizes that not everyone is in the same financial position, and that unexpected healthcare needs can create stress and uncertainty.
If you are experiencing financial hardship:
· Financial assistance options do exist, including hospital-based financial counselling and government support mechanisms.
· Individuals are encouraged to ask about these options in advance rather than avoiding care or assuming no help is available.
FOR ALL PATIENTS
Global Periods
Many procedures are governed by rules regarding bundled billing for care related to a primary procedure. In other words, where a procedure is performed, there are rules on billing for that procedure and any before- or after-care related to that procedure.
Global periods vary by procedure but generally, this required bundled billing means that the published fee already includes the individual allowable charges for:
· The procedure itself (the primary procedure),
· Routine pre-procedure assessment, and
· Routine post-procedure follow-up care over the defined global period.
It is illegal for a health service provider to:
· Ignore published global billing rules (link), or
· Bill separately in an office or other setting for services that are already included within the global fee, even if the primary procedure and/or pre- and post-procedure care were provided in a mixture of settings. For example, if pre-procedure and post-procedure consults were provided in office but the procedure itself was performed in the hospital, the global period for that hospital procedure must be honoured.
For patients, this means that routine follow-ups and related care covered by the global period should not generate additional bills. Unbundling these services and charging them separately is unlawful.
LOOKING AHEAD
Universal Health Coverage
The Health Council is providing technical and policy support to the Government’s work in advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC). UHC is a long-term solution which will ensure that everyone has access to a base layer of patient-centred protection, regardless of income or ability to pay.
UHC is intended to strengthen access to essential services while reducing reliance solely on market-based insurance and individual financial capacity.
Questions and Support
Members of the public with questions about insurance coverage, employer obligations, or patient billing rights are encouraged to contact the Bermuda Health Council at contactus@healthcouncil.bm or complete the Feedback Form (link) on our website.
The Council remains committed to fairness and transparency, and to ensuring that healthcare billing is not unnecessarily cumbersome for individuals and families across Bermuda.
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