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Channel Tunnel Chaos Enters Day Two as Power Fault Drags On

The disruption, caused by a fault in the system's overhead power supply, on Tuesday upended plans for thousands of passengers in London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Rail passengers travelling between the UK and mainland Europe are enduring a second day of major disruption after a power failure shut down the Channel Tunnel, halting both Eurostar and LeShuttle services. The fault, linked to the overhead power supply, brought traffic to a standstill and left thousands of travellers stranded on both sides of the Channel. Although some services have begun to move again, operators warn that delays and cancellations will continue while engineers work to stabilise the system. Eurostar has urged passengers to avoid travelling unless essential, as many trains remain suspended or heavily delayed. LeShuttle customers are also facing long queues, with significant backlogs reported at both Folkestone and Calais. The timing has added to the frustration, hitting one of the busiest travel per...

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New CPP rules mean higher deductions and benefits for Canadians



Starting Monday, Canadians will see a change in their paycheques as the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) introduces a new earnings ceiling for higher-income earners.

The new ceiling, which applies to anyone earning more than $68,500 in 2024, is part of a broader pension revamp that began in 2019. The goal is to provide more financial support for Canadians after they retire, by increasing both the contributions and the benefits of the CPP.

Under the new rules, workers and employers will pay an additional four per cent on the amount they earn between $68,500 and $73,200. This means a maximum of $188 more in payroll deductions for 2024. Self-employed people will pay both portions, or eight per cent.

The trade-off is that Canadians will eventually receive higher payouts once they start collecting their pensions. The enhanced CPP is designed to replace one-third of a person’s eligible income, up from one-quarter under the old system.

The full effects of the CPP changes will take decades to materialize, so the youngest workers stand to gain the most. People retiring 40 years from now will see their income go up by more than 50 per cent compared to the current pension beneficiaries.

The CPP changes do not affect the eligibility criteria for retirement pension, post-retirement benefits, disability pension and survivor’s pension.


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