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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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Wall Street Nervously Awaits Key Inflation Data

 

Wall Street is treading cautiously today as investors eagerly anticipate the latest inflation report. The Federal Reserve’s hawkish stance on monetary policy has kept the market on edge, and this data release could provide crucial insights.

What’s Happening?

  • Modest Losses: Futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average are down by 0.3% ahead of the opening bell. Despite this, Wall Street remains on track for a positive February, even after a somewhat challenging week.

  • Inflation Focus: The Commerce Department is set to release its report on consumer spending, which includes a closely watched measure of inflation. The Federal Reserve has recently paused its interest rate hikes after raising rates to a 22-year high. The central bank’s primary goal is to manage inflation, and any surprises in today’s data could impact their next moves.

  • Analyst Expectations: Economists predict that year-over-year inflation ticked down in January to 2.3%, compared to December’s 2.6%. The Fed’s target is 2%, so any deviation from this level will be closely scrutinized.

  • Corporate Highlights: Processed food maker Hormel surprised the market by beating profit targets, leading to a nearly 5% premarket jump. However, cloud-computing company Snowflake faced a different fate, plummeting over 22% after announcing the immediate retirement of CEO Frank Slootman. Sridhar Ramaswamy will take the reins.

  • Global Markets: In Europe, Germany’s DAX and Britain’s FTSE 100 are showing resilience, each adding 0.4%. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index closed 0.1% lower, with factory output declining at the fastest pace since May 2020.

Investors are keeping a close eye on inflation data, hoping for clarity on the Fed’s next steps. As the market navigates uncertainty, it remains to be seen how Wall Street will react to the numbers. Stay tuned for further updates!


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