Eighteen Hurt After Trains Collide At Station

Eighteen people have been injured after a collision between two trains at Plymouth railway station.

Emergency services were called to the scene after the two passenger services were involved in a "low-speed" collision on platform six at around 3.30pm on Sunday.

Eyewitness described hearing a "huge bang" and said passengers were thrown forward by the impact.

Trains damaged after railway station accident. Pic: @dominic_1983

A spokeswoman for South West Coast Ambulance Service said all eighteen casualties, which include the driver of one of the trains, are reported to be in a stable condition.

She added: "The majority of those are walking wounded and eight of those are going to Derriford hospital in Plymouth."

Devon and Somerset fire service said they had helped ambulance crews and the British Transport Police in treating people with "various injuries", but no one had been trapped.

Dominic Parnell, from Cornwall, was on board the moving train when it collided with the one in front.

He said: "We were travelling fairly slowly as we were arriving at the platform when we came to a sudden stop with a huge bang.

"Of course, most people were stood up waiting to alight and were thrown forward. No one appeared to be injured in my immediate area."

spokesman for the British Transport Police said: "A number of people, including the driver of one of the trains, have sustained injuries as a result of the collision and are being treated by paramedics at the scene.

"At this stage we believe that a moving train collided into the back of a stationary train on platform six at the station and we are currently looking into the circumstances to determine how this happened."

The crash is likely to cause delays to train journeys in the Plymouth area, he added.

Great Western Railway said it is investigating the cause of the incident.

Manuel Cortes, leader of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA), said the crash was a "sober reminder" of the importance of rail safety.

He said: "Our first thoughts are of course with those hurt in this accident. It is far too early to speculate why today's crash happened and an investigation into its causes will now take place.

"However, it is a sober reminder of how critical safety is for our industry and thanks to the efforts of our hardworking and dedicated staff unfortunate incidents like this sad one are actually so rare."

Two Dead, 30 Hurt After Amtrak Train Derails

Two people have been killed after an Amtrak train derailed in the US with 333 passengers and seven crew on board.

More than 30 people were also injured after Train 89 struck construction equipment on the track in the town of Chester, about 15 miles south of Philadelphia.

The impact is believed to have derailed the train's lead engine, and local emergency responders are on the scene.

Amtrak spokesman Mike Tolbert said those taken to hospital are not considered to have life-threatening injuries, and neither of the two people who died were passengers.

Ari Ne'eman, who was on the second carriage at the time of the crash, said: "The car started shaking wildly, there was a smell of smoke, it looked like there was a small fire and then the window across from us blew out.

The train's locomotive derailed after striking a backhoe in Pennsylvania

"It was a very frightening experience. I'm frankly very glad that I was not on the first car."

The service derailed as it travelled from New York City to Savannah, Georgia.

Passengers had begun to get off the train when it came to an abrupt halt after the collision, but the conductor stopped them - and officials began to evacuate people at the rear of the train.

Services on the Northeast Corridor connecting New York and Philadelphia - one of America's busiest railway lines - have been disrupted.

Amtrak has opened a special helpline for the friends and family of those on board the train.

Investigators from the Federal Railroad Administration are also on the scene.

In May 2015, eight people were killed and 200 others injured after an Amtrak train in Philadelphia derailed at a speed of 106mph - with four carriages and the locomotive leaving the track.

Nothing Ruled Out In Steel Crisis, Says Javid

The Business Secretary has refused to rule out nationalising Tata Steel plants as the Government struggles to deal with the possible collapse of the entire British steel industry.

Sajid Javid said that while nationalisation was not the preferred option, "nothing" had been ruled out.

It will raise hopes at Port Talbot and elsewhere that the Government may be prepared to step in.

:: Public Sector Told To Buy British Steel

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Javid said: "I don't think nationalisation is a solution to this. Having said that, I also think it wouldn't be prudent to rule anything out at this stage, but I think that nationalisation is rarely an answer in these situations.

"I do feel, though, for lots of reasons after talking to Tata and many others involved in this, that there will be enough time to find the right buyer working with the Government and being able to take this forward.

"We will look at everything we can do to allow a sale going ahead and I wouldn't rule anything out at this stage."

The Conservative cabinet minister reiterated that the Government's aim was to find a buyer as soon as possible for Tata's UK business.

But he revealed Tata had accepted finalising any deal could be a lengthy process, potentially giving the Government more time.

"They know it is not just a matter of weeks. When they talk about weeks, that's the period you would take to get so-called expressions of interest. Then it will take much longer than that to work out a deal," Mr Javid said.

He added: "I want to see steel making continuing in Port Talbot, I want to protect as many jobs as possible, I want to find a buyer for the whole of the business.

"Tata will issue an offer document very soon. Alongside that, the UK Government know - I've known for a while - that we're also going to have to offer support to clinch that buyer and give that steel plant a long-term, viable future."

Shadow business secretary Angela Eagle has said it is crucial for the Government to protect the assets of the UK's steel industry in the event a viable buyer is not found.

She told Sky's Murnaghan programme: "Look what they did in Redcar. They sat on their hands they destroyed one of the most modern blast furnaces in Europe and the coke ovens went with it.

"We must not make same mistake with steel industry."

Mr Javid also defended travelling to Australia, instead of being in Mumbai where Tata made the decision. 

He argued while he had learned weeks ago the plant in Port Talbot could face closure, he did not expect the announcement it would be sold.

Upon hearing on Tuesday that Tata was selling his British operations, Mr Javid said he immediately made the decision to return to the UK and visit steelworkers in Port Talbot.

Brussels Airport Reopens After Terror Attacks

A small trickle of passengers have been arriving at Brussels Airport for the first day of flights since suicide bombers struck in a deadly attack.

The first of three 'symbolic' flights from the airport was to Faro in Portugal at 1.40pm local time, with up to 70 passengers expected.

Later in the day, flights are expected to leave for Turin and Athens, with return flights expected this evening.

Passengers had to be dropped off at car parks before being taken to check-in, which they were warned to do three hours before departure.

Special cameras were set up to read number plates and there were random checks of vehicles.

Normal train and bus services to the airport were not running.

Passengers were then taken to a large temporary marquee with security controls and check-in facilities.

On Monday, the airport will serve more destinations, including one flight to New York and two more to cities in Cameroon, Gambia and Senegal.

Other flights have been diverted to Belgium's regional airports or nearby ones in cities, including Amsterdam or Paris.

High-speed trains to and from Brussels are reported to be full.

Speaking at a news conference on Saturday, the airport company's chief executive Arnaud Feist said passengers will also have to go through metal detectors in addition to other security measures.

He said special arrangements had been made to check in luggage.

The airport is expected to fully reopen by the end of June or early July, he added.

"I am extremely grateful to all airport staff, federal police and the federal government for their efforts and commitment," he said.

"These flights are the first hopeful sign from an airport that is standing up straight after a cowardly attack.

"That we are able to make this start only 12 days after the devastating attacks is a sign of our collective strength at Brussels Airport."

The announcement comes almost two weeks after two suspected Islamist militants carried out suicide attacks in the airport's main departure hall.

The bombs, and a separate one on a metro train in the city, killed 35 people, including the bombers.

At least 270 people were injured in the attacks.

Ross Courted Over Tata Steel Rescue Deal

A billionaire Wall Street investor is to be courted about a deal to rescue Tata Steel’s UK operations as ministers embark on a desperate attempt to preserve the future of steel making in Britain.

Sky News understands that Wilbur Ross, who earned the nickname ‘King of Bankruptcy’ after salvaging a string of distressed coal, financial services and steel companies, is among a pack of possible buyers who are likely to be contacted in the coming days.

Mr Ross, who chairs his own investment firm, WL Ross & Co, merged his International Steel Group with Mittal Steel in 2004.

He continues to sit on the board of ArcelorMittal, Europe’s biggest steel maker, as a non-executive director, and has been involved in a string of deals involving British companies, including the purchase of a stake in Virgin Money which helped it finance its purchase of Northern Rock from the Government in 2011.

:: Nothing Ruled Out In Steel Crisis, Says Javid

His appetite for participating in a rescue deal for Tata Steel’s UK business, including its biggest site at Port Talbot in Wales, was unclear this weekend.

Mr Ross could not be reached for comment.

The approach to him will come as ministers embark on a race against time to find a way of salvaging Tata Steel’s UK business.

The Government is drawing up plans for a long-term financing package to entice potential buyers, but the situation has acquired extreme urgency with the Indian company potentially deciding the fate of its 15,000-strong British workforce as soon as this month.

Any buyer, such as Mr Ross, would also need to be persuaded that they are shielded from the liabilities attached to the old British Steel pension scheme, which are likely to be transferred to the Pension Protection Fund, a state lifeboat.

It was unclear this weekend whether Mr Ross would be sounded out by Tata Steel or directly by the Government, both of which are in the process of appointing advisers to help with the search for prospective new owners.

There has been speculation that the company is interested in a merger of its continental European assets with Thyssenkrupp, the German group, but this would require the disposal or closure of its UK operations.

In recent weeks Tata Steel has off-loaded two sites in Scotland to Liberty House, a privately owned company.

Liberty House’s founder, Sanjeev Gupta, told The Sunday Telegraph that he was interested in “a proper partnership” with the Government, but said he had not made a proposal to acquire the entirety of Tata Steel’s UK business.

Sky News disclosed on Saturday that a separate deal for Tata Steel to offload its Scunthorpe steelworks to Greybull Capital, an investment firm, may take place without the support of a loan from UK taxpayers.

Sajid Javid, the Business Secretary who has been criticised for being in Australia when Tata announced its intention to sell its British steel business, said on Sunday that temporary public ownership remained an option for the rest of the Tata Steel assets.

More Debris To Be Examined For MH370 Link

Suspected plane debris found on the coast of a Mauritian island will be examined to see if it belongs to missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

A hotel owner on the island said the wreckage was found by guests on Rodrigues Island, which lies about 350 miles east of Mauritius.

William Auguste, who owns the Mourouk Ebony Hotel, said: "For sure, it looked like part of an aeroplane - it looks like it's from the inside part of it."

He added: "I don't know how to say it but there was wallpaper inside of the plane, you can see this design and part of it is still there."

If confirmed, it would be the first piece of debris found from the inside of the plane.

Australian transport minister Darren Chester described the debris, found last week, as "an item of interest".

In a statement, he said: "The Malaysian government is working with officials from Mauritius to seek to take custody of the debris and arrange for its examination.

"Until the debris has been examined by experts, it is not possible to ascertain its origin."

He did not say what the part looked like or where it would be examined. 

Australian experts have already concluded that debris found in Mozambique last month was "almost certainly from MH370", while French authorities said a wing part found last July on the Indian Ocean island of La Reunion was also part of the plane.

Last month, archaeologist Neels Kruger discovered a chunk of debris stamped with part of engine-maker Rolls-Royce's logo on the South African coast.

More than 95,000 sq km (59,000 sq miles) of a 120,000 sq km (74,500 sq mile) zone has been searched, with search leaders from Australia saying that the entire zone will be covered by June.

MH370 went missing on 8 March, 2014, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. There were 239 passengers and crew aboard, most of them from China.

Aviation experts believe MH370 veered sharply off course to the far-southern Indian Ocean before crashing into the sea.

The search for the plane is due to finish in June but a group of relatives of those on board have started a petition calling for it to be extended.

Azerbaijan calls unilateral truce in Nagorno-Karabakh

Azerbaijan has said it is unilaterally ceasing fire in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a day after fighting with Armenian forces killed at least 30.

Nagorno-Karabakh has been under the control of local ethnic Armenian forces and the Armenian military since a war ended in 1994.

The Armenian Defence Ministry said Azerbaijani troops started an offensive with tanks and artillery on Saturday. Azerbaijan denied those allegations, saying its soldiers were reacting to heavy attacks from the Armenian side. 

Armenia said 18 of its forces were killed and Azerbaijan reported it had 12 dead.

Analysts say the conflict is fuelled by long-simmering tensions in the region between Christian Armenians and mostly Muslim Azeris.

Richard Weitz, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, told Al Jazeera that because both countries have close ties to Russia, Moscow had influence: