The undersea tunnel’s passage through the UK to continental Europe was temporarily halted by passenger train operator Eurostar as a result of power issues and a stuck train.
After the operator suspended all trains’ travel between London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussels, passengers were left trying to find alternatives on Tuesday.
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A shuttle train halted inside the Channel Tunnel after a power supply issue, according to a Eurostar spokesperson. “All trains leaving and arriving in London are halted until further notice.”
The operator of the Channel Tunnel, Eurotunnel, claimed in a separate statement that the power supply issue affected both rail and car travel in both directions.
On Tuesday afternoon, traffic is anticipated to gradually resume. “A technical intervention is necessary, which is currently being conducted,” he says. Our teams are attempting to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
At 15:30 GMT, Eurostar informed travelers that the power issue was still present on its website.
On Tuesday, passengers stranded at St. Pancras Station in London [AFP]
Disgusted and disheartened, respectively
As the notification went out, stranded travelers’ crowded streets in London, including many with suitcases, at Gare du Nord in Paris and St Pancras Station in London.
After their Eurostar train to London was canceled, Jamie and Issy Gill were desperate to be reunited with their baby boy after a break in the French capital.
Issy Gill cried as she said, “We came for my 30th birthday.”
Other irate passengers attempted to purchase tickets for flights or buses.
Sarah Omouri, a French traveler whose plans to celebrate the New Year in London were canceled, called herself “disgusted, disheartened.”
“We haven’t had a vacation in about a year. We were told to board the train, exit, re-enter, and re-enter. We are now informed that several days have passed since everything has been fully booked. It’s ruined”.
Since its inauguration in 1994, the 50 km (32 miles) Channel Tunnel, which covers more than half of the country’s Underground Railroad, has revolutionized UK-European rail travel.
In response to demand from visitors to the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, Eurostar had a record-high number of passengers last year, up nearly 5% from 2023.
The most recent incident to affect Eurostar came on Tuesday, the latest one to come at a time when the airline has received criticism for its high prices, particularly on the Paris-London route.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, traveled to the United States for the fifth time since January when President Donald Trump took office. The prime minister was fully engaged in an effort to placate his domestic political partners by obtaining “concessions” from Trump prior to the meeting between the two, according to the Israeli press. What kind of concessions were they? They primarily involved the US’s approval of an Israeli strike on Iran and the Turkiye’s inclusion in the Gaza stabilization force.
Netanyahu lacked both credibility and integrity. Trump specifically mentioned “Bibi’s” respect for him and his close ties to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Trump did not mention Israel’s willingness to “make a deal” and offered specific instructions for American involvement, but he also didn’t mention a solo Israeli operation. According to Israeli media, Trump gave Israel the “green light” to launch an Iranian missile. That is inferred in no way from Trump’s official statement.
Trump mentioned “soon” when the reconstruction of Gaza would begin. He said that it must take place before Hamas’ disarmament can be accomplished by almost 60 states. If a Palestinian-led force is used, Hamas has already agreed to disarm. Trump did not say anything to support Hamas’ logic, especially given that the majority of the participating nations refuse to carry out a violent dearmament of the group. Trump also made no mention of the last hostage-taking place in Gaza as a prerequisite for moving to “Stage II” of the deal.
Nothing in Trump’s world is more significant than language and symbolic gestures. Trump made it clear that his guest was running out of time when he referred to Netanyahu as a “great wartime prime minister” while discussing his plan for “peace.” This was also made clear when Trump claimed to have spoken with President Isaac Herzog, Israel’s official head of state, about a pardon for Netanyahu and that such a pardon was imminent. By the way, President Herzog categorically denied that there had been such a conversation.
A brief phone call between Trump and Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kish may be the best reflection of the Trump-Netanyahu meeting at Mar-a-Lago. Kish was supposed to inform Trump that he would receive the Israel Prize on 2026 on the same day as Israel’s independence day.
The minister of education delivers the award during a televised ceremony attended by Israel’s leaders. The celebrations of Independence Day officially come to an end. Its recipients are typically late-career academics in their careers. The award is the result of a lifetime of hard work helping to advance human knowledge. Special prizes are occasionally given in civic categories, the most notable of which is a “life’s work,” such as promoting social equality, promoting coexistence between Jews and Palestinians, etc.
The prize, as its name suggests, is almost always awarded to Israeli citizens, but it can also be given to non-Jews who have made a “special contribution to the Jewish people” as well.
In other words, Trump and Netanyahu exchanged information about upcoming plans, and Netanyahu caught his attention and accepted it by putting yet another semi-fictitious on top of Trump’s already crowded head.
However, there have been persistent accusations that Trump and Netanyahu are working in a hive despite these clear indications of the disparate nature of their relationships. In light of these analyses, the United States fully supports Israel’s pivot to Asia and the world war against China, which is Netanyahu’s favorite expression.
As the Arabs languish in their own unresolvable internal conflicts and conflicts, Israel will “take care” of the “Iranian threat.” After the Israeli attack in Doha, Arab states began to mobilize, but not in any particular way.
Additionally, these voices point out that Israel continues to veto the “ceasefire” enacted by “Stage I” of the Trump plan with the full support of the US. Trump even claimed that he had no issues with Israel’s actions in Gaza and that it has “lived up” the ceasefire “100 percent.” Bombing, the destruction of infrastructure, blocking life-saving aid in the midst of bad weather, and many other actions that contribute to and increase the ongoing Israeli genocide.
It is indeed very difficult to reconcile this with the notion that Israel has no choice but to postpone Stage II and negotiate for a Palestinian statehood under international pressure. After all, the Israeli media has been reporting on initiatives to “settle Gaza,” “relocate” 1.5 million Palestinians to Somaliland, and “demolish” the Oslo Accords, one ethnically cleansed Palestinian community at a time, on numerous occasions.
Israel continues to receive weapons from the US and other countries, including Germany and the UK, at a sizable price, and to purchase their own weapons. How can we ascertain that the genocide against Israel is coming to an end?
It is not, in essence, the short answer. Israel continues to systematically destabilize any semblance of regional order through killing, destroying, subverting, and expanding. For instance, Israel acknowledged the statehood of Somaliland in order to provide a “dumping ground” for Palestinians who have been cleansed of their ethnic makeup. By doing this, Israel also ensures that everyone who lives in fear of Israeli weapons is able to flee to neighboring Saudi Arabia.
The longer response acknowledges that Israel itself is a victim of a genocide: genocide consumes genocidaires.
Far from it, that would suggest that cosmic forces would bring about justice. The pursuit of justice should both be at the highest level of rigor and reality, as should Palestinian life preservation and dignity.
However, the genocide has immediately and daily shaped Israel’s image. There is no “forever war” in sight, and violence is rising as quickly as the prices of the staple foods. Democracy is crumbling. This is not a “strategic” issue in itself.
Israel has attempted to erase Palestinian identity for nearly 80 years, but it has been unsuccessful. Over the past two years, Israel’s internal contradictions have been blatantly exposed.
Israel won’t “die” or “receive,” but there has never been a greater disconnect between how the world perceives Israel and how it views other countries.
Trump and his view of America reject “losers.” There are no longer any “wins” in sight for Israel. It can and does kill, obfuscate, and procrastinate.
Even Trump acknowledges that this power, once it is used, has no long-term effects. There are no options for Israel. No loss is greater.
A federal judge has vetoed President Donald Trump’s administration’s plan to revoke South Sudanese citizens’ temporary deportation protections.
In a lawsuit brought by a number of South Sudanese nationals and an immigrant rights organization, US District Judge Angel Kelley in Boston, Massachusetts, on Tuesday granted an emergency request.
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According to the Trump administration’s request, the temporary protected status (TPS) for South Sudanese citizens won’t expire on January 5.
The US Department of Homeland Security is accused of acting inadvertently in an effort to deport South Sudanese citizens from TPS, a US immigration status granted to citizens of nations experiencing natural disasters, conflict, or other extraordinary circumstances that could make their return to their ancestral homelands risky.
South Sudan’s initial status was recognized in 2011 when it formally seceded from Sudan. In response to frequent fighting, widespread displacement, and regional instability, it has been renewed on occasion.
With the status, those who meet the requirements can work and be temporarily deported.
Further, the lawsuit claimed that the Trump administration had made it known that South Sudanese citizens were subject to deportation in a nation that is regarded as having one of the worst humanitarian crises ever.
Kristi Noem, the secretary of homeland security, claimed that the nation no longer fulfilled the TPS requirements in a notice released on November 5.
Now is the right time to conclude what was intended to be a temporary designation, she said, appearing to refer to a fragile 2018 peace agreement.
The statement contradicted a panel of experts from the UN Security Council, who claimed in a report to the UN Security Council that “while the contours of the conflict may be altered, the resulting human suffering has remained unchanged.”
According to the report, “some of the communities most affected by renewed fighting have reported pockets of famine in some of the communities most affected by ongoing conflict and aerial bombardments, coupled with flooding and the influx of returnees and refugees from the Sudan.”
As part of its crackdown on immigration and its massive deportation drive, the Trump administration has increasingly targeted TPS.
There have been numerous court challenges as a result of it’s move to repeal TPS for foreigners from nations like Syria, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, and Nicaragua.
In a string of attacks in Syria over the course of nine days, the US military claims to have killed or taken about 25 ISIL (ISIS) fighters.
The US military’s Middle East operations were concluded in a statement released on Tuesday by US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees the US military’s Middle East operations.
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Following the widespread US airstrikes against the group six days after the deaths of two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter by an ISIL gunman in Syria on December 13, the campaign began.
At least seven ISIS members were killed and the remainder were captured during 11 missions conducted in Syria between December 20 and September, according to a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM). “The operations also resulted in the destruction of four ISIS weapons caches.”
The names of the targets were not disclosed.
During the ISIL fight, which began in 2014, the US sent as many as 2, 000 soldiers to Syria.
With US President Donald Trump’s administration declaring this year that it would reduce the number of US bases and soldiers in the nation, the deployment is currently at around 1, 000.
From 2014 to 2019, ISIL held control of large areas in Syria and Iraq. US officials claimed that ISIL remnants still threaten the area despite the group’s territorial defeat.
In northeastern Syria, the US military has long cooperated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a predominantly Kurdish-dominated organization. CENTCOM has stated that it is working with the new Syrian government since President Bashar al-Assad’s ascent a year ago.
After meeting with Trump and visiting the White House, former rebel commander Ahmed al-Sharaa, who had previously led a group with ties to al-Qaeda, and meeting with Trump, Syria officially joined the US-led global coalition against ISIL last month.
According to CENTCOM, the initial December 19 attacks against ISIL targeted “70 targets with more than 100 precision munitions” on Tuesday.
According to the statement, “The massive strike by dozens of fighter aircraft, attack helicopters, and artillery completely destroyed ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites in central Syria,” adding that the strikes were coordinated with Jordanian forces.
Brad Cooper, a commander of CENTCOM, stated that the US “will not relent” in pursuing ISIL remnants.
America, the region, and the world are safer if they keep on looking for terrorist operatives, eradicate ISIS networks, and collaborate with partners to stop a resurgence, he said.
Myriad difficulties
One of Syria’s many security challenges is the fight against ISIL.
Government forces and SDF fighters have been staging sporadic clashes.
The government in southern Syria claimed that Israel has been expanding its military presence beyond the Golan Heights, conducting raids, abducting and disappearing without a reason, and expanding its reach beyond the Golan Heights.
Trump, who has endorsed al-Sharaa and lifted sanctions against Damascus, told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “get along” with Syria on Monday.
Trump claimed that “we do understand Syria.” You now have a new president with Syria. I have faith in him. You need a strong man like him in Syria.
Donald Trump, president of the United States, claimed that the US launched a land-based assault on Venezuela on Monday, prompting a sharp increase in its military assault on the South American country.
Trump said the operation had targeted a docking facility being used to load boats carrying narcotics. However, the incident has not yet been confirmed by Venezuelan authorities.
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Since September, when the Trump administration launched a number of strikes on Venezuelan vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, which the US government claims are traffickers of drugs, have raised tensions between Washington and Caracas significantly.
However, the US has not provided any proof of drug trafficking despite the at least 100 fatalities caused by aerial strikes on more than two dozen boats.
More recently, US forces have seized Venezuelan oil tankers, which it claims are carrying sanctioned oil and ordered a naval blockade on all sanctioned oil tankers near the coast.
Caracas has long accused Washington of using allegations of drug trafficking to stifle Venezuela’s regime change, raising questions about their legality and the possibility of a wider conflict. In fact, according to legal experts, targeting ships in international waters likely constitutes extrajudicial executions and violates US and international law.
So, what do we know about these strikes so far, and could it lead to an imminent war between the US and Venezuela?
What transpired?
Trump made the announcement that US forces had struck a Venezuelan dock during a press conference held on Monday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
“There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs”, Trump said.
“They load the boats up with drugs, so we hit all of the boats, and we now hit the area. The implementation area is it. That’s where they implement. And that has vanished.
Trump did not specify the location or who carried out the strike.
“I know exactly who it was, but I don’t want to say who it was. However, the US president said, “You know, it was along the shore.”
Sources with knowledge of the operation who claimed the CIA carried out the strike were cited in US media.
Following Trump’s announcement, the US military also announced in a post on X that it had carried out another attack on a boat in the eastern Pacific, killing two more people. It did not specify the exact location of the strike.
Trump’s announcement has not yet been addressed by Venezuela’s government.
Why is Trump conducting a campaign against Venezuela?
A long history of US military intervention in Latin American nations has affected relations between Washington and Caracas for decades.
Under Venezuela’s left-wing president Hugo Chavez, tensions increased significantly as a result of the US’s claim that foreign-owned oil assets had been nationalized and built, and they increased even further as his popularity deteriorated in 2013 with Nicolas Maduro as his replacement.
Tensions have escalated in recent months as a result of a US military campaign targeting alleged Venezuelan drug smugglers. Although the Trump administration claims that the flow of drugs into the US constitutes a national emergency, numerous reports have demonstrated that Venezuela is not a significant destination for cross-border drugs.
The Skipper, a very large crude carrier, and the US’s first vessel seized for a Venezuelan cause are visible in a satellite image.
Since September, Washington has carried out more than two dozen strikes in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, killing more than 100 people, accusing the Maduro government of being involved in flooding the US with drugs.
The Trump administration has denied providing any legal justifications for the operations, leading to accusations that it is more concerned with controlling oil in the area and imposing regime change in Venezuela.
The largest US show of force in the area in decades has come along with the strikes, which include the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, an F-35 jet fighter, and about 15, 000 soldiers. Trump has previously also warned of possible attacks “on land”.
Caracas has refuted US accusations of drug trafficking and criticized its actions as “illegal” in international law and a Venezuelan sovereignty violation.
The Venezuelan government claims that Washington is seizing the country’s oil wealth and using drugs as a pretext for regime change.
Moreover, United Nations human rights experts have condemned the partial naval blockade, finding it an illegal armed aggression against Venezuela, while urging the US Congress to intervene.
Will this attack cause Venezuela to declare war on the horizon?
If the US strikes Venezuelan territory, according to Caracas-based analyst Elias Ferrer of Orinoco Research, it has “certainly violated international law,” unless the Maduro government approves the attack, which could be made possible in light of recent conversations between the president of Venezuela and Trump in the past month.
Depending on the answer to that question, Ferrer said the incident could either “escalate, or actually de-escalate” the situation.
Trump needs a victory before de-escalation in Venezuela can begin, he said, citing the US’s use of Iran as an example during the 12-day Iran-Israeli conflict in June.
Iran responded by conducting a pre-warned strike on a US base in Qatar, which resulted in an Iranian-Israeli ceasefire within the next 24 hours.
If it was not pre-approved with Caracas, however, Alan McPherson, professor of Latin American studies at Temple University, said it represents a “serious escalation” by Washington as it is the first on Venezuelan territory.
According to McPherson, “This has all the characteristics of a military war … militarily unnecessary … against a sovereign nation.”
The US administration, he said, “politically, the] US administration wants to overthrow President Maduro, plain and simple.”
In addition, McPherson said, while the US “may also want to damage the drug business” coming from Venezuela, Trump has been clear that he mostly wants to “reverse the nationalisation of petroleum to the benefit of American corporations”.
Does the US oil campaign actually involve oil?
Questions have been raised by White House officials’ recent remarks regarding whether Venezuela’s substantial oil reserves, rather than drug smuggling, are the real cause of tension with Caracas.
Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves, and the US once partnered with the country to develop its oil fields. It joined OPEC in 1960 as a founding member, and it quickly rose to prominence as a major oil exporter, especially after PDVSA (Petroleos de Venezuela, SA) was established and all foreign oil companies underwent state control.
Venezuela, one of the largest foreign oil sources in the US, supplied roughly 1.5 to 2 million barrels per day to the country in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, exports began to decline sharply after Hugo Chavez was elected president in 1998, as he reshaped the country’s oil sector, nationalising assets, restructuring PDVSA, and prioritising domestic and political objectives over traditional export markets.
Under President Nicolas Maduro, the administration’s successor, the situation deteriorated when they imposed oil sanctions in 2017 and then heightened them in 2019 before the Trump administration imposed them. Venezuela’s ability to export crude to the US was further hampered by these restrictions, which also limited access to international financial markets and further hampered Venezuela’s ability to export oil.
Today, Chevron is the only US oil company that continues to operate in Venezuela under a special licence granted by former US President Joe Biden, which allows it to operate despite oil sanctions.
President Donald Trump’s top adviser, Stephen Miller, claimed earlier this month that Venezuela’s oil belongs to Washington and that its nationalization of its oil industry is “theft” and that “American sweat, ingenuity, and toil created the oil industry in Venezuela.”
Venezuela’s oil projects were early developed by US and British companies, but international law firmly acknowledges Venezuela’s sovereignty over its own resources.
(Al Jazeera)
Can Trump go to war if the US Congress intervenes?
In the United States, there are two competing ages for control of the military. Congress is granted the power to declare war by the US Constitution, but the last time the US declared war was in World War II, in 1942. That means Congress hasn’t declared the longest wars the US has ever waged.
The Constitution gives the president the authority to direct the US military’s actions in the event of a declared war as well as giving him the authority to appoint countermeasures. It is from these powers that the executive branch has been able to deploy military force against countries in the absence of a congressionally declared war.
The President’s authority to deploy the military in these non-war activities was limited by the War Powers Resolution of 1974, which placed time restrictions on deployments without the approval of Congress, and other requirements. The president has a largely unfettered hand thanks to lackluster enforcement and broad executive interpretations of what does and doesn’t need authorisation as well as what is permitted by current Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMFs).
Members of Congress have tried repeatedly to prevent Trump from taking military action against Venezuela.
A group of Democratic and Republican US Congress representatives pushed a vote earlier this month that would have prevented US military action against Venezuela without the consent of Congress.
However, the Republican-controlled Congress narrowly rejected the resolution by a vote of 216-210.
Academic McPherson said Congress can certainly refuse to declare war or to give the president “any authorisation to use force”.
