India and China agree to resume air travel after nearly five years

FILE PHOTO: Travellers push trolleys with their luggage at the departure area of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India, December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File PhotoBEIJING/NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India and China have agreed to resume direct air services after nearly five years, India’s foreign ministry said on Monday, signalling a thaw in relations between the neighbours after a deadly 2020 military clash on their disputed Himalayan border.Both sides will negotiate a framework on the flights in a meeting that will be held at “early date”, the ministry said after a meeting between India’s top diplomat and his Chinese counterpart.Tensions soured between the two nations after the 2020 clash, following which India made it difficult for Chinese companies to invest in the country, banned hundreds of popular apps and severed passenger routes, although direct cargo flights continued to operate between the countries.Relations have improved over the past four months with several high-level meetings, including talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian...

Read More........ → February 10, 2025

'Lost year': Germany electric car sales go into reverse

Sales of new electric vehicles in Germany plunged last year, official figures showed Monday, as a slow switch to battery-powered cars deepened the woes of the country's flagship auto industry.Just 380,609 EVs were registered in 2024 in Europe's largest auto market, 27.4 percent fewer than in the previous year, the KBA federal transport authority said.After years of growth, demand for battery-powered cars lost momentum as the German economy has struggled and key subsidies were withdrawn.The slump in EV sales amounted to a "lost year for electro-mobility", said EY analyst Constantin Gall.AFP/File | Ronny HARTMANNThe sudden end of the support programme in 2023 amid a government budget crisis had led to "massive uncertainty among potential buyers", he said.High prices for new EV models, still patchy charging infrastructure and range limitations were putting off new buyers in Germany, he said.The drop in EV sales led an overall decline in the German car market, which has struggled to recover since the coronavirus pandemic.Some 2.8 million new cars were sold in 2024 in Europe's top economy,...

Read More........ → January 21, 2025

EV sales hit record in UK but still behind target

LONDON - The UK car industry sold a record number of all-electric vehicles in 2024 but still fell short of the government's mandated targets, an industry trade body said.Battery electric vehicles made up 19.6 percent of new cars sold last year, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which was below the government's 22-percent target for carmakers.The SMMT reported a "record annual volume" of 382,000 battery electric vehicles sold in the UK last year.The automobile trade body had already warned in October that carmakers were at risk of missing government targets, with manufacturers facing government penalties of £15,000 ($18,625) per polluting vehicle sold above the limits.However, the government has since assured that it expects all manufacturers to avoid the penalties in 2024 by taking advantage of flexibility mechanisms that will take into account, among other things, emissions reductions across the whole fleet.The group's chief executive, Mike Hawes, said that while the market share of electric vehicles grew, this came at a "huge cost" to the industry.He referred to...

Read More........ → January 15, 2025