disruption

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The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) began to restore trading on Friday after a technical issue disrupted operations on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq.

The shutdown was triggered by a cooling system failure at a data centre in the Chicago area, according to the facility’s operator, CyrusOne.

Engineering teams have since restarted several chillers and installed temporary cooling equipment to stabilise conditions, a spokesperson told Bloomberg.

According to CME Group’s indications, trading in US equity futures should be restarting soon after a glitch knocked it out for several hours.

The CME, one of the world’s largest derivatives exchanges, hosts near-continuous trading in millions of contracts tied to the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq 100. Friday’s interruption left traders grappling with uncertainty as they awaited the restoration of the platforms that underpin much of global futures activity.

The outage halted trading of US Treasury futures, while European and UK bond markets that trade on a different exchange were reported unaffected.

Futures in individual stocks were not affected, either. Coinbase Global rose 2.6% in pre-market trading as Bitcoin stayed above $91,000.

Wall Street is operating on an abbreviated schedule on Friday after being closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. Stock trading will close at 1pm Eastern Time (7pm CET).

In European trading, Germany’s DAX rose 0.20% after the release of fresh inflation data.

Britain’s FTSE 100 edged up 0.23% on gains in energy and mining stocks. The CAC 40 in France rose 0.19%.

In other dealings, Brent crude, the international standard for pricing, rose 0.13% to $62.62 per barrel.

European country prepares for two waves of nationwide strikes in November and December which could cause “major disruption” – and UK tourists are being warned to be prepared

Brits planning trips to Italy this November or December are being warned to brace for “major disruption” across the country on three key dates. Families visiting loved ones, holidaymakers enjoying winter breaks, and those heading to festive Christmas markets should prepare for significant transport chaos as Italy faces two waves of national strikes.

Industrial action will kick off today, Thursday, November 27, continuing through Friday, November 28, with another strike scheduled for Friday, December 12, 2025. While disruption levels differ between regions and operators, travel specialists are urging anyone flying, catching trains or using local transport to expect delays, cancellations and drastically reduced services.

Italy’s biggest unions have announced a 24-hour rail strike running from 9pm on Thursday, November 27 until 9pm on Friday, November 28, affecting the entire Italian Republic. With workers downing tools across everything from railways to public services, travel chaos is anticipated along the nation’s busiest routes, including cities beloved by British tourists such as Rome, Milan, Venice and Florence.

The nationwide general strike on November 28 is set to impact multiple sectors, including transport. A second general strike on Friday, December 12, has been called by major union CGIL in opposition to the Italian government’s 2026 budget.

Yasmin Peskel, a travel expert at cabin charter company Blue Cruise, has warned holidaymakers not to assume their journey will be unaffected just because their specific route or airline hasn’t issued an alert yet, reports the Express.

She said: “Strike days in Italy rarely affect just one type of transport. Even when guaranteed services operate, they often run at reduced capacity, and the ripple effect can disrupt travel for the entire day.

“Flights may still go ahead, but passengers can face long queues, slower ground handling and delays getting to or from the airport.”

Yasmin also highlighted that while some rail and local transport services are “protected” by law during peak commuter hours, most travellers should anticipate reduced timetables throughout the strike periods, with last-minute changes likely.

She advised: “The most important thing is to stay flexible, even minor delays early in the day can snowball into wider disruption.

“If you’re visiting Italy’s Christmas markets, give yourself breathing room so the strikes don’t impact your plans.”

What travellers should expect: Because strike participation varies between regions and operators, not all disruption is uniform. However, travellers should be prepared for possible reduced rail services, especially outside guaranteed windows.

Other issues travellers may encounter are:

Possible last-minute train cancellations, even for pre-booked high-speed services

Slower airport processes due to staff shortages, even if flights operate

Limited bus, metro and tram services in major cities

Longer journey times, particularly when travelling between airports and city centres

Some flights during guaranteed protection windows, typically morning and early evening, may operate closer to schedule, but delays are still possible.

Yasmin’s advice for anyone travelling to Italy on or around the strike periods:

Allow extra time for every stage of your journey, especially airport transfers

Check your airline, airport and rail operator apps regularly for real-time updates

Book flexible or refundable tickets wherever possible

Plan alternative routes in advance, including taxis, airport shuttles or walking routes in cities

Expect crowds, both before and after strike windows

Avoid tight connections, including onward trains or excursions

Travel earlier in the day if your schedule allows, as later services are more vulnerable to cancellations

Key dates travellers should avoid if possible:

November 27 and 28, as there’s a nationwide rail strike and a general strike in Italy.

December 12, as there’s a country-wide general strike across Italy.

Travellers with bookings on these dates are urged to check for updates frequently, as service levels may change at short notice.

The engineering works are set to disrupt trains on Saturday, November 15, and Sunday, November 16

A major London airport has issued an alert regarding scheduled engineering works in November. No Heathrow Express or Elizabeth Line train services will operate to or from Heathrow Airport on two days this week.

In a message to X, formerly Twitter, London Heathrow Airport said: “Due to planned engineering works, there will be no Heathrow Express or Elizabeth line train services to/from Heathrow on Sat 15 & Sun 16 November 2025. @TfL Piccadilly Line services to/from #Heathrow will be running as normal. Please plan your journey in advance as other services will be busier than normal.”

A similar alert has appeared on National Rail’s website, urging travellers to use the network’s Journey Planner to identify the most suitable routes. It also noted several other travel disruptions happening this weekend, in addition to the cancellation of Heathrow Express and Elizabeth line services to the airport.

Regarding the Elizabeth line specifically, the National Rail site reads: “No trains will run to / from Heathrow Airport. Services between Shenfield and London Paddington (and beyond) will run between Shenfield and London Liverpool Street (high level) only.

“Services between Abbey Wood and London Paddington (and beyond) will not run. There will be an amended and reduced service between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington / Maidenhead / Reading.

READ MORE: Parents warned over term-time holidays as fines soarREAD MORE: Brits flying to Spain, France, and Italy can now get extra legroom for free

“Please note that trains will run to / from the high level of London Paddington station. On Sunday, until 07:00, trains will only run between Ealing Broadway and Hayes & Harlington / Maidenhead / Reading.”

It also added: “There will be no Heathrow Express service.” More than 20,000 miles of track, 45,000 bridges and tunnels and 65,000 level crossings make up our national network, according to National Rail.

This weekend, engineering work will occur between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow Airport.

Like National Rail, Heathrow Airport also provides its own online Journey Planner to help travellers organise their routes. The tool allows people to enter their postcode or local station address alongside the location of a Heathrow terminal before calculating the travel distance between them.

For more information, please visit Heathrow Airport’s website by clicking here or National Rail’s website here.

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People who are planning to travel today (2 November) have been urged to check their train journey as major disruptions are expected following the stabbings on an LNER service to London

A ‘major incident’ has been declared after multiple people were stabbed on board a train heading towards London, resulting in severe travel disruptions.

The shocking incident took place on Saturday, 1 November, during the LNER Azuma 18.25 service from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, to London King’s Cross. Police were alerted at 7.39pm to reports that “multiple people had been stabbed on a train”, and the service made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon station for assistance from armed police, paramedics, air ambulances and transport police.

British Transport Police confirmed that 10 individuals were transported to hospital, with nine thought to have sustained life-threatening injuries. There have been no fatalities, and two suspects have been arrested over the stabbings.

READ MORE: Cambridgeshire train stabbing: Details of ‘major incident’ as nine people left severely injuredREAD MORE: Huntingdon train passengers prepared to fight back with bottle of Jack Daniel’s

As a result of the horrifying attack, there is disruption to the LNER, which operates East Coast Mainline services in the UK, between London Kings Cross and Peterborough today (2 November). People who were planning to travel today have been advised to check before travelling as there may be “cancellations or alterations to the services”.

In an update on their website, LNER said: “The emergency services are continuing to deal with a major incident between Hitchin and Peterborough. Whilst they carry out their work some lines are still closed.

“Services between London Kings Cross and Peterborough may be cancelled, revised or delayed.

“Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

“Grand Central and Hull Trains services are not impacted.”

In an update on X, formerly Twitter, LNER also stated: “Customers booked to travel today, 02 November, can defer their travel up to and including the 07 November. Please check our website for the latest advice and updates.”

For the Great Northern and Thameslink services, LNER confirmed on their website: “Lines have reopened between Hitchin and Peterborough and trains which run between London Kings Cross and Peterborough will be able to run.

“However, Huntingdon station remains closed, if you wish to travel from Huntingdon, you will need to take a rail replacement bus to either St Neots or Peterborough and from there you can take a train service towards your destination. All buses are advertised on journey planners.

“If you are travelling to Huntingdon from the direction of London / Hitchin, please alight the train at St Neots where replacement buses are running. There are also rail replacement buses running from Peterborough to Huntingdon.

“Additionally, no trains in the direction of Peterborough will be able to call at Arlesey until at least 09:00.”

For more information, you can check the LNER website for updates here. Alternatively, you can check the Thameslink services here and the Great Northern lines here.

Following the incident, a spokesperson for LNER said: “We are concerned for everyone affected by the incident that occurred on the 1825 service from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on Saturday evening (1 November.)”

David Horne, Managing Director of LNER, said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by this serious incident, and our thoughts are very much with everyone involved.

“I would like to thank the emergency services for their quick and professional response and the care they have provided to those injured. Anyone with information who hasn’t already spoken to police is urged to contact British Transport Police.

“The safety and wellbeing of everyone affected will remain our priority. We will continue to do everything we can to support our customers and colleagues during this difficult time.”

A spokesperson for the Rail, Maritime and Transport union also issued a statement: “We are horrified by the mass stabbing attack on an LNER train last night.

“Our thoughts remain with the train crew and passengers who were either at work or going about their business on a busy Saturday night during this awful incident.

“It is important we allow the emergency services and authorities to establish the full facts before commenting further.”