Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hi, I'm Kim Vennell in Whanganui, New Zealand. It's Wednesday, February 18th. Today, as many as 10 skiers are missing in California's Sierra Nevada mountains as fears grow of one of the deadliest avalanches in U.S. history. New details emerge of an alleged Chinese nuclear test, whereas there are signs of progress in high-stakes negotiations between the U.S.
Chapter 2: What happened in the California avalanche incident?
and Iran. And Zuckerberg takes the stand in a trial alleging social media harms to children. This is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the frontlines in 10 minutes, seven days a week. We begin near Lake Tahoe in California and the aftermath of a huge avalanche in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
As many as 10 skiers are missing and at least six others were stranded as heavy snow and whiteout conditions hampered rescuers trying to reach them overnight. Authorities fear if they don't find them missing, this could be one of the deadliest avalanches in US history.
The avalanche swept the Castle Peak area of Truckee at about 11.30 in the morning, engulfing the group, which included four ski guides. The known survivors are awaiting rescue at the time of recording this podcast. Authorities are warning there could be further avalanches in two this morning. For the latest on this story as it is developing, check out Reuters.com or the Reuters app.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde plans to leave her job before next year's French presidential election to allow President Emmanuel Macron to have input into picking her successor. That's according to the FT. Here's Mike Dolan from our sister podcast Morning Bid on what it means.
Even though these stories have circulated for over six months now, and the ECB says that no decision has been made, inevitably we'll focus the markets on who comes next at the ECB. And it's all changed the top two central banks this year, if that were to be the case. Who comes next? Possibly a German candidate for the first time. possibly another compromise candidate.
How it affects monetary policy is very much in the frame. So markets relatively calm about the story, but it begins a process that they will focus on for months ahead.
Thanks, Mike. Don't forget, you can check out MorningBid wherever you get your podcasts. American tourists are no longer travelling to Europe as much as they used to, but Chinese and Indian tourists are filling the gap. A new survey from the European Travel Commission shows US traveller growth slowing in the EU, driven by economic concerns and geopolitical instability.
It's the first sign of a slowdown in the post-pandemic boom in American travel to Europe. Chinese and Indian tourists, however, are making up the difference. Chinese tourists are expected to jump 28%, with Indian visitors up 9%. Actor Shia LaBeouf has been arrested in New Orleans after police say he assaulted two men during Mardi Gras.
Officers were called to a business address just before 1 a.m. where the 39-year-old Transformers star was allegedly causing a disturbance and growing increasingly aggressive. Police say he punched a staff member multiple times, left, then returned and attacked the same man again before punching another person in the nose.
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