I gather that Eurostar is cancelled until ... when? Anyone know?

And I understand that French air traffic control will strike July 2 and 3. Does anyone know whether international flights will be affected?

Good luck, one and all

"I gather that Eurostar is cancelled until"

...the bloody French grow up.

Obviously impossible. And their ability to concentrate on anything - even mindless destruction - rarely lasts longer than 48 hours.

So when the CRS have restored order and the tracks around the tunnel entrance are made safe. Probably a day or two - assuming no real damage has been done.

" Does anyone know whether international flights will be affected?"

Of course. Both those involving the French and flights (like those connecting the UK to Italy) forced to overfly Europe's theme park of 1960s industrial relations.

Anyone surprised ?

Cross channel ferries to Calais and all traffic through the Tunnel is affected. P&O hope to resume sailings this evening, Eurostar and car trains have also restarted, but with huge delays
Eurotunnel sold their ferry company to DFDS. Those who worked for the Eurotunnel ferry company decided to strike today and block not only the ferry port but the tunnel terminal using burning tyres. They then broke into the tunnel and lit fires at the entrance.

Meanwhile the illegal immigrants are having a field day with so many stopped lorries and other vehicles. You have to feel sorry for the lorry drivers trying to earn a living, going over their driving hours through no fault of their own, and then risking violence attack and arrest because of the illegals.

If it wasn't the shortest sea crossing for the dog I would avoid Calais.

As for the French ATC strike - it will affect not only international flights to France but also those that fly through French airspace.

Expect more of the same throughout the summer.

I feel sorry for those poor immigrants caught between a rock and a hard place and desperate for some action by the U.K. to take their share of Europe's problem.

Of course, the US is just ecstatic about taking in more immigrants. Even those unfortunate Afghans and Iraqis who helped the invading US forces and are liable to be killed in retaliation can't get in. Tell me again why the UK should take in even more people? Tell me why Europe in general, with much less empty space then the US, should take in thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people who don't speak the local language, don't practice the local religion (or lack there of) and have medieval attitudes to women and gays.

*goes to get popcorn*

@kerouac - lol!

thursdaysd - you do not feel at all sorry for poor homeless folk fleeing discrimination and at times genocide in their own country - it's a conundrum for sure but they are there - maybe the U.K. is taking in their share and I am mistaken about that?

If it's a European problem every country should take it's share - best to try to keep them out and that is at the root of the issue - interception and repatriazation but again what about bona fide refugees feeling dangerous places for them?

Of course I feel sorry for them. If I were in their situation I'd probably be trying to do the same thing. But explain to me again why it is Europe's problem? Why should, Estonia, say, be expected to take in a bunch of African economic migrants, or Syrians displaced by civil war?

Hmmm. Ask a simple question, get some interesting answers.

I wondered about international flights because I think there have been some industrial actions - greves - strikes that mostly tried to disrupt internal flights rather than international, not just in France.

And what was the reason for the port employees' demonstration, always assuming there was a reason?

The BBC site hasn't yet been informative, and the French news is too technical for my ability. At my age, I can only learn a certain number of new abbreviations per week.

Why is it Europe's problem because they are in Europe - should Italy take them all in? Again keep the boats from coming is the answer and not allowing illegal immigrants to rather easily it seems get into non-fotress Europe. If they are in Europe it is a European problem not just an Italian one.

It is the West that opened Pandora's Box by meddling with politics in Africa and the Middle East, unleashing chaos.

Eurostar traffic is back to normal, as of today.
"I pity the poor immigrant..."
http://blog.bestamericanpoetry.com/t...j-epstein.html

Glad to hear things are getting back to normal. I'm still worrying about the possibility of more German rail strikes...

@kerouac - if you are referring to the US neo-cons Iraqi adventure, I would point out that it was stunningly unpopular in Europe.

According to MPI, Migration Policy Institute, as of 2013, approximately 1.02 million immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region resided in the United States (between 1980 and 2013). Iraq, Egypt, and Lebanon are the largest origin countries from the region. They has been an increase in immigrants flowing in the US since 2013 from the MENA reagion, and lets not forget those from Asia, Mexico and South America who find their way to the US.

Canadians are another matter.

<i>@kerouac - if you are referring to the US neo-cons Iraqi adventure, I would point out that it was stunningly unpopular in Europe.</i>

Actually, I was thinking more of Sudan, Libya and Syria.

@kerouac - and you don't think they're a result of the invasion?

The invasion? How about just money and covert support of various ("wrong") factions.

As for Libya (and Iraq, for that matter), the West did all of that all by itself. The country was stable albeit reprehensible. "We" decided that it should be otherwise, just as "we" decided that Saddam Hussein should be crushed, even though the country had a freer press and a freer lifestyle than it does now. And then, "we" did exactly the same thing with Syria. We seem to do absolutely everything to ensure that religious dictatorships will take over when secular dictatorships were not quite as nasty.

What "we" is that? Certainly doesn't include me.