Europe's freight, rumbling through on the backs of 40-ton lorries, has been clogging the alpine valleys for years. An estimated 3,000 heavy goods vehicles pass through the Swiss Alps every single day. Switzerland wants that freight underground, on the railways, and the new tunnel should achieve just that. It will be another six years before the line is open, but today's breakthrough is, the Swiss say, a crucial step to improving Europe's transport network and protecting the alpine environment.
Hundreds of residents affected by toxic sludge disaster in Hungary have been returning to their homes in the village of Kolontar. Nine people were killed when thousands of tons of toxic waste spilled from a storage reservoir of an aluminium plant 12 days ago. The company responsible for the plant restarted production today, as Nick Thorpe reports from Budapest.
This was a move urged by both the management and the workers of the plant to save the factory which provides 13% of Europe's alumina supply, the base material from which aluminium is made. On Wednesday, the managing director Zoltan Bakonyi was released after 48 hours in police custody. A criminal investigation is underway to find those responsible for the disaster.
World News from the BBC
One of the most successful English football clubs, Liverpool, now has new owners. New England Sports Ventures, who also own the Boston Red Sox baseball team, have won their legal battle for control of the club. The deal is thought to be worth nearly $500 million. The club's chairman is Martin Broughton.