London Underground reopens after strike as union warns of further walkouts

The London Underground resumed service Friday after a five-day strike over pay and working hours, as stalled union talks raise fears of further walkouts.

Transport for London (TfL) has invited the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union to negotiate, according to British media. The union has yet to confirm whether it will accept the offer, and has previously warned that more strikes could follow.

Reports said that the union seeks to reduce weekly working hours and address fatigue issues. However, TfL has stated that such demands are impractical and unaffordable.

"[The government] has to step in obviously. And I suppose they will have to raise their offer somewhat because otherwise we will be faced with more strikes and that would be a catastrophe," said Belinda, a local resident.

The walkout follows failed negotiations between the RMT and TfL over pay and a reduced working week.

London Underground reopens after strike as union warns of further walkouts

London Underground reopens after strike as union warns of further walkouts

London Underground reopens after strike as union warns of further walkouts

China's outstanding aggregate social financing -- the total amount of financing to the real economy -- reached 442.12 trillion yuan (about 63.4 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of 2025, up 8.3 percent year on year, central bank data showed on Thursday.

The country's aggregate social financing stood at 35.6 trillion yuan (about 5.1 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, up by 3.34 trillion yuan (about 479 billion U.S. dollars) from the year 2024, said the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank.

According to the data, the M2, a broad measure of money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, increased 8.5 percent year on year to 340.29 trillion yuan (about 48.8 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of December.

In addition, outstanding yuan loans stood at 271.91 trillion yuan (about 39 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of 2025, up 6.4 percent year on year.

China's aggregate social financing maintains high growth in 2025