Latest news with #Antofagasta
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
King and Queen of Belgium Stranded in Chile After Flight Malfunction
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde are stuck in Chile following problems with the aircraft that was supposed to take them home The King and Queen of Belgium were due to fly home on Thursday, June 26, but a "tire incident" involving their flight pushed the plan back King Philipp, 65, and Queen Mathilde, kicked off their Chile trip a day late after "technical problems" with their flight thereKing Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium's official trip to Chile is extending longer than expected. According to reports, as of June 27, the Belgian royals remain in Chile following a problem with their flight home. King Philippe, 65, and Queen Mathilde, 52, were due to wrap a state visit to the South American country on Thursday, June 26. HLN reported that the King and Queen were supposed to take off on Thursday at 5 p.m., local time, from Antofagasta Airport, but the plane never made it off the runway. The Belgian paper said that the royals were the last to board before it made its way to position on the runway, but that the Airbus rattled as the cabin crew gave safety instructions. As a tow truck moved the plane to its take-off position, a tire was reportedly damaged. Belga New Agency said that the King, Queen and the ministers with them debarked the aircraft after the "tire incident," with the departure expected to be delayed for a few hours. Other members of the delegation initially stayed on board, before being asked to debark. Following the tire replacement, the flight then required official clearance to fly, and the group moved to a hotel while waiting. The outlet identified the aircraft as an Airbus A340-300 operated by Hi Fly, a Portuguese airline. Belga News Agency added that the earliest takeoff time was 12 p.m., local time, on June 27 — but the hiccups continued, Around that hour, royal reporter Wim Dehandschutter wrote on X that the King and Queen "can't fly back today" and that over 16 hours later, the repaired tire has not officially been approved. The update came with a video of King Philippe speaking to the delegation. The transit trouble is the second issue that the King and Queen of Belgium have had on the their Chile trip. The state visit was originally expected to begin on Monday, June 23, but the schedule was cut short by one day due to difficulty with the outward flight, which was also an Airbus A340-300. The royals had planned to fly out from the military airport in Melsbroek around 9 a.m., local time, on Sunday, June 22, but "technical problems" with the aircraft delayed their departure, HLN said. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were later able to fly out of Belgium on Monday morning at 9 a.m, a whole day later. They attended a welcome ceremony in the capital of Santiago with President Gabriel Boric on Tuesday, June 24 and hit the ground running, undertaking a program focused on diplomatic, economic, scientific and social stops and activities while abroad. Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
King and Queen stranded in Chile due to faulty plane
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium are stranded in Chile due to a fault with their plane. Following a three-day state visit to the country at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Chile, Gabriel Boric Font, the Belgian royals were due to depart from Antofagasta Airport on Thursday. However, the Airbus A340-300 carrying Philippe, 65, and Mathilde, 52, along with government officials, business leaders, academics, and media representatives, 'rattled' and fell 'silent' while being taxied to the runway, HLN reported. Shortly after, passengers were informed that the aircraft was damaged and take-off would be delayed 'by several hours', but the flight was later cancelled with sources saying 'a tire was destroyed.' The plane now needs a replacement wheel before it can attempt another take off, meaning it's unclear when the return flight will depart. During the first Belgian state visit to Latin America in 60 years, the couple enjoyed a welcome ceremony at La Moneda Presidential Palace in Santiago. But their short trip to Chile has been marred by travel issues because the outbound flight was also delayed by 24 hours due to technical difficulties. Philippe and Mathilde were due to depart from Melsbroek Airport at 9am last Sunday, but were told the night before that their plane was suffering technical issues. They eventually took off 24 hours later on Monday morning in the 24-year-old Airbus, which had been grounded since May 18. The mishap comes after Queen Mathilde experienced another terrifying start to a royal visit after her plane was forced to make an emergency landing in February. The Belgian royal was on her way to Costa Rica when her plane was forced to carry out a priority landing after it suffered a crack to the windshield during the flight. Mathilde was headed to the country for a three-day solo trip organised by UNICEF Belgium and UNICEF Costa Rica when the aircraft suffered the frightening crack. Luckily, staff onboard steered the royal to safety, with the aircraft landing at San José Juan Santamaria International airport just 15 minutes ahead of schedule. While the incident likely sparked concern for the crew onboard, it appeared the incident was unbeknownst to their royal passengers who arrived unscathed and none-the-wiser of the stressful ordeal. Writing on X, royal commentator, Wim Dehandschutter, wrote: 'The airplane with Belgian Queen Mathilde landed in Costa Rica with a cracked windshield, according to this account and local media.' 'I was on that flight. As passengers, we didn't notice anything, and we didn't receive any notification during the flight or upon landing.' He added: 'Our KLM flight did leave Schiphol 20 minutes late, there was turbulence - as on many flights - and the landing was quite hard, but nothing seemed to be alarming. So I was a bit surprised when I read reports in the local media and on X about the 'emergency landing'. It comes after King Philippe of Belgium discussed whether he has plans to abdicate the throne in favour of his eldest child in an interview. The 65-year-old Belgian king answered 30 questions put forward by the public in a video shared by the Belgian Royal Palace. One question asked Philippe, who is married to Queen Mathilde of Belgium, 52, about his plans for abdication, if any. 'A King steps back, but is not retired,' Philippe answered when translated to English via Hola. Should Philippe one day choose to abdicate, his eldest daughter, Crown Princess Elisabeth, 23, will ascend the throne. In his answer, Philippe continued, 'I will continue to work for Belgium and I must give my daughter time to enjoy her youth, develop herself and see the world and I support her 100 percent in that and I will do everything I can to give her all the time she needs to do.' Philippe's father, King Albert of Belgium, abdicated in 2013 after a 20-year reign, clearing the way for his son, Philippe, to take over as the nation's king. Aged 53 at the time, then-Prince Philippe took the oath before the nation's legislators at the Parliament building, a short walk across the Royal Park in the heart of the city. The future Belgian queen has certainly made the most of her youth, and is currently studying at Harvard University after finishing her undergraduate degree at Oxford University. In photos shared on the Belgian royal family's official Instagram page last September, Elisabeth appeared excited to settle into her all-American life amid reports she was already a highly sought-after companion among her peers. The Princess is currently enrolled in a two-year Master's program in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. Away from her royal duties, Elisabeth has embraced life as a student as she was pictured on the first day of term wearing an understated, yet chic, ensemble - complete with sneakers - in portraits shared by the Palace. The royal enrolled at the institution under the name 'Elisabeth de Saxe-Coburg' at Harvard Kennedy School.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
China's copper smelters win better-than-expected $0 TC/RC deal from Antofagasta, sources say
By Lewis Jackson, Amy Lv and Hongmei Li BEIJING/SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Chilean miner Antofagasta has agreed with some Chinese smelters to set copper concentrate processing fees at a record low of $0 per metric ton and $0 cent per pound, four sources with the knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday. The record low charges reflect a shortage of copper concentrate supply and compare with the 2025 annual benchmarks at $21.25 a ton and 2.125 cents per pound agreed between the Chilean company and Chinese smelters. One smelter and two analysts speaking on condition of anonymity described it as "better than expected". Antofagasta did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of their office hours. The zero processing fee is a win for smelters, given spot charges are hovering around the negative $43 mark - implying smelters would have to pay copper miners for processing their concentrate. Nonetheless, the contracts will deepen smelter losses in China, the world's largest refined copper producer and consumer, as the fees are a key source of revenue. In time the new low could force some smelters to cut production, analysts, smelters and traders said. The concentrate supply shortage has intensified this year with more new smelter capacity coming online in China.
Reuters
a day ago
- Business
- Reuters
China's copper smelters win better-than-expected $0 TC/RC deal from Antofagasta, sources say
BEIJING/SINGAPORE, June 27 (Reuters) - Chilean miner Antofagasta (ANTO.L), opens new tab has agreed with some Chinese smelters to set copper concentrate processing fees at a record low of $0 per metric ton and $0 cent per pound, four sources with the knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday. The record low charges reflect a shortage of copper concentrate supply and compare with the 2025 annual benchmarks at $21.25 a ton and 2.125 cents per pound agreed between the Chilean company and Chinese smelters. One smelter and two analysts speaking on condition of anonymity described it as "better than expected". Antofagasta did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of their office hours. The zero processing fee is a win for smelters, given spot charges are hovering around the negative $43 mark - implying smelters would have to pay copper miners for processing their concentrate. Nonetheless, the contracts will deepen smelter losses in China, the world's largest refined copper producer and consumer, as the fees are a key source of revenue. In time the new low could force some smelters to cut production, analysts, smelters and traders said. The concentrate supply shortage has intensified this year with more new smelter capacity coming online in China.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
China's copper smelters win better-than-expected $0 TC/RC deal from Antofagasta, sources say
By Lewis Jackson, Amy Lv and Hongmei Li BEIJING/SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Chilean miner Antofagasta has agreed with some Chinese smelters to set copper concentrate processing fees at a record low of $0 per metric ton and $0 cent per pound, four sources with the knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday. The record low charges reflect a shortage of copper concentrate supply and compare with the 2025 annual benchmarks at $21.25 a ton and 2.125 cents per pound agreed between the Chilean company and Chinese smelters. One smelter and two analysts speaking on condition of anonymity described it as "better than expected". Antofagasta did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of their office hours. The zero processing fee is a win for smelters, given spot charges are hovering around the negative $43 mark - implying smelters would have to pay copper miners for processing their concentrate. Nonetheless, the contracts will deepen smelter losses in China, the world's largest refined copper producer and consumer, as the fees are a key source of revenue. In time the new low could force some smelters to cut production, analysts, smelters and traders said. The concentrate supply shortage has intensified this year with more new smelter capacity coming online in China. Sign in to access your portfolio
