EU Summit Chair: European Union is weighing its response to Trump's Greenland Tariffs

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• Italy updates Arctic position as Greenland tensions increase

  A government paper that will be released on Friday cites the "massive" military presence of Russia on its northern belt and the U.S. pursuit for Greenland. Italy's Arctic Council observer status has been in place since 2013, and it updated its policy when recent tensions between the U.S. and Denmark over Greenland heightened the focus on the region. Rome, in a draft policy document reviewed by?itself, pointed out that Moscow had refocused its attention on the Arctic "where vital energy and mineral resources are located for the country's safety" which included an increase?of their military presence. The document stated that "the militarization in the region, a closer partnership between Russia and China, the loss of neutrality by Sweden and Finland after their NATO membership, and U.S. policy on Greenland were among the main drivers of change." Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has reiterated his calls for American control over Greenland in order to prevent Russia and China from occupying this island. In Washington, the island, which is an 'autonomous territory under Danish control, rejected this idea, exposing a "fundamental difference". Italy highlighted China's attempts to raise its Arctic profile, as a "self-declared" "near Arctic state," including a growing interest in shipping along the Northern Sea Route. It also noted closer military ties between Moscow and China. The document stated that the development of Arctic ship routes offers "significant opportunities" to shipbuilders, including Italy's Fincantieri which builds vessels capable of operating in extreme environments. Reporting by Angelo Amante, Editing by Keith Weir & Thomas Derpinghaus

• Sources say that companies are scrambling to acquire ships and assemble operations for the transfer of Venezuelan oil.

  Four sources familiar with these operations have said that oil companies looking to export Venezuelan crude to America after the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro, are in a hurry to find tankers. They also want to put in place operations to safely transfer crude from vessels to Venezuelan ports. Sources say that trading houses and oil companies such as Vitol, Trafigura and Chevron are competing to get deals with the U.S. Government to export Venezuelan crude oil. This is after President Donald Trump announced that Venezuela was set to deliver up to 50 million barrels sanctioned oil from Venezuela to the United States. Trafigura told the White House in a Friday meeting that the first vessel would be loaded in the following week. Venezuela, which has been under a U.S. Blockade for the past few months, has stored oil in tankers. Its storage tanks have also nearly reached capacity. The oil-holding vessels are under sanctions, old and poorly maintained. Sources said that other vessels are unable to make direct contact with ships sanctioned due to insurance and liability requirements. The tanks onshore have not been maintained in years and pose a risk to parties attempting to load the oil. Three sources said that Maersk Tankers, a shipping company, is looking to expand its ship-to-ship transfers in Venezuela. Maersk Tankers could replicate the ship-to-shore-to-ship logistics it ?has used before in Amuay Bay in Venezuela, one source said. Maersk has already established operations in Aruba and Curacao. These islands are frequently used for the transfer of Venezuelan oil. Transfers are also possible at Aruba and U.S. port, but they are much more expensive. Another shipping source stated that the transfer operations would be further complicated by the lack of smaller vessels that can transport oil from storage vessels to the piers where it can be transferred onto another ship. Two sources claim that potential clients are contacting AET to expand its operations. The firm had previously been involved in cargoes from Venezuela before U.S. Sanctions were imposed against the country. AET stated in a press release that "it is not currently working with anyone to call, tranship or load Venezuelan cargo directly or indirectly." AET said in a statement that it "is not currently working with any party to call, tranship, load or discharge Venezuelan cargo directly or indirectly." Maersk Tankers & Chevron didn't immediately respond to comments. Sources said that while supply could reach 500,000 barrels of oil per day, which Venezuela exported to the U.S. prior to sanctions, and would "drain" accumulated stocks in 90-120days, it would be difficult to achieve this goal if oil is taken from both tankers and storage onshore, they added. Companies are also fiercely competing for loading slots in Venezuela's main Jose terminal where speed and capacity are limited. Sources claim that Chevron is aggressively competing to maintain its privileged position in Venezuela, as well as lining up their vessel fleet. An industry source in Venezuela reported that oil companies such as Vitol, Trafigura and Chevron are already sourcing the much-needed naphtha. An industry source in Venezuela said that naphtha was typically blended with heavy Venezuelan crude oil to reduce its density and make it easier for refineries to process and transport.

• Mumbai Airport, Adani and Ambani's billionaire Ambani fight over mobile networks

  According to a letter obtained by, Mukesh Ambani’s telecom company has urged the government to take action?over what it calls monopolistic practices in Gautam Adani’s new Mumbai airport, which they claim is blocking mobile operators from providing connectivity. Adani's Navi Mumbai International Airport has denied the allegations. However, the dispute highlights India's growing rivalry among the two richest men in the country, whose conglomerates are increasingly competing across sectors, from green energy centres to data centers. The airport on the outskirts of Mumbai began operating in December, after it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Adani has eight airports in his portfolio, and plans to add more. After spotting the billboards offering free Wi-Fi at airports, passengers raised concerns about privacy and poor mobile coverage. TELECOM OPERATORS REQUIRE ACCESS TO INFRASTRUCTURE AT AIRPORTS In a letter dated January 13, Cellular Operators Association of India sent to the Indian government, it stated that Adani's Airport'must grant access' to install equipment, as required by Indian regulations, including airports. Navi Mumbai International Airport stated that it has deployed "state-of the-art solutions", and that operators can partner with a company managing the airport's network infrastructure within buildings. COAI, the company that represents Ambani Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, as well as Vodafone Idea, has said it will not comment on anything beyond its letter, which is private. Both the companies and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India did not reply to our queries. PASSENGER DISTRESS : "WE CAN'T CALLS?PEOPLES" Jio is India's largest telecom company with more than 500 million subscribers. Airtel comes in second place at 314 millions, and Vodafone is third at almost 128 million. Passengers have complained online that they cannot access the airport's Wi-Fi without mobile coverage, because a one-time WhatsApp password is required to log in. You'll be grateful to see free Wi-Fi ads, thinking that you can now at least book taxis. When you go to the WiFI network to log in and you are asked for an OTP, adarsxh_baab posted on January 13. Adani's statement?added that individual operators often provide "suboptimal coverage" when left to their own devices in sensitive areas like baggage handling zones. COAI?also claimed that the airport charges around $102,000 per month for each operator - or nearly $5 million annually if four carriers are involved - in order to use its network. Adani denied this claim. "We cannot call anyone, pay for taxis, or book anything." Srihita Vanguri, a X user on Sunday, wrote that solo travellers would be in hell. Aditya K. Kalra, Munsif V. Vengattil and Louise Heavens (Reporting)

• Wall Street Journal, January 15, 2019

  These are the most popular stories from the Wall Street Journal. These stories have not been?verified and we cannot vouch for their accuracy. Dennis Cinelli, a technology executive who is currently a board member at Paramount Skydance, has been named as the company's next chief financial officer. After a visit to the White House, top officials from Denmark and Greenland stated that they had not convinced U.S. president Donald Trump to give up his plans to annex Greenland. Federal investigators are examining how Boeing has responded to previous failures on McDonnell Douglas aircraft. Alibaba Group is rolling out an update to its Qwen App, which integrates?the chatbot within its ecosystem. It will also allow it to carry out tasks for users. Affiliates of Kaiser Permanente have agreed to pay $556 million in settlement to claims that they illegally pressed doctors to add codes for diagnoses to patient records they had never considered, to increase Medicare payments.

• Lufthansa changes Middle East operations, and Germany warns against flights over Iran

  Flightradar24 reported on Wednesday that Germany had issued a directive warning its airlines against entering Iranian airspace. This came shortly after Lufthansa revised?its flight operation across the Middle East due to escalating tensions in the area. Lufthansa announced on Wednesday it will bypass Iranian and Iraqi Airspace until further notice. It will only operate daytime flights from Tel Aviv and Amman between Wednesday and Monday next week. In a statement, it said that some flights may also be cancelled as a consequence of these actions. Protests against the government in Iran are taking place across the country started The unrest has escalated over the last month. Several protesters have been reported as 'killed' while authorities blacked out the internet to curb the growing unrest. Donald Trump, the president of the United States, has threatened to intervene on behalf of Iranian protesters. Iran's protests come after a series of geopolitical tensions that have heightened tensions throughout the Middle East. Investors have been impacted by the situation. Investors have become more volatile. piled into Gold and the Dollar are safe havens. In a statement, the German airline group stated that passengers affected would be notified and automatically rebooked. It also added that crews who were flying into Israel or Amman will fly directly back without staying overnight on site. Separately Italian carrier ITA Airways, of which Lufthansa Group has now become a major shareholder, announced that it too would suspend night flights from Tel Aviv 'until next Tuesday. Flydubai and Turkish Airlines are two of the many airline operators that have a presence in the Middle East. You can cancel your order if you wish. Multiple flights to Iran have been made in the last week. Reporting by Kanjyik and Keith Weird; Editing by Chris Reese, David Gregorio and Nathan Gomes

• As global tourism spending rises, fewer foreigners will visit the US in 2025.

  According to an industry group, the United States will see a drop of 6% in foreign visitors by 2025. However, global tourism is expected to surpass concerns about saturation in certain locations and generate a 6.7% increase in spending in comparison to last year. According to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council, more than 1.5 billion tourists spent over $11.7 trillion last year on hotels, cruises and flight. WTTC stated that the tourism industry contributed 10.3% to global GDP, and that spending on tourism grew twice as fast as global economic growth. WTTC interim president and CEO Gloria Guevara said that the increased travel of many people, particularly younger generations, has prompted them to visit countries in Europe, such as Spain, France and Japan. She said that in an interview with a Spanish newspaper, Latin Americans, including Colombians, and Mexicans, travel less to the U.S. WTTC estimates that as foreign tourism in the U.S. declined, foreign tourists spent 7% less money, and arrivals from Canada Mexico and Europe dropped. Spending by domestic tourists has offset this. The U.S. has the largest travel and tourism industry in the world. Guevara stated that the tourism industry is continuing to grow despite some locals' opposition in tourist hotspots. She said: "We haven't seen the impact of overtourism. And the best example, is exactly where it has been generated. Particularly in Europe and Japan, where we see another record." According to the WTTC, global tourism is expected to grow by 4.5% in 2026. This will again surpass global economic growth. WTTC estimates that France will receive 105 million tourists in 2025. This is well over the 68 millions who visited the U.S. in 2017. (Reporting and editing by Charlie Devereux, Aidan Lewis and Corina Pons)

• France considers sending Eutelsat terminals in Iran during internet blackout

  France may send Eutelsat satellite terminals in Iran to assist?citizens, after Iranian authorities imposed an internet blackout in an attempt to quell Iran's most violent internal unrest in years. The French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot responded to a question from a member of the Lower House on Wednesday, saying that he was exploring all options. Eutelsat, owned by the French and British governments, is the only constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites (or group) that exists besides Elon Musk’s Starlink. Satellites beam broadband internet to consumers, businesses, governments and underserved regions. In recent days, Iranian authorities have launched a "deadly" crackdown which has killed thousands of people during protests against the clerical regime. They also imposed an almost complete shutdown of internet services. Three people in the country have confirmed that some Iranians are still able to connect to Starlink satellite Internet service. Alp Toker of NetBlocks, an internet monitoring group, said this week that even Starlink appears to have been reduced. Eutelsat refused to comment on Barrot's remarks or its activities in Iran when asked by. Starlink has more than 9,000 satellites, which allows for faster speeds than Eutelsat’s fleet of over 600. Its terminals that connect users to the network also cost less and are easier to install. Eutelsat provides internet access for Ukraine's military. Starlink has been used to maintain battlefield connectivity throughout the war against Russia. OneWeb terminals, according to Carlos?Placido, an independent satellite communications advisor, are larger and more difficult to jam than Starlink terminals. Placido explained that the sheer size of the Starlink constellation made jamming more difficult, but not impossible. OneWeb makes it easier to predict the satellites that will be online at any given time and location. (Reporting and editing by Hugh Lawson; Inti Lo Nostro and Gianluca L. Nostro)

• UK jury: Captain attempted to change course prior to fatal tanker accident

  A London court heard on Wednesday that the captain of a container vessel which smashed into a U.S. oil tanker last year off Britain's East Coast tried to alter course in order to avoid a fatal collision. Vladimir Motin's lawyer stated that the Russian captain of the Solong, who hit the Stena Immaculate tanker anchored in March 2025 and tried to turn off the autopilot but failed, shortly before the crash. Motin is facing trial at the Old Bailey, accused of gross negligence manslaughter. Mark Pernia is a 38-year-old crew member whose body was never found, but is presumed to be dead. Motin has not pleaded guilty. James Leonard, his lawyer, said that Motin was responsible for avoiding the collision and that "there is no doubt that this collision led to the sad death of Mr Pernia". Leonard continued, "On the basis of the defendant's failure to avoid a collision involving the Stena Immaculate there is no question that he was at fault." He told the jury that they had to decide whether Motin's fault was the cause of the accident and whether it was "grossly negligence as compared with anything less than that". CAPTAIN SAYS: HE TRYED TO CHANGE THE COURSE Leonard stated that Motin saw the Stena Immaculate on the radar of the Solong from "at least 9 nautical miles (16,7 kilometers) away", while the Solong was controlled by the autopilot. Motin said that when the Solong was about one nautical mile away from the Stena Immaculate he tried to manually change the course of the Solong. Leonard stated that there would have been a collision if he had changed his course the way he wanted to. He said that the jury would need to decide whether it was reasonable that Motin had waited until the Solong was a nautical mile away before he acted. Tom Little, the prosecutor, said that Motin did "absolutely" nothing to prevent the accident. Motin has pleaded guilty to gross negligent manslaughter. The trial should conclude by the end of next month. (Reporting and editing by Sam Tobin, Mark Heinrich)

• US withdraws appeal of order blocking Trump's plan to tie state transport funds to immigration enforcement

  The U.S. Justice Department asked on Tuesday a federal appeals?court to dismiss its appeal against a lower court order that blocked President Donald Trump from requiring 20?Democratic?states?to cooperate with immigration enforcement in order to receive billions of dollar's worth of grant funding for transportation. A U.S. Judge in Rhode Island decided that the U.S. Department of Transportation did not have the authority to force the states to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for transportation funding and that the condition was against the U.S. Constitution. California Attorney General Rob Bonta led the legal challenge which included also the District of Columbia. He said that the "Trump Administration tried to use vital transportation funds as a 'bargaining chip' for its political agenda." He pointed out that California receives billions in federal funding for transportation every year. Bonta said he was "pleased" that the Trump Administration had accepted defeat and dropped its appeal. California "is not playing around when it comes vital transportation dollars which support our public infrastructure and we will continue to take the President to court every time he uses federal funding to bully communities." Last year, the judge found that USDOT did not provide any plausible link between cooperating with immigration and the purposes Congress intended for funding highways, bridges, and other transportation projects. USDOT declined to comment immediately on Tuesday. USDOT withheld $160 million from California last week for failing to cancel 17,000 commercial driver's licences issued by non-U.S. nationals. California has said that it fully complies with federal and state regulations. A spokesperson for the state said this. They also strongly disagree with the decision of the 'federal government to withhold funding vital for transportation in California. California filed a lawsuit against USDOT last month for withholding federal funding of more than $33 million dollars because USDOT claimed that the state had not met rules requiring English language proficiency for truckers. California dropped its separate lawsuit in December, which it filed in response to USDOT's revocation of $4 billion in funding for high-speed rail. (Reporting and editing by Tom Hogue, Christopher Cushing, and David Shepardson from Washington)

• Boeing's turnaround is taking hold, with the highest annual jet delivery since 2018.

  Boeing rebounded in 2025, delivering the most planes since 2018 and beating European rival Airbus for net orders 'for the first time in seven years. This is a sign that the U.S. aircraft manufacturer has turned a corner after a string of crises. Boeing announced on Tuesday that its 2025 deliveries increased by 72%, to 600 aircraft, although they lag behind Airbus' 793. Boeing has also placed 1,175 orders or a total of 1,075 net after cancellations. Boeing had its sixth highest annual total after cancellations, and it surpassed Airbus' net orders of 889. Under CEO Kelly Ortberg, Boeing is trying to improve its reputation and compete with Airbus for narrow-body plane orders. In 2018, Boeing's debt has increased due to two plane crashes, a COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, strikes at factories and a midair panel blowout. Boeing's finance director said last month that the company anticipates positive cash flows in 2026 due to higher commercial jet deliveries. The?U.S. The planemaker shipped 63 jets to customers in December. This was the highest number of deliveries in a single month since 2023. This included?44 of the best-selling 737 MAX and 14 787 jets. The company will deliver 440 737 MAX jets in 2025 and 88 787s. This is the highest number of 787 Dreamliner delivery since 2019 when Boeing delivered 158 wide-body jetliners. The demand for 787s is on the rise. Boeing received 368 Dreamliner Orders after cancellations in the past year. This is second only to 369 Dreamliner Orders it received the first time it offered the Dreamliner. Delta Air Lines announced on Tuesday it would purchase 30 Boeing 787-10 planes to increase its long-haul fleet. The exact date of the orders is not known. STRONG ORDER?BOOK Boeing's order book boom is a sign of confidence by airlines and aircraft lessors in the company's turnaround, said Scott Hamilton, aerospace analyst and consultant at Leeham Co. Boeing can also deliver new single aisle jets faster than Airbus because it has a smaller backlog. Alaska Airlines, at an event held in Seattle, announced that it had finalized orders for five 787s as well as 105 737-10s - the largest MAX variants - in December. Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci expressed confidence that Boeing will certify the long delayed?narrow body jet this year. Analysts and airlines are closely monitoring the progress of the MAX 10 certification, said George Ferguson. Ferguson is a senior analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. Ferguson, a senior aerospace analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence, said that Boeing could beat Airbus again in 2026 as it continues to improve its production quality and puts the turmoil of the past years behind them.

• Engie signs LNG supply contract for 15 years with Thai power plants

  By America Hernandez PARIS, January 13 - French utility Engie signed a 15-year contract to supply liquefied natural gas to power plants in Thailand owned by Gulf Development PCL on Tuesday. Delivery of up to 0.8 millions metric tons per year will start?in 2028. Details of the price were not revealed. Thailand is the largest LNG importer in Southeast Asia. The demand for the fuel will continue to grow as it gradually replaces coal, which accounts for 14% of its electricity mix. Gulf Development's CFO Yupapin. Wangviwat stated in a?statement that "this LNG procurement aligns to Thailand's national strategy for gas supply by diversifying natural gas sources, improving price stability and supply volume and strengthening the nation's?long-term energy security". Engie has not responded to the request for comment regarding where LNG will come from. The state-backed French firm has signed long-term contracts with NextDecade Rio Grande LNG, Cheniere Corpus Christi LNG, and Sempra Port Arthur LNG to buy 3.5 million tons U.S. LNG annually after 2040. Reporting by America Hernandez, Paris Editing by David Goodman

• UK prosecutors claim that the Russian captain did nothing to prevent the crash of a US tanker.

  British prosecutors stated on Tuesday that the captain of the container ship which collided with a U.S. oil tanker off Britain's east cost last year, did "absolutely" nothing to prevent an avoidable fatal collision. Vladimir Motin (59) was the Russian captain of the Portuguese flagged Solong, which hit the Stena Immaculate tanker that was anchored on March 10, 2025. Motin, who was arrested four days earlier, was charged with the murder of Mark Pernia (38), a Filipino national, and member of the Solong crew. His body has not been located and is presumed to be dead. Tom Little, the prosecutor at London's Old Bailey Court, said that Pernia’s death could have been prevented. Little told the jury that "he would still be alive today if not for the grossly negligence?conduct" of the man on the dock. He stated that the Solong was on a collision path with the Stena Immaculate for more than 30 minutes before the crash. The Stena Immaculate was carrying "very large quantities" of aviation fuel. Little testified that Motin had a duty to Pernia as Solong's Captain and as he "was on sole watch duty at the bridge" prior to the fatal accident. Little said, "In the end, he didn't do anything, nothing at all, to prevent the collision."