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The National Assembly of France has approved the ban on social media for under-15s
France's National Assembly backed legislation on Monday to ban children below 15 years of age from social media, amid increasing concerns about online bullying and mental illness risks. The bill proposes to ban under-15s from "social networks" and "social network functionalities" embedded in broader platforms. It reflects the growing public 'angst' over social media and its impact on minors. The bill was approved by 116 votes to 23. The bill now goes to the Senate for a final vote before it is sent back to the lower house. President Emmanuel Macron blamed social media for the violence that young people are committing. He wants France to follow Australia's example, which implemented a?world first ban on under-16s using social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube in December. The FRENCH Ban would follow in Australia's footsteps Macron wants to ban the use of the term "sex" by the end of September, the beginning of the new academic year. "We are setting a boundary in the society with this law and saying that social media is not innocent," said centrist lawmaker Laure?Miller to the chamber when she presented the bill. She continued, "Our children read less, sleep less and compare themselves more." This is a fight for the minds of our children. The ban on social media in Australia is being studied by countries such as Britain, Denmark and Spain. The European Parliament called on the European Union (EU) to set a minimum age for children to be able to access social media. However, it is up to each member state to impose an age limit. In France, there is a broad public and political support for limiting minors' access to social media. Thierry Perez, a lawmaker from the far-right, said that the bill was a response to 'a health emergency. Perez said: "Social media allows everyone to express themselves but at what cost? PUBLIC SUPPORT According to the European Union law, platforms would be required to verify their age and block access for young teens. It can be challenging to enforce such bans. The Australian government admitted that the implementation of the ban would be difficult after children who claimed to be younger than 16 years old flooded social media with messages boasting about their ability to continue to use networks. The French legislation extends the existing ban on smartphone use in junior and middle school to high schools. In 2024, a Harris Interactive survey showed that 73% of respondents supported the ban on social media for those under 15 years old. The opinions of teenagers in Paris were divided. Some teens said that they were aware of the dangers of social media. Some felt that a total ban would be excessive.
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Winter storm snarls US travel, forces mass flight cancellations
As freezing rain and heavy winter snowfall disrupted travel, airlines were forced to cancel or delay thousands of flights on Monday. FlightAware data shows that as of Monday, more than 4,300 flights had been delayed and over 5,300 canceled, following the cancellation of 11,000 flights on Sunday, the largest daily total since pandemic. Cirium data indicated that as of 8:20 am ET, 14% of flights were canceled. The U.S. National Weather Service has said that a low pressure system south of New England will move eastward over the Atlantic Ocean on Monday. This is expected to bring heavy snowfall to the Northeast, and freezing rain to sections of the Mid-Atlantic. AccuWeather experts say the winter storm that is affecting more than twenty-two U.S. States will cause economic losses between $105 billion to $115 billion. AccuWeather says the storm will be the most expensive severe weather event since wildfires in the Los Angeles area. American Airlines was the biggest disruptor on Monday with almost 900 cancelled flights and 600 delayed. They were followed by Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, and Republic Airways. Thousands of travel plans were also affected by the disruptions. Social media was used by passengers to ask for clarification on flight schedules. United Airlines announced that it would start restoring flights on Monday and expected significantly fewer cancellations. FlightAware reported that it had 282 cancellations by Monday morning. More Disruption Likely Federal Aviation Administration issued an advisory stating that weather-related restrictions, such as snow, freezing rain, and low visibility were affecting major hubs, such as Boston, and the New York area airspace. If conditions worsen, the agency warned that ground stops and delays could be implemented at airports such as LaGuardia International, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and Washington Dulles International International in the afternoon. The interconnected nature of airline operations can make it difficult to restore the normal flight schedules when cancellations occur. HotelPlanner, an online booking site for hotels, reported that "the cancellation rates of both USA and Canada have increased by 36% during the storm Fern and in the days leading up to it." Storms also affected cargo operations. The?parcel-delivery giant UPS said severe weather could have disrupted service in some areas, and warned that further impacts would be felt on its air network including its Louisville, Kentucky hub. Last week, CSX and BNSF announced that they too were preparing for disruptions in operations due to the storm. THOUSANDS ARE POWERLESS AFTER ROADS ARE BATTLED The storm also caused road traffic to be hampered. The Federal Emergency Management Agency warned that conditions on the road could be dangerous as strong winds, ice and blizzard conditions spread. Tennessee reported the most power outages among the states of Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. PowerOutage.us data shows that as of the early morning hours of Monday, more than 820,000 customers had no electricity. AIR TRAVEL IS DISRUPTED American Airlines released a separate statement saying that operations are still strained following the winter storm which disrupted five out of nine hub airports. This included its largest base in Dallas-Fort Worth where freezing temperatures, ice and snow halted all flights. The airline noted that teams from the carrier are working round-the-clock with airport authorities, contractors, and federal agencies in order to safely restore normal operation.
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New Airbus commercial CEO signals production focus, backs bigger A220
The new CEO of Airbus' Jet Division pledged to increase production of models, including the A350 wide body jet. He also appeared to support a larger variant of the regional A220. Lars Wagner, who took over as Airbus' head core unit in January, spoke at the Airline Economics Conference for the first time since his appointment. Wagner stated, "The way that I see it, right now, is firstly, there are many issues that we have to address in order to?manage the ramp-up." Airbus is struggling to produce 75 narrow-body aircraft per month, and has slowly increased production of large jets. Wagner's second objective is to evaluate competing engine technologies, and to balance fuel efficiency with durability in order to develop the next generation of narrow body aircraft that will be developed over the next decade. The airlines claim that engine manufacturers have "met their promises" to reduce fuel consumption, but at the cost of increased wear and tears. This has led to maintenance bottlenecks. Wagner stated, "I believe we must first solve the durability issue." John Plueger (CEO of Air Lease Corp) and the former head MTU Aero Engines, a German engine manufacturer, exchanged views with each other on stage. Plueger complained that getting aircraft delivered was the biggest problem. A220 NOD Wagner asked the leasing veterans what they would like to see next. Plueger suggested that a larger version of A220 Regional Jet could have a place in the market, and Wagner replied "me too". Airbus' head of manufacturing, AeroCap, said earlier that he did not see a demand for this type of aircraft. Wagner seemed to be listening carefully to the influential and sometimes critical Dublin finance audience, but he avoided committing to a specific strategy. He said, "Being humble - I've been in this job for four weeks." Peter Barrett, CEO of SMBC Aviation, was asked what message he would like to send to his new supplier. He replied: "I've told him this privately, and I am happy to announce it publicly." He said that both?Airbus & Boeing have made improvements, but are still not at the level they should be. "We understand the challenges COVID brought... but at the end, we are contracting for many years and millions of dollars of equipment. You need predictability and performance." (Reporting and editing by Tomaszjanowski, Kevin Liffey, Diane Craft, and Padraic Halpin)
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European shares rise with a focus on earnings and monetary policy
The European share market ended the day higher, boosted by gains in financials ahead of earnings reports from major banks due later this week. The pan-European STOXX 600 was volatile for the majority of the session, but closed at 609.83 points with a 0.2% gain - its best in more than a week. The banks led the gains in each sector with a 1% increase. Data compiled by LSEG Thursday shows that earnings for several major lenders, including Germany's Deutsche Bank or Britain's Lloyds, are due this week. Earnings in the financial sector are expected to increase 4%. When sector heavyweights such as Microsoft and Apple in the U.S. report their results in the coming week, they will be looking for any signs of AI monetisation. "Risk assets are likely to make a lot of progress early in the new year. However, this can change once corporate earnings and data become available. This is probably the biggest vulnerability at this time," said Jeremy Batstone Car, European Strategist at Raymond James. Traders were still recovering from the U.S./EU trade tensions that erupted last week over a dispute about Greenland. They also weighed in on long-term consequences of U.S. Tariffs being used to bargain for a non-related issue. The prices of gold and silver, which are considered safe havens, soared. Mining stocks rose 1.6%, reaching their highest level since June 2008. Ryanair, which reported its third-quarter earnings on Monday, lost 2.3%. Danone, a French food and drink company, fell?2.3% after touching its lowest level in a full year due to the recall of specific baby formula batches on certain markets. Airbus fell 2.1%. Guillaume Faury, the CEO of Airbus, warned staff in an internal memo seen by that they must be prepared to adapt to new geopolitical threats. A 1.6% decline in defence stocks also limited gains. Puma, a sportswear manufacturer, grew 16.9% after a Friday 14% drop. The Federal Reserve will announce its interest rate decision this week. It is likely that the?Fed will leave borrowing rates unchanged, although concerns over its independence may be at the forefront. Globally, speculation about a?potential Japanese intervention in the currency markets was rampant, which lifted yen against the dollar to a 2-month high. This sentiment also weighed down on the euro which fell by 0.7% and hit its lowest level in over a month against the yen. (Reporting from Niket Nishant in Bengaluru, Avinash and Johann M Cherian; editing by Mrigank and Arun Koyyur.)
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After a deadly snowstorm, millions of Americans face bitter cold days after digging out.
On a bitterly chilly Monday, tens of millions of Americans were digging themselves out of a monster snowstorm that had dumped up to a foot of heavy snow in parts of the east of the United States. The storm caused 18 deaths, and thousands of flights were cancelled. Roads were icy and covered with snow from?New York, Massachusetts and Texas in the northeast down to North Carolina and Texas in the south. At least 25 governors have declared states of emergencies. Residents in some southern states experienced winter conditions not seen for decades. Inches-thick ice brought down power lines and trees. At least 18 deaths were attributed to the storm in multiple states. Authorities reported that a 16 year old girl from Frisco, Texas died on Sunday in a sledding crash. Another youth in Saline County in Arkansas died while being pulled over ice and snow by an ATV when it hit a tree. Local media reported that three people in Pennsylvania died shoveling snow. Authorities in Austin, Texas said that a person who was trying to find shelter at an abandoned gas station died from apparent hypothermia. Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York City, said that at least five people had died from exposure to cold in the city. He urged residents to call 911 if they see anyone in need on the streets. The National Weather Service said that while the storm system drifted away from the East Coast and into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday, an Arctic air blast was coming in from Canada, prolonging the sub-freezing temperature for several days. Allison Santorelli is a NWS Weather Prediction Center meteorologist. She said, "This storm has left the East Coast, but there are still some snow squalls." The big story is the extreme cold that will last into early February. Forecasters reported that almost 200 million Americans, from the Canadian border down to the Gulf of Mexico were on some type of extreme cold alert. Lubbock in Texas had a minimum temperature of minus four degrees Fahrenheit on Monday (-20 degrees Celsius), and New York City and Boston were all expected to have temperatures below zero for most of this week. According to PowerOutage.us' tracking website, nearly 800,000 customers in the Southeast U.S., including homes and businesses, were without power due to the cold, including 246,000 people in Tennessee. More than 12,500 U.S. flight cancellations were made on Sunday, the worst day for air traffic since the COVID-19 Pandemic began in 2020. As of 9:15 am on Monday, approximately 3,900 flights?towards or from the United States were already canceled. FlightAware, a tracking website, reports that ET (1 415 GMT) is the time. Sean Duffy, the U.S. Transportation secretary, told CNBC that he hoped airports would be "back to their normal state" by Wednesday. SCHOOLS SHUT DOWN Many roads and highways became dangerously slippery due to the mix of ice, snow and freezing rain. Ryan DuVal drove his vintage firetruck through Tulsa's icy streets on Sunday, searching for anyone in need of help. He said, "I saw the need to get people out of cold." "You can just cruise around the streets and offer someone a ride if you see them. If they accept, that's great. If they don't, I can warm them in the truck and get them some water, food, or something." Residents of Bonito Lake in New Mexico were shoveling after 31 inches snow. Santorelli reported that Central Park in New York City received 11.4 inches of snow, while Logan Airport at Boston had 18.6 inches. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that she mobilized National Guard troops to New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley in order to help with the state's emergency response. Mamdani, who announced that the schools would be closed for a remote day of school, quipped, "I know this may disappoint some, so feel free to throw me a snowball if you see me." Even with the snowstorms and disruptions, many people enjoyed the weather, especially in Washington DC where on Sunday a large crowd gathered for an impromptu snowball battle in Meridian Hill Park. Children zoomed down a steep slope beneath the dome of the U.S. Congress on sleds that families brought to Capitol Hill. (Reporting Bureaus: Writing by Peter Graff, Joseph Ax and Nick Zieminski; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Nick Zieminski and Nick Zieminski).
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Italy declares a state of emergency following storms in the southern regions
The Italian government declared a state-of-emergency on Monday for the southern regions that were hit by a violent storm a week ago. It promised to provide financial assistance quickly to help rebuild roads and businesses damaged by this'severe weather. For two days, Sicily, Sardinia, and Calabria were battered by relentless rain, powerful wind, and waves up to?nine metres (?30 ft). The water was pushed inland, and coastal defences overwhelmed. The damage is estimated to be more than one billion euros (1,19 billion dollars) by the authorities. However, despite this scale of destruction there were no reported casualties. Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci stated in a press release that the government of Prime Minister Giorgia?Meloni? had set aside an initial 100 millions euros to meet the immediate needs of the most affected areas. Musumeci stated that the government would adopt a new?interministerial measure to allow for the reconstruction and restoration of the infrastructure damaged. Last week, the regional government estimated that Sicily suffered damage worth 740 million Euros. However, Renato Schifani, the island's Governor, warned that the final amount could be twice that. Seawater flooded streets near Taormina in popular tourist hotspots, destroying infrastructure like wastewater treatment plants and raising concern about the upcoming tourist season. A section of the sidewalk on Catania's seafront collapsed. The town of Niscemi in central Sicily is under threat from land subsidence that was probably caused by bad weather. Around 1,000 people were evacuated. Sardinia has also been?damaged. Beniamino Garau said that the sea had moved about 100 metres into the interior of the island. The regional administration in Calabria said that the storm had "serious repercussions for the rural economy", as it was one of the least developed regions in Italy. In recent years, extreme?weather events in Italy have increased. In recent years, flooding has devastated cities in Italy. Dozens of people have died and the risks of landslides or floods are now more prevalent. Locals say that regional civil protection alerts sent out before the storm persuaded many people to stay home and prevent any serious injuries or deaths.
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Airbus Helicopters announces higher orders and delivery
Airbus Helicopters received almost 20% more orders in 2014, as the market for military helicopters grew across Europe. Airbus' helicopter division booked gross orders of 544 or net totals of 536 in 2025. This compares to 455 gross orders and 450 in 2024. Delivery?rose by 8.5% from 361 units in 2024 to 392 units. Airbus Helicopters' CEO Bruno Even said in a press release that the emphasis on security and defence had "never before been so sharp". In December, Spain ordered 100 military helicopters. Airbus' share of the military helicopter market is expected to grow from unspecified levels in the previous year, to 28% by 2025. Meanwhile, its share of civil helicopters will fall from 57% to 51%. Airbus Helicopters is scheduled to report its financial performance on February 19, as part of the group's earnings. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said in a memo to staff last week that Airbus Helicopters is "remarkably consistent" in its performance, according to a report on Sunday. (Reporting and editing by Andrew Heavens; Tim Hepher)
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Officials say that US aircraft carriers enter the Middle East region
Two U.S. officials said on Monday that a U.S. aircraft carriers and accompanying warships had arrived in the Middle East. This would allow President Donald Trump to expand his capabilities for defending U.S. troops or taking military action against Iran. Officials have confirmed that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, along with several guided-missile destroors, has crossed into the Middle East, which is under the U.S. Central Command. Trump told reporters on Thursday that a "armada" of US ships was heading towards Iran. He hoped, however, that he wouldn't have to use it. Warships have been deployed from the Asia-Pacific region this month as tensions escalated between Iran and the United States following the crackdown of protests in Iran. Trump repeatedly threatened to intervene in the event that Iran continued to murder protesters. However, since then, demonstrations across Iran have ceased. The president claimed that he was told the killings are subsiding, and he does not believe there is a plan to execute prisoners. In the past, the U.S. Military has sent more troops into the Middle East during times of increased tensions. These moves were usually defensive. The U.S. military, however, staged a major building up last year before its June strike against Iran's nuke?program. The Pentagon has also sent fighter jets and air defense systems to the Middle East in addition to warships and carriers. The?U.S. The?U.S. military announced on Saturday that it will conduct an exercise in the area "to demonstrate its ability to 'deploy, distribute, and sustain combat aircraft power." Last week, a senior Iranian official stated that Tehran would view any attack as "all-out war against us." United Arab Emirates announced on Monday that it will not allow its airspace, territorial waters or territory to be used in hostile military action against Iran. Al Dhafra Air Base, located south of Abu Dhabi in the UAE, has served as a vital hub for the U.S. Air Force to support key missions against the Islamic State as well as deployments of reconnaissance across the region. Reporting by Idrees?Ali and Phil Stewart, Editing by Sharon Singleton
Western Balkan truckers block border cargo terminals due to EU entry rules
On 'Monday, truck drivers from four Western Balkans countries began a blockade at border cargo terminals in protest against restrictive EU entry rules that could lead to drivers being deported for exceeding Schengen visits limits.
The blockade halted transport along a vital corridor connecting the EU to Turkey and the Middle East.
According to a report by?Bosnia’s Logistika which represents 47,000 workers, more than 100 truckers were deported last year for exceeding 90 days their stay was allowed in the EU. Another 100 deportations were announced this week.
Around 100 trucks, all with North Macedonian flags, blocked the cargo terminal in Gevgelija. Bosnian, Montenegrin and Serbian drivers blocked the borders of their countries.
Truckers are asking for an extension of the time they can stay in Schengen, because they have a lot of cargo to transport and they will soon reach their visitation limit.
"It puts our economy - and the entire Balkans economy - at risk." "The drivers could lose their jobs and the transport companies would shut down," Filip Stojanov said in English, a 26 year old truck driver from North Macedonia. (Additional reporting from Ivana Sekularac, in Belgrade, and Daria Sito - Sucic in Sarajevo. Editing by Bernadette B. Baum)
(source: Reuters)