Western Europe

Transport Ministry: Saboteurs damaged rail infrastructure near the northern Italian city Bologna Saturday morning, disrupting train travel on the first day of the Winter Olympic Games. Three separate incidents were reported by the police at three different locations. These caused delays up to two and a half hours for regional, high-speed, and Intercity services. The Ministry called it "serious" sabotage, adding that it was reminiscent of the opening day for the Summer Olympics in Paris 2024, when saboteurs attacked France's TGV high-speed train network, causing chaos. The ministry headed by Matteo Salvini, the Deputy Prime Minister, said that "these?actions... of...

Acciona announced on Friday that a consortium including the Australian units from?Spanish companies Acciona and ACS had won a?contract worth?5.75 billion Australian 'dollars ($4 billion) - for rail construction work on a major railroad connecting Logan to the Gold Coast, Australia. The contract was awarded 'to the ActivUs Consortium, which includes Acciona and ACS CPB Contractors, UGL as well as SMEC and WSP. Acciona stated in a statement that the project is aimed at meeting the high demand for travel between Brisbane, Australia and the Gold Coast, ahead of the Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2032. The company added...

Executives and suppliers claim that even years after the pandemic the aviation industry still struggles to recover from supply disruptions. These have been made worse by the record passenger demand, and geopolitical issues. Airbus and Boeing have had to delay some deliveries because they are juggling the competing demands of new plane assembly, maintenance and repair for existing fleets. Jeffrey Lam, chief operating officer and President of ST Engineering, the largest provider of airframe maintenance and repairs in the world, said that prolonged supply delays and bottlenecks have become "the new norm". "We fear that this new standard will remain,...

Executives and suppliers claim that even years after the pandemic the aviation industry still struggles to recover from supply disruptions. These have been made worse by the record passenger demand, and geopolitical issues. Airbus and Boeing have delayed some deliveries 'because of the competing demands for new plane assembly, maintenance and repair for existing fleets. Jeffrey Lam, chief operating officer and President of ST Engineering, the largest provider of airframe maintenance and repairs in the world, said that prolonged supply delays and bottlenecks have become "the new norm". "We fear that this new standard will remain, which is totally unacceptable,"...

'Airbus's main aircraft?production goal hangs in balance, as the planemaker is still without a deal with engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. Industry sources confirmed this. They are stuck in a dispute about the allocation of engines to Airbus production lines versus?maintenance shops that service airlines. And they have not yet reached a vital engine supply agreement for 2026 and 2027. Airbus stated last month that engines from RTX owned Pratt & Whitney were "very,'very late". It had not yet reached an agreement with Pratt & Whitney for this year or next. Rick Deurloo said at the Singapore Airshow on Wednesday...

Tim Clark, Emirates' president, said that the airline would consider ordering a bigger version of the A350 if Airbus?moved forward with a new wide-body model. He reiterated calls for manufacturers and aircraft makers to make larger planes. Airbus announced in November that it was studying a so-called A350 2000 after Boeing agreed to examine a larger version its largest aircraft in production, the 777X as part of an agreement to secure?65 in new orders for the delayed plane. A larger A350 could potentially overtake the A350-1000 – currently the largest model Airbus’ portfolio – which Emirates has refused to purchase...

The Vietnamese budget airline Vietjet entered into a 'contract with Pratt & Whitney (a subsidiary of RTX) to?supply GTF engine for 44 Airbus planes, bringing its total GTF powered fleet orders to 137. The deal was announced at the Singapore Airshow and includes 24 A321neo planes and 20 'A321XLR aircraft. Deliveries will begin in July. In a joint press release, the companies said that it also included a 12-year maintenance agreement. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Vietjet has deployed its first A321neo aircraft in 2018. It currently operates 42 GTF-powered aircraft, and plans to equip the...

In celebration of its 100th anniversary, Lufthansa, Germany's national airline, is reappraising the past to take a?greater level of responsibility for its actions in Nazi Germany, breaking with earlier attempts to separate their pre- and post-war identity. Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa, told journalists that the airline was proud of its current status in a statement released on Wednesday. "To ignore the dark, difficult years would have simply been dishonest." Even the decision to celebrate 100 years since the founding of the first "Deutsche Luft Hansa", reflects a change. The company has long stressed the legal and organizational break between...

In a case brought forward by a local consumer group, a Belgian court ordered Ryanair that it must stop some of its?marketing and commercial practices for flights purchased in the country. However, other practices were upheld. The ruling comes after regulators from several European countries tried to curtail Ryanair's aggressive price policies. This was in response to the business model of Ryanair, which relies on low ticket prices and charging extras for services that were previously included in the cost. The Brussels Enterprise Court, in a decision dated '28 January and seen on Tuesday by, said Ryanair must stop deceptive...

In a case brought by the local consumer group, a Belgian court ordered Ryanair that it cease some of its marketing and commercial practices for flights sold within Belgium. The 'court ruling' comes after regulators from several European countries tried to curb Ryanair aggressive pricing policies. This was in response to the business model of Ryanair, which relies on low ticket prices and charging extras that were previously included in the cost. The Brussels Enterprise Court, in a decision issued on January 28 and seen on Tuesday, said that 'Ryanair should stop practices like announcing discounts on false reference prices,...

The head of an organization representing global airlines, said that shortages of new efficient aircraft and alternative fuels are pushing up profits for the suppliers and putting in danger the industry's flagship goal of reducing emissions. Willie Walsh said that the use of older aircraft and the shortage of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) was driving up costs, and delaying a move to cleaner flying. Walsh said on TV the night before the Singapore Airshow, which runs from Feb 3-8, "I am still optimistic but cautiously optimistic that we will achieve net zero by 2050, although it is becoming more difficult."...

Uber announced on Monday that it is in discussions with Urssaf - the French social security agency. According to a report, Urssaf concluded that Uber should treat its drivers like employees. Uber's spokesperson stated on Monday that they were "currently?engaged?" in a collaborative, open, transparent and honest discussion with France’s social security agency, URSSAF". Urssaf said it would not comment on ongoing or individual cases for reasons of confidentially. French ?investigative publication Revue21 reported that Urssaf considered that 71,194 drivers who worked for ?Uber between 2019 and 2022 on independent-contractor agreements should have been defined as ?employees. Revue21 reported that...

The White House announced that President Donald Trump will unveil "TrumpRx.gov" on Thursday night. This website is intended to give consumers discounted access to prescription drugs and to be a key part of his efforts to reduce drug prices in the U.S. Sixteen of the biggest drug manufacturers in the world have joined forces to create a new global alliance. Deals with "most-favorable nation" In exchange for exemptions from U.S. Tariffs,?the Trump Administration will lower drug prices in the United States. These agreements will lower the?prices for Medicaid and cash-paying customers via TrumpRX. Those deals include Agreements with obesity drug...

Available copper inventories The London Metal Exchange has seen its trading volume increase by 11 months, as traders from the U.S.A. and Asia have increasingly turned to the exchange for metal storage. After more than 20,000 tonnes of copper were delivered to New Orleans and Baltimore over the last three weeks as well as similar inflows into South Korea and Taiwan, the amount of copper available in LME warehouses reached 160,625 tons on Wednesday. This is the highest since late February of last year. Copper was shipped in large volumes to the United States before possible import tariffs. Higher?prices at...

Kumba Iron Ore, South Africa, said Thursday that it expected its full-year profits to increase by up to 23% due to higher mineral prices and sales volumes. Kumba, an Anglo American unit, expects to earn between $1,39 billion and $15,33 billion ($862,55 million-$951,29 million) in the year ending December 2025. This compares with the 12.5 billion rand earned the year before. Africa's largest iron ore producer said that the increase in earnings was due to the higher average free-onboard export iron ore prices of $95 per metric tonne in 2025. This is up from $92 a metric tonne the previous...

Trafigura has won its London case against Indian businessman Prateek?Gupta regarding fake nickel cargoes on Friday. The High Court of London ruled in favor of the commodities 'trader. Trafigura, a Geneva-based company, claimed that Gupta and his companies were the masterminds of a fraudulent Ponzi scheme??in which they agreed to deliver high-quality nickel 99.8% but instead delivered low-value materials or even worthless ones. Gupta acknowledged he didn't deliver high-grade Nickel cargoes, but claims Trafigura staff designed the scheme. Former Trafigura head nickel trader Sokratis Oikonomou had denied this in his testimony given in November. Judge Pushpinder Saini ruled Trafigura had...

United Parcel Service, the largest package delivery company in the world, announced on Tuesday that it will close 24 additional facilities and eliminate up to 30,000 positions by 2026. This is due to its ongoing shift towards a'more profitable business. In midday trading, shares of the company rose 4%. The company also announced fourth quarter results that exceeded Wall Street expectations and forecasted a surprise increase in annual revenue. FedEx shares gained 2.6%. Carol Tome, CEO of the company, said in a conference with analysts that the company plans to reduce Amazon deliveries. "We are now in the last six...

Here are some company news and stories that could impact the markets in France and Benelux or even individual stocks. Ageas SA: Belgian and Dutch insurance group Ageas reported that its reinsurance unit Ageas Re had achieved inflows at a rate of 379 millions euros on 'January 1, 2026 compared with 206 million euro a year before. Its partnership activity in-force books now stand at 435million euros after the renewal campaign. ARGAN SA - French real estate firm Argan reported a full-year rental revenue of 212 millions euros, and recurring net profit of 154.8million euros. Its end-December Portfolio was valued...

PlusAI, the self-driving vehicle startup, announced on Monday that it would launch Southern Europe's very first program to test heavy-duty autonomous vehicles. It will also expand its partnership with Iveco Group and brand IVECO. Two IVECO S-Way truck equipped with PlusAI’s Level 4 autonomous driving.system will be tested on a 300-km route between.Madrid.and Zaragoza in 2026. A safety operator will also be onboard. Trials will be conducted with Spanish logistics operator Sese, and the regional government of Aragon. PlusAI in Silicon Valley, with offices in Europe and America, has been working with Iveco on joint research and tests for many...

Ziad El Chaar, CEO of Saudi real estate developer Dar Global, announced on Sunday that two Trump-branded luxury projects will be launched in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and Jeddah (Jordan). Chaar said that the projects include the Trump National Golf Course in Riyadh and the Trump International Hotel at Diriyah. This is a massive project located on the western edge of the Saudi capital. Chaar said that a mixed-use development called Trump Plaza is planned for Jeddah. Chaar stated that the projects were in line with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims to diversify its economy and move away from oil....

Senalia, a grain export terminal operator, expects volumes to double in 2025/26 compared to last year due to a rebound in French harvest production and a brisk barley demand. Rouen, on the Seine River in Normandy, is France's main grain export hub. Rain-stricken 2024 reduced its export surplus, and port terminals were idle for part the season. Senalia, the cooperative-owned cereal exporter, has forecast that Senalia will load 3.8 millions metric tons in the current July-June period, up from just 1.8 million in 2020/25. This is exactly what it did two years ago. He said that 1.7 million tonnes of...

Goldman Sachs dominated again the league tables of global dealmaking for 2025. It took the?marketshare and top spot in an year marked by high stakes political dramas and ever larger mergers. Goldman's No. 1 ranking was boosted by the rise of $10 billion deals, of which there were 68 in the last year totaling $1.5 trillion - more than twice as much as the previous year. According to LSEG data, Goldman has the No. 1 ranking. The firm was involved in 38 of these 'deals', more than any other investment banking firm, and the total value of the deals it...

Goldman Sachs dominated again the league tables of global dealmaking for 2025. It took the market share and top spot in an year that was marked by high stakes political dramas and ever-larger mergers. Goldman's No. 1 ranking was boosted by the rise of $10 billion deals, which totaled $1.5 trillion last year, or more than double the previous year. According to LSEG data, Goldman ranked No. 1 in the world. The firm was involved in 38 of these deals, more than any other investment bank. Total volume of advised deals was $1.48 trillion. This was the most active period...

Snowfall in the Netherlands disrupted air and train?traffic on Monday. Hundreds of flights had to be canceled and trains around Amsterdam were at a standstill. ANP, a news agency, reported that Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, which is one of Europe's busiest hubs cancelled nearly 500 flights Monday morning. The airport was closed to all incoming traffic from 1200 GMT until then due to the snow. ANP reported that planes heading for Amsterdam were diverted to another airport. Schiphol was unable to be reached immediately for further comments. Snow and freezing temperatures had already forced the airport to cancel hundreds of flights...