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Bleak year for German engineering firms amid US, China turmoil
Bleak year for German engineering firms amid US, China turmoil
by  AFP

Production in Germany's key engineering sector plunged for a third straight year in 2025 as firms were squeezed by US tariffs and fierce Chinese competition, an industry group said Tuesday. An even bigger challenge was competition from Chinese companies that are increasingly rivalling German firms in more and more sectors, and in some cases benefitting from government subsidies, the VDMA warned.

France's prime minister faces crunch vote in parliament
France's prime minister faces crunch vote in parliament
by  AFP

France's social security bill was to go to a vote in parliament Tuesday, in a key hurdle for Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu after he pledged to deliver a 2026 budget by year-end. On Tuesday afternoon, the lower house of parliament was to vote on the social security bill, which includes postponing the pensions reform until 2028, after the end of Macron's term in office.

UK's renationalised trains to get Union Flag makeover
UK's renationalised trains to get Union Flag makeover
by  AFP

Britain's railways will feature trains painted in the red, white and blue of the nation's Union Flag as underperforming train operators return to state ownership, the UK government announced Tuesday. Owing to poor service, some train operators already entered state ownership under the previous Conservative government.

Euroclear details 'concerns' over EU's frozen Russian asset plan
Euroclear details 'concerns' over EU's frozen Russian asset plan
by  AFP

EU reassurances over its plan to use frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine have failed to quell worries about the untested scheme, the organisation holding most of the funds told AFP. "We've made very, very clear that we still have concerns," Guillaume Eliet, chief risk officer at Brussels-based clearing house Euroclear, told AFP in an interview.

'Resilient' airlines head for record passenger numbers: IATA
'Resilient' airlines head for record passenger numbers: IATA
by  AFP

International airlines expect to transport a record 5.2 billion passengers in 2026 despite global headwinds affecting the sector, the industry's trade association said on Tuesday. Global passenger numbers this year are expected just shy of the five-billion figure, at 4.98 billion, up from 4.77 billion in 2024 the previous record figure. tq/jh/tw

Greek govt seeks to tackle farmer protests after Crete clashes
Greek govt seeks to tackle farmer protests after Crete clashes
by  AFP

Greece's government was on Tuesday scrambling to keep angry farmers from blocking key infrastructure after airports were occupied on Crete in a growing nationwide protest for agriculture funds. On Monday, farmers on the island of Crete broke through police lines and occupied the main airports of Heraklion and Chania, forcing several flights to be cancelled or rescheduled.