Author: Andrew Rogers

Airbus has suggested splitting Europe’s future fighter project into two separate aircraft to break a long-running deadlock.The €100bn Future Combat Air System involves Germany, France and Spain. The dispute centres on who leads development of the next-generation jet.Dassault Aviation wants control of the fighter element, while Airbus represents German and Spanish interests.Chief executive Guillaume Faury said a dual-fighter approach could protect the wider programme. German chancellor Friedrich Merz recently questioned whether the planned aircraft meets Germany’s needs.Berlin does not require a nuclear-capable jet, unlike France.Governments must soon decide whether to proceed with the fighter or focus on other FCAS components…

Top Alpine skiers say shrinking glaciers are threatening the future of their sport and the wider planet.Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shiffrin and Federica Brignone highlighted the issue during the Winter Games in Cortina. Glaciers once visible from the host town have largely disappeared.Major ice fields now lie far away, including the rapidly melting Marmolada.Scientists say Italy has lost more than 200 square kilometres of glacier area since the late 1950s. Athletes train on glaciers for reliable snow, making the changes impossible for them to ignore.Vonn said many slopes she used as a child have already vanished.Shiffrin called the crisis central to…

Senior UK bank executives will meet this week to begin creating a domestic card payments system.The project aims to reduce reliance on Visa and Mastercard and protect the economy from potential disruption. The talks will be chaired by Vim Maru of Barclays.City institutions will fund the new company, while the government supports the initiative.About 95% of UK card transactions currently run through the two US networks. Concerns have grown over geopolitical risk and the possibility of foreign systems being switched off.Officials say a domestic alternative would add resilience as cash use declines.In Russia, sanctions that halted Visa and Mastercard left…

Volkswagen aims to cut costs by 20% by 2028 in a major restructuring drive.Plant closures are reportedly under consideration as the company seeks stable profits. Chief executive Oliver Blume and finance chief Arno Antlitz presented the plan to senior managers.The overhaul responds to weak sales, high costs and rising competition from Chinese carmakers in Europe. An earlier programme already included 35,000 job cuts by 2030 to save €10bn.Volkswagen says it has achieved savings worth tens of billions of euros so far. New data shows the EU trade deficit with China rose to €359.3bn in 2025.German manufacturers remain deeply tied to…

Daily weight-loss tablets are widening the market for GLP-1 treatments and raising Big Pharma’s growth hopes.Analysts expect the sector to reach about $200bn by the early 2030s as easier-to-take pills attract new users. Novo Nordisk launched the first oral Wegovy for weight loss in the US, with prescriptions rising rapidly.Patients switching from injections say tablets offer simpler use and steadier appetite control.Lower prices and no need for refrigeration also make them more accessible. Rival Eli Lilly is preparing its own pill, intensifying competition.Injections still produce greater weight loss, so people with severe obesity will likely stay with them.Pills are expected…

Driver criticism overshadowed Formula One’s second pre-season test in Bahrain.Max Verstappen attacked the new regulations and called the car “anti-racing”.He said the complex energy management makes driving less enjoyable.He compared the experience to “Formula E on steroids”.He again warned he could leave the sport if the racing stops being fun. Lewis Hamilton voiced similar concerns.He said the systems are extremely complex and difficult for fans to understand.The 2026 rules introduce new engines, chassis, tyres and fully sustainable fuel.The engines now rely on an almost equal split between combustion and electric power. Testing times remained inconclusive.Mercedes set the fastest laps through…

US inflation fell to 2.4% in January after tariff-driven volatility last year. The consumer price index rose 0.2% for the month. Core inflation increased 0.3% as underlying costs continued to firm. Economists had expected a slightly higher annual rate. Prices swung sharply last year, hitting 2.3% in April and 3% in September. The White House said its policies kept inflation under control. Investors watch the data for signals on future interest rate cuts. The Federal Reserve paused reductions and will decide again in March. Jerome Powell expects tariff effects to raise prices once before stabilizing. Job growth slowed to 181,000…

A senior legal adviser at the European Court of Justice has said billions of euros were wrongly released to Hungary. Advocate general Tamara Ćapeta argued the European Commission should not have unfrozen about €10bn because required judicial reforms were not fully implemented. The commission had suspended funds in 2022 over concerns about corruption and rule-of-law backsliding under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. In 2023, it decided Hungary had met conditions and restored access to the money. The European Parliament challenged that move, claiming serious legal errors. Ćapeta said the commission failed to properly assess reforms and lacked transparency in its decision.…

Aerobic exercise such as running, swimming or dancing can act as a frontline treatment for mild depression and anxiety, researchers say. A major review found the strongest benefits in young adults and new mothers, two groups at higher risk of mental health problems. Scientists analysed 63 previous reviews covering nearly 80,000 people. The findings, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, showed that heart-rate-raising activities produced the biggest reductions in depressive symptoms. Resistance training and yoga also helped, but to a lesser degree. Group and supervised exercise appeared especially effective, suggesting social connection boosts mental health gains. Neil Munro…

A return to traditional Nepali foods could help tackle the country’s growing type 2 diabetes epidemic, researchers say. In Nepal, where one in five people over 40 has diabetes and medication is often unaffordable, doctors are testing whether simple dietary changes can reverse the condition. Early studies suggest that traditional meals of lentils and rice, known as dal bhat, can produce striking results. A pilot study in Kathmandu found that 43% of 70 patients with long-standing diabetes entered remission after following a calorie-controlled traditional diet. A larger community trial involving 120 people has shown similar outcomes, with around half free…