Economic news on companies, work, consumer issues, markets and developments in Germany and Europe.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched proceedings against Ryanair over a mandatory fee of around £8 per flight that parents must pay to sit next to their children aged 2 to 11. The regulator is examining whether this practice violates consumer law.
The DAX closed significantly lower on Wednesday. According to Tagesschau, renewed hostilities in the Persian Gulf and a stalling AI rally are dampening sentiment on the stock exchanges.
The black-red coalition will not extend the fuel discount. The €1.6 billion measure expires at the end of June, as the Süddeutsche Zeitung learned from coalition sources.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 500 points on Tuesday, driven by a sell-off in chip stocks, a threat from US Donald Trump against Iran, and a three-year high in inflation, CNBC reports.
The German government has adopted a new strategy to strengthen the aviation sector. The industry welcomes the move but is calling for concrete measures to tackle high location costs.
Unions and employers are approaching the reform summit at the Chancellery with deep skepticism, according to Spiegel. The government hopes the social partners will support its planned reforms.
Consumer prices in the US rose 4.2 percent year-on-year in May, the Labor Department reported. This makes a rate cut demanded by President Trump less likely.
Germany is heading toward a recession, economists warn, as an energy shock from the Iran war dampens growth, according to Deutsche Welle.
European stock markets fell on Wednesday after the US and Iran exchanged fire. The UK's FTSE 100 dropped 0.5 percent, the Guardian reports.
The German government has presented a draft bill to modernize arbitration law. Companies are expected to benefit from clear advantages.
The retailer WH Smith has issued a profit warning due to decreased shopper numbers at US airports amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Iran and Israel have halted their mutual attacks, reports Tagesschau. However, fear of renewed escalation keeps investors on edge.
BioNTech is parting ways with its founders Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci, with hundreds of employees set to move to a new company, according to Handelsblatt.
Stock markets in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan started the week with significant losses on Monday. According to Handelsblatt, concerns about the AI sector and the escalation between Israel and Iran are weighing on prices.
The pharmaceutical industry is pushing back against planned cuts in the health reform and is slashing investments in Germany. Politicians are outraged by the lobby's tactics, according to Spiegel.
US employers added 172,000 jobs in May, far exceeding economists' expectations, while the unemployment rate held steady, MarketWatch reports.
Nvidia is launching a new processor series for Windows laptops called Spark, designed to accelerate AI applications and games directly on the device without relying on a cloud connection, the company announced.
Average UK house prices unexpectedly fell by 0.1% in May to £298,806, marking the third consecutive monthly decline. Rising mortgage rates fueled by the war in Iran are the cause, according to Halifax.
The DAX opened slightly lower on Thursday. Investors are focused on the US labor market report, which is crucial for the Federal Reserve's monetary policy.
External auditors have found indications of irregularities at the defense company KNDS. The company announced personnel consequences.
Chinese construction machinery and equipment manufacturer Sany has delivered the first units of its electric long-haul truck in Germany, according to the company.
Starting July 1, orders from non-EU retailers will become more expensive. The European Union aims to curb cheap imports and limit the flood of parcels from China with new charges, according to t3n.
The DAX rose slightly on Wednesday. According to Handelsblatt, figures from the US are dampening hopes for further gains in chip stocks.
British business secretary Peter Kyle will travel to Brussels on Friday to negotiate with EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič over planned cuts to tariff-free steel imports. The EU intends to reduce tariff-free imports from non-EU countries by 47% compared to 2024 levels from July, a move the UK steel industry calls 'devastating'.
Germany's leading stock index, the DAX, dropped below the 25,000-point mark on Wednesday, driven by escalating tensions in the Iran war and new US tariff threats.
The European Commission has removed Greece from its list of countries with macroeconomic imbalances. Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed the decision, as reported by Deutschlandfunk.
The Union has rejected a reform of the joint tax assessment for married couples (Ehegattensplitting). A concept for redesigning the tax advantage, presented by economists, is well received at the Finance Ministry, as the FAZ reports, but implementation is considered unlikely.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has lowered its growth forecast for the global economy, citing the impact of the Iran war.
Germany's weak economy is taking a heavy toll on the budget of the Federal Employment Agency (BA). According to Tagesspiegel, the agency is heading for a deficit in the billions.
The DAX opened the trading week lower on Monday and fell below the psychologically important 25,000-point mark. According to Handelsblatt, oil prices are rising due to growing uncertainty surrounding the Iran war.
Australia's economy slowed sharply in early 2026, with real GDP growing just 0.3 percent in the first quarter, down from 0.9 percent in late 2025. Living standards are declining again, according to the Guardian.
US Donald Trump has issued a new decree on artificial intelligence, as reported by Heise. Meanwhile, Microsoft presented a quantum chip and the Surface with Spark at its Build conference.
The European Union is working on a reform of air passenger rights, but has yet to find a compromise. According to the FAZ, an agreement on compensation for delays is not in sight.
German homeowners' interest in solar panels had recently declined, but the Iran war and Minister Reiche are giving photovoltaics a special boom, as Tagesspiegel reports.
Germany's leading index DAX was trading higher on Wednesday. Contradictory statements about the Iran war have left markets unfazed so far, according to Handelsblatt.
Inflation in the eurozone rose to 3.2 percent in May, driven by higher oil prices due to the Iran war, according to Tagesschau.
Contradictory statements on the Iran negotiations are causing uncertainty in the markets, according to Handelsblatt. Meanwhile, analysts expect a rise in inflation in the eurozone.
Anthropic, the company behind the chatbot Claude, has filed for an initial public offering. The US firm was recently valued at $965 billion, according to Spiegel.
The German government has presented its health reform. According to Spiegel, the plans affect insured individuals very differently.
US stock markets extended their rally, with all three major indices hitting new record highs. Dell shares surged 28 percent, according to Handelsblatt.