Category: 3. Business

1. DeSantis sees custom chips, AI models, and quantum computing as reinforcing technologies

2. He’s most excited about getting Graviton 5, Trainium3, and Nova Forge into customers’ hands

3. He plans to deepen Nova integration across retail, Alexa, ads, and operations

4. DeSantis says Amazon attracts missionaries who want to build transformative technology that ships

5. After 27 years, he says Amazon still operates like the startup he joined

A spell of freezing weather bringing heavy snowfall and ice has caused transport disruption across western Europe.

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled at several airports, while Eurostar services and haulage have also been affected.

More than 700 flights were cancelled at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, a major regional transport hub, on Wednesday. Meanwhile, France’s civil aviation authority has asked airlines to cut 40% of flights scheduled for the main international airport in Paris.

At least six people have died in weather-related incidents across Europe this week -five in France and one in Bosnia.

Dutch national airline KLM warned Schiphol Airport was close to running out of de-icing fluid after days of freezing conditions.

Spokesperson Stephan Donker told news agency Reuters that it was an “exceptional situation” at the Dutch airport, where more than 1,000 travellers spent the night.

A few hundred beds have been set up there before and after security checks with food and drinks also provided, he said.

Donker warned of knock-on effects from the disruption, with further delays and cancellations possible in coming days.

In Paris, more than 100 flights were cancelled at Charles de Gaulle airport and 40 more at Orly.

Dozens of fllights have been delayed or cancelled in and out of Heathrow and Brussels.

Some Eurostar rail services between London and Paris were delayed or cancelled on Wednesday.

Almost half of mainland France was on alert for heavy snow and black ice, with lorries banned from the roads in some areas.

“It’s better to be here than stuck on the road,” driver Carle Bruno told news agency AFP at a roadside service station in the northern port of Le Havre.

Five people died in two separate regions of France earlier this week as a result of treacherous driving conditions, authorities said, while a woman was also killed in Bosnia’s capital, Sarajevo, after 40cm (16in) of snow fell on the city.

In Paris, Guinean teenager Boubacar Camara, sleeping in a tent on the outskirts of the city, told AFP he had “no choice but to keep on going”.

“You just have to stay strong [and] make sure you don’t die,” the 19-year-old said. “We can’t do anything about the cold. I’m not used to this at all.”

The rare sight of the French capital covered in snow drew residents and tourists out to ski down the slopes of Montmartre and along the Champs de Mars gardens below the Eiffel Tower.

“It’s exceptional, it’s incredible,” said Pierre, a Parisian. “It’s magnificent and we’re enjoying it. We also came across a lot of tourists and they look so happy.”

At 7 a.m., French transport company RATP announced that all bus services would be suspended “at least until noon” until safety conditions improve. The same measure was taken by Île-de-France Mobilités. The Paris metro remains unaffected and continues to operate normally.

Highway N118 was closed in both directions due to icy conditions, following a decision by the police prefect. Road traffic in the Île-de-France region deteriorated rapidly: from relatively minor congestion at 8 a.m. to more than 700 km of jams by 9 a.m., later surging to 950 km. This comes just two days after Monday’s record of 1,019 km.

Rail services were also hit hard. At Saint-Lazare station, the TER from Rouen was delayed by 50 minutes, while the train from Le Havre was 1 hour 20 minutes late. At Montparnasse, the TGV to La Rochelle was cancelled, and at Gare de Lyon, all trains from Lyon faced delays of at least an hour.

Some 100 flights were cancelled at Charles de Gaulle Airport and 40 flights at Orly Airport.

Earlier, it was reported that blizzards and strong winds hit Astana on January 6, rescuers urged residents to stay home.

January 7, 2026 | Austin, Texas
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Press Release

Governor Greg Abbott today touted the strength of the Texas economy as the state set new records for the number of Texans working and the size of the Texas labor force. Texas also continues to grow jobs at a faster annual rate than the U.S. as a whole based on November employment data.

“Texas offers boundless opportunities for hardworking Texans and innovative entrepreneurs to thrive,” said Governor Abbott. “We see proof of that promise as more Texans are working than ever in the history of our great state. Thanks to the strength of our economy and our skilled workforce, we continue to attract new business investments and spur job growth across dynamic and diverse industries. Texas is where the future is being built.”

November labor market data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows:

• Texas reached a new high with the largest labor force ever in the state’s history at 15,938,500.
• Texas reached a new high for Texans working, including self-employed, at 15,264,700.
• Texas nonfarm jobs totaled 14,321,000 after adding 7,300 positions over the month.
• Texas gained 146,300 jobs from November 2024 to November 2025, more than any other state and outpacing the national annual job growth rate by 0.4 percentage points.
• The Texas unemployment rate registered at 4.2%, below the U.S. unemployment rate of 4.6%.

Governor Abbott recently celebrated a year of economic triumphs for Texas, the No. 1 state in the nation for record-setting business expansions thanks to the best business climate and strongest workforce in America.

Parks across Brumby have been given getting a winter refresh over the Christmas and New Year period, with the green spaces and play areas given a spruce up ahead of spring.

Work has already taken place at Riddings, Parkwood and Asterby parks, with teams focusing on practical jobs that make the biggest visible difference.

Cllr Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “This is about getting our parks into good shape so families can really enjoy them when the better weather arrives. By using the winter period wisely, we can make quick, visible improvements that make a real difference to how these spaces look and feel.

“We’ve committed to investing in parks and green spaces right across North Lincolnshire and that will continue.”

Sites have been cleaned and tided, landscaping freshened up, worn or broken equipment removed – with items reused where possible, safety surfacing fixed and signs updated – all timed to make the most of quieter winter weeks.

Cllr Len Foster, ward councillor for Brumby and leader of the opposition, said: “It’s great to see the parks in Brumby getting some attention over the winter. These are well-used spaces, and this kind of refresh helps make sure they’re welcoming, safe and ready for the months ahead.”

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Westminster City Council has published its City Plan Partial Review, setting out strengthened planning policies on retrofitting, affordable housing, and identifying four new, large development sites, following three years of engagement with residents, businesses, developers and local stakeholders.

At the centre of the review is Westminster’s new Retrofit First policy, placing the city at the forefront of local government action on climate change. The policy requires developers to fully explore all reasonable options for retrofitting and adapting existing buildings before seeking permission for demolition and redevelopment. It recognises that not all buildings can be retrofitted, and therefore takes a retrofit-first, not retrofit-only approach. 

The urgency behind the new policy is clear: the built environment accounts for 90% of Westminster’s total CO₂ emissions, compared with around 40% for a typical local authority. 

In the first half of 2025, the council’s Sustainability Team tracked the carbon performance of 19 schemes which went through planning, collectively delivering over 143,000sqm of high-quality new and refurbished office, hotel and retail floorspace. Working with applicants closely, the council has achieved a 24% reduction in construction-related carbon emissions compared to the average emissions when the policy was published in 2023. This equals 27,500 tonnes of CO2 saved, the same as the annual energy usage of nearly 3,700 homes.

In addition to its sustainability measures, the City Plan Partial Review introduces tougher requirements to deliver genuinely affordable homes. The affordable housing split in new developments will shift from 40% to 70% social rent, and from 60% to 30% intermediate homes. For the first time, sites proposing fewer than 10 homes will also be required to contribute to affordable housing delivery.

The review also identifies four strategic sites with significant potential for mixed-use development: St Mary’s Hospital, Westbourne Park Bus Garage, land adjacent to Royal Oak, and Grosvenor Sidings. These allocations provide developers and landowners with clear planning guidance to unlock new homes, modern workspaces, improved public spaces, and a new, state-of-the-art St Mary’s Hospital.

Cllr Geoff Barraclough, Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development, said:

“The City Plan Partial Review focuses our efforts on the most important challenges facing Westminster: tackling the climate crisis and delivering more genuinely affordable homes.

“Our Retrofit First policy sets a new benchmark for local authorities. It will help reduce carbon emissions from today’s buildings and has the potential to be the biggest single emissions-reduction initiative undertaken by any council in the country.

“We are also strengthening our commitment to affordable housing by increasing the proportion of social rent homes in new developments and ensuring smaller sites also play their part.

“Taken together, these policies create a roadmap to a fairer, healthier and more welcoming Westminster – one that works for today’s residents and for generations to come.”