real-time news
from real people

(AWP Alliance News) - A troubled joint Franco-German fighter jet project has not failed, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday, amid fears the Future Combat Air System programme could collapse.

Asked at an informal EU leader summit in Cyprus whether the FCAS project, which also involves Spain, had failed, Macron said: 'No, not at all.'

He added that he had held constructive talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the issue.

The two countries' defence ministries have been tasked with working on various areas and different issues over the coming weeks, Macron said, adding that this was not just about FCAS but European security as a whole.

'Europe has never needed unity, greater independence and greater sovereignty as much as it does now.'

FCAS is due to enter operation in 2040 and designed to fly in conjunction with drones, ultimately replacing Germany's Eurofighter and France's Rafale fighter jets. Rafale jets are made by

If realized, FCAS would be the largest and most expensive European armaments project. The total costs are estimated at hundreds of billions of euros.

The companies involved - Dassault Systemes SE, Airbus SE's Airbus Germany and Spain's Indra Sistemas SA - have so far failed to reach an agreement on the construction of the jet, however.

Recent talks involving two mediators have not yielded a mutually acceptable outcome. A failure would be a major setback for European defence cooperation and Franco-German relations.

source: DPA

Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

(AWP Alliance News) - JD Sports Fashion PLC confirmed to Alliance News on Friday that Chief Executive Regis Schultz has the 'continued support' of its board, after the Financial Times reported a rift which sparked the departure of Chair Andrew Higginson this week.

A JD Group spokesperson told Alliance News: 'It was mutually agreed between Andy and the board that this is the right time for a change of chair; there has been no disagreement about the board's continued support for the CEO. The board is grateful for the valuable role that Andy has played during his tenure at the business.'

On Friday, the FT reported that Higginson quit as chair of JD Sports after pushing for CEO Schultz to be ousted and failing to win unanimous backing for the move.

According to FT sources, Higginson made representations to members of the board that Schultz should be replaced as JD boss after a three-and-a-half-year tenure in which the sportswear business has reported slowing sales and struggled in its key North American market.

While some directors agreed with Higginson, it was not a unanimously held view, the sources told the FT.

Majority shareholder Pentland, which owns a 55% stake in JD Sports, indicated that it would continue to back the chief executive.

After Higginson failed to win unanimous backing there was a 'mutual decision' that he would have to be the one to leave, according to FT sources.

JD Sports announced Higginson's departure in a statement on Wednesday, including comments from Schultz thanking him for his 'support and counsel'.

Shares in JD Sports were down 3.1% at 69.86 pence each in London on Friday, and fell around 4% on Wednesday after the departure was announced. Back in 2021, shares traded above 230p.

Higginson, the former chair of supermarket chain William Morrison Supermarkets, joined JD Sports in July 2022. Schulz joined the business in September of that year, after being appointed the month before.

In January, JD Sports said it expected to report financial 2026 profit before tax and adjusting items in line with current market expectations, which it placed at GBP849 million.

This would be down 8.0% from GBP923 million in financial 2025, which in turn was down 4.0% from GBP961 million in financial 2024.

JD Sports' financial year runs to the end of January.

The firm has been hurt by troubles at key supplier Nike Inc, where a hoped-for turnaround is proving elusive, and a broader industry downturn.

Full-year results are due for release on May 7.

By Jeremy Cutler, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

(AWP Alliance News) - French consumer confidence deteriorated in April, according to data released on Friday by France's National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.

The April reading was 84 points, down from 89 points in March, and below FXStreet-cited consensus for an 88-point reading.

Sentiment worsened significantly on a yearly basis, with the 84-point result down from 91 points in April 2025. It was the lowest reading in the past 12 months.

Consumer sentiment surveys are carried out by EU countries on a monthly basis with funding from the European Commission, and the French survey is known as CAMME.

By Holly Munks, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.