Airbus issues major A320 recall after mid-air incident grounds planes, disrupting global travel

Airlines around the world cancelled and delayed flights heading into the weekend after Airbus announced on Friday that it had ordered immediate repairs to 6,000 of its A320 family of jets in a recall affecting more than half of the global fleet.The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the main certifying authority for A320 aircraft, issued the instruction on Friday night as a precautionary action, saying that “safety is paramount”.The US Federal Aviation Administration also issued an emergency airworthiness directive for certain Airbus planes, requiring the aircraft to replace or modify specific software.The fix mainly involves reverting to earlier software and is relatively simple, but must be carried out before the planes can fly again, according to the bulletin to airlines seen by Reuters.Of the 6,000 jets affected, a sub-set will need a time-consuming hardware change rather than a quick software fix, though the number that require more extensive fixes was smaller than the initial estimates of 1,000, Airbus said

US small businesses sound alarm over Trump’s tariffs amid crucial holiday season

Donald Trump’s tariffs have increased prices on an array of popular holiday goods and driven a “massive” number of small firms out of business, industry leaders have warned.On Small Business Saturday, firms have their fingers crossed that strong holiday sales will ease the impact of a tough year. But many aren’t holding their breath.“My husband and I have invested a lot of our retirement money into this business,” Joann Cartiglia, owner of Queen’s Treasures, a toy company in Ticonderoga, New York, during a press briefing organized by We Pay the Tariffs, a coalition of small businesses, this week. “And now I have absolutely no hope of retirement

How big tech is creating its own friendly media bubble to ‘win the narrative battle online’

At a time when distrust of big tech is high, Silicon Valley is embracing an alternative ecosystem where every CEO is a starA montage of Palantir’s CEO, Alex Karp, and waving US flags set to a remix of AC/DC’s Thunderstruck blasts out as the intro for the tech billionaire’s interview with Sourcery, a YouTube show presented by the digital finance platform Brex. Over the course of a friendly walk through the company offices, Karp fields no questions about Palantir’s controversial ties to ICE but instead extolls the company’s virtues, brandishes a sword and discusses how he exhumed the remains of his childhood dog Rosita to rebury them near his current home.“That’s really sweet,” host Molly O’Shea tells Karp.If you are looking to hear from some of tech’s most powerful people, you will increasingly find them on a constellation of shows and podcasts like Sourcery that provide a safe space for an industry that is wary, if not openly hostile, towards critical media outlets. Some of the new media outlets are created by the companies themselves

More than 1,000 Amazon workers warn rapid AI rollout threatens jobs and climate

More than 1,000 Amazon employees have signed an open letter expressing “serious concerns” about AI development, saying that the company’s “all-costs justified, warp speed” approach to the powerful technology will cause damage to “democracy, to our jobs, and to the earth.”The letter, published on Wednesday, was signed by the Amazon workers anonymously, and comes a month after Amazon announced mass layoff plans as it increases adoption of AI in its operations.Among the signatories are staffers in a range of positions, including engineers, product managers and warehouse associates.Reflecting broader AI concerns across the industry, the letter was also supported by more than 2,400 workers from companies including Meta, Google, Apple and Microsoft.The letter contains a range of demands for Amazon, concerning its impact on the workplace and the environment

Eli Katoa hopeful of NRL return as he pays tribute to partner and Storm after brain surgery

Eli Katoa remains hopeful of a return to the NRL, saying his recovery from brain surgery is “going well” as he paid tribute to his partner and fans for supporting him.Katoa was ruled out of the 2026 NRL season after undergoing emergency surgery in New Zealand to treat a brain bleed that he suffered while playing for Tonga in the Pacific Championships in early November.The Melbourne Storm second-rower’s career was thrown into doubt after he suffered three head knocks in 90 minutes and required oxygen on the sidelines.Katoa spent more than two weeks in hospital before consulting with specialists in Melbourne, who advised that he not play next season.The 25-year-old is continuing his rehabilitation and recovery under the watch of the Storm medical staff, and said he hoped to play again

Kangaroos stare down brave Lions to prove even the loftiest AFLW dreams can come true

A foregone conclusion, it was said.North Melbourne had already done the impossible. They’d won last year’s flag after an undefeated season, and then followed it up with an astonishing second season of the same in 2025. On paper, a gaping chasm seemed to separate them from the rest of the competition. They were untouchable, unbeatable, and going back-to-back was the only possible outcome