TotalEnergies SE (NYSE:TTE) reported second-quarter adjusted net income of $6 billion on July 23, 2026, up 67% year-over-year and its best quarter in nearly three years.
The gain traced almost entirely to the Iran war, as Hormuz disruption pushed crude and gas prices to multi-year highs and lifted European refining margins while Middle East capacity stayed offline. Refining and chemicals income rose 362% to $1.8 billion, and exploration and production earnings climbed 64% to $3.2 billion.
CEO Patrick Pouyanné called the strait a battleground and said closures could become normal, leaving the real question: what the company looks like once that windfall fades.
LNG is where that question starts to get answered, and the quarter alone was not encouraging.
The segment earned $807 million, a 22% decline the company attributed to trading underperformance amid flat European demand, though Pouyanné said prices rallied in July.

#july #european #question

Uefa will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday, where the prospect of boycotting the World Cup will be discussed as leverage against Gianni Infantino's controversial plan to privatise the tournament.
Next steps with the European Union will also be raised, as the European Commission scrutinises whether Infantino's project contravenes protections that are afforded as regards competition law.
Fifa's plan has provoked fury in most of the European game, to the point that an alliance of all major stakeholders is gaining strength.
Bodies including the Football ******* ociation, European Leagues, European Football Clubs, the Union of European Clubs, the Football Supporters ******* ociation and Football Supporters Europe have already released strident statements, mostly condemning the lack of proper process, but with some going much further and demanding drastic change at the top of the game.
Figures within the national ******* ociations and Uefa's structure are most infuriated by the unilateral nature in which Infantino has come up with the plan as well as the very prospect of privatisation, and how it has been presented to federations with a limited timeframe of 53 days before what amounts to a binary vote amid the "bribery" of those who agree being guaranteed higher returns.

#plan #union #prospect #uefa

Vinted, one of Europe's largest marketplaces for buying and selling pre-owned items between private individuals, will direct customers in Germany to ship or exchange goods through DHL Group's (XETRA: DHL) network of parcel lockers and digital kiosks, under a new strategic partnership aimed at making peer-to-peer purchases as convenient as ones through online retailers.
Private-party sales of used items through online marketplaces have become very popular in Germany. According to the latest DHL E-Commerce Trends Report, 67% of online shoppers in the country have already sold items via a digital platform.
Vinted and DHL announced Wednesday they are working together to expand and simplify the shipping and collection of Vinted parcels through DHL's network of Packstations (automated, self-service locker systems that allows users to send, receive and drop-off parcels around the clock), Poststations (digital Deutsche Post retail outlets where users can take care of postal business) and DeinFach lockers (a carrier neutral parcel locker network).
DHL operates the most extensive parcel shipping network in Germany, including 41,000 parcel drop-off and collection points at post offices, parcel shops and automated facilities.
The Vinted collaboration builds on a multi-month pilot program that both companies recently completed, DHL spokeswoman Sarah Preuss explained in an email message.

#parcel

Josko Gvardiol was reportedly ******* ured of his central importance to Manchester City during discussions over his new contract.
The Athletic's Sam Lee claims Gvardiol is viewed as one of three "central pillars" of Enzo Maresca's squad, alongside Phil Foden and Erling Haaland.
The revelation offers fresh insight into why City moved so decisively to tie Gvardiol down until 2031 despite interest from Real Madrid.
Manchester City view Josko Gvardiol as one of three central pillars within their first-team squad, according to a new insider report.
The latest insight arrives as Gvardiol's new Manchester City contract was officially confirmed by the club, following weeks in which the defender had been strongly linked with a move to several European giants including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

#gvardiol #pillars

The English Football ******* ociation has issued a statement declaring it is 'deeply concerned' by Gianni Infantino's proposals to commercialize the World Cup. FIFA announced on Tuesday — following leaked reports of its intentions — that it planned to expand 'football development funding' to more than $10billion by opening up its competitions, including the World Cup, to third-party investment.
Reports suggest that Infantino stands to personally profit substantially from private investors. European confederation UEFA released a strongly worded statement accusing FIFA of 'crossing the line', while UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham declared that FIFA had 'sold out'.
The FA have now weighed in with a statement published on Wednesday, via The Mirror, which read: "We were completely unaware of this proposal and have no substantive details, including what the proposition actually is, and what conditions are attached.
Donald Trump sparks outrage with Harry Kane World Cup comments
Wrexham fans set to gather in New York ahead of landmark Liverpool match at Yankee Stadium

#fifa #association

The vice-president of the German FA (DFB) on Wednesday slammed FIFA's controversial plans to sell stakes in its competitions, including the World Cup, as "an outright attack on football".
FIFA announced Tuesday it was set to create a semi-private subsidiary which would sell part of its business operations in the World Cup and other competitions, hoping to raise $4.2 billion.
The plan would still have to be approved by the 38-member FIFA council and the majority of its 211 member **** ociations. FIFA said it intends to present the plans to the council soon.
Hans-Joachim Watzke, the DFB vice-president who is also president of Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund and a vice-president of UEFA's executive committee, joined the chorus critical of the proposal.
"Many in European football see FIFA's plans as an outright attack on football. I share this view. A line has been crossed here," Watzke told Germany's Kicker.

#plans #Football #watzke #sell

The European Union has joined the Union of European Football ***** ociations (UEFA) in criticising FIFA's controversial plan to launch a new commercial company with external investment to sell a stake in the World Cup.
"The relentless commercialisation of football has become corrosive," EU Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef wrote on X on Wednesday. He added that a possible alignment of FIFA's regulatory powers with the financial interests of private entities is a concern for the European Commission.
FIFA announced on Tuesday it plans to create a $20 billion (around €17.6 billion) subsidiary to run the World Cup and other events, offering stakes of up to 20% to external investors. This would give FIFA members the chance "to access up to $20 million in one-off capital," according to the statement on the plan.
The move provoked a furious response from UEFA, which accused the football governing body of putting the game's "soul" up for sale.
"The European Commission will study these proposals carefully," Micallef said in response to the announcement, flagging that under EU treaties sporting rules are subject to EU law where they may have an impact on the European economy.

#World #fifa

Paris Saint-Germain are not expected to attempt to sign AFC Bournemouth's Éli Junior Kroupi (20) this summer, according to reports from RMC Sport.
Whilst seeking an attacking reinforcement to compensate for the departures of Gonçalo Ramos (24), Lee Kang-in (25) and Randal Kolo Muani (27), the Rouge et Bleu management have not, for the time being, opened the door to the young striker's arrival in the capital, although he is reportedly interested in the project and has supporters within the club.
However, given the Cherries' determination to keep him and the potential cost of prising him away, the Kroupi deal is not currently a priority. A sum in excess of €100m is said to be the minimum required for any club wishing to secure his services.
Meanwhile, Barcelona's Ferran Torres (26) and Atalanta's Charles de Ketelaere (25) – whose names have already been linked with the two-time European champions – are on Paris's shortlist. So too is a third player, whose identity has not yet been revealed.
GFFN | Léo Aschi

#Paris #sport

FIFA will ask its 211 member ******* ociations to vote on its controversial plan to sell minority stakes in the World Cup in September, multiple outlets reported—although the plan has already been criticized by soccer governing bodies in the Americas, Asia and Europe.
FIFA confirmed plans to raise $4.2 billion for a new entity controlling the nonprofit's "commercial and event operations" at a $20 billion equity valuation.
In a deal first reported by The Times and the Financial Times, FIFA is planning to raise an estimated $4.2 billion in 2026 by selling a reported 20% minority stake in a new subsidiary at an equity valuation of $20 billion.
FIFA confirmed the plans in an announcement on Tuesday morning, which said the new company would be called FIFA Forward Enterprise and would control the nonprofit organization's "commercial and event operations."
FIFA's 211 member ******* ociations would each be given $20 million in funding if the deal goes through, the organization said, and annual funds to members would continue increasing through 2038.

#reported #associations #minority #plans

Formula One is seriously considering shifting its season finale as the U.S.–Iran war continues in the Middle East.
F1 president Stefano Domenicali told reporters on Wednesday that the finale of the 2026 season will be hosted in Europe if the "situation will not be cleared the way that we believe it should be." The last two races on the calendar are in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
"For us today, the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are confirmed," Domenicali said. "By the way, they are already sold out."
He added that the deadline to make a decision is in the "middle of September."
F1 was slated to have a record-tying 24 races to start the season, but that quickly changed after races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were canceled in March and April, respectively, due to the war.

#formula #Iran

While European football stands united in opposition to FIFA's latest multi-billion-dollar commercial scheme, one prominent member ******* ociation boss has chosen to take a very different stance.
The general consensus on FIFA's $20 billion commercial spinoff is simple: if money talks, Gianni Infantino has turned the volume up to maximum, while Europe has hit the mute ******* on.
FIFA's non-European federations are practically drooling over promised $20 million development payouts, viewing the private equity cash-in as a windfall.
Meanwhile, UEFA, European clubs, and fans are horrified, insisting the "soul of football isn't for sale".
In short: FIFA wants to sell a slice of its World Cup pie to Wall Street to enrich smaller nations, while Europe fears private investors will turn the beautiful game into a corporate cash grab.

#Football #private #infantino

Gianni Infantino has told the heads of Fifa's 211 member **** ociations that they could miss out on a $30m payment if they do not back his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, and has given them just 53 days to decide.
On Tuesday, Fifa revealed plans to create a new subsidiary to manage the commercial rights and delivery of the World Cup and other major tournaments, with Infantino confirming that the new company - 'Fifa Forward Enterprises (FFE)' - would be open to external capital investment.
Infantino's plans have been heavily criticised by Uefa, who accused Fifa of looking to sell the game's "soul", while The Independent understands the threat of a boycott is being discussed by senior European figures. The proposals, though, only require a majority vote, of above 50 per cent, from the 211 Fifa members as well as backing from the Fifa Council.
Infantino is planning to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors (PA)
In a letter to the member **** ociations, seen by The Independent, Infantino has promised that national federations would benefit from an increase of its 'Fifa Forward' funding from around $8m to $20m for the upcoming four-year cycle between 2027 and 2031 if the new FFE subsidiary is created.

#member #associations #stakes

Aston Villa are still awaiting the outcome of their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as they try to register Brian Madjo, who joined from Metz for £10m in January and does not turn 18 until January next year.
Under-18s cannot complete international transfers, but Villa have argued Madjo was born in London and should be exempt, despite having three caps for Luxembourg.
Fifa does allow some exemptions for minor players to make moves, including if a 16 or 17-year-old transfers within the European Union - something the UK is no longer part of.
At 6ft 4in, Madjo has already been compared to Belgium's Romelu Lukaku and his leveller against Real Sociedad to make it 2-2 after 56 minutes was simple enough but showed a predatory instinct.
He was a handful for Real, with strength and power unsettling the visiting defenders and, with Ollie Watkins still on a break following England's World Cup campaign and Tammy Abraham returning from a shoulder issue, Madjo has the chance to impress.

#january #real #transfers #aston

After an eventful couple of months, Yan Diomande, one of football's top young prospects, is about to get his wish of joining a European powerhouse.
The 19-year-old is signing with Real Madrid in what can only be described as a record-setting transfer.
The Spanish giants will pay more than £100m for Diomande - making him a new record sale for RB Leipzig and he is expected to also become a new record signing for Real Madrid.
Simultaneously, Diomande becomes the most expensive African player in history.
His rise to stardom has also occurred seemingly in record time as less than 18 months ago he was almost completely unknown.

#european #leipzig #simultaneously

Video ******* istant referees should only be used to change "blatantly incorrect" decisions and clear missed incidents, say European refereeing officials.
Chief refereeing officers from all 55 European national football ******* ociations met last week with Uefa refereeing officials and a representative from the International Football ******* ociation Board (Ifab) to address recent changes to the game's laws.
Attendees said "lengthy, microscoping reviews" indicate VAR has gone beyond its original scope.
When VAR was added to the laws of the game in 2018 by football's rulemakers Ifab, its "philosophy" was "minimum interference - maximum benefit", with the intention of reducing "unfairness caused by clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents" relating to goals, penalties, direct red cards and mistaken identity.
Uefa said that at its recent meeting that refereeing bosses agreed a return to those original aims is needed.

#Football #clear #incidents #officials

Abde Ezzalzouli has become one of the biggest names in the transfer market after enjoying the best season of his career with Real Betis.
The Moroccan winger was a key attacking outlet for Manuel Pellegrini during 2025-26, contributing 15 goals and 13 **** ists in 43 official matches, numbers that have significantly boosted his profile across Europe.
That form, however, was cut short by a knee ligament injury that ruled him out of Morocco's World Cup, denying him the chance to further enhance his reputation on the biggest stage.
Abde's future still remains unsure. (Photo by Vincent Carchietta/Getty Images)
According to Diario SPORT, Roma are now considering Abde as a potential attacking reinforcement, with the Italian club evaluating him among their options for the summer window.

#abde #manuel

Darcey Harry says she has come to "hate" calls for patience during what has been a more challenging second season on the Ladies European Tour (LET).
After her successes as a rookie in 2025, Wales' number one golfer hopes this week's return to the Women's Open could spark an upturn in form.
Harry has a place in the field at Royal Lytham & St Annes courtesy of her performances last year, when she finished a lofty 14th in the LET order of merit despite the fact she had only just turned professional.
But 2026 has been more of a struggle for the 23-year-old from Dinas Powys, who has missed the cut in three of her past four tournaments and was forced to withdraw from the other because of injury after only a handful of holes.
"My results are definitely reflecting that it's harder second time around [on tour] because the expectations are just so high," Harry told BBC Sport Wales.

#only #ladies #open

Greece have called up the brother of Australia batter Sam Konstas to their national cricket team as they prepare to make a surprise bid to qualify for the 2028 men's T20 World Cup.
It is understood Billy Konstas, four years older than Sam at 24, has been included in Greece's 14-man squad for a European qualifying event in Finland from 14 to 21 August.
Sam made his Test debut for Australia at the age of 19 against India in the Boxing Day Test in 2024, memorably ramping Jasprit ***** rah three times in one over.
Billy plays grade cricket in Sydney alongside his day job where he combines cricket coaching with physiotherapy.
The elder Konstas is joined in the squad by another Greek-Aussie in 21-year-old leg-spinning all-rounder Blake Faunce, who played representative age-group cricket for Australian Capital Territory.

#european

Tottenham Hotspur continue their pre-season campaign against the Australian side Sydney FC on Wednesday at the Allianz Stadium
Date: Wednesday, 29th July
Kick-off: 10:45am BST.
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney.
Sydney FC enters this high-profile friendly looking to test their squad against elite European opposition under head coach Patrick Kisnorbo.

#kick

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Updated July 27, 2026 1:03 pm ET
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French luxury-goods conglomerate LVMH MC 0.75%
increase; up pointing triangle
reported an acceleration in revenue growth for the second quarter and said that its core fashion and leather goods business returned to growth, offering signs of relief for a European luxury sector that has been grappling with a prolonged slump in demand.

#luxury #goods #french

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is seeking to position itself as the platform of choice for enterprise frontier AI adoption. It is part of the company's strategy of extending its cloud platform, Azure, beyond traditional infrastructure into the foundation for nmext-generation AI computing.
That was evident on July 21, as the software giant confirmed the expansion of its strategic partnership with Mistral. The collaboration is designed to give enterprises and regulated industries access to frontier AI models that they can deploy with greater control over security, governance, and compliance.
The expanded partnership reinforces Microsoft's ambition to become the trusted AI infrastructure provider for highly regulated industries, including financial services, healthcare, government, defense, energy, and manufacturing.
As part of this agreement, Microsoft will use Mistral's expanding European GPU infrastructure. Mistral, on the other hand, has added its AI models called Medium 3.5 and OCR 4 to Microsoft's app builder known as Foundry; while Microsoft Copilot Studio has brought on Medium 3.5 ⁠as well.
Photo by Microsoft 365 on Unsplash

#frontier

Our ***** ysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here.
Boring wins again. Italgas, the pipe company ***** ody talks about at parties, just posted a record 81% margin and 25% EBITDA growth by doing something shockingly simple: buying a rival and actually integrating it well.
Italgas, Europe's largest gas distributor, posted first-half adjusted EBITDA of €1.07 billion, up 25% year over year. Total adjusted revenue climbed to €1.32 billion, up 17.5%, and adjusted net profit rose 27.3% to €398.6 million. CEO Paolo Gallo called the margin the highest in company history.
The engine behind all of it is last year's acquisition of 2i Rete Gas. Italgas has already banked roughly 42% of its 2032 synergy target, capturing about €130 million in savings in just six months, against €35 million for all of 2025 combined. Total operating costs fell 6.4% even after absorbing the new company's cost base, and dropped more than 20% on a like-for-like basis. Full-year guidance and the long-range strategic plan both stayed intact.
There's no oil-price guessing game here, no battery race, no app anyone needs to fall in love with. Italgas owns pipes under regulated contracts and gets paid to keep them running. The 2i Rete Gas numbers prove something specific: this deal wasn't just about scale, it was about actually finding the overlap in networks, contracts, IT systems, and procurement, and squeezing real money out of it, faster than the integration playbook usually allows.

#italgas #total #company #posted

The NBA is in expansion mode.
As well as the would-be franchises in Vegas and Seattle reportedly attracting bids of up to $10bn, commissioner Adam Silver wants the NBA to expand its horizons into Europe.
Across the Atlantic, NBA Europe franchises – and there are going to be at least 12 of them – are fetching bids of at least $500m, potentially up to and beyond $1bn.
There are kinks to iron out there, but Silver sees NBA Europe as his legacy project. One way or another, it is going to happen.
With a 2027 launch date targeted for NBA Europe, the Vegas franchise likely to launch in the 2028-29 season and Seattle soon after, it could be a very lucrative few years for the league.

#franchises #going #least #launch

OXFORD — Ole Miss basketball coach Chris Beard has hired an ******* istant with a wealth of European basketball experience to his staff.
Petar Aleksić was named an ******* istant coach for the Rebels on July 28.
"Petar has built a reputation as a winner everywhere he's coached," Beard said in a school release. "His experience developing players, leading championship programs and competing at the highest levels of European basketball brings tremendous value to our staff. He's a teacher, a proven leader and someone who shares our commitment to building a championship culture at Ole Miss."
Beard was an ******* istant coach under Aleksić for the 2015 Swiss National Team in EuroBasket. That team upset Russia in the second qualifying round of the tournament. Aleksić also spent time with the Rebels in 2024-25 when Ole Miss reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
Aleksić spent 10 seasons (2013-23) as the coach of Fribourg Olympic, a professional team, and has also served as coach of the Swiss men's national team from 2013-17. Aleksić had a 17-year professional playing career competing in the Yugoslav First and Second divisions, as well as in Hungary and Switzerland.

#rebels

Rodri enhanced his reputation with his performances for Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He led Spain to World Cup glory and his performances during the latter stages of the tournament reminded everyone that the Manchester City midfield mainstay remains one of the premier midfielders in European football. Following the World Cup, Rodri's stock couldn't be higher. However, he was scheduled to have back surgery after the competition. Manchester City have confirmed that Rodri has now undergone back surgery. Also, due to his performances at the World Cup, there are doubts over Rodri's future at City as Real Madrid circle.
In an announcement on mancity.com, it has been confirmed that Rodri has undergone minor back surgery. As per Manchester City's statement, Rodri has been feeling discomfort in his back for some time. The surgery that Rodri has undertaken will alleviate the issue and the Ballon d'Or-winning midfielder will now enter a short period of rehabilitation ahead of joining up with Enzo Maresca's squad for the latter stages of Manchester City's preseason.
Having undergone back surgery, Rodri should be ready to go for the 2026-27 season. Manchester City will need their midfield general ready to go based on how integral he is to their chances next season. However, there is an elephant in the room. A major one. That is will Rodri be at Manchester City for next season? He is in the final 12 months of his contract and Real Madrid are circling one of Manchester City's key ***** ets.
Spanish publication Marca has reported that Real Madrid are looking to sign Rodri this summer. It is reported that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is preparing to push to sign the World Cup winner. Also, it is believed that new Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is eager to add Rodri's leadership, ability in possession, tactical discipline and ability to manage a game to his squad. It now remains to be seen if Real Madrid will begin negotiations with Manchester City to sign Rodri.
Rodri has undergone back surgery on a minor issue. It is hoped that he will be ready for the 2026-27 season following that procedure. It now remains to be seen where Rodri will play next season. That is the biggest question mark surrounding Manchester City's midfield general.

#rodri #World #surgery

England's number one Hannah Hampton has signed a new two-year contract with Chelsea.
Hampton joined Chelsea from Aston Villa in 2023, and has gone on to cement herself as both Chelsea and England's first choice goalkeeper.
Over the past three years, she's won five trophies with Chelsea, starred for England as the Lionesses retained their European **** le and was awarded the Yashin Trophy at the Ballon d'Or awards in 2025, recognising her as the best goalkeeper in the world.
The 25-year-old was born in Birmingham but moved to Spain at the age of five. It was at Villarreal where she showed her potential, initially as an outfield player, before moving back to the UK just before her 11th birthday.
Hampton switched to become a goalkeeper a year later while at Stoke City before a move to Birmingham City aged 15. She excelled during her time with Birmingham City.

#five

After the commercial success of the World Cup, MLS is seeing dollar signs.
Ticket sales have boomed since the final on 19 July, when Lionel Messi's Argentina were vanquished by Spain. For FIFA, Messi and Argentina getting to the final in New Jersey was the optimal outcome – it sustained casual fans' interest for the duration of the tournament and kept the get-in price sky-high.
In Europe and South America, there has been a monumental backlash to the overt commercialisation of the World Cup.
Indeed, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino having crossed the Rubicon and now looking to sell a stake in FIFA itself, the 2026 World Cup might be remembered as the start of a great schism in the sport.
But for Major League Soccer, whose outgoing president of 27 years Don Garber thinks the league can topple the English Premier League as soccer's most commercially valuable, the summer of 2026 cannot be seen as anything but an unbridled success.

#league #Argentina #final

Boston Celtics big man Neemias Queta will be suiting up for his Portuguese National Team in FIBA World Cup play this summer in the qualifier window games set to go down in Europe, according to new reporting from Eurohoops Dot Net contributor Stefan Acevski.
Per the Eurohoops Dot Net reporter, Portugal finished their slate of games in the initial phase of the qualifier games with an overall record of 3-3, and is now waiting for the start of the second round of FIBA World Cup qualifying play. In the first segment of that play, they will take on the Spanish National Team on August 28 and play host to the Georgian National Team this August 31.
"The roster of 16 players for these matches has now been announced, with the standout name being Neemias Queta, who recently extended his contract," adds Acevski.
Coming off a season that saw the Lisbon native have the best regular season of his NBA career to date, only to stumble in postseason play, more high-leverage action for Queta ahead of Boston's looming 2026-27 regular season can only help his development.
Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on:

#season #eurohoops

The European Commission (EC) has approved Saica Group's acquisition of Thimm Group plants in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania.
The deal covers all activities in those four countries, comprising nine corrugated board plants. It also includes one preprint facility in Ilsenburg, Germany.
Saica said the operation will increase its corrugated cardboard production capacity by 1,200 million square metres and add around 2,500 employees.
The acquisition will support its objective of developing local markets and getting closer to customers, it added.
Saica Group president and CEO Susana Alejandro said: "We are very happy to integrate Thimm's team within Saica Group, its knowledge and skills are highly appreciated in the sector. At Saica Group, people makes the difference: they are what drives our organisation. We are convinced they will contribute to Saica's future and its success.

#plants

Millions across the Midwest and parts of the South are set to face another day of dangerously high temperatures while other parts of the country brace for the next round of severe storms. Meanwhile, wildfires in Europe force thousands to flee their homes. NBC's Maggie Vespa reports and TODAY's Al Roker tracks the forecast.

#maggie #roker