THE HOT STORY

Firms evacuate Dubai financial district amid retaliation fears

Citi, Deloitte, and PwC are among firms that have evacuated offices in Dubai due to threats from Iran against US and Israeli economic assets. The evacuations occurred in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) as Iran's military warned of potential attacks on banks and economic targets. PwC will close its offices in the UAE and other Gulf states for the week as a precaution. Iran's central operational command, Khatam al-Anbiya, said "the enemy has given us free rein to target economic centres and banks belonging to the US and the Zionist regime."

Gulf Times

WORKFORCE

Global unions urged to condemn US-Israeli aggression

Representatives from the Supreme Council of Iranian Workers Association (SCIWA) have reached out to Gilbert Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), and Luc Triangle, Secretary-General of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). They condemned the recent military aggression by the US and Israel, and have urged international support for Iranian workers affected by the conflict. The letter highlights the dire situation of workers who have lost jobs and livelihoods due to the ongoing violence, and calls for an international campaign to demand an end to the aggression and assistance for those affected.

Tehran Times

Netherlands moves Iran embassy staff to Azerbaijan

The ⁠Netherlands is to temporarily move its embassy ‌staff in ‌Iran ⁠to ⁠Azerbaijan, citing safety concerns amid ⁠the U.S.-Israeli ⁠war ⁠on Iran. "Due to increasing risks to the ⁠safety of our staff, ⁠it has been decided to temporarily ⁠relocate the activities of the Dutch embassy in Iran to Baku, Azerbaijan," Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen wrote on X.

NL Times

U.S. News

LEGAL

Harrods still has questions to answer about Fayed abuse

Bloomberg says London luxury department store Harrods is still facing questions related to the serial sexual abuse of women by former owner Mohamed Al Fayed. Harrods' own investigation, using law firm Linklaters and a barrister, into whether staff knew about Fayed’s behaviour is concluding this month - but a separate negotiation with hundreds of women represented by a law firm has no fixed date for conclusion. Meanwhile, a soon-to-be-launched campaign group, Justice For Fayed and Harrods Survivors, will call for more accountability, including potentially a public inquiry.

Bloomberg

TECHNOLOGY

Study finds pattern of 'AI brain fry'

A study published in Harvard Business Review suggests that instead of making work easier, AI may be giving some workers what researchers are calling "brain fry." As businesses use more multi-agent systems, employees are finding themselves toggling between more tools, and contrary to the promise of having more time to focus on meaningful work, juggling and multitasking could be set to become the definitive features of working with AI. AI brain fry, defined as "mental fatigue that results from excessive use of, interaction with, and/or oversight of AI tools beyond one's cognitive capacity," was most commonly reported by employees in marketing, HR, operations, engineering, finance and IT in the study.

Harvard Business Review

CBS News

HIRING

Menajobs and Kafa'a relaunch as AI-powered workforce platforms

Menajobs and Kafa'a have relaunched as AI-driven recruitment platforms aimed at transforming employment in the Middle East. These platforms connect government initiatives, private sector needs, and job seekers into a cohesive digital ecosystem. They offer features including intelligent talent matching and workforce analytics, enhancing job discovery and skills development. National ID authentication ensures secure user verification, allowing job seekers to access government support and training. The platforms also provide insights for policymakers to design effective employment strategies, aligning public and private sector goals for economic growth.

Zawya EN

INTERNATIONAL

US immigration crackdown fails to boost jobs, data suggests

One year into President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, evidence suggests that closed borders are not improving employment opportunities for US-born workers. Researchers from the American Enterprise Institute and Brookings Institution estimate that net migration may have been negative in 2025 for the first time in at least 50 years, a situation coinciding with rising joblessness among native-born individuals. “Look at what we're seeing: The US-born unemployment rate has been going up. The US-born labour force participation rate has dropped,” said Mark Regets, a senior fellow at non-partisan research organisation the National Foundation for American Policy. “So if we've had a big withdrawal of immigrants from the labour force, we don't see any sign of the US-born workers getting more employment because of that.”

Los Angeles Times

Lufthansa pilot union calls for two-day strike

Lufthansa faces a two-day pilot walkout starting Thursday, affecting flights operated by the flagship airline and also its cargo carrier departing from German airports. The strike action follows a one-day walkout in February that led to almost 800 canceled flights and affected about 100,000 passengers. Negotiations over pilots’ pensions and a new collective wage agreement for cockpit staff are the focus of the dispute. “A strike is always a last resort for us and not an end in itself,” said Vereinigung Cockpit union President Andreas Pinheiro. “Employers still have the opportunity to avert industrial action by making a negotiable offer.”

Bloomberg

Workers at Glencore's Australian copper refinery threaten to strike

Workers are set to strike at Glencore’s Australian copper plant after failing to reach an agreement in a pay dispute. The Australian Workers’ Union has notified Glencore that employees would walk off the job from Friday if the company did not offer higher wages for the staff at the refinery in Townsville, Queensland, which produces up to 300,000 tonnes of finished copper each year. Glencore pays staff almost 15% less than at nearby plants. A final meeting is to be convened between Glencore and the union on Thursday.

Bloomberg

UK government launches menopause action plans

Bridget Phillipson, the UK's Minister for Women and Equalities, has urged employers to outline how they will support staff experiencing menopause, warning many women still face unfair pay and inadequate workplace support. From next month, companies with 250 or more employees can voluntarily publish action plans alongside gender pay gap data, with the government aiming to make these mandatory by spring 2027. The plans may include menopause training for managers, workplace adjustments, and measures to improve pay transparency and gender representation. Groups such as the Women's Business Council and Fawcett Society say the initiative could boost women’s participation, productivity and economic growth. The government is also advocating for businesses to create inclusive job adverts by removing gendered language and adopting neutral titles. Phillipson said: "We're acting to empower women at work."

Daily Mail

The Independent

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