THE HOT STORY

Germany's far-right seeks to woo auto workers

Germany's far-right wants to tap into anxieties among workers in Germany's auto industry to build grassroots support that could help on the national stage. Officials at IG Metall, the main union at manufacturers including Mercedes and Volkswagen, say many far-right candidates plan to stand in elections to works councils in the sector's southern heartland. "A works councillor can present [Alternative for Germany (AfD)] arguments once every quarter to tens of thousands of people at a works assembly," said Lukas Hezel, part of the union's initiative to counter the far-right. "That is a much more valuable political position than a local councillor." The AfD says the unions serve a left-wing agenda that no longer represents ordinary workers.

U.S. News

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HYBRID WORKING

Luxembourg banks keep faith in hybrid working

Despite global trends pushing for stricter office attendance, many financial staff in Luxembourg continue to work from home part-time. A spokeswoman for the financial sector trade union Aleba said it had not seen widespread shifts in remote working policies since the beginning of the year. “Existing arrangements remain stable, usually two days per week within the limit of 34 days per year for cross-border workers, ” she said. A spokesman for Banque Internationale à Luxembourg (BIL) said: “Our current work organisation, which has been in place for more than three years, is designed to combine flexible working arrangements for our employees - such as part‑time schedules and working from home options - with an efficient structure where teamwork remains essential and client service a top priority.”

Luxembourg Times

HIRING

Deutsche Bank's emerging markets hiring push

Deutsche Bank plans to hire up to 50 relationship managers in its emerging markets private banking unit in 2026, with more “selective hiring” expected in 2027 and 2028, according to Marco Pagliara, head of emerging markets at Deutsche Bank Private Bank. The effort supports a goal to grow emerging markets front-office headcount by 50% over three years. The bank is targeting wealthy clients in the Gulf and North Asia, with growing interest in geographic diversification and in Lombard lending. Pagliara said clients seek “to diversify assets geographically to mitigate geopolitical risk.”

Reuters

REGULATION

EU needs a ‘big bang’ on regulation, says top official

European Council president António Costa tells the Financial Times that Europe needs a “big bang” moment in which EU capitals set aside their national interests and finally tackle regulatory inertia.

Financial Times

LEGAL

Amazon searched in new Italian tax probe

Tax police in Italy have searched Amazon's headquarters in Milan in a new tax evasion probe, two sources have told Reuters. The Guardia di Finanza tax police also searched the homes of seven Amazon managers and the offices of auditing firm KPMG. The tech giant said in a statement that the Milan prosecutors' actions were "aggressive and wholly disproportionate" at a time when it was engaged in a "transparent dialogue with Italian tax authorities to gain clarity on complex technical matters." The ongoing investigation is examining whether the company had an undisclosed, permanent base in Italy from 2019 to 2024 and should therefore have paid more local taxes.

Reuters

Louis Vuitton settles money laundering case

Louis Vuitton's Dutch branch has agreed to pay €500,000 ($594,000) in an out-of-court settlement related to a money laundering investigation. Prosecutors said the company failed to comply with the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Prevention) Act. The woman at the centre of the case allegedly used various names to spend over €2m in criminal proceeds on luxury goods.

DutchNews.nl

New York Times

Deutsche settles banker lawsuit

Deutsche Bank has settled a lawsuit with a former manager who says he was wrongfully blamed in the Monte dei Paschi accounting scandal. This marks the resolution of the first of six similar cases involving ex-traders suing the bank after being implicated in an audit report linked to the matter.

Bloomberg Tax

WORKFORCE

Germany braces for more strikes in 2026

Germany is experiencing significant industrial action this year, with more strikes anticipated in aviation, rail, and chemicals. Lufthansa reported nearly 800 flight cancellations due to strikes by pilots and flight attendants last week, affecting around 100,000 passengers. Unions are negotiating new collective agreements for about 10m employees, with job security becoming a key issue. Mario Reiss from the Union of German Train Drivers (GDL) said: "We are trying to avoid a strike, but we are certainly not going to take this lying down." Strikes are less frequent than in previous decades, but tensions remain high.

Deutsche Welle (EN)

INTERNATIONAL

Trump revokes US scientific finding behind climate change rules

The US Environmental Protection Agency has announced the repeal of the “endangerment finding,” a scientific determination made in 2009 during Barack Obama’s administration, which empowered the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases. The rule classified carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases as a threat to public health. The endangerment finding underpinned regulations that set emissions standards for cars and light trucks, power plants, and oil and gas industry facilities. “This is about as big as it gets,” President Donald Trump said at the White House with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. Obama said in a social media post that the Trump administration’s action makes the US “less safe, less healthy and less able to fight climate change - all so the fossil fuel industry can make even more money.”

Ford boosts bonuses to 130% amid quality gains

Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley announced a companywide bonus of 130% during a recent town hall, attributing the increase to improved vehicle quality metrics. The bonuses apply to Ford's global salaried workforce of about 75,000 employees and are based on annual performance metrics. Farley described the bonuses as an investment in workers. Despite recent challenges, including recalls and missed earnings expectations, Ford's stock has risen 47% over the past year.

Detroit Local News

Viral workplace pranks plague Japanese businesses

Psychologists warn that the pursuit of online fame is driving a surge in baito tero, or workplace pranks, among part-time employees in Japan. A report by Tokyo-based human resources provider Mynavi predicts that nearly 25% of Japanese companies will be affected this year. Incidents often surface on social media, with examples including employees engaging in reckless behaviour in kitchens. Takayuki Harada, a psychology professor, noted that young workers are seeking attention through these pranks, which can harm brand reputation. Companies are implementing measures including mobile phone bans to combat the trend.

South China Morning Post

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