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European Edition
23rd April 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

Four-week strike at Belgium's postal service

A strike at Belgium’s Bpost postal service is now in its fourth week. The strike began spontaneously at the end of March and has been ongoing since. Staff are opposed to the planned restructuring of parcel and mail delivery. Deliveries have largely stopped in Brussels and the service is operating at about 50% capacity in the French-speaking Wallonia region. Bpost has made a new offer to unions, which a union representative said was an improvement but was not certain to satisfy union members. Management hopes that final negotiations with the unions will lead to an agreement before April 30.
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DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION

Russian publisher's staff quizzed over 'LGBT propaganda'

Moscow's Eksmo publishing house faces scrutiny as authorities question staff over alleged "LGBT propaganda" in its catalogue. Raids by the Investigative Committee targeted Eksmo's offices, leading to the questioning of general director Evgeniy Kapiev and three employees. The investigation relates to titles published by Popcorn Books, which was acquired by Eksmo in 2023, and whose titles feature LGBT themes. Eksmo said that no books were seized and that the questioning is linked to testimony from former Popcorn employees. The Kremlin has not commented on the situation.
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WORKFORCE

UK employers offered slightly higher pay deals in Q1

Research by human resources data publisher Brightmine has found that UK employers offered slightly higher pay deals in the first quarter of 2026 but early signs ​of softness emerged in April. Brightmine said the median pay deal was 3.5% in the ‌three ⁠months to March, up from 3.3% in the previous two quarters. Initial analysis indicated a median pay award of 3% for April, a key month for settlements. "While increases remain broadly ​in ⁠line with expectations, there is little evidence of upward pressure building," observed Sheila Attwood, senior content manager of data ⁠and ​HR insights at Brightmine.

Zara workers oppose proposed pay changes in Spain

Workers at Inditex’s Zara stores in A Coruña have urged the company to halt a proposed industry-wide labour agreement, warning it could reduce pay and benefits in the retailer’s home region. Employee representatives argue that standardising conditions across Spain would erode locally negotiated terms, potentially cutting new hires’ salaries by up to €5,000 annually and removing benefits, despite the company’s strong financial performance.
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REMOTE WORKING

City firms relax office-working policies as Tube strikes hit London

Some companies with the strictest return-to-office policies - including JPMorgan and Amazon - have loosened their demands as a result of the latest round of strikes on the London Underground. The second in a series of 24-hour strikes by drivers begins at midday today. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), which represents roughly half of drivers on the Tube network, is in a dispute with Transport for London (TfL) over changes to the working week and said it was concerned about the safety impact of proposed shifts lengths. It said it had planned four more 24-hour strikes in May and June if the row was not resolved.
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STRATEGY

China's Changan is considering opening a plant in Spain

Chinese carmaker Changan is weighing opening a plant in northern Spain. Spain has become an increasingly popular location for Chinese car manufacturers because of its strong network of automotive suppliers and relatively low energy costs. Bloomberg notes that the Spanish government is keen to ensure that Chinese companies transfer high-value technology to Spain and invest in research and development in the country, rather than act simply as a location for assembly.
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LEGAL

Former Swedbank CEO acquitted in money laundering case

Former Swedbank CEO Birgitte Bonnesen has been acquitted by Sweden’s Supreme Court in a case related to one of Europe’s largest money laundering scandals.  Bonnesen was cleared of a 2024 conviction for spreading misleading information about the bank’s money-laundering problems in Estonia. She had appealed against her 15-month prison sentence for “gross swindling” related to statements she made in the media. Bonnesen, who was Swedbank's CEO ​from 2016 to 2019, had denied all ‌charges against her.

Russian investigators crack suspected crime ring

Russian investigators say they have dismantled an organised crime group in Moscow that is linked to over 1 trn roubles ($17bn) in tax losses. The group created over 4,000 fictitious entities and sold fake invoices to nearly 40,000 organisations, according to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. The information in the invoices was then reflected in tax reporting.
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CORPORATE

Deutsche Telekom exploring merger with T-Mobile

Deutsche Telekom is weighing a full combination with its American unit T-Mobile US that could result in the largest ​public M&A deal on record. The German telecoms group has been in talks about creating a new holding company that would make a stock bid for shares of both Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile. The potential transaction would create a single, simplified corporate group that controls the operations of the two companies and would be jointly owned by their current investors. Bloomberg says any such deal would require political support and may face significant obstacles, including the need for approval from the German government and state-owned lender KfW, which own a combined stake of about 28% in Deutsche Telekom.
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TECHNOLOGY

Anthropic talks to EU, Commission says

The European Commission has said it is in discussions with US-based artificial intelligence company Anthropic about its different models, ​including its cyber ​security ones, which are ⁠not yet available ​in the EU. Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said Anthropic has already committed to respect ​the European Union's ​general purpose artificial intelligence code of ‌practice. "In this framework, there ​is an ​obligation ⁠to assess and mitigate risks ​that could come ​from ⁠a service that may or may not ⁠be ​offered in Europe," ​he said.
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CYBERSECURITY

EU firms warned over cybersecurity plans targeting Chinese companies

China's commerce ministry has issued a warning about potential retaliation against European firms if the EU enforces its proposed cybersecurity regulations targeting Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE. In a detailed 30-page document submitted to the European Commission, the ministry said that "broad retaliation is on the table" if these firms face penalties under the draft law, which was first announced in January. “If the EU designates China as a ‘country posing cybersecurity concerns’ or lists Chinese entities as ‘high risk suppliers’ to phase out equipment manufactured by Chinese businesses in a compulsory manner and exclude Chinese products and services from the EU market, China can launch relevant investigations into the EU or EU businesses, and take reciprocal measures,” said a submission from the ministry in response to the commission’s request for feedback.
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INTERNATIONAL

Meta tracks employee mouse movements for AI training

Meta is implementing new tracking software on US employees' computers to monitor mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes. The initiative, known as the Model Capability Initiative (MCI), aims to enhance the company's AI models by mimicking human interactions with technology. The tool will operate on work-related applications and websites, capturing occasional screenshots of employees' screens. According to an internal memo, the goal is to improve AI performance in tasks including selecting from dropdown menus and using keyboard shortcuts. "This is where all Meta employees can help our models get better simply by doing their daily work," the memo said.

Indonesia passes law to protect domestic workers

Following 20 years of discussions, Indonesia's parliament has passed a law to protect the rights of domestic workers. The legislation, first introduced in 2004, aims to provide legal recognition to the 4.2 million domestic workers, predominantly women, who previously operated in an unregulated environment. Minister of Law Supratman Andi Agtas said: "The enactment aims to provide legal certainty for both domestic workers and employers." The law includes provisions for vocational training and prohibits child labour. Jala PRT coordinator Lita Anggraini called it a "historic" moment but noted that further education for employers is necessary.
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OTHER

Italy's oldest hat maker seeks to get ahead in China

Borsalino, Italy's oldest luxury hatmaker, will open an outlet in Shanghai this summer, with four more to follow in China later this year. The company currently operates 20 outlets globally.
 
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