Human Times

European Edition

9th October 2026

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THE HOT STORY

Tough pilot checks still leave risks, airlines say

A meeting organised by the Airlines for Europe lobby group in Brussels has heard that the aviation industry must accept that there is “no absolute safety and security” to deter cockpit attacks such as the one that occurred during a recent FlyDubai flight, even with stringent vetting of pilots. Deutsche Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr stressed the need to maintain a delicate balance between protecting passengers and ensuring employee privacy. “We have to face the fact that there is no absolute safety and security in this industry,” he said. “This is a very difficult area for regulators.” IAG chief executive Luis Gallego noted a decline over time in the number of dangerous situations involving pilots. “After [the FlyDubai] incident, in the same way we did in the past, we are going to work closely with the authorities to try to see if there is a way to continue to improve this,” he said.

Bloomberg

GLOBAL HIRING & COMPLIANCE

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Save your seat

LEGAL

UK's Burnham plans to announce ban on workers’ non-compete clauses

UK prime minister Andy Burnham is today expected to commit to a full or partial ban on non-compete clauses in workers' employment contracts, according to people familiar with the matter. More than 20 tech founders wrote to Burnham last month to say that such restrictions, and also long notice periods and enforced gardening leave, were “undermin[ing] the innovation that drives economic growth.” The government of Burnham’s predecessor, Keir Starmer, had previously set out options to limit the use of non-compete clauses.

Financial Times

Politico

New rules in Greece on equal pay and salary transparency

Greece will implement new pay transparency and equal pay laws on November 1, 2026, as outlined in a circular from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. The circular details employers' obligations and workers' rights under Law 5316/2026, which aligns with EU Directive 2023/970. Employers must establish salary structures based on objective criteria, ensuring equal pay for equal work. Job applicants will receive salary information before interviews, and employees can request pay details. The circular also mandates reporting for companies with 100 or more employees regarding the gender pay gap.

GreekCitytimes

STRATEGY

Audi plant facing closure needs 'viable' solutions, CEO says

Audi CEO Gernot Doellner has said the carmaker's factory in Neckarsulm in south-west Germany, one of the Volkswagen Group's four German production sites facing possible closure, needs a "viable" solution to ‌secure its future. He said Audi must boost competitiveness on costs, speed and productivity, which would mean working "together to develop a sustainable industrial vision." He added: "Neckarsulm boasts extensive industrial expertise and an impressive history. But tradition alone does not guarantee a future." About 15,000 people work at Neckarsulm.

Reuters

WORKFORCE

Entire IT department hands in notice at top Slovak court

The Supreme Administrative Court in Slovakia is facing a significant challenge as its entire IT department prepares to leave, raising concerns about the management of electronic case files. Opposition MP Zuzana Števulová said the employees had complained about receiving orders verbally, through intermediaries or outside the usual procedures for recording instructions, precipitating their resignations. The court said the IT department had experienced staff churn in previous years and the latest departures would not put its operations at risk.

The Slovak Spectator

HEALTH & WELLBEING

ADHD label risks 'harm for life' for youngsters

A landmark UK government-commissioned review says overdiagnosis of autism and ADHD risks causing lifelong harm to children. Experts warn that early diagnostic labels may limit opportunities and define children by their challenges rather than their strengths. The review notes a 40-fold increase in the UK of autism diagnoses since 2000 and a 15-fold rise in ADHD cases, and calls for a shift from diagnosis-first approaches to practical support, emphasising the need for timely treatment rather than labels. For many people, diagnosis has been "clinically necessary, personally meaningful and essential to treatment," the review says. But "diagnosis can also do harm when it is inaccurate or used poorly", including overmedicalising "ordinary, healthy life experiences."

The Daily Telegraph

The Guardian

The Times

RISK

Yandex shuts down major Russian data centre following drone strike

Russian technology giant Yandex has suspended operations at a major data centre in Sasovo, Ryazan, following a drone strike that caused a fire and damaged part of its infrastructure. The company confirmed there were no casualties and emergency services were responding. Although the company's core services remain unaffected, some users may experience temporary disruptions. The incident comes amid an escalation in attacks on Russian infrastructure during the war in Ukraine. While Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the Yandex strike, it has intensified operations targeting Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure.

CNBC

Reuters

TECHNOLOGY

AI companies run virtual drug trials

AI companies are partnering with some drugmakers on virtual trials to boost the odds that an experimental medicine will be a success when used by human patients in a typically ‌expensive traditional clinical trial. The biopharmaceutical industry spends around $140bn annually on clinical testing: only 12% of drug candidates receive regulatory approval. "We shouldn't only ask how to run trials faster. We should ask how to run fewer trials that are going to fail," observed Francisco Beca, chief medical officer at QuantHealth, a Tel Aviv-based AI clinical trial simulation platform which uses real-world data and AI to simulate patient-level responses to therapies.

U.S. News

INTERNATIONAL

Starbucks scales back DEI language and sustainability targets

Starbucks has reduced references to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and softened its environmental commitments in its latest global impact report, shifting its focus toward chief executive Brian Niccol’s “Back to Starbucks” turnaround strategy. The report omits terms such as racial equity, LGBTQIA2+, and pay equity, alongside previously published workforce diversity statistics. It also removes prominent references to earlier targets for reducing waste and water consumption by 50% by 2030. Starbucks has acknowledged challenges in meeting its original greenhouse gas emissions reduction target and plans to announce a revised, science-aligned goal in early 2027. The company maintains that it remains committed to employee inclusion, community investment, and environmental responsibility. The changes reflect a broader shift in corporate DEI reporting, although Starbucks Workers United has criticised the company for retreating from its previous commitments.

The Columbian

The Seattle Times

OTHER

Lottery win is a divorce risk, study says

Winning the lottery can lead to unexpected consequences for women, including a higher risk of divorce. A study published in the Journal of Human Resources analysed over 76,000 Swedish lottery players and found that female winners were more likely to divorce shortly after a significant win. The research indicated that a win equivalent to £105,000 effectively doubles the short-term divorce risk for women. In contrast, male winners tend to experience increased marriage stability.

Daily Mail

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