THE HOT STORY

Italian sports journalists to strike over Olympic opening farce

Journalists from Italy's RaiSport television channel are to stage a three-day strike to protest an error-strewn opening ceremony broadcast by RaiSport director Paolo Petrecca. The journalists said Petrecca’s "disastrous coverage" was "embarrassing." Petrecca welcomed viewers to Rome’s Stadio Olimpico instead of Milan’s San Siro, where Friday’s ceremony was held, before mistaking Kirsty Coventry, president of the International Olympic Committee, for Laura Mattarella, daughter of the Italian president. RaiSport's internal union body representing journalists at the public broadcaster said all journalists would withhold bylines during the Games and then strike for three days once the event is completed. "We have all been embarrassed, no one excluded, and through no fault of our own," it said.

Deutsche Welle (EN)

New York Times

The Local Italy

The Guardian

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WORKFORCE

Lufthansa pilots and crew to strike on Thursday

German pilots' union VC (Vereinigung Cockpit) has called a 24-hour strike on Thursday at Lufthansa Group's main German airline and Lufthansa Cargo in a dispute over pensions. Separately, the UFO union of flight attendants has called on its members at CityLine to strike on Thursday over the planned shutdown of its flight operations and "the employer’s continued refusal to negotiate a collective social plan." Lufthansa spokesperson Marc Baron said the announcements were "extremely short-notice," adding "Sustainable solutions can only be found through dialogue; strikes must always remain a last resort . . . We therefore call on the unions to resume talks with us. We are ready to do so at any time."

Deutsche Welle (EN)

Reuters

LEGAL

Italian prosecutors place Delivery Hero’s Glovo unit under judicial Control

Italian prosecutors have placed Delivery Hero’s Italian food-delivery business under judicial control as part of a criminal investigation into alleged labour exploitation. A court-appointed administrator will oversee Foodinho, the Milan-based operator of Glovo in Italy, in a move aimed at halting what authorities described as an urgent and ongoing situation. Prosecutors allege that around 40,000 riders were paid compensation that was disproportionate to the work performed and in breach of collective labour rules, with many earning below the poverty threshold despite long hours. Delivery Hero said it is cooperating with judicial authorities.

Bloomberg

STRATEGY

Heineken to axe up to 6,000 jobs in two years

Dutch brewing giant Heineken plans to cut 5,000 to 6,000 jobs - almost 7% of its global workforce of 87,000 people - over the next two years to reduce costs, the company announced alongside its annual figures. The job cuts aim to save up to €500m annually. Heineken has faced declining sales, particularly in Europe and the Americas, with a 1.2% drop in sales volume last year. "We really do this to strengthen our operations and to be able to invest in growth," finance chief Harold van den Broek said.

NL Times

Reuters

ACC shelves Italy, Germany plants

Stellantis-backed Automotive Cells Company told unions it has dropped plans for battery gigafactories in Termoli, Italy, and Kaiserslautern, Germany, according to Italian metalworkers’ union UILM. ACC later said both projects have been on standby since May 2024 and that conditions to restart are unlikely, so “different scenarios” are under review. ACC, jointly owned by Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, and TotalEnergies, is producing in France but paused the other sites amid weak EV demand. The strategy now concentrates on France with fewer production blocks but higher capacity. UILM urged “clear and coherent industrial decisions” to offset the cancelled gigafactory, while Stellantis said Termoli gearbox and engine investments remain planned and ACC staff will be offered roles within Stellantis.

Reuters

CORPORATE

Uber agrees $335m deal to buy Getir’s delivery business in Türkiye

Uber has agreed to acquire the delivery arm of Türkiye’s Getir from its controlling shareholder Mubadala, strengthening its position in the Turkish market. The US group said it will pay $335m in cash to fully acquire Getir’s food delivery business and will also invest $100m for a 15% stake in Getir’s wider food, grocery, retail and water delivery operations. The deal follows an agreement in principle reached last year and is subject to regulatory approval. Uber said it plans to combine Getir’s operations with Trendyol GO, which it began acquiring last year, to support growth for consumers, couriers and merchants.

Bloomberg

Reuters

ECONOMY

Germany’s carnival season set to generate nearly €2bn in revenues

Germany’s carnival season is expected to generate almost €2bn in revenue this year, according to the German Economic Institute, benefiting sectors such as hospitality, retail and transport. However, takings are forecast to be around €100m lower than in 2025 due to the season being 15 days shorter, as Easter falls earlier. Hotels, bars and restaurants are set to earn about €900m, retail around €400m, transport €290m and overnight stays roughly €210m.

Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

Nike prepares Converse for layoffs as sales slide toward 15-year low

Nike has warned staff at its Converse brand to brace for job cuts and restructuring as sales continue to deteriorate, with revenues heading toward a 15-year low. Converse employees have been told to work from home ahead of the changes, which chief executive Aaron Cain said would involve “difficult decisions” and the departure of multiple senior executives, though no details were given on the scale of the layoffs. The brand has struggled to diversify beyond its flagship Chuck Taylor shoes, while broader weakness in China has added pressure on Nike’s results. The restructuring forms part of wider efforts under Nike chief executive Elliott Hill to stabilise the group after several quarters of declining sales.

Bloomberg

The Oregonian

Korea to tighten language screening for migrant workers

Korea is revising its Employment Permit System to enhance Korean-language screening for incoming migrant workers. The Human Resources Development Service of Korea announced changes to the selection process for E-9 visa workers, following a survey revealing that nearly half of employers were dissatisfied with their workers' language skills. This dissatisfaction is linked to rising industrial accidents involving foreign workers, who accounted for 11.8% of fatal incidents in early 2024. Lim Seung-mook, head of the agency's international workforce division, said: "We expect that the latest improvements will lead to stronger Korean proficiency and greater safety awareness." The new criteria will be implemented this year.

The Korea Times

Milei clashes with Argentina’s powerful unions over labour reform

President Javier Milei is pushing to overhaul Argentina’s rigid labour market, precipitating a clash with trade unions and wading into the country’s most divisive issue, the Financial Times reports.

Financial Times

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