Human Times

European Edition

21st April 2026

THE HOT STORY

Brussels pushes remote working to ease energy crisis

The European Commission has said in annexes to a draft communication that businesses should be encouraged to ensure at least one day of compulsory remote working where possible to ease energy concerns as the EU prepares for worsening fallout from the war in the Persian Gulf. EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen had already urged Europeans to work from home and cut travel in late March, warning of a "very serious situation" in the Middle East with no clear end in sight, Politico notes. An emergency energy package is set to be presented Wednesday,

Financial Times

Politico

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LEGAL

Deutsche Bank notifies supervisors of possible Russia sanctions breach

Deutsche Bank has reported itself to financial regulators over potential breaches of EU sanctions rules that limit deposits of Russian individuals to less than €100,000 ($117,940). "Deutsche Bank continuously reviews its processes related to sanctions compliance as part of ‌the ⁠ordinary course of business," the bank said. The ⁠possible breach emerged after Deutsche Bank earlier this year formed a working group to study compliance with stricter sanctions laws, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

Bloomberg

Financial Times

Reuters

Malta employers want postponement of pay transparency directive

The Malta Employers' Association has requested the government to postpone the transposition of the EU Pay Transparency Directive, originally set for June 7. Association President Ivan Refalo said: "Employers are experiencing much frustration and uncertainty about certain elements of the Directive." The request aligns with concerns raised by BusinessEurope and follows Sweden's similar decision to delay implementation due to administrative burdens. The association argues that a postponement would allow for better preparation and legal certainty, ensuring effective implementation of the Directive's objectives.

Independent

STRATEGY

First wave of layoffs to cut about 10% of Meta's workforce

Meta is targeting May 20 for a first wave of layoffs, with more ‌coming later, three sources familiar with the company's plans have told Reuters. The parent of Facebook and Instagram will lay off about 10% of its global workforce, or close to 8,000 employees, in the initial round, one of the sources said. The company is planning further layoffs in the second half of the year, although details of these cuts, including date and size, are not yet settled, the sources said.

Reuters

LEADERSHIP

ECB frontrunner Hernández de Cos is most qualified candidate for top job, economists say

Former Spanish central bank governor Pablo Hernández de Cos is the most qualified candidate to succeed Christine Lagarde as European Central Bank president, according to a survey by OMFIF.

Financial Times

Apple's Tim Cook to step down as CEO in September

Apple has named John Ternus as its new chief executive. He will replace Tim Cook, who will become the firm's executive chairman. Mr Ternus, who is currently the head of hardware engineering, will take over from Mr Cook on September 1. Mr Cook described Mr Ternus as a "visionary" executive, saying that he is "without question the right person to lead Apple into the future."

BBC News

France 24

TECHNOLOGY

Sweden reverses classroom screen use

Sweden’s government is shifting schools away from screens and toward books, paper, and pen-based learning in response to falling literacy and concerns about classroom distraction. The policy includes grants for textbooks, a coming mobile phone ban, and curriculum changes favouring printed materials. Liberal Party education spokesperson Joar Forsell said: “We’re trying, actually, to get rid of screens as much as possible.” Critics, including edtech leaders and researchers, warn that reducing digital exposure could weaken workforce readiness, widen inequality, and leave students less prepared for AI-driven workplaces.

BBC News

INTERNATIONAL

Former EY employee sues firm over dismissal after Israel 'genocide' speech

Big Four accounting firm EY is being sued by a former employee who said she was fired after a viral graduation speech against Israeli actions in Gaza. EY put Cecilia Culver on administrative leave less than 24 hours after the speech and, after she lodged a discrimination complaint, fired her four days later. In the six-minute speech in May last year, Culver claimed George Washington University was profiting from a “genocide” in Gaza, and called on the institution to “divest from the apartheid state of Israel.” The lawsuit alleges that EY fired Culver to placate an “external Zionist pressure campaign” which was organised in response to her speech. “When EY faced a choice between its legal obligation to protect its employee from discrimination and its desire to placate an organised campaign targeting her for the identity-based content of her expression, EY chose wrong,” the lawsuit says.

Bonuses spark fairness debate at chip makers

Semiconductor manufacturer Samsung Electronics is facing growing discontent among employees over its bonus distribution system. “Does a uniform compensation system really reflect effort or expertise?” wrote one employee in a recent post on Blind, a forum for workers to post anonymously. “You have people with PhDs who've spent their entire lives studying who are earning a fraction of what production workers make in bonuses during a boom cycle.” Korean Joongang Daily says the widely-shared post is indicative of a growing unease that windfall bonuses at chip makers such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are less a reward for individual contribution than a reflection of who happened to be in the right division at the right moment.

Korea Joongang Daily

South Africa's Eskom announces three-year wage deal

South African state-owned power utility Eskom has announced a three-year wage deal effective from July. Salaries will increase by 7% in each year of the ‌agreement. Solidarity and the National Union of Mineworkers will sign the deal to 2029, according to Solidarity General Secretary Gideon du Plessis. Together, the groups represent more than 75% of the utility’s workforce. Eskom has said the agreement will apply to all employees in its wage-bargaining unit, even though the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa has so far refused to sign after declaring a deadlock, because its members want an 8% increase in the first year.

Bloomberg

OTHER

Tokyo aquarium recycles fishing nets into employees' uniforms

Sunshine Aquarium in Tokyo has introduced new uniforms for staff that are made entirely from recycled fishing nets. The initiative aims to raise awareness about marine debris: fishing gear constitutes over 40% of man-made waste on Japan's coastlines. The aquarium collaborated with “Team Re:ism” to utilise chemical recycling technology for the production of the uniforms. Shuta Sashida of the Okayama city-based Caitac Group, a textile trading company that participated in the new uniform's production, said: “Compared to items like plastic bottles, the recycling rate for used fishing nets is low, so we want to help spread awareness about this initiative.”

Straits Times

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