Human Times

European Edition

1st April 2026

THE HOT STORY

Unilever freezes hiring as Iran war poses ‘significant challenges’

Unilever is freezing hiring for at least three months. The company, which owns brands such as Dove soap and Hellman’s mayonnaise, told staff the ban on hiring will affect “all levels” of recruitment and was taken in response to the “significant challenges” posed by the crisis in the Middle East. "Macro economic and geopolitical realities, especially in the Middle East conflict . . . bring some significant challenges for the coming few months," Fabian Garcia, head of Unilever's personal care business, wrote in a memo. "With this in mind, the Unilever Leadership Executive team has agreed a global recruitment freeze at all levels. This will be effective immediately and last for a minimum of three months."

U.S. News

Bloomberg

Reuters

CORPORATE

Italy nears decisions on who will lead major state-backed companies

Italy’s government is nearing decisions on who will lead major state-backed companies worth about €250bn ($287bn). Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is understood to be leaning toward changes at Enel, Eni, Leonardo, Poste, grid operator Terna SpA and air traffic control Enav SpA, with the board chairs at all six companies potentially being replaced, according to sources. Talks are ongoing regarding these roles, they said. Bloomberg notes that the leadership changes under consideration would add to a broader political reset by Meloni after defeat last week in a referendum on judicial reform.

Bloomberg

WORKFORCE

UK pay body sees potential 3.7% rise for minimum wage in 2027

The Low Pay Commission has said the UK's minimum wage may need to rise ‌by around 3.7% next year to £13.18 (€15.11) an hour to keep up with the likely rise in average earnings. The public body, which advises the government on the rate, gave the forecast as part of an annual consultation with employers, unions and the public. "The current economic uncertainty makes it essential that the Commission hears from those affected by the minimum wage and builds consensus for evidence-based recommendations," Commission chair Philippa Stroud said. Meanwhile, the Commission has said the decision to raise the minimum wage by 6.7% last spring has had a minimal effect on inflation and not led to a significant, economy-wide impact on jobs. Increased rates of the National Minimum Wage, including the National Living wage, come into force from today.

STRATEGY

Vestas expects to cut 440 jobs in Denmark

Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas says it expects to cut approximately 440 positions at Lindø, in a move primarily affecting night and weekend production shifts. The company attributes the layoffs to increased efficiency, optimised processes, and reduced production time for V236-15.0W turbine nacelles.

Copenhagen Post

The Local

ECONOMY

German firms 'trapped between US and China'

Research by the UK's University of Sussex and King's College London which mapped sales, production and supply chain exposures of companies listed on Germany's DAX and MDAX indices suggests that German firms are so deeply connected to both the United States and China that they cannot decouple from either without ‌taking a severe economic hit. "Leading industrial players like ‌Siemens ⁠and BMW were built in a fundamentally globalised system and can't decouple from either China or the US without devastating losses," University of Sussex political economist Steven Rolf, a co-author of the study, observed.

Reuters

France expands energy aid to households

More French households will benefit from energy aid this year after the government identified additional eligible recipients. Almost 700,000 extra households will receive checks for an average of €153 ($176), bringing the total number of beneficiaries to around 3.8 million at a cost of €600m for the state, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said. Bloomberg notes the government in France is under pressure to do more to support businesses and households facing a sharp increase in fuel costs amid conflict in Iran.

Bloomberg

LEGAL

Dutch court bans Grok from generating fake nudes

A Dutch court has ordered Elon ‌Musk's xAI and chatbot Grok to stop generating non-consensual nude pictures and child sexual abuse material. The company is ordered to pay damages of €100,000 per day for each day it fails to comply, up to a maximum of €10m. The Amsterdam judge said the generation and distribution of sexualised footage is banned “when the functionality to undress people partially or fully is being used without these people giving their explicit consent.” The judge also prohibited the generation of footage “that, according to Dutch law, qualifies as child sexual abuse material.” Reuters says the preliminary injunction could set a precedent in Europe; it is one of the first times a judge has averred on xAI's responsibility for making tools that can be used to easily create sexualised images. The case was brought by Offlimits, a Dutch nonprofit group that combats online sexual abuse.

Fund boss sues Deutsche Bank

Michele Faissola, a former Deutsche Bank executive, is suing the bank for £439.5m in lost wages. He claims Deutsche scapegoated him and three others for an £11bn accounting scandal that led to a 2013 restatement of financial accounts. Faissola alleges that Deutsche created a "false narrative" regarding the incident. He asserts that current CEO Christian Sewing was aware of the controversial trades that concealed significant loans. Deutsche Bank says it considers the claims without merit and will defend itself vigorously.

The Daily Telegraph

INTERNATIONAL

Air Canada CEO to retire after English-only response to tragedy

Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau will retire later this year after being criticised for failing to speak French in a condolence video following a fatal collision at LaGuardia Airport in New York that killed two pilots. Rousseau informed the airline that he will be stepping down by the end of the company's third quarter. He had faced calls to resign after delivering his condolences in English only. One of the pilots who died, Antoine Forest, was from French-speaking Quebec. Air Canada is headquartered in Montreal and the company's own policy requires employees to be able to communicate in both of Canada's official languages. In a post on X, Quebec Premier François Legault welcomed Air Canada's announcement, saying the carrier's next CEO should speak French as a "matter of respect for the employees, francophone customers, and all Quebecers."

US senators introduce ban on government use of Chinese robots

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have introduced legislation to ban the US government from obtaining or operating unmanned Chinese robots. The American Security Robotics Act seeks to bar government use of “unmanned ground vehicle systems” - including humanoid robots and remote surveillance vehicles - made by foreign adversaries such as China. “The Chinese Communist Party has shown that they are willing to lie and cheat to get ahead at the expense of the American people and our national security,” Schumer said, adding: “They are running their standard playbook - this time in robotics - trying to flood the US market with their technology, which presents real security risks and threats to Americans’ privacy and American research and industry.”

The Hill

Reuters

U.S. News & World Report

OTHER

EU to impose fines on online platforms importing unsafe products

The European Union has agreed new customs rules allowing member states to fine online platforms that repeatedly import unsafe or non-compliant products, as part of efforts to curb a surge in low-value goods from China. Platforms breaching safety standards could face fines of up to 4% of annual import value, rising to 6% for repeat offences, lose fast-track customs privileges, or ultimately have their websites blocked. The reforms also remove duty exemptions for goods under €150 and introduce new levies on low-value imports, while requiring greater data reporting through a centralised EU customs authority from 2028. The measures aim to strengthen enforcement and address concerns that existing systems cannot cope with the volume of direct-to-consumer shipments, particularly from marketplaces such as Temu and Shein.

Financial Times

Reuters

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