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German Union Demands Volkswagen Honour 2024 Labour Deal

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Germany’s IG Metall union is demanding that Volkswagen reaffirm its commitment to a landmark labour agreement reached in 2024, amid growing concerns that the carmaker’s latest restructuring plans could undermine the deal. Union members voted on Friday to invoke a legal clause requiring management to return to talks over the agreement.

The dispute comes as Volkswagen considers significantly deeper job cuts, potentially affecting around 100,000 positions, alongside major production reductions. The 2024 agreement followed mass walkouts and included plans for 35,000 job cuts and wage concessions, while helping prevent immediate plant closures and securing certain employment and investment commitments.

Tensions have intensified as Volkswagen faces strong competition from Chinese automakers, higher tariff costs and elevated manufacturing expenses in Germany. IG Metall has criticised the company’s focus on German production costs and called for stronger European measures to protect the automotive industry. Volkswagen, meanwhile, said it welcomes talks and sees them as necessary to implement the 2024 measures while addressing new challenges facing the sector.

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Polish Train Drivers’ Go-Slow Protest Causes Widespread Rail Delays

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Poland’s rail network faced widespread disruption on Friday as train drivers staged a go-slow protest over safety concerns. Drivers reduced their speed to 20 km/h at railway level crossings, causing delays across the network on one of the country’s busiest travel days.

The protest followed a fatal accident in central Poland on Wednesday, when a train collided with a truck at a level crossing and derailed, killing one person and sending 10 others to hospital. Train drivers’ union representatives said repeated safety concerns had been ignored and called for stronger consequences for motorists who cross tracks despite red warning signals.

PKP Intercity reported that 203 of its 290 services were delayed by midday, with delays averaging 37 minutes. The Polish government has promised tougher penalties for drivers who ignore crossing signals, including possible loss of driving licences, while also planning to invest hundreds of millions of zlotys in railway crossing safety improvements.

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Anthropic Disrupts AI Misuse Linked to Bioweapons and Cyberattacks

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Anthropic said it disrupted attempts to misuse its Claude AI models for potential biological weapons research, weapons development and cyber espionage. In a new threat intelligence report, the company documented five cases involving researchers using Claude in ways that could support biological weapons development, including efforts to plan experiments involving avian influenza.

The company also reported that a suspected Russia-linked hacking group used AI extensively in cyber operations targeting Ukrainian government, military and diplomatic officials. Anthropic said the group used AI to automate activities including phishing, malware development and evading security detection. It also identified other criminal groups using Claude for weapons-related software and intelligence activities.

Anthropic further said it disrupted attacks involving seven China-based AI labs, including Alibaba, Moonshot and DeepSeek, which it accused of attempting to extract Claude’s capabilities. The company alleged that some operators conducted large-scale “distillation” efforts using Claude outputs to improve other AI models, while Moonshot and DeepSeek allegedly routed customer conversations through Claude for training purposes.

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Italian Court Confirms Shutdown at Major Steelworks, Blow to Meloni

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An Italian court on Friday upheld an order to shut down the blast furnaces at the former Ilva steelworks in Taranto, dealing a setback to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s efforts to keep the country’s largest steel plant operating while a buyer is sought. The plant is considered strategically important to Italy’s manufacturing sector and supplies steel to industries including construction and automotive.

The Milan Court of Appeal rejected an appeal by operator Acciaierie d’Italia against an earlier ruling that ordered the shutdown and remediation of the plant’s hot-end facilities over inadequate environmental safeguards. The decision adds uncertainty to the future of the sprawling complex, which has long faced disputes over pollution, public health, jobs and industrial policy.

The Taranto plant directly employs around 8,000 workers and supports a large network of contractors. The government is seeking investors for the company, which is under extraordinary administration, while officials have not ruled out maintaining a public stake. Italy is also considering a greener future for the steel industry, including electric arc furnaces powered by direct reduced iron (DRI).

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Five Killed, 40 Injured in Bus Crash Near Swiss Alpine Village

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Five people were killed and 40 others injured after a bus carrying a Dutch tour group overturned near the Alpine village of Susch in eastern Switzerland, police said. The bus was carrying 45 adults, all of whom were Dutch nationals, according to Dutch emergency service provider Eurocross.

Three of the injured people were in serious condition, while seven suffered moderately serious injuries and 30 had minor injuries. The crash occurred on a section of road that had been closed for maintenance work, although police have not yet determined what caused the bus to overturn.

Emergency teams responded at the scene, where the bus was found lying on its side beside the road. Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima expressed their condolences to the victims, their families and those injured in the crash.

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Emma Bonino, Italian Politician and Abortion Rights Pioneer, Dies at 78

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Emma Bonino, the veteran Italian politician and prominent campaigner for abortion rights and civil liberties, died on Friday at the age of 78, her spokesperson said. Her political journey began in the 1970s, when she publicly challenged Italy’s then-illegal abortion laws after undergoing a clandestine procedure and later turning herself in to police.

Bonino went on to become a leading figure in Italy’s Radical Party and served in both the Italian and European parliaments. She held senior government positions, including foreign minister and European affairs minister, and served as a European Commissioner. Throughout her five-decade career, she campaigned on issues including gender equality, migrant rights, female genital mutilation, pension equality and European integration.

Known for her outspoken style and willingness to challenge established norms, Bonino remained active in politics well into her 70s. She survived lung cancer and continued her public work despite health challenges. In 2024, Pope Francis made an unusual visit to her home following a serious health scare, highlighting the respect she commanded despite their differences over abortion.

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Spain Approves Citizenship for Sahrawis

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Spain’s lower house of parliament has approved legislation granting Spanish citizenship to Sahrawis born during the period when Spain administered Western Sahara. The bill passed with 168 votes in favour, 31 against and 145 abstentions, and would also allow eligible citizens’ descendants to apply for citizenship.

The move could benefit an estimated 70,000 to 110,000 Sahrawis. Spain ruled Western Sahara from 1884 until 1976, after which Morocco asserted control over much of the territory. The Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, continues to seek independence for Western Sahara.

The citizenship decision could further complicate Spain’s already sensitive relationship with Morocco. Spain shifted its position in 2022 by backing Morocco’s proposal for autonomy in Western Sahara, after previously supporting a UN-backed referendum on the territory’s future.

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Zverev Reaches US Open Semi-Finals After Late-Night Win

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Alexander Zverev reached the US Open semi-finals with a dominant 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Botic van de Zandschulp. The German top seed produced a strong performance despite staying awake until around 3:30am to watch Ben Shelton defeat defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the tournament’s latest-ever finish.

Zverev, who has already won his maiden Grand Slam title at this year’s French Open, has now reached all four major semi-finals in a single season for the first time. He will face Russia’s Karen Khachanov, who advanced after Belgium’s Alexander Blockx retired with injuries while trailing 6-2, 7-5, 3-2.

The German has also set a national record by winning 23 Grand Slam matches in 2026, surpassing Boris Becker’s previous mark of 22 in 1989. Zverev admitted he struggled early in the tournament but has steadily improved and is now considered a leading contender for the US Open title following Alcaraz’s exit.

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Iceland Plans Permanent Ban on Commercial Whaling

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Iceland’s government plans to introduce a bill in February that would permanently ban commercial whaling, a move that could leave Norway and Japan as the world’s only countries continuing the practice. The government, which holds a parliamentary majority, said there is significant political and public support for the proposed ban. Whaling in Iceland has faced years of opposition from animal welfare and conservation groups.

Iceland’s current whaling season runs from June to around the end of September, with 80 fin whales reportedly caught as of September 9 against an annual quota of 150. Fin whales, the main target of Iceland’s whaling industry, are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Animal welfare groups have welcomed the proposed legislation, citing ethical, legal and conservation concerns.

Iceland, Norway and Japan are the only countries known to have conducted commercial whaling in recent years. Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993, while Iceland restarted in 2006 despite an international moratorium introduced in 1986. Japan withdrew from the International Whaling Commission in 2019 and resumed commercial whaling within its waters, while indigenous communities in some regions remain exempt from the moratorium for cultural and nutritional reasons.

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Russian Drone Incursion Delays Zelensky’s Flight From Moldova

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A Russian drone entering Moldovan airspace delayed a plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena as they prepared to leave Chisinau for Norway. Moldova temporarily closed its airspace after the unmanned aircraft crossed the border from the direction of Ukraine, leaving Zelensky’s aircraft on the runway for about an hour. Several other flights were also affected.

The flight was cleared to depart after authorities confirmed that the drone had come down and exploded about 160km from Chisinau International Airport. Zelensky and Olena later arrived safely in Oslo, where the Ukrainian president held talks with Norwegian officials on military support before attending the funeral of Norway’s King Harald V.

The incident comes as Russian drone attacks on Ukraine and surrounding areas intensify. Kyiv has experienced record levels of air-raid alerts, while a recent attack on a Moldovan border crossing killed two people. Ukraine has also carried out long-range drone strikes inside Russia, highlighting the escalating use of unmanned aircraft in the ongoing conflict.

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