AnewZ Morning Brief - 5 January, 2026
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 5th of January, covering the latest developments you need to k...
Volkswagen workers in Germany will stage warning strikes over layoffs, wage cuts, and plant closures as talks with labour union IG Metall fail to reach a resolution.
Volkswagen workers across Germany will begin warning strikes on Monday, marking the first large-scale walkouts at the automaker's domestic plants since 2018, labour union IG Metall announced.
The strikes escalate a dispute over proposed mass layoffs, wage cuts, and potential plant closures, measures Volkswagen deems necessary in response to Chinese competition and weakening demand.
Following failed negotiations, IG Metall authorised limited strikes starting early December. "If required, this could become Volkswagen's toughest collective bargaining battle," said IG Metall negotiator Thorsten Groeger.
The union criticised Volkswagen's demands, including a 10% wage cut, and rejected plant closure threats, arguing for alternatives to save costs.
Volkswagen stated its commitment to dialogue, respecting employees' right to strike while taking steps to minimise disruptions. Talks are scheduled to resume on 9 December, with unions demanding a sustainable agreement to secure the future of all German plants.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has warned that the Russia-Ukraine war is now threatening trade in the Black Sea.
Teenagers as young as 14 and 15 years old were among those who died in the bar fire on New Year's Eve that killed 40 people in Switzerland, police said on Sunday.
North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the East Sea, according to South Korea and Japan, as regional diplomacy and security concerns remain in focus.
The United States launched an overnight military operation in Venezuela and captured its long-serving President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump said, pledging to place the country under temporary American control and signalling that U.S. forces could be deployed if necessary.
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Monday to discuss the U.S. operation in Venezuela.
India’s largest oil refiner, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), has taken a significant step towards diversifying its crude oil supply by purchasing Colombian crude, from state oil company Ecopetrol, for the first time.
China has given the nod for car makers to sell Level 3 self-driving vehicles from as early as next year after it approved two electric sedans from Changan Auto and BAIC Motors.
Warner Bros Discovery’s board rejected Paramount Skydance’s $108.4 billion hostile bid on Wednesday (17 December), citing insufficient financing guarantees.
Ford Motor Company said on Monday it will take a $19.5 billion writedown and scrap several electric vehicle (EV) models, marking a major retreat from its battery-powered ambitions amid declining EV demand and changes under the Trump administration.
Iran has rolled out changes to how fuel is priced at the pump. The move is aimed at managing demand without triggering public anger.
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