Volkswagen’s Brazil unit has been ordered to pay 165 million reais ($30.44 million) in damages for subjecting workers to slavery-like conditions on a farm during the 1970s and 1980s, labour prosecutors said on Friday.
A Brazilian labour court ruled that hundreds of workers at a Volkswagen-run ranch were forced into degrading work, subjected to debt bondage and kept under armed surveillance.
Volkswagen stated that it intends to appeal the decision.
The company’s cattle ranching and logging activities in the Amazon during that period were supported by government incentives under Brazil’s military dictatorship, forming part of a broader state plan to develop the region.
Prosecutors said the ruling followed failed settlement talks, in which Volkswagen “showed no interest” in reaching an agreement.
As part of the court’s order, Volkswagen must publicly acknowledge its responsibility, issue a formal apology, and implement a “zero-tolerance” policy against slave labour.
In a statement, Volkswagen said it “consistently defends the principles of human dignity and strictly complies with all applicable labour laws and regulations.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not think he will need China's help to end the war with Iran as he le...
A new trilateral energy partnership involving Uzbekneftegaz, Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR and BP has been announced during Uzbekistan...
The Spanish government has issued a defiant message to Silicon Valley, confirming it...
Türkiye has completed formal preparations to begin direct commercial activity w...
After Labour's devastating performance in the 8 May local elections, the party's internal architecture has...
A new trilateral energy partnership involving Uzbekneftegaz, Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR and BP has been announced during Uzbekistan Energy Week 2026 in Tashkent.
The Spanish government has issued a defiant message to Silicon Valley, confirming it will push ahead with stringent new legislation designed to make social networks and Artificial Intelligence (AI) demonstrably safer.
Türkiye has completed formal preparations to begin direct commercial activity with Armenia, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday, marking another step in the slow but steady normalisation of ties between the two neighbours.
The Eurovision Song Contest opened in Vienna on Tuesday amid heightened political tensions, as Israel competed in the first semi-final despite a boycott by five European broadcasters over the war in Gaza.
Kuwait arrested four members of an IRGC-linked group as they tried to enter the country by sea, the Gulf state's KUNA news agency reported on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a senior IRGC officer said Iran had expanded its definition of the Strait of Hormuz to include a far wider area.
Biological samples from an Italian man were transferred to a specialist hospital for testing on Tuesday, after he was suspected of contracting hantavirus. Meanwhile, World Health Organization boss Tedros Ghebreyesus said there were “no sign” of a larger outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise.
Exclusive flight-tracking material obtained by AnewZ has raised new questions about French military aircraft movements linked to President Emmanuel Macron’s recent diplomacy with Armenia and the wider scope of France’s defence cooperation with Yerevan.
Just one week after a similar move by Australia, Greece announced that it will ban access to social media for children under the age of 15 from January 1, 2027, as governments around the world weigh tougher rules amid growing concerns over mental health, safety and screen addiction.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not think he will need China's help to end the war with Iran as he left for a high-stakes summit in Beijing on Tuesday, as hopes for a lasting peace deal dwindled and Tehran tightened its grip over the Strait of Hormuz.
Deep in the ancient forests of southern China, researchers have discovered a small, shy snake with an extraordinary survival trick: when threatened, it creates the illusion that it has two heads.
After Labour's devastating performance in the 8 May local elections, the party's internal architecture has cracked open with remarkable speed.
When Donald Trump boarded Air Force One for Beijing on Tuesday, he brought two cabinet members whose presence in China would have seemed unlikely a year ago, highlighting an unusual moment in U.S.–China relations.
Britain will introduce new legislation aimed at strengthening ties with the European Union as Prime Minister Keir Starmer seeks to rebuild economic relations with the bloc while facing growing political pressure at home.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s three-day summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, beginning on Wednesday (13 May), comes as rivalry between the two superpowers reaches new heights, a China analyst has said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment