Top five stories you may have missed
Luxembourg slaps record €750 million fine on Amazon
Luxembourg's data-protection watchdog slapped Amazon with the EU's largest fine for violating online consumer protections, the technology giant said on Friday, more than twice the amount initially reported.
The National Commission for Data Protection in Luxembourg, where the company's European headquarters is based, hit the company with a record €746 million fine after deciding "that Amazon’s processing of personal data did not comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation", or GDPR, the company said in a regulatory filing in its home US market
Opposition wants probe into lack of flood warnings
Luxembourg's government must come clear on whether it should have given residents a clearer warning of devastating floods two weeks ago, opposition parties have said, after local residents blasted authorities for not doing enough to prevent evacuations and heavy financial damage.
Torrential rain on 14 and 15 July caused rivers to burst their banks across the country, flooding entire towns and villages, driving thousands from their homes, and causing travel disruptions on railways and roads.
Huge profits for ArcelorMittal as recovery fuels demand
ArcelorMittal is having its most profitable year since the 2008 financial crisis and expects even better months ahead with Europe's manufacturing and residential construction sectors surpassing pre-crisis levels, the company said on Thursday.
Profits of $6.3 billion (€5.3 billion) in the first half of the year were the best for ArcelorMittal since 2008, and things should stay rosy for the rest of 2021, the company said, during the publication of its latest financial results.
Meisch sounds optimistic note over schools after summer
Pupils at Luxembourg schools will likely not have to wear a mask when they return to class in September, Education Minister Claude Meisch said on Wednesday, though he will only make a final decision about pandemic measures towards the end of the summer holidays.
Schools will be prepared in case a fourth coronavirus wave or a new variant hits in the coming months, Meisch told the Contacto newspaper in an interview, saying he would rework earlier scenarios of what measures to take in case just one pupil or more than one were infected in a class.
Floods mean no summer holiday for some construction workers
Some of Luxembourg’s builders will work through their traditional August holiday to repair damage caused by recent flooding, the government announced on Wednesday.
The annual break, known ascongé collectif, begins on Friday, when workers in the sector normally down tools for three weeks. It applies to a range of businesses, including engineering, plumbing and heating companies.
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