Business

As the World Cup quarterfinals get under way, the race to number one between Nike and Adidas heats up. India and Australia sign a new uranium deal. And, OpenAI rolls out its newest model GPT-5.6 Sol to the general public.

Italy's second biggest bank, Unicredit, is closing in on a takeover of Germany's second biggest bank Commerzbank after saying it secured 47.6% of the lender's shares on Wednesday. The move is facing widespread opposition in Germany, notably from the federal government, which has a 12% stake in the company. Also, new "freedom fuel" filling stations are appearing across the United States, offering c...

The US Treasury Department has announced it will no longer allow Iranian oil sales to be conducted in US dollars on global markets after several tankers were hit by projectiles while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz. The move has left more than 60 million barrels of Iranian crude stranded at sea without any clear buyers. Also in this edition, we go inside a Chinese air conditioning factory...

South Korean chipmaker Samsung Electronics posted record quarterly profits Tuesday thanks to the global AI infrastructure buildout coupled with a memory chip shortage. Also in this edition, oil futures rise as tensions reignite in the Hormuz Strait and Canada commits to its biggest-ever defence contract. Finally, Cuba experiences its third nationwide blackout of the year as its fuel reserves dwind...

A handful of OPEC+ countries have agreed to increase their output targets from August, but the cartel is fighting for its survival after the UAE's departure. Also, A French company is using the River Seine to cool down Paris's buildings. Finally, Sky says it's buying ITV's broadcast channels and streaming service for £1.6bn.

The earthquakes that hit Venezuela in late June have devastated seaside towns where tourism has been a vital economic lifeline for an already struggling population. Also, tanker traffic picks up through the Strait of Hormuz, and Europe seeks to convince the US that it's boosting defence spending. 

In today’s edition, FRANCE 24's Charlotte Lam takes a look at Germany’s new tax and pension reforms, Google’s big loss in EU courts and the “Swiftonomics” bonanza that the star’s wedding could bring to New York City. Germany 's ruling coalition has agreed on sweeping tax, labour and pension reforms – a breakthrough Chancellor Friedrich Merz said would revive the struggling economy and counter the...

Anthropic's Mythos 5 and Fable 5 are back online this Wednesday after the company said it had productive conversations with the US government. Also, Kevin Warsh makes his first public appearance as Federal Reserve chairman. Plus shares of Meta rise after news that the company is building out a new cloud business.

US President Donald Trump made over a billion dollars with various crypto-related ventures in 2025, according to his annual financial disclosure report. The earnings, coming from royalties tied to the Trump memecoin and token sales from crypto firm World Liberty Financial, have prompted accusations of conflicts of interest from watchdog groups. Also in this edition: the US commerce department lift...

The British government says it could step in to challenge Paramount Skydance's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery. Also, French inflation slowed to just 1.8 percent in June year-on-year, down from 2.4 percent in May. Plus, more than 1 million undocumented people in Spain apply to obtain legal status as part of an economic bet that immigration is what's keeping the country's growth aliv...

Tomatoes cook on the vine and cereal crops get scorched – climate change is hitting French agriculture, and shoppers are poised to bear the brunt of it. Also, the EU and China set an October deadline to make progress on trade disputes, while the ECB Chief Christine Lagarde says the Eurozone economy is resilient enough to withstand an end to exceptional monetary policy measures.

South Korea bets big on artificial intelligence with nearly $1 trillion worth of investment through 2029. Also in this edition, Comcast announces it will spin off NBCUniversal into a separate, publicly traded company. Plus France takes aim at Shein, Temu and AliExpress with a new law aimed at curbing ultra-fast fashion.

EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and his Chinese counterpart are meeting in Brussels as Europe prepares countermeasures to battle a flood of cheap imports. Also, oil prices climb after a weekend of renewed strikes between the US and Iran, and South Korea unveils a massive new investment in chip production.  

Oil prices continue their slide on Thursday as traffic through the Hormuz Strait has picked up over the past few days. Uncertainty lingers for the shipping industry, though, as disagreements over a potential toll to pass through the Strait could be a stumbling block in US-Iran talks. Also in this edition, US chipmaker Micron's better-than-expected sales forecast sends AI stocks surging again.

Power outages, train delays, and melting roads – the current heatwave is straining France's infrastructure. Electricity provider EDF says it has had to reduce its nuclear power output, but that it still has enough capacity to meet demand. Also in the show: the UN's International Maritime Organization starts evacuating some of the 11,000 sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, and Europe's defenc...

Tech stocks around the world fell on Tuesday, with the flagship Nasdaq index closing 2.2 percent down at the end of the session. In this edition, we look at how markets reacted this Wednesday and some of the reasons why investors sold their shares: massive projected capital expenditure on AI, as well as the prospect of higher interest rates. Also, we examine Spain's pioneering climate leave policy...

As Europe swelters under a major heatwave, the high energy consumption of artificial intelligence has come into the spotlight. At a climate conference in London, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on AI companies to disclose the environmental impact of their systems. Plus, Iran rejects the US’s claim that any potentially unfrozen Iranian assets would be controlled by the US and Qatar and...

The United States temporarily waived sanctions on Iranian oil exports on Monday, opening the door for Tehran to return to global energy markets as negotiations between the two countries continue. In this edition, we look at the impact this has had on oil prices, while also examining major job cuts at Oracle linked to AI-driven restructuring and a sharp sell-off in technology stocks that's rippled...

As consumers increasingly turn to AI assistants for advice and recommendations, companies are rethinking how they reach and engage with customers. Speaking to FRANCE 24 at VivaTech in Paris, L'Oréal Chief Digital and Marketing Officer Asmita Dubey explains how the beauty leader is deploying artificial intelligence across marketing, product discovery and personalised consumer experiences.

How can Europe better support tech startups? That's a question being asked at VivaTech, Europe's biggest event for innovation and technology. Business Editor Kate Moody has been speaking to Eleonore Crespo – co-founder and co-CEO of Pigment, a business planning platform that helps firms make strategic decisions using artificial intelligence. The company was founded as a startup in 2019 and has sin...

With France's Emmanuel Macron and India's Narendra Modi championing the idea of tech sovereignty, French startup BeeAlp is trying to build a circular smartphone designed and manufactured in Europe. CEO Olivier Dufour joins FRANCE 24 to discuss the company's subscription model, Europe's industrial ambitions and the challenges of competing with global smartphone leaders.

From boosting productivity to transforming recruitment and consulting, artificial intelligence is changing the way companies operate. Speaking to FRANCE 24 at VivaTech in Paris, EY executive Jad Shimaly explains where AI is delivering results and what it could mean for the future of work.