People & Profit

Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, is likely to be the next British prime minister following Keir Starmer's resignation. Central to Burnham's platform is improving living standards that have stagnated or even fallen since the 2008 global financial crisis. But with weak public finances, how realistic is his plan? FRANCE 24's Charles Pellegrin talks to Renaud Foucart, senior lectu...

Space loomed large over the 2026 VivaTech festival. Startups and technology giants alike have entered the new space economy – a sector previously dominated by government agencies. FRANCE 24’s Business Editor Kate Moody sat down with Marta Oliveira, Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer at Atmos Space Cargo, to talk about reusable rockets, raising money in the private sector and international com...

Can quantum computing change the way we solve problems? The emerging technology can tackle situations that are out of reach for classical computers, in industries including healthcare and finance. At the 10th annual VivaTech festival, Kate Moody visits IBM's Quantum System Two chandelier, and speaks to Jerry Chow, IBM's Chief Technology Officer for Quantum-Centric Supercomputing, about the real-li...

What are the social and environmental costs of the race for critical minerals? Minerals like cobalt, lithium, and nickel are crucial for the development of new technology, including clean energy. But mining and refining them can be hugely polluting and water intensive – with a risk of deforestation, water contamination, and health problems for local communities. Studies suggest that about half of...

The global pharmaceutical industry has found itself at the heart of geopolitical and trade tensions. The Trump administration has pushed policies to promote the sovereignty of US drugmakers, threatening tariffs on manufacturers or countries, and vowing to reduce prescription drug prices for Americans.  But it's an approach that could lead to "potential catastrophe", according to Karl Claxton, Prof...

In the world of artificial intelligence, the focus used to be on training AI models. Now, increasingly, it's on "inference" – the actual execution of the tasks we ask these systems to perform. David Gurlé is a French tech entrepreneur whose startup Antimatter aims to service the inference boom with energy solutions, mini data centres that fit inside a container and appropriate software – for only...

Owning a home has long been a cornerstone of the American Dream, but is increasingly out of reach for many US workers. A report by the White House in April suggests the United States needs 10 million additional houses to meet demand. Meanwhile, the average price of new home sales has jumped over 30 percent in just five years, and rental prices in most major US cities have surged by around 40 perce...

The war with Iran has prompted many economies to reevaluate their energy needs and strategy. In Europe, several countries are considering reviving the use of nuclear power. Sweden, Belgium, and Italy are among those rolling back previous restrictions, while France and the UK are spearheading new nuclear projects. Valérie Faudon, executive director of the French Nuclear Energy Society (SFEN) says t...

A spate of high-profile stadium tours by stars like Céline Dion, Taylor Swift and Oasis have put a spotlight on the practice of dynamic ticket pricing, with many fans saying they're unable to secure or afford tickets. We take a closer look in this edition of People & Profit. Andrew Mall, associate professor of music at Northeastern University, says the trend of dynamic ticket pricing is likely to...

The US and Israel’s war with Iran has sent shockwaves across the global economy, and created the largest energy crisis in decades. But China, the world’s second-largest economy, has by many measures appeared insulated from the worst of the fallout.  Watch more World's worst energy crisis? Iran war sparks scramble for alternatives to Gulf oil Leah Fahy, senior economist in the China team at Capital...

Hungary is preparing for a new era, after the centre-right Tisza party of Peter Magyar won a landslide victory over longtime nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Magyar says he'll seek to repair Hungary's confrontational relationship with the European Union, something that could unlock much-needed EU funding for Ukraine and for Hungary itself. Many voters said the stagnating economy was a majo...

The US and Israel’s war with Iran has triggered one of the biggest global energy shocks in decades. Asian economies, in particular, are facing disruptions to oil and gas supplies, while energy prices have surged worldwide. Climate activists say the shock should serve as a catalyst in the switch to renewable energy sources.  Harjeet Singh, Strategic Adviser at the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative and...

Fertility treatments such as IVF are becoming increasingly common. But a study by UK-based organisation Fertility Matters at Work suggests that nearly two-thirds of respondents do not feel comfortable speaking to their employer about support during the process. Our guests, Becky Kearns – CEO and co-founder of Fertility Matters at Work – and Suzy Jackson, COO of RVO Health, say both employers and g...

As tensions between the US, Israel and Iran choke the Strait of Hormuz, cutting global energy and fertiliser flows, markets face rising prices and food insecurity. We discuss the global fallout with Carlos Razo from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), exploring the risks for the world's poorest economies and the threat of widespread inflation.

The spiralling conflict in Iran has highlighted the potential vulnerability of Gulf states when it comes to food and water security. Countries like Bahrain and Qatar depend heavily on desalinated water, and strikes on desalination plants have sparked concern about water supplies. Meanwhile, the usual flow of food imports through the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted by the fighting. Christian He...

The European Union is facing an “almost existential moment” as it seeks to weather global turmoil. That is the warning from Ireland’s Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris. He says the current conflict in the Middle East serves as “a stark reminder of how Europe must become much more energy independent and much more economically resilient." Harris tells FRANCE 24 that he expects the Unit...

What does the corporate workplace look like in 2026? Following the Covid-19 pandemic, many employers implemented flexible schedules, which allowed employees to work from home for some or all of their week. Many firms are now backtracking, saying that even a hybrid model is no longer suitable. Some of the major employers who are mandating a full or partial return to the office include tech giants,...

The automobile industry has been steering towards an electric future. In Europe, sales of both fully electric and hybrid cars have risen as costs drop and technology improves. Competition within the industry is fierce, and new players are challenging legacy carmakers.  The Chinese brand Zeekr is among newcomers hoping to make inroads. Lothar Schupet, CEO of Zeekr Europe , says that many Chinese ma...

In a changing global landscape, Europe's defence industry is being reshaped and revitalised. Over the past five years, EU member states have boosted their defence spending by 63 percent to reach €381 billion euros in 2025. Jacob Parakalis, Research Leader for Defence Strategy, Policy, and Capabilities at RAND Europe, says Russia 's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 "focused attention...

Artificial intelligence is the next frontier – but is it also the next bubble? That's the question investors have been asking since tech giants began investing billions of dollars in AI and driving stock market gains. We put the question to an expert. Professor Jon Danielsson, Director of the Systemic Risk Centre at the London School of Economics, says he is "fairly certain" the market is at the t...

Nearly 1.5 million kilometres of submarine cables criss-cross the globe. The infrastructure is key for both national security and economic stability. But an uptick in disruptions – notably in the Baltic Sea – has focused attention on the need to safeguard these networks. While many of the outages appear accidental, some can be attributed to sabotage by state-sponsored actors.  Raoul Jacquand, Vice...

After a week of twists and turns, US President Donald Trump delivered a highly anticipated speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday. Earlier at Davos, French President Emmanuel Macron decried bullying on the global stage and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned that "the old order is not coming back". For analysis, FRANCE 24's Charles Pellegrin talks to Brett Bruen, president...

A qualified majority of EU countries have finally approved the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, over 25 years after talks between the two blocs started. Opposition is still fierce, especially from the European agricultural sector. Charles Pellegrin talks to Maria Concepcion Latorre, a professor of applied economics at Universidad Complutense in Madrid, who argues the benefits of the pact outweigh the...

What's next for Venezuela, where a surprise attack saw US forces capture President Nicolas Maduro and his wife? Is getting control of the country's oil reserves the most important motivation for US President Donald Trump? Charles Pellegrin talks to David Goldwyn, president of Goldwyn Global Strategies and former US State Department special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs fro...