Business

European lawmakers have kicked off what's likely to be a long and fierce negotiation over the bloc's seven-year budget. Member states are divided on spending priorities, and pending elections in countries including France and Italy are adding pressure to the talks in Brussels. Also in the show - AI stocks lose a trillion dollars in this week's tech stock sell-off, and Ledger's CTO Charles Guilleme...

China and North Korea formally opened the Yalu River Bridge on Thursday, connecting Dandong in China with Sinuiju in North Korea. Beijing says the bridge will promote economic and trade cooperation. Meanwhile, AI firm Anthropic told prospective investors that its third-quarter revenue rose 45 percent from the previous quarter to $16.8 billion. The figures were disclosed at an investor briefing in...

The French glassmaker Duralex is known for its practically unbreakable tableware - and business model. It's been pulled back from the brink for the fifth time in 25 years, by an entrepreneur who is vowing a new, environmentally-conscious chapter for the manufacturer. Also in the show - high energy prices fuel inflation in the US just weeks before midterm elections, and Greenland hits back at Donal...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stops by Paris to tout new stakes in French AI-enabled tech firms like medical booking site Doctolib. Also in this edition: OpenAI says it caught a spy red-handed, and China's trade surplus continues to boom despite soaring energy costs and trade conflicts.

China has moved from exporting cars to bringing entire auto industry ecosystems, building up production capacity in Europe and boosting partnerships with local companies. Arthur D. Little's automotive expert Philipp Seidel tells France 24 that while tariffs and quotas can buy time, EU carmakers must improve their own competitiveness and not become too dependent on Chinese suppliers. But first, we...

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts that global economic output will slow to 3.1% this year in spite of geopolitical disruptions, but warns that high inflation and AI share valuations could be risks for financial stability. Also in this edition: Russia says it has exported $320 billion worth of oil and gas to European countries since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2...

The biennial Paris Motor Show kicks off with a record number of Chinese brands descending on the French capital.  European carmakers are fighting back, showcasing their latest models, as the EU announced a deal with China to limit the imports of hybrids.  France 24's Charles Pellegrin has been speaking with CEOs of both Chinese and European carmakers. 

The Paris Motor Show roars into gear this Monday, with over 200 auto sector brands showcasing their latest models and innovations. Chinese brands like BYD, Xpeng and Zeekr are among those present and getting lots of attention as their market share has surged in the past few years. In this edition, we speak to John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, about the challenge these n...

The Trump administration continues to crack down on immigration, with new restrictions on the H-1B visa programme. US Vice President JD Vance singled out Microsoft as having abused the system to recruit low-cost foreign workers, to the detriment of the American workforce. The tech giant has defended its hiring practices. Also in the show: Germany could join a UK-led fighter jet development program...

The EU's trade commissioner, Maros Sefcovic, arrived in Beijing this Thursday for two days of talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao. Sefcovic stated his goal of "rebalancing" an "unsustainable trade deficit". One particular area of concern is the auto sector, where Chinese hybrid vehicles have increased their European market share to 25 percent. Also in this edition: Microsoft unveils its...

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has tried to calm both student protesters and jittery bond markets. In an address to the nation, Lecornu stressed that the education ministry had not seen any cuts in last week's budget proposal, but insisted the government must cut its public deficit to 5%. There are growing concerns about France's spending and debt, with the IMF urging the country to "get...

After shrinking briefly in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 attacks, Israel's GDP is predicted to grow by 4 percent this year. The country's tech sector – specifically its defence startups – has played a big part in this performance but challenges, notably demographic ones, are on the horizon. Meanwhile, the destruction caused by Israel's war in Gaza has reduced GDP per capita in the Palestini...

Protests have been gripping France with students demanding better learning conditions and more equal opportunities. The education ministry is among the few that have been granted an increase in next year's draft budgets, but critics say it still doesn't catch up with inflation.  We take a closer look.  Plus, OpenAI has apologised to Australia over its handling of government website hacks by a rogu...

In August, US employment in roles most exposed to AI for people aged between 22 and 25 shrank by 4.4 percent year-on-year. This means there's been a contraction every single month since October 2023, about a year after ChatGPT was first released. The high impact of AI on younger workers is one of the key trends emerging from the Canaries Dashboard, a project led by the Stanford Digital Economy Lab...

The euro has stumbled to a 17-month low against the US dollar on concern about France's ability to bring its public finances in order.  The currency has fallen nearly 7% from its peak in late January.  Meanwhile, global oil prices fell despite ongoing tensions around the Arabian Peninsula, after the G7 agreed to release up to 100 million barrels from strategic reserves and oil flows from the Persi...

US President Donald Trump has named his National Intelligence Director Jay Clayton as America's "Super Intelligence" czar, as fears over AI grow. Also, oil markets react to Houthi attacks as well as export data, and France's fiscal woes drive the euro to a 17-month low. 

The French government is seeking €54 billion in savings in its 2027 budget proposal, as it faces pressure over its ballooning public debt. But it's likely to face opposition, especially on proposals that would cap pension increases. Meanwhile, protests by high school students over resources and conditions in classrooms have spread across the country, with the budget likely to further inflame tensi...

US President Donald Trump discussed AI development with dozens of tech bosses at the White House on Tuesday. Ahead of his "super intelligence" luncheon, Trump launched a new AI-powered website for government services, vowing not to stifle the technology's growth. He also said he didn't want to work with Chinese President Xi Jinping on AI oversight. Plus, dozens of dogs are rescued from a breeding...

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has decided to cancel the release of its latest agentic model Astra 6.1 because it did not meet safety standards. Rival AI firm Anthropic, meanwhile, is dedicating a large majority of its IPO prospectus to laying out the risk factors associated with AI, according to Reuters. Also in this edition: Russia adds another layer of secrecy to its energy sector and NASA...

Trade unions in France have called on public sector workers – from train drivers to teachers, health workers and police officers – to stop work and protest at the government's plan to freeze the public sector's pay index, just days before the government is set to unveil its draft budget for 2027. Plus, as Paris Fashion Week kicks off, we speak with an expert on what the struggling luxury sector ne...

Flights between Iran and the United Arab Emirates have been suspended, following tighter US sanctions on Iran's aviation industry. The move effectively cuts Tehran off from Dubai, one of the region's most important commercial hubs. There are also huge backups near Iran's border with Turkey, as overland shipping routes struggle to fill the gaps. Also in this edition: Donald Trump and Xi Jinping hai...

The Trump administration's suggestion that it could ban or limit diesel exports has sparked a furious backlash from the American oil industry. Politicians are trying to bring down soaring energy prices ahead of the midterm elections in November, but critics say a ban would cause supply problems and higher prices both at home and abroad. Also in this edition: the OECD says the global economy is wit...

Under pressure to help businesses and workers cope with soaring fuel prices, the French government has announced it will expand targeted energy relief for those most affected. The new measures will cost €450 million, bringing the total so far to €1.4 billion. Meanwhile, as French President Emmanuel Macron calls for allowing more biofuels to be added to diesel, we speak to an expert about the poten...

Dependence on consulting firms is a growing trend among governments globally. Left unchecked, it can have a negative impact due to high costs or transparency issues. Such dependence came to the fore in France a few years ago, when the Macron government was criticised for its close ties with US consulting giant McKinsey. UNESCO's Inclusive Policy Lab, headed by Iulia Sevciuc, has established a new...

Paramount Skydance has settled a lawsuit with a dozen US states that sought to block its acquisition of Warner Brothers, as well as with the Writers Guild of America.  California's attorney general said that while the settlement addressed concerns over competition and protection, it did not mean a vote of support for the deal.