Business daily

A US court has ruled that Federal Reserve board governor Lisa Cook can stay in her job in spite of the president's attempts to fire her, meaning she should be able to attend the central bank's September meeting. Meanwhile, Trump appointee Stephen Miran has been confirmed by the Senate to fill a vacant seat on the board. Investors are predicting the Fed will cut interest rates by 0.25 basis points on Wednesday. Also in this edition, we report on how protests in Nepal could threaten the country's vital tourism sector.

The United States and China have reached a framework deal for the ownership of TikTok, following the latest round of trade talks held in Madrid. It's unclear what the final deal will look like, but US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says it involves switching the app to US-controlled ownership. The deal is set to be finalised by Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping on Friday. This comes on the same day that China accused US chip giant Nvidia of violating the country's antimonopoly laws. 

France faces a series of credit rating tests, with political chaos raising the risk of a downgrade. Also, US consumer prices rise at annual rate of 2.9 percent in August. Plus, the surge in Oracle's share price adds fuel to the AI boom debate.

Larry Ellison, the 81-year-old co-founder of US business software company Oracle, briefly became the world's richest man on Wednesday after shares in Oracle surged over 40 percent. The company is predicting that its cloud infrastructure business will grow from $10 billion to $144 billion by 2030, thanks to AI-driven demand for its services. Also in this edition: Cuba suffers another island-wide blackout – the fifth in the past year.

Protests gripped France nationwide on Wednesday as the newly appointed prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, assumed office. Protesters demonstrated their anger at potentially massive spending cuts, as opposition lawmakers defended their counter-proposals to tackle France's debt and deficit. So what's in their plans? Plus, Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk announces a plan to cut 9,000 jobs as the maker of Wegovy and Ozempic struggles to turn its fortunes around. 

As grassroots "Block Everything" protests take place all across France, we examine the economic conditions that are partly fuelling the discontent. While the country has seen steady wage growth over the past 30 years, job insecurity is on the rise and the poverty rate has hit a new record: 15.4 percent of the population of mainland France. Also in this edition: the immigration raid against a Hyundai plant in Georgia is ringing alarm bells among foreign businesses looking to invest in the US.

French President Emmanuel Macron has picked defence chief Sébastien Lecornu as his new prime minister, a day after François Bayrou was voted out by parliament. The 39-year-old Lecornu's immediate priority will be to try to forge consensus on a new budget, before forming a government. If this year's budget were to be carried over into next year, France's fiscal deficit, already the highest in the EU, is predicted to widen further. 

The collapse of PM François Bayrou's government after losing a confidence vote in the French National Assembly on Monday is casting a long shadow over the country's public finances. The eurozone's second-largest economy's debt pile currently accounts for over 114 percent of its GDP and the lack of a consensus on how to restore public finances will increase that number further. Also in this edition: Norway's Labour Party wins a general election focused on a wealth tax debate.

Europe's largest car show kicks off in Munich, as industry leaders warn the continent's auto sector is facing existential threats. But first: French political turmoil threatens to further drag down the country's stock market as borrowing costs rise.

Giorgio Armani, who has passed away aged 91, directed an empire that generated €2.3 billion in 2024 and never sold any part of his company to an outsider. We take a closer look. Meanwhile, Donald Trump's Fed nominee Stephen Miran is grilled by the Senate Banking Committee as he tries to convince them he intends to preserve the Federal Reserve's independence. Plus, Melania Trump makes a rare public appearance to talk AI with some top industry leaders.

US internet search giant Google was ordered by a US federal jury on Wednesday to pay about $425 million for gathering information from smartphone app use even after people had opted for privacy settings. On the same day, France's government watchdog for data privacy slapped a €325 million fine on the company for failing to adequately secure user consent before setting advertising cookies. Also in this edition: the Trump administration asks the US Supreme Court to rule once and for all on the legality of tariffs.

The European Commission has given final approval to a massive trade deal with South America's Mercosur bloc, and presented the agreement to member states to sign. It brings the long-stalled deal a step closer to ratification, as the revised version has put in place various safeguards to protect European farmers and appease critics like France. We take a closer look.

US Federal Judge Amit Mehta ruled on Tuesday that Google did not have to sell off its signature Chrome internet browser or its Android operating system. This follows a previous ruling that the company had illegally maintained a monopoly on search engines. Investors breathed a sigh of relief, since search accounts for more than half of the tech giant's revenue. Also in this edition: French households are saving at record levels over concerns about political instability.

China has wrapped up a high-profile summit of the Shanghai Coorperation Organization, where President Xi Jinping sought to present a new world order with the Global South leading the way. It also signed a slew of business deals with partners including Russia. Among them is a new agreement on a long-delayed pipeline project that boosts capacity of Russian gas deliveries to China. Also in this bulletin: Nestlé has fired its CEO over a secret love affair. So are office romances a taboo subject? 

Swiss food giant Nestle removes its CEO Laurent Freixe after just a year on the job over a relationship with a direct subordinate. We take a closer look. Also in this edition: India's textile export industry comes apart at the seams as US President Donald Trump's tariffs take effect.

Italy has rejected claims by French Prime Minister François Bayrou that Rome is pursuing a policy of "fiscal dumping" to attract foreign business and investment.  The spat comes as Bayrou faces a likely collapse of his government over an unpopular budget plan, in which he aims to cut 44 billion euros in public spending. Plus, Labubus, and their knock-off cousins Lafufus, are taking Europe by storm. 

A rush for mineral wealth in eastern Germany has left residents fearful for their health and the environment. Also in this edition: China seeks to create an economic centre of gravity to rival the US, and France's embattled prime minister rejects a proposal to tax the country's richest families 2 percent of their wealth to plug a budget hole.

US AI chipmaker Nvidia, the world's most valuable company, posted record $46 billion sales in the latest quarter, showing strong demand from clients like OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet and Meta. However, the company's lack of shipments of chips to China is clouding the horizon. In this edition, we explain the geopolitics affecting Nvidia's business. Plus, FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer speaks to France's Minister for Foreign Trade Laurent Saint-Martin about the country's dire public finances.

The United States' 50% tariff on Indian goods came into effect this Wednesday, making India the target of President Donald Trump's largest import duties in Asia. Half of these levies have been imposed because of India's purchases of Russian crude oil, which have surged since the start of the war in Ukraine. In this edition, we see what impact the move could have on the Indian economy and how the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has responded to the worsening ties with the White House.

Treasury yields climb and the dollar falls as investors grow increasingly concerned about the US Federal Reserve's independence. Also in this edition: French Prime Minister François Bayrou's decision to call a confidence vote in his government sends markets into a tailspin. Plus, the UN postal agency says that 25 countries have decided to suspend package deliveries to the US. 

In an unprecedented move, US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he'd fired Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud. The Biden appointee denied that Trump had the authority to do so and vowed not to step down. This is the latest chapter in Trump's sustained attacks against the US central bank. Also in this edition: Elon Musk sues Apple and OpenAI for anti-competitive behaviour in the AI field.

French Prime Minister François Bayrou has warned that the nation is facing an "immediate danger" of over-indebtedness as he tried to rally support for his unpopular budget plan for 2026. Labour unions have threatened to bring France to a standstill with a general strike called for September 10. Plus, US President Donald Trump boasts that his government has paid "zero" for a 10 percent stake in embattled chipmaker Intel. 

China's former real estate giant Evergrande has seen its shares delisted from the Hong Kong stock exchange this Monday. Once the most valuable property company in the country, the firm fell on hard times when the government cracked down on its debt-fuelled development model in 2020. Also in this edition: one Chinese copper company has managed to fly under the radar of Trump's tariffs by building plants in the US, making it an interesting test case in the US-China trade war.

In a bid to extract concessions from New Delhi in months-long trade talks, Donald Trump announced that he will impose 25 percent tariffs on Indian exports to the US starting August 1. He also threatened to penalise India for its purchases of Russian oil. In this segment, we explain what the US hopes to achieve with this move – and why India isn't rushing to strike a deal. Meanwhile, the US and South Korea have reached an agreement to lower US tariffs to 15 percent.

Two days of talks between delegations from Beijing and Washington ended without an extension of the tariff truce set to expire on August 12. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Donald Trump still needs to be briefed on the discussions. Also, the International Monetary Fund has revised its global growth outlook upward, as Trump's tariff policies are scaled back. And, Lesotho's textile industry remains on edge ahead of the August 1 tariff deadline.

The deal reached by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump over the weekend has led the Euro to lose value against the US dollar. This follows wide-ranging criticisms within the bloc over the "asymmetrical" nature of the deal, with French Prime Minister François Bayrou equating it to submission. In this edition, we look back on what's been agreed on, and what still needs to be determined.

As European leaders attend an EU-China summit in Beijing, the issue of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles entering the single market is one of the items on the agenda. Brussels has imposed tariffs on Chinese manufacturers such as Zeekr because of what it considers to be unfair trade practices. In this edition, we talk to Lothar Schupet, acting CEO of Zeekr Europe, about the effect of these trade restrictions on its business.

After months of negotiations, the US has reached a trade deal with Japan. US President Donald Trump celebrated the agreement on tariffs in a social media post, while Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba hailed the deal, which sets duties on Japanese exports to the US at a rate of 15 percent. In this edition, we look at what exactly has been announced by both sides and what it means for Japan's auto sector, which is responsible for a quarter of all exports to the US.

Trade negotiations between Washington and Brussels are continuing ahead of an August 1 deadline, when US President Donald Trump has vowed to impose 30 percent tariffs on nearly all goods imported from the European Union. Both sides are looking to carve out exemptions for key sectors, such as aviation or pharmaceuticals. Also in this edition: German car sector companies are looking to benefit from the country's sudden increase in defence spending.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended a ceremony on Saturday marking the start of construction for a new $167 billion mega dam project in Tibet. The project aims to boost the national economy as well as increase the country's capacity to produce clean energy, but it raises risks to biodiversity and to relations with India. Also in this edition, we look at the success of Barcelona's tourist tax scheme.

US Senate Republicans have voted to cut $9 billion from public broadcasting and foreign aid – a victory for US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticised PBS and NPR. Meanwhile, Trump is scaling up his pressure campaign against Fed Chair Jerome Powell and taking credit for an ingredient swap at Coca-Cola. 

Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that it was "unlikely" he would fire the chairman of the US Federal Reserve, after reportedly floating the idea to Republican lawmakers. The US president has repeatedly criticised Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates fast enough, but is constrained in his ability to dismiss him. Also in this edition, Brazil calls for "urgent talks" with Washington over looming 50 percent tariffs that are set to take effect on August 1.

The US Bureau of Labor of Statistics will be releasing its June inflation data this Tuesday, with economists forecasting a slight uptick in consumer prices because of the impact of tariffs. FRANCE 24 spoke to Nela Richardson, Chief Economist at ADP, about the impact of import duties on US inflation. Also in this edition: the French government considers a spending freeze in a bid to find €40 billion in savings and cut the deficit.

US President Donald Trump has unveiled a sweeping new round of tariffs targeting eight countries, with Brazil hit the hardest. The move, which comes despite a US trade surplus with the South American giant, raises economic and political tensions as the August 1 implementation date looms. Meanwhile in corporate news, Nvidia has become the first publicly traded company to surpass a $4 trillion valuation, overtaking the size of France's entire GDP.

US e-commerce giant Amazon has expanded its "Prime Day" promotional event this year to four days, in a bid to give shoppers "more time to shop and save". US President Donald Trump's global trade war has increased the threat of higher prices for US shoppers. While forecasts show another record year for sales, other indicators are highlighting cautious consumer sentiment. Also in this edition: Trump's 50 percent tariff threat on all copper imports could hurt global producers like Zambia.

US President Donald Trump announces a 50% tariff on copper after sending tariff letters to 14 different trading partners. Also, Bulgaria is set to adopt the euro on January 1, 2026. Plus, France's parliament approves a controversial bill on agriculture which brings back a pesticide that was banned in 2020.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced new "reciprocal" tariffs on 14 countries that would come into effect on August 1 unless a deal was struck before then. Japan and South Korea vowed to pursue negotiations with Washington – as did South Africa – but promised to defend their national interests, setting the stage for difficult talks. Also in this edition, the BRICS summit wraps up in Brazil, with Trump making headlines there too.

US President Donald Trump has sent letters to several countries dictating new tariffs that will be implemented on August 1. Also, France's poverty rate has surged to its highest level on record. Plus, one of the world's largest Legolands has opened its doors to tourists in Shanghai.

A walkout by French air traffic controllers is causing major disruptions to summer travel, impacting not just French airports but also the country's airspace. Next, the US House of Representatives has passed Donald Trump's sweeping budget bill, stripping millions of Americans of food benefits. Plus, France's antitrust agency is fining fast-fashion retailer Shein €40 million for deceptive business practices.

A new report shows that recent heatwaves across Europe could slow economic growth by half a percentage point in 2025. But first, US President Donald Trump announces a trade deal with Vietnam. Plus, a French court has sentenced three former Ubisoft executives to suspended jail terms for harassment at the gaming giant.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to increase import duties on Japanese goods to 35 percent as trade talks with Tokyo approach a July 9 deadline. The two countries are fast approaching the end of a 90-day negotiation period before previously imposed 24 percent tariffs snap back into place, and talks have proved difficult. Also in this edition, FRANCE 24's Luke Shrago looks at the opportunities and challenges of using carbon capture technology in the fight to reduce global warming.

A marathon vote is underway in the US Senate over President Donald Trump's megabill, with Republicans divided over how much to cut welfare programmes to extend tax breaks. Meanwhile, the UK-US trade deal has come into effect, but there's still no news on aluminium and steel. Plus, China's largest coffee chain is escalating its race against Starbucks.