Business daily

Russian President Vladimir Putin has landed in India for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine. The visit aims at strengthening economic ties between Moscow and New Delhi. Also, Italian police visit the headquarters of 13 major fashion brands as part of an investigation into luxury good supply chains. Plus, hundreds queue up in Auckland for Ikea's grand opening. 

French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting China with a delegation of business leaders, seeking more Chinese investment in France and a reduction in the trade deficit. We take a closer look. Also in this edition: the Trump administration plans to loosen US fuel efficiency standards, to the delight of carmakers and the dismay of climate advocates.

The European Commission has unveiled plans to provide €90 billion to support Ukraine over the next two years, by either using frozen Russian assets or borrowing money on international markets. Although the EU has already been using interest earned on Russian central bank assets held up in Europe to help Ukraine, Belgium is firmly against tapping into the actual funds. But first, the EU has presented a new strategy to reduce its dependence on China for rare earths. 

The European Union will release an updated plan this Wednesday to end its dependence on China for rare earths. These critical minerals are considered crucial in a number of high-stakes supply chains, notably in the defence, renewable energy and auto sectors, yet Beijing dominates both their mining and refining globally. Also in this edition, we look at how deforestation may have helped exacerbate recent floods in Indonesia.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has declared a "code red" to improve ChatGPT, planning to put all other projects on the back burner. The urgent call in an internal memo, first reported by The Information, highlights the ever-tightening race for AI supremacy, with Google's recent launch of its new Gemini chatbot threatening ChatGPT's lead in the field. Also in this segment: the OECD says the global economy has held up better than expected this year in the face of US tariffs, but warns that risks remain. 

Airbus said it was inspecting "a limited number" of A320s after it identified a quality issue with metal panels used on the exterior of the plane.  It says it's unlikely to cause any safety issue and all newly produced panels conform to requirements.  The revelation sent the planemaker's stock tumbling, coming days after a software recall resulted in the grounding of some 6,000 passenger jets worldwide. Also in the segment, cryptocurrencies continue to slide after a very bad November. 

Australian children brace for an upcoming social media ban on under-16s as governments around the world consider their own restrictions in a bid to protect youngsters' mental health. Also in this edition: South Korea's largest e-commerce firm suffers a major data breach, and Donald Trump says he's picked the next head of the US Federal Reserve.

Two of Wall Street's biggest banks have announced expansion plans in the UK, a day after the British finance minister revealed a budget that spared them from tax increases. Also, French MPs are debating whether or not to nationalise steelmaking giant ArcelorMittal amid concern for the industry. Plus, Venezuela bans several foreign airlines, including Iberia and TAP Air Portugal, from flying to the country.

The Financial Times is reporting that a depositary firm that holds frozen Russian state assets in the EU has warned that the bloc's plan to use these assets to back €140 billion in loans to Ukraine could lead to higher borrowing costs for member states. Also in this edition, Japanese beer giant Asahi says the personal details of more than 1.5 million people have been leaked after it was hit by a cyber attack. Plus we look into exactly how much it costs to put together a Thanksgiving dinner.

UK Finance Minister Rachel Reeves has announced a new budget that includes more taxes for ordinary workers, but higher government spending on social welfare programmes. The new plan will raise the government's tax take to a post-war high of 38 percent of GDP by 2031, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). It will give the government greater room to meet its deficit-reduction targets – prompting investors to buy long-dated government bonds, sending yields sharply lower. We take a closer look.

UK Finance Minister Rachel Reeves will present her second annual budget to parliament this Wednesday, promising to plug a spending gap of at least £30 billion (€30.4 billion). Reeves has been under pressure both from her Labour Party backbenchers and investors to deliver a financial plan that delivers on her campaign promises, while shoring up public finances. We take a closer look in this edition.

German auto giant Volkswagen has announced the completion of a new R&D centre at its hub in Hebei, eastern China, saying that for the first time in the company's history, new cars can be developed from start to finish outside Germany. Volkswagen is hoping to win back its share in the world's largest auto market. Also in the segment: the UK government has backed a plan for a third runway at London's Heathrow Airport, moving the long-running project forward. 

The EU's antitrust chief, Teresa Ribera, says changing regulations on US tech is not on the cards. This comes after US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick tied a loosening of tech rules to lower US tariffs. Also, mining giant Barrick reaches an agreement with the Malian government to resume operations at the Loulo-Gounkoto gold mining complex. Plus we head to Finland, where economic stagnation won't necessarily mean the country will lose its title as the world's happiest country.

The EU and the US have restarted their trade negotiations in a bid to settle sticking points left unsolved in their tariff deal reached in July. The US side called on the EU to reconsider its digital rules and find "a balanced approach" if it wanted Washington to lower import duties on steel and aluminium. Plus, global talks on protecting wildlife and ensuring sustainable trade have kicked off in Uzbekistan. The EU wants to tighten restrictions on the trade of eels, something Japan is vehemently against. 

The EU and the African Union are marking 25 years of relations with a summit aimed at boosting economic cooperation, but Europe's investment ambitions will struggle to compete with those of China and the US. We take a closer look in this edition.

It's the third Thursday of November, which means this year's Beaujolais Nouveau has gone on sale. Massively popular in the 1980s, the wine has seen its sales fall sharply in recent years. The French wine sector as a whole is struggling, amid climate change, trade tensions and declining demand.

The world's most valuable company, US chipmaker Nvidia, posted better-than-expected results for the latest quarter, showing a 62 percent annual increase in revenue. The positive earnings report prompted a rise in global stock markets after days of losses. The company, which designs the chips that power artificial intelligence models, is seen as a bellwether for the wider tech sector and is looking to expand in new markets, notably in the Middle East.

The European Union has proposed plans to ease the bloc's strict data protection rules and delay central parts of its new AI law. Brussels says the aim is to boost innovation and competitiveness of European firms by cutting red tape, but digital rights groups see the move as capitulating to pressure from Big Tech and US President Donald Trump. Also in the segment, a Belgian farmer has taken TotalEnergies to court over its impact on climate change, hoping it will force the oil giant to change its practices.

European markets stabilised on Wednesday morning after losses sustained over concerns that AI stocks might be overvalued. Investors are eagerly awaiting the latest results from US chipmaker and AI bellwether Nvidia later in the day. Also in this edition: Japanese media are reporting that China has suspended imports of seafood from Japan amid a diplomatic spat. Plus a US judge rules that Meta does not have a monopoly.

A French court has rejected a demand by a consumer protection group to remove Perrier water bottles from markets over its "natural mineral water" labelling. It's the latest in a long-running scandal stemming from the revelation that Nestlé and other manufacturers had treated water illegally to remove contaminants while labelling their products as natural mineral water. But first, Airbus books a huge order of 150 A321neo jets from flydubai, in a deal worth €24 billion. 

"Europe does not want to be the client" of the US or China in the field of technology, French President Emmanuel Macron has told tech and political leaders at a "digital sovereignty summit" in Berlin. During the event, biotech company Owkin unveiled a new pan-European platform to make biological data "AI-ready". CEO Thomas Clozel speaks to FRANCE 24 about how new agentic and reasoning models can help take medical research to the next level. 

European and Asian equities traded lower this Tuesday, following in the footsteps of Wall Street, as doubts rise as to whether the tech sector's huge investments in artificial intelligence will pay off. Also in this edition: Donald Trump tries to convince American voters he is working to make life more affordable for them. Plus the company behind the 2016 mega-hit "Baby Shark", Pinkfong, debuts on Seoul's stock market.

France's TotalEnergies has struck a partnership deal with Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky's firm EPH. It will create a 50-50 joint venture that will manage power plants across several western European countries with a total capacity of 14 gigawatts. In an all-stock deal, EPH will receive €5.1 billion worth of new Total shares and become its third-largest shareholder.

A dust-up over comments on Taiwan made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi have led China to warn its citizens against travel to Japan, threatening the country's crucial tourism industry. And the French government is hosting an investment summit aimed at convincing domestic industrial giants to invest in new facilities in France. 

Federal agencies have started reopening after the longest-ever US government shutdown, but it's likely the lingering effects will be felt for months. Also in this edition: Scotland says it plans to issue its own government bonds, nicknaming them "kilts". Plus, a Russian humanoid robot falls flat on its face.

After President Donald Trump signed a bill into law on Wednesday that funds the US government, his administration ordered federal workers to report back to work this Thursday. In this edition, we take a look at what the reopening of the US government entails after the longest shutdown in the country's history. Over 1 million federal workers will have to receive back pay, and 42 million low-income Americans will be able to once again claim food assistance. 

US firm 1X Home Robots says its first "housekeeping robot" NEO can be ready to start working in homes next year. Meanwhile, China's XPeng unveiled its latest IRON robot, which moved so smoothly it had to cut open one of its legs to prove there wasn't a real human hiding inside. Humanoid robots have been around for decades, but with the advances of AI they have moved to a new level. Yuka Royer speaks with AI strategist Mark Minevich about just how far they have come, and how market competition is heating up. 

The International Energy Agency (IAE) released its annual World Energy Outlook this Wednesday, underlining the growing global demand for electricity, boosted by the rush to build AI data centres. The report also shows renewable energy outpacing fossil fuels despite the US turning its back on key climate commitments. Also in this edition: US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy puts pressure on lawmakers to end the shutdown and warns of air travel chaos over Thanksgiving.

Chinese consumers, anxious about the slowing economy and worn out by endless retail discounts, are showing signs of fatigue toward the annual "Singles' Day" shopping extravaganza – a worrying trend for Beijing as it looks to boost spending. The event was first launched by Alibaba in 2009 and is held each year on November 11. It has since grown into a month-long sales marathon for China's e-commerce giants. We take a closer look.

After US senators managed to pass a bill that could end what has been the longest government shutdown in US history, equity markets have reacted with strong gains on Wall Street and beyond. Nonetheless, the interruption in government work will take its toll on the US economy, as predicted by the Congressional Budget Office. Also in this edition: we head to China, where the Singles' Day shopping holiday now spans five entire weeks in a contest of slow consumer demand.

On Wednesday, the US Supreme Court's chief justices heard arguments over the legality of tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump using the Emergency Economic Powers Act, and questioned the reasoning of the administration. In this edition, we look at what the Court's decision could mean for the US economy, public finances and trade negotiations. Also in the show, we meet the French businesses targeted by fake Google review scams.  

Canada's Liberal government unveiled new federal budget plans in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Tuesday, which include a massive spending spree of 280 billion Canadian dollars (€173 billion). The spending is seen as a way to strengthen the Canadian economy after the imposition of steep tariffs by the United States, Canada's most important trading partner. Also in this edition: iconic French glassware cooperative Duralex raises €19 million in a day, just over a year after employees bought back the firm.

US coffee chain Starbucks has announced it is forming a joint venture with asset management firm Boyu Capital in China, where the latter will hold a 60 percent stake in the company's local business. China is Starbucks' second-largest market globally and it has recently been struggling with increased competition from local rivals like Luckin Coffee. Also in this edition, we look at OpenAI's blockbuster $38 billion deal with Amazon's cloud services unit.

Chinese e-commerce giant Shein has come under renewed pressure in France, just days before it opens its first permanent physical retail space in Paris. France's consumer watchdog said it had discovered child-like sex dolls on the e-commerce platform, prompting the government to warn it could block Shein's market access. In response, the Chinese-owned company suspended its "adult products" category. Also in the segment, Huawei's massive factory being built in Alsace faces an uncertain future. 

The French finance ministry says it will ban Chinese e-commerce giant Shein if child-like sex dolls reappear for sale on the site. Shein pulled the dolls after France's consumer watchdog said it discovered them last week. Under French law, distributing child sexual abuse material online is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a hefty fine. We bring you that story and more in this Monday's business news.

A rare meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea has brought a 10 percent reduction in US tariffs and a one-year postponement of China's rare-earth export controls, a limited de-escalation of the two countries' trade war. Also in this edition: America's central bank cuts interest rates for the second time this year, amid a lack of economic data due to the ongoing US government shutdown.

The US Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates for the second time this year, despite having only partial data to assess the state of the economy because of the ongoing government shutdown. The quarter percentage point cut brings the Federal Funds Rate to a range of 3.75 percent to 4 percent. The central bank also announced it would stop reducing the size of its balance sheet in December.  Also in this segment: Boeing posts a $5.4 billion third-quarter loss, weighed down by delays in its 777X rollout. 

A new survey shows a sharp slide in public concern for climate change, with war and conflict now dominating public worries. FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer speaks with Subhra Bhattacharjee, Director General of the Forest Stewardship Council, who tells her that despite fewer people citing climate change as their top concern, consumers are still preferring to shop green. "We have to translate the impacts of climate change into what it means for day-to-day action," she says.

Several trade deals and frameworks between the US and Southeast Asian countries unveiled at the recent ASEAN summit heavily favour Washington. Some analysts are concerned that the lopsided deals will push ASEAN countries towards Beijing, this as China beefs up its own trade ties with the region. Also in this edition: France's National Assembly passes an extension on corporate tax surcharges, and the US government shutdown threatens funding for critical social services.

Even if Argentinian President Javier Milei's La Libertad Avanza party is still short of a majority in parliament after Sunday's midterm elections, the self-described "anarcho-capitalist" now has more room to push ahead with radical economic reforms. Since coming to power in 2023, Milei has cut budgets for education, pensions and infrastructure and laid off tens of thousands of public sector workers. The president is also credited with lowering inflation, winning praise from US counterpart Donald Trump. We take a closer look.

US President Donald Trump has issued a pardon for Changpeng Zhao, the founder of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. Zhao spent four months in prison last year after pleading guilty to charges of failing to implement adequate measures to prevent money laundering while operating the platform. We also take a closer look at the latest US and EU sanctions against Russia.

The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it was placing Russia's two largest oil producers — Lukoil and Rosneft — on the U.S. Treasury Department's sanctions list. The move is aimed at targeting Russia's war finances, as the two companies account for nearly half of the country's crude exports. In this edition, we'll explore how this decision could affect global buyers of Russian oil, particularly in India.