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Author: FRANCE 24 English

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A daily update on the latest business and economic news. Live from Monday to Thursday at 9:15am and 6:45pm Paris time.

113 Episodes
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It's the third Thursday of November, meaning this year's Beaujolais Nouveau is out on sale.  Massively popular in the 1980s, the wine has seen its sales decline significantly. The French wine sector as a whole has been in difficulty, amid climate change, trade tensions and falling 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. Plus, France and Ukraine strike a deal for Kyiv to buy up to 100 Rafale fighter jets. We take a look at how much such a purchase could cost.
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. Also in this edition, we look at the chaotic impact of the US government shutdown on air travel. Some 1,200 more flights were cancelled this Tuesday, adding to 9,000 axed nationwide. Even if the government reopens soon, relief for travellers won't be immediate.
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.
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