Business

Visa-free travellers going to the UK will have to get permission prior to their visit as the government expands its Electronic Travel Authorisation, or ETA, scheme to all visitors. A similar plan is also in the pipeline for the European Union. Plus, the Olympics may be over but the medal race continues. Around 1,400 people from nearly 70 countries are taking part in the 47th edition of the WorldSkills competition that's underway in the French city of Lyon. 

Boeing workers in Washington and Oregon will be voting on Thursday night on whether to accept a new contract offer that increases wages by 25 percent over the next four years. If the deal is turned down, as has been predicted by union organisers, they will need a two-thirds majority to approve strike action. Also in this edition, we take a look at the plight of migrant workers in Singapore as Pope Francis calls for them to have a "fair wage" during his visit to the city-state.

As the EU prepares to impose additional, heavy tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars, Spain's prime minister has called on both sides to find a compromise to avoid a trade war. Pedro Sanchez made the comments during a trip to Beijing where he met President Xi Jinping. Plus, the British government says it has reached a new, improved deal with Tata Steel for the thousands of workers at the Port Talbot Steelworks who are set to be made redundant soon. 

During Tuesday's US presidential debate, Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump clashed over their plans on foreign trade. In this edition, we take a look at what both of them are advocating when it comes to applying import duties and countering China. Plus, FRANCE 24's Eliza Herbert outlines the candidates' plans to improve the US economy and the lives of ordinary Americans.

In a major win for EU regulators, the European Court of Justice has ruled that Apple must pay €13 billion in back taxes to Ireland, dismissing a final appeal by the company against the European Commission's 2016 order. Separately, the court upheld a €2.4 billion fine imposed on Google over its online shopping comparison service. Plus, taking space tourism to a whole new level: SpaceX launches Polaris Dawn, an all-civilian mission aiming for the first privately-funded spacewalk. 

US tech giant Apple unveiled its new iPhone 16 on Monday in California, which it said is built to include artificial intelligence features. This is Apple's bid to reverse a slump in sales, especially as iPhones represent almost half of all revenue at the trillion-dollar company. Also in this edition, a new report from the EU Commission says that €800 billion are needed annually in order for the bloc to compete with China and the US.

A new antitrust trial for Google parent Alphabet gets underway, this time over its ad services following a judge's ruling last month that its search engine business is a monopoly. Also in this edition, France asks the EU for more time to deliver a plan to reduce its budget deficits and debt.

In a speech at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, President Xi Jinping promised to provide 360 billion Yuan (€45 billion) in new financing to African countries over the next three years. The promise also includes the creation of one million jobs and 30 renewable energy projects. Also in this edition, the world's biggest semiconductor trade show – SEMICON – kicks off in Taiwan, shedding light on the chip-making sector and the geopolitical challenges it faces.

Volkswagen's management went head to head with some 25,000 employees as leaders defended planned cost cuts that include possible plant closures in Germany and the end to a long-running job protection scheme. Unions say the threat is tantamount to a "declaration of bankruptcy". Also in this edition, China rolled out the red carpet to dozens of African leaders as it kicked off the ninth edition of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. 

As the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation kicks off in Beijing, we take a closer look at how Chinese lending to the African continent has evolved over the years. Looking at data since 2000, big ticket infrastructure and energy projects have now given way to loans to smaller renewable energy projects and the financial sector. Also in this edition, AI chipmaker and tech giant Nvidia loses $279 billion in value and is targeted by an antitrust investigation.

Lebanon's former central bank governor, Riad Salameh, has been arrested in Beirut. Once lauded for reviving the country's economy after the civil war, Salameh's later years in office were marred by allegations of financial crimes including embezzlement and money laundering. Plus, the trial against Martin Winterkorn, the former CEO of Volkswagen, has begun nine years after the "Dieselgate" emissions cheating scandal sent shockwaves through the global auto industry. 

US vice president and presidential candidate Kamala Harris used a Labor Day speech to criticise a deal that would see American steelmaker US Steel taken over by Japan's Nippon Steel. The $14.1 billion takeover was agreed to in principle in December of last year but has come under heavy criticism from the United Steelworkers union. Also in this edition, surging demand for Oasis concert tickets has pushed the UK to crack down on "dynamic pricing" on ticketing platforms.

A panel of five Supreme Court justices in Brazil has unanimously upheld the decision of one of its judges to block Elon Musk's social media platform X in the country. The platform has already been suspended since Saturday for violating local rules. According to Brazil's telecoms regulator, only Starlink, the satellite operator controlled by Musk, says it will not comply with the order. Plus, German employers are worried after the anti-immigration AfD made a strong showing in state elections. 

The historic showing for Germany's far-right anti-immigrant AfD party in Sunday's state elections threatens to complicate the country's search for the foreign talent it needs to maintain its labour force. We take a closer look. Also in this edition: Brazil's Supreme Court votes on whether or not to uphold a nationwide ban on social media platform X.

After French President Emmanuel Macron rejected the idea of naming a prime minister from the left-wing New Popular Front coalition, saying a leftist government would immediately be ousted by all other parties, many French business leaders gathering at the employer federation Medef's annual conference voiced optimism that the pro-business environment of the past seven years would be maintained. FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer speaks to Laurent Saint-Martin, President of Business France, about the current business climate. 

As suspense continues over who will become France's next prime minister, the country's largest employer federation, Medef, kicked off its annual "back to school" conference on the theme of ''power''. The US presidential election, regional conflicts and trade tensions are also high on business leaders' minds. FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer speaks to Boris Lombard, president of German manufacturing firm KSB, about the challenges facing the industrial sector. 

Indonesia is gearing up to inaugurate its new capital Nusantara later this week, on the country's Independence Day. 

Amid delays and slow private investment, President Joko Widodo hailed the unfinished city as a "canvas on which to draw the future".  Yuka Royer takes a closer look at the 30 billion euro megaprojects and convroversies surrounding it. 

Global oil benchmarks Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate surged this Wednesday on the news that Hamas's political leader Ismail Haniyeh had been killed by a suspected Israeli strike in Iran. Fears over a regional escalation of the Israel-Hamas war are fuelling concerns over production and distribution of oil in a region that produces about a third of global supply. Also in this edition, we look ahead to the US Federal Reserve's next decision on interest rates.

On a five-day visit to China, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has vowed to "relaunch" economic cooperation with Beijing and "rebalance trade". She has also sought to position herself as a potential mediator between China and the EU as the two blocs butt heads, especially on the issue of Chinese electric vehicle imports. In this edition, we look at what could make Meloni's job harder.

As Venezuela's opposition contests the re-election of President Nicolas Maduro, we take a closer look at the South American country's economic challenges. Hyperinflation, which reached a peak in 2019, may have subsided but it has underlined issues with wealth inequality and dependence on the oil sector. In addition, Caracas is carrying a massive foreign debt load of around $150 billion.

As the US presidential election campaign is roiled by Joe Biden's decision to pull out of the race against Donald Trump, we look at the role Silicon Valley has been playing in the contest so far. Long a bastion of liberal values, the US tech scene is seeing an increase in backers to Trump and the Republican Party. Michael Fertik, founder and managing partner of Heroic Ventures, tells FRANCE 24 how this has happened and why so many venture capitalists are drawn to the MAGA (Make America Great Again) message. 

The world’s first AI beauty pageant has crowned a virtual Moroccan lifestyle influencer. But first, Spaniards are being pushed out of the property market as tourism breaks new records in the country. China is building more wind and solar power projects than the rest of the world combined. Plus, the UK economy grew faster than expected in May.