US President-elect Donald Trump has upended bipartisan efforts to avert a government shutdown, after he rejected a stopgap bill and pressed Republican lawmakers to either renegotiate it or risk their political careers. The new bill would have kept federal funding running at the current level until March after the current short-term spending plan expires on Friday night. Plus, the ongoing political crisis in Georgia is taking a toll on its economy, especially tourism.   

The US Federal Reserve has cut interest rates for the third time this year, to 4.25-4.5 percent. But the central bank indicated it would likely slow the pace of its rate cuts in the coming year, as prices remain high. Rodney Sullivan, from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business, says "the signal that the Fed is giving is that they intend to break the back of inflation and bring it down to their target rate of 2 percent". He was speaking to FRANCE 24's Kate Moody.

Japanese carmakers Nissan and Honda have confirmed talks aimed at deepening their cooperation as they struggle to compete with Chinese EV startups. We take a closer look. Also in this edition: Italy's Unicredit raises its stake in German lender Commerzbank, and DR Congo accuses Apple's subsidiaries of trafficking in conflict minerals.

US President-elect Donald Trump appeared jointly with Masayoshi Son, the CEO of Japan's SoftBank, announcing the group's plan to invest $100 billion in the United States over the next four years. Son said Trump's election victory had boosted his confidence in the US economy. Meanwhile, Canada's finance minister resigns, citing disagreements with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over how to respond to Trump's threat of new trade tariffs. 

The UK has officially become a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), joining 11 existing members including Australia, Japan and Canada. The CPTPP rose from the ashes of the TPP, which was signed in 2016 but was never ratified after Donald Trump pulled the US out of the deal. Plus, France has a new government but still no budget. MPs are set to start debate on an emergency spending bill. 

Donald Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, a first for the US president-elect, after he was named "Person of the Year " by Time magazine. Plus, the European Central Bank cut interest rates again as the focus shifts from fighting inflation to supporting the Eurozone economy amid sluggish growth and political uncertainty.   

Australia's labour government unveiled a new scheme this Thursday that would tax social media platforms if they fail to agree to compensate local media publishers. The plan is meant to provide support to an industry that has lost hundreds of jobs and seen advertising revenue dwindle. Also, the death of a 26-year-old white collar worker in India sparks a national conversation on the importance of preserving work-life balance.

French lawmakers are considering emergency financing laws to avoid a potential shutdown of government services. The budget which ex-PM Michel Barnier attempted to force through parliament was a key factor in the no-confidence vote that toppled his government. With the government's future in limbo, any delay could leave the French state – and programs like social security – without funding on January 1. Also, your Christmas tree may be green, but is it sustainable? 

A survey on the outlook of French businesses released by the Bank of France shows that the country's industrial and construction sectors have reached levels of uncertainty last seen during the 2022 energy crunch. This comes as Emmanuel Macron is expected to name a prime minister who will be tasked with forming a new government, thereby pushing back the approval of a budget for 2025. Also, Ukrainian farmers clear their fields of mines in a bid to boost grain production.

China's antitrust authorities announced the opening of an investigation into Nvidia over a possible breach of a deal struck back in 2020. The move is part of a wider US-China confrontation regarding chip technology which can power artificial intelligence systems, military equipment and cyber warfare infrastructure. Washington had ramped up its export controls on chip technology to China last week, placing 140 Chinese entities on a trade blacklist.