With the US House of Representatives moving towards a vote on a $1.75 trillion social spending and climate package, the country could see a string of new tax hikes. Also, eco-friendly fashion designers hope to change a sector known for a heavy carbon footprint and enthusiasts of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) meet up in New York City.

Benefitting from soaring demand for online ads, Google's parent company Alphabet reported nearly $19 billion in profits between July and September, up 68 percent from the same period last year. Microsoft's earnings also beat expectations, while French consumers are gearing up for some price hikes at the bakery.

Despite grappling with the fallout over leaked documents, Facebook reported $9 billion in profits from July to September, a solid increase compared to the same period last year. Also, carmaker Tesla joins the small club of companies valued at over $1 trillion, and workers at a New York City warehouse aim to become the first group of Amazon employees to form a union in the US.

HSBC reported a surprise uptick in profits in the period from July to September, as the UK-based bank's CEO announced it plans to buy back up to $2 billion in company shares. Also, the global cruise industry rebounds after a brutal 2020, and the Democratic majority in US Congress is set to include a tax on the ultra-rich to help raise money for a sweeping social spending bill.

French carmaker Renault will be rolling out half a million fewer vehicles this year due to a shortage of semiconductors. The company says it should be able to maintain its profit outlook despite the chip shortage, by hiking car prices and cutting costs.

Amid projections that a staggering 97 percent of Afghan households could fall below the poverty line by the middle of next year, the United Nations Development Programme has launched a $670 million trust fund to provide economic relief. Also, Evergrande makes a key debt payment and shares for Snapchat's parent company plunge as the application faces tighter privacy restrictions on iPhones.

Shares in the Chinese real estate giant Evergrande have slumped by more than ten percent in Hong Kong, after an offer to buy its property management unit fell through. The company's stock had been suspended from trading for two weeks while the potential offer was being considered. Evergrande is facing a liquidity crisis after missing several debt payments in the past month. We also discuss today why the prices of second-hand smartphones could soon rise in France.

The South Korean drama 'Squid Game' is the most successful original Netflix series to date, and has helped boost the streaming giant's subscriber numbers. The company added 4.4 million paying customers between July and September, according to its latest financial results. The platform is also expecting a further influx of viewers as it releases new episodes and films later this year. Meanwhile, we see another boost to the price of Bitcoin from the launch of a Wall Street fund.

The French government has promised to announce measures to combat rising fuel prices by the end of the week. Government spokesman Gabriel Attal made the pledge after the price of diesel jumped to a record high for French motorists, driven by rising oil prices. We report on how businesses are being affected by the increased costs. Meanwhile, we delve into why Apple's new MacBook laptops represent an important shift in manufacturing.

China's Q3 GDP growth came in below forecasts at 4.9%, as power shortages, supply chain disruptions and a liquidity crisis in the real estate market continue to weigh on the economy. Also, Facebook announces a plan to hire 10,000 new EU workers to build its "metaverse", and Hollywood narrowly avoids a major production crew strike.