Business

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would introduce legislation this week to give the government powers to take full ownership of British Steel in Scunthorpe, the last plant in the UK that can make steel from scratch. Last year, the government seized control of the steelworks from its Chinese owner to stop the potential closure of the blast furnaces. Plus, French farmers dump manure near a TotalEnergies refinery to protest at soaring energy costs. 

Benchmark crude oil prices rose on Monday as US President Donald Trump rejected Iran's latest counterproposal to find an end to the war in the Middle East. The continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz is leaving its mark on economies around the world, with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for reduced fuel use and Chinese inflation gauges ticking up higher than expected. Also in this edition: French President Emmanuel Macron announces more than €1 billion in investment in Kenya.

Fans of Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal are facing soaring costs, as they scramble to book trips to Budapest for the final of the Champions League. Demand for flights and accommodation has spiked since the two football teams qualified for the match on May 30. Also in the show: FIFA defends high ticket prices for the upcoming World Cup, and Japan's Nikkei index jumps to record highs on strong tech spending. 

In the second week of the trial pitting Elon Musk against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, former board member Shivon Zilis took the stand before judge and jury. Zilis is romantically involved with Musk as he is the father of her four children. In this edition, we look back at what pushed the tech magnate to file this lawsuit to begin with and put in context Zilis's testimony that Musk wanted OpenAI to be a subsidiary of Tesla. Also in this segment: FIFA boss Gianni Infantino defends the 2026 World Cup's high ticket prices.

Trade ministers from the Group of Seven industrialised nations have tried to find common ground, amid geopolitical tensions and trade uncertainty. In a clear swipe at China, they pledged to cooperate on securing supply chains of critical minerals. Also in the show: France's finance minister says airlines have enough jet fuel for May and June, and the US FDA makes a U-turn in approving flavoured vapes. 

The world's largest maker of memory chips, South Korea's Samsung Electronics, has seen its valuation reach $1 trillion this Wednesday. The company's profits have soared thanks to strong demand for the chips used to power artificial intelligence systems. Also in this edition: French oil major TotalEnergies says it will have to scrap caps on fuel prices if it faces a windfall tax on its profits in France.

The EU and Armenia have held their first-ever bilateral summit, agreeing to foster closer economic ties as the former Soviet nation makes a cautious pivot towards the West. The two sides signed a new connectivity partnership focused on transport, energy and digital links. Armenia, however, is deeply reliant on Russian energy and remains a member of the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union. Plus, North Korea welcomes foreign delegations to its spring trade fair showcasing home-grown tech. 

The energy crisis caused by the Iran war has been a wake-up call and prompted governments to try to speed up a shift to electric cars. Could solar cars be next? Although they have been around for decades, solar-powered vehicles have largely remained experimental due to technical challenges. FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer speaks with Steve Fambro, co-CEO of Aptera Motors, a US startup that is preparing to start delivering its solar cars to customers as early as this year. 

Video game retail company and meme stock champion GameStop has made an offer to take over bidding website eBay for $56 billion. If successful, GameStop would take control of a company four times larger in market capitalisation, with CEO Ryan Cohen saying the new entity could rival e-commerce platforms like Amazon. Also in this edition: we take a look back at the collapse of US low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines over the weekend.

Brent crude has jumped to its highest level since the start of the Ukraine war after US President Donald Trump signalled that the American blockade on the Strait of Hormuz could last for months. Also in this edition: the US Federal Reserve prepares for a new chief as its board tries to maintain political independence, and French oil giant TotalEnergies faces calls for a windfall tax amid soaring profits.