Fresh analysis from LinkedIn shows the rate of women hired into leadership positions has slowed for the third year in a row, leaving the hiring rate back where it was in 2020. The data shows women are being shut out of senior positions, holding less than a third of top roles despite making up almost half of the global workforce. Sue Duke, LinkedIn's Global VP of Public Policy, discusses some of the solutions that would help reverse this decline.

In this edition, FRANCE 24's Charles Pellegrin speaks with Benjamin Netter, the co-founder of Riot. The French company provides real-time cybersecurity for over 1.5 million employees around the world and has raised $45 million since it was launched in 2020. Netter provides insights on the French tech ecosystem, the magnitude of cybersecurity threats in the age of artificial intelligence, and how AI can also be used to increase protection.

Vivatech 2025, billed as Europe's largest tech and startup event, kicked off this Wednesday in Paris. Some 14,000 startups are showcasing their innovations, hoping to attract the attention of investors in a difficult context. FRANCE 24's Charles Pellegrin speaks with Jad Shimaly, EY Global Managing Partner, about how trade uncertainty is weighing on the tech sector, Europe's quest for tech sovereignty, and how EY is advising businesses to integrate artificial intelligence.

The European Union has proposed a new round of sanctions against Russia, which include a ban on the use of the Nord Stream underwater pipelines between Russia and Germany and the addition of 77 more vessels to the blacklist of the so-called "shadow fleet" of tankers carrying Russian oil. Plus, Eurostar announces a €2 billion expansion plan that includes new direct trains from London to Frankfurt and Geneva. 

Delegations from Washington and Beijing are in London this Tuesday for a second day of trade talks, with the Americans expected to ease export restrictions on microchips in exchange for China releasing more rare earth minerals supply. Also in this edition: Canada looks to boost its defence spending in Europe. Plus, Apple's AI offerings at its 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference underwhelm analysts. 

As France hosts a UN conference on protecting the ocean, NGOs have denounced the fact that large shipping companies are sponsoring the event, calling them some of the biggest polluters. The maritime transport sector accounts for 3 percent of global CO2 emissions, as dry cargo shipments have more than doubled since 2000. Plus, the US and China have started a new round trade talks in London, with Beijing's export control of rare earths firmly in focus. 

American and Chinese delegations are meeting in London for a new round of trade talks, with US tariffs and Chinese export restrictions on rare earth minerals at the top of the agenda. Also in this edition: Japan pushes its own trade talks with Washington, and French art lovers protest a construction project near the site of Paul Cezanne's most famous landscapes.

Shares in Elon Musk's electric car company Tesla plunged 15 percent after US President Donald Trump threatened to terminate government contracts and subsidies given to Musk's companies. The rapid escalation in the feud between the two men comes just days after Musk left his government job with a golden key from the president. Plus, a landmark trial opens in Paris against TotalEnergies, accused of "greenwashing" its fossil fuel activities. 

Japanese video game company Nintendo launched its newest console, the Switch 2, this Thursday. With gamers lining up around the world to collect their pre-orders as early as midnight, investors are hopeful the product will help continue to boost the company's share price, which has risen by over 30 percent since the start of the year. Also in this edition: South Korean cosmetic brands are looking to expand in the US market, despite tariff uncertainty.

The European Commission has given the green light for Bulgaria to adopt the euro on January 1, 2026, putting the country on course to become the 21st member of the single currency zone. Brussels says Bulgaria has now met all the criteria necessary to join the eurozone, including price stability and fiscal discipline. However, Bulgarians are divided and many protested outside the parliament this Wednesday.