Business

German auto giant Volkswagen has announced the completion of a new R&D centre at its hub in Hebei, eastern China, saying that for the first time in the company's history, new cars can be developed from start to finish outside Germany. Volkswagen is hoping to win back its share in the world's largest auto market. Also in the segment: the UK government has backed a plan for a third runway at London's Heathrow Airport, moving the long-running project forward. 

The EU's antitrust chief, Teresa Ribera, says changing regulations on US tech is not on the cards. This comes after US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick tied a loosening of tech rules to lower US tariffs. Also, mining giant Barrick reaches an agreement with the Malian government to resume operations at the Loulo-Gounkoto gold mining complex. Plus we head to Finland, where economic stagnation won't necessarily mean the country will lose its title as the world's happiest country.

The EU and the US have restarted their trade negotiations in a bid to settle sticking points left unsolved in their tariff deal reached in July. The US side called on the EU to reconsider its digital rules and find "a balanced approach" if it wanted Washington to lower import duties on steel and aluminium. Plus, global talks on protecting wildlife and ensuring sustainable trade have kicked off in Uzbekistan. The EU wants to tighten restrictions on the trade of eels, something Japan is vehemently against. 

The EU and the African Union are marking 25 years of relations with a summit aimed at boosting economic cooperation, but Europe's investment ambitions will struggle to compete with those of China and the US. We take a closer look in this edition.

It's the third Thursday of November, which means this year's Beaujolais Nouveau has gone on sale. Massively popular in the 1980s, the wine has seen its sales fall sharply in recent years. The French wine sector as a whole is struggling, amid climate change, trade tensions and declining demand.

The world's most valuable company, US chipmaker Nvidia, posted better-than-expected results for the latest quarter, showing a 62 percent annual increase in revenue. The positive earnings report prompted a rise in global stock markets after days of losses. The company, which designs the chips that power artificial intelligence models, is seen as a bellwether for the wider tech sector and is looking to expand in new markets, notably in the Middle East.

The European Union has proposed plans to ease the bloc's strict data protection rules and delay central parts of its new AI law. Brussels says the aim is to boost innovation and competitiveness of European firms by cutting red tape, but digital rights groups see the move as capitulating to pressure from Big Tech and US President Donald Trump. Also in the segment, a Belgian farmer has taken TotalEnergies to court over its impact on climate change, hoping it will force the oil giant to change its practices.

European markets stabilised on Wednesday morning after losses sustained over concerns that AI stocks might be overvalued. Investors are eagerly awaiting the latest results from US chipmaker and AI bellwether Nvidia later in the day. Also in this edition: Japanese media are reporting that China has suspended imports of seafood from Japan amid a diplomatic spat. Plus a US judge rules that Meta does not have a monopoly.

A French court has rejected a demand by a consumer protection group to remove Perrier water bottles from markets over its "natural mineral water" labelling. It's the latest in a long-running scandal stemming from the revelation that Nestlé and other manufacturers had treated water illegally to remove contaminants while labelling their products as natural mineral water. But first, Airbus books a huge order of 150 A321neo jets from flydubai, in a deal worth €24 billion. 

"Europe does not want to be the client" of the US or China in the field of technology, French President Emmanuel Macron has told tech and political leaders at a "digital sovereignty summit" in Berlin. During the event, biotech company Owkin unveiled a new pan-European platform to make biological data "AI-ready". CEO Thomas Clozel speaks to FRANCE 24 about how new agentic and reasoning models can help take medical research to the next level.