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.

As Syrian rebels topple the government of Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, we take stock of what over a decade of fighting has done to the country's economy. Syria's GDP has been decimated by the conflict's human and material toll, while the Syrian pound has plummeted. On its last legs, the cash-strapped regime grasped at any opportunities to bring in revenue, including producing and trafficking narcotics.

French President Emmanuel Macron lashed out at the far left and the far right for uniting an "anti-Republican front" to bring down the government after Prime Minister Michel Barnier was ousted by a vote of no-confidence. He promised to name a new prime minister within days and that a special budget bill would be tabled by mid-December. Yuka Royer looks at what will likely happen next.

As France's National Assembly voted to oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government, we look at how markets have responded to the news. Chief among investor concerns are what this latest chapter in French political life will mean for the country's growing national deficit and its ability to pay off debt. Credit ratings agency Moody's said in a note this Thursday that the ouster of the government "reduces the probability of a consolidation of public finances".

A day after the US government announced new export restrictions hitting China's chip industry, Beijing retaliated with a ban on the sale of key minerals like gallium and germanium to the United States. Plus, after its bizarre rebranding campaign was met with a social media storm, Jaguar unveiled its next-generation, all-electric concept car as it tries to turn around its business. 

An Ho Chi Minh City court upheld a death sentence for Vietnamese real estate magnate Truong My Lan after convicting her for embezzlement and bribery in the country's biggest financial fraud case. The 68-year-old still has the right to request a review of the case and can also commute her sentence to life imprisonment if she raises 75 percent of the sums she embezzled, which would total $9 billion. Also, a new plan to reduce the chances of drought in the Panama Canal raises concerns. 

The board of the world's fourth largest automaker, Stellantis, said that its CEO Carlos Tavares had stepped down from his position on Sunday. The group, which owns brands such as Jeep, Chrysler and Peugeot, had experienced a sharp fall in sales this year, especially in the US market. Also, we look at how a political impasse over budget talks could bring down the French government.