Business

A rush for mineral wealth in eastern Germany has left residents fearful for their health and the environment. Also in this edition: China seeks to create an economic centre of gravity to rival the US, and France's embattled prime minister rejects a proposal to tax the country's richest families 2 percent of their wealth to plug a budget hole.

US AI chipmaker Nvidia, the world's most valuable company, posted record $46 billion sales in the latest quarter, showing strong demand from clients like OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet and Meta. However, the company's lack of shipments of chips to China is clouding the horizon. In this edition, we explain the geopolitics affecting Nvidia's business. Plus, FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer speaks to France's Minister for Foreign Trade Laurent Saint-Martin about the country's dire public finances.

The United States' 50% tariff on Indian goods came into effect this Wednesday, making India the target of President Donald Trump's largest import duties in Asia. Half of these levies have been imposed because of India's purchases of Russian crude oil, which have surged since the start of the war in Ukraine. In this edition, we see what impact the move could have on the Indian economy and how the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has responded to the worsening ties with the White House.

Treasury yields climb and the dollar falls as investors grow increasingly concerned about the US Federal Reserve's independence. Also in this edition: French Prime Minister François Bayrou's decision to call a confidence vote in his government sends markets into a tailspin. Plus, the UN postal agency says that 25 countries have decided to suspend package deliveries to the US. 

In an unprecedented move, US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he'd fired Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud. The Biden appointee denied that Trump had the authority to do so and vowed not to step down. This is the latest chapter in Trump's sustained attacks against the US central bank. Also in this edition: Elon Musk sues Apple and OpenAI for anti-competitive behaviour in the AI field.

French Prime Minister François Bayrou has warned that the nation is facing an "immediate danger" of over-indebtedness as he tried to rally support for his unpopular budget plan for 2026. Labour unions have threatened to bring France to a standstill with a general strike called for September 10. Plus, US President Donald Trump boasts that his government has paid "zero" for a 10 percent stake in embattled chipmaker Intel. 

China's former real estate giant Evergrande has seen its shares delisted from the Hong Kong stock exchange this Monday. Once the most valuable property company in the country, the firm fell on hard times when the government cracked down on its debt-fuelled development model in 2020. Also in this edition: one Chinese copper company has managed to fly under the radar of Trump's tariffs by building plants in the US, making it an interesting test case in the US-China trade war.

In a bid to extract concessions from New Delhi in months-long trade talks, Donald Trump announced that he will impose 25 percent tariffs on Indian exports to the US starting August 1. He also threatened to penalise India for its purchases of Russian oil. In this segment, we explain what the US hopes to achieve with this move – and why India isn't rushing to strike a deal. Meanwhile, the US and South Korea have reached an agreement to lower US tariffs to 15 percent.

Two days of talks between delegations from Beijing and Washington ended without an extension of the tariff truce set to expire on August 12. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Donald Trump still needs to be briefed on the discussions. Also, the International Monetary Fund has revised its global growth outlook upward, as Trump’s tariff policies are scaled back. And, Lesotho's textile industry remains on edge ahead of the August 1 tariff deadline.

The deal reached by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump over the weekend has led the Euro to lose value against the US dollar. This follows wide-ranging criticisms within the bloc over the "asymmetrical" nature of the deal, with French Prime Minister François Bayrou equating it to submission. In this edition, we look back on what's been agreed on, and what still needs to be determined.