Business

Donald Trump's incoming national security adviser, Mike Waltz, says the incoming US president will put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark, as a possible ban looms. A law requiring TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance to either sell its US operation or face a ban is coming into effect on Sunday, unless the US Supreme Court overturns it. Meanwhile, many of the app's 170 million US users have been flocking to another Chinese social media platform, RedNote. 

Estimates of the cost to reconstruct the devastated Gaza Strip after more than a year of bombardment range from $50 to 80 billion and beyond. The UN says that if Israel's nearly two-decade blockade of Gaza continues, it would take 350 years for the enclave's economy to recover. We take a closer look in this edition.

As a ceasefire deal is reached between Israel and Hamas, FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer takes a look at the economic and social costs of the war in Gaza. The United Nations has repeatedly warned about famine spreading across the territory, with food inflation reaching more than 400 percent and real GDP shrinking by 86 percent in the first half of 2024. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority is also facing worsening fiscal challenges due to a large part of its tax revenues being withheld by Israel. 

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk for not disclosing his 5 percent stake in Twitter in a timely manner in early 2022, ahead of his takeover of the platform later that year. The SEC says this created an artificially low stock price that deprived Twitter stock owners of as much as $150 million. Musk's attorney called the filing a ''sham". Also in this edition: we see how Mexico is preparing for Trump's second term in office and the looming threat of tariffs.

The tiny British overseas territory of St. Helena, where Napoleon was sent into exile, is now the proud owner of the world's most remote EV charging point. The South Atlantic island currently only has four electric cars, but is hoping to go all electric as part of a broader push to become carbon neutral. But first, in his general policy speech in parliament, France's new Prime Minister François Bayrou warns that the country is now the most indebted in its history. 

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced a plan to tax non-residents from outside the EU up to 100 percent for real estate purchases, this as Spain faces a housing crisis. Also in this edition: TikTok denies reports that Chinese officials are exploring its sale to Elon Musk as a US ban on the app looms.

As it embarks on its final week, the Biden administration has announced sweeping new rules to control the export of US-made advanced AI chips. The new curbs are not just aimed at China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, but at most of the world – with the exception of just 18 of the US's closest allies. Plus, global oil prices continue to rise and shipping data shows dozens of tankers have dropped anchor, following the latest round of US sanctions targeting Russia's shadow fleet. 

The wildfires that have devastated the Los Angeles area are projected to carry an economic cost of up to $150 billion, with residents navigating an increasingly difficult insurance market as firms shy away from the risk of frequent natural disasters. We take a closer look. Also in this edition: Bangladesh's garment industry is on the rebound, but workers say their lives are as hard as ever.

Consumer prices in China grew barely 0.1% in December compared to a year before, marking the fourth consecutive month that price increases have slowed down. This raises the threat of a deflationary spiral which would further damage the country's economy. The Chinese government has made boosting domestic consumer spending its top priority for 2025. Also in this edition, we look at the economic incentives behind Mark Zuckerberg's decision to get rid of third-party fact checkers.

Tech companies showing off their latest innovations at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, one of the world's biggest industry events, are gearing up for a new era of protectionism under a second Trump presidency. With more than a third of the world's consumer electronics made in China, industry groups expect prices to significantly rise for consumers in the US. Also in this edition: US regulators probe Tesla's vehicle-summoning feature after several reports of crashes.