The largest US auto workers union and carmaker Ford have agreed to terms on a new contract that will see a 25 percent wage increase over four years. This means picketers will return to work at Ford's plants, but strikes at General Motors and Stellantis will continue. Also in this edition, we see how ad sales have boosted Meta's revenue and how the "Barbie" movie helped toymaker Mattel get out of a sales slump.

The United Auto Workers union has once again escalated its strike against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, the three major US carmakers. Some 6,800 workers at a Stellantis assembly plant in Michigan are now joining the ranks of striking auto workers to ask for a pay rise of at least 40 percent over the next four years. Also in the show, a US-China working group on economic issues holds its first meeting. Plus, Saudi Arabia makes its move in the esports world.

Voters in Argentina have picked two candidates for November's presidential run-off, as the country faces economic turmoil. Centre-left economy minister Sergio Massa will be facing libertarian populist Javier Milei, and the pair have very different views on how Argentina's economy should be handled. We take a closer look. Also, Chinese authorities launch an investigation into iPhone maker Foxconn. Plus, the EU Tax Observatory is calling for a 2 percent tax on billionaires.

Nicolas Cruaud, the founder of Néolithe, is the winner of the 2023 Ivy Tech prize for young French entrepreneurs, which is being awarded this week in Paris. The company was created in 2019 in western France and devised a new eco-friendly process that creates a type of building material thanks to accelerated fossilisation. This allows the company to take non-recyclable waste and turn it into small mineral granules than can then be used in the construction sector. He spoke to FRANCE 24's Charles Pellegrin.

China's National Bureau of Statistics has released a new raft of data on the health of the Chinese economy, the world's second largest. Annual GDP growth in the third quarter reached 4.9%, beating analysts' expectations. The authorities' efforts to support growth are bearing fruit, although retail sales remain low and the property sector continues to struggle. Also in this edition, Chinese President Xi Jinping defends his signature Belt and Road Initiative and oil prices surge after a blast kills hundreds at a hospital in Gaza.

Representatives from over 130 countries are gathering in Beijing for the Belt and Road Forum this Tuesday. The Chinese initiative, launched in 2013 to boost infrastructure investments around the world, has attracted a lot of attention over the past decade. We take a look at the project's pros and cons and how it's evolved over the years. Also in this edition, Chinese real estate group Country Garden nears defaulting on its debt. Plus, Goldman Sachs's CEO says he's giving up his DJ side gig.

Following Hamas's attack on Israel, the US and Qatar have agreed to temporarily prevent Iran from tapping the $6 billion fund that was transferred to it as part of last month's prisoner swap deal. We take a closer look. In the EU, member states are to vote on the use of glyphosate, a controversial herbicide that was authorised back in 2017. Plus, UK regulators approve Microsoft's revised offer to buy "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard, meaning the $69 billion deal can now go ahead.

Speaking during a meeting in Marrakech, the International Monetary Fund's managing director said the war between Israel and Hamas was a "new cloud" that was "darkening" the global economic outlook. Kristalina Georgieva said her organisation was monitoring the situation "very closely", although it was too soon to say what specific economic impact the conflict may have. It comes after the IMF released its World Economic Outlook earlier this week, already showing weak global growth.

Meta, the parent company of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, as well as X, formerly known as Twitter, have responded to a letter from EU Commissioner Thierry Breton urging caution over an increase in disinformation and illegal content. Both social media giants have said they've taken action on social media posts that violate EU law. Also in this edition: Argentinian presidential candidates play the blame game on currency devaluation and US auto workers escalate their strike.

As the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank take place this week in Marrakech, FRANCE 24's Charles Pellegrin speaks to the World Bank's Senior Managing Director Axel Van Trotsenburg about the urgent need to increase climate financing, calls for reform of the institution and the potential impact of the war between Israel and Hamas.