With voters turning out in record numbers, South Korea has elected liberal leader Lee Jae-myung to lead the country left in turmoil by the brief imposition of martial law by Yoon Suk Yeol. The nation of 51 million people has the world's lowest birth rate and is now a "super-aged" society. South Korea saw its GDP forecast downgraded this Tuesday by the OECD as the group revised down growth prospects for most of the world amid US President Donald Trump's trade war. 

The White House says US President Donald Trump will likely hold talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week, following similar comments by top US officials over the weekend. This comes as tensions are ratcheting up again between the two countries, with both sides accusing the other of violating a trade truce deal agreed in Geneva last month. Meanwhile, the European Union is threatening countermeasures after Trump moved to double US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to 50 percent starting on June 4. 

A US trade court has blocked a large number of President Donald Trump's tariffs, ruling that the US constitution gives Congress the exclusive authority to regulate commerce with other countries. The Trump administration has filed a notice of appeal, but now has 10 days to issue new orders which reflect the court's decision. Equity markets in Asia saw their shares rise on the back of the announcement.

As French President Emmanuel Macron met with his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto this Wednesday in Jakarta, French companies like mining giant Eramet and defence provider Dassault Aviation were hoping to capitalise on these diplomatic ties. Talking to the press, Macron said there would be new orders for Dassault's Rafales fighter jets. Also, we look at the German defence tech startups benefitting from the country's rearmament drive.

China is set to receive a record amount of debt repayment from developing countries this year, a majority of which is owed by the world's 75 poorest nations. New research by Australian think tank Lowy Institute says with new loans drying up and more loans maturing, China has now switched from being a leading lender for low-income nations to a major debt collector. Plus, a days-long taxi drivers' strike continues across France even as their main unions are negotiating with the government. 

Emmanuel Macron announced business deals worth €9 billion in Vietnam, the first leg of his week-long tour of Southeast Asia, as Europe tries to boost ties with the free-market communist state. But first, European stocks rallied and the euro hit a one-month high against the US dollar after Donald Trump walked back from his threat of new, 50 percent tariffs on EU imports, giving until July 9 to reach a trade deal. It's unclear how the two sides can iron out fundamental differences during that window.

US President Donald Trump walked back his threat to slap 50 percent tariffs on all EU goods as early as June 1st, following a phone call with EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen. The acquisition of US Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel looks set to proceed, and Emmanuel Macron seeks to sell France as a bastion of stability as he tours Southeast Asia.

As the global race in artificial intelligence gathers pace, American AI startup Anthropic has unveiled the latest, most powerful versions of its model Claude. The company says they can write computer code by themselves and play Pokémon for much longer than its predecessors. FRANCE 24’s Yuka Royer speaks with the company's Chief Product Officer Mike Krieger about ensuring safety, fighting deepfakes and reducing AI's environmental footprint.   

Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives in Washington on Wednesday appeared closer to finding common ground on new tax bill which will enact sweeping tax cuts. That news has jolted US bond and stock markets on the assumption that it could add trillions of dollars to the national debt and affect the government's creditworthiness. Also, Nvidia CEO calls US semiconductor export controls a failure.

Japan's new agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi vowed to bring down prices of rice, after his predecessor was forced to resign over a gaffe. Taku Eto had caused an uproar after joking he never had to buy rice thanks to donations from his supporters, touching many a raw nerve. But why is the country facing a crisis? Some analysts blame long-running government policy for the shortage. Plus, Marks & Spencer says a recent cyberattack will wipe out nearly a third of its annual profits.