Business

A new antitrust trial for Google parent Alphabet gets underway, this time over its ad services following a judge's ruling last month that its search engine business is a monopoly. Also in this edition, France asks the EU for more time to deliver a plan to reduce its budget deficits and debt.

In a speech at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, President Xi Jinping promised to provide 360 billion Yuan (€45 billion) in new financing to African countries over the next three years. The promise also includes the creation of one million jobs and 30 renewable energy projects. Also in this edition, the world's biggest semiconductor trade show – SEMICON – kicks off in Taiwan, shedding light on the chip-making sector and the geopolitical challenges it faces.

Volkswagen's management went head to head with some 25,000 employees as leaders defended planned cost cuts that include possible plant closures in Germany and the end to a long-running job protection scheme. Unions say the threat is tantamount to a "declaration of bankruptcy". Also in this edition, China rolled out the red carpet to dozens of African leaders as it kicked off the ninth edition of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. 

As the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation kicks off in Beijing, we take a closer look at how Chinese lending to the African continent has evolved over the years. Looking at data since 2000, big ticket infrastructure and energy projects have now given way to loans to smaller renewable energy projects and the financial sector. Also in this edition, AI chipmaker and tech giant Nvidia loses $279 billion in value and is targeted by an antitrust investigation.

Lebanon's former central bank governor, Riad Salameh, has been arrested in Beirut. Once lauded for reviving the country's economy after the civil war, Salameh's later years in office were marred by allegations of financial crimes including embezzlement and money laundering. Plus, the trial against Martin Winterkorn, the former CEO of Volkswagen, has begun nine years after the "Dieselgate" emissions cheating scandal sent shockwaves through the global auto industry. 

US vice president and presidential candidate Kamala Harris used a Labor Day speech to criticise a deal that would see American steelmaker US Steel taken over by Japan's Nippon Steel. The $14.1 billion takeover was agreed to in principle in December of last year but has come under heavy criticism from the United Steelworkers union. Also in this edition, surging demand for Oasis concert tickets has pushed the UK to crack down on "dynamic pricing" on ticketing platforms.

A panel of five Supreme Court justices in Brazil has unanimously upheld the decision of one of its judges to block Elon Musk's social media platform X in the country. The platform has already been suspended since Saturday for violating local rules. According to Brazil's telecoms regulator, only Starlink, the satellite operator controlled by Musk, says it will not comply with the order. Plus, German employers are worried after the anti-immigration AfD made a strong showing in state elections. 

The historic showing for Germany's far-right anti-immigrant AfD party in Sunday's state elections threatens to complicate the country's search for the foreign talent it needs to maintain its labour force. We take a closer look. Also in this edition: Brazil's Supreme Court votes on whether or not to uphold a nationwide ban on social media platform X.

After French President Emmanuel Macron rejected the idea of naming a prime minister from the left-wing New Popular Front coalition, saying a leftist government would immediately be ousted by all other parties, many French business leaders gathering at the employer federation Medef's annual conference voiced optimism that the pro-business environment of the past seven years would be maintained. FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer speaks to Laurent Saint-Martin, President of Business France, about the current business climate. 

As suspense continues over who will become France's next prime minister, the country's largest employer federation, Medef, kicked off its annual "back to school" conference on the theme of ''power''. The US presidential election, regional conflicts and trade tensions are also high on business leaders' minds. FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer speaks to Boris Lombard, president of German manufacturing firm KSB, about the challenges facing the industrial sector.