Business

US President Joe Biden has signed an executive order that allows sanctions on foreign banks that are, according to the US, "supporting Russia's unlawful war effort". Washington says the move will target small institutions that have helped Moscow circumvent Western sanctions and source critical goods and equipment for its war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the US is also banning imports of products that originated in Russia but were transformed outside of the country, including diamonds and seafood.

On Monday, British oil giant BP and Taiwan's Evergreen became the latest companies to suspend transit in the Red Sea amid drone and missile attacks by Houthi rebels from Yemen. The firms join several of the world's biggest freight companies in avoiding the waterway, though which 12 percent of global trade passes every year. In avoiding the area, ships will have to navigate around southern Africa, potentially adding about 10 days to the journey and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fuel costs.

Just days after the inauguration of new president Javier Milei, Argentina's economy minister has announced a dramatic devaluation of the country's currency in an attempt to tackle triple-digit inflation. Also, undocumented workers in France are concerned about the government's plans to tighten measures against them. Plus, Netflix has released almost all of its viewer data for the very first time.

A federal jury in the US has found that Google's app store is in violation of antitrust law. It comes two years after Epic Games sued the tech giant, accusing it of a monopoly over the distribution of apps. Also, tourism has plummeted in the Israeli-occupied West Bank town of Bethlehem this Christmas season, with local businesses struggling. Plus, the value of India's stock market overtakes that of Hong Kong's. Finally, Google releases its top search trends for 2023.

For the first time in nearly 10 years, a sleeper service between Berlin and Paris hit the tracks on Monday night, while more night train routes are planned for the coming years in Europe. The Paris-Berlin link had been discontinued due to a lack of profitability and even this time around, the service requires millions in annual state subsidies. However, more and more passengers are taking night trains as they look to reduce their carbon footprints. We take a closer look.

Professional networking platform LinkedIn's annual "green skills" report tracks how the labour market is facing up to the challenge of building a sustainable economy. This year, the number of people with skills that are useful in transforming the economy grew by a median of 12.3 percent, which is outpaced by the growth of job postings that require these skills, at 22.4 percent. FRANCE 24's Charles Pellegrin speaks to LinkedIn co-founder Allen Blue about this imminent ''green skills" shortage.

A non-binding referendum in Venezuela has shown overwhelming support for the government's claims to Essequibo, a large swathe of land controlled by neighbouring Guyana. The land dispute between the two countries is over a century old, but heated up back in 2015 with the discovery of oil fields off the coast of Essequibo. Oil production in Guyana has spurred significant growth in the country's GDP, while the mining of an array of minerals also plays an important role. We take a closer look.

Following a virtual meeting, OPEC+ members have announced additional oil supply cuts, with de facto leader Saudi Arabia saying it would extend an existing cut of one million barrels per day through to March next year. Russia pledged to slash oil exports by 500,000 barrels a day, up from 300,000, while other countries like the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait announced smaller reductions. Despite this, oil prices dropped after the meeting, with analysts saying the market had expected more from the group.

As the COP28 climate talks kick off in the United Arab Emirates, we take a look at poorer nations' financial needs in order to keep temperatures from rising. Experts estimate that $1 trillion in external assistance will have to be spent by 2030 on the energy transition, climate resilience and sustainable agriculture. Also in this edition, US President Joe Biden touts the successes of his green energy policy. Plus, Elon Musk tells advertisers on X that he doesn't care what they think.

Virgin Atlantic's Flight100 landed in New York on Tuesday, making the journey from London without using fossil fuels, thanks to a mix of renewable biomass and waste fats. This "sustainable aviation fuel" reportedly reduces life-cycle emissions by up to 70 percent but still emits CO2, as FRANCE 24's Bryan Quinn explains. Also in this edition, a new Greenpeace report shows how automakers' sales of SUVs are offsetting their transition to electric. Plus, London's black cabs bury the hatchet with Uber.