Sweden's Riksbank has kicked off what's expected to be a series of interest rate hikes around the world, as central banks struggle to curb inflation. The 100 basis point hike is Sweden's biggest in three decades, in response to a cost-of-living crisis that's affecting households and businesses. Also in the show, FRANCE 24's Soukaina Skalli and Julien Sauvaget meet undocumented workers of France's gig economy, who say they're not longer able to work for delivery services like Uber Eats.

US President Joe Biden's claim in a TV interview that "the pandemic is over" has triggered a sell-off, wiping over $10 billion off the market value of the main Covid-19 vaccine makers. Investors are worried about public apathy towards Covid and the resulting impact on demand for vaccines and boosters. Also in this update, we take a look at the highly awaited Porsche IPO, as well as leaked footage from an upcoming instalment of iconic video game franchise Grand Theft Auto.

Travellers face a difficult day after the largest union of air traffic controllers called for a 24-hour strike in France. About half of scheduled connections in and out of the country have been grounded. Low-cost airline Ryanair called for EU action as it had to cancel hundreds of flights, which it said were affecting 80,000 passengers, mainly those flying over France. Plus, Britain's antitrust authority is looking into whether Microsoft's planned takeover of gamemaker Activision Blizzard may stifle competition in the industry.

Business ties are high on the agenda at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Uzbekistan. The countries represented are huge potential markets for Russian energy, and Vladimir Putin has been pushing for closer ties. China and India in particular have increased their imports of Russian oil, natural gas and coal since the invasion of Ukraine. Also on the show: US railworkers reach a deal to avoid a costly strike, and the owner of Patagonia donates the retailer to a climate charity.

The US state of California has filed a lawsuit against Amazon, accusing the e-commerce giant of violating its antitrust law by blocking price competition and making online shopping more expensive for consumers. The lawsuit is limited to California, but, if successful, could trigger similar action in other states. Plus, inflation in Argentina rose by 7 percent again in August, making prices nearly 80 percent higher than a year ago.

The French government is extending its energy aid for households and businesses. Price hikes for electricity and gas bills will be capped at 15 percent and low-income families will receive direct payments of €100 to €200 each. Also in the show: Google loses an appeal over a €4.3 billion EU antitrust fine, as a court largely upholds a ruling that its Android operating system quashes competition.

A slight increase in US consumer prices for the month of August has ignited fears of more Federal Reserve moves to curb inflation. An earlier drop in US markets had a knock-on effect on Asian marketplaces this Wednesday. Asked about the issue, Joe Biden responded by saying that the stock market does not reflect the real economy. Also in the show, we look at the latest chapter in the Twitter takeover saga. Shareholders have approved Elon Musk's purchase of the platform, even as he is trying to back out of it.

Twitter shareholders have approved Elon Musk's $44 billion offer to buy the social media platform, months after the billionaire tried to back out of the deal. The case will be heard by a US court in October. Meanwhile, a Senate panel has heard explosive testimony about security practices at Twitter. A whistleblower alleges that a Chinese agent was on Twitter's payroll and that management routinely ignored warnings about data security. Also in the show, US inflation hovers near 40-year highs.

A new report from the UN's International Labour Organization (ILO) shows that more than 27 million people are engaged in forced labour around the world. This Tuesday, Brussels is announcing new rules to ban goods made with forced labour or those imported into the bloc. The ILO report also raised alarm over the working conditions of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the western Chinese region of Xinjiang. Also in this update, the US and Mexico set aside their energy row to focus on bringing semiconductor manufacturing back to North America.

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, we take a closer look at the cost of royal funerals and the rush to acquire memorabilia with the late monarch's profile and insignia on it. Also, manufacturing is already slowing across Europe, amid high energy costs. With rising electricity prices, the timing could not have been worse for one electricity firm in eastern France – it accidently sold too many gigawatts, leading to a potential shortage and a pricey buy-back.