FRANCE 24’s analyses of the economic events and technological innovations shaping our world, including economic trends, energy markets, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and space exploration.
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Behind the scenes of Céline Dion's high-tech comeback
27 September 2026You'll no doubt have seen the coverage of singer Céline Dion's return from illness and her Paris residency. But here's a different angle: the audio technology keeping her stage quiet, and the artificial intelligence isolating her voice from the noise of a 30,000-seat stadium. -
Canada seeks new role in global economy
25 September 2026As trade ties with the US continue to fray, Canada is seeking a new role and new partners in the increasingly fragmented global economy. Prime Minister Mark Carney has been courting more foreign investment as well as closer ties with the European Union and Asian economies. -
Trump and Xi meet, but hopes for AI cooperation stay slim
24 September 2026Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump have been holding talks in the Oval Office at the White House. Trump gave the visiting leader of Communist China a personal tour of several of his favourite White House features. He took him aboard the Marine One helicopter, presented the new granite landing pad he had built for it, and pointed out the massive adjacent construction site where a ballroom will eventually stand. -
Iran sees air, land travel chaos as US sanctions bite
24 September 2026Flights between Iran and the United Arab Emirates have been suspended, following tighter US sanctions on Iran's aviation industry. The move effectively cuts Tehran off from Dubai, one of the region's most important commercial hubs. There are also huge backups near Iran's border with Turkey, as overland shipping routes struggle to fill the gaps. Also in this edition: Donald Trump and Xi Jinping hail strong ties between the US and China as they discuss AI, trade and energy. -
The future of AI in their hands? Trump-Xi summit dismisses calls for global oversight
24 September 2026It's their AI world and we're just living in it. If that's the feeling of those who suffer from AI anxiety, it may worsen watching the Chinese president's first state visit to Washington in nine years. If there's one issue that the planet's biggest superpowers agree on, it's that now is not the time for global regulation of artificial intelligence. As they sit down to a White House state dinner just hours after news that OpenAI had hacked the Australian government, we ask who will call to task the US tech titans at the table. -
Australia's Medicare AI hack: Its seriousness 'cannot be overstated'
24 September 2026PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, September 24: The Spanish press express outrage after the forced eviction of an elderly woman from her Madrid residence. Unrest in the Tigray region sparks fears of a new war between rebels and Ethiopia's central government. Australian authorities reveal that the national health insurance system Medicare was hacked by an AI agent. Finally, we look at Britain's rudest-sounding street names! -
Trump sparks debate over diesel export ban
23 September 2026The Trump administration's suggestion that it could ban or limit diesel exports has sparked a furious backlash from the American oil industry. Politicians are trying to bring down soaring energy prices ahead of the midterm elections in November, but critics say a ban would cause supply problems and higher prices both at home and abroad. Also in this edition: the OECD says the global economy is withstanding the energy shock better than expected, partly thanks to AI investment. -
French government scales up targeted fuel price relief
22 September 2026Under pressure to help businesses and workers cope with soaring fuel prices, the French government has announced it will expand targeted energy relief for those most affected. The new measures will cost €450 million, bringing the total so far to €1.4 billion. Meanwhile, as French President Emmanuel Macron calls for allowing more biofuels to be added to diesel, we speak to an expert about the potential environmental impact of a rapid ramp-up in biofuel use. -
New report tackles problem of governments' overreliance on consulting firms
22 September 2026Dependence on consulting firms is a growing trend among governments globally. Left unchecked, it can have a negative impact due to high costs or transparency issues. Such dependence came to the fore in France a few years ago, when the Macron government was criticised for its close ties with US consulting giant McKinsey. UNESCO's Inclusive Policy Lab, headed by Iulia Sevciuc, has established a new blueprint to tackle this problem. She spoke to us in Business. -
Paramount, US states settle antitrust lawsuit over Warner Bros. acquisition
21 September 2026Paramount Skydance has settled a lawsuit with a dozen US states that sought to block its acquisition of Warner Brothers, as well as with the Writers Guild of America. California's attorney general said that while the settlement addressed concerns over competition and protection, it did not mean a vote of support for the deal.