Ukraine says speed limits on Starlink are still hampering military efforts to fight off Russian drones, days after a surprise network slowdown that Kyiv called deliberate and Washington denied ordering.

European lawmakers have kicked off what's likely to be a long and fierce negotiation over the bloc's seven-year budget. Member states are divided on spending priorities, and pending elections in countries including France and Italy are adding pressure to the talks in Brussels. Also in the show: AI stocks lose a trillion dollars in this week's tech stock sell-off, and Ledger's CTO Charles Guillemet explains why AI is changing the security landscape. 

Artificial intelligence is "changing the security landscape". That's according to Ledger, a French unicorn of cryptocurrency that's seeking a bigger role in digital security. Chief Technology Officer Charles Guillemet says: "Finding vulnerabilities and exploiting them costs almost nothing. So this is the new challenge that we have, as the security industry in general – how can we raise the bar for security so it becomes so difficult to break systems? And I think hardware is part of the equation."

China and North Korea formally opened the Yalu River Bridge on Thursday, connecting Dandong in China with Sinuiju in North Korea. Beijing says the bridge will promote economic and trade cooperation.

The French glassmaker Duralex is known for its practically unbreakable tableware – and business model. It's been pulled back from the brink for the fifth time in 25 years, by an entrepreneur who is vowing a new, environmentally conscious chapter for the manufacturer. Also in the show: high energy prices fuel inflation in the US just weeks before midterm elections, and Greenland hits back at US President Donald Trump's plans for "massive" oil, gas and mineral exploration there. 

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stops by Paris to tout new stakes in French AI-enabled tech firms like medical booking site Doctolib. Also in this edition: OpenAI says it caught a spy red-handed, and China's trade surplus continues to boom despite soaring energy costs and trade conflicts.

China has moved from exporting cars to bringing entire auto industry ecosystems, building up production capacity in Europe and boosting partnerships with local companies. Arthur D. Little's automotive expert Philipp Seidel tells FRANCE 24 that while tariffs and quotas can buy time, EU carmakers must improve their own competitiveness and not become too dependent on Chinese suppliers. But first, we look at the latest IMF global growth forecasts and warning about rising debt. 

François Picard is pleased to welcome Valdemar Osted, partner and head of technology at Danish digital consultants Common Consultancy. Can the fear of disinformation become as dangerous to democracy as disinformation itself? Osted challenges widely circulated claims that attacks on Russian data centres have triggered a sudden collapse in online engagement among supporters of US President Donald Trump and Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Drawing on social media monitoring and research into inauthentic behaviour, Osted reports finding no unusual decline in Facebook interactions following the attacks.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts that global economic output will slow to 3.1% this year in spite of geopolitical disruptions, but warns that high inflation and AI share valuations could be risks for financial stability. Also in this edition: Russia says it has exported $320 billion worth of oil and gas to European countries since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, despite sanctions. Plus: Dangote refinery extends its IPO deadline by two weeks to attract even more retail investors.

The IMF has raised its 2026 global growth forecast slightly to 3.1%, citing the resilience of advanced economies despite rising energy prices caused by the Iran war. But it warned that poorer countries that are not benefiting from the AI boom remain particularly vulnerable to energy shocks, economic uncertainty and mounting debt.

The biennial Paris Motor Show kicks off with a record number of Chinese brands descending on the French capital. European carmakers are fighting back, showcasing their latest models, as the EU announces a deal with China to limit the imports of hybrids. FRANCE 24's Charles Pellegrin has been speaking with CEOs of both Chinese and European carmakers. 

The Paris Motor Show roars into gear this Monday, with over 200 auto sector brands showcasing their latest models and innovations. Chinese brands like BYD, Xpeng and Zeekr are among those present and getting lots of attention as their market share has surged in the past few years. In this edition, we speak to John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, about the challenge these new competitors represent for the European and North American auto sectors.

The Trump administration continues to crack down on immigration, with new restrictions on the H-1B visa programme. US Vice President JD Vance singled out Microsoft as having abused the system to recruit low-cost foreign workers, to the detriment of the American workforce. The tech giant has defended its hiring practices. Also in the show: Germany could join a UK-led fighter jet development programme, months after pulling out of a joint French project. 

High energy prices continue to drive inflation and stoke anger among voters around the world. But with more crude oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, and governments releasing more emergency fuel stockpiles, how long will the energy crunch last? 

The EU's trade commissioner, Maros Sefcovic, arrived in Beijing this Thursday for two days of talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao. Sefcovic stated his goal of "rebalancing" an "unsustainable trade deficit". One particular area of concern is the auto sector, where Chinese hybrid vehicles have increased their European market share to 25 percent. Also in this edition: Microsoft unveils its new AI-powered PCs in a bid to rival Apple.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has tried to calm both student protesters and jittery bond markets. In an address to the nation, Lecornu stressed that the education ministry had not seen any cuts in last week's budget proposal, but insisted the government must cut its public deficit to 5 percent. There are growing concerns about France's spending and debt, with the IMF urging the country to "get your house in order." Lecornu also confirmed the release of 10 million barrels of diesel fuel. 

After shrinking briefly in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 attacks, Israel's GDP is predicted to grow by 4 percent this year. The country's tech sector – specifically its defence startups – has played a big part in this performance but challenges, notably demographic ones, are on the horizon. Meanwhile, the destruction caused by Israel's war in Gaza has reduced GDP per capita in the Palestinian enclave by 83 percent and reconstruction plans there have yet to begin.

Protests have been gripping France, with students demanding better learning conditions and more equal opportunities. The education ministry is among the few ministries that have been granted an increase in next year's draft budget, but critics say it still doesn't catch up with inflation. We take a closer look. Plus, OpenAI has apologised to Australia over its handling of government website hacks by a rogue AI agent in June. 

In August, US employment in roles most exposed to AI for people aged between 22 and 25 shrank by 4.4 percent year-on-year. This means there's been a contraction every single month since October 2023, about a year after ChatGPT was first released. The high impact of AI on younger workers is one of the key trends emerging from the Canaries Dashboard, a project led by the Stanford Digital Economy Lab and ADP Research. We spoke to ADP Research's Chief Economist Nela Richardson in our Business segment.

The euro has stumbled to a 17-month low against the US dollar on concerns about France's ability to bring its public finances in order. The currency has dropped nearly 7 percent from its peak in late January. Meanwhile, global oil prices have fallen despite ongoing tensions around the Arabian Peninsula, after the G7 agreed to release up to 100 million barrels from strategic reserves and oil flows from the Persian Gulf returned to pre-war levels.