A centuries-old British institution is set to be sold to a foreign firm. Royal Mail's parent company has accepted a £3.6 billion takeover offer by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky's EP group. Privatised about a decade ago, the postal service that dates back to Tudor times has struggled in the era of emails. Meanwhile, the world's biggest mining firm BHP has walked away from a $49 billion plan to take over British rival Anglo American, after the latter rejected a request to extend talks.  ..read more

As South Africans vote in the country's general election this Wednesday, we focus on the state of the economy after three decades under the rule of the African National Congress. In this edition, we see how the country's crumbling energy infrastructure has hampered economic activity and explore the reasons behind South Africa's high unemployment rate. Also, we look at the different types of economic policies that could emerge depending on the results of the election ..read more

When the ANC, founded by Nelson Mandela, swept to power in 1994, it promised "a better life for all".  But now, South Africa is worse off than it was 30 years ago and the governing party could lose its parliamentary majority in Wednesday's election, with voters frustrated with soaring unemployment - above 30% - and stark inequality.  France 24 spoke with Dr. Azar Jammine, chief economist at the think tank Econometrix, about the state of the South African economy.    ..read more

French President Emmanuel Macron made calls to "buy European" during a speech in Dresden while on a three day visit to Germany. Macron advocated for a European preference in key sectors like defence and space, following in the footsteps of Washington and Beijing. Also in this edition, FRANCE 24's China correspondent Yena Lee goes to Yiwu, the Chinese manufacturing hub benefitting from the Paris 2024 Olympics ..read more

As Emmanuel Macron continues his state visit to Germany, the first by a French president in 24 years, we take a look at how the two countries manage their public finances and at issues they don't see eye-to-eye on.  Plus, the world's most famous shiba inu has died at the age of 18.  Kabosu went from a rescued dog to an internet sensation, and became the face of meme cryptocurrency Dogecoin, with blessings from Elon Musk.  ..read more

The annual tech fair VivaTech has kicked off in Paris, drawing thousands of startups and hundreds of tech bosses. Artificial intelligence is taking centre stage, with companies touting how the technology can be applied to many practical fields such as medicine, and help address global challenges like climate change. Plus, the US government has announced that some new tariffs on a range of Chinese goods, including a 100 percent import duty on electric cars, will take effect on August 1.  ..read more

It’s often referred to as the biggest startup event in Europe. VivaTech opens its doors this Wednesday in Paris with 150,000 people in attendance, as well as 10,000 startups. The event takes place as signs are emerging that the French tech sector might be recovering from a period of cost-cutting and high interest rates. We discuss this and the race to develop AI skills with the co-founder of VivaTech, Pierre Louette ..read more

One of Europe's largest tech conferences kicks off in Paris this Wednesday. Startups will meet investors, and guest speakers including Elon Musk will discuss the role of artificial intelligence at the VivaTech event. On Tuesday, President Emmanuel Macron announced extra investment in AI in France. Meanwhile, the EU has given its final green light to the AI Act, the first of its kind ..read more

A group of NGOs filed a criminal complaint in Paris asking a court to open a trial against TotalEnergies' top management as well as major shareholders for the climate damage they have caused. The filing comes on the same day the company announced a new, 6 billion euro project to develop two deepwater oil fields off the coast of Angola.  Plus, OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman apologised to Scarlett Johansson after the actress complained about ChatGPT's voice sounding "eerily" similar to hers.  ..read more

The US Senate Finance Committee has released the findings of a two-year probe which shows that BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Volkswagen have all used components from a Chinese supplier banned in the US under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). In this edition, we find more about that particular supplier, Sichuan Jingweida Technology Group Co and why the US wants to step up enforcement of the UFLPA. Also, we look at the French unions fighting to get a summer "Olympics" bonus ..read more