Business

After beginning a strike one week ago, the United Auto Workers union has increased the number of plants affected by industrial action. Until now, workers have been striking at three sites, one each for Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. UAW leader Shawn Fain says that will be increased to 38 factories, all of them GM and Stellantis parts distribution centres. Ford has been spared of further disruption, with the union saying the company has made "important concessions".

We look at why US President Joe Biden is under pressure to join Detroit autoworkers on the picket lines as Donald Trump looks to woo them. Canadian papers react to PM Justin Trudeau's explosive statement accusing Indian government operatives of assassinating a Sikh leader on Canadian soil. Also: French papers discuss the link between social media and a wave of recent teenage suicides in France. We finish with a look at whether or not theft can be considered art.

Negotiations between the Canadian Unifor union – representing 5,700 workers – and carmaker Ford have been extended for another 24 hours after a prior labour contract expired at midnight on Monday. A strike could be on the cards if a deal is not found by then. Meanwhile, the US's major auto industry union is picketing against Ford, GM and Stellantis. Also in this edition, the EU's digital chief raises concerns over Chinese data laws. Plus, olive oil prices reach record highs.

German economy posts zero growth in second quarter. German gross domestic product (GDP) remained level between the first and second quarters of 2023, according to new data released last week. Year-on-year, the economy contracted by 0.2% in the second quarter.

Europe's biggest lithium deposit is located in the Czech Republic. The government in Prague recently outlined plans to boost the country's economy by mining and processing the resource. Not everyone is keen on the idea.

The European auto industry has raised concern about a wave of cheap, new electric vehicles from China hitting the EU market soon. There are calls for imposing punitive tariffs.

It is time for Europe's September ritual – the State of the Union speech. It has been a highlight of the EU agenda for the last 13 years. Every year, the president of the European Commission sets out his or her priorities to the plenary session of the EU parliament. Talking Europe hosts two MEPs, both vice-presidents of their groups, to share their impressions of Ursula von der Leyen’s address in Strasbourg on September 13th.

Detroit's Big Three automakers failed to reach a new labor agreement before their contract with employees represented by the United Auto Workers expired at midnight Thursday, triggering one of the largest strikes to hit the U.S. in years.

As France hosts hundreds of thousands of rugby fans from around the world for the 2023 World Cup, we take a deep-dive into the business that surrounds the game with Herbert Mensah, president of Rugby Africa who joins us from Accra in Ghana, as well as Christina Philippou, a principal lecturer at the University of Portsmouth with a particular research interest in sports finance.

Apple launched its latest iPhone on Tuesday during an event at its California headquarters, highlighting the device’s new features such as a USB charging port and a titanium lining. The company is diversifying its supply chain away from China by increasing the number of smartphones made in India. Also in this edition, a traffic jam is forming at the entrance of the Panama Canal as passage has been restricted to conserve water.

Talking Europe hosts Pascal Lamy, co-ordinator of the Jacques Delors institutes, and a distinguished former head of the World Trade Organization and former EU Trade Commissioner. We discuss great power competition in today's world; the EU’s influence when it comes to global trade and regulation; the critical importance of Africa to Europe; and climate adaptation in the light of Lamy’s role as a member of the Climate Overshoot Commission.

The Biden administration has scrapped oil leases in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on the basis of "legal deficiencies". The leases awarded by the Trump administration had been widely criticised by environmental groups. However, the White House's move comes after it approved an oil drilling project in another Alaskan reserve a few months ago. Also in this edition, China's trade slump persists and our Taiwan correspondent Lucie Barbazanges meets with insiders from the semiconductor industry.