Business

As Pakistan spiraled into crisis this year, Wilson Muthaura pressed its government to put the tea Kenya's KTDA co-operative produces 3,400 miles away on a list of essentials that would grant importers access to precious U.S. dollars.

Shortly after arriving in Beijing, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said her visit was an "opportunity to communicate" and "avoid misunderstanding". Relations between the world's two biggest economies have become strained due to disputes over trade and technology. No major agreements are expected to come out of Yellen's meetings with Chinese officials. Instead, analysts say the focus is on restarting dialogue. We take a closer look at the high-stakes, low-expectations trip.

In spite of an agreement struck in April to cut production of crude by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, oil prices still haven't seen a boost. In this edition, we see that concerns over global economic growth are outweighing the production cuts. Also, European space rocket Ariane 5 gears up for its final lift-off and Singaporean bank UOB makes a winning bet on Taylor Swift fans.

Fresh figures have shown the extent of the European Union's efforts to reduce its energy dependency on Russia, with Moscow accounting for just 3 percent of the bloc's oil imports in the first quarter of this year, compared to 26 percent during the same period in 2022. The EU has also moved away from Russian natural gas, relying more heavily on Norway, the UK and Algeria. This comes as the decline in Moscow's export revenues weakens its currency.

A gas leak at an informal settlement claimed 17 lives, with several others hospitalized. The incident has been linked to a nitrate oxide gas leakage from a cylinder used in an illegal mining activity.

The deal would provide much needed relief to Pakistan, which has been on the verge of default. The IMF board has yet to confirm the agreement.

Less than a week after the Wagner Group's attempted coup, uncertainty reigns in Russia. Opponents of Vladimir Putin are considering other threats to his leadership, including the economy. The oil price is a major hitch.

Agriculture in France is not immune to the digital revolution. More and more farmers are using IT tools to carry out their administrative and technical tasks. But some go much further: from fully robotic milking of cows, to connected cameras, to data gathering and even a digital fruit and vegetable market. FRANCE 24 went to meet some of these farmers for whom technology represents the future of their livelihood.

Kenyan teacher Paul Waweru builds motorcycles powered by old laptop batteries. These rides are cheap and help the environment.

Annual inflation dropped to 5.5% in the 20 eurozone countries. However, the European Central Bank is still expected to raise interest rates in July.

The World Economic Forum's summer meeting is bringing together decision-makers in Tianjin, China. Alongside topics like AI and biotech, the conversation has focused on whether business can ignore political tensions.

Zambia and its government creditors, including China, have reached a deal to restructure $6.3 billion in loans, the French government announced Thursday on the sidelines of a global finance summit in Paris.