US Federal Reserve lowers interest rate for first time in over a decade

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison announce a new post-Brexit free trade deal between their countries. It follows similar UK trade deals reached with Japan and the European Union following London's divorce with Brussels. On 1 February 2021, the UK formally applied to join the CPTPP, a trade agreement among Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Australia and the UK have signed a free trade deal as Britain seeks to find alternative markets in the wake of Brexit. The deal was hailed by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as "a new dawn" in relations.

A recent coronavirus outbreak at the Chinese port of Yantian is set to cause a bigger disruption than the Suez Canal blockage in March. The subsequent shortages could spike already rising inflation.

With an embassy in Tel Aviv, the UAE has plans to broaden economic ties with Israel after tourism, aviation and financial services deals. Israel's president called diplomatic ties to the UAE a milestone toward peace.

The European Central Bank has said it is taking the next step toward launching a digital version of the euro. The move comes amid a boom in crypto and other digital currencies.

Beijing has applied to join a free trade agreement, once called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which had been originally designed to counter Chinese economic clout. Now, China sees economic opportunity.

In the first edition of our new fact-checking show Truth or Fake, we focus on Afghanistan. A photo purportedly showing the new Afghan central bank chief has gone viral on social media; we show you how our Observers team debunked the image. Meanwhile, we demonstrate how widely shared images of alleged recent violence in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley, attributed to the Taliban, actually come from a 2018 film.

Taiwan has formally filed to join the trans-Pacific trade deal initially negotiated by the US. Intended to freeze China out, Trump walked away from the deal but now China and Taiwan want in.

Traditionally, the hills of eastern Rwanda were a place for growing coffee, sweet potatoes, sugar cane and bananas. But in recent years, new plants have also appeared, such as patchouli, geranium and eucalyptus. Whole villages have begun to transform them into essential oils, helping lift many inhabitants out of poverty. And demand is booming for these wellness products worldwide. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Olivia Bizot.

Traditionally, the hills of eastern Rwanda were a place for growing coffee, sweet potatoes, sugar cane and bananas. But in recent years, new plants have also appeared, such as patchouli, geranium and eucalyptus. Whole villages have begun to transform them into essential oils, helping lift many inhabitants out of poverty. And demand is booming for these wellness products worldwide. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Olivia Bizot.

Cigarettes in Indonesia are already among the world's cheapest, but in times of economic hardship, a boom in illegal cigarettes is continuing.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai insisted the country was not in a new Cold War with China despite lingering tensions over trade. She also stressed that the US was keen to repair ties with France and Europe after a recent Australian submarine dispute, which led to the first-ever recall of a French ambassador to the United States.