Business FRANCE 24 English

The euro tumbled and European stocks, particularly in France, fell sharply on Monday after far-right groups gained in Sunday's EU parliamentary elections, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to call a snap election in France. We also look at what the EU election outcome could mean for Europe's ambitious climate plans. 

The European Central Bank has decided to lower its benchmark interest rates by 0.25 percent from a record high, effective June 12. However, the ECB also revised its outlook for the coming months and said it no longer believed inflation would hit its target of 2 percent this year, but instead would average at around 2.2 percent. Plus, Ireland is losing hundreds of young doctors every year as they emigrate to Australia in search of better working conditions. 

As the world marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, the historic moment is also remembered as a catalyst for the turning of economic tides. A series of post-war events and decisions such as the Bretton Woods Conference heralded a new era for economic cooperation and financial order. We also look at the United States' role in rehabilitating Europe with its Marshall Plan: aid worth an estimated $140 billion in today's money.

After delays and over $1.4 billion of cost overruns, Boeing has finally launched its first crewed spacecraft into orbit. The CST-100 Starliner capsule lifted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, carrying veteran NASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams. After being hit with a series of safety scandals in its commercial jetliner business, Boeing is hoping to catch up with its rival SpaceX, which has been shuttling astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS) since 2020. 

As hundreds of thousands of people flock to the French region of Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, local businesses there are capitalising on tourists' passion for World War II history. FRANCE 24's Leo McGuinn and our colleagues from France 2 report on this business of souvenir sales and historical re-enactments. Also in this edition, we look at the UK's fiscal debate and at one think tank's warning of a looming £33 billion deficit.

Indian shares plunged and the rupee tumbled after early results showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party winning far fewer seats than expected in the country's election, leaving it reliant on coalition partners. Billionaire Gautam Adani's business empire saw nearly $45 billion in its market value wiped off in a single day. We take a closer look at the state of the Indian economy. Plus, South Korea hosts leaders from dozens of African nations in a bid to boost trade, particularly in minerals.