France reclaims title as Europe's champion of tax and social charges

New data shows that France has the EU's highest tax burden at 46 percent of GDP, while its national debt continues to grow.

Amid new street protests over lack of education funding and falling purchasing power, the government is proposing a meagre hike in the minimum wage.

Also in this edition: US tech giants see their shares diverge as the AI boom pushes massive capital expenditures.