French News Podcast — 1 August 2026

Episode guide

• Finance: Eurostat's preliminary flash estimate puts second-quarter GDP growth at 0.4% in the euro area and 0.5% in the EU. The estimate is provisional and may be revised. 1 Reuters adds that euro-area growth was above the 0.2% expectation in its poll, while warning that energy costs, inflation, and higher interest rates could still weigh on households. 2
• Technology: US road-safety authorities gave Amazon-linked Zoox limited approval to deploy steering-wheel-free robotaxis commercially. Zoox can charge for rides only after state and local approvals, and the vehicles cannot yet be sold to the public. 34
• Politics: The UK Cabinet Office's Rewiring the State plan says English mayors should retain some business-rate revenue from April 2027 and a share of local income-tax receipts from April 2028. The plan is an announcement, not a completed change in tax law; the exact percentages and mechanics still need to be set. 56

French to notice

• être supérieur à — "to be higher than": La croissance est supérieure aux prévisions.
• à condition de — "provided that": Zoox peut facturer les trajets à condition d'obtenir les autorisations locales.
• prévoir de — "to plan to": Le gouvernement prévoit de donner plus de pouvoir aux maires.