Barnier government on the brink of collapse

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier forces through a contested budget bill which spooks financial markets and exposes his government to a potential no-confidence vote this week. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq begin December hitting new record highs, with Asian indices following suit. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger is ousted by the company’s board as his plans to turn around the chip maker’s fortunes falter. Meanwhile, the outgoing Biden administration launches new export controls for the chip sector in a bid to hamstring China’s ambitions in the sector. A U.S. judge upholds the decision to deny Tesla CEO Elon Musk a record $56bn pay package, despite shareholders voting to reinstate the move.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.