Our daily morning stroll around the world

🇫🇷 France’s constitutional authority rejected large parts of a controversial immigration bill. The court ruled that all or part of 32 of the bill’s 86 articles are unconstitutional, including measures that toughen social welfare, introduce immigration quotas, and make it harder for immigrants to bring their families to France. The ruling came days after 75,000 people across France protested against the legislation.

📱🇪🇺 Apple is allowing third-party apps on iPhones for the first time. Yesterday, the tech giant announced a series of updates that will allow EU users to download apps on their Apple devices without going through the App Store. EU developers offering apps this way won’t be subject to Apple’s App Store commission – which is being lowered from a max of 30% to 17% in the EU – but instead will have to pay a fee for each install above 1 million/year. The new EU features will roll out as part of iOS 17.4, coming in March, and were spurred by the EU’s Digital Markets Act (aka wide-ranging antitrust legislation).

🌍 Global lithium prices fell 80% over the past year, per a new report. A prior boom in EV sales in recent years – mainly in China – propelled the expansion of lithium mining projects across major suppliers in Australia and South America. But China’s recent economic slump has decreased domestic demand for EVs, causing excess lithium supply to hit the market. Lithium prices topped $80,000/ton in 2022 and 2023, but are now down to ~$13,000/ton.