Business Matters: Recent Episodes
BBC World Service
Who should control Britain's biggest water company? Chris Weston, the chief executive of Thames Water, says he "completely agrees" with the Prime Minister that the industry, and Thames Water, needs greater public control. But he draws a clear distinction between stronger public accountability and public ownership, arguing that nationalisation or special administration could delay investment, increase uncertainty and ultimately leave taxpayers carrying the financial risk.
Thames spent more than £1bn more than it received last year, with the shortfall currently funded by creditors. Under special administration, Weston says that funding would instead have to come from government while a new owner was sought. Full nationalisation, he argues, would place Thames Water's decade-long infrastructure programme on the public balance sheet alongside defence, health and education. His preferred solution is the proposal from more than 100 creditors to write off around £9bn of debt, inject fresh equity and rebuild the company under a model that promises no dividends for at least ten years. He argues this private-sector restructuring can sit alongside stronger public oversight, clearer government direction, greater regional representation and a more company-specific regulatory regime.
The debate over ownership comes as Weston warns Britain faces a much bigger challenge. Drought, he says, is no longer an exceptional event but "the new normal". Despite an unusually wet January and February, no rain fell across the Thames Valley in July, exposing a shortage of water storage across the South East.
Thames has not built a reservoir since Farmoor B in 1977. A replacement scheme proposed around 2010 was rejected after the company failed to make its case successfully, and Weston believes the region would not be facing a hosepipe ban today had it been approved. The proposed Whitehorse reservoir near Abingdon remains in the planning process and is not expected to begin filling until 2038, with another three years needed before it reaches capacity.
Population growth, government housebuilding targets and the rapid expansion of data centres will place even greater pressure on supplies. Weston questions whether data centres should rely on drinking water for cooling, suggesting treated effluent from sewage works could provide an alternative. He also says households will need to become more mindful of how they use water, with government playing a greater role in encouraging behavioural change.
Weston also makes a notable concession about how the industry reached this point. Customers, he says, have "paid too little for water for too long". Thames operates 440 treatment works and a network stretching four times around the circumference of the Earth. Keeping bills low, he argues, meant insufficient investment in maintaining and modernising ageing infrastructure, although he accepts the company's current debt levels are unsustainable.
On pollution, Weston accepts Thames must improve but refuses to promise sewage incidents can ever be eliminated entirely. The company treats around 4.3 billion litres of wastewater every day and, he says, succeeds 99.5% of the time on average. Extreme weather, ageing infrastructure and illegal connections mean completely eliminating pollution incidents remains "very, very slim".
Presenter: Simon JackProducer: Olie D'Albertanson/Ollie Smith
00:00 BBC Editor, Simon Jack introduces podcast 03:09 Chris Weston joins pod, explains Thames Water's situation06:18 Bills were too low for too long.09:32 Unrealistic targets, swage and pollution12:31 Privatisation of Thames Water14:50 What's on the table now?17:28 Greater public control, special administration and nationalisation28:41 Drought, reservoirs and the new normal34:29 Staff abuse and his own pay
etoro customers are "definitely moving away from crypto," according to the company's founder and chief executive, Yoni Assia. After more than a decade at the forefront of digital assets, Assia says customers are increasingly shifting towards mainstream investing and cash savings, as etoro expands beyond its trading platform into broader financial services. The company, which manages around $20 billion in customer assets for more than 40 million registered users, is pursuing a UK banking licence, launching a Visa debit card and expanding into everyday banking services.
Assia also discusses how etoro balances that expansion with its continued offering of cryptocurrency trading. Alongside ISAs and long-term savings products, the platform continues to offer access to crypto assets. Asked whether it is appropriate to offer highly speculative crypto products alongside mainstream savings, Assia said he believes customers should have choice, while acknowledging that the crypto market is "a much less regulated" and "much riskier" ecosystem than traditional capital markets.
The conversation also covers the growth of meme coins. Assia says he bought Donald Trump's cryptocurrency after it was listed on etoro. Asked whether he had made or lost money on the investment, he said he had not checked. Assia also highlighted the scale of the market, noting that while there are around 40,000 publicly listed companies worldwide, roughly 40,000 new meme coins are created every day on the Solana blockchain. He contrasted the level of regulation and disclosure required of listed companies with that of meme coins.
Artificial intelligence is another topic discussed in the interview. Assia says etoro rebuilt its new app in six months using code written entirely by AI and believes the company's AI assistant is already capable of providing financial guidance that rivals many human advisers. He also discusses how AI could change the way people manage their money and how established financial institutions may need to adapt.
The interview concludes with Assia's view of longer-term changes in financial services, including what he describes as a $140 trillion intergenerational transfer of wealth from baby boomers to younger generations. He explains why he believes younger investors will increasingly use AI-powered financial platforms, while also moving towards more traditional savings and investment products as they accumulate wealth.
Presenter: Sean FarringtonProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
00:00 Introduction02:00 The shift from crypto to banking06:40 The rebrand and building an entire app with AI09:00 Customers moving away from crypto and the boom-bust cycle13:30 Bitcoin, quantum computing and the AI threat17:28 Trump's meme coin and the losses suffered by investors21:52 The copy trading transparency problem24:30 The cost of living and whether ordinary people can afford risk27:30 AI versus the traditional financial adviser31:40 The $140 trillion generational wealth transfer
Andria Vidler, the CEO of Allwyn UK - the operator of the National Lottery - has warned the British public risks losing it, unless it innovates.
Allwyn took over the running of the National Lottery from Camelot in 2024, and it had pledged to double the amount if gives to good causes from 33 million pounds to 60 million pounds. But Vidler told Felicity Hannah that its future is at stake, if it doesn't continue to change and adapt at speed.
Part of this is the UK launch of Powerball, the first time the American lottery has been offered outside the United States. Unlike EuroMillions, its jackpots are uncapped and can rise into the hundreds of millions.
The interview also examines whether the National Lottery should be treated differently from other forms of gambling. Vidler rejected suggestions that draw-based games contribute significantly to gambling harm, arguing that waiting for a result removes the cycle of instant gratification associated with more addictive products. She also defended the lottery’s £500 weekly online deposit limit, saying most players spend nowhere near that amount and fewer than 2 per cent show any indication of problematic play. Allwyn has introduced over 100 new games in the last year.
Vidler has also called on the government to close a regulatory loophole which she says allows online prize draws to compete without paying lottery duty or contributing to good causes. Vidler claims that house raffles, car competitions and other online prize draws are “cloaking themselves in lottery disguise” and exploiting legislation intended for small society lotteries. “They will steal our lunch if we’re not careful,” she warned, arguing that Britain should return to a model centred on one National Lottery in order to maximise returns to good causes.
Presenter: Felicity HannahProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
00:00 Sean and Fliss introduce the pod03:17 Andria joins BBI, discusses 2024 takeover06:07 The Gambling Commission investigation10:01 Good causes target and cost of living14:42 Problem gambling and player protection17:23 The shift to digital 21:17 Powerball launch22:38 Prize draw competition and the loophole26:02 Future of National Lottery is uncertain if it doesn't innovate32:45 Career, AI, cyber security and women in leadership
The Halifax brand is being retired after more than 180 years — and Charlie Nunn says artificial intelligence is the reason why.
The chief executive of Lloyds Banking Group told the Big Boss Interview that the way customers discover financial products has fundamentally changed. Increasingly, people are asking AI tools and large language models to find the best mortgage or savings account, making multiple banking brands less relevant in an increasingly digital world.
That shift is also reshaping the debate around bank branches. Nunn challenges one of Britain's most politically sensitive narratives, arguing that physical access to banking has never been greater once post offices, banking hubs, community bankers, ATMs and cash points are taken into account. While he acknowledges that many people feel left behind by branch closures, he says the way banking services are delivered is changing, with thousands of Lloyds colleagues now providing hour-long consultations to vulnerable customers in their own homes. Traditional branches, he believes, will survive for at least another decade, but what constitutes a "branch" is becoming increasingly blurred.
Nunn also argues that Britain has become too cautious. Regulation makes it harder and more expensive to lend than in many comparable countries, he says, while the economics of housebuilding no longer work in many parts of the country. The average first-time buyer is now 34, two-thirds take out mortgages lasting 30 years and the bank of mum and dad remains central to getting on the property ladder.
Some 13.5% of 16 to 24-year-olds are not in education, employment or training, a figure Nunn describes as "frightening" given the country's ageing population. If young people cannot build skills, save and buy homes, he warns, the long-term economic implications for Britain are significant.Artificial intelligence, meanwhile, could transform banking over the next five years more than the previous 35, democratising access to investment advice and helping tackle fraud.
Presenter: Will BainProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
AI and drone warfare will force a “complete reimagining” of how conflict risk is calculated and insured, the chief executive of Lloyd’s of London has warned, because traditional assumptions about how wars escalate may no longer hold.
Patrick Tiernan, who runs the 337-year-old insurance marketplace, told the Big Boss Interview that autonomous weapons and AI-driven decision-making could remove the warning signs and diplomatic pauses that have historically allowed insurers to adjust cover as conflicts intensify.
“When we talk about the way war is insured at the moment, it assumes that it’ll build up, that there’ll be breaks in there, and that you can increase the cover,” he said. “It’s very possible that won’t be the case as there is more drone warfare, more artificial intelligence in the decision-making. So we’re going to have to completely reimagine how we cover that.”
His warning comes as governments increase defence spending and NATO allies reassess their military commitments. Tiernan said Lloyd’s must ensure it has the capacity to insure growth in defence, energy and infrastructure, while being clearer about which forms of defence it supports.
He said the current risk environment is unlike anything in Lloyd’s history, with physical infrastructure, data and cyber systems, financial services and the international rules-based order all under pressure at the same time. “We are very underprepared for the risks we’re facing because we rely on things that maybe won’t be there tomorrow,” he said.
Tiernan also warned that the “protection gap” between economic losses and what is actually insured is widening. He said businesses and governments can no longer assume the state will step in when disaster strikes, arguing that high debt levels mean governments may not have the same financial firepower they had in the past.
He called on governments to spell out what they will and will not protect, so private capital can price the remaining risk. Businesses, he said, are being “wilfully ignorant” if they fail to understand their exposure.
A major state-backed cyberattack remains one of Lloyd’s realistic disaster scenarios and could be “deeply crippling” to the global economy, Tiernan said. He added that take-up of cyber insurance remains too low, particularly among European SMEs, despite policies offering prevention and resilience support as well as financial cover.
On the Strait of Hormuz, Tiernan said Lloyd’s drew on lessons from previous Gulf shipping disruption and the Black Sea closure during the Ukraine war. Insurance capacity remained available, he said, with crew safety rather than the price of cover the main factor affecting shipping.
He also argued that the insurance industry, and perhaps the wider economy, has lost some of its appetite for calculated risk since the financial crisis. Pointing to opportunities in undersea data centres, autonomous vehicles and AI-led drug development, he said: “The risk of missing out is greater than the risk of overstepping.”
On climate, Tiernan said Lloyd’s has added US flood, severe convective storm and fire to its realistic disaster scenarios, with flood, fire and drought all on an upward trajectory. He defended Lloyd’s continued insurance of legal, unsanctioned fossil fuel activity, but said the market should use its capital to support new energy technologies including small modular reactors, nuclear fusion and renewables.
Britain should stop taxing workers and start taxing robots, according to the chief executive of one of the country's biggest recruitment firms, who says the UK's tax system is pointing in entirely the wrong direction at the worst possible moment.
James Reed, CEO of Reed Recruitment, told the Big Boss Interview that the government is taxing employers who hire young people "to pick up beer glasses in gardens" whilst letting AI and automation — the technologies actively replacing those workers — go entirely untaxed. His mantra: "Back humans, tax robots." And he wants the next prime minister and chancellor to make it the centrepiece of a wholesale redesign of how Britain raises revenue.
Reed argues this is not a fringe idea but an inevitability. "Taxation follows wealth," he said. "When you see these companies being valued at over a trillion, that's where the action is. So that's where the taxation should follow." He envisions transaction-based levies on AI services and automation — "rather like VAT" — or surcharges on businesses that replace human workers with machines. He acknowledged it would "take some designing" but said the principle is simple: the robots are generating the wealth, so the robots should be taxed.
The urgency, he said, is driven by the collision of two forces. The first is the October 2024 budget, which Reed described as a "historic mistake." The £25 billion employers' National Insurance increase was, in his words, "a tax on jobs" that caused clients to cancel hiring within a week and has driven businesses towards automation and offshoring at precisely the moment AI makes both easier than ever.
The second force is AI itself. Reed warned it is "burning through entry-level jobs," destroying opportunities for young people at a pace the country is not prepared for. He said Britain is behaving like "rabbits looking into the headlights" of these changes, with no collective strategy for what happens when the jobs disappear — and with them, the income tax, employees' National Insurance and employers' National Insurance that fund public services.
Reed was unequivocal about the political response required. Asked whether there should be a new chancellor, he said: "Yes, absolutely. The incumbent made the decisions that caused the damage." He called the current period one of the toughest in his 30 years as chief executive, ranking alongside the financial crisis of 2008 and the early days of the pandemic — but worse in one respect. "In 2008 and 2020, there was a sense that we need to sort this out. I don't see that at the moment."
The consequences are already visible in the data. Vacancy numbers on reed.co.uk have been in decline for three years. National statistics show vacancies have fallen from over a million to around 700,000 — fewer than before the pandemic. But it is the graduate jobs market that tells the starkest story. Graduate vacancies on Reed's platform have collapsed from 180,000 to 50,000 in four years, and are still falling. The hardest-hit group is 21 to 25-year-olds, many of whom emerged from university with degrees that have, in Reed's words, "no currency out there in the world."
This led Reed to question the value of university itself. He said many graduates feel "mis-sold," that apprentices in their early twenties are now "way ahead" of their university-educated peers, and that the idea of half the country's young people attending university is "very outdated." Britain, he said, has been "ridiculously snobby about trades" — which he believes are the jobs of the future. He proposed a "three-lane superhighway" in which a third of school leavers go to university, a third do apprenticeships, and a third go straight into work with a short-term employer subsidy to help them get started.
Presenter: Sean FarringtonProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor Henry Jones
Image Courtesy of Reed Recruitment
03:05 A real moment of opportunity and good opportunity for a reset.04:18 The need for a new Chancellor10:25 The need to change course on taxation around jobs 12:05 AI is burning through entry-level jobs 13:09 One of the toughest periods since 2008 (the financial crisis) 13:47 Back humans, tax robots 23:03 Is University still worth it? 35:40 Applicants being ghosted by employers41:00 Spelling mistakes on CVs now positively sought after44:01 Big tech companies need to pay more tax: "back humans, tax robots" pt 2
Mondelēz International, the company behind Cadbury, Oreo, Toblerone and Ritz, has warned that future European investment could bypass the UK if regulatory instability persists.
Chief executive Dirk Van de Put says the UK is the company’s second-biggest market globally and contributes more than £2.3 billion to the economy each year, supporting 12,000 jobs and spending £1.3 billion with more than 1,000 UK suppliers. But he is sharply critical of food and drink being left out of the government’s industrial strategy, despite representing around a quarter of industrial turnover. He says the sector is being taken for granted and warns that repeated policy shifts have already cost Mondelēz £40 million in reformulation work that was then superseded by further changes. Asked whether future investment could go elsewhere in Europe because of government policy, he says: “Yes, of course.”
Van de Put also defends Mondelēz’s decision to continue operating in Russia, despite acknowledging the company pays taxes there that contribute to the war in Ukraine. He argues that withdrawal would have put 3,000 employees out of work, left 10,000 farmers without a buyer, and likely handed confiscated plants to Kremlin-linked interests that could generate even more money for the Russian state. He says: “I’m not pleased about that,” but maintains that staying was “not the most popular decision” but “the right decision”.
The conflict in Ukraine is not theoretical for Mondelēz. Van de Put reveals that the company’s office building in Ukraine was hit on the morning of the interview, and its factories have been struck and rebuilt twice at a cost of tens of millions. He also said staff were evacuated to neighbouring countries during the worst of the fighting.
More broadly, he describes the past two years as the toughest of his 30-year career. Wars, inflation, oil prices, packaging costs, fertiliser markets and weak household budgets have created cascading pressure across the business. He says global consumer confidence is among the worst he has ever seen.
The cocoa supply chain has also suffered its worst disruption in at least 40 years. Concentrated production in Ghana and Ivory Coast, endemic crop disease and back-to-back extreme weather events drove an 18 per cent fall in harvests and sent prices soaring. Two stronger crops have eased the immediate pressure, but Van de Put says the structural fragility remains and the sector needs long-term intervention from governments, companies and farming communities.
He also pushes back against the backlash against processed food, saying: “The world cannot live without processed foods.” He argues that processing is essential to food preservation and global food security, though he accepts the industry must continue to make products healthier.
On GLP-1 weight loss drugs, Van de Put says Mondelēz is not yet seeing a material impact, but expects the trend to reshape consumer habits over time. He sees the drugs as broadly positive and says the company is adapting through acquisitions in protein and health snacking, including Grenade, Clif Bar and Perfect Snacks, as well as developing products with more protein, fibre and cleaner ingredients.
Presenter: Leanna ByrneProducer: Olie D’AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
0:00 Will and Leanna intro the podcast 03:01 Dirk Van de Put interview begins / His background as a vet08:53 Forces shaping the business: wars, tariffs, climate, cocoa, regulation, GLP-1 drugs13:25 Europe as a difficult market / Consumer confidence at historic lows16:28 Continuing operations in Russia / Moral decisions & taxes funding the war21:51 Cocoa supply chain crisis, El Niño & prices24:27 Consumer pricing, shrinkflation & recipe integrity29:30 UK industrial strategy: food industry left out33:00 Future investment in UK & HFSS regulation36:07 Education vs. regulation on obesity & weight loss drugs41:48 Acquisitions (Grenade, Clif Bar) & protein/fibre trends43:50 Chocolate tasters & "tasting Neanderthal" confession
The next great wave of demand for artificial intelligence chips could come not from chatbots, but from humanoid robots caring for ageing populations. That is the prediction of Wendell Huang, chief financial officer of TSMC, the Taiwanese company that manufactures the world’s most advanced semiconductors. As countries grapple with rapidly ageing societies, Huang sees robot carers and autonomous vehicles as major commercial frontiers beyond the current boom in AI data centres.
TSMC is already struggling to keep pace with demand. Huang says the company is expanding as fast as it can across Taiwan, the United States, Japan and Germany, but new fabrication plants take two to three years to build and a further year or two to reach full production. Despite concerns about overinvestment, he rejects the idea that AI is a bubble, describing it as a “multi-year structural megatrend” backed by the financial strength of the world’s biggest cloud and technology companies.
The most advanced chips will continue to be ramped up in Taiwan, Huang says, because research and manufacturing teams need to work in close proximity. Recreating Taiwan’s semiconductor ecosystem in the US will take at least five to ten years, even though TSMC’s Arizona lab has now matched the yield of its mother lab in Taiwan.
Huang is also pointed about Elon Musk’s stated ambition to manufacture chips. “There’s no shortcut in semiconductor manufacturing,” he says, arguing that government subsidies alone cannot guarantee success in the foundry business. TSMC’s advantage, he suggests, rests on technology, execution and nearly four decades of customer trust.
Geopolitics remain unavoidable. TSMC sits at the centre of US-China tensions over technology and Taiwan, but Huang declines to be drawn on the politics, insisting the company builds capacity according to customer demand rather than government instruction. On export controls and reports of chips reaching China through third parties, he says TSMC has robust compliance systems, while acknowledging the limits of tracing products once they leave its facilities.
Presenter: Suranjana TewariProducer: Jaltson Akkanath Chummar& Olie D'Albertanson
Picture Courtesy of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, LTD
3:10 The AI chip landscape5:21 Is the AI boom a bubble?7:28 Humanoid robots and the future of AI demand8:14 Will AI replace jobs?10:25 Will cutting-edge chips stay in Taiwan?13:27 Huawei and Chinese chip ambitions19:08 TSMC on receiving US government subsidies19:27 Elon Musk's chip-making ambitions20:45 Middle East, supply chains and stockpiling21:35 Talent challenges and cultural adjustment in Arizona
Debenhams was once one of the biggest names on the British high street. Founded in 1778, it collapsed into administration before being rescued in 2024 and rebuilt as a digital-only marketplace. Now, under chief executive Dan Finley, Debenhams Group is back to growth after reporting a £350 million loss in the year to February 2025. Finley argues the business is now one of the biggest turnarounds in recent UK retail history, with the Debenhams brand generating £654 million in annual revenue and a marketplace model built around 25,000 brands across fashion, home and beauty.
But his biggest fight is not just with the legacy of the high street. It is with China's fast fashion giants. Shein and Temu have disrupted the UK market, and Finley says the brands in his group — Boohoo and PrettyLittleThing among them, once the original online fashion disruptors — have taken a hit. He admits they have had a tough time but says the fightback is under way, with the group dusting itself off and competing again. The challenge is compounded by the de minimis tax exemption, which allows low-value parcels to enter the UK without import duties. Finley says this gives Chinese platforms a structural cost advantage over British retailers, which pay UK taxes, employ British workers and comply with domestic safety regulation. The government has committed to closing the loophole by 2029, but Finley wants action within 12 months, pointing to the United States, which moved in six months, and the EU, which begins rolling out changes from July.
There is also pressure closer to home. Frasers Group, controlled by Mike Ashley, owns close to 30 per cent of Debenhams Group and recently blocked the formal company name change from Boohoo to Debenhams Group. Finley says the business already operates as Debenhams Group in practice, trades under the stock market ticker "DEBS", and remains focused on delivering value for all shareholders. His own incentive plan is tied to a dramatic target: taking the share price from around 23p to £3, an 18-fold increase sustained over two years, creating more than £4 billion in shareholder value. Finley calls it a big challenge, but says he is determined to get there.
The next stage of the turnaround is built around AI and agentic commerce. Debenhams has struck a partnership with Meta and is preparing for a future where consumers shop through platforms such as ChatGPT and Perplexity. Internally, AI is being used to scale marketing content from a single photo shoot into millions of personalised assets, while a partnership with Multiverse will deliver more than 100 AI apprenticeships for staff. Finley describes AI as a "snakes and ladders moment" for both companies and individuals.
What is not coming back is the department store. Finley rules out a return to physical retail and says Debenhams' future is entirely digital. His ambition is for the brand to become "to retail what Spotify is to music": a curated marketplace where shoppers can discover thousands of brands in one place.
Presenter: Will BainProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
00:00 Will and Sean intro pod02:00 Dan Finley on the Debenhams turnaround13:57 Frasers/Mike Ashley standoff17:19 18x share price target18:26 De minimis loophole benefitting Shein/Temu.21:15 Fast fashion fight-back & influencer growth27:50 AI and agentic commerce push33:13 No return to physical stores
Jackie Jantos, CEO of Hinge, says the cost of living is reshaping dating habits, with daytime meet-ups becoming more common and traditional drinks dates becoming less popular as younger people look for cheaper ways to meet in person.
She argues that AI should help users express themselves rather than speak on their behalf, rejecting suggestions that AI is making online dating less authentic. Hinge has introduced a range of AI-powered tools, including features that help users improve profiles, start conversations and reconsider potentially offensive messages before sending them. Jantos defends these interventions, saying they encourage reflection rather than creating a filtered version of users online.
Jantos says it "breaks her heart" that some young people are turning to AI chatbots for emotional support instead of confiding in friends, arguing that difficult conversations and human connection remain essential parts of building relationships. She points to research showing high levels of loneliness among Gen Z and says younger generations are spending significantly less time together in person than previous cohorts.
Jantos also discusses the wider dating-app industry, arguing that Hinge is continuing to grow despite broader challenges across the sector. She attributes that growth to the company's focus on helping users to meet in person and ultimately leave the app altogether.
Presenter: Sean FarringtonProducer: Jeevan NerwanEditor: Olivia Baron
03:18 Gen Z loneliness and isolation07:19 Hinge’s growth compared to other dating apps09:18 Growth in the UK and the gender balance15:20 AI features on the app and authenticity32:37 The younger generation's relationship with AI36:12 Age restrictions on social media usage39:20 Tinder and other Match Group apps42:25 Is “Designed to be deleted” at odds with the business model?46:20 The cost of living crisis is leading to growth in daytime dating as opposed to traditional bar dates54:46 Her career in tech, including roles at Spotify
David Thomas, the outgoing chief executive of Barratt Redrow, says bricklaying robots are already being deployed on commercial building sites and predicts a revolution in how homes are built over the next decade.
Factory-built timber frames, off-site manufacturing and “brick-simulation” cladding are beginning to reshape the construction industry, reducing the amount of labour required on site and changing how developments are assembled. Thomas believes the biggest transformation will come beyond ten years, as automation and factory production become increasingly embedded across housebuilding.
The industry has struggled with recruitment for more than two decades, with far fewer young people entering trades such as bricklaying, plumbing and electrical work than in previous generations. Drone technology and AI are also becoming more common across large developments, helping with surveying, infrastructure monitoring and site security — though Thomas sees technology augmenting workers rather than replacing them entirely.
He also explores the mounting pressures facing Britain’s housing market, warning that conditions for first-time buyers are now as difficult as they have been since the Great Financial Crisis, but without the government support schemes that existed in 2009. Student debt, higher borrowing costs and rising interest rate expectations following the recent Middle East conflict are all reducing affordability and pushing the average age of home ownership higher.
At the same time, the cost of building homes has surged. Thomas says construction costs have risen by around £75,000 per typical property in just five years, driven by inflation, supply chain disruption and tightening environmental regulation. The shift away from gas boilers towards air source heat pumps is adding thousands more to the cost of new homes, whilst repeated periods of 40-degree heat are forcing the industry to rethink how houses are designed for a warmer future.
Presenter: Sean FarringtonProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
03:40 Climate change and overheating homes11:12 Rising build costs18:32 Housing demand, affordability and regional challenges21:18 First-time buyers: toughest market since the financial crisis26:20 Supply and demand: a whole generation at risk28:18 Interest rates, the war in Iran and market uncertainty38:21 Skills shortages and the future of construction40:20 Bricklaying robots, factory production and modern methods42:57 AI, drones and technology on building sites
Lord Wolfson, Chief Executive of Next and a Conservative peer, warns Britain is facing a crisis in entry-level employment. Applicants for every shop vacancy at Next have almost doubled from 10 to 19 in just two years — a trend he describes as “indicative of just how big the crisis is in youth unemployment.” Across retail and the wider economy, he says there has been “a dramatic fall in entry-level employment opportunities” as rising National Insurance and National Living Wage costs push up the cost of hiring younger and less experienced workers. UK youth unemployment has now reached 15%.
The crisis, he argues, will deepen under the Employment Rights Bill. Restrictions on flexible part-time working mean retailers risk being locked into permanent contracts when offering extra hours at Christmas or during university holidays. The result, Lord Wolfson says, will be fewer opportunities for students and reduced service for customers — consequences, he says, the government never intended. The legislation was “cobbled together very quickly”, he argues, reflecting a broader problem in British politics: governments arriving in office with slogans rather than detailed plans. “Becoming prime minister is not an achievement. Being a great prime minister, that’s an achievement.”
Lord Wolfson also makes the case that Britain’s planning system is the single biggest drag on economic growth. He says an acre of agricultural land worth around £15,000 rises to £1.5 million once planning permission is granted — wealth he argues is being extracted from the economy rather than invested in better homes and infrastructure. His solution is to replace the planning system with principle-based building regulation, allowing development provided it does not damage neighbouring property values or overload local infrastructure.
He also argues for pay-per-mile road pricing, warns against government industrial strategy becoming “the referee becoming the player”, and says reopening the Brexit debate would distract from the structural reforms — planning, energy and transport — that could do far more to drive economic growth.
Presenter: Simon JackProducer: Ollie Smith & Olie D'Albertanson
02:00 Entry-level jobs crisis and youth unemployment05:30 Employment Rights Bill and seasonal work07:00 Shareholders vs workers benefitting from profits09:56 Brexit and closer ties with Europe11:02 Planning reform and the cost of development land13:15 Road pricing and transport policy15:13 Industrial strategy and government intervention20:44 AI and the future of jobs25:37 Winning office vs winning government
Amazon's UK boss has called for work experience to be made mandatory for everyone aged sixteen and over, describing it as "the most transformative thing" he has seen for young people entering the workforce. John Boumphrey argues that the education system is not producing work-ready school leavers and that the blame should fall on the system rather than on young people themselves.
The cost of living crisis and its effect on retail pricing is a constant theme. Just this week the govenment called on supermarkets to cap the price of some goods to help consumers. Boumphrey - who is the UK Country Manager - sets out how Amazon aims to match the lowest price among national competitors and resists the suggestion that government intervention could do a better job than competitive markets. He acknowledges the impact of National Insurance increases and global disruption, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, on business costs, while insisting these have not yet fed through to customer prices.
Amazon's record as a supplier is challenged directly. The Groceries Code Adjudicator ranks Amazon worst among retailers for supplier complaints, and Boumphrey, UK country manager at Amazon, accepts the company has "a lot more to do," particularly around delayed payments in its grocery division. He points to recent changes including named contacts for every grocery supplier.
A pilot drone delivery service in Darlington, the first outside the United States, is delivering products within two hours. Boumphrey suggests the service will initially suit rural and remote areas rather than city centres, and expects the timescale to shorten towards thirty-minute delivery.
The conversation addresses the near-miss union recognition vote at Amazon's Coventry warehouse, where the result fell just short of the threshold. Boumphrey says he personally values the existence of unions but prefers direct engagement with employees, adding that if workers choose union recognition, the company will comply.
Amazon's UK tax contribution of more than five point eight billion pounds is set out, though Boumphrey resists calls to publish a standalone corporation tax figure, citing the volatility of that number during periods of heavy investment. He also addresses illegal streaming on Fire Stick devices, confirming that sideloading has been restricted on newer products and that Amazon is working with a global anti-piracy coalition.
And could Ai soon be ordering your shopping for you? Amazon is piloting a service in the United States called Buy For Me, where an AI agent can purchase products on a customer's behalf — buying items automatically when they hit a specified price, without the customer needing to place the order themselves. Boumphrey confirms there are no immediate plans to bring it to the UK but describes it as part of a broader shift in how retail is evolving. Boumphrey acknowledges the responsibility that comes with holding a customer's payment details and acting on their behalf, but stresses that the customer remains in control at every stage.
Presenter: Sean FarringtonProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
03:44 Cost of living & pricing05:00 Government & price intervention15:15 Supplier complaints & Groceries Code21:48 AI, Alexa Plus & agentic shopping25:53 Drone delivery in Darlington29:40 Robots, automation & the jobs market31:28 Mandatory work experience & skills crisis37:08 Union recognition & Coventry vote42:46 Tax transparency45:48 Fire Stick piracy
Eben Upton, founder and chief executive of Raspberry Pi, joins the Big Boss Interview to discuss artificial intelligence, British manufacturing, semiconductors and why he believes there is a growing tendency to overestimate what AI tools can currently do. AI tools are “genuinely incredible”, Upton says, and he uses them regularly himself. But he warns against assuming they remove the need for human judgment, engineering skill or technical understanding.
His concern is that the current enthusiasm around AI risks creating the impression that deep technical understanding is becoming less important, when in reality the opposite may be true. Raspberry Pi itself was originally created to reverse collapsing computer science applications at Cambridge University by giving children affordable programmable computers that could encourage them to “accidentally slide into engineering”.
Upton’s message to young people is simple: “do more maths”. Despite advances in AI, he argues the world will need more engineers, not fewer, and describes engineering as “the most incredible job” where “they pay you money to mess about”. He also reflects on the persistence required to build successful companies, revealing that during Raspberry Pi’s early years he repeatedly drifted towards other ideas before family members — particularly his wife and co-founder — pushed him back towards the business that would ultimately become one of Britain’s biggest technology success stories.
The interview also explores the future of British manufacturing and industrial policy. Upton argues that high energy prices are now the single biggest threat to manufacturing in the UK. Raspberry Pi designs its computers in Cambridge, builds them in Bridgend, South Wales, and carries out plastics moulding in Dudley — operations that rely heavily on automated production and energy-intensive manufacturing.
Britain, he warns, risks “quietly electing to move manufacturing and heavy industry out of your country” without properly accounting for the embedded carbon emissions in imported goods. The deeper issue, in his view, is political. Upton describes Britain as suffering from a “distributed failure of will” — an inability to sustain long-term decisions across successive governments. He points to decades of indecision over Heathrow’s third runway and repeated delays to nuclear power projects as examples of a country that struggles to commit to major infrastructure over time, despite possessing world-class engineering and industrial capability.
The conversation also examines Raspberry Pi’s decision to list on the London Stock Exchange rather than in New York. The company floated in June 2024 at a valuation of £542 million and has since grown to more than £1.3 billion. Upton reveals he initially expected to favour a US listing, but meetings with American investors changed his mind. They argued the perceived valuation premium in New York was largely a “cohort effect” and warned that a business of Raspberry Pi’s size risked disappearing into the “noise floor” of the US market.
Geopolitics also looms large over the semiconductor industry. Raspberry Pi’s chips are manufactured by TSMC in Taiwan, and Upton acknowledges the strategic risk posed by tensions around the island. However, he argues the United States cannot realistically allow access to Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturing to disappear, because advanced chipmaking now underpins not only the global economy but the AI revolution itself.
Presenter: Fliss Hannah Producer: Olie D'Albertanson Editor: Henry Jones
02:10 What is Raspberry Pi? 03:25 The decline in computer science students 04:56 AI and overestimating these tools 06:26 Startup intensity and pacing yourself 08:08 Listing on the London Stock Exchange 09:21 Luck and serendipity in business 10:23 UK optimism and industrial strength 12:32 Energy costs and manufacturing 15:03 UK infrastructure and political will 18:59 The IPO journey and the multiples gap myth 26:14 Industrial & embedded growth 30:00 Taiwan, TSMC, and geopolitical risk 32:38 Agentic AI and the reality vs the hype 36:57 Advice for young people and the case for maths
Presenter: Felicity HannahProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
Andy Briggs, chief executive of Standard Life, joins the Big Boss Interview to discuss the war in Iran, pension reform,and the growing risk that millions of people are not putting enough aside for later life.
Briggs says pension savers should not panic about the conflict in the Middle East, arguing that most economists expect short-term volatility rather than lasting structural damage to investments. Standard Life, which looks after 12 million customers and manages more than £300 billion in assets, believes pensions should be viewed over decades. Workplace retirement saving continued through COVID, the Ukraine inflation shock and the Liz Truss mini-budget fallout, because contributions are taken from gross pay before workers see their wages.
Briggs addresses concerns about a potential AI bubble, noting that much of the funding flowing into artificial intelligence is now debt-based, which could create risks if companies fail to generate sufficient cash to service that debt.
The new Pension Schemes Act — the biggest overhaul of the sector in more than a decade — has his broad support, particularly the push for greater scale and investment in productive assets such as infrastructure and growth equity. UK pension savers have generated real returns of around 4% per annum over the past decade, compared with 5.2% in Canada and 5.5% in Australia. The biggest difference, he says, is exposure to private assets. He draws a clear line at mandation, however, arguing that investment decisions should remain a matter of customer choice rather than government compulsion.
Briggs is emphatic that pensions policy needs long-term, cross-party consensus rather than budget-cycle speculation. He points to the damage caused by rumours ahead of Rachel Reeves's budget, when thousands of customers withdrew their tax-free cash prematurely — only for the policy to remain unchanged, leaving those savers worse off.
The current auto-enrolment minimum of 8% of salary is no longer sufficient, he warns, calling for a gradual increase to 12%. Without change, 60% of people could reach retirement in the 2040s without enough for a decent standard of living. The crisis is partly hidden because today's retirees still benefit from defined benefit pensions built up earlier in their careers — a cushion that is rapidly disappearing.
Briggs concedes the UK is "not sufficiently financially literate" on pensions and expresses concern for younger generations struggling to find secure work. Greater pension investment in the UK economy, he argues, could stimulate growth, improve infrastructure and create better jobs — benefiting both savers and the wider economy.
Presenter: Felicity HannahProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
01:54 Andy Briggs joins the pod - discusses political upheaval. 06:00 War in Iran impact on pension savers08:19 AI bubble concerns & tech stock exposure09:58 Pension drawdowns around the Reeves budget11:32 Pension Scheme Act & mandation17:02 Returns gap vs Canada & Australia22:20 Pension adequacy & the case for 12%24:05 60% face inadequate retirement by the 2040s26:35 Young people & the retirement challenge30:50 Financial literacy admission36:10 Personal reflections on careers & opportunity
Sarah Breeden, Deputy Governor of the Bank of England for financial stability, joins Big Boss Interview to discuss risks in the global financial system, the rapid growth of private credit, and whether markets are prepared for the next economic shock.
She tells BBC Business Editor, Simon Jack the private credit market has grown to around $2.5 trillion in less than two decades, and says the BoE is watching the sector closely. She warns it has “never been tested at this scale” and that aspects of the market carry echoes of the period leading up to the 2008 financial crisis — including rising leverage, complex interconnections between funds, insurers, pension schemes and banks, and limited transparency compared to traditional lending.
There are already signs of strain. Investors have begun pulling money out of some funds, while others have been gated or marked down. Breeden warns this could lead to what she describes as a “private credit crunch”, where companies reliant on this form of financing may struggle to refinance their debt. While distinct from a banking-led crisis, she says the consequences for the real economy could still be significant.
At the same time, she highlights a growing disconnect between financial markets and underlying economic risks. Asset prices in some areas remain close to record highs despite geopolitical instability, persistent inflationary pressures and vulnerabilities within parts of the financial system. Breeden says the Bank expects an adjustment — meaning prices will fall — but stresses the key question is not whether this happens, but when and how sharply.
A further concern is the reduced capacity of governments to respond to future crises. Sovereign debt levels are at historic highs, limiting the scope for large-scale fiscal intervention of the kind seen during the 2008 financial crisis or the energy shock following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That places greater emphasis on ensuring the resilience of the financial system itself.
Breeden says the scenario that most concerns her is a combination of risks materialising simultaneously — a macroeconomic downturn, a loss of confidence in private credit, and a sharp repricing of risky assets. It is this kind of convergence, she says, that “really keeps me awake at night”. The Bank is actively stress-testing such scenarios and working with international counterparts to ensure the system is prepared.
While she notes that the banking sector is significantly better capitalised than before 2008, reducing the likelihood of a repeat of that crisis, the interview makes clear that new forms of risk are emerging in parallel — and that understanding how they interact will be critical in determining how resilient the global financial system proves to be.
Presenter: Simon JackProducer: Ollie Smith & Olie D'Albertanson
Picture: Bank of England
Pano Christou, CEO of Pret, joins Sean Farrington for this episode of Big Boss Interview to discuss fuel volatility, salads, and subscriptions.
Pret is starting to see inflation from the war in the Middle East, with fuel price volatility affecting the business. Prices aren’t currently set to rise, but he says they may have to if disruption continues. Some exports into the Middle East business are taking longer, but that’s not hampering Pret’s growth ambitions in the region.
He says Pret’s revised £5-a-month drinks subscription has grown by close to 25% over the past year, after the original COVID-era offer had to “evolve”. Its newer large salad range has been a “roaring success”, selling 40% more units than expected, especially in the evening, as consumers move away from bread.
He says he never set out to become chief executive, having worked his way up from assistant manager after earlier roles at Pret and McDonald’s, and says career progression comes from focusing on the job in front of you.
Presenter: Sean Farrington
Producer: Jeevan Nerwan
Editor: Henry Jones
00:12 Fliss and Sean set up the interview01:58 Pano Christou joins the pod/return to the office09:12 Pret's subscription offer14:12 Career history - from assistant manager to CEO31:15 Impact of the US-Israel war with Iran38:15 Salad success/Brits moving away from bread43:38 Weight-loss drugs45:07 Listing
Nathan Coe, CEO of Autotrader, joins Sean Farrington for this episode of Big Boss Interview to discuss how rising fuel prices, the rapid growth of Chinese carmakers and advances in AI are reshaping the UK car market.
Coe says the recent spike in petrol prices has triggered an immediate shift towards electric vehicles, with enquiries on Autotrader up 30% month-on-month. He says higher fuel costs are pushing more buyers to reconsider the total cost of ownership, accelerating interest in EVs.
He also highlights the rapid rise of Chinese manufacturers in the UK market, describing their growth as “mind-boggling”. Firms such as BYD, he says, have scaled in a year what took Tesla six to seven, helped by competitive pricing and a shift in consumer behaviour - with EV buyers showing less loyalty to traditional brands.
Coe is also asked about the Competition and Markets Authority investigation into online reviews, stressing the company’s focus on acting with integrity.
On AI, Coe says Autotrader is working with firms including OpenAI, Google Gemini and Meta, and argues that while investor concerns about AI have weighed on the company’s share price, it has not seen a fall in traffic and believes the technology will strengthen its offering rather than disrupt it.
Presenter: Sean Farrington
Producer: Jeevan Nerwan
Editor: Henry Jones
00:12 Fliss and Sean set up interview01:47 Nathan Coe joins the pod/Iran war impact on EV demand09:10 Chinese car sales in the UK growing faster than expected16:08 The UK's EV transition18:42 CMA investigation23:53 AI
Wholesale gas prices have roughly doubled in three weeks amid instability in the Middle East, and Greg Jackson, co-founder and Chief Executive of Octopus Energy, the UK's biggest household energy supplier, says it is "very likely" that energy bills will rise from July. The energy price cap is set to fall in April due to government tax cuts on electricity, but Jackson warns that fixed tariffs and business tariffs are expected to climb in the summer quarter. He compares the situation to Groundhog Day — just three years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine triggered a fossil fuel crisis.
Consumer behaviour has shifted sharply in the three weeks since the crisis began. Octopus has recorded a 50% increase in rooftop solar sales, a 30% rise in heat pump sales, a 40% jump in heat pump orders, and a 30% increase in demand for electric vehicle charging points.
He says a dramatic shift is needed in the UK. China's approach to energy offers a stark contrast. Some 75% of all renewables being built globally are in China, more than half the cars sold there last year were electric, and the Chinese state oil company is planning for no petrol stations by 2040. He describes China's energy investment as "breathtaking" and sees "a lot of talk and no action" in Europe.
Octopus has raised around $3 billion in investment, but Jackson reveals that roughly $2.9 billion of that came from outside the UK. He blames pension and fund management regulations introduced around 2000, which he says have caused UK pension funds to cut their allocation to UK equities from about 40% to roughly 3%. The result, he argues, is that British pensioners receive lower returns while overseas investors capture the growth of British companies.
Presenter: Sean FarringtonProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
00:13 Fliss and Sean set up interview02:01 Greg Jackson joins the pod/ Iran war impact on energy.05:07 Bills likely rising from July. 08:42 Consumer response. 50% solar surge, heat pumps.14:40 Tesla & Musk's business entering the UK energy market.16:07 Future of energy and cars. 19:18 Europe "torturing ourselves" over electrification..24:33 Overseas investment and UK consequences27:57 Next election. Reform, Greens, and the future of energy policy31:22 The entrepreneur. How Jackson became passionate about energy36:45 AI and the next generation. Impact on young people's prospects41:39 End of pod
Larry Fink, is Chairman and CEO of BlackRock - the world’s largest asset manager, overseeing more than $14 trillion in investments on behalf of governments, pension funds and individual investors globally.
He tells BBC Business Editor Simon Jack that oil prices could remain above $100 a barrel for years — and rise to $150 — if the Iranian conflict is not resolved, a scenario he says would trigger a “stark and steep recession”. Higher energy costs would ripple through agriculture, fertiliser, and global supply chains, acting as a regressive tax that disproportionately affects the poorest.
Fink calls for “energy pragmatism”, arguing countries should use all available energy sources — from oil and gas to renewables and nuclear — to build resilience. He highlights Europe’s fragmented power systems as a structural weakness, particularly as energy demand rises with the expansion of AI infrastructure.
On trade, Fink says globalisation is being recalibrated rather than reversed. Post-war trading systems that favoured certain economies are shifting towards greater symmetry, though he acknowledges tariffs are inflationary.
He dismisses comparisons to the 2008 financial crisis, arguing the $2.2 trillion private credit market is transparent, with clearly defined liquidity limits.
Artificial intelligence, he says, will be transformational — driving demand for massive infrastructure investment while creating large numbers of skilled blue-collar jobs. Fink argues societies have overemphasised university education and must reassess the value of skilled trades in the AI economy.
Presenter: Simon JackProducer: Olie D'Albertanson & Ollie Smith
00:15 Will Bain and Simon Jack set out who BlackRock/Larry Fink is03:30 Larry Fink joins the podcast - discuss oil price scenarios12:04 Globalisation and tariff impact 19:07 Are we reliving the Financial Crisis of 2008?22:53 AI Investment: Bubble or necessity?30:28 The case for blue-collar careers32:58 AI, demographics, and the future of taxation
Mark Neale, founder and chief executive of Mountain Warehouse - the outdoor clothing company - joins Will Bain for this episode of Big Boss Interview to discuss how conflict in the Middle East, tariff volatility and UK economic policy are affecting retailers and the wider economy.
Disruption to global shipping routes is already pushing up costs for businesses importing goods from Asia. Prior to the latest US/Isarael war against Iran ,attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea had effectively closed the Suez Canal to many freight ships for nearly a year, forcing cargo to travel around the Horn of Africa instead. That detour adds roughly two weeks to delivery times and significantly increases freight costs. Neale says companies have built greater resilience into supply chains since the pandemic, but sustained disruption in from the latest conflict will eventually feed through into higher prices if the situation continues.
Trade policy is creating further uncertainty due to the impact of American tariffs. Neale questions what such tariff policies are designed to achieve, arguing that no realistic trade regime is going to bring garment manufacturing back to the United States. He also says they've tried diversify away from Chinese made clothes as a result.
The interview also examines the state of the UK economy. Neale argues the country has lost “the best part of a year of growth” because the government repeatedly emphasised how broken parts of the country were — from the NHS to the economy — without setting out a clear positive vision for growth. When the new administration arrived, he says, inflation and interest rates were already beginning to fall and there were early signs of recovery emerging. Neale compares the situation to a new chief executive taking over a struggling company: you acknowledge the problems, but you also need to rally the workforce with a plan.
Hiring and labour regulation are another concern. Neale describes the government’s proposed Employment Rights Bill as “the let’s make it more difficult for people to get a job Bill”, warning that additional regulation may make businesses more cautious when recruiting. With around a million people in the UK currently out of work due to long-term sickness, he argues that policies which increase perceived hiring risk could make it harder for people trying to re-enter the workforce to get an opportunity.
Competition for jobs is already intense. When Mountain Warehouse opened a new store in Wigan, 493 people applied for just ten roles, including more than 100 applicants for the store manager position alone. Neale says that when employers face such large applicant pools alongside stricter employment rules, they are more likely to choose the safest candidate — potentially shutting out those who most need a chance.
Presenter: Will BainProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
00:00 Sean and Will start the show01:45 Mark Neale joins BBI02:28 From rollerblades to Mountain Warehouse08:17 Freight concerns & Middle East disruption11:38 Diversifying supply chain away from China17:44 Government stamping out green shoots of recovery & lost year of growth25:39 Employment Rights Bill impact & unintended consequences for hiring29:33 De minimis, ideal high street & long-term confidence
Marco Amitrano, European boss of PwC, joins the Big Boss Interview to discuss the UK economy, artificial intelligence, business confidence and the case for loosening the government’s fiscal rules to unlock infrastructure investment.
Amitrano makes a direct appeal to Chancellor Rachel Reeves to reconsider the government’s borrowing limits, arguing that strict fiscal rules risk preventing the investment needed for long-term economic growth. He says the UK faces what has been described to him as a £2 trillion infrastructure gap, spanning transport, digital networks and the energy grid. Relaxing borrowing restrictions, he argues, could allow government to invest alongside business in the technology, talent and infrastructure needed to make the UK globally competitive. Amitrano acknowledges that markets may initially react with higher borrowing costs, but says a transparent plan showing how spending would drive growth could reassure bond investors.
Artificial intelligence is already reshaping the professional services sector, with Amitrano revealing that more than 80% of chief executives globally are making material investments in AI, and around 60% now see it as critical to their organisation’s survival. He discusses how the technology is transforming how businesses operate, while pushing back against claims that AI is already replacing large numbers of graduate jobs. PwC recently reduced its graduate intake from around 1,500 to 1,300, but Amitrano says that decision was driven by a slowdown in demand following the November 2024 Budget, not automation. The firm still receives roughly 400,000 applications each year and uses AI only in the early stages of screening before human interviews.
Before the recent escalation in the Middle East, Amitrano says business confidence had been showing signs of recovery. Falling finance costs, strong corporate balance sheets and wage inflation running ahead of cost inflation had created conditions for what he describes as potential economic “lift-off”. However, geopolitical tensions have reintroduced uncertainty, particularly around energy prices, where the UK remains the most expensive country in Europe for energy.
He also reflects on the impact of the November 2024 Budget, which he describes as a miscalculation that combined several policies — workers’ rights reforms, minimum wage increases and higher employer National Insurance contributions — in a way that made hiring feel riskier for businesses. Amitrano says that damaged the relationship between government and business, although dialogue has begun to improve through initiatives such as Keep Britain Working, which aims to bring economically inactive people back into the labour market.
Presenter: Simon JackProducer: Ollie Smith & Olie D'Albertanson
02:32 AI transformation imperative for business survival06:15 Graduate recruitment cut due to economic slowdown, not AI10:07 AI in recruitment: screening 400,000 applications for 4,000 jobs14:07 Value of university education beyond qualifications19:37 November 2024 budget damaged business confidence21:57 Middle East conflict derails UK economic recovery26:32 Call for Rachel Reeves to relax fiscal rules for infrastructure28:07 £2 trillion infrastructure gap: technology, talent and infrastructure spending needed
Charles Stewart, chief executive of Sotheby's, joins the Big Boss Interview and discusses the scrutiny facing the art market over money laundering, the growth of digital art and NFTs, the expansion of sports collectibles, and how the conflict in the Middle East could affect the industry.
Stewart, who previously served as chief executive of a small bank before joining Sotheby’s, describes the characterisation of the industry as working with illicit money as a “misjudged notion”. He argues the company’s client base consists largely of established collectors, museum trustees and philanthropists who buy works to live with them rather than to obscure wealth.
Russian buyers — often cited in discussions about opaque art transactions — represented less than 1% of Sotheby’s global business when sanctions were imposed following the invasion of Ukraine, he says, challenging assumptions about the role of Russian money in the market.
Geopolitics is also shaping the art market. The Middle East has become an increasingly important region for Sotheby’s, with auctions in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi reflecting years of market development across the Gulf. Stewart says the company’s immediate priority amid escalating regional tensions is the safety of staff working there, though he notes market reaction to the latest conflict has so far been “somewhat muted”.
Stewart notes that countries including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are investing heavily in cultural infrastructure as part of longer-term economic diversification strategies. Institutions such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi — open for nearly a decade — and the forthcoming Guggenheim Abu Dhabi form part of plans to establish new global cultural destinations.
Despite these shifts, London remains central to Sotheby’s global operations. The company’s New Bond Street headquarters reflects more than 280 years of British heritage and the city continues to function as Sotheby’s second-largest sales centre after New York. A recent London auction achieved a 100% sell-through rate with bidders from 40 countries, demonstrating sustained international participation despite post-Brexit complications around import and export logistics.
The conversation also examines how technology is changing the art market. Stewart argues digital art represents a natural evolution in artistic practice rather than simply a speculative phenomenon linked to the boom and collapse of NFTs. He distinguishes between cryptocurrency speculation, the blockchain technology underlying NFTs, and the broader creative shift as artists adopt digital tools.
Sports memorabilia has also become a growing category for Sotheby’s. The market now extends beyond historic trophies and medals to include game-worn shirts and collectibles authenticated through technology that can match items to specific moments in matches. Stewart attributes the expansion partly to generational wealth transfer and to younger collectors’ interest in pre-owned objects with personal and cultural significance.
Presenter: Sean FarringtonProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
02:12 - Middle East conflict impact15:30 - Anti-Money laundering regulations 17:29 - Russian sanctions 19:30 - "Misguided Notion" of art world bad behaviour23:34 - Digital Art as natural evolution29:30 - Sports memorabilia growth
Anthony Houghton, Chief Executive of Holland & Barrett, joins the Big Boss Interview as social media and online self-diagnosis reshape how consumers approach health and wellness.
He describes a retail landscape where customers increasingly arrive in store — or online — having already decided what they need based on influencer content or digital health advice, not all of which is accurate or appropriate to their individual circumstances. In a £110 billion global health and wellness industry, the challenge for established retailers is navigating the gap between what customers believe products do and what they are legally permitted to claim.
Holland & Barrett’s response has been a major internal reset. Three years ago, the company invested in a dedicated science team to review its entire range. Of approximately 4,500 core products, 2,700 have since been reformulated or upgraded. More than 1,000 own-brand products have been completely overhauled in the past 18 months alone.
Labelling presents particular complexity. Products marketed for perimenopause, for example, may feature the term prominently on packaging to help customers find relevant items. Yet detailed ingredient information states that vitamin B6 contributes to hormonal regulation and iron supports normal cognitive function — without referencing perimenopause directly. Strict Advertising Standards Authority rules limit what retailers can claim about specific conditions, creating a disconnect between searchable labels and regulated ingredient statements. Houghton acknowledges many customers may not understand this distinction.
The transformation has coincided with strong financial performance. Holland & Barrett reported 11% sales growth — its third consecutive year of double-digit increases — with digital sales up 20% overall and accounting for 21% of total revenue. However, £300 million invested over three years in store refits, supply chain upgrades and internal capability building has weighed on profit margins. Houghton describes the investment as “fixing the foundations”, with efficiency gains expected to restore profitability as the transformation programme matures.
Despite digital growth, physical retail remains central to the strategy. The company operates 809 stores across the UK and Ireland, opened nine new sites this year and has completed a major refit programme. Houghton rejects suggestions that the High Street is dead, arguing that physical and digital channels are complementary rather than competitive. Stores now offer personal consultations, experiential elements such as yoga studios in selected locations, and partnerships with diagnostic provider Randox to deliver health MOT blood testing in a growing number of sites.
Cost pressures remain acute. Minimum wage increases affect the majority of staff across hundreds of stores. Holland & Barrett pays above the statutory National Living Wage and plans to announce another rise shortly. Rather than passing those costs directly to customers through price increases, the strategy focuses on driving operational efficiencies elsewhere. At the same time, the company has increased investment in colleague training — requiring staff to complete health and wellness training before advising customers — even as many retailers are cutting back.
Presenter: Sean FarringtonProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
00:16 Will and Sean intro pod01:40 Anthony Houghton joins BBI 02:00 The growth of H&B03:30 Self-diagnosing via social media 05:17 Decision to invest in dedicated science team05:56 2,700 products reformulated in last couple of years08:42 Which? found supplement doses higher than recommended intake12:31 Product & label concerns 18:40 Growth in magnesium, creatine and fibre.23:40 Loyalty schemes29:31 The High St isn't dead34:00 Impact of National Living Wage41:00 Retail as a career choice
Nicole Melillo Shaw, Managing Director of Volvo UK, joins Big Boss Interview at a pivotal moment for the electric vehicle market, as the company recalls 10,500 EX30 electric cars following four battery fires globally.
“It’s against everything we stand for,” she says, reflecting on a situation that challenges a brand built on nearly a century of safety leadership. Despite a global failure rate of just 0.02% and no fatalities, Volvo identified the root cause in late December and immediately instructed owners not to charge beyond 70% while a fix is implemented. Repairs are scheduled to begin in late March. For Volvo, the response reflects what she describes as a precautionary, safety-first culture, even when the commercial implications are uncomfortable.
Melillo Shaw examines what the recall means for consumer confidence in electric vehicles — a technology already under heightened scrutiny — even though petrol vehicles statistically present a greater inherent fire risk due to flammable fuel systems.
The recall comes as electric vehicle adoption remains slower than manufacturers once anticipated, despite annual growth exceeding 20%. Volvo’s UK electric sales peaked at 28% following the EX30 launch but have since stabilised at just over 22 per cent as more than 160 additional models enter the market and buyers opt for “one more petrol” or hybrid before fully switching.
Range anxiety, she argues, is no longer the central issue, but infrastructure concerns persist. Confusing government messaging — pairing incentives with discussions of pay-per-mile charges and benefit-in-kind changes — continues to add to consumer hesitation.
Global instability adds further complexity. Volvo has been regionalising production, partly in response to tariff pressures, building vehicles closer to the markets in which they are sold. That turbulence elevates the UK’s importance as Volvo’s third-largest market, where a direct-to-consumer model has delivered 40% growth and lifted market share from 2.5% to 3.5%.
Government Zero Emission Vehicle mandates now require manufacturers to meet steep electrification quotas or face fines of £12,000 per non-compliant vehicle from November. Volvo discontinued diesel models in the UK in 2023 and says it could sell 100% electric vehicles tomorrow if demand existed. However, meeting regulatory targets while absorbing development costs and discounting pressures presents a commercial balancing act.
Finally, Melillo Shaw reflects on her own trajectory — from Scunthorpe through healthcare brands to automotive leadership. Volvo deliberately recruited her because she had never bought a car, valuing the perspective of someone who understood the anxiety of a major purchase. She argues the industry must broaden access and challenge assumptions about who belongs in automotive careers, creating clearer pathways for talent from working-class communities.
Mark Allan, CEO of FTSE 100 property giant Landsec, tells Will Bain that much of the narrative around the UK’s commercial property market isn’t quite right. Demand for office space is robust: businesses are signing 15 to 20 year leases, and firms that downsized after COVID are reversing course. Even the fear that artificial intelligence will trigger mass job losses isn’t materialising just yet in leasing behaviour.
He is bullish on the future of retail. Allan believes the shopping centre is firmly “back”, with sales and rents climbing again at major destinations such as Liverpool ONE and Bluewater. Retailers, he says, have become more selective - closing weaker sites while doubling down on the biggest and strongest locations. And with no new centres being built, the most successful ones are only becoming more valuable.
But Allan is blunt about the challenges facing large scale development in the UK. The affordable housing market won’t improve until private development becomes financially viable again. Rising construction costs, slow and unpredictable planning processes and persistently high interest rates are making major projects far harder to get off the ground.
His sharpest criticism, though, is for Westminster. Allan argues that political instability is damaging investor confidence and making long term planning extremely difficult. Allan says the business rates system is "crazily out of date". He welcomes the government’s ambition for planning reform, but says the UK keeps being dragged back into cycles of “permanent drama” that undermine efforts to fix the system.
Presenter: Will BainProducer: Jeevan NerwanEditor: Henry Jones
00:00 Sean and Will start pod01:35 Mark Allan joins BBI03:09 What does Landsec do?04:56 Diversification into residential property10:02 Gentrification13:15 Investment outside of London and the South East16:15 Affordable housing & planning22:39 Demand for office space & AI 32:48 Shopping centres & the future of retail39:43 Business rates41:09: Government decision making & political instability50:16 End of pod
Clive Chesser, chief executive of PureGym, says surviving cancer fundamentally changed him as a leader — deepening his empathy and reshaping how he approached life, including changing career..
His diagnosis came during an extraordinarily difficult period in December 2021. While leading his then pub business through a complex private equity transaction, he was experiencing persistent breathlessness and fatigue he initially attributed to long COVID. After noticing swollen lymph nodes in his neck, members of his family — several of whom are senior doctors — urged him to undergo further tests. He completed them just before finalising the business deal.
Christmas brought what he describes as an unimaginable sequence of events. On Christmas Day, his father-in-law died while his wife isolated at home with COVID. Shortly afterwards, Chesser received confirmation that he had cancer in his lymph nodes. The following day, he says, he faced the hardest moment of his life: telling his three teenage children he had cancer.
At the time, Chesser was marathon-fit, training regularly and running annually. That physical condition proved critical during treatment. His fitness enabled him to tolerate more aggressive radiotherapy and additional chemotherapy rounds, improving his chances of full recovery — which he ultimately achieved. The experience, he says, transformed his sense of purpose and made his subsequent appointment as PureGym’s chief executive feel profoundly aligned with his personal journey.
That personal conviction underpins what he describes as a broader fitness revolution reshaping the UK gym industry. Nearly half — 47% — of PureGym’s January 2025 joiners were aged 25 or under, reflecting what Chesser sees as a generational shift in attitudes to health. Younger members, particularly Gen Z and Gen Alpha, are integrating fitness into their social identity. Gyms are becoming social hubs, not simply places to exercise, where mental wellbeing and community sit alongside physical strength.
He describes a trend he calls “fitness snacking” — members moving fluidly between gyms, boutique studios and fitness events before returning to a core membership. Despite this apparent transience, average tenure stands at 19 months and is rising. Most new joiners are returning members, a notable fact given PureGym’s no-contract, month-to-month model, where members actively choose to stay.
Women are driving another significant shift in the market, moving away from cardio-dominated routines towards strength and conditioning. In response, PureGym has introduced more than 50 women-only workout spaces across the UK after research showed many women prefer environments where they feel more comfortable and less exposed. These areas exist nationwide and sit alongside screened lighter-weight zones designed to reduce intimidation for first-time users. While the majority of PureGym’s 456 UK sites remain mixed-gender spaces, Chesser argues that offering choice has been critical to growth and inclusion.
Chesser also delivers a critique of the Labour government’s economic performance, arguing it has failed to deliver the long-term growth strategy promised before taking office. He points to National Insurance rises and the continued burden of business rates on bricks-and-mortar operators — including gyms and pubs — while online businesses face comparatively lighter structural costs.
He draws a stark comparison between government and business leadership, noting that the UK has had six Prime Ministers in ten years — instability he likens to running a football club rather than a company built on rolling five-year strategies and careful succession planning. In his view, the government remains trapped in short-term crisis management rather than long-term economic planning.
Presenter: Sean FarringtonProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
00:00 Fliss and Sean intro pod01:50 Clive joins BBI03:30 Growth on Gen Z gym users10:20 Women only spaces and safety16:00 Low cost model25:20 Govt's 10 Year Health Plan28:40 Clive's cancer journey39:15 Frustration at govt's growth promises
Timo Boldt, founder and chief executive of Gousto, believes Britain’s food system is broken.
He points to the growing economic burden of diet-related disease with Government figures suggesting obesity alone costs the NHS more than £11 billion a year, while broader estimates put the total economic cost of overweight and obesity at more than £100 billion annually once lost productivity and reduced quality of life are included.
Boldt argues the problem begins with what Britons eat. Research suggests more than half of the calories consumed in the UK come from ultra-processed foods, rising to around two-thirds among children and adolescents.He says these products are often engineered for what the industry calls the “bliss point” — the combination of salt, sugar and fat that keeps people coming back for more — and that the result is rising levels of obesity and diet-related illness.
He defends Gousto’s typical price point of about £3.20 per meal per person, arguing that it compares favourably with supermarket shopping once household food waste, time spent planning meals and convenience are taken into account. The company cannot compete with the very lowest-cost diets, he admits, but says it is targeting the large proportion of households already spending similar amounts on evening meals.
Boldt also argues that farmers sit at the weakest point in the food chain, squeezed by large manufacturers and retailers who dominate what ends up on supermarket shelves. He says the system would look very different if incentives favoured fresh produce rather than heavily processed foods.
Government action so far — including the sugar tax and restrictions on junk-food advertising — is, in his view, only a start. He calls for a broader approach combining taxes on unhealthy products with subsidies for more nutritious farming, alongside tighter rules on product placement in supermarkets.
If diet-related disease could be reduced, he argues, the savings for the NHS and the wider economy would be enormous. The long-term solution, he says, is to “go upstream” and change what people eat by reshaping the food system itself.
Gousto grew rapidly through the 2010s, with annual growth of around 90% in its first decade. But the business faced a very different environment in 2022, as interest rates rose sharply and household budgets tightened. Boldt responded by expanding the range of recipes and focusing on value, while pushing the company towards profitability and self-funding.
He started the business fifteen years ago after long hours in the finance industry left him eating poorly. In the early days he delivered boxes himself, handing out his personal mobile number to customers. Today, after expansion into Ireland, he says the next phase will be international — once the company has fully cracked its home market.
Presenter: Sean FarringtonProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
00:00 Fliss and Sean start pod01:39 Timo Boldt joins BBI02:25 Obesity caused by ultra processed food and its impact03:50 The cost of Gousto and whether it's too expensive11:15 Farmer not paid enough.19:56 Discount model in the industry23:17 Setting up Gousto and hand delivering food27:24 Tougher times and how they were navigated32:20 Why is Gousto only in the UK and Ireland?39:40 End of pod
Brian Niccol took over at Starbucks in 2024. He became CEO at a time profits had been falling and customers going elsewhere. He says Starbucks had got too distracted on efficiency and technology and lost focus on customers and experience.
Starbucks has re-introduced things like handwriting on cups and ceramic mugs in a bid to win back customers, and has also given the menu and stores a makeover. It's already seen sales improve but Brian Niccol says they still need to do more..
Technology is playing a big part in Starbucks plans to improve efficiency. It's using AI to take orders and allowing people to schedule their orders. It's also using technology to simplify the ordering process and stock. Niccol says this is allowing staff to spend more time to chat with customers.
Presenter - Michelle FleuryProducers - John Mervin and Justin BonesEditor - Henry Jones
01:40 Getting customers back to Starbucks. Says had lost focus and got distracted07:22 Using technology such as AI taking orders and scheduling orders for customers15:30 Partnering with 2028 LA Olympics19:16 Should investors expect a slow rebuild or will the pace pick up this year22:20 Giving power back to the store
Picture: Reuters
As CEO of financial services giant Legal & General, António Simões plays a huge role in the UK economy, not to mention in the financial wellbeing of tens of millions of people. From managing pension funds to massive infrastructure spending around the country, he oversees well over a trillion dollars’ worth of UK assets. Simões took the top job at the beginning of 2024, and he tells Will Bain how from the start he has been dedicated to maintaining a corporate culture with a healthy work-life balance.
Bullish on the UK economy, Simões says the country sometimes spends too much time ‘talking itself down’ and that with its fundamental strengths the UK is one of the most stable economies in the world. But, he says, there are still big worries for young Britons’ futures. He tells Will he’s concerned about the low levels of pension enrolment around the country and says more financial education is needed for people to understand the “eighth wonder of the world”: compound interest.
He also tells Will about L&G’s massive investments around the country, from digital infrastructure and energy storage to affordable homes. And he says that despite a backlash against ESG and diversity programmes in recent years, he believes those are essential to ensuring returns for investors, and the country, far into the future.
Presenter: Will Bain
Producer: Olie D'Albertanson
Editor: Henry Jones
00:00 Sean Farrington and Will Bain introduce the episode
02:00 António Simões interview begins
02:21 Maintaining work-life balance and corporate culture
05:30 Britons not saving enough into their pensions and the need for more financial literacy
08:40 Addressing low pensions auto-enrollment, challenges for employees and SMEs alike
20:30 UK Growth - how to get there?
24:30 AI investments and 'bubble' fears
26:30 Government and private investments in new infrastructure around the UK
40:00 The continued value of diversity schemes and ESG amid backlash
41:30 The politicisation of the economy
42:30 Low gender and LGBT representation in the C-suite
Britain's education system stands accused of failing to prepare young people for careers by Neil Clifford, Chief Executive of Kurt Geiger. He tells Will Bain in this episode of BBI that the current education system is "not really fit for purpose" in preparing people for life after education. His own school journey saw him leave with a single O-level in art, achieved by drawing a Dunlop Green Flash trainer that he now keeps displayed in his office. The spurred him on to create the Kurt Geiger Academy, a government-recognised educational institution built within the company's London HQ.
Clifford questions the usefulness of teaching history in school and wonders if the emphasis on mathematics - championed by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak - is wise, seeing as "we can't out mathematics India or China". Instead he says the UK should focus on sectors where it maintains global leadership, pointing to creative industries as areas where Britain would be World Champions.
Clifford describes how the company has moved from a struggling British shoe retailer into an international fashion company. The brand has undergone a dramatic shift, with American operations now generating 70% of sales from handbags rather than shoes and individual stores producing twice the profit per square foot compared to UK locations. This was a move that saved the company as he says the COVID-19 pandemic brought the company within weeks of bankruptcy, with profits collapsing from £41 million in 2019 to just £6 million.
Presenter: Will BainProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
00:00 Fliss Hannah and Will Bain introduces the episode01:31 Neil Clifford interview begins02:46 Kurt Geiger's transformation from shoes to handbags05:18 ADHD and dyslexia impact07:52 Failed attempts at handbags and US expansion 09:30 Strategy acceleration during pandemic11:29 Trump tariffs discussion15:34 UK vs international growth20:03 50% higher conversion in US stores23:21 Russell and Bromley discussion24:05 One O-level in art27:26 Academy origins from COVID29:45 Education system "not fit for purpose"35:37 UK hasn't grown in 10 years35:54 - Brexit: "wasted 10 years"
John Vincent, founder and chief executive of Leon, joins the Big Boss Interview to explore how the rapid rise of weight-loss medications could reshape the food industry—and how Leon intends to position itself to benefit.
Vincent returned to the business in October 2025, four years after selling it, having grown disillusioned as a minority shareholder. He says he lacked the board control needed to run the company how he wanted.
Following its sale to the Issa Brothers and subsequent ownership by Asda, Vincent argues Leon became an “orphan child” inside a larger corporate structure, losing what he describes as its “chutzpah, leadership and confidence” and drifting away from its original sense of purpose.
So, Vincent has returned, and immediately put the company into administration, but says all suppliers have been protected and will be paid in full, though admits landlords are “probably less happy”. His strategy now involves scaling the business back initially, before rebuilding to around 100–200 restaurants focused largely on London, alongside expansion through franchise partnerships at service stations, airports and train stations, and growth in grocery and direct-to-consumer channels.
He also delivers a blistering critique of government policy towards hospitality, describing what he calls an “incredibly toxic tax regime”. His warning is stark: only restaurants “selling crap food” will survive, because quality ingredients are no longer economically viable, and further chain failures are inevitable.
Presenter: Will BainProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
01:40 John Vincent joins the pod03:00 Establishing Leon in 200411:20 Selling Leon to Issa brothers15:00 Repurchasing Leon and taking it into administration19:00 "Toxic tax regime" impacting industry23:30 Expanding to direct to consumer model24:40 Winner and losers of going into administration25:50 Impact of weight loss medications on industry32:00 Vincent's love of music and impact of ADHD
Tom Beahon, co-founder and co-chief executive of premium sportswear firm Castore, joins Sean Farrington on this week’s BBI to tackle some of the most contested questions facing sport, retail and work—including a debate that many families and fans discuss: why replica football kits now cost what they do, and whether supporters are being priced out of the game.
Beahon pushes back against the idea that brands are inflating prices arbitrarily, arguing that higher costs reflect inflation, rising material prices and unprecedented global investment in elite sport. He maintains that if consumers genuinely could not afford official merchandise, the market would force prices down. He also outlines how Castore is responding to affordability concerns through entry-level product ranges designed to keep official kits within reach, while defending the idea that premium pricing reflects economic reality rather than corporate opportunism.
The conversation then turns to how technology could reshape fan engagement and brand loyalty. Beahon explores the potential for embedded chips in official merchandise—technology that could unlock exclusive digital access to teams and events, while also helping brands combat the growing problem of counterfeit kits. He suggests this convergence of physical products and digital experiences may become increasingly central to how sports brands connect with supporters.
Beahon also describes a striking shift in consumer behaviour: the resurgence of physical retail at a time when many brands are retreating from the high street. Castore has seen bricks-and-mortar stores outperform its e-commerce channels in recent months, reversing a trend that dominated much of the past decade. Rising footfall and in-store spending have prompted significant investment in the company’s retail estate.
Founded in 2016, Castore is approaching its tenth anniversary as a billion-pound business, following its acquisition of heritage brand Belstaff. Beahon reflects on the balance between legacy and agility, explaining how established brands bring credibility and depth, while Castore’s rapid ascent demonstrates the value of entrepreneurial speed and a willingness to challenge convention. Positioning itself against global giants such as Nike and Adidas, Castore sees its challenger status as an advantage.
On the future of work, Beahon delivers one of the starkest warnings of the interview arguing that artificial intelligence and automation are already reshaping how businesses think about staffing, predicting that 2026 could mark a tipping point for job losses in the UK. He says that as many as 80% of the chief executives he speaks to are planning for leaner workforces. These decisions, he suggests, are being driven by rapid advances in AI alongside rising employment costs, including national insurance—raising difficult questions about how workers, businesses and policymakers adapt to a rapidly changing economy.
Presenter: Sean FarringtonProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
00:00 Pod start02:04 Tom Beahon joins the pod & discusses Xmas performance 07:12 Physical stores outperforming e-commerce08:46 Technology, AI, and the future of retail13:43 CEOs are preparing for AI-Driven Job Losses in 202623:57 The Northwest as a hub for innovation35:37 The challenger brand mindset39:47 The cost of replica kits and counterfeits
Mark Constantine, founder and chief executive of Lush, discusses the Christmas rush, family run businesses, being "woke" and his love of birdsong in an amazing interview for Big Boss. He offers a festive perspective on the realities of retail during the Christmas season and describes the intense preparations for the holiday rush as akin to “preparing for war,” highlighting the logistical challenges and the need for resilience as customers descend on shops in the final days before Christmas.
He also discusses the importance of personal support in business, revealing that he works with a psychologist who helps him navigate the complexities of leadership and decision-making. He explains how regular sessions provide accountability and clarity, underscoring the value of ongoing self-development for business leaders.
Mark founded Lush with his wife, Mo, and their children have all been involved in the company in various ways. He reflects on the significance of family businesses in the British economy, outlining the strengths and challenges of running a family enterprise and considering succession, longevity, and the unique dynamics that shape these organisations.
Mark has followed in the footsteps of his business mentor and confidante Anita Roddick (Body Shop founder) and decided early on that you can run a business and be outspoken about the issues you care about. As well as shutting his shops in the UK for 24 hours to protest against the war in Gaza, Lush has also been vehemently opposed to animal testing from the outset, and even closed down its social media presence—despite costing the company £9 million annually in lost revenue. He explains the reasoning behind this move, citing concerns about the impact of social media on young people and the company’s commitment to ethical responsibility.
He also reveals a deep personal interest in both poetry and birdsong, describing the former as a source of wisdom and a means of distilling complex thoughts into concise, memorable lines, noting its value for those in business. He is a self-confessed nerd who loves learning and maintains one of the world’s largest private collections of birdsong recordings
Rupert Soames speaks to Felicity Hannah for his final interview before he stands down as Chair of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). He describes his surprise at the limited understanding many ministers and policymakers have of the realities faced by business leaders, particularly when it comes to employment, investment, and economic growth.
With the Employment Rights Bills ping-ponging its way between the House of Lords and the House of Commons, Soames expresses concern over measures that have increased the cost and risk of employing people, particularly younger workers. He points to the Bill as a source of uncertainty, saying that while compromise was reached on some aspects, the overall effect may be to discourage job creation and make it harder for those with gaps in their employment history to find work, especially post-covid.
Brexit and its economic consequences are explored with Soames describing the outcome as “really, really, really bad" for the UK’s economic prospects. However, he acknowledged the need to move forward and reset the UK’s relationship with the European Union, but expresses concern about the slow pace of doing so, and the persistence of unproductive patterns in UK-EU relations, calling this "Code Red".
Soames does credit the Labour government with progress in areas such as global trade agreements and regulatory reform, insisting they've done better in this regard than many before, but highlights a persistent gap between rhetoric and action.
The interview also covers the challenges faced by Soames when he joined the CBI in 2024, following allegations of sexual abuse that were reported April 2023 in the Guardian. He reflects on restoring the reputation of the organisation and convincing swathes of major organisation to re-join, after many quit or suspended their memberships.
Presenter: Felicity HannahProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
00:00 Sean Farrington and Fliss set up interview02:40 Rupert Soames joins pod and discusses CBI scandal13:40 Budget impact on business20:00 Employment Rights Bill23:55 Is government creating climate for growth?25:00 Civil service has grown too large27:15 Shocking how little government understands business29:00 Government doing better than EU and US on AI adoption30:00 Some people were seduced by then opposition govt; It was performative32:53 Brexit has played out really, really, really badly38:00 What is Rupert optimistic about?
Dame Emma Walmsley, Chief Executive one of Britain's biggest pharmaceutical companies GSK (GlaxoSmithKline), says the company is prioritising the United States for product launches and investment, citing its scale, commercial opportunities and favourable business environment. She confirms GSK will invest four times more in the US than in the UK over the coming years, making America the company’s primary growth and innovation focus.
Explaining GSK’s investment strategy, Dame Emma Walmsley points to the US market’s scale and competitiveness, boosted by recent government policy. She welcomes a new UK-US agreement removing tariffs and recognising pharmaceutical innovation, but warns of challenges for Britain’s life sciences sector. Despite the UK’s strong scientific heritage, she notes it accounts for just 2% of GSK’s sales, compared with more than half in the US.
Dame Emma Walmsley stresses the UK must stay competitive to attract foreign investment, warning that other countries increasingly treat life sciences as a strategic industry. She confirms the UK will pay more for medicines under the new agreement, with NHS costs for new drugs expected to rise by 25%. While medicines make up only 9% of NHS spending—lower than in many countries—she acknowledges budget pressures and the need for careful prioritisation.
Dame Emma Walmsley also reveals GSK is close to winning approval for the world’s first six-monthly asthma drug, expected to cut the most severe attacks requiring hospitalisation by more than 70%. She calls the breakthrough a major advance for patients and healthcare systems, with the potential to deliver significant cost savings and improve quality of life for millions worldwide. She also comments on the surge in obesity and weight-loss treatments, noting GSK is not a major player but admires the scientific progress. Instead, the company is focusing on high-burden diseases such as liver disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with trials under way and hopes for further breakthroughs.
Finally, Dame Emma Walmsley reflects on a turbulent period when activist investors questioned her leadership and forced her to reapply for her own job, amid concerns over GSK’s share price performance versus rivals.
Presenter: Simon JackProducer: Ollie Smith/ Olie D'Albertanson
00:00 Sean Farrington and BBC Business Editor Simon Jack intro pod03:00 Dame Emma Walmsley joins the pod03:53 Change agenda & US market focus and investment07:18 New asthma drug approval on the horizon08:19 GSK’s scale and global impact12:03 GSK to invest four times more in the US than the UK14:54 UK to pay more for drugs after UK-US deal16:56 GSK new asthma drug breakthrough19:48 GSK’s approach to obesity and weight loss drugs28:23 Women in leadership at GSK32:47 Shareholder revolt and leadership challenges
James Daunt, CEO of Waterstones and Barnes & Noble, offers his take on the evolving landscape of bookselling in the United Kingdom and United States. Whilst he has a "natural and instinctive disdain" for literature generated by AI, he says that if they are clearly labelled as such he would sell them, if people wanted them.
The conversation also examines the economic environment for bookshops, with Daunt commenting on Chancellor Rachel Reeves' budget and its implications for the high street. He acknowledges what he see's as the positive impact of government policy on business rates and retail sustainability, suggesting that these measures could contribute to a more vibrant and resilient high street.
Daunt also covers the reading habits of young people, noting a sustained interest in books among younger generations, despite the proliferation of digital media. He says young readers continue to engage with literature, supporting the ongoing relevance of physical bookshops, but he bemoans the closure of libraries as this has stopped some younger people being able to access free books.
And as a self proclaimed "professional reader" also tells us what books he's currently reading, and flags up some to be aware of in 2026; but also admits he has a terrible habit of not finishing books he's started.
Presenter: Fliss HannahProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
Speculation surrounding the UK budget hurt the UK pension industry, that's according to Mark Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive of St. James’s Place, the UK's biggest wealth management company. He highlights how uncertainty in government policy has led to premature pension withdrawals, with many individuals acting on speculation rather than long-term strategy.
Fitzpatrick also delivers a comparison between the UK and the USA investors saying there's a marked difference in cultural attitudes towards investing. He observes that Americans are more likely to discuss and celebrate investment, viewing wealth as a sign of progress and success, while in the UK, there is a greater tendency towards risk aversion and reluctance to talk about money. This cultural divide is reflected in the proportion of adults investing in stocks, with the US showing much higher participation rates.
The conversation also turns to the role of technology and the potential for an artificial intelligence bubble and its impact on the investment world. He considers whether current enthusiasm for AI could lead to overvaluation and what measures they've taken to soften the impact of any AI bubble bursting. The interview explores the impact of AI on personal finance, the importance of human relationships in financial advice, and the need for balanced perspectives as technology continues to shape the future of investing and pensions.
0:00 – Fliss and Sean welcome 2:30 – Mark Fitzpatrick joins the pod & discuss UK attitudes toward investing10:00 – Growth of female investment14:00 – Crypto investing & generational wealth18:00 – Budget impact on pensions27:00 – SJP fees issue and cultural changes 36:00 – Ai bubble
Presenter: Sean FarringtonProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
Vodafone’s chief executive, Margherita Della Valle, highlights the growing risks to Europe’s submarine cables, and calls for international cooperation to ensure the security and resilience of digital infrastructure. Addressing the recent threats posed by Russia, she calls for cross-border collaboration, and the implications for national and European security.
Discussing the impact of the merger with Three, Della Valle examines the UK’s persistent “not spots”—areas with little or no mobile coverage—and the company’s commitment to eliminating these gaps through an £11billion pound investment. Della Valle also notes that Vodafone is set to launch a rival to Elon Musk's Starlink in 2026, providing total broadband coverage to the UK via satellite to standard mobile phones. Launching this first in the UK, she says you will even be able to get the internet at sea and in the most remote parts of the UK.
The demands of artificial intelligence on telecoms infrastructure are also addressed, with Della Valle acknowledging that while progress has been made, the UK’s mobile networks are not yet fully prepared to support the scale and speed required for widespread AI adoption.
The interview also addresses the reduction in the number of female chief executives in the FTSE 100, and the ongoing challenges faced by women in senior roles, with
00:00 Sean Farrington and Will Bain introduce BBI02:04 Start of Interview with Margherita & early days at Vodafone07:56 Impact of the UK merger with Three09:29 Eliminating Not Spots in the UK11:12 Satellite Technology & competition to Elon Musk's Starlink19:00 Infrastructure for mobile use of AI is not there yet. 26 - Female FTSE CEOs34 - the need to work closer with Europe on sea-cable/telecoms security co-operation
Presenter: Will BainProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
The UK automotive sector is navigating a period of significant change, with government policy, economic pressures, and international competition shaping the landscape. Ford UK boss Lisa Brankin outlines the risks posed by reported government measures, including a “pay per mile” on EVs, one of the measures the Chancellor is supposedly looking to address. Brankin tells Sean Farrington that these changes could further suppress demand for electric vehicles at a time when the market is already fragile. She also draws attention to the role of employee car benefit schemes, explaining that any reduction in these incentives could have a substantial impact on the auto industry.
Ambitious climate targets set by the government are juxtaposed with the realities of consumer demand, as Brankin describes a market where regulatory ambition outpaces public appetite for electric vehicles. She calls for a coordinated and consistent approach to policy, stressing that ongoing government support is essential for the industry to meet net zero objectives. The interview also addresses the effects of economic uncertainty and the increasing influence of Chinese car manufacturers, which present additional challenges for established brands like Ford.
Presenter: Sean FarringtonProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
00:00 Introduction and welcome from Fliss and Sean02:39 Lisa Brankin joins pod discusses tough UK car industry 06:36 Electric vehicle targets and government policy impact15:29 Chinese car manufacturers and competition21:21 Brand loyalty and UK manufacturing footprint26:16 Northern Ireland’s economy and opportunities
Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Google and Alphabet, acknowledges that no company is immune from the risks of an AI investment bubble, including Google itself, and warns that the rapid growth of artificial intelligence will lead to significant societal disruptions. Speaking to BBC Economics Editor Faisal Islam he explains that, despite the company’s scale and diversified approach, overinvestment in artificial intelligence could still require Google to navigate challenging phases, just as any other business would. This admission comes as Google’s annual AI infrastructure spending surpasses $90 billion, reflecting the extraordinary scale and pace of global investment in the sector.
The interview explores the implications of this rapid growth, with Pichai highlighting the unprecedented demand for energy and the need for new sources of power to support AI development. He outlines Google’s efforts to invest in renewables, nuclear, and geothermal energy, and describes the company’s commitment to achieving 95% carbon-free operations in the UK by 2026. Pichai notes that the speed of AI expansion is testing the limits of existing sustainability targets, but maintains that technological progress can support both economic and environmental objectives.
He also addresses the evolution of copyright frameworks, and the responsibilities of technology companies. He discusses the UK’s ambition to become an AI superpower, the importance of scaling energy infrastructure, and the need for responsible development to ensure that the benefits of AI are widely shared.
00:20 Felicity and Faisal set out interview02:00 Sundar Pichai joins the interview03:30 Google now spending 90 billion dollars annually on AI 04:05 Is AI a Bubble?05:51 Google’s AI strategy 07:03 The power and potential of AI agents08:34 Automation, jobs, and societal Impact11:07 Advice for the next generation11:50 AI accuracy, and truth 14:22 Energy demands & climate impact16:48 Google’s UK investments 18:25 Copyright issues 22:26 Immigration, talent, and innovation23:12 AI as Open Source 25:31 Quantum computing & future technologies
Centrica CEO Chris O’Shea provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities facing the UK energy sector. He begins by addressing the recent collapse of Tomato Energy, emphasising that when energy suppliers fail, the costs are ultimately borne by consumers. He calls for stronger regulation and greater financial resilience among energy companies, criticising Ofgem for a lack of transparency. He argues that the current system allows "profits to be privatised while losses are socialised".
O’Shea discusses the government’s net zero by 2030 target, describing it as “unbelievably ambitious” but necessary to drive progress in the industry. He stresses the importance of a balanced and paced transition, warning that moving too quickly could leave communities behind, as happened with the closure of coal mines in Fife. The interview explores the decline of the North Sea oil industry and its impact on Aberdeen, with O’Shea noting that the full effects on jobs have yet to be felt. He highlights Centrica’s commitment to job creation and apprenticeships, aiming to take on one apprentice every day for the next decade.
Drawing on his own experience of job insecurity as a graduate, he underscores the need for careful planning and investment in skills to ensure a just transition. He also addresses the challenges of the energy transition, acknowledging that it will be neither cheap nor easy, but insisting that it is essential for the country’s future.
Presenter :Sean FarringtonProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
Timecodes:02:54 Collapse of Tomato Energy05:52 Regulation and financial resilience in the energy sector12:05 Centrica’s investment strategy and shareholder returns14:07 Profits in energy retail vs. other business segments21:15 Net Zero 2030 aspirations24:36 Government policy on renewables, net zero, and North Sea licenses29:39 The impact of the North Sea’s decline on Aberdeen and job creation34:00 Graduate programs and youth employment37:19 Redundancies and management cuts
Julian Dunkerton co-founded Superdry and took it to a £2billion market cap at its height in 2010 - within years the company was fighting for survival, and in 2018 he walked away. A decision he says he regrets. But with Superdry now valued at just £8million and looking like it might fail, he returned just one year later and wrestled back control of the company he set up, and began turning it around. After a restructuring, renegotiating rent, and now a rebrand, Superdry has just turned a profit once again.
This is the story of that turn around.
In it he calls for town centre regeneration and a High Street Renaissance, warning that current policies and Brexit have left British retailers at a disadvantage. He highlights the economic impact of leaving the EU, citing lost free trade and increased costs, and argues that the UK has “gone backwards” since Brexit. In fact he believes a free trade relationship with the EU is possible, and also imperative.
Dunkerton also challenges the narrative that young people only shop online, stating that teenagers value physical retail and social experiences, and credits this demographic with driving Superdry’s renewed success on the high street.
00:00 Sean Farrington and Will Bain introduce the podcast02:30 Julian Dunkerton joins the podcast, discusses the rise of Superdry05:25 Stepping aside as Chief Executive & company changes06:35 Return to profitability08:44 The turnaround and rebrand of Superdry10:56 What makes a good shopping experience13:20 Branding & product quality14:42 Policy, Brexit & business challenges20:35 High street policy ideas & town centres27:24 Tax, globalisation & retail trends32:13 The future of Superdry & personal projects
Presenter: Will BainProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
Tim Richards is the CEO and Founder of Vue International—one of Europe’s largest cinema groups. He joins Will Bain for the Big Boss Interview to share his remarkable journey from mergers and acquisitions (M&A) lawyer to major Hollywood player, all sparked by a chance ad in the Financial Times. The anonymous job listing turned out to be for a role at Paramount and Universal, leading to first-class travel on Concorde and a front-row seat in the film industry.
Despite the glitz and glamour, Tim recounts a moment of reckoning when he realised his division was in trouble. That prompted him to seek a new venture—and Vue was born. Raising capital and acquiring the Warner Brothers circuit became, pardon the pun, paramount to Vue’s success. In a scene straight out of a Hollywood film, Tim describes a rival cinema boss who, over lunch, threatened to build across the street from every Vue location in a bid to run them out of town.
Tim reflects on how the industry has evolved over his four decades in it, including the catastrophic impact of COVID-19, which forced all Vue cinemas worldwide to close for two years. He describes the experience as an “emotional rollercoaster,” admitting to moments of real struggle.
The conversation shifts to the rise of streaming and the so-called “content wars.” Tim doesn’t see Netflix and Disney+ as direct competitors. Instead, he views other out-of-home entertainment—like theme parks and football matches—as the real rivals. He’s confident there’s room for both streaming and theatrical releases and is optimistic about the future, especially with a new wave of films and innovations on the horizon.
He also addresses the challenge of attracting younger audiences and keeping cinema affordable, while criticising government policies that raise costs for the leisure sector—arguing they often hurt the very people they aim to help.
Despite the hardships the industry has faced, Tim believes 2026 could break all box office records.
His story has all the trappings of blockbuster movie, but it's unlikely to be streamed first.
00:18 Sean Farrington and Will Bain set out who Tim Richards is and give overview of topics01:42 Tim Richards joins the interview02:55 Tim's early career as a lawyer and move into entertainment04:01 Working at Paramount and Universal; global cinema industry in the 80s/90s06:05 Tim's transition from studio executive to entrepreneur09:38 Identifying a gap in the cinema market11:28 The pivotal Warner Brothers Circuit acquisition12:48 Innovations in cinema experience: stadium seating and customer focus14:00 The impact of the pandemic and streaming on the cinema industry16:21 Theatrical vs. streaming releases; industry changes post-pandemic19:45 The ongoing role of made-for-TV movies and studio strategies22:05 The emotional toll of the pandemic and business survival23:55 Innovations in customer experience: frictionless cinema visits26:30 Record-breaking attendance across genres and demographics27:30 The challenge of attracting younger audiences28:30 Cinema pricing, accessibility, and dynamic pricing strategies29:45 Navigating rising costs and government policy impacts30:45 The future of cinema: upcoming films and industry optimism32:00 Supporting British and independent films; new ventures36:00 Closing remarks and outro
Presenter: Will BainProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
Jo Whitfield, in her first chat since becoming Chair of the British Retail Consortium, tells Sean Farrington how she ended up at the organisation after a career spanning some of the High Street's biggest businesses. She shares why it’s such an important time for retail, and talks about how the sector’s changing—thanks to online shopping, social media, and shifting customer habits—and how retailers are adapting. Jo dives into the pressures businesses face, especially around business rates and taxes, and calls for a fairer system that doesn’t penalize physical stores. There’s also a look at how supermarkets, independents, and online influencers all play a role in today’s retail ecosystem. Jo reflects on being the BRC’s first female chair and why diversity in leadership—across gender, ethnicity, and background—matters for the future of retail. She also touches on tech, AI, and how retail offers flexibility and opportunity, especially for women, whilst on safety, she highlights rising retail crime, the risks to staff and delivery drivers, and what the industry and government are doing about it. Cybersecurity is another hot topic, with Jo stressing the need for constant vigilance and investment.
01:26 Jo Whitfield’s career and appointment as Chair of the British Retail Consortium03:51 Transformation and challenges in the retail sector07:40 Impact of business rates, taxation, and the upcoming budget on retailers14:31 Role of large supermarkets, independent retailers, and online influencers19:58 Inclusion and diversity in retail leadership23:41 Women’s careers, technology, and AI in retail25:23 Retail crime, safety for workers and delivery drivers32:33 Threats of cyber crime and security in retail
(Picture: Getty)
Presenter: Sean FarringtonProducer: Angus TiffinEditor: Henry Jones
Glenn Fogel, CEO and President of the world's largest online travel platform, Booking.com joins Will Bain to discuss whether the USA is witnessing a downturn in foreign visits due to the policies of the Trump administration. He also outlines his thoughts on issues that affect many Brits on their summer holidays: over-tourism. You’ll also hear how his company is positioning itself in legal disputes over some property listings, and why the rapid rise of AI could reshape the way we plan and experience our trips. Plus find out why Will got offended!
Presenter: Will BainEditor: Henry Jones
00:00 Intro from Fliss and Will02:00 Tourists to USA down05:00 Over-tourism13:30 Legal cases against Booking.com17:30 Use of AI
(Picture: Getty)
Fiona Eastwood, CEO of Merlin Entertainments tells Sean Farrington what it is like running one of the world’s leading entertainment companies. Merlin runs over a hundred theme parks and attractions around the world from Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures, to Sea Life and Madame Tussauds. She explains how the main competition to her business is the amount of screen-time kids have, and how that influences the partnerships that they make with the likes of Lego, Peppa Pig, Bluey and now, most recently, Minecraft. But the industry has been struggling - from covid lockdowns to the cost of living crisis, in fact Merlin's credit rating was recently even downgraded; Fiona addresses this and calls for a reduction in VAT on the Tourism and Leisure industry and says that there is too much red tape when it comes to planning reforms. And despite being the Big Boss, find out which ride Fiona can't stomach.
00:00 Fliss and Sean Intro02:15 Interview starts03:54 Our competition is the home and screen time04:50 Trends of customer spending 09:35 The growth and importance of Halloween12:45 Credit rating downgrade of Merlin Entertainments15:55 Impact of a late Autumn Budget17:00 We need a VAT cut in Leisure and Tourism sector20:35 How Merlin develop partnerships with Peppa Pig and now Minecraft27:00 The role of Madame Tussauds for the business30:20 Merlin operating in China for 25 years31:45 How does Chief Operating Officer differ from Chief Exec
Presenter: Sean FarringtonProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
(Picture credit: Getty)
Nick Mackenzie, CEO of Greene King, has issued a direct appeal to the Chancellor ahead of the autumn budget, urging immediate tax relief for Britain’s pubs. He told Felicity Hannah in this week's Big Boss Interview that unlike the last Budget, he hopes there are no surprises this time aound. The hospitality sector has absorbed over £300 million in additional costs since 2019—driven by rising energy, food, labour and tax burdens—and he says without action on business rates and alcohol duty, investment, jobs and vital community spaces are at risk. Mackenzie, who chairs the British Beer and Pub Association, says the government must honour its manifesto pledge to reform business rates and stop blindsiding the industry with surprise tax hikes.
Presenter: Felicity HannahProducer: Olie D'AlbertansonEditor: Henry Jones
00:00 Sean and Felicity introduction 02:00 Intro Nick Mackenzie & why the pub is important06:35 The evolution of the pub10:45 The issues affecting the industry 14:57 How did the last budget impact your business18:18 Govt need to stick to manifesto23:40 Should opening hours be increased?26:20 Impact of Covid and latest trends 31:45 Greene King and slavery apology36:00 Reasons for optimism
Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan, is the biggest name in global banking. He has a hotline to world leaders, and what he says matters. In a wide-ranging Big Boss Interview with BBC Business Editor Simon Jack, he shares his concerns about a frothy market fuelled by money boarding the AI hype train. He also admits that the USA has become a less reliable partner due to President Trump’s use of tariffs, but says NATO is a stronger force thanks to the current administration. However, he warns that the war in Ukraine has changed the world.
Timecodes:00:00 Simon Jack on Jamie Dimon03:55 Interview starts 05:30 Why invest in the UK08:45 Frothy markets and AI15:00 USA less reliable partner21:00 Ukraine war changed the world25:58 Tariffs and inflation30:00 President Dimon?
If you want to sell vapes you should be forced to have a licence - that's according to Asli Ertonguc - the UK and Ireland Managing Director of British American Tobacco, or B.A.T as it's called.
They're one of the world's largest tobacco manufacturers and sell the likes of Lucky Strike cigarettes, or Dunhill, and Rothmans.
Asli says this approach will have a far bigger impact on reducing smoking than the Tobacco and Vaping Bill which is currently weaving its way through parliament.
The Bill aims to make it so that anyone born after 2009 cannot legally buy cigarettes.
00:00 Intro from Will and Felicity03:24 Start of interview with Alsi Ertonguc 07:02 Disposable vapes13:05 More regulation needed 19:35 Tobacco and Vaping Bill29:00 Will and Felicity outro.
AO Chief Executive and Founder, John Roberts is celebrating 25 years at the helm of of one of the UK's biggest electrical retailers - he speaks to Sean Farrington in the first episode of Big Boss Interview.John says he believes the UK is entering a recession and calls on the Government to do more to allow businesses like his aid growth. Instead he feels the Employment Right Bill - which is currently making its way through Parliament - will make business leaders think twice about recruiting. He also outlines why competition from Chinese firms or Amazon is good for business. Meanwhile, with the budget on the horizon, John warns of the dangers of stealing Murray Mints from pensioners and outlines his lack of sympathy for supermarket chains.
Timecodes:00:00 Intro02:20 Start of interview with John Roberts06:40 The current economic climate10:00 Impact of the Employment Rights Bill on businesses15:00 How hard it is to be competitive today and the impact of Chinese business19:30 Competing with Amazon22:30 Relationship with Mike Ashley26:50 Prospects for school leavers today30:00 Increases to the state pension32:00 Raising taxes on the wealthy36:00 Sean and Will discuss the interview
For the very final time, Business Matters on the BBC World Service, Rahul Tandon is joined by many of our regular guests, from India, Pakistan, Singapore, Canada and the United States. They discuss some of the biggest themes we covered, including, the COVID-19 pandemic, a cost of living crisis driven by a pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Donald Trump becoming the President of the United States.
Production team: Rahul Tandon, Ahmed Adan and Stephen Ryan
(Photo: A medical worker in full COVID-19 personal protective equipment in Shanghai, May 2022. Taken during lockdown in China. Credit: Edward Lawrence/BBC)
Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been sentenced to more than twenty-seven years in prison after the Supreme Court found him guilty of attempting a coup when he lost the 2022 election. More than 300 South Koreans who were arrested in the raid in the Hyundai plant in Georgia have now been released from detention and flown to their country. And how can this affect the economic relations between both countries? London's underground rail system – the Tube – has been closed for five days by a strike over pay and conditions for train drivers, and this has been very stressful for commuters, but more than that, it has been very damaging for businesses. And Roger Hearing hears about the use of artificial intelligence to write speeches for politics and business and how you can detect if it's written by AI or a human. Throughout the program, Roger will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Nga Pham, a journalist and filmmaker based in Taipei, although she will be joining us today from Hanoi in Vietnam - and Stephanie Hare, a researcher on technology and ethics in London.
They’ve been a key pillar of President Trump’s second term, but now a US appeals court has ruled that most of his sweeping trade tariffs are illegal. Trump says their removal would be a ‘disaster,’ but the final decision will rest with the Supreme Court. So what next for Trump’s signature policy? Our correspondent in the US explains more.
Meanwhile, as Fed governor Lisa Cook fights to block President Trump firing her, a legal hearing on the matter ended without a ruling. But with ongoing tensions and concerns over the bank’s independence, who would want the next Fed chair job when the role becomes vacant next year? We hear from a former regional Fed president who says he’s up for the job.
And what are your thoughts on’ blue sky thinking’, ‘circling back’ and’ diarising some thoughtification’? Love it or loathe it, workplace jargon is commonplace in many companies. We speak to authors James Schloefell and Charles Firth about their new book on the subject of workplace speak.
Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook will file a lawsuit challenging her removal by President Donald Trump, marking a major escalation in the president's battle with the US central bank. So does President Trump have the power to fire the governor? Roger Hearing hears from a legal expert and former Cleveland Federal reserve President, to Loretta Mester.
And in just a few hours’ time, unless there's a last-minute change of heart, Indians will be dealing with 50% tariffs on most exports to the United States. It's punishment for New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil, which Washington argues helps finance Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Roger will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world - Andy Xie, an independent economist normally in Shanghai but currently in Kamamoto, Japan on holiday - and Takara Small, National Technology Columnist, CBC, in Toronto.
US President, Donald Trump welcomes the South Korean leader to the White House to discuss trade. He believes a deal can be done. The South African government has warned young women against taking up unverified foreign job offers promoted on social media campaigns. And make a big noise – why movie theatre audiences now seem to love singalong shows. So, we will look at why singalong movie showings are taking off in cinemas.
Roger Hearing will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world - Sushma Ramachandran, consulting editor at The Secretariat - who's in Delhi, and Rema Rahman, White House & Legal Affairs Editor at The Hill, and Adjunct Professor at American University, in Washington.
Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says more than $5 billion in credit will go to companies which face 50 per cent tariffs to export goods to the US. The US Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, says a controversial deal that the White House struck with chipmakers Nvidia and AMD, handing over 15% of their Chinese sales in return for export licences, could be rolled out to other industries. Startup companies in the US have started a no-shoes-in-the-office policy, meaning that you take your shoes off when you come into the office and wear optional slippers.
Throughout the programme, Leanna Byrne will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Diane Brady, Executive Editorial Director at Fortune magazine in New York, and Han-Shen Lin, China Country Director, The Asia Group, in Shanghai.
US inflation held steady in July despite import tariffs, bolstering bets that the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates next month. After the partial dollarisation of the economy in Cuba, the country’s peso is trading at an all-time low of 400 to 1 dollar on the informal market.
And horror films are at a record high in shares of the US box office. Weapons took $42.5m in its opening weekend in US movie theatres, and Sinners has become the highest-grossing original movie of the 2020s.
Throughout the programme, Roger Hearing will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Andy Uhler is an Energy Journalism Fellow at the University of Texas, US, and Zyma Islam is a journalist for The Daily Star in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order extending tariffs on China for another 90 days. Chip giants Nvidia and AMD have agreed to pay the US government 15% of Chinese revenues as part of an "unprecedented" deal to secure export licences to China. And remember that distinctive sound of dialling in via the internet in the early days of connecting? Well. It’s days are numbered….Yahoo has announced that it will discontinue AOL Dial-up Internet on September 30th.
Throughout the programme, Rahul Tandon will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world - Jennifer Pak who is China Correspondent for American Public Media, based in Shanghai; and Allie Garfinkle, Senior finance reporter at Fortune who's in the US.
It's been a busy few weeks on Wall Street's financial market, as stock valuations are close to record levels. The S&P 500 index has hit a string of all-time peaks this month, while US corporate borrowing costs are nearing their lowest level in decades, and Nvidia became the first company worth $4 trillion. The United States Treasury has lifted sanctions on several individuals and companies accused of supplying arms to Myanmar's military regime, leading to an outcry by human rights groups. And with Donald Trump doing diplomacy on the golf course in Scotland—is doing business on the green a good thing? Throughout the program, Roger Hearing will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world—Gaby Castro-Fontoura, Director, Sunny Sky Solutions, who's in Punta Del Este, Uruguay, and Michael Janda, Business Editor, ABC News Australia, in Sydney.
President Donald Trump claims further renovation budget overruns, adding pressure on US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates. Roger Hearing hears a reaction from Loretta Mester, the former Cleveland Fed President. World’s largest fan convention, Comicon 2025 is kicking off in San Diego, which brings over $180 million into the city.
And as women’s football has been dominating the sporting agenda this week, both in Africa and Europe, we look at where women’s teams must compete for investment and coverage with the men. Throughout the program, Roger will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world—Alexander Kaufman, award-winning reporter and the author of the newsletter Field Notes on Substack, who's in New York, and Mehmal Sarfraz, journalist and analyst, normally based in Lahore but currently in California.
The US president, Donald Trump, has made public the tariffs he intends to slap on imports from another group of countries, including Brazil, from the start of August. The chipmaker Nvidia has become the first company in the world to reach a market value of $4tn on Wednesday. David Harper hears from experts. And Donald Trump has said the United States is shifting from aid to trade in its relationship with Africa as he welcomed five presidents from the continent to the White House.
Throughout the programme, David will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Zyma Islam, Senior Reporter at the Daily Star in Dhaka in Bangladesh, and Silicon Valley journalist and author Mike Malone in California in the USA.
US President Donald Trump has threatened a 50% tariff on copper imports. Sam Fenwick hears how critical the metal is in electric vehicles, military hardware, semiconductors and a wide range of consumer technology.
Mass federal job cuts can proceed for now after an update from the US Supreme Court.
Plus how WeightWatchers, the weight management business, has emerged from a major debt restructuring.
Sam Fenwick will be joined by Jessica Khine, a business development consultant based in Malaysia, and Rema Rahman, White House and Legal Affairs editor at The Hill, in Washington.
Japan and South Korea face 25% US tariffs in August. Donald Trump also sent tariff letters to twelve other countries on Monday with details of the tariffs of up to 40% that they could face. We hear from the US Consumer Technology Association on what tariffs could mean for stores across America.
Also, as the trading day starts in Tokyo and with elections on the horizon, we ask how Japan's government will interpret President Trump's latest tariff threat.
And how street art is encouraging thousands of tourists back to a once-deserted village in southern Italy. Throughout the programme, Sam will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Peter Landers, Wall Street Journal Asia Business and Finance Editor in Beijing, and Erin McLaughlin, Senior Economist at the Conference Board in new York.
After hours of stalemate, Republicans in the US Senate have narrowly passed Donald Trump’s mega-bill on tax and spending, meaning the proposed legislation has cleared one of its key hurdles. Also, US President Donald Trump has suggested that Doge, the cost-cutting agency Elon Musk helped set up, could be used to hurt the billionaire's companies – as the former allies continue their public dispute over Trump's budget plans. And it's 25 years since one of the world's first and longest transnational bridges was opened in northern Europe – the Öresund Bridge – but it is facing new challenges. Throughout the programme, Roger Hearing will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Mehmal Sarfraz, the Pakistani journalist and analyst who's in Sunnyvale, California, but usually based in Lahore; and Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer at the financial technology company Circle in Washington.
Global supply chains are in trouble, driven by crises due to tariffs, geopolitical shocks and Middle East instability, according to the latest survey carried out by CIPS Pulse of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. Roger Hearing hears from Ben Farrell, CIPS CEO. Also, Italian luxury fashion brand Prada has said it acknowledges the Indian roots of its new footwear line, days after the design sparked a controversy in India. Why is it that cassava, a major food source across the world, doesn't make more money for one of the biggest producers – Nigeria? And President Donald Trump blamed AT&T for technical issues in a conference call he has been holding with American faith leaders. Throughout the programme, Roger Hearing will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Peter Morici, economist and professor of business at the University of Maryland, who's in Alexandria, Virginia - and Jennifer Pak, China correspondent at Marketplace, usually based in Shanghai but today she's in Canada.
Global markets, including the US, have been quietly calm, although there have been warning signs of looming risks and uncertainty after Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs announcement. What’s behind such market “silence”? Roger Hearing hears from Gillian Tett, the chair of the Editorial Board of the Financial Times and the Provost of Kings College Cambridge, who has been writing about this. And how are businesses navigating global sourcing and supply chain risks and disruptions? A Global Sourcing Risk Index, produced by Proxima and Oxford Economics, shows how much business leaders still need to do. Also, a group of economists, backed by the Vatican, are calling for a reshaping of the international financial system to help developing countries that are heavily in debt and struggling to finance important social issues in their countries like healthcare and education.
Throughout the programme, Roger Hearing will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Tony Nash, CEO and founder of Complete Intelligence, an AI-based financial forecasting firm in Houston; and Nga Pham, a journalist based in Taiwan.
A war with Iran has been harming Israel, not just in the physical effect of missile strikes but also the impact of the conflict and instability on Israel's economy. Roger Hearing hears about how the country’s economy is coping with this. Greenland's minister for business and mineral resources, Naaja Nathanielsen, tells us how she deals with threats of an invasion by US President Donald Trump. And Thailand, a country that has long kept a tight lid on gambling, could be about to change as the government is looking at legalising casinos to boost tourism. Throughout the program , Roger Hearing will be joined by Anneke Green, a Republican political strategist at Reach Global Strategies and former political speechwriter in Washington; and Sushma Ramachandran, an independent journalist and columnist with the Tribune newspaper in Delhi.
The new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump on Thursday to discuss tariffs and the war in Ukraine. A report by the US Congressional Budget Office in Washington found Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s tax bill adds $2.4 trillion to US debt. Also, Rahul Tandon looks at the impact that hackers are having on some of the world's best-known retailers and other brands – North Face, Cartier and Victoria Secret are the latest companies being targeted. Throughout the programme, Rahul Tandon will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Karen Percy, a senior freelance reporter in Melbourne, Australia, and Walter Todd, President & Chief Investment Officer, Greenwood Capital, based in South Carolina, US.
The global steel industry prepares for impact as Donald Trump signs an order for a 50% tariff on steel and aluminium. He announced the move last week in front of a crowd of steel workers in Pennsylvania. In South Korea, the liberal candidate, Lee Jae-myung, has been confirmed as the clear winner of the presidential election. The tech billionaire, Elon Musk, has stepped up his criticism of Donald Trump's planned tax and spending bill, calling it a "disgusting abomination". A White House spokeswoman said the president would not change his position on what he calls the "big beautiful bill".
Throughout the programme, Rahul Tandon will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Andy Xie, an independent economist in Shanghai, China, and Anneke Green, Republican Political Strategist at Reach Global Strategies in Washington, US.
It's election day in South Korea, where voters are choosing the country's next president after months of unprecedented political turmoil affecting the country’s economy. For South Koreans, today's vote offers an opportunity to restore stability and forge ahead. US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to hold a phone call to discuss tariffs and trade issues, according to the White House. In Canada, the Prime Minister is meeting with regional leaders to remove interprovincial trade barriers and making it easier for Canadians to trade with each other. Also, the Microsoft founder Bill Gates says improving the health and education of people in Africa will be the priority when he gives away most of his two hundred billion dollar fortune over the next twenty years, the majority of which will go to Africa. Throughout the programme, Rahul Tandon will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Peter Morici, economist and professor of business, who is in Alexandria, Virginia; and Sushma Ramachandran, independent journalist and columnist with the Tribune newspaper in Delhi.
Nvidia, a huge success in the tech world, reported its latest quarterly earnings. The chipmaker, vying with Apple for the position of the world's richest company, beat expectations despite export controls. Elon Musk, , the billionaire and co-founder and CEO of Tesla, has criticised one of the signature policies of President Donald Trump, marking a break from the US president who he helped to win re-election in 2024.
And the meat of brown bears, a protected species in the EU, could soon be available to eat in Slovakia after the populist government approved plans for sale. Roger hears from a food tour guide who tested the meat before.
Throughout the programme, we will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Michael Malone, a veteran Silicon Valley journalist and host of the Silicon Insider podcast in the US, and Zyma Islam, senior reporter for The Daily Star in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The US President, Donald Trump's administration, has ordered its embassies abroad to pause new applications for student and exchange visitor visas as it prepares to expand social media vetting of foreign students. We hear from former US Education Secretary Arne Duncan – who was in office during Obama’s presidency. Japanese-owned steelmaker Nippon Steel is expected to close its “partnership” with U.S. Steel at $55 per share, as the US media have reported. On Friday, last week, President Donald Trump said that he has cleared the deal. And Rahul Tandon hears how one woman’s quest to buy only US-made goods has been surprisingly difficult. Throughout the programme, we will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Erin McLaughlin, Senior Economist, The Conference Board in the US, and Simon Littlewood, President of ACG Global or a business consultant based in Singapore.
The United States President, Donald Trump, has agreed to drop his threat to impose 50% tariffs on European Union imports and extend a deadline to negotiate tariffs with the EU by more than a month. In Argentina, the government has announced that its easing currency reporting rules to deal with dollars kept under mattresses. The Argentine government aims to unleash some $271 billion stashed away in mattresses, safes and foreign bank accounts.
And Rahul Tandon will look at how Disney's live-action Lilo and Stitch remake beat Tom Cruise at the US box office. Lilo and Stitch, which revisits the 2002 animated family favourite, exceeded expectations with takings of $341m (£252m) around the world. Throughout the programme, we will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Sushma Ramachandran, an independent journalist and columnist with the Tribune newspaper in India, and Fermin Koop, a reporter on environmental and climate change in Argentina.
The credit rating agency Moody’s has stripped the United States of its triple-A credit rating, warning investors about rising levels of government debt and a widening budget deficit. The agency has shifted the US rating down one notch to AA1, while changing its outlook from negative to stable. Novo Nordisk, the company that makes the weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, is abruptly ousting its chief executive, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, over concerns the firm is losing ground in the popular weight-loss drug market. Consumer boycotts of countries and companies are on the rise, with the latest being an Indian tourism boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan. This comes as some Canadians boycott the US, while others refuse to buy from some specific companies over their policies. We will be joined throughout the programme by Rahul Tandon is joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Lori Ann Larocco, senior editor at CNBC Business News in the US, and Peter Ryan, ABC's senior business correspondent in Australia.
Walmart is preparing to raise prices in the US as soon as this month, as its own costs increase as a result of the new tariffs on imports imposed by President Donald Trump. And we will look at President Trump saying that India offered to drop all tariffs on US goods, something India swiftly denied. Total airline revenue is expected to top 1 trillion US dollars for the first time ever this year, according to the International Air Transport Association. We will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Shoeb Kagda, an Indonesian journalist and businessman, and Alison Van Diggelen, host of Fresh Dialogues based in Silicon Valley, the US.
Voters are going to the polls in Australia to choose their next government following a hard-fought campaign during which living costs, climate concerns and the impact of Donald Trump's trade tariffs have featured strongly. Shares of Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, tumbled by as much as 8% on Friday morning after it announced that it has delayed the launch by a year – to May 26, 2026. With the company being valued at around 40 billion US dollars, that is a lot of money being shaved off. The U.S. President Donald Trump repeated that he will revoke Harvard University's tax-exempt status, saying that "We are going to be taking away Harvard's tax-exempt status. It's what they deserve!" Harvard, which is already suing the Trump administration, said that this is unlawful. And Skype Will Shut Down on Monday, May 5, As Microsoft Shifts to Teams. Davina Gupta will hear from one of the creators of the Skype ringtone. Throughout the programme, we’ll be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Peter Ryan, ABC's senior business correspondent who is in Australia, and Diane Brady, Executive Director of Fortune Live Media and Editorial Director of the Fortune CEO Initiative.
On the programme we are looking at Donald Trump's first 100 days in power, during which he has talked a lot about tariffs, and there have been many changes to trade policies. Rahul Tandon looks at the key important economic events of the initial 100 days and the way they have upended global trade. Also, Mark Carney is celebrating his election victory in Canada, although Canadian broadcaster CBC projects his party will fall just short of the 172 parliamentary seats needed for a majority.
Throughout the programme, we’ll be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Senior Asia correspondent for Bloomberg, and Tony Nash, CEO of Complete Intelligence.
Canadians are voting in a general election which has been dominated by Donald Trump's trade war and threats to annex the country. The leaders of the two main parties rejected a renewed assertion by Mr Trump on election day that Canada should become the fifty-first US state.
Devina Gupta hears from the BBC’s economics editor Faisal Islam, who is in Ottawa, and Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses. And the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has urged people not to speculate over the cause of a massive power cut that's affected millions of people across Spain and Portugal.
Also, the Chinese online retailer Temu, known for its cheap products, adds ‘import charges’ of about 145% in response to President Trump’s tariffs on China. Throughout the programme, we’ll be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Jessica Khine, a business development consultant based in Malaysia but now joining us from London, and Sergio Guzmán, director of the Colombia Risk Analysis company.
The White House has insisted that President Trump’s tariffs will make the United States richer, despite the falling value of the US dollar. We hear from Tomas Philipson, a former acting chairman of President Trump's Council of Economic Advisers. Also, a global deal to tackle shipping emissions has been agreed after nearly ten years of negotiations. The UN's maritime agency (the IMO) brokered the accord, which requires ship owners to use less carbon-intensive fuels or face a penalty. Roger Hearing speaks to IMO's secretary general, Arsenio Dominguez, about how it would work. And on Saturday, the UK is going to see an emergency recall of parliament when members had already departed for their Easter break, and they are recalled to discuss a law to take control of the Chinese-owned British Steel and save it from imminent closure.
Throughout the programme, we’ll be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Peter Ryan, ABC's senior business correspondent, who's in Sydney, and Takara Small, national technology columnist for the CBC, who's in Toronto.
President Donald Trump admits a period of difficult transition is inevitable as his trade policies continue to cause upheaval in international markets. And after the end of the Cold War, the world economy became integrated, and globalisation began, but is that at risk now because of the tariffs, trade war and protectionism? Presenter Roger Hearing speaks to Mohamed El Erian, former IMF Deputy Director who is now President of Queens' College, Cambridge, and chief. Also, a general strike against public spending cuts in Argentina has severely disrupted transport systems in the country. All domestic flights have been cancelled; trains and metro services have been suspended in Buenos Aires and other parts of the country.
Throughout the program, Roger will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Yoko Ishikura, a professor emeritus at Hitotsubashi University in Japan, and Tony Nash, CEO and founder of Complete Intelligence, an AI-based financial forecasting firm in Houston.
In a dramatic change of policy, US President Donald Trump hikes China tariffs to 125% on goods entering the United States. Most other countries will now see a 90-day pause on higher import taxes.
The pause means a "universal 10%" tariff will be in place for all countries, other than China, the White House said.
Markets soared following the announcement with all three main US indices closing up more than 6%.
Throughout the program, Rahul Tandon will be joined by two guests: Emily Peck, Axios US Markets correspondent in New York, and Han Lin, The Asia Group China Country Director in Shanghai.
Myanmar's military leader, Min Aung Hlaing, has made a rare request for international help after a powerful earthquake hit the centre of the country, flattening buildings and bridges.
The US vice president, JD Vance, has accused Denmark of underinvesting in the security of Greenland and leaving it vulnerable.
And Rahul Tandon will discuss how Dua Lipa has won the dismissal of a lawsuit that accused her of copying her hit single Levitating from two other songs.
We will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world – From the US, Andy Uhler, Journalism fellow at the University of Texas Energy Institute and Columbia University's Centre on Global Energy Policy – and Nga Pham, a journalist based in Taiwan.
The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, has said the United States is no longer a reliable partner after President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on car imports. Rahul Tandon speaks to businesses in both the US and Canada. China's biggest company, Tencent Holdings, has made more than a billion-dollar investment in a new spin-off company of the French gaming giant Ubisoft, which owns franchises including Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six.
And if you speak a language other than English, are there terms that English just doesn’t have or can't do justice to? Well, the Oxford English Dictionary feels your pain, and so it's incorporating "loan words" – words that would be coined as "untranslatable". We will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Dante Disparte, Head of Policy at the Libra Association, who is in Washington, and Sushma Ramachandran, an independent business journalist and columnist for The Tribune, who is in Delhi, India.
The US President Donald Trump has announced plans for long-promised tariffs on automotive imports shipped into the United States, and the tariffs will go into effect on 2nd April and will apply to finished cars and trucks that are shipped into the United States. Also, Maryland is marking one year since a cargo ship crashed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge. The owner of the ship agreed to pay 102 million in damages back in September, and now it’s expected that the new bridge will be finished in 2028. And Rahul Tandon discusses Marvel announcement of the production for Avengers: Doomsday, which is underway and appears to have revealed its cast.
We will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world - Stephanie Hare, a researcher on technology and ethics originally from Illinois but living in London and KAREN PERCY – senior freelance reporter in Melbourne.
Ports in the United States are experiencing ‘record levels of activities’ due to the tariffs and businesses trying to stock up to avoid the threat of tariffs and trade war. Bitcoin makes it big in Washington as President Trump establishes an official government cryptocurrency reserve office after meeting with crypto business leaders in the White House.
And also we hear about hundreds of female tennis players on the WTA tour will be eligible for twelve months' paid maternity leave.
Rahul Tandon will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world. In Buenos Aires, Argentina, Fermin Koop, environment and climate reporter; and in Lahore, Pakistan, Mehmal Sarfraz, journalist and analyst.
The US president, Donald Trump, moves to revoke the approval of New York City’s congestion pricing programs. We hear from one of the architects of the congestion charge policy in the city.
Microsoft has unveiled a new quantum chip called Majorana One, which it says will help the company create computers able to solve meaningful industrial-scale problems in years, not decades. And Roger Hearing discusses how a local government in the Philippines has come up with an unusual way of combating dengue fever by announcing a payment for every five mosquitoes caught and brought in.
We will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world - Karen Percy, Senior freelance reporter in Melbourne, Australia, and Emily Peck, Axios Markets Correspondent and co-host of the Slate Money podcast, who's in New York.
The US and Russia have outlined their intention to build relations far beyond a deal over Ukraine—extending to cooperation on other global issues and developing sizeable economic and investment links. Argentine President Javier Milei has denied promoting a newly launched cryptocurrency that collapsed shortly after he mentioned it in a social media post on Friday. And Ed Butler hears about a shocking revelation from Nasa that a large asteroid could be on course to hit earth. Although the space agency does go on to say, don't panic, it almost certainly won't.
We’ll be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world - Amita Arudpragasm, who's an Independent policy analyst based in Sri Lanka, and Sergio Guzman, the Director of Colombia Risk Analysis, which advises local and global companies looking to invest in Colombia and the region.
European leaders have been meeting in Paris to discuss military support for Ukraine. The United States has demanded that Europe increases defence spending and sends troops to Ukraine if there is a ceasefire in the war with Russia.
Also, are Canadians boycotting US goods in shops after President Trump’s tariff threats?
And Ed Butler reports from one of Africa’s biggest e-waste dumps in Ghana.
Also, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, says it plans to build the world’s longest undersea cable, to bring industry-leading connectivity to five continents.
We will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world - Sushmar Ramachandran, who is Independent journalist and columnist with the Tribune newspaper based in Delhi and Oliver Stuenkel, an associate professor of International Relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
We delve into how the world is reacting to Trump's tariff announcement and what leaders from around the world have to say.
Ukraine's President Zelensky, meets US Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine.
There's also been talk of the Trump administration closing the Department of Education.
Additionally, we hear how an NYU student managed to attend college without having to pay.
Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.
With inflation is the US rising in January at its highest rate for six months, how can President Donald Trump stop energy and egg prices from going up and forcing the cost of living to rise across America?
We hear from a former Fed official on how the central bankers are dealing with political pressure on interest rates, and a farmer who's seeing his costs rise and is having to pass them on to customers.
Elsewhere, we find out about the Refillable bottle boom and how Brazil wants to become a giant of global production in… cannabis.
Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.
King Abdullah of Jordan met with Donald Trump at the White House after the American president had threatened to withhold $1.45 billion a year in US aid if Jordan did not agree to scheme
We hear from the CEO of the Canadian Steel Producers Association on how Canada’s steel industry will be hit hard by tariffs.
And, how diss tracks in a feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake have raised an estimated $15 million.
Elon Musk has bid to purchase the non profit tech firm, Open AI
President Donald Trump says he's going to impose a 25% import tax on imports of steel and aluminium from abroad
And New Zealand has loosened their visa rules to attract foreign money. We hear from their Immigration Minister, Erica Stanford
A federal court is pausing President Trump's plan put thousands of USAID staff on leave
The UK government has demanded access to Apple users' encrypted data.
The Cook Islands Prime Minister says New Zealand is asking for too much oversight over its deal with China, which is expected to be penned in Beijing next week.
And the US Super Bowl is kicking off in New Orleans this weekend. What will this mean for the economy there?
Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.
Another Senate confirmation hearing for one of Donald Trump’s top team, this time its Jamieson Greer, the nominee for US Trade Representative. So all the talk was of tariffs.
China has filed a World Trade Organisation (WTO) complaint against the US president's 10% tariffs on Chinese goods after a trade war between two global powers began this week. What does Pascal Lamy, former director general of WTO, have to say?
We hear from Gene Seroka, the executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest container port in North America.
And egg prices are soaring in the States. But why? That’s what we asked a poultry farmer from South Carolina.
Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.
China complains to the World Trade Organisation about US President Donald Trump's tariffs, but with no active judging panel, does the WTO have the capabilities to intervene?
As the growing trade war between the World's two leading economies hots up, Roger Hearing discusses whether the WTO has a future in adjudicating international trade disputes.
Elsewhere, do you use artificial intelligence in your workplace? Or are you allowed to? We find out why some people are sneakily using AI tools without their managers approval.
And a man from Indonesia has been hired as Japan's first-ever foreign bus driver. Does this show the Japanese government's new determination to let in more overseas workers?
Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.
The US president Donald Trump during the news conference with Israel leader Benjamin Netanyahu says the US will 'take over' and 'own' the Gaza Strip.
The US China tariffs are still on, even if Donald Trump pressed pause on the ones on Mexico and Canada.
A call had been expected between President Trump and his Chinese counterpart... but it hasn't happened - and the US president says he's in no hurry. So, it's 10% on China's imports to the US and China has put on its own 10% on US goods and curbing exports of rare earth metals.
How is Argentina reacting to President Trump threats?
We'll bring you the latest in the trade war.
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US President Donald Trump and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau reached the deal. Proposed tariffs will be paused for at least 30 days.
We hear from the US, Canada and Mexico. What businesses should expect in the future?
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President Trump confirms big tariffs are being imposed on goods coming into the US from Mexico, Canada, and China. We'll hear from businesses in Canada and Mexico on their response. We hear the story of one family's return to their home following the Los Angeles wildfires. David Brancaccio, a journalist with our US partner Marketplace, who bought a house just a few months ago and was burnt down by the California firestorms earlier this month. India’s finance minister will be presenting the country’s annual budget in a few hours’ time, outlining the government’s spending plans for the coming year. Throughout the program, we will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Andy Uhler, Journalism Fellow at the Energy Institute at The University of Texas, who's in Austin, and Nga Pham, a journalist in Taipei in Taiwan.
Investigators from the US federal agency noted that mid-air collisions like this are rare in the US, and they said it was far too early to speculate on what caused the crash; however, we will look at crowded airspaces and complex issues surrounding airports. Also, economic growth in the US slowed at the end of last year, as trade and investment declined and the country was hit by hurricanes and strikes. And, shoplifting, shrinkage, the five-finger discount—whatever you call it—stealing from shops is on the rise. Here in the UK, the British Retail Consortium has told the BBC retail crime is "out of control."
Throughout the program, we will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Karen Percy, Senior freelance reporter, who's in Melbourne, and Emily Peck, Markets correspondent at Axios, in New York.
As US tech reels from China’s cut-price AI app, we speak with the head of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturing machine maker and the CEO behind the biggest AI chip.
The Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady in its first decision of the year, despite strong criticism from President Trump.
And how much does it really cost to advertise during the Super Bowl?
UK Finance Minister Rachel Reeves is set to unveil a bold vision for Britain’s infrastructure, with Heathrow’s long-debated third runway taking centre stage. The project, which could transform air travel and boost the economy, has faced decades of opposition due to environmental and planning concerns. Could this be the moment it finally takes off?
Plus, a federal judge temporarily blocks President Donald Trump’s push to halt federal funding for progressive initiatives.
And the Chinese Lunar New Year arrives amid economic concerns.
Nvidia has fallen from its position as the world’s most valuable company, experiencing the largest single-day drop in stock market history.
Also on the programme, we explore what Trump’s tariffs could mean for Colombia’s economy.
And the debate in London over whether Heathrow, the city’s largest airport, should be granted permission to expand.
Donald Trump says he'll put pressure on OPEC to bring down oil prices - he says that will help end the war in Ukraine. Is he right?
The Bank of Japan has risen interest rates to 0.5 percent, their highest for 17 years. We speak to Naomi Fink, the Chief Global Strategist at Nikko Asset Management Group in Japan - one of Asia’s largest asset managers
As the 60-day ceasefire period in Lebanon comes to an end, the war between Israel and Hezbollah but are Lebanese managing to resume something like normal life?
And are you a celeb at risk of getting cancelled?... Now there's an insurance policy to help you deal with it. A insurance company in London has teamed up with a crisis communications group, to offer an insurance policy for this sort of event. We explore what they offer and why.
The US president Donald Trump has given the World Economic Forum in Davos his view of the global economy.
Roger Hearing discusses the vision set out for the US economy to the assembled leaders at the summit in Switzerland, and we hear what US trade tariffs could mean for the Republic of Ireland's new government.
Elsewhere, is Japan's central bank about to raise interest rates? Will the new $7bn compensation deal to those devastated by the US opioid epidemic see those who caused it really pay the price? And how much should you be charged to climb the world's highest mountain?
Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.
Elon Musk has made a rare break with the US president Donald Trump, criticizing the AI joint venture dubbed "Stargate" that was announced earlier this week.
How the new immigration order will affect farmers in the US?
Syria tells the world it's open for investment after the end of the Assad regime.
And last year's winner of the Noble prize for Economics tells Roger Hearing about the future of the US economy under Donald Trump.
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The US president Donald Trump unveiled billions of dollars of private investment in a massive new artificial intelligence infrastructure venture backed by OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle.
We look at the immigration restrictions from the US president and find out how will it affect businesses and the economy.
Also, we talk about the US bonds market.
And we hear from Devina Gupta about cola wars in India.
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Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States and mentioned in his speech emphasised: trade, tariffs and transformation. We find out what does it mean for the global economy.
We hear from Chris Campbell, the former US Treasury Assistant Secretary during Donald Trump's first term. And we hear the reaction on the political fallout between Mexico and Canada from local business owners.
You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!
The US Supreme Court has upheld a law that bans TikTok in the US unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sells the platform by this Sunday. A cold snap in Washington, DC, means Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday will now be held indoors instead of on the steps of the Capitol. Also, Argentina has reported a fiscal surplus for the first time in sixteen years, as a result of comprehensive budget cuts implemented by President Javier Milei. We will look at how immigration is a high-profile public policy issue in many countries, including the United States. So, how does Trump's MAGA movement, which favours a huge cut in the numbers of people receiving work visas, affect the tech sector in Silicon Valley? Throughout the program We will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Jyoti Malhotra, editor in chief of The Tribune—she's in Chandigarh, India—and Ralph Silva from the Silva Research Network is in Toronto, Canada.
Former Bank of Canada governor, Mark Carney, says he is running to replace Justin Trudeau as the leader of Canada's governing Liberal Party. Donald Trump's pick as Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, has been defending his boss's economic plans at his confirmation hearing in the US Senate. And, as China prepares to release GDP figures in the next hour, we'll ask how it can stimulate growth, and we will look at who's planning a trip to North Korea during the northern hemisphere holiday. The country has reopened one of its border cities to foreign tourists for the first time in five years. We will be joined throughout the program by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Jessica Khine is in Malaysia and is Head of Asia for Astris Advisory Japan, and Dante Disparte is in Washington, DC—he's Chief Strategy Officer at Circle.
Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza—raising hopes of an end to fifteen months of war. So, if the ceasefire holds, how long will it take to rebuild from the rubble? What would be the priorities? How much will it cost? And who will pay? We will look at all these with different guests, including the head of the United Nations Development Programme, Achim Steiner. Rice is the staple crop for more than half the world’s population, but it's vulnerable to drought and flooding, impacting global harvests and prices. It's also a contributor to climate change; it uses more water than other grain crops. So, should we eat less rice? We will be joined throughout the program by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Zyma Islam, senior reporter for The Daily Star, who is in Malaysia, and Walter Todd, president and chief investment officer at Greenwood Capital in South Carolina.
President-elect Trump had pledged to fire the Securities and Exchange Commission Chair, who led a crackdown on the crypto industry, on "day one". Also, Beijing offers help to Chinese exporters facing higher import tariffs. And, union workers at Volkswagen's German factories are set to strike after talks failed.
We analyse the potential economic challenges the Trump administration could bring to the Eurozone, with forecasts already downgraded by the European Commission. Carsten Brzeski, chief Eurozone economist at ING Bank, offers his analysis on what this could mean for the region's future.
We also explore the race for the next U.S. Treasury Secretary and what it signals for future U.S. policy, with insights from Sylvan Lane, Business Editor at The Hill.
Finally, we turn to Sri Lanka, where President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s decisive election victory raises hopes for sweeping economic reforms. Shanta Devarajan, a professor at Georgetown University and former World Bank senior official, provides a closer look at the challenges and opportunities facing the country.
President elect Donald Trump Nominates Robert F Kennedy to lead US Health Department. Shares in vaccine companies fell on the news of the announcement
Ben & Jerry’s have filed a case against their owner, Unilever. They accuse Unilever of trying to prevent the ice cream company from making public statements supporting Palestinian refugees.
The President of Guyana has announced that every adult in the country will receive one- hundred- thousand ($100,000) Guyanese dollars -- or nearly five hundred US Dollars. We ask, why?
US President-elect Donald Trump has picked Elon Musk for a role in government cost-cutting, as part of his drive to "dismantle" bureaucracy. We speak to Trevor Traina, former United States Ambassador to Austria during Donald Trump's first presidency.
Also, China is showing off its latest generation of stealth fighter jets and other military hardware at its Zhuhai Airshow.
Why Germany is in the midst of a lot of political and economic trouble?
Devina Gupta explains us how businesses copying in Indian capital city Delhi while facing high levels of air pollution.
And the New York City council passed a bill that will prevent tenants from having to pay fees to brokers hired by landlords.
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President Xi goes to Lima, as Peru gears up for the thirty-first Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation economic leaders' meeting.
Bitcoin continues to hit new highs following Trump's victory. How long can it continue?
Jaguar is betting big on EVs and is even going so far as to stopping selling its new petrol cars in the UK entirely.
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It's been three weeks since Italy's far-right government signed the five-year migration deal with Albania. Now, a court has blocked Italy's plan to send asylum seekers to the Balkan nation, disrupting Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's main migration policy and raising questions about what's next.
Also, we find out why dockers have been locked out of the Port of Montreal after they reject their latest pay offer.
And we'll speak to one man who's riding the waves of retirement... quite literally.
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There are reports that Donald Trump wants his former trade representative back when he returns to the White House - what does it mean for the economy?
Robert Lighthizer was the man who pushed protectionism and tariffs on imports during President Trump's first term. So what will it mean for global trade if he takes up his old job? And will this provoke another trade war with China?
Also, why are Swedish police seizing luxury items without formal suspicion?
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America’s central bank has announced a quarter-point rate cut - rates down to 4.5% from 4.75%. It's been the second time in a row that the US Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates. Mostly because the inflation continues to ease and a Trump presidency hangs over the central bank. We hear from economists what will happen next.
Also, Rahul Tandon talks to Everett Eissenstat, a former Trump trade adviser.
And we look at German economy and find out why Australia plans social media ban for under-16s.
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President elect Donald Trump is promising to increase tariffs of 60% on goods coming into the US from China. We discuss whether this will lead to a trade war between the two economic superpowers.
Presenter Rahul Tandon assesses the economic fallout from Donald Trump’s big win over Kamala Harris in the US Presidential race. We explore what this means for the future of relations with China and the issue of tariffs.
Bitcoin and the US dollar also reached record highs. We hear why from a US based fintech company.
The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has sacked his finance minister. We assess what this means for the country's shaky coalition government and will it lead to a snap election next Spring.
Hours before the US elections we take a look at the different economic routes proposed by Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, and their differing views on taxes, tariffs and inflation. A lot of money has been spent on campaigning and advertising. We find out how much. And what does the US presidential election mean for world trade? We hear from our correspondent in the US.Rahul Tandon discusses these and more stories with two guests on opposite sides of the US: Peter Morici, Economist at the University of Maryland, and Allie Garfinkle, Los Angeles-based Senior Finance Reporter at Fortune.
On today's programme, job growth and housing affordability are front and centre as Trump and Harris visit Michigan and Wisconsin. In Botswana, a new political era unfolds as the long-dominant ruling party is replaced, primarily due to falling global diamond demand. Also, what ever happened to the classic Tupperware party? And how much wealth exists worldwide? Roger Hearing is joined throughout the programme by Mandi Woodruff, Co-host of the Brown Ambition podcast - who's in New York, and Peter Ryan, ABC's senior business correspondent, also in New York.
With the U.S. election in its final stretch, Roger Hearing examines how the economy might sway voters at the polls. Also on the programme, Boeing aims to resolve a costly strike by presenting a fresh offer to its main union. And we explore why concerns over AI costs are weighing down big tech. Roger Hearing is joined by Katia Dmitrieva, Bloomberg’s Asia Economics Correspondent in Hong Kong, and Alexander Kaufman, a Senior Reporter for the Huffington Post in New York.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are making whirlwind tours of key battleground states in the final week of campaigning. Opinion polls show the candidates are neck and neck. Rahul Tandon looks at the swing state of Michigan and examines what really matters to voters there.
In the UK, the Chancellor has delivered the first budget of the new Labour government. It was seen as a key moment for the economy, with some describing it as the most important budget for years as the government raised taxes by over $50 billion. Also, millions of people will be celebrating Diwali which can lead to an increased demand for gold. But with the price at record highs is demand for gold falling?
Rahul is joined by Dana Peterson, Chief Economist at global nonprofit thinktank The Conference Board, and Tony Nash CEO and founder of Complete Intelligence.
The European Commission has given approval for steep tariffs on electric vehicles made in China. It closes an investigation which started a year ago. They will remain in place for five years.
We examine why there is such a high unemployment rate in one of the key swing states in US ahead of the Presidential Election. Our focus is on the swing state of Nevada, and some of the concerns of the people living there.
Homeware giant Ikea, says it will put money into a planned hardship fund for victims of the former communist regime in East Germany. This includes political prisoners who were forced to make Ikea products.
Presenter Rahul Tandon discusses these and other global business stories with Mehmal Sarfraz a journalist based in Pakistan and Emily Peck the Markets correspondent for Axios based in New York in the US.
Japan’s Prime minister Shigeru Ishiba has said he will not step down despite failing to win a majority in Sunday's elections. We examine the market’s reaction to the loss and look ahead to whether the opposition parties could form a ruling coalition.
We look at Pennsylvania, one of the crucial swing states that may decide US the election. Rahul Tandon examines the shifting voter demographics in industries such as steel manufacturing and trucking. Also, in Germany, Volkswagen plans to close three plants, lay off thousands of workers and cut pay by 10%, according to trade unions in negotiations with the car giant.
Rahul is joined by Stephen Nagy, Senior Associate Professor at the Department of Politics and International Studies, International Christian University, Tokyo and Anneke Green - Republican Political Strategist at Reach Global Strategies and former political speech writer.
Iranian media say several explosions have been heard in the capital, Tehran, and the neighbouring city of Karaj. We look at the current situation in Middle East conflict.
Also, Japanese voters are getting ready to take part in the country's General Election on Sunday. How will it affect Japan’s economy? We speak to business owners and find out what do they expect from this election?
And we look at the US election campaign in Texas, plus we learn about the very first online banner ad which went live exactly 30 years ago.
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Canada has just announced plans to change its migration policy. The government will reduce permanent residency by 21% from 2025. Migration is a global political issue but it is also an economic one. We get the reaction from the Canadian chamber of commerce Diana Palmerín Velasco.
Also, Rahul Tandon looks at the US economy and speaks to democratic economist Bharat Ramamurti.
And we find out how potential US tariffs on China could impact businesses.
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Boeing workers vote on pay offer on Wednesday. Workers downed tools six weeks ago after rejecting initial pay offer. They’ve been offered a 35% pay increase, over the next 4 years.
Also, Tesla’s share price jumps after its 3Q results beat market expectations. We hear from Stephen Moore, an economist and an advisor to Donald Trump’s 2016 Presidental campaign. Plus we have a report about migrants on the US/Mexico border. And we hear why France is home to both haute cuisine and fast food.
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Former president Donal Trump has held a rally in North CarolinaUS police arrested former Abercrombie and Fitch boss Mike Jefferies on suspicion of sex traffickingFinance ministers and central bank chiefs from around the world gather in the US for the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. We hear from the BBC’s Faisal Islam
Israel claims a bunker under a Beirut hospital holds hundreds of millions of dollars belonging to Hezbollah. The hospital has been evacuatedBrazil,Russia,India,China and South Africa, also know as BRICS, are set to have a summit meeting this week. The BBC’s Steve Rosenberg tells us moreAnd the worlds largest entertainment company Disney, has announced its CEO’s successor will be announced in 2026
The Cuban government has declared an energy emergency after a huge power cut led to the failure of supplies across the entire country. The blackout came after the Antonio Guiteras power plant in Matanzas - the largest on the island - went offline. The government had already suspended all non-essential public sector services in an effort to conserve supplies. President Miguel Diaz-Canel blamed the decades-long US embargo against his country for the problem.
Meanwhile, in China, latest GDP figures show the slowest growth since early 2023. Rahul Tandon examines what's contributing the country's sluggish economy. The global food industry is growing rapidly - some estimates say it’s now worth more than $10 trillion. But there are growing concerns about how healthy some of that food is. The UN has stepped in, detailing what they want global food producers to do about food labelling.
Also, families of fentanyl victims in the US have asked their government to place tariffs on China - for what they say is its role in the opioid crisis. They have submitted a petition seeking trade countermeasures that include tariffs on a range of Chinese merchandise.
Rahul is joined by Katia Dmitrieva, Bloomberg Asia Economics Correspondent, and Andy Uhler - Journalism Fellow at the University of Texas Energy Institute and Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy.
Leanna Byrne looks ahead to China's third quarter growth figures.
Beijing's target for this year is 5% but most analysts say it will be missed, despite the recent announcement of a number of fiscal stimulus measures.
Leanna is joined throughout the programme by James Mayger, Bloomberg's Senior Reporter who specialises in the Chinese Economy, and Hayley Woodin, Editor in Chief of Business in Vancouver in Canada.
Ed Butler discusses why Italy has decided to criminalise couples who pay for a surrogate birth. Elsewhere in the U.S, we find out from retailers what they want to hear from the new incumbent in the White House. And finally, have you ever found yourself unwittingly paying for a subscription that you thought was free. We are joined throughout the programme by Yoko Ishikura, Professor Emeritus at Hitotsubashi University in Japan and Allie Garfinkle, Senior Finance Reporter at Fortune based in L.A.
Ed Butler is joined by Stefanie Yuen Thio, joint managing partner at TSMP Law in Singapore and Sergio Guzman, director at Colombia Risk Analysis in Colombia.
We explore the IMF's prediction that global sovereign debt will exceed $100 trillion by the end of the year.
We also look into reports that biotech firm 23andMe may be on the brink of collapse. Once a tech industry favourite, the company now faces legal challenges and questions about its business model.
Plus, we follow Kamala Harris on her campaign trail in Georgia, where she's focused on energising Black and Latino voters.
Andrew Peach discusses these and more business stories from around the world with journalists Mehmal Sarfraz and Alison van Diggelen.
OpenAI's value surges to $157bn in funding deal where the maker of ChatGPT raised $6.6bn from a pool of investors that include Microsoft. We also hear from North Carolina, where damages caused by hurricane Helene could have serious implications for the tech-industry. And we take a look at the effect that the latest conflict in the Middle East is having on Israel’s economy.
Andrew Peach discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Walter Todd, Chief Investment Officer at Greenwood Capital in California, and Stefanie Yuen Thio, Joint Managing Partner at TSMP Law in Singapore.
The attacks come after Israeli troops invaded Lebanon, in a ground operation against Hezbollah. Thousands have crossed from Lebanon to Syria seeking shelter. What could this mean for these countries whose economies are already struggling? Also, what will Mexico's first female president do for the country's economy? Plus, Canada’s international trade minister talks about fears of ending up in a trade war with China.
Andrew Peach is joined throughout the show by Hayley Woodin, editor in chief of Business in Vancouver, Canada, and David Kuo from The Smart Investor in Singapore.
The Israel Defense Forces launches a "limited, localised and targeted" ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. We get the latest.
US ports brace for shut down as dockworkers strike is set to halt container traffic along the east and gulf coasts. We look at the numbers.
The markets haven't welcome the arrival of Japan's new Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba. We find out why. Rahul Tandon discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: freelance journalist Fermin Koop in Argentina, and Zyma Islam, a journalist for The Daily Star in Dhaka in Bangladesh.
Israeli warplanes have launched new attacks on buildings in south Beirut where the military says Hezbollah is storing weapons. Israel strikes Beirut buildings after reportedly targeting Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Elsewhere, in Myanmar, the military junta made a surprise offer to hold talks with rebel groups on a political solution to the country’s nationwide armed conflict. Ethnic armed groups sceptical of this offer have rejected it. Devina Gupta looks at the civil war’s impact on the country’s economy. And, India’s gold imports tripled in the month of August, according to the World Gold Council. Gold prices recently hit an all-time high. But why are prices rising?
Devina is joined by Nga Pham, freelance journalist and filmmaker in Taipei and Andy Uhler - journalism fellow at University of Texas Energy Institute and Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy.
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party will choose its new leader on Friday, after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s surprise announcement that he’s stepping down. Who are the candidates jostling to replace him? And how will their policies effect the economy and wider region?
Elsewhere, Spanish unions have taken to the street in support of a law that would shorten the workday. They gathered around the country to put pressure on the national employer’s confederation to back the law, which would reduce the working week to 37.5 hours. Elon Musk has been snubbed by the British government and will not be invited to the inaugural International Investment Summit attracting investment to the UK. Rahul Tandon finds out more. And in the US, Meta has announced Hollywood celebrities will be voicing their new AI chatbots. Is this a marketing gimmick or the future of AI?
Joining Rahul is Karen Percy, a freelance journalist in Melbourne and a South Korean scholar, lawyer, and consultant Jasper Kim with the University of Melbourne.
Pakistan has welcomed a $7bn IMF bailout package as the country emerges from one of its worst economic crises. Now, the government has increased its efforts to raise nearly $46bn in taxes for the year - we hear from Pakistan’s business community and a former finance minister about what’s next for the country.
Elsewhere, in the US, plane maker Boeing faces more turbulence after a warning from the safety regulator, which has told US politicians that they won't let the company boost production until it addresses a series of issues. Meanwhile, Rahul Tandon speaks to a key player at New York Climate Week about what companies are really doing to reach net zero. Is it enough? And we ask where the US economy is heading, as the main presidential candidates set out their vision for the economy.
Rahul is joined by Emily Peck, markets correspondent at Axios in New York and Mehmal Sarfraz - journalist and co-founder of The Current in Lahore.
Markets react to China’s stimulus. Its Chinas biggest stimulus since the global pandemic in 2020Crowdstrike gets a grilling from US regulators. Senior executive Adam Meyers told a US Congressional committee that Crowdstrike ensures it could never happen again.Airstrikes have continued for a second day in Lebanon, we look at how it’s affecting air travel.
We hear from Lebanon's business community as it comes under sustained Israeli bombardmentQuestions about the future of the giant tech company Intel and whether it might be bought up in a huge Wall Street deal
And what's behind Washington's plans to ban Chinese tech in cars? Israeli airstrikes have hit Lebanon. The Death toll has risen to over 500
Tensions continue to rise in Lebanon and there is growing fear of escalating conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Over the past decade Lebanon’s economy has shrunk dramatically, the currency has collapsed, and prices have skyrocketed. We hear from Lebanon's business community on how they are coping in the current climate and look at what this means for the wider Middle East economy.
In the US, Leanna Byrne looks at the Boeing production workers strike, which has already racked up over half a billion dollars in losses. More than 30,000 employees are now in their second week of protesting, fighting against cuts to bonuses and pensions. A Kenyan court has ruled that Facebook's parent company Meta can be sued over the dismissal of content moderators. These workers say they were fired for trying to form a union and that they were blacklisted from new jobs when Meta changed contractors. Could this ruling impact how big tech companies manage outsourced workers?
Leanna is joined by ABC's senior business correspondent Peter Ryan and chief economist at The Conference Board, Dana Peterson.
Under the shadow of conflict is normal life possible in Lebanon? The country has had a major economic crisis for almost a decade, and there is growing fear of escalating conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. We hear from Lebanon's business community on the challenges of working under the shadow of increasing violence.
Roger Hearing looks at the ongoing legal dispute between Brazil and the social media platform X. The company, which has more than 22 million users in Brazil, has appointed a new lawyer who has told the BBC that the company has decided to comply with all the court orders. And in Japan, Nintendo and its partner The Pokémon Company have filed a legal case against the maker of the hit adventure game Palworld over alleged patent infringement.
Roger is joined by Emily Feng NPR’s international correspondent in Taipei and Alexander Kaufman, senior reporter at HuffPost.
A half point reduction in interest rates has seen the cost of borrowing in the US come down. We talk to experts, businesses and a realtor to find out if the first cut to Federal Reserve rates in four years is the right step for the world's biggest economy.Plus, social media platform X is available again for users in Brazil, following a ban by judges. How long will their workaround last?And in the UK, voters have discovered their prime minister is paid less than his civil-service chief of staff. What's the best formula for paying politicians.
Hezbollah blames Israel after exploding pagers kill nine and injure thousands in Lebanon. The US Federal Reserve is expected to cut rates for the first time in four years. And we learn why Norway is racing ahead with electric vehicle sales.
Sri Lanka prepares to go to the polls and Tik Tok takes to the courts to fight attempts to make it divest itself of its Chinese owner. Also, the West Bengal festival which may have to forego its favourite fishy treat and could your car be yet another front for the digital advertisers?
Amid many economic challenges, the government in Islamabad wants to ensure it keeps its IMF support, brings down inflation and avoids a debt default.
Also, we examine how China can produce electric vehicles for under $20,000 and why Elon Musk's social media company X is moving its headquarters from California to Texas.
The property crisis in China hits stock market with the lowest record in the last 5 years. A grim reflection of how investors selling shares is hearting the economy. What will happen next?
Also, why the historic downturn of the Paraguay River can play crucial role for the Paraguayan economy? And what future can we see in the space travel business?
Business reacts to US Election Debate. The fiery debate took place last night in Pennsylvania. Vice President Kamala Harris made her stance on fracking clear.Thousands of people have been evacuated from low- lying areas in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, to escape rising floodwaters. And there have been strikes, protests and demonstrations as a bill in Mexico is passed making judges elected by popular vote rather than appointed.
Kamala Harris faces former President Donald Trump in a first TV presidential debate in the US. It is likely to be the only one before Novembers Election, and will give voters a chance to hear both candidates set out their policies.
China has taken a further step toward raising its unusually low retirement age benchmarks this week. Pension and health care systems are struggling to cope at a time when women are having fewer babies.
The European Union's competition commissioner rules Apple must pay 14 billion dollars in what it says are unpaid taxes. Presenter Ed Butler looks at the fallout from these decisions and is joined by Alison van Diggelen, who's in California, and Andy Xie, who's in Shanghai.
Former Italian Premier and former ECB chief Mario Draghi has authored a European Commission report calling for €800 billion euros of additional annual investment. The report says the EU needs a new industrial strategy for Europe to avoid a decline in living standards.
The iPhone 16 has just launched, but Apple's sales of this famous handset have not been stellar of late. Cheaper and some say equally smart rivals are making their claims on consumer attention these days. So how has Apple, one of the world's biggest firms, responded?
Also in the programme, presenter Ed Butler looks at China and concerns it could it be entering a dangerous deflationary spiral. China's industrial producer prices had fallen by nearly 2 per cent in the last 12 months. Ed is joined by Economist at the University of Maryland Peter Morici, and Sushma Ramachandran independent journalist and columnist with the Tribune newspaper in Delhi.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, visits Haiti. The country is under a state of emergency as gangs try to expand their control over the capital, and other regions. We get the latest.
As Elon Musk's X is banned in Brazil, rival BlueSky gains ground in the South American nation. We talk to its CEO, Jay Graber.
Four years after being left paralysed by the Covid-19 pandemic, has the cruise ship industry fully recovered? We find out.
And we get an insight on how airplane seats are made.
Roger Hearing discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Emily Peck, markets correspondent for Axios, in New York, and James Mayger, Bloomberg's senior reporter, in Beijing.
Reports in the financial press on Thursday suggest President Joe Biden is set to block Nippon Steel’s acquisition of US SteelBangladesh’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina fled the country a month ago in response to mass protests over corruption and the alleged killing of political opponents. The BBC's Nikhil Inamdar has been looking at the challenges facing its economyAnd China’s President Xi Jinping hosted a lavish banquet on Wednesday in Beijing for more than two dozen African leaders, kicking off the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation
Nvidia shares fall by 9.5%
Chinese car giant BYD may put its plans to build a factory in Mexico on hold until after the US Presidential election.
The new album ‘brat’ by pop start Charlie XCX has been a cultural zeitgeist this summer.
Today the singer posted on social media to say "goodbye forever brat summer".
Campaign donations have been a key feature of the 2024 US election. Since Kamala Harris entered the presidential race huge donation figures have been widely reported in the media. One Republican donor tells us why he’s hoping for a Trump win. We examine where campaign donations are coming from and how decisive they might be in this election.
Also in the programme, Rahul Tandon looks at the protests and general strike in Israel following the death of six hostages held by Hamas and speaks to the business owner encouraging his workers to strike.
He’ll be looking back at Mexico’s President Lopez Obrador’s economic record as he prepares to leave office and discussing dynamic pricing and the best way to price concert tickets.
Rahul is joined by senior freelance reporter Karen Pearcy and Allie Garfinkle, senior finance reporter at Fortune.
The social media platform X has been suspended in Brazil. A Supreme Court judge has ordered "immediate and complete suspension" across the country
In Libya the head of the central bank has fled the country in fear of his life. Sadiq Al Kabir and his senior staff claim they were forced to leave following death threats by militias.
And in Bangladesh this week incessant rains there has led to flooding in many low lying areas. This has not only led to displacement of tens of thousands of people but also disrupted work at the garment factories there which are now struggling to complete orders on time.
Donald Trump campaigns in Michigan and Wisconsin. He won these states in 2016 but lost them in 2020.
Singapore is trying an interesting experiment to support its ageing and experienced workforce
And fans of the hit HBO TV series 'Industry' are in for a bumpy ride as series three returns - with a focus on ethical investments
The AI boom has seen huge demand for the firm's advanced technology, though there have been concerns over when its next-generation chips will be ready.
Also, how did Qantas boss Valerie Hudson score on her first set of full-year financial results since taking over?
And why video game actors are striking in Hollywood.
What does the willingness of Americans to go out and spend mean for the rest of the world? Meanwhile, there are concerns about the jobs market.
Also, in the programme, Roger Hearing finds out why Estonia's justice minister wants to rent out unoccupied prison cells. And as Paris 2024 gets underway, we ask are Paralympic athletes getting the financial sponsorship they need?
Telegram is one of the world's biggest social media and messaging platforms. We examine why French authorities arrested its Russian-born boss.
Plus, IKEA is trying out a second-hand furniture marketplace.
And the business opportunities from an ageing population in India.
There are economic concerns as US jobless claims have increased and housing affordability has worsened.
Millions are struggling in Cuba, with reports of severe power cuts lasting over 12 hours.
And is Saudi Arabia hosting the Esports World Cup just an example of 'sportswashing'?
We hear how the Democratic presidential nominee has supercharged the party's fundraising, as she prepares to address its National Convention.
Also, Canada's government has moved swiftly to end a dispute which halted freight trains.
And how Apple will let users in the European Union choose default apps.
Roger Hearing is joined by Alison Van Diggelen, host of the Fresh Dialogues interview series in Silicon Valley, and Han Lin, China Country Director at the Asia Group in Shanghai.
Gold prices hit new record high as investors pile back into the commodity ahead of expected interest rate cuts in the US. We look into the details.
PwC China has told clients it expects a six-month business ban to be imposed by Chinese authorities as early as September. We hear about the reasons.
Also in the programme, we find out why protesters in Serbia are against a lithium mine that could cover 90% of the metal's demand in Europe.
Ed Butler discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Anneke Green, US Republican Political Strategist at Reach Global Strategies, and Nicholas Gordon, Associate Editor of Fortune magazine in Hong Kong.
The Democratic National Convention continues, with Barack and Michelle Obama expected to address the public. We get the latest.
A federal judge in Texas has barred a US Federal Trade Commission rule from taking effect. It was meant to ban agreements that prevented workers from joining their employers' rivals or launching competing businesses. We get the details.
'Black Myth: Wukong', a new game made by Chinese developers, has become one of the most played ever on one of the top gaming platforms. We hear about the game's plot, and why it's so popular.
Tesla's Chinese-made electric vehicles imported into the European Union will be subject to lower tariffs than those produced by competitors. We listen to the EU's arguments, and look at the implications this can have on the European market.
Ed Butler discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: David Kuo, financial analyst and the co-founder of the Smart Investor based in Singapore, and Emily Peck, markets correspondent at the Axios news website..
The Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago, in a four-day event that will see Kamala Harris formally confirmed as the party's presidential candidate. We hear from correspondents on the ground. The government in Nicaragua has outlawed 1,500 civil society groups in one day. They're accused of failing to report their finances and face the confiscation of all their property. We hear about the economic implications. And British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch is among the missing along with his 18-year-old daughter after the superyacht they were sailing in sank in Sicily. We get the latest.Ed Butler discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Angel Zhong, an Associate Professor of Finance at RMIT University in Melbourne, and researcher on technology and ethics Stephanie Hare, in London.
Kamala Harris has outlined her economic programme ahead of the US presidential election in November. She discussed what the so called "opportunity economy" would mean for Americans, and in particular the middle class, while also addressing the key issues of the campaign – rising health care prices and food inflation.
Staying with the US, we speak to the new mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, as the city prepares to welcome thousands of officials, journalists and others for the Democratic National Convention. There’s concerns that any celebrations over Kamala Harris’ nomination will be impacted large-scale protests against US support for Israel in Gaza.
Rahul Tandon hears how week-long protests throughout India – calling for protection, accountability and capital punishment – after a junior doctor was raped and murdered at work, may lead to a nationwide strike.
The English Premier League is the most-watched sports league in the world, broadcasting in 212 territories to 643 million homes, with a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people. But as the new football season kicks off, we find out why people in Peru support Manchester United rather than their local club sides.
And how much of an issue is over-tourism becoming? Will Bain has been talking to Sebastian Ebel, the chief executive of TUI, one of the world's biggest travel companies, after recent protests in Mallorca and Greece against platforms like Airbnb.
Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.
It's been a landmark day in the US, particularly for the millions struggling to afford vital health care medicine. But why is there about to be a fall in the price of many drugs? Rahul Tandon speaks to a health policy professor in Tennessee.
Meanwhile, as Sweden's confirmed the first case of the new Mpox variant outside Africa, we hear from Paul Chaplin, of drug manufacturer Bavaria Nordic who are the main producer of the vaccine, on whether there's enough of the vaccine to fight the disease.
We discuss the problem's facing India's economy, where issues of women in the workplace are back in the spot light after the rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata.
Elsewhere, are food halls being used to increase the value of surrounding offices and apartments in cities and towns globally. Devina Gupta discusses a growing trend in the US where nearly 400 are now in operation.
And we look at why the process of getting elected, which is hard work at the best of times, has become a disaster in the most unexpected way for hundreds of candidates in Australia.
Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.
New data shows inflation in US is slowing down. Will it mean the US central bank will cut interest rates in September? We speak to a panel of guests sharing their thoughts. Sticking with inflation numbers and China is braced for an economic slowdown ahead of todays data release.
Meanwhile Japan is set for a new Prime Minister as Kishida bows out as party leader.
And – who do you turn to when Waymo self-driving cars start honking at each other in a parking lot situated within a neighbourhood – we hear from one resident.
Starbuck replace boss after sales slump, prompting a sharp rise in its share price. Also, we speak to James Peak, Banksy superfan and presenter of the BBC Sounds podcast The Banksy Story, about the new Banksy artworks that have been cropping up all over London. E-scooters have been banned in the Australian city of Melbourne after much controversy. The BBC’s Katy Watson tells us more.
Russia evacuates twenty five thousand citizens in the Kursk region
The curtain has closed on the Paris Olympics. We look to LA, where it is heading next
Elon Musk interviews Donald Trump
And Disney has announced it will invest $60 billion in new experiences over the next ten years - a key part of its strategy to keep the parks fresh and relevant in a competitive segment.
Fedecamara, the Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce, calls for transparency in election results to help businesses recover markets' trust and attract foreign investment. We talk to its president, Adan Celis. Voiceover and movement actors continue striking in the US. They want the videogame industry to agree to pay performers when their work is used by AI to generate new scenes. We hear from one of the union's negotiators. Colombian policymakers are pushing a bill to ban merchandise featuring the late drug lord Pablo Escobar, who has become a local attraction for international tourists in the last decade. We hear about the consequences this could have on tourism.Roger Hearing discusses these and mores business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Peter Ryan, ABC's senior business correspondent in Sydney, and Gaby Castro-Fontoura, the Director of Sunny Sky Solutions consultancy in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus is sworn in as leader of Bangladesh’s interim government days after Former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina fled across the border to India. We get the latest. As US voters prepare to elect their new president, the cost of housing remains one of the main topics in the agenda. We take a look at the challenges Americans face to get on the property ladder.And Nasa is rushing to bring back to Earth two astronauts who blasted off on a test mission to the International Space Station, and whose spaceship is now considered unsafe for the trip back home. We hear how Elon Musk’s SpaceX might have the solution to Nasa’s problem.Roger Hearing discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Zyma Islam, a journalist for The Daily Star in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Alexander Kaufman, a senior reporter with the Huffington Post in New York.
The Harris campaigned has raised $36m the day after announcing Walz as her running mate. As they both head to Detroit for their latest rally Roger Hearing finds out how far their momentum is going in the swing state of Michigan.
We hear how a tribe who live in the Bolivian rainforest may live a far healthier life than people with far more material wealth.
And how much do Olympians really get paid if they win a gold, silver or bronze medal?
A major Democratic party donor in the US tells us why adding Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to the Harris presidential ticket is the right pick for the party.
We find out who is being lined up as Bangladesh's interim leader and what they want for their economy.
And Uber was once a company synonymous with government rows but have managed to ride out the market storm - one taxi ride at a time.
Weak economic data from the US has fuelled speculation that the world's largest economy is slowing. In London, the FTSE 100 fell and stocks in Asia have tumbled. We take a look at what's perplexing investors around the world.
The Bangladesh Prime Minister resigns following weeks of deadly anti-government protests we find out how the garment and textiles industry has been impacted.
And we hear how product placement is being used at the Olympic Game after one brand became highly visible during the opening ceremony.
Apple and Amazon have released their quarterly results, which were below expectation. Intel shares sank after the markets closed.
Several people have been shot dead, dozens wounded in the northern Nigerian city of Kano during some dramatic protests about the rising cost of living in the country.
On social media, a group of US journalists complained that their current employer, The Chicago Tribune, could replace them with AI
The U.S. Trade Representative's office said tariff increases on an array of Chinese imports will be delayed by at least two weeks. It will affect many industries including judiciary and trade. We hear from the President and CEO of the American Association of Port Authorities and still trader.
Also, in the programme, Ed Butler looks at the ongoing protests in Venezuela following Sunday’s Presidential elections, and finds out how the US sanctions are affecting Georgia.
Protests in Venezuela have been met by violent repression, as critics question the validity of election results that were declared in favour of the incumbent President Nicolas Maduro, who has presided over almost a decade of economic collapse. We'll get the latest from Caracas.
Also, Microsoft's earnings for this quarter are up, but its cloud arm underperformed.
And what 's happened to US consumer confidence, on the day before the Fed decides whether to lower interest rates?
The people of Venezuela face an uncertain future as president Nicolas Maduro claims victory in its presidential election - but the opposition has reacted with fury, and is claiming foul play.
So what does this mean for citizens and businesses?
And we hear from the widow of the pilot who died when Boeing 737 Max crashed.
A tumultuous week in US politics raises questions about the November elections.
Presenter Roger Hearing explores what lies ahead for Venezuela as the government and opposition pledge to fix the struggling economy before the elections.
Hollywood faces another actors' strike, this time over voiceover work in video games.
It’s a race against time in the Philippines as officials rush to contain what could be the worst oil spill in the country's history.
The US has reported a growth rate of 2.8% so is it enough to signal the end of fears about a recession? Roger Hearing speaks to Bonnie Wilson, Associate Professor, Department of Economics at Saint Louis University.
Also find out why Donald Trump takes centre stage at this years Bitcoin conference. We find out why Mr Trump wasn’t always the staunch crypto supporter he is today.
And, why has a cartoon sequel about emotions become the highest-grossing animated film of all time?
Joe Biden spoke from the White House in his first public address since quitting the presidential race. He said it was time to “pass the torch to a new generation.” We get the latest reaction from Republicans and Democrats. Plus, what could it mean for the contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris?
And, we're live in Taiwan as it suffers its worst typhoon in eight years.
Kamala Harris attempts to use people power to try and defeat Donald Trump in the US Presidential Election in October 2024. Presenter Devina Gupta gets reaction to her securing over $100 million dollars in campaign funds so far.
India’s new coalition government unveils its first budget. There are plans to grow the economy by creating new jobs and attracting more investment from abroad.
We hear from an internet service provider in Bangladesh who is trying to keep services going following huge protests over job quotas in the country
Donors offer support to Kamala Harris as she sets out her economic vision if she became president. Presenter Devina Gupta hears from a former campaign manager for Kamala Harris to get a sense of what she stands for.
India’s new coalition government unveils its first budget. We assess how it will play out amongst different groups across the country.
Hundreds of residents of the Balearic island of Mallorca have taken to the streets. They are protesting about the impact of high visitor numbers. They say this is making it hard for local people to buy property.
This Friday was one of the least easiest for many people across the globe. A raft of global institutions - including hospitals, major banks, media outlets and airlines - have reported a mass IT outage, affecting their ability to offer services. Delays are still ongoing at many of the major world airports after thousands of flights were cancelled.
Devina Gupta finds out how can anyone be prepared for anything like this? And who is going to pay for this IT disaster?
In the US city of Milwaukee, the 2024 Republican National Convention is reaching its culmination. One of the key issues Donald Trump is expected to focus on in his speech is the US economy, pushing further his claims that Joe Biden has mismanaged the cost of living crisis in America. We hear from the former Trump voter.
The crisis in Bangladesh - days of violent protests over job quotas have been followed by an internet blackout.
And Nigeria's president agrees to more than double the minimum wage there.
President Biden tests positve for covid as Senior Democratic congressman Adam Schiff adds his voice to calls from within the party asking him to to leave the presidential race.
Presenter Roger Hearing discusses Donald Trump's comments on funding the defence of Taiwan - and tech stocks tumble over fears about the security of the global microchip supply.
Plus the UK government commits to renationalising the railways - is this a sign of a change in the western mantra that state ownership of business doesn't work?
Presenter Rahul Tandon discusses Elon Musk's decision to relocate SpaceX from California because of a new law which bans schools from requiring staff to disclose information about a child's gender identity
In Bangladesh, the government has shut down all schools and colleges indefinitely, and police have stormed the opposition party's headquarters following the deaths of six individuals in student protests.
Joe Biden has urged a ban on the assault rifle model used in the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Mr Trump has resumed his campaign after a two-day pause.
Presenter Rahul Tandon discusses the announcement of Iowa Senator JD Vance as Donald Trump’s pick to be his running mate in November’s Presidential election.
Rahul speaks to the Democratic Mayor of Milwaukee, the city that is hosting the Republican Party's National Convention.
And the long delayed Third Plenum of the Chinese Communist Party is taking place in Beijing.
Presenter Rahul Tandon discusses President Biden's attempts to carry on and fight in the 2024 Presidential race despite recent gaffes. He faces fresh calls from within the Democratic party to step aside in favour of another candidate. Pakistan has reached a deal with the International Monetary Fund for a seven billion dollar bailout. In return, Pakistan's government has promised to implement reforms and step up efforts to collect more tax. We find out what impact this will have on the country's economy .
Automatic vending machines selling bullets will appear in grocery stores in the United States. We hear from the manufacturer behind the artificial intelligence software who argues it will be more secure than other sales methods.
Rahul Tandon presents with contributions from Alison Van Diggelen in Silicon Valley, USA; and Jyoti Malhotra in Chandigarh, India.
President Biden faces the media in a hotly-anticipated press conference for the future of his presidential campaign - and after a gaffe-filled few weeks.
In Colombia, the President calls for the legalisation of cocaine - saying the armed conflict in his country would end within a day if the UN declared cocaine legal across the world.
Plus the son of Asia's richest person, Mukesh Ambani, gets married - in a four day extravaganza which will bring parts of Mumbai to a halt.
Rahul Tandon is joined by Fermin Koop in Argentina & Zyma Islam in Bangladesh to discuss the most important and interesting global business and economic stories.
We hear from Betsey Stevenson, former economic advisor to President Obama, who served on the transition team for the Biden-Harris ticket - as the first Democratic Senator publicly calls for President Biden to stand aside as the party's presidential nominee.
Meanwhile the US imposes steel tariffs on Mexico - at least the steel coming from China. We ask whether tariffs are economically the way forward - or backward.
Plus in Greece - new regulations are being introduced to limit the areas on beaches that bars and restaurants can use. The rules are intended to leave enough space for the public, who have complained about exorbitant prices charged by beachfront businesses that restrict their free access.
NATO leaders meet in Washington, amid a rising deathtoll in Ukraine and a debate around the future of US President Biden. What's expected from the reunion?
Elsewhere, Vivienne Nunis looks at why car thefts are soaring in Canada, and why the non-alcholic beer market has investors' attention.
It's a make or break moment for US President Joe Biden who has been facing pressure to step aside after his stumbling performance in the debate against President Trump.
Also, in the programme, Devina Gupta looks at the big election showdown in France this weekend. And the boss of Esports World Cup joins us from Saudi Arabia to talk about allegations of Sports washing.
Hurricane Beryl has hit Jamaica, bringing with it catastrophic damage. A number of people have already been killed in the path of the storm, including in Grenada, as well as St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Devina Gupta talks to local business owners and finds out how climate change is impacting insurance companies across the globe.
Also, in the programme, we talk to Austin D. Goolsbee, president of the Chicago Federal Reserve. We also take a look at the UK’s general election and one of the big voter issues - the price of buying a home.
US Supreme Court has ruled that Donald Trump is immune from criminal prosecution for official acts The markets have reacted to far right advances in the French election Lawyers for the families of those who died in two plane crashes in October 2018 and March 2019 have told the BBC they plan to appeal a plea deal offered to plane maker Boeing.
We look at the reaction to the first US 2024 presidential debate between Biden and Trump with Julia Manchester, reporter from The Hill.
Meta threatens to block news content on Facebook in Australia if a law charging them licensing fees is implemented. Roger Hearing speaks to Professor Taylor Owen from McGill University in Montreal, who has studied the effect on media organisations in Canada.
We go to Haiti where Kenyan police attempt to tackle the endemic gang violence there.
And with Roger throughout the programme are two guests on opposite sides of the world - Peter Ryan, ABC's senior business correspondent in Sydney, and Gaby Castro Fontoura, Director of Sunny Sky Solutions consultancy in Uruguay, Punta Del Este.
In anticipation of the first debate, we are joined by expert guests to look at how important these heads-to-heads can be. Will the debate allow Biden to reclaim some of the lost ground? And what do small businesses want to hear from the two candidates?
In Bolivia, factions of the military attempted to enter the presidential palace in what was described as an attempted coup. We dig into what prompted the military assault, and the questions now facing the country's leaders. Elsewhere, Roger Hearing looks at the latest in Kenya following deadly riots. And we hear how small food cooperatives in Spain are taking on major supermarkets.
We hear about the huge demonstrations across Kenya over tax hikes. President Ruto goes on national TV and vows to restore order across the country. Presenter Rahul Tandon assesses the debt problems facing the African nation.
Also on the programme we have an interview with a key economic advisor who has worked with Donald Trump. We hear what the former President’s economic policy might look like if he is elected again.
And extreme heat is causing huge problems across different parts of the world. We have a special report from India about a new insurance policy designed to help poorer workers to financially survive when rising temperatures make working impossible.
The EU has agreed to talks over its plans to put tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. China has urged the EU to reverse them before July 4.
Elsewhere, some of the world's largest music labels are suing two artificial intelligence firms, claiming they are training their models with copyrighted music. And Rahul Tandon looks at tribute bands' welcome victory with Meta.
A Swiss court has sentenced four members of the UK's richest family to prison sentences ranging from four to four-and-a-half years.
Prakash and Kamal Hinduja as well as son Ajay and his wife Namrata were found guilty of exploitation - usury in the Swiss penal code - and illegal employment.
Also, in the programme, Rahul Tandon finds out how Canadian farmers are coping during the extreme heat and we look at how a deal looks finally sealed to sell Queen's back catalogue...the most valuable in rock.
The inflation is the rate at which prices increases - so when we say the inflation rate is slowing down it does not mean that prices are falling .
So we wanted to discuss why inflation is still so sticky with someone in the US who has been looking at it for some time - someone involved in those crucial decisions on interest rates
Rahul Tandon spoke to Austin Goolsbee President of the Federal Reserve bank of Chicago one of 12 Reserve banks in the US.
Intense heatwaves hit Saudi Arabia, India and Southern Europe. We ask, what’s the impact?
Ecuador has experienced a nationwide blackout
And government debt worldwide is four times what it was in 2000. We hear more from UNCTAD economist Carlos Razo
President Putin has arrived in Pyongyang on a state visit
President Biden has announced a new policy that would protect hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of US citizens from deportation.
Boeing's boss Dave Calhoun faces tough questions from lawmakers about the companies culture
United States Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has called for a warning label to be placed on social media platforms advising of the damage to adolescents’ mental health.
In a historic move, the governor of a US state has pardoned more than 175,000 marijuana convictions.
The BBC’s Ed Butler explores ‘over tourism’, where locals feel left out of tourist hotspots
And The Pixar film Inside Out 2 has dramatically exceeded ticket sales predictions on it’s opening weekend, bucking a trend of poor performances from new film releases. We ask why?
Tesla shareholders say Elon Musk is entitled to a $56 billion pay package. after a US court invalidated it.. Presenter Devina Gupta asks how much should the head of one of the world's top tech companies be paid?
Disney and Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida come to an agreement after a feud over $17 billion in planned development at Walt Disney World. Disney say the deal will fuel new investment.
The U.S. Supreme Court has backed Starbucks challenge to a judicial order to rehire seven Memphis employees. They were fired asthey sought to form a union.
(Photo: Elon Musk Credit: REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo)
Shares in several Chinese electric car companies have taken a hit after the European Union imposed new tariffs. The trade barriers have been introduced because the EU says Chinese state subsidies make competition unfair. Our guests from China and the US present their arguments about the on-going issue.
Interest rates in the US remain at a 23-year high and inflation is forecasted to rise. Sam Fenwick finds out how consumers are feeling, and the ways businesses are trying to find extra revenue.
We’re joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Tony Nash - CEO of Complete Intelligence, based in Houston, Texas and Karen Percy, senior freelance reporter in Melbourne.
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We begin the show with Hollywood where the future of media giant Paramount Global is uncertain after billionaire Shari Redstone, who holds a controlling share in the company, ended negotiations for a potential merger with Skydance Media. Paramount’s shares have consequently dropped by more than 8%. The decision to end the talks comes after a sales process that many in the industry have described as chaotic.
Away from showbiz, Mexico is grappling with their currency value after the country elected its first female president Claudia Sheinbaum. Her controversial plans to overhaul the judiciary by directly electing top judges has caused the peso to fall 2% against the dollar. It’s lost about 8% since her victory on June 2nd but is a recovery on the horizon? Sam Fenwick finds out why the markets are so concerned about the reforms.
And, we look at how Taiwan is wrestling through an energy crunch to remain the world’s semiconductor powerhouse – but is there enough energy and electricity for chipmakers to sustain its demand?
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We speak to our guests Emily Feng in Taiwan - she is the NPR international correspondent - and Yves Hayaux du Tilly, lawyer and partner with Nader, Hayaux & Goebel in Mexico City. They advise companies on their business in Mexico and Latin America.
As one Silicon Valley titan unveils its latest Apple Intelligence software, we examine the generative AI that's creeping onto a smartphone near you - just how unnerved should you be? Plus, the concept of subscription streaming arrives in the world of console. Ed Butler examines if it is worth the cost…
And intimacy at the office - is BP right to demand that all its workers to fess up about their workplace love affairs?
Sharing their thoughts we speak to Yoko Ishikura, Professor Emeritus at the Hitotsubashi University in Japan and currently a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network, while here in the UK, we have Stephanie Hare, writer, journalist and all-round luminary on tech, ethics and much more.
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The United States releases jobs data. More than a quarter of a million new ones were added last monthsuggesting the world's largest economy remains buoyant.
In South Korea workers at the country's biggest company ,Samsung. have staged industrial action for the first time in the company's more-than fifty-year history. The BBC’s Sally Nabil reports from Cairo.Egypt is increasing the price of subsidized bread by 300 per cent.And the T20 cricket world cup tournament is being held in the US for the first time ever.
We were joined by ABC's senior business correspondent Peter Ryan and Technology journalist Takara Small
Mandatory Credit: Photo by JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (14001465b)
The European Central Bank has announced a cut in its main interest rate from an all-time high of 4% to 3.75%.
A Norwegian mining group has confirmed that it's discovered the largest deposit of rare-earth minerals in Europe.
Mike Lynch, the man once known as Britain’s Bill Gates, has been acquitted of the charges against him by a court in San Francisco.
We look at the impact of the new wave of injectable diabetes and weight loss drugs
And Virgin Australia plans to allow dogs and cats to fly in the main cabin on its flights.
(Credit: European Central Bank. Photo by FRIEDEMANN VOGEL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Major Republican donors have backed Donald Trump despite his conviction in a hush money case. Presenter Devina Gupta discusses how there is still huge financial backing for the former president. Plus, with Mexico expected to elect its first-ever female president, we examine the economy she inherits, and what her economic priorities likely to be. And, the owner of Worldle, a geography-based spinoff of the hit online game Wordle, tells us how he faces a legal challenge from the New York Times.
(Photo: Donald Trump Credit: Peter Foley EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called coal, oil and gas corporations the “godfathers of climate chaos” who had distorted the truth and deceived the public for decades. He said that just as tobacco advertising was banned because of the threat to health, the same should now apply to fossil fuels.
Also in the programme, Rahul Tandon talks about Canada's interest rate cuts and finds out why a Hollywood film studio is refusing to release a film.
Our guests are Simon Littlewood and Michael Malone.
(Photo: A logo on a Shell petrol station. Credit: Reuters)
Modi-led alliance claims victory in India’s general election despite having many critics of high unemployment figures and slow economic growth there. What look at what this means for the Indian economy.
We hear from local reporters, economists and business owners in India.
(Picture: Indian PM Modi speaks to supporters at the BJP headquarters, in New Delhi. Picture credit: Reuters)
Mexico's first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, breaks a political glass ceiling and she wins the election. However, following the victory, investors have been reacting rather negatively. They’ve been selling off pesos—Mexico’s currency—over fears of radical constitutional changes. The peso slipped about 3% against the dollar, its lowest level since November last year. How will it affect local business owners and the economy?
Also, in the programme, Sam Fenwick finds out why the boss of the World Bank, Ajay Banga, thinks it’s time for emerging economies to stop relying on infinite streams of cash from other governments.
(Picture: Sheinbaum wins Mexico's presidential election. Picture credit: Reuters)
Major Republican donors have backed Donald Trump despite his conviction in a hush money case. Presenter Devina Gupta discusses why there is still huge financial backing for the former President with guests from New Zealand and the United States.
Voters go to the polls in Mexico. The country’s new President is the be the first ever woman to lead the nation. We look at the economy she inherits, and what are her economic priorities likely to be.
The owner of the hit online game Wordle is legally challenging a geography-based spinoff called Worldle.
The New York Times, purchased Wordle for a seven figure sum in 2022. It accuses Worldle of attempting to capitalise on "the enormous goodwill” associated with its own brand. (Picture: Donald Trump Credit: Peter Foley EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
As an intense heat wave sweeps across the north and west of India, Rahul Tandon looks at the impact of this on the world’s fastest growing economy.
The price of heavily subsidised bread in Egypt is to quadruple from June. The BBC’s Sally Nibil explains just how significant the news is and why the subsidy is such an important source of government support for the less well off.
And as the former co-working giant WeWork looks to be on the verge of agreeing a deal that could see it emerge from bankruptcy, we look at how reduced demand for physical office space around the world has affected the sector.
Talking about these - as well as other big business stories from around the world, Rahul Tandon is joined by Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Bloomberg Senior Asia Correspondent in Hong Kong and Sushma Ramachandran, Independent journalist and columnist with the Tribune newspaper, in Delhi, India.(Picture credit: Hindustan Times/Getty Images)
We ask the founder of Argentina's biggest start-up about what his country's president, Javier Milei, hopes to achieve from private talks this week with the CEOs of Google, OpenAI, Meta and Apple.
Elsewhere, Rahul Tandon looks into the latest data from the US economy, as businesses weigh up who to vote for in the elections later in the year.
(Photo: Argentina's President Javier Milei gestures to supporters in Cordoba, Argentina. Credit: Reuters)
French President Emmanuel Macron is on the final day of his state visit to Germany, where he will be discussing how Europe can catch up with the US and China.
Also Rahul Tandon is joined by guests to discuss the upcoming elections in South Africa and Mexico, and the battle over a multi-billion dollar shipwreck in Colombia.
(Photo: France and Germany's leaders wave together. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Families of the victims of a school mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas two years ago, have announced lawsuits against Instagram's parent company Meta, the maker of the video game ''Call of Duty'' and a gun manufacturer.
Devina Gupta finds out why Eli Lilly is investing another $5.3 billion in a manufacturing plant in Lebanon, Indiana and how the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which governs university sports in the US, has reached a deal that could lead to college athletes getting paid.
(Picture: Microsoft buys Activision, in New York City. Picture credit: Reuters)
US regulators have sued Live Nation, accusing the entertainment giant of using illegal tactics to maintain a monopoly over the live music industry. The lawsuit from the Department of Justice said the firm's practices had kept out competitors, and led to higher ticket prices and worse service for customers.
Also, Devina Gupta finds out how Russian president Vladimir Putin could use US property in the country to compensate for frozen Russian assets. And why one of Australia’s biggest banks, the Commonwealth, is predicting the country will become cashless by 2026.
(Picture: The logo for Live Nation Entertainment is displayed on a screen on the floor at the NYSE in New York. Picture credit: Reuters)
The race begins for UK’s political parties to woo its voters ahead of July 4th General Elections – but is now the right time?
Tech giant Nvidia continues to grow and grow, but can it keep going?
And Elvis's Graceland is not up for sale. Find out why…
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The European Union has approved the use of profits from Russia's frozen central bank assets to help Ukraine buy weapons and fund reconstruction. Ukraine has welcomed the move but how the scheme might work and could it risk undermining the rule of law? Hollywood actress star Scarlett Johansson has said she was left "angered" after the organisation OpenAI launched a chatbot with an "eerily similar" voice to her own. OpenAI have confirmed they would remove the voice, but have insisted that it was not meant to be an "imitation" of the star. How can AI seek to develop while staying on the right side of copyright law?Joining Ed Butler to discuss these and other big business stories of the day from around the world are Rachel Puppazoni, Business Reporter for ABC News in Perth, Australia and Technology journalist, Takara Small, based in Toronto. (Image credit: Anton Petrus/Getty Images.)
It has been a whirlwind in the US markets - the main indexes all hitting record highs while at the same time, commodity prices are rising.
The ship that destroyed the bridge in Baltimore back in March is finally re-floated and back in port.
And Business Matters takes a close look at the economies of Latin America with reporter Gideon Long.
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Shareholders of plane maker Boeing approved a pay package of nearly $33 million for outgoing CEO Dave Calhoun - the highest ever agreed by the company - at its AGM on Friday. Mr Calhoun, who will leave the company at the end of the year, was also re-elected to stay on the troubled company’s board.
Cubans are enduring some of their bleakest economic times since the Cold War – amid worsening inflation, a scarcity of basic goods and a decades-long US economic embargo. The BBC’s Correspondent, Will Grant, looks at how the situation has impacted on one of Cuba’s most quintessential industries – sugar – to see how tough the situation has become.
Plus as Mercedes workers in Alabama have voted against joining a union we look at the result means for workers and management.
Rahul Tandon is joined by Peter Ryan, ABC's senior business correspondent, in Sydney and Han Lin, China Country Director of “The Asia Group” a Washington DC based consultancy, and NYU Shanghai professor based in Shanghai.(Image Credit: The Washington Post/Getty Images.)
As the Dow Jones hits a record high Rahul Tandon looks at how a strong stock market is helping some people retire earlier than expected.
Two months after a container ship crash saw the collapse of a road bridge in Baltimore, killing six workers, we explore the reasons why 21 seamen are still stranded on the vessel.
And on the day that Singapore Airlines announces staff bonuses worth nearly eight months' salary we examine how they came to receive such a generous payout. (Picture credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images.)
President Putin’s visit comes as Russia has become more economically dependent on China following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago; Rahul Tandon examines the economic benefits for both nations.
The Ambassador-at-Large with Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chan Hen Chee, talks to us about the country’s future direction after its long serving Prime Minister steps down.
India and Iran have signed a deal allowing a company to develop and control the management of an Iranian port for 10 years. We look at this will potentially bring new economic benefits to India.(Picture: Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on development of Russia's military industrial complex .Credit: Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via REUTERS)
Presenter Sam Fenwick discusses the impact of the tariffs on US China relations with guests from Canada and China. Analysts said the tariffs were largely symbolic and intended to shore up votes in a tough election year.
Protests are taking place in Georgia over a new bill which requires organisations receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to declare themselves as “foreign agents”, or face hefty fines and possible imprisonment. We hear how this could affect businesses in the country.
Google is introducing AI-generated answers to search engine queries from US users in one of the biggest updates in years. We examine what this all means for Google and it’s rivals Microsoft's CoPilot and Open AI. (Picture: Credit
Sam Fenwick dives deep into the philanthropic world - and how it's changing - amid the news that Melinda Gates is leaving the Gates Foundation. Why has she made the decision? And what's next for this philanthropic giant?
Elsewhere, we explore the resurgence of "meme stocks", the science behind work rituals, and what to expect from the Australian budget
(Photo: Polio vaccination campaign in Pakistan, Peshawar, where the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have worked. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
US Consumer sentiment sags to a six-month low. Americans cite high inflation and fears around unemployment
A free bottle of wine has finally been claimed after being hidden in the privacy policy of a tax-focused think tank's website for three months. We hear more from the Director of consumer protection for Consumer Federation of America
The Oscars have launched a global fund raising campaign to boost its finances following a decade long decline in its viewership
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Adam Davis/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (14441942o)A customer walks past the fresh fruit section at a H-E-B supermarket in Austin, Texas, USA, 19 April 2024
The tech giant Apple has faced an online backlash in response to an advert featuring books and musical instrument being crushed, to demonstrate how their creativity has been compressed into the latest iPad.
Also, with music catalogue company Hipgnosis facing a takeover, is it worth a price tag of $1.6 billion?
And remarks by a boss at China's biggest search engine reignite the debate around China's 9-9-6 work-all-hours culture.
A former employee of Boeing's biggest supplier has claimed that sections of 737 Max aircraft regularly left its factory with serious defects.
Spirit Aerosystems builds fuselages for the 737 Max, which are then shipped to Boeing’s own plant for final assembly.
Speaking publicly for the first time, former quality inspector Santiago Peredes told the BBC that some managers actively tried to discourage him from flagging up flaws in half-finished planes.
Also, Rahul Tandon, finds out why there are a lot of concerns about whether the plan to use Russian assets for weapons is legal and why not everyone was keen to see the Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Hungary.
(Photo: A worker walks past Boeing's 737 MAX-9 under construction at their production facility in Renton, Washington, US. Credit: Reuters)
TikTok has filed a lawsuit aiming to block a US law that would ban in the video app in the country unless it is sold by its Chinese parent company.
In the filing, the social media company called the act an "extraordinary intrusion on free speech rights" of the company and its 170 million American users.
Also, Rahul Tandon, looks at the Disney financial results and finds out what can you buy with Argentina's new 10 000 pesos banknote.
(Picture: The offices of TikTok in Culver City, California. Picture credit: Reuters)
On his first visit to Europe since 2019, president Xi Jinping has been talking about trade ties. The West is worried about cheap Chinese imports of electric cars.
Also, Rahul Tandon finds out why global petrol demand growth could halve in 2024 and what impact the shutdown in Israel would have on Al Jazeera's business operations.
(Picture: State dinner in honour of Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting Paris, France - 06 May 2024. Picture credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Israeli Foreign Ministry is to reduce Turkish imports both to Israel and to the occupied Palestinian territories. It’s also appealing for sanctions against Turkey for violating existing trade agreements.
Also, in the programme, we look at Brazil’s plans to propose a global annual tax for billionaires at the G20 in July
Last month, Ankara introduced partial restrictions citing being refused permission to drop aid into Gaza. Their response was to introduce restrictions on trade. Now, it appears that all imports and exports from Israel have been blocked. The country’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz said this was "how a dictator behaves" "and they will lose."
Also, in the programme, we look at Pandemic-era fitness darling Peloton is showing more signs of trouble, as the CEO steps down and announcing staff redundancies.
(Picture: Turkish President Erdogan addresses his supporters ahead of the local elections in Istanbul. Picture credit: Reuters)
The US Federal Reserve says it needs greater confidence that inflation is easing before cutting interest rates. We get the latest from our correspondent in New York. The housing market is one of the industries most impacted by the higher cost of borrowing. We hear from a buyer. And we have an exclusive interview with Pakistan's Finance Minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, about the conditions the country has to meet after taking a loan from the International Monetary Fund. Roger Hearing discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Karen Percy, a freelance reporter in Melbourne, and Alison Van Diggelen, host of 'Fresh Dialogues' in Silicon Valley.
(Picture: A trader works inside a booth, as screens display a news conference by Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell. Picture credit: REUTERS.)
The Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who has been sentenced to four months in a US prison for failing to establish adequate anti-money laundering protections.
Reports coming out of Washington suggest that the US government is about to take an historic step toward easing federal restrictions on cannabis.
The lower house of congress in Argentina has given its general approval to a comprehensive package of austerity measures proposed by the President, Javier Milei. The house in Buenos Aires has spent over a day voting on individual articles of the various measures which have led to huge protests in the city in recent months.
Also, China’s leaders have pledged more support for the world’s second-largest economy, saying it "still faces many challenges”; and the Bumble CEO Lidiane Jones says young women in tech have to be "resilient".
Presenter Ed Butler is joined by Yves Hayaux Du Tilly, a Mexican lawyer who advises companies on business matters affecting Mexico and Latin America, and Jennifer Pak, the China correspondent for American Public Media, to discuss the latest international business news.
(Photo: Changpeng Zhao. Credit: Benoit Tessier/Reuters)
Ed Butler presents with guests Kristina Hooper, who's Chief Global Market Strategist at Invesco, the investment firm in New York, and Jessica Khine, who's Head of Asia for the Japanese financial consultancy, Astris Advisory.
They discuss the decision on scrapping coal-fired power stations made by the G7, the Premier League introducing new financial rules, and the story about the mining giants BHP and Vale who've offered to pay Brazil about $25.7 billion in total compensation for a 2015 dam disaster at an iron ore complex.
Photo: Ratcliffe on Soar coal-fired power station, Jeremy Ball, BBC News
America's top diplomat and the Chinese president have held talks in Beijing as both sides seek to stabilise relations. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that Washington will act if China does not stop supplying Russia with items used in its assault on Ukraine.
Also, in the programme, Roger Hearing finds out how important good manners still are in the business world and who created World biggest 3D printer.
(Picture: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits China. Picture credit: Reuters)
The US economy grew by less than forecast in the first three months of this year but inflation gathered pace, which could delay an interest rate cut.
Official figures revealed the economy expanded at an annualised rate of 1.6%, far below expectations and the growth seen in the final months of 2023.
Meanwhile, inflation, which measures the pace of price rises, has increased.
(Picture: Retail sales drop in Britain, Huddersfield, United Kingdom - 21 Oct 2022. Picture credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is continuing his visit to China, there are tensions on many fronts between the world’s two superpowers, how will the trip pay out? We hear from Brian Wong, from the Centre on Contemporary China and the World, in Hong Kong.
As TikTok vows to fight a new law which could see it sold or banned in the US, what could a ban mean for businesses who rely on it?
And more than 40% of Japan’s municipalities might eventually vanish due to a sharp population decline brought on by a chronically low birthrate, what’s going on?(Photo Credit: Reuters)
The Federal Trade Commission has voted to ban so-called ‘non-compete’ agreements in a move which could affect millions of workers Under the moves, U.S. companies would no longer be able to bar employees from taking jobs with . But it’s likely to be challenged in court. One woman tells us how her family’s life was turned upside down by a non-compete agreement with a large tech company.
Also on the programme Tesla sees its profits more than halve this year. The company has seen its profits more than halve this year, and says it will bring forward the launch of new models and cut thousands more jobs to try to reverse its fortunes.
And research by German academics has found that we are increasingly pushing back the age at which we consider ourselves to be old. Nimal Ram, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University tells us more
We hear from the BBC's Nikhil Inamdar in the financial hub of Mumbai. Plus, in the tech hub of Bengaluru, first-time voters say it's really hard trying to get a job.
Women are still very much a minority in workplaces. We ask female voters why?
And writer Swati Narayan tells us why she thinks India is so unequal.
US lawmakers could vote on a bill that corners the app's owner ByteDance with a stark choice: to sell or be banned. Also in the programme, the French government addresses shrinkflation concerns with a new rule that will require stores to tell customers when a product becomes smaller but its price stays the same or increases. And we look into why sales of wine have dropped in China.
Rahul Tandon discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Lori Ann LaRocco, senior editor of Guests at CNBC Business News, and Colin Peacock, presenter of Mediawatch on Radio New Zealand.
(Picture: A view shows the office of TikTok in the US. Picture credit: REUTERS.)
Businesses in the South American nation have been told to shut down for two days due to power cuts caused by drought. We find out more.
The Scottish government is to scrap its flagship target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030. We hear why.
And Google terminates 28 staff who protested against a contract signed with the government of Israel.
Rahul Tandon discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Tony Nash, CEO of Complete Intelligence in Texas, and Jessica Khine, head of Asia for Astris Advisory Japan in Malaysia.
(Picture: A saleswoman waits for customers at her restaurant in Ecuador. Picture credit: REUTERS/Karen Toro.)
President Jo Biden is set to call for a tripling of US tariffs on steel and aluminium. His demand for tariff hikes comes as he tackles fraught relations with China.
A Boeing engineer has told US lawmakers that he was harassed and threatened after he raised concerns about the safety of the company's planes. We hear from engineers and their claims.
The Michigan consumer sentiment survey suggests that despite the US economy doing well people are not very positive. We find out why from local Americans.
[REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz]
Flash floods have bought Dubai to a standstill. Devina Gupta speaks to a tourist from India who is one of thousands stuck at a mall The Mall of Emirates throughout the night after roads became gridlocked and the metro system stopped working.
Also, the International Monetary Fund - is renewing its confidence in the American economy. The IMF report shows the US economy is set grow but what does growth mean for business owners? We speak to a restaurant owner in California about what this means for ordinary people trying to make a living.
Plus, UK's smoking ban policy - what is it and its impacts on the tax revenues?
US electric car maker tesla has announced job cuts - is the ride getting rough for the global electric vehicle market?
Also, should China face sanctions for buying oil from Iran? We speak to a Congressman from the US who thinks so
Plus, the truth behind truth social continues as we look how Trump Media shares have been falling.
And finally, is America’s immigration system broken? Our reporter Erin Delmore has been looking at the political and bureaucratic issues adding to America's labour shortage.
[Image credit: REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo]
On today’s programme we discuss the likelihood and nature of an Iranian attack on Israel.Also, find out why a hunger strike has begun on the island of Tenerife in response to the damaging effects of tourism on the Canary Islands.Plus, we head to Argentina and find out how they are grappling with high inflation.And finally, find out how an American Farm Grows $1,700-Per-Pound White Truffles…
[Image credit: Reuters]
Joe Biden has pledged to protect the Philippines from any attack in the South China Sea. He made the comments at a White House summit with Philippine president Marcos and Japan's Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida. We look at the importance of the US economic relationship with Japan.
President Biden has also introduced new rules aimed at tightening gun control in America. We discuss the prospect of additional scrutiny on firearms sales in the US.
In Australia, demand for so-called granny flats is growing in Australia due to soaring rental costs. Nicole Gurran, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning in Sydney explains the current state of the housing market.
Vivienne Nunis is joined by Stefanie Yuen Thio, Joint Managing Partner of TSMP Law in Singapore. And Andy Uhler, Journalism Fellow at the University of Texas Energy Institute and Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy.
(Photo: President Biden Holds Trilateral Meeting With Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida And Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos. Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Consumer prices in the US rose faster than expected last month. The CPI measure of inflation rose 3.5% over the 12 months to March, up from 3.2% in February, the US Labor Department said.
How will the new law restricting abortion in Arizona affect the state’s clinics?
Plus UK Paralympic legend Baroness Tanni-Grey Thompson tells us what she makes of the news that athletes will soon be paid for winning an Olympic gold medal.
(Picture: Wad of U.S. paper bills - stock photo. Picture credit: Getty Images)
Commodities - the raw materials that power business around the globe - are surging in price. And that suggests investors betting on a prolonged expansion—and a potential rebound in inflation. The S&P GSCI, which tracks commodity prices has advanced 12% this year. Copper and oil have gained more than 10% and 17%, respectively. Gold is also posting fresh records, rising 13% to $2,332 a troy ounce. So what's going on?
Also, in the programme, the presenter Roger Hearing finds out why some politicians have pushed back against New York City’s congestion charging plan.
(Picture: Businessman using a mobile phone to check stock market data - stock photo. Picture credit: Getty Images)
More than thirty million people live along the path of the solar eclipse; many others have travelled to share the experience. NASA conducted experiments to study the Sun's atmosphere during the phenomenon. A quarter of Airbnb guests in the US with bookings for Sunday night were booked for a stay in the eclipse’s path.
Also, in the programme, the presenter Sam Fenwick finds out why tens of thousands of people in the gaming industry sector have lost their jobs in the last few months and why Australian farmers relying on the weather broadcast.
(Picture: Solar Eclipse in Mexico, Mexico City - 08 Apr 2024. Picture credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
A rare earthquake that struck New York City has swayed landmarks and cracked roads. Roger Hearing has been speaking to an NYC based stockbroker who describes the moment of impact plus we hear from the Co-Director of the Global Resilience Institute Dr Daniel Aldrich about whether New York is prepared to withstand a quake of a larger magnitude.
Also, on the program we find out about emerging economies joining U.S. and Europe in shielding domestic manufacturers from a rising tide of Chinese imports.
Plus, Argentina struggles to fight against its lethal dengue season as insect repellents run low.
Roger Hearing discusses these and more business stories with two guests from opposite sides of the world: Gabriella Castro Fontoura, Latin American business consultant and economist based in Uruguay, and Peter Ryan, ABC's senior business correspondent in Melbourne, Australia.
[Credit: Photo by SARAH YENESEL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock]
We examine one the biggest property deals in Europe since 2022 as Gucci has splashed out on a new $1.3bn office in Milan.British businessman Joe Lewis is sentenced by a US judge to three years' probation for orchestrating an insider trading scheme. The BBC's New York business correspondent Michelle Fleury tell us more.Is Gen Z opting for blue collar jobs rather than going to college? We speak to the president of the American Welding Academy.Roger Hearing discusses these and more business stories with guests Yoko Ishikura, professor Emeritus at the Japanese Hitotsubashi University, and Alexander Kaufman, senior reporter at the Huffington Post.
(Picture: A Gucci store in China. Picture credit: Kevin Foy.)
Staff at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company are back at work . Roger Hearing examines how the leading chipmaker has been affected by the earthquake from Bob O'Donnell, the President of California based TECHnalysis Research.
Tesla expands its ambition into India. We hear what this means for the production and sales of electric cars.
And Disney secures its happy ever after ending after convincing shareholders they’re heading in the right direction.
A report led by the World Bank and UN estimates costs to rebuild Gaza’s critical infrastructure to be $18.5 billion dollars. We look at how this will be funded and find out why a charity has suspended shipments of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Also are drivers falling out of love with Electric cars? Tesla and BYD have reported significant a drop in sales, raising concerns about the pace of the global shift to electric vehicles.
And finally, there are more billionaires than ever entering the Forbes rich list.
Photo by MOHAMMED SABER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
A number of countries around the world, including the US, UK and Canada, are making changes to their minimum wage. We examine the impact these increases could have. Plus, why the manufacturing sector in the US expanded for the first time in over a year. Also, Germany relaxes laws around cannabis for personal use but will it lead to a boom in business or a bigger black market?
(Photo by ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The co-founder of FTX has been jailed for "one of the biggest financial frauds" in US history. Also, we find out why the Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has launched its first electric vehicle. France votes on a law to prevent discrimination against your hairstyle at work. And, could a law in Florida stop kids under 13 from accessing social media?
(Picture: Former FTX Chief Executive Sam Bankman-Fried, walks outside the Manhattan federal court in New York City, U.S. March 30, 2023. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli/File Photo)
Japan is hit by another earthquake. We hear about the impact it could have on the economy.
We examine microfinance and how it works in practice after a Bangladeshi pioneer of this type of finance is sentenced for violating labour laws.
And the state railway company of Ukraine introduces women only compartments to stop assaults on trains.
Danish shipping giant Maersk has said it is preparing to resume shipping operations through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
We explore the fallout from a ban on some of Apple's latest watches in the US .
AND
We examine why Argentina's new president, Javier Milei has decided to sign a decree cancelling the contracts of seven thousand public sector workers.
(Photo: A Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) container ship crosses the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea Credit EPA/MOHAMED HOSSAM)
On Friday, US President Joe Biden met with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi for an hour, which the White House described as a "good opportunity" to maintain lines of communication open between the two geopolitical foes.
And Taylor Swift, with a record-breaking tour, a blockbuster film, and a keen business sense, the 33-year-old musician is now worth $1.1 billion.
Devina Gupta discusses this and more of the business news from around with James Early, Chief Investment Officer at BBAE (digital investment platform) in Washington D.C, and Sushma Ramachandran, Independent business journalist and columnist at The Tribune newspaper, Delhi.
(Picture: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrive to speaks to the press prior to meetings at the State Department in Washington, DC, October 26, 2023. Photo Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images).
Former crypto boss Sam Bankman-Fried has been testifying to a judge at his trial after the jury was sent home. The former entrepreneur was asked to testify to Judge Lewis Kaplan to determine which parts of his testimony can be put to the jury.
The PlayStation 5's manufacturer, Sony, has announced that the supply chain issues that beset the device for three years have been fixed.
Leanna Byrne discusses this and more of the business news from around with Yoko Ishikura, Professor Emeritus at Hitotsubashi University and currently a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network based in Japan and in Colombia we have Sergio Guzmán, Director at Colombia Risk Analysis.
(FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves from Manhattan Federal Court after court appearance in New York, United States on June 15, 2023. Photo Credit: Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Thirty three US states have grouped together to file a lawsuit accusing Facebook and Instagram's owner Meta of contributing to a youth mental health crisis for the sake of profit. A suit filed in a federal court in California said Meta had "repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its Social Media Platforms". Meta said it sought to make young people safe online.
(Picture: State Senator Andrew Gounardes speaks as Governor Kathy. Picture credit: Getty Images)
Voters in Argentina will be heading to the voting centres on Sunday to cast their ballot in what is widely regarded as the most unpredictable presidential election since the country returned to democracy 40 years ago.
And this comes in the middle of an economic crisis with inflation is at almost 140%.One of the Presidential candidates, Javier Milei is promising to dollarizing the economy and get rid of the local currency, the Peso.
Rahul Tandon discusses this and more of the business news from around with Fermin Koop, Argentine freelance journalist on environmental and climate change, and Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Senior Correspondent and China Credit Reporter for Bloomberg who mainly covers China property debt.
(Picture: A supporter of Argentina's presidential candidate, poses for a picture during the closing of a campaign in Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires province, on October 19, 2023, ahead of Argentina's presidential election to be held on October 22. Photo Credit: JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden has delivered a national primetime address from the White House.The speech has touched on US support for Israel and Ukraine, among other issues of national security. Biden's began his address saying: "We're facing an inflection point in history."
Rahul Tandon discusses this and more of the business news from around with Stephanie Hare, a researcher of technology and politics based in London, and Andy Xie who is independent economist in Shanghai and formerly worked for Morgan Stanley & the World Bank.
(Picture: US President Joe Biden addresses the nation on the conflict between Israel and Gaza and the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 19, 2023. Photo Credit: Jonathan Ernst/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
International aid agencies are waiting to get full details of the opening of Egyptian border with Gaza for aid delivery to the strip after 10 days war. The US president Joe Biden has announced that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has agreed to open the Rafah crossing to a handful of trucks loaded with aid destined for the Gaza Strip. We will hear from The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies about they are ready to deliver this aid to the people who need it.
(Picture: Aid convoy trucks loaded with supplies are seen near the North Sinai in Egypt on October 15, 2023. The aid convoy, organized by a group of Egyptian NGOs, set off today from Cairo for the Gaza-Egypt border crossing at Rafah. Photo credit: Mahmoud Khaled/Getty Images)
Microsoft has completed its $69bn takeover of Call of Duty-maker Activision Blizzard in the gaming industry's biggest ever deal.
Also we will dear about the US healthcare company Kaiser Permanente and its workers have reached a tentative deal, following the largest medical strike on record. More than 75,000 health workers in five US states and Washington DC went on a 72-hour strike for better wages and improved staffing last week.
Vivienne Nunis discusses this and more of the business news from around with Takara Small, Toronto-based technology journalist, and Simon Littlewood, President of ACG Global Growth Delivered based in Singapore.
(Picture: Microsoft acquires Activision Blizzard. The European Union approved Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Photo credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
New Zealanders will be casting their vote on Saturday in the country's general election, 9 months after Jacinda Arden unexpectedly resigned as Prime Minister. They'll be deciding whether to give Labour a third term in office, or flip to a National-led government. We’ll hear from the current finance minister and the deputy leader of the opposition.
Ford Motor shares fell after the United Auto Workers (UAW) union expanded its strike at the company's biggest and most profitable factory in Kentucky. The UAW said 8,700 workers walked out of the truck plant in Kentucky, in response to Ford refusing to move further in contract negotiations.
Vivienne Nunis discusses this and more of the business news from around with Colin Peacock, the host of MediaWatch at Radio New Zealand and Betsey Stevenson, Professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan.
(Photo: A voting sign on display outside a polling booth during election day on October 17, 2020 in Wellington, New Zealand. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Owners of the chip-designer ARM have announced what they're expecting of the most anticipated stock market launch in years.
The price of $51 per share shows how microchips have become an indispensable part of the global economy.
Alongside Peter Ryan, ABC Senior Business Correspondent and Alison Van Diggelen, Host of Fresh Dialogues based in Silicon Valley, Roger Hearing dissects this and the other business news from around the world.
(Picture: Semiconductor chips are seen on a printed circuit board in this illustration picture taken February 17, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo)
The head of BP Bernard Looney has suddenly resigned following allegations over personal relationships with colleagues. We find out what this means for the company going forward.
It's Apple's new product launch day and it was overshadowed by their charging cable. We will be getting the latest news about the tech giant after the EU forced them to change their lightning charger ports.
And dynamic pricing arrives in some British pubs - but will people accept paying more at busy times?
The two leaders are likely to discuss North Korea supplying weapons in support of Russia’s war in Ukraine. We will hear the latest on the economic friendship between the two countries.
And Thailand's new prime minister has announced a cash handout in a bid to revive the economy. $300 will be distributed to every citizen through a digital wallet. We look at how this tactic will revive the country's economy.
Also, US actress Drew Barrymore has caused controversy by bringing her talk show back to the airwaves despite the ongoing Hollywood strikes. We find out how her daytime show will be affected going forward.
(Picture: North Korea's Kim en route to Russia for talks with Putin Credit: Reuters)
Officials at the G20 summit in Delhi say the African Union could become a member. The proposal has been backed by the US and by India, which is hosting the meeting.Roger Hearing discusses this topic and more other stories with Rachel Pupazzoni, Business Reporter at ABC News Australia and Simon Littlewood, Singapore based economics and the President of ACG Global Growth Delivered. (Workers decorate a G20 installation at the International Media Centre (IMC) on the eve of the two-day G20 summit in New Delhi on September 8, 2023. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
World leaders are making their way to Delhi for this weekend's G20 summit. And India is trying hard to present its best face for the visiting dignitaries. But is it trying too hard?The co-working company, WeWork, is looking to renegotiate nearly all of its office leases following a significant decline in its share value since the beginning of the year. The company has 777 locations in 39 countries with long term lease obligations totalling more than $13 billion. Roger Hearing discusses this topics and more other stories with Oliver Stuenkel, associate professor of International Relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Rachel Cartland - author, writer and expert based in Hong Kong. (G20 installation outside Pragati Maidan ahead of the G20 India Summit, on September 7, 2023 in New Delhi, India. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
African leaders have issued a declaration proposing new taxes across the world to fund action against climate change. The United States has announced another billion dollars' worth of aid for Ukraine. It includes a- hundred- and- seventy- five- million dollars in military assistance. Today marks 10 years since Chinese President, Xi Jinping, launched the Belt and Road Initiative on September 7, 2013, proposing new trade routes to create a 'new Silk Road' and widen economic cooperation. What is the impact of this after a decade? Rahul Tandon discusses these topics and more with Alexander Kaufman, Senior Reporter at Huffington Post and Zyma Islam, Journalist at Daily Star in Bangladesh. (A young man getting water from river Shabelle in the city of Gode, Ethiopia, after climate induced drought caused the failure of five rainy seasons, triggering the worst drought in four decades in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. Photo Credit: Getty Images).
The cost of oil jumps above $90 a barrel for the first time in 2023. We look at the reasons and the consequences this can have across the world. A new law has taken effect in New York City that restricts short term rentals through platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO. We find out the details and talk to an Airbnb host about the implications. And we hear about the Belgian government's initiative to put pressure on banks to get them to raise interest rates on deposits. But will it work?Rahul Tandon discusses this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Dana Peterson in New York, who is the Chief Economist & Center Leader of Economy, Strategy & Finance at The Conference Board, and Jessica Khine in Singapore, who is a Corporate Advisor for a boutique in Japan called Astris Advisory.(Picture: An oil and gas pump jack near Granum, in Canada. Picture credit: Reuters)
Russian president Vladimir Putin says the agreement to allow Ukrainian grain exports on the Black Sea will be revived when his demands on exporting Russian products are met. We look into the impact this is having on Ukraine's economy. Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are holding their biannual meeting in Indonesia. We hear about the topics they will discuss and why US president Joe Biden's absence is under scrutiny.Rahul Tandon discusses this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: University of Maryland School of Business professor Peter Morici in the US and ABC's presenter Sinead Mangan in Australia.(Picture: Russian President Putin and Turkey's President Erdogan meet in Sochi, Russia. Picture credit: SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock.)
The highest storm alert is in force in Hong Kong as Typhoon Saola is approaching.
It could be the strongest storm to hit the region in decades, with the Hong Kong Observatory is warning of winds with mean speeds of 118 km/h.
Tens of millions of people in Hong Kong and adjacent areas of mainland China have taken shelter. Emergency shelters have been opening in the city of Shenzhen.
(Picture: HONG KONG, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 01: Super Typhoon Saola hits Hong Kong, China on September 01, 2023. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Tropical Storm Idalia is the most expensive natural disaster to hit the US this year.
UBS has estimated that insurance companies in the state will be have to pay out $10 billion, but that figure could rise.
This will put more pressure on insurance companies in Florida, where nine property insurance firms have closed down since 2021.
We hear from a business that was badly damaged by the storm.
(Picture: PERRY, FL - AUGUST 30: A damaged business in downtown Perry, Fla. Scenes from Perry, Fla. on Wednesday, August 30, 2023 after Hurricane Idalia passed through the area. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Switzerland has outlined a series of measures to combat money laundering and increase transparency in its huge financial sector. They include a register of those who ultimately benefit from trusts and companies - Switzerland is the only European country that doesn't have one.
Toymaker Lego saw profits fall in the first half of the year as the bumper sales growth seen during the pandemic starts to fade.
Burger King must face a lawsuit that alleges it makes its Whopper burger appear larger on its menus than it is in reality, a US judge has ruled. So what goes into photographing food? Can it be cheated?
Roger Hearing discusses these topics and more with Takara Small, technology journalist in Toronto, and Satoshi Shimoda, Senior Staff Writer at Nikkei newspaper, based in Tokyo.
(A sign showing "Bank" written at the entrance of the headquarters of Swiss giant banking UBS. Photo Credit: Getty Images)
US commerce secretary, Gina Raimondo, is calling on Beijing to reduce the risk of doing business in China for American companies. Ms Raimondo says fines, raids and other actions that have made it too risky to do business in the world's second largest economy. She made the remarks during her current 4-day trip to China, but she added she didn't want Washington to cut links with the Chinese economy. The Chinese premier, Li Qiang, accused the United States of politicising trade, which he warned would have a disastrous impact on global finances.
Workers at two large liquefied natural gas plants in Australia are set to go on strike from 7 September, in a move that could drive up global prices. The dispute is about pay and working conditions. The Wheatstone and Gorgon sites produce more than 5% of the world's LNG and about 500 workers are currently employed at the two plants in Western Australia.
Roger Hearing discusses these topics and more with Jyoti Malhotra, Editor, National and Strategic Affairs of The Print news portal in Delhi and Alison Van Diggelen, host of the Fresh Dialogues in San Francisco.
Shares in embattled Chinese property developer Evergrande have fallen almost 80% in their first day of trading in Hong Kong for a year and a half. The shares have lost more than 99% of their value in the past three years as Beijing cracked down on property firms.
A technical issue at UK air traffic control has led to long flight delays and a federal judge has scheduled the trial for Donald Trump for his alleged effort to overturn the 2020 election for 4 March, the day before Super Tuesday, the biggest voting day in the Republican race.
Roger Hearing discusses these topics and more with Gaby Castro-Fontoura, a business consultant based in Uruguay, and Ralph Silva of the Silva Research Network in Toronto, Canada.
(Evergrande Group logo. Photo Credit: Getty Images)
The US Federal Reserve chairman has said the central bank will continue to raise interest rates "if appropriate" as inflation remains "too high". Jerome Powell told an annual gathering of central bankers that the pace of price rises had fallen from a peak.
The Director of the British Museum is stepping down over the way the institution under his leadership handled a series of thefts that have shaken its reputation.
The international leg of Taylor Swift's Eras tour kicked off last night in Mexico City. She is on track to make one billion US dollars from her Eras tour, which would make concert history.
(People shop at a Market in New York City. Photo Credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The BRICS group of nations has invited six countries to join them. They are Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. We look at how some of these countries would benefit from joining this bloc.
China suspends all seafood imports from Japan over the release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific.
Central banks from around the world are gathering for the annual three-day conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
(The national flags of current BRICS members are displayed at the conference centre in South Africa. Photo Credit: Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images)
Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on a private jet which crashed on Wednesday evening north of Moscow with no survivors, the Russian authorities said, raising fears among his allies that he had been killed.
Plus, central bankers from around the world descend on the US mountain resort of Jackson Hole in Wyoming for the Federal Reserve’s annual gathering.
The race to win the Republican nomination for the White House steps up a gear, as the party holds its first presidential debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Roger Hearing will discuss these stories and more with Steven Bertoni, Forbes Senior Editor who is in New York, and Yoko Ishikura, Professor Emeritus at Hitotsubashi University who is in Whistler, Canada.
(Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Russian private security company Wagner, holding a rifle in an unspecified location in Africa on August 21, 2023. Photo credit: Wagner Account/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
British microchip designing giant Arm has announced it has filed paperwork to sell its shares in the US. The Cambridge-based company, which designs chips for devices from smartphones to game consoles, plans to list on New York's Nasdaq in September.
Also, Microsoft has made a new bid to buy Call of Duty-maker Activision Blizzard in the latest twist in the tale of what would be the biggest deal of its kind in the gaming industry. Its original $69bn (£59bn) deal was blocked by UK regulators, but under the new offer Microsoft has agreed to transfer the rights to stream Activision games from the cloud to Ubisoft, a video games publisher, for 15 years.
Roger Hearing will discuss these stories and more with Jeanette Rodrigues, South Asia managing editor for Bloomberg News who's in Mumbai and Walter Todd, the president and chief investment officer for Greenwood Capital in Greenwood, South Carolina.
(Arm's chips are used in devices such as smartphones. Photo Credit: Getty Images)
Tropical Storm Hilary swept across the US state of California on Sunday night, bringing fierce winds and flooding to the Pacific coast. Now headed north to Nevada, the storm passed over Southern California, with record rainfall and flash flooding predicted in the Death Valley National Park. The storm is expected to deal a major blow to the region's economy, including its vineyards which last year generated over $88 billion for the US.
Left-winger Luisa Gonzalez is leading in Ecuador's presidential election. The poll was combined with a referendum, in which voters chose to end oil drilling in the Amazon. What could this mean for the country's economy, given that oil production accounts for almost 30 percent of its exports?
We also head to Valencia to see how people in the city have been celebrating Spain winning the Women's World Cup.
Roger Hearing will be joined throughout the programme by Rachel Pupazzoni, business reporter for ABC News Australia and Peter Morici, economist at the University of Maryland in Alexandra, Virginia.
(Motorists deal with a flooded road and stuck vehicles during heavy rains from Tropical Storm Hilary in Palm Springs, California. Photo Credit: Getty Images)
We discuss how the heavily-indebted Evergrande hopes filing for bankruptcy protection will protect its assets in the US, as it works on a multi-billion dollar deal with creditors. The move comes as problems in China's property market add to concerns about the world's second largest economy.
Also, US President Joe Biden has today hailed a "new era" of unity with the leaders of South Korea and Japan, as the three allies announced security cooperation at a first-of-its-kind summit, at Camp David, west of Washington.
Millions of people will be gearing up to watch the Women's World Cup final over the weekend, when Spain take on England.
Our presenter Rahul Tandon is joined by Takara Small, a technology journalist based in Canada, and Zyma Islam, a reporter with the Daily Star newspaper in Bangladesh.
(Evergrande Group logo. Photo credit: Getty Images)
We look at how US government bonds have become a good source of income for investors.
We hear from one businessman in Canada as wildfires spread across his neighbourhood.
and we discuss why some of the biggest hotel groups in the world are helping to boost all-inclusive holidays
We discuss Joe Biden plans to boost the US economy through the landmark legislation known as the Inflation Reduction Act. We hear the arguments both for and against its potential to develop green industries in the US.
We hear from the man who came up with the term BRICS to describe the economic alliance that binds Brazil, Russia, India and China. The countries came together two decades ago.
And Sotherby’s in California is auctioning off twenty vintage Ferraris which came into their possession in a rather bizarre way.
It has been said that if America sneezes then the world catches a cold and this must now be true of China, the world’s second largest economy.
On Tuesday it unexpectedly cut a key interest rate to try to boost growth and also said it would no longer report figures for youth unemployment. We look at how China’s economic woes are affecting the rest of the world.
(Picture: Businessman looking at cityscape. Picture credit: Getty Images)
The gross domestic product (GDP) figure translated to a quarterly increase of 1.5%. It's the third straight quarter of expansion led by external demand and expanded exports by 3.2% respectively.
The positive GBD data was driven by exports of goods such as automobiles as supply chain constraints, including shortage of semiconductors, eased. Recovering inbound tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic also contributed to the services exports.
(Picture: Japan flag and Japanese Yen cash bills. Picture credit: Getty Images)
A judge in New York has revoked the bail of Sam Bankman-Fried, the former boss of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange, FTX.
He will now remain in jail until his trial in October.
Reports from the courtroom say Mr Bankman-Fried handed his blazer, tie and shoelaces to his lawyers and was then handcuffed by U.S. Marshals.
Vivienne Nunis is joined by Peter Ryan, ABC Australia's senior business correspondent, from Sydney, and Jennifer Pak, China correspondent for Marketplace in Shanghai.
(Picture: NEW YORK, USA - AUGUST 11: FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrives in Manhattan Federal Court to appear in court in New York, United States on August 11, 2023. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
As Hawaii tries to deal with a catastrophic wildfire that has taken 36 lives, we hear how the tourism industry there is trying to evacuate staff and visitors.
Roger Hearing is joined by Simon Littlewood, President of ACG Global in Singapore and technology journalist, Takara Small, in Canada.
(Picture: An aerial image taken on August 10, 2023 shows destroyed homes and buildings on the waterfront burned to the ground in Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
US President Joe Biden will ban some US investment into Chinese quantum computing, advanced chips and artificial intelligence sectors, as it boosts efforts to stop China’s military from accessing American technology and capital. We hear how China have responded to the restrictions and what this means for their future economic relationship.
Entertainment giant Disney has reported losses that shows declines of its television and movie businesses. We get the latest on the future of the company.
And Mexican-American musician Sixto Rodriguez who is best known for his song Sugar Man has passed away. Mr Rodriguez failed to achieve commercial success in the US but years later his music developed a cult following overseas. We reflect back on his career.
Brazil's President Lula is hosting a summit in Belém, northern Brazil alongside seven other nations that share the Amazon. This is in a bid to save it and bring it out of economic turmoil.
The Federal Reserve reports that U.S. credit card debt has hit $1 trillion for the first time toward the end of July. We find out what it means for US consumers and the country.
And seeing as Frank Sinatra’s voice was used on a version of the hip-hop song “Gangsta’s Paradise” and various musicians are being mimicked by Artificial intelligence, Google and Universal Music have plans to license artists songs generated by A.I. We take a look at what this means for copyright claims.
US trucking company Yellow has filed for bankruptcy and will be closing down. The company had received a $700mn Covid-19 relief loan from the Trump administration during the summer of 2020. So will the loan be repaid? And what does it mean for the 30,000 workers expected to lose their jobs?
Also Roger Hearing finds out why Zoom is now calling time on homeworking - as they ask employees within 50 miles of a company office to go in at least two days a week.
And apparently Americans are eating their burgers and fries at home, in their cars and at the office. In fact anywhere but at the fast-food restaurants themselves. McDonald’s, Burger King want big investments in eating areas, prompting pushback from franchisees.
Employment in the US held steady last month, bolstering hopes that the economy will avoid a painful downturn. Latest job figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show employers added 187,000 jobs while the jobless rate dropped to 3.5%.
Plus presenter Leanna Byrne speaks to Shannon K.O’Neil, a Latin American expert and vice-president of the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank in the US, about how inflation and increasing political pressures are pushing more people to leave countries such as Argentina and Venezuela and head north to the US in search of a better life.
Leanna Byrne speaks to Colin Peacock, producer and presenter of Mediawatch in New Zealand and Dr Stephanie Hare, researcher, broadcaster and author in London to discuss the day’s top business stories.
Tech giants Amazon and Apple have released their latest results, tech writer Alison van Diggelen in San Francisco and Sushma Ramachandran, a business journalist and columnist for The Tribune newspaper in New Delhi, join the programme to go over the numbers.
In India, the government is restricting imports of electronic items such as laptops, tablets and phones, we look at the reasons behind the decision and whether this could see the cost of such items rise in the country.
As part of our series on immigration we hear from the Argentine medical professionals leaving their homes and their country in search of better wages.
Three years on from the pandemic when Covid shut down international borders, Americans have rediscovered their love of vacationing abroad. Sam Fenwick speaks to Erika Richter, from the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), about where Americans are travelling to and how much they’re spending on their trips.
Roger Hearing is joined by Steven Bertoni in New York and Karen Lema in Manila to look at the big business and financial stories of the day.
Global grain prices have had a challenging day after Russian attacks on a Ukrainian port on the Danube river reportedly damaged tens of thousands of tonnes of supplies. Roger speaks to Marcelo Elizondo, Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce in Argentina to discuss whether smaller exporters like Brazil and Argentina could step up to fill the gap.
Plus how is Canada reacting after Facebook and Google blocked their Canadian news feeds; government plans to tackle immigration in Chile and the US-American plan to build a new International Space Station.
Roger Hearing is joined by Lori Ann LaRocco in the US and Colin Peacock in New Zealand to discuss some of the major financial stories of the day. The former US President Donald Trump is indicted on more charges - this time around the fallout from the 2020 election.
Ilya Espino de Marotta is the Panama Canal Authority's Deputy Administrator - she tells us about the struggle to keep goods flowing during the drought season.
Plus we ask if being mean in the office is actually the best way to climb the ladder.
PHOTO CREDIT: REUTERS/Lindsay DeDario/File Photo
A slow comeback from Covid has added to China's economic strain, but it's bucking the trend when it comes to global inflation. As an export ban on Chinese rare minerals comes into effect, we explore the impact it could have on the global chip industry. Host Roger Hearing is joined by Fermín Koop in Argentina and Kimberly Adams from Marketplace in the US.
(Picture: Customers at a supermarket in Qingzhou, Shandong province, China. Credit: Getty Images).
Argentina has reached a $7.5bn agreement with the International Monetary Fund, as it tries to get its troubled economy back on track.
The South American nation has been in negotiations with the Fund for months over its $44 billion loan program. That's the biggest outstanding deal that the IMF has with any country anywhere in the world.
(Picture: Close up of Argentine money, 200 pesos bills. Picture credit: Getty Images)
A prolonged heatwave in the US has created concerns in the White House as medics are warning of a rising number of burns and heat strokes in the workplace.
President Biden has announced a number of measures to help Americans deal with extreme temperatures, as a heatwave spreads across large parts of the United States.
(Picture: Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, USA. Picture credit: Getty Images)
Despite inflation being 3% last month, the Federal Reserve raised rates for the 11th time in just over a year.
The benchmark rate rose to a range of 5.25% to 5.5%, the highest level for over 2 decades.
Ed Butler discusses this and all the other business and economic news from around the world with Walter Todd, president and chief investment officer of Greenwood Capital in South Carolina and Jessica Khine, a Corporate Advisor for Astris Advisory, based in Malaysia.
(Picture: A trader works inside a booth, as screens display a news conference by Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell following the Fed rate announcement, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
Several major tech companies, including Alphabet, Microsoft, and Snap Inc., have announced their latest earnings reports.
Both Alphabet and Microsoft have introduced a range of AI products following the release of ChatGPT by OpenAI, which was backed by Microsoft.
Ed Butler discusses this and more economic and business news from around the world with Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Bloomberg's 'Senior Asia Correspondent', based in Hong Kong and Andy Uhler, a research fellow at Columbia University in New York and the University of Texas in Austin.
(Picture: In this photo illustration, a Google logo is seen on a smartphone with a Microsoft logo in the background. Credit: Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Russia used military drones to attack Ukrainian grain warehouses on the Danube River, targeting another vital export route for Kyiv close to its border with Romania.
Global grain prices have spiked as a result, exacerbated by Russia quitting the Black Sea grain deal.
Ed Butler discusses this and more business and economic news from around the world with economist at the University of Maryland, Peter Morici, and Alaezi Akpuru, owner and creative director of the contemporary Nigerian fashion brand, Virgioli Fashion.
(Picture: A grain warehouse destroyed by a Russian drone strike is seen in a sea port, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa Region, Ukraine July 24, 2023. Credit: Press Service of the the Operational Command South of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout)
Businesses in South-West of the United States explain how the weather is impacting them.
India and Sri Lanka have announced that they will carry out feasibility studies on laying an oil pipeline across the narrow sea strait that divides them.
Taylor Swift is the latest big name to take her international tour to Singapore but not Hong Kong.
And, we discuss Burberry, the 170 year old high-fashion brand built on its British principles.
(A sign warns of extreme heat danger on Death Valley National Park on July 15, 2023, in California. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Global wheat prices have risen sharply after Russia carried out missile attacks on military infrastructure near grain ports in Ukraine.
And the new barbie film is on the way but this is not the only film and TV series we expect from the Mattel franchise.
(Picture: TQ Samsun last grain ship off the Black Sea on July 17, 2023 after Russia announced that it withdrew from the Grain Corridor Agreement. Source: Getty Images)
Netflix gained almost 6 million new customers in the past three months after the streaming giant cracked down on password sharing.
The company have reported revenue of $8.2 billion in its second quarter.
(Picture: POLAND - 2023/01/20: In this photo illustration a Netflix logo seen displayed on a smartphone. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Earlier this week John Kerry, the US special envoy on climate, arrived in China to revive efforts to combat global warming.
It's the first substantive meeting of the world’s two largest carbon emitters since relations froze last August.
Sam Fenwick is joined by Alexander Kaufman, senior reporter at HuffPost, in New York and Emily Feng, NPR's International Correspondent covering China and Taiwan.
(Picture: US Climate Envoy John Kerry and China's Premier Li Qiang (R) shake hands before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 18, 2023. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Moscow notified the UN, Turkey and Ukraine on Monday that it would not renew the Black Sea grain initiative, accusing the West of not keeping its side of the bargain. The decision has been condemned by world leaders including the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres and the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
(A farmer holds grains in pictured July 16, 2023. Source: Getty Images)
We're back into earnings season, and, unsurprisingly it's the banks that are attracting most attention - they, are after all, the beneficiaries of the higher interest rates that have come with the Federal Reserve's bid to curb inflation. The first big headline profit result is from JPMorgan Chase - profits for the quarter ending June 30 were $14.5 billion, up 67 percent, while revenues were up 34 percent to $41.3 billion. Part of that was from its purchase of a majority of the failed First Republic Bank's assets in a government-backed deal in May. At Wells Fargo, meanwhile, profits also rose 57 percent to $4.9 billion. Citi however experienced a drop, blaming an anaemic investment banking market as a drag on their revenues.
(Picture: Outside view of a bank with American flag. Picture credit: Getty Images)
Hollywood actors are going on strike. In the last few hours the representatives of the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists - known as SAG-AFTRA, announced its first major strike in 40 years. It follows weeks of talks about pay and the impact of artificial intelligence.
(Picture: Strikes in Hollywood. Picture credit: BBC)
After a many months of discussions, Pakistan has won final approval to borrow $3 billion from the International Monetary Fund. The deal will unlock long-awaited funding from other lenders that should help ease the nation’s dire need for cash and rescue its economy.
(Picture: People are busy selling goods for Independence day. Picture credit: Getty Images)
A US court has given Microsoft the green light to buy the videogame maker Activision Blizzard in a deal worth $69bn. Microsoft said after the US win, it would focus on resolving concerns around competition in the UK. The tech giant's merger with the Call of Duty owner would be the biggest deal of its kind in gaming industry history.
Bank of America has been ordered to pay out $150m (£116m) in penalties after it was found to have opened credit cards without customers' permission.
(Picture: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 by Activision. Source: Getty Images)
Threads, the social media app aimed at rivalling Twitter, has signed up more than 100 million users in less than five days. The platform, launched by Instagram-owner Meta, has beaten a record set by Open AI's ChatGPT app.
China’s consumer inflation rate was flat in June while factory-gate prices fell further, causing alarms about deflation risks and adding to speculation about potential economic stimulus.
Could countries be soon mining the seabed? A meeting of The International Seabed Authority started on Monday to try and hammer out a global code for exactly that.
(The Meta logo with an Instagram Threads logo in the background. Source: Getty Images)
Tech giant Ant Group is one of several companies facing massive fines imposed by the Chinese government. Ant offers loans, credit, investments and insurance to hundreds of millions of customers and small businesses, and is part of the empire of founder Jack Ma.
Plus: the end of an era, as Ford stops production of its iconic Fiesta model.
Roger Hearing is joined by Toronto based tech journalist Takara Small, and Colin Peacock, host of Mediawatch on Radio New Zealand.
Picture: Logos of Alipay and Ant Group (credit CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
On today's show, Roger Hearing looks into Twitter boss Elon Musk's claims that Facebook owner Meta has copied Twitter's trade secrets to build its rival app Threads, claims Meta denies.
Also tonight, guests Frank Tsai, Editor of Shanghai Review and Sarah Kunst, managing director of Cleo Capita discuss a move to force Uber Eats to pay its delivery workers the minimum wage in New York and Taylor Swift's billion dollar tour.
(Picture: Threads and Twitter logos are displayed on a mobile phone. Photo by Berke Bayur/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The US Treasury Secretary touches down in Beijing ahead of a closely-watched trip to ease tensions and restoring ties between the nations.
Meetings are expected to focus on the need for economic cooperation with a view to stabilising the global economy.
Will Bin discusses this and more business news from around the world with Jessica Khine, from investment consultants Astris Advisory in Penang, Malaysia, and Oliver Stuenkel, associate professor of International Relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
(Picture: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen boards a flight bound for Beijing, China from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S. July 5, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Andrea Shalal)
Negotiations between the sides have been going on for 2 decades, with members of the Mercosur trade bloc meeting once again.
We'll hear the latest from the talks in Argentina and why deforestation and beef wars remain hurdles ahead.
Will Bain discusses this and more with senior freelance reporter Karen Percy in Melbourne, Australia and Sergio Guzman, Director of Colombia Risk Analysis, a political risk consulting firm based in Bogotá.
(Picture: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his Argentine counterpart Alberto Fernandez attend a summit of leaders of the Mercosur group, in Puerto Iguazu, Argentina July 4, 2023. Credit: Maria Eugenia Cerutti/Argentine Presidency/Handout)
Over 30 EU lawmakers have signed a document that aims to ensure access to co-working spaces, prohibit tracking workers’ computers at home and protect them from having to send or respond to emails outside of working hours. The non-binding document was developed by the Future Workforce Alliance, a forum of politicians, business leaders and focused on policy changes in response to the digital transformation of work environments. Plus, how a drought in Mexico has resulted in a scarcity of chilli peppers to make hot sauce and why Singapore has been named the world’s most expensive city for a life of luxury. Will Bain discusses all this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Stefanie Yuen Thio, Joint Managing Partner at TSMP Law in Singapore and Andy Uhler, an energy and environment journalist based in Texas. (Picture: Hybrid workplace. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Hollywood actors may join screenwriters in what would be the first two-union strike in the industry in more than sixty years, with huge consequences for film and television production.
Both sides have indicated a willingness to talk for several days past the deadline, which happened before resolutions were reached in the same negotiations in 2014 and 2017.
(Picture: Hollywood writers and their supporters walk the picket line outside Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles, California, June 30, 2023. Picture credit: Getty Images).
US President Joe Biden said he "strongly" disagreed with the court's decision, and the US would need "a new path forward that is consistent with the law".
Plus, we'll be asking what a $1.4 billion deal on lithium mining means for Bolivia and we have a business insight into how AI is going to change the world.
Roger Hearing discusses this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: media entrepreneur Stella Bangura in Sierra Leone and market analyst Ralph Silva in Toronto.
(PICTURE: Pro Affirmative Action supporters and and counter protestors shout at each outside of the Supreme Court of the United States on Thursday, June 29, 2023 in Washington, DC. PICTURE CREDIT: Getty Images)
As Northern US cities struggle with smoke caused by wildfires in Canada, the South of the country tries to cope with intense heatwaves. We hear how a concrete contractor in Texas continues to operate while dealing with high temperatures.
Also in the programme, the US administration is contemplating new export controls on chips for artificial intelligence that could make it harder for American companies to sell advanced chips to China. We find out more.
And would you mind if your local sports team is transferred to another city? That is what fans of baseball team Oakland Athletics are going through. We hear why and what some US policymakers are proposing to stop this.
Will Bain discusses this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Asia Government & Economics correspondent at Bloomberg in Hong Kong, and Alexander Kaufman, energy and climate reporter for Huff Post in New York.
(Picture: Hazy sky from the smoke of the raging Canadian wildfires, hanging over the U.S. Midwest and parts of the East Coast, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. Picture credit: Reuters)
New technology is being used to find deposits of nickel, copper, cobalt and lithium which are vital for the EV battery industry. We hear from a company that is using AI to locate these sought-after minerals. Also in the programme, we hear why the electric truck-maker Lordstown filed for bankruptcy and why it's suing the Taiwanese firm Foxconn. And Apple becomes the latest tech firm to call-out a planned law in the UK which could force encrypted messaging tools like iMessage, WhatsApp and Signal to scan messages for child abuse material. Will Bain discusses this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: David Kuo, co-founder of the Smart Investor firm in Singapore, and Walter Todd, president of Greenwood Capital in South Carolina. (Picture: Lithium deposits. Picture credit: Reuters)
As the leader of Wagner's mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, defends his "march on Moscow," we take a look at the economic implications for Russia.
Also in the show, we find out what sea bed mining is – and why it's so controversial.
And we hear about the latest acquisition in the sports industry made by Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds.
Roger Hearing discusses this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Peter Morici, an economist at the University of Maryland in Virginia, and Alaezi Akpuru, owner and creative director of Nigerian contemporary womenswear brand Virgioli Fashion in Lagos, Nigeria.
(Picture: Wagner Group in Rostov-on-Don. Picture credit: EPA)
The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin is being investigated for inciting mutiny after accusing the Russian military of launching a deadly missile strike on his troops.
(Picture: Yevgeny Prigozhin Picture credit: Getty Images)
President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a number of deals. While secretaries signing the papers, the economic relationships are 'booming', according to Biden, with trade more than doubling over the past decade.
(Picture: Official State Visit Of Indian Prime Minister Modi To The U.S. Picture credit: Getty Images)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the United States at the invitation of President Biden, and has held a meeting with Tesla CEO Elon Musk who wants to bring Tesla to India.
Next in line are CEOs from the likes of FedEx, Apple and Google who are among the top bosses invited to attend the state banquet at the White House with him on Thursday.
Devina Gupta discusses this and other business stories from around the world with Satoshi Shimoda, a senior journalist with the Nikkei newspaper in Japan and Andy Uhler, an energy specialist in the US.
(Picture: Biden welcomes Modi at the White House, Washington, USA - 21 Jun 2023 Credit: Photo by Yuri Gripas/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
America saw a surge in applications to build new homes in May, driven by single-family homebuilding projects which rose at it's highest rate in 3 decades.
We find out what this means for the market's recovery and if this boom makes housing affordable for buyers.
Devina Gupta discusses this and other business stories from around the world with Sarah Birke, Bureau Chief for Mexico, Central America and The Caribbean at the Economist, and Jyoti Malhotra, National & Strategic Affairs editor with The Print website in India.
(Picture: Construction workers build multifamily housing in San Diego, California, U.S., January 13, 2023 Credit: REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo)
Indian carrier IndiGo has agreed to buy 500 Airbus A320 aircraft in a deal worth roughly $55bn.
The agreement was announced on the first day of the Paris Airshow.
Devina Gupta discusses this and more business news from around the world with Takara Small, technology journalist based in Toronto and Sergio Guzmán, director of Colombia Risk Analysis based in Bogotá.
(Picture: Airbus wins record 500-plane order from India's IndiGo Credit: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier)
The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, is heading to Beijing to restore the line of communication between the two countries after a persistent economic and diplomatic tensions.
Filipinos make up around a quarter of all mariners worldwide, but many find it hard to get proper care abroad because of confusing legal loopholes.
And should tourists try their hand at haggling abroad – or just pay what they’re asked?
(Picture: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Source: Getty Images)
Leaders and representatives from various African countries are traveling to Eastern Europe in an effort to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia – and provide an Africa-led boost to the world’s economy. Roger Hearing is joined by ambassador Rama Yade from the Atlantic Council’s Africa Centre to discuss the visit.
Foxconn, one of the biggest electronics manufacturers in the world, makes more than half of Apple’s products as well as goods for Amazon, Dell and Sony amongst others. But how is the Taiwan-based giant coping amid increasing US-China tensions? The company’s CEO Young Liu speaks to the BBC’s Karishma Vaswani.
With the Fed holding US interest rates this week, and inflation apparently back within manageable limits, now America’s labour market is coming under scrutiny.
(Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) greets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (L). Archive image. Source Getty Images)
Roger Hearing looks at how the Federal Reserve has left the United States interest rates unchanged and steady for the first time in more than a year. However, its latest economic forecast suggest that more rate hikes lie ahead.
Half of workers aren’t engaged on the job, putting in slightest effort to get by, according to research by Gallup. Employee engagement, a measure of involvement and enthusiasm at work, globally declined for the second year in a row.
And the frenzy stoked by the start of the Beyonce's world tour is has been driving up prices in Sweden.
(Picture: Shopper in a supermarket in New York, in JUNE 12. Source: Getty Images)
This week the EU votes on ways to regulate AI. Vice-President Margrethe Vestager leads the charge against threats posed by artificial intelligence. She tells the BBC that although the threat of human extinction ”probably does exist”, the likelihood is “quite small”. She says initial threats include discrimination, and criminals getting ahead of the police in understanding AI. This week European politicians debate the issue as they vote on the AI Act. It's the first law for AI systems in the West and it largely categorizes the away AI is used into four levels of risk: unacceptable risk, high risk, limited risk and minimal or no risk. If the legislation passes, unacceptable risk applications would banned by default and will not be deployed in European countries.
U.S inflation has fallen again – but is it enough to prevent an interest rate rise? Inflation was down to 4% in the US at the end of May – its lowest since 2021. Prices for eggs, petrol and furniture were down, helping to cut inflation to less than half of its peak a year ago. But as the U.S central bank prepares to meet later this week, all eyes will be on whether the continued downward trend is enough to persuade the Fed to hold back on further rises to interest rates.
And - how much money do you need to be wealthy in America? You might be surprised - Americans suggest it's around $2.2 million. The evidence comes in the annual Modern Wealth Survey carried out by the financial services company Charles Schwab.
Picture: European Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager (REUTERS/Johanna Geron)
The U.S watchdog has asked a judge to block a $69 billion bid by Microsoft to buy Activision Blizzard.
The gaming company makes ‘Call of Duty’ and many other titles. But the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) position on the deal is now closer to the that taken by the UK regulator. The issue hangs on claims the sale would give Microsoft's Xbox exclusive access to Activision games, leaving Nintendo consoles and Sony's PlayStation out in the cold.
Also in the U.S, America's biggest bank, JPMorgan Chase, has agreed in principle to settle a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of victims of the convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. The case was brought by one victim on behalf of hundreds of other women and girls abused by the disgraced financier. The bank is facing a bill of around $290 million.
And – you may have heard of ‘greenwashing’ – but have you heard of the new phrase…green-hushing’? We find out why companies are suddenly starting to keep their green credentials to themselves.
Facebook's owner shows staff plans for a text-based social network designed to compete with Twitter. We hear more about this BBC exclusive.
Also in the programme, Jack Daniels has won a peculiar case against a firm that sold dog toys shaped like its emblematic bottle of whisky. We look into the arguments considered by the judge.
Roger Hearing discusses these and more stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Radio New Zealand's Colin Peacock in Wellington and Diane Brady, assistant managing editor at Forbes, in New York.
(Picture: Meta. Picture credit: Reuters)
Canada has lost 30,000 firemen since 2016. We talk to the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs about their call for more efforts to boost recruitment amid the country's worst wildfire season on record.
And as home and hybrid working extend well beyond the pandemic, we look into the footprint they are leaving in the design of the office space.
Will Bain discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Delhi-based business journalist Sushma Ramachandran and technology journalist Takara Small in Toronto.
(Picture: Firefighter in Nova Scotia, Canada. Picture credit: Reuters)
Smoke from Canada fires blankets the US. New York's famous skyscrapers smothered in an orange tinged smog, and residents resorting to wearing face masks, the authorities are issuing health warnings, urging people to stay inside, if possible.
Meanwhile, business owners are continuing running their business with hopes for the clear skies in the future.
(Picture: Park Avenue Picture credit: Getty Images )
The surprising announcement of the merge among two competitors: PGA Tour and LIV Golf became a real sensation.
The agreement comes after a year of unprecedented disruption in the men's game following the launch of LIV.
It means pending litigation between the tours will be halted and they will move forward as part of the same enterprise.
(Picture Golf ball on green. Picture credit: Getty Images)
Apple has unveiled a much-anticipated augmented reality headset, Apple Vision Pro, in its first major hardware launch for almost a decade. The tech firm also announced its latest iPhone operating system, as well as updates to MacBook Air.
The headset has a two-hour battery life, costs $3,499 (£2,849) and will be released early next year in the US.
(Picture: Apple Vision Pro. Picture credit: Apple)
President Joe Biden has called for national unity after confirming he will sign the debt ceiling deal between Republicans and Democrats. Rahul Tandon discusses this and how best anger can be managed and averted in the workplace with Associate Professor Mandy O'Neill, of George Mason University in Virginia.Peter Ryan, ABC's senior business correspondent in Sydney, and Lori Ann Larocco, senior editor of guests at CNBC in New Jersey, also join the show to talk about this and more of the world's business news.(Picture: President Joe Biden addresses the nation on averting default and the Bipartisan Budget Agreement in the Oval Office of the White House on 2 June 2023 in Washington DC. Credit: Jim Watson-Pool/Getty Images)
With Airbnb taking New York City to court over its attempts to force rental owners to register their homes, Ed Butler speaks to Cara Eisenpress, a senior technology reporter for Crains New York Business, about what it means for the city.
Ed Butler also discusses whether communication tools like WhatsApp and Teams cause more problems than solutions within the workplace with Washington DC-based leadership & executive coach Michael Seelman.
Meanwhile we hear about other business stories from around the World with Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter in California, the BBC's Washington correspondent Jessica Parker, Steven Bertoni whose a senior editor at Forbes in New York, and Jyoti Malhotra, an editor at The Print website in New Delhi.
(Picture: An Airbnb logo displayed on a smartphone. Credit: Photo Illustration by Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
We get the latest from Washington as Congress gets to vote on raising the debt ceiling.The US would begin defaulting on its $31.4tn debt if the borrowing limit isn't lifted by 5 June.Ed Butler discusses this and more of the world's business news with Financial Journalist and broadcaster Salve Duplito in the Philippines and Peter Jankowskis from Arbor Financial Services in the US.(Picture: The dome of the U.S. Capitol Building is reflected in a puddle on a rainy morning in Washington February 2, 2012. Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo)
A new open letter warning that the risks of artificial intelligence are as serious as pandemics and nuclear war, has been released by tech leaders.The chief executives of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Google DeepMind are among those to have supported the statement.Ed butler discusses this and the rest of the business news from around the world with President Of AGC Global, Simon Littlewood in Singapore and from Delhi, Madhavan Narayanan, freelance writer and former senior editor at Hindustan Times.(Picture: AI Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken, May 4, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)
As International talks to tackle the usage of plastics begin in Paris, we ask what does the world need to do to get a grip of consumption?Do meetings get in the way of work? A new study has found that people are in 3 times more meetings and calls a week in February 2020.Rahul Tandon discusses this and other business stories from around the world with Peter Morici, economist at the University of Maryland and Rachel Pupazzoni, national business reporter and presenter with ABC News.(Picture: Plastic waste seen at the ALBA Group recycling plant in Berlin, Germany. Credit: EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN)
President Biden has said that he should know by the end of Friday whether there is a deal with Republicans to raise the government debt ceiling, so it can continue to pay its bills. Mr Biden said things were looking good and he thought negotiators were very close to a deal. The two sides have a little more breathing room after the US Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, extended the debt ceiling deadline by four days, to 5 June.(Picture: U.S. President Joe Biden. Source: Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Nvidia, a US firm which specializes in chips powering artificial intelligence, surged as much as 27% on Thursday, putting the company on course for record performance with a market cap above $900 billion.But where is the future of AI while there are raising concerns about regulation and safety?And have you ever heard of ‘greedflation’? Find out why price rises might be bringing out some unsavoury tendencies in retail. (Picture: The logo of NVIDIA is seen displayed on a mobile phone screen with AI (artificial intelligence) written in the background. Source: Getty Images)
Florida governor Ron DeSantis has filed the necessary paperwork to run for the US presidency, saying he's Donald Trump without the drama. Mr DeSantis is expected to be one of the strongest challengers to the current leader in the polling: Donald Trump, despite being some way behind him. Kasia Madera is joined by Kimberly Adams, a correspondent for Marketplace in the US and Alicia Garcia Herrero, an economist in Singapore.(Picture: SIOUX CENTER, IA - MAY 13: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the annual Feenstra Family Picnic at the Dean Family Classic Car Museum in Sioux Center, Iowa, on Saturday, May 13, 2023. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Apple have announced a multi-billion-dollar deal with technology and manufacturing company Broadcom to produce 5G components to be used in its products. Kasia Madera is joined by economist Gaby Castro-Fontoura in Uruguay and report Andy Uhler in the US.(Picture: CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 07: Apple CEO Tim Cook wears a new Apple Watch Ultra during an Apple special event on September 07, 2022 in Cupertino, California. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
US President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy have been in talks over raising the U.S. federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling. Kasia Madera is joined by Jessica Khine, Corporate Advisor for the investment firm Astris Advisory in Malaysia and Walter Todd, president and chief investment officer at Greenwood Capital in the US.
It's day two of the G7 summit, and the leaders of the group of major developed economies are in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. So far the focus of their talks has been Russia and Ukraine - today there is another major issue on the table – China. The Indian government says it will start withdrawing its highest value currency note from circulation saying it is not widely in use. People have been asked exchange their two-thousand rupee notes (worth around twenty five dollars) for smaller denominations by the end of September. An official from the central bank said the withdrawal would not cause any disruption to normal life or the economy.NASA has awarded the contract to build its astronaut Moon lander to a consortium led by Blue Origin - the space company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.(Picture: G7 leaders (left to right) Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, US President Joe Biden, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Council President Charles Michel and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni arrive for the family photo at the Itsukushima Shrine during the G7 Summit on May 19, 2023 in Hiroshima, Japan. Source: Stefan Rousseau - Pool/Getty Images).
G7 summit started with new sanctions against Russia and discussion about Ukraine. The assembled world leaders, including the US president, Joe Biden, will hold talks on Indo-Pacific security in light of China’s threat to Taiwan, as well as nuclear disarmament, a key subject for Fumio Kishida, the Japanese prime minister.(Picture: Hiroshima Hosts G7 Summit. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
The ban will take effect in 2024 although doubts about how it will be enforced remain. We explore the legal aspects of the new legislation and the impact it could have on businesses that rely on the app to reach their clients.Political instability is affecting the economy in Pakistan, where the former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, says that police have surrounded his home in the city of Lahore and that he expects to be rearrested soon. We hear from a business based in Karachi, the country's commercial capital.Also in the programme, we look into the challenges of transitioning to greener economic models to fight climate change.Rahul Tandon discusses these and other business news with two guests throughout the programme: Sergio Guzman, director at Colombia Risk Analysis in Bogotá, and Moneeza Butt, partner at KPMG in Pakistan.. (Photo: TikTok logo on a mobile screen. Credit: EPA)
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, says at a hearing before the US Senate, that governments must work to mitigate risks of increasingly powerful models of artificial intelligence. We look into the challenges that the technology brings for regulators.Also in the programme, we listen to the latest from the negotiations to increase the US debt ceiling to avoid a default that could harm the economy. And we ask Sri Lankans' about their expectations in a country that has battled through an unprecedented level of economic crisis.Roger Hearing looks into these and more business news throughout the programme with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Simon Littlewood, President of ACG Global Growth Delivered in Singapore, and Tony Nash, CEO at Complete Intelligence in Houston, Texas.
European regulators back a $69bn deal that was vetoed in the UK. A decision on the merge by US authorities is expected in the next few months. We take a look at the potential fallout of the takeover.Also in the programme, we take a look at the rise and fall of Vice Media, which has just filed for bankruptcy. Once thought to be the future of journalism, firms like Vice and Buzzfeed are now fighting to survive. We find out why.And we listen to how Argentines do business in an economy where inflation stands at 109% and interest rates have been raised to 97%.Roger Hearing discusses these and other business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Alaezi Akpuru, owner and creative director of Virgioli Fashion, who's in Lagos, and Peter Morici, economist at the University of Maryland, in Virginia. (Picture: Illustration of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard game characters. Picture credit: Reuters)
Elon Musk has announced his replacement as the chief executive of Twitter.He’s confirmed that NBC Universal executive Linda Yaccarino will succeed him in the role.To take up the post Yaccarino resigned her role at NBC Universal - where she had worked as Chairman of Global Advertising and Partnerships for 12 years. Will Bain speaks to Claire Atkinson, Chief Media Correspondent at Insider, who crossed paths with Linda when they both worked at NBC about what sort of boss she’ll be and the challenges that lay ahead.On Saturday the final of the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Liverpool in the UK. The city is hosting the annual competition on behalf of last year’s winners, Ukraine, and as music fans from around the world descend on the city, reporter Hannah Mullane, finds out what it means for businesses there.
After more than three years, a controversial Trump-era immigration policy known as Title 42 has been lifted. The policy allowed border officials to turn back many would-be migrants, to help stop the spread of the Covid virus. Simultaneously new rules will come into effect, barring asylum seekers who travel through another country without requesting asylum there first. The BBC’s Mexico, Central America and Cuba correspondent, Will Grant, has the latest from Mexico. Adidas has decided to sell old Yeezy stock and donate some of the proceeds to charity. The company cut ties with the rapper last year over his anti-semitic comments.There is currently thought to be one billion pounds worth of Yeezy stock sitting in Adidas warehouses. Sportswear industry consultant, Ed Stoner, who previously worked at Adidas talks to Will Bain about the thinking behind this decision.Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna speaks to the BBC’s International Business Correspondent, Theo Leggett, about how a brand known for speed and supercars is looking to produce greener vehicles.
The price of goods and services in the US remains high but inflation was slightly weaker than forecast in April, bolstering hopes that the Federal Reserve’s interest rate increases are taking effect.(Picture: People at a food bank in the US. Credit: Getty Images.)
President Joe Biden’s attempts to come to an agreement with Republican leaders about raising the US debt ceiling. Both sides conclude talks without reaching an agreement. Mr Biden wants to meet again to prevent the looming risk of an unprecedented government default. Protests take place in Pakistan after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. His supporters come out onto the streets leading to more unrest in a country that is still trying to secure an IMF deal.Twice as many people travelled in the first three months of this year compared with the same time last year according to research. A UN report suggests that overall, international travel is back at 80% of pre-pandemic levels. Presenter Sam Fenwick is joined on the programme by Satoshi Shimonda a Senior Journalist at the Japanese based Nikkei Asia newspaper, and also by Alison Schrager, a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and columnist at Bloomberg Opinion to discuss these and other business stories from across the world. (Picture:US President Joe Biden speaks with the media after meeting with Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, Source: Photo EPA/BONNIE CASH Pool )
Australia is setting up the final touches to its annual budget statement. It's projected to record a $4 billion surplus this financial year. The government will also set aside millions for wage rises for care workers and extend financial support for single parents, while banking most of the savings to put budgets on a more sustainable footing.(Picture: The Treasury, Australia. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Royalty and dignitaries from around the world have arrived in London ahead of the coronation of King Charles. Many of them will be guests in Westminster Abbey on Saturday morning when at 11 o'clock in the morning the coronation ceremony will begin. Millions of other people across the UK and beyond are preparing to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III - a symbolic ceremony combining a religious service and pageantry. The day of splendour and formality will feature customs dating back more than 1,000 years. King Charles III is head of the Commonwealth countries and the head of state of 14 countries. (Picture: His Majesty King Charles III. Source: WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Apple has reported quarterly revenue and profit above Wall Street's expectations, fuelled by strong iPhone sales - particularly in emerging markets such as India (where the company recently opened its first stores). The US tech giant reported profits of twenty-four billion dollars ($24 billion) on revenue of ninety-four-point-eight billion dollars ($94.8 billion) in the first three months of this year.The US regional banking sector is coming under renewed pressure amid a crisis in confidence. Trading in the California lender PacWest was briefly suspended as shares fell more than fifty percent, after its owners confirmed it had explored strategic asset sales. The British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has won Thinking Out Loud copyright case. A New York court ruled today that Mr Sheeran did not copy Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On when composing the track. (Picture: An iPhone logo in Shanghai, China. Source: Getty Images)
The US Central Bank has raised its interest rates to its highest level in 16 years The moves are aimed at stabilising inflation and have pushed the target range for its benchmark rate to between 5% and 5.25%. But there are concerns that this might put increasing pressure on banks, after 3 recent failures. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said the US was "getting close or maybe even there" to pausing its rate-hike campaign but was prepared to do more if warranted. But there has been criticism from some economists with one describing the rise as ‘throwing the US labour market under a bus’.The shareholders of the British company Unilever have overwhelmingly rejected an executive pay plan. Unilever, the makers of consumer goods ranging from soap to ice-cream, had planned to give its incoming boss Hein Schumacker a base salary before bonuses of nearly two million dollars. But shareholders slapped down the offer - a whopping 60% rejected it. This comes on the day that new research suggested average pay for the top U.S. chief executives rose 7.7% last year We also report on an Israeli food-tech company that has announced it has managed to produce the world's first ever ready-to-cook fish fillet using 3-d printing technology.And – just how does the French Finance Minister find the time to write erotic literature with the country facing a great deal of economic upheaval?
Geoffrey Hinton helped to establish some of the basic foundations of AI but now fears the technology is racing ahead too fast. He is leaving Google after more than ten years so he can speak more freely about the risks. The White House says First Republic bank, which collapsed to be taken over by JP Morgan, was ‘severely mismanaged’. However, some customers and former staff disagree. The failure of San Francisco-based First Republic is the second-largest in US history and the third in the country since March.And, Hollywood writers and television producers approach a deadline to sign a new contract - or take strike action…the first such action in 15 years. (Picture: Getty Images)
The bank's shares plunge by more than 40% as plans for its survival fail to materialise. We talk to a depositor about his concerns and we ask experts what First Republic's clients like him can expect as news that the bank might be placed under receivership start to emerge. Also in the programme, we take a look into sustainable fashion now that the European Parliament’s Environment Committee has outlined a series of recommendations and measures to encourage members to produce circular, sustainable and socially responsible textiles. We also discuss Japan’s pledge to have women occupying at least 30% of executive positions in the country's top companies by the end of the decade. And we hear from Jason Derulo about the skills needed to succeed in the music industry.Devina Gupta is joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Senior Asia Correspondent with Bloomberg in Hong Kong, and Takara Small, a technology journalist in Toronto.(Picture: A man works inside one of the First Republic Bank branches in New York. Picture credit: Reuters)
The US economy grew 1.1% in the year to March, down from 2.6% in the previous quarter. American consumers kept spending despite inflation, contributing to GDP expansion. But growth slowed down as businesses pulled back on investment and hiring. We hear from experts and businesses about the consequences this. Also in the show, we take a look at India’s plans to start producing genetically modified mustard seeds, and we listen to women who have experienced impostor syndrome.Devina Gupta is joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Colin Peacock, host of MediaWatch in New Zealand, and James Early, Chief Investment Officer at BBAE in the United States.(Picture: Illustration of US flag and dollars. Picture credit: Getty)
Microsoft's proposed $68.7bn deal to takeover game developer Activision Blizzard has been blocked by UK regulators over competition concerns. We get reaction to the decision from a former Vice President at Microsoft, Peter Moore.Devina Gupta discusses this and more business stories from around the world with Tony Nash, Chief Economist at Complete Intelligence in the US and Yoko Ishikura, Professor Emeritus at Hitotsubashi University in Japan.(Picture: Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard logo in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)
As Joe Biden officially launches his bid to be re-elected as President of the United States, we look at his economic record, and the challenges he might face in a second term.Roger Hearing discusses this and more business news from around the world with Hayley Woodin, Editor in Chief of news publication, Business in Vancouver and Alaezi Akpuru, owner and creative director of Nigerian contemporary womenswear brand, Virgioli Fashion in Lagos.(Picture :U.S. President Joe Biden, who just announced his re-election campaign for president, delivers remarks at North America's Building Trades Unions Legislative Conference at the Washington Hilton, Washington D.C, U.S., April 25, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Leah Millis)
Fox News has parted ways with their top presenter Tucker Carlson, a week after the firm's surprise decision to settle a multi-million dollar lawsuit over its reporting of the last Presidential election. His show regularly attracted more than three million viewers every evening. Meanwhile rival network CNN has terminated their contract with one of their leading hosts, Don Lemon. Roger Hearing discusses this and other business stories from around the world with Dante Disparte, chief strategy officer and head of global policy at Circle in Washington, and Zyma Islam, Journalist for The Daily Star in Bangladesh in Dhaka.
The US Supreme Court has ruled that the abortion pill Mifepristone can still be available while a legal appeal against its use is considered. Mifepristone is part of a two-drug regimen that now accounts for more than half of abortions in the US.The UK's deputy prime minister Dominic Raab has resigned over bullying accusations in his role. The former deputy prime minister has denied the claims, we find out what exactly constitutes as workplace bullying.What if we could reverse your biological age or how about the idea of being able to increase our "healthspans" - live our healthy years for longer? Imagine feeling like you're 40 at 60. BBC Click presenter Lara Lewington has been to California and met a tech billionaire, who's trying to do just that. (Picture: The U.S. Supreme Court building is seen in Washington, U.S. Credit: Reuters.)
President Joe Biden has said the US will put another $1 billion into a US climate fund to help tackle climate change in developing countries. Biden announced his plans at the virtual Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate.Elon Musk's SpaceX company's new rocket, Starship, has exploded on its first ever flight. The rocket blew up within minutes but the launch was still deemed a success. The Tesla owner has said his company will try again with another test flight in a couple of months.This weekend millions of people in Pakistan will be celebrating Eid - the Muslim festival that marks the end of Ramadan. This year it has been particularly challenging as the usually lavish meals enjoyed after fasting have been hit by the rising cost of food. We head to Pakistan to find out what it has been like during this time.
Apple Chief Executive, Tim Cook, has met with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, as he is looking for a market growth and investment in India.Tesla shares dropped 2% after the electric-vehicle maker cuts down the price U.S for the sixth time this year. Tesla shares slid further in initial after-market trading on Wednesday following the company's quarterly report. April 18th - was Tax Day in the US - the day that marks the deadline for individuals to file their income tax returns for the year. That opportunity was by a group of billionaires to bring a protest to the US Congress too - demanding they pay more tax.It's been a challenging time for the global airline industry. Demand has yet to recover following the Covid pandemic - and this week industry leaders have warned the cost of de-carbonising flights could send passenger costs even higher in the years to come.(Picture: Men talk on their mobile phones in front of an iPhone 14 advertisement, in India. Source: Sankhadeep Banerjee/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The US voting technology firm Dominion has settled with Fox News just before their defamation trial was due to begin. Dominion had sought $1.6bn (£1.3bn) from Fox, whom it claimed spread falsehoods about its voting machines in the 2020 presidential election. The final settlement agreed between both parties was for $787.5m.The world of its biggest competitor the streaming giant Netflix has just released its latest financial results and it has bounced back from the loss of 200,000 subscribers a year ago. Pew Research in the United States found that even when women earnt the same as a male partner - they still spent more of their down time caring for either children or elderly parents - as opposed to the men who spent it - doing whatever they wanted.Baseball's new pitch clock designed to speed up the pace of the game has won many fans - just not in professional teams' commercial departments. (People walk by the News Corporation headquarters, home to Fox News, on April 18, 2023 in New York City. Source: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
There have been economic tensions between the US and China that has been for some time dominating the news and the involvement of their respective allies. Is this a new trade war that is coming back to the boil?And as a jobseeker, ChatGPT is affecting job applications as fears of cheating grow and employers thinking to disqualify any AI-aided submissions. (Picture: A photo illustration showing Chinese 100 yuan banknotes and US banknotes in Beijing. Source: EPA/WU HONG)
A twenty-one-year-old US National Guardsman Jack Teixeira has appeared in court in Boston accused of leaking highly-sensitive military intelligence. He’s said to have distributed very damaging intelligence on everything from Ukraine's war plans to Washington spying on its allies like South Korea. But there's one part of this that is especially interesting - it was all initially distributed on Discord, a social media platform, popular with gamers.(Picture: Two Wooden People Figures Communicating. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has started his trip to China. The trip's aim is to upgrade relations with China now that Lula is back in office and seek new Chinese investment in the Latin American country.(Picture: Inauguration of Lula Da Silva as The 39th President of Brazil. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
US inflation fell to 5% last month – the lowest rate since May 2021. March’s monthly consumer price index – which measures the price of a ‘basket’ of goods and services – continued its steady decline from its peak of just over 9%. It prompted US President Joe Biden to tweet that: “Inflation has come down 45% since its summer peak. Gas prices are down, and grocery prices fell last month for the first time since September 2020”. But the slowdown is not expected to sway officials at the Federal Reserve, who set interest rates. Economists are still expecting an increase. Also in the US - some ambitious new targets have been announced for cutting greenhouse gas emissions from cars. The Environmental Protection Agency wants two-thirds of all new vehicles to be electric within a decade. It's the latest step by the Biden administration to push for the mass adoption of EVs. Last year, electric vehicles made up about six percent of the American market so there's a long way to go to hit those targets. Are they realistic? And - do you fancy buying a dinosaur skeleton?...because if you do next week is your big chance. The full skeleton of a T-Rex goes to auction in Switzerland. But you'll need a minimum of around $5 million if you fancy bidding. There is, however, some concern about the whole ethics of selling off such rare fossils. Will the public ever get to see it in future - or will fossil ownership simply become another rich person's toy?(Picture: President Biden during his visit to Ireland, Courtesy Getty Images)
The International Monetary Fund raises concerns about the sudden failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the United States, and the loss of market confidence in Credit Swiss. At its spring conference with the World Bank in Washington, the IMF warned that global financial stability risks have increased rapidly in the last few months, in part because banks generally didn't prepare adequately for interest rates increases. The IMF warns that this might impact in particular regional and smaller banks in the US.Meanwhile, in Japan where interest rates are at 2%, we look at what the Bank of Japan might do with rates in the future. The central bank has indicated that it may revise or even abandon its targeting of long-term interest rates by the end of September - if conditions are right. And – we report on a novel way of increasing productivity in Bangladesh – providing workers with free glasses to improve their eyesight.
The spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are beginning in Washington - the major global financial institutions - are gathering at a time of profound concern about persistent inflation, struggling countries, and the health of the banking system. It follows several failures of regional banks and uncertainty in giant finance houses like Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank There’s another twist in the story of FTX - the crypto-currency exchange that collapsed spectacularly last year in what US prosecutors say was an "epic" fraud. It's now emerged that the former bosses of FTX joked about losing tens of millions of dollars and even signed off expenses with emojis. These are just some of the findings of an initial report from the new management team at the company.And President Joe Biden arrives in Northern Ireland on Tuesday to join ceremonies marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement. He will be meeting business leaders there - and that's significant because business problems with the post-Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland have been a big factor in the current failure to re-establish devolved government. (Picture courtesy Getty Images: The World Bank and IMF Spring meeting in Washington)
Samsung announces cuts to microchip production as it blames reduced demand for falling profits.We ask how the industry has gone from scarcity to surplus, in a matter of months.Will Bain discusses this and all the other global business news stories with Dr Stephanie Hare, technology researcher, and Rebecca Choong Wilkins of Bloomberg News in Hong Kong.(Picture: A man visits Semicon China, a trade fair for semiconductor technology, in Shanghai, China March 17, 2021. Credit: REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo)
Head of the IMF Kristalina Georgieva describes road ahead as "rough and foggy" while predicting describes road ahead as "rough and foggy".She was speaking in Washington ahead of the IMF's annual meeting, and called for more help for low-income countries.Will Bain discusses this and other business stories from around the world with Peter Jankovskis at Arbor Financial Services in Illinois, and Alicia Garcia-Herrero, Chief Economist at Natixis in Hong Kong.(Picture: A man walks past the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo at its headquarters in Washington, U.S., May 10, 2018. Credit: REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo)
Healthcare company Johnson and Johnson has offered nearly $9 billion to settle a claim from tens of thousands of people who claim its talc product caused cancer. We hear from a lawyer whose firm is representing 17,000 claimants who say they've been affected by the company's trademarked talcum powder product. The housing boom is definitely over. In Europe anyway. House prices in the EU have suffered their first quarterly fall since 2015, according to the EU statistics office this week. House-hunters in Germany and Denmark tells us of their difficulties finding a home.Police forces around the world have launched a major joint operation to dismantle one of the biggest criminal marketplaces online. Genesis Market is thought to have sold personal information, such as passwords, stolen from more than two million people in the past six years. The details have allowed fraudsters to impersonate their victims online without raising suspicions. Globally, 200 searches were carried out and 120 people were arrested.And, Sri Lanka's economic crisis is having a devastating effect on what used to be one of Asia's most successful emerging economies. It's shrunk by a fifth in the last 3 years alone. And that's having an impact on the population, hundreds of thousands of whom are simply packing up to leave the island. We speak to some of them leaving – and those left behind.(Picture courtesy Getty Images)
Under the new US guidance carmakers are able to partake in a subsidy for electric vehicle purchases if it meets a threshold set by the US government for sourcing and processing components. Did Google use its dominant position with online adverts at the expense of publishers' revenue? As that is the case being brought against the tech giant and it's for over $4 billion. We get the latest from a technology reporter in the US. Going to college is an expensive business - especially in the US. A recent poll found that over half of Americans don’t think a college degree is worth the cost. We hear from an NYU graduate who is currently applying for grad school.(Picture: Woman plugging the charging cable into her electric car: Getty Images.)
A New York grand jury has voted to indict former President Donald Trump on charges involving payments made to a porn star during the 2016 presidential campaign. He is being investigated over a $130,000 pay-out to Stormy Daniels in an attempt to buy her silence over an alleged affair.Former Chief Executive Howard Schultz has been up in front of the US Congress defending claims made that they illegally fired pro-union baristas or spied on workers as hundreds of US stores organized unions starting in late 2021. We hear from a Starbucks worker on what the company claims really happened.Spices are on the rise, and some are saying this is due to increasing health concerns, the effect of the pandemic forcing more people to cook at home, and even social media fads. We hear more from a farmer in California. (Picture: Former President Donald Trump at NCAA Wrestling Championships. Credit: Reuters.)
Tsai Ing-wen left Taiwan on Wednesday afternoon for a 10-day trip to visit Central American allies, Belize and Guatemala. The trip includes two stopovers, in New York on the way in, and Los Angeles on the way out. Tsai is expected to meet with the speaker, Kevin McCarthy in California, but is facing intimidation from the Chinese government.(Picture: Tsai Ing-wen, President of Taiwan, poses for a picture. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Over the last few years China gave billions dollars of loans across Asia, Europe and Africa. Now Beijing has also become a major emergency rescue lender to those same countries, many of which are struggling to repay their debts. (Picture: Belt And Road Forum For International Cooperation. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
After a few weeks of bad news about bank failures, financial markets are slowly coming back to normal. Central banks around the world have stressed that the banking system is safe and lenders are well capitalised. Analysts, however, admit that risks to financial stability have increased.(Picture: Glass front of a bank building. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
U.S. President Joe Biden has given himself a thumbs up for the way he has handled the banking crisis. He insists that people's savings are secure. Meanwhile, more than 150,000 fans are gathering in Miami for Ultra - one of the world's biggest festivals of electronic dance music. We also talk about the Roy family, whose epic squabbles and schemes propelled HBO's TV series Succession to a string of awards. How true is the show to real life? Presenter Roger Hearing discusses these issues with Stella Bangura - an award winning TV presenter of a pan African Lifestyle TV show - On The Spot TV - who's in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Sergio Guzman, director of Colombia Risk Analysis in Bogota. (Picture: U.S. President Joe Biden. Credit; Getty Images)
The Chinese app's boss, Shou Zi Chew, tried to defend the app from accusations that could lead to its ban in the US. We listen to what was said in the hearing and we discuss the future of TikTok.(Picture: Shou Zi Chew. Picture credit: Reuters)
The US Federal Reserve has raised interest rates by 0.25%, bringing their benchmark interest rate to the 4.75%-5.00% range. The Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the US banking system was strong and resilient, as he announced the latest rate rise.Presenter Roger Hearing discusses this and other global business news with Işın Eliçin, a senior media professional working at Medyascope in Istanbul, and Simon Littlewood, founder of ACG Growth Delivered in Singapore.(Picture: Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell takes questions from the news media while holding a news conference after the Fed raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point following a two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on interest rate policy in Washington, U.S., March 22, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Leah Millis)
Russia wants to sign an agreement with China to build a new pipeline through Siberia. The idea was put forward many years ago, but it has gained urgency as it wants China to replace Europe as its main gas customer. Google is rolling out it’s AI Chat Bard. It can access up-to-date information from the internet and has a "Google it" button which accesses search. The month of fasting for Muslims, Ramadan, is about to get underway. Dates are one fruit that is much sought after to break the fast and we hear from an Egyptian company that exports the fruit across the world. Presenter Roger Hearing discusses global business news with Colin Peacock a producer and presenter of Mediawatch, on Radio New Zealand based in Wellington, and Hayley Woodin the executive editor of the Canada based website and publication Business in Vancouver
The IMF have agreed on a $2.9bn bailout for Sri Lanka to help the country restructure its debts. This comes as it faces its worst economic crisis since independence.China's leader Xi Jinping showed the importance of close relations between Russia and China at a dinner hosted by Vladimir Putin on Monday. This comes days after an international court called for the Russian president's arrest for war crimes in Ukraine.The failure of financial institutions is a serious problem with human costs, but to some people it is also something to remember. There is a market in financial souvenirs and memorabilia and that has happened with Credit Suisse. Madison Darbyshire is a US investments reporter for the Financial Times in New York and has been writing about this phenomenon.
Half a trillion dollars have been wiped from the value of bank shares around the world as financial shocks dived this week. The fallout is ongoing after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) spreads through global markets.The authorities are stepping in to get the situation under control, but some deposit holders are still feeling nervous. For now, many analysts say they think the shock will be contained.(Picture: Silicon Valley Bank Collapse. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
There are fresh efforts to stabilise the global banking sector after big US banks come to rescue First Republic Bank.What about those who never use banks at all? We hear about the challenges for the billions of unbanked around the world. And the return of the sleeper train As Europe sees a boom in overnight rail services - what is the attraction of a midnight express? (Picture: First Republic Bank is displayed on a monitor on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Source: Getty Images)
President Biden says the US banking system remains safe, after the failure of the California-based Silicon Valley Bank. In a televised address from the White House, Mr Biden said his administration had acted to ensure that SVB customers would be able to get all their money.Shares in banks around the world slumped; the volatility has led to speculation that America's Federal Reserve will now pause its plans to keep raising interest rates, designed to tame inflation.(Picture: SANTA CLARA, CA, US - MARCH 13: A view of Silicon Valley Bank headquarters in Santa Clara, CA, after the federal government intervened upon the bankâs collapse, on March 13, 2023.Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is cutting 10,000 jobs. The tech giant, which laid off 11,000 employees last November.Protesters take to the streets of Pakistan in support of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The country is in negotiations with the IMF over a bailout.Argentina’s annual inflation rate has hit a three-decade high, surging past 100 per cent for the first time since 1991. It is due to receive about $5.3bn from the IMF this month.
European banks come under pressure as the fallout from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank continues - we hear from Walter Todd Chief Investment Officer - Greenwood Capital, and the Nobel Prize winning economist Professor Philip Dybvig, Professor of Banking and Finance at the Olin School of Business at Washington University in Saint Louis.Also today a key meeting between South Korea and Japan, and the European nation pumping the brakes on road building - Wales' deputy minister for climate change Lee Waters tells us more.Will Bain is joined throughout by Tokyo-based Yoko Ishikura, Professor Emeritus at Hitotsubashi University, and from Ann Arbor, by Betsey Stevenson, Professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan.
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is cutting 10,000 jobs. The tech giant, which laid off 11,000 employees last November.Protesters take to the streets of Pakistan in support of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The country is in negotiations with the IMF over a bailout.Argentina’s annual inflation rate has hit a three-decade high, surging past 100 per cent for the first time since 1991. It is due to receive about $5.3bn from the IMF this month.
US regulators have shut down Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and taken control of its customer deposits in the largest failure of a US bank since 2008.The moves came as the firm, a key tech lender, was scrambling to raise money to plug a loss from the sale of assets affected by higher interest rates.Its troubles prompted a rush of customer withdrawals and sparked fears about the state of the banking sector. The most important issue is what will happen with the deposit holders and will they be able to get their money back.Meanwhile, Belgium bans TikTok from government phones following US, EU and Canada. Belgium's prime minister says the main reason is worries about cybersecurity, privacy and misinformation. Also, it’s the Oscars this weekend and every award season celebrities are invited to gifting suites where they can select free stuff in return for endorsements. Business Daily asked Hollywood reporter KJ Matthews to find out how it all works.(Picture: Silicon Valley Bank Shut Down By Regulators. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
The European Union will allow members to offer subsidies that match those offered by the US Inflation Reduction Act to prevent an exodus of green energy projects. The White House's $369 billion initiative has been criticised by many countries, which fear it could attract local companies to move across the Atlantic.Roger Hearing discusses this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Stefanie Yuen Thio, joint managing partner at TSMP Law in Singapore, and Tony Nash, chief economist at Complete Intelligence in Texas.(Picture: A worker installs solar panels on the roof of a farmstead barn in Germany. Picture credit: Reuters)
President Joe Biden's budget proposal will propose raising taxes on companies and people earning over $400,000 a year. The Democratic leader wants to ensure the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share while cutting wasteful spending on special interest interests, like Big Oil and Big Pharma.The German company Adidas on Wednesday slashes dividends and shakes up its management. We ask what will happen to the billions of dollars’ worth of remaining Yeezy gear left over from its former partnership with Ye (yay) or Kanye West.The Dutch government says it'll restrict the export of certain types of equipment used to make microchips or semiconductors because of security concerns. This comes after pressure from the United States to get the Netherlands to restrict China's access to high- end chip technology.
The head of the US central bank has said interest rates may go higher than previously expected to stabilise prices. The recent strong economic data means the Fed needs to adopt a more aggressive policy.The White House is supporting a bipartisan bill in Congress that will give President Biden new powers to ban the Chinese-owned app, TikTok, and other foreign technologies that could pose security threats. The legislation comes after US government officials were banned from installing TikTok on their devices in January. Elon Musk has apologised to a Twitter worker after he initially sacked him on his platform. It followed an exchange about the employees work which went viral. Mr Musk said there had been a misunderstanding.
We are looking close at the National People's Congress (NPC), a rubber-stamp parliament, which is due to confirm President Xi Jinping's third term.The 'Two Sessions' as they are known, are the annual meetings of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Committee. From a business and economics point of view, it's where the big decisions are rubber-stamped.It's where Xi Jinping will be officially elected President, as we've just heard the new Premier - Li Qiang - will also be unveiled, and there's been an increase in military spending by more than 7%. From a World Business Report point of view, though, the crucial announcement that caught our eye was a 5% growth target for the next year. That's China's lowest target for more than three decades.(Picture: Great Hall of the People and Tiananmen Square. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
For the first time since Covid restrictions eased, thousands of delegates will gather in Beijing over the weekend for the annual National People's Congress.The meeting will set out some of the key goals for the world's second largest economy, with the biggest government reshuffle in a decade expected.Discussions are also expected to be held around continued trade tensions with the US and challenges for businesses as the country reopens.(Picture: People cross a street near office towers in the Lujiazui financial district, ahead of the National People's Congress (NPC), in Shanghai, China, February 28, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Aly Song TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
As the country awaits funding from the IMF, the Pakistani rupee hit a historic low against the dollar while the Central Bank hiked interest rates to 20%, the highest in Asia.Foreign exchange reserves at the State Bank of Pakistan have dropped to levels not enough to cover a month of imports.The government hope that by bringing in new tariffs and taxes, the latest wave of IMF funding will be released.
As the country awaits funding from the IMF, the Pakistani rupee hit a historic low against the dollar while the Central Bank hiked interest rates to 20%, the highest in Asia.Foreign exchange reserves at the State Bank of Pakistan have dropped to levels not enough to cover a month of imports.The government hope that by bringing in new tariffs and taxes, the latest wave of IMF funding will be released.(Picture: A Pakistani stockbroker monitors the latest share prices development during a trading session at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) in Karachi, Pakistan, 01 March 2023. Credit: Photo by REHAN KHAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Sri Lanka workers defy strike ban to protest IMF bailout plan which is hitting their wallets. President Ranil Wickremesinghe is facing a public backlash over steep tax increases and spending cuts imposed to secure the IMF funding.Drug giant Eli Lilly has announced a $35 cap on the monthly costs patients face for insulin in the US, responding to outcry over the soaring cost of the diabetes medication.(Picture: Man in yellow raincoat walking through tea plantation in Sri Lanka. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Hot on the heels of the US and Canada - the European Parliament announced it was banning its MEPs and their staff from using TikTok on official devices and strongly advised them to delete it from the personal ones. The popular video-sharing app is owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance and has become the focus of mounting security and data protection fears.(Picture: US And EU Ban TikTok From Staff Mobile Devices. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned people to "buckle up" as he signed a bill giving the state control over Disney's sprawling Orlando theme parks.The bill strips power uniquely held by Disney for over 50 years and enables more oversight by Mr DeSantis' Republican-led legislature.The move is seen as retaliation after Disney opposed state laws curtailing gender and sexuality education.(Picture: Walt Disney World Resort Reopening. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
On 24 February 2022, Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine, hoping to take over the country in a matter of days.More than a year has passed, and the consequences of war are still being felt around the world - particularly regarding fuel.How have businesses in Europe, reliant on Russia's gas and oil, adapted to limited access to energy resources?(Picture: KRAKOW, POLAND - FEBRUARY 24: A person puts a candle near the Russian consulate on the 1st anniversary of the war in Ukraine, in Krakow, Poland on February 24, 2023. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Today marks one year since Russia invaded Ukraine, so how is the economy faring and what financial support has the country received?(Picture: BAKHMUT, UKRAINE - JANUARY 14: A woman works in one of the few stores open in the city of Bakhmut as soldiers remain in fierce fighting to defend the city against the Russians on January 14, 2023 in Bakhmut, Ukraine. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
In a landmark ruling for South Asian workers, the city of Seattle, Washington has become the first American city to outlaw caste-based discrimination.Also on the programme, would you try olive oil in your coffee?(Picture: An Indian passport against a backdrop of the US flag. Credit: Getty Images.)
The leaders of Russia and the US have traded firm words over the war in Ukraine. We look at the economic situation facing millions of Ukrainian refugees around the globe.Elsewhere, a study of dozens of firms have suggested businesses which adopt a four-day working week could enjoy a boost to productivity and employee happiness. But are our guests convinced?(Picture: The traditional working week. Could it be set to change? Credit: Getty Images.)
Peter Morici and Karen Percy discuss the latest US funding commitments for Ukraine, announced by the US President on a surprise visit to Kyiv.We're also discussing Meta's familiar-looking 'blue tick' rollout. Just where did they get that idea from?(Picture: Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine. Credit: Getty Images.)
The likes of Tiktok, Meta and Google will face some of the strictest rules about how they look after our data anywhere in the world as the Digital Services Act or DSA comes into force across European nations.Firms with over 45 million users in the European will have to pay fines of up to 6 per cent of their massive global revenues should they be found to breach the new rules. Also on the programme, we discuss how Helsinki became a global mobile games capital. Will Bain is joined throughout the programme by Dr Stephanie Hare, a researcher of technology and politics and Sushma Ramachandran, an independent business journalist and columnist for The Tribune newspaper.(Photo: Logos of Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft on a mobile phone with an EU flag in the background. Credit; Getty Images.)
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is seeking international support for the people of Turkey who were affected by the massive earthquakes. We also talk about the issues around changing pensions and the retirement age which have sparked weeks of protest in France.Will Bain talks through these issues with Isin Elicin, a freelance journalist based in Istanbul in Turkey and Ralph Silva from the Silva Research Network in Toronto.(Picture: UN Secretary- General Antonio Guterres. Credit: Getty Images.)
With nearly $12 billion of new Russia sanctions announced by the EU, we discuss the economic impacts those already announced are having, and how they are causing young tech workers to leave the country. It's hoped the latest sanctions will weaken Moscow’s “war machine” through trade bans and technology export controls.(Picture: Oil refinery plant of petroleum on the background of of the Russian flag. Credit: Anton Petrus)
In the biggest order of new passenger aircraft in history, Air India has ordered 470 new planes. Airbus will provide 250 of them and the other 220 will come from US rival Boeing. It's been hailed by French president Emmanuel Macron as a historic opportunity for further Franco-Indian cooperation. We discuss the deal and what it means for the wider air industry.
The US have burst a high-altitude balloon programme designed for intelligence gathering, which they say came from China. The two nations are also at loggerheads over new rules the US introduced that prevent the export of chips to China. We take a look at what this all means for the future of trade relations between the countries.
One of 2023's biggest and most lucrative sporting events takes place at the weekend. It's the 57th Super Bowl, and the first which will allow mass betting in the US market. Away from the field, we take a look at the winners and losers.(Picture: The State Farm Stadium in Arizona. Credit: Getty Images.)
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif was hoping to finalise a deal with the International Monetary Fund to prevent an economic meltdown. A team from the IMF have been in Pakistan since the beginning of this month, but details of the discussions are still yet to be published.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Paris after a day of ceremonial diplomacy here in the UK - his first to western Europe since his country was attacked by Russia almost a year ago. In London he met King Charles as well as seeing Ukrainian soldiers being trained on British tanks and spoke to both houses of parliament.(Picture: President Zelensky Makes Surprise Visit To The UK. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
In just a few hours, there's one of those setpiece moments in the US political calendar - President Joe Biden will come to Capitol Hill to deliver his State of the Union address to Congress. It's an especially important speech this year, because it's expected he is poised to announce his bid for re-election in 2024 - so he has to make his pitch to the American people and a lot of that is going to focus on an economy that is showing seeing rising interest rates and high inflation.(Picture: President Biden Meets With His Competition Council To Receive Update On American Economy. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
It's still too early to gauge the full impact of the two massive earthquakes that shook Turkey in the early hours of Monday morning. What's known so far is that the damage stretched widely beyond the epicentre in the city of Gaziantep - with buildings collapsing and mass casualties across the border in northern Syria. At least 3,800 people are confirmed to have died.(Picture: Severely cracked and lifted concrete footpath. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
CEO of electric-vehicle maker Tesla Elon Musk, has defeated a shareholder legal case alleging that tweets claiming he had the “funding secured” to take Tesla private cost investors billions of dollars in losses.Despite all the gloom about a pending recession in the US, the US jobs market surged January, adding more than half a million new jobs.And we talk gaming as 33-thousand people from 110 countries link up this weekend to develop video games from start to finish in just 48 hours.Alison Van Diggelen, presenter of Fresh Dialogues who's in Silicon Valley, and Frank Tsai of Shanghai and Control Risks in Shanghai are with us throughout the programme.(Picture: Elon Musk. Credit: Getty Images.)
Three of the world's biggest and richest tech giants, Apple, Amazon and Google parent Alphabet have released their latest earning figures. It's good news for Amazon as sales rose. However for Apple and Alphabet it was doom and gloom, we head to Silicone Valley to hear what's next for these companies.While oil and gas companies report record profits such as Shell, we head to Nigeria where there are fuel shortages. We hear how fuel costs have increased over the last few months and prices on the black market have doubled. As Beyoncé releases tickets for her latest world tour, we find out just how much money she might stand to make.(Picture: The Amazon logo at an Amazon logistic centre in Miami, Florida, USA, 05 January 2023. Picture Credit: EPA)
The US Federal reserve are taking a measured approach to the US inflation as they raised interest rates by 0.25 percentage points. This marks the smallest increase since last March, after a series of aggressive rate hikes last year.The United States and its allies have imposed further sanctions on Myanmar’s military rulers amid deepening conflict two years since the military seized power in a coup. We hear how this is affecting the country.And how do you like your coffee in the morning? We will be finding out just how much caffeine you are consuming in your daily espresso or cappuccino.(Picture: Federal Reserve Building in Washington, DC Picture Credit: Getty Images)
The Chinese province makes the decision to allow couples to have as many children as they want as the country faces a decline in population. We find out the impact this will have on families and the economy.Boeing has produced its last 747 jumbo jet in the United States. The 'Queen of the Skies' first appeared in nineteen-seventy. We look back at the history of the emblematic aircraft.The International Monetary Fund has updated its World Economic Outlook for 2023. We explore the figures and what they tell us about the global economy.Rahul Tandon is joined throughout the programme by two guests in opposite sides of the world: Maggie McGrath, editor of Forbes Women in New York, and James Mayger, China economic editor for Bloomberg in Beijing.(Picture: A medical worker gets a newborn baby's commemorative footprint at a hospital in China. Picture credit: EPA)
The CEO of Goldman Sachs, David Solomon, arguably America's best-known investment bank, has seen his pay cut by some 30% for 2022. In announcing the news, Goldman’s board said the pay-cut reflected “the firm’s 2022 performance, relative to peer results.” That was despite the bank suffering a 22% drop in annual profits.(Picture: A Goldman Sachs logo is displayed on a smartphone with stock market percentages on the background. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
The hackers have been hacked - a prolific international ransomware operation has been shut down by US, German and Dutch officials. The criminal network, Hive, is said to have targeted over 1,500 victims worldwide in the past 18 months and extorted over $100 million. FBI director Christopher Wray said the operation had recovered over 1,300 decryption keys for victims since July 2022 and had prevented $130 million in ransomware payments.(Picture: Cropped Hand Of Computer Hacker Typing On Keyboard. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Donald Trump will be allowed back on to Facebook and Instagram, after Meta announced it would be ending its two-year suspension of his accounts.The then-US president was indefinitely suspended from Facebook and Instagram after the Capitol riot in 2021.Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global affairs, said a review found that Mr Trump's accounts no longer represented a serious risk to public safety.(Picture: TOPSHOT - Former US President Donald Trump speaks at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on November 15, 2022. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) and eight US states have filed a case against Google alleging it has too much power over the online ad market.Online advertising accounts for the lion's share of Google's multibillion dollar revenue.Google is the market leader, but its slice of total US digital ad income has fallen from 36.7% in 2016 to 28.8% in 2022, according to market research firm Insider Intelligence.(Picture: In this photo illustration a Google logo seen displayed on a smartphone. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Microsoft has announced a multi-year, multibillion dollar investment in artificial intelligence (AI) as it extends its partnership with OpenAI.OpenAI is the creator of popular image generation tool Dall-E and the chatbot ChatGPT.The Windows and Xbox maker plans up to 10,000 redundancies, but said it would still hire in key strategic areas.(Picture: OpenAI logo displayed on a laptop screen and Microsoft logo displayed on a phone screen are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on January 23, 2023. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
It's the biggest single one-time movement of people on Earth, as Chinese citizens travel across the country to celebrate the Lunar New Year with friends and family. As the FTX trial continues we find out what it means for those who have lost their money and if there's any chance they could get it back.Roger Hearing discusses this and more business news with Stephanie Hare, researcher of technology and politics in London and Peter Lewis, Director of the Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology in Sydney.(Picture: People walk along the Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing, China, 20 January 2023 Credit: Photo by MARK R CRISTINO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The US Treasury says it's taking "extraordinary measures" after the federal government reached its borrowing limit of $31.4 trillion to pay its debts.Also in the programme, Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin is to be charged with involuntary manslaughter over the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a film set in 2021.And as Shakira and Miley Cyrus release songs to get back at their exes, we find out why we love revenge tracks so much.
One of the world's biggest tech companies Microsoft joined a list of others who have announced plans to shed part of its total work force. It is also a tricky time for workers over 45 who no longer find it easy to get jobs.In France, a widespread disruption is expected today as nationwide strikes take place in response to the government’s planned major reform to France’s pension system.(Microsoft boss says layoffs were a response to macroeconomic conditions and changing customer priorities. Picture Credit: Getty Images.)
On today's programme, China sees a historic fall in birth rate with consequences for its economy and the world.The Bank of Japan will decide on its latest course of monetary policy, we discuss what it might mean.Rahul Tandon is joined throughout the programme by Betsey Stevenson, professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan and Isin Elicin, a freelance journalist based in Istanbul in Turkey. (Picture: A nurse takes care of a newborn baby in a maternity hospital in Fuyang in central China's Anhui province. Credit; Getty Images)
We discuss chips and tariffs as well, and ask whether China will overtake the US economically in the next 50 years.Rahul Tandon talks to Stephen Roach, former Chief Economist at Morgan Stanley, Dr Henry Huiyao Wang is Founder and President of the Centre for China and Globalisation in Beijing and Lulu Chen, Bloomberg's Asia Investing Team Leader in Hong Kong. (Picture: Flags of China and the USA. Isolated on a white background. Credit; Getty Images)
US institutions appear to perform - but is it enough to get them through a recession? We hear about a 'new direction' for Saudi Arabia's ruling regime, in the form of entertainment investment. Also, detectorists are causing headaches for the Dutch police in a new hunt for buried Nazi gold.(Picture: US dollars at a bank. Credit: Getty Images.)
New figures show that inflation in the US – the world’s largest economy – is on the way down. The latest figures showed a slight fall to 6.5%, down from 7.5% the previous month. But will it be enough to stave off further interest rate hikes? Also on the programme, how to love where you work: new figures show an interesting shift in employee satisfaction at some of the world's best-known firms.(Picture: A customer in a supermarket in New York City. Credit: Getty Images.)
Last week Japan's prime minister called on firms to put up wages to help people struggling with rising prices. It comes as salaries in the country remain flat even as inflation is going up at its fastest rate in decades. In response, the Japanese clothes retailer, Uniqlo, has announced it will give its employees a huge pay rise.Meanwhile, a lawyer for the failed cryptocurrency firm, FTX, says his team has salvaged more than five billion dollars in assets following the company’s spectacular collapse in November. Andrew Dietderich told a US bankruptcy court (in Delaware) that efforts to sell other assets with a book value of more than four billion dollars were in hand -- but warned the final hit to nine million investors remained unclear.(Picture: Businessmen meeting and working in a big city. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
The global economy is "perilously close to falling into recession", according to the latest forecast from the World Bank, as the impacts of the Ukraine war and Covid pandemic continue to be felt across the world.In fact, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are already struggling to keep their heads above water. Leaders in politics and economics share their thoughts with us on the economic challenges facing those countries.Meanwhile Publisher Transworld has said Prince Harry’s memoir Spare has sold 400,000 copies in the UK across hardback, e-book and audio formats on its first day of publication. It means the very well-played promotional campaign around the book did work.(Picture: The World Bank logo seen displayed on a smartphone. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
About 1,500 people have been held in Brazil after supporters of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro stormed Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court in the capital Brasília. The rioting came a week after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sworn in.Pakistan is hosting an event in Geneva on Monday with the United Nations as it seeks international assistance to cover around half of a total $16.3bn recovery bill. It has been a busy day for the economy as Pakistan has also asked the International Monetary Fund to temporarily ease its loan conditions to enable the country to recover from the costs of last year's floods. Flood and high wind warnings are in place across much of California; a hundred and twenty thousand homes are without power. (Picture: Independence Day. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
With China easing its restrictions but facing surging Covid cases, we find out what the economy’s reopening mean for the country in 2023. We also hear how it will impact tourism in the region, with other countries looking forward to welcoming Chinese tourists.Elsewhere, one of the biggest technology shows in the world is underway in Las Vegas. Learn about what this year's biggest trends are.(Picture: A couple wearing face masks walk along a shopping district in Beijing, China, 06 January 2023. Credit: Photo by MARK R CRISTINO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
After 11 rounds of voting, there is still no result in sight to appoint a new leader for the US House of Representatives. Republicans took over the lower chamber of Congress in November's midterm elections, but an internal row is withholding the election of their candidate, Kevin McCarthy, as House Speaker. The impasse has caused a paralysis of US government not seen since the pre-Civil War era. We get the latest from Washington.(Picture: Staff members from the clerk's office of the U.S. House of Representatives count votes on tally sheets. Picture credit: Reuters)
The first few days of the year have brought record breaking warm winter weather across Europe, affecting at least eight countries stretching from Spain to Denmark. The unusual heat has caused many ski slopes across the continent to close due a lack of snow. We explore the impact climate change is having on the world of business.
On the day bitcoin turns 14, Sam Bankman-Fried, the former boss of crypto exchange FTX, pleads not guilty to federal criminal charges filed against him.US regulators have also warned that banks risk exposing themselves to fraud, legal woes and heightened volatility if they engage in crypto-related activities, in their first joint statement on digital assets.Devina Gupta discusses where we are with bitcoin and other crypto currencies with Molly Jane Zuckerman, who heads content at CoinMarketCap in New York.Simon Littlewood of ACG Global in Singapore and Luisa Kroll, executive editor at Forbes who's in New York, also join the programme.
As Coronavirus continues to sweep across China, a growing number of countries are imposing new travel restrictions on the world's second biggest economy. Britain and France have become the latest countries to bring in screening for travellers from China. Travellers arriving into both countries from China will require negative Covid tests. China is experiencing a huge wave of coronavirus cases, weeks after relaxing its zero-Covid policy.(Picture: Young Woman With Smartphone. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
In 2012, at the age of 72, he travelled the world working on his brand with Misha Sher from Mediacom, one of the world's biggest marketing agencies.(Picture: Athlete cheering Picture Credit: Getty Images)
It's been another year of ups and downs for cryptocurrencies. In the second episode of our week-long series, we ask whether it's time to control how - and by who - they are used. This edition features an interview with Urban Anghern, the CEO of Switzerland's financial regulator.Elsewhere on the programme, we explore China's decision to reopen its borders in early 2023; and hear from a US-based ice-breaking business about the recent extreme weather.(Picture: A Bitcoin ATM next to a row of traditional bank ATMs in Istanbul, Turkey. Credit: Getty Images.)
Cryptocurrency has had a difficult year - with the collapse of FTX which was once valued at more than $30bn, unsettling the wider industry, sparking bankruptcy filings at other firms and further declines in crypto values. Rahul Tandon is joined by Peter Morici in the United States and Mehmal Sarfraz in Pakistan to look at the year Crypto has had - in the first of our week-long series on crypto, running across World Business Report and Business Matters.Elsewhere we look at the snowstorms hitting the US, and discuss China and Covid in 2022.PHOTO CREDIT: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo
What can one-point-seven-trillion-dollars get you? It can get you a functioning US government, for a start. Congress has just given final approval to the huge spending bill, just hours before the government would have had to shut down for lack of funds. The bill incorporates the Biden administration's plans to boost domestic spending. It also supports Ukraine's defence effort and reforms US election law. Republicans have condemned the package as a monstrosity, complaining that it contains wasteful spending commitments without addressing their priorities, such as boosting security on the border with Mexico.The oil company Shell has agreed to pay nearly 16 million dollars in compensation to communities in Nigeria that were affected by multiple oil spills from pipelines in the Niger Delta. The money will benefit the Nigerian communities of Oruma, Goi and Ikot Ada Udo, that were impacted by four oil spills between 2004 and 2007.As we reported here yesterday, a "bomb cyclone" - a massive winter storm system is currently expanding across the United States, threatening to upend the travel plans of millions of Americans. Together with snow blizzards and freezing temperatures, local authorities are trying to deal with electricity cuts and protect everyone's Christmas.(Picture: United States Capitol West Facade with Fountain and Flowers. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
US House committee votes to release Donald Trump’s tax information to the publicJapan’s central bank catches markets off guard by making a move to tackle inflation.And what impact will the Taliban government’s decision to close universities for women have on the economy ?Devina Gupta discusses these and other business news stories with the Editor of National and Strategic Affairs at The Print website in India Jyoti Malhotra, and Walter Todd, the President and chief investment officer of US based Greenwood Capital.
According to research from the University of Surrey in the UK, the country which wins the competition tends to enjoy an increase in exports.(Picture: LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - DECEMBER 18: Lionel Messi of Argentina and team celebrate after winning the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance has revealed that the auditor Mazars has stopped working with it as outflows from platform swelled to $6 billion following the collapse of FTX earlier in the week.The website offering digital trading cards showing Donald Trump in guises such as a superhero, astronaut and Nascar driver says the items have already sold out. The announcement drew criticism and mockery, including from Republicans.And as the month-long FIFA World Cup tournament draws to a close, we evaluate how the competition not only proved to be a tourism boom for host Qatar but also for neighbour – the UAE and in particular – Dubai.(Its a difficult time for Cryptocurrency. Credit:Getty)
In the UK, some Nurses in the Government-funded National Health Service are the latest group to take action over pay. The Royal College of Nursing wants a 19 percent pay rise and says below inflation increases are compromising care by making it hard to attract and retain nurses. But the government says that's not affordable. It's the latest in a series of strikes and we look at how the public and private sectors across the world are tackling the issue of fair pay.Elsewhere we hear from Qatar, and ask what the World Cup has meant for the country's future.Plus Avatar - which opens this weekend in cinemas around the globe. Just how important is it for the future of cinema?Devina Gupta is joined by James Mayger in Beijing and Gaby Castro in Uruguay.Photo credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire
It's a December to remember for many as workers in South Africa, Australia and South Korea down tools to demand for better welfare.US central bank, the Federal Reserve, has increased interest rates by half a percentage point to try and cope with price inflation caused, in part, by higher wages. Sam Fenwick is joined throughout the programme by Hayley Woodin, Executive Editor of Business in Vancouver a weekly magazine and Jasper Kim, Law Professor at Ewha University in Seoul, Korea and expert in international business law.(Picture: A view of an empty station during the strike in London, United Kingdom. Credit; Getty Images.)
Physicists have pursued the technology for decades as it promises a potential source of near-limitless clean energy. They say there is still some way to go before fusion powers homes.As China eases covid restrictions we discuss plans by U-S vaccine maker Moderna to enter the Chinese market.We find out if any of the investors in the crypto exchange FTX will get their money back.And what sort of money will Morocco make after its sucess in the World Cup.Sam Fenwick discusses these and more business news throughout the programme with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Frank Tsai Editor of the Shanghai Review in China and Shannon Najmabadi a reporter at the Colorado Sun in the United States.
Physicists have pursued the technology for decades as it promises a potential source of near-limitless clean energy. They say there is still some way to go before fusion powers homes.As China eases covid restrictions we discuss plans by U-S vaccine maker Moderna to enter the Chinese market.We find out if any of the investors in the crypto exchange FTX will get their money back.And what sort of money will Morocco make after its sucess in the World Cup.Sam Fenwick discusses these and more business news throughout the programme with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Frank Tsai Editor of the Shanghai Review in China and Shannon Najmabadi a reporter at the Colorado Sun in the United States.(Picture: The interior of the target chamber at LLNL, where nuclear fusion takes place. Credit: Philip Saltonstall)
The arrest comes after the US filed criminal charges against former CEO of disgraced crypto firm. We hear the latest about the collapse of the $32bn company.As temperatures fall in the US and Europe, we take a look at the growing demand of natural gas and the impact it's having on prices.Also in the programme, we explore the ecosystems of innovation that brought us transistors, the devices that changed everything.And the tech war between China and the US over advanced semiconductors is rapidly heating up with new players joining the row. Join us to find out who they are.Sam Fenwick discusses these and more business news throughout the programme with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Peter Morici, an economist at the University of Maryland, and Sushma Ramachandran, an independent business journalist in New Delhi. (Picture: The logo of FTX is seen at the entrance of the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida, US. Picture credit: Reuters)
Tech giant Apple has lifted a gagging policy on staff, meaning employees worldwide can speak out freely about their working conditions. It's the latest move by a major firm in response to lobbying from labour groups. Those who pushed for the move believe it will have major repercussions for other workers.Also on Business Matters, one giant leap for a certain kind: we take a look at a Japanese investor's luxury mission to the moon, and what it means for space tourism.(Picture: Staff inside an Apple store. Credit: Getty Images.)
Microsoft may be left unable to complete a $69bn takeover of fellow gaming giant Activision Blizzard, the company behind Call of Duty. The US Federal Trade Commission has started legal action to pause the buyout, amid claims it could stifle competition in the market. Microsoft has vowed to fight the case.Also on Business Matters, Nigeria has lowered the amount of cash residents can withdraw from banks. It's part of an effort to move transactions online - but will it pay off?We're also analysing China's latest inflation figures, and, in the run-up to Christmas, how children's toy makers are preparing for a busy season.(Picture: A billboard for the latest edition of Call of Duty, one of the world's bestselling games.Credit: Getty Images.)
Devina Gupta is joined by business development consultant, Jessica Khine, and technology journalist, Takara Small, to discuss China lifting its most severe Covid policies - including forcing people into quarantine camps - just a week after landmark protests against the strict controls.(Picture: TIN SHUI WAI, HONG KONG, CHINA - 2020/02/04: A volunteer measures a passenger's body temperature. In light of a coronavirus outbreak in China, Hong Kong district councillors and residents formed makeshift quarantine stations, screening passengers arriving from China.Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Roger Hearing is joined by Lori Ann Larocco, Senior Editor of Guests at CNBC Business News, and Mohamed El Aassar, Commentary Editor at Fortune, to discuss the Trump Organisation being found guilty of defrauding tax authorities in the United States.Also on the programme: Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is coming under fire on both sides of the Atlantic, the number of users learning Ukrainian on Duolingo soars following Russia's invasion of the country, and the number of films produced by Nigeria’s film industry overtakes Hollywood itself.(Image: Trump Tower, New York. Credit: Getty Images)
It's been a rollercoaster day for oil prices, with big drops in the benchmark rates after an earlier rise. And part of the reason seems to be the new $60 per barrel price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil which took effect on Monday, supported by the EU, the G7 and Australia.Ukraine's energy company warns of even more power-cuts after Russia sent a new volley of missiles, hitting the country's already damaged electricity and water systems - so how possible is it do to business at all there?Black founders of US startups find it far harder to get financial backing according to research co-authored by Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, which claimed such businesses raise just one-third as much venture capital over the first five years as other comparable businesses formed at the same time.And could you be damaging your financial strength by keeping your finances separate from your partner?Roger Hearing is joined from Hong Kong by Rachel Cartland, director of Cartland Consulting and a former assistant director of Social Welfare in the Hong Kong government, and Colin Peacock, producer and presenter of Mediawatch on Radio New Zealand, live from Wellington.(Image: Oil tanker stock photo, credit: Getty Images)
Europe is cracking down on Russian oil and Poland is now backing a policy that should radically reduce the income Moscow gets from its oil. So how is it going to work?The US jobs market stays strong - but what about all the Americans still staying at home because of long Covid?Also on the programme, the right wing talk show host Alex Jones files for bankrutpcy as he faces paying more than a billion dollars in damages.Plus - 30 years after the first text message - how a few short words have changed all our livesRoger Hearing is joined throughout the programme by Peter Ryan, ABC Australia senior business correspondent - who's in Sydney, and Betsey Stevenson, former Member of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers & Chief Economist at the US Labour department, now professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan. She joins from Ann Arbor. (Picture: Drilling rig and support vessel on offshore area; Credit: Getty Images)
South Africa's president sees his future in the balance and the country's economy weakens further.On World Aids Day we discuss how African leaders have cut back on health spending.And ever heard of Tunisia's spicy Harissa paste? It's the latest addition to UNESCO's heritage status, we’ll discuss how significant that status is. Roger Hearing discusses this and more with Walter Todd, President and Chief Investment Officer of Greenwood Capital in South Carolina, and Jyoti Malhotra, Senior Consulting Editor with ThePrint who's in New Delhi. (Picture: President Cyril Ramaphosa; Credit: Getty Images.)
Twitter owner Elon Musk says he and Apple CEO Tim Cook have resolved the misunderstanding over removing the social networking platform from the app store.
We discuss the business of music as Christine McVie, who played with Fleetwood Mac and wrote some of their most famous songs, dies aged 79.
And The French baguette makes history.
We are joined on the programme by Tom Giles from the US, Rebecca Choong Wilkins in Hong Kong and Ushen Ele-Chin who is joins us from Turkey. (Picture: Elon Musk. Credit: Getty Images.)
Devina Gupta is joined by Stephanie Hare in the UK, representing the US, and Tala Ramadan in Lebanon, to discuss the main economic stories of the day. NATO members pledge to support Ukraine by rebuilding its energy infrastructure. Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said energy security had become crucial, as Ukrainians struggle to survive freezing temperatures and regular power cuts.
Elsewhere China continues to struggle with Coronavirus. The government now wants to increase vaccinations for older people. Only 56% of the over 60s in China - and just a fifth of over 80s - have had three doses of vaccine.
Photo by OLEG PETRASYUK/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (13618501f)
The number of new coronavirus infections keep making records in China, as protesters take to the streets of major cities to call for the ease of Covid restrictions. We hear about the impact demonstrations are having on businesses and international markets.
We also explore what the future holds for Disney after its returning CEO, Bob Iger, outlines his vision for a company that's struggling to make streaming a profitable business.
Also in the programme, we take a look at the reasons that took crypto lender BlockFi to file for bankruptcy shortly after FTX’s collapse.
Devina Gupta discusses these and more business news with Peter Morici, an economist at the University of Maryland, and Alaezi Akpuru, the owner and creative director of Nigerian contemporary womenswear brand Virgioli Fashion.
(Picture: A mourner holds flowers during a vigil for the victims of China's Covid Zero policy and the victims of the Urumqi fire in Hong Kong. Picture credit: Reuters)
We explore if the busiest shopping day of the year in the US has met retailers and consumers’ expectations, with discounts starting earlier this year and stores trying to clear inventory.
We also take a look at the impact chip shortage is having on the car making industry after Jaguar Land Rover announces difficulties to stock up will force them to reduce output.
And are you an early riser by choice or necessity? We ask TikTok users about the latest trend of publishing videos about their early morning routines. But we also hear from those who have been waking up with the sun before it was trendy because they had no other alternative.
Sam Fenwick discusses these and more business news with guests in opposite sides of the world: Madhavan Narayanan, freelance journalist and former senior editor at Hindustan Times in Delhi, and Shannon Najmabadi, a reporter from the The Colorado Sun newspaper in Denver.
(Picture: Shoppers take part in Black Friday shopping at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Picture credit: EPA)
Daily number of Covid cases soar and reach a record high since the beginning of the pandemic despite stringent measures designed to eliminate the virus. We hear about the latest outbreak in Beijing, and the impact it's having on the population.
Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year in the US, but what about the rest of the world? We explore how global the event is and consumers' expectations given the current cost of living crisis. We also talk to JCPenney's Chief Marketing Officer about the relevance Black Friday has for American retailers.
Sam Fenwick discusses these and more business news throughout the programme with guests on opposite sides of the world: Fermin Koop, a freelance journalist in Argentina, and Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Bloomberg's senior Asia correspondent in Hong Kong.
(Picture: A man gets a swab test at a testing booth as the outbreak of coronavirus disease continues in Beijing, China. Picture credit: Reuters)
Beijing's Covid Zero strategy leads to weeks of unrest in the Zhengzhou facilities of Apple's main supplier, Foxconn. We take a look at the impact this will have on the production of the latest iPhone. We also hear from a Beijing resident about growing discontent with lockdowns and mass testing.
Also in the programme, former Ukrainian finance minister Natalie Jaresko tells us about the damages to the country's energy grid caused by the latest wave of Russian strikes.
And we explore whether a quick nap break in the office could make us all more productive.
Sam Fenwick discusses these and more business news throughout the show with guests on opposite sides of the world: freelance journalist Karen Percy, in Australia, and Hayley Woodin, Executive Editor of BIV News, in Canada.
(Picture: People look at iPhone 14 models at an Apple store at a mall in Beijing, China, 03 November 2022. Picture credit: EPA)
Some shocking revelations as FTX bankruptcy proceedings begin. Some 80,000 Britons may have lost money following the collapse of the crypto trading platform.
We discuss the challenge of recovery and finding housing for the thousands of people displaced by Hurricane Ian in the U.S.
And more drama as Manchester United seeks new investment into the club after confirming the termination of Cristiano Ronaldo's contract.(Picture: Sam Bankman-Fried, founder and CEO of FTX. Credit: Getty Images.)
It's been a day of ups and downs at the global oil market after Saudi Arabia denied discussing a hike in oil supply with OPEC+
Candles to the rescue in South Africa as troubled energy utilty company Eskom runs out of cash to buy diesel.
Also on the programme, a conversation on Wales' bid to use the World Cup platform to promote business and tourism after 64 years of missing in action.
(Picture: Oil pump on a sunset background. Credit: Getty Images.)
Has the latest global attempt to take control of climate change been a success? A panel of experts from the worlds of business, politics and the environment give their assessment on Business Matters.
We explore the delicate art of climate financing and sustainable investing; take a virtual walk around the COP27 summit in Egypt; and why 'carbon cages' are holding policymakers back from meaningful progress.
(Picture: A panel on the closing day of COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Credit: Getty Images.)
Elon Musk gave Twitter’s employees a brutal ultimatum: They need to click the link whether to stay at the company or quit. Many of them are going to resign and already took advice from lawyers. We are discussing the potential consensuses for the company with Dr Priscilla Twumasi Baffour, senior lecturer, Department of Economics at the University of Ghana and Peter Jankovskis, vice president research and analysis, Arbor Financial Services.
Also, we are going to find out why Ticketmaster have now cancelled Friday's general sale of tickets for Taylor Swift's US leg of her Eras Tour. And we are hearing an electrician Bikek from Nepal, who is telling us about the conditions many migrant workers faced when they were imported into Qatar to help build the infrastructure for the World Cup.
(Picture: Hand holding speech bubble. Blue birds megaphone. Content marketing concept. Credit: Getty Images)
A growing list of American employers are reducing their headcount ahead of an anticipated recession. Layoffs have not peaked yet as hiring, inflation and major changes in many companies are impacting tech business.
Zyma Islam, a journalist at the Daily Star newspaper, Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy at the digital financial services firm Circle and Silicon Valley veteran – Michael Malone talks us through this complex problem.
We also discuss the importance of preserving Amazon forests. And we'll find out why Mariah Carey is being criticised for attempting to monetise Christmas.
(Picture: Students Working On Computer Assignment During Seminar Group. Credits: Getty Images)
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has urged people to remain calm after a Russian-made missile killed two people near the Ukrainian border.
World leaders including Joe Biden, Xi Jinping and Rishi Sunak will be attending the G20 summit, an annual meeting which includes 19 advanced and emerging economies was created after the Asian financial crisis in 1999.
Two guests join us from opposite sides of the world: Sushma Ramachandran, an independent business journalist and columnist for The Tribune newspaper in India, and Peter Morici, economist at the University of Maryland in the US.
The BBC Chief Asia correspondent Karishma Vaswani updates on the latest from the G20 summit in Bali.
(Picture: G20 Summit In Bali, Indonesia Credits: Getty Images)
There's been a cautious welcome after Russian troops retreated from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson. It's a hub of strategic and economic importance for the country. Businesses operating there tell us the celebrations come amid a continuing sense of unease.
Elsewhere, one former wartorn nation eyes up a prosperous future. East Timor, still reeling from the conflict it endured two decades ago, could be set to join the ASEAN alliance of countries.
Also on the programme: talks of a mass migration of Twitter users; and why Elon Musk's plan to end hybrid working may provide the boost to productivity he desires.
(Picture: Ukrainians gather in the liberated city of Kherson. Credit: Getty Images.)
Data from the US shows prices are beginning to stabilise - for now. President Joe Biden, however, has warned the country still has a way to go before things are back to normal.
At COP27, leaders are discussing how to making richer nations pay for the damage brought about by climate change. It's as the total bill for recent deadly floods in Pakistan is expected to top $30 billion.
It's been a dramatic week in the world of tech, perhaps most noticeably for crypto traders. We discuss the demise of trading exchange FTX, and what it means for the value of Bitcoin.
Also, how do you come back after a PR disaster? KFC has been forced to apologise after an advertising campaign appeared to make light of the horrors of Nazi Germany.
(Picture: US President Joe Biden at a Democratic Party event. Credit: Getty Images.)
One of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, Binance, has pulled out of a deal to acquire its struggling rival FTX, leaving the latter's future in doubt. The near-collapse of FTX which was valued at thirty-two billion dollars at the start of the year has shaken the crypto market, with Bitcoin and other currencies suffering steep falls.
Rahul Tandon is joined by Tracy Wang, the deputy managing editor at Coindesk in New York, and entrepreneur Candy Valentino, the author of Wealth Habits: Six Ordinary Steps to Achieve Extraordinary Financial Freedom.
It is investment day at the climate change conference COP 27 in Egypt. We hear from the Makhtar Sop Diop, the managing director of the International Finance Corporation, which is the private arm of the World Bank, about how Africa can pay for climate change.
AND Yongwook Ryu, Assistant Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, talks to us about the ASEAN summit in Cambodia. The summit brings together the major economies from South East Asia. It is expected to focus on the global economy, amid rising inflation and the cost of living crisis.
One of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, Binance, has pulled out of a deal to acquire its struggling rival FTX, leaving the latter's future in doubt. The near-collapse of FTX which was valued at $32 billion at the start of the year has shaken the crypto market, with Bitcoin and other currencies suffering steep falls.
Rahul Tandon is joined by Tracy Wang, the deputy managing editor at Coindesk in New York, and entrepreneur Candy Valentino, the author of Wealth Habits: Six Ordinary Steps to Achieve Extraordinary Financial Freedom.
It is investment day at the climate change conference COP27 in Egypt. We hear from the Makhtar Sop Diop, the managing director of the International Finance Corporation, which is the private arm of the World Bank, about how Africa can pay for climate change.
Yongwook Ryu, assistant professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, talks to us about the ASEAN summit in Cambodia. The summit brings together the major economies from South East Asia. It is expected to focus on the global economy, amid rising inflation and the cost of living crisis.
( Photo: Bitcoin representation at La Maison du Bitcoin in Paris Credit: Reuters)
The midterms decide who controls Congress as well as state legislatures and governor's offices. Rahul Tandon is joined by Dianne Brady, assistant managing editor of Forbes from New York and Tony Nash, the founder of Complete Intelligence in Texas.
Billions of US dollars are being spent on the election campaign adverts that voters will be seeing and hearing in the run-up to the elections - but is it worth the investment?
And has the economic situation in the US overshadowed the overturning of Roe v Wade?
(Picture: American flag in Midtown Manhattan Credit: Getty Images)
Grim day for Twitter’s employees. Many staff revealed that their jobs have been axed in posts on the platform, painting a picture of cuts that spanned the globe and hit departments that ranged from marketing to engineering.
They included communications, content curation, and product development employees. Kurt Wagner, social media correspondent at Bloomberg told us how the job cuts will affect the company.
Also in the programme, we speak to environment correspondent Matt Mcgrath about the upcoming COP27 summit in Egypt which kicks off this weekend.
We talked to Mitali Nikore, an economist from Delhi about the cost of air pollution in India.
With our guests Mehmal Sarfraz, Co-founder of The Current PK, Journalist for Geo TV's Report Card and Diane Brady, Assistant Managing Editor at Forbes we discussed devastating floods in Pakistan and financial consequences for Kanye West after his public antisemitism speech.
(Picture: Tweet button on keyboard Credit: Getty Images)
Tech groups started to cut jobs and pause hiring to cope with rising costs and interest rates. Walter Todd, president and chief investment officer Greenwood Capital from the US, explained why it is happening.
Also in the programme, Jessica Khine, Business Development Consultant from Malaysia travelled explained how the Japanese tourism industry is working in its first month open to tourists since before the pandemic.
Katie Silver, our Business Correspondent in Singapore, told us how German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was welcomed in Beijing.
We also discussed how streaming services releasing movies cope with different license rules in Europe in comparison with the US.
(Picture: Senior couple sitting at the kitchen table looking at digital tablet and recalculating their expenses. Credit: Getty Images)
The US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday announced a 0.75% jump in interest rates, suggesting future increases could be smaller.
Emergency warnings have been triggered in Japan as North Korea launches a ballistic missile. It marks a further increase in tensions on the peninsula.
Also on Business Matters, we look at one of Mexico’s most popular cultural traditions, the Day of the Dead.
(Picture: U.S. Federal Reserve Bank Board Chairman Jerome Powell delivers opening remarks during a news conference following a meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FMOC) at the bank headquarters on November 02, 2022 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty Images).
Brazil's defeated leader, Jair Bolsonaro, has made his first statement since his defeat at Sunday's elections. He made no mention of losing the election – but his ministry says transition talks have begun.
We dig deeper into new research showing that 5% of plastic waste generated in the US last year was recycled – with the other 95% ending up as litter or in landfill.
Also, find out why a member of America’s Federal Communications Commission is calling for TikTok to be banned.(Picture: President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro looks on after a press conference two days after being defeated by Lula da Silva in the presidential runoff at Alvorada Palace on November 1, 2022 in Brasilia, Brazil. Credit: Getty Images).
Oil and gas companies in the US may be penalised with windfall taxes if they do not use their record profits to lower costs for consumers, according to President Joe Biden.
Fears continue to grow about global food shortages as Russia is to pull out of a UN-brokered deal to allow grain shipments out of the Black Sea.
We examine environmental policies under outgoing Brazilian President Bolsonaro – and whether his successor will bring about change in the Amazon.
Elon Musk cements his control over Twitter as he dissolves the company's board of directors. But how will the platform look under his rule?
Also, we take a deeper look at the rights of guest workers in Qatar ahead of the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. (Picture: WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 31: U.S. President Joe Biden arrives to deliver remarks on oil company profits in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. Credit: Getty Images.)
The world’s richest man Elon Musk, has started making changes as takes control of social media platform, Twitter. Senior figures at Twitter announced their exits, while Mr Musk announced a new council to moderate posts.
Brazilians head to the polls to elect a new president on Sunday. Some residents of Latin America's largest economy say soaring prices have forced them to change thier spending habits.
Also on the programme, the latest as America counts down to midterm elections.
And in Turkey, businesses struggle to stay afloat as the battle crazy high price inflation. (Picture: Elon Musk at the 2022 Met Gala. Credit: Getty Images.)
It's official. Elon Musk has closed his deal to buy social media platform Twitter after six months of negotiations. Hear the moment it was announced live on the BBC's Business Matters.
Elsewhere in the programme: unexpected GPD in the US growth has exceeded analysts’ expectations. It's one of the last major economic readings before US midterm elections next month. But many believe the US is still on track for a slowdown next year. In the most recent quarter, a surge in exports helped drive growth.
We talk about Shell, who just reported profits of $9.5 billion between July and September - more than double that of the same period last year.
And we will discuss the most expensive football World Cup ever which will be hosted by Qatar - the first Middle East nation to host such event.
(Picture: A screengrab of Elon Musk's Twitter profile page. Credit: @elonmusk, Twitter.)
Social media giant Meta has posted more disappointing results as it struggles to drum up support for its Metaverse concept. Sales and profits are down once again at the Silicon Valley company, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. We'll discuss what it means for the wider tech sector as well as consumers with Bloomberg tech journalist Tom Giles.
Economist Jimmy Jean of Desjardins in Quebec joins us as central banks consider further interest rate hikes this week.
We look ahead to Brazil's upcoming elections. Breno Dias Silva, head of the tech firm Qintess, explains what the implications for business owners.
Also on Business Matters, chips, China and currency chaos. To discuss all these stories and more, Rahul Tandon is joined by The Economist's Sarah Birke in Mexico; and in Delhi, Hindustan Times writer Madhavan Narayana.
(Picture: A Meta worker demonstrates one of the company's virtual reality headsets. Credit: Getty Images.)
Parent company of Google and YouTube - Alphabet has said sales rose just 6% in the three months to September, to $69bn, as firms cut their advertising budgets. Microsoft also expressed concern demand for its computers and other technology had weakened.
Ukrainian authorities have advised refugees not to return back to the country until spring to help ease pressure on the energy system after a wave of Russian attacks.
Clothing giant Adidas has cut ties with rapper Kanye West, following anti-Semitic comments made on Twitter. Cutting the partnership means Adidas will make a net loss of £217m in 2022 as a result.
Roger Hearing is joined by David Kuo from The Smart Investor in Singapore and broadcaster Stephanie Hare in London. Rishi Sunak has issued a plea for unity in the face of a "profound economic challenge", after winning the race to be the next prime minister. He won the Conservative leadership contest after rival Penny Mordaunt failed to secure enough backing from MPs. China released a set of economic figures which had been postponed from the previous week. Sue-Lin Wong, host of "The Prince" a podcast about Xi Jinping, and China correspondent at The Economist, explains the importance of these results. Professor of Leadership at the University of Sydney, Kevin Lowe, joins us live from South Carolina as we reflect on what makes a strong leader in the workplace.
Her Brothers of Italy party won elections last month and she'll be sworn in on Saturday, forming the country's most right-wing government since the second world war. What will this mean for the economy, and economic policy? We speak to Valentina Meliciani, dean of the Luiss School of European Political Economy in Rome. Tech investors are eagerly awaiting the next round of financial results, starting with Snap, the maker of multimedia messaging app Snapchat. Alex Heath is senior reporter at technology news website The Verge and tells us what we can expect to see from the results. EU leaders agree a "road map" aimed at putting in place measures within weeks to shield European consumers from soaring energy prices. Cornelia Meyer, energy expert and CEO of Meyer Resources, explains how the plan will work. And the BBC's Devina Gupta speaks to G Abiruben, a firework manufacturer in Delhi, ahead of the Hindu festival of Diwali this weekend.
Leanna Byrne is joined throughout the programme by Jyoti Malhotra, senior consulting editor at The Print website in Delhi, and Peter Jankovskis, who's from Arbor Financial Services in Ilinois.
Liz Truss's resignation means the UK must find its third PM this year. The BBC's Rob Watson brings us up to date with all the reaction, and tells us what the next steps will be in choosing her successor. We also get reaction from UK business, and hear from construction firm The Deeley Group what policies it wants from the new PM. And Cary Leahey, economist at the University of Columbia, tells us how international markets have reacted to Truss's resignation. In Nigeria, inflation has reached 20.7 percent - the highest rate for 17 years. Babajide Ogunsanwo runs a business in the capital Lagos and tells us how people there are coping with higher prices. And it's estimated that a third of the world's population don't have access to the internet. We hear from farmers in Kenya who are using the internet and social media apps to grow their business, and also from the head of the UN's development programme, Achim Steiner, about how it is making digital connectivity a priority.
Sam Fenwick is joined throughout the programme from LA by Paddy Hirsch, contributing editor at National Public Radio in the US, and by Rebecca Choong Wilkins in Hong Kong, who is Bloomberg's senior Asia Correspondent.
President Zelenskiy says a third of Ukrainian power stations were destroyed in eight days. How are people and businesses there coping? We speak to Alex Dayrabekov, a business consultant living and running a business in Irpin, near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. The car maker Tesla publishes its latest financial results. Sarah Kunst is a tech investor and managing director of Cleo Capital, and analyses these latest numbers for us. The video-sharing platform Tik Tok is raising the minimum age for livestreaming from 16 to 18, after the BBC found that hundreds of children in Syrian refugee camps were using their accounts to beg for money. BBC reporter Hannah Gelbart tells us about her investigation. And as Indians prepare for the Hindu festival of light this week, we ask whether they are prepared to spend as much on Diwali as usual, given the cost of living crisis.
Vishala Sri-Pathma is joined throughout the programme by Alison Schrager, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute in New York, and Samson Ellis, bureau chief at the Taipei Bureau for Bloomberg News in Taiwan.
The European Commission's emergency measures do not include a price cap, as member states are divided over the idea. But the Commission does want to draft a proposal for a temporary 'maximum dynamic price' on certain trades. We get more on how this might work from Dr Thierry Bros, energy expert and professor at Sciences Po in Paris. Facebook owner Meta has been ordered to sell its gif-creation platform Giphy, following a ruling by the UK competition authority. Ryan Broderick, freelance web culture writer, gives us the details. And as streaming service Netflix publishes its latest set of results and subscriber numbers, we speak to TV critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan for analysis.
Vishala Sri-Pathma is joined throughout the programme by writer and journalist Karen Percy in Melbourne, and by Andy Uhler, reporter for American Public Media's Marketplace from Austin, Texas.
Liz Truss steers away from her original plans for the economy after weeks of market turmoil, and says she will have to deliver economic stability 'in a different way'. We listen to the interview she gave to the BBC, the first since the new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced what's been described as the biggest ever U-turn in British economic policy.
China delays the release of key economic figures amid the Chinese Communist Party. Zhouchen Mao, head of research and advisory at Asia House, tells us more.
Kanye West is to buy the conservative social media app Parler. We hear more details from Rachel Lerman, tech reporter at The Washington Post.
And Brazilians who don’t support current president Jair Bolsonaro can now search for love without having to ask suitors about their political stance. Alex Felipelli is the founder of Lefty, a dating app just for them. He explains why he created it.
(Picture: Liz Truss. Picture credit: BBC News.)
China’s President Xi Jinping faces enormous economic challenges as he is expected to be appointed leader of the Chinese Communist party next week in his bid to extend his tenure as leader for a third term, despite youth unemployment reaching a record high and growth an historic low.
As consumer prices in the United States rise more than expected, North America Business Correspondent Michelle Fleury joins Business Matters to explain what it means for the US, and the knock-on effects that will be felt around the world. Fevzi Turkalp, technology expert from gadgetdetective.com, explains the latest twist in the Musk-Twitter takeover saga, as the social media platform claims the Tesla CEO is under investigation by federal authorities for “his conduct in connection with the acquisition”. Marketplace’s David Brancaccio examines efforts to require individuals and corporations that give political money to reveal their identities in the United States, with the midterm elections less than four weeks away. We're joined from South Africa by Professor Adrian Tordiffe, a Veterinary Wildlife Specialist, as the WWF warns there's been a devastating average loss of 69% of the planet’s wildlife population in the last 50 years. And how do you write the perfect cover letter? Well, maybe you don't. A recent poll from Fishbowl by Glassdoor, which surveyed over 13,000 professionals, found that 58% think cover letters are redundant. (Picture: Yoghurt is offered for sale at a grocery store on October 13, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. Credit: Getty Images)
Rahul Tandon is joined by broadcaster Stephanie Hare in the UK and president of AC Growth Delivered, Simon Littlewood, in Singapore.
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been ordered to pay $965m in damages after falsely claiming the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax. We hear from Jennifer Hubbard whose daughter Catherine died in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Malaysia’s 97-year-old former leader Mahathir Mohamad has announced he will defend his seat in the general elections expected next month. So, is experience a quality we value in leadership?
Is it time to talk about Covid again? As the Northern Hemisphere heads towards winter some experts are concerned that Covid could disrupt economies again.
(Picture: WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT - SEPTEMBER 21: InfoWars founder Alex Jones speaks to the media outside Waterbury Superior Court during his trial on September 21, 2022 in Waterbury, Connecticut. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Sam Fenwick is joined by Shuli Ren, a journalist with Bloomberg in Hong Kong and Mitchell Hartman, a Senior Reporter for US radio show, Marketplace in Portland, Oregon.
The International Monetary Fund has warned that, for many people, next year will feel like a recession. Daniel Leigh heads the World Economic Studies division in the funds Research Department at the IMF. He explains how the war in Ukraine and rising prices worldwide are making an impact.
Chinese carmakers are heading into Europe to showcase their latest models. The move comes after years of just supplying models to a domestic market in China. Professor Peter Wells, Director of the Centre for Automotive Industry Research at Cardiff University explains why they're doing this.
(Picture: The graph representing the Stock is seen on a TV screen at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on August 14, 2019 in New York City. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
With the International Monetary Fund set to unveil its twice-yearly World Economic Outlook tomorrow, we're joined by former IMF Chief Economist Kenneth Rogoff to find out what we can expect to hear.
Shares in US semiconductor firms fell on Monday after Joe Biden announced restrictions on exports of microchips and chip manufacturing equipment to China. Chris Miller, author of Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology, explains how we got to this point.
With the US mid-term elections less than four weeks away, we begin a week-long look at what is often termed “dark money” in U.S. political campaigns.
And the BBC's Formula 1 reporter Jennie Gow explains why Red Bull have been given a red flag by the sport's governing body over alleged excess spending.
(Picture: Global stock markets. Credit: Getty Images)
Jobs growth in the US has slowed down for the second month in a row. US employers added 263,000 new jobs in September, the fewest since April 2021, while unemployment fell to 3.5%. But what's it like if you're trying to recruit a worker or find a job? We hear from Tracie Sponenberg, Chief People Officer for The Granite Group in Concord, New Hampshire. Yulia Yan is among those looking for work, she tells us about the challenges she's facing.
The United States has announced new export controls on computer chips to China to prevent Beijing from using the technology for its military. American firms will be banned from selling certain chips used for supercomputing and artificial intelligence to Chinese companies. Bill Reinsch from Center for Strategic and International Studies explains the likely effect of the ban.
Sam Fenwick is joined by Marketplace reporter Andy Uhler in Austin, Texas and ABC senior business correspondent Peter Ryan in Brisbane, Australia.
(Image:Two multi-ethnic workers in their 30s talking in a metal fabrication plant wearing hardhats and protective eyewear. Credit: Getty Images)
The IMF says the risk of a global recession has increased as it lowers its growth forecast for the coming year. Its managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, said the gloomy outlook was fuelled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the continuing impact of the Covid pandemic.
Hong Kong has relaxed several of its coronavirus restrictions in recent weeks. Now it's giving away 500,000 airline tickets worth $250 million in a bid to boost visitor numbers. Will it succeed?
The Rooney Rule was adopted by NFL teams in the US in 2003, with the aim of creating equal opportunities for Black coaches. But there's criticism that it hasn't achieved what it set out to do. Gus Garcia Roberts from the Washington Post has been investigating and shares his findings with us.
Sam Fenwick is joined by Tony Nash, chief economist at Complete Intelligence in Houston, Texas and Zyma Islam from the Daily Star in Dhaka, Bangladesh to discuss these stories and the other big money and work issues of the day.
(Image:Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva speaks during a press conference as she meets with economic and financial organizations in Berlin at the German chancellery on August 26, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. Credit: Getty Images)
Members of OPEC+ have agreed to cut down production by two million barrels a day. A move the Opec Secretary General, Haitham Al Ghais, says is geared towards stabilising the oil market. But how much of stability can it provide? The founder and CEO of consultancy firm Crystol Energy, Carole Nakhle, tells us what she thinks.
People in Lebanon are struggling to withdraw money from their local banks due to strict withdrawal limits. An economist and Director of Kulluna Irada, a pressure group that works towards political reform in Lebenon Diana Menhem, talks us through the situation.
Vulnerable young citizens in Mexico are falling prey to a new trend of mobile apps offering rapid and easy loans. Daniel Alonso Viña, a business reporter for the newspaper El Pais in Mexico City explains.
The BBC'S David Reid finds out why a campaign is on to lure the humble backpacker back into Australia.
Should you eat meals at a set time every day? Dr Emily Manoogian is one of the authors of a study about the impact of this on the health and wellbeing of shift workers in particular. She tells us what she found.
Colin Peacock, from Radio New Zealand in Wellington joins us throughout the programme.
(Picture: The logo of the OPEC at the OPEC headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Credit: Getty Images.)
Stella Bangura, a TV presenter based in Freetown Sierra Leone and Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy at Circle in Washington are with us throughout the programme.
Billionaire Elon Musk has reinstated his plans to takeover Twitter. Molly Roberts, from the Washington Post reports.
The US labour market shows signs of cooling with the lowest job openings in nearly two and a half years. Institutional partner at Themis, Joe Saluzzi, gives analysis.
Alex Agius Saliba who is a member of the European Parliament explains why the introduction of just one cable for all electronic gadgets is a good idea.
And are driverless cars the future of transport? The BBC’s Silicon Valley correspondent has been investigating.(Picture: Elon Musk in Germany. Credit: Getty Images.)
Kim Kardashian is still in the news after agreeing to pay the fine levelled against her by the SEC over a crypto ad. Jatendra Sehdev, who's the author of a book, The Kim Kardashian Principle tells us what he thinks about the issue.
Why is the UN is telling the Federal Reserve to stop hiking interest rates? A question the BBC'S Jonathan Josephs finds answers to.
We dig deeper into the Credit Suisse story with Chris Low, from FHN Financial in New York.
Storm Ian has torn though the Carolinas and beyond - causing devastation in its path. How much will this chaos cost?
As energy costs continue to soar, we explore why the trend for solar panels is happening across Europe.
Elisabeth Braw, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute shares her thoughts regarding the implications of a massive exit from Russian workplaces as the Kremlin mobilizes and more men try to leave the country
An economist at the R.H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, Peter Morici and Jessica Khine, a business development consultant join us throughout the show.
Mehmal Sarfraz, Co-founder The Current PK, in Lahore, and Hayley Woodin, executive editor of Business in Vancouver, join Will Bain for global economic discussion.
We're in Puerto Rico and the US to hear about the devastation that Hurricane Ian is leaving, as thousands of people are without power.
Our panel discuss former UN climate change chief Christiana Figueres' suggestion that Pakistan should receive climate reparations.
We also hear from the Los Angeles Times' Middle East Editor, Nabih Bulos, on Afghanistan's problem with its cash - the notes are disintegrating.
Image: Caden Simmons, a local resident, walks with a U.S. flag on a flooded street after he recovered it from flood waters, as Hurricane Ian bears down on Charleston, South Carolina, U.S., September 30, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake
Mehmal Sarfraz, Co-founder The Current PK, in Lahore, and Hayley Woodin, executive editor of Business in Vancouver, join Will Bain for global economic discussion.
We're in Puerto Rico and the US to hear about the devastation that Hurricane Ian is leaving, as thousands of people are without power.
Our panel discuss former UN climate change chief Christiana Figueres' suggestion that Pakistan should receive climate reparations.
We also hear from the Los Angeles Times' Middle East Editor, Nabih Bulos, on Afghanistan's problem with its cash - the notes are disintegrating.
Image: Caden Simmons, a local resident, walks with a U.S. flag on a flooded street after he recovered it from flood waters, as Hurricane Ian bears down on Charleston, South Carolina, U.S., September 30, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake
ABC’s senior business correspondent Peter Ryan and Stephanie Hare, broadcaster & author, join us throughout the programme to discuss the latest business stories from around the world. We hear the latest from Florida where more than 2 and a half million homes and businesses are without electricity after one of the most deadly hurricanes in the state’s history. The BBC’s international business correspondent Theo Leggett gives us his assessment after Porsche shares climbed on their debut in one of Europe’s largest initial public offerings. We get reaction to what’s being called one of the worst data breaches in Australia’s history, after 40% of the population had personal data stolen. Also on Business Matters, with less than to months to go till the Football World Cup in Qatar we hear why Denmark have toned down their kits to protest against the host's human rights record and alleged treatment of migrant workers.
ABC’s senior business correspondent Peter Ryan and Stephanie Hare, broadcaster & author, join us throughout the programme to discuss the latest business stories from around the world. We hear the latest from Florida where more than 2 and a half million homes and businesses are without electricity after one of the most deadly hurricanes in the state’s history. The BBC’s international business correspondent Theo Leggett gives us his assessment after Porsche shares climbed on their debut in one of Europe’s largest initial public offerings. We get reaction to what’s being called one of the worst data breaches in Australia’s history, after 40% of the population had personal data stolen. Also on Business Matters, with less than to months to go till the Football World Cup in Qatar we hear why Denmark have toned down their kits to protest against the host's human rights record and alleged treatment of migrant workers.
ABC’s senior business correspondent Peter Ryan and Stephanie Hare, broadcaster & author, join us throughout the programme to discuss the latest business stories from around the world. We hear the latest from Florida where more than 2 and a half million homes and businesses are without electricity after one of the most deadly hurricanes in the state’s history. The BBC’s international business correspondent Theo Leggett gives us his assessment after Porsche shares climbed on their debut in one of Europe’s largest initial public offerings. We get reaction to what’s being called one of the worst data breaches in Australia’s history, after 40% of the population had personal data stolen. Also on Business Matters, with less than to months to go till the Football World Cup in Qatar we hear why Denmark have toned down their kits to protest against the host's human rights record and alleged treatment of migrant workers.
Alexander Kaufman from the Huffington Post, based in New York, and Rebecca Choong Wilkins join us throughout the programme for a chat about the day’s big business stories.
There are more reactions to the leaks detected in Nord Stream 1 and 2. Sweden has launched an investigation, and Norway is to deploy the military to protect its energy sites. The EU has promised a robust and united response to any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure.
Raoul Ruparel, a former UK government adviser, reacts to the turbulence facing the UK economy. We also hear from Maurice Obstfeld, a professor of economics at the University of California, and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund.
Amazon has unveiled its latest range of own-brand tech devices – including a new one that watches you sleep. The BBC’s Alex Bell looks ahead to its release.
Also on Business Matters, Shay Segev of the DAZN Group talks us through its recent acquisition of Eleven Sports.(Picture: Hurricane Ian sweeps through Florida. Picture Credit Getty Images).
Alexander Kaufman from the Huffington Post, based in New York, and Rebecca Choong Wilkins join us throughout the programme for a chat about the day’s big business stories.
There are more reactions to the leaks detected in Nord Stream 1 and 2. Sweden has launched an investigation, and Norway is to deploy the military to protect its energy sites. The EU has promised a robust and united response to any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure.
Raoul Ruparel, a former UK government adviser, reacts to the turbulence facing the UK economy. We also hear from Maurice Obstfeld, a professor of economics at the University of California, and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund.
Amazon has unveiled its latest range of own-brand tech devices – including a new one that watches you sleep. The BBC’s Alex Bell looks ahead to its release.
Also on Business Matters, Shay Segev of the DAZN Group talks us through its recent acquisition of Eleven Sports.(Picture: Hurricane Ian sweeps through Florida. Picture Credit Getty Images).
Alexander Kaufman from the Huffington Post, based in New York, and Rebecca Choong Wilkins join us throughout the programme for a chat about the day’s big business stories.
There are more reactions to the leaks detected in Nord Stream 1 and 2. Sweden has launched an investigation, and Norway is to deploy the military to protect its energy sites. The EU has promised a robust and united response to any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure.
Raoul Ruparel, a former UK government adviser, reacts to the turbulence facing the UK economy. We also hear from Maurice Obstfeld, a professor of economics at the University of California, and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund.
Amazon has unveiled its latest range of own-brand tech devices – including a new one that watches you sleep. The BBC’s Alex Bell looks ahead to its release.
Also on Business Matters, Shay Segev of the DAZN Group talks us through its recent acquisition of Eleven Sports.(Picture: Hurricane Ian sweeps through Florida. Picture Credit Getty Images).
The International Monetary Fund has openly criticised the UK’s economic policy. It says the government's plan to cut tax for the highest earners and increase borrowing will increase inequality. Our North America business correspondent from New York, Michelle Fleury, tells us more.
The UK Treasury says it is focused on growing the economy to raise living standards for everyone. Former Deputy Director at the IMF, Adnan Mazarei, speaks further on the issue.
Energy journalist Jacob Schlandt gives us the latest on gas leaks from the Russian-controlled Nordstream gas pipelines – which the international community has labelled an act of sabotage.
Hurricane Ian gathers momentum towards Florida, leaving hundreds of thousands of people in Cuba without power. Cathy Perkins, the Director of Pinellas County Emergency Management, talks to us.
Could building more homes and offices out of wood instead of concrete help tackle climate change? The BBC's Maddy Savage explores the pros and cons.
Carlos Kytka, the executive director of the Gay European Tourism Association, chats with us about Cuba's push to become an attractive destination for LGBTQ+ visitors.
(Picture: The UK's currency, pound sterling, has fallen to historic lows. Credit: Getty Images.)
The International Monetary Fund has openly criticised the UK’s economic policy. It says the government's plan to cut tax for the highest earners and increase borrowing will increase inequality. Our North America business correspondent from New York, Michelle Fleury, tells us more.
The UK Treasury says it is focused on growing the economy to raise living standards for everyone. Former Deputy Director at the IMF, Adnan Mazarei, speaks further on the issue.
Energy journalist Jacob Schlandt gives us the latest on gas leaks from the Russian-controlled Nordstream gas pipelines – which the international community has labelled an act of sabotage.
Hurricane Ian gathers momentum towards Florida, leaving hundreds of thousands of people in Cuba without power. Cathy Perkins, the Director of Pinellas County Emergency Management, talks to us.
Could building more homes and offices out of wood instead of concrete help tackle climate change? The BBC's Maddy Savage explores the pros and cons.
Carlos Kytka, the executive director of the Gay European Tourism Association, chats with us about Cuba's push to become an attractive destination for LGBTQ+ visitors.
(Picture: The UK's currency, pound sterling, has fallen to historic lows. Credit: Getty Images.)
The International Monetary Fund has openly criticised the UK’s economic policy. It says the government's plan to cut tax for the highest earners and increase borrowing will increase inequality. Our North America business correspondent from New York, Michelle Fleury, tells us more.
The UK Treasury says it is focused on growing the economy to raise living standards for everyone. Former Deputy Director at the IMF, Adnan Mazarei, speaks further on the issue.
Energy journalist Jacob Schlandt gives us the latest on gas leaks from the Russian-controlled Nordstream gas pipelines – which the international community has labelled an act of sabotage.
Hurricane Ian gathers momentum towards Florida, leaving hundreds of thousands of people in Cuba without power. Cathy Perkins, the Director of Pinellas County Emergency Management, talks to us.
Could building more homes and offices out of wood instead of concrete help tackle climate change? The BBC's Maddy Savage explores the pros and cons.
Carlos Kytka, the executive director of the Gay European Tourism Association, chats with us about Cuba's push to become an attractive destination for LGBTQ+ visitors.
(Picture: The UK's currency, pound sterling, has fallen to historic lows. Credit: Getty Images.)
On Business Matters we’re joined throughout the programme by Andy Uhler, from our partner programme Marketplace, along with Shuli Ren from Bloomberg in Hong Kong. Claudia Sahm, a former Federal Reserve and White House economist, shares her thoughts regarding the weakening of global currencies against the US dollar.
How are the markets reacting to the currency fluctuations? Peter Jankowskis from Arbor Financial tells us.
The BBC's Thomas Nandi explains why Ghana is also struggling against the US dollar.
''Swift and severe'': that's how President Joe Biden's spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre describes additional sanctions from the US against Russia as the country considers annexing extra territory in Ukraine. The UK has also unleashed further sanctions targeted towards the organisers of self-styled 'referendums' asking Ukrainians in occupied territories if they support joining Russia.
The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, talks tough against Iran following the death of a young woman in police custody ten days ago which has triggered large scale demonstrations.
NASA completes one of the world's most daring space missions. We’re joined by former space agency employee Keith Cowing.
The BBC's Laura Heighton-Ginns meets domestic workers who escaped modern slavery as she digs deeper into the exploitation and abuse of domestic workers overseas.
Alex Serdiuk, CEO of the Ukraine AI firm Respeecher, tells us how they managed to close one of the most well-known characters in movie history, Darth Vader.
(Picture: The US dollar and British pound. Credit: Getty Images).
On Business Matters we’re joined throughout the programme by Andy Uhler, from our partner programme Marketplace, along with Shuli Ren from Bloomberg in Hong Kong. Claudia Sahm, a former Federal Reserve and White House economist, shares her thoughts regarding the weakening of global currencies against the US dollar.
How are the markets reacting to the currency fluctuations? Peter Jankowskis from Arbor Financial tells us.
The BBC's Thomas Nandi explains why Ghana is also struggling against the US dollar.
''Swift and severe'': that's how President Joe Biden's spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre describes additional sanctions from the US against Russia as the country considers annexing extra territory in Ukraine. The UK has also unleashed further sanctions targeted towards the organisers of self-styled 'referendums' asking Ukrainians in occupied territories if they support joining Russia.
The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, talks tough against Iran following the death of a young woman in police custody ten days ago which has triggered large scale demonstrations.
NASA completes one of the world's most daring space missions. We’re joined by former space agency employee Keith Cowing.
The BBC's Laura Heighton-Ginns meets domestic workers who escaped modern slavery as she digs deeper into the exploitation and abuse of domestic workers overseas.
Alex Serdiuk, CEO of the Ukraine AI firm Respeecher, tells us how they managed to close one of the most well-known characters in movie history, Darth Vader.
(Picture: The US dollar and British pound. Credit: Getty Images).
On Business Matters we’re joined throughout the programme by Andy Uhler, from our partner programme Marketplace, along with Shuli Ren from Bloomberg in Hong Kong. Claudia Sahm, a former Federal Reserve and White House economist, shares her thoughts regarding the weakening of global currencies against the US dollar.
How are the markets reacting to the currency fluctuations? Peter Jankowskis from Arbor Financial tells us.
The BBC's Thomas Nandi explains why Ghana is also struggling against the US dollar.
''Swift and severe'': that's how President Joe Biden's spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre describes additional sanctions from the US against Russia as the country considers annexing extra territory in Ukraine. The UK has also unleashed further sanctions targeted towards the organisers of self-styled 'referendums' asking Ukrainians in occupied territories if they support joining Russia.
The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, talks tough against Iran following the death of a young woman in police custody ten days ago which has triggered large scale demonstrations.
NASA completes one of the world's most daring space missions. We’re joined by former space agency employee Keith Cowing.
The BBC's Laura Heighton-Ginns meets domestic workers who escaped modern slavery as she digs deeper into the exploitation and abuse of domestic workers overseas.
Alex Serdiuk, CEO of the Ukraine AI firm Respeecher, tells us how they managed to close one of the most well-known characters in movie history, Darth Vader.
(Picture: The US dollar and British pound. Credit: Getty Images).
It began with a historic hike from the Federal Reserve, and ended with a major economic policy reset in the UK. Between that, other central banks have followed the Fed's course, and currencies around the globe have been rocked.
Interest rates, inflation and insecurity have defined the last five days - a tumultuous week in global affairs.
On Business Matters we discuss the effect it's having on markets and business confidence. Peter Jankovskis of Arbor Financial Services joins us from Illinois; and from Malaysia, Jessica Khine.
Business coach Becky Candy tells us what it's like for ordinary companies in Britain, while US professor David Blanchflower reacts to today's 'mini budget' in Westminster.
As more Asian countries continue to relax their Covid travel rules, we also explore how Japan is attempting to reinvigorate its tourism trade.
(Picture: The UK Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng. Credit: Getty Images).
It began with a historic hike from the Federal Reserve, and ended with a major economic policy reset in the UK. Between that, other central banks have followed the Fed's course, and currencies around the globe have been rocked.
Interest rates, inflation and insecurity have defined the last five days - a tumultuous week in global affairs.
On Business Matters we discuss the effect it's having on markets and business confidence. Peter Jankovskis of Arbor Financial Services joins us from Illinois; and from Malaysia, Jessica Khine.
Business coach Becky Candy tells us what it's like for ordinary companies in Britain, while US professor David Blanchflower reacts to today's 'mini budget' in Westminster.
As more Asian countries continue to relax their Covid travel rules, we also explore how Japan is attempting to reinvigorate its tourism trade.
(Picture: The UK Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng. Credit: Getty Images).
It began with a historic hike from the Federal Reserve, and ended with a major economic policy reset in the UK. Between that, other central banks have followed the Fed's course, and currencies around the globe have been rocked.
Interest rates, inflation and insecurity have defined the last five days - a tumultuous week in global affairs.
On Business Matters we discuss the effect it's having on markets and business confidence. Peter Jankovskis of Arbor Financial Services joins us from Illinois; and from Malaysia, Jessica Khine.
Business coach Becky Candy tells us what it's like for ordinary companies in Britain, while US professor David Blanchflower reacts to today's 'mini budget' in Westminster.
As more Asian countries continue to relax their Covid travel rules, we also explore how Japan is attempting to reinvigorate its tourism trade.
(Picture: The UK Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng. Credit: Getty Images).
Large numbers of Russian citizens are trying to leave the country to escape the military mobilisation announced by Vladimir Putin. Direct flights to visa-free countries are sold out, and long queues of cars are lining up at the borders. Professor Nikolai Petrov, Senior Research Fellow with the Russia Programme at think tank Chatham House in London talks about the impact of this on the economy. Boeing has agreed to pay two hundred million dollars over charges it misled investors over the safety of its 737 max aircraft which were involved in two deadly crashes. David Shepardson from Reuters gives us his reaction to the story. Bad weather has knocked out the entire electricity supply on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico as Hurricane Fiona causes havoc. We hear from Angelique Sina who runs a business on the Island. Also Sean O' Kane an Auto Reporter with Bloomberg News talks about the fallout from electric car giant Tesla after it recalls more than a million cars. Toronto based technology journalist Takara Small and freelance writer and former Senior Editor at The Hindustan Times Madhavan Narayan offer their analysis on these stories. (Picture:Man pulls his luggage upon arrival to Armenia from Russia. Picture Credit Reuters)
Large numbers of Russian citizens are trying to leave the country to escape the military mobilisation announced by Vladimir Putin. Direct flights to visa-free countries are sold out, and long queues of cars are lining up at the borders. Professor Nikolai Petrov, Senior Research Fellow with the Russia Programme at think tank Chatham House in London talks about the impact of this on the economy. Boeing has agreed to pay two hundred million dollars over charges it misled investors over the safety of its 737 max aircraft which were involved in two deadly crashes. David Shepardson from Reuters gives us his reaction to the story. Bad weather has knocked out the entire electricity supply on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico as Hurricane Fiona causes havoc. We hear from Angelique Sina who runs a business on the Island. Also Sean O' Kane an Auto Reporter with Bloomberg News talks about the fallout from electric car giant Tesla after it recalls more than a million cars. Toronto based technology journalist Takara Small and freelance writer and former Senior Editor at The Hindustan Times Madhavan Narayan offer their analysis on these stories. (Picture:Man pulls his luggage upon arrival to Armenia from Russia. Picture Credit Reuters)
Large numbers of Russian citizens are trying to leave the country to escape the military mobilisation announced by Vladimir Putin. Direct flights to visa-free countries are sold out, and long queues of cars are lining up at the borders. Professor Nikolai Petrov, Senior Research Fellow with the Russia Programme at think tank Chatham House in London talks about the impact of this on the economy. Boeing has agreed to pay two hundred million dollars over charges it misled investors over the safety of its 737 max aircraft which were involved in two deadly crashes. David Shepardson from Reuters gives us his reaction to the story. Bad weather has knocked out the entire electricity supply on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico as Hurricane Fiona causes havoc. We hear from Angelique Sina who runs a business on the Island. Also Sean O' Kane an Auto Reporter with Bloomberg News talks about the fallout from electric car giant Tesla after it recalls more than a million cars. Toronto based technology journalist Takara Small and freelance writer and former Senior Editor at The Hindustan Times Madhavan Narayan offer their analysis on these stories. (Picture:Man pulls his luggage upon arrival to Armenia from Russia. Picture Credit Reuters)
The US central bank has pushed interest rates to the highest level in almost 15 years as it fights to rein in soaring prices in the world's biggest economy. The rate has gone up by 0.75 percentage points for the third time in a row. We hear from Tom Sullivan from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He is the Vice President of Small Business policy. Also on the programme, we talk to Randal Kroszner an economist at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and former member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Analysts predict the Bank of Japan will maintain its ultra-low interest rates despite pressure on the country’s currency. Yoko Ishikura is a Professor Emeritus, Hitotsubashi University and currently a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network in Tokyo shares her thoughts. Let's turn to one country where a stronger dollar could be bad news for its economy and is about to make interest rate decisions of its own. And we go to Brazil to get reaction to The Central Bank of Brazil's decision to keep its interest rate at 13.75 per cent. Maria Eloisa Capurro is a central bank reporter for Bloomberg in Brazil and gives us her thoughts from the financial capital Sao Paolo. (Picture: . Federal Chair Jerome Powell Picture credit: EPA)
The US central bank has pushed interest rates to the highest level in almost 15 years as it fights to rein in soaring prices in the world's biggest economy. The rate has gone up by 0.75 percentage points for the third time in a row. We hear from Tom Sullivan from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He is the Vice President of Small Business policy. Also on the programme, we talk to Randal Kroszner an economist at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and former member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Analysts predict the Bank of Japan will maintain its ultra-low interest rates despite pressure on the country’s currency. Yoko Ishikura is a Professor Emeritus, Hitotsubashi University and currently a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network in Tokyo shares her thoughts. Let's turn to one country where a stronger dollar could be bad news for its economy and is about to make interest rate decisions of its own. And we go to Brazil to get reaction to The Central Bank of Brazil's decision to keep its interest rate at 13.75 per cent. Maria Eloisa Capurro is a central bank reporter for Bloomberg in Brazil and gives us her thoughts from the financial capital Sao Paolo. (Picture: . Federal Chair Jerome Powell Picture credit: EPA)
The US central bank has pushed interest rates to the highest level in almost 15 years as it fights to rein in soaring prices in the world's biggest economy. The rate has gone up by 0.75 percentage points for the third time in a row. We hear from Tom Sullivan from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He is the Vice President of Small Business policy. Also on the programme, we talk to Randal Kroszner an economist at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and former member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Analysts predict the Bank of Japan will maintain its ultra-low interest rates despite pressure on the country’s currency. Yoko Ishikura is a Professor Emeritus, Hitotsubashi University and currently a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network in Tokyo shares her thoughts. Let's turn to one country where a stronger dollar could be bad news for its economy and is about to make interest rate decisions of its own. And we go to Brazil to get reaction to The Central Bank of Brazil's decision to keep its interest rate at 13.75 per cent. Maria Eloisa Capurro is a central bank reporter for Bloomberg in Brazil and gives us her thoughts from the financial capital Sao Paolo. (Picture: . Federal Chair Jerome Powell Picture credit: EPA)
The Federal Reserve is expected to announce an increase of up to one percentage point, according to some forecasts. What repercussions will this have in the US and abroad? We ask Joe Saluzzi of Themis Trading, in New Jersey.
The Central Bank of Argentina has risen interest rates to 75% in an attempt to reduce rampant inflation. Carolina Millan, Bloomberg's bureau chief in Buenos Aires, tells us more.
The Golden Globes are set to return to television screens in 2023 after being dropped by NBC last year due to a controversy over a lack of diversity among voters, among other things. We hear more from entertainment journalist KJ Matthews.
A criminal investigation has been launched against the Governor of Florida, Ron De Santis, for sending nearly 50 Venezuelan migrants on flights from Texas to Massachusetts. Why did do that? We ask Politico's reporter in Florida, Gary Fineout.
You may have heard of quiet-quitting or opting out of tasks beyond your assigned duties and becoming less invested in work. But are you familiar with quiet firing? Bonnie Dilber, recruiting manager at tech company Zapier, explains the concept.
Ed Butler is joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe, founder and CEO of Wiser based in Virginia, and David Kuo, co-founder of The Smart Investor, in Singapore.
(Picture: Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell in Washington. Picture credit: Reuters)
The Federal Reserve is expected to announce an increase of up to one percentage point, according to some forecasts. What repercussions will this have in the US and abroad? We ask Joe Saluzzi of Themis Trading, in New Jersey.
The Central Bank of Argentina has risen interest rates to 75% in an attempt to reduce rampant inflation. Carolina Millan, Bloomberg's bureau chief in Buenos Aires, tells us more.
The Golden Globes are set to return to television screens in 2023 after being dropped by NBC last year due to a controversy over a lack of diversity among voters, among other things. We hear more from entertainment journalist KJ Matthews.
A criminal investigation has been launched against the Governor of Florida, Ron De Santis, for sending nearly 50 Venezuelan migrants on flights from Texas to Massachusetts. Why did do that? We ask Politico's reporter in Florida, Gary Fineout.
You may have heard of quiet-quitting or opting out of tasks beyond your assigned duties and becoming less invested in work. But are you familiar with quiet firing? Bonnie Dilber, recruiting manager at tech company Zapier, explains the concept.
Ed Butler is joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe, founder and CEO of Wiser based in Virginia, and David Kuo, co-founder of The Smart Investor, in Singapore.
(Picture: Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell in Washington. Picture credit: Reuters)
The Federal Reserve is expected to announce an increase of up to one percentage point, according to some forecasts. What repercussions will this have in the US and abroad? We ask Joe Saluzzi of Themis Trading, in New Jersey.
The Central Bank of Argentina has risen interest rates to 75% in an attempt to reduce rampant inflation. Carolina Millan, Bloomberg's bureau chief in Buenos Aires, tells us more.
The Golden Globes are set to return to television screens in 2023 after being dropped by NBC last year due to a controversy over a lack of diversity among voters, among other things. We hear more from entertainment journalist KJ Matthews.
A criminal investigation has been launched against the Governor of Florida, Ron De Santis, for sending nearly 50 Venezuelan migrants on flights from Texas to Massachusetts. Why did do that? We ask Politico's reporter in Florida, Gary Fineout.
You may have heard of quiet-quitting or opting out of tasks beyond your assigned duties and becoming less invested in work. But are you familiar with quiet firing? Bonnie Dilber, recruiting manager at tech company Zapier, explains the concept.
Ed Butler is joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe, founder and CEO of Wiser based in Virginia, and David Kuo, co-founder of The Smart Investor, in Singapore.
(Picture: Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell in Washington. Picture credit: Reuters)
Thousands gathered in London to pay their respects to Britain's longest reigning monarch. World leaders including presidents of the United States and France attended the funeral. We hear reactions from the crowd.
Businesses in the UK have faced the difficult decision of closing their doors the day of the funeral or remain open to the public. Richard Burge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce, tells us how businesses that shut came to that decision.
Queen Elizabeth II was the head of state of 15 countries in the Commonwealth. We hear what this meant for former colonies like Antigua and Barbuda from Martin Cave, executive director of the nation's Chamber of Commerce.
Ed Butler is joined throughout the programme by three guests in opposite sides of the world: ABC's business reporter Peter Ryan in Sydney, Greenwood Capital's CIO Walter Todd in South Carolina, and columnist for The Tribune Sushma Ramachandran in India.
(Picture: Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. Picture credit: Reuters)
Thousands gathered in London to pay their respects to Britain's longest reigning monarch. World leaders including presidents of the United States and France attended the funeral. We hear reactions from the crowd.
Businesses in the UK have faced the difficult decision of closing their doors the day of the funeral or remain open to the public. Richard Burge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce, tells us how businesses that shut came to that decision.
Queen Elizabeth II was the head of state of 15 countries in the Commonwealth. We hear what this meant for former colonies like Antigua and Barbuda from Martin Cave, executive director of the nation's Chamber of Commerce.
Ed Butler is joined throughout the programme by three guests in opposite sides of the world: ABC's business reporter Peter Ryan in Sydney, Greenwood Capital's CIO Walter Todd in South Carolina, and columnist for The Tribune Sushma Ramachandran in India.
(Picture: Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. Picture credit: Reuters)
Thousands gathered in London to pay their respects to Britain's longest reigning monarch. World leaders including presidents of the United States and France attended the funeral. We hear reactions from the crowd.
Businesses in the UK have faced the difficult decision of closing their doors the day of the funeral or remain open to the public. Richard Burge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce, tells us how businesses that shut came to that decision.
Queen Elizabeth II was the head of state of 15 countries in the Commonwealth. We hear what this meant for former colonies like Antigua and Barbuda from Martin Cave, executive director of the nation's Chamber of Commerce.
Ed Butler is joined throughout the programme by three guests in opposite sides of the world: ABC's business reporter Peter Ryan in Sydney, Greenwood Capital's CIO Walter Todd in South Carolina, and columnist for The Tribune Sushma Ramachandran in India.
(Picture: Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. Picture credit: Reuters)
The ride-hailing company said it was responding to a 'cybersecurity incident' and that several internal systems had been affected. Margi Murphy is cybersecurity reporter at Bloomberg News and updates us on the story.
Why do we have such an attachment to some of our favourite brands? We know brand loyalty is a marketing executive's dream - but how have some of our kitchen cupboards seemingly become even more than that - more like old friends? The BBC's Dave Reid investigates.
The UK competition authority has intervened after Facebook parent company Meta applied to buy out the gif platform Giphy. Technology reporter Ryan Broderick gives us the background.
Will Bain is joined throughout the programme by Tony Nash, founder of the AI firm Complete Intelligence, in Houston, Texas and by Shuli Ren, Bloomberg Opinion reporter in Hong Kong.
The ride-hailing company said it was responding to a 'cybersecurity incident' and that several internal systems had been affected. Margi Murphy is cybersecurity reporter at Bloomberg News and updates us on the story.
Why do we have such an attachment to some of our favourite brands? We know brand loyalty is a marketing executive's dream - but how have some of our kitchen cupboards seemingly become even more than that - more like old friends? The BBC's Dave Reid investigates.
The UK competition authority has intervened after Facebook parent company Meta applied to buy out the gif platform Giphy. Technology reporter Ryan Broderick gives us the background.
Will Bain is joined throughout the programme by Tony Nash, founder of the AI firm Complete Intelligence, in Houston, Texas and by Shuli Ren, Bloomberg Opinion reporter in Hong Kong.
The ride-hailing company said it was responding to a 'cybersecurity incident' and that several internal systems had been affected. Margi Murphy is cybersecurity reporter at Bloomberg News and updates us on the story.
Why do we have such an attachment to some of our favourite brands? We know brand loyalty is a marketing executive's dream - but how have some of our kitchen cupboards seemingly become even more than that - more like old friends? The BBC's Dave Reid investigates.
The UK competition authority has intervened after Facebook parent company Meta applied to buy out the gif platform Giphy. Technology reporter Ryan Broderick gives us the background.
Will Bain is joined throughout the programme by Tony Nash, founder of the AI firm Complete Intelligence, in Houston, Texas and by Shuli Ren, Bloomberg Opinion reporter in Hong Kong.
The report says some countries will fall into recession in 2023, but that it's too early to say for sure whether there will be a global recession. We get more analysis from one of the report's authors, Franziska Ohnsorge.
The UK's finance ministry is considering removing limits on bankers' bonuses. How will this affect its financial services industry, and and is the government right to do this in a cost of living crisis? We speak to Pete Hahn, emeritus professor at the London Institute of Banking and Finance.
Kenya's new President William Ruto has scrapped a petrol subsidy, and retail prices are now at an all-time high. The BBC's Charles Gitonga reports from Nairobi.
And rapper Kanye West wants to terminate his partnership with the retailer Gap. He says Gap hasn't fulfilled the terms of their contract, which was aimed at breathing new life into its brand. Julie Zerbo, founder of The Fashion Law website, analyses what this will mean for both parties.
Will Bain is joined throughout the programme by Paddy Hirsch, contributing editor at NPR in Los Angeles, and by Yoko Ishikura, professor emeritus at Hitotsubashi University and currently a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network, who's in Tokyo.
(Picture: The IMF logo on a column. Credit: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
The report says some countries will fall into recession in 2023, but that it's too early to say for sure whether there will be a global recession. We get more analysis from one of the report's authors, Franziska Ohnsorge.
The UK's finance ministry is considering removing limits on bankers' bonuses. How will this affect its financial services industry, and and is the government right to do this in a cost of living crisis? We speak to Pete Hahn, emeritus professor at the London Institute of Banking and Finance.
Kenya's new President William Ruto has scrapped a petrol subsidy, and retail prices are now at an all-time high. The BBC's Charles Gitonga reports from Nairobi.
And rapper Kanye West wants to terminate his partnership with the retailer Gap. He says Gap hasn't fulfilled the terms of their contract, which was aimed at breathing new life into its brand. Julie Zerbo, founder of The Fashion Law website, analyses what this will mean for both parties.
Will Bain is joined throughout the programme by Paddy Hirsch, contributing editor at NPR in Los Angeles, and by Yoko Ishikura, professor emeritus at Hitotsubashi University and currently a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network, who's in Tokyo.
(Picture: The IMF logo on a column. Credit: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
The report says some countries will fall into recession in 2023, but that it's too early to say for sure whether there will be a global recession. We get more analysis from one of the report's authors, Franziska Ohnsorge.
The UK's finance ministry is considering removing limits on bankers' bonuses. How will this affect its financial services industry, and and is the government right to do this in a cost of living crisis? We speak to Pete Hahn, emeritus professor at the London Institute of Banking and Finance.
Kenya's new President William Ruto has scrapped a petrol subsidy, and retail prices are now at an all-time high. The BBC's Charles Gitonga reports from Nairobi.
And rapper Kanye West wants to terminate his partnership with the retailer Gap. He says Gap hasn't fulfilled the terms of their contract, which was aimed at breathing new life into its brand. Julie Zerbo, founder of The Fashion Law website, analyses what this will mean for both parties.
Will Bain is joined throughout the programme by Paddy Hirsch, contributing editor at NPR in Los Angeles, and by Yoko Ishikura, professor emeritus at Hitotsubashi University and currently a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network, who's in Tokyo.
(Picture: The IMF logo on a column. Credit: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
The President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, focussed on the unfolding energy crisis in Europe. She said the EU was committed to protecting citizens and business from soaring costs, and called for cuts to electricity use and windfall taxes on energy firms. We hear from Riina Sikkut, Estonia's Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure.
The Detroit Motor Show starts this week, and its star guest is US President Joe Biden. We speak to Paul Eisenstein of the Detroit Bureau website who explains the importance of the event.
And could the card payments market soon be welcoming new players to operate alongside Visa and Mastercard? More than 1,600 merchants in the US have asked for legislation to be passed that could see other operators enter the industry - and potentially reduce processing fees.
And New York's Museum of Modern Art - or MOMA - has announced it's heading into the world of NFTs. Brendan Dawes, NFT & Digital Artist, tells us how this might change what is considered - and valued as - art.
Will Bain is joined throughout the programme by Takara Small, freelance technology reporter in Canada, and by Zyma Islam, reporter at the Daily Star in Dhaka in Bangladesh.
(Picture: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Credit: Getty Images)
The President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, focussed on the unfolding energy crisis in Europe. She said the EU was committed to protecting citizens and business from soaring costs, and called for cuts to electricity use and windfall taxes on energy firms. We hear from Riina Sikkut, Estonia's Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure.
The Detroit Motor Show starts this week, and its star guest is US President Joe Biden. We speak to Paul Eisenstein of the Detroit Bureau website who explains the importance of the event.
And could the card payments market soon be welcoming new players to operate alongside Visa and Mastercard? More than 1,600 merchants in the US have asked for legislation to be passed that could see other operators enter the industry - and potentially reduce processing fees.
And New York's Museum of Modern Art - or MOMA - has announced it's heading into the world of NFTs. Brendan Dawes, NFT & Digital Artist, tells us how this might change what is considered - and valued as - art.
Will Bain is joined throughout the programme by Takara Small, freelance technology reporter in Canada, and by Zyma Islam, reporter at the Daily Star in Dhaka in Bangladesh.
(Picture: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Credit: Getty Images)
The President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, focussed on the unfolding energy crisis in Europe. She said the EU was committed to protecting citizens and business from soaring costs, and called for cuts to electricity use and windfall taxes on energy firms. We hear from Riina Sikkut, Estonia's Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure.
The Detroit Motor Show starts this week, and its star guest is US President Joe Biden. We speak to Paul Eisenstein of the Detroit Bureau website who explains the importance of the event.
And could the card payments market soon be welcoming new players to operate alongside Visa and Mastercard? More than 1,600 merchants in the US have asked for legislation to be passed that could see other operators enter the industry - and potentially reduce processing fees.
And New York's Museum of Modern Art - or MOMA - has announced it's heading into the world of NFTs. Brendan Dawes, NFT & Digital Artist, tells us how this might change what is considered - and valued as - art.
Will Bain is joined throughout the programme by Takara Small, freelance technology reporter in Canada, and by Zyma Islam, reporter at the Daily Star in Dhaka in Bangladesh.
(Picture: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Credit: Getty Images)
Roger Hearing is joined by analyst with AC Growth Delivered Simon Littlewood in Singapore and researcher, broadcaster and author Stephanie Hare in London.
Twitter's shareholders have voted to approve a deal with Elon Musk to buy the company for $44bn.This means Twitter will now try to force Mr Musk to buy the company in the courts.
Inflation in the US remained unexpectedly high last month, news that drove Wall Street to its worst day in more than two years.
Rural workers are becoming scarce, and the government of the province of Alberta is using a rural immigration programme to try to address the shortage.
(Picture: PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 13: In this photo illustration, the Elon Musk’s Twitter account is displayed on the screen of an iPhone in front of a Twitter logo on May 13, 2022 in Paris, France. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Roger Hearing is joined by analyst with AC Growth Delivered Simon Littlewood in Singapore and researcher, broadcaster and author Stephanie Hare in London.
Twitter's shareholders have voted to approve a deal with Elon Musk to buy the company for $44bn.This means Twitter will now try to force Mr Musk to buy the company in the courts.
Inflation in the US remained unexpectedly high last month, news that drove Wall Street to its worst day in more than two years.
Rural workers are becoming scarce, and the government of the province of Alberta is using a rural immigration programme to try to address the shortage.
(Picture: PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 13: In this photo illustration, the Elon Musk’s Twitter account is displayed on the screen of an iPhone in front of a Twitter logo on May 13, 2022 in Paris, France. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Roger Hearing is joined by analyst with AC Growth Delivered Simon Littlewood in Singapore and researcher, broadcaster and author Stephanie Hare in London.
Twitter's shareholders have voted to approve a deal with Elon Musk to buy the company for $44bn.This means Twitter will now try to force Mr Musk to buy the company in the courts.
Inflation in the US remained unexpectedly high last month, news that drove Wall Street to its worst day in more than two years.
Rural workers are becoming scarce, and the government of the province of Alberta is using a rural immigration programme to try to address the shortage.
(Picture: PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 13: In this photo illustration, the Elon Musk’s Twitter account is displayed on the screen of an iPhone in front of a Twitter logo on May 13, 2022 in Paris, France. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
The King pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in his first speech as the new monarch. The longest-reigning sovereign is being mourned by many around the globe, we hear some of these reactions from people beyond her realm. The BBC’s correspondent in New York Samira Hussein tells us more.
The coronation of a new British monarch will bring big changes, like the minting of new coins in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations. But how soon will we see the portrait of King Charles III in banknotes and coins? We ask Serge Pelletier, member of the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association.
The end of the second Elizabethan era has created a demand for memorabilia related to the Queen. We talk to Jennifer Myers, owner of a British products shop in New York.
Roger Hearing is joined throughout the programme by guests in opposite sides of the world: Lori Ann Larocco, senior editor of guests for CNBC business news in New Jersey, and Colin Peacock, producer and presenter of Mediawatch for Radio New Zealand in Welllington.
(Picture: King Charles III. Picture credit: Reuters)
The King pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in his first speech as the new monarch. The longest-reigning sovereign is being mourned by many around the globe, we hear some of these reactions from people beyond her realm. The BBC’s correspondent in New York Samira Hussein tells us more.
The coronation of a new British monarch will bring big changes, like the minting of new coins in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations. But how soon will we see the portrait of King Charles III in banknotes and coins? We ask Serge Pelletier, member of the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association.
The end of the second Elizabethan era has created a demand for memorabilia related to the Queen. We talk to Jennifer Myers, owner of a British products shop in New York.
Roger Hearing is joined throughout the programme by guests in opposite sides of the world: Lori Ann Larocco, senior editor of guests for CNBC business news in New Jersey, and Colin Peacock, producer and presenter of Mediawatch for Radio New Zealand in Welllington.
(Picture: King Charles III. Picture credit: Reuters)
The King pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in his first speech as the new monarch. The longest-reigning sovereign is being mourned by many around the globe, we hear some of these reactions from people beyond her realm. The BBC’s correspondent in New York Samira Hussein tells us more.
The coronation of a new British monarch will bring big changes, like the minting of new coins in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations. But how soon will we see the portrait of King Charles III in banknotes and coins? We ask Serge Pelletier, member of the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association.
The end of the second Elizabethan era has created a demand for memorabilia related to the Queen. We talk to Jennifer Myers, owner of a British products shop in New York.
Roger Hearing is joined throughout the programme by guests in opposite sides of the world: Lori Ann Larocco, senior editor of guests for CNBC business news in New Jersey, and Colin Peacock, producer and presenter of Mediawatch for Radio New Zealand in Welllington.
(Picture: King Charles III. Picture credit: Reuters)
The British pound plunges against the dollar to its lowest level in almost four decades. Investors seek protection in the US currency as recession fears grow in other markets. We talk to Kenneth Rogoff, former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund.
The second largest movie theatre chain in the world, Cineworld, has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States. The firm is struggling to recover from the pandemic and needs to restructure a debt of more than $4bn. We hear more from Jeremy Hill, bankruptcy reporter with Bloomberg.
Now that Russia has indefinitely cut gas supplies to Germany, the country relies on coal to produce a third of its electricity. However, coal is a highly-polluting source of energy that many European countries, including Germany, had vowed to phase out. We hear more from Thomas Matussek, a former German ambassador to the UK and adviser to Flint Global.
Apple has launched the latest versions of the iPhone: iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro Max. We will hear about the new features they have and if they are innovative enough to make Apple fans run to the stores to spend hundreds of dollars on a phone upgrade. Bobby Allyn, tech reporter for NPR, tells us more.
Rahul Tandon discusses these and more business news throughout the programmes with two guests in opposite sides of the world: Karen Lema, bureau chief for Reuters in Manila, and Peter Morici, economist at the R.H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.
(Picture: A pound and dollar bills. Picture credit: Getty)
The British pound plunges against the dollar to its lowest level in almost four decades. Investors seek protection in the US currency as recession fears grow in other markets. We talk to Kenneth Rogoff, former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund.
The second largest movie theatre chain in the world, Cineworld, has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States. The firm is struggling to recover from the pandemic and needs to restructure a debt of more than $4bn. We hear more from Jeremy Hill, bankruptcy reporter with Bloomberg.
Now that Russia has indefinitely cut gas supplies to Germany, the country relies on coal to produce a third of its electricity. However, coal is a highly-polluting source of energy that many European countries, including Germany, had vowed to phase out. We hear more from Thomas Matussek, a former German ambassador to the UK and adviser to Flint Global.
Apple has launched the latest versions of the iPhone: iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro Max. We will hear about the new features they have and if they are innovative enough to make Apple fans run to the stores to spend hundreds of dollars on a phone upgrade. Bobby Allyn, tech reporter for NPR, tells us more.
Rahul Tandon discusses these and more business news throughout the programmes with two guests in opposite sides of the world: Karen Lema, bureau chief for Reuters in Manila, and Peter Morici, economist at the R.H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.
(Picture: A pound and dollar bills. Picture credit: Getty)
The British pound plunges against the dollar to its lowest level in almost four decades. Investors seek protection in the US currency as recession fears grow in other markets. We talk to Kenneth Rogoff, former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund.
The second largest movie theatre chain in the world, Cineworld, has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States. The firm is struggling to recover from the pandemic and needs to restructure a debt of more than $4bn. We hear more from Jeremy Hill, bankruptcy reporter with Bloomberg.
Now that Russia has indefinitely cut gas supplies to Germany, the country relies on coal to produce a third of its electricity. However, coal is a highly-polluting source of energy that many European countries, including Germany, had vowed to phase out. We hear more from Thomas Matussek, a former German ambassador to the UK and adviser to Flint Global.
Apple has launched the latest versions of the iPhone: iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro Max. We will hear about the new features they have and if they are innovative enough to make Apple fans run to the stores to spend hundreds of dollars on a phone upgrade. Bobby Allyn, tech reporter for NPR, tells us more.
Rahul Tandon discusses these and more business news throughout the programmes with two guests in opposite sides of the world: Karen Lema, bureau chief for Reuters in Manila, and Peter Morici, economist at the R.H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.
(Picture: A pound and dollar bills. Picture credit: Getty)
UK Prime Minister Liz Truss is expected to announce a package of support to deal with rising energy bills in the coming days. It's understood the government could spend $115 million on plans to subsidise bills. We weigh up the pros and cons of subsidies and windfall taxes with Caroline Meyer, energy analyst and CEO of Meyer Resources.
US e-cigarette maker Juul is to pay a $438.5 million settlement, following a lengthy investigation that found it had marketed its products to underage teenagers. Rachel Butt from Bloomberg in New York explains the background and implications of the story.
Rahul Tandon is joined from Austin, Texas by Tony Nash, CEO and founder of Complete Intelligence, and from Freetown, Sierra Leone by media entrepreneur and TV presenter Stella Bangura.
(Image: New UK prime minister Liz Truss arrives to give her first speech at Downing Street on September 6, 2022 in London, England. Credit: Getty Images)
UK Prime Minister Liz Truss is expected to announce a package of support to deal with rising energy bills in the coming days. It's understood the government could spend $115 million on plans to subsidise bills. We weigh up the pros and cons of subsidies and windfall taxes with Caroline Meyer, energy analyst and CEO of Meyer Resources.
US e-cigarette maker Juul is to pay a $438.5 million settlement, following a lengthy investigation that found it had marketed its products to underage teenagers. Rachel Butt from Bloomberg in New York explains the background and implications of the story.
Rahul Tandon is joined from Austin, Texas by Tony Nash, CEO and founder of Complete Intelligence, and from Freetown, Sierra Leone by media entrepreneur and TV presenter Stella Bangura.
(Image: New UK prime minister Liz Truss arrives to give her first speech at Downing Street on September 6, 2022 in London, England. Credit: Getty Images)
UK Prime Minister Liz Truss is expected to announce a package of support to deal with rising energy bills in the coming days. It's understood the government could spend $115 million on plans to subsidise bills. We weigh up the pros and cons of subsidies and windfall taxes with Caroline Meyer, energy analyst and CEO of Meyer Resources.
US e-cigarette maker Juul is to pay a $438.5 million settlement, following a lengthy investigation that found it had marketed its products to underage teenagers. Rachel Butt from Bloomberg in New York explains the background and implications of the story.
Rahul Tandon is joined from Austin, Texas by Tony Nash, CEO and founder of Complete Intelligence, and from Freetown, Sierra Leone by media entrepreneur and TV presenter Stella Bangura.
(Image: New UK prime minister Liz Truss arrives to give her first speech at Downing Street on September 6, 2022 in London, England. Credit: Getty Images)
We profile Liz Truss as she prepares to become the UK's new Prime Minister. She has pledged to provide support to households and companies on the issue of rising energy bills, but how has the business community reacted? We hear from Matt Snell, CEO of Gusto restaurants.
Instagram is fined $400 million by Irish regulators for violating children's privacy. We get reaction and analysis from Adrian Weckler, tech editor at the Irish and Sunday Independent.
Rahul Tandon is joined by freelance writer and former Hindustan Times editor Madhavan Narayanan in Delhi. And technology researcher and broadcaster Dr Stephanie Hare in London.
(Image: New Conservative Party leader and incoming prime minister Liz Truss arrives at Conservative Party Headquarters on September 5, 2022 in London, England. Credit: Getty Images)
We profile Liz Truss as she prepares to become the UK's new Prime Minister. She has pledged to provide support to households and companies on the issue of rising energy bills, but how has the business community reacted? We hear from Matt Snell, CEO of Gusto restaurants.
Instagram is fined $400 million by Irish regulators for violating children's privacy. We get reaction and analysis from Adrian Weckler, tech editor at the Irish and Sunday Independent.
Rahul Tandon is joined by freelance writer and former Hindustan Times editor Madhavan Narayanan in Delhi. And technology researcher and broadcaster Dr Stephanie Hare in London.
(Image: New Conservative Party leader and incoming prime minister Liz Truss arrives at Conservative Party Headquarters on September 5, 2022 in London, England. Credit: Getty Images)
We profile Liz Truss as she prepares to become the UK's new Prime Minister. She has pledged to provide support to households and companies on the issue of rising energy bills, but how has the business community reacted? We hear from Matt Snell, CEO of Gusto restaurants.
Instagram is fined $400 million by Irish regulators for violating children's privacy. We get reaction and analysis from Adrian Weckler, tech editor at the Irish and Sunday Independent.
Rahul Tandon is joined by freelance writer and former Hindustan Times editor Madhavan Narayanan in Delhi. And technology researcher and broadcaster Dr Stephanie Hare in London.
(Image: New Conservative Party leader and incoming prime minister Liz Truss arrives at Conservative Party Headquarters on September 5, 2022 in London, England. Credit: Getty Images)
The Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom has indefinitely closed its Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline to Europe. It says an oil leak on a turbine is to blame, claiming sanctions are holding up regular maintenance work. But the EU says this is just a pretext. Our Brussels Correspondent Jessica Parker gives us the latest.
A further 315,000 jobs were added in the US during August, far fewer than in July. But what does the slower rate of growth mean for the US economy? Randy Kroszner, Professor of Economics at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business explains.
Will Bain is joined by Marketplace reporter Andy Uhler in Austin, Texas and womenswear brand owner Alaezi Akpuru in Lagos, Nigeria.
(Image: a traffic sign and a logo of Russia's energy giant Gazprom at a petrol station in Moscow. Credit: Getty Images)
As the dollar reaches historic highs against currencies in both emerging and developed markets, the chances of battling inflation rates shrink outside the United States. The Euro, the British pound, and the Japanese yen have depreciated at unprecedented this year. Steve Hanke, a professor of Applied Economics at the Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, explains the global fallout of a soaring dollar.
The Premier League's summer transfer window has broken the record for the highest amount ever. We hear more from Tim Bridge, lead partner of Deloitte’s Sports Business Group.
Protecting the Pope and the Holy See has been the Swiss Guard’s job for more than five centuries. Now, the institution is recruiting to grow from 110 to 135 members. While the minimum requirements can be very strict —they include being Swiss, male and Catholic— the position can be a great career move, says Andreas Widmer, a former Swiss guard turned a successful professor and businessman.
A Japanese government minister wants to ban outdated technology, starting with the floppy disk. But devices unknown for the youngest still have some enthusiasts, as Kari Paul, a technology reporter for The Guardian US, tells us.
Roger Hearing is joined throughout the programme by guests in opposite sides of the world: Paddy Hirsch, contributing editor for NPR in Los Angeles, and Kanwal Malik, a serial entrepreneur and real estate investor based in Karachi, Pakistan.
(Picture: US dollar stock picture. Picture credit: Getty.)
The last leader of the Soviet Union has died at the age of 91. He remains a divisive figure praised by those who value the freedoms that millions of Soviet citizens gained after his reforms, but condemned by those in Russia who believe he allowed the fall of an empire. We hear more from his biographer, William Taubman, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies' senior fellow Gerard DiPippo.
The Chinese leader Xi Jinping has started his march to renew his rule for another five years, an unprecedented move since the times of Mao Zedong. But as the economy slows down and Covid lockdowns continue to spring up, could there be any opposition to Xi's plans? We ask Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, in the United States.
California's Senate has passed what is known as the Fast Food Bill, which gives workers at restaurants like Starbucks and McDonald's the right to negotiate with government and their employers. We talk to Mary Kay Henry, international president of Service Employees International Union.
Serena Williams's upcoming retirement is making many of her fans wonder what the future awaits for one of the biggest female stars in tennis. Having built a brand around her persona, it won't be long until we hear from her again, as Nancy Spencer, a Professor at the Sport Management Program in Bowling Green State University, tells us.
Roger Hearing is joined throughout the programme by guests in opposite sides of the world: Diane Brady, assistant managing editor at Forbes, in New York, and David Quo, financial analyst and co-founder of the Smart Investor, in Singapore.
(Picture: Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. Picture credit: Reuters)
Islamabad will receive a $1.1bn loan to boost the economy, but as deadly floods disrupt the country's recovery more will be needed from international sources. Monsoon rains have left more than 1,000 people dead, and a third of Pakistan's territory under water. We hear more from economist Ammar Khan in Karachi.
Germany’s free public transport (take out hyphens!) programme is in its final days. The scheme is meant to help reduce the use of energy amid a supply crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine and Germany’s reliance on Russian gas. We talk to Christian Boettger from the University of Applied Science in Berlin.
As the cost of energy reaches record highs, leaders of the European Union discuss emergency measures to curb energy bills. Suzanne Lynch from Politico in Brussels tells us more.
Nuclear waste can stay radioactive for thousands of years, but Sweden says they have now found a better way to dispose of it. The BBC’s Theo Leggett reports.
Amazon has produced the most expensive series ever made: The Rings of Power. The latest release from the Lord of the Rings (take out apostrophe) saga will premiere this week. LA Times’s entertainment reporter Anousha Sakoui tells us more.
Will Bain is joined throughout the programme by James Mayger, China Economics Reporter at Bloomberg in Beijing, and Kristina Hooper, Chief Global Market Strategist at Invesco in New York City.
(Picture: A man, victim of the flood, stands amid the rubble of his damaged house, following rains and floods during the monsoon season, in Jafarabad. Picture credit: reuters)
Stock markets in the US ended the week sharply down following tough comments by the head of the country's central bank, the Federal Reserve.
Warner Brothers Discovery has shelved the nearly completed Batgirl movie in a series of cancellations and major changes involving high-profile DC projects.
Moderna said it is suing Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech for patent infringement linked to the development of the first Covid-19 vaccines.
California is to ban the sale of new petrol-only vehicles by 2035, which is aimed at forcing car makers to accelerate the introduction to the market of cleaner vehicles.
(Powell's words sent US stocks into a tailspin. Credit: Getty Images)
Roger Hearing is joined by ABC broadcaster Sinead Mangan in Australia and Forbes editor Steven Bertoni in the US.
GDP in the US fell at an annualised rate of 0.6% in the three months from April to June, a welcome improvement on the government’s initial estimate of 0.9%.
Canada’s federal government says it will not extend the annual bonus paid to bilingual employees, to workers who speak an Indigenous language on the job. But Canada has more than 60 Indigenous languages, and about 500 federal employees frequently speak an Indigenous language on the job. So can their budget stretch this far, or is it time to ditch the bonus all together?
Channel 4’s content boss Ian Katz has said the relaunches of old television shows such as Big Brother and Gladiators are “depressing”. But is he right? Entertainment commentator Gita Amar shares her thoughts.
(Picture: A graph is pictured before the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on November 14, 2019 in New York City. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Roger Hearing is joined by Joint Managing Partner of TSMP Law Stefanie Yuen Thio in Singapore and Chief Investment Officer at Greenwood Capital Walter Todd in South Carolina.
In total, the US has committed more than $13.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, so how have arms manufacturers done during the crisis?
Another big handout from the US government is going to some of the nation's former students who have huge loan debts. President Joe Biden has announced a relief package, forgiving $10,000 in debt for borrowers who earn less than $125,000 per year.
Pink Floyd have become the latest music legends to have multi-million dollar bids for their back catalogue, some reaching almost half a billion dollars. If it works they could be joining music stars Neil Young , Bob Dylan and Stevie Nicks who have also opted to cash out and hand over the rights of their songs to corporations like Hipgnosis, Sony and Primary Wave.
(Picture: WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 16: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks before signing The Inflation Reduction Act in the State Dining Room of the White House August 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Roger Hearing is joined by independent business journalist for The Tribune newspaper Sushma Ramachandran in New Delhi, and Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy at the firm Circle, Dante Disparte in Washington.
Twitter has major security problems that pose a threat to its own users' personal information, to company shareholders, to national security, and to democracy, according to an explosive whistleblower disclosure obtained exclusively by CNN and The Washington Post.
Apple begins production of its latest fleet of smartphones. Reports suggest that the iPhone 14 will be majority-manufactured in India. We hear from Bloomberg reporter Saritha Rai in Bangalore.
Six months on since the start of the war in Ukraine, football has returned to the country, despite the war. Andrew Todos is a British Ukrainian sports journalist, who was at the opening fixture.
(Picture: In this photo illustration a Twitter logo seen displayed on an android smartphone. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Sam Fenwick is joined by President of the Women's Institute for Science, Equity and Race, Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe and Director of the Center for Conflict Management at Ewha University in Seoul, Professor Jasper Kim.
Elon Musk subpoenas co-founder Jack Dosey as part of his legal dispute with Twitter as he tries to pull out of a deal to purchase Twitter for 44 billion dollars. The BBC’s North America business correspondent, Michelle Fleury joins us from New York.
China is offering special loans to combat the country’s housing crisis, but is a drought putting further pressure on the country’s economy?
Coldplay’s current tour “Music of the Spheres” aims be as sustainable as possible. So could this be the future of world music tours? We hear from Seth Wines from Concordia University in Montreal, who researches consumer behaviour and climate change.
(Picture: PARIS, FRANCE - APRIL 26: In this photo illustration, the Elon Musk’s Twitter account is displayed on the screen of an iPhone in front of the homepage of the Twitter website on April 26, 2022 in Paris, France. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Soaring prices fuel pessimism about the future. In countries like the UK, shoppers' opinion about the outlook for their finances hits four-decade low. We hear more from retail analyst Rachel Barber and FHN Financial's Wall Street markets analyst Chris Low.
The second largest cinema chain in the world has seen its shares plummet sharply after fears it might file for bankruptcy in the US spread across the markets. We talk to Wall Street Journal's Alexander Gladstone, who broke the story.
The war in Ukraine, drought, poor harvests and lack of labour have pushed up prices of vegetable oil, the second most important source of calories globally. The BBC's Anish Ahluwalia reports about this problem in India, the world's biggest importer.
American and European firms are now much more proactive at looking for women or Black or Asian staff when recruiting. The BBC's Vivienne Nunis has been speaking about this with Kellogg Foundation's CEO La June Montgomery Tabron, the first woman and also the first African American to lead the foundation.
Chanel no. 5's owner has seen its request to trademark the shape of the famous bottle rejected. A US court has deemed that the rectangular shaped bottle with bevelled sides is not distinctive enough. Tilar Mazzeo, author of "The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume" explains the history of the legendary perfume.
Sam Fenwick discusses these and more business stories throughout the programme with guests on opposite sides of the world: Andy Uhler, a reporter for Marketplace in Austin, Texas, and Zyma Islam, a journalist with the Daily Star in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
(Picture: Shoppers in London. Picture credit: EPA )
Allen Weisselberg, who has worked for Donald Trump for almost 50 years, will now have to testify against the Trump Organization after reaching a settlement, and pleading guilty to tax crimes. We hear more from the BBC's Nada Tawfik and American legal analyst Jill Wine-Banks.
The US is to begin talks with Taiwan to reduce trade barriers in fields like agriculture and e-commerce. The announcement comes amid tensions with China, which has been conducting military exercises since the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's unexpected visit to the self-ruled island. Scott Kennedy, senior advisor in Chinese business & economics at CSIS, tells us more.
Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act is the biggest ever investment to fight climate change in the United States. Roger Hearing discusses its implications with guests Kimberly Adams, co-host of Marketplace's podcast 'Make Me Smart', joining us from Washington, and Simon Littlewood, president of AC Growth Delivered in Singapore.
The UK's National Farmers Union is warning consumers that weather conditions suffered this summer will translate into wonky vegetables on supermarket shelves. We talk to Tom Holder from the British Retail Consortium.
(Picture: Allen Weisselberg. Picture credit: EPA)
Roger Hearing is joined by senior reporter at the Huffington Post Alexander Kaufman from New York and Moneeza Butt, partner at KPMG Pakistan in Karachi.
The US Federal Reserve say rates will continue to go up in the short term but there is still a long road ahead.
Elon Musk’s tweets suggesting that he wanted to buy Manchester United caused markets to briefly jump by as much as 17%, before Musk clarified it was a joke.
Since 2019 AirBnb has banned parties advertised on social media. Last year, they began trying "anti-party technology" in Australia and now the company plans to roll it out in the US and Canada as well.
(Picture: Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference in Washington, DC, on July 27, 2022. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Roger Hearing is joined by writer and journalist Karen Percy in Melbourne, and Founder of AI firm Complete Intelligence, Tony Nash, in Houston.
They discuss the tech giants in China that have shared details of their algorithms with Beijing for the first time.
The first day of campaigning is getting under way in Brazil’s presidential elections, due to take place on the Second of October. What is the impact on the economy?
The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, has confirmed his predecessor secretly held five parliamentary roles undertaken in the two years before losing power in May earlier this year. Meanwhile, in the US voters in Wyoming are expected to oust Liz Cheney from her seat in Congress in Republican primary elections taking place on Tuesday.
(Picture: BEIJING, CHINA - JULY 14: Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd. signage is displayed outside the company's offices on July 14, 2022 in Beijing, China. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
India and Pakistan may share a past, but more than seven decades after shaking off British rule, both countries have moved forward on their own paths. Sam Fenwick explores the differences and similarities between them, and memories of the partition with guests Madhavan Narayanan, freelance writer and former senior editor at Hindustan Times in India, and journalist Mehmal Sarfraz in Pakistan.
Travel companies are using subscription services to keep travellers travelling. The BBC's Leanna Byrne has been finding out from airline bosses about how this has boosted business.
Kenya's deputy president, William Ruto, has been declared the winner of the presidential elections after a tight race against the opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. We talk to Ken Gichinga, chief economist from Mentorial Economics, in Nairobi.
One of the UK's largest graduate employers, Price Waterhouse Coopers, says it will no longer require new recruits to hold a first-class or a two-one degree, the two highest score levels students can achieve in a UK university. We discuss the relevance of grades for recent graduates with Michael Gralapp, international recruitment director at Banyan Recruitment.
Scotland has become the first country in the world to issue a law requiring public settings to provide free period products. Georgie Nicholson from social enterprise Hey Girls discusses the challenges in the fight against period poverty.
(Picture: Narendra Modi. Picture credit: EPA)
Sam Fenwick is joined by Ralph Silva, broadcasting analyst from Yorkville University in Canada and Yoko Ishikura, a Professor at Hitotsubashi University and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network.
People in the US are spending more than earlier in the year as the country's consumer sentiment survey results rise to a three-month high.
Mayonnaise is one of the world’s most versatile condiments and now it's even being used to measure inflation. Tracy Alloway, a financial journalist with Bloomberg and co-host of the ODD LOTS podcast, tells us more.
Last year Pernilla Nyrensten made history when she became the first female founding chief executive to float her company on the Stockholm stock exchange in its 160-year history. The company has recently been valued at over one billion dollars.
(Picture: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 10: People shop at a grocery store on June 10, 2022 in New York City. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
The US Attorney General, Merrick Garland, has asked a court to unseal the unprecedented search warrant for Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump's residence in Florida. Allies of the former president have accused the FBI of raiding the property for political reasons but they haven't provided any evidence. Mr Garland, however, says upholding the rule of law meant applying it without favour. We hear from the BBC's Washington correspondent Nomia Iqbal.
Canada will ban the import of handguns from 19 August as part of a wider proposed freeze in the wake of high-profile mass shootings in the United States. Economist Ed Lotterman tells us more.
The Unification Church, commonly known as the Moonies, have come under the spotlight in Japan after the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe. Professor Levi McLauhglin explains how this controversial religious group became so powerful in Japan.
Meta’s BlenderBot3 has been criticising its own boss, Mark Zuckerberg. Bloomberg’s Charlie Hancock explains the purpose of the chatbot and what it has learned from its interactions with users one week after being launched.
Roger Hearing is joined throughout the programme by two guests on the opposite side of the world to discuss the latest business news: Alison van Diggelen, host of Fresh Dialogues, in California and Peter Landers, Tokyo Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, in the Japanese capital.
(Picture: US Attorney General, Merrick Garland. Picture credit: EPA)
There's minor relief for American consumers after inflation slowed from 9.1% in June to 8.5% in July. The lower-than-expected figure is mainly due to decreasing fuel costs. Although prices are still running relatively high, President Joe Biden says it's a sign his economic strategy is working. Randall Kroszner, a former governor of the Federal Reserve Board, tells us what it means for the world's biggest economy.
A year on from the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, several prominent economists, including Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz, are calling for funds to the country to be freed. He tells us why.
Ed Butler speaks to the London company fighting to protect people's data privacy rights online.
We also hear why seaweed is causing some unpleasant problems in Sierra Leone.
Throughout the programme, Business Matters is joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Paddy Hirsch, contributing editor at NPR in Los Angeles; and Stella Bangura, a TV presenter in Sierra Leone.
(Picture: Shopping for potatoes in California. Credit: Getty Images.)
President Joe Biden has committed hundreds of billions of dollars to supercharging the US tech sector. Democrats hope it will give the nation a competitive edge when it comes to semiconductors - a new battleground in global manufacturing. Professor David Yoffie, a former board member at Intel, gives us his insight.
Also on the programme, we visit Turkey, where there's a threat of new sanctions over the Russia-Ukraine conflict; and Sri Lanka, where fresh protests have erupted over fuel and energy supplies. There's the latest on China's growing housing crisis from the BBC's Stephen McDonnell; and why users have welcomed the latest changes to WhatsApp.
To discuss all of these issues and more, Business Matters is joined by Diane Brady, Assistant Managing Editor at Forbes Magazine in New York; and Timothy Martin, Korea Bureau Chief at the Wall Street Journal.
(Picture: Circuit boards, powered by semiconductor components, leave a factory in Shanghai. Credit: Getty Images.)
The former US President, Donald Trump, says federal agents carried out a search warrant at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida on Monday. No reason has been given for the search, and there's been no comment from the White House.
It comes on the same day Democrat senators passed the landmark Inflation Reduction Act - a bill they say will crack down on America's rising prices and greenhouse gas emissions.
Elsewhere, Business Matters visits Bangladesh, where citizens are living under the grip of inflation.
Throughout the programme we're joined by guests on either side of the world: Peter Morici in Washington, and Zyma Islam in Bangladesh.
Also, we get the latest as tensions continue to simmer between the US and China over Taiwan. David Woo, a Taiwanese former Wall Street trader-turned-blogger, explains why sentiment in Taiwan is not as clear cut as we might imagine; and Neil Seeman, founder of the research firm RIWI, tells us why that's a challenge for big data science to meet.
(Picture: The Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Credit: Getty Images.)
US employers added more than 500,000 jobs in July and the unemployment rate dropped, defying fears that the labour market is heading for a slowdown. The jobless rate fell to 3.5% from 3.6% in June, as restaurants, bars and other firms continued to add workers.
China is halting co-operation with the US in several key areas including climate change, military talks and efforts to combat international crime. The new measures follow a trip to Taiwan by a US congressional delegation led by senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi.
The Premier League is back for another season, starting Friday night with a London derby as Crystal Palace host Arsenal. We find out how the league has transform from being a competition enjoyed exclusively for football purists, to one of the UK's biggest cultural exports.
(The US has now regained all 22 million jobs lost when the pandemic hit. Image Credit: AFP/GETTY)
The Bank of England has warned the UK will fall into recession as it raised interest rates by the most in 27 years.
The economy is forecast to shrink in the last three months of this year and keep shrinking until the end of 2023.
Insurance companies in Australia say flood-prone areas might have to be abandoned because the risks are just too high.
A US court has ordered conspiracy theorist - Alex Jones to pay $4.1m in damages after falsely claiming the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012 was a hoax.
(Governor Andrew Bailey says the alternative would be worse. Credit: Reuters)
The UN's Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, wants to see windfall taxes for oil and gas companies. He's accused them of 'grotesque' greed - but not everyone agrees. Some analysts believe ending the crisis is more about safeguarding supply. Alex Epstein is one of them. He believes the only way out of the current situation is to use more, not less, oil and gas.
US President Joe Biden has signed a new executive order to make it easier for women seeking abortions. It's a pledge already made by some major employers. We ask whether it's the duty of big businesses to get involved in divisive political issues. Emily Killham, from US-based 'people analytics' firm Perceptyx, has some interesting data on how Americans feel.
Ka-blam! The new 90-million dollar Batgirl movie has been scrapped before it hits the cinemas. Variety writer Cynthia Littleton tells us why it's been such a flop.
Throughout Business Matters we're joined by Erin Delmore from the Wall Street Journal in New York, along with stock market analyst and Smart Investor co-founder David Kuo in London.
(Picture: A gas-fired power station. Credit: Getty Images.)
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has become the most senior US politician to visit Taiwan in 25 years, despite China warning that Washington would "pay the price" if she visited the island.
Beijing warned it would respond to any potential visit from Pelosi, who has not been backed by the White House to visit Taiwan.
The first grain ship to depart Ukraine since Russia's invasion - The Razoni, has arrived at Turkey's Bosphorus strait.
The vessel which is carrying 26,000 tonnes of corn, will be inspected on Wednesday morning before continuing its journey to Lebanon.
(Pelosi is the highest-ranking US politician to visit Taiwan in 25 years. Credit: EPA)
The White House has warned that China may respond to Nancy Pelosi's proposed visit to Taiwan with military provocations including firing missiles near Taiwan, or large-scale air or naval activities.
Taiwan is a self-ruled island, but claimed by China - which has warned of "serious consequences" if Mrs Pelosi goes there.
Canada: Free coffee and doughnuts to app users, as Tim Horton attempt to settle data lawsuit after privacy commissioners found that it had tracked and recorded the movements of its app users, even when the app wasn’t open.
And following England women's success at the Euros, the conversation about gender pay gap in football has re-opened. Why do male footballers earn 100 times more than their female counterparts?
(Mrs Pelosi originally planned to visit Taiwan in April. Photo Credit: EPA)
Alibaba Group Holding is among more than 270 Chinese companies listed in New York, identified as being at risk of being delisted under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (HFCAA). This is intended to address a long-running dispute over the auditing compliance of US listed Chinese firms.
In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky says the first grain ship from the country since Russia's invasion is ready and waiting for the signal to leave the port.
Europe's biggest economy - Germany has grounded to a halt, despite significant growth in France and Spain.
Instagram says it is pausing a rollout of new features on its app following an online backlash from users, including celebrities and influencers.
(The company now plans to add a primary listing in Hong Kong. Credit: Getty)
American senator Joe Manchin who has proved a political thorn in the White House's side has stunned Washington by announcing sudden support for President Joe Biden's agenda to raise corporate taxes, fight climate change and lower medicine costs.
We look at the Chinese government's intervention in the country's floundering property sector, as it promises to support near-bankrupt developers so they can finish building homes they've already sold.
And as over 6,000 athletes from 72 nations converge in Birmingham for the Commonwealth games, we ask if the almost one billion dollar cost price is worth it.
(Passage of the bill would be a major victory for President Biden. Image Credit: Getty)
The US Federal Reserve has pushed interest rates up once again. It's the latest move in an effort to curb soaring prices, but some analysts believe it's too late to act. We speak to two businesses - Oregon bakery owner Irina Sirotkina and Virginia store owner Kevin Hubbard - about the effect it will have on them.
We also visit Bangladesh, the latest southern Asian country to ask the IMF for a bailout. Wahid Choudhury runs a software business there, and explains why there's a real sense of fear surrounding the economy.
To discuss the issues of the day, Business Matters is also joined by two guests on the other side of the world: Paddy Hirsh, contributing editor at NPR in the US; and Moneeza Butt from KPMG in Karachi.
(Picture: Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange react to the Fed's latest decision. Credit: Getty Images).
The International Monetary Fund gives a gloomy forecast for global growth as conflict, supply chain issues and the Covid pandemic continue to impact on certainty. A former strategist, Liliana Rojas Suarez, explains what it could mean for development and recovery.
To discuss the IMF's warning and other issues, Business Matters is joined by Bloomberg's Enda Curran in Hong Kong, along with Kristina Hooper, Chief Global Market Strategist with Invesco in New York.
As more tech companies post disappointing earnings, we're joined by tech reporter Tom Giles to go through Google's results.
It's been a stunning journey for England's women in the 2022 Euro tournament. Author Sue Antsiss tells us why women's sport still has a long way to go.
We also hear why Ticketmaster's new pricing strategy has put a bad taste in some Bruce Springsteen fan's mouths.
Vivienne Nunis is joined by Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe, President of the Women's Institute for Science, Equity and Race in Virginia, and Sushma Ramachandran, an independent business journalist and columnist for The Tribune newspaper in New Delhi.
Turkey has brokered a deal between Russia and Ukraine to allow grain to leave ports in Ukraine, but not everyone is confident the deal will do enough to help grain stocks reach those who need them the most. Daniil Melnychenko, data analyst at Informall Business Group, analyses cargo in the Black Sea and questions how much difference it will make.
One of Australia's biggest music festivals, Splendour in the Grass, has had to cancel its first day of performances due to bad weather. We hear from ABC reporter Tobi Loftus and a couple of festival-goers.
With a new wildfires in the USA, what does it mean for businesses and the insurance market? Raj Vojjala, head of exposure and vulnerability at risk analysis business RMS in California, gives his view.
(Picture: ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION, UKRAINE - JULY 17, 2022 - A serviceman holds wheat ears during the harvest season, Zaporizhzhia Region, southeastern Ukraine. Credit: Getty Images).
Vivienne Nunis is joined by Shuli Ren, Bloomberg writer based in Hong Kong, and Tony Nash, chief economist at Complete Intelligence in Texas, USA.
Riot police in Sri Lanka crack down on protesters after the new president is sworn in, the BBC's Anbarasan Etirajan in Colombo discusses what this might say about the new leadership.
Amazon has agreed to buy US healthcare provider One Medical for $3.9bn as the ecommerce giant furthers its push into the medical industry. Professor of Marketing at NYU University Scott Galloway explains how he saw Amazon moving into healthcare as far back as 2019.
And China’s Zhengzhou city is creating a property developer bailout fund as increasing numbers of homeowners join a nationwide boycott of mortgage payments on unfinished houses. Shuli, who worked at Lehman Brothers in New York during the 2008 crash, sees some eerie comparisons.
(Picture caption: SPAIN - 2022/01/24: In this photo illustration medical syringes seen with an Amazon logo in the background. Credit: Getty Images)
Rahul Tandon is joined by Zyma Islam, a journalist for the Daily Star in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Toronto-based technology journalist Takara Small.
As the heatwave continues to challenge countries the world over, the US President announces $2.3bn of new measures to respond to climate change. But are they enough? Rahul speaks to the Boston Globe's climate reporter Sabrina Shankman.
Coinbase's stock price has jumped 14% following the collapse of other cryptocurrency exchange platforms. Crypto correspondent for Insider, April Joyner, helps unpick what's been going in the industry over the last few months.
And as China continues its Covid elimination policy in spite of criticism from business, Rahul asks Shanghai-born, America-based epidemiologist Eric Feigl Ding what other action the country might be able to take on Covid control.
(JULY 20: President Joe Biden delivers remarks on climate change and clean energy at Brayton Point Power Station on July 20, 2022 in Somerset, Massachusetts. Biden announced executive actions on the 'climate crisis.' Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Hundreds of people have died across Europe. Thousands have had to flee wildfires in Spain, France and Greece. In the US President Biden will reportedly declare a climate emergency as soon as this week. Rachel Kyte, Dean of The Fletcher School at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts and was an adviser to the UK Cop26 delegation, shares her thoughts.
In Sri Lanka, parliament will elect a new president to try and solve the country’s economic problems. There are three candidates: the current Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the opposition candidate Dullas Alahapperuma and the leftist candidate Anura Dissanayake. Marlon Ariyasinghe, editor at Himal South Asian a magazine based in Sri Lanka, explains the economic challenges that one of the candidates must tackle.
Rahul Tandon is joined by Mehmal Sarfraz, Co-founder of The Current PK and Mitchell Hartman, Senior Reporter at Marketplace.
(Picture: A man uses a fan while shopping in a greengrocery in Seville on 19 July, 2022, Spain. Credit: Getty Images)
President Joe Biden is on a peacemaking mission in the Middle East, where he's met with Saudi Arabia's crown prince. Mr Biden once pledged to make the country a global pariah. But does the need for oil detract from human rights concerns? We hear two perspectives on what the trip will achieve from Middle East analyst Sami Hamdi, and US financier Chris Lowe.
Countries around the globe are getting used to hotter temperatures. We hear how humans - and penguins - are being forced to adjust.
Kully Sandhu, an aviation recruitment specialist, explains why London's Heathrow is among the most difficult airports to travel through right now.
It's one of India's biggest cultural exports. But Bollywood fans are staying at home as the industry deals with the rise of streaming.
To discuss all these issues and more, Business Matters is joined by two guests from opposite corners of the world: in Malaysia, financial professional Jessica Khine; and Marketplace reporter Andy Uhler in Texas.
(Picture: Joe Biden is welcomed to Mecca by a Saudi delegation. Credit: Getty Images).
The US President, Joe Biden, says he 'won't be quiet' on the matter of human rights as he travels to Saudi Arabia for crucial trade talks. But there's concern from pro-democracy groups about the ethics of the trip, as well as questions over what outcomes it will achieve. Sarah Leah Whitson, a colleague and friend of Jamal Khashoggi, joins us on the programme alongside Bloomberg energy analyst Fernando Valle.
Business Matters is also joined by Samon Ellis from Bloomberg's Taipei Bureau, and Hayley Woodin, the executive editor of Business in Vancouver magazine.
We'll hear the latest from Sri Lanka and Italy, two countries in political turmoil over the condition of their economies.
Meanwhile, the NFL wants to make American football an Olympic sport. But it's already got competition from Nigeria. The owner of a successful Lagos football team, Alaezi Akpuru, tells us why the sport's growth could be big business for Africa.
Protests are continuing after Sri Lanka's leader, Gotabaya Rajapaska, fled the country for the Maldives. With such political instability, is there any hope of economic recovery? We hear from people at the centre of the unfolding crisis: human rights lawyer Bhavani Fonseca in Colombo, activist Amalini De Sayrah, and Professor Shanta Devarajan, a former Chief Economist at the World Bank.
Elswhere, and some businesses are at a standstill in Beijing as China deals with a major heatwave. In the US and Canada, there's a race to bring down bulging inflation rates. Credit Canada's CEO, Bruce Sellery, explains why the country's central bank had few options.
We'll also about a policy to force public workers in the Philippines to smile. Psychology professor Paula Niedenthal tells us why it might not have a happy ending.
Joining us throughout the programme are Takara Small, a tech reporter based in Toronto; and James Mayger, Bloomberg's economics reporter in Beijing.
(Picture: Protesters surround the Prime Minister's office compound in Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital. Credit: Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images).
Twitter wants a court to force Elon Musk to complete his planned takeover. The world's richest man had threatened to walk away following a long-running feud with the social media firm's board.
In a historic day for global currency markets, one US dollar has hit parity with the Euro. Berkeley economics professor Maurice Obstfeld explains why it might not be bad news for European businesses.
We meet the Belgian teenagers who want to revolutionise period products, and a French restauranteur, Didier Quemener, tells us about the supply shortage that's making his customers steal jars of Dijon mustard.
Throughout the programme we're joined by Maryland university professor Peter Morici, and Stella Bangura, an award-winning TV presenter in Sierra Leone.
(Picture: Elon Musk's relationship with Twitter has been explosive. Credit: Getty Images).
Russia has halted its gas supply to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline for ten days to do annual maintenance works. But the German government fears the flow of natural gas might not be resumed after repairs are completed. We talk about the potential consequences with Paula Rodriguez-Masiu, Head of Market Intelligence at Spanish oil and gas company CEPSA. Elon Musk has pulled out of his US$44 bn deal to buy Twitter but the platform won't let him go so easily. The firm could now file a lawsuit to force the acquisition to go ahead as the failed takeover causes shares to plummet. We hear more from John Coffee, professor of law at Columbia Law School in New York and former advisor to the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. Images by the James Webb telescope, the largest and most powerful ever launched into space, have been shown to the public for the first time. We talk about their relevance with Greg Redfern from Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Petrol and gas supplies have begun to trickle to Sri Lanka's population after days of political turmoil that have ended with the President and the Prime Minister fleeing the country and announcing their disposition to resign. We hear from University of St Andrews' Anthropologist Vindhya Buthpitiya. Sam Fenwick discusses these and other big business news throughout the programme with Forbes' assistant managing editor Diane Brady, in New York, and The Smart Investor's co-founder David Kuo, in Singapore.
(Picture: Gas compressor station in Mallnow. Picture credit: EPA)
The billionaire businessman Elon Musk has backed out of a $44bn deal to buy social media site Twitter. Mr Musk said he'd pulled out because Twitter failed to provide sufficient information on the number of spam and fake accounts. But the world's richest man faces a $1bn break-up fee and possible lawsuit by opting out. Shares in Twitter fell by 7% in extended trading after Mr Musk's announcement.
Elsewhere, we get more reaction to the shock news of Shinzo Abe's assassination in Japan and look at his policy of 'Abenomics'.
Rahul Tandon is joined by Yoko Ishikura, Professor Emeritus of Hitotsubashi University in Japan and Paddy Hirsch, contributing editor at NPR based in Los Angeles.
(Image: Elon Musk Official Twitter account seen displayed on a smartphone with a Twitter logo in the background. Credit: Getty Images)
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigns as Conservative party leader, we look at his economic legacy. The news follows a raft of ministerial resignations and will trigger a leadership election at the heart of the country's government. We assess his impact on the global economy and ask what his successor will need to do from an business perspective.
Rahul Tandon is joined by the journalist and author Madhavan Narayanan in New Delhi, India, and by Hayley Woodin, Executive Editor of Business in Vancouver.
(Image:UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepares to address the nation as he announces his resignation outside 10 Downing Street on July 7, 2022 in London, England. Credit: Getty Images)
Conflict and instability are driving demand for crude oil down, but how long will it be before other prices fall? We're talking energy on Business Matters, with the help of Washington-based oil industry analyst Dr Sara Vakhshouri, and Thierry Boss, a French energy expert. Political reporter Erin Dallmore also joins us from New York.
After another stormy day in British politics, a former UK Treasury official, Jeevun Sandher, tells us why the furore surrounding Prime Minister Boris Johnson may be bad news for investment and growth.
It was a victory for England on the football pitch as the Women's Euros got underway in Manchester. Former professional player and now entrepreneur, Haley Rosen, tells us how building a media business netted her millions.
(Picture: Oil barrels piled high. Credit: Getty Images).
It might just be the film of the year. LA entertainment reporter KJ Matthews tells us why Marvel's latest blockbuster is likely to hammer the competition on its opening weekend.
UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has quit, saying he can no longer serve Prime Minister Boris Johnson. His resignation followed that of Health Secretary Sajid Javid. Taking over from Sunak is the former Education Secretary Nadim Zahawi. We pick through the day's events with Financial Times Whitehall Editor Sebastian Payne.
With concerns over gas supply from Russia increasing in Germany, we get analysis from Dr Katja Yafimava from the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.
Sam Fenwick is joined by Alison Van Diggelen, host of the Fresh Dialogues podcast in Silicon Valley in San Francisco, and Bloomberg reporter James Mayger in Beijing.
(Image: Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak reacts as he leaves the 11 Downing Street, in London, on March 23, 2022. Credit: Getty Images)
Ukraine's President Zelensky says it could cost $750 million to reconstruct the country after the war with Russia. He says it should be paid for with assets seized from oligarchs.
We explore the financial impact of the changes to US abortion laws. Twenty six of the country's 50 states are either certain or considered likely to introduce new abortion restrictions or bans.
Sam Fenwick is joined by Jyoti Malhotra, Senior Consulting Editor of The Print in New Delhi and Ralph Silva from Silva Research Network in Toronto to discuss these and the other big business stories of the day.
(Image: A police officer stands in front of the entrance of the Palazzo dei Congressi on the eve of a two-day international conference on reconstruction of Ukraine in Lugano on July 3, 2022. Credit: Getty Images)
Airports in the capital of France have been told to cancel some flights due to four days of strikes. We hear from French journalist Anne-Elizabeth Moutet and the Head of Aviation at the European Transport Workers' Federation Eoin Coates.
We talk to Columbia University professor Carey Leahy about the financial markets' recovery after one of the worst days Wall Street has had in decades, and the record inflation figures in the Eurozone.
Disney, Facebook's parent Meta, American Express and Goldman Sachs are among the latest in a growing list of companies that say they will cover expenses for employees who travel out of state to access abortion care. But what happens to those who work for smaller employers who can't or won't provide extended health care? Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino has more on who the system leaves behind.
Only a tiny handful of women have ever attempted to enter Formula 1. But now one team is trying to change that: Alpine. Formerly Renault F1, it has launched a bid to get more women into the sport. We talk to their head of HR Claire Mesnier.
The Sky Cruise is a huge aeroplane with thousands of rooms, parks and a pool powered by its own nuclear reactor. But it only exists in a video animation made by Yemeni science communicator and video producer Hashem Al-Ghail... for now. He told us why he thinks his design can soon become a real vacation cruiser.
Vivienne Nunis is joined throughout the programme by Karen Percy, a senior freelance reporter in Australia, and Jasper Kim, a professor at Ewha University in South Korea, to discuss this and more relevant business news from around the world.
China celebrates the 25th anniversary of the British handover of Hong Kong. But critics regret loss of liberties during Beijing's rule despite commitments to the 'one country, two systems' policy. We hear from Hong Kong’s former Chief Executive, C.Y Leung, the BBC's Martin Yip, and former Chinese diplomat Victor Gao.
We also talk to local business owners in Hong Kong about the growing challenges they face since the introduction of the national security law.
We hear about the grim day global markets have had as FHN Financial's analyst Chris Low explains what is on investors' minds these days.
Vivienne Nunis is joined throughout the programme by Marketplace's senior reporter Andy Uhler, in Texas, and writer Rachel Cartland, who served in the Hong Kong government until 2006.
(Picture: Preparations ahead of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Picture credit: EPA)
As markets tumble, users are left unable to withdraw from some exchanges, and a leading hedge fund prepares to enter liquidation. Is crypto in terminal decline? Scott Chipolina, correspondent for the Financial Times, says investors are well used to challenging conditions.
Sri Lanka is among the countries to be worst hit by inflation, and living standards are falling. Joseph Stalin of the Ceylon Teachers' Union, and Steve Hanke from Johns Hopkins University, tell us why a solution may be some way off.
It's a host's worst nightmare: an out-of-control party in your Airbnb. As the platform cracks down on gatherings, we hear the story of a rental gone wrong in the Bahamas.
Also on the programme, a boss at H&M explains why leaving Russia was a tough decision; and it's happy 15th birthday to Apple's iPhone.
We're joined throughout Business Matters by financial consultant Jessica Khine in Malaysia, and economist Tony Nash in Texas.
(Picture: a crypto trader checks his wins and losses. Credit: Getty Images)
An abandoned truck containing dead migrants has sparked horror in North America. The US-Mexico border is among the busiest, and most dangerous, in the world. Two journalists on either side of the fence - Allysa Tellez in San Antonio, and Lillian Perlmutter in Mexico City - look at the factors driving smuggling, violence and death.
Some of the world's wealthiest nations have pledged further support for Ukraine, but China wasn't at the negotiating table. Independent economist Andy Xie provides a view from Singapore.
Back in the US, and companies are now offering an unusual employee benefit - help to end a pregnancy. Disney and Meta are among them. We hear from the boss of NY tech firm Alloy, Laura Spiekerman, about why the package has been touted for staff.
Like in many countries, the rising cost of fuel is causing unrest in Peru. A former minister, Alfonso Segura, tells us the protests are likely to continue into a third week.
Elvis may have left the building, but he's still bringing home the bacon. 45 years on from his demise, the Presley brand is growing in popularity again. Our guests this evening - Maggie McGrath from Forbes in New York, and Smart Investor co-founder David Kuo in Singapore - talk about the King of Pop's continued appeal, as well as all the other issues of the day.
(Picture: The scene of the tragedy in San Antonio, Texas. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images.)
A decision to remove constitutional abortion rights has deepened divisions in the US. Pro-life leaders have welcomed the Supreme Court's decision and a number of states are already changing their laws. Critics say it will be detrimental to women's health, and to the wider American economy. Rachel Fey from the pro-choice group Power To Decide tells us why.
We're also joined throughout the programme by Rhona Vonshay Sharpe, the CEO of the US-based Women's Institute for Science, Equity and Race (WISER); as well as Peter Ryan, Senior Business Correspondent at ABC News in Sydney.
After a deadly earthquake rocked Afghanistan, Europe has pledged financial support. A former minister, Gul Sabit, explains what is needed in the longer term.
Meanwhile, in Europe, leaders are meeting ahead of the next G7 summit in Germany to discuss food security. Sophia Murphy from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy is following the developments.
Rafael Bostic, head of Atlanta's Federal Reserve Bank, has been speaking to Kai Ryssdal from our partner programme Marketplace.
(Picture: Pro-choice demonstrators take a stand in Manhattan's Union Square. Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images).
The Taliban in Afghanistan have appealed for international support, as the country deals with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake which claimed the lives of over 1,000 people leaving another 1,500 injured, according to local officials.
In Sri Lanka, the prime minister - Ranil Wickremesinghe says its troubled economy has collapsed and the country is unable to even pay for oil imports. Mr Wickremesinghe also said he is trying to put together a conference of donors, which would potentially include China and Japan.
A hospital in South Africa's Cape Town is proving to be a hotbed of innovation with robots now becoming a regular part of surgery.
And how modern genetics is helping African Americans piece together their stolen stories.
(Aid agencies in neighbouring Pakistan are assisting with humanitarian effort. Credit: BBC)
Russia has warned Lithuania of 'serious' consequences after it banned the transport of certain goods to the neighbouring Russian territory of Kaliningrad. Lithuania says it is only following the EU sanctions imposed over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. We speak to Rasa Ščiukinaitė, Lithuania Director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Vilnius.
Elsewhere, a British subsidiary of the mining company Glencore has pleaded guilty in a UK court to corruption offences. We hear from Alexandra Gilles, an advisor at the Natural Resource Governance Institute in the US and author of 'Crude Intentions: How Oil Corruption Contaminates the World'.
Ed Butler is joined by the freelance writer and former senior editor at Hindustan Times, Madhavan Narayanan, and Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute think tank, Alison Schrager.
(Image:High Angle View Of Freight Train On Railroad Track in Kaunas, Lithuania. Credit: Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called Africa "a hostage" of Russia's war, during an address to the African Union. Speaking via video link, he said Russia is trying to exploit African leaders and their people by blocking the export of Ukrainian grain from its ports. In Zimbabwe, hundreds of public sector health workers and teachers have gone on strike with organisers saying they can't afford to feed their families. We hear from the Christine Kayumba, who's Vice President of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union. Elsewhere, Canada has outlined plans to ban single-use plastics. The ban on the manufacture and import of several popular items will begin from December 2022. Ed Butler is joined by Bloomberg reporter James Mayger in Tokyo, as well as CBC tech and business journalist Takara Small, to discuss all these stories and the other big business news of the day.
Vivienne Nunis is joined by journalist and co-founder of the digital news startup,The Current PK, Mehmal Sarfraz in Pakistan, and Professor of Culture at Yorksville University, Ralph Silva, from Canada.
We hear from Peter Allegeier the former US Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation and President of Nauset Global LLC, about the deal on banning fishing subsidies and President Putin’s reaction to the sanctions imposed on Russia.
A BBC survey of more than 4 thousand adults in the UK shows people are cutting back on food and car journeys to save money. Nancy Marshall-Genzer of our US partner programme, Marketplace, has been investigating how American Gen Zs are coping with the economic instability.
The song ‘Running Up That Hill’ by Kate Bush has reached number one in the UK, 37 years after it was first released. Entertainment commentator Gita Amar joins us from Los Angeles.
Colombians go to the polls on Sunday in an election that commentators say will change the direction of the country - no matter who wins. Sergio Guzman, director of Colombia Risk Analysis, and businessman Hernando Barreto give their views.
Researchers in the United States and South Korea have come up with a novel way to tackle the growing issue of counterfeit medicines and whisky – an edible QR code. Dr Young Kim is the study's principal researcher, he provides some insight into exactly how it works – and why it is needed.
(PICTURE: Fishing bait is unloaded at Bridlington Harbour fishing port in Yorkshire on December 8th 2020. PICTURE CREDIT: Danny Lawson/PA Wire.)
Vivienne Nunis is joined by contributing editor at NPR, Paddy Hirsch, from Los Angeles and Bloomberg reporter, Rebecca Choong-Wilkins, in Hong Kong.
The value of bitcoin has fallen about 30% in the last 10 days. We hear from one of the youngest Bitcoin millionaires, Erik Finman, about how he got involved in the cryptocurrency aged twelve.
The cosmetics company, Revlon, has filed for bankruptcy protection as it struggles against massive debts and stiff competition. Lauren Thomas from CNBC tells us why such a big brand failed to survive in a pressured economic climate.
President Biden has said a recession in the United States is not inevitable and sees a reason for optimism, noting the low employment rate in the US. We hear from Correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, Silvina Frydlewsky, in Buenos Aires.
Leaders of Germany, France, Italy and Romania have said they support Ukraine's bid to join the European Union. Deputy Director at the Bruegel economic think tank, Maria Demertzis, tells us what the likelihood is of a union with Ukraine.
Picture: A representation of virtual currency Bitcoin is seen in front of a stock graph in this illustration taken November 19, 2020. Picture Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic
Vivienne Nunis is joined by Chief Executive Officer at Risk Cooperative Andres Franzetti and Member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network, Yoko Ishikura.
The Federal Reserve said it would increase its key interest rate by three quarters of a percentage point to a range of 1.5% to 1.75%. We’re joined by two business owners in Georgia and California to get their reaction to the announcement. We find out what it means for the global economy. Yoko Ishikura talks about the impact on Japan’s economy. Vintage kimonos - once passed down through generations – are finding a new home at second-hand markets – Yoko tells us more.
Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, have agreed to deepen their strategic cooperation, in what's reported to be their second phone conversation since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Chief Executive Officer at Risk Cooperative Andres Franzetti shares his thoughts on how Washington might view this. And, after 27 years, Microsoft is retiring Internet Explorer for good.
(Picture: Flags fly above the Federal Reserve building in Washington, DC, U.S., August 22, 2018. Picture Credit: REUTERS/Chris Wattie/File Photo)
We're talking all about the different crises gripping global energy markets in this programme. First, an incident at an LNG facility in Texas has caused uncertainty over global supplies, with futures prices plummeting. It could be months before the plant is back online. Europe - which is already dealing with reduced supplies from Russia - now faces a shortage. In Sri Lanka, the fuel crisis continues, as people are asked to work a four day week. With the whole world seemingly facing supply disruption, President Joe Biden has announced he'll visit Saudi Arabia. We'll also visit Denmark and Tanzania, where innovative solutions are being found to keep energy flowing. To discuss these issues, Sam Fenwick is joined by Marketplace's Andy Uhler in Texas, and Sharon Brettkelly from the Detail podcast on Radio New Zealand. We'll also hear from the Sri Lankan political writer Asanga Abeyagoonasekera. Elsewhere in the programme, further fears about a decaying tanker in the Red Sea off Yemen. The UN's David Gressly tells us why it matters. Sticking with supply issues, women's sanitary products are getting harder to access in the US. We'll hear about that from Dana Cohen from California manufacturer Cora. (Picture: a gas terminal burns in Poland; Credit: Getty Images).
There are warnings people could starve across the globe due to food shortages caused by the war in Ukraine. The World Trade Organisation is seeking solutions to the crisis - we'll hear from UNICEF's Rania Dagesh along with University of Maryland economist Peter Morici, and Sushma Ramachandran, a Delhi-based independent journalist. Our live guests will also discuss turbulence in the Asian markets and a potentially lucrative deal in cricket's Indian Premier League.
Also on Business Matters, India's biggest sporting league - the IPL - is on the verge of a multi-billion dollar deal over broadcasting rights. We'll hear from sports journalist Saurabh Somani and the self-styled 'image guru' Dilip Cherian about what it will mean.
Have robots finally overcome their one big challenge - becoming human? Or is it still in the realms of sci-fi fantasy? We speak to Dr Radhika Dirks, the head of US firm Ribo AI, about why Google's latest showpiece may not be a harbinger of the future. (Picture: A Ukrainian serviceman surveys the grain in a field in Donetsk. Credit: Anatolii Stepanov).
The travel industry continues its path to normality with Japan reopening its doors to international travellers after two years and the US dropping Covid-19 test requirements for airline passengers. We hear more from Yukari Sakamoto, who takes tourists on tours of food markets in Tokyo. Inflation in the US rose to 8.6% in May, the highest rate since 1981. Food and energy prices led the rally with double-digit rises, but increases continue to spread throughout the economy. We talk to a consumer and a business owner in different parts of the country about how they are being affected by soaring prices. We hear from former US ambassador Norman Eisen about the congressional committee investigating the attacks on the US Capitol in 2021. It could lead to prosecutions and new laws to strengthen election security. Plus, young people who've made a million before they were 30 explain how they did it as part of our Business Daily series Million By 30. Sam Fenwick is joined along the programme by Maggie McGrath, editor of Forbes Women in New York, and Sinead Mangan, a broadcaster with ABC in Australia.
(Picture: A board displaying flight arrivals at an international flights terminal in Tokyo in June. Picture credit: EPA)
The vehicle safety regulator in the United States has upgraded its investigation into Tesla's autopilot feature after more than a dozen of them crashed into parked first-responder vehicles in four years. Our North of America Business Correspondent Michelle Fleury tells us more about the probe. Japan's inflation rate is rising but nowhere near the historic records other countries are registering. However, being used to decades of stable and falling prices, Japanese shoppers are now in shock to see them increase. The BBC's Mariko Oi reports from Tokyo. We also hear from tour guide Dai Miyamoto about the conditions Japan has set for international travellers, who are now welcome again after two years of border restrictions. Countries around the world are trying to move towards more renewable energy like that produced by wind and solar. But storage is a big challenge that still needs to be tackled. The BBC's Hannah Bewley talks to some of the people looking for solutions. Rahul Tandon is joined along the programme by Tony Nash, Chief Economist at Complete Intelligence in Texas, and Jyoti Malhotra, Senior Consulting Editor at The Print in New Delhi, to talk about this and other business news.
(Picture: Model Y cars during the opening ceremony of Tesla Gigafactory for electric cars in Gruenheide, Germany, in March. Picture credit: Reuters)
Negotiations in Turkey to lift the Russian blockade on Ukrainian ports and allow millions of tonnes of grain to reach poor countries have reached a stalemate. The war threatens to unleash an unprecedented wave of hunger and destitution around the world, says UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. In the Horn of Africa, people in rural areas are on the brink of starvation, as Hassan Khannenje, director of Horn International Institute for Strategic Studies, tells us. The EU has agreed that companies will face mandatory quotas to ensure women have at least 40% of seats on corporate boards. We hear more from Lara Wolters, a Dutch socialist member of the European Parliament, who led negotiations on the change. India has increased interest rates for the second time this year. We discuss this with business journalist Sushma Ramachandran and Paramount Cables Group's Sanjay Aggarawal. A TikTok executive has stepped back after claims that he participated in an aggressive work culture. We hear from Financial Times reporter Cristina Criddle about the allegations. Walmart heir Rob Walton and his family have won the bidding to buy NFL's Denver Broncos. The Walton-Penner family is reported to have made a bid worth 4.65 billion dollars. Sports Business Journal's Ben Fischer explains the details. Sam Fenwick is joined throughout the programme by Takara Small, technology reporter for CBC in Toronto Canada, and Rachel Pupazzoni, national business reporter and presenter at ABC News in Perth in Australia, to talk about the most relevant business news of the day.
(Picture: Foreign Ministers of Russia, Sergei Lavrov, and Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu. Picture credit: European Pressphoto Agency)
In an exclusive interview, David Malpass, president of the World Bank tell us about the economic challenges facing the world as it recovers from Covid-19 and how the war in Ukraine is hitting developing countries. We also hear from Branson Skinner, from the Or Foundation, on how Ghana is encouraging recycling of used clothes in a difficult environment. We also hear about how Indians are coping with a series of punishing heatwaves and how they plan to hit ambitious climate targets. And, as Australia tackles rising food prices, we talk to the BBC's Shaimaa Khalil, about the curious decision made by KFC Australia to swap out lettuce for cabbage. Joining us throughout is Alaezi Akpuru, a Nigerian fashion business owner and Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Office at Circle.
(Picture: World Bank Group President David Malpass. Picture credit: Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
The British Prime Minister has won a confidence vote, but now faces a sizeable rebellion from over 100 MPs within his party, leading to questions about his future. We'll be unravelling how the news is being received in North America with Hayley Woodin, executive editor of the business magazine Business in Vancouver. As Beijing is starting to re-open after months of lockdown, we'll be speaking to James Bayger, who covers the Chinese economy for Bloomberg, to find out what it could mean for Chinese people. And as Apple makes a number of big changes to it's new operating system, we'll hear from freelance reporter Io Dodds in Silicon Valley on why the tech giant is bringing in a buy now pay later function.
(Picture: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Picture credit: Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Mixed signals are coming from the US labour market. While employment figures grew more than expected in May, the tech sector has started to step on the brakes in fear of a recession. Tesla's CEO Elon Musk has warned that the electric carmaker needs to cut about 10% of its staff, saying he has a "super bad feeling" about the economy. We ask Chris Low, financial analyst at FHN Financial what this means for the economy. It's been 100 days since the start of the war in Ukraine, and African nations among the countries that are suffering the most from food shortages and rising prices. The head of the African Union, Macky Sall, has been in Russia to urge President Vladimir Putin to facilitate the export of Ukrainian cereals. The BBC's correspondent in Nigeria Ishaq Khalid has been following the meeting. Turkey has seen inflation rise to more than 73%, the fastest rate in 24 years. The decreasing value of the Turkish currency, the lira, and an unorthodox economic policy is fuelling price increases, according to experts. We hear more from Erinc Yeldan, a professor of Economics at Kadir Has University in Istanbul. The UK is marking the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II with a four day weekend. We talk from royal fans in the streets of London and guests from other countries in the Commonwealth about the celebrations there. Memorial Day in the US this week marked the end of the official Broadway season. It was the first with in-person shows since the pandemic. We hear a special report from our US partners Marketplace. A lawsuit was lodged at the High Court in London on Friday seeking to recoup millions of pounds lost when a fund managed by the former star stock-picker, Neil Woodford, collapsed. Daniel Kerrigan, one of the lawyers bringing the case, explains why the litigation doesn't target Woodford himself. Vivienne Nunis is joined by David Kuo, co-founder of The Smart Investor in Singapore, and Stephanie Hare, researcher of technology and politics in London.
Oil-producing countries vow to boost output by 50% in July and August to curb rising prices following the European Union's announcement of a major cut in Russian crude imports. We ask Kaushik Deb, a Senior Research Scholar at the Centre on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, how effective this initiative can be. Leaving a tip can be a contentious issue. In India, the government is meeting with leaders from the restaurant industry to discuss whether or not an additional service charge should be automatically added at the end of a meal. We hear the thoughts of a foodie in Mumbai. A pilot programme in British Columbia, Canada, will decriminalize the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs including cocaine, MDMA and many opioids. The aim is to reduce the record number of overdose deaths, and to stop addicts being marginalised. We hear more from Sheila Malcolmson, British Columbia's Minister of Mental Health. Many banks are closing branches and expecting customers to do the bulk of their key transactions via the Internet. But does that risk leaving more vulnerable citizens behind in many countries? The BBC's Claire Williamson investigates. The licensing company that controls the Elvis Presley name and image is ordering wedding chapel operators in Las Vegas to stop using Elvis in their themed ceremonies. Jason Whaley, the president of the Las Vegas Wedding Chamber of Commerce explains what this means for the city. Ed Butler is joined by Jyoti Malhotra, Editor of National & Strategic Affairs at The Print website in Delhi, and Ralph Silva of the Silva Research Network in Toronto, to discuss these and the other big business stories of the day.
The Chief Operating Officer of Facebook's parent company Meta is stepping down after 14 years with the business. Sheryl Sandberg made the announcement on the social media site. We get reaction to her departure.
As Shanghai reopens, we hear from a resident in the megacity. People in the Chinese economic hub have been living under strict coronavirus restrictions for two months.
Ed Butler is joined by Andy Xie, an independent economist based in Shanghai, and New York-based political reporter, Erin Delmore, to discuss these and the other big business stories of the day.
(Image: Sheryl Sandberg speaks at the Texas Conference For Women 2017 at Austin Convention Center on November 2, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Credit: Getty Images)
The Russian energy giant, Gazprom, is cutting gas supplies to the Netherlands and Denmark over their refusal to pay in roubles. It comes after the EU's decision to block most oil imports from Russia over the continuing conflict in Ukraine.
Elsewhere, US President Joe Biden welcomes New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to the White House to discuss the security situation in the Pacific.
Ed Butler is joined by Colin Peacock from Radio New Zealand in Wellington and CNBC business journalist and author Lori Ann LaRocco to discuss the key business issues of the day.
(Image:RUSSIA-UKRAINE-CONFLICT-ENERGY-GAS-EU. Credit: Getty Images)
The European Union council president, Charles Michel, has confirmed that the EU has agreed to ban more than two thirds of Russian oil imports. The block also agreed on measures targeting Russia's largest bank and three state-owned broadcasters.
Elsewhere, Chelsea Football Club is sold for more than $5 billion US dollars to an American investment consortium led by Todd Boehly.
Sam Fenwick is joined by University of Maryland economist Peter Morici and entrepreneur and real estate investor Kanwal Malik in Karachi, Pakistan, to discuss the big business stories of the day.
(Image: European Council Meet In Brussels For Special Meeting. Credit: Getty Images)
Protests have been held in Texas after another deadly shooting claimed the lives of more than 20 pupils and teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde. Across the state, in Houston, the NRA - America's largest pro-gun group - is holding its annual meeting. Our first guest on the programme, NPR journalist Andy Uhler, joins us from Texas where divisions appear to be widening. We're also joined by author and expert on Hong Kong affairs Rachel Cartland.
After years of seemingly unstoppable growth, there's a slowdown in hiring across the board in America's tech industry. One former employee of Google and Twitter, investor Alex Roetter, tells us it's probably not a sign of worse to come.
The World Economic Forum has drawn to a close in Davos, with Ukraine high on the agenda. One business owner who's seeking shelter in Kyiv says the conflict has transformed the world.
We also hear about the Chinese shopping mall that's bringing the outdoor indoors, as business owners in Beijing gear up to welcome back shoppers. Architect Xiaoguang Liu tells us how it could fit in a post-pandemic China.
(Picture: Memorial to the 19 children and 2 teachers killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, Texas; Credit: Michael M Santiago)
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has outlined America's strategy to counter what he says is China's threat to the international order. In a major speech, he said the US is not seeking a 'cold war' with Beijing - only to ensure that international rules are followed.
We also hear about Russia's central bank's cut to interest rates. Elsewhere, Apple has increased pay for its retail staff amid cost of living increases and a tight labour market.
Sam Fenwick is joined by Diane Brady, Assistant Managing Editor of Forbes in New York, and Sushma Ramachandran, an independent business journalist in Delhi.
(Image: Secretary Blinken Outlines Policy Towards China At George Washington University. Credit: Getty Images)
Following the fatal mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, we discuss the economics of America's gun culture. The US Vice President, Kamala Harris, is calling for the country to pass "reasonable" gun laws after the attack which left 19 children and two teachers dead. We reflect on the impact of George Floyd's death, two years on from his murder at the hands of police in Minneapolis. We also discuss Pfizer's announcement to sell all of its patented drugs and vaccines at non-profit prices to the world's poorest countries. Rahul Tandon is joined by Michelle Jamrisko, who's Senior Asia Economy Reporter for Bloomberg in Singapore, as well as Kimberley Adams from our partners Marketplace in Washington, DC.
More than a dozen pupils have been killed in a shooting at a school in Texas. It happened at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. The 18-year-old suspect is dead, believed to have been killed by police officers. US President Joe Biden has ordered the US flag to be flown at half-mast until sunset on Saturday 28th May following the mass shooting.
Elsewhere, the commodities giant Glencore has agreed to plead guilty to corruption charges in the United States and the UK. It will pay more than $1 billion to end a five-year investigation into corporate malpractice. It was accused of directing traders to fix the oil market as well as using bribes to secure business in half a dozen countries, mostly in Africa.
Rahul Tandon is joined by Lori Ann LaRocco, who's Senior Editor at CNBC Business News and author of “Trade War- Containers Don’t Lie, Navigating the Bluster”. He also speaks with the Financial Times Tokyo Bureau Chief, Robin Harding about the big business issues of the day.
In three months, conflict in Ukraine has destroyed parts of the country, hurt Russia's economy, and sent shockwaves across the globe. Countries are experiencing never-before-seen inflation, and a critical lack of supplies is forecast to worsen. Then there's the matter of who should pay for the colossal damage inflicted on towns and cities in Ukraine. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, world leaders are trying to solve the problem. A former Ukranian Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko, gives her view on the true cost.
Much of the world's focus is on the outcome of that summit, but there's another one happening in Tokyo which could set the course of Asian trade relations for years to come. The Quad countries - Australia, the US, Japan and India - are meeting to discuss matters like China, inflation in the south of the continent, and a new US-led Pacific trading agreement. Tanvi Madan. Director of the Indian Project at the Brookings Institute, takes us through what to expect.
ABC's senior business correspondent Peter Ryan is joined by Alison van Diggelen, Silicon Valley tech host, to talk about all the issues of the day.
Meanwhile, Germany is among the countries trying new solutions to help citizens come to terms with economic crises. We hear from the Eva Kreienkamp, the head of one of the country's biggest transport companies.
Image: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is seen on a giant screen next to Founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab during his address by video conference as part of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on May 23, 2022. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
Millions of Australians decide whether or not to vote back in the Conservatives after nine years under the party's rule. BBC's Katie Silver and Australian economist Tim Harcourt tell us more. Rising fuel prices have led food delivery drivers to strike for days in the United Arab Emirates, where industrial action is banned. BBC's Sameer Hashmi explains their struggle from Dubai. Adi Imsirovic from the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies gives us his views on the former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's recent resignation from the board of directors of Russia's state-owned oil company, Rosneft. In Korea, president Joe Biden begins his five-day Asia trip with a visit to a Samsung semiconductor plant. We talked to Carolina Milanesi, president of analyst and market research firm Creative Strategies, about this. Vivienne Nunis is joined throughout the programme by guests Tony Nash, Chief Economist at Complete Intelligence in Houston, Texas, and Karen Percy, Senior freelance reporter in Melbourne.
Vivienne Nunis is joined by Alexander Kaufman from the Huff Post in New York, and Jeanette Rodrigues from Bloomberg in Mumbai. We start with the war in Ukraine and the ripple effects it's having on global food supplies. Plus we look at Indonesia resuming palm oil exports next week - one of the world's most important commodities. The leader of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi again warns that the US will not support a bilateral free trade agreement if the UK does anything to undermine the Good Friday Agreement. Plus after another volatile day on the markets, we try to work out whether the US is heading towards a recession.
Image credit: Volunteers prepare food in the kitchen of "World Central Kitchen" for war refugees from Ukraine staying in Przemysl, Poland, 15 April 2022. EPA/DAREK DELMANOWICZ POLAND
Could tens of billions of dollars stop the world’s poorest going hungry? The World Bank is hoping cash will help those hardest hit by global food shortages. But with Ukraine and other conflicts creating a squeeze on exports of key commodities, the UN is calling for a political solution.
A landmark deal in the US means women and men will be paid the same for competing in international football tournaments; and we hear about the man taking American fast food giants to court over the size of their portions.
Anonymous, fake accounts online are a nuisance at best, and at worst, a threat to safety and democracy. Elon Musk wants to crack down on them in his planned takeover of Twitter, but says he doesn't trust the platform's own assessment of the problem. We hear from one of his personal friends about what it could mean for the deal.
Mass inflation continues to cause problems across the globe, from shortages in shops to job losses for farmers in Asia and beyond. Ahead of the upcoming G7 summit, experts are wondering if monetary policy can be an effective weapon against price rises. Also, as Japan prepares to welcome tourists, is holidaying on the continent about to make a comeback?
The fast food giant McDonald's has ceased its operations in Russia, two months after temporarily closing 850 branches across the country. The company said Russia's 'humanitarian crisis' in Ukraine, as well as unstable market conditions triggered by the conflict, are behind its decision to stop selling hamburgers there. The first McDonald's in Russia was opened in Moscow in 1990, and was widely seen as a symbol of western democracy.
Cryptocurrency markets are being rocked after a popular token lost 99% of its value. We get the latest analysis from Anita Ramaswamy of the TechCrunch website.
Oil giant Saudi Aramco has overtaken Apple to become the world's most valuable company. Indrajit Sen of the Middle East Economic Digest in Dubai discusses the significance of the shift.
Russian shipping company Sovcomflot is reportedly selling off a third of its fleet to pay off some European debts before an EU sanctions deadline expires. It's one of the world's biggest transporters of oil and gas. We ask Richard Meade of the shipping journal Lloyd's List what this will mean for international shipping.
An investigation in the US has revealed that the state of Louisiana is suing some families for making unlawful repairs to their homes - with government grants given out following Hurricane Katrina. We speak to David Hammer of WWL-TV, the investigative reporter following the story. And we have an extended report from the BBC's Russell Padmore exploring the problem of ships colliding with whales.
Fergus Nicoll is joined throughout the programme by Kimberly Adams of our US partner station Marketplace in Washington DC, and by independent economist Andy Xie from Shanghai.
(Photo: A cryptocurrency ATM. Credit: Getty Images)
Inflation in the US was up 8.3% in April, down from a growth rate of 8.5% in March, hinting that the peak of inflation could be over. We get analysis from our business correspondent Michelle Fleury in New York. Shanghai is introducing new lockdown measures to try and halt the spread of coronavirus. Don Weinland is China business editor for The Economist, and describes the latest restrictions. Also in the programme, the BBC's Rahul Tandon reports on what happens to a country such as Ukraine when conflict means that cash stops flowing in normal ways. Remittances to low- and middle-income countries will slow down this year because of the war in Ukraine. That's according to a report from the World Bank. We speak to its lead author Dilip Ratha about the consequences. Spain is expected to become the first Western country to introduce menstrual leave, giving women who suffer from painful periods up to three days off per month. Chloe Caldwell, author of menstrual memoir The Red Zone: A Love Story, tells us why she welcomes Spain's decision.
Alex Ritson is joined throughout the programme by Ralph Silva of Silva Research Network in Toronto in Canada, and Sushma Ramachandran, business journalist for the Tribune, who's in Delhi, India.
(Picture: Supermarket shelves. Picture credit: Getty Images.)
The US Treasury Secretary has said that overturning Roe v Wade, the landmark case protecting abortion access in the country, would have lasting negative effects on the economy. She was speaking to a Congressional Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs when she made the remarks. We speak to Professor Caitlin Myers, an economist from Middlebury College, Vermont, who specialises in reproductive policies. Staying in the USA, President Biden announced tackling inflation would be his number one domestic priority. We hear from former economic advisor to the Obama administration Jason Furman. Exercise bike maker Peloton is having a bumpy ride - revenue is down 24% and demand for the tech-connected machines slumped this year. Ian Sherr at CNET tells us more. India has ambitious plans to reforest large parts of land and the UK government mulls the legalisation of e-scooters on public roads. Throughout the programme we're joined by Madavan Narayanan, freelance writer and former senior editor at Hindustan Times in Delhi and by Hayley Woodin - usually found covering business news on Canada's west coast for Business in Vancouver - but currently studying at Columbia University in New York City.
Picture: Janet Yellen testifies in Congress Credit: Reuters
Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son of the country's ruler during most of the 1970s, is heading for a landslide victory in the race to replace the current strongman Rodrigo Duterte. Why did voters flock back to the Marcos family, whose reign in the 20th century was so controversial? We speak to Josh Kurlantzick at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, DC. There's been further unrest on the streets of Colombo as the economic crisis in Sri Lanka grows deeper. The Prime Minister has resigned and there have been casualities as mobs tried to storm the presidential residence on Monday, as journalist Dimuthu Attanyake tells us. A sharp drop on the US stock markets worried traders on Monday, we get the latest from Peter Jankovskos of Arbor Investments. The value of Bitcoin has halved since November, Taiwan adjusts its previously tough stance on living with Covid and could a reduction in plastic mean less paid work for those who collect it for recycling? Throughout the programme we're joined by by Samson Ellis, Bloomberg's Taipei Bureau Chief, and by political journalist Erin Delmore in New York.
Picture: A supporter of Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. Credit: EPA
There are warnings inflation will continue to soar around the world, despite the US and UK increasing interest rates. Stock markets have reacted by falling - the Nasdaq has had its worst day for two years. The Philippines are gearing up for hotly contested elections this weekend - we get analysis from our correspondent in the Philippines, Karishma Vaswami. A special report from Sam Fenwick examines how the war in Ukraine has impacted tourism all around the globe.
Rahul Tandon is joined throughout by Jyoti Malhotra, senior consulting editor at the Print in Delhi and Paddy Hirsch, Editor at large at Planet Money in Los Angeles.
(Picture: New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street. Credit: Matteo Colombo; Getty Images)
The US central bank, the Federal Reserve, has raised interest rates by 0.5% in a bid to combat rising inflation, which is currently running at 8.5%. We get analysis from our north America business correspondent Michelle Fleury. And Mitchell Hartmann of the Marketplace programme on American Public Media asks whether we might see a repeat of the 'wage-price spiral' of the 1980s. The European Union has proposed a ban on imports of Russian oil and refined fuel products. Richard Bronze is head of geopolitics at the energy sector consultancy Energy Aspects, and talks us through the implications. And we get a sense of how this move could impact the Russian economy from Elina Ribakova, deputy chief economist at the Institute of International Finance. Also in the programme, the BBC's David Reid reports on how fast and portable genome testing is unlocking the secrets to ourselves, and the environment we live in. And Diego Maradona's infamous 'Hand of God' football shirt sells for a record £7.1 million. We assess the legacy of the footballer - and that 1986 game - with Marcela Mora y Araujo, an Argentine sports journalist based in London.
Fergus Nicoll is joined throughout the programme by James Mayger of Bloomberg News in Beijing and by Takara Small, tech reporter and podcast host, from Toronto.
(Picture: A supermarket in California. Credit: Getty Images)
Oil giant BP booked bumper underlying profits despite a big loss on its exit from Russia. We explore whether oil firms are likely to face windfall taxes on their profits, after Italy increased such a tax, with Dr Sandy Hager, a political economist at City, University of London. Leaked documents in the US have suggested the Supreme Court could be heading towards revoking the historic Roe vs Wade judgement from the 1970s that legalised abortion in the country. Just prior to that news and the political outcry that's followed, Amazon has more quietly told staff it would contribute up to $4,000 in travel expenses for employees seeking to get abortions, as well as certain other treatments. The move will help workers in states like Texas where most abortions have now been illegalised. We hear from Anthony Johndrow, who advises businesses, including tech firms, on their social issue positioning. Also in the programme, the BBC's Mike Johnson examines why Turkey is seeking to rebrand itself with its Turkish name, Türkiye.
Ed Butler is joined throughout the programme by Sarah Birke, The Economist’s Bureau Chief in Mexico and Robin Harding, Tokyo bureau chief for the Financial Times.
Picture: General view of a BP gas station. Credit: Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images
The EU is attempting to agree on a harmonised approach to the continuing issue of oil and gas imports from Russia. Member states' energy ministers have held an emergency meeting. Suzanne Lynch, a reporter for Politico in Brussels, tells us what was on their agenda. The European Commission has accused Apple of abusing it's market position for contactless smartphone payments. Apple denies the charge and has promised to engage with the Commission. We hear more about the the accusations from the BBC's Jonathan Josephs.
When a member of staff leaves your workplace team, or gets married, or has a birthday - who is it that organises the whip round, nips out to buy the gift or plans the office party? Is it in most cases a woman? Yes, according to four American academics who've written a book called the 'No Club' in which they identify what they call non promotion task that do nothing for that woman's career. We hear more from one of the book's authors, Lise Vesterlund, an economics professor at thw University of Pittsburg.
Ed Butler is joing throughout the programme by Peter Morici, Professor Emeritus of International Business at the R.H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and Sharon Brettkelly from Radio New Zealand in Auckland.
(Picture description: Gas pipes at a new gas pipeline compressor station. Picture credit: Getty Images/John Tlumacki)
Amazon has announced its first loss since 2015 due to slowing sales and rising costs; we hear more from James Clayton, the BBC's North America tech reporter. Economic activity in the US contracted unexpectedly in the first three months of 2022. The Harvard economist Professor Ken Rogoff tells us whether it signals a possible recession. Indonesia is the world's biggest producer of palm oil and it's a staple of cooking there but prices there have soared and that has led to street protests so the government has reacted by banning exports of palm oil so there's plenty for the domestic market. We hear from the BBC's Asia Editor, Rebecca Henscke. Also in the programme, a mass strike in Sri Lanka has forced the closure of many schools, shops and services. The BBC's Archana Shukla reports from Colombo. Millions of people in India are experiencing a brutal heatwave that is throwing lives and livelihoods out of gear; the India Meteorological Department says some states are recording 120 year highs. We hear more from Dr Vidhya Venugopal, Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health at the Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research in Chennai. Plus, the BBC's Vivienne Nunis explores why sales of brooches have been soaring, and why they can be such a powerful accessory. (Picture description: Amazon logo on phone; Picture credit: Getty Images)
With global supply chains still reeling in the wake of Covid-19 and the Ukraine war, recent lockdowns in China have compounded the situation. Backlogs have become common place on the USA’s west coast, but how has trade there recovered? We get the latest from Josh Brazil of supply chain specialists project44. Plus, the BBC’s North America Business Correspondent Samira Hussain reports from Michigan on Ford’s iconic F-150 pickup getting a fully electric makeover. After Chinese company DJI, the world's largest drone manufacturer, said it’s suspending sales to Russia and Ukraine, we discuss the reasons behind the decision with David Hambling, author of Swarm Troopers: How small drones will conquer the world. We speak to Matteo Pietrobelli from Oceanix, a company working on a project to hopefully create what’s been called the world’s first floating city. Busan in South Korea has unveiled plans to extend out to sea, using floating, interconnected platforms, in a move that it’s hoped could help to mitigate both rising sea levels and human population numbers. And the BBC's Elizabeth Hotson asks whether the false banana, or enset, could help tackle the problem of food insecurity in developing countries.
Throughout the programme we’re joined live by Rachel Puppazoni, a journalist covering business and the economy for ABC News in Perth, Australia, and by Alison van Diggelen, the host at freshdialogues.com in Silicon Valley.
(Photo: Yangshan deepwater port In Shanghai; Credit: Getty Images)
Russian company Gazprom says it will halt gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria from Wednesday morning. Poland currently depends on Russian imports for around half of its gas. The country’s deputy foreign minister Marcin Pzydacz tells us his government was already been prepared for this move. Plus, the World Bank’s latest commodities report makes sobering reading, suggesting that high food and fuel prices could blight the global economy for years to come. We hear from its author, World Bank Senior Economist Peter Nagle. With Elon Musk poised to take over at Twitter, the European Union’s Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton tells us that the firm will be welcome to operate in the EU under new management, providing it adheres to the bloc’s rules. As Delta Air Lines reveals that cabin crew will be paid for boarding as well as flight time in a landmark announcement, the president of the Association of Flight Attendant Sara Nelson says unionisation efforts by airline staff forced the company’s hand. And the BBC's Ivana Davidovic investigates urban mining, the process of reclaiming raw materials from spent products, buildings and waste. Throughout the programme we’re joined live by Zyma Islam, a journalist with The Daily Star newspaper in Bangladesh and by Tony Nash, chief economist at AI firm Complete Intelligence, based in Houston, Texas.
(Photo: Gazprom says it will halt gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria; Credit: Getty Images)
Twitter’s board has accepted Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s $44bn offer to buy the social media giant. Dan Primack, Business Editor at Axios, says that those on both the right and the left who have reacted strongly to the prospect of a Musk-led takeover may be getting ahead of themselves. Stock markets around the world have been shaken by fears of further lockdown measures being implemented in China. We hear from residents of Beijing, who tell us they’re not overly concerned by the prospect of a strict lockdown being imposed, and describe the mood in the city. Plus, a joint investigation by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and the LA Times has revealed that consultants working for cigarette giant Reynolds American Tobacco bankrolled black activists, in an effort to lobby against the prohibition of menthol cigarettes, which are disproportionately popular among African Americans. In Ukraine, much attention has focused on the city of Mariupol in recent days, where hundreds of people are sheltering from a Russian bombardment in bunkers underneath the Azovstal steelworks. We speak to Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of the company which runs the steelworks, Metinvest. Plus, developing economies which rely heavily on tourism have been particularly affected by the global wave of Covid-19 lockdowns which paralysed foreign travel. With voyagers now venturing out again, our correspondent Peter Morgan was reminded of the economic value of optimism during a journey to Nepal.
Throughout the programme we're joined live by Peter Landers of the Wall Street Journal in Tokyo, and Forbes deputy editor Diane Brady in New York.
(Photo: Elon Musk’s $44bn offer was accepted by Twitter’s board; Credit: Getty Images)
CNN has pulled the plug on its flagship online streaming service CNN+, less than a month after it was launched to much fanfare. CNBC media & technology reporter Alex Sherman has been covering the story and tells us why the fledgling platform failed. Like many economies which reap huge benefits from tourism, Thailand has struggled with a sharp drop in visitor numbers during the Covid-19 pandemic. The government is now trying to woo some of those potential visitors again, but rising coronavirus cases are complicating the issue. Ahead of pivotal midterm elections in November, we survey the political landscape in the United States, as President Biden announces a new package of $800 million in military aid for Ukraine. The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, says Ukraine needs up to $7 billion per month in the near future, in the wake of Russia’s invasion. The BBC’s Economics Editor Faisal Islam has been speaking to her, and joins us from Washington DC to talk through the big news lines emanating from the IMF/World Bank 2022 Spring Meetings. Plus, the BBC’s Victoria Craig has been catching up with some of British food sector businesses to see how they’re coping with the current stage of the pandemic.
Throughout the programme we’re joined live by political reporter Erin Delmore in New York, and Patrick Barta of the Wall Street Journal in Bangkok.
(Photo: A billboard advertising CNN+ in Manhattan; Credit: Getty Images)
Germany says it is working hard to reduce its reliance on Russian energy. The BBC's Faisal Islam speaks to the German finance minister Christian Lindner. As Tesla releases its Q1 earnings, we get analysis from Dan Ives, senior equity analyst at Wedbush Securities, and ask whether the recent factory shutdowns in Shanghai have had an effect on the company's performance. Satellite broadband is still in its infancy, but more and more people are using the technology to connect to the internet - not least in war-torn Ukraine, where conventional communication networks are being destroyed by Russian forces. It’s proving extremely useful, but could it also bring the internet to remote corners of the globe in the future? We have a report from Sam Fenwick. Plus, the BBC's Adrienne Murray reports from Denmark on how labour shortages following the pandemic have opened the door to greater automation of tasks through the use of robots.
Fergus Nicoll is joined throughout the programme by Mehmal Sarfraz, a journalist and co-founder of the Current PK website in Lahore, and Ralph Silva of the Silva Research Network in Toronto.
(Picture: An oil refinery. Picture credit: Getty Images.)
The company lost 200,000 customers in the first three months of the year. We look at the reasons why with entertainment journalist Caroline Frost, and what challenges the company is facing. The International Monetary Fund expects global economic growth to slow to 3.6% this year. The forecast shaves almost a percentage point of growth from its forecast from before the war in Ukraine, and we get analysis from the BBC's economics editor Faisal Islam. The BBC's Theo Leggett reports from France on the country's post-pandemic economic recovery, ahead of this weekend's second round of the presidential election. Also in the programme, we look at why some people decide to anglicise their name in order to “fit in” in the workplace with the BBC's Noor Nanji. Plus, our regular workplace commentator Stephanie Hare considers how the Ukraine crisis affects the way businesses engage with the political sphere.
Sasha Twining is joined throughout the programme by James Mayger, Bloomberg’s China economics reporter in Beijing, and by Takara Small, CBC's technology reporter in Toronto.
(Picture: The Netflix sign. Credit: Getty Images)
Workers at Apple's Grand Central Station store in New York have announced a plan to start a union. If their bid is successful it would be the first union at one of the tech giant's US stores. Anna Kramer with the news site Protocol explains the process from here. Also in the programme, China has announced its latest economic growth figures. The NBA's Golden State Warriors team is developing its own entertainment division. And the BBC's Elizabeth Hotson looks into how Covid-19 has changed the way we work - and the rise of the virtual interview.
All through the show we'll be joined by Peter Morici in Washington DC and Jessica Khine in Johor, Malaysia.
Tesla boss Elon Musk has offered to buy Twitter, saying he is the right person to "unlock" the social media platform's "extraordinary potential". In a surprise announcement, Mr Musk said he would pay $54.20 a share for Twitter, valuing it at about $40bn. We get analysis from global tech journalist Chris Stokel-Walker. Nepal says it’s considering declaring a two-day weekend, instead of its Saturday only weekend, as part of measures to reduce the consumption of petroleum products. The BBC’s Anbarasan Ethirajan reports from Kathmandu. The BBC's Rahul Tandon speaks to Greg Hoffman, former chief marketing officer at Nike, about the company's iconic 2018 advertising campaign featuring American football star Colin Kaepernick. And following a boom in pet ownership during the pandemic, services for those dogs and cats are springing up. We hear from Donna Connelly, owner of Angel's Pet Care and Barking Mad Dog Training in Newcastle.
Sasha Twining is joined throughout the programme by Alaezi Akpuru, creative director at Virgioli Fashion in Lagos, and by author and economic commentator Paddy Hirsch in LA.
(Picture: Elon Musk. Credit: Getty Images)
Sri Lanka is due to start negotiations with the International Monetary Fund next week and its just emerged that India, its northern neighbour, may be willing to commit up to another $2bn in financial assistance, along with food and fuel aid.
Also in the programme, a court in Jersey has now seized 7 billion US dollars worth of assets linked to the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. He is on the UK and EU sanctions list, and is now unable to access items such as his yachts, or Chelsea Football Club. So, what does this step from Jersey mean for the Mr Abramovich? Justine Walker is Global Head of Sanctions Compliance and Risk at ACAMS - that's the Association of certified anti-money laundering specialists.
Plus, Russia is suffering brain drain, with some suggesting that tens of thousands of tech workers are leaving the country after sanctions have made business difficult - or impossible; we hear from Artem Taganov, founder and chief executive of a Russian start-up called HintEd - he's moved to Armenia from Moscow.
And, we take you to take you to Africa's smallest economy. São Tomé and Príncipe, the twin island nation in the Gulf of Guinea in Central Africa. We hear from two entrepreneurs, who are trying to make a career in their home.
(Picture description: Protests outside the President's office in Columbo. Picture credit: Ishara.S.Kodikara via Getty Images).
Boris Johnson has been fined by the police for attending a birthday party thrown for him during a Covid lockdown. The prime minister confirmed he had paid the fixed penalty notice for going to the hour-long gathering in the Cabinet Room on 19 June 2020. Chancellor Rishi Sunak and the PM's wife were also fined for the same event, and confirmed they had paid. All three apologised for attending, but neither Mr Johnson or Mr Sunak offered to resign. Opposition parties are calling for the Commons, which is currently on Easter recess, to be recalled.
Figures out on Tuesday showed Americans are being hit by higher prices of oil and many other products and services. Prices climbed at their highest rates since 1981, rising 8.5% over the year to the end of March. We hear from Steve H. Hanke, professor of applied economics at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
Also in the programme, we look at Tesla and one influence on the company that is only now beginning to be noticed is that of fanbots - automated posts on Twitter that seem to be designed to move the share price - especially at times when the stock is under pressure. David Kirsch, a professor at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, explained how they had come to his attention.
Plus - we travel to São Tomé and Príncipe, a country on the sharp end of climate change - the BBC's Tamasin Ford finds out how the island - the entirety of which is a massive volcano - is home to lush, tropical rainforest and some of the most important biodiversity in Africa; Príncipe is a UNESCO biosphere because of its unique environment. But despite being breathtakingly beautiful, it’s poor with the smallest economy on the continent and around 90% of its budget comes from foreign donors, topped up by tourism - we hear how the pandemic has affected this vital part of the economy. Perhaps the biggest threat to the nation though is rising sea levels; in São Tomé and Principé, 4% of the land mass has already been lost to the Atlantic Ocean with entire houses being washed away; Tamasin visits one in Principé. The country is already doing what it can - more than two thirds of the islands are protected national parks and by the end of this year the government hopes to have written into law the country’s first ever marine protected areas, but will it be enough?
PHOTO: Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak
Pakistan's parliament has selected Shehbaz Sharif as the country's new prime minister, after Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in the early hours of Sunday. The opposition coalition leader - who had worked to depose Mr Khan - won the support of a majority in parliament. We get the latest from Business Matters regular Mehmal Sarfraz in Lahore. Also today - Australia too is heading for new elections - our guest Peter Ryan the ABC's senior business correspondent explains how the economy is at the centre of that. We hear from the mayor of the recently besieged Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, about how people there are pulling together to try and bring back, business as usual, in spite of continued Russian bombardment. We speak to the researches who think psychedelic mushrooms could help with depression, and how that is opening up lucrative business opportunities already. And just what is appropriate business attire in a post-pandemic office? We'll try and answer that as the BBC's Jamie Robertson is joined by Peter Ryan in Sydney, and Hayley Woodin, the executive editor of Business in Vancouver.
Picture credit: EPA
The EU announces new sanctions on Russia - we look at what impact they will have. Plus, the first black woman is appointed to the Supreme Court in the US - we ask how significant a moments this is for workforce diversity in the US. And Tiger Wood returns to the golf course - 14 months after being in a car crash - in an important moment for the finances of the sport. We discuss all this live with Ann Dwyer in Chicago - editor of Crains Chicago Business - and Karen Percy, a business journalist based in Melbourne Australia.
The US has announced further sanctions on Russia. The UK and US assets of its largest bank, Sberbank, will be frozen, and new American and British investments in Russia will be banned. We get analysis from Dr Adi Imsirovic, the former global head of oil at Gazprom Marketing. China has extended its lockdown in Shanghai to become city-wide. There is growing anger over what’s considered to be a particularly harsh lockdown. Eric Feigl Ding, a leading US leading epidemiologist who was born in the city, tells us more. Ahead of the first round of voting in French presidential elections this weekend, we hear a special report from the BBC's Theo Leggett in France's industrial heartland in the east of the country about the issues affecting them.
Rahul Tandon is joined throughout the programme by Takara Small, technology reporter for CBC in Toronto, and by Jasper Kim of Ewha University in Seoul.
(Photo: A branch of Sberbank. Credit: Getty Images)
The European Union is proposing a new round of sanctions against Russia including a ban on coal imports and a ban on Russian ships entering European ports. We consider the latest plans from Brussels. Unrest is growing in Peru as both fuel and food prices are rising rapidly. The government has imposed a 22- hour curfew to contain protests; Marcelo Rochabrun is the Reuters correspondent in Lima and brings us the latest from the capital. Also in the programme: a special report from the BBC's Vivienne Nunis looks at Australia's tourism industry, which is breathing a sigh of relief as the country's borders finally reopen and things start to get back to normal. And according to the annual Forbes magazine's ranking of the world's richest people, there are fewer billionaires holding less combined wealth than last year. Chase Peterson-Withorn from Forbes explains why.
Jamie Robertson is joined throughout the programme by columnist and business journalist Sushma Ramachandran in New Delhi and by Mitchell Hartman, reporter at Marketplace radio in Portland, Oregon.
(Picture: An anti-war protest in Berlin. Credit: Getty Images)
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report calls for fundamental changes to our patterns of consumption of fossil fuels, and for a major expansion of renewable energy. We speak to Charlie Kronick, senior climate adviser at Greenpeace, and ask how economies are being affected by climate change, and are likely to be impacted in the future. Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since the 1940s, which has now triggered a political crisis. The president has had to swear in a brand new cabinet after 26 ministers resigned en masse. To what extent is this a political or economic crisis, and what can the president do to quell the anger of protestors? Also in the programme, a special report from the BBC's Rahul Tandon, who speaks to young Russians who have decided to either leave Russia or stay in the country following the invasion of Ukraine and the economic fallout of international sanctions. Russia's economy is forecast to shrink by 8% this year. And after Elon Musk buys a 9% stake in the social media platform Twitter, we ask James Clayton, BBC North America technology reporter, what it did to the company's share price.
Jamie Robertson is joined throughout the programme by Professor Peter Morici, economist at the University of Maryland, and by Yoko Ishikura, professor emeritus at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo.
(Picture: A wind turbine. Credit: Getty Images)
As many as 300 vessels are backed up in Shanghai, waiting to load up or discharge compared to this time last year. We get the latest from the BBC's Monica Millar in Singapore and we also hear about the knock on affects from Steve Lamar, President and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. Amid a worsening humanitarian crisis, the UN is seeking $4.4bn in aid for Afghanistan. We hear from Mark Malloch-Brown, president of the Open Society Foundations, and former deputy secretary general of the UN, discusses what role western sanctions are playing in the extreme hunger faced by many in Afghanistan. Also in the programme, with just a few days to go before the first round of France's presidential election, the BBC's Theo Leggett reports from the east of the country on how concerns about the rising cost of living are impacting the rival campaigns. Plus, with the current high cost of natural gas, there are renewed calls for countries to move away from the fossil fuel as a way of heating our homes. One alternative is the heat pump, and the BBC's climate editor Justin Rowlatt explains how they work. And joining us throughout the programme are Rachel Cartland, a former Hong Kong government official and the author of Paper Tigress and Alison van Diggelen, host of freshdialogues.com, is with us from Silicon Valley.
(Picture: A ship in Shanghai. Picture credit: Getty Images.)
U.S. President Joe Biden could reportedly invoke a Cold War-era defence law to encourage domestic production of minerals. Josh Siegel of Politico explains why. Also in the show, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan faces a no-confidence vote in the next few days, over questions regarding his performance amid double-digit inflation and rising deficits. Russian forces have reportedly repositioned away from around the Chernobyl nuclear power facility, with Russian troops crossing back into neighbouring Belarus. Amid concern about supply from Russia, Germany has invoked its emergency gas plan. Plus, we have an extended report from Vivienne Nunes on a row brewing in Australia over a proposed new gas field in the Timor Sea. And Bruce Willis has announced he will step back from acting citing health concerns.
All through the show we'll be joined by journalists Mehmal Sarfraz in Lahore and Andy Uhler in Austin.
(Picture: U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington DC, March 30, 2022. Picture credit: Getty Images.)
Russia has said it will "drastically reduce combat operations" around Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv, during negotiations in Turkey. Financial markets reacted positively to the news, as Brian Dorst from Themis Trading in New Jersey explains. We'll also hear from President Biden's top official on sanctions, who says companies have a choice to make on whether they continue to do business in Russia. Also in the programme, the war in Ukraine is halting moves aimed at limiting the use of palm oil, which is a cause of deforestation in Asia. The price of one alternative, sunflower oil, has increased massively since the conflict began, and supermarket chain Iceland has reversed its pledge to remove palm oil from its own-label food. We find out more from Glenn Hurowitz of the Washington DC campaign group, Mighty Earth.Talks in Geneva to reverse the loss of nature and halt extinctions are in their final day. We'll hear from Patrick Greenfield, biodiversity reporter for the Guardian, on the details of the negotiations, and Dr Noelle Kumpel, head of policy for Birdlife International, about her thoughts on the progress. And we'll take a look at the new Australian budget.
All through the show we'll be joined by Andres Franzetti, Chief Executive Officer at Risk Cooperative, in Washington DC, and Sinead Mangan, presenter of the ABC radio program ‘Australia Wide’ in Perth.
(Picture: Ukrainian troops near Kyiv on 28 March. Picture credit: Getty Images)
A two day general strike is under way in India today, as workers protest government economic policies. We hear how everyday life has been affected from Nikhil Inamdar, BBC India Business correspondent in Mumbai. President Biden has a big new budget to take to congress - we hear from Chris Low from FHN Financial who says this bill is notable for having some sweeteners for the other side. Workers at three different Amazon warehouses in the US are voting on whether to organise unions. The BBC's Michelle Fleury reports from one of the facilities, in Staten Island, New York, on whether this effort is likely to succeed. And Jeffrey Sonnenfeld at the Yale School of Management, explains how the so-called "Business Retreat" from Russia could pressure President Putin into retreating from the war with Ukraine.
(Picture of protesters during a nationwide general strike against the policies of the central government, in Ahmedabad, India. Photo by Sam Panthaky via Getty Images).
At a Nato summit in Brussels, its members have discussed boosting defence spending. We get the very latest from the summit from BBC Brussels correspondent Jessica Parker. Also in the programme, the BBC's Jonathan Head reports from Thailand on the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on tourists from the two countries who find themselves stranded there, either because sanctions mean there are no flights to return to Russia, or the war in Ukraine means a return to the country is currently out of the question. New York's famous yellow taxi cabs are being added to the ride-hailing platform Uber. Chris Mills Rodrigo is a journalist at The Hill and discusses the move. And the streaming service Spotify has released figures showing how much it paid artists in the past year, in a bid to become more transparent. But it's still unclear what exactly musicians are paid. Eddie Fu of the pop culture website Consequence gives his reaction.
Sasha Twining is joined throughout the programme by Dante Desparte, chief strategy officer and head of global policy at Circle, from Washington, and Sushma Ramachandran, an independent business journalist and columnist at the Tribune Newspaper, who's in Delhi.
(Picture: Nato leaders. Credit: Getty Images)
Russian president, Vladimir Putin, says Moscow will begin insisting that payments for Russian gas - from unfriendly countries, as he put it - are made in roubles. He's given the Russian central bank a week to find a way of switching these payments away from other currencies. Jane Foley is head of FX strategy at Rabobank and explains what the impact will be. In the UK, prices are rising faster than wages and the Bank of England says inflation could hit double digits this year. Finance minister Rishi Sunak announced measures today which he says will help ease the pain for consumers. We speak to Roger Bootle, the chairman of the macro-economic research company Capital Economics, to get his assessment of Sunak's response to the cost of living crisis. A special report from the BBC's Ed Butler investigates the world of ethical investment, to see just how ethical they really are. And we hear from Guy Gadney, CEO of AI company Charisma Entertainment, on his way back from the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, about the likely trends in gaming for 2022.
Sasha Twining is joined throughout the programme by Bloomberg Opinion columnist Shuli Ren in Hong Kong, and by Takara Small, a tech journalist at CBC from Toronto in Canada.
(Picture: Russian president Vladimir Putin. Credit: Getty Images)
The increase is the first in the US since December 2018, and is aimed at controlling the country's worryingly high inflation. We get reaction to the announcement from Greg McBride, analyst at the personal finance firm Bankrate. Britain's prime minister Boris Johnson is in the Gulf this week, asking the UAE and Saudi Arabia to pump more oil in a bid to keep prices lower. Matt Smith is from the data and analytics firm Kpler, and tells us what he thinks Mr Johnson is hoping to achieve through his visit. Also in the programme, the US is looking to potentially tap into Venezuela's oil reserves to plug a global shortage, despite enmity between the two countries. Antero Alvarado is an energy consultant in Caracas, and tells us about the current state of his country's oil industry. Plus, the BBC's Ed Butler asks what will happen next to Chelsea Football Club, after British government sanctions against its owner Roman Abramovich curtailed the club's income. And as the US plans to make Daylight Savings Time permanent, we ask Professor Nicholas Sanders at Cornell University in upstate New York what the economic benefits could be. Plus, we hear the latest from the UK as journalist Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe lands in the UK after being imprisoned for 6 years in Iran on allegations that she was a spy.
Fergus Nicoll is joined throughout the programme by Stefanie Yuen Thio, joint managing partner at TSMP Law in Singapore and by Kimberly Adams, correspondent at our sister station Marketplace in Washington DC.
(Photo: Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Credit: Getty Images)
Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced a 35-hour curfew to end on Thursday morning, the first curfew to be put in place in daytime. It comes after the leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia visited Kyiv. We get analysis of their visit from our Poland correspondent Adam Easton. Also in the programme, the BBC's Victoria Craig speaks to the president of Lithuania, Gitanas Nauseda, about the the latest round of European sanctions against Russia. The city of Lviv in the west of Ukraine has been seen as a place of sanctuary for many fleeing conflict elsewhere in the country. But the war has now arrived on Lviv's doorstep, and we get reaction from Liana Semchuk from the UK-based risk analysis firm Sibylline. And, after many Western companies have announced their withdrawal from Russia, we look at those businesses who say ending their operations there is easier said than done.
Fergus Nicoll is joined throughout the programme by Peter Landers of the Wall Street Journal in Tokyo, and by Sarah Birke from The Economist in Mexico City.
(Picture: A damaged living room in Kyiv. Picture credit: Getty Images.)
The cost of living continues to increase - we speak with the head of economic statistics at the UK's Office of National Statistics, Sam Beckett. Meanwhile, Chinese stocks plummet on Ukraine and Russia's war, and coronavirus, says US shares expert Peter Jankovskis in the US. Plus, we speak with Roman Waschuk, a businessman who fled Ukraine and is now residing in Poland, about how businesses are adapting to the invasion. Plus, the BBC's James Clayton updates us on the latest on the technology companies withdrawing operations from Russia. We discuss all this live with Patrick Barta, Asia Enterprise Editor for the Wall Street Journal in Asia and Alison Schrager, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute in New York. Produced by Nisha Patel and Faarea Masud.
(Image: A pedestrian walks by an electronic screen displaying the Hang Seng Index on March 8, 2022 in Hong Kong. Photo by Chen Yongnuo/China News Service via Getty Images)
Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan become the first major American banks to say they'll wind down operations in Russia after the country's invasion of Ukraine. Sridhar Natarajan of Bloomberg tells us more while the BBC's Orla Guerin reports from Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv. Earlier this week the IMF approved a $1.4bn emergency funding package for Ukraine; the BBC's Samira Hussain speaks with the IMF's Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath. Outside of Ukraine, we hear about the latest devastating floods to hit New South Wales and Queensland in Australia from the BBC's Vivienne Nunis, we discuss the newly elected South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol after the narrowest victory in the country's history, and how do you keep doing business in a war zone? A Ukrainian pharmaceutical firm tells us. Throughout the programme we're joined by Nicole Childers, Executive Editor of Business, Tech and Innovation at NBC News in Los Angeles and by Timothy Martin, Korea Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal in Seoul.
Picture: the Goldman Sachs logo Credit: Reuters
Thousands flee Ukraine as the Russian invasion continues as aid agencies say the southern city of Mariupol, which has seen heavy shelling preventing more from leaving, is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe. The BBC's Sarah Rainsford reports from the central city of Poltava where evacuees from the north eastern city of Sumy are arriving. In the UK, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the British Parliament by videolink urging Britain to do more to support his country's fight against Russia. In the US President Joe Biden announces a complete ban on the import of Russian oil and gas, but imports make up only a small amount of America's oil and gas supply, so will it make a difference? We ask Stuart Glickman, an energy analyst at CFRA Research in New York. At the same time, the EU has published a plan to dramatically reduce its reliance on Russian energy - is it ambitious enough? We speak to Dieter Janacek, a Green MP in the German governing coalition. While companies desert Russia as a result of its war with Ukraine some are staying - Lauren Silva Laughlin from Reuters BreakingViews tells us more. And as part of International Women's Day we hear the story of how one Ukrainian woman's professional and personal life has been turned upside down by the conflict. Throughout the programme we're joined by Colin Peacock, presenter of Media Watch on Radio New Zealand and by Luisa Kroll, executive editor at the business website Forbes in New York.
Picture: Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the Westminster Parliament Credit: Reuters
First on the programme, Dr Carole Nakhle, The Chief Executive of Crystol Energy, discussed with us how the price of the main oil benchmark - Brent crude - surged on Monday, hitting $139 a barrel at one point. It has since pulled back to about $123. It’s not just oil - European natural gas prices rose 60% today to a fresh record. Russia is a major exporter of energy – oil and gas revenues make up about half of the Kremlin's budget. European countries currently need to import it. The European Union imports about 40% of its natural gas from Russia and 25% of its oil.
Next, Velta's deputy chief executive is Olena Lesnyak and she tells us about the situation in Dnipro. In Ukraine, the eastern city of Dnipro has been shelled by Russian forces, but not on the same devastating scale as other towns and cities that have been heavily bombed. Despite the encroaching war, companies in Dnipro are trying to continue as best they can. Velta runs a titanium mine and processing complex in Ukraine and employs 650 people. Titanium is metal important for the aerospace, marine and car industries. Russia and Ukraine both produce the metal.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the resulting sanctions on Moscow, is causing turmoil on financial markets. In the US, the technology-heavy Nasdaq index has now fallen 20 per cent from its peak, entering what's called a bear market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 10 per cent from its high point. Peter Jankowskis from Oakbrook Investments in Chicago in the US tells us why.
We then looked at what impact the invasion of Ukraine and western sanctions could have on the price of food. Russia is a producer of many of the raw materials needed for fertilizer - potash and phosphate, for example. According to the boss of one of the world's biggest fertilizer companies - Yara International - half the world's population gets food because of fertilizers. We here from Yara's boss - Svein Tore Holsether and The BBC's Tamasin Ford in an extended report.
Finally, we spoke to Halyna who's a mum with three children - her husband is in the military - and she's now based over in the west of Ukraine. Her Etsy website page is full of pictures of crafted beaded jewellery, and hand sewn shawls - but since the invasion when she's not been able to work, she's produced a digital download of art, so that her customers can still support her.
Peter Morici in Washington and Rachel Cartland in Hong Kong join us for this edition.
(picture: an oil rig, picture credit: Getty Images)
Producers: Gabriele Shaw and Benjie Guy Presenter: Rob Young
With Russia's Ukraine invasion in its second week, fighting continues across the country. The Ukranian MP Kira Rudik tells us about the extraordinary parliamentary gathering which took place in Kyiv.
In Russia, martial law and a possible mandatory call-up for men of eligible age has been circulating wildly on social media in and around Russia itself. And people are leaving the country because of it. We hear from a small business owner Dmitry, who has travelled to Israel, leaving his family behind, rather than face financial ruin and possible conscription back home.
Also, Yuriy Vitrenko, chief executive of Ukraine's biggest energy company, Naftogaz, makes the case for the rest of the world to stop buying Russian oil and gas.
Plus, we have heard about the relentless Russian pressure on Ukraine's southern Black Sea coast. They have mounted strong attacks from occupied Crimea - west through Kherson towards Odessa and east towards Melitopol and Mariupol. To understand the military and economic advantages of this territory to both defenders and attackers, we spoke with Dr Stephen Blank, a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council.
And, during the past two years of the coronavirus pandemic, we have all experienced some aspects of the fragility exposed in a previously smooth global supply chain. Will the conflict in Ukraine add to that fragility? Craig Fuller the CEO of FreightWaves explains.
Presenter Fergus Nicoll is joined by guests Yoko Ishikura in Japan and Diane Brady in the US.
(Photo: A half empty check-in area at the Sheremetyevo International Airport. The European Union has shut down its airspace for Russian-owned, Russian-registered or Russian-controlled aircraft in response to the Russian military operation in Ukraine. Credit: Getty Images)
The mayor of the strategically important Ukrainian Black Sea port of Kherson said that Russian forces were now in control - making it the first major city to be taken by the Russians. In a message posted on Facebook, Igor Kolykhaev wrote that Russian troops had forced their way into the city council building. However, we hear from Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Ukraine's former defence minister, who believes that the Ukrainian and Russian forces are still battling for control.
Also in the programme, with Vladimir Putin's government imposing ever stricter measures on media outlets, we find out how the war in Ukraine is reported in Russia.
And, we talk to Jason Hungerford, partner at London-based law firm Mayer Brown International, about the potential liability of crypto exchanges in the context of sanctions.
Plus, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has announced he will sell Chelsea FC, which he has owned for almost two decades. We discuss the implications of this with Trevor Watkins, the Head of Global Sports at the law firm Pinsent Masons and a former Chairman of the English club AFC Bournemouth.
Presenter Fergus Nicoll is joined by guests Alison Van Diggelen and Peter Ryan
PHOTO: Reuters
Five people have died after Russia attacked a TV tower in Kyiv, hitting nearby broadcast facilities. It comes after Russia warned residents that it was preparing to hit targets in the Ukrainian capital. It said it was planning attacks on Kyiv technology centres, urging people to stay away. We hear from the journalist Igor Kossov there. Russia has also continued its onslaught against the north-eastern Ukraine city of Kharkiv. Olga Shapoval is executive director of the city's IT cluster, and tells us what life is like for people there now.
Apple has stopped all product sales in Russia. The tech company also limited Apple Pay and other services in the country, and removed state-backed news outlets RT and Sputnik from its App Store outside Russia.
Plus, Ukraine is one of the world's top wheat exporters. We explore what impact Russia's invasion of the country could have on global food security with David Laborde, a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington DC.
And, the role of China in the Ukraine crisis appears to be shifting. Before the Beijing Olympics Presidents Putin and Xi Jin Ping declared that that the friendship between Russia and China had “no limits”. However, China on Tuesday said it was extremely concerned about the harm to civilians inflicted by the invasion. We hear from Yun Sun from the Stimson Center in the US.
Presenter Jamie Robertson is joined by guests Kimberly Adams and Shuli Ren.
Russia's central bank has been targeted with sanctions by the United States in an attempt to cripple the Russian economy following the invasion of Ukraine. The measures block Americans from engaging in any transactions involving Russia's central bank, finance ministry or national wealth fund. It comes on top of action by the US and EU to bar some of Russia's banks from the SWIFT international payments system. The ruble has plunged as a result to less than one ruble to one US cent. The stock market in Moscow failed to open on Monday. We asked Oleg Vyugin former First Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of Russia if these sanctions would affect the financing of the war in Ukraine.
Also in the programme, we hear from people in the midst of the chaos in Ukraine. First, we speak to Olga Shapoval, who is an executive director of the city of Kharkiv's IT cluster, in north-eastern Ukraine. We then hear from Oleg Chernyak of the software development company CHI Software. He is normally based in Kharkiv and has been trying to run his business as the war intensifies. Now he is is in Carpathian Mountains in the West of the Country.
The ostentation wealth of the Russian oligarchs has come in for intense scrutiny from regulators and financial watchdogs. From the massive yachts in the Bahamas to the stately homes and London mansions these people are obvious targets. We spoke to Oliver Bullough the author of Moneyland: Why Thieves and Crooks Now Rule the World and How to Take It Back about whether the latest sanctions would hit these targets.
Next, we asked Andreas Clenow if Switzerland have broken their pledge of neutrality in regards to it's announcements of joining the EU in it's sanctions. Andreas is a Swiss author, entrepreneur and asset manager, based in Zurich, where he is the Chief Investment Officer of a family office.
Lastly, in a strange twist the war in Ukraine may well give an extraordinary push to the adoption of carbon free renewable energy in Europe, as countries, in particular Germany accelerate their move away from Russian gas. Holger Schmieding, Chief Economist at Berenberg Bank, told us whether the change in Germany would filter through to other economies on the continent.
In today's programme we are joined by Jyoti Malhotra in Delhi & Mitchell Hartman in Oregon.
(PICTURE CREDIT: GETTY)
As Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues we look into Mr Putin's strategy with Sergei Markov, former MP with Putin's United Russia Party and now Director of the Institute of Political Studies in Moscow. And the SWIFT banking system is in the spotlight with calls to withdraw Russia's access to it; Germany however appears reluctant because of the country's reliance on Russian gas. We get analysis from Jakob Schlanz, editor in chief of the energy section of the Tagespiele newspaper in Berlin. The BBC's Adam Easton brings us the latest from Poland, where thousands of Ukrainians are fleeing to. And we're joined throughout the programme by Norman Hermant, ABC’s Social affairs reporter who's based in Melbourne; Jyoti Malhotra, National & Strategic Affairs Editor at The Print in Delhi and Erin Delmore, a political reporter in New York. (Picture description: Ukrainian refugees are seen crossing the Polish border in Medyka. Picture by Attila Husejnow via Getty Images)
First - the world woke up on Thursday to a new war in eastern Europe. And even as fierce fighting continues in several parts of Ukraine - with the Russians advancing on multiple fronts - international condemnation has grown steadily louder. We hear from our International Correspondent, Orla Guerin, on how the Russian invasion has hit every part of Ukraine. We also hear from Orla's colleague Sarah Rainsford who spent the day travelling through Eastern Ukraine.
We discuss the effects of sanctions on Russia with The BBC's Sergei Goryashko, Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Dr Olga Kolokolova - a senior lecturer in finance at Manchester University.
Next - there has been a lot of footage doing the rounds on social media claiming to be from the current conflict. But not all of the clips are exactly what they seem. Olga Robinson, a disinformation expert from BBC Monitoring, took at a look at some of the claims going viral online.
Lastly, we look at how thirty years ago, Ukraine was one of the 15 constituent parts of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. When the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, internal boundaries became international borders. That's the point at which The BBC's Matt Davies took up the story with Peter Conradi - Europe Editor of The Sunday Times and author of the book Who Lost Russia? How the World Entered a New Cold War.
(IMAGE CREDIT: GETTY)
A state of emergency is now in force across the whole of Ukraine. We hear from Jock Mendoza-Wilson, Deputy Chairman of the UK-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce, who's lived in Kyiv for the past 16 years. Also on the programme, the latest cyber attacks on Ukraine are another reminder of the malign potential of digital technology in the wrong hands though saying that invites a lot of questions about what is "right" or "wrong" in the context of the technology that now pervades every aspect of our lives. Author Stephanie Hare questions whether we can take its fundamental neutrality for granted. She's also explored this in her new book Technology is Not Neutral: A Short Guide to Technology Ethics.
Qantas has posted its fourth consecutive half-yearly loss. ABC Senior Business Correspondent Peter Ryan, in Sydney has been speaking with the CEO about their plans on bouncing back from the pandemic.
Fergus Nicoll is joined on the programme by Elizabeth Gwynn, reporter for ABC News in Tasmania, and Andy Uhler journalist at Marketplace on American Public Media from Austin, Texas.
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Western countries have placed further sanctions on Russia after President Putin ordered troops into two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine. We hear directly from some of the main diplomatic voices on both sides of the crisis, and get an update from the Wall Street Journal’s Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Yaroslav Trofimov, who is in Kyiv. Professor Avinash Paliwal of the School of Oriental and African Studies in London tells us why India is walking a tightrope when it comes to responding to the situation in Ukraine, given the country’s close military and commercial ties with Russia. Bloomberg correspondent Simone Foxman has been at the summit of the world’s leading natural gas producers in Qatar’s capital Doha, and tells us other suppliers will be unable to meet the shortfall caused by the disruption of Russian gas exports to Europe. Shaistah Akhtar, an expert on sanctions law at London-based law firm Mischon de Reya, tells us how the impact of the measures taken against Moscow by countries such as the UK will be felt in Russia. The BBC’s Michelle Fleury has a special report on rapidly increasing used car prices, and how potential buyers in the US have been affected. Throughout the programme we’re joined live by Jeanette Rodrigues, Managing Editor for South Asia at Bloomberg, and political reporter Erin Delmore in New York.
(Photo: Protesters outside the Russian embassy in Kyiv; Credit: Getty Images)
Vladimir Putin has recognised the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine. In a televised address, the Russian president said Donetsk and Luhansk were ancient Russian territories, and described Ukraine’s government as a puppet regime controlled by foreign powers. We hear the thoughts of Washington Post correspondent Mary Ilyushina in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, and Chris Weafer from analytics firm Macro-Advisory Ltd gives us his take on the potential economic fallout if tensions in the region increase further. Plus, UK prime minister Boris Johnson says England's remaining Covid laws will be abandoned, telling parliament it’s time to rely on vaccinations and treatments, rather than government intervention. We speak to Kate Nicholls of UKHospitality, on how a sector which has suffered during almost two years of restrictions is hoping for a rebound. The BBC's Sarah Hawkins reports on plans afoot in Sacramento, California to give everybody the legal right to housing, and how such an idea might work in practice.Throughout the programme we are joined by Emily Feng, Beijing Correspondent for NPR radio and by Professor Peter Morici from the University of Maryland.
(Photo: Residents of Donetsk celebrate after Russia recognised the territory’s independence; Credit: Getty Images)
Tesla boss Elon Musk has accused US regulators of targeting him for "unrelenting investigation" because of his criticism of the government. In a court filing, the billionaire says the Securities and Exchange Commission has engaged in "outsized efforts" to monitor the firm that "seem calculated to chill his exercise" of free speech. We speak to Michelle Fleurry in New York.
The Indonesian President Joko Widodo called on global unity to revive the global economy hit hard by the Covid pandemic. He was speaking at the start of the G20 meeting of finance ministers in Bali. One of the challenges those ministers will have to deal with is the amount of debt facing the world's poorest countries. According to figures from the International Monetary Fund almost 60 percent of low income countries - most of them in Africa - are at risk of struggling to pay back their debts. We asked Marcello Estevao from the World Bank what could be done.
Two years on from the start of the pandemic, most visitors are still banned from Japan. The world’s third largest economy has one of the strictest border controls in the world - but how is it affecting the people there and the national economy? Tamsin Ford of the BBC's Business Daily has been on a virtual tour of Tokyo’s foodie hotspots with Yukari Sakamoto - chef and author of a book called Food Sake Tokyo. She explored what impact has the lack of tourists had on Yukari's business.
Hong Kong has changed a great deal over the past ten years. The political leadership is in lockstep with the Communist Party leadership in Beijing - they've made the Legislative Council far more compliant - and they've implemented a National Security Law. If that's the case, Hong Kong's value as an in-between space - halfway between China proper and the global marketplace - doesn't really exist anymore. The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong reported last year that 44 percent of their members were contemplating pulling out. We hear from Tara Joseph, the President of AmCham.
Rahul Tandon is joined throughout the programme by Andy Uhler from Marketplace in Austin Texas, and Rebecca Choong Wilkins from Bloomberg in Hong Kong.
Picture: US entrepreneur and business magnate Elon Musk. Credit: PATRICK PLEUL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Twitter has announced what it is doing to try and tackle the problem of trolling and hate. It will expand the 'Safety Mode Feature' which allows users to temporarily block accounts which send harmful or abusive tweets. We speak to Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate. Two of the world's biggest lager makers, Carlsberg and Heineken, have warned that inflation in the manufacturing process is driving up brewers' costs and will make a pint more expensive. So how worried should beer drinkers be? We hear from Bart Watson Chief Economist for the Brewers Association. Have US pharmaceutical companies created a web of disinformation to boost their profits? That's the accusation of Dr John Abramson, a family physician and faculty member at Harvard Medical School as laid out in his new book about Big Pharma, 'Sickening' - Dr Abramson explains further. And in France, a long list of covid rules are being dropped – and clubs can reopen right away. We hear from Parisian DJ, Francois X.
Rahul Tandon is joined throughout the programme by Yoko Ishikura in Tokyo and Steven Bertoni from New York.
Picture: Twitter logo seen displayed on a smartphone. Credit: Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Ukrainian government has said its websites and banks have been hit by cyber attacks. Two state-owned banks, PrivatBank and Oschadbank, had been targeted by “massive” denial of service attacks and other failures which interrupted banking services. We hear from General Keith Alexander, the former director of the US National Security Agency and founding commander of United States Cyber Command. Earlier this month, after years of delay, a deal was signed by the French energy giant Total Energies giving the green light to a controversial pipeline running from Uganda to Tanzania. The project's backers say it will usher in economic development across the region, but activists question the environmental impact of the project, as the BBC's Joshua Thorpe has been finding out. A new study has found that a quarter of the world's rivers contain potentially toxic levels of pharmaceutical drugs and it's been concluded that the pharmaceutical products found in them are a threat to human health and aquatic life. We get details from Dr Veronica Edmonds Brown, an Aquatic Ecologist at The University of Hertfordshire.
Jamie Robertson is joined throughout the programme by Sushma Ramachandran, journalist and columnist at The Tribune in Delhi, and Andres Franzetti, Chief Executive Officer at The Risk Cooperative from Washington.
Picture: PrivatBank logo is displayed on a mobile phone screen. Credit: Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet leaders of the "Quad" grouping, a US-led bloc which includes Australia, Japan and India, to shore up Indo-Pacific partnerships in the face of China's growing power. We get analysis from Cleo Paskal, Associate Fellow at Chatham House. The Dutch central bank has said it "deeply regrets" its founders' role in the slave trade. We get reaction from Linda Nooitmeer, chair of the National Institute for the History and Legacy of Dutch Slavery. Also in the programme, we look at what's happening on the US-Canada border where the ongoing vaccine protests first started. Truck drivers have blocked the most important commercial crossing, Ambassador Bridge. We get the latest from Nate Tabak who's been covering the story. As the cost of living rises rapidly in America, so has the use of gifting platforms such as the BuyNothing project. It is one of a number of schemes that help people give away things they no longer need, as the BBC's Michelle Fleury reports. And as the US postal service comes under fire for spending billions of dollars on a new fleet, we ask journalist Michael Sainato what the public thinks.
Fergus Nicoll is joined throughout the programme by financial professional Jessica Khine in Malaysia and Dante Disparte, head of global policy for financial services firm Circle, who's in Washington DC.
(Picture: Antony Blinken arriving in Melbourne. Picture credit: Getty Images.)
There are calls for a windfall tax on some of the world's biggest energy companies after they posted huge profits at the same time as consumers' bills face massive increases. We speak to Professor Arun Advani of Warwick University about the economical and moral implications of one-off taxes. In the US the Justice Department has seized $3.6bn in Bitcoin from an online theft which occurred six years when the digital tokens were worth just $71m. The BBC's Michelle Fleury in New York takes us through what happened. The EU announces tens of billions of dollars in subsidies to mitigate supply chain problems in the manufacture and roll out of microchips; Peleton navigates a bumpy road and are robots set to be the pets of the future? Throughout the programme we're joined by Ann Dwyer, editor of Crain's Chicago Business and by James Mayger of Bloomberg in Beijing.
Photo: A gas hob Credit: PA
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz makes his first visit to the US since taking office in December. He and Joe Biden held a press conference where the US President declared his confidence in German as a dependable ally amid concerns Scholz had been slow to react to events in Ukraine. We speak to Thorsten Benner of the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin. Around the world people and businesses are feeling the pinch as the cost of living goes up - the BBC's Tamasin Ford looks at what's causing price rises. A new report criticises some of the biggest companies in the world for lacking integrity in their green claims and climate promises - we hear from the the report's co-author Thomas Day of the New Climate Institute. The BBC's Jessica Murphy reports from the so-called freedom convoy in Ottowa in Canada, and the Chinese authorities reinstate the original ending to the movie Fight Club, after inventing their own ending two weeks ago. Throughout the programme we're joined by Stefanie Yuen Thio - Joint Managing Partner at TSMP Law in Singapore and Peter Morici, economist at the University of Maryland in the US.
Photo: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz answers questions at a press conference in Washington, DC Credit: EPA
President Vladimir Putin is due to begin a visit to Beijing on Friday - with the Kremlin saying that he'll sign more than a dozen trade deals with his counterpart Xi Jinping. Later in the day, Mr Putin will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics - which is being boycotted by the United States, Canada, Australia and the UK. We hear from Chris Weafer, the CEO of the investment consultancy Macro-Advisory in Moscow.
Also in the programme, the Governor of the Bank of England has told the BBC that employees negotiating their salary this year should not ask for too big a pay rise - so they can help bring inflation under control. Mr Bailey said he was concerned that rising inflation would become ingrained in the economy.
Plus - the inflation rate in Turkey has hit an eye-watering 48% year-on-year. The BBC's Victoria Craig reports on whether tourism might help offset some of the country's bigger economic problems.
Rotterdam has confirmed it will dismantle a historic bridge to allow a superyacht built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to fit through. The record-breaking luxury yacht is being built by Dutch firm Oceanco and was linked to Mr Bezos last year.
And, a billion-year-old black diamond is going up for auction. Nikita Benani is jewellery specialist at Sotheby's and tells us about the diamond, named The Enigma, which is believed to be the largest cut diamond on earth, and may have been formed from a meteor impact.
Fergus Nicoll is joined by Rachel Cartland in Hong Kong and Paddy Hirsch in Los Angeles.
(Picture: Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping/AFP)
It's been a bad day for Big Tech. Shares in Facebook's parent company, Meta, dropped 20% in after-hours trading, following the release of its Q4 figures for the end of 2021 and its numbers for the whole calendar year. Meta wasn't the only big loser. Spotify shares were initially down 30% after their earnings release – and the period covered pre-dated the Joe Rogan controversy. After the initial shock, shares recovered some of their losses.
There's a warning from the global investment management firm BNY Mellon IM that some companies are missing out on potentially as much as three trillion dollars' worth of investment because they are not attracting female investors. Anne-Marie McConnon from BNY Mellon discusses their findings.
Also in the programme, we have a report from Wolverhampton - a city in the Black Country in England - so named for the pollution created by the mines, furnaces and factories of the past. It's one of 20 places which the UK government has announced will benefit from the so called Levelling Up money.
And - 20 years ago, America's National Football League introduced the Rooney Rule, in an attempt to increase the number of black and ethnic minority candidates hired to NFL coaching and executive positions. One black coach, Brian Flores, is now suing the league, alleging teams invited him for head coach job interviews purely to pad out their Rooney Rule statistics. Jeremi Duru is a law professor at the American University in Washington DC, helped draw up the Rooney Rule, and gives us his reaction to the lawsuit.
Fergus Nicoll is joined by Sharon Bretkelly in Auckland, New Zealand and Ralph Silva in Toronto.
PHOTO: Getty Images
America's three biggest pharmaceutical distributors and Johnson & Johnson have been ordered to pay up to $665 million to native American tribal communities devastated by the opioid crisis. More than 400 tribes sued the companies, claiming they were inundated with highly addictive painkillers manufactured by J&J and shipped by the distributors who ignored clear signs of abuse and death. We hear from Lloyd Miller, one of the lead attorneys representing a third of the litigating tribes.
Tom Brady, one of the greatest players in the history of the American National Football League or NFL, has confirmed his retirement. As quarterback for The Tampa Bay Buccaneers he won seven Super Bowls in an astonishing career spanning 22 seasons. Thirty years ago the idea of a pro-football quaretrback in his 40s would have been unthinkable. But science has changed all that. We speak with sports writer and ex player Chris Ballard.
The Winter Olympics start in Beijing on Friday. Many countries are officially boycotting the games over claims of human rights abuses in China, and now allegations are surfacing of athletes being forced to install spyware on their devices. We have an extended report from Ed Butler.
It is one year since the coup in Myanmar when the military seized control following a general election which Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD party won by a landslide. The former chief Minsister of Myanmar's Shan State Dr Linn Htut was among those imprisoned immediately after the coup. His son, after some 11 months in hiding, escaped to the UK to work as an artist and peace activist.
Jamie Robertson is joined throughout the show by Alison Van Diggelen of Fresh Dialogues in California and writer and journalist Madhavan Narayanan in Delhi.
PHOTO: Getty Images
We start the programme looking at the the angry clashes between Russian and US envoys at the UN Security Council. The US called a meeting to discuss the build up of some 100,000 Russian troops on on its borders with Ukraine. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the mobilisation was the biggest Europe had seen in decades. Her Russian counterpart accused the US of fomenting hysteria and unacceptable interference in Russia's affairs. The US and UK have promised further sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine. UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said legislation was being prepared which would target a wider range than currently of individuals and businesses close to the Kremlin. A US official said Washington's sanctions meant individuals close to the Kremlin would be cut off from the international financial system.
Next we spoke to our North American Tech Correspondent James Clayton about whether Spotify had to take responsibility for the material it was hosting - and what the implications of and responsibility were.
Over to Africa where just recently, Warner Music in the US bought a controlling stake in a Johannesburg business which bills itself as “the home of African music”. We hear from Mike Johnson in an extended report about what it all means for a new generation of African artists.
Later this week, Beijing will become the first city ever to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics. This year's Games have given the authorities a huge logistical challenge: how to put on one of the world’s biggest sporting events in a country still committed to “zero-covid” at a time when the omicron variant is spreading rapidly in many parts of the world. The answer has been to enforce enormous, strict, separation bubbles - as our China Correspondent Stephen McDonell tells us.
Lastly, Belgian civil servants will no longer need to answer emails or phone calls out of hours after the country became the latest in Europe to offer workers the right to disconnect. The law comes into effect on Tuesday and means that 65,000 federal officials are able to make themselves unavailable at the end of the normal working day unless there are “exceptional” reasons for not doing so.
Throughout the programme we are joined by Diane Brady, the assistant Managing Editor of Forbes and Mehmal Sarfraz – the Co-founder of the online news and lifestyle platform The Current PK.
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Figures released on Thursday in the US showed that the American economy grew at its fastest pace since 1984, expanding by 5.7 percent during 2021.The BBC's North America Business Correspondent, Samira Hussein talks us through the story. We then turn to question of how teachers are navigating hybrid education. Also on the programme, President Biden has confirmed that his first nominee to the US Supreme Court will be an African-American woman. Fergus Nicoll is joined by Kimberly Adams of our US partner station Marketplace in Washington DC and Samson Ellis, Taipei Bureau Chief for Bloomberg News.
Produced by: Nisha Patel, Elizabeth Hotson and Gabriele Shaw
(Picture: A car production line in California. Picture credit: Getty Images.)
The World Trade Organisation has authorised China to impose retaliatory duties on US imports to a value of more than 600 million dollars per year. Beijing had challenged American tariffs levied on Chinese exports ranging from solar panels to steel wire - goods made by companies that Washington insists are effectively enjoying state subsidies. David Firestein - President of the George HW Bush Foundation for US-China Relations - explained the background.
Next we head to Italy - where a row has broken out between the government and some of the country's biggest companies. It's because of President Putin speaking to Italian business leaders on Wednesday morning - to the irritation of the government in Rome, which is sensitive to its international position amid growing tension over Ukraine.
Then we take a look at student debt which is a massive burden for millions of Americans - making those college years look a little less rosy in the rear-view mirror. 80 members of the US Senate and House of Representatives have called on President Biden to make good on his campaign promises to forgive student debt - starting right off the bat with an immediate 50k reduction. Former students shared their experiences and we also heard from Laura Beamer at the Jain Family Institute.
Lastly, would it surprise you to discover that many K-Pop stars - enjoying huge success in the South Korean music scene - commission some of their most successful tracks from ... Sweden? Fergus Nicholls spoke to one of Stockholm's most successful writers, Moa Carlebecker - better known by her stage name, Cazzi Opeia.
The International Monetary Fund has downgraded its forecast for the global economy - trimming half a percentage point off its projection - now at 4.4 per cent. The IMF's First Deputy Managing Director, Gita Gopinath tells us the focus right now is on the world’s two biggest economies - the US and China - neither of which, the IMF believes, will be immune to the slowdown. India and Japan, by contrast, are forecast to buck the trend.
Also in the programme we discuss how Walmart has joined a couple of big venture capital firms in investing in a vertical farming company called Plenty - and is already committing to carrying its produce in all its California outlets. Leo Marcelis takes us through the benefits of the concept. He's the Professor of Horticulture and Product Physiology at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
Glenn Hubbard is Professor of Finance and Economics at Columbia University in the United States. He tells us about his new book where he discusses economic routes towards what Edmund Phelps called "mass flourishing".
Also in the programme, the BBC's Ed Butler reports on how drug cartels in Mexico have turned to innovative solutions to continue smuggling drugs across the border into the United States.
Presenter Fergus Nicholl is joined by Erin Delmore in the US and Peter Landers in Japan.
PHOTO CREDT: GETTY IMAGES
Some 8,500 combat-ready US troops are on high alert to deploy at short notice amid rising tension over Ukraine, the Pentagon says. President Biden held a video call with European allies on Monday as Western powers aim for a common strategy against Russian aggression. The Pentagon said no decision had yet been made on whether to deploy troops. We assess Russia's position in the dispute with Chris Weafer, who is chief executive of the Moscow-based economic consultancy Macro Advisory.
Also in the programme, the Australian mining giant Fortescue Metals has bought the battery and technology arm of the Williams Formula One racing team. Craig Williams is chief executive of Williams Advanced Engineering, and tells us what makes the organisation attractive.
Google is facing concerns from Germany's largest publishers and advertisers, which are asking the EU to intervene over the search giant's plan to stop the use of third-party tracking cookies in its Chrome web browser. Javier Espinoza from the Financial Times brings us the background.
Also in the programme - Bob Dylan sells his entire recording catalogue to Sony Music.
PHOTO: US troops/Getty Images
We start the programme in Ghana where there's been a huge explosion close to the town of Bogoso. Afua Adom from Metro TV gives us insight on the accident from Accra. There's been a dramatic consequence of last week's submarine volcanic eruption and resulting tsunami in Tonga. The government of Peru says it's now grappling with the country's worst ecological disaster in years - because the tsunami prompted an oil spill at a refinery on the coast at Ventanilla. Simeon Tegel, a freelance reporter based in Lima speaks with us. What's it like for a business operating in the midst of one of the world's geo-political hot spots? We speak with Oleg Chernyak who works for a software development company, CHI Software, near the eastern border with Russia. Rising food and fuel prices are making daily life tougher for the people of Sri Lanka. Anbarasan Ethirajan reports from Columbo. It has been one of the success stories of the pandemic but is the show over for Netflix. It has just released its results for the fourth quarter and its missed its subscriber targets – we speak with Liz Duff from Total Media. Throughout the programme we’re joined by Andres Franzetti - Chief Executive Officer at Risk Cooperative and Dimuthu Attanayake - a Journalist and Researcher (big data & policy) from Sri Lanka.
(Photo: Damage after an explosion in Bogoso Credit: Ernest Lartey)
President Biden has held a rare press conference to mark a year in office. Biden has defended his administration’s response to the global economic impact of the pandemic and concerns over supply chain problems. We speak to the BBC's Gary O'Donoghue outside the West Wing. Also in the programme, the vice president of the European Securities and Markets Authority has called for a ban in the European Union on mining of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, on environmental grounds. Erik Thedeen explains his thinking. Plus, more than 100 billionaires and millionaires have issued a plea to political and business leaders, asking them to make the super rich pay more tax. Rahul Tandon is joined throughout the programme by Hayley Woodin, executive editor of Business in Vancouver and James Mayger Bloomberg’s China Economics Reporter.
Picture: President Biden Holds A Press Conference At The White House Picture: Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Microsoft says it plans to buy major games company Activision Blizzard in a deal worth $68.7bn. It would be the biggest acquisition in the company's history and is expected to be finalised in 2023. We speak to Carolina Milanese, Senior Technology Analyst at Creatrive Strategies to find out why Microsoft has done the deal. US mobile networks AT&T and Verizon have agreed to postpone the rollout of their new 5G service at some airports, after aircraft safety concerns from some airlines. Also in the programme, Spain's government is taking action to try and help young people find housing, by approving a "youth bonus" voucher system worth €250 per month to help with rent costs. Eduardo Alonso Arechaga is a member of the Spanish Youth Council, which represents young Spaniards, and gives us his reaction to the news. There's been a big rise recently in the number of young people trading on the financial markets, and many are using mobile phone apps which are designed to make the process fun. The BBC's Rob Young reports on the potential pitfalls involved in the so-called gamification of stock market trading. Jamie Robertson is joined throughout the programme by Patrick Barta, Asia Enterprise Editor for Wall Street Journal in Bangkok and Takara Small, technology reporter for CBC in Toronto.
Photo: Activision Blizzard logo Credit: NurPhoto/Getty
The bosses of ten of America’s biggest airlines are warning that the United States “is facing major disruption of the traveling and shipping public” if 5G mobile phone services are switched on as planned on Wednesday. They have written a letter outlining urgent concerns which has been sent to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigeg and the head of the Federal Aviation Administration. We hear from our business correspondent Johnathan Josephs.
China has unexpectedly cut a key interest rate for the first time in almost two years as official figures showed its economic growth had slowed. Geoffrey Yu, senior market strategist at bank of New York Mellon, explains the possible reasoning behind the move.
Walmart, the giant American retailer appears to be considering a launch of a virtual currency. But governments are increasingly anxious about them. Prime Minister Modi of India on Monday called for co-ordinated intergovernmental control on cryptocurrencies. Spain has said people who advertise cryptocurrencies will be regulated by the country's financial watchdog. We speak to Glen Goodman about the lack of regulation in the crypto world.
Throughout the programme Jamie Robertson is joined by Andy Uhler of our sister programme Marketplace. He's in Austin,Texas. And Nabila Ahmed, Asia Finance Correspondent for Bloomberg in Sydney Australia.
Picture: Flight instruments of a modern jet airliner. Credit: Ollie Desforges/Getty
In Chile, outgoing president Sebastian Pinera has sparked a firestorm by granting lithium mining concessions to two companies. Chilean economist Francisco Meneses tells us about the importance of lithium to the country’s economy, and how incoming head of state Gabriel Boric is walking a tightrope when it comes to building a political coalition. Plus, representatives of the Indian and British governments have held a first day of talks over a free trade deal, potentially worth billions of dollars. The UK’s Secretary of State for International Trade, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, told us that the proposed agreement will bring growth opportunities to British businesses. Following a shortage of French fries for Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in Kenya, the BBC's Tamasin Ford explores why multinational fast food chains don't simply turn to local suppliers to meet their needs.And the head of Google in the UK, Ronan Harris, tells the BBC that hybrid working will be “experimental” over the next two years, as companies and employees try to strike a balance between home and the office. Throughout the programme we’re joined by Jyoti Malhotra, Senior Consulting Editor at The Print, in New Delhi, and by the writer and journalist Paddy Hirsch – contributing editor at National Public Radio speaking to us from Los Angeles.
(Picture: A protester holds a placard saying "let's defend lithium" at an anti-privatisation demonstration in Santiago, Chile. Credit: Getty Images)
Programme produced by Nisha Patel and Tom Kavanagh
The US annual inflation rate rose to 7% in December, a figure not seen since 1982. Jayne Schaber lives in New York state and tells us about her experiences when out shopping, and we get a historical perspective on the latest figures from Professor Jason Furman of Harvard University, who was the top economic adviser to the White House during the eight years of the Obama presidency. And the BBC's Clare Williamson reports on a fierce political row that has broken out in the European Union over how to define what is green or sustainable in new guidelines for finance and investment. Plus, a new report from the app monitoring firm App Annie indicates that smartphone users are spending an average of 4 hours and 48 minutes each day on their devices; we hear from Lexy Sydow, Head of Insights at the app. And we're joined throughout the programme by Ralph Silva of Yorkville University -he's in Toronto. And Mehmal Safraz, Senior Producer for Neo TV and analyst on Geo TV's Report Card, who's in Lahore. (Picture: A supermarket shopper in the US. Picture credit: EPA.)
Millions are under lockdown in Chinese cities as the country attempts to control Covid 19 outbreaks just a few weeks before the Winter Olympics begin in Beijing. We hear from Kerry Allen, China Media Analyst at BBC Monitoring. Around the world, governments and companies are grappling with reconciling the provision of sick pay to workers who refuse to get vaccinated - Richard Fox, an employment partner at Kingsley Napley in the UK, explains the legal complications these decisions give rise to. Professor Richard Tedlow of the Harvard Business School argues that a CEO's charisma might be worth just as much as their business nous, and the British Museum gets in on the NFT trade; we speak to tech journalist and sometime crypto sceptic Matt Binder in New York. Throughout the programme we're joined by Alison Schrager, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and Peter Ryan, ABC's senior business correspondent in Sydney.
Picture: People queue for covid testing in Tianjin, China. Credit: EPA
Talks between Russia and the US over tensions in Ukraine continue, with little progress in sight. Could diplomatic sanctions be the answer? We talk to Jeffrey J. Schott, a former advisor to the US government. In Belarus, no stranger itself to economic sanctions, the state-run potash manufacture is dealt a blow; Yara, one of the world's largest producers of fertilisers and biggest buyer of potash, says it will no longer purchase it from Belarus. We speak to Hanna Liubakova from the Atlantic Council. Peter Jankovskis describes a turbulent day's trading on the US markets, Sri Lanka seeks a debt restructuring programme with its biggest lender, China, and our regular workplace commentator Stephanie Hare looks at an experimental basic income payment for the country's artists. Throughout the programme we're joined by Jeanette Rodrigues, Managing Editor for Bloomberg News in Mumbai and Peter Morici, economist at the University of Maryland.
Photo: US President Joe Biden holds talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin Credit: Reuters
The big event of 2021 that will shape economies all over the world for decades to come was the COP 26 climate conference in Glasgow in November. The meeting saw a deluge of promises, but what was actually achieved? Martin Webber speaks to Tim Gould, chief energy economist at the International Energy Agency and economist Irwin Stelzer, from the Hudson Institute in the United States.
It was another boom year for the pharmaceutical industry as it crafted the vaccines that have saved so many lives. Of the 8 billion coronavirus vaccinations worldwide, one billion have been delivered by the US logistics company, UPS. We hear from Wes Wealer, President of UPS healthcare.
And small business owners have had a bleak time for much of the past year. But many of those that have survived now feel optimistic. We hear from the owner of the Aroma speciality coffee shop in Bologna in Italy, Cristina Caroli, about her year.
(Image: climate activists demonstrate outside of the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. Credit: Getty Images).
A key senator has indicated he will not vote for President Biden's Build Back Better plan. We explore the potential impact on the economy with US economist Ken Rogoff. Also in the programme, the government of Ghana intends to introduce an e-levy tax on "mobile money" transactions. Plus, business correspondent Carrie Davies explains how the BBC has discovered that Covid passes are being advertised for sale on social media to people who have not been vaccinated. Rahul Tandon is joined by Jyoti Malhotra senior consulting editor at the Print based in India and Alexander Kaufman Huffington Post in America.
Programme producers: Benjie Guy and Nisha Patel
( PIC : President Biden CREDIT: Getty Images)
Tesla surpassed a market value of $1 trillion on Monday, making it the fifth such firm to reach the milestone. Shares in the electric automaker climbed 12.6% after it struck a deal to sell 100,000 vehicles to the international car rental company Hertz. We speak to Bloomberg's Business reporter Dana Hull about Tesla's fortunes. Also in the programme, Facebook's latest financial results showed better than expected earnings. It comes as the whistleblower Frances Haugen appeared in front of the UK parliament and told MPs that the social media company was "unquestionably making hate worse". We ask Imran Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, if he agrees. And should the private sector intervene to save the Amazon jungle from destruction? We hear how a new platform aims to connect tropical forests with private sector cash. Later, Coca-Cola was named the world's biggest plastic polluter. Emma Priestland from the Break Free from Plastic Research Group, tells us how to reduce the amount of plastic we use. Plus, do we need to spell in this age of autocorrect? Our regular commentator Peter Morgan shares his views.
All through the show, we'll be joined by Alison Van Diggelen, host of Fresh Dialogues in Silicon Valley and Jyoti Malhotra, editor of The Print website in New Delhi.
Picture: Tesla car. Picture credit: Tesla .)
Residents in north-east China are experiencing unannounced power cuts, as an electricity shortage which initially hit factories spreads to homes. Philippe Benoit at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, explains why this is significant. Also in the programme, Germany's centre-left SPD party has claimed victory in the federal election. Parties will now try to form a coalition government, the BBC's Victoria Craig in Frankfurt assesses what the outcome of the vote means for the German economy. We discuss urban reforestation across the globe and the impact of latest wildfires in California. Plus, regular contributor Peter Morgan asks whether it's time for greater transparency in the workplace about how much money people are paid.
All through the show we're joined by Alison van Diggelen of Fresh Dialogues in Silicon Valley.
(Picture: power pylons. Credit: Getty Images.)
Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou is released after nearly three years under house arrest in Canada, the BBC’s Gordon Correra has the details. China’s central bank bans all cryptocurrency activity in the country, sending the price of Bitcoin tumbling – cryptocurrency author Glen Goodman tells us more. Marketplace’s Kai Rysdell talks toothpaste, deodorant and supply chain woes, and Victoria Craig is in Germany for the Bundestagwahl – the country’s general election. We discuss New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Adern’s climate change policies and it’s twentyfive years since Spice – the Spice Girl’s debut album put Girl Power on the pop podium; we talk to Safiya Lambie-Knight at Spotify. Throughout the programme we’re joined by Sharon Brett-Kelly, host of The Detail podcast on Radio New Zealand in Auckland.
(Picture: Meng Wanzhou speaks to reporters outside court Credit: EPA)
The embattled Chinese real estate firm Evergrande reaches the deadline for interest payments on its bonds – will Beijing step in to shore up the company? We speak to Sara Hsu, Associate Professor of Economics at the State University of New York. Erin Delmore is in Berlin to take us through the last days of campaigning in Germany’s general election, the vote will decide who replaces Angela Merkel after 16 years as Chancellor. Speakers at the UN General Assembly address the inequalities of Covid vaccine distribution around the world, America’s FDA withdraws nearly a million e-cigarettes from the market, and the European Commission wants all smart phones to have the same type of charging socket to cut down on waste, but will manufacturers go for it? Throughout the programme we’re joined by Robin Harding of the Financial Times and Hayley Woodin, editor of Business in Vancouver.
(Image: People walk past a residential building developed by Evergrande in Pudong district in Shanghai, Getty Images)
Biden said there was never a good time to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan, but the situation has "unfolded quicker than expected". Dr Kamran Bokhari, director of analytical development at the Newlines Institute in Washington DC tells us that a lack of effective political and economic governance led the Afghan National Army to melt away and let the Taliban re-take the country. Plus, Daniel Arango, Disaster Management Coordinator at International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, gives us the latest on the situation in Haiti, where tropical storm Grace is making landfall, only days after a deadly earthquake hit the country.
Also in the show, extra countries have been added to the service expected to be provided by the new 2Africa undersea internet cable being laid between Europe and two dozen African nations. The BBC's Zoe Kleinman explains why the new cable is needed. Plus, our regular workplace commentator Peter Morgan examines the lessons learned from an experiment in Iceland to offer thousands of workers shorter hours, without any reduction in pay.
All this and more discussed with our two guests on opposite sides of the world: Alexis Goldstein, an activist and financial reform advocate in Washington DC. And Lien Hoang, a reporter with Nikkei Asia, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
(Picture: US President Joe Biden gestures as he gives remarks on the worsening crisis in Afghanistan from the White House August 16, 2021. Credit: Getty Images.)
In Australia's biggest ever buyout, Jack Dorsey's Square has offered to buy Afterpay. Jonathan Shapiro writes about banking and finance at The Australian Financial Review, and tells us what is so attractive about the $29bn 'buy now, pay later' giant. As day 12 of the Olympics begins in Tokyo, we hear whether Japan's hosting of the games is still unpopular given the mounting costs and increasing covid-19 cases in the country. America's Sunset Studios, behind hits such as La La Land, plans to invest almost a billion dollars creating a major new film, television and digital production complex in Hertfordshire, England. We find out more about the project from Georg Szalai, international business editor of The Hollywood Reporter. And the BBC's Ivana Davidovic reports on whether new scientific developments might help genetically modified foods to shed the suspicion with which they've been viewed by many consumers and health authorities around the world.
All this and more discussed with our two guests on opposite sides of the world: Alison Van Diggelen, host of the Fresh Dialogues interview series, in California and Peter Landers, from the Wall St Journal, in Tokyo.
(Picture: An Afterpay logo in a shop window. Picture credit: Reuters.)
In a blow to the UK's tourist and aviation industries, the CDC has advised US citizens against travel to the country. We hear more from travel expert, Simon Calder. In Germany, catastrophic flooding has left at least 160 people dead and more than 170 others missing; later this week, Angela Merkel is expected to roll out an emergency aid package for those affected. We hear from the BBC's Damien McGuinness in the village of Nuerburg. And we examine the causes of last month's collapse of Champlain Towers South in Florida with Ana Bozovic, a real estate broker and founder of Analytics Miami and Benjamin Schafer, a structural engineer and professor at Johns Hopkins University. Plus, a news agency has been launched in Africa called Bird, which aims to find inspirational human interest and feature stories from across the continent. We find out more from Moky Makura, executive director of Africa No Filter, which has given its backing to the project. And we're joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the Pacific, Les Williams, associate professor at The School of Engineering at The University of Virginia and a co-founder of Risk Cooperative, and Lulu Chen, Asia Investing team leader for Bloomberg News in Hong Kong. (Picture of a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787. Picture credit: Robert Smith via Getty Images).
Face masks will no longer be legally required and distancing rules will be scrapped at the final stage of England's Covid lockdown roadmap, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed. The rule of six inside private homes will be removed and work-from-home guidance abolished as 16 months of on-off restrictions on daily life end. But is it too soon?
Chinese authorities have frozen several prominent apps that recently listed in New York. What is behind the dispute, which includes preventing ride-hailing app Didi from adding new users?
Also in the programme, Europe's three biggest truckmakers have agreed to invest almost $600m in a network of electric charging points. However, significant hurdles to electrifying road haulage remain, and we find out more from Claes Eliasson, senior vice-president at Swedish truckmaker Volvo.
Despite the high profile of college sports, most of its athletes are amateurs. But a recent ruling by the US Supreme Court opens the door to the professionalisation of the sector.
Picture credit: Getty Images
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has begun the inquiry into last December's cyber attack on the IT provider, media reports say. It will ask whether some companies failed to disclose they had been affected. Our technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones explains the story. As India offers its free vaccinations to all adults, human rights activist Manjula Pradeep of the Wayve Foundation in Ahmedabad offers an assessment of the country's vaccine rollout so far. And what is it that makes a tweet go viral? Researchers at the University of Cambridge say they've discovered the secret: being rude. We hear more from postgraduate researcher Steve Rathje. Jamie Robertson is joined throughout the programme by Dimuthu Attanayake, journalist and researcher for the LIRNE Asia digital policy think tank, who's in Colombo in Sri Lanka, and by Andy Uhler, reporter for Marketplace in Austin, Texas.
(Picture: The SolarWinds Corp. logo. Picture credit: Getty Images.)
Search giant Google is to pay a $267m fine in France because of its advertising dominance. Katrin Schallenberg is an antitrust expert with Clifford Chance, and explains the background to the case. As some companies turn to anthropology to balance the insights of algorithms and AI, should all businesses now have an anthropologist on their books? We hear from Gillian Tett the author of Anthro-Vision: A New Way to See in Business and Life. Production of the luxury jet plane Learjet is set to end later this year, and the BBC's Russell Padmore takes an in-depth look at the global market for private jets. Plus, as people around the world return to the office, our regular workplace commentator Peter Morgan discusses the experience of those who have to try and fit into traditional office attire again, after spending time at home wearing baggy loungewear. Plus, we're joined throughout the programme by Alison Van Diggelen, in Silicon Valley; she's host of Fresh Dialogues. And Sushma Ramachandran, an independent business journalist and columnist for The Tribune newspaper, joins us in Delhi.
(Picture: A Google office building. Picture credit: Getty Images.)
The Colonial fuel pipeline, shut down by a cyber attack since Friday, serves 45% of America's east coast. A regional state of emergency has been declared, allowing tanker drivers to work extra hours to get some fuel where it's needed – but will they be able to keep up with demand? We ask Ellen R Ward, president of Transversal Consulting. Is it a surprise that criminals were able to hack into the system running the most important fuel pipeline in the United States? A question for Algirde Pipikaite, cyber security expert at the World Economic Forum. Also in the programme, Mike Johnson takes a close look at Nigeria's electricity challenge, which means around 40% of the country having no access to official supplies. Plus, researchers have created a cricket bat made out of bamboo, rather than the traditional willow, which they say is cheaper and more sustainable. We hear more from Ben Tinkler-Davies of the University of Cambridge, who was on the research team.
All this and more discussed with our two guests on opposite sides of the globe: Erin Delmore, political reporter in New York City and Patrick Barta, Asia Enterprise Editor for the Wall Street Journal, in Bangkok.
Apple has released its latest software update with a new tool that has forced a confrontation with Facebook over privacy; the BBC's Technology Correspondent Rory Cellan Jones explains the controversy. As an international effort is underway to help India as it faces an overwhelming surge in coronavirus cases, we hear how the US, the UK, China, Russia, the European Union Saudi Arabia are among those offering help. Also in the programme, the collapse of Greensill Capital in the UK has drawn attention to the practice of supply chain financing, which Greensill was known for; the BBC's Joshua Thorpe brings us an extended report. Plus, a company called Mirriad has developed a technique that enables product placement in archive films and TV shows; the company's CEO, Stephan Beringer, tells us how it works. And we're joined by two guests on opposite sides of the Pacific; Andy Uhler, reporter on the Marketplace programme who's in Austin, Texas and Mehmal Sarfraz, co-founder of The Current PK, who's in Lahore, Pakistan. (Photo of Facebook logo with Apple in the background by Pavlo Gonchar via Getty Images).
Pubs, restaurants, beauty salons and non-essential shops have reopened with the easing of lockdown restrictions across England. We hear from the heart of London’s shopping district and from a pub garden near Reading. The e-commerce giant Alibaba has been accused of anti-competitive practices and fined more than $2.5 billion by Chinese regulators. We discuss what this will mean for the future of the company. Also in the programme, the BBC’s Ivana Davidovic gives us the lowdown on Telegram, the messaging app - and one of the most downloaded non-gaming apps this year. And the BBC's arts correspondent Vincent Dowd tells us what the organisers of this year's Baftas are doing to improve diversity across the awards.
Rahul Tandon is joined throughout the programme by Nisha Gopalan, editor for Bloomberg News in Asia, in Hong Kong, and Les Williams from the University of Virginia, in Arlington, Virginia.
(Picture: A man drinking a pint of beer / Credit: Getty Images)
Switzerland's Credit Suisse and Japan's Nomura have seen their shares take a sharp fall after warning they could face losses of billions of dollars. The two large banks lent money to crisis-hit US investment fund, Archegos Capital, which was forced to liquidate billions of dollars’ worth of shares last Friday. We hear from Financial Times Correspondent Ortenca Aliaj and financial lawyer Mark Berman. The US says it could impose 25% tariffs on British exports to the US after the UK levied a digital services tax on major technology companies; we get the details from Steven Overly, Global Trade and Economics Reporter at the Politico website. Also in the programme, the European Union’s recent ban of palm oil in biofuel for vehicles has angered top producing nations Indonesia and Malaysia. The BBC's Manuela Saragosa explains the politics of the vegetable oil. Plus, as the pandemic has led to a re-think of the working day, the BBC’s Peter Morgan looks at the practice of an afternoon nap and if it’s time to refresh our attitudes towards sleeping on the job. And we're joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world; Alexis Goldstein, financial reform advocate in Washington DC, and Jasper Kim, Professor at Ewha University and director at Center for Conflict Management in Seoul, South Korea. (Picture of a Credit Suisse branch in Geneva / Credit: Fabrice Coffrini via Getty Images).
Texas's Brazos Electric Power Co-operative has filed for bankruptcy after winter storms. The firm says it's facing a $1.8bn bill as a result of last month's disruption, and Bloomberg's Jeremy Hill explains the implications. Also in the programme, starting a week of special programming about mental health and the pandemic, the BBC's Manuela Saragosa reports on what more businesses and governments could be doing to support their employees' mental wellbeing. Plus, how would you react if your employer insisted you are vaccinated before you re-enter the workplace? A UK based plumbing company has advertised for new staff on a ‘no jab no job’ policy and employees will face very difference workplaces upon returning to workplaces, as Pilita Clarke explains. And we're joined by political reporter Erin Delmore who's in New York and Yoko Ishikura, Professor Emeritus, Hitotsubashi University and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network, is in Tokyo.
(Picture: An electrical substation in Houston. Picture credit: Getty Images.)
Google has agreed to pay Rupert Murdoch's News Corp for content from news sites across its media empire. Meanwhile, Facebook has announced it is banning the publishing and sharing of news on its platform in Australia. This follows moves by the Australian Government to make digital giants pay for journalism. We get the thoughts of Peter Lewis, Director of the Centre of Responsible Technology and is based in Sydney. We discuss one of the highest-profile court cases to come out of the Me-Too Movement in India - M J Akbar, a former minister has lost his his defamation case against journalist Priya Ramani, who had accused him of being a sexual predator. Also on in the show - a Great Green Wall across the arid lands of northern Africa - can the project save fragile communities in 11 countries - or is it just a mirage? And Ford Europe pledge to go all-electric by 2030. We hear from their CEO, Stuart Rowley.
All this and more discussed with our two guests throughout the show. Les Williams, an Associate Professor at The School of Engineering at The University of Virginia, in Arlington, VA. And Sushma Ramachandran, an independent business journalist and columnist for The Tribune newspaper, in Delhi.
(Picture: Rupert Murdoch. Credit: Getty Images.)
Around 150 million Americans have been advised to take precautions as an unprecedented winter storm continues to cause havoc across twenty five US states. In one of the worst affected states, Texas, more than four million people are without power as a surge in demand caused the power grid to fail. We hear how ageing infrastructure, unregulated grid and climate change have all contributed to the situation.
Also - we go to Japan, where the government is trying to convince somewhat reluctant population to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
And the BBC's Ivana Davidovic looks at the museum world. The era of Black Lives Matter has seen the toppling of statues in cities in Britain and the United States. Calls for the return of cultural property stolen during colonial times are getting louder. Many looted artefacts are housed by major national museums in Europe and North America. Leaders of new cultural institutions in Africa meanwhile are re-imagining the whole concept of what a 21st century museum should look like.
Plus - how can artificial intelligence help football teams scout stars of the future?
(Photo of snow in Austin, Texas. Photo by Montinique Monroe via Getty Images)
In her own words "history was made" today when Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala became the first woman and the first African director general of the World Trade Organization. She tells us how she plans to reform the WTO and the importance of climate change.
Also in the programme, the global economic cost of the Coronavirus pandemic will run into trillions of dollars. Could the world set up a better early warning system for future pandemics? Dr Micheal Mina, an epidemiologist based at the Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health is trying to do just that with the project he calls Global Immunological Observatory.
Plus, Bill Gates describes the implications of meeting the global target to reduce net carbon emissions to zero by the year 2050.
And our regular workplace commentator, Stephanie Hare talks about how to approach bereavement in the workplace.
PHOTO: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala/Getty Images
72 tennis players at the Australian Open are facing 14 days stuck in Melbourne Hotels after positive Covid-19 cases on their inbound planes; We discuss whether the Covid-19 pandemic is still a big threat to major sport events including the Tokyo Olympics. We'll hear the latest on the US Capitol as DC remains on high alert ahead of President-Elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday. Car and electronic device makers sound alarm bells amid a global microchip shortage. Russ Mould of stockbrokers AJ Bell is a former semiconductor analyst, and explains the background and implications. More than 140,000 retail jobs have been lost in the UK since the start of the pandemic; we hear how people have been able to survive financially by reinventing their way of doing business. Also in the programme, ski journalist Robert Stewart on why the resort of Courchevel in France is marketing itself as an alternative location for people to work from home. Plus could being too efficient working from home put your job at risk?
(Picture: Tennis balls in front of an Australian Open logo. Picture credit: Reuters.)
A merger between Fiat Chrysler and PSA has won approval from the companies' shareholders. The new company will be called Stellantis and we ask why has Fiat agreed to be subsumed into an ever bigger group.
Also in the programme, more than 200 workers at Google-parent Alphabet have formed a labour union. It marks a seismic shift in Silicon Valley, where unions are a rarity and relations with organised labour is often fractious. We hear from Google employee Dr Alex Hanna, who is one of the staff who've got their membership card.
Plus, worries over health and anxiety about employment during the pandemic have led to restless nights for many of us. The BBC's Elizabeth Hotson reports on measures people can take to ensure they get a good night's sleep.
And - as new year gets under way, we hear about the home fitness alternatives many are choosing for their resolutions, in place of signing up to a gym.
PHOTO: Getty Images
Brexit talks stall prompting a meeting for later this week, between the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. We will hear what is at stake for both sides with analysis from Carsten Brzeski, from ING in Frankfurt.
We will also consider the future of Venezuela, after President Maduro and his allies won political control, but the standoff with countries like the United States continues. Eileen Gavin, a Latin America analyst with the advisory group Maplecroft, gives us her analysis.
Throughout the programme we'll also get the views of our guests, Professor Peter Morici, from the University of Maryland, in Washington and financial professional Jessica Khine, who is in Malaysia.
(Picture: EU and UK flags. Getty Images.)
US President Donald Trump accepts that the formal transition to Joe Biden's White House can finally begin and it's reported that Mr Biden will nominate Janet Yellen, a former head of the Federal Reserve, as his Treasury secretary - we hear from Samira Hussain, our American Business Correspondent. There's more good news on the coronavirus vaccines front as it's announced that the AstraZeneca/Oxford trials could be almost as effective as two other vaccines already shown to work. There's growing evidence that later lockdowns, designed to combat a second wave of the virus, aren't having the same positive environmental impact as the initial lockdowns, as Mike Johnson has been hearing from Simon Birkitt, founder of the campaign group Clean Air in London. It will take “substantial last minute efforts” in order to strike a Brexit deal – that’s according to the EU Trade Commissioner, Valdis Dombrovskis, who's been speaking to our Global Trade Correspondent Dharshini David. And are you looking for something to buy your loved-ones for Christmas? How about some surplus crockery from the BA first class cabin? We hear more from Rhys Jones of the frequent flyer website www.headforpoints.com. Plus, we're joined throughout the programme by Jeanette Rodriguez from Bloomberg who is in Mumbai and Peter Morici, Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland. (Picture of US President Donald Trump, by Tasos Katopodis for Getty Images).
The chief executives of Facebook, Twitter, and Google have faced intense grilling from senators over Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects web companies from liability when it comes to content posted by users. Rebecca Klar, a reporter with The Hill in Washington D.C., gives us the highlights. Also in the programme, financial markets have tumbled around the world for a second day this week amid concerns that a rise in coronavirus cases will hurt still tentative economic recoveries. And the nuclear industry is pinning its hopes on mass-producing small, cheap power stations to compete with renewable energy. Plus, the Kazakhstan tourism board attempt to capitalise on the release of the second Borat film.
All through the show we’ll be joined by Jeanette Rodrigues from Bloomberg in Mumbai and Ralph Silva from the Silva Research Network in Toronto.
(Picture credit: Getty Images)
With just a week to go until the US election, we’ll hear how the Biden and Trump campaigns are getting their final pitches in. Also in the programme, the elite Central Committee of China’s ruling Communist Party is meeting behind closed doors over four days to create the economic blueprint for world's second biggest economy. Meanwhile, a Hong Kong activist has been detained by plain-clothed police officers near the US consulate, before reportedly attempting to claim asylum. And the cinema business is in trouble: movie theatres are closed or limiting numbers because of the pandemic and the supply of new releases has dried up. Plus, we’ll hear how working from home could be making us less creative.
All through the show we’ll be joined by political journalist Erin Delmore in New York and Enda Curran of Bloomberg in Hong Kong.
Turkey's president calls for a boycott on French products - but do they work to stifle business, especially when driven by political or religious reasons? Plus, Japan has set itself an ambitious target to cut its harmful gas emissions to zero by 2050. We assess if they can do it. Cinemas are set to reopen in India, and we look at what it means for the Bollywood film industry, which has suffered hugely from halted productions during the coranavirus pandemic. We discuss all this with guests Tawnell Hobbs from the Wall Street Journal in Dallas, and Mehmal Sarfraz, co-founder of digital news site The Current PK in Lahore.
(Image: Leaflet calling for a boycott of French goods are displayed in place of French products which have been removed in protest at a supermarket in Yemen. Photo by Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)
The President's nominee Amy Coney Barrett says she is 'honoured and humbled' to have been chosen by Donald Trump for a place in the US's top court. After the first day of confirmation hearings, we speak to Ilya Shapiro, director at the Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies' Cato Institute and author of Supreme Disorder: Judicial Nominations and the Politics of America's Highest Court. Stanford University game theorists Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson have won the 2020 Nobel Economics Prize for their work on auction theory. We speak to Robert Wilson and ask how relevant auction theory is in the world today. And Australian scientists have discovered that the virus that causes Covid-19 can survive for up to 28 days on banknotes. Dr Debbie Eagles from the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness tells us how much of a threat this could be.
Jamie Robertson is joined throughout the programme by Simon Littlewood, president of AC Growth Delivered, in Singapore, and by Alexis Goldstein, activist and financial reform advocate, in Washington DC.
(Picture: Amy Coney Barrett; Picture credit: Getty Images)
After a controversial debate between President Trump and candidate Biden last week, Vice President Pence and candidate Kamala Harris are set to face off in Utah. Emily Means, a reporter with KUER Public Radio in Utah, tells us what to expect at the debate in Salt Lake City. Also in the programme, President Trump's administration has unveiled a tightening of rules for H-1B visas, which allow tens of thousands of high-skilled immigrants to work in the US. The President says this will protect US jobs but Michael Clemens, economist at the Centre for Global Development, says the evidence does not support this. Maelle Gavet, a Silicon Valley executive and author of “Trampled By Unicorns: Big Tech’s Empathy Problem and How to Fix it,” joins to talk about this week's congressional report into the monopoly powers of Amazon, Alphabet, Google and Facebook. And as global temperatures rise, we take a look at the impact on the workplace.
All through the show we'll be joined by Andy Uhler of Marketplace in Texas, and Patrick Barta with the Wall Street Journal in Bangkok.
(Picture credit: Getty Images.)
A report backed by US Democratic lawmakers has urged changes that could lead to the break-up of some of America's biggest tech companies. The recommendation follows a 16-month congressional investigation into Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple. The BBC's James Clayton explains what's behind the report. Also in the programme, US President Donald Trump has said he is ending negotiations over a Covid-19 relief bill, and will only resume talks after the election. A significant number of bars in Paris have been forced to close for the next two weeks, as journalist Sophie Pedder explains. We take a look at how the Coronavirus pandemic is hitting low-income students, and might provoke long-term changes in the education system overall, with Eloy Ortiz Oakley of California Community Colleges. And a 400-strong ensemble of freelance musicians has played outside the UK Parliament to highlight the plight of the music industry during the current pandemic. Violinist Nicola Benedetti attended to support to the performers, and explains what they are trying to achieve.
All through the programme we'll be joined by political reporter Erin Delmore in New York and the Financial Times' Robin Harding in Tokyo.
(Picture: Apple's Tim Cook, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Google's Sundar Pichai. Picture credit: EPA/Reuters.)
As the number of deaths from coronavirus approaches one million, we hear how countries around the world have been handling the pandemic. Also in the programme, why are some of the world's leading cement producers making a public pledge to shrink their carbon footprint? Plus, Apple and Epic Games are back in court for another face-off over the online video game, Fortnite. And, we meet the founders of London-based start-up NewFade, which is on a mission to make wigs cool, with a focus on serving young black men.
Presenter Sasha Twining is joined by Nicole Childers, executive producer of Marketplace Morning Report in Los Angels, and Bloomberg editor Samson Ellis in Taiwan.
Picture: A stock photo of a man wearing personal protective equipment. (Credit: Getty Images.)
We hear from businesses across India, as the country suffers a 23.9% fall in its economic growth, the worst on record, amidst one of the biggest single-day rises in coronavirus cases in the world. The start of the American presidential election campaign is in full swing, with the two candidates attacking each other over law and order, rather than the economy. And we'll hear the view from the English countryside on how a social media star stopped fears for the farming industry post Brexit. We discuss all this live with Nicole Childers, who is executive producer of Marketplace radio in Los Angeles, and Madhavan Narayanan, journalist and writer in Delhi.
(Image: A woman handles India rupee notes. Credit: AFP PHOTO / ARUN SANKAR (Photo credit should read ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images)
Covid-19 restrictions and concerns mean that the only people attending in-person will be those necessary to orchestrating the event. Instead of 50,000 people gathering for the traditional calendar with days full of speeches, receptions and rallies, sessions will be streamed from the Democratic Party's social media channels and aired live on most US news channels. We discuss the ramifications with Simon Littlewood of AC Growth Delivered and political reporter Erin Delmore. Meanwhile, some of the richest people in Hollywood and Silicon Valley could be set to pay a state wealth tax but how much extra cash will it actually raise? And, Google has taken on the Australian authorities over a plan to make web giants pay news publishers for using their content. We'll look at what's at stake in a row that many say is unprecedented in Australia. (Picture: Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. Credit: Getty Images)
Alex Harris, Head of Global Policy at the Wellcome Trust and the BBC's Fergus Walsh tell us about promising progress on a coronavirus vaccine. Video-sharing app TikTok has denied that it is controlled by the Chinese government; Emily Taylor, associate fellow with the International Security Programme at Chatham House, tells us why countries like India and the US are not reassured by TikTok's guarantees about the safety of users' data. Office workers are still in many cases, working from home and there is a growing realisation that this is having a huge knock on effect on small retailers who rely on that footfall. The BBC's Dougal Shaw meets one retailer in London, whose family-run chain of small shops sells gift cards, wrote to the BBC explaining his plight. Civil rights leader and congressman, John Lewis, died last week; we hear about his life from Erika Alexander, co-founder of Color Farm Media and producer of the film John Lewis: Good Trouble. And our regular workplace commentator, Pilita Clarke, considers whether coronavirus marks the end of the era of hot-desking in the modern office. Plus, we're joined throughout the programme by Christine Spadafor, a management consultant and lawyer - she's in Maine on the east coast of the US and in Delhi, India we're joined by Madhavan Narayanan, a freelance writer and former senior editor at Hindustan Times. (Picture of a vaccine via Getty Images.)
Several countries have criticised China for imposing a new security law on Hong Kong, which they say threatens the territory's long-standing. Some of the world's largest social media and internet businesses - including Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Google and Telegram - have all said they are "pausing" co-operation with requests for user information from the Hong Kong police, until they can assess the situation. The BBC's North America Technology Correspondent, James Clayton, tells us more. Meanwhile, could self-guiding, autonomous ships be the future? And, we talk to Hollywood Reporter Contributing Editor Jonathan Handel about how streaming a production of the musical Hamilton may just have given Disney's new online service an enormous boost. We discuss the implications of all these stories, and more, with Nicole Childers, executive producer of Marketplace Morning Report, and Economist Andy Xie. (Picture credit: Getty Images)
Intel had faced problems manufacturing its own designs, leading it to issue a public apology to computer-makers. Apple's challenge will be to carry off the transition smoothly to using in-house chips and convince third-party developers to update their apps accordingly. We talk to the BBC's James Clayton in California. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has banned international visitors from making the Islamic pilgrimage, or Hajj, this year in a bid to control coronavirus. However, locals will be allowed to attend, allowing the spirit of the Hajj to live on. We speak to Rashid Mogradia, founder and Chief Executive of the Council of British Hajjis. And can Rugby survive the lockdown? Teams are struggling to pay salaries and don't know when they can get spectators back into the stadia. (Picture: An iPhone. Credit: iStock Editorial/ Getty Images Plus)
After three bleak months, New York looks to lift some of its harshest lockdown restrictions. Meanwhile India plans to do the same. There is a difference between the two places, though. New York is widely seen as having put the worst of its coronavirus outbreak behind it. However, India is reopening places of worship, restaurants and shopping malls, despite coronavirus cases continuing to soar and experts warning the nation is far from hitting its peak. Meanwhile, anti-racism protests around the world continue in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, adding extra pressure to small businesses, hoping the end of lockdowns will bring a path to normality. The BBC's Rahul Tandon talks to Erin Delmore, a New York-based political journalist, and Sushma Ramchandran, an independent business journalist and columnist at the Tribune. Picture: Rickshaw driver in a face mask. Credit: Yawar Nazir
Washington may be about to strip Hong Kong of its special trading status with the US - we look at the interplay between the US, China and Hong Kong. Plus, we examine President Trump's move to try to regulate social media sites he says are stifling conservative views. And in Denmark, we head out to bars and restaurants, which are slowly beginning to re-open. Finally, a Canadian court has ruled that a Huawei executive should face a hearing to be extradited to America. The case has destroyed relations between Ottawa and Beijing, says our expert. We speak about all this with live guests Ralph Silva of the Silva Research Network in Toronto, and Mehmal Sarfraz, a journalist and co-founder of the Current PK website in Lahore.
The French government has announced an €8bn rescue plan for its car industry, which has been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. President Emmanuel Macron's proposal includes €1bn to provide grants of up to €7,000 to encourage citizens to purchase electric vehicles. We hear more from Karl Brauer, Executive Publisher of Cox Automotive. We ask how Airbnb can survive the coronavirus hit to its business model and the BBC's Elizabeth Hotson looks at how fake coronavirus cures are being sold and who's buying them. Also on the programme, the life of Stanley Ho, who has died at the age of 98. The King of Gambling, as he is known, made billions of dollars from his casinos to become one of Asia's richest men. JK Rowling is publishing a new book, The Ickabog, which will be given away for free to entertain the millions of children stuck in their homes due to the lockdowns. We here more from Emma Pocock who writes for Forbes and for the leading Harry Potter fan site, The Leaky Cauldron. Plus, we're joined throughout the programme by political reporter Erin Delmore in New York and in Singapore, Simon Littlewood, president of AC Growth Delivered.
Photograph of Emmanuel Macron, via Getty Images
We talk to the BBC's Politics Correspondent, Rob Watson about what Dominic Cummings' future may hold. With our special guests Sushma Ramachandran, of the Tribune in Delhi, and Tony Nash, of Complete Intelligence in Houston, Texas, we talk about how India and parts of the United States are easing their lockdowns. We also look at how many people are looking to change careers, whether forced to or not. (Picture: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Special Adviser, Dominic Cummings returns to his home in London. Picture credit: European Photopress Agency)
France lifts many of its lockdown restrictions, even as concerns mount in Germany that Covid-19 cases may be on the rise again. Philippe d’Ornano, Chief Executive of French beauty company Sisley explains what it means for business. Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson clarified instructions for the public in England, after a great deal of ridicule and confusion over the government's initial outlined steps. We explore the difficulty of his position as advice for England now stands at odds with advice for the other 'home nations': Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. And, we head to Hong Kong, where protests against the authorities have once again started to rise. (Picture credit: Guillaume Souvant/ Getty Images)
As demand for international flights has dried up, the effects are filtering through to Boeing and Airbus. Their customers don't need the planes they already have on order - never mind, placing fresh orders for even more craft. Meanwhile, theories continue to swirl about the mysterious absence of North Korea's leader from public view. He's missed several high profile events and some news outlets are reporting his death. What does the situation, and potential stability issues it creates, mean for the region? And US Crude oil slides 24% to just $12.80 a barrel. What can oil exporters do to turn the price collapse around? (Photo: Guvendemir/ Getty Images)
Countries and governments around the world are starting to feel the strain of coronavirus lockdown, with some showing signs of easing up restrictions. But the World Health Organisation is urging serious care, saying it cannot be done in a hurry. Also in the programme, the EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager has advised governments to prevent companies being taken over by Chinese firms. Amazon's share price surged after the company announced it would take on another 75,000 workers amidst increased demand, after already hiring some 100,000. Professor Scott Galloway at the New York University Stern School of Business discusses how we should interpret the move. The world's oil producers under OPEC and allies have agreed a record oil deal that will slash global output by about 10%. Paul Hickin, Associate Director at Platts, explains what this means for the future of oil prices. Plus, with the internet full of memes and videos to help us get through uncertain times, the BBC's Vivienne Nunis speaks to some of those creating internet content to make us smile during the long lockdown days.
All through the show we’ll be joined by Rachel Cartland, author in Hong Kong and Tony Nash, chief economist at Complete Intelligence in Houston, Texas.
(Picture: Dr Tedros Adhanom, Director-General of the World Health Organization. Picture credit: Getty Images.)
US crude oil prices fell below $20 a barrel on Monday, close to their lowest level in 18 years, as traders bet production would have to shut to prevent a glut in the markets. The situation is particularly bleak for high-cost wells in the world's largest producer: the US. We talk to Ellen Wald, from the Atlantic Council, in Florida, and Tom Adshead, a director of Macro Advisory in Moscow. Meanwhile, the Coronavirus outbreak has caused a rather startling change in fish consumption in Kenya. Instead of importing stocks from China, Kenyans have refound their taste for local catches, boosting incomes within the industry. And what do you do when you're in lock down? We interview David Shearer, who runs the UK puzzle exchange. He's seeing a resurgence in demand for jigsaws! (Picture description: Woman on a street in Moscow walks past live oil prices, showing the plunge due to Covid-19. Picture credit: Getty Images)
The Bank of Japan, Bank of England and European Central Bank all pledged to increase liquidity to help economies through any disruption caused by the Covid-19 virus. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)
Fears of a recession grow after the country's GDP fell by 1.6% in the final quarter of 2019, as the full economic impact of the coronavirus is still to come. Devin Stewart, senior fellow at the US-based Eurasia Group Foundation, tells us what this means for the world's third largest economy.
Is an iPhone shortage on the horizon? Manufacturer Apple says production is down and has warned it won't meet its previous revenue guidance. Our business reporter Zoe Thomas brings us up to date from San Francisco.
And we find out the fate of The Skagway News, based in Alaska. Its owner announced he was giving away the local paper at the end of last year. But did he find the perfect new owner?
Sasha Twining is joined throughout the programme by Sushma Ramachandran, independent business journalist and columnist for the Tribune newspaper, in Delhi, and Alexis Goldstein, activist and financial reform advocate, who's based in Washington.
(Picture: A woman wearing a mask in Tokyo. Credit: David Mareuil/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Huawei's chief operating officer appears in a Canadian court to fight extradition to the United States on charges of fraud and breaching sanctions on Iran. The United States Census for 2020 is launched in Alaska, an important exercise for economic planning - we hear from Gabriel Layman, the Chief Operating Officer of Cook Inlet Housing Authority, about the quirks of gathering such huge amounts of information. And baseball is hit by a cheating scandal which could prompt advertisers to walk. And in Japan, a major restaurant chain is feeling the effects of the country’s ageing population. We discuss all this with live guests Sushma Ramachandran, an independent business journalist for The Tribune newspaper in Delhi, and Tony Nash, chief economist at Complete Intelligence in Houston, Texas.
(Image: A silhouette in front of a Huawei sign. Credit: Wang Zhao/ Getty Images)
Speaking in Washington, US President Donald Trump said the pact would be "transformartive" for the US economy. Chinese leaders called it a "win-win" deal that would help foster better relations between the two countries. We hear from Greg Gilligan who chairs the American Chamber of Commerce in China and Steve Lamar, head of the American Apparel and Footwear Association.
Russia's government has resigned, hours after President Vladimir Putin proposed sweeping constitutional changes. We explore the implications.
Also, we take an in-depth look at the meat and dairy industry and ask whether it is sustainable. Will diets have to change? How fast will the food industry have to adapt?
Plus, a familiar name in Japanese politics is again making waves - but for reasons outside of politics. The environment minister Shinjiro Koizumi - son of the former PM Junichiro Koizumi - has caused a sensation by taking paternity leave. Why is that still such a controversial move in Japan?
Presenter Fergus Nicoll is joined by guests Christine Spadafor in Boston and Stefanie Yuen Thio in Singapore
PHOTO: Getty Images
The NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said members were united in their concerns about what he called Iran's destabilising operations in the region and in their resolve that Iran should never acquire nuclear weapons. But he said it was a US, not a NATO, decision to kill the senior Iranian general Qasim Soleimani in Iraq last week. After Iranian threats of retaliation, the world awaits who will make the next move? Meanwhile, South African entrepreneur Richard Maponya has died, aged 99. We look back on this retail titan, known as the 'Father of Black Business'. Plus a moment of gratitude for Office Boys in Indonesian offices by workplace commentator Asmara Wreksono.
And joining us throughout the programme are Rachel Cartland, author, writer and expert on Hong Kong and Houston based Tony Nash, chief economist at Complete Intelligence.
(Picture: Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Picture Credit: AFP Photo/ Ho/ Iranian Presidency)
A look at the changing world of work. How will technology will play a growing role in all areas of our working lives and how essential is it to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse workforce? Washington based Sabina Dewan from Just Jobs Network, an international think tank focussed on creating more and better jobs worldwide joins the discussion. Adrian Blair, formerly Global COO of Just Eat and CEO of Receipt Bank, a fintech company which enhances workflow globally also joins Sasha Twining's workplace discussion.
(Photo: Global communication network concept Credit: Getty Images)
US plane maker Boeing has replaced its chief executive Dennis Muilenburg in the wake of two deadly 737 Max crashes and the plane's subsequent grounding. We speak to Scott Hamilton, an aviation industry consultant with Leeham news and analysis in Seattle. Plus, UK defence and aerospace company Cobham has been bought by a US private equity firm in a $5bn deal that could test the new government's tolerance of foreign takeovers. Also in the programme, how green is the internet? We examine the energy consumed powering the web. And if you're looking for a last minute Christmas bargain, a small newspaper business in Alaska is looking to be snapped up. The asking price? Free - we find out why.
All this and more discussed with guests Erin Delmore, a political reporter in New York, and journalist Jyoti Malhotra in Delhi.
(Photos: File photos of David Calhoun (L), and Dennis Muilenburg (R). Credit: AFP/Getty Images)
Over the weekend, at the age of 92, one of the giants of American economic policy and former head of the US central bank Paul Volcker, died at his home in New York. He was perhaps best known for his dramatic hiking of interest rates in the early eighties to fight inflation. We explore his enduring legacy. Meanwhile, shares in Tullow Oil fell as much as 70% after the company announced a boardroom shake-up, scrapped its dividend and cut its production forecasts. Chief executive Paul McDade and exploration director Angus McCoss are stepping down immediately. We talk to Eklavya Gupte, senior editor of Europe and Africa News S&P Global Platts. Robin Harding, Tokyo Bureau Chief or Financial Times and Alexis Goldstein, an activist and financial reform advocate in Washington join the discussion. (Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Uber initially lost its licence in 2017 but was granted two extensions, the most recent of which expires on Monday. The firm will appeal and can continue to operate during that process. We talk to Shona Ghosh, UK technology editor for Business Insider, about what this means for the company. Meanwhile, the chief executive of Australia's third-largest bank, Westpac, has resigned following investor pressure. The bank was last week accused of 23 million counts of breaching anti-money laundering rules. We talk to the BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney about the reaction. (Image: The Uber App - Picture credit: Getty Images)
Unrest continues in Hong Kong after more violent clashes between pro-democracy demonstrators and the police. Dozens of protestors have left the Polytechnic after more violent clashes with police. Throughout the programme we hear the views of Rachel Cartland, a long time civil servant in the Chinese city, who worked with the territory's Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
Our other guest over the hour is Professor Peter Morici, from the University of Maryland in Washington and he has some interesting views on Ford unveiling an electric version of its iconic Mustang sports car. We also hear from motoring journalist Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield, from Transport Evolved, who took a ride in the car.
We hear from the literary world after a tiny hand-made book written by Charlotte Bronte at the age of 14 was bought at an auction in Paris by the Bronte Society, which will ensure it returns to the North of England.
As the UK prepares for one of the most uncertain general elections for many years we get an explanation of the policies of the Green Party, from its Brexit and finance spokesperson Molly Scott-Cato.
(Picture: Hong Kong Polytechnic. Copyright credit Philip Fong.)
To the relief of the UK government, Chinese firm Jingye has promised to rescue British Steel, an iconic company that employs 4,000 people. We ask Martin Jacques, author of When China Rules the World, whether the UK is being drawn into China's Belt and Road plan.
Protests in Lebanon show little sign of easing up; the entire financial and political system is the focus of the anger. The BBC's Ivana Davidovic has been finding out more.
There is an argument that the American Dream is dead and that meritocracy and hard work aren't valued any more. But some do still live the dream and we hear from one such success story; Rob Bernshteyn, CEO of fintech company, Coupa Software which is worth around US$1.6 billion.
Vast parts of Australia's east coast are bracing for potentially catastrophic bushfires today and we're joined by the BBC's Phil Mercer in Maitland, an inland city 165 km north of Sydney.
China's annual Singles Day has morphed into an enormous frenzy of shopping and green groups are warning all this comes at a huge cost to the environment. We hear from Tang Damin, a plastics campaigner with Greenpeace in Beijing.
And joining us throughout the programme are Simon Littlewood in Singapore - he's President of AC Growth Delivered. And in California, Alison Van Diggelen, is host of Fresh Dialogues.
Photo description: British Steel's Scunthorpe works Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Virgin Galactic had its first day as a listed company in New York. At their peak, shares rose just over 10%. Founded in 2004, Virgin Galactic has spent more than $1bn developing its programme, which is years behind schedule and took a hit after a fatal accident in 2014. We explore the future for this fledgling industry with Chief Executive George Whitesides. Meanwhile, Google is reported to be in talks to buy Fitbit. We speak to Carolina Milanesi, tech analyst at Creative Strategies. And how the world should prepare for the onslaught of so-called 'deep fakes' - the computer generated videos that allow the nefarious to put words in the mouths of the famous. (Picture Credit: Getty Images)
The prince has begun legal action against the owners of the Sun and the Daily Mirror. We speak to Brian Cathcart, founder of Hacked Off, which campaigns for press accountability in the UK, as Buckingham Palace confirms documents have been filed over the alleged illegal interception.
US company Purdue Pharma has been in the headlines recently after it was accused of fuelling the opioid crisis with its drug OxyContin. Recent court filings now show that the company sent up to $13 billion of profits to its owners, the Sackler family - the largest estimate so far of how much the family made from Purdue. Jared S Hopkins, reporter at the Wall Street Journal, explains the story.
Jamie Robertson is joined throughout the programme by Alexander Kaufman, senior reporter at the Huffington Post in New York, and Sharon Brettkelly, bureau chief at Radio New Zealand in Auckland.
(Picture: The Duke of Sussex. Credit: Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage)
We look at the global repercussions of sweeping sanctions on the government of Venezuela by the US. We ask if President Trump's aim - to punish 'the usurping' of power by President Nicolas Maduro, Germany's hugely successful automotive industry is being choked by not only global trade tensions, but other factors - the BBC's Rob Young has an extended report on the economic powerhouse and its woes. Plus, we look Disney's disappointing financial results. We discuss all this with guests Youngsuk Chi, a Korean Businessman, who has worked extensively in the media and technology industry and Maya Van Rossun, environmental lawyer and author in Philadelphia.
(Image: A man walks past a wall reading "Trump unblock Venezuela" in Caracas on August 6, 2019. Credit: Federico Parra / Getty Images)
China is 70 years old. Its growth has been staggering from rural economy to industrial powerhouse. We explore the many issues, both positive and negative, around this with founding executive of the Libra Association, Dante Disparte, and journalist Mehmal Sarfraz. We also look at what the nation's unique path has meant for its people with Yuen Yuen Ang, author of forthcoming book, China's Gilded Age: The Paradox of Economic Boom & Vast Corruption. Meanwhile, Facebook's plans to get the world to use its digital currency Libra continue apace. We discuss what Libra is and what it means for you. And, we talk trains! Africa's first high speed train was opened to the public in Morocco at the end of last year.The BBC's Nora Fakim is in Casablanca to see how it's doing. Picture credit: Getty Images
Hurricane Dorian could hit the US. We hear from Luis Fajardo from BBC Monitoring in Miami. And as the trade war between the US and China expands, we meet some of those impacted by it. Also in the programme, with Argentina in the midst of a currency crisis, the government has imposed sweeping restrictions on how much money people can exchange into foreign currencies. Jimena Blanco of risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft in Buenos Aires, explains the government's thinking. In May last year federal legislation which outlawed sports betting was changed; thirteen states now allow it and Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corporation has launched Fox Bet. We hear from Warwick Bartlett, the CEO of industry consultants GBGC. Plus our regular workplace commentator Heather McGregor of Heriot Watt University takes a look at research indicating that expressing gratitude towards our colleagues can help combat stress and boost job satisfaction. And we're joined throughout the programme by I'll be joined throughout the programme by Nathaniel Taplin from the Wall St Journal in Hong Kong and Tony Nash, chief economist at Complete Intelligence, in Houston, Texas.
Pic description: Satellite image of Hurricane Dorian Pic credit: NOAA via Getty Images
Twitter and Facebook block what they described as a state-backed Chinese misinformation campaign against protests in Hong Kong. Chinese telecoms giant Huawei gets a temporary reprieve - but are US sights now being set on France? And the business of gold - we find out how the precious metal is being bought wholesale to try and beat the next global recession. We discuss all this live with Jason Abbruzzese, Senior Tech Editor at NBC News in New York, and Jodi Schneider, Senior International Editor at Bloomberg in Hong Kong.
(Image: 'Free Hong Kong' graffiti during the demonstration. Credit: SOPA Images/ Getty Images)
Hundreds of thousands of US government workers and their families are visiting food banks as they remain unpaid for 32 days. We speak to Kate Maehr, who runs the Greater Chicago Food Depository. How can more women get appointed to the top roles in business? Vivienne Nunis hears from Sue Unerman, author of The Glass Wall. And BBC reporter Nick Beake tells us how China is keen to invest in Myanmar. Fergus Nicoll is joined throughout the programme by Nicole Childers, who is Executive Producer at Marketplace on American Public Media and is in Los Angeles, and Jyoti Malhotra, National & Strategic Affairs Editor at The Print, who is in Delhi.
(Picture: A person carries a food bag in Washington DC. Credit: Yasin Ozturk/Getty Images)
Pakistan's finance minister has announced the country will ask the International Monetary Fund for a bailout. We'll hear from Nadeem Haque, a former Pakistani official and former IMF representative, and Saeed Shah from the Wall Street Journal in Islamabad.
Then, Jair Bolsonaro is the favourite in the second round of Brazil's presidential election. The BBC's Julia Carneiro gives us the latest on the country's reaction and what happens now.
It’s an age-old question, how do women balance the demands of raising a family with career progression? With three small children and a challenging job Christine Armstrong wanted that question answered once and for all, so she asked as many women as possible for her book the Mother of all Jobs.
Alison Green has been giving workplace advice for over a decade and one thing that keeps surprising her is that people want their problems solved without even speaking to the key person. She explains why direct conversation can be the best.
All throughout the show, we’ll be joined by Ralph Silva of the Silva Research Network in Toronto, Canada, and Asit Biswas from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Pakistani President Imran Khan speaks to the media on July 25, 2018. PHOTO CREDIT: Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images)
Earlier in the year sportswear giant Nike hired Colin Kaepernick for their adverts. The former American football star caused controversy by kneeling during the national anthem. As a result of the ad campaign some people said they would boycott Nike goods and some even posted videos on Twitter of burning trainers. Now Nike is holding its annual shareholders' meeting, and the company is under scrutiny as never before. We hear from retail analyst Neil Saunders on what might be said.
A Canadian marketing company is advertising for part-time cannabis tasters after recreational cannabis use becomes legal in Canada in a few weeks’ time. The company, A Higher Level of Thought, were surprised by the level of response, as we hear from their boss Greg Pantelic.
The trade war between the US and China has intensified, as each side slaps higher border taxes on each other's products. Beijing is considering cutting tariffs on products imported from most of its trading partners. Such a move would make many foreign-made goods cheaper for Chinese consumers, just as products from America get more expensive in China. Matt Gold, Professor of International Trade Law at Fordham University in New York gives his view.
And finally, Britain is not really used to long, hot summers. But there has been an unusually sustained period of low rainfall. The drier weather has been a welcome boost to the UK's growing wine industry, which saw sales increase almost a third over the past two years. The BBC's Stephen Ryan has been looking into North London wine.
All throughout the show, we’ll be joined by Jodi Schneider, Senior International Editor at Bloomberg in Hong Kong and Dave Shaw, Politico's executive producer for audio and podcasts in Washington.
PHOTO DESCRIPTION: Colin Kaepernick and teammates of the San Francisco 49ers kneel in protest during the national anthem at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on October 23, 2016. PHOTO CREDIT: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Apple has updated its iPhone X handset with three more powerful models. Connie Guglielmo, Editor-in-Chief of tech news site, CNET, tells us about their latest innovations. We have an interview with Ray Dalio, one of the richest people in the world and founder of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates to discuss his new book about the financial crisis. We travel to Singapore to find out how countries in Asia experienced an extraordinary economic boom after the global financial crisis. Our reporter looks at chief executives and bankers in Iceland who were prosecuted during the financial crisis. Plus, we hear about the Sri Lankan president's anger over airline cashew nuts.
We're joined throughout the programme by three guests. In Washington, Heather Slavkin Corzo, the director of the Office of Investment of the trade union, the AFL-CIO, and Professor Randall Kroszner, Former Federal Reserve Governor and now Deputy Dean of the Executive MBA programme at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. We also have from Hong Kong Victor Mallet, Asia news editor for the Financial Times.
Rahul Tandon presents a special edition of Business Matters from Delhi. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into power promising to make it to do business in the country. We speak to businessmen and women who have set up companies in the past few years. We also hear from the economist Saswati Chaudri about the challenge of creating employment in India's rural economy. And we speak to someone who returned to India few years ago to look for employment about the state of the job market. Also, over the last past few days thousands of small traders across India have taken to the streets to protest against Walmart's take over of the indian e-commerce firm Flipkart . We have a report from one of the protests. And the former civil servant turned writer Raj Liberham guides us through India's customs in the business world. Also in the programme, we consider how US states will be affected by overturning the established precedent allowing public-sector unions to collect fees from nonunion members.
We're joined throughout the programme by Hartosh Singh Bal editor of The Caravan magazine and Mitchell Hartman in Portland, a reporter at Marketplace Radio.
(Photo: Agricultural workers in rural India. Credit: AFP)
What's been done about Delhi's air pollution?
Rahul Tandon presents a special edition of Business Matters from Delhi looking at the city's pollution problem. We have a report about living in a city with one of the world's highest pollution levels. The writer Sandip Roy tells us why India has not yet seen a mass anti-pollution movement. Also in the programme, we have a report on the protests against residential blocks in the south of Delhi that will result in thousands of trees being cut down. Plus, we hear from students at one of India's top business schools about how they think the problem should be solved.
We're joined throughout the programme by Vasu Primlani, a sustainability professional and professor and Sushma Ramachandran, former chief business correspondent at The Hindu.
(Photo: Environmental protest sign in Delhi. Credit: BBC)
Canada is putting tariffs on more than $12bn worth of American goods. They will come into effect on Sunday and will target not just US steel and aluminium but also consumer goods like orange juice, whisky and even toilet paper. We hear from our economics correspondent Andrew Walker and whisky producer Colin Spoelman from Kings County distillery in Brooklyn.
President Trump has communicated much of his economic policy on Twitter; as part of the BBC's Money and Power series we hear from Dr Stephanie Hare who researches technological trends.
We round up the week's biggest news stories with Katie Martin from the Financial Times and Richard Cockett from The Economist.
And we're joined throughout the programme by Cathy Alexander, research fellow at the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute.
Picture description: Canadian dollars
Picture credit: Getty Images
Ahead of Sunday's election in Turkey, we ask what role economic decline may play. We gauge the mood in Istanbul with voices from business, academia and ordinary Turks. The oil producing nations in the OPEC grouping have agreed to increase output in order to lower prices around the world. Chris Low from FTN Financial in New York tells us about the surprising market response. Also in the programme, Eurozone countries have reached agreement with Greece on a repayment schedule for the country's debt. Yannis Palaiologos is a reporter on the Athens daily Kathimerini and tells us what the agreement means. We hear from Jonah Sachs, author of a new book on creativity, Unsafe Thinking. On 'Bring Your Dog to Work Day', our reporter talks to people who do just that. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. patent number 10 million to Joseph Marron, a principal engineering fellow at the Space and Airborne Systems division of Raytheon. Kai Ryssdal of the Marketplace programme on American Public Media has been speaking to him. On 'Bring Your Dog to Work Day', our reporter talks to people who do just that. Plus we look back at the rest of the week's big business stories with David Hodari of the Wall Street Journal, and Patricia O'Connell, former editor of Business Week.
We're joined throughout the programme by Clive Hunton of ABC News in Canberra, Australia.
(Photo: President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Credit: Getty Images)
The UN says more than two-hundred people people have drowned off Libya in recent days. The recent stand-off between Malta and Italy over a boatload of desperate African travellers has revealed how right-wing populism is hardening attitudes. We hear from Christian Dustmann, the Director of the Centre for Research and Analysis on Migration at University College London about the EU's handling of immigration. Also in the programme, we have a report examining the role that China plays in updating Zambia's infrastructure. The White House reveals a document proposing the reorganisation of the US federal government. Michelle Hackman of the Wall Street Journal in Washington tells us what she made it. Our correspondent Rebecca Henschke gives us the latest on Monday's ferry disaster in Indonesia that killed almost 200 people. Plus, we hear how two female boxing champions are inspiring girls and boys alike. We're joined throughout the programme by Jason Abbruzzese, Senior Tech Editor at NBC News Digital in New York and Emily Feng of the Financial Times in Beijing.
(Photo: Migrants from Libya in the Mediterranean Sea. Credit: AFP)
President Trump has said there is a "very substantial chance" the summit may not happen. Meanwhile, the South Korean president, Moon-Jae in, is in Washington for talks which are focussed on salvaging the meeting. Harry Kazianis, Director of Defense Studies, at the conservative-leaning Centre for the National Interest in Washington gives us his take on if the talks with Kim Jong-un will go ahead. We have a report from Rahul Tandon about if India can create enough jobs to cater for the millions of people expected to enter the labour force over the next few decades. Also, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has testified at the European Parliament about the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. We hear from our technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones who was watching Mr. Zuckerberg's appearance. Legal and General Investment Management in the UK has decided to launch the first investment fund aimed at encouraging gender diversity. Helena Morrissey, head of personal investing at LGIM, tells us how it works. Also in the programme, are voice controlled AI assistants at risk of developing human prejudices? Trevor Cox, professor of Acoustic Engineering at Salford University in northern England, tells us about the potential pitfalls of applying machine learning to decoding the human voice.
We're joined throughout the programme by Catherine Yeung, Investment Director at Fidelity International- who's in Hong Kong, and Bridget Bodnar of Marketplace, in Los Angeles.
(Photo: US President Donald Trump and South Korea's Moon Jae-in)
South Korea said the ship had transferred 600 tonnes of oil to a North Korean vessel. There are suggestions, denied by the Chinese, that China was responsible for the shipment. We find out more from China expert Gordon Chang. Also in the programme, it’s been a bumper year for commodities with palladium ending at a 17-year high. IG chief market analyst Chris Beauchamp explains what’s ahead in 2018.
Does fake news mark the end of free speech in America? Katherine Mangu-Ward, editor of Reason.com explains whether a problem is brewing in the U.S. Then, Chelsea Fagan, author of the Financial Diet, demonstrates how to make non-traditional decisions about money. Our reporter explains why the defunct bank brand Lehman Brothers has been resurrected as a whisky. Plus, we look back at the year’s big business stories with Nina Trentmann of the Wall Street Journal and Justin Fox from Bloomberg. Colin Peacock of Radio New Zealand joins presenter Roger Hearing.
(Picture: The Lighthouse Winmore, chartered by Taiwanese company Billions Bunker Group Corp., is seen at sea off South Korea's Yeosu port. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)
The U.S. Senate closes in on passing tax reform legislation. Bipartisan Policy Center senior advisor, Steve Bell, weighs in on what a legislative victory on taxes could mean for the Trump administration. And a conversation with Democratic Congresswoman Jackie Speier about sexual-harassment allegations swirling through Congress. Also in the programme, UNCHR’s representative to Libya talks about the evidence of Libyan slave markets in a post-Gadaffi world. Plus, has Trump’s travel ban had an impact on American tourism? We talk with Brand USA president Chris Thompson.
Joining throughout the programme is Robert Miliken, Australia correspondent for The Economist.
(Photo: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell; photo credit: Getty)
A look into why Japan’s once sterling corporate reputation has taken such a hit amid a number of high-profile scandals in recent years. Also in the programme, a deep dive into why the nation's efforts to make it easier for women to return to work after having children may be destined to fail. And, as Tokyo celebrates its own AIDS Week – a conversation with Japan’s most prominent and respected LGBT figure, Pink Bear, about how traditional values in the country make it difficult for gay people to be open about themselves.
Akiko Nagi, founder of networking site Wantedly, and Tomohiro Taniguchi, a journalist and government adviser, weigh in throughout the programme.
(Photo: Japan scenery – photo credit: BBC)
Host Roger Hearing visits areas surrounding the city on the east side of Japan’s main island where almost half a million people had to leave their homes in 2011 due to the nuclear disaster. He speaks with one man who lost two children and is now involved in a group dedicated to finding those who have so far never been found. Later in the programme, Roger visits an area that was once considered the nation’s breadbasket, but now even as the government and producers try to clean the land and convince shoppers what’s grown there is safe…it’s still a tough call. Finally, even in the toughest times, there are still those who are working to keep the flame of traditional culture alive. Roger speaks to one man doing just that.
Roger is joined throughout the programme by William McMichael, assistant professor of economics and business administration at Fukushima University, and Dr. Sae Ochi, director of internal medicine at Tokyo’s Soma Central Hospital.
(Picture credit: Getty; a train suite Shiki-Shima, operated by East Japan Railway, during a training run in Inawashiro, Fukushima)
An already tense situation on the Korean peninsula escalated with North Korea’s launch of its highest-ever ICBM that landed in Japanese waters. Anna Fifield, Tokyo bureau chief for the Washington Post, explains how significant the action is. Later in the programme, Jared Bernstein, a member of President Obama’s economic team, talks about Jerome Powell’s testimony on Capitol Hill as he seeks confirmation to become the next Federal Reserve chairman. We’ll also hear from the BBC’s Karishma Vaswani about how Vietnam has become home to a thriving start-up scene, and discuss diversity in this year’s Grammy nominations with Kevin Fallon, senior entertainment reporter at the Daily Beast.
(Picture: Kim Jong-Un delivering a statement in Pyongyang. Picture credit: Getty)
Regional branches of Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party have joined growing calls for President Robert Mugabe to resign. We hear the latest from the BBC's Fergal Keane.
Britain could put a tax on one-use plastic food packaging and polystyrene takeaway boxes. Government ministers are asking for evidence on whether a new tax would prevent waste and cut pollution in the world's oceans. Research this week found plastic is widespread in the stomachs of sea creatures, and humans are eating them. Craig Bennett, CEO of Friends of the Earth in the UK, tells us what he thinks of the UK government's proposal.
The US media giants Comcast and Verizon have expressed interest in buying parts of Twenty First Century Fox, less than two weeks after Disney tried to do the same. Steven Barnett, Professor of Communications at the University of Westminster in London, explains why there's a bidding frenzy in media land.
All this and more discussed with our guest throughout the show: Colin Peacock is the presenter of Mediawatch on Radio New Zealand. He joins us from Wellington.
(Photo: Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe at a graduation ceremony in Harare on the 17th November, 2017. Credit: AFP.)
President Trump has renewed his verbal pressure on North Korea, warning Pyongyang not to take military action against the US or its allies. Mr Trump said he hoped the North's leader understood the gravity of the situation. World leaders have expressed concern at the war of words over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme.
Vincent Ni, Senior Producer, BBC Chinese Service talks about how many people use services and social media platforms like Weibo, WeChat and Baidu Tieba in China. They are currently investigation for alleged violations of cyber security laws and said people had been using the platforms to spread terrorism-related material, rumours and obscenities. The breaches "jeopardised national security," the administration said.
Michelle Fleury reports from New York about the growing premium market, as parents spend to make sure they have the very best products for their children. In the US, women are waiting longer to have children which, sometimes, means they have more disposable income.
North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launch was in the direction of Japan. The Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, says the world needs to increase pressure on Pyongyang to end its missile testing programme. We'll discuss North Korea's latest intercontinental missile test, which experts say puts US cities in range.
As the United States Food and Drug Administration announces that it wants to limit the amount of nicotine in cigarettes, we asked Professor Stanton Glantz from the University of California San Francisco for his assessment.
Plus, an underground mail train in London is coming back on track as part of the London Postal Museum. The BBC’s Richard Collings went on board.
Rob Young is joined on the programme by Colin Peacock, who’s a journalist at Radio New Zealand.
(Photo: A man looks at images of missile launches and military exercises in a public square in Pyongyang. Photo credit: ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images)
The US House of Representatives has voted to impose fresh sanctions on Russia, despite President Donald Trump objecting to the legislation.
Daniel Fried, former sanctions coordinator at the US State Department looks at the latest step.
Is infrastructure spending really the secret to boosting economic growth? We look at the cost and benefits of planned projects around the globe.
And, the "world's most useless airport" is finally about to get its first scheduled flight.
The BBC's Roger Hearing will be joined throughout the programme from Singapore by Asit Biswas, distinguished visiting Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and from Los Angeles by Andy Uhler from the Marketplace programme at American public radio. They'll also be joined from Taiwan by the BBC's Cindy Sui and by Chris Heathcote author of the Global Infrastructure Outlook report and the travel journalist Simon Calder.
Picture: US President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg this month. Credit:Saul Loeb AFP/Getty Images.
Just as the protestors on Hamburg's streets have varied demands, so too do the leaders of the G20. The US, for example, wants more trade tariffs (especially on steel imports) - a policy that not all members agree with. We get the latest on the summit from our correspondent in Hamburg, Amir Paivar. London-based PR firm Bell Pottinger apologises after its social media campaigns caused offence in South Africa. Nikita Ramkissoon from the Save South Africa campaign tells us her objections to it. Plus, we meet the astronomer turned entrepreneur Dr Kim Nilson, whose company Pivigo matches data scientists with firms who need them. Susannah Streeter is joined throughout the programme by Peter Ryan, senior business correspondent for ABC in Sydney. (Picture credit Alexander Koerner/Getty Images)
As leaders of the world’s twenty largest economies arrive in the northern German city of Hamburg, thousands of protestors took to the streets. Several police officers were injured as violence erupted. We get the latest from BBC correspondent Jenny Hill. As the EU and Japan announce their free trade deal, we speak to Shihoko Goto of the Northeast Asia Program at the Wilson Center in Washington. And the BBC’s Timothy McDonald reports from the Philippines, where new technology is disrupting the craft of guitar making. Roger Hearing is joined throughout the programme by entrepreneur and author August Turake in North Carolina and investment director Catherine Yeung in Hong Kong. (Photo credit Alexander Koerner/Getty Images)
Figures from the US Department of Labor showed that the unemployment rate dropped in April. But the rebound in the jobs market could pave the way for the US central bank to raise interest rates, warns Chirs Low of FTN Financial on Wall Street.
The Indian government says it's planning new rules allowing airlines to ban unruly passengers from flying. It follows a steady increase in air rage incidents worldwide, and an incident where MP Ravindra Gaikwad hit an Air India duty manager with his sandal. Charles Leocha from Travelers United.org says it is easy for stress levels to rise on packed planes.
The chief executive of Goldman Sachs, the world's second largest investment bank, has warned that London "will stall" because of the risks from the Brexit process. He has told the BBC that his firm had "contingency plans" to move people depending on the outcome of the negotiations.
More and more people are being allowed to take their dogs to work, which can have surprising benefits for other employees. Susannah Streeter borrowed a dog and brought it to work with her to investigate.
Susannah is joined throughout the programme by Clive Hunton of ABC in Canberra, Australia.
(Picture: Construction workers in New York Credit:Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The GDU-43 bomb weighs almost 10,000kg, is as long as a small bus and packs the equivalent of eleven tons of TNT. But is deploying it an essential part of the war against so-called Islamic State, or is it just designed to show off America's military strength? We ask Michael O'Hanlon from the Brookings Institution.
Since the start of the conflict in Syria, Armenia has welcomed an influx of refugees from the native Syrian Armenian community in Aleppo. They've been supported by the government to set up a series of micro-enterprises, but this has caused conflict with local business owners who say it's bringing them more competition. Nicola Kelly reports from the capital city, Yerevan
Political protests have become frequent and numerous in Venezuela in recent weeks. Most recently they have been sparked by a decision to bar the opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, from holding public office for fifteen years. The BBC's Daniel Garcia talks to us from Caracas.
What does Easter mean to you? Is it a religious festival, a break from work or just an excuse to consume large quantities of chocolate? Well it would appear that in the US it's increasingly becoming a good time for shops, according to the National Retail Federation.
Joining Roger Hearing to discuss those stories are guests Professor Aswit Biswas in Singapore and Alison Van Diggelen in San Francisco
(Picture: GDU-43 or 'Massive Ordnance Air Blast' bomb, Credit: U.S. Air Force)
Despite the shadow of US military action in Syria, American President Donald Trump insists his talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have been positive. We talk to Heather Timmons from Quartz to find out how relations between the two superpowers are being shaped.
After at least four people were killed in a suspected terror attack in Sweden, we find out the latest from the BBC's Maddy Savage in Stockholm.
We discuss some of the weeks biggest stories - including executive pay, fake news and the world's best restaurant awards - with Shelly Banjo of Bloomberg in New York and Elaine Moore of the Financial Times in London.
And we examine the new Icelandic TV sensation that's picking up a global audience. It's Big Brother, only with cats.
Discussing all of that with Alex Ritson is Elizabeth Jackson, a presenter from ABC Radio in Sydney, Australia.
(Picture: US President Donald Trump with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Credit: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images)
The Democrats hated it before it even happened and now many Republicans have distanced themselves from the US President's proposals for an Obamacare replacement. So is Trumpcare already dead in the water? We speak to Professor John McDonough of Harvard University's Department of Health Policy & Management - who worked in the Senate on the passage of the Affordable Care Act.
The US Department of Justice has fined the Chinese telecoms maker ZTE nearly $1.2 billion for selling banned American-made equipment to Iran and North Korea. We get analysis from Shawn Donnan, World Trade Editor of the Financial Times in Washington DC.
The shipping industry is predominantly male and women who manage to get in complain of institutional harassment and sexism. Eldine Chilembo Gless, a One Young World Ambassador from Angola in south-west Africa outlines the extent of the problem.
We cast the net a little wider to draw in some of the business headlines from elsewhere in the world and we cross to Sydney and the BBC's Phil Mercer.
36 years ago at the age of just 36 Bob Marley died but interest in the reggae star shows no sign of diminishing. In the UK, a new stage show called One Love: The Bob Marley Musical opens on Friday. It's written and directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah who's been talking to our Arts Correspondent Rebecca Jones.
And we're joined throughout the programme by Mitchell Hartman of Marketplace who's is in Portland, Oregon and Jyoti Malhotra, President of South Asian Women in Media is in Delhi.
Picture description: Protestors demonstrate during a health care rally at Thomas Paine Plaza on February 25, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images
President Trump has issued an executive order putting in place a new travel ban. Is it legally watertight this time? We hear from Ambassador Norman Eisen who was senior counsel to President Obama and David Rivkin, a lawyer who served under Presidents Reagan and George Bush senior.
The centre-right in France keeps Francois Fillon as its presidential candidate, despite falling poll ratings and a legal investigation into his financial arrangements; we get analysis from the BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris.
The BBC's Sharanjit Leyl finds out how to make an amazing party in Singapore.
We cross over to Kolkata where Rahul Tandon tells us about Asia's biggest business stories.
One of the advantages of working in radio is that the dress codes aren't too rigid but in some jobs it's a very different situation. Our well-dressed regular commentator Lucy Kellaway of the Financial Times has been musing on corporate dress.
And we're joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the Pacific; Anjani Trivedi, Columnist for WSJ Heard on the Street who's in Singapore, and Richard Wolff, professor of economics emeritus at the University of Massachusetts and founder of Democracy at Work in New York.
Picture description: President Trump walks across the South Lawn towards the White House on March 5, 2017 in Washington, DC.
Photo by Erik S. Lesser-Pool/Getty Images
With President Donald Trump less than an hour away from addressing Congress for the first time, we preview what he's likely to say and how he's been performing in The White House so far.
Three months on from India's surprise decision to remove high-valued banknotes from circulation, we examine how the economy has been affected with British economist Roger Bootle.
Despite frequent reports that 'Milennials' are finding it difficult to get onto the housing ladder, a report from HSBC suggests that home ownership may not be all that out of reach for young adults in the 21st century. The survey of 9000 people in nine countries indicates that 40 per cent own their own home and 83 per cent of those that don't are planning on buying in the next five years.
Should stars of stage and screen get involved in politics, or is it best left to the professionals? Following the Hollywood awards season, where many a political viewpoint emerged among the acceptance speeches, we ask whether celebrities have a part to play in the political sphere and do people actually listen to them?
And joining us to discuss all that are Andrew Peaple, Deputy Asia Finance editor for the Wall Street Journal and Katie Long, of Marketplace
(Picture Credit - Getty)
Donald Trump plans to radically change government spending, increasing the defence budget by 10% paid for by slashing domestic programmes and foreign aid. We hear from Sharon Parrot of the independent Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington DC.
After the Oscars 2017 'Best Picture' mix up, we discuss how the accountants at PWC managed to mess the winners up with Erich Schwartzel,
film industry reporter at The Wall Street Journal.
We hear from the BBC's Yogita Limaye on how the withdrawal of high value rupee notes has hit agriculture and industry in India hard and
Lucy Kellaway of the Financial Times gives us a masterclass in the art of persuasion.
All this and more discussed with our guests throughout the show Ralph Silva in Toronto in Canada and Daisy Guo in Shanghai in China and Rahul Tandon in Kolkata.
(Photo: US Military Parade. Credit: Getty Images.)
Greece's debt crisis burst back on to the economic and political agenda today following an extraordinary row at the top of the International Monetary Fund, the body overseeing the Greek government's bailout programme.
In simple terms some of the IMF's board members think Greece's debt is "unsustainable", so some of it may need to be written off, whilst others passionately disagree.
We'll have reaction from Athens from economist Dr Michael Arghyrou and journalist Katerina Btazak.
The pledge to build a wall along the US-Mexican border was a key election promise from President Trump.
The BBC's Hugh Sykes reports from the southern US state of Arizona on what businesses and politicians along the border make of the plans.
It might sound something of an oxymoron - car companies looking to develop something other than cars - but that's apparently exactly what some of the biggest players in the industry are doing. Mark Garrison from the US business radio programme Marketplace explains all.
The BBC's Fergus Nicoll will be joined throughout the programme from New York by Mark Garrison, from New Dehli by Jyoti Malhotra, senior journalist and president of the South Asian Women in Media (SAWM) group, and they'll also be joined from Hong Kong by the BBC's Juliana Liu.
PICTURE: A man walks past a graffiti with a EU flag reading in German 'NO' concerning Greece's referendum on the latest offer of a debt deal by the country's EU-IMF creditors, in Athens on June 28, 2015. (Photo: ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images)
More than 100 US tech firms, including some of the industry's biggest players, have filed a legal document stating that President Trump's immigration ban affects their operations and "inflicts significant harm" on business.
Journalist Alison Van Diggelen will bring us views and reaction from Silicon Valley.
The BBC's Daniel Gallas takes us through a significant meeting in South America, as the President of Argentina Maurico Macri, travels to talk cross-border trade with his Brazilian counterpart Michel Temer.
From big tech companies, to smaller, more local ones now - we'll hear about the big ambitions for local social networking site Streetlife, from its founder Matt Boyes.
The BBC's Fergus Nicoll will be joined throughout the programme from San Francisco, by the journalist Alison Van Diggelen and from Kolkata by the BBC's Rahul Tandon.
PICTURE: Leading tech CEOs, including Apple's Tim Cook meet with President Trump in New York prior to his inauguration.
(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Some of the most powerful business leaders in America have been among those to criticize President Donald Trump's plans to ban travel from seven mainly Muslim countries.
In particular the bosses of some of the country's biggest tech firms have been quick to call on the President to think again.
We'll hear from the billionaire chief executive of the cloud software firm, Stripe, Patrick Collison. We'll also hear diplomatic reaction, from a former US ambassador and government adviser Norman Eisen, and hear from Dr Betsy McCaughey, Republican Lieutenant Governor of New York State in the 1990s and an economic adviser to Mr Trump while he was the President-Elect.
With almost daily stories about robots taking over everything from driving our cars, to our day to day jobs, are we all getting a bit hysterical about the prospect of artificial intelligence taking over our lives? Dr Chris Brauer from Goldsmiths University in London thinks so, and he'll tell us why.
Throughout the hour the BBC's Rob Young will be joined from Dehli by Sushma Ramachandran, former chief business correspondent at the Hindu Times. And from San Francisco by Michael Brune, Executive Director of the environmental campaign group the Sierra Club.
Picture: Demonstrators gather outside of the Trump Hotel International during a protest in Washington, DC. Protestors in Washington and around the country gathered to protest President Donald Trump's executive order barring the citizens of Muslim-majority countries Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen from traveling to the United States. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)
In ten days, President Obama will leave the White House.
But as the current President gives his farewell speech in his home town of Chicago, key players from the team assembled by the man set to replace Mr Obama in just over a week, President elect Donald Trump, are being confirmed to their cabinet posts in Washington.
And many eyes will be on Mr Trump;s pick as Secretary of State, the former oil boss, Ex ExxonMobil chief executive Rex Tillerson. Jordan Fabian, White House Correspondent for The Hill tells us why.
A lack of investment spending in emerging markets is strangling economic growth in those countries.
That's the warning from the World Bank in its annual global forecast.
The report's lead author, Franziska Ohnsorge, talks to us about that, China, and trying to get a read on the Trump administration.
It's the swankiest week of schmoozing and high powered financial dealing of the year, and all against the backdrop of the snowy Swiss Alps. But why is the World Economic Forum in Davos such a pull for the World's business elite? Sandra Navidi - author of a new book called Superhubs: How the Financial Elite & Their Networks Rule Our World is here to tell us.
And, don't fancy becoming an air force pilot but still fancy travelling faster than the speed of sound? The answer used to be buy a ticket for Concorde, until the transatlantic supersonic plane landed for the final time in 2003. But could a very high speed return to supersonic passenger travel be on the horizon, the BBC's Business Correspondent Theo Leggett has been taking a look.
To pilot us through the hour, the BBC's Fergus Nicoll is joined from Los Angeles by Raghu Manavalan, a broadcaster at Marketplace and from Singapore by Nisid Hajari, Asia Editor for Bloomberg View.
(Picture: President Barack Obama delivers a farewell speech to the nation in Chicago, Illinois. Credit: Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
The ongoing fall-out from the Volkswagen emissions scandal took another twist in the US today as court papers revealed VW executives knew about emissions cheating two months before the scandal broke.
It follows the arrest at the weekend of Oliver Schmidt, who was in charge of VW's US environmental regulatory compliance office from 2012 until March 2015.
He was arrested on Saturday on charges that he took part in a conspiracy to defraud the US and VW customers. The company has said it can't comment on an ongoing legal matter, but what might the latest details mean for VW in the United States? Professor John Coffee of Columbia Law School joins us.
It's been divided for more than 40 years, but could the European island of Cyprus soon become a reunified, single state once again?
We'll hear views from both the north and the south, and assess the chances of success with Christiana Erotokritou, parliamentary spokeswoman for the Democratic Party in the Republic of Cyprus.
How far is too far when it comes to compromising corporate principles for hard-nosed business realism?
When Apple removed the New York Times app from its store in China, there was a lot of angry commentary on social media. But are such compromises simply pragmatism - or are they self-censorship? Reporter Melissa Chan, familiar with both China and the US, gives us her view.
And, come on, be honest, you're amongst friends here at Business Matters. Have you ever not been... strictly upfront with someone in work? Perhaps professed something they'd done was just fine at the exact moment you began hastily redoing that piece of work from scratch, all the while sobbing silently inside for the bus you are set to inevitably now miss? Well former Apple and Google employee Kim Scott reckons she has the answer, it's called Radical Candor, and it sounds... candid. Buzfeed's Jonny Ensall assesses its brilliance, brutality or perhaps both.
The BBC's bastion of honesty, Fergus Nicoll is joined throughout the programme by the equally honourable Diana Furchgott Roth,the Washington-based former chief economist of the U.S. Department of Labor, and from Hong Kong by independent economist, and former Morgan Stanley & World Bank employee Andy Xie.
Picture:Getty Images.
A US intelligence report says that the Russian president Vladimir Putin "ordered" a hacking campaign to help Donald Trump win the presidential election. The unclassified and cut-down version of the report was released shortly after Mr Trump was briefed by intelligence chiefs. John Bussey, Associate Editor of the Wall Street Journal in New York considers whether the President - elect is convinced about the hacking incidents.
In the aftermath of Britain's vote to leave the European Union, the organisation is facing criticism that it's failed to sell a convincing vision for the future. Despite this, Serbia want to join the EU.. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Alexander Vucic, the country has undergone a major privatisation campaign - and is recording consistent GDP growth of nearly 3 percent. Vladimir Krujl is Serbia's Chief Economist for EU Accession - and when he came into the Business Matters studio Fergus Nicholl asked him why Belgrade is still hoping to join the EU.
A free co-working movement launched in Sweden claims that working alongside strangers can make us more productive and even happier. This home/office hybrid is called Hoffice -and the BBC's Maddy Savage reports from one of their events in Stockholm.
Fergus Nicholl is joined by Clive Hunton of ABC News in Canberra for comment throughout the programme,
Photo credit: DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images
Several disturbing incidents have been streamed on Facebook Live, including one of a mentally disabled man being severely assaulted. Business Matters asks, whether with other sites like Periscope too, live broadcasting is now open to all - so is this a welcome expansion of free speech or a risky way of giving a vast audience to extremists and criminals? Jon Fingas, associate editor at Engadget comments.
The farming community in Britain receive more than three and a half billion dollars a year from Brussels. But this will change when Britain leaves the European Union. Brexit is the theme for two farming conferences taking place at the moment. The BBC's Caz Graham got the views of some young farmers there about the uncertainty of what Brexit will mean for them.
Roger Hearing is joined by Jason Abbruzzese, a Business Reporter at Mashable in New York, and Rosie Blau, China correspondent for the Economist in Beijing for comment throughout the programme.
Photo Credit: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images
As President-elect Donald Trump confirms the Chief Executive of Exxon Mobil, Rex Tillerson, as his choice for US secretary of state and the former Texas Gov. Rick Perry to lead the Energy Department, we look at the implications of the appointments, for both the United States and the rest of the world. Professor James Goldgeier is Dean of the School of International Service at American University in Washington DC and gave us his thoughts.
Also in the programme, the BBC's Coletta Smith reports from Reykjavik, Iceland, on the country's place at the head of a global league table for gender equality.
Plus we hear from Bill Gates who has just launched his latest start-up - a billion-dollar project to turn good clean energy ideas into successful money-making schemes. It's called Breakthrough Energy Ventures - and he talked about it with David Brancaccio of Marketplace on American Public Radio.
As US debt approaches the $20trillion mark within weeks, possibly days, of Donald Trump's arrival in the White House, we discuss why this matters and the impact of excessive debt on the global economy.
And they may be an aphrodisiac, but oysters certainly aren't seducing some of the locals on Rhode Island where public land is being turned into oyster farms. Marketplace's Andy Uhler went there to check it out. Andy joins us throughout the programme alongside Lingling Wei who China correspondent for the Wall Street Journal in Beijing.
(Picture: Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson speaks as he and other top oil and gas industry executives testify during a Senate Finance Committee Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
The big Palm Oil company Olam has been accused of using suppliers that may use unsustainable practices in parts of Southeast Asia and West Africa. The claims against the agricultural commodities trader were made in a report by a US-based environmental lobby group called Mighty Earth. The Singaporean company that has a majority share in Olam, called Temasek, insists that it's always been in support of ethical land clearance practices - and Olam itself has vehemently rejected the allegations. Glenn Hurowitz of Mighty Earth spoke to us from Washington DC.
The Cuban government has signed a deal with Google's parent company - allowing the internet giant to provide faster access to its data by installing servers on the island that will store much of the company's most popular content. A little while earlier, another agreement was being signed between Cuba and the European Union - covering issues such as trade, human rights and migration. Will Grant is our Havana Correspondent - more from him on the Google deal.
The world's largest oil producers have made a big money bet - agreeing to cut production in the hopes of boosting the price of crude oil - and refilling their dwindling Treasury coffers. Almost immediately, the price of crude went gone up to its highest level in almost two years. This strategy is a complete reversal of what was Plan A - pumping like crazy, not least in the hopes of driving upstart US shale oil companies out of business. So why have Russia, Kazakhstan and Mexico decided to work with OPEC? To assess the significance of the deal, the BBC's Rob Young talks to Chris Weafer at Macro Advisory in Moscow.
One year ago, Saudi women were given the right to vote and run for office in municipal elections for the first time ever. Although municipal councils don't hold much power, many in the kingdom hoped it would bring about change. Hanan Razek has been looking at what's different one year on.
Ageism in the workplace affects even the most glamorous of livelihoods. In Hollywood it's routine - well for women anyway. In music too - the latest evidence from Madonna as she received the Billboard Woman of the Year Award. Capping a list of music industry bigotry, she said - "And finally - do not age. Because to age is a sin. You will be criticized and vilified - and definitely not played on the radio." Now you'd think that a place like Silicon Valley in California - home to the likes of Google, Facebook and Apple - would be progressive ... beyond all that. But Lucy Kellaway of the Financial Times says what started out as a youthful vibe has indeed become outright ageism - an environment specifically designed to discriminate against the older worker.
Hong Kong's pro-democracy groups have made strong gains in elections for the territory's Election Committee - a panel of 1,200 people that will choose Hong Kong's next leader. Pro-democracy groups fielded an unprecedented number of candidates this year, and have secured 325 seats, giving them significant negotiating power in the elections for Hong Kong's next leader. But pro-democracy campaigners like the lawyer Alvin Yu are annoyed that anti-establishment legislators are being targeted by pro-Beijing authorities. The Chief Executive elections will take place in March 2017. Hong Kong's financial secretary, John Tsang, has resigned from his position - but he's so far coy about plans to run for the top job. We get an update from Helier Cheung in Hong Kong.
For a bit of musical levity to end the programme, it's worth considering that this year's Billboard CD sales may represent the final nail in the coffin of the music business as we know it. So who topped the list? Well it wasn't Drake.
We are joined on the show by Anu Partanen, a Finnish journalist and the author of a book called The Nordic Theory of Everything, talking with us from New York. And our other guest is Catherine Yeung, the Investment Director at Fidelity Worldwide Investment, based in Hong Kong.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Aerial view of an oil palm plantation, Borneo 04/02/2016 Science Photo Library)
The Obama White House hasn't always had the easiest of relationships with the Kremlin during his eight-year tenure, and it doesn't look like it's about to get any cosier. And that's because President Obama has ordered US intelligence agencies to investigate all cyber attacks and alleged foreign interventions in US presidential elections - and he wants the results on his desk before he leaves the White House on January twentieth. It was of course alleged during the campaign that Russia was amongst those states looking to interfere in the election. Hannah Kuchler who covers cyber security for the Financial Times in San Francisco explains more.
It's a country the size of a continent, but the potential sale of private land of more than 1 per cent of the Australian landmass has caused controversy. We'll hear why the purchase of the Kidman estate is causing such concern from Danny Samson live in Melbourne.
Plus, the Malaysian delegation shopping in London for data-savvy professionals to boost its growing tech sector. And you've heard of L'oreal, Maybeline and Max Factor - but what about Suzie Beauty? We'll hear from Nairobi about the Kenyan make-up artists looking to join the big name brands on a shelf near you soon.
How can we eat healthily, sustainably and yet still tastily? It's the conundrum governments, scientists and the industry amongst others are pondering at a fringe event at the Nobel Prize awards in Oslo. We'll hear from two of the delegates.
The BBC's Fergus Nicoll will be joined throughout the programme by Danny Samson, Professor of Management at the University of Melbourne, in Australia.
(Picture: President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks at MacDill Air Force Base Credit: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
With the presidential election looming in the key East African economy of Kenya, the issue of corruption looks to be high on the political agenda. It was of course a key cornerstone of Donald Trump's US presidential election campaign, where he pledged to "drain the swamp" and rid Washington of corruption, so how bigger factor could it be in Kenya's presidential race? Vivienne Nunis reports from Nairobi.
It's been described as the World's "forgotten war," yet the bloodshed in Yemen shows no signs of ceasing. Our security correspondent Frank Gardner reports from the Saudi Yemen border.
Chief executive pay - it's a topic which regularly sees temperatures run high, and governments scratch their heads about how to control the gap between the highest and lowest earners. But now the US city of Portland in Oregon thinks it might have come up with an answer. The New York Times' Gretchen Morgenson tells us about the city's controversial new tax.
The former British Prime Minister David Cameron says it cost him his job, but what's behind the rise in political populism across the globe? Our North America editor Jon Sopel takes a look.
And, could there be a spy in your midst under the tree this Christmas? We'll hear about concerns that so-called "smart toys" are recording what our children say,and reporting it back to the software companies.
The BBC's Roger Hearing will be joined throughout the programme by entrepreneur and author of The Business Secrets of Trappist Monks August Turak in Raleigh, North Carolina. And from Hong Kong by Andrew Peaple, Deputy Asia Finance editor for the Wall Street Journal.
(Picture: Highrise buildings of downtown Nairobi are seen from Uhuru Park in Nairobi, Kenya. Credit: EPA/DAI KUROKAWA)
Millions of Italians go to the polls on Sunday to vote on whether their constitution should be reformed. Lorenzo Codogno, former chief economist and director general at the Treasury Department at the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance discusses whether the Prime Minister might be on the way out.
The BBC's Guy Hedgecoe in Madrid reports on the pollution problem in Spain, and the decisions by the Mayors of Paris, Mexico City, Madrid and Athens to ban the use of all diesel-powered cars and trucks within a decade to improve poor air quality.
As Barbados celebrates 50 years of independence, we ask Guy Hewitt, the High Commissioner for Barbados in the UK, why the country still retains free education and healthcare systems, in a difficult economic environment.
The fashion and fragrance company Chanel warns that a planned high-speed train through the centre of France's perfume-making region will threaten production of its iconic product - Chanel No 5. Elizabeth Musmanno, President of The Fragrance Foundation in New York tells us what makes this particular scent so special.
The BBC's Roger Hearing is joined throughout the programme by Peter Ryan, ABC Australia's Senior Business Correspondent.
(Photo credit: Claudio Giovannini /AFP/Getty Images)
President- elect Donald Trump has begun a victory tour of US starting in the state of Indiana where he's taken credit for stopping a thousand jobs at an air conditioning firm Carrier from going to Mexico. Can Mr Trump live up to his campaign pledges - and does it matter? We asked economist Irwin Stelzer at the Hudson Institute.
Food giant Nestle claims is claiming a breakthrough that will cut the sugar in its chocolate by 40 per cent. The company suggests it can scientifically 'restructure' the sugar without affecting the taste. Professor Julian Cooper, chair of the Scientific Committee at the UK Institute of Food Science and Technology, explains the implications.
About 10 million turkeys are consumed in the UK over the festive season. Rearing the birds however isn't as easy as you might think with natural predators like foxes providing a constant threat. Elizabeth Hotson has been finding out about a rather novel solution to the problem.
Business Matters is joined from Washington by Michael Brune, Executive Director of the environmental organisation the Sierra Club and Madhavan Narayahan, columnist and writer in India for comment throughout the programme.
(Picture Credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
On Wednesday morning in Vienna OPEC is holding a meeting, aimed at halting the biggest decline in oil prices for a generation. Back in September, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries reached a tentative agreement to restrict output - but they still haven't hammered out individual output targets for each nation. We spoke to Amrita Sen of Energy Aspects about the biggest and most influential producer - Saudi Arabia.
The old certainties about politics in America have been turned on their heads, including the twin beliefs that organised labour delivers votes for the Democratic Party candidate, while evangelicals deliver votes for the GOP. This time round things were less cut and dried, as Mitchell Hartman of Marketplace reports.
Lithium - or white petrol as it's becoming known - is a hot commodity. Demand for the metal could triple in the next ten years - driven particularly by a rise in demand for batteries in products like smartphones, laptops and electric cars. On Tuesday a group of leading carmakers - including Ford, BMW and Porsche - announced they wanted to build a Europe-wide network of charging stations for electric vehicles - and that's music to the ears of lithium producers like the Canadian firm Wealth Minerals. The company's chief executive Henk Van Alphen spoke to the BBC's Jon Bithrey.
A group of American developers has chosen a patch of countryside in the Netherlands to build a self-sustainable eco-village. Its marketing pitch is pretty straightforward -off the grid and the ideal antidote to the crazy congested urban lifestyle, as Anna Holligan reports.
(PHOTO CREDIT: OPEC logo shown at an informal meeting between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Algiers, Algeria September 28, 2016. REUTERS/Ramzi Boudina/File Photo)
Reckless, careless, even irresponsible, but not criminal. That is the judgment from the FBI on former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton - the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party for president - over her use of a private email server for highly confidential government material. Still, not exactly labels that any politician is going to wear with much pride. Will voters change their views? Mrs Clinton's Republican Party rivals have been flogging the email issue for months and going by Donald Trump's Twitter feed that is not going to change any time soon.
Following Britain's vote to leave the European Union, the internal Conservative Party process to replace David Cameron as prime minister has whittled five candidates down to three. The second round comes on Thursday. Also, the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, used his third public speech in less than a fortnight to say that many of the predicted consequences of Britain's departure from the EU are already starting to happen, Still, he said, it is his job to protect jobs and growth - so he would free up 200 billion dollars for loans to households and businesses to try to prevent the economy slipping into recession.
Zimbabwe is facing serious disruption by a public sector strike. Doctors, nurses and teachers have stayed away from work on the first of three days - protesting over their June salaries being withheld until the end of July. The country is already fighting its worst drought in a quarter of a century - and there is growing frustration over the rapidly deteriorating economy.
A number of foreign clothing companies are reviewing their investments in the Bangladesh garment industry after an attack at the weekend on a cafe in the capital Dhaka. Twenty-eight people died - including Italians, Japanese and US citizens. It has since emerged that one of the attackers was the son of a politician from the governing party.
We are joined by two guests on opposite sides of the Pacific - Kimberly Adams of the US business programme Marketplace in Washington DC and Madhavan Narayanan, a columnist and technology writer on the Hindustan Times in Delhi.
(Photo: President Obama (L) and Hilary Clinton (R). Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Britain's vote to leave the European Union has caused damage to banks and to the wider economy in Italy. Growth forecasts there have been more pessimistic since June 23rd, and investors fear there'll be more defaults on loans. Italian banks are already sitting on a big pile of bad debt - but on Monday the world's oldest bank, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, saw its share price fall to an all time low after the European Central Bank said it had to cut back on the risky loans it holds. Professor Enrico Colombotto of the University of Turin described the scale of the problem faced by Italian banks.
The Australian Electoral Commission has begun counting millions of postal and absentee votes today with the election still too close to call. Phil Mercer is watching the long-drawn-out process.
The US space agency NASA is no stranger to dramatic count-downs, but right now early on Tuesday they are really holding their breaths. NASA's solar-powered Juno spacecraft is about to reach Jupiter after an almost five-year journey. When it does arrive, it's going to hit the brakes. But if a 35-minute main engine burn doesn't slow the spacecraft so it can be pulled into Jupiter's orbit it will be an epic billion-dollar fail.
(Photo credit: GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images)
We get global reaction as the UK votes to leave the European Union.
In Finland, the Foreign Minister, Timo Soini - who heads the eurosceptic Finns Party - said the UK result had to be respected - and he warned against what he called retaliation in future negotiations between the EU and Britain. We hear from Alexander Stubb , who was until recently, the Finance Minister of Finland.
In recent weeks, we've heard the views of Roger Bootle of Capital Economics - arguing in favour of a British exit from the EU. We put to him that he must be very pleased today.
Some of the world's largest companies warned they could relocate their British-based operations following the EU referendum result.
But how do smaller businesses in the UK see their bottom line being affected? Lucy Hooker has been along to talk to the owner of the Brompton bike company here in the UK, a big exporter.
We are joined throughout the programme by three guests. From Washington, Philippe Le Corre, a visiting fellow at the Centre on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution. Simon Littlewood, President at the Asia Now Consulting Group, joins from Singapore, and Colin Peacock of Radio New Zealand is with us from Wellington.
(Photo Credit: Rob Stothard/ Getty Images)
The Colombian government and Farc rebels say they have reached a definitive bilateral ceasefire in Latin America's longest running armed conflict. The main issue - the disarmament of the rebels - has been addressed. And, after half a century of war, the Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has said a final peace deal could be signed by late July. There have been plenty of reports of peace before, so is this really it? We hear from the BBC's Natalio Cosoy in Bogota.
California's last nuclear power plant will close by 2025 under a proposal announced on Tuesday, with safety concerns given as the main reason. But the Diablo Canyon plant produces enough power for 1.7 million homes. There is now a plan to replace the energy with renewables, though some environmentalists do not think they will be able to match that produced by nuclear. However, Erich Pica, president of Friends of the Earth US, says he is celebrating the closure of the plant.
Are we heading towards a cashless society? It is a subject of intense debate in financial circles. The Danish and Swedish government have said they expect their countries to go entirely cashless in the future. In the UK, contactless card transactions have risen by a third over the past year and a Mastercard survey shows one in four Britons intend to make payments with their phone over the next 12 months. Most retailers have adapted to the trend but what about individual traders and organisations who have relied on cash donations to survive? The BBC's Susannah Streeter reports.
We are joined by two guests on opposite sides of the Pacific - Peter Morici, professor of International Business at the University of Maryland - who is in Washington, and Simon Long Asia editor of The Economist in Singapore.
(Photo: Graffiti with a sentence that reads 'Peace is ours' in Bogota, June 2016. Credit: Getty Images)
France wins the opening game of the Euros tournament, but will businesses lose out as striking workers disrupt the country's transport system?
The US news site Gawker files for bankruptcy after being told to pay 140 million dollars in damages to a celebrity wrestler
Plus the feat of engineering over common sense - we find out more about the multi billion dollar satellite constellation which was very nearly crashed back down to earth.
And Susannah Streeter is joined throughout the programme by Professor Danny Samson from the University of Melbourne in Australia.
(Photo: Nice, France where some Euro 2016 matches will be played. Credit: AFP/Getty)
So we now know, barring major incidents, that Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump are the choices for US President in November. But what are they offering American business? That's a concern of course for the US Chamber of Commerce. We hear from J.D Harrison, a senior editor at the US Chamber of Commerce based in Washington.
The creative money-spinner that is Harry Potter moved on to its latest incarnation in London this week with the start of a series of previews of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child". It's been described as the eighth Potter story - although it's the first to originate as a piece of theatre. But does it have the magic of its printed predecessors? Our arts correspondent Vincent Dowd was among those blessed with a ticket and gives us his view.
It seems the UK isn't the only country in Europe where enthusiasm for the European Union is less than whole-hearted. Britain may be the country which is about to have a referendum on membership - but new research by the US-based Pew Research centre suggests more than sixty percent of French people have an unfavourable view of the EU. Poland is the country with the largest proportion of EU fans. In Germany favourable is ahead by a fraction: 50% to 48%. So what does this tell us? Roger Bootle, the Chairman of Capital Economics, who's campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union - and Professor Sebastian Dullien, at the University of Applied Science in Berlin discuss.
You know how it is - you're sitting in a café and you notice the person who just departed left their newspaper behind. You casually pick it up and start reading. In Morocco, you would be committing a crime. The authorities have banned people from reading in public newspapers bought by other people. Many Moroccans have taken to social media to ridicule the ban. One suggested special uniformed Newspaper Police might arrest 'illegal' readers, seize their offending newspapers and burn them publicly in the square. We hear from the BBC's Sidy Yansane in Casablanca.
Throughout the programme we are joined by two guests on opposite sides of the Pacific. Duncan Clarke, the author and consultant in Beijing and Peter Morici, Professor of International Business at the University of Maryland in Washington.
(Picture: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign event at Clinton Middle School. Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Officials in Brussels are proposing rules that would force online video services in the European Union to ensure at least twenty percent of their content is made in the EU. The biggest companies in the sector, Netflix and Amazon Prime, are American and much of their material currently comes from Hollywood. Supporters of the plan say it would have "a positive effect on cultural diversity". EU rules already oblige television broadcasters to spend at least half of their time showing European works, including material made in their own country.
The world's biggest publicly traded oil company, Exxon Mobil, has largely seen down a rebellion at its annual general meeting over its climate change policies. Only a third of shareholders backed a motion that would have forced the company to work out a strategy against global warming. However a majority did approve a motion that could allow green activists to nominate members of the company's board.
A report by the charity Human Rights Watch says thousands of children, some as young as eight years old, are working on tobacco farms in Indonesia. The country is the fifth biggest tobacco producer in the world. The authors say the farms involved supply companies including Philip Morris - the maker of Marlboro - and British American Tobacco, which owns cigarette brands including Dunhill. Our reporter has been to hear the stories of some of the child labourers.
We speak to a group called Eco Peace Middle East, which has united Israelis and Palestinians on some of the biggest issues in the middle east, including water provision.
And a report on our technology correspondent, Rory Cellan Jones on a new breed of robots - designed to work alongside their human masters.
Our guests for the hour, on opposite sides of the Pacific - Peter Morici, Profesor of International Business at the University of Maryland - who's in Washington, and Puja Mehra of the Hindu in Delhi.
(Picture: French actress Nadia Fares at the premiere of the French TV show 'Marseille', a Netflix co-production. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)
Former Argentine President Cristina Fernandez has been indicted over accusations that she oversaw irregularities in the central bank's sale of dollars in the futures market.
The number of migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey has fallen dramatically...as Ankara tightens the border, but elsewhere in the Mediterranean, attempts to stop the smugglers are failing.
Miners seeking millions of dollars in compensation for contracting a serious lung disease have won a landmark judgement against the gold mining industry. The High Court in South Africa has given the go ahead for a class action by thousands of workers who developed silicosis while working underground.
The head of GSK Sir Andrew Witty tells Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal why developing new drugs is so expensive.
And throughout the programme Susannah Streeter is joined by Danny Samson, Professor of Management at Melbourne University in Australia.
And the power of Eurovision - why the song contest has such an enduring appeal.
In Brazil, the new president is putting together a very different-looking cabinet to his predecessor - a much more market friendly one. His new finance minister is Henriques Meirelles, former head of the central bank. So what is the likely effect going to be on Brazil's wobbly finances?
"Fantastically corrupt". That's how British prime minister David Cameron described Nigeria and Afghanistan earlier in the week. On Thursday he was hosting a global anti-corruption conference in London. Fifty states were represented at the summit, alongside banks, civil society organisations and the International Monetary Fund. Though delegates promised to make tackling corruption a top priority, the meeting led to few firm commitments. Just six countries agreed to publish registers of who really owns companies in their territories, a key goal of anti-corruption campaigners. So - just how much was achieved?
St Louis, in Missouri, made international news two years ago because of race riots in the suburb of Ferguson. But it would rather be known for something else. It's become the unlikely capital of chess - in America if not - here's a boast - the world. David Edmonds has just returned from St Louis, which was hosting the US National Championship.
Can you copyright a language? Obviously you can't claim the rights to Russian, or Spanish or Swahili, but what about a made-up language? That is an issue that an American court will look at later this year when Paramount Pictures and CBS sue the makers of a Star Trek fan movie. One part of that case is the use of the invented language for the warlike alien race, the Klingons. Klingon is a BIG deal. It was invented in the early 1980s by the linguist Marc Okrand for the Star Trek movies.
And Roger Hearing is joined by two guests for the hour on opposite sides of the Pacific - David Kuo of the Motley Fool in Singapore and Ralph Silva of the Silva Network in Toronto.
Rahul Tandon looks at India's changing entertainment industry - the competition that Hindi films face from regional cinema and Hollywood. He also speaks to one of India's leading actors Manoj Bajpayee about his latest film Aligarh, based on the life of gay professor Ramchandra Siras. Plus the risks and opportunities posed to the industry by the ever growing numbers of Indian smartphone and tablet owners.
Also, why aren't more Indian bands cracking the international music scene? Rahul hears from rock band Indus Creed. Joining Rahul in Mumbai is author and film critic Deepanjana Pal and from Boston, journalist and academic Hasit Shah.
(Photo: Manoj Bajpayee in Aligarh. Credit: Eros International)
The BBC has exclusive evidence of the large-scale destruction of a reef in the South China Sea by Chinese poachers and the theft of valuable and endangered giant clams. The Philippines, which is pursuing its own legal claim to many of the islands, says the Chinese navy is allowing the poachers to plunder the reefs with impunity. Rupert Wingfield-Hayes has the story.
All public schools in the Los Angeles area were closed on Tuesday after a ‘credible threat’ was received via email. Almost 700,000 students were affected. A similar threat was received by police in New York, but was not deemed credible - schools remained open. We hear from families caught up in the California alert.
Also in the programme, the US central bank the Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates tomorrow, for the first time in almost a decade. Our economic commentator Roger Bootle offers his assessment.
We discuss big data, as the EU announces new laws requiring companies to ask permission to keep clients data. Customers are also given the right to demand their details are removed from a company's database. However, a breach of the rules could see firms fined around 4% of global revenues.
And the artists from a Grammy shortlisted album who definitely won’t be attending the awards ceremony – because they’re all behind bars. We speak to the producer of the Zomba Prison Project in Malawi.
We're joined throughout the programme by Mark Miller, Managing Editor at Marketplace in LA and Madhavan Narayanan, columnist and tech writer on the Hindustan Times in Delhi.
(Picture: Reef in South China Sea. Credit: BBC)