Global business and finance news and discussion from the BBC.

Who is Pope Leo XIV? And how is he going to deal with the Vatican's finances?The US has agreed to reduce import taxes on a number of British goods - should we expect other deals on the way?The Spanish parliament is debating reducing the current workweek from 40 to 37.5 hours for over 12 million people, we hear why the Spanish business association thinks it's a bad idea.And not all of us have $200bn to give away, but Bill Gates does and he says he will. We find out why.You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

How will the new Pope manage the Vatican's finances?

The Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said America's central bank would leave its key interest rate unchanged because of tariff 'uncertainty'. We hear from Gary Schlossberg, a global strategist for Wells Fargo Investment Institute and a former researcher at US Treasury and Federal Reserve.You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

Fed keeps interest rates unchanged despite Donald Trump pressure

The Indian government says it has launched strikes on Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in response to last month's deadly attack on tourists in India-administered Kashmir.Also, the presenter Rahul Tandon will look at the Chinese economy and find out what will happen with the trade negotiations.The Canadian Premier Mark Carney is in Washington trying to strike a deal with the US President. Carney says Donald Trump is "willing to negotiate" a new trade deal and drop the tariffs following "wide-ranging discussions" at the White House.Also, we look at the German economy after Friedrich Merz eventually elected German chancellor.And see why there are so many bets on who will be the next leader of the Catholic Church. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

India says it has launched strikes on Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir

OpenAI, the parent company of artificial intelligence service ChatGPT, has announced a new governance plan after a bitter power struggle over the business.US President Donald Trump has said he will hit movies made in foreign countries with 100% tariffs, as he ramps up trade disputes with nations around the world.The European Union has announced a five-hundred-and-sixty-million-dollar fund to attract foreign scientists. How will it work?Also, Rahul Tandon will find out why Met Gala event is so important for many investors.You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

OpenAI says non-profit arm will retain control of firm

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.

Millions of Australians head to the polls

President Trump has sacked Waltz as national security adviser and nominated him to serve as ambassador to the United Nations.The US and Ukraine signed a minerals deal which President Zelensky says is an "equal partnership".As trade wars continue, we explore how businesses of all sizes are surviving. Will tariffs dominate Apple and Amazon's earnings? And how are small businesses staying afloat?Plus, why have Australian wine exports hit a record low? Andrew Peach speaks to a wine maker in Melbourne.

Trump sacks Waltz as US National Security Advisor

President Trump says tariffs on China “will not be anywhere near 145%” but won’t be removed all together. It follows US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying he expected a ‘de escalation’ in US China tariffs.The International Monetary Fund has revised its global growth forecast in the wake of Trump’s tariffs, with the US expected to be hit hardest.And the boardgames industry is suffering the consequences of tariffs. A number of companies have launched a legal case against the Trump administration. Among them is Stonemaier Games, we speak to their President.

Trump suggests China tariffs will fall

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.

Trump marks first 100 days in office

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.

Canadians are voting in an election dominated by the global trade war

A new survey by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research has revealed that consumer confidence in the United States has seen its largest drop since 1990.While the Governor of Mississippi believes rising tariffs will lead to more capital investment, we hear from a retail business in Indiana on the impact of the ongoing trade war. Rahul Tandon speaks to prominent Canadian automotive figure Flavio Volpe on the state of the country's economy ahead of Monday's general election.And a Californian government figure discusses how the state has overtaken Japan to become the fourth largest global economic force behind Germany, China and the US as a whole.

Public confidence in the US economy falls sharply

China has said no to any trade talks until the US withdraws its tariffs, but which of the World's two superpowers will blink first and bring the growing trade war to an end? Rahul Tandon speaks to the President of the American Toy Association on how children's Christmas presents, including Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels cars and Jellycats toys, could fall victim to the US-China trade war.Meanwhile, how will the higher education sector in the US be affected by the fall out?We enter the World of the ‘workfluencers’, where the personal meets the professional, and how corporations are increasingly putting employees in front of the camera in order to humanise the working environment. Elsewhere, as the situation in Kashmir develops and Pakistan suspends all trade with India, we find out about the growing tension between the two countries. And there's concern for the survival of Africa's shea nut tree which provides an income for millions of women.Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.

Could the US-China tariff war cancel Christmas?

With China open to talks and the US Treasury secretary hinting at a deal, Rahul Tandon talks to economists and trade specialists about the likelihood of a thaw in relations.
 And we look ahead to the Australian elections.

US and China: What's the deal?

Argentinians in the capital, Buenos Aires, paid tribute to Pope Francis during a mass held at the San Jose de Flores Basilica.
The US Vice President JD Vance has met with India's prime minister Narendra Modi to discuss a trade deal.
And the United Nations says, the cyberscam industry is expanding globally including to South America and Africa. We hear from International Justice Mission which has been campaigning to help the people forced to working at these scam centres.

Pope Francis died of stroke and heart failure, Vatican says

Tension has grown between President Trump and head of the Federal Reserve. Jerome Powell has faced fierce criticism from Donald Trump, who's accused him of being too slow to cut interest rates.We speak to Chinese manufacturers about the impact of tariffs on their business.And a host of new Star Wars films and TV shows have been announced. Ryan Gosling, one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, will take the lead.

Tension grows between President Trump and the Federal Reserve

The American President Donald Trump has criticised Jerome Powell after the Chair of the US Federal Reserve stated that tariffs are likely to push up inflation and unemployment, while President Trump says he's "one-hundred per cent sure" of a US-EU trade deal.We hear from the CEO of the Port of Long Beach - the busiest port in the US - on how they're already feeling the effects of US-China tariffs. Elsewhere the head of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, has warned that economic growth will suffer due to global trade uncertainty being "off the charts".And Rahul Tandon speaks to a former Netflix director after the streaming service reported quarterly profits of $2.9bn.Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.

Could President Trump fire the head of the US Federal Reserve?

Key figures in the global economy have been speaking about the potential impact of a trade war between the World's two largest economies, initiated by President Donald Trump's tariffs.The World Trade Organisation is forecasting that global trade will fall this year, and its director general, Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, warned that a trade war between the US and China could affect all countries worldwide.Rahul Tandon finds out how Chinese manufacturers are concerned about tariffs, and speaks to an aviation specialist about why a bathroom problem is set to cost Boeing millions of dollars.And we hear how the remote Pacific island nation of Tuvalu celebrated the unveiling of its first cash machine.

WTO says global trade will fall this year

Sam Fenwick is joined by Erin Mc Laughlin, senior economist at the Conference Board in New York and Simon Littlewood, a business consultant based in Singapore.Two years into a civil war, Sudan is home to the world's largest humanitarian crisis. The International Red Cross is urging all sides to stop attacks on civilian infrastructure.We hear about Chinese president Xi Jinping's tour around Southeast Asia and what Malaysia stands to gain from new trade deals with China.Also in the programme, why are Chinese influencers going viral on TikTok over tariffs?

Sudan’s civil war devastates both lives and the economy

Sam Fenwick is joined by Emily Feng, International correspondent for NPR in Washington DC and Peter Landers, Asia Business and Finance Editor at Wall Street Journal in Singapore.China's president declared their will be no winners in the trade war as he tours Southeast Asia, aiming to strengthen ties with neighbouring nations. We hear how tariffs are shaping US consumer confidence and leading to potential drug shortages.Also in the programme, how do University Spin-Out Businesses boost the economy?

"No winners" in a trade war, says China's President

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.

Global markets continue to struggle after a difficult week

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.

Donald Trump recognises tariff 'transition difficulty' as US stock market falls again

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.

China now faces 125% US tariffs in trade war

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.

Myanmar Earthquake: How aid gets to where it’s needed

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.

Canada PM says the US is ‘no longer a reliable partner’

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.

Trump imposes 25% tariffs on car imports

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.

US ports see record levels of activities due to worries of a global trade war

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.

Trump slams brakes on New York congestion charge

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.

What is the future of US-Russia economic relations?

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.

Who’s spent what on the war in Ukraine?

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.

Canada, Mexico, and China face tariffs on Saturday, White House says

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.

Black boxes recovered in deadly Washington DC plane crash

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.

US Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban law

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.

Former Bank of Canada governor runs to replace Justin Trudeau

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.

Rebuilding Gaza requires billions of dollars

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.

SEC boss Gary Gensler to step down when Donald Trump takes office

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. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!

Boeing workers prepare to vote on pay offer

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.

Lebanon sees nine killed by exploding pagers

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?

Sri Lanka's economic prospects ahead of this weekend's elections

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.

Former President Trump announces his Vice Presidential running mate

We hear from Betsey Stevenson, Former Economic Adviser 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.Rahul Tandon is joined by Fermin Koop in Argentina and Zyma Islam in Bangladesh to discuss the most important and interesting global business and economic stories.

Democrat senator calls for President Biden to stand aside

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)

Sam Bankman-Fried 'Crypto King' sentenced to 25 years in prison

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.

Japan earthquake: What impact will it have on the economy?

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)

Global shipping firms set to resume to Red Sea route after attacks

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).

Biden meets Wang as the US and China prepare for the scheduled leaders' summit

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)

FTX: 'King of Crypto' testifies to judge in fraud trial

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)

Meta sued by US states

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)

Argentina heads to the ballot box for presidential election

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 &#38; 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)

Biden addresses nation as Israel-Hamas war continues

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)

Aid poised to enter Gaza strip

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)

Microsoft completes biggest deal in gaming history

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)

New Zealand's economy at the centre of election campaigns

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)

African Union expected to join G20

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)

G20 India: The world's largest economies meet in Delhi

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).

African leaders propose global carbon taxes to fight climate change

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)

Switzerland outlines measures to combat money laundering

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)

US faces more interest rate hikes to cool inflation

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 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for the start of the influential three-day economic conference.(The national flags of current BRICS members are displayed at the conference centre in South Africa. Photo Credit: Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images)

BRICS invites six more countries to join the bloc

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

US bonds offer investors better returns

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.

Joe Biden pledges to boost US on first anniversary of Inflation Reduction Act

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)

How extreme heat in the US is affecting business

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)

Wheat prices rise after Russia threatens ships

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)

Russia pulls out of grain deal

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)

Microsoft's deal to buy Activision boosted by US judge

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)

Threads app signs up 100m users in less than a week

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)

Blinken visit to Beijing seeks to ease US-China tension

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)

Africa peace making mission aimed at aiding global economy

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)

US Fed leaves interest rates unchanged

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)

EU votes on ways to regulate AI

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.

Major setback in Microsoft’s bid to buy Activision Blizzard

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)

Biden and McCarthy ‘closer to deal’ on debt ceiling

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)

Nvidia earnings make chip maker AI superpower

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).

China is the focus on the second day of G7 summit

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 where the coronation ceremony will begin at 11 o'clock.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)

Coronation of King Charles III

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)

Apple profit and revenue higher than expected

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. (Photo: Artificial intelligence pioneer Geoffrey Hinton speaks at the Thomson Reuters Financial and Risk Summit in Toronto, December 4, 2017. Mark Blinch/Reuters)

AI’s ‘Godfather’ quits Google amid dark warnings

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)

How Apple’s new stores in India could help young generation?

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)

Fox News settles $787.5m for Dominion defamation case

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)

The US-China trade war heating up

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? If you do next week is your big chance. The full skeleton of a T-Rex goes to auction in Switzerland. But you will 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?(Photo: President Biden during his visit to Ireland. Credit: Getty Images)

Biden trumpets inflation fall

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.

IMF concerns about smaller US banks

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)

Global funders face thorny issues at spring conference

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)

Lawyers respond as Johnson and Johnson offers $9 billion to settle talc claims

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.

US House committee votes to release Donald Trump’s tax records to the public

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)

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance walks away from a bailout deal of rival FTX

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).

Famine looms in Ukraine's shadow

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)

Ukraine takes centre stage in Davos

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)

The cryptocurrency collapse

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)

Why has the Nasdaq had its worst day in years?

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 &#38; 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.)

Ships backed-up in Shanghai

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.)

Biden poised to invoke Cold War-era law to encourage domestic mining

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)

UK and US urge caution on Russian pledge to reduce attacks​

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.)

Blinken arrives in Australia to meet foreign ministers

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.(IMAGE CREDIT: GETTY)

Russian and US envoys clash at the UN Security Council

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).

Review of the year - 2021

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)

Biden's Build Back Better plan in jeopardy

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 .)

Tesla is now worth more than $1 trillion

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.)

Power cuts hit north-east China

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)

Huawei's Meng Wanzhou released from house arrest

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)

Evergrande debt crisis continues

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.)

President Biden defends US withdrawal from Afghanistan

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.)