Will Bain hears from our North America Business Correspondent Michelle Fleury as the news breaks that the US Supreme Court has ruled against TikTok's appeal over its imminent ban in the United States. The president -elect, Donald Trump, wants the social media site to continue operating. Nigeria's finance minister assures the World Service the country's economy is turning a corner - but does it feel like that for Nigerians trying to make a living? We hear from Dr Chinyere Almona, Director-General...
Jan 17, 2025•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Israel's economy has been hit by the 15-month-long war in Gaza, and its military spending has gone up significantly, according to the economic researchers at Capital Economics. We will be speaking to one of the economic analysts who did the research. The former Bank of Canada governor, Mark Carney, says he is running to replace Justin Trudeau as the leader of Canada's governing Liberal Party. Casting himself as an outsider with strong economic credentials, he distanced himself from the prime min...
Jan 16, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast After 15 months of bitter conflict on the Gaza Strip, a ceasefire deal has been agreed . With the cost of rebuilding estimated as much as 80 billion dollars, Sam Fenwick explores the critical aspect of job creation, essential for providing livelihoods to a population that has faced significant economic hardship. Also on the programme, a look at the potential impact of the Trump presidency on business across Africa.
Jan 16, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast A deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas to end the fighting in Gaza and secure the release of Israeli hostages. 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. Also in the program, you will hear that some US banks have had a good quarter—the earnings of Goldman ...
Jan 15, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Daniel Chapo is officially sworn in as Mozambique's president after months of unrest that left nearly 300 dead. We explore how businesses are coping with the aftermath of the protests. Also, Sam Fenwick delves into the challenges facing Germany’s major exporters amid slowing sales and rising costs. And on a lighter note, the debate over pineapple on pizza heats up as a UK restaurant introduces a hefty price tag to deter Hawaiian pizza lovers!
Jan 15, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast The men have been underground since police operations targeting illicit mining started last year across the country. We hear the latest from Stilfontein. The US Supreme Court is expected to rule this week on TikTok's challenge to an outright ban in the US. We find out about the platform Red Note, that might take its place. And a pizzeria in the UK is so reluctant to put pineapple on their pizzas, they are instead charging $120 to anyone that orders one. We speak to the restaurant co-owner....
Jan 14, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast We're living hand to mouth and having to borrow money from friends to pay the electric bills." These are the words of a woman who runs a textile firm in Pakistan. The Pakistan Textile Council has written to the government, warning that the country faces an energy crisis that could force manufacturing companies to shut down. Sam Fenwick is joined by a California wildfire expert who has been at the forefront of modelling high-risk areas for years.
Jan 14, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast The new Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, defeated the Hezbollah backed candidate, , the former caretaker prime minister. We find out what this could mean a new dawn for its embattled economy. China has reported its biggest-ever trade surplus, just a week before the inauguration of Donald Trump, who's promised to impose tariffs on Chinese goods. Cost-of-living pressures have overtaken climate change and the environment as the number one concern for young Australians.
Jan 13, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Beijing has released strong economic data, reporting its largest-ever trade surplus. Also on the programme, a BBC investigation uncovers 75-hour workweeks endured by workers in Shein's fast-fashion factories in China. Could this affect the company's plans to list on the London Stock Exchange? And Sam Fenwick explores the economic impact of the Kumbh Mela in India, which is expected to generate $3.4 billion in revenue for Uttar Pradesh. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voice note: +44 ...
Jan 13, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Los Angeles has been devastated by wildfires, forcing nearly 200,000 residents to flee, destroying homes, and taking lives. We hear firsthand from those caught in the chaos, including Julia Pollak, who narrowly escaped the flames. With climate change fuelling more extreme weather, insurance is increasingly out of reach for many. Benjamin Allbright of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Louisiana weighs in on the challenges. Plus, updates on Venezuela’s contested elections, TikTok’s...
Jan 10, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast The US president-elect, Donald Trump has been given an unconditional discharge over his conviction last year for business fraud. The sentence -- handed down in New York -- means he avoids prison or a fine, as expected. The popular social media platform, TikTok, is appearing before the US Supreme Court today in a last-ditch effort to overturn an imminent US ban. And in Venezuela, President Nicolás Maduro is set to be sworn in today for the third term to lead his country, despite a six-month dispu...
Jan 10, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Coming up on the programme, Experts estimate a $50 billion cost as wildfires continue to rage across Los Angeles. We also examine the challenges facing Lebanon’s new president as he tackles the country’s economic crisis. Plus, a look at Peru’s new megaport, poised to become Latin America’s gateway to Asia.
Jan 09, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast At least five different wildfires are still raging around Los Angeles, and the flames are visible from space, squeezing the city in a blazing pincer. We will look at the financial costs to fight such fires and insurance costs for people who live in areas like Southern California where fires happen regularly. A new mega-port on Peru’s coastline—part of China's Belt and Road Initiative—will increase the frequency of trips to Asia this month. And Ethiopia is on the brink of launching a new stock ex...
Jan 09, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast A fire at Pacific Palisades is the most destructive in LA history, officials say, with more than 1,000 buildings burned. Also, could President-elect Trump be serious about re-taking the Panama Canal? We speak with one of his former trade advisors. And, tensions rise in Venezuela with protests expected ahead of President Maduro's inauguration on Friday.
Jan 08, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast President-elect Donald Trump is ramping up economic pressure on Denmark in his bid to acquire Greenland. Are Danish exporters concerned about these threats? Could the sale of new air-fryers and dishwashers reignite the Chinese economy? And we hear from the Chris Brownridge, CEO of Rolls-Royce cars. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!
Jan 08, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast President elect Donald Trump has announced some of his plans energy policies. He promises to overturn ban on offshore oil development, as well as launching a scathing attack on renewable energy such as wind power Meta has decided to end its fact-checking programme on Facebook, Instagram and Threads. And retailer Shein has been questioned by UK MP’s over the transparency of their supply chains and allegations of human rights abuses
Jan 08, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast In a video posted on Meta platforms, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has announced ditching third-party fact-checking and replacing it with a 'community notes' system similar to that of Elon Musk's X. The Pentagon has added Tencent, along with several other Chinese companies, to its blacklist of firms with suspected ties to the Chinese military. And Sudan's military-led government has lifted a 10-month-long block on crude oil exports from its landlocked neighbour, South Sudan, after the two coun...
Jan 07, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Canadian Federation of Independent Business tells the BBC that business fears a recession as a result of Donald Trump’s tariff threats. Also, President Jo Biden announces a ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling in most US coastal waters. And how popular is New York's newly introduced congestion charge?
Jan 07, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Shipowners have recently placed orders for a record number of new container vessels, driven by a substantial increase in profits. Nippon Steel of Japan and U.S. Steel have jointly filed a lawsuit challenging President Joe Biden’s decision to block a $15 billion acquisition deal. And the first congestion charge scheme for vehicles in the US has come into effect in New York City. Sam Fenwick hears about other places that have implemented such plans, including London and Singapore.
Jan 06, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast How will President Bidens decision to block Nippon Steel’s takeover of US Steel impact Americas relationship with Japan India’s scan to pay transactions will hit one billion by 2026-27. What does this shift to a cashless society mean for the country? And how should couples handle money related disagreements? We hear from Reema Khrais, host of 'This is Uncomfortable' podcast
Jan 04, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast US where President Biden has blocked the takeover of US Steel -- the nation's third-biggest steelmaker -- by the Japanese company Nippon Steel. We hear from Syria as it destroys what had been its number one cash export - highly addictive amphetamines. Also in the show, could Slovakia really be about to switch off Ukraine's electricity supply?
Jan 03, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast We hear from the owner of several restaurants in New Orleans after a man drove a truck into a crowd. The attack took place at Bourbon Street a well-known tourist hotspot that is filled with restaurants, bars and clubs. Presenter Rahul Tandon talks to a US based bike manufacturer about the impact tariffs will have on the global economy as well as on companies like his which rely on Chinese parts to keep the business going. We are also in Mexico to hear about its trading relationship with US with ...
Jan 03, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast We look at how South Korea's political instability is continuing to effect its economy. How might President-elect Donald Trump’s policies affect different parts of the world? And as thousands of artistic works come into the public domain in the United States, we look at how people might plan to monetise them.
Jan 02, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country would not allow Russia to "earn additional billions on our blood" after stopping Russian gas transit to the EU following the expiration of a five-year deal. Ivory Coast has announced that French troops will withdraw from the West African nation, further reducing the military stake of the former colonial power in the region. Leanna Byrne asks if this also means it will lose economic influence. And with US President-elect Donald Trump se...
Jan 01, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast The flow of Russian gas through Ukraine is about to come to an end. What will happen next? We'll look at the rollercoaster year for blockbuster films, the incredible 'Taylor Swift effect' that set the music world on fire and the unfortunate wave of layoffs that have hit the gaming industry. We’ll discuss what 2025 might look like for entertainment around the world. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!
Dec 31, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast As Russian gas supplies through Ukraine come to a halt, Moldova is left grappling with an energy crisis. Former Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Nicu Popescu and energy expert Jaime Concha join Roger Hearing to discuss the country’s options and the impact on the wider energy market. Plus after a challenging 2024, Australia’s hospitality industry looks toward recovery in 2025. Wes Lambert of the Australian Restaurant & Café Association reflects on the struggles and opportunities for bars, resta...
Dec 31, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast The prospects for both Ukraine and Russia in 2025, as President Joe Biden makes probably his last multi-billion dollar grant of aid to Ukraine's economy. Also we're looking at tariffs today. How US companies are responding to the prospect of a Trump presidency which might be about to slap much higher import duties on goods from around the world? And we're in Scotland where - to some local dismay - the end of year festival, Hogmanay, has partly at least been cancelled. You can contact us on Whats...
Dec 30, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Former President Jimmy Carter has died, aged 100. Leanna Byrne looks back on his life and his economic legacy with former executive director of the American Foreign Service Association, Ian Houston. Salah Elbakkoush, a former advisor to Libya's High Council of State, tells us about the country's eastern-based government approving a proposal to end fuel subsidies. Plus we hear about a Tequila 'lake' - with Mexico having 500 million litres of the spirit because of falling demand.
Dec 30, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast The US has imposed sanctions on Georgia's former prime minister and billionaire founder of the Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili. One of crypto-currency's most notorious figures is facing extradition to the US on charges of massive fraud. What do we know about Do Kwan? Also in the show, nine months on from the Baltimore Bridge disaster, we speak to two local companies about how they're trying to put their businesses back together. And how volunteering - also a multi-billion dollar indust...
Dec 27, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast We explore the economic legacy of Manmohan Singh, India’s former Prime Minister, who has died. Mr Singh is credited with liberalising India’s economy. What will happen to China's economy in 2025? And we celebrate Britain's longest-serving Royal Mail postman, who’s leaving the service after 60 years.
Dec 27, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
