World Business Report
Analysis of the big global business and economic issues, as they affect consumers and investors. Broadcast on weekdays.
Why did Bolt's CEO fire whole HR team?
Ryan Breslow let go of 30% of his workforce, plus his entire HR department. He defended this by saying they 'created problems that didn't exist.' And, AI giant Nvidia is the first company to be worth $5 trillion, following their fiscal first-quarter earnings announcement. This comes after their CEO was…
Trump leaves, Putin enters
Hot on the heels of the US President, the Russian leader is the latest to meet with President Xi in Beijing, signing over 20 agreements on trade and technology. The two leaders failed to come to an agreement on a long awaited Russian gas pipeline between the countries. China is…
Why did a former Google CEO get booed?
The former Google CEO got heckled at a graduation ceremony at the University of Arizona. The editor-in-chief of their student paper The Daily Wildcat tells us why. We also discuss fuel price hikes in India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi concludes his European visit in Norway. And with data centres…
Kenya's government cuts fuel prices after deadly protests
Deadly protests in Kenya have forced the government to cut diesel prices after a sharp jump in fuel costs, driven by supply pressures from the Middle East conflict. Roads into the Nairobi were blocked, tyres burned and public transport disrupted as anger grows over fuel hikes. A nationwide transport strike…
Musk and Altman are 'toddlers'
Tech journalist Kara Swisher describes Elon Musk and Sam Altman as 'toddlers' as their trial concludes. In a unanimous verdict, the jury agreed that Elon Musk's claims essentially expired after waiting too long to file his lawsuit. Plus we hear from a New York cabbie who expects a deal to…
Major rail strike brings New York to a halt
Long Island Rail Road workers walk out, leaving hundreds of thousands of commuters scrambling for alternatives and raising concerns about the wider economic impact of the disruption. Elsewhere, rising fuel prices around the world have led to a nationwide strike by public transport operators in Kenya. While in India the…
Trump heads home after high-stakes China talks
As the US president leaves Beijing for Washington, it's clear both parties are eager to improve their economic relationship. We reflect on the last two days with American and Chinese experts. Across the pond, it's been a dramatic week for British politics too as Prime Minster Keir Starmer faces calls…
Trump and Xi talks come to a close
Ahead of President Trump's and President Xi's China summit, there were hopes of deals agreed on both trade and tariffs. But has anything actually been achieved? Leanna Byrne finds out. And less than a month from the start of the World Cup, fans and hoteliers are getting nervous at the…
Will Donald Trump's visit to China benefit the global economy?
The US president and his Chinese counterpart struck a positive tone at a banquet dinner in Beijing today. But what was actually achieved in a day of meetings between the two world leaders? Protests have broken out in Havana following ongoing power blackouts described as the worst in decades. Cuba's…
The start of the deal: Trump and Xi meet
Presidents Trump and Xi meet in Beijing: What's at stake for both in terms of trade and tariffs? And Honda reports its first annual loss in 70 years. Has the Japanese car giant misjudged its electric vehicle strategy? Also, Cuba runs out of diesel and fuel oil as a US-led…
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping discuss tariffs, trade, and AI
US President Donald Trump is in China to meet with his counterpart Xi Jinping. They're expected to discuss their current tense trade relationship, the Middle East war, and negotiate an extension of their trade truce agreed in October that paused tariff escalation between the two nations. India has raised import…
Trump flies to China for talks with Xi
Tariffs, tech competition, the Iran war and Taiwan top the agenda for the two superpowers. Trump, last visited in 2017. He returns to a stronger, more assertive China. Tens of thousands take to the streets of Buenos Aires to protest the economic policies of Argentina's President Javier Milei. And India…
US price worries: customers tighten purse strings
Are higher prices in the US starting to show up in household bills as inflation moves closer to 4%? We’ll be looking at where that pressure is coming from, how long it might last, and what it means for businesses and consumers already feeling the squeeze. Also today, after an…
US inflation leaps to 3.8%
The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have caused higher energy and grocery prices. The average US price for a gallon of unleaded is at its highest level since July 2022, at $4.50. A Japanese snack maker says it's been forced to print its packaging in black and white because…
Oil deadlock deepens
Oil prices are rising as tensions in the Middle East continue to disrupt supply, with petrol in parts of the US now topping six dollars a gallon. We’re joined by David Malpass, former US Treasury Under-Secretary under President Trump and former World Bank President, to discuss the global economic impact…
Narendra Modi urges Indians to WFH
The PM says austerity measures will cut India's fuel use and save foreign exchange. India imports 90% of its oil. Its fuel bill has spiked since the US and Israel's war on Iran. President Emmanuel Macron goes on a charm offensive in Africa. He's visiting Kenya for the two day…
Why is US consumer confidence at a record low?
US job numbers are rising and the stock market is booming near record highs. So why are consumers feeling so pessimistic about the economy? As a Mexican trade mission visits Canada, the two countries look to deepen economic ties. Also Instagram’s direct messages are no longer fully private, and gamers…
Donald Trump warns EU of new tariffs by July 4
Last week, the US President threatened to raise the tariff on the import of EU cars to 25% if the European Parliament delayed a new EU/US tariff agreement. The annual conference of ASEAN, the grouping of South East Asian states, is meeting in the Philippines with the shadow of the…
EU and airlines disagree on fuel shortage concerns
As airlines cut flights over high jet fuel costs the EU's transport commissioner says passengers must still be compensated. We hear from the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen on how the industry is responding to rising costs and supply chain issues. And would you sue for guaranteed access to a…
Air Asia boss admits high fuel costs are hard to manage
Tony Fernandes, the chief executive of the low cost carrier, has been speaking to the BBC. He says the current high fuel costs are more complex for the airline to manage than covid was. Danish shipping giant Maersk says it will be able to adapt if charges are introduced for…