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Business Matters

BBC

Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.

Location:

United Kingdom

Networks:

BBC

Description:

Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.

Language:

English


Episodes

Will Japan end its negative interest rate regime?

3/18/2024
The country has had negative rates since 2016. Now, the central bank could raise them for the first time in 17 years. We find out what consequences this could have. Rare protests have emerged in Cuba over electricity and fuel shortages. We get the latest. And Uber will pay $178m as part of a settlement to end a lawsuit filed on behalf of thousands of taxi operators and drivers. We look into the detail. Sam Fenwick discusses this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Oliver Stuenkel, an associate professor of International Relations at the Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Rebecca Choong Wilkins, senior Asia correspondent for Bloomberg in Hong Kong. (Picture: Japanese national flag waves at the Bank of Japan building in Tokyo. Picture credit: REUTERS.)

Duration:00:50:16

US Opioid epidemic

3/15/2024
The United States is warning the rest of the world that the US is the canary in the coalmine when it comes to the global opioid crisis. Our presenter Will Bain will be hearing what the US plans on doing. We look at the challenges of exporting through the Red Sea during the holy month of Ramadan. And St. Patricks Day is happening this weekend but how much of a boost will it bring to the US and Irish economy? We will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite side of the world: Takara Small technology journalist based in Toronto, Canada and Rachel Pupazzoni, national business reporter and presenter for ABC News in Perth, Australia. (Picture: Prescription bottle for Oxycodone tablets and pills on glass table with reflections. Credit: Getty Images)

Duration:00:50:06

TikTok buyout plan

3/14/2024
Former Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Steven Mnuchin said he is arranging a team of investors to purchase Chinese social media giant TikTok. Our presenter Roger Hearing will be looking at how significant this move will be to stop Chinese influence in America. Denmark moves to conscript women into the armed forces for the first time as part of a beefing up of its defences - but there are fears about what that will do to the labour market. And robot taxis are introduced to Los Angeles for the first time. Roger will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite side of the world: Andy Uhler, Journalism Fellow at the University of Texas Energy Institute and Columbia University's Centre on Global Energy Policy in Austin, Texas, and Nga Pham, journalist and film-maker in Taipei. (Picture: Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Credit: Reuters)

Duration:00:50:11

How will a new bill aimed at TikTok affect US businesses?

3/13/2024
The US House of Representatives has approved a landmark bill that could see TikTok banned in America. The measure would give the social media giant's parent company ByteDance six months to sell its controlling stake, or the app will be removed in the US. Many people are concerned about the possible ban, including US business owners who use TikTok to boost sales. Also in the programme, presenter Will Bain asks why the EU has decided to regulate AI and talks to a major donor from the US election campaign. (Picture: Illustration shows U.S. flag and TikTok logo. Picture credit: Reuters)

Duration:00:50:12

US inflation rises to 3.2%

3/12/2024
The inflation rate in the US picked up in February, as prices for petrol and housing pushed higher. The annual rate, which measures the pace of price increases, was 3.2% in February, up from 3.1% in January, the Labor Department said. Airfare, car insurance and clothing were among the items driving the increase over the month. Also, in the programme, Sam Fenwick will talk to a doctor striking in South Korea and finds out how the climate change is having a big impact on the cost of bananas. (Picture: Inflation in the United States, Austin, USA. Picture credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Duration:00:50:11

US pledges $100M for crisis-hit Haiti

3/11/2024
The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, and leaders of the Caribbean bloc have held emergency talks in Jamaica on the state of anarchy sweeping Haiti. The United Nations-backed multinational security force will receive $100 million to help Haitian police fight gangs and the US will give $33 million in humanitarian aid. Also, in the programme, Devina Gupta finds out what's happening with the Chinese economy and why US president Joe Biden is proposing to raise taxes. (Picture: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Jamaica. Picture credit: Reuters)

Duration:00:50:08

OpenAI reinstates Sam Altman to board

3/8/2024
The firm's CEO has been cleared of any wrongdoing in an investigation of the events that led to his brief ouster last year. We get the latest. TikTok urged users to call politicians to complain about a bill that would force its parent company to either sell or shut down the Chinese-owned app in the US. We ask an expert about the implications this could have. A power company has admitted it might be responsible for the start of the largest wildfires in Texas history. We hear the details. Roger Hearing discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Takara Small, multimedia journalist and entrepreneur in Toronto, and Colin Peacock, producer and presenter of Mediawatch on Radio New Zealand, in Wellington. (Picture: Sam Altman. Picture credit: REUTERS.)

Duration:00:50:17

State of the Union: What will Joe Biden say?

3/7/2024
The US president will deliver his speech as he tries to convince Americans he should be re-elected. We get the latest. A US congressional panel has approved a bill that would force TikTok's parent company ByteDance to sell the app within six months or face a ban. We look into their reasons. And we explore why a growing number of Americans are choosing to switch to local community banks. Vivienne Nunis discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Alison Van Diggelen, host of "Fresh Dialogues" based in Silicon Valley, and Rachel Cartland, author and commentator based in Hong Kong. (Picture: Joe Biden. Picture credit: REUTERS)

Duration:00:50:24

Nikki Haley drops out of Republican presidential race

3/6/2024
Republican candidate Nikki Haley suspends her presidential campaign after losing against Donald Trump on Super Tuesday. Vivienne Nunis will be looking at what happens now to the billionaire backers funding her campaign. With global cocoa prices soaring, we speak to the CEO of Lindt chocolate about its boost to profitability. And Ireland will be making changes to their constitution on Friday which refers to women's roles as "caregivers in the home". Vivienne will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite side of the world: Karen Percy, senior freelance reporter in Melbourne, Australia and Dante Disparte Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy for Circle in Washington. (Picture: Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley announces the suspension of her campaign, in Charleston. Credit: Reuters)

Duration:00:50:16

Polls begin to close on Super Tuesday

3/5/2024
Polls are beginning to close across the 15 primary states in the U.S as Super Tuesday comes to an end. Our presenter Roger Hearing will be bringing us up to date on what the polls are saying. We'll be hearing from voters who have made up their minds and those who are still considering. And we find out if the fact that the US economy is beginning to show signs of strength, will affect the outcome in November. Roger will be joined throughout the programme by two guests: Tony Nash, Chief Economist, Complete Intelligence who's in Houston and Laura Schwartz, former Advisor to Bill Clinton and democratic strategist, who's in Chicago. (Picture: A sign is displayed during the Super Tuesday primary election in McAllen, Texas, U.S. March 5, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Cheney Orr)

Duration:00:50:28

China: National People's Congress preview

3/4/2024
The National People's Congress starts on Tuesday, bringing together China’s political elite, as well as leaders in business, tech, media, and the arts. Rahul Tandon will be looking ahead to the congress as China’s leading economics official, premier Li Qiang has said he will not address the press this year. Also Apple has been fined $2billion dollars by the EU for violating their anti- trust laws. We hear if it should it have been more for them to feel the impact? And in the United States Americans now live roughly twice as far from their offices as they did pre-pandemic. Rahul Tandon is joined throughout by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Sergio Guzman, Director at Colombia Risk Analysis in Bogotá, Colombia and Stephanie Hare, Researcher on technology and ethics in London, UK. (Picture: Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivers the work report at the opening session of the National People's Congress. Credit: Reuters)

Duration:00:50:16

Musk v OpenAI: ideology or money?

3/1/2024
Elon Musk is suing OpenAI, the makers of ChatGPT, arguing it has breached the principles he agreed to when he helped found it in 2015. The lawsuit - which has also been filed against OpenAI boss Sam Altman - says the firm has departed from its original non-profit, open source mission. Musk says that instead of trying to "benefit humanity" - as it was set up to do - OpenAI is focusing on "maximising profits" for major investor Microsoft. Also in the programme, we will talk about offices which been converted into houses in the US. (Picture: Tesla CEO and Twitter owner Elon Musk attends the VivaTech conference in Paris. Picture credit: Reuters)

Duration:00:50:25

Why junior doctors in South Korea are fighting for their rights?

2/29/2024
South Korea is dealing with another day of a doctors' strike. Most junior doctors there have so far defied a government order to return to work by the end of Thursday, despite the threat of legal action. About eighty percent of junior doctors walked out last week in protest against a decision to sharply increase the number of medical school places. They say training more doctors could lower the quality of medical school education and reduce pay. The authorities say the increase will address shortages linked to South Korea's rapidly ageing population, and a lack of doctors in rural areas. We get the views of people in Seoul on the strike action. Also, in the programme, we will hear from The United States Trade Representative - Katherine Tai, who tells us why the fall in bilateral trade between the United States and China is a positive development for both economies. (Picture: South Korean doctors march to protest against the government's medical policy in Seoul. Picture credit: Reuters)

Duration:00:50:24

US Fed await new inflation data

2/28/2024
US Inflation is down significantly from peak levels but there is some chance its underlying level is not at the Fed’s 2% annual goal, as they await figures due out on Thursday. Sam Fenwick will be hearing what investors are saying. US aviation regulators have given Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan to fix safety problems. This comes after a door panel blew off the 737 Max aircraft last month. And we hear from the business woman who took on Elon Musk and won, after Tesla cancelled an order worth 2,000 dollars. Sam Fenwick is joined throughout by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Rachel Pupazzoni is a business reporter and presenter at ABC news in Perth, Australia and Walter Todd is president chief investment officer at Greenwood Capital in South Carolina, USA. (Picture: Cash dollars and stock market indicators. Credit: Getty Images)

Duration:00:50:18

Michigan: The critical swing state

2/27/2024
As the people of Michigan head to the polls to choose their candidates for the up-coming US election. Democrats will be watching to see the results of a protest movement - calling for voters unhappy with Biden's handling of the war in Gaza to vote “uncommitted”. Sam Fenwick will be looking at what drivers the state's economy. We get the latest on why Nigeria is experiencing the worst economic crisis in a generation as inflation continues to soar. And an iconic US department store, Macy's is closing a fifth of its shops. Some of those to shut are in surprising locations. Sam Fenwick is joined throughout by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Takara Small a tech journalist in Toronto Canada and Simon Littlewood, President of ACG Global it's an investment advisory firm in Singapore. (Picture: A man goes behind a voting booth as Democrats and Republicans hold their Michigan primary presidential election, in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. Credit: Reuters)

Duration:00:50:17

Farmers in Europe continue protests

2/26/2024
Farmers in Europe have been protesting about low food prices, cheap imports, and new EU environmental measures. Sam Fenwick will be hearing if there is any progress on negotiations as Europe comes to a halt. Meanwhile a billion-dollar donation to a New York medical school means hundreds of students will graduate debt free. And you might think that the athleisure executive look is effortlessly thrown together. We can reveal that it isn't as CEO's and business executives are spending a fortune on wardrobe makeovers. Sam Fenwick is joined throughout by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Peter Morici an Economist at the University of Maryland in the U.S and Sushma Ramachandran a Senior Financial Journalist for The Tribune newspaper in India. (Picture: Tractor stands near the EU Commission headquarters during a protest on the day of an EU Agriculture Ministers meeting in Brussels, Belgium. Credit: Reuters)

Duration:00:50:18

Ukraine Russia war hits two year mark

2/23/2024
President Biden promises more sanctions against Russia. The invasion of Ukraine started two years ago, and we examine the economic fallout. Chipmaker Nvidia has lifted its earnings to new record levels. Does this suggest a wider boom amongst companies in this sector? and Germany legalises the use of cannabis. We discuss whether the move could lead to the emergence of a legal profitable market.

Duration:00:50:31

US firm becomes first private company to successfully land a spacecraft on the Moon

2/22/2024
The Houston-based company hopes to send another spacecraft in March that would drill to find underground ice. We discuss what this means other private firms hoping to explore space Google fixes its new AI-powered tool for creating pictures, after claims it was over-correcting against the risk of being racist. We hear from a former Google executive about the challenges facing tech companies who are working with AI tools. Shares in chipmaker Nvidia surge. We hear what is behind the $277bn in history’s biggest ever stock rally

Duration:00:52:46

US moves to prevent ports from cyber attacks

2/21/2024
The US government is announcing a series of actions to strengthen the cybersecurity of US ports - the move is aimed at targeting Chinese cyber-attacks. Ed Butler finds out what kind of plans are being put in place. The AI chipmaker Nvidia wows investors with some startling returns in its latest results. Is the company's boss right to call this a tipping point in the sector? And, is it time to cap everyone's personal wealth? That is the view of one outspoken economist. Ed Butler is joined throughout by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Sharon Brettkelly, presenter of The Detail on Radio New Zealand and Michael Malone, Silicon Valley journalist and host of the Silicon Insider podcast. (Picture: US President Joe Biden in Los Angeles, Culver City. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Duration:00:50:18

Biden's re-election campaign raises $42 million

2/20/2024
U.S. President Joe Biden's re-election campaign and his Democratic Party allies raised more than $42 million in January. Our Presenter Ed Butler will be finding out how much money is needed to have a successful campaign. A billionaire former property investor from China tells us why he reckons efforts to reform the property market there are doomed to fail. And we are hearing all about Beyoncé's launch of her first-ever hair car brand. Ed Butler is joined throughout by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Senior Asia Correspondent for Bloomberg in Honk Kong and Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer at Circle a global financial technology firm in New York. (Picture: U.S. President Joe Biden waves as he boards Air Force One en route to California from Joint Base Andrews, in Maryland, U.S. Credit: Reuters)

Duration:00:50:16