The US economy grew by less than forecast in the first three months of this year but inflation gathered pace, which could delay an interest rate cut. Official figures revealed the economy expanded at an annualised rate of 1.6%, far below expectations and the growth seen in the final months of 2023. Meanwhile, inflation, which measures the pace of p…

The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is continuing his visit to China, there are tensions on many fronts between the world’s two superpowers, how will the trip pay out? We hear from Brian Wong, from the Centre on Contemporary China and the World, in Hong Kong. As TikTok vows to fight a new law which could see it sold or banned in the US, what …

The Federal Trade Commission has voted to ban so-called ‘non-compete’ agreements in a move which could affect millions of workers Under the moves, U.S. companies would no longer be able to bar employees from taking jobs with . But it’s likely to be challenged in court. One woman tells us how her family’s life was turned upside down by a non-compete…

We hear from the BBC's Nikhil Inamdar in the financial hub of Mumbai. Plus, in the tech hub of Bengaluru, first-time voters say it's really hard trying to get a job. Women are still very much a minority in workplaces. We ask female voters why? And writer Swati Narayan tells us why she thinks India is so unequal.…

US lawmakers could vote on a bill that corners the app's owner ByteDance with a stark choice: to sell or be banned. Also in the programme, the French government addresses shrinkflation concerns with a new rule that will require stores to tell customers when a product becomes smaller but its price stays the same or increases. And we look into why sa…

Businesses in the South American nation have been told to shut down for two days due to power cuts caused by drought. We find out more. The Scottish government is to scrap its flagship target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030. We hear why. And Google terminates 28 staff who protested against a contract signed with the government o…

President Jo Biden is set to call for a tripling of US tariffs on steel and aluminium. His demand for tariff hikes comes as he tackles fraught relations with China. A Boeing engineer has told US lawmakers that he was harassed and threatened after he raised concerns about the safety of the company's planes. We hear from engineers and their claims. T…

Flash floods have bought Dubai to a standstill. Devina Gupta speaks to a tourist from India who is one of thousands stuck at a mall The Mall of Emirates throughout the night after roads became gridlocked and the metro system stopped working. Also, the International Monetary Fund - is renewing its confidence in the American economy. The IMF report s…

US electric car maker tesla has announced job cuts - is the ride getting rough for the global electric vehicle market? Also, should China face sanctions for buying oil from Iran? We speak to a Congressman from the US who thinks so Plus, the truth behind truth social continues as we look how Trump Media shares have been falling. And finally, is Amer…

On today’s programme we discuss the likelihood and nature of an Iranian attack on Israel.Also, find out why a hunger strike has begun on the island of Tenerife in response to the damaging effects of tourism on the Canary Islands.Plus, we head to Argentina and find out how they are grappling with high inflation.And finally, find out how an American …

Joe Biden has pledged to protect the Philippines from any attack in the South China Sea. He made the comments at a White House summit with Philippine president Marcos and Japan's Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida. We look at the importance of the US economic relationship with Japan. President Biden has also introduced new rules aimed at tightening gun …

Consumer prices in the US rose faster than expected last month. The CPI measure of inflation rose 3.5% over the 12 months to March, up from 3.2% in February, the US Labor Department said. How will the new law restricting abortion in Arizona affect the state’s clinics? Plus UK Paralympic legend Baroness Tanni-Grey Thompson tells us what she makes of…

Commodities - the raw materials that power business around the globe - are surging in price. And that suggests investors betting on a prolonged expansion—and a potential rebound in inflation. The S&P GSCI, which tracks commodity prices has advanced 12% this year. Copper and oil have gained more than 10% and 17%, respectively. Gold is also posting f…

More than thirty million people live along the path of the solar eclipse; many others have travelled to share the experience. NASA conducted experiments to study the Sun's atmosphere during the phenomenon. A quarter of Airbnb guests in the US with bookings for Sunday night were booked for a stay in the eclipse’s path. Also, in the programme, the pr…

A rare earthquake that struck New York City has swayed landmarks and cracked roads. Roger Hearing has been speaking to an NYC based stockbroker who describes the moment of impact plus we hear from the Co-Director of the Global Resilience Institute Dr Daniel Aldrich about whether New York is prepared to withstand a quake of a larger magnitude. Also,…

We examine one the biggest property deals in Europe since 2022 as Gucci has splashed out on a new $1.3bn office in Milan.British businessman Joe Lewis is sentenced by a US judge to three years' probation for orchestrating an insider trading scheme. The BBC's New York business correspondent Michelle Fleury tell us more.Is Gen Z opting for blue colla…

Staff at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company are back at work . Roger Hearing examines how the leading chipmaker has been affected by the earthquake from Bob O'Donnell, the President of California based TECHnalysis Research. Tesla expands its ambition into India. We hear what this means for the production and sales of electric cars. And Disn…

A report led by the World Bank and UN estimates costs to rebuild Gaza’s critical infrastructure to be $18.5 billion dollars. We look at how this will be funded and find out why a charity has suspended shipments of humanitarian aid in Gaza. Also are drivers falling out of love with Electric cars? Tesla and BYD have reported significant a drop in sal…

A number of countries around the world, including the US, UK and Canada, are making changes to their minimum wage. We examine the impact these increases could have. Plus, why the manufacturing sector in the US expanded for the first time in over a year. Also, Germany relaxes laws around cannabis for personal use but will it lead to a boom in busine…

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? …

A local brewery founder near the Francis Scott Key Bridge reacts to the aftermath and we hear from the United States Chamber of Commerce. Also, China buys flying-car technology from a Slovakian company. And, we look ahead to the sentencing of Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced former boss of FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange. (Picture: National Transp…

Japan is hit by another earthquake. We hear about the impact it could have on the economy. We examine microfinance and how it works in practice after a Bangladeshi pioneer of this type of finance is sentenced for violating labour laws. And the state railway company of Ukraine introduces women only compartments to stop assaults on trains.…

Danish shipping giant Maersk has said it is preparing to resume shipping operations through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. We explore the fallout from a ban on some of Apple's latest watches in the US . AND We examine why Argentina's new president, Javier Milei has decided to sign a decree cancelling the contracts of seven thousand public sector wor…

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 wort…

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 f…

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 sough…

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…

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 Steph…

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 wil…

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 Wash…

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. …

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 Presiden…

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 …

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, launche…

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 bumpe…

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 le…

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. Cen…

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 holidaysBy BBC World Service

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. T…

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 …

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 t…

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…

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…

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 an…

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 …

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 elect…

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. Employe…

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…

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 exclusiv…

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 Secre…