US Drops 'Mother of All Bombs' on IS

Business Matters

The GDU-43 bomb weighs almost 10,000kg, is as long as a small bus and packs the equivalent of eleven tons of TNT. But is deploying it an essential part of the war against so-called Islamic State, or is it just designed to show off America's military strength? We ask Michael O'Hanlon from the Brookings Institution.

Since the start of the conflict in Syria, Armenia has welcomed an influx of refugees from the native Syrian Armenian community in Aleppo. They've been supported by the government to set up a series of micro-enterprises, but this has caused conflict with local business owners who say it's bringing them more competition. Nicola Kelly reports from the capital city, Yerevan

Political protests have become frequent and numerous in Venezuela in recent weeks. Most recently they have been sparked by a decision to bar the opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, from holding public office for fifteen years. The BBC's Daniel Garcia talks to us from Caracas.

What does Easter mean to you? Is it a religious festival, a break from work or just an excuse to consume large quantities of chocolate? Well it would appear that in the US it's increasingly becoming a good time for shops, according to the National Retail Federation.

Joining Roger Hearing to discuss those stories are guests Professor Aswit Biswas in Singapore and Alison Van Diggelen in San Francisco

(Picture: GDU-43 or 'Massive Ordnance Air Blast' bomb, Credit: U.S. Air Force)