World Business Report
1,874 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 4 hours ago - ★★★★ - 236 ratingsThe latest business and finance news from around the world, from the BBC.
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Episodes
Fears grow over China Covid lockdowns
April 25, 2022 15:15 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBChinese stock markets closed sharply down amid concerns Beijing may soon go into lockdown. With reports of panic buying at supermarkets in the city, we hear from student Keegan Elmer in Beijing, and get wider context from Jonathan Cheng, China bureau chief of the Wall Street Journal. Also in the programme, there are reports that Tesla entrepreneur Elon Musk may be close to securing a purchase of the social media site Twitter. The BBC's Samira Hussain brings us up to speed from New York. As Em...
President Emmanuel Macron re-elected in France
April 24, 2022 23:02 - 35 minutes - 16.2 MBCentrist Emmanuel Macron has been re-elected as president of France, defeating far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s run-off. The BBC’s Rob Young has been following the vote from Nice, and tells us that Le Pen increased her vote share in a rematch of the second round of voting from 2017. Tomasz Michalski, a professor at the renowned business school HEC Paris says that spiralling inflation, which is outpacing salary increases, leaves the incumbent victor with a big challenge on his han...
Carlos Ghosn: Ex-Nissan boss says he wants a trial
April 22, 2022 22:19 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBFormer Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn, who fled Japan whilst awaiting trial, says he’d be willing to go to court in Lebanon on financial wrongdoing charges. Speaking to the BBC’s international business correspondent Theo Leggett, Mr. Ghosn said he had not profited from financial impropriety. Plus, ahead of the second round of France’s presidential election on Sunday, the BBC’s Paris correspondent Hugh Schofield tells us how the two candidates wound up their campaigns, and what their economic priori...
Shanghai tightens lockdown restrictions
April 22, 2022 15:08 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBShanghai residents infected with coronavirus will get door alarms to prevent them leaving. We get a sense of how that and other new restrictions are impacting daily life from one resident of the city, Anthony who owns a beauty clinic there. Also in the programme, market traders in Ghana are calling for authorities to implement policies to hold prices stable as inflation bites. We find out more from Dr Agyapomaa Gyeke-Dako, from the University of Ghana Business School in Accra. A year after w...
IMF head: Ukraine needs $5-7bn per month
April 21, 2022 22:41 - 26 minutes - 12 MBThe Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva says Ukraine needs up to $7 billion per month in the near future, in the wake of Russia’s invasion. The BBC’s Economics Editor Faisal Islam has been speaking to her, and joins us on the line from Washington DC to talk through the big news lines emanating from the IMF/World Bank 2022 Spring Meetings. Plus, a harrowing day for American news giant CNN, which has axed its recently-launched online streaming service CNN+,...
French presidential candidates face off
April 21, 2022 15:23 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBEmmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen have held their only debate ahead of France's election. Voters head to the polls on Sunday to choose their next president, and we get analysis of the candidates' economic plans from Victor Mallet, Paris bureau chief of the Financial Times. Also in the programme, we explore the impact on renewable energy investment of the rising price of fossil fuels, with the environmentalist George Monbiot. The World Bank has warned of a potential global food crisis, as a re...
Update: Germany to halt Russian oil imports 'as fast as possible'
April 20, 2022 22:18 - 15 minutes - 6.88 MBGermany says it is working hard to reduce its reliance on Russian energy. The BBC's Faisal Islam speaks to the German finance minister Christian Lindner. As Tesla releases its Q1 earnings, we get analysis from Dan Ives, senior equity analyst at Wedbush Securities, and ask whether the recent factory shutdowns in Shanghai have had an effect on the company's performance. And Susan Schmidt of Aviva Investors in Chicago brings us up to date on the day's movements on Wall Street.
Netflix suffers rare fall in subscribers
April 20, 2022 15:12 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBThe streaming giant Netflix lost 200,000 subscribers in its first such decline since 2011. We get reaction to the development, which saw the firm's share price decline substantially, from Georg Szalai, who is international business editor at The Hollywood Reporter. Also in the programme, YouTube has terminated the campaign channel of John Lee Ka-chiu, who is expected to become Hong Kong's next chief executive. Tom Grundy, editor in chief of the Hong Kong Free Press, explains how YouTube's par...
Update: IMF cuts global growth forecast
April 19, 2022 22:19 - 12 minutes - 5.68 MBThe International Monetary Fund expects global economic growth to slow to 3.6% this year. The forecast shaves almost a percentage point of growth from its forecast from before the war in Ukraine, and we get analysis from the BBC's economics editor Faisal Islam. Also in the programme, as the streaming service Netflix announces its quarterly results, we ask entertainment journalist Caroline Frost what challenges the company is facing. And Joe Saluzzi of Themis Trading in New Jersey tells us ho...
IMF cuts global growth forecast
April 19, 2022 15:11 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBThe International Monetary Fund expects global economic growth to slow to 3.6% this year. The forecast shaves almost a percentage point of growth from its forecast from before the war in Ukraine, and we get analysis from Harvard economist Ken Rogoff, who is also a former IMF chief economist. Also in the programme, the government in Argentina is planning to create an aid programme to help the country's poorest people, which will be funded by businesses that have profited from the Ukraine confl...
Apple staff make bid for first union at a US store
April 18, 2022 22:27 - 11 minutes - 5.33 MBWe start the programme with news that workers at Apple's Grand Central Station store in New York have announced a plan to start a union. If the bid is successful, it would be the first union at one of the tech giant's US stores and follows moves by both Starbucks and Amazon employees to unionize. We spoke to Anna Kramer, a workplace, tech labour, and tech culture reporter at news site Protocol about where this could go. We then move on to discuss what sort of impact did the China GDP figures...
China announces first Covid-19 deaths since 2020
April 18, 2022 15:06 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBChina has announced three deaths from coronavirus, the first in the country since 2020. And there's more bad news; the Financial Times newspaper is reporting that a record numbers of citizens have been enquiring about leaving China for good- the FT's China economics reporter, Sun Yu, gives us the details. And we hear more about China's economy from James Mayger, China Economy Editor for Bloomberg News in Beijing. Chris Low of FHN financial in New York tells us how the markets may react to rep...
Ukraine seeks $50 billion from the G7
April 17, 2022 23:48 - 29 minutes - 13.5 MBUkraine is asking the G7 for $50 billion to plug a huge hole in its war torn economy. It comes as countries continue to enforce sanctions on Russia as the conflict in Ukraine continues, but several industries have so far avoided efforts to close them down. One of the world's biggest diamond trading centres in the Belgian city of Antwerp is still selling Russian diamonds, marketed by Alrosa, despite pressure to stop. Hans Merket, a researcher who studies links between natural resources and con...
Ukraine seeks $50 billion from the G7
April 17, 2022 23:35 - 29 minutes - 13.5 MBUkraine is asking the G7 for $50 billion to plug a huge hole in its war torn economy. It comes as countries continue to enforce sanctions on Russia as the conflict in Ukraine continues, but several industries have so far avoided efforts to close them down. One of the world's biggest diamond trading centres in the Belgian city of Antwerp is still selling Russian diamonds, marketed by Alrosa, despite pressure to stop. Hans Merket, a researcher who studies links between natural resources and con...
Twitter board to fight Musk bid
April 15, 2022 22:22 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBTwitter’s board has adopted a ‘poison pill’ policy to help prevent a potential hostile takeover, a day after Elon Musk offered to buy the platform. The BBC’s North America tech reporter James Clayton tells us what the strategy is, and how it could prevent the Tesla CEO from acquiring a controlling stake in the social media giant. Plus, despite several international airlines having suspended flights to and from Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, Emirates president Tim Clark tells us why...
Is this the world's best chocolate?
April 15, 2022 15:06 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBSão Tomé and Príncipe was once the world’s biggest exporter of cocoa but when the horrific working conditions were exposed in the 1920s, chocolate manufacturers switched their source of beans to Ghana and Ivory Coast. São Tomé has now repositioned itself as one of a producer of some of the world's best quality chocolate; the BBC's Tamasin Ford finds out more. We also hear how Swiss-Ghanain startup, KOA is buying cocoa pulp to turn into high value products as the BBC's Thomas Naadi in Ghana ex...
Update: Elon Musk makes a bid to buy Twitter
April 14, 2022 22:47 - 11 minutes - 5.17 MBTesla boss Elon Musk has offered to buy Twitter, saying he is the right person to "unlock" the social media platform's "extraordinary potential". In a surprise announcement, Mr Musk said he would pay $54.20 a share for Twitter, valuing it at about $40bn. We get the details from the BBC's Michelle Fleury in New York, and further analysis from tech journalist Chris Stokel-Walker. And Chris Low explains how Twitter's share price moved today in reaction to the news.
Elon Musk makes a bid to buy Twitter
April 14, 2022 15:18 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBTesla boss Elon Musk has offered to buy Twitter, saying he is the right person to "unlock" the social media platform's "extraordinary potential". In a surprise announcement, Mr Musk said he would pay $54.20 a share for Twitter, valuing it at about $40bn. We get the details from the BBC's Michelle Fleury in New York. Plus, in Sri Lanka, protests continue and the financial chaos deepens as two of the world's biggest credit ratings agencies said they expected the country to default on its foreig...
Update: Latest from the financial markets
April 13, 2022 22:26 - 3 minutes - 1.69 MBWe hear what's been happening on the financial markets from Susan Schmidt, Head of US Equities Portfolio Management at Aviva Investors
The future of São Tomé and Príncipe
April 13, 2022 15:17 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBAccording to the World Bank, 42% of the world’s population is under 25 and in São Tomé that figure is above 50%. The hope is that these young people will be the future of the country - and its economy but many are leaving for opportunities elsewhere as the BBC's Russell Newlove finds out. Plus, last month the government, along with the United Nations Development Programme, opened the country’s first business incubator - we get the details from the BBC's Tamasin Ford. Plus we hear from some yo...
UPDATE: Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak fined over lockdown parties
April 12, 2022 21:57 - 8 minutes - 4.11 MBBoris Johnson has been fined by the police for attending a birthday party thrown for him during a Covid lockdown. The prime minister confirmed he had paid the fixed penalty notice for going to the hour-long gathering in the Cabinet Room on 19 June 2020. Chancellor Rishi Sunak and the PM's wife were also fined for the same event, and confirmed they had paid. All three apologised for attending, but neither Mr Johnson or Mr Sunak offered to resign. Opposition parties are calling for the Commons,...
São Tomé and Príncipe; on the sharp end of climate change
April 12, 2022 15:35 - 28 minutes - 13.2 MBWe take a look at São Tomé and Príncipe, a country on the sharp end of climate change - the BBC's Tamasin Ford, interviews its president, Carlos Vila Nova who wants the world to do more than just talk. We also hear how the island - the entirety of which is a massive volcano - is home to lush, tropical rainforest and some of the most important biodiversity in Africa; Príncipe is a UNESCO biosphere because of its unique environment. But despite being breathtakingly beautiful, it’s poor with the...
France reacts to Le Pen and Macron Upcoming Presidential Face-off
April 11, 2022 22:12 - 15 minutes - 7.29 MBFirst - we look at how Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron will face-off in two weeks time. We spoke to Laurent Allias who runs Josiane, an advertising agency based in Paris. He told us about how he thought the result of the first round would affect him. Alexandre Mayol, Associate Professor in Economics at the University of Lorraine told us how the two candidates' policies differed. Next - we spoke to Professor Robin Carhart-Harris. He's a psychologist, neuroscientist and former Head of the C...
France reacts to Le Pen and Macron Upcoming Presidential Face-off
April 11, 2022 22:12 - 15 minutes - 7.29 MBFirst - we look at how Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron will face-off in two weeks time. We spoke to Laurent Allias who runs Josiane, an advertising agency based in Paris. He told us about how he thought the result of the first round would affect him. Alexandre Mayol, Associate Professor in Economics at the University of Lorraine told us how the two candidates' policies differed. Next - we spoke to Professor Robin Carhart-Harris. He's a psychologist, neuroscientist and former Head of the C...
Shehbaz Sharif to become Pakistan's Prime Minister
April 11, 2022 15:11 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBShehbaz Sharif was voted in as part of a united opposition that has come together against the incumbent Prime Minister, Imran Khan. Shehbaz is the brother of Nawaz Sharif, himself a former Pakistani Prime Minister who was barred from holding office after facing corruption charges. Zebunnisa Burki, Op-Ed Editor at 'The News' newspaper in Pakistan explains what led up to this weekend's vote: And with the far-right Marine Le Pen set to face Emmanuel Macron in the final battle for the French Pres...
Macron and Le Pen Through to Second Round of Votes in French Election
April 11, 2022 01:03 - 24 minutes - 11.4 MBThe first round of voting in the French Presidential elections has taken place. So far no results are confirmed, but exit polls strongly suggest that the far right candidate Marine Le Pen will face the incumbent, Emmanuel Macron, in the next round. Ms Le Pen has previously advocated France leaving the EU and ditching the Euro in favour of a return to the Franc. Her position on this has softened in recent years, but the possibility of a Le Pen win could still signal a big change of direction f...
Macron and Le Pen Through to Second Round of Votes in French Election
April 11, 2022 00:55 - 25 minutes - 11.5 MBThe first round of voting in the French Presidential elections has taken place. So far no results are confirmed, but exit polls strongly suggest that the far right candidate Marine Le Pen will face the incumbent, Emmanuel Macron, in the next round. Ms Le Pen has previously advocated France leaving the EU and ditching the Euro in favour of a return to the Franc. Her position on this has softened in recent years, but the possibility of a Le Pen win could still signal a big change of direction f...
1MDB: Ex-Goldman Malaysia boss convicted
April 08, 2022 22:36 - 16 minutes - 7.73 MBThe former head of Goldman Sachs in Malaysia has been convicted for helping orchestrate one of the world's biggest corruption scandals. Roger Ng was found guilty on all charges, over the looting of billions of dollars from Malaysia’s 1MDB sovereign wealth fund. FT journalist Stefania Palma, who has been covering the trial, brings us the latest from New York. Plus, the latest on a political scandal that has been brewing in the UK, after it was revealed that the country’s Chancellor of the Exch...
French voters head to the polls as economic concerns loom large
April 08, 2022 15:34 - 28 minutes - 13.3 MBAt one point incumbent president Emmanuel Macron seemed destined to win the first round of voting this Sunday. However polls suggest the race has tightened up significantly. Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief for the Economist newspaper, tells us about the economic concerns that voters have. Also in the programme, independent Russian media outlets have all but disintegrated since the invasion of Ukraine. We speak to Dmitri Yelovskiy, deputy editor of the now-closed independent Russian news TV ...
Rouble rebounds as EU sanctions on Russian coal loom
April 07, 2022 15:13 - 28 minutes - 12.8 MBRussia's currency, the rouble, has recovered from the extreme lows seen in recent weeks and is now trading at levels that haven't been seen since before Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Elina Ribakova, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute of International Finance, explains why. At the same time EU sanctions on Russian coal are looming, and we ask Monika Schnitzer of the German Council of Economic Experts how that might impact things. We also speak to Maksim Timchenko, chief executive of...
Update: The US imposes more sanctions on Russia
April 06, 2022 22:25 - 15 minutes - 6.94 MBThe US has announced further sanctions on Russia. The UK and US assets of its largest bank, Sberbank, will be frozen, and new American and British investments in Russia will be banned. We get analysis from Dr Adi Imsirovic, the former global head of oil at Gazprom Marketing. China has extended its lockdown in Shanghai to become city-wide. There is growing anger over what’s considered to be a particularly harsh lockdown. Eric Feigl Ding, a leading US leading epidemiologist who was born in the ...
Shanghai's Covid lockdown becomes city-wide
April 06, 2022 15:24 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBChina has extended its lockdown in Shanghai to become city-wide. There is growing anger over what’s considered to be a particularly harsh lockdown. Brenda Goh, a journalist for Reuters in the city, tells us more. Ahead of the first round of voting in French presidential elections this weekend, we hear a special report from the BBC's Theo Leggett in France's industrial heartland in the east of the country about the issues affecting them. Also in the programme, about a third of users of the M...
Update: EU proposes fresh wave of sanctions against Russia
April 05, 2022 22:26 - 12 minutes - 5.87 MBThe European Union is proposing a new round of sanctions against Russia including a ban on coal imports and a ban on Russian ships entering European ports. German economist Jakob Schlandt tells us that Germany's heavy reliance on Russian energy remains a difficult issue for the EU. Japan has also stepped up sanctions against Russia; Noah Schneider, Tokyo bureau chief for The Economist gives us the details. Unrest is growing in Peru as both fuel and food prices are rising rapidly. The governme...
EU proposes fresh wave of sanctions against Russia
April 05, 2022 15:08 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBThe European Union is proposing a new round of sanctions against Russia including a ban on coal imports and a ban on Russian ships entering European ports. German economist Jakob Schlandt tells presenter Faarea Masud that Germany's heavy reliance on Russian energy remains a difficult issue for the EU. Japan has also stepped up sanctions against Russia; Noah Schneider, Tokyo bureau chief for The Economist gives us the details. Also in the programme: a special report from the BBC's Vivienne Nun...
Update: UN report calls for rapid, systemic changes to combat climate change
April 04, 2022 22:15 - 9 minutes - 4.13 MBThe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report calls for fundamental changes to our patterns of consumption of fossil fuels, and for a major expansion of renewable energy. We speak to Charlie Kronick, senior climate adviser at Greenpeace, and ask how economies are being affected by climate change, and are likely to be impacted in the future. And after Elon Musk buys a 9% stake in the social media platform Twitter, we ask James Clayton, BBC North America technology reporter, what it did ...
Sri Lanka cabinet quits en masse after protests
April 04, 2022 15:53 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBSri Lanka is grappling with what is said to be its worst economic crisis since independence from the UK in 1948. All 26 ministers have submitted letters of resignation - but not Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa or his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Protesters have been defying curfews to take to the streets in several cities. We hear from our South Asia Editor, Anbarasan Ethirajan. Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban has declared victory in general elections after partia...
Update: US unemployment at two year low
April 01, 2022 23:11 - 11 minutes - 5.36 MBUS unemployment is at a two year low of 3.6% ; we get analysis from Chris Low of FHN Financial. Also in the programme, the conflict in Ukraine has highlighted Europe's dependence on Russian energy. And Russia has now threatened to cut off gas supplies to what it calls "unfriendly countries", unless they pay in Russian roubles. We get reaction to that threat from Anna Moskwa, Poland’s minister for climate and environment. This Sunday, Hungarians will choose a new government, and they face the ...
Russian foreign minister visits India
April 01, 2022 15:25 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBRussia's foreign minister has been holding meetings in Delhi with his Indian counterpart. It comes against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and one of the items on the agenda in the wake of western sanctions was Russia and India using their own currencies for trade, rather than the US Dollar. Rajesh Joshi is a journalist and analyst based in northern India, and explains the trade relationship between the two countries. Also in the programme, the conflict in Ukraine has highlighte...
Update: Ships blocked in Shanghai
March 31, 2022 22:13 - 8 minutes - 3.98 MBAs many as 300 vessels are backed up in Shanghai, waiting to load up or discharge compared to this time last year. We hear about the knock on affects from Steve Lamar, President and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. Plus Cary Leahey, Adjunct Professor of Economics at Columbia University, brings us the latest news from the financial markets.
UN seeks billions in aid for Afghanistan
March 31, 2022 16:52 - 26 minutes - 12 MBAmid a worsening humanitarian crisis, the UN is seeking $4.4bn in aid for Afghanistan. Dawood Azami is the editor of the BBC's Pashto Service, and tells us what life is like for Afghans at the moment. And Mark Malloch-Brown, president of the Open Society Foundations, and former deputy secretary general of the UN, discusses what role western sanctions are playing in the extreme hunger faced by many in Afghanistan. Also in the programme, with just a few days to go before the first round of Fran...
US considers Cold War-era defense law to boost mining
March 30, 2022 22:47 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBU.S. President Joe Biden could reportedly invoke a Cold War-era defense law to encourage domestic production of minerals. Josh Siegel of Politico explains why. Also in the show, amid concern about supply from Russia, Germany has invoked its emergency gas plan. Carsten Brzeski is global head of macro research at ING, and tells us what the move actually means. Sri Lanka has introduced enforced 10 hour power cuts. Dimuthu Attanayake is a journalist in the capital Colombo, and discusses the impac...
Germany activates emergency gas plan
March 30, 2022 15:11 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBAmid concern about supply from Russia, Germany has invoked its emergency gas plan. Carsten Brzeski is global head of macro research at ING, and tells us what the move actually means. Also in the programme, as part of an ongoing economic crisis, Sri Lanka has introduced enforced 10 hour power cuts. Dimuthu Attanayake is a journalist in the capital Colombo, and discusses the impact the power cuts are having. The Ethiopian government has pledged to bring home around 100,000 citizens currently li...
Biodiversity talks enter final day
March 29, 2022 22:41 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBTalks in Geneva to reverse the loss of nature and halt extinctions are in their final day. We'll hear from Patrick Greenfield, biodiversity reporter for the Guardian, on the details of the negotiations, and Dr Noelle Kumpel, head of policy for Birdlife International, about her thoughts on the progress. Also in the programme, the war in Ukraine is halting moves aimed at limiting the use of palm oil, which is a cause of deforestation in Asia. The price of one alternative, sunflower oil, has inc...
Update: General strike in India
March 28, 2022 22:14 - 6 minutes - 2.94 MBA two day general strike is under way in India today, as workers protest government economic policies. We hear how everyday life has been affected from Nikhil Inamdar, BBC India Business correspondent in Mumbai.
China announces Shanghai lockdown
March 28, 2022 15:25 - 27 minutes - 12.7 MBChina's Shanghai financial hub will be locked down in two phases amid rising Covid cases. Jennifer Pak is China correspondent for our US partner programme Marketplace, and tells us what impact the lockdowns are likely to have on global supply chains. Also in the programme, a two day general strike is under way in India today, as workers protest government economic policies. We hear how everday life has been affected from Sushma Ramachandran, who is an independent business journalist based in ...
Russian shelling of Ukraine continues
March 28, 2022 00:33 - 22 minutes - 10.5 MBOver a month into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, shelling continues in some of the country’s major cities. We’ll hear from Vira, who is staying put in Kyiv, at least for the time being. And the BBC’s Kateryna Khinkulova explains how the conflict is threatening both the lives and livelihoods of Ukrainians. In light of the invasion, many European countries are seeking to reduce their dependence on Russian energy. Kristine Berzina of the German Marshall Fund explains just how difficult that co...
US announces EU liquefied natural gas deal
March 26, 2022 00:44 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBThe US has announced it is to significantly boost liquefied natural gas supply to the EU. The move is a bid to help reduce European reliance on Russian energy in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, and we explore to what extent the deal will achieve that aim with Dr Aura Sabadus of Independent Commodity Intelligence Services. Also in the programme, Poland has taken in more than two million Ukrainian refugees as a result of the recent conflict. We hear about the economic impact that is having...
Update: Nato discusses defence spending
March 24, 2022 23:16 - 15 minutes - 7.27 MBAt a Nato summit in Brussels, its members have discussed boosting defence spending. We get the very latest from the summit from BBC Brussels correspondent Jessica Parker. And New York's famous yellow taxi cabs are being added to the ride-hailing platform Uber. Chris Mills Rodrigo is a journalist at The Hill and discusses the move.
NATO discusses defence spending
March 24, 2022 16:17 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBAt a NATO summit in Brussels, its members have discussed boosting defence spending. Sash Tusa is an aerospace and defence specialist at Agency Partners, and tells us what the implications of such an increase would be. Also in the programme, the BBC's Jonathan Head reports from Thailand on the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on tourists from the two countries who find themselves stranded there, either because sanctions mean there are no flights to return to Russia, or the war in Ukraine...
Update: Russia says payments for gas must be made in roubles
March 23, 2022 23:11 - 7 minutes - 3.57 MBRussian president, Vladimir Putin, says Moscow will begin insisting that payments for Russian gas - from unfriendly countries, as he put it - are made in roubles. He's given the Russian central bank a week to find a way of switching these payments away from other currencies. Jane Foley is head of FX strategy at Rabobank and explains what the impact will be. And Susan Schmidt of Aviva Investors in Chicago tells us how markets have been reacting to Putin's announcement.