World Business Report
Analysis of the big global business and economic issues, as they affect consumers and investors. Broadcast on weekdays.
Two of the biggest names in your kitchen could soon be joining forces
Unilever, the company behind brands like Hellmann’s and Knorr, has agreed to combine its food business with US spice and flavour giant McCormick & Company. What does it tell us about where big consumer brands are heading next? Also, South Africa cuts fuel duties as the impact of the war…
Why Sri Lanka is raising electricity prices for most households
The Sri Lankan government has increased electricity prices for most households by more than 8% as fuel costs surge due to the Iran conflict. Plus, Bisi Adebayo looks at the impact the war is having on jet fuel costs and how British and American food giants, Unilever and McCormick, have…
Kharg Island: What role does it play in Iran’s economy?
The White House deflects questions about US threat to hit Iranian energy infrastructure. President Trump expects Iran to make a deal to end the war. He has said he'd strike targets including electricity plants, and Iran's main oil-exporting site, Kharg Island. Presenter Andrew Peach examines what this all means for…
Why diesel is rising quicker in price than other fuel?
The price of diesel has risen nearly 90% since the start of the war in Iran according to ICE. Why is that more than other fuels? Plus Sarah Rogers hears why the price of subscriptions could rise after the World Trade Organsiation fails to reach a deal on ecommerce tariffs…
BYD profits fall 19%: What’s driving the decline?
BYD has reported a 19% fall in annual profit, its first decline in four years, despite rising sales as price pressure in China weighs on margins. We look at what is driving the slowdow, and what it means for the wider electric vehicle industry. We also examine the increasingly competitive…
Fears of fuel shortages lead to panic buying in Australia
As prices soar, petrol and diesel pumps are running dry at hundreds of service stations across Australia. But is the shortage caused by panic buying rather than lack of fuel? We hear from India where generic replacements for the weightloss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy are bringing cheaper drugs to the…
Meta shares slide after landmark ruling on social media addiction
Meta shares slide after landmark ruling on social media addiction. Shares of Alphabet, Google's parent company, were also down but not as sharp as Meta stock. Jurors found that Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and Google, owner of YouTube, intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed the…
Meta and Alphabet shares fall following social media trial defeat
A California jury found Meta and YouTube designed addictive products that harmed young people. The plaintiff was awarded damages of $6m; Meta to pay 70% and YouTube the remainder. Transport workers in the Philippines are on strike over the price of fuel driven by surging oil prices as the Middle…
Meta and YouTube found liable in landmark social media addiction trial
A Los Angeles jury has handed down an unprecedented win for a young woman who sued Meta and YouTube over her childhood addiction to social media. We hear the latest. Since the war in the Middle East erupted, attention has focused on oil and gas flows through the Strait of…
Asian economies feel the pain of the US-Israel war with Iran
The Asian Development Bank's Chief Economist Albert Park tells us that the conflict in the Middle East could prove 'traumatic', knocking as much as 1.3% of Asian GDP growth, depending on how long it goes on for. He believes that the countries most vulnerable include Sri Lanka, Maldives, Laos, Bangladesh…
From state of emergency to rationing: fuel shortages cause chaos across the globe
The Philippines government has declared a state of emergency. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said fuel supply in the country is in ‘imminent danger' as prices continue to surge because of the war in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Slovenia introduces fuel rationing to stop ‘fuel tourism’ and Kenya’s flower industry is…
The Philippines declares state of emergency over fuel crisis
The Philippines has declared a state of national energy emergency as the conflict in the Middle East cuts fuel supplies. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said he had signed an executive order to safeguard energy security amid severe disruption to global supply chains. The Philippines is highly dependent on fuel imports…
Oil, outages and energy shifts: the global ripples from the Middle East
As the war in the Middle East continues, other regions adjust. The price of oil dropped after President Trump said discussions with Iran had taken place. Meanwhile, the Philippines, which gets most of its fuel from the Persian Gulf, has declared a four-day work week to reduce energy demand; Suranjana…
Markets rally as Trump signals progress with Iran
We bring you the latest reaction after President Trump says the US has held constructive talks with Iran, even as Iran has denied any dialogue with the US. Also, South Korea has a new central bank chief, Shin Hyun-song, known for predicting the 2008 financial crisis. And Huel, the British…
IEA warns looming global energy crisis is worst in history
The head of the International Energy Agency has told the BBC that governments need to “be more vocal” about cutting energy usage amid what he called the “greatest global energy security challenge in history”. Dr Birol is now calling on countries to cut demand suggesting lower speed limits, avoiding air…
"Work from home and limit flights", urges IEA, as fuel crisis deepens
The International Energy Agency wants people to cut their energy consumption. The IEA warned that the impact from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz would “become more and more severe”. And the South Korean boyband BTS are back after an interruption for its members to do national service. They've…
Shockwaves hit energy market as gas price soars
Global energy security is facing one of its most serious tests in years. Two of the world’s most important gas production sites, Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG hub and Iran’s South Pars facility, have been hit in coordinated missile strikes. Ras Laffan alone supplies around a fifth of the world’s liquefied…
Gas prices soar after strikes on energy facilities in Qatar and Iran
Gas prices rise sharply following an attack on Qatar's Ras Laffan energy complex. QatarEnergy has confirmed "extensive damage" to the plant used to convert natural gas into LPG. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has hit some Asian countries particularly hard because of their dependence on energy supplies…
How important is the South Pars field to global gas supply?
With coordinated strikes on Iran's installations on the world's largest gas field and reprisals against facilities in Qatar, we ask what this means for the region and for supplies of gas worldwide. Conflict in the Middle East has already had an effect on airlines, with some carriers cancelling flights. We…
Oil shock spreads global strain
Oil prices have jumped above 109 dollars a barrel after airstrikes hit Iran’s South Pars gas field, the world’s largest natural gas reserve, shared with Qatar, raising fresh concerns about supply during an already volatile period. In Bangladesh, the impact of the oil price is becoming increasingly visible. The country,…