Business Matters

Donald Trump picks Scott Bessent as treasury secretary. Wall Street investor will seek to extend tax cuts from Trump's first term. We get the latest. COP29 proposes wealthier countries give $250bn per year by 2035 to developing nations to help tackle climate change. We find out more. The world's largest man-made reservoir, Lake Kariba, has been hit by drought. We hear about the consequences this could have in the economies of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Bitcoin has been on a streak of almost daily all-time highs since the US election. We find out why. Andrew Peach discusses these and more stories with guests on opposite sides of the world: Takara Small, technology correspondent for CBC in Toronto, and Peter Ryan, ABC's Senior Business correspondent in Sydney.

Andrew Peach discusses the announcement that Gary Gensler plans to step down as chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission when Donald Trump takes office as president on January 20. Gensler is known to be a sceptic of crypto currencies unlike the incoming President who received heavy backing from the crypto community during the election. Beijing offers help to Chinese exporters who are facing higher import tariffs in many of their key markets. The IG Metall trade union in Germany announces that it will urge workers at Volkswagen to go on strike from December. VW is threatening to shut some of its German factories for the first time in its history. And Swedish battery maker Northvolt has entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the USA.

Boeing workers vote on pay offer on Wednesday. Workers downed tools six weeks ago after rejecting initial pay offer. They’ve been offered a 35% pay increase, over the next 4 years. Also, Tesla’s share price jumps after its 3Q results beat market expectations. We hear from Stephen Moore, an economist and an advisor to Donald Trump’s 2016 Presidental campaign. Plus we have a report about migrants on the US/Mexico border. And we hear why France is home to both haute cuisine and fast food. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!

Hezbollah blames Israel after exploding pagers kill nine and injure thousands in Lebanon. The US Federal Reserve is expected to cut rates for the first time in four years. And we learn why Norway is racing ahead with electric vehicle sales.

Sri Lanka prepares to go to the polls and Tik Tok takes to the courts to fight attempts to make it divest itself of its Chinese owner. Also, the West Bengal festival which may have to forego its favourite fishy treat and could your car be yet another front for the digital advertisers?

Presenter Rahul Tandon discusses the announcement of Iowa Senator JD Vance as Donald Trump’s pick to be his running mate in November’s Presidential election.Rahul speaks to the Democratic Mayor of Milwaukee, the city that is hosting the Republican Party's National Convention.And the long delayed Third Plenum of the Chinese Communist Party is taking place in Beijing.

We hear from Betsey Stevenson, Former Economic Adviser to President Obama, who served on the transition team for the Biden-Harris ticket - as the first Democratic Senator publicly calls for President Biden to stand aside as the party's presidential nominee.Meanwhile the US imposes steel tariffs on Mexico - at least the steel coming from China. We ask whether tariffs are economically the way forward - or backward.Plus in Greece - new regulations are being introduced to limit the areas on beaches that bars and restaurants can use. The rules are intended to leave enough space for the public, who have complained about exorbitant prices charged by beachfront businesses that restrict their free access.Rahul Tandon is joined by Fermin Koop in Argentina and Zyma Islam in Bangladesh to discuss the most important and interesting global business and economic stories.

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?(Picture: Former FTX Chief Executive Sam Bankman-Fried, walks outside the Manhattan federal court in New York City, U.S. March 30, 2023. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli/File Photo)

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 workers. (Photo: A Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) container ship crosses the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea Credit EPA/MOHAMED HOSSAM)

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 worth $1.1 billion. Devina Gupta discusses this and more of the business news from around with James Early, Chief Investment Officer at BBAE (digital investment platform) in Washington D.C, and Sushma Ramachandran, Independent business journalist and columnist at The Tribune newspaper, Delhi. (Picture: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrive to speaks to the press prior to meetings at the State Department in Washington, DC, October 26, 2023. Photo Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images).

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 for three years have been fixed.Leanna Byrne discusses this and more of the business news from around with Yoko Ishikura, Professor Emeritus at Hitotsubashi University and currently a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network based in Japan and in Colombia we have Sergio Guzmán, Director at Colombia Risk Analysis. (FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves from Manhattan Federal Court after court appearance in New York, United States on June 15, 2023. Photo Credit: Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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 sought to make young people safe online.(Picture: State Senator Andrew Gounardes speaks as Governor Kathy. Picture credit: Getty Images)

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 is promising to dollarizing the economy and get rid of the local currency, the Peso. Rahul Tandon discusses this and more of the business news from around with Fermin Koop, Argentine freelance journalist on environmental and climate change, and Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Senior Correspondent and China Credit Reporter for Bloomberg who mainly covers China property debt. (Picture: A supporter of Argentina's presidential candidate, poses for a picture during the closing of a campaign in Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires province, on October 19, 2023, ahead of Argentina's presidential election to be held on October 22. Photo Credit: JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images)

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 Stephanie Hare, a researcher of technology and politics based in London, and Andy Xie who is independent economist in Shanghai and formerly worked for Morgan Stanley & the World Bank. (Picture: US President Joe Biden addresses the nation on the conflict between Israel and Gaza and the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 19, 2023. Photo Credit: Jonathan Ernst/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

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 will hear from The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies about they are ready to deliver this aid to the people who need it. (Picture: Aid convoy trucks loaded with supplies are seen near the North Sinai in Egypt on October 15, 2023. The aid convoy, organized by a group of Egyptian NGOs, set off today from Cairo for the Gaza-Egypt border crossing at Rafah. Photo credit: Mahmoud Khaled/Getty Images)

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 Washington DC went on a 72-hour strike for better wages and improved staffing last week.Vivienne Nunis discusses this and more of the business news from around with Takara Small, Toronto-based technology journalist, and Simon Littlewood, President of ACG Global Growth Delivered based in Singapore. (Picture: Microsoft acquires Activision Blizzard. The European Union approved Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Photo credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

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. Ford Motor shares fell after the United Auto Workers (UAW) union expanded its strike at the company's biggest and most profitable factory in Kentucky. The UAW said 8,700 workers walked out of the truck plant in Kentucky, in response to Ford refusing to move further in contract negotiations. Vivienne Nunis discusses this and more of the business news from around with Colin Peacock, the host of MediaWatch at Radio New Zealand and Betsey Stevenson, Professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan. (Photo: A voting sign on display outside a polling booth during election day on October 17, 2020 in Wellington, New Zealand. Picture Credit: Getty Imag

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 President of ACG Global Growth Delivered. (Workers decorate a G20 installation at the International Media Centre (IMC) on the eve of the two-day G20 summit in New Delhi on September 8, 2023. Picture Credit: Getty Images)

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 year. The company has 777 locations in 39 countries with long term lease obligations totalling more than $13 billion. Roger Hearing discusses this topics and more other stories with Oliver Stuenkel, associate professor of International Relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Rachel Cartland - author, writer and expert based in Hong Kong. (G20 installation outside Pragati Maidan ahead of the G20 India Summit, on September 7, 2023 in New Delhi, India. Picture Credit: Getty Images)