World Business Report

Trade tensions: EU vs China

Trade tensions rise as the EU investigates Chinese firms over possible unfair government subsidies. We hear from the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU who says they are being unfairly targeted. Plus, who will pay the new €3 tax on small parcels from China - businesses or consumers? Why are most household things still not being recycled? And sport fans in the US will soon be able to subscribe to a new YouTube TV package. [Photo: An attendant walks past EU and China flags in Beijing, China. Credit: REUTERS/Jason Lee]

Australia's under-16s social media ban faces courtroom test

Gideon Long takes a look as online discussion forum Reddit challenges Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s. Plus, after Ben from Ben & Jerry’s criticises the ice-cream maker’s owners, they hit back — speaking exclusively to the BBC. And why are general strikes spreading across several European countries?

Disney & OpenAI deal: Threat or opportunity?

Disney is investing $1bn in OpenAI, letting fans create AI-generated videos with its characters. But what will the deal mean for the future of entertainment? We hear from people across the creative industry. Tickets for next year’s World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico have gone on sale but fans say the prices are “extortionate.” In Kenya, a court has frozen a multibillion-dollar US health deal over data-privacy concerns. And Mexico is hitting China with a wave of new tariffs.

“Piracy” in the Caribbean?

Gideon Long speaks to a former Venezuelan diplomat about the US seizure of an oil tanker off the country's coastline. Where was it going and what could it mean for global oil supplies? Plus, the typhoon survivors from the Philippines taking oil giant Shell to court. And how does the World Cup ticket ballot actually work?

Interest rates: Will the cuts help Americans?

Could Americans finally get some financial relief? The Fed has cut interest rates to a three-year low, and President Trump promises to make ‘America affordable again.’ We speak to a business owner and a former Federal Reserve economist. Why is silver hitting record highs? And in Italy, the nations food has been granted the world’s first-ever heritage status. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. (Photo: US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell attends a press conference at the Federal Reserve, Washington, DC USA, 10 December 2025. Credit: WILL OLIVER/EPA/Shutterstock (16075439n))