China launches first regular Arctic shipping route

China launches first regular Arctic shipping route

The "Ice Silk Road" will run along the north Russian coast on its journey between Ningbo on China’s east coast and Felixstowe in the UK. Sea Legend, the Chinese container shipping company behind it, say the region is emerging as a viable alternative to the world’s traditional shipping routes. Also, officials in Germany say falling water levels on the river Rhine could mean that it split into two separate sections for cargo boats. The river is forecast to drop below ten centimetres this week making part of it too low for commercial shipping and cruises.

The USA's employment slump

The US saw a weaker market after losing 23,000 jobs in July and it's figures are much worse than expected. We'll be hearing why the American economy isn't creating more jobs. Plus, could oil be the saviour of Venezuela's economic needs? As the conflict in the Middle East continues to choke global supplies, Venezuela has a unique opportunity to gain market share and investment through having the world's largest reserves. And, Wetherspoons, a large pub chain in the UK has banned Meta's smart glasses which allows the wearer to film what they're looking at, sometimes without the subject's knowledge. We hear from a bar owner who's followed suit for their customers' privacy.

US creates fewer new jobs than expected

Overall, the US economy shed 23,000 jobs in July in the latest sign of a cooling labour market. Traders say an interest rate rise is now less likely. Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, has been fined a record penalty of half a billion dollars in a court case over child safety. And a row has broken out in the UK as a local authority tries to stop people standing up in pubs.

The heatwave economy

This summer has been heatwave after heatwave, and countries like Turkey and Romania have seen a bumper harvest, we're taking a look at how the extreme heat is impacting farmers around Europe and what that could mean for food prices. We'll hear from a SpaceX employee who's been made a millionaire after selling his shares, and is it ever acceptable to wear shorts to the office? PHOTO CREDIT: EPA/Shutterstock

Cashing in on SpaceX

As some SpaceX shares become available to sell, it's potentially a massive payday for staff. We hear from a former worker about his plans for the money. Plus, across the world, communities are counting the costs of wildfires, conflict and geopolitical instability. The boss of Swiss Re speaks to Sarah Rogers about the impact on the insurance industry.