World Business Report

Elon Musk has become the first person ever to reach a net worth of more than $500billion. But how did he get to this point? French authorities have charged the captain of an oil tanker travelling from Russia with refusing to follow instructions. In Japan, who will be the next Prime Minister? Also in Japan, the country is days away from running out of the nation's most popular beer. Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: Niamh Mc Dermott Editor: Justin Bones

The US government shutdown is less than a day old, and federal workers are already receiving furlough notices. It’s the first closure in almost seven years. Also, how money can be used as a tool of control and manipulation within relationships. We explore what economic abuse is, and how it affects lives. And with October here, Oktoberfest is underway. Thanks to the German diaspora, the beer-filled tradition has spread far beyond Munich.

The US government has shutdown after senators failed to agree on a funding bill. We look at the main reason behind the shutdown - healthcare. Plus, what do investors think of Spotify's founder stepping down as CEO. Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: Niamh Mc Dermott Editor: Justin Bones

Funding for the US government will be cut off at the end of Tuesday unless President Donald Trump's Republican Party can agree with opposition Democrats on a way forward with a spending bill. Gideon Long hears from Democrats and Republicans, as well as US workers. And, in Africa, a trade deal that's been the cornerstone of US-African economic relations for 25 years is set to expire. It's called the African Growth and Opportunity Act – AGOA for short. Plus, Afghanistan businesspeople are appealing to the Taliban after a total internet shutdown in the country. (File photo: A member of staff sits on steps close to the US Capitol, Washington, DC, USA, 30 September 2025. Photo by WILL OLIVER/EPA/Shutterstock)

The US government is hours away from shutting down unless a funding deal is struck. Who will feel the impact first? We hear from the people whose jobs and livelihoods are on the line. In Africa, thousands of jobs are at risk as the US decides whether to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act, a key trade pact between the countries. Presenters: Leanna Byrne and Hannah Bewley Producers: Victoriya Holland and Niamh McDermott Editor: Shea Conduct

U.S. pharmaceutical lobby group PhRMA has said that it would launch a new website in January to help patients buy prescription drugs directly from manufacturers, bypassing pharmacies. This comes after a deadline set by President Trump, asking the big pharmaceutical companies to voluntarily lower their prices. Gideon Long will hear from two patients about the struggles they face paying their medical bills. And one of the world’s biggest video game publishers, Electronic Arts, is being taken into private ownership in a record-breaking leveraged buyout. A Saudi-backed fifty-five billion dollar purchase values the California-based firm at a twenty-five per cent premium to its closing New York share price on Friday. (File photo: Abiraterone acetate cancer drug (AA250). Tablet of the prostate cancer drug abiraterone acetate, marketed under the name Zytiga.)

What would it take for you to sell out your boss? Cyber criminals offer a BBC Correspondent a cut of the action in return for passcodes. And Zimbabwe's government is ordered to cut back on spending as it grapples with its budget. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. Presenter: Sarah Rogers Producers: Niamh McDermott and Victoriya Holland Editor: Justin Bones

US President Donald Trump has announced a new wave of tariffs, including a 100% levy on branded or patented drug imports, 25% tariffs on heavy-duty trucks, 50% on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities and 30% on upholstered furniture. Andrew Peach looks at how people in these sectors have reacted to these latest sweeping tariffs. And, can you still make money from a Broadway show? Only a few of the 18 commercial musicals that opened on Broadway last season made a profit. (Photo: US President Donald Trump on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, DC, USA, 26 September 2025. Photo by KENT NISHIMURA/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)

US President Donald Trump has announced a new wave of tariffs, including a 100% levy on branded or patented drug imports from 1 October - unless a company is building a factory in the US. We hear from Germany's VFA association of pharmaceutical companies. And, the price of love - hundreds of alleged romance scammers are arrested as part of an international operation. The CEO of a dating app tells us how to protect users from scammers. Tattoos were once reserved for rockstars or sailors, but are now part of a mainstream industry predicted to be worth $6.5 billion by 2033. So what's behind this booming trade? You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. Presenter: Sarah Rogers Producer: Victoriya Holland Editor: Justin Bones

US President Trump has signed an executive order that will hand TikTok to a group of investors who include Larry Ellison, one of the richest men in the world and the founder of the tech company Oracle. Also, US house prices are climbing, supply can’t keep up with demand, and high interest rates are keeping sellers on the sidelines. And Starbucks has said it will cut about 900 US jobs and close its worst-performing stores there, as well as shut some UK stores as part of a cost-saving move. (Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump shows a signed executive order on a deal that would divest TikTok's U.S. operations from its Chinese owner ByteDance, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 25, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque )

The world’s biggest polluter, China, is promising to cut carbon emissions for the first time - but what does that mean for businesses trying to keep up? And Ticketmaster agrees clearer pricing after an investigation in the UK. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. Presenter: Sarah Rogers Producer: Victoriya Holland Editor: Justin Bones

The US has said that it's currently in negotiation for $20 billion to support Argentina’s economy. President Javier Milei thanks the US government for the “support and confidence”. Canada has assembled an AI task force in Ottawa .It wants to prepare a strategy and has promised millions of dollars to attract talent from around the world. (A customer counts Argentine peso bills before checking out in a supermarket in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on January 13, 2025. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz introduces the 2026 budget with €126.7 billion in new investments for infrastructure, transport, schools, and other major projects. Leanna Byrne talks to the head of the investment bank ING and we get reaction from business industries in Berlin. New Zealand's central bank has appointed its first female boss. She's stepping in after a period of upheaval at the top, with the country teetering on the edge of a double-dip recession. And a deal has been reached to make a new HIV prevention drug much more affordable in low and middle income countries. The announcement comes amid a turbulent year for global health, following swingeing cuts by the US government's foreign aid programme, USAID, under the Trump administration. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

The world’s most valuable company, Nvidia, is investing $100 billion into OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, to build what it calls the next generation of artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, Jaguar Land Rover, owned by India’s Tata Group, is still struggling to get cars off the production line after last month’s cyberattack. We hear how dealers around the globe are coping. In the US, top talk show host, Jimmy Kimmel is going back on air following a suspension by Disney-owned network, ABC. But some tv stations are refusing to air the programmes return. (Photo: Nvidia and OpenAI logos are seen in this illustration taken, September 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)

As presidents Javier Milei and Donald Trump meet the White House is hinting it could step in to support Argentina's economy. We look at how Argentina got here, and a local wine maker tells how the US tariffs are hitting her industry. Also, Nigeria has cut its central bank interest rate for the first time since the Covid pandemic. And Indonesia and the European Union sign a landmark agreement which officials claim will double trade in the first five years.

The White House said doctors could be exempt from the Trump administration's new $100,000 fee for high-skilled H-1B visa applications. We hear from the President of the American Medical Association. In India, everyday essentials are getting cheaper after its Prime Minister cut tax rates. We then go to Uzbekistan where new rules and measures are being implemented in weddings, ceremonies, and family events to curb spending. (Photo: Two surgeons are preparing for surgery. The doctors are standing in an operating room in a hospital. One surgeon is tying closed the back of another surgeon's operating gown. copyright Getty Creative / FatCamera (GettyImages-1171128846)

Another day, another announcement from the US administration. The H-1B - a special visa which allows companies to hire highly skilled foreign workers, now comes with a $100,000 price tag. Our presenter, Sarah Rogers, speaks to an immigration lawyer from the US on what this will mean. Also, tax simplification in India. Indians should find a host of products from everyday essentials like milk, to cars and TVs, will get cheaper. And the Pompidou centre - Europe’s largest bastion of modern and contemporary art - has closed for a half-a-billion dollar restoration project. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

US president Donald Trump and China's leader Xi Jinping were in talks for more than two hours today. It’s their first call in over three months, but has anything come out it to help the trade impasse between Washington and Beijing? With the details murky, Roger Hearing dissects what any deal between the world's largest two economies could be. Also, we hear from two farmers in Pennsylvania and New York about the added stress they're feeling amid the curse of trade uncertainty. Elsewhere, are German rail operators cancelling trains to help their reputation? And the new pop up 'Fat Mall' which is hoping to help plus-sized customers. The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.

The future of TikTok in the US hangs in the balance today with two President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi jinping talking over the phone. Will Bain gathers fresh perspectives on why the short video app matters so much to American users and creators. Also, Premier League tickets are flooding dodgy resale sites, despite UK laws. So what’s the risk for fans? And in India, the latest iPhone launch sparked a frenzy queues formed from the crack of dawn as eager buyers tried to get their hands on Apple’s newest drop.

Disney has suspends top U.S. talk show host Jimmy Kimmel over controversial political remarks. We look at the business reasons and ramifications behind the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel. US President Trump has warned European leaders to stop buying Russian oil. He said that cutting off those revenues is the key to ending the war in Ukraine. Plus, could artificial intelligence replace newsrooms? Sam Gruet asks that questions as news start-ups around the world are using AI-generated presenters. (Photo: Jimmy Kimmel delivers his opening monologue at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024. Credit: Reuters/Mike Blake)