World Business Report

Two leading US basketball figures are among thirty-four people arrested as part of FBI investigations into illegal gambling and the Mafia. The Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups is accused of playing in rigged poker games in New York. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has described this week's new US sanctions on Russia’s two biggest oil companies as an unfriendly act. But at the same time, he's claimed they won't have a substantial impact on Russia's economy. And we will look at the cost of insurance for museums after the priceless jewels thieves stole from the Louvre museum in a brazen heist this week, which were not privately insured.(Picture: Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) handles the ball during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena in March 31, 2025: Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images/File Photo)

Fresh sanctions are hitting Russia's energy sector, from both the European Union and the United States. The goal is to squeeze the money earned from energy imports. How will it impact Russian economy? Also, will India and China reduce their crude oil consumption? And China's economic plan - after four days of discussions at home, what priorities are being set for the rest of the decade? You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: Victoriya Holland Editor: Stephen Ryan

Elon Musk's SpaceX says it has cut Starlink satellite communication links to more than 2,500 devices used by scam compounds in Myanmar. The UAE's AI minister has told the BBC that the country is choosing the United States and American companies over China as their preferred partner when it comes to AI. And, despite the US's $40 billion rescue package for President Javier Milei, investors are betting that Argentina will sharply devalue its currency after this weekend's midterm elections. (Picture: At least 84 repatriated Indonesian citizens who once worked in scam centres in Myanmar and arrived in the Indonesian capital on 28 Feb 2025. Credit: BAGUS INDAHONO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Retail traders are being credited for sending Beyond Meat's stock surging. Also, an estimate on the cost of the Jaguar Land Rover cyber attack. And Starlink devices are linked to scam centres in Myanmar.Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: Victoriya Holland Editor: Stephen Ryan

President Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump have visited central Texas today to survey where flash floods killed 120 people last weekend. As search teams continue to search for more than 160 people still missing, Mr Trump and his wife met families affected by the floods and first responders.Dr Sam Brody, Director of the Institute for Disaster Resilient Texas and a Professor at Texas A&M University discusses how disasters like this might be avoided in the future.Also on the programme, what impact could the 35% tariffs for Canada announced by Trump yesterday have on businesses there and why the post-covid trend of converting office buildings to homes is gathering momentum in New York.

The big event of 2021 that will shape economies all over the world for decades to come was the COP 26 climate conference in Glasgow in November. The meeting saw a deluge of promises, but what was actually achieved? Martin Webber speaks to Tim Gould, chief energy economist at the International Energy Agency and economist Irwin Stelzer, from the Hudson Institute in the United States.It was another boom year for the pharmaceutical industry as it crafted the vaccines that have saved so many lives. Of the 8 billion coronavirus vaccinations worldwide, one billion have been delivered by the US logistics company, UPS. We hear from Wes Wealer, President of UPS healthcare.And small business owners have had a bleak time for much of the past year. But many of those that have survived now feel optimistic. We hear from the owner of the Aroma speciality coffee shop in Bologna in Italy, Cristina Caroli, about her year.

Covid-19 is set to prompt radical long term changes to how we live and work, so what lessons can be learnt when we eventually emerge from the pandemic? Could the changes in the way we work herald higher productivity and happier people in the future?We hear the stories of the people who managed to thrive during a very difficult year, including the milkman who saw a boom in deliveries and the dancer who found work in South Korea when the London stage went dark.Martin Webber is joined by Professor Devi Sridhar who holds the Chair of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh; economist Roger Bootle, of Capital Economics; Robert Reich, former Labour Secretary under President Clinton; Tomas Philipson, who was Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors under Mr Trump; and actor Thomas Inge who is currentl starring in the musical Cats in South Korea.