World Business Report

Cuba goes dark as fuel shortages affect power supplies. We hear from the people affected by the outages, and the price the island nation is paying as the darkness spreads. As we approach the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we speak to the man in charge of keeping the power going as Ukraine approaches a humanitarian crisis.In Bangladesh, we get reaction as the Bangladesh National Party and allies win a commanding, two‑thirds‑plus majority in the first general election since the student‑led uprising that drove Sheikh Hasina from office in 2024. And we ask - what next for an economy hit so hard by US tariffs? And PlayStation has surprise‑launched a new God of War game, Sons of Sparta, on the PS5. We hear from a gaming expert on why this franchise is such a big deal.(Picture: A bicitaxi rides in a street of Havana, on February 13, 2026. Credit: YAMIL LAGE / AFP via Getty Images.)

The next government faces the huge task of restoring stability to key sectors, including the vital garment industry. We hear from a denim manufacturer and young voters about what they want next. And the designer behind Japan’s Hello Kitty character for more than four decades is stepping down. Presenter: Andrew Peach Producer: David Cann Editor: Stephen Ryan

The US is ramping up efforts to secure its supplies of critical minerals. Vice-president JD Vance has proposed creating a new critical mineral trading bloc to loosen China’s control over the sector. The approach could reshape global supply chains for materials essential to electric vehicles, semiconductors and defence systems. Ed Butler finds out more. Shares of Ozempic manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, dropped as nuch as 17% in the face of strong competition. Meanwhile its rival Eli Lilly, is forecasting strong growth. What's the outlook for weight-loss jabs? Elsewhere, the US has renewed an agreement that gives 32 African countries access to the US market. The African Growth and Opportunity Act was allowed to expire last September, after 25 years. It's now been re-authorised until the end of 2026, although Washington has warned it may reshape the deal after that.

The Swiss franc soars to its highest level against the dollar in more than a decade as investors flee the dollar in search of a safe haven. We look at what that means for Swiss exporters and the central bank.Plus, why have several big global companies announced job cuts, even though they appear to be doing well financially?And the boss of Cisco warns of "carnage" if an AI-driven bubble on stock markets bursts.

The European Union and India have announced a landmark trade deal as both sides aim to deepen ties amid tensions with the US. It will allow free trade of goods between the bloc of 27 European states and the world's most populous country, which together make up nearly 25% of global gross domestic product and a market of two billion people.Meanwhile, Donald Trump threatens South Korea with more tariffs, and a big shift in the global sportswear business as France’s billionaire Pinault family sells a big chunk of its Puma holding to China’s Anta Sports.

Ten European countries bordering or close to the North Sea, including Germany, France, the UK and Norway, have pledged $11.3 billion to expand offshore wind capacity by 2030. They describe it as a historic deal that will wean Europe off dependency on Russian energy.Plus, France starts debating a ban on social media for under-15s in the wake of a similar move in Australia.And India and the EU are poised to conclude a trade deal.

The social media giant has finalised a deal to allow it to continue to operate in the United States where its famous algorithm will be retrained exclusively on American user-data.For the past year TikTok's been at the heart of a dispute between its Chinese owner Bytedance and the US government over data privacy. Plus we'll give you a rare glimpse into life on board one of the ships in Russia's shadow fleet.

Blue Origin, the company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, says it will launch a new satellite-based communications network called TeraWave. We find out if it could eventually rival Elon Musk's Starlink, which currently dominates the satellite internet market. Plus, the conversation in Davos switches to the economic future of Venezuela. And Spanish football giants Real Madrid are the richest football club in the world, again.

Leaders of European countries have reacted angrily to the threat of additional tariffs by the US. Donald Trump says he'll first put 10% then 25% extra import tax on nine countries including Germany, France and the UK as he increases the pressure on his claim for Greenland to be sold by Denmark to the United States.China reports 5% GDP growth, but weak demand and falling birth rates signal deeper challenges for the world’s second-largest economy.And winners crowned on and off the pitch at football's African Cup of Nations. Presenter - Bisi Adebayo Editor - Justin Bones

The agreement, between the South American trade bloc Mercosur and the European Union which is set to be signed this weekend, has been 25 years in the making.The deal will eliminate import taxes or tariffs on more than 90 percent of goods traded between Europe and the South American nations. Europe hopes to boost its exports of cars, machinery and medicines, while South American farmers see a huge new market for their crops and produce.Meanwhile, Canada and China have also been making a deal of sorts, what they call a new strategic partnership.And research in Kenya has shown that many young people would choose to be a Tiktoker or a YouTuber over a more conventional job, like a doctor or a lawyer.

Several governments have been piling pressure on Musk’s AI company, xAI, after Grok was used to generate a flood of sexually explicit and non-consensual images, including of women and children.X says it will now geo-block the creation or editing of images showing people in bikinis, underwear or similar clothing in countries where that content is illegal and restrict image generation on Grok to paid subscribers only.Talks between the US, Denmark and Greenland have been called "frank but constructive", resulting in what the Danish foreign minister described still as a "fundamental disagreement" over the future of Greenland.And Wikipedia turns 25, we hear from it's founder.

President Donald Trump says NATO would be stronger if Greenland were under US control. Greenlandic and Danish foreign ministers are about to hold talks in Washington with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.The meeting could shape investment, mining and military spending across the Arctic.China's announced record export numbers and the biggest ever trade surplus in global history of 1 point 2 trillion dollars. We explain what this meansand Saks Fifth Avenue has applied for Bankruptcy protection

Markets give their verdict on America's dramatic military intervention in Venezuela. Shares of US oil giants like Chevron and Exxon Mobil are soaring... after President Trump suggested they can play a lead role in restoring Venezuela’s oil industry But there's been criticism from China and Iran - traditional allies of Venezuela - and from Spain, which is home to an estimated 600,000 Venezuelans many who have fled the economic troubles in their home country.We speak to a former US ambassador to Venezuela, Patrick DuddyAnd – you may have heard of South Korea’s K-Pop phenomenon…we look at how K-Beauty is now taking centre stage.Presenter - Leanna Byrne Senior Producer - Craig Henderson

Frey Lindsay looks back on the stories shaping the world of money and work in 2025. It's been a year where tariffs have grabbed many of the headlines and we hear from our correspondents around the world on the impact they've had. We also hear about the biggest toy and collector craze of 2025 - the Labubu doll.