World Business Report

Shareholders of Warner Brothers Discovery have approved its sale to media conglomerate Paramount Skydance, with the merger valued at $110 billion. Rahul Tandon looks at what the deal could mean for competition, content and consumers.
Also, BP suffers a shareholder rebellion over climate reporting.
And Meta announces plans to cut around 10% of its workforce.
(Picture: The studio lot at Warner Bros. Studios is seen in Los Angeles, California, USA, 23 April 2026. Credit: CHRIS TORRES/EPA/Shutterstock)

The shareholders of Warner Brothers Discovery have voted yes to an hundred billion dollar acquisition by Paramount. After fighting off Netflix to reach an agreement, the vote for Paramount became a formality....but then the next battle begins with the regulators.
Tens of thousands of employees of Samsung have been protesting at a major factory in South Korea.
And why China businesses are feeling the squeeze from the economic impact of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Presenter: Andrew Peach
Senior Producer: Craig Henderson

Iran has seized two cargo ships and warned that reopening the Strait of Hormuz will be “impossible” if a US blockade continues. Sarah Rogers asks what that means for the US and hear from a business operating inside Iran.
We also hear how businesses are expecting to benefit from a $100 billion EU loan to Ukraine.
And Tesla reports higher than expected first-quarter profits.
(Picture: Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, April 22, 2026. Credit: Reuters)

The European Union has unlocked a $100 billion loan for Kyiv - money that’s been stuck for months. Hungary had been holding it up, arguing it wasn’t receiving Russian oil through a key pipeline that runs across Ukraine. That line was damaged after a Russian strike earlier this year, but Kyiv says repairs are now complete and oil is flowing again.
Plus, we get a rare insight into what it’s like trying to run a shop or even buy bread in Iran these days.
And we look at the rise of quality Chinese retail brands, challenging the perception that “Made in China” means cheap and of poor quality.

Andrew Peach is joined by George Conboy as we look at Kevin Warsh’s grilling before the US Senate's banking committee and examine the prospects for the world’s largest economy, with expert analysis from economist Courtney Shupert.
With US president Donald Trump extending the ceasefire with Iran, we speak to oil analyst Sarah Emerson about how American oil firms are benefiting from the disruption in the Middle East.
And we travel to the Canary Islands to find out how tourism is increasingly turning to sport in the race for profit.
The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.
(Picture: Kevin Warsh, US president Donald Trump's nominee to be the next chair of the US Federal Reserve, at the end of a Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., 21 April 2026. Credit: Reuters / Kevin Lamarque)