Ukraine's position has been strengthened by a €90bn loan agreed by the EU after failing to agree on using frozen Russian assets. But is it enough to keep the country going?

In Sri Lanka, the International Monetary Fund has also approved a $206 million in emergency financing to help the country rebuild after a devastating cyclone. What will taking on more debt mean for the country's future debt sustainability?

Elsewhere, the former Chair of the independent board of Ben & Jerry's ice cream independent board has told World Business Report she was forced out by the company's owners, Magnum Ice Cream, following years of tension over Ben & Jerry’s outspoken social activism.

Also, Sony has more than doubled its stake in Peanuts, bringing Snoopy and Charlie Brown under its corporate umbrella, while the creator's family keeps the remaining 20% share.

(Photo: A serviceman of the 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade prepares to launch a Darts middle range strike unmanned aerial vehicle towards Russian troops. Credit: December 16, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova)

TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance has struck a deal with US and global investors to keep the app operating in America. But who really comes out on top?

Could Japan’s interest rate hike offer relief to struggling households?

Shipping giant Maersk has sent its first vessel through the Red Sea in two years.

And how could a new EU finance deal strengthen Ukraine’s defence against Russia?

Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: Niamh Mc Dermott Editor: Justin Bones

Volodymyr Zelensky has called on EU leaders at a crunch summit urgently to agree to a multi-billion euro loan in frozen Russian money to fund Ukraine's military and economic needs. Andrew Peach hears from EU leaders and an expert in Brussels.

Also, Bolivia ends two decades of fuel subsidies, introducing tough measures to stabilise the public finances, but will people put up with paying more for fuel?

And the economic challenges of making guitars, as Hoffner - famous for making Paul McCartney’s iconic violin-shaped bass guitar – has filed for insolvency in Germany.

(Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gives a press conference during the EU Council Summit in Brussels, Belgium, 18 December 2025. Credit: OLIVIER HOSLET/EPA/Shutterstock)

It's a big data day for the US, Europe and the UK. What do interest rates decisions and inflation data mean for the global economy? India's textile businesses say high US tariffs are causing major pain for businesses. We hear from the Treasurer of the Tiruppur Exporters Association. And should we be categorising Labubu dolls as a fad?

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: Victoriya Holland Editor: Stephen Ryan

The US has stepped up its blockade on Venezuela’s sanctioned oil tankers, as humanitarian workers are warning that the situation would get worse if food and medical supplies can’t get into the country. We hear from people living in Caracas and someone who has left the country few days ago. Also, the board of Warner Brothers Discovery has told shareholders to reject Paramount's $180 billion dollar hostile bid for the entirety of its business. And the Oscars are to be streamed on YouTube from 2029 after the tech firm outbid traditional broadcasters.

(Photo: Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro gestures, during a march to commemorate the Battle of Santa Ines in Caracas, Venezuela, December 10, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Gaby Oraa)

The International Energy Agency says we'll burn through a record 8.85 billion tonnes of coal in 2025, the first overall increase in fifteen years. We hear from Ro Dhawan, at the International Council on Mining and Metals about a path towards using more clean energy. Plus, the price of oil is up after US threats of a blockade on sanctioned Venezeulan tankers. And could Amazon be getting a big order for its computer chips?

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: Victoriya Holland Editor: Justin Bones

Why are black women are being hit hardest in today’s jobs market? With African American unemployment at a four-year high, we hear from women searching for work.

In Japan, a “human washing machine” could soon be hitting the shops.

The European Union waters down its own plan to ban petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035.

We hear how the trucking industry is changing in Canada.

And Ed Butler speaks to an 11-year-old farmer travelling from Ireland to Brussels by tractor with his dad, ahead of a major protest.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released its long-awaited data, showing mixed signals for the US jobs market. The unemployment rate is at a four-year high of 4.6%, up from 4.4%.

The European Union is set to soften its planned ban on new petrol and diesel cars, giving carmakers more time to move away from combustion engines. We hear from Wolfgang Weber, CEO of German electro and digital industry association (ZVEI).

And the last vehicle will roll off the assembly line at Volkswagen's plant in Dresden today. First time ever the German carmaker closed a manufacturing plant in its home country.

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

Presenter: Leanna Bryne Producer: Victoriya Holland Editor: Justin Bones

The European Union once set an ambitious goal: by 2035, all new cars sold would be fully electric. But now, the BBC understands that Brussels is considering scrapping, or at least watering down, its plan to ban new petrol and diesel vehicles. So what could it mean for carmakers and consumers across Europe?

South Korea and the UK have signed a new trade deal.

In the US, people applying for a skilled worker visa will now have their social media profiles screened.

And who's winning the race to build the most sophisticated AI models?

(Photo: An exhaust pipe of a car is pictured on a street in Berlin, Germany. Credit: REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch)

The Spanish government has fined property rentals giant Airbnb €64m ($75m) for advertising unlicensed apartments. Andres Barragan, Secretary General for Consumer Affairs in the Spanish Government, tells this programme that the short term rent for tourism is rising the rent price.

In India, pollution is grinding the economy to a halt.

And in Paris, workers at the Louvre are on strike in a dispute over demand for extra staff and measures to tackle overcrowding.

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

Trade tensions rise as the EU investigates Chinese firms over possible unfair government subsidies. We hear from the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU who says they are being unfairly targeted. Plus, who will pay the new €3 tax on small parcels from China - businesses or consumers?

Why are most household things still not being recycled?

And sport fans in the US will soon be able to subscribe to a new YouTube TV package.

[Photo: An attendant walks past EU and China flags in Beijing, China. Credit: REUTERS/Jason Lee]

Gideon Long takes a look as online discussion forum Reddit challenges Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s.

Plus, after Ben from Ben & Jerry’s criticises the ice-cream maker’s owners, they hit back — speaking exclusively to the BBC.

And why are general strikes spreading across several European countries?

Disney is investing $1bn in OpenAI, letting fans create AI-generated videos with its characters. But what will the deal mean for the future of entertainment? We hear from people across the creative industry.

Tickets for next year’s World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico have gone on sale but fans say the prices are “extortionate.”

In Kenya, a court has frozen a multibillion-dollar US health deal over data-privacy concerns.

And Mexico is hitting China with a wave of new tariffs.

Gideon Long speaks to a former Venezuelan diplomat about the US seizure of an oil tanker off the country's coastline. Where was it going and what could it mean for global oil supplies?

Plus, the typhoon survivors from the Philippines taking oil giant Shell to court.

And how does the World Cup ticket ballot actually work?

Could Americans finally get some financial relief? The Fed has cut interest rates to a three-year low, and President Trump promises to make ‘America affordable again.’ We speak to a business owner and a former Federal Reserve economist.

Why is silver hitting record highs?

And in Italy, the nations food has been granted the world’s first-ever heritage status.

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

(Photo: US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell attends a press conference at the Federal Reserve, Washington, DC USA, 10 December 2025. Credit: WILL OLIVER/EPA/Shutterstock (16075439n))

Silver is trading at record highs as demand from the tech industry soars — Leanna Byrne finds out why the precious metal has become one of the market’s hottest assets. The boss of Coupang, South Korea’s largest online retailer, resigns after the country’s biggest-ever data breach. And Amazon plans to double its investment in India by 2030.

President Donald Trump has opened the door for China to buy Nvidia’s most advanced semiconductors — a U-turn on President Biden’s policy and a move that could reshape the global AI race.

We'll also look at what’s behind sweeping raids across Argentine football, with tax officials targeting the football federation and several top clubs.

And the US job market rose to a five-month high in October. Why?

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

President Donald Trump has given Nvidia the green light to sell more advanced AI chips to China, reversing a key Biden-era restriction. Hannah Mullane asks what economic impact could this have?

Plus, in Hollywood, the battle to buy Warner Brothers is far from over.

And the surge in demand for luxury fashion at African airports.

Paramount is back, challenging Netflix in a takeover battle for Warner Brothers Discovery that could reshape the global streaming industry. What could the bidding war mean for Hollywood? We'll get reaction from an Oscar-winning producer.

And as Syria marks a year since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, we hear why its economy remains extremely fragile.

And while China’s exports are booming, many US farmers are feeling the strain — hit by low prices and years of disrupted sales to China. Now President Trump has announced a twelve-billion-dollar aid package to support them. We hear the reaction from the soybean farmer.

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

(Picture: The Warner Bros. studio water tower stands on the company's lot in Burbank, California, U.S. Credit: REUTERS/Mike Blake)

Paramount Skydance is launching a hostile bid worth more than 100 billion dollars in a last ditch effort to stop its sale to Netflix. Leanna Byrne asks, what does Netflix need to do to get the deal done? Also, China is running a massive trade surplus, and other countries aren't happy about it. And Elon Musk escalates his clash with the European Commission after an EU fine over blue tick badges.