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BBC World Service

The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.

World Business Report

The US president, Donald Trump, has met top American energy executives in the White House, saying his government will choose which US firms can exploit Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
 
Also, Elon Musk's social media site X could face a UK ban over a feature enabling users to create fake, sexualised images of women. 
 
And why the search for more protein and fibre means some takeaway food stores are feeling the pinch.

(PHOTO: A model of an oil pump is seen in front of a Venezuelan flag in this illustration taken January 9, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration). 

Presenter: Andrew Peach 
Editor: Craig Henderson
Producer: Ahmed Adan

President Trump lays out plans for Venezuela's oil reserves.

A free trade agreement between the European Union and the South American trade bloc is approved, but some countries aren’t happy. We speak to a European Commissioner for Trade about the deal.

And there's another big deal brewing - this time in the mining sector, as Glencore and Rio Tinto are in preliminary talks about a takeover worth two hundred and seven billion dollars. A mining analyst gives us his take on what it could mean for the industry.

And how has news of that deal affected markets? We’ll be finding out.

EU-Mercosur deal gets green light

As President Trump and European leaders have their say about Greenland, BBC’s Andrew Peach hears from Greenland’s business minister, Naaja Nathanielson.
 
And, in a few weeks, a group of potential investors and hedge fund managers will be heading to Venezuela after its president was forcibly removed by the US. We will hear of those heading to Caracas.
 
Also, beef prices in the US are at record highs – they went up by 22% last year.

(Photo: The Greenlandic flag Erfalasorput flies on the Tivoli Castle in Tivoli in Copenhagen, Denmark, 08 January 2026. Credit: Ida Marie Odgaard/EPA/Shutterstock)

Presenter: Andrew Peach 
Editor: Craig Henderson
Producer: Ahmed Adan

Greenland is not “an object to be acquired”, minister tells BBC

President Trump wants Greeland - and security, money, minerals and influence are all part of the picture. We chat to a Danish politician about Trump's claims. 

In the US, Trump wants to crack down on payouts to executives and shareholders of major US defence contractors - and also plans to dramatically increase military spending. A defence specialist gives us the lowdown on his objectives.

 And tech giant Samsung expects bumper profits, so how has that affected its shares? We'll be finding out.

Why does the US want Greenland?

America would control Venezuelan oil sales 'indefinitely' according to US Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Also, why is Warner Brothers Discovery telling its shareholders to reject an updated bid from Paramount Skydance? And the race to build the most powerful computers ever seen.
 
(PHOTO: The vessel tanker Bella 1 [now called the Marinera] at Singapore Strait, after U.S. officials say the U.S. Coast Guard pursued an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, in this picture taken from social media on March 18, 2025. Credit: Hakon Rimmereid/via REUTERS)

US seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker

The US President says the interim authorities in Venezuela will be turning over up to fifty million barrels of what he called 'sanctioned oil' to the United States. Also, America's Department of Health has frozen childcare and family assistance payments over alleged fraud. And, a report from inside the home of one of the world's high-speed quantum computers.

China accuses US of bullying over Venezuela’s oil

As people wonder what happens next, we talk to a student and business owner about their hopes for Venezuela's future, and explore the economy beyond oil production. 

Also, does sacking football managers make good business sense?

And we hear from gym enthusiasts keen on a German fitness trend.

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

(Picture: People walk in front of graffiti reading "Free Maduro" during a women's march toward the office of interim President Delcy Rodriguez in Caracas, Venezuela, January 6, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)

What will happen to Venezuela's economy beyond the oil industry?

Six European leaders today rallied to Greenland's support after the President Donald Trump said the US ‘needed Greenland’.

The UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Denmark said in a joint statement, that Greenland ‘belongs to its people...and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations"

We look at Greenland’s business community and how it is responding to all the uncertainty over its future.

Also – as the first retail sales of Xmas are revealed…will it be a bumper year for companies relying on seasonal shopping.

And, as Manchester United part company with yet another manager, we look at the cost to the club in replacing Ruben Amorim, and those who have gone before him….

Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Senior Producer: Craig Henderson

Greenland businesses at the eye of geopolitical storm

We get a sense of what prices and the jobs market are like in Venezuela, and also look at the country's oil sector. Also, our reporter in South Korea on K-beauty and the global demand for Korean skincare and cosmetics. 

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

(Picture: Law enforcement officials move captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores out of the helicopter, ahead of a court hearing in New York. Credit: REUTERS/Adam Gray TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

What’s daily life like in post-Maduro Venezuela?

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 Duddy

And – 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

US oil stocks jump

In our last episode before the end of the year, we ask: what could 2026 hold for the global economy? Will the US keep powering ahead, is China finally turning a corner, and how much further can interest rates really fall?

And we speak to an applied futurist who advises businesses and governments on the pressures shaping the years ahead. We ask what his key predictions are for 2026, and what they could mean for workers, companies and governments.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Producer: Haider Saleem and Amber Mehmood
Editor: Stephen Ryan

Global economic predictions for 2026

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