World Business Report

Venezuelans head to the polls amid growing concerns about election fairness and economic instability. Long: : Venezuelans head to the polls this Sunday for a presidential election fraught with concerns over fairness and transparency, against a backdrop of prolonged political and economic turmoil. The Paris Olympics are set to dazzle with a grand opening ceremony, despite earlier arson attacks on the train network raising security issues. The games are anticipated to inject 5 to 10 billion euros into the French economy. Plus Argentina’s strong peso is creating a unique economic challenge: inflation is surpassing currency devaluation, prompting many Argentinians to cross borders for cheaper goods in neighbouring countries due to high domestic tariffs.

In this special edition of World Business Report on the day of the opening ceremony in Paris, we're on the banks of the Seine where the event takes place, and hear from businesses who say that the security lockdown in the area has hit their trade badly. Will Bain also goes behind the scenes of what it takes to run a team involved in the Olympics. Each country has a Team Leader or Ambassador - or in Olympics terminology they're called Chef de Mission. we hear from Anindya Bakrie who has this role looking after the Indonesian team - he is CEO of Bakrie and Brothers, one of the country’s biggest conglomerates. And we look at how smaller brands are muscling in on the bigger names of fashion giants such as Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney and Nike. This year’s games will see some smaller labels on the podium as athletes wear less-well known clothing brands.

The US has reported a growth rate of 2.8% so is it enough to signal the end of fears about a recession? Roger Hearing speaks to Bonnie Wilson, Associate Professor, Department of Economics at Saint Louis University. Also find out why Donald Trump takes centre stage at this years Bitcoin conference. We find out why Mr Trump wasn’t always the staunch crypto supporter he is today. And, Venezuela’s presidential election takes place this Sunday, with a unified opposition hoping to remove President Nicolas Maduro from power. Catherine Ellis reports from the town of Barquisimeto

China begins mining copper in Afghanistan following a deal made years before the Taliban takeover in 2021. What could it mean for the Afghan people and for future investors? Plus, a UK cosmetic surgery firm drops its legal actions against former clients who criticised it in online reviews. And Salt Lake City celebrates getting the Winter Olympics in 2034.

Presenter Will Bain examines the ongoing turbulence in supply chains and the under-the-radar aviation deals at Farnborough in the south of England, where the biggest names in global aviation are convening for its renowned air show. We'll also delve into the continuing fallout from the global IT outage, focusing on what’s next for the company at the centre of it, CrowdStrike. Plus, we explore why luxury goods stocks are selling off, as shares in one of the industry’s biggest names, LVMH, take a hit.

Presenter Devina Gupta examines India’s first budget for the new coalition government led by Narendra Modi. There are plans to grow the economy by creating jobs and attracting new investment from abroad. We are in Bangladesh to hear from an internet service provider about how he is trying to keep services going for businesses after protests turned violent in the country. And we hear how one of the main airlines in the US, Delta is struggling to get its operation back to normal after last week's IT outage. Cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike triggered the chaos with its faulty computer update.

Presenter Devina Gupta speaks to a former campaign manager for Kamala Harris Jill Habig about the challenges that lie ahead for her in a bid to become US President. We hear how she is continuing to secure funds. We also examines India's newly elected government’s first budget. How will it play out given Narendra Modi’s poor showing in the polls and reliance on coalition partners? We also assess how the Chinese economy will fare after The People's Bank of China decided to cut short-term rates. Its hoped this will reduce borrowing costs and help businesses.

Donations to President Joe Biden's party saw a huge spike after he announced he was no longer running in the US election. Donors had pressured Mr Biden to step aside. But his departure from the candidacy leaves a number of questions - particularly when it comes to the vast sums of money required to secure a term in the White House. Also on the programme, Will Bain looks ahead to one of the aviation world's biggest events.

This Friday was one of the least easiest for many people across the globe. A raft of global institutions - including hospitals, major banks, media outlets and airlines - have reported a mass IT outage, affecting their ability to offer services. Delays are still ongoing at many of the major world airports after thousands of flights were cancelled. Devina Gupta finds out how can anyone be prepared for anything like this? And who is going to pay for this IT disaster?

As queues stacked up at airports, TV channels went off-air and medical appointments were postponed, anti-virus firm Crowdstrike quickly became a household name when it confirmed a bug in its software was to blame for IT issues on Microsoft devices across the world. Gideon Long speaks to businesses affected by the outage.

A High Security Alert has been issued for the whole of Bangladesh, as violent clashes between students and police continue. The capital Dhaka is in the midst of a near-total internet blackout, with phone lines also down. On Thursday evening, several thousand protestors stormed the state broadcaster BTV, vandalising furniture, smashing windows and lights and setting parts of it on fire. We speak to Ali Riaz, Professor at the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University. Angel City FC has become the world's most expensive women's sports team following a $250m takeover. The Los Angeles-based side have been taken over by a US couple, Willow Bay and Bob Iger - he's the CEO of the Walt Disney Company – and they will become the new controlling owners of the club. Their star player Christen Press gives her reaction. Also, in the programme, we talk about a new minimum wage in Nigeria and look at the final day of the 2024 Republican National Convention in the US city of Milwaukee.

Protests in Kenya and Bangladesh which were ignited by high prices and increasing job insecurity have evolved into political movements. In both countries, people are challenging the role of their elected leaders. Sam Fenwick explores if fragile economies influenced the demonstrations. Also, Ursula von der Leyen has won a second term as European Commission President, pledging great prosperity for EU citizens.

Donald Trump's recent comments suggesting Taiwan should pay for its own defence have sent shockwaves through global markets, leading to a significant drop in semiconductor stocks. In the UK, the King's Speech in Parliament has proposed a dramatic shift in the transportation sector by suggesting the nationalisation of the railways. And presenter Roger Hearing dives into the world of sports as the WNBA finalises its next national media rights package, set to bring in approximately $2.2 billion over the next 11 years.

University students have been holding rallies for days against the system of reserving some public sector jobs for the relatives of war heroes, from when the country gained independence from Pakistan. Some jobs are also reserved for women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. Also, Britain's King Charles opens parliament, and the new government promises to "take the brakes off Britain" -- by boosting house building. Will it lead to more investment? We'll hear from a building firm. And the luxury fashion brands being investigated for how they treat workers in their supply chains.

Presenter Rahul Tandon explores what lies ahead for Bangladesh after the government indefinitely closed all schools and colleges. Six people have died in student protests over a quota system for government employment. French President Emmanuel Macron’s government has resigned . It follows political deadlock in France as it prepares to host the Summer Olympics. Rwandan leader Paul Kagame is poised to extend his 24-year reign. Provisional election results indicate he has secured a fourth term with 99 percent of the vote.

Elsewhere, Devina Gupta looks to the debate around low-carbon fertilisers, and in Turkey, the government is set to approve a new bill hoping to steady the country's shaky economy. And what's it like being a delivery company on Amazon Prime Day? We speak to one firm in India.

Presenter Rahul Tandon discusses the announcement of Iowa Senator JD Vance as Donald Trump’s pick to be his running mate in November’s Presidential election. Rahul speaks to Vivek Ramaswamy - who himself was a candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination. And we hear about the new law in Indonesia where maternity leave has been extended from 3 months to six months for certain people.

We look at how U.S markets have reacted since the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Elsewhere, Devina Gupta looks to China where a key Communist party meeting is taking place, against a backdrop of sluggish spending which is also causing headaches for luxury brands such as Burberry. We also hear about new maternity leave rules in Indonesia, and the potential challenges.

Presenter Rahul Tandon discusses the ongoing debate about the future of Joe Biden. One of Donald Trump’s biggest supporters Vivek Ramaswamy assesses the shortcomings of the current President. Saudia Arabia has boosted imports of the dirtiest type of oil after hot weather. We hear why the world’s biggest crude exporter buys fuel oil for power plants. French Football is facing a financial crisis because it cannot find a TV deal. We find out what impact this could have on the professional game in the country.

Pressure appears to be building on Joe Biden to step aside in November’s electoral contest with his Republican rival Donald Trump. We look at the role that donors have been playing in this election, and what it means if they stop funding the president. Also, it's the biggest wedding in India - we take you to Mumbai where Asia's richest man is splurging millions of dollars for his son's nuptials.