World Business Report

Buenos Aires comes to a halt as workers stage another general strike over labor reforms - with protestors gathering outside Congress, as politicians inside debated. We hear the latest from the ground.
US imports continued to outpace exports last year, pushing the country’s trade deficit to a record high of about 1.2 trillion dollars. Meanwhile, Canada has narrowed its trade deficit thanks to aerospace exports. We speak to the president a Miami‑based consultancy that looks at trade figures.
And Nestle has unveiled its full year results - announcing it was streamlining its operations, including selling its remaining ice cream business to Haagen-Dazs owner Froneri. We hear from someone who represents investors in Nestle as a fund manager with the Lichenstein State Bank and ask if recent baby formula controversy has damaged the company's overall financial position.
(Picture: Demonstrators take part in a protest outside Argentina's National Congress on the day lawmakers discuss labor reforms proposed by President Javier Milei's in Buenos Aires, Argentina February 19, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian).

Leanna Byrne looks at the opening of India’s AI Impact Summit, where the withdrawal of Microsoft founder Bill Gates has cast a shadow after he cancelled his keynote appearance. His foundation says he stepped back to avoid distracting from the event.
France and Germany are at odds over their joint next-generation fighter jet project, raising doubts about its future.
And the IMF warns China is relying too heavily on industrial subsidies.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared in a California court on Wednesday, defending his leadership in a landmark case over whether social media is addictive for children.
Banking giants JPMorganChase is to open more than 160 new branches in over 30 states. So why the move back into launching physical banks when a lot of the industry is moving away from them - and towards online banking?
And Researchers say the world's main coffee-growing regions are getting hotter every year because of climate change - and that means coffee bean prices have almost doubled. We go to Brazil and hear from one coffee producer.
(Picture: Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Executive Officer of Meta Platforms, arrives for a court appearance at the Los Angeles County Superior Court in downtown Los Angeles, California, USA, 18 February 2026. Credit: CHRIS TORRES/EPA/Shutterstock).

The Meta boss defended his leadership and answered questions about Instagram, with reports from the courtroom saying he was testy under questioning. Also, why is JPMorganChase opening more than 160 new bank branches in the United States in a world of online banking? And a coffee producer in Brazil explains how climate change has seen coffee bean prices almost double.
(Picture: Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Executive Officer of Meta Platforms, arrives for a court appearance at the Los Angeles County Superior Court in downtown Los Angeles, California, USA, 18 February 2026. Credit: CHRIS TORRES/EPA/Shutterstock).

We hear from a tour guide in Tokyo as the number of oversees visitors to Japan has fallen for the first time in four years partly because of a big drop in tourists from China after a diplomatic row between the two countries
Also a farmer tells us about the impact of a Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in South Africa
and inflation falls in the UK
Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Producers: Amber Mehmood and Huma Shah
Editor: Justin Bones