World Business Report

BYD has reported a 19% fall in annual profit, its first decline in four years, despite rising sales as price pressure in China weighs on margins. We look at what is driving the slowdow, and what it means for the wider electric vehicle industry. We also examine the increasingly competitive market for electric cars, set against a backdrop of rising global oil prices.
While oil prices continue to rise, the cost of weight loss drugs could be heading in the opposite direction. And we look at how a small, family-run business in Slovenia has become a major force in skiing.
(Picture: Photo by RUNGROJ YONGRIT/EPA/Shutterstock (16787185n) A visitor inspects a BYD Atto 1 electric vehicle on display at the 47th Bangkok International Motor Show 2026 in Nonthaburi, on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, 23 March 2026.)

As prices soar, petrol and diesel pumps are running dry at hundreds of service stations across Australia. But is the shortage caused by panic buying rather than lack of fuel?
We hear from India where generic replacements for the weightloss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy are bringing cheaper drugs to the local market.
And Hollywood actor turned producer Eva Longoria says a Warner Bros. Discovery–Paramount mega merger will be bad news for creativity in the movie busines

Meta shares slide after landmark ruling on social media addiction. Shares of Alphabet, Google's parent company, were also down but not as sharp as Meta stock. Jurors found that Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and Google, owner of YouTube, intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed the 20-year old's mental health. We look at the numbers and find out what investors are thinking.
The global energy crisis is already wreaking havoc on economies across Asia, and the impact could soon be felt worldwide. It’s not just about higher cooking gas bills or queues at petrol stations, as Will Bain has been finding out. And what happens when you let artificial intelligence take over your holiday plans?
We hear from one travel columnist who decided to find out by handing a two-night seaside break over to Google’s Gemini, with no guidebooks, no travel agent, and no help from friends.
(Picture: Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg departs the office of U.S. Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) following a meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 26, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Nathan Howard).

A California jury found Meta and YouTube designed addictive products that harmed young people. The plaintiff was awarded damages of $6m; Meta to pay 70% and YouTube the remainder.
Transport workers in the Philippines are on strike over the price of fuel driven by surging oil prices as the Middle East continues. The Filipino government which declared an energy state of emergency this week has introduced fuel subsidies and free bus rides for affected commuters, but protesters say the measures are not enough.
And the boss of Air Canada is under pressure to resign, after releasing a condolence message for the recent deaths of two pilots in English only. One of the pilots killed in Sunday's collision at LaGuardia Airport was from French-speaking Quebec.

A Los Angeles jury has handed down an unprecedented win for a young woman who sued Meta and YouTube over her childhood addiction to social media. We hear the latest.
Since the war in the Middle East erupted, attention has focused on oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz. However, the Gulf is also a major producer of aluminium and helium. We look at how disruption has spread into other commodities.
And it’s not just commodities and supply chains feeling the pressure. Airlines are watching oil prices closely, because fuel is one of their biggest costs. We hear from the boss of AirAsia Group, the Malaysian budget airline, on what might happen, should oil prices remain high.
(Picture: Attorney for Kayle GM, Mark Lanier (C) speaks to the media outside the Los Angeles Superior Court, in Los Angeles, California, USA, 25 March 2026. Credit: Photo by TED SOQUI/EPA/Shutterstock).