Marketplace®

Daily business news and economic stories
Donate
BBC Marketplace Senior Producer

Stephen Ryan

Senior Producer, BBC World Service/Marketplace (in London)

Latest from Stephen Ryan

  • Oct 10, 2022

    The Bank of England expands emergency support for the U.K. financial system

    The Bank of England says it's prepared to double its daily bond purchases and start a short-term lending facility to boost bond sales.
    Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: It’s the latest from Britain’s central bank after unfunded tax cuts announced last month by the U.K. government sent shockwaves through financial markets. Plus, missile strikes in Kyiv have caused power and water outages in the Ukrainian capital, where life was starting to return to normal. And, what it’s like to get a call saying you’ve won the Nobel Prize for Economics.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Oct 7, 2022

    Solid job gains send the markets tumbling

    Solid job gains send the markets tumbling
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    It’s Jobs Day, and Chris Low of FHN Financial helps us interpret the latest data. U.S. lawmakers aren’t pleased with the OPEC+ decision to cut down oil production. Millennials looking for housing will encounter a slew of inflation-triggered challenges.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Oct 7, 2022

    The U.S. is less than happy with OPEC+

    A man walks past OPEC headquarters on October 4, 2022 on the eve of the 45th Meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee and the 33rd OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting held on October 05, in Vienna, Austria. - The OPEC+ oil cartel will meet in Vienna for the first time since Covid curbs were introduced in 2020. The face-to-face meeting of the 13 OPEC members led by Saudi Arabia and its 10 allied members headed by Russia will be the first in the Austrian capital since the spring of 2020.
    oe Klamar/AFP via Getty Images

    U.S. lawmakers are exploring some options to counter the oil-producing cartel’s move to cut down production. The struggle to find and afford child care is stopping many mothers from returning to work. We scan some of the history of the bar code, which was patented 70 years ago on this day.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Oct 7, 2022

    Microsoft president warns Russian cyberspace attacks could escalate

    (FILES) A picture taken on October 17, 2016 shows an employee walking behind a glass wall with machine coding symbols at the headquarters of Internet security giant Kaspersky in Moscow. The US government banned the use of Kaspersky security software in federal offices on September 13, 2017, saying the Russian company has risky ties to Russian intelligence that threaten US national security.
    KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP

    From the BBC World Service: While cyberspace defenses held up well in the days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Microsoft president Brad Smith told the BBC that attacks on internet infrastructure could increase as Moscow suffers setbacks in the war. Plus, Italy introduces new limits and times for gas heating. And, could a search engine from a former Googler’s start-up really rival the world search champion?

    Read MoreDownload
  • Oct 6, 2022

    Elon Musk wants Twitter. He just needs the money … which might be a problem.

    Elon Musk wants Twitter. He just needs the money … which might be a problem.
    Christian Marquardt - Pool/Getty Images

    Big banks initially agreed to loan Musk the funds, but now … not so much. On the eve of another Jobs Day, we chat with Diane Swonk of KPMG. We look in on the status of theaters as they still try to recover from the pandemic.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Oct 6, 2022

    Florida officials ask for emergency food help in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian

    Florida officials ask for emergency food help in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian
    Win McNamee/Getty Images

    We examine at how the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) responds in the wake of disaster. A solid way to boost your book sales? Win the Nobel Prize in literature. We look back at the Wirecard scandal of 2020.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Oct 6, 2022

    The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has wiped 25% off economic growth

    Taliban restrictions on women's work has wiped out the progress built up over the last decade.
    OMER ABRAR/AFP

    From the BBC World Service: A United Nations Development Programme report says it took less than a year to wipe out $5 billion of economic output in Afghanistan. Plus, a new club of nations called the European Political Community is meeting for the first time. And, what kind of impact could additional E.U. sanctions on Iran actually have?

    Read MoreDownload
  • Oct 5, 2022

    More hiring happened in September – but the overall number of job openings has fallen

    More hiring happened in September – but the overall number of job openings has fallen
    David McNew/Getty Images

    Susan Schmidt of Exchange Capital Resources helps us clear up the job picture. Elon Musk’s deal with Twitter appears to be back on. We look at how climate change can factor into retirement planning.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Oct 5, 2022

    It seems Elon Musk likes a Twitter deal after all

    Elon Musk has tweeted "The bird is freed".
    Carina Johansen/NTB/AFP via Getty Images

    But why? There are a few possible reasons for the billionaire’s change of heart. Florida’s flatness works against its post-Ian cleanup efforts. The state of the housing market carries opportunity for all-cash buyers.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Oct 5, 2022

    Fresh E.U. sanctions on Russia include an oil price cap

    Fresh E.U. sanctions on Russia include an oil price cap
    Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP

    From the BBC World Service: The E.U. outlined its latest details after Russia illegally annexed four regions in Ukraine. Plus, OPEC+ oil production cuts could be the biggest since 2020 when the pandemic drastically reduced global demand. And, India is usually the world’s biggest cotton exporter, but flooding has seen the country import the commodity, putting pressure on its domestic textile production sector.

    Read MoreDownload