whatever you charge, we charge and i think that is fairfor the people of the united states. he's seeking a $500 billion deal will strike today, bringing disruption to valentine's travellers in some big british cities.

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7 77777777 7: e; h§¥7§777 by the strike. let's take a closer look at the issues with charles umney, professor of international work and employment, at leeds university business school. and charles first thing then, what do you make of the timing?

it is timed to obviously have an impact. this is valentine's day, obviously, one of the day people will be most relying on these kind of services and it coincides with a year ago when there was the biggest ever action by either eads and delivery riders. —— uber obviously the action this year is designed to maximise the impact and is designed to maximise the impactand draw is designed to maximise the impact and draw a line under the drivers concerned.- impact and draw a line under the drivers concerned. what are the drivers concerned. what are the concerns? _ the drivers concerned. what are the concerns? pay, _ the drivers concerned. what are the concerns? pay, safety - the drivers concerned. what are the concerns? pay, safety and l the concerns? pay, safety and job security? in the concerns? pay, safety and job security?— job security? in a dispute like this there _ job security? in a dispute like this there are _ job security? in a dispute like this there are often _ job security? in a dispute like this there are often a - job security? in a dispute like this there are often a number of concerns that dovetail stop one of the most prominent concerns is safety so drivers

are very concerned, particularly about the possibility of violent crime against rage sharing drivers so that calling for various measures which would improve that, including things like better rider id verification, better rider id verification, better tracking of complaints and also more support for victims of violent crime, as part of the event today there will be demonstrations of an individual who was eight to two driver who was murdered by a rider. so safety is a huge part of this but it is not the only issue. there is also significant worries, particularly about the way pay is calculated and set on these platforms, notably a lack of transparency around how these companies extract commissions from drivers. {iii companies extract commissions from driven-—

from drivers. of course the uk not the only — from drivers. of course the uk not the only nation _ from drivers. of course the uk not the only nation to - from drivers. of course the uk not the only nation to use - not the only nation to use these right sharing apps, how do we compare for the rest with the rest of the world? the research _ the rest of the world? the research we _ the rest of the world? the research we do _ the rest of the world? the research we do at - the rest of the world? tt7 research we do at leeds basically has attracted thousands of individuals protests by platform workers all over the world so really, wherever this economy exists, evenin wherever this economy exists, even in countries where labour, union and strikes are heavily prescribed, we find a platform workers doing it. overwhelmingly, the issue that is more key is pay.— is more key is pay. charles, i'm sorry — is more key is pay. charles, i'm sorry to _ is more key is pay. charles, i'm sorry to interrupt, - is more key is pay. charles, i'm sorry to interrupt, we i is more key is pay. charles, i i'm sorry to interrupt, we have run out of time but thank you for taking us through the main point. thank you. in the uk and in the united states, romance novels are big business.

2024 was a record year for romance novels in the uk as sales hit £69.1 million pounds according to nielsen bookscan's total consumer market. in the us sales of romance books were up 9% in 2024 — that's according to circana, a consumer analytics firm. welljoining me now from arizona is debbie maycumber, a new york times bestselling author and one of today's most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. congratulations. to be an author in today's digital world really is an achievement. welcome to the problem. what are the key factors or key characters of a successful romance book? t characters of a successful romance book?— characters of a successful romance book? i think that

everybody _ romance book? i think that everybody is _ romance book? i think that everybody is looking - romance book? i think that everybody is looking for - romance book? i think that l everybody is looking for love and we are all in need of being loved, feeling loved and giving loved, feeling loved and giving love and so just that factor alone is what attracts and people are looking for something with a happy ending. you know, the world is a messy place and if we can sit down and just become part of a book and just become part of a book and become part of that life and become part of that life and have a happy ending, then we feel that satisfaction. to think that people are still reading these days for more than 20 or 30 seconds away from social media is a great thought. how have you found it as an author in today's world? it is completely different to when i started. i started years ago with a rented when i started. i started years ago with a re ago that the you how long ago that was. the world is completely changed,

you how long ago that was. the worlt for :ompletely changed, you how long ago that was. the worlt for the pletely changed, you how long ago that was. the worlt for the better. :hanged, you how long ago that was. the worlt for the better. itanged, you how long ago that was. the worlt for the better. it is ged, think for the better. it is given more opportunity to people who want to write and have access to having their words read. i think it has been a wonderful change. i remember the odd mills _ a wonderful change. i remember the odd mills - boon - a wonderful change. i remember the odd mills - boon in - a wonderful change. i remember the odd mills - boon in and i the odd mills and boon in and under my pillow as the odd mills and boon in and und i ' my pillow as the odd mills and boon in and und i was pillow as the odd mills and boon in and und i was just w as the odd mills and boon in and und i was just thinking about and i was just thinking about youth romance today and what the youth are reading, itjust seems so morose, doesn't it? laughter i don't know if morose is the right word. i wrote for mills and boon back in the is the right word. i wrote for mills an-1 back in the l is the right word. i wrote for mills an-ack in the l is the right word. i wrote for mus an_ the | is the right word. i wrote for mills an— i though. what is your key message _ though. what is your key message for _ though. what is your key message for valentine'sl though. what is your key - message for valentine's day? i think the key message 7;;. be think the key message is to be a good person who is willing to give of themselves to a good person who is willing to give of themsel\ hand; a good person who is willing to give of themsel— be reciprocated. and have you had to adapt _ be reciprocated. and have you had to adapt your _ had to adapt your writing style

over the years?— over the years? yes, i definitely _ over the years? yes, i definitely have. - over the years? yes, i definitely have. first | over the years? yes, i | definitely have. first of over the years? yes, i - definitely have. first of all, i did start out writing those meals and birds but as i grew older, it was harderfor me meals and birds but as i grew older, it was harder for me to write about a 25—year—old falling in love and so i had to advance into what is best known now as women's fiction so things change as we grow and mature. it things change as we grow and mature. , , ~ mature. it gets better i think! thank you _ mature. it gets better i think! thank you very _ mature. it gets better i think! thank you very much. - mature. it gets better i think! thank you very much. and - thank you very much. and congratulations as well on your success. stay with us here on bbc news. more coming up. hello.