, thank ou ve as well. 0k, phil mercer, thank you very much _ as well. 0k, phil mercer, thank you verymercer, thank you very much for that. - new research in the uk from the online regulator ofcom suggests a fifth of children here aged between eight and 15 have lied about their age in order to get a social media account. the figure is unchanged for the last two years, despite technology companies introducing new restrictions. the regulator has warned social media companies they will be punished if they fail to take significant extra steps to address the problem of children pretending to be adults online. the online safety act comes into force next year, giving ofcom new powers to make sure social media platforms keep children safe online. we'll have more in business in about 20 minutes. all reaction to that. here in the uk, the metropolitan police say they are investigating at least five people suspected of assisting the late billionaire and former owner of harrods mohamed al fayed in committing sexual offences. police launched a new investigation after 90 victims came forward followin

from sydney, phil mercer reports. good phil mercer reports. afternoon.ternoon. hazel is a part-time representative l good afternoon. hazel is a | part-time representative is part—time representative is cindy, but still needs help from charity for a hot meal. i have to struggle day by day —— is me. —— sydney. it covers the rent, but not with the food in the electricity and transport costs. it's really hard. the minimum _ costs. it's really hard. the minimum wage _ costs. it's really hard. the minimum wage for- costs. it's really hard. the minimum wage for workers age over 21 is about $60 an hour. in the last five years, increases have been overtaken by inflation —— $i6 increases have been overtaken by inflation —— $16 an hour. it's terrible to see people come _ it's terrible to see people come in _ it's terrible to see people come in here who might have a full-time — come in here who might have a full—time job and falling further behind. the working poor— further behind. the working poor is— further behind. the working poor is too kind a turn. businesses

phil mercer in — safety and comfort in it. phil mercer in sydney _ safety and comfort in it.in it. phil mercer in sydney for us, thank you very much. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. china's aviation industry takes centre stage at the china international aviation and aerospace exhibition in zhuhai. the air show, one of the largest in the world, is watched closely by analysts and rival powers as it gives rare clues on beijing's military hardware development. the show this year will feature the debut of the j—35a stealth fighter. upon its commissioning, china will become the second nation after the us to have two types of stealth fighter jets in service. key highlights include also the latest version of the chinese navy's fighter jets, that adds catapult—launch capabilities. and china's close ties with russia are also on display. moscow has brought its most advanced su—57 fighterjet to the air show for its first overseas demonstration. let's speak to our china correspondent, stephen mcdonnell. what is that you have behind you? here at the airshow i am curre

phil mercer, bbc news. sydney.then the musicians and and then the musicians and nagging that were coming up. it caused such a stir.— caused such a stir. while many small to medium _ caused such a stir. while many small to medium venues - caused such a stir. while many small to medium venues are i small to medium venues are struggling, arresting big taxes sky more than half a million fans flocked to see taylor swift on her australian tour. katy perry and taylor swift put on a good show and they've got the money to do it and people want to know that when they go out, they are going to be entertained. they don't really want to take as many risk. music gives a voice to culture, but in australia, parts of the industry are facing a battle to rediscover their rhythm. phil mercer, bbc news. sydney. we will stay with interstate — the entertainment industry but focus on the box office news for you. focus on the box office news foryou. disney's focus on the box office news for you. disney's noella two was a box office hit in

that is phil mercer in _ normal as well. that is phil mercer in sydney _ normal as well. being counted in iran's parliamentary elections — the first test of opinion there since the wave of protests against the hardline islamic regime. turnout so far has reportedly been low — several groups of reformist politicians have boycotted the election altogether. the bbc�*s caroline davies was given rare permission to report from inside the country, and has been speaking to people there. iran is yet to announce its official results for the election but there are still some early indications from state media about turnout. this is one of the state newspapers. here it says the turnout is at 41% across the country, and here, in the capital tehran, it is at 24%. now, these figures have not been finalised yet but if these are correct, 41% is thought to be a historically low turnout for iran during these parliamentary elections. it is difficult to get a sense here in iran about exactly how many people are feeling. many people don't want to speak to foreign media, particularly on camera.

phil mercer in sydney, thank you _ regard. phil mercer in sydney, thank you very _ regard.- regard. phil mercer in sydney, thank you very much indeed. l there's been a huge public reaction to the news that the princess of wales say she has completed chemotherapy blowing her cancer diagnosis earlier this year. in a three film produced by kensington palace the prince and princess are shown in norfolk with their children. catherine said her cancerjourney over children. catherine said her cancer journey over the children. catherine said her cancerjourney over the last nine months was complex, scary and unpredictable. but confirm she would look to resume some public duties in the coming months. let's speak to mark borkowski, a pr specialist, writer, media industry commentator. thank you forjoining us. what did you make of this three minute film is released by kensington palace? i minute film is released by kensington palace? i thought it was remarkable _ kensington palace? i thought it was remarkable and _ kensington palace? i thought it was remarkable and it - kensington palace

phil mercer. in south korea, a dispute _ later date. phil mercer.ween doctors later date. phil mercer. in south - korea, a dispute between doctors and the government has become increasingly divisive. the government is pressing ahead with his vow to suspend the licenses of thousands of doctors who ignore its repeated demands to end the collective walk—outs. they're locked in a standoff over staff shortages. doctors argue a plan won't deal with the fundamental flaws in the system. but the government is not backing down, saying more doctors need to be trained. it has accused medics of putting patients' lives at risk. he is the south korean president. translation: the is the south korean president. translation: ., ., , ., translation: the government has to res-ond translation: the government has to re5pond sternly _ translation: the government has to respond sternly to _ translation: the government has to respond sternly to illegal _ respond sternly to illegal collective action that holds people's like hostage. the reason the government gives is to prot

the bbc�*s phil mercer went to meet some furry friends in sydney. come through! know a trick or two about making money from dogs. from daycare to vets and grooming, australia's pet industry that grew rapidly during the covid pandemic is worth billions of dollars. across australia there are more pets than people, and dogs are the nation's favourite. there is an appetite in the australian market to have a dog in the house and it's one of the things that make the house a home, it's a family member, some people's only child or extra child, particularly with dogs, the love and fun they give you and the the joy is unmatched. the bond australians have with their pets is strong, despite economic uncertainty. but many animals are abandoned or taken to shelters. thejiji rescue cat cafe in sydney offers the unwanted a second chance. i don't think it is cheap and easy to have cats or dogs. first of all, it's a 20—year commitment, notjust a pretty present. the cost of pets is not cheap. if they got sick, even consultations cost a lot. there are physical and psychological bene

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney.spended all operations after senior employee was kidnapped in the capital of tripoli. the bank announced the abduction of its information technology director in a statement on sunday. they said he was taken from his home by an unidentified party and other employees had been threatened with kidnapping. the central bank is the only internationally recognised depository for all revenues that are vital to the economy. that is it for business today from singapore. i will see you again at the same time tomorrow. hello and welcome to sportsday. i'm 0lly foster. haaland scores for city in his 100th appearance as they start their title defence with a win. it's an underwhelming la liga debut for kylian mbappe, as the champions real madrid are held at mallorca. and sabalenka serves up her sunday best to beat swiatek in their cincinnati semifinal. hello there. the manchester city manager, pep guardiola, hailed erling haaland's scoring record as he helped them start their premier league title defen

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney.lai in taipei is addressing a crowd celebrating the 130th anniversary of the island. we can bring you some sound, this is what he has to say. translation: ., ., , translation: taiwan can help, it's not just _ translation: taiwan can help, it's notjust a — translation: taiwan can help, it's notjust a slow— translation: taiwan can help, it's notjust a slow game, - translation: taiwan can help, it's notjust a slow game, it - it's notjust a slow game, it is a movement by the people of taiwan to cherish peace and do good for others. in the past, our people going out into the world equipped with only a brief case sparked taiwan as met economic achievement. now, chip technology helped the whole world and has become a global force for prosperity and development. the people of taiwan are diverse and they are fearless. the people of taiwan are truly courageous. a daughter of taiwan is a queen of the boxing world. at 17 years old, taiwan's own but steady hands to work and won first place for wood

from sydney, phil mercer reports. surfing in australia has a proud history.who showcased his skills here more than 100 years ago. but researchers say australia's world—class surf breaks need more legal protection. unfortunately, because of a growing number of pressures including climate change, coastal erosion, and competition for coastal spaces, the elements that make those high quality waves possible are in many cases endangered. i don't think the lack of protection right now is deliberate, i think it'sjust surf breaks, currently they fall in a blind spot for policymakers. peru and new zealand have comprehensive measures to safeguard popular surfing spots. in australia, the sport has great social and economic value. from beginners to salt—water veterans, surfing generates about $2 billion each year in australia. its very long coastline is arguably its greatest natural treasure. the ocean is like a magnet for board riders who relish their sport's physical and psychological benefits. this whole economy, cafes and restaurants, accommodations, yeah, it's good,

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney. elon musk and tesla and warner bros. relation to their rubber taxi event held earlier this month. the lawsuit filed by the producers of blade runner 20a9 alleges that the mask and tesla had been denied permission to use imagery from the film for the event but to use it anyway. elon musk, tesla and warner bros. discovery had not responded to the lawsuit. nike has sealed a 12 year extension due to continue being the exclusive power provider for the mba and wnba. as part of the mba and wnba. as part of the deal, the sports training will provide on—call uniforms for the leagues until 2037. this marks the first major deal under new chief executive who took over the company last week. in other news, disney has finally announced that it will name is next chief executive in 2026, this is the first timeline the company has publicly given for appointing a successor to current ceo bob iger. the company has also named morgan stanley former boss as the new chairman of the board. hejoined the disney board. hejoined the disney board in

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney.t about artificial intelligence recently and what it means for the broaderjob landscape. linkedin, the business networking site, says, by 2030, ai will disrupt half of alljobs and change 70% of the skills needed. i spoke to the chief economist at linkedin who explained how companies are beginning to retrain workers. we had a really interesting set of data at linkedin. we have over a billion members and 65 million companies. that's a lot of data to understand how people's jobs are changing over time and what are the skills employers are looking for. so we were able to dissect all of that and conclude that a lot ofjobs are seeing skills that are required rotate over time. so when you look at particular occupations, you can start to back out a number that is approaching 60% of alljobs which will be somehow augmented by generative al or disrupted and it really depends on the mix of tasked and skills that belong to any occupation. it seems like there's no stopping ai. are businesses and emp

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney.s disney's moana was a box office hit in the us during the thanksgiving holiday, racking up thanksgiving holiday, racking up a record $221 million in ticket sales. that figure is over 100 million more than analysts predicted and eight frozen which was released at the same time in 2019. it was a huge holiday for movies in general with wicked and gladiator fuel general with wicked and gladiatorfuel in general with wicked and gladiator fuel in ticket sales. —— fuelling. that is it for this edition of business today. thanks for watching. hello. i'm olly foster. here is what is coming up for you on sports day. can anyone catch liverpool? arne slot�*s side go nine points clear at the top of the premier league after beating the champions manchester city. chaos in qatar with crashes and safety cars in formula 1's penultimate race of the season. and trump takes another triple crown title, coming out on top in the uk championship final. hello there. welcome along. liverpool have moved nine point

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney.last policy meeting indicate fed officials are uncertain about whether the current level of interest rates in the us is high enough to ensure inflation comes down. some even indicated they are willing to raise the cost of borrowing if inflation suddenly spikes. worth noting though that the last fed meeting was held before the latest reading on consumer prices, which showed them cooling off in april. turning to india now. once a darling of global investors, india has continued to see lower inflows of fdi or foreign direct investment for the second year in a row, our india business correspondent nikhil inamdar has more on what's going on. well, these numbers released by the rbi shows that india raised about $71 billion from foreign investors in financial year 2023-24. that is investors in financial year 2023—24. that is marginally lower than the previous year, but about 13% below the highs that we saw in 2020. now, the slowdown in foreign in—flows raises concerns about india's ambitions

phil mercer, bbc news in the hunter valley. to the world of cryptocurrency now.bitcoin code, about every four years the currency network will slash its reward to miners. this practice — known as halving, took place last friday. that's the fourth time it's been done since bitcoin was launched back in 2009. i spoke to crypto researcher molly white and asked her what exactly the halving process entails and about its impact on miners. bit rewards to minors have decreased by half since previously, and there has been some impact on minorsjust in the fact they are getting half as many reports, for a few days will make a huge impact but it's likely to make a much larger impact as time goes on, there wasn't too much movement in the big corn press, which i think was to be expected. the impact from the having was, i think the days of the bitcoin having have maybe gone by as these rewards have dwindled over time, these rewards have dwindled overtime, bitcoin these rewards have dwindled over time, bitcoin markets have begun to follow traditional markets far more than what the

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney.st policy meeting indicate fed officials are uncertain about whether the current level of interest rates in the us is high enough to ensure inflation come down. some even indicated they are willing to raise the cost of a borrowing if inflation suddenly spikes. worth noting that the last fed meeting was held before the latest reading consumer prices which showed them cooling off in april. british mining giant anglo american has rejected bhp's anglo american has rejected bhp�*s third takeover proposal worth around $49 billion. they have agreed to a one—week extension to allow bhp to make another binding offer. anglo american dismissed the first two office for being too cheap but says the third offer was ruled out due to the structure of the deal. in the european says —— space agency has appointed with a satellite to detect the sound energetic outburst. called the visual, it will be able to forecast a further three — four days notice of solar storms, it will be built in britain and cost a

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney.armers are descending on delhi, in their latest protests demanding better benefits from the government. police have put up barricades and there's heavy congestion on roads leading to the capital. the farmers want better compensation under india's new agricultural laws, including a price guarantee for their crops and cheaper energy. disney's latest offering moana 2 has set a new thanksgiving box office record. the animation racked up $221 million in tickets sales, more than 100 million more than analysts had predicted. stay with us here on bbc news. hello from the bbc sport centre. liverpool have moved nine points clear at the top of the premier league after a 2—0 win over manchester city at anfield. a first—half score from cody gakpo was added to with a mohamed salah penalty ion the second half, taking in the second half, taking the reds 11 points ahead of champions city, who drop to fifth with a fourth successive league defeat. their manager was in good humour though after the loss. i

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney.it will name its next chief executive in 2026. this is the first time in the company has publicly given for appointing a successor to currently ceo bob iger. the company named morgan stanley as a new chairman of the board. hejoined the disney board in 2023 and has been the head of the company's succession planning committee since aukus of this year. elon musk at tesla and warner bros. discovery are being sued in relation to their rubber taxi event earlier this month, the lawsuit filed by the producers of blade runner 20a9 alleges that elon musk and tesla had been denied permission to use imagery from the film for the event. but used it anyway. alan mask and tesla have not responded to the lawsuit. thank you for your company here on business today, i will see you again soon. hi, i'm lola with the catch up. tonight — what could be the future for young drivers, the milkshake saga and a tiktok dj. a police officer has been cleared of murdering an unarmed man he shot in south london. chris

phil mercer, bbc newsin the huntervalley., a us regulator is suing the parent company of coach to stop a $8.5 billion deal to buy michael kors owner, capri. the fedral trade commission says it would eliminate head—to—head competition for the brands. earlier this month, the companies had received regulatory approval from the eu and japan for their deal. that is it for this edition of asia business report. i will have more news for you again at the same time as tomorrow. goodbye for now. hiya. i'm betty and this is the catch up. first, deadly lab—made drugs are for sale on social media and being smuggled into the uk. nitazenes are similar to heroin but can be hundreds of times stronger and have been linked to three deaths a week in the uk. the bbc have found adverts for the drugs on platforms including x and soundcloud. the music site said it had been targeted by bad actors and remove the post. x didn't respond to the bbc although some listings were taken down. there is loads more in the full investigation on bbc iplayer now. s

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney. stay with us here on bbc news. to seek hospital treatment is undermining efforts to tackle the outbreak of mpox. a doctor in one province, where there have been more than 4,000 cases and 30 to a0 new infections every day, said a lack of drugs was also a problem. last week the world health organization declared the mpox outbreak — that has been spreading rapidly across parts of central africa — a public health emergency of international concern. health ministers from across southern african are due to meet on tuesday to come up with a coordinated response to the disease. here's our africa correspondent, simijolaoso.

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney.ere rejected a proposal worth around four $9 billion, but agreed to an extension to make another binding offer. anglo had dismissed the first two offers for being too cheap, but said that third was rolled out due to the structure of the bill. anglo believes it's too complicated and requires its own shareholders. turning to india. they have seen lower inflows of investment for... the amount of money of raise is slipping to five—year lows. these numbers show that india raise about $71 billion in 2023-24. that is raise about $71 billion in 2023—24. that is marginally 2023—211. that is marginally lower than the previous year, but about 13% below the highs that we saw in 2020. the slowdown in foreign inflows raises concerns about india's ambitions to emerge as an alternative investment decision to china. the rbi says inflows have been affected by rising inflation and tough geopolitics. spender capital and private equity funding and startups and private equity funding and startu ps could and

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney. that's all for now. stay with bbc news. marc edwards. less than 48 hours before euro 2024 kicks off in germany, we catch up with the scotland team tasked with spoiling the hosts' opening night party. india qualify for the t20 world cup super 8 but are made to work by the usa. the gold standard for keely hodgkinson. she tops the european championship 800m podium with the olympics just around the corner.

phil mercer, bbc news and hunter valley.ptocurrency now, as mandated in the bitcoin code, about every four years the currency network will slash its reward to miners. this practice, known as halving, took place last friday. that's the fourth time it's been done since bitcoin was launched back in 2009. i spoke to crypto researcher molly white and asked her what exactly the halving process entails and about its impact on miners. bitcoin rewards to minors have decreased by half since previously, and they have been some impact on —— miners, where

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney.suit against bhp have begun in london over the com lapse of the companies mariano dam in brazil in 2015. the disaster led to the release of toxic mining waste that killed 19 people and devastated local communities. lawyers representing the thousands of victims say bhp is trying to avoid responsibility, seeking $47 avoid responsibility, seeking $a7 billion of damages. shares trading just under 1% in australia today. we all know how hacking and cyberattacks have become huge issues notjust to us individually, but also to businesses and governments. but did you know that estonia ranks high when it comes to tackling those threats — and it's also been investing heavily into artificial intelligence. ambassador priit turk took me through the country's journey to become resilient to cyber threats.— cyber threats. estonia has a lona cyber threats. estonia has a long story _ cyber threats. estonia has a long story with _ cyber threats. estonia has a | long story with cybersecurity and it started

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney. in other news...o upgrade workers' rights will cost businesses up to £5 billion a year to implement according to the government's own analysis. the report says the new measures would have a disproportionate impact on smaller businesses, responsible for employing 13 million workers. but it does point out the so called "wellbeing" benefits of the measures, which include challenging the use of zero hours contracts and boosting sick pay, would amount to 3 billion pounds. intercontinental hotels group, which owns holiday inn and crown plaza hotel chains, reported a sharp slowdown in room revenue growth in the third quarter. weak demand in china and a subdued us market overshadowed a solid performance in europe. after a recent uptick in the travel industry, customers are beginning to be put off by higher prices as demand normalises to pre—covid levels in many markets. lets take a look at the markets. stay with us here on bbc news. hello from the bbc sport centre. the sports for a slimmed down 2026 commonwea

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney.m owner meta is to introduce facial recognition technology to try and crack down on scammers who fraudulently use celebrities in adverts. elon musk is just one of the many famous faces to fall victim to such scams, which typically promote investment schemes and crypto—currencies. meta already uses an ad review system which uses artificial intelligence to detect fake celebrity endorsements but is now looking to beef it up. so how will it work? joining me now is chris vallance, our technology reporter. their plan is to test 50,000 celebrities and public figures and involve them into the system by december, and it will essentially beef up its protections against these kind of celebrity bait adverts as they are called, and what it will do, when an existing system is used to spot fraudulent ads, and it detects what it thinks is one, it will then use a face recognition to see if there is a match between the image and the adverts and the image and the adverts and the images on the profile of

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney. for the economy has been revised by the world bank. it has given indian economic growth an upgrade and now predicts a growth rate of seven and a half percent for this year. but the world bank warns growth will then start to come down — below the estimates of india's central bank. arunoday mukharji breaks down the good and bad. it still remains one of the fastest growing economies in the world, on track to overtake japan and germany and become the third largest economy in the next three years. if this report card that has been sold by prime minister narendra modi was in a government as election is near. just two weeks away. the world bank in this report said south asia is expected to remain the fastest—growing region for the next two years and india forms the largest chunk of that. countries need to boost private investment and strengthen employment opportunities, both currently big concerns in india. the international labour organisation says unemployment in the country among educated

phil mercer, bbc news and hunter valley.ndated in the bitcoin code, about every four years the currency network will slash its reward to miners. this practice, known as halving, took place last friday. that's the fourth time it's been done since bitcoin was launched back in 2009. i spoke to crypto researcher molly white and asked her what exactly the halving process entails and about its impact on miners. bitcoin rewards to minors have decreased by half since previously, and they have been some impact on —— miners, where they get less rewards, for a couple of days doesn't make much impact but will do later. there wasn't too much movement in the bitcoin price, which i think was to be expected. the impacts from the halving are usually somewhat protracted, but i also think that the days of the bitcoin halving being this momentous occasion have may be gone by as these rewards have dwindled over time, and as bitcoin markets have begun to follow traditional markets far more than they once did. what we traditionally _ more than the

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney. there is a battle brewing in india over butter chicken.tails for us. in this case, it is not bringing people together, it is dividing them.— well, this is essentially an intellectual property law suit that has been brought in by one of delhi's oldest establishments. they say it was their founder who invented butter chicken in the 1930s and brought it from pakistan to delhi. they also said it is not only staking claim to this, but one of the look and feel of the website and restaurants. he says that they have a right to disclaim as well because actually the founders were partners in the 1930s. they actually invented this very, very popular dish. it is a very expensive lawsuit, about $250,000 running into some 2,700 pages. it has really enamoured the tv screens and social media screens. people are really interested in this battle. the courts will be ruling on it sometime in may, that is the hearing, and we will be watching closely. thank you very much- _ that brings us to a close here on asia business report. thank you for your company. we w

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney. from the world's lowest paid to the richest.. the idea of a tax on billionaires has been gaining traction recently. injuly, the g20 group of major economies agreed to work together to ensure the ultra—rich are effectively taxed. agreeing a concrete plan on how to do so will be a huge challenge. today, a new report from the taxjustice network is pointing to spain as an example, saying that countries could raise $2.1 trillion a year by targeting the richest 0.5% of households. andrew speke from the high pay centrejoins me now. thank you forjoining us. give us more detail. why do you think spain is an example others should follow? i think that if we look at the research from the tax justice network, they have shown that if you sized up the kind of tax that has been implemented or is being implemented in spain, globally, we would have the possibility of raising $2.1 trillion, which is actually twice the amount needed to support countries vulnerable to climate change. so, there is... we are in a time when we need money to tackle some

phil mercer there in sydney. phil mercer there in sydney with a very latest. this is bbc news. you are watching bbc news. now, liz truss has told the bbc she hopes donald trump is re—elected as america's president, claiming claiming the "world was safer" when he was in the white house. the uk's shortest—serving prime minister also told our political editor chris mason she can't see any purpose for the united nations in its current form. he began by asking her how she would respond to those who criticise her time as leader. well, i don't... i don't think that's true. but you lasted... all the stuff about lasting less time than a lettuce... this is just pathetic point—scoring. address directly our viewer or listener who looks back 18 months and remembers that mini budget and blames you for mortgages going sky high, for the country feeling poorer, for the economy getting into a spin, and say that you were the author of that and it was a disaster. well, the mortgages getting higher was a phenomenon that was happening around the world. interest rates were going up.

phil mercer, bbc news, in the hunter valley. in other news..., when compared to its rivals. iphone sales fell 19% in the first quarter of this year, while huawei's grew by 69%, according to tech data analysts, counterpoint research. the data suggests that apple's dominance in the world's largest smartphone market could be under threat. the music streaming platform spotify has reported its earnings for the last three months showing a return to profit. premium subscribers, who account for most of the company's revenue, rose by 14% to 239 million despite the swedish music company spending less on marketing activities to draw in more listeners. the ftse 100 the ftse100 pushing through a record high, this is what it is looking like now. remember the last record was 8047, last hit in february 23. above that level but up 0.5% on the day. we will see you soon. hello from the bbc sport centre, i'm paul scott. mixed emotions in milan this morning. internazionale have been crowned champions of italy, after a 2—1win over their cross—city rivals ac milan. th

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney.japan, where we've seen the stock market hit record highs this month, even as the economy remains in a technical recession. so why is there such a divergence between the stock market and the broader economy? jesper koll, who has been following the japanese economy and stock market for over three decades, weighed in. the ceos are now really focusing on capital returns, so you see a record number of share buy—backs, record amount of mna activity, so the gap between the japanese economy and the japanese stock market is widening because, now, the ceos of companies care about the shareholders. and could you give us an example of companies that have done that were taken that sort of action? look, you see it in the aggregate numbers, record number of share buy—backs now, almost 3% of market capitalisation. that used to be close to nothing. then, just yesterday, you had a new takeover bid in the drug store space here with aon corporation, the big giant, potentially taking over some of the subs

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney.e is a battle brewing in india. it is of the butter chicken. a business correspondent has the details for us. who exactly has beef with chicken?— beef with chicken? well, this is essentially _ beef with chicken? well, this is essentially an _ beef with chicken? well, this is essentially an intellectual. is essentially an intellectual property law suit that has been brought on by one of delhi's oldest establishments. they have this new and upcoming chicken that is essentially saying it was the founder in the invented butter chicken when they came in from pakistan into dehli. they also said it is not only staking claim to this but one of the look and feel of the website and restaurant —— delhi. he says that i have a right to disclaim as well because actually the founders were partners in the 19305. it is founders were partners in the 1930s. it is a very expensive lawsuit, about $250,000 running into some 200 pages. something that has picked interest on indian television screens and socia

from sydney, phil mercer reports on the impact at the workplace. starting a new position in marketing in sydney. she has made sure it will not be such a demanding environment as her previousjob. i don't know what it was but every called had to be answered, even if you are in the bathroom and every e—mail had to be answered within ten minutes, didn't matter when it was, what time of day or night or whether it was a weekend or holiday. what effect did that have on you? it was traumatic, actually to be honest. millions of australians can now break free from the pressures of after—hours calls and e—mails. new laws are based on the premise that staff are happier if they are not followed home by theirjobs. in australia we have a mental health crisis, there are as many as one in four employees in the workplace suffering from mental health conditions and lots of people have job uncertainty. add to that the cost of living prices and this is going to look to address some of that, people have been overworked for a long time. similar laws are in place in franc

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney.cane milton which made landfall in florida about one hour ago. this is fort myers beach, a lot of wind and a lot of rain. it is one of the areas feeling most of the damage and most of the impact. hundreds of thousands of people have lost power and there have been mass evacuations across the state the last few days. huge business impact and the personal toll being felt. to stay with bbc news, we will have more information next. hey, it's lucy with the catch up! tonight... shopping second—hand, money for moving, and a smiling seal. first, people are preparing for hurricane milton as it closes in on florida. it's a category four storm and is expected to hit the tampa area with winds of up to one i65mph. one of our catch up presenters is in washington, he sent us this. millions have been urged to evacuate with the president saying it's a matter of life and death. residents who are refusing to leave have been told to write their names on their arm so they can be easily identified during rec

from sydney, phil mercer reports. by rugged sports utility vehicles and utes, or pick—up trucks. a decade ago, hatchbacks and other modest cars were the most popular. but not any more. around 75% of new cars sold in australia these days are utes and suvs. so, australians are choosing bigger, more expensive to run and higher polluting vehicles in really high numbers. that has a lot of problems for our streets and cities as well as for our hip pockets and for our climate. for enthusiasts, a powerful petrol engine is a thing of beauty. the lions pride holden car club in sydney celebrates an iconic brand that was austra. —— the australian car. it isjust something that is bred into aussies and it is our thing and i don't think we'll ever give it up easily. what about evs could you ever see yourself driving an electric vehicle? no. i don't think so. but for as long as we can get petrol to put in these vehicles, i think they will never, ever leave our black tar. despite an affection for petrol and diesel, the popularity of e

phil mercer, thank you _ happening again.crash in kazakhstan on christmas day, which killed 38 people. a number of military experts have accused russia of shooting down the plane, mistaking it fora ukrainian drone, but moscow said it won't speculate on the claims. ellie price reports. the moment emergency services arrived at the wreckage site. the scale of the destruction clear. now, the rescue mission has turned into an investigation into what happened. this footage was taken on board before the crash. though it's not clear how long before. the passenger filming notices some damage under the wing. back inside, despite oxygen masks and lifejackets being visible, those on board seem calm. experts will now try to piece together these clues.- experts will now try to piece together these clues. there are vafious together these clues. there are various reports. _ together these clues. there are various reports. one _ together these clues. there are various reports. one is - together these clues. there are various reports. one is a

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney. hotspur has pleaded guilty to insider trading at a us court. his accuser pass information about his companies to his friends, associates and romantic partners. a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison but he is likely to get far less time when he is sentenced in march. before we go, looking at us markets. they continued to hit a new high as wednesday's trading has session and optimism grows. that's it for this edition of asia business report. bye for now. voice-over: bbc news, - bringing you different stories from across the uk. i think we started just to have a little see it to seem to grow up differently from there. lots of people visiting. they grew and grew and grew and just over the years it's mother nature taking it away again. we come back and put it back together. there's not a lot left at all. everyone who came along to help rebuild the bench has their own memories of the place. i used to walk with my wife on the beach _ when she died lastl april, used to these little stones

phil mercer, bbc news, sydney. stay with us here on bbc news. hello again.t one thing that all of us will notice as we go through today is how much colder it's going to turn. we've had a few rainbows spotted by our weather watchers this morning. that one was from york earlier on today. that's because we've had some showers, as i said. it's the cold air that's moving southward at the moment across the uk. the arctic air is going to mean the temperatures taking a big drop compared to where they were yesterday and the weekend. you can see this band of rain during this afternoon across north wales into northern england, eastern england. some sunny spells ahead of that and some sunshine coming out behind that, as well. we still have that northerly wind bringing in some showers, which could turn wintry over the higher ground of scotland. temperatures here four or five celsius. further south temperatures will drop away as the afternoon goes on, so about eight or nine degrees later on. tonight, the area of rain will continue to clear away and, with a rather brisk no

let's speak to our correspondent in sydney, phil mercer.make rafts and move around, what is this latest development?— around, what is this latest develoment? , ., , development? these fire ants, native to south _ development? these fire ants, native to south america, - development? these fire ants, native to south america, were| native to south america, were first detected in the australian city of brisbane in 2001, and this federal inquiry is an guh manning —— is examining the health, economic, and agricultural consequences of the spread of the spread of these fire ants. it is believed they have crossed the border from queensland into northern parts of new south wales. they have also been detected at major ports right around australia, and these fire ants, when they attack, they attack en masse, they swarm over their victims, theirjaws log onto a victim's skin and they insert venom by a stinker of a spike in their abdomen, so essentially it is not really a bite, it is a stab, and these fire ants can inflict multiple stings on victims, and

phil mercer. au prince, have been suspended after gunfire hit a plane trying to land. the us flight from florida was diverted to the dominican republic just hours before the swearing—in of the country's new prime minister, amid ongoing political turmoil in the country. china's aviation industry is flexing its muscles at the china international aviation and aerospace exhibition in zhuhai. the air show, one of the largest in the world, is watched closely by analysts and rival powers because it gives rare clues on beijing's military hardware development. the show will feature the debut of the j—35a stealth fighter. upon its commissioning, china will become the second nation after the us to have two types of stealth fighterjets in service. key highlights include also the latest version of the chinese navy's fighter jets, that adds china's close ties with russia are also on display. moscow has brought its most advanced su—57 fighterjet to the airshow for its first overseas demonstration. our china corr

our correspondent phil mercer told us about the significance of the visit.the chinese premier is the first person holding that position to come to this country since 2017. so there's symbolism in lee chung simply stepping off the plane in australia. plenty of symbolism to visiting those two pandas at adelaide zoo suggesting this soft diplomacy that's at play there. also significant that he went to a winery. given that the wine trade in australia was one of those industries hard hit by china's economic sanctions that it imposed on a range of australian commodities beginning back in 2020. but significant challenges lie ahead. we are expecting some fairly robust political talks when the chinese premier meets the australian prime minister, mr albanese, in canberra on monday. national security, china's ambitions in the pacific, china's ambitions in the south china sea and human rights likely to be included in those talks. but for now there is optimism that australia's relationship with its most important trading partner is finally improving after years in the dee

to protect young people from harm and encourage them to be more active. 0ur sydney correspondent phil mercer an enormous amount of division, not only in australian politics, but in australian politics, but in australian society as well. of tiktok, instagram and facebook. the new law forces tech giants to stop minors logging on to their platforms, orface fines of up to $19.5 million australian, that is about $32 million us — if they don't comply. the ban will not take effect for at least a year. australia's prime minister anthony albanese says the legislation is needed to protect young people from harm and encourage them to be more active. 0ur sydney correspondent phil mercer explains more about the law. there has been an enormous amount of division, not only in australian politics, but in australian politics, but in australian society as well. two major questions he would appear to have majority public support, about 60 to 70% public support, judging by opinion polls, and i think it responds to what is a very strong perception of the failure of self—regulation in australia, that rightly or w