IRELAND: Hey, want to buy a racehorse? If you happen to have a lot of spare cash, Irish horse breeders would like to hear from you. The current financial crisis has hit the racing and breeding industry hard.
TROUBLED RELATIONSHIPS: As if the recession alone weren’t bad enough: the financial crisis has led to more bullying in the workplace. According to research in Britain, numbers have doubled in the past ten years.
US: Maybe it’s the popularity of reality TV shows. Maybe it’s a way to
earn money in a recession. Or maybe there are just a lot of cute kids out there. Whatever the reason, many American parents are registering
their children with modelling agencies.
We look at media comment on the fight by EU countries to save jobs in Opel factories, as well as on Australia’s strong economy and Barack Obama’s decision to send 13,000 additional troops to Afghanistan.
This week we listen to the business news. We'll play two short news
segments for you, one on the effect of the recession on filmmaking in
Bollywood, and the other on a UK company called Ounces2Pounds. As you listen, see if you can answer the following questions.
US: It’s hard to say anything positive about the recession. But the financial crisis has brought out the best in some people. In the US, a number of businesses are offering their services free of charge to the unemployed.
US: When finance ministers and central bank governors meet in Pittsburgh for the G-20 summit, they'll be discussing key issues in the global economy. Protesters in the city will also make their voices heard.
The recent recession has again highlighted the question of what
governments can do to influence the level of economic activity. One potential weapon is fiscal policy. But what is it exactly? Economics for amateurs, part 28.
NEW GRADUATES: The recession has hit young people hard. According to the latest statistics from the UK, almost one million Britons between the ages of 16 and 24 cannot find jobs. They are called Neets (not in education, employment or training).
This week, we look at the "end" of the recession, how the release of the Lockerbie bomber could affect the Scottish economy, and at regulating the US banking system.