Also, we hear from a health academic, who worked with United Healthcare boss Brian Thompson, shot dead in Manhattan three weeks ago, about healthcare in the US. We'll be talking too with doctors from three continents who each had something in common in 2024: they all went out on strike. What are the challenges facing the health sectors in Kenya, India and the UK? And the Ursa Major, the Russian ship which sunk in the western Mediterranean this week. Where was it going and what was it carrying?

Honda and Nissan plan to merge as the two Japanese firms seek to fight back against competition from the Chinese car industry.Joining forces would create one of the world's biggest car producers alongside Toyota, Volkswagen, General Motors and Ford.We look at how South Korea's political instability is impacting its economyAnd who is France's new finance minister?

US in last ditch shut down vote, unless congress can agree on a spending plan The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, could be facing a confidence vote after he reshuffled a third of his cabinet today. And Delhi's pollution levels have once again soared to dangerous levels. But what impact does this smog have on business and workers in the city?

A government shutdown looms over the US as funding deal is rejected Amazon workers have gone on strike at the peak of the Christmas rush.Changes in weather patterns have been causing problems in some ski resorts around the world, including in India where one mountain resort has reported a fall in visitor numbers.

Shares fell on Wall Street after Fed Chair Jerome Powell announced a cut to its key interest rate of 0.25%, but indicated this could be the last rate reduction for a while. The US dollar rose in value on the news. Also Lily Jamali explains how TikTok is pursuing a last-ditch effort in the US Supreme Court to avoid a mandated sale or ban of the app in America the day before Donald Trump is due to take office as president. And the de-facto leader of Syria tells the BBC that sanctions on the country should be lifted immediately.

Canada takes a breath after the resignation of the country’s Finance Minister, with calls growing for Chrystia Freeland to consider challenging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as leader of the country’s Liberal Party.Also on Business Matters, Andrew Peach hears how 26 tonnes of gold has been found in the vaults of Syria’s National Bank.Andew hears how the Japanese carmakers Nissan and Honda appear to be edging closer to a merger. And with Christmas just around the corner,, why do we keep buying presents for each other if it makes so many of us unhappy?

Andrew Peach is joined by Peter Morici, an economist at the University of Maryland in the US, and Sushma Ramachandran, who's a columnist at the Tribune newspaper, in Delhi, India.They discuss Canada, where the finance minister Chrystia Freeland resigned on the same day an economic statement was due, triggering a political crisis. There's more political crisis in Germany, where the government has collapsed amid a row over the economy. We ask what businesses want from the country's next leaders. We hear from India - as Sri Lanka wants closer relations with the country on energy and trade. Plus we discuss the safety of CEOs - as the president of the global insurance giant AON tells us firms are going to have to rethink their security process for executives.

France has a new Prime Minister…but can François Bayrou fix the economy where his predecessor failed? We talk to a biographer who says the jury’s out.Russia’s economy shows surprise growth—but with inflation soaring and sanctions biting, is it all as good as it seems?And Christmas classics still rule the airwaves—and the royalty cheques. Will new Xmas songs ever break through? You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!

France’s President Emmanuel Macron is fighting to form a new government and pass next year’s budget. But will it calm the country’s economic turmoil? Also, a British hedge fund trader is jailed for defrauding Denmark out of over $1 billion. And how country singer Noah Kahn and his family helped his local country store to secure its futureYou can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!

Will the $6bn trade in the illegal drug captagon that funded the Assad dictatorship be disrupted now he's gone?As US inflation creeps up, we hear from businesses daring to feel more hopeful about their future prospectsThe Macy's employee who hid $150 million in delivery charges.And why universities in Australia are worried by plans to drastically cut the number of overseas studentsYou can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!