Now playing Next Economy Why the Swiss central bank made a surprise cut to its key interest The Swiss National Bank (SNB) said on Thursday it is trimming its key interest rate, a surprise move that makes Switzerland the first major financial centre to announce a cut in recent months. 21/03/2024
Now playing Next Economy Euroviews. How can the EU single market break out of its historical straitjacket? Path dependency and a reflex towards the status quo have left Europe for too long with a single market that doesn’t fulfil its citizens’ needs, Philippe Pochet and Taube Van Melkebeke write. 21/03/2024
Now playing Next Culture news Character actor M. Emmet Walsh dies aged 88 The US actor was in more than 100 films, including 1982 sci-fi classic ‘Blade Runner’ and 2019’s breakout murder mystery ‘Knives Out.’ 21/03/2024
Now playing Next Economy Fed clears path for rate cuts: Powell lifts stocks and gold higher The Federal Reserve has set the stage for interest rate cuts later this year, indicating a shift from its long-standing restrictive policy. March's FOMC meeting kept rates stable but hinted at three cuts in 2024. The projection spiked investor confidence, pushing the S&P 500 and gold to record highs 21/03/2024
Now playing Next World News Russia bombards Kyiv as Zelenskyy calls for more air defences Olaf Scholz says Europe will use frozen Russian profits to arm Ukraine as the country undergoes another day of heavy bombardment. 21/03/2024
Now playing Next Europe News European liberals defy system and bet on three names for EU elections European liberals have put forward not one but three names to lead their campaign for the elections to the European Parliament. 20/03/2024
Now playing Next Business Property prices getting in the way of Ireland's business with the US Ireland is home to hundreds of US companies but the rising cost of property is proving to be a complication for business. 20/03/2024
Now playing Next Tech News Eight countries lack formal regulator to oversee platform rules Poland and Lithuania, home to online platforms such as Allegro and Vinted, are among countries still missing regulators. 20/03/2024
Now playing Next World News Euroviews. Escaping Russia's pull is Armenia's biggest challenge on its EU path Since February 2022, Russia has replaced the EU as Armenia’s most important trading partner — an unflattering result showing Moscow has diversified its sources of war-critical goods required for weapons production via smaller countries, Oliver Rolofs writes. 20/03/2024
Now playing Next The Big Question What's the outlook for interest rates? Barclays Europe CEO predictions Francesco Ceccato, the Chief Executive Officer at Barclays Europe, discusses when he thinks the ECB may begin cutting interest rates - and how the forthcoming elections may impact the markets. 20/03/2024
Now playing Next wellbeing These are the world's 10 happiest countries in 2024 The 2024 World Happiness Report also showed a disturbing downward trend in life evaluations by young people and adolescents, particularly in Western Europe. 20/03/2024
Now playing Next Ireland Ireland's Leo Varadkar resigns as Taoiseach Prime minister's sudden exit from office comes after the government suffered humiliating twin referendum defeats. 20/03/2024
Now playing Next Health news Study says e-cigarette users had similar cheek cell changes to smokers While the study did not show that there’s a risk of cancer linked to e-cigarettes, it provides some evidence to support that they are not risk-free. 20/03/2024
Now playing Next Economy UK tax cut on the cards? Hunt raises hopes as inflation falls With UK inflation falling to its lowest in more than two years in February, what are the potential implications for tax reductions? 20/03/2024
Now playing Next Europe News Euroviews. Could the microplastics ban be rewritten after its entry into force? Alarmingly, EU officials are bending over backwards to accommodate industry demands — with the real risk that what was once considered a sweeping ban will be gnawed away by caveats and exemptions, Hélène Duguy writes. 20/03/2024
Now playing Next Business Doing business in China getting tougher, European business group says The study echoes concerns that have been raised by European and US companies operating in China. Foreign investment fell 8% last year from a year earlier as companies recalibrated their commitments in the world’s second-largest economy. 20/03/2024
Now playing Next Space US and Japan scramble to urge UN ban on nuclear weapons in space The US and Japan are backing a UN resolution calling on all nations to ban nuclear weapons in outer space. 20/03/2024