World Business Report

Unilever, the company behind brands like Hellmann’s and Knorr, has agreed to combine its food business with US spice and flavour giant McCormick & Company. What does it tell us about where big consumer brands are heading next?

Also, South Africa cuts fuel duties as the impact of the war in Iran feeds through to prices at the pump.

Leanna Byrne hears from a business person and our correspondent who has been out to witness the situation.

(PHOTO: Hellmann's, a brand of Unilever, is seen on display in a store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., March 24, 2022. (Credit: Reuters/Andrew Kelly/File Photo).

The Sri Lankan government has increased electricity prices for most households by more than 8% as fuel costs surge due to the Iran conflict.
Plus, Bisi Adebayo looks at the impact the war is having on jet fuel costs and how British and American food giants, Unilever and McCormick, have agreed a deal to combine parts of their food businesses.

The White House deflects questions about US threat to hit Iranian energy infrastructure. President Trump expects Iran to make a deal to end the war.

He has said he'd strike targets including electricity plants, and Iran's main oil-exporting site, Kharg Island.

Presenter Andrew Peach examines what this all means for Iran and its neighbours in the Middle East.
(Photo: A handout satellite image made available by Copernicus, the European Union's Earth Observation Programme, on 14 March 2026 shows Kharg island, Iran, 07 March 2026. Credit: European Union Copernicus Sentinel-2 IMAGERY HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock)

The price of diesel has risen nearly 90% since the start of the war in Iran according to ICE. Why is that more than other fuels?
Plus Sarah Rogers hears why the price of subscriptions could rise after the World Trade Organsiation fails to reach a deal on ecommerce tariffs
and we look at the growth of fast fashion in India

BYD has reported a 19% fall in annual profit, its first decline in four years, despite rising sales as price pressure in China weighs on margins. We look at what is driving the slowdow, and what it means for the wider electric vehicle industry. We also examine the increasingly competitive market for electric cars, set against a backdrop of rising global oil prices.
While oil prices continue to rise, the cost of weight loss drugs could be heading in the opposite direction. And we look at how a small, family-run business in Slovenia has become a major force in skiing.
(Picture: Photo by RUNGROJ YONGRIT/EPA/Shutterstock (16787185n) A visitor inspects a BYD Atto 1 electric vehicle on display at the 47th Bangkok International Motor Show 2026 in Nonthaburi, on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, 23 March 2026.)