Podcasts

Today on the agenda, Georgie and Hannah Maundrell from Money.co.uk discussed if travel companies shouldn't be given free rein to charge what they like for travel during the school holidays. Plus they look into why companies across the country appear to be struggling to get the staff they want. All these stories and more on The News Review.

The US has attacked a Syrian air base, from where government forces are thought to have launched chemical strikes which killed dozens of people this week. President Trump says it was in America's 'vital national security interests' to prevent and deter the use of chemical weapons. Ryan Heath from Senior correspondent at POLITICO Europe gave us his view of this action.

No major company announcements this morning, but there has been one topic which has really had an impact on global markets. To discuss, Nigel Cassidy spoke with Sarah Pennells on how the markets have reacted to the US missile strike on a Syrian air base.

They say organic wine gives you less of a headache the next morning. Sales of organic wine are booming in the UK. According to the organic food group the Soil Association, sales of organic beers, wines and spirits rose by 14.3% last year to reach nearly £6m. That's double the rate of the UK's organic market as a whole.

More Brexit worries surround the aviation industry, with Ryanair saying it will have to halt flights from the UK for weeks or months if Theresa May does not seal an early bilateral Brexit deal on international aviation. And the Spanish owner of Heathrow airport says uncertainty over the UK's exit from the EU has put a halt on future UK investment deals.

The Markit/REC Report on jobs reveals a stronger growth of permanent staff placements. In contrast, temp billings increased at the softest pace in four months. Plus job vacancies continued to increase in February. Overall, demand for staff rose at the quickest rate in one-and-a-half years, with both permanent and temporary workers.

The head of UK Steel has told Share Radio that tariffs on Chinese steel will level the playing field. The European Commission has introduced levies on hot-rolled coils of between 18 and 36 per cent. British steel companies have been hit by cheap Chinese imports in recent years, with plants such as the one in Port Talbot facing an uncertain future.

Nigel Cassidy crossed over to Chris Bailey of Financial Orbit to discuss to top business and finance stories, starting with the geopolitics and market reaction to the overnight missile strikes in Syria ordered by President Trump.

It's time to talk politics. Today: Theresa May has launched the Conservative local election campaign; top aide Steve Bannon has been removed from a position on Trump's National Security Council.

On the latest Market Wrap, Unilever is selling off its underperforming margarine division after rejecting a £115 billion takeover offer from Kraft Heinz last February. Plus, The Co-operative Group has reported an annual loss of £132 million after writing off its 20% stake in the Co-op Bank. Simon Rose was joined by Share Radio's Senior Analyst Ed Bowsher.