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World food prices on the rise: is speculation to blame?

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Have you noticed your weekly shopping bills getting higher and higher? If you have, you’re not alone. The price of key staples such as wheat and maize is on the up and that’s trickling down to supermarket shelves. In this edition of Beyond Business we take a closer look at the reasons behind the hikes. Are financial speculators to blame?

BEYOND BUSINESS
By Markus KARLSSON
Slideshow: Behind the scenes
Talking Telecoms: are concerns over China's rising giants overdone?
20/04/2013 - BEYOND BUSINESS

Talking Telecoms: are concerns over China's rising giants overdone?

Does the world trust China, and does the world trust Chinese companies? In this edition, we're honing in on the telecoms sector where two Chinese companies, Huawei and ZTE, are emerging as forces to be reckoned with. Their rise is controversial and it has sparked security concerns in the West. Lawmakers in France and the United States suspect the company of being close to China's Communist party and military.
Money and diplomacy: France flexes its muscles to boost trade
06/04/2013 - BEYOND BUSINESS

Money and diplomacy: France flexes its muscles to boost trade

In this edition we look at how governments are flexing their diplomatic muscle to champion companies abroad. France's foreign minister calls it "economic diplomacy", and he's pushing it as a priority for the French diplomatic corps. These days, when presidents and prime ministers travel abroad, they usually have businessmen and women in tow. But that's only the tip of the iceberg, as our report from Ethiopia shows.
France & Finance: will Paris remain a trading hub?
23/03/2013 - BEYOND BUSINESS

France & Finance: will Paris remain a trading hub?

Is Paris losing its status as a financial hub? The world of finance is seen to be in a consolidation phase. Only a handful of cities are emerging as a trading centre, and there are fears here in France that this is one race Paris won't win. It comes as European politicians are beefing up regulation, and as stock market operators are merging into fewer and fewer players.
Can Europe keep its solar power industry alive?
09/03/2013 - BEYOND BUSINESS

Can Europe keep its solar power industry alive?

It may have been billed as an energy source for the future, but hopes that solar power would become a money-spinner and a stable source of growth have taken a hit. Several European solar panel makers have gone under in recent years.
Insider trading: Cracking down on white-collar crime
23/02/2013 - BEYOND BUSINESS

Insider trading: Cracking down on white-collar crime

Conspiracies, whistle blowers and wire taps - these could be the ingredients of a best-selling novel. But they're also part of a very real crackdown on insider trading in the United States. Since the financial crisis, American authorities are taking an aggressive approach to cracking down on white-collar crime. It has led to several high-profile guilty verdicts and sentences. France 24 finds out more.

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