Blockchain may be a mystery to many of us, but one Israeli company is hoping its latest product will change that. The Finney is a smartphone designed mainly for cryptocurrency trading. Sirin Labs has opened its first international store in London, in a bid to take the technology mainstream. Nawied Jabarkhyl reports. #Bitcoin #Ethereum #Finney

British Prime Minister Theresa May has asked the European Union to postpone the UK's departure from the bloc. Downing Street says an extension would give May more time to rally support for her Brexit deal. But as Paolo Montecillo reports, it could also bring the world's fifth-largest economy closer to a no-deal departure. For more on Brexit, we spoke to Chris Roebuck, an economist from Cass Business School in London. #Brexitdeal, #extension #Eurozone

The International Labour Organization says at least 40,000 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank travel to work annually without proper permits. That's despite reports of abuse by Israeli soldiers. Obaida Heetto explains why they are forced to do so. #Palestine #JobPermit #IsraeliSoldiers

It's Europe's largest economy, but when it comes to internet speed and connectivity, Germany's lagging behind. The government's trying to change that by auctioning bandwidth for 5G networks. But the country's biggest telecom providers say Berlin's moving too fast. To unpack this story, Ira Spitzer joined us from Berlin. #5G #Telecoms #Tech

The worst storm to hit southern Africa in a decade is feared to have left more than a thousand people dead. Aid has started to trickle in, but damage to infrastructure means it will take time to reach those who need it. And, as Paolo Montecillo reports, the destruction in Cyclone Idai's wake is deepening their economic struggles. For more on the damage caused by Cyclone Idai, Nick Harper joined us from Harare. #Cyclone #Storm #NaturalDisaster

French trade unions have taken to the streets to demand higher salaries -- especially in the public sector -- and more spending on public services. The demonstration comes at a politically crucial moment, with President Emmanuel Macron due to respond to a months-long public consultation he launched in response to the Yellow Vests protests. Elena Casas reports.

#France #unions #MoneyTalks

Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank confirmed talks on a possible merger. The German government has been pushing for a tie-up due to concerns about their profitability. For more on the story, Nick Antypas joined us from Reading in the UK . He is a lecturer on finance at the Henley Business School. #Banking #Megamerger #Revenue

Lawmakers in the US state of Florida are considering legislation aimed at cracking down on human trafficking. It would see hotel employees trained to identify victims, and set up a registry of people caught soliciting sex workers. Last month authorities raided several spas alleged to be part of an international trafficking network. The sting ensnared Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of American football side the New England Patriots. He's been slapped with two charges of solicitation. As Steve Mort reports, the high-profile arrest has shed light on a multibillion-dollar criminal industry. #Sextrade #Abduction #SweatShops

New Zealand officials are looking at toughening gun laws in that country. The government is also engaging with social media companies on how to contain the spread of hate speech that fuels xenophobia. Paolo Montecillo reports. Dr Bharath Ganesh is a researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute and he joined us from Oxford in the UK. #Terrorism #Attack #Facebooklive

British MPs have voted in favour of requesting an extension to the Brexit process. The UK is meant to leave on March the 29th but can't agree on how to do it. The vote means Prime Minister Theresa May will request a delay at an EU summit next week. Meanwhile US President Donald Trump has weighed in with his own views on the negotiations. Simon McGregor-Wood reports. For more on the Brexit vote, Rajneesh Narula joined us from London. He is a professor of International Business Regulation at the University of Reading's Henley Business School. #Brexit, #EU #Negotiations