- Merck seeks approval for first antiviral COVID-19 drug

- EU inflation surges to 13-year high of 3.4% in September

- Five9 shareholders reject Zoom's $14.7B takeover bid

#Merck #Inflation #Zoom

- China manufacturing activity contracts in Sept

- UK Q2 GDP higher than initially projected

- H&M reinstates dividend as Q3 profit soars

#China #GDP #H&M

- Vietnam Q3 GDP shrinks by record 6.17%

- Evergrande sells $1.5B bank stake to state firm

- Report: UK investment banks pay women less

#Vietnam #Evergrande #GenderPayGap

The UK government has put the army on stand-by to deliver fuel to petrol stations, as motorists drain supplies across the country. Business leaders have also warned of winter food shortages due to a lack of lorry drivers and food processing staff. Ongoing issues with Britain's supply chain have resulted in empty shelves in supermarkets, and some restaurants taking certain meals off the menu. We spoke to Vicky Pryce, who is an economist and board member at the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

#Brexit #EmptyShelves #TruckDriver

The Social Democrats have clinched a narrow victory over Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union. But SPD leader Olaf Scholz will have to form a coalition with other parties if he is to replace the country's longest-serving leader. And the parties he chooses to pair up with could set the direction for Europe's largest economy. Our Berlin correspondent Sibel Karkus joins us with the latest developments.

#OlafScholz #GermanElection #NordStream2

When people think of where to find one of the world's most desirable and rarest culinary gems- truffles- Australia probably doesn't spring to mind. But since the fungi was introduced to the country just a few decades ago it's boomed- and Australia has become the fourth largest producer of black truffles in the world, after France, Italy and Spain. Like many industries, there's been challenges to overcome during the pandemic, but despite this, the Australian truffle market looks set to continue growing.

#Truffle #Australia #Perigord

- Republicans, Democrats in standoff as US govt shutdown looms

- Ford, SK Innovation invest $11B in electric cars, batteries

- Lego H1 profit doubles as demand for toys surges

#USStandoff #Ford #Lego

Oil prices have continued to rally, with the international benchmark, Brent, rising to a three-year high of 80-dollars a barrel, as producers struggle to meet demand from major economies. Demand is growing as governments ease lockdowns, and as Asia, Europe and the US head into winter. The cost of coal and natural gas has also been soaring. As our senior business producer Paolo Montecillo reports, the global appetite for crude won't be ending any time soon.

#OilPrices #NaturalGas #Coal

- Shares in Evergrande's EV unit tumble 26%

- Binance, Huobi suspend new users in China

- Turkey gas find to provide a third of energy needs

#Evergrande #Binance #NaturalGasDiscovery

Oil prices have risen to a three-year high as producers struggle to meet demand from major economies emerging from the pandemic. The international benchmark Brent was up for the fifth consecutive day and is near 80 dollars a barrel. That's because crude exporters have been too slow to increase production. The cost of coal and natural gas has also been soaring. Demand is growing as governments ease pandemic-era restrictions, and as Asia, Europe, and the US head into winter. To cope, some cities in China have asked residents to stop using appliances like water heaters and microwaves during peak hours. In the UK, oil distributors like BP say they've had to close down some petrol stations because their tanks have run dry.

Our presenter Paolo Montecillo spoke to Naeem Aslam. He's the chief market analyst at AvaTrade in London.