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Episode details

World Service,31 Dec 2014,28 mins

China issues record pollution fine

World Business Report

Available for over a year

A Chinese court issues a record 160m yuan ($26m) fine to six companies for dumping chemical waste into rivers, Chinese state media reports. We ask the head of Greenpeace China whether this marks a shift in the country's environmental policy. Germany's first ever minimum wage comes into effect on January 1 - we ask what it will mean for Europe's biggest economy, and why it's taken so long. Zambia has big plans for its tourism industry, but can it grow without damaging the country's bush environment and its wildlife? We have a special report from South Luangwa National Park in the west of the country. The inventor of the wind-up radio is given the title of Commander of the British Empire in the Queen's New Year Honours list - we speak to Trevor Baylis. And we take a look at how the financial markets have fared in 2014, with perspectives from both sides of the Atlantic.

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