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Episode details

World Service,18 Oct 2024,26 mins

Cuba’s energy blackout

World Business Report

Available for over a year

The Cuban government has declared an energy emergency after a massive power cut led to the failure of supplies across the entire country. The total blackout came after the Antonio Guiteras power plant in Matanzas - the largest on the island - went offline. The government had already suspended all non-essential public sector services in an effort to conserve supplies. President Miguel Diaz-Canel blamed the decades-long US embargo against his country for the problem. Meanwhile, in China, what do latest GDP figures mean for the country’s economy? Results show the slowest growth since early 2023, but officials remain upbeat about future growth. We examine what's contributing the country's sluggish economy. Also, the global food industry is growing rapidly - some estimates say its now worth more than $10 trillion. But there are growing concerns about how healthy some of that food is. The UN has stepped in, detailing what they want global food producers to do about food labelling. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!

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