OECD warns of worst peacetime recession in a century

The World Bank has downgraded its previous prediction for global growth in 2021 to 4 percent. The organisation warned of a subdued recovery that could lag even further if countries do not stem the rise in coronavirus infections and effectively deploy vaccines. The European Union is also starting to look ahead to how to spend its recovery fund – with the largest recipient, Italy, on the brink of political crisis.

The risk of vaccine nationalism is a moral quandry - that could also have huge economic consequences. A new report from the International Chamber of Commerce says the unequal distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine could cost the global economy 9 trillion dollars. John Denton, Secretary General of the ICC, says supporting equitable distribution of vaccines is not an act of charity - "it's absolutely economic common sense."

Coronavirus vaccine rollouts and a huge US stimulus package have boosted economic growth expectations.

Around the world, students are suffering from a year of pandemic restrictions, exacerbated by the lack of a comprehensive strategy to lift schools into the digital age . Germany is no exception.

The global minimum tax is supposed to bring tax justice. But not even half of Africa's countries are on board. Kenya and Nigeria have backed out amid uncertainty over how much the measures would benefit poor countries.

The French government's strong and swift response to the Covid-19 pandemic has won praise from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in its latest report. But the OECD is also warning of risks from debt and high public spending. For more, Stephen Carroll speaks to OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann.

The OECD says recovery is being held back by supply bottlenecks and labor shortages. Calling for swifter vaccinations, it warns growth could be further derailed by new variant omicron.

It's been a chaotic start to the year for the global economy, with the Omicron variant of Covid-19 disrupting a range of industries. In this edition, we're looking ahead to what else may be in store for the rest of 2022. Ian Bremmer, President of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media, joins us to discuss his annual list of top geopolitical risks the world faces. They include: China's "zero-Covid" policy, big tech companies' influence on the world, the US midterm elections, US-Russia tensions, climate change and more.

The rate of price rises across the 38 members of the OECD hit 5.8 percent in November, the highest since 1996. In the United States, the head of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, has warned that high inflation poses a "severe threat" to the jobs market, ahead of the release of the latest figures there on Wednesday. FRANCE 24's Business Editor Stephen Carroll examine the factors driving the spike in inflation, and how long it might last.

Ukraine war will have 'lasting consequences on global economy': IMF. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked a massive humanitarian and economic crisis. Gita Gopinath, First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, tells France 24 the war will also have 'lasting consequences on the global economy.'

Putin‘s war on Ukraine is having a devastating economic impact. Countries across Europe face spiralling prices and shrinking markets. Our guests: Katja Gloger (Russia expert), Vendeline von Wedekind (The Economist), Vladimir Esipov (DW)

Putin's war on Ukraine is having a devastating economic impact. Countries across Europe face spiralling prices and shrinking markets. Guests: Katja Gloger (Russia expert), Vendeline von Wedekind (The Economist), Vladimir Esipov (DW)