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Row over lithium concessions in Chile

In Chile, outgoing president Sebastian Pinera has sparked a firestorm by granting lithium mining concessions to two companies.

In Chile, outgoing president Sebastian Pinera has sparked a firestorm by granting lithium mining concessions to two companies. Chilean economist Francisco Meneses tells us about the importance of lithium to the country鈥檚 economy, and how incoming head of state Gabriel Boric is walking a tightrope when it comes to building a political coalition. Plus, representatives of the Indian and British governments have held a first day of talks over a free trade deal, potentially worth billions of dollars. The UK鈥檚 Secretary of State for International Trade, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, told us that the proposed agreement will bring growth opportunities to British businesses. Following a shortage of French fries for Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in Kenya, the 91热爆's Tamasin Ford explores why multinational fast food chains don't simply turn to local suppliers to meet their needs.And the head of Google in the UK, Ronan Harris, tells the 91热爆 that hybrid working will be 鈥渆xperimental鈥 over the next two years, as companies and employees try to strike a balance between home and the office. Throughout the programme we鈥檙e joined by Jyoti Malhotra, Senior Consulting Editor at The Print, in New Delhi, and by the writer and journalist Paddy Hirsch 鈥 contributing editor at National Public Radio speaking to us from Los Angeles.

(Picture: A protester holds a placard saying "let's defend lithium" at an anti-privatisation demonstration in Santiago, Chile. Credit: Getty Images)

Programme produced by Nisha Patel and Tom Kavanagh

Available now

50 minutes

Last on

Fri 14 Jan 2022 01:06GMT

Broadcast

  • Fri 14 Jan 2022 01:06GMT

Podcast