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Argentina gets a $20 billion rescue deal from the U.S.
It's World Business Express from the BBC World Service.
I'm Sarah Rogers.
Also, why some travellers face new rules at borders.
And it's not gold, silver or even the Labubu doll.
We'll be talking about the trading card that's still riding high after 30 years.
Yes, but we'll start in Argentina, which has been extended a financial lifeline from the United States.
But it's not without controversy.
The US has bought 20 billion worth of pesos to calm a currency crisis in the South American country.
Its president, Javier Mele, is an ally of Donald Trump.
Our New York business correspondent, Michelle Fleury, joins us now.
Michelle, really unusual this, isn't it?
What's happened?
Yeah, so, I mean, you have to go back to sort of mid-September.
The spark that triggered it all was a sharp sell-off in Argentina's markets.
So the peso stocks bonds.
And during that period, in three days, Argentina's central bank burned through over a billion dollars trying to prop up its currency.
Now Javier Millet could have basically let the peso find its natural level, but instead he turned to his ally, Donald Trump, asking for help.
And this week his economic team was in Washington basically trying to see what help they could get.
And that seems to have paid off because, as you mentioned, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said that Argentina needs help and the US is buying pesos and confirming a 20 billion lifeline.
Thanks, Michelle.
Do stay with us.
Of course, this comes after sweeping austerity measures and there's midterm elections later this month.
Patricia Ortiz runs Fincas Patagonias, which is a wine business in Mendoza in the west of Argentina.
She sent us this voice note in reaction.
The general mood here is a mix of surprise and cautious optimism.
People expecting such a direct move from the US and many see it as a sign of confidence in Argentina and economy directions.
In the business community, reactions are mostly positive.
There is a sense that this could help stabilize the exchange rate and bring some breathing room after months of uncertainty.
Overall, there is hope.
So a sense of hope.
But how's the news going down in the US?
Farmers, especially soybean farmers, have lost ground to Argentina in global markets, especially in China, due to the trade war with the US.
Donald Trump is believed to be putting an aid package together, but the government there is in shutdown.
New York dairy farmer Jeff Winton says they need support now.
Soybeans that are raised here in the United States.
Over half of them are exported to other countries, including China, which accounts for 13 billion, by the way Sarah, of income coming in from China.
Since May of this year, there have been no sales to China whatsoever.
Instead, the government of Argentina has been given 20 billion to basically stabilize itself.
There has been talk of a financial aid package for farmers.
When do you need that?
Well, we need that as of yesterday, quite honestly, because we are in the middle of harvest and many people have no place to sell their soybeans now.
And we do not want a handout.
We do not want a handout from the government.
What we do want are stable, reliable markets where we can sell our commodity, regardless of what that commodity may be.
Jeff Winton, a dairy farmer in Kansas.
But the US is still in deadlock over government spending and a partial shutdown of the federal government.
Michelle Fleury is still with us.
So we were talking earlier about the bailout for Argentina, but the US has bigger problems close to home.
Yeah, lawmakers have not yet agreed on a spending bill.
And so the shutdown is now in its 10th day.
That means that more than a million federal workers have been furloughed or are working without pay.
You know, think everything like the military air traffic controllers.
Now economists say this won't have lasting damage on the US economy, but Americans don't seem quite convinced.
If you look at consumer sentiment, shopper attitudes have actually worsened for the last three months in a row.
And, in fact, the measure still stands below where it was in December, before Donald Trump took office.
Michelle Flurry in New York.
Thank you for that extra detail there.
A new digital payment system is being rolled out across Africa that could make it cheaper for businesses to trade in local currencies instead of having to convert payments into US dollars.
The digital retail payments platform has been launched by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, which is a 21-country regional trade bloc.
It's currently being tested between Malawi and Zambia.
Now, if you're jetting off abroad soon, something to be aware of, which might mean you have to leave an extra bit of time.
A new entry and exit system is being brought in this Sunday for those heading into the EU and Schengen area.
Our transport correspondent is Katie Austin.
Non-EU citizens who are entering that zone, which includes lots of popular holiday destinations, you know France Spain Greece, for example.
In addition to having their passport checked, they'll have to provide biometric information as well.
So what that means is fingerprints and a facial scan, a photo.
Children under 12 won't have to provide fingerprints anymore.
That will create an electronic file for each person that will go to a central EU system.
That report there from our transport correspondent, Katie Austin.
And on a week where we've been talking to you about the price of gold and AI stocks, here's something also hitting record highs.
Pokemon cards.
First published in 1996, the rarity of some have seen values rise by 4,000%.
That's according to Card Ladder, which tracks values.
The BBC's Monica Miller has been out in New York to try and catch some.
In the heart of Midtown Manhattan.
On Wednesday evenings you can find Jared all day at Montessi Comics.
That's where the store hosts its weekly Pokemon trading card tournament.
I was just going around a local card shop.
It looked nice.
Like, ooh, Pokemon.
This is my childhood.
He built up his deck of cards and now trades them with other collectors.
So my favorite card is the Bubble Mew.
I pulled it from a pack, and now it has skyrocketed to around $600.
As collectibles go, Pokemon cards have remarkable staying power.
The statistics say that from 2004 until, I guess, 2025, Pokemon cards as a group are up 3,800%.
Pete Earle is the director of economics and economic freedom and has been following Pokeflation.
He says their values soared during the pandemic.
So a lot of people received stimulus checks and they were home.
So a lot of people at the same time reached into closets, pulled out shoeboxes and said hey, I remember these things.
They're pretty great.
But Pete warns that chasing quick profits and Pokemon cards could backfire.
The 90s Beanie Baby boom showed how quickly the craze could fade.
I remember stories of people who had filled I mean filled 55-gallon plastic drums with Beanie Babies that they thought would propel them to be, you know, the next billionaires.
Sellers are also seeing prices soar.
Alex Rafala loved Pokemon as a kid.
What keeps him coming back isn't the potential payday.
We're not super happy with the scalping situation.
They're really just trying to make a quick buck.
It makes it a little inaccessible.
Pokemon cards have become something bigger than a childhood hobby.
For some investors, they found new ways to diversify their portfolios.
For players and collectors, the real value isn't in dollars, but in the memories, the community and the game that keeps on evolving.
That report there from monica miller in new york, so definitely worth having a rummage around.
Get those shoe boxes out to see if you've got a bubble mu or two.
Well, that's it from world business express for today with me, sarah rogers.
Please do subscribe though, to get the latest episode.
Just search for world business express and thanks very much for your company today.
