Before Wednesday's Sports Direct AGM it is worth a reminder that last week the heavily-criticised retailer said it would invite non-shareholders to an open day to coincide with the annual meeting.

Access to the AGM has traditionally been restricted. Attendees will be permitted to observe the AGM before being allowed to question the board.

However it is a moot point whether an open day will soothe investors, given the hammering Sports Direct shares have taken this year.

Image source, PA

Read more from Dominic here on the timing of the Sports Direct review.

With the Sports Direct AGM due to take place on Wednesday, it is a chance for institutional shareholders, including the likes of Hermes Investment Management quoted earlier, to express any disquiet they may have.

Oliver Parry, head of corporate governance at the Institute of Directors (IoD), says it is "crucial they make their voices heard".

Image source, Bank of India

Dr Urjit Patel began his stint as the Reserve Bank of India Governor

Image source, AP

Volkswagen has bought a 16.6% stake in US truck maker Navistar for $256m.

It already has a big business in so-called heavy vehicles, with the ownership of the truckmakers Scania and MAN.

But until this deal, it did not have a presence in the US market.

It will meet a familiar rival there, Daimler is the big player in the US truck market with its Freightliner brand.

Leon Kamhi, the head of responsibility at the fund manager, told The World at One that today’s report, commissioned by the firm, which apologised for conditions at its Shirebrook warehouse and admitted "serious shortcomings" in working practices was “a very positive step forward”.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

A shareholder in Sports Direct has praised the retailer for its review of working practices but says investors do not plan to change their vote of no confidence in Sports Direct chairman Keith Hellawell.Leon Kamhi, head of responsibility at Hermes Investment Management, told the World at One that Mr Hellawell should be replaced by a "strong, credible individual with experience of chairing a FTSE company".   

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Believe it or not, there are parts of the world in which McDonald's workers are in high demand. Bloomberg reports that branches in Hungary have been offering accommodation to employees, external, in an attempt to attract staff to an area with chronic labour shortages.

Cashiers at Lidl in Prague and software developers in Bucharest are being offered similar perks, apparently.

Following the completion of SoftBank’s acquisition of ARM Holdings on Monday, the Japanese tech firm and the chip designer have put out a statement saying they aim for "business as usual - only better".

Softbank said it was interested in ARM due to the expected take-off of the "internet of things" - think internet-enabled fridges and the like - and added that it would invest in ARM.

Softbank shares fell 0.58% in Tokyo trading on Tuesday.

Matthew Davies
Editor, BBC Africa Business Report

South Africa’s economy grew by 0.6% year-on-year in the second quarter, so the country has narrowly avoided falling into recession. It contracted by 0.1% year-on-year in Q1

It grew by 3.3% quarter-on-quarter in Q2, after contracting by 1.2% quarter-on-quarter in Q1.

It’s slightly better than analysts were expecting.

Leisha Chi
Business reporter in Singapore

Image source, Getty Images

Australian central bank governor Glenn Stevens presided over his last policy meeting today.

There weren't any monetary or market fireworks. The Reserve Bank of Australia, as expected, kept interest rates at a record low. Stocks fell and the Australian dollar rose.

But Mr Stevens leaves behind quite a legacy.

He's been at the helm for a decade, which makes him one of the regions longest-serving officials. 

He's faced his fair share of criticism. The country's Telegraph newspaper once ran a story on him asking "Is this the most useless man in Australia?"  

However he has since guided Australia through the financial crisis as well as one of the longest-ever economic expansions in modern times.

Mr Stevens officially steps down on 18 September and his deputy Philip Lowe is set to take over.

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People who want to report a power cut in England, Scotland and Wales can now ring a three-digit number - 105 - to get through to the firm in charge of their local electricity network, according to the Energy Networks Association (ENA).

David Smith, Chief Executive of ENA, said: “Significant network investment means power cuts are not a regular or widespread occurrence for people, however, our research makes it clear that there’s still a need to provide a simple, memorable number they can call should they experience one."

"This is particularly important when there’s bad weather, as severe storms can cause damage to power networks and disrupt the electricity supply into people’s homes."

"While I'm suspicious of the fact that it only applies to certain employees, the announcement that Sports Direct have ditched ZHCs [zero hours contracts] is great. But unless these offers of fixed hours start at being full time, with part time contracts making up the minority, and everyone getting a proper living wage, the entire endeavour is pointless.

"The argument against ZHCs isn't about scheduling, it's about making ends meet."

The UK's top share index is losing ground, as a drop in Asian-focused bank Standard Chartered and Provident Financial weighed on the market.

The FTSE 100 index fell 0.22% to 6864.21 points in early afternoon trading.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

The chairman of the Commons business, innovation and skills committee says the Sports Direct review of staff working conditions "doesn't go far enough".

MPs' committee chairman Iain Wright told the Today programme there should be "a wider, more independent review of corporate governance practices".  

The TUC has called for an independent review into Sports Direct's working practices.

"An apology is always a good start, but this is too little, too late. What we really need is an independent investigation... A report written by a law firm which previously represented Mike Ashley and management simply won’t cut it. Sports Direct cannot be allowed to mark their own homework," said TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady.

One of the company's legal advisors RPS conducted a review of working practices on behalf of the firm, and is to conduct a more in depth review which will include corporate governance.

Image source, Getty Images

Mohammed Barkindo, the secretary general of oil producers' group OPEC, has been meeting Iran's oil minister in Tehran, to discuss global oil market conditions, and it seems to have reaped rewards.

Bijan Zanganeh (pictured) has been quoted on Iranian state TV saying the country supports an oil price of $50-60 per barrel and any measure to stabilise the market,

"Iran wants a stable market and therefore any measure that helps the stabilisation of the oil market is supported by Iran,"  the minister said.