clinton will meet myanmar's president along with the pro-democracy party leader. these are live pictures from occupy wall street in los angeles. riot police are blocking off streets around the movement's camping ground. protesters were ordered to evacuate city hall grounds by midnight on monday but have refused to leave. of course, we'll bring you more on the standoff as it develops. the former leader of ivory coast is now in custody in the netherlands for an appearance before the international criminal court in the hague. gbagbo was arrested in april by forces loyal to the current president. the icc is probing allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. those are the top stories from cnn. i'm monita rajpal. "world business today" starts now. hello and welcome to another packed edition of "world business today." i'm andrew stevens in hong kong. >> and i'm nina dos santos in london. here are the top stories. save our pensions. a massive public sector protest kicks off right across britain, shutting down schools, and also threatening chaos at the country's airports. a bad day for the financial sector just got worse. as s&p downgrades dozens of banks. and nine people are left dead after a blaze breaks out near a popular hong kong tourist spot. first off, though, here in britain, people are facing a day of massive disruptions as 2 to 3 million public sector workers walk off the job to protest against cuts to their pensions. it's set to be the biggest labor stoppage in decades across the country. and trade unions say that what's at the heart of it is practically a general strike here. schools will be closed and workers are staying away from government offices, airports, also law courts, and even away from hospitals. let's go now live to jim boulden from london's heathrow airport which is set to be disrupted by this. jim. >> reporter: yes, nina. so far, the people here at heathrow airport tell me it's not so bad. thatqueues for immigration lines airport so bad. this was a strike that was expected. so some of the airlines yesterday did pull back on some of the flights coming in and out of heathrow today. british airways tells me they did not cancel any flights. things are as normal. we don't expect that to last for long, especially with the immigration workers being one of the groups that have walked off the job. the owner of the airport says there could be some queues up to two or three hours, but as of now, things are pretty calm. the larger issue, as you say, pension reform, something other countries are dealing with as well. this is unprecedenteded. teachers, health care workers, many unions who don't normally strike are all off today with this 24-hour strike. so 2 to 3 million people could be off the job today, something britain hasn't seen for a generation, though it is expected that it will be peaceful marches through london later today and then people will get back to work tomorrow. but, of course, the government says it will not back down on pension reform. they say this is something that must take place in order for it in the long-term sustainable budget, of course, britain like many countries in europe are cutting the deficit, cutting public sector workers, reforming pensions, and saying there is no other option. the unions say they don't get paid enough, many low-paid workers who work for local councils simply cannot afford to have their pensions cut, to have their pay froze and to have to work longer into their life, nina. >> especially with inflation rising to about 5% and those salary caps really kicking in. jim boulden, many thanks from heathrow. and cuts in pensions aren't all that these public sector workers. they're also talking about a cap on salaries which i was just alluding to there with jim. even after a pay freeze expires in 2013. the chancellor, basically the uk's finance minister, george osborn, on nounsed tuesday that pay increases for government workers will be limited to 1% until 2015. many workers say that they're being squeezed to pay for the bailouts given to banks after the financial crisis. but as the government forecasts an increasingly bleakout look for the uk economy, george osborn is saying that the crisis in the euro zone could drag the uk into an even deeper hole than it's already in. >> this central forecast seems in their words that the euro area finds a way through the current crisis and that policymakers eventually find a solution that delivers sovereign debt sustainability. if they do not, then there could be a much worse outcome for britain. i believe they are right. we hope this can be averted, but if the rest of europe heads into recession, it may prove hard to avoid one here in the uk. >> so andrew, you know, we've got the united kingdom facing many similar situations to those other countries in the euro zone, which it's not part and not least, we're talking about strikes swm. as well. >> absolutely. all looking depressingly familiar, isn't it? speaking of, we all know how tough a year it's been for the banks this year. they've only just started to recover from the global financial crisis of 2008/2009 when they got hit by the european sovereign debt crisis of 2011. and now dozens of those banks are reeling again after standard & poor's downgraded their credit ratings. jpmorgan stanley, all downgraded by one notch. and shares of the major u.s. banks took a hit in after-hours trade on the back of that. it really only adds insulted to injury in what's been a pretty tough year for banking stocks in general. take a look at some of these numbers here. these are obviously the big u.s. banks, the big wall street banks. we're talking goldman sachs, down by nearly half. jpmorgan, third. citigroup, nearly a half and morgan stanley just a fraction. value being shredded by what's been going on in europe this year and also the ongoing weakness in the u.s. economy. these downgrades not obviously restricted to u.s. banks, the european banks also taking a hit as well. and they come just days after the u.s. federal reserve, the central bank, ordered the top 30 banks in the country to participate in stress tests just to see how they've handled another financial crisis, nina. performing even worse than some of those banks you were just mentioning, andrew, is, of course, this company i'm about to show you, bank of america. this is how its shares fared on tuesday. the session ended down to the tune of more than 3%. to a fraction of about $5 apiece. before eventually settling even further lower when it comes to the after-hours trading. take a look at this performance. this is exactly what i want to show you. this company's stock has actually fallen to, since the start of 2011, to about 61%. that's how much it's lost of its total market value. and that means that it's now at its lowest level, as you can see, since back in march 2009. now, one of the reasons that we have things affecting some of these markets, on the one hand we've had a downgrade of some of these banks. the s&p, as andrew was mentioning, affecting markets. there's also been talk about the finance ministers meeting failing to stem fears about the security, the stability of the euro and indeed the euro zone going forward. we've got more talks today. the esfs, the bailout fund, is coming under increased scrutiny. there's also pressure to try and do more to sort out the financial situation we're facing. of course, remember that the e krchl b has staunchly said that its mandate is to keep inflation or prices stable, not to stimulate economic growth or indeed to solve the euro zone's financial problems. we've also got financial stocks on the slide, as i was saying, after that s&p decision to do downgrade dozens of banks on tuesday. and that's hitting the dax, down by about 0.75%. ftse also suffering a similar fate. that country's banks are also falling significantly in today's session, andrew. >> yeah, very similar story in this part of the world. it was the banks leading most of the markets. you see australia bucking the trend today. stocks ending the month with a whimper. a two-day rally coming to an end as well. now, there were early gains, but that would not -- didn't last very long. certainly that european debt crisis still is a big concern in this part of the world. bad news impacting not just asia, pretty much anywhere you look. as i said, australia bucking the trend, up by about 0.5%. that's after a jump in business sentiment. as we said, financial stocks dragging the hang seng and the shanghai markets lower today. just take a look at this. it gives you an idea of what's been going on. i just want to focus on these stocks. hsbc, down 2%. that was one of the downgraded s&p banks. and that's reaction. we've also seen construction bank of china and also the bank of china, the big chinese banks, they're down but by not nearly as much. performing much better than the overall market. that's because they were upgraded by the s&p. this is really a sign of the times. these have been upgraded one notch to a straight "a" rating compared with hsbc which is at an "a" plus rating. yn t obviously the chinese banks have escaped the global crisis and there's no exposure to europe either. the eastern banks just getting stronger and stronger, relatively speaking. nina. yeah. in the meantime on wall street, let's have a look at how some of these s&p moves have affected things. most of the markets have got a lift for a second day when it comes to tuesday's session. that was not to be on the back of optimism about the euro zone leaders managing to eventually get a grip on the debt crisis. both the dow and s&p were off by about a percent -- maybe they were up by not quite 0.28%. only the nasdaq bucking the trend, closing down about 0.5%, andrew. one stock that experienced, nina, a big drop yesterday, american airlines parent company amr corporation. the company said it's seeki protective bankruptcy, basically it's called chapter 11. american airlines will continue to fly, don't worry, your bookings are safe. and wages and bills will continue to be paid. the airline also announced that this man is standing down as chairman and ceo. he had opposed the bankruptcy filing. but this man, his successor, thomas horton, says the company's financial position was basically untenable. >> virtually all of our big competitors in the u.s. took this step. and as a consequence, they lowered their costs and improved their capital structure in a way that simply made them much more competitive. and, you know, the folks at american have worked very hard and honorably to avoid that path over the last decade. but it became clear to us that that gap was just too wide now. >> that is not saying that you have to prepare markets for bad news. and quite obviously, amr didn't take a look at the stock price. it's taken a pasting on the news, down 81% on tuesday. it had already lost almost 80% of its value since the start of january. and that means all together, it's down 96.7% this year. if you take a look at the past decade, you can see back in 2007, amr stock was trading slightly north of $40 a share. now 33 cents a share. nina. >> it's a surprising move, isn't it? just like bank of america, down to its lows since 2009. still to come on "world business today," we hear from the man behind the claims of a conspiracy in the dominique strauss-kahn sex scandal as the fallout deepens from a new case, it seems, in france. and a fateful fire breaks out in one of hong kong's most popular outdoor markets. we'll have the report from the scene as traders and neighbors count the costs. act my age? -why? -why? -why? [ female announcer ] we all age differently. rocĀ® multi-correxion 4 zone moisturizer with rocĀ®retinol and antioxidants. lines, wrinkles, and sun damage will fade. roc multi-correxion. correct what ages you. there's no time like the present to consider all your health insurance options. does medicare alone meet your needs? would additional coverage be better for you? well, now is a good time to take a look at an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. get started by calling for your free information kit and guide to medicare. as you probably know, medicare only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. a medicare supplement insurance plan helps cover some of it. that could save you up to thousands of dollars a year in out-of-pocket costs. and you can visit any doctor who accepts medicare patients. with medicare supplement insurance, you'll find a range of plans to choose from to fit your needs and budget. there are no networks. no referrals to see a specialist. and you could get a pretty good idea what your out-of-pocket costs will be every month. plus, these plans travel with you anywhere in the u.s. don't let this time go by without considering if an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan is right for you. it's as easy as a phone call. rates are competitive. and these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans exclusively endorsed by aarp. remember, medicare doesn't cover everything. medicare supplement insurance plans help pay for some of the rest. you could save up to thousands of dollars a year in out-of-pocket costs. and you can choose any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan could be an option to get the coverage you need at a competitive rate. so don't wait another minute. be sure to call today. call now for your free medicare guide and information kit about aarp medicare supplement insurance plans, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. a deadly fire broke out in hong kong before dawn on tuesday. firefighters backing the flames into the early afternoon. officials say they found charred bodies at the scene and said dozens of other injured people to hospital. there are no reports of any tourists being hurt by that fire. now, the cause is still being investigated. it engulfed a residential town in an area of hong kong known as mo mongkok. we have this report. >> reporter: it was a deadly day here in hong kong with dozens injured. that's after a fire broke out in this area known as mongkok which is one of the world's most densely populated regions. in this area right here, it's actually close to ladies mark which is a very popular tourist attraction. right behind me, you see this media scrum trying to get a better picture of what happened. now, if you take a look farther down the street where the blaze happened, you can see row after row after row of dense shops and homes. this is where the four-alarm blaze broke out among these densely packed apartments typical of hong kong. smoke is still rising from the buildings several hours after the blaze began. police earlier rushed residents away from the scene. they reported several casualties and at least 30 injuries. those were sent to four different area hospitals. evacuees told us they were scared. and many escaping down dozens of flights of stairs. one family said they waited on their roof for an hour before police came to their rescue. as for the cause of the fire, hong kong police said this. >> translator: police are treating the fire as suspicious, but we cannot do a full investigation until fire crews have put out the fire completely. >> reporter: the hong kong police department is saying that arson may be to blame for this fire, and that's because fires were set on both sides of the street. an investigation is now pending. they're calling it a highly suspicious event. cnn, hong kong. let's go back to one of the stories that we were telling you about before the break. we're talking about dominique strauss-kahn, the former imf head. ever since sexual assault charges were laid against him in new york and then later dropped, there have been rumors that he was the victim of a plot. the party of the french president, nicolas sarkozy, the ump has sent off some of those allegations. before the sex scandal erupted, strauss-kahn was considered to be the front runner to win next year' french presidential election on an opposition socialist party ticket. and now the latest fwtwist in t saga comes in the new york review of books. it's published by edward j. epstein. he suggests there may have been a plot to destroy dsk politically is and that he may have been spied upon. earlier he spoke with our richard quest. >> what is real is that his blackberry was missing. what is real is that employees of the sofitel hotel took actions to delay or deter the investigation including not questioning the maid for an hour, including one of the employees lying before a grand jury, concealing her presence in room 2820 which was across the hall. the supply did not supply the electronic key card records. what is real is actually what is missing from an investigation. >> all right. so if we boil this down to its brass tacks, as we say where i come from, without libelling or slandering anybody, what do you believe happened here? >> i believe that what happened is that dsk was very concerned that his blackberry was hacked. a concept not unknown in england these days. he paid arrangements to have that blackberry examined, and then that blackberry was missing. and we know from very substantial information from blackberry itself that it was pinpointed at the sofitel hotel when he was at a restaurant. so we know someone took the blackberry. >> nicolas sarkozy's party has dismissed the notion that it tried to ruin his political hopes. the deputy editor has said there are no facts to support claims of such a conspiracy. in his words, rumors, gossip, allegations and the party is, quote, not fooled by this, andrew. >> i suspect we haven't heard the last of this, nonetheless. just ahead here on "world business today," with so much instability in egypt, the jewel of the nile is losing prospective visitors. we'll find out if this week's elections are sending new hopes to the tourism industry. everything comes together. where there's magic. and you now understand what nature's been hiding. āŖ at dow we understand the difference between innovation and invention. invention is important. it's the beginning. it's the spark. but innovation is where we actually create value for dow, for society, and for the world. āŖ at dow, we're constantly searching for how to use our fundamental knowledge of chemistry to solve these difficult problems. science is definitive. there is a right answer out there. [ male announcer ] the same 117 elements do the fundamental work of chemistry. āŖ the difference, the one element that is the catalyst for innovation, the one element that changes everything is the human element. āŖ [ electronic beeping ] [ male announcer ] still getting dandruff? neutrogenaĀ® t/gel shampoo defeats dandruff after just one use. t/gel shampoo. it works. neutrogenaĀ®. you're watching live pictures of cairo's tahrir square. egyptian voters spent monday and tuesday casting their ballots for members of the lower house of parliament. they'll be drafting the country's new constitution. votes have been tallied, and preliminary results could be released this week. a third stage of voting is planned for january. and in the meantime, this was the scene in tahrir square on tuesday night. almost 90 people were hurt in fighting between vendors and protesters. one protester said it all started with complaints about vendors giving demonstrators a band name by selling marijuana there. welcome back. you're watching "world business today" live on cnn. the egypt economy has certainly been badly hit by the ongoing unrest. the tourism minister says the number of visitors is down 25% from last year, resulting in a significant slump in revenues. the tourism industry is a critical part of egypt's economy, accounting for about 11% of gdp. and it also employs around 2 million egyptians. as we report, it's those local businessmen that are feeling it most. >> reporter: sailing tourists along the nile has been his family trade for decades. today his only customers are us. >> before i'd have 300 people, maybe 400 people. and after the revolution, 30 or 40 people would come in a week. >> reporter: he says he supported the revolution. today he yearns for stability. business is down to a trickle. egypt is all about the hustle and the bustle. the nile has had centuries of traffic, ferries, tour boats going up and down the nile, but ever since the revolution, it's noticeably much quieter. he and countless others now spend much of their days mooed moored in the harbor. it accounted for 11% of gdp before the revolution and is now almost nonexist end. a vital source of jobs and foreign currency. across cairo in the city's bazaar district where visitors once herd at the alleys, now barren pavements and shops board and shut. his perfume business is 120 years old, but this is the first i'm ti time he's struggled for clients. >> business is very slow and no tourists, little tourists, about 3%. >> reporter: just outside, mohamed sits patiently. filling his jars with colored sand as he's done for the past ten years. as the sands of time tick on, no one stops to buy. the plight of mohamed and the others is now all too common. concerns about security and uncertainty have fended off not just tourists but also foreign investors. as egyptians went to the polls for the first time since the fall of mubarak, it's clear that change is upon them. yet hani, mohamed and their fellow egyptians now understand change and transition are not without challenges and trials. cnn, cairo. up next on "world business today," we'll bring you up to date with the markets and we'll explore the impact that those markets are currently having on europe's political landscape. we'll hear from the experts right ahead. from cnn hong kong, i'm andrew stevens. >> and i'm nina dos sant santos london. welcome back to "world business today." let's take you to this developing story now this hour. you're looking at live pictures from occupy wall street in los angeles. it's 1:30 in the morning currently. riot police there are blocking off the streets around the movement's camping ground, which is on the lawn at city hall. now, protesters have been told to evacuate the grounds. they were told they had to be out by midnight on monday, but as you see, they're refusing to leave. and police have been moving in all night. there have been earlier pictures we've seen of demonstrators and protesters being led away, i should add peacefully as well. no reports of any violence in that move to sweep out the protesters from the lawn at city hall. but also, there are reports there are hundreds of other protesters gathering in sections on the streets around that area to protest the movement by the lapd to clear the lawn. of course, we'll continue to monitor this situation and update you on the events there as they happen. nina. in the meantime, andrew, let's have a look at how the european trading picture is faring. about 90 minutes into the trading session. and we're still seeing, broadly speaking, a downward trend today. finance ministers recent meeting for the euro zone failed to stem fears about the single currency and its future. we did have more talks on the cast today, and also the italians are trying to get their own people to buy bonds today as part of a special program to buy italian bonds, try and give that country a bit of support there. it, of course, has been facing significant pressure when it comes to raising money out in the open markets. we've also got the efsf, the euro zone bailout fund effectively under increased scrutiny these days. there's pressure on the ecb to sort out the financial mess. and of course, financial stocks very much coming under pressure after s&p's recent decision to downgrade dozens of banks on tuesday. as you can see, the likes of the cac 40 are now slipping the most. the last time we looked it was the dax. but broadly speaking it is those euro zone markets that yet again, one day after the next, are suffering the most. absolutely. a very similar picture on this side of the world with a notable exception of the australian markets which finished higher today. as you see there, australia up by almost 0.5%. shanghai, you'll note, the standout, down more than 3%. and that's in response to a comment from one of the economic leaders in beijing that don't expect any easing of monetary policy. don't expect interest rates to come down any time soon. if there's going to be any movement on trying to keep the economy motoring along in china, it's going to come through fiscal means, not through the monetary policy which is things like interest rates. that certainly didn't impress investors in shanghai. the broader issue here remains what's going on in europe, particularly the financial stocks, the s&p downgrade not helping much. and just as i said, australia was up there. energy resource stocks leading the gains there. let's turn now to one economy that has been growing strongly in recent months, in recent years. but it looks like a slowing down a bit. india has seen its economy grow at its lowest quarterly rate in more than two years. in the three months to september, gdp advancing 6.9%. down from the 7.7% the previous quarter. that's actually quite a big monthly drop. really, the story here is the high interest rates. interest rates have been rising steadily high in india. authorities try to squeeze inflation out of the system. that's the main reason for slowing growth. although inflation remains stubbornly high in india at the moment. you actually have to go back to 2009 to see growth below 7%. india, though, is still one of the world's fastest growing major economies. although this chart shows very clearly that it is slowing down. and it is quite a trend line going down there, too, nina. yeah, let's go from one of the world's fastest growing economies to the world's largest economy. u.s. futures pointing towards a lower open this morning. investors reacting to those dozens of downgrades by standard & poor's on tuesday. we could be in store to a lower open to the tune of 0.5%. the other two not faring quite as bad. stock markets have been front and center for much of the year with the euro zone governments having to confront the side effects of plummeting confidence, particularly in the regions banking sector. and a number of officials have been forced to stand down after the mishandling of this crisis. as a result, some eu politicians feel that it's markets, not the voters, who are picking on the political leaders. our very own jim bittermann examines exactly who's in charge here. >> reporter: as one government after another falls because of debt-related issues, the question has come up more and more, exactly who is running things? the distinguished representatives of the people? or the orderly intelligence of the marketplace? but, in fact, while some european politicians claim, democratic elected leaders are being pushed out of office by rampaging cap tappists, the question is a bit trickier. in fact, seven governments have been forced to step down this year and another is on its way out because of their handling or mishandling of dealt ibt issues. some because mishandling of accounts proved unpopular, some because they supported bailouts to prop up the euro, some because borrowing costs were shooting up as their bond rating went down. can you really blame a government's problems on those bond rating agencies, for example? >> i don't think there's a fine line between democracy and ratings agencies. what are we doing for the economy? are we doing things right or wrong? that is the main issue. and at the moment, we don't seem to get things right. >> reporter: but some argue the agencies and other market forces don't have such a brilliant track record either. >> translator: we have not shown a great judgment in valuation of risk, so it shouldn't become the situation of the people. there's something democratically speaking which is outrageous. >> reporter: that question of whether the markets are anti-democratic, ignoring the plight of those who are actually suffering from the austerity measures, is at the center of the growing discontent across europe. some here warn against austerity measures promoted by people who should themselves be reined in. former french prime minister michel rocard. >> they should never propose austerity programs without having the political dimension in mind. we are attached to the markets for fundamental reasons such as liberty, freedom. market economy is freedom. but it is not self -- it is not stable. so it needs regulation. >> reporter: in the wrestling match that's been taking place between governments and the markets, both have at times appeared weak. but one editorial writer here made a telling point. he said, if governments don't want to face the interference of the markets, they shouldn't borrow money in the first place. jim bittermann, cnn, paris. and tastes simply delicious. for those of us with lactose intolerance... lactaidĀ® milk. the original 100% lactose-free milk. and what it doesn't cover can cost you some money. that's why you should consider an aarp... medicare supplement insurance plan... insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. all medicare supplement insurance plans can help pay... some of what medicare doesn't, so you could save... thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses. call now for this free information kit and medicare guide. if you're turning 65 or you're already on medicare... you should know about this card -- e it's the only one of its kind endorsed by aarp; see if it's right for you. all medicare supplement plans let you keep your own doctor, or hospital that accepts medicare. there are no networks and no referrals needed. help protect yourself from some of what medicare doesn't pay... and save up to thousands of dollars in potential... out-of-pocket expenses with an aarp... medicare supplement insurance plan... insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. call this toll-free number on your screen now... for this free information kit, including this... medicare guide and customized rate quote. from london, hong kong, this is "world business today" live on cnn. now, a country shut off from most of the world for the past five decades by a brutal military regime is hosting a visit by washington's top diplomat. the u.s. secretary of state, hillary clinton, is flying to myanmar within the hour. her visit there is the first by a secretary of state of more than half a century. last month the u.s. cautiously welcomed the myanmar government's release of a number of political prisoners, many of them political prisoners, i should say, but just a number of prison inmates released as well. but the regime has a lot of work to do. it seems if it is to convince the united states and other countries that it has changed enough for them to lift economic sanctions going forward. the u.s. first imposed broad sanctions on myanmar back in 1988. that was after the military junta's brutal crackdown on student-led protests across the country. a wa washington tightened sanctions back when suu kyi's party was kept out of power despite winning a landslide victory. further sanctions were added in 2003, and that included all imports. restrictions and a freeze on assets of government officials. u.s. treasury officials targeted several more companies from myanmar back in 2008, and president obama renewed the sanctions just last year. now, as myanmar's government makes a lot of positive noises about its determination to change, western companies are hoping those sanctions will be lifted and are lining up to get into the country. but they may have to wait some time as genuine reform may prove to be elusive. paula hancocks has store. >> reporter: he spent almost 20 years in a myanmar prison. he says he was often tortured. his punishment for daring to criticize the military leadership. released three years ago, the 82-year-old is back in politics. he believes recent changes in his country, whoile a start, benefit the top level only. >> changes happen but actually they happen on paper with the media and talking to aung san suu kyi. there is no change at all. people suffer a lot and they will suffer human rights violations. >> reporter: a member of the democracy is now helping aung san suu kyi to run for parliamentary election within the next three months. reforms in myanmar have been well publicized around the world, but do the people actually believe them? here there is some optimism that things in the country might be changing for the better, but it is worth noting for every person who agreed to speak to us, there were at least three or four others who said they didn't want to speak on camera because they were too scared of the authorities. this woman sells fruit on the street. she's hoping the changes are real. she tells me, "i've been working day and night for years to make ends meet. i hope our lives will finally get better." this man says -- "i cannot know for sure if the new government is actually improving the country." a street vendor says he hasn't seen any changes and didn't even know clinton was coming. he says, "i'm too busy working." changes that are exciting the political world have clearly yet to have an impact on the streets. paula hancocks, cnn, myanmar. just ahead on "world business today," in the latest episode of "the boss," francis lui oversees construction of the ultimate cinema. the markets never stop moving. of course, neither do i. solution? td ameritrade mobile trader. i can enter trades on the run. even futures and 4x. complex options, done. the market shifts, i get an alert. [ cellphone rings ] thank you. live streaming audio. advanced charts. look at that. all right here. wherever "here" happens to be. mobile trading from td ameritrade. number one in online equity trades. [ male announcer ] trade commission-free for 60 days. plus get up to $600 when you open an account. welcome back. you're watching "world business today." for many, success means you're never too big to roll up your sleeves. this week on "the boss," our business leaders show us why sometimes it's worth sweating the small stuff. >> reporter: previously on "the boss," pride and joy. sarah curran returns to new york for the global fashion awards. and this time the prize is hers for the taking. >> and the winner is -- >> reporter: and in macau where there are too many jobs and not enough people, francis lui tells us why holding on to your staff is key to success. >> after 5,000 people that we have in the company who work for us up to the end of last year, 3,000 of them actually stayed with us. >> reporter: francis lui has returned to galaxy square, a space within the galaxy casino resort which will comprise some nine 3d cinema screens and a karaoke complex. >> i still like it a little bit bigger. this is still a good size. >> reporter: today he's taking a hard-hat tour of the construction work and getting an update on progress ahead of december the 15th. francis is known for being a hands-on boss. since building work began last year, he's made a point of checking in on galaxy square at least once a week. >> i haven't seen a movie out in hong kong, thailand or macau that had this kind of marble floors, high ceiling area and the technology that we're going to bring in. >> reporter: back in august francis showed us around the 16,000 square meter space. >> that is our entertainment center. it's going to be one of the biggest in hong kong in macau. it will fit about 1,000 people inside. >> reporter: back then the scaffolding was still up and the floor bare. still francis was keen to let his employees what needed to be done. >> drywall, thinner and the width here will be wider. >> reporter: today francis is getting a feel for the new space. making sure it's been done to his taste and specifications. >> this time when i walk into it, the scaffolding is already gone. the stone has been laid down. the lighting is done right. so far, so good. i think we're going to have a very exciting product. >> reporter: but francis doesn't like the excitement get in the way. he's focused throughout. and his eye for detail leaves nothing to chance. including this. >> you guys should put in a mat here to stop people doing this. so when i see things not done right, i want to kacascade this culture to everyone with me. if they see something not done right, they have to see it instantly and rectify it right there and then. i have many instances where i was the one who picked up the cigarette butt on the floor. not that i wanted to pick up the cigarette butt on the floor. it's not my job. but i just wanted to set an example of how things need to be done. >> reporter: francis expects his staff to have the same attention to detail as he does. a demanding vice chairman who expects perfection at all times. >> this is going to be very, very important part of what we're doing. i've been working for 32 years already. and i know that somehow if you want to be really successful, you just have to pay attention to details because it's all of these little things that add up. make sure that the project is executed well. >> reporter: central london. in the distance, the louver lights up the cathedral. and twinkling just behind it. inside in the warmth of the mayfair hotel, the founder and ceo of mywardrobe.com, sarah curran, is looking to make a hard sell. >> done. >> reporter: and in the process, keep her most loyal customers coming back. to do that, she's hosting an intimate party with some of my wardrobe's vip customers. fronting the small gathering, the boss herself. >> this event is perfectly timed for the fast-approaching christmas season. and the team are here and on hand to give you styling tips and also gift advice. it's important that i create that personal one-to-one relationship, and it's always been a really key part of how i want the business to be. and i'm much more of a friend-to-friend style. it's really great for me to put almost a face to the profile. āŖ >> reporter: the champagne, the chance to see the items firsthand -- >> i'm trying the jewels. >> reporter: -- and the opportunity to meet the face behind the business will no doubt encourage customers to click onto her website and buy on the spot. >> these events are not about a hard sell. what it's about and what it does is it creates that extra loyalty. and it's these emotional touchpoints. so it's this sort of added service. it's the packaging. it's the way we sort of talk to our customers, you know, the customer service. and the overall customer experience. >> reporter: with these intimate gatherings comes the opportunity for disgruntled customers to voice their complaints directly. and for my wardrobe to improve its service. for this boss, the customer is always right. >> as a buyer, it's important to have -- to see what she looks like. to have that visual profile in your mind. it's also a great opportunity for the wardrobe customer to give honest feedback. it's a valuable sort of way to drive the business. >> reporter: next week on "the boss" -- sean cornwell shows how to take a brand to a global level. and in macau, francis lui gets ready for the busy holiday season. >> we're almost to the end of the show, but let's have a quick look at the european market picture. nearly two hours into the trading session today. this is how things are faring at the moment. it's the likes of the dax in frankfurt, also those two crucial euro zone markets falling the most. as again, concerns about the stability of the euro persist. i'm afraid that's all we have time for on today's show. it's time to say good-bye, but andrew and i will be back in four hours or so. i'm nina dos santos in london. >> i'm andrew stevens in hong kong. we hope to have the pleasure of your company later.