the clock is ticking in one of the largest currency experiments in the world. yep today is the last day to exchange those bank notes abruptly scrapped by the indian govt last month. the prime minister calls it a success — but what do ordinary indians think about it all? and the big boss of the world's 3rd largest pension fund looks set to be arrested for abuse of power and giving false testimony. it's just another sth korean corruption scandal — we're going live to seoul to get the latest. welcome to world business report i'm aaron heslehurst. if you are walking past the telly, stay where you are fought little bite of finance. today is the last chance for indians to deposit, in banks, any of the cash, those 500 & 1000 rupee notes — the government abruptly scrapped last month. it's an unprecedented experiment in a society where cash is king. 85% of the bank notes in circulation have been withdrawn. the government's aim is to crack down fake notes and corruption. but as yogita limaye reports from mumbai, the move has had a major impact on the entire indian economy. this workshop used to be a hive of activity. at least 20 people work here making hundreds of leather wallets a nd here making hundreds of leather wallets and purses every week. now there are just four. after the government withdrew most banknotes in november, work has almost come to a standstill. translation: i need cash to pay my workers and by materials. no one except cheques. we do not have the means to make digital payments nor do the people who we purchased goods from. most of my workers have left and i do not have any orders either. some businesses have simply had to close down. behind me is a row of factories all closed, some of which is to make things like clothes. india's informal sector employs more than 80% of its workforce and it is these businesses that are most heavily dependent on cash. —— 18%. workers who travel from villages to cities to aid the living have been heading back. employers do not have cash to pay them but there is also less work because consumers are cutting down on purchases. the pace at which new pace that's being introduced is slow. atm regularly run out of notes and there are queues at banks. almost two months after the announcement, people are divided. a couple... you can look at the number perspectives and it does not really matter. initially i thought it was a good idea but what i feel could have been done better was the fact that it could have been planned out a little bit.|j was the fact that it could have been planned out a little bit. i feel there is a lot of chaos and you can see it everywhere. not injust one or two cases. everybody is affected. among the worst affected are those at the bottom of the economic ladder. those who cannot afford to go even a day without a job. we will keep across the currency situation in india. south korean prosecutors investigating an influence—peddling scandal that has engulfed president park are seeking a warrant to arrest the head of the national pension fund, which is the world's third—largest. the special prosecutor said he had applied for a warrant on charges of abuse of power and giving false testimony. stephen evans has been following the story for us in seoul good to see you as always, my friend. you chose a good patch was make i mean, it keeps you busy. if it is not one corporate scandal it is another. what is this about? it is another. what is this about? it is all part of the same scandal... alleged scandal i should say. that scandal is that president park's friend got money out of companies to fund she controlled and there were favours given to companies. that is the nub of the scandal. this bit the killer is that concerns samsung. last year, it wanted to reorganise itself in a dig, big wet— ait billion dollars worth. ——8. some shareholders said that was not very good for the company, not good for the shareholders, they are only doing this because the ruling family wa nts to doing this because the ruling family wants to tighten its grip on the company. a lot of opposition to the merger. the national pension fund put its substantial number of votes behind the family and the merger went through — just. the allegation now that pressure was put on the fund by the health minister at the time to put its votes behind the samsung family in return for money that the family had paid to the fans. that is the essence of it. mr moon was invited as a witness and has since become a suspect. moon was invited as a witness and has since become a suspectlj moon was invited as a witness and has since become a suspect. i do have another question but i have even told to leave it there. happy new year and this is said. and to you. it was his day off today and he came injust you. it was his day off today and he came in just to you. it was his day off today and he came injust to do you. it was his day off today and he came in just to do that! earlier this year, the british government finally gave the go—ahead for the construction a new 22 billion dollar nuclear power station at hinkley point in the west of england. but while attention is focused on the next generation of power plants, many of those built in the past have reached the end of their working lives. and as theo leggett now reports, dismantling a nuclear power plant is a challenging — and costly — process. what forms the heart of a power station? physicists would say the call but for me it is the control room. half a century ago nuclear—power seemed like science fiction brought to life. cheap plea energy. sufficient energy to generate... britain open the world ‘s first commercial nuclear station in 1950 ‘s first commercial nuclear station ini950 and ‘s first commercial nuclear station in 1950 and more were built soon afterwards. —— 1956. but they do not last for ever. this one in eastern england were shut down in 2002. demolition works have been under way for some time but they will carry on on to the next century. this was once a cutting edge facilities but 110w once a cutting edge facilities but now it is obsolete. large parts had the demolished by pulling apart and nuclear facility is not easy. because of the use of the building, there were levels of contamination, all of this work is stuff that has not been done before on nuclear sites so we developed processes that meant it was done in a safe and proficient manner. the buildings themselves will not be taken apart for a long time, instead they have been clad in aluminium to protect them against the weather and they will stay like that for another 80 yea rs. will stay like that for another 80 years. we reduce the radiation levels for the workers and also to reduce the volume of waste. this is one of the most interesting parts, of the bradwell complex, pack down and taken of the bradwell complex, pack down and ta ken away of the bradwell complex, pack down and taken away for storage is at the waist. this is not an old system, it is rand you and part of the decommissioning process but it costs money and a total bill for dealing with the nuclear legacy is expected to be more than. this is pioneering work. many react as were not built with a decommissioning in mind and we are learning and taking lessons from bradwell and applying those across the fleet. hopefully hell swear as well. a new generation of nuclear plants is now planned. access to it will now have to be built with that costs and challenges of the commissioning firmly in mind. —— decommissioning. in other news china's huawei technologies, one of the world's largest telecom equipment makers, says it expects to record a 32% jump in revenue for 2016, thanks to a strong performance across its business platforms. the shenzhen—based company, which competes with sweden's ericsson for the top spot in the global market for telecoms equipment, forecasts revenue will reach $7118 billion. the government is considering plans to allow learner drivers on motorways for the first time. they'll be given access for lessons with an approved driving instructor in a dual controlled vehicle. it's part of a plan to improve road safety and give learner drivers a broader driving experience. sangita myska has more. the proposed changes to both driver and motorcyclist training willing will improve safety. compared learners will be able to have lessons on a motorway with an approved instructor. the biggest changes are for motorcycles. the training course which allows them to write and accompanied will be updated. motorcycle training will also move more online with novice riders having to take the retest and those holding a provisional licence will also have their certificates revoked if they get more than six penalty points. the rac have welcome the proposals saying that changes are needed to help modernise driver and motorcycle training. a study has found that people on zero hours contracts earn an average of a thousand pounds a year less than those doing the same job with a traditional contract of employment. the research has been carried out by the think tank, the resolution foundation, following the controversy over the use of these contracts by firms such as sports direct and jd sports. it says that in some industries the contracts are being specifically used to pay less. national parks in england have seen their government funding reduced by a quarter in the last five years, according to the press association. figures show nine out of the ten areas — including the lake district and dartmoor — suffered cuts to grants totalling more than 10 million pounds. the government says national park budgets are protected until 2020. i'm mike embley. the top stories this hour: washington is expelling 35 russian diplomats and closing two compounds, in response to evidence that hackers tried to subvert the us presidential election. the us also says american diplomats have been harassed in moscow. kremlin officials say they will retaliate. president—elect trump has said it's "time to move on, to bigger and better things." but nevertheless, he said, in the interests of the us he will meet intelligence chiefs next week, to be updated on the facts of this situation. a partial ceasefire in syria has come into effect in the past few hours. president putin, who helped broker it, says the warring parties have declared their readiness to start peace talks. but he described the agreements as "fragile".extremists from the so—called islamic state and the group formerly known as the nusra front are not covered by the truce. it's almost the end of 2016. there's always a tendency to think the moment we are living in is unusually tumultuous, but this year has surely been fascinating. how will historians look back on it? my colleague evan davis has been speaking to three, to get an early draft on the year that was in its own way revolutionary, 2016. president—elect of the united states of america, donald trump. the year can be and that lots of things. the british people have made a very clear decision to take a different path. lenin says there is decay -- decades when nothing happens and weeks when something does. a year when globalisation went into reverse and the nationstate reasserted itself as the governing concept of choice. after decades of balls coming down, it was the use of barrier is going up. we have to build a wall, folks. we have to build a wall, folks. we have to build a wall, folks. we have to build a wall. the year that nationalism and naked tribalism reasserted itself as well.|j nationalism and naked tribalism reasserted itself as well. i also wa nt to reasserted itself as well. i also want to fight for the preservation of our own identity. it arises out of our own identity. it arises out of fear and that is what is being expressed. a year of anger and division. shame on you, boris! you area division. shame on you, boris! you are a parasite. a year traditional politics and its parties began to fall apart. you know perfectly well what the answer is. i'm very surprised and quite disappointed that you should even raise this question. the year the truth became