Alle afleveringen van Business Daily – pagina 5 van 40

Can Starbucks regain its buzz?

2 februari 2026 · 17 min

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It’s probably the world’s best-known coffee chain but just over a year ago, business wasn’t doing well. Sales had slipped, customers were drifting away and the buzz had gone. Lees meer

Newly-arrived CEO Brian Niccol was handed a tough task: stop the fall and make the coffee shops somewhere people wanted to return to.

In an interview with our North America business correspondent Michelle Fleury, he explains why customers are returning and seem to be giving the company another shot.

If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Producers: John Mervin and Justin Bones

Business Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.

Each episode is a 17-minute deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.

We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include the CEO of Google Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and billionaire founder Judy Faulkner of Epic Systems, one of the world's largest medical record software providers.

(Picture: Brian Niccol, CEO of Starbucks, sitting in one of the company's coffee shops in downtown New York.)

The man who built Africa's largest AI firm

30 januari 2026 · 19 min

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From the deserts of Tunisia to the boardrooms of global tech giants, we meet Karim Beguir, the mathematician who turned two laptops and 2000 dollars into Africa’s biggest AI firm. Lees meer

We hear how his company, Instadeep, caught the attention of Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, and how it helped to track dangerous new variants in the Covid pandemic using large language models.

If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Ed Butler
Producers: Niamh McDermott and Hannah Mullane

Business Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.

Each episode is a 17-minute deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.

We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include the CEO of Google Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the billionaire founder of Epic Systems, one of the world's largest medical record software providers, Judy Faulkner.

(Picture: CEO of Instadeep, Karim Beguir, at a photoshoot in Paris in 2024. Credit: Getty Images)

Why you buy what you buy

29 januari 2026 · 21 min

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We lift the curtain on how everyone from toothpaste brands to the United Nations is using science to influence your choices in ways you’re probably not aware of. Behavioural science has even made its way into TV drama. Lees meer

How does it work? And why is it so effective?

If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Rowan Bridge

Business Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.

Each episode is a 17-minute deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.

We also speak to some of the world's most influential business leaders. These interviews include the CEO of Google Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the billionaire founder of Epic Systems, one of the world's largest medical record software providers, Judy Faulkner.

(Picture: The hand of a woman about to cause a chain reaction by pushing over a domino. Credit: Getty Images)

Copper theft: A growing economic problem

28 januari 2026 · 17 min

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Demand has been surging for copper around the world - from renewable energy projects, to AI data centres, to infrastructure networks. Lees meer

Production, however, has struggled to keep pace, pushing prices close to record highs in late 2025 and early 2026.

As the value of the metal has risen, criminals have increasingly targeted copper for theft - stripping it from telephone cables, railway power lines and solar panels. The resulting damage and disruption is costing economies billions.

If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Russell Padmore

Picture: Train passengers look at a train information board at Zwolle station in Zwolle on the first of December 2025 after an extensive track damage caused by an attempted copper theft disrupted train services. Credit: Getty Images)

How country music became cool

27 januari 2026 · 17 min

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Country music is in the midst of a grand renaissance. The genre - whose popularity was previously confined to the American South - is now climbing the charts, grabbing the attention of Gen Z audiences, and changing the perception of what it means to be a country listener. Lees meer

Streaming of the genre in the US rose by nearly 110% in the five years to 2024. And it’s taking over markets all around the world. In the UK, the genre more than doubled its share of the singles market in two years. And Australia is now the third largest country music market globally.

From ‘music city’ - Nashville, Tennessee - we speak to artists and industry leaders to better understand where the country music boom came from, and where it’s headed this year. How did country become so cool?

To get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Ellie House

(Picture: Neon lights spelling 'Music City Tonight' at Robert's Honky Tonk, Nashville. Credit: BBC)

How global conflict is changing air travel

26 januari 2026 · 17 min

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One of the world’s largest airline groups has told Business Daily that airspace closures, due to war zones, are now forcing substantial rerouting of flights. Lees meer

Lufthansa says the ban on using Russian and Ukrainian airspace is having a measurable cost impact on its long haul network, with typical detours of one to two hours.

A recent Conflict Intensity index report shows that areas affected by armed fighting have grown by 89% over the past five years, that is one and a half times the size of the European Union.

We examine the cost to consumers, and the environmental impacts of these changes.

If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Producer/presenter: Rick Kelsey

(Photo: Planes landing and taking off against a coloured sky. Credit: Getty Images)

Lew Frankfort: Building a billion-dollar brand

23 januari 2026 · 17 min

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When Lew Frankfort joined Coach, it was a family run, wholesale handbag business worth six million dollars. Lees meer

He spent 35 years at the company, from opening the company's first shop to growing the business now valued at over five billion dollars.

We find out what led Lew to an unlikely career in fashion and how a chance meeting with a US president sparked his social consciousness.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Ed Butler
Producers: Hannah Bewley and Hannah Mullane

(Photo: Lew Frankfort, chairman emeritus and former CEO of Coach)

Can an island of flowers become a global chip hub?

22 januari 2026 · 17 min

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Forty years ago Japan made more than half of the world's semiconductors. Today, it produces just over 10%. But the country has big ambitions to turn that around. Lees meer

We hear from the CEO of a company at the centre of the government's high-stakes gamble to revive its semiconductor industry, and more broadly, its tech power.

And we'll learn how the island of Hokkaido is now the site of billions in investment to turn what has long been an agricultural powerhouse into a global chip manufacturing hub.

If you'd like to contact the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Suranjana Tewari
Producer: Jaltson Akkanath Chummar

(Picture: A lavender field and colourful flower garden in Hokkaido, Japan. Credit: Getty Images)

Slovakia: Small country, auto giant

21 januari 2026 · 17 min

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When Slovakia was part of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, the cars it made were noisy, thirsty and slow by western standards at the time. But when Volkswagen bought the car-maker Skoda, that was the beginning of a major change. Lees meer

Now, Slovakia makes almost a million cars a year and with Volvo opening a factory here in 2027, it’ll be a quarter of a million more. Extraordinary for a country of five million people.

We visit a factory and find out why this small nation is attracting so much car industry investment.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by John Laurenson

(Picture: Workers on a production line in a car factory, Slovakia. Credit: BBC/John Laurenson)

America's affordability question

20 januari 2026 · 17 min

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In the second of two programmes, we look at Donald Trump's record on the economy one year into his second presidential term. Today, we are asking is the United States still facing a cost of living crunch? Lees meer

Its economy - the largest in the world - is still growing faster than most others and the stock markets are hitting record highs, yet many Americans say they are still struggling to make ends meet. What's going on? We get the view from our North America business correspondent, Samira Hussain; a data scientist; an economist; and consumers from across the country.

If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Rahul Tandon
Producer: Craig Henderson
Additional production (audio diaries): Niamh McDermott

(Picture: A woman walks down the aisle at the grocery store with her shopping cart looking at shelved goods. Credit: Getty Images)

Life after DOGE

19 januari 2026 · 17 min

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Twelve months into Donald Trump’s second term as President, we examine what it’s meant for the US workforce. Lees meer

For government workers it has been a year of cuts, sackings and Elon Musk’s now disbanded DOGE - Department of Government Efficiency - group. Some sections of the workforce have felt their rights under attack. Meanwhile, many Republicans feel DOGE has been a success.

Has the past year also provided opportunities for those switching to the private sector?

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Ed Butler
Producer: Craig Henderson

(Picture: President Donald Trump listens during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on the 26th of February 2025 in Washington, DC. He was holding the first Cabinet meeting of his second term, joined by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, then head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Credit: Getty Images)

CEO of the Folio Society, Joanna Reynolds

16 januari 2026 · 17 min

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We meet retail turnaround expert Joanna Reynolds, the woman behind the revival of the Folio Society, one of Britain’s oldest publishing houses. Lees meer

Ten years ago, the company was losing money and facing an existential threat from the digital revolution.

Joanna explains how she transformed the business from a failing book club to a profitable, employee-owned publisher.

If you'd like to get in touch with Business Daily, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Sam Fenwick
Producer: David Cann

(Picture: Joanna Reynolds, CEO of the Folio Society, holding a book. Credit: Dunja Opalko)

The 'Dry January' effect

15 januari 2026 · 17 min

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Festive celebrations at Christmas and New Year often involve increased alcohol consumption in many parts of the world. For some, that’s followed by a decision to take a break from drinking. It's become widely known as Dry January. Lees meer

However, data shows that more people are choosing to reduce their alcohol intake all year round.

Alcohol-free drinks only make up about 1% of the total industry, but their popularity has risen quickly, and the vast majority is beer.

How influential is Dry January really in this growing trend? And how will the smaller producers, who pioneered the non-alcoholic sector, fare now that the drinks giants are producing their own zero percent products?

We examine the changing adult drinks market.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Imran Rahman-Jones

(Picture: Sonja Mitchell, founder of Jump Ship Brewing, based in Scotland, UK, holding a glass of non-alcoholic beer up in the air. Credit: Jump Ship Brewing)

What's gone wrong with Iran's economy?

14 januari 2026 · 17 min

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Outrage has been growing in Iran over the country's struggling economy. Any growth this year or next looks unlikely. Lees meer

Protests starting in the capital have spread around the country, driven by mounting economic pressures, sanctions and rising consumer prices. They've been met with a violent crackdown by the government. More than two thousand people are reported to have been killed since the protests began and Iran remains under a days-long internet blackout.

In this edition of Business Daily, we examine what has gone wrong with Iran’s economy and why financial pressures have led to so many people taking to the streets.

If you'd like to contact the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Rahul Tandon
Producers: David Cann and Matt Lines

(Picture: An employee arranges a shelf at a store in the Iranian capital Tehran on the 7th of January 2026. Credit: Getty Images)

Bonds: Has the debt become too big?

13 januari 2026 · 17 min

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The power of the global bond market seems to have grown in recent years, to the extent that it can now dictate government policy and even topple political leaders. How much clout do the debt markets actually have and should they be reined in? Lees meer

Many rich nations are more indebted than they have ever been in modern times, meaning that some are spending more simply on servicing their debt than on schools, hospitals or military defence.

In the second of two programmes on the bond market, we ask, how sustainable is that debt and should we be worried about it?

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Ed Butler
Producer: Gideon Long

(Photo: A view of financial buildings in the City of London. Credit: Getty Images)

Bonds: Heroes or villains?

12 januari 2026 · 17 min

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We explore how the world became so dependent on bonds, those IOUs from governments and firms that helped build the modern economy. Bonds are often dismissed as a dull corner of finance, but behind the scenes they have played a central role in major economic dramas around the world. Lees meer

We hear about their history, how they have shaped companies and countries, and why some fear the bond market could trigger the next global meltdown.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Rob Young
Producer: Gideon Long

(Photo: A bond issued in 1648 by a Dutch water board to finance improvements to a local dike system. The bond, written on vellum, is held at Yale University Beinecke Library and is believed to be one of the oldest in the world that still pays interest. Credit: Yale University)

Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands

9 januari 2026 · 17 min

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We hear from a man who is immersed in the world of startups, innovation, venture capital, and the work of policymakers whose job it is to strengthen Europe's standing in all those fields. He's also a Prince of the Netherlands and the brother of the Dutch King. Lees meer

Constantijn van Oranje has worked as a business consultant and at the European Commission. He is now a champion of the Dutch tech sector through his organisation, Techleap, set up to support the founders and startups hoping to shape the future of Europe's economy. It's given him a platform to have his say on some of the most pressing issues facing Europe today - but how does he balance his role with that of Prince?

We talk politics, regulation and unicorns.

If you'd like to get in touch with Business Daily, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Matthew Kenyon

(Photo: Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands presents the annual report of Techleap during the conference State of Dutch Tech on 12 February, 2025 in The Hague, Netherlands. Credit: Getty Images)

The UAE's growing influence in Africa

8 januari 2026 · 17 min

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The United Arab Emirates has become the largest state investor in Africa. It's spending billions of dollars across the continent; building ports, power plants and renewable energy projects. Lees meer

We look at why Emirati companies are expanding so rapidly, and find out how much this investment is reshaping economies.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Sameer Hashmi

(Picture: General view of Berbera Port and Bebera city in Somaliland in the Horn of Africa, on 31st August 2021. Dubai-based port operator DP World and the Government of Somaliland, opened a container terminal at Berbera Port in June 2021. Credit: Getty Images)

How might tech shape our world in 2026?

7 januari 2026 · 17 min

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Will the boom in artificial intelligence continue in 2026? We hear how the world’s biggest companies are jockeying for position in the race to dominate the field. After a year of record spending on AI, we look at how sustainable that type of investment might be in the year ahead. Lees meer

Plus - what gadgets could become mainstream in 2026?

The BBC's Technology Editor, Zoe Kleinman, and North America technology correspondent in Silicon Valley, Lily Jamali, give Will Bain their predictions.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Will Bain
Producer: Matt Lines

(Picture: Guests including CEO of Meta Mark Zuckerberg; Amazon founder Jeff Bezos; CEO of Google Sundar Pichai; and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, X and xAI Elon Musk, arrive before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, on Monday, 20th of January 2025. Credit: Getty Images)

Can Asia’s economic growth hold up in 2026?

6 januari 2026 · 17 min

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We explore how economies and companies rode out the tariff-driven economic storms of 2025 and hear how many continue to forge new partnerships in a changing world of global trade. Lees meer

Asia business correspondent, Suranjana Tewari, and India business correspondent, Arunoday Mukharji, join us from Singapore and Delhi to discuss what the year might hold for the region's biggest economic players.

If you'd like to contact the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Will Bain
Producer: Matt Lines

(Picture: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China's President Xi Jinping shaking hands at the Brics summit of emerging economies held in Russia in 2024. Credit: Getty Images)

What's the future for Venezuelan oil?

5 januari 2026 · 18 min

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After American forces arrested and removed the leader of Venezuela, Rahul Tandon looks at what the future might hold for the world's largest oil reserve, and what can we learn from the country's past. Lees meer

Many US companies were forced out of Venezuela when the oil industry was nationalised in the 1970s. The type of oil found there is also hard to reach and complicated to refine.

We look at its difficult history, where the oil it produces now goes to, and whether US oil companies will want to spend the tens of billions of dollars it is thought will be needed to fix Venezuela's oil infrastructure.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Rahul Tandon
Reporter: Gideon Long
Producer: Justin Bones

(Picture: A man wearing a face mask walks past a mural depicting an oil pump and the Venezuelan flag in a street of Caracas, on 26 May, 2022. Credit: Getty Images)

2026: What next for the global economy?

5 januari 2026 · 17 min

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Tariffs and trade wars dominated 2025, but what does the year ahead have in store? And what about the prospect for rising prices we’ve seen around the world? Lees meer

The BBC’s Deputy Economics Editor, Dharshini David, and North America Business Correspondent, Michelle Fleury, pick through what we learned last year and explore the trends likely to shape the global economy in 2026.

If you would like to get in touch with the programme, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Will Bain
Producer: Matt Lines

(Picture: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the G7 summit in Kananaskis on June 16, 2025. Credit: AFP via Getty Images)

What's it like being a delivery rider?

31 december 2025 · 17 min

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Doorstep delivery services boomed during the Covid-19 pandemic and they're still popular in many parts of the world: ordering hot meals, or groceries, via a mobile app to your door at the click of a button. Lees meer

For the customer, it's a fast and convenient service. For the rider, it's flexible work, but there's no guaranteed income, the work is physical and the hours are often antisocial - especially during major holidays like Christmas and New Year. Why, then, do so many people do it?

We speak to riders in the US and UK about their experiences delivering food, drinks and other essentials to customers at all hours of the day.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, you can send us an email to businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: David Harper
Producer: Victoria Hastings

(Picture: A delivery rider on a scooter, travelling through a city at night. Credit: Getty Images)

Business Daily meets: Ned Guinness

26 december 2025 · 17 min

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With 250 years of brewing history behind his family, Arthur Edward Guinness was discouraged from taking on the responsibility that the men of his family had for centuries. Lees meer

Now Ned, or Lord Iveagh, grows crops, brews beer and is in pursuit of being able to pour the perfect pint in one of the two pubs he owns in the rural east of England.

He tells Leanna Byrne about the extraordinary family history he sees as his legacy, and talks about how the famous brewery at St James's Gate in Dublin, Ireland became one of the most successful in the world.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Producer: Hannah Bewley

(Image: Ned Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh, attends the "House Of Guinness" London Premiere at Picturehouse Central on 23 September 2025 in London, England. Credit: Getty Images)

Yiwu: Christmas city

24 december 2025 · 17 min

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We're in Santa’s grotto – sort of - a Chinese city that some call the Christmas capital of the world. Lees meer

With 75,000 traders, across 50,000 stores, Yiwu offers the world’s largest wholesale market across a labyrinth of arcades.

But at a time of growing trade tensions with the US, who’s actually buying the tinsel this year?

If you'd like to send us an email, our address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Ed Butler
Producer: David Cann
Additional production: Victoriya Holland

(Picture: Crowds of people walking through Yiwu wholesale market. Credit: BBC/Wang Xiqing)

The art of the Christmas advert

23 december 2025 · 17 min

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We look at what makes a great Christmas marketing campaign. From a budget-friendly advert based around coffee cups, to multi-million dollar epic commercials featuring Hollywood A-list celebrities. Lees meer

We unwrap the secrets behind the world's most iconic festive advertising.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Elizabeth Hotson

(Picture: A woman and a man wearing Santa hats, sitting in front of a TV with Christmas tree, candles and food. Credit: Getty Images)

How Christmas spending is changing

22 december 2025 · 17 min

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Festive spending habits are changing, with many, especially younger shoppers, predicted to cut back. Lees meer

We look at what’s driving the shift, the impact on retail, and how artificial intelligence is starting to shape the way shoppers choose gifts and search for lower prices.

Plus - we hear from members of the World Service audience on what their holiday spending priorities are.

You can get in touch with the programme - our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Megan Lawton
Producer: Sam Gruet

(Picture: Nelmar Cornes, a stationary enthusiast and the owner of the Toronto Pen Shoppe in Toronto, Canada.)

Business Daily meets: Balsam Hill's Mac Harman

19 december 2025 · 18 min

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As millions of households around the world put up their Christmas trees, we hear from the founder and CEO of US-based company Balsam Hill - one of the world’s biggest artificial Christmas tree retailers. Lees meer

Mac Harman tells us about his journey as an entrepreneur, how he's addressing sustainability concerns, and how the company's managing the pressures of tariffs.

If you'd like to contact the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Ed Butler
Producer: David Cann

Correction, 22 December 2025: This episode, which first aired on 19 December, has been amended to include more detail and to clarify the sourcing of the materials used in the manufacture of Balsam Hill's trees.

(Picture: Mac Harman. Credit: Balsam Hill)

The rise of the 'ghost job'

18 december 2025 · 17 min

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You might be familiar with the term "ghosting" when it comes to dating. One minute you’re talking to someone, the next they disappear. Lees meer

The same thing is now happening in the job market, with employers not responding to candidates or posting roles that never existed.

It’s a problem thought to affect millions.

In this programme, we hear why "ghost jobs" have become so common, look at the new rules meant to curb the practice, and hear directly from job seekers about how it makes them feel.

You can email us - our address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Megan Lawton
Producer: Sam Gruet

(Picture: Woman applying for a job online. Credit: Getty Images)

How Peru's Chancay Port is changing trade

17 december 2025 · 17 min

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We return to Peru’s mega port - the Chancay Port. This $3.5bn project is a joint venture between China’s state-owned shipping company Cosco Shipping and Peruvian mining company Volcan. It’s already starting to have an impact on local businesses. Lees meer

We find out what’s giving it the edge, how local fruit producers are particularly benefiting, and what obstacles still need to be overcome, both politically and logistically.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Jane Chambers

(Picture: Fruit producer, Percy Perez, in Peru.)

Is tech good news for truckers?

16 december 2025 · 17 min

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It’s transforming the world of road haulage, but has the recent ‘Uberisation’ been good news for truckers? Lees meer

From Nanjing to Nairobi, we discover how digital freight matching platforms are changing the way drivers access work, plan routes and the impact it’s having on the climate. But with driverless trucks on the horizon, what does the future hold for truckers and trucking firms?

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Sam Gruet
Producer: Megan Lawton

(Picture: A white 18 wheeler truck on the road. Credit: Getty Images)

The cost of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border closure

15 december 2025 · 17 min

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Pakistan closed its border with Afghanistan in October following sporadic fighting between the two countries. Lees meer

Since then, the movement of goods has stopped, and lines of trucks have been waiting to cross.

We look at the impact of this key trade route being shut and what it means for livelihoods and businesses on both sides of the border.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Will Bain
Producer: Hannah Mullane

(Picture: Lorries and a group of people congregating at the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Credit: BBC)

John Pagano: The CEO trying to grow Saudi tourism

12 december 2025 · 22 min

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We meet the real estate developer who’s been tasked with turning Saudi Arabia into a global tourism hub. Lees meer

It is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s vision for the Kingdom, diversifying the economy away from oil.

Red Sea Global CEO John Pagano has managed massive development projects including London's Canary Wharf, a luxury holiday resort in the Bahamas, and now, a tourism mega project on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Coast. We hear about his career to date and why he likes an ambitious project. This is his biggest yet - can he pull it off?

Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Producer: Elisabeth Mahy
Additional production: Niamh McDermott

(Photo: John Pagano, CEO of Red Sea Global. Credit: Red Sea Global)

What's the future for state-owned postal services?

10 december 2025 · 17 min

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More countries are considering selling state-owned postal services - many have failed to make a profit for years. Lees meer

As businesses and people send fewer letters, there's also strong competition from global package delivery companies.

We hear about the challenges facing postal services in Ireland, many of which have been in business for more than a hundred years.

And we look to the US, where President Donald Trump favours privatising the national mail service; while in India, the state-run post office network will remain under government control.

We also examine efforts to modernise postal services, which could mean delivery by drones and robots in the near future, supervised by AI.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Produced and presented by Russell Padmore

(Image: A green pillar postbox in Ireland)

The cost of Australia’s social media ban

9 december 2025 · 17 min

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This week, the country becomes the first in the world to implement a social media ban for under 16s. Lees meer

We look at the impact on content creators, tech companies, and on businesses that sell via social media.

We find out how they're navigating this change, and ask if other countries will look to follow suit.

Presenter: Ed Butler
Producer: Matt Lines

(Photo: A group of young people looking at phones. Credit: Getty Images)

Formula 1’s new business model

8 december 2025 · 18 min

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It’s one richest sports in the world but it still needs to adapt to the times. Lees meer

F1 is now trying to appeal to a younger fan base through deals with Netflix and Lego.

Plus it's trying to break that lucrative US market with races in Las Vegas and huge broadcasting deals.

We hear from the key figures at F1 and from former F1 driver David Coulthard, who witnessed the end of tobacco sponsorship and saw the likes of Red Bull coming into the paddock.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Victoria Turner

(Image: Max Verstappen races down the Las Vegas Strip during the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix on 22 Nov 2025. Image credit: Getty Images)

Miishe Addy: From Silicon Valley to Accra

5 december 2025 · 17 min

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Miishe Addy started her first company in California’s Silicon Valley followed by another business in Accra, Ghana. Now, she runs one of Africa’s fastest-growing logistics tech firms. Lees meer

She describes how she’s tackling the hidden costs of African trade, and what she’s learned as a female founder building companies in two continents.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Sam Fenwick
Producers: Ahmed Adan and Niamh McDermott

(Picture: Miishe Addy. Credit: Jetstream)

The making of a World Cup

4 december 2025 · 17 min

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Whether you call it football or soccer, next summer, the US, Mexico and Canada will host the FIFA World Cup. It’s the first time three countries have organised the tournament. Lees meer

A record 48 teams will compete across 16 host cities, with millions attending games across North America and billions watching at home.

But how much does it cost to host a World Cup? What does it take for a city to welcome hundreds of thousands of fans? And does that investment really boost the local economy? We go pitch-side to find out.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Megan Lawton
Producer Sam Gruet

(Picture: Sharon Bollenbach, Executive Director of World Cup Hosting for Toronto, Canada.)

Welcome to 'Bitcoin city'

3 december 2025 · 17 min

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In Lugano, Switzerland, the cryptocurrency is accepted in some shops and for local municipal services. Lees meer

But the drive towards using what can often be a volatile payment method instead of Swiss francs, hasn't been welcomed by everyone.

We hear from businesses, officials and consumers who are navigating this new world.

Produced and presented by John Laurenson

(Image: View of Lake Lugano, Switzerland)

Is it the end of the music video?

2 december 2025 · 17 min

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TV channels dedicated to them are shutting down around the world and some superstars have even stopped making them, so are music videos in decline, or are they more vital than ever to grab our attention? Lees meer

We hear from industry insiders in the US, Europe and in South Korea on how the streaming era has changed how we consume music - and shifted the way record labels make money.

Produced and presented by Daniel Rosney

(Image: Ne-Yo on set during the filming of a music video for his song "Closer" at the Santa Clarita Studios on 10 April 2008 in California (Credit: Matthew Simmons/WireImage)

What has happened to Europe's air traffic controllers?

1 december 2025 · 17 min

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Staff shortages and strikes are leaving passengers and airlines frustrated. So why are there such problems in recruitment? Lees meer

Industry bodies estimate over the next decade we could be short of 70,000 air traffic controllers around the world. We hear what is luring some controllers out of Europe and why others are leaving the sector all together. And what could the financial and safety implications be for passengers and airlines?

Presenter: Will Bain
Producer: Josh Martin

(Photo: NATS Swanwick ops room,. NATS is a UK-based air traffic control company. Credit: NATS)

Business Daily meets: Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales

28 november 2025 · 17 min

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We hear how a free online encyclopaedia, run by volunteers, became one of the internet's most popular sites. Lees meer

Co-founder Jimmy Wales tells about the ideals which helped him build the site, and the challenges its now facing, from AI to political criticism.

Presenter: Chris Vallance
Producers: Hannah Bewley and Niamh McDermott

(Image: Jimmy Wales photographed at Web Summit 2022 at the Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal. Credit: Getty Images)

What makes a basketball team worth $10bn?

27 november 2025 · 17 min

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We look at the record-breaking sale of the Los Angeles Lakers which has just been approved by the board of the NBA - or National Basketball Association. Lees meer

The Buss family had owned the team since 1979.

The new majority owner of the franchise is TWG Global CEO Mark Walter.

Mr Walter also has a controlling stake in the Los Angeles Dodgers, the professional US baseball team that won the World Series last year, as well as investments in Chelsea FC.

Produced and presented by Guy Kilty
Edited by Helen Thomas

(Image: Los Angeles Lakers star player LeBron James drives to the basket during the game against the Utah Jazz during the game on 23 November 2025. Credit: Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

The cocoa conundrum

26 november 2025 · 21 min

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Can Europe be weaned off cheap chocolate? EU efforts to block cocoa linked to deforestation were due to come into force at the end of this year – but have faced multiple delays. Another vote is due to take place soon. Some parties are pushing for further delay and modifications, but others are keen to see the rules come into force as planned. They apply to a number of raw materials, including cocoa. Lees meer

There’s a big challenge facing the world’s biggest market for chocolate: balancing sustainability goals and the price consumers are willing to pay.

If you'd like to get in touch with Business Daily, you can send us an email at businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Hannah Bewley
Additional reporting: Matthew Kenyon

(Picture: Close up of three cocoa beans hanging from a cocoa tree. Credit: Getty Images)

Is this the end for Southeast Asia's scam centres?

25 november 2025 · 18 min

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It’s one of the biggest human trafficking operations of modern times. Scam centres across Southeast Asia have been making hundreds of billions of dollars annually, it’s estimated, conning people into fake crypto-currency investment schemes. Lees meer

But now these centres could be coming under threat, with both military and legal moves by global enforcement challenging their apparent impunity.

Presented and produced by Ed Butler

(Picture: An aerial photo showing the KK Park complex in Myanmar, taken in September 2025. Credit: Getty Images)

Monetising Machu Picchu

24 november 2025 · 18 min

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Peru is home to Machu Picchu - the ancient Inca city in the Andes mountains. Lees meer

It's one of the seven wonders of the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The popular tourist destination attracts millions of visitors, making it very lucrative for the government, local and international businesses.

But Machu Picchu is in trouble.

Social conflicts, fights over who benefits from the money being made through ticket sales and transport are just some of the problems its facing.

Jane Chambers visits Peru to find out what's going on and if there are other local sites for tourist to visit instead.

Produced and presented by Jane Chambers
Editor: Helen Thomas

(Image: A group of tourists waves while leaving on foot due to a protest by residents in Machu Picchu on 16 September 2025 over which bus company should run the local route. Credit: Getty Images)

What happens when the aid money runs out?

21 november 2025 · 18 min

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In the second of our two-part series on tightening aid budgets, Sam Fenwick explores what shrinking donor support means for global health — from the sudden halt to major US-funded projects, to the pressure on low-income countries to increase their own health spending. Lees meer

As G20 leaders gather in Johannesburg for the Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment Summit, we hear from Zambia’s minister of commerce on how his country is trying to plug the aid gap through investment in critical minerals, and from Peter Sands, head of the Global Fund, on why he believes wealthy nations must keep funding global health even as more countries take on greater responsibility for their own systems.

With global aid budgets under strain, we examine what’s at stake at today’s summit — and what the future of funding for essential health programmes might look like.

Produced and presented by Sam Fenwick

(Image: An anonymous woman looks out over her local fishing community near the Zambezi River in Zambia. Credit: Action Aid)

What's next for USAID funded projects?

20 november 2025 · 17 min

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We examine the fallout from the cuts to US foreign aid. Lees meer

We meet projects in Rwanda and Nepal that were close to shutting down - and hear the story of a mystery donor who stepped in to keep them going.

But how long will the support last?

Presented and produced by Sam Fenwick

(Image: Beatha making soap in Rwanda as part of one of the projects funded by USAID. Credit: Village Enterprise)

Is cricket financially healthy?

19 november 2025 · 17 min

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One of world sport's biggest rivalries gets underway this week, with England and Australia going head to head in the Ashes. Most matches will last around four or five days, but it's actually the short form of the game that is growing the fastest - and bringing in big audiences and revenues. Lees meer

The IPL or Indian Premier League, has recently been valued at $18.5bn - that's a T20 format played over a few hours.

So has the sport now changed irreversibly? And does the longer form of the game have a future?

Presenter: Will Bain
Producer: Matt Lines

(Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli, along with his former teammates AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle, celebrate with the trophy after winning the Indian Premier League T20 final in June 2025. Credit: Getty Images)

A special interview with Google CEO Sundar Pichai

18 november 2025 · 20 min

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We speak to the tech executive leading Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc. Lees meer

Sundar Pichai gives us his take on the 'AI bubble', saying no company is immune if the bubble bursts on the "irrational elements" of the boom.

He says AI will cause "social disruption" for jobs, even replace CEOs, and says people will have to adapt. Is the world ready?

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Faisal Islam
Producers: Priya Patel, Elisabeth Mahy, Hannah Bewley

(Picture: Google CEO, Sundar Pichai. Credit: Getty Images)