Ever been stuck in a meeting drowning in buzzwords? Terms like "synergies", "low-hanging fruit" or "deliverables"? They're just a few examples of corporate jargon. A lexicon of colourful metaphors, buzzwords and acronyms that you’d never use with friends or family but have become common parlance in the world of international business. Workplace lingo might serve as a useful industry short-hand, or a way to gel with colleagues, but it can also irritate, obscure meaning or even hide unpleasant tru...
Sep 27, 2024•27 min
Former fund manager Ruchir Sharma spent most of his career as a money manager on Wall Street. Lately though, he’s become a fierce critic of modern capitalism – arguing that the economic system is less fair and less efficient than it has ever been. What’s the fix? Produced and presented by Vivienne Nunis (Image: Ruchir Sharma)
Sep 26, 2024•17 min
We visit an archaeological dig and meet the heritage consultants who ‘rescue history’ before the developers move in. In wealthy countries, these consultants are paid in advance, and this has led to a growing industry. In lower income countries that’s not the case – so what’s happening there? Plus - we look at how the very definition of heritage is fundamentally shifting. (Picture: Archaeologist excavating part of human skeleton and skull from the ground. Credit: Getty Images.) Presented and prod...
Sep 26, 2024•18 min
Billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, as well companies like Boeing, believe a future where more satellites are put in orbit, alongside new space stations, as well as plans for bases on the moon, will prove very profitable. But it is not proving easy for Boeing in particular, following problems with its Starliner space craft on its maiden flight to the International Space Station. We hear from astrophysicists, companies that advise on space investment, and former astronaut Cady Coleman. Pr...
Sep 23, 2024•17 min
Vietnam has enjoyed more than 6% annual growth every year for the last thirty years or more, a staggering growth path, transforming one of Asia’s poorest economies into a major global trading hub. It's now one of the world’s top twenty economies. But are there challenges ahead. A high-profile anti-corruption drive, extreme weather events, and the death of its long-term leader have raised questions about the country’s path to prosperity. (Picture: Aerial view of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, at nigh...
Sep 22, 2024•18 min
From experiencing a stroke at the age of 17, to various corporate jobs that never quite fit, we hear about Glenn Fogel's journey to becoming CEO of Booking Holdings, the parent company of online travel site Booking.com. We learn why the EU-based company is in the sites of competition authorities having been dubbed a “gatekeeper” in the travel market, and we hear what Glenn thinks about the impacts of mass tourism. (Image: Glenn Fogel. Credit: Getty Images) Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Amber Me...
Sep 19, 2024•18 min
Tech titan Elon Musk says he’s backing Donald Trump to win the US election this November. But is he representative of what the wider industry thinks? And what does Silicon Valley, traditionally a Democratic heartland, want from either a Kamala Harris or a Donald Trump presidency? We explore what the two presidential candidates are offering this important sector of the US economy. (Picture: A smartphone screen shows the live broadcast of the presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harri...
Sep 18, 2024•17 min
The 2024 women's basketball season has broken records from attendances at matches, to points scored by rookie Caitlin Clark. As it draws to a close, we look at whether success on the court is leading to profitability off it. Despite some major media deals, the WNBA is still struggling to turn a profit. So is it really a major player in the sports industry? Produced and presented by Izzy Greenfield (Photo: A'ja Wilson, on court for the Las Vegas Aces. Credit: Getty Images)...
Sep 17, 2024•17 min
From Paraguay to Portugal, Tokyo to Tel Aviv, more than 80 cities and countries around the world have introduced a ‘mayor for the night’. Several more are trying to introduce 24-hour zones to their nightlife – allowing alcohol to be served all day and night. But what are the benefits? We take you to the dancefloors of Montreal, Canada’s largest French-speaking city, where the local government is introducing a 24-hour zone. We travel to Berlin, the club capital of the world, where all-nighters ha...
Sep 16, 2024•17 min
We use global positioning systems (GPS) for our sat navs and our mobile phones, and it's used extensively in aviation and shipping navigation. But what happens when it's disrupted? GPS jamming, when the signal isn't able to get through - and spoofing - which tricks the receiver into calculating a false position, is happening more and more. We look into the impact on the transportation sector - and on our everyday lives. Produced and presented by Gareth Mitchell (Image: An airline cockpit. Credit...
Sep 15, 2024•17 min
One of the world's biggest logistics firms sits down with us to talk about freight costs, the German economy and his route to success. DHL employs more than half a million people globally. It was as US-based logistics firm when it started out, but by 2001 was owned by Deutsche Post. So how is the now German-based company navigating global economic challenges, including political tensions and conflicts? Produced and presented by Leanna Byrne (Image: Tobias Meyer. Credit: Getty Images)...
Sep 12, 2024•17 min
What links the lightsabre, Scream mask and Wilson the volleyball? They’re all film props - objects that help bring stories to life on screen. Behind the scenes, they support a whole industry of specialist expertise. We speak to prop masters about the pressures on budgets and safety, following the death of Halyna Hutchins, who was killed on set by a prop gun. Produced and presented by Laura Heighton-Ginns (Image: Harry Potter's glasses on display in June 2021 at Prop Store in California, US. Cred...
Sep 11, 2024•17 min
RMS Titanic sank on 15 April 1912 claiming the lives of more than 1500 people. Just over 700 survived the disaster. The events surrounding the sinking of the luxury ocean liner, the identities of those on board, plus the stories of heroism and heartbreak on the night have generated global fascination in the vessel, which continues to this day. And that interest in Titanic has generated huge commercial appeal and revenue - for writers, film and documentary makers, museums and auction houses. We e...
Sep 10, 2024•17 min
2023 was a record year of live music, with an all-time high in worldwide ticket sales. Beyoncé and Taylor Swift’s world tours broke records, however fans trying to get tickets faced big problems. We hear from musicians, fans and global ticket selling giant Live Nation (of which Ticketmaster is a part) to find out what’s happening, and if it is broken, what is being done to fix it? Produced and presented by Sam Gruet (Image: Beyoncé performs onstage during the Renaissance World Tour in October 20...
Sep 09, 2024•17 min
The campaign teams supporting Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in the race to the White House are expected to spend a total of more than $10 billion. A journalist with the CBS network, Larry Magid, explains why most of the money will be spent on political advertising on television. Professor Natasha Lindstaedt, from the University of Essex explains analyses why spending on American political campaigns continues to escalate. The marketing expert, Allyson Stewart Allen, explains how the creative tea...
Sep 08, 2024•18 min
They’re the 300 dollar subscription fitness bands being worn by a host of celebrity-backers in 2024. But who is the business leader behind the billion-dollar Whoop brand? The son of an Egyptian migrant to the US, Will Ahmed was always interested in sports. During his college years he started to notice the dangers of doing too much sports training. He describes this as a ‘rabbit hole’ as he began researching sleep and recovery patterns in professional athletes. This led him to create a fitness tr...
Sep 05, 2024•17 min
After protests and political turmoil, we look at the challenges facing the new interim government. We'll hear from the biggest suppliers to global fast fashion brands and talk to students about their hopes and anxieties. Plus we have an exclusive interview with the country’s new central bank governor. Presenter: Nikhil Inamdar Producer: Jaltson Akkanath Chummar (Image: A garment worker at a sewing machine in Bangladesh)
Sep 04, 2024•18 min
Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande and even Donald Trump have signed up to the manifesting philosophy - the trend in believing that dreams can come true if you envision a positive outcome. But does it hold the secret to financial and professional success or is it a pseudoscientific fad? And what's behind the meteoric rise of this new-age practice? From books and podcasts to thousands of creators and videos on social media, Megan Lawton traces the history, investigates the methods and explores the latest wa...
Sep 03, 2024•17 min
As many countries and cities around the world rally against over tourism, we're in Albania which is investing huge sums in growing its infrastructure to welcome visitors in. The UN ranks Albania 4th globally for tourism growth and it places top spot in the European list of countries. Around 14 million visitors are expected in 2024 but with a tourism boom comes huge investment, construction and a changing economy, but at what cost to the environment? We hear about plans to build a luxury resort -...
Sep 02, 2024•17 min
We hear from farmers in Montana, Iowa and Georgia. What do they want to hear from the presidential candidates ahead of the US election? Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: David Cann (Image: A farmer using a combine in the US. Credit: Getty Images)
Sep 01, 2024•18 min
It is transfer deadline day for football's most competitive league - the Premier League - when clubs can add players to their squad who were previously under contract with another club. In the cut and thrust of football's transfer market are the agents. Among them, Kees Vos - who has been described as one of the most influential figures in world football. As agent to Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, he is said to control the ins and outs of the club. Matt Lines talks to him about the stor...
Aug 29, 2024•17 min
As temperatures rise, productivity falls. Extreme global temperatures are draining tens of billions of dollars in economic productivity every year from some of the world’s biggest cities. It’s not just outdoor jobs that are impacted, but office work too. In this episode, we ask work leaders, economists and employees what can be done to work around hot weather. From changing working hours to introducing heatwave insurance. (Picture: Labourer drinking from a water bottle, in the sunshine. Credit: ...
Aug 28, 2024•17 min
Cities and countries across the world are bringing in measures to restrict the type of lets popularised by companies like Airbnb and Vrbo. The regulations are to address concerns that homes in tourist areas are being used by visitors rather than being available for local people to rent on a long-term basis. We hear from Barcelona where its hoped thousands of flats will now be available for local people, and we're also in Halifax in Canada, where restrictions been in place for nearly a year. Prod...
Aug 27, 2024•18 min
Chocolate is very important to Switzerland’s economy: with more than 200,000 metric tonnes produced each year, sales are worth almost $2 billion. But there are challenges – not just over sustainability, but over exploitation. And the volatile price of cacao. We meet the researchers who are coming up with solutions – including new, and potentially healthier, types of a favourite indulgence. And ask: Is this enough to secure the future of chocolate? Produced and presented by Imogen Foulkes (Image:...
Aug 26, 2024•18 min
The US-based lawyer and managing partner at litigation firm Wisner Baum, in Los Angeles, has made his name taking on large pharmaceutical companies in high-stakes legal battles. He is the youngest attorney in US history to win a multi-billion dollar jury verdict. We hear how Brent transitioned from child actor, to successful lawyer, and how one ground-breaking case has now caught the attention of film-makers. (Picture: Brent Wisner delivers opening remarks in the Monsanto trial in San Francisco,...
Aug 22, 2024•17 min
We’re in Manisa on Turkey’s west coast. It’s one of the country’s manufacturing centres for home appliances like washers, dryers, and refrigerators. But soon, thanks to a $1bn investment deal, it will also be a local factory hub for China’s BYD - the world’s second biggest maker of electric vehicles. The Turkish government is desperate for international investment to turn around its economy, and the region would benefit from 5,000 jobs. China is keen to get another foothold into the European mar...
Aug 22, 2024•17 min
Each year millions of Indians go abroad to study and work. A lot of them end up sending money back home, a transfer known as remittances. The money is a crucial source of household income in low and middle-income countries, according to the World Bank. India is the only country to have received more than 100 billion dollars through this route - but it comes at a loss of its human capital. We speak to Indian expats and economists to explore the effect of remittances on the Indian economy. Present...
Aug 21, 2024•17 min
In February 2024, huge forest fires destroyed 90% of the land and plant species. Workers were killed and homes destroyed. We travel to the seaside town of Vina del Mar to find out how the country’s oldest and most important botanical garden is recovering. The garden’s described as the green lung of the region, and used to be home to hundreds of different plant species, many of them native to Chile. We’ve follow the gardens as they try to reopen and get visitors and tourists back through the gate...
Aug 19, 2024•18 min
We catch up on the ongoing disruption to the shipping industry after Houthi attacks on commercial vessels. The Iran-backed group said it was targeting ships linked to Israel, the US and the UK in support of Hamas. We look at the cost of diverting cargo away from the Red Sea, and hear about the impact of months of disruption. Plus a new remote shipping route is getting more traffic, as ships travel over the top of the world via the Arctic. Produced and presented by Rick Kelsey (Image: A Houthi mi...
Aug 18, 2024•17 min
Ginny Gilder won silver as a US Olympic rower in 1984. Today, she's a multimillionaire owner of a women's professional basketball team. How did success in the water inspire Ginny's breakthrough to the board room? We look at a life given to sport and business - and what drives her. (Image: Ginny Gilder. Credit: Getty Images) Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Amber Mehmood
Aug 15, 2024•17 min
