The daily drama of money and work from the BBC.
We get the views of three American retailers - how do they see the economy and what do they want from the next US president? We hear from a department store owner in Indiana, a bookshop owner in Texas and a snack company based in New York City. Produced and presented by Ed Butler Additional production by Matt Lines (Image: A shop owner holding an open sign. Credit: Getty Images)
We look into the implications of what has been described as sport's 'trial of the century' If Manchester City are found guilty of breaching the English Premier League's financial rules - allegations Manchester City and the club strongly deny - the team could face relegation, while the Premier League risks serious reputational damage. Produced and presented by Alex Capstick (Manchester City celebrate winning the 2023/24 Premier League title. Credit: Getty Images)
People have been participating in mass rallies in India seeking justice for a young medical trainee who was raped and murdered in a hospital. It’s put a spotlight once again on women’s safety at work - particularly for those women doing night shifts. There are laws to protect women from sexual harassment in the workplace, but campaigners say it can be slow to get justice. So what more can be done to improve women's safety and encourage female participation in the workforce? We talk to some night...
Ruth Alexander talks to Nagi Maehashi, founder of the hit food site, RecipeTin Eats. Back in 2014, Nagi gave up a high-flying job in corporate finance to start her blog. The gamble paid off and her blog now gets half a billion hits a year. She is also the author of two cookery books. Nagi tells Ruth what those early days were like, how she built the business, and what mistakes she made along the way. Plus - we hear about the crucial role of the blog's co-star Dozer, Nagi's much-loved Golden Retr...
We look at the impact of a new 10 year deal with Madrid - does it mean one of the longest-serving venues - Barcelona - will lose out? We speak to businesses and hotels in Barcelona who are looking to the future. Is it really sustainable for one country to host two F1 events each year? Produced and presented by Ashish Sharma. (Image: Max Verstappen drives by the crowd during the 2024 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit De Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain. Image: Getty Images)...
The minimalist, flat-packed furniture company has revolutionised living spaces globally. Originating from a small Swedish farm in the 1940s, it quickly grew and gained household recognition in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, Ikea stands as the world's largest furniture retailer. We speak to CEO Jesper Brodin to explore Ikea's brand evolution and its ability to adapt to consumer trends over the span of eight decades. And how realistic are its sustainability targets? Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer Am...
Islands around the world rely on ships as their lifeline service - for everything from their domestic supplies, to making hospital visits, as well as supporting vital industries like tourism. When the services go down, for weather or technical reasons, these remote communities are cut off from the mainland, with no back-up option. We hear from opposite sides of the world - Scotland and New Zealand - where unreliable car ferries disrupt the daily lives of residents and visitors. And we hear from ...
Is selling off abandoned homes for a dollar or a pound the answer to invigorating a city? We meet some of the people in the port cities of Baltimore in the US and Liverpool in the UK who have taken part in similar housing revival schemes. Is it an easy win, or is solving a city's problems more complicated? (Picture: Maxine Sharples, who bought a house in Liverpool for a £1, holding a photo showing her undertaking renovation work in her home.) Presented and produced by Rowan Bridge...
Carl Allen is a multi-millionaire former businessman who ran a trash bag company in the US. He's now the owner of an island in the Bahamas, a philanthropist and deep-sea treasure hunter, scouring the seabed for sunken Spanish galleons, slave ships and long-lost treasure. He tells us about his relentless search for one Spanish galleon that’s fired his imagination for the past 40 years. We discuss the ethics of treasure hunting and his belief that the best way to bring up relics from the bottom of...
There are more than three million vessels on the world's sea beds, and plenty of explorers looking for them. But if they find something valuable, do they get to keep it? We talk to an arbitration lawyer about the laws governing the sea, and hear from maritime archaeologists about the perils of rummaging around on the ocean floor, disturbing long-sunken wrecks that offer a priceless glimpse into history. Some say we should leave these ships be, especially when they’re graveyards. Others say we sh...
In the first of our three part series looking at the money behind shipwrecks, we start with what's been called "the most valuable shipwreck in the world". The San José is a Spanish galleon sunk by the British off the Colombian coast more than 300 years ago. The treasure onboard is estimated to be worth $18bn, which means plenty of people are looking for it, and trying to lay claim to it. A salvage company, the Colombians, the Spanish and a Bolivian indigenous community all say the shipwreck and ...
It’s the second largest landmass in the world, famous for its lakes and spectacular forests, yet Canada’s travel industry has faced challenges since the Covid pandemic hit in 2020. International visitor numbers still haven't recovered, and extreme weather events like wildfires have destroyed some of its best-known resorts. Plus difficult diplomatic relations have meant a reduction in tourists from a key market - China. But Canada’s government says it has a plan for the sector which is worth $38b...
As the world gradually adopts 5G, there’s already talk of the next generation. It’ll be around 2030 before 6G arrives, but network operators in Japan and South Korea are gearing up. Meanwhile, some predict that 6G will render smartphones obsolete within a decade. Devices like sensors, displays, drones and electronics in vehicles will spontaneously create their own networks, sending and receiving at super-fast data rates and low latency. So, why the early excitement over 6G? How should businesses...
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...
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)
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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)...
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...
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...
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)...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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)
