Podcast · Business

Business Daily

by BBC World Service · English · Business

The daily drama of money and work from the BBC.

New episodes: Daily
Typical length: 19 min
Latest: 12 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026 · 17 minNew

Follow the Money: why is diesel so expensive?

The war in the Middle East has pushed up crude oil prices this year and that's had a knock-on effect on the price of refined oil products like diesel. But after months of conflict, the Gulf's oil-producing nations are now getting most of their exports out, so why hasn't the price of diesel come down? And will it fall now that Donald Trump has reached a deal allowing Russia to export diesel again? The BBC's Sam Fenwick traces the journey of a barrel of oil from the Middle East to the petrol pump, looking at the rising costs along the way. Producer: Gideon Long You can email the team:…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

11 Oct 2026 · 17 minNew
Why are birth rates falling across the world?
Birth rates are falling across much of the world, raising questions about the future of ageing populations and economies. We look at why people are having fewer children, from the financial pressures facing couples in the US to changing social attitudes. We also examine government efforts to reverse the trend, including Finland's generous family support system and Hungary's costly incentives for larger families.
10 Oct 2026 · 25 minNew
Listen again: Power Players - Why are young Indians joining the Cockroach protests?
A chance to listen again as Will Bain and Rahul Tandon are joined by the BBC's India Business Correspondent Arunoday Mukherjee to look at the rise of the 'Cockroach movement'. They discuss the economic concerns of young people and the difficulties getting well paid jobs Producer: Rebecca Smyllie Editor: Stephen Ryan Image description: Supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) take part in a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, India, 10 October 2026. Thousands of security personnel were deployed across the Indian capital as…
8 Oct 2026 · 25 min
Taking Stock: Is Gen Z the first generation to be worse off than their parents?
Young people in France are protesting over schooling conditions, whilst in Spain they have taken to the streets over housing. We ask if there is hope them, and how we can make a better future. Also, we unpack the deal for Paramount Skydance to officially take over Warner Bros Discovery in a $110bn merger. Connecting the time zones this week are Rahul Tandon in Salford, David Kuo in Malaysia and Emily Peck in New York to unpack the week's biggest business stories. (Photo: Student protests over school conditions spread across France, Montpellier - 08 Oct 2026 Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)…
7 Oct 2026 · 20 min
Power Players: Are these the most economy-focused US mid-terms ever?
With less than a month to go until the US mid-term elections, voters are preparing to head to the polls with the economy high on the agenda. From the cost of living, interest rates and tariffs, how much will economic concerns shape the result? Rahul Tandon, Michelle Fleury and Will Bain look at whether the economy could prove to be the defining issue of these mid-terms.
6 Oct 2026 · 17 min
Founders: The first black woman to own a billion-dollar company
We meet Janice Bryant Howroyd, founder of ActOne Group. She arrived in Los Angeles with just $900 borrowed from her mother and went on to build a multi-billion-dollar business, becoming the first Black woman to own and run a billion-dollar company. But Janice says the foundations of her success were laid much earlier, growing up as one of 11 children in the segregated American South. So, how did those early experiences shape the entrepreneur she would become? Presented by Leanna Byrne Produced by Bisi Adebayo and Barbara George (Picture: Janice Bryant Howroyd)
5 Oct 2026 · 17 min
Follow the money: Why does chocolate cost so much?
The El Nino in 2023 had a detrimental impact on the cocoa harvest in West Africa, prices quadrupled and businesses reacted. Chocolate prices skyrocketed around the world, chocolate makers were reducing their cocoa content and in some cases making their products smaller. Since then cocoa prices have come back down, but the cost of chocolate products hasn't followed, Hannah Mullane takes a look at why. Now, the 2026 El Nino threatens to repeat history, cocoa prices have already started rising again as bad weather is expected to impact the next harvest. Farmers, wholesalers, and chocolate…
4 Oct 2026 · 18 min
Listen again: Bonds, heroes or villains?
With the cost of government debt reaching its highest for several decades, we're giving you another chance to hear our exploration of 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. 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…
1 Oct 2026 · 25 min
Taking stock: How evicting an 87-year-old woman in Spain disrupted the debate on housing
Protests in Spain about 87-year-old Mariacarmen Abascal's eviction from social housing reignited the housing affordability debate globally, as inflation ticks up and career prospects for the young have been impacted by the rise in AI. We head to Nigeria, India and the UK to take stock on the issue. Elsewhere, what can sliding sales at the world's largest automaker tell us about how drivers feel about big purchases? We get the view from Jennifer Pak China and Professor Justin Wolfers in the US, where former MAGA fans are up in arms about the rising cost of diesel amid the war in Iran. (Photo:…
30 Sep 2026 · 22 min
Power Players: Can AI really regulate itself?
The AI race is speeding up: and so are the warnings about where it could lead. After President Trump met AI leaders to discuss how to make the technology safer without slowing America's progress, Michelle, Will and Rahul ask: can the AI industry really regulate itself? Producer: Rebecca Smyllie You can email the team: [email protected] (Photo: US President Donald Trump speaks with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the White House driveway following a luncheon for tech leaders in the East Room, in Washington, D.C., US, September 29, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
29 Sep 2026 · 21 min
Founders: From blogger to billionaire, Canva's co-founder on what failures taught him
Who studies law but then forgets to apply for any graduate jobs because they've started blogging about web design and JavaScript? Cameron Adams, the billionaire co-founder of design app Canva. He did eventually land a coveted job at Google (thanks to that blogging), but failure on its Google Wave project ’ led to an introduction to Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht, whose vision for making design accessible to everyone became Canva. In this interview, Cameron Adams reflects on the twists, setbacks and connections that shaped his entrepreneurial journey, and why he doesn't fear AI in the…
28 Sep 2026 · 19 min
Follow the money: Why does an Oktoberfest beer cost €16?
A litre of beer at Munich’s Oktoberfest costs nearly €16; almost four times what a litre cost in 1991 after adjusting for inflation. We follow the money behind the famous Maß, from the Munich brewery that supplies it, through the tent and the servers who sell it, to the City of Munich that runs the festival. Who gets the biggest share, who carries the financial risk, and how much does Oktoberfest really make for the city? Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: David Cann (Picture: Visitors pose for a photograph in traditional Bavarian clothing during the world’s largest beer festival Oktoberfest…
27 Sep 2026 · 19 min
Can Route 66 towns survive on nostalgia?
We're heading west along America's famed Route 66. As the road celebrates its 100th birthday, Victoria Craig finds out whether the pull of neon-drenched nostalgia is still attracting visitors and whether new investment can secure the future of the towns that depend on it. Presenter/producer: Victoria Craig You can email the team: [email protected] (Photo: A sign celebrating 100 years of Route 66: Credit: Victoria Craig)
26 Sep 2026 · 11 min
The birth of India's call centre industry
In 1997, after years working abroad, Pramod Bhasin returned to India and spotted an opportunity that would help transform his country's economy. Despite major telecommunications challenges, he went on to set up India's first call centre, laying the foundations for a new outsourcing industry. In 2019, he told Rebecca Kesby how he overcame unreliable phone lines, scepticism and technical hurdles to turn an ambitious idea into reality. Witness History is a short BBC World Service podcast about history that takes you inside big moments from the past through first-hand testimony and archive. Each…
25 Sep 2026 · 17 min
Taking stock: Trump and Xi face the trade test
What is next for trade, tariffs and AI after Presidents Trump and Xi met at the White House? We examine what was agreed, whether tensions between the world's two biggest economies are easing, and what it could mean for technology, business and global trade. Vishala Sri-Pathma is joined by Henry Wang from the Center for China and Globalization and the AI researcher and author Stephanie Hare. You can email the team: [email protected] Producer: Josh Martin (Picture: US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping before a state dinner at the White House in Washington, D.C., US,…
23 Sep 2026 · 21 min
Trump meets Xi: What's at stake?
The presidents of the world's two biggest economies are meeting in Washington. Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meet at the White House amid tensions over Iran, Taiwan, artificial intelligence and international trade. Our North American business correspondent Samira Hussain and senior China correspondent Laura Bicker assess what both sides want from the visit and how the relationship between the two leaders could shape the outcome. Presenter: Vishala Sri-Pathma Producer: Gideon Long You can email the team: [email protected] (Picture: U.S. President Donald Trump with Chinese President Xi…
22 Sep 2026 · 17 min
Founders: The American who built his business in China
Jacob Rothman moved from California to China and helped build a manufacturing business supplying some of the world's biggest retailers. We meet the co-founder of Velong Enterprises to hear how he built the company across Asia and how an unlikely career path took him to the heart of global manufacturing. He also reflects on entrepreneurship, manufacturing in China and how global trade is changing. Producer: Bisi Adebayo You can email the team: [email protected] (Picture: Jacob Rothman)
21 Sep 2026 · 19 min
Follow the money: The journey of a $30 toy from China to America
Most toys sold in America are made in China. But cheap labour is no longer the main reason manufacturers stay there. As the US toy industry presses for tariffs on toys to be removed, we follow the journey of a $30 toy from a factory in Guangdong, through shipping and the US border, to the shelves of American retailers. Along the way, we find out how much the factory gets, what shipping costs add to the price, how much of the final price stays in America, and the impact of President Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports. Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: David Cann (Picture: Employees of Shaoguan…
20 Sep 2026 · 17 min
From Mao and Nixon to Xi and Trump: A history of China-US trade
With Presidents Xi and Trump expected to meet in the United States this week, Will Bain looks back on the history of trade between the two great nations. It's always been fraught with controversy but there's also been a need or desire to get along. President Nixon was the first to visit China in 1972 and spoke with passion about the possibilities for the future between them. Trade then grew quickly but it became very one sided as China developed as an industrial nation. There have been several attempts to curb its dominance but cheaper production also meant cheaper goods for consumers. Chad…
17 Sep 2026 · 23 min
Taking Stock: Can Big Tech rivals be trusted to develop safe AI?
AI: Existential threat or billion-dollar opportunity? The increasingly loud and often stark warnings from inside the tech industry - about the dangers AI might already be posing. Plus we dig into the interest rate rises facing US and European consumers. And ask whether an ABBA singalong of Mamma Mia was enough to swing the Swedish election. Taking Stock looks back at the week in business, economic and geopolitical news with a panel that stretches across timezones. This week Rema Rahman the White House and Politics Editor from Bloomberg Government joins us from Washington DC and Katrine…
16 Sep 2026 · 18 min
Power Players: Does Xbox have a future?
Xbox is 25 years old and faces some of its biggest challenges yet. As cloud gaming grows and the AI boom reshapes the technology industry, even Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has acknowledged that the business "hasn't been healthy" in recent years. So does Xbox have a future? Will Bain speaks to former Xbox executive Peter Moore and BBC technology reporter Laura Cress about whether Microsoft's gaming brand can reinvent itself. Producer: Gideon Long You can email the team: [email protected] (Picture: Visitors play Stalker 2 in front of monitors at the Microsoft Xbox boot during the Gamescom…
15 Sep 2026 · 17 min
Can we control AI?
Artificial intelligence is developing faster than many experts predicted, bringing extraordinary opportunities as well as growing concerns. Some of the industry's leading figures are even calling for the pace of development to slow while governments and technology companies grapple with how best to manage the risks. So can humanity remain in control of AI, and how should we govern a technology that is advancing so rapidly? Presenter/producer: Ed Butler You can email us: [email protected] (Picture: A Jio humanoid robot named Elixis at the AI Impact Summit, in New Delhi, India, February…
14 Sep 2026 · 17 min
Follow the money: Why is a new Ebola vaccine taking so long to develop?
The Ebola outbreak in the DRC has claimed more than 3,400 lives and infected thousands more. Despite the scale of the outbreak, there is still no approved vaccine for the latest strain. Leanna Byrne examines what it takes and who pays to develop a vaccine. We look at what is slowing vaccine development and whether the limited commercial market for Ebola vaccines means governments, charities and international donors must step in to fund research. (Photo: Sanitation measures underway at Bunia market to contain Ebola outbreak, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 23 May, 2026. Credit: EPA) You can…
13 Sep 2026 · 17 min
The cost of war: Inside Russia's economic unease
Economic unease is growing among Russian workers as fuel shortages and Ukrainian drone strikes disrupt key sectors of the economy. Ed Butler examines the pressures facing businesses, workers and consumers, from damaged refineries to attacks on Wildberries warehouses. As concerns grow over prices, jobs and supply chains, what do these disruptions reveal about the resilience of Russia's wartime economy? Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Victoriya Holland (Picture: A queue at a petrol station due to fuel shortage following a spate of Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries, amid the Russia-Ukraine…
13 Sep 2026 · 19 min
Bonus: Could AI chatbots help Asia's socially isolated youth?
Across Asia, a growing number of young people are becoming hikikomori, a term used to describe individuals experiencing severe social withdrawal. They shut themselves away at home, retreating from work, school and even family life for months, sometimes years.Some countries, including South Korea, are trying an unexpected approach: government-backed AI chatbots designed to help socially isolated young people reconnect with society. But can artificial companions help tackle loneliness, or could they deepen it? This bonus episode comes from Asia Specific, another BBC World Service podcast…
10 Sep 2026 · 23 min
Taking stock: Bad blood, bad neighbours and the return of Elizabeth Holmes
Mark Carney and Donald Trump go tit-for-tat as the list of goods subject to tariffs between the US and Canada continues to grow. But will higher import taxes on products crossing the border make cost-of-living pressures even worse for Canadians and Americans? Takara Small in Toronto and Andy Uhler in Austin join Will Bain to discuss the highlights and lowlights of the week's business news, including the much-hyped launch of Apple's first foldable smartphone and the return, at least in cinemas, of convicted fraudster Elizabeth Holmes. Presenter: Will Bain Producer: Josh Martin (Photo: US…
9 Sep 2026 · 23 min
Power Players: Can new BP leadership steady the ship?
This week on Power Players, Will Bain is joined by BBC Business Editor Simon Jack to explore the future of energy giant BP. The past six years have seen significant boardroom churn, while the company has sent mixed messages to investors after scaling back plans to become a greener energy business. We examine whether the company's new leaders can restore confidence and set a clearer strategy. Producer: Rebecca Smyllie You can email the team: [email protected] (Picture: A British Petroleum gas station with the BP oil refinery in background in Whiting, Indiana, U.S., July 23, 2026.…
8 Sep 2026 · 22 min
Founders: Marcia Kilgore on still fighting imposter syndrome despite Beauty Pie success
Many entrepreneurs would be happy to sell one great idea to a larger business, cash out and put their feet up. Not Marcia Kilgore. The Canadian swapped small-town Saskatchewan for the wealthy clients of Manhattan, New York and sold her first venture, Bliss Spa to luxury giant LVMH. She then went on to found another three multimiilion-dollar enterprises. What did she learn along the way, how does she back herself when imposter syndrome strikes and what is next on her list. (Photo: Marcia Kilgore stands in a London street, wearing blue jeans and a pink shrt, she has cropped short hair and is…
7 Sep 2026 · 17 min
Follow the Money: Is a university degree worth the investment?
The number of students going to university globally has more than doubled in the last 20 years. 269 million students around the world are enrolled in higher education, if those students were a country, it would be the 5th most populous in the world. At the same time youth unemployment is growing and there’s a slowing of that graduate premium - the extra money you'll earn because of your degree - so is it still worth it? Presenter: Hannah Mullane Producer: Matt Lines (Photo: Graduates from abroad fling their graduation caps into the air during a graduation send-off party following the second…
6 Sep 2026 · 17 min
Who's afraid of the AI job-snatchers?
There's a general fear that artificial intelligence could make huge swathes of workers redundant, but are those fears unjustified? Rob Young asks what history can tell us about big technological leaps and how they changed the world of work at the time. And how much of the rate of change comes down to customer preference - would you rather deal with a bot or a person? Presented and produced by Rob Young. (Photo: A square computer chip, with its circuitry illuminated in pink and white light and has the text Powered by AI on it as a logo is seen during the opening day of the IFA trade fair in…

About Business Daily

The daily drama of money and work from the BBC.

Business Daily is a English business podcast from BBC World Service. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: BBC World Service
Language: English
Category: Business
New episodes: Daily
Typical length: 19 min
Latest episode: 12 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id261786876
Rights: (C) BBC 2026

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