Power Players: Can AI really regulate itself?

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1. 

   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.

2. 

   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)

3. 

   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. 

   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…

5. 

   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:…

6. 

   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…

7. 

   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…

8. 

   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)

9. 

   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…

10. 

    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,…