Follow the money: The end of cheap money in Japan

Meta is a social media giant. It's so big, a second Hollywood movie about the company was released just last month. More than three billion people access its biggest apps - Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram - every single day. And those apps make the company a ton of cash. In the last three months alone, they generated $64bn in revenue. Meta now appears to be focused on developing AI, particularly wearable technology. So despite its enormous social media success, will Meta be primarily an AI company in the future?Presenters: Rahul Tandon, Michelle Fleury and Will Bain Producer: Guy Kilty(Picture: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg tries on Meta smart glasses during the Meta Connect event on September 23, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

Burning cars, looted shops and clashes on the streets of France have dominated headlines around the world. The chief executive of Carrefour has warned that the unrest is taking a toll on business. But beyond the violence lie deeper questions about living standards and the state of the French economy. Vishala Sri-Pathma hears from protesters, businesses and the French government about what recent protests tell us about France's economy.(Photo: A masked protester holding an umbrella and a French flag reacts as French police use a water canon amid clashes during demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices in France, 24 October, 2026. Credit: Hannah McKay/Reuters)You can email the team: [email protected]: Rebecca Smyllie Editor: Stephen Ryan

After decades in which borrowing has been virtually free, Japan is raising interest rates, affecting savers and borrowers alike. We talk to a former rate-setter at the Bank of Japan, to a homeowner who is braced for the cost of her mortgage to rise, and to a saver who ponders whether now is the time to finally bring her investments back to Japan. And we explore who's making money from the rising cost of borrowing.(Photo: A Japanese man cycles pass by a stock market indicator board in Tokyo, Japan, 15 October 2026. He has short black hair, going grey at the sides and wears black trousers and a black T-shirt. Credit: EPA)You can email the team: [email protected]: Sam Fenwick Producer: Gideon Long

China's booming export figures, driven in part by demand for AI-related products, suggest a high-tech economy that's thriving. Yet many consumers at home continue to face economic pressures. Ed Butler asks whether there's a link between weakness at home and strength abroad, and what China's export surge could mean for other countries and trading partners.Presenter/producer: Ed ButlerYou can email us: [email protected](Picture: Security guards walk past containers at a port in Shanghai, China. Credit: REUTERS/Aly Song)

What impact have the protests in France had on businesses and the wider economy? What does Netflix's latest data and job-cut plans signal about the streaming giant's future? And what does a referendum in Alberta, Canada, highlight about the province's future? Will Bain is joined by Toronto-based tech journalist Takara Small and Zambia-based consultant Trevor Simumba to discuss.(Photo: A protester throws a projectile through tear gas amid clashes with the French riot police at the Place de la Republique during a demonstration against the cost of living and rising fuel prices in Paris as part of nationwide protests in France, 17 October, 2026. Credit: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters)You can email the team: [email protected]: Rebecca Smyllie

Netflix transformed the entertainment industry, changing how audiences around the world discover and consume media. But after announcing plans to cut 1,000 jobs and losing its content and film chiefs, questions are growing about the streaming giant's future. Has Netflix reached a turning point, or does it still have room to grow? Will Bain and Rahul Tandon are joined by Simon Gallagher, a former Netflix head of content and acquisition who worked with co-founder Reed Hastings and later at Hulu.Producer: Matt LinesYou can email the team: [email protected]

Tessa Clarke is the co-founder and CEO of Olio, the food-sharing app helping millions of people reduce waste by sharing food and household items with their neighbours. She explains how a simple idea grew into a global movement, the challenges of convincing investors to back it, and why changing human behaviour may be key to tackling climate change. Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: Barbara George You can email the team: [email protected](Picture: Tessa Clarke. Credit:Annabel Staff)

Some economies are increasingly dependent on migrants sending money home to their families. But how much does it cost, and who's making money from a business worth around $900 billion a year? Sam Fenwick follows a transfer from a housekeeper in London to her family in the Philippines, tracking the money every step of the way. We talk to one of the world's biggest transfer companies about the fees involved, and to a remittances expert who argues that while costs have fallen, they still need to come down further.Producer: Gideon LongIf there’s something you pay for and you’d like to know where the money goes, tell us. It could be on a future Follow the Money episode. You can email us: [email protected](Picture: A delivery worker in Manila, Philippines. Prices have been rising in the country this year, which receives remittances from many of its citizens living abroad. Credit: ROLEX DELA PENA/EPA/Shutterstock)

China's latest trade data show another huge surplus, putting the country on course for what could be a record $1.5 trillion trade surplus this year. In the first of two episodes examining China's export machine, we look at the country's massive solar panel industry. We hear from the so-called Sun King, Dr Jerry Shi, China's first solar billionaire, about the rise of solar power in China. Ed Butler also examines how solar power and other green technologies have helped drive the global response to climate change, while critics raise concerns about oversupply and its impact on industries and economies around the world.Presenter/producer: Ed ButlerYou can email the team: [email protected](Picture: Workers are seen at a production line manufacturing solar photovoltaic components at a factory in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, China. Credit: Lin Yunlong/Zhejiang Daily via Reuters)

From Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, to China and India, companies and countries are pouring billions of dollars to get ahead in the space industry.It's not just about interplanetary exploration, huge investment is going into satellites, defense systems and location technology.Rahul Tandon speaks to Carissa Bryce Christensen, Founder and CEO of BryceTech and Professor of Space Security, Dr Namrata Goswami to discuss who winning the race and who might be coming up from behind.Producers: Amber Mehmood and Matt Lines Editor: Stephen RyanPHOTO: The planet Mars is shown in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope view taken May 12, 2016. NASA/Handout via Reuters