Afghanistan: Can its private sector step up?

Tim Brown is a former footballer who went on to co-found Allbirds, a billion-dollar brand known for its woollen shoes. We hear how Tim balanced his passions for football and shoe design, while growing up in New Zealand.The challenges that came when making a career changeAnd how his brand was inspired by a dream to rescue New Zealand's declining wool industry.Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Amber Mehmood(Image: Tim Brown, co-founder of the shoe brand, Allbirds. Credit: Getty Images)

We go to the heart of street photography in Berlin, Germany, to visit an independent camera shop where sales of analogue cameras are flying because of celebrities opting for old school tech. And we go behind the lens to the development labs to discover the rising demands and rising costs as equipment is sparse. What is the price of taking a good photo?If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is [email protected] and produced by Sean Allsop(Picture: Staff member at Safelight Photography lab in Berlin, Germany, checking the camera negative reel that is ready to be processed. Credit: Getty Images)

We find out why the country Japan ranks so poorly in the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index and hear about what’s being done to change thingsFrom bottom-up initiatives to raise the next generation of female entrepreneurs and businesses leaders and to the work being done by one of the country’s top educational institutions as it tries to shake off its men–only image. And will the country’s first female prime minister be the catalyst for change?If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, you can email us at [email protected] and presented by Phoebe Amoroso(Image: Yumiko Murakami, co-founder of the WPower fund, the first in Japan to focus solely on supporting female founders and women-empowerment businesses)

When is a bubble a bubble? When is hype around a new technology signalling the dawn of a new industrial revolution? We assess the arguments for and against AI and its inflated valuations. AI firms and their stocks have surged in the last year, accounting for more than 80% of America’s economic growth. But is there real demand underpinning this?To get in touch with the programme, you can email us at [email protected]: Ed Butler Producer: Gideon Long(Picture: The Nasdaq MarketSite in New York, US, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Credit: Getty Images)

New York City is in the midst of a cost of living crunch. As a result, the race to become its next mayor this week has been dominated by how to make the city more affordable.We hear about radical plans and ask whether they add up, and look at what the race to run the capital of capitalism might teach other cities about how to fight an affordability crisis.If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, you can email us at [email protected]: Will Bain Producer: Matt Lines(Picture: The sun sets on the skyline of lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center in New York City on October 24, 2025, as seen from Jersey City. Credit: Getty Images)

We speak to the American founder and CEO of Stine Seed, the largest private seed company in the world, Stine Seed Company. Harry Stine recalls working in a field on the family soybean farm at the age of four, and says he was soon driving tractors before officially starting work with his father. It was then that he realised the potential of plant breeding and seeds, leading him to start his own company. Stine Seed Company now has 1000 patents, and receives fees on about 85% of the acreage in the United States. Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Amber Mehmood(Image: Harry Stine. Credit: Stine Seed Company)

As Canada’s trade war with the US rumbles on, Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced ambitions for the country to become an "energy superpower" in clean electricity, oil and gas. Supporters say it could boost jobs and investment, but critics warn it may come at an environmental cost. We’ll hear about the projects underway, the challenges that could hinder them, and look at how other countries have achieved ‘superpower’ status. If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is [email protected]: Sam Gruet Producer: Megan Lawton(Picture: A flare stack at the LNG Canada facility in Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada. Credit: Getty Images)

Since the Taliban took over from a US-led government in Afghanistan in 2021, the economic challenges facing the country have been huge. The amount of aid going in to the country has dropped, the banking system is difficult to navigate, and international investors are staying away. That is before considering the economic impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and droughts, which have frequently ravaged rural areas. Government investment seems unlikely, so experts and business owners hope that the private sector can help to rebuild Afghanistan after years of turmoil. To get in touch with the programme, you can email us at [email protected]/presenter: Hannah Bewley(Photo: A man selling used household appliances in a street in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2020. Credit: Getty Images)

Renowned for its multi-step skincare routine and its foundation in the ever trendy Korean culture, K-beauty has become a multi-billion dollar industry across the globe.The term covers a wide range of skincare, make-up and cosmetics from South Korea and is lauded for its quality and value.But as demand grows, tens of thousands of companies are claiming to be K-beauty, and not all of them are based in South Korea. This has raised questions about its identity and authenticity. In the midst of its identity crisis, counterfeiters are now getting involved.So, what puts the K in K-beauty?We hear from manufacturers, retailers and industry bodies who might have an idea.Presented and produced by David Cann Sound mix: Ben Houghton(Picture: A young Asian woman applying a moisturising cream in front of a mirror. Credit: Getty Images)

We look at a growing industry where candidates are spending on career coaching, résumé redesigns, AI tools, and job boards.In a tough job market, with companies cutting staff due to artificial intelligence and rising costs, is this the way to get ahead?We talk to job seekers about whether these tools really help and share what you can do to find work without spending money. Presenter: Megan Lawton Producer: Sam GruetCorrection, 27 October 2025: In this episode, which first aired on 22 October 2025, we introduced one of the contributors as Nicole Leeder. This was incorrect. The correct name was Nicole Gable, US country president for LHH and president for Recruitment Solutions in North America. We apologise for the error, which has been corrected in this updated version of the episode. (Image: Giovanna Ventola, who runs an online community for job-hunters. Credit: Frank Ventola)