Thailand: An economy on hold?

From rice to rubber, manufacturing to tourism, Thailand is one of Southeast Asia’s most important export-driven economies. And its trading partners include China and the US. But the country's been struggling to bounce back from the effects of the Covid pandemic. Ever since US President Donald Trump first introduced tariffs against China in 2018, Thailand's also found itself having to tread carefully between the demands of the two economic superpowers. We hear from food producers, exporters and ordinary working people, about the choices ahead. Will Thailand now have to decide between Washington and Beijing if it is to survive a global trade war? If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected] and produced by Ed Butler(Image: Bangkok's Chinatown. A neighbourhood packed with market stalls, gold shops, and restaurants. Credit: Getty Images)

David Webb has spent decades campaigning for the rights of ordinary investors in Hong Kong. Since arriving in the city from the UK as a young investment banker 30 years ago, he’s taken on tycoons, exposed corporate wrongdoing, and pushed for transparency in one of the world’s most complex financial hubs. Now, as the activist investor’s life comes to an end following a terminal cancer diagnosis in 2020, he's been reflecting on his life in the corporate world. He's spoken to the BBC's Martin Yip.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]: Martin Yip Producer: Niamh McDermott (Image: David Webb, activist investor and founder of Webb-site.com, speaks during a farewell event at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong on 12 May 2025. Credit: Getty Images)

Pitchside advertising signs in stadiums are getting bigger and brighter, using advanced, digital technology to create new opportunities for marketing to fans in the stadium and those watching sports at home. But could the LED boards around the stadium distract from the action on the field? We hear from fans, marketing execs, and how one sport league is using advertising as a form of entertainment during matches.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected] and produced by Russell Padmore(Picture: Football/soccer stadium from the players zone. Credit: Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump’s announcements on tariffs have had businesses around the world analysing their supply chains and reassessing their bottom lines. We take a snapshot of one industry and the beating heart of a popular American product - craft beer – speaking to brewers in Canada, Mexico and the US.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]: Devina Gupta Producer: Hannah Bewley(Image: Robin Ridesic of Exchange Brewery in Ontario, Canada; Justin Cox of Atlas Brewing, Washington DC, USA; and Luis Osuna of Buqui Bichi in Sonora, Mexico)

A Pilsner, an American Pale Ale, American IPA or cold lager. However you like your beer – it's part of life in the US and usually comes out on top as the most popular drink in the country. In this programme, we look at how President Donald Trump’s tariffs policy is impacting the product; tracing the elements of a can of beer in the United States - from the hops to the bar.Could this all-American experience be affected by a desire to Make America Great Again? Or will US businesses involved in beer manufacturing and packaging benefit? If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected] and produced by Hannah Bewley(Picture: Young woman working in the production line in a beer factory. Credit: Getty Images)

Heatwaves don’t have names unlike storms or hurricanes - which are categorised. But extreme heat can have a huge impact on people’s lives, on overall public health, and the local economy. We look at a pilot project that took place in the Spanish city of Seville called ProMETEO, aimed at naming heatwaves in order to raise public awareness, and better prepare local economies in extreme heat conditions.And we speak to businesses that are having to plan for hotter weather and ask them whether categorising heatwaves could make them more resilient. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected] and produced by Ashish Sharma(Picture: A waitress tries to cool down with a fan at a restaurant in Seville on 23 July, 2024, as temperatures rose across southern Europe during a heatwave last summer. July 21, 2024 was the hottest day ever registered globally, according to preliminary data published by the EU's climate monitor. Credit: Getty Images)

For more than 1,400 years, Saudi Arabia has hosted pilgrims from across the world who travel to this sacred patch of desert to fulfil a religious obligation.Beyond the eternal moral duty, the economic potential of hosting both Hajj, and Umrah - a shorter pilgrimage - is vast. The kingdom is aiming to welcome 30 million pilgrims every year by 2030. As more Muslims gain the financial means to undertake this journey, we look at the scale of the opportunity—for Saudi Arabia, and the global travel industry.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected] and produced by Sameer Hashmi(Picture: Muslim worshippers gather for prayers at the Grand Mosque complex in the holy city of Mecca on June 2, 2025 ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Credit: Getty Images)

Is longevity the next growth industry? We look at why billionaires are betting on 'rejuvenation' tech and whether any of this could help more of us live beyond 100. We meet the entrepreneurs selling 'superfoods', personalised health plans, and longevity consulting, hoping to cash in on a longer life. Their methods are unproven and sometimes extreme, but could the billionaires be on to something? If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected] Presented and produced by Thomas Mason (Picture: A silhouette of a man stargazing under a clear, starry night sky with the Milky Way visible. Artistic composite. Credit: Getty Images)

Ice hockey was hit hard by the pandemic, with empty arenas and financial losses threatening the sport's future. Now in 2025, North America's National Hockey League (NHL) has come roaring back. We'll look at that journey and how the sport is about to enjoy a record-breaking season with predicted revenues of $6.6bn.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]: Sam Gruet Producer: Megan Lawton(Anton Lundell of the Florida Panthers scores a goal against Joseph Woll of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period of Game Seven of the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Scotiabank Arena on May 18, 2025 in Toronto, Canada. Credit: Getty Images)

The small country has big ambitions to become a tech and innovation hub. It has a reliable source of renewable energy, thanks to the Itaipu Dam - a huge hydroelectric dam on the Paraguay-Brazil border.We hear from government ministers and business leaders about how they believe they can make it happen - and the benefits it could bring, particularly to young people in Paraguay.Produced and presented by Jane Chambers(Image: The Itaipu Dam - a hydroelectric dam on the Paraguay-Brazi border. Credit: Getty Images)