Could the Arctic rewrite global trade?

We explore the potential and the challenges for Arctic shipping. As global warming causes sea ice to retreat, passages are opening up through this vast frozen Arctic Ocean. We explore what these routes are, who’s using them, and examine the players with big ambitions to develop these shipping shortcuts. We also take a closer look at the realities of operating in extreme conditions so far north, asking if the rewards really outweigh the risks? And we hear from local Arctic leaders, concerned about the growing shipping traffic. Might the global trade map really be redrawn? To get in touch with the team, send us an email to [email protected] and produced by Adrienne MurrayBusiness Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, the economic impact of the war in the Middle East, and why bond markets are so powerful.We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Canva, Melanie Perkins.(Picture: Arctic ship leaving Tasiilaq in Greenland after having unloaded at the docks in the harbour. Credit: Getty Images)

Cuba is in the grip of a deep economic crisis. The country’s communist government says it will open up the struggling economy to greater private investment in an effort to tackle it. But will these reforms be enough? And can they happen quickly enough to slow the record number of Cubans leaving the country in search of a better life abroad?If you'd like to get in the team, our email address is [email protected]: Will Bain Producer: Craig HendersonBusiness Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, the economic impact of the war in the Middle East, and why bond markets are so powerful.We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Canva, Melanie Perkins.(Picture: A man rides a tricycle at a corner of Havana during a blackout on the 16th of March 2026. Credit: Getty Images)

We meet Chika Madubuko, the founder and CEO of Greymate Care, an online platform that connects people that need support with professional caregivers in Nigeria. It’s a business that was born in 2016 after her family struggled to find a trustworthy carer for her grandmother. If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is [email protected]: Leanna Byrne Producers: Ahmed Adan and Niamh McDermottBusiness Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, the economic impact of the war in the Middle East, and why bond markets are so powerful.We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Canva, Melanie Perkins.(Picture: Chika Madubuko. Credit: Chika Madubuko)

As the world faces another energy crisis, what can past shocks teach us? We look back at earlier oil crises to understand how conflict has disrupted global supply - and what that means for markets today. We hear from a former boss of one of the world’s biggest oil companies, BP, on the challenges the business faced when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. And as many of us are now facing rising prices at the pumps, we explore how reliant we’ve become on oil and whether it’s possible to reduce our dependence on it anytime soon. If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is [email protected]: Rahul Tandon Producers: Rebecca Smyllie and Josh MartinBusiness Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, the economic impact of the war in the Middle East, and why bond markets are so powerful.We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Canva, Melanie Perkins.(Picture: Plumes of smoke rise over the oil depot tanks hit by joint Israel-US overnight in a station north west of the Iranian capital, Tehran, the 8th of March 2026. Credit: Getty Images)

If you’re living thousands of miles from home, how do you keep in touch, especially when your loved ones don’t have reliable internet? There’s a growing market across Africa and beyond for apps helping to cut the costs of international calls to older phones. And some operators have much grander ambitions. If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is [email protected] and produced by Matthew KenyonBusiness Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business. Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Canva, Melanie Perkins.(Picture: Oluseyi Akinnibosun, Nigerian entrepreneur and app developer who's living in the Netherlands, about to make a call.)

Germany is in the throes of a demographic crisis, in which there are not enough young people entering the labour market to replace those who are retiring. There is an annual net loss of 400,000 to the workforce and the shortage is particularly acute in many of the traditional craft industries. One solution appears to lie overseas and in particular, India. We hear from young Indians who have signed up for apprenticeships in a range of industries in Germany’s south-west, close to the border with Switzerland.If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is [email protected] and produced by Tim ManselBusiness Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Canva, Melanie Perkins.(Picture: Ajay Kumar Chandapaka, an apprentice mechanic from India at Dold Spedition, a haulage firm in Buchenbach in the Black Forest in Germany.)

We look at what China’s latest “Two Sessions” reveal about the direction of the world’s second-largest economy. With Beijing setting its lowest GDP growth target since 1991, the focus appears to be shifting from rapid expansion to stability in an increasingly uncertain global economy. We explore what that means for businesses, investors and young people trying to find work in China today.If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is [email protected]: Rahul Tandon Producer: David CannBusiness Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Canva, Melanie Perkins.(Picture: Chinese President Xi Jinping, centre right, and Premier Li Qiang, centre left, arrive at the closing session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People on the 12th of March 2026 in Beijing, China. Credit: Getty Images)

We meet the founder of one of India’s largest private aviation companies who overcame several life challenges before starting the business. After doctors initially told her she had months to live, Indian entrepreneur Kanika Tekriwal went on to build JetSetGo, one of the country’s largest private aviation marketplaces. She talks about overcoming illness, sexism and family opposition to launch her company.If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is [email protected]: Rahul Tandon Producers: Amber Mehmood, Ahmed Adan and Niamh McDermottBusiness Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Canva, Melanie Perkins.(Picture: Kanika Tekriwal, founder of JetSetGo. Credit: Kanika Tekriwal)

Ever since the US and Israel began their war against Iran, economies around the world have been coping with the impacts of energy prices and food security.South Korea has introduced an energy price cap, universities have closed in Bangladesh and India has been granted access to sanctioned Russian oil to ease pressures.We hear where is being impacted the most and how quickly, and if this will see the world move away from its reliance on imports.If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is [email protected]: Rahul Tandon Producers: Matt Lines and Sarah Rogers Additional reporting: Sarah RogersBusiness Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Canva, Melanie Perkins.(Picture: Motorists wait in line to purchase fuel at a petrol station in the Mohammadpur area of Dhaka, Bangladesh, amid concerns over global oil supply disruptions linked to escalating tensions in the Middle East. Credit: Getty Images)

We look at the rising threat of kidnap for ransom. In West Africa, it's a growing criminal industry.But how should any of us respond if or when the worst happens to us and a loved one is taken?If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is [email protected] and produced by Ed ButlerBusiness Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Canva, Melanie Perkins.(Picture: Security officers stand guard next to a bus carrying freed worshippers at the Government House in Kaduna on the 5th of February 2026. More than 160 Christian worshippers were initially feared kidnapped during coordinated attacks on three churches in Kurmin Wali, Kajuru area, on the 18th of January. Credit: Getty Images)