Business Daily

How did the musical manage to run for a record breaking 35 years? And why is it closing? As the curtain comes down on the Phantom in New York's famous Broadway theatre district, we look at what this means for the theatre industry.The Phantom of the Opera has played to more than 140 million people around the world, it’s sold 20 million tickets, and been performed in 33 countries. But whilst the global tours will keep going, this weekend the show is closing in New York.Actor Jonathan Roxmouth played the Phantom on a world tour, and tells us about the shows impact across the globe.Matt Rousu is a professor of economics and runs the website ‘Broadway Economics’ - he talks through the fine margins that shows like Phantom operate within. And Kizzy Cox reports from Broadway where she meets fans, speaks to veteran theatre critic Ben Brantley, and talks to Jan Mullen, an orchestra musician who has been with The Phantom of the Opera since it opened in 1986.Presenter/ producer: Izzy Greenfield (Image: Jonathan Roxmouth plays 'The Phantom' and Meghan Picerno plays 'Christine Daae' in The Phantom Of The Opera, 2019 in Singapore. Credit: Getty Images)

Almost everything electronic is powered by chips. But the global semiconductor industry has been beset by the Covid pandemic, conflict, and economic slowdown. Despite the challenges, it's set to become a trillion-dollar industry by 2030.Alex Bell takes an exclusive look inside one of Europe's biggest chip manufacturing factories - GlobalFoundries' plant in Dresden, Germany - to find out how chipmakers are preparing for the future.Presenter / producer: Alex Bell(Picture: The GlobalFoundries plant in Dresden, Germany. Credit: Getty Images.)

How has stability in Northern Ireland helped businesses? We look at the impact of the peace deal from the perspective of people within Northern Ireland, and outside, and find out how it has helped the development of manufacturing, foreign investment, tourism, and farming.We also hear from the former Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, one of the architects of The Good Friday Agreement.Presented and produced by Russell Padmore.(Image: Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair (left) and then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern (right). Credit: PA)

How do you make a game with a conservative image more marketable, and more profitable?Chess has been played for centuries, two people facing off over chessboard, but now it’s big business online too. Business Daily’s Dougal Shaw meets the head of World Chess, Ilya Merenzon, to talk about expanding the sport, the opportunities of the digital format, and the challenge of the recent cheating scandals.Produced and presented by Dougal Shaw.(Image: Magnus Carlsen at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in January 2021. Credit: Getty Images)

The Liberica bean is a species of coffee that growers are hoping will make their crops sustainable in the future as the climate changes. We speak to farmers struggling to grow the most popular coffee plants and taste test a Liberica brew. Presenter / producer: Laura Heighton-Ginns(Image: Martin Kinyua; Credit: Martin Kinyua)

The Khoi and San people, who discovered rooibos tea, have only recently started receiving a share of the industry's multimillion-pound profits. They tell us about their fight to get the money they're owed and we hear from the rooibos farmers who are now having to pay out. We also find out what this deal could mean for other indigenous groups in a similar situation. Presenter: Mohammed Allie Producer: Jo Critcher Image: Princess Chantal Revell from the National Khoi and San Council, drinking rooibos tea; Credit: Princess Chantal Revell

The barcode has become an essential part of the modern world. There are 10 billion barcode scans every day and they are used on products in every country.It started as a few lines drawn in the Florida sand and today it turns 50. It changed the way we shop and trade, without them global supply chains could not function.Presenter / producer: Sam Fenwick Image: Barcode; Credit: Getty Images

As India is poised to overtake China as the world's most populous country, we put questions from World Service listeners to the author of 8 Billion and Counting. Dr Jennifer Sciubba explains how the number of humans is growing in some countries, declining in others, how people are moving around the world and why that matters when it comes to money and work. She also discusses the issue of fertility and birth-rate, and it's close links to factors such as government support and childcare.Presenter: Devina Gupta Producers: Helen Thomas and Carmel O'Grady(Image: A mother and child. Credit: Getty Images)

Japan is the world’s fastest ageing country, nearly 30% of Japan’s population is already over 65. Devina Gupta looks into what the ever decreasing workforce means for businesses in Japan. Many companies are pouring resources into developing advanced robots and artificial intelligence to do human work. Mikio Okumura- president of one of Japan’s largest insurance companies - Sompo Holdings, tells us his company has recently started using AI to analyse complex data to predict the health risks of individuals.Many small and medium businesses owners nearing retirement age are also struggling to find successors. Japan’s trade ministry has warned that by 2025 over half a million profitable businesses could close, costing the economy $165 billion. Tsuneo Watanabe, a director of Nihon M&A Center, a company that specializes in finding buyers for such enterprises tells us how they're trying to solve the problem.Producer / presenter: Devina Gupta Image: Senior citizens advertising in Tokyo; Credit: Getty Images

Bisi Adebayo investigates why so many young, highly skilled people leave Nigeria, known in the country as Japa.Bisi hears from journalist Victoria Idowu who re-located to Canada with her family and a teacher in Lagos who is about to pack her bags and move to the UK. We also hear from an expert in employment data Babajide Ogunsanwo who tells us how much this costs Nigeria and Wale Smart an employer who explains how tricky it is to find and retain staff. Presenter / producer: Bisi Adebayo Image: Graduating students of the American University of Nigeria; Credit: Getty Images

Italy’s population has decreased by approximately one million residents in the space of one year and forecasts predict that this is likely to worsen. Hannah Mullane speaks to a mother in Rome about what it’s like to start a family in Italy and a business that’s implementing its own policies to support staff who choose to have children. We take a look at what the government is planning to do to encourage more people to have children and head to the north of Italy to the Bolzano region, the only part of the country where births are increasing to see what they’re doing differently. Presenter/producer: Hannah Mullane Image: Melissa and Cosmo; Credit: Melissa Panarello

Devina Gupta reports on India's growing population and what that means for people living, working and running businesses there. 66 year old Radha Gupta and her daughter Aashima Gupta live in India’s capital city, Delhi. They tell us how population dynamics have changed their lifestyle over the years, and business woman Vineeta Singh tells us how she has capitalised on a growing number of consumers in India and how this is attracting global finance. Presenter / producer: Devina Gupta Image: Kolkata market: Credit: Getty Images

David Reid delves into the debate around the repatriation of problematic art and treasures. He visits one museum in the north-west of England attempting to decolonise its collection by returning thousands of items to the countries and communities they were taken from. In this episode we meet curators like Dr Njabulo Chipangura, from Manchester Museum, who says the best way to guarantee the future of collections is to give parts of them away. Also, Professor Kim A. Wagner from the University of London tells us the story of the skull of Alum Bheg, which he would dearly like to return to India. Is this ultimately the right way to treat problematic artefacts and treasures? Or could this movement end up destroying hard to acquire expertise and render Museums meaningless and economically unviable?Producer/presenter: David Reid(Photo: The skull of Alum Bheg: Credit: Kim Wagner)

Ten years ago this month, in March 2013, Venezuela’s charismatic socialist leader Hugo Chavez died and current president Nicolas Maduro took over.In the decade since, the South American nation suffered an extraordinary economic collapse – the economy shrunk by two thirds, inflation hit six digits, the government chopped 11 zeros off the bank notes, oil production slumped and millions of people fled abroad to escape economic hardship.We talk to Venezuelans who lived through that collapse, from a shopkeeper who went bankrupt to a university professor whose salary in the local currency, bolivars, is worth just 25 US dollars a month.We also ask if the worst is over and what the future holds for this once wealthy nation – a founding member of Opec that sits on some of the world’s largest oil reserves.Producer and presented by Gideon Long Additional reporting: Vanessa Silva in Caracas(Image: A Venezuelan man holding a Chavez/Maduro balloon. Credit: Getty Images)

AI chatbots are everywhere at the moment - but how are they being used by business? Business Daily presenter Rick Kelsey heads to one of the world's financial hubs, Canary Wharf in London, to find out how this technology is changing jobs.Sarah Kunst, the managing director of Cleo Capital, which invests in tech companies in San Francisco, tells us how some start-ups are using AI bots to deep search the internet, but also about her concerns with misinformation.Chante Venter is from Wise Move, a removal firm in South Africa. She has recently started using the chatbot for communication with customers and says that it's helping her team enjoy their work more. Rochelle Garrad from Chards, a coin and bullion dealer in Blackpool in the north west of England, talks about how chatbots can create content like blogs and YouTube scripts very quickly, but sometimes less accurately.Producer / presenter: Rick Kelsey Image

Arguably the fastest growing music genre in the world, Afrobeats artists are playing to sold out crowds in the most coveted venues across the globe.What started as an umbrella term in London, UK, to encapsulate pop music of African extraction has become a major force in pop culture.But is Afrobeats able to emerge as a major economic force within the continent and can it leverage on its global appeal to boost other sectors including fashion and the arts?We hear from the pioneers like Abass Tijani, one of the very first DJs to play Afrobeats in UK clubs and Ayo Shonaiya who created the first TV show featuring musicians from Nigeria and Ghana.We also hear from Weird MC and Paul Play Dairo – two artists whose experimentation of sound in the mid-1990s contributed immensely to the growth and appeal of the genre.Produced and presented by Peter MacJob.(Image: Burna Boy performing at the NBA All Star game 2023. Credit: Getty Images)

Antibiotics stopped providing big gains for pharmaceutical companies decades ago, but as bacteria become more resistant to drugs, the world needs new classes of antibiotics to be discovered if we want to prevent the next global health crisis.Dr Tina Joshi, Associate Professor of Molecular Microbiology at the University of Plymouth explains that it’s more likely antimicrobial resistance will kill large numbers of human beings before climate change does. Kasim Kutay, CEO of the investment fund Novo Holdings tells us that for big pharma companies, antibiotics are seen as a contribution to society rather than an investment that can provide a profit. How can firms be convinced to invest in an unprofitable product? We hear how Netflix might provide a good model and we explore research in Phages - a bacteria specialised in eating other bacteria. Phages are being championed by some as a potential substitute for antibiotics. One patient in Minnesota tells us Phages saved his life.Presenter / producer: Stefania Gozzer Image: Dr Tina Joshi; Credit: Lloyd Russell

The hospitality entrepreneur Sarah Willingham has worked extensively across the UK restaurant and bar industry. She also featured as a Dragon on the BBC TV show, Dragon's Den (the UK equivalent of Shark Tank).Sarah took a bet at the height of the coronavirus pandemic that cocktail bars would thrive again - and is now CEO of UK-based hospitality group Nightcap, a rapidly expanding drinks-led investment firm which she started with her husband in 2020. The company has acquired around 20 cocktail and party bars across the country, employing more than 1,000 staff.Sarah talks to Dougal Shaw about the difficulties of entrepreneurship in lockdown, some of the current challenges facing the hospitality industry and about the imposter syndrome she felt earlier in her career.Presenter and producer: Dougal Shaw(Image - Sarah Willingham. Credit: Getty Images)

If you don’t like the way online speech is regulated, can you build your own internet where you make the rules? This is the story of Rumble, the new king of alt-tech. Rumble started as a small video streaming platform, hoping to rival YouTube. Recently, it has become the site of choice for Americans frustrated with YouTube moderation, and moved its headquarters to Florida - hailed by some as the new Silicon Valley. Rumble had been eligible for an economic development incentive grant as part of the move, but the package was scrapped following protests from some locals and Rumble did not receive taxpayer money. Now, the company is seeking to build the infrastructure for an internet ecosystem that is “immune to cancel culture”. In this episode, we trace the company’s journey from Canadian start-up to Floridian big tech challenger, and ask what this means for the future of public debate online.Producer/presenter: Ellie House Additional reporting: Annie Phrommayon Sound mix: James Beard(Photo: Person using phone looking at Rumble app. Credit: Getty Images)

Abdullah lives in northern Syria. He is 14, he lost his mother and brothers to the Syrian civil war. For years now Abdullah has been working to feed the rest of his family, and he's just survived one of the world’s most devastating earthquakes. In this episode of Business Daily Ed Butler hears Abdullah's story. Abdullah works at the Harakat Tarhin oil refinery outside Al Bab in north-west Syria. It's a makeshift oil refinery and they make fuel to feed the cars, trucks and heaters on which the region depends.Oil is usually refined in massive industrial buildings, run by multi-national firms, but where Abdullah works it’s cooked in the back yard. He tells us he knows how dangerous his job is but that he has no choice and must carry on working. Presenter / producer: Ed Butler Image: Abdullah; Credit: BBC

Last month’s devastating earthquake didn’t just claim thousands of Turkish lives, it ravaged northern Syria as well. International help for that region has struggled to get through. In this episode of Business Daily Ed Butler looks at how the region is battling to pick up the pieces, and whether local business-people are helping or simply profiting from the crisis.Amnat Soueif, a mother of two, tells Ed how she's providing for her children. Elizabeth Tsurkov, a senior fellow at the New Lines Institute, tells us about conversations she's having with families in the region about their trauma.Abu Amer runs a vegetable stall in the Idlib area - he tells us how commodity prices have been affected by the earthquake and Bassam Abu Muhammad, a blacksmith, tells us that since the earthquake he's moved into making and selling tents.Presenter / producer: Ed Butler Image: A displaced Syrian child; Credit: Getty images

Without being able to see clearly, people in low and middle income countries can find it difficult to secure a job or support their family. Globally around one billion people need to wear glasses but do not have access to them. We look at what’s being done to help. Producer / presenter: Sam Fenwick(Image: Ankit Sharma; Credit: Ankit Sharma)

We follow in the footsteps of a Viking Saint who's legacy is bringing visitors and their cash to remote areas from Sweden and Norway.More and more people are choosing to go on modern day pilgrimages, we walk part of the world's most northern pilgrimage trail to find out how businesses on the route are benefitting. Producer / presenter: Robert Walker (Image: People walking on grassland. Credit: Getty Images)

Ahead of the Oscars, Business Daily goes behind the scenes of a celebrity gifting suite. Before the ceremony and the parties, celebrities are often invited to hotel suites, usually close to where the awards ceremony will happen. The rooms are filled with skincare products, makeup, jewellery, clothes, shoes, bags, you name it. Celebrities can take the gifts away for free - all companies want in return is a superstar endorsement.In this episode entertainment reporter KJ Matthews finds out how this business actually works with Nathalie Dubois who has been running these suites for almost 20 years.We also hear from Nthenya Mwendwa, a designer from Kenya who's bracelet bag was recently chose by a celebrity at a gifting suite and worn on the red carpet. Hear what that photos and the exposure has done for her small business. Presenter: KJ Matthews Producer: Carmel O'Grady Image: Sharon Stone at a gifting suite in Cannes: Credit: Nathalie Dubois

The digital health market is growing rapidly - in 2021 the sector was valued at 195 billion US dollars.Companies offer apps and devices to monitor our vital statistics, our activity, our nutrition, our hormones. And those apps collect a lot of data about us.Presenter Marie Keyworth visits Web Summit, a large tech conference in Lisbon, to find out what is happening to this information.And asks how consumers can get the most out of health apps whilst feeling comfortable about data privacy...Plus Marie explores the aftermath of the Roe v Wade ruling which raised concerns that law enforcement officials could subpoena abortion-related data from data companies and women's health apps, to use in a prosecution.Eirini Rapti, the founder of the menstrual cycle tracking app Inne tells Marie how her company responded to Roe v Wade, and the impact it might have on international growth.Russell Glass, the CEO of Headspace Health which started as a mindfulness app, says they follow robust privacy and security rules, but a lot of the burden is falling on the consumer too because regulation can't always keep up.Presenter and producer: Marie Keyworth(Image: Woman using mobile phone. Credit: Getty Images)

Oscar Bilayin Kudor runs a business in Ghana producing cassava flour. He wants to grow his business but traditional banks are reluctant to lend him the money to buy expensive machinery. 1.4 billion people around the world people can't get access to formal banking. Two thirds of them live in low and middle income countries. One of Ghana’s largest banks, Absa Bank thinks it has a solution. It’s giving small businesses grants to help them access formal banking facilities. Having a bank account makes it easier for households to budget and businesses are more likely to thrive. In this episode we also look at how digital banks are helping more people get bank accounts and why access to banking is key to empowering women. Producer/Presenter: Sam Fenwick Image: Oscar Bilayin Kudor; Credit: Oscar Bilayin Kudor

How much better off are the better looking? A growing body of research seems to confirm that life is simply easier and more lucrative for attractive people. Labour economist Daniel Hamermesh has been studying this for years and says beautiful people do get paid more, have less difficulty securing bank loans and are typically offered more jobs, opportunities and perks.South African fashion model Marike tells us very candidly how her looks means she often gets things for free - meals, experiences, perks. She also talks about the role social media advertising plays in this. She says you can make millions of dollars through social media if you are pretty.We also hear from author Emily Lauren Dick about how unconscious bias around attractiveness and particularly weight can impact recruitment or promotion opportunities in the workplace. Producer/presenter: Deborah Weitzmann(Photo: South African fashion model Marike: Credit: Marike)

BBC journalist Rayhan Demytrie is from Uzbekistan and was recently invited back to her country to explore how after almost 30 years the government is opening up the country and it's economy. In part two of this two part Business Daily special Rayhan hears how young entrepreneurs are pushing to grow their businesses and increase exports. Rayhan also finds out how digital only banking companies are transforming access to financial services for many Uzbek people. In the capital city of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Rayhan explores how the city has developed and changed in recent years and finds out more about the corruption that continues to cause problems for businesses.Presenter / producer: Rayhan Demytrie Image: Tashkent bazaar; Credit: Getty Images

BBC journalist Rayhan Demytrie is from Uzbekistan and was recently invited back to her country to explore how after almost 30 years the government is opening up the country and it's economy. In part one of this two part Business Daily special Rayhan hears how tourists are encouraging business growth in the famous Silk Road city of Samarkand. In an interview with the Uzbek deputy finance minister, Odilbek Isakov, Rayhan asks about selling and privatising state owed assets like a Coca-Cola bottling plant and whether doing this is profitable for the country. We also hear how important ties with Russia are in Uzbekistan and how a very cold winter has put pressure on energy supplies and the economic revival of this former Soviet country. Presenter / producer: Rayhan Demytrie Image: Mosque in Samarkand: Credit: Getty Images

A few months ago we covered the story about the renovation of Penn Street railway station in New York. So many World Service listeners got in touch with us about their experiences of using the railway network in America we decided to make a programme based on their views.Omar Deen, who lives in Toledo, Ohio tells us he feels disadvantaged by the dominance of car travel in the United States and says he would like to have an alternative to driving or flying to get around. Another listener, Bill Potter in Alabama tells us there are no train tracks where he lives and to make rail an option for him, miles and miles of track would have to be laid. Under President Joe Biden, the US government has increased funding for trains, but the network is patchy – there are major cities and entire states with no passenger rail services. Kristen Lewis, co-director of Measure of America at the Social Science Research Council says it is possible for America to have a better rail transport network and that's a goal the country should be working towards. Presenter/producer: Laura Heighton-Ginns(Photo: Omar Deen stands on a railway platform. Credit: Omar Deen)

Ayo is a victim of trafficking and modern slavery and tells us his story of being taken from Nigeria to the UK and forced to work. We also hear from Emily Kenway, a former policy adviser to the UK’s first anti-slavery commissioner and author of The Truth About Modern Slavery, who explains what modern slavery actually is. Sara Thornton, who was the UK’s independent anti-slavery commissioner until April 2022, explains some of the reasons behind an increase in the number of people being recognised as victims of modern slavery in the UK. We also explore some incoming changes to the UK’s world-leading anti-slavery legislation, changes that Kate Roberts, head of policy at the London-based anti-trafficking charity Focus on Labour Exploitation, tells us she is very concerned about. Producer/presenter: Frey Lindsay(Photo: Child behind wooden crate. Credit: Getty Images)

The global bicycle market is set to grow by 5% every year over the next decade. Demand has been rising, particularly since the start of the coronavirus pandemic as people look for an alternative to crowded public transport. Concern for climate change and rising fuel prices have also helped to push people onto bikes. Portugal is the biggest bicycle manufacturer in Europe. According to Eurostat, it produced 2.9 million bicycles in 2021, with exports generating around 594 million euros - almost 610 million US dollars - and sales are up 49% this year. The Secretary General of the industry group Abimota, Gil Nadais, explains how Portugal has benefitted from EU import tariffs.Pedro Araújo, the CEO of Polisport Group tells us how the industry is working together to cope with rising energy prices and to overcome supply chain problems and staff shortages.Portugal's Secretary of State for Urban Transport, Jorge Delgado explains how the government is trying to encourage more people to cycle in Portugal, where there’s been a historical reluctance, by investing more in infrastructure and giving free bikes to school children. Presenter/producer: Lisa Louis(Photo: Ironman 70.3 Portugal Cascais. Credit; Getty Images)

There has been a surge in the number of workplaces in the United States voting to join a labour union. Amid this wave of unionisation, companies are pushing back hard. We find out what is happening in the US and how businesses and politicians are reacting.We hear from a worker at outdoor clothing co-operative REI where staff have voted to unionise, plus Michelle Miller, who runs Co-worker, an organisation that supports employees who want union representation. Michael Strain, an economist at the centre-right policy organisation, the American Enterprise Institute, explains that workers are actually doing quite well at the moment as unemployment is low. And have you heard of union-busting? Rebecca Givan is an associate professor of Labor Studies and Employment Relations at Rutgers University in New Jersey - she explains what is happening.Producer/presenter: Rob Young(Photo: Workers on strike from the New York Times. Credit: Getty Images)

How do you launch a successful start-up in a country where there’s been more than a decade of civil war? In this episode of Business Daily Maddy Savage hears how an entrepreneur from Syria was inspired by Scandinavia’s tech scene. Khaled Moustafa founded Syria’s first ride-sharing app, Yalla Go, in 2019. The platform now has hundreds of thousands of users who can book taxis on their smartphones to get around Syria's biggest cities. Khaled shares his story with Maddy and talks about some of the challenges, and benefits, of launching a business during a time of conflict. We also hear from a Yalla Go driver and get a glimpse into Syria’s emerging tech scene. Presenter/producer: Maddy Savage(Photo: Khaled Moustafa. Credit: Khaled Moustafa)

The market for real handmade products is reported to have surged in recent years. Initiatives such as Australia's Seasons of New England Expo and Makers Markets in the UK have led to a revival in small artisanal businesses. Online platforms also give skilful craftspeople a vast market to sell to. Business Daily's David Reid hears from sellers in Manchester making things as diverse as balloon animals and mushroom growing kits. We also hear about the benefits of working with your hands. The philosopher and motor mechanic, Matthew Crawford, is the author of 'The Case for Working with your Hands' and 'The World Beyond Your Head' – he tells us why office work and current management practices have removed judgement and decision making from our day-to-day efforts and alienated us from the real results of the work we do. Produced and presented by David Reid. (Image: A potter making a pot using a wheel. Credit: Getty Images)

In this epsiode of Business Daily Ashish Sharma looks at how the art world has tried to preserve Ukraine´s cultural and artistic heritage from the ongoing war.Hear the story of how valuable Ukrainian paintings were put on trucks and sneaked out of Ukraine as Russia began heavily bombing the country. Thanks to the idea of one art collector they are now on display in a museum in Madrid. Ashish also managed to link up with Kyiv to speak to the Director of the National Art Museum of Ukraine, Yulia Lytvynets and Nadia Tymchuk the CEO of the Museum´s Charitable Foundation about how they are trying to protect important artefacts and preserve Ukrainian culture. Presenter/producer: Ashish Sharma (Photo: Exhibition of Ukrainian art in Spain. Credit: Getty Images)

It is estimated almost eight million people have left Ukraine in the past 12 months. They have all had to start again - finding housing, schools and a way to earn a living. In this episode we hear from Ukrainians who are staying resilient through huge changes to their lives. They tell us about making sure they can provide for their families, run businesses and help their employees. Konstantin Klyagin is an IT and software entrepreneur from Kyiv. When the war started he was on a flight and unable to land in Ukraine. He now lives in Lisbon, Portugal and tells us about helping his employees relocate with him. Vadim Rogovskiy runs an company developing AI software for use in online shopping. Vadim now lives between New York and Poland. He relocated his whole team to Warsaw, Poland on the day of the invasion.Presenter / producer: Alex Bell (Image: Konstantin Klyagin; Credit: Konstantin Klyagin)

It is estimated almost eight million people have left Ukraine in the past 12 months. They have all had to start again, finding housing, schools and a way to earn a living. Some have managed to carry on running their businesses and others have set up new companies in the countries they now call home. Business Daily has been hearing some of their stories of remarkable resilience. Volodymyr and Regina Razumovskaya, now living in Perth, Western Australia, tell us about first leaving Donetsk in 2014 only to be forced to leave their new home and business in Kyiv eight years later. Polina Salabay describes the moment she realised she had to leave her home and dance school business behind in Lviv. She now lives in Canada and runs Polli’s Dance teaching Canadian and Ukrainian children. And Anastasia Kozmina and boyfriend Oleksiyy Danko, tell us how they turned their side hustle into a business when they moved to England. Presenter / producer: Alex Bell (Image: Polli's Dance: Credit: Polina Salabay)

Nearly a year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ed Butler examines the real state of the Russian economy. Ami Daniel, chief executive of Windward, a maritime data company, tells Ed about the Russian oil tankers transferring millions of tonnes of crude oil between ships to bypass sanctions. As the war continues, millions of euros worth of Russian assets remain frozen as a result of sanctions. Urmas Reinsalu, the Estonian foreign minister, tells us about an initiative Estonia is leading to actually seize and exploit some of Russian’s frozen billions for the benefit of Ukraine.Presenter / producer: Ed Butler (Image: A market in Kyiv; Credit: Getty Images)

As the rescue and recovery effort from the devastating earthquake continues, young people who survived are making tough decisions about the future. With Turkey already struggling economically even before the disaster, do they leave and start again in a new region, or a new country? Or stay and help rebuild? Victoria Craig travels to Ankara where she meets Berkay, a second year design student from Gaziantep, one of the most badly affected cities. He drove for 12 hours with his family to reach the Turkish capital. He says he's not sure what the future holds, and he is considering moving to another European country. Roger Kelly is the lead regional economist for Turkey at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He explains how youth unemployment is a particular challenge for southern Turkey, and says it's difficult to say whether people who have been displaced will return when areas are rebuilt. And Professor Güneş Aşık from TOBB Economics and Technical University says students affected by the earthquake might not find it that easy - they might have to drop out of university to support their families. Produced and presented by Victoria Craig. Additional production by Anil Ergın. (Image: A rescue centre in Ankara. Credit: Getty Images)

Nigerians head to the polls very soon, in what's expected to be a very closely-contested election. In this episode of Business Daily Rob Young explores how the economy could impact the vote. Africa’s largest economy, is struggling with soaring prices, fuel shortages and insecurity. We hear from Maty Ukhuegbe Osaro who runs a restaurant in Lagos called The Fish Lady, she tells us how the pandemic and rising prices have affected her business and about her hopes for the outcome of this election. Economist and financial business boss, Bismarck Rewane, says us the uncertainty around the election has led some large businesses to hold off taking key decisions and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director general of the World Trade Organisation, and former finance minister in Nigeria tells us she's optimistic about Nigeria's economic potential. Presenter / producer: Rob Young Image :Campaign rally for the Labour Party in Lagos; Credit: Getty Images

Boden is a remote town in northern Sweden surrounded by pine forests, it's at the forefront of an initiative to try and clean up one of the world’s dirtiest industries - steel production. Business Daily presenter Maddy Savage visits the site of a new plant in Boden which aims to cut carbon emissions from the steel making process by 95 percent and bring more jobs and people to a shrinking community.Andy Turner is the head of construction for H2Green Steel, the start-up behind the plant in Boden, he tells us more about the site and the process of making greener steel and Katinka Lund Waagsaether, senior policy advisor with climate think tank e3g - third generation environmentalism - tells us how well is Sweden doing in the race to make steel production more sustainable. Producer / presenter: Maddy Savage Image: How the Boden plant is expected to look; Credit: H2Green Steel

Frey Lindsay investigates what some African students are required to do to get a place to study in the UK – and what that costs. We examine the cost and relevancy of English language tests and explore the visa pathways that exclude some Africans. Young African academics tell us about their frustrations and the enormous expense involved. Nigerian policy specialist Ebenezar Wikina tells us about his campaign trying increase inclusion for those Africans who speak English and education scholar Samia Chasi explains why academics and institutions in poorer countries deserve more of a place in global education.Presenter / Producer: Frey Lindsay Image: Student, Donatus outside Glasgow University; Credit: BBC

Business Daily’s Matthew Kenyon visits the Dutch town of Hoogerheide as it hosts the 2023 World Cyclocross Championships. Tens of thousands of fans will flock into the town, and spend their money on hotels, food and drink. But where does that money go? And what about the costs and disruption of putting on a major sporting event in a small place? We hear from the head of the local organising committee, Jan Prop, on how he raises and spends his budget; from cycling’s world governing body, the UCI; and from locals and visitors about the spending and disruption that goes with any big sporting event.Producer / Presenter: Matthew Kenyon Image: Cyclocross 2023; Credit: BBC

Twenty-year-old Aadit Palicha is the man behind India's hottest start up. He was just 18 when he co-founded his quick commerce company Zepto. The firm delivers groceries to its customers in under 10 minutes and is currently valued at over a billion dollars. Aadit tells the BBC's Nikhil Inamdar where the idea for Zepto came from, how they achieve such fast delivery times and what it has been like building such enormous success so quickly.Presenter/producer: Nikhil Inamdar(Photo: Aadit Palicha)

The amount of accessible funding for start-ups in Africa is growing fast, but lots of it goes to the more developed economies of South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Kenya. We speak to business owners in Nigeria and Uganda and compare their experiences of getting into business. Nnamdi Okoh is the co-founder of Terminal Africa, based in Lagos. He explains the process of getting onto an accelerator programme and how the advice and financial support has allowed him and his brother to turn the business from a side hustle to a full time job. AbdulMalik Fahd investigates why Lagos has become such a hub for new business on the continent and Tom Jackson the co-founder of Disrupt Africa, a hub for start-up news, explains why investment opportunity is growing so quickly and what this means for business. Kaivan Khalid Satter is the founder of Asaak, an asset financing company for motocyles based in Kampala, Uganda. He explains how tough it was to raise funding at the beginning and tells us how he’s now managed to raise more than 30 million dollars in funding. Producer/presenter: Hannah Mullane(Photo: Nnamdi Okoh. Credit: Nnamdi Okoh)

Starting a business is never easy, but in the last few years there’s been more than usual to deal with. Many would assume it's not been a great time to start trading but we speak to three business owners who did just that. Tina Kayoma is the co-founder of Project of Japan in Kyoto. A business that sells products made by Japanese crafts people across the world. She opened her first shop last year. Maria Jose Hernadez is in Switzerland where she runs a confectionary business called El Caramelo and Lisa Nielson is in Ghana where she runs Tiny Reusers, a business that sells second hand baby items. They come together in this episode to explain what it's been like setting up a business where they live. They also discuss the good and bad moments they've had and give their tips for anyone else looking to start a business. Producer/presenter: Hannah Mullane(Image: Tina Kayoma, Maria Jose Hernadez and Lisa Nielson, with kind permission)

Some businesses in South East Asia are growing at remarkable rates by using social media to sell. Live streaming on TikTok and live chatting on apps like Whatsapp, Line and Zalo are all being used to increase sales. We find out how. Nina Dizon-Cabrera is the CEO of make-up brand, Colourette Cosmetics in the Philippines. She explains how her business began on social media and how she can sell thousands of products in just a few hours by live streaming on TikTok. Joan Aurelia heads to Jakarta in Indonesia. The country has over 100,000 TikTok users, the second biggest market for the app after the United States. She speaks to business owners there about how social media has allowed them to transform their businesses. Simon Torring is the cofounder of Cube Asia, a market analyst. He explains how much this new way of selling is contributing to the economy and predicts where the next big trends will come. Presenter/producer: Hannah Mullane(Photo: Nina Dixon-Cabrera Credit: Colourette Cosmetics)

A mentor can take many different forms but ultimately they’re there to give you advice, put you in touch with contacts they have and support you, whether you’re setting up a new business or looking to make the next step in your career. We head to Sweden to speak to Caxton Njuki, a professional sports and health coach who is a mentor to Jessika Sillanpää. He supported her for a year as she set up her business Jessikastory. They give us an insight into their mentoring relationship and how the process allowed Jessika to work on her business full time. Abhishek Nagaraj, an expert in business mentoring at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkley. He discusses the different forms of mentoring and the economic benefits if you have a really good mentor. Producer/presenter: Hannah Mullane (Image: Caxton Njuki and Jessika Sillanpää Credit: Caxton Njuki)

With food and heating prices going up, and wages not rising at the same rate, there is pressure on central bankers across the world to tackle inflation. But is this the right approach? And can it be done without crashing the economy?Ed Butler hears from parents at a cheerleading class in Castleford in northern England, who are concerned about rising prices. They say it is the food shopping where they have noticed the price rises – with one parent shopping online to stop children asking for more items.Jason Furman, a Harvard professor and President Obama's chief economic adviser, explains how we have reached this position – largely as a result of the pandemic and resulting government responses, and the invasion of Ukraine.Former Federal Reserve economist Claudia Sahm explains how prices are rising for the core essentials - hitting poorer households disproportionately which is an issue for the whole economy.And why do we have a 2% inflation target? Mohamed El-Erian, veteran economist and president of Queen’s College, Cambridge, talks about the historical factors around this 'desirable' number.Presenter/producer: Ed Butler (Photo: Woman with shopping basket. Credit: Getty Images)