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Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst 

BBC World Service


The daily drama of money and work from the BBC.


Business Daily

For the first time in nearly seven years, federal operations have been drastically curtailed as the US government shuts down. 

As it enters a second week, we look in detail at how the collapse in funding for government services is affecting America at large - from the Federal worker fearing for his job, to the wider concerns of slowing growth and rising inflation. 

What does this say about the state of the world’s largest economy?

Produced and presented by Ed Butler

(Image: "Closed" signage in front of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, US, on 5 October 20205. Credit: Getty Images)

The cost of a shutdown

Women and girls in Afghanistan have been excluded from much of the working world, as well as from the chance to get an education. 

Many are finding ways to bring in an income for their families, but a 48-hour internet shutdown threatened this recently.

We hear the experiences of shopkeepers, tech workers and charity bosses in the country.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Producer/presenter: Hannah Bewley

(Photo: Afghan women in burkas walk along a road in the Argo district of Badakhshan province, 28 August, 2025. Credit: Getty Images)

Afghanistan: Women disconnected

Thailand’s Pichaya Soontornyanakij, widely known as Chef Pam, was this year named the best female chef in the world by a panel of more than 1,000 gastronomists assembled by 50 Best, a food and drink sector brand. She’s the first Asian woman to win that award. 

Gideon Long meets her at her Michelin-starred restaurant in Bangkok, in a building which has deep personal meaning for her and which she and her family have lovingly restored. 

She takes him on a tour of the gastronomic delights of Bangkok’s Chinatown and tells him about her Thai-Chinese heritage and the challenges of the restaurant business. 

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Gideon Long 

(Image: Thai chef Pichaya Soontornyanakij at her restaurant in Bangkok.)

Business Daily meets: Thailand's Chef Pam

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order stopping subsidies for renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. He has called attempts to boost green energy in the US the "Green New Scam". 

We head to Middletown, Ohio, where a hydrogen-powered furnace for the steel mill, which was subsidised under the Biden administration, has been cancelled under President Trump. Supporters of the new furnace say it would have made a much cleaner plant in the town and created many jobs. 

We hear from residents, community leaders, and economists, and ask - what happens when industry clashes with politics?

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Erin Delmore
Producer: Nathalie Jimenez

(Picture: Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works in Middletown, Ohio, in 2024. Credit: Getty Images)

Trump's green retreat

What happens when a controlling partner takes over your income and spending?

More countries are now recognising the harm that economic or financial abuse can cause, but it's still a but it’s still a huge problem - particularly for women.

Could financial institutions be doing more to help?

Produced and presented by Felicity Hannah

(Image: A woman lying back in a chair with her head in her hands. Credit: Getty Images)

Fighting economic abuse

The country has one of the fastest growing aging populations in the region - we hear how businesses and politicians are adapting to the situation.

We visit a cafe exclusively employing women aged over 50, and hear about the sectors trying to change attitudes to maintain productivity.

Produced and presented by Jane Chambers

(Image: Senior hvac technician checking air conditioning unit pressure with manometer in Chile. Credit: Getty Images)

Keeping Chile's older workers... working

The French government has launched a campaign against what it calls “the last discrimination”: ageism. 

It’s one that a lot of people in the country consider to be justified, and which makes it about three times more difficult to get a job interview. But it’s costly.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, please email us at businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by John Laurenson

(Picture: Job-seeker, Geraldine Coquand.)

Is France failing its older workers?

Thirty years ago, India made its first mobile call. Back then, Rahul Vatts was just starting out at India’s telecom giant, Airtel. 

Now the company’s Chief Regulatory Officer, he’s witnessed the country transform into one of the world’s largest digital markets. We hear about his career journey and learn how new technology is being rolled out in rural parts of India. 

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Devina Gupta

(Picture: Rahul Vatts.)

Business Daily meets: Rahul Vatts

Is the dream of home ownership slipping out of reach for many Americans? 

Prices are climbing, supply can’t keep up with demand, and high interest rates are keeping sellers on the side-lines.

Tariffs and rising construction costs are squeezing builders too, piling more pressure on families and the economy. 

We hear from first-time buyers, builders and real estate agents all trying to navigate the changing market.

Produced and presented by Monica Miller

(Image: A family look at a new home in the US. Credit: Getty Images)

Home is where the debt is

Once a niche product for runners, footwear that makes you feel like you’re not wearing any is now crossing into the mainstream. 

We’ll hear from fans chasing everyday health benefits as well as from brands in the UK, India and US. And we’ll ask whether the barefoot movement is here to stay…

Produced and presented by Helen Ledwick

(Image: Barefoot shoes on display at a 'try on' event in Birmingham, UK)

The growth of barefoot shoes

Xi Jinping announced a massive building project along the ‘New Silk Road’ to very little fanfare in Kazakhstan 10 years ago this month. 

Infrastructure including railways, roads and ports have been built in 165 countries to date, as part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Billions of dollars has been lent to countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. 

Some are now struggling to afford the payments and China is reducing the amount being loaned. 

We look at what this means for Beijing’s finances and for countries with huge projects underway, but with no means of meeting the repayments. 

Presenter: Ed Butler
Producer: Hannah Bewley
Additional reporting: Michael Kaloki

(Picture: Xi Jinping waits for a photo call at the China-Central Asia Summit in Xian, China in May 2023: Credit: Florence Lo/Reuters)

Where next for China’s Belt and Road?

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