Business Daily

This week, Michelle, Rahul and Will explore the world of dynamic pricing, where prices go up when demand is high and come down when demand drops. It’s already standard in travel and hospitality. Now, it’s expanding into live events, and this year, it reached the World Cup. Supporters say it’s simple economics, charging what people are willing to pay. Critics argue it risks pricing ordinary fans out of the experiences they love. So how does dynamic pricing really work? Why has it become one of the most controversial trends in live entertainment? And as organisers push to maximise revenue, are we seeing the future of events, or the point where fans push back?

Hosts: Will Bain, Michelle Fleury and Rahul Tandon

(Picture: The 2026 FIFA World Cup logo is placed over the original logo of the Hard Rock stadium in Miami, Florida, USA. Credit: CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH/EPA/Shutterstock)

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

[This episode was first broadcast on 28 October 2025]

(Picture: A young Asian woman applying a moisturising cream in front of a mirror. Credit: Getty Images)

Many graduates are reluctant to work in the country’s large tourism and service sectors, looking instead for roles that match their university skills. That can make finding a first job after graduating a real challenge.

Presenter/producer: Ashish Sharma

If you’d like to get in touch with the team, our email address is [email protected]

(Picture: Spanish Secretary of State for Labour Joaquin Perez Rey speaking about how unemployment in April 2026 fell below 2.4 million people for the first time since June 2008. Credit: JAVIER LIZON/EPA/Shutterstock)

From cafes and gyms to supermarkets and restaurants, content creators are moving into everyday spaces, searching for attractive backdrops for their photos and videos. But as the influencer economy grows, their presence is dividing companies, customers and creators. Megan Lawton speaks to business owners, influencers and digital culture experts about what the rules should be.

Presenter: Megan Lawton

(Photo: Tony Marks, owner of the Starfish and Coffee cafe in Brighton in the UK; Credit: Megan Lawton)

Nigeria pharmacist Abimbola Adebakin tells us how a failed start-up and the struggle to access essential medicines inspired her to build Advantage Health Africa, a company connecting pharmacies and helping deliver medicines across Nigeria.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne

(Photo: Abimbola Adebakin. Credit: Studio 24)

This week, Michelle, Rahul and Will explore prediction markets — online platforms where people can bet on future events, from elections to pop culture and even world conflicts.

Concerns about insider trading are on the rise and platforms are being banned in an increasing number of countries. So as talk of regulation increases, we try to predict the future of the prediction market.

Presenters: Michelle Fleury, Rahul Tandon and Will Bain

Producer: Rebecca Smyllie

(Photo: Getty/Yuichiro Chino)

When the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz's closure disrupted global oil supply, some experts predicted crude oil prices as high as $150, or even $200 per barrel. That hasn't happened. Why not? And is it because the way the global oil markets work mean the pain for households and businesses is still to come?

Presenter: Ed Butler

(Photo: Getty/matejmo)

Biohackers say they are making their bodies and brains run better by hacking their biology. And it is not just kitchen counter experimentation anymore. There is now an entire industry promising to optimise you with supplements, treatments and increasingly strange gadgets. Are these expensive, unproven “hacks” worth the investment?

To get in touch with the team, send an email to [email protected]

Presenter: Michelle Fleury

(Photo: North America Business correspondent Michelle Fleury and Midtown Biohack owner Chuck Morris, standing over a client trying out a red light therapy headset)

It is an invaluable material that has enabled global trade and modern medicine, but experts say our reliance on plastic has created a problem the planet is struggling to manage. With plastic waste threatening landscapes and our health, we meet innovators from the UK, Ecuador and India who are trying to get the global economy off its reliance on plastic.

Presenter: Sam Gruet

You can email us on [email protected]

(Picture: A view of the sewage line covered with plastic waste and other litter in Mumbai, India, 22 April 2026. Credit: Photo by DIVYAKANT SOLANKI/EPA/Shutterstock)

On Meet the Founders, we meet Luana Lopes Lara, creator of Kalshi, a prediction markets startup that allows users to trade on the outcome of real-world events - from inflation and interest rates to elections and geopolitics.

Kalshi drew attention for showing Zohran Mamdani as a favourite in the NYC mayoral race, as prediction markets gain traction as political barometers. But the wider industry has also faced scrutiny: a trader on rival platform Polymarket reportedly made nearly half a million dollars betting on the capture of Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro before it was announced.

The controversy around prediction markets has placed Lopes Lara and her company at the centre of a growing regulatory and ethical debate in the US. In this episode, the Brazilian founder explains how the discipline and resilience of ballet has shaped her approach to building a business, and why she believes markets can often forecast the future better than experts.

(First broadcast/podcast on 06 February 2026)

If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is [email protected]

Presenter: Sam Fenwick

(Picture: Luana Lara Lopes, founder and Chief Operating Officer of Kalshi.)