Business Daily

As temperatures rise, productivity falls.

Extreme global temperatures are draining tens of billions of dollars in economic productivity every year from some of the world’s biggest cities. It’s not just outdoor jobs that are impacted, but office work too.

In this episode, we ask work leaders, economists and employees what can be done to work around hot weather. From changing working hours to introducing heatwave insurance.

(Picture: Labourer drinking from a water bottle, in the sunshine. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Megan Lawton

Cities and countries across the world are bringing in measures to restrict the type of lets popularised by companies like Airbnb and Vrbo.

The regulations are to address concerns that homes in tourist areas are being used by visitors rather than being available for local people to rent on a long-term basis.

We hear from Barcelona where its hoped thousands of flats will now be available for local people, and we're also in Halifax in Canada, where restrictions been in place for nearly a year.

Produced and presented by Rick Kelsey

(Image: A couple pressing a doorbell on a street in Spain. Credit: Getty Images)

Chocolate is very important to Switzerland’s economy: with more than 200,000 metric tonnes produced each year, sales are worth almost $2 billion.

But there are challenges – not just over sustainability, but over exploitation. And the volatile price of cacao.

We meet the researchers who are coming up with solutions – including new, and potentially healthier, types of a favourite indulgence.

And ask: Is this enough to secure the future of chocolate?

Produced and presented by Imogen Foulkes

(Image: A scientist developing a new chocolate product)

The US-based lawyer and managing partner at litigation firm Wisner Baum, in Los Angeles, has made his name taking on large pharmaceutical companies in high-stakes legal battles. He is the youngest attorney in US history to win a multi-billion dollar jury verdict.

We hear how Brent transitioned from child actor, to successful lawyer, and how one ground-breaking case has now caught the attention of film-makers.

(Picture: Brent Wisner delivers opening remarks in the Monsanto trial in San Francisco, California on July, 09, 2018. Credit: Getty Images)

Presenter: Rahul Tandon

We’re in Manisa on Turkey’s west coast.

It’s one of the country’s manufacturing centres for home appliances like washers, dryers, and refrigerators.

But soon, thanks to a $1bn investment deal, it will also be a local factory hub for China’s BYD - the world’s second biggest maker of electric vehicles.

The Turkish government is desperate for international investment to turn around its economy, and the region would benefit from 5,000 jobs. China is keen to get another foothold into the European market. So is it win-win?

Produced and presented by: Victoria Craig

(Image: BYD vehicles in Istanbul as the Chinese automotive giant announced a huge factory investment. Credit: Getty Images)

Each year millions of Indians go abroad to study and work. A lot of them end up sending money back home, a transfer known as remittances.

The money is a crucial source of household income in low and middle-income countries, according to the World Bank. India is the only country to have received more than 100 billion dollars through this route - but it comes at a loss of its human capital. We speak to Indian expats and economists to explore the effect of remittances on the Indian economy.

Presenter/ producer: Devina Gupta

(Photo: Closeup view of a man counting Indian currency. Credit: Getty Images)

In February 2024, huge forest fires destroyed 90% of the land and plant species. Workers were killed and homes destroyed.

We travel to the seaside town of Vina del Mar to find out how the country’s oldest and most important botanical garden is recovering.

The garden’s described as the green lung of the region, and used to be home to hundreds of different plant species, many of them native to Chile.

We’ve follow the gardens as they try to reopen and get visitors and tourists back through the gates.

Produced and presented by Jane Chambers

(Image: Park rangers clean roads after the fires in February 2024. Image: Getty Images)

We catch up on the ongoing disruption to the shipping industry after Houthi attacks on commercial vessels.

The Iran-backed group said it was targeting ships linked to Israel, the US and the UK in support of Hamas.

We look at the cost of diverting cargo away from the Red Sea, and hear about the impact of months of disruption.

Plus a new remote shipping route is getting more traffic, as ships travel over the top of the world via the Arctic.

Produced and presented by Rick Kelsey

(Image: A Houthi military helicopter flies over a ship in the Red Sea. Credit: Reuters)

Ginny Gilder won silver as a US Olympic rower in 1984. Today, she's a multimillionaire owner of a women's professional basketball team.

How did success in the water inspire Ginny's breakthrough to the board room?

We look at a life given to sport and business - and what drives her.

(Image: Ginny Gilder. Credit: Getty Images)

Presenter: Ed Butler

As Spain's La Liga gets underway, we explore the global advertising appeal and earning potential of one of its newest football stars.

Jude Bellingham is a 21-year-old midfielder from England who plays for Real Madrid, and he's hitting the peak of his career.

The face of several brands, with major endorsement deals and more courting his attention, we explore his global advertising appeal, and how he might manage these partnerships while still focusing on his game.

Presented and produced by Matt Lines

(Image: Jude Bellingham holding the UEFA Champion's League trophy on 1 June 2024. Credit: Getty Images)