Business Daily

Some cities around the world have decided to make public transport free. Services can range from local bus routes to shopping malls to city-wide transit. We're in the rich nation of Luxembourg which became the first country to introduce free public transport nationally, as well as in Delhi where women can travel for free in an effort to boost the numbers of women in the workforce. We're also hearing from Kansas City where the funding model is running out for a scheme introduced four years ago. Produced and presented by Daniel RosneyImage:A woman boards a bus in New Delhi in October 2019, following a Delhi goverment travel scheme distributing free bus tickets for women. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images)

We hear from Democrat fundraisers who are divided over whether he should pull out of the campaign for re-election.In the past week, since Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance, a number of donors have publicly warned they will withhold funds unless Mr Biden is replaced as the Democratic party candidate.Pressure on Mr Biden, 81, to step aside has grown, including from Hollywood celebrities George Clooney and Michael Douglas. However he has vowed to stay on, taking on Donald Trump, 78, in the November presidential election.Produced and presented by Ed Butler(Image: President Joe Biden speaks during a 4th of July event on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2024 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty Images)

Two football mad continents, Europe and South America, are competing in international tournaments at the moment. Fans are all decked out in their teams shirts - but they’re not all wearing the latest versions. In fact, sales of retro or vintage shirts are booming. Be it the iconic Italian kits of the 90s, the classic sky blue of Argentina or Nigeria’s viral world cup kit - we look into this trend and speak to the fans who are buying, and the companies cashing in.Produced and presented by Imran Rahman-Jones.Image: A fan wears a retro Eric Cantona shirt before a Manchester United match in April 2024. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

It's the biggest operation of its kind in US history, as the state tries to save its coastline which is vanishing at an alarming rate.We travel to the Mississippi River and the city of New Orleans to see how billions of dollars are being spent to fix the rapid land loss.The project to revert the Mississippi to its land-making pathways could restore ecosystems destroyed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and create buffers to protect against sea level rise and hurricanes. The Louisiana coastline is disappearing due to human-made and natural factors, such as leveeing the Mississippi for oil and gas infrastructure, erosion, and sea-level rises.And this is having an impact on local wetlands which are eroding, leaving communities vulnerable to storm surges and flooding. Produced and presented by Beth Timmins(Image: Oyster shells painted by members of the community as part of the shorelines project )

The global alcohol industry is worth just over one and a half trillion US dollars, and celebrities want a part of it. Famous faces and their drinks brands are filling up the shelves, from model Kendall Jenner’s tequila to actor Ryan Reynolds’s gin. And it’s not just alcohol: the energy drink market is in the sights of celebrities, too. How much more are customers willing to pay for these products?In today’s episode of Business Daily, we'll ask those who stock the drinks, and those who serve them, how much difference - if any - a famous name makes, and we'll hear why celebrities and brands benefit from mutual association. (Picture: David Beckham and Kendall Jenner. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)Presented and produced by Izzy Greenfield

Ghana’s parliament has recently passed a tough new anti-LGBT bill. President Nana Akufo-Addo hasn't yet signed it in to law, after warnings that it could threaten Ghana’s much needed donor funding from places like the World Bank and IMF. Ghana is suffering a major economic crisis and last year had a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).Other African countries have also brought in similar laws. But is it fair for international financial institutions to get involved in politics in this way?Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Immie Rhodes(Image credit: AFP)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being applied in multiple industries all around the world, and in travel, the technology has made big strides.We travel to Spain to find out how the airline Iberia and the hotel chain Iberostar are using AI to change the way they operate.At Iberostar, AI applications can analyse and predict the amount of food that restaurants will need, and hopefully reduce food waste as a result.Meanwhile, Iberia is using the tool as a personal assistant to help high-end travellers plan their trips.And we hear about some of the limitations of the technology if it's not applied properly.(Picture: Business woman with an open suitcase, preparing for a trip, while looking at her phone. Credit: Getty Images)Presented and produced by Ashish Sharma

In the midst of a snap general election, we take the opportunity to look at the state of the country’s economy. France has a huge debt burden and some business leaders are worried that the economy could worsen if Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party get into power. The French stock market has been falling since the parliamentary election was announced - although it has recovered slightly after Sunday's result. Meanwhile the parties on the left have formed a new alliance, The New Popular Front, with radical policies like increasing tax on high earners and reducing the pension age.Although we are fixated on the rise of the far right, the parties of the left formed a united block to fight RN and they have made gains in the first round of voting. We hear from a solar panel manufacturer in Paris, plus a former UK Ambassador to Paris who knows President Emmanuel Macron. And economic experts in Brussels and Frankfurt discuss the EU perspective. Presented and produced by Russell Padmore(Image: Supporters o

It is the biggest sporting event on the planet based on the millions of spectators who line roads for a fleeting view, but this year a shake up will mean the loss of the iconic Champs Elysees finish.We look at how a cycling race became a global money spinner - particularly for its owners, the Amaurys, one of the richest families in sport.We also visit the Maurienne valley, a regular stop off for the Tour, to find out what’s in it for sponsors and hosts. And with a new final stage ending in Nice to steer clear of the Paris Olympics, and a date clash with the French election, could 2024 see a change in fortunes for the Tour de France?Producer/presenter: Laura Heighton-Ginns(Photo: Mark Cavendish, Davide Ballerini, Elmar Reinders, Michael Morkov Dylan Groenewegen and Cees Bol competing during the 111th Tour de France 2024, Stage 2. Credit: Getty Images)

After tackling its security problem, can the smallest country in Central America get its finances under control too?We hear from street sellers, economists and locals about the issues they're still facing, and visit a surf town where tourism is having a big economic impact.Produced and presented by Jane Chambers (Image: A street market in San Salvador, El Salvador, on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. Credit: Getty Images)

The CEO of Vue International started out as a high school drop out as he wanted to concentrate on a snowsports career.We hear how, when that didn't work out, Tim Richards ended up entering the film industry and eventually starting his own cinema chain in his garage.Vue is now Europe's largest privately owned cinema chain but it hasn't been an easy ride - Tim tells us how the company has weathered both the Covid pandemic and the Hollywood writer's strikes. Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: Amber Mehmood(Image: Tim Richards. Credit: Getty Images)

With just over a week to go until the UK General Election, we head to the seaside town of Southport in the north west of England.We speak to students and young entrepreneurs who live in the area to find out how they are feeling. We ask about the impact of inflation and a rising cost of living, and see which issues they'd like to hear the politicians talking about.It's far from a British problem - Southport could really be a microcosm of the changes and challenges facing young people in a community near you.Presenter: Will Bain Producers: Izzy Greenfield and Lexy O'Connor(Image: Business owner Leanne and manager Alex behind the till at the their shop Cake Corner)

Ever needed to put your stuff in a storage unit? Recent research predicts the global self-storage market will be worth around $70bn by 2031 and the UK’s self-storage industry made more than £1bn last year for the first time ever.But what’s behind this rapid growth? What are people putting into these units? And what does it have to do with Gen Z and internet shoppers?We also hear from critics on what the growing industry says about housing around the world. Presented and produced by Sam Gruet(Image: A young woman loads storage boxes into a unit. Credit: Getty Images)

A shadow fleet of old and poorly maintained ships is cruising the high seas, often hiding their true identities through a series of shell companies.Their numbers have grown massively since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Lloyd’s List estimates as many as 12% of tankers are part of the dark fleet.There’s increasing concern about the danger to the environment, and to ship’s crews. But how effective at tackling the problem is the regulator, the International Maritime Organisation?Presenter: Lesley Curwen Producer: Clare Williamson(Image: Sea and ship at sunset. Credit: Getty Images)

Senegalese international and former Chelsea goalkeeper Édouard Mendy is considered a legend of football. Becoming the first African to be awarded both the UEFA and FIFA goalkeeper of the year in 2021, followed by a big money transfer deal to Saudi Arabia, Mendy has reached the very heights of the game. But football careers don't last forever, so he is diversifying, and can now add a new line on his CV - as an investor in Francophone Africa. We hear about his work on the pitch to date, what’s motivated a move into fintech, and why he thinks footballers need to plan for their future after they give up the professional game.(Image: Edouard Mendy looks on in the paddock during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia, 2024. Credit: Getty Images)Presented and produced by Peter Macjob

The social shopping industry is estimated to reach around $8.5 trillion in global sales by 2030. So what are the big tech giants doing to win over a generation of teenagers hooked onto shopping on social media?We find out what makes shopping social and find out what happens when a country bans social shopping on the world’s fastest growing platform.We speak to Gen Z shoppers, social media experts and an Indonesian business owner who almost had to let his staff go after the government changed the law around selling on social media.Presented and produced by Sam Gruet(Image:Livestream seller Evo Syah. Image credit: Evo Syah)

As prize money gaps between men and women begin to close in many sports, in golf, the pay disparity is still very large. Nelly Korda, winner of five consecutive tournaments, earned less than Scottie Scheffler, who won four. And although current and former players like Korda and Mel Reid have made strides in the game, there's a significant difference in the prize money they receive.A lot of the disparity has been linked to the level of investment in the game. The men’s game has seen major cash injections, such as the $2 billion from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund into LIV Golf. Sam Fenwick explores what could boost investment in the women’s game and asks current player Mel Reid and former player, Nancy Lopez, how the game can attract more funding and TV time.(Picture: A montage of Nelly Korda and Scottie Scheffler, swinging their golf clubs, against a background of a green. Credit: PA/USA Today Sports/BBC)Presented and produced by Sam Fenwick

Summer tourism in the Mediterranean is not only already in full swing but set for another bumper season.In Rhodes, "the more the merrier” is the mantra on this famed Greek isle, which is economically reliant on tourism. But the growing influx of arrivals each year alongside increasing frequency and ferocity of the annual wildfire season is posing some hard questions for locals about the need for more environmentally-friendly forms of tourism. Now, an ambitious five-year programme is underway, aimed at transforming the fourth-largest Greek island into “a beacon for sustainable tourism.” We head to Rhodes to take a look at how it is progressing, how businesses are adapting, and the way tourists are responding.Presenter/producer: Victoria Craig(Photo: Anda Karayanni of the Irene Palace Hotel, Rhodes, tending to some plants. Credit: Victoria Craig/BBC)

When is tourism good tourism, and when is it just too much?Current projections suggest global travel is going to carry on rising for the foreseeable future, as low-cost air travel and budget rentals make package holidays ever more affordable for ever more people. But from Tenerife to Venice, more and more tourist destinations are feeling the pressure of these rising visitor numbers. In holiday hotspots, local people are complaining of congested streets, rising housing costs, and environmental degradation. And some have even taken to the streets to protest about the issue. So what’s to be done?(Image: Thousands of people demonstrate against tourism policies on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain in 2024)Presented and produced by Ed Butler

23 years ago, the US multi-millionaire Dennis Tito became the world’s first-ever space tourist, funding his own trip into orbit. There was clearly money to be made, and now the lure of making space tourism more accessible to the masses is even greater - with several private companies jockeying for position. Jane Poynter’s firm is among them.It’s an industry experiencing dramatic growth – but the price of any of these trips is out of reach of most of us. We explore whether this firm could achieve its aim of launching more of us into stratospheric heights.And we hear how Jane went on her own journey: from ecologist working in the famous Biosphere 2 experiment in the early 1990s, to looking skywards and the possibilities of a career in space tourism. Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Amber Mehmood