Business Daily

Andy Uhler who's Energy Reporter in Residence at The University of Texas in Austin and Rema Rahman who is White House and Politics Editor at Bloomberg in Washington DC join Rahul Tandon to look at the fall out from this week's mid-term elections.The look at the role the economy played in how people voted. The impact the result could have on Elon Musk and what it means for the future of data centres.

As other tech giants spent 2026 pouring billions into AI, Apple seems to have taken a more cautious approach. Its new CEO, John Ternus, insists that "we don't want to ship AI for AI's sake" and says the company remains focused on developing products such as the iPhone, including the foldable Duo model, and other devices that made Apple a household name. But with the AI revolution in full swing, is that the right strategy? Or is Apple, which changed the world when it gave us the iPhone, in danger of falling behind? Hosts Michelle Fleury and Rahul Tandon are joined by Ron Johnson, who worked at Apple for years and was instrumental in developing the Apple Store.Producer: Gideon LongYou can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk(Picture: John Ternus, Apple CEO greets and takes photos with customers who came to purchase the new foldable iPhone Duo on the launch day at the Apple store in Austin, Texas, US, October 23, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Jan Sonnenmair)

Jerry Yue is the entrepreneur behind Brain Technologies. He believes artificial intelligence could replace many of the apps we use every day, changing how we interact with our phones and computers. Leanna Byrne talks to him about building technology businesses in China, his journey to Silicon Valley and why he thinks AI could reshape the future of computing.Producer: Huma ShahYou can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk(Picture: Brain Technologies founder Jerry Yue)

Gold is worth about twice what it was four years ago, so who profits when a Hindu family buys gold during the Diwali festive period? Sam Fenwick traces the gold supply chain from a mine that digs up 140 tonnes of rock for a single ounce of gold to a Delhi jeweller, examining the role of central banks and refiners along the way. (Photo: A jewellery shop in Bangalore, India, 13 October 2025. Credit: Jagadeesh Nv/EPA/Shutterstock)You can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukProducer: Josh Martin and Huma Shah

Why does artificial intelligence sometimes make things up? From law firms to consultants, businesses are grappling with the risks of AI hallucinations. What's causing them, and can they be prevented? Presenter/producer: Ed ButlerYou can email us: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk(Picture: Conceptual image of a large glowing pink holographic cube with "AI" text, positioned as a central hub within a vast, sparse crowd of silhouetted human figures.)

Rahul Tandon and Will Bain are joined by the BBC's Silicon Valley correspondent Lily Jamali to look at issues being faced by Google and if it's a sign of wider tech sector problems. Google and You Tube's parent company, Alphabet, saw its value fall by half a trillion dollars on Thursday after warning about spending on AI as its advertising revenue growth also cooled off. It's not the only tech company to warn of problems in the latest round of results. In this special edition of Business Daily, we ask is Google a victim of wider worries about AI spending, or is AI coming for the crown of the unquestioned king of search?

This week on Taking Stock, Rahul Tandon is joined by Katrine Kielos, journalist for Swedish financial broadcaster EFN based in London and Dan Ives, tech analyst based in New York. We look at Anthropic’s reported plans for a mega-IPO that could value the AI company at close to two trillion dollars, what the US midterm elections could mean for the consumers in America and across the globe and if the seasonal favourite Pumpkin Spice has gone too far.

Meta is a social media giant. It's so big, a second Hollywood movie about the company was released just last month. More than three billion people access its biggest apps - Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram - every single day. And those apps make the company a ton of cash. In the last three months alone, they generated $64bn in revenue. Meta now appears to be focused on developing AI, particularly wearable technology. So despite its enormous social media success, will Meta be primarily an AI company in the future?Presenters: Rahul Tandon, Michelle Fleury and Will Bain Producer: Guy Kilty(Picture: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg tries on Meta smart glasses during the Meta Connect event on September 23, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

Burning cars, looted shops and clashes on the streets of France have dominated headlines around the world. The chief executive of Carrefour has warned that the unrest is taking a toll on business. But beyond the violence lie deeper questions about living standards and the state of the French economy. Vishala Sri-Pathma hears from protesters, businesses and the French government about what recent protests tell us about France's economy.(Photo: A masked protester holding an umbrella and a French flag reacts as French police use a water canon amid clashes during demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices in France, 24 October, 2026. Credit: Hannah McKay/Reuters)You can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukProducer: Rebecca Smyllie Editor: Stephen Ryan

After decades in which borrowing has been virtually free, Japan is raising interest rates, affecting savers and borrowers alike. We talk to a former rate-setter at the Bank of Japan, to a homeowner who is braced for the cost of her mortgage to rise, and to a saver who ponders whether now is the time to finally bring her investments back to Japan. And we explore who's making money from the rising cost of borrowing.(Photo: A Japanese man cycles pass by a stock market indicator board in Tokyo, Japan, 15 October 2026. He has short black hair, going grey at the sides and wears black trousers and a black T-shirt. Credit: EPA)You can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Gideon Long

China's booming export figures, driven in part by demand for AI-related products, suggest a high-tech economy that's thriving. Yet many consumers at home continue to face economic pressures. Ed Butler asks whether there's a link between weakness at home and strength abroad, and what China's export surge could mean for other countries and trading partners.Presenter/producer: Ed ButlerYou can email us: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk(Picture: Security guards walk past containers at a port in Shanghai, China. Credit: REUTERS/Aly Song)

What impact have the protests in France had on businesses and the wider economy? What does Netflix's latest data and job-cut plans signal about the streaming giant's future? And what does a referendum in Alberta, Canada, highlight about the province's future? Will Bain is joined by Toronto-based tech journalist Takara Small and Zambia-based consultant Trevor Simumba to discuss.(Photo: A protester throws a projectile through tear gas amid clashes with the French riot police at the Place de la Republique during a demonstration against the cost of living and rising fuel prices in Paris as part of nationwide protests in France, 17 October, 2026. Credit: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters)You can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukProducer: Rebecca Smyllie

Netflix transformed the entertainment industry, changing how audiences around the world discover and consume media. But after announcing plans to cut 1,000 jobs and losing its content and film chiefs, questions are growing about the streaming giant's future. Has Netflix reached a turning point, or does it still have room to grow? Will Bain and Rahul Tandon are joined by Simon Gallagher, a former Netflix head of content and acquisition who worked with co-founder Reed Hastings and later at Hulu.Producer: Matt LinesYou can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Tessa Clarke is the co-founder and CEO of Olio, the food-sharing app helping millions of people reduce waste by sharing food and household items with their neighbours. She explains how a simple idea grew into a global movement, the challenges of convincing investors to back it, and why changing human behaviour may be key to tackling climate change. Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: Barbara George You can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk(Picture: Tessa Clarke. Credit:Annabel Staff)

Some economies are increasingly dependent on migrants sending money home to their families. But how much does it cost, and who's making money from a business worth around $900 billion a year? Sam Fenwick follows a transfer from a housekeeper in London to her family in the Philippines, tracking the money every step of the way. We talk to one of the world's biggest transfer companies about the fees involved, and to a remittances expert who argues that while costs have fallen, they still need to come down further.Producer: Gideon LongIf there’s something you pay for and you’d like to know where the money goes, tell us. It could be on a future Follow the Money episode. You can email us: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk(Picture: A delivery worker in Manila, Philippines. Prices have been rising in the country this year, which receives remittances from many of its citizens living abroad. Credit: ROLEX DELA PENA/EPA/Shutterstock)

China's latest trade data show another huge surplus, putting the country on course for what could be a record $1.5 trillion trade surplus this year. In the first of two episodes examining China's export machine, we look at the country's massive solar panel industry. We hear from the so-called Sun King, Dr Jerry Shi, China's first solar billionaire, about the rise of solar power in China. Ed Butler also examines how solar power and other green technologies have helped drive the global response to climate change, while critics raise concerns about oversupply and its impact on industries and economies around the world.Presenter/producer: Ed ButlerYou can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk(Picture: Workers are seen at a production line manufacturing solar photovoltaic components at a factory in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, China. Credit: Lin Yunlong/Zhejiang Daily via Reuters)

From Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, to China and India, companies and countries are pouring billions of dollars to get ahead in the space industry.It's not just about interplanetary exploration, huge investment is going into satellites, defense systems and location technology.Rahul Tandon speaks to Carissa Bryce Christensen, Founder and CEO of BryceTech and Professor of Space Security, Dr Namrata Goswami to discuss who winning the race and who might be coming up from behind.Producers: Amber Mehmood and Matt Lines Editor: Stephen RyanPHOTO: The planet Mars is shown in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope view taken May 12, 2016. NASA/Handout via Reuters

Competition from China, weaker sales and a slower-than-expected shift to electric vehicles have left Volkswagen facing its biggest challenge in decades. VW says up to 100,000 jobs could go, with some of its biggest German plants facing closure. Rahul Tandon, Michelle Fleury and Will Bain look at whether VW can turn things around, and whether its troubles reflect wider problems in Germany's economy. (Photo: Volkswagen's main German plant in Wolfsburg, Germany, 17 September, 2026. Credit: Liesa Johannssen/Reuters)You can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukProducer: Matt Lines

Greek-born billionaire John Catsimatidis rose from working in a New York grocery store to build the Gristedes supermarket chain and a wider business empire after leaving university before graduating. Now head of the Red Apple Group, with interests spanning real estate, energy, aviation and media, he remains a prominent figure in US business and politics, regularly discussing business with President Trump, despite setbacks including a collapsed airline venture and an unsuccessful run for New York mayor.Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: Amber MehmoodYou can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk[This episode was first broadcast on 17 June 2026](Picture: John Catsimatidis attends the Economic Club of New York in New York City, U.S., May 28, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)

The war in the Middle East has pushed up crude oil prices this year and that's had a knock-on effect on the price of refined oil products like diesel. But after months of conflict, the Gulf's oil-producing nations are now getting most of their exports out, so why hasn't the price of diesel come down? And will it fall now that Donald Trump has reached a deal allowing Russia to export diesel again? The BBC's Sam Fenwick traces the journey of a barrel of oil from the Middle East to the petrol pump, looking at the rising costs along the way.(Photo: A worker fills a lorry with diesel in London on 2 October 2026. Credit: Yui Mok/PA)You can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukProducer: Gideon Long