Business Daily

Will Bain is joined by Nga Pham in Jakarta and Carsten Brzeski in Frankfurt to take stock of the week's business stories.

They discuss the economic impact of heatwaves around the world, as extreme temperatures affect productivity, energy demand, and economic growth. The panel also examines Germany's plans to reform its pension system and what they could mean for Europe's largest economy.

Plus, a dispute over fruit imports is raising fresh tensions between China and Taiwan, as Beijing's purchases of custard apples spark concerns on the island. And after a volatile week for technology shares, including sharp movements in SpaceX stock, the panel asks whether investors are becoming more nervous about the future of the tech sector.

Presenter: Will Bain
Producer: David Cann
Executive Producer: Justin Bones

You can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Photo: People cool off in the Trocadero fountain in front of the Eiffel Tower as temperatures rise in Paris during a heatwave affecting a large part of France, June 23, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Abdul Saboor)

Toy Story 5 broke opening weekend box office records, handing Josh D'Amaro a welcome gift as he settles in to the top role at Disney. But he inherits many challenges at the global media company as well - theme park attendance has dipped, overall cinema sales are down compared with pre-pandemic box office takings, while its streaming service Disney+ is yet to make a profit.
And while Toy Story 5 recreated the magic of the original animated adventure, recent releases linked to Marvel or Star Wars have bombed.
This is the latest episode of our weekly Power Players show, hosted by Rahul Tandon and Will Bain in the UK, and North America Business Correspondent Michelle Fleury in New York.
Producer: Rebecca Smyllie
You can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
(Picture:A general ambiance of atmosphere during the "Toy Story 5" Paris Premiere at Le Cirque d’Hiver Bouglione on June 14, 2026 in Paris, France. Credit Julien Hekimian/Getty Images)

We hear how a childhood in Guatemala, a fascination with computers and a belief that education should be accessible to everyone helped inspire the world's most popular learning apps. Luis von Ahn tells us how he went from creating CAPTCHA and selling reCAPTCHA to Google, to building Duolingo into a multi-billion-dollar education technology company used by millions around the world.
He reflects on his mother's sacrifices to fund his education, the lessons he learned as an entrepreneur, and why he struggles with conflict in his life as a tech CEO.
Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Producer: Amber Mehmood
If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Artificial intelligence is transforming industries and creating vast new fortunes. But behind every chatbot, image generator and AI model is a physical product: a semiconductor chip.
We trace the global supply chain powering the AI revolution. From the companies designing the world's most advanced chips, to the factories manufacturing them, and the specialist machines needed to produce them, we examine who is profiting from the surge in demand.
We also explore why so much of the world's most advanced chip production is concentrated in one place, Taiwan, and what that means for the global economy at a time of growing tensions between China and the West.
As governments compete for technological leadership and businesses spend billions on AI infrastructure, we ask a simple question: who is getting rich from the AI boom, and what happens if the supply chain breaks?
Presenter: Sam Fenwick
Producer: David Cann
(Photo: Holographic robot arms making semiconductor Credit:Yuichiro Chino / Getty Images)

Preparing for the worst might sound a little paranoid, but more people are embracing the prepper mindset and buying emergency supplies. As preparedness becomes a growing business, we visit a survival demonstration, speak to a supplier of emergency kit, and hear from a Swedish Civil Defence official. What's behind the rise of prepping, and why are so many people getting ready for the unexpected?
Presenter: David Harper
Producer: Victoria Hastings
You can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk