Business Daily

More than 25 years after the Kosovo war, a music festival in the capital Pristina is hoping to change the image of the country around the world by inviting international artists and fans to learn more about the country’s cultural scene. Sunny Hill Festival is organised by global pop star Dua Lipa and her dad Dugi, who’s from Pristina.They are using their industry contacts to bring acts like Bebe Rexha, Stormzy and Burna Boy to party with tens of thousands of people, as well as inviting top industry experts. But more than 15 years after Kosovo declared independence, could politicians be doing more to help boost the country’s music scene rather than relying on the Lipa family? Produced and presented by Daniel Rosney(Dua Lipa performs on stage with her father Dukagjin Lipa during her first concert held in her hometown Pristina in 2016)

We look at Japan's policy to boost its economy by getting more women into the workforce. It was announced back in 2013 by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and dubbed 'Womenomics'.Mr Abe gave a deadline of 2020 to significantly increase the number of women in leadership roles. But that date quietly came and went without the target even getting close.However could things could be starting to change? Japan Airlines new CEO Mitsuko Tottori is a woman, and that has restarted conversations. We hear from her, and from young women in the country about their hopes for the future. Produced and presented by Mariko Oi(Image: Mitsuko Tottori, chief executive officer of Japan Airlines Co. Credit: Getty Images)

We hear from 4-time Olympic gold medallist Libby Trickett and her entrepreneurial husband Liam.Libby Trickett (Lenton) competed for Australia at the highest level, winning gold in the pool in Beijing and London. At the height of her swimming career she married fellow swimmer Luke Trickett, who had left the sport and was using the skills he'd learnt as an athlete to enter the business world.We hear how the Global Financial Crisis inspired Luke’s entrepreneurial spirit. And through it all, how teamwork has been their ultimate key to success in transitioning to new careers after retiring from competitive sports. Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Amber Mehmood Editor: Lis Mahy(Photo: Libby and Luke Trickett. Credit: Getty Images)

Paris 2024 will see the debut of the competitive street dance, Breaking.From the streets of the Bronx in the 70s to sport's biggest stage, we hear from the pioneers and the athletes hoping to turn their passion into a lucrative career.Breaking isn’t currently on the list for the next games in LA in 2028, so could it be a one-hit wonder?(Image: Man doing a headstand outside with his crew cheering in the background. Credit: Getty Images)Presented and produced by Matt Lines

The running shoe industry is worth around $50bn across the world, with more and more of us taking part in the sport.With more popularity comes more competition, so what are brands doing to keep consumers interested? We ask the chief marketing officer at Swiss sportswear company, ON, and find out how it helps sales when a top athlete wears their shoes.And as the debate around 'super shoes' rumbles on, are they really worth the expensive price tag? US marathon winner Kellyn Taylor tells us about the pros and cons of carbon plated shoes - which played a big role in marathon records being smashed in 2023.Presented and produced by Izzy Greenfield.(This programme was first broadcast in January 2024. Picture: Runners on a race track. Credit: Getty Images)

We’re used to fashion giants like adidas and Nike designing athlete uniforms for the Olympics and Paralympics. This year however, it’s likely we’ll see smaller labels on the podium. In this programme we hear from the diverse list of designers and learn why the fashion industry is so keen to work with sports stars. Presented and produced by Megan Lawton(Image: Portugal's Gabriel Ribeiro competes during the Skateboarding Men's Street Preliminaries of the Olympic Qualifier Series 2024.Image: Getty Images)

People arriving at Paris’s Orly Airport for the 2024 Olympic games will be able to take an underground train straight to Saint-Denis where most of the Olympic action is taking place.It's thanks to a line extension that opened on June 24. And that is just the ‘hors d’oeuvre’. The Grand Paris Express is a metro expansion on a massive scale whose aim is to transform the city from a normal-sized European capital to a metropolis the size of London. What could it do for the Parisian, and French, economies?(Image: Saint-Denis–Pleyel station in Paris, France. Copyright: Société des grands projets / Kengo Kuma & Associates / Sylvain Cambon)Presented and produced by John Laurenson

We go to India to find out what it takes to manage one of the country's most iconic brands – Bisleri. It is so popular that it has become synonymous with the product itself - bottled mineral water. We hear from CEO Angelo George about the ethics of paying for water, plastic pollution and the challenges of shrinking water resources.Produced and presented by Devina GuptaSound mixing by Wayne Parkes(Image: Angelo George. Credit: Angelo George)

For decades, Nigeria has struggled to grow its domestic automotive industry while vehicles made by manufacturers from Japan, Korea, Europe and the US have dominated. But critics say many of those cars are not suitable for Nigeria’s roads. Lately, there has been a surge of “made in Nigeria” brands, of vehicles manufactured and assembled locally, which have been designed with the country’s challenging road conditions in mind.But as Nigerians are gearing up to the idea of replacing their trusted foreign brands with local alternatives, China has introduced a range of vehicles tailored to the Nigerian market - but cheaper.(Image: A Nord Tank SUV. Credit: Tobi Ajayi)Presented and produced by Peter Macjob

Love them or loathe them, retailers across the world are installing more automated checkouts, as they aim to reduce staff costs.But the loss of personal service and the unreliable technology has prompted complaints from customers. And supermarkets are also facing a significant increase in theft from self-scan checkouts. We're in Ireland, where shops only installed the technology in recent years. Plus we hear from experts in Australia, China, the UK and United States.(Image: A man scans some bread through a self checkout. Credit: Getty Images)Produced and presented by Russell Padmore

We head to Montreal, host city of the Canadian F1 Grand Prix. It's the country's largest tourist event, with an estimated 345,000 fans attending in 2023.And the sport is growing in popularity, thanks in part to the Netflix series, Drive to Survive. So how valuable is a Grand Prix to a country's economy? And which other cities are trying to get in on the action?Produced and presented by Megan Lawton (Image: The start of the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec on 9 June 2024. Credit: Getty Images)

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)