In October 2024, dockworkers in the US went on strike for three days.

Members of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) walked out at 14 major ports along the east and Gulf coasts, halting container traffic from Maine to Texas.

A tentative agreement was made over wages, and they've just returned to the bargaining table to negotiate "all other outstanding issues".

This includes plans to introduce automation to the ports.

In the first of two programmes looking at the future of ports, we head to the Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where the port has been using automation since the 1990s - and to Cape Town in South Africa which is looking for solutions to its efficiency issues.

Presented and produced by Matthew Kenyon, with additional reporting from Mohammed Allie.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]

(Picture: Shipping containers are transported by automated guided vehicles (AGV) beside gantry cranes on the dockside at the Delta Terminal at the Port of Rotterdam in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Credit: Getty Images)

At the end of October 2024, deadly flash floods and torrential rain hit the Valencia region of Spain. More than 220 people were killed.

As well as claiming lives, the disaster also devastated livelihoods.

Valencia's chamber of commerce estimates that 48,000 companies have been affected.

Ashish Sharma visited the region shortly after the flooding, to speak to businesses and workers affected.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]

Produced and presented by Ashish Sharma

(Image: Residents clean up a mud-and-debris-covered street after flooding hit large parts of the country on October 31, 2024 in the Paiporta municipality of Valencia, Spain. Credit: Getty Images)

How will countries handle challenges like rising debt, inflation, and political tensions? And what new opportunities might arise as the world adapts?

The BBC’s Economics Editor, Faisal Islam, and our Chief Economics Correspondent, Dharshini David, join Ed Butler to discuss the year ahead.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]

Producer: Izzy Greenfield

(Picture: Numbers 2-0-2-5 printed on blocks of wood, each sitting on top of a stack of coins. Credit: Getty Images)

We meet the CEO of software firm, Forterro.

Dean Forbes twice became homeless as a teenager, then got dropped from a career as a professional footballer. He points to that failure as a key moment in his eventual success, because it made him more determined. Now the business executive has topped a list celebrating influential black Britons.

(Picture: Dean Forbes. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented by Theo Leggett Produced by Theo Leggett and Sam Clack

We explore the ongoing fascination of the Lehman Brothers story.

A play - The Lehman Trilogy - is currently being shown in London to five-star reviews.

It documents the rise and fall of the financial services firm, which filed for bankruptcy in 2008 - the largest insolvency in history, and considered a defining moment in the global financial crisis.

The play has been seen by half a million theatregoers globally - and now Business Daily has been to watch it too.

We speak to the cast, adapting playwright, and the audience about the story's appeal.

Produced and presented by Elizabeth Hotson

(Image: Howard W. Overshown performs the role of Emanuel Lehman during a media preview of The Lehman Trilogy at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, in February 2024)

How has Lapland, the northernmost region of Finland, become a global hub for the Christmas economy? Known as the official home of Father Christmas, Lapland attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year - generating significant revenue.

We head to the most popular Christmas spot, Rovaneimi, to hear how a resort there benefits from this tourism. And the head of the tourist board, Sanna Kärkkäinen, tells us how records are about to be broken.

Presented and produced by Izzy Greenfield Reporter: Erika Benke

(Picture: Lapland at night, showing illuminated buildings. Credit: BBC/Erika Benke)

Skincare used to appeal to an older demographic, often with the aim of slowing down visible signs of ageing. But as trends in skincare have evolved, with ever more products on the market, the audience has grown too. Children as young as eight are now saving up their pocket money to buy different creams, serums and moisturizers. But some of these products contain active ingredients, not designed for their young skin - and this can lead to problems. Dermatologists have told the BBC they're seeing children with dermatitis and other skin conditions who have used certain products. Today, we take a look at why young people are becoming obsessed with skincare, and what could be done to protect these young consumers from buying unsuitable products.

(Picture: 11 year-old Tilly, from the UK, sitting at her vanity desk. Credit: BBC)

Presented and produced by Hannah Mullane

We’re in snowy Skellefteå in northern Sweden, where hundreds of people are looking for work after losing their jobs at Europe’s largest electric battery factory.

Will the crisis at green tech company Northvolt impact future investments in the region — and damage Sweden’s reputation?

Produced and presented by Maddy Savage

(Image: Northvolt workers at the factory. Credit: Northvolt)

Upasana Taku is the co-founder of an app that changed the way millions of Indians use digital technology to make payments. Mobikwik now has more than a 150 million registered users.

When Upasana set up the business in 2009 with her co-founder Bipin Preet Singh, India was still a cash-dependant society, but having worked for big tech companies in the US, Upasana knew there was a gap in the market.

Devina Gupta asks her about her decision to leave a high-powered job in the US to move back to India to start a fintech company, and how she convinced both investors and her family that it was a smart business move.

Presenter/producer: Devina Gupta

(Photo: Upasana Taku. Credit: Mobikwik)

It was hailed as a wonder material that would transform industry – and all our lives.

But 20 years on, companies are still racing to commercialise it.

We speak to the people working with graphene and find out what sort of products their developing.

Produced and presented by James Graham

(Image: Graphene slurry, containing graphene and polymer binders, sits in a beaker inside a laboratory at the National Graphene Institute facility, part of the The University of Manchester. Credit: Getty Images)

In July, South Africa unveiled a new coalition government, after the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party lost its majority in May's elections.

The coalition was welcomed by the business community who said it would ensure economic stability.

So what's happened since? And will any optimism last?

We hear about a reduction in power cuts - also known as loadshedding - and positivity on the stock market, as well as young people who are looking forward to the future.

Produced and presented by Rob Young

(Image: A worker connects a diesel generator to supply power to a sports complex during loadshedding in Frankfort, South Africa, in June 2023)

How do online platforms profit from our anger? In this episode, we explore the business of 'rage-baiting' – content designed to provoke outrage and drive engagement.

We hear from creators who thrive on stirring emotions, critics warning of its societal impact, and academics explaining why anger is such a powerful tool online.

From its role in content algorithms, to the dangers it poses offline, we uncover the economics behind the clicks.

(Picture: A man dramatically gestures towards his laptop, conveying surprise. Credit: Getty Images)

Presenter: Megan Lawton Producer: Sam Gruet