John Laurenson reports from La Défense in Paris on how Europe's biggest business district is turning vacant office space into housing. As hybrid working leaves more offices underused, cities are rethinking the future of these buildings. We compare developments in Paris with efforts in London and Washington DC and ask whether converting offices into homes could help tackle housing shortages and revive struggling business districts.Presenter/producer: John LaurensonYou can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk(Picture: People walking in La Défense business district in Paris. Credit: John Laurenson)
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Folge vom 10.08.2026Too many offices, not enough homes: can conversions work?
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Folge vom 09.08.2026Denmark is scrapping royal warrants. Will businesses miss them?Denmark is preparing to scrap its royal warrant system, ending a centuries-old royal seal of approval used by businesses to market everything from beer to cars. Similar warrants are used by monarchies around the world and awarded to everyone from brewers and carmakers to pest controllers. What do the Danish companies affected think, and could other royal households follow Denmark's lead?(Photo: Packets of sweets with a Danish Royal Warrant in a Copenhagen shop. Credit: Daniel Rosney)You can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukProducer/presenter: Daniel Rosney
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Folge vom 06.08.2026Taking stock: Global trade's new realityWhat is driving the global shift towards economic protectionism? Will Bain is joined by Jennifer Pak, NPR's China correspondent, and Trevor Simumba, an international business consultant in Zambia, to discuss why the trend has accelerated since Donald Trump's tariffs and why global trade remains resilient despite growing barriers. Plus, why Africa's Lobito Corridor matters for trade, what AI means for jobs in China and beyond, and why drinks giant Diageo is cutting costs. And, two food heroes: China's baozi and Uganda's matoke.(Photo: A ship docks at Lobito Port in Angola, 4 December, 2024. Credit: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)You can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Will Bain Producer: David Cann
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Folge vom 05.08.2026Power Players: Why does Trump care about the Japanese yen?In a highly unusual move, the US has stepped in to back Japan's currency, the yen. Donald Trump calls it a "signal of friendship" but what is Washington hoping to achieve? And what does the move reveal about Japan's economy, after years of deflation and ultra-low interest rates? Rahul Tandon and Will Bain assess the intervention with the help of the BBC's "yen geek" Mariko Oi.Presenters: Rahul Tandon, Will Bain and Mariko Oi Producer: Gideon LongYou can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk(Picture: A woman walks past a stock market indicator board in Tokyo, Japan, 03 August 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)