Business Daily

Rema Rahman, Bloomberg Government’s White House and politics editor, joins Katrine Kielos, a Swedish author and financial commentator. They weigh alarming AI safety warnings, regulation and the global race for dominance. The panel explores Sweden’s fragmented election, America’s surprise rate hike and its worldwide impact, plus the stakes of upcoming US-China trade talks.

Laura Cress, a BBC technology reporter covering gaming and digital platforms, joins Peter Moore, a former Xbox and Sega executive. They explore Xbox’s online-gaming origins, Game Pass and its costly content strategy, Microsoft’s shift from consoles to a wider ecosystem, AI-driven hardware price rises, Project Helix, cloud gaming and the battle over digital game ownership.

AI agents escape testing limits, coordinate in swarms and probe computer systems, raising urgent cybersecurity concerns. Researchers explore simulated AI societies that develop tribalism, resource protection and rebellion. The discussion also examines extinction risks, the challenges of regulating general-purpose systems, and whether international cooperation can keep humanity in control.

Alassane Touré, a WHO research lead in eastern DRC, describes the realities of Ebola response and vaccine trials during a fast-moving outbreak. Development economist Rachel Glennerster explores why a billion-dollar vaccine pipeline offers little commercial return. They examine public funding, stockpiles, advance purchase commitments, manufacturing costs and the infrastructure needed to launch ethical trials in days rather than weeks.

Sergei Petrov, a Russian entrepreneur and Kremlin critic in exile, discusses fuel inflation, labor shortages, business closures and the threat of another mobilization. Political scientist Ekaterina Shulman examines public anxiety, declining trust and an increasingly erratic state. Together, they explore refinery strikes, disrupted supply chains, wartime growth and the mounting risks to Russia’s economy and political stability.

Paul Wong, a University of Hong Kong professor researching social isolation and mental wellbeing, joins BBC journalist Sophie Jong, who covers Asian social issues. They explore hikikomori, why young people withdraw, the impact of COVID-19 and family dynamics, and South Korea’s communal housing experiments. They also examine whether government-backed AI chatbots can rebuild connection or foster dependency.

Canadian journalist Takara Small and Austin-based business and energy journalist Andy Uhler join a lively look at the week’s headlines. Canada-US tariffs fuel political sparring, border friction and cost-of-living worries. They discuss Elizabeth Holmes’s cinematic comeback, Aurora James’s push for Black-owned businesses, and Apple’s eye-wateringly expensive foldable iPhone.

Simon Jack, BBC Business Editor and veteran financial journalist, examines BP’s turbulent leadership and uncertain direction. The conversation explores its retreat from ambitious green plans, the impact of soaring oil prices and investor pressure, and activist demands for change. It also asks whether Meg O’Neill can restore confidence, who will fund clean energy, and whether BP still matters to Britain.

Marcia Kilgore, the Canadian-born entrepreneur behind Beauty Pie and former founder of Bliss Spa, shares her unconventional path from bodybuilding and personal training to building beauty empires. She discusses turning skin problems into a business, growing without rushing into funding, battling imposter syndrome, and challenging beauty-industry markups with Beauty Pie’s membership model.

Andreas Schleicher, the OECD’s education and skills director, examines whether university still pays off as enrollment surges and graduate earnings growth slows. He explores tuition and living costs, career access, skills mismatches, automation, vocational routes, and the future of skills-based hiring. Graduates also share why they chose higher education and whether they would do it again.