Thailand has one of the highest levels of consumer debt in the world as a proportion of its GDP. We hear from people who have borrowed and cannot pay back. They are struggling to get regular work to make payments and cover interest.

We also speak to a private money lender - are they helping people or making the problem worse?

Producer/presenter: Ed Butler

(Photo: Jie Ae Nattarin, a money lender in Thailand wearing her trademark headband)

The South African grew up under the racist apartheid system as one of 14 children.

He looked set for a life in farming, until a chance event took him down a different path – ultimately becoming CEO of the multinational banking group, Investec.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, you can email us at [email protected]

Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: Elisabeth Mahy Additional production: Amber Mehmood, Luke Jarmyn, Bisi Adebayo

(Image: Fani Titi. Credit: Investec)

We head to Switzerland, a small but very successful country with a population of just 9 million.

And now coping with some of US President Donald Trump’s highest tariffs.

In August the original threat of 31% tariffs was raised to 39%.

Two months on, efforts to negotiate with Washington have proved fruitless and the Swiss economy, regularly ranked as the most competitive in the world, is starting to slow down.

Produced and presented by Imogen Foulkes

(Swiss watch brands, including Zenith and Hublot, in a shopping arcade in Geneva, Switzerland. Credit: Getty Images)

Passengers are suffering more disruption as technology at airports, airlines and air traffic control is failing.

But why is aviation software becoming more prone to failure and vulnerable to cyber-attacks, and what is the solution to preventing delays?

Presented and produced by Russell Padmore

(Image: Passengers wait at Heathrow Airport in London, as European airports experienced disruption due to a cyberattack on the check-in and boarding system in September 2025. Credit: Getty Images)

For the first time in nearly seven years, federal operations have been drastically curtailed as the US government shuts down.

As it enters a second week, we look in detail at how the collapse in funding for government services is affecting America at large - from the Federal worker fearing for his job, to the wider concerns of slowing growth and rising inflation.

What does this say about the state of the world’s largest economy?

Produced and presented by Ed Butler

(Image: "Closed" signage in front of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, US, on 5 October 20205. Credit: Getty Images)

We look at how the European country is trying to lure talent back home.

It is specifically targeting people from science, technology, engineering and innovation sectors, using tax breaks and a campaign to remind people about the benefits of returning.

A number of countries are bringing in similar initiatives, so is it forward thinking? Or will it create a two-tier system?

Produced and presented by Daniel Rosney

(Picture: Two women relax in a waterfront cafe during the day in the Mediterranean port of Limassol, Cyrpus. Credit: Getty Images)

Women and girls in Afghanistan have been excluded from much of the working world, as well as from the chance to get an education.

Many are finding ways to bring in an income for their families, but a 48-hour internet shutdown threatened this recently.

We hear the experiences of shopkeepers, tech workers and charity bosses in the country.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is [email protected]

Producer/presenter: Hannah Bewley

(Photo: Afghan women in burkas walk along a road in the Argo district of Badakhshan province, 28 August, 2025. Credit: Getty Images)

Thailand’s Pichaya Soontornyanakij, widely known as Chef Pam, was this year named the best female chef in the world by a panel of more than 1,000 gastronomists assembled by 50 Best, a food and drink sector brand. She’s the first Asian woman to win that award.

Gideon Long meets her at her Michelin-starred restaurant in Bangkok, in a building which has deep personal meaning for her and which she and her family have lovingly restored.

She takes him on a tour of the gastronomic delights of Bangkok’s Chinatown and tells him about her Thai-Chinese heritage and the challenges of the restaurant business.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is [email protected]

Presented and produced by Gideon Long

(Image: Thai chef Pichaya Soontornyanakij at her restaurant in Bangkok.)

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order stopping subsidies for renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. He has called attempts to boost green energy in the US the "Green New Scam".

We head to Middletown, Ohio, where a hydrogen-powered furnace for the steel mill, which was subsidised under the Biden administration, has been cancelled under President Trump. Supporters of the new furnace say it would have made a much cleaner plant in the town and created many jobs.

We hear from residents, community leaders, and economists, and ask - what happens when industry clashes with politics?

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is [email protected]

Presenter: Erin Delmore Producer: Nathalie Jimenez

(Picture: Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works in Middletown, Ohio, in 2024. Credit: Getty Images)

What happens when a controlling partner takes over your income and spending?

More countries are now recognising the harm that economic or financial abuse can cause, but it's still a but it’s still a huge problem - particularly for women.

Could financial institutions be doing more to help?

Produced and presented by Felicity Hannah

(Image: A woman lying back in a chair with her head in her hands. Credit: Getty Images)

The country has one of the fastest growing aging populations in the region - we hear how businesses and politicians are adapting to the situation.

We visit a cafe exclusively employing women aged over 50, and hear about the sectors trying to change attitudes to maintain productivity.

Produced and presented by Jane Chambers

(Image: Senior hvac technician checking air conditioning unit pressure with manometer in Chile. Credit: Getty Images)

The French government has launched a campaign against what it calls “the last discrimination”: ageism.

It’s one that a lot of people in the country consider to be justified, and which makes it about three times more difficult to get a job interview. But it’s costly.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, please email us at [email protected]

Presented and produced by John Laurenson

(Picture: Job-seeker, Geraldine Coquand.)