Business Daily

Germany is tackling a labour shortfall by recruiting young skilled workers from India for apprenticeships in trades like butchery, mechanics and childcare. Local firms and municipalities describe how overseas trainees have kept businesses and services running. The initiative has quickly expanded and aims to scale up significantly by 2030.

David Lee, an economist advising Beijing on fiscal policy. Stanton, a Shanghai entrepreneur building startups in manufacturing and AI. Jacob Rothman, president of a Shanghai manufacturing firm. Han Lin, Asia Group head in China tracking consumer trends. They discuss China shifting from breakneck growth to stability, frugality and changing consumer patterns, startups and AI-driven manufacturing, and policy moves toward domestic priorities.

Kanika Tekriwal, founder and CEO of JetSetGo and a cancer survivor who built India’s largest private aviation marketplace. She talks about overcoming illness and family opposition. She describes battling sexism in a male-dominated industry. She reflects on changing customer trends in India and the hustle of starting up with limited resources.

Aminat Bakker, Dubai-based analyst of Gulf energy markets and infrastructure. Simon Johnson, Nobel-winning macroeconomist and former IMF chief economist. They discuss how Middle East conflict jolts oil markets. They describe daily life near strikes, risks around the Strait of Hormuz, which countries are most exposed, transport and logistics pain, and whether high prices will speed a shift from imports.

Flora Berger, researcher tracking the rise and cross-border spread of kidnappings in West Africa. Carlos Cejohani, seasoned negotiator who helps families and firms during crises. They discuss brutal persuasion videos, how kidnappers exploit porous borders, typical ransom scales, when to bring in professionals, negotiation tactics, and risks of repeat targeting.

Steve Berman, a leading US class action lawyer known for high-profile consumer settlements. Seema Kennedy, former UK minister and reform advocate focused on litigation rules. They discuss the global rise of collective claims, the spread of opt-out systems to Europe, tech and data-privacy suits, worries about fees and who benefits, and proposals for alternative dispute routes.

John Hartley, Hoover Institution policy fellow advocating limited government and market institutions. Heather Boushey, Penn professor focused on inequality and policy. Craig Smith, historian of political thought on Adam Smith's radical 1776 ideas. They discuss the origins of The Wealth of Nations, how Smith challenged vested interests, the rise of free trade, and the modern debates over markets, inequality and political reactions.

Tareq Hadhad, founder and CEO of Peace by Chocolate, rebuilt his family’s Syrian chocolate business after war and resettled in Canada. He recalls fleeing bombardment, restarting production with community help, and turning trauma into a social-minded brand. He discusses chocolate’s power to bridge cultures, hiring locally, and keeping hope for Syria alive.

Serana Pavolescu, a Middle East political risk partner; Karan Trahan, a Bahrain-based businessman in real estate and recruitment; Mohamed Awaladala, CEO of a Dubai hotel group; and Samir Hashmi, a Gulf-focused business journalist. They discuss regional security shocks, impacts on tourism and hotel bookings, real estate and investor sentiment, and which sectors are most exposed to rising tensions.

Sandra Boboso, a health economist who studies obesity costs and drug impacts, and Gabe Zickerman, founder of protein, no-added-sugar ice cream Two Scoops. They discuss how GLP-1 drugs widened consumer demand, how food and fitness businesses are adapting, shifting shopping habits and spending, and the likely future of prices, access and market opportunities.