Business Daily

Alle afleveringen

2.000 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud

1. Family tree DNA data crack cold cases

   31 mei 2021 · 18 min

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   In the US - but increasingly in other countries too - cold case murder, sexual assaults, and unidentified person cases once thought unsolvable are being cracked thanks to the proliferation of public genetic databases. But with this success come deep worries for our DNA data.
   Ivana Davidovic talks to Brett Williams, the CEO of Verogen - the owner of GEDMatch consumer DNA database - about their business decision to cooperate with the police, privacy concerns and new opportunities opening up in countries like Mexico and Vietnam.
   We also hear from Tina Franke, whose daughter Christine Franke was murdered in Florida in 2001. She speaks of her relief at the unexpected progress in the investigation after almost two decades.
   Professor Andrew MacLeod tells us about his project - in conjunction with King's College London - to harness forensic genealogy to identify perpetrators of sexual violence in the aid industry.
   And law professor Natalie Ram explains the pioneering legislation being brought in the US state of Maryland designed to regulate the industry much more tightly. Lees meer

   PHOTO: Forensic scientist collecting evidence/Getty Images

2. Business Weekly: 29/05/2021

   29 mei 2021 · 50 min

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   In Africa, malaria is far more widespread than Covid-19 - so what would it mean to African economies if it was eliminated? We speak to the man whose team in Oxford devloped an effective vaccine for the disease. Mice have overrun parts of Australia ruining crops and testing sanity. We learn about the effect this plague of rodents is having on the rural economy. We hear why Amazon has bought the iconic MGM Studios - and what it means for both Amazon customers and cinema lovers. Plus, our reporter heads to San Francisco to hear how the city’s Chinatown has coped with both Covid-19 and an increase in anti-Chinese race hate crime. As shops are boarded up and tourists stay away, what plans are there to rejuvenate this historic area? Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies. Lees meer

3. How to be mediocre

   28 mei 2021 · 18 min

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   Not everyone can be special, so should we embrace our mediocrity? Lees meer

   In a programme first broadcast in August 2016, Manuela Saragosa investigates the appeal of being average. She talks to mediocrity advocates and bloggers Krista O'Reilly-Davi-Digui from Alberta in Canada, and Mark Manson in the US. But what happens when whole societies embrace mediocrity at the expense of excellence? Italian philosopher Gloria Origgi explains the concept of "kakonomics'" - the economics of being bad.

   (Picture of men holding balloons via Getty Images)

4. Dogecoin or bust

   26 mei 2021 · 18 min

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   Will the craze for the cryptocurrency started as a joke end in tears? We delve into the world of Dogecoin and ask why people are investing and what the consequences might be. We hear why amateur investors, Vicki Richards from Philadelphia and Erik van der Zanden in the Netherlands, decided to buy Dogecoin. Plus, Kevin Roose, a tech columnist with the New York Times explains why the last year of financial trials and tribulations have made cryptocurrencies attractive to some seeking to make a fortune. And David Gerard, a cryptocurrency sceptic and author of Attack of the 50ft Blockchain, tells us why he thinks the crypto boom will turn to a bust. (Photo of visual representations of digital cryptocurrencies, Dogecoin and Bitcoin. Photo by Yuriko Nakao for Getty Images). Lees meer

5. Sexual harassment in the workplace

   25 mei 2021 · 17 min

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   Does it pay for vicitms to complain? Ed Butler speaks to Emi Nietfeld about her experiences at Google who says she suffered this for years and claims it eventually forced her to quit her job. (Picture credit: Getty Images)

6. The fight for San Francisco's Chinatown

   24 mei 2021 · 17 min

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   San Francisco is home to the oldest and largest Chinatown in North America. But with boarded up businesses and an upsurge in anti-Chinese attacks, the past 14 months have been some of the toughest this community has faced. Will this historic and bustling quarter of San Francisco recover? Lees meer

   Vivienne Nunis meets Yiying Lu, a graphic designer from Shanghai who recently made the city her home. She's working with many local businesses to bring visitors back. We also hear from celebrity TV chef Martin Yan on the unifying power of food, and from local business-owners combating racist stereotypes perpetrated by the former US president.

   Producer: Sarah Treanor

   (Picture: San Francisco police officers patrol Grant Avenue in Chinatown; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

7. Business Weekly: 22/05/2021

   22 mei 2021 · 49 min

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   The International Energy Agency has added its voice to those calling for the end of fossil fuels. The dramatic intervention from the body which helps keep global oil supplies moving is music to the ears of many scientists and environmentalists. Shareholder activists too are pushing from within companies for an energy transition so we ask what the future looks like for the oil and gas sector. Why are some companies resisting the call to go green faster and harder? We’ll look at what happened to the autonomous driving revolution we were all promised. Are driverless cars ever going to be more than an experiment? The hospitality sector may be opening up across the world once more, but who is going to be waiting the tables and cooking the meals? Many staff who were laid off in the first wave of the pandemic have since found new jobs or even moved countries creating a huge staff shortage. And all work, no play? Our workplace commentator extols the virtues of a little play at work. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Clare Williamson.
   (Image:Oil field, Azerbaijan, Credit: BBC) Lees meer

8. Lifting the burden of malaria

   21 mei 2021 · 18 min

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   A new vaccine could help eliminate the disease. What would that mean for African economies? Lees meer

   Manuela Saragosa speaks to the man who led the team behind the new vaccine, which has demonstrated a startling 77% effectiveness in recent drug trials. Adrian Hill of Oxford University's Jenner Institute says it is the culmination of 20 years' work - but how was it all funded?

   Research suggests malaria has been one of the biggest factors that historically held back African economies, according to Obinna Onwujekwe, professor of health economics at the University of Nigeria. But the big pharmaceutical companies have had no commercial interest in developing a vaccine, says Els Torreele of University College London.

   Producer: Laurence Knight

   (Picture: Mosquito; Credit: Getty Images)

9. The new inflation threat

   20 mei 2021 · 18 min

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   Faster price rises are coming as countries recover from the pandemic. But how painful will it be for consumers and the global economy? Mohamed El-Erian, economic adviser and president of Queens' College, Cambridge, thinks central banks are already behind the curve when it comes to keeping inflation in check. Others believe the pandemic's impact on prices is largely temporary. Dana Peterson of the US Conference Board explains why. We also hear from restaurant owner Luke Garnsworthy. Now that England's third lockdown has mostly lifted, customers are itching to spend and he can't find enough staff for his kitchens. But, he says raising prices and wages isn't an option for him. Lees meer

   Picture: stock photo of a sad piggy bank and stack of coins (Credit: Getty)

10. Syria: Failed state or narco-state?

    19 mei 2021 · 18 min

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    How ten years of conflict have destroyed the country's economy. As Syria prepares for largely symbolic elections to re-elect its President Bashar Al-Assad next week, we look at how ten years of conflict have destroyed the country's economy. Ed Butler looks at the growing evidence that Syria's government is now building its income around a multi-billion dollar trade in narcotics. He speaks to Syrian economist Jihad Yazigi, editor in chief of the online publication The Syria Report, Martin Chulov, The Guardian newspapers' Middle East editor and to Elizabeth Tsurkov, a fellow at the New Lines institute in Washington specialising in the Levant. (Picture credit: A member of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) walks through the debris in the old city centre on the eastern frontline of Raqa on September 25, 2017) Lees meer

11. Pandemic preparedness

    18 mei 2021 · 17 min

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    When it comes to pandemic preparedness the United States was once one of the world’s best prepared countries. Today it has one of the world’s worst Covid mortality rates. So what went wrong? The financial journalist and writer Michael Lewis of The Big Short fame, has investigated and has published a book called The Premonition. It’s a real life, deep-dive account of how American public health officials warned about the impending Covid pandemic but were ignored by US authorities. (Picture credit: Getty Images) Lees meer

12. What happened to driverless cars?

    17 mei 2021 · 18 min

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    Why hasn't the autonomous car revolution happened yet? A few years ago industry figures were predicting driverless cars would take over our roads by the end of the 2010s, but so far there's no sign of them. Justin Rowlatt speaks to Oliver Cameron from Cruise - a company testing driverless cars on the streets of San Francisco, and to industry analyst Sam Abuelsamid from Guidehouse Insights about the technological and regulatory challenges that still exist. UK transport minister Rachel Maclean explains why governments are enthusiastic about the technology, but need to put safety first. Lees meer

    (Photo: An autonous Cruise car on the streets of San Francisco. Credit: Getty Images)

13. Business Weekly: 15/05/2021

    15 mei 2021 · 50 min

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    As the vital Colonial Pipeline in the US comes under cyberattack, Business Weekly hears how vulnerable infrastructure and companies are to being hacked. We take a look at the dirty business of car battery recycling - it’s an increasing health hazard in developing countries, as the lead acid seeps into people, plants and animals. We also hear from religious leaders who explain how the pandemic has affected the spiritual and religious life of their churches. And as the European Super League saga continues, we take a look at the finances driving the clubs’ desire to form a new league. Plus, should bamboo be used to make cricket bats? Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies. Lees meer

14. Who should control the vaccines?

    14 mei 2021 · 18 min

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    Calls are rising for a waiver of patent protections on Covid-19 vaccines - but would it do anything to accelerate their rollout in the developing world? Lees meer

    Manuela Saragosa speaks to an advocate of the "People's Vaccine" campaign, which aims to end the control of the major pharmaceutical companies. Els Torreele of University College London says much of the research and development of these vaccines was publicly funded anyway, and the need to negotiate patent agreements prevents other companies from rapidly scaling up vaccine production.

    The need to speed up the rollout is testified to by the South African professor of vaccinology Shabir Madhi, who points out that his own country has yet to begin immunising the general public. But Thomas Cueni of the global pharmaceutical industry body, the IFPMA, says they are already on course to vaccinate the world within a year.

    Producer: Laurence Knight

    (Picture: A man is vaccinated at a hospital in Nairobi, Kenya; Credit: Robert Bonet/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

15. What is the real death toll in India?

    13 mei 2021 · 17 min

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    The chief scientist for the World Health Organisation acknowledges the frailty of the official numbers. Ed Butler speaks to Anthony Masters, the statistics ambassador for the UK's Royal Statistical Society who explains that one way to try to count the number of deaths is through excess deaths figures. But in countries like India there aren't very reliable national mortality statistics to start with, and there's often a long delay in delivering the latest numbers. One man who's done as much as any to sift through the data available is Murad Banaji, an Indian-born mathematician based at the University of Middlesex in the UK. He says the Indian death toll could be between three and eight times higher than the official data.
    (Picture: A relative of a Covid-19 patient cries in New Delhi, India. Picture credit: Raj K Raj/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) Lees meer

16. The dirty business of old car batteries

    12 mei 2021 · 18 min

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    The recycling of lead acid batteries poses a growing health hazard in many developing countries. Lees meer

    Vivienne Nunis looks at the case of Bangladesh, where a cottage industry has sprung up all over the country, with old car and auto-rickshaw batteries being burned in unsafe conditions, poisoning the surrounding land, animals, plants and people. Researcher Bret Ericson says that hundreds of millions of children across the developing world have dangerously high blood lead levels, risking damage to their developing brains.

    Andrew McCartor of the anti-pollution activists Pure Earth explains why the economics of battery recycling make it such an intractable problem, while Adam Muellerweiss of the major global battery manufacturer Clarios explains what he thinks needs to be done to make recycling a fully closed-loop process, as it is in the developed world. Plus industry journalist Christian Ruoff explains why the rise of electric vehicles does not spell the end of lead acid batteries.

    (Picture: Used batteries piled up at a recycling plant in Russia; Credit: Peter Kovalev\TASS via Getty Images)

17. The battle for football

    11 mei 2021 · 18 min

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    Why plans for a European Super League won't go away. Ed Butler speaks to James Montague, author of the book The Billionaires Club: The Unstoppable Rise of Football’s Super-rich Owners, about why creating a Europe-wide league of the richest clubs made so much sense to football club owners with backgrounds in US sport. Spanish football journalist Semra Hunter explains why for Spanish clubs, the ESL is seen as the only way to guarantee their financial survival. And Keiran Maguire, accountant and lecturer in football finance, tells us why the swift collapse of the ESL plans could prompt owners to sell up. Lees meer

    (Photo: Fans protest outside Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, Credit: Getty Images)

18. Can flying go green?

    10 mei 2021 · 18 min

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    Paying extra to offset your carbon emissions may sound like a good idea. But does planting trees or paying to save a rainforest actually reduce your carbon footprint? Travel writer Manchán Magan and climate scientist Thales West explain why they're sceptical. We also hear from one of America's leading airlines, United, which is increasing the number of flights powered by waste products and old cooking fat. United's head of global environmental affairs Lauren Riley tells us more. Lees meer

    Photo: A plane casts a shadow over a forest (Credit: Getty)

19. Business Weekly: 08/05/2021

    8 mei 2021 · 50 min

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    On this edition of Business Weekly, we look at the battle between the makers of one of the world’s biggest computer games, Fortnite, and the world’s biggest tech company, Apple. The court case could have implications for how app stores and payment models are run in the future. We also take a look at the jewellery sector and hear two different tales of sustainability - from those selling diamonds made in a laboratory and those digging them out of the ground. Plus, we head to campuses in the United States, where universities cash in on the popularity of college sports, while the players themselves - the students – rarely see a penny for their efforts. That is quickly changing, but perhaps too rapidly for some observers. Business Weekly is presented by Sasha Twining and produced by Matthew Davies. Lees meer

20. Who owns colour?

    7 mei 2021 · 17 min

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    Scientists, artists and some of the world’s biggest companies are carving up the visual spectrum, and claiming certain colours as their own, so who does have a right to use the colours of the rainbow? We explore the ongoing rift over the worlds “blackest black” Vantablack, which was created by engineering firm Surrey Nanosystems, and can only be used by the artist Anish Kapoor. Contemporary British artist Stuart Semple argues that creativity should not be limited by commercial agreements, while Surrey Nanosystems executive Ben Jensen explains that the material is not suitable for general use. Author Kassia St Clair explores the meaning and history of colour, and we hear how interpretations of colour have changed from Julie Irish, an assistant professor specialising in colour, at the College of Design in Iowa. Lees meer

    Note: Surrey NanoSystems has clarified their material Vantablack isn’t toxic, as described by one speaker in this programme, but can be an irritant.

    This programme is a repeat from January 2021.

    (Picture of a colour splash via Getty Images).

21. Life after Jack Ma

    6 mei 2021 · 18 min

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    What next for China's giant tech companies? Ed Butler speaks to China watcher Richard McGregor at the Lowy Institute in Sydney about why China's leaders have clipped the wings of Jack Ma, the country's most famous business leader and founder of the tech giant Alibaba. Chinese tech sector analyst Rui Ma argues that closer regulation of China's giant tech companies will be good for competition, while Rebecca Fannin, author of Tech Titans of China, worries about the impact on innovation. Eswar Prasad, economics and trade policy professor at Cornell University in the US, outlines the challenge China faces in balancing its desire for control over its tech entrepreneurs with its need for innovation and growth. Lees meer

    (Photo: Jack Ma pictured in Paris in 2019, Credit: Getty Images)

22. Electric vehicles hit the big time

    5 mei 2021 · 18 min

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    The car industry is preparing to go fully electric sooner than you might imagine - and not just because of the climate crisis. Lees meer

    Justin Rowlatt speaks to Bjorn Annwall, head of Volvo Cars in Europe, about why his company is one of a string of major carmakers to rush out plans in recent months to electrify their business. They intend to stop selling internal combustion engine cars as soon as 2030. What's driving it is the rapid improvement and collapsing cost of the batteries at their heart, according to Madeline Tyson of the clean energy technology research group RMI.

    But how willing will people be to give up the glamour and roar of their engines for the silent speed of electric vehicles? Norway-based researcher Schalk Cloete fears that despite the technical advances, their limited range remains a deal-killer for many families. But EV fanatic and former Top Gear presenter Quentin Willson says give people a couple of days' test drive and they will soon be won over.

    Producer: Laurence Knight

    (Picture: Electric car logo; Credit: Lya Cattel/Getty Images)

23. Will Covid decimate India's middle class?

    4 mei 2021 · 18 min

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    Millions of Indians risk being knocked back into poverty by the current explosion in coronavirus infections. Lees meer

    Rahul Tandon hears from Radhika, who abruptly lost her job in Mumbai when India went into lockdown last year, and has since struggled with thoughts of suicide. Newspaper columnist Sandip Roy discusses how Covid threatens to strip many self-identifying middle class of their sense of comfort and security. Meanwhile, many women who run their own businesses face ruin, according Renu Shah, who runs Shakti - an organisation that helps women entrepreneurs.

    We also hear opposing views on how big a setback the middle class faces from Covid from two leading Indian economists - Pravin Krishna of John Hopkins University, and Jayati Ghosh of Jawaharlal Nehru University.

    (Picture: A Covid-19 patient in Gurudwara, India; Credit: Naveen Sharma/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

24. Making multinationals pay

    3 mei 2021 · 18 min

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    It could be the biggest shake-up of corporate taxation in history. But can President Biden's push for a minimum global rate succeed? He wants multinational companies to pay a rate of at least 21%. The proposal is likely to face opposition from smaller economies. Tech consultant Pamela Newenham explains how Ireland's low tax regime has helped to transform the country's capital. Others say the proposal doesn't go far enough. We hear why from Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz. We also hear from the man leading the charge for reform at the OECD, Pascal Saint-Amans, and Danny McCoy, head of Ireland's biggest business group. Lees meer

    Picture: Stock photo of a yellow warning sign on a fence (Credit: Getty)

25. Business Weekly: 01/05/2021

    1 mei 2021 · 50 min

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    A “once in a generation investment” is what Joe Biden offered the American people this week. He presented his American Jobs plan and American Families Plan to Congress to mark his first 100 days in office. Can he deliver? Also, will business travel resume once the pandemic has ended? Airlines and hotels are dependent on business travel - but now that so many people have adapted to virtual meetings, will frequent fliers ever want to get back to the departure lounges? And why do cities change their names? And what are the costs involved? The South African city of Port Elizabeth has rejected the colonial overtones of its former moniker - and is now called Gqeberha. The Chief Executive of Bollinger Champagne tells us why he’s bought up a vineyard in the United States and how the brand first became associated with James Bond. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies. Lees meer

26. Men and cosmetic surgery

    30 april 2021 · 18 min

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    More men have considered cosmetic treatments during the pandemic. Has spending more time at home staring at ourselves in video conferencing made us more worried about our appearance, and have the pressures of ageism in the workplace also had an impact. Ed Butler speaks to psychologist Helena Lewis Smith, and Past President of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons Dr Alan Matarasso about just what’s motivating men to make more changes. Plus, he tries a treatment for himself. Lees meer

    (PHOTO: Ed Butler checking out his frown lines at a cosmetic clinic in London, Credit: BBC)

27. Biden's trillions

    29 april 2021 · 18 min

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    The US president announces a massive spending plan for the US economy, with trillions of dollars earmarked for jobs and infrastructure. But is it too ambitious for Republicans to support? Ed Butler speaks to Ryan Heath, senior editor at Politico, and Gordon Hanson, professor of urban policy at Harvard Kennedy School. Hundreds of billions of dollars are also planned for the US's creaking healthcare system. Carer Sharon Tosten and democrat Debbie Dingell explain why it's needed. Lees meer

    (Photo: US President Joe Biden outlines his spending plans to Congress, Credit: Getty Images)

28. Changing a city's name

    28 april 2021 · 17 min

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    What’s in a name? It’s something that Shakespeare’s Juliet pondered. But what’s in the name of a city? And what are the economic and social costs for a city which opts to change it’s name? Lots have done so down the years – New Amsterdam became New York City and Istanbul became Contantinople. Last year, the residents of Asbestos in Canada choose a new name for their city. And back in February, the South African city of Port Elizabeth became Gqeberha. Matthew Davies speaks to Christian Martin an activist who pushed for that name change, as well as local mayor, Nqaba Bhanga, who strongly resisted it. Business owner, David Stopforth, tells Business Daily that he’s been left counting the cost of the name change to his small print firm. Meanwhile, Andy Marchant from Tom Tom says changing place names is not an altogether easy process for the satellite navigation companies. And Tirthankar Roy, professor of economic history at the London School of Economics, ponders whether part of the essence of a city’s past is lost when it changes its name. Lees meer

29. Does business travel have a future?

    27 april 2021 · 18 min

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    Why fly when you can videoconference? After a year of Covid lockdowns, that's the question many business executives are asking themselves. Lees meer

    Manuela Saragosa speaks to one frequent flyer, Juliette Kayyem, who says that after a year of being grounded, she now thinks more about time with her kids, not to mention the carbon footprint of all her air miles. And she's not the only one - business travel consultant Scott Gillespie says corporate travel managers across the planet are now using the opportunity to reassess the financial and climate cost of their entire corporate travel policy.

    So should the airlines and travel agencies be afraid? After all, business clients pay the fattest profit margins. We ask Jeffrey Goh, chief executive of the world's biggest airline grouping, the Star Alliance, plus Evan Konwiser of American Express' global business travel agency.

    Producer: Laurence Knight

    (Picture: A woman with a suitcase at the Madrid airport; Credit: Alejandro Martinez Velez/Europa Press via Getty Images)

30. Covid in paradise

    26 april 2021 · 18 min

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    How are small island tourist destinations like the Caribbean island state of Antigua and Barbuda coping with the shutdown of global travel? Lees meer

    Manuela Saragosa speaks to the Antiguan Minister of Tourism Charles Fernandez about the innovative steps his country took to continue welcoming holidaymakers from North America and Europe last year, while keeping them safely contained within their own beachside bubbles.

    The pandemic has been devastating for the travel industry more generally, according to Helen McDermott of Oxford Economics. Among those hardest hit are aircrew. Former pilot Matthew Wilson tells how he ended up relocating halfway across the planet to become a gardener after his airline went into liquidation. Meanwhile Jeffrey Goh of the Star Alliance global grouping of major airlines says they urgently need world governments to agree the conditions under which restrictions on travel can finally be lifted.

    Producer: Laurence Knight

    (Picture: Mother, child in face masks have fun on sea beach; Credit: Bicho_raro/Getty Images)

31. Business Weekly: 24/04/2021

    24 april 2021 · 50 min

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    As India battles a surge in Covid cases and hospital beds become scarce, Business Weekly hears how social media is helping connect patients with medical help. Several areas of the country have gone back into lockdown. We get reaction from businesses. In Denmark, the authorities have introduced a Corona Pass, which lets the vaccinated attend various events. Our reporter looks at how well it’s working. We look at the online advertising industry as several big companies scale back their digital marketing spend. The suggestion is that they aren’t seeing the returns on investment they perhaps should be, and that data doesn’t always give an accurate idea of success. Could a bubble be about to burst? And is your boss clueless? We hear about a new piece of research from Microsoft which suggests managers aren’t aware of how lockdown has affected their workers. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies. Lees meer

32. Big Data, conspiracy theories and ‘Magical Thinking’

    23 april 2021 · 17 min

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    Filmmaker Adam Curtis questions the value of Big Data in society. In his latest BBC series, 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head', Curtis explores "Love, power, money, ghosts of empire, conspiracies, artificial intelligence – and You." Curtis spoke to Business Daily's Ed Butler about how the rise of artificial intelligence, Big Data and targeted advertising have come to shape the way we see our world and caused us to feel helpless within it. He also explains that the psychological experiments which underpin our faith in the effectiveness of such technologies might not be as reliable as once thought, which Curtis says gives us some cause for hope. Lees meer

    Producer: Frey Lindsay.
    (Picture credit: Adam Curtis/BBC)

33. Is the digital ad market overvalued?

    22 april 2021 · 17 min

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    Large companies have slashed their digital marketing budget. Airbnb and Procter & Gamble made such a cut in recent years, after coming to believe the cost doesn’t necessarily translate to increased sales. They follow in the footsteps of eBay who, in 2013, announced it would cease paying for ad sponsorship on Google. Economics professor Steve Tadelis, who led eBay’s research into this, explains how they came to conclude advertising wasn’t worth it. Also in the programme, brand safety advocate and co-founder of Check My Ads Nandini Jammi explains how the modern digital ad market works, and where some doubts lay about its effectiveness. Luke Smith of marketing consultancy Croud says companies need to be clearer in what they want from digital marketing, in order to get the most out of it. But what if the market is overvalued as a whole? Former Google employee Tim Hwang, author of ‘Subprime Attention Crisis’ says we might be looking at an inflated market that could threaten a financial crash online.
    Producer: Frey Lindsay.
    (Picture credit: Getty Creative) Lees meer

34. Can Biden woo the world on climate change?

    21 april 2021 · 18 min

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    President Biden hosts a virtual summit this week as the US seeks global climate action. But can he convince the rest of the world to go further and faster on cutting carbon emissions when the country has been out of the game for the past four years? Justin Rowlatt asks former US climate envoy Todd Stern and Isabel Hilton, founder of China dialogue. And, in a world where some countries are rolling back protections, can consensus still be found? We hear from the heart of the Brazilian rainforest, where the environmental police say they are losing the war against the loggers. Lisa Viscidi, director of the energy and climate change programme at the Inter-American Dialogue think-tank, says the summit provides an opportunity for Latin American countries. Lees meer

    Photo: Climate protestors in Lyon, France hold up a sign saying 'SOS' (Credit: Getty).

35. Demille and the gig economy

    20 april 2021 · 18 min

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    In 2016 when producer Georgia first met him, Demille was a cycle courier in his early twenties, taking his company to a tribunal over better working conditions. He was fired-up, political, and excited about a case he would go on to win. Lees meer

    For the past five years, Georgia and Demille have been meeting and recording.

    Demille’s story is one of being young and trying to stay afloat in the gig economy; of resilience and hope and trying to find control over his city and life.

36. Meeting expectations

    19 april 2021 · 18 min

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    Every day 55 million meetings take place in the United States. But just how effective are they at actually getting stuff done? British comedian David Mitchell has been investigating how the meeting evolved and the "meeting-isation" of society. Lees meer

    (Picture: a man boring colleagues during a meeting. Credit: Getty Images.)

37. Business Weekly: 17/04/2021

    17 april 2021 · 50 min

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    The US is making overtures to China about working together to save the planet. On Business Weekly, we hear what concessions each side would like the other to make as they try to put aside their diplomatic differences for the sake of the environment. We also hear from climate activist Greta Thunberg, who tells us what her vision for the future is and what she’d like to see politicians doing. As the cargo ship Ever Given remains in the Suez Canal - this time impounded by the Egyptian authorities - we take a close look at the huge vessels in the shipping industry. At what point do companies have to start thinking about reducing the size of these mega ships? And drone racing is increasing in popularity. One pilot tells us what it’s like to fly drones competitively and whether you can make a living from it. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies. Lees meer

38. A part-time return to the office?

    16 april 2021 · 18 min

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    A hybrid model mixing home working with office time is being favoured by major companies. But critics worry it will create divisions in the workplace. Small business owner and columnist Gene Marks explains why managing remote workers presents such a challenge, and Darren Murph from GitLab, a tech firm of 1,300 employees and no office, tells us why having a mix of home and office work could be the worst of both worlds. Economist Nicholas Bloom discusses the risk of discriminating between workers who choose to spend more or less time in the office, and remote working expert Kate Lister tells us why companies will have to offer flexible working to attract employees in the future. Lees meer

    (Photo: A man works at home on his bed, Credit: Getty Images)

39. President Biden and his strategy for China

    15 april 2021 · 18 min

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    Will the US President continue with an increasingly hostile attitude towards China? Or does economic common sense demand that Washington should back off from Beijing? Ed Butler asks Diana Choyleva of Enodo Economics, and he chairs a debate between David Sacks of the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington DC and Kishore Mahbubani, a distinguished fellow at the National University of Singapore. Lees meer

    (Picture: US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Credit: Getty Images.)

40. Boom time for scammers

    14 april 2021 · 18 min

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    During the Coronavirus pandemic, people have been spending more time at home, and online, than ever before. This has given online scammers a golden opportunity to find new victims. And it’s worked. We’ll hear from Danielle in Illinois, who was caught up in just such a scam and lost thousands of dollars from her savings. And she’s not the only one. Craig Jones, Director of Cyber Crime at Interpol, describes the rise they’ve seen in all types of online scams during the pandemic. But why does lockdown make us more vulnerable? Dr. Stacey Wood, professor of psychology at Scripps College in California, breaks down how different demographics are made more vulnerable in their own ways. And if you or a loved one do get targeted by a scammer, Amy Nofziger at the American Association of Retired Persons Fraud Watch Network explains what to do. Lees meer

    Presenter: Tamasin Ford.
    Producers: Clare Williamson and Frey Lindsay.
    (Picture credit: Vasily Pindyurin via Getty Creative)

41. A conversation with Greta

    13 april 2021 · 18 min

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    The world’s most famous climate activist has just turned 18 and is as uncompromising as ever. Lees meer

    In an extended interview, Justin Rowlatt asks Greta Thunberg how she intends to continue campaigning, now that she is back in school and living under lockdown at her family home in Stockholm.

    Before the pandemic, the Swedish environmentalist had spent several months travelling around America in an electric vehicle lent to her by Arnold Schwarzenegger. A TV documentary crew shadowed her as she visited scientists, entrepreneurs and victims of wild fires, while also attending climate conferences and protesting.

    She tells us what she learned, and why she believes the climate emergency is more dire than ever before.

    Producer: Laurence Knight

    (Picture: Greta Thunberg at home in a video conference with Justin Rowlatt)

42. Telegram in the spotlight

    12 april 2021 · 18 min

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    After becoming the most downloaded non-gaming app earlier this year, Telegram messaging app has amassed half a billion users – a quarter of WhatsApp’s and rising. Owned by the elusive Russian exile Pavel Durov, Telegram has been used to coordinate global protest movements - from Belarus to Iran and Hong Kong. It’s also been accused of tolerating the extremist channels behind ISIS and the Capitol Hill riots. Lees meer

    But in its home country, Russia, misogyny appears to be permitted on the platform. Ivana Davidovic hears from women who worried for their safety when their personal information, including addresses and workplace details, were posted on Telegram channels, subjecting them to threats.

    Professor Megan Squire from Elon University in the US tells how she also received threats following her research into far-right groups on the platform, and about her fears that those groups might only get bigger if Telegram proceeds with plans to pay content creators.

    Digital security expert Raphael Mimoun looks under the app’s bonnet, explaining whether its privacy promises to users are up to scratch. And journalist Max Seddon profiles the founder and CEO Pavel Durov.

43. Business Weekly: 10/04/2021

    10 april 2021 · 49 min

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    Voters in Greenland have backed a party which opposes a rare earth mining project. On Business Weekly, we ask what this means for the security of the global supply of rare minerals and hear why this project was so controversial. From the ice to the ocean, where the race to extract minerals is on. But environmentalists are concerned that deep sea mining could hurt the world’s oceans, even if they are being mined to help the environment in other ways. You may have heard of the term non-fungible token, but do you know what they are and how they work? We look at whether they are just another crypto craze or an amazing financial opportunity for digital artists. Plus, how to learn the art of complaining. The show is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies. Lees meer

44. Mega ships

    9 april 2021 · 18 min

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    After the Ever Given blocked the Suez Canal last month, we ask: are container ships too big? How much bigger can they get? To answer those questions we speak to Aslak Ross, head of marine standards at the world’s largest container shipping line, Maersk. Jan Hoffman, head of trade and logistics at the UN's Conference on Trade and Development, explains that economies of scale have led to the ships getting bigger and bigger. And Evert Lataire, head of maritime technology at Ghent University, describes how he assesses whether a mega ship can fit into a port, or through a canal. Lees meer

    Picture: the Ever Given container ship lodged sideways in the Panama Canal. Credit: Getty Images.)

45. Mining the ocean

    8 april 2021 · 18 min

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    How rocks on the ocean floor could be key to the transition to electric cars. Justin Rowlatt speaks to Gerard Barron, boss of DeepGreen, a company that wants to gather rocks from the ocean floors rich in the metals essential for making electric car batteries. He tells us why this kind of mining is crucial to transitioning away from fossil fuels. Louisa Casson, senior campaigner with Greenpeace, warns of the environmental devastation this could cause. And zoologist Adrian Glover tells us how mining could take place alongside conservation of the deep seabed. Lees meer

    (Photo: A sunset over an ocean, Credit: Getty Images)

46. Tracing cotton’s DNA

    7 april 2021 · 17 min

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    Can technology help eradicate forced labour from global cotton supplies? A confrontation continues to rise between Western powers, global brands, and the Chinese authorities over the use of forced labour and human rights abuse in cotton production in the western region of Xinjiang. Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch, explains why transparency from the Chinese authorities over the whole cotton supply chain is unlikely to be forthcoming. With that in mind, some technology companies are volunteering their services to mark or trace the DNA of cotton, so apparel companies can be sure that it's not from a region with suspected forced labour. Jim Hayward, CEO of Applied DNA Sciences, explains how their particular cotton tagging technology works. But John Gapper, business columnist at the Financial Times, cautions that without larger industry willingness to uproot their business models, at considerable cost, the tech can only go so far to solve the problem. Lees meer

    Presenter: Tamasin Ford
    Producer: Frey Lindsay

    (Picture: Cotton from fields in Xinjiang, China is displayed in the palm of a cotton-picker's hand. Picture credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

47. Where art and cryptocurrency meet...

    6 april 2021 · 17 min

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    When the world of crypto currencies met with the world of art, they created what's called a non-fungible tokens or NFT. Some say NFTs could redefine what we think of as art while others think it’s just the latest crypto craze that may well end in financial losses and tears.
    (Picture: Artwork by Jazmine Boykins/ Blacksneakers, courtesy of the artist) Lees meer

48. What happens to whistleblowers

    5 april 2021 · 18 min

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    How exposing the truth at work can cost you your career. Theo Leggett speaks to whistleblowers Ian Foxley and Bianca Goodson, both of whom found it impossible to get a new job after exposing wrongdoing at their respective employers. Psychotherapist David Morgan describes the emotional toll on those who choose to expose wrongdoing, and why the majority stay silent. And whistleblower lawyer Mary Inman, partner at the law firm Constantine Cannon, argues that companies need to start seeing whistleblowing as a help rather than a threat. Lees meer

    (Picture credit: Getty Images)

49. Business Weekly: 03/04/2021

    3 april 2021 · 49 min

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    Some of the world’s biggest investment banks have been left exposed as a hedge fund collapsed, leaving multi-billion dollar losses in its wake. Archegos Capital Management was a secretive personal wealth fund - we find out why banks like Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse and Nomura dealt with it. We hear why a European Union ban on palm oil in biofuel has left both Indonesia and Malaysia upset and as Bangladesh celebrates its 50th birthday we ask whether the textile industry will be able to support the country into the future. Plus, we celebrate 30 years of business programmes on the BBC World Service. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies. Lees meer

50. How to complain

    2 april 2021 · 17 min

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    In this programme, Elizabeth Hotson looks at the art of demanding good service. From dealing with customer services to having conversations with chatbots, we’ll be giving some practical tips for getting what you want. Whilst some people love making their voices heard, Dr. Robin Kowalski, professor of psychology at Clemson University in South Carolina explains why some people’s personalities make complaining a nightmare. Meanwhile, Sabine Benoit, Professor of Marketing at Surrey Business School looks at the customer services conundrum inherent in many food delivery apps. Imogen Butler-Cole, a trainer in communications skills at RADA Business gives practical advice on how to prepare physically and psychologically for making a complaint and author Alison Edgar explains why effective complaining is all about adapting your approach to different situations. Producer: Elizabeth Hotson. (Picture of two people shouting, Credit: Getty Images). Lees meer