Business Daily

What children owe their parents

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Is it up to children to support their parents financially? Manuela Saragosa hears from Lamees Wajahat in Canada, who has been supporting her parents t...

Business Weekly

21 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this edition of Business Weekly, we look at Britain’s drive to go green, and how effective the proposed ban on sales of new petrol and diesel car...

How Africa's economies are withstanding Coronavirus

20 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Many African countries have been praised for waging effective campaigns against coronavirus, and the region has a relatively low case count compared t...

Can Fintech fuel Africa’s Covid recovery?

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

2019 was a landmark year for investment into digital financial services, or Fintech, across Africa. Despite the pandemic, the Fintech scene is not onl...

Your digital legacy

18 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The companies managing your online life after death. Ed Butler speaks to Tom Ainsworth, CEO of Memories, an online memorial service that provides mess...

Varoufakis: My alternative to capitalism

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With Covid rampaging and many economies on life-support, some say we need to look beyond capitalism. A blue-sky thinker, the outspoken former Greek fi...

The Pink Frontline

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A lack of legal protection in many parts of the world leaves many transgender employees vulnerable. Few countries offer legal protection against discr...

Business Weekly

14 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Excitement and hope this week as the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer said it believed that its Covid-19 vaccine is 90% effective. On this edition of Busin...

The problem with polling

13 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Is the polling industry the real loser in the American presidential elections? Pollsters have come in for criticism that they misjudged President-elec...

Does 'Green Finance' offer a solution to climate change?

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ahead of the 2021 Climate Change Conference, big names in the world of finance are banding together to create ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions....

Ukraine’s fight against corruption

11 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ukraine is in the midst of a constitutional crisis. The President Volodymyr Zelensky says the judiciary are blocking anti-corruption reform. The top j...

The 'milestone' vaccine is already having an effect

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Stock markets have rocketed on hopes of a Covid-19 vaccine breakthrough. The BBC's Business Editor Simon Jack explains who the winners and losers have...

US Elections: How will Biden approach the economy?

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

US President-elect Joe Biden is to make tackling the coronavirus pandemic his top priority following his win over Donald Trump, his team says. Larry S...

Business Weekly

07 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After a nail-biting week, the Oval Office is within Joe Biden’s grasp - on this edition of business weekly we’ll ask what this means for US econom...

Uber and Lyft's big win

06 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When they cast their votes for US president, Californians also approved a change to the law allowing gig economy companies like Uber and Lyft to keep ...

What does this all mean for the US economy?

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Vote counting continues in a handful of key battleground states which will determine the outcome of the US presidential election. Democratic candidate...

The billionaires' pandemic

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The world's richest people have become even richer this year, despite an economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Manuela Saragosa spea...

Lessons from the homeless

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Manuela Saragosa finds out what happened when fifty homeless people were gifted thousands of dollars each. The gifts were part of a social project in ...

Business Weekly

31 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The new Japanese prime minister has pledged to make his country carbon neutral by 2050. On this edition of Business Weekly we ask how he’s planning ...

What do parents owe adult children?

30 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to those who argue parents should give their children money long into adulthood - and others who say the whole of society should be responsib...

How Dharavi coped with coronavirus

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Has one the biggest slums in India escaped the worst of Covid-19? Dharavi is one of the biggest slums in India, if not the whole of Asia. Ed Butler he...

The nuclear industry dreams small

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Could the future of nuclear power be the mass production of cheap small modular reactors?Justin Rowlatt visits a UK-based consortium led by Rolls Royc...

Cinemas: Open, but nothing to show

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Delays to Hollywood blockbusters are prompting a crisis in the cinema industry. Movie studios are putting their biggest releases on hold while the pan...

How to spot fake news

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A former CIA analyst shares her tips on separating what’s true from what’s false. There’s been a lot of nervousness about the role of social med...

Business Weekly

24 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How successful has President Trump's America First policy been? On Business Weekly we assess the legacy of his first term and ask what the world wants...

Why BP is betting against oil

23 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Is the fossil fuel industry being too complacent about the speed at which renewable energy will disrupt their business in the next three decades?That'...

Contact tracing apps: Worth the hype?

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Why contact tracing technology has been slow to make an impact. Ed Butler speaks to Jenny Wanger from the Linux Foundation Public Health in the US whe...

Google hit by competition lawsuit

21 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The US government has filed charges against Google, accusing the company of violating competition law to preserve its monopoly over internet searches ...

Trading with the USA

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When President Trump came to power in 2016 he vowed he would scrap the international trade agreements he believed had cost a huge number of US jobs, a...

Biotech: Guilt-free palm oil?

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A commodity associated with the destruction of tropical rainforest in South East Asia may soon have a synthetic replacement.But can it match palm oil'...

Business Weekly

17 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Golden passports and cash for citizenship - a legitimate way to for countries to get investment or a scheme open to abuse and corruption? That’s the...

Brexit - ready or not

16 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As talks between the EU and the UK enter their final stretch, what sort of Brexit are businesses preparing for? Manuela Saragosa speaks to Chayenne Wi...

Africa's animation scene: Ready for takeoff

15 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been a tough year for much of the entertainment industry, with the pandemic causing production to be halted on all but a few projects. Filming ...

Over 50 and out of work

14 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What's it like for older people losing their job during the Covid pandemic?Tamasin Ford speaks to 59 year old lighting crew chief Michael Heggett. He'...

Sexism in African investment

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Why do female entrepreneurs in Africa not get the investment capital they need? When women are navigating the male dominated finance and start-up scen...

The future of Hong Kong

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Can Hong Kong retain its position as Asia's financial capital? The National Security Law passed in Hong Kong saw violent protests in the middle of 202...

Business Weekly

10 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Are big technology companies the modern versions of monopolistic oil barons or simply innovative companies that provide a service to enthusiastic cons...

The end of the oil era

09 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How will the energy transition transform geopolitics? Which countries will be the winners and losers?The answers may not be as obvious as you might th...

The end of the line for cruise ships?

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Can the cruise ship industry survive? Once a lucrative market, with giant vessels boasting 100% occupancy, cruises have been all but wiped out since t...

Does big tech need a reboot?

07 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A leading Silicon Valley boss says big tech companies need more empathy and diversity. Maelle Gavet, is a French-born tech entrepreneur with experienc...

Is Facebook bad for democracy?

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How the social media platform is poisoning politics around the world. A former Facebook employee says she has "blood on my hands" after struggling to ...

Is it time to rethink the electricity grid?

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Are our century-old grids fit for the era of solar and wind power, or is a completely new kind of electricity transmission needed?Justin Rowlatt looks...

Business Weekly

03 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week saw the rather unedifying spectacle of the first 2020 US presidential debate. Did either of the candidates offer solid policies on the econo...

Final countdown for a Brexit trade deal

02 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Why state aid may be the sticking point for a Brexit trade deal(Image: Two boxing gloves punching each other, one with the UK flag, one with the EU fl...

Trump's taxes

01 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What can the New York Times' revelations can tell us about the President's financial affairs?President Trump paid only $750 in tax federal income taxe...

Facebook's face-off in Australia

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Should Facebook and Google pay for news that appears on their platforms? The Australian government thinks so. It’s drafted a law that would force th...

China to the rescue?

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

President Xi Jinping made a big surprise announcement on Tuesday - that China is committing to cut its net carbon emissions to zero by 2060.But why ha...

Business Weekly

26 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What will get the swing states swinging? That’s the question we ask on this edition of Business Weekly as we take an in-depth look at Pennsylvania, ...

London's dirty financial secrets

25 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How some of the world's biggest banks are helping criminals launder money through the UK capital. The BBC's Andy Verity describes what a major new lea...

Venture capital in Africa

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Funding for African tech start-ups is booming. But only if you’re not African. Odunayo Eweniyi, is the co-founder of the first online savings and in...

Why is fashion still not sustainable?

23 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Making designer fashion more sustainable has been a cause célèbre for decades, so why hasn’t it happened yet? At the close of London Fashion Week,...

Craft beer in a pandemic

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Brewing, like many industries, has had to adapt during the coronavirus pandemic. And whilst this can be a logistical nightmare, the current crisis mig...

Has Coronavirus killed the nightclub?

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Nightclubs around the world are struggling to survive with social distancing guidelines. The social effect is palpable, especially for the younger gen...

Business Weekly

19 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There are less than two months to go until the presidential election in the United States. Both candidates and parties have framed it as something of ...

US Elections: California burning

18 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The West Coast wildfires have lifted climate change to the top of the campaign agenda, but will it actually shift any votes? It highlights one of shar...

US Elections: The end of Reaganomics?

17 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Will the elections usher in a sea-change in economic thinking, after 40 years dominated by small government conservatism?Manuela Saragosa speaks to on...

US Elections: Immigrants welcome?

16 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump's crackdown on immigrants is popular with his core voters, but less so with corporate America.Manuela Saragosa asks whether this natio...

US Elections: What it means for healthcare

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Voters will soon decide who will be the next President of the United States, with healthcare – both the Coronavirus response and health coverage in ...

US Elections: The view from Beijing

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tensions with China have simmered for the past three years ever since President Trump initiated the so-called trade war.As Ed Butler hears from tech a...

Biotech: The future of food

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Would you feel better tucking into a juicy steak knowing that the cow it comes from is still happily living out its life in a field somewhere? Biotech...

Business Weekly

12 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Business Weekly hears from the industry that brings viruses back from the dead. The world of biotechnology is rapidly evolving - it recreates the stuf...

Biotech: The future of materials

11 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Can spider silk and grasshopper rubber, brewed by vats of genetically modified microbes, wean us off our addiction to oil-based plastics?Manuela Sarag...

Biotech: How can it stay safe?

10 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Genetically modified microbes could herald a new industrial revolution - but the technology also poses new dangers.Manuela Saragosa speaks to someone ...

The economics of banning alcohol

09 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After several countries banned alcohol as part of their lockdown measures, we ask if prohibition ever works?Ed Butler reports from South Africa, where...

Democracy for sale?

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist Peter Geoghegan describes the many ways in which private money is corrupting democratic politics, encouraging chaos and fuelling public cyn...

Why doesn’t the economy care about older women?

07 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Many women feel they are ignored by the larger economy after they reach a certain age, and some of them aren't willing to accept that. Tamasin Ford sp...

Business Weekly

05 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As evidence mounts that Chinese authorities are continuing to incarcerate Uighur Muslims in work camps in the North West of the country we discuss the...

Africa's malware problem

04 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Many Africans are buying Chinese-made smartphones that steal their information. Investigations have shown that the cheap devices are pre-installed wit...

Can Western universities survive without China?

03 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Some universities fear they have become too financially dependent on fee-paying Chinese students - and thanks to Covid-19, many of them are staying aw...

Would you buy a T-shirt made with slave labour?

03 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

China is accused of detaining millions of people from the Uighur ethnic minority and forcing them to work in factories. Pressure is mounting on foreig...

Restaurants adapting to survive

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Catering and hospitality are among the sectors worst hit by the global coronavirus pandemic, with many governments banning in-house dining. Manuela Sa...

Boredom: The secret to creativity?

31 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Why being bored might be good for us. Ed Butler speaks to Kate Greene, a science writer who experienced months of isolation as part of a project to te...

Business Weekly

29 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Two ancient and archeologically priceless rock shelters in Western Australia were destroyed earlier this year by the mining company Rio Tinto. On this...

Biotech: The future of farming

28 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Does farming as we know it have a future? We hear from those who argue biotechnology is about to disrupt agriculture for good.Shifting diets and food ...

Romance scamming: A global industry

26 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Many of us will have noticed 'friend' or 'follow' requests on our social media from strangers with profiles which don’t quite ring true. They mainly...

Education in Africa

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Is the continent looking at a lost generation of students as Covid-19 forces the majority of education ministries to scrap the entire 2020 Academic ye...

A nudge in the right direction

24 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Can a simple nudge change behaviour for the common good - even in potentially life and death situations? Elizabeth Hotson talks to Helena Rubenstein, ...

Business Weekly

22 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Protests have continued in the former Soviet country of Belarus this week and workers have started to strike. How will that affect the struggle for re...

Will TikTok find a US buyer?

21 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump has given the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok a deadline to sell off its US operations, or else he will have it shut down in th...

Sudan: Dealing with Covid and Sanctions

20 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Efforts to get healthcare and support materials into Sudan to assist their battle against Coroniavirus are being impeded by sanctions on the country. ...

Breaking the silence in Belarus

19 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

President Lukashenko has remained defiant in the face of growing protests at his disputed re-election, threatening striking workers with being fired, ...

African women and Covid

18 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Coronavirus has impacted economies in every corner of the globe but there’s a fear it’s hitting women’s economic opportunities hardest. Tamasin ...

Coronavirus: A disaster for feminism?

17 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The impact of the pandemic on gender inequality. Tamasin Ford speaks to Lauren Currie, CEO of Stride and founder of Upfront - organisations focused on...

Business Weekly

15 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s programme we’ll be looking at the family rift in Syria which threatens yet more turmoil for the war-torn country. Just why is the c...

Destruction and corruption in Beirut

14 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The businesses hoping to rebuild after Beirut's port explosion. Tamasin Ford speaks to Aline Kamakian, whose restaurant and office were both destroyed...

Does online networking work?

13 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Conferences during Covid-19: Jane Wakefield explores the challenges that big international events have faced this year in moving events online.She spe...

US evictions crisis?

12 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Millions of Americans face loss of benefits and eviction, threatening to push the US into a deepening recession, after Congress failed to extend the C...

A family rift in Syria

11 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Why does the President of Syria seemingly want to destroy his cousin Rami Makhlouf?President Bashar al-Assad of Syria seems hell-bent on unseating his...

Rich and frugal?

10 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Why do some of the super rich describe themselves as frugal? Is it something about the inner psyche that makes us natural savers or spenders? Elizabet...

Business Weekly

08 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lockdowns around the world has seen our energy usage plunge, but as restrictions ease will countries build back better? On Business Weekly we get the ...

Paid not to work: Burden or opportunity?

07 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In order to try and stem a wave of coronavirus-induced unemployment, governments around the world introduced job retention schemes. Many of these are ...

Trump's climate rollback

06 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Environmental regulations are being systematically weakened and repealed by the US government.Justin Rowlatt speaks to someone trying to keep track of...

Evading sanctions

05 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How easy is it to get around sanctions? The US has for some years used financial sanctions to target those it blames for corruption or supporting terr...

Will live streaming gigs save the music industry?

04 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Musicians tell us how they are finding innovative ways to get around the pandemic and perform live to their fans.It's a very real problem - the BBC's ...

"Gaia Hypothesis" creator celebrates 101 years

03 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Veteran environmentalist James Lovelock reflects on his career and the planet's future, as he turns 101 years old. The independent scientist, Wollasto...

Business Weekly

01 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s estimated that a quarter of a billion people could lose their jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. On Business Weekly we ask whether g...

Homeworking: Is it messing with your head?

31 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Working from home could outlast the pandemic. But workers' experiences with homeworking in lockdown are not all positive. Manuela Saragosa speaks to s...

Bolivia's lithium bonanza

30 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Salar de Uyuni is a stunning pristine salt flat high in the Andes - it is also the world's biggest lithium deposit, worth many billions of dollars...

What actually happened in Sweden?

29 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sweden, a nation of 10 million, has one of the highest death rates per capita in the world, far above its Scandinavian neighbours. A decision was take...

Are companies really committed to diversity?

28 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

US companies are spending around $8 billion a year on diversity training. Neal Goodman has been running “unconscious bias” training for decades, a...