Business Daily

Bottoms Up!

31 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How did whisky become the world's favourite tipple? Elizabeth Hotson discovers the secrets behind the water of life.Rachel McCormack, author of Chasin...

Africa's Missing Maps

28 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What role can businesses play in filling Africa's cartographical gaps? And can better maps help fight diseases like cholera?In her third and final pro...

The Housing Crisis that Never Went Away

27 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The property market in some US cities has still not recovered from the 2008 meltdown, while others may be seeing the return of risky subprime lending....

Russian Money, Cypriot Haven

26 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Five years ago, Cyprus was in crisis. An international bail-out worth over ten billion dollars saved the economy from meltdown, but also cemented the ...

Spice Islands & Slavery

25 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The history of the spice trade, and the human misery behind it, is explored by Katie Prescott.Katie travels to the spice island of Zanzibar in the Ind...

Inhaling in LA

24 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Will legal cannabis and smart scooters help transform the atmosphere that Angelenos breathe? Jane Wakefield reports from the Los Angeles on two hi-tec...

Modern Love in India

21 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Are dating apps like Tinder speeding up the decline of the arranged marriage in India? Manuela Saragosa speaks to the brains behind three apps competi...

Huawei: Who are they?

20 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Is the telecoms equipment provider a front for Chinese espionage or just the victim of the escalating US-China dispute? Why don't Western governments ...

DR Congo and Electric Cars

19 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Presidential elections in the DRC this weekend come after 17 years of conflict-ridden rule under controversial president Joseph Kabila. Leading busine...

Robots and Video Games for Old People

18 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How technology can help look after an ageing population. Ed Butler visits a care home in Japan where robots are used to help dementia patients, and he...

Bangalore: India's Silicon Valley?

17 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The people vying for success in India's tech startup scene. Rahul Tandon explores how Bangalore has turned into a hub for Indian tech startups, and me...

Young, Gifted and Black

14 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Racism persists in the workplace - how do we stop it blighting another generation of talent?Vishala Sri-Pathma visits Deji Adeoshun, leader of the Mov...

How to Be Uncertain

13 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

These are uncertain times. The British Prime Minister Theresa May has survived a vote of confidence in her leadership, but the future of her Brexit de...

Doing Business amid Brexit Chaos

12 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Businesses are getting exasperated by the uncertainty over whether and how the UK will leave the EU in three-and-a-half months' time. Britain faces th...

Billion-Dollar Eels

11 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

European glass eels are worth a fortune in East Asia, where they're regarded as a delicacy in restaurants in China and Japan. But the lucrative smuggl...

The Mug that Stood Up to the Mailman

10 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has threatened to pull the US out of the global postal system, after receiving a letter from the inventor of the "Mighty Mug".Jayme Smald...

The Internet: Welcome to Creepsville

07 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's easy for anyone, from criminals to stalkers, to dig up your personal information online. So is it even possible to disappear in our digital world...

How Not to Save the World

06 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Are "voluntourists" - foreigners coming to do well-meaning voluntary work - actually doing more harm than good at developing world orphanages?Manuela ...

The Forgotten Workers

05 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Fighting for the rights of domestic workers in America, plus other 'forgotten' segments of the economy. Jane Wakefield speaks to Ai-jen Poo, executive...

Brexit: The Easy Guide

04 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As the UK's proposed exit from the EU nears, things are getting complicated in the British parliament. We explain the options for Theresa May and MPs ...

#MeToo: Why the Backlash?

03 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Activist Danielle Moss talks about the backlash to the #MeToo movement highlighting abuse of women, while former gang member Eldra Jackson talks about...

Europe: Dream or Nightmare?

30 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Could the European Parliament elections plus Brexit next year together provide the death knell for the European federalist dream? Populist parties fro...

Poland Perturbed

29 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The populist government in Warsaw is accused of picking fights with the EU and dividing the public against each other. Ed Butler reports live from the...

Italy and the EU: Split or Quit?

28 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Is Brexit boosting a bust-up with Brussels? Gianmarco Senna, is a ruling Lega Party counsellor with the regional Lombardy authority. He told Manuela S...

France and a Federal Europe

27 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

President Emmanuel Macron has big plans to shape the future of the European Union. It looks like a multi-speed, multi-lane motorway. Is this really th...

Europe's Future

26 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How do German citizens feel about the future of the world’s largest trading bloc? Ed Butler visits PSM Protech, a specialist engineering firm in Bav...

The Man Mapping Zanzibar with Drones

23 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Spice Islands' urban planning director, Dr Muhammad Juma, is a pioneer in mapping technology, using drones to get a clear picture of Zanzibar's ur...

Mapping Africa’s Megacities

22 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Africa is urbanising at break-neck speed. So how do people keep track of where city amenities are, or indeed which areas are at risk of flooding? It's...

Brexit: An Outside View

19 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Will Britain's role on the world stage be diminished by leaving the EU? Views from veteran pro-Europe UK MP Ken Clarke, Dutch writer Joris Luijendijk ...

Amazon's New Headquarters

16 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The online retail giant has announced that it will split its long-anticipated new headquarters between Long Island City In New York City, and Arlingto...

Green Rage

15 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change is an existential threat, so are civil disobedience and direct action the only way to save the planet? And is a global carbon tax the b...

Bossy Women and Women Bosses

09 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Does increasing the number of women on a company's board boost its financial performance? It's a popular narrative, but Manuela Saragosa speaks to Pro...

Dating for Money

08 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As university tuition fees rise and rise, young female students are flocking onto online sugar dating platforms to find wealthy older men who can foot...

Bosses, Babies and Breast Pumps

07 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Engineers showcase new technologies to help women return to work after maternity leave - but why is the engineering profession itself so male-dominate...

The Offline World

06 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Half of the world's population don't access the internet, and they're missing out on economic and social benefits says Dhanaraj Thakur, research direc...

Death of the Dollar?

05 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The US unleashed what it calls its "toughest ever" sanctions against Iran. The Trump administration reinstated all sanctions removed under the 2015 nu...

Minnesota at the Mid-terms

02 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How is America's industrial heartland faring two years into the Trump presidency? Fergus Nicoll visits the port of Duluth in the state of Minnesota an...

Could Big Data Kill Off Health Insurance?

01 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As US health insurers ask customers to wear fitness trackers, are they opening a Pandora's Box of ethical dilemmas and business threats?Ed Butler spea...

Who Gets to Chase the American Dream?

31 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A caravan of migrants heading to the US-Mexico border has sparked more debate around immigration. Manuela Saragosa speaks to Reihan Salam, executive e...

Bolsonaro's Economist

29 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Brazil's new president Jair Bolsonaro says he doesn't know anything about the economy, so he's delegated economic reforms to a man called Paulo Guedes...

Buying the Midterms

24 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

More than $4bn has already been raised by candidates running in the midterm elections in the United States. Ed Butler speaks to Shelia Krumholz, execu...

The Hunt for Stolen Artwork

19 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Thousands of paintings and antiques stolen by the Nazis and others remain in circulation on the art market, but just occasionally one gets returned to...

When to Switch Off from Work

18 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Is the "always on" culture of work emails and messaging destroying our health? Should we have a legal right to switch off, like in France?Manuela Sara...

Will Flying Taxis Take Off?

17 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Could drone technology solve our urban transport needs? Ed Butler explores the new generation of flying cars developers hope will be ferrying commuter...

The Confusing Curve

16 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When governments need to raise money, they promise a reward in return for your investment. But how much - or how little - they're promising says a lot...

Is the Internet Fit for Purpose?

15 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Overrun by bots and identity thieves, does the worldwide web need a fundamental overhaul?Ed Butler reports from the Future in Review tech conference i...

Trump's Tax Scandal - Who Cares?

12 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Why has there been so little political fall-out from allegations by the New York Times that the US President and his family dodged hundreds of million...

Holidays in Space

11 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The private sector is muscling in on space exploration, and the biggest commercial opportunity could be tourism.Ed Butler meets the star-gazers at the...

Lab-grown Meat on your Table

10 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Are new forms of 'artificial' meat about to change the food industry? Regan Morris goes to California to taste a chicken nugget its makers hope will b...

Sexist Science

09 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Does STEM still have a problem with women? Manuela Saragosa speaks to Dr Jess Wade, a physicist at Imperial College in London, and soil microbial ecol...

Italy Goes Rogue

08 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Rome and Brussels look set to clash over the Italian government's spending plans. What's at stake for the rest of the EU? Manuela Saragosa speaks to C...

Indonesia's Disasters - Natural and Man-Made

05 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Tsunamis, earthquakes and a sinking capital - not all of Indonesia's problems are down to Mother Nature.Jonathan Bithrey reports from this blighted ar...

Has Elon Musk Already Won?

04 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Whatever the fate of the heavily indebted Tesla Motors, is the electric vehicle revolution now set to sweep the world? And despite his Twitter antics ...

The #FoodPorn Business

28 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Instagram and social media are transforming the food industry, but is the fixation on visual aesthetics destroying the dining experience?Elizabeth Hot...

Bill Gates on Africa

27 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Bill Gates speaks to Manuela Saragosa about the future of Africa and the urgent need for the world to invest in the continent's exploding youth popula...

The Company Without Managers

26 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Most companies around the world exist with some form of hierarchy. Usually it is a vertical structure, with executive above management, which is in tu...

Welcome to Wakaliwood

21 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Uganda's home-grown film industry is proving a hit on YouTube, but does it glorify violence? Ed Butler heads to Wakaliga on the outskirts of Kampala t...

The Trouble With Bike Sharing

19 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Why are Chinese bike-share companies struggling to replicate their success abroad? Ed Butler hears from Nick Hubble, a cycling campaigner in Mancheste...

The Class of 2008

14 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What happened to those who graduated straight into the worst financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression?Kim Gittleson is one of them, an...

Remembering Lehman

13 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

10 years after the failure of Lehman Brothers triggered global financial meltdown, Ed Butler hears from those who were in the middle of the maelstrom....

Vaping: A New Addiction?

12 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Is the multi-billion dollar e-cigarettes industry doing more harm than good? Manuela Saragosa hears from Jack Waxman of the Students Against Nicotine ...

Looking Back at Lehmans

07 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ed Butler talks to historian Adam Tooze about the legacy of the global financial crisis, which peaked with the collapse of Lehman Brothers in Septembe...

Why Do So Few Women Work in India?

28 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

India has been developing rapidly over the past few decades. But in one way, it can still be very traditional. Women are often expected to stay at hom...

Handmade By Hipsters

27 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A compelling back story is now de rigueur when it comes to selling us things, especially in the food industry; whether it's a bar of chocolate or a cu...

The Business of Conspiracy Theories

24 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sites offering wild theories, and unsupported claims, are increasingly the stuff of modern online discourse. But what's the business model that's fuel...

The Trouble with Tourists

22 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Should cities be worried about 'overtourism'? We hear from disgruntled locals in Rome, Edinburgh and Amsterdam. The BBC's Douglas Fraser reports on th...

Has Mining Cleaned Up its Act?

10 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Mining in the developing world still sparks violent protests - so what has the industry learned?Grace Livingstone reports from the Tintaya copper mine...

Stars, Shirts and Sponsors

09 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How are elite football clubs able to raise so much money from sponsors and merchandise to spend on the top players?Juventus just paid 100 million euro...

India's Tea Crisis

08 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

There's trouble brewing in India's tea industry. Tea production is one of India's biggest industries. But it's struggling in the face of increased com...

What's Up with Whatsapp?

06 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The developing world's favourite chat app is accused of spreading malicious rumours. In India the rumours led to the lynching of people falsely accuse...

Welcome to Nicaragua

03 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How is political turmoil hitting tourism and the economy in Nicaragua, and where will it all end?President Daniel Ortega has faced months of mass prot...

The Skin Business

01 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Skincare is a multi-billion-dollar industry. But do skincare products really work? Vishala Sri-Pathma hears from Amy Elizabeth, a beauty expert at the...

The Business of Body Curves

31 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Designers and retailers have long thought of the plus size market as high-risk. Predicting what these customers will buy can be difficult, as they ten...

How to Spot a Narcissist

30 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Almost all offices have them. The person whose self-belief exceeds their abilities, who belittles their co-workers, and who considers themselves so sp...

The Death of the Job Interview

27 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Can AI takeover from the traditional job interview? Ed Butler speaks to Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, professor of business psychology at University Colleg...

The Future of TV

26 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Young people may be turning their backs on the traditional TV set, but is it stimulating a golden age of drama?Netflix, YouTube and Amazon are better ...

Are Things Getting Worse?

25 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Millennials are the first generation set to be worse off than their parents. Daniel Tomlinson, economic researcher at the Resolution Foundation in the...

Putin's Great Nemesis

20 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Businessman Bill Browder was singled out by Russian President Vladimir Putin, at his summit with US President Donald Trump, as a "person of interest"....

Bosses, Babies and Breast Pumps

19 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Engineers showcase new technologies to help women return to work after maternity leave - but why is the engineering profession itself so male-dominate...

Music Stardom in the Spotify Age

18 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Recording artists and industry figures discuss the impact of the streaming revolution. Edwin Lane reports on how emerging artists are looking to strea...

Pride and Prejudice

13 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What responsibility do corporates have to promote LGBTQ rights in countries where homosexuality is still illegal, or gay people are widely persecuted?...

Living Fast and Slow

12 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Abbreviated books, short-form TV, time-management gurus - has the cult of speed gone too far and is it time to slow everything down?Ed Butler speaks t...

Fighting Fraud in the Food Chain

11 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Could blockchain technology solve the global problem of food fraud? Rahul Tandon reports on a meat scandal in India and Manuela Saragosa speaks to Jes...

Battling Mongolia's Pollution Problem

10 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Coal fires used to beat the bitter cold of Mongolian winters blanket capital city Ulaanbaatar with smog in the winter, the BBC's Roger Hearing finds, ...

A Spectacular Merger

09 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Two companies dominate the global eyewear industry - and now they are merging into a glasses behemoth. What does it mean for the bespectacled public?M...

Mongolia's Mega Mine

06 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The gigantic Oyu Tolgoi copper mine will certainly make some people rich, but how many of them will be Mongolian? Ed Butler speaks to the BBC's Roger ...

Britain's Brexit Befuddlement

05 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The UK still doesn't know what kind of future trading relationship it wants with the EU, more than two years after voting to leave and with less than ...

Is Germany Losing its Mojo?

29 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Germany is booming, yet some commentators suggest the nation's loss of confidence on the football pitch may mirror economic angst back home.A shortage...

Trump's Trade War

28 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Harley Davidson and Mid Continent Nail Corp are some of the US employers being hammered by America's escalating tariffs spat with its biggest trade pa...

Turkey's Refugee Workforce

27 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Millions of Syrians, including children as young as 10, are employed illegally in Turkish factories and shops - working long hours, underpaid and with...

Trump's Conflicts of Interest

22 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Does the US President mix his business with his politics? And is this anything unusual in Washington DC?Lisa Gilbert of Public Citizen, a non-profit w...

The Kidnapping Business

21 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Is kidnapping really that lucrative, and why are some countries, such as Mexico, plagued by the crime?Ed Butler speaks to one kidnap victim from Mexic...

What Can We Do About Fake Reviews?

19 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you have ever bought something in an online shop or been to a restaurant, chances are you’ve read a review for it, apparently written by a custom...

Imagining an Open North Korea

18 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Would you invest in North Korea? US President Donald Trump raised the idea at his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. His vision of a private...

Shades of Privilege

15 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Colourism is a more insidious form of racism, and harms the prospects of finding work and love for people with darker skin around the world.Natasha Pi...

Dirty Money in Zimbabwe

14 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

People queue all night to get filthy notes in a country which is running out of cash. Lesley Curwen visits Harare, the country's capital and talks to ...

Mongolian Yoghurt and the World Cup

14 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The usual western sponsors in this years World Cup have largely been replaced by Asian brands. Why?FIFA makes most of its money from selling the broad...

Tackling Trump in Trade Talks

08 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As G7 countries gather for trade talks in Quebec, could they gain some tips on how to fight back against the US steel tariffs from one of President Tr...

Zimbabwe's Mineral Wealth

07 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Zimbabwe is "open for business", claims its new President Emmerson Mnangagwa, but can it finally put its natural resources to good use?The BBC's Ivana...

Do We Really Decide for Ourselves?

06 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Why do we behave the way we do in a group setting? Is it because of gender, because of taught behaviour or because of obligation? Ginny Smith, a scie...