Business Daily

Inflation has hardly been seen in the developed world economies for the last three decades. But now some economists are warning it could be returning with a vengeance, because of supply chain problems, post-Covid exuberance, and higher wage demands. What is going on, and should we all be worried? We hear opposing views from Claudia Sahm, former economic adviser to the Federal Reserve and the White House, Steve Hanke of Johns Hopkins University, and Andrew Sentance, senior adviser at Cambridge Econometrics and a former member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee.Image: Full shopping cart in supermarket aisle (Credit: Getty Images).

Guy Hands, the founder of Terra Firma, opens up on the highs and lows and risks involved in deal making and private equity. From being bullied at school to becoming a household name, buying and selling businesses from cinema chains and pubs to waste management, aircraft leasing and green energy companies. We hear his side of the deal that turned sour, the acquisition of multinational music company EMI in 2007, and how his addiction to doing deals has affected his personal life. Ed Butler is in conversation with Guy Hands about his new book, The Dealmaker. (Image: Guy Hands; image credit: John De Garis)

The future of credit for the young, or just another way of getting into debt? Would you pay for a product now, when you could simply delay payment for free? Ever since the pandemic forced millions of us to stay at home, millions more of us have been buying goods online using a new form of credit. Buy now, pay later offers goods interest free and it's proving very tempting to many younger shoppers. But is it just a new form of debt trap? Ed Butler speaks to Nick Molnar co-founder of Afterpay and Sebastian Siemiatkowski, the cofounder and CEO of Klarna, the Swedish based firm that's now the world's biggest buy now pay later provider. He also hears from Alice Tapper of personal finance forum Go Fund Yourself who says regulation is desperately needed to protect younger consumers. Plus Amber Foucault from the consumer spending analytics company Cardify who says that until global regulation comes in, we should watch out for many younger customers getting into financial trouble using this system.(Picture: "Payment due!" written on a calendar with a bank card on top. Credit: Getty Images.)

As the world focuses its attention on climate, we’re looking to the money that could create real change. Venture capital is the type of financing that can take new ideas to the mass market and it’s finally looking to fund clean, green tech. First, to understand how start-ups go about seeking VC funding, Vivienne Nunis hears from founder Diedre McGettrick. Gabriel Kra, of the venture capital firm Prelude Ventures, explains the shift he's seen in low-carbon investing. But Silicon Valley attracts the world’s sharpest minds, so why aren’t more tech leaders coming up with the bright ideas needed to fight climate change? We ask founder-turned-investor, Ben Parr. Producer: Sarah Treanor. Image: Smart farming technology. Credit: Getty ImagesCorrection: Prelude Ventures invested approx. $125m in the past 12 months, in deals totalling $1.3bn. It didn’t invest $1.3bn on its own, as was stated in the programme.

As world leaders gather in Glasgow in Scotland for the UN’s global climate conference, COP26, we ask if a new project partnering with the private sector will help save the Amazon rainforest, or whether it’s simply another way for the corporate sector to pay away its guilt. Plus, we hear from a youth delegate to the last big climate conference in Paris – what is she hoping for this time round? And, can electric freight vessels help global shipping to go green? We hear how a Norwegian company is working on one. We also look at the fight against plastic waste and how the world’s recycling systems simply aren’t working. And they’re big, glamorous and they involve hundreds of people. But are the days of the big Indian wedding over? Business Weekly is produced by Matthew Davies and presented by Tamasin Ford.

Trophy hunting – paying to kill large animals, often in African game reserves – promotes strong feelings. Many oppose it, but some conservationists argue it adds value to wildlife and their habitats. We discuss the arguments and hear from a psychologist about the motivations of people who want to kill animals in the wild. With Doctor Sue Snyman from the School of Wildlife Conservation; Dr Mark Jones who represents the charity Born Free; tourism expert Dr Muchazondida Mkono; and Geoff Beattie, the author of Trophy Hunting: A Psychological Perspective. Vivienne Nunis also gets the view from Richard Leakey, the famous paleoanthropologist and former head of the Kenyan Wildlife Service. Producer: Sarah Treanor. (Photo:: A rhinoceros. Credit: Getty Images)

How does a $200,000 starting salary sound? That’s now the industry standard for newly qualified lawyers at big corporate law firms in the US and the UK. But before you sign on the dotted line consider that in exchange for your princely wage packet, 100 hour working weeks and being on-call 24 hours a day could be part of that deal. So is it all worth it? Elizabeth Hotson speaks to "recovering lawyer" Taly Matiteyahu, whilst Christopher Clark, director of legal head hunting firm, Definitum Search, explains why salaries have got so high and Stephen Parkinson, a senior partner at law firm, Kingsley Napley sets out some alternatives to the status quo. Plus, a practising corporate lawyer in New York tells us about his work schedule and Anna Lovett, an Associate Solicitor at law firm Burnetts, tells us about changing attitudes to work. And Charlene Bourliout, an ex-lawyer and burnout consultant offers some strategies for coping with an overwhelming workload. Presented and produced by Elizabeth HotsonPicture description: dollar bills Picture credit: Getty Images

Around one fifth of the world’s 2000 largest public firms have committed to net zero targets in the coming years. Most are pledging to something called climate neutrality by a given date. But do these pledges actually make any difference in the flight against climate change? We here both sides of the argument with climate futurist Alex Steffen based in California, and Simon Glynn, the co-lead on Climate and Sustainability, at the UK management consultants, Oliver Wyman.(Image: Cooling towers at a coal fueled power station. Credit: Getty Images).

Fergus Nicoll travels to the port of Workington in the north west of England, where he hears from port manager Sven Richards about how small regional ports can make global haulage more sustainable. Blue Line Logistics run a fleet of low emission barges in Belgium and the Netherlands and have plans to expand to the UK and the US. Fergus speaks to the company's founder, Antoon van Coillie. The BBC's Adrienne Murray has been looking into the research and development going into producing 'green fuel' in Copenhagen. Fergus also hears from Yon Sletten, who is developing the Yara Birkeland, a zero emission, autonomous, electric freighter, currently undergoing final sea tests off the coast of Norway. Also in the programme, the efforts of Green Marine, a group of ship owners, ports and shipyards in North America, that has come together to raise the bar for environmental standards in their industry, as their executive David Bolduc explains. Producer: Russell Newlove. (Picture: aerial view of a container ship surrounded by green sea. Credit: Getty Images.)

The Amazon is the world's largest rainforest but this crucial carbon sink is facing increased deforestation. Land clearing for mining or agriculture has increased under Brazil's president Jair Bolsanaro. But the world needs the Amazon jungle to keep absorbing carbon if more ambitious climate goals are to be met. Is there a place for the private sector to step in where governments have failed? Vivienne Nunis hears from economist Nat Keohane about a new not-for-profit called Emergent. It acts as a kind of middle man, connecting tropical forests with corporations searching for ways to cancel out their emissions. Can it work? Also on the programme, journalist Karla Mendes explains how many Brazilians feel about the Amazon's plight, while Robert Muggah from the Igarapé Institute tells us companies such as Google have stepped up to help with deforestation mapping, when government agencies had their budgets cut. Producer: Sarah Treanor. Image: A toucan in the Amazon rainforest. Credit: Getty Images

As the Swiss bank Credit Suisse is fined $475m for participating in Mozambique’s tuna bonds fraud, on Business Weekly we find out how the southern African country was devastated by the scandal. Also, we hear how a decaying oil tanker marooned off the coast of Yemen could trigger a major environmental and humanitarian disaster. The SFO Safer is loaded with hundreds of tons of crude oil - so why is it just being left to rot? Plus, we report from a climate conference in Edinburgh where delegates are being encouraged to come up with new ways to cut carbon emissions, including a innovative and surprising diet for cattle. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and edited by Matthew Davies.

Are the days of the big fat Indian wedding over? Since Covid Indian weddings have got a lot smaller. But will they go back to what they once were? Rahul Tandon speaks to bride to be Yashaswini Singhdeo, mother of the bride Meenal Singhdeo, Sandip Roy author and columnist, Ambika Gupta wedding planner and owner of the A cube project and Parul Bhandari a sociologist from the Indian centre of social sciences and humanities .(Photo: Indian couple hold hands during a wedding ceremony. Credit: Amir Mukhtar/Getty Images)

The social media giant's algorithm has been accused of amplifying divisive content and disinformation. Could regulating it make Facebook a kinder platform? Ed Butler speaks to the BBC's Silicon Valley correspondent James Clayton about the latest revelations from Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, and renewed demands for a crackdown by US lawmakers. Former Facebook data scientist Roddy Lindsay explains how Facebook's alogrithm became the focus of criticism of the platform, and how a change to the law could solve it. Daphne Keller from Stanford's Cyber Policy Center explains the legal minefield when it comes to regulating what social media users can say, and what platforms can promote, online.(Photo: Frances Haugen testifies in Congress in October 2021, Credit: Getty Images)

Decaying oil tanker could trigger an environmental and humanitarian disaster. The FSO Safer is marooned off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea, close to one of the world's biggest shipping lanes. A massive oil spill or explosion from it could disrupt global trade for months and lead to an environmental and humanitarian catastrophe. It's loaded with hundreds of tons of crude oil, its hull is rusting and it hasn't moved in years. So why isn't anybody doing anything about it? Nominally the Safer is the property of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. Right now though, both it and its multi-million dollar cargo are controlled by the Houthi rebels in Yemen. UN officials say the Houthis have broken an agreement to allow an inspection of the vessel. The Saudis accuse them of holding the world to ransom over the potential disaster. The Houthis disagree. Ed Butler speaks to Ghiwa Naket, the executive director of Greenpeace for the Middle East and North Africa, to Ben Huynh a researcher at Stanford University, to Hussain Albukhaiti a Yemeni journalist with close links to the Houthi leadership and to Peter Salisbury, senior analyst for Yemen at the International Crisis Group. (Picture description: Maxar Satellite image of the FSO Safer tanker moored off Ras Issa port, in Yemen. Picture credit: Getty Images)

Is the Western diet ready for farmed insects in food? Although insects are consumed by more than two billion people worldwide, acceptance of them in the Western diet is still low, but could that be changing? With climate change, a growing population and an increased demand for protein all putting pressure on our food system, insects offer an interesting and more planet friendly alternative to meat and fish. Malena Sigurgeirsdottir is the co-founder of Hey Planet which has just launched a meat substitute using buffalo beetle powder (that's the lesser mealworm or Alphitobius Diaperinus), in Denmark, Germany and Sweden. She tells us how great insects taste, especially when they're ground up. Professor Matan Shelomi, from National Taiwan University, Department of Entomology outlines how farming insects can have a much lower carbon foot-print than farming animals. Meanwhile in the UK, Kieran Olivares Whittaker has received millions of dollars in funding for his Entocycle project, researching the optimum way to farm black soldier fly larvae to feed fish and poultry instead of using soy and fishmeal which causes deforestation and overfishing. And we meet Aly Moore of Bugible who makes a living from eating and promoting bugs as a source of protein. Produced and presented by Clare Williamson. (Image credit: HeyPlanet burger; Credit: Hey-Planet.com)

We report from the Countdown summit in Edinburgh where fresh ideas to fight climate change are taking centre stage ahead of the UN climate talks, starting in Glasgow later this month. Vivienne Nunis hears from the business leaders and scientists coming up with new ways to cut carbon emissions in some of the world’s dirtiest industries. Mahendra Singhi is the boss of Dalmia Cement, one of India's biggest cement manufacturers. He tells us how his company plans to become carbon neutral by 2040. In the accessories market, Modern Meadow co-founder Andras Forgacs and CEO Anna Bakst explain how their plant-based leather alternative could shake up fashion supply chains. And what if cows everywhere could be made to emit lower levels of methane when they burp? Biologist Ermias Kebreab says adding seaweed to their diet could be key. Producer: Sarah Treanor Image: A cow chewing cud. Credit: Getty

Millions of people in Afghanistan are living in extreme poverty as prices rise and salaries go unpaid. There are warnings that hunger will follow the devastating drought, just as the cold weather sets in. How will the world respond to calls for help? Business Weekly hears from development economist and former World Bank expert in Afghanistan Dr William Byrd. Plus, as the supply chain gets clogged across the world- we’ll ask how they can be made more resilient? We also hear from Berlin, where voters have said yes to a radical plan to help make housing more affordable. And as William Shatner blasts off into space, we ask if the 90-year-old actor can be called an influencer? Business Weekly is produced by Matthew Davies and presented by Lucy Burton.

As the world turns its attention to addressing climate change, Business Daily is in Edinburgh. We bring you an inside glimpse of the conversations setting the agenda ahead of the UN climate conference COP 26, which starts in Glasgow in just over two weeks. Here in the Scottish capital, the ideas company TED - famous for Ted Talks - is holding its own climate summit, Countdown. It puts CEOs, government ministers, philanthropists and activists all in the same room. Vivienne Nunis hears from Pacific Islander Selina Leem, who explains how her home country, the Marshall Islands, is already dealing with rising sea levels. Jim Snabbe, the chairman of the world's biggest shipping firm, tells us how Maersk plans to move to a new green fuel, while Denmark's energy minister explains his country's plans to vastly scale-up wind power production. Producer: Sarah Treanor Image: Selina Leem. Credit: Skoll.org

How disruption in a single port, factory or freight centre can cause global chaos. Ed Butler speaks with Stavros Karamperidis, an expert in maritime economics at the University of Plymouth, and Kent Jones, professor of economics at Babson College in the US. Meanwhile, chief economist at Enodo Economics, Diana Choyleva, explains how China's energy crisis will impact exports and the price we pay for goods, and Professor Marc Busch from Georgetown University explains why he thinks governments should leave big businesses to solve supply issues themselves.(Photo: a container ship is unloaded at a dock in the US. Credit: Reuters)

Why the government doesn't like video games, and what's next for China's gaming culture. Ed Butler speaks to Josh Ye, who covers gaming for the South China Morning Post, and Professor Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute. German professional League of Legends player Maurice 'Amazing' Stückenschneider describes China's current dominance in the world of eSports, and the damage that restricting playing hours could do, and Chinese games investor Charlie Moseley describes how the increasing pressure from authorities is affecting games developers in the country today. (Photo: League of Legends players at a tournament in Shanghai, Credit: Riot Games Inc via Getty Images)

Why many women are delaying motherhood, how is technology helping, and what does the law say about all things fertility and the workplace. Zoe Kleinman speaks to lawyer Louisa Ghevaert, to Dame Cathy Warwick, chair of the British Pregnancy Advisory service, and others. (Picture credit: Getty Images)

There are an estimated ten million donkeys in sub Saharan Africa, many providing crucial roles supporting the livelihoods of low income families. We explore why these beasts of burden are so important to the economics of the region, and how demand from China for the skins of donkeys is worrying many across Africa. We visit a donkey sanctuary in Lamu, Kenya, and speak to one campaigner trying to stop the slaughter of donkeys for the export of their skins. We also hear how donkeys support economic freedom for women, from Emmanuel Sarr, regional director for the charity Brooke, based in Senegal. Image: A donkey. Credit: BBCPresenter: Vivienne Nunis Producer: Sarah Treanor

On this episode of Business Weekly, with the site down and a whistle-blower’s testimonial, was this Facebook’s worst-ever week? We hear what went wrong with their internal internet and find out why Frances Haughan’s evidence to Congress was important. Plus, we discover how a tech company is helping dispatch ambulances in Kenya where there is no centralised system. And if music be the food of love - swipe on. We hear from the app designer hoping to match-make with music. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies.

Geraldine Robarts is a painter based in Kenya who has been exhibiting since 1958 and who still paints everyday, aged 82. Whether it’s a passion for what they do, the social connection, or the simple need to earn a living, a growing number of octogenarians remain in work. Over the coming weeks, Business Daily will hear from several workers putting in a shift, well into their ninth decade. As retirement ages around the world creep higher, we're asking what can these older professionals teach us about the nature of work? And when is the right age to down tools? Presenter: Vivienne Nunis Image: Geraldine Robarts. Credit: BBC

We go to Dandora, one of Africa’s largest rubbish tips. A court in Nairobi has ordered the dumpsite to come up with a concrete plan to close by February next year. But what will that mean for the community relying on the waste to survive? We hear about life at Dandora through the eyes of Liz Oteng’o, who grew up relying on airline meals dumped at the site. Vivienne Nunis hears how she and her husband Remco Pronk, are fighting to change the lives of those growing up there today. Image credit:GettyProducers: Sarah Treanor, Lulu Luo

Google pledges to be carbon free by 2030. Ahead of next month's UN Climate Summit, the company has come out with new targets to become greener than ever. But what does that mean? Is Google supporting the energy transition away from fossil fuels or just fuelling ever greater consumption? Ed Butler speaks to the company's Chief Sustainability Officer Kate Brandt, about how this is just the latest step in her company's aim to be a world leader in sustainability. Ian Bitterlin, a Consulting Engineer & Visiting Professor at the University of Leeds in the UK tries to quantify the amount of carbon pollution that could reasonably be attributed to data centers worldwide. And Sonya Bhonsle, the Global Head of Value Chains at CDP, the world's leading climate NGO that helps companies and cities disclose their environmental impact, tells Ed that Google scores very highly in their ratings and that the company is sending out good messages to others in the industry.(Photo: Google's logo adorns their office in New York, Credit: Getty Images)

Are virtual online worlds the future of the internet? Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg thinks so. He is among the tech leaders who say we'll increasingly live, socialise, play and shop in the metaverse. Is he right, and what is the metaverse anyway? Ed Butler speaks to venture capitalist and metaverse big-thinker Matthew Ball, and to Manuel Bronstein from Roblox - the hugely successful gaming platform where gamers already live out virtual lives through their avatars. Janine Yorio tells us why her 'virtual real estate' company Republic Realm is buying up land and property in metaverse worlds, and why the metaverse will be the future of shopping.(Photo: Roblox avatars, Credit: Roblox)

Getting to hospital in a medical emergency, in countries without a centralised ambulance service, can be critically slow. In rapidly urbanising Kenya, Vivienne Nunis meets Caitlin Dolkart – cofounder of Flare; a company which created a technology platform to dispatch ambulances anywhere across the country. But how do you direct an ambulance without accurate maps? We hear from Humanitarian Open Street Map’s Ivan Gayton how open source data is improving heathcare outcomes. Image: Ambulance operator Paul Ochieng disinfects a stretcher at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, on April 17, 2020. Credit: Getty

As China suffers its worst blackouts in over a decade, on Business Weekly we ask what’s causing the power shortages and what they mean for the rest of the world. We also hear from Germany, where political wrangling over who will be the next Chancellor continues. The Green Party will play kingmaker - and there are hopes from people in flood-hit areas that environmental policies will take centre stage. Plus, have you ever wondered how valuable influencers can be for a brand? We spend the day in a luxurious mansion full of social media personalities to find out if they represent value for money. And as James Bond takes to the silver screen once more, we ask whether the studios can afford to retire 007. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies.

Do smart cities live up to the hype? Urban centres from New York to South Korea’s Busan are rebranding themselves as ‘smart’. From real-time crime mapping to lower energy use, smart cities promise a shortcut to a better future. But what is a smart city? The BBC’s Technology desk editor Jane Wakefield explains. Meanwhile, brand new metropolises are being planned across Africa, often envisioned as shiny tech hubs. Will they ever get off the ground? And why are global consultancy firms often a key part of the story? We visit Kenya’s Konza Technopolis, still a construction site 13 years after it was first promised. Konza CEO John Tanui says the project is on track but Kenyan writer Carey Baraka isn’t convinced. Picture: An artist’s impression of the planned Akon City in Senegal. Credit: Akoncity.comPresenter: Vivienne Nunis Producer: Sarah Treanor Reporter: Michael Kaloki

China's second largest property developer, Evergrande, is at risk of financial collapse, saddled with billions of dollars of debt. It's already defaulted on some bond repayments and has been forced to sell off assets; both Chinese and international investors are worried and Beijing is weighing the risk of spreading contagion. The BBC's Stephen McDonnell tells us about the property boom in China while Sara Hsu, a Visiting Scholar at Fudan University, tells us that the sheer size of the company is a worry. China watcher George Magnus, Research associate at Oxford University's China Centre, and at SOAS appraises the wider ramifications of the Chinese property bubble being deflated for both China and the rest of the world. (Image: Evergrande's HQ; Image credit: Reuters)

We’re off to an influencer house, a luxurious mansion where social media personalities are temporarily living together to create content on behalf of a plant-based food brand. It’s a new way of advertising with big budgets and big personalities, but is it money well spent? Elizabeth Hotson hangs out by the ridiculously photogenic lily pond with content creators Jessica Hickey and Ella Blake; Ashley Morton and Oli Paterson explain how and why social media content succeeds - or fails - on Tik Tok and Instagram, and Morgan M-James nearly burns down the kitchen with his innovative plant based creation. Plus, we hear how Tik Tok comedy duo Ylwsqr, aka Bec Horsley and Sam Bartrop, are already planning their next move into the media industry and James Brooks from social media marketing company, Team Brooks explains how the content created by the housemates will be used. And Simon Day, co-creator of the Squeaky Bean brand, explains why he's taking the plunge on the project. Produced and presented by Elizabeth HotsonPhoto of Morgan M-James in the Squeaky House kitchen. Photo by Elizabeth Hotson

Regulators are taking a close look at new crypto-trading environments, known collectively as Decentralised Finance, or DeFi. advocates say the technologies underlying DeFi offer an inclusive and democratic approach to finance, while critics say it is a potential hotbed for money laundering, terrorist financing and other criminal activity. The BBC's Ed Butler dives into the world of DeFi, speaking with Laura Shin, crypto journalist and host of the Unchained podcast, to hear about DeFi, and the kinds of entrepreneurs attracted to it. We also hear from Miller Whitehouse-Levine from the DeFi Education Fund, who argues the potential benefits of DeFi, and digital forensics expert Paul Sibenik of CipherBlade explains what tools are out there for tracking criminal activity across dentralised finance platforms. And veteran crypto investor Jamie Burke of Outlier Ventures explains why he has got so much of his own portfolio in DeFi.(Picture credit: Getty Images)

The fight to succeed popular German chancellor Angela Merkel could not be tighter. In late July the country’s climate policies shot to the top of the political agenda in the wake of devastating, and deadly, floods across western Germany. The BBC’s Victoria Craig and Stephen Ryan travelled to one of the hardest-hit towns, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, to see how the locals are trying to recover. Local shop-owner Martina Kleinow says she and many others are still waiting for financial support to rebuild, while Anne Gluck of the regional chamber of commerce, explains the myriad challenges businesses face. Elsewhere in the country, we’ll hear about projects to build better resilience against climate events. Ulrich Lemke leads a port revitalization project at Offenbach am Main, and explains how public works can better account for neighbouring waterways, while Gerhard Hauber of the engineering consultancy Ramboll, explains how coordination is the key to building true resilience.Producers: Stephen Ryan, Philippa Goodrich.(Photo: The bank of the river Ahr, in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Credit: Victoria Craig /BBC)

In just over a month world leaders will meet for a decisive climate change summit - we’ll ask if politicians are willing to accept the end of exponential economic growth in order to protect the planets resources. We’ll hear why gas prices are spiralling and ask why small energy firms weren’t better prepared to withstand rising prices. As a new high speed train line is planned for Egypt we’ll take a close look at this new infrastructure project and ask if it will help deliver new prosperity to a country dogged by economic troubles. And, we’ll hear from the song writers campaigning for clear credits on streaming platforms. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Gareth Barlow.

The country is embroiled in an internal war which has taken a huge humanitarian toll with thousands killed and millions displaced. But that's not the only damage being done to Africa's second most populous nation. The war has incurred a huge economic cost too. As the US threatens further sanctions, Vivienne Nunis asks if Ethiopia can be brought back from the brink. She speaks to Yemane Nagish from the BBC’s Tigrinya service in Nairobi, Will Davison, aformer correspondent based in the country and now an Ethiopia analyst at the International Crisis Group, Irmgard Erasmus Irmgard, the senior financial economist at Oxford Economics Africa in Cape Town and Faisal Roble, a US-based analyst who specialises in the Horn of Africa. (Picture credit: AFP)

The Food and Drugs Administration has withdrawn nearly a million e-cigarettes from the US market. Does this signal a turning point for the vaping industry? Small manufacturers like Amanda Wheeler, owner of Jvapes in Arizona and president of the American Vapor Manufacturers Association, are concerned about heavier regulation, as she tells Joshua Thorpe. Tim Phillips, managing director of ECigIntelligence, explains the impact of heavier regulation on the wider e-cigarette industry. In the UK, Public Health England promotes vaping as a method to stop smoking, as we hear from Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, associate professor at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, at the University of Oxford. But Desmond Jenson, a lawyer at the Public Health Law Center at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in Minnesota argues that regulators need to do more to tackle a youth vaping epidemic.(Picture: a woman vaping. Credit: Getty Images.)

Today small energy firms among those struggling to stay afloat as world gas prices spiral. Ed Butler hears from Peter McGirr, who runs Green energy, a UK gas and electricity firm supplying about a quarter of a million households. Higher energy prices could lead to all types of additional business challenges. Sven Holester is the Norwegian President and CEO of Yara, Europe's second largest producer of commercial fertiliser. He says the spike in energy prices has already affected his firm's production. The cost of higher gas is affecting food prices, fertiliser, even abattoirs. But is it all Russia's fault? We ask Dieter Helm, professor of economic policy at the University of Oxford.Producer: Benjie Guy(Picture: The Slavyanskaya compressor station, the starting point of the Nord Stream 2 offshore natural gas pipeline.)

The new Lebanese government has been in place for a week, but with the economy still spiraling, Lebanese people lack confidence anything will be done in the short term to relieve the extreme economic crisis. Mohamed El Aassar, Middle East journalist with Fortune Magazine, tells the BBC's Rebecca Kesby how the country’s economy got to be in such a dire state. Reporter Houshig Kaymakamian outlines exactly who makes up the new Lebanese government, and why Lebanese people don’t trust them to enact any meaningful reforms. Beirut restaurateur Aline Kamakian describes daily life trying to run a business in the country, and economist Diana Menhem explains just how dangerous the present moment is, and what needs to change.Producer: Frey Lindsay.(Picture: The first batch of Iranian fuel oil arrives in the city of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon on September 16, 2021. Picture credit: Sleiman Amhaz/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

On Business Weekly, we hear how internal research at Facebook found that social media was harming the mental health of teenage girls. In the UK, the Royal Society of Public Health is calling for social media companies to identify which pictures have been digitally altered. Also, green investing or green washing? We hear from a former Blackrock investment officer who says corporate social responsibility policies are not helping to create a carbon-zero economy. Plus, our correspondent in Kenya goes stargazing to learn how African tourism operators are trying to attract domestic customers and diversify their businesses. And, as Broadway theatres reopen, we find out how the first night went - and what the future may hold. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies.

Increasingly scientists are using genetic material from wild plants to make agricultural crops more resilient to climate change. To find out how, Rebecca Kesby heads to the Millennium Seed Bank for the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, in the south of England. There she meets Dr Chris Cockel, one of their project coordinators. We also hear from Asmund Asdal of the Global Seed Vault, which is located in a mountain on the archipelago of Svalbaard, between mainland Norway and the North Pole. We speak to Dr Shivali Sharma, who is developing climate resistant varieties of pigeon pea, a staple crop in many parts of rural India. And Mohamed Lassad Ben Saleh, farmer in Tunisia, tells us how breeding crops that combine properties of indigenous wild varieties has improved the quality and yield of his crops. Producers: Clare Williamson and Benjie Guy(Picture: a hand holding seeds. Credit: Getty Images.)

The physical infrastructure of the United States is crumbling and businesses there are feeling the effects. So why is this bill that aims to restore roads, bridges and communications facing such a treacherous political road ahead? Successive Presidents have tried and failed to get something done about it. Now President Biden is having a go. A farmer in Mississippi tells Will Bain about the impact poor roads have on his business. He also hears from Emily Feenstra from the American Society of Civil Engineers who outlines just how bad the situation is and from the former Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania Ed Rendell who now co-chairs the infrastructure think-tank Building America's Future. (Picture credit: Getty Images)

The founders of German biotechnology company BioNTech were researching how to fight cancers using messenger RNA, "the unloved cousin of DNA", when covid-19 first appeared and they realised mRNA could be used to make a vaccine for the disease. Financial Times journalist Joe Miller has been following the company since just before the pandemic and tells Rebecca Kesby how they created the first covid-19 vaccine. Could mRNA help cure other diseases and improve vaccine access to low income countries? We ask Oksana Pyzik of the UCL School of Pharmacy. And how might the technology change the whole pharmaceutical industry? We hear from Dr Richard Torbett, CEO of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.Producer: Benjie Guy(Picture: a collection of mRNA covid vaccines. Credit: Getty Images.)

Tourism in Africa, even before the pandemic, was still not bringing in as many visitor dollars as it might. But, from stargazing trips to plans for a brand-new museum of evolution, we hear from the people changing perceptions around holidays in sub-Saharan Africa. Safari tours aren't going away, but the industry is changing and that's good news for Africa's underperforming tourism sector. Vivienne Nunis hears from Susan Murabana, CEO of The Travelling Telescope under the stars just outside Nairobi, Dr. Muchazondida Mkono, a Zimbabwean academic and lecturer in tourism at the University of Queensland Business School, and from famous Kenyan paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey.(Image credit: Supoj Buranaprapapong, Getty Images.)

Is corporate social responsibility, so called "greenwashing", really changing carbon emitting businesses or just making it look that way? Canadian businessman Tariq Fancy used to work as Blackrock's Chief Investment Officer for sustainable investing. He tells Ed Butler why he thinks CSR isn't a good enough tool to achieve a net zero economy.(Picture: Two climate activists from Extinction Rebellion talk to each other outside the Bank of England during a protest. Credit: Getty Images.).

In this edition of Business Weekly, we look at why one of the poorest countries in Latin America, El Salvador, decided to make Bitcoin legal tender. We also find out what happened when the cryptocurrency crashed on the first day it was rolled out. We hear about the devastating economic effect of covid in Kenya as it rolls out further curfew restrictions. Also, in a few weeks’ time, the matriarch of European politics, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, will step down. We hear what issues are playing on the minds of German voters as they get ready to head to the polls. And for years Lamu, Kenya’s ancient trading port, has been in decline. But government hopes the opening of a vast, new facility means it can be a commercial superstar once more. Plus, the chief executive of Babbel, Arne Schepker tells us why the company is listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and whether lockdowns have impacted on people’s desire to learn languages. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies.

The UK's suffering a huge shortage of lorry drivers, but where have 100,000 drivers gone? The shortage is now having an impact on everything from chicken in restaurants, to mattresses in furniture shops, fuel at pumps and even beer in pubs. So what's going on? We hear from drivers, driving trainers, retailers and the wholesale industry and what's causing the shortfall and what can be done to solve it. Picture credit: Getty Images

Lamu, once a bustling gateway to the Indian Ocean, has seen its fortunes decline in recent decades, not least because of its position near the border with Somalia, and the threat from militants. But earlier this year a new deep sea port was opened, which, the Kenyan government hopes, will make Lamu a commercial superstar once more. Vivienne Nunis takes a tour of the port with Dolly Okanga from Kenya Ports Authority. We also speak to Famao Shukry about a special kind of sea turtle in the area, and from Atwaa Salim from the Lamu Marine Conservation trust, who explains why the area’s mangroves are so significant to the economy and the environment. Picture: Dolly Okanga from the Kenyan Ports Authority. Credit: Vivienne Nunis / BBC

AI will be the defining development of the 21st century and in the next two decades it is set to transform our lives. Kai Fu Lee, a former CEO of Google China and AI pioneer tells us that the technology will revolutionise health and education and has the power to create great wealth but it also has a dark side. AI he says, can pose huge risks like when used in autonomous weapons. Kai Fu Lee believes that we are now at a turning point, and is urging society to wake up to the benefits and the existential threats. (Image: Kai Fu Lee, Image credit: Getty Images)

During coronavirus, while case numbers have seemed relatively low, there’s been a huge economic impact on many Kenyans. We hear from the BBC’s Michael Kaloki about the particular challenges of the Kibera slum, from single mother and Kibera resident Josephine, who Business Daily has heard from several times since the start of the pandemic. We also hear how reverse migration has meant that some Kenyans have returned to rural areas. Chris Macoloo the Africa director for the international development organisation World Neighbors explains.(Photo: Kibera resident Josephine. Credit: Vivienne Nunis / BBC)