Business Daily

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)

On Business Weekly, we hear from the World Meteorological Organisation which has been tracking weather-related disasters for the last 50 years. We look at the economic and human cost of extreme weather - and ask if anything, really, can be done to protect ourselves against it. Covid has claimed yet more victims in India as the economic hardship brought by the coronavirus sees a rise in the number of child brides forced into marriage. We hear from a young girl who resisted her family’s attempt to marry her off to an older man. Plus, filming for the latest Mission Impossible film has been put on hold multiple times over the last 18 months thanks to coronavirus cases on set as well as covid restrictions. But now, Paramount Pictures is suing its insurance company, saying the resulting pay-out doesn’t begin to cover its losses. And as more of us head back to the office, whatever will we wear? Business Weekly is produced by Matthew Davies and presented by Lucy Burton.

When are reviews real and when are they fake? We'll be asking a range of guests whether it's ok to be paid to do a review and how online sites can detect fraudulent write ups. We’ll also hear why negative feedback can be good for a business in the long run. Elizabeth Hotson speaks to James Kay, head of corporate communications at Tripadvisor, Carolyn Jameson, chief trust officer at Trustpilot and Michael Hanney, founder of Review Solicitors. We also hear from restaurant pr Hugh Richard Wright and Alison Edgar, author of 'The art of getting what you want.' Plus, Cynthia Giles from Cut Throat Marketing explains why negative reviews aren't necessarily bad for business. Presenter: Elizabeth Hotson Producer: Sarah Treanor(Picture: A mouth and comment symbols. Credit: Getty Images)

Why did one of the world's best-known porn provider platforms, OnlyFans, decide to ban porn? The controversial site has become a global phenomenon over the last five years, but its decision to outlaw adult content got everyone talking. It appeared to bow to pressure from financial services companies and anti-porn groups. Then it changed its mind. We look at the pressures the company is under and also at the business logic of internet porn. We speak to content creators Jessica Starling and Alana Evans, President of APAG; Mike Stabile, Director of Public Affairs at the Free Speech Coalition and Alexander Konrad from Forbes. BBC reporter Noel Titherage talks us through his investigation of the site. (Image: OnlyFans logo; Image credit: Getty Images)

How did one of the world's biggest sporting brands end up in such a financial mess? FC Barcelona's collapse, from European Champions League winning juggernaut, to unable to register its players under salary cap rules took less than a decade. So how did it take so little time for one of football's giants to fall so hard? We explore that with club members and supporters, as well as the Financial Times journalist Simon Kuper, the author of a new book about Barcelona; Barca, the Inside story of the world's greatest football club.Picture credit: Getty Images

Closed schools and economic hardship due to Coronavirus are seeing more young girls married off. We’ll hear from a young girl who managed to resist her family’s attempts to marry her to an older man. But many other young girls are not so lucky. Anindit Roy Chowdhury of Save The Children India estimates tens of thousands of such marriages may have already taken place during the pandemic, often with illegal dowries being exchanged for the young girls. Dr. Kriti Bharti, a leading activist for children’s rights, the peculiar economics of Indian marriages, along with some surprise consequences of the pandemic, gives parents a strong incentive to marry their girls off young, even in secret. And economist Dr. Monika Chaudhary reflects how this crisis highlights the longer-running tragedy of how the economic system India denies girls the chance of proper schooling.(Image credit: Getty Images.)

Many of us are preparing go back into the office but after more than a year of working from home for a lot of people, have we forgotten how to dress professionally? Or are we chomping at the bit to put on the armour that is traditional office wear? Or it time to entirely rethink the whole concept of office dress codes? Presenter, Elizabeth Hotson strolls down London's Saville Row to meet tailor Richard Anderson and stylist Lizzie Edwards gives some us tips on how to dress to impress. Deirdre Clemente, a historian who specializes in clothing and fashion at the University of Nevada tells us why March 2020 marked a huge shift in sartorial expectations and photographer Victoria Rose describes how her approach to fashion shifted during the pandemic. Plus Vivienne Nunis and Anastasia Wanjiru in Nairobi, Kenya explore shifting norms in workplace clothing. (Picture of a suit fitting via Getty Images) Producer: Elizabeth Hotson

While the eyes of the world are on Afghanistan and the US withdrawal, the American Vice President is trying to generate some headlines of her own during a charm offensive in South East Asia. We’ll hear what she’s been saying and what she hopes to achieve. Zambia has a new president and he’s made some big promises. Can he afford to keep them? And do you feel like time is just running away from you? Or perhaps it has slowed down to an unrelenting crawl? We’ll hear how our brains interpret time - and what we can do to make it work better for us. Business Weekly is produced by Clare Williamson and presented by Lucy Burton.

Nobel laureate Richard Thaler talks about why his and Cass Sunstein's 'nudge' theory needs a re-boot.

Gaisu fled the Taliban when she was 18. Now she's fleeing again. Speaking to the BBC's Tamasin Ford, Gaisu recounts being engaged to the son of a local warlord at age 6, fleeing to the United States at 18, and then returning as a civil servant after the Taliban were toppled. She recounts her time as the only female journalist at a local radio station as a teenager, how she butted heads with the Taliban and how her mother inspired her to be a feminist from a young age. We'll also hear how in the post-Taliban era Gaisu worked to get more women into public and government roles. And she tells Tamasin how she feels now, seeing the country come fully under Taliban rule once again, and women once again disappearing into the margins of society.(Image credit: A woman in Afghanistan in 1996. Image credit: Getty Images.)

Finding a place to live in Nigeria’s big cities. Finding somewhere to live can be stressful wherever you are in the world. But in Lagos, Africa’s fastest growing city, add in sexism, tribalism and stumping up more than a year’s worth of rent in advance. Are these practices making it an impossible place to live and what is being done to try and change the situation? Tamasin Ford speaks to Stephanie Chizoba Odili and Chiamaka Okafor who both, as single women, had problems finding a place to rent. She also speaks to Uchenna Idoko, the Executive Director of the Centre for Gender Economics in Lagos. She says Nigeria's patriarchal structure dictates how marriage is viewed as the single most important social custom, awarding women both respect and status - and that it has to change. And Ugo Okoro is the co-founder of Muster, a housing app that allows people to rent out their rooms in Lagos, Abuja and Kalabah. He says they are working hard to change the narrative by eliminating prejudice, sexism and tribalism so there is no more discrimination.(Picture credit: Adeyinka Yusuf/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The economy of Afghanistan is collapsing as remittances and foreign aid dry up. As the militant Taliban consolidate their control over the country, it's unclear whether they will be capable, or even interested, in propping up the economy to prevent further humanitarian crises. Today on Business Daily, we're looking at how the economics of life under the Taliban. Professor Jonathan Goodhand of SOAS University of London, explains how the Taliban managed to generate revenues over the years since the US invasion, from local taxation on commodities, as well as support from sympathetic parties outside the country. Ian Hannan, a British mining engineer, says the Taliban has also benefitted enormously from mining in recent years. Now, the big question is whether they will be able to manage the country's entire economy, and Vanda Felbab-Brown of the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. thinks Afghanistan cannot survive without the aid it has relied on for decades.Producer: Frey Lindsay(Image: Taliban militants in Kabul on August 16th, 2021. Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Age discrimination doesn't just affect the elderly. The BBC's Tamasin Ford speaks with Priscilla and Nadirah about the discrimination they've experienced as young people in the workplace. We'll also hear from Michael North, an assistant professor of management and organisations at New York University’s Stern School of Business, on the research he and his team have done showing the extent of 'youngism' in business. Also in the programme, consultants Lauren Rikleen and Elizabeth Houghton explain how young people can best navigate the workplace, even in the presence of discrimination.(Picture credit: Getty Images.)

As the Taliban takes control of Afghanistan this week, we ask what the future holds for the country. The central bank governor, Ajmal Ahmady, who fled earlier this week, tells us about the days and weeks leading up to the takeover. Dr Weeda Mehran from the University of Exeter outlines how the country arrived at this point, and what the future could hold. She argues that unless the Taliban gains legitimacy internationally it will struggle to govern effectively or grow the economy. Plus, a new Alzheimer's drug has been approved by the FDA in the US, but lawmakers are looking at how and why it was approved so quickly. Apple’s decision to scan users’ phones for images of child abuse has privacy campaigners worried - and we’ll hear from the businesses busy preparing for Christmas 2021. Business Weekly is produced by Clare Williamson and presented by Lucy Burton. (Image: Afghans gather outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul to flee the country, Image credit: European Pressphoto Agency)

All our lives are ruled by time and it's a fundamental part of our daily routines but what if we could make time go more slowly - or quickly? Adrian Bejan, a professor in thermodynamics at Duke University says that this is possible if we just open our minds to how we perceive change. And if we could make time last longer, what would be the most efficient way of using it? We get some tips from Laura Vanderkam a writer and speaker on time management. Plus, research scientist Christian Clot tells us about an experiment where all markers of time were taken away, including clocks, watches and sunlight - and what that could mean for how we live in the future. And casino designer and consultant, Bill Friedman explains how the idea of timelessness is put to practical use in casinos where professional gamblers want to feel that they're always in the moment. Picture: antique clocks, Picture credit: Getty ImagesPresenter: Elizabeth Hotson Producer: Sarah Treanor

After decades without progress, this June a new treatment was approved by the US Food and Drugs Administration - Biogen's Aduhelm. Ivana Davidovic looks into why this process has been so controversial that is now under investigation by a federal watchdog.Aaron Kesselheim, a Harvard Medical School professor, served on the FDA’s advisory committee that considered Aduhelm and voted against its approval. He explains why he decided to resign from his post and what consequences there could be for future research and also for Medicare and Medicaid for covering such an expensive drug.Geri Taylor has participated in the Aduhelm trial since 2015 and both her and her husband Jim believe that the drug has slowed her decline.Jason Karlawish - a practising physician, co-director of the Penn Memory Centre and the author of The Problem of Alzheimer’s book - says that more money should be spent on providing carers for the vast majority of Alzheimer's patients and that people should not be forced to choose between cure and care. PHOTO: 3d illustration of the human brain with Alzheimer’s disease/Getty Images

Apple is to scan users' iPhones for images of child abuse. Privacy advocates are dismayed. They say it's a slippery slope to monitoring a wider range of content. Andy Burrows from the UK's NSPCC tells us why Apple's move is an important step in protecting children online, while India McKinney from the Electronic Frontier Foundation explains why privacy activists like her are so worried. Namrata Maheshwari from the campaign group Access Now describes the battle between WhatsApp and the Indian governmentment over access to encrypted messages - an example of the wider battle between governments and tech firms over access to data. And Andersen Cheng, CEO of the tech company Post-Quantum, tells us about the time he invented a messaging app so secure it became the app of choice for a terrorist organisation.(Photo: Messaging apps on an iPhone screen. Credit: Getty Images)

Are these the future of modern warfare and how concerned should we be? There are efforts to limit the development of these weapons. More than 50 nations met at the UN in Geneva this month to discuss a possible treaty. But neither Russia nor the United States have expressed any willingness to support the treaty. Ed Butler speaks to Professor Noel Sharkey who's been campaigning against the development of these weapons for 14 years and asked him how close any type of agreement was. Evanna Hu, CEO of AI firm, Omelas, and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington, says this technology is now at the forefront of many countries' weapons development. And George Rey is a retired Lieutenant Commander in the US navy. He now works with private sector defence contractors supporting the development of autonomous weapons systems for the department of defence.(Picture credit: CARL COURT/AFP via Getty Images)

Women in the drinks industry share their stories to try to change the way women are treated in pubs, clubs and bars. After many shared stories of harassment in craft breweries, the consensus is: enough is enough. Charlotte Cook, an experienced brewer, says the most important thing is to believe the stories, as some are being silenced by UK libel laws. Professor Chris Land from Anglia Ruskin University explains how certain workplaces can create unhealthy cultures, while bartender Nichola Bottomley says she was inspired to speak out after years of abuse working in pubs and bars. In the US, Victoria James, who was named the country's youngest sommelier at 21, has inspired other women working in wine to come together to speak out - and her book led to many responsible to resign. Becky Paskin, journalist and co-founder of Our Whisky, talks about the repercussions she faced after calling out sexism in the whisky industry. While Brad Cummings, co-founder of craft beer company Tiny Rebel tells us why it's no longer business as usual after the firm was called out by former employees online.(Images: Alcohol being poured. Art159 / Getty Images)

A young entrepreneur builds the ‘happiest company in the world’, an online shoe retailer so profitable that Amazon snaps it up for over a billion dollars. But what if the company’s profits and happiness could be boosted by a radical reimagining of the workplace? No more bosses, no more job titles, just creativity, equality and pure joy. We hear the story of Tony Hsieh, a visionary entrepreneur who abandoned social hierarchy in his Las Vegas-based shoe company. Could it be that the secret to happiness lies in making everybody equal?(Image: Tony Hsieh in 2013. Credit: Christopher Farina/ Getty Images)

Neurodiversity is a broad term inclusive of a number of very different things including, but not limited to, autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. And until relatively recently, it's not something that many workplaces have paid much attention to. But rethinking those spaces and the way neurodiverse staff can be best accommodated, can reap benefits for both the companies involved and their employees. Stand-up comedian Don Biswas, explains how his different way of thinking has shaped his comedy routine, we also hear about the trials and tribulations faced by successful author Elle McNicoll. PR executive, Yemi Gbadebo describes the impact of getting an ADHD diagnosis as an adult, and Professor Amanda Kirby explains why females in general are less readily diagnosed with all forms of neurodiversity. Plus, Paul Graham, Britvic's managing director for the GB region, tells us how his neurodiverse family has inspired his approach to the workplace and Professor Robert Austin from Ivey Business School in Ontario, Canada, describes how the understanding of cognitive differences is gradually improving.(Picture of a group of young people via Getty Images).

Bringing electricity to his village for the first time, we speak with Jeremiah Thoronka in Sierra Leone about the challenges of energy inequality in the country. As a teenager, using kinetic energy, Jeremiah changed the lives of hundreds of people – we speak to them to talk about the difference between the two worlds – and why having more light often means more hours to earn money, in a country where economic success lags behind its neighbours. As three quarters of people in the world with no access to electricity live in Africa, UN energy representative Damilola Ogunbiyi explains why Africa energy poverty persists, despite some pockets of success, and answers why it takes ‘heroes’ like Jeremiah to change the lives of people, and why leaders should be stepping up.(Image: Lightning storm approaches Freetown, Sierra Leone. Credit: Michael Duff / Getty Images)

Bitcoin’s popularity in Nigeria has exploded – with one of the youngest populations in the world, coupled with a high unemployment rate, its popularity was almost inevitable. Many young Nigerians are attracted to cryptocurrencies as an alternative and quick way to make money. Jude Umeano tells us that he lives his life using only Bitcoin, and that the government ban on funding crypto-based businesses only made him find loopholes. In fact, the government ban was likely the catalyst that increased its popularity, says Idayat Hassan from the Centre of Democracy and Development in Abuja. But there are still common, old fashioned concerns that make crypto investing so popular – and that’s mainly because it’s seen as a more secure and valuable currency in the global markets, says Eke Urum, chief executive of Risevest, one of Nigeria’s many investment platforms, which is still seeing users grow, despite the government ban.(Image: Bitcoin app in Lagos. Credit: Alexander Sanchez/ Getty images)

Doping is a growing problem in the multi-billion dollar industry of competitive online gaming – but remains an open secret. As prize money runs in to the millions, are more young people turning to drugs to stay focused to win? With major league eSport athletes admitting to mass doping, we speak with the founder of the world’s first eSport university programme - Dr Glenn Platt at Miami University, Ohio - who tells us the casual attitude to doping for performance enhancement. Varsity eSport players Jared Shapiro and Jennifer Frank tell us that doping using Adderall and Ritalin are engrained within eSports, making it to difficult ban, when so many gamers need them for medical purposes. Doping in eSport regulator Ian Smith from the eSports Integrity Commission says that the major tournament organisers and games publishers should foot the bill for testing – which is severely underfunded. But while the major names – DOTA 2, Overwatch and League of Legends – continue to grow in users during lockdown, Craig Fletcher, an eSports tournament organiser, says the business has less money to spend on regulation, after coronavirus stops people gathering for tournaments.(Image: Pixelated pills. Credit: non157 / Getty Images)

On this edition of Business Weekly, we look into Lebanon’s economy - a country going through the worst economic crisis since its civil war of the 70s and 80s, with severe disruption to basic services and food shortages. We also hear from Zambia, where the pandemic has meant the usual cash-rich tourists have stayed away, and the economy is dominating the general election campaigns. Plus, we look at another attempt to narrow the gender gap in science and engineering careers, by introducing female role models into toy dolls. Business Weekly is presented by Sasha Twining and produced by Matthew Davies.

Is China's behavior towards its innovators separating the country further from the world? That's the question on everybody's mind, as the Chinese authorities continue to exert their political power over the country's rising tech companies. George Magnus, associate at the China Centre at Oxford University warns that despite increasing western interest in the Chinese market, foreign investors should be wary about political clampdowns on companies. But Angela Zhang at the University of Hong Kong, argues some of the government's actions could be seen simply as prudent regulatory moves against the power of Big Tech. And Ker Gibbs, Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, explains how businesses are navigating this intersection between politics and commerce.Producer: Frey Lindsay.(Picture: Logo of Didi Chuxing, China's largest ride-hailing company. Picture credit: Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Less than two percent of Africa’s population has been vaccinated against Covid-19. Could homegrown vaccines be the solution? If so, why isn’t it happening? Is it an issue with patents and intellectual property rights? Is big pharma standing in the way? Or is it simply about money and profits?Things are beginning to happen. Last month a consortium was set up with the aim of opening an mRNA technology transfer hub in South Africa. If they succeed it will be the first regional mRNA vaccine manufacturing production facility in Africa. In this edition of Business Daily, Tamasin Ford hears from Marie-Paule Kieny, the chair of the Governance Board of the Medicines Patent Pool, Toyin Abiodun from the Tony Blair Global Institute for Change, based in Rwanda, and from Petro Terblanche, the Managing Director of Afrigen, the South African biotech company where the first African vaccines will hopefully be produced.(Producer: Joshua Thorpe)(Image: Health workers prepare a dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine during a mass vaccination campaign against the Covid-19, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Credit: Getty Images.)