Business Daily

Workers from countries such as Nepal have done the bulk of the work to build the stadiums and infrastructure for the Qatar World Cup. But there are difficult questions still to be answered about the treatment of these people, and how compensation for those workers who have been badly treated, or even died in Qatar, is being paid. In this episode, Ed Butler speaks to a man from Nepal who worked on a bus depot project in Doha and an investigative journalist in Nepal who says he is speaking to workers who are being sent home from Qatar because the World Cup is happening.Human Rights Watch explain the issues with compensation payments that they are still hearing about, and James Dorsey, a specialist on the politics of Middle East football, gives his view on the gamble the Qataris are undertaking to host the event, in a hope that they gain ‘soft power’.Producer/Presenter: Ed Butler(Image: A Qatari stadium with workers climbing up. Credit: European Pressphoto Agency)

Samira Hussain visits the New York studio of one of the most in demand photographers in the world, Jason Bell.Jason has photographed some of the world’s most famous people - including Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio and the British Royal Family. His work has been featured in Vanity Fair and Vogue and he’s shot campaigns for The Crown, Billy Elliot and The Revenant. Jason takes us behind the lens on some very famous photo shoots, explaining how his career progressed. Plus he gives his top tips for taking a truly memorable photograph. Presenter: Samira Hussain Producer: Carmel O’Grady(Photo: Photographer Jason Bell Credit: Getty Images)

In April 2022, Sri Lanka was gripped by a major economic crisis. Prices were rising sharply, protests started in the capital, Colombo,and spread across the country.Daily power cuts and shortages of basics such as fuel, food and medicines were commonplace. Inflation was running at more than 50%.In July, after months of unrest, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country. Three months on, Rahul Tandon asks whether Sri Lanka's economic situation has improved, and explores how the country could improve its fortunes - when everyone wants to leave.Rahul hears from people in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, where there are queues for the passport office, a Colombo business owner, and a Sri Lankan academic now living in the UK who says she's not going back.Presented and produced by Rahul Tandon.(Image: Sri Lankan tea seller in the rain. Credit: Getty)

In a wide ranging interview, David Malpass, president of the World Bank, speaks to presenter Sam Fenwick about the global economic situation.He talks about the consequences of rising global debt and high inflation, and how poorer countries are bearing the brunt of the economic crisis. Mr Malpass says the debt caused by the coronavirus pandemic will take decades to pay off, and says many of the subsidies were not targeted. He says a similar situation is being created again with the energy crisis. Presented and produced by Sam Fenwick.(Image: David Malpass. Credit: Getty)

In mid-2021 hot tub companies were king. Unprecedented demand through covid pushed up sales as people stayed at home. Some of Europe's well known suppliers boasted up to a 400% increase in sales compared to 2019. Companies simply could not get a hold on enough stock. In China on/off lockdowns caused a part shortage. Waiting lists across Europe went as far as six months. Some of the world's biggest tub producers made record profits.Then in early 2022 an industry went from its heyday to doomsday in a matter of months. The reason: The cost of electricity. Across Europe, some owners are draining their pools as the cost of living crisis bites. One in five hot tub owners say they now never use them, while a further third said they hardly ever use them, according to a new major survey. Business Daily's Rick Kelsey speaks to Chris Hayes from BISHTA, the trade association for hot tub installers in the UK and Ireland, about the type of people who can now afford a tub. We travel to Valencia in Spain to hear how health

When you’re conducting a scientific experiment, you must prepare for it to fail.Lab researchers work by this motto. But for Dr Natalie Kenny, founder of international lab testing and medical training firm BioGrad, it’s proved true in every aspect of life.It’s been a whirlwind ride: from growing up in a working-class family in Liverpool, England, to battling tropical diseases in the Amazonian rainforest, and losing almost everything before going on to found a multi-million dollar business.In this episode of Business Daily, she sits down with Alex Bell to reflect on a remarkable life in science, discussing the pharmaceutical industry, gender equality in the laboratory, and being on the frontlines of the Covid pandemic. as well as the personal tests she’s had to overcome.(Picture: Dr Natalie Kenny at BioGrad’s headquarters in Liverpool, UK. Credit: BioGrad.)

We hear from some of the many small-scale farmers in Kenya who are using apps like What’sApp, Facebook and Instagram to share information about the best way to grow fruit and veg and sell direct to consumers. From the vibrant markets of Nairobi to the lush green slopes of Mount Kenya Sam Fenwick investigates how farming entrepreneurs are using smartphones to grow profits as well as peas. But running a business online can be challenging in Kenya where internet connections can be patchy and data bundles expensive. Safe access to the internet is seen as development goal. At the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly governments, the private sector, philanthropic funds and international organisations agreed that investment in digital infrastructure would help drive growth in emerging economies. US$295 million was committed to advance inclusive digital public infrastructure. Presenter / Producer: Sam Fenwick Image: Cathy Kamanu; Credit: Cathy Kamanu

University sport in the US has become huge business. For decades, students' share of those earnings only came in the form of scholarships. As television contracts got bigger, so did the calls for change - and last year students were granted the right to earn off their name, image and likeness. A year on, Will Bain explores how it’s shaken up college sports, providing opportunities and unforeseen challenges. Hear from former SMU college football player and professional artist Ra’Sun Kazadi, Texas A&M University Athletic Director Ross Bjork, CEO of MSP Recovery John H Ruiz and Courtney Altemus of Team Altemus, part of the advance group of NIL advisers.Presenter / producer: Will Bain Image: Quarterback Kellen Mond from Texas A&M; Credit: Getty

As many as 7 million Americans who could work, aren’t. These are people who have dropped out of the workforce - they have given up on finding a job or are simply not looking.And similar trends can be seen in other wealthy countries. So what is going on? Ed Butler speaks to Nicholas Eberstadt, a researcher at the American Enterprise Institute. He’s recently updated a book which examines the extraordinary increase in men – and it is mainly men in the US - who’ve decided they don’t just want to quit their jobs, they want to leave the workplace for good. And it’s something that’s been going on since the 1960s.Presented and produced by Ed Butler.(Image: Men on a building site. Credit: Getty)

Greensill Capital was a UK based finance firm and a darling of investors which made its money by lending to businesses. It went into administration in March 2021, leaving investors facing billions in losses.What went wrong with Greensill? Why did leading politicians like former British Prime Minister David Cameron get involved?And what does it teach us about the way modern entrepreneurs, like Australian-born Lex Greensill, try and promote themselves?Ed Butler speaks to Duncan Mavin, a financial journalist who followed the downfall of Greensill – he’s written a book about what happened. Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: James Graham(Image: Lex Greensill. Credit: Shutterstock)

New York’s Penn Station is the busiest transport hub in the United States - as many as 650,000 people pass through it in a day. But this intercity hub is widely agreed to be outdated and unloved.Now there are plans to pour billions of dollars into a station facelift - in the hope it will attract Americans back to trains.In this episode, Laura Heighton-Ginns hears from key stakeholders Amtrak and the Regional Plan Association on why they believe a major overhaul is needed.Laura also takes a tour of the station and finds out about its much-admired predecessor - the Pennsylvania Station of the early 20th Century.And she explores the site of the planned demolition work, which controversially includes historical buildings and a busy community church.Presented and produced by Laura Heighton-Ginns.(Image: Penn Station scaffolding. Credit: BBC)

In this episode we explore mental health provision in Pakistan. Pakistan has a population of more than 200 million people but only around 500 working psychiatrists. This means around ninety percent of those with common mental health issues go untreated.We hear from Mahira Kahn, a multi award winning Pakistani actress, in April this year Mahira was appointed as an Ambassador for the British Asian Trust. Mahira works with the trust to promote and support it’s current Peace of Mind campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness of mental health issues and needs in Pakistan. Mahria tells us about her work with the trust and how her job has affected her own mental health. We also speak to Sanaa Ahmad who is the British Asian Trust's Mental Health programme manager, and Dr Iffa who works with communities in Pakistan providing mental health treatment. Presenter / production: Emb Hashmi Producer: Carmel O'GradyPhoto: Mahira Khan; Credit: Getty

A British businessman has come up with a bold plan to turn the floating seaweed sargassum into cash, and tackle global warming at the same time. In this episode, Justin Rowlatt meets John Auckland. He is the man behind Seafields, which aims to create a floating farm 'the size of Croatia' far out in the South Atlantic ocean. The plan is to harvest the seaweed, sink it to the seabed and earn cash from carbon credits. Justin also speaks to Professor Victor Smetacek, an expert in marine biology - the project is based on his ideas. And Dr Nem Vaughan, associate professor in climate change at the University of East Anglia talks Justin through some of her questions around how or whether the project will work. Presenter: Justin Rowlatt Producer: David Reid (Image: Sargassum being harvested. Credit: BBC)

The use of robots in North American workplaces has increased by 40% since the start of the pandemic and the small to medium sized businesses, which never automated before, are getting in on the act. The robotics industry has responded to the global increased demand by creating more and more customisable robots, which can be leased or hired. Ivana Davidovic explores what effect this has had - and could have in the future - on the labour markets, innovation, but also on social inequality. Ivana hears from a small restaurant owner from California who wouldn't be without her server robot Rosie any more, after months of being unable to fill vacancies. Joe Campbell from the Danish company Universal Robots and Tim Warrington from the British company Bots explain how they are taking advantage of the post-pandemic "great resignation" and which industries are next in line for a robotics boom. Karen Eggleston from Stanford University explains her research into the consequences of the use of robots in over 800 nursing ho

Is space the final frontier for meat grown from animal stem cells?Elizabeth Hotson asks whether growing steaks under micro gravity conditions could help in the quest for food security and whether, back on earth, consumers could be persuaded to stomach meat reared in labs.We hear from Didier Toubia, the CEO of Aleph Farms who defends his space meat mission from accusations of gimmickry.Seren Kel, the science and technology manager for the Europe region of the Good Food Institute, gives her view on the environmental impact of cell-gown meat and Dr Jason Michael Thomas, senior lecturer in psychology at Aston University explains how reluctant consumers might be persuaded to try new and strange-sounding foods.Presenter: Elizabeth Hotson Producer: Elizabeth Hotson(Photo description: The Solar system. Credit: Getty Images)

When women's tennis world number one Ash Barty suddenly announced in March 2022 that she was retiring from tennis, it was huge shock.Barty, a three time grand slam champion, was only 25.At the time she said she was leaving professional tennis to pursue other life goals. Quitting is often seen as a negative thing to do, but in this episode we explore the positive side.PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears survey of more than 52,000 people in 44 countries showed that one in five workers planned to quit their jobs in 2022.Marie Keyworth speaks to Moya Dodd, former vice-captain of Australia’s women’s football team - The Matildas. She now works as a lawyer in Sydney and says Barty's decision to 'quit at the top' could be a lesson to us all.Career coach Sarah Weiler has quit several roles herself, and has now made it her job to help others – how do you know when it’s time to move on?And Dina Denham Smith is an executive coach based in the San Francisco Bay area. She helps what she calls ‘high performing, high achi

Now that borders have opened up post pandemic, backpackers have been slow to return to Australia.Despite a number of initiatives, the number of travellers is low. And that’s having an impact on businesses who need staff.David Reid explores the Australian working holiday visa scheme, which was set up fifty years ago to encourage young people to travel and work. It's not been without problems, and recently there have been allegations of exploitation and even abuse.So is the visa scheme the right solution for the Australian labour crunch? Or should government step in and rethink the whole set up?David speaks to Lee Thurston who runs Miss Moneypenny’s restaurant in Noosa, on the east coast of Queensland. Lee is from the UK but has settled in Australia. Lee said when they came to open up after the pandemic, all the backpackers had gone home. So he’s had to train up local teenagers instead.Hamish Hill runs Nomad’s hostel in Noosa. He tells David it’s noticeable how many vacancies there are and the impact that’s ha

Fashion is one of the world’s most polluting industries – more than half of everything we wear is still made from plastic. In the search for more sustainable ingredients – designers are now turning to those you would normally find on your plate. Katie Barnfield travels to Sherwood Forest in England to meet Ashley Granter and Aurélie Fontan from Mykko – a company making leather from mycelium, the root system of mushrooms. Fancy a food based swimsuit? We talk to Dr Kate Riley from Textile Exchange about new developments in so-called bio synthetics. And in the race to adopt these new materials, could some brands be accused of greenwashing? Rachel Cernansky from Vogue Business takes us through the controversy.Produced and presented by Katie Barnfield.(Image: Mushrooms growing on a tree branch. Credit: Getty)

Home solar – putting panels on your roof or side of your house, used be something fairly unusual. However, rising energy costs means that people are increasingly looking for alternatives.Presenter Rick Kelsey explores why the trend for solar panels is happening across Europe – and asks whether the industry has the infrastructure to cope with increasing demand. Rick travels to south east England where panels are being put on the roof, and speaks to installer Scott Burrows. And he meets Linda who rents her home – her landlord has just had solar panels fitted. Linda says she has noticed the reduction in her bills, however her central heating is gas so there might not be as big a reduction over the winter.Just over 3,000 solar installations are being carried out every week according to the trade association Solar Energy UK. That’s up from 1,000 a week in July 2020.Michael Schmela and Naomi Chevillard are from Solar Power Europe. They say they are seeing an unprecedented demand in countries across Europe, especial

Brompton makes 100,000 foldable bikes in London every year and exports about 75% of them. Chief executive Will Butler-Adams tells us how he grew the business around the world. He also explains how he's navigating inflation, and the prospect of recession. Plus, why he believes his mission is not simply to sell more bikes, but to change how people live in cities around the globe. Producer/presenter: James Graham Photo: Will Butler-Adams on a Brompton bike at his London factory. Credit: Brompton.