Business Daily

Drawn by the favourable exchange rate, tourists are flocking to Turkey, but can they compensate for the country's wider economic woes? In 2020, Turkey was hit hard by the pandemic lockdown, soaring inflation, a weakening currency and a current account deficit. Last year, the number of visitors jumped 85.5%. Victoria Craig talks to tourists in Istanbul about how they're getting more value for money and visits traders in the Grand Bazaar. Tour guide Sebnem Altin at tour company Grand Circle Travel has mixed feelings about the future and economist Roger Kelly at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development puts the latest tourism figures in context. Produced by Stephen Ryan and Gulsah Karadag. (Image: Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, Credit: Victoria Craig)

Sanctions, energy supplies, cyber-attacks - how bad could the economic fallout be if the situation in Ukraine spirals out of control?How likely would Russia be to simply cut the gas supply off to Europe in the middle of winter for example? Ed Butler asks Jane Collin, editor of the UK-based publication, Energy Intelligence. Meanwhile Matthew Olney, director of threat intelligence at Cisco, discusses another possibility - the disabling of key energy and other infrastructure in America by Russian hackers.Meanwhile the West has plenty of threats it can make against Moscow, in the form of further economic and financial sanctions - including the option of kicking Russia off the SWIFT international financial payments messaging system. But Maria Shagina, a visiting fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, says the West will need to look beyond sanctions if it wishes to influence President Putin's thinking(Picture: Ukrainian soldier with rifle; Credit: Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Allegations of human rights' abuses have led to an official boycott by a number of Western governments of the Winter Olympics in Beijing this month. China has responded angrily, accusing them of politicising a sporting bonanza. The International Olympic Committee insists that sport should be above politics. So where does this leave the sponsors on whom the Olympics depend for funding? International marketing expert Allyson Stewart Allen tells us that sponsors are stuck between a rock and hard space, whilst former Olympic skiier Noah Hoffman calls on sponsors to do more to protect athletes, and British politician Rob Hayward is calling for a boycott of Coca Cola products for not taking a stand. Ed Butler presents and the programme producer is Clare Williamson.(This podcast is an edited version of the original broadcast programme for reasons of accuracy)(Image: Short Track Speed Skating official training session ahead of the Winter Olympics, Beijing, China, Credit: Getty Images)

This is a big moment for African music on the global stage. African artists are winning international awards and embarking on tours to the US and Europe. And major record companies want a piece of the action. They’ve been busy doing deals to sign African stars with Warner Music buying a controlling stake in a Johannesburg business which bills itself as “the home of African music”. So what’s going on, and what does it all mean for a new generation of African artists? Mike Johnson talks to singers Nomcebo Zikode from South Africa and Mildred Ashong, aka Eazzy, from Ghana, Phiona Okumu, head of African music at the streaming service Spotify, Yoel Kenan, chief executive of music distribution company Africori and Temi Adeniji, MD of Warner Music South Africa. (Image: Nomcebo Zikode at the Nomcebo Zikode Foundation Launch at the Houghton Hotel on June 09, 2021 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Credit:Getty)

On Business Weekly this week, we look at the efforts being made to reduce the carbon footprints of mining companies. One of the largest iron ore producers, Fortescue Metals, is looking to reduce its carbon emissions and has snapped up the technology research arm of the Williams Formula One team to help them do it. Plus, we examine the continuing war on drugs and how the Mexican cartels have been taking advantage of the pandemic restrictions in the United States. Also, we ask if having one or two wealthy owners is the best route to a winning strategy for football clubs. We review the deal that the Australian government struck to buy the licence for the Aboriginal flag – now that the image is free to use, is that the end of the matter? And Bob Dylan is, once again, selling off his assets – this time, his back catalogue is going to Sony Music for an estimated $200m. Business Weekly is presented by Matthew Davies and produced by Philippa Goodrich.

Global warming means the world will need a lot more air conditioning - but will the AC just make global warming even worse?The Middle East already experiences peak temperatures over 50C, as the Kuwaiti social media influencer Ascia Alshammiri testifies. And things are only set to get worse. Ed Butler speaks to climatologist George Zittis, who says urban temperatures could hit 60C later this century, which combined with rising humidity could render some places uninhabitable.In any case, it means a boom for the air conditioning industry. But AC itself is a major source of greenhouse gases, as Radhika Lalit of clean energy think tank RMI explains. So are there tech solutions available to break this vicious circle? We hear from two entrepreneurs - Kevin O'Toole of Exergyn, and Aaswath Raman of SkyCool Systems.(Picture: Congested air conditioning units on a building in Mumbai, India; Credit: Kuni Takahashi/Getty Images)

The British Government says the BBC license fee, paid by millions of households, to finance its global broadcasting service, will be frozen for two years and wants a debate about future funding. So what are the options for the Corporation? Rob Young explores the way public service broadcasters are funded around the world and talks to Ismo Silvo, the Deputy Chief Executive of the Finnish public broadcaster YLE and Chris Turpin, NPR's Chief of Staff. We get some analysis of the advantages and limitations of each model and discuss the impact on other broadcasters with Steve Barnett, Professor of Communications at the University of Westminster and Gill Hind from Enders Analysis. (Image: BBC Studio, Credit: BBC)

It’s no surprise to anyone that money talks in English football but lately it seems louder than ever. Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney recently bought a club in the English lower leagues, while the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund completed a controversial takeover of Newcastle United. Meanwhile, a founding club of the Premier League, Oldham Athletic, faces relegation into the non-league game after years of mismanagement. Vivienne Nunis asks, is private ownership the best way to run football clubs or is it time for a rethink? Wrexham fan Gareth Davies, Tom Hocking of When Saturday Comes magazine and Maggie Murphy, CEO of Lewes Football Club, join in the discussion. (Image: Wrexham FC owner, the actor Ryan Reynolds, attends a red carpet premiere in LA. Credit: Getty)

Mexico's cartels are thriving, and finding innovative ways to smuggle drugs across the border into the US, despite law enforcement and the pandemic.Ed Butler speaks to Dr Irene Mia of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, who says the closing of borders due to Covid has provided the cartels with a surprising shot in the arm, as they have proved far more adept at keeping their product flowing than many other legitimate international export businesses. Speedboats, tunnels, even catapults have been deployed to get methamphetamine and fentanyl into the US.And that's not all. The cartels have diversified, into people smuggling, wildcat mining and crude oil theft among other things, according to the Mexico-based author and journalist Ioan Grillo. And they aren't the only ones. In Brazil, a narcotics gang called First Capital Command has become so powerful that they have effectively replaced the government in some parts of the country, according to Marcos Alan Ferreira of the Federal University of Parai

Demand for beauty tweakments - small changes to your appearance – as opposed to full on face changing plastic surgery, is soaring. Hours spent on video conferencing has forced people to constantly scrutinise their appearance, so what exactly are people having done and how much does it all cost? Elizabeth Hotson speaks to tweakments fan, Eddie Wunderlich, a personal trainer and stylist at the Dop Dop salon in New York and we hear about the importance of appearance at work from Dr Stefanie K. Johnson, an associate professor at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business. Dr Hazel Mycroft, a senior lecturer in social psychology at the University of Exeter talks through the thought processes of having tweakments done and Elizabeth visits skincare guru Sarah Chapman, in her Skinesis Clinic in London to see what exactly customers want.. (Photo: LED light treatment,. Credit: Elizabeth Hotson).Presenter: Elizabeth Hotson Producer: Sarah Treanor

On this edition of Business Weekly, we look at the gaming industry’s biggest deal so far, as Microsoft stumps up nearly $69bn to buy Activision Blizzard, the company behind mega-games including Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. We hear how Microsoft wants to increase its slice of the gaming sector. Mobile stock trading apps have been booming in popularity during the pandemic, opening the door to millions of new, often young, or first-time investors. For many in the finance sector it is great news, but there have been questions raised about whether people always know the amount of financial risk they are taking on. Also, we focus on China’s economy, and hear what impact the ‘zero Covid’ policy and approach has made. Plus, we stop and smell the roses of the global flower industry - and follow one supply line from Kenya to Amsterdam to find out how green the sector really is. And as the original Winnie the Pooh book falls out of US copyright, we hear what potential new adventures might be in store for the “bea

To some it may sound absurd to consider hairstyles a workplace issue, but for millions of men and women with African and Afro-Caribbean hair, it is just that. For decades, some hairstyles have been discouraged at work. But things are finally starting to change. In 2021 the US Airforce changed its hair code to be more inclusive. We explore the historic racism behind hair-based discrimination and hear from the women who have united to change attitudes and laws. We speak to businesswomen, historians and those in the arts – from the UK, the US and East Africa – to find out what hair has to do with it all anyway.Presenter: Vivienne Nunis Producer: Sarah TreanorThis is a repeat of a programme first broadcast on 19 Feb 2021(Image credit: Getty)

How deep are your pockets? Are they big enough to carry all the things you need? Your money, keys and mobile phone? If you’re a woman, the answer is most likely a no. This little pouch has a lot to say about gender roles and a woman’s right to financial independence. We hear about the great divide in pocket designs that has existed for hundreds of years with Ariane Fennetaux, author of The Pocket: A Hidden History of Women's Lives, 1660–1900. We take a trip to London’s V&A Museum to see how pockets – or a lack of them – led to the billion-dollar handbag industry, and we hear from Indian fashion designer and founder of the Meri Pocket campaign group, Taarini Saraf on the fight for pocket justice. Presented by Vivienne Nunis. Produced by Sarah Treanor. Music used with the kind permission of: @HebontheWeb Image: A women's small jean pocket. Credit: Getty images.

“Lying flat” - or tang ping - is a trend among mainly young Chinese to opt out of the rat race and it represents the antithesis of a development model that has delivered extraordinary growth for the country over four decades. The sentiment has been widespread enough to warrant a public condemnation from the President. Xi Jinping.Ed Butler hears from "Jeff," a computer developer from Hangzhou, but working in Beijing, who explains why he decided to give up on the Chinese dream in pursuit of a better quality of life. The BBC's China specialist Kerry Allen describes how the trend has developed online and how it has been accelerated by the forced slowdown during the pandemic. And Dr Lauren Johnston, a scholar of Chinese economics with a focus on the demographic shifts, says that both the privileged and the poorer 20 and 30-somethings feel exhausted by the Chinese ultra-competitive world of work and family pressures.Producer: Ivana Davidovic(Photo: Illustration of the lying flat movement. Credit: Sina Weibo)

Mobile trading apps have been booming in popularity, opening the door to millions of new, often young or first time investors. For many in the finance sector it is great news, but questions remain about whether people always know the amount of financial risk they are taking on. One criticism in particular is that some of these new platforms look, act and react more like a video game than an investment platform. Is that the essential appeal that attracts new users, or does it just obscure the risks?Rob Young speaks to the boss of one of the biggest platforms in this sector, Yoni Assia, the boss of eToro. He hears too from Vicky Bogan, professor at Cornell University’s business school, who studies the "gamification" of finance as well as Professor Erik Gordon, at the University of Michigan's Business School. And Sarah Pritchard from the UK's regulator the Financial Conduct Authority tells Rob about efforts to encourage young users to invest safely, and how protecting them is their priority.

The pandemic has been very hard on commercial aviation, but most experts believe the sector will soon be growing again – fast. The BBC's Theo Leggett takes a look at what new technologies are out there. Sandra Bour Schaeffer, Chief Executive of Airbus Upnext, tells him what the aviation giant is planning for the future. Neil Cloughley, from the much smaller Faradair Aerospace, makes the case for why their hybrid-electric technology is the way forward for flying. On the other hand, Blake Scholl of Boom Supersonic says that, two decades after the end of supersonic jet Concorde, it's time for airliners to break the sound barrier once again. But if we want to protect the environment, should we be flying at all? Matt Finch, UK policy director of the Brussels-based lobby group Transport and Environment, says yes - but not quite so often. (Image: the ZEROe blended wing body concept, Credit: Airbus)

On this edition of Business Weekly, we’re looking at the US inflation rate. It has hit 7% year on year, the largest rise since 1982. Used car prices and food costs are shooting up. We hear from Wells Fargo Economist Sarah Watt House and Gerald Daniels, an Associate Professor of Economics at Howard University who specialises in the economics of inequality. The BBC’s Ed Butler looks at the recent protests in Kazakhstan and we have a look inside the UK trials into psychedelic drugs for patients suffering with depression. Plus, we browse the shelves of ultra rare whisky, and hear why, and how, some parts of the Scottish industry are booming. The BBC’s Elizabeth Hotson talks to both keen collectors, and dedicated producers. Business Weekly is presented by Sasha Twining and produced by Clare Williamson.

It’s just over a year since the UK’s trading relationship with the EU fundamentally changed. So how are small businesses in Britain finding life outside the single market and customs union? The BBC's Vivienne Nunis speaks with chocolate-maker Jacques Cop of Coco Caravan and Kathleen May from the London-based independent publisher, Hurst, as well as Sally Jones, trade strategist at EY. Image: Hand drawing a red line between the UK and the rest of the European Union. Credit: Getty

Why can't multinationals like KFC source their ingredients locally? A shortage of fries at KFC restaurants in Kenya has led many to call for a boycott of the chain after it transpired that the company imported all of its potatoes, despite them being abundantly grown in the country. Potatoes are Kenya's second-most consumed crop after maize, and are cultivated mostly by small-scale farmers. As Covid hits global supply chains and words like sustainability and climate gain greater importance, is it time for multinationals to start looking closer to home for their goods? Kathambi Kaaria is a climate change and sustainability advisor in Nairobi and comes from Meru, a potato growing region of Kenya. She told Tamasin Ford that when KFC arrived in the country eleven years ago she tried to supply them potatoes. Leonard Mudachi, the CEO of a Kenyan restaurant management company Branded Restaurants Africa Ltd, said he wasn’t surprised to learn that KFC imports its chips but does think that multinational companies shoul

How might the protests shake up the economy, trade and business in the Central Asian nation?Ed Butler speaks to Diana Kudaibergenova, a sociology professor at Cambridge University and herself Kazakh, about what motivated the protests, and whether the apparent ouster of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev plus a host of new economic reforms will be enough to appease the protesters.But what does all this mean for foreign business interests in the country? Kate Mallinson of Chatham House says many Western oil executives will be having sleepless nights, while Russia's President Vladimir Putin may require an economic dividend for his military help in stabilising the situation. And what of Kazakhstan's other giant neighbour, China? Raffaello Pantucci of the Royal United Services Institute says the upheaval has come at a time when many Kazakhs were questioning the seeming one-sidedness of their increasingly close economic ties.(Picture: Kazakh security officials stand guard in the aftermath of protests in Almaty;