We look at how many employers still base decisions on a persons age, despite the strong pressures in higher income countries to retain and encourage older staff. What are the underlying reasons for this prejudice? And Ed meets a cosmetic doctor at a central London clinic to discuss the increase in demand for anti-ageing procedures, for people who want to look younger at work. Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Amber Mehmood (Picture: A man and a woman sit at a table at work, with a woman standing up...
Jan 24, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast One in two people are ageist, according to the World Health Organization. Ed Butler looks at the scale of the perceived problem, hearing from workers and experts. In the UK and US, for instance, more than a quarter of over-50s report experiences of ageism in the last 12 months. One recent global survey found that it’s the most socially accepted prejudice, more widespread than either racism or sexism. And how much is ageism a factor in this year’s US presidential race? (Picture: Timothy Tan worki...
Jan 22, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to deal with - and they're a nightmare for any town or city that relies on a thriving hospitality industry. In October 2023, French government officials had to act rapidly following news headlines claiming there'd been a rise in infestations in Paris, in the run-up to the 2024 Olympic Games. Infestations can damage reputations, and lead to financial losses due to compensation claims and costly pest control treatments. But scientists are developing solutions to ...
Jan 18, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Once a much desired badge of authority and quality, on some social media platforms the blue tick (or check) is now available to anyone who chooses to buy one. But has this been a popular move? And has the monetising of verification meant that the blue tick has lost its credibility? We hear from industry experts who can shed some light on verification, which has dramatically changed since Elon Musk bought Twitter, now X, in October 2022. Presenter: David Harper Producer: Victoria Hastings (Image:...
Jan 17, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast We look at how the country can grow its economy in 2024. In November 2023, Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez won a second term as Spain's prime minister, and said his focus would be reducing public debt and helping key sectors such as tourism and the automotive industry. Plus the government wants to become a leader in renewables. Presenter: Ashish Sharma (Image: Woman takes a selfie in Madrid. Credit: Getty Images)
Jan 16, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast The running shoe industry is worth around 50 billion dollars across the world, with more and more of us taking part in the sport. With more popularity comes more competition, so what are brands doing to keep consumers interested? We ask the chief marketing officer at Swiss sportswear company, ON, and find out how it helps sales when a top athlete wears their shoes. And as the debate around 'super shoes' rumbles on, are they really worth the expensive price tag? US marathon winner Kellyn Taylor t...
Jan 15, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's widely recognised that we are bombarded with fast-paced imagery in the modern world, whether it's social media videos, or digital billboards in city spaces. But there has been a similar explosion in sound, says advertising entrepreneur Michele Arnese. He thinks brands can only compete with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). Dougal Shaw speaks to the Italian tech entrepreneur who trained as a classical musician, but founded an advertising company that helps companies stand out with di...
Jan 12, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Semiconductors hit the news during the Covid-19 pandemic, as issues with supply chains led to shortages of cars and soaring prices. Since then, geopolitical tensions have impacted the industry. 90% of the world's most advanced chips are made by TSMC in Taiwan. Now, countries all over the world are investing billions of dollars into the industry, so that manufacturing of these chips can happen in more places and alleviate some of the problems supply chains have faced in the last few years. In tod...
Jan 11, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Caribbean island imports around 90% of its food and by law only US ships can be used to transport it – which pushes up the price. We speak to islanders who think that needs to change, and are pushing for Puerto Rico to become more self sufficient. Weather events like Hurricane Maria, which left many without power and water for months, have brought the issue to the forefront once again. We meet a new generation who are leading the way, using new technology to try and make it easier, and cheap...
Jan 10, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Almost 60% of the world’s population live in cities. And this trend is expected to continue - by 2050 nearly 7 of 10 people will live in urban environments. Although more than 80% of global GDP is generated in cities, there are challenges: increasing carbon emissions and environmental pollution, traffic congestion and urban vulnerability, exposed by natural disasters such as floods and storms. The creation of a digital twin - a digital representation of a real city, infrastructure or even a whol...
Jan 09, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Twice in 2023, the American government faced the prospect of having to shut down because politicians in congress couldn’t agree on a budget to fund it. Each time, a shutdown was narrowly averted – by last minute, short-term deals. Now, a third deadline is looming in mid-January. It leaves politicians – with fierce disagreements over what services the government should pay for, and how – little time to reach an agreement. We look at the impact of this uncertainty on businesses, and ask, in an ele...
Jan 08, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast For 70 years, Pearl & Dean has been at the forefront of cinema advertising in the UK. Its CEO, Kathryn Jacob has been leading the company for 18 of them. But it's been a rocky few years for the movie industry, as it battles the economic effects of the Covid pandemic. In this edition of Business Daily meets, Kathryn discusses how cinemas are recovering, and how the advertising industry is slowly embracing diversity. (Picture: Kathryn Jacob) Presented and produced by Dougal Shaw...
Jan 05, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast How easy is it to open a bank account in your country? Around the world, 1.4 billion people can’t get a bank account, and two-thirds of them are in low and middle income countries. People from migrant communities also struggle to access formal banking services. We hear from 19 year-old Josue Calderon. Originally from El Salvador, he arrived in the United States when he was 16. He tells Sam Fenwick about the challenges of only being able to use cash when he first arrived in the US. Sam also speak...
Jan 04, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast The use of these endlessly flexible 3D images is increasing rapidly. Not just in entertainment, but in medicine, education, design, defence and more. Holograms trick the brain into seeing something in 3D when it’s really just a projection, allowing us to feel immersed in something – whether it’s an atom, or a cityscape. We talk to companies developing this fast advancing technology and ask – will we be living in a holographic future? Produced and presented by Matthew Kenyon (Image: A citizen wat...
Jan 03, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alastair Leithead and his wife Ana moved to Portugal during the Covid pandemic. They live off-grid, meaning they have no access to mains electricity or water supplies. They also have to manage their own waste water and sewage. Now the former BBC correspondent is embarking on an ambitious project to build and run a hotel, meaning their solar powered utilities will not only have to work for them, but also paying guests. Produced and presented by Alastair Leithead. (Image: Alastair and Ana at their...
Jan 02, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the first of a two part series, we're in the Alentejo region where people are buying land and empty properties in an area without power or water supply. Former BBC correspondent Alastair Leithead is one of them - he has moved there with his wife, and is trying to build and run a hotel. He travels around the region and speaks to his neighbours about their experiences. Plus - what do local people think of this influx of foreigners coming to live off-grid? Presented and produced by Alastair Leit...
Jan 01, 2024•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Pakistan's first female architect came out of retirement to help rebuild her country after the 2005 earthquake. Now she's helping communities devastated by the 2022 floods. Dr Lari talks about her experience starting out in a male-dominated field, the changing focus of her career, and her mission to build a million flood-resilient homes in Pakistan by 2024. Produced and presented by Emb Hashmi. (Image: Dr Yasmeen Lari. Credit: Getty Images)
Dec 22, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Recep Tayyip Erdogan heard Turkish voters back in May when they said they wanted change in the economy. So, he appointed a new finance minister and central bank governor to lead the charge. Despite the president’s strong opposition to using higher interest rates to cool rising prices, he’s allowed rates to rise in each of the last six months. While that’s helped bring about an economic turnaround, it’s put added pressure on households who have for years been reliant on low borrowing co...
Dec 21, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Despite the name, Bolivia is actually the world's biggest exporter of Brazil nuts. We travel to the hot and humid north of the country to look at the production process which can be extremely dangerous. Plus we hear how the business of Brazil nuts is helping stop deforestation in the Amazon. Presenter: Jane Chambers Producers: Jane Chambers and Helen Thomas (Image: A worker unloading Brazil nuts from the Pando region at a nut processing plant in Riberalta, Bolivia. Credit: Bob Howard)...
Dec 20, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast When private companies around the world want to raise cash, they can do so by starting a process to list on a stock exchange. This is known as an IPO, or initial public offering. Analysts watch such public listings to gauge the health of an economy. In 2021, IPOs were booming, but in 2023 there's been a big drop in activity - with a record low number of companies choosing to offer their shares publicly on stock exchanges in the US, UK and Europe. What's going on, and why does it matter when IPOs...
Dec 19, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Shoplifting has long been a concern for small and large retailers worldwide, but many believe the issue has recently increased - including incidents of retail violence. Sam Gruet speaks to some of these retailers in New Zealand, India, Pakistan and the UK, to explore the possible reasons behind the rise in retail crime and what measures they’re introducing to respond to the escalating issue. These include covert security, body cameras and stab-proof vests. He also asks if advances in technology ...
Dec 18, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Niccolo Ricci is the CEO of Stefano Ricci, a luxury clothing brand whose suits are worn by the rich and powerful. The firm was established more than 50 years ago by his parents, and now, Niccolo, and his brother Filippo, run the family business; supplying high-end luxury attire to clients all around the world. It's a brand that counts heads of state and business magnates among its patrons. In an era of casual fashion, this is a rarefied world where discretion is the name of the game. Presenter: ...
Dec 15, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast The COP 28 climate talks in Dubai have closed with a deal to "transition away" from fossil fuels. So what does this mean for the future of oil, gas and coal companies? Sam Fenwick talks to two companies who sent representatives to COP 28; the Norwegian energy giant Equinor and the Middle East's oldest private energy company, Cresent Petroleum. Do they plan to ever abandon fossil fuels entirely? And she finds out what the leader of COP28’s Greenpeace delegation makes of the agreement. Presenter: ...
Dec 14, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast One month before pivotal elections in Taiwan, Ed Butler meets ordinary citizens getting ready just in case growing threats of a Chinese invasion do come to pass. First-aid and weapons training are top of the list. But why isn’t the government doing more to get people ready? Presented and produced by Ed Butler (Image: A first aid training exercise)
Dec 13, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast The military threat from China, which claims Taiwan as its own, has dominated global headlines of late. But ahead of elections, most voters here say it’s low wages and property prices that are preying on their minds. Are politicians listening? We also explore Taiwan's low birth rate - is it a financial decision for young couples not to have children and get a pet instead? Produced and presented by Ed Butler. (Image: A young couple take a selfie on the city MRT train. Credit: Getty Images)...
Dec 12, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sitting just a few kilometres away from mainland China, the tiny Kinmen islands are in an unusual situation. Beijing says they and Taiwan are a part of China, they're a breakaway province, and it wants them back, by force if necessary. As tensions rise, Ed Butler visits Kinmen to discover how this most exposed population feels about Beijing's claim - and hear about plans to build a bridge to connect the islands with the Chinese mainland. Produced and presented by Ed Butler. (Image: A beach on Ki...
Dec 11, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Joyce and Raissa de Hass used to make tonic waters and mixers for their friends. That passion became a university project, which then turned into a successful start-up. In the early days, the twin co-founders from the Netherlands were releasing batches of products they weren't really keen on, but now they think they've found a winning formula for premium mixers. They've won awards for their drinks, and now stock several premium bars and supermarkets. In this edition of Business Daily, we hear ho...
Dec 08, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast When Star Wars launched, it helped usher in the era of the blockbuster. In the wake of the film, came the figures. Forty years on from their launch, the original toys have now become highly sought after - some fetching a few hundred thousand dollars. We head to the largest toy fair in Europe dedicated to buying and selling Star Wars figures. We look at how much the toys are now worth and speak to some of the super fans now buying them - and explore how big the market for the vintage figures is. ...
Dec 07, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Business Daily, the latest in our series on women, sport and business, it's all about the merch. We'll explore how important replica tops and kits actually are for women’s sport in terms of fandom, participation and of course money. We ask what female sports fans and participants actually want to wear and whether they're being adequately catered for. Dr Katie Lebel is Professor at the University of Guelph in Canada and researches gender equity in sports branding and consumer b...
Dec 06, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Could Africa reduce its dependency on imported rice with the help of South Korea? The continent's appetite for rice is growing fast at over 6% per year. And even though rice is grown in about 40 out of 54 countries in Africa, the production only covers about 60% of the demand. This results in 14 to 15 million tonnes of rice being imported each year costing over $6bn. To remedy this, a new rice variety was developed in co-operation with South Korea: ISRIZ-7 and ISRIZ-8. These high yield rice vari...
Dec 06, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
