Business Daily

How the shipping industry has fared in 2020. Ed Butler speaks to Lars Jensen from SeaIntelligence Consulting about the ups and downs of the shipping industry during the pandemic, in a year that has seen a collapse in economic activity, but a boom in online shopping. And Bridget Rosewell, commissioner for the independent National Infrastructure Commission in the UK, explains why disruption to supply chains could cause businesses to rethink the way they ship goods around the world. (Photo: A cargo ship is unloaded at the UK port of Felixstowe, Credit: Getty Images)

Unilever in New Zealand is the latest firm to trial a 4-day week without cutting pay. Manuela Saragosa speaks to Paddy Gamble, the CEO of Perpetual Guardian which manages trusts, wills and estate planning. A couple of years ago they put their 240 staff on a four-day week but paid them for five. He says productivity has gone up since they introduced it. Charlotte Lockhart runs a global campaign for a 4-day week and she says its easy to do and its doesn't cost very much. But Marc Effron, president of The Talent Strategy Group, a global human resource management consultancy firm says a four day week doesn't actually improve productivity.(Picture credit: Getty Creative)

How do brands strike the right tone in their Christmas adverts when many consumers have taken a financial hit? Elizabeth Hotson goes on an advertising odyssey and talks to Sarah Traverso, Group Director of Integrated Marketing and Content for Coca-Cola in the US, a company so central to Christmas advertising that some think Coca Cola invented Santa Claus. A myth quickly debunked by Ann Christine Diaz, the creativity editor at Advertising Age. What is the secret behind a successful Christmas campaign? A question for Simon Lloyd from DentsuMB, who was until recently the creative director of the advertising agency behind the John Lewis department store Christmas adverts. Global advertising spend is expected to contract by 10% ( $63bn) this year and with people spending so much time at home during the pandemic, the focus has gone to online advertising and social media, as James McDonald, Head of Data at the World Advertising Research Center, explains. Producer: Elizabeth Hotson(Photo: socially-distanced Santa Cla

On Business Weekly this week, we examine the potential big trouble for Big Tech. Regulatory bodies around the world are looking to tighten the rules that govern the digital world. Concerned by issues relating to both the web content and the business conduct of some of the big technology companies, legislators from the US to the EU are trying to re-write the digital laws. We look at what this could mean in practice for Silicon Valley. We also look at dry ice – how it works and the important role it will carry out in the distribution of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, as well as the possible implications that could have for drinks industry. Plus, while Zoom business meetings are all the rage now, how long before virtual reality takes them to the next level? And we discuss the joy of traditional Christmas correspondence and find out why young people are starting to send greetings cards again. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies.

America’s cannabis industry is worth tens of billions of dollar and it generates tax revenues and jobs. But it is barred from accessing most financial services. This is because, while legal in an increasing number US states, cannabis remains illegal at a federal level. We hear what it’s like running a cannabis business from Ken Churchill of the West Coast Cannabis Club in California. Emily Dufton, author of Grass Roots: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Marijuana in America, explains how the US went from "Just Say No" in the 1980s to yes now. And Robert Hoban, a lawyer who specialises in cannabis, explains why two currently empty Georgia Senate seats could determine whether the Biden administration can fulfil its pledge to decriminalise cannabis.(Picture: purchasing legal marijuana at a dispensary. Credit: Getty Images.)

Why US regulators want to break up the social media giant. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and dozens of US states are arguing that Facebook is a monopoly that harms consumers. Ed Butler speaks to tech and anti-trust researcher Dina Srinivasan about why data privacy is at the centre of the arguments over Facebook's monopoly power. Former FTC chairman Bill Kovacic explains why breaking up the social media giant is still a distant possibility. And the BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones discusses the rising anti-tech sentiment among both US and European regulators.(Photo: Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram logos. Credit: Getty Images)

Could virtual offices provide an alternative to endless Zoom calls? Ed Bulter speaks to Jeremy Bailenson, director of Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, about the phenomenon of 'Zoom fatigue', and why virtual reality could provide a solution. Phillip Wang, CEO of the startup Gather, shows us round his virtual office platform that combines video conferencing with old-school video game graphics. Ed tries out a meeting in virtual reality with Anand Agarawala, CEO of the VR platform Spatial. And Marc Bena from PwC explains why interest in virtual meetings is growing among businesses.(Photo: A virtual meeting on VR platform Spatial, Credit: Spatial)

Artificial intelligence is increasingly part of our daily lives - in health, in transport, entertainment and much more - but how many of us actually trust the algorithms that drive it? Rolls-Royce says it’s now developed a system, called the Aletheia framework, that gives IT engineers in any sector a way of testing whether their AI systems are making decisions that are safe and trustworthy. The aerospace company says it's making the framework available for free to all. Manuela Saragosa speaks to Caroline Gorski from Rolls-Royce who helped develop the Aletheia framework. She also speaks about AI's trust issues with Dame Wendy Hall, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton in the UK and Chair of the Ada Lovelace Institute. Plus Pag Miles from the global recruitment company Alexander Mann Solutions, explains how the Aletheia framework might help his industry which is increasingly relying on AI to select and match candidates to jobs.

Negotiators from the UK and EU are to begin a new push to reach agreement on post-Brexit trade after both sides agreed "to go the extra mile". A UK source said the "process still has some legs" but Boris Johnson has warned a no-deal is the "most likely" outcome. Sophie Pornschlegel, a senior policy analyst at the European Policy Centre, explains how much room there may be in Brussels' position, while the BBC's Rob Watson talks through what will be needed to get any deal over the line in the UK parliament before the 31st. And we'll hear from a UK coffee exporter, Dan Webber of Chimney Fire Coffee in Surrey, about what the prolonged uncertainty means for his business.(Picture: Getty Images)

On this edition of Business Weekly, we ask whether Covid vaccines are the shot in the arm the pharmaceutical industry needs to rescue its reputation? Plus, as the world looks ahead to life after the pandemic will our transportation systems be there to help us get around? There’s a financial crisis in New York’s mass transit system. What does that mean for the city it supports? Airbnb finally packs it bags and heads to the stock market. The holiday accommodation company’s shares boomed on its first day of trading this week. We speak to Airbnb’s chief executive, Brian Chesky. Also, in China, over 15m tonnes of food is wasted every year. The government has a new plan to tackle this, but how will it convince its citizens not to throw food away? And we’ll be talking about that nine figure deal reached by Bob Dylan to sell off his back catalogue. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies.

Britain is looking to ban the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening after its existing trade arrangement with the European Union lapse at the end of this year. Natasha Smith of Compassion in World Farming, who have campaigned on this for decades, explains why they’re against the practice. Meanwhile UK minister Craig Mackinlay says leaving the EU’s trade rules after Brexit is key to getting the ban implemented. But will the ban run afoul of WTO free trade rules? Emily Rees of consultancy Trade Strategies breaks down the rules and whether the ban fits. But what do UK farmers think? Phil Stocker of the National Sheep Association says this ban overshoots, and puts farmers already in an unclear position because of Brexit, even more on the back foot. And Francesca Porta of the Brussels-based Eurogroup for Animals explains what changes might be coming in the EU itself on live animal transport.Producer: Frey Lindsay.(Image credit: Getty Images)

Boris Johnson's dinner with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen - aimed at breaking the Brexit trade deadlock - has ended without agreement. The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg said the evening had "plainly gone badly" and the chances of the UK leaving the post-Brexit transition period at the end of the year without a firm arrangement was a "big step closer". What would that mean for the UK, and the rest of the world? Joining the programme live will be BBC World Service political correspondent Rob Watson, and Dr Anna Jerzewska, Director of the trade consultancy Trade and Borders.

A UK grandmother became the world’s first recipient of the Pfizer Covid vaccine this week. What does this mean for the pharmaceutical industry? This could be seen as a moment of victory for the industry, which has received a lot of bad press in the last few years. But the prices set by the vaccine makers could also provoke accusations of profiteering. We’ll hear from former Pfizer executive John Lamattina, Thomas Cueni of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, Tahir Amin of the Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge, as well as Sudarshan Jain, Secretary General of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance.(Image credit: Getty Images)

It was grounded worldwide after two tragic accidents. Now, regulators in the US have given it permission to fly again – but will it really be safe? Theo Leggett speaks to Mark Pegram whose son Sam was killed aboard the flight which crashed after take-off from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in March last year. He also spoke to Ed Pierson, a former senior manager on the 737 production line at Boeing’s Renton factory, just outside Seattle, who gave testimony to the House of Representatives saying how months before the first accident, he had emailed his bosses, warning them how the pressure to produce new planes as fast as possible was undermining safety. In response to Mr Pierson’s testimony, Boeing insisted that the suggestion of a link between his concerns and the Max accidents was completely unfounded. It added that none of the authorities investigating the accidents had found that production conditions in the 737 factory had contributed in any way.The US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration, has

How passenger fears and remote working are prompting a crisis in public transport. Manuela Saragosa speaks to Pat Foye, chairman of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is facing a multi-billion-dollar hole in its finances. Mohamed Mezghani, secretary general of the International Association of Public Transport, describes the challenge of getting commuters back onto trains and subways. Nicole Gelinas, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, explains why transport systems like New York's are so central to a city's economic success.(Photo: Passengers on New York's subway system, Credit: Getty Images)

On this edition of Business Weekly, we analyse the court battle between Shell and the environmental groups which claim the oil giant remains too focused on fossil fuels. We look at a different approach to tackle deforestation, and hear how an economic argument could help the Amazon rainforest. We also get an expert view on floundering UK clothing stores, doubly hit by the pandemic and our changing shopping habits. Could in-store cafes and leisure concessions be just the therapy the retail industry needs? We head to central London to hear the tales of a tailor - a master craftsman who cutting his cloth to suit the future of high-end business wear. And we’ve a lesson in why ‘email etiquette’ needs to be applied to even the shortest message. Business Weekly is presented by Sasha Twining and produced by Matthew Davies.

Sarah Frier, author of No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram, talks about the corporate drama behind the app. The photo sharing app Instagram has transformed business, culture and even our everyday lives. Manuela Saragosa finds out why Instagram sold out to Facebook, and how Kevin Systrom (one of the founders of Instagram) found his values soon collided with those of Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg.(Picture credit: Getty Creative)

In November Virgin Hyperloop trialled its first ever journey with passengers, in the desert of Nevada. The futuristic transport concept involves pods inside vacuum tubes carrying passengers at high speeds. So with this proof of concept, are certified Hyperloop transport systems on the horizon? On today’s programme, we’ll hear from Mars Geuze, Chief Commercial Officer of Hardt Hyperloop, who have raised $10m to develop the technology in Europe, as well as Bibop Gresta, founder of Hyperloop Italia, who hints that a big announcement may be imminent. And we’ll also hear from Roseline Walker, Senior Safety and Risk Researcher for the Transport Research Laboratory, who outlines for us some of the concerns and obstacles the new technology faces. (Image Credit: Getty images.)

Is the era of the suited office worker at an end? Is the era of the suited office worker at an end?With so many people working from home because of the pandemic, there is far less demand for formal work attire. This is impacting those that make it all over the world, as we learn from Richard Anderson, a tailor on Savile Row - the street in London synonymous with suits - and Raja Fashions in Hong Kong, whose tailors usually travel the globe fitting their clients. We hear that while some office workers can't wait to dress up after the pandemic, others have embraced and even expanded their pyjama collection. Plus, Heather MacGregor, Executive Dean of Heriott-Watt Business School, tells us how her work wear has been impacted by working from home.(Picture: a tailor adjusts a customer's suit in the fitting room at Henry Poole's in Savile Row, London, 1938. Credit Getty Images.)

A showdown looms between Hungary and Poland and the rest of the EU over the bloc's latest budget, which includes a Covid economic recovery fund worth nearly $900bn. Hungary and Poland blocked approval of the budget earlier in the month over a clause that ties funding with adherence to the rule of law in the bloc, something both countries have been accused of undermining. With the fate of businesses and livelihoods hanging in the balance, the two sides will meet in mid-December at a summit to discuss how they can break the impasse. We hear from Brussels-based reporter Beatriz Ríos, Zoltán Kovács, a spokesman for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and German MEP Dennis Radtke.(Picture credit: Getty Images) .