Business Daily BBC Podcasts

23 years ago, the US multi-millionaire Dennis Tito became the world’s first-ever space tourist, funding his own trip into orbit.
There was clearly money to be made, and now the lure of making space tourism more accessible to the masses is even greater - with several private companies jockeying for position.
Jane Poynter’s firm is among them.
It’s an industry experiencing dramatic growth – but the price of any of these trips is out of reach of most of us.
We explore whether this firm could achieve its aim of launching more of us into stratospheric heights.
And we hear how Jane went on her own journey: from ecologist working in the famous Biosphere 2 experiment in the early 1990s, to looking skywards and the possibilities of a career in space tourism.
Presenter: Ed Butler
Producer: Amber Mehmood

The European country is known for its late night eating culture, the average time for an evening meal is past 9PM.
One of the reasons for that is the working day across Spain which has a history of going on way into the evening.
But recently the second deputy minister of Spain called this ‘madness’, saying eating so late and working late isn’t good for work-life balance.
We speak to a restaurant owner and the CEO of digital agency that offers flexible working to talk about working culture and discuss how likely it is that Spain will change its habits.
(Picture: Mikel López de Viñaspre, the co-founder and chief executive of the Sagardi Group of Basque restaurants. Credit: Sagardi Group)
Presented and produced by Hannah Mullane

Why does being on your own seem so expensive?
The number of unmarried, divorced, widowed or unattached people is growing worldwide. But figures suggest it is more financial costly to be single, while couples and families benefit from paying less per person.
Whether it is the packaging supermarkets use, streaming service tariffs, hotel rooms - you often get a much better deal being coupled-up than not. Governments are in on the act too: offering tax breaks to couples.
In this programme, we take apart the personal finances of singles; hearing from World Service listeners and financial analysts.
Is it just economies of scale or are we really living in a world that penalises people on their own? And are there any financial advantages to being solo?
(Picture: Senior woman looking concerned, paying bills at home on her laptop. Credit: Getty Images)
Presented and produced by David Reid

We look at how soaring food and fuel prices are affecting the tiny island nation in the western Pacific Ocean.
Like much of the world, the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have led to supply chain issues, and rising costs.
And with limited opportunities, young people are facing the question, should they stay or leave and chase careers elsewhere?
Produced and presented by Frey Lindsay
(Image: People gathered under the Japan-Palau Friendship bridge in Koror, Palau. Credit: Frey Lindsay/BBC)

We travel to the tiny pacific nation which wants to shrink its marine sanctuary, and open it up once more to commercial fishing.
The President says it’s costing too much in lost revenue, when Palauans are already struggling.
But opponents say this goes against Palau's conservationist ethos.
So today we're asking - can conservation and commerce, co-exist?
Produced and presented by Frey Lindsay
(Image: The National Geographic Pristine Seas research vessel the Argo, in the Pacific Ocean East of Palau. Credit: Frey Lindsay)

Diabetes and obesity drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro have become famous for helping users shed big amounts of weight. It's a market that could soon be worth more than $100 billion. Two companies dominate this space, Novo Nordisk which makes Ozempic and Eli Lilly, maker of Mounjaro. But with competitors desperate for a piece of the action, how long can these two giants stay in front?
Leanna Byrne hears from some of the companies involved, including those at the centre of the action and those developing the next wave of treatments.
Presented by Leanna Byrne and produced by Lexy O'Connor
(Image: A box of the anti-obesity drug Wegovy, including injection pens. Credit: Getty Images)