The UK parliament has rejected the Brexit deal struck between the government and the European Union. As the clock ticks to the deadline for the UK to leave the EU at the end of March, In the Balance hears how businesses are planning in times of deep uncertainty. Ed Butler asks business people in the EU and in the UK how they will manage to continue to export and import goods between the UK and the European Union if there is no deal after March 29? And Ed hears from a former senior UK civil...

A trio of the world's top forecasters and economists take a look at what's ahead in 2019. Will the trade wars, populist political waves and stock market roller-coaster rides carry on well into the New Year? As the World Bank kicks off with a gloomy forecast predicting shrinking economic growth, Ed Butler asks what are the biggest risks to global prosperity? Ed is joined from New York by Ian Bremmer - world-renowned geopolitical risk analyst, and President of the Eurasia Group. From Oxford...

Ask yourself honestly, how closely have you examined your emotional relationship with money? Or is it all a bit too awkward? Financial psychology - a relatively new discipline borne out of the USA - says we should all be doing exactly that. It joins the dots between psychology and financial planning, via behavioural economics and says it can help people understand their true relationship with money. Always in debt, but have a good salary? Ever wondered why your wealthy relative is so mean? ...

In 2013, India passed an Act to protect women from sexual harassment in the workplace. Five years on, has it had any meaningful impact and where does that leave men and those from the LGBTQ community? In a special edition from Delhi, Divya Arya asks how workplaces in India are tackling the problem and whether the #MeToo movement has made sexual harassment less taboo. She is joined by Anita Cheria, president of labour rights organisation CIVIDEP, diversity consultant Arti Chaudhry and Harish...

As the end of the year approaches, the programme hears how parents cope with partners who work for the emergency services, children in hospital or extended family far away and overseas. A trio of presenters  Susannah Streeter , Rahul Tandon and Manuela Saragosa, share their stories of juggling work and family life in the busy run up to the holidays.  And Manuela, Rahul and Susannah are joined by guest Adam Carrigan from the USA,  a Federal employee, a union official and a father of a baby...

It's been another week of turmoil in British Brexit politics, but what is the view from the rest of Europe? Is the EU any better organised than the British government and what do they think is actually going to happen? Jonty Bloom takes a Europe-wide view of Brexit and the preparations already underway. He is joined by: Vicky Pryce, chief economic adviser at the Centre for Economics and Business Research; Melle Garshagen, UK and Ireland correspondent for the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad;...

China is marking 40 years since the economic reforms of Deng Xiaoping kick-started the changes that turned the Communist country into a super-power. But are some of those reforms now coming to an end? China's current leader, President Xi Jinping, is concentrating more power under his control and has to deal with bloated state-owned companies. Anu Anand is joined by guests who remember how the reforms transformed society, but also warn of the dangers China's economy still faces...

Populist and nationalist political parties are on the rise in some parts of Europe, as the battle gets underway for European elections next year. Rob Young hears from guests from Italy, Poland and Brussels about their differing visions for the European Union and why it needs to adapt, or some fear, die. Contributors: Maria Demertzis, Deputy Director at Bruegel Przemysław Kowalski, President of CASE, the Center for Social and Economic Research, Poland Lorenzo Marsili, Writer, political...

How do you juggle the demands of a job and a family? Is there a stress-free and guilt-free way of giving adequate attention to your children and your career? We discuss the daily challenges facing millions of parents all over the world, including the often frantic morning rush, the career opportunities that pass you by, and the difficulty of maintaining a social life. And in this, the last episode of the series, we have three presenters instead of one - Susannah Streeter and Nkem Ifejika...

Drug firms are coming under fire from the US, Europe and China over the cost of some of their products. But is it simply the price we have to pay if we want Big Pharma to keep producing life-saving medicines? President Trump has vowed to drive down drug prices "substantially" - we hear why a lack of haggling means the latest patented pills typically cost more in the US than almost anywhere else in the world. We hear from Big Pharma itself - an industry figure tells us high prices reflect...

In this special edition we hear personal stories from the Great Recession and ask who has paid the highest price. From mortgage defaults and job losses to stagnant wages, we find out how hard the last 10 years have been for many individuals and families, and ask what legacy he financial crisis has left. Plus, where might the next crash might come from, and are we any better prepared to withstand it? Manuela Saragosa leads the discussion with a panel of experts: Adam Tooze, professor...

Why are most of us so bad at planning for the future? Whether saving for our retirement, managing workloads and deadlines, or budgeting for a major infrastructure project, we humans often fail miserably. Is it because we're incompetent, even irresponsible? Or is there something psychological getting in the way? We explore some of the most common planning pitfalls, from Olympic Games that go way over budget to short-term corporate incentives, and ask how individuals and businesses can...

Would you sign a divorce contract before you got married? Should you? They’re often seen as unnecessary, unromantic, and irreligious, but we hear how prenuptial agreements are on the rise, and not just among the super-rich. We speak to a newly-wed who signed a prenup with her now husband to protect her business interests. One of the UK’s top divorce lawyers tells us they are often better than the default divorce provisions laid out by governments. And a lawyer in Nigeria explains how...

Why are governments and, increasingly, private companies spending billions of dollars on missions to Mars? Is there any money to be made from the red planet, and do these missions benefit anyone back on Earth? We explore the return on investment for taxpayer dollars spent on NASA or European Space Agency missions, and ask if Elon Musk is aiming to colonise the red planet for the good of humankind, or to boost profits for his firm SpaceX. Plus, can a separate plan to turn a Mars mission...

Do you worry about plastic packaging, perfumes tested on animals, or whether child labour was responsible for your jeans? How often do those values actually affect your spending? Surveys suggest a majority of global consumers are concerned about the environment, animal welfare and workers' rights, but what we spend on ethical products is tiny in comparison. So how do we explain this so-called ethical consumption gap and how difficult is it to bridge? Plus, who is at fault for the lack...

Bribery costs individuals, businesses and economies billions of dollars each year, and there are many international laws and conventions against it. But what happens when your firm operates in a part of the world where it's still the norm? In this episode we speak to three business people with first-hand experience of backhanders and ask how they can be avoided. One of them tells us he pays bribes as a matter of course, but if you're not willing to, does that mean you simply can't do...

The British government is in the middle of a struggle over how the UK will leave the European Union. At the heart of it is the trading relationship between the two after Brexit - how closely will the UK stick to the rules and regulations of the EU when it's no longer a member? The border between Northern Ireland - part of the UK - and the Republic of Ireland, which is and will remain an EU member, has become central to the argument. Since the Good Friday agreement of 1998, which...

Nancy Kacungira presents a special programme on climate change, profiling the people whose trailblazing ideas and innovations are hoping to mitigate against global warming. Deep in the Ecuadorian jungle, one isolated community of Achuar have come up with an ingenious solution to protect their territory from the ever encroaching threat of deforestation. From BBC Mundo, Laura Plitt takes to the waterways aboard the Amazon jungle's first solar powered canoe. The loss of the Aral Sea in...

Who gets to control your personal data on the internet? Ed Butler and guests discuss the future of data privacy. With the scandals over use of our personal data by big groups like Facebook, Ed asks the experts whether our whole relationship with internet-based services could be breaking down? Could the old grand bargain - the giving of our personal data for free to online firms, in return for free services - be about to end? Ed hears from three people steeped in years of data expertise, to...

Many people meet their future love partner at work. But with the current high profile cases of sexual harassment, employers are becoming much more concerned about managing relationships between their employees. Ed Butler asks whether office dating between co-workers is a potential hazard, not just for staff, but for the company as a whole. And should more employers bring in so-called "love contracts" to be signed by workers who are in a romantic relationship in the office? (Picture:...

US President Donald Trump is bringing back sanctions on Iran and is threatening to extend the sanctions to European companies that do business there. The Iran announcement came in the same week that the USA announced more sanctions on Venezuela, ahead of controversial elections later this month. Since coming into power, President Trump has used economic sanctions as a weapon of choice. But do sanctions actually work? And how do they affect businesses trading with the countries concerned?...

How can the world move faster to ramp up renewable power? In the Balance examines the efforts of businesses and governments to manage the shift from fossil fuels - coal, gas and oil - to renewable sources like wind, solar and hydro. It's sometimes a bewilderingly complex world of goals, targets and treaties. But the key thing, according to the International Energy Agency, is that currently the world is not shifting fast enough away from fossil fuels. Ed Butler hears from energy industry...

In the Balance asks whether the 53 countries of the Commonwealth could become a new force in global trade. With rising trade protectionism around the world, and the UK splitting off from the European Union, how important could this grouping of diverse nations be to the future of international trade? Ed Butler talks to business leaders and politicians at the Commonwealth Business forum, organised by the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council. The programme comes from the historic...

In the Balance examines the recent sharp falls in the global markets. Ed Butler asks why volatility is back in the financial markets - after years of relative calm. Ed is joined by one of the world's leading experts in algorithmic computerised trading as well as a fund manager with more than 30 years experience of watching the market highs and lows. But is this time different - is computer driven trading at least partly to blame for an increase in volatility? Should we be in fear of the...

Italy's upcoming general election is being seen as the latest test of a populist upsurge in Europe. Manuela Saragosa is in Rome to hear what young people want from the election and the economy. Italy has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Europe and many young people leave the country to find work. So do politicians have any answers for young people searching for their first jobs? Manuela hears from students, an employer, and a grass-roots politician about what's at stake for the...