It's been 50 years since Sweden introduced state-funded parental leave, designed for couples to share.

We hear how the pioneering policy has impacted families and businesses - and ask whether Sweden really deserves its reputation for gender equality.

And we meet one of the first dads to take paid parental leave, back in the 1970s.

Produced and presented by Maddy Savage

(Image: A man holding a small child. Credit: Getty Images)

Today, the richest 10 per cent of the world’s population own more than three quarters of its wealth, while the bottom half have 2%.

To halt the growing wealth gap, one economic philosopher, Ingrid Robeyns, has come up with a striking proposal - to impose legally enforced limits on people’s personal wealth. No one individual, Professor Robeyns suggests, should be allowed to have more than 10 million dollars.

It's a provocative idea. And would it work in practice?

(Picture: Ingrid Robeyns. Credit: Keke Keukelaar/United Agents)

Presented and produced by Ed Butler

The Russian invasion sparked the worst recession in the country’s recent history. Yet 2023 saw growth which is projected to continue. So how are businesses actually faring?

The economy is heavily reliant on foreign aid and there is uncertainty whether that will continue, notably from the US.

We hear from businesses and workers who give us a mixed picture of Ukraine's economic health: Chef Zhenya Mykhailenko the CEO of FVSM which runs a group of Ramen restaurants in Kyiv and a military kitchen in the Zaporizhiya region; Kees Huizinga who farms in Uman, South of Kyiv and Erica, a secondary school teacher in the war torn southern city of Kherson. Plus economic analysis from Andrew Walker.

Produced and presented by Clare Williamson

(Image: Chef Zhenya. Credit: FVSM)

The Olympics in Tokyo, some jaw dropping films, and a hardwired desire to be in the great outdoors. These are just some of the reasons credited with boosting the popularity of climbing. Hundreds of indoor bouldering gyms have cropped up in the US since the 1990s, and the sport is spreading across the world.

Although still concentrated in North America and Europe, more and more countries are joining the International Federation of Sport Climbing, and the millions of people taking part are attracting the attention of brands and financial backers. We hear from climbing business experts and the UK’s most successful competitive climber, Shauna Coxsey, to find out more.

(Picture: Shauna Coxey. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Hannah Bewley

The Philippines is experiencing an artificial coin shortage.

It’s artificial because there are plenty of coins - it’s just that people are using them less so they fall out of circulation and end up collecting in jars at home.

Hannah Mullane investigates why this is happening and what impact it’s having on consumer behaviour. And reporter Camille Elemia speaks to businesses and shoppers in Quezon city to find out how Filipino’s are changing the way they spend.

(Picture: A jeepney driver, counting some notes)

Presented and produced by Hannah Mullane Additional reporting: Camille Elemia

Three months ago, Houthi fighters from Yemen hijacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea and took the crew captive. It was the group’s first attack on commercial shipping in response to Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. Around 30 similar assaults have followed and the US and UK have retaliated with air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

The Houthi attacks have wreaked havoc with shipping in the Red Sea, forcing hundreds of ships to re-route and make the much longer journey around the bottom of Africa. Supply chains have been interrupted and insurance costs have risen for vessels still passing through the area.

With no end to the tension in the region in sight, some companies are readjusting their timelines and accepting that the current situation might become the “new normal”. We ask whether the Houthi attacks have changed the way we move goods around the world for ever.

(Picture: Ships crossing the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Presented and produced by Gideon Long

Tony Fernandes has worked in the music industry, owned a formula one team and co-owned a professional London football club, but these days he’s concentrating on his core business as the CEO of the parent company of AirAsia, a Malaysia-based budget airline he co-founded that has transformed travel in South East Asia.

We speak to him about his varied career, the airline industry’s recovery from the Covid pandemic, and the recent safety issues at Boeing.

(Picture: Tony Fernandes. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Presented and produced by Gideon Long

Only four sportspeople have turned success on the field to success in business, making it to the 10 figure club.

Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Lebron James and Magic Johnson, the last to join in October 2023, according to the wealth-tracking business magazine, Forbes.

Matt Lines finds out the secrets behind the fortunes of these four athletes and who could be joining the list in future.

(Picture: L-R: Tiger Woods. Credit: Reinhold Matay/USA Today Sports. Magic Johnson. Credit: Allison Dinner/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock. Lebron James. Credit: Dale Zanine/USA Today Sports. Michael Jordan. Credit: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)

Presenter/producer: Matt Lines

Scaring people has become big business.

There’s even a catch-all term for the trend: dark tourism, where thrill seekers visit the scenes or replicate the experiences of horrendous moments in history.

Elizabeth Hotson goes to investigate.

(Picture: Someone wearing a skeleton mask, pointing at the camera. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Elizabeth Hotson

We hear from former moderator Daniel Motaung, who has taken Meta and their outsourcing partner, Sama, to an employment tribunal in Nairobi.

US lawyer Cori Crider, from tech justice NGO Foxglove - which supports Daniel and others who have taken legal action - believes that content moderation is one of the most important tech jobs, particularly when there is a conflict in the region. The recent war in Ethiopia and some of the posts made on Facebook were the catalyst for another lawsuit challenging Facebook’s algorithms.

And social researcher and activist Leah Kimathi believes that there is not enough investment in moderating in various African languages. She also campaigns for the Big Tech and African governments to end, what she calls, the “Wild West” approach and get together to create specific legislation governing how social media companies operate on the continent.

Produced and presented by Ivana Davidovic

(Image: Daniel Motaung. Credit: Foxglove)

The secretary general of the world’s biggest humanitarian network – the International Federation of the Red Cross - rose from humble beginnings in Nepal.

We hear how Jagan Chapagain became involved in humanitarian work, and how he deals with all of the current global crises, whilst remaining politically neutral.

(Picture: Jagan Chapagain. Credit: Getty Images)

Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Olie D'Albertanson

From tackling the long commute to sleeping on the job - we head to Lagos, New York, Tokyo, Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) and Dublin to look at the diverse ways businesses are attempting to boost productivity and therefore also boost profits.

We hear from businesses installing sleep pods in the office and others using technology to boost production on their farms and in their factories but are these techniques really working?

Producer: Hannah Mullane Presenter: Leanne Byrne

(Image: Buildings working on a roof space. Credit: Getty Images)