The economy of Afghanistan is collapsing as remittances and foreign aid dry up. As the militant Taliban consolidate their control over the country, it's unclear whether they will be capable, or even interested, in propping up the economy to prevent further humanitarian crises. Today on Business Daily, we're looking at how the economics of life under the Taliban. Professor Jonathan Goodhand of SOAS University of London, explains how the Taliban managed to generate revenues over the years since the US invasion, from local taxation on commodities, as well as support from sympathetic parties outside the country. Ian Hannan, a British mining engineer, says the Taliban has also benefitted enormously from mining in recent years. Now, the big question is whether they will be able to manage the country's entire economy, and Vanda Felbab-Brown of the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. thinks Afghanistan cannot survive without the aid it has relied on for decades.

Producer: Frey Lindsay

(Image: Taliban militants in Kabul on August 16th, 2021. Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Age discrimination doesn't just affect the elderly. The BBC's Tamasin Ford speaks with Priscilla and Nadirah about the discrimination they've experienced as young people in the workplace. We'll also hear from Michael North, an assistant professor of management and organisations at New York University’s Stern School of Business, on the research he and his team have done showing the extent of 'youngism' in business. Also in the programme, consultants Lauren Rikleen and Elizabeth Houghton explain how young people can best navigate the workplace, even in the presence of discrimination.

(Picture credit: Getty Images.)

As the Taliban takes control of Afghanistan this week, we ask what the future holds for the country. The central bank governor, Ajmal Ahmady, who fled earlier this week, tells us about the days and weeks leading up to the takeover. Dr Weeda Mehran from the University of Exeter outlines how the country arrived at this point, and what the future could hold. She argues that unless the Taliban gains legitimacy internationally it will struggle to govern effectively or grow the economy. Plus, a new Alzheimer's drug has been approved by the FDA in the US, but lawmakers are looking at how and why it was approved so quickly. Apple’s decision to scan users’ phones for images of child abuse has privacy campaigners worried - and we’ll hear from the businesses busy preparing for Christmas 2021. Business Weekly is produced by Clare Williamson and presented by Lucy Burton. (Image: Afghans gather outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul to flee the country, Image credit: European Pressphoto Agency)

All our lives are ruled by time and it's a fundamental part of our daily routines but what if we could make time go more slowly - or quickly? Adrian Bejan, a professor in thermodynamics at Duke University says that this is possible if we just open our minds to how we perceive change. And if we could make time last longer, what would be the most efficient way of using it? We get some tips from Laura Vanderkam a writer and speaker on time management. Plus, research scientist Christian Clot tells us about an experiment where all markers of time were taken away, including clocks, watches and sunlight - and what that could mean for how we live in the future. And casino designer and consultant, Bill Friedman explains how the idea of timelessness is put to practical use in casinos where professional gamblers want to feel that they're always in the moment.

Picture: antique clocks, Picture credit: Getty Images

Presenter: Elizabeth Hotson Producer: Sarah Treanor

After decades without progress, this June a new treatment was approved by the US Food and Drugs Administration - Biogen's Aduhelm. Ivana Davidovic looks into why this process has been so controversial that is now under investigation by a federal watchdog.

Aaron Kesselheim, a Harvard Medical School professor, served on the FDA’s advisory committee that considered Aduhelm and voted against its approval. He explains why he decided to resign from his post and what consequences there could be for future research and also for Medicare and Medicaid for covering such an expensive drug.

Geri Taylor has participated in the Aduhelm trial since 2015 and both her and her husband Jim believe that the drug has slowed her decline.

Jason Karlawish - a practising physician, co-director of the Penn Memory Centre and the author of The Problem of Alzheimer’s book - says that more money should be spent on providing carers for the vast majority of Alzheimer's patients and that people should not be forced to choose between cure and care.

PHOTO: 3d illustration of the human brain with Alzheimer’s disease/Getty Images

Apple is to scan users' iPhones for images of child abuse. Privacy advocates are dismayed. They say it's a slippery slope to monitoring a wider range of content. Andy Burrows from the UK's NSPCC tells us why Apple's move is an important step in protecting children online, while India McKinney from the Electronic Frontier Foundation explains why privacy activists like her are so worried. Namrata Maheshwari from the campaign group Access Now describes the battle between WhatsApp and the Indian governmentment over access to encrypted messages - an example of the wider battle between governments and tech firms over access to data. And Andersen Cheng, CEO of the tech company Post-Quantum, tells us about the time he invented a messaging app so secure it became the app of choice for a terrorist organisation.

(Photo: Messaging apps on an iPhone screen. Credit: Getty Images)

Are these the future of modern warfare and how concerned should we be? There are efforts to limit the development of these weapons. More than 50 nations met at the UN in Geneva this month to discuss a possible treaty. But neither Russia nor the United States have expressed any willingness to support the treaty. Ed Butler speaks to Professor Noel Sharkey who's been campaigning against the development of these weapons for 14 years and asked him how close any type of agreement was. Evanna Hu, CEO of AI firm, Omelas, and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington, says this technology is now at the forefront of many countries' weapons development. And George Rey is a retired Lieutenant Commander in the US navy. He now works with private sector defence contractors supporting the development of autonomous weapons systems for the department of defence.

(Picture credit: CARL COURT/AFP via Getty Images)

Women in the drinks industry share their stories to try to change the way women are treated in pubs, clubs and bars. After many shared stories of harassment in craft breweries, the consensus is: enough is enough. Charlotte Cook, an experienced brewer, says the most important thing is to believe the stories, as some are being silenced by UK libel laws. Professor Chris Land from Anglia Ruskin University explains how certain workplaces can create unhealthy cultures, while bartender Nichola Bottomley says she was inspired to speak out after years of abuse working in pubs and bars. In the US, Victoria James, who was named the country's youngest sommelier at 21, has inspired other women working in wine to come together to speak out - and her book led to many responsible to resign. Becky Paskin, journalist and co-founder of Our Whisky, talks about the repercussions she faced after calling out sexism in the whisky industry. While Brad Cummings, co-founder of craft beer company Tiny Rebel tells us why it's no longer business as usual after the firm was called out by former employees online.

(Images: Alcohol being poured. Art159 / Getty Images)

A young entrepreneur builds the ‘happiest company in the world’, an online shoe retailer so profitable that Amazon snaps it up for over a billion dollars. But what if the company’s profits and happiness could be boosted by a radical reimagining of the workplace? No more bosses, no more job titles, just creativity, equality and pure joy. We hear the story of Tony Hsieh, a visionary entrepreneur who abandoned social hierarchy in his Las Vegas-based shoe company. Could it be that the secret to happiness lies in making everybody equal?

(Image: Tony Hsieh in 2013. Credit: Christopher Farina/ Getty Images)

Neurodiversity is a broad term inclusive of a number of very different things including, but not limited to, autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. And until relatively recently, it's not something that many workplaces have paid much attention to. But rethinking those spaces and the way neurodiverse staff can be best accommodated, can reap benefits for both the companies involved and their employees. Stand-up comedian Don Biswas, explains how his different way of thinking has shaped his comedy routine, we also hear about the trials and tribulations faced by successful author Elle McNicoll. PR executive, Yemi Gbadebo describes the impact of getting an ADHD diagnosis as an adult, and Professor Amanda Kirby explains why females in general are less readily diagnosed with all forms of neurodiversity. Plus, Paul Graham, Britvic's managing director for the GB region, tells us how his neurodiverse family has inspired his approach to the workplace and Professor Robert Austin from Ivey Business School in Ontario, Canada, describes how the understanding of cognitive differences is gradually improving.

(Picture of a group of young people via Getty Images).

Bringing electricity to his village for the first time, we speak with Jeremiah Thoronka in Sierra Leone about the challenges of energy inequality in the country. As a teenager, using kinetic energy, Jeremiah changed the lives of hundreds of people – we speak to them to talk about the difference between the two worlds – and why having more light often means more hours to earn money, in a country where economic success lags behind its neighbours. As three quarters of people in the world with no access to electricity live in Africa, UN energy representative Damilola Ogunbiyi explains why Africa energy poverty persists, despite some pockets of success, and answers why it takes ‘heroes’ like Jeremiah to change the lives of people, and why leaders should be stepping up.

(Image: Lightning storm approaches Freetown, Sierra Leone. Credit: Michael Duff / Getty Images)

Bitcoin’s popularity in Nigeria has exploded – with one of the youngest populations in the world, coupled with a high unemployment rate, its popularity was almost inevitable. Many young Nigerians are attracted to cryptocurrencies as an alternative and quick way to make money. Jude Umeano tells us that he lives his life using only Bitcoin, and that the government ban on funding crypto-based businesses only made him find loopholes. In fact, the government ban was likely the catalyst that increased its popularity, says Idayat Hassan from the Centre of Democracy and Development in Abuja. But there are still common, old fashioned concerns that make crypto investing so popular – and that’s mainly because it’s seen as a more secure and valuable currency in the global markets, says Eke Urum, chief executive of Risevest, one of Nigeria’s many investment platforms, which is still seeing users grow, despite the government ban.

(Image: Bitcoin app in Lagos. Credit: Alexander Sanchez/ Getty images)