In this edition of Business Weekly, we look at Britain’s drive to go green, and how effective the proposed ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars might be. The Chief Operating Officer of the electric vehicle maker Polestar tells us what help the automotive industry needs from the government to persuade people to buy electric. Plus, we meet the first British Royal Air Force officer to openly transition from male to female and chat to her about transgender rights in the workplace. We also look at the digital afterlife and hear from some of the companies promising to manage our online affairs once we’ve passed away. And we discuss why the British Royal Family are still seen as fashion icons. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies.

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Earlier this year, on International Women's Day, the Irish electorate was asked to vote in two referendums on changing Ireland's constitution regarding family and care.  One of those questions was whether they wished to remove a reference to the role of women in the home, which some view as being out-of-step with modern Irish society.  A lot has changed since the constitution was written in 1937. Ireland is now among the highest-ranking countries in Europe for gender equality. However, in both referendums, voters rejected the bid for constitutional change.  In this programme, Leanna Byrne travels back to her home city of Dublin to explore Ireland's story when it comes to women, the family and work; speaking to Irish women about their experiences over the decades to now.  (Image: From left to right Niamh O'Reilly, Lorraine Lally and Rena Maycock, who spoke to the BBC World Service in Dublin in March 2024.)  Presented and produced by Leanna Byrne

Where is 'a woman's place' in Ireland today?

More of us are searching for cheaper and efficient ways to power and heat our homes.  As energy prices remain high, what about taking matters into your own hands and putting solar panels on your roof, or putting a small wind turbine in your garden?   Produced and presented by Rick Kelsey (Image: A wind turbine on a roof of a house in Amsterdam. Credit: Getty Images)

Should I put a wind turbine on my roof?

It’s estimated that 90% of traded goods travel over the oceans. But for the seafarers who make that happen, it’s not always an easy process. 
 
Thousands of incidents of corruption within the industry have been reported to the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network, who in this episode, tell Ruth Alexander what they’re doing to help the problem. 
 
Seafarers can often be put in an impossible position, and one former captain tells us how he was arrested at gunpoint after refusing to hand over a carton of cigarettes to officials. (Picture: A bird's eye view of a container ship at sea. Credit: Getty Images) Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producer: Izzy Greenfield

Corruption at port

As India enters election season, we look at the crucial female vote.  For decades, the number of women turning out to vote in India has been low, but that’s changed in the last decade.  Now, political parties are deliberately targeting policies at women, to try and win over this key group.  We hear from a group of women about their priorities in the 2024 general election - for the workplace, in business, and their day-to-day lives. (Picture: A group of women in India lining up to vote. Credit: AFP) Presented and produced by Devina Gupta

The rise of women voters in India

We depend on online reviews for everything from hotel and restaurant bookings, to what products to buy, and as we hear in this programme, medical and cosmetic procedures.  If a customer feels unhappy with a service they've paid for, they might want to leave a bad review. But what happens if the company they're complaining about doesn't like it? In the UK, a cosmetic surgery company, Signature Clinic, is taking some of its former patients to court after they posted negative reviews or comments on support groups. We hear from some of them.  (Image: A surgeon putting on surgical gloves. Credit: Getty Images) Presented and produced by Ed Butler

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