Podcasts

The Government has announced it's making some changes to the bereavement benefits it pays out to widows and widowers. It says it's modernising the system to better reflect today's families, but there are claims that in fact the changes could mean a bereaved family loses up to 12,000 pounds. Personal finance journalist Donna Ferguson has been investigating the issue, and joined Share Radio's Sara Macham to talk about it in more detail. Sara began by asking Donna about how the payments work at the moment.

Every year Travel Technology Europe comes to London's Kensington Olympia to showcase some of the leading companies and new start ups in the travel industry. With technology playing an increasingly vital role in how we plan and organise trips the show is an ideal place to see some of the suppliers leading this change. Our reporter Tom Hill visited the show to meet some of the 260 exhibitors helping shape the travel industry.

The family of a British IS fighter who carried out a suicide attack in Iraq deny he received £1m in compensation after being freed from Guantanamo Bay. In other news, Cressida Dick is the new Metropolitan Police commissioner, becoming the first woman to take charge of London's police force in its 188-year history. And Donald Trump's government has revoked guidance to US public schools that allowed transgender students to use toilets matching their gender identity. To discuss all this, Josh Lowe of Newsweek joined Georgie Frost.

Joining Georgie Frost to discuss the latest market headlines was Share Radio's very own Nigel Cassidy. A busy morning of Company Announcements starting with Barclays. The bank has seen its annual pre-tax profits nearly treble. Across the group they've risen to 3.2 billion pounds - compared with 1.1 billion in 2015. Moving away from banking, we have also heard from BAE Systems this morning.

Stemcells have become increasingly important in the treatment of various diseases. However like most new medical technology stem cell treatment can cost a fortune. One company that is aiming to make stem cell treatment for blood cancers more accessible and affordable is Wide Cells. Georgie Frost sat down with WideCells chief executive Joao Andrad and started by asking him to explain what stem cell treatment is.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), in partnership with DHL, has published its latest Quarterly International Trade Outlook. It shows that confidence among exporters that their turnover will improve jumped in the fourth quarter of 2016, ahead of further moves towards Brexit. Joining Nigel Cassidy is Mike Spicer, Director of Research and Economics at the BCC to go through the report.

Business confidence is perhaps the key to any successful company, without confidence faith can be lost by staff and consumers alike. Xero, a cloud accounting software company for small businesses has published a small business confidence report today suggesting that irrepressible optimism is the primary trait for successful businesses. Co-founder of household brand Green and Black's and serial entrepreneur Josephine Fairley spoke to Nigel Cassidy to discuss the findings.

Charles Woodburn will replace Ian King as chief executive of BAE Systems. He's currently BAE's chief operating officer, but will take up the position on the 1st of July. Woodburn joined the firm in May 2016 with 20 years of international experience in senior management positions in the oil and gas industry. Howard Wheeldon, aerospace expert and Founder of Wheeldon Strategic, joined Share Radio Breakfast to discuss the company and the change of CEO.

This is Share Radio's weekly travel show - The Share Radio Travel Guide. Share Radio's Simon Rose was joined by travel journalist and author Sarah Tucker. They looked at how technology is shaping the travel industry, the risks passengers should be aware of when putting carry-on luggage into a plane's hold, and discussed why complaints about holidays and flights have hit record levels. Plus, Haitham Mattar, the CEO and Head of Tourism of the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority talked about how the emirate plans to boost tourism through sustainable development.

Another chapter has unfolded in Greece's slowmotion debt crisis. Earlier this week, European finance ministers and Athens agreed to negotiate economic reforms in exchange for further bailout payments. With a sovereign-debt showdown staved off, bond holders rejoiced, and yields dived on the agreement. By now, this story should be a familiar one. Ever since the financial crisis plunged Greece into turmoil, bailout brinkmanship has been a fixture in the Eurozone's calendar. But, this time, some feel the winds of change may be about to blow through Athens. If the left-wing-led government is truly willing to bend the knee to EU & IMF reforms, the austerity borne by Greece as a price for debt relief could be wound down. In turn, Greece may be freed from its low-growth malaise. What next for Greece? On today's a View From, Simon hears from Desmond Lachman, Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and previously deputy director at the IMF's Policy Development and Review Department, and Vicky Pryce, economist and author of 'Greekonomics'.