this is worklife from bbc news, with sally bundock and karin giannone. breaking the glass ceiling. european central bank boss christine lagarde heads a growing list of women in top jobs. live from london, that's our top story on thursday 12th december. christine lagarde at the european central bank is just one. we look at a small, but growing number of women at the top of business.

also in the programme: should the boeing 737 max have been grounded after the first crash? us regulators predicted further accidents. and the national pharmacy association in the uk is calling for better regulation over the sale of cbd — or cannabidol — products. and we'll be getting the inside track on the trials and tribulations involved in launching a new skin care brand. and we'll be talking about so—called " hangover days" — are they a good idea? one london company is offering this to employees who've had a big night out. the next day they have the option to work from home. is this a good idea orflexible working gone mad? get in touch — just use #bbcworklife. i don't know what people call it these days, a hangover day or a

duvet day, i cannot get away with either. hello and welcome to worklife. we start with gender equality — and the rising number of women at the top levels of business and finance. today, christine lagarde oversees her first policy meeting at the head of the european central bank. she'll be named later as one of the world's most powerful women by forbes magazine — alongside the bosses of general motors, ibm and banco sa ntander. let's put this in context, though. this year the number of women running america's top companies hit a record high of 33, but that's still only around 6%. the number of female board members of companies around the world has almost doubled in the last decade — but still, on average, just 20% of board directors are women. according to research by the bank credit suisse, gender diversity is good for business — with companies with both male and female directors outperforming male—only—run companies. dr louise beaumont,

executive chair at data analytics firm signoi, is with me now. what does it mean to see christine lagard taking over this role?m what does it mean to see christine lagard taking over this role? it is an interesting nurse. she is a woman who has for decades been at the top of her game. it is impressive to see her in this role. she is still one of such a small number, 6% of top companies in the united states have a female chief executive, it is still woeful. it is unrepresentative and that is the important thing. we know better run countries and better run businesses have diversity. the european commission president, but then europe itself we are seeing high—profile women take powerful

positions, angela merkel has been chancellor of germany for a very long time, but what needs to change to make this the norm and less of a standout? if you look at the data, senior women is a subject much discussed. it is absolutely out there and the cultural weather. if you look at the number of data points available over the last year there is about 1.4 million data points from social media. over a quarter of a million news articles written on the subject of senior women. quite an interesting theme emerges from that data around role models. christine lagard is one of those role models and when you dive into the data that there are some very interesting themes emerging because it is a positive thing for women to see those role models but they also see it as something of a

pressure. there are subframes i would like to share with you. they say be honest about what it takes to succeed. don't gloss over the talent required, the hard work required or the support network required. don't expect me to emulate anybody. it is not about being a carbon copy of someone not about being a carbon copy of someone else. it is about recognising there are many ways to be successful. and an interesting one about don't make me responsible for the success of other women. i shouldn't have to be selfless about that. do you think there is a sort of like, you almost have to sort of grew up and have these women influencing it from a young age? all of the women you have mentioned have been doing this successfully for decades and the interesting thing is

that they are absolutely role models and not just for women, that they are absolutely role models and notjust for women, they are role models for everyone. absolutely. when it comes to women there is one specific issue that can cause their career to stall and that is where nature is to have a family, if they take maternity leave or career breaks one or two or three times that can prevent you progressing in your career depending on where you are and that is a real issue worldwide. it certainly is that it issue worldwide. it certainly is thatitis issue worldwide. it certainly is that it is one of the things that christine lagarde wrote about. she recognised the value to society and to the economy if women are able to be truly productive members of society. she talks about the things that were required at a systemic level to make change. as she was talking about the many countries the imf represents in all corners of the globe, what you're talking about is

access to health care, access to safe transport, access obviously to paid leave when it comes to childcare or other matters of family care, but also equal pay, so i think there is a recognition of the balance required, and leave following childbirth is absolutely required but let's also understand that paternity leave is a requirement as well. the important thing is that does not stall you in terms of your career progression, whether you are dad or mum. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. us aviation regulators allowed boeing's 737 max aircraft to continue flying despite knowing there was a risk of further crashes — a congressional hearing has heard. analysis by the federal aviation administration after the first crash last year predicted there could be up to 15 disasters over the lifetime of the aircraft without design changes.

despite this, the faa did not ground the max until a second crash five months later. the faa's new chief steve dickson, who started in august, admitted this was a mistake. the value of saudi aramco briefly hit $2 trillion after its shares jumped by another 10% at the opening on the riyadh stock market — the maximum allowed by the exchange — before falling back slightly. the move follows a similar surge on wednesday after the record breaking initial public offering by the oil giant. a software glitch is preventing the bbc‘s iplayer streaming service from running on many of samsung's smart tvs. affected owners are being advised to download a software update. but the patch does not work on some older models, which will have to wait until next year to get a separate fix — leaving thousands of owners unable to use the service over christmas. the us china trade war could be about to escalate. president trump is expected to meet top trade advisers later to discuss

whether to go ahead with a fresh round of tariffs on some $160 billion of chinese goods ? which are due to come in on sunday. sharanjit leyl is in singapore. tell us more. that is right. this is going to be a critical meeting between president trump and his top trade advisers. the president due to meet them to discuss whether to go ahead with this fresh to a range of ta riffs ahead with this fresh to a range of tariffs are nearly $160 billion worth of chinese goods. many expect the sides to reach a mini deal ahead of the sunday tariffs but that prospect appears unlikely according to multiple us and chinese sources. us companies who manufacture products in china have been hit steeply as well as consumers who are likely to pay more for those

products. for china we have seen state levies potentially crippling the slowing economy. last month and export numbers to the us showed a more than 20% drop. since the trade war started the us and china have imposed tariffs on more than $450 billion worth of exports but previous us actions have had mostly business products and restrained on an estimated $156 billion will follow in a wide range of consumer goods which will heighten stakes even further in this trade war. the financial markets will be watching that story closely. the asian markets positive at the moment. the federal reserve meeting wrapped up in washington and they chose to keep

rates on hold and there was the implication that might not be a rate increase in 2020 or a rate cut for that matter. that has calmed markets toa that matter. that has calmed markets to a degree. in europe we are all up slightly. of course london will be sensitive, the pound sterling will be, as we get the results through from the uk general election. the polls close at 10p and in the uk today. let's go to the us now, where borrowing costs could be on on hold for the forseeable future. the world's most powerful central bank — the us federal reserve — has left its benchmark interest rate unchanged — at its current range of1.5 and 1.75%. fed chief jerome powell described the economic outlook for america as "favourable" — boosting financial markets. samira hussain was at the fed in washington. the federal reserve acted as projected. in making its decision, it cited a strong us labour market and continuing spending by consumers, but the ongoing trade disputes have been a thorn in the side of the central bank as it tries to continue this

momentum in the us economy. when asked about the approval of usmca, the trade deal between the united states and mexico and canada, us fed chair jerome powell said china's trade deal is much more pressing. one way to look at it is what's been moving financial markets? it's been news about the negotiations with china, not so much usmca. i think the difference between nafta and usmca is smaller than the difference between current arrangements with china and what is being negotiated. mr powell has stressed that uncertainty is bad for the us economy and getting a trade deal with china would go a long way in making businesses feel more confident about the future. time now for our daily look at some of the newspaper and website stories

which have caught our eye. joining me is james innes, author and entrepeneur. one person in the media has been focused on for the past couple of days was part of our programme yesterday, greta thunberg. time person of the year which is an honour she shares with lots of people including donald trump with him she gets on very notoriously. what is interesting is the irony. she said the climate movement does not need any more awards and then of course we gave her one. there is a hint of irony. last night she gave a major speech at a conference and she said almost nothing is being done. this award is not going to stop the climate crisis. how much difference do you think she is making?” climate crisis. how much difference do you think she is making? i do think she is making a difference. i

worry about how it is an individual and the impact this might have on the rest of her life. she is generating awareness but the personal toll on her as an individual, she is not yet 17, as a father that worries me. 16 months ago orjust father that worries me. 16 months ago or just slightly father that worries me. 16 months ago orjust slightly more than that maybe she was on her own outside the swedish parliament protesting and then that timeframe she has become a global name. it has grown out of all proportion. she has spoken in front of politicians, heads of state, and the un. she has even tackled the likes of donald trump. and she had a spat with the brazilian president. does that help are creating controversy coming into conflict with people? there is no such thing as bad publicity. he called her a little brat. it is generating

awareness and that is what she is trying to achieve. young people her age, younger, slightly older, are choosing not to go to school on certain days. there is this global protest happening as a consequence. there are pros and cons to that and it is hard to know whether to have an opinion on that. pros and cons of hangover days. you run a business and have a lot of employees. tell us about theirs. a london agency i believe. they are trying to attract young millennials and the idea is perhaps that honesty is the best policy and instead of phoning up and saying i had a dodgy kebab last night, i will be in tomorrow, which is code for i've got a hangover, if you are seriously l you are not going to say you are going to be in tomorrow. it is christmas season, christmas parties, instead of coming

up christmas parties, instead of coming up with an obvious lie which is technically misconduct and could lead to a disciplinary action or even dismissal, just be honest about it, and the company is promoting that. i don't like the term hangover day. dvd is better perhaps. we live ina day. dvd is better perhaps. we live in a world with a lot of alcohol abuse. we asked if this is flexible working gone mad. how much to people running small businesses have to ta ke running small businesses have to take on? i am a firm believer in flexible working and remote working. it is perhaps taking it too extreme. let's hope it is limited to december. what does your office party look like? that has still to come. unfortunately i will not be attending as i cannot drink these days as i have small children at home. thank you very much.

still to come: in a crowded market — what does it take to launch a new skin care brand? you're with worklife from bbc news. the national pharmacy association in the uk is calling for better regulation over the sale of cbd — or cannabidiol — products. there has been a huge spike in demand, with the non—medicinal cbd now on sale in high street shops across the country, including chemists. but the body which represents hundreds of independent pharmacies says the products needs clearer regulation. our consumer correspondent colletta smith reports.

it's in everything — water, drops, pills, chocolate, make—up, shampoo, tea and coffee. this isn't medicinal cannabis. it doesn't have a psychoactive element that makes you high or have any further medical benefit, but plenty of people think it helps them. i've tried the latte and it's very relaxing, actually. does it? do you feel different? yeah, just feel relaxed and chilled out. i get back problems and joint issues and it really helps with that. my friend who comes with me — it helps with his sleep. they want to take something that's not detrimental to their health, it's not addictive, it's natural, and here it is, cbd oil. it's illegal to print any health claims on the products, so i want to find out who is regulating the industry, who is checking the ingredients or if there is any cbd in it at all. it tastes nice. it doesn't really taste any different from a normal latte, to be honest. this stuff is for sale in all kinds of retailers. it's in pound shops, online and now, increasingly, at local pharmacies. it's up to each individual retailer whether they stock cbd products or not, but overall more research is required and we would urge clearer guidance which makes it easy for health care professionals, consumers and patients to make informed choices.

at the moment these products don't have authorisation from the food standards agency. to get that, manufacturers should provide detailed chemical production and safety information, but brands don't seem to be in a rush, even after repeated requests from the food standards agency. that was an interesting story. online we have more information about the nurse with regards to boeing, the us regulator admits m ista kes boeing, the us regulator admits mistakes over the aircraft crashes. this is stephen dixon the head of the federal aviation administration. a lot more detail on that story on the bbc business page. you're watching worklife. a reminder of our top story: european central bank boss

christine lagarde heads a growing list of women in top business jobs. but while many are breaking the "glass ceiling", men still dominate boardrooms around the world. the forbes list of most powerful women is released today and christine is on there, as are many of the names we know well like angela merkel. now let's get the inside track on the natural cosmetics industry. our next guest is a biochemist, who was born and raised nairobi before moving to the uk. she has specialised in formulating natural cometics for things like super glue used in plastic surgery, and last year she launched her own skin care range, growing her own ingredients. nausheen qureshi, founder of elequra, is with us now. tell us about your childhood growing up tell us about your childhood growing up in cannula and how that influence how you are now. —— in kenya.

up in cannula and how that influence how you are now. -- in kenya. we had pla nts how you are now. -- in kenya. we had plants and herbs of different sources to try to clear things. at the time i had no idea what kind of science was behind them and then i decided to go and study biochemistry to find out what was behind these pla nts to find out what was behind these plants and what is important is that in the last ten years the cosmetic industry has had so many technological advances but if i made a formulation today, which is almost the same as 110 years ago, the ingredients i would use today are such that i would get are different than ten years ago. tell us why your skin care product differs from other things out there. what is different? it is bio designed which means we are engineering plans to make them

more receptive to the skin's communication system. in any consumer is looking at the skin care product they should look at clinical trials. we spent a lot of money on clinical trials and we have 100% results in clinical trials. best brand works because of its clinical trials. your skin care products to what exactly? the skincare industry you have to have good radiant skin, glowing skin, our clinical trials we re glowing skin, our clinical trials were against lines and wrinkles and it is always for ultimate health. you have taken detailed photos of this and you are seeing a physical difference in a piece of skin that has not been covered in a certain product. yes, which proves the ingredients work. the technology is different year—on—year and we are seeing big improvements in this

industry. is it products for those who have normal healthy skin or do you do products for people with eczema 01’ you do products for people with eczema or other issues? no, i would a lwa ys eczema or other issues? no, i would always say to those patients to go to theirgp always say to those patients to go to their gp because the cosmetic industry cannot cure those skin ailments. your skincare is purely cosmetic, not medicinal. it is not medicinal, we are strict to say that it is not. you are competing with multinationals with giant budgets. how do you survive? smaller companies can innovate quicker and can bring a product to market very quickly. we have the ability to be com pletely quickly. we have the ability to be completely transparent with our consumers. if they can see who made the product, where the product comes from, i would like to think they can see a closed loop production cycle. we know where we source products

from and we know they are being deposited into the ocean safely. we wa nt to deposited into the ocean safely. we want to be seen as ocean safe and we can deliver the best. having an open consumer conversation is very important. you have been around for one year. almost two. are you likely to be snapped up by l'oreal or someone else of that nature? maybe one day. if they came knocking what would you say? we would have to grow are offering right now. i am keen to develop the portfolio of products we have. it takes a lot of research to come up with these products. it has taken me ten years. it is not an easy task. the appetite is there. people understand what we are doing. they want natural is that work and we deliver that. thank you.

we asked you about hangover days. someone says i have worked many weekends this year, why should people get covered? someone says where can i apply for this position? thank you for your comments. carry on the conversation today. that's it from worklife today.

it has been a rather frosty start to the day with ice across scotland this morning. for many of us it is the umbrella that will be handy because we will have rain spreading eastward and it will fill chilly into this afternoon. lots of cloud streaming in from the atlantic at the moment. lots of cloud across the uk went into a weather system spreading in from the west. this low pressure is going to hang around over the weekend so it's going to remain fairly unsettled. the rain could be quite heavy at times across england and wales as it moves eastward and it will be some snow over the higher ground of the pennines and some wintry showers

across scotland with sunny spells. winds much lighter across scotland today compared to the last few days. quite breezy conditions across the south. chilly are in the north compared to the side. tonight the rainbow clear away but it will wrap background into scotland into the early pa rt background into scotland into the early part of friday morning with further showers coming in and they could be wintry at times over the higher ground. temperatures three to 6 degrees. friday more rain expected in the north and north—east of scotland. for england and wales a few showers moving and drifting in towards the midlands and east anglia. some sunny spells particularly later in the day. maximum temperatures on friday about five to 8 degrees. for the can test low pressure is going to stick around and it is going to move further west as we move into saturday. one weather system is

going to get fairly strong winds especially friday night and into saturday morning. blustery conditions continuing throughout the day. elsewhere some sunshine but also some showers. there wintry mainly over higher ground. temperatures on saturday fairly similarto temperatures on saturday fairly similar to the next few days, five to8 similar to the next few days, five to 8 degrees. sunday not a great deal of change, low pressure still in charge with a few showers coming from the west or south—west and some of those showers will turn wintry over the higher ground of northern england and scotland on sunday. temperatures five to nine celsius.

you're watching bbc news at 9, with me, martine croxall — the headlines. the mission to recover bodies from white island where a volcanic eruption killed at least eight people. new zealand police say they will return tomorrow despite the growing risk of another eruption. the polls open in the uk's third general election in less than five years. a former prisoner who fought off the london bridge attacker with a fire extinguisher tells the bbc he was prepared to lay down his life to protect others. i was prepared to lose my life, i was.