From food and petrol, to used cars and clothes, consumer prices are surging across the globe, as economies recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Supply chains are struggling to keep-up with pent-up demand, with businesses passing-on higher input costs to consumers. Investors are also starting to worry that central banks might step-in to keep prices in-check by raising interest rates. But as Paolo Montecillo reports. We got more on this with Matt Maley in Newton, Massachusetts. He's managing director and equity strategist at Miller Tabak.

#Pandemic #Inflation #UKeconomy

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says the ongoing unrest sparked by the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma could lead to medicine and food shortages in the coming weeks. At least 45 people are dead and nearly 800 people have been arrested, as rioters used Zuma's arrest as an excuse to loot shops and warehouses. And as Mark Klusener reports, thousands of soldiers have now been deployed to try and quell the violence. We spoke to Agnes Gitau in London. She a Managing Partner at GBS Africa - an advisory services firm specialising in economic and political risk intelligence in Africa.

#SouthAfrica #InequalityGap #LootingRiots

The Big Apple is open for business. On June 15th, the city lifted most of its COVID-19 restrictions, paving the way for the return of large-scale events including the three dimensional virtual reality exhibition of Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings. Kyoko Gasha pays a visit to the multimillion-dollar-installation to find out what it takes to put on such a spectacle.

#VanGogh #COVID19Restrictions #Art

The European Union has agreed to impose sanctions including travel bans and asset freezes on Lebanon's leaders.

The EU says it's trying to pressure politicians to form a stable, functioning government. Lebanon has been stuck in a political deadlock for nearly a year. The country is suffering from its worst economic crisis in decades. The Lebanese pound has lost more than 90 percent of its value and fuel and food are running out. More than half of the population is estimated to have fallen into poverty.

#Beirut #EuropeanUnion #Sanctions

A new report released by the UN reveals the number of people who didn't have enough food to eat soared during the pandemic to include almost a third of the world's population. The report, which covers food security and nutrition, is the first of its kind that shows the COVID-19 crisis has made the situation even worse. Sarah Balter has more.

#UN #FoodSecurity #COVID19

The pandemic has hit the travel sector harder than most, but the impact in the UK has been felt particularly hard. London's Heathrow Airport was once Europe's busiest, but its passenger numbers plunged by 90-percent in June, when compared to figures in 2019. Overall, the UK's airports are performing far worse than their European competitors due to tough government travel restrictions. Industry leaders are warning of huge losses for a second year running, but could there finally be light at the end of the runway? Matt Gooderick has more from London.

#UKairport #COVID19cases #HeathrowAirport

There's been a rare display of rage and frustration in Cuba, where thousands of people have called for an end to the decades-old dictatorship. They're demanding food and vaccines, as the country's dire economic crisis only worsens during the pandemic. Discontent has been growing over the past year, but the scale of the protests has taken many by surprise. Liz Maddock reports. For more, we spoke to Emily Morris. She's a development economist specialising in Latin America and the Caribbean. She's also a research associate at the University College London's Institute of the Americas.

#Cuba #Dictatorship #CubaEconomy

Richard Branson has achieved a life-long dream after a successful flight to the edge of space. The billionaire businessman hopes the voyage is the beginning of a new age of space tourism. As Floyd Cush reports, fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos is right behind Branson, with a similar launch planned in just over a week. For more on this let's speak to former Goldman Sachs executive director and future space tourist, Per Wimmer. He's also a Founding Astronaut with Virgin Galactic and joins us now from Milan.

#CommercialSpaceFlight #RichardBranson #VirginGalactic

With curfews, movement restrictions, and bans on large gatherings, wedding plans all over the world have been cancelled, postponed or downsized in the past 18 months. And for those who work in the multibillion-dollar industry, it's been a very difficult time. But now, with restrictions fully lifted in Turkey, businesses are hoping to enjoy a slice of the wedding cake. Tayyibe Aydin reports.

#Turkey #PandemicRestrictions #WeddingIndustry

An environmentalist in Uganda has started an initiative to protect his country's natural environment. 'Eco Ways Uganda' is battling plastic waste while improving its employees' livelihoods. Kubra Akkoc reports.

#Uganda #PlasticWaste #Furniture