Money Talks

One of the world's most powerful unions is coming to an end. Billionaire philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates have decided to end their marriage after 27 years. The split will be an amicable one, according to a joint statement, but many are starting to speculate how the divorce will affect their fortunes and philanthropic work.

#BillandMelindaGatesFoundation #PhilanthropicWork #Billionaires

Oil giant Saudi Aramco has reported a 30-percent surge in net profit for the first quarter. The lifting of lockdowns and the resumption of global trade following months of slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, are driving-up international oil prices. That's helping oil companies, including Aramco, make some slick gains. And the rising cash flow could stabilise the kingdom's economy after a rocky 2020. Mobin Nasir reports. For more on this, Ell en Wald joined us from Jacksonville, Florida. She's president of Transversal Consulting and author of the book, Saudi Inc

#SaudiAramco #OilPrices #CoronavirusPandemic

Four astronauts, on board a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule have splashed down off the coast of Florida. NASA says the successful mission to and from the International Space Station is the beginning of a new era of commercial space travel. Rachael Ruble reports.

#Spacex #NASA #SpaceExploration

Captive hunting and wildlife petting zoos have spawned a multi-million dollar-industry in South Africa, with trophy hunters paying hefty sums to be able to shoot lions and other big game. But the inhumane treatment of wild animals has sparked outrage and the now the government is shutting down the sector. Mobin Nasir reports.

#SouthAfrica #CaptiveLions #LionHunting

After six straight quarters of decline, Hong Kong's economy is finally showing signs it might be turning a corner. Government estimates out today showed first quarter GDP grew 7.8 percent year-on-year, beating economists' forecasts. Michelle Hennessy brings us more analysis from Hong Kong.

#HongKong #Economy #Pandemic

In West Virginia, a federal court has started hearing arguments against leading drug distributors over their role in the US opioid epidemic. The state is considered ground zero for the health crisis, which has killed more than 450-thousand people over the last decade. Local governments say companies flooded their communities with powerful painkillers, and fuelled deadly addictions to other narcotics. Paolo Montecillo has more. For more, let's go to Robert Kanter. He's an international addiction recovery advocate and he joins us from New York.

#OpioidCrisis #WestVirginia #USDrugDistributors

A landmark trial that pits the video game-maker, Epic, against the world's most valuable company is set to begin in the United States. The maker of the popular Fortnite game alleges that Apple has transformed its App Store into an illegal monopoly that squeezes mobile apps for a significant slice of their earnings. It comes just days after the European Union accused Apple of abusing its control over the distribution of music-streaming apps. Our correspondent Yunus Paksoy has more. We hot more on the story from Nicholas Hirst in Brussels. He's Chief Correspondent for EU Competition at the investigative news agency, MLex, which is focused on uncovering regulatory risk across the globe.

#EpicGames @AppleAppStore #Fortnite

A week of blockbuster earnings reports from Big Tech culminated with Amazon crushing forecasts of how much money it would rake-in from a pandemic-fuelled spike in online shopping, and a growing reliance on internet-hosted services. The market reaction to the record results has been mixed, as some investors took profits, while others made bets that revenues will continue to rise. But overall, the numbers on Wall Street reflect the optimism surrounding the prospects of the US economy. Paolo Montecillo reports. Daniel Ives is a tech industry analyst and managing director of Wedbush Securities in New York. He gave us his take on Amazon's earnings, and where stock prices might go in the coming months.

#USTechFirms #SiliconRally #Amazon

Tens of thousands of Colombians are enraged at their government's proposed tax reforms. They turned out in droves in the capital, Bogota, to protest against the changes, which they say will increase burdens at a time when making ends meet is already difficult. The government needs to raise its revenues to pay off debt and increase social spending. But as Mobin Nasir reports, it's facing rising pressure from labour unions and lawmakers.

#Colombia #TaxReforms

Hong Kong has launched a brand new trade fair in a bid to tap into the stay-at-home economy. In a year in which many international fairs have been cancelled, the Lifestyle Shopping Fest is matching local vendors with local consumers, and helping companies find new business opportunities during the pandemic. Michelle Hennessy has seen what the fair has to offer, and takes a look at whether it can breathe new life into the struggling retail industry.

#HongKong #Pandemic #Fashion

#TaxReforms #Colombia