Money Talks

Oxford University is holding a human challenge trial to see how easily people can be reinfected with COVID-19. It will be recruiting 64 volunteers aged between 18 and 30 to discover how much of the virus is need to cause reinfection, and what level of antibodies are needed to prevent it. TRT World's health correspondent Nicola Hill has more.

#Vaccines #COVID19 #Reinfection

As Raul Castro steps down as head of Cuba's ruling Communist Party, hopes are high for a policy reset with the Biden administration. The island is reeling from a severe economic crisis due to crippling US sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic. Floyd Cush reports. We spoke to Remi Piet in Miami. He's a senior partner at the emerging markets consultancy, Embellie Advisory, who specialises in the Americas.

#CubaEconomy #RaulCastro #CommunistParty

There's widespread condemnation over the formation of an exclusive European Super League by some of football's richest clubs. Governments, fans and former players are furious at what they've described as a cynical money-grab. And the sport's governing bodies are threatening to ban everyone involved in the breakaway group - including some of football's biggest names - from participating in top-tier tournaments. Paolo Montecillo has more. Hugo Hensley is Head of Sports Services at consultancy firm Brand Finance. He joins us now from London.

#SuperLeague #UEFA #WorldFootball

China's economy has grown at its fastest rate since records began. GDP surged an astounding 18.3-percent year-on-year in the first quarter, as the country's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic sped-up. The jump is further evidence of China's impressive economic rebound from when it was the world's first epicentre of the pandemic. But as Joel Flynn reports from Hong Kong, that number might not be nearly as impressive as it seems. Min Ye is an Associate Professor at Boston University's Pardee School of Global Studies. She told us more about what's behind China's economic rebound and the challenges that lie ahead.

#ChinaEconomy #Pandemic #GDP

YouTube and TikTok have become so popular, that many see the apps as indispensible. But in South Korea, the biggest names in online video aren't just posting clips - they're live- streaming their whole lives, hours at a time. Miranda Lin explains how the strategy is paying off.

#TikTok #LiveStreaming #YouTube

Turkey ranks among the top-10 countries in the world in terms of the number of vaccinations it has administered. It may soon become one of a handful of nations with its own vaccine. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey also plans to offer the jab to the rest of the world once the trials are completed. Selen Esencay reports from the Turkish city of Kayseri.

#Turkey #Vaccine #COVID19

Shares in cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase soared before falling back to earth on their first day of trading. Their initial surge reflects investor excitement over the company. It's the only major bitcoin trading platform listed in the US. But its decline at the end of the first day of trading shows there's still plenty of scepticism over cryptocurrencies, and their place in the financial world. Paolo Montecillo reports. For more on Coinbase's market debut, we spoke to Jeffrey Tucker in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He's the editorial director at the American Institute for Economic Research.

#Cryptocurrency #Coinbase #MarketDebut

The US government is slapping a wide range of sanctions on Russia for what it's described as "the full scope of Moscow's harmful foreign activities". That includes alleged election interference and cyber warfare. Washington is expected to expel a number of Russian diplomats and make it harder for Moscow to access international markets. The latest moves come just two days after US President Joe Biden raised the possibility of a summit with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. For more on this, Matthew Walker joined us from London. He's an associate director at investigations firm, Raedas, and specialises in disputes and litigation support in Russia.

#RussianGovernment #Sanctions #CyberAttacks

Workers from the UK's biggest energy supplier, British Gas, are on strike in a dispute over changes to their pay and conditions. Hundreds of engineers responsible for servicing and repairing home and office boilers could lose their jobs unless they sign up to a new contract. Natalie Powell reports from the picket line.

#BritishGas #Strike #WorkingConditions

Iran says it will start producing uranium enriched to 60-percent by next week, bringing it closer to a weapons-grade nuclear stockpile. Tehran says it's responding to a cyberattack that damaged its enrichment plant in Natanz. But the retaliation could jeopardise efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, which has been in shambles since the US abandoned it three years ago. We spoke to Meir Javedanfar in Tel Aviv. He's a Middle East analyst who specialises in Iran and Israel.

#Iran #Uranium #NuclearDeal