US Democrats are one step closer to taking control of Congress after Raphael Warnock won a Senate seat in Georgia, and Jon Ossoff leads in the race for the state's other seat. Control of the Senate, together with the Democrats' narrow majority in the House of Representatives, would allow President-elect Joe Biden to implement his agenda.. which includes more coronavirus relief measures and tax hikes for the rich. Paolo Montecillo reports. For more we spoke to to Gregory Daco in New York. He's the chief US economist at Oxford Economics.

#USsenate #Voting #Georgia

In a year when people's movement has been restricted and industries stopped, global C02 emissions have continued to rise. In Australia, where 2020 kicked off with bush fires ravaging large parts the country, the effects of climate change have been felt with particular force. Now, industry and local governments are seeking a new direction for lowering emissions by turning away from coal-fired power plants. Lachlan Guselli tells us about a project to turn the most unlikely of places into a renewable energy hub.

#Australia #ClimateCrisis #CarbonEmissions

From breakfast sausages and “meat”-balls to “chicken” drumsticks and juicy burgers… alternative meat products are popping up on restaurant menus and grocery shelves across the US. According to the not-for-profit Good Food Institute, dollar sales of plant-based meat grew more than 38% between 2017 and 2019. Kyoko Gasha takes a look at what’s behind the appetite for “substitute” meat and whether it’s here to stay.

#PlantBasedFoods #AlternativeMeals #Meat

Holiday shoppers in the US have spent an unusual shopping season looking for gifts for loved ones. Convenience and safety have also meant that online orders are becoming more popular than ever. Albert Han has more on what consumers are receiving as gifts this year, and how this shopping season has played out. We spoke to Mark Cohen, He's the Columbia Business School Director of Retail Studies and Adjunct Professor

#OnlineShopping #USChristmas #Pandemic

The saying goes that when America sneezes, the world catches a cold, and in the wake of the US-China trade war, few nations have got a frostier reception from the Chinese than Australia. Its economy relies on China for more than a third of its trade, but the relationship has fallen apart in recent months as Australian industries have been hit with a raft of sanctions. Lachlan Guselli has more.

#China #Australia #DiplomaticRow

COVID-19 continues to lock down large parts of the world. But there have been some success stories. Taiwan has registered fewer than 700 cases and a single-figured death toll. And it's now spent more than 200 days without a local transmission. Miranda Lin explains how the small island has become a global model for moving past the pandemic.

#Taiwan #Coronavirus #PandemicManagement

More than 65-thousand people have died in France from COVID-19. It's the world's seventh-highest death toll. President Emmanuel Macron says every citizen should be able to get a vaccination, if they wanted it. But his government is now being criticised, for the slow rate of inoculations that have been issued so far. Francis Collings reports from Paris.

#VaccineRollout #France #Coronavirus

Coronavirus cases have stressed even the best medical systems in the world. And in places that are under siege and suffering from years of war and destruction like Gaza, coping with the stresses of a global pandemic are no different. A small group of lab technicians in Gaza is working nonstop to test locals and prevent the spread of the virus while also protecting themselves. Obaida Hitto has more.

#Gaza #COVID19 #coronavirustesting

Trouble is brewing on the British high street. Several well-known stores have collapsed into administration, putting thousands of jobs at risk. For some, the problems started even before the pandemic began, as they failed to adapt to consumer trends moving online something that has been accelerated during lockdown restrictions. So does that mean the high street as we know it, is soon to be history? Natalie Powell finds out.

#highstreet #OnlinePortfolio #Coronavirus

The UK has announced an additional 6.2-billion dollar support package for business hit by the pandemic, as the country enters a third lockdown. Chancellor Rishi Sunak says retail, hospitality and leisure companies will be able to claim new one-off grants worth up to 12-thousand dollars to help them through the first months of 2021. It's part of a wider scheme worth 380-billion dollars to help protect jobs, and comes on top of the monthly 4,000 dollar grants already available.

#UKeconomy #Coronavirus #RishiSunak