Money Talks

Scotland is making female sanitary products available free to anyone who needs them. It's the first country in the world to do so.. But as Laila Humairah reports, it's just a small step to ending so-called 'period poverty' that holds back millions of women and girls around the world.

#Scotland #PeriodPoverty #SanitaryProducts

UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned that unemployment will hit 7-and- a-half percent as the country's grapples with its worst recession in 300 years.

He made the grim forecast while delivering his annual Spending Review in the UK parliament. He's promised extra money for re-training the rising numbers of unemployed, for the health service and for defence. But foreign aid has been slashed for the first time in over a decade, and although no tax increases have been announced, everyone knows they're coming, as the full scale of government debt and extra borrowing becomes clear. Simon McGregor-Wood has more. Rajneesh Narula joined us from London. He's a Professor of International Business Regulation at the University of Reading's Henley Business School.

#UKeconomy #UKspendingplan #Coronavirus

This year we've all been urged to stay at home, play at home, work from home and work on our homes. UK consumer spending on furniture is up 28 percent according to research from Barclays. But just how long is that growth likely to last? Natalie Powell has more.

#UKfurnitureindustry #Lockdowns #OnlineSales

For many, 2020 has been a year to forget financially. But for Elon Musk it's been year 20-plenty. The Tesla CEO has reached career milestones through his SpaceX project, and he's also rocketing up the world's billionaires list.

#ElonMusk #BloombergBillionairesList #Tesla

Top Glove, the world's biggest rubber glove maker, will shut more than half of its factories after 2,500 workers caught COVID-19. Nearly 30 of its plants in Malaysia will be shut in phases to control the outbreak. Natasha Hussain reports.

#Covid19Putbreak #TopGlove #Lockdown

That's as the second wave of the coronavirus outbreak continues to hit major markets. The airline body has called on governments to replace quarantines with wider testing programmes to reopen borders and salvage the industry. The UK has announced it will cut its two-week quarantine to five days from next month, but only if a negative COVID-19 test is provided. Meanwhile, Australia's Qantas says it will require travellers to provide proof of an approved vaccination in order to board flights in the future. IATA is working on launching a digital 'travel pass' which will contain passenger test and vaccine information, as well as travel documents to ensure safer, contactless travel. Chris Goater is an Assistant Director of Corporate Communications for Europe at IATA. He spoke to us from Geneva.

#IATA #GlobalAirTravel #Coronavirus

World markets have rallied with the Dow Jones hitting an all-time high after as US President Donald Trump gave his version of a concession. He hasn't admitted defeat just yet, but he's allowing the federal government to start work on the transition to a Joe Biden presidency. As Paolo Montecillo reports, the incoming administration is getting ready to usher in some big changes, which could reshape America's pandemic-hit economy. For more, we spoke to Gregory Daco in New York. He's the chief US economist at Oxford Economics.

#JoeBiden #FederalGovernment #USpresident

The World Health Organization says three in four Africans who need artificial limbs can't get them, because they're too expensive. Even a stripped-down prosthetic can set a family back thousands of dollars. One Tunisian start-up is designing an alternative that has all the functionality of high-tech options, for a fraction of the cost. Paolo Montecillo reports.

#3DPrinting #Prosthetics #Amputees

Face masks have become part of the 'new normal' as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. Most people have opted for simple surgical masks to protect themselves and those around them. But as Miranda Lin explains, others have been inspired to take a more high-tech approach.

#HighTech #FaceMasks #Coronavirus

German lawmakers have reached a deal to force listed firms to put more women on their boards of directors. It's a historic step that would help Europe's biggest economy catch up with other major economies in promoting gender equality in the corporate world.

#GenderEquality #CompanyBoards #WomenEmpowerment