Money Talks

AstraZeneca has become the latest pharmaceutical company to announce positive results from the coronavirus vaccine it's developing with Oxford University. It's also the first major drugmaker that's promised to provide the injection to developing countries at cost price. It comes after leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies pledged to ensure the fair and equal distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to all countries. But caseloads are growing by the day, and getting the drugs to those who need them most could take months. Mobin Nasir reports. To discuss the lastest vaccine developments, We were joined by Dr Muhammad Munir, who's a virologist at Lancaster University.

#G20 #Vaccine #COVID19

The port explosion in Lebanon's capital Beirut in August was a tragedy that shocked the nation and sparked further anger at the government. Questions have still not been answered as to how the ammonium nitrate which caused the explosion was allowed to be stored at the port for six years. And three months on, still no one has been held accountable. Imogen Kimber met those who are taking the state to court and looking for justice.

#BeirutBlast #PortBlast #Lawsuit

More than 56 million people have been infected with the coronavirus, while one-point-three million have died. But there's hope that the world is close to beating this once-in-a-century pandemic. US drug giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech say their vaccine candidate could be available before Christmas. And other experimental drugs in the US, Europe and Asia are also almost ready. Paolo Montecillo has the details. For more, we spoke to Doctor Andrea Feigl. She's the founder and CEO of the Health Finance Institute in Washington DC.

#COVID19 #CoronavirusVaccine #TestingPhase

Turkey is hosting more than 500 companies from almost 50 countries, particularly from Europe and the Far East, at this year's Musiad Expo. More than 100-thousand visitors will witness some of Turkey's latest innovations and technology. With a diverse range of sectors, from engine technology to the food industry, the expo wants to boost production, investment and trade. We spoke with the Chairman of Musiad, Abdurrahman Kaan. He says the organisation is targeting new opportunities for commercial co-operation between countries and businesses.

#MUSIADExpo #TurkeyInvestment #TradePartnerships

The Turkish lira surged two percent higher on Thursday against the US dollar, after the central bank raised its key lending rate. Recently appointed finance minister Naci Agbal says reducing inflation is a top priority for the government. And as Mobin Nasir reports, that's reigniting interest in the local currency. We spoke to Erhan Aslanoglu. He's the Vice Rector of Istanbul's Piri Reis University.

#TurkishCentralBank #Inflation #TurkishLira

The UK has announced new cars powered by petrol or diesel will be banned from sale in 2030. The ban was originally planned for 2040, but has been brought forward as part of a new policy being dubbed the 'green industrial revolution'. As Sarah Morice reports, the UK will be one of the first countries to phase out fossil fuel vehicles. But there is much work to be done for the ambitious deadline to be met.

#ElectricCars #Greenpeace #PetrolandDieselVehicles

English football is famous for its successful pyramid system with more professional clubs than any other country in Europe. But the coronavirus pandemic has proved devastating for many of the smallest sides, as they play behind closed doors with virtually zero income. The UK government has called upon the top division - The Premier League - to help. But so far, a financial rescue package has not materialised. Without one, many clubs will struggle to survive, as Oliver Regan reports. We were joined by Kieran Maguire in Manchester. He is a sports finance specialist from the University of Liverpool.

#UKfootballclubs #Covid19 #EPL

Cryptocurrencies are back in vogue. Investors are piling into digital cash, doubling the price of Bitcoin in just six months. It's jumped another 15 percent this week and could be headed even higher. We spoke to Jeffrey Tucker. He's the editorial director at the American Institute for Economic Research, and joins us from Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

#Cryptocurrencies #Bitcoin #PaymentOptions

It reads more like the script of a Hollywood romantic comedy. Two movie stars decide to buy a struggling Welsh football club in a town they've never been to. Hardly believable, except it's excatly what's happened to Wrexham AFC. Simon McGregor Wood has more.

#Wrexham #RyanReynolds #Wales

The release of former US president Barack Obama's new book is drawing comparisons between his tenure and that of his successor, Donald Trump. It's also causing controversy in countries like India, over Obama's recollection of the government's decisions. His previous books have been bestsellers, raking in millions of dollars. And as Mobin Nasir reports, his memoir could outsell them all. For more on this story, we were joined by Mark Perry. He's a Senior Analyst at the Quincy Institute think tank. He's also an author and a historian and joins us now from Washington DC.

#BarackObama #USpresidency #BrandObama