More than a million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week. The jobless tally exceeds analysts' expectations and shows the number of people out of work is rising, despite the lifting of lockdowns. While US lawmakers are debating a new stimulus package to mitigate COVID-19 job losses, the US Federal Reserve paints an even bleaker picture for pensioners. It says 40 percent do not have $400 set aside for an emergency, and 25 percent have nothing saved for retirement. Jade Barker has more.

#USpensioners #COVID19 #JoblessClaims

Venezuela's professional baseball league says it may have to delay or cancel all games this season, because of the coronavirus pandemic. Baseball stadiums in South Korea are limiting attendance to just 10 percent of capacity while in Japan and the US, fans have been banned from venues. For teams like the New York Yankees, that means seasonal businesses surrounding their home stadium in the Bronx are struggling. As Katie Gregory reports, the many merchandise stores and sports bars rely on fan revenue and, without more help, some may strike out.

#USstadium #Baseball #StadiumBusiness

Turkey has opened its first integrated solar panel manufacturing facility in the capital Ankara, as part of a greater scheme to switch to local and renewable energy. A $400 million dollar investment, the Kalyon Solar Technology Centre will produce panels with a capacity of 500 megawatts per year for Turkey's biggest solar power plant in central Anatolia. The manufacturing facility is set to offer 1,400 jobs and save the country $100 million worth of imports a year. Turkey aims to produce 66% of its electricity

from domestic resources and become a leading nation in renewable energy.

#SolarPanels #Turkey #Manufacturing

Gold prices have soared at least 30% this year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Renewed safe-haven appetite and a weaker US dollar have pushed up prices. But as gold's value skyrockets, demand for jewellery has slumped amid lockdowns and economic uncertainty. As Natasha Hussain reports, jewellers have been hit particularly hard.

#Pakistan #GoldPrice #Jewellery

The military has taken power in a coup in the West African nation of Mali. Its president Ibrahim Keita was arrested this week and forced to resign after months of protests over corruption and economic mismanagement that have kept millions in poverty. As Paolo Montecillo reports, the nation's leaders have squandered rich natural resources, resulting in widespread discontent. For more, we were joined by Paul Melly in London. He's a consulting fellow at the Chatham House Africa Programme.

#Mali #MilitaryCoup #IbramKeita

The closure of bookshops in March caused book sales in the UK to drop, but at the same time, confined to our homes during lockdown, many of us fell back in love with reading. And since non-essential shops reopened in June, sales have rebounded. Matt Gooderick has more.

#UKbooksales #Reading #Bibliophile

South Africa is competing with countries like India and Thailand as a top medical tourism destination. Boasting world-class private health facilities, popular tourist attractions and a favorable exchange rate, the country has been marketed as an attractive choice. But since South Africa shut its borders to limit the spread of the coronavirus, all that travel has stopped. From Johannesburg, Ntshepeng Motema looks at how both patients and businesses have been affected.

#MedicalTourism #COVID19 #SouthAfrica

The US has expanded sanctions on Huawei, blacklisting dozens of its suppliers. The latest measures mean the Chinese telecoms giant is banned from buying computer chips that depend on US technology, even if they're produced elsewhere. The restrictions have put the first phase of a trade deal between the US and China at risk. And as Sibel Karkus reports, Washington isn't the only trading partner whose rift with China is growing. For more on this, Anna Ashton spoke to us from Washington DC. She's the Business Advisory Services Director at the US-China Business Council.

#Huawei #USChinaTradeWater #USSanctions

The coronavirus pandemic has certainly changed the way we travel, and those still wanting to vacation are now looking closer to home. In the US, that's increased demand for recreational vehicles. And with international tourism facing a long road to recovery - this could be a travel trend that's here to stay. Katie Gregory reports from Jersey City.

#USholidays #CoronavirusPandemic #RecreationalVehicles

The shift in consumer and working habits due to the coronavirus pandemic has had a serious impact on the waste disposal industry. Shuttered businesses meant much less commercial waste. But more of us working from home is paying dividends for waste collection companies -- and there are hopes it could be good news for the environment, too. Robyn Dwyer reports.

#UKwaste #Lockdown #WasteDisposal