Gaza is home to nearly two million people including some 1.4 million registered as refugees. People there have been under an Israeli blocade for over a decade. According to Israeli human rights group Israel fired more than 14 and a half thousand artillery shells into Gaza between September 2005 and May 2007. One of them killed a beekeeper. Now his daughter takes care of the farm, but Israel's siege on Gaza makes it risky work. Sarah Balter has the story.

#Beekeeper #IsraeliAirstrikes #Gaza

A construction boom in Senegal is driving demand for limestone, used to make cement. But its mining is threatening to wipe out the ancient baobab forests and causing respiratory diseases among locals. Motheo Khoaripe reports.

#BaobabTrees #Limestone #Construction

A new trade war may be on the horizon - one that could cost two traditional allies billions of dollars. The United States is considering retaliatory measures against a new French tax on digital services, which affects large tech companies, such as Facebook and Google. US President Donald Trump says while he agrees with taxing the firms, he says France's duties seem to come out of nowhere. Reagan Des Vignes reports. And we looked at the implications of these developments with Daniel Lacalle. He's the chief economist at the investment firm Tressis, and joined us from Madrid.

#Tariffs #TradeWar #DigitalServicesTax

Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak has testified in court for the first time as he tries to clear his name in the 1MDB scandal that cost him his job. The ongoing case concerns $10 million that Najib allegedly received illegally. But the former prime minister is accused of stealing a billion dollars in 1MDB money. Najib faces dozens of charges, including money laundering, abuse of power and breach of trust. He's denied any wrongdoing, but if convicted, Najib could be sentenced to 20 years in prison for each offence.

#1MDB #MoneyLaundering #NajibRazak

This year is set to end a decade of record global heating. A new report by the World Health Organization paints a grim picture of warmer seas and devastating heatwaves caused by greenhouse gases. And yet, scientists gathering in Madrid for the UN climate summit, are struggling to convince governments to act on the commitments in the 2015 Paris Agreement. One of the effects of global heating is more frequent and stronger storms. For more, let's bring in Michael Jacobs in London. He's a professor of political economy at the University of Sheffield.

Black Friday specials, Cyber Monday deals and Christmas discounts. Holiday shopping season started in the US last week. For retailers it means the busiest time of the year, but without the usual frenzy. Crowds at shopping centres and malls have been thinning, as more consumers search for deals online.

#CyberMonay #BlackFriday #RetailSales

Russia and China have begun deliveries of gas along a new pipeline in what's one of the biggest energy deals in history. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping took part in an official opening ceremony by video link. The deal will see Russia provide gas to China for the next 30 years - in return for $400 billion. Ross Cullen has more from Moscow

#Russia #Gas #China

For years, Indian customers enjoyed low prices for mobile phone calls, text messaging and broadband internet connections. That's as companies absorbed losses to outprice each other for a bigger share of the market. But that's all about to change after all major telecom firms announced substantial price hikes. It's a move that's expected to improve their financial health, but it's dismayed their millions of customers. Neha Poonia has more. And we spoke to V. Sridhar. He's the associate editor at Frontline Magazine in Bangalore, India.

#TelecomFirms #DataPrices #InternetConnections

The Turkish economy is growing for the first time in a year. The Turkish Statistical Institute says increased consumer and government spending has pushed GDP up by 0.9 percent. And as Reagan Des Vignes reports, Ankara's now looking to domestic savings to achieve ambitious next quarter targets. For more, Taha Arvas, a financial columnist at the newspaper Daily Sabah, joined the show.

#TurkeyEconomy #GDP #ConsumerSales

India's economy slowed to 4.5 percent in the second quarter of this financial year. That's its slowest pace in six years. Economists expected the figures to be lower and say there's no quick fix for the sluggish economy. Radhika Bajaj has more from Mumbai.

#IndiaGDP #Modi #IndustrialOutput