Brazil's president has backtracked on his suggestion that environmental groups are deliberately starting fires in the Amazon. Pro-business leader Jair Bolsonaro had said NGOs were trying to create problems for his government, which has ramped-up exploitation of the vast rain forest. But activists say it's his own deforestation policies that are fueling the fires. Liz Maddock reports. For more on this, Philip Fearnside joined us from Manaus in Brazil. He's an ecologist at the National Institute of Research in Amazonia, and has lived and worked in the Amazon for more than 30 years.

#Amazon #JairBolsonaro #Deforestation

President Trump says his tax cuts have brought US businesses back from the brink and boosted investment in the auto industry. But a new Netflix documentary - backed by former president Barack Obama - is telling a different story. 'American Factory' follows the lives of blue-collar workers in Ohio, reeling from a massive factory closure, but struggling to cope under their new Chinese employers. While the film doesn't mention the president or his policies, its message is clear.

#BarackObama #Netflix #AmericanFactory

'Spider-Man: Far From Home' has become the highest-grossing film in Sony's history. But with great success, sometimes come great differences especially over how to split the money. That's what's led Sony to end its partnership with Marvel Studios. And it could keep the web-slinger out of the most iconic superhero movie franchise of all time.

#SpiderMan #MarvelStudios #Disney #Sony

Turkey's scenic coastlines are the subject of an exhibition at the United Nations in New York. It's timed to coincide with efforts at creating a treaty to protect and conserve ocean biodiversity. Sally Ayhan has the story.

#OceanConservation #TurkeyCoastline #MarineLife

US President Donald Trump now says he's not looking at cutting any more taxes to boost the world's largest economy, less than a day after he confirmed that he was. Trump says the economy is 'far from recession', but he is concerned about a slowdown. He's renewed attacks on the Federal Reserve, saying it's hurting growth by keeping interest rates too high. Mobin Nasir reports. For more on this, Matt Maley joined us from Newton, Massachusetts. He's managing director and equity strategist at Miller Tabak.

#Trump #TaxCuts #FederalReserve

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has embarked on a charm offensive to persuade Europe's most powerful leaders to return to the Brexit negotiating table. He wants to replace the terms of the deal that's been agreed with the European Union, namely scrapping the so-called Irish backstop designed to prevent a hard border between the two Irelands. But as Paolo Montecillo reports, Johnson's trip may end in disappointment. For more we spoke to Vicky Pryce, board member of the Centre for Economics and Business Research. She joined us from the French city of Bergerac.

#Brexit #EU #IrishBackstop

People living in sprawling urban cities like New Delhi, Beijing, and even here in Istanbul have a common enemy: bumper-to-bumper traffic The congestion is not only frustrating, it also poses a health risk. According to the World Health Organization, around seven million people die from air pollution every year. One Mexican start-up is turning to algae to address the problem. Laila Humairah has more.

Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam says an extradition bill that's sparked massive protests across the island, is dead. At a news conference following another evening of demonstrations, Lam said her government's launching a platform to help the residents of Hong Kong make their opinions on legal changes heard without further violence. Her government's also begun an inquiry into complaints of police brutality during the protests.

#HongKong #AntiGovernmentProtests #CarrieLam

Apple is aiming to break into the movie streaming industry this year, as it hopes to offset falling iPhone sales. The market is currently dominated by Netflix and Amazon, which have hundreds of millions of subscribers worldwide. Having quite some catching up to do, Apple is reportedly pouring billions of dollars into its TV+ streaming platform. But can it stand out in an already-crowded industry? We spoke to Dan Rayburn from New York. He's the principal analyst at consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.

#AppleTV #StreamingService #OriginalContent

Italy's right-wing coalition government has collapsed. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has handed in his resignation, after just 14 months on the job. His time in office has been plagued by bickering in the ruling coalition between the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the anti-immigration League Party. And as Paolo Montecillo reports, there's a lot at stake for one of Europe's largest economies. For more, we spoke to Emanuele Bracco in Milan. He's a senior lecturer in economics at Lancaster University in the UK, and an associate professor of economics at the University of Verona.

#Conte #NoConfidenceVote #Italy