Businesses in South Africa are appealing to the government to find a solution to the electricity crisis. Power cuts have become more frequent and costs have risen. Another price hike went into effect on Monday, bringing the increases to more than 300 percent over 10 years, for an unreliable grid. As Melanie Rice reports, the city of Cape Town doesn't want to wait for solutions. It's going to court to get permission to find alternative sources of power. #Eskom #IPPs #Economy

China's factories are roaring back to life. New data showed a surprise jump in the manufacturing sector in March, defying the recent slowdown in the world's second-biggest economy. World markets rallied on the news, and it could give Chinese negotiators a shot of confidence as they prepare for a new round of trade talks with the US. Paolo Montecillo reports. For more on China's comeback, we spoke to Jeffrey Tucker in Atlanta. He's the editorial director of the American Institute for Economic Research. #China #Growth #Output

Venezuela is plunging deeper into economic chaos, as the political tug-of-war between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido shows no sign of being resolved. Living conditions for millions of Venezuelans are worsening due to power outages, and shortages of water and food. Now, Maduro has introduced a plan to ration electricity, but it may not stop people from showing their anger on the streets. Laila Humairah has more. For more on this story, Juan Carlos Lamas joined the show from Caracas. #Venezuela #Water #Electricity

The Mexican border town of Tijuana is trying to cope with unprecedented numbers of migrants who are arriving daily from Central America. Nearly all of them are trying to get into the United States. But the Trump Administration's policies are making that an impossible dream for most of them. So an increasing number are deciding that a better option might be actually the to stay in Tijuana where the economy is booming and jobs are plentiful. Our North America Correspondent Jon Brain reports from Tijuana. #MexicoBorder #Jobs #USpolicies

The video game industry has exploded with the widespread use of smartphones. It's become a giant in the entertainment sector -- bigger than the music and film industries combined. But it's still in its development stages in Africa. As Usman Aliyu Uba reports, an event in West Africa's largest city Benin is designed to help the industry take off.

#AfricanDesigners #Africa #GameDesigners

US ride-hailing platform Lyft accelerated onto Wall Street on Friday in its listing debut. It's the first in the ride-hailing gig economy to go public, and paves the way for rivals, including industry leader, Uber, which is due to list later this year. Let's take a look at the numbers. For more on the Lyft IPO, we were joined by Daniel Ryntjes in Washington.

#Lyft #Uber #ride-hailing

Parents and coaches have pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering in connection with the biggest college admissions scandal in US history. Several celebrities are among the 50 defendants accused of facilitating cheating on tests, or bribing university coaches. But as William Denselow reports, some Americans feel the scandal highlights larger problems in the US college admissions system. #Corruption #Universities #CollegeAdmission

The United States and China have wrapped-up a lightning round of trade talks in Beijing. US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer spent just 24 hours in the Chinese capital meeting with China's Vice Premier Liu He to try to advance efforts to end their trade war. And as Paolo Montecillo reports, the two sides seem keen on clinching a deal as their economies continue to suffer from a slowdown. For more on the story, we spoke to by Matt Maley, managing director of investment firm Miller Tabak in Newton, Massachusetts. #Tariffs #TradeDeal #Economy

Mines provide precious metals, chemicals and other useful materials, but they also release many pollutants. Cleaning and storing this waste is costly affair for industry role-players. But engineers in Santiago, Chile are cutting pollution and expenses by harnessing solar power. Mobin Nasir reports. #WaterSafety #Sustainability #Solar

US plane-maker Boeing has announced a new software upgrade for an anti-stall system on its 737 Max fleet. Investigators suspect the system played a role in two crashes that killed almost 350 people. An order book worth more than half a trillion dollars is at stake as the company tries to regain the airline industry's trust. And as Paolo Montecillo reports, Boeing might not be the only one in need of correction. And Madhu Unnikrishnan in San Francisco helped us analyse the story. He is editor of the aviation industry trade publication, Skift Airline Weekly. #PlaneCrash #BlackBox #Boeing