Money Talks

It's Christmas time so shoppers around the world are picking up gifts for family and friends. Retail sales in major economies like the U-S and the U-K have risen less than forecast in the leadup to the holidays. Goods have also gotten more expensive due to supply chain bottlenecks. That leaves children, and some adults no doubt, anxiously wondering what they'll find under the tree on Christmas Day. So, which toys are trending on Santa's list? Natalie Powell was lucky enough to find out.

Mark Cohen is the director of retail studies and an adjunct professor at the Columbia Business School. He told us how consumers spent their money over the past year, and the challenges businesses faced as economies emerged from lockdowns.

#RetailSector #OnlineShopping #RetailRecovery

- Japan's inflation rise for third straight month in November

- Thai-Austrian group buys Selfridges department store chain

- Crocs to buy casual footwear brand Heydude for $2.5B

#JapanInflation #Selfridges #Heydude

- Tencent to pay out $16.4B of JD.com shares

- India halts agricultural futures trade to cool inflation

- TikTok becomes most popular website in 2021

#TencentDividend #AgricultureFutures #TikTok

- Singapore halts ticket sales for quarantine-free trip

- Luxshare builds iPhone plant to take on Foxconn

- Higher software demand boosts BlackBerry results

#SingaporeTravelRestrictions #Luxshare #BlackBerry

Global stocks are rebounding after solid gains on Wall Street overnight that ended a three-day slump. The Dow Jones index jumped more than 500 points or 1.6%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq was the biggest winner, climbing 2.4 percent. Asian markets have also had a good year, with the exception of Hong Kong's Hang Seng index. It's posted its biggest loss in more than a decade due to China's property crisis, and Beijing's crackdown on the tech sector.

Russ Mould is the investment director at A-J Bell in London. He gave us his take on what will drive markets early next year.

#DowJones #Nasdaq #WallStreet

The holiday season is here but many Britons are considering a celebration without the champagne. Interest in alcohol-free drinks is bubbling. Non-alcoholic beers have been on the shelves for years, but the fastest-growing sector is alcohol-free spirits. Retail sales in the UK alone have increased 30% in the past year. Oliver Reagan reports.

#UKHolidaySeason #NonAlcoholicBeverages #AlcoholFree

Despite a lack of capital, women are changing the rules of entrepreneurship in South Africa. According to the World Bank, only three-percent of all early stage investment in Africa in the last eight years went to female-led start-ups. And because of historic disadvantages, the numbers are lower for Black women. Ntshepeng Motema reports from Johannesburg.

#SouthAfrica #WomanStartup #GenderGap

In Southeast Asia, the economic toll continues to rise following some of the deadliest storms to hit the region this year. In Malaysia, authorities have had to close down roads due to torrential rains. Shipping operations have also been suspended at several key ports. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, more than 1-point-8 million people have been affected by Typhoon Rai, which slammed into the archipelago nation last week. Nearly 400 people have been killed, and 630-thousand have had to flee their homes.

We were joined by Phar Kim Beng in Kuala Lumpur. He's the founder and CEO of the Strategic Pan Indo-Pacific Arena.

#TyphoonRai #Philippines #ClimateCrisis

As Afghanistan teeters on the brink of economic collapse, US lawmakers have called for the release of Afghan government funds. The assets were frozen when the Taliban took control in August. 40 members of the US House of Representatives have argued that the collapse of Afghanistan's currency would only worsen its humanitarian crisis.

Torek Farhadi is a former adviser to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, as well as to the Afghan government. He explains why the central bank funds are so desperately needed and how they can be released in a responsible way.

#Afganistan #AfghanPoverty #AfghanistanReserves

The Turkish government has announced measures to bolster the lira and help consumers cope with the rising cost of living. The new policies aim to make local currency assets more attractive, as the country deals with market swings that have worsened inflationary pressures. As Paolo Montecillo reports, the policies have had an immediate impact.

Taha Arvas joined us. He's an adjunct professor of finance at Bogazici University in Istanbul.

#TurkishEconomy #TrukishLira #TurkiyeInflation