Money Talks

Netflix continues to assert its dominance in the streaming market, despite stiff competition from the likes of Disney-plus and H-B-O Max. The company added four-point-four-million subscribers in the third quarter. That's double what it saw in the same period last year, and brings Netflix's global customer base to more than 213 million. Revenues rose 16 percent to 7-and-a-half billion dollars. Profits almost doubled to 1-point-45 billion, beating expectations. Part of that growth is due to the success of thriller 'Squid Game,' which was released in the second half of September. Netflix says the South Korean drama has become its most popular show, with 140 million people watching. But news of the company's strong third-quarter performance was overshadowed by protests by some Netflix employees. About a thousand workers are expected to stage a walkout over management's handling of a controversial special by American comedian Dave Chapelle.

#Netflix #SquidGame #HBOMax

The private aviation industry is having a lofty year. While many commercial airlines are struggling, demand for private jets is surging. But with supply chain issues and logistical challenges, it's set to be a bumpy ride ahead. Kyoko Gasha takes a closer look at what's driving this market.

#PrivateAviation #Pandemic #Jets #CommercialAirlines

Global foreign direct investment in the first half of this year rebounded as major economies recovered from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. That's according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development's latest 'Investment Trends Monitor' report. FDI flows surged to more than 850-billion dollars in the first two quarters of the year, mostly driven by businesses buying or merging with overseas rivals. That money makes up 70-percent of the investments lost last year during the height of the pandemic. Almost half went to developed countries - a three-fold increase from 2020 levels. New investments in the world's poorest economies declined by 9-percent.

#ForeignDirectInvestment #UNCTAD #COVID19Pandemic

The British government has secured more than 13-billion dollars in new foreign investments in a bid to lure back much-needed funds after Brexit. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is looking to convince the likes of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and JPMorgan chief Jamie Dimon to back green energy projects in the country. Johnson says it's part of efforts to transform the UK - which first industrialised the use of coal in the 19th century - into one of the most environmentally- friendly places on Earth. For more, we spoke to Bob Ward in London. He's the policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, at the London School of Economics.

#GreenInvestments #RenewableEnergyProjects #BillGates

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is on a three-nation tour of Africa in a bid to strengthen relations with the continent. He's visiting Angola, Togo and Nigeria, and is expected to finalise a number of deals from defence to education during his visit. It's all part of Turkey's moves to grow its economic and diplomatic presence in Africa. Mobin Nasir reports. Federico Donelli is a professor at the University of Genoa, focusing on politics of the Middle East and North Africa. He says Turkey's expansion in Africa will be different from China and Western nations.

#TurkeyAfricaRelations #Erdogan #Angola #Togo #Nigeria

Alibaba launches new server chip to boost cloud business

Alibaba has launched a new server chip that's based on advanced 5-nanometre technology as it looks to boost its cloud computing business. The Yitian 710 will help the Chinese e-commerce giant compete against US rivals such as Amazon and Microsoft. The processor will be deployed in Alibaba's in-house servers at its data centres.

Greater Bay Airlines to take on Cathay in Hong Kong

Chinese property magnate Bill Wong is aiming to challenge Cathay Pacific with a new carrier in Hong Kong. Greater Bay Airlines has applied to operate to a total of 104 destinations in mainland China and the broader Asian region. The newly established airline is looking to start operations in the fourth quarter this year with two Boeing 737-800 jets.

Amazon to hire 150,000 temporary workers for holiday season

Amazon is planning to hire 150-thousand temporary workers in the US during the holiday season. The figure marks a 50 percent increase from the retailer's festive season hiring push a year ago. The seasonal roles will include sign-on bonuses of up to 3-thousand dollars and an additional 3 dollars an hour in pay for certain shifts in some locations.

#Alibaba #Cathay #Amazon

- Bitcoin price surges amid ETF anticipation

- Pakistani rupee plunges on reports IMF talks fail

- Apple supplier Foxconn unveils EV prototypes

#Bitcoin #PakistanCurrency #ElectricCars

China's economic growth slowed to a crawl in the third quarter, raising concerns over the global recovery from the pandemic.

G-D-P in the July to September period expanded 0-point-2 percent from the previous three months. The year-on-year number was 4-point-9 percent, down from the almost 8 percent growth recorded in the second quarter. The slump was felt the most on China's construction sites. Home sales data showed a 17-percent contraction year-on-year last month, following an almost 20 percent drop in August. Meanwhile, industrial output rose 3 percent, missing estimates. One bright spot was retail sales. Those were up 4-point-4 percent in September, beating expectations. Officials in Beijing say the government still has the tools to prop up the world's second largest economy. For more, we spoke to Jeffrey Halley. He's a senior market analyst for the Asia Pacific region at OANDA and joins us from Jakarta.

#AsiaMarkets #ChinaEconomy #EconomicSlowdown #GlobalGDP

A foreign-language TV show based on Korean kids' games, where most of the characters die. It doesn't sound like the traditional recipe for a global hit. But perhaps that's part of Squid Game's appeal. The dystopian South Korean series has become a surprise worldwide phenomenon. It's Netflix's most popular debut and has sparked a small business boom at home and overseas. Melinda Nucifora has the details.

#Netflix #SquidGame #SouthKorea #Series

Around 2.2 billion people worldwide suffer from blindness or some form of vision loss. Most don't know they have a condition that causes blindness, like glaucoma, until it's too late. But one Turkish lab is on a mission to detect the condition early and help patients preserve the most important human sense. Laila Humairah reports.

#Glaucoma #Biotech #Turkey #Contanctlenses