Money Talks

As theatre folk say, “the show must go on." But since the pandemic began, that’s been a difficult mantra to live up to. Broadway’s theatres have been shut since March 2020 and only now are slowly beginning to reopen. With coronavirus cases on the rise, theatre companies have introduced special regulations to keep audiences and crew members safe. Kyoko Gasha goes backstage at the Majestic Theater, The Phantom of the Opera’s home base, to learn more.

#USTheatres #Lockdowns #Broadway

Lithium is essential to running electric vehicles, and is fast becoming hot property for car manufacturers worldwide. Serbia could be sitting on as much as 10 per cent of the world's lithium. But environmentalists in the region say it's best left underground. Abdulvehab Ejupi reports.

#Lithium #SerbianActivists #MiningProject

Elizabeth Holmes claimed her company could perform tests for hundreds of diseases with just a finger prick of blood. But on Wednesday, her trial began over charges of defrauding investors and patients. US prosecutors say the founder of the now-defunct firm, Theranos, 'lied and cheated' for money and fame. But her lawyers insist she's not a villain, but rather a hardworking, young and naive businesswoman whose company failed. Natasha Hussain reports. For more on this story, we poske to Santosh Rao in Princeton, New Jersey. He's a partner and head of research at Manhattan Venture Partners.

#ElizabethHolmes #Theranos #FraudCharges

US President Joe Biden wants solar energy to power 40-percent of America's electricity by 2035. Currently, the sun is tapped for just 3-percent of the country's power generation. The ambitious goal depends on the US Congress passing legislation that incentivises renewable energy, as well as the widespread adoption of solar power. And that would require drastically lowering the cost of the renewable resource. For more on this, our Senior Business producer Mobin Nasir joined us in studio..

#SolarPower #CleanEnergy #USPowerGrid

German automaker BMW is revving up efforts to halve its carbon emissions by 2030, by betting on the circular economy. The company unveiled its new concept car at the IAA Mobility trade show in Munich. It's set to challenge the industry's manufacturing standards.

#CircularEconomy #BMW #CarbonEmissions

Only 11 percent of Malawians have access to electricity. In rural areas of the country, only 4 percent do. That makes it one of the world's least electrified countries. One man has taken matters into his own hands, building a DIY hydroelectric turbine, without any professional training, to power his village. Sena Saylan has the story.

#HydroelectricTurbine #CleanPower #Electricity

The UK could become the first advanced economy to raise taxes after the coronavirus pandemic drove up healthcare costs. Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants taxpayers to shill out up to $700 a year, He says it will help increase hospital capacity and provide affordable care for the elderly. But his plan is facing plenty of opposition from businesses, healthcare service providers and even some within his own party. Mobin Nasir reports. For more on this, Denis MacShane joined us from London. He's a former UK minister for Europe and former member of parliament for the Labor Party.

#UKTax #RevenueCollection #HealthcareCosts #SocialWelfare

They're cheaper than cars, easier to park, and perfect for social distancing. More and more Americans are changing gears, switching to motorcycles for both pleasure and practicality. Bike sales are up and training schools around the country are reporting an increased demand for lessons. Kyoko Gasha visits one school in New York City to find out what's driving interest.

#COVID19 #MotorcycleSales #SocialDistancing #PublicTransport

There was money to be made carrying goods across the Afghan-Pakistan border over the past 20 years. But since the return of the Taliban, traders and truck drivers are worried that trade is drying up. Kamran Yousaf visits the Torkham border crossing and explains why.

#Taliban #Pakistan #CrossBorderTrade

Disney's Marvel Studios is placing its hopes on a new hero. The entertainment giant's latest movie release, 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' has smashed Labor Day records in early box office tallies. The film is one of the first to be released exclusively in theatres since the pandemic began, and Disney hopes it brings movie lovers back to cinemas.

#Disney #MarvelStudios #ShangChi