大象传媒

In the wake of a collapse in the Lebanese currency, public anger has boiled over. Nasser Saidi is a former Lebanese economy and industry minister, and discusses why the outlook seems so bleak for his country, and whether it is likely to receive a bailout from the International Monetary Fund. Also in the programme, Argentina is trying to renegotiate the terms of almost $70bn worth of loans. Jimena Blanco in Buenos Aires tells us whether the country's lenders are likely to be flexible. Activists angry at Brazil's response to Covid-19 have created 100 graves on Rio's Copacabana beach to remember the more than 40,000 people who have died. Brazil has the world's second-highest number of cases - and the third-highest number of deaths in the world. Professor Anthony Pereira of University of London explains how the economy has been hit by the combination of the lockdown and the virus itself.
Saudi Arabia is close to announcing whether the Hajj pilgrimage will be cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic. Some two million people were expected to travel to Mecca and Medina this July and August for the annual gathering. The 大象传媒鈥檚 Mohamed El Assar explains what impact this could have on the Saudi Kingdom.
And Chris Low of FHN Financial in New York rounds out the week with a look at the US markets.

Lockdowns have brought the global travel industry to a standstill. But tourism in Greece will gradually open up from this weekend, and we hear about the likely economic impact of that from the island of Thassos in the Aegean Sea. Plus, top-flight football returned to Spain on Thursday night, as games in La Liga resumed behind closed doors after almost three months in lockdown. But as the 大象传媒's Will Bain reports, the economics of football still demand the return of paying fans.

(Picture: A protest in Beirut. Picture credit: EPA.)