China’s luxury shoppers call in the tidy teams

Sales of premium "pata negra" dry-cured hams, the "caviar" of Spanish charcuterie, have suffered as restaurants and hotels have closed and celebratory events where it is usually eaten have dwindled due to the pandemic. And that has pushed down the value of the 13,000 Iberico pigs raised each year in the sparsely-populated region of Extremadura in southwestern Spain.

In South Africa, a luxury railway route links coastal Cape Town with the interior capital city Pretoria. The trip, completed across two days aboard the so called 'Blue Train', is renowned for its opulence and 5-star service. Previously, it was primarily accessible to overseas tourists. But now, after significantly lowering the prices, more South Africans have been taking the trip, after international tourism declined due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A Chinese firm, Broad Group has constructed a 10-storey residential building in China’s Changsha city in 28 hours and 45 minutes. The real estate company used prefabricated construction systems to deliver the project. Pre-fabricated buildings are designs to enable quick construction.

With the coronavirus pandemic wiping out profits, the Indian hotel industry has been left in a state of total disarray. It will take years for the sector to recover, experts say.

Leather artisan Obi Ononye will celebrate his first World Senior Citizens Day on Saturday - but he is not thinking of retiring. His luxury leather goods can sell for thousands of dollars in high-end stores across the world.

France is home to some of the biggest luxury brands in the world. While many everyday businesses have struggled to bounce back from the health crisis, it’s been just the opposite for the most exclusive French labels. Jean-Noël Kapferer, professor emeritus of marketing, talks us through the success of luxury brands bouncing back from the pandemic. We also see how the luxury sector is making its way into the second-hand market, bringing in a whole new clientele.

To preserve and honour the legacy of South Africa's iconic leader, Nelson Mandela, his home, which was a symbol of his presidency and struggle against apartheid, has now been transformed into a luxury hotel.

To preserve and honour the legacy of South Africa's iconic leader, Nelson Mandela, his former home in Johannesburg has now been transformed into a luxury hotel.

The EU wants to reduce its gas consumption by at least 15%. Germany will probably have to save even more. How is that supposed to work?

Inflation is hitting home for consumers across the EU, with new data showing that a regular cup of coffee may soon become a "luxury" for some. In some countries, the price of coffee is up over 40% compared to last year.

French luxury goods giant LVMH is not feeling the post-Covid pinch. The group has released its figures for 2022, which show revenue just below the bar of €80 billion. Meanwhile, shipments of smartphones have dropped to a near-decade low. Finally, we find out about a lawsuit that involves King Charles III and Elon Musk.

Is the luxury sector recession-proof? Sales at high-end brands plunged at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, but they've since rebounded sharply, even as inflation soars and economic growth slows. Now many fashion houses are hoping that China's reopening will be another boost to their business.