Erstellt am: 10. 1. 2013 - 15:27 Uhr

The trillion dollar coin

Reality Check: Trillion dollar coin, Kurds shot in Paris, India's attitude to women, domestic workers study, Paraguay's Ayoreo tribe.

If you've ever had anyone look as you suspiciously if you produce a 500 Euro note in a shop, imagine a trillion Euro coin. I guess most shops wouldn't be able to offer change, and you might find the police turning up fairly quickly - either that, or you'd just be laughed out of the shop. I mean, no one could be so silly as to consider producing currency in such an enormous denomination, could they?

EPA/JSL

Need a quick trillion dollars? Just mint a coin!

Well, actually yes - and where else but in the USA. It sounds like a joke, but some US democrat economists are seriously suggesting minting a trillion dollar coin to tackle the country's debt crisis.

Surprisingly, such a move would be legal under the 14th amendment - as long as it was a coin and not a note - and it could have certain benefits. Our economics correspondent, Daniel Ryntjes explains why.

Kurds killed in Paris

3 Kurdish activists have been shot dead in a Kurdish institute in Paris. The motives are unclear, but could well be political as one of them was a founder of the PKK - the Kurdish group fighting for autonomy for Kurds in Turkey. Interestingly, the incident comes as the Turkish government and PKK leaders are making progress in talks.

Christian Fraser reports from the French capital on what is known about the incident, and theories on who may have been responsible.

Indian gang rape case

Indian psychologist, Dinesh Sharma, explains the social and cultural factors that are influencing India's response to the gang rape and murder case.

Unprotected domestic workers

Labour laws do not protect the vast majority of domestic workers - as highlighted by the case of the Sri Lankan girl beheaded in Saudi Arabia. Why is domestic work so poorly regulated? Martin Oelz of the International Labour Organization looks at the problems and how they can be addressed.

Paraguay's Ayoreo tribe

EPA/Andres Cristaldo

Paraguay has a rich and varied tribal culture, with some groups integrated in mainstream life and some living and developing in almost complete isolation.

Survival International`s Rebecca Spooner talks about her time exploring the remote tribe in Paraguay that has almost no contact to the rest of the world.

FM4 Reality Check

Monday to Friday from 12.00 to 14.00, and after the show via Podcast or fm4.orf.at/realitycheck.