Business Daily

Russia is ending its lockdown as officials congratulate citizens on a shared victory. But with infection rates still sky-high, some say it's premature, and that it's more to do with politics than the best interests of the nation. What's at stake for Russia and its strongman, Vladimir Putin? On this edition of the programme, we hear from Dmitry Nechaev who runs a bicycle workshop in Moscow on his fears for the future. Economist Sergei Guriev talks about the economic impact of the pandemic on Russia's economy and the country's small businesses; and Catherine Belton, author of Putin's People, explains the political fallout of Vladimir Putin's handling of the crisis.(Image: A commuter in a face masks on a Moscow Underground train. Credit: Getty Images).

This is an old idea gaining new currency amidst the latest Black Lives Matter protests. Should billions of dollars in damages now be paid to descendents of African-American slaves for the sins of the past. How would this happen? Why? And would modern white America ever agree to it? One man who's long thought so is Bob Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television and RLJ technologies and who became the first US African-American billionaire in the 1990s. Ed Butler also speaks to Professor William Darity, an economist of Public Policy at Duke University. He's written a book on the reparations idea, "From Here to Equality". He also hears from Caitlin Rosenthal, an historian at the University of Berkeley who has studied this era, and the enormous economic boon that slavery brought to the emerging industrial superpower, the United States of America. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Why are there so many conspiracy theories swirling in the online world about billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates? Jane Wakefield explores why people might seek conspiracy theories, and asks if they are just part of the online rumour-mill, or can cause actual harm. Jane hears from Rory Smith from fact-checkers First Draft News, from Marianna Spring from the BBC’s anti-disinformation team, and from Professor Joseph Usinski, who argues that these kinds of theories have always been a part of life, and most die away naturally. But Rory Smith and Bill Gates himself warn that they could harm vaccine uptake, and are more than a bit of online fun. Photo of Bill Gates, photo credit AFP/Getty

Does commuting into the office have a future? Manuela Saragosa speaks to Mike Hampson, chief executive of Bishopsgate Financial, which has permanently closed its office in London's financial district in favour of home working. Luke Philpott from the commerical property agents DeVono Cresa describes the steep drop in demand for office space during the lockdown, while Tom Carroll from the commercial property company JLL argues that the office still has a crucial role to play in company life. And urbanist Richard Florida from the University of Toronto explains why cities will continue to be vital centres of business and innovation, despite the impact of the virus.(Photo: The skyline of London's financial district, Credit: Getty Images)

Protests over the death of George Floyd have swept across the United States. On Business Weekly we ask what companies should be doing to help in the fight for racial equality. We hear from the National Black Chamber of Commerce and the National Retail federation in the US. Plus we get the point of view of a shop owner in Minneapolis who’s premises was destroyed by in the rioting after George Floyd’s death. This is happening against a backdrop of pandemic - we’ll find out why different US states are taking such radically different steps to defeat the coronavirus. Plus after weeks of lockdown in France bars and cafe’s have re-opened - but it’s not entirely business as usual. Lucy Burton presents.

Sex workers, like so many others, have seen their incomes disappear overnight since the start of the pandemic. While in some cities businesses are slowly reopening, the sex trade carries with it a high risk of transmitting the coronavirus. It’s an industry where regulations vary wildly across the globe, but sex workers everywhere are deeply anxious about their future and safety. Vivienne Nunis hears from the Daulatdia brothel in Bangladesh, where women and children have been trapped for months. She also speaks to an escort in Australia who has been forced to take her business online. Plus, Teela Sanders, criminology professor at the University of Leicester, explains how sex workers are facing added challenges accessing healthcare, leading to an innovative solution in Nairobi.(Image: Escort Estelle Lucas. Credit: Estelle Lucas)

Large corporations around the world are using their social media accounts and PR machines to announce support for those people protesting in the wake of the George Floyd killing. But are corporate expressions of support mere publicity exercises, and do they crowd out the space for more marginalised voices at times of crisis? Manuela Saragosa asks Dometi Pongo, MTV News Host, how he sees the role of corporate media and broadcasting. Also, what proactive steps could the wider business community take to address systemic racism in their society? John Harmon, Board Member of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, explains what can be learnt from the accumulated experience of black business owners. We'll also hear from Matthew Shay, president of the National Retail Federation, and Jim Segal, whose shop in Minneapolis was destroyed in the rioting after George Floyd was killed by police.Producers: Frey Lindsay, Laurence Knight(Picture: Protestors in Manhattan,June 02, 2020. Picture credit: Getty Images)

Economist Nouriel Roubini predicted the 2008 financial crisis. Now he says a new Cold War could be on the way. The BBC's Karishma Vaswani spoke with him in-depth to find out why. Amongst other reasons, Roubini says America's failure in global leadership on coronavirus, trade tensions and the spat over Huawei and 5G could lead China to flex its muscle on the world stage, and he's not sure the US is up to it this time. At the same time, how much should we worry about one economist's predictions? Manuela Saragosa and Karishma discuss.(Picture: Dr. Nouriel Roubini. Picture credit: Getty Images.)

Students due to start university or college this autum are in the dark over what kind of education they can expect under social distancing measures. Many are choosing to defer their studies, and institutions may miss out on billions of dollars in fees. Student Jorge Beltrao tells us why he's planning to take a gap year instead of beginning his degree, and Zamzam Ibrahim, president of the UK's National Union of Students, explains why he's not alone. Kim Weeden, professor of sociology at Cornell University in the US, explains why college campuses are such a worry when it comes to the spread of viruses. Professor Professor Peter Mathieson, principle and vice-chancellor of the University of Edinburgh in the UK, says students can expect a good education regardless of restrictions. Simon Marginson, professor of higher education at Oxford University explains why a shortfall in international students in particular could hit universities in the English speaking world.(Photo: High school students hold their graduation under social distancing measures in the US, Credit: EPA)

Coronavirus outbreaks continue in various patterns around the United States, even as some state governors press ahead with lifting lockdowns. Particularly in rural states, support for getting back to normal has intensified, as some Americans feel their liberties are being trodden on by an overzealous public health regime. For epidemiologists such as Tara Smith, professor at the Emerging Infections Laboratory at Kent State University, this is a worrying trend as many rural areas are yet to fully experience the impact of coronavirus. And the medical and cultural anthropologist Martha Lincoln of San Francisco State University fears coronavirus strategies may have been consigned to the culture wars that have been raging between the left and right in the US for decades. But Florida political consultant and Republican Chris Ingram says there needs to be a balance in the response to COVID-19 and that some parts of the media and public health authorities have lost perspective.Producer: Frey Lindsay.(Picture: A protester holds a placard during an anti-lockdown protest in Michigan April 18th, 2020. Picture credit: Getty Images.)

In this episode of Business Weekly we’ll be looking a the idea of covid-19 immunity passports. Could they be a willy wonka-esque golden ticket that frees the owner from lockdown if they’ve had the disease? Some businesses and governments are certainly hopeful. However, the WHO warns that it doesn’t know how much immunity Covid survivors get. We will debate the pros and cons. With Hollywood halted, what will the future of film be after the pandemic? Will we stay happily streaming from our sofas, leaving cinemas obsolete? We’ll also take a look at some of the dubious cures for the Coronavirus that have been advertised on social media. Clearly none of them work, so why are people taken in? And we look back at the life and times of the King of Gambling, Macau’s Stanley Ho, who died this week. Presented by Lucy Burton.

The coronavirus epidemic has wreaked economic destruction across Europe but now the European Union has unveiled an ambitious recovery plan. It will involve all 27 member states working together as one like never before with a 750 billion euro plan to help the worst hit countries, funded by collective debt. Is this the defining moment for the EU that some are claiming? Former Italian PM Enrico Letta thinks that it's a turning point for the EU, but Northern neighbours in Sweden and the Netherlands urge caution. MEP Derk Jan Eppink calls it a 'coup', whilst Sweden's European Affairs Minister, Hans Dahlgren insists that money needs to be paid back. Manuela Saragosa presents. (Image: Ursula von der Leyen, Credit: Reuters)

Antibody testing to see if a patient has had coronavirus is becoming more frequent. Many are putting their hopes into using such tests as the basis for immunity ‘passports’ so people can re-emerge back into society without fear of infecting others. Chile and Estonia have begun work on such systems, and we’ll hear from Taavet Hinrikus, the tech entrepreneur who is helping design Estonia’s system. Individual companies are interested in the idea as well, as John Holland-Kaye, the CEO of Heathrow Airport, explains. Meanwhile, companies such as Onfido are racing to design apps to accommodate such a system, while other businesses are wary of whether immunity passports are the right way to get their staff back to work.(Picture: illustration of a SARS-CoV-2 virion. Picture credit: Getty Images.)

Countries around the world are working on ways for people to safely get back to normal, people like Pam in Scotland, who is navigating the world of app dating during coronavirus and wondering when, and if, to meet up. One answer is the idea of an immunity passport or certificate: something that shows you have had coronavirus and are now immune. Franz Walt, chief executive of Swiss firm Quotient, says antibody testing is so accurate it could be the basis for such a system. But Professor Robert West at University College London, says we don’t know enough about the illness to guarantee a passport system would work. And Stanford University historian Kathryn Olivarius explains how a 19th century yellow fever outbreak in New Orleans can help us think about it.(Picture: a testing vial. Picture credit: Getty Images.)

In today’s programme, we’ll be looking at how fake coronavirus cures are marketed and why people are buying them. We’ll also be asking if social media platforms need to do more to stop the flow of disinformation. Claire Wardle who leads strategy at First Draft News tells us why social media is a fertile ground for spreading rumours and disinformation. Stephen Lea, Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Exeter University tells us why are people paying good money for unproven remedies. Plus, the BBC’s Pumza Fihlani tells us about a supposed herbal remedy being touted by the Madagascan government. (Picture: A bottle of pills, credit: Getty Images).

Plans for gigantic government investments to decarbonise the world economy are gaining traction, but they may hinge on the US election results in November.Justin Rowlatt speaks to Spain's deputy prime minister Teresa Ribera about how her government aims to make the country carbon neutral by 2050, as well as a one-trillion-euro EU green recovery plan expected to be unveiled by the European Commission this week.Meanwhile in the US, the signs are that Democrat Joe Biden will adopt a climate change plan similar in scale to the original 1930s New Deal as the central plank of his election campaign, according to Vox journalist David Roberts.But what about the world's biggest carbon emitter, China? Justin asks Li Shuo of Greenpeace East Asia whether President Xi will prioritise green investments as part of his country's coronavirus recovery plan, currently being fleshed out at the National People's Congress. And what difference would the US election outcome make to China's willingness to phase out fossil fuels?Producer: Laurence Knight(Picture: Chinese women hold a hoe and a basket and smile while standing under a solar photovoltaic panel array; Credit: Jenson/Getty Images)

On Business Weekly we be look at how our employers are going to keep us safe as we cautiously head out of lockdown and back into the workplace. But if our temperatures are taken and our movements recorded, how will they address that sensitive balance between safety and privacy? As soon as we’re back at work we might want a holiday - but will anywhere be open for tourists? We get the view from Spain the second most visited country on the planet. Plus, the food supply chain the the US is in crisis as a result of the Corona virus. We hear from farmers and unions who are worried for the future. And we find out why there’s a new boss at TikTok and hear from the managing director of a puzzle makers who tells us just why this old fashioned game is more popular than ever. Presented by Lucy Burton.

With cinemas closed, will our lockdown streaming habits change the film industry for good? Manuela Saragosa speaks to cinema owner Penn Ketchum about the draw of the big screen, and plans to bring audiences back to theatres. Entertainment consultant Gene Del Vecchio explains why we should expect more films to find their way directly to our living rooms after coronavirus, bypassing cinemas all together. And TV and film producer Brian Udovich describes the shutdown in Hollywood, and the challenges of running a film set under social distancing rules.(Photo: Cinema popcorn, Credit: Getty Images)

How much should employers know about their workers as people head back to the office? Companies have a duty of care to make sure their workers are safe, but how much monitoring is reasonable? Is this the end of privacy at work? Manuela Saragosa hears from Dutch privacy and employment lawyer Philip Nabben, as well as Sam Naficy the CEO of Prodoscore which makes software that monitors employee productivity, and Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, professor of business psychology at University College London.(Image: A security guard checks the temperature of an employee inside an office building in Shanghai. Credit: Getty Images).

Governments are spending billions paying wages to workers who are no longer able to work due to the coronavirus pandemic. How long can we keep this up? Are we storing up problems by offering this type of unprecedented state-sponsored handout long-term?We hear from an employee in the tourism industry who has been furloughed, a hotel owner in the North of England who has had to furlough most of his staff, as well as Torsten Bell from the Resolution Foundation think tank who originally proposed the scheme in the UK before it was adopted, and Eamonn Butler from the free-market think tank the Adam Smith Institute who argues that the system is open to abuse.(Image: stock photo of a woman reading in the park. Credit: Getty Images.).

A third of Venezuela's population is at risk of malnutrition, according to the UN and the latest gasoline crisis could weaken the country's economy further. Entire villages are said to have been cut off from food supplies because trucks can't get fuel to deliver to them. That’s the context a crisis which has made Venezuela the world’s weakest emerging economy, according to a recent review by the Economist magazine. Earlier this month the situation became even more volatile when two Americans were caught apparently trying to launch a coup attempt against the government. We hear from Adam Tooze, a professor of history at Columbia University and we get the views of Venezuelan opposition politician Manuela Bolivar. (Picture of a woman wearing a face mask walking next to graffiti reading Don't be a slave of the dollar in Caracas, photo by Federico Parra via Getty Images).

How do you feed a world in lockdown? We’ll be looking at the pressures on the global food supply chain in this episode of Business Weekly. As many choose to buy more locally produced food we’ll ask whether new habits will stick. Two renowned economists tell us that any governments handing out Coronavirus bailouts must learn the lessons from the financial crisis of 2008 and impose tighter conditions. ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus speaks to us about life in Sweden during the pandemic and gives us his thoughts on fellow countrywoman Greta Thunberg. Plus - has the coronavirus forever changed the workplace as we know it? Lucy Burton presents.

Coal has suffered the brunt of the huge slump in electricity demand as the world has gone into lockdown. It has highlighted the fossil fuel's Achilles Heel: When there is too much supply on the grid, it's coal-fired power stations that get switched off, not solar or wind.Justin Rowlatt speaks to the head of the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol, as well as analysts covering the two countries most central to coal's future. Delhi-based Sunil Dahiya says that India is already reckoning with renewable energy that is cheaper 24/7 than the cost of operating its existing coal fleet. Meanwhile Shirley Zhang of energy analysts Wood Mackenzie says that China's plans to build new coal-fired power stations is already baked in.Plus, Business Daily's favourite chemistry professor, Andrea Sella of University College London, explains why coal played such a central role in getting the Industrial Revolution started, with the help of an uncooperative steam engine.Producer: Laurence Knight(Picture: Cooling towers at the decommisioned Willington Power Station in northern England; Credit: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)

Some of the world’s richest people have been digging deep during the pandemic, donating their own money to help fight Covid-19. With some of the wealthiest 1% already funding medical research, we ask how comfortable we should be with billionaires taking on an even bigger role in public health. Vivienne Nunis speaks to David Callahan, editor of the website Inside Philanthropy and Rob Reich, Professor of Political Science and co-director of the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society at Stanford University. Chris Anderson, the head of the ideas-sharing platform, TED, tells us philanthropy needs a shake-up. And, neuroscientist Dr. Christof Koch explains what it’s like to work at a medical research institute funded by private money. (Picture: a charity savings jar. Credit: Getty)

Lockdowns and the coronavirus pandemic have disrupted global food supply chains and limited the range of products on supermarket shelves in the rich world. Could new buying habits stick even after lockdowns end? Will less choice and seasonal produce become the 'new normal'? Manuela Saragosa talks to Guy Singh Watson of Riverford Organic Farmers in the UK, who welcomes the change in what's on offer, and Abdoul Wahab Barry of the International Fund for Agricultural Development in Cote D'Ivoire, who tells us what the disruption means for farmers in West Africa. And Professor Richard Wilding from Cranfield School of Management, a logistics and supply chain expert, gives us his take on what supply chains will look like in the future. (Image: Nearly empty pasta shelves in supermarket; Credit: Press Association)

Coronavirus is prompting the biggest government bailout effort of all time. Billions of dollars are being spent rescuing companies hit by the economic damage caused by the pandemic, but there are already criticisms that money is not going where it is most needed. In the US small and medium sized firms have been refused bailout loans, while larger firms have been borrowing millions; Ed Butler mulls the inequities in the system with Amanda Fischer of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth and Amanda Ballantyne of the Main Street Alliance. Eric de Montgolfier, Chief Executive of Invest Europe, an umbrella body representing private equity firms argues that all companies should be treated the same and Carys Roberts at the UK’s Institute of Public Policy Research suggests that certain criteria should be adopted by governments when they step in and that businesses themselves need to be responsible. (Image: UK Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, Credit: AFP Getty)

On Business Weekly we hear from New York chef Gabrielle Hamilton who’s lost her life's work to the pandemic and is worrying about her future and that of her staff. What help are governments giving to small businesses like hers? As New Zealand announces that it has no new cases of Covid-19 we find out how businesses are adapting to a new way of working as the country begins to lift lockdown restrictions. Advertising mogul Sir Martin Sorrell tells us about the effect the pandemic is having on his industry - and we’ll hear from the editor of a newspaper who tells us how he’s coping with a fall in advertising revenue.Plus, as parents struggle with working from home and looking after children, we find out what life is like for single parents at the moment.Presented by Lucy Burton.

Why are stock markets so buoyant as the global economy slides into a possible coronavirus-induced depression? Some 33 million Americans have lost their jobs in the past two months of the pandemic, yet the Nasdaq market is now higher than it was at the start of the year.The financial markets and the economy have been described as two staggering drunks tied together by a rope. Manuela Saragosa explores this odd analogy and how it applies to the current disconnect between share prices and jobless claims, with the help of Jane Foley, financial strategist at Rabobank.Meanwhile emerging markets are experiencing unprecedented financial outflows that risk undermining their ability to limit the damage Covid-19 does to their economies, according to Martin Castellano of the Institute of International Finance. Yet in the US, the Federal Reserve had no problem staving off financial calamity by promising to do whatever it takes, says Fed economist Julian Kozlowski.Producer: Laurence Knight(Photo: Drunken couple. Credit: Getty Images)

The English Premier League's plans to finish the season after weeks of shutdown. Almost all major European football leagues have been on hold since March due to coronavirus. Ed Butler speaks to BBC Sports journalist Emlyn Begley about missing live football and his new love for the Belarusian league - the only place in Europe still staging matches. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire explains why failing to finish the season could cost the Premier League more than $1bn. And football club chairman Mark Palios says the current plan of playing matches behind closed doors is not an option for less wealthy clubs in lower leagues.(Photo: Anfield Stadium, home of Liverpool FC, after the shutdown of the league in March. Credit: Getty Images)

Could economy minister Paulo Guedes be the next key ally to abandon embattled President Bolsonaro?A corruption scandal has already seen the popular justice minister walk away. Meanwhile Bolsonaro fired his health minister as he seeks to reverse his own government's lockdown on the economy. With the official number of Covid 19 cases in the country surpassing 100,000, we hear the frustration of a doctor on the frontline.As for the economy minister, the BBC's South America business correspondent Daniel Gallas explains how this proponent of spending cuts and privatisation is coming to terms with a hugely expensive income support programme backed by Bolsonaro. Plus economist Monica de Bolle of the Peterson Institute explains why she fears that despite these measures, her country could be on the verge of a depression.Presenter: Manuela Saragosa Producer: Laurence Knight(Photo: People using protective masks wait in line outside a Caixa Economica Federal bank branch in Sao Goncalo, Brazil, to receive urgent government benefit amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Credit: Getty Images)

New Zealand is seen by many as a great example of surviving coronavirus, but with such a tourism-heavy economy there are concerns a further shock is to come. One idea mooted to help alleviate this is the so-called “trans-Tasman bubble” in which travel restrictions between Australia and New Zealand would be reciprocally lifted, before all the world’s borders open up, to stimulate commerce between the two nations. This programme features Colin Peacock in Wellington, Maggie Fea from Gibson Valley Wines in Queenstown, Veteran New Zealand politician Peter Dunne and Pacific health policy expert Dr. Colin Tukuitonga.(Picture: The Australia and New Zealand flags. Picture credit: Getty Images)

Gabrielle Hamilton used to run the celebrated New York restaurant Prune. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit. After being forced to shut the place that was her life's work, she wonders if there will still be a place for it in the New York of the future.(Picture: Gabrielle Hamilton preparing food in the kitchen of her now closed restaurant Prune; Credit: Eric Wolfinger)

The most compelling reports and interviews from the BBC's business programmes over the past week, examining the huge issues facing policymakers and asking what the future holds for our working lives. This week we ask a big moral question - will the deliberate shutting down of economies in an effort to slow Covid-19 kill more than the virus itself? Or as some have predicted will a recession actually save lives? We have a report from Brazil where conflicting messaging has sown confusion and fear. And we'll hear from small business owners, musicians and even horticulturalists. Presented by Lucy Burton.

Living under lockdown is challenging for everyone, but for hundreds of millions of single parents around the world, it can be a terrifying ordeal. It’s not only emotionally draining, but can also be financially crippling, as Tamasin Ford has been finding out. She speaks to Sarah Cawley who delivers lunches to people who can’t leave their homes; she's from One Parent Family Scotland. We also hear from single mums, Fatia Islam in Paris and New Yorker, Thea Jaffe. Victoria Bensen, CEO of Gingerbread, the charity for single parent families in England and Wales talks about the mental and financial strain on single parents and Neferteri Plessy, founder of the charity Single Moms Planet paints a picture of lockdown in Santa Monica, in the US.Picture of Neferteri Plessy and one of her children, cr Neferteri Plessy.

Governments around the world are planning to roll out contact tracing apps to help contain the spread of coronavirus. But will they work? Ed Butler speaks to BBC technology reporter Chris Fox about the technology that underpins them, and to researcher Natalie Pang from the National University of Singapore about the experience of Singapore's TraceTogether app, launched last month. But conventional human contact tracing has been around for decades. UK contact tracer Karen Buckley describes the challenges of the job, and John Welch from the non-profit Partners in Health describes his experience of contact tracing amid the Ebola outbreak in Africa and argues that apps are no substitute for an army of dedicated human contact tracers.(Photo: A man holds a smartphone showing a contact tracing app launched in Norway this month. Credit: Getty Images)

In today's Business Daily we're asking some awkward, often neglected questions - will the economic recession itself prove more fatal than coronavirus? How do and how should governments put a value on human life? To help answer these questions we speak to Bryce Wilkinson, a senior fellow at the New Zealand Initiative; US science journalist and biostatistician, Lynne Peeples and John Broome, a Professor of Moral Philosophy at Oxford University. (Picture of a wallet via Getty Images).

The World Bank has warned global remittances, which is the money migrant workers send home, will fall by around 20% in 2020 because of coronavirus. The bank predicts this will affect the income of at least tens of millions of families. One such family is that of Smitha in Kerala, whose husband is stuck in Dubai unable to work due to lockdown. But it’s not just about subsistence. Michael Clemens at the Centre for Global Development says remittance flows are a crucial resource for helping families and communities pull themselves out of poverty, and the effects of this sharp fall in remittances will be felt for many years to come. Meanwhile, Yvonne Mhango, Sub-Saharan Africa at Renaissance Capital, explains how the impact felt in Africa will differ across regions. And Michael Kent, CEO of digital payments service Azimo, explains how services like his could fill the gap left by the shuttering of brick and mortar transfer shops. Producer: Frey Lindsay. (Picture: Smitha and her family. Picture credit: Smitha Girish.)

Coronavirus has derailed the global economy, closing entire business chains across the world. Big companies may have the collateral to withstand the storm, but what about smaller ones? We speak to three business owners to find out. Ramjit Ray in Calcutta in India, Victoria Brockelsby in High Wycombe in the UK and Mustafa Jaffer in Allentown in the US. (Picture description: Coronavirus calculator via Getty Images).

Countries in Europe are planning to scale back lockdown measures and reopen their economies. But what will the new normal look like? Ed Butler speaks to the BBC's China media analyst Kerry Allen about the experience of Hubei province in China, which ended its lockdown earlier this month, and to Markus Dulle, owner of several DIY stores in Austria, where some shops have begun trading again after a month of shutdown. Experts agree that a programme of testing for the coronavirus is needed before lockdown measures are scaled back - Oxford University economist Daniel Susskind explains why selecting specific groups of people would be more effective than testing everybody at random. And Michel Goldman, professor of immunology at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, explains why a return to 'normal' could take generations.(Photo: A staff member hands out masks at a reopened DIY store in Austria, Credit: Getty Images)

A crunch meeting of EU leaders today aims to finally show Italy and others solidarity in the struggle against coronavirus.A plan is gaining momentum for the European Commission to raise a trillion-plus-euro fund to invest in the recovery of the European economy, something that could mark a major step towards federalism if it succeeds, but many fear could trigger the unravelling of the European project if it fails to win approval.Manuela Saragosa, herself half-Dutch and half-Italian, asks whether the plan can bridge the bitter divide between her two parent nations over how to handle the crisis. Dutch economist Esther Rijswijk says the Netherlands won't want to hand over money without conditions attached, but Italian MP Lorenzo Fioramonti says the very word "conditions" has become a taboo in an increasingly angry and euro-sceptical Italy.Meanwhile, one of the plan's co-authors, former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, explains why he thinks he's come up with a solution that avoids the usual messy EU fudge.Producer: Laurence Knight(Picture: EU flag containing viruses instead of stars; Credit: muchomor/Getty Images)

With factories around the world shuttered during the coronavirus outbreak, we’re asking whether the world’s intricate global supply chains will come out of the pandemic intact. We’ll hear from garment factory workers in Bangladesh who are finding themselves out of work, and from David Hasanat, CEO of the Viyellatex group, which has seen its orders drying up. And David Simchi-Levi, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT, thinks the pandemic will lead to global supply chain restructuring, potentially meaning higher prices for consumer goods.(Picture: A garment worker in Dhaka, Bangladesh who has been laid off following cancelled orders at her factory. Picture Credit: Salman Saeed/BBC)

In many cities, pollution has reduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, but what will happen to the environment when economies get going again? The year after the financial crisis, global carbon dioxide emissions jumped by nearly 6% as nations put in place stimulus packages driven by cheap fuel and energy-intensive sectors like construction. There are also fears companies which had planned to invest in clean energy could put those plans on hold as market conditions change. Vera Mantengoli of the newspaper La Nuova Venezia tells us how nature has begun to reclaim its place along Venice's famous canals. We also hear from Lauri Myllyvirta, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Lucy Siegle, an environmental writer and journalist says that although the UN's climate change conference has been postponed to 2021, we can't lose sight of the urgency for action on climate. And we hear from the International Energy Agency's group executive director, Dr Fatih Birol. Picture: Clear waters in Venice's Grand Canal, where boat traffic has stopped during the city's lockdown to stop the spread of Covid19. Credit Getty Images

The daily drama of money and work from the BBC.

Amazon sees itself as providing an essential service during the coronavirus pandemic, but staff at its huge network of warehouses are worried they’re being put at risk. Ed Butler speaks to William Stolz, a picker at an Amazon fulfilment centre in Minnesota in the US, and to Christy Hoffman, general secretary of the UNI Global Union, about why some workers feel unsafe. Logistics analyst Marc Wulfraat discusses Amazon’s response and what it means for their reputation. And Frank Foer, author of World Without Mind: The Existential Threat of Big Tech, explains why Amazon’s future beyond the pandemic remains uncertain. (Photo: A package is processed at an Amazon fulfilment centre in Sosnowiec, Poland. Credit: Getty Images)

Coronavirus has been slow to arrive in Africa but the continent has been warned the wave is coming. South Africa has so far been the hardest hit and it’s responded with some of the harshest lockdown restrictions in the world. Faeza Meyer lives in a township in the Cape Flats on the outskirts of Cape Town and is finding social distancing and getting enough food difficult in cramped conditions. Businesses have also been hit hard as we hear from Thato Rangaka-Maroga in Johannesburg who runs five family businesses - all but one of which are now closed. We also talk to Dr Mary Stephen, from the World Health Organisation’s Africa office in Brazzaville, Congo and Isaac Matshego, an economist at Nedbank in Johannesburg. (Picture: The South African National Defence Force patrols the streets of Cape Town during the national lockdown by Brenton Geach for Getty Images).

Demand for fuel has collapsed amid the coronavirus lockdowns, but the world keeps on pumping more crude and is fast running out of space to store it all.Justin Rowlatt finds that even his local petrol station is struggling, with streets of London - like every other city in the world - largely empty of cars. Alan Gelder of energy consultants Wood Mackenzie describes the lengths to which oil producers are going to stockpile all the unwanted fuel products.Meanwhile Opec and Russia agreed a major cut in production in recent days, but will it be enough to stabilise the market? Or will the Covid-19 pandemic prove the watershed moment in the history of mankind's consumption of oil? Justin speaks to Harvard professor and former US national security advisor Meghan O'Sullivan, and to clean energy consultant Michael Liebreich.Producer: Laurence Knight(Picture: Crude oil spilling out of a drum; Credit: Moussa81/Getty Images)

From marauding goats to comedy dance routines in gardens, Business Daily’s Vivienne Nunis takes a look at the memes and videos helping many of us get through uncertain times. Why does seeing the lighter side of life matter? We hear from some of the content creators, such as Joe Tracini, whose dances – including the now infamous “sexy kitten” move - have been shared tens of millions of times, to stress management coach and advocate of laughter Loretta LaRoche, business expert and entrepreneur Margaret Heffernan, and Business Daily’s old friend, comedian Colm O’Regan.(Picture: A man laughing at his smartphone. Picture credit: Getty.)

In the continued struggle to keep people clear of others infected with coronavirus, one tech company, ClearView, says its controversial facial recognition technology could help medical professionals clamp down on the virus’ spread. Indeed, technology has already been deployed in countries around the world to monitor the contact between its citizens. But researcher Stephanie Hare says this technology would be almost useless without increasing testing for the virus. And some, such as Gil Gan-Mor at Association for Civil Rights in Israel, are concerned the coronavirus emergency might be used as an excuse to increase the surveillance state. Though the BBC’s Rory Cellan-Jones thinks a lot of people would trade some of their civil liberties in exchange for going outside again.

In one of the most densely populated areas in the world, the residents of Mumbai’s Dharavi slums have little recourse to practice the social distancing required to avoid coronavirus, as we hear from many residents of Dharavi in their own words, and from Vinod Shetty who runs Acord, a local aid agency. Meanwhile, many people around India are falling through the cracks in the government’s promised food scheme, as Radhika Kapoor from the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations explains. And India’s problems might be yours too. Stefan Vogel, international food strategist at Rabobank, describes how the coronavirus hit to India affects global agricultural supply chains. Producer: Frey Lindsay. (Picture: People carrying out food items in Dharavi slum in Mumbai, India. Photo credit: Getty Images)

Katie Prescott reports from Rwanda, where technology is central to the government’s economic plans. Katie sees the challenge of a sparse road network, and at the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo hears how technology might be able to cut waiting times for vital medicines and medical tests, at the first ever Lake Kivu Challenge. Katie hears from Temie Giwa-Tubosun, CEO of Nigerian company Lifebank, which delivers critical medical supplies such as blood across Africa, by road, boat and now air. Temie explains why the challenge of infrastructure costs lives, and how technology could help. At the inaugural African Drone Forum in Rwanda’s capital Kigali, Katie speaks to technology enthusiasts and those who caution whether Africa is ready. Katie hears from the World Bank’s Edward Anderson, from Wingcopter’s Selina Herzog, and from Uhurulabs’ Freddie Umbuya.Producer: Sarah Treanor(Picture: Temie Giwa Tubason. Picture credit: Lifebank.)