Al Jazeera World

The coronavirus is changing the world as we know it.

When infections soared earlier this year, governments worldwide implemented strict social distancing measures that slowed the global economy dramatically.

So far, more than half-a-million people have died, with 10 million infected worldwide.

But the pandemic's huge cost has forced many countries to lift restrictions and reopen their economies.

The United Kingdom, one of the world's largest economies, has one of the highest COVID-19 infection and death rates globally.

British scientists, like many others, are working around the clock to find a vaccine, and one of the country's most renowned institutions, Oxford University, is fighting the pandemic on multiple fronts.

Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology Martin Landray is one of the scientists leading The Recovery Trial, the world's largest randomised clinical trial of potential COVID-19 treatments. He is not looking for a cure on its own. He is more focused on finding treatments with drugs used for other viruses such as HIV and SARS.

But will there ever be a cure for COVID-19? Or will we all just have to learn to live with it? And how?

Find out more as Professor Martin Landray talks to Al Jazeera.

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After Yugoslavia fell apart in the early 1990s and descended into a bitter regional conflict, Alija Izetbegovic fought for the survival of his country and people.

The first president of the independent Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Izetbegovic was no stranger to controversy and had served five years of a 14-year prison sentence in the 1980s.

This two-part documentary series uses interviews with members of his family and major regional figures as well as archive footage and reconstruction to tell the chequered history of this part of the Balkans through Izetbegovic's eyes.

On February 26, Brazil became the first country in South America to confirm a COVID-19 infection.

And as the number of cases increased over the subsequent weeks and months, its president, Jair Bolsonaro, refused to take any drastic measures. He fought with state leaders who imposed lockdowns and mandated social distancing rules - calling their actions "economically ruinous".

Bolsonaro still refuses to acknowledge the seriousness of the global pandemic. He has called the virus nothing more than a "little flu". His priority has been to keep the economy going at any cost.

But now, Brazil has recorded more than 1.2 million infections - and has the world's second-highest death toll. And as Bolsonaro pushes for people to go back to work, two of his health ministers have walked away.

Nelson Teich had taken office on April 17, but left the job just four weeks later. Teich had replaced Luiz Henrique Mandetta, whom Bolsanaro had dismissed.

The president called it "a consensual divorce", but Mandetta's sacking caused anger across Brazil - with many banging pots and pans from their windows.

So, how will President Bolsanaro's handling of this pandemic affect the more than 200 million Brazilians? And are his decisions influenced by his friendship with US President Donald Trump?

We put those questions to one of the men who played a central role during this crisis - Brazil's former health minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta.

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After Yugoslavia fell apart in the early 1990s and descended into a bitter regional conflict, Alija Izetbegovic fought for the survival of his country and people.

The first president of the independent Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Izetbegovic was no stranger to controversy and had served five years of a 14-year prison sentence in the 1980s.

This two-part documentary series uses interviews with members of his family and major regional figures as well as archive footage and reconstruction to tell the chequered history of this part of the Balkans through Izetbegovic's eyes.

One of the world’s most fertile fishing grounds is beset by scandal. Al Jazeera goes undercover to expose how foreign companies get a corrupt cut of a priceless natural resource in Namibia. Host Kevin Hirten sits down with producer James Kleinfeld to break down the “Anatomy of a Bribe” that engulfed a nation.

How much would you pay for diplomatic immunity? The trade-in Caribbean diplomatic passports has become a magnet for wealthy foreigners, corrupt businessmen, and criminals from around the world.

Al Jazeera exposes two prime ministers who are complicit in the deals.

The investigation reveals details of how an oil smuggler, turned ambassador, turned international fugitive bought his way into the diplomatic class.

Investigators go undercover to reveal the inner-workings of a secret system: to find out how much it costs and what it takes to purchase what’s become the ultimate luxury item a diplomatic passport.

Maestro Daniel Barenboim is one of the leading figures in the world of classical music.

He has conducted all the major orchestras and performed at some of the world's most prestigious concert venues.

Born in Argentina, his first performance came at the age of seven back in 1950. Two years later his family moved to Salzburg, Austria, and then to Israel, where he became passionate about politics and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Barenboim has since had an outstanding international career and is also recognised for his humanitarian work. In 1999, he created the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra with young musicians from across the Middle East to promote dialogue and peaceful coexistence.

But Barenboim has also faced controversy and criticism from some of the musicians who have played under his baton.

As Israel's recently elected government plans to annex parts of the illegally occupied West Bank, can peace in the region ever be achieved? And can arts and culture play a new role in our lives after the global coronavirus pandemic?

To discuss this and more, the general music director of the Berlin State Opera and the Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim, talks to Al Jazeera.

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Just how free are women in Saudi Arabia today? The Saudi government has said it supports the empowerment of women and young people. While there have been reforms, including lifting the ban on women driving in June 2018, the arrest and detention of women speaking out against the government appear to have continued.

Al Jazeera World looks at the individual cases of five Saudi women currently in detention, or who have fled the country following apparent harassment for their political views. It asks whether Saudi Arabia is publicly championing the rights of women while privately punishing those who challenge the status quo.

In this film, the family of one detainee makes serious allegations of torture during her imprisonment, while others give testimonies about random arrests and arbitrary detention at Dhahban prison near Jeddah. According to Human Rights Watch, and following international pressure, the Saudi Human Rights Commission carried out an investigation into conditions at Dhahban and found no evidence of torture.

This film examines the consequences of activism in Saudi Arabia, hearing from women detainees and international human rights organisations, as well as seeking responses from those at the heart of decision-making within the country.

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Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit secretly films officials in Namibia demanding cash in exchange for political favours.

It’s a story of how foreign companies plunder Africa’s natural resources.

Using confidential documents provided to Al Jazeera by Wikileaks. “Anatomy of a Bribe” exposes the government ministers and public officials willing to sell off Namibia’s assets in return for millions of dollars in bribes.

Al Jazeera journalists spent three months undercover posing as foreign investors looking to exploit the lucrative Namibian fishing Industry. The country’s Minister of Fisheries is shown willing to use a front company to accept a $200,000 ‘donation’.

Exclusive testimony from a whistleblower who worked for Iceland’s largest fishing company reveals that his employers instructed him to bribe ministers and even the president in return for fishing rights worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

After months of anti-government protests and political uncertainty, Iraq is now grappling with its worst fiscal crisis in decades.

The country's economy and state budget are heavily reliant on oil income, and have been hit hard by the sharp decline in global oil prices.

The World Bank has projected Iraq's GDP to contract by 9.7 percent, with the fiscal deficit expected to reach almost 30 percent of GDP.

Iraq's newly appointed government, led by Mustafa al-Kadhimi, is now faced with a challenging task of implementing long-overdue structural reforms, such as reducing public sector employment while also keeping popular unrest at bay.

But what are the root causes of the current economic crisis and what needs to be done to tackle it?

And how can the new government overcome entrenched political interests that oppose reform while also winning over a public that has lost all trust in the political establishment?

Ramzi Neman, the World Bank's special representative to Iraq, talks to Al Jazeera.

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