The Inside Story Podcast

It's been described as the 'great lockdown' by the International Monetary Fund. And it could create the worst recession in nearly a century.

Both rich and poor countries are affected by measures taken to control the coronavirus pandemic.

And governments are under pressure to stabilise markets and prevent job losses. They are now weighing lives against restarting their economies.

Although many countries are reopening stores and schools, there are differences over where and when businesses can resume.

For many, the prospect the world may be returning to normal is a relief.

But health experts say relaxing too much, too soon could trigger a second wave of infections.

So what are the risks?

And can such a move soften the financial impact of the pandemic?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests

Jeremy Konyndyk, senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Developments.

Hubertus Bardt, Managing Director and Head of Research at the German Economic Institute.

Dan Ciuriak, economist and senior fellow in the Global Economy Program at the Centre for International Governance Innovation.

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#AlJazeeraEnglish #InsideStory #PandemicEconomy

The coronavirus pandemic has interrupted the anti-government protests that gripped Hong Kong for much of last year.

However, the tension that triggered the unrest hasn't gone away.

Police arrested 15 leading activists and accused them of organising and taking part in unlawful protests last year.

They include Martin Lee, known as Hong Kong's 'Father of Democracy'.

The arrests follow comments by mainland China's liason office in Hong Kong that it has the right to supervise the city's affairs.

Could the developments trigger more turmoil?

Presenter: Bernard Smith

Guests: Martin Lee - Founding Chairman of the Democratic Party of Hong Kong and former legislative councillor

Andy Mok - Senior Research Fellow, Center for China and Globalisation

Victor Teo - Assistant Professor, affiliated faculty with the China Studies Programme, University of Hong Kong

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#AlJazeeraEnglish #China #HongKong

There has been much attention on the Myanmar military's campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

But over the past few weeks, the Myanmar army hass stepped up attacks on ethnic armed groups such as the Arakan Army, who are mainly Buddhist fighters fighting for greater autonomy.

The UN says air strikes and shelling have killed at least 32 people in two states over the past three weeks.

What's behind the uptick in violence?

And why has Myanmar's military rejected offers of a ceasefire?

Presenter: Bernard Smith

Guests:

Phil Robertson - Deputy Director of the Asia Division at Human Rights Watch

Azeem Ibrahim - Director at the Center for Global Policy and author of 'The Rohingyas: Inside Myanmar's Genocide'

Laetitia van den Assum - Member of the Rakhine Advisory Commission and a former Ambassador for the Netherlands to the UK

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#AlJazeeraEnglish #InsideStory #MyanmarAttacks

The coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we live in just the last few months.

Governments trying to halt the spread of the virus, have imposed strict lockdowns.

That means, hundreds of millions of people are now working from home, away from the office.

Videoconferencing services, for example, have experienced a huge boom.

But working remotely has created immense challenges for businesses and employees alike.

What are the benefits and challenges?

And will this permanently change the way we work?

Presenter: Bernard Smith

Guests:

Mabel Cheng - Counsellor and Research Officer at the University of Hong Kong.

Ali Fenwick - Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Hult International Business School.

Avis Jones-Deweever - A Career Re-Invention Strategist.

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#AlJazeeraEnglish #InsideStory #Coronavirus

Measures to stop the spread of coronavirus are affecting the lives of billions around the world.

Europe accounts for half of the two million cases recorded worldwide.

But some countries are easing their lockdowns, saying the rate of new infections appears to be stabilising.

Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Germany have allowed some shops and schools to reopen.

Even the two hardest-hit nations Italy and Spain are easing restrictions.

The EU is urging member states to carefully coordinate their plans.

So is it too soon to lift the measures?

And how can we deal with the risk of a second wave of infections?

Presenter: Bernard Smith

Guests:

Annelies Wilder-Smith - Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Drew Thompson - Research Fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.

Wafaa El-Sadr - Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine at Columbia University.

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#AlJazeeraEnglsh #Coronavirus #InsideStory

It will disappear one day like a miracle. That's how U.S. President Donald Trump described the coronavirus crisis in the early days.

And he went on for weeks assuring Americans: 'We have it totally under control'.

But now the U.S. is the worst-affected country with more than 609,000 covid-19 cases and deaths topping 25,000.

Health workers are struggling with medical shortages, hospitals are overwhelmed - and the president is under pressure.

He's accused of ignoring warnings of a full-blown crisis and of misleading Americans.

But Donald Trump insists he's doing the job right and is using his daily briefings to promote his achievements.

He’s just made another controversial decision by halting funds to the World Health Organization.

He accused the UN agency of mismanaging the spread of the virus.

But what about Trump himself?

And what kind of leadership has he shown in dealing with the pandemic?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests

Douglass Sloan, democratic strategist and political consultant.

Sarah Eltantawi, a political analyst and Professor of Modern Islam at Fordham University.

Steven Rogers, adviser to President Donald J Trump 2020 Campaign.

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#AlJazeeraEnglish #InsideStory #Trump #Coronavirus

India's capital is one of the world's most polluted cities, but its skies have turned blue, and many people can see the Himalayan mountains for the first time.

In Italy's Venice, canal water is so clear fish can be easily seen.

All this is an unexpected upside of the coronavirus crisis.

And it's proved global air quality can be dramatically improved - and fast.

The change has been created by lockdowns that have gounded flights and shut factories.

But environmentalists warn it could be temporary.

Climate talks have been delayed to next year because of the outbreak.

And it's feared countries could prioritise human and economic welfare before that of the environment.

Many are questioning whether the world will just go back to business as usual when it recovers from the pandemic.

So, are there lessons the pandemic can teach us about living with nature, moving forward?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests

Francois Gemenne, Professor of environmental geopolitics and migration dynamics at The Paris Institute of Political Studies.

Meena Raman, Environmental Lawyer and Coordinator of Climate Change Program at the Third World Network.

Arunabha Ghosh, CEO of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#AlJazeeraEnglish #InsideStory #Coronavirus

They are China's key trading partners, but some African leaders have been angered over Beijing's reported discrimination against their citizens.

They want answers from the Chinese government over reports Africans are being targetted because of fears they could spread coronavirus.

A recent rise in covid-19 infections in China has been linked to people from abroad.

The Chinese government is worried there could be a second wave and has stepped up its scrutiny of foreigners.

African students and expatriates have reportedly been evicted from their homes, tested for coronavirus several times and are being shunned in public.

The incidents have sparked a diplomatic row with the African Union, African governments and the United States.

So is this a new form of racism?

Or is it just Beijing trying to curb the pandemic?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests

Victor Gao, Vice President of the Center for China and Globalization

Gabriella Dilan, medical student from Uganda

Keith Richburg , Director of the University of Hong Kong's Journalism and Media Studies Centre.

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#AlJazeeraEnglish #China #Coronavirus #InsideStory

They cost less than a dollar, yet masks are so scarce they're being snatched up during the covid-19 pandemic.

But that's not in the developing world, as you might expect.

It's in some of the richest countries, that are being challenged by a shortage of medical equipment.

World powers that are armed for the globe's biggest wars are now fighting for basic protective gear.

France is reported to have seized masks meant to be shipped to Spain and Italy.

And the U.S. is accused of diverting gear intended for the German police.

An estimated 3.5 billion masks are needed by the American healthcare system to fight this outbreak.

But there aren't enough.

So, how's that hampering the fight against the pandemic?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests

Jehan El-Bayoumi, professor of medicine at the George Washington University school of medicine

Francis Faduyile, president of the Nigerian Medical Association

Amir Khan, doctor in the National Health Service in the UK.

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#AlJazeeraEnglish #InsideStory ##MedicalEquipment

Most economists agree the coronavirus pandemic has pushed the world into recession.

Trade and business abruptly stopped when billions of people were told to stay at home.

Governments are pledging huge stimulus packages to try and reduce the damage.

The International Monetary Fund warns the world is facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression in the 1930's.

The IMF's Managing Director says governments have already committed around eight trillion dollars worldwide.

But how will we repay these massive bailouts?

Presenter: Bernard Smith

Guests:

Vicky Pryce - Chief Economic Adviser, Centre for Economic Business and Research in the UK.

Hosuk Lee-Makiyama - Director, European Centre for International Political Economy

Greg Swenson - Founding Partner, Brigg Macadam investment bankers

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#AlJazeeraEnglish #InsideStory #FinancialFallout