UN official warns that war-ravaged country cannot deal with an outbreak of the disease

Community is politically marginalised but makes up one-fifth of doctors and a quarter of nurses

Most mosques shuttered and gatherings banned as Islamic world prepares for holy month

Pandemic stopped protests in Iraq, Algeria and Lebanon, but crisis likely to fuel fresh wave of unrest

Islamic republic eases coronavirus restrictions in effort to boost struggling economy

Nightlife, resilient to war and terrorism, has been paralysed by coronavirus

Rami Makhlouf’s complaints against his cousin show strains in power structure

Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s appointment gives country its first functioning government in 6 months

Parka brand has no plans to change policy on down and says it is not bowing to pressure

The suits, the soft furnishings: a revealing glimpse of our MPs’ style choices

A colourful pair can elevate an outfit out of the style doldrums

Formation of regional coalitions offers a path to a staggered exit

Soaring fees, worthless degrees and dicey investments have hurt the economy

The US spends $3.6tn a year on health. Why does the pandemic threaten so many of its hospitals?

In America, lawsuits are the way we make up new rules in a crisis

Rising number of low-paid staff are contracting Covid-19 or leaving posts as death toll mounts

Mortality statistics show 122,000 deaths in excess of normal levels across 14 countries analysed by the FT

From business closures to movement restrictions, some countries’ policies show first signs of easing

Find any country in the customisable version of the Covid-19 trajectory charts

Donald Trump’s claims that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was source of outbreak belie scientific evidence

Pandemic is causing the biggest disruption in decades to economies across the world

Beijing edits European opinion piece published in Chinese state-controlled media

Arbus in Aberdeen, Long in Lakeland - Tate director Sir Nicholas Serota talks to FT arts editor Jan Dalley about next year’s Artist Rooms programme of touring exhibitions. In its past two years, the scheme has drawn tens of thousands of visitors in towns throughout the UK to shows by Beuys, Ruscha, Woodman, Hirst and others – but how easily can the model be replicated elsewhere? Jan Dalley interviews Sir Nicholas Serota in his office at Tate.  

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The launch of Sky Atlantic on February 1 – the result of Sky's exclusive five-year deal with HBO - raises questions about British and American television drama. Is the US - with cult series like The Sopranos, Mad Men and now Boardwalk Empire - enjoying a Golden Age of TV drama? What about Britain? Has its Golden Age been and gone? Jan Dalley, FT arts editor, is joined by Mark Duguid, senior curator of the British Film Institute National Archive, Huw Kennair-Jones, Sky1’s commissioning editor for drama, and John Lloyd, the FT’s television columnist. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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London will host seven international art fairs during October, including Frieze London and Frieze Masters, and there will be three more in European cities. FT Arts editor Jan Dalley, dealer and gallerist Thomas Dane, FT Collecting columnist Georgina Adam and Stephanie Dieckvoss, director of Art 13, a new event launching in March 2013, discuss the global appetite for this kind of showcase and the dangers of “fairtigue”  

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With his brother Jake, the British artist has tackled some of modernity’s grisliest themes. The FT’s arts writer finds out why he’s now trying his hand at music  

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As a stage version of the classic BBC sitcom comes to London, the FT’s arts writer reflects on the series’ pioneering mix of comedy and drama  

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The emirate’s contemporary arts event considers some thorny regional issues in a deceptively laid-back way, says the FT’s arts writer  

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Artists responded vigorously to the confrontational politics of Margaret Thatcher’s premiership – but the vivid creativity of the time had its roots in an earlier era, argues the FT’s arts editor  

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The sheer scale of suffering in the 1914-18 conflict is hard to grasp. As preparations begin for the centenary commemoration, the FT’s arts editor argues that culture has a vital role to play  

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A concert sponsored by insurance company Direct Line aims to help time-challenged audiences snatch some shut-eye – but a wakeful FT arts writer finds that the relationship between art and sleep is not a straightforward one  

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The BBC’s self-parodying show goes too far – in the direction of complacency, complicity and all-round smugness. But comedy can be a remarkable force for exposing the flaws of the society from which it springs  

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The singer-songwriter is about to turn 80 – a rite of passage not only for him but also for rock music. Peter Aspden celebrates a musician with a rare talent for staying ahead of the times  

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Between 1962 and 1972, the magazine set new standards for its industry – and in doing so created the perfect collectible, says Peter Aspden  

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Peter Aspden tells the story of 'Misirlou', the swaying Anatolian love song that was reinvented as a 1960s surfers' anthem before gaining a massive audience with Pulp Fiction and sampling by The Black Eyed Peas. Credits: Parker Street Records, JB Production, Universal Music Group  

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David Honigmann on the Louis Armstrong blues song that inspired a poem by WH Auden and recordings by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and others.  

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First recorded in 1934 by Lead Belly the 'Homicidal Harmoniser', David Cheal follows the waltzing lament of 'Goodnight, Irene' through interpretations by the Weavers, Ry Cooder and Bryan Ferry. Credits: Hallmark, H&H Music, Rhino/Warner Bros, Virgin Germany.  

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The quintessential grunge anthem, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ hinted at the racial politics, school shootings and ennui which entangled America’s Generation X. David Honigmann traces the song’s evolution. Credit: Universal Music TV Campaign Division, Columbia, UMC (Universal Music Catalogue), Rhino Atlantic  

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Tim Buckley's ode to doomed love has exerted a siren-like attraction for artists including This Mortal Coil, Robert Plant and John Frusciante. David Cheal examines its enduring power. Credit: Rhino, Warner Brothers, Chrome Dreams, 4AD, Virgin EMI, Parlaphone UK, Virgin UK  

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The coolification of Phil Collins is among pop's most curious turnarounds. Richard Clayton explains what the song owes to gangsta rap, "gated reverb" - and a drumming gorilla. Credit: Rhino, Atlantic, Def Jam  

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David Honigmann follows Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway' from its origins in a Welsh cottage to 'Wayne's World', the White House and bedrooms everywhere  

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Fears over health systems prompt states to take early preventive measures

The continent is facing an humanitarian and economic catastrophe, reports David Pilling

Social distancing curbs mean August vote cannot be held, says electoral commission

Macron also backs calls for debt relief as he seeks to be seen as champion of continent’s interests

Retirement property has a reputation for being a rip off, but several large operators claim to have reinvented the model. The FT's Money Mentor columnist Lindsay Cook joins Claer Barrett to discuss the issues. Next up, is your mobile phone a drain on your finances? Guy Anker from MoneySavingExpert tells us how. And finally, listeners hear from the FT's Rich People's Problems experts about the controversy surrounding his local tennis club.

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If ever there was a word that needed to be retired it's 'retirement'. The kind of images this word conjures up is sunny beaches and no longer having to set an alarm clock, or a stressful feeling about how much longer you will need to work to afford such a lifestyle. This week author Don Ezra talks to FT Money editor Claer Barrett about how best to get to and enjoy what used to be called retirement. Next up, if you're heading off on holiday soon then listen to our top tips on how to get the best deal on your holiday money. 

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It's financial planning week and this year's theme is retirement planning. As part of the initiative, thousands of certified planners are offering a free hour-long session to people wanting help with setting their financial goals. FT Money deputy editor James Pickford talks to the FT's pensions correspondent about retirement planning. Plus we hear from Jackie Lockie, head of financial planning with the CISI, and Patrick Connolly of Chase de Vere, about how best to plan for retirement.

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There's been a series of scary surveys this week about how much we need to save to fund our retirement so Claer Barrett, FT Money editor, has invited Moira O'Neill from Interactive Investor joins onto the podcast to talk us through the numbers. Next up, have you heard of a Susu? Emma Agyemang reveals details about the revival in this decades-old method of saving. And finally, the FT's Rich People's Problems columnist James Max joins us in the studio to discuss the cost of getting a new puppy.

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