Instructing people to stay at home is to confine millions to cramped housing

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

Ruling sets precedent in continent where poorest fear cure could be worse than the disease

Ramaphosa administration wants phased reopening to limit damage to struggling economy

Second wave of swarms expected just as farmers battle fallout from coronavirus

Since people are no longer paying restaurant margins, some reason they can spend a bit more at home

US cable company enjoys rising demand for high-speed internet but movie business suffers

Litigation battles, fear turns to lawsuits, and a data security flaw

Join a live discussion with our FT Money editor at 12pm and 5pm UK time on Wednesday April 8

Restrictions in nation that processes 90% of world’s stones upend global industry 

Maduro regime rejects latest Washington plan despite fears of humanitarian catastrophe from Covid-19

Flashpoint between Brazil’s populist leader and political establishment over response to virus

Cafés, restaurants and secondary schools to reopen in phased easing of restrictions

Consumers have been looking for something to do as well as something to eat

The disputed Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir is in lockdown after India revoked its special status following a long running insurgency that led to thousands of deaths. Jyotsna Singh discusses what India plans to do next, and how neighbouring Pakistan, which also claims the territory, has reacted, with Amy Kazmin the FT's South Asia bureau chief.

Contributors: Jyotsna Singh, Delhi reporter, and Amy Kazmin, South Asia bureau chief. Producers: Jyotsna Singh and Fiona Symon

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The FT News Briefing is a rundown of the global business stories you need to know for the coming day, from the newsroom of the Financial Times. If you enjoy it, subscribe to the FT News Briefing wherever you get your podcasts, or listen at FT.com/newsbriefing.

Tuesday, March 17

Governments in all large western economies took drastic measures to limit public movement on Monday in an urgent effort to arrest the spreading coronavirus pandemic while US stocks plunged despite a set of emergency measures laid out by the Federal Reserve on Sunday. Plus, an analysis by the Financial Times finds that the UK and the US have key weaknesses in their healthcare systems which could trigger a collapse if put to the test by the outbreak. 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Start every week on the front foot with a preview of what’s on the global agenda

Shares in Peabody Energy and Arch Coal fall sharply after regulatory action

Decline leads to a drop in wholesale prices as businesses close

Join our live discussion with buying agent Henry Pryor on Friday May 8 at 12 and 5pm UK time

Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell says other countries could face big ‘second wave’

Near-unconditional cash transfers are the most efficient form of relief

Oil and gas company in Texas given approval to use unmanned aircraft to inspect vital infrastructure

Pandemic forces rethink of luxury industry after cancellation of fairs

Tim Hayward helps the FT's Daniel Garrahan turn his kitchen into a Parisian bistro

Regulator says US mortgage guarantors have sufficient resources for about 12 weeks

Boris Johnson will set his exit strategy on Sunday, but changes will be limited

Survival of coastal city’s vibrant arts scene will depend on community ‘being on the front foot’

Hilary Mantel’s lessons for a pandemic

We need more and better surveys from across the globe to help us take the right course

What is it that makes an online performance really sing?

Great value can be unearthed in some of the cheapest wines from impeccable producers

Market volatility has temporarily halted the £80bn final salary transfer market, yet there is increased desire to cash in 

Join a live discussion with FT’s pensions correspondent Josephine Cumbo at 12pm and 5pm UK time on Wednesday April 22 

Homeworking prompts decline in demand for consumer group’s skin and haircare products

Sportswear maker warns sales could drop as much as 40% in second quarter

Taylor Wimpey and Barratt halt work in effort to stem spread of coronavirus

Coronavirus damage to economy drives eurozone investor sentiment to a record low

The pro-Beijing venture capitalist on Trump, China’s rise — and Xi Jinping’s ‘little red app’

It is an illusion to see victory for the former US vice-president as a geopolitical calendar reset

Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, Hannah Kuchler and Gideon Rachman assess the next stage of the coronavirus crisis

IEA expects global consumption will decline 8% this year in largest drop since second world war

Pension funds need to spend less time on ESG and get back to basics

A third of self-employed reported working reduced hours during the first two weeks of lockdown

Thousands attend military parade in Belarus even as virus spreads rapidly in neighbouring Russia, UK airline industry warns of huge blow if travel quarantine is launched and Seoul closes down bars and clubs in wake of new cluster

At the start of the year, it looked like Europe would be in for a “Summer E-Scooters / E-Bike War,” as both regional startups and U.S.-backed unicorns vied for the pockets of city commuters. Consolidation came when German startup Circ was taken over by U.S. competitor Bird at the start of the year. Still on […]

No gym? No problem. This series from FT Globetrotter has tips, workout routines and reflections on staying active during the coronavirus crisis, including the best moves for small spaces, to indoor cycling and much more

The quarantine lockdown is driving a record number of users to Facebook’s products. On a conference call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg disclosed a number of new metrics highlighting a significant bump in Facebook usage during the broader quarantine lockdown. In the past month, more than 3 billion internet users logged onto a Facebook service, including its […]

Turning the key on the coronavirus crisis