FirstFT: Today’s Top Stories | Financial times

A bat virus specialist known as China’s “bat woman” and her laboratory in Wuhan have become the center of a furious blame game between the United States and China for the source of the coronavirus outbreak.

United States President Donald Trump insists that he has seen evidence that the coronavirus was leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the city where the outbreak began in January. But his claims clash with the message from his country’s scientific and intelligence communities, as well as some of the health experts leading the fight against coronavirus in the United States.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has not responded to the allegations, but Beijing has sometimes indicated that the source of the virus was a wet animal market in Wuhan. It has also allowed diplomats to support other theories that lack evidence, such as one that claims that the CIA planted the virus in Wuhan last year. Chinese state media has also responded.

Meanwhile, Canberra’s call for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus has prompted threats from Beijing. (FT, CNN)

Coronavirus Digest

• India It will begin repatriating hundreds of thousands of its citizens, nearly seven weeks after it banned incoming passenger flights.

• Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pushing a drug to fight Covid-19 without evidence that it is effective.

• Australian economy it will decrease by 10 percent due to shock caused by blocking the coronavirus.

• The United Kingdom it now has the highest number of coronavirus deaths in Europe.

• The White House Coronavirus Task Force It could be liquidated as soon as the end of May, said Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence. (FT, New York Times)

Hong Kong is reopening to a new kind of normal. But the territory remains cautious about what lies ahead. Do you live in Hong Kong or in another city that is starting to reopen? Share your thoughts, experiences with us at [email protected] and we can present your answer.

In the news

The main Philippine station was ordered to close The telecommunications agency on Tuesday ordered the closure of ABS-CBN, the country’s largest broadcaster, in a move described by activists as an attack on the free press. (FOOT)

UK and USA USA They face obstacles to achieving a “fast paced” trade pact London and Washington pledged Tuesday to work “at a rapid pace” on a comprehensive trade deal, but disagreements over agriculture, stalemate in Britain’s talks with the EU, and the US presidential elections are expected to hamper Progress. (FOOT)

Kingsoft Cloud tests US market with highest initial public offering in months The Xiaomi-backed cloud services company is testing the appetite of American investors for Chinese public offerings following the Luckin Coffee scandal with a list that could raise more than $ 500 million. (FOOT)

German court asks ECB to justify bond purchase A constitutional court has threatened to block further purchases of German bonds through the European Central Bank’s flagship stimulus program, which could weaken the bloc’s monetary policy response to the coronavirus. (FOOT)

Venezuela Says Two US Citizens Arrested in Failed Plot President Nicolás Maduro said two former US soldiers were in custody after trying to land a motor boat in an alleged plot to assassinate him. (FOOT)

Meat shortages in the United States affect restaurants and grocery stores As US meat plants USA On the verge of dealing with coronavirus outbreaks at its facilities, the Wendy’s hamburger chain announced that some of its products would be in short supply, in addition to supermarkets that limit customer purchases. (Reuters)

Airline problems Qantas Airways has halted plans to launch the world’s longest direct flights and will review its fleet due to the collapse of international travel. Virgin Atlantic plans to cut a third of the staff. Meanwhile, some airlines continue to reward passengers for their loyalty. (FOOT)

Exclusive Martin Guzmán, Argentina’s 37-year-old economy minister, told the Financial Times ahead of Friday’s deadline that his country would consider default on a $ 65 billion foreign debt unless investors negotiated to ease the financial burden. . (FOOT)

Malaysia, Singapore and China banned foreign arrivals in late March. Now, putting up barriers to travel it’s getting a lot easier than taking them down, writes Tom Mitchell in our Trade secrets Newsletter. Sign up here.

Next day

Central bank meetings The minutes for the Bank of Japan meeting last week will be released on Wednesday. Brazil is expected to cut rates again on Wednesday, while Chile will remain on hold at its meeting. (FOOT)

German industrial orders Interruptions of the coronavirus are likely to weigh on March’s figures on Wednesday, as travel bans and blockades were imposed in many parts of the world. (FOOT)

When the closed banks in Wuhan, nobody cared, writes Don Weinland, More about the future of banks in this week’s #fintechft Newsletter. Sign up here.

What else are we reading?

How to escape the trap of excessive debt There is a clear link between saving the wealthy and saving the less wealthy, and the accumulation of credit and debt, writes Martin Wolf. Since 1982, the decrease in net indebtedness of the wealthy has been accompanied by an increase in indebtedness of the bottom 90%. (FOOT)

China’s new normal can be a great export As Western governments loosen restrictions that have plunged economies into a deep freeze, companies draw on the experience of their Chinese operations to reassure consumers and employees. Masks, here to stay, are a new form of expression. (FT, Washington Post)

The myth of America’s deep state US agencies don’t plan presidential coups, but few heroes emerge in David Rohde’s study In deep, Peter Spiegel writes. In the end, it seems that there is no system that can verify the failures of the CIA and the FBI. (FOOT)

The next flood of pandemic litigation The coronavirus has caused incalculable damage, both financial and physical. But should someone pay? Lawyers await legal battles over “force majeure” clauses, which allow companies to exit contracts if “act of god” events prevent them from meeting their obligations. (FOOT)

The Met Gala continues: at home With the annual dance canceled, stars like Julia Roberts and Katy Perry gave us a look at the outfits that would have graced the Red Carpet. Before the pandemic, art has never been so accessible. This may have made their sudden devastation even more painful, writes arts editor Jan Dalley. (BBC, FT)

Why are we making noise? Every Thursday night in London, just before 8 p.m., Gary Younge pulls out a saucepan and a wooden spoon and leads them to the front door. Like #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo before, #ClapForCarers is a social movement in search of meaning, he writes. (FOOT)

Divorce under confinement What are the alternatives to court for a divorced couple? asks a reader. FT’s Lucy Warwick-Ching poses the question to two attorneys who chimed in with advice for our reader in the midst of a bitter split. (FOOT)

Michelle Obama’s charm shines on Netflix document The film captures the warmth of the former first lady as she narrates her tour of the stadium-filled book. The average author book tour would not be a very good television. But this is not your everyday author, writes Suzi Feay in her review of Becoming. (FOOT)

Live Q&A: Rich People Problems Under Block. Join James Max at 12 p.m. UK time on Wednesday May 6 to discuss their own experiences and listen to 1 percent horror stories.

Video of the day

China, USA USA, EU and Russia compete for influence from the Balkans The FT correspondent in Southeast Europe, Valerie Hopkins, reports on movements in China, Russia, the EU and the US. USA To take advantage of Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and the Western Balkans.