In the USA, the price of oil has collapsed to a record low as demand dries up and storage runs out.

The price of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate, which is the benchmark for US oil, today traded as low as minus $40 a barrel.

It's the first time the price has turned negative in history.

It led to a day of chaos in the oil markets.

Let's talk to our business correspondent in New York, Michelle Fleury Essentially produces are paying to offload the oil.

Michelle.

Yeah, I mean, this is unprecedented.

What you're seeing in the oil industry chaos that hasn't existed a cz far.

Backers people have bean recording the price of oil, that what has happened is that with all of us staying home, not driving around, not getting on planes, demand has essentially vanished.

The results around the world there is too much crude oil.

And so today, what we saw is a drop in the price off a key U.

S benchmark West Texas intermediate to below zero again.

This has never been seen before, on what it means is that traders are essentially paying to get rid of the soil that there was so much that is being stored because people just aren't buying the oil that refineries aren't taking this oil, that they're saying Well, we don't want any new deliveries in the month off May.

Now we not expecting to see any recovery until there is a pickup in demand.

And, of course, that will depend on how this health crisis unfolds.

Michelle once again, thanks very much Michelle Fleury, for us there in New York.

Around the world, some countries are confident that they have reached their highest number of infections and passed the peak, so they're starting to ease restrictions on move towards ending their lockdowns.

New Zealand today announced that rules on local travel will be relaxed on this.

Follow some easing in Germany and in Denmark, too.

What happens next is likely to be keenly watched by governments around the world.

Is our science editor David Shipman tells us.

Even when the worst seems to be over, the virus remains a threat in China.

The authorities are still on their guns, checking for fever, a common symptom of covert 19.

Every government is now trying to work out what to do next.

New Zealand is held up as an example of a country that's got it right.

So far, it cut itself off from the rest of the world on extreme lock Down was introduced rapidly on cases, and deaths have been kept unusually low.

So the prime minister has announced the first cautious moves to open up.

We believe that decisive action going hot and going really gave us a very beast chance off stamping out the virus and that his we have done what very few countries have been able to do.

We have stopped a wave of devastation in Europe.

Germany is seen as a model for how to handle the virus.

It's leading the way in testing in Munich, this team is checking 1000 people for antibodies to discover who's been infected right from the start mass test was seen as vital and now, like in New Zealand, is a first step to reopening.

Julia Gless runs a shop in Heidelberg, closed for weeks.

She's now got permission to start again, this time from behind a protective screen and with only one customer allowed in at a time, do you think it's the right time in Germany for shops like yours to reopen.

Yes, I think so, because, um, if we couldn't do that, it would be very, very difficult to exist.

It's maybe more important for the small businesses.

But what's happening in Japan shows the risk of easing measures too soon.

Controls were introduced but then relaxed only for cases to rise sharply again.

And the World Health Organization is warning countries against moving before they're fully prepared.

Please make sure you've got the defenses in place at the community level.

Please make sure that everybody knows that what irresponsibility is.

Please make sure that older people are given special care and attention.

Please make sure that hospitals have got ready.

Japan's hospitals are now struggling.

They're short of personal protective equipment.

The government there is accused of assuming they got the outbreak under control.

David Trochmann, BBC News, where the prime minister is still at his country residence, Chequers.

Recovering from the effects of Corona virus, he said to be getting daily updates on the government's response.

Downing Street said today the term Mr Johnson flowers he was to prevent a second peak of Corona virus, something he was just talking about, Hey said to be very wary off relaxing the restrictions too early.

Let's go live to Westminster and our political editor, Laura Kuhns.

Bo.

What's your latest reading off the government's response?

Laura.

Well, I think here is, he suggest, is overriding caution across government tonight off starting to tweak or lift any of the restrictions too early.

Because at this stage it just seems that that would be a risk that is not worth taking a risk of a second deadly spike that not just would have a cause of loss of life but also would in time, create more disruption for the economy and, of course, for the country in terms of being able to climb out of this any time soon.

And, of course, the government is at the moment experiencing a lot of pressure, particularly on that issue of protective kit for people in hospitals and in care homes.

Those caring for the sick on insiders do acknowledge well, perhaps they should have grappled and really tried to grip up this particular issue earlier on.

But what people in government absolutely are adamant about is any suggestion that they weren't taking this seriously until recently.

They say they're now working absolutely flat out to try to make sure that everything is in its place and beyond.

Concerns about protective equipment or about the speed of testing not being ramped up has ramped up quickly.

And as many people would desire are on the two big Ames that the government set out that beginning all of this slowing the spread of the disease.

Will we know from the recent flattening of the numbers that seems to be happening on stopping the N Hs from being completely overwhelmed.

That, too, seems like it has been avoided.

On a few short weeks ago, it wasn't inevitable that either of those things would happen.

Laura once again.

Many thanks Larkin's book that Westminster.

Now, as we've heard, the price of US oil has collapsed as demand falls because of the ongoing crisis on unemployment has rocketed.

With more than 22 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits in the past month, protesters have taken to the streets in states across the US demanding an end to the state Oh, measures on the reopening of the economy are North America editor John So Paul has the story like wildfire.

A series of demonstrations erupted across the country to protest at the state home order to protest at the closure of the U.

S.

Economy.

To protest that what these people see as unacceptable government interference in their lives on, they don't see much interested in maintaining social distancing.

This person carries the placard, Give me liberty or give me Cove in 19 he may end up with both.

Now I think it's time for the government to allow US adults to make the decisions of businesses they want to open.

If they want to open, open up, we should open up yesterday.

It never should have closed.

It's a hope.

It's the facts of life.

We live and we die.

So shut down the economy because that is insane.

Fuel for these protests was provided in a series of tweets by the president urging citizens to liberate their states from overzealous governors.

Theo governors are aghast that in the midst of Corona virus, they're now having to deal with protesters.

This'll is not the time for protest.

This is not the time for divisiveness.

This is time for leadership that will stand up and provide empathy that will understand what's going on in this country, of ours, please.

But when I spoke to the president, he was unconcerned.

There were groups of people planning to protest tomorrow against the government.

Shut down!

What would be your advice You're allowed to protest.

I mean, they they feel that way.

Watch the protest.

And they were all six feet apart, But it was a very orderly group of people.

But, you know, some governors have gone too far.

Some of the things that happened or, uh, maybe not so appropriate.

And I think in the end, it's not gonna matter because we're starting to open up our states.

And I think they're gonna open up very well as faras protesters.

You know, I see protesters for all sorts of things, and I'm with everybody.

I'm with everybody.

A twist, though.

In Denver, Colorado, health workers on the front line of the fight against Corona virus try to stop the protesters who see themselves as the vanguard for individual liberty.

Four weeks of locked down and tensions are building John So Opal.