The details of the corruption scandal engulfing Ukraine’s government sound farcical. Suspects were recorded moaning about back pain from lugging around so much cash; they gave each other schoolboy nicknames such as “Che Guevara” and “Professor”; and one associate of the president even put a gold toilet bowl in his flat. For Volodymyr Zelensky the revelations are very serious. They represent the biggest threat to his presidency since Russia’s invasion.

America’s president may covet that shiny toilet. Gold trinkets are among the gifts American bosses have given Donald Trump in an attempt to stay on his good side. Such grovelling may be cringeworthy, but CEOs are having to suck up or shut up if they are to spare their companies the president’s disfavour.

And tune in to Inside Economics, which begins at 6pm London time (1pm in New York). This week we’re asking, how will the world economy cope with the baby bust?