The US economy has shrunk at its fastest pace since the Great Recession. GDP contracted 4.8 percent in the first quarter, as strict measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus almost shut down the country. But the figures don't tell the full story. Widespread lockdown measures in the US didn't begin until mid-March, so the second quarter is expected to reveal the true economic shock. And it's the service sector that's on the frontline of the coronavirus recession, as Katie Gregory reports from New York. For more on this, Jeffrey Tucker spoke to us from Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He's the editorial director at the American Institute for Economic Research.

#USeconomy #USGDP #Coronavirus

Iran is one of the worst-affected countries by COVID-19, and there's no end in sight to the crisis. But the government has decided to let businesses reopen and get the economy back up and running again. President Hassan Rouhani's decision comes despite the death of 80 more people due to the disease. That brought the nation's death toll to nearly 6,000. The government has also reported more than a thousand new infections, pushing the total to 93,000.

#coronavirus #Iran #WeakEconomy

Protests have broken out in the Lebanese city of Tripoli amid anger over the government's inability to solve a deepening financial crisis. Demonstrators have set fire to bank branches, and security forces shot a protester dead during a stand-off. Army reinforcements have been deployed to the streets of what is Lebanon's second biggest city, but also one of its poorest and most neglected. Reagan Des Vignes reports. Michael Arnold is from the TRT World Research Centre. He says the coronavirus lockdown has heightened tensions in Lebanon as the economic crisis has severely deepend since the protests broke out six months ago.

#Lebanon #Coronavirus #Protest

South Africa has the most COVID-19 cases in Africa, and has taken tough measures to curb the spread of the virus. Most businesses have been shut down for more than a month. As Omer Kablan reports, some of the people worst affected have been the thousands who make a living off things other people throw away.

#SouthAfrica #Recycling #Lockdown

Business is booming for e-commerce giant Alibaba. It's shipping everything from masks and gloves to ventilators while brick and mortar competitors are shut down due to lockdowns all over the world. Alibaba and its founder Jack Ma are also playing a leading role in charity. They're providing free personal protective equipment to many countries and funding research for a COVID-19 vaccine. And as Mobin Nasir reports, the helping hand is benefitting China's image internationally. For more on this, global health policy expert Mario Ottiglio joined the show from Geneva. He's managing director at consulting firm High Lantern Group.

#Alibaba #JackMa #Coronavirus

The entertainment industry has been hit particularly hard by the outbreak. Film and television productions have been halted, and festivals from Cannes in France to South by Southwest in Texas, have had to reschedule. In New York, the Tribeca Film Festival was supposed to be taking place right now.. Jade Barker explains how it's still getting some of its films out into the world.

#FilmFestival #USLockdown #TribecaFilmFestival

Another 4.4 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week as lockdowns across the US forced businesses to shut down. The number came in higher than what analysts had expected, but it's lower than the 5.2 million people who filed claims the previous week. It brings the total over the last five weeks of the pandemic to 26.5 half million jobless claims, effectively wiping out all the jobs created in the US over the past 10 years. For more, let's go to Mickey Levy in New York. He's a chief economist at Berenberg Capital Markets.

#USJobClaims #Unemployment LockdownMeasures

Kenya's lockdown has left thousands of families penniless and hungry. But one tour guide is helping many of them. Pankaj Shah has set up a free food delivery service for the poor. And as Shamim Chowdhury reports, he was inspired by an unexpected run-in with a woman who devoted her life to helping those in need.

#FoodDelivery #Lockdown #Coronavirus

Wednesday marks the 50th annual Earth Day. Usually around a billion people would be participating in special events to mark the occasion, but this year they'll be doing their bit from home. Shutdown measures are, however, having their own positive impact on the environment, as Katie Gregory reports from New York.

#EarthDay #Environment #Lockdown

Think British fashion and you'll likely imagine tailored suits or handmade shirts. But as the coronavirus crisis deepens, high-end brands are putting their pattern cutting skills to a different use. Natalie Powell reports.

#UKtailors #MedicalEquipment #Coronavirus