Coronavirus: US weekly jobless claims hit 6.6 million

More than 6.6 million people filed jobless claims in the week ending 4 April. In total, over the last three weeks, more than 16 million people have made unemployment claims, as restrictions on activity to help contain the virus force most businesses to close and put about 95% of Americans on some form of lockdown.

Also in the programme: Britain's prime minister Boris Johnson has been moved out of intensive care after being rushed to hospital earlier last Sunday; and the UN’s World Food Programme has told the BBC that from middle of April it will be forced to halve the aid it provides to Yemenis living in Houthi.

(Photo: A person reads a sign on the door of an office of the New York State Department of Labour. Credits: EPA).