The euro area is suffering its worst contraction ever, as the French economy suffers its biggest plunge since the second world war * Latest: 3.8m US initial jobless claims last week * Eurozone economy shrank by 3.8% last quarter * France in recession as GDP shrinks 5.8% * Coronavirus – latest updates * See all our coronavirus coverage 5.23pm BST Time for a recap... A fresh flurry of grim economic data has confirmed that the global economy is falling into its worst contraction in decades, giving markets a jolt. 5.07pm BST APRIL WAS A GOOD MONTH FOR EUROPE’S STOCK MARKETS, DESPITE A LATE WOBBLE TODAY. The Stoxx 600 index gained 6.2% this month, its best monthly gain since October 2015 (after the Greek debt crisis finally eased). Germany’s DAX gained over 9% this month. Continue reading...