The coronavirus pandemic will cause the worst global economic downturn since the Great Depression almost a century ago. That is the warning from the International Monetary Fund. The British economy could be affected just as badly. Meanwhile there’s been a spike in deaths at a number of care homes in the UK since the outbreak began. The deaths are not recorded in the daily official figures from hospitals. For the third week running, millions of people have taken part in a national round of applause for NHS staff and key workers. Sophie Raworth presents BBC News at Ten reports from Economics Editor Faisal Islam, Social Affairs Correspondent Alison Holt and Ireland Correspondent Emma Vardy.
Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George’s Channel.
Geopolitically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially named Ireland), which covers five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. As of 2016, 4.8 million people live in the Republic of Ireland, and 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland.
The Irish climate is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and thus very moderate, and winters are milder than expected for such a northerly area, although summers are cooler than those in continental Europe. Rainfall and cloud cover are abundant.
A strong Irish culture exists, as expressed through Gaelic games, Irish music and the Irish language. The island’s culture shares many features with that of Great Britain, including the English language, and sports such as association football, rugby, horse racing, and golf.
Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion teaching that Muhammad is the final and ultimate messenger of God. It is the world’s second-largest religion with 1.8 billion followers or 24.1% of the world’s population, known as Muslims. Muslims make up a majority of the population in 49 countries.
