Australia confirms end to longest boom as fires, pandemic destroy growth

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's economy has fallen into recession, the country's treasurer said on Wednesday, after official data showed gross domestic product fell last quarter as entire business sectors were closed to fight the coronavirus.The A$2 trillion (1.10 trillion pounds) economy contracted 0.3% in the three months ended March, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said, the first decline in nine years.That took annual growth to 1.4%, the slowest since the 2009 global financial crisis, as..