BBC Radio 5 Live
Wake Up to Money

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Retailers have been warned not to "exploit fears" about coronavirus by jacking up the price of things like face masks or hand gels.

James Loman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, told the BBC: “If a retailer is seeing this as an opportunity to put up prices without supply prices having changed...it won’t be authorities that get them, it’ll be the consumers. People remember how businesses behave during times like this."

He said that a few stores might also have to increase prices for practical reasons: "What’s mainly happening is that their usual supplier doesn’t have that particular product in stock, so the retailer is having to drive 50 miles just to find it. Or, they’ve found another supplier and the price is much higher.

"If that is the case, we're telling retailers to be transparent with customers about it. People will hopefully understand."

For those in countries under lockdown, we've been advised not to go out. But why is it so important? We break down the numbers for you, and what the rules are like in the UK.

Image source, AFP

We now also have the Xi Jinping take on that phone call with Donald Trump.

According to Chinese state media, Mr Xi said China and US must "unite to fight the virus".

He also insisted Beijing had always been transparent about the initial outbreak - disputing a claim by Mr Trump that China told the world too late.

President Xi also said he'd offered support to the US and that he hopes Washington takes measures to safeguard the health of Chinese nationals in the US.

China is already sending help to several European, Asian and African countries struggling with high numbers of infected patients.

"Full house!" Not too full, we hope - remember that social distancing...

Here's a snapshot of what you should know:

• More than half a million people globally are now confirmed to have coronavirus, with almost 24,000 deaths
• The US has now recorded more cases than any country, with 85,000. This exceeds China's almost 82,000 infections, but it has seen more deaths - 3,291 to America's 1,296
• Italy, however, still has the worst death toll with 8,214, according to the Johns Hopkins University figures
• Rising cases in Pakistan have raised fears of a "disaster" if adequate measures are not taken, says one health expert
• Meanwhile South Africa's authorities have begun enforcing a three-week lockdown, with food stores to remain open but alcohol sales banned
• In the UK, which has recorded more than 100 deaths in a day for the first time, relatives have paid tribute to Dr Habib Zaidi, saying he sacrificed his life for his profession. Dr Zaidi died of suspected coronavirus after falling ill on Tuesday

• Australia says all citizens returning from overseas will be quarantined in hotels - rather than at home - for 14 days.

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India has become the latest country to cut its interest rates to help ease the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its economy.

In an emergency move, the Reserve Bank of India lowered its main rate by 0.75 percentage points to 4.40%, which was in line with expectations.

The announcement comes after similar moves by central banks across the world including the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England.

On Thursday the Indian government announced a $22.6bn stimulus plan to provide direct cash transfers and food security measures.

US President Donald Trump has held a phone call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to discuss the pandemic.

The virus broke out in China late last year - and Mr Trump had repeatedly called it the "Chinese Virus".

There's none of that, though, in his tweet about the phone call.

He writes: "China has been through much & has developed a strong understanding of the Virus. We are working closely together. Much respect!"

Soutik Biswas
India Correspondent

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Two Covid-19 patients, both around 70, have died in Bhilwara, a city in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan.

The deaths were confirmed by the chief of MG Hospital, Rajan Nanda.

"The source of the infection is still not clear. We haven’t found any foreign contact history," Dr Nanda told me.

Bhilwara, a textile manufacturing hub that is home to some 400,000 people, could well be India's first coronavirus "hotspot".

It has reported 17 positive cases as of this morning. And officials told me that more than 6,000 of the city's residents are home quarantined.

Dr Nanda said his hospital alone was testing some 950 samples, including those of the relatives of the patients who have died.

Both had underlying medical conditions such as hypertension and heart disease, he added.

India has 640 active coronavirus cases - and Rajasthan overall has reported 41 cases.

As we mentioned earlier, case numbers have exploded in Australia in the past week.

This time last Friday, there were just over 700 cases - now there are over 3,000. The Australian government chart , externalbelow shows this escalation.

Image source, Australian Government

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Ralph Lauren is to start making medical masks and gowns - the latest designer brand to lend its support to the coronavirus fight.

The fashioner designer announced the shift in production through its charitable arm on Thursday.

The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation will start making 250,000 masks and 25,000 isolation gowns in the US.

Other fashion brands have also pledged to help make urgently needed medical wear.

Read more here

It's not easy working from home while schools are shut. So we thought, who better to talk about the perils of working from home with kids than Robert Kelly, otherwise known as BBC Dad? Have a watch of our interview with him here (and check out how much his kids have grown!).

Singapore has been putting returning residents from the UK and the US into hotels to serve out their 14-day stay-at-home notice.

One resident, Marcus Chan - who's serving out his notice at the swanky 5-star Swissotel - has been tweeting pictures of his new life.

It includes his laundry being picked up in special bags to prevent contamination, his meals being sent to him (complete with menu options) and pictures of a very nice view:

The race to find a Covid-19 test that can deliver results in the quickest time is on.

Researchers at Singapore's national agency A*STAR have so far claimed the quickest timing, external - they say they've developed a test that can tell if a person has Covid-19 in five minutes.

They hope to submit the test for approval in a month's time.

But they've got some competition. UK-based company Mologic Ltd say they've sent prototypes to laboratories for a 10-minute coronavirus test. They say the price of a single test will be $1, and the test could be rolled out as early as June if the trials are successful. , external

And then there's Bosch - a common household name for many. The German company has become the latest firm to roll out a Covid-19 test. It says it can diagnose in less than two and a half hours, external and that the device will be available in Germany in April.

Image source, Getty Images

Here's a heartwarming story to come out of the crisis.

A Japanese city sent 4,500 masks to its sister city in China while the country was at its peak of fighting the outbreak, say local media reports.

But Toyokawa has now found itself in short supply of masks as the spread of the virus continues to worsen in Japan.

Officials in the Chinese city, Xinwu, decided it would repay the gift of face masks by more than ten-fold, sending 50,000 face masks to Toyokawa.

"We want to return the favour that was offered to us when our district was having a difficult time," said a Xinwu official, according to an Asahi Shimbun report.

Image source, Getty Images

Countries around the world are in lockdown - although what that means varies from place to place.

In Mauritius, though, the lockdown is total - and includes supermarkets, shops, and bakeries.

There was already a curfew in place but the government said, external "many individuals are not respecting the laws as regards the national confinement, thus the need to implement this complete lockdown".

The measures began in the Indian Ocean island nation earlier this week and last until 31 March.

The country has seen 81 cases and two deaths.

Image source, AFP / Getty

Here are the latest updates from the region:

• positive cases continue to climb in Pakistan, the worst-hit country in the region with more than 1,000 cases, and there are growing fears of imported cases from Iran
• India announced a bailout of nearly $23bn (£18.8bn) for its most vulnerable and poor, but experts question if its enough. Seventeen have died so far in India, which has 640 confirmed cases
• a special task force in Sri Lanka is helping to "maintain" civilian life after the entire island nation was put under strict curfew.
• experts worry that one million Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar are vulnerable to coronavirus infections, saying the cramped camps are fertile grounds for the disease
• and about 500 foreign trekkers are stranded across four trekking routes in Nepal after the country locked down its borders. The country has confirmed three cases so far

As we mentioned earlier, the government in Singapore is now imposing harsh fines and even jail time if people don't stay a metre apart from each other.

But even before the new rules went into effect, restaurants and hawker centres (or food courts) were told to encourage social distancing.

Take a look:

Image source, European Photopress Agency

Image source, AFP/Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Fans around the world have been reacting with overwhelming support after music superstars BTS cancelled their North American tour.

The hashtag #ARMYwillwaitforBTS has began trending on Twitter. The ARMY is what BTS' fan group calls themselves.

"We will wait with you. You have us all. Forever," said one person on Twitter.

"We know things are disheartening right now but we will see [BTS] sooner rather than later. We'll wait for you as long as we need to," said another.

Secunder Kermani
BBC News, Islamabad

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Cases in Pakistan continue to surge. The government reported 66 new cases on Thursday, taking the total to 1,057 - which is more than three times the number of cases a week ago.

There is also growing concern that the country will see a rise in imported Covid-19 cases from Iran, where the virus has spread like wildfire.

Fighting the infection in developing countries like Pakistan is particularly tough, where large extended families live together, often in crowded conditions, and where healthcare systems are already struggling.

One health expert warned the country was heading for "disaster" if adequate preventions were not implemented and another told the BBC "domestic transmission" within Pakistan was now his main concern.

Read more here.

It's an unsettling time for many and some 1.3 million people have signed up for a free online course on happiness from Yale University.

The "Science of Well Being" helps students increase their happiness and build more productive habits, says the course description.

But if you haven't snagged a spot, no worries, here are three tips from neuroscientist Emiliana Simon-Thomas, on how to be happier:

• Be mindful
• Connect with others
• Practise gratitude

Find out more about the course here.