President Donald Trump and the White House coronavirus task force are due to hold their daily press briefing within the next few minutes.

The news conference comes on the day it emerged another 4.4 million Americans filed for unemployment last week.

That brings the total number of recorded jobless to over 26 million since the coronavirus pandemic locked down swathes of the country and ravaged its economy.

More than 856,000 Covid-19 cases have been confirmed in the US and over 47,000 deaths, the most in the world, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, based in Baltimore, Maryland.

You can watch the briefing with us live here.

More than £27.3m ($34m) was donated during the BBC's Big Night In charity telethon, which featured the stars of hit shows like Doctor Who, Little Britain and The Vicar of Dibley - as well as the Duke of Cambridge.

The money raised by the three-hour special will go towards vulnerable people around the UK whose lives have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The UK government has pledged to double the total.

After appearances by some of the UK's biggest names in comedy and music, the show concluded with the return of Little Britain after 10 years off screen.

Matt Lucas and David Walliams had to improvise with home-made costumes and wigs as they resurrected many of their most popular characters, such as Lou and Andy.

Read the full story.

The European Athletics Championships scheduled for Paris in August have been cancelled because of the pandemic.

The local organising committee and French athletics federation opted not to find a new date for the competition.

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Image source, GoFundMe

A Maryland mother was nine months pregnant with her third child when she contracted Covid-19. Wogene Debele gave birth to her baby boy three weeks ago, but was separated immediately from the newborn because of the virus.

Debele passed away this week from the infection.

Her death is a "great tragedy", said Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart. "This is a family that everyone in our community knew."

Stewart said that Debele's baby was now home with his father and siblings.

Friends of Debele have set up a GoFundMe campaign to help her family.

"Wogene was kind, joyful, and a source of strength to all who knew her," it says. "Please continue to keep this family in your prayers."

Image source, Getty Images

More than 21% of a sample of people in New York City tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies, according to preliminary test results announced by Governor Andrew Cuomo on Thursday.

Of the approximately 1,300 residents tested for coronavirus antibodies, around one in five tested positive.

The findings are part of a statewide program that tested 3,000 residents over two days at grocery stores across New York. Of those sampled, 13.9% residents tested positive. An antibody test shows whether someone has already had the virus, not if they are currently infected.

"They had the virus, they developed the antibodies and they are now quote-unquote recovered," Cuomo said on Thursday.

"If the infection is 13.9% the death rate may be lower than some estimates," Cuomo added, but stressed that the findings were preliminary.

Nomsa Maseko
BBC Africa, Johannesburg

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The announcement that the sale of cigarettes will resume on 1 May has been welcomed by those who were angered by the prohibition since the lockdown began nearly a month ago. But many are still questioning the ban on alcohol sales which is still not allowed.

In essence, South Africa's lockdown has been extended indefinitely, with a few changes. The movement of people is still very much restricted - and it's now compulsory for people to wear masks in public areas. Some industries, particularly the manufacturing industry will benefit from the partial easing of the lockdown from next Friday. This is a very cautious approach which takes into consideration the need for the country’s economy to start working again.

President Ramaphosa took into consideration the seriousness of the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the country. Some restrictions will help to contain the virus and protect lives.

Image source, EPA

More than 110,000 coronavirus-related deaths have now been reported across Europe - here are the key developments in the past 24 hours:

• At a video-summit, EU leaders agreed a new €540bn (£470bn; $575bn) emergency fund to protect European workers, businesses and countries worst hit by the outbreak
• "Up to half" of deaths in Europe have been in care homes, the World Health Organization says
• German Chancellor Angela Merkel warns that "we'll have to live with this virus for a long time"
• The Czech Republic will end restrictions on free movement from Friday and allow groups of up to 10 people to meet in public, Health Minister Adam Vojtech says
• Italy reports 464 new deaths, but says the number of patients in intensive care has fallen
• In France, the death toll rises by 516 to 21,856 - but the number of intensive care patients also drops
• In Spain, a minister apologises to the country's children for confining them to their homes for weeks because of the outbreak

Dr Rick Bright, the ousted head of a key US agency working on coronavirus vaccine efforts, will file a whistleblower's complaint, his lawyers say.

The complaint will show Dr Bright was sidelined solely "because he resisted efforts to provide unfettered access to potentially dangerous drugs, including chloroquine, a drug promoted by the administration as a panacea, but which is untested and possibly deadly," the lawyers said in a statement quoted by Reuters.

President Trump has often touted chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as possible treatments against Covid-19, though the World Health Organization and other experts have said there is no definitive evidence they work.

When asked about Dr Bright on Wednesday, President Trump said he'd never heard of him. On the claim he was driven out, the president said: "Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't."

Lewis Goodall
Policy Editor, Newsnight

BBC Newsnight has spoken to care home managers who say that, despite government promises and assurances, testing facilities for their residents and staff are not available.

Today, Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock repeated the claim that, "we’ve already expanded the availability of testing in care homes including to asymptomatic residents and it’s a very important part of the testing programme".

But the manager of a care home with a resident who died from Covid-19 has been told in explicit terms by Public Health England, that they are not in a position to carry out testing on the five other patients who have developed symptoms.

Newsnight has also spoken to several workers in domiciliary care (those treating vulnerable people in their own homes) who say they are being offered very little Personal Protection Equipment at work.

For the full story, watch Newsnight at 22:45 BST on BBC Two.

Image source, MADELEINE HORDINSKI

What's life like under lockdown for a university student who has moved back in with her family?

The BBC asked 22-year-old Madeleine Hordinski to share snapshots from her life, now that she's returned home to Cincinnati, Ohio, to stay with her parents and 17-year-old sister.

"My perception of family has definitely changed since all this started," she says.

"I think I've become more attentive to how much I value my relationship with my sister. We've been doing so much together like running, cooking, dancing - so many things."

You can read - and see - her full story here.

Image source, MADELEINE HORDINSKI

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Stuck at home amid the virus outbreak, many Canadians are taking their shopping online. Canada Post says it is processing and delivering parcels at levels only experienced during the busiest weeks of the Christmas season.

On Monday, the national postal service delivered more than 1.8 million parcels to Canadians.

It is now warning of delays as the surge in demand collides with new safety measures meant to maintain social distancing within processing facilities.

Canada has now reported 2,220 coronavirus deaths. Confirmed cases have climbed to 42,560, with larger concentrations in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today announced a new $780m (£630m) strategy to fight the virus, with funds allocated to vaccine and treatment research, clinical trials and expanded testing.

Image source, AFP/Getty Images

Three UN bodies have made a joint appeal to governments to facilitate trade by ship during the pandemic.

The statement by the International Maritime Organization, the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization says that shipping and seafarers must be allowed to deliver vital goods.

It says restrictions on international traffic should be based on evidence and proportionate with the level of risk.

The statement says seafarers should have access to proper medical care, and calls for an easing of limits on the movement of doctors and ship inspectors.

Ten actors who have played the lead role in Doctor Who over the past 50 years have recorded a special message of thanks for real doctors and other health workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Those taking part ranged from Tom Baker, who played the role between 1974-81, to current Doctor Jodie Whittaker and Jo Martin, who appeared as an alternative incarnation of the character in two episodes earlier this year.

They appeared on BBC One's fundraising telethon The Big Night In. They said:

Watch The Big Night In live in the UK on BBC iPlayer.

Image source, Reuters

More on South Africa's decision to ease some restrictions on 1 May (see our 20:17 post), after a five-week national lockdown.

In Thursday's televised address to the nation, President Ramaphosa said the country would begin a "gradual and phased recovery" through a "deliberate and cautious approach to the easing of current lockdown restrictions".

The president stressed that many restrictions would remain in place after 1 May:

• A ban on travelling between South Africa's provinces
• Borders to be kept shut
• No public gatherings except for funerals
• A ban on sports and cultural events

South Africa currently has 75 confirmed coronavirus-related deaths and nearly 4,000 infections.

British pop stars including Dua Lipa, Ellie Goulding, Jess Glynne and Coldplay’s Chris Martin have recorded a cover version of the Foo Fighters' Times Like These as the official single for the BBC's Big Night In.

The official video has been unveiled on the show, a collaboration between the Comic Relief and Children In Need charities, which is raising funds for people whose lives have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

The musicians all recorded their parts in quarantine - and the video gives an insight into their lockdown lives, with Brit Award winner Mabel appearing with her dog and Paloma Faith singing next to her ironing board.

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl himself appears, and said: "I came in last minute after they were almost all finished, and it is amazing."

The BBC One programme has also seen the return of comedy favourites The Vicar of Dibley and Miranda, who both delivered messages to fans who may be having a hard time.

Prince William has made a surprise appearance on the BBC's fundraising telethon The Big Night In - appearing in a comedy sketch with Stephen Fry, before he and his family led the weekly Clap for Carers.

Fry played Lord Melchett - a descendent of his character in sitcom Blackadder - who was taking part in a Zoom call with the Duke of Cambridge.

The Duke complained that royal home schooling was "a bit of a nightmare", and asked: "Have you seen anything good on TV? It’s hell without EastEnders."

When Melchett suggested Netflix phenomenon Tiger King, the Duke replied: "I avoid shows about royalty."

Both men were then seen going to their doorsteps to applaud NHS and other key workers, with the Duchess of Cambridge and the royal children also joining in.

UK viewers can watch the full programme live on iPlayer.