China’s deputy ambassador to London has mounted a vigorous defence of her government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, accusing critics of “deep-seated bias”.

Chen Wen told the BBC that the Chinese government had been open and transparent, allowing it to contain and control the spread of the disease.

The diplomat said, despite “all these achievements”, critics were still “finger-pointing at China”.

“You have to look behind the thinking of these unwarranted accusations. I think the thinking is a deep-seated bias against China,” she said.

She rejected growing calls for an independent investigation into China’s initial response to Covid-19, calling such an inquiry “politically motivated”.

Can China's narrative on the pandemic be trusted? Read our analysis of why its claims of success are raising eyebrows.

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US President Donald Trump is expected to take the podium for his daily White House coronavirus briefing in about half an hour.

He will likely be asked about his suggestion yesterday that researchers consider injecting people with disinfectants and exposing patients' bodies to UV light as a way to treat coronavirus. His comments have been heavily criticised by doctors, and he later said they were "sarcastic".

The US death toll has now surpassed 5,000. More than 3,000 deaths came in the last 24 hours, and there are now more than 870,000 confirmed cases nationwide.

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The Eredivisie - the top tier of football in the Netherlands - has been abandoned for the season with no title winner and no teams relegated.

The move comes after the national government banned major events until 1 September because of coronavirus.

Ajax led the table ahead of AZ Alkmaar on goal difference with nine games left, but will not be named champions.

Most major European leagues, including the English Premier League, have so far maintained their hope to resume when it is safe to do so.

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French authorities have banned the online sale of nicotine products to prevent stockpiling, after a study suggested the drug could protect people from coronavirus.

The new rules cover products like nicotine gum and patches, designed to help people stop smoking.

The move comes after a study at a Paris hospital indicated smokers were statistically less likely to be admitted for treatment for Covid-19.

Now researchers intend to use nicotine patches in a clinical trial.

But the researchers stressed that smoking had “severe pathological consequences and remains a serious danger for health”.

Read more

Earlier we heard that thousands of Transport for London (TfL) staff are to be furloughed, with its income badly hit by the drop in passenger numbers caused by the pandemic.

The city's mayor, Sadiq Khan, has now told the BBC that the impact of the lockdown on transport services has been "seismic".

"We have to be sensible about planning going forward," he said.

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The UK government has responded to a report that the prime minister's controversial senior adviser Dominic Cummings is on a scientific panel advising the government on the coronavirus pandemic.

The Guardian newspaper reported, external that Mr Cummings was among attendees at various meetings of the UK's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), which has provided advice to ministers.

A government spokesperson said: "Expert participants often vary for each meeting according to which expertise is required. A number of representatives from government departments and No 10 attend also."

However, Downing Street later said it was "not true" that Mr Cummings was on, or a member of, SAGE.

Labour said the report raised questions about the credibility of the decisions being taken by the government in response to the coronavirus.

Sir David King, a former chief scientific adviser to the UK government from 2000-07, who contributed to the Guardian report, tweeted that it was "simply unimaginable" and "an egregious abuse SAGE membership the govt must answer".

Membership of SAGE has previously not been made public, partly for security reasons, but some MPs have called for a list of attendees to be published to ensure transparency.

Mr Cummings made his name as the mastermind of the successful 2016 Vote Leave campaign to take Britain out of the European Union, and is now Boris Johnson's closest political adviser. Read more about him here.

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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued more than 100 recommendations to the Smithfield Foods pork-processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as the facility moves to reopen after a coronavirus outbreak.

The first case among employees was detected on 24 March, the CDC said, though the plant did not shut down until weeks later on 15 April. By then, the plant had become one of the top virus hotspots in the US.

After touring the plant last week, the CDC issued a 15-page report, external, asking the plant to implement a series of changes to improve worker safety. These included staggered shifts, setting out break areas outdoors and face coverings for all employees.

The report notes, however, that these recommendations "are discretionary and not required or mandated by CDC".

Read more about the untold story of America's biggest outbreak.

Parts of the US are moving to reopen after weeks of lockdown.

In Georgia, which has one of the fastest reopening timetables in the country, bowling alleys, spas, salons, tattoo parlours and other personal care businesses will be allowed to resume operations.

A similar loosening of restrictions is starting in Alaska and Oklahoma.

On Monday, Georgia will move further by allowing dine-in restaurants and theatres to reopen.

Image source, Getty Images

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If you're just joining us, here are the latest headlines from around the world:

• US President Donald Trump has said his widely criticised suggestions that coronavirus could be treated by using ultraviolet light or disinfectants inside the body were "sarcastic"
• The death toll in the US has surpassed 50,000
• Muslims are marking the start of Ramadan, but with mosques closed and social distancing in place in many countries the holy month is set to be very different
• In the UK, the government website for key workers to apply for coronavirus tests has reopened for bookings. It closed due to "significant demand" earlier
• Both Spain and Italy have reported their lowest number of daily deaths for about five weeks
• World leaders have launched a World Health Organization (WHO) initiative to speed up the research, development and distribution of vaccines, drugs and tests against the virus

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France is readying historic multi-billion loans to help Air France and the carmaker Renault through the coronavirus crisis.

Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has announced a €7bn (£6.1bn; $7.5bn) package planned for Air France. He said it would be made up of €4bn in bank loans guaranteed by the state and a €3bn loan direct from the state.

"Air France's planes are grounded, so we need to support Air France," the minister said on TF1 television. He added that the aid would carry conditions requiring the airline to "become the most environmentally friendly airline on the planet".

KLM, the Dutch subsidiary of Air France, will also receive between €2bn and €4bn euros in emergency aid, Dutch Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra said.

For Renault, a €5bn bank loan package guaranteed by the French state is being worked on.

The French state retains shareholdings in both Renault and Air France.

This graph breaks down the number of coronavirus cases for each region of the UK - the darker the shade of blue, the more confirmed cases there are per 10,000 people.

Areas around major metropolitan areas appear darker than more rural places - and London is divided into boroughs and shown in more detail.

You can check how many cases there are in your area here.

During today's coronavirus briefing UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the government's website, which allows essential workers to book coronavirus tests, would reopen on this evening.

The website now appears be up and running for those eligible here, external.

It closed less than two hours after opening for the first time on Friday after "significant demand" for tests, which will either be taken at home or at special drive-through testing centres.

Joe Tidy
Cyber-security reporter, BBC World Service

Image source, TYLER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE/ GETTY

Michael Lane Brandin knew his Facebook post would cause a stir.

What he didn't realise was that he'd be arrested, lose his job and face a trial that could see him behind bars.

It was an otherwise dull afternoon in March and the debate about how to cope with the potential outbreak of coronavirus was all over his timeline.

So he decided to, in his own words, "do a social experiment".

Mr Brandin posted that he had tested positive for coronavirus. And then he added that doctors had told him the virus was now airborne.

But he had made it up.

Mr Brandin says his point was to demonstrate that you can't always believe everything you read online. But the fake news spread like wildfire across Tyler County, in Texas where he lived.

You can read the full story here.

Reacting to the UK government's plan to support the transport industry during the coronavirus crisis, the opposition Labour party said it had "left more questions than it’s answered".

Shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon said: "Few will be convinced that this secures jobs and the long term viability of key transport sectors, essential for any future economic recovery.

“Their support to light rail merely papers over the cracks without providing funding to make up for the shortfall in income. They’ve failed to secure all the key ferry ports they should have such as between Holyhead and Dublin. And they’ve failed to give bus operators the clear guidance they need to ensure that drivers are safe in their vehicles."

“This announcement is not the response of a Government that’s got a well thought through plan,” he added.

Image source, Getty Images

We brought you news of the Covid-19 initiative launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier and we've now got some more details.

The WHO describes the Access to Covid Tools (ACT) Accelerator programme as a “call to action” for a global, coordinated response to the pandemic.

The aim is to fund, research, develop and distribute treatments, technologies and vaccines against the virus worldwide.

The WHO hopes to raise €7.5bn euros (£6.5bn; $8.1bn) when it launches a global pledging effort at a summit on 4 May.

“This is a first step only, but more will be needed in the future,” said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen who helped launch the programme on Friday.

Leaders from the 20 countries, including France, South Africa, Germany, Malaysia and the UK, have pledged their support for the initiative.

As part of the programme, the WHO has appointed two special envoys to lead global co-operation on vaccine research.

Dozens of potential Covid-19 vaccines are being developed around the world, including in the UK, where a human trial has begun.

Tara McKelvey
BBC News, Washington

Image source, Getty Images

President Donald Trump will receive a briefing from officials who work for Nasa, the government agency that deals with space, at the White House later today.

The officials will talk about their response to Covid-19.

Space exploration has already led to important developments on earth: satellites make it easier to issue hurricane warnings, for example.

These days, the Nasa scientists are helping to fight the virus. They have designed a new ventilator, a prototype that has been tested in New York, external.

In addition, astronauts have shared tips for dealing with isolation. One space explorer said he drew a calendar to help him keep track of the days.

He posted images of notes and graffiti that other astronauts wrote on spacecraft walls, showing how they passed the time (at home, it’s probably better to use washable markers...)

Many places around the world are still under lockdown, where only essential services continue to operate. But from cheese shops to marijuana dispensaries, you'd be surprised at what still remains open. What each country considers essential tells us something important about their culture, as our video explains:

James Landale
Diplomatic correspondent

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China has rejected calls for an independent international investigation into the origin of the coronavirus.

Chen Wen, China’s deputy ambassador to London, told the BBC such an inquiry was a “politically motivated initiative” that would divert attention away from fighting the pandemic.

There's been growing scepticism about how transparent China has been in its handling of Covid-19, fuelling calls for an impartial inquiry.

Chen said: “The independent inquiry is politically motivated. We are fighting the virus at the moment, we are concentrating all our efforts on fighting against the virus. Why talk about an investigation into this?

"This will divert not only attention, it will divert resources."

The diplomat suggested criticism of the country’s initial response to the virus outbreak amounted to “finger pointing” and “deep-seated bias” against China.

Chen also claimed that speculation about the origin of Covid-19 was a “political virus”.

Read more here: Is there any evidence for lab release theory?

Robert Cuffe
BBC head of statistics

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The US is top of the grim league table for reported coronavirus deaths, but that’s not the whole picture.

Part of the reason is population: many countries in Europe have reported more deaths per head than the US. Europe as a whole has reported more deaths overall.

But beware of comparing huge countries in this way.

The picture in New York is very different to the picture in the rest of the US, and the same goes for other countries.

Italy really has two epidemics – one in the north of the country that overran its healthcare system and another down south that is much less advanced.

Death rates also depend on how you count. The French and Belgian figures, for example, include suspected Covid-19 cases, making their numbers appear a lot worse.

Read more: Why are international comparisons difficult?

Electrical goods maker Dyson has said the medical ventilator it developed to help treat patients with Covid-19 is no longer required.

It began developing a device in response to an appeal from the UK government for firms to take part in a national effort to increase the number of ventilators.

But in a note to staff, founder Sir James Dyson said that demand for ventilators had been less than first envisaged.

The Cabinet Office said that tests on ventilators were continuing.

Dyson's ventilator was undergoing clinical tests in recent days and the government had previously said it intended to order 10,000 machines.

Read more on this story here.