Image source, Getty Images

England's Premier League football clubs have been given the green light to begin non-contact training in small groups from today but could face surprise inspections to ensure they adhere to new safety guidance.

GPS tracking and video analysis are also being considered, with the Premier League eventually aiming to have an inspector at every training ground.

"That will enable us to give confidence the protocols are being complied with," said Richard Garlick, the league's director of football.

"We are looking at bringing in our own independent audit inspection team that we'll scale up over the next few days which will give us the ability to have inspections at training grounds to start with on a no-notice basis."

As lockdown measures begin to ease in some countries, washing your hands is still a key part of preventing the spread of Covid-19.

Dr Adele McCormick from the University of Westminster demonstrates how to do this properly - which should take about 20 seconds.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

The number of people claiming unemployment benefit in the UK soared to 2.1 million last month - and Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey says further rises in joblessness are likely.

"We should be prepared for the unemployment rate to increase significantly," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

But she denied that there was a "complete collapse in vacancies" as the Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned, saying there were "substantial vacancies" in sectors such as retail and agriculture.

She also rejected claims that young people, who are particularly at risk of losing their jobs, would experience long-term "scarring" to their economic prospects.

"We need to focus exactly on how we can help people as we come out of this emergency," she said.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she would rather President Donald Trump did not take hydroxychloroquine, labelling him "morbidly obese".

Mr Trump has said he is taking the medication to ward off coronavirus, even though there is no evidence it can fight the virus, and regulators warn it may cause heart problems.

“I would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists," Pelosi told CNN., external

"Especially in his age group and in his, shall we say, weight group: ‘Morbidly obese,' they say. I don't think that's a good idea."

Mr Trump, 73, weighed 243lb (110kg) last year, with some doctors noting his Body Mass Index fell in excess of 30, which is considered clinically obese. A BMI of 40 or above is considered to be extreme, or "morbid", obesity.

Read more about hydroxychloroquine here.

Nyein Chan Aye
BBC News Burmese

Image source, AFP

A 35-year-old man who returned from Malaysia tested positive on Monday, marking the first Covid-19 case in Myanmar's conflict-torn Rakhine state.

Another migrant worker in Rakhine state has also since been diagnosed with the disease. Both were quarantined at a government facility before being tested.

The situation in Rakhine is already grave. More than 100,000 residents have been displaced as a result of the conflict between the military and rebel group Arakan Army.

The government has intermittently imposed an internet blackout in several townships since last year, and aid groups are warning of the high risk of large-scale community spread of coronavirus.

So far Myanmar has recorded 191 cases and six deaths have officially been linked to the virus.

BBC newsreader George Alagiah, who is being treated for bowel cancer, revealed last month he had a mild case of coronavirus.

As a cancer patient, he underwent tests after developing a fever – and a few days later his oncologist rang to say he had tested positive for the virus.

The number of people claiming unemployment benefit in the UK soared last month, the first full month of the coronavirus lockdown.

The claimant count in April went up by 856,500 to 2.097 million, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Before the lockdown began, employment had hit a record high.

According to research by the Resolution Foundation, the pandemic means younger workers could have their pay being affected for years, while older staff may end up involuntarily retired.

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Conservationists say they have seen some hidden benefits of the lockdown restrictions for the natural world.

With fewer people in urban environments and much less traffic on the roads, scientists say there could be gains particularly for our native mammals.

It would be "grossly irresponsible" for the US to withdraw funding from the World Health Organization, says former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

It comes after President Donald Trump gave WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus a 30-day deadline to make "major changes" - threatening that the US would permanently cut off funding to the organisation.

“For the United States to comprehensively withdraw funding would mean the effectiveness of the WHO - particularly in developing countries, where the virus is yet to have its full impact - would be grossly irresponsible in international humanitarian terms," Mr Rudd told BBC World Service.

"Remember in various of these countries the WHO goes in and advises and/or provides direct material help and the setting up of health systems to deal with the crisis on the ground.”

In a tweet, Mr Trump published his full letter to Dr Tedros, in which he criticised the WHO for not doing enough, saying it "consistently ignored credible reports of the virus spreading" late last year in Wuhan.

Image source, Getty Images

With India extending its lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus until 31 May, states have been given more autonomy to ease restrictions.

So depending on which city you live in, what you can and can't do in this period is likely to significantly vary.

In the capital Delhi for instance, taxis, private cars and auto-rickshaws can ply their trade between 07:00 and 19:00, while shops and marketplaces are also open

But in Mumbai, which has nearly 20,000 cases of Covid-19, almost nothing is allowed as most of the city has been put into containment or "red" zones.

Click here to find out more about restrictions in these two cities, as well as Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata.

A specially commissioned Pakistan International Airways flight has touched down in Islamabad, ending an ordeal for more than 200 students who were stuck for months in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the pandemic first emerged.

The Pakistani students had been pleading to be evacuated from the city, but the country had refused to do so, saying it had faith in the Chinese government to look after them.

The case caused anger in Pakistan, with many critics saying that the country was capitulating to political pressure from Beijing.

The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis, Zulfiqar Bukhari, had tweeted earlier, calling the students "the bravest soldiers" and welcoming them home.

Image source, Getty Images

Delirium and confusion may be common among some seriously ill hospital patients with Covid-19, a study in medical journal The Lancet suggests.

Long stays in intensive care and being ventilated are thought to increase the risk, the researchers say.

Doctors should look out for depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder after recovery.

However most patients, particularly those with mild symptoms, will not be affected by mental health problems.

Read the full article here.

Image source, Mistress Pearll

The introduction of lockdown measures has left sex workers faced with the difficult choice of self-distancing with no income or continuing to carry out sex work at a risk to their own and others' safety, says Cardiff-based charity Safer Wales.

"This is a heartbreaking choice for women to have to make, it's essential that these women get the support they need to stay at home," said the charity's chief executive, Bernie Bowen-Thomson

Mistress Pearll is based in south Wales and has been doing this kind of work for a year. It is her only source of income.

"They still ask if I'm doing meet-ups, and when I say 'no' they just say 'please, it'll only take a few minutes'. But in those few minutes, they could still give you the virus."

Read the full piece here.

UK unemployment figures for the three months of the year to the end of March - covering the first week of the lockdown - have been published.

They show unemployment increased by 50,000 to 1.35 million in the three months to March.

"While only covering the first weeks of restrictions, our figures show Covid-19 is having a major impact on the labour market," says Jonathan Athow, from the Office for National Statistics, which released the data.

"In March employment held up well, as furloughed workers still count as employed, but hours worked fell sharply in late March, especially in sectors such as hospitality and construction.

"Through April, though, there were signs of falling employment as real-time tax data show the number of employees on companies' payrolls fell noticeably, and vacancies were sharply down too, with hospitality again falling steepest."

One of those who has been made redundant recently is Emma Timberlake, who has multiple sclerosis:

Young people are most likely to have lost work or seen their income drop because of the coronavirus pandemic, research by the Resolution Foundation claims.

It says more than one in three 18 to 24-year-olds are earning less than before the outbreak and that younger workers risk their pay being affected for years, while older staff may end up involuntarily retired.

Around a quarter of 18 to 24-year-olds have been furloughed - meaning they do not work but their firms keep them on their books and the government covers 80% of their wages.

A further 9% have lost their jobs altogether - the highest figure out of all age groups.

Good morning from the UK team if you are just joining our live updates on the coronavirus pandemic.

Some countries, including in Europe, have begun to partially relax their lockdowns but for others, like India and Brazil, the crisis is very much still developing. Debate over responsibility for tackling the pandemic rages on, with the Trump administration launching a fresh attack on the World Health Organization.

Stay with us for news as it breaks, analysis and colour from correspondents, and the latest advice on how to keep safe.

Image source, EP

This morning, Australia was dealt another blow from its biggest trading partner, China. Barley exports will now face an 80% tariff from Beijing, their main market. For Canberra, it's the unhappy result of a years-long trade dispute and they may appeal to the World Trade Organization.

But stepping back from the trade matter, Australian observers are also fearing that this move is retribution for virus matters.

Australia has been pushing for a global inquiry into the virus' origin and spread - against China's wishes. The campaign has gained momentum - with the EU now on board too and advocating a review through the World Health Organization.

China has denied that its trade move is linked to that, but there is alarm in Australia. Last week, its four top beef producers had their China imports suspended. And last month, China's ambassador warned of a consumer boycott if Australia continued with the inquiry.

Canberra called this a threat of "economic coercion". It's vowed to stick with its values, and go ahead with the probe.

Valeria Perasso
Social Affairs correspondent, BBC World Service

Image source, Courtesy Lavorino/Perez

When Flavia Lavorino decided to have a baby through surrogacy, she looked Ukraine up on a map and calculated the distance.

Some 12,800km (8,000 miles) separate Buenos Aires, in Argentina, from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

"This was our last resort. We had stopped trying when we heard from a co-worker about trying for a baby through a gestational carrier in Ukraine, and we jumped at it," says Flavia.

Little could she predict that by the time the baby was born she would be stranded on the other side of the Atlantic due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Her son Manuel is now seven weeks old, but they have yet to meet him.

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The government of New Zealand is considering giving an additional holiday to boost domestic tourism. According to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, it's one potential idea for how to help the economy.

Tourism is a major economic sector in the country but with no international visitors, the industry is suffering badly.

"My message to Kiwis is, come and experience your own backyard and come and experience the cultural and hospitality here in Aotearoa," Ardern said on Tuesday.

New Zealand has over the past weeks eased what was one of the world's toughest lockdowns and the government says the virus is "currently eliminated" in the country.

The last thing anyone needs in the middle of a pandemic is a super cyclone.

But that's exactly what India is gearing up to contend with - millions are being evacuated and relief teams are on the ground as Cyclone Amphan bears down on its eastern coast. Two states - West Bengal and Odisha (formerly Orissa) are expected to be affected.

This has raised fears for the tens of thousands of migrants making their way back to villages from the cities, fleeing a harsh lockdown put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Many made the journey on foot after train and bus services were halted. Although special transport has been arranged in recent weeks, demand is so high many are continuing to walk. Evacuation arrangements are underway, but it is unclear if people currently in affected areas will be able to take shelter in time.

Amphan has intensified in strength over the last few days and is currently expected to make landfall as an "extremely severe" cyclonic storm. It is currently a "super cyclonic storm" but will likely slow down before it makes landfall.