Vicki Young
Chief Political Correspondent

It is an unusual situation that Dominic Cummings finds himself in.

Lots of people watching this will never have heard him speak publicly before.

But he is a campaigner - someone who works behind the scenes.

Even around Westminster, he speaks to journalists, but there are lots of MPs and cabinet ministers who don't know him particularly well.

Since he got the job at No 10 he has been focused on changing the way the government works as he has very strong opinions about that.

And, yes, he does pick fights.

He likes to get things done, he likes to change things, but of course the criticism of him is that he does antagonise people for the sake of it.

What has changed is coronavirus - so all those plans that Boris Johnson and he had for how they want to change the way that the country works? All of that has been swept aside for the time being.

Durham Constabulary has issued a further statement confirming that an officer spoke to Dominic Cummings' father on 1 April.

The force says: "Mr Cummings confirmed that his son, his son's wife and child were present at the property.

"He told the officer that his son and son's wife were displaying symptoms of coronavirus and were self-isolating in part of the property."

The force adds: "We can further confirm that our officer gave no specific advice on coronavirus to any members of the family and that Durham Constabulary deemed that no further action was required in that regard."

But the officer did "provide the family with advice on security issues".

Dominic Cummings is due to make a statement shortly following allegations he broke coronavirus lockdown rules.

Mr Cummings is more than just a run-of-the-mill adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

In many ways, the government's agenda has been forged by his ideas and Mr Johnson has relied heavily on his strategic insights into the mood of voters, gathered from focus groups.

Read his full profile here.

Just a few minutes to go now until we hear from the UK prime minister's chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, who is facing calls to resign - and not just from politicians.

There has been much anger from members of the public who did not travel to be closer to their families amid the crisis.

While we wait for the press conference to start, you can read some of their stories here.

A man who was unable to see his wife when she died with Covid-19 has expressed his anger over the handling of Dominic Cummings’s alleged lockdown breach in a letter to his MP.

John Wilson, from Buckinghamshire, said the lockdown prevented him from seeing his wife two weeks before her death on 29 March.

"On the day she died I could not be with her to hold her hand, I just sat by the telephone. I was not able to see her body," he wrote in the moving letter.

He addressed the letter, which has been shared widely on Twitter, to Greg Smith, Conservative MP for Buckingham.

In it, Mr Wilson asked what the MP’s view was on Dominic Cummings’s trip to the north of England, and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to back him.

In recent days, there has been a groundswell of calls from Labour and Tory MPs for Mr Cummings to quit to be fired.

On Monday, the Faculty of Public Health added to those calls, external, saying it supports an inquiry into “recent actions from government” that “appear to undermine essential public health messaging at this crucial time”.

Jonathan Blake
BBC political correspondent

It almost goes without saying that for a special adviser to a government minister to hold a press conference is highly unusual.

Their job is, broadly speaking, to provide advice to ministers on areas of policy and brief the media - keeping a low profile.

It would also, on first look, appear to be in contravention of the code of conduct for special advisers, which states they "must not take public part in political controversy”.

It’s a bit late for that though, as Dominic Cummings is now the centre of a highly controversial story himself.

Not for the first time, he is ignoring one of many unwritten rules in politics - that as soon as the adviser becomes the story, it’s time to go.

Image source, PA Media

Dominic Cummings, the prime minister's chief adviser, is set to make a public statement over allegations he broke coronavirus lockdown rules.

Here is a timeline of what has happened so far...

• 23 March: Boris Johnson tells the UK public they "must stay at home", not meet friends or family members they do not live with, while those with symptoms have to self-isolate
• 27 March: Mr Cummings is seen leaving No 10 Downing Street, external. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps later tells the BBC that Cummings travelled to Durham on 27 or 28 March.
• 30 March: No 10 says Mr Cummings is self-isolating at home with coronavirus symptoms
• 31 March: Police in Durham are "made aware of reports that an individual travelled from London and was present at an address in the city". They say an officer spoke with Mr Cummings' father, and he confirmed his son had travelled with his family to the North East and was "self-isolating in part of the property".
• 5 April: An unnamed neighbour tells the Daily Mirror and the Guardian that Mr Cummings was seen in his parents' garden. Downing Street says "no comment"
• 12 April: Mr Cummings visits Barnard Castle, 30 miles from his parents' home in Durham, according to The Observer and Mirror
• 14 April: Mr Cummings is photographed in Downing Street for the first time since 27 March
• 19 April: He is seen in Durham by an unnamed witness, Observer and Mirror reports this month say. Downing Street says this is "false"

Read more on this story here.

Boris Johnson’s most senior adviser, Dominic Cummings, should “admit he made a mistake and apologise for that”, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.

She said there were "lots of questions about his account” of events to be answered when he gives a public statement this afternoon.

“Perhaps he should concede that he made a mistake, that he didn’t follow the rules and, instead of trying to retrospectively rewrite those rules, [he should] admit that he made a mistake and apologise for that,” Ms Sturgeon said.

In April, Ms Sturgeon faced a similar scandal when it emerged Scotland's chief medical officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, made two trips to her second home during the coronavirus lockdown.

Dr Calderwood resigned and apologised for her actions, after initially saying she planned to continue in the role.

At beaches across the United States, social distancing took a back seat to Memorial Day celebrations this past weekend, which marks the unofficial start of summer.

Despite climbing infections and virus deaths - 1.6 million and 97,722, respectively - some Americans opted for crowded gatherings at the country's beaches and boardwalks.

Image source, EPA

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

If you've just joined us, here's a quick roundup of the main stories from around the world today.

• Dominic Cummings, adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is set to give a press conference and take questions from journalists. He is under pressure to resign after he travelled 260 miles during the lockdown
• The death toll in the US is nearing 100,000. Here are some graphics from our team that show the outbreak in the US

• Japan has announced it is lifting its state of emergency having brought the spread of the virus under control, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said
• A domestic ban on travelling to the Greek islands has been lifted. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the country would open up to international tourism from 15 June
• Spain has also announced that it will open to international tourists from 1 July

Image source, Getty Images

The UK prime minister's chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, is set to give a statement and take questions from the press shortly amid a flurry of calls for him to resign.

He has faced criticism for driving 260 miles from London to County Durham to be closer to family during lockdown while his wife was showing symptoms of coronavirus.

Newspapers have also claimed he broke isolation to make a 30-mile trip while in the county, and that he returned to the area after coming back to London.

Boris Johnson has stood by his top aide, but critics from across the political spectrum - including his own party - say the government's lockdown message has been undermined and Mr Cummings should resign.

We will bring you all the updates from his statement on this page, and you can read more on the controversy here.

Image source, Reuters

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that a decision about whether some lockdown restrictions are to be eased will be made on Thursday.

This would see Scotland moving into phase one of a four-phase path out of lockdown.

Ms Sturgeon said any changes announced - which would initially be to allow outdoor activities - would start on Friday.

She also said a plan outlining how public transport could operate safely would be published tomorrow. But she emphasised that, for now, the message is to stay at home as much as possible.

Image source, Getty Images

Spain, the world's second most visited country, has announced it will lift its two-week quarantine rule on arriving overseas visitors from 1 July.

Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said the "worst was behind us".

"In July we will gradually open Spain to international tourists, lift the quarantine, ensure the highest standards of health safety," she tweeted.

Earlier, Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto called on tourists to start booking holidays for July.

Earlier this month, EU officials promised that summer is not cancelled in Europe.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Image source, PA Media

The ability of police to deliver the lockdown message may have been "damaged" by the Dominic Cummings case, says the acting crime and victims’ commissioner for Durham police.

The PM's chief adviser travelled 260 miles with his family to be near relatives when his wife developed Covid-19 symptoms.

Speaking on Radio 4's World at One, Steve White said: "I think if you lose the trust of people then, yes, it will be damaged. Policing works on trust."

Durham police have released a statement saying they intend to investigate other allegations. The Observer and Sunday Mirror said Mr Cummings did not stay indoors while in Durham and made another trip there after returning to London in April.

Mr White said he expected police to speak to Mr Cummings.

"I was a police officer for over 30 years so I know the resources that are available, I know the approach that would normally be taken in these circumstances which are a little bit extraordinary. Yes, of course, it's going to involve talking to people."

Image source, AFP

US President Donald Trump has threatened to move the 2020 Republican convention from North Carolina due to coronavirus restrictions there.

North Carolina is still in phase two of its reopening - large gatherings there are still not allowed., external

Mr Trump said that Governor Roy Cooper could not guarantee that full attendance would be allowed at the venue in August.

He said that if he wasn't given an answer as to whether everyone could attend, he would move the convention elsewhere.

Mr Trump has been urging governors to open up their states for weeks now.

The death toll in the US is fast approaching 100,000.

The Palestinian government has announced it is ending a two-month lockdown to combat coronavirus in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian PM Mohammed Shtayyeh said shops and businesses would be able to open as normal from Tuesday, while government employees would return to work on Wednesday after the Eid holiday.

Cafes and restaurants will also be reopened in the coming days, but with restrictions in place.

Mr Shtayyeh stressed the reopening would be done with caution. Three deaths and more than 400 cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the West Bank.

Image source, Getty Images

Germany’s flagship airline Lufthansa has agreed to a multi-billion-euro aid deal with the country’s government, as the company seeks to shore up its finances amid the coronavirus pandemic, reports say.

The agreement is expected to be approved on Monday by the government at a meeting of a committee tasked with managing the economic fallout of the pandemic.

Lufthansa's supervisory board is also due to meet to discuss the rescue package, believed to be worth around nine billion euros ($9.8bn; £8bn), AFP news agency reports.

Once approved, the deal will need to be signed off by the airline’s shareholders and the competition regulator, the European Commission.

Many of the world’s major airlines are experiencing financial woes during the pandemic, as travel restrictions place substantial curbs on travel.

Read more: How will airlines get flying again?

Image source, EPA

A second suspected case of a mink transmitting the coronavirus to a human has been detected in the Netherlands, the country’s agriculture ministry has said.

The infection is believed to have happened at a mink-breeding farm where there had been a virus outbreak among the animals, it said.

“All possible measures are under consideration,” agriculture minister Carola Schouten wrote in a letter to parliament, external.

The minister said there was a “negligible” risk of animal-to-human transmission of the virus outside the mink farms.

Last week, the ministry said a farm worker was infected with a coronavirus strain that was genetically similar to one circulating among mink. Since then, vets have expressed concern and fear many of the animals may need to be culled.

Mink, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals, are raised for their fur.

The first cases of the coronavirus were linked to a market where wild animals were sold in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Most disease experts agree the virus was transmitted to humans by an animal, possibly a bat.

The PM's chief adviser Dominic Cummings is to make a public statement and take questions over allegations he broke coronavirus lockdown rules.

Mr Cummings is facing calls from Labour and some Tory MPs to quit or be fired.

He travelled 260 miles with his family to be near relatives when his wife developed Covid-19 symptoms.

Boris Johnson insists his aide acted legally and within guidelines - but critics say the government's lockdown message has been undermined.

The prime minister made a statement on Sunday in an attempt to draw a line under the row - but Conservative MPs have continued to call for Mr Cummings' dismissal.

Mr Cummings has been under fire since the Guardian and Daily Mirror reported that he had been seen in County Durham, at his family's farm during lockdown.

Read the full story here

Image source, EPA

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe referred to his government's handling of the outbreak as a "Japan model" that achieved good results, before acknowledging some problems and delays.

It comes as the country lifted its nationwide state of emergency, ending restrictions in the remaining areas where the order was still in effect.

At a press conference, Mr Abe said: "We had very stringent criteria for lifting the state of emergency. We have judged that we have met this."

Japan has been easing restrictions since mid-May, but kept some areas, such as Tokyo, included, and kept them under watch to ensure the outbreak had been contained.