We're beginning to get more details on that eagerly awaited recovery fund for the EU.

The package is reported to be worth more than €500bn ($545bn; £448bn) and the full details will be spelt out by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen shortly.

We'll bring you live updates of the announcement from 12:30 BST (11:30 GMT).

Italy and Spain - the two worst-affected countries in the bloc - will receive most of the recovery fund, a senior official has told Reuters news agency.

Italy could receive more than €170bn, while Spain could be set to receive €140bn, according to AFP. About half of this financial help will consist of loans, the news agency reported.

You can read our full story here.

The governor of California raised a smile in his briefing as he admitted that his family had cut his hair during lockdown. He joked that his three children had ignored social distancing rules when attacking what his wife referred to as his "mullet".

Forty million Americans call California home, and most of them will now be able to go to a professional barber or hairdresser, avoiding the same fate as Governor Gavin Newsom.

Staff and clients are required to wear face masks, wash or sanitise hands, and socially distance, among other hygiene measures.

Image source, Getty Images

The 2020 Netball Superleague season in the UK has been terminated with immediate effect because of the pandemic.

The season was originally suspended on 15 March after only three full rounds of fixtures.

Governing body England Netball have said that a "standalone short-form" competition could be held in autumn if "achievable and safe to do so".

The sold-out Grand Final, scheduled for the Copper Box Arena in London on 4 July, will no longer go ahead and fans with tickets will be offered a refund.

Read more

Image source, Getty Images

All non-essential retailers will be able to reopen in England from 15 June, as part of the government's plans to further ease the lockdown.

But how safe will it be to pick something up in a shop? And is there a solution that has been overlooked?

Speaking to the BBC, Professor Bill Keevil of the University of Southampton said: "Superbug bacteria, flu, norovirus and coronavirus can survive on touch surfaces for days, which is why it is so important to wash hands and regularly clean all touch surfaces (like door handles).

"In contrast, when we looked at copper and copper alloys we found that all these pathogens were killed within minutes.

"When something lands on a copper surface they liberate copper ions which attack cell walls - and that destroys the genetic material so that they cannot mutate."

The World Health Organization has warned that Latin America has become the epicentre of the crisis and Brazil is the worst-hit in the region by far.

Health experts in Brazil have warned that the real number of confirmed infections may be far higher than the official records, due to a lack of testing.

A study by the University of Washington found that the country could record more than 125,000 deaths by early August, that's almost a five-fold increase on its current total of 24,512.

The prediction followed Brazil's daily death toll surpassing that of the United States for the first time. It recorded 807 deaths on Monday, while 620 people died in the US.

Image source, Getty Images

A number of UN agencies have called for urgent action to designate sea and air crews as key workers.

In a joint statement, the UN's maritime, labour and aviation agencies said that worldwide travel restrictions had left crews stranded around the world.

It said a key worker designation would allow crews on board vessels, such as fishing boats and cargo ships, to more easily changeover and return home.

"We are seeking the support of governments to facilitate crew changes, operations essential to maintain the global cargo supply chain," the statement said.

It added that by next month tens of thousands of seafarers will need international flights to be repatriated safely. It said that many had extended their service on board ships because they cannot be replaced.

You can read more about the difficulties facing crews at sea here.

A market trader in Peru has been arrested for selling fake certificates, showing a person is clear of Covid-19, to fellow stall holders.

The fruit market in La Victoria, Lima, recently reopened after a Covid-19 outbreak.

Rules imposed by the mayor, George Forsyth (a former international footballer) meant traders needed a certificate before they could work.

The woman allegedly sold the certificates for 50 soles (£12; $15) and was arrested while apparently making a sale.

Claims that hydroxychloroquine could prove a viable treatment for coronavirus have been dealt a new blow after France stopped doctors from using the anti-malarial drug for Covid-19 patients. But where is it still being used and who is continuing to research it?

In the US, the Food and Drug Administration allowed "emergency use" in hospital settings, but warned against using to treat Covid-19 in other settings - apart from clinical trials - because of the risks of heart problems.

Brazil has relaxed restrictions on the drug, allowing it to be used in mild cases as well as for those seriously ill in hospital.

And the Indian government has expanded its use as a preventative medicine to all healthcare workers

No clinical study has recommended the drug for coronavirus treatment and the World Health Organization this week temporarily suspended its trials over safety fears.

But other studies are under way, including one by Swiss drugmaker Novartis in the US and a global study by the University of Oxford-backed Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit in Thailand.

Also, Nigeria has vowed to press ahead with clinical trials of the related drug chloroquine despite the WHO decision.

Read more on hydroxychloroquine here

Roger Harrabin
BBC Environment Analyst

Image source, Getty Images

This crisis is causing the biggest fall in global energy investment in history.

Before the pandemic, funding was set to rise by 2%. Now it’s predicted to plunge by 20%, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Fossil fuels are hit hardest, with a 30% funding drop expected for oil and a 15% fall for coal.

Meanwhile, investment in renewables is down 10% - but much more is needed if we are to bring about a lasting reduction in global emissions.

You can read more here.

Image source, AFP

More now on that big announcement expected from Brussels on financial help for the EU.

Whether the recovery package amounts to €500bn ($545bn; £448bn) or even a potential €1 trillion, the details of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's plans are eagerly awaited.

At 13:30 Brussels time (12:30 in the UK), she'll say how the Commission plans to fund the recovery package and how it'll be paid out to countries that need it.

Italy (with 32,955 Covid-19 deaths) and Spain (27,940 deaths) want economic help in the form of grants rather than loans. Germany has agreed with France that the money should be raised on capital markets - which is a big shift for Berlin in terms of joint borrowing of debt by EU countries.

Not everyone is happy - the "four frugal" states of Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark are unconvinced. But all 27 will need to agree.

The big questions are:

• Who gets the money and how?
• How will the debts be repaid and over how long?
• Will the EU impose a tax on multinationals? Or a levy on plastics and CO2 emissions?

Image source, Getty

The French government has said doctors are no longer allowed to use hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus patients after two advisory bodies said it could pose serious health risks.

The drug, normally used to treat malaria, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, was promoted by French virologist Didier Raoult, who met President Emmanuel Macron to discuss its possibility as a treatment for Covid-19.

US President Donald Trump said he was taking the drug to prevent the illness and it has also been endorsed by Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, but no clinical studies have recommended its use for coronavirus and health officials have warned it could cause heart problems.

So, what do we know about hydroxychloroquine?

Take a look at this Reality Check piece here.

Image source, Reuters

Th European Commission will unveil recovery plans later today as the continent slowly leaves lockdown. Here’s the latest from Europe:

• Ursula von der Leyen will lay out a plan to finance the EU's economic recovery later on Wednesday. It comes after France and Germany suggested the commission borrow €500bn ($545bn; £448bn) from financial markets for a recovery fund. You can read more about it here
• Germany has extended social distancing rules until 29 June. Up to 10 people will be allowed to meet together in public but Germans should still try to see as few people as possible, according to rules agreed by the 16 federal states and the government in Berlin
• Wednesday marks the start of Spain’s 10 days of national mourning for the victims of the outbreak. More than 27,000 people have died in the country, which has recorded 236,259 cases
• And Luxembourg has begun reopening outdoor areas in bars and restaurants as it eases its lockdown measures. According to Johns Hopkins University the country has had 110 deaths and 3,995 confirmed infections

Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Rory McIlroy has been pretty relentless with his pressure on the issue of not playing the Ryder Cup behind closed doors.

He is the world number one, and Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka have also said similar things. So the top three players in the world have all publicly said the biennial event between Europe and the US should not to be played this year if spectators are not able to attend.

They are very loud and influential voices. This puts a lot of pressure on the organisers, who are very keen for it to be played if possible, largely because of lucrative television contracts.

The match isn’t until late September so a decision could be made around the end of June. It is a logistical nightmare across the board if you move it to 2021 because you have to look at the knock-on effect to things like the Presidents Cup, between the US and the rest of the world, the Solheim Cup, which is the women’s version of the Ryder Cup, and the Olympics.

Qualifying for the respective teams is very hard to see as well although we do know that the European Tour is likely to start again shortly and the PGA Tour in the US will also get going again in the near future.

Image source, Australian Maritime Safety Authority

Having a hard time buying face masks? Thousands of them have washed up on a beach near Sydney. They are from a big cargo vessel on its way from China to Melbourne.

Bad weather forced the APL England to change course and head to Brisbane instead. But the ship still took a battering from the storm, and some 40 of the containers toppled into the sea.

Aside from household appliances and building materials, they also contained medical supplies - including the surgical masks.

Image source, Getty Images

More on Brazil, which is by far the worst affected country in South America.

A study by the University of Washington has warned that the country's death toll could climb to 125,000 by early August.

That's a five-fold increase from its current recorded tally of 24,500.

“Brazil must follow the lead of Wuhan, China, as well as Italy, Spain, and New York by enforcing mandates and measures to gain control of a fast-moving epidemic," wrote Dr Christopher Murray, who worked on the study.

The stark prediction came shortly after Brazil's daily death toll surpassed that of the United States for the first time. It recorded 807 deaths on Monday, while 620 people died in the US.

Health experts in Brazil have warned that the real number of confirmed infections may be far higher than the official records, due to a lack of testing.

And far-right president Jair Bolsonaro has been strongly criticised both at home and abroad for his handling of the crisis. He has downplayed the virus as "a little flu" and said its spread is inevitable.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has also been speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme about the plan for local lockdowns.

The could focus on "quite small" individual outbreaks, he explained.

He said the test, trace and isolate system to be unveiled later today is intended to be "sophisticated" and "able to identify flare-ups in particular places" such as "a school or a workplace, a hospital".

The government could then take action, he said, "which will be restrictive on the people who live or work there" and needed to be done "fairly". But that action would allow "greater freedom to millions of other people across the country", Mr Jenrick said.

He also said the government had "greater certainty today than I think we’ve ever had" that supplies of protective equipment were sufficient to meet demand in hospitals, GP surgeries and care comes, with two billion items being manufactured in the UK and a "more stable" international supply chain.

Read more about the local lockdown plan

France's economy is set to shrink by roughly 20% in the second quarter as a result of the country's tough lockdown measures, the statistics office Insee said.

It contracted by nearly 6% in the first quarter, according to Insee.

Economic activity was functioning at 21% below usual levels after the easing of the lockdown, which was in place from mid-March to early May, it added.

But consumer spending improved to 6% below normal levels after shops were allowed to reopen after nearly two months. Earlier in May it was 33% below normal levels.

If activity were to rebound to pre-crisis levels by July, Insee said that France's economy could contract 8% for the whole of 2020.

In terms of deaths per million people, Ecuador is the worst affected country in South America. The country has a population of 17 million people, with around 3,200 deaths officially linked to Covid-19.

The country did not record a case until the end of February - the first patient arrived from Madrid - with no deaths until the middle of March.

But after Ecuador was accused of under-reporting figures, daily deaths increased sharply at the end of April, reaching a peak of 410 on 10 May. In April, the port city of Guayaquil was one of the worst-hit places in Latin America.

A number of reasons have been suggested for Ecuador's plight, including densely-populated cities, a slow response in places, and people returning from visits to Europe in February and early March.

Although the "death curve" is now flattening, Ecuador has imposed cuts to public spending, leading to street protests.

Image source, Getty Images

UK Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick says it is time to “move on” from the row over Dominic Cummings’ trip to Durham.

More than 35 Conservative MPs have called for the prime minister's chief aide to leave his job but, when asked about that, Jenrick told the BBC: “No, he shouldn’t.

“He has given his explanation to the prime minister, who listened and concluded that he’d acted reasonably and legally.

“The prime minister asked him to give that statement on Monday to the public and to answer questions from journalists, he answered them for over an hour and now, I think, is the time for us all to move on.

“That’s not to say this isn’t an important issue or that people don’t care about it, but I think there’s a lot more that we need to focus on now.”

Jenrick also said there will not be a "formal review" over fines for those travelling for childcare. "It's for the police to decide whether to impose fines under the law," he said.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he would look at the issue with his Treasury colleagues on Tuesday.

Reality Check

Image source, Shelley Atkins

5G masts continue to be the innocent victims of the coronavirus pandemic.

Let's be clear: They're not to blame for virus. Who would blame 5G for a pandemic, you ask? Well, there's a conspiracy theory out there that somehow manages to link the two.

The BBC Reality Check team has checked out the false claim and many others.