Image source, EPA

In the Australian city of Melbourne, police have been seen patrolling the deserted streets after a night-time curfew was imposed to stem the spread of Covid-19.

As we reported earlier, Victoria, where Melbourne is based, has declared a state of disaster after lockdown measures introduced in July failed to curtail coronavirus cases.

Now even stricter restrictions have been implemented by Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews, who said he was not prepared to see more residents “choked to death by an invisible enemy”.

Image source, EPA

Under the curfew, which came into effect on Sunday, Melbourne residents are not allowed outside from 20:00 to 05:00.

Pictures of empty streets from Melbourne suggest many residents have complied by the new rules, which police have new powers to enforce.

Other images showed people waiting in line for the supermarket, hours before the curfew was due to start.

Read the full story about Victoria’s new lockdown rules here

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Schools are an "absolute priority" and will be safe in time for children to return in September, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has said.

It comes after unions called for more clarity amid a rising number of coronavirus cases, which postponed the easing of some restrictions.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Jenrick said getting pupils back into the classroom is "so important for the future of our children and for the whole country".

He also said he believed schools would be safe in September.

"We publish very detailed guidelines, and of course we are going to keep working with head teachers over the course of August, as they finalise their own plans as to how schools can operate safely and in accordance with the guidelines."

Schools in England are due to reopen in September. There are separate plans for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

For more information on schools reopening click here.

Image source, Reuters

At least 18 police officers were injured while attempting to disperse crowds at a protest against coronavirus lockdown measures in the German capital Berlin.

Berlin police said, external three of its officers were receiving treatment in hospital, without specifying their injuries.

The force had deployed more than 1,000 officers to monitor Saturday’s protest, which officials said was attended by about 20,000 people.

Organisers had declared Saturday a "day of freedom" from months of coronavirus restrictions, with demonstrators holding banners featuring such slogans as "Corona, false alarm".

But police eventually broke up the protest, saying organisers had not respected coronavirus hygiene regulations.

Germany has been less badly affected by the pandemic than some European countries, but cases are rising.

Read more: Thousands protest in Germany against restrictions

Image source, Reuters

The president of the Philippines is to chair a meeting with his cabinet ministers to discuss the worsening situation caused by the Covid-19 crisis in the country.

Sunday’s meeting comes as the country registered 5,032 additional coronavirus infections, its largest single-day increase on record, taking the country's confirmed cases to 103,185.

The cabinet is expected to discuss a demand from health professionals in the Philippines to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases.

Organisations representing nearly two million health workers in the country have appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to reimpose a strict lockdown in and around the capital Manila.

In a letter to the president, 80 organisations, led by the College of Physicians, wrote they were "losing the battle" against coronavirus.

The country has the second-highest number of infections in south-east Asia, after Indonesia.

The three-month lockdown in Manila - one of the longest and strictest in the world - was lifted in June.

If you’re just joining us, welcome to our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. As cases rise across the world, strict lockdowns are making a return.

In case you missed them, here are some of the main developments on Sunday:

• The Australian state of Victoria has declared a state of disaster and imposed new lockdown rules after it failed to curtail a recent rise in coronavirus cases
• The US Republican Party has barred journalists from the convention at which it will confirm Donald Trump’s nomination for November’s presidential election, citing Covid-19 concerns
• India has reported more than 50,000 new infections of coronavirus for the third consecutive day
• Thousands of protesters have gathered in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and elsewhere to call for the resignation of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu over corruption allegations and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic
• Teachers and parents have asked for "greater clarity" on the reopening of schools in the UK, amid a rise in coronavirus cases
• Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from the US Open because of the coronavirus pandemic, saying it "hurts me at my core" to miss the tennis tournament
• South Africa has reported more than half a million coronavirus cases to date, a grim new milestone for the country's epidemic

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A further five people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, NHS England has said.

This brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths in English hospitals to 29,347.

Patients were aged between 52 and 86 years old. All had known underlying health conditions.

Amitabh Bachchan, one of India's best known film actors, has been discharged from hospital after testing negative for Covid-19, his son has announced.

In a tweet his son, Abhishek, said his father "will now be at home and rest".

Bachchan, 77, has been involved in 200 films in five decades as a film star, earning him national-treasure status in India.

He and Abhishek, who also tested positive for Covid-19, were taken to Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai on 11 July.

Abhishek, 44, described them both as having mild symptoms at the time.

Image source, EPA

Thousands of protesters in Israel have taken to the streets to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over allegations of corruption and mishandling the coronavirus crisis.

An estimated 10,000 people gathered outside Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem and marched through the city on Saturday.

At least 12 people were arrested for refusing to heed repeated calls by authorities to disperse on their own, police said.

Thousands more demonstrated outside Netanyahu’s private residence in the northern town of Caesarea, and at bridges and highway overpasses across the country.

Image source, EPA

In Tel Aviv, a march against unemployment, economic hardship and rising numbers of Covid-19 infections drew hundreds more.

There have been weeks of co-ordinated protests against Netanyahu, who is currently on trial on corruption charges, which he denies.

He has also been accused of lifting the coronavirus lockdown too quickly, leading to a rise in infections.

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Mexico has reported a further 9,556 coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, its highest daily increase in cases yet, as the country struggles to bring its epidemic under control.

The country - among the worst affected in Latin America - has now recorded a total of 434,193 infections, the six-highest figure in the world.

Another 784 fatalities related to the virus were also reported on Sunday, a new daily record that brought the death toll to 47,472.

On Saturday, Mexico became the country with the third-highest number of coronavirus deaths in the world, overtaking the UK.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is eager to restart the country's flagging economy, but critics say he was slow to impose lockdown measures and has lifted them too quickly, leading to a rise in coronavirus cases.

Image source, PA Media

There are currently no plans to shut pubs after a rise in coronavirus transmissions in England, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has said.

When asked on Times Radio whether the government would look to close pubs in such an event, he says: "We don't have any plans to do that."

He said schools will return to full capacity next month and are a "priority for the government when we have to make those tough choices".

It comes after a scientist advising the government said on Saturday that pubs or "other activities" in England may need to close to allow schools to reopen next month.

Prof Graham Medley told the BBC there may need to be a "trade-off", with the re-opening of schools seen as a "priority" for children's wellbeing.

Image source, Google

A cluster of 13 cases of Covid-19 linked to a pub in Aberdeen is being investigated by public health officials.

NHS Grampian said the cases were associated with The Hawthorn Bar in Howburn Place in the city centre.

The pub said the outbreak was linked to customers who visited on 26 July.

All those who tested positive are showing only mild symptoms, though the health board said there may be further cases linked to the cluster.

The Hawthorn bar said physical distancing measures were in place and contact tracing was being carried out in line with the Scottish government's Test and Protect scheme.

Read more

America’s top infectious diseases expert was “wrong” to suggest the US has seen a rise in coronavirus infections because its lockdown was not strict enough, President Donald Trump has said.

Dr Anthony Fauci told US Congress that the disparity between the outbreak in the US and those of European countries can be attributed to the extent lockdown measures were introduced.

Fauci said most European countries shut their economies down by 95%, while the US only closed its economy by half.

President Trump disagreed, tweeting: “We have more cases because we have tested far more than any other country.”

Trump has repeatedly claimed the US has the highest number of cases in the world - more than 4.6 million as it stands - because of its testing regime.

The US has carried out more than 56 million coronavirus tests to date, according to the latest data, external.

That is more than any other western country, but health experts say the increase in positive cases in recent weeks cannot be attributed to the rise in testing alone.

Read more: Has China or the US tested more?

Former Tory Cabinet minister David Gauke has said he believes the UK government will use tax rises and budget cuts to soften the economic blow caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The ex-chief secretary to the Treasury told Times Radio the UK would have to accept living with high levels of debt for a "longer period of time".

"I think we are still going to be left with increased pressures on spending, a smaller economy because the economy will be scarred to some extent," Gauke said.

He said to offset the financial impact of the pandemic, the UK government may need to use what he called "fiscal consolidation".

"That's either spending cuts or tax rises to get the public finances on a sustainable footing," Gauke said.

Image source, Reuters

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has described reports on plans to introduce more shielding for older people as "just speculation."

Speaking to Times Radio, he said: "You would expect the government to be considering all of the range of options that might be available.

"That's not something that is being actively considered."

Asked whether there were plans to put London under lockdown if Covid rates increased, he added: "Not as far as I'm aware.

"We're taking a very localised approach following the data and I'm working, for example, with each of the directors of public health in the London boroughs who are monitoring the rate of transmission in their own areas very closely.

"There is no plan, as far as I'm aware, to do anything broader in London."

Image source, PA Media

More than six million people in England live in areas on a Covid-19 watchlist, which could end in a tightened lockdown like in Leicester and parts of the north if coronavirus is not brought back under control.

What happens if your town goes on the list?

Every week, Public Health England publishes a list of areas it is concerned about based on new coronavirus infection rates and other local intelligence.

These places are categorised as either "areas of concern", "areas of enhanced support" or "areas of intervention".

Measures range from increased testing to stricter lockdowns.

Read more

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A US Democratic congressman has lambasted Republicans who “selfishly make a political statement” by refusing to wear a face mask, after he tested positive for coronavirus.

Raúl Grijalva condemned the behaviour of Republicans in the corridors of the Capitol building, accusing them of putting lives at risk.

Grijalva said he went into quarantine immediately after his positive diagnosis, but was not experiencing symptoms and was feeling well.

“While I cannot blame anyone directly for this, this week has shown that there are some members of Congress who fail to take this crisis seriously,” the Arizona Democrat said.

“Numerous Republican members routinely strut around the Capitol without a mask to selfishly make a political statement at the expense of their colleagues, staff, and their families.”

At a congressional hearing this week, Grijalva sat near the Republican congressman for Texas, Louie Gohmert, who later tested positive.

Gohmert has frequently refused to put on a mask and even suggested he may have contracted the virus through wearing one incorrectly.

The wearing of face coverings has become mired in partisan acrimony in the US, with President Donald Trump at times contributing to the division.

Read more: Why are Americans so angry about masks?

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New homes and hospitals will be granted "automatic" permission to be built as part of sweeping planning reforms in England, the housing secretary says.

Robert Jenrick announced a "permission in principle" will be given to developments on land designated "for renewal" to speed-up building.

It comes after the PM pledged £5bn to "build, build, build" to help soften the economic impact of coronavirus.

Housing charity Shelter has warned against any reforms that lead to "bad-quality" housing, and says 280,000 homes received permission in England between 2011 and 2016 - but were never built.

James Jamieson, the chair of the Local Government Association, said the idea that planning was a barrier to house building was "a myth".

But Mr Jenrick said the country's "outdated and cumbersome" planning system had contributed to a generational divide between those who are homeowners and those who are not.

Read the full story here

Image source, JUSTIN DEW

Couples due to get married had hoped that from 1 August, receptions of up to 30 people would be allowed in England as the government started planning to ease restrictions.

But last week, due to an increase in cases, the government announced that receptions can still only be attended, external by a group of six people outside, or two households inside, meaning brides and grooms have to change or cancel their plans, again.

For Justin Dew and his fiancee, Kay, their day on 14 August will be a far cry from the 90-guest wedding they had originally planned.

The couple had cut the guest list to 30 but, following the latest announcement, have cancelled their reception completely.

However, they are going ahead with the ceremony.

"We thought about it and we've decided that the most important thing is to get married," says Justin, 43, from Essex.

"We we want something positive to come out of this so come hell or high water we'll be husband and wife on 14 August."

To find out more about wedding restrictions click here

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For the fourth day in a row, India has recorded more than 50,000 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total in the country to more than 1.7 million.

Most of the new cases, more than 30,000 of them, were detected in the south-eastern state of Andhra Pradesh, now one of the worst-affected areas in the country.

India had early success in mitigating the virus, after the government took the decision - in March - to stop all international flights and enter a strict lockdown that lasted nearly two months.

But the restrictions came at a devastating economic and human cost, and after India reopened at the end of June and testing increased, case numbers soared.

Now many states are imposing new, targeted lockdowns.

The Indian government has stressed that despite the rising number of infections, the death rate remains relatively low compared to other countries.

Read more: Why won't India admit how Covid-19 is spreading?

A woman with incurable cancer has been reunited with her mother for the first time since March.

Shielding against coronavirus has ended for two million people in most of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Michelle Teale, from Leicester, said she felt elated after being able to see her mother, who lives in Cleethorpes.