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Johnson and Starmer observe minute's silence

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson observed a minute’s silence for key workers, from No 10 Downing Street.
Alongside Johnson were Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill and Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the main opposition Labour Party, also paid his respects.

Austria further relaxes lockdown

Bethany Bell - BBC News, Vienna
Austria has announced further steps to relax its lockdown.
As of 1 May, events with groups of up to 10 people will be allowed, although people will be asked to stay a metre apart.
The recommendations to stay at home except for a few key reasons expire on 30 April and will not be renewed.
However working from home is still encouraged. Hotels will be allowed to reopen on 29 May, if all goes well.
Small shops have already reopened, with all shops to follow from 1 May. Restaurants and cafes are set to restart business on 15 May.
Austria, which imposed a lockdown early on its outbreak, has reported around 15,000 cases of coronavirus, with 569 deaths.

BBC Radio 5 Live focuses on wellbeing during lockdown

How are you coping during lockdown? Throughout the day, BBC Radio 5 Live is focusing on how people can look after their own wellbeing, and how to help other people, as part of #WellbeingLive.
What has worked for you? Text 85058 | @BBC5Live
Click here for live coverage and tips.

One in seven UK mortgages on payment break

One in every seven UK mortgages is currently subject to a payment holiday amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to new figures from trade association UK Finance.
As of Friday 24 April, lenders had granted more than 1.6m mortgage payment holidays.
The holiday scheme, introduced for some homeowners, was one of the schemes introduced by the UK government to ease the financial burden of the lockdown.

Total UK deaths see sharp rise

Nearly 25,000 deaths from all causes were recorded in the UK in week of the Easter bank holiday - 108% above the expected number for this time of year.
The figure of 24,686 was a further rise on last week's figure of 20,929 deaths, which itself was 76% above normal.
The figures for England, Wales and Northern Ireland are for the week 11-17 April, while the figures for Scotland are for the week 13-19 April.

The Uber driver who spent his last days alone

Rajesh Jayaseelan worked for years as an Uber driver in London - a city he loved and would often describe to his wife back in Bangalore, India.
But when Rajesh fell sick with coronavirus, his landlord evicted him and he was forced to sleep in his car. When he found another room to move into, the landlord told him to pay £4,000 ($5,000) up front.
Rajesh spent his final days in alone, terrified of being evicted again. When he found himself struggling to breathe, he went to hospital, where he died on 11 April.
His story highlights the disproportionate impact this pandemic is having on people in insecure work and housing. The BBC spoke to his widow, Mary, and his friend Sunil. Read more here.

The castle protecting its elderly residents

King's Castle has stood guard protecting the residents of Ardglass, Northern Ireland, for centuries.
Now a private nursing home, it is free from coronavirus after it was closed down to all visitors before Mother's Day, almost a fortnight before the Department of Health issued guidance to all care homes to ban visitors.

Call for action over UK care home deaths

The opposition Labour Party is calling on the UK government to take further action to prevent deaths in care homes, after new figures published this morning showed a steep rise in England and Wales.
The party's social care spokeswoman, Liz Kendall, wants ministers to appoint a "Chief Care Officer" specifically for the sector.
In a letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, she said the role would help give it the "national leadership, focus and attention" it deserves.
The party also wants a guarantee of protective kit for carers who assist people in their homes, as well as for care home staff.

Malaysian official fined for attending meal

Singapore admits current coronavirus figures may not tell the whole story, while a Malaysian minister falls foul of his own government's rules. Here is the latest from Asia:

• Malaysia's deputy health minister has been fined for violating the country's movement control order. Noor Azmi Ghazali has to pay $325 (£260) after a picture of him enjoying a meal at an Islamic school was uploaded to social media. Malaysia has introduced tough restrictions - and penalties - to stop the spread of the virus. Thousands have been prosecuted
  
• More than 2,200 Indonesians who were not recorded as having died with Covid-19 had acute symptoms of the disease, an investigation by Reuters news agency has found. Indonesia has recorded 765 deaths so far, but medical experts believe the figure is much higher
  
• The number of migrant workers infected with coronavirus in Singapore may be higher than current figures suggest, the director of medical services for the health ministry has said. The island nation currently has 15,000 confirmed cases - many of which are linked to the dormitories where many foreign workers live. However, Kenneth Mak said the numbers would eventually become clear, as each worker was being tested before they were allowed out of isolation
  

Scottish government recommends face coverings

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has unveiled new guidance by the Scottish government, saying people should cover their faces when outdoors.
Ms Sturgeon said residents should use a cloth covering when on public transport or in other settings where social distancing will be difficult.
She said it would not be mandatory or enforced at this stage but would be kept under review.
More than 10,700 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Scotland, an increase of 200 from yesterday.
A further 70 people with coronavirus have died, taking the total to 1,332 deaths in Scotland.

Getting ready to socialise again in Australia

Shaimaa Khalil - BBC News, Sydney
I woke up this morning to a message from one of my friends: “Iftar [breaking of the fast] at our place this Saturday?”
I didn’t quite understand until I read the attached screen grab. It was the government of New South Wales announcing a relative easing of social distancing restrictions.
Starting Friday, each household will be allowed two adult visitors with children. With a significant decline in new cases here, officials have said rules have been eased for mental health and social reasons.
This could not have come at a better time for our household - it’s the first week of Ramadan when people normally gather to break their fast.
Until now, that was not an option for me and my husband. But now, for the first time in more than five weeks, we’re making weekend plans to visit a couple of friends.
It’s all very exciting. I do hope I still remember my table manners!

'Vilified' Indian Muslims donate blood for plasma therapy

Zubair Ahmed - BBC News, Hindi

The Muslim congregation has been traced to hundreds of positive cases

Members of an Indian Islamic organisation are volunteering to donate blood for plasma therapy after their congregation sparked dozens of Covid-19 clusters across the country.
More than 1,000 positive cases were linked to an event organised by the Tablighi Jamaat in the capital Delhi in March.
The incident caused massive outrage and led to reports of Islamophobia from across the country.
One donor, Farooq Basa, told the BBC: "The media had demonised us after some of us had tested positive for the virus. But by the grace of Allah this will help improve our image."
Plasma therapy involves transfusing antibody-rich blood into Covid-19 patients. However, it is still in a trial stage in many countries including India.
Read the full story here

New record for Russian infections

Officially the total of new coronavirus infections in Russia has overtaken the totals for China and Iran.
On Tuesday the Russian government reported a record daily rise in new cases – 6,411 – bringing the total to 93,558. Moscow has the most cases, compared with other Russian regions.
The number of deaths rose to 867.
Deaths are still far below those for the worst-hit countries, such as the US and Italy, but Russia’s numbers are rising daily.
Some medics do not believe the official data and are naming fellow medics they say have died from Covid-19. The list – 72 names so far – is posted on Facebook by Dr Vladimir Budiansky.
And an opposition website, Open Media, reports that dozens of nurses have quit a Moscow hospital – Kommunarka – where allegedly they were underpaid and lacking necessary protective kit. The management disputes their claims.