US approaches four million coronavirus cases

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Police in England will be able to “use reasonable force” to remove customers from shops if they do not wear face coverings when the law comes into effect on Friday.

The new legislation means people will have to cover their mouth and nose in shops, post offices, banks, transport hubs and enclosed shopping centres.

Children under the age of 11, shop workers and those who have a “reasonable excuse” will be exempt.

The College of Policing says officers should be “professionally curious” to ensure that someone without a covering has a good reason for not wearing one.

But the guidance urges officers to only as a “last resort” issue a fixed penalty of £100 or make an arrest.

Luton and Blackburn with Darwen have both been added to a list of areas of concern by Public Health England, following a rise in Covid-19 infections.

They join Leicester and the neighbouring area of Oadby & Wigston, where local lockdowns are in place, on the list.

But health officials in Blackburn have said a local lockdown there will only happen as a very last resort.

According to PHE figures, the 10 local authorities with the highest rates of infection in the week to 19 July are:

• Blackburn (just under 80 cases per 100,000 people, up by 60% on last week)
• Leicester (just over 70 cases per 100,000 people, down by just over 35% on last week)
• Rochdale (just under 50 cases per 100,000 people, up by just over 40% on last week)
• Bradford (40 cases per 100,000 people, stable compared to previous week)
• Kirklees, Luton, Herefordshire, Rotherham, Sandwell and Calderdale all had between 20 and 30 cases per 100,000; among these, Herefordshire has fallen substantially, Sandwell has risen and the rest are stable)

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Uganda has recorded the country's first coronavirus death, according to a tweet by the country's ministry of health.

The ministry said the 34-year-old woman died in hospital on Tuesday after being admitted for pneumonia. Thirty people who potentially came into contact with her have been placed under quarantine and the contact tracing is underway for others who may have interacted with her.

Uganda has recorded 1,079 cases of coronavirus. The country began a phased easing of lockdown restrictions in May and on Wednesday allowed traders in one of the most congested areas of the capital, Kampala, to return to reopen their shops.

The country’s World Health Organization representative, Dr Yonas Tegegn Woldermariam, told reporters that the death does not indicate that Uganda should reinstate total lockdown as it will depend on various issues, including the number of infections and the capacity of health facilities.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has been one of a number of major events to be derailed by the coronavirus pandemic when its postponement was announced.

Over the years, many award-winning film directors have captured the Olympic Games and this time Japanese film director Naomi Kawase has been appointed as the official documentary-maker.

Talking Movies’ Carmen Roberts has obtained an exclusive interview with her in which the film-maker shares her plans for the official Olympic film.

Talking Movies can be seen on BBC World News.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Thousands of people have been protesting in Israel over the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Demonstrations have been growing over the economic crisis and growing unemployment caused by restrictions to curb the spread of the virus. It follows the passing of a law giving the government new powers to impose coronavirus restrictions.

Israel has seen more than 1,000 new infections a day in recent weeks. The prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said that in hindsight his government re-opened the economy too soon.

Shikma Schwartzman is a leader of the Black Flag movement leading the protests.

“It’s a complete mess, and there is no plan for how our country will get out of this crisis," she told BBC OS on World Service radio.

Listen to the full interview here.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Diners in the UK will soon be able to get money off their bill on certain days in August to encourage people to return to cafes, pubs and restaurants.

At least 32,000 businesses have signed up to the ''eat out to help out'' scheme, but how does it work?

• The promotion gives people a discount of up to 50% (and a maximum of £10 per person) when eating or drinking soft drinks in a participating restaurant or other food establishment
• It is valid all day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 3 to 31 August, in all parts of the UK that are not in a local lockdown
• The restaurant will deduct the money off the bill and claim it back from the government
• There is no limit on how many people can use the discount in one party

If that hasn't answered all your questions, you can find more information here.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Swimming pools, spas, funfairs, bowling alleys and community centres can all reopen in Northern Ireland from Friday as more lockdown restrictions are eased.

Spectators can also be present at outdoor sporting venues where access can be controlled and social distancing maintained, the Stormont Executive announced.

The number of people who can gather indoors in a home is increasing from six to 10, and a ban on overnight stays in other people’s homes is being lifted.

And from 1 August, ministers have the power to make the wearing of face coverings mandatory in shops but they said they will wait until 20 August before making a decision.

Read more on the changes to Covid-19 restrictions in Northern Ireland here

BBCCopyright: BBC

Jersey has delayed a further relaxation of lockdown restrictions.

The government says "until early August" the island will remain at level two of its coronavirus lockdown safe exit framework, which has been in place since 12 June.

The move follows advice from an expert panel that Covid-19 activity should be monitored for a further two weeks.

Level one is due to ease restrictions on gatherings and allow pubs and bars that do not serve food to reopen.

It is due to be introduced in stages, said the minister of health and social services.

Read more here.

Researchers in Germany say they have succesfully managed to train sniffer dogs to detect Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

A study by the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hannover, in co-operation with the German army, found that after a week of training, eight dogs were able to correctly differentiate infected samples from control samples in 94% of cases.

The researchers say the findings could be used to help identify the spread of the infection at public areas such as airports and sports events.

Other countries have also begun investigating the potential of sniffer dogs to detect the virus, including the UK.

The UK government says that 53 more people have died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus - bringing the national total to 45,554.

More than 297,000 cases have also been confirmed after 760 new infections were confirmed.

PA Media/CuprinolCopyright: PA Media/Cuprinol

The impact of Covid-19 has proved to be an unlikely inspiration to a handful of imaginative people shortlisted for the UK's annual Shed of the Year awards.

New categories for sheds built or transformed during lockdown have been added to the competition this year.

Hundreds of entries have been whittled down to a shortlist of 27 across nine categories, with a public vote deciding the winners for each category and a panel of experts picking the overall shed of the year.

Head judge and founder of the competition Andrew Wilcox said: "More than ever, the events of recent months have shown us what a valuable role sheds can play in our lives."

PA Media/CuprinolCopyright: PA Media/Cuprinol

PA Media/CuprinolCopyright: PA Media/Cuprinol

PA Media/CuprinolCopyright: PA Media/Cuprinol

PA MediaCopyright: PA Media

A coronavirus contact tracing app for Northern Ireland will be launched next week, the health committee has been told.

Dan West from the Department of Health said the release of Stop Covid NI was supported by the executive.

The app will supplement the phone-based contact tracing programme already in place.

Northern Ireland will be the first part of the UK to have a contact tracing app.

Read more here.

AFPCopyright: AFP

Baghdad International Airport fully reopened on Thursday, four months after it was closed due to the pandemic.

A Civil Aviation Authority spokesman said all incoming passengers must take a test 48 hours before boarding their flight.

He added that some outbound passengers are required to take a test several days before their flights.

Passengers will have their temperature checked on arrival at the airport.

Earlier on Thursday, coronavirus cases in Iraq surpassed 100,000. More than 4,122 people have died since the outbreak began.

The unemployment rate in Sweden has risen to its highest level in more than two decades, the country's statistics agency has said.

The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate among 16 to 64-year-olds reached 9.4% in June, up from 8.6% the previous month.

The figure is the highest since the late 1990s, when a severe economic crisis led to an all-time high of 11.7%.

The rate among young people is even higher, with 28% of 16-24 year olds out of work - a rise of more than 7% since January.

David Samuelsson, a statistician at Statistics Sweden, said the rise was mainly due to "those who have had temporary contracts and not gotten an extension", AFP news agency reported.

Young people, meanwhile, have been affected by a lower number of summer jobs, he added.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

The season opener of Major League Baseball begins tonight - at game where all fans are barred.

The first game will begin when Dr Anthony Fauci, a top US disease expert who is widely respected for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and other viral outbreaks, will throw out the opening pitch of the game as the reigning champion Washington Nationals host the New York Yankees in Washington DC.

Hours later the Los Angeles Dodgers will face off against the San Francisco Giants in LA.

The baseball season will be shortened to only 60 games per team, and there are loads of new rules to prevent players from infected each other.

Spitting is banned. As is licking your fingers to better grip the ball.

Despite the lack of spectators, one network - Fox Sports - says they will be virtually added fans to bleachers during matches it airs. The computer-generated fans will cheer, wear team colours and boo.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays are officially homeless after the Canadian government nixed their plan to host American teams there, and health officials in Pennsylvania also rejected the team's bid to use the Pittsburgh stadium as their home field.

At least seven children have tested positive for coronavirus at a summer camp in Switzerland's Graubünden region.

A further 196 people have been quarantined at the camp for 9-13 year olds, run by Christian youth organisation Adonia.

Health authorities say two people are in hospital care and that infections may rise when they get the test results of people in quarantine who have symptoms.

Around 33,500 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Switzerland since the country's outbreak began, and 2,000 have died. After peaking in March, new case numbers fell in June and the government began to ease lockdown measures.

But since then infections have been creeping up in different areas of the country. During the last two weeks, around 100 new cases have been reported every day on average.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Dyson is cutting 600 jobs in the UK and a further 300 worldwide as the coronavirus impact speeds up the company's restructuring plans.

The firm, best known for the invention of the bag-less vacuum cleaner, said the pandemic was changing consumer habits as more people shopped online.

Founded by inventor Sir James Dyson, it has a global workforce of 14,000, with 4,000 in the UK, but most of its products are manufactured in Asia.

Most of the jobs will be lost in retail and customer service roles.

Earlier this year the company joined the fight to produce medical ventilators for the NHS, amid fears it would be overwhelmed by coronavirus. But Sir James later told employees these were no longer needed.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Thousands of Spanish employees of the multinational aerospace giant, Airbus, have protested against job cuts at several of the firm’s plants.

Airbus is laying off almost 900 of its workers in Spain, adding to 700 already announced in February. It says the unparalleled pandemic-related crisis facing global aviation has made the extra cuts necessary.

In total, Airbus is shedding about 15,000 staff from its global operation, including 5,000 in both France and Germany.

Protester Jose Luis Collado, who has worked at the company for 41 years, told Reuters news agency that Airbus was "taking advantage" of the pandemic to push through job cuts.

"This is a temporary situation. It's going to pass and we don't understand why around 1,700 people of Airbus Spain have to be fired," said Mr Collado.

AFPCopyright: AFP

A group of medieval re-enactors are leading a modern-day crusade against coronavirus on the Swedish island on Gotland.

Donning full suits of armour and flying banners reading "Together we take responsibility", the group of eight knights is encouraging tourists to stay chivalrous and adhere to social distancing guidelines.

AFPCopyright: AFP

"We have three messages and those are: keep distance, wash your hands often and stay home if you're feeling unwell," project manager Lennart Borg told AFP news agency.

The band of modern-day knights are from a re-enactment society, Torneamentum, which holds jousting tournaments during the summer. Since the events have been cancelled due to coronavirus, they will be appearing at beaches and other places at risk of crowding.