Image source, Reuters

President Trump has said he will start election campaigning next week, with his first rally scheduled for next Friday in Oklahoma.

"We're going to be starting our rallies. We believe the first one will probably be in Oklahoma, Tulsa, Oklahoma," he told reporters. "They're all going to be big."

Trump hopes to be reelected for a second term in November - but his poll numbers see him trailing behind Democrat opponent Joe Biden.

Both the handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and the Black Lives Matters movement, seem to have dented his popularity.

Due to virus restrictions, political rallies - which were key to his 2016 campaigning - had been impossible in recent weeks.

David Shukman
Science editor, BBC News

Image source, Getty

The simple answer is that the nearer you are to someone who is infected, the greater the risk of catching the virus.

The World Health Organization says that a distance of 1m is safe, external. Some countries have adopted this guidance, while others, including the UK, have gone further:

• 1m distancing rule - China, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Lithuania, Singapore
• 1.4m - South Korea
• 1.5m - Australia, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal
• 1.8m - US
• 2m - Canada, Spain, UK

• Read more from David here

The government is facing calls from Conservative backbenchers to drop the 2m (6ft) social distancing rule in England.

Government MPs, including former cabinet ministers Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Damian Green, say it is essential for the economy.

Sir Iain has warned of "dire economic consequences", with public transport running quieter than necessary and pubs, restaurants and cafes unable to stage a proper recovery - or even open at all.

The government has said it is constantly reviewing its coronavirus lockdown guidance.

It follows the announcement of a further easing of restrictions in England, allowing single adults to stay at one other household from Saturday.

• Read our full story here

Image source, AFP

This recent map from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, external shows the number of cases across the whole country. The darker the shade of blue, the more cases the state has.

Image source, US CDC

As the US passes two million confirmed cases, here are the worst-affected states, via the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention., external

Not all states report cases in the same way, and the data counts New York City separately from the wider New York state.

1. New York City - 209,716

2. New York - 171,789

3. New Jersey - 164,796

4. California - 133,489

5. Illinois - 129,936

6. Massachusetts - 103,889

7. Texas - 77,253

8. Pennsylvania - 76,846

9. Michigan- 64,998

10. Florida - 64,448

Image source, Getty Images

Political summits and meetings are usually little to rave about - but now the mere fact that leaders are meeting in person is a story in itself.

The leaders of four European countries will meet on Thursday in the Czech Lednice Palace to hold the first face-to-face meeting of European leaders since the coronavirus hit the continent.

The Czech, Hungarian, Polish and Slovak leaders are scheduled to discuss the European Union's 750bn euro ($850bn, £670bn) post-virus recovery fund.

Czech government spokeswoman Jana Adamcova said the politicians would still have to observe the health guidance.

"They will have to wear masks and observe the usual measures, just like everybody else," she said.

Following on from our post on the countries with the highest number of cases per capita, here are the countries with the highest numbers of deaths, relative to population size.

Not all countries record deaths in the same way. The data comes from the WHO dashboard., external

1. San Marino - 1,235 deaths per million people

2. Belgium - 830

3. Andorra - 662

4. UK - 601

5. Spain - 580

6. Italy - 563

7. Sweden - 467

8. France - 448

9. Netherlands - 352

10. Ireland - 342

11. US - 335

As the US exceeds two million cases, it's worth remembering that its high total is partly down to widespread testing and a large population.

Using data from the WHO dashboard, external, the worst-affected countries relative to population size are as follows (note that many in the list have tiny populations, with only small outbreaks in total terms):

1. Qatar - 24,949 cases per million people

2. San Marino - 20,441

3. Vatican City - 14,545

4. Andorra - 11,065

5. Bahrain - 9,518

6. Kuwait - 7,759

7. Chile - 7,468

8. Singapore - 6,584

9. Luxembourg - 6,463

10. Peru - 6,057

11. US - 5,894

Image source, Getty Images

Peru says exports of ginger have almost tripled during the coronavirus pandemic - because the root is seen as a natural immune system booster.

Officials said shipments had increased by over 150% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2019.

Most of the exports went to Spain, the Netherlands and the United States. Ginger and lemon juice in a hot drink is seen as a traditional cold and flu remedy in many countries.

While ginger is a healthy food, it does not prevent you from catching the virus though.

• The fake health advice you should ignore

Image source, Getty Images

One of Bollywood's biggest names, Amitabh Bachchan, has organised flights to take home some 700 Indian migrant workers stranded in Mumbai due to the lockdown, reported PTI news agency.

Four flights took off on Wednesday and two more are scheduled to fly on Thursday, external, the agency reported, quoting sources close to Bachchan.

The plight of migrant workers, who were stuck in cities away from their homes when India enforced its lockdown overnight in March, prompted outrage across the country.

Hundreds of thousands walked hundreds of miles - in the blazing heat with little access to food and water - to get home.

The Indian government has organised trains to take home migrants and other Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Sonu Sood have also organised efforts to take home stranded workers.

The number of confirmed cases in the US is now over two million, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University., external

As we reported earlier, the US has the highest number of cases in world - partly explained by its high levels of testing.

Image source, Getty Images

After weeks of closure, the famous Miami beach reopened for the first time since early May on Wednesday.

"I almost started crying as soon as I came out onto the beach," local Julie Isaacson told news agency AFP.

Restaurants on the promenade famous for its art deco buildings and buzzing night life, reopened two weeks ago, although at half capacity.

States across the US are gradually reopening businesses and attractions after weeks of lockdown closure.

The number of cured or discharged Covid-19 patients in India is higher than active cases for the first time.

On Wednesday, the health ministry said 135,205 people had recovered in comparison to the 133,632 active cases in the country.

But infections in India have been on the rise for weeks now, and experts are especially worried about surges after the country eased out of its harsh lockdown this week.

Hotspots include big cities like the national capital, Delhi, and the financial capital, Mumbai, which have more than 30,000 and 50,000 cases respectively.

Delhi's deputy chief minister earlier warned that infections could by the end of July cross half a million in the city, where hospitals are already struggling to cope.

India has more than 275,000 cases, including nearly 7,500 deaths.

The US theme park Disneyland in California has said it plans to reopen in July, external. Capacity will be "significantly limited" though and visitors won't be allowed to get hugs from Mickey or Donald.

The reopening is still pending government approval but the park's sister attraction Disney World in Florida has already received said approval, external.

The Disney parks are among the world's most-visited theme parks and would usually see tens of thousands of visitors each day. They closed in March due to the pandemic.

Image source, Getty Images

Australia's government has seized on new global economy predictions to declare the nation is doing far better than others.

The world economy is set to shrink 6% this year - or 7.6% if there's a second virus wave, says the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

"But the positive news for Australia in this report is that Australia stands out as a leader in the economic recovery," said Treasurer Josh Frydenberg this morning.

• UK economy could be among worst hit

Australia's economy is predicted to drop 5% this year, but grow 4% next year (helped by a reliance on China's recovering economy).

The government said its massive welfare and stimulus measures had helped cushion the blow, but many of these are due to expire in July and September.

There's also been criticism of the government's boosted support for some areas - like home construction - over others including childcare.

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Mexico's Covid-19 death toll now stands at 15,357, after another 708 fatalities were recorded in the past 24 hours.

The country also saw a record number of new infections, with 4,833 taking the total to just under 130,000.

The capital Mexico City meanwhile plans to increase testing as the city is looking at reopening its economy soon.

Latin America is now the epicentre of the pandemic, with cases continuing to grow in various countries.

Image source, EPA

One of the Australia's new cases is a Black Lives Matter protester who attended Melbourne's rally with thousands of other people.

Health officials said the man, in his 30s, had worn a mask but was potentially infectious. He fell sick a day after the rally, meaning it was unlikely he acquired it at the march.

Australia's government has strongly criticised the protests for the health risks, and this morning Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for people who attend demonstrations this weekend to be arrested and charged.

He said the protesters were pushing a "double standard” in how public health orders were applied. He said if a second wave arose, it would be the fault of the anti-racism protesters.

“Any further action on this front would be absolutely unacceptable," he said.

• Aboriginal protester: Why I'm fighting for my uncle

More than 30,000 people - including opposition lawmakers - turned up to huge rallies across Australia's cities last weekend. Activists have defended their right to protest against racism and black deaths in custody.

They have also pointed out that Australia is one of the safest countries for the virus - a fact also regularly cited by the government in promoting Australia in other areas.

Bad news for festival-goers. Coachella - one of the biggest music festivals in the world - has been cancelled for 2020.

The festival, with headline acts including Frank Ocean and Travis Scott, was initially scheduled for April then postponed to October due to the virus.

But it has now been scrapped entirely by health officials in Riverside County, California - where Coachella is located.

"I am concerned as indications grow that Covid-19 could worsen in the fall [autumn]," said Riverside County Public Health Officer Cameron Kaiser.

Coachella's sister country music festival, Stagecoach, has also been cancelled.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON

The number of virus deaths in the UK would have been halved if lockdown had started a week earlier, a former government adviser has said.

Prof Neil Ferguson - whose advice was crucial to the decision to go into lockdown - said the outbreak had been doubling in size every three or four days before measures were taken.

The UK lockdown began on 23 March. Records from meetings show the UK's advisers were not recommending a lockdown in early March.

One of them, Prof John Edmund, recently told the BBC: "I think the data that we were dealing with in the early part of March and our situational awareness was really quite poor.

"So I think it would've been very hard to pull the trigger at that point, but I wish we had."

• Read our full story here

Reality Check

Image source, Getty Images

Iran has seen a surge in the number of cases in recent weeks, sparking fears it might be facing a second wave of the pandemic.

The country started to relax its lockdown in mid-April, after the number of infections declined, so is it paying the price?

New infections have been averaging more than 3,000 a day in the first week of June - a 50% increase on the previous week.

Officials say the increase is largely down to an increase in testing - and that there is no spike in daily deaths.

• Click here to read our full story on the situation in Iran