bbc--2020-04-30--Coronavirus pandemic: Tracking the global outbreak

Coronavirus is continuing its spread across the world , with more than three million confirmed cases in 185 countries and more than 200,000 deaths .
The United States alone has more than one million confirmed cases - four times as many as any other country .
This series of maps and charts tracks the global outbreak of the virus since it emerged in China in December last year .
How many cases and deaths have there been ?
The virus , which causes the respiratory infection Covid-19 , was first detected in the city of Wuhan , China , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in many countries and the number of deaths is still climbing .
Note : The map and table in this page uses a different source for figures for France from that used by Johns Hopkins University which results in a slightly lower overall total .
The US has by far the largest number of cases , with more than one million confirmed infections , according to figures collated by Johns Hopkins University .
With more than 60,000 fatalities , it also has the world 's highest death toll .
Italy , the UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European countries - have all recorded more than 20,000 deaths .
In China , the official death toll is approaching 5,000 from about 84,000 confirmed cases .
Numbers for deaths jumped on 17 April after what officials called `` a statistical review '' and critics have questioned whether the country 's official numbers can be trusted .
Note : The past data for new cases is a three day rolling average The outbreak was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) on 11 March .
This is when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person to person in many parts of the world at the same time .
More than three million people are known to have been infected worldwide , but the true figure is thought to be much higher as many of those with milder symptoms have not been tested and counted .
While the US and much of Europe has been hit hard by the virus , some countries have managed to avoid similar death tolls .
New Zealand , for instance , says it has effectively eliminated the threat for now after fewer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The country brought in some of the toughest restrictions in the world on travel and activity early on in the pandemic but is now relaxing some of these .
This week some non-essential businesses will be reopening but most people will still have to stay at home and avoid all social interactions .
While some countries are beginning to ease restrictions , others are only now starting to impose them as cases and deaths begin to rise .
Across Latin America , where many economies are already struggling and millions live on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are concerns about the strain the growing number of virus cases could put on health care systems .
Of particular concern are Ecuador and Brazil .
Ecuador has already seen its health system collapse - thousands have died from the virus and other conditions that could not be treated because of the crisis .
While Brazil has also seen a steep rise in both cases and deaths , with every state in South America 's largest country affected .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ STRESS : How to protect your mental health • WHAT WE DO N'T KNOW : How to understand UK death toll Across the world , more than 4.5 billion people - half the world 's population - are estimated to be living under social distancing measures , according to the AFP news agency .
Those restrictions have had a big impact on the global economy , with the International Monetary Fund saying the world faces the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s .
The UN World Food Programme has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of people suffering acute hunger .
The four worst-hit countries in Europe are Italy , the UK , Spain and France - all of which have recorded at least 20,000 deaths .
However , all four countries appear to have passed through the peak of the virus now and the number of reported cases and deaths is falling in each .
Germany and Belgium also recorded a relatively high number of deaths and are now seeing those numbers decrease , though as Belgium has a far smaller population than Germany the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been higher .
How countries across Europe are deciding to move out of lockdown varies , with the EU saying there is `` no one-size-fits-all approach '' to lifting containment measures .
Spain has announced a four-phase plan to lift its lockdown and return to a `` new normality '' by the end of June .
Children there under the age of 14 are now allowed to leave their homes for an hour a day , after six weeks in lockdown .
In Italy , certain shops and factories have been allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures will be eased from 4 May .
In France , the prime minister said this week that non-essential shops and markets will open their doors again from 11 May , but not bars and restaurants .
Schools will also be reopened gradually .
Other European countries easing restrictions include Austria , Denmark , Switzerland , the Czech Republic and Germany , where children 's play areas and museums have been told they can reopen and church services can resume , under strict social distancing and hygiene rules .
In the UK , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed cases and at least 26,000 deaths , lockdown measures are still in full effect .
The prime minister has promised a `` comprehensive plan '' in the next week on how the government will get the country moving again .
New York remains epicentre of US outbreak With more than one million cases , the US has the highest number of confirmed infections in the world .
The country has also recorded more than 60,000 deaths .
The state of New York has been particularly badly affected , with 18,000 deaths in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Cuomo says the toll `` seems to be on a gentle decline '' .
Mr Cuomo has suggested some parts of his state could begin to reopen after the current stay-at-home order expires on 15 May .
At one point , more than 90 % of the US population was under mandatory lockdown orders , but President Trump has stated that he will not be renewing his government 's social distancing guidelines once they expire on Thursday and some states have already begun to lift restrictions .
Georgia , Oklahoma , Alaska @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses to reopen in recent days following official unemployment figures that showed more than 30 million Americans have lost their jobs since mid-March .
But public health authorities have warned that increasing human interactions and economic activity could spark a fresh surge of infections just as the number of new cases is beginning to ease off .
White House coronavirus taskforce coordinator Dr Deborah Birx has said social distancing should remain the norm `` through the summer to really ensure that we protect one another as we move through these phases '' .

Please update your browser to see full interactive
Show more
This information is regularly updated but may not reflect the latest totals for each country.
** The past data for new cases is a three day rolling average. Due to revisions in the number of cases, an average cannot be calculated for this date.
Source: Johns Hopkins University and national public health agencies


bbc--2020-05-01--Coronavirus: Trump stands by China lab origin theory for virus

US President Donald Trump has appeared to undercut his own intelligence agencies by suggesting he has seen evidence coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory .
Earlier the US national intelligence director 's office said it was still investigating how the virus began .
But the office said it had determined Covid-19 `` was not manmade or genetically modified '' .
China has rejected the lab theory and criticised the US response to Covid-19 .
Since emerging in China last year , the virus has killed 230,000 people worldwide including 63,000 in the US .
• Simple ways you can help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than rest of world combined ?
The pandemic has seen at least 3.2 million people infected , a million of them Americans , since the virus spread from the city of Wuhan .
What did Trump say ?
At the White House on Thursday , Mr Trump was asked by a reporter : `` Have you seen anything at this point that gives you a high degree of confidence that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was the origin of this virus ? ''
`` Yes , I have .
Yes , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without specifying .
`` And I think the World Health Organization [ WHO ] should be ashamed of themselves because they 're like the public relations agency for China . ''
Asked later to clarify his comment , he said : `` I ca n't tell you that .
I 'm not allowed to tell you that . ''
He also told reporters : `` Whether they [ China ] made a mistake , or whether it started off as a mistake and then they made another one , or did somebody do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't understand how traffic , how people were n't allowed into the rest of China , but they were allowed into the rest of the world .
That 's a bad , that 's a hard question for them to answer . ''
The New York Times reported on Thursday that senior White House officials had asked the US intelligence community to investigate whether the virus came from a Wuhan research laboratory .
Intelligence agencies have also been tasked with determining if China and the WHO withheld information about the virus early on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What did the intelligence service say ?
In a rare public statement , the Office of the Director of National Intelligence , which oversees US spy agencies , said on Thursday it concurs with the `` wide scientific consensus '' regarding Covid-19 's natural origins .
• Is there any evidence for coronavirus lab release idea ?
• China and the US trade coronavirus conspiracy theories '' The [ intelligence community ] will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accident at a laboratory in Wuhan . ''
It was the first clear response from American intelligence debunking conspiracy theories - both from the US and China - that the virus is a bioweapon .
What is the Wuhan lab ?
The Wuhan Institute of Virology , which was founded in the 1950s , houses China 's first Biosafety Level 4 laboratory .
Such labs handle the most dangerous pathogens for which there are few available vaccines or treatments , and one of the areas the Wuhan facility studies is coronaviruses from bats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a cost of $ 44m ( £35m ) , the lab opened in 2015 .
Many of its staff were trained at a similar facility in the French city of Lyon , Nature journal reports .
It is prestigious for China to have a Biosafety Level 4 lab with links to similar labs around the world .
What are Trump 's accusations against China ?
Mr Trump has recently been escalating his war of words with China over the pandemic after what officials within the US president 's administration had described as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he suggested China wanted him to lose his re-election bid in November .
He has formerly accused Chinese officials of covering up the virus early on and saying they could have stopped the disease from spreading .
He has similarly criticised the WHO and withdrawn US funding for the global body .
• Can we trust China claims of virus success ?
China 's foreign ministry , meanwhile , has accused the Trump administration of trying to distract from its own problems tackling the crisis .
A ministry spokesman has also repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Covid-19 might have originated in the US .
According to the Washington Post , the Trump administration is looking into ways to punish China financially .
Discussions reportedly include allowing the US government to sue China for damages or cancelling debt obligations .
How has Trump clashed with US intelligence before ?
In January , he called US intelligence agencies `` naive '' on Iran and dismissed their assessment of the threat posed by North Korea .
His willingness to attack intelligence assessments goes back to his election in 2016 , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had interfered in the campaign .
He has continued to defend Russia against the accusation that it ran a campaign of cyber attacks and fake news stories to tip the vote in his favour despite US charges brought against Russian citizens .
The right moment for this fight ?
President Trump 's offensive against China is largely about domestic politics and his re-election campaign but it threatens to accentuate a developing Cold War mind-set towards Beijing which may well come to dominate diplomacy in the months and years ahead .
Certainly there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the initial stages of the Covid-19 outbreak and it has shamelessly sought to make political capital from the crisis .
Even Mr Trump 's Democratic opponent - Joe Biden - is doubling down on Beijing .
But many analysts ask if this is the right moment to have this fight .
China 's rise has not gone as many in the West hoped .
In its own region it is a military superpower - a match for the mighty United States .
Its technological capabilities in strategic areas like 5G and artificial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence - fostered through a single-minded effort to develop trade ties ; financial relationships and so on - means that China is a force to be reckoned with , increasingly able to influence the international rules of the game .
Countering Beijing 's rising role will be the next US president 's central foreign policy challenge , while also trying to find ways to work with China on issues like climate change .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• LIKE 9/11 EACH DAY : A New York paramedic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The good that may come out of this crisis

China's rise has not gone as many in the West hoped. In its own region it is a military superpower - a match for the mighty United States. Its technological capabilities in strategic areas like 5G and artificial intelligence are impressive. And its wider influence - fostered through a single-minded effort to develop trade ties; financial relationships and so on - means that China is a force to be reckoned with, increasingly able to influence the international rules of the game.


bbc--2020-05-01--Coronavirus: European Parliament shelters 100 homeless women

A European Parliament building in Brussels is housing 100 homeless women - many of them victims of domestic abuse - who have been severely affected by Belgium 's coronavirus lockdown .
The Helmut Kohl building , an office block in the city centre , opened its doors to them on Wednesday .
Offices have been turned into bedrooms , each for one or two women .
They also get meals and medical care there .
Samusocial , a charity , says the crisis has increased domestic abuse cases .
The parliament , based in the Belgian capital , teamed up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is much-needed because social distancing has forced many women 's shelters to close .
`` We 've had many cases of women thrown on to the streets since the lockdown started , because of domestic violence , which is tending to increase , '' Samusocial director Sébastien Roy told public broadcaster RTBF .
The Brussels authorities are also providing emergency accommodation for homeless people in some hotels .
The European Parliament 's buildings are mostly empty .
Sessions are now attended only by a few MEPs in the chamber , with others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full session in Strasbourg , eastern France , has been suspended until July .
For years the Brussels-Strasbourg shuttle has been criticised , including by MEPs themselves , as a waste of EU money .
• When home gets violent under lockdown in Europe Parliament President David Sassoli , who toured the Helmut Kohl facility , said `` this emergency affects all of us '' and `` in Brussels there is a lot of pain now '' .
`` I think this crisis should push all of us , the institutions included , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The building , opened last October , is named after the German chancellor who symbolised European unity after the collapse of communism .
The parliament 's kitchens are also providing 1,000 meals a day for charities helping the homeless .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health Mr Roy said the future of the homeless women post-lockdown remained an open question .
He said the crisis was an opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neediest members .
Adeline , one of the women being sheltered , told RTBF the accommodation was a relief because `` people forgot about the homeless in this crisis '' .
`` We had to move on all the time in this lockdown , my husband and I walked 15km ( nine miles ) daily , the police told us 'you must keep moving ' .
At the end of the day we were exhausted , '' she said .
She said the rooms , each housing two women at the most , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's shelters , where as many as six had to share a room .
But she deplored the fact that her husband , like many other homeless men , would have to remain on the street .
See how the crisis is hitting homeless people in the UK :

"We had to move on all the time in this lockdown, my husband and I walked 15km (nine miles) daily, the police told us 'you must keep moving'. At the end of the day we were exhausted," she said.


bbc--2020-05-01--Coronavirus: Lack of co-ordination let virus spread - UN's Guterres

The UN secretary general says he has been `` shocked but not surprised '' by the global response to the @ @ @ @ @ BBC 's Nick Bryant , António Guterres also responded to criticism of the WHO and @ @ @ @ @ together for a greener future .

The UN secretary general says he has been "shocked but not surprised" by the global response to the pandemic.
Speaking to the BBC's Nick Bryant, António Guterres also responded to criticism of the WHO and explained how countries might come together for a greener future.


bbc--2020-05-01--Coronavirus: How can I help?

Coronavirus: How can I help?

There 's a lot of bleak news in the world right now .
From the outbreak to massive unemployment to vulnerable people being separated from their loved ones - it can be easy to feel helpless .
But for those of us who are lucky enough to be healthy , and have time and resources available , there are also lots of practical ways we can help healthcare workers , our communities , and people we care about .
From making donations , to writing a diary , to reading a story online to your friends ' children - here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , things you can do .
This one 's obvious - but if you 're living in a place with physical distancing guidelines , make sure you follow them .
You 'll be doing your bit to keep infection numbers down - particularly since some carriers do n't show symptoms - and hence reduce the burden on healthcare providers .
In many countries , blood banks saw a fall in donations after social distancing measures kicked in .
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau even made a public appeal , saying `` we still need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , consider going in and donating . ''
Blood banks have stressed that , even if their stocks are good now , it is important people keep donating as normal , or register and make appointments to donate later in the year , to ensure a steady supply .
The UK blood bank has told donors : `` We will need you most later in the year as we feel the impact of coronavirus . ''
3 .
Help your local community with care packages or mutual aid groups A lot of groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help vulnerable neighbours who ca n't leave their homes .
`` We try to help with some of the small , everyday things like groceries , picking up prescriptions , and being a friendly voice on the end of a phone line , '' says Trin Gong , who runs a mutual aid group with about 250 volunteers in Surrey Docks , east London .
They also share useful information , like whether any local supermarkets are particularly busy .
Meanwhile , groups like Dare to Care Packages are co-ordinating donations of personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals that are low on supplies , and organising donations for vulnerable people who do n't receive emergency care packages from the government .
`` Some immunocompromised people do n't qualify , as well as vulnerable women with frequent address changes , refugees , and some people in care homes , '' says founder Josephine Liang .
`` We 're taking donations for soaps and there 's a pretty big need for sanitary pads and tampons too . ''
4 .
Work out where your skills are needed , then volunteer .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people sewing PPE for healthcare workers , or alcohol distilleries making hand sanitisers .
But many less obvious skills are also invaluable to volunteer groups .
For example , a lot of charities and community groups need help operating online - so Marc Sloan and some of his technologist friends teamed up to form Code4Covid and CovidTechSupport , that help non-profit groups with technology problems .
So far , they say they 've helped a charity set up an online warehouse to distribute essential goods , and helped mutual aid groups design websites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visitors .
`` We 're trying to get marketers , product managers , designer and copywriters too - because all the projects we work with need those kinds of skills , '' says Mr Sloan .
Meanwhile , many aid groups are looking for drivers and packers who can help deliver supplies , as well as people who can help with outreach and getting donations .
5 .
Spend money on causes - and businesses - you believe in Charities and businesses have been hit hard - so making a conscious decision about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them survive .
Many non-profits have seen increased demand for their services - but have also lost much of their income from fundraising events and charity shops .
One US study found over 75 % of non-profit groups had suffered financially from the pandemic - while UK charity groups have estimated they could lose at least £4.3bn of income .
Similarly , small businesses and self-employed workers are suffering - and expect demand to be slow to return even when the outbreak is contained .
If you like a particular business , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services remotely .
Many independent book stores , for example , are making deliveries , while some bars are offering online cocktail classes .
In the US , volunteers have set up `` virtual tip jars '' where people can offer tips to their favourite service industry workers .
The minimum wage for tipped workers is lower in many states , so `` tipping is the vast majority of income '' for most service staff , says Kristen Monteleone , who started an online tip jar in New Orleans .
6 .
Write @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or strangers In addition to physical and financial needs - it 's important to think about mental wellbeing too .
This is a good time to reconnect with people - particularly those who are isolated - and one method that people have turned to is letter writing .
`` A letter is something you can touch , keep and read again , and put on your wall or bedside table - not like an email that 's going to be deleted after a while , '' says Alienor Duron , who started the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one letter one smile '' - in France .
Her team encourages people to write to isolated elderly people in retirement homes in France , Canada , Switzerland , Belgium and Luxembourg - and says they have received more than 95,000 letters in just over a month .
• Sending a postcard from somewhere you 've never been And if you know more than one language , that can be useful too .
In New York , relief movement Heart of Dinner is providing hot food , along with handwritten notes in Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolated right now .
Founders Yin Chang and Moonlynn Tsai say they came up with the idea after they saw Asian Americans being harassed , and realised that many elderly Chinese Americans are not fluent in English , and could be feeling particularly alone .
Believe it or not - even keeping a diary right now could be valuable .
In New Zealand , PM Jacinda Ardern suggested people keep a journal with `` a quick note of where you 've been and who you 've been with '' - because this could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak is a major event that historians will want to study .
Rob Perks , director of National Life Stories at the British Library , says he would encourage people to keep diaries in written , audio or video format .
• 'Like 9/11 every day ' : A New York paramedic 's diary '' They allow you to verbalise or write down things happening around you .
Partly it helps to resolve your thinking , and for future historians , these sorts of contemporary accounts are going to be really valuable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history is about politicians and royalty , actually history is about everybody , '' Dr Perks , who is also secretary of the Oral History Society , adds .
`` Historians need ordinary people 's accounts to understand what 's going on on the ground , and how politicians ' decisions affect people 's lives on a day-to-day basis . ''
8 .
See what items marginalised groups need Those on the margins of society , who often have fewer resources or support networks nearby , are particularly vulnerable right now .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth talking to NGOs to see if they 're looking for any specific donations .
In Singapore , for example , more than 80 % of coronavirus cases are located in migrant worker dormitories .
Many of the workers took out large loans to work abroad , and are struggling with feeling trapped in their dormitories , and far from their families .
Non-profit It 's Raining Raincoats runs Whatsapp helplines for the workers , and has found there 's a particular demand for soap , and donations of phone top-up cards that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their families .
They have also had requests for games , including Rubik 's cubes , and Carrom boards , because `` games they played as a young boy have a great comfort factor for them '' while they are isolated , says founder Dipa Swaminathan .
9 .
Help friends and family with remote child care This can be a particularly exhausting time for parents juggling work and childcare at home .
Some people have started reading story books online to their friends ' children , to give the parents a short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Virginia in the US , has been reading bedtime stories to children via Facebook Live and YouTube , in the hope that children whose parents do n't have time or resources to read to them at home can benefit .
Her tip for anyone reading a story remotely is : `` Do n't just read out the book in your regular , every day voice . ''
It 's key to engage the child by asking questions and having them share their experiences , she adds .
There 's been a deluge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including rumours that drinking water every 15 minutes , or taking hot baths , can keep you safe .
A lot of misinformation circulating on social media has also been falsely attributed to reputable organisations , or unnamed `` medical experts '' .
Lyn Robinson and David Bawden , information science experts at City University of London , say : `` Ideally , do n't share anything that does n't come directly from a source you trust . ''
And even when you have reliable information , you should think about when and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't share automatically ... never share a link you have n't read , or a video you have n't seen , '' say Dr Robinson and Prof Bawden , adding that when you do share links or videos it is best to provide a comment or context with it .
For some , the `` constant stream of information , often conflicting , is a source of anxiety in itself , '' and information overload can leave people `` too tired and distracted to take any positive action '' .

Coronavirus: How can I help? Published 1 May 2020
Image source, Alamy
There's a lot of bleak news in the world right now. From the outbreak to massive unemployment to vulnerable people being separated from their loved ones - it can be easy to feel helpless.
But for those of us who are lucky enough to be healthy, and have time and resources available, there are also lots of practical ways we can help healthcare workers, our communities, and people we care about.
From making donations, to writing a diary, to reading a story online to your friends' children - here are some simple, and sometimes surprising, things you can do.
1. Stay home - or follow local social distancing guidelines
This one's obvious - but if you're living in a place with physical distancing guidelines, make sure you follow them. You'll be doing your bit to keep infection numbers down - particularly since some carriers don't show symptoms - and hence reduce the burden on healthcare providers.
2. Register to donate blood
In many countries, blood banks saw a fall in donations after social distancing measures kicked in. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau even made a public appeal, saying "we still need blood donors. If you're able, consider going in and donating."
Blood banks have stressed that, even if their stocks are good now, it is important people keep donating as normal, or register and make appointments to donate later in the year, to ensure a steady supply. The UK blood bank has told donors: "We will need you most later in the year as we feel the impact of coronavirus."
3. Help your local community with care packages or mutual aid groups
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Coronavirus: The volunteers making face shields for Madrid’s medical staff
A lot of groups have been set up so people can help vulnerable neighbours who can't leave their homes.
"We try to help with some of the small, everyday things like groceries, picking up prescriptions, and being a friendly voice on the end of a phone line," says Trin Gong, who runs a mutual aid group with about 250 volunteers in Surrey Docks, east London. They also share useful information, like whether any local supermarkets are particularly busy.
Meanwhile, groups like Dare to Care Packages are co-ordinating donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) for UK hospitals that are low on supplies, and organising donations for vulnerable people who don't receive emergency care packages from the government.
Image source, Dare to Care Packages Image caption, Community groups are organising care packages for people who can't leave home
"Some immunocompromised people don't qualify, as well as vulnerable women with frequent address changes, refugees, and some people in care homes," says founder Josephine Liang. "We're taking donations for soaps and there's a pretty big need for sanitary pads and tampons too."
4. Work out where your skills are needed, then volunteer.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Sewing scrubs for the NHS
There's been a lot of coverage of people sewing PPE for healthcare workers, or alcohol distilleries making hand sanitisers.
But many less obvious skills are also invaluable to volunteer groups.
For example, a lot of charities and community groups need help operating online - so Marc Sloan and some of his technologist friends teamed up to form Code4Covid and CovidTechSupport, that help non-profit groups with technology problems.
So far, they say they've helped a charity set up an online warehouse to distribute essential goods, and helped mutual aid groups design websites that can cope with large numbers of visitors.
"We're trying to get marketers, product managers, designer and copywriters too - because all the projects we work with need those kinds of skills," says Mr Sloan.
Meanwhile, many aid groups are looking for drivers and packers who can help deliver supplies, as well as people who can help with outreach and getting donations.
5. Spend money on causes - and businesses - you believe in
Image source, iStock/Getty Images
Charities and businesses have been hit hard - so making a conscious decision about where you spend your money could help them survive.
Many non-profits have seen increased demand for their services - but have also lost much of their income from fundraising events and charity shops.
Similarly, small businesses and self-employed workers are suffering - and expect demand to be slow to return even when the outbreak is contained.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, The families fostering pets during coronavirus
If you like a particular business, you can see if they're offering any services remotely. Many independent book stores, for example, are making deliveries, while some bars are offering online cocktail classes.
In the US, volunteers have set up "virtual tip jars" where people can offer tips to their favourite service industry workers.
The minimum wage for tipped workers is lower in many states, so "tipping is the vast majority of income" for most service staff, says Kristen Monteleone, who started an online tip jar in New Orleans.
6. Write letters to isolated friends and family - or strangers
Image source, Heart of Dinner Image caption, Handwritten notes in Chinese that read "we love you and are thinking of you"
In addition to physical and financial needs - it's important to think about mental wellbeing too.
This is a good time to reconnect with people - particularly those who are isolated - and one method that people have turned to is letter writing.
"A letter is something you can touch, keep and read again, and put on your wall or bedside table - not like an email that's going to be deleted after a while," says Alienor Duron, who started the project 1lettre1sourire - which translates to "one letter one smile" - in France.
Her team encourages people to write to isolated elderly people in retirement homes in France, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg - and says they have received more than 95,000 letters in just over a month.
And if you know more than one language, that can be useful too.
In New York, relief movement Heart of Dinner is providing hot food, along with handwritten notes in Chinese, to elderly Chinatown residents who are isolated right now.
Founders Yin Chang and Moonlynn Tsai say they came up with the idea after they saw Asian Americans being harassed, and realised that many elderly Chinese Americans are not fluent in English, and could be feeling particularly alone.
7. Keep a diary
Image source, Getty Images
Believe it or not - even keeping a diary right now could be valuable.
In New Zealand, PM Jacinda Ardern suggested people keep a journal with "a quick note of where you've been and who you've been with" - because this could help officials with contact tracing.
And the outbreak is a major event that historians will want to study.
Rob Perks, director of National Life Stories at the British Library, says he would encourage people to keep diaries in written, audio or video format.
"They allow you to verbalise or write down things happening around you. Partly it helps to resolve your thinking, and for future historians, these sorts of contemporary accounts are going to be really valuable.
"Although many of us think history is about politicians and royalty, actually history is about everybody," Dr Perks, who is also secretary of the Oral History Society, adds.
"Historians need ordinary people's accounts to understand what's going on on the ground, and how politicians' decisions affect people's lives on a day-to-day basis."
8. See what items marginalised groups need
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Over 80% of Singapore's cases are in migrant worker dormitories
Those on the margins of society, who often have fewer resources or support networks nearby, are particularly vulnerable right now. If you want to help, it's worth talking to NGOs to see if they're looking for any specific donations.
In Singapore, for example, more than 80% of coronavirus cases are located in migrant worker dormitories. Many of the workers took out large loans to work abroad, and are struggling with feeling trapped in their dormitories, and far from their families.
Non-profit It's Raining Raincoats runs Whatsapp helplines for the workers, and has found there's a particular demand for soap, and donations of phone top-up cards that enable workers to stay in touch with their families.
They have also had requests for games, including Rubik's cubes, and Carrom boards, because "games they played as a young boy have a great comfort factor for them" while they are isolated, says founder Dipa Swaminathan.
9. Help friends and family with remote child care
Image source, Ms Yearby's Reading Adventures Image caption, Keisha Yearby has been streaming bedtime stories five days a week since the outbreak began
This can be a particularly exhausting time for parents juggling work and childcare at home. Some people have started reading story books online to their friends' children, to give the parents a short break.
Keisha Yearby, a teacher in Virginia in the US, has been reading bedtime stories to children via Facebook Live and YouTube, in the hope that children whose parents don't have time or resources to read to them at home can benefit.
Her tip for anyone reading a story remotely is: "Don't just read out the book in your regular, every day voice."
It's key to engage the child by asking questions and having them share their experiences, she adds.
10. Don't spread misinformation
There's been a deluge of false information about the outbreak, including rumours that drinking water every 15 minutes, or taking hot baths, can keep you safe.
A lot of misinformation circulating on social media has also been falsely attributed to reputable organisations, or unnamed "medical experts".
Lyn Robinson and David Bawden, information science experts at City University of London, say: "Ideally, don't share anything that doesn't come directly from a source you trust."
And even when you have reliable information, you should think about when and how you share it.
"Don't share automatically... never share a link you haven't read, or a video you haven't seen," say Dr Robinson and Prof Bawden, adding that when you do share links or videos it is best to provide a comment or context with it.


bbc--2020-05-01--Australian police shoot man dead after stabbings in Pilbara

Police in Western Australia have shot dead a man after several people were stabbed at a shopping centre in the Pilbara region .
Five people were injured in the attack at the South Hedland Square centre - two of them are in a serious condition .
Witnesses told local media they saw a man waving `` a great big knife '' at shoppers and police officers , before hearing screaming and bangs .
WA Premier Mark McGowan called it `` a tragic and awful set of events '' .
`` He has been tasered by police , that did n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers and then he was shot by police officers , '' the Australian Broadcasting Corporation quoted Mr McGowan as saying .
Police said there was no ongoing threat to public safety and are appealing for people to come forward with any video evidence .
There has been no suggestion the incident was terror-related .
The attack happened around 10:00 local time on Friday ( 02:00 GMT ) .
One woman told ABC she fled after encountering the man outside the shopping centre 's entrance .
`` I saw this guy swinging a great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a toddler in the trolley , '' Shelley Farquhar said .
`` Then he gave up on her and came in , because I was there , and was swinging at me . ''
Pilbara District Police confirmed the man who died was a `` person who was engaged by police , and he received a gunshot wound '' .
`` Police will investigate the circumstances surrounding how these people received the injuries , '' it said in a statement .
South Hedland is a small town in the rural Pilbara region of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area work in mining and related industries .
The dead man , who has not been identified , was reported by several witnesses to have been wearing a high-vis jacket .

Police said there was no ongoing threat to public safety and are appealing for people to come forward with any video evidence. There has been no suggestion the incident was terror-related.


bbc--2020-05-01--Tony Allen: 'World's greatest drummer' and afrobeat pioneer dies

Pioneering Nigerian drummer Tony Allen , a co-founder of the afrobeat musical genre , died in Paris on Thursday aged 79 , his manager says .
Eric Trosset told NPR radio that he had died of a heart attack .
AFP said his death was not linked to coronavirus .
Allen was the drummer and musical director of musician Fela Kuti 's famous band Africa '70 in the 1960-70s .
Fela , as he was widely known , died in 1997 .
He once said that `` without Tony Allen , there would be no afrobeat '' .
Afrobeat combines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and highlife styles with American funk and jazz .
• Africa Live : Updates on this and other stories Allen has also been described by UK musician Brian Eno as `` perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived '' .
Trosset led tributes in a Facebook post saying `` your eyes saw what most could n't see ... as you used to say : 'There is no end ' '' .
Beninois singer Angelique Kidjo told the BBC 's Newsday programme that she had been hit hard by both Allen 's death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manu Dibango in March .
`` What I want to remember from them is our musical conversation , our laughter , our joy .
They are gone , but they are not gone for me , '' she said .
On Instagram , she said that Allen had `` changed the history of African music '' .
Ghanaian rapper M.anifest tweeted that Allen `` put the beat in afrobeat '' and thanked him `` for a lifetime of being quietly epic '' .
Flea , the bassist for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London , called him `` one of the greatest drummers to ever walk this earth '' and described him as his `` hero '' .
`` What a wildman , with a massive , kind and free heart and the deepest one-of-a-kind groove , '' Flea said on Instagram .
One of Fela 's sons , musician Seun Kuti , tweeted `` rest in power and journey well '' .
How did he become a drummer ?
Allen 's career and life story were documented in his 2013 autobiography Tony Allen : Master @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was born in Lagos in 1940 , taught himself how to play drums when he was 18 .
He said he learnt his technique by listening closely to American jazz drummers Art Blakey and Max Roach .
He then created the distinctive polyphonic rhythms of afrobeat and was said to be able to play four different beats with each of his limbs .
Allen first met Fela in 1964 , and they went on to record dozens of albums in Africa '70 , including Gentleman and Zombie .
Allen left the band in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ band leader over royalties .
Fela needed four separate drummers to fill the void .
Allen emigrated to London in 1984 , and later moved to Paris .
He collaborated with a number of artists during his long music career , and was the drummer in The Good , the Bad & the Queen , with Damon Albarn , Paul Simenon and Simon Tong .
What are your memories of Tony Allen ?
Did you meet or work with him ?
Share your stories by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak to a BBC journalist .
• Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

Allow Instagram content?
This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.


bbc--2020-05-01--Coronavirus: Seven million Afghan children risk hunger - report

More than seven million children in Afghanistan are at risk of hunger as food prices soar due to the coronavirus pandemic , a report warns .
A Save the Children spokesman said the country faced a `` perfect storm of hunger , disease and death '' unless the international community took action .
The charity said a third of the population , which includes 7.3 million children , was facing food shortages .
The UN recently included Afghanistan in a list of countries at risk of famine .
The organisation 's World Food Programme ( WFP ) warned the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Afghanistan has suffered almost two decades of war since US-led forces ousted the Taliban in 2001 , leaving it with a fractured and impoverished healthcare system .
• The porous borders where the virus can not be controlled • Five of the countries most at risk from famine As cases of coronavirus spread , the government imposed a lockdown in the capital , Kabul , at the end of March and other provinces quickly followed .
Movement other than shopping for basic necessities is severely restricted and travelling between cities is banned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Save the Children said the price of food was rising just at the time when children needed adequate daily nutrition to help strengthen their immune systems .
Even before the pandemic it was estimated that more than five million Afghan children needed some form of humanitarian support .
Latest UN surveys indicate that about two million children aged under five face extreme hunger .
Citing figures from the WFP , the report said the price of wheat flour and cooking oil in Afghanistan 's main city markets had risen by up to 23 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outstripped supply .
The cost of rice , sugar and pulses had increased by between 7 % -12 % .
Coupled with rising prices , the wages of daily labourers are falling as the lockdown caused work to dry up .
`` A large portion of the Afghan workforce relies on the informal sector , with no safety nets when work is scarce , '' the report says .
With just 0.3 doctors per 1,000 people , Afghanistan 's sick and malnourished children are less likely to receive the life-saving treatment they need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Timothy Bishop , the charity 's country director in Afghanistan , said that for many Afghans the biggest impact of the pandemic would not be the virus itself , but the hunger caused by lockdown measures and a breakdown in supply lines .
`` We are deeply concerned that this pandemic will lead to a perfect storm of hunger , disease and death in Afghanistan unless the world takes action now , '' he said .
`` We are facing the very real risk that children could die from starvation .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to urgently fly in food supplies to be distributed to some of the most vulnerable communities in the country .
We also urge the Afghan government to facilitate the rapid distribution of food , despite the nationwide lockdown . ''
He added : `` Afghan children have suffered enough .
Most have known nothing but conflict in their lives .
We can not allow Covid-19 to further rob them of their futures . ''
What is the situation in Afghanistan ?
So far , Afghanistan has not been among countries most severely affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 64 deaths .
However , it has limited access to testing and the true numbers are believed to be higher .
Experts warn that any sudden spike in infections would quickly overwhelm Afghanistan 's fragile health system .
Its porous borders have raised fears of an unchecked spread of the virus .
In March , more than 150,000 Afghans spontaneously returned from Iran , one of the countries worst hit by the coronavirus , and tens of thousands have also recently returned from Pakistan .
The first confirmed case came at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which borders Iran .
Earlier this month , dozens of members of staff working at Afghanistan 's presidential palace in Kabul reportedly tested positive for coronavirus .
The Afghan government did not comment on the reports and there was no suggestion that President Ashraf Ghani himself had been infected .

"We are facing the very real risk that children could die from starvation. What we need is for the international community to urgently fly in food supplies to be distributed to some of the most vulnerable communities in the country. We also urge the Afghan government to facilitate the rapid distribution of food, despite the nationwide lockdown."


bbc--2020-05-01--Coronavirus: Australia eyes early lifting of virus restrictions

Australia will review its virus lockdown earlier than expected , says Prime Minister Scott Morrison .
Health officials say the nation has `` pretty convincingly '' flattened its virus spread after weeks of strict social restrictions .
Officials were due to review freedoms on 11 May but this will now be brought forward to 8 May .
Mr Morrison said Australians had `` earned an early mark '' .
The call came as several states allow their residents new freedoms on Friday .
The Northern Territory became the first to lift major restrictions , re-opening public parks and pools and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
New South Wales , which includes Sydney , also opened up to allow households to have two adult visitors at a time .
The most-populous state accounts for near half of the nation 's 6,700 cases .
But numbers had continually dwindled in recent weeks , and fewer than 20 cases were being reported per day .
`` [ We have ] pretty convincingly flattened the curve , '' said chief medical officer Dr Brendan Murphy .
• Why are remote Aboriginal communities so at risk ?
However , authorities said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early and re-iterated the need for `` millions more '' Australians to download a tracing app released this week .
`` We need that tool so we can open the economy , '' said Mr Morrison .
`` So if you have n't downloaded the app yet , download it . ''
So far , 3.5 million people in the nation of 25 million have signed up to it .
What restrictions have been eased so far ?
On Friday , the Northern Territory - a remote , sparsely populated region - lifted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a test case for the rest of the nation .
`` Because we are the safest place in Australia , we can do this before the rest of Australia , '' said NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner .
Locals must maintain a 1.5m ( 5ft ) distance from others , but can now visit parks and swimming holes and play non-contact sport .
The territory will look to remove all restrictions by 5 June , and have restaurants and pubs back open for dining in mid-May .
However , officials will keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities in the outback .
Other states have also begun a cautious roll-back .
NSW - the state with the highest number of reported cases - began allowing household visits on Friday and has already re-opened beaches .
The Australian Capital Territory - around the nation 's capital , Canberra - will also allow social visits after announcing on Thursday it had eliminated its virus cases .
Queensland will permit shopping trips for non-essential goods while Western Australia will allow 10 people at gatherings - up from the previous limit of two .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , says it will stick with its existing lockdown until the national review next Friday .
Premier Daniel Andrew said the situation remained `` very fragile '' despite the low reported numbers .

The territory will look to remove all restrictions by 5 June, and have restaurants and pubs back open for dining in mid-May. However, officials will keep a ban on travel to vulnerable Aboriginal communities in the outback.


bbc--2020-05-01--India coronavirus lockdown: Train leaves with stranded migrants

The first train carrying migrant workers stranded by a nationwide lockdown in India has left the southern state of Telangana .
The 24-coach train , carrying 1,200 passengers , is travelling non-stop to eastern Jharkhand state .
Earlier this week , India said millions of people stranded by the lockdown can return to their home states .
The country has been in lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus since 24 March .
However , the movement of people will be only possible through state government facilitation , which means people can not attempt to cross state borders on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people than coronavirus ?
This train is a `` one-off special train '' to transport the workers on the request of the Telangana state government , Rakesh Ch , the chief public relations officer of South-Central Railways , told the BBC .
The train left Lingampally , a suburb of the southern city of Hyderabad , early on Friday and is expected to reach Hatia in Jharkhand on Saturday .
Mr Rakesh said that adequate social distancing precautions had been taken and food was being served to the passengers .
He said each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its 72-seat capacity .
`` The middle berth is not being used in the sleeper coaches and only two people are sitting in the general coaches , '' Mr Rakesh said .
Before the train pulled out of the station , all the passengers were screened for fever and other symptoms .
They had all been employed at a construction site at the Indian Institute of Technology , a top engineering school , in Hyderabad city .
The workers had earlier protested at the site against the non-payment of wages by their contractor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the contractor was asked to pay their salaries and arrangement made to send them back home .
The journey was organised at `` very short notice '' , senior police official S Chandra Shekar Reddy told BBC Telugu .
`` We screened them at the labour camp itself and transported them to the railway station in buses , '' he said .
India 's migrant workers are the backbone of the big city economy , constructing houses , cooking food , serving in eateries , delivering takeaways , cutting hair in salons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspapers , among other things .
Most of the country 's estimated 100 million migrant workers live in squalid conditions .
When industries shut down overnight , many of them feared they would starve .
For days , they walked - sometimes hundreds of kilometres - to reach their villages because bus and train services were shut down overnight .
Several died trying to make the journey .
Some state governments tried to facilitate buses , but these were quickly overrun .
Thousands of others have been placed in quarantine centres and relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health

However, the movement of people will be only possible through state government facilitation, which means people cannot attempt to cross state borders on their own.


bbc--2020-05-01--UK daily 100,000 tests target 'likely' to be hit

The government is likely to meet or `` come close '' to its target of 100,000 daily UK coronavirus tests , Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has said .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government would achieve the aim by the end of April - which was Thursday - and those figures are expected later .
Just over 81,000 tests across the UK took place on Wednesday , but ministers said there was capacity for more .
It comes as the PM said the UK was now `` past the peak '' of the outbreak .
Mr Jenrick told BBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the figures yet , they 'll be published later today ... but it looks like we 'll either meet the target or come close . ''
He added the target was `` just a stepping stone '' and that the foundations were in place for a strong national testing network .
The number of people who have died after testing positive for Covid-19 in UK hospitals and the wider community is now 26,771 , a rise of 674 on the previous day , the latest figures show .
Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact tracing , adding that he hoped this would form `` an important part '' of the government 's exit strategy from the lockdown .
Prof Devi Sridhar , an expert in global public health from the University of Edinburgh , said testing needed to be used as part of a contact tracing strategy , which involves identifying people who had been infected and then track down anyone they had been recently in contact with .
• Do British people still accept the lockdown ?
• How will coronavirus change the way we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus can then be told to self-isolate , she added .
Prof Sridhar , who is among those advising the Scottish government on its response to the pandemic , told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme : `` Testing on its own is useful but not really the full package . ''
If the government achieves 100,000 tests it will certainly be a remarkable achievement .
Remember at the start of April , 10 times fewer were being carried out .
A testing network , including three mega labs , more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mobile units , have been set up in super quick time .
But there is a fear within the system that the frantic rush to get to the target has come at a cost .
It is noticeable that the extension of eligibility this week to the over-65s and anyone claiming they have to leave home for work this week in England has coincided with a significant increase in tests being carried out .
Yet care homes are reporting they are struggling to get access to tests , while NHS workers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up by the time they try .
Some argue a more planned , considered approach not based on simply hitting a number may have been better .
After all , an efficient testing system coupled with a system to track and trace close contacts of infected individuals is going to be crucial in gradually moving out of lockdown .
Speaking at the No 10 briefing for the first time since receiving hospital treatment for Covid-19 , Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday evening that the government was `` massively ramping up '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now `` past the peak of this disease '' .
The PM added he would set out a `` comprehensive plan '' next week on how to restart the economy , reopen schools and help people travel to work following the coronavirus lockdown .
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • TESTING : Can I get tested for coronavirus ?
Shadow home secretary Mr Thomas-Symonds said Labour hoped the plan would set out the different possibilities for the future so public services could plan ahead .
He added that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carefully '' but hoped to be able to support the plan set out by the prime minister .
Meanwhile , Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said any move to ease the lockdown in Wales would be `` careful and cautious '' .
`` You can open up anything you like - if people do n't think it 's safe to take up what is now available to them , they wo n't come , '' he told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme .
• More than 60 % of people in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bars and restaurants or using public transport , if ministers decide to relax the lockdown , a survey suggests • Coronavirus patients from black African backgrounds in England and Wales are dying at more than triple the rate of white Britons , a study suggests • Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has said it will take up to six months to refund passengers for flights cancelled because of the pandemic .
The company also said 3,000 jobs were under threat • Face coverings worn by the general public will be `` useful '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for coming out of lockdown , the prime minister has said • Rugby league in England will receive £16m in government loans to help it deal with the impact of the pandemic while the season remains suspended • More than one million people across the world known to have had the virus have recovered , according to Johns Hopkins University Are you trying to get a test for coronavirus ?
Have you already been tested ?
Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You can also contact us in the following ways : • Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

"It was just a shambles - it was so slow and none of the workers seemed to know what they were doing," she said, adding that she was concerned the test would not be accurate.


bbc--2020-04-30--Michigan protesters enter state capitol

Michigan protesters enter state capitol

'We are not happy with China ' - Trump The US president says he is not happy with China and @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus outbreak .

Protesters rallied at the state's capitol as legislators voted on extending the state of emergency.
Michigan has seen more than 41,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and over 3,700 deaths.


bbc--2020-04-30--A breakthrough approaches for solar power

One of the few parts of the UK economy to have a good April was solar power .
The Met Office says it has probably been the sunniest April on record and the solar power industry reported its highest ever production of electricity ( 9.68GW ) in the UK at 12:30 on Monday 20 April .
With 16 solar panels on his roof Brian McCallion , from Northern Ireland , has been one of those benefitting from the good weather .
`` We have had them for about five years , and we save about £1,000 per year , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Strabane , just by the border .
`` If they were more efficient we could save more , '' he says , `` and maybe invest in batteries to store it . ''
That efficiency might be coming .
There is a worldwide race , from San Francisco to Shenzhen , to make a more efficient solar cell .
Today 's average commercial solar panel converts 17-19 % of the light energy hitting it to electricity .
This is up from 12 % just 10 years ago .
But what if we could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efficient solar cells mean we could get much more than today 's 2.4 % of global electricity supply from the sun .
Solar is already the world 's fastest growing energy technology .
Ten years ago , there were only 20 gigawatts of installed solar capacity globally - one gigawatt being roughly the output of a single large power station .
By the end of last year , the world 's installed solar power had jumped to about 600 gigawatts .
Even with the disruption caused by Covid-19 , we will probably add @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , forecasts London-based research company , IHS Markit .
Most solar cells are made from wafer-thin slices of silicon crystals , 70 % of which are made in China and Taiwan .
• The stealthy drones that fly like insects • Coronavirus threatens the next generation of smartphones • 'The phone slipped into the bath ' : Conference call tales But wafer-based crystalline silicon is bumping pretty close to its theoretical maximum efficiency .
The Shockley-Queisser limit marks the maximum efficiency for a solar cell made from just one material , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , combining six different materials into what is called a multi-junction cell can push efficiency as high as 47 % .
Another way to break through this limit , is to use lenses to magnify the sunlight falling on the solar cell , an approach called concentrated solar .
But this is an expensive way to produce electricity , and is mainly useful on satellites .
`` Not anything you would see on anybody 's roof in the next decade , '' laughs Dr Nancy Haegel , director of materials science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boulder , Colorado .
The fastest improving solar technology is called perovskites - named after Count Lev Alekseevich von Perovski , a 19th Century Russian mineralogist .
These have a particular crystal structure that is good for solar absorption .
Thin films , around 300 nanometres ( much thinner than a human hair ) can be made inexpensively from solutions - allowing them to be easily applied as a coating to buildings , cars or even clothing .
Perovskites also work better than silicon at lower lighting intensities , on cloudy days or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using an inkjet printer , says Dr Konrad Wojciechowski , scientific director at Saule Technologies , based in Oxford and Warsaw .
`` Paint on a substrate , and you have a photovoltaic device , '' he says .
With such a cheap , flexible , and efficient material , you could apply it to street furniture to power free smartphone charging , public wifi , and air quality sensors , he explains .
He 's been working with the Swedish construction firm Skanska to apply perovskite layers in building panels .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Solar , a San Francisco start-up , there are only about 10 start-up firms in the world working on perovskite technology .
Oxford PV , a university spin-off , says it reached 28 % efficiency with a commercial perovskite-based solar cell in late 2018 , and will have an annual 250-megawatt production line running this year .
Both Oxford PV and Swift Solar make tandem solar cells - these are silicon panels which also have a thin perovskite film layer .
Since they 're made from two materials , they get to break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absorbs the red band of the visible light spectrum , and the perovskite the blue bit , giving the tandem bigger efficiency than either material alone .
One challenge is when `` you work with a material that 's only been around since 2012 , it 's very hard to show it will last for 25 years , '' says Dr Hoerantner .
Insolight , a Swiss startup , has taken a different tack - embedding a grid of hexagonal lenses in a solar panel 's protective glass , thus concentrating light 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motion , the cell array shifts horizontally by a few millimetres throughout the day .
It is a bid to make concentrated solar cheap .
`` The architecture of these conventional concentrated photovoltaics is very costly .
What we 've done is miniaturise the sun tracking mechanism and integrate it within the module , '' says Insolight 's chief business officer David Schuppisser .
`` We 've done it in a cheaper way [ that ] you can deploy anywhere you can deploy a conventional solar panel , '' he says .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ institute measured Insolight 's current model as having an efficiency of 29 % .
It is now working on a module that is hoped to reach 32 % efficiency .
Current silicon technology is not quite dead , though , and there are approaches to make tiny , quick wins in efficiency .
One is to add an extra layer to a cell 's back to reflect unabsorbed light back through it a second time .
This improves efficiency by 1-2 % .
Another is to add an outside layer , which lessens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ metal contacts .
It 's only a `` small tweak '' , says Xiaojing Sun , a solar analyst Wood Mackenzie research - adding 0.5-1 % in efficiency - but she says these changes mean manufacturers only need to make small alterations to their production lines .
From such small gains - to the use of concentrated solar and perovskites - solar tech is in a race to raise efficiency and push down costs .
`` Spanning this magical number 30 % , this is where the solar cell industry could really make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swift Solar 's Max Hoerantner .

These have a particular crystal structure that is good for solar absorption. Thin films, around 300 nanometres (much thinner than a human hair) can be made inexpensively from solutions - allowing them to be easily applied as a coating to buildings, cars or even clothing.


bbc--2020-05-01--Who produced the greatest Premier League escape Vote now

With the Premier League season on hold , the fight to avoid relegation must wait .
With Norwich six points from safety at the bottom , boss Daniel Farke had already said the Canaries need a `` miracle '' to stay up .
We 're yet to find out when - or if - Norwich will resume their battle to beat the drop , but they will be able to take inspiration from previous survival acts .
Here we look back at the Premier League 's great escapes - and you can let us know which one you think is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the page .
Oldham games saw a combined 137 goals ( 63 for , 74 against ) – more than any other side .
Only Blackburn ( 68 ) and Manchester United ( 67 ) scored more .
Oldham were one of the Premier League 's founder members but to survive for season two they had to pull off some heroics in the final week .
The Latics faced Aston Villa , who were still in the title race , knowing they had to win their last three games - and hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point from their last two .
But Joe Royle 's side won 1-0 at Villa before beating Liverpool 3-2 in midweek .
That night Palace drew at Manchester City so it went down to the final day .
Palace fell behind at Arsenal while the Latics romped into a 4-1 lead over Southampton .
And although the Saints made it 4-3 to set up a nervy finish , Oldham held on to stay up on goal difference .
West Brom became the first Premier League side to avoid relegation having been bottom on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is the only Premier League campaign where all three relegation places were decided on the final day .
And never mind being bottom at Christmas , West Brom had slipped back there before the last game - and remained bottom for most of the final day .
The Baggies had to beat Portsmouth and hope their three relegation rivals all failed to win .
Norwich were thumped by Fulham and although Southampton took the lead against Manchester United , the Red Devils fought back .
So , heading into the closing stages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crystal Palace .
The Baggies won 2-0 , although celebrations for the second goal were muted as Palace had just come from behind to lead at Charlton .
With eight minutes left , Charlton levelled it up again .
Then with their game over , West Brom players and staff waited on the touchline for Palace 's final score : 2-2 - cue pandemonium at The Hawthorns .
Portsmouth picked up more points in their final 10 league games ( 20 ) than during their first 28 ( 18 ) .
Sometimes it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around .
With 10 games left , Pompey were eight points from safety when they hosted Manchester City .
They were set to go nine games without a win when City cleared a corner towards Pedro Mendes , who slammed a stoppage-time winner into the top corner .
Portsmouth were a side transformed .
Having scored four goals in their previous 10 games , they scored seven in their next two , winning at West Ham and Fulham .
Further victories over Middlesbrough , Sunderland and Wigan saw them secure safety with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points from a possible 27 .
Fulham won eight league games - four of their first 33 , then four of their last five .
The Cottagers twice came back from the brink in 2008 .
Derby went down with what remains the Premier League 's lowest points total ( 11 ) and with 20 minutes left at Manchester City , Fulham were about to join them .
Roy Hodgson 's men were 2-0 down and set to go six points adrift with two games left .
Surely it was over ?
Diomansy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing , the Senegalese striker pulled one back .
Then Danny Murphy equalised before Kamara lashed in a stoppage-time winner .
Victory over Birmingham put Fulham 's fate in their own hands but with the Blues and Reading both winning on the final day , it was a tense afternoon at Portsmouth .
Fourteen minutes from time , Murphy headed home from a free-kick to keep Fulham up on goal difference .
Wigan picked up more points in their last nine games ( 21 ) than any other side - even champions Manchester @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games left , Wigan were only three points from safety .
But this survival act was about the volume of points and the quality of the opposition .
After one win in 14 , check out Wigan 's next three away games - Liverpool , Chelsea , Arsenal .
They also had to face leaders Manchester United .
It was all hands up to the pump - and Roberto Martinez 's side had eight different scorers in their last nine games .
The Latics gave themselves hope with a first-ever win at Anfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a first-ever win over United .
They followed that up with a first-ever win at Arsenal .
And despite losing at Fulham , Wigan sealed the deal in style , winning their last three games to finish 15th .
Between April and May 2014 , Sunderland won four straight Premier League games – for the first time since December 2000 .
Boss Gus Poyet said Sunderland needed `` a miracle '' - and it took an unlikely hero to spark this rescue mission .
One point from 24 left the Black Cats seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they still had to visit Manchester City , Chelsea and Manchester United .
Enter Connor Wickham , who had just returned after spending most of the season on loan in the Championship .
The striker scored five in three as Sunderland drew 2-2 at City before beating Chelsea and Cardiff .
Seb Larsson 's acrobatic volley secured victory at Old Trafford and a 2-0 win over West Brom saw Sunderland stay up with a game to spare .
Leicester became just the third Premier League side to be bottom at Christmas and avoid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and Sunderland ( 2013-14 ) .
Leicester 's extraordinary title win is even more remarkable when you consider that 29 games into the previous season , they were seven points from safety at the bottom .
And that season was also bonkers .
With Nigel Pearson battling to avoid an immediate return to the Championship , the pressure seemed to show in February as he was involved in a bizarre touchline clash with Crystal Palace midfielder James McArthur .
The club denied rumours that Pearson was sacked and swiftly reinstated , yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But a 2-1 home win over West Ham sparked a run of 22 points from 27 , which saw Leicester clinch survival with a game to go and ultimately finish 14th .
The only blip during the run-in was a defeat at champions Chelsea , when Pearson walked out of the post-match news conference after asking a reporter if he was an ostrich .

Last updated on .From the section Premier League
With the Premier League season on hold, the fight to avoid relegation must wait.
With Norwich six points from safety at the bottom, boss Daniel Farke had already said the Canaries need a "miracle" to stay up.
We're yet to find out when - or if - Norwich will resume their battle to beat the drop, but they will be able to take inspiration from previous survival acts.
We took a look back at the Premier League's great escapes and asked you to vote for which one was the best.
Here are the results - and you can still read about the seven contenders below.
If you are viewing this page on the BBC News app please click here to vote.
1. Leicester 2014-15 - 34%
Leicester became just the third Premier League side to be bottom at Christmas and avoid relegation - after West Brom (2004-05) and Sunderland (2013-14).
Top league scorer: Leonardo Ulloa (13).
Other key men: Esteban Cambiasso, Andy King, Jamie Vardy.
Leicester's extraordinary title win is even more remarkable when you consider that 29 games into the previous season, they were seven points from safety at the bottom. And that season was also bonkers.
With Nigel Pearson battling to avoid an immediate return to the Championship, the pressure seemed to show in February as he was involved in a bizarre touchline clash with Crystal Palace midfielder James McArthur.
The club denied rumours that Pearson was sacked and swiftly reinstated, yet the Foxes were still bottom in April.
But a 2-1 home win over West Ham sparked a run of 22 points from 27, which saw Leicester clinch survival with a game to go and ultimately finish 14th.
The only blip during the run-in was a defeat at champions Chelsea, when Pearson walked out of the post-match news conference after asking a reporter if he was an ostrich.
2. West Brom 2004-05 - 24%
West Brom became the first Premier League side to avoid relegation having been bottom on Christmas Day.
Top league scorer: Robert Earnshaw (11).
Other key men: Kieran Richardson, Zoltan Gera, Geoff Horsfield.
The ultimate nail-biter. This is the only Premier League campaign where all three relegation places were decided on the final day.
And never mind being bottom at Christmas, West Brom had slipped back there before the last game - and remained bottom for most of the final day. The Baggies had to beat Portsmouth and hope their three relegation rivals all failed to win.
Norwich were thumped by Fulham and although Southampton took the lead against Manchester United, the Red Devils fought back. So, heading into the closing stages, it was between West Brom and Crystal Palace.
The Baggies won 2-0, although celebrations for the second goal were muted as Palace had just come from behind to lead at Charlton.
With eight minutes left, Charlton levelled it up again. Then with their game over, West Brom players and staff waited on the touchline for Palace's final score: 2-2 - cue pandemonium at The Hawthorns.
3. Sunderland 2013-14 - 11%
Between April and May 2014, Sunderland won four straight Premier League games – for the first time since December 2000.
Top league scorer: Adam Johnson (8).
Other key men: Seb Larsson, Fabio Borini, Connor Wickham.
Boss Gus Poyet said Sunderland needed "a miracle" - and it took an unlikely hero to spark this rescue mission.
One point from 24 left the Black Cats seven points adrift with six games left and they still had to visit Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United.
Enter Connor Wickham, who had just returned after spending most of the season on loan in the Championship.
The striker scored five in three as Sunderland drew 2-2 at City before beating Chelsea and Cardiff.
Seb Larsson's acrobatic volley secured victory at Old Trafford and a 2-0 win over West Brom saw Sunderland stay up with a game to spare.
4. Fulham 2007-08 - 9%
Fulham won eight league games - four of their first 33, then four of their last five.
Top league scorer: Clint Dempsey (6).
Other key men: Brian McBride, Diomansy Kamara, Danny Murphy.
The Cottagers twice came back from the brink in 2008. Derby went down with what remains the Premier League's lowest points total (11) and with 20 minutes left at Manchester City, Fulham were about to join them.
Roy Hodgson's men were 2-0 down and set to go six points adrift with two games left. Surely it was over?
Diomansy Kamara had other ideas. Out of nothing, the Senegalese striker pulled one back. Then Danny Murphy equalised before Kamara lashed in a stoppage-time winner.
Victory over Birmingham put Fulham's fate in their own hands but with the Blues and Reading both winning on the final day, it was a tense afternoon at Portsmouth.
Fourteen minutes from time, Murphy headed home from a free-kick to keep Fulham up on goal difference.
5. Portsmouth 2005-06 - 8%
Portsmouth picked up more points in their final 10 league games (20) than during their first 28 (18).
Top league scorer: Lomana LuaLua (7).
Other key men: Pedro Mendes, Gary O'Neill, Svetoslav Todorov.
Sometimes it just takes one goal to turn things around. With 10 games left, Pompey were eight points from safety when they hosted Manchester City.
They were set to go nine games without a win when City cleared a corner towards Pedro Mendes, who slammed a stoppage-time winner into the top corner.
Portsmouth were a side transformed. Having scored four goals in their previous 10 games, they scored seven in their next two, winning at West Ham and Fulham.
Further victories over Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Wigan saw them secure safety with a game to spare, having claimed 20 points from a possible 27.
6. Wigan 2011-12 - 8%
Wigan picked up more points in their last nine games (21) than any other side - even champions Manchester City (20).
Top league scorer: Franco Di Santo (7).
Other key men: Gary Caldwell, Victor Moses, Shaun Maloney.
With nine games left, Wigan were only three points from safety. But this survival act was about the volume of points and the quality of the opposition.
After one win in 14, check out Wigan's next three away games - Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal. They also had to face leaders Manchester United.
It was all hands up to the pump - and Roberto Martinez's side had eight different scorers in their last nine games.
The Latics gave themselves hope with a first-ever win at Anfield before Shaun Maloney's goal gave them a first-ever win over United. They followed that up with a first-ever win at Arsenal.
And despite losing at Fulham, Wigan sealed the deal in style, winning their last three games to finish 15th.
7. Oldham 1992-93 - 6%
Oldham games saw a combined 137 goals (63 for, 74 against) – more than any other side. Only Blackburn (68) and Manchester United (67) scored more.
Top league scorer: Ian Olney (11).
Other key men: Gunnar Halle, Nick Henry, Andy Ritchie.
Oldham were one of the Premier League's founder members but to survive for season two they had to pull off some heroics in the final week.
The Latics faced Aston Villa, who were still in the title race, knowing they had to win their last three games - and hope Crystal Palace gained no more than a point from their last two.
But Joe Royle's side won 1-0 at Villa before beating Liverpool 3-2 in midweek. That night Palace drew at Manchester City so it went down to the final day.
Palace fell behind at Arsenal while the Latics romped into a 4-1 lead over Southampton. And although the Saints made it 4-3 to set up a nervy finish, Oldham held on to stay up on goal difference.


bbc--2020-05-01--Majority of players scared about returning - Aguero

Players are `` scared '' about the prospect of returning to action amid the coronavirus pandemic , says Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero .
The Premier League is hoping to resume the season on 8 June , which would require players to be be back in full training by 18 May .
Top-flight clubs will meet on Friday to discuss options for the restart .
`` The majority of players are scared because they have children and families , '' said 31-year-old Aguero .
Speaking to Argentine TV station El Chiringuito , the Argentina international Aguero added : `` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my girlfriend here and I 'm not going to be in contact with other people .
I 'm locked in my house and the only person I could infect is my girlfriend .
`` They 're saying that there are people that have it and do n't have any symptoms but still infect you .
That 's why I am here at home .
Maybe I have the illness and I do n't even know . ''
The Premier League has been suspended since 13 March because of coronavirus but all clubs remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remaining fixtures .
All games are expected to be held behind closed doors and the league is considering making some available on free-to-air TV .
Senior medical directors of the FA and Premier League will join a video conference on Friday with medical experts from rugby union , cricket and racing , along with the Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam to discuss the medical and safety aspects of a return to sporting action .
Aguero said he and his team-mates , will be `` quite nervous and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
`` When one person is ill we will think 'oh what 's happening here ? '
'' he added .
`` I hope a vaccine will be found soon so that this all ends . ''
If training is resumed before social distancing rules are relaxed , BBC Sport understands players will be tested for coronavirus twice a week and would be screened for symptoms every day .
All tests would be carried out by health professionals at a drive-through NHS testing facility that each club would have access to .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing and high hygiene levels .
In addition : • Players must arrive at training grounds in kit and wear masks at all times .
• They must not shower or eat on the premises .
If clubs want to provide players with food , it must be delivered as a takeaway to players ' cars .
• Only essential medical treatment would be allowed , with all medical staff in full PPE .
• All meetings and reviews must take place virtually and off-site .
Brighton striker Glenn Murray says some proposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to action , such as wearing face masks , are `` farcical '' .
`` Face masks is going to be off-putting ; it is not going to be natural .
People will be ripping them off in games , '' the 36-year-old said .
`` It is quite farcical .
`` I understand why people are desperate to get football on .
It has to be done in a sensible way and in the right time and in a way that is going to keep everyone safe .
`` There will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it fair to take those from the NHS ?
I don ’ t know .
`` It is not just two squads , there is a lot more involved and it puts more people at risk . ''
Arsenal , Brighton and West Ham have opened their training grounds to players for individual work .
`` I understand the public is desperate to get football back , '' said Murray .
`` But it is us that are going to be going out there and competing against other teams .
`` We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We are talking about guys from all over the world who could be possibly carrying the disease .
There are so many caveats .
`` Everyone is in different situations .
I have children at home .
I wouldn ’ t want to jeopardise them .
Some footballers have newly born children who might be more susceptible to getting the disease .
`` Some are living with elderly parents .
It is a really difficult situation to agree on . ''

Last updated on .From the section Man City
Aguero last played in the Premier League in the Manchester derby on 8 March
Players are "scared" about the prospect of returning to action amid the coronavirus pandemic, says Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero.
The Premier League is hoping to resume the season on 8 June, which would require players to be be back in full training by 18 May.
Top-flight clubs will meet on Friday to discuss options for the restart.
"The majority of players are scared because they have children and families," said 31-year-old Aguero.
Speaking to Argentine TV station El Chiringuito, the Argentina international Aguero added: "I'm scared, but I'm with my girlfriend here and I'm not going to be in contact with other people. I'm locked in my house and the only person I could infect is my girlfriend.
"They're saying that there are people that have it and don't have any symptoms but still infect you. That's why I am here at home. Maybe I have the illness and I don't even know."
The Premier League has been suspended since 13 March because of coronavirus but all clubs remain committed to playing this season's 92 remaining fixtures.
All games are expected to be held behind closed doors and the league is considering making some available on free-to-air TV.
Senior medical directors of the FA and Premier League will join a video conference on Friday with medical experts from rugby union, cricket and racing, along with the Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam to discuss the medical and safety aspects of a return to sporting action.
Aguero said he and his team-mates, will be "quite nervous and extra careful" when they return to work.
"When one person is ill we will think 'oh what's happening here?'" he added. "I hope a vaccine will be found soon so that this all ends."
If training is resumed before social distancing rules are relaxed, BBC Sport understands players will be tested for coronavirus twice a week and would be screened for symptoms every day.
All tests would be carried out by health professionals at a drive-through NHS testing facility that each club would have access to.
Training grounds will be optimised for social distancing and high hygiene levels. In addition:
Players must arrive at training grounds in kit and wear masks at all times.
They must not shower or eat on the premises. If clubs want to provide players with food, it must be delivered as a takeaway to players' cars.
Only essential medical treatment would be allowed, with all medical staff in full PPE.
All meetings and reviews must take place virtually and off-site.
'Farcical' face mask proposals
Brighton striker Glenn Murray says some proposed protocols around the Premier League's return to action, such as wearing face masks, are "farcical".
"Face masks is going to be off-putting; it is not going to be natural. People will be ripping them off in games," the 36-year-old said. "It is quite farcical.
"I understand why people are desperate to get football on. It has to be done in a sensible way and in the right time and in a way that is going to keep everyone safe.
"There will be ambulances at training and games. Is it fair to take those from the NHS? I don’t know.
"It is not just two squads, there is a lot more involved and it puts more people at risk."
Arsenal, Brighton and West Ham have opened their training grounds to players for individual work.
"I understand the public is desperate to get football back," said Murray. "But it is us that are going to be going out there and competing against other teams.
"We are not talking about guys in one community. We are talking about guys from all over the world who could be possibly carrying the disease. There are so many caveats.
"Everyone is in different situations. I have children at home. I wouldn’t want to jeopardise them. Some footballers have newly born children who might be more susceptible to getting the disease.
"Some are living with elderly parents. It is a really difficult situation to agree on."


bbc--2020-05-01--Formula 1: Hungarian Grand Prix to be held without fans

Hungarian Grand Prix organisers have said the race will have to be held without spectators this year as a result of the coronavirus crisis .
The country 's government announced on Thursday a ban on all gatherings of more than 500 people until 15 August .
Organisers said they had `` pursued all possible ways '' to stage the event with fans but this was `` no longer possible '' .
They added : `` It is now evident that any F1 race in Hungary can now only be held behind closed doors . ''
The statement said that holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ideal scenario [ but ] we do believe that staging the event behind closed doors - which our fans can still watch on television - is preferable to not having a race at all .
• How F1 wants to put the show back on the road • Who said that ?
Guess the memorable F1 quotes '' Furthermore , it will also ensure that a global audience of millions can still watch the race taking place in Hungary via F1 's vast international broadcast coverage .
As such , we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and find a way to make this possible . ''
A race at the Hungaroring is part of Formula 1 's plans to revive the 2020 championship this summer , once conditions in enough countries allow .
The race was originally scheduled for 2 August , but the F1 calendar has been almost completely ripped up , and published dates effectively irrelevant , as the sport 's bosses seek to re-shape the season and fit in enough races for a legitimate championship .
Insiders have told BBC Sport that Hungarian organisers are confident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead at a date later in the summer .
Organisers believe the grand prix could run as a closed event and be allowed more than 500 people as without spectators it would be classed as a broadcast operation not an event .
And the date they are working on with F1 is after the current restrictions end .
Hungary has become the second race to announce that it will be held without fans , after Silverstone .
F1 bosses are planning for a season to start with two races at Austria 's Red @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , followed by two at Silverstone on 19 and 26 July .
There would then be a week off before further races in Europe .
Hopes of holding a race in France , despite the cancellation of the official French Grand Prix earlier this week , were apparently dashed when the country banned all sporting events , even those behind closed doors , until the end of August .
But Spain and Italy are among the European countries other than Hungary that could host races , before F1 heads off to Russia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Middle East , as long as the virus situation in those areas allows at the time .

Britain's Lewis Hamilton won the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix
Hungarian Grand Prix organisers have said the race will have to be held without spectators this year as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
The country's government announced on Thursday a ban on all gatherings of more than 500 people until 15 August.
Organisers said they had "pursued all possible ways" to stage the event with fans but this was "no longer possible".
They added: "It is now evident that any F1 race in Hungary can now only be held behind closed doors."
The statement said that holding a race without spectators was "not an ideal scenario [but] we do believe that staging the event behind closed doors - which our fans can still watch on television - is preferable to not having a race at all.
"Furthermore, it will also ensure that a global audience of millions can still watch the race taking place in Hungary via F1's vast international broadcast coverage. As such, we are continuing our working with F1 to try and find a way to make this possible."
A race at the Hungaroring is part of Formula 1's plans to revive the 2020 championship this summer, once conditions in enough countries allow.
The race was originally scheduled for 2 August, but the F1 calendar has been almost completely ripped up, and published dates effectively irrelevant, as the sport's bosses seek to re-shape the season and fit in enough races for a legitimate championship.
Hamilton has won in Hungary a staggering seven times - more than any other driver
Insiders have told BBC Sport that Hungarian organisers are confident their race will be able to go ahead at a date later in the summer.
Organisers believe the grand prix could run as a closed event and be allowed more than 500 people as without spectators it would be classed as a broadcast operation not an event.
And the date they are working on with F1 is after the current restrictions end.
Hungary has become the second race to announce that it will be held without fans, after Silverstone.
F1 bosses are planning for a season to start with two races at Austria's Red Bull Ring on 5 and 12 July, followed by two at Silverstone on 19 and 26 July.
There would then be a week off before further races in Europe.
Hopes of holding a race in France, despite the cancellation of the official French Grand Prix earlier this week, were apparently dashed when the country banned all sporting events, even those behind closed doors, until the end of August.
But Spain and Italy are among the European countries other than Hungary that could host races, before F1 heads off to Russia, Azerbaijan, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East, as long as the virus situation in those areas allows at the time.


bbc--2020-05-01--Kim Jong-un appears in public, North Korean state media report

Kim Jong-un has appeared in public for the first time in 20 days , North Korean state media says .
KCNA news agency reports that the North Korean leader cut the ribbon at the opening of a fertiliser factory .
It adds that people at the factory `` broke into thunderous cheers of hurrah '' when he appeared .
The reported appearance - his first since an event on state media on 12 April - comes amid global speculation over his health .
The latest reports from North Korean media could not be independently confirmed .
State media later released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cutting a ribbon outside a factory .
Asked about Mr Kim 's reported reappearance , US President Donald Trump told reporters that he did n't want to comment yet .
What does the state media report say ?
According to Korean Central News Agency ( KCNA ) , Mr Kim was accompanied by several senior North Korean officials , including his sister Kim Yo Jong .
The North Korean leader cut a ribbon at a ceremony at the plant , in a region north of Pyongyang , and people who were attending the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'hurrah ! '
for the Supreme Leader who is commanding the all-people general march for accomplishing the great cause of prosperity '' , KCNA says .
• US 'has n't seen ' Kim Jong-un recently , says Pompeo • Sister or spymaster : Who might lead N Korea without Kim ?
Mr Kim said he was satisfied with the factory 's production system , and praised it for contributing to the progress of the country 's chemical industry and food production , the state news agency adds .
What started speculation about his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health began after he missed the birth anniversary celebrations of his grandfather , state founder Kim Il Sung on 15 April .
The anniversary is one of the biggest events in the North Korean calendar , and Mr Kim usually marks it by visiting the mausoleum where his grandfather lies .
Mr Kim had never missed this event .
Claims about Mr Kim 's ill-health then surfaced in a report for a website run by North Korean defectors .
An anonymous source told the Daily NK that they understood he had been struggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it worsened after repeated visits to Mount Paektu '' .
This led to a chain of reporting by international media on a single-sourced story .
News agencies then began to run with that claim , and it was all they had until some reports emerged that intelligence agencies in South Korea and the US were monitoring the claim .
But then came a more sensational headline in US media that the North Korean leader was in a critical condition after heart surgery .
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appeared to stoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying US officials `` had n't seen '' Mr Kim recently .
However , a statement from the South Korean government , and sources at Chinese intelligence - speaking to the Reuters news agency - said this was not true .
Yes .
Mr Kim went missing for 40 days in September 2014 , after attending a concert .
He reappeared in mid-October , using a cane .
State media never explained where he had been .
But South Korea 's intelligence agency said he probably had an operation on his left ankle @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Reporting on the secretive state is difficult. Facts and sources are very difficult to obtain, especially since the country is even more closed off to the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The South Korean government was clear that it noted no unusual activity in the North. Seoul often has the best intelligence from Pyongyang. But even they have been wrong in the past.