this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. europe pursues options to end the lockdown, as belgium sets out a detailed plan to relax restrictions. people needing medical care are urged not to be put off by the coronavirus pandemic, as visits to uk a&e departments drop by almost half. you should not be afraid of accessing health care services. we want you to call 111, call your gp or call 999 first but the nhs is there for you. the premier league holds talks with ministers about how football matches could resume with televised matches played behind closed doors. three us states allow some businesses to reopen as the number of deaths from coronovirus

there tops 50,000. anzac day in the time of lockdown. political leaders in australia and new zealand pay their respects on the annual day of remembrance to the war dead. and blocking the virus. an enterprise in china is measuring how well everyday items can restrict covid—19. hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. we're covering all the latest coronavirus developments here in britain and globally. first, as countries in europe start to end their coronavirus lockdowns, belgium has come out with a timetable for gradually lifting its restrictions. most shops will reopen across the country on the eleventh

of may and schools will reopen a week later. in other developments, in the uk, people are being urged to seek medical care when they need it and not be put off by the coronavirus outbreak. half the usual number of people are going to accident and emergency, while treatment for heart attacks and strokes is down. in the united states, three states, georgia, oklahoma and alaska, have allowed some shops to reopen, despite warnings it may be too early. the country's death toll has surpassed 50,000, the highest in the world. and the premier league has been holding talks with the uk government about how football matches could be permitted to resume. more on that later but first this report from tim allman on how countries are beginning to ease restrictions. this is mont saint—michel,

on france's normandy coast. millions of tourists come here every year, but not this year. for now, it's like a ghost town. empty streets, empty tables. the lockdown in full effect. translation: i would say it was done like a military campaign because at nine o'clock theyjust said, "sorry, sir. you're not opening." and that was it. it was done in less than a minute. it was very sudden. so we closed, everyone left, we just dropped everything. it's the same all across the country. this is the place de la concorde in paris, almost completely deserted. but things may soon change, president macron suggesting travel restrictions could soon be eased as france tries to get back to normal. for belgium, that process is already tentatively under way. in a late night news conference, the prime minister unveiled a detailed timetable

to ease the lockdown. translation: wearing an item which covers both the mask and nose will be mandatory for those travelling on public transport ages 12 and above. transport ages 12 and above. most shops and schools will begin reopening next month, although classrooms will be limited to ten pupils and face masks will have to be worn on public transport. translation: if we can present you with an exit strategy, it's because of the citizens who are also leading the fight against covid—19. restaurant owners in germany have been staging a protest, laying out rows of empty chairs in dozens of towns and cities across the country. they say their industry is in a precarious situation and they don't know when they will be allowed to reopen.

and there were tense scenes in austria as around 200 people took to the streets of vienna, calling for an end to the lockdown there. restrictions have been eased but for some, it's just not happening fast enough. tim allman, bbc news, in the uk former chancellor philip hammond is calling on the government to begin easing the coronavirus lockdown and restarting the economy. mr hammond says the country can not afford to wait until a vaccine had become available before resuming more normal economic activity. let's speak to our political correspondent, nick eardley. and interesting intervention by someone and interesting intervention by someone who is or was until fairly recently a key political player? yes and it reflects a wider thinking in the conservative party which is that the conservative party which is that the economic shutdown has been so severe that you need to gradually

start bringing some sort of economic activity back, or you may find that the damage done is irreparable. philip hammond was much argument is that if you wait too long that's exactly the case. the economy will see having reversed much that you'll never get it back to the same level you did or if you manage to recover it will take some time. the government here has been extremely relu cta nt to government here has been extremely reluctant to go into detail about what might happen next. the argument we hear from uk what might happen next. the argument we hearfrom uk ministers all the time is that theyjust we hearfrom uk ministers all the time is that they just want to keep the message simple. to tell people to stay at home and protect the nhs, the mantra we hear everyday. that is starting to creak little bit. firstly that pressure within the conservative party also in scotland and wales which have the ability to go their own way on this, we are seeing some signs they want to start talking about how the lockdown might be lifted gradually over time.

potentially over quite a long period time. but you can see that pressure building up and fill apparent is the latest person this morning to see it. interesting to see him see its actually more complicated, the government can see light stay at home but working out what is safe in all these multiplicity is is so hard and one of those we have been hearing about this morning as the premier league? the premier league may well get up back up and running fairly quickly in terms of the broader economy, compared to the broader economy, compared to the broader economy. we know ministers are actively looking at this, the possibility that premier league football and other sports could restart behind closed doors at some point in may. it's not going to happen before the next review in the uk of the lockdown restrictions, that won't happen until the 7th of may. it will also have to meet

certain criteria, like making sure eve ryo ne certain criteria, like making sure everyone is safe and participants in the premier league or any other sport have tests available to check whether they have got coronavirus but you can see potentially how those first steps might start to be taken and certainly bringing football back is something ministers are looking at and the suspect for a lot of people on saturday afternoon it will be a relief. saturdays are just not the same. mick, thanks very much. —— nick. let's get more on this and speak to mike bushell who is at the bbc sport centre in salford. i don't know if you could hear about this must be a matter of concern for the different clubs? of course the longer it goes on the more uncertainty financially and all that goes with it. this raised hopes that the football season or certainly the

premier league season could be back sooner rather than later. the government has told us that this week it will hold a series of regular meetings with senior medical officers from different major sports with a view to resuming the premier league and may be other sports as well as soon as possible. this is a quote from the government. they said the move is described as a quickening of the pace intended to help sport resume within weeks if progress can be made. this would involve may be resuming the premier league season. first of all players would need may be three weeks training, that is a suggested period they would need to prepare for any comeback of the season and it would have course be behind closed doors. the government hope that some of the matches will be televised and put on free to air tv. so with all these things it's not without a big caveat. there's lots to consider before a potential return. firstly it would not happen before the next review of the lockdown as we have

heard from nick there. may the 7th is the next lockdown review and the go—ahead would depend on the government meeting the five tests we have been keeping about for easing those restrictions. those tests include things like seeing death and infection rates falling consistently and also what more, additional measures put in place for clubs like liverpool that have to be regular testing for players and ensuring the safety of staff. the government has said to us that watching live sport on tv would be hugely important for the nation, especially if it was free to airand the nation, especially if it was free to air and give the country a huge lift. how does that fit into the european picture? interestingly just yesterday we heard the news that this could worry the likes of liverpool, leeds, west brom, hoping for promotion from the championship, the dutch league has been completely nullified. what has happened does not count so there will now be repeat like the scenes of eye acts

winning the last year because it has been made null and void. —— ajax. those dutch clubs higher up in the league would go into europe in normal qualification way. in germany, interesting, bit like the premier league in england are hoping to resume sometime in may but of course also they are saying it's a political decision and it depends 0n what happens politically because major events, public events in germany have been banned until 0ctober at the earliest. germany have been banned until october at the earliest. thanks so much we will talk to you again later. a huge drop in the number of patients seeking urgent treatment in uk hospitals for conditions unrelated to coronavirus is fuelling concerns that serious problems are being missed. the national health service is launching a campaign to encourage anyone with health concerns to seek help. jon donnison reports.

much of the fight against covid—i9 has been about trying to keep people safe and out of hospital. but today the nhs is encouraging people not to be afraid of seeking treatment for non—coronavirus conditions. it could cost lives. the number of people going to a&e over the past month is down around 50% compared with the last period last year. that's i million fewer visits. we are here for non—coronavirus patients too. so if you're worried about chest pain, maybe you might be having a heart attack or stroke, or you feel a lump or you are worried about cancer, or you're a parent concerned about your child, please come forward and use the health service in the way that you normally would. it's going to be better to sort those problems out now rather than leave them for later. meanwhile, the new government website on which key workers

and theirfamilies can book coronavirus tests reopens this morning, after it was inundated with requests yesterday. almost 50,000 people in england tried to book a testjust hours after the website was launched. 16,000 people did manage to get a drive—through appointment or a home testing kit. in terms of the number of people dying, figures released yesterday showed 768 more reported coronavirus deaths in the uk since the day before. it takes the total number to more than 19,500. it could well reach 20,000 today and because that does not include deaths in care homes or the community, the realfigure is likely to be much higher.

two of those to lose their lives are 37—year—old twin sisters, katy and emma davis. both had worked in nursing in southampton. both succumbed to the virus this week. they were angels on earth and now they're in heaven. best friends, they were my best friends as well. they always said that they came in the world together so they will go out together, so that is what they have done. sisters and soulmates. their lives dedicated to caring for others, now cut short. the death toll in the united states from the coronavirus pandemic is now double the second worst—hit country, italy. more than 50,000 people have died, according to johns hopkins university. three of the us states lesser affected , are allowing shops to reopen — against the wishes of president trump. david willis reports.

thank you very much. and with that they were gone. a daily press briefing which routinely stretches beyond two hours, all over in 22 minutes. donald trump's reluctance to face further question seen as a response to the backlash he has faced over comments made to the coordinator of his coronavirus task force the day before. and then i see the disinfectant...that knocks it out in a minute. one minute. and is there a way we can do something like that? by injection, inside or... almost a cleaning? because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check. that prompted a torrent of ridicule and condemnation. government officials warning of the health problems that ingesting household disinfectant could cause. and a stark reminderfrom mr trump's democratic rivaljoe biden. "don't drink bleach." president trump has since said he wasn't being serious, even though he appeared so at the time. but i was asking a sarcastic, in a very sarcastic question, to the reporters in the room, about disinfectant on the inside. but it does kill it and it would kill it on the hands.

meanwhile, more than 50,000 people here have now died from the coronavirus, but in georgia and some other southern states, hairdressers, tattoo parlours and nail salons have already started to reopen. despite warnings from health officials that it's too early for them to do so safely. the headlines on bbc news... european governments pursue options to end the lockdown, as belgium sets out a detailed plan to gradually relax restrictions. people needing medical care from the nhs are urged not to be put off by the coronavirus pandemic, as visits to a&e drop by almost half. the premier league holds talks with ministers about how football matches could resume with televised matches played behind closed doors. australians and new zealanders are observing anzac day, their annual commemoration for their war dead, by holding

private vigils at home. the coronavirus pandemic forced traditional memorials to be cancelled for the first time in decades. russell trott reports. anzac day is a day when, yeah, we do the dawn service, we march, and at the end of that, we go away to our various watering holes, pubs or clubs, and we enjoy our mates. and again, that's gonna be sad this year because we won't be able to do that. for those like ray james, who are still able to commemorate anzac day, it's a chance to remember their fallen comrades. april 25, 1915, gallipoli, and one of the bloodiest battles of world war i. thousands of troops from the australian and new zealand army corps, the anzacs, were among a larger allied force that landed on the narrow beaches of the turkish peninsula in an ill—fated campaign that would claim more than 130,000 lives.

105 years later, and thousands of miles away in australia and new zealand, with mass gatherings now banned in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus, political leaders joined the veterans for mini services at their homes. 0n anzac day, 1919, the first after the great war, there were no city marches operates for the returning veterans because australians were battling the spanish flu pandemic. a small group of anzacs who had been arranging and tending the graves of their mates gathered and there was no pomp, at that little service. there were no dignitaries, no bans, just the sound of lapping water on the lonely shore. one said of that lonely service it was the real thing. and so our remembrance today, small, quiet and homely will be. there were no dignitaries, no bands, just the sound of lapping water on the lonely shore. one said of that lonely service it was the real thing. and so our remembrance today, small, quiet and homely will be. plays last post. so, as daylight broke, they put their concerns of the coronavirus fight to one side briefly and once more remembered

those who fell in what was called the war to end all wars. let's take a quick look at some other stories from around the world. the french government has set out a package to help air france and the car maker, renault. under the plans the national carrier would receive $7.5 billion in loans, to save 350,000 jobs. renault could receive more than $5 billion. the indian government has allowed neighbourhood stores to reopen more than a month after they were shut due to the crisis. the interior ministry said only 50% of staff should work and only if they adhered to safety precautions. the brazilianjustice minister has resigned after president, jair bolsonaro, fired a senior police chief. sergio moro accused the president of "political intereference". in response mr bolsonaro said the allegations were "baseless"

and claimed thejustice minister had acted "improperly". across the world, a shortage of masks has meant making do with whatever they can put together. now, a china—based community enterprise normally dealing with air purification equipment is measuring how well everyday items might potentially restrict the virus. stephen mcdonell reports from beijing. here you are at home, you want to make your own masks based loosely on the design of one of these cloth antipollution masks. what are you going to use? t—shirts, they are all different thicknesses, aren't they? how about a tea towel or handkerchief? even... a paper towel? a beijing team has received so many questions along these lines they have decided to test these materials properly. smart air is a social enterprise with experience testing masks for pollution. here they are blowing air down

a tube and measuring what percentage of roughly coronavirus—sized particles can pass through various materials. they have found that coffee filters, kitchen towels and nylon are great at blocking but you can't breathe through them. what we have found has been the best material are things like paper towels, some fairly like canvas denims, some jeans and bed sheets were really good for testing two different thread counts of bed sheets and they turned out very well. in many countries around the world, makeshift mass production is in full swing. monks in thailand are using their robe materials. in one arm, the other side. in the us, the surgeon general posted a how—to video giving some ideas. but some of what is being used is actually too porous. i see you have got a few scarves, how did they go? we had three scarves that we tested here. actually all of them did

really badly, filtering out the tiny particles. so how might you get an idea of how you could be more effective? you could hold up your materials to the light. and really compare the amount of light coming through the materials. which should give you an idea of how well they can filter out the particles. more light means more particles can get through it? you want less light for it to be more valuable? exactly, yes. however, paddy robertson doesn't want people to overplay their research. some of the best materials we found could filter 30, a0%. so that's better than nothing, but it's definitely not the solution and we cannot all be happy going around wearing facemasks and touching, kissing, coughing and things like that. it's a temporary solution. surgical mask manufacturing is ramping up globally. so access to proper masks will eventually be probably not such an issue. yet even some of these can be faulty. and never offer complete protection.

around 10,000 british citizens are still stranded in india, as the country enters its fifth week of lockdown. some of their relatives here in the uk are urging the government to do more, as they face an anxious wait to be reunited with their loved ones. jagdip cheema reports. rural punjab, known as the breadbasket of india, is usually a bustling state. but with the lockdown into a fifth week, the north—western state, like much of india, is at a standstill. that's left many uk citizens in limbo. as many as 10,000 people are desperate to return home. the majority of them are in the punjab. initially i was here for a family wedding. i was due back to be in the uk on the 22nd of march. i'm still here. i've tried my best to get in touch with the fco, the ctm and my mp but i'm not

getting any luck, whatsoever. so i feel like i'm being kept in the dark. hello. families back in the uk are also struggling with the situation. this woman's 85—year—old mother who has a chronic heart condition and asthma urgently requires a blood test. she just wants to be home. and despite numerous e—mails to the foreign office, i've heard nothing back. just radio silence. i haven't slept properly, i have neglected the kids, and for the first time in my life i am on anxiety medication. last month, foreign secretary dominic raab pledged £75 million to put on special flights to bring nationals home. officials in the indian capital say it's a very complex operation. india is 12 times the size of the uk, sojust moving people huge distances is quite a challenge and on top of that, we have a very strict lockdown here.

it's effectively a curfew operating across india so it's very difficult to get the clearances and permission to move people around in what is, i guess, the world's largest lockdown. with many countries in lockdown and no scheduled passengerflights, getting people back is proving to be challenging. so far, over 30 special flights have left india, bringing home some 7000 passengers. however, with thousands still trapped, it's going to take weeks for the backlot to clear. china is slowly returning to normal. these pictures show the badaling section of the great wall of china. it's near beijing, so, many people from the capital are taking advantage of the easing of lockdown restrictions to get out of the house and to visit the wall. china was where covid—19 first took hold. still first took hold. nothing like normal numbers. the charity fundraiser

captain tom moore has become the oldest person ever to have a number one single in the uk charts at the impressive age of 99. captain tom's birthday is on thursday, meaning he will still be at the top of the chart when he turns 100. the previous record—holder, sir tom jones, was 68 when he had a number one with a cover of "islands in the stream" in 2009. insurance companies are warning that the coronavirus pandemic is likely to be the most expensive event in their history, with pay—outs totalling £1.2 billion. the government says it's encouraging insurers to do all they can to support struggling firms. here's our business correspondent katie prescott. like so many businesses, this clinic in cheshire has seen its revenue fall to zero since the lockdown. they had bought business interruption insurance to pay out if they ever had to stop trading. but their claim for closure due to the coronavirus was rejected.

it's a bit galling to realise that we've, over the years, have spent over £10,000 on insurance which was not valid and when we finally came to claim, we were told we can't. i think all businesses thought they had inoculated themselves by buying this insurance and they have found that this financial vaccine does not work. sonia's now empty clinic. she had a business interruption policy which covered closure due to human contagion. her insurer is disputing her claim, as coronavirus was not directly on her premises. we've paid our premium, always paid on time, have done the right thing, there is a clause in that document which is in my view really clear. i think we're going to close. without that payment, we can't continue. the bbc has been inundated with e—mails from business owners like sonia who feel unfairly treated by their insurers. the treasury select committee of mps and the financial watchdogs are all looking at this issue.

but insurers argue that to make this sort of cover widely available and affordable for people would require government subsidies. given the scale of the unprecedented disruption that its caused. most business interruption policies that most businesses have up and down the country are very much designed to protect them from standard things like fire and flood. they're not designed to cover and they were not priced either, to cover for a global pandemic. insurance pay—outs for floods are already covered by government backed fund which all insurers contribute to. and there's speculation that another such scheme could be created for pandemics. but that won't help those who are looking for pay—outs today. as the weather's starting to improve for most of us it would be perfect, under normal circumstances, for a day out. so we're bringing you the next best thing. keepers at edinburgh zoo have been doing some filming to show us how the animals there are coping

with the lockdown. lorna gordon reports. the animals of edinburgh zoo. lion cubs joined by other additions like this koala joey, venturing out for the first time. there are over 2,500 animals here. the keepers agreeing to film for us to show how the animals are faring while the gates are closed. one of the first things we have to do is check on all our penguins and make sure everybody is ok. the famous penguin parade is for now no longer happening but the breeding season here has started so both the penguins and their keepers have plenty to do. this is one of our breeding nests for our northern rockhoppers this year. we are currently at this moment waiting for this chick to hopefully hatch in the next couple of days. the city's zoo would usually get thousands of visitors every day. but the lockdown means pathways here are now deserted. but obviously today we are. ..empty. however, we've still got a panda

who is outside and having a bite of lunch, so let's go and have a look at him. the solitary creatures are among the most popular animals here. their adoring audiences may have disappeared but it has made no difference to them. with everything that is going on, social—distancing isn't really a problem for pandas, because they quite like being solitary and he certainly doesn't miss having company. a lot of people worry that if he's on his own, he's lonely. he's not. as long as yang guang has food, he is perfectly happy. the keepers are always careful around their charges, but coronavirus means they are taking even more precautions now. we wear gloves when we're handling any food or things like that, but we have started wearing facemasks all the time. one of the things that could potentially is happen is that we could pass coronavirus onto the chimps. as far as i know, there are no known cases of chimpanzees catching coronavirus but they are susceptible to things like the flu so we really