The UK has now suffered the most coronavirus deaths in Europe, 29,427 according to official statistics, passing the grim toll reached in Italy. But can you make a fair comparison between the two countries? BBC Reality Check says there are differences in terms of population, data gathering and more, that make doing so a challenge. 

The government says judgements can't be made until the pandemic is over, and plenty of experts agree, but the UK's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, did tell MPs on Tuesday it would have been "beneficial" to have ramped up testing quicker. 

We wake up this morning to the news that a prominent government adviser, Prof Neil Ferguson, has quit following a Daily Telegraph story that a woman, said to be his "married lover", visited his home during lockdown. Prof Ferguson - whose modelling of the virus's transmission informed the decision to impose social distancing - said he made an "error of judgement" in undermining the rules he'd called for.

In other news, most firms reckon they could be ready to restart business with just three weeks' notice. The BBC has spoken to companies in five different sectors about the new ways they're finding to operate. Bad news continues to come from the airline industry though, with job losses at Virgin Atlantic and turbulent air fares on the horizon.

We've been answering your questions on furloughing - and other matters - while our health correspondent, Laura Foster, has looked closely at why some people take longer than others to recover from the virus. 

Finally, something uplifting. For people with special needs and their families the lockdown has been particularly challenging, but in Oxford, an inclusive choir is using music - and technology - to come together.

Schools have reopened in China's virus epicentre for the first time since the outbreak began. Senior students in Hubei province have returned - but most pupils will remain at home for the time being.

In the US, President Donald Trump says the White House coronavirus task force will be winding down, to be replaced by a new group focused on "safety and reopening". New confirmed infections per day in the US currently top 20,000, and daily deaths exceed 1,000. The president said it was not a case of "mission accomplished", but the emphasis was now on "bringing our country back".

On a positive note, the Queen has called Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, congratulating him on the country's success in fighting the virus. It comes as Australia prepares to ease restrictions and get millions back to work.

Many European nations are relaxing restrictions somewhat too, and Germany's tourism chief has said his citizens may yet be able to have summer holidays abroad. European governments are mulling how to handle the upcoming vacation period. French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Tuesday it was "too soon to say whether we can take holidays" but it would become clear by the start of June.

In other stories from around the world, hear about the woman who became, against her will, the face of Indonesia's coronavirus outbreak. And we speak to sailors stuck on their ships for months as ports ban crew transfers.

Get all the latest in our live page.

As part of year-long series Our Planet Matters, the BBC is focusing on the intersection between coronavirus and climate change. Multiple sources indicate we are living through an unrivalled drop in carbon output due to the economic slowdown - as these five charts explain - but it's what happens next that occupies many minds. 

Government advisers are urging ministers to ensure funds earmarked for the recovery go to firms that will reduce carbon emissions, so how could a "Build Back Better" strategy work? Activists are stressing the risk of a double crisis, but some say there's now a big opportunity to spread their message in a different way.

From elsewhere

Twice a week, BBC Local Radio pulls together stories from across the country of people making a difference. Hear the newest episode and check out the full back catalogue. Elsewhere, Coronavirus Newscast  digests the latest developments .

Vast swarms of desert locusts that tore through East Africa earlier this year are breeding again. Why has it got so bad? Check out our beautiful, graphic-laden analysis. And closer to home, see a gallery of images taken at Butlins during the 1980s. They remind us of what holidays once were.