Bernie Sanders dropped out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination yesterday but pledged to continue to try to move the party to the left.

The democratic socialist insisted that he was “winning the ideological battle” but acknowledged that clinching the nomination was now “virtually impossible”. His decision clears the path for Joe Biden, 77, to take on President Trump in November.

Ardern said the country was already ‘turning a corner’ just six weeks after the epidemic reached New Zealand, which has only 992 confirmed cases and one death so far. 

Lockdown measures could be softened in just over a week, Ardern said, opening the door for some people to return to work if their employers can ensure social distancing.  

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, is once again seeking congress’ approval to extend the state of emergency – this time until 26 April.

Speaking in parliament on Thursday morning, he defended his government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis and said the continuing lockdown, which has been in effect since 14 March, was the best way to tackle contagion. He said:

Andrew Buncombe offers this analysis of the senator’s thwarted campaign, as one of Bernie’s prominent acolytes, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, thanks him for blazing a trail and Biden makes an overture to his suddenly disenfranchised but passionate supporters.

You may perhaps be wondering how Fox News is doing during these taxing and unprecedented times.

The beach backdrops were shuttered-up restaurants, forced to close because of Spain’s national state of emergency, and soldiers disinfecting the lifeless streets in the country’s desperate battle against Covid-19 which has so far claimed more than 15,000 lives with the official figures widely believed to be an under-estimate of the true situation.

In Marbella yesterday evening/on Wednesday evening, as in other Costa resorts where Spaniards, expats and the few holidaymakers who have stayed on applaud the emergency services every day at 8pm, the silence was broken briefly as two police vans sped along the high street with their sirens sounding and blue lights flashing.