this is bbc news — welcome if you're watching here in the uk, on pbs in america or around the globe. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top stories: north korean state media report kim jong—un attending an official event — apparently quashing rumours of his ill—health. american authorities authorise the drug remdesivir as an emergency treatment for covid—19. and — the british government claims success in coronavirus testing — but the opposition questions the numbers. and — britain's farmers fear the consequences of a labour shortage — as european workers stay away and not enough britons step in.

hello and welcome. the north korean leader kim jong—un has appeared in public for the first time in nearly three weeks, ending an absence that prompted international rumours about his health. the country's official news agency said he'd opened a fertiliser plant near the capital, pyongyang. here's our correspondent in seoul, laura bicker yes, he is smiling, he is cutting a ribbon at a fertiliser plant in sunchon which is just north of the capital, pyongyang. in his first public appearance in state media since april 11. another photo shows him laughing and state media says all the participants broke into ponderous tears when he appeared. it brings an end to the rumours and wildly speculative headlines that he was dead or in a coma. the south korean government continually played down rumours he was ill.

there was no mention of where he has been the last 21 days or why he missed the april celebration for his grandfather — the country's most important day. he has vanished in the past. he vanished for a0 days in 2014 and reappeared with a cane. so far we have only seen a few stills but not moving pictures of kim jong—un. alistair coleman, from bbc monitoring has more on the images issued by north korea state media. they have appeared in the north korean newspaper, there's 21 of them, most of them have kim jong—un in some way or another. he is shown cutting a ribbon at the factory which he visited back injanuary, he has returned to open the factory on international workers day and he is there with his sister come kim yo—jong. and remind us why this is significant, because him

going out on a normal occasion would not be particularly newsworthy. it would not. it is always headline news in north korea but he missed his grandfather kim il—sung's birthday on the 15th april and that is one of the most important days on the north korean calendar and he did not show for that and it started the rumour mill which went so far as people saying he was dead. and that obviously doesn't seem to be the case now with these photos of him up and about, but it doesn't answer the questions of what has actually been happening over the last three weeks? no it doesn't, the rumours that he was on the east coast, he had actually showed up 50 kilometres north of pyongyang, so we have no idea where he has been — he could have been anywhere in the country but here he is near the capital. this is probably a good lesson that caution is always the best approach when dealing with any kind of news from north korea. oh yes, because the media

is so tightly controlled, they have onlyjust sent out pictures of this thing that happened on the first, it is the second now, we won't see video for another 2a hours so we won't really be able to tell how fit and well he is until then. so things happen slowly and we do have to be cautious with north korea. obviously part of your role, a fascinating job having eyes on this secretive state, a pretty frustrating job i would imagine at times, butjust give us a glimpse of what other kind of things you are looking for when you are looking to evidence and things to back up claims that are circulating? you always have to check background details, you have to check who is there, they're all of things, especially on the missile tests which we are seeing what kind of missiles they are using, and what their behaviour is. we always have to wait 2a hours until we see video and that is when all the real observations happen. but you have to be careful, you cannot second—guess north korea.

i have been caught up with them so many times, it happens to the best of us in korea watching. president trump has confirmed that the us food and drug administration — the fda — has authorised the emergency use of an experimental anti—viral drug, remdesivir, as a treatment for coronavirus. a recent clinical trial suggested the drug shortened recovery time for people who fall seriously ill with the virus. as we head into the weekend, more than 30 us states are at least partially re—opening their economies. president trump, who is keen on getting the us economy started again, insists the drug will make a difference. i am pleased to announce that gilead now has a eua from the fda for remdesivir, you know what that is, because that has been a hot thing also in the papers and media for the last little while. an important treatment

for hospitalised coronavirus patients, and something i spoke with dr khan and dr fauci, i spoke with deborah about it. it is really a very promising situation. we have been doing work with the teams at the fda, nih and gilead for spearheadhing this private—public partnership to make this happen very quickly. our north america correspondent david willis is following the story. this drug is said to be helping patients suffering coronavirus to recover faster. there was a trial conducted involving about a thousand patients and it showed that those who took the drug recovered, normally it would be about 15 days, pared down to 11 days.

that's a 31% difference and it's seen by medical experts here as potentially very significant if for no other reason than the fact that it suggests to them that a drug is capable of blocking this virus. now, it's a modest breakthrough but it is all we have at the moment. it's not a cure, not a vaccine and there is however a lot of hope being attached to it. it should be pointed out that this previous study on this drug was meant to be a potential treatment for the ebola virus but failed to show any significant benefits in that regard. we are of course some way off of a vaccine for the coronavirus. as you pointed out, this is not a vaccine and does not prevent people from being ill in the first place so it is a relatively range of narrow people it can help.

but welcome nonetheless if it does help. donald trump talking in the context of reopening the us economy and in fact, states are reopening now. they are, more than 30 states reopening somewhat cautiously. a patchwork quilt of states reopening across the country. for example, in texas, they are reopening malls, libraries, and museums, but limiting the capacity for the next couple of weeks to 25% of normal. healthcare facilities, such as dentists and vets and other places in ohio, were being opened but very cautiously indeed as well. there were concerns that some of these states could be reopening their economies too quickly, and the chief medical expert here, doctor anthony fauci, warned that if there isn't more caution with all of this, there could be a second wave of the coronavirus which could be all the more

deadly than the first one. this country is the epicentre for the coronavirus globally. more than a million cases and more than 63,000 deaths at the moment. david willis there. 0pposition parties in the uk have questioned whether the government actually hit its target of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of april. the health secretary, matt hancock, said more than 122,000 had been carried out. but labour said that figure lacked transparency and clarity because it included 39,000 tests that had been mailed out and not returned. 0ur health editor hugh pym reports. a very quiet stansted airport, especially for a friday, but there was activity — virus testing a car park, one of the drive—through centres set up in the last month to greatly increase capacity, with an overall target of 100,000 tests per day by this week.

the health secretary said that was comfortably achieved. this unprecedented expansion in british testing capability is an incredible achievement. but it's not my achievement, it is a national achievement. how do you intend to further develop and expand the testing network as part of moves to combat the virus? by testing, you can help to treat patients better. we have always been testing patients. it will help get people back to work, and there has been a big expansion of the eligibility to get a test in order to be able to get back to work. the scottish government says testing capacity, which is included in the overall total announced today, is set to rise from just over 8,000 to 12,000 per day in a few weeks‘ time. this mobile unit in elgin, staffed by military personnel, opened today. the daily uk total includes home testing kits sent to people who booked them online but not actually completed. government sources argue it's the only way they can be counted, as it is harder to track

them when swabs are sent back to the labs. it's quite stressful. there's confusion about some aspects of the new system. the owner of this care home in cumbria said he was sent a letter telling him only to book home testing kits if residents and staff had symptoms, whereas days before, the government had said tests could be booked online, regardless of whether they were unwell. it's terrible, really. these people, they're being treated as throwaway, i think. they are no longer productive, so they are not that important and it's an awful shame. 0ne nurse told us there was no nhs priority system and she was stuck in a long queue at the drive—in centre. after two hours of waiting, the police came and told us they'd run out of tests and we should go home and try again tomorrow. for me the frustrating thing was i'd accessed the test as a priority, as a

prioritised key worker. testing is one thing but contacts need tracing of any one who has tested positive. public health officials will phone or contact people the patient has met recently. the government says it's recruiting 18,000 staff to do this. and an app will be used alerting people someone they've been with has tested positive. they are then told to self—isolate and report any symptoms. the testing figure itself is not a strategy, we need a contact tracing strategy. that's what will be crucial in breaking the chain of transmissions. there was a novel vote of thanks to the nhs today — in major cities including edinburgh they painted the postboxes blue close to hospitals in honour of the work done by front line staff. hugh pym, bbc news. the irish prime minister, leo varadkar, has announced plans for re—opening the country's economy.

he said the first of five phases would begin on the 18th of may, when small social gatherings would be permitted outdoors. if the virus is kept under control, the final stage will go ahead in august. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: australia says it's been so successful in stopping the coronavirus pandemic that it's time to speed up a review of its lockdown. nothing it seemed was too big to withstand the force of the tornado. the extent of the devastation will lead to renewed calls for government help to build better housing. internationally, there have already been protests. sweden says it received no warning of the accident. indeed, the russians at first denied anything had gone wrong. only when radioactivity levels began to increase outside russia were they forced to admit the accident.

for the mujahideen, the mood here is of great celebration. this is the end of a 12—year war for them, they've taken the capital, which they have been fighting for for so long. it was 7am, the day when power began to pass from the minority to the majority, when africa, after 300 years, reclaimed its last white colony. this is bbc world news, the latest headlines: the north korean leader, kim jong—un, is reported to have made his first public appearance in almost a month. the report can't be independently verified. us health authorities have given emergency authorisation for use of the experimental anti—viral drug remdesivir as a treatment for covid—19.

canada has announced an immediate ban on military—grade assault weapons. the prime minister, justin trudeau, said such guns had only one purpose, to kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time, and there was no place for them. rich preston has this report. canada has one of the highest gun ownership rates in the world, around 35 guns per 100 people. activities like hunting and shooting are popular in many parts of the country, especially in rural areas. these new rules will make it illegal to sell, transport or use more than 1,000 types of weapon, effective immediately. there is a two year amnesty period in which people who currently own these types of guns will be able to return them. it comes after the murder of 22 people in nova scotia at the end of april — canada's worst mass shooting. canada does not have a right

to bear arms enshrined its constitution, unlike its southern neighbour, the united states. neither does it have a history of mass shootings like usa does. nevertheless, getting rid of these types of weapons was a campaign promise ofjustin trudeau in the 2015 election. we often hear the phrase, ‘semiautomatic weapons‘ being used, but what does it mean? well, it means guns like these, which look like they would be better placed in the hands of the military than your average citizen, usually with some kind of semiautomatic feature — meaning they can fire a load of bullets in a very quick succession. serious business and now illegal. these weapons were designed for one purpose and one purpose only, to kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time. there is no use and no place for such weapons in canada.

but the ban is controversial, a petition against it started in december has more than 175,000 signatures, and those opposed to the ban highlight that many of the weapons used in violent crimes were illegally owned anyway. they say the prime minister should do more to stop illegal guns coming into canada from the us, instead of targeting law—abiding gun owners. rich preston, bbc news. all around the world, many countries are beginning the slow process of easing the lockdown caused by the pandemic. schools, shops and restaurants are being gradually re—opened. but for some people, the process isnt happening fast enough, as was seen in may day protests across the globe. the bbc‘s tim allman reports. the pandemic is a health crisis but it‘s an economic crisis as well. here in chile, police

used tear gas and water cannon to break up may day protests in the city of valparaiso. local media says dozens of people we re media says dozens of people were arrested, people desperate for government help. similar protests to base in argentina. a socially distanced march through the streets of buenos aires. this is a country already deeply in debt but these people say the poor must ta ke these people say the poor must take priority. translation: we, the unemployed enabled activists, are here to you can‘t go through quarantine if you are going hungry. the country‘s resources must be for the working people, not the imf. in south africa, the anger wasn‘t about a lack of food but a lack of protective equipment. here at this hospital in johannesburg, frontline staff say they are being put in danger, a message sent to the

countries president, cyril ramaphosa. you haven't come to the nursing profession. are you waiting until there is death of nurses 01’ waiting until there is death of nurses or just waiting until there is death of nurses orjust of our communities to start to respond necessarily with the necessary control? a huge peaceful demonstration took place in lisbon. once again, everyone kept well away from one another but they spoke with a single voice. translation: our fight is not against the bosses but with all these redundancies. the crisis is very present in the uncertainty is real. we must fight so this pandemic can no longer cause redundancies, more insecurity and more hunger. more scuffles, more arrests in berlin. the ban on public gatherings greater than 20 people roundly ignored. may day during a global lot down.

the anger is clear to see. tim allman, bbc news. australia has been touted as one of the success stories in the coronavirus pandemic. it‘s going so well, the country‘s prime minister says he will bring forward a review of its lockdown guidelines. some australian states are already easing their restrictions, but authorities are warning that care needs to be taken to avoid a second outbreak. reged ahmad has the story. australians cheerfully returning to one of sydney‘s main beaches as it officially reopens. new south wales, the country‘s most popular state, has accounted for nearly half the country‘s coronavirus case numbers but health officials say australia has now managed to flatten the curve when measuring new cases. today, the national cabinet agreed to bring forward our consideration of the decision on relaxing restrictions to next friday. australians have earned

an early mark through the work they have done and that decision will now be made on next friday. in the sparsely populated northern territory, cleaners disinfect play equipment. officials there have become the first to lift major restrictions, reopening parks, pools and lifting limits on gatherings. but the easing of strict social rules still comes with a warning. the message today is very much to territorians — whilst these restrictions have been modified, see them for the privilege they are. also keep a great level of consciousness about what you need to do to mitigate the spread of covid—19. the australian government has set a number of conditions for easing national guidelines, the main one being increased use of its new contact tracing app. civil liberties groups expressed privacy concerns, but authorities say safeguards are in place and that a large take—up is key to australia‘s

post—coronavirus future. if we allow australians back out to a more open economy, a more open environment without the protection of the covidsafe app which enables us to know who has been in contact, how we can isolate those groups, how we can constrain and constrict the virus from getting to other people, we need that tool so we can open up the economy. and reviving the economy, like in many countries around the world, is one of the australian government‘s main concerns. the pandemic has hitjobs and livelihoods hard. australia now is at a pivotal moment as it attempts to open the country back up while avoiding a secondary wave of infections that would force it back into lockdown, and the rest of the world is watching to see how it might be done. reged ahmad, bbc news.

in the uk, a shortage of seasonal workers to help pick crops has led to a boost in british workers applying for those jobs. usually european laborers are hired. but the coronavirus outbreak has cut off the flow of those coming to do the hard, physical labour needed to deliver the season‘s harvest. the bbc‘s sarah corker has more. they answered the call from farmers for a modern—day land army. laid—off and furloughed staff up at dawn picking vegetables near thirsk in north yorkshire. in this group, there‘s a cleaner, a landscape gardener, an outdoor sports teacher, and nathan, a ski instructor, all out of work. it is physical, it hurts your back. i think you get used to it the more you do it. i mean, i definitely recommend it to anyone sitting at home watching netflix. this is nathanjust six weeks ago in the alps. when the ski resorts closed, his income disappeared. he was forced to swap

his skis for this. if someone had told you that you‘d be in a field in yorkshire picking asparagus, what would you have said to them? i would have said, "no, thanks!" but no, honestly, it‘s fine. like i say, it‘s probably one of the best things going right now. coronavirus restrictions have almost cut off the supply of workers from eastern europe, and most brits haven‘t previously wanted to do this tough work. but, for sixth—former charles, this is his firstjob. it‘s a huge difference — to go just from having easy school life, straight into this sort of work. it‘s definitely a lot more difficult. i prefer this to working in a shop or something, because it‘s more active, obviously. across the uk, there is an acute shortage of more than 70,000 farm workers, and some of those who are packing asparagus here in north yorkshire responded to a post on social media. i quite enjoy it, coming out of the house to a different place, a different environment that is not with my brothers and sisters

and just at home fighting. so far, recruiters say the appeal for workers has only resulted in hundreds ofjobs rather than the thousands needed later in the season. many more must sign up to stop the crops rotting in the field. sarah corker, bbc news, north yorkshire. and finally, if you need a metaphor for the wildness of the world right now, how about this: a driver in washington state found himself at the heart of a ‘tumbleweed tornado‘ on thursday. matt mcknight was driving down a deserted highway when he noticed a few tumbleweeds bouncing along the road. they were soon whipped up into a frenzy, and overtook matt and his van. the van suffered a few scratches. matt himself was fine. you can reach me on twitter —

i‘m @lvauganjones. this is bbc news — bye bye. hello there. well, you probably noticed over the last couple of days the weather has been a bit unsettled with lots of showers. certainly friday no exceptiont to that theme. you can see the extent of all those showers moving across the uk, and they brought with it some dramatic skies. a double rainbow spotted around the southend—on—sea area of essex, and a little bit further south in sussex we had this dramatic bolt of lightning coming from one of the storm clouds with some hail mixed in as well. over the next few hours, showers moving eastwards across england, only slowly clearing here. the showers will then tend confined to the north—east of scotland, where it will stay cloudy all night. temperatures 3—7 degrees. now, as far as the weekend goes, we are going to see an improvement in the weather. spells of sunshine and for quite a few of us, it will stay dry. showers around, particularly across the north and east, but with lighter winds, it will

feeljust a little bit warmer. here‘s the area of low pressure that‘s been bringing the showery weather over the last couple of days. it‘s tending to move its way further eastwards, but we start off with an area of cloud and a bit of rain tied in with a very weak low. that low weakens further but as we go into the afternoon we start to see some cloud develop and the cloud will tend to develop where we see north—westerly winds bashed together with more northerly winds. this is a convergence zone. across some eastern areas of scotland, eastern areas of england, that is the area you are most likely to see showers popping up during the afternoon. elsewhere, it is a largely dry picture. as i say, with lighter winds and more sunshine to go around, it‘s going to feel warmer. temperatures for most of us between around 1a and 18 degrees celsius. in many respects, sunday looks like a similar kind of day. a dry morning foremost with some sunshine. perhaps a bit cloudier towards the south—west,

and perhaps into the afternoon, we could start to see some showers developing and if they do pop up they can be slow—moving in nature and some can be on the heavy side as well. temperatures again for most between 1a and 18 degrees celsius. heading into next week, well, high pressure looks set to take up residence towards the north—east of the british isles, but towards the south—west, low pressure lurks, so we‘ll have a north—east/south—west split to the weather. south—western areas, cloud increasing, probably rain as well, but the further north and east you go, the drier the weather stays.

this is bbc news, the headlines: the north korean leader kimjong—un has appeared in public for the first time in nearly three weeks, ending an absence that prompted rumours about his health. the country‘s official news agency said he‘d opened a fertiliser plant. there was no mention of where mr kim had been. the united states government has authorised the emergency use of an experimental anti—viral drug, remdesivir, as a treatment for the coronavirus. the food and drug administration said it was reasonable to believe that the benefits of the treatment outweighed the risks for patients hospitalised with severe covid—19. in the uk, the opposition has raised questions about the government‘s claim that it has reached its target of achieving 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of april. labour says the figure includes 39,000 tests that were posted to people‘s homes, but not yet returned.