this is bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top stories: allowed out to exercise for the first time in seven weeks, but spaniards get strict time slots for an hour outdoors. the first time i ride with my bike this morning, it was incredible, really incredible! more us states start lifting their lockdowns, but there's no let—up in new cases of coronavirus. the uk government pledges millions for charities tackling domestic abuse and homelessness. and live from lockdown, we hear music from the irish band in isolation. a special performance.

hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. we start in europe where coronavirus restrictions are gradually being eased as the continent's daily death toll continues to fall. with the easing comes an increased requirement for facemasks on public transport. this will now be compulsory in spain and portugal and on eurostar trains between london and mainland europe. one country where the number of deaths remains stubbornly high is britain. the total number of fatalities now stands at over 28,000, close to that of italy, europe's worst—affected country. in the united states, new york's governor, andrew cuomo, has dismissed calls to lift lockdown measures

in the state. nearly 300 deaths were reported there on saturday, a figure mr cuomo called obnoxiously and terrifyingly high. but some good news coming out of spain where people have been allowed outside to exercise for the first time in seven weeks after one of the strictest lockdowns in europe. here's damian grammaticas. 0nto empty streets, tentatively, spaniards began emerging today, released from 48 days of confinement. then the numbers began to swell. adults first, allowed out to take a walk, to exercise for the first time in weeks. until now, the only acceptable reasons for leaving your home were to buy food or go to the chemist. it's amazing. the first time i ride with my bike this morning, it was incredible, really incredible. really incredible! it's the fresh air in yourface. some clearly wanted

to capture the moment. for others, just being out in the sunshine was a relief. then, at ten in the morning, it all changed, adults back indoors so the elderly could have two hours to themselves. spain is segregating people by age, specific times of the day reserved for specific age groups to protect the most vulnerable. these two insist they're not afraid. instead, they are frustrated. translation: we need tests for everyone to know if we're clear, if we can meet with ourfamilies, have a life. i have five grandsons and i can't see them. and after midday, children, who are allowed out now in the afternoons only. it means more work for the police. here monitoring valencia's beach today.

everyone in spain is limited to one hour outdoors a day. police are trying to ensure people stick to the rules. translation: it is forbidden for people to swim or sunbathe. you can only walk on the beach or in the afternoon, play with the children. but elsewhere, people were already taking to the water. this was spain's north coast and this, barcelona's seafront, the numbers surging. it is spain's worry, how to control what happens as the restrictions ease. with this relaxation, spain's government is dipping a cautious toe in the waters to see what happens. if virus cases continue to trend downwards, there'll be more easing in the coming days. if they surge again, the lockdown will come back. so these moments of liberty could mark a turning point or prove fleeting. damian grammaticas, bbc news, valencia. let's get more on this from barcelona with local journalist guifre jordan. thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us. what

has the first day been like? well, people were really looking forward to this moment after seven weeks of tight lockdown and it was common in certain cases, it was quite crowded, quite busy, especially by the sea, in big towns, big cities like madrid and mark barcelona. but people tended to respect this social distancing, the safety distance is far as i have witnessed from my experience and also from footage. so people, most of them, were aware of what was going on, although of course could feel the joy of people setting foot on the street to just go for a stroll, go for a walk or do exercise for the first time in 50 days almost.

an incredibly long time, isn't it, a huge leaf bison people for sure. we have been hearing about the shift system, that people will be allowed out. but also from next week wearing masks on public transport. in some countries in asia particularly, large numbers of people are very used to wearing masks. this isn't something so usual in spain. not at all, no. we are not used to it. some people, before this health crisis, even mocked asian tourists for wearing facemasks, but we have to get used to it. it is still hard. people are still getting used to it, but certainly, from monday, eve ryo ne certainly, from monday, everyone using public transport will have to wear this facemasks. it is going to be a remarkable change. and have you had any in —— indications of when the lockdown will be eased

completely? some countries like ireland for example have set out a hopeful timetable for when things get back to normal. any indications in spain? yeah, the spanish government has sent a full phase of either lockdown, and each phase will last two weeks until the phase ends. we can go until the end ofjune, at ends. we can go until the end of june, at least ends. we can go until the end ofjune, at least if everything goes well, the authorities a lwa ys goes well, the authorities always emphasise that as long as everything goes well and the figures continue in this downward trend. so that would mean late june downward trend. so that would mean latejune return to normality or this new normality thatis normality or this new normality that is the concept authorities are now emphasising. it is not going to be the same as before march or february. it will be a new normality, but at least in

theory, by late june or new normality, but at least in theory, by latejune or early july, lockdown will be com pletely july, lockdown will be completely eased. fingers crossed. thank you so much for speaking to us. i do enjoy your allocated time outside tomorrow. thank you. let's take a look at that latest from the united states now. there are now more than 1.1 million confirmed coronavirus cases there. new york city remains the worst—hit area and has reported almost 18,500 deaths. but despite the high numbers, president trump insists the country should start to open up. several states have started phasing out their lockdowns. the president himself has left the white house for a weekend at the presidential country retreat, camp david. rich preston has this report. large parts of the us are slowly starting to open after weeks in varying state of lockdown. in texas, beaches have opened stop for many, it couldn't come soon enough. have opened stop for many, it couldn't come soon enoughm is so awesome to be out of the

house and in galveston, the beachis house and in galveston, the beach is beautiful. we have just been desperate to get out of our houses and beaches are one of our biggest things. of our houses and beaches are one of our biggest thingsm is really going to bring a somewhat sense of normalcy back. but authorities say there is still taking care. we are trying to dress as best we can, but our main goal is if we have a couple of thousand people here, wejust a couple of thousand people here, we just want to get them home safe. in orange county, this is supposed to be closed but thousands turned up to protest against the lockdown, arguing for their state to open up. meanwhile, authorities in san francisco have extended the stay in place order until the end of may. it is a really smart decision, just to keep everybody safe, and i think we can do this together. we feel so can do this together. we feel so fortunate that our mayor really was the first one in the whole country, and she locked us whole country, and she locked us down, put a shelter in place so us down, put a shelter in place so early, and we have really

crushed the curve. president himself has left the white house for a weekend at the presidential country retreat, camp david. he is keen for the country to open up to be back in business again. conscious of an election on the horizon and the electorate in rising numbers of unemployment and with the economy suffering. military jets flew over several us cities on saturday, wondering healthcare and essential workers. over new orleans... phoenix, arizona... and washington, dc. the might of the us military on show for a fight that is far from over. here in britain, ministers are studying proposals aimed at getting the economy restarted, including easing some measures of the lockdown. 28,131 people have now died from the virus.

the government has announced a new series of measures to help domestic violence victims. chris mason reports. this is what relative liberation looks like right now — being able to throwjunk into a skip. in manchester this afternoon, the prospect of a trip to the reopened tip had people queueing to get in. just couldn't wait to get rid of the stuff before it piles up anymore! at this time of year, everyone is in lockdown in the garden and you are piling up waste all the time. and you need to start emptying them as soon as possible. at today's government news conference, the focus for the communities secretary was offering new support for victims of domestic abuse in england. today, i can announce a package of over £76 million in newfunding to support the most vulnerable in society during the pandemic. this funding will help

charities support survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. the government's proudly talked up the huge expansion in its capacity to test, but the next colossal challenge, as restrictions are eased, is tracking and tracing new outbreaks so that they are contained, including via an app for us to use. i wonder where we are in terms of an update in the staff that are being trained, and the extent to which that system needs to be fully up and running before we'll see any noticeable shift in an ease of the restrictions around lockdown. there are some very experienced people already in public health teams and local authorities, for example, working under directors of public health, and in public health england, as well. but clearly, to get this up and running at scale and effectively is another significant task. but lots of preparation under way. the medical, economic and societal challenges posed by this virus remain vast.

one positive, though, has been delivered very, very quickly — the near—eradication of rough sleeping. ministers now want to ensure that as few people as possible return to a life on the streets after lockdown. let's get some of the day's other news. there's been a sharp daily increase in the number of deaths from covid—19 in italy. officials say the figure jumped to a74 on saturday, and most of the deaths occurred in lombardy, the country's worst affected region. in venezuela, 47 prisonners have been killed following riots over a lack of food and water at the los llanos jail in portuguese state. it comes as nationwide coronavirus quarantine rules to slow the coronavirus outbreak kick in, forbidding prison visits. president trump says he's glad to see kim jong—un is "back and well".

north korean state media released these pictures of the supreme leader making what they say is his first public appearance in weeks. there has been intense speculation about kim jong—un‘s health since he missed an important national celebrations in mid—april. the indian government is making it compulsory for all public and private sector employees to use a controversial contact tracing app as it works to ease its coronavirus lock down in some parts of the country. meanwhile, migrant workers, millions of whom have been particularly hard hit by the strict measures, continue to struggle. reged ahmad reports. the moment these men climb out of the barrel of a cement truck — caught by roadside police check, as they attempt to travel across the country. it is not clear how these men came to be in the cement mixer, but millions of india's impoverished migrant workers have been struggling to return to their villages during the country's strict and sudden lockdown.

translation: we found 18 people from maharashtra were travelling to lucknow, and they were found inside the truck. they were being taken in a very insensitive manner. overnight, industries were shut down and transport links severed. fearing starvation, many walked sometimes hundreds of kilometres to get back home. weeks later, and people are still trying to return to their villages using special government trains. india has extended its lockdown measures, but hopes to ease them in some parts of the country less affected by covid—19. unlike many other countries, the government has introduced a contact tracing app as part of its plan. the technology alerts users if they've come into contact with those who have tested positive for the virus. india's app, called

bridge to healthcare, is now compulsory for public and private sector employees and has come underfire from privacy groups. india's main opposition congress party has also slammed it. rahul gandhi described the app in a tweet as a "sophisticated surveillance system", saying it "raised serious data security and privacy concerns". the government denies any infringement on privacy, saying all data will be anonymous. in the normally bustling mumbai, thousands of flamingos flock to enjoy the quiet. india's lockdown is the largest of its kind in the world, impacting more than a billion people, many of whom just want a way back out. reged ahmad, bbc news. you're watching bbc news. a reminder of our main story: in spain, adults are allowed their first outdoor exercise in almost seven weeks as europe's lockdowns slowly ease.

thousands of people have registered to take part in a trial that uses blood — specifically blood plasma from people who've recovered from coronavirus, to treat sick patients. it's one of the latest trials in progress aimed at helping the worst affected people to fight the virus. our health correspondent, catherine burns reports. could this golden liquid be an effective treatment against coronavirus? it's not an expensive new drug, but blood plasma, freely given by survivors. jo's not a regular donor but she's doing it, slightly squeamishly, because her whole family got coronavirus. her husband was ill enough to need hospital treatment. i'm somebody that would not have donated, purely because i'm quite terrified of needles and giving blood, but everybody needs to do their bit. we're all getting touched by this virus one way or another and if this is something that's

going to help, i would urge people to seriously think about doing it. it's not that bad. the idea is simple. donors need to have had coronavirus and have fully recovered. the liquid part of their blood, plasma, contains antibodies produced by their immune system to recognise and fight the virus. researchers say when this is given to critically ill patients, it gives them some instantaneous immunity. more than 6,500 people have already gone online to volunteer. they need to either have had a positive coronavirus test or, like me, to have self—isolated with symptoms. people can'tjust turn up to their blood donor centres asking to give plasma. they need to make an appointment at least a month after being ill. the first priority will be confirmed cases and researchers will be ringing these people, asking if they would like to be involved. so far, about 150 recovered coronavirus patients in england have donated plasma, each one hopefully giving enough to treat another person.

every donation is checked to make sure there is a high enough level of antibodies. now, the intensive care consultant running the trial is looking for patients to give that plasma, too. so far he's still waiting, because he's not seeing as many seriously ill people with coronavirus now. it's a good thing that the pandemic, there is a semblance of control of the pandemic here, so i'm actually happy and feel that we are ready if the second wave happens, yes. this will help us immensely in the future because we can store this plasma, freeze this plasma, thaw it and use it in patients if there is a second wave in the future. the hope is that, if this trial works, we will have an effective treatment against coronavirus. catherine burns, bbc news. while the current pandemic

has forced many bands to cancel gigs and festivals, irish group when young decided to all self—isolate together and use the current lockdown as a source of inspiration. on friday, they released their new single the prayer in response to the outbreak of covid—19. proceeds from the single will be donated to women's aid, who work to end domestic abuse against women and children. and we can now talk to members of the band when young. thank you very much for being with us. you have the microphone so start with this idea of trying to write music in response to the pandemic. is that quite a challenge? itjust

came naturally to us. we had been working together on our second album and we just wanted to write something in response to write something in response to that, what was going on and something that maybe could have reached out to the world. we are living here right now in ireland and we kind of want to descended... message... and how has locked down been for you? seu has locked down been for you? self isolating is a band altogether? yes, it's fine. we're used to this from around together in close proximity in va ns together in close proximity in vans around the country and stuff. we a re vans around the country and stuff. we are kind of used to this. that's very diplomatic,

i'm pleased the band haven't fallen out or anything like that. what about the frustrations of gigs being cancelled, not being able to be out on the road. what have you been trying to do to combat that? especially not knowing when, if it will be this year 01’ when, if it will be this year or next year. financially, and as artists, the music industry, we arejust kind as artists, the music industry, we are just kind of trying to go day by day and just keep writing and working on our projects. not thinking about it too much but we are raising money for women's aid with this. extra need for it right 110w. this. extra need for it right now. other musicians are

raising money, plenty across the country that might be tracing so there is a lot of people trying to help, i suppose. this song will hopefully help so let's hear it. this is the prayer by whenyoung, take it away. # could you sleep? # wake up in a little world. looks the same but we've changed. i only care when it's

hurting me. just when it's hurting me. just when it's hurting it looks like you will say a prayer. sad and lonely we are. both sad and lonely.

and skies are clear. they're clearing out. with so much to wait for. if i could help you anyway, thinking of you every day. thinking of you every day. you know that i used to cry. my sunday love, your way. give me strength, it's all blown over.

so much change, a world away... hello. the weekend weather continues with perhaps a greater chance for catching a shower in the day ahead compared with saturday. there will still be some sunny spells around, but actually for a large part of england and wales, it'll be a cloudier day compared with saturday. that's because this frontal system is bringing at least some cloud up from the south, and to start the day across parts of southern england and south wales, there may just be a bit of patchy light rain around. it does mean more cloud across a large part of england and wales compared with saturday. still sunny spells, though, for northern england, northern ireland and scotland, but this is where some showers are going to break out. some of those may be heavy and possibly thundery. you may also see a few towards north wales, the midlands and east anglia on through the afternoon. as for temperatures, mostly in the mid—teens.

looks like a cooler day across northern and eastern scotland compared with saturday, especially where you're seeing some showers, and notice how some of these will continue as we go into the night across parts of eastern scotland and the eastern side of england. they may merge to give a longer spell of rain across yorkshire and lincolnshire. and as for these temperatures, most of them are holding up underneath the cloud cover. chilly enough for maybe a touch of frost in the coldest parts of northern scotland. monday starts with a few showers across particularly eastern parts of england. a lot of those are going to die away. the best of the sunshine in the west. the breeze starts to pick up across parts of england and wales, especially the further south you are. it does turn things a bit cooler across eastern parts because it is an easterly wind around this area of high pressure. but weather fronts to the south get a new lease of energy going into tuesday and bring some rain back in towards, we think, parts of south west england and south wales. but weather fronts to the south get a new lease of energy going into tuesday and bring some rain back in towards, we think, parts of south west england and south wales.

still a bit of uncertainty about the position of this, but for some of us here, tuesday's looking like quite a wet and windy day as well. whereas further north, you could get some sunshine, especially northern ireland and scotland staying dry here. those are the winds. gusts will be be a bit higher, particularly across the south west of the uk. and as for those temperatures, still cooled in the east by the wind. where you have some sunshine across parts of western scotland, it will certainly feel quite pleasant. now, once that system has gone midweek onwards, a selection of locations for you here. not necessarily clear blue sky, but it is looking dry with high pressure in control. temperatures edge up a little bit, and the wind eases as well. so, either rain or showers for some of us to start the week, but for midweek, most are looking dry.

this is bbc news. the headlines: for the first time in seven weeks, spaniards are allowed to leave their homes to exercise. they're limited to an hour a day and there are special time slots for different age groups. the country's prime minister says wearing face masks on public transport will be mandatory from monday. here in the uk, ministers announce help for some of those in society worst affected by the lockdown. charities for victims of domestic abuse and the homeless are to get millions of pounds in extra funding. prime minister borisjohnson reveals the extent of his experience of the virus, saying his condition was so serious, a statement announcing his death was prepared. and a trial begins in london to see if blood plasma from people who've recovered from covid—19 could help treat sick patients. time for the sports news with sarah mulkerrins.