good afternoon. borisjohnson has said contingency plans were put in place whilst he was in hospital in case "things went badly wrong". in a newspaper interview, the prime minister said it had been 50—50 on whether he was put on a ventilator. meanwhile, the government says it's considering different options for how to start taking the uk out of lockdown, including changing working hours. an announcement on some of the plans is expected later in the week. here's our political correspondent jonathan blake. and there's some

flash photography in his report. for the first time since returning to work, the prime minister has talked in detail about how seriously he suffered with coronavirus. in an interview with the sun on sunday boris johnson reveals that while in intensive care he and those around him had prepared for the worst. mrjohnson said, "i wasjust incredibly frustrated because the indicators kept going in the wrong direction. and i thought, there's no medicine for this thing and there's no cure " "i was fully conscious," said the prime minister, "and all too aware of what was going on." "the bad moment came," he said, "when it was 50—50 whether they were going to have to put a tube down my windpipe. it was a tough old moment, i won't deny it." reflecting on his experience, the prime minister said that, "there are so many who've lost loved ones. and so if you ask me, am i driven by a desire to stop other people suffering?" "yes," he said, "i absolutely am." there was something different about him. he looked more... his emotions looked a little bit more raw. he was clearly aware ofjust how

close he came to death and there was a mixture of elation. the birth of his son. joy- but also a seriousness and a bit of relief. and a little bit of exhaustion, i would think, too. the prime minister also stressed his desire to get the country back on its feet. exactly how, we will find out this week, but ministers say tracking and tracing those with the virus and the people they've come into contact with will soon be crucial. we will be asking the whole country, where possible, to download this mobile phone app which will help automatically to remove the need for people, individuals to be involved, because that will say if you and i have it and we are within bluetooth range of each other and i'm later tested and i'm positive it will alert you, so it removes the need to have a person in between. we are told there is no date set for schools to reopen but this morning the welsh first minister gave a rough idea of the

earliest that some pupils could return. our advice from the trades unions and from the local education authorities is that it will need three weeks as a minimum from the point that we decide to do that when the schools can reopen, so we are talking about the beginning ofjune there. and we are thinking about ways in which we can bring young people with special educational needs back into education. we're thinking about particular year groups. as he makes decisions about the way forward, like so many others who have suffered with coronavirus, the prime minister knows personally what is at stake. jonathan blake, bbc news. our correspondent richard galpinjoins me now. richard, we've been hearing from the world health organization. yes, it seems to be some good news, in the sense that the who, a very senior official from in the sense that the who, a very senior officialfrom that organisation, medical official, saying that people who have the

virus are developing antibodies, and of course, that means that they have some immunity, and that is very significant. i mean, it takes some time to come through, perhaps several weeks after being infected, but they are developing immunity. and they are saying they don't know yet how long that immunity will actually last, but it is good news, given the fact that recently there we re given the fact that recently there were reports saying that people will not developing these antibodies and therefore could be reinfected, but it turns out that report was wrong. also, they've been talking about masks. as you would expect, they are saying of course that they are good for health and care workers, but also saying that people feeling ill, those masks are good for them in terms of stopping the spread of the virus from coughing and sneezing, but saying they are not the answer to everything, especially if you are starting to lift the lockdown. richard, thank you very much.

it's emerged that more than 2,000 coronavirus patients in intensive care in england, wales and northern ireland had to be treated for kidney failure as well as respiratory problems. those affected received specialist renal support treatment, and that led to a shortage in essential equipment. angus crawford reports. meet maurice marshall before covid — singer and student. and now, survivor. i was terrified, petrified. well, as i got into the ambulance, looked at the house, i thought, say goodbye to the house. you're not coming back. i was struggling to breathe. he spent 22 days on a ventilator. the virus attacked his lungs and then moved on through the body. so, my kidneys failed several times, so what people do fail to realise is that, with covid, it's notjust about things like pneumonia, you know, you get the heavy duty flu, or you have trouble breathing, it does go for other internal organs. the latest figures show more than 20% of those in intensive care suffer kidney failure. many need specialist treatment.

some with this kind of machine, delivering what's called renal replacement therapy. the virus can be seen within the very fine structures of the kidneys, and it also affects the stickiness of the blood. the blood becomes very sludgy. because the kidneys are full of little blood vessels, it sludges up the kidneys, and therefore, the kidneys start to fail. leading to a worldwide surge in demand for machines, tubes, filters and fluids. this german factory has increased production, but there is a warning of severe disruption to supply in the uk. british doctors are having to use new techniques to conserve equipment. some patients are now sharing machines. the volume of kidney failure has reached the point that neither myself nor my colleagues have ever seen such a great surge in the incidence of acute kidney injury, and that is certainly putting

stress on the system. but a word of reassurance, too — these machines are only used in intensive care, not for the 30,000 or so people who need regular dialysis in the community. that service shouldn't be affected. this thing, it's a vicious, it's non—discerning, it will go for anyone. we really have to focus and not get lax about it, because that's when things will get worse again. angus crawford, bbc news. business groups and trade unions across the uk are receiving draft guidance from ministers today about safer working practices once lockdown measures are eased. the british chambers of commerce has said the government need to keep levels of public spending high to help boost the economy after the lockdown is lifted. our business correspondent katy austin has more. liz and phil's independent health club near nottingham has been closed since march, like other

leisure businesses. revenue has ceased but the costs happen, so huge impact. support schemes, including furloughing employees, have helped. they want to know when they can reopen. we also need to know how we can reopen, the scope of it, and also how many people we will be allowed to have m, people we will be allowed to have in, because if the turnover will be restricted by the fact that we've got to keep huge social distancing measures in force. they think further support will be needed. extending the furlough scheme may be one thing they could do. we have also talked about the potentially, deferring tax, that they could potentially write that off. that would mean additional cost to the taxpayer, and tens of billions of pounds has already been spent on emergency support schemes for businesses, but the british chambers of commerce says high spending

levels should continue if necessary, and called for a phased reopening of the economy. other places waiting for advice on reopening our offices. hand sanitiser, desk wipes, there was a really important. spacing. one thing we are looking at incorporating is a shift system, so perhaps a a shift and a b ship. business leaders have received a d raft business leaders have received a draft government guidance today, and there are plans for how commuters can there are plans for how commuters ca n start there are plans for how commuters can start using trains again, but the path back to business as normal will be very long. how stressful has this been for you? on a scale of 1-10, i this been for you? on a scale of 1—10, i would say about 1000. very stressful, lots of sleepless nights, because at the end of the day, this is our whole livelihood and we don't know where our future lies at all. that report from katy austin. in other news, north and south korea

have exchanged gun fire in the demilitarised zone which divides the two countries. the military in seoul said shots from the north hit a south korean guard post, and they returned fire, delivering a warning announcement. south korean officials are trying to find out if the shots were an accident or deliberate. that's it from me. the next news on bbc one is at 5:45pm, bye for now. you're watching the bbc news channel. churches in germany are opening for sunday services for the first time since the country's coronavirus lockdown began in march. but strict safety guidelines will apply and singing will be banned to help stop new infections. germany is just one of many european countries that are gradually easing restrictions as the number of infections comes down,

with austria now allowing all shops to reopen, and portugal lifting its six—week state of emergency. for more on the logistics of holding religious services with the restrictions, i've been speaking to our correspondent in berlin, damien mcguinness. today, as you say, is the first day that sunday services can take place in germany since the middle of march really. not all churches will start, though, opening their doors to worshippers just yet because strict restrictions are needed. so some churches have already started services today but others are trying to figure out how they can go along with these new rules because, for example, in some churches they're talking about having to go in one entrance and leave from another door, another exit. other churches are thinking of how to spread out congregations because you can only have... you still have to have distances between worshippers, as you said earlier. singing is not allowed because it's

thought that loud singing, forceful singing is quite a dangerous way to spread the infection, and also numbers are going to be restricted of people entering churches. some churches are even registering people as they come in, so it's quite complicated. also synagogues and mosques are looking at how they can go along with new regulations and are allowed to open. they haven'tjust yet because again, they are also trying to figure out how to best protect worshippers, so it's quite a complicated situation and it's reallyjust one part of the broader picture here in germany where all sorts of sectors are reopening but trying to figure out how to do it in a safe way and how to do it while going along with the new regulations, which the government has enforced in order to prevent another wave of infections sparking off here in germany. spain has recorded its lowest daily number of deaths linked to coronavirus, since its lockdown was declared in mid—march.

another 164 people have died. it's also detected fewer than 1,000 new infections for the first time in a similar period, and despite higher rates of testing. at a news conference in madrid, spain's health ministry emergencies coordinator, said the figures were good, but cautioned that weekend numbers are sometimes lower. translation: today's figures are following the same trend. we have only 838 cases. to say only is a lwa ys only 838 cases. to say only is always a bit strange, but the truth is it is a good figure if we compare with the previous days. we know it isa with the previous days. we know it is a long weekend, so sharp declines in these periods we have to evaluate carefully a nd in these periods we have to evaluate carefully and see if they are consolidated in the coming days. but 838 is the lowest figure we have had in the last week. however, it's a different story in russia, which has recorded its biggest one—day rise in new coronavirus cases since the start of the outbreak, with more than 10,000 people testing positive on sunday.

however, the mortality rate remains relatively low, with 68 deaths recorded in the past 2a hours. the biggest increase in cases is in moscow from where our correspondent, sarah rainsford, joins me now. talk us through what is going on there. a relatively low mortality rate? that's right, according to the official statistics around 1% of those who are confirmed to have coronavirus have been dying of the illness. around 1200 people so far. but certainly in the last few days there has been an increase in the recorded number of people with the infection. officials here are saying thatis infection. officials here are saying that is because testing has been increased quite significantly, particularly in moscow, over the past couple of days. now carrying out some 40,000 tests in moscow every day they say, something like 170,000 across the country. they are saying that all those being picked up, some 50% of the new cases are

those who don't have symptoms of the illness. so they are doing screening of medical staff, that is why some of medical staff, that is why some of those asymptomatic cases are being picked up. also screening those who have been in contact with people confirmed to have coronavirus. there was quite a lot of testing and tracing going on in russia, but there have been questions too about the numbers in terms of the death rate. people questioning how exactly corona death figures are recorded. so still some doubt perhaps around that particular figure. talk to us about the restrictions in place there because of the virus, and to what extent they are being obeyed by the russian people. well, they are pretty strict and they have been extended now to the middle of may. we are right at the middle of may. we are right at the beginning of a very long may holiday. normally there would be an awful lot of people on the streets, and leading up to the maiden night victory parade on red square. that

is not going to happen this year. the police are out in force. —— the may 9th victory parade. people are not allowed out to exercise, only allowed out to the shops. in the past couple of days i have seen more people on the streets, but certainly peace are patrolling, they are using drones and helicopters, particularly concerned about people heading to the forests and the countryside and gathering there. saying that is still far too risky because the infection rate is still pretty high in russia. certainly quite a long way yet, according to officials, from the peak infection rate. a fair way to go. hospitals already under significant strain, and the prime minister in russia is also in hospital. he reported on thursday that he had tested positive for coronavirus. many thanks, sarah. in the united states, the total number of coronavirus related deaths has exceeded 66,000.

there are now more than 1.1 million confirmed coronavirus cases. but despite the high numbers, president trump insists the country should start to open up. rich preston has this report. large parts of the us are slowly starting to open after weeks in varying states of lockdown. in texas, beaches have opened. for many, it couldn't come soon enough. it is so awesome to be out of the house and be in galveston. the beach is beautiful. we've just been desperate to get out of our houses, and the beaches are one of our biggest things. it's really going to bring a somewhat sense of normalcy back. but authorities are saying they are still taking care. we are trying to dress it as best we can. but our main thing is if we have a couple of hundred thousand people here, our main thing is we want to get them home safe. authorities in san francisco have extended a stay—in—place order until the end of may. i think it's really a smart decision just to keep everybody safe. i think we can do this together.

we feel so fortunate that our mayor london breed really was the first one in the whole country. she locked us down, put a shelter—in—place so early and we really crushed the curve. and in new york city, face masks are being handed out in the city's parks. meanwhile, the subway system, normally 24—hours a day, will close down for four hours every morning so that every carriage can be disinfected. to make sure the transit workers are safe, to make sure the riding public are safe, the best thing you can do is disinfect the whole inside of the car. as massive a challenge as that is. the 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 an electorate in rising numbers of unemployment, and with the economy suffering.

military jets flew over several us cities on saturday, honouring health care 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. sport, and for a full round up, from the bbc sport centre, here's chetan patak. good afternoon. brighton say they would be against the premier league returning at neutral venues, saying it has the potential to affect the integrity of the competition. on friday premier league clubs were told that playing the remaining games at neutral grounds would be the only way to complete the season, with up to ten stadiums likely to be

chosen to host matches behind closed doors stop the brighton chief executive paul barber says they would not be in favour of the proposal. the club is currently two points above the relegation zone with five of their nine remaining games supposed to be played at home. brighton calling for patients, the premier league says it will only return when it is safe and appropriate to do so. the former england striker andy cole has told us england striker andy cole has told us it is crucial the decision is not lost. everyone wants to see football back on tv. we talk about football, but ultimately we are talking about health. that is your real wealth. that is the way i look at things. we have to do things right. when and if they believe football can come back, it will come back. up until then, we just have to continue to do exactly what we are doing. the newly re—elected chairman of world rugby, bill beaumont, said it will be

difficult for any leagues around the globe to complete their seasons anytime soon because of the pandemic, including the english premiership. the clubs are understood to be looking at a potential return injuly. understood to be looking at a potential return in july. we have to listen to what the government say. certainly you have seen in france for instance, where rugby will not be played until september. they have decided the lead has closed down 110w. decided the lead has closed down now. so they will not play. —— the led. in england there is a hope they can maybe get the season away. when you listen to advice from the experts, it's going to be tough, i think. very tough. for both domestic and international rugby to resume sooner rather than later. i tend to think it might be later. while the majority of professional sport around the world may be suspended at the moment, there is some action going on. the tennis point exhibition is continuing in germany.

there are no line judges. exhibition is continuing in germany. there are no linejudges. there is an umpire. no ball boys and girls. no handshakes. a british player won his match earlier in straight sets. people have been trying to break world records during lockdown. you may well have seen some on social media. one of them is the game of thrones star bjornasson who was once the worlds strongest man. he has managed to deadliest no less than 501 kilograms at home in iceland. we are told that is the equivalent of 250 four point milk cartons. much easierjust to 250 four point milk cartons. much easier just to watch 250 four point milk cartons. much easierjust to watch somebody else do it. that is all the sport for 110w. many of the world's nearly two billion muslims are fasting

for the holy month of ramadan. it's a time of worship and reflection but also togetherness and community. this year though many are spending it apart to avoid the spread of coronavirus. the bbc‘s sodaba haidare shares her experience of ramadan and talks to others about what it's like fasting in lockdown. ramadan is a time when muslims are put to the test, waking up in the night to eat and drink before sunrise, followed by no food or water for up to 16 hours. but this year because of coronavirus it is even more challenging. i have this strange feeling because every ramadan my kitchen is packed and my family members are still running around still putting the final preparations together. you try to cook as many things as possible, so it isjust so different that this ramadan i am on my own. it almost doesn't feel like ramadan at all. because of lockdown, many muslims like me are alone, particularly during iftar,

when we break our fast with family and friends. normally, my niece and her family come round, but this year we are meeting virtually. and there she is. oh, hey! my 20—year—old niece is a key worker and since her dad, my brother, has underlying health problems, she has to keep her distance in the same house. hi, mum! i am having to come home, run to the toilet and wash my hands as soon as i can and get rid of all of the clothes i'm wearing from outside, just so i can go downstairs and stand quite far from my dad and say, "hey, dad, i am back from my work. how are you?" i have a friend. could i invite him to our zoom chat? as—salamu alaykum, everyone! ramadan kareem! my name is fahran khan and i am a gay muslim. for many years, ramadan was a lonely time for fahran because his family didn't accept his sexuality. now he has found an lgbt friendly muslim community in london that he enjoys ramadan with, but not this year. meeting virtually can

only help so far. it's like an itch you can scratch, but it is not the full relief, you know? around the world, hundreds of muslims are also breaking their fast virtually and it is changing muslim leaders' attitude to social media. i have a quiz for you! they are now encouraging people to use it to stay connected with their religion and that looks set to continue, even after the lockdown. the duchess of cambridge has made a virtual bedside visit to new parents during a video call to midwives she worked alongside last year. kate chatted to rebecca attwood and john gill with their baby max nearby. the duchess worked on a placement with the team at kingston hospital's maternity unit in london last year, as part of her campaign to raise awareness of the importance of the early years. a reminder of our top story — the british prime minister has spoken for the first time in detail about his experience of being in intensive care with covid—19.

speaking to the sun on sunday, borisjohnson said "contingency plans" were made to announce his death while he was seriously ill with the virus. now it's time for a look at the weather. hello, it's turned into a predominantly dry sunday across most parts of the uk. but that's not the whole story. some patchy rain towards the south, and perhaps more notably some really heavy downpours further north. some of them will continue into the evening. showers most plentiful across eastern and southern scotland. tending to fade from northern ireland, but they will continue across the north—eastern parts of england with thunder and lightning likely. a lot of rain in a short space of time if you catch a downpour. some showers in east anglia. further south, downpour. some showers in east anglia. furthersouth, quite a downpour. some showers in east anglia. further south, quite a lot of cloud on the chart. quite a lot

in southern areas tonight. some lingering close to the east coast. north and west across the uk, that is where the skies will be clearest and temperatures will be lowest. parts of scotland and northern ireland likely to see a touch of frost. tomorrow, high pressure will be building in from the north—west. at the same time, an area of low pressure trying to squash in from the south. between them, the white lines, the isobars showing the wind will be picking up. a brisk easterly wind across the southern areas. through the day, you will find a fairamount of through the day, you will find a fair amount of cloud across eastern and southern england. some showers in eastern england. wales, northern ireland, scotland, decentamount in eastern england. wales, northern ireland, scotland, decent amount of sunshine. mid—to—high teens for many. it will be rather tool —— rather call on the north sea coast. talking of the breeze, it will get quite windy towards the south. especially the south—west of the uk. maybe 50 mph wind gusts and some

heavy rain courtesy of this one. an. the front will not make much progress north because it is being blocked by the area of high pressure. on tuesday, we will see rain staggering north—eastwards across southern england, parts of wales, but it will fizzle. further north, a lot of sunshine. generally a relatively warm day. but slightly cooler. of the north sea coasts, 11 or 12 degrees. it does warm up through the middle part of the week, but we see some rain returning towards the north and west. for the weekend, it will turn dramatically colderfor all weekend, it will turn dramatically colder for all of weekend, it will turn dramatically colderfor all of the weekend, it will turn dramatically colder for all of the uk.

hello this is bbc news. the headlines... as the uk's coronavirus death toll rises above 28,000, the prime minister describes preparations to announce his death while he was in intensive care. churches in germany reopen for sunday services, with strict regulations in force and singing forbidden. a rare exchange of gunfire between north and south korea along the demilitarized zone, a day after kim jong—un‘s reappearance following a mystery absence. russia records its biggest one day rise in coronavirus cases, with more than 10,000 people testing positive. the uk plans to start live testing a phone app —