this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. i'm james reynolds. the british government starts to talk about ending the virus lockdown, but says it could be reimposed in different localities. that means that we can pause or even reintroduce those restrictions that might be required in order to deal with localised outbreaks. the us secretary of state says there's enormous evidence that covid—19 originated in a chinese laboratory, but wasn't artificially made. russia records its biggest daily increase in confirmed coronavirus cases, and medics warn that the worst is yet to come. back to school in israel, but the country's lockdown is ending amid more political turmoil and corruption allegations.

hello and welcome to bbc news. we'll have more on those stories, including the lockdown here in the uk injust a moment. but first, a quick look at some of the other headlines on the outbreak. italy has registered 174 coronavirus related deaths, the lowest daily figure since the lockdown was introduced two months ago. churches across germany have resumed services for the first time since march. and in the uk, there's been a dip in the daily testing figures — around 76,000 were counted, far short of the government's 100,000 a day target. and it's here in the uk where we begin our coverage this hour as the government says it's looking at ways to lift the lockdown ahead of an announcement next sunday in which the prime minister will set out the how the country will get back to school and work. 0ur political correspondent

chris mason reports. a portrait of the uk in lockdown. for well over a month, streets have been quiet, most shops have been closed. a pause button pressed on normal life. but if imposing these restrictions felt like a massive moment, easing them could prove much, much more fraught. at this afternoon's government news briefing, one of the prime minister's most senior colleagues told me local lockdowns might have to be reimposed. a phased approach is one which allows us to monitor the impact that those changes are having on public health and if necessary, in a specific and localised way, that means we can pause or even reintroduce those restrictions that might be required in order to deal with localised outbreaks. trains won't look like this again for some time. but if we are to return to work,

they won't be able to look like this either. i'm working with the train companies, unions and all of the above, and there are a series of different things that we can do, including, for example, staggering work times, working with business and organisations to do that. there is a similar challenge in schools. empty or near empty classrooms in lockdown, and now tentative plans being sketched for them reopening. wales‘s first minister said today it would take three weeks to get schools back open from the moment the decision to do so was taken. if we bring particular age groups back in first, that will allow us to spread them out through the school as a whole, enabling us to observe social distancing and, therefore, giving confidence to parents and teachers. mr drakeford said it will be a decision for his government as to when this happens. scotland's first minister, nicola sturgeon, said the same today too.

but take a look at this — this was leeds this afternoon. getting the country going again could involve more thanjust changing the rules. it is likely to require persuasion too. we have got very used to the mantra plastered across the lecterns you are stood behind. can we expect a more subtle message to come in the next phase to mirror what could be a more subtle and nuanced set of rules? what we need to do isjust to make sure the underground advice that we give is sufficiently reassuring. i think it's about making sure that people feel the point is we are giving about how a workplace can be safe, sensible, reliable, supported by employers and trade unions. getting back from this to normality is going to be a long and difficult slog. the government is promising to set out the next steps next sunday. chris mason, bbc news. easing the lockdown will require striking a balance between a gradual resumption of normal life and keeping the virus at bay.

0ur science editor david shukman examines now what scientists will be looking for as the restrictions in the uk are relaxed. across the uk, the numbers needing hospital treatment are generally falling. that's a key indicator that the spread of the disease is slowing down, that the restrictions have made a difference. but the virus has not gone away. the latest estimate of the infection rate, the so—called r number, is 0.7. what matters is that it's below the threshold ofi where one person infected only passes the virus to one other. now, reopening schools might add something like 0.2, so we could still stay below the critical line. but lifting the lockdown entirely could add 2 to the r number, which would see the outbreak accelerate once more. so scientists are warning that there isn't much opportunity to relax any of the measures. singapore has rushed to install 4,000 new hospital beds because infections, which were thought to be under control, suddenly

started to rise. what we're seeing in countries like singapore, where they have seen almost seen a second wave, essentially what it is is actually outbreaks that are happening in expat dormitories. so the virus has found a place where it can take hold and it can resurge again. so all countries must remain on alert for the possibility of additional transmission. whenever measures do come to be relaxed, testing will be crucial on a bigger scale than now to track the virus and spot any new outbreaks. with that comes the job of tracing all the contacts of anyone infected. 18,000 people are being recruited to do this, but the system is not yet up and running. and vital to all this is isolating people who are infected, or think they may be. this whole process is going to be needed for months to come. however the next steps unfold, they will take us into what could be a more complicated phase of the crisis. that's because the lockdown currently affects pretty well

everybody the same way. but once you start relaxing measures, some people will be at home while others are out and about, which could be confusing and probably harder for the government to explain. different people will be doing different things differently, and i think that can undermine both solidarity, but also trust and possibly adherence, and could engender a degree of resentment. and all the time, there's the challenge of keeping people safe. in spain, masks will have to be worn on public transport from tomorrow. many countries believe this can reduce the rate of infection. the uk government is still considering the option as a way of leaving the lockdown. david shukman, bbc news. the us secretary of state says there is "enormous evidence" that the coronavirus pandemic originated in a chinese lab in the city of wuhan. mike pompeo made the claim in an interview on american television, but did not provide any information to back up his statement.

on thursday, us intelligence said it concurred with "the widespread scientific consensus that the virus was not man—made 01’ genetically modified." but it also said it would "continue to rigorously examine whether the outbreak was the result of an accident at a laboratory in wuhan." mr pompeo says he's giving the intelligence community time to verify the theory. here's some of his interview. do you think they intentionally released that virus, or was it an accident in the lab? i don't have anything to say about that, i think there's a lot to know. but i can say this — we've done our best to try and answer all of those questions. we tried to get a team in there, the world health organization tried to get a team in there and they have failed, no—one has been allowed to go to this lab or any of the other laboratories. there are many labs inside of china, martha. this risk remains, this is an ongoing challenge, we still need to get in there, we still don't have the virus samples we need. this is an ongoing threat,

an ongoing pandemic and the chinese communist party continues to block access to the western world, the world's best scientists, to figure out exactly what happened. so i can't answer your question about that because the chinese communist party has refused to co—operate with world health experts. let's speak to our north america correspondent peter bowes. iimagine it i imagine it is quite hard to judge his claim given the fact he hasn't provided evidence. that is the problem, that there is no evidence, there are no fa cts is no evidence, there are no facts to back up his claim. he seems to be focusing clearly on this laboratory just seems to be focusing clearly on this laboratoryjust outside wuhan where he and president trump over the last couple of weeks that they believe the virus originated. there is no secret the virus started, the outbreak started in china, but whether it was from this laboratory is still up in the air, indeed it is a legitimate question around the world. how did this virus manage to spread so did this virus manage to spread so quickly within china and then of course outside of its borders and around the world?

winners certainly didn't answer the question as to whether he believed that the virus, if it came from the laboratory, was released deliberately or indeed accidentally. it may well have been the result of some sloppy work by a lab technician. that has happened before. clearly, there are lots of questions still to be answered. he is perhaps going a little bit further than the president has them talking about the significant evidence, enormous evidence that he believes points to this laboratory. how has all of this affected us—china relations? has all of this affected us-china relations? clearly, it won't be helping us—china relations what is interesting especially as it applies to the president is that he focuses on the contrary, he loathes asthma glaze blame on the country —— that he lays the blame on the country is still says he has good relationships with president xi. the trade deal between the two countries,

which opens the question, leads to the question, what next? if the us believes it does have that hard evidence, will it retaliate against china? there isa retaliate against china? there is a lot of speculation that that could include more economic sanctions, tariffs against trade between the two countries, limiting imports to the us from china. it seems those decisions are in early stages pending what evidence comes forward. i understand president trump might be holding a virtual town hall, pa rt holding a virtual town hall, part of his re—election campaign? yes, indeed. it is being screened by the fox news networks here in the states, generally friendly towards president trump. this is a virtual event. president trump will be physically at the lincoln memorial, and almost backdrop, magnificence, and magnificent setting to the interview. the questions are posed by the viewers of fox news. they have been asking

people to submit questions to the president on video. it is very likely they will be asking about the country reopening, perhaps why some states are managing to reopen faster than others and maybe some people will ask about why america, at least as far as some people see it, was prepared well enough during those crucial weeks in february and early march. thank you very much. russia has recorded its biggest daily increase in confirmed coronavirus cases. there have been more than 10,000 new cases reported over the past day, bringing the total number to around 135,000. more than 1,200 people have died in russia from covid—19 so far. more than half of all cases and deaths have been reported in moscow, from where sarah rainsford sent this report. moscow's hospital wards are filling up. the number of coronavirus cases is still rising. around 1,700 patients are admitted now every day. this week, the prime minister was one of them. after loud assurances that

early action would help russia sidestep the worst of this pandemic, it's now in the top ten countries worldwide for cases. officials here say they are detecting covid—19 because they are actively looking for it, running 170,000 tests a day. the official death rate is low. up to half of the new cases are said to be in people with no symptoms. some are frontline medics who get screened every week. in moscow, many are now sleeping in hotels between exhausting shifts to keep their families safe. yevgeni was a plastic surgeon before the outbreak. now, he says, beauty will have to wait. like many, he switched to treat coronavirus. it's the start of the long may holidays here, and moscow's streets would usually be crowded. this year, even outside exercise is banned. cities across russia

are in lockdown to try to slow the spread of this virus. hospital facilities in the regions are a far cry from those in the capital. russians are getting restless with all the restrictions, but moscow's preparing thousands of extra temporary hospital beds and warning that the worst still lies ahead. sarah rainsford, bbc news, moscow. let's take a look at some of today's other stories in brief. figures for coronavirus infections in saudi arabia increasingly suggest that the overwhelming number of confirmed cases are among male expatriate workers. the saudi health ministry said that foreigners accounted for more than 80% of the 1,550 cases newly detected in the past 2a hours. the un has expressed concern over the plight of millions of migrant workers across the gulf as the pandemic has spread through the region. the afghan health ministry says 500 random coronavirus tests carried out in the capital kabul revealed that more than 150 people had been infected. a spokesman said the results — in a city of more than 4

million people — were a cause for concern. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: we meet some of the first volunteers to receive a new drug intended to help with recovery from the coronavirus. i, nelson rolihlahla mandela, do hereby swear to be faithful to the republic of south africa. after six years of construction and numerous delays, the channel tunnel has been formally opened by the queen and president mitterrand. but the tunnel is still not yet ready for passengers and freight services to begin. for centuries, christianity and islam struggled for supremacy. now, the pope's visit symbolises their willingness to coexist. roger bannister became the first man in the world to run a mile in underfour minutes.

memories of victory as the ve celebrations reach their climax. this night is dedicated to everyone who believes in the future of peace and freedom. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: the bbc has seen the first draft of the government's strategy to reopen the uk's workplaces — it indicates businesses won't have to maintain social distancing of two metres between employees. the us secretary of state has again insisted there's enormous evidence that the new coronavirus originated in a chinese laboratory, but gave no evidence to back his assertion. iran has had the highest number of coronavirus cases in the middle east, but its neighbour iraq is now also trying to come

to grips with the outbreak. shame and stigma mean people are wary to admit they're sick, or get tested. in a country of 38 million people, over 2000 have tested positive, with nearly 100 deaths. there is little confidence in the government and few believe the official figures. 0ur middle east correspondent quentin sommerville reports. siren wails iraq thought it had nothing to learn from death and then came coronavirus. in this ambulance is the body of hassoun rassan. the 72—year—old died of covid—19. they've been turned away at checkpoint after checkpoint. fear of infection has made him untouchable. funeral rites are sacred here and covid—19 is upending centuries of tradition and ritual.

there is no last goodbye for hassoun rassan. his family are denied the right to wash the old man's body and wrap him in a simple cloth. for the most devout, this is a fate worse than death. instead, his funeral is left to strangers in the desert night. praying the stigma of illness, quarantine, runs deep here. baghdad is in partial lockdown. it's ramadan. the city is quiet, but hardly at peace. few here want to admit having the disease or even get a test. at baghdad's ibn al—khatib hospital, this doctor hasn't been home to his family since the end of february.

few of his patients came willingly. this 72—year—old is now recovering from the disease, but she is still fragile. the doctor's workload is heavy, but iraq's official covid count is low, fewer than 100 deaths in a country of 38 million people. but few trust those figures. hassoun rassan is finally laid to rest, buried in a pit five metres deep.

far from generations of his ancestors and without his descendants at his graveside. for years, iraq has been ravaged by death, but with coronavirus, nothing is sacred. few families want an end like this. quentin sommerville, bbc news. israeli schools are partially reopening as the country gradually eases lockdown rules imposed to control the spread of covid—19. the national rate of infection is in decline in israel — but the coronavirus pandemic has been taking place against a backdrop of political drama, as reged ahmad reports. back to school but not quite back to normal. children in israel are streaming into class as schools partially reopen. it is part of a slow easing of the countries lockdown with some new rules in place.

translation: in every corridor we have a stand for wipes, spray and alcohol gel. whenever each student arrives they have their own gloves masks and alcohol gel. several of israel's main cities have delayed the return to class, reportedly to allow for more preparation. and he moved to is not without some controversy with parents expressing their fears. translation: we are excited and concerned at the same time but we must take the first step. if we are all worried we will not get back to normal life. there are many concerns around parents. they told me yesterday and they wrote me questions about how it will be and i think we have to trust the staff. in these extraordinary times, the coronavirus pandemic and its impact has run concurrently with out of the ordinary politics. israel's supreme

court clad in masks is sitting to decide whether president benjamin netanyahu will be allowed to form a unity government. if they decide his indictment on criminal charges could disqualifies him it could trigger yet another snap election, the fourth injust over one here. —— one year. anti— neta nyahu over one here. —— one year. anti— netanyahu demonstrators gather outside to watch. the prime minister responded to the case by saying the court cannot replace decisions made by the voting public. despite his legal troubles, the prime minister remains a popular if divisive figure. his deal to form an emergency government with his rival in order to deal with his rival in order to deal with the pandemic is seen as bringing an end to turbulent times in politics. and an end to turbulent times is what many in israel may crave right now, even as a new normal slowly emerges in public life.

with so few drugs available to help our bodies fight coronavirus, scientists around the world are racing to find new treatments. a promising experimental medicine developed by researchers here in the uk recently started clinical trials. 0ur correspondent, justin rowlatt, was invited to university hospital southampton, where the first volunteers have been receiving the new drug. the trial is taking place in the hospital's coronavirus wards. it has been given urgent research status by the government. before i see how it works... there we go... ..i have to put on the protective equipment we've brought. the only way to test these drugs is to give them to people who have the illness, so that's why we need to go onto the ward. here we go. 0k. so how has your breathing been? very, very shallow. so it's like your lungs are sort of blocked? yes, it was. 67—year—old kay flitney

was diagnosed with covid—19 last week and admitted to hospital. she is one of 75 patients in uk hospitals who've volunteered to help test the new drug. so this is the machine i showed you the other day. yeah. nurse sandy aitken shows her how to operate the nebuliser, which will help get the drug deep into kay's lungs. do you want to try that for me? it uses a protein called interferon beta, which is part of our body's first line of defence against viruses. professor tom wilkinson is heading up the trial. interferon beta is a naturally occurring protein that many of the cells in our body produce on a daily basis so, when the lungs experience a viral attack, the cells in the lining of the lung produce this protein naturally, and it helps the immune system coordinate a response to that virus.

hundreds of new drugs are being tested for covid—19 around the world. the southampton—based biotech company that developed this one has already shown it can stimulate an immune response in patients with other lung diseases. so what would you hope would be the results of your drug trial? well, if we get good results from this trial, we will scale up the clinical trial effort and, hopefully, have enough patients in to show that we can reduce mortality and we can get people out of hospital sooner. he says it won't be some kind of miracle cure for patients like kay, but thinks it could save lives by helping our bodies fight the virus. of course, he will only know if it does when he gets the results of the trial injune. justin rowlatt, bbc news, southampton.

more on our stories on our website. let us know what you are getting up to. you can send usa are getting up to. you can send us a message on twitter. hello. weather looks like warming upfora hello. weather looks like warming up for a time in the week ahead before doing a com plete week ahead before doing a complete u—turn next weekend as we will see in a moment full pleasa nt we will see in a moment full pleasant where there are some sunny spells during monday, still a chance of catching a few showers, particularly across parts of eastern england whereas elsewhere there is high—pressure in control so it looks dry. a few showers for south—east scotland the other day. they will clear. a frosty start in northern scotland. scotla nd start in northern scotland. scotland and northern ireland are seeing abundant afternoon sunshine. you can see whether showers are merging to give long tells of rain and showers developing in east anglia into the afternoon, some of the showers could be heavy. much of southern england, west

midlands, wales staying dry, warm day was sunny skies compared to monday. the breeze sta rts compared to monday. the breeze starts to pick up across southern parts during the day bertone's windy overnight with tuesday morning across south—west england was some heavy rain moving in here across the channel islands as well. elsewhere staying dry overnight, chilly as we start tuesday morning and there is a lot of fine weather on the way on tuesday but clearly not for everyone. still some rain in south—west england reaching south—west england reaching south wales, it may pushing across parts of south—east england as well with a bit of uncertainty how far north and east this will get before easing, along with the strength of the wind. still breezy and cool as well with temperatures in the mid— low teens in some spots whereas elsewhere sunny spells in a pleasant day, 17 in glasgow and the breeze along the north the coast keeping a cooler compared to elsewhere. the weather system to the south—west overnight into wednesday has high—pressure reasserting dominance, a slim chance of a shower and close

toward south—west england may be west whales, most will have a fine wednesday in the wind for the most part is light and temperatures creep up but quite widely known into the high teens, a spew —— few spots in the 20s. look at the changes we go through the weekend. a selection of locations here but it happens to all of us, temperatures will ta ke to all of us, temperatures will take a significant drop, increasingly likely to tone colder from the north next weekend with frost and maybe wintry showers.

this is bbc news. the headlines: the bbc has seen the first draft of the government's strategy to reopen the uk's workplaces. it indicates that businesses won't be required to maintain 2—metre distancing between employees. where social distancing is not possible, it says additional measures should be considered, including the use of protective equipment. the us secretary of state has said there's enormous evidence that the coronavirus pandemic originated in a laboratory in the chinese city of wuhan. however, mike pompeo gave no proof, and when challenged, said he had no reason to believe the virus was artificially made or genetically modified. russia has recorded its biggest daily increase in confirmed coronavirus cases. there were more than 10,000 new cases reported on sunday, bringing the total number to around 135,000. more than half of all cases and deaths have been reported in moscow.