this is bbc news — i'm david eades. a warm welcome to all of you in the uk and around the world. our main stories: uk scientists say an antibody test made by the drug company roche is a very promising development. falling out over lifting the lockdown — president trump criticisces his top expert over warnings about reopening the economy. we have a special report on the pandemic in spain where the health sector staff now account for one in two new cases being detected in the country. new zealand eases its lockdown measures as the government unveils its annual budget for what it

hopes will be a post pandemic economy. hello. we're covering all the latest developments here in britain and globally. so to start, let's just set out the main development which we will focus on in this bulletin. officials at public health england say an antibody test for coronavirus has been evaluated and ' positive development". the test, to establish whether people have already had the virus and may have some immunity, was assessed at british government's porton down laboratories last week. they say it is the first to offer serious potential. the world health organization has warned the coronavirus "may never go away", and that humanity needs to brace itself for a long battle. the united nations is urging countries to make mental health support a key part of their response to the pandemic which it says is causing widespread psychological distress.

qatar airways is to cut about 20% per cent of its global workforce — that's about 9,000 jobs. like other airlines, it's seen a huge fall in demand for travel because of lockdowns and passenger concerns. more now on the antibody test. charlotte rose reports. how to honour 95 years of life that came suddenly to an end? today will be the funeral of betty who died in a care home in kidderminster. very, very hard, asi in kidderminster. very, very hard, as i say. she lived with it for 15 years, we saw each other every day and then suddenly, for that to disappear and the guilt for us, really, good for me not being able to see her unsupportive. that is just one of thousands of deaths thatis just one of thousands of deaths that is prompted questions about the government's response to the epidemic in care homes which led to this exchange in parliament yesterday. until the 12th of march, the government's

own official advice was, and i'm quoting from it, it remains very unlikely that people receiving care in a care home will become infected. does the prime minister accept that the government was too slow? it wasn't true that the advice said that and actually, we brought the lockdown in care homes ahead of the general lockdown. the advice did say infection was likely until march but number 10 said mr starmer had quoted it out of context. the government yesterday pledged to £600 million of new funding for residential homes to stop the spread of infection. it is to purchase protective equip and stop start pro station and the use of agency carers to reduce the chance of covid—19 getting into ca re the chance of covid—19 getting into care homes. while some of the care sector but leave the cash is coming too late, the government insists it was not forgotten. even prior to the testing, there was a policy whereby an individual who is moving into a care home would

be retained, if you like, in safe isolation within the care home because it was recognised that this was a risk group so they are all having a test now but they would have been treated in much the same way for quite a few weeks before this. meanwhile, the bbc learned about the increase risk from the virus for people with a learning disability. this programme has been told other ca re programme has been told other care watchdog for england last month there was a increase in the unexpected death rate in places where they live compared to the same period last year. nhs england say data on covid —related debt on people with learning disabilities will be published this week. on wednesday the official uk death toll from covid—19 in all settings rose by 49a to 32,186. but amidst all this sadness, a piece of positive news. public health england looks at give

the green light to an antibody test made by german manufacturer roche. it means people for the first time can found out if they have had covid—19 and have the immune response divided, particularly important for those on the frontline. and it's those workers we will be thinking of again tonight as the country comes out to clap for carers in an act that is now become a national ritual. a show of togetherness against a virus which still keeps us apart. charlotte rose, bbc news. president trump has criticised his adminstration‘s top infectious disease expert antony fauci for warning states of the dangers of reopening their economies too soon. dr fauci had said in testimony to the us senate that if federal guidelines were not followed the country ran the risk of seeing ‘little spikes' becoming big outbreaks. president trump has encouraged state governors to lift lockdown restrictions in order increase economic activity, which has seen some states

reopen without having met white house guidelines. responding to dr fauci's testimony, the president described his warning as unacceptable. look, he wants to play all sides of the equation. i think we're going to have a tremendous forth quarter, i think we're going to have a traditional third quarter and i think we're going to have a phenomenal next year. i feel that we are going to have a country that's ready to absolutely have one of its best years. let's get more from our north america correspondent david willis. it's not the first time they've had a bit of a spat in a way, david. it is dr fauci really going against president trump 01’ going against president trump or is it being interpreted that way? it's being interpreted by some on the right. at which

a p pa re ntly some on the right. at which apparently clashed with the white house going forward as far as the coronavirus is and is concerned. dr fauci here before a senate committee earlier in the week. he warned as you mentioned the dangers of reopening this economy too quickly, particularly regarding schools. he said it was a mistake to think that although children had fared better generally speaking than adults. it was a mistake to think children were immune from the virus. president trump as you mentioned said he totally disagreed with that. it would only be acceptable to him with teachers and professors, people ofa teachers and professors, people of a certain age and more sister level to the coronavirus, otherwise he wa nted coronavirus, otherwise he wanted schools to reopen. it's all part of this rush to reopen the us economy, get things back on theirfeet as the us economy, get things back on their feet as much as they can be in time for his re—election campaigns and his re—election campaigns and his re—election in november if it happens. it has to be a worry when your senior epidemiologist

for a country as huge as the united states is politicised in a way. dr fauci has been around and serve for a number of administrations of different political hues. dr fauci is one of these people who says he is totally a political. he was asked in that senate meeting the other day how he gets along with president trump and said they have a fine relationship. he said, i take things to him and he makes the ultimate decisions but there was nothing wrong with our relationship was the way he characterised it certainly as i mentioned, there have been those on the right who have pointed to dr fauci, over his reluctance to reopen the american economy as some would like. being, in a sense, a snub to president trump so they've gone after him on social media with increasing father in recent weeks. there

is some discussion here david about the development of what they are calling possibly a game changing antibody test. in the united states, mr trump is talking about a vaccine solution. some sort of operation getting under way? it's called operation warp speed and intention is fast track the development of a vaccine for the coronavirus here in the united states. eight months of the time it would take to develop a vaccine by getting government agencies, pharmaceutical companies and the us military to work in concert and avoid duplication. the hope is to have 300 million doses of whatever vaccine emerges. ready for the start of next year. dr fauci and others

have made a point that it will ta ke have made a point that it will take a year to a year and a half until a vaccine is found. in order to assist his electoral chances. david willis joining us there. in spain, the pandemic is being brought under control, but there are concerns about the sheer number of medical workers who've been exposed to the virus. almost 50,000 spanish health staff are known to have been affected and they now account for one in two new cases being detected in the country — it's a significantly higher rate than countries like italy, the us or the uk. 0ur europe correspondent damian grammaticas reports. in madrid parts for smack in this madrid hospital, applause. not to thank the medics but from them. ——in this madrid hospital. to console the family

of javier hospital. to console the family ofjavier ruiz, hospital. to console the family of javier ruiz, 0porto, hospital. to console the family ofjavier ruiz, 0porto, one of two workers who have lost their lives to covid—19. in this hospital, 200 out of 5000 staff have caught the virus. across spain, more than 50 medics have died. two months into this crisis, it's becoming evident in spain that it's notjust the toll covid—19 has ta ken in spain that it's notjust the toll covid—19 has taken on patients, but on medical workers as well. spain has started testing them all and is revealing just how many have been infected. there was such a pressure coming from people in the community, they did not test us but now the whole country is testing, every single one. even if we haven't had any cyst symptoms at all.

covid—19 patients require close contact. that is why the risk is so high. the line on the floor as our doctors try to stay safe. no doctor can cross it without full protection. while they tend to patients, staff and the clean zone passover what they need. and leaving every room, they disinfect. procedures that have had to be learned since the outbreak again an hour followed scrupulously every single time someone comes out of one of the rooms so there is no contagion spread from the dirty areas over there to the clean ones. it's helped ensure no intensive ca re it's helped ensure no intensive care staff have caught the virus. elsewhere, where it's harder to control things, the risks are even greater. 0scar rodriguez, an emergency doctor, had covid—19. he is one of the

workers to catch it. now back on callouts to old people's homes, it takes the same precautions as the intensive ca re precautions as the intensive care doctors. translation: i feel bad. we don't want to be the european champions. it's because we have been exposed so much. at another hospital, a protest. medics who believe they been failed. the black bean bags they had to wear to try to stay protected. this is you? this try to stay protected. this is you ? this doctor says try to stay protected. this is you? this doctor says more than 1000 staff have caught the virus. his photos include masks given to medical workers and withdrawn as unsuitable. we are afraid to go to work because we don't know if the mask is good or as fake or if we are appropriately protected. ordinary wards take the extraordinary precautions as

well. translation: they make miracles, the staff. we are here at home without family. these hands console rs. here at home without family. these hands consolers. we don't have the words to thank them. thanks shared by a grateful nation. spain's medics continue to risk their help to save others. new zealand, which is among the countries that have been praised for the way it has handled its coronavirus outbreak, has further eased its lockdown measures, with most businesses now allowed to reopen, including restaurants, cinemas and gyms. the government has also unveiled a record $30 billion fund in its annual budget to help restore the economy, but warns it may not be enough to stop thousands of people from losing jobs. our correspondent shaimaa khalil is in sydney.

let's just start with alert level two, as it is called. sounds like it is a bit of a, we are almost there again? that's right, it almost looked like a normal day in new zealand, the country is back in business, we saw traffic flowing as people returned to work, they went to shops, cafe ts, work, they went to shops, cafe ‘s, gyms even. we saw pictures of parking lots that were filling up as shoppers went to their local shopping malls. i think one of the pictures that really stood out to me was these long queues of people outside hairdressers and barbershops across the country, when was the last time you saw long queues outside a barbershop? they opened bang after midnight and they were working through the night serving people who were anxious to get haircuts after weeks in lockdown, but while life is beginning to get back to normal, there are still restrictions on. people can go visit friends and family but all social gatherings are still

restricted to ten people with the exception of funerals, they are allowed ftp. exports will be coming back with no spectators and travellers can travel across the country, but they have to keep a record of where they have been and who they have been in contact with, so the advice is still social distancing and hygiene measures. it is interesting, the message for hairdressers and barbers is nothing before july probably at this stage. let's have a look at the budget, because this is one of the first countries to lay out almost a post coronavirus budget, huge amounts of money even for a relatively small economy, and it sounds like the government is saying let's not kid ourselves, it is probably not enough. that's right, $50 billion allocated as support funds, as rescue funds if you will, with the extension of the wage subsidy scheme. it has been called once in a generation budget, but as you say, this may not be enough for the thousands of people who lost theirjobs

the thousands of people who lost their jobs and the thousands of people who lost theirjobs and their businesses. talk about businesses. talk about businesses reopening, people going back to work, but don't forget that many others are not going back to work because they have nojob to going back to work because they have no job to go going back to work because they have nojob to go back going back to work because they have no job to go back to. going back to work because they have nojob to go back to. they have nojob to go back to. they have lost their businesses in the lockdown and while jacinda ardern has been defending her decision to go into lockdown as early as new zealand did, she did acknowledge the effect of that. thank you very much indeed. let's get some of the day's other news. south africa's president cyril ramaphosa says in the coming days the lock—down imposed due to the corona virus will be eased slightly further with more businesses and shops allowed to operate and fewer restrictions on exercise. the country has been the worst hit on the african continent with over twelve thousand confirmed cases and more than 200 deaths. nurses and other medical staff have ta ken to the streets of mexico city to protest about the lack of protective equipment they're being given during the pandemic.

the nurses are complaining the equipment they have been given is non—existent or made cheaply, leaving them prone to infection. more than 4000 people have died of the virus in mexico so far. qatar airways is to cut about twenty percent of its global workforce because of the impact of the coronavirus. this translates to around nine thousand jobs. like other airlines, it has seen a huge fall in demand for travel because of lockdowns and passenger concerns. its fourteen day quarantine periods that some countries are planning for air travellers may cripple the industry. uber has announced that it will spend $50 million on personal safety equipment and supplies for its drivers, to protect them from the coronavirus. beginning on monday both drivers and passengers will be required to wear face coverings. and, just a reminder that alongside all the facts and stats about coronavirus, our website also has reports

and analysis from our correspondents around the globe, including this from our environment correspondent on how the pandemic has disrupted conservation work around the world. that's at bbc.com/news. you are watching bbc news, the headlines this hour: uk scientists say an antibody test made by the drug company roche is a very promising development. president trump has criticisced his top infectious disease expert over warning against reopening the economy too quickly. a full lockdown is to be reinstated in the capital of chile, santiago, after a surge in cases of covid—19. in the last 2a hours, more than two and a half thousand new infections have been identified. residents have been urged to report anyone not adhering to social distancing, or wearing a mask in public. freya cole reports.

inside one of santiago's intensive care wards a covid—19 patient is hooked up to a ventilator. he is one of hundreds of people in the city in need of urgent care. in the last 2a hours alone there's been a 60% increase of new cases in the city. officials say they have no option but to bring back a strict lockdown. translation: the battle for santiago is the crucial battle in the war against coronavirus. and that is why we have to beg, to plead that all of the necessary measures be taken seriously. from friday, the city of 7 million people will revert back to staying indoors unless it is essential to leave for food or medical supplies. people aged over 75 have been urged to take extra care. translation: we are facing the most serious threat,

the greatest health challenge of the last 100 years, and it also means that our health system is extremely in demand and overstressed as a result of this pandemic. the virus has put a sudden halt to widespread anti—government protests in the capital. the social tensions remain unresolved and could worsen as the lockdown continues. freya cole, bbc news. let's get some of the day's other news. the united states has placed cuba on a list of countries that are not fully cooperating in the fight against terrorism. it said the decision had been taken because of cuba's refusal to extradite leaders of the colombian rebel group the eln. the england and tottenham midfielder, dele alli, has suffered minor facial injuries, after being robbed at knifepoint. police say two men broke into the 24—year—old's house in north london on wednesday night, and stole jewellery before escaping. no arrests have been made.

scientists in australia say they have found a way to help coral reefs fight the effects of bleaching by making them more heat resistent. rising sea temperatures make corals expel tiny algae which turns the corals white and effectively starves them. in response, researchers have developed a strain of algae which is more tolerant to heat. it is still uncertain just how badly the economy is going to be damaged by coronavirus long—term, however in previous downturns young people have often been the group whose incomes, job prospects and future careers are hardest hit. many companies have paused recruitment, cancelled internships and cut staff numbers but for some twenty—somethings lockdown has given them time to re—assess their working lives and to try something new. here's our business

correspondent sarah corker. fitness, farming... most of our workers tend to be students. and something far more relaxing. i am spending pretty much all my days nowjust painting. for these young people, the pandemic has taken their careers on a different path. i have gone from a large office in the middle of soho to being at home painting in my bedroom. last week, cc from london left herjob at one of the world's largest advertising firms to follow her artistic dreams. i definitely don't think they would have made this decision if it hadn't been for lockdown, actually. i have always loved a rt lockdown, actually. i have always loved art and painting and drawing, and it was really actually working from home, being in lockdown and having that time to really think about what it is i want and what it isi what it is i want and what it is i enjoyed the most. history

shows that young people may face yea rs shows that young people may face years of reduced pay and limited job prospect long after this economic crisis has passed, so millennial‘s have had no other choice but to press the pause button on their careers. others, though, have adapted and innovated in some unexpected ways. farming is one of the few industries still recruiting. in north yorkshire, 22—year—old tom has diversified has online recruitment platform. he is now connecting farmers with fruit and vegetable pickers. at the moment we're getting such high demand from students, people who been furloughed, also from self employed are just sat at home now, who need to make the money and would love to help the country as well. and even the country as well. and even the way we exercise has changed. boot camp instructors becky and katie are in virtual classes on zoom. the first

week, a bit nervous, not great with technology, so there were a few little teething problems but i got it sussed. from their homes and reading they are working out with people from as far afield as ireland and canada. do you think this is the fitness industry changed forever? a lot of our members are forever? a lot of our members a re really forever? a lot of our members are really happy that they can do five boot camp a week as opposed to only being able to make it up to the field once or twice, so it is actually sitting people's lifestyles. the under 25 may be most financially vulnerable in this crisis, but they are using technology to open up new opportunities, and now have more time to try out new strokes. and finally, some footage of horse—racing worthy of a hollywood movie. on wednesday at churchill downs in kentucky, horses and their riders took part in some pre—dawn warmups today. racing at the famed venue will resume on saturday,

but no fans will be in attendance due to social distancing rules. the kentucky derby itself was supposed to take place this month, but had to be postponed until september due to the pandemic. hello. wednesday was a pretty decent day for many parts of the british isles. high pressure west of the british isles, providing quite a bit of dry area for many areas. there is the high as we start thursday, still extending that lobe of high pressure across many areas, but underneath that under overnight, the skies will clear. there will be quite a widespread frost to start the day, it might even be 1—2 records set for the night. a different story north in scotland, the weather front here dragging in a fair amount of cloud, a more noticeable breeze, though breezy still through the channel areas and the southern

counties of england. but in between, come the afternoon, there will be variable cloud and decent sunny spells. we are just beginning to take those temperatures up from where they were at the start of the week. overnight, i think we will still import quite a bit of cloud across many areas of the british isles, and if you keep the cloud, that will help to keep temperatures up. so thursday into friday, notjust as cold, though if you keep the skies clear, again you're temperatures really will dribble away. so here we are as far ahead as friday. rather having the northerly that we had on the eastern flank of that high to start the week, now it is more of a westerly breeze with a hint of northerly in it. so that is just helping to give a slightly warmer feel to the days then we started in the week. there's still a lot of dry weather, although weather front is plaguing the north and northwest of scotland, so more cloud and rain here. wherever you look on that chart, you will find those temperatures finding a degree or two per day. on into the weekend, forget all about northerly is and north westerlies. it is much more of a south and south—westerly flow around the area of high—pressure there.

certainly dominant in the south of the british isles, but you will notice further north we have weather fronts. so although it turns increasingly mild, it is not all sunshine all the way by any means, and certainly in the sunday we suspect a good part of scotland and northern ireland could see enough cloud for there to be bits and pieces of rain. certainly further south under the influence of high—pressure, a lot of dry weather and things certainly warming up.

this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. it's not fair! why american women are disproportionally hard hit by unemployment stemming from the coronavirus crisis. if you want to make money in the music industry, write your own material. i'll talk to the company that collects royalties for composers and songwriters — a record $990 million last year. hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world.

we're covering all the latest coronavirus developments here in britain and globally. first, in april, more than 20 million americans lost theirjobs. sectors such as leisure and hospitality are among the worst—hit and among those most affected are women. at the start of this year, there were more women than men on the non—farm payrolls in the us, but that is no longer the case as the brunt of the currentjob losses have fallen on women. women made up 55% of the increase in job losses in the us last month. joining me now is sharmila whelan, deputy chief economist at aletheia capital. thank you forjoining us. letters to start, if you don't mind, the latest figures due out. what are you expecting? good morning. we expect the numbers to trend down and the pig was the week of 27th of

march when the initial numbers came out and for the five—week sequence, trending down, and expecting one and a half million down on the numbers today drastic figures. let's focus on the impact it is having on women. in simple terms, why do they seem to be suffering more than men?|j think suffering more than men?” think it is clear they are suffering because of the sectors in which they are employed, right? as you mentioned earlier, hospitality and leisure have had massive job losses, 7.7 million in april, followed by leisure and hospitality, education and health, another 2.5 million. if you look at the composition of women employed in these

sectors, about 77% of the labour force sectors, about 77% of the labourforce in, sectors, about 77% of the labour force in, for sectors, about 77% of the labourforce in, for instance, health and education, are women and that is about 25% of the total female labour force so we school shutting down, for instance, of course they have been impacted disproportionately. that they are having to say they cannot do all of this, look after my job and children, thejob has to go? is it that sort of casualty? well there is an element of that where i think pa rents element of that where i think parents and mothers in particular, are struggling everywhere with suddenly having to be at home because children are home learning and other big factors a re are home learning and other big factors are that schools have shutdown which means that when school started opening up, you would, i would think would see the female employment numbers start to improve rather steadily and possibly faster

then the male employment numbers. we will have to wait to see if that happens and a lot has to be co—ordinated and synchronised. thank you very indeed. big issue and more figures, unemployment figures to come through the course of the day. let's get some of the day's other news. the united kingdom is making plans to cut tariffs on us agricultural imports in an attempt to advance progress on a free trade agreement, according to a report in the financial times newspaper. uk's department for international trade was considering a "big concession package" to negotiators from the united states over the coming months to cut the cost of certain agricultural imports, the ft reported, citing government officials. federal reserve chair jerome powell has warned that america faces a slow and painful economic recovery without additional government really. the dark forecast from the head of the us central bank is a turnaround from early april, when he said he expected a robust rebound.

tence nt says sales of its video games during the coronavirus lockdowns helped its bottom line. the chinese company produces player—unknown's battleground mobile and honor of kings. its video gaming business, which makes up more than a third of its revenue, sawa 31%jump in the first three months of the year. live audiences are key to the music industry and, thanks to the coronavirus, a whole year of festivals, gigs and tours have been cancelled, including the likes of glastonbury and coachella. that's a problem for the industry and for the likes of prs for music, the organisation that represents the rights of over 145,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in the uk and worldwide, who get a chunk of their earnings from live performances. they've just published their results — they collected a record £990 million on behalf of its members in 2019 but what will future

years look like? joining me now is andrea martin, ceo of prs for music. thank you forjoining us, andrea martin. bumpy year last year, anything but this year? this year will be a bumpy year, u nfortu nately, this year will be a bumpy year, unfortunately, the april distributions were records, 14% over the prior year, however, we know very well that the third and fourth quarter will be down. prs for music, like i said, we represent many members and we are very strong in life and we are very strong in life and public performance. how big and public performance. how big a proportion of a songwriter ‘s income is coming then from live, because we still have radio and all these music platforms, spotify and the like? for life, including

plugged in performances, are, it represents about 20— 25% royalties distributed by prs for music. worldwide. significant, clearly? absolutely. absolutely. very significant and even though we increase by 15% from 2018 we know that will be affected with like i said all the festivals have been cancelled. for us, thatis have been cancelled. for us, that is a big impact even though we did very well with thejoint venture though we did very well with the joint venture and all the work we have put together in major live concert services and also time to reinvent ourselves so we are talking to different platforms and in the new world, because it will be different when we come out. the liable continue and the traditional more in 2021 but what else can we do to be able to compensate and make sure we protect the livelihood of our members.

annie got me on the dsp. what is that? digital service providers. thank you. needed to know the jargon! one last point, clearly, not as bad then for song writers, for lyricists and composers as it is for musicians, is that? yeah, but it is the same thing because song writers and composers do get part of the live royalties. and we also represent, because many like elton john and and we also represent, because many like eltonjohn and ed sheeran, they are both so it is very important for the livelihood of members and we have to remember that we do not represent just composers and songwriters, we also represent publishers. 0k, andrea martin, thank you forjoining us. speaking about the challenge for song writers all around the world. we're expecting earnings from singapore airlines.

the use of the word earnings is a lwa ys the use of the word earnings is always a challenge, isn't it? the carrier has signalled it will post a full—year loss for the first time in its 48 years of operation. let's go to sharanjit leyel in our asia business hub. everyone is here but what is there? 50 years of success? that is right. this is one of the strongest airlines in the region, regularly tops aviation awards and that is not shielding it from any of the turbulence unleashed from the coronavirus pandemic because singapore airlines issuing the guidance last week because the projected that whopping 48 yea rs of projected that whopping 48 years of operation, the first time, it will experience a loss. i tell you what, that is how old i am and i am from singapore! that is an entire lifetime of never seeing this from the national carrier! all of it is contributed to the —— attributed to the coronavirus

pandemic, border and lockdowns and a major stop to international travel and singapore airlines says it plans to raise equivalent of $10 billion from support from its largest shareholder. as aia ‘s shareholders will be voting at the end of this month on an issue in billions of dollars in equity and convertible bonds and this comes at a time when the entire industry is having to deal with this. we saw an industry body projecting that airlines around the world could see losses of more than $300 billion in revenues globally this year. more than one third of those revenue losses will come from the asia—pacific region. airlines also having to content with hedging losses, many players still paying the full cost of fuel, and given that oil prices have plunged recently. one bright spot at the moment, a small little bright spot, and that is the

freight business with many airlines, including singapore airlines, still seeing revenue from transporting cargo. thank you for that update. small consolation to know that you are in it with everyone else but having a look at the aviation sector in india as well. initial estimates are factoring in losses to the tune of $11 billion for the industry, plus job losses, which will affect millions of workers. passenger traffic is also expected to register a drastic fall. but the industry was already facing turbulence, even before the coronavirus pandemic grounded global travel. arunoday mukharji sent this report. the only flight coming into india at the moment are the ones to bring back citizens stranded across the world and that apart, there has been no business since the 24th of march when air travel was shut down. losses continue to mount and asa down. losses continue to mount and as a airlines struggle to survive, so do the millions they employ. after 18 years of

flying, this captain lost his job last year when the airline collapsed under a mountain of debt, and a five month stint with a foreign airline was the only option but that also was cut short because of covid—19. there are no words backup plans as of now. we are all using the money we have saved and i heard that some of my friends have even exhausted their funds and using it at this time, at this age, during this time of uncertainty. at the end of 2019, indian airlines suffered losses over $900 million, the highest in four years and the outlook for 2020 was already grim when covid—19 dealt a blow to the sector. in india, over 3 millionjobs could be hit as passenger demand is likely to fall by 47%. passenger demand is likely to fall by 4796. the indian market has been growing at up to 15— 20% for a long time but what i airline deed was in trying to garner market share, we were

sacrificing profitability. they did not build up cash reserves. this means this woman is looking forjobs outside the aviation sector and working in the public relations team as a ground stuffer, her job the public relations team as a ground stuffer, herjob was to escort celebrities. they were paying us less and that is the reason going back into the aviation industry, it is not a good choice. but the government is already struggling with a wea k is already struggling with a weak economy and it is unlikely it will have the financial resources form any major bailout. even after lockdown ends, passenger traffic will continue to fall because people will be scared to travel. the aviation sector has little choice but to fasten its seatbelt and weather the storm. arunoday mukharji, bbc news. uk scientists say an antibody test made

by the drug company roche is a very promising development. president trump has criticisced his top infectious disease expert over plans for reopening the economy. the european commission has issued new guidelines on tourism and travel for eu member states as they ease the lockdown. the first step, allowing in seasonal workers. restrictions would then be relaxed between regions where the virus was under similar levels of control. we'll hear from our correspondents in spain and italy, first to brussels and our europe editor katya adler. an overnight leap from lockdown to european beach party this certainly isn't. eu countries are only just beginning to lift their lockdown measures. here in belgium they are opening the shops. next week, the schools. but with strict social distancing measures in place. so what does that mean for our holidays? well, ultimately, each eu country decides for itself when to open its beaches and borders to european visitors. brussels can only advise. today the advice was slowly, slowly.

first, open your borders to workers and for goods you need to get your economies going again, then think of tourism. if there's enough testing and tracing capacity for covid—19, and if there are strict rules on accommodation, transport, and leisure activities. and if there's a second big wave of infection, then travel restrictions could be reimposed. so basically, don't pack your summer swimsuit yet. while in brussels they're talking about plans for easing travel, here in spain they are moving in the opposite direction. from friday, a new quarantine will be in place for all arrivals from outside the country. two weeks in isolation. here in madrid, there is a bit more traffic in the centre and some businesses are starting to open, but we're under tight restrictions still. around the country, it's different. in some regions the easing

is going ahead, bars and cafes opening outdoors, people able to gather in groups of up to 10. here, that won't happen until tracing systems are in place to identify and shut down any new virus outbreaks. and hotels, well, they can open, but many say they are not going to until those new international arrivals start to happen again. grazie. last week, italy got this essential freedom back — the takeaway espresso. along with reopening parks and allowing family visits, it marked the initial easing of the world's longest lockdown. on monday, libraries and museums reopen and possibly restau ra nts and hairdressers too. they are deciding on that tomorrow. schools are shut until september. it's a relief, but it's also nerve—racking, as the first western country to be overwhelmed by the virus waits to see if this prompts another spike, especially if italy relaxes the two—week quarantine on entering and follows eu guidelines to ease travel.

campaigners representing migrants — are calling for all foreign key workers to have their visas extended. the uk government's automatic visa extension scheme covers a number of roles — such as doctors, nurses and paramedics — but does not includejobs including porters and cleaners. our home affairs correspondent june kelly reports. chanting: pay them more! pay them more! it's our weekly way of saying thank—you to those who are fighting the coronavirus on the front line. applause. and the thousands of others who've worked to keep the country going. i feel happy when i see people clapping but the government doesn't recognise us so that makes me feel sad. we spoke to one nhs worker, a single motherfrom west africa who wants to remain anonymous. she has cleaned covid wards in a big london hospital throughout the pandemic. i am cleaning toilets, the coronavirus patient rooms. i feel scared. i see people die every day.

michelle is on a low salary and now has an extra financial problem — her visa is due to expire on friday. she has to pay £2,000 to renew it. the government has said that, for the next few months, it will automatically extend for a year the visas of some staff in the nhs and social care sector. they won't have to pay. but cleaners aren't on the list. i have to save life. if i stop, who's going to do the job? doctor can't do it. everybody can't be a doctor. everybody can't be a nurse. doctor, nurse, we both work as a team. they should treat us, all of us, equally. charities representing migrants believe there are many front—line workers who won't benefit from the new system. there are tens or hundreds of thousands of people within the health system and outside

it in other key roles, who just weeks ago this government was referring to as low—skilled, unskilled and unwelcome, but who've proven over the last few months that actually those roles, those people, are the backbone of our society. like the nhs, some employers in the social care sector rely on foreign labour. at this care home in norfolk — and this is theirfilming — they've had a coronavirus outbreak. many of the front—line staff here are from india and the philippines. the owner of the home is sceptical when it comes to the visa—extension scheme. it really is a question of "we wa nt to use you while this crisis is on, and then once we're finished with you, you can go back home". in a statement, a government spokesperson said that, right across the immigration system, it was working to support people, including in the nhs and social care sector.

at this time of year, bali usually teeming with tourists. but all non—residents have been banned from entering since virus restrictions were imposed. this video was sent to us from josh simon, an australian who's been living in bali for 15 years. he's among a number of people behind project nasi, a charity to support those struggling because of the lockdown. barley thrives on tourism, barley is tourism. cut—off that mean supplies straightaway and there is nothing left for bali other than rice patties and localfarmers. other than rice patties and local farmers. they are thriving, the workers aren't. and that is the main issue here that we are seeing at the moment, from all races and religions, from into islands, from java, from silhouette see, any workers that have come to work on bali are no longer working. so the guys who own restau ra nts working. so the guys who own restaurants here, coffee shops,

myself, we put together i think tank and decided let's get a project together, project nasi, to try to give back. formulated a little life pack, what we call the family packs which, you get four kilos of rice, a few bags of noodles, sugar, salt, oil, spices like garlic, chilli, and onion. or put together in a little takeaway bag that we call the family packs. that should last a family of four roughly three or four days. we like to give something back and project nasi is that, giving back to the people who give us a home and a shelter for my past 15 years, for others 8—15, but it is nice to give back. we are all out of work so let's give something back to the island. we've been talking about the challenges for songwriters in this coronavirus crisis. well, the bbc asked two singer—songwriters, one based in india, and the other here in the us, to share their stories.

— here in the uk. here's what they had to say, and sing. i'm malak, i am from the south of india, but now a work in mumbai. which is the new york of india, so to speak. my name is erin, i live in nashville, tennessee, and make singer—songwriter americana indie music. i think with the coronavirus lockdown, everybody is affect it, from the small artists playing smaller gigs, right up to the biggest composers in bollywood.” right up to the biggest composers in bollywood. i know some of the major booking agencies, they have laid off a

lot of employees and of course thatis lot of employees and of course that is happening more and more in all industries. i have been working on my first album. the good thing is a managed to get all the stuff for my album recorded before the lockdown.” am doing a similar thing, we are getting ready to record our next record so we are getting ready to record our next record so we are are getting ready to record our next record so we are doing demos in new jersey, next record so we are doing demos in newjersey, and then on our way home, we both got text messages that sxsw had been cancelled and that was an event we were going to play. that was like the first moment of, while. shows being cancelled, that is my primary source of income. the challenge for me isjust having to trust. today, i have money, i have food, i have a place to live. ifi food, i have a place to live. if i get behind on some bills, thatis if i get behind on some bills, that is ok, i will catch up

later. with this whole lockdown and everything, i have learned how little we need to survive. and human interaction you realise it is such an important thing, you actually realise how important it is to have some amount of it. what i am going to do after this is really, think about how we can make music more accessible to people, even in a time when they can't come to our shows.” just imagine we will feel so grateful to gather together again at some point, hopefully it will be a lasting renewed sense of appreciation for sharing experiences in the same room.

challenges for everyone. you are watching bbc news, thanks for being with us. hello. wednesday was a pretty decent day for many parts of the british isles. high pressure west of the british isles, providing quite a bit of dry area for many areas. there is the high as we start thursday, still extending that lobe of high pressure across many areas, but underneath that under overnight, the skies will clear. there will be quite a widespread frost to start the day, it might even be 1—2 records set for the night. a different story north in scotland, the weather front here dragging in a fair amount of cloud, a more noticeable breeze, though breezy still through the channel areas and the southern counties of england. but in between, come the afternoon, there will be variable cloud and decent sunny spells. we are just beginning to take those temperatures up

from where they were at the start of the week. overnight, i think we will still import quite a bit of cloud across many areas of the british isles, and if you keep the cloud, that will help to keep temperatures up. so thursday into friday, notjust as cold, though if you keep the skies clear, again you're temperatures really will dribble away. so here we are as far ahead as friday. rather having the northerly that we had on the eastern flank of that high to start the week, now it is more of a westerly breeze with a hint of northerly in it. so that is just helping to give a slightly warmer feel to the days then we started in the week. there's still a lot of dry weather, although weather front is plaguing the north and northwest of scotland, so more cloud and rain here. wherever you look on that chart, you will find those temperatures finding a degree or two per day.

on into the weekend, forget all about northerly is and north westerlies. it is much more of a south and south—westerly flow around the area of high—pressure there. certainly dominant in the south of the british isles, but you will notice further north we have weather fronts. so although it turns increasingly mild, it is not all sunshine all the way by any means, and certainly in the sunday we suspect a good part of scotland and northern ireland could see enough cloud for there to be bits and pieces of rain. certainly further south under the influence of high—pressure, a lot of dry weather and things certainly warming up.

good morning. welcome to breakfast with naga munchetty and charlie stayt. our headlines today: a new test designed to check whether people have ever had coronavirus gets official approval. it will help doctors know whether a person may now have immunity. ministers will give details of extra support for care homes battling covid—19 — in the face of criticism that the sector has been neglected. we hear the stories of two people, rachel and kevin, who died with coronavirus. this programme's seen new figures which suggest those with learning disabilities like them could be at greater risk during the pandemic.