this is bbc news. i'm samantha simmonds with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. brazil's health minister resigns after less than one month in thejob as covid—19 deaths rise. he's the second to leave the post since the start of the pandemic. the coronavirus infection rate creeps back up in the uk. it's now close to the point where it could start spreading rapidly again. president trump pledges a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year but says the us must reopen even without one. joy for german football fans as the beautiful game is back — but behind closed doors. and lockdown in the tower: we meet the beefeaters maintaining one of london's most iconic sites.

hello and welcome to the programme. we start with the latest developments on the coronavirus outbreak in the uk and globally. more than 4.5 million cases have been officially detected across the world with more than three—quarters of infections in europe and the us. as italy eases more of its lockdown restrictions people will be allowed to travel in and out of the country from june third. the us house of representatives has passed a democratic bill aimed at halving the heavy economic and human toll of the pandemic. in the uk, the infection rate has gone up and is close to the point where the virus is starting to spread rapidly — that's according to the latest government scientific advice.

and moscow has launched a mass screening programme for coronavirus antibodies, inviting people chosen at random from various age groups to clinics across the city. brazil's health minister has resigned after less than a month in thejob following disagreements over the government's handling of the country's escalating coronavirus crisis. nelson teich had criticised a decree issued by president bolsonaro allowing gyms and beauty parlours to reopen. it comes on the same day that the country saw a record rise in the number of cases. our south america correspondent katy watson reports from sao paulo. a month is a long time in brazilian politics. president jair bolsonaro had hoped nelson teich would toe the line more than his predecessor. but that didn't work out. on friday afternoon mr teich announced he too wanted out as brazil's health crisis deepens. translation: life is made of choices, and today i chose to leave.

i can say that i gave the best of myself in the days that i was here during this period. it is not simple to be in a ministry like this one during such a difficult period. so once again brazilians are without a health minister at the worst possible time. their anger over how their leader is handling this crisis is showing. president bolsonaro wants the economy back up and running now. he consistently flouts global health guidelines and promotes the use of chloroquine as a cure, putting him at odds with his health ministry. although it has lost him support, nearly a third of brazilians still back him. all the while, the death toll keeps climbing. images of mass graves being dug in the amazon don't stop him, neither do warnings that health systems across the country are at breaking point. the pandemic has turned political — he is angry at state governors who have

imposed tough measures to curb the spread of the virus, and they think little of him. translation: the gesture shows once again the insensitivity, intolerance and inability of president jair bolsonaro to understand the dimension of the position he holds as president of the republic. president bolsonaro mixes things up and thinks that to govern brazil is to administer to his family, not to be president. another health minister is out the door — it will be an almost impossible task for his successor as the country's crisis intensifies. katy watson, bbc news, sao paulo. the rate at which the uk spread can occur has gone up. there could be stricter lockdown in some areas.

some areas are hit harder by the virus than others. the north—east of england seems to have one of the highest rates of infection. it's thought that one factor could be deprivation. but whatever the cause, the council in gateshead wants to move more cautiously than national government. we don't have the same powers as scotland and wales and northern ireland. if i had those powers, if we had those powers here in gateshead, i'm absolutely certain that we would be imposing the same restrictions as in scotland and in wales and northern ireland. so, our social media message from the local authority has stayed exactly the same — it's "stay at home". where possible, stay at home. that pressure for different approaches across the uk is driven by different estimates for rates of infection, what's called the r number. one new study says london now has the lowest rate. at one point, it was suffering the worst of the outbreak. then the midlands. anything below i means the virus is declining, but the south—east, east, south—west and north—west are all closer to that threshold of one.

with the north—east and yorkshire having the highest rate of all regions in england. scotland is thought to be in the range of 0.7 to i, and wales and northern ireland 0.8 to 0.9. there is a geographical march of it really, a spread of it geographically from london and the cities outwards. so, the north—east isjust perhaps later than other regions in acquiring the virus and then having the epidemic. but there may be other factors. and we do know that disadvantage has certainly, in hospitalisation and in admissions with severe disease, disadvantage and in certain populations, it seems to have a severe effect. the scottish government was the first to declare that its restrictions would stay in place for the time being. and like everywhere, there's a struggle to work out exactly how fast the virus is spreading. there may well be differences between urban and rural, but the further we go

into small geographic areas, the greater the uncertainty that there is in making those assessments. but at the moment, the advice i have is that the most reliable way of reporting the r number is in the range we report it and at a scotland—wide level. the uk government says restrictions may be relaxed at different rates. but that could be difficult to manage if some people are free to move around and others are still in lockdown. david shukman, bbc news. president trump has unveiled an aggressive plan aiming for a breakthrough in the race to find a vaccine for covid—i9. he has dubbed it project warp—speed and says teams of experts hope to have a vaccine in production by the end of the year. some, though, have questioned that timeline. jane o'brien has more. after criticism for a slow response to the pandemic, president trump today launched "project warp speed", the quest to find a vaccine

by the end of the year. we are getting ready so that when we get the good word that we have the vaccine, we have the formula, we have what we need, we are ready to go as opposed to taking years to gear up, we are gearing up. it's risky, it's expensive, but we will be saving massive amounts of time, we will be saving years. distribution will be organised by the us military, a logistical challenge that may prioritise areas worst hit by the pandemic. but while emphasising the need for a vaccine, president trump who, unlike his medical advisors, declined to wear a mask, downplayed the deadly nature of the virus. many of us have lost friends, we read about that, and we see that and that's what the news covers, but a a very, very — it's a very, very small percentage, it is a very small percentage, i say this all the time, it is a tiny percentage. the vast majority,

many people don't even know they have it. his words are likely to fuel going protests against orders to stay at home. such orders may stop coronavirus spreading, but 36.5 million people have filed for unemployment in the last two months. across america priorities are shifting and becoming increasingly partisan. congress is divided over its latest financial response, a $3 trillion package dubbed the heroes act. while some of my colleagues may argue we are spending too much money, these packages are a fraction of the losses we have suffered in this country and around the world. the hardships faced by many people is becoming more evident. food lines again prompt the question — just how much pain can the nation tolerate in order to control the virus? let's get some of the day's other news. retail sales in the us have

slumped more than i6% in april — the biggest ever fall. manufacturing output has also suffered a record drop as states imposed lockdowns in the face of the pandemic. europe's biggest economy, germany, is in recession after shrinking by more than 2% in the first quarter of the year. officals have predicted worse to come when the full effects of the country's coronavirus lockdown become clear. portugal has approved a further easing of the coronavirus lockdown it imposed in march. the prime minister, antonio costa, said the second phase of reopening would go ahead from next monday as planned. this means that restaurants, museums and cafes can reopen with social distancing measures. ireland's prime minister, leo varadkar, has announced an easing of lockdown restrictions. from monday, groups of up to four people who don't live together will be allowed to meet outdoors. a number of larger retailers will reopen, and construction workers will be allowed to return to work. ryanair has cut more than 250 jobs in its offices in the uk, ireland, spain and poland

because of the collapse in demand for flights. the airline said a small number of the losses had been made through compulsory redundancies. rya nair also plans to cut up to 3000 posts among its pilots and cabin crew. teaching unions say they're still seeking answers from the government about whether it's safe for more primary—age children in england to go back to school next month. they said a briefing on the scientific evidence used to support the plan had failed to address all their concerns. anti—lockdown protests have taken place in madrid as a number of people grow frustrated by the restrictions. residents in the capital and barcelona have been told to abide by the strict rules for another ten days while measures have been relaxed for the rest of the country. freya cole reports. banging pots and pans. pots, pans and a lot of noise. for a second time in a week, madrid has been denied entry into the next phase of lockdown. these residents want

the measures relaxed, but the capital city has the highest rate of new infections. and until it drops, the government won't bow to pressure. translation: prudence, caution and security — every step we take is a safe step. i am guided by the knowledge that science and our experts provide us with. authorities are keen to avoid a second wave of infections. all travellers arriving on spanish soil must now adhere to new quarantine measures, which have been put in place until further notice. translation: we cannot leave our homes for 14 days — only go to the doctor or supermarket. we keep the security distance, always wear the mask when we go out, and that's about it. singing but celebration is in the air. the government hopes residents

in madrid and barcelona can soon join the rest of the country in the new phase of life. it would include greater liberties like alfresco dining, and small catch—ups with friends and family — freedoms which would no longer be taken for granted. you can get more on all the stories we're covering on our website, including a look at coping with coronavirus in a war zone. there's also a live page following all the latest developments. that's all at bbc.com/news. you can also download the bbc news app. you are watching bbc news. the headlines this hour: brazil's health minister has resigned after less than a month in the job following disagreements about the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis. he's the second one to leave since the start of the pandemic. the coronavirus infection rate creeps back up in the uk. it's now close to the point where infections may rise again.

the german bundesliga will resume behind closed doors on saturday, becoming the first european football league to restart following the coronavirus shutdown. fans and officials from other european countries will be watching closely to see how safety protocols work. jenny hill reports from dortmund. they'd love to pack the stands to welcome football home. instead, these fans will be watching at a distance. "the thrill is gone," oliver tells us. "football without spectators isn't football for me." dortmund's team in training — and in quarantine — before their match. players and staff at other clubs have tested positive in recent weeks. there's still no guarantee the season won't be called off again. dortmund's amateur pitches are still out of bounds, but at this children's club, we met one of the few people allowed into the bundesliga match to work this weekend.

translation: it's great that it's restarting. people need entertainment, and professional athletes are like modern gladiators. they can help distract people from corona or money worries. this country's taking tentative steps towards a new normality. but surveys suggest a majority of germans think it is too soon for football, and there's still no live ballet, opera, ortheatre. for a dancer, i think this should also be the same measures as for football. and it doesn't matter whether it's football or ballet, it should be treated the same way. germany's top—flight players, spreading the public health message. many fear their fans won't listen this weekend. translation: there's a big risk of trouble. we don't think all fans will stay at home. there could be violence. it's a health risk for my colleagues. no victory cheers, no groans of defeat in these,

the so—called ‘ghost games‘. germany appears to have brought its corona outbreak under control, for now. it's hugely symbolic that this footballing nation should now send its players back to the pitch. it's also, as far as many here are concerned, a bit of a gamble. jenny hill, bbc news, dortmund. when the pandemic finally comes to an end, many people will be quickly booking tickets for the cinema or a music concert, while others will yearn for some theatre. in the uk, the creative industries are worth more than £100 billion to the economy. so, how can the arts adapt, and can they survive? here's our culture correspondent, stephen smith. # i like to go alone along the street...# soprano rhian lois sings part of puccini's la boheme. the eno plans to perform the work as a drive—in opera, to car loads of safely

cocooned music lovers, in the ally pally parking lot, this autumn. music really matters and now more than ever. i think music touches the soul in a way that no other artform can, and i think it is something incredibly special. whether you like pop, whether you liek rock, it doesn't matter what style of music you enjoy listening to, i think music is a big consolation for us all at the moment. # i walk along the street of sorrow, the boulevard of broken dreams...#. the theatres are dark in the west end of london, a crushing disappointment for performers and audiences, but also a blow to the economy. arts and culture as a whole contribute to almost £11 billion a year and provides more than 360,000 jobs. one of our best—known actors has seen his show close on broadway.

rupert everett‘s next job is a zoom reading of a new play called rush. how's he is online acting? my zoom technique? i don't think very well. i don't like it. i don't like the idea of it. it feels like another step towards hideous virtuality and, for me, i think it won't be my world, anyway. your producers might not be too thrilled to hear you say that. no, but, i don't mean... for now, i think it's fantastic. it's very exciting to be doing a play now on zoom but, if zoom is our future, is what i'm saying, i think it will be very limiting. it's very bubbly. but, no, ithink, doing this play now, it is really exciting because we're doing it for a wonderful charity, the play is a fantastic play, and it is keeping it alive.

i'm not saying things are tough in stand—up but look who they are dragging up at the prestigious comedy store... it's been shuttered since late march, though the club is streaming some past shows. the entertainers miss it here as much as the punters. what i do and what comedians do only really works properly in a room full of people, where people are packed close together. even if there were only 50 and 60 people in here, what we do is we just sit them all in the first two or three rows — they have to be close together. because it is about shared experience and i don't think you get that online. it's very likely too soon to say what live entertainment might look like when the threat of covid—i9 is over... reaches high note as they know at the eno — and no offence intended — it ain't over until the fat lady sings. our culture correspondent, stephen smith,

with that report. the producers of the broadway musical frozen have announced the show will close permanently. it's the first big production to go because of the ongoing coronavirus lockdown. broadway theatres were shut—down in march, and with new york city one of the hardest hit areas in the country, they are not expected to reopen until at least september. peter marks is the chief theatre critic for the washington post. he gave me his reaction to frozen being put on ice permanently. it's sent the proverbial shock waves through broadway. very distressing news and devastating to those who think about what is going to be the prognosis for other shows — expensive, multi—million—dollar projects that are all on ice as well. is the thinking now it could be the first of maybe not many but at least several? oh, yeah.

it's highly doubtful that there won't be more announcements over the next several months. what is it going to do for the theatre world which employs a huge amount of people, brings in a massive revenue for new york — it is billions every year? it's $14 billion estimated that broadway contributes to the new york economy. it actually attracts more ticket buyers than all of new york's professional sports combined. it's a huge economic engine for the city, and there's great fear that this could be a protracted absence for broadway shows, and what that does to a whole range of businesses and entertainment oriented concerns is obviously a very distressing news for new york. is there any talk about trying bringing back some theatre within social distancing rules and

a restricted number of audiences, perhaps, people on stage keeping their distance? is it feasible, is it possible at all? it's really hard to imagine. first of all, the economies of scale on broadway — this production of frozen cost between $25 million and $30 million to put on. itjust demands an audience of 1,500 a night. it's hard to imagine how one would do a lavish broadway show with something like 500 people in the audience and also, ijust can't imagine anybody wanting to go to the theatre with a mask on. i mean, itjust doesn't feel... why would you want to go with that kind of anxiety swirling in your head? it's supposed to be an enjoyable, relaxing experience. can't imagine anyone would cough. a staggering 13,000 people usually visit the tower of london every day. now it's empty, apart from the yeoman warders

who live there all year round. the tower has been closed to the public for the longest time since the second world war, because of the pandemic. but, there are still important jobs to do, as wendy hurrell reports. normally, by this time we have had hundreds of people come in through the doors and cueing up for the crown jewels and things like that. and as you see around you at the moment, it is empty, it's quiet and very, very peaceful, really. but the daily rituals continue within the tower of london's walls. when on duty, assistant ravenmaster, shady lane's first job in the morning is to feed the ravens — poppy, george, aaron, rocky, grip, harris, merlin and jubilee. then they are set free to amuse themselves. i think they're missing the public. they do interact with the public when the public are in and the visitors are here. certainly i think they're probably missing the school kids because

they've got a tendency of stealing packed lunches from the school groups and that that come in the tower. and other traditions are observed, including each evening at 10 o'clock, the ceremony of the keys. halt, who comes there? the keys. whose keys? king george's keys? pass king george's keys. all is well. it's the oldest military ceremony in the world. it takes place every night, here, inside the tower, at 10 o'clock. it has done for 700 years, every night, without fail, and people ask, "is it still going on?" yes, it is, with a bit of social distancing in the fact that, when the soldiers form up, they're a little bit spaced apart now, as opposed to right next to each other. peaceful it may be here, but the tower relies upon visitors to fund the upkeep of this 1,000—year—old building, and they miss performing for the public. we've actually gone back more to our traditional role as beefeaters here now. we've stepped up and taken over the guardian duties of the tower. the beefeaters are famous for their guided tour

they do here at the tower of london, and we have not done it for a month or so now. when the public to come back in, we've got to start remembering all those corny jokes, and all tohse lines again, and all those history and dates and things like that, you know, we've got to start keeping fresh in our minds. i tend to walk around the tower sometimes and stop and go through that storyjust in my head to make sure it is still there. raven caws wendy hurrell, bbc news. country music star keith urban performed a surprise live show at a drive—in movie theatre in nashville, in a test drive for how concerts might look in the era of social distancing. #we # we had nothing but we had it all... he played on stage with just one other musician for about 200 frontline local healthcare workers who watched on from their cars. it was thought to be the first major live music show of its kind in the united states, following the cancellation of hundreds of concerts and tours and the closure of large venues in march because of the coronavirus pandemic.

looks like a great show. you can reach me on twitter, i'm @samanthatvnews. thanks for watching. hello. if it's warmth you're after, there is some in this forecast, eventually for all. if it's rain, that's only coming for some. now saturday's weather looks to be a complete repeat of what we had on friday. warm sunny spells at times, from cloud, the chance for a shower. things are though steadily changing. we're going to bring warmer air into the uk, as that weekend goes on, more widely into next week. there will be a bit of rain in places as that transition takes place, more especially though across parts of scotland and northern ireland. let's take a look at things first thing for saturday morning. not as chilly to start the day. there's still the chance of a touch of ground frost in one or two spots. so by day and by night, temperatures are heading up. gardeners and growers can relax, unless of course you're

waiting for some rain. there will be a bit of rain at times, across the far north of scotland, into orkney. a few showers to northern and western scotland. south—east scotland staying mainly dry. cloud building into northern ireland — one or two showers around here. we could see one or two towards northern england and north wales, but much of england and wales will stay dry, with temperatures edging towards the high teens. but in the northern isles, we are stuck in some fairly chilly air. but wherever you get to see some sunshine, it is strong may sunshine. it will feel quite warm. into the evening, though, some rain pushing in across northern ireland overnight into sunday morning, reaching into western scotland. still some rain in the far north of scotland, too. overnight temperatures as we where there's no frost as we go into sunday morning. so for part two of the weekend, there are some weather fronts close by. most of the rain though will be falling in western scotland, especially into the north—west islands, where it would be very wet for a time. but we could well see a spell of rain moving right across scotland on sunday,

even effecting parts of northern england, and a bit of patchy rain still possibly in northern ireland. but for the rest of england and for wales, it does look mainly dry. there will be some hazy sunshine around. it is here temperatures are starting to edge up. some spotsjust into the low 20s. that warmth will push across the uk more widely as we go through the week ahead. it is towards the end of the week, there is a chance of seeing a bit of wet weather moving in from the west. that is not guaranteed though. we will keep you updated on that. for much of the weak, it's high pressure and dry.

this is bbc news.

the headlines: brazil's health minister, nelson teich, has resigned after less than a month in the job following disagreements about the government's handling of the crisis. over the past week around 700 people a day have died of covid—19 in brazil. the rate at which coronavirus spreads has gone up across the uk and is now close to the point where infections may rise again. the reproduction, or r number, needs to stay below one to control the outbreak. virus spread in care homes and hospitals is believed to be behind the rise. president trump has announced a new plan to fast—track a coronavirus vaccine to be in use by the end of the year. he said 1a potential vaccines produced around the world had been selected for accelerated research and approval. but experts have warned that it could take 12 months or more to develop. this weekend is the first