tonight at 10 — no apology from the prime minister's top adviser as he defends his decision to drive hundreds of miles during the lockdown. dominic cummings said there were "exceptional family circumstances", and rejected the idea that he'd undermined the government's own instruction to stay home. in this very complex situation, i tried to exercise my judgment as best i could. i believe in all circumstances i behaved reasonably and legally. and the prime minister once again gave his support despite the anger of many, who say it's one rule for mr cummings and another for tens of millions of others. of course i...

i do regret the confusion, the anger, and the pain that people feel. we'll have details of both news conferences, and we'll be asking why mr cummings is so important to the prime minister. also tonight... shops in england will be able to open from the middle of next month, as long as they've taken all the safety measures. the risks of transmission — we'll be reporting on the health implications, as public transport and workplaces in england start to reopen. and we talk to the syrian doctors helping the nhs, in the fight against the pandemic. good evening. the prime minister's top adviser, dominic cummings, has denied doing anything wrong when he drove to his parents‘ home

during the lockdown in march. at a news conference in downing street, mr cummings said he did not regret his decision to travel 260 miles from london to durham with his wife, who was ill, and their li—year—old son because he claimed none of their usual childcare options were available. he repeatedly denied that he'd broken the rules, and rejected the idea that he'd undermined the government's clear instruction to stay home. tonight the prime minister reaffirmed his support for mr cummings, but said he did regret the confusion and anger that many people felt. during the day, official figures showed 121 more deaths registered in the last 24—hour period. that brings the total number of deaths so far in the uk, to 36,914. our political editor laura kuennsberg is at westminster with the latest. well, political advisers are meant occasionally to be seen and never to

be heard. but dominic cummings, the prime minister's right—hand man, his co—partner through the campaign of brexit and then the general election, took a dramatic step today, opening himself up to repeated questions about why he had made the decisions that he had made, why his decisions to leave london during the lockdown could be justified. now, he majored on the small print, unusual for a justified. now, he majored on the small print, unusualfor a man so used to painting political campaigns in bold, primary colours. but knowing that so many members of the public were incensed by what has happened, he spent a long time answering as many questions as there were, trying to explain something that many in the tory party felt could not be explained, trying to make the best of a very bad situation for the prime minister. it is farfrom situation for the prime minister. it is far from clear tonight whether dominic cummings has managed to save himself, in the long term. the rule is unwritten, but it is real.

advisers aren't meant to be the story. when ordinary people were obeying the rules on staying home... already, this is day four of headlines about dominic cummings. he's made a career out of trying to rewrite political convention. even for him, this was astonishing. using the downing street garden — normally reserved for world leaders — to explain or to apologise, or perhaps fight back. sorry i'm late. i know that millions of people in this country have been suffering. thousands have died. many are angry about what they have seen in the media about my actions. i want to clear up the confusions and misunderstandings. first, i was worried that if my wife and i were both seriously ill, possibly hospitalised, there was nobody in london we could reasonably ask to look after our child and expose themselves to covid. my wife had felt on the edge of not being able to look after him safely a few hours earlier. i was thinking, "what if the same, or worse, happens to me?

there is no one i can reasonably ask to help." i thought the best thing to do in the circumstances was to drive to an isolated cottage at my father's farm. at this farm, my parents live in one house, my sister and two children live in a separate house, and there's a cottage 50 metres away from either of them. my tentative conclusion on friday was this. if we were both unable to look after our child, then my sister or nieces could look after him. i did not ask the prime minister about this decision. he was ill himself, and he had huge problems to deal with. every day, i have to exercise judgment about things like this and decide what to discuss with him. i thought i would speak to him when the situation clarified over the coming days. on sunday, 12 april, 15 days after i first displayed symptoms, i decided to return to work. my wife was worried that my eyesight seemed to have been affected by the disease. she did not want to risk a nearly 300—mile drive with our child,

given how ill i had been. we agreed we should go for a short drive to see if i could drive safely. we drove for roughly half an hour and ended up on the outskirts of barnard castle town. i felt a bit sick. we walked about 10—15 metres from the car, to the river bank nearby. we sat there for about 15 minutes. we had no interactions with anybody. this is where it began. on the 27th of march. watch dominic cummings running out of work. he had just discovered his wife had been ill. worried about child care, that night they drove more than 250 miles to they drove more than 250 miles to the family farm in durham. the next day, he developed severe symptoms, but his wife recovered and was able to look after their four—year—old. at some point, he told the prime minister he had gone north. but it is not known when. on the 12th of april, having somewhat recovered and taken medical advice, the family went on the test drive, 30 miles

away. and on the 13th, the family drove back to london. do you regret what you did? because many people in this country have made heartbreaking sacrifices in the last couple of months in order to stick to the rules that you were part of putting together. and many people may have listened to you and think you made your own interpretation. and do you understand for some people, it seems as if there was one version of the rules for you and one version of the rules for everyone else? no, i don't regret what i did. as i said, i think reasonable people may well disagree about how i thought about what to do in these circumstances. but i think that — i think that what i did was actually reasonable in these, in the circumstances. will the public tolerate his reliance on the small print? did he believe his explanations got him off the hook? his boss wanted to make

announcements about the next stages of easing the lockdown. but while he may have looked unfamiliar with the details, he had to defend him still. you knew that your chief advisor had gone against the spirit of the lockdown rules, whether going to a beauty spot supposedly to test his eyesight, or not isolating when he had symptoms. cummings would not express had symptoms. cummings would not ex press a ny had symptoms. cummings would not express any regret, will you?” didn't know about any of the arrangements in the past. had a brief position, in which i think he mentioned where he was. i have to tell you, at that particular stage i had a lot on my plate and really didn't focus on the matter. i do regret the confusion, the anger and the pain that people feel. i really did want people to understand exactly what had happened. and that is why we had the statement, and the very extensive questions that we did

today. the prime minister is standing by his adviser. famed and feared for believing rules are there to be broken. that has always come for big political danger for to be broken. that has always come for big political dangerfor dominic cummings. now it couldn't be closer to home. at all of those questions and a nswe i’s , at all of those questions and answers, where do you think dominic cummings stands now? it is tricky, it is difficult to know where this will land. it has been a very febrile couple of days for the government. as he gave those very detailed answers, they confirmed the central allegation that, at the very least, he did break the spirit of the lockdown rules by not self isolating straightaway when a member of his family got the virus, he went back to work at downing street before leaving to go to county durham. he then left london to go to cou nty durham. he then left london to go to county durham during the lockdown and he did then, later on, take this trip, supposedly to test his eyesight, a 60 mile round trip, at a time when the country was being told again and again to stay at home. now, he has provided repeated

justifications of why he thinks he was an exception to those rules. he says it is there in black and white. but many of his critics will tonight say, and are saying privately, and a few of them publicly, that is the very problem with dominic cummings, that he made a career out of believing that he is the exception to the rule and that is why he has become damaging to the prime minister. lets pick up on that point that you underlined, the attempt today and yesterday to kind of draw a line under this, as far as the government is concerned. are you saying tonight that they have done that, all that we are still not sure? it's a big question mark, there is a sense that this statement, getting these answers out here, which he admitted he should have done a couple of days ago, there is a sense that they might have started to cool some tempos on the tory backbenches. some tory mps out there are saying he should quit, many more privately, and some ministers very unhappy at what may have happened. but we are, remember,

in this strange and serious national moment. public opinion is, understandably, for a lot of people very angry about what has happened here, we know also that there are concerns among some nhs leaders about how he may have undermined that vital public health message, which will be so important in the weeks to come. in downing street, there is a bit of a sense that they might have got him out of the woods. but i think there no realistic proposition that somehow tomorrow morning nobody will be mentioning this at all. many thanks, laura kuenssberg with the latest at westminster. it's highly unusualfor a government adviser, even one as influential as dominic cummings, to be in the spotlight to this degree. it's raised questions once again about the extent of his power and to what extent borisjohnson relies on him day—to—day in the running of the government. our chief political correspondent vicki young takes a look at the man and his mission.

he is not a cabinet minister or an mp. but dominic cummings is one of the most influential people in westminster. a formidable campaigner, who challenges tradition and never shies away from confrontation. he has brought a unique style to government, and not just on the way that he dresses. for yea rs just on the way that he dresses. for years he's fought against closer ties with the eu, making his name in 1999 when hejoined business for sterling, opposing the ukjoining the euro. working for michael gove ten yea rs the euro. working for michael gove ten years later, he blamed the teaching unions follow standards. there were run—ins with colleagues and david cameron reportedly called him a career psychopath. it was the eu referendum that brought boris johnson and dominic cummings into the same team. the former was the front man. mrcummings the same team. the former was the front man. mr cummings credited with the winning strategy. it's a formula they have tried to recreate in government. mr cummings came in with ambitious plans to reform what he called a broken political system.

the civil service was criticised, advisers sacked and cabinet ministers driven out if they didn't like it. the conservatives were soon backin like it. the conservatives were soon back in campaign mode, a winter general election called to break the parliamentary deadlock. the message was simple and, ultimately, successful. get brexit done! the emphatic election victory gave mr cummingsa emphatic election victory gave mr cummings a chance to put long held ideas into practice. investment in science and technology and in areas of the uk that had been neglected for years. in a of the uk that had been neglected foryears. in a blog, he urged weirdos and misfits to come and work for him. this attracted a lot of media attention and he never did much to deflect it. i told you, i think pj masks are the people we need on thejob. think pj masks are the people we need on the job. boris johnson is going to extraordinary lengths to defend his adviser, because dominic cummings is at the heart of every decision made here. he doesn't a lwa ys decision made here. he doesn't always get his way, but he is brimming with ideas and vision. there are flaws, and many are not

remotely surprised that this abrasive character has ended up in the eye of the storm. as long as mr cummings stays in downing street, westminster politics will be unpredictable. for many, the events in westminster would understandably be the last thing on their minds on a sunny bank holiday monday. but much of the criticism of mr cummings in recent days has come from the perception that he was obeying his own set of rules, unlike tens of millions of others staying at home as instructed. our reporter fiona trott has been to whitley bay in northumbria to test opinion there. lockdown on the south—east coast. hundreds of people enjoying the sunshine at southend—on—sea. it looks like a bank holiday before the pandemic. in north wales, a very different scene at llanberis. there, people can only travel when necessary. this was aberdeen in scotland today. and portrush in northern ireland, where people are still being

encouraged to stay at home. in the north—east of england, this has been whitley bay's busiest day during lockdown. as you can see, most people on our beaches are social distancing. the local council says dominic cummings's visit to the north—east has made it harderfor them to enforce the rules. we have to get their message out there that we are still on lockdown, we still have social distancing measures in force. boris needs to make quick actions now to get public confidence back. here on the promenade, many say their behaviour hasn't changed, but their trust in government has. it's not right, and there's rules that need to be in place, so you should follow them, but if he's doing it, then i do think some people may look at that and think, "if somebody like him is doing it, we will change what we are doing." but that's not right, i don't think. why don't they leave the lad alone? he made a mistake. you know what i mean? he did do wrong.

no, he hasn't made me change my mind, my tactics. i'm still alert and careful. everyone has had childcare issues, everyone with small children. it feels hypocritical, it feels arrogant. this ice cream shack is doing what it can to keep people apart, especially when the wait feels long. luciano is eagerly awaiting the next steps. responsible relaxation of the rules is vital for towns like whitley bay. we are fortunate enough to rely on takeaway. our business is geared up as well to be able to take away. we are doing ice creams, teas and coffees, but we are also well known for pizzas, so we would like to get the pizza oven back on, get customers back into the shop so we can bring our chefs back in. i think it is time to get back to work. many traders want a return to this. but during a pandemic, it feels uncomfortable for some. following government guidelines

and following your instinct on a sunny bank holiday is a difficult balance to strike. fiona trott, bbc news. in his news conference, the prime minister set out plans for some businesses to reopen in england. outdoor markets and car showrooms would be able to open from the beginning ofjune if it's safe to do so, followed by all other shops later in the month. our business correpondent katie prescottjoins me now. just talk us through what we are likely to see in the coming weeks in england. it is certainly going to feel very different. this is great news for shoppers but also retailers who have been chomping at the bit to open since they had to shut their shutters. the sector has really struggled even before the coronavirus pandemic so they are going to be delighted at this news. it is also big news for the millions of people who work in retail in england who will be going back to theirjobs over the england who will be going back to their jobs over the next england who will be going back to theirjobs over the next few england who will be going back to their jobs over the next few weeks. so what borisjohnson has announced is that shops will open in two

stages. on the 1st ofjune, car showrooms and outdoor markets will open and that is because he said they have got the space to ensure social distancing relatively easily. the next phase will be on the 15th ofjune when we will start to see other nonessential shops opening, like department stores, for example, shopping centres, little independent retailers. but they are going to look quite different, i think, to what we saw shops looking like before the crisis hit. the government has issued new guidance saying shops have to be safe if they are going to open and they have drawn a lot of inspiration from what we have seen in the supermarkets over the past few months. shops will have limits on the amount of people that will be allowed in. there will be arrows on the floor, for example, showing people where to walk and then some guidance which is harder to adhere to, like trying to keep small children in check and stopping people picking things up and they are browsing. good news for shops but no news on haircuts as yet. thank you forjoining us. , katie prescott, our business correspondence, there.

as the lockdown in england starts to be relaxed, with the government setting out further plans to ease some of the restrictions, more people will be using public transport and returning to work. so in this environment, what are the risks of being infected with coronavirus? our science editor david shukman has been looking at the latest research. as people think about getting back to work, going out to do more shopping again, and travelling on public transport, what are the risks of becoming infected ? this animation simulates the inside of a train carriage. marked in red, it shows someone who's got the virus, maybe without realising, and how, when they talk, they could release it all over a fellow passenger. a grim thought, but, some scientists say, the droplets containing the virus are very easily spread. if you are just breathing, talking, then obviously, the droplets don't travel as far but they can travel far enough to infect your friend who's sitting opposite you, chatting to you, ok? so that is the key distance.

how far do they have to travel to infect somebody else? atchoo! so when someone's coughing or sneezing, it's vital to keep your distance, otherwise this is the easiest way to catch the virus. another way is when someone infected contaminates surfaces like in a kitchen, and others then touch those areas. and the virus might be carried through the air for several metres. we don't know how far it can go while remaining infectious. all of these risks are reduced out of doors. not eliminated — keeping apart is still important — but any virus should be dispersed in the air, and if it lands on a surface, should be killed pretty quickly by ultraviolet light. but it's a very different story when you are inside. so what happens indoors when someone coughs? like in this scenario. what's crucial is how the ventilation works. here, an air—conditioning unit circulates the air, and that spreads the virus around.

in another scenario, a window is opened, and the cough is carried by fresh air. the infection is still spread but to fewer people. and the team behind this research say there are ways to reduce the risks when restaurants and other places come to reopen. you can open windows to help get more outside air coming into your space. you can talk to mechanical contractors to see if you can increase filtration or add humidification. adding humidification helps to get the particles to drop out of the air more quickly so they are less likely to swirl around and cause other infections. and new research keeps coming up with answers. in this experiment, a breath is seen travelling through the air. but when a mask is worn, the breath does not get so far. as the lockdown is relaxed, ideas for keeping people safe which seemed unimaginable before covid now seem to make more sense. david shukman, bbc news.

let's take a look at some of today's other news. the uk government has indicated it is prepared to rescue large british companies which have been severely affected by the pandemic. under the plan, called project birch, the treasury said "last resort" support could be made available if a firm's failure would "disproportionately harm the uk economy." a number of companies are seeking state help to survive the impact of the pandemic, including jaguar land rover. in cornwall, a teenage girl trapped beneath a capsized boat and a man who was pulled out of the sea have both died according to police. three others survived after their inflatable boat capsized near padstow earlier today. in a separate rescue, a man was pulled from the sea near constantine by an off—duty lifeguard. spain has announced that foreign travellers will be able to visit the country from the beginning ofjuly, without going into quarantine. the country's foreign minister said that the worst was behind them. spain normally attracts

80 million tourists, including around 18 million from the uk, every year. the football association has confirmed that the two top tiers of women's football in england will end their seasons with immediate effect. the fa says the decision to bring the super league and the championship to a close was made in the "best interests" of the women's game. no decision has yet been made on how to determine the final league placings. some of the doctors on the front line of the nhs came to the uk as refugees, and they're unable to help in their home countries because of conflict. the bbc‘s fergal keane has been to meet syrian doctors in manchester, who say they are working in hospitals here to repay some of the kindness and generosity that they've received since arriving in britain. some nightmares never end. years of killing stretch into more years.

it's created a vast refugee crisis, forcing millions to flee. dr ahmed al—ammar is a syrian refugee now working at royal oldham hospital in manchester. here, he is checking on a patient admitted with a severe cough. hello. my name's ahmed. yeah. i am one of the doctors here. i have checked your chest x—ray, yeah? yeah. it doesn't look like covid. meanwhile, it looks like a bacterial—type infection. 0k. arriving in 2014, ahmed and his family found safety in britain, and he brought precious skills. where's my chocolates? laughter. he has a presence that puts other staff at their ease. i've only had one day off! having struggled with mass casualties in besieged aleppo,

he is well placed to offer emotional support to colleagues. during this difficult times in syria, i learned how to cope with stress. i learned how to manage. and when the covid pandemic started here, i realised that it would be a very difficult time, because nobody had ever had a similar experience. here, you're struck by the this connectedness of our world, with a syrian doctor fighting covid in britain. but i think it's also a place to reflect on the differences between societies with functioning health services and political freedom and those, like syria, that are ravaged by war and labour under tyranny. more than half syria's health facilities have been destroyed or damaged. hospitals have been targeted by the regime

and its russian allies. child screams. the british surgeon david nott, here wearing the colourful cap, trained syrian doctors in emergency surgery in besieged aleppo. it's left me with a broken heart because there are so many millions of people as refugees now, and they need to go home but they're too scared to go home. and it is a dreadful situation that they are still unfortunately having to cope with. there is an irony in this, of course, in that you went there to help them. they are now here helping you. yes, it's true, absolutely true. and it's wonderful. here in aleppo, working under siege conditions, one of the young doctors he trained. ayman al—sheikh became a highly skilled trauma surgeon. here, he's trying to resuscitate a badly wounded patient.

now ayman is in manchester, a friend of dr ahmed and studying for the exams that will allow him to practice in britain. he wants to repay the welcome and peace he's found here. i imagined our colleagues here, that they are suffering, they need help. they need any hand they can have with them. i can understand their feeling now, and it's really exhausting during these uncertain times. ahmed has found security here, and work he loves. but he yearns for home. a return he knows is impossible while the regime is in power. doctor, what do you miss most? my family, actually. yeah. my friends. my city. do you believe you will go back? i can go back there,

but there is no—one there, to see them, you know? so... but sometimes i think in this way. a doctor no longer able to help his own country helps save lives here. may i see your hands, please? our good fortune, syria's tragedy. fergal keane, bbc news, manchester. this week on bbc news, we'll have a special series on how the pandemic has affected one particular hospital and one community in the heart of london. here's a taste. i've felt broken on many occasion. everything's 0k — you're at the royal london hospital. go, go, go... we were 20 beds away from being overrun.

it's ripped into the heart of our community. and that starts tomorrow, here on bbc news. but that's it for tonight. now on bbc one, it's time for the news where you are.

welcome to bbc news. the uk prime minister's top adviser, dominic cummings, denies doing anything wrong when he drove hundreds of miles to his parents' home during the lockdown. in this very complex situation, i tried to exercise my judgement the best i could. i believe that in all circumstances, i behaved reasonably and legally, balancing safety of my family and the extreme situation in number ten and the public interest in effective government. the uk prime minister announces all nonessential retailers can reopen in england from the 15th ofjune. outdoor markets and car showrooms will reopen next week. spain says it's going reopen its borders, lifting the two—week coronavirus quarantine requirement for foreign travellers from july the 1st. and greece has also begun easing

restrictions to help