this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. on the frontline of a covid—19 intensive care ward in london and the doctors who fear a second peak, we've a special report. once the lockdown is relaxed, people of course are going to have more contact with each other, so that's the way this is going to spread. the political fallout continues over the actions on coronavirus lockdown rules of a top aide to british prime minister borisjohnson. as europe looks to relax border restrictions — ahead of the vital tourist season — greece allows domestic travel to its islands. and the girl who cycled 1,200 kilometres across india,

carrying her injured father on her bike, says she's really, really tired and needs a bit of a rest. we have her story. hello. a political row here in the uk which exploded over the weekend linked to the coronavirus pandemic continues to dominate the news agenda. it led today to the resignation of a junior government minister and calls from nearly a0 ruling conservative mps for the prime minister's top adviser, dominic cummings, to resign. douglas ross, the minister who quit, said the way mr cummings had interpreted the rules was different from "the vast majority" who had done as the government had asked. but dominic cummings was supported by the cabinet office minister, michael gove, today,

who said his account of his actions had been "exhaustive, detailed and verifiable". in europe, countries are taking more steps to ease lockdown restrictions, including opening up economies and relaxing their borders to encourage tourism. and the world health organization has warned that the americas could be the new epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic. it's worried that outbreaks are accelerating in countries like brazil, which currently has the most cases in the world after the united states. british doctors at one of the hospitals hit hardest by coronavirus in the uk have spoken of their fears of a second peak as lockdown restrictions loosen. the bbc has been given unprecedented access to the royal london hospital. hundreds of people have died there — with people from ethnic minority backgrounds particularly affected. the medical staff say a rise in cases is now inevitable, as people have more and more contact with each other. clive myrie reports.

it's in times of crisis we find out who we really are. i've felt broken on many occasion. and i think a lot of my colleagues have. when souls are laid bare. in this time of coronavirus, one hospital, and one community, reflect on these troubled times. coming upforair, to reveal their souls to us. we saw the fragility of life. this guy's not going to survive the night. we're going to take out your tube now. we saw its strength. perfect. well done. how's that feel? yeah? and all the while, one fear looms — another peak of infections to rival the first.

we were 20 beds away from being overrun. don't be fooled by the gentle pace. time is twisted here, on the royal london hospital's coronavirus wards. while many patients inhabit ventilated worlds of slow—motion dreams and hallucinations, the doctors and nurses charged with bringing them back to life inhabit the real world, where time moves too quickly, as this cruel disease eats away at human lungs with frightening speed. can we just do a couple more suctions? but the medical staff, including consultant pj zolfaghari, have their own nightmares. are you expecting a second wave? yes. i have to say yes, because i think once the lockdown is relaxed, people, of course, are going to have more contact with each other.

so that's the way this is going to spread. then, as our interview ends, he's called away. i'll be two minutes. these two minutes turn into several agonising hours. i can see you're working hard to ventilate him. we had permission from all the patients or their families to film. do we have any more atracurium? and krishnapillai yogan‘s vital signs have worsened. he's just 55. this is going to cause a bit of a problem here. yeah, and again. go, go, go. the professionalism of the team is stunning. years of experience are gathered around this bed. as the duality of time, the drifting, oblivious patient, and the rush to save his life merge into a tableau for our times. ok, this doesn't look good. how concerned are you?

so, there's a final roll of the dice. so, you guys lift him up, i'll push the pillows down. this is a last resort. maybe by turning him onto his front, they can force air into his lungs, oxygen into his body. it's all they can do. 0k. ready, steady, go. his lungs are just getting worse, and more inflamed again. and you've been preparing to talk to his family? yes, that's right. just to let you know... have you called the family yet? sister becky smith, a presence on the covid ward for absent relatives. their eyes and ears. essentially, we'll make a decision about whether it's appropriate to continue with what we're doing at the moment or imagine this stress for the team, multiplied every day for weeks. now you understand what the peak of the pandemic was like.

are you all right? my face is all marked. well, you've just come off shift. sister carleen kelly bore witness to those dark days. it consumes you. it's what you think about when you go to bed. it's what you wake up... you're preparing for your next shift. you're relieved that the previous shift is over. you're sad. it's a huge emotional burden. it's a time of our lives that we'll never, ever forget. the peak almost broke minds — and according to consultant nick bunker, almost broke the royal london. we were keeping people alive. that's what our goal of care was. keep as many people alive for as long as we can, until we can get back to being able to deliver the quality of care that we always aspire to deliver. sometimes, it's hard to find light in the darkness.

but you're about to witness what medicine can do. i'm going to take out your tube now. this is one of the defining moments in an intensive care unit. give me a big cough. big cough, that's it. when a patient‘s ventilator tube is removed. it's a procedure full of expectation and dread. i'm going to pull the tube, as you do that, ok? will it work? nice big cough again. he's grimacing as the tube inches up his throat... he gasps ..and finally leaves his chest. gasping the heavy breathing of a man given a second chance. but there are other defeats. sadly, that evening, krishnapillai yogan died. another soul lost.

on tomorrow night's programme... a prayer for the dying and the morgue struggling to cope. at the height, we were dealing with around 25 bodies daily coming into the morgue because the cemeteries and other funeral services weren't able to cope. clive myrie, bbc news. you're watching bbc news. it's a controversy that is rocking the british government in the midst of the coronavirus crisis. dominic cummings, the british prime minister's top adviser, is facing more calls for his resignation following his decision to drive his family hundreds of kilometres during the lockdown. dozens of conservative mps have now called for him to step down and a government minister has resigned.

our political editor laura kuenssberg has the latest. were you telling the truth yesterday? police, to keep order this morning. could you move out of the way, guys? the prime minister's top advisor no longer protecting his boss — instead, a very big problem. social distancing. only a faint plea this morning. dominic cummings' swagger, long gone. but now a minister's jumped because mr cummings hasn't been pushed. douglas ross, happy to be on the campaign in scotland in the autumn election. but if the number 10 adviser won't quit after breaking — at the very least — the spirit of the lockdown, well, mr ross won't stay. i have constituents who followed the guidance. and whether there were loopholes or areas that you could get around the guidance, they didn't. when the vast majority of people followed the guidance to the letter of the law, because the uk and scottish governments were very clear at that time to stay at home, to help our front line nhs workers beat this virus. now there are nearly a0 mps, including former tory ministers,

even the boss of the party in scotland, calling on him to quit. i think many people will have understood the dilemma that has been faced. but i think we are distracting attention now from the key issue, which is tackling the coronavirus. and that unease goes right to the top. a member of the cabinet told me, if dominic cummings had any self—awareness, he would resign. another said, for as long as he stays, the government will remain stuck in this groove, unable to concentrate on what really matters. and by defending his adviser so strongly, this has become a question of the prime minister's judgment, too. one very worried, very senior figure in the party even suggested borisjohnson‘s authority itself is slipping out from under the door. yet downing street is adamant that mr cummings' trip to the north—east was covered by the exceptions to the lockdown rules. he travelled more than 200 miles to county durham, after his wife fell ill.

and they've tried to justify even his 60—mile round trip to barnard castle, where he was spotted by eyewitness robin lees. but ijust feel it was right for the true message, for what i saw to be in the public domain. i'd seen that, and i didn't think that i should keep it to myself. ministers know the public is concerned. even challenged by a vicar from brighton on what the implications were. will the government review all penalty fines imposed on families travelling for childcare purposes during lockdown? that's a very good question. i think, especially coming from a man of the cloth, i think that it is perfectly reasonable to take away that question. i'll have to talk to my treasury colleagues before i can answer it in full. nearly a0 of your colleagues believe that the prime minister's top adviser let the country down and want him gone. given that you stood there at that lectern and told people the guidelines weren't advice, they were instructions, do you?

my view is that what he did was within the guidelines. i can understand why reasonable people can take a different view. do you admit that it's doing damage to the government's credibility, after a question from a member of the public that you might review some of the fines that have been given to people if they were travelling for reasons to do with their children? i think it's incredibly important that, as a nation, we keep our resolve. everybody has a part to play in this. of course, the future of one man, onejob, is less important than dealing with the virus. it's a huge destraction, though, despite the determination in number 10 to keep ignoring the wild ride outside. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. european countries are taking more steps to get the continent back to some kind of "new normal". lockdown restrictions are being lifted as the fight against coronavirus pivots to opening up economies. many countries in europe

are starting to relax their borders, to get the vital tourist season going. in greece, restrictions on domestic travel have been eased today, with people allowed to move around the country and to visit the chain of islands. in spain, foreign travellers will no longer have to quarantine afterjuly i. the german government wants to end a travel warning to their citizens, covering 31 european countries, from june 15 — if the coronavirus situation allows. and on the same date here in england, all non—essential retailers will be able to reopen. let's get more from greece with this report from our correspondent, quentin sommerville, who is on the island of milos. athens is sending a flotilla to fight a pandemic. the greek islands are reopening. among the first to call, a high—speed deployment of doctors with a mission. these islands have been a safe

haven from the pandemic, with no confirmed cases of covid—i9. these medics from the mainland want to make sure it stays that way. it's an annual expedition to the remotest parts of the aegean, with special purpose this year. we will be in contact with the government. whenever they need us, we will come here to check if there is any case of covid infection. the mayor of sikinos welcomes them ashore. we're greeted with elbow bumps, instead of handshakes. there are enough tests for whoever wants them. there are only 250 people on this island, and none of them have been tested for covid—i9 until today. the village was built on a hilltop to safeguard it from pirates. they're hoping its isolation continues to offer protection. greece has had only 173 deaths from covid—i9, and is leaving lockdown

faster than expected. ba rs a nd restau ra nts reopened yesterday. —— bars and restaurants have reopened for guests. hilary and david brown live here. we spend so much time here, we love it here. so even if there wasn't the pandemic and we were told to go home, we still would've chosen to stay here. it's safer. there's no pandemic in the cyclades. only i think two in syros, and one in... mykonos. mykonos, and that's it. father theodorus leads the way. these tests are essential as greece prepares to welcome back foreign tourists in the coming months. today is the first day that everything comes back to normal, including restaurants and all the borders and ships. 50 we are concerned about everything being as planned in the best possible way.

greece is emerging from the pandemic earlier than others — not unscathed, but in better shape than most. isolation is a way of life here, but so too is tourism. the health of the islanders depends on both. quentin somerville, bbc news, the southern aegean. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: china is trying to limit the consumption of wild animals by paying farmers to switch to growing fruit and vegetables, but will it work? we'll speak to an expert on china's animal welfare policies. in the biggest international sporting spectacle ever seen, up to 30 million people have taken part in sponsored athletics events to aid famine relief in africa. the first of what the makers of star wars hope will be thousands of queues started forming at 7am. taunting which led to scuffles, scuffles to fighting, fighting to full—scale riot, as the liverpool fans

broke out of their area and into the juventus enclosure. the belgian police had lost control. the whole world will mourn the tragic death of mr nehru today. he was the father of the indian people on the day of independence. the oprah winfrey show comes to an end after 25 years and more than 4,500 episodes. the chat show has made her one of the richest people on the planet. geri halliwell, otherwise known as ginger spice, has announced she's left the spice girls. ah! i don't believe it! she's the one with the bounce, the go, the girl power. not geri. why? you're watching bbc news. our latest headlines... the political fallout continues over

the actions on coronavirus lockdown rules of a top aide to british prime minister borisjohnson. and as europe looks to relax border restrictions — ahead of the vital tourist season — greece allows domestic travel to its islands. the chinese government is offering to buy out animals on wildlife farms and to help farmers change their agricultural practices, in an effort to reduce the consumption of wild animals. the farmers are being offered money in exchange for several different species, including civet cats, porcupines and cobras, but will it work? let's bring in peter li, a china policy specialist with humane society international. thank you forjoining us on bbc news. it's a comp located business, isn't it? they are not offered consumption. i had not realised there were farms breeding these wild animals, i thought they were just originally wild animals. just explain how it works. yes, and i think that it will work because there is enormous determination and

there is enormous determination and there is enormous determination and there is rising concern in chinese society, and they understand the connection between the wildlife consumption and pandemics. and of course, the government has offered a buyout, so it will work. you talk about breeding. china has the biggest wildlife breeding operation, but the breeding operation for the exotic supermarket which has been a buzz is the second—biggest part. china has wildlife breeding and less 40 china has wildlife breeding and less a0 yea rs, china has wildlife breeding and less a0 years, something new. it never existed in china in the past. when you go back to previous outbreaks, though, if you go back to sars, the government banned the sale of wild animals then. it didn't work stopped are you offering a similar scheme? actually in 2003, the chinese government could have done a lot more, but it didn't. the trade man,

it was lifted. at that time, there was no consensus, there was no understanding that wildlife trade and consumption had a tremendous public health risk, but now this time, they realised the impact. and also, 70 years ago, the chinese government did not shutdown the trade from the national legislative level. it was an administrative decision —— i7 level. it was an administrative decision —— 17 years ago. it was quickly lifted because of the breeders, farmers resistance. there isa breeders, farmers resistance. there is a difference this time compared with 17 years ago. and he figures they are being offered, i think it was a porcupine, less than that for a kilo of rat eating snakes. is that going to be enough to persuade the farmers to stop this? yes. i say this because most wildlife breeders are not making money, were not making money in the past. many of them wanted to move to different...

this was an opportunity for them to do itand this was an opportunity for them to do it and another thing i want to point out is that those people who are most impacted, a small number of farm owners. the majority are employed part—time farm owners. the majority are employed pa rt—time and farm owners. the majority are employed part—time and on an hourly basis, so this people do not... can ijust ask one basis, so this people do not... can i just ask one last question? basis, so this people do not... can ijust ask one last question? what about the cultural traditional site of eating these sort of animals? is that something which is going to be difficult to persuade just normal chinese consumers to change there is —— to change there is a misperception. the so—called wildlife consumption as cultural eating has been promoted by the breeders and the traders over the breeders and the traders over the last a0 years. i rub in china. i never ate snake in all this animal

meat, so it's a a falsehood. fascinating. peter li, thank you very much forjoining us here on bbc news. now, we've reported before on the positive impact lockdown has had on the environment and pollution levels. air quality has certainly has certainly improved in many parts of the world. but have a look at this — filmed by a french environmental organisation in the mediterranean sea. we can see "masks and latex gloves" on the seabed. i'm sorry, we're on the wrong pictures, i think. i'm sorry, we're on the wrong pictures, ithink. we i'm sorry, we're on the wrong pictures, i think. we go. the group's founder posted the footage online, warning it could be the start

of a new type of pollution. when you look at those gloves and ppe equipment. let's turn to some other positive news, though. a teenagerfrom india who cycled hundreds of miles, carrying her injured father from the indian capital delhi back to their home village during the country's lockdown, has been speaking to the bbc about her story. let's hear her story now. this journey has changed their life. but they didn't set out on it by choice. jyoti paswan and her injured father were among tens of thousands of workers stuck in cities without money, amidst india's lockdown. "we weren't getting food and went hungry for two days. then i convinced my father that we should set off on the bicycle", she told bbc hindi, while she was on the journey. it took seven days from delhi to their home in eastern india.

her story has grabbed attention around the world. in her village, she's become a celebrity. "girls like you should be born in every home in india", a local leader told her. she's been gifted four new bicycles. the government is building a toilet at her home. and a tap means her family's access to water is easier than ever before. poverty forced her out of school. now, she's been enrolled again. "i never thought this would happen. i'm very happy. i want to get educated", she says. as they adjust to a new life in the spotlight, so many are still to reach safely back home. let's hope that comes through. from

meat and the team, it's goodbye for just a couple of minutes. we're back inafew just a couple of minutes. we're back in a few minutes on the bbc news channel in the uk with a papers review. hello there. plenty of dry and very warm weather for the next few days. tuesday, the highest temperatures across eastern and southern parts that the uk, 27 degrees to the west of london. it was a bit cooler further north but not enough a lot cooler, as we go through the next few days, we're going to see this area of high pressure which is dominating the scene, shifting a little further eastwards now, with the winds and high—pressure flowing clockwise and southeastwards,

that will allows to get some warm air across all parts of the uk. we start wednesday morning with the milder conditions across the south, 13—15 across cardiff and london. not quite as mild for the north and we are expecting spells of sunshine, a bit of patchy cloud towards the east of england and certainly towards northern ireland and scotland, and that may lead to patchy rain across the far west. temperatures across 17 degrees there in glasgow. going wednesday into thursday, we will see some outbreaks of rain pushing across the northern half of scotland, the frontal system pushing through further south drives clear spells on what will be for most, six to 12 degrees. early rain across scotland to north east england, very quickly on thursday and as you see, increasing amounts of sunshine with a bit of patchy cloud and largely sunny skies. at this stage, the highest temperatures will be across western areas, liverpool, cardiff, glasgow up to 20, but

cooler along some north sea coasts. and remember when we look at the maps, they don't see cloud, and that's why we're expecting some sunshine. parts of south west scotland getting into the mid—20s, still cooler for some of north sea coasts. the flow of air of the sea. but as we enter the weekend, high—pressure does remain dominant and it should fend off this frontal system. yes, we may feel a bit of rain in the far northwest of scotland at times, but generally speaking, it is a dry weekend and widely it will be very warm and those temperatures into the 20s.

this is bbc world news. the headlines...

the uk prime minister's top adviser is facing growing pressure to resign, after he drove his family hundreds of kilometres during the coronavirus lockdown. one junior government minister has quit his post in protest and dozens of other conservative mps are calling for dominic cummings to step down. in greece, restrictions on domestic travel have been eased — with people allowed to move around the country. president macron has announced a rescue plan worth billions of dollars to help france's car industry, which has been badly hit by the coronavirus crisis. he's offering consumers subsidies to buy electric and hybrid vechicles. and the floor of the new york stock exchange has reopened for business for the first time in two months. it's been closed since the end of march, as new york city became a hotspot in the pandemic.