the government defends its plans to ease lockdown — after some of its own scientific advisors say they fear restrictions are being lifted too quickly. the deputy chief medical officer for england admits the uk must proceed with caution as he urged the public not to "tear the pa nts" out

of their new freedoms. i believe this is also a very dangerous moment. we have to get this right. it comes as ministers formally gave the go—ahead for many sports to resume, albeit behind closed doors. also tonight... violent clashes continue across america — as protests spread — after the death of an african—american man at the hands of police officers in minnesota. 3,2,1... lift off! a new era for space travel as the first ever comercial rocket carrying people into space is successfully launched.

good evening. the uk is "at a dangerous moment" according to england's deputy chief medical officer who urged people not to "tear the pants", as he put it, out of the loosened lockdown restrictions that will come into effect from monday. professor van tam today reminded people of how rapidly the disease can spread throughout the population. many people were tempted out by the warm weather once again today, as some members of the government's own sage advisory group spoke out against the pace at which changes to the lockdown are coming into effect. the government announced a further 215 deaths recorded in the uk, bringing the total number of deaths of people who've tested positive for the virus now to 38,376. our political correspondent, chris mason, has this report.

helen's bay beach in county down today. in northern ireland and in scotland groups are already allowed to gather outside. england and wales will follow on monday. new rules grant us more freedom, but require us to make more judgments about what is safe. in bournemouth, the lure of the beach and the challenge of social distancing. in york, the prize of a pint, and, yes, exactly the same challenge. with the number of coronavirus cases falling, ministers say the time is right for a more liberal approach, but some of those advising our political leaders have concerns. if we make multiple releases of the lockdown at the same time, we won't know what is causing the inevitablejump in cases. and we don't have an established test, track and isolate process to follow these people up. so we are at a very risky point,

where we could take the lid off a pot that is still bubbling in places, and it risks overflowing in these places. regent's park in london earlier and primrose hill too, as the labour mayors of london and greater manchester also worry loosening the rules has come too soon. so, at this afternoon's government news conference i asked... what do you say to those scientists and others who say that you are easing the lockdown in england too quickly? we haven't got that much headroom, that's why the prime minister has been clear that we need to proceed in a very cautious way. i believe, and you will recall i was at the podium when the disease activity was very high in the uk, and i said it is a very dangerous moment, i believe this is also a very dangerous moment. we have to get this right, to ask the public in general to actually follow the guidance, don't tear the pants out of it

and don't go further than the guidance actually says. professor van tam knows how to turn a phrase and make a point. he was also asked directly about dominic cummings, the prime minister's most senior adviser who, among other things, drove 50 miles to test his eyesight during the lockdown. the rules are clear and they have always been clear. in my opinion, they are for the benefit of all and in my opinion they apply to all. questions about mr cummings keep coming, questions about loosening the lockdown will, too. chris mason, bbc news. our health correspondent catherine burns with with me. tonight, new guidance for those considered extremely vulnerable. this is for anyone who is shielding in england, the people who have specific medical conditions which means if they got coronavirus they would be more likely to become very

ill. 2.2 million people in england with this right now and some of them will have no face—to—face contact with people since this started ten weeks ago. from tomorrow the guidance has been changed which could make a big difference to their lives. they will be able to go outside with someone they live with them if they live alone they can meet up with one other person, and this is only once a day and they are not to go to shops or work or anywhere where it would be impossible for them to do social distancing, so why is this happening now? the government says this is because the chances of getting infected have gone down so when this all infected have gone down so when this a ll started infected have gone down so when this all started originally the chances of someone getting infected was about one in 40, they say, but it is now more like one in a thousand, and the government also says it will look every few weeks at the restrictions to see what it can do to make life a bit more bearable for people who are shielding. the prime minister has thanked these people

today and he says, their patience and sacrifice has saved thousands of lives. thanks forjoining us. there have been more clashes between police and protesters, in cities across the united states, following the death of an african—american man in minneapolis. the state's governor says the national guard will be fully mobilised tonight, for the first time ever. a police officer has been sacked and charged with the murder of george floyd — but protesters are calling for three others who were also there to be arrested. 0ur correspondent barbara plett usher is in minneapolis, barbara. minneapolis has seen its share of u nrest minneapolis has seen its share of unrest when it comes to police treatment of black men and women but these protests have been especially violent and destructive, they have been torching local businesses like this chicken restaurant, and we have had local leaders coming out, political and religious leaders, leaders of civil society, urging and pleading with people to stay home tonight, but i think many people are prepared to ignore that call. he is

my report, but they are distressing images in it. america is rising up in anger over the killing of another black man in police custody. in minneapolis protesters defied a curfew, taking over the streets for the fourth night in a row, turning them into a smoky battle ground. security forces were overwhelmed, the governor has now announced the largest mobilisation of the national guard in the state's history. he blames outsiders for spearheading the violence. the situation in minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of george floyd, it is about attacking civil society and instilling fear and disrupting our great cities. the scale of destruction is bigger than in previous protests over race —related deaths. here in minneapolis, this is the damage after another night of chaos. authorities thought they had calmed things down after they moved swiftly to charge a police officer for the death of george floyd

and they were shocked when the violence escalated instead. i cannot breathe... a widely publicised video shows the officer kneeling on mr floyd's neck as he begged for air. in footage that emerged today you can see two other policemen who were also holding him down, ignoring his cries to let him stand up. the graphic images have ignited protests across a country already grappling with the deadly pandemic and suffering its worst economic crisis since the great depression. in seattle, washington, demonstrators hurled a rock at an amazon store. they chanted, "i can't breathe" and "black lives matter". in charlotte, north carolina police fired tear gas, and a city council member was one of several people arrested. in atlanta, georgia, protesters threw rocks and smoke grenades at police, trashed cars and smashed windows at cnn headquarters. the governor issued a state of emergency and the mayor pleaded

for the riots to stop. you are disgracing our city and disgracing the life of george floyd and every other person who has been killed in this country. we are better than this! we're better than this as a city and we are better than this is a country. i'm duty—bound to be here to simply say that it is your duty not to burn your own house down for anger with an enemy. accountability is what protesters are demanding. but in minneapolis hundreds, maybe thousands came out to show that they don't want to burn the house down to get it, clearing away the wreckage, aware that another night of damage might be coming. barbara plett usher, bbc news, minneapolis. 0ur north america editorjon sopel is here with me.

as if america hasn't got challenges enough presently, now a rise in racial tensions now, too. this week the us passed 100,000 coronavirus deaths and now there has been an outbreak of america's oldest disease across the country to make racism. they have been any number of deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of white police officers leading to the frustration you have seen on the streets. 0ver leading to the frustration you have seen on the streets. over the decades there have been race riots and presidents have always tried to clamp down on the sense of and unhappiness about it, but donald trump has taken a different approach. he has been cautioned on twitter for his use of language and he has also said this morning on twitter after protests in washington outside the white house that if these people had got over the wall they would have been greeted with they would have been greeted with the most vicious dogs and most ominous weapons i have ever seen, he said, that is where people would have been really badly hurt, at least, and he said many secret service agents werejust

least, and he said many secret service agents were just waiting for action. that might help donald trump in the presidential election in november to fight as the law and order president and it might fly up his base but his critics say it will do nothing to calm tensions fire up. thanks forjoining us. live sport will return to our tv screens injune after the government gave the go—ahead for competitive action to begin again. laura scott has the details. they are some of the country's biggest sporting spectacles, witnessed by millions of people across the nation, and today after a total shutdown since spring the government gave the go—ahead for a sporting summer on english soil. horse racing will be first out of the stalls, starting at newcastle, before the first classics at newmarket next weekend. training yards have been full of fit horses with nowhere to go so the move has brought a sense of relief. it's going to be a funny year but we look like we're going to have royal ascot and the guineas,

and it's so important for careers, livelihoods, stallions, pedigrees, and we can't do without them, so thank god we're back. the premier league plans to restart the season on the 17th ofjune. with a third of the remaining 92 fixtures to be shown on free to air platforms, including four on the bbc and others on sky. some sports will take longer to meet the government's strict guidelines but fans have been given a clear message. don't abandon your sports, they'll be back. all the sports will come back. the governing bodies and the event organisers are all committed and they want to get back but they all want to do it putting the athletes and the staff and the public, at the centre of their decision—making in terms of safety. snooker‘sjoe perry, who will be back in action next week, says he is happy with the safety measures that have been put in place and hopes the return of sport will give the nation a boost. we won't know it's the right time until we go back and, hopefully, there's no repercussions from it. i'm on a commission committee

for snooker and i know a lot of work has gone on behind—the—scenes. i'm pretty confident that they've done everything they can. getting live sport back on screens, whether it's your sport or not, will give the country a lift, a much—needed one. the stands will remain empty for some time and jockeys in masks is a reminder that this is far from what sports' fans are used to, but with the return of sporting action to our screens, saturday afternoons might soon feel a little bit more normal. laura scott, bbc news. some workers are at greater risk of getting coronavirus than others, according to figures from the office for national statistics. men working as security guards have one of the highest death rates in england and wales, and those from ethnic minorities with other health problems are at an ever higher risk. our special correspondent lucy manning has been speaking to the family of a security guard who lost his life to covid—19. kevin rowson wasn't supposed to be on the covid front line,

not a doctor or nurse, but a security guard. his football team was nottingham forest so it was brilliant that he got to be security for them. happy happy birthday to you... the father of four who also worked as a courier, celebrated his birthdayjust a few months ago. it would be his last one. male security guards are dying at the highest rate and the black community suffering disproportionately, as well. how did you feel when you heard that that in terms of occupations, most deaths have been amongst security guards? i was quite shocked, actually. there is a high risk, especially for security because they're around a lot of people, and a lot of people these days with everything going on, they are getting

in security guards' faces and things like that because they can't accept the social distancing or that they have got to queue or things like that, so they are very at risk. the club marked kevin's death in a stadium with no fans. now, there's another family with no father. he was about six feet six, six feet seven, but he was the gentlest man you could ever meet. he loved life, he loved everybody, he was just amazing. laughter more shops will reopen soon. although it's still not clear if the high death rate is because of the job or other covid risk factors like race, that it is male dominated and low—paid work, there are demands for more protection. 0ur officers have been threatened, that they were going to be spat at, so there are some people who were scared,

some of them refused to work, because obviously it is a hard situation. the government should at least advise people and give us more support, like equipment, because this equipment is not easy to buy online. it's expensive. kelly's brother, like other security guards, risking their own health to keep others safe, and more will do so as the lockdown eases. they're allowing things to go back to normal too soon, just because the public don't like it, and it is hard. i've lost a family member and i wouldn't want anybody else in the world to lose a family member. it's heartbreaking, it's broken our family. people want to ease off and they want to be out there again and they want to go back to normal but to me there is now no normality. there's never going to be any normality after this. lucy manning, bbc news.

the first commercial spacecraft to carry people into space has successfully launched from cape canaveral in florida. the capsule, built by elon musk‘s spacex, has two astronauts on board and they are now on their way to the international space station. rebecca morelle has more. these are steps towards a new era of space flight. nasa's two, the first to launch from american soil in almost a decade, and this is the rocket, built by spacex, a company about to make history by carrying people into space. bob, doug, have an amazing flight. enjoy those views of our amazing planet. three, two, one, zero, ignition, lift off! godspeed, bob and doug! this is a

huge step for us and the commercial ventures and i think it's important for the world to realise that we are going into space to stay and we are going into space to stay and we are going to continue on, to the moon and then on to mars. looks like we saw a zero g indicator... ten minutes into the flight and the pull of the earth has gone and then the final stage of the rocket gently detaches. it is now officially making its way to the international space station. but this isjust making its way to the international space station. but this is just the start. they have to come home safely and make sure the systems and the parachutes and everything gets them home safely, it is not until the mission is back on earth that we will know that it's been a complete success. we hope you enjoyed the ride. good luck and god speed. for the astronauts, theirjourney is just beginning, in the future

private space flight has truly arrived. rebecca morelle, bbc news. some lockdown restrictions have been lifted, but places of worship remain closed. it's meant britain's 50,000 bell ringers have been unable to practice their ancient tradition, but as our religion editor martin bashir reports, they've turned to modern technology to resolve the issue. they call us to celebrate and toll sadly in our grief. but for the first time since the second world war church bells are silent. southwark cathedral is typical of 5,000 bell towers across the country. when you look through the history of britain and you see these old films, you hear a sound track of bells, and still to this day the ringing of the bells before the service happens,

happens on special occasions such as ve day or christmas or easter or moments of remembrance. but with bell towers sealed, an ancient practice has suddenly been sustained by modern technology. everybody just make sure everybodyjust make sure that your bell rings... this is the ringing room, a virtual bell—ringing platform created by bryn, who has a phd in computer science, and their partner. just as in a real tower, the bells are arranged in a circle, and have the notes of a normal musical scale. each user is assigned a single bell which is rung using the space—bar on their keyboard. since launching the free to use platform, there have been 36,000 group rings and they are adding a thousand new users each day.

going and gone! though isolated in lockdown, five british and three americans ring a traditional peal on different sides of the atlantic. but while the digital platform has allowed them to engage with fellow bell—ringers, they're all itching to get back to their towers. everyone says, what are you going to do at the end of lockdown? i'm going to get a haircut, for a start, but the big noise is kind of like a scream or a shout, that the tension has ended, that's reflected in the sound bells. and that is the sound we'll hear? it won't be a scream. it will be joyous. martin bashir, bbc news, at southwark cathedral. that's all from me. goodnight. croke four, for three, two, one, zero ignition lift off! :, nasa, go, spacex, godspeed, bob and doug! america has launched. and so rises a

new era of american space flight and, with it, the ambitions of a new generation continuing the dream. 20 seconds into flight stage one, propulsion is nominal. d+30 seconds into this historic mission. flying crew on board dragon and falcon nine, and look at them go! we are throttling down to get ready for the period of maximum dynamic pressure. we are into throttle rocket. you're watching the bbc news with martine croxall. from monday, many primary schools in england will welcome back pupils from some year groups. teaching unions and some local authorities have been concerned about the risks of spreading coronavirus but the government says it is safe for children to go to school. it's used denmark as an example as the first country in europe to reopen schools and day care centres. elaine dunkley reports. can schools in england mirror what has happened in denmark? six—year—old hanna has been back in her class in the danish capital, copenhagen, since mid—april. hanna now learns and plays with just a small group of children. meet hanna's parents, jens—christen and louise. and, in england. hello, i'm kate. i'm in liverpool. i have two boys. hi, my name is marvin harrison. i'm based in london and i have two children. can the danish experience convince these parents who are sceptical about schools in england partially reopening from monday?

so, every monday, they start the working by reminding them, 0k, remember distancing, remember washing your hands, and even the six—year—olds are pretty good at quote unquote self—policing these things, because they also want to do the right thing. if the death rate was higher in your country, would that have changed your approach and how you felt about going back to school at that time? i think we had the sense that a lot of the efforts that were made had an effect, although they sound really, really basic, but some of the simple guidance in terms of washing hands and keeping distance and so on has really worked. my 11—year—old is shielding, so he is in the extremely vulnerable category, so he will not be returning to school, but then i have my other little boy, who is in year one, he's nearly six, and i have a real concern that, unless the school can guarantee us that he could maintain strict social distancing, he places his brother at risk by bringing something into the house.

have you heard anything from denmark that would reassure you, or is there anything that you think we could learn from denmark? my personal concerns are that we have seen more black people die from covid—19. at this point, the risks are way too great, and so we're just going to have to take a view stronger than what's being said and reallyjust protect our families. schools in wales will not reopen on the 1st ofjune, and schools in scotland and northern ireland are due to start in august. the us president donald trump has been speaking in the last few minutes about the death of a black man in police custody in minneapolis. fresh demonstrations are taking place today following the killing of george floyd, who was unarmed.

let's listen in to what president trump had to say. these protests have spread to other cities. we have seen people in large numbers in places like washington and chicago. before going further on this exciting day, for all america in space, i want to say a few words about the situation in minnesota. the death of george floyd on the streets of minneapolis was a grave tragedy. it should never have happened. all americans all over the country feel horror, anger and grief. yesterday i spoke to george's family and expressed the sorrow of oui’ family and expressed the sorrow of our entire nation for their loss. i

stand before you as a friend and ally to every american seeking justice and peace, and i stand before you and firm our position to anyone exploiting this tragedy. healing not hatred, justice, not chaos, are the missions. the police sources involved in this incident have been fired from their jobs. 0ne officer has already been arrested and charged with murder. state and federal authorities are carrying out an investigation to see what further charges may be warranted including against sadly the other three. in addition, my administration has opened a civil rights investigation, and i have

asked the attorney general and the justice department to expedite it. i understand the pain people are feeling. we support the right of peaceful protesters. but what we are 110w peaceful protesters. but what we are now seeing on the streets of our cities has nothing to do with justice or with peace. the memory of george floyd is being dishonoured by rioters, looters and anarchists. the violence and vandalism is being led by anti—fat and other radical left—wing groups who are terrorising the innocent, destroying jobs, hurting businesses and burning down buildings. per resident tramp -- president trump talking about what is happening in minneapolis and

other cities while at the launch of the spacex rocket. let's cross to our correspondent, barbara plett usher, in minneapoli. how peaceful demonstrations currently? quite a lot of them have been peaceful and racially diverse, not just here been peaceful and racially diverse, notjust here in minneapolis. a lot of people have come out. we have just had an army of people here in this area where i have standing who have come out to clean the mess as well so people are upset about what happened this week and are peacefully protesting, but you are right, the demonstrations have been violent and destructive when it comes to this kind of unrest related to the police treatment of black men and women. in minneapolis they are saying they have not seen it at this scale and the governor has said he is blaming outsiders for this level

of violence, and today you had a whole group of local leaders, politicians but also religious leaders, leaders of ethnic groups, civil society leaders, urging people to stay at home, and they are working on it, but this is not the way to try to get accountability for the actions. having said that, many people will be ignoring those calls and coming out again tonight and the governor has said he is calling up the full force of the national guard to restore order. let's ta ke take a look at the weather forecast now with chris. hello there it's been another dry sunny hello there it's been another dry sunny warm hello there it's been another dry sunny warm day be wondering when the next rain is on the way. i have news about thatjust a moment. first of all today more of that sunshine as it didn't cross much