this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. my name is mike embley. our top stories: as coronavirus cases rise in the us, the top infectious disease expert warns thats some parts of the country are seeing a disturbing surge. right now, the next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surgings that we are seeing. the fbi says bubba wallace was not the victim of racism after a noose was found in his nascar team's garage. the fbi says bubba wallace was not the victim of racism after a noose was found in his nascar team's garage. opening up and getting closer — england relaxes social distancing to get the economy moving. we look at the science behind the new rules. we can now make life easier for people to see more of their friends and family, and help

businesses get back on their feet and people back intojobs. the fbi says bubba wallace was not the victim of racism as brazil struggles with the pandemic, a judge orders the president to wear a mask in public. hello to you. the top us official on infectious diseases, anthony fauci, has warned some parts of the country are seeing a "disturbing surge" in coronavirus cases. let's go through the figures. covid—i9 has killed 120,000 people in the us and there are more than 2.3 million cases. in more half the states, the number of new cases is still rising. you can see that in the south and west, particularly in states which loosened their restrictions on business early on. texas for example recorded its biggest number of new cases on saturday. and the number of people in hospital with the virus has risen for 11 consecutive days.

california's infection rate has been surging in the last week, the number of people in hospital has surpassed the peak in april. florida is also seeing cases rising sharply, it's now the seventh state to reach 100,000 cases. earlier, dr fauci was giving testimony to a congressional hearing. this is part of what he said. right now, the next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surges that we are seeing in florida and texas and arizona and in other states. they're not the only ones that are having difficulty. bottom line, mr chairman, it's a mixed bag — some good and some now, we have a problem with. barbara plett usher has more on mr fauci's testimony. he and others testifying also talked about the testing, he said there was progress being made, there was an increase in the amount

of testing, they were going to do more and they'd certainly not been instructed to do less, which seem to contradict what president trump has been saying. at a rally at the weekend, he told people he directed the administration to slow down the testing because the increase in cases it revealed was making the country look bad. the white house said he was joking and he later told journalists, "no, i wasn'tjoking." later, all 14 public—health officials testifying before congress said they were committed to testing and it was crucial for the pandemic. doctor fauci said he had a note of optimism, he was cautiously optimistic a vaccine would be available for the american people by the end of the year or by the beginning of next one. live now to new york. dr craig spencer is director of global health in emergency medicine at columbia university medical center. very center. good to talk to you, i know very good to talk to you, i know you're a very busy man so

thanks for giving us your time. what do you make of this surge in cases, particularly in those states that were very quick to open up their economy? doctor fauci said it was a mixed bag and i'm in new york, which, as eve ryo ne and i'm in new york, which, as everyone remembers, if you months ago was the scene of an apocalyptic increase in the cases of what we were dealing with on a daily basis but now the number of cases in new york has really dip, so seeing covid patients is quite rare but that's not the case in allos no, california and texas and a majority of cases in the us — over the past week we've had a 30% increase in the number of cases, and take in the number of cases all across the country and we've also had a concerted increase in the test positivity percentage, meaning it's not just that we're doing more testing, but more people are getting infected with covid, and why we are seeing more of it. we are all concerned. right now there are hotspots in many places right throughout the country, we know this virus

will continue around the country because we have so many people still so susceptible to this virus quite frankly, aren't taking the necessary precautions to stop the virus spreading. what does that tell you about the likely progress of the disease, what you think the authorities are doing and what they should be doing? what it tells me about the progress, normally in summers we see a decrease in respiratory viruses like this but the fact we are seeing an increase is that when it comes to the fall and winter, we're going to be starting from a much higher baseline and we won't have the same ability to decrease the spread of this virus by doing things like simple contact tracing and other bread and butter public health, we will have to go to the brute lockdown measures we had to do before. what i think the administration should be doing is elevating and amplifying the voices of public health professionals. today was the one of the first times we've heard from doctor fauci and

doctor litchfield in the last couple of weeks, we need to hear from them couple of weeks, we need to hearfrom them more couple of weeks, we need to hear from them more and we need to do more testing and focus on how valuable the testing is and we need to take this seriously asa we need to take this seriously as a country because right now as a country because right now a lot of people haven't and we are seeing the dramatic results of that. we know the president is against more testing, even though doctor deborah birx, the co—ordinator of his task force, has suggested to governors of states they should be doing more testing despite what the president says, but surely approaching an election politicians will be reluctant to order more lockdowns, won't they? absolutely, but the vast response to the pandemic should not have been an economic or political one, it has to be a public health one. if we had responded correctly in march and april and even now, we would be in a much better position, much like many other countries around the world, that took the severity of the public health threat not an economic one. that would be better for anyone looking for re—election in november. we will have an overlap with flu season

will have an overlap with flu season with undoubted surge of flu covid cases at that time so it would be hard as i was a politician to sell myself on response of this pandemic is cases and deaths are increasing around this country if we see other countries around the world who have managed the swell and are getting back and opening up to what are you want in the us. craig, you sound very pessimistic about the way this is going? i'mjust very pessimistic about the way this is going? i'm just really frustrated because we have the tools, we know how they should work. we have experience doing this, we weren't really prepared for this in the united states. we were told in the beginning of march that eve ryo ne beginning of march that everyone could get a test when president trump was at the cdc, we saw people struggle to get tested and it's unclear if the president isjoking tested and it's unclear if the president is joking about whether he was trying to decrease testing or not. i'm frustrated because i've seen so many people die of this disease, i've seen so many families on facetime who are unable to stand by their bedside as i held theirfamily

member's hand as they died, i'm frustrated because we are months into this and it appears that we are getting worse, not better, and i think of all the families this will impact in the way that it impacted those in my emergency department and it makes me angry. doctor craig spencer, thank you for talking to us. thank you. we'll have more on coronavirus later in the programme. in atlanta, the funeral has taken place of rayshard brooks, an african—american shot dead by police in a confrontation two weeks ago. his killing, following that of another black american, george floyd, provoked weeks of protest by anti—racism campaigners. on tuesday president trump called the protestors vandals and anarchists and promised to reinforce the law to protect statues and monuments. long—term jail sentences for these vandals and these hoodlums and these anarchists and agitators and — call them whatever you want. some people don't like that language, but that's what they are. the fbi has concluded

bubba wallace was not the victim of a racist act at talladega superspeedway, nascar has announced. an investigation was launched into the noose left in the garage of the association's only black full—time driver. dozens of drivers showed their support for wallace by pushing his number 43 car to the front of the field at the alabama speedway in an act of solidarity with the 26—year—old on monday. 0ur north america correspondent peter bowes gave us more details. this was certainly a very swift conclusion by the fbi, justice department an investigation 2a hours or so ago and they say they saw authentic video supplied by nascar that led them to believe that this noose — at least a rope shaped in the form of a noose — wasn't deliberately left there as a form of intimidation, in fact, they say it was part of a pulley system for a garage

door and according to the evidence they have seen, it has been in this particular garage since last october. since he hadn't been assigned the garage until last week, the conclusion is this wasn't a racially—motivated attempt to intimidate a driver, a man who has become very prominent in the last few weeks because of his support of black lives matter and he was also, of course, a key figure in campaigning against the confederate flag being shown at nascar events — he was very successful in that, and some people thought this was retaliation against his newfound profile, not only in the sport but more generally because of what's been happening in the states, the race protests over the last month or so. peter, if you can, give us more of a feel about nascar, it's huge inside the united states, of course, but not that well known outside? yes, it is huge, and it's

a mostly white sport and that's why, to a large extent, it's been at the centre of this controversy. he is the only lack driver, at least full—time, and i think that's why there's been a lot of focus on what's happened over the last 2a hours. i should say nascar has released a statement following the conclusions of the fbi, saying they are thankful to hear it wasn't an intentional racist act against bubba, they say they remain steadfast in their commitment to providing a "welcoming and inclusive environment for all who love racing," and they also say their investigation will in fact continue to see why this particular piece of rope was left, it seems, lying around in the form of a noose. peter bowes for us there. britain's prime minister has announced the most significant easing of coronavirus restrictions in england since imposing a lockdown in march.

from july the 4th, the 2—metre social distancing rule will be reduced to im. pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, cinemas and museums will be allowed to reopen, provided they follow safety guidelines. mrjohnson said he would take "full responsibility" if the relaxation of measures backfired. laura kuenssberg reports. moving to a new sort of normal. in england, at least, from next weekend the pumps will flow, glasses will chink, a symbol there is life after lockdown — you'll be able to raise a pint. i'm really happy and excited to reopen and see our regular customers. a sense of relief is the biggest thing. we were kind of at a point where it was, like, make—or—break, so, for us, really happy. are you taking a gamble with public safety, prime minister? exactly three months after the deadly virus derailed everything, the disease isjudged by number 10 to be fading enough to open many more of the country's doors. speaker: prime minister.

you could almost hear the relief in the prime minister's voice. thanks to our progress, we can now go further and safely ease the lockdown in england. at every stage, caution will remain our watchword. hairdressers, hotels, libraries, playgrounds, a long list of venues will be back but you will still be asked to keep at least im distance, with extra precautions, and still work at home if you can. 0ur principle is to trust the british public to use their common sense, in the full knowledge of the risks, remembering that the more we open up, the more vigilant we will need to be. a chance the prime minister desperately hopes, too, for him to turn the page. our long national hibernation is beginning to come to an end and life is returning to our streets and shops.

the bustle is starting to come back and a new but cautious optimism is palpable. but i must say to the house, it would be all too easy for that frost to return. compulsory legal instructions will become advice instead, and there are still complications ahead. there are no easy decisions to be made here. any unlocking carries risks, it has to be phased, managed and carefully planned. we will scrutinise the detail. we do want more clarity, but we welcome the thrust. but who we can spend time with, as well as where, is changing, too. hayley minn will be able to see her boyfriend anywhere for the first time in two months. friends and families reunited, but still im apart and only two households at a time. it's really good news that will can now — my boyfriend can now stay over and i can stay at his. 0bviously, annoying we can't touch still but it's better than just being able to see him

for a few hours in the garden. but hold on, the different parts of the uk are moving at different paces. in wales and scotland, the 2m rule is still in place. it's really important not to see this as a binary, simple issue. there is no doubt if you go from 2m to im you increase the risk of transmission from something i think between two and ten times, so it's how you mitigate that increased risk in other ways. but for number 10, it's time to move on. 5pm today, the last occasion that this briefing will be routine. the chief scientists sound notably cautious this afternoon. prime minister, opening up poses more risks to our health, will you take responsibility for whatever happens next? of course, laura, i take responsibility, the government takes responsibility for these decisions. we're indebted to our scientific colleagues for their advice continually, but it is our responsibility

to choose. and professor whitty, you said previously very clearly you would like to see the 2m rule stay until the end of the pandemic. have you changed your mind? the advice to stay at 2m if you can stay at 2m remains, and the 1m is a 1m+, mitigations which bring it into line with other areas, and that's why people must take it incredibly seriously. personally, am i comforable with it? this is a balance of risk. it's like many things in medicine — you don't go for an operation unless you have to, it's a balance of risk. so the risk has not gone and next weekend's changes have come too late for some. this pub in sheffield has already closed its doors for the final time. we're absolutely devastated about the closure but conditions here have just become too difficult to trade in the city centre. it's had a huge impact. we do not think this is a viable business. the end of the emergency phase may be, but from the lectern or your living room, the impact of the coronavirus

is certainly not a thing of the past. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: a fine balancing act — how these swiss acrobats are staying in business during the coronavirus pandemic. members of the neo—nazi resistance movement stormed the world trade center armed with pistols and shotguns. we believe that, according to international law, that we have a rightful claim in certain parts of this country as our land. i take pride in the words "ich bin ein berliner." cheering as the uk woke up to the news that it is to exit the european union, leave campaigners began celebrating. in total, 17.4 million people voted for the uk to leave the eu.

the medical research council have now advised the government that the great increase in lung cancer is due mainly to smoking tobacco. it was closing time for checkpoint charlie, which, for 29 years, has stood on the border as a mark of allied determination to defend the city. this is bbc news, the latest headlines: america's leading infectious disease expert has warned of a disturbing surge in covid—19 cases in parts of the country. anthony fauci told the congress the next couple of weeks are going to be critical. england has relaxed social distancing to get the economy moving. restaurants and pubs can re—open injuly and the government has eased its 2—metre rule.

ajudge in brazil has ordered presidentjair bolsonaro to wear a protective mask when out in public, or face a $400 daily fine. mr bolsonaro has been criticised for belittling the risk posed by coronavirus, calling it a "a little cold" at the start of the pandemic, and has repeatedly ridiculed social distancing measures. freya cole reports. hand on heart and face mask on, presidentjair bolsonaro follows protective measures at an official event in brazil's capital city but it is only after a federal courtjudge ordered the far—right leader to obey the rules or risk a fine. presidentjair bolsonaro obey the rules or risk a fine. president jair bolsonaro has downplayed the severity of the virus since the outset of the pandemic. he has attended rallies without wearing a face

covering, holding children and chanting alongside his devoted supporters. but there have been counter rallies as well. a mass cry to impeach the president from people who feel they are in grave danger. translation: we are here in defence of democracy and are asking for jair bolsonaro to leave. this president who has taken the people's power as committing atrocities. he does not deserve to rule our country. in the last 2a hours brazil recorded almost 30,000 new cases of coronavirus. the total now goes beyond a million people and more than 52,000 people have died. but the president says he is not a miracle worker and has

encouraged lockdown measures to ease to uphold the economy but now he has been told he is not above the law and must take the same measures as his people to slow the spread of this deadly disease. freya cole, bbc news. doctors say tens of thousands of patients who've had serious covid—19 infections in the uk will need to be recalled to check whether they have suffered permanent lung damage. specialists at the royal college of radiologists fear that a significant proportion of people could have scarred lungs, which can result in life—long, irreversible breathlessness. our health correspondent sophie hutchinson has the story. breathless after even a short walk. tony mchugh, a retired taxi driver, spent two weeks on a ventilator with covid—19. three months on, he's still struggling. even, like, having a shower still exerts you a bit, you know. so i have to sit down when i come out of the shower,

just for a little bit. see, the silly thing, like, if i'm just watering the flowers at night, you bend down and you're picking something up and... he gasps. most people who have been breathless with the virus are expected to recover, but doctors are concerned about tens of thousands of people who have been seriously ill with what's called covid—19 pneumonia and whether they have permanent lung damage. this is what healthy lungs look like, nice and black where they are filled with air. but in stark contrast, these are the lungs of a severely ill covid—19 patient, and you can see this white haze covering much of them. it's the air sacs filled with fluid. and it's this that doctors are concerned may lead to scarring, permanent damage, which could leave some patients breathless for the rest of their lives. this consultant radiologist has seen hundreds of abnormal scans throughout the pandemic. he's been shocked by how badly the virus can affect the lungs

and says up to 30% of those he's re—examined could have scarring. i am concerned about it, because of the unusual nature of this infection and how much of both lungs it's affecting. the other thing that's concerning me is the length of time it's seemingly taking based on the x—rays to clear the virus from your lungs — and when you have those two in combination, that is the ideal scenario for scarring. it's estimated that between 20% to 60% of survivors of other coronaviruses, sars and mers, have been left with lung scarring. 45 minutes, i have to stop because i can't breathe... this clinic in nottingham is one of a number in the uk that have begun monitoring for lung damage. it follows new guidelines from the british thoracic society that patients must be followed up. never before in our lifetime have so many people been subject... to the same lung injury

at the same time. so even if it's only a very small proportion of people who do get scarring of the lung, that's still going to be a large number of people overall. because of that, the government says it's providing more clinics and equipment, but radiologists fear services could be overwhelmed by the tens of thousands of patients in need of care, like tony. sophie hutchinson, bbc news. in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, we've seen organizers cancel or delay countless performances. in switzerland, a group of acrobats decided the show must go on. alanna petroff reports on how these individuals got back to work in a surprising new setting. you may be maintaining your social distance safe at home. here in the swiss alps, these acrobats are social distancing atan acrobats are social distancing at an altitude of 3000m, that is nearly 10,000 feet. the show

involves some blindfolded cable walking, some slope scary cycling stop this one is called the wheel of the death. organisers say this start set a new record. this acrobat and his trip performed their death—defying moves to raise awareness about the artist have not been able to perform over the past few months. it is good for everybody, we do not give up for everybody, we do not give up and keep thinking positive for the future. it is our time now but i think it will become better. --it is a hard time. a time of balancing priorities. these acrobats hope their performances will lift the spirits of those below. alanna petroff, bbc news. much more on the bbc website.

and you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter. thank you very much for watching. hello there. on tuesday, the temperature reached 29 celsius around london. now, by the end of the week, we're likely to find the weather breaking down with a bang but, for the next couple of days, the heat and humidity will continue to build. we could get 90 fahrenheit. that heat and humidity coming in from continental europe, and spinning its way northwards to much of the country. that warmth coming in around an area of high pressure but, by the end of the week, the pressure pattern looks very different. lowering pressure coming in from the atlantic, threatening to sweep some thundery downpours in from the west on friday. now, at the moment, we've still got some rain around, mainly for western scotland and northern ireland. elsewhere, dry with clearer skies, and quite a warm start to wednesday — 12 to 15 degrees. now, the rain in the northwest will gradually peter

out during wednesday. the cloud thins, skies brighten and they'll be some sunshine, particularly for southern and eastern scotland, where it should be quite warm. but it's across england and wales where we've got the gentle breezes and the strong sunshine and the temperatures are continuing to climb. 30 degrees in birmingham, 31 in london. and you probably noticed, like i have, that the pollen levels are very high, not just across england and wales, but in across northern ireland and a good part of scotland as well. as we move into thursday, there could be some thundery showers towards the far northwest of scotland to move away. later in the day, maybe just a hint of things to come, with some showers in cornwall, but thursday is probably going to be the peak of the heat. the warmth will continue to push its way into scotland. we're not getting the extreme heat in northern ireland. 32 is 90 fahrenheit, that's in london on thursday. and then the change as we head into friday. it's always going to be a little bit uncertain, but we do have that lowering pressure, and some of those thunderstorms are beginning to develop out towards the west.

now, the potentialfor some very wet and thundery weather for a while across northern ireland and western scotland. and then these thundery downpours push their way eastward steadily through the day. could be a little bit more hit and miss towards the southeast, and the last of the heat is really getting pushed more towards eastern parts of england. elsewhere, those temperatures are starting to drop away. and that process will continue over the weekend. 20 or 21 will be the best we'll manage, i think, by sunday, and maybe a bit of rain around and it could be quite unusually windy for the time of year.

this is bbc news, the headlines:

america's leading infectious disease expert has warned of a disturbing surge in covid—19 cases in parts of the country. anthony fauci told congress that the next two weeks would be critical to stop more infections in states such as florida, texas and arizona. british prime minister boris johnson has announced a significant easing of coronavirus restrictions in england. restaurants and pubs can re—open injuly and the government has relaxed its 2m rule. mrjohnson said he would take "full responsibility" if the relaxation of measures backfired. the fbi says bubba wallace was not the victim of racism after a noose was found in his nascar team's garage. the agency said what had been assumed to be a noose was actually the garage door‘s pull rope, and had been hanging like that since last october. now on bbc news, tuesday in parliament.