a very warm welcome to bbc news. my name's mike embley. our top stories: california under lockdown — america's largest state orders its forty million citizens to stay at home. italy's death toll overtakes china's — almost 3,500 have now died. we report from inside one of italy's hospitals, battling to keep patients alive. as japan comes under increasing pressure to postpone the olympics, the flame arrives from greece. applauding the health workers — solidarity across france for the medics on the frontline of the coronavirus outbreak

the governor of the largest state in the us, california, has ordered all its citizens to stay home, to go out only when absolutely necessary, to try to limit the spread of the coronavirus. governor gavin newsom says he expects more than half of all californians to have been infected with covid—19 by may. the state has a population of about forty million. joining me now is our north america correspondent, david willis. more detail on this if you have it. this is not to be the first order of its kind in the united states, effect being an entire state and the most populous, a state and the most populous, a state in the union, california with a population of more than 40 with a population of more than a0 million people all of whom have now been told to stay at home under order of the governor, gavin newsom. they

can go out to get food, medical supplies, to visit the doctor but otherwise they must stay at home and that is coming into effect from midnight tonight and applies for the next eight weeks at least. 19 people have died in this state at 958 have been tested for the disease and california widely thought to be one of the centres of the coronavirus outbreak hear anything us. the governor's particular worry seems to be the potential for hospitalisation rate to simply overwhelm even california's health resources. absolutely. he said in a news conference a short while ago that they could bea short while ago that they could be a short to the tune of 20,000 hospital beds. he is asking for a us hospital ship to be deployed to the port of los angeles to help with that expected deficit and he is also

calling for $1 billion in funding from congress to aid the situation here. governor gavin newsom clearly believes there is a big problem looming here in his state and he is trying to get ahead of it, if you like. david, thank you very much. the death toll in italy is now higher than anywhere else in the world, including china, where the coronavirus outbreak began. another a27 people have died in italy the past 2a hours alone — bringing the death toll to more than 3,a00. the bbc‘s mark lowen is in rome. in this theatre of war, the heroes hardly rest. brescia in northern italy is seeing one of the highest rises in daily cases. the hospital is overwhelmed but resilient. translation: there is a strong commitment from all doctors and nurses. sometimes they come in even when they are not on shift,

or after they are on at night, they come in the morning after to help us out. some of them have cried, but i have never seen anyone complain. more than 8% of cases in italy are medical staff, almost double that of china. the 13th doctor died today. "one of the patients here is a doctor," she says, "born in 1982." he was in the emergency room, fell ill and tested positive. now he has been incubated. thousands of medics have been recalled from retirement and rushed in from university to help, but still they are desperate. translation: i think our hospital is reaching breaking point. we don'tjust need more beds, but we need workers. we need equipment to protect our staff. we need ventilators. the spread of the virus is too fast for us to keep up. in this outbreak, not even the dead can rest. overnight, the military moved coffins from nearby bergamo to other areas to ease pressure on bursting crematoria. from one town that

has cut cases to zero through mass testing and quarantine, a warning to britain over its lower response. a warning to britain over its slower response. i feel very, very sorry, because i have been living in england for over 25 years, and i left my wife and my son there, so for me it is very sad to see they are doing exactly the same mistake as they did in italy. it will lead to an outbreak which will be the same size or even worse than the one we are seeing in lombardy. restrictions on movement here are now set to be extended, with most venues remaining closed and schools shut well into april. italy's lockdown is the model being adopted elsewhere. public transport and traffic are still running, but people are only going out in urgent need, and it is orderly, with measured queues for the supermarket, as people are allowed in one by one. the fruit and vegetables are stocked as normal. there is very little sense of panic buying here. and with the loo rolls, well,

some brands are down, but with this level of outbreak, italians are behaving on the whole rationally. the virus has left this wounded, ageing population isolated, from each other and from the outside world. the book she reads is called fear. mark lowen, bbc news, rome. the british prime minister is saying he is confident the uk can defeat the coronavirus, as long as everyone takes seriously the government's restrictions and instructions on how to live our lives for the next months. borisjohnson has suggested it will take at least 12 weeks to turn the tide on the virus in the uk. bbc political editor, laura kuenssberg, is at westminster. the royal standard lowered marking the queen's departure for windsor castle, urging the nation at a time of great uncertainty to come together as one, leaving the quiet capital, where the government's frantically trying to manage an unknown future. what is now a regular routine, the prime minister talking

to the public at 5pm, but no immediate sign of drastic new action today. we can turn the tide within the next 12 weeks, and i'm absolutely confident that we can send coronavirus packing in this country, but only if we take the steps, we all take the steps that we have outlined. you told the country yesterday you wouldn't hesitate to take extra measures. people are worried about what that might mean. yes. can you tell people what might be next? will you, within days, seek to shut pubs, cafes, clubs? as long as we think that people are actually staying away from places where they may transmit or pick up the disease, if we feel that that is working, then we just want to say thank you to everybody for their extraordinary efforts and encourage everybody to do likewise. if we feel that it isn't working, as i said yesterday, we need to bring forward tougher measures, then

of course, nothing is ruled out. there is no prospect of us wanting to stop public transport in london, or stop the tube or the buses. we're not going to be telling people that under no circumstances if they really need to go to work can they go to work. more limits on our lives would hit some firms hard. the law's been relaxed, though, to make it easier for supermarkets to work together. they say there's just no need for queues like this. the concerns are real. unless we give a guarantee of wages and income to everyone, particularly those that cannot work, then we're all at risk as a result of it, and i don't think the government has sufficiently addressed this. speaker: ministerjohn glenn. some form of that could come tomorrow, but it's not clear exactly what will come on top of the treasury's plans. any business who needs cash to pay salaries will be able to access a government—backed loan on attractive terms.

all grumble you can hear the disquiet. what about people losing jobs now? if the government does not act immediately, large numbers of people will be unemployed. and can i urge the government to say something today to give people an assurance that the help will come? where can they get answers? because they are so worried! ministers are putting forward this afternoon a long list of emergency laws, from giving the home secretary the power to close the borders if needs be, forcing business to share information about food supply, making it easier for retired doctors to get back to work. this, the coronavirus bill, is an encyclopaedia of emergency powers that ministers think they might need to manage the crisis in the coming months. huge new powers the state hopes it may never need. but while our landmarks look the same tonight, much about our

country does not. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. let's get some of the day's other news: in argentina, the president has announced a "preventive and compulsory" lockdown of the population from friday to at least the end of march. people will be able to leave their homes to shop for basic goods, such as food and medicine. argentina has recorded 128 cases of the virus, and three deaths. in china, the infection rate is slowing and there have been no new locally—transmitted cases for the second day in a row. but the daily tally for infections involving travellers arriving in the country has surged to a new record of 39. there are concerns that could mean a second wave of the outbreak in china. in canada, people have been lining up at marijuana shops and flooding online cannabis retailers to stock up before heading into self—isolation or quarantine. canada legalised the drug in 2018. the government has told people arriving in canada to quarantine for 1a days.

there are now 800 confirmed cases. at nine in the evening on friday australia's travel ban is to keep in. only citizens, permanent residents and families are allowed to enter. it's seven dead from the virus has occurred. well, this is the most wide—ranging travel restriction to date. this blanket ban on all people coming into australia with the exception, as you said, of citizens and of permanent residents, they're allowed to come back but they will have to quarantine for 1a days. prime minister scott morrison said this was done in co—ordination with new zealand, who have now put that total ban in place. new zealand prime minister jacinda ardern said she realised how extraordinary this is, at an unprecedented time. here in australia this is an extension to travel restrictions put

in place this week. earlier in the week, all travellers were required to quarantine for 1a days. that has significantly reduced the number of visits here, about a third as what we see normally at this time of year. australians were told not to travel abroad to any country and for those overseas to come back as soon as possible, and are now in a few hours all travellers will be banned from coming into australia apart from citizens and permanent residents and their families. this, the prime minister says, is to limit the number of people coming in from overseas. he says 80% of the cases in australia, and we have now more than 700 confirmed cases, have either been from people who have contracted the virus overseas or who have been in contact with someone who is contracted the virus overseas, so this blanket travel ban will be in place for the months to come. we don't know for how long and the authorities is that it will not be lifted until health officials have said that it's ok to do so.

stay with us on bbc news, still to come: as london proves to be a hotspot for the coronavirus, we gauge the mood in the capital. today, we have closed the book on apartheid and that chapter. more than 3,000 subway passengers were affected. nausea, bleeding, headaches and a dimming of vision — all of this caused by an apparently organised attack. the trophy itself was on the pedestal in the middle of the cabinet here. now, this was an international trophy, and we understand now that the search for it has

become an international search. above all, this was a triumph for the christian democrats of the west, offering reunification as quickly as possible, and that's what the voters wanted. this is bbc news, the latest headlines: california has ordered all of its a0 million citizens to stay at home to limit the spread of the coronavirus the number of people killed by the coronavirus in italy has reached more than 3a00, exceeding the total who have died in china where the outbreak began. london is proving a hot spot for coronavirus, the number of cases and deaths is rising faster in the british capital than anywhere

else in the uk. mark easton has been gauging the mood among londoners in a much quieter city. the sirens are screaming, stay at home, stay well, protect the nhs. for the most part, london is empty. but not everyone is listening. if i need to go somewhere, i'm going to go somewhere. what about other people, you might infect other people? well, then, they should stay inside. it's hard to change your habits and routines. the instagram generation wants to show the world they were there. and the threat is invisible on deserted streets. just wanted to see how busy it was, and it really is very un—busy indeed. yeah, same. i'm his wife and i'm doing the same, just taking a look at london and then head back before totalisation isolation, which i think is what's coming next, total lockdown. just make the best of the last of the few days of freedom. the plea is not to go out to bars, cafes and restaurants, but some people are clinging on to their normal lives, in an increasingly

abnormal situation. i live on my own, so i've got no family or anything. it's just me there. you can have too much of tv, you can have too much of anything. so, to get over the road and buy a paper and come in here and have a couple of pints. at the regency cafe, the full english will soon be off. the owner is shutting up shop. there's very little reason for being open now, and the risk factor, and people also are frightened, aren't they? absolutely. i live on my own. i need a support system. if the prime minister says i've got to stay indoors, it looks desperate. it's quite frightening. london's big shopping streets have been almost abandoned, but neighbourhood supermarkets, hairdressers and market stalls were doing brisk business today. people can feel that life is about to change. they're searching for supplies, they're getting ready. i'm out to get some vital supplies. i've just filled up my car with petrol.

i live on my own, so i've only got myself to rely upon. just around the corner from the shoppers, a temporary mortuary is being assembled, a blunt reminder of why some want the politicians to order us to close the door on our social life. mark easton, bbc news, london. iran has reported its biggest jump in coronavirus deaths. 1a9 new fatalities have been confirmed in the past 2a hours. the country now has the third highest death toll — nearly 1,300 people infected by the disease have lost their lives. and the size of the outbreak is a concern for neighbouring pakistan and afghanistan — countries with weak healthcare. secunder kermani reports from islamabad. disinfecting the streets in iran. only china and italy have had higher death tolls as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. iran's authorities have asked for us sanctions to be removed to help cope,

but they have been accused of being slow to act and lockdown cities. we have been passed messages from one doctor, working in the country. we are hiding his identity to protect him from repercussions for speaking out. right now most places are in a state of chaos. the official numbers are ridiculous and good for nothing. there are not enough resources to look after infected people or to protect those treating them, like masks or protective clothing. hospitals are only taking in people who are extremely sick and turning anyone else away. iran's biggest shrines have now been closed, though it has resulted in protests like this, and pilgrims visiting the religious sites have already helped spread the virus to surrounding countries. this is a quarantine camp in pakistan, by the iranian border. they've had to process more

than a000 people leaving iran but instead of isolation, conditions here are crowded and unhygienic. translation: here, injust one tent, there are 3—6 people and we are being kept around two weeks. suppose one person has corona, everyone will get it. this is badly organised and totally illogical. more than half of pakistan's coronavirus cases have emerged from this camp. a lack of testing here means they have only been detected when they wre taken to separate centres in their home provinces. officials say the camp is now being improved. concerns are also rising in iran's other neighbour, afghanistan, where tens of thousands of migrants and refugees have been returning in recent days. in countries like pakistan and afghanistan, medical professionals warn

the already weak healthcare system would be overwhelmed by a major outbreak. the number of cases is comparatively low in both countries but so is the number of tests that have been carried out. it seems inevitable the figures will rise. secunder kermani, bbc news, islamabad. in india, four men sentenced to death in 2013 for the gang—rape and murder of a 23—year—old woman, have been executed. the country's president and the supreme court had dismissed theirfinal appeals for clemency. the violent attack on the woman sparked widespread protests across the nation, and put pressure on politicians and judges to enforce new laws against sexual violence. in just the past hour the olympic flame has arrived injapan, amid grave doubts as to whether the 2020 games will be able to go ahead in tokyo. the elaborate torch relay that had been planned has already been cut back drastically because of the coronavirus. up to now the organisers have

insisted that the tokyo olympics will go ahead as planned but as more and more sporting events are cancelled around the world, calls are growing for the event to be delayed or postponed. even if the pandemic peaks soon, athletes are asking how they are supposed to qualify, which must take place in the next two months. now the former governor of tokyo, who led much of the early planning for the games, has told the bbc he is almost certain the games will not take place as scheduled on july 2ath. from tokyo rupert wingfield hayes reports. there may not be much surf for her to show off in today, but for now, every day in the water counts. this woman has her sights set on a middle, in the first ever olympic surfing contest. at least, that was the plan until the virus arrived. translation: right now, i'm afraid. i don't know what is going to happen.

the olympics is a dream for me, but we don't want to have a bad olympics, so maybe it's better to have the olympics when the fear has gone. here injapan, you could be forgiven for thinking that there is no global pandemic. schools are closed but apart from that, life is going on pretty much as normal, and it is the same with the olympic games. the japanese government insist it is full steam ahead for the opening ceremony onjuly the 2ath. there are now some prominent voices saying that is denying reality. in central tokyo, the brand—new olympic stadium is ready. $30 billion has been spent preparing the city. but the former governor of tokyo says the chances of holding the olympics this year are now tiny. cancel or postpone. 90%.

japan looks like it has the coronavirus under control. this was the popular district of tokyo today. there is no sign of social distancing or public panic that has been witnessed across europe. but experts say that does not mean that tokyo 2020 can be held safely. even if you could be successful in controlling the disease injapan, if other nations like europe and africa were really suffering from the infectious disease, nobody could come to japan because the risk of infection, so you have to have control injapan and you have to have control of the infectious disease worldwide. now, is it likely? i doubt. many athletes, both here injapan and around the world are asking for an end to the uncertainty. they all desperately want the olympics to go ahead. if it can't, they need

to be told soon. living in isolation under a strict lockdown is taking its toll on people around the world, but every day we're reminded of the human spirit to carry on. our reporter freya cole takes a look at some of the latest heatwarming moments from paris. music fills the courtyard of this is in neighbourhood, and after a day of being cooped up inside, it's a welcome delight. the neighbours have banded together to perform an evening concert. it has become a popular pastime to boost spirits and pay homage to workers on the frontline. it is

enjoyed by young families, and by the performers who love to entertain. and, at the end of the show, a wave goodbye until tomorrow. as always, there is 20 more information and advice on our website about the coronavirus pandemic, including this on how you can keep up a healthy outdoor exercise routine while making sure you keep a safe distance from other people. you can find that piece and other latest developments on our website or you can download the bbc news app. and you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter, i'm @bbcmikeembley. thank you so much for watching.

hello there. we had a mix of weather across the uk on thursday. but it was northern areas that had the best of the day's sunshine. this is how things worked out in the highlands of scotland. further south again, we had this pesky slow—moving weather front across england and wales, bringing different weather conditions. low cloud, drizzle, mist and in the south of wales, only temperatures of 5 degrees, quite chilly for some of us as well. over the next few hours, that front going nowhere fast. again it's going to be cloudy, some mist and fog patches and drizzle forming quite widely. it's the cloud that keeps temperatures up, 5 or 6 degrees and the showers further north with grey skies, the frost is going to be more extensive, the lowest temperatures in scotland

could get all the way down to —6 or —7 celsius. it will be a cold start the day. for friday, this area of high pressure strengthens, this area of low pressure gets deeper. the result is, the winds are going to strengthen, particularly across england and wales and especially around the headlands of south—west england i think we will see gusts of around a0mph or so, noticeably blowy conditions around the coasts and hills of wales and a chill in the air for east anglia and the midlands. the odd light shower blowing into north—east england, damp and drizzly across parts of the south but the best of the day's sunshine, generally the further north you happen to live. what about the weekend prospects? our area of high pressure is going nowhere fast which means it will stay largely fine but the wind coming from scandinavia doing a lap across northern europe will not be the warm wind we had during the weekend. the wind is chilly as it crosses eastern areas of england, the eastern coast of scotland and it is a day where the cloud will vary quite a bit from place to place. might turn cloudy for a time in northern ireland and we might see patches of

cloud form across the north sea to affect some of these eastern areas of england and scotland as well. temperatures 8—11 degrees, a little on the cool side for the time of year but at least it's a fine, dry weekend coming up for most of us. we have more dry weather to come on sunday. again, the cloud varying from place to place, perhaps thickening for a time across the scottish islands to threaten the odd spot of rain but for most, it's dry, temperatures again in the range of around 8—11 degrees. that's your latest weather.

this is bbc news, the headlines: california has ordered all of its citizens to stay at home to limit the spread of the coronavirus. the governor, gavin newsom, has said he expects more than half of all californians to have been infected with covid—19 by may. the state has a population about a0 million. italy has now surpassed china as the country with the highest number of deaths from the coronavirus. 3,a05 people have now died. for the second day running more than a00 people died in a single day. the nationwide lockdown will be extended beyond the end of next week the olympic flame has landed in japan amid grave doubts as to whether the 2020 games will be able to go ahead in tokyo. the elborate torch relay that had been planned has already been cut back drastically because

of the coronavirus. it's about 3:30am. you're up to date on the headlines. now on bbc news, panorama. tonight on panorama: what's going on with britain's buses? so, i've been at the bus stop for 35 minutes for absolutely nothing. now i'm walking home. thousands of services cut, fares on the rise, a system under pressure. if they carry on like this, nobody will use it. they can't use it, you can't rely on it. it's a waste of time, waste of time. we travel to the communities where buses have disappeared. i feel as though we're being completely ignored, and we don't matter. and we do matter, very much we matter.