welcome to bbc news. my name's mike embley. our top stories: california under lockdown — america's largest state orders its a0 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. india executes four men for a notorious gang rape and murder on a bus in delhi eight years ago that sparked widespread horror and protest. as japan comes under increasing pressure to postpone the olympics the flame arrives from greece.

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 a0 million. north american correspondent david willis told us what a momentous decision this is. this is not to be the first order of its kind in the united states, effecting an entire state, and the most populous state in the union — california 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. now, 19 people have died in this state, and 958 have been tested for the disease, and california widely thought to be one of the centres of the coronavirus outbreak here in the us. the governor's particular worry here seems to be the potential for the hospitalisation rate to simply overwhelm even california's health resources. absolutely. and he said at that news conference a short while ago that california could be short to the tune of 20,000 hospital beds. he's asking for a us hospital ship to be deployed to the port of los angeles to help with that expected deficit, and he's also calling for $1 billion in funding

from congress to aid the situation here. 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. 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 virus, 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 three months to turn the tide. 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. foreigners won't be allowed into the philippines from midnight on sunday. the enhanced community quarantine of luzon island began on tuesday. the government says all foreign visitors will be allowed to leave the country. 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 ia days. there are now 800

confirmed cases. 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 attack provoked large protests across the country and put pressure on politicians and judges to enforce new laws against sexual violence. rajini vaidya nathan is in delhi. rajini, is in delhi. i think this is the first rajini, i think this is the first executions in india in something like five years. terrible, terrible case and it seems to have brought some change at least? well, minutes after the men were executed, the mother of the vic him told reporters she held the photo of her daughter and hugged it and told her, "we finally got justice". as you say, this case

dates back to 2012, december, where the student, who was 23 yea rs where the student, who was 23 years old, was travelling on a bus on her way home from the cinema when she was brutally gang rape and murdered and this case sparked international outrage, it falls to this country to question and look at its attitude towards women —— its attitude towards women —— it forced. it did change some laws, fast track courts were set up, but in reality there are still caught cases like this happening regularly in india. in this particular case, six men were accused, one of them died injail, believed to have taken his own life. another, a juvenile, was released after serving some time and these four men were... the four remaining accused convicted in 2013 were executed in the early hours of this morning having exhausted all appeal processes, including a last—ditch appeal in the early hours of this morning. now,

some people were celebrating outside the jail in delhi but the wider question, as i said, was the conversation around attitudes towards women and justice for women, has that moved on since the case since 2012? rajini, thank you for that. 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 world 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 3,a00, exceeding the total who have died in china where the outbreak began.

at 9pm on friday, australia's strictest ever travel ban is set to kick in. it will ban the entry of all non residents, only allowing citizens, permanent residents and their families to enter. the country has now recorded its seventh death from the virus. i got the latest from our correspondent shaimaa khalil. well, this is the most wide—ranging travel restriction, mike, 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.

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. 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. the olympic flame has arrived injapan, amid grave doubts as to weather 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(tx next —— 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. 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? 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. chairs area chairs are a bit and on the ground, we have to take and where we can at the moment. this video from india is reminding us of the importance of washing our hands properly. and the government governor of california has issued a

statewide order to direct people to stay at home to stop the spread of coronavirus. they said it was time to make up decisions. he said the state's medical response to the virus would try to stop it affecting half of all californians by me. it has a population of a0 million. us government warned against all international travel. or be prepared to stay overseas for an indefinite period. just a reminder, there is more is always, any time on the bbc website for you on the coronavirus and all national and international news. this article on how you can keep up a healthy outdoor excercise routine while making sure you are keeping a safe distance from other people. you can find that piece, as well as our live blog with all the latest coronavirus developments at bbc.com/news or the bbc news app.

hello there, we had some pretty big contrasts weatherwise across the uk on thursday. it was the north of the country that had the best of the sunshine. this is how things look in the highlands of scotland, and across england and wales we had this weather front that has been with us for a number of days, bringing grey and gloomy weather. the mist and drizzle around here in hampshire and across the south wales sunny bridge, temperatures only got to five celsius, pretty chilly. over the next few hours, that weather front stays with us so expect to stay dull, damp, some mist and hillfog patches around through the night but it is the cloud that stops that temperature from falling too far, so those around five or six celsius across the southern areas of england. further northwards, with clear

skies and light winds, it is a cold night, the frost more widespread. the lowest temperatures in scotland —6 or —7 celsius. friday and this area of high pressure is going to strengthen, this area of low pressure is going to deepen. the winds are going to blow more strongly across england and wales, a cold wind for many of us developing, but particularly so across the headlands of south—west england, with gusts of a0 miles an hour. brisk winds for the coast and hills of wales, a noticeable chill in the air for the midlands. there could be an odd shower working into northeast england just for a time. not many of these, for most of the northern half of the uk, looking at great weather with plenty of sunshine. the weekend, our area of high pressure is still influencing our weather. notice we have some fairly tightly packed isoba rs so it is going to be quite a windy start to the weekend on saturday, noticeably so across eastern areas of england and eastern areas of scotland, around the coast feeling quite chilly. looking quite cloudy through the day in northern ireland, but there may also be some areas of cloud coming in off

the north sea to affect parts of eastern england and eastern scotland from time to time. these temperatures are nothing to write home about, highs of 8—11 celsius, a little bit cool for the time of year. similar weather conditions on sunday, there will be a lot of dry weather and some sunshine to go around, but again, the cloud received from place place will vary. and it could be that we see some thick cloud edging into the northern and western isles, maybe even thick enough to bring a spot of rain. for most, it is another dry day, so a dry weekend for most of us to look forward to. beyond that, the high—pressure still in the weather, maybe some thicker cloud for northern ireland and scotland threatening some light rain. and that's your 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 of about forty 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 injapan, 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 a:30am. you're up—to—date on the headlines. now on bbc news, hardtalk.