this is bbc world news — i'm david eades. our top stories: coronavirus cases in the us surpass the figures of any other country — more than 83,000 now confirmed. the death toll climbs sharply in italy again — 5,000 die in the last seven days — now fears southern italy could face a similar outbreak. as europe continues to be the worst affected region, leaders of the 620 countries promise to inject $5 trillion into the global economy. a stark warning from the un that an outbreak of the coronavirus could devastate camps for displaced people in north—western syria.

hello and welcome to bbc news. there are now more confirmed cases of covid—19 in the united states than in any other country. according to the latest figures from johns hopkins university, the us now hasjust over 83,000 cases, overtaking both china, and italy. it comes as the total number of confirmed cases around the world has now passed half a million. in terms of lives lost, countries in europe continue to be worst affected — the death total in italy is more than 8,200. there was a jump in deaths in spain too. meanwhile, another 115 people have died in the uk after testing positive for the virus, taking the total to 578. there are now approaching 12,000 confirmed cases. let's begin our coverage with the total number of cases in the us. here's our north america

correspondent peter bowes. now, the global epicentre. more positive test for covid—i9 than any other country. in some communities, the number of cases is doubling every three days. more than a quarter are in new york city. whether emergency services say they are overwhelmed by people calling for help. it's worse, they say, that after 9/11. and were not even started yet. so if we're doing 6000 a day, it's going to be 8000 tomorrow. more and more people are going to call stop it isa people are going to call stop it is a sustained, impact like this, we never dealt with. at his latest briefing in the white house covid—19 task force, president trump was generally upbeat. a beautiful day. he responded to the surge of cases. is a tribute to the amount of testing we are doing. we are doing tremendous testing

and i'm sure you're not able to tell what china is testing or not testing. as more more people for sick and with much of the country at a standstill, the virus has had a catastrophic impact on america's workforce. social isolation orders and shuttered as have led to a huge spike in the latest jobless figures. as have led to a huge spike in the latestjobless figures. 3.3 million people laid off because of covid—19. never before in us history has been such a dramatic rise in unemployment. they have to go back to work. 0ur they have to go back to work. our country has to go back. our country is based on the. —— that. and i think it's going to happen pretty quickly. mr trump said robust testing protocols may allow some counties in the country to lift their safeguards against the coronavirus. he said the white house was working on a planet to be revealed next week, although it wouldn't mean an end to social distancing. in the meantime, soldiers are setting up this field hospital

in new york and a thousand bed naval hospital ship is being deployed to manhattan and another ascending to los angeles where local fear they will be a critical shortage of beds in the coming days and weeks. peter bowes, bbc news. in europe restrictions on people's lives continue to be ramped up. in italy — the death toll has climbed sharply again — the number of confirmed cases has now reached more than 80,000 and the death toll stands at 8,165 people. there are fears that southern italy could be facing a similar outbreak to that experienced in the north of the country. mark lowen reports from rome. in today's italy, the essentials are food and solidarity. local associations buy the basics for those in need. dozens are taking part, doing their bit to get the country through this crisis. it's the first time in italy we live something so hard and difficult, so powerful and difficult situation. so this is only way for me to help people —

something very basic. they deliver to the elderly and the isolated, acts of kindness to ease the social and economic emergency. for this virus is grinding italy to a halt, once—buzzing factories forced to close to stop the flow of people. this one, of bathroom fittings, shuts today. the last of the 130 employees are being sent home, the ovens slowly cooling. the lockdown is containing the outbreak, but it is crushing the economy with it. translation: closing the factory has an awful impact. in the current situation, we understand we have to do it, to send the message of hope and to slow the spread of the virus. but we can't shut for too long. the economy can't be stopped. if this continues for months, it will be hard to sustain our business. it is a sacrifice being made for cities like bergamo, the epicentre, where

they blessed the urns of 113 victims, grouping together the fallen. wearing a sash of the italian flag is the mayor, who we reached. with the uk finally emulating the italian lockdown, a warning. translation: britain had an advantage of being two weeks behind italy with the outbreak. they should have used it better. i'm afraid boris johnson lost precious time. there's a risk it could cost many lives. losing those days could turn out to be a serious mistake. the containment measures may have started to work in northern italy, although there is again today an increase in new infections. but concern is now growing in the poorer south, and here in the capital, where cases and deaths are rising. in rome, this hospital has opened a new coronavirus wing, and it is already under pressure. the peak hasn't yet been reached here. with crematoria bursting, the army is clearing coffins away. it's that word again

they're more used to, war. man versus virus, and the latter is still winning. mark lowen, bbc news, rome. it's worth pointing out the european commission has called for unity but leaders across the continent seem to be at odds about how to keep the economy of the eu afloat. free coal reports. two spanish nurses lean on each other before walking into an unprecedented crisis. they are loved ones the front line. translation: you go home with the images of your head of everything you see here and it is very difficult to disconnect. it is impossible. del people tell you in tears to move them to a bit but who do you decide to move? this is a selection like in a war will stop translation: you feel very lonely and then you come home and you are alone. you keep thinking and thinking and it is ha rd thinking and thinking and it is hard to rest. spain now has the

second highest death toll in the world and the numbers keep rising. in france, the situation is also grim. high—speed trains are being used to transport patients from the east of the country, where the east of the country, where the virus is most intense, to the virus is most intense, to the west where there is more space. some patients have even been sent to other countries to seek adequate care. translation: i would like to thank our german, swiss, and luxembourg neighbours that have taken in about 30 serious cases just as we did for our italian neighbours a few weeks ago. european economy aspiring to be very brink of collapse. eu leaders, who met in virtual safety, a re at leaders, who met in virtual safety, are at odds about the way out. there are calls for corona bonds to collectively bounce back from the turmoil but the idea of shared debt has a lwa ys but the idea of shared debt has always been an issue for countries like germany. we have

asked europe to continue and make proposals. we will see them in two weeks and it will give us the possibility, at the level of the european council, to discuss the possible measures and the important signal and benefits to each member states to recognise that this crisis is exceptional. but in two weeks time, it is hard to imagine where the world will be on meeting this coronavirus. it's rapid spread across europe is cause for alarm. for other countries, watching the disaster unfold. there have been stark warnings from doctors, aid workers and the united nations as well that the camps in north—western syria could be devastated by an outbreak of coronavirus. health officials there fear as many as 100,000 might die unless

medical supplies arrive easily. there are no case that this stage. i should warn you that you may find some of the pictures in this piece disturbing. lining up to fight a new battle in syria. this time against an invisible killer, covid—19. civil defence volunteers hoping to save lives with disinfectant. but just imagine trying to prevent the virus taking hold in camps like this. a perfect breeding ground for disease. so the children of syria's longmore, like this woman and her brother, facing a new danger. the mother fears her brother, facing a new danger. the motherfears all displaced families will be an easy target for the coronavirus. translation: from what we've heard about how it spreads, the camps must be affect it. we hope god takes it

away from us. it is overcrowded here and hard to take precautions. you can keep your own tent clean but not the outside. idlib's doctors are overwhelmed as it is. something that we saw this month. they fight for every precious life but only half the healthcare facilities are operational. for so facilities are operational. for so many trapped in idlib, no hope of social distancing. for now, there is a ceasefire in this corner of syria but if the virus strikes, it could be catastrophic. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: applause britain applauds its healthcare staff — to give thanks for their tireless work as they try to save lives.

the two main symptoms of coronavirus to look out for are a continuous dry cough and/or a fever. if you're sneezing a lot, got a runny nose or a headache, you may be ill, but you've probably not got coronavirus. so, how high a fever is a coronavirus one, and what exactly is a continuous dry cough? well, it's when you cough and there's no mucus or phlegm — basically no gooey substance in your tissue. and this is not the odd cough here and there. it has to be coughing regularly for no other reason, such as clearing your throat or smoking. so how high a fever is a coronavirus fever? well, if you have one, you will know about it. technically, it's a body temperature of more than 37.8 degrees celsius, or 100 degrees fahrenheit. but if you've not got a thermometer, basically you will feel hot, and your chest and back would be hot.

this is bbc news, the latest headlines: the us has overtaken china and italy to become the country that has recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases. more than 82,000 people have been confirmed positive. the south african government is trying to get ahead of the spread of covid—19. so far the country has not recorded a single death but nearly a thousand people are infected. a lockdown has just started there and it is quite a lockdown. 0ur correspondent is there having a look at how the nation is preparing to stay at home for the next three three weeks. the beaches of cape town are

already empty. the lifeguards sent home. in johannesburg, already empty. the lifeguards sent home. injohannesburg, the middle classes arguing for supplies ahead of tonight's lockdown. polite, butjittery. it is panicked, just in case. just in case we are asked to stay indoors longer. so, yes, pa rt stay indoors longer. so, yes, part of it is panic i think. panic and a bit of common sense. yes, yes. adding to the stress for some, the news that alcohol sales will be banned for the next three weeks. alcohol sales will be banned for the next three weekslj need to stock up for 20 mondays stop it would be terrible not to have something to serve myself during those days. south africa's astern police minister also had some bad news for pets. there shall be no dogs. and you said she collapsed, she conscious or unconscious. the

medical team are gearing up for a dramatic increase in coronavirus cases. this is a devout nation that has planned well for the pandemic. but still, . .. well for the pandemic. but still,... my biggest worry at the moment is that if the virus is the poorer communities where it is harder to identify patients and harder to contain, that we will then be sitting with a very large problem. and in those poorer communities today, clear signs of trouble. the message about social distancing has not got through to some. what can i do? i need my tattoo to be done. across south africa, millions live in cramped conditions. no running water here and a0 people sharing this toilet. if i have that virus, then i'm using this toilet, i'm going to infect 39 people. this is famously the world's most unequal society.

the virus looks set to expose that cruel fault line, that chasm, between the very rich and the rest in the harshest possible way. and so those who can try to get out of town. this family hoping for a last—minute bus to the countryside... we are leaving. we are evacuating ourselves. ..before an entire nation locks down. tonight, the first signs of what's to come here. the army and police preparing to enforce this lockdown with, they say, prison and fines for those who disobey. andrew harding, bbc news, south africa. 0ne one of the restrictions that the president has pointed out as no walking your dog, i wonder how that would go down in the uk where the lockdown is

well under way? in fact, thousands of people have taken part in a coordinated "clap for carers" tribute in a show of appreciation for nhs staff and frontline workers. it followed another day of big announcements from the government as it tries deal with the blow to the economy caused by the lockdown. charlotte rose reports. he moment of togetherness, because of the virus which has forced apart. last night, thousands of people across the country came out on their doorstep to applaud the efforts of nhs workers on front—line. in towns and cities that, and even palaces, people paid tribute. earlier, chancellor rishi sunak announced a multibillion pound package of support for self—employed workers. musicians and sound engineers. plumbers and

electricians, taxi drivers and driving instructors, headdresses and childminders, and many others, through no fault of their own risk losing their livelihood. to you, i say this. you have not been forgotten. those who earn less than £50,000 a year can apply for a than £50,000 a year can apply fora grant of than £50,000 a year can apply for a grant of up to 80% of the average monthly profits, up to average monthly profits, up to a maximum of £2500. but with pay—outs not coming untiljune and some workers being exempt, many are still worried. they are going to give us money in june? so you are presuming that everybody that is self—employed has enough money to survive until then, and that is not the case. i unfortunately probably won't qualify because my business has only been running for two years. my husband will be able to claim so that means that as a family we will be able to have money from the

government to tide us over. loss to the government's firefighting on the economy, firefighters will be brought into help the nhs. they will help drive ambulances, deliver food and medicine to vulnerable people, and if there are mass casualties from the virus, to transport the dead. the police also have a role to play and forcing social distancing measures. 0fficers forcing social distancing measures. officers can issue £60 on the spot fines if they find that people are out and about four non—essential reasons. fines can be increased for place they want to take the daily exercise. forces are concerned that with some fine weather expected this weekend, people will be tempted to go against the advice to stay—at—home. they hope his new powers will make people think

twice. it's been described as a ‘twin crisis' — covid—19 notjust a global pandemic crippling our health systems — but also bearing down on the global economy. as many businesses around the world are forced to close their doors, a takeaway shop in downtown hanoi is cashing in, creating coronavirus themed burgers. i'm joined now by business owner and chef, tung hoang, in vietnam, to talk us through this quirky business venture. tung hoang, thank you for joining us. i suppose we should start by seeing the burger. what have you come up with? yes, hello. this is the coronaburger, a just make it this morning. what persuaded you to come up with a creation

like that? as you know, from the beginning of the coronavirus process, we faced with a lot of domestic challenges, the economy is down, we are facing with difficulties in our business, and when they go to, especially when a go on facebook, online, only bad news and people are scared and it really makes me sad, so i've want to make something relate to coronavirus, but to bring fun and joy coronavirus, but to bring fun andjoy and coronavirus, but to bring fun and joy and bring some optimistic message, so one day when a watched the movie with my son, you know the movie, monsters inc, and there is a green monster and a came up

with the idea of making the coronaburger. so just to interrupt you, show us the burger again, interrupt you, show us the burgeragain, and give interrupt you, show us the burger again, and give me an idea of the kind of response you have had from your customers? yes, this is coronaburger. just after i've finished making the coronaburger, and a post it on my facebook, and there are about 50 others come right away, and the next day the number is growing. so it is a very good sign especially in this time of the economy. it is interesting, isn't it, that in vietnam, there are relatively few cases and no deaths reported, perhaps people can see the amusing side of that. would you accept it might be a harder sell and perhaps some countries and europe at the moment with so many people are dying from the virus?|j

moment with so many people are dying from the virus? i think that some people can think it isa that some people can think it is a risky marketing, but i think it is merely from our mind soi think it is merely from our mind so i want to make something fun and bring smile to everybody, and may customers, many, they really like it and they have a slogan, that when you are eating the corona burger, if you are scared of it, eat it. but of course we have to be careful with the coronavirus as well. all right, thank you so much for joining all right, thank you so much forjoining us. with millions around the world stuck at home, it's no wonder that those who can are streaming movies for a bit of escapism. and that's raised questions about the future of the cinema business as we know it. from his home in new york, tom brook has been speaking to moviegoers around the globe about how they're getting by.

i spoke to movie—lovers in the us, india, china, germany, japan and denmark and it was no surprise to find out all of them in the midst of this pandemic have been streaming movies sometimes for hours at a stretch. there are no movie theatres, there's nowhere else to experience moving images other than on your computer screen, so i think streaming platforms have become the full—on opportunity for people to watch film and tv now, so it's a historic high. so what films have people been watching in their homes? sergei vasov lives in tokyo. i've definitely been watching several pandemic films. the one that is most watched lately is outbreak with dustin hoffman. isolate him, isolate him! don't worry, it's not airborne. i hear from most of my friends that they do watch those films lately, especially now,

in the last week, because everyone is depressed in general. loudspeaker: your town is being quarantined. movie—goer padima malowe, who lives in arizona, has rather different tastes. i have a few friends watching more of those dystopic movies but i find myself pandemic drawn to more movies that draw a sense of comfort, the feelgood kind, just to comfort myself in these uncertain times. with audiences becoming so accustomed to streaming movies at home during the pandemic, there's concerns once the coronavirus outbreak has subsided, cinemas will remain empty, they mayjust disappear, but some movie—goers take a more optimistic view. yanqui fei is a cinematographer and director who lives in shanghai. one thing we've learned in this whole outbreak is how to treasure the things that you used to have, and then take it to for granted, such as going to the cinema. i believe when the cinema reopens, there's going to be tons of audience waiting to go in and see new movies.

we arejust we are just hearing that the chinese and american presidents have been talking on the phone, no doubt about economic issues among other things. we have all the business perspective coming up, so don't go away. hello there. we saw plenty of sunshine across england and wales and scotland we saw highs reaching around 18 degrees here but as we head through friday again, this weather front will bring more cloud to the of the uk physically centralist and scotland, sponsor is also quite damp here. wrote to the north of the weather front, to the north of scotland and sunshine for northern ireland, but aquatic injuries going into the north—east, and a bit cooler over the last few days. as we head through friday night we will see variable cloud, that weather front and southward, more of a breeze generally so it is not to be quite as cold as it has been the last few nights, but still quite a

chilly starting places for saturday. things are set to turn cold as we had through the weekend, high pressure will be setting to the north—west of the uk, bringing these northerlies right across the uk, you can see the blue colours enveloped the whole country, and the wind arose indicating that the wind will just accentuate that cold especially on sunday. that the picture for saturday, a chilly start, dry for many of us, plenty of sunshine and that cloud will tend to build up through the and we will see a few showers pushing wind across northern and eastern coast, some of them will be wintry of labour, temperatures figures in the north, just about double figures in the south. sunday, a holiday and you could see more cloud around, some glimmers of sunshine here and there and whether wintry showers across northern and eastern coasts. quite a keen wind that will accentuate that cold, and on the wind and it will feel more like freezing in one or two places, so a very distinct chill for. as we move out of

sunday into next week, it stays chilly stopping the blue colours as you can see right across the uk. perhaps something a little less cold moving in for a while, and there are some colder air that could plunge in towards the north of the uk towards the end of the week. this is the picture for monday, similar story to sunday i think, some glimmers of brightness here and there, temperatures may be up toa there, temperatures may be up to a degree or so, ten, maybe 11 celsius but for many particularly across the east with that when, single figure values and a high wind chill. it stays chilly throughout the week, largely dry thanks to high pressure, the sons of something of a colder returning to northern parts of the country.

this is bbc world news — i'm david eades. our top business stories this hour: wall street surges as confidence returns to global markets, on the promise of stimulus measures worth trillions of dollars. plus — the g20 pledges to do whatever it takes to beat the pandemic — as struggling nations line up for aid from the imf. hello and welcome to bbc news. we start on wall street — where a rally in us shares is leading stock markets higher around the world —

on the hope of massive financial stimulus to cushion the blow of the coronavirus pandemic. later today the us house of representatives is expected to clear that $2 trillion bill to provide support to the us economy, after the senate passed it unanimously. all this despite official figures that showed a record number of americans lost their jobs last week. from new york — samira hussain reports. a third straight day of gains for us financial markets. a surprising turn of events given the headlines that a record number of americans filed for unemployment benefits. 3.3 million people lost theirjobs ina single million people lost theirjobs in a single week. but us markets were likely reacting to the $2 trillion stimulus

package. it was approved by the us senate and will make its way to the house of representatives on friday. where it will likely pass. in the bill, there is help for individual americans as well as help for small businesses. much—needed resources for an economy that has literally ground to a halt injusta has literally ground to a halt injust a matter of has literally ground to a halt in just a matter of weeks. the rally in markets though a short lived. united states has now surpassed both italy and china in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases. new york city is the financial capital and it is also the epicentre of the virus. and those figures have been buzzing over the course of the last 12 hours or so. let's talk to mariko 0i now in singapore. five and 6% gains across wall street. what is the response beenin street. what is the response been in asia? were seeing a rally here in asia as well. the japanese nikkei and the hong

kong hang seng index and all the other regional markets really taking their cue from wall street. as samir mentioned, it is a bit astonishing to think that depressing jobless data from the united states is not having that much of an impact on the stock market. investors seem to have decided that they want to focus instead on that $2 trillion stimulus package that has just passed the senate and we are expecting the house to pass it by the end of the week before president trump has to sign it. one reason the japanese nikkei is not rising as much as it could is because that jobless data has as much as it could is because thatjobless data has resulted in the week us dollar against a basket of major currencies, including the japanese yen. and the strength of the japanese yen which is seen as a safe haven currency at a time of crisis like this. that makes the japanese exporters less competitive abroad and that's why we're not seeing as much of a rise as we saw on wall

street. but still, we are seeing arrows. with a double crisis of economic and health. it can't help i suppose when in japan there is a message, essentially saying brace yourselves, we could be in for significantly worse figures on coronavirus shortly. indeed and if you look at the figures from the last couple of days, the daily rise has been gradually rising. it is still nothing compared to what were seeing in italy, spain on the united states. but still yesterday we saw a near 47 cases and the day before was a0. saw a near a7 cases and the day before was a0. we had from, for example, the governor of tokyo asking its residents not to go out this weekend. and you started hearing those japanese politicians using the word lockdown. they are still very careful about that because, firstly, the situation is not that bad just yet. but also because of the detrimental impact that the lockdown has on the economy. so they want to avoid it if possible but i think it's fair to say that

afterjapan think it's fair to say that after japan closed all the schools, they started saying they could open them again and that made people think that the worst was over and people started going out which could have resulted in the spike. thank you very much, marika. the view from asia. let's get some reaction to some of this from the financial world. alex shahidi is the co—founder of aris — advanced research investment solutions in los angeles. he helps advise clients on investments worth around $10 billion. alex, let's start with this. thank you very much forjoining us. let's start with this point, the stimulus measures announced and the agreed by the senate —— agreed by the senate, we re senate —— agreed by the senate, were ultimately known or expected. the unemployment figures in the us were dramatic to say the least and yet the markets went up? that's what markets went up? that's what markets do. sometimes they surprise you. i think all of these figures were already

anticipated and i think part of what is happening is that the markets are reacting to some good news, that they've been hungry to hear. and i think they're finally getting some in terms of the stimulus package denounced. getting any sense of consistency yet, would you say, alex? some people already talking about this that it is able market again? well, the market swings are just enormous. i the market is up almost 20% from its low just three days ago. i wouldn't call ita three days ago. i wouldn't call it a bull market. there is still a lot of bad news that is going to be coming down the line. and you get this response from policymakers so i think this is going to ab and flow for some time. yourjob is to advise investors, big investors, i'm presuming you're not the sort to say knee—jerk today, knee—jerk tomorrow. what is your message to your clients? i think a lot of investors do what you just said

and said, it is time to get in and said, it is time to get in and time to get out. and that is probably not the best use of resources or time stop our advice, even before this has been to maintain a very well—balanced portfolio, be very diversified, but i think is different to what most investors do. most of them are equity centric, have a lot of stocks or goat up and down with stocks. i think those investors are suffering today. we tend to be more balanced. we own assets like gold, treasuries, and imagery the good times, recognising that unexpected hits will occur like we've seen recently. gold is a good example, is going to stand the test of the toughest crisis. the reality would also seem to be that in united states, in particular, the unemployment rate and the figures that are going to emerge are going to be the like of we have not seen. that is going to put a lasting pause on economic hopes and prospects for even the

heartiest prospects for even the hea rtiest investor. prospects for even the heartiest investor. i com pletely heartiest investor. i completely agree. i think there isa completely agree. i think there is a focus right now on short—term economic impact but thatis short—term economic impact but that is going to pass as is virus place for it. the longer term impact i think is equally, if not more important. i think the big concern for us is that the big concern for us is that the federal reserve and, on the physical side, there is limited ability to provide additional stimulus if needed stop interest rate is at zero. they almost want —— already promised to print as much as necessary. another physical side, where it had $1 trillion depth before this happened. now going to add another trillion dollars in the blood. if this economic malaise continues for an extended period, it's going to be difficult policymakers to continue to inject the needed stimulus. every response seems to prop another question. thank you very much, alex, joining us from los angeles. leaders of the world's top 20 economies have pledged to do whatever it takes to overcome the coronavirus pandemic. they've promised to inject a combined $5 trillion

into the world economy via government spending. the pledges came as the g20 met for an emergency virtual summit — held via videoconference because of the virus. it was joined by officials from the world health organization, the un and the international monetary fund. the imf is asking for its lending firepower to be doubled — as it revealed around 80 countries have come to it for help with the economic fallout. pernille henneberg is vice president and global economist at citi here in london. thank you forjoining us. i just wonder whether you get a sense that the g20 commitment, the imf appeal to double its lending power, they enough? so we have looked at how much is needed for the global economy

given this huge shock that is hip to heading. in the shocks are cumulative. a starting point is that you have a consumer being hit by the lockdown, no—one travels, either domestically or internationally. so that is the first way the economy is set. 0n first way the economy is set. on top of that, you have market uncertainty and general uncertainty and general uncertainty in the economy in investment. a lot of support is needed and everything that can come is kind of what is needed in the economy at the moment. many of these established g20 members and certainly individual governments are making their moves to try and shore things up a bit but there isa shore things up a bit but there is a reality here as well, isn't there? the imf saying that 80 countries coming, not quite with a begging bowl, but saying they need help. and some of these countries on the continent of africa have hardly even seen the start of what might be to come. yes, so we are seeing, and europe has been at the centre recently and is moving on to the us but

policymakers are reacting. first we have had monetary policy doing quite a lot. this hasn't been sufficient in itself to come the financial markets. so that is adding to the idea of uncertainty and having real economic implications. with fiscal policy coming in, it seems that some of this panic and stimulus is failing to some extent. the support is important and it's important becomes early because the longer the weight the more you have a do. it needs to be big and timely measures from policymakers are so important. we have from the last few minutes that president trump and the chinese president have been speaking on the phone and trumps that they are working closely together. we don't know what that means that this stage but interestingly, from the eu leaders videoconference, it would appear steel that they are not necessarily working that closely together and i think, he had a .2. how worried should we be about that? so one

thing we have seen is that germany is reporting that some european —— supporting european countries with less space can use fiscal space despite the limited physical space and that is an important step from the germans. they have been proactive, have not allow this recently but are taking these messages. european economy is hard—hit. we have had some survey figures coming out and what we saw was that the expectations in germany is at an all—time low. in the uk and in europe, broadly, a very negative. it's hard to imagine, well, we know is not going to happen. the germans don't want a sharing nation with other members of the eu, particularly ones south. as i said, there is a chance to some extent with the germans of opening themselves up. suggesting that it could, with morph active fiscal easing. when the lockdown that measures are

finished. now, consumers do not go out and not spending their money, it can be challenging in some ways. as i said before, it is important to move fiscally early to remove the uncertainty in financial market uncertainty which is having economic applications. there would still be some negative impacts from the reduction in consumer spending but this accumulation of shock needs to be removed in orderfor the virus not of shock needs to be removed in order for the virus not to have a lasting damaging impact. you mentioned the economy taking 88 and this means it could be more longer lasting comedy crisis because you want to see the same because you want to see the sa m e recovery because you want to see the same recovery when the coronavirus crisis is behind us. if people have become... thank you very much indeed. let's get some of the day's other news: the us is considering new measures to restrict the global supply of chips to chinese tech giant huawei. under proposed rule changes — foreign companies that use us chip—making equipment would have to apply for a us license to supply huawei.

most global chip makers use us equipment oil prices have continued to fall after the head of the international energy agency warned demand could slump 20% because of the coronavirus pandemic. brent crude fell almost a% to just over $26 a barrel — it's lost around 60% of its value this year. the european union has agreed to suspend its rule requiring airlines to use 80% of their airport slots or lose them next year. the last time the airport slots rule was suspended was during the financial crisis in 2009. in the us, airlines are preparing to apply for $25 billion in grants to keep paying their staff — once the financial rescue clears congress. to india now — where the government has announced its own stimulus package to deal with the economic fallout of the coronavirus. in the last hour india's

central bank has cut the cost of borrowing by three quarters of a percent - to a.a%. but concerns about the wellbeing of millions of indians in the informal economy have only intensified — as the country observes a 21 day lockdown. 0ur india business correspondent nikhil inamdar sent this from mumbai. the government of india announced a $23 billion stimulus package yesterday stop these were largely relief measures that were directed at the poor. the plan included direct cash transfers and expanded security measures, as well as medical insurance cover for frontline staff dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. but, at want % of gdp, the packages far smaller than those announced by countries like the us, canada and singapore, which are spending between five to 10% of gdp to tide them over during the crisis. most economists said that they expect more to come.

we can only hope that today's announcement is the first in a series of stagette announcements, very series of stagette announcements, very modest by any standard and by itself surely will not be enough. meanwhile, is a 20 window lockdown continues here in india the anxieties of the low growing stopping millions of truck drivers for instance are stranded across various highways and towns in india unable to get home and several migrant workers are also flocking shelters as well as pavements. i want to go home, but eight and stuck here because of the 20 window lockdown. food, water, access to toilets as a challenge. i have been living in this truck. india evidently is going to have to do much more in order to extend help to this vulnerable section of the society but also its industry which has been reeling under pressure. but with the fiscal position and a $100 million

loss as a result of this 21 day lockout, the government will be counting every penny before it spends it. just remind you of the latest headlines: the us has overtaken china and italy to become the country that has recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases. more than 82,000 people have been confirmed positive. the death toll climbs sharply in italy again — 5,000 die in the last seven days — now fears southern italy could face a similar outbreak. in italy the number of coronavirus cases and deaths has risen again, and people now worry the virus is spreading more quickly to the south of the country. 0ne region has announced it will extend the lockdown to april 1a, and many others are expected to follow. most italians have already spent more than two weeks at home. jean mackenzie reports from rome. hi alan. how are you? no doubt,

for italians this lockdown is serious. in 18 days since it this family haven't let their flat once. the only allen has been out to get the food. . why have you chosen to be so strict about this? because we think it is the only way to overcome this situation. we see the number of people infected and the number of death increasing day by day. with hundreds more deaths announced here every night, this pandemic is still taking lives at alarming speed, and so the rules are getting tougher. we are invited to meet the commander of the local police. how often are you

finding people breaking the lockdown? were on edge of the city had a lesser stopping people from being able to travel any further stopping all the people have been an lockdown for three weeks now the restrictions just keep getting tighter and tighter so anyone caught leaving without a valid reason can be fined up to 3000 euros. and anyone found with the virus outside their homes and not in quarantine can be sent to prison for up to five years. anything to stop the virus spreading. the fee is the epicentre could be shifting from the north to down here and into the south.

how much longer do you think you can do this for? i don't know. a couple of weeks? and yes, we are spending much more time together as a family than before, and i think that is one of the positives. it's one of the only positive things to come out of this situation. the lockdown will almost certainly be extended. for how long? no—one knows. so life and this new dimension continue indefinitely. and mentioned a moment ago that donald trump and xijinping has beenin donald trump and xijinping has been in discussion on the phone. want to bring you some lines that have come up with that. chinese state media says xijinping has told mrfrom china hope the us will take practical and effective measures to safeguard the lives

and health of chinese nationals in the us and he also said that china— us relations are at an important juncture right now, and saying that cooperation is the only correct choice, and donald trump has also been talking about it, he has put out a tweet saying, i'd just finished a very good conversation with president xi, talking about the coronavirus thatis talking about the coronavirus that is ravaging large parts of our planet. china has been through much and has developed a strong understanding of the virus. we are working closely together, much respect, so these are the lines coming out ofa these are the lines coming out of a telephone conversation between xijinping of a telephone conversation between xi jinping and donald trump. the coronovirus causes the illness known as covid—19 — and scientists say for most people who get it, the effects are mild. it's a new virus — so how much do we actually about it now — why it affects some far more severely than others.

and if you get it — do you become immune? 0ur science editor david shukman investigates. in the race to understand this new virus, we've learned a great deal from a massive international research effort. but some critically important questions still need to be answered. the first of these is a real mystery, but something that's vital to get a handle on. we know that people with symptoms can pass on the virus, but what about people without symptoms? the question is, who really is spreading the virus right now? this is crucialfor working out the future of the outbreak. many adults may not even realise they are carrying the virus. and children often don't show many symptoms at all, but may have a role in passing it on. the scientists are struggling to work this out. most individuals who are infected with novel coronavirus will have very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, and yet their potential to spread the virus is real. we have to get an understanding ofjust how much virus these people are transmitting,

particularly if we're going to get a lid on this outbreak. next, there's something that's far from understood. can you become immune? in other words, if you catch the virus, can you get it ain? it is well known that the virus has the ability to invade different kinds of cells, and early studies have shown that antibodies can respond. but does that create immunity, and how long would that last? no one is sure. we know from other human coronaviruses that immunity can be fairly short—lived. that is why they re—infect us. but hopefully, it will last at least months if not several years, but these are important things to address. then there's a question that has been puzzling many experts — why does it seem that more men than women have been dying of the virus so far? a major study in china found that for infected men the death rate was 2.8%, while for women, it was 1.7%. and in italy, of everyone

who has died of covid—19, about 70% were male, based on recent figures. one theory is that smoking is a key factor. a big proportion of chinese men are smokers. another explanation is that women have more effective immune systems than men, but the research has only just started. so amid all the pressures of trying to cope with the virus, there's a rush to work out the full scale of its impact. david shukman, bbc news. if you go to the bbc website we have some other stories to look at, for example, this one is uk specific, it's about ken i get tested to see if i have covid—19, but also more generally, what it does to the body, when can either go out and what other symptoms? it is all on the website. you are watching bbc news.

hello there. temperatures on thursday reached highs around 18 degrees across the far north—west of england, thanks to plenty of sunshine. southern scotland didn't do too badly as well with the sunshine, but generally speaking friday is going to be a similar picture to thursday. this weather front bringing more cloud across northern parts of the country, so could be quite grey and drizzly through the day across central and eastern scotland. to the north of the weather front, northern scotland should see some sunshine and sunshine appearing at times across northern ireland, but by far most of the sunshine will be across england and wales once again after that cold and frosty start. now, we'll have more of a breeze blowing in from the north—east for many of us, particularly across southern and eastern areas, so it will feel a bit cooler generally, certainly more than it has done over the last few days. as we head through friday night, looks like that cloud across northern areas begins to drift southwards into parts of wales, northern england and the midlands. because there will be more of a breeze generally, then it's not going to be quite as cold as what it has been the last few nights. so, for the weekend, things are set to turn colder in fact.

high pressure will be dominating the scene, sitting to the north—west of the uk, but it will be bringing down these very cold winds from the north. you can see the blue colours enveloping the whole of the uk, and the wind arrows indicating these winds will be quite a feature as well, just accentuating the cold, particularly on sunday. saturday starts off chilly. there will be quite a bit of sunshine around but the cloud temperatures to build across northern and eastern areas and that strong north, north—east wind will push in a future into north—eastern scotland, eastern england. these will be of a wintry flavour. single—figure values in the north, just about double figures in the south. sunday could be a bit of a cloudier day i think generally. they'll be glimmers of brightness here and there. again, if you wintry showers in the north and east. and a keen wind, especially in the east and the south—east. these temperatures sticking in single figures for most. factor in the wind, it will feel almost like freezing in one or two places, so a noticeable chill factor, particularly on sunday. as we head on into next week, it does look like high pressure

sits again towards the north—west of the uk, bringing in further chilly air. but i think it will be a little less cold for the start of the week than what we have over the weekend. so, this is monday's picture. again, quite a bit of cloud around. a few glimmers of brightness here and there. one or two showers affecting the far north, but most places dry once again. those temperatures maybe up a degree or so — highs of ten or 11 degrees. it stays pretty chilly throughout the week. there are signs of some colder air returning to northern parts of the uk, again with the risk of wintry showers across some exposed coasts.

good morning. welcome to breakfast, with charlie stayt and naga munchetty. 0ur headlines today: applause the nation comes together in an emotional thank you to nhs and care workers battling coronavirus. and this is an absolute nightmare, so it's time that we're alljust having to stand together, shoulder—to—shoulder, and show our appreciation. the chancellor's multibillion—pound bailout for self employed workers, but many won't receive payments for months. the united states passes china and italy to record the highest number of coronavirus cases anywhere in the world. if you're moving house, don't.