this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. i'm mike embley. president trump halts us funding to the world health organisation — over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. the reality is that the who failed to adequately obtain, bed, and share information in a timely and transparent fashion. polling is under way in south korea's parliamentary election — the result is expected to be influenced by the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis.

hello to you. let's start with some breaking news. within the past hour, president trump has announced a suspension of funding of the world health organisation. mr trump alleged that the who had failed to show accountability in its response to the coronavirus outbreak. he went on to accuse the un health agency of having failed, earlier this year, to investigate reports from the chinese city of wuhan that conflicted with official accounts about the virus emerging there. this is what he had to say. today i'm instructing my administration to halt funding of the world health organization, while a review is conducted to assess the world health organization's role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus. one of the most dangerous and costly decisions from the who was its disastrous decision to oppose travel

restrictions from china and other nations. they were very much opposed to what we did. fortu nately, much opposed to what we did. fortunately, i was not convinced and suspended travel from china, saving untold numbers of lives. thousands and thousands of people would have died. had other nations likewise suspended travel from china, countless more lives would have been saved. instead, look at the rest of the world, look at the rest of the world, look at the rest of the world, look at parts of europe, other nations and regions who followed who guidelines and kept their borders open to china, accelerated the pandemic all around the world. president trump, of course, from the white house. our north america correspondent peter bowesjoins me now from los angeles. the president ‘s critics will see is trying to deflect the criticism by attacking somebody else, another body. that is the main criticism, that president

trump is trying to deflect criticism and, especially, criticism and, especially, criticism based on what he did oi’ criticism based on what he did or didn't do criticism based on what he did ordidn‘t do in criticism based on what he did or didn't do in the month of february. this is after he imposed a ban, effectively on travel from china to the united states, which she has, on many occasions, hailed as a major decision in terms of slowing down the spread of coronavirus in this country. and it seems he was particularly her, particularly annoyed by criticism, who criticism of that travel ban at the time. but in terms of withholding funds, $400 million — $500 million, this is a major blow to the who. the us is the major contributor to that organisation. it isn't a final decision. it is pending a final review. but it does calculate some of the complaints we have heard from donald trump going back several weeks now. heard from donald trump going back several weeks nowlj heard from donald trump going back several weeks now. i was looking at the timeline. it is absolutely true. when he bad

flights from china in late january that was before there we re january that was before there were any confirmed virus related deaths in the us. but i think morley —— nearly 400,000 people travel to the us from china before that date and many thousands more after that. and as was put to him in a very strange press as was put to him in a very strange press conference as was put to him in a very strange press conference at the white house this week, he bought some time, but he didn't use it to wrap up testing. yes, exactly. there was clearly a very early warning and perhaps he heeded that warning by imposing that travel ban at the end of february. but the main complaint is that nothing seemed to happen during the month of february in terms of preparing this country, preparing this country, preparing hospitals, providing ventilators, facemasks, medical protective clothing for doctors and nurses stop that is the main criticism where people say that president trump dropped the ball, if you like, that he didn't do enough in the month of february is criticism levelled at the who is that they didn't read the signs

coming out of china in the weeks before then. they didn't see what was happening on the ground. they took china's word for what was happening and didn't spread the warning, didn't spread the warning, didn't alert people to the potential of this virus soon enough. peter, thank you very much for that. here in britain, the latest official evidence of the human cost of coronavirus shows a very sharp rise in the number this of deaths per week throughout england and wales. it amounts to 6,000 more than would be expected at this time of year. the figures relate to the week leading up to the third april — since when the numbers have risen again. there's particular concern about the situation in care homes and in the community at large, as our health editor hugh pym reports. my mum, she was my best friend, she was kind, funny... candice remembers her mother, ann, who died with covid—i9. she last saw her when she was in an ambulance on the way to hospital where she died 11 days ago. i'm never going to see my mum again and i'd rather not see the outside again.

my mum was only 58 and it just wasn't her time. this is the worst pain in the world. i think it's just not worth it, it's just not — going outside and meeting up with your friends. a tragic loss and there are many others suffered by families every day, and now new statistics reveal there are more than we thought. until very recently, all the focus on coronavirus deaths has been on those in hospitals — that's where the daily data comes from. but the latest set of stats shines some light on the spread of the virus in local communities and deaths there which might be directly or indirectly linked to covid—i9. weekly deaths in england and wales were at the highest since records began in 2005, according to the office for national statistics. in the week ending april 3rd, there were more than 16,300 deaths, that's around 6000 more than the average for this time of year.

coronavirus cases contributed much of thejump, linked to nearly 3500. but it's not clear what's behind the rest, possibly some could be caused by people not seeking treatment for other conditions. it is possible that there are further deaths that relate to coronavirus that haven't been recorded as that. it is possible there are further deaths that relate to other conditions for which people perhaps have not accessed help in the way that they might have done in the past. the head of nhs england, after a big drop in a&e visits last month, has urged patients not to stay away from if you're a parent and you're worried about your child, if you're concerned about maybe having a heart attack or a stroke, any other essential need, please come forward, access the nhs — our staff are here to look after you. sir simon, who revealed he himself had had coronavirus and self—isolated forjust over a week, was meeting student nurses and doctors who volunteered for front line work.

is it a bit daunting when you think about it? yes, it is daunting. obviously i have family and friends that i care about. and my health too, as well. but... ..it‘s an important time for everyone, to be part of it. boosting testing of patients and nhs staff wanting to return to work is an urgent priority and the government set an ambitious target of 100,000 a day by the end of this month — up from about 15,000 now. and the big pharmaceutical companies say they can help. we'll be fully operational at the end of the month, the beginning of may, and by then, i think that lab's going to be contributing around 30,000 of the target. we're delighted to participate,

we've got many of our scientists who are very engaged in that and keen to support that aspect of solutions. but supplies of personal protective equipment are still tight and there has been an urgent appeal to businesses to produce whatever they can for front line staff, to help save lives for the carers, as well as the patients they look after. hugh pym, bbc news. the coronavirus pandemic is disrupting political calendars around the world, but in south korea they are pressing ahead with parliamentary elections, despite the risk of infection. polling stations opened a few hours ago and voting is under way. it has involved a lot of preparation to get polling stations ready, but the government is trying to reassure its 44 million eligible voters that it's safe to leave their homes. from seoul, laura bicker reports. this is an election like no other. voters must wear masks, stand at least one metre apart. the temperature is taken, they disinfect their hands, and wear plastic gloves. these two days of early voting have seen a

record turnout, despite the ongoing pandemic people are still coming here in the thousands to cast their vote. they are going into these little birds here with their plastic gloves, they mark their ballot, and put it in the box. translation: i thought maybe the election should be postponed because people wouldn't turn up. but now i am here at ac 70 others i'm not worried. translation: i don't think we should be worried. this is about our right to vote. patients with coronavirus are also able to vote. special polling booths have been set up outside treatment centres. this woman told us she was thankful for the opportunity. campaigning during a pandemic requires some thought. gone are the mass rallies, replaced by

mostly masked encounters. candidates whose main concern was once a slowing economy and stalled peace talks with north korea have now had to show they are doing their bit to fight covid—19. south korea controlled the spiralling number of cases quickly and effectively, aggressively tracing and testing affected patients. the widely praised response has given president moon's party a boost. the opposition, however, credit the thousands of health professionals on the front lines. there are fears that holding an election could trigger a second wave of infections. but, for now, south korea is determined to prove what is possible during this pandemic. laura bicker, bbc news, song. we will keep an eye on the live shot.

let's get more on this with andray abrahamian, from the george mason university in korea. a lot of countries around the world will be looking at this and how it is run in these kind of circumstances. as your correspondent explained, a number of measures have been taken to make sure people are safe as they poll. they also instituted some male in voting for people who are affected, thatis for people who are affected, that is not usually a part of the electoral system here. and then you have seen the electorate respond by turning out very early in large numbers over the weekend. and polling data suggests that this could be one of the largest turnouts for a mid—term election in korean history, possibly over 60%. and what do you read from that? well, korea is a relatively young democracy and a democracy that was hard—won. i think people still

appreciated here so voter turnout is generally quite high, certainly compared to western democracies. also i think there is a chance for north korea as a brand, in terms of nation branding, to demonstrate that a democratic system demonstrate that a democratic syste m ca n demonstrate that a democratic system can function during a crisis like this. and that's something that i think the average person will be quite proud to participate in as well. i am sure you meant south korea there. how important is the president? it is kind of a mid—term verdict on him but it will also be a verdict on how he has handled the pandemic. yeah, andi he has handled the pandemic. yeah, and i think we coronavirus pandemic will have been very good for the prime minister. in the last couple of weeks he came under quite a bit of pressure for not having instituted a travel ban or travel restrictions on china, but as careers have seen the rest of the world struggle to come to grips with this virus, i think ‘s response and the response of the south korean government and the bureaucracy is in charge looks very good.

so it has help you. his polling numbers have gone up the last several weeks on the low 40s into the mid—50s, which is very good at this stage of a presidency in south korea. so when would you expect to see reliable results and, of course, the crucial question, when you think there is also likely to be because yellow the results usually come out same day, so late in the day here. so perhaps late afternoon uk time. and polling data suggests that the present‘s ruling party will probably pick up a few seats —— president's it is difficult to know. there is a new proportional representation system so desire to know how it will shake out. the opposition has basically been in disarray since 2016 and they haven't really consolidated for this election cycle either. andray abrahamian from george mason university, thank you so much. thank you. the international monetary fund has warned

that the coronavirus pandemic has left the world facing the worst recession since the great depression nearly a century ago. it said the pandemic represented a crisis like no other, much worse than the financial crash a decade ago. here's the imf‘s chief economist. under the assumption that the pandemic and required containment peaks in the second quarter in most countries in the world and then received in the world and then received in the second half of this year, we are projecting global growth in 2020 two fall to —3%. this makes the great lot down the worst recession since the great depression and file was than the global financial crisis. assuming the pandemic phase in the second half of 2020 and that policy actions taken around the world are effective in preventing widespread

bankruptcy, extended job losses and financial strain, we project global growth in 2021 to rebound to 5.8%. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: bringing a little music and light into these uncertain times — we'll hear from the grammy award winner, mary chapin carpenter. pol pot, one of the century's greatest mass murderers, is reported to have died of natural causes. he and the khmer rouge movement

he led were responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million cambodians. there have been violent protests in indonesia, where playboy has gone on sale for the first time. traditionalist muslim leaders have expressed disgust. the magazine's offices have been attacked, and its editorial staff have gone into hiding. it was clear that paula's only contest was with the clock, and as for her sporting legacy, paula radcliffe's competitors will be chasing her new world—best time for years to come. quite quietly, but quicker and quicker, she seemed just to slide away under the surface and disappear. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: president trump halts us funding to the world health organisation over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. polling is under way in south korea's parliamentary election. the result is expected to be influenced by the government's handling

of the coronavirus crisis. a 99—year—old army veteran has now raised more than 3.5 million for the nhs, after pledging to walk a hundred lengths of his garden before his 100th birthday at the end of this month. captain tom moore, from bedfordshire, said the nhs deserved every penny, as david silito reports. this is almost like fairyland. to think that we started off with 1000, to this sum of money. it is unbelievable, isn't it ‘s captain tom moore, a world war ii veteran who wanted to do his bit to support britain's doctors and nurses, and given he'd received a new hip from the nhs his family challenged him to a sponsored walk, 100 laps of the garden. this is lap number 70. the original plan was for £1 is a lap

then e1000, and then, it has gone past a million. it is now up to the british public. you could not have expected this? no, never. never imagined anything like this. but i am so pleased. and i hope that it goes on, because the service that i got from all of these doctors and nurses was absolutely outstanding, and they are such nice people, also. well, captain moore, tom, you are an inspiration to us all. thank you very much for saying so. whilst he is due to reach his 100th lap target later this week, there are no plans to stop. if people keep on giving, captain tom is going to keep on walking. mary chapin carpenter is an american singer who's been trying to bring

a little music and light into these uncertain times, while everyone is stuck at home. she's launched a series of songs on facebook, called songs from home, which have attracted around 60,000 likes and over two million views. mary chapin carpenter, it is an incredible treat to have you here life from your kitchen. with my cat and my dog. a lot of people have picked up on your facebook. ijust of people have picked up on your facebook. i just started doing them to bring a little light and hopefully a smile to folks out there and i had no idea that my animals would pitch in like they did so it has been a realjoy. it is a joy, has been a realjoy. it is a joy, really, to take people away from some of the horrors of the news. this is a

different vibe for you, obviously, from a live gig or a recording studio. how does it feel? it is really great. it is a first time the bbc has come into my house so i am really excited. i do not have to dress up excited. i do not have to dress up or anything that it feels pretty great to just play a guitarand making it simple. much more light streaming since the crisis happened. do you read some of the post? loads of stuff coming from your fans. when i first started doing it, i tried to read all of the comments and posts and i was able to do so and then it sort of exploded and i have not been able to keep up and i say that with humility. it is a great problem to have. i have been overwhelmed and overjoyed by people's desired to be connected and that is really what it is about. music is

connection, comfort and strength. exactly, it is all of these things. will you play for us? it is called transcendental reunion and i wrote it about taking a trip and flying over to the uk, as i do quite a bit because i like to come there and play and ricotta. it is about feeling a little lost at the beginning of thejourney. -- play the beginning of thejourney. —— play and record. but when you get that you realise you are with your tribe and it is a sort of like we are feeling. are with your tribe and it is a sort of like we are feelinglj do sort of like we are feeling.” do not want to be the guy to cut you off before the end, we would be very happy if you took us would be very happy if you took us to the end of the bulletin. thank you so much. thank you. # 20,000 feet up, saw the lights below me. twinkling just like

christmas. the curve of the world pans and the breath lying above the mighty ocean. got the carry on baggage, taken place in the long line, where does eve ryo ne in the long line, where does everyone come from. as we wait for inspection, don't be holding that at the end of redemption. i take up my

position, at the mouth of the canyon, saying prayers of contrition. please deliver my sickness, from my mischief and peril, and the side of it circling, it's a prayer to the faithful. forgive me by staring for my unconcealed and be, in the place where the great river empties. all the people it carries... # # there is no—one

to meet me yet i am almost surrounded by the tears and the cries, by the joy unbounded, the friends and relations leaving home for hemispheres, transcendental beginners, we are travellers travelling, we're gypsies together, we are business or pleasure. we are just finding our way to the next destination and from night

into day. #. another fine and a chilly day on tuesday. more cloud picked up on tuesday. more cloud picked up by on tuesday. more cloud picked up by the setting sun. some of the high cloud pushing southwards which means it could bea southwards which means it could be a nice sunrise across some eastern areas as we start off wednesday morning. other than that a chilly start to the day. apart from the high cloud, the sky staying clear. temperatures dipping just below freezing end of the countryside with patches of the countryside with patches of frost up and down the country. an area of high pressure fell into the area. as we get into wednesday, it meant

there would be more fun and dry weather for the vast majority. a little bit more in the way of high cloud in the sky. figure cloud working in across the northern and western isles. some cloudy weather sipping its way southwards across western scotland. otherwise a warmer day. temperatures reaching a high of 18 degrees. into thursday, some colder air arriving across the far north of the uk but some warmer air arriving across england and wales. thursday a day of increasing contrasts. some areas of high crowd around making it hazy at times. we could see some showers arriving towards the south—west of england late in the day although there is some uncertainty about exactly how many of those are likely to make it to the ground. across eastern scotland, cloudy weather, a spot of rain and cooler conditions but otherwise england and wales temperatures

into the low 20s and feeling increasingly wild. the friday, a greater threat for seeing showery bursts of rain particularly across southern england, perhaps the midlands and wales as well. turning increasingly heavy perhaps later on in the day but away from that south—west quarter, largely dry but quite a bit of cloud in scotland and temperatures cooling off around some of the north sea coast of england. 17 degrees are still not bad for birmingham and london. the weekend quite cloudy for england and wales. the prospect of seeing some rainfor the prospect of seeing some rain for some of us. the driest weather in scotland where it will stay dry and bright.

this is bbc news.

the headlines: donald trump has halted us funding to the world health organization, over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. the president said the who had "failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable". he also accused the group of promoting china's "disinformation" about the virus. polling is under way in south korea's parliamentary election. the vote — using paper ballots — is taking place despite concerns that coronavirus will affect the turnout. voters must wear masks and plastic gloves — and maintain social distancing. the result is expected to be influenced by the government's handling of the pandemic. more than one in five deaths in england and wales is linked to coronavirus. new figures show 6,000 more people died than expected at the beginning of april — a record high. but there was also an increase in deaths from causes other than the virus.