this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. i'm maryam moshiri. world leaders have a whipround on webcam, pledging 8 billion dollars to find a covid—19 vaccine. the divide deepens in us—china relations as president trump continues to blame beijing for the outbreak. putting the tech to the test. trials begin in the uk of a contact tracing app which could help ease the lockdown. loved ones meet for the first time in weeks as italy tentatively lifts its lockdown.

more than eight billion dollars have been pledged to help a worldwide drive to develop a coronavirus vaccine. more than 30 countries, as well as philanthropists and celebrities, promised funding at an online summit led by the eu and co—hosted by the uk. the united states snubbed the event, insisting it was already "at the forefront" of efforts to find a vaccine. rich preston reports. it was a video conference at the world's most powerful people with the most pressing goal of the moment in mind, vaccines for coronavirus. we need to develop, produce and avoid them to every single corner of the world. we must ensure that they are available and affordable for all. this is why we must all chip in to

finance this truly global endemic. countries across the european union took part, as did those like south africa, saudi arabia, mexico and canada. translation: because we need to accelerate the research, because we have essential work to do on equal access to diagnostics and treatment, because in the end, nothing will be possible if we don't support the health system. for this, france don't support the health system. forthis, france will commit to 500 million euros. on the gaps of the irish people, i pledge 18 million euros. this will be pays over the course of the next five years. some of the next five years. some of the poorest countries in the world will have access to the covid—19 vaccine. world will have access to the covid-19 vaccine. as well as international organisations and philanthropic groups ——

international organisations and philanthropic groups "ii international organisations and philanthropic groups -- i just heard that madonna has contributed $1 million to the coronavirus global response. that shows that the global response must also include civil society and the global community of citizens. there was one notable absence from the conference. the united states, which says it's going alone in its development of a vaccine. russia did not take pa rt vaccine. russia did not take part either. china did, pledging $50 million. the event had a political message as well. i show of solidarity and support for the world health organisation, which has come under criticism from credit president trump who withdrew us funding. without the world health organisation, and effective response to the pandemic will not be possible. the corporation is more important and ever —— cooperation. we pledge and

additional 50 million to the health organisation. in spite of the money, expert consensus says that a vaccine may not be available until the middle of 2021. rich preston, bbc news. the us has reached a crossroads in the fight against coronavirus. as half the country begins to reopen, there are also dire projections about the spread of the virus. the new york times reports on a government estimate that 3,000 people a day could die by earlyjune — that's double the current number. meanwhile, the president is blaming china for losing control of the virus. our north america editor jon sopel reports. what happened in wuhan didn't stay in wuhan. a coronavirus which has affected billions, infected millions and killed hundreds of thousands is claiming a new casualty — us—china relations. on the american side, there's growing fury about china's secretiveness. and, for the moment, and unsubstantiated charge this didn't originate in a wet market in the city, but in a government laboratory. these are the first times

we have had a world exposed to viruses as a result of failures in a chinese lab. —— not the first times. and so, while the intelligence committee continues to do its work, they should continue to do that and verify so that we are certain, i can tell you that there is a significant amount of evidence that this came from that laboratory in wuhan. the words from america's top diplomat seemed designed to cause maximum offence to the chinese. the president last night said they would bring forward evidence of the right time. my opinion is they made a mistake, they tried to cover it, they try to put it out, just like a fire. it's really like trying to put out a fire. against the backdrop of the lincoln memorial, donald trump again raised the potential death toll in the us to as many as 100,000. but each time he does that, so it brings fresh scrutiny of his own erratic handling of the crisis. with an election six months away, having someone else to blame, the chinese, the world health organization, has become politically essential. but this is about much more

than electoral politics. there is growing unease in the white house that china has become way too powerful on multilateral bodies like the world health organization and world bank, and that america needs to reassert itself. the coronavirus pandemic is becoming a defining, and some would say deeply unsettling moment in the relationship between the world's two economic superpowers. last week, stock markets fell sharply on the threat by donald trump to take unspecified retaliatory action against the chinese. but china is giving as good as it gets. we discovered a new virus... this cartoon lampooning the americans was posted by the xinhua news agency in english. the virus is killing doctors. typical third world. the deterioration in relations has been rapid. this was donald trump in the early stages of the outbreak. i know this, president xi loves

the people of china. he loves his country, and he's doing a very good job, with a very, very tough situation. the president used to talk extravagantly about his great friend of president xi, about their wonderful relationship. you don't hear much about that now. jon sopel, bbc news, washington. here, trade unions say they cannot support the british government's draft guidelines for how staff can return to work after the coronavirus lockdown is eased. employers also have concerns, saying they need more clarity on the use of ppe. well, one of the prime challenges facing workers when their firms or businesses eventually start up again is how to travel safely to and from work. our transport correspondent tom burridge has been looking at the difficulties likely to be faced by commuters as the lockdown is lifted in different phases. manchester today, and before the lockdown. social distancing easy now, hard when crowds return.

a challenge across public transport. back in november, wejoined mark on his crowded commute. like most, he is now working from home. i won't be in any rush to go back on the trains, so, i just would be very twitchy about it. i haven't been wearing a mask or gloves, i've seen a lot of people out and about when they go shopping that do that. i think if i was using public transport, i would have to have that sort of equipment myself. at manchester piccadilly, markings on the floor show how few people can be here if the two metre rule is respected. when restrictions lift, the number of trains and passengers will increase. we will be putting adjustments in place to make sure that everybody can travel safely. we're working really closely with health and safety representatives from the trade unions, we've been working really closely with government, just to understand what that is going to look like. parking trains up was the easy bit.

bringing services back takes a lot of planning. transport bosses need to know what level of social distancing ministers want, and balance that against the numbers of people who may be commuting. getting the unions on—side will be key. today, they said they had deep concerns for passengers and staff over plans to increase the number of trains. a significant number of transport workers have died of coronavirus. 41 in london alone, most of them worked on buses. if in the future people are still expected to be at least two metres apart, then it means this double—decker bus could only carry 15 people. on a single—decker, it would be just five. i'm told it's likely that face coverings will be compulsory for everyone across public transport.

and what will happen to our roads, which have for weeks been uncharacteristically quiet? it is highly likely that many people will abandon public transport initially, but that will be equalised somewhat, because 22% of drivers actually say they will drive less, and there will be about 36% more people cycling, walking, jogging to work. getting around on two wheels has become more popular during the pandemic. and cities like glasgow plan to spend more money on improving cycle lanes. but the big transport conundrum is how to manage our usually overcrowded railways when more of us can travel more freely again. tom burridge, bbc news. the health secretary for england, matt hancock, says he's aiming to have an nhs smartphone app for contact—tracing rolled out by the middle of this month.

trials of the software are taking place this week on the isle of wight as part of the government's test, track and trace strategy as our health editor hugh pym reports. could this smartphone app be one of the ways out of lockdown restrictions? seen here in a government video, health leaders say the more people who download and use it, the better the chance of keeping the virus in check. this week, all eyes are on the isle of wight, where there is a test run of the app to see how user—friendly it proves to be. if things go well, it is set to be launched across england within weeks. so how does the app work? it uses a bluetooth connection. once it is installed, if you come into contact with others, that will be recorded on the phone. then, if you report through the app you have symptoms, contacts within the last seven days will be alerted through their phones, and they will then need to self—isolate. so what about personal privacy? designers say downloading the app won't require any

details, apart from a postcode, and data security is at the heart of the project, though some say future development will need to be monitored. we need to ensure that there is respect for core data protection principles, and here i would in particular highlight purpose limitation. so that's the idea that we create something for a specific purpose, and that we don't then re—purpose it. scientists involved in the plan say the app can't do the job on its own, it has to be part of an overall strategy, involving mass testing to work out who has got the virus, and where, and at least 18,000 officials to do the contact tracing, especially for patients who don't have the app. when will the full test, track and trace network be up and running? the aim is to have the whole thing up and running by the middle of this month. we are starting already. we have already started the recruitment. of the 18,000, we have thousands already recruited,

and we are making very rapid progress. the scottish government says it will deliver a testing and tracing strategy by the end of the month, including the use of an app, but there is a warning this won't provide all of the answers. it is not a quick fix or a magic solution. it will have to be combined with continued physical distancing, rigorous hygiene and the appropriate use of face coverings, and, crucially, it will mean you, the public, knowing exactly what it is we are asking you to do, and why we are asking you to do it, and being prepared to do it. the new measures will help the uk's governments monitor progress both locally and nationally, as lockdown restrictions are eased, and as matt hancock put it, hunt down the virus. hugh pym, bbc news. stay with us on bbc news, still to come... the plight of carers whose partners have dementia. they tell us what life is life under

lockdown.

this is bbc news, the latest headlines... afundraising campaign involving more than 30 countries raises more than 8 billion dollars to find and fund a vaccine. and details emerge of the track and trace technology that's meant to be used across england within weeks. italy, the first country in the world to impose a national lockdown to try to control the pandemic, has lifted some of its toughest restrictions on the day it registered its lowest daily death toll since the lockdown began two months ago. but the extent of the social and economic impact of the shutdown is unclear, as our correspondent mark lowen reports. a nation that has shed so many tears alone can finally grieve together. in naples today, the first

funerals are allowed, with a maximum of 15 people, as italy opens up. being unable to say goodbye or visit graves has been one of the cruellest losses of the lockdown. "this is a beautiful day, as i can visit my son, who died ten years ago," says concetta. "thank you to everyone who's made it possible. "i can't say anything more, i'm too emotional." as the world's longest shutdown of the pandemic starts to fade, outdoor exercise is now allowed. parks and some businesses are reopening, and relatives can see each other again — with distance and masks. so, finally, people can come and visit the family members that they've been stopped from seeing for eight long weeks. but it does present a danger, because this train has come in from milan, in the region of italy worst—hit by the virus. so, with freedom comes a hugely increased risk of spreading the outbreak. "keep your distance," they are warned, before

everyone fills in a form to explain why they're here. europe's worst—hit country is taking no chances. livia last saw her daughter, who lives in milan, injanuary. it has felt like an eternity. has it been difficult for you not being able to...? oh, yes, for me, yes, a little bit, yes. you've missed her? yes. resisting a motherly urge is tough. normality, so near, yet so far. how does it feel to see your mum? it's hard for me, really. because i haven't seen her for nearly five months, so it's very moving. -- it's heart-warming. it's been difficult not to see her? yeah. quite a lot, yeah. sorry. but the lockdown has left deep scars. we were taken by police to one

of the roughest areas of one of the eu's poorest regions. the worry here is of organised crime preying on poverty. carpenter raffaele says with work stopped, he may have to sell his tv to get by. "there's been lots more crime since the lockdown," he says, "even kids dealing drugs and stealing cars, since they need to eat." fighting the mafia's resurgence is this priest under protection, making up boxes of supplies for the needy to stop criminal groups from stepping in instead. translation: the mafia has always exploited italy's moments of weakness, and this is one of those moments. they give people help but then ask for drug dealing or money in exchange. we have to give citizens the antivirus to defend themselves, to stop the mafia from reclaiming this territory. a health crisis has become a social one, and this is what other countries, too, may face as they reopen from a lockdown that is stopping the dying,

but killing the economy. mark lowen, bbc news, naples. the alzheimers' society says it's facing unprecedented demand for help and support from its online services due to the pandemic. the charity says it fears for those at home relying on carers who may need to self—isolate. our correspondentjeremy cooke has been asking two carers for their experiences. i'll hold it for you. bit more. john has dementia. is that all right? his wife anne, his full—time carer for eight years and counting. yes, a labour of love... there you go. ..but it can be hard and isolating and, now, there's lockdown. i was lonely before. i know what loneliness really is now. how are you? forjulia, there are odd calls with her husband bob, who is in a specialist dementia unit. hope to visit you soon. the threat of covid—19 threatens everything.

will i ever physically see him again? on your face, like that. we first met anne last year. dedicated to caring forjohn... that's it, like that. ..24/7. don't lean back on me, because we will both go down the stairs. and julia, too, taking care of bob for nine years now. he has dementia, parkinson's... god bless you. ..multiple challenges. we are well into week four in lockdown. by video diary, we've kept in touch. i've forgotten what day we're up to now. for those who care for an estimated half a million uk dementia patients living in the community... shake your dice, what number you got? . . coronavirus can mean desperate times. as much as i'd like to tell you we're getting along fine, that really wouldn't be the truth. it's really, really hard. it's very, very difficult not being able to come and see you. why's that? because of this horrible virus. bob was in hospital

recovering from a broken leg when lockdown came. julia could only watch from a distance as he was transferred to the dementia unit for assessment. he's still there. i worry about he's going to forget who i am. the night—time is the worst. lonely. lonely time, this. now we're heading back for a proper socially distanced catch up. we are surviving. first, with anne, who is clearly worried about what the lockdown is doing to john. i think he's really, really deteriorated, this last couple of weeks especially. with the virus, i mean, are you frightened by that? i'm worried that, ifjohn got it, they might not treatjohn and i worry if i got it, what would happen tojohn? are you busy... ? meeting julia, it is clear that phone calls with bob are now her lifeline.

i miss you terribly. i love you. see you soon, anyway. yeah, bye, darling. 0h... are you all right? anne is with her husband all day, every day. there are daily calls with john's dementia nurse, support from the alzheimer's society. but covid and lockdown mean she has never felt more isolated. seeing other people, that's what i miss the most. it's just lonely, very, very lonely. the future looks far from certain. wondering where it will all end and how it will all end. julia prays for the day that the clouds of covid—19 will lift and that she can be with bob again. it's his arms i want around me,

because, if i've got his arms around me, then he's made it through this. making it through this. perhaps the best hope for anne, forjulia, for so many thousands like them. jeremy cooke, bbc news. japan has extended its state of emergency in an effort to get its rate of covid—19 infections under control. reged ahmad reports. other parts of asia adjust to the reality of life during the coronavirus pandemic. a gym injapan being transformed to treat patients with mild coronavirus systems. new covid—19 infection rates have been falling in the last couple of weeks, but japan's prime minister says the state of emergency must remain in place. translation: at the moment, we are still seeing a considerable number of cases of new infections, and the number of infected

people hasn't decreased enough. although death rates remain relatively low, medical systems are feeling the strain in some parts of the country. translation: we have been maintaining our battle against covid—19 for more than three months. i think there are medical professionals that are already feeling a significant amount of stress. japan's restrictions are not as tough as in europe or the us, yet some parts of tokyo look practically empty. it stands in stark contrast to other parts of asia, like indonesia, where strict lockdowns are being enforced with water cannons. a softer approach elsewhere though, as people dressed as popular superheroes remind locals of the rules. in thailand, these traditional dancers are wearing clearface shields. this is one country hoping it's on the other

side of its lockdown. after falling infection rates, it's eased its restrictions, but strict distancing and hygiene measures remain in place for those businesses allowed to open. translation: it's good i don't have to close my barbershop any longer. to be able to reopen the business like this makes me proud enough. and a slightly different approach to dealing with the new reality. hong kong airport is testing robots and other technology to disinfect areas and even people. there's no doubt life is changing for many in this part of the world, and the economic impacts have been very keenly felt too. what many will be hoping for though is a clear indication the worst is nearly over. reged ahmad, bbc news. no dogs were harmed in the filming of that package i'm sure.

you can reach me on twitter — i'm @ bbcmaryam. thanks for your company, bye— bye. hello there. the highest temperature on monday was 20 celsius. that was in west wales. today is going to be cooler across the board, but as the week goes on, so temperatures will rise once again. speaking on friday in the sunshine. —— peking. weather is nominated by the area of high pressure keeping it dry and clear. the flight in the ointment, and it's a big one, is this wet and windy weather into the southwest. as weather into the southwest. as we head into tuesday morning, it's a wet start in the southwest of england. the heavier rain, some strong and gusty easterly winds across devon and cornwall. gusts of 50, even 55 miles an hour. those winds will ease down the later in the morning and through the afternoon. at the same time, the renal age its

way these words along sussex. -- rain way these words along sussex. —— rain will inch. elsewhere, it's likely to be dry with lots of sunshine around. a bit of a keen breeze to start with across england and wales, perhaps northern island, the winds will ease down in the high temperatures will be across western scotland and northwest england. only 12 degrees here. the rain continues to peter out during the evening. the cloud a little more reluctance to break out. where we have a clearest skies and eastern scotland, and the northeast of england, there could be a pinch of frost in rural areas once again. cooler areas “— rural areas once again. cooler areas —— airwill rural areas once again. cooler areas —— air will be pushed away which will bring the work up away which will bring the work up from the southwest and the temperatures will rise. by the time we get into wednesday, most time we get into wednesday, m ost pla ces time we get into wednesday, most places will be dry with a good deal of sunshine. just the chance of a shower in the far southwest and there will be more cloud coming in across the

northern aisles of scotland. otherwise, a warmer day on wednesday. temperatures getting up wednesday. temperatures getting up to 20 —21 wednesday. temperatures getting up to 20 — 21 celsius. those temperatures continue to rise for many areas during thursday and friday. there will be a bit more cloud for scotland and northern ireland, may be a few showers. for england and wales, probably drive. temperatures could reach 25 degrees on friday. what a shot for the system this weekend. the wind changes to the northerly and strengthens and draws down cold air. unusually cold air for the time of year, cold enough even for some wintry showers.

this is bbc news.

the headlines: world leaders have pledged $8 billion to fund research into vaccines and treatments for coronavirus — saying a common threat to humanity requires a concerted response. a0 countries and donors took part in the online summit, hosted by the eu. 11.5 million italians have to work after two months in lockdown. people are also allowed to see relatives within their region as restrictions are eased. for the second consecutive day, the country's recorded its lowest death toll since the lockdown began. the british government's rolled out a contact—tracing phone app as part of its strategy to ease the lockdown. people on the isle of wight will put the app to the test. it's hoped it'll be used across england by the middle of the month.