it's a network that ferries millions hello again. we've got another few cool days boris johnson has defended of passengers daily across tens coming our way before the weather turns milder his plans to relax of thousands of track the lockdown, saying as we head into the weekend. the strategy applies now, at the moment, to all of the united kingdom, to nearly 7,000 stations. the satellite picture notjust england. shows cloud in france. however scotland, wales and northern ireland, it's one of the world's that's been bringing some who have their own powers over extreme falls of rain here. satellite pictures to the north the lockdown, say it's too soon biggest employers. of the uk, where our eye to relax measures is coming from, shows a lot to the same extent. if there's one defining of cloud working into scotland. legacy of british rule, that cloud is bringing some european countries it's the vast, sprawling, showers at the moment, have cautiously begun and they'll continue over to lift their lockdowns, creaking indian railway network. the next few hours as well, with millions back in work mostly across after eight weeks of restrictions. cafes and restaurants have re—opened outdoor terraces, and gatherings up to 10 people it's still the lifeblood are now allowed in parts of spain of the country today. that have been less affected they sing. by the coronavirus. applications from women for these northern scotland. posts have rocketed, president trump has announced and the rangers are role models and trailblazers more coronavirus testing in the region today. 0oh, look at that mouth. for americans, but has had to deny the good news is that from once that the safety system i'll tell you this. being in danger of extinction, at the white house has broken down. you wouldn't get this numbers have climbed to over 500. on a suburban train on a cold elsewhere, it's largely dry. wednesday morning in london, or any other western city. quite a bit of cloud this is unique. for eastern areas. an aide to vice—president pence has it stays quite breezy as well, tested positive for the virus, and that should keep and that's prompted three the next, much more welcome, senior health officials do you know everyone on this carriage? problem is if the sanctuary is big the temperatures for the most to quarantine themselves. yeah. part above freezing. most staff in and around enough for their growing population. but with lighter winds the west wing are now wearing masks, so, the first part of my travels and clearer skies in wales, parts of the midlands and south—west england, although mr trump has these are the areas where we're not been seen in one. most likely to see temperatures drop low enough to give us some frost to start yeah, from the train journey? the day on tuesday. yeah, trainjourney, train friends. now, high pressure's

the russian government has announced that it you're the train friends, excellent. still influencing the weather will ease its coronavirus you have a community. on tuesday, but we've got this lockdown from tuesday, is it lucky to have cold front diving southwards saying the country a seat on the train? across india comes to a close. into scotland must get back to work. that's despite having yes. the third—highest number of coronavirus infections worldwide, very lucky. and registering its highest daily increase on monday. she's very lucky. the easing of restrictions like you. as the day goes by. will affect all sectors of the economy, but mr putin said some regions may keep tighter so, for many of us, controls if necessary. a bright start to the day. reged ahmad reports. but next week, i head to the north—east of the country. there'll be some sunshine around. i'm on the banks of the mighty it tends to turn a bit cloudier through the day, river brahmaputra, and about to go 00:01:22,078 --> 4294966103:13:29,430 to a very spiritual place. and there is a risk of a few showers working into perhaps moscow's exhibition centre north—western areas of england and wales. but, at the same time, being set up as a mass hospital we've got this cold front bringing rain and probably a bit of snow into parts of for coronavirus patients. scotland. northern ireland, england the country is experiencing and wales, temperatures 11—13 a new surge in case numbers degrees, but through as the infection tally the afternoon, as that cold surpasses both italy front works southwards, and france. we get colder air, 5—6 celsius. so it may come as a bit of the rain turning to snow for a time. a surprise that president putin wintry showers follow for shetland and 0rkney. has announced an easing it will be a colder day for these far northern areas of the country's lockdown. than it was compared with monday. high pressure is still translation: starting from may like me! so here we are, the ancient, 12, wherever possible, fortified city of junagadh, crowded and noisy, as i expected. there on wednesday, it is necessary to create conditions let's go explore. for the restoration of work but eventually, it's as enterprises in the basic going start to bring in a more sectors of the economy. of a north—westerly flow of air. so eventually, it starts to turn a bit milder, in the televised address, but the cold air still filters

the russian president said that just a few minutes from the station its way southwards down the fight against the pandemic along a dusty, busy road, the north sea. so, wednesday, these northerly wouldn't end, but it was time winds probably bringing to get back to work. stands this jaw—dropping a slight drop in temperatures the economy here has been hit and little—known to parts of eastern england, hard by the falling price architectural wonder. and again, there will be some of oil, and like other bright whether around. countries around the world, probably turning quite cloudy for a time the lockdown has hurt too. during the afternoon. it's across western areas that we'll start to see many of russia's built in the late 19th century, the mahabat maqbara is an elaborate covid—i9 cases have but for most of us, it will be mausoleum, blending indian, islamic, turning milder this weekend. been in the capital, so it was announced moscow's lockdown will remain for now, along with basic social distancing rules. gothic and european architecture. the intricate carvings took over a decade to complete, and the whole structure reflects the opulence and translation: throughout the whole country, influences of the time. any mass events should not take place and everyone needs to strictly comply with sanitary rules. this complies to the work back in the day, under organisation enterprises, the british raj, there were hundreds shops, the service of so—called princely states run by maharajahs and nawabs, powerful and wealthy men. and transport sector. the government puts its high case numbers to an increase in testing and its death toll there was one such character here, has remained relatively low too, but government critics a nawab who made a decision that still has ramifications for relations with india and pakistan even today. these nawabs led lavish have questioned those death lifestyles, in stark contrast to ordinary indians. rates, believing the total the nawab ofjunagadh, to be far higher.

russia marked its world war ii victory day celebrations on the weekend in lockdown, with the normal parade postponed. the russian president says the country's exit mahabat khan iii, was no different. from coronavirus restrictions will be gradual, but there will be a fear that russia is moving this is bbc news. welcome if you're watching towards a post—lockdown future far too quickly. here in the uk, on pbs reged ahmad, bbc news. in america or around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: now on bbc news, the travel show. the british prime minister archive: junagadh state celebrates defends his plan to relax the marriage of the eldest son of the nawab with all the pomp the lockdown in england at a faster rate than the rest india. and splendour of a princely wedding. of the uk. harish desai was ten in 19116, and recalls the splendour of the ceremony. it is very good archive: escorted by the royal guard, advice for the entire a vast country, home the bridegroom drives in state population of the united kingdom. to over a billion people, through the streets. families' joy as spain before him and the procession goes begins to ease one of birthplace of illustrious, a costly profusion of wedding gifts. europe's strictest lockdowns. ancient civilisations. .. in the united states, and today, a fast emerging global power. all the princes were there, president trump announces virus and 70 years after independence, attired in a princely pattern testing for more americans. india is still a diverse, with turbans of a particular type on their head. ever—evolving assortment of cultures, creeds, religions and languages. dance girls used to be brought there, musicians and all that. as lockdowns are loosened, that lasted for several days. how can countries prevent a second wave of infections? heading off the well—worn tourist we speak to a health expert. and he recalls getting his first path, we're on a journey that spans taste of this other world. for the first time, i saw bread, butter, sandwich.

that was not known to us here. this vast subcontinent from east my father said "you eat this. to west, travelling from one of the driest places on earth... this is bread and this is butter". and i liked it. there were small pastries. it's quite incredible, the sand. i still remember that made in england, london, i mean, it'sjust hard crystals, white salt. there were huntley & palmers biscuits. you can probably taste it. the important thing is the formal photograph of his highness, mahabat khan iii. ..to one of the wettest. these are areas really for the adventurous traveller. this isn't india on tap. the nawab‘s own most legendary i'm on a quest to find out indulgence was his love of animals. how history, religion and politics have shaped india. his main hobby was for dogs. and i also meet the people who call this intriguing and sometimes overwhelming country home. he was mad after dogs. i think almost all varieties it's going to be an amazing journey. and breeds of dogs from all over the world were here. he used to arrange marriages for dogs, and celebrated with parties and honeymoon. honeymoon! for thousands of years, india found its riches and influence

through international trade. and at the heart of this enterprise was the sea. and the state of gujarat, but with the advent of independence, with 1,000 miles of coastline, the power and influence of india's royal rulers was coming to an end. served as a shipping gateway to africa, arabia and beyond. come partition, the muslim nawab wanted to make this is as far west as you can get junagadh part of the newly created islamic pakistan... in india, and it's the mingling of all the influences from overseas even though the town is more that have helped make than 80% hindu and hundreds gujarat what it is today. of kilometres from the border. the region is known as kutch, and its beaches, like here in mandvi, are a popular domestic tourist attraction. infuriated, the new indian government rallied its troops. the news started coming but this ancient port town's economy that the army is coming with huge tanks and trucks and jeeps is still anchored in a much and artillery and guns older maritime tradition. and everything are there. junagadh state was besieged on three sides also. this is genuinely incredible. an economic blockade was ordered, cutting off supplies of food and resources into the region. i'm in heaven. eventually, junagadh acceded to india and a huge shipyard with boats the nawab fled to pakistan. and ships at various

stages of construction, all made from wood. in an industry dominated by bulky and expensive container ships, these smaller, more agile vessels yet to this day, 70 years on, his great—grandson still lays claim to junagadh. and the episode lingers are still in huge demand. as a reminder of the last days of the raj in india. and 65 kilometres down the road so here are, really close up to these incredible hulks. this one is in mid—construction. in the gir sanctuary, we can actually go inside. the nawab‘s legacy as an animal lover extraordinaire continues with the most regal of creatures. now, lions may have iconic status here. they're a royal symbol and they're in hindu mythology, but at the beginning of the last century, they were threatened with extinction. i'm going somewhere now i'm going to see how which is the only natural abode of the asiatic lion. they make these things. the nawab preserved vast tracts apparently, each of these dhows takes two and a half years to make. for many of the workers, of this forest to provide lions shipbuilding is a family tradition. and this ancient craft is now with a stable habitat, attracting unexpected new admirers. the region of kutch was home to one of the world's and banned hunting. earliest civilisations, and can be traced back to prehistoric times.

the asiatic lions are smaller and paler than their african relatives. its old royal capital is the city of bhuj. and these are their modern—day its glory days are kind of over. protectors, india's first female forest rangers, the so—called lion queens of gir. now they're part of a team that performs more animal rescues than any other wildlife park in the world. on average, the unarmed rangers cover 25 kilometres a day and have to tackle venomous snakes, leopards and poachers as well as lions. if they did get agitated, how would you be able to tell from the animal? the region of kutch was home how would you know if you're to one of the world's safe or not, being this

close to the animal? 00:08:07,084 --> 2147483051:40:48,257 and it did get dangerous 2147483051:40:48,257 --> 4294966103:13:29,430 for her early on in her career here. earliest civilisations, and can be traced back to prehistoric times. its old royal capital is the city of bhuj. its glory days are kind of over. it was badly hit by the 2001 earthquake. there's a kind of melancholy about this area, because obviously, this was once the real, opulent centre of a rich empire, trading empire anyway, and the hub was here. but what is still flourishing is bhuj‘s aso—year—old market just a few minutes away, where the trading tradition continues. what do they sell here? they sell everything. fruit, vegetables, fabric, groceries.

all cultural backgrounds can be seen in the marketplace. here, as you can see, all different communities and ethnic groups come here. but kutch‘s natural harmony was disrupted 70 years ago, when the british left. the country was divided on religious grounds, with muslims partitioned to the north in pakistan, and hindus to the south in india. we drove out of the city towards the border with pakistan, along the way encountering some kutch herdsmen. they've been living here for 400 or 500 years. since, they migrated down south into kutch from sindh, which is now part of pakistan. ever since the split, there's been tension between the two governments, but to these herdsmen, national borders and religious differences mean little.

for the people of kutch, india and pakistan or hindu/muslim is not that important. people are religious, of course, but they're living in harmony and the relationship between these two different groups is brotherly. when two countries were created from one, indelible scars were left on the psyche of the subcontinent. archive: independence has not yet brought them peace. rejoicing turned quickly into horror and mourning. in dramatic scenes, more than a million people died in religious rioting, and many millions more were displaced. this all used to be one, but now it's divided in two. and now the border itself has become a tourist attraction. that way is pakistan? that way is pakistan, about 70 kilometres up north. that is where the india—pakistan border is, which lies along the middle of kutch, which is a geographical valley.

at nearly 500 metres above sea level, the highest point, kalo dungar hill, allows us a dramatic view of this geological phenomenon, the rann, or desert of kutch, which continues into pakistan. i wanted to get up closer to this natural wonder. it's quite incredible, the sand. i mean, it'sjust hard crystals, white salt. you can probably taste it. really unusual to see something like this. the further out i walked, the less lovely it became. it's actually quite incredible.

it's more like snow or sludge than white sand or white crystals when it gets wet around here. i'm getting really deep into it. whoa! today, this shimmering wilderness is a healthy source of income for the region, thanks mainly to a three—month long festival throughout the winter. it is amazing. what was a vast, barren landscape has been transformed into this colourful complex, whereby at night, there's live music and other performances and by day, there's plenty of other activities. just here is what you might call the glamping quarters. 50,000 people have come here in the last couple of months alone. i guess this is a cross between a weekend festival and a holiday resort. it's basically a honeypot for the booming middle classes of india in what has been one of the fastest—growing economies in the world. the revival of interest in kutch culture, boosted by the festival,

has been a lifeline for one group of locals in particular, folk musicians. music in particular is very rich over here. previously, they used to perform with their cattles, the shepherds. then afterwards, when they came home, they'd get together and their speech and songs are being performed. it's a day—to—day practice. one person plays two flutes of the same time? yes. now, for example, 500 cattles are there and only one shepherd is there. so he'll sit and start playing this and whatever musical reach this has, the cattles will not

go out of that range. wow. and they enjoy the music, so the digestive system, the milk output increases. so this is the beauty of it. so it's almost like meditation. yeah. things are changing, definitely. as you say, tourism, so many music festivals are there, so they are invited in various parts of india and abroad. and of course, they are very well paid. and not only do i get a demonstration, but also the privilege of playing along... as lead tinkler. and yet again, i'm made aware that kutch culture is all about a sense of community and certainly not about religious segregation. from the bottom of my heart, i am telling you till today, in spiritual and music forms, hindus and muslims sit together and perform till today.

for the next part of myjourney, i'm heading to the south—east of gujarat, to the town ofjunagadh. ah, the classic indian railway station. to me, nothing sums up this country better than the indian railway network. more than any political act, they say that this is what unifies this country.