this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. i'm maryam moshiri. the biggest one—day increase in worldwide covid—19 cases — says the who. cyclone amphan, one of the most powerful south asian storms for decades, kills at least 15 people in bangladesh. the uk's long—delayed virus tracing system — the prime minister says it will take another ten days. european countries puzzle over re—opening tourism — we meet the hoteliers hoping to salvage the season.

as many countries around the world begin to emerge from weeks of lockdown, the world health organization is warning that the crisis is far from over. the who says there's been a huge spike in new coronavirus cases. this was the who director—general speaking in geneva. in the last 2a hours, there have been 106,000 cases reported to who. the most in a single day since the outbreak began. almost two thirds of these cases were reported in just four countries. those four countries are the united states, russia, saudi arabia and brazil. the number of cases in brazil alone is more than 270—thousand, with officials warning that the country is no—where near the peak. it comes as the nation's government authorised the use of controversial anti—malaria drugs to fight covid—19, two days after president trump

claimed he was taking them too. more generally, you can see the number of infections worldwide is rising steadily. john hopkins university warns that the world is heading towards five million total infections from covid—19. i've been speaking dr ashish jha, the director of harvard university's global health institute. i asked whether he agreed with the who's warning. i do. we are early days unfortunately in this long pandemic and even if everything goes very well and we have a vaccine sometime next year, we are going to have many more months of many more cases so unfortunately we are still early in this very long journey. you spoke to congress and told them that testing with at the heart of any effort to stop the virus. how do you think countries around the world are doing in this respect? the variation is really quite stunning. some countries obviously have done a very good job,

south korea is hailed as a model and rightly so. even countries like germany and others have done a very good job whereas the us has been quite a laggard and has moved very slowly on testing. it is been puzzling to me given it is such an obvious thing to be doing a from a public health point of view why some countries have been slow on this. you have warned that a second peak could return in the autumn. talk me through what that might look like and how much impact it could have. we are really thinking about the northern hemisphere as it goes into the fall and winter months. i think there is good reason to believe we will have a second peak, there is good reason to believe it could be substantially worse than the first peak that we just saw experienced. of course it will coincide with the influenza season which already stresses hospitals and health ca re systems. so we really have to spend the summer months preparing for what will be probably a large number of new cases of covid—19 and if we prepare i think

we can get through it and if we do not we will be in a lot of trouble. going back to the united states and its preparedness and how it has dealt with. how do you feel us authorities have dealt with the covid—19 in the us? in some ways the statistics tell the story themselves. a third of all of the cases, more than 90,000 americans have died. i would the response has been abysmal. a lot of states have done a good job with the government has done a relatively poor response. we have been slow to test and slow to communicate to to the summer much maybe we can turn this around. effectively to the population and i'm hopeful as we get to to the summer maybe we can turn this around. a major cyclone has been moving across parts of bangladesh and eastern india, making the challenges of staying safe during the pandemic, much more difficult. more than three million people were forced to leave their homes — mostly in bangladesh,

before cyclone amphan hit. coronavirus restrictions have been hampering the relief efforts, as our correspondent in mumbai, yogita limaye, reports. the might of the storm has left a trail of destruction. amphan has plundered its way through the indian state of west bengal, neighbouring bangladesh also in its path. hunkered inside, even those used to seeing cyclones every year are stunned by the fury. i have never seen something like this ever in my life. it went on continuously for three hours without any signs of slowing down. from inside my home, i could hear tin roofs flying around, i could hear trees getting uprooted. on the shores, sea water surged in, along with heavy rainfall, it has caused flooding in many areas. over the past two days, relief workers have moved millions to safety, but this year the coronavirus

crisis is an added fear. social distancing is difficult in cyclone shelters. for these people, it is hard to imagine what they will go home to once the storm passes. it will be the poor who are affected. these are poor districts inhabited by poor people with tin roofs and asbestos roofs and it is equally devastating, they will lose property. and as it crosses over to bangladesh, more homes, more lives, in its deadly path. yogita limaye, bbc news, india. the uk government's plans for a trace and testing, to control oubtrea ks of the virus, has been debated in parliament. the prime minister boris johnson said he was confident it would be operational from the first ofjune, despite the doubts expressed by some experts, as our health correspondent sophie

hutchinson reports. every day, thousands of new coronavirus infections are still being reported in the uk. tracking the virus down and isolating the infected is widely believed to be the best way to control the pandemic. but today in parliament the labour leader questioned why there had been such a delay in setting up a track and trace system. in the united kingdom, despite 2 million tests having been carried out, there has been no effective tracing in place since march the 12th, when tracing was abandoned. that is nearly ten weeks in a critical period without effective tracing. that is a huge hole in our defenses. we will have a test, track and trace operation that will be world beating and yes, it will be in place, it will be in place byjune the ist. there will be 25,000 trackers, they will be able to cope

with 10,000 new cases a day. those trackers will help to trace the contacts of people who have the virus. they will use phone calls, texts and e—mail to alert anyone who has recently met up with an infected person and give them advice. we spoke to one of the new recruits, a graduate, he asked to remain anonymous. he started work three days ago on his home computer but described a chaotic system with barely any training. i had one day in the classroom, 90 odd people in a group with one teacher. whenever we ask questions he would try but the main answer was wait for the coming days, you will get an e—mail or something. right now i am just sat scrolling through netflix. a lot of people are chilling on games. people say we cannot complain, we are getting paid which is very true but at the same time it is like why would they set us up doing this, if we are just sat

around waiting? it is not very productive at all. but even if the government does get the 25,000 new tracker recruits up and running in ii days, there are still questions about whether this app, intended to trace the contacts of those infected will be ready anytime soon. sophie hutchinson, bbc news. to michigan in the united states, where two dams have collapsed after days of heavy rain. 10,000 people facing historic levels of flooding have been evacuated from their homes in central michigan. the high waters are also threatening a dow chemical facility. the company says it has shut down the plant. the governor has declared a state of emergency for the affected areas. the bbc‘s jane o'brien has more. the moment a rain swollen river breached a dam in midland county, michigan. one of two catastrophic failures in the area that sent water pouring across fields and towns. so often in recent years, disasters have been

measured by records broken. and this was no exception. more than seven inches of rain, causing historic flooding in a state already reeling from the coronavirus. while we're in the midst of a public pandemic it is really important that to the best of our ability, we observe the best practices to keep ourselves and our family safe. we will get through this. it is a tough time to be sure but we are going to get through this. john anglia, a midland youth pastor, has onlyjust recovered from the last major flood three years ago. now he and thousands of other residents have been told to evacuate their homes. i feel we've almost forgot about covid. we went from staying home or staying safe to leave your home, the safest place is not in your home. so this one kind of supersedes the first one. john, do you everfeel or do you everjust think, how much more can people actually take? i've had to rely a lot

of my faith and almost wonder is god punishing... that is what you go to. the rebuilding just kind of finished up from the last one, so how do you redo that again? how do you get enough strength to do that again? it seems near impossible. president trump says he is monitoring the situation, praising first responders just hours after accusing the state of voter fraud and threatening to cut funding. meanwhile, the water continues to rise. prompting fears that the worst is yet to come. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: parts of kenya are supposed to be in lockdown against covid—i9 — but the message isn't getting through.

this morning an indian air force plane carrying mr gahndi departed from london and arrived in delhi, the president of india walked to the plane to solemnly witness to gahndi's final return on the political battlefield. ireland has voted in favour of gay marriage. in doing so, it is become the first country in the world to approve the change in the national referendum. it was a remarkable climax to what was surely the most extraordinary funeral ever given to a pop singer. it's been a peaceful funeral demonstration but suddenly police are tear gassing the crowd. we don't know why. the prelaunch ritual is well established here. helen was said to be in good spirits butjust a little apprehensive. in the last hour, this has become the newest nation. it was a bloody trail for a new country and challenges are daunting. but for now it is time to celebrate.

this is bbc world news, the latest headlines... the world health organization has reported the biggest rise in new coronavirus infections in a single day — with growing numbers in poorer countries. cyclone amphan, one of the most powerful south asian storms for decades, has killed at least 15 people in bangladesh and eastern india. the government in brazil has authorised the use of controversial anti—malaria drugs to fight covid—i9, two days after president trump said he was also taking them. brazil's health ministry has just reported 888 new deaths from the virus and a record of nearly 20,000 new infections. let's get more on this from katy watson in sao paulo. every day there is another grim milestone, this time today we have seen the largest number of new cases in 2a hours as you just pointed out.

nearly 20,000 cases in 2a hours. the situation here is very difficult but also very difficult to know how far along the curve we are here. because there is very low testing rates here, and a lot of scientists estimate it could be anything between 12, 15 times as much the real number of infections compared to what the official statistics are telling us. in the meantime, the government in brazil has also authorised the use of anti—malaria drugs to fight covid—i9. in the media, president bolsonaro has often been described as trump of the topics and this really is playing into that. isn't it? donald trump is a man he admires and he openly talks about the similarities the two men have. but of course we heard donald trump say he would take the drugs and shortly afterward president bolsonaro said he was going to the guidelines so they can be used

with mild symptoms. something he has wanted to do for a long time. it cost him two of his health ministers, just about a month ago he fired one of his health ministers because of disagreements over social distancing, but then we saw last week that the next health minister decided to leave and the belief was because of their differences over the use of the antimalarials and treating covid—i9. but now he has an interim health minister who is clearly doing what his boss would like him to do, which of course bolsonaro gets what he has been pushing for finally. let's get some of the day's other news. two men arrested in the united states on suspicion of helping the former nissan boss, carlos ghosn, to escape from japan have appeared before a federaljudge.

michael taylor, a former member of us special forces, and his son peter appeared by video wearing orange prison jumpsuits and face masks because of the coronavirus pandemic. war crimes investigators have asked that rwanda's most wanted man be transferred from france to a united nations tribunal today. felicien kabuga was arrested on saturday in paris — where he had been living under a false identity for a quarter of a century. he was indicted for genocide in nineteen—ninety—seven and is accused by prosecutors of bankrolling the rwandan genocide that resulted in the massacre of eight hundred thousand people. the continent of africa has yet to see the kind of numbers of infections and deaths, seen in other parts of the world, as a result of coronavirus. the latest figures show just under 3000 deaths, across the whole of africa, and experts are already saying that some valuable lessons could be learned, as our senior africa correspondent anne soy reports. in the heart of mogadishu,

it's an all—out war against a new enemy. somalia has known no peace for nearly three decades. its health system is among the world's most fragile. now, covid—i9 is testing its resilience. like many african countries, the war—torn nation acted swiftly, but it's far from containing the outbreak. at this hospital, medics are doing all they can to save lives. translation: the last three months, i have not seen my family and my infant child. i've taken a personal decision not to go home so as to reduce the risk of infecting my family and to serve my people as long as i live. whole countries and cities have gone quiet. there are lockdowns, cu rfews and border closures across africa, and they seem to be paying off, for now. in certain countries, we are seeing a 30% to 100%

doubling of the rate on a daily basis. with the lockdown, over time, it decreases to about 5%, so for sure the lockdown played a very important role in slowing the spread of the pandemic on the continent. that we can ascertain. but measures are not working as intended everywhere. we drove around one of nairobi's hotspots. it's the first time i've been to eastleigh since the government announced restrictions into and out of the estate, and i'm really shocked. you don't get a sense that this has been taken seriously here. in tanzania, a completely different approach. testing stopped a month ago and the government has urged people not to let fear disrupt normal life. with the rest of the world consumed with their own responses, africa is now more exposed than ever. and the un is appealing for more support from donors. covid—i9 has touched every aspect of life, and all predictions point to it

being with us for much longer. the winners will be the countries that manage to control its spread, minimise its impact and move on with everyday life safely, but no one has a template. anne soy, bbc news, nairobi. most european nations have been grappling with the mammoth task of reopening countries to tourists, whilst remaing safe. greece has said it plans to start its tourist season onjune the 15th, with international flights operating from the first of july. france currently allows only essential travel from abroad. it hasn't said when its foreign tourist ban will be lifted. but many beaches are now open — with sunbathing still banned. and spain has started loosening its restrictions on a region—by—region basis. and in italy beaches, restau ra nts a nd bars will gradually open from june — along with all airports. mark lowen reports from northern italy.

perfection isn't shared, at least not for now. the jewel of lake como glitters in the stillness, but italy hopes to lure tourists back from two weeks' today, when it lifts restrictions to visitors from europe and drops its quarantine. the tranquillity is breathtaking, but the economy is starved. lake como was set for a record year — george clooney‘s villa here helping to pull tourists. but then the virus hit this region, lombardy, the hardest in italy. tourism councillor luca leone has watched as every visitor who had booked has cancelled until at least august. now hotels are planning to extend the season to try and save it. that means he will keep his one open right through until january, hoping the rooms fill up as confidence returns. to the british tourists,

the first they arrive on lake como at the end of the 18th century, so we're now ready to welcome them again, like we've always done in the past, and for us it's not a question of working with them but it's to share our feeling with them, our soul, our heart with them, because they started tourism for us and we want them to be back, as soon as possible. local businesses need them badly. italy is expecting a recession this year of almost 10%. having imposed a national lockdown before any other country, italy is now unlocking fast, bringing forward the lifting of some measures, desperate to salvage its tourism season and the economy. but the balance between welcoming visitors back here and the risk of a second wave is what italy and every other country is now trying to strike. at the local market, restarting today, there is little to keep them busy. traders want the custom back

but not the possible side effects. translation: i don't think the tourists will come back quickly. they and we are scared that the infections rise again. translation: the italian government is making a mistake. we here in the north were worst affected by the virus. the south wasn't, so why not open there first, where they're not afraid? it was shelley who wrote, lake como exceeds anything i ever beheld in beauty. this place is poetry, but it wants an audience. mark lowen, bbc news, lake como. with many parts of the world either still in lockdown or only just emerging, many industries are facing a long road to recovery. tv production and soap operas are in that mix — but in south africa, a group of actors saw the country's stringent restrictions as an opportunity to start a new, online ‘soapie' they shot themselves at home. already in its third season, it's proving popular.

standing it's proving popular. by. action excellent on standing by. action excellent on the president announced a national lockdown. i kind of we nt national lockdown. i kind of went home and started thinking of my so what happens to the so please and i went into my head i was like why don't we just create a soapie on our cell phones? lockdown height is an online telenovela that we are specifically showcasing on social media platforms and it is really bite—size episodes which ranges from between nine to 12 minutes. we are on lockdown! i'm supposed to be in the house! we all do! what happens is we send scripts out to actors, and eject issues from home on their cell phone, the individual part of the

scene and it is then edited together. —— each actor films. we have to do whatever you can't to get the shot. oh my goodness. —— you can to get the shot. this is my tripod. you are dangerous, girl! get out of my frame! what you doing? are dangerous, girl! get out of i 7ii will literally call out actors that i know, friends, people i work within the past and they we re work within the past and they were just excited. everybody was keen to go into a space they do not know. i can't believe he tried to steal from me. i am sorry. believe he tried to steal from me. iam sorry. ididn't believe he tried to steal from me. i am sorry. i didn't know what else to do. let me go home and set this thing up so i can finally be done. it grants us an opportunity as artist as artist to stay creative during the period, to collaborate with one another and just to create something that is fresh and new because we are moving into a format that we haven't done

before. i left something in the hotel. well, i have an idea. might appreciation goes all the actors and all the crew affected. that's my advice. always stay creative and look for opportunities for a greater way of storytelling and characterisation come up shooting. you need to creative ways of storytelling and shows like like lockdown heights are here to pioneer the kind of pioneer the innovation. cut! play fantastic idea. an italian woman has won a picasso still life painted nearly a century ago in a worldwide lottery. her ticket was pulled out in a live draw at christies auction house in paris. the event had twice been postponed, once to sell more tickets at more than 100 dollars apiece, and then due to coronavirus restrictions.

the charity care hoped to raise more than 19 million dollars hello there. although we've seen a little sea mist around and some fog, for the vast majority, wednesday was a sunny day, and it was the warmest day of the year so far in scotland, england, and in wales. the high temperature was in england, 28 celsius. but for all, it will feel a little fresher today, notably in the north and west. and that's because of a weather front tha's been meandering its way eastwards. and then, behind that for friday, and unseasoned very deep area of low pressure, which means rain but also very windy weather with the trees in full leaf, that's a concern. so look let's look at the progress of this weather front, which will give some rain, as you can see, as it crosses northern ireland and scotland.

not as much for england and wales, and it mayjust be a few sharp but potentially torrential downpours across southern and eastern clears parts through the morning before it clears to the brighter skies in all but the far north, where we've got some fog through shetland and coastal mists elsewhere, and it could stay dank and grey here for most of day. and looking at temperatures, they're several degrees down from yesterday — still 26 celsius possibly in london with that residual warmth. and then, as we go through the evening and overnight, that low pressure starts to escalate, making its presence felt. so some rain for many, perhaps a few sharp showers again to start the day in eastern areas on a very warm night. but clearly, the concern is the amount of rain, and for the northwest of scotland, we could have 100mm of rain in the coming few days as that low pressure stays close by. so for all, a much windier period of weather on friday as that rain clears, lots of showers rushing through. but those winds do escalate through the day all morning into the afternoon, up to gale force in the north and the west. you can see those gusts of wind, but even in the 30—40s

further south, which is very unusual in may. so clearly a concern for that. we'll be keeping you updated on that. and as a result, even though temperatures in the high teens or low 20s, it will feel cooler because of that strong wind and that rain which willjust continue for, as i say, the northwest highlands. but gradually through the weekend, the showers will reduce in number. the winds ease in the south as a ridge of high pressure returns to sullen parts of england and wales. but a very different—feeling weekend for most of us, and still with that low pressure to the north into the beginning of the new week, as well, we still have the potential — at least on the weekend — for some unsettled weather.

this is bbc news,

the headlines... the world health organization has reported the biggest worldwide rise in new coronavirus infections in a single day — 106,000. the head of the un agency said he was very concerned about the rising number of cases in lower and middle—income countries. at least 15 people have died as cyclone amphan — one of the most powerful south asian storms for decades — ripped across parts of bangladesh and eastern india. dramatic pictures showed high winds and heavy rain lashing coastal areas. nearly three million people have been evacuated, and there's been widespread damage. britain's prime minister has said he's confident that a system to track and trace people who've become infected with coronavirus will be up and running in ten days. the opposition has questioned the long delays. now on bbc news, it's time for hardtalk.