this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and across the globe. i'm david eades. china's national people's congress begins in bejing. a controversial new security law for hong kong is expected to be voted through. brazil's coronavirsus death toll passes 20,000. scientists warn it's still weeks away from the peak of the pandedmic. an act of absolution — uk scientists think they've identified a coronavirus treatment, using cells from our own bone marrow to fight the virus. getting into greece. we look at how tourists will be screened this summer, as hopes rise of reviving the multi—billion pound tourist industry.

hello and welcome to all of you, both here in the uk and those of you joining us around the world. we're covering all the latest coronavirus developments here in britain and globally. first: china is planning to introduce a new national security law in hong kong, which looks to ban what it terms sedition and subversion. it's expected to be voted through at china's delayed annual parliamentary session which got underway a few hours ago. the legislation will be hugely controversial in the territory, where pro—democracy activists held hundreds of rallies last year. some of them say it will signal the end of hong kong. president donald trump has warned that the us would react strongly if the proposals were followed through. here's a chinese government spokesperson.

translation: national security is the bedrock of the country's stability. safeguarding national security is the common interest of all people, including hong kong compatriots. one member of hong kong's legislative council from the pro—democracy civic party told reporters the law would be disastrous for the territory. this is the end of hong kong. this is the end of one country, two systems. make no mistake about it — that beijing, the central people's government, has completely breached its promise to the hong kong people, a promise that was enshrined in the sino—british joint declaration and the basic law. and they are now completely walking back on their obligation, or to

the hong kong people. denis coderre. president trump said the us would address that issue very strongly if beijing pushed the law through. and lord patten, who was hong kong's last british governor before the 1997 handover of the terriroty to china, urged the uk government to lead any international response to beijing's announcement. we should make it clear to the chinese that this is outrageous and the prime minister and the foreign secretary should make that absolutely clear. we should talk to our allies, our friends around the world, all of whom have a stake in two things, first of all the continuance of hong kong as a great international city in asia, and secondly in whether or not china can be trusted to keep its word. now, there are all too many examples of that not being the case, the way it has actually used the preoccupation which everybody rightly has with fighting this awful epidemic.

they have used that preoccupation in order to bully and harass in other areas, and one of them is in hong kong. chris patten there. the hong kong stocks have fallen more than 4% during the day, perhaps a reflection on what we are hearing. let's get more from our correspondent in beijing, stephen mcdonell. hong kong is an autonomous territory of sorts, of course, was this expected? well, there have been threats to introduce this law because previous attem pts this law because previous atte m pts to this law because previous attempts to bring it in via the local hong kong legislature have failed. there were mass marches and it was seen as too hard to get it through, even with the kind of stacked legislature that will a lwa ys stacked legislature that will always be in favour of the pro—beijing camp. but you know it is something — this

congress, opening today. china has frankly a great story to tell about the handling of the coronavirus. more than two months after it was delayed, the congress is on. 3000 delegates, including the senior leadership of the party, of the military, all under one roof together — that they can confidently do this is highly symbolic here, and a way of showing the world, and also its people here, that the emergency‘s under control. but you have all of this overshadowed by a law, this new proposal, i mean, i'm not sure if they thought they could, sort of, kind of sneak it through or try and ensure there would be minimal attention to this given everybody is so preoccupied with the coronavirus. but as an indication ofjust how sensitive things are, every time we've raised this story

over the last few hours on world tv, the screens are going to black right across china, so the sensors are pulling our feed even — like right now — when we are discussing the issue. they might sneak it through mainland china but it's not sneaking through anywhere else, as you point out, in fact the presidential office in thailand said it makes the island more determined to defend democracy and freedom —— tie one. also calling on beijing to start dialogue with hong kong society —— taiwan. we are seeing the ripple effects of this decision for taiwan, but is there anything in that possibility of anything in that possibility of a dialogue yet, steve? well, the authorities seem to have gone the other way in hong kong. you know, after that summer kong. you know, after that summer of rebellion last year, winter kicked in, then the coronavirus, and it sort of went quiet in the city, but instead of using this lull to

try and maybe build bridges or some kind of new consensus, they have come out, like, tougher than ever, threatening overhauls of the education system, standing over the judiciary and now this new national security law which, i should point out, the significance of it — more than 7000 protesters have been charged since last summer in hong kong. things related to assembly and rioting. well, under these new provisions, they would be facing much more serious crimes — and that of potentially threatening the sovereignty of the chinese government, if you like of subversion. much tougher sentences, people could be locked up for decades for crimes like this, and that's why it's seen potentially as a threat to freedom of speech. it could mean, for example, quite

apart from protesting, that you couldn't even deliver a speech advocating independence or write an article that might suggest there should be more autonomy from the mainland. so it isa autonomy from the mainland. so it is a very big shift in terms of the way hong kong is to be governed steve, thanks very much indeed. stephen mcdonell with the latest from beijing. donald trump has visited the key swing state of michigan, the site of some the most high profile anti—lockdown protests in the country. president trump was shown around a ford ventilator factory. during the visit, the president denied refusing to wear a mask — a safety requirement within the factory — despite not appearing to on camera. i did wear — i had one on before. i wore one in this back area, but i didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it. but no, i had it in the back area, i did put a mask on. reporter: did you have the goggles on too, as well, sir? idid. i had goggles — goggles and a mask, right back there. and here's another one. why would you not be

wearing it here, sir? because, in this area — why don't you take it? not necessary here. everybody‘s been tested and i've been tested — in fact, i was tested this morning — so it's not necessary. but the executives are wearing them. well, that's their choice. i was given — i was given a choice, and i had one on in an area where they preferred it, so i put it on and it was very nice, it looked very nice, but they said not necessary here. donald trump at the ford factory. let's maintain our coverage of the coronavirus situation now. as the death toll from the coronavirus in brazil has surpassed 20,000 on thursday, its government is under ever more scrutiny. two health ministers have resigned in recent weeks, while president bolsonaro has insisted the epidemic, which he has often referred to as a flu, must not hamper the running of the economy. ros atkins has been looking at how brazil became central to the global pandemic. in april, president bolsonaro was asked about the rapid spread of covid—i9 in brazil.

by may, brazil's number of cases was the third highest in the world. this virus which the president dismissed as a little flu had killed 17,000 people and he was being held responsible. the leading medicaljournal the lancet put it bluntly: and this is the mayor of sao paulo. when you have two virus to combat — the coronavirus and bolsonaro virus. but can we explain brazil's plight through jair bolsonaro alone? well, certainly the government's initial assessment of the threat raises questions. we paid attention to the united states and the united states, mr trump, was very comfortable on saying he would take care of that. we really felt he had some kind of science that would be released soon. but donald trump's boast turned out to be hollow. that was the former health minister, luis henrique mendetta. he advocated social distancing and was fired. next into thejob

was nelson teich. when asked about mr bolsonaro's decision to reopen gyms, he replied: days later he resigned. according to 0 globo, he objected to the president's promotion of chloroquine, that's an antimalarial drug. and in march, president bolsonaro told his supporters, "the cure is right there." it isn't. but at the third time of asking he does now have a health minister who is happy to proceed. chloroquine has been cleared for covid—i9 treatment in brazil despite not being proven to work and nasty side—effects. now, being guided by donald trump, undermining the health ministry, using dismissive language, a preoccupation with an unproven drug. these are all relevant to understanding what's happened, but argubly the lack of a nationwide lockdown has mattered even more. the president has sought to undermine that idea wherever possible. this is an anti—lockdown rally in brasilia. and ayou can see, these are not advocates of social distancing. but actually it's brazil's states, not the president, that have the power

to impose restrictions. and they've done so, but to very differing degrees and there appear limits to what they are willing to try. around 40% of the labour force is in the informal economy, only partially assisted by the social safety net. a lot of those live from hand to mouth, so for them it's hard to stay inside the house when you don't have the money to buy food. which leads us to the economy. brazil's currency is the worst performing in the world, its main stock exchange index has plummeted, manufacturing is slumping and unemployment is rising. the brazilian economist armando costella has written of his country: but how best to put out that fire? the president believes lockdowns will make matters worse. and in purely economic terms he is right. ecuador‘s president has defended its lockdown but says it's as if a family has lost half of what it needs to live.

of course, this delicate balance between saving lives and saving incomes is universal in this pandemic. but the bitter political row over whether brazil can afford lockdown has had consequences. at the end of the day, he is the president, people take advice from him as the leader and that is what has been so confusing. do people listen to jair bolsonaro or do they take the advice of their state governors? around the world, covid—i9 has delivered a deadly lesson that while human beings are influenced by passion, politics and prejudice, viruses aren't. to explain brazil's failure to build an urgent, coherent national response, we must start with a president who hasn't always appeared to want one. the son of murdered saudi journalistjamal khashoggi says the family has forgiven his killers. salah khashoggi made the statement in what is the muslim holy month of ramadan. a staunch critic of the saudi

royalfamily, the a staunch critic of the saudi royal family, the renowned journalist shoddy was killed in the saudi consulate in istanbul. he had gone to obtain paperwork to marry his turkish fiance. this was the last time he was seen alive. his son, salah, released this statement on his twitter. in it, he writes: the washington post columnist was kidnapped, injected, suffocated and dismembered. his body was never found. suffocated and dismembered. his body was neverfound. the murder caused a global uproar, greatly harming saudi arabia's reputation. a league cia report suggested his murder was probably ordered by crown prince mohammed salman, a claim they have strenuously denied —— league. in december last year, a saudi court sentenced five men to death. another three received a

total of 2a yea rs' death. another three received a total of 2a years' prison for covering up the crime. none of the men have been named. the timing of the pardon comes during the holy month of ramadan, a time of deep reflection for muslims. his son has said if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from allah. you are watching bbc news — our main headline this hour: china's political leaders attend the national people's congress in bejing, subjects for discussion include a controversial new security law for hong kong. in america, the number of people who've lost theirjobs is continuing to grow, another 2.4 million in the last week. the total is now almost a0 million since lockdown began. and with that number of people losing their paychecks, the financial pain is cutting deep in the world's richest country. nick bryant reports. we don't normally go in search

of hardship in the tree—lined communities of american suburbia, but now it's easy to find. this, the looping queue for a food bank in new york's commuter belt. cars normally used for school pick—up and the weekly shop now a marker of middle—class need. some had waited more than five hours, bumper to bumper in a queue that stretched more than a mile. come here, now. for organiserjamie scott, traffic control has been a major problem. eight weeks ago in the early days of the shutdown, he saw 65 families. now, it's 600. and look at the cars. a mercedes, and expensive suvs. you see a lot of starter mercedes, starter beamers high—end toyotas and what have you. the problem is the people have gone now without four or five or six or seven pay cheques and it is starting to catch up. they need food, it is the most basic thing. guys, it's gonna be

three families! guys, three families! at the front of the line, we met people who had well—paid jobs... all the way up! all the way up to the girls. ..before the coronavirus brought such economic destruction, people who have never had to rely on aid. michelle fernanda is a florist struggling to make ends meet. we have to pay rent, gas, all that stuff. i mean, you've got a beautiful car. did you ever imagine that you would be lining up for food? no, never. this woman is trying to feed her kids. have you got any income at the moment? no. no, because i work housekeeping, so people don't want people to get into their houses because they have families, kids, and we have kids, too. so you are not making any money at the moment? no. so you need this food? yes. yes, we need it. we're witnessing the biggest economic shock since the 1930s in a country still feeling the after—effects of the financial crash in 2008.

what's been noticeable since the great recession is the dwindling number of parents here who believe their kids will enjoy more abundant lives — that long—held belief in generational progress that gives this country so much energy and so much drive. covid—i9 has dealt yet another body blow to the american dream. what good is it if we save everybody from the virus if we let them all starve to death? with desperation, comes anger. freedom! liberty! this, an end to the shutdown process in staten island, one of new york's most affluent boroughs. most of these people are small business owners who believe the stay—at—home order from the state's democratic governor has robbed them of their livelihoods and their liberty. members of the middle class not used to mounting protests. open up new york, that's right! and if you can't do it, get these democrats out! 0pen us up! you are killing us.

# and i've come to see jesus... this is a convulsion that is shifting the ground beneath our feet. a disruption of immense historicalscale, bigger than the great recession, more consequential than 9/11. even in the most prosperous parts of america, lives have been changed forever. nick bryant, bbc news, new york. more than 80 people have died across eastern india and bangladesh after cyclone amphan made landfall, ravaging the area. west bengal‘s chief minister says the level of devastation is beyond comprehension, with indian prime minister, narendra modi visting the region today. as the storm weakens, millions have been left to assess the damage — some, losing everything. tanya dendrinos has this report. a trail of devastation — mother nature's fury unleashed.

millions have been impacted by cyclone amphan, the first super—cyclone to form in the bay of bengal in more than two decades, bringing with it lashing winds, torrential rain and flooding. residents in west bengal assess the damage and, while some attempted repairs, others were sifting through rubble, trying to salvage belongings. translation: due to yesterday's rain, my house was wrecked. a tree fell on it. everything is destroyed. where will we stay? with lockdown restrictions still in place, many were already facing the threat of no work and no income. now, nowhere to live and left wondering where their next meal will come from. translation: there is a lockdown going on for the last two months. we have no way out. we have nothing to eat. the house lost its roof due to be cyclone, how

are we going to repair it and what shall we do? this aerialfootage in bangladesh shows abandoned farms with floodwater rising after a levee broke its banks. homes swallowed, now resembling remote islands. while the storm has now lost its cyclone status, weakening as it moves further inland, the possibility of flooding continues, with heavy rain still likely. tanya dendrinos, bbc news. new research shows that patients who suffer the most from coronavirus also have extremely low numbers of a particular immune cell called a t—cell. uk scientists and critical care doctors have now embarked on a clinical trial of a treatment that boosts the numbers of these cells. victoria gill has more. foran for an unlucky minority of patients, covid—19 is a cruel disease, and it is one with no specific treatment. but an examination of blood samples taken from 60 hospital patients

has revealed a vital clue — those with the most severe form of the disease also had extremely low numbers of a particular virus fighting immune cell called a t cell. it isa immune cell called a t cell. it is a type of t cell, one that we need for these virus—infected cells that seem to be getting into so much trouble. so that tells us a lot about how we try to fight the virus but it also offers ways in which we can put together a fingerprint test to work as early as possible for the status of these sales. measuring the number of these immune cells, that fingerprint test could give an early signal that someone is on course to develop a more severe disease and crucially it has also provided the possibility of a new treatment. a uk team of scientists and intensive doctors is now embarking on a covid—19 clinical trial of an

existing therapy called il7.. look after patients who are extremely unwell, and other than supportive care we do not have any direct active treatment against the disease and we know from other trails that this treatment increases the function of these cells, therefore we are hopeful that actually in the context of this disease, this might be beneficial. there is still a great deal that scientists and doctors have to learn about how this virus undermines our immune systems, but this clue and this new treatment could turn one of its tactics against it and provide some much—needed hope for those it hits the ha rd est. we learned this week that greece officially begins its tourist season in june. but foreigners could be turned away, if the virus isn't under control in their home country. quentin sommerville has more, as athens gets ready to welcome the tourists. when you arrive here at athens airport, this is one of the first things you see.

you get a swab test for covid—19. they've been doing this since march 20th. everybody who has the test, me included, then has to go into isolation for 2h hours. in fact there's been a two week quarantine for everybody arriving in this country, but that's about to end because greece is ready to welcome back tourists. the results are delivered in less than 2a hours. i'm told i'll get mine by early tomorrow morning. this airport now is seeing about 400, 500 passengers a day. last year greece saw something like 30 million passengers — three times the population of the country. it depends on that money. this is a country that's gone through ten years of terrible economic crisis. the last thing it needed was a pandemic on top of that. so from june 15th, tourists will be welcome again, although not those from countries with high infection rates. so, i'm now in my isolation hotel room courtesy of the greek

government and i have to stay here for 2h hours and i will be staying here because the fine for breaking that quarantine is 5000 euros. greece has done relatively well compared to other countries in coping with this pandemic — fewer than 170 deaths. and the rest of europe now is looking towards this country and seeing how it manages that next phase. if it can continue with the success while opening up the country, well, then, that might get us all a bit closer to the lives that we used to lead. the acropolis has already reopened. the country's islands will be next, as greece attempts to return to a time before corona. quentin sommerville, bbc news, athens. we have just got time to take you to hong kong, activists

have gathered to protest against this new national security law being introduced by china, it is the latest development on the story, it would restrict freedoms in the territory. we will keep across that story for you here on bbc news. most of us will have at least a little welcome rain through the day ahead, but it does look fresher for all. the south and the east held on to the sunniest weather and the warmth at 28 celsius, but for most it felt a little fresher during the day on thursday. this huge swirl of cloud will be responsible for the transition and for the rain. now, as that comes and it's really quite deep for this time of year so it will bring some unseasonably windy weather, gales are being warned about all ready for part of northern ireland, scotland, met office warning in force here. and it hangs around, as you can see, for much of the weekend, bringing further strong winds and more rain. it looks as if parts of northern ireland and the north—west of scotland could see the highest

rainfall totals. in fact, in some of the highlands we could have a month's worth of rainfall over the coming few days. look at the strength of the wind, really, anywhere from north wales northwards, 50mph gusts of wind, which with the trees in full leaf is clearly a concern. very mild to start our friday and as you can see, cloudier with some rain. it clears away, there may be some thundery showers in eastern areas first thing and then the showers rattle in with sunshine in between but the showers will be frequent and heavy in the north and west and even thundery. and as you can see, those strong and gusty winds affecting all areas, 30—a0mph even across the far south. so despite temperatures around about average for this time of year, add in those showers, add in the brisk to strong wind and it will feel much fresher for all. but there'll be some sunshine and some drier weather around. the showers just keep coming though, as we go through the night. but temperatures will fall a little lower than the night we are currently in, slightly fresher air is with us, but still for most, 9 or 10 degrees will be the overnight low and that's because of the strength of the wind, which will still be with us on saturday. that low pressure still firmly in charge, giving further showers or longer spells of rain across scotland and northern ireland in particular.

there'll be plenty of showers further south as well and they could well be on the heavy side, even the odd rumble of thunder. but here, across southern areas the sunny spells will be lengthier in between. another fresh feeling day, given the fact we've got atlantic winds and those showers and those brisk winds too, which will start to ease just a little in the south as we get into sunday but there will be further pulses of rain across scotland and northern ireland, as you can see. but just fewer showers in the south on sunday and lengthy spells of sunshine. temperatures a little higher by that stage as well. there's more online.

this is bbc news with the latest business headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. $5 trillion and counting. the us treasury secretary says there's a strong likelihood more rescue cash will be needed for america's virus—ravaged economy. but in the long—term, who pays? plus, on the brink of default again. argentina could become the first financial casualty of the pandemic as it struggles to repay billions of dollars in debt. hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. we're covering all the latest

coronavirus developments here in britain and globally. first: of course we will look at things from a business perspective. throughout today on bbc news we will be looking at the economic cost of the coronavirus pandemic, and how we are going to pay for it. we start now in the us, where treasury secretary steven mnuchin has warned there's a strong likelihood the economy will need more financial aid from the federal government. it comes as another 2.5 million americans filed for unemployment benefit last week. as you can see, the rate of increase is slowing, and fairly dramatically, but the cumulative economic damage has been immense. 38.6 million americans have lost their jobs since the middle of march — that's almost a quarter of the us workforce — and more than the population of canada. these are staggering figures. as for the financial cost so far,

more than $5 trillion is already being spent by congress and the us federal reserve to support families, businesses and local governments. it has helped push the us national debt to a new record above $25 trillion. from new york, michelle fleury reports. the stress is palpable, as this bar owner ponders the future. in brooklyn, one of the deadliest counties in america for coronavirus deaths, small businesses are watching the bills mount as the city's lockdown continues. for this bar, adjusting has been hard. instead of drinks, they now serve food for take—out and delivery. it's keeping our kitchen staff on payroll, and it's keeping us able to restock for the kitchen staff, but it's really not paying our bills — it's nowhere near paying our bills. to repair the damage from the

coronavirus and help small businesses like this one, the us government is itself letting the red ink flow — borrowing a record $3 trillion between april and june, more than any other quarter. we're certainly on track with the debt eclipsing the size of gdp this year, and i think that we are on track and it will be larger than it has ever been in the history of this country in about three years. so, how does america's government borrow money? to borrow, the us treasury has to find someone willing to buy its debt. when the federal government spends more than it ta kes government spends more than it takes in and runs a deficit, it has to go to the market and say, "can you lend me some money and can you buy our government bonds?" as us treasuries. the money comes from three places — domesticly, people hungry for us domestic bonds seen as safe during a time of crisis, from global investors for the same reason and america's central bank. the federal reserve is buying a

lot of government bonds, more than 2 trillion since the coronavirus began at the beginning of march. now, the fed, through the magic of central banking, it prints money, it makes up money, it uses that money to buy bonds. thanks to the actions of those inside here, america is able to afford all of this borrowing because interest rates are so low. but what if that changed? if the us becomes so dependent on that borrowing and other countries having low interest rates to let us do that, it will be a rude awakening when any of those conditions change, as they are likely to. most people agree that keeping businesses afloat and families said is essential, but the pandemic‘s costs are just beginning and some fear if it goes on to long, the debt explosion may sow the seeds of a future economic crisis. michelle fleury, bbc news, new york. joining me now is bill street, group chief investment officer at quintet private bank.

we have the debt clock that goes around faster and faster and faster in the us, we can hardly get the noughts for 25 trillion on the screen it is so big, but nonetheless should there be a sense of anxiety about the sheer size of that debt? 0r about the sheer size of that debt? or is there something that can be coped with? yes, there should always be a degree of anxiety with these numbers floating around. these numbers floating around. these numbers are bigger than we've ever seen numbers are bigger than we've ever seen before, but they are necessary. we are seeing this area when monetary policy is running out of ammunition. we see central banks taking interest rates down to basically zero and some to negative interest rates. this is the era of fiscal policy standing up and supporting the economies. the numbers are big, but the cost of funding are the lowest they've ever been in a generation as well, so we do have very, very low long—term interest rates. the debt

burden, as in the cost of funding is the lowest it's ever been, especially in the states. we've even got the bank of england potentially talking about negative rates — how does that impact in terms of the debt? zuma bleated makes it easier to bear? absolutely, and i think you have both seen the third and the bank of england pushing on the bank of england pushing on the negative interest rates argument because ultimately the effects aren't linear. when you reduce effects aren't linear. when you red u ce costs effects aren't linear. when you reduce costs of interest rates to negative rates it doesn't mean the marginal effectiveness is the same, so the central bankers are looking at the governments for more fiscal support because the impact of fiscal support will be greater than the more negative interest rates. let's have a quick look at the situation across the eu if we can, build, because france and germany have at

least mounted this co—ordinated effort to talk about essentially eu borrowing to help individual states. we'll see if that gets through. is that reassuring or is it creating more anxiety within the markets in terms of whether the markets in terms of whether the eu could cope and whether individual countries could cope? no, ithink individual countries could cope? no, i think this is actually potentially a bit of a game—changerfor actually potentially a bit of a game—changer for europe actually potentially a bit of a game-changer for europe and for the positivity for how europe navigates through this. unlike the global financial crisis and the global financial crisis and the european crisis, when there was lots of concern about wea ker was lots of concern about weaker economies having greater debt burdens, what they're calling the mercron plan, merkel and macron, is to create a centrally funded mechanism to help support the countries that have been ravaged by the virus. this mechanism is a grant, not

a loan. that means it is centrally funded, has very low interest rates, but countries get a grant, meaning it does not increase national debtline levels, and therefore would not influence their credit capabilities or abilities to function as an economy in a high debt scenario —— national debt levels. it is important that it's known to be a grant, not a loan. 0ne not a loan. one other point, we're talking about the potential for default ofa number of about the potential for default of a number of economies around the world, and maybe argentina will be leading the way in the very near future, but when countries turn around and say, you know what, we can't pay our debt, is that going to be quite the problem that it sounds? well, it always is. whenever you have a sovereign default — sovereign debt is the highest quality debt. it should be the

most liquid debt as well. so when you have areas of the economy, the global economy, that have had a lot of volatility in their debt spreads which implicates there's a higher chance of default, there are stresses across the global economy on the back of that. we've seen this before in the emerging market countries. it's not surprising that we're seeing a lot more concern about that sustainability in the emerging markets given some of the impacts the virus has had on their economies. bill, thank you very much. bill street joining bill, thank you very much. bill streetjoining us there. bill, thank you very much. bill street joining us there. thank you. china's premier, li keqiang, says the country will not be setting an annual economic growth target because of great uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic. the rare announcement came at the opening of the annual national people's congress. china had been expected to set a growth target of around 6% this year, allowing it to meet its pledge to double the size of its economy

between 2010 and 2020. let's talk to our asia business correspondent, karishma vaswani, in singapore. that is quite a statement actually to say we're not going to make a statement? yeah, david, although a lot of people had been expecting china to come out with a growth target, the way they always do, and i also heard from many in the investment community that they weren't expecting one because to be honest, if china had set a growth target, that would have been hard to believe as well, right, with all the caveats around the unreliability of chinese economic data because given the current scenario, how could china possibly achieve that against the backdrop of how the coronavirus has impacted its economy? but they've been honest and they've said, "no target this year", that's an acknowledgement of how difficult it's going to be to

get the world's second largest economy up and running again, and that's basically what we are all watching so closely right now, david, how china does could tell us about our own economies and help us to understand how we get out of lockdown, rev up our countries and start that long and grinding path back to some kind of normal. the outlook from people i've been talking to has been pretty grim. doctor doom, as he is often called, an economist, he predicted the financial crisis in 2008, he's been telling me even if we get a recovery this year, it's not going to be great. how they listen. all these jobs are gone. with no wages, no benefits, part—time and so on and so on, so part—time and so on and so on, so there will be even more insecurity injobs so there will be even more insecurity in jobs and income and wages for the average working person. again it's

going to be a story where capital is going to do well, profits are going to do well, but workers' wages and households are going to be worse off. do you see china taking more of a leadership role in the world order? today the chinese have said if you find a vaccine, we will distribute in to the world, but president trump said if we get a vaccine we will give it to every american before any foreigner will get one dose of it. that attitude means the soft power of china is rising, the soft power of the united states is declining. there's a link between the us and china. each one is going to say to the re st of each one is going to say to the rest of the world — either you are with us or against us. either you use my systems, my 56, either you use my systems, my 5g, my technologies or you are using the one of my rival, and therefore it will be a more divided world with europe and others left to decide whether they want to go with the us or

china. the us shot itself in the foot by not having a strategy towards engaging asia and ensuring that asia and other parts of the world don't end up in the sphere of influence of china alone. 0utlining there just how difficult economic recovery will be for all of us, and also some of the choices we are going to be left with as the world sees this greater fracture between the united states and china. 0ut here in asia i hear that a lot, from government officials as well as companies, now wondering what path they need to take as they try to chart some kind of recovery out of the impact they've seen from the coronavirus. you can watch the whole interview this weekend on bbc world news in talking asia and a big interview with nouriel roubini and other experts stop

you should not not interview doctor do on a friday! you should do it on a monday! he is ready hard going but he has lots of interesting things to say for our audiences. karishma, thank you. let's go to argentina now. it faces the prospect of defaulting on its debts for a ninth time later today, as bond payments of $500 million become due this friday. argentinians have been on an economic rollercoaster for decades, with successive defaults seeing the country shunned by international markets. now the coronavirus threatens to wipe out all progress it has made in rebuilding its finances.

michigan is an important state for president trump's re—election chances. he won the state narrowly in 2016, and is eager to claim to again this year. mr trump has sparred with michigan's democratic governor, criticized a plan to allow absentee voting there, and has pushed for industrial areas to return to work. the bbc‘s david grossman has more. the truth is that few of the factors that propelled president trump to power have really gone away, and actually this covid—19 crisis has

intensified some of those divisions. some of the issues that caused many people in this town and state to turn their backs on the democrats. hair has long been a symbol of political protest in america but this is perhaps the first one where it is short here that is an act of defiance. estate took away this man's barbers licence forward defying the lockdown. he and other salon owners gave away free haircuts. michigan lockdown rules get some taking use to. the state police are handing out tickets for cutting hair, but don't seem for cutting hair, but don't seem to take any notice at all of all the guns on display perfectly legally. but isn't this display of weaponry about intimidating people? it's not really about intimidating people. you have to intimidate your government to keep them in

check. 0therwise, your government to keep them in check. otherwise, you look at japan, china, you look at history. when you take away weapons, the government has a chance to run you over. it's not the federal government that the protesters a re not the federal government that the protesters are angry at, but the governor, who they accused of taking away their freedom, using the virus as an excuse. the fact that this crisis has become so politically divided is perhaps a failure of political leadership, but this is an election year, and it is hard to look at this crowd and conclude this isn't exactly as president trump to be. the president trump to be. the president has tweeted repeatedly about liberating michigan and opening up the country. this republican running for congress says it is not the president who has politicised that. i really believe president trump is trying to protect this nation, thatis trying to protect this nation, that is why he ran and gave up his plush lifestyle and new york and florida, and that is

why he is running. that is why he is our president. mr trump arrived in michigan, the stated reason to visit a ford plant thatis reason to visit a ford plant that is now manufacturing ventilators. the real reason, of course, is campaigning. he is picking a very public fight with the governor of michigan in order to try to demonstrate that despite being an office over three years, he is still on the side of the people against the elite. this man told me that voters actually appreciate the president's optimism. i think what the president is trying to do, and it's not different than any president throughout history, is to give people hope, and direction, 0k? and, you know, you can dice up and take snapshots or phrases that were said and then blow them up. 0k, look at the whole presentation in context. what was he trying

to ask the healthcare advisers, what can be done? and don't we wa nt what can be done? and don't we want a president that can keep asking, what can we do? can we open, can we bring the economy back? can we get to the other side of this? we are still a long way from the election, and we don't know what state the virus in the economy will be by then stopping the polls say president trump is losing michigan and the country, but then again, they said that last time. in france, children are going back to school, as the government relaxes its lockdown measures. lucy williamson has more. sens is not a place with a radical image. but this conservative medieval town is now known across france as the place that refused to open any of its state primary schools because of three suspected cases of coronavirus. all have since tested negative. the town's right—wing mayor says her decision was very popular here.

there is too much pressure on parents, she says, because the government has asked each family to decide if their child should return to school. translation: i think it should be either obligatory or not, because it creates a sense of guilt for the parents. if they send their child to school when they get sick, they will feel guilty. if they do not and the child falls behind, they will feel guilty. if you govern, you need to take the decisions. the small high street here was full of parents wondering what to do when schools finally reopen here on monday. translation: it is complicated, because we do not know how it is going to work. my son had some health concerns and i am reluctant to send him anyway. i feel a bit lost. translation: if we had been clearly told we could put our children back to school without danger, we would have put our son in school, but we were not reassured at all. more than 90% of parents here told the mayor they didn't want their children going back

into class, even before the schools here were closed. the government has said this decision is voluntary. and many parents are saying no. since last week, 20% of primary schoolchildren in france have returned to class. france's education minister told us that lockdown had created a social emergency by increasing inequality, and that reopening schools quickly was key. but the children returning to class are often those from wealthier families. the government has issued 56 pages of detailed instructions to schools on how to keep their premises clean and their pupils are safe. so much is compulsory for teachers, say some, when attendance

of children is not. lucy williamson, bbc news, sens. an iranian athlete known for his parkour performances has been arrested after posting videos and photos of him kissing a girl. alireza japalaghy‘s family has been told by police that his posts are not in accordance with islamic customs.

and that's bbc news. most of us will have at least a little welcome rain through the day ahead, but it does look fresher for all. the south and the east held on to the sunniest weather and the warmth at 28 celsius, but for most it felt a little fresher during the day on thursday. this huge swirl of cloud will be responsible for the transition and for the rain. now, as that comes and it's really quite deep for this time of year so it will bring some unseasonably windy weather, gales are being warned about all ready for part of northern ireland, scotland, met office warning in force here. and it hangs around, as you can see, for much of the weekend, bringing further strong winds and more rain. it looks as if parts of northern ireland and the north—west of scotland could see the highest rainfall totals.

in fact, in some of the highlands we could have a month's worth of rainfall over the coming few days. look at the strength of the wind, really, anywhere from north wales northwards, 50mph gusts of wind, which with the trees in full leaf is clearly a concern. very mild to start our friday and as you can see, cloudier with some rain. it clears away, there may be some thundery showers in eastern areas first thing and then the showers rattle in with sunshine in between but the showers will be frequent and heavy in the north and west and even thundery. and as you can see, those strong and gusty winds affecting all areas, 30—a0mph even across the far south. so despite temperatures around about average for this time of year, add in those showers, add in the brisk to strong wind and it will feel much fresher for all. but there'll be some sunshine and some drier weather around. the showers just keep coming though, as we go through the night. but temperatures will fall a little lower than the night we are currently in, slightly fresher air is with us, but still for most, 9 or 10 degrees will be the overnight low and that's because of the strength of the wind, which will still be with us on saturday. that low pressure still firmly in charge, giving further showers or longer spells of rain across scotland and northern ireland in particular.

there'll be plenty of showers further south as well and they could well be on the heavy side, even the odd rumble of thunder. but here, across southern areas the sunny spells will be lengthier in between. another fresh feeling day, given the fact we've got atlantic winds and those showers and those brisk winds too, which will start to ease just a little in the south as we get into sunday but there will be further pulses of rain across scotland and northern ireland, as you can see. but just fewer showers in the south on sunday and lengthy spells of sunshine. temperatures a little higher by that stage as well. there's more online.

good morning — welcome to breakfast with charlie stayt and naga munchetty. 0ur headlines today: 10 days before schools in england are due to reopen nearly half of councils tell breakfast they can't guarantee children will go back to the classroom. spot—checks and fines of up to £1,000 — how a 14—day quarantine will work for visitors to the uk. a tribute to the victims of coronavirus — an online book of remembrance is set up. our high streets will never be the same again. ahead of a predicted collapse in sales figures, former dragon and retail boss theo paphitis tells the bbc the government must step