this is bbc news. my name is mike embley, with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. china's new security laws for hong kong come into force. anyone convicted could be jailed for life. a coronavirus warning — the leading american virus expert says case numbers in the us are going in the wrong direction. we are now having a0,000—plus new cases a day. i would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day. the new research which suggests the virus can lead to strokes and long—term brain damage. hi, my name is kaitlyn. i am nine years old, and i'm a figure skater. and grace, poise, and a message of hope. the young skater capturing the hearts of millions on black lives matter plaza.

hello and welcome. exactly 23 years ago, the former british territory of hong kong reverted to chinese sovereignty. beijing promised some autonomy, the one country, two systems policy, to last until at least 2047. but, at midnight local time, beijing's new security laws came into force. many things seen until now as civil rights are now crimes punishable by life in prison. pro—democracy groups are dismayed, many other countries are concerned, but china is insistent that its laws must be followed. john sudworth reports. this was the moment china tightened its grip on hong kong. the process itself

spoke volumes. 162 votes in favour, none against, for a new law, the text of which was kept secret until after it was passed. this is what it is designed to stop. under the national security law, many of the acts of protest that have rocked hong kong over the past year could now be classed as subversion or secession, and punished with up to life imprisonment. via video link to a un human rights council meeting, hong kong's pro—beijing leader said the law was long overdue. the question of how long we could tolerate such a gaping hole in national security has to be asked and answered. since lastjune, hong kong has been traumatised by escalating violence, fanned by external forces. when the uk handed over control of hong kong in 1997, china promised to safeguard the city's freedoms for 50 years.

but, just 23 years on, the balance is shifting. a national security commission will be above the law. suspects can be extradited to the mainland. for beijing, a rising, wealthy superpower, this is all meant as a show of confidence. it could, though, also be seen as the opposite. for a system built on denying people a voice, the resistance and dissent in that unruly city to the south presents a real threat. the impact has been immediate. activists like youth leader joshua wong have announced they are stepping back from politics. you've been arrested yourself... this protester‘s words are spoken by an actor. people will feel the fear. this will have a chilling effect on hong kong society. many people just stop

talking about politics. with just a few hours before the law took effect, protesters in hong kong made their opposition known, a small, brave gesture in a city at risk of losing its voice. john sudworth, bbc news, beijing. victoria hui is a china and hong kong analyst at the university of notre dame in indiana, as well as a hong kong native and author. she says she is extremely disappointed at the events. it's really horrifying, because in one go, beijing has killed hong kong. now, we should always remember that in 1984, when china signed its british joint declaration with london, the mood in beijing at the time was to reassure notjust britain, but also hong kong people and the rest of the world that — don't worry about china. don't worry that we're going to kill hong kong.

everything will be fine. but today, essentially, while the law is named the security law, it really is meant to serve for the regime. it's to make hong kong safe for the ccp. it's a beijing security law. this is a big change. do you think there is anything — it is possible to do anything about it, really? is any pushback possible? well, people are going to push back. we know that a lot of the activists already announced that they are going to continue with the annual 1 july protest, which they've been doing every year during the handover ceremony. and on the other hand, though, today in hong kong, when people do this, they are going to be subject to charges of subversion. and the definitions of subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion in this law, they are very, very loose.

early on, the report suggested that beijing said this is really going to try and stop any violence in these street protests, except that the law will cover notjust violence, but any activity. incitement, provision of service, provision of materials, provision of training and financial support — almost anything can be seen as subversion of the regime. but of course, we have seen many high—profile protesters backing out of their public role just in the last few days, deleting posts, as well. and china is such a power in the world, isn't it, economically and politically. the rest of the world's made very little difference to chinese policy in xinjiang or tibet. can it really make a difference to hong kong? this is a very good question. given what it has done to xinjiang, with the quote—unquote "re—education camps," and sending people to these forced labour facilities, and also total domination and repression

of tibetans, the world so far, the international community, has only issued verbal condemnation, and not taken any action. and so beijing was expecting that the world would continue to do this. i think that whenjohnson, borisjohnson, said that we're going to give a path to hong kong people born before 1997, a path to citizenship, and also the us has also revoked hong kong's special economic status, these actions really have ta ken by surprise beijing. but they are still betting that they're basically all tokens, no real actions. the democratic presidential candidate, joe biden, has made a blistering attack on donald trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. he said the president was in retreat, with more than 125,000 americans dead and infections surging in many states. mr president, the crisis is real. the crisis is real, and it's surging, mr president.

your promises and predictions and wishful thinking, pulled out of thin air, are not only doing the country no good, but making them lose even more faith in their government. america knows this crisis isn't behind us, even if you don't. we need a president, mr president. a president who will level with the american people. a president who'll tell us the unvarnished truth. a president who'll take responsibility, instead of always blaming others. a president who'll listen to the experts, follow the science, allow them to speak. a president who'll lead, and be an example for the nation. wear a mask. keep your distance. limit the size of crowds. mr president, this is not about you. it's about the health and well—being of the american public.

the country's top infectious disease expert, anthony fauci, has also warned that unless the us manages to control the spread of the virus, the infection rate could more than double. we can't just focus on those areas that are having the surge. it puts the entire country at risk. we are now having 40,000—plus new cases a day. i would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around, and so i am very concerned. texas, which had been at the forefront of states peeling away restrictions designed to control the deadly pandemic, has witnessed one of the biggest jumps in new cases in the united states, reporting more than 6,000 on monday alone. the state has seen a record number of hospitalisations for 13 days straight. in galena park, about 12 miles from houston, there is a curfew in effect from 10:00pm to 5:00am to keep people off the streets.

well, here is the mayor of galena park, esmeralda moya, who is responsible for bringing in the curfew to try to stem the surge in cases. very good to talk to you. i know how busy you are. we really appreciate your time. in a nutshell, can you paint us a picture of what is happening in your area? yes, definitely. thank you for having me. i think this is very important. this is a disease that is affecting all of us, and it cannot be underestimated. just a little briefing on what is going on on the side. harris cou nty going on on the side. harris county has moved the covid—19 level of threat to read, which means a severe outbreak of the disease. the number of cases in houston are up to 47,1121, with 600 deaths. just in our city of galena park, there has been 43 new cases since first ofjune. the current numbers here in our city since 30 june at 4pm r 66 confirmed. we have averaged 7.6 cases a month in the first

three months of this disease, and we are currently on pace to see almost six times that amount ina see almost six times that amount in a single month. every age group in the city has seen cases of this disease, from infa nts to cases of this disease, from infants to 80 years of age and up. but let's keep in mind that this disease continues to be an issue. hospitals are seeing a large amount of patients, and their capacity is filling up quickly. that's why i placed a cu rfew, quickly. that's why i placed a curfew, because this is manageable. we are trying to keep the people out of the hospitals, and if people limit their interactions with people, we may be able to bring back some of the curve. the new mask order and the city curfews will help, but it will require time to work, and for the people to stay home. the next two weeks will be critical, and we can

turn the numbers around. we have to remember that this disease that is really spreading through droplets and when we have close contact, we need to remember to always, a lwa ys need to remember to always, always wear a face mask, avoid large crowds and maintain good hygiene. we have to continue practising the social distance and stay home, so we're hoping the curfew will take care of those issues. we have implemented a curfew in the past, and we have seen a steady pace in the number of cases, andi pace in the number of cases, and i believe this will be helpful. and mayor, it is very noticeable, of course, that you are wearing a mask, from the city of galena park. it also seems amazing that wearing a mask has become an issue, especially in a state such as texas. texans are texans, they don't like to be told what to don't like to be told what to do by anyone. what was that the governor said recently? this is texas, we have got this. well,

i have been blessed in my city that a lot of the citizens, they do want to play their part, andi they do want to play their part, and i feel they do want to play their part, and ifeel blessed because they are understanding the severity of this disease. and we can take care of other cities, by taking care of ourselves. so we will continue to fight this disease, as it is very difficult to fight something you can't see, but we're going to do our best.|j was looking at the figures, i know that something like 85% of your population are hispanic people, hispanic people, like african—americans, people, hispanic people, like african—america ns, particularly vulnerable to this virus, like, also, people living in some degree of poverty or deprivation. am i right that you don't even have a local hospital, and you and recently got a medical centre? well, we've been blessed that in 2016 we've been blessed that in 2016 we we re we've been blessed that in 2016 we were able to bring a clinic that extends to a hospital here to our city. so we are working with them to bring testing in, and in terms of the nationality, i think this is a

disease that doesn't discriminate, so we are working very ha rd to discriminate, so we are working very hard to keep our individuals, our citizens, safe here. we are providing masks to every high school here in galena park, we are having food drives, we are doing home deliveries to our home senior citizens and our citizens with disabilities, and we continue to work together as a community to work together as a community to move forward. esmeralda moya, mayor of galena park, thank you so much. thank you. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: grace, poise and a message of hope — the young american skater who's captured the hearts of millions of people on black lives matter plaza. china marked its first day of rule in hong kong with a series of spectacular celebrations. a huge firework display was held in the former colony. the chinese president, jiang zemin, said unification was the start of a

new era for hong kong. the world's first clone has been produced of an adult mammal. scientists in scotland have produced a sheep called dolly that was cloned in a laboratory using a cell from another sheep. for the first time in 20 years, russian and american spacecraft have docked in orbit at the start of a new era of cooperation in space. challenger powered past the bishop rock lighthouse at almost 50 knots, shattering a record that had stood for 34 years. and there was no hiding the sheer elation of richard branson and his crew. this is bbc news, the latest headlines: china's new security laws

for hong kong come into force, allowing those convicted to be jailed for life. america's leading virus expert issues a stark warning that cases are going in the wrong direction, as infections soar in some us states. to russia now, where wednesday marks the final day in a week—long vote on changing the constitution. the document contains dozens of proposals, but the headline—grabber is the one which would let vladimir putin run for office again. that could leave him in the kremlin until 2036, should he want to try. his critics say it's just a blatant power—grab. sarah rainsford reports. all week, russians have been voting on the biggest package of reforms to their constitution since the 1990s and it's taking place in venues like s — not the most formal —looking setting for such an important vote. is also taking place, of course, in the midst

of the covid—19 pandemic, so there are extra precautions. 0n there are extra precautions. 0n the side of the ten here is an explanation of what people are actually voting on, some of the amendments, and the headings look pretty attractive — there is access to quality medicine for all, the defence of russia's sovereign integrity, even environmental rights, but it all looks like fairly attractive wrapping for the key amendment here for the kremlin, article 81, this would allow president putin to run for office for two more terms. he could in fact stay in the kremlin until 2036 if he chooses. we've driven even deeper into the countryside now, and the vote here looks even more

makeshift. 0pposition figures here have dismissed it as a joke, some have even called it a constitutional coup, but it is taking place across the country well, this tent was supposed to be here three more hours, but we've just been told the election officials are taking the ballot box and they're going around the houses instead. the kremlin seems to have been in a rush with this vote since the very start. that could be because vladimir putin's approval rating, although still high, has begun to slide and this coronavirus crisis isn't going to make anything easier. so if this boat is about extending his time in power, what do people here actually think about that? —— this vote.

0ne one of the odd things about this process is that russia's new constitution is already printed and on sale in all the bookshops here. now, in theory, the result of a popular vote could see this entire project scrapped but the fact it's already in print suggests the authorities here are pretty confident. sarah rainsford for us there. although more than 10 million people around the world are known to have suffered from covid—19, we're still at a very early stage of knowing what the long—term effects of the virus will be on those who survive it. now a team of specialists based here in london say it could be causing strokes and other types of severe neurological damage. medical correspondent fergus walsh has the story. paul milray will never be able to go diving again, but he feels fortunate to be alive. covid—19 first attacked his lungs and then caused two massive strokes.

the 64—year—old has made an astonishing recovery, which doctors put down to his high level of fitness. i have four weeks of my life that is absent. i don't remember it. when i came round, i couldn't really get out of bed and i couldn't read anything, so i'm lucky in the physical terms. i've still got a bit of problem on the right—hand side, but it's minimal. i can read now, but it's tough. i forget what i've done. i've done something and then suddenly i forget what that is. so, paul welcome to your cognitive rehab session. paul is not alone. in just two weeks, doctors at the national hospital for neurology in london treated six covid patients who suffered strokes, all triggered by unusually sticky blood. this is the area that has been affected by the stroke, this is the acute stroke...

after his first stroke, paul was put on blood thinners but despite that he suffered a second, even bigger stroke. to their surprise, doctors found clotting markers in the blood hundreds of times higher than normal. it's not the likes of anything we've seen before in stroke. certainly from a treatment perspective, certainly from the clotting factor perspective. i don't know if we exactly know, but something about this illness is causing a hyper clotability, causing clots in the legs, lungs and brain, like we've seen here. neurologists are also seeing covid patients with extensive inflammation of the brain, caused, they think, not by the virus but by the body's immune system overreacting to the disease. we were quite concerned that we are starting to see effects of covid on the brain that we haven't seen before.

for some people, it's going to be a devastating, life—altering illness and i think we need to be prepared for decades of impact on people's brains. there's so much yet we don't know about how coronavirus attacks the body, but it's clear the brain is vulnerable. paul's recovery is exceptional, others are not so fortunate. fergus walsh, bbc news. at least 18 people have been killed in an explosion and fire at a medical centre in the iranian capital, tehran. officials are blaming a gas leak linked to oxygen cylinders. several other people were injured. bbc persian's rana rahimpour has more on what happened. the medical centre was in the north of the capital in the

area of takish, a very busy area, there were two explosions, very large, they have damaged other buildings in the area. according to the mayor of tehran, at the time of the explosions there were at least 25 members of staff. it's a five story story building and it's used for minor surgeries and medical imaging, the majority of those will have lost their lives where the patients of the medical centre. according to the vice governor of tehran, it was probably caused by a gas leak but other authorities say they are still investigating the cause of the explosions. rana rahimpour from bbc persian. the area outside the white house in washington has been the scene of sometimes—violent clashes recently, but 9—year—old skater kaitlyn saunders saw something different. for her, the road surface known as black lives matter plaza became a place to perform. she and her mother have been telling us about her inspiration. my parents were talking to me about the black lives matter

protests, and i decided i wanted to do something. hi, my name is kaitlyn, i'm nine years old, and i'm a figure skater. i was in awe watching her skate across black lives matter plaza. i wasn't sure as a parent how much she really understood about what was going on in the world. we had talked to her about some of the things, but to see her think about how she was feeling and express yourself in that way, and put those into her skating was incredible. there's some messages that are coming in, saying that people are watching it before they start their day, before they get up — just to have hope for the day. so it's inspiring to us, just the outpouring. well, there are thousands of thousands of comments, and they really make me smile.

we went through it a few times and itjust got more powerful each time. and i think that the words "black lives matter" being written on the street while she was performing was definitely a game—changer. i asked her afterwards if the words were not there, would she have skated the same way? and she says she doesn't think she would have, because the words gave her the freedom and the power to kind of go all out. and the idea that people had been down there protesting, and the thought that she could have a voice in that was really powerful. that main story, china's new security law has come into force hours ago in hong kong. many things seen until now as civil rights, including pro—democracy protests, can be seen as pro—democracy protests, can be

seen as sedition, subversion or secession, punishable by life in prison. that's it for now, thank you for watching. hello there. the rest of this week is looking fairly unsettled with pressure always a little bit lower. that'll bring showers through today, and also thursday, and on friday, we'll see another area of low pressure bringing some wet and windy weather to many of us. now, this is the weak area of low pressure i was talking about. across the country today, it's a weather front bringing more persistent rain to start the day across parts of central southern scotland, northern ireland and the far north of england. this tending to break up into showers, which could turn out to be heavy into the afternoon. england and wales may see the sunshine breaking through that cloud — all that'll do is set off some heavy, maybe thundery showers. temperatures reaching the high teens, low 20s in the south, but a chilly feel to things

across northern and eastern scotland and northeast england with a northerly wind here, so, temperatures at best around the mid—teens celsius. looks like the showers will tend to merge together to create longer spells of rain across southern scotland, northern england, the midlands, and northern wales during wednesday night. it'll be milder in the south, further north with some clear spells with single figure values. again, it'll be chilly where we have our northerly wind. 0n into thursday, this weather front continuing to bring further showers particularly towards england and wales, but a brief ridge of high pressure will be trying to nose into scotland and northern ireland. so, here through the day, it should turn drier with light winds and sunshine. so a better day here, but for england and wales, again the threat of heavy, it may be thundery showers developing through the midlands into east wales, and across into the south—east. temperatures reaching again below 20 in the south with sunshine, a little bit better further north—west, but still chilly near those north—east coasts. as we head on into friday, here it is, the next area of low pressure starts to push in off the atlantic. lots of isobars on the charts, so it'll turn windier initially across the west, then spreading its way eastwards through the day. the rain will be persistent — northern ireland, especially western scotland, into the cumbrian fells, perhaps north—west wales.

but i think central and eastern areas should tend to stay dry with variable amounts of cloud and some sunshine. so here, we get 20—21 celsius, mid—to—high teens further north. into the weekend, it remains unsettled with the pressure always lower, so it'll be quite windy at times and there will be rain around, particularly across the north and the west of the country. here, it will be windier and wetter, whereas further south and east you are, especially on sunday, it could be a bit brighter and feel a little bit warmer.

this is bbc news. the headlines: china's new security law has come into force in hong kong. many things seen until now as civil rights, including pro—democracy protests, can now be deemed subversion, terrorism or secession punishable by life in prison. the changes took effect as the former british territory commemorates the 23rd anniversary of the reversion to chinese sovereignty. the leading american expert on infectious diseases, dr anthony fauci, has warned that coronavirus cases in the us could double to 100,000 a day if lockdowns are not maintained. the surge has forced at least 16 mainly southern and western states to pause or reverse reopening plans. president trump is denying reports from many sources that he or his close advisers were briefed on intelligence suggesting russia covertly offered taliban militants money to kill us troops in afghanistan last year.