welcome to bbc news. i'm aaron safir. our top stories: as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide reaches 30 million, officials say the rise in europe needs to serve as a wake—up call. although these numbers reflect more comprehensive testing, it also shows alarming rates of transmission across the region. covid—19 cases are on the rise in france, as doctors warn that hospitals are filling up. a record number of fires in the pa nta nal wetlands of south america, causing devastation in one of the world's most biodiverse areas.

operatic singing and russian opera singer and owner brett coe is admitted to hospital with coronavirus. —— anna netrebko. hello. the number of officially recorded coronavirus cases across the globe has climbed above 30 million. according to figures from johns hopkins university, more than 940,000 people worldwide have died with the disease since it first emerged in china late last year. the worst affected countries remain the united states, india and brazil, but there's been a surge in positive tests across europe in recent weeks. figures from the world health organization show that new weekly coronavirus cases in europe exceed those reported

when the pandemic first peaked in march. well, let's look at europe — spain recorded almost 5,000 new infections in 2a hours, up from just over 3,000 the previous day. almost 2,000 were in the madrid region, which is planning targeted lockdowns. in france, 10,593 cases were recorded on thursday — marking the highest single—day count since the pandemic began. in the uk, the government's announced almost 3,400 new infections on thursday. to help prevent the spread of the virus, almost 2 million people living in the north—east of england are now under new restrictions that came into place at midnight, local time. well, we'll have a report from our correspondent in marseille, which is a new french virus hot spot, in a moment. but first, let's hear from the who's regional directorfor europe, who says the figures are heading upwards and it's time for action. in the spring and early summer,

we were able to see the impact of strict lockdown measures. our efforts, our sacrifices paid off. injune, cases hit an all—time low. the september case numbers, however, should serve as a wake—up call for all of us. although these numbers reflect more comprehensive testing, it also shows alarming rates of transmission across the region. well, two of france's biggest cities — lyon and nice — have been told by the country's health minister they have until sunday to come up with new measures to slow the spread of coronavirus. and in marseille — at the epicentre of france's new wave of infections — doctors say hospital wards in the city are now "nearing saturation" and that only a handful of intensive care beds are still available. lucy williamson reports from marseille's main hospital. a warning — there are images you may find distressing. marseille's main intensive

care unit has become a changing room again. familiar routines resurrected for a new wave of covid patients. this time, it's a 65—year—old man on life support. they're putting a camera down his throat, one of the riskiestjobs. the ventilators on their suits purify the air inside their masks. these are the patients‘ only visitors. his wife calls for news once or twice a day. she's not allowed in to see him. now it's becoming very disturbing, because we are split between the desire to treat the patient, of course, and as best as possible, and also to treat non—covid patients in the appropriate way. that is, to find icu beds, to have surgery, to manage trauma patients and so on. so, it's very difficult to manage. marseille is the epicentre of france's new covid crisis. the director of public

hospitals here says the system is nearing saturation, with only a handful of intensive care beds left and 100 extra staff recruited in the past week. this icu, marseille's biggest, is now almost full. the nightmare for units like this one is a sudden rise in the rate of infections. this hospital is sending two covid patients to intensive care each day. a sudden spike would overwhelm them. rates of infection in marseille are now twice that of paris. 0ver10% of those tested here are positive. at this centre today it was first come, first served, but getting a test isn't always easy. this woman told us she'd had symptoms since monday. translation: it's a panic, a real panic. it's stressful. there are no appointments available on the government's testing website and the doctor's website tells me there's nothing until

the end of september. the government admitted today there were bottlenecks in major cities, despite a new system that's meant to prioritise care workers and those with symptoms or contact with cases. the rules in marseille are becoming stricter by the week. groups larger than ten are now banned from beaches and parks — the price of a post—lockdown summer when thousands mingled here together. a summer that swapped isolation for infection, now sending its waves out across france. lucy williamson, bbc news, marseille. that is france. let's go to spain now. in spain, authorities are set to reveal details on friday about localised lockdowns in madrid, where more than 1,600 new cases have been reported in the last 2a hours. freya cole reports. it's the final hazy days

of summer in spain, but for health workers they hardly caught a break from the pandemic which is flaring up again. since restrictions were lifted in latejune, infections have risen in spain from a few hundred a day, to thousands. madrid's working—class neighbourhoods have the highest volume of new outbreaks. many people don't have the luxury of sick leave or a place to self—isolate. it's a problem, authorities say, that needs to be addressed. translation: i must tell the people of madrid that the situation in our region is not good. in reality, it is getting much worse and we are going to need to make more effort. it's a similar picture in barcelona. people in working—class el raval line up for a test, but there are fears about the consequence. translation: if a woman who has a job off the books, tests positive, she will have to leave and could lose that job for good. so if an entire family

depends on that income, it makes sense that people are afraid. translation: i think it's very important that tests are done to identify the asymptomatic cases. but it's true that not everyone is coming here, because they could lose theirjobs. like in many countries around the world, the pandemic in spain is creating deeper divides. and as the outbreaks worsen in the poorest neighbourhoods, it's evidence that the virus does not treat everyone equally. freya cole, bbc news. there have been more than 15,000 fires in brazil's pantanal wetlands so far this year — that is triple the number recorded in the same period last year, according to data collected by brazil's national institute for space research. the fires have caused widespread destruction in one

of the world's most biodiverse areas, as mark lobel now reports. fires crackling the world's most enviable wildlife — up in flames. fires visible to astronauts in space, ripping apart one of the most biologically diverse habitats on earth. flames spreading at record rates from often deliberate fires amidst a devastating drought — causing carnage, killing thousands of rare creatures, some at risk of extinction. sandwiched between the country's rainforest, vast grasslands and paraguay‘s dry forests, brazil's pantanal should be a haven for animals. there was one rescue to smile about. this armadillo pup, with burns to its body, seen fleeing from a fire. it's a race against time for others to save the wounded wildlife, catching jaguars and porcupines before it's too late.

but it's also a sad story of creatures desperate to cool off, instead, consumed by the flames. environmentalists are blaming cattle farmers and ranchers, changing ocean temperatures have also contributed to dry conditions, as has accelerated deforestation in the amazon. all catastrophic news for the world's largest wetlands, home to animals, birds and plants, that thrive off the annual flooding that usually follows torrential reins. translation: the rains we get in the state of matto grosso, including the pantanal, comes from the amazon. with increasing deforestation in the amazon, other regions in south america will also suffer, as we are seeing this year, this extreme drought has caused many more fires than we have ever seen. brazil's president has been accused of not doing enough to put out the fires in his country.

he has depowered environmental groups and called them "a cancer", hitting out at accusations he's not doing enough. translation: brazil is the country that preserves the environment the most. some don't understand that. it's the country that suffers the most attacks from abroad regarding its environment. but there's no doubt he is providing over an ecological crisis, with economic development being prioritised over environmental protections, and now, for many residents of this former sanctuary, it's too late. mark lobel, bbc news. i spoke to cristiane mazzetti, forest campaigner for greenpeace brazil. well, it is a very — the region is very rich in terms of biodiversity, and we may lose species forever.

we are living in a current biodiversity crisis, there are1 million species around the planet that are in the process of extinction. and by letting those fires consume our forests, our biomes, brazil is also contributing with such crises. and nature may never recover. it may take a 30 years, 100 years, or never recover, the fires may come again next year, and this is very concerning. people around the world may hear or see these pictures in this story and their heart may ache for it. what can people do? what is within the power of ordinary people to have an impact on things like this? so, ordinary people, firstly, should expose what is happening in brazil and expose

the government isn't acting. and apart from that, people could reduce the meat that they consume, because these products are still very much related to deforestation and ecosystem destruction. and thirdly, they should ask their supermarkets, the companies they buy from, to make sure that the products they are offering are not connected with forest destruction, ecosystem destruction and the violation of human rights. and, cristiane, a brief answer if you can because we're short of time. we heard president bolsonaro there say brazil should be congratulated for how it has treated the environment. it is unacceptable, because bolsonaro has been undermining environmental agencies that protect the environment. the official numbers are clear, the situation is getting worse in terms of fire hot spots and deforestation. cristiane mazzetti

from greenpeace brazil. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: massive forest fires in the arctic circle. we have a special report on the blazes moving across siberia. 30 hours after the earthquake that devastated mexico city, rescue teams still have no idea just how many people have died. there is people alive and there is people not alive. we just can help and give whatever we got. a state funeral has been held for princess grace of monaco, at the church where she married prince rainier, 26 years ago. it looked as though they had come to fight a war. but their mission is to bring peace to east timor, and nowhere on earth needs it more badly. the government's case has been forcefully presented by monsieur badinter, the justice minister. he's campaigned vigorously for abolition, having once witnessed one of his clients being executed. elizabeth seton spent much of her time at this grotto, and every year hundreds of pilgrimages are made here. now that she has become

a saint, it is expected that this area will be inundated with tourists. the mayor and local businesses regard the anticipated boom as yet another blessing of saint elizabeth. this is bbc world news, the latest headlines: as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide reaches 30 million, officials say the rise in europe must serve as a wake—up call. covid—19 cases are on the rise in france as doctors warn that hospitals are filling up. the un's high commissionerfor human rights michelle bachelet has presented a report on myanmar‘s human rights situation. it assesses the nation's progress on human rights and recommends how the next government should take action. the country is due to hold a general election in november.

i spoke to the head of the high commission's myanmar team. the report is based on eyewitness accounts from over 80 different witnesses and victims to human rights violations. the main findings are that the armed conflict in rakhine and chin states and other armed conflicts in other parts of the country have disproportionately been affecting civilians and that ranges from the impact of indiscriminate use of heavy weaponry, forced displacement, the results from that civilian death and injury due to the use of these weapons, the burning of villages, mass arrest and arbitrary detention, the use of torture and this situation has basically created, particularly in rakhine and chin state, a situation where the rohingya population that was displaced in 2017 does not have the condition to return.

also, ethnic rakhine populations have been badly affected. the other key finding in this report is that there has not been enough done for accountability, for previous crimes committed in 2017 and four other periods in the armed conflict in the country. james, yes, sorry for interrupting you mentioned the government and, briefly, what recommendations do you have for any new government that may form all the existing government if it carries on? the first and foremost we are asking for the conflict in rakhine and chin states to stop. a national ceasefire put in place for all the other states in the country that have been in conflict so we ask that the national ceasefire extend to rakhine and chin states.

we want the government to create conditions conducive to return and, most urgently, we ask for there to be accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity and possibly genocide. unprecedented wildfires have been burning along the arctic circle for months now, releasing record amounts of greenhouse gases. scientists say the fires across siberia, fuelled by abnormally high temperatures, are contributing to global warming. our correspondent steve rosenberg and his production crew are the first foreign team to be allowed into the remote yakutia region, in north eastern russia, to gauge the effects of climate change, both on local communities and on the planet. in siberia, they call their forests the lungs of the planet. if that is true, our planet is in big trouble. we were given a bird's eye view

of a climate emergency. from the air, siberia's forest fires look like armageddon. a heatwave has been fuelling them and they are releasing record amounts of carbon. and because of the vastness of siberia, fighting them is incredibly difficult. this region alone, yakutia, is 13 times the size of britain. what's happening here in siberia has consequences for the whole world. scientists believe these forest fires are producing huge amounts of greenhouse gases that are changing the climate of the planet. russia has one fifth of the world's forests. if they are burning, the fallout is global. for a closer look, we switch transport and head into the siberian taiga

with the forest rangers. it is slow going. this is a real siberian forest path. not easy to get down, it will take us a while to get to the fire. but we are on the right track. it soon becomes clear that fire has swept through here, destroying larch and silver birch and turning parts of this fairy tale forest into a wasteland. when we catch up with the flames, the forest rangers do their best with what they've got. but no sooner is one

fire out... ..another sparks. it is siberia's equivalent of a david versus goliath. ranger valentin says it is getting hotter here every year. he is spending more and more time in the forest. translation: i spend nearly all my summers now fighting fires. my wife and three kids are waiting for me at home. but this is a job i must do. for the planet, there is a double danger here. the burning you can see is producing c02, but also underground, fire is thawing the frozen soil or permafrost, releasing even more greenhouse gases. siberia is trapped in a vicious

circle of climate change. rising temperatures mean dry forest and more forest fires. more fires mean more carbon emissions being pumped into the atmosphere and more climate change. climate change affect everyone. we will be shown how it threatens this man's community. we are speeding along a river, the great siberian river shrouded in smoke. every day ivan and his friends patrolled this forest. they recently put out a fire here close to the village. any lingering flame, any hint of danger is pounced on. translation: i don't remember a summer like this. no rain and so hot. the dry grass

was like gunpowder. but it is the ground following that worries me. there will be less dry land and our community could end up underwater. life here will change. siberia and its fires may seem far away. what happens here affect us all. we are one planet and are interconnected. we face the same climate crisis. associates of alexi navalny say they found traces of novichok ona they found traces of novichok on a plastic bottle which suggests he was poisoned for he left his hotel room. it had been thought he was given contaminated tea at an airport

in siberia. mr navalny continues to recover in hospital in berlin. the russian opera star anna netrebko says she has contracted coronavirus and is in hospital with pneumonia. it follows her recent performances at the bolshoi theatre — which had onlyjust re—opened. the soprano reassured fans she was recovering, and said it had been her decision to return to work knowing the risks. tim allman reports. she sings anna netrebko dominating this stage, as she always does. she performed twice in verdi's don carlos when the bolshoi opened its doors earlier this month. but only a few days later she had fallen ill. on social media she said she had "tested positive for covid—19 and am currently in hospital for medical treatment. i am doing well but also have covid—related pneumonia

so i need medical supervision." she added "i knew there was always going to be a risk that i might get infected but i do not regret going back to performing, because i strongly believe we need culture now, as ever." the famous russian opera house had been closed since march and special measures were introduced to try and protect both performers and the audience. anna netrebko had expressed her delight at returning to the stage. translation: this was scheduled for the end ofjune but unfortunately all our plans fell through. we are very happy to have an opportunity, and the theatre is opening. wish us all luck, good health and success. we will be pioneers. three others in the company have also tested positive and are now self isolating. anna netrebko is expected to make a full recovery. her manager says she is singing in hospital.

we wish her all the best for a speedy recovery. hello. the current spell of settled weather is expected to continue for a few more days yet and friday promises to be another beautiful day across the uk. for some of us, clear blue skies, may be hazy at times, but on the whole, a fine day. so, high—pressure is in charge of the weather, notjust on friday but through much of the weekend. the south of the country is a little bit closer to the low pressure that may bring a few showers on the weekend. but the short term is certainly looking dry. across most of the uk, friday morning, sunshine pretty much from the word go. a little nippy first thing in the north of england, getting in as low as five

degrees early in the morning. so, here is the forecast for friday afternoon. lots of sunshine, that breeze is quite strong, despite the breeze still 22 degrees in london, 19 in the midlands, 21 degrees in glasgow and edinburgh, and on those winds, gusts possibly up to a0 miles an hour in the south coast of england. that will take the edge off the temperatures. a bit of a bluster there if you're walking along the channel coast. the evening is promising to be fine across most of the uk. here's saturday's weather forecast. notice the weather front just to the south of us linked to this low pressure close to spain and portugal, the weather front will approach the channel coast during the course of the weekend. the initial thinking is that there might be some showers around on saturday, may be cornwall, devon, but the vast majority of the uk will be in for a fine day and again, that breeze quite nagging on some of the coasts, blowing out of the east northeast. but still, 23 in london, a bit fresher in the north around 16 for glasgow and edinburgh and belfast. those showers continue through the course of sunday clipping the south coast of england, again, midlands

is looking pretty much dry and sunny. 20 degrees in birmingham, a little bit fresher there on the north sea coast, newcastle at 15 on sunday. monday and tuesday is expected to be settled again, with high—pressure close by, beyond that, it looks as though the atlantic is turning a little more unsettled and the weather fronts will be heading our way, so that does mean the weather will slowly turn more unsettled later, but until then, friday and into tuesday next week, for most of us, the weather looks fine with hints of that unsettled weather in the north.

welcome to bbc news. i'm aaron safir. our top stories: as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide reaches above 30 million, officials say the rise in europe needs to serve as a wake—up call. johns hopkins university says over 940,000 people around the world have died from the disease. covid—19 cases are on the rise in france, as doctors warn that hospitals are filling up. and a record number of fires in the pa nta nal wetlands of south america.

it is located across brazil and paraguay. the fires causing devastation in one of the world's most biodiverse areas. now on bbc news, panorama. tonight on panorama — the illegal sale of human organs. translation: i found myself in a room with blood everywhere. the horrifying trade in human flesh. they are literally seeing that person in terms of... and they're the cut, different cuts of meat, it really is quite literally treating a human being like that. we're on the trail of the organ traffickers. we need to be careful. we don't what he's capable of. we track down the criminals who profit... i'm going to check that camera,

and if something isn't right,