this is bbc news — welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. i'm mike embley. our top stories. a tough message from a sombre president macron — france is to go into a second national lockdown translation: if we do not apply a brutal break on the contamination today, our hospitals will quickly be saturated. tough new measures in germany too, bars, restaurants, gyms and theatres will close from monday. anthony fauci, the leading virus expert in the united states, tells the bbc that president trump's campaign rallies are bound to spread the coronavirus. we have congregations of people not being separate from each other, crowds that clearly,

thatis other, crowds that clearly, that is a situation that will lead to outbreaks. and with just six days to go before the us election more than 70 million have already cast their ballots — the us is on course for a record turnout. leaders of the european union's two biggest economies — france and germany — have announced new national lockdowns in an attempt to slow down the spread of the coronavirus. in france, people can only leave home for essential work or medical reasons. in a televised address to the nation, president emmanuel macron said the second wave will be worse than the first. in germany, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities will close. we'll get the latest from our correspondent in berlin in a moment, but first here's lucy williamson from paris. for france, these will be nights to remember. the last days of freedom

and friendship before a new national lockdown. from friday, no—one can leave home except for school, health care, caring duties, fresh air and food. watching the president's announcement tonight, relief that schools are this time staying open. they're all teachers. but outside work, how does the prospect of another lockdown feel? anxious. cos the last time was really ha rd. apartments here are very small, and we'll be locked back in them again. but at least the schools are open and i will be able to work, which is a good thing. president macron said france needed to hit the brakes hard. translation: we have all been overwhelmed by the acceleration of the epidemic. the spread of the virus has ta ken everyone in europe by surprise. we are all in the same place, submerged by a second wave that will no doubt be stronger and deadlier than the first. president macron had been

counting on local restrictions to curb the rise in infections, but with hospitals across the country raising the alarm, tonight he acknowledged this was a national problem and needed a national response. earlier today, a critically ill covid patient left avignon for a hospital 700 miles away. last spring, transfers like this were a life—saver for patients and hospitals alike. but the virus is now so widespread doctors fear there'll be fewer and fewer places able to take them. 0ne chief of infectious diseases told me today that his hospital was doubling the number of icu beds to keep pace with demand and that pressures on staff were immense. translation: i caught covid—19, and i worked every day while i was sick, because there was no other choice. nearly 80% of the staff in my ward were infected with covid at some point.

we are told that if we're well enough to come to work, then we must work while socially distancing ourselves. the growing restrictions here have already brought back memories of the lockdown last spring, but winter is a tougher battlefield on which to fight this epidemic. faced with a virus that dies of loneliness, mr macron has decided that isolation is the best weapon and the best defence. a month—long partial lockdown is also coming into force in germany, which includes the closure of restaurants, gyms and theatres. 0ur berlin correspondent, jenny hill has the latest. as of monday, this country enters a partial lockdown. as you say, bars, restaurants, leisure and arts facilities will all close for a month. slightly different from the restrictions we saw earlier in the year in that schools, nurseries and shops will stay open. private gatherings are to be restricted, a maximum of ten people from just two households. professional sporting events

will go ahead as planned, like the bundesliga, but those matches will once again be played behind closed doors. all this in a country which came relatively successfully through that first wave. if you look at germany's case numbers, you'll see they‘ re still far lower than those we're seeing in france and indeed britain. but two developments are spooking the authorities here in berlin. first, the speed at which this virus is now spreading to the country. and second, this, germany has relied on a strategy of track and trace. identify the source of an outbreak, then trace and break any subsequent chains of infection. tonight, angela merkel said in many parts of the country, that is simply not working any more. and she's warned that if the current trajectory continues, then german health care facilities will be at capacity within weeks. this is not good news, of course, for germans. angela merkel herself acknowledging tonight it's been a hard day.

scientists involved in one of the biggest studies of covid—i9 infections in england have warned that the second wave has now reached a critical stage in the country. the study found that action taken so far to contain the virus isn't enough, and as a result nearly 100 thousand people are catching the virus every day. it also suggested that the r number, the rate the infection spreads, is rising. with less than a week to go before polling day campaigning in the us election is intensifying with the candidates going from state to state to drum up support. but the top us medical official dealing with how controlling coronavirus, anthony fauci, has criticised president trump's rallies, telling the bbc that the events are bound to spread covid—nineteen: they are potentially super spreading events because in situations, historically over the last

months, we have seen the congregations of people not wearing masks, not being separate from each other, crowds that clearly is a situation and that will lead to outbreaks or he saw is a situation and that will lead to outbreaks. we saw that with the motorcycle rally that was on the northwest part of her country and we've seen that in situations such as in the white house we had an outbreak after a particular event in the white house. so, yes, when you do have a congregation of people, generally without masks, that is a risky situation. the coronavirus has become a thorny political issue in the election campaign. democratic candidate joe biden gave a speech in wilmington, delaware where he criticised the president over his handling of the pandemic. we've lost more than 220,000 lives to this virus already, but this administration has just given up. over the weekend, the white house chief of staff, of staff, mark meadows, went on television and admitted

that they've waved the white flag and declared surrender. he said, "we're not going to control the pandemic. " the american people deserve so much better than this. president trump in turn took aim at the democratic party approach to the pandemic. at a rally in bullhead city, arizona — the president accused the democrats of changing medical standards after he had caught the coronavirus. and until i came along, right, they said that if you have it, you get better. you are immune for life. but when i said i had it, i got better, they said you've only got four months. they have changed the whole medical standard. if it was anybody else, it was good for life, right? but for me, they said i am now good for four months. no, i think it's a much longer period. the bbc‘s lebo diseko in washington told me more about the spread of the virus in the us.

39 states have an increase in people dying, 800 people dying per day in the us from coronavirus. i think the issue as well as, donald trump said i think the issue as well as, hospitalisations are on the rise. donald trump said that this, we are seeing an increase in numbers because there is an increase in testing. but the data does not prove that to be the case at all. it is something that voters are aware of and of over donald trump was today, polls have shown that again and again, people are not happy about his coronavirus response and joe biden is slightly ahead there, but isn't enough for him to be concerned about? that is why he was there. joe biden certainly trying to make this a referendum of sorts on the presidents handling of the coronavirus and donald trump trying to capitalise on covid—i9 fatigue and the thing is, i'm not sure if fatigue really helps us deal with this. the virus is not interested in whether or not we are tired of it.

in six days before the election day turnout is already a big story. early voting and particularly by the young. again, in that state of arizona where we were today, we have succeeded 50% of total turnout and the 2016 election, so that is huge and we have seen that story right across the country. donald trump is really hoping that his supporters are going to come out on election day, not every state allows you to see the breakdown of democrats and republicans, but of the ones that have their data being seen, democrats are ahead in terms of the early vote. so, donald trump hoping to turn that around before election day, on election day. he certainly did manage to boost his numbers in the final days of the 2016 campaign. the bbc‘s laura travelyan

is one of the more than 75 million americans who's already been to the polls — shejoined the long queue in her hometown of new york city. the line in brooklyn for early voting goes around the block and beyond. the line in brooklyn for early voting goes around the block and beyond. new york is hardly a battle ground state, joe biden is counting on winning here. but new yorkers are turning up to have their say. it is seven in the morning, cold and dark and look at all of this enthusiasm for democracy. it is my first time voting in the us presidential election at all of this enthusiasm for democracy. it is my first time voting in the us presidential election as an american citizen and i'm so excited to be here with my fellow americans. is this important for you to vote in this election? it is important to vote in every election, but this one in particular is very important but i felt that democracy is at stake. i think there was a level of chaos that i have not seen before in government and ifeel like i would like to at least get it back to what i feel like is a normal presidency. what has motivated you to be out here so early?

to get donald trump out of office? why? because he's a white supremacist and doing so many bad things i do not know where to start. despite this, voting is very straightforward. it's time to turn to staten island. the only borough to vote for donald trump in 2016. it turns out it was brisk and support for the president is still strong. i do not like what is going on in my country, so i voted straight down the line, a man named trump. what are you hoping for as an outcome? donald trump to win. and move forward. with the economy, jobs, get rid of all the racism just be cohesive. many new yorkers waited for hours for early voting. the board of elections was not really prepared. a charge the top official denies.

we had folks showing up on saturday morning when the polls opened at 10am at six o'clock in the morning. lines were already forming four hours ahead of time. so, that means that this is important to people, that they're willing to put their time into it and that they're going to have their voices heard. to make their voices heard. in new york and across america despite the pandemic, millions of voting in what could be a record turnout for presidential election. it's that solemn moment where the people get their verdict on their leaders. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: will black voters in the us play a decisive role in the presidential election? we're in arizona to find out. music. indira gandhi, ruler of the world's largest democracy, died today.

0nly yesterday, she'd spoken of dying in the service of her country and said, "i would be proud of it. every drop of my blood will contribute to the growth of this nation." after 46 years of unhappiness, these two countries have concluded a chapter of history. no more suspicion, no more fear, no more uncertainty of what each day might bring. booster ignition and lift—off of discovery with a crew of six astronaut heroes and one american legend. enjoying the show is right, this is beautiful. a milestone in human history. born today, this girl in india is the 7 billionth person on the planet. a milestone in human history. born today, this girl in india is the 7 billionth person on the planet.

this is bbc world news, the latest headlines. as coronavirus infections continue to rise across europe, france imposes a second national lockdown and germany orders gyms and restaurants to close for a month. campaiging in the us election is intensifying, with less than a week to go before polling day — a record 75 million voters have now voted early the azeri authorities say at least 20 civilians have been killed and more than 60 injured in a missile strike on the city of barda. armenia which is fighting with azerbaijan over the disputed territory of nagorno—karabakh denied responsibility. a month into the conflict ceasefires brokered by russia, france and the us have failed to take effect. the bbc‘s caucasus correspondent rayhan demytrie reports. 0n the busy afternoon, shoppers

and drivers were caught in a rocket attack. setting cars and businesses on fire. this authority say that at least 20 civilians were killed and dozens more were injured. azerbaijan accused armenia of firing russian—made missiles. it is about 30 km from the front line. this is the second day ina front line. this is the second day in a row that civilians have been shelved here. and an attack killed five people, including a seven—year—old girl. accused azerbaijan of putting civilian areas in the area. this rate civilian was killed and two others are injured on tuesday. and the regional capital, and maternity hospital was hit but it appeared to be empty. many

armenians have left the disputed territory. women and children to armenia, while men are fighting on the front line. the war between armenia and azerbaijan the war between armenia and azerba ija n forces the war between armenia and azerbaijan forces of the area is now in its fifth week. 0ver a thousand armenian soldiers are known to have been killed. azerbaijan is not disclosing its military casualties. but it has recaptured a substantial amount of territory previously under armenian control. international attempts to broker cease—fires have failed to stop the violence. let's get some of the day's other news an overnight curfew has been imposed in philadelphia, following two nights of protests and looting over the death of another black man at the hands of police.

0fficers said walter wallace refused to drop his knife. his family said he was mentally ill. turkey has threatened legal and diplomatic action against france after the french satirical magazine charlie hebdo published a caricature mocking the turkish president recep tayyip erdogan. it shows him slouched in an armchair and lifting the dress of a veiled woman. tensions between the two countries are high after france's president macron pledged a tougher stance against radical islam. a strike is under way in poland by women opposed to the court ruling that has introduced a near—total ban on abortion. in a mainly catholic country, crowds have protested in several cities for a seventh—day running, against the decision that outlawed terminations even on the grounds of severe health defects. paul hawkins has the story: a funeral wreathe in the memorial to democracy.

thousands took to the streets first of the night running. the anger showing no signs of dissipating after already ship restrictive approach and laws were tightened even further. the top court ruling that abnormalities is a reason for abortion are now incompatible with the country's constitution and therefore, illegal. yes, i think this is the start of the revolution that all of this will lead to the overthrowing of this government. in the worst moment, the government did what he did behind our backs. so, our only option is to go out on the streets and yell at her objection, fight to the last resort because it's no longer a compromise, we speak about the last resort 110w. according to women's rights groups, there were 1116 abortions in poland last year. of that, only 42 were not because of foetal abnormalities. that means 96% of abortions would not be that means 96% of abortions would now be considered illegal. only in the case of rape, incest or a threat to the mothers life is a termination now permissible and even still doctors have

the right to refuse. women's rights groups say 100,000 women every year are forced to travel abroad for terminations but the government disputes those figures. these numbers are completely false. there was, i think there were almost two years when abortion was legal in poland and the numbers were much lower than the claim because it is a political argument very widely used, but this is very misleading and i wish that these could be verified, and apparently independently verified by esteemed journalists. since coming to power, the ruling justice party has tried to restrict abortion several times through legislation and that failed, it asked the court, packed with judges chosen by the government to rule on the matter. thereby opening the governments of the criticism that it was bypassing parliament. 0ur presidential candidates said very firmlyjust weeks before the election

that he would support any such initiative and he also said that the traditional court should rule on the case on the motion that was signed by the members of parliament. with no sign of a government u—turn, more protests are planned while women are being urged to strike. the demonstrators emboldened by opinion polls consisted the suggested there is reason for tightening restrictions and this may be a devoutly catholic country, but the ruling is testing the faith of many. back to america now, and we've mentioned president trump has been campaigning in the southern us state of arizona, a crucial state in which the votes of black americans could be key. clive myrie has been speaking to black activists in arizona. his report contains some images viewers may find disturbing. bruce franks cuts the stillness of evening in phoenix, arizona. ..and after dion johnson and breonna taylor... the light is dimming, but not the memory of those beaten or killed at the hands of police officers. so, remember all these words

that you heard today... his words, a powerful, poetic rage. ..because we're not going nowhere. he was arrested in august for taking part in a peaceful civil rights march. ..because he's innocent! and now he leads a protest outside the courthouse after the jailing of another protester. when we fight, we're building a legacy. fighting a battle in a war where you'll never get to see the outcome. if i continue to fight, hopefully that passes along to my five kids, and if they continue to fight, it passes along to their kids, and it will get to a point where maybe we can. why are you doing this? until then, this is what must be overcome. before george floyd, in 2017, there was muhammad muhaymin, here in arizona. officer... relax, dude. the unarmed black man died after being held down by four police officers, one of whom put his knee

on his neck for close to eight minutes. i cannot breathe! no—one was disciplined, and you're only hearing about this case now because of the controversy over george floyd. and it was in this area where he was pinned down and was clearly heard to say, "i can't breathe"? he knows that his life is about to be taken from him, and he knows... jazlyn is 21 and part of a new younger breed of civil rights activists, spurred by the urgency of the moment. it makes me feel like my life can be taken at any given time just because i have brown skin, because i'm black. not far away, a reunion. a proud father embraces a relieved son, who's fresh out ofjail. his name is percy christian, and he's 27... you know, jail is a place where they want to rob you of your hope. ..the subject of the courthouse

protest to get him freed. he served seven days, arrested during a demonstration against police violence. i'm willing to do whatever it takes. i'm willing to put my life on the line to bring awareness to the issue, and that's that police brutality is real, that's that our police system is set up and designed to hold a certain group of individuals back, and that's my people. and what of the dreams of the father, a pastor, having seen his son fight the same battles he fought years ago? the battle hasn't changed, but what has happened is that there is a denial of the reality that people of colour experience in this nation.

and so, we are proud of our son. i would not be ok if he decided to shrink back. he can't shrink back now. gentle tales of african—american manhood, rarely reported, but they're the norm, and while both the candidates for president say they want to banish racial injustice, bruce franks says he won't wait for others to act. his own son's future is on the line. i've just got to make sure he's equipped for it and he's ready for it. i'm not fearful because i teach him how to love and what love is and how to have love for his people. clive myrie, bbc news, in phoenix, arizona. and you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter — i'm @bbc mike embley.

hello there. the weather shows no real sign of calming down over the next few days. more heavy rain, more strong winds in the forecast. we've got low pressure spinning here. you can see that on the satellite picture. you can also see this pipeline of cloud that is now ploughing in towards the british isles. a set of weather fronts bringing some heavy rain through thursday. but between these two weather fronts, there is a wedge of mild air. so, although we're expecting some wet and windy weather through the day ahead, it will turn a little bit milder. so, here comes the rain. some very heavy and persistent rain moving in from the west as we go through the day, pushing its way northeastwards across wales, england, northern ireland, getting up across much of scotland.

now, the heaviest bursts of rain are likely to be across hills of north wales, north west england, south west scotland. could be some localised flooding issues here. and it will be windy. gusts of a0 to maybe 50 mph or a touch more than that in the most exposed spots. the far north of scotland will hold onto brightness. we'll see something a little drier towards the south west later. and it will feel mild, highs of 11—15 degrees. through thursday night into the early hours of friday, we keep a pipeline of cloud, some outbreaks of rain in places, particularly over high ground in wales, north west england, also some rain working back into north west scotland. temperatures between 9—13 degrees, an exceptionally mild night, a very mild start to friday. now, as we go through the day, outbreaks of rain will increasingly become confined to southern parts of england, south of wales. further north, we'll actually see brighter skies developing, some spells of sunshine here and there. but it will cool off through the day across northern areas, whereas the south and south east will hold onto some mild air, 17—18 degrees. and then we get to the weekend, and here comes another area of low pressure. look at all the white

line squashing together, all the isobars. this is a deep area of low pressure that will bring some very strong winds, some outbreaks of heavy rain pushing eastwards. those winds gusting up to 50, 60, maybe 70 mph in exposed places in western scotland. temperatures through saturday, it will be another fairly mild one, 12—17 degrees. and for sunday, well, it looks as if we're going to see another spell of heavy rain pushing in from the west, and it will be another very windy day. that's all from me. bye for now.

this is bbc news, the headlines: a new national lockdown in france will start on friday and last at least until the end of november. in a nationwide televised address, president macron said people would only be allowed to leave home for essential work, shopping, exercise or emergencies. businesses classed as non—essential, such as restaurants and bars, will close, but schools and factories can still open. germany's chancellor angela merkel has also announced a partial lockdown to stop the spread of the virus. bars, restaurants and much of the leisure sector will have to close for the whole of next month. the senior medical official tasked with controlling the coronavirus pandemic in the us has told the bbc president trump's political rallies are bound to spread covid—19. dr antony fauci said such gatherings, mostly without masks or social distancing, are potential superspreader events. he said the data "speaks for itself."