this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. commemorating america's huge loss of life due to coronavirus. us president biden is to hold a candle—lighting ceremony at the white house shortly. this is the scene live in the white house, where president biden will be joined by the first lady, the vice president kamala harris and her husband. the ceremony comes as the number of american deaths from covid—19 officially passes 500,000, just over a year since the virus claimed its first known victim in california. the national cathedral in washington has tolled its bells 500 times to honour the lives lost to covid—19.

hello and welcome whether you're watching in the uk or around the world, and stay with us for the latest news and analysis from here and across the globe. presidentjoe biden will shortly lead an event at the white house to commemorate america's huge loss of life from coronavirus. let's go live and listen to what he's saying. let's go live and listen to what he's saying-— let's go live and listen to what he's saying-_ i i let's go live and listen to what i he's saying._ i just he's saying. 500,071 dead. i 'ust think... that's i he's saying. 500,071 dead. i 'ust think... that's more i he's saying. 500,071 dead. ijust think... that's more americans l he's saying. 500,071 dead. ijust i think... that's more americans who died in one — think. .. that's more americans who died in one year— think... that's more americans who died in one year in _ think... that's more americans who died in one year in this _ think... that's more americans who died in one year in this pandemic. died in one year in this pandemic than in world war i, world war ii

and the vietnam war combined. that's more lives lost to this virus than any other nation on earth. as we acknowledge the scale of this mass death in america, remember each person and the life they lived. they're people we knew. they're people we feel like we knew. read the obituaries and remembrances. a son who called his mum every night to check in, a father, daughter who lived up his world —— lit up. the best friend who was always there. the nurse and nurses who made her patients want to live. i was just in kalamazoo, michigan at the pfizer vaccine manufacturing facility.

there i met a man who i walked in —— when i walked in whose father—in—law was dying of the virus. he was sad. i asked if i could call his father—in—law. he said his father—in—law. he said his father—in—law was too sick to speak. but then he said, could i pray for him. could i pray for him? we all know someone who live lives of struggle, purpose and hope. who talked late into the night about their dreams. who wore the uniform worn to serve. who loves, played and always offered a hand. we often hear of people described as ordinary americans. but there's no such thing. there's nothing ordinary about them. the people we lost were extraordinary. they spanned generations. born in america, immigrated to america, butjust like

that, so many of them took their final breath alone in america. as a nation, we can't accept such a cruel fate. while we fight this pandemic for so long, we have to resist becoming numb to the sorrow. we have to resist viewing each life as a statistic or a blur or on the news. we must do so to honour the dead, but equally important, care for the living, those left behind. i know all too well. i know what it's like to not be there when it happens. i know what it's like when you are there, holding their hands, as they look in your eye and slip away. you

feel like you're being sucked into the survivor's remorse, the anger, the survivor's remorse, the anger, the questions of faith in your soul. for some of you, it's been a year, a month, a week, a day, even in our. i know when you stare at that empty chair on the kitchen table, it brings it all back no matter how long ago it happened as if itjust happened that moment. for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays without them. in the everyday things, the small things, the tiny things that you missed the most. that sent when you missed the most. that sent when you open the closet. that park used to stroll in. that movie theatre where you met. the morning coffee you shared together. a perfect pitch

to her laugh. i received a letter from my daughter whose father died of covid—i9 —— a daughter. she and her children, his grandchildren, a season of reflection and renewal with heavy hearts. unable to properly mourn, she asked me in a letter, "what was our loss among so many others? " well, that's what has been so cruel. so many of the rituals that help us cope, that help us honour those we love haven't been available to us. the final rights with families gathered around. showered with stories and love.

tribal leaders passing out the final traditions of sacred cultures on sacred lands. as a nation, we cannot and we must not let this go on. that's why at the day before my inauguration, the covid—i9 war, i said to heal, we must remember. i know it's hard, i promise you. i remember. but that's how you heal, you have to remember. and it's also important to do that as a nation. those who have lost loved ones, this is what i know. they're never truly gone. always be part of your heart. i know this as well. it seems

unbelievable, but i promise you that they will come in the memory of the love one you lost, it will come. i promise you. my prayer for you love one you lost, it will come. i promise you. my prayerfor you is that they will come sooner rather than later. that's when you know you're going to be ok. you're going to be ok. for me, the way through sorrow and grief was to find purpose. i don't know how many of you who are wondering, is he or she proud of me now? is this what they want me to do? i know that's how i feel. we can find purpose, purpose worthy of the lives they lived and worthy of the lives they lived and worthy of the country we love. so

today, i asked all americans to remember, rememberthose today, i asked all americans to remember, remember those we lost and those we left behind. as we remember, as we all remember, i also asked us to act. to remain vigilant. to stay socially distant, to mask up, get vaccinated when it's your turn. we must end the politics and misinformation that's divided families, communities and the country. it's cost too many lives already. it's not democrats and republicans who are dying from the virus, it's ourfellow republicans who are dying from the virus, it's our fellow americans, our neighbours, ourfriends, our mothers, ourfathers, oursons and daughters, husbands and wives. we have to fight this together as one people, as the united states of america. that's the only way we're

going to beat those progress, i promise you. the only way to spare more pain —— beat this virus. the only way is no stones, no longer mark our national morning. let this not be a story of how far we fail, but of how far we climbed back up. we can do this. we've seen profound courage from all of you on the front lines. i know the stress, the trauma, the grief you carry, but you give us hope. you keep us going. you remind us that we do take care of our own. that we leave nobody behind. we've been humbled, we have never given up. we are america. we can and will do this. in just a few

minutes, jill and can and will do this. in just a few minutes, jilland i, kamala and doug will hold a moment of silence in the white house. the people's house, your house. we ask you to join us, to remember so we can heal, to find purpose in the work ahead. to show that there is light in the darkness. this nation will smile again. this nation will no sunny days again. this nation will knowjoy again. as we do, we'll remember each person we've lost, the lives they lived and the loved ones they left behind. we will get through this, i promise you. my heart aches for you, those of you are going through it right now. may god bless you all. particularly those who have lost someone. god bless you. studio:

a very personal. — someone. god bless you. studio: a very personal, intimate - someone. god bless you. studio: a very personal, intimate of- someone. god bless you. studio: a very personal, intimate of dress| a very personal, intimate of dress from joe biden. 0f a very personal, intimate of dress from joe biden. of course, he's known so much tragedy, having lost his first wife and son. it will take three orfour his first wife and son. it will take three or four minutes for him and jill and kamala harris and her husband doug to go to the area where they will be lighting those candles. we can cross to our washington correspondent larry madowo. larry, very personal and intimate. it struck me and he reminded us what he said on the eve of his are all on my inauguration. to heal, we must remember. a very different approach when you consider how donald trump hardly ever talked about the victims of this pandemic.— of this pandemic. absolutely, tim. on the day — of this pandemic. absolutely, tim. on the day before _ of this pandemic. absolutely, tim. on the day before he _ of this pandemic. absolutely, tim. on the day before he was -

0n the day before he was inaugurated, we were marked for the thousand deaths to coronavirus and he did the ceremony with the then vice president—elect kamala harris, and they lit all these candles. he's about to do that again in the white house. he is in this role where he excels may be better than president trump. he knows what to say in these moments. he says people are going to be ok, people who died were extraordinary. to heal, we must remember. the fact that he's making this effort to commemorate this moment, to do this candle lighting ceremony, to order american flags to fly at half staff, is a lot more of an acknowledgement of this crisis then president donald trump ever did. and he also took a moment to point out that because this is still highly political story, we must socially distance wear masks. if you are next in line, get the vaccine. 500,000 deaths, that terrible

milestone. some people predicting it could go much higher.— could go much higher. absolutely. one could go much higher. absolutely. 0ne analysis _ could go much higher. absolutely. 0ne analysis by — could go much higher. absolutely. one analysis by the _ could go much higher. absolutely. one analysis by the institute - could go much higher. absolutely. one analysis by the institute of. 0ne analysis by the institute of health metrics says byjune, it's likely to be somewhere in the range of 600,000. this is quite stark. when you consider the tragedy of having a thousand deaths, because it's been so many people so quickly, it's been so many people so quickly, it's easy to see this as a set of statistics, and president biden says we must not become annulment to the sorrow. —— must not become numb. reported from two different hospitals, one in houston in texas and another more recently in north dakota. you see how isolating and how personal this tragedy is because the people battling covid in hospitals are entirely they don't have any contact, except with

the doctors and nurses. even then, it's behind spaces. they are essentially going through the toughest moments of their lives alone, and many of them don't make it to. i alone, and many of them don't make it to. ~ alone, and many of them don't make it to. ., ., alone, and many of them don't make it to. ., . g alone, and many of them don't make itto. . g �* it to. i thinkjoe and jill biden are 'ust it to. i thinkjoe and jill biden are just walking _ it to. i thinkjoe and jill biden are just walking outside - it to. i thinkjoe and jill biden are just walking outside now. j it to. i thinkjoe and jill biden - are just walking outside now. behind arejust walking outside now. behind them, kamala harris and her husband doug, the second gentleman. towards the lit candles, very much in echo of what happened on the eve of inauguration, and we willjust stay with these images now. just watch. amazing grace plays

and so, on this terrible milestone for the united states, commemoration of those 500,000 deaths who have been lost to the pandemic. just 12 months or so since the first life was lost. this ceremony, very simple

but echoing very much the eve of inauguration at the lincoln memorial inauguration at the lincoln memorial injanuary, when the number of dead was lower, and as we were hearing from our correspondent larry madowo, the number of dead expecting to rise. you are talking about 600,000. this is despite the vaccination programme, but some people predicted it could be even as high as the flu pandemic of 1918. already, the figures thatjoe biden was saying, more lives lost in this pandemic since the first and second world wars and the vietnam war combined. absolutely, that is the scale of the tragedy. you mentioned today in his statement, he has taken an opportunity to point out the 500,000 dead are more than the wars combined, and still going up. the

numbers are now going down. it's trending lower, about 1800, just under 2000 daily. however, the events of december and january were especially tragic in the uk this, and these were higher than the peak of the pandemic —— in the uk. —— us. it might be lower, but this is still the middle of a pandemic and the cdc and doctor anthony fauci are warning to americans that they need to still socially distance and wear masks. for the seniors, who are eligible to get vaccines, they should go ahead and get them even though there's not enough of them yet. but every time i reminder of how big the strategy is and how far the country has come from a year ago when it looked like lockdowns might last a few weeks and it would all be over.— it would all be over. larry, stay with us. we can now speak to rishi desai, chief medical officerfor

health care education platform 0smosis. the target thatjoe biden set himself was 100 million vaccines by the first hundred days. how close is america to that?— america to that? we're making our wa . what america to that? we're making our way- what you _ america to that? we're making our way. what you need _ america to that? we're making our way. what you need to _ america to that? we're making our way. what you need to do - america to that? we're making our way. what you need to do to - way. what you need to do to accomplish that is over a million doses per day out there, and we're there in that range. each day, we're kind of inching up in terms of vaccines and peoples —— in people because my arms. the way to help is make sure you get a vaccine if you're eligible —— in people's arms a. you're eligible -- in people's arms a. ., you're eligible -- in people's arms a. 1396 of the population have had a sinale a. 1396 of the population have had a single dose — a. 1396 of the population have had a single dose so _ a. 1396 of the population have had a single dose so far. _ a. 1396 of the population have had a single dose so far. in _ a. 1396 of the population have had a single dose so far. in terms - a. 1396 of the population have had a single dose so far. in terms of - a. 1396 of the population have had a single dose so far. in terms of the l single dose so far. in terms of the supplies and infrastructure, how successful has that been? it’s supplies and infrastructure, how successful has that been? it's been a real challenge _ successful has that been? it's been a real challenge because _ successful has that been? it's been a real challenge because each - a real challenge because each vaccine that's out there has its own

local challenges. some are more available in some communities. the fact is this is the first time the world has ever done this, so we have no real benchmark to compare it to in terms of are we doing better or worse than inspected. we're doing the best we can. the fact is we need much more vaccines to be available, and the vaccine that's out there, we need as much as 100% into people's bodies a. need as much as 10096 into people's bodies a. ~ ., need as much as 10096 into people's bodies a. ~ . ., , ., bodies a. what about communities who traditionally would _ bodies a. what about communities who traditionally would not _ bodies a. what about communities who traditionally would not take _ bodies a. what about communities who traditionally would not take up - traditionally would not take up vaccines? latinos, the black communities, the minority communities, the minority communities, what is being done for them? w , communities, what is being done for them? .. , ., h, communities, what is being done for them? , ., them? the fact is the reason those communities _ them? the fact is the reason those communities haven't _ them? the fact is the reason those communities haven't wanted - them? the fact is the reason those communities haven't wanted to - them? the fact is the reason those j communities haven't wanted to get the vaccine is because historically, there's been a lot of racism and discrimination, so there's a built—in mistrust of the health care system and public health in general. having said that, what's being done

is to make it as easy as possible in some communities to get vaccines, so that means setting up global clinics, making sure it's clear that it's free of charge, making sure you reduce all the variance one might have. reducing the post two barriers as low as you can to get people to get the vaccine.— get the vaccine. what of the anti-vaxxer _ get the vaccine. what of the anti-vaxxer campaigns? - get the vaccine. what of the | anti-vaxxer campaigns? how get the vaccine. what of the - anti-vaxxer campaigns? how closely anti—vaxxer campaigns? how closely monitored are they by the big companies and by government campaignsjust trying to companies and by government campaigns just trying to disprove their allegations? campaigns just trying to disprove theirallegations? i’iiii campaignsjust trying to disprove their allegations?— their allegations? i'll try to answer as _ their allegations? i'll try to answer as directly - their allegations? i'll try to answer as directly as - their allegations? i'll try to - answer as directly as possible, and i'm not sure what they are thinking about those, but what i can tell you is there are lots and lots of folks out there, regular folks like myself and many others that are doing our best to use our voice, including through programmes like yours, to get people to be aware of that. i've got vaccinated, if possible, i would

have my family vaccinated. it's important that everyone get the vaccine and it is safe. based on all the data we had, we've had over 100 million doses given worldwide. we have a lot of data now. certainly much cake —— safer than covid—i9. just having watch that ceremony, i just wondered how divided the country was, larry, along partisan lines about the way to deal with this pandemic? this lines about the way to deal with this pandemic?— lines about the way to deal with this pandemic? this has become a olitical this pandemic? this has become a political issue _ this pandemic? this has become a political issue which _ this pandemic? this has become a political issue which we _ this pandemic? this has become a political issue which we have - political issue which we have covered extensively, because among the conservatives led by donald trump, they feel that the lockdowns and the restrictions on businesses opening and other social contact has been overdone, and yet they feel the science is not supported, even though that's not true. for instance, you hearfrom people in florida, which doesn't have a mandate, and they say the numbers are dropping. it shows it doesn't

work and president biden and many of the democrats feel that the only way to save as many people as possible is to social distance and wear masks whenever they're eligible. even when president trump got covid, he said don't let it dominate you. he essentially encouraged people in his rallies in the way he carried himself to pretend the pandemic didn't exist, even though it was continuing to kill a lot of people across the country.— continuing to kill a lot of people across the country. when donald trump was _ across the country. when donald trump was in _ across the country. when donald trump was in power, _ across the country. when donald trump was in power, we - across the country. when donald trump was in power, we saw - across the country. when donald - trump was in power, we saw different states take very different aptitudes towards the vax programme —— attitudes towards a vaccine programme. joe biden said he wanted to bridge the divide between different political persuasions. has that stopped now in terms of a nationwide roll—out of the vaccine? the approach to coronavirus

restrictions are nationally still very much part partisan lines. the red states are supporting president trump and governors who are republican still tend to have more lax restrictions or no restriction that all. they don't have as much max mandates. even at local levels when some counties where the leadership is more conservative, there seem to be more relaxed —— mask mandates. along the blue states, are much stronger restrictions because there seems to be a closer approach to dealing with the pandemic, looking at the science and what the signs saying, and that has not changed. for instance, there's a big conference this weekend where they are hosting an in person conference. there will be many conservative speakers, and that will not happen on the democratic side. ., , ., ~ will not happen on the democratic side. ., , . ~' will not happen on the democratic side. . , ., ~ will not happen on the democratic side. ., , ., . side. larry, thank you so much. let's side. larry, thank you so much. let'sjust_ side. larry, thank you so much. let'sjust and — side. larry, thank you so much. let'sjust and now _ side. larry, thank you so much. let's just and now with - side. larry, thank you so much. let's just and now with images | side. larry, thank you so much. - let's just and now with images from the white house —— let'sjust in back now. attended by the president

and the first lady and the vice president, remembering the 500,000 lives lost in the pandemic. hello there. northern and western parts of the uk saw some of the best of the sunshine on monday. have a look at this picture from one of our weather watchers in cumbria. beautiful blue skies overhead. but i think on tuesday, it's going to look very different. because this slice of sunshine is being replaced by a bank of cloud pushing in from the west. and that cloud is going to bring a lot of rain across parts of northern ireland, wales, northwest england, some rain maybe into the far southwest of england. but the wettest weather of all is likely to be found across scotland, where there is a met

office amber warning in force across parts of the southern grampians. we could well see up to 120 mm of the very wettest rain falling on already sought in the ground. so, a real risk of flooding and disruption. it's going to be a windy day wherever you are but particularly gusty for westing areas. gusts of 60, maybe 70 mph for exposed parts of northern ireland and scotland. very mild, ten to ia degrees, maybe up to 15 towards the southeast was that we should stay dry with a little bit of sunshine. through tuesday night and into wednesday our stripe of cloud in ranges keeps on coming. it is going to be a very, very mild night indeed. those of the minimum temperatures. cardiff and plymouth may be no lower than 12 degrees. we head on into wednesday, the winds a little bit lighter. still fairly blustery out there, and ourfrontal system will still be bringing rain across non—western areas. but to the southeast

of that weather front, we will be tapping into some very mild air indeed. given any lengthy spells sunshine temperatures will shoot up to around 16 or 17 degrees across parts of east anglia and the southeast. a band of cloud and rain still affecting the southwest into wales, northern england and parts of southern scotland. sunshine and showers to the northwest of that. as i mentioned, the temperature, 17 degrees possible in london but it is another mild day wherever you are. as we move out of wednesday into thursday this frontal system will clear eastwards at high pressure will start to build in from the south. we may see weather frontas just grazing the far there'll be some spells of sunshine, still fairly mild by day but rather chilly at night.

this is bbc world news, the headlines. half a million people have now died from covid—i9 in the united states alone. president biden has ordered flags on federal buildings to be flown at half mast for five days as a mark of respect to those who've lost their lives. he also attended a candlelight ceremony at the white house. the uk prime minister borisjohnson has set out a four—step plan to release england from lockdown. it will start with the reopening of schools to all children in two weeks' time. more than 120 thousand people have died from covid—i9 in the uk. hundreds of thousands of people have joined protests across myanmar, against the military coup. the military rulers have warned that they will not allow the country to descend into chaos and anarchy. nasa scientists have released stunning new footage from the perseverance rover on mars. those are the headlines.