welcome to bbc news — i'm ben boulos. our top stories... the $6 trillion plan. president biden pushes the biggest spending programme since world war two — to reboot the us economy. the us says it will impose sanctions on belarus after it diverted a passenger plane to arrest an opposition journalist india's hidden death toll. covid is killing thousands every day but the figures show only a fraction of the tragedy. we have been told 26 people have died here with symptoms of covid—19 in the past month. but none of them were actually tested. that means they are not included in india's official death toll from the virus. and, love them, hate them or eat them — how americans are dealing with a once—in—generation invasion of cicadas.

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe president biden has unveiled his budget proposal for next year with the highest level of federal government spending since the second world war. he's says it's the time to invest in america — but republicans have called the plan �*insanely expensive�*. mr biden is calling forjust over six—trillion dollars�* worth of post—pandemic spending which still needs congressional approval. he�*s demanding huge investments in infrastructure, education and green technology but he faces a political battle to deliver it. here�*s the president speaking at an event in ohio. the bottom line is this — the biden economic plan is working.

we�*ve had record job creation. we�*re seeing record economic growth. we�*re creating a new paradigm. and now, 50% of all of america, more than any other country, is fully vaccinated. applause. 75% of seniors — black, white, hispanic, across—the—board — are fully vaccinated. we�*re getting lives back. the american economy�*s coming back. our correspondent david willis is in los angeles with more on how significant this budget would be for the us. there is of course a long way to go with this, all the way through until the end of september. but president biden is making clear that he has very ambitious goals as far as the american economy is concerned. this would represent the biggest federal spending

programme in this country since the end of the second world war and herald a return to what some are calling the days of big government with the focus very much on social safety nets for the poor and middle class. some of these measures we already knew about, $2 trillion plus for rebuilding american infrastructure, almost the same amount for improvements in education standards here and there is also money earmarked in this proposal for dealing with climate change, gun violence and immigration. now republicans have condemned the measures outright. the senate leader, their leader of the senate mitch mcconnell said this plan would lead to what he called americans drowning in debt, deficit and inflation. butjoe biden believes that this economy needs to be reimagined. he believes that the days of so—called trickle—down economics should be behind us,

they simply don�*t work. he believes there should be an economy that is more from the bottom up, if you like. but you�*re absolutely right, there is a long way to go on this, a lot of negotiation ahead, and it�*s going to be quite a bitter exchange, i think, as we go forward in this with republicans very much dug in in opposition. rick perlstein is a historian and author of reaganland: america�*s right turn. he gave me his views on the situation of bipartisan deal—making in the us. there�*s very little cooperation between democrats and republicans, quite simply, because this year and beginning with barack obama�*s presidency, the congressional leaders of the republican party have literally announced as their goal, sabotaging the ability to govern of a democratic president.

so a lot of democratic with a small d deficits that have kind of been building up in our history ever since the 19th century begin to come to the fore, whereby we have a popular president elected on a mandate precisely with which he is promising to govern on. and we have a republican party that is looking to basically sabotage anything he tries to do because they�*ve kind of become this sort of leninist formation, just interested in sort of rule or ruin. but if you look at the proposals in detail there, i mean, there�*s nothing that�*s drastically radical in that. i mean, there�*s no publicly run health insurance. there�*s no free college for all. so if they can�*t even get agreement across the aisle from the republicans on, you know, fairly moderate proposals, what hope is there of anything actually being done in this administration at all?

well, of course, if america was run on basic democratic principles, we�*d be in the clear because, of course, democrats control the house of representatives, they control the presidency. and by light of the fact that there�*s basically a 50—50 split in the senate and our constitution allows for the vice president to cast the tie—breaking vote, they have control of the senate. the people have spoken, right. democrats are winning elections all over the place. but because of the way the system is set up, there�*s a lot of basic bottlenecks in the american constitutional system that make it possible for a majority to control the levers of government. so whatjoe biden is going to be trying to do is saying whatever republican elected officials say we have both in polling and elections, a mandate to do this.

and we have a little kind of stop gap that you can pass budgets with 50 votes in the senate. it�*s a very technical thing. ok, but where do you trace the roots of this, the strength of opposition to the democratic presidency and joe biden�*s plans? does it go back to donald trump or does it go back even further? well, i would trace it very early to the 18th century and in the 19th century, i mean, most proximately, you can trace it back to when ronald reagan was inaugurated and he said government is not the solution to our problems. government is the problem. right. so we�*ve had this party that�*s devoted itself to the proposition that it should make government as kind of small and non—functional as possible as a principle. but way before that, in the 19th century, we�*ve had this reactionary minority, first rooted in the south and the slaveholding south, that basically believed the country was theirs to run by right. and they were able to use all sorts of stratagems within the political realm.

and those failing, they�*ve proven themselves again and again and again, perfectly willing to take up arms to support their position, both with the civil war and then with the 20th century civil rights movement against the federal government�*s attempt to enforce full citizenship for all african—americans. and and that�*s basically what we saw on january 6th, that basically the republican right couldn�*t win the election. so they tried to steal it. the white house has said it is developing a list of sanctions against key members of the belarusian goverment. it�*s a response to the forcing down of a commercial plane to capture an opposition journalist last week. at a meeting with russian president vladmir putin on friday, the leader of belarus, alexander lukashenko, said the west is trying to destabilise his country. sarah rainsford reports from minsk

in belarus, marrying an opposition politician can make for a very lonely life. for a whole year, volha�*s only contact with her husband has been these letters from his prison cell. pavel writes poems for her, long stories for their son but this week, volha finally got to see him. and pavel was still chanting defiance, even in court. the trial had been closed, with relatives only let in for the guilty verdict. translation: we weren't allowed close, we could only shout - i love you or make heart signs, but even to look at each other was a hugejoy. pavel seviarynets is a lifelong dissident, but now his three—year—old is growing up without his dad. he was arrested before belarus erupted in protest over the re—election of president alexander lukashenko.

translation: it's - a really long sentence. our son will be ten when he gets out, but i don�*t think he will serve it all. i don�*t let myself think like that. people here are afraid, but there�*s real pressure on lukashenko and i think any spark could ignite things again. the protesters have been forced to retreat from the streets for now, though. many have fled abroad, hundreds more are behind bars. i�*ve never known belarus like this, not in all the years i�*ve been coming here. people now are just terrified to speak out, because with the crackdown with all the arrests, you never know who they�*ll be coming for next. last week, they came for the journalists. vasil was nervous about talking, but his wife was arrested with 14 people in her team at the country�*s best—known independent news site. today, he was waiting to hear if marina had been charged. so, is there any

news, anything new? no news. no news? no news. alexander lukashenko is crushing dissent here, and yet vasil believes last year�*s protests were a turning point. in public, nobody demonstrates because it is really dangerous, but the people didn't change their mind. they need the change for the country. change was the rallying cry of the protests here, and some still see glimmers of hope for the future. sarah rainsford, bbc news, minsk. let s get some of the day s other news the president of colombia, ivan duque, has ordered the military to restore order in the city of cali after four people were killed during anti—government demonstrations. the city has been the epicentre of a month of protests — originally about tax increases — that have claimed dozens of lives.

a man who attacked and injured three french police officers, one of them seriously, has died. the former prisoner fled the scene of the attack in nantes on foot and hundreds of police officers joined in the hunt for the as yet — unamed man. it�*s the latest of a series of attacks on police in france recently europe�*s medicines regulator has backed the use of pfizer�*s covid—i9 vaccine for children as young as 12, paving the way for a broader rollout in the region. it�*s already being used in the european union for those aged 16 and older. the head of the world health organisation has called for countries to immediately share vaccines, saying equitable access to vaccines was essential to ending the pandemic. dr tedros gebryseus said he wanted at least 10% of the population in every country to have been vaccinated by september. our spring to september goal means we must vaccinate 250

million more people in low and middle income countries including all health workers and the most at risk groups is the first priority. if countries immediately share doses of covax and if manufacturers prioritise covax, we can reach this target and save a lot of lives. stay with us on bbc world news, still to come: hitting the jab jackpot — how free tickets for big—money lotteries are winning over the vaccine—reluctant.

this is bbc world news, the latest headlines... president biden has been defending his plans for a six trillion dollar

government spending spree — the biggest since the second world war. the us says it will impose sanctions on belarus after it diverted a passenger plane to arrest an opposition journalist at least 300,000 people are now known to have died in india�*s second wave of coronavirus — with may likely to be the deadliest month so far. but the true death toll could be several times higher especially in rural areas where the virus is now spreading. access to healthca re there is almost non—existent as our international correspondent orla guerin found when she travelled to bihar, one of the poorest areas in india. funeral pyres are now a prism for the pain of a nation. he is lost in grief for his mother, one of the latest victims of covid—i9 in the state of bihar. with so many dead across india, cremation costs have soared. some families here have been

reduced to entrusting the bodies of their loved ones to the sacred waters of the ganges. prime minister narendra modi, whose ratings are falling, has been remembering the dead with a show of emotion. but within hours, "crocodile tears" was trending on social media here. the full scale of india�*s tragedy may never be known. we crossed the ganges to reach the vast hinterland. in ruralareas, like the village of birpur, we found a landscape of neglect and untold stories. so can you tell me, are many families affected here?

no social distancing either, and no masks in sight. this is the other india, not rising but left behind. people here say the living are barely counted, much less the dead. we�*ve been told that 26 people have died here with symptoms of covid—i9 in the past month, but none of them were actually tested. that means they�*re not included in india�*s official death toll from the virus. now, this isjust one village, but you can multiply this across india. take a look at the village health centre. imagine having to rush here in an emergency. it�*s an empty shell, carefully padlocked. this neglect is not unusual in rural india. it takes three hours to get to a hospital. many can�*t afford the journey.

the village leader has lost neighbours and friends. he blames the prime minister. when we returned to birpur for a second day, health workers had been dispatched to the village. a local source told us the visit was a token gesture because we had been on the ground. hello, hi, we are from bbc news. this health worker finally had some vaccines.

so, she waited in vain. there is vaccine hesitancy in the village, but in much of the country, there�*s no vaccine to be had. covid has cut across india like a scythe, bringing anguish for the living and indignity for the dying. and for the prime minister, the accusation of failing his people. orla guerin, bbc news, on the banks of the ganges. turkey�*s president, recep tayyip erdogan, has inaugurated a large mosque in istanbul, a project he first championed when he was the city�*s mayor. thousands of worshippers gathered for the opening ceremony.

the mosque sits in taksim square, next to a public space traditionally seen as a symbol of the secular turkish republic and dwarfs a nearby monument to the republic and its founding. in 2013, opposition demonstrators took over taksim square and next door gezi park in protest against a separate government plan to build a replica barracks in the area. every 17 years, they cause havoc and the occasional shudder. billions of cicadas known as brood x or brood 10 are emerging in a synchronized event that only happens in the us. and as the bbc s nada tawfik reports from the state of newjersey ? the great eastern brood is causing quite the buzz. it�*s a sight and sound that will make your skin crawl. billions of periodical cicadas emerging out of the earth and overtaking the eastern united states. the rare spectacle has americans in awe.

it was deafening, really deafening... the grants have lived here for decades, and like clockwork, the brood x cicadas have arrived at the same time every 17 years to mate. it can get so loud that some of theirfriends have mistaken the male insects�* droning song for a police siren. because of my hearing disadvantages, i don't put my hearing aids when i come out in the garden. otherwise i get the whole sound magnified. the mass emergence and its timing is all part of a clever survival strategy to evade predators. then the metamorphosis from nymph to adult happens relatively quickly. so, here we have a fully grown female that�*s now ready to mate and lay her eggs. she�*ll only live 4—6 weeks, though, after being underground for 17 years. cos this is when they're most vulnerable, right here, - cos their body is so soft. it�*s a magical time for entomologist drjessica weir, whose 16—year—old daughter wasn�*t even alive the last time she saw these insects.

the world was a very different place back then. george bush was president, and facebook was just launched. you know, a lot of people - for centuries have been calling these things locusts, i but they're the opposite of locusts cos they'rel not actually a plague, they're not destroying crops. they're actually living their life completely i in exclusion of humans, i and they're great nutrition. i�*m going to put two on this one... yes, you heard that right, these critters are a culinary delicacy. cicadas are a flavour bomb. they have so much flavour and add a scent of umame to the dish. chefjoseph has been cooking with the star ingredient to encourage americans to reimagine bugs as a protein—rich, sustainable food source. i think i�*m ready. may i? yes, please. ok, i�*m going to go with this one here. bug appetit. a burst of springtime in your mouth. there's a booth for the sound and lights. for others, the noisy critters

are just downright disruptive. it�*s safe to say shakespeare is not in love with the cicada. this theatre company has had to cut its outdoor season short. the last time i directed a show out here, i sat over there with two huge badminton rackets and just screamed as they came at me and swatted them away. the takeover may be dramatic, but it is temporary. soon, the larvae of the new generation will burrow their way into the ground, resetting the 17—year cycle. nada tawfik, bbc news, newjersey. a global vaccination programme is seen as key in the fight against coronavirus. but there is still reluctance among some to get the jab. the authorities in varous countries are using different tactics to encourage people to have their injection — and they seem to be relying on a carrot rather than a stick — as the bbc�*s tim allman exlains. this is probably the sort of thing you have in mind when you think of lotto fever.

queues of people lining up to get their ticket, dreaming of a potentially life changing jackpot. but in parts of america, there is now a new way to take part. with every injection, a chance to become a millionaire. the first winners have been announced in ohio�*s vax a million lottery, a typically american way to get the population vaccinated. you know, ifelt we needed to create some excitement and i thought $1 million and a scholarship over a five—week period of time, five different times, would create a lot of excitement. colorado and california are following in ohio�*s footsteps with millions of dollars in potential prizes. some may still be a little reluctant, but the plan does come with presidential approval. i hear that at last night�*s vaccine lottery, ohio has a new millionaire. laughter.

i tell you what. who would have thunk it? a million bucks for getting a vaccine? and it�*s notjust the united states hoping to essentially bribe its citizens to doing their civic duty. in hong kong, a flat worth more than $10 million, around 1 million us dollars is now up for grabs. the authorities believe it�*s a small price to pay to encourage people to get theirjabs. after all, lotto fever is certainly preferable to the real thing. tim allman, bbc news. a reminder of our top story... president biden has been defending his plans for a six trillion dollar government spending spree —— the biggest since the second world war. you can reach me on twitter — i�*m @ ben m boulos

thank you for watching bbc news. hello there. friday was a bit of a disappointing day thanks to a weak weather front which brought more cloud around and also some light and patchy rain. but for the weekend, as high pressure builds in, conditions will improve. we�*ll see increasing amounts of sunshine, and it will turn warmer as well. so, here�*s our building area of high pressure today. it�*ll be pushing these weather fronts out into the atlantic, so we�*ll see a lot of sunshine into the afternoon. because we will start off rather grey through this morning thanks to the legacy of yesterday�*s weather front. a little bit of drizzle here and there close to the west coast. but increasing amounts of sunshine into the afternoon, and that could set off an isolated heavy shower here and there, particularly across the higher ground in the north. and there could be a little bit of low cloud and mist affecting north sea coasts. but with more sunshine around, we could make 19—20 degrees, maybe even warmer than that

in one or two spots. now, as we head through saturday night, any showers will fade away. we�*ll see some low cloud and mist rolling into eastern scotland and eastern england, but further west, skies should remain clear. those temperatures will range from around 7—11 degrees. so, on into sunday, then, our big area of high pressure�*s dominating the scene, slowly pushing out into the north sea. that�*s going to bring a lot of dry weather around. it will start quite grey and cool across eastern scotland and eastern england, but that low cloud and mist will burn back to the coast thanks to the strong late may sunshine. many places will be dry with widespread sunshine around, so it�*s going to be warmer. temperatures reaching 22 degrees there for glasgow, 21 or 22 or 23 degrees in parts of england and wales. now, as we head on into bank holiday monday, our area of high pressure will be out in the north sea, and that�*s going to draw some warm air up from the south or the south—east off the near continent. so, combine that with the strong late may sunshine, it�*s going to feel even warmer. 23, 2a, maybe even 25 degrees somewhere, so that will be challenging the warmest day of the year so far, which was set back in late march.

tuesday, we do it all again. south—southeasterly winds, plenty of sunshine around. it�*s going to be another very warm day. a bit of fairweather cloud bubbling up into the afternoon. those temperatures ranging from low to mid—20s celsius. always a little bit fresher along some southern and eastern coasts. now, as we head through the week, there isjust the chance at the moment that we could see some thundery showers moving up from the south, particularly through wednesday and thursday. otherwise, we should continue to see quite a bit of sunshine.

this is bbc news, the headlines: us presidentjoe biden has proposed a $6 trillion budget to boost the us economy and fend off competition from china. mr biden is demanding huge investments in infrastructure, education and green technology. the plan, the biggest since the second world war, still needs congressional approval. the us says its preparing a list of key members of the belarussian goverment who will face sanctions. it�*s after a passenger plane was intercepted to capture an opposition journalist. meeting russia�*s president putin, belarus�*s leader accused the west of trying to destabilise his country. the head of the world health organisation�*s warned the coronavirus pandemic wont be over until at least 70% of the global population has been vaccinated. dr tedros ghebreysus wants at least 10% of every country to be innoculated by september.

the number of new coronavirus infections