here's hugh schofield on that. he’s turning to the president. here's hugh schofield on that.tation in january - hugh schofield on that. he's stuck in his reputation in january on - hugh schofield on that. he's stuck in his reputation in january on this| in his reputation injanuary on this idea of not shutting down schools and having a kind of like confinement for third wave. in political emmanuel macron drawn as superman in front of coronavirus cells with the headline... the article tells us the president boldly brushed off the predictions of epidemiologist in ruling out that january lockdown. another article we are told you said is so bright and is read so much that he is now france's top authority on coronavirus. and can do without experts. all of which made me think of this. i experts. all of which made me think of this. ~' , ., ., , of this. i like the start, i really aet it. of this. i like the start, i really get it- peeple _ of this. i like the start, i really get it. people are _ of this. i like the start, i really get it. people are surprised i l get it. people are s

hugh schofield, in paris, and we will be talking about the situation in france just after tpm. will bewill be talking about the situation in france just after tpm. and we'll have more about that situation and the impending lockdown. impending lockdown. the headlines on bbc news... a serving metropolitan police officer has been convicted of membership of a banned neo—nazi terrorist organisation. the metropolitan police is investigating allegations that a serving officer raped two female colleagues. the prime minister's senior adviser on ethnic minorities, samuel kasumu, is to leave the role. the number of coronavirus deaths in brazil has hit a new monthly high, with over 60,000 people dying from the disease in march. the surge has pushed the country's health service to the point of collapse and seen support for presidentjair bolsonaro plummet. mark lobel reports. coronavirus claims another life in brazil. one of thousands a day, during this worsening crisis. so why is this happening? in addition of suboptimal implementation of these public health measures, the separation of the p1 varia

hugh schofield has more.have applied here in paris and other covid hotspots for the last two weeks will be extended across the country. now we're in paris, we're on the champs—elysees and, quite evidently, it's not lockdown as you might conventionally understand the term. we're not literally locked down in our homes. it's a much looser affair than the original lockdown a year ago. we can go out as long as we don't get further than ten kilometers away. we don't have to have a piece of paper to show the police anymore. nonetheless, nonessential shops are shut, schools are shut. that's a big change. and it's going to mean a lot of adjustment forfamilies. and we can't travel outside our region. there is actually a kind of window of opportunity over this weekend when you can go to your country house if you have one, and a lot of people are going to be using that to get out of the city today and tomorrow, but for the next four weeks, if you get out of the city, wherever you are, you stay there and that's the lockdo

for more, here is hugh schofield. >> it is the closing of schools for the next four weeks, we are actuallyenter the spring holiday period. what he is doing is unifying the holidays, because normally they are staggered, and taking a week before the holidays technically kick in to say for that week you will be homeschooling if you are in a middle lower senior school. in effect, it means children are going to be at home for the next three, and perhaps four weeks. people are going to have to rethink their lives substantially and hopefully only for a short period. that will include this two we holiday period. there was going to be disruption anyway. it is a measure he is reluctant to take, because as he said, france is proud of the fact it has not shut school up to now and this is very much -- in september and the second of november and this year, schools were to remain open. he got stick for that because there were people in january saying you need a much tougher shut down. now, he is having to eat hat saying we have to show schools. >> in terms of the deadlines, he kept reiterating that these

that's my colleague, the bbc�*s hugh schofield.in politico — emmanuel macron drawn as superman in front of the coronavirus cells with this headline: given the current situation in france's hospitals, we can be confident the superman comparison will not work for everyone. but the article tells us the president boldly brushed off the predictions of epidemiologists in ruling out a january lockdown. there's a similar story in le monde, under the headline: "how emmanuel macron's entourage portrays a president who would have been an epidemiologist". we're told macron's aides say he's so bright and has read so much that he's now france's top authority on coronavirus, and can do without experts. now, we know mr macron's a confident guy, and given that he created his own party from scratch, ran for president and won, he has some reason to be. and he's often revelled in it an almost old—fashioned grand version of leadership. remember this in 2017? a vast ceremonial event at the palace of versailles, entirely focused on him and his vision for

i'm joined now by our paris correspondent hugh schofield. it's really serious.spitals are feeling the pinch and it's the coming crisis at hospitals that has led to this action. there is fear expressed by doctors across the country, particularly in paris, nice, that if nothing is done we are going to reach that point we've been close to before where there just aren't enough beds in critical care to cope with the covid input, plus other conditions. and so once again, for the third time, we have lockdown now. it's not the same kind of lockdown that we had a year ago, it is much looser in the sense you can go out on the street pretty much as you wish as long as you don't go ten kilometres from your home. nonetheless, the shops are shut, nonessential shops will be shut across the country from saturday and schools are shutting. that is an important change because president mccrum has prided himself on making france different from other countries in europe in keeping to a third way on the lockdown front, not going down the road of complete shutdowns but keeping some pl

let's speak to our paris correspondent hugh schofield, good to see you, good morning.tion largely welcomed by president macron? welcome, no. i acceted president macron? welcome, no. i accepted with _ president macron? welcome, no. i accepted with resignation, - president macron? welcome, no. i accepted with resignation, maybe l accepted with resignation, maybe yes. i accepted with some hostility, a little bit. the political opposition here feels that macron is vulnerable on this but macron two months ago said he would not have to do this, france is now in a third wave, it would not go into a stiff lockdown, schools will stay open because education was a priority and he really resisted this additional measure for weeks now, in the face of rising evidence that the covid epidemic was about to come back. he has had to give way now and that there is a climb—down. i think the population as a whole knows it is inevitable because the figures are so bad. 35,000 new cases every day and the situation in hospitals in particular getting critical. the situation there being that pati

that's my colleague, the bbc�*s hugh schofield.n revelled in it an almost old—fashioned grand version of leadership. remember this in 2017? a vast ceremonial event at the palace of versailles, entirely focused on him and his vision for france. and this brand of ultra confident politics has largely served in well, but there are risks to this approach when dealing with a virus that's indifferent to personality, and with emmanuel macron's aide saying he's now an authority on the virus, my mind did turn to this clip. i like this stuff, i really get it, people are surprised that i understand it. everyone of these doctors said "how do you know so much about this? "macron: the educated trump" is how tom mctague from the atlantic puts it. tom's argument being that both men, in very different ways, have shown a confidence, orarrogance, depending on your view, that's been humbled by this virus. certainly, their macho approach was clear when they met. it was a handshake for the ages, lasting close on 30 seconds, and both men have since shown

that is my colleague, the bbc�*s hugh schofield. be and he has often revelled in it or most old—fashioned grand version of leadership. remember this in 2017? a vast ceremonial event in the paris versailles entirely focused on him and his vision for france. and this brand of ultra confident politics is largely served in well rush served him well, but there are risks to this approach when dealing with a virus that is indifferent to personality, and with emmanuel macron's eight saying he is now an authority on the virus, my mind did say —— turned to this clip. i say -- turned to this clip. i like this stuff. i— this stuff, i really get it, people are surprised i understand it. everyone says how do you know so much about this?— much about this? tom's argument bein: that much about this? tom's argument being that both _ much about this? tom's argument being that both men _ much about this? tom's argument being that both men in _ much about this? tom's argument being that both men in very i being that both men in very different ways have