prime minister imran khan wa nts to rise.keep the country running. 0n the one hand we have coronavirus, he says, on the other, hunger. charities and the government are distributing food and money on a huge scale but once ramadan is normally a period of generosity and quiet reflection, the coming weeks are going to be the worst yet. across the uk in recent weeks, there've been repeated public expressions of gratitude for all those nhs staff caring for patients affected by coronavirus. 0ne leading artist came up with the idea of celebrating the doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers by offering to paint their portraits. other artists then followed, as our arts editor, will gompertz, reports. the artist tom croft has painted a lot of portraits over the years. he's done footballers, politicians, bishops and rock stars. but the pandemic left him short of subjects. until, that is, he had an idea. when the lockdown first started, i was really struggling, as i know a lot of artists were, to find almost the point in their work.

they accuse prime minister imran khan of not doing enough to tackle the crisis and for not taking decisive action early on the foreign ministry says plans are underway to bring about pakistanis who are stranded abroad the government barbara starr is fully seized of the situation being faced by no good but attributes and bugs on the nationals in different parts of the world in your ear and other parts of the gulf region this is uppermost in the mind of the go to pakistan and a comprehensive plan for iraq all our national is being read the book study government is set up for 18 facility on its border with afghanistan to house nearly 1500 people who were with recently it wants to show this is a successful aspect of its response to the pandemic but pakistan like many countries is struggling to cope with a global latency and things only thing slowly which is frustrating many who are worried about family and friends stuck abroad americans deserve all the russias outbreak is growing rapidly for the 5th straight day now it's reported a record day rise in infections more than $3400.00 new cases hav

information about how to stop the spread there as the reported infection total surpasses $7000.00 imran khan is asking the leading agency in the fight against coronavirus for accurate data on infections health care workers are concerned that the total could actually be much higher because of limited testing and some hardline clerics are defying the government's ban on groups of more than 5 people and mosques present are if alvey is leading a meeting with religious leaders about precautionary measures during the holy month of ramadan which begins next week come out high that has more from islamabad on just how the government and some religious leaders are assad's. this is proving to be a big challenge for the government because the government has imposed restrictions on congregational prayers and marks all over the country however a bunch of cleric ready and true entered one of their dogs came up and said that they would not take their particularly during the holy month of ramadan return less than a week away the government then warning the religious leaders that any increase in the number of

muslims in pakistan have observed the 1st day of ramadan with prime minister imran khan human calls from clerics to keep mosques open despite the coronavirus pandemics some clerics urged worshippers to fill out mosques saying their faith will protect them from the disease but the government says herb's religious leaders to adhere to social distancing rules. doctors and nurses in the pakistani city of lahore have embarked on a hunger strike in protest against the lack of personal protective equipment they've been complaining about the issue for weeks the young doctors association says more than 150 medical staff have tested positive for the virus nationwide more than 50 doctors were arrested earlier this month during protests in the city of kut more than 250 deaths have been linked to the disease with more than 12000 confirmed infections sri lanka has reimposed the nationwide loss on until monday after the country's largest daily increase in cases of the coronavirus 66 new cases have been confirmed over the past 2 days bringing the total number of infections to $440.00 the majority of cas

not be able to travel to visit their families during this time but in pakistan the prime minister imran khan has chosen a different path announcing mosques will remain open during ramadan this year doctors are urging the government and clerics to reverse that decision saying it could lead to more infections and overwhelm the health system. do we forcefully tell people to not go to mosques and if they go will the police put wishes in jail this does not happen in an independent society in an independent society people use the independent minds and then decide what is basic for the country and forces not . argentina is set to default on its sovereign debt again after a restructuring plan was rejected a $500000000.00 payment was due on wednesday when the government said it won't be able to make the country's creditors refused to restructure it as argentina grapples with another year of recession worsened by the coronavirus pandemic payments only a small chunk of the $83000000000.00 it owes it to foreign bondholders in terms tourism has more from the capital one of silence. we're hearing in great

well as the official number of covert 1000 infections surges past 7000 in pakistan prime minister imran khan is stepping up measures to control the spread of the infection before the holy month of ramadan he's asked the leading agency in the fight against current virus to get accurate day cellphone infections as health care workers voiced concern that the number could actually be much higher due to limited testing the government has also banned groups of people of more than of groups of more than 5 people in mosques but some hardline critics have defied this and called for congressional praise or president will cherami sing with religious leaders on saturday over adopting precautionary measures during ramadan let's not speak to come out to he's in as i'm about for us come out this is the 2nd largest muslim nation in the wild and obviously this is also a very sensitive time at a moment when many would also be seeking comfort and hope in their beliefs and their religious practice so how has the government been navigating all of this or. where this is proving to be a big challenge for the gover

prime minister imran khan who was against the lockdown, has announced against the lockdown, has announced groups will get a four month payment of 12,000 rupees in a lump sum. this is equivalent of $18 a month. local officials have been told to compile lists of those in need who must then put in an application at district offices but it is still unclear how long the process will take and whether help will get to those who need it the most. currently considering our resources and considering our resources and considering the epidemic we are going through, i think at least something is better than nothing, at least the government is doing something to reach out to those people. 0ther something to reach out to those people. other than that, already the food packages and rations are being distributed pundits were not seeing that whether you have been given the 3000 out or not, we are reaching out to people, maybe someone will be getting the ration and food package and the amount as well. it is a combined effort and i hope we will all go through hard times. confusion about how the process will

muslims in pakistan have observed the 1st day of ramadan with prime minister imran khan heating calls from clerics to keep mosques open despite the coronavirus pandemic some clerics said urged worshippers to fill out mosques saying their faith will protect them from the disease but the government has urged religious leaders to adhere it's a social distancing rules. you know but. you took the boat down a little shops are closed there's nothing available in the market for breaking the i visited to get something but all shops are closed and i could not find anything in the market doctors and nurses in the pakistani city of lahore have embarked on a hunger strike in protest against the lack of personal protective equipment they have been complaining about the issue for weeks the young doctors association says more than 150 medical staff have tested positive for the virus nationwide more than 50 doctors were arrested earlier this month during protests in the city of quetta where than 250 deaths have been linked to the disease with more than 12000 confirmed infections on the world's militar

will not be able to travel to visit their families during this time but in pakistan prime minister imran khan has chosen a different path announcing mosques will remain open during ramadan this year doctors are urging the government and clerics to reverse that decision saying it could lead to more infections and overwhelm the health system. do we forcefully tell people to not go to mosques and if they go will the police put when she was in jail this does not happen in an independent society in an independent society people use the independent minds and then decide what is basic for the country and forces not. much more to come on the al-jazeera news hour including. i'm scott highland country to bury thailand where the economic impact of covert 1000 on the critical tourism industry is hitting hard with no visitors one elephant camp is struggling to keep the animals fed. and argentineans army helps feed struggling families as the government says it counts quick pay back its creditors. hello there warm sunshine across central and northern areas of europe to the south the same time to cloud but a

prime minister imran khan is being tested after meeting the infected charity head. a huge scale and whilst ramadan is normally a period for generosity and quiet reflection, the coming weeks look set to be the worst yet. secunder kermani, bbc news, islamabad. the headlines on bbc news: the number of people who've died with coronavirus in care homes in england is thought to have doubled in five days — figures suggest more than 2,000 deaths. there have been 759 new recorded uk coronavirus deaths in hospitals — it brings the total death toll to 18,100. in the first ever virtual prime minister's questions, the new labour leader strongly criticises the government over a lack of testing and supply of personal protective equipment. today is earth day, and it is 50 years since the environmental movement begun — though because of the coronavirus lockdowns, the planned events, protests and marches won't be taking place. but the positive side of thes pandemic is that skies are clearing of pollution, and wildlife is returning to newly clear waters. the head of the united nations

the prime minister is there and also imran khan sent an appeal is that asking people to stay away from and then people can fray at home like they're doing in saudi arabia but my feeling is that ramadan is a very special month and lots of rituals happen and these rituals are all very communal so happen and these rituals are all very communal so people are going to turn up. also i think they are worried about where most of the people live especially in big slums in karachi and lahore and in refugee camps because there are people who are huddled together so they are going to do these prayers together, they are going to listen to the recitation of the koran together, and they are going to do and undo their fast every day together so thatis their fast every day together so that is where i think the concerns are. maybe in small towns, may be in rural areas it will be easy to segregate people but i think in bigger areas where most of the people, especially in urban centres, in poorer areas, people, especially in urban centres, in poorerareas, i people, especially in urban centres, in poorer a