many thanks, yogita limaye, our- thanks, yogita limaye, our correspondent in delhi. covid cases in india have been rising steeply over the past few weeks, and with the increase has come the inevitable increase in deaths. our science correspondent rebecca morelle has been looking at what's behind the surge, and what it means for the rest of the world. the death toll keeps on rising, as india struggles to cope with its covid crisis. but how did they get to this point, and are variants behind the surge in cases? since april, india has reported five million covid infections. each day is bringing record numbers. are changes to the virus causing this explosive growth, or people's behaviour? it's always a combination of things. the increase in social mixing that's happened over the last several months, the sort of dropping of the guard of people, thinking that they can go back to being normal, as well as, potentially, the variants that have emerged. so how is the virus mutating and what do we know about the variants? the picture is different in different parts of the countr

yogita limaye reports from delhi. a hospital in this western city. these are covid patients and there are no doctors to look at them, says the man filming the video. in pune, the worst affected city and india, people are being given oxygen outside a hospital because it is too full. patients are struggling to get medical care, as india is in the grips of a fierce second wave of covid—i9. 73—year—old mary was taken to six hospitals, none of which had a critical care bed for her. she died on her way to the seventh. her son anthony spoke to me from isolation. translation: all these years, she never needed to go - to a hospital, and when she did, i couldn't do anything for her. ifailed her. field hospitals built last year to add to existing facilities are already full. this one in pune is managed by this doctor who has been on the front lines since the pandemic began. what is different this time around? a single member of the family gets ill, the infectivity ratio has gone up, it is affecting young adults which is quite surprising. last year, it too

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. in the wake of the guilty verdicts in the george floyd murder trial, the us attorney general has announced a federal investigation into minneapolis police practices. merrick garland says building trust between community and law enforcement will take time and effort, but change cannot wait. a jury found the former police officer derek chauvin, guilty of three charges — second degree murder, third degree murder, and manslaughter. from minneapolis nick bryant reports. guilty! cheering guilty! there was joy in the moment ofjustice, a verdict heard around the world. unintentional second—degree murder while committing a felony, find the defendant guilty — so now it was derek chauvin who was put in cuffs, a one—time police officer leaving the court a convicted murderer, who's since swapped his suit for prison clothing. it was the verdict the floyd family had yearned for, and their response became an act of remembrance. i'm gonna miss him, but now i know he's in history. what a day to

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. in the wake of the guilty verdicts in the george floyd murder trial, the us attorney general has announced a federal investigation into minneapolis police practices. merrick garland says building trust between community and law enforcement will take time and effort, but change cannot wait. a jury found the former police officer derek chauvin guilty of three charges — second degree murder, third degree murder and manslaughter. from minneapolis, nick bryant reports. guilty! cheering guilty! there was joy in the moment ofjustice, a verdict heard around the world. unintentional second—degree murder while committing a felony, find the defendant guilty. so now it was derek chauvin who was put in cuffs, a one—time police officer leaving the court a convicted murderer, who's since swapped his suit for prison clothing. it was the verdict the floyd family had yearned for, and their response became an act of remembrance. i'm gonna miss him, but now i know he's in history. what a day to be

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. india is not alone in having to deal with another major surge of coronavirus. japan today issued a state of emergency in some parts of the country including tokyo just three months before the olympics. the virus, which has already killed more than 3 million people worldwide, is putting a huge strain on health care systems. with no end in sight, the availability of vaccines is crucial, as our health correspondent catherine burns reports. getting ready for the weekend — the uk is slowly opening up and coming out of lockdown, but this is a global pandemic, and our new normal doesn't reflect the story around the world. at the other end of the scale, india is being called a devastating reminder of what the virus can do. they're burning bodies in mass cremations. volunteers are helping with funeral ceremonies. even if it is night, we will try to finish the last burial for the day, because no mortuaries will keep the body. it's been another day of record cases. the spike in numbers recentl

our correspondent yogita limaye is in in delhi. india now finds itself at the epicentre of this pandemic? that's right and i have been to two of the biggest public hospitals in the city over the past 2a hours. in each one, i have seen people with their loved ones on stretchers, waiting outside, trying to get in. they are being told the hospital is full. at one his hospital, i met a man who had brought his own oxygen cylinder and was giving his mum oxygen through that because he wasn't able to get into the hospital. one man told me it was the tenth place he was visiting, hoping his mother could get the treatment she needs. i have been to crematoriums where people are having to wait 1a, 16, 18 hours to perform funeral rites for their loved ones because there are so many bodies coming in and this is the situation in the capital delhi, which has better infrastructure than most parts of the country. today, prime minister narendra modi addressed the nation, hoping to reassure indians that the government is responding, but there has been

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. india has, until now, been a major verbal provider of coronavirus applies during the pandemic. back button never end remover is massively producing vaccine export in the face of its current wave and is looking to allies for oxygen supplies which are much—needed. is called on the us government to end its ban on the export of the materials used in vaccine production. here is the reaction from the white house. we are looking closely with indian officials to identify ways to help address the crisis. we made vaccine cooperation a big priority, including with our quad partners, india is one of our quad partners of course and discussing vaccine creation and distribution for the future, we have also provided $4 billion to covax, and from the earlier stages of the pandemic, we have provided india with emergency relief supplies, medical consumables, pandemic training for state and local health officials, and ventilators, which has been part of our effort over the course of time, including $1.

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. desperate images there in india. there's a rather different picture in the us. president biden says more than 200 million shots of a coronavirus vaccine have now been given out, meaning he's hit his target of achieving the number within the first 100 days of his administration. speaking on his 92nd day in the job, he said everyone over the age of 16 will be eligible for a vaccine from monday and announced funding to reimburse businesses who give their staff paid time off to get the jab. i'm calling on every employer, large and small, in every state, to give employees the time off they need with pay to get vaccinated. and anytime they need with pay to recover if they are feeling under the weather after the shot. no working americans should lose a single dollar from their paycheck because they chose to fulfil their patriotic duty of getting vaccinated. argentina's health minister says the country is going through the worst period of the pandemic since the first cases were reported there just over a year ago. she said t

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. we can get more from a consultant at a hospital in delhi. thank you for taking the time tojoin us. delhi. thank you for taking the time to join us.— time to 'oin us. thank you and aood time to join us. thank you and good morning- _ time to join us. thank you and good morning. how— time to join us. thank you and good morning. how has - time to join us. thank you and good morning. how has the i good morning. how has the situation — good morning. how has the situation in _ good morning. how has the situation in your _ good morning. how has the situation in your hospital i situation in your hospital developed over the past 2a hours? developed over the past 24 hours? ~ , ., , hours? well, it is really, really huge. _ hours? well, it is really, really huge, the - hours? well, it is really, l really huge, the problem. hours? well, it is really, - really huge, the problem. we are totally packed, hospitals of full and overloaded with patients and we have already run out of beds. 0xygen supply is patchy. it's on an hourly basis every day. we are

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. joining me now to talk more about this is professor srinath reddy, the president of the public health foundation of india. thank you for being on the programme. prime minister modi set at the beginning of march that the country is in covid—i9's and game. what has gone so horribly wrong since the beginning of march? well, actually things _ the beginning of march? well, actually things started - the beginning of march? well, actually things started going i actually things started going wrong in the beginning of february, when they recognised that some of the cases — there were spikes in some of the states, which foretold that there could be a serious problem through march and april onwards. but i believe that there was a wrong perception that india had been through the pandemic, that we had heard immunity and different models were presented to say that we would not have a second wave. it was totally incorrect. it was contested by several public health experts. but nonetheless, wheth

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. the crisis in india has highlighted how parts of the world are struggling with second, third and even fourth waves — while many european countries have the virus under control. the availabiliity of vaccines is a key factor, —— the availability of vaccines. as our health correspondent catherine burns reports. india's being called a devastating reminder of what the virus can do. they're burning bodies in mass cremations, volunteers helping with funeral ceremonies. it's been another record day of cases after a dramatic spike over recent weeks. there are almost 20 times more cases now than at the start of march, but around the world, across that time, numbers have been rising. in turkey, it's six times more. in argentina, cases have gone up four times. for iran, it's three times bigger. and in germany, they're about to start another lockdown because numbers there have more than doubled. it's not good enough to say that inequity is just the way the world is. it's not ok that people j

our correspondent yogita limaye is there. some may find her report upsetting. a capital on its knees. at its biggest hospitals, people being pushed to the limit of human endurance. "my husband's in a very bad state, let me get through", this woman says. she's been carrying him around for ten hours. many of these people won't survive the night. "sir, for one minute, come and look at my mother," a man pleads. a doctor follows him to the ambulance and prepares to say the words he's had to say over and over again in the past day alone. "she's no more." (cries) herfamily among hundreds in india denied even the chance of saving a loved one. covid—i9 has hit this country with a ferocity not seen before, but not unexpected either. balaji! hey! this woman tries to revive her brother, who was losing consciousness. balaji! balaji thirupathi, the father of two children, died minutes later. his family wanted their story to be heard. there is an acute shortage of oxygen, too. sima died because the ambulance ran out of it. some hospitals have just a few hours of supply left

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. as mentioned earlier, the uk is sending a shipment of medical equipment to india, to help the country fight its current wave of coronavirus. in brussels, the european commission said it planned to send oxygen and medicine. and the us has also responded, saying it will immediately provide medical equipment and protective gear, as well as the raw materials for vaccines. the uk's package has been funded by the foreign, commonwealth & development office, and includes ventilators and oxygen concentrators from surplus stocks. earlier the foreign secretary dominic raab gave more details. we are sending out an emergency segment of over 600 items of equipment — ventilators, oxygen concentrators — and the aim is to provide the support the indians need at their hour of need, really, ifjudging by the distressing scenes we've seen in many other hospitals in india. will be a serious of further shipments and we are in ongoing discussion with the indian government about four of they may need. we

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. i'm joined now by professor nathan grills, a public health physician at the university of melbourne, and australia india institute, who works on health in india. for many years he was based in india. professor, thanks so much for joining us on bbc news. you must be looking at the pictures and accounts your hearing from india with mounting distress?- your hearing from india with mounting distress? your hearing from india with mountin: distress? ,, ., mounting distress? good day, sean, it's really distressing _ mounting distress? good day, sean, it's really distressing and _ mounting distress? good day, sean, it's really distressing and i _ mounting distress? good day, sean, it's really distressing and i think- it's really distressing and i think many of us have friends in india or friends who are going through similar situations, and i get constant phone calls and whatsapp messages from friends in india with similar stories being recounted there, trying to find oxygen and treat those a

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. in northern ireland, arlene foster has resigned as the leader of the democratic unionist party, and as first minister. more than 20 dup assembly members at stormont, and four mps at westminster, signed a letter saying they have no confidence in her leadership. she became leader of the party in december 2015, and was the first woman and the youngest person to hold both jobs. our ireland correspondent emma vardy reports. a warning, it contains some flash photography. applause. in its 50—year history, arlene foster is only the third leader of the dup — a party known for its hard—line brand of unionism and staunch british identity, now at a rare crossroads. a short time ago, i called my party chairman to inform him that i intend to step down as leader of the democratic unionist party. it has been the privilege of my life to serve the people of northern ireland as their first minister. mrs fosterformed her political ideals growing up during the years of violence in northern ireland.

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. here, many people who have family and friends living in india have been watching with great concern as the situation worsens. some who travelled out to look after relatives now can't find flights home. with india now on the red list, those who do return have to quarantine in a hotel. sima kotecha reports. from bad to worse, more deaths, more cases, more chaos. india is suffering. many here have family there, and it's causing alarm. this woman in guildford has recently lost severalfamily woman in guildford has recently lost several family members to covid in india. �* , , several family members to covid in india. 3 , several family members to covid in india. �*, , ., , india. it's very saddening and very, like, a heavy _ india. it's very saddening and very, like, a heavy burden, _ india. it's very saddening and very, like, a heavy burden, you - india. it's very saddening and very, like, a heavy burden, you know, i india. it's very saddening and very, j like, a heavy burden, you kno

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. the dreadful position in india with the pandemic. the latest coronavirus figures here show there were 2,396 new infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. on average, the number of new cases reported per day in the last week is 2,463. just over 2,000 people are in hospital — the lowest number since the start of september. 22 deaths were reported — that�*s people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—i9 test. on average in the past week, 24 deaths were announced every day. the total number of deaths is now 127,327. as for vaccinations, more than 107,000 people have had their first dose in the latest 24—hour period, meaning more than 33.1 million have now had theirfirst dose. the take—up for the second jab remains high, withjust over 350,000 in the latest 24—hour period, meaning just over 10.7 million people are now fully vaccinated. the manchester united co—chairman, the americanjoel glazer, says the club "apologises unreservedly for the unrest" caused by the proposed european super league. the liverpool

yogita limaye, there. the crisis in india has highlighted how parts of the world are struggling with second, third and even fourth waves — while many european countries, including of course the uk, have the virus under control. the availabiliity of vaccines is a key factor, as our health correspondent catherine burns reports. india's being called a devastating reminder of what the virus can do. they are burning bodies in mass cremations, volunteers helping with funeral ceremonies. it's been another record day of cases after a dramatic spike over recent weeks. there are almost 20 times more cases now than at the start of march, but around the world, across that time, numbers have been rising. in turkey, its six times more. in argentina, cases have gone up four times. for iran, its three times bigger. and in germany, they're about to start another lockdown because numbers there have more than doubled. it's not good enough to say that inequity is just the way the world is. it's not ok that people just like

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. the united states is lifting a ban on sending raw materials to india which will allow the country to produce its own supplies of the astrazeneca vaccine. our world affairs correspondent, paul adams, has more on the countries who have come to india's aid. it is beginning to be quite a chorus of offers of support and it is the british government today pledging around 600 individual pieces of medical equipment and those include 495 medical equipment and those include a95 oxygen concentrators. those are machines that can generate oxygen from the environment and can relieve the pressure on the hospitals on oxygen systems in addition to that, under 20 noninvasive ventilators and 20 manual ventilators. we also had just in the next few minutes, the white house is dispatching a range of equipment and raw materials for vaccines and medical equipment and protective gear and also the eu today, we heard from the commission president who says that the eu is coordinating work across members and acti

our correspondent, yogita limaye, reports from delhi. the capital is being ravaged at a frightening speed. with every pyre that burns, india's self—belief is dying. each funeral is a story of personal loss and national shame. charanjeev malhotra has been helping to cremate the dead for decades. now, he barely ever stops working. "i've never seen such a terrifying situation. "i can't believe that we're in the capital of india. "people aren't getting oxygen, "and they're dying like animals," he says. "we don't even have enough resources "to cremate them properly." outside, shivangi mehra's on the phone, organising oxygen for the hospital she works in. nothing, nothing is being done. i don't know if government is sleeping, or what they are doing. i am totally disheartened with the situation which i am seeing. the government is a literalfailure. a person cannot live here in delhi. a person cannot even die peacefully in delhi. she is waiting to cremate her grandfather, who died, she says, because there wasn't enough oxygen. this small hospi

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. having been a major global provider of covid supplies during the pandemic, narendra modi's government has massively reduced vaccine exports in the face of india's current wave, and is reaching out to key allies to secure much—needed oxygen supplies. earlier this week, the country's serum institute called on us government to end its ban on the export of raw materials used in vaccine production. this is what the white house had to say. we are working closely with indian officials at both political and experts level to identify ways to help address the crisis. we have made vaccine cooperation a big priority, including with our quad partners — india is one of our quad partners, of course — discussing vaccine creation and distribution for the future. we have also provided $4 billion to covax and from the earliest stages of the pandemic, we have provided india with emergency relief supplies, medical consumables, pandemic training for indian state and local officials and ventilators, w

yogita limaye, bbc news, india. golf, and the final round of the masters is reaching its closing stages in augusta, with japan's hideki matsuyama in a commanding position. our correspondent andy swiss with the latest. the final day at augusta and this was the man to beat. japan's hideki matsuyama began four shots clear, but as his opening drive sailed into the trees, his rivals set about ramping up the pressure. america's will zalatoris, playing in his first masters, making an early move. hopes of a british winner lay with justin rose, but despite flashes of brilliance, he still had plenty of work to do. especially as matsuyama's early nerves began to disappear. oh, what a save! the leader was looking composed. the others, still playing catch—up. spain'sjon rahm put together one of the rounds of the day, while the unheralded zalatoris continued to shine. just 2a but showing a maturity beyond his years. very nice. but matsuyama was still the man they were all chasing. japan has never had a masters champion... ..cou

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. tonight, a first shipment of british assistance to india is leaving the uk. other countries are also pledging support. 0ur diplomatic correspondent paul adams is here what kinds of help is being sent? this was the weekend when the world stood up and took notice of what is going on in india, not least because a wildfire of infections like that in a country as large as india, 1.4 billion people, is clearly notjust a local danger, it is a global danger. given those numbers, any reaction seems like a drop in the bucket, but those offers are coming in and the uk sending 495 oxygen concentrators and hundred ventilators and the foreign secretary dominic raab says there could be more. the eu has activated its civil protection action where member countries pull their emergency supplies again with an emphasis on oxygen and medicines, and the us, perhaps stunned into action by moves on this side of the atlantic said it would immediately supply the raw materials for vaccines, involving reversing

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. let's get some of the day's other news. funerals have been held in iraq for more than 80 people killed by a fire at a hospital in baghdad treating coronavirus patients. at least 100 more were injured. reports say an accident caused an oxygen tank to explode, sparking the blaze. the iraqi health minister has been suspended pending an inquiry. authorities in indonesia have confirmed all 53 crew members from the navy submarine that went missing on wednesday have died. the vessel was found on the seabed broken into three pieces after an extensive search south of the natuna islands where it disappeared. fighting has erupted in the somali capital, mogadishu, between different sections of the security forces. some support the opposition while others back the president, whose mandate was recently extended by two years. ireland's prime minister has sharply criticised european football's governing body for dropping dublin as one of the venues to host matches for the delayed euro 2020 tournament. micheal martin said uefa had made "the

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. india has until now been a major provider of coronavirus supplies during the pandemic but narendra modi's government is reducing exports and is reaching out to key allies to secure much—needed oxygen supply. earlierthis secure much—needed oxygen supply. earlier this week, the country called on the us government to ban the export of raw material in vaccine production. this is a reaction from the white house. we are workin: from the white house. we are working closely _ from the white house. we are working closely with _ from the white house. we are working closely with indian - working closely with indian officials to identify the needs officials to identify the needs of the crisis. we make it a big priority, including with our partners including india, in discussing vaccine creation and distribution for the future. we have also provided $4 billion to kovacs and have provided india with emergency supplies, pandemic training for health officials and ventilators. —— covax. it has

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. if we take a look at what is happening in argentina now, to help minister is saying the country is going through the worst part of the pandemic since the first cases were reported just over a year ago. the health system is facing the prospect of collapse because of a sharp rise of infections in the past two months. or than 60,000 people have died of covid—19 in argentina. —— more than. the leading organisation for britishjews has published a report that lays bare the extent of racism within many parts of its community. somejews from diverse backgrounds, including ethiopian, indian and mixed—race, reported being refused entry to synagogues or being repeatedly searched and treated with disdain in kosher shops as well as racial slurs. the report's recommendations include a call for synagogues to resist racial profiling, and thatjewish schools should teach black history. stay with us here on bbc news. so much more to come. including all the latest sport stories. and super league?

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. professor nathan grills is a public health physician at the university of melbourne, and australia india institute, who works on health in india. he says the accounts of his colleagues there are really distressing. i think many of us have friends in india orfriends who are going through similar situations, and i get constant phone calls and whatsapp messages from friends in india with similar stories to what�*s being recounted there, trying to find oxygen and treating sick ones at home because there�*s no hospital beds. it�*s really dreadful to see the health system so overwhelmed like this. it raises the question of, given the scale this problem, a lot of people might say, "well, surely, why notjust have a national lockdown? bring every thing under control, stop people moving around the country, try to restrict the opportunities for transmission?" in yourjudgment, why wouldn�*t that make comparatively little difference? it goes back to what level of infection you have in the

yogita limaye has been reporting from india across many bbc outlets. siren wails. a capital on its knees. at its biggest hospitals, people being pushed to the limit of human endurance. "my husband's in a very bad state. let me get through," this woman says. she has been carrying him around for ten hours. many of these people will not survive the night. reports like that have seen plaudits from viewers. finally, bbc news was mocked on social media this week after publishing this story, headlined: the article went on to explore why somerset had become a celebrity hotspot. but several twitter users were unconvinced by its significance, withjonathan posting this: elaine also deployed sarcasm in her response. thank you for all your comments this week. if you want to share your opinions about what you see or hear on bbc news, on tv, radio, online and social media, e—mail newswatch, or you can find us on twitter. you can call us. and do have a look at our website. that is all from us. we will be back to hear your thoughts about bbc news coverage again next week. goodbye

yogita limaye reporting there. the time is 13:18. our top story this lunchtime: downing street has said it will explore �*every possibility�*, including legislation, to stop plans for a european super league. and the desperate struggle of refugee families living along the mexican border with the united states. coming up on the bbc news channel: english super league clubs face being banned from the premier league, uefa warns, as its head, aleksander eferin, tells them they've made a huge mistake. jurors in the us city of minneapolis are preparing for a second day of deliberation in the trial of derek chauvin, the former police officer accused of murdering george floyd. their verdict — when it comes — is likely to be seen as a pivotal moment in us policing and the treatment of black americans. cities across the united states are bracing for unrest when the decision is announced, whatever the result. gary o'donoghue is in minneapolis for us now. no doubting the tension, as the us awaits this verdict? yes, that's right. and i thi

our delhi correspondent yogita limaye was given access to the emergency ward of one hospital. her report contains distressing scenes from the start. the front line — an emergency room in a covid hospital, just about standing under the weight of an unfolding disaster. a patient who is hardly breathing is brought in. to get past the shortage of beds, they have packed in stretchers, wheelchairs — as many as they can. but the first line of treatment against covid—i9 is oxygen. and they have almost run out. at this point, there isjust one hour of supply left. the staff knows how many lives hang in the balance. people are being turned away, but they don't know where they will find oxygen or a bed. the intensive care unit is full, too. there are next to no icu beds in a city of 20 million. there is no space, so a patient who needs an icu comes to the casualty, right? what do i do? there is no physical space. we put him on whatever support we can there, trying to organise a bed somewhere or other. but once there is no bed here, no physical space, as you can see, to put another t

and we can speak to yogita limaye now. desperate scenes there. is there a feeling that india has hit the peak yet? feeling that india has hit the peak et? ~ , , feeling that india has hit the peak et? . , , ., ., yet? well, it is very hard to estimate — yet? well, it is very hard to estimate that _ yet? well, it is very hard to estimate that primarily i yet? well, it is very hard to i estimate that primarily because it is such a vast country. what we also saw during the first wave was that different parts of the country peaked at different times will stop certainly from what we have been seeing over the past week in the capital there has been no improvement in the situation. these deaths are caused by covid—i9, but they could have been saved, but they can't be because there is not enough oxygen and not enough hospital beds. we know that in some other parts of the country, for example in the state of uttar pradesh, the state of west bengal, we are seeing extremely sharp surges in cases there. these are areas where large gatherings were allowed

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. let's get some of the day's other news. funerals have been held in iraq for more than 80 people killed by a fire at a hospital in baghdad treating coronavirus patients. at least a hundred more were injured. reports say an accident caused an oxygen tank to explode, sparking the blaze. the iraqi health minister has been suspended pending an inquiry. fighting has erupted in the somali capital, mogadishu, between different sections of the security forces. some support the opposition while others back the president, whose mandate was recently extended by two years. are the president of ireland said uefa had made the wrong call and was out of order to insist that fans had to be at the games. the 93rd academy awards are taking place in los angeles — a very different occasion for obvious reasons. parts of the ceremony is being held at the city's historic art deco union station. some of the winners of the major categories have been announced as well, so let's get over the other corresponded in la. what is the latest? yes, more of

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. the latest coronavirus figures here show there were 2,396 new infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. on average the number of new cases reported per day in the last week is 2,463. just over 2,000 are in hospital — the lowest number since the start of september. 22 deaths were reported , that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—i9 test. average in the past week, 24 deaths were announced every day. the total number of deaths is now 127,327. as for vaccinations, more than 107,000 people have had their first dose in the latest 24 hour period. more than 33.1 million have now had theirfirst dose. the take up for the second jab remains high withjust over 350,000 in the latest 24 hour period, meaning just over 10.7 million people are now fully vaccinated. on her 95th birthday, the queen has thanked people for their support and kindness since the death of prince philip. in a message, she said still the tributes to her husband — whose funeral was last saturda

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. dr deepti gurdasani, clinical epidemiologist and senior lecturer at queen mary's university london, joins me now. thank you forjoining us here on bbc news. the first question i would really like to address this to what extent do you think this new variant is behind this surge in cases? i mean, i think there is a link to the new variant possibly because a lot of the population that we are seeing these surges and are thought to have had a high level of exposure to the virus. in delhi for example about 50-50% of virus. in delhi for example about 50—50% of people had antibodies but this is not equally disputed some communities will have the more than others but to seek a rapid rise of cases in a short period of time in communities that we think had antibodies but this is not equally disputed as some communities will have the more than others but deceived a rapid rise of cases in a short period of time in communities that we think have been exposed widely is really unusual. it’s that w

yogita limaye, bbc news, india. the race to replace chancellor angela merkel after september's federal election in germany is heating up. after months of speculation, both leaders of the two parties that make up her conservative alliance have now put themselves forward to be its sole candidate. they are bavarian premier markus zurder from the christian social union and chair of the christian democrats armin laschet. well, our correspondent in berlin, damien mcguiness, explained the significance of today's developments. we're in the run—up to a general election here in germany injust five months. the country will choose the new government and the new chancellor. as you know, angela merkel has been chancellor for 16 years. she has said that she's not going to run again, so that means someone else will take the job. now, these two parties, as you say, are two sister parties that make this conservative bloc, which angela merkel is head of. the problem is angela merkel remains popular. the conservatives, though, are lo

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. so, what's caused this rapid and devastating second wave of covid cases in india? as bad as it is now, some health experts fear the worst is yet to come. our science correspondent rebecca morelle looks at the different variants of the virus which appear to be driving the infection rate. the death toll keeps on rising, as india struggles to cope with its covid crisis. but how did they get to this point, and are variants behind the surge in cases? since april, india has reported five million covid infections. each day is bringing record numbers. are changes to the virus causing this explosive growth, or people's behaviour? it's always a combination of things. the increase in social mixing that's happened over the last several months, the sort of dropping of the guard of people, thinking that they can go back to being normal, as well as, potentially, the variants that have emerged. so how is the virus mutating and what do we know about the variants? the picture is different in different

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. the united states is lifting a ban on sending raw materials to india which will allow the country to produce its own supplies of the astrazeneca vaccine. our world affairs correspondent, paul adams, has more on the countries who are coming to india's aid. the united kingdom is sending a95 oxygen concentrators, iao print of the foreign secretary says there could be more. the eu has activated what it calls its civil protection mechanism where countries pull together their emergency supplies with an emphasis on oxygen and medicines in the us perhaps stung into action by moves on this side of the atlantic has said it will immediately supply the raw materials for vaccines and that will revolve that involve reversing extra controls put back in place in february and a supply protective gear and medical equipment and dr anthony fauci, the president passing chief medical adviser has even suggested the united states could supply india with some of its unused astrazeneca vaccines come at the vac

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. the united states is lifting a ban on sending raw materials to india which are needed in the production of the astra zeneca covid vaccine, so that it can produce its own supply. our world affairs correspondent paul adams has more on the countries who have come to india's aid. we are seeing now an awful lot of offers of help coming from quite a lot of places, so the british government today pledgin around 600 pieces of individual medical equipment including a95 oxygen concentrators. now, those are machines that are able to generate oxygen from the atmosphere, thus relieving the pressure on the hospitals�* own oxygen systems and also 120 non—invasive ventilators and 20 manual ventilators. in the last few minutes, whether the white house is dispatching immediately medical equipment and protective gear and also the eu today, we heard from the eu commission president ursula von der leyen that says the eu is co—ordinating work across members, activating something called the eu civil p

yogita limaye, bbc news, india. a man has been charged with murdering one of britain's richest men in dorset last week. the british film and television awards continue this evening — for the second night of this years ceremony. the presenters will be at the royal albert hall but all the nominees will appear via video link because of the coronavirus pandemic. the baftas will pay tribute to prince philip who was a long standing patron of the academy — as our arts editor will gompertz reports. prince philip, the duke of edinburgh. the first president of the society of film and television arts, known today as bafta, at the 1963 awards. he supported the organisation — and, more widely, the british film industry — for over 60 years. bafta said, "the duke occupies a special place in the academy's history and will be missed enormously." his royal highness�*s death will cast a shadow over this year's awards which, because of the pandemic, will be held behind closed doors in a largely virtual event celebrating bafta

yogita limaye, bbc news, india. a man has been charged with murdering one of britain's richest men in dorset last week. the british film and television awards continue this evening — for the second night of this years ceremony. the presenters will be at the royal albert hall

yogita limaye, bbc news. let's speak to the bbc�*s nikhil inamdar, whojoins me from miraj in maharashtra state. it is the third day never that we have spoken and the third day in a row that india has registered the highest ever daily rising coronavirus inspections. if we look at the picture across the country, what is happening at a state level and the national level to try to get and the national level to try to get a grip on this?— and the national level to try to get a grip on this? absolutely, i mean, it is a very. — a grip on this? absolutely, i mean, it is a very. very — a grip on this? absolutely, i mean, it is a very, very grim _ a grip on this? absolutely, i mean, it is a very, very grim picture - it is a very, very grim picture across the country. if you look at the total tally of the last three days, india is now atjust under a million fresh new infections that we have been seeing, 340 plus thousand in the last 24 hours with more than 2600 people dying. this is the third straight day of a s

yogita limaye, bbc news, india. a man has been charged with murdering one of britain's richest men in dorset last week. sir richard sutton was attacked at his home on wednesday. a woman in her 60s, believed to be his long—term partner, was seriously injured in the incident and remains in hospital in a critical condition. thomas schreiber — who's 34 — is due to appear in court tomorrow. there's been another eruption from the volcano on the caribbean island of st vincent. after remaining quiet for nearly 42 years, la soufriere first erupted on friday. heavy ashfall has caused power outages and cut off water supplies. scientists warn that eruptions could continue for days — or even weeks. 0ur central america correspondent will grant reports. it is an awe—inspiring, frightening sight, captured by the islanders of st vincent as they fled the affected areas. huge, thick plumes of smoke and dust were sent shooting several kilometres into air, as la soufriere unleashed its incredible explosive power. it was bright

yogita limaye, bbc news, india. there's been another eruption from the volcano on the caribbean island of st vincent. after remaining quiet for nearly 42 years, la soufriere first erupted on friday. heavy ashfall has caused power outages and cut off water supplies. scientists warn that eruptions could continue for days or even weeks. 0ur central america correspondent will grant reports. it is an awe—inspiring, frightening sight, captured by the islanders of st vincent as they fled the affected areas. huge, thick plumes of smoke and dust were sent shooting several kilometres into air, as la soufriere unleashed its incredible explosive power. it was bright, but then the light began to deteriorate. and it wasn't at a slow pace, it was rapidly deteriorating. it was just darkness. and then what happened, you began to feel something

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. our correspondent nikhil inamdar sent this update from miraj in the state of maharashtra. if you just look at the last 2a hours, 352,000 fresh new infections, over 2,800 people losing their lives and according to one report i saw, new infections at the rate of 21t3 every minute, india's tally now over 70 million and this is the fifth straight day of record spikes that we are seeing. in terms of the oxygen situation, it's not very good. the demand far, far continues to outstrip supply despite several measures being announced by the government including running special trains and getting in the air force to chip in. sos calls continue on social media with hospitals asking, you know, for more supplies of oxygen, saying they barely have a couple of hours left. the prime minister has announced in the last 2a hours that he would be setting up new oxygen plants in every district in the country but that's not going to help alleviate the immediate situation, the immediate crisis of oxygen that

yogita limaye, bbc news, india. the bafta acting and film awards will be presented this evening from the royal albert hall — but nominees will appear via video—link because of the pandemic. the baftas will also pay tribute to prince philip, who was for many years the academy�*s patron. our arts editor will gompertz reports. prince philip, the duke of edinburgh, the first president of the society of film and television arts, known today as bafta, at the 1963 awards. he has supported the organisation, and more widely the british film industry, for over 60 years. bafta said, "the duke occupies a special place in the academy's history and will be missed enormously." his royal highness's death will cast a shadow over this year's awards which, because of the pandemic, will be held behind closed doors in a largely virtual event celebrating bafta's most diverse group of nominations ever. this is rocks, the eponymous teenage protagonist who has tried to keep her inner city london life together in a wonderfully observed

yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. let�*s speak to professor of epidemiology, bhramar mukherjee from the university of michigan. these are difficult times for india. how do we explain the appearance of this second wave? it is hard to watch these huge germanic theory in crisis so it declined from september to february february and service that one out of two people were already infected. this gave the country a false sense of complacency and negligence. so when the country opened up there was a tremendous lack of appropriate behaviour in the schools reopened and there were massive rallies for election, large ratings and cricket matches were happening, from gatherings were taking place but from february on red stairway signs of upticks in many different places. there was free —— complete day—to—day names and negligence and even my own family was dismissive that magically the virus was gone. but the search we have seen going up by seven times in the last one month. that�*s coming up in the last one month. that