News, 34 dead in afghanistan, including two newborn babies and their mothers, after attackers target a Maternity Hospital and a funeral. Hello. Welcome to the program. Our top story, a leading member of the u. S. Coronavirus task force has warned congress of serious consequences if states rush to ease restrictions. The death toll standing at 82,000. The focus has shifted to lifting the lockdown to get the economy going again. Testifying to senators top Infectious Disease expert, Anthony Fauci, said opening up too soon could result in a new wave of outbreaks. An investigation is underway after a fire killed four coronavirus patients. In france, some younger people are starting to go back to School Despite resistance for many parents and teachers. This on the day the countries death toll overtook spain. In brazil, polls suggest people are behind stricter lockdowns ordered by state governors. Bolsonaros popularity is plummeting. On that Senate Hearing today. The top Infectious Disease expert, Anthony Fauci, is a member of the task force. Heard Anthony Fauci really undermining President Trumps claim that the country has beaten the virus. Dr. Fauci did not mention the president by name but certainly, his warning resonated very strongly within the senate going against much of what the president has been saying in recent days. Not only dr. Fauci but other witnesses who appeared before the Health Committee as well, colleagues of dr. Fauci. Now, all of them adamant that the guidelines for opening up should be followed rigorously. Now, among these guidelines, for example, is that for a period of two weeks, there is a gradual reduction of cases of infection before states can open up. The number of states have opened up or dropped some of the mitigating measures despite these guidelines and this, dr. Fauci insists, is something that could have terrifying consequences. If that occurs, there is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak as you might not be able to control it. It will set you back. Not only leading to some suffering and death that could be avoided but could even send you back on the road to trying to get economic recovery. You can always turn the clock back rather than going forward. That is my major concern. Notam that assessment is what President Trump would have wanted to hear. No, indeed not. President trump has in fact been encouraging states via twitter and from public podiums to open up as quickly as possible. At a briefing in the course of today, he once again repeated that mantra. Saying at the same time it must be done safely, as he put it. The key issue here is the problem of testing. President trump adamant that the u. S. Has set the standard globally for testing protocol. However, that is simply not the case, and Health Experts have repeatedly warned that to open effective without testing protocols in place to measure the track of the virus, it could have the consequences that dr. Fauci was warning about in the senate. Maryam in other developments, President Trump has been intervening with california, allowing pushing california basically to let elon musk reopen his tesla plant. Yes. This is just another example of the president saying it is up to the governors to decide timelines and at the same time, basically, undermining them or taking sides or in this particular case, somebody who wants to open up his auto manufacturing plant again. This desespite the recommendatis and the mandate of the local county in which the plant is based. In california, the opening up procedures differ from county to county. In this particular county, alameda county, no decision has yet been taken in terms of opening up. Hen musk is insisting that is going ahead, and indeed, did open up his tesla plant. Who was the one cheering from the sidelines but President Trump, who in a tweet, insisted the governor of california them to flout the local ordinances with regard to opening up that particular area. Maryam thank you very much, mike, with the latest there. Russia becauseto authorities are investigating the safety of ventilators for coronavirus patients after one of them reportedly burst into flames. Spread toa said it the hospital after it shortcircuited. Another ventilator was named for a fire in moscow. Russia has the secondhighest number of Coronavirus Infections in the world at more than 232,000. That includes the president s spokesman, who has confirmed he is in hospital with the disease. Least 32,000 people now confirmed to have died of covid19 here in the u. K. And care homes account for one quarter of that. The government has been criticized for early failings which left some of the most vulnerable at high risk and there are concerns coworkers could ring the disease back into the wider community. Effect of covid19 on care homes in britain has been devastating. These are places where the elderly and frail should hope to live out their lives in comfort and safety. A quarter ofeast all covid19 deaths have taken place in the sector, which lies outside Britains National health service. While there are signs the worst of the crisis may have passed, experts mourn against complacency. We need to see clear evidence that ppe is getting to care homes. We need to see comprehensive testing, and that needs to be on the Rolling Program and it needs to test both start and also the residence of care homes. We also need the nhs to really upscale support to care homes. At the start of this pandemic, they withdrew, and now, they need to be therem, shoulder to shoulder with the sector. Staff feel particularly left out. There are many decades that have not been receiving the respected recognition for the amazing work that we do and i think this crisis particularly shows how much social care is on the front line, working handinhand with the nhs. As britain prepares to take the first tentative steps back to work, the government is counting on a falling infection rate to ensure the lockdown is lifted further, gradually, sector by sector, breathing new life into the economy, but there is a wink link weak link and that his social care. The trends are encouraging. Infection and fatality numbers are falling steadily. But care homes are struggling to shake off what critics describe as early policy failings by the government. I do not know what the motivation was behind the decision, but a decision was made, it seems to me, that Community Spread was going to be allowed to run fairly. Mosthat care homes and the vulnerable were not going to be connected. Natural19 is one such event. Another is the annual flu season in the autumn. The great fear is of a dual assault yet to come against societys most vulnerable people. The government has promised testing for all residents and staff by early june and training in infection control. The wider concern is that new outbreaks in bertens care homes could put the infection rate up and plunge the country back into crisis. Al jazeera, london. The u. K. Is extending its furlough scheme by four months until the end of october, more than 7 million workers on the Job Retention program under which the government covers 80 of their wages during the pandemic. This costing 12 billion a month. Employers will soon be asked to share the burden. Until the end of july, there will be no changes whatsoever. October,m august to the scheme will continue for all sectors and regions of the u. K. But with greater flexibility to support the transition back to work. Employers currently using the scheme will be able to bring furloughed employees back parttime. We will ask employers to start sharing with the government the cost of paying peoples salaries. Parents are making difficult decisions about whether to send their children back to school. Say they are worried about keeping their children safe and only one in four younger people actually went back to school in france. Laurence lee reports. First day back to school in this swiss down after nearly a two month break and there are mixed emotions. Classes are only half full. Desks are two meters apart. We cannot be sure. I think we have had our dose of anxiety. Everyone views it, too. It is difficult to get back to the way it was. Laurence in italy, where the european outbreak began, they are taking things even slower. Using a public gym as a pilot scheme. Using a small group of sixyearolds to 10yearolds to see if it is even possible to socially distance small children who are use to wanting to be close together. Find a way these children can play together and we can go to work. It has been our home for two months. Their grandfather cannot take care of them every day all day. They are small. They need to be with other children. They really need this. Same story in france. Towardsurned to work, whatever sort of normality you call this, is leaving children with our choices. In nice, they were doing everything they could. We have done everything to make sure the rules are respected. We will spend a lot of time washing our hands and we have to be attentive to the cleanup in schools. Many parents want their kids to have structure in their lives. These are hard choices with uncertain science. Not that worried. I have done what needs to be done. In any case, i have to go back to work in childcare. Five months without school would have been difficult. That is what was scaring me. Inevitably, there is a lot of pushback. In the u. K. , half a Million People have called on a petition , asking for parents to have a choice. So too in france the mayor of nice could not agree more. Familys important for a to have a choice. For all the families that wanted their kids to go back to school, i wanted them to do it in the best possible conditions. Excited children, totally understandable. Interest parents equally so. In the new normal, it seems everyone has to accept some degree or another that risk is part of life. Laurence lee, al jazeera. Tollm as brazils death passes 12,000, local and state governments are pressing ahead with mandatory and lockdowns against the will of the president. Dara bolsonaro dismissed gyre bolsonaro dismissed Jair Bolsonaro dismissed the coronavirus. Gyms should be allowed to reopen. Our latin america editor has more on this. He has been lashing out at governors that have been insisting upon lockdowns and other measures to enforce social distancing because he says that is rubbish, paranoiac. That means his popularity has continued to plummet. 49 to the latest polls showing Something Like 8 . There were other polls that shows hes lost even more approval. Another poll shows at least 44 of brazilians believe he is jobdoing a medium to terrible in handling the pandemic. The more people die, probably, the more that his popularity will continue to go down. Maryam still ahead on the program, india is reopening parts of its Train Network to fight Coronavirus Infection still rising. People flee nigeria after a series of deadly attacks as niniger suffers with its own crisis. More showers and cloud across the southeast of australia pushing across into tasmania. Across, taking the bulk of the rain with it. Areas such asnto melbourne and down into hobart. Temperatures a little bit on the low side. Not a bad day wednesday. 20 two celsius is the high but that will change as there is more rain on the way and this rain pushing on towards the Southern Island of new zealand. It will put the remainder by thursday in the front will trail in the back so these showers just creeping up the east coast of New South Wales and onto the far southeast of queensland. Out across the west, it is warm and dry and nice for a high of 20 degrees celsius. One or two showers into honshu. Stay dry in tokyo. Clear skies and warm air into beijing with 30 celsius and showers across areas of china. Feeling a little bit humid in hong kong with a high of 29. On thursday once again developing through the central areas and bringing the showers across into shanghai. Paying the price for his political maneuvering. Now, desperate for american recognition. Totally and absolutely denounce. How did the plo find strength and support from their only lifeline . Palestinians living in the occupied territory, chronicling the story of a struggle for palestinian homeland. On, history of a revolution, al jazeera. Maryam welcome back. A look at the headlines paid a leading member of the u. S. Coronavirus is calling on states not to rush to lift restrictions , warning of serious consequences, including needless deaths. Dr. Anthony fauci saying ignoring guidelines could result in an outbreak of even greater damage to the economy. Question Authorities Say they are investigating the safety of ventilators for coronavirus patients after one reportedly burst into flames, and local media says the flames spread at the hospital after the machine shortcircuited. Brazils death h toll passes 12,000. Local and state governments are pressing ahead with mandatory lockdowns. The president has repeatedly dismissed the coronavirus as a little flu. Hospitals have been overwhelmed with patients suffering. Story in afghanistan. The president said he is ordering the military to resume operations against the taliban after attacks targeting and Maternity Hospital in kabul and a funeral in an car province, which killed 34 people. Despite our repeated call from the international community, the taliban have not reduced violence and they have increased their attacks. ,n order to provide security they are ordering Afghan Security forces to switch from an active defense mode to an offensive one and start operations against the enemies. Maryam newborn babies and their mothers are among the victims of those attacks. The taliban has declined those attacks. Maternity hospitals are supposed to be a place of sanctuary for new life, but instead, this was the scene of what the Afghan Government is calling a war crime and an act against humanity. I brought my newborn son for a vaccination, and suddenly, the explosion happened. I do not remember anything after that. I was in the middle of the hospital and then i found myself outside. Gunmen storming a hospital compound in the capital with the Aid Organization doctors without borders. New mothers and babies are among the victims. Were shootingrs at anyone in this hospital if for no reason. It is a Government Hospital and a lot of people bring in their women and children for treatment. Grenades,ackers threw provoking panic inside and a gun battle with security forces. When the firing started, we went to the safe room. There were nine of us inside for four hours. The attacker came at the back of the door and fired but he could not enter the room. There were casualties amongst the patients inside the ward. Onwhile this firefight was the way, dozens of people were led to safety. The injured transferred to other hospitals. The neighborhood and the rest of the city is home to the community, a frequent target of attacks by both taliban and isil linked groups. At a hospital in the eastern province, more chaotic scenes. Bomber suspected suicide targeted a crowd gathered nearby for a funeral. There were a lot of bodies laying on the ground. Some of them were dead and some of them were injured. Victims went into pickup chops, anything to get them to medical help quickly. Some of the injured were treated on stretchers on the floor. The hospital overwhelms. And the surviving mourners left planning more funerals. Al jazeera. The United Nations is saying violence in northwestern nigeria fourth to 23,000 refugees to flee into niger since last month. 19 have been displaced in their own country because of fighting. Claim, fording seven lives. The deadliest climbing 47 lives. The numbers tripled since last year. More on this story now. Can you explain why there has been a surge in violence . Communities have seen a sharp increase in the number of violent attacks. Some of these victims find it easier to cross into niger for shelter or refuge because it is easier for them to do that than the to cross over to larger towns and cities in nigeria, where they are more secure because of restrictions put in place by the Nigerian Government following the outbreak of covid19. This conflict has a long history. Back in 2013 when things started getting out of hand, local farmers formed their own vigilantes to protect their car from those who destroyed them. They started taking the law into their own hands by rating settlements. That ensued for several years. The nigerian president sent in the armed forces to help contain this situation when it became apparent that the police are not properly equipped to deal with the situation. Eventually, in 2019, some states in the region reached an agreement with the armed groups ensued. N peace eventually, an amnesty was granted to the repentant bandits in court. What these recent attacks signify is that that agreement between governments in the region and the bandits has finally broken down and people are afraid that there will be more violence in the coming weeks and months. Train in india, the network is coming back to life after a seven week shutdown left many people stranded. The government insists it is necessary to revive the economy despite posting a record rise in Coronavirus Infections. The Prime Minister promised 266 billion dollars in Financial Measures to help get the nation back on track. Elizabeth reports now from new delhi. Elizabeth they waited in long lines for hours before the trains departed from new Delhi Railway station. Thousands of people who managed to get tickets on one of the 15 trains leaving the capital on thursday. Students had the same problem as many others when the Indian Railway flight crashed when tickets went on sale. I had to wait a long time because of a flight crashed multiple times. The tickets were supposed to be available from 4 00 p. M. They were not until 6 00 p. M. Elizabeth elizabeth those able to buy tickets were the lucky ones. All sold out in three hours. He was one of those. He brought his 15monthold baby, who was born with a heart condition, just days before the lockdown was announced. The family was evicted from their lodging on saturday after running out of money. They tried to buy train tickets but missed out. Intention of staying here. We want to go home so that he can get treatment. It is our town hospital. It is possible to get treatment. At least medications can continue there. Elizabeth the family walked 14 kilometers to the train station, hoping to find a way home. 30 train stations will be between here and the capital of new delhi and 15 major cities around the country. Some daily, some less frequent. They will run at full capacity each carrying around 1800 passengers. They must wear face masks at all times. Said it is up to passengers to maintain social distancing on board and Train Services will be gradually increased. Some state leaders said the resumption of services is too many and too soon but the Prime Minister, narendra modi, said they will get the economy moving again. The experts and Scientists Say the coronavirus will be part of our lives for a long time. We cannot let our lives revolve around the coronavirus either. We will wear masks, follow physical distancing, and we will not let our goals out of sight. Stranded, millions the trains cannot arrive soon enough. Al jazeera, new delhi. People in theion chinese city of wuhan will be tested for covid19 over the next 10 days after several new cases were discovered. The epicenter. Six new cases were reported on sunday and monday. Meanwhile, singapore is planning to test 320 3000 Migrant Workers living in cramped dormitories that have become a hotbed for the coronavirus. Countries had more than 2600 infections, one of the highest in asia. The vast majority among migrants squeezed into unsanitary living quarters. The government says they will be tested to let them return to work. Singapore started to ease its lockdown on tuesday, allowing hairdressers and pet stores to reopen. Senegals president has agreed to allow the bodies of citizens who died of covid19 abroad to be brought back into the country. They stamped the spread of the virus but he lifted the restriction in a televised address on monday night along with other measures. Markets and businesses are allowed to reopen as long as they shut for cleaning. 19 deaths. Meanwhile, there has been a second wave of Coronavirus Infections in soma goals senegals holy city. Mosque buthis it will reopen later on today. Many of us have already reopen places of worship. Worshipers are practicing social distancing. That is because the number of infections is skyrocketing. There are thousands of people infected with the virus. The easing of measures announced by the president has come under criticism by some part of the population, especially the wealthy living in urban areas. The majority of the senegalese living on just a few dollars a day. Farmers welcome the reopening of markets and businesses. For the first time this year, they have had to rely on government handouts to survive. We are not afraid of getting ill but we are afraid of transmitting the virus to other peopople. This is my origin and my destination. Our apartment here in frederiksberg in the heart of copenhagen. But t in my work, travelliling around t the world, i look differently at my own city now. I see the challenges and i see the hurdles. This city has been a Global Benchmark for urbanism for many years, and i want to show you some ofof the great things ththat make this city so unique and make it work so well. Leadership is not resting on your laurels. It is a constant search for innovation, for improvement, for urban devevelopment. I want to find out what the state of the urban nation is right here, in my own city copenhagen. But first. Its time for school. You guys ready . Yeah. All right. Letets do it