Malaysia becomes the latest country to impose a travel ban and the lockdown has caused chaos at its border with singapore. And a boost for biden, as he wins the Florida Democratic primary. Three states have held votes, but others were postponed by the pandemic. Its 1am here in london, 9am in singapore and 9am in the evening in washington, where the Trump Administration is spearheading global efforts to help economies withstand the coronavirus pandemic. The us is preparing an aid package reported to be worth 850 billion. This has lifted spirits on wall street, with the dow jones closing up more than 5 . Itll include 50 billion for airlines, which have been hit hard by travel restrictions and a dropoff in demand. 250 billion will be for Small Business loans and possible cheques sent to americans in the next two weeks. In a parallel move, britain has announced what the finance minister here describes as an unprecedented package of measures to keep uk businesses afloat. Well have more on that later in the programme. But first, heres our washington correspondent gary 0donoghue with his take on the us package. Well, the tone has changed on the hill. Theres no question about that. Theres much more sort of bipartisanship talk going on up there. Theyre not yelling at one another, frankly, as they normally are. And whats going to happen is that there is a bill going through at the moment thats worth sort of 100 billion in help, but theres a much bigger one being talked about. Mitch mcconnell, the republican leader up there, he has set up a group of taskforces to look at different areas of the economy, like individuals, on the one hand, the Airline Industry on the other, Small Business on the other. Theyre going to draw something up and then try and knock out a deal with their democratic counterparts. By the time all this has piled up, you could be looking at somewhere in the region of a 1 trillion 1,000 billion dollar bailout situation. We want to go big, go solid. The country is very strong, weve never been so strong, and thats what were going to be doing. We dont want with this invisible enemy, we dont want airlines going out of business, we dont want people losing theirjobs or not having money to live, when they were doing very well just four weeks ago. So were going big, and thats the way it will be, and thats the way everybody seems to like it on the hill. The treasury secretary, steve mnuchin, says he wants cheques, literally cheques, to go out to americans within the next two weeks. Now, that wont be all americans. He doesnt want to give them to millionaires, as people will argue is pretty fair. But it might be people on maybe 75,000 or less, or 100,000 or less, and youre looking at a handout of maybe 1,000. All this detail is to be hammered out, and that seems to be the preferred system of help that the Trump Administration wants to use, rather than, you know, doing anything with payroll taxes, which you wouldnt see for months and months and months. Gary and months. 0donoghue with all the latest gary 0donoghue with all the latest from the United States. Lets take a look at some of the days other developments. The global death toll from covid 19 is now more than 7,500, and there are more than 190,000 cases. The number of dead has continued to soar in italy and spain, while france has started a strict lockdown. The European Union has decided to ban travellers from outside the bloc for 30 days in an unprecedented move to seal its borders. There are exemptions for citizens of britain, switzerland and three other states. The move, designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, will apply to all non essential visits. Nazanin zaghari ratcliffe, the dual british iranian nationaljailed in tehran after being convicted of spying, has been temporarily released from prison for two weeks because of an outbreak of coronavirus. She will be required to wear an ankle tag and remain within 300m of her parents home in iran. Shes expected to be returned to prison in early april, after nowruz, the iranian new year. The us secretary of state, mike pompeo, has asked china to think again about a range of measures the country is taking against prominent us newspapers. China has demanded that journalists working for the New York Times, the wall streetjournal and the Washington Post all hand in their press cards, expelling them from working in the country. They say its in response to action taken against Chinese Media outlets in the us. Beijing has also reacted angrily to a tweet by donald trump which refers to, quote, the chinese virus. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said the phrase stigmatised china. Australias Prime Minister has announced an indefinite ban on all overseas travel in an unprecedented move designed to choke off the spread of the coronavirus epidemic. Scott morrison said the instruction was very clear, saying the biggest risk and incidence of cases has come from australians returning from overseas and adding, if we slow the spread, we do save lives. And european footballs governing body, uefa, has confirmed that euro 2020 will be delayed by a year to the summer of 2021. Theyve also confirmed that all club and National Team competitions, for both men and womens teams, have been put on hold until further notice due to the epidemic. As governments around the globe attempt to take Decisive Action in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, individuals are being reminded they must play their part. Professor Scott Weisenberg is the director of the Infectious Disease program at New York University langone medical center. I asked him if countries were now taking the right action. Well, i think certainly here in new york, and across the United States, were seeing a marked increase in cases, just even in the last couple of days. And i think the level of seriousness on both the population basis and governments, again locally and across the United States, has really changed dramatically in the last few days. I think obviously many countries italy have already taken dramatic steps, other countries have been a little slower. China initially set the standard for this, with very aggressive steps up front, which seems to have really altered the epidemic over a long period time. So i think most countries are coming back around to realising how serious it is, and taking aggressive Public Health measures to try and arrest the spread. When you say aggressive Public Health measures, are you talking full lockdown of the type we saw in italy, or initially in wuhan, or social distancing, something more like were seeing in the uk, for example . In the United States right now, the main emphasis is on social distancing. Some cities are requiring people to stay home. But even for people where theres not mandates for that, avoiding contact with others, certainly weve closed our bars and cafes here in new york city, making every effort to try to avoid unnecessary contact with others, so you avoid unforeseen transmissions to other people, that would drive the epidemic and make it even worse. And how important is testing . What information does it give us . Yes, so in the United States, we have been very slow in our ability to test people, and are only now having widespread ability to test people. Up until now, we have been testing the sickest people, who fit criteria like theyjust came back from a country where there is an ongoing outbreak. So we really dont know what is the wider number of people who have the disease, perhaps more mild disease, in the United States. So, in countries such as korea, they have been very aggressive in testing people early, and they have a better idea about what the entire population of people at risk for the disease is in those countries. So we need that information in the United States, and many parts around the world also need that information, for more aggressive testing. And, when we talk about herd immunity, is that something that is realistic, and that really protect us . Well, so herd immunity means that theres enough of the population that is immune to the virus, or another organism, so that if theyre exposed to it, theyre not going to either get the infection or particularly spread it to other people. So, if you have enough people that are immune to this virus in the population, then the spread would slow down, or even stop, because people couldnt spread it to other people, because it would just get arrested by individuals. They wouldnt have the virus and spread it on to others. In order to know what the herd immunity is, you would actually need to know how many actually have the disease, which of course we dont know, because we dont have the testing. Based on the numbers in china, you know, they have 70,000 or 80,000 cases in china, a little less than 80,000 in the highest risk area, which is very small percentage of the population. Even if the true number is two or three times that, they dont have anywhere near the number of people infected right now to have adequate herd immunity in those areas. Now, it may turn out theres a lot more asymptomatic people who have it, and that would be a way we could figure out that herd immunity would be something that would come up faster. But right now, i would not count on that getting us out of this in the next year. Professor Scott Weisenberg speaking to kasia a little earlier. Malaysia has become the latest country to impose travel restrictions, which came into effect at midnight local time on wednesday. The country is banning all visitors, while residents are banned from traveling overseas. Businesses will be shut, except those providing essential services such as utilities, health, banking and food supplies. The imminent lockdown is causing chaos at the border with singapore, as Sharanjit Leyl reports from the causeway bridge that divides the two countries. You can see the sheer amount of traffic that has built up on it, and it has been like this for hours now as people try to make their way from malaysia to singapore. Thats after the malaysian government imposed a travel ban on all residents and visitors. Now, many people live injohor, the malaysian state just at the other end of this land bridge, also called the causeway, but they work here in singapore. You can see the sheer proximity. This bridge is literallyjust about a kilometre long, and it is amongst one of the busiest border crossings in the world. Now, while many countries around the world have imposed travel restrictions to try to limit the spread of the coronavirus, this particular travel ban is going to have a huge impact on the estimated 350,000 people who commute daily between malaysia and singapore to work. The singapore authorities are saying they are now taking steps to try to make hotels and dormitories available for many of the malaysian workers who work in the city state. It still has many people worried. Translation i heard about the travel restrictions, and it scared me, so i came to singapore right away to stay at my brothers house. The travel ban affects my so called business and interests in both countries, singapore and malaysia. Friends are very worried about this, so they had to come to my house and sleep. And it is notjust workers. Malaysia also supplies a lot of singapores food, things like vegetables and fruit. It has prompted singapores trade minister to reassure singaporeans that the city has done enough to ensure supplies. Malaysia has amongst the largest numbers of confirmed cases in south east asia, and its Prime Minister implemented the ban to stop the spread. But here, just like elsewhere around the world, it is causing a great deal of unease. Just hours after the Us Coronavirus Task force announced its huge stimulus package, here in the uk, the finance minister rishi sunak unveiled his support plan to keep uk businesses afloat through the crisis. He said the country is in an economic emergency and now is the time to be bold. He vowed that the government would do whatever it takes to support the economy. It came as the number of confirmed uk cases rose to nearly 2,000, with 71 deaths. Political editor Laura Kuenssberg is in westminster. Everything seems different now. You can be on your own in the busiest parts of our biggest city. But quiet doesnt mask the worry. Millions are concerned about their health, and loved ones too. But instead of shutdown, behind closed doors, the centre of government is in overdrive. They re grappling with the biggestjob in generations to save lives first, but to protect how we make a living, too. We must act like any wartime government, and do whatever it takes to support our economy. You cant blame the new chancellor for looking serious. Just 33 days into hisjob, here he is announcing a bailout of historic proportions. This National Effort will be underpinned by government interventions in the economy on a scale unimaginable only a few weeks ago. This is not a time for ideology and orthodoxy. Today, i am making available an initial £330 billion of guarantees, equivalent to 15 of our gdp. That means any business who needs access to cash to pay their rent, their salaries, suppliers, or purchase stock will be able to access a government backed loan or credit on attractive terms. Can you guarantee to firms who need to pay wages now, and families who worry about paying the rent now, that they will not lose out while you work through the details of what comes next . Be in no doubt, the state is asking people to do something, to make very considerable changes to their lives. And it is only right, therefore, that the state should stand behind people as they make those changes. Business big and small might not have the luxury of time. The office of this brighton travel company is already practically empty. I dont think borisjohnson realises that people are losing theirjobs right now. Weve had to put staff on unpaid sabbatical, with no certainty of whats going to happen over the next few months. Reporter are you doing enough to stop the virus . Ministers have been scrambling to find a response big and fast enough. It might sound astonishing, but even more than £300 billion might be just the start. By the governments own admission, this is now an economic emergency. So theyve just promised to take vast steps to try to stop that turning into individual hardship for millions in the coming months, taking on long term costs for the country to try to stop a heavy and painful cost being paid by families in the coming months. The need for help for the countrys health and the countrys wealth is acute. Reassurance is not a currency in itself. Laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. Youre watching newsday on the bbc. Still to come on the Programme Using every available detail, the mammoth Research Effort behind computer modelling to understand the spread of covid 19. Also on the programme despite the outbreak the democratic vote goes ahead as three us states hold primaries. Early projections show a boost forjoe biden. Today, we have closed the book on apartheid and that chapter. More than 3,000 subway passengers were affected. Nausea, bleeding, headaches and a dimming of vision all of this caused by an apparently organised attack. The trophy itself was on the pedestal in the middle of the cabinet here. Now, this was an international trophy, and we understand now that the search for it has become an international search. Above all, this was a triumph for the christian democrats of the west, offering reunification as quickly as possible, and thats what the voters wanted. This is newsday on the bbc. Im mariko 0i in singapore. Im Kasia Madeira in london. Our top stories. Washington prepares a massive stimulus package to bolster the us economy in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. The British Government takes unprecedented steps to bolster its economy, which has also fallen victim to the outbreak. Coronavirus is dominating the international papers. The japan times leads on the future of the tokyo 0lympics. The paper says Prime Minister shinzo abe may have accepted that the games need to be postponed because of the risks of the virus. Here he is on a Conference Call with other g7 leaders, discussing how to manage the crisis. The philippines star has a dramatic picture of people behind Police Barriers after a Community Quarantine was introduced in bulacan. The paper says president duterte has declared a six month nationwide state of calamity to combat coronavirus. And the New York Times leads with italy, where traditional funerals have been banned. The picture shows undertakers in bergamo where the cemetary has been closed for the First Time Since the first world war. So the papers dominated by coronavirus. Joe biden has won the Democratic Party primary in florida, the third biggest us state, strengthening his lead over Bernie Sanders in the race to take on donald trump. It was one of three States Holding primaries. Afourth, 0hio, didnt go to the polls because of the virus epidemic. For more on this, im joined now by our north america correspondent, david willis. Thank you forjoining us, david. We are expecting joe biden to speak any time now, but this is quite a huge boost for him . Yes, it would appear to be all the American Networks and news outlets predicting thatjoe biden has comfortably won this primary in florida. It isa won this primary in florida. It is a state which is delegate rich, as it were, and will propel and even propel him even further forward in propel and even propel him even furtherforward in his quest to land the democratic president ial nomination. There we re president ial nomination. There were also primaries today in illinois and arizona. The polls in arizona are due to close in the next hour. We are hearing the next hour. We are hearing the illinois race is leaning towards joe the illinois race is leaning towardsjoe biden, the illinois race is leaning towards joe biden, but the illinois race is leaning towardsjoe biden, but of course it could still go either way. Certainly if joe course it could still go either way. Certainly ifjoe biden has another good night, how to polling the previous two super tuesdays, which were very super for him, it has to be said, he will really open up and unassailable lead over his rival, Bernie Sanders, which i think will prompt renewed calls for the vermont senator to drop out of the race. But voting in the age of the coronavirus, this is a very strange experience for a lot of voters . A very strange experience indeed. That was no there was no get out the vote effort, there was no going door to door and handing out leaflets, and indeed polling stations in many cases had to be switched at the last minute because the locations didnt come up to scratch in the new age of coronavirus. Polling workers also dropped out in many cases, because they got scared over the virus, the spread of the virus, which has incidentally claimed over 100 lives here in the us. So very real concern. The government wanting that gatherings of more than ten people should be counselled, and warning the elderly to stay indoors. Cancelled. Here in the uk, a big increase in restrictions on everyday life has been partly prompted by research from Imperial College london. The scientific modelling from a team there warned that britain was on course for a catastrophic epidemic, and the number of deaths in the uk could reach a quarter of a million. That was unless officials took a different approach to the pandemic. Heres our science editor, david shukman. From the start of the outbreak in wuhan, there has been a huge Research Effort behind the scenes, scientists using every detail to develop a computer simulation of the disease. Its called a model and it is what the British Governments initial response was based on. But then came northern italy, where more people need intensive care than anyone expected. So the forecasts have had to be adjusted. There is new data emerging from italy and now from our intensive care units here in london to suggest that the level of treatment that is required for a small fraction of these cases is more intense than we thought. We keep hearing about the modelling of the outbreak, but what does that actually mean . It is basically maths, calculations about different factors that influence the disease. This model was for wuhan, to work out the rate of infection. It is how scientists quickly found out that on average, every person who gets the virus can pass it on to at least two others. So over a month, one case can lead to more than 200. China has responded by closing off entire cities. Other countries have done the same. But until now, the uk has kept the most drastic measures in reserve. So critics have questioned the modelling of the outbreak in britain. But the scientists doing the work say it is better than nothing. Models are not crystal balls. They are better than just guessing, which is what you would otherwise have to do. But they are reliant on the data we feed into them and there is lots that we do not know about this virus and also lots we dont know about what the effectiveness of these interventions really will be. So how effective are these computer models of the outbreak . They have to rely on a lot of assumptions about things that arent known. Such as if people have the virus but do not show symptoms, how easily can they pass it on . And then a really critical question if someone has been infected with the virus and then gets better with a full recovery, is it then possible for them to get it again . Chinese television, reporting on research into a possible vaccine. That wont come soon, but it is part of a frantic search around the world to understand the virus and to minimise its impact. David shukman, bbc news. You have been watching newsday. Im kasia madera in london. And im mariko 0i in singapore. Well have Business News and more on that massive stimulus package to help the us economy, which saw markets pick up after days of huge losses. I have to say, asian markets are somewhat mixed, the nikkei injapan are somewhat mixed, the nikkei in japan higher, but australias market lower by nearly 3 . We will catch up with you and Asia Business report. For the time being, thank you for watching. Wednesdays weather brings us a mixed picture across the uk, a day of mixed fortune, certainly. Colder air moving in from the north, still mild in the south and across england and wales the cloudy mild theme continues through the day with some outbreaks of rain. For scotland and Northern Ireland a different story, cold and frosty start to the morning with a mix of sunshine and a few showers around. The dividing line between the two weather types is this weather front which is slowly sinking south across parts of wales and Northern England as well through wednesday morning. North of that we have a chilly north westerly flow so after a frosty start for scotland and Northern Ireland we see showers working in and they will fall as sleet in snow over the highest ground in scotland. Further south we have a band of rain pushing across Northern England towards the midlands into wales and much of southern england should stay dry for a good part of the day but fairly cloudy and grey. Light winds in the south but it could be quite breezy across the north west of the uk with those blustery showers continuing to pack in across the north west of scotland. Fewer showers for Northern Ireland temperatures around nine or 10 degrees at best in the north and we can see 11 13 further south. Moving through wednesday night on into thursday we still have a weather front that will linger over the next few days, not moving anywhere too quickly. It keeps mild air across parts of southern england as we head into thursday but elsewhere the blue colour on the map, the colder feel to the weather as the wind comes from a north westerly direction. For much of the uk, crisp to start with frost here and there but a lot of sunshine, some wintry showers again working towards the north west, further south a band of cloud and outbreaks of rain across the south west of england and a few showers getting into the south east as well. Temperatures for most of us between seven and 10 degrees so it could feel mild. Mild towards the channel isles. Looking towards the end of the working week now, thursday into friday we have High Pressure building in from the north, still we are keeping this stubborn but weak weather front in the south. Some uncertainty about its positioning but there is likely to be some rain for the channel isles and the south west of england. For the rest of the uk mostly dry, variable cloud, cool where you have a breeze coming off the north sea for places like east anglia, eastern scotland and parts of east england. Many of us, single figures through the day on friday but mostly dry with some sunshine. Further into the weekend and beyond were looking at a mix, a few showers in the north and the west on saturday, dry conditions more widely from sunday onwards. Bye bye. Im kasia madera with bbc world news. Our top story the us and the uk bring in massive stimulus packages to bolster their economies in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Shares on wall street closed up 5. 2 on the news the white house is planning a Financial Rescue worth up to 850 billion. Britains Prime Minister borisjohnson says the uk is on a war time footing, as he unveiled a new stimulus package. It includes 400 billion of loan guarantees for businesses hit by the fall in trade. And another Public Health message turned music video has gone viral. Wash your hands, dont touch your face a South African choir are the latest stars whose simple message to fight the outbreak is trending online. Thats all. Stay with bbc world news. A good message it is too