And a slowing economy. And a drive to attract tourists back to one of the worlds most visited cities that their own safety concerns. And sport had a catheter as World Cup Organizing Committee vows to keep the event affordable for founts us and all the while he says not pricing out supporters has become more important to the to the Economic Impact of corona virus. Now a new standoff could be brewing between the United States iran and venezuela over a shipment of millions of dollars of fuel 5 iranian tankers are just days away from arriving in venezuela to help ease petrol shortages there venezuelas own Oil Refining Industry has collapsed because of sanctions as well as mismanagement alexia brian reports. In the venezuelan capital caracas the queue at the petrol station can last for days. This is the richest country in the world and we should not be like this because there is wealth there is oil there is everything the shortages have plagued venezuela for years ever since its 1300000 barrel a day refining network collapsed which critics blame on underinvestment and mismanagement by the state oil company now president Nicolas Maduro has turned to iran for help for fuel itself and chemicals to help get the oil industry back on track. Those 5 ships are bringing gasoline regarding the Technical Support for the reactivation of the refinery what the venezuelan government asked us for in the past week was to bring input materials catalysts which iran brought through the planes. Ship tracking shows the 1st of the 5 tanks has left the iranian port city of banda rob us and match the 1st tanker fortune is expected to arrive in venezuela in the next few days iran is a longtime ally of venezuela and fellow rival of the United States both Countries Oil slick design or weedy under u. S. Sanctions the white house says its considering how to respond to the shipment this would be an example of the Iranian Regime taking the wealth of the iranian people and wasting it in venezuela on the dirt. The u. S. Is one of more than 60 countries trying to push Nicolas Maduro from power recognize an Opposition Leader one go i dont know as president a force of u. S. Vessels including Navy Destroyers patrol the caribbean on what u. S. Officials say is an anti drug Mission Venezuela sees the vessels as a threat and is sending its own military to a score the iranian tankers through its territory in case the delights it would constitute an actual russian. Women as a whole but analysts say a conflict is unlikely nobody in washington wants it war her or any sort of conflict with iran over venezuela in the current circumstances so although the u. S. Commander in chief of the Southern Command has expressed concern over the earth and washington is clearly watching it closely i think it is in the current circumstances that probably going to be. The extent of venezuela and iran say the trade is a win win for both countries iran got much needed gold venezuela the oil and both got to send a message to the United States alexia brian el jazeera well we can ask for it izadi he is a professor of wealth studies at the university of tehran he joins us now from the iranian capital for what lets start with the practicalities of this arrangement how confident can tear on be that the u. S. Isnt actually going to intercept this shipment. You know its going to be under International Law if the United States does that iran and theres a 2 independent countries they can trade in oil over any other goods if they wish to and the u. S. Doesnt have any a standing under International Law to threaten the shipment of oil the sanctions that iran out of it are facing are passed by the u. S. Congress and iran and venezuela not under any obligation to follow u. S. Congress dictates so i think both countries iran and find quite confident that the u. S. With nothing gaijin any illegal behavior and if you u. S. Does that there would be a response for that me ask you a little more about that relationship do you think that this is more about iran standing with venezuela or potentially more about challenging the United States. I think its both you know its from president ial as this time you know on has had with the nations of both countries under illegally the sanctions and they are basically trying to help each other comes to willing around the sanctions and this is also a humanitarian gesture by iran because ordinary citizen use gasoline you have seen the pictures from caracas people are standing in bahrain and theres far too that this is not something that iran can tolerate anyone has the ability to help the people in. The u. S. Government officials. You know had the clip of Government Official in the United States saying that you know on his base thing if you dont then you have a government is basing it on young people as. You know it is actually selling the earth has been. Ordered in the cities under sanctions and so this is a this is a veil actually being able to go on sanctions so overall i think as your reporter said this is a villain win situation for both countries and who cares what the United States is france and i thought you mentioned the possibility of retaliation now we are hearing escalation rhetoric now too in this or obviously comes at a time when the while the scrapping of the Global Pandemic surely heightening tensions now really doesnt set anyones interests. No it doesnt and you know when we have the pandemic going on sanctioning iran and then theres another countries by the United States is a sign of arrogance and the fact that they dont care about gold and their citizens we have even people in the u. S. Congress are asking the Trump Administration to suspend sanctions while growing up why this is around but the arrogance that us seeing from the white house is actually increasing sanctions in the last few months why the countries are experiencing their lives for and iran has made it clear that it will defend itself in the region how like a jew you think a conflict could be you know irans ability to cause difficulties for the United States in the persian gulf as quite expensive so if the u. S. Attacks on the Iranian Oil Tanker that you dont want to do something to damage the United States interests what should experience this a few months ago with an iranian trying to it being taken over by the British Government in the military and in sea and what the u. N. Did at that time was to take over the british ship and i think you dont repeat that. Experience again if the this wants to engage in this type of behavior. A professor of wild studies at the university of tehran good to get your thoughts on aljazeera. While iran has been one of the countries west affected by the current virus the total number of cases wild why it has now passed 5000000 according to a tally by Johns Hopkins university in iran has nearly 127000 infections media there are now reporting that 10000 cases are among Health Workers lets get more on this with our correspondents in this robin hes in terror on for us they is a some pretty huge numbers is there an indication from with our ideas on how theyre going to address this. Well this number was floated by the Deputy Health minister haas and john bob i. E. He was speaking yesterday evening during a ceremony to mark the 17th annual National Organ donation day and he took the opportunity at this ceremony to express the governments appreciation of the countrys Health Care Workers at least 10000 of those infected in this country he said were from the Health Care Working community were Health Care Workers that were directly on the front lines of irans response to the corona Virus Outbreak now we know from figures that were floated by the government last month in april that at least 100. 00 Health Care Workers were killed or died from being infected from succumbing to the current virus but we dont know exactly what those most recent numbers are very specifically the Deputy Health minister left out the total death toll among Health Care Workers so far in iran weve seen nearly 130000 infections since the beginning of the outbreak more than 7000 people have died from the virus in the context within which the Health Care Workers were facing off with the outbreak was d a country that was caught off guard a country where the figures were in constant dispute a country that was struggling to get personal Protection Equipment as well as the medical supplies that they needed to treat patients so certainly it can be said despite the fact that irans Health Care Sector is a robust one this is one that was under strain under extreme strain by this outbreak and this is the government taking an opportunity to appreciate and acknowledge a lot of the efforts being taken by their frontline Health Care Workers in dealing with the outbreak. On it and tehran thank you very much for that update. A powerful site current has killed at least 26 people and left many more homeless in eastern india and bangladesh cyclon on one basset west bengal in addition states with winds of up to 170 kilometers an hour its destroyed homes flooded streets uprooted trees and cut power to millions of households hundreds of thousands of people have also been moved from low lying coastal areas well our correspondent chatter is standing by for us in the bangladeshi capital dhaka but 1st lets speak to premier rajaram who joins us now via skype from kolkata thats in indias west bengal prema made landfall not far from where you are almost 24 hours or can you describe what it looks like than now. Well we went back onto the streets every other day and had fallen trees know like you have that is a major concern because they could be like royals which is why the Electricity Department has said that run must be careful of this also there is of course the last on buckshot charles blow from one end to the other if anybody wants to travel hes going to be a tough guy until all the trees are cleared by the bulk of them once well corp has all respond into action and they did that when the cycle when they would leave the ports of trees having fallen in different parts of the city to assess the damage and do good deed but as tradition well it is going to take a while and the chief minister a month about it is assessing the situation shes a set up especially with all schools they are going to be looking at various aspects and of course as as far as the night was concerned it continues in some areas because a fall cut which is still an ongoing nightmare for people that almost collapses that have been reported as having fallen and people have died in the state of west bengal a solid 24 by the nose less than the ones that use worst affected by the nozzles another district which is also worst affected but we must remember also that the state has delayed the call that night in prices which also brings us to the question also what about the car with 900 patients in the hospitals because we have reports of hospitals also having the backlash the cycle on and those in quarantine also that is also a big question so the state has to grapple with quite a bit not just the cycle but multiple with 90 crisis back to you and of course prima india still under current a virus walked down is that hampering the response to the storm. Absolutely the law down is creating a very helpless situation for the student ministration because of those who are in child does that is a question as to whether you know you can really go out and help them at this point in time or to do to take a conscious call us or how to really go out and reach out to them you bring in mind social distancing norms apart from that people are also all willing to help but keeping in mind that good or not by the situation and printed missourians a one judy has to be careful as to how to reach out to the people in various areas. Under 50 and keeping in mind also the state of west bengal and the interior parts or those that is also going to be a big task for the state administration to reach out to the people in the 1st 2 primary rajaram there for us in kolkata thank you very much pema well lets now go to tanveer chattery our correspondent who joins us from bangladesh as capital dhaka tanveer i know that people there are still assessing the extent of the damage but we already know that the economic consequences of this is going to be felt for many months. Very much so i mean its a very challenging time for the government grappling with the coronavirus pandemic and shut down a slow down the economy so to really. As far as the government of the people goes in general now we know the southwestern part of the country is very badly hed typically this sort of cycle and maybe decades ago it would have actually taken far too many lives not because the country is experience that is theres a lot of cycling shelters and the rescue takes place at least 2 days ahead of the cycle and thats why very few life fortunately will last but the economic devastation is huge. Disaster Management Council said it could be well over 1000000000. 00 for right now the areas that where he is famous for fish cultivation shrimp cultivation and also the delta is famous for even across land a lot of farmland and these farmers depends their livelihood on the days and thered be years to come before that can recover from this respect i spoke to a lot of my contacts in those areas they said theres a lot of salt water lot of places are still inundated from bangladesh thousands of mud houses and tin shelters where washed away by the title as high as 4 to 5 meter high so things are really bad more information is coming gradually. By tomorrow or more time that weve also been talking about the hundreds of thousands of ranger refugees who were in the camps around on the preparations that they were making for the storm how have they coped with. Well fortunately the storm didnt hit the Campaign Area or. There were wind and a lot of rain the danger was of torrential rain which could cause a mudslide and flood in the camp which every month. And also the pandemic of 19 at least 6 cases were found so theyre also in a panic but luckily. The storm didnt hit that we also know that 100. 00 plus growing those were sheltered. Called posh and charter island off bangladesh mainland they were rescued from boat those people are still in shelters because those highly prone to strike prone but theyre safe right now and things that little stable in the can because the storm didnt hit but theyre still in danger for torrential rain anytime in the months and season tanveer chattery there for us in the bangladeshi capital dhaka thank you ted. Has plenty more ahead for you on this news hour and losing. Your relocate the latest problem facing the embattled u. S. State of michigan. A taste for innovation with ramadan markets banned malaysias Street Vendors on taking their meals online. And in school it is no sign of social distancing at north americas most popular most Sports Series its here with the story. Chinese leaders have observed a minutes silence for coronavirus victims at the start of their biggest political gathering of the year the opening session of the top political adviser a body started a day ahead of the National Peoples congress thats when chinas leaders will likely announce measures to kick start an economy which has been hard hit by this pandemic well we will speak to our correspondent between beijing shortly for more on the National Peoples congress that fast her report. Just over a year ago president xi jinping was surrounded by allies and moved with an air of confidence and leadership on the world stage. This week he sat alone at a World Health Organization conference defending china against accusations it failed to do enough to prevent the coronavirus pandemic. Act it was openness transparency responsibility. Chinas leaders and the 3000 Strong Parliament will meet on friday amid growing International Anger and criticism led by its biggest trading partner the Us Donald Trump accuses china of covering up the outbreak beijing denies this but the argument is pushing the 2 countries closer to confrontation and phase one of the deal to end their 2 year trade war hangs in the balance hes mixing politics economics and also Security Issues very very dangerous mixture any kind of miscalculation could result in a real tragedy. Another thought in chinas side u. S. Support for taiwan wednesdays inauguration of president when has pushed beijings goal of reunification further away and in hong kong the virus emergency has failed to qu