the government seeks to assure parents and teachers about plans to get some pupils back into schools in england in a fortnight. while the risk of infection cannot be eliminated, ministers say they are confident about a phased reopening. it is the case that it is extremely unlikely that any school is likely to be the source of a covid outbreak, and if, for any reason, there are risks, then we can take steps to mitigate them. amid the warmer weather, how some parts of the uk are coping with more visitors and the challenge of social distancing. the councils asking for emergency support and saying vital services are at risk because of a funding crisis. and amid warnings about the pandemic and our mental health, the archbishop of canterbury speaks

out about his own struggles. good evening. the government says it's confident that children and teachers will be safe under its plans for schools in england to open to more pupils next month. the cabinet office minister michael gove said that while it was impossible to guarantee nobody would catch coronavirus, it was extremely unlikely that a school would be the source of an outbreak. it came as the latest figures showed the number of people who have died in the uk after testing postive for the virus has risen to 3a,636. the deaths of 170 people were reported for the last 2a hours — that's the lowest figure since the uk lockdown began in march

although there is generally a lag at the weekends in the reporting of deaths. our chief political correspondent vicki young reports. could this be what primary schools in england look like in a fortnight? in denmark, pupils are put into small groups with one teacher and kept apart. it is a model the government is suggesting here but many teachers and parents want to know whether it is safe. none of us, none of us can guarantee that anyone will be entirely free unless effectively their perpetually imprisoned in their own home. therefore what we need to do is make sure that people are as safe as possible and in any widespread understanding of the word, schooling for a limited number of children with social distancing is a safe environment. but some councils like liverpool and hartlepool safe early june is too soon to reopen the gates. labour wants more

information. what gavin needs to do, the education secretary, is published the silent as to why they're making the decision now and ensure there is a testing and racing which he promised yesterday would be available —— the science. but they don't have the staff in place they said they needed to have the tracing so said they needed to have the tracing so testing and tracing and isolation is really important to tracking the virus. schools in wales will not reopen on the ist ofjune and may not restart at or before the summer in scotland or northern ireland. some parents think england should ta ke some parents think england should take the same approach. valerie brooker lives in surrey and has to daughters and she thinks it's too soon to go back to school. my youngest has asthma. she is on two inhalers. charlotte has full on learning difficulties and she has had pneumonia when she was five years old. i don't want her getting a second bout of pneumonia. it's just not viable, i don't want

bronwen unknowingly coming home and passing the virus. she might be a carrier. children rarely become seriously ill from coronavirus, less is known about how they might transmit it. teaching unions have quizzed government scientists and some are reassured. critically, our teachers and other staff in schools at greater risk than if they were returning to other professions? that was the key information, they are not at greater risk as teachers and other people in school and that was a very significant moment for me in allowing us to be able to say, let's start planning even more carefully to open our schools, which were already open, to more pupils and students. the government is promising a cautious approach based on scientific advice. the government will be watching very closely other countries where schools have already reopened and looking at the impact it has had death but they do believe that with careful planning, school to hear can be made extremely safe. of course

there will be huge logistical challenges put if you're putting pupils into smaller groups, you need more classrooms and space and of course more teachers put a bit with the site we could be living with this virus for a very long time, ministers think it would be extremely damaging to keep children off school indefinitely. vicki young, thank you very much. the government's announced that if a vaccine under development by oxford university is proved to work, a deal has been struck with the drugs company astrazeneca to make 30 million doses of it by september. but with no vaccine as yet, and plans for children to return to english schools, what effects do coronavirus have on them and their capacity to pass it on to others? our health correspondent dominic hughes has been exploring the scientific evidence. the arguments over when or even whether schools in england should reopen before the summer come down to the safety of staff and pupils. how the virus behaves in children and the extent to which they could

pass it on two adults. so what does the science tell us? we know that children do become infected and we measured the amount of virus in their nasal samples and that it looks pretty similar to adults. what we don't know is whether these children then are able to pass on to other adults or other children. children then are able to pass on to other adults or other childrenm that where the argument lies deep do you think? definitely, we need to see evidence that children pass on to other people and we can do that through contact tracing approaches where we can follow the chain of infection and disease whether children are part of the output of the other important question is what is the risk posed to adults,. both the teachers they see at school and the teachers they see at school and the ones they live without hope or don't children seem to be as likely as adults to get infected and yet they seem to also suffer fewer symptoms for a shorter period of time and seem to infect fewer people asa time and seem to infect fewer people as a result of. but the truth is it is early days and we civilly don't know for sure. scientists they need much data. we

some countries are facing the reopening of schools with social distancing in place but students in italy will not resume their studies until september. other countries never shut schools in the first place so what lessons can we learn? what we have seen in countries where schools have remained open is that they have not been big outbreaks in schools and where there have been, it has been associated with events where a lot of people gather, not in regular classrooms. it has often been associated with an adult who has had the infection and has spread it. as with so many aspects of the coronavirus, the scientific evidence is still emerging. in the end, it becomes a question of balancing risk because not sending children to school could also have a damaging effect on the health. this has been the first weekend of eased lockdown restrictions in england and staff at the lake district national park in cumbria say they found some people trying to camp overnight and others returning to their second homes, neither of which is allowed.

but people in england are now permitted to drive out to take their daily exercise. our correspondent claire marshall reports from the dorset coast. the chalk cliffs of the dorset coast and its most cherished landmarks, lulworth cove and the limestone arch at durdle door. what a place to come after a lockdown. around 2500 people have made the trip here today. way up on yesterday and later in the week the weather is only going to get better. the owner, who has had to furlough 140 workers, says even before the lockdown was relaxed, people were trying to come here. of course now they can come, the police don't have any power to stop them. if we hadn't opened, they would be on the roads walking around anyway. they are doing what they can to keep people safe but you cannot get around geography. this perfectly shows the problems that lie ahead,

hundreds of thousands of people normally come to this beach but this is the only route in and out. look how hard it is to social distance. people are doing their best to stay away from each other. it is such a release after so many weeks cooped up. they have handled it really well, you know, having the one—way system here and there is obviously a lot of people here, the sun is shining but i feel really safe and just happy to see families having fun. still, some are worried by what they see. the peacock family drove an hour and a half to get here. we spoke to daughter ellie and mum jane. it's nice to get out of quarantine but i think, yeah, it's going to peak again because of everyone isjust going to go mad and go anywhere they can. it's lovely to get out but i'm quite shocked as to how many people are here and how they are not paying attention to the social distancing. i find that quite annoying, to be honest. it is like being in tesco's. in other parts of england, people were back on the beach in southend in essex. and up in the peak district, car

parks were full for the second day. local authorities are still asking people to stay away. in scotland, wales and northern ireland, the lockdown rules have not been changed but people in england are making the most of the relaxation. claire marshall, bbc news, dorset. the scottish government has announced it will begin testing contact tracing technology in nhs fife, lanarkshire and highland from tomorrow. it's the first step towards an extended test, trace and isolate approach to be rolled out across scotland by the end of the month. it will involve anyone testing positive being asked to isolate and a system to identify and contact people they have been close to. leaders of some of the largest councils in england have appealed to the government for emergency financial support to prevent them becoming insolvent during the pandemic. the county councils network says that without a £5 billion income guarantee, services will have to be cut, including some aimed at combating the virus. our political correspondent, alex forsyth has more.

emergency food parcels for the vulnerable, prepared and packed by staffordshire county council. i don't know how many thousands we have done. across the country, councils are providing a range of extra support, often adding pressure to budgets. for those on the receiving end, these are essential services. like chris, self—isolating for his health and grateful for the help. i would have had to starve, literally, because i got nobody. who can you call on to just magically appear with food? for councils in staffordshire, like elsewhere, the increasing costs of this crisis are coupled with a drop in income. parking charges often suspended, leisure centres and tourist attractions closed, and there is fear about a fall in business rates and council tax if people cannot afford to pay. the county council here welcomes extra government funding but says it has still left a gap. the cost to the county council is probably about £50 million at the

moment and the government have given us £38 million. our council finances will be stretched. they are manageable at the moment and we have had additional costs the government should fund. so far the government has given an extra £3.2 billion to councils in england and last week a further £600 million for councils to give due care providers but there is demand for more. at the start of the crisis, councils were told by the government to spend what it takes but there is growing concern they will be left out of pocket put it many want the government to guarantee it will cover the cost of their lost income because of some fear they will simply run out of money and that could have a real impact on some crucial services. take social care, already under strain, exacerbated by this pandemic. private providers who rely on income from councils safe the budgets are tight and extra government money is not getting through to them. there was not nearly enough money. we have seen one home close already but i think there will be others that are

teetering on the edge now. this is a result of underinvestment by successive governments for a period of nearly two decades. the government says as well as extra funding during the crisis, councils have had more money overall to spend in the past year and a spokesman said they continue to work closely with councils and any concerned about their future financial position should contact the ministry for local government. those running the service as many rely on, though, say as well as a short—term fix, there has to be a long—term solution for a sector under strain. the world health organization has warned that a global mental health crisis is looming because of the many consequences of the pandemic. here, mental health awareness week begins tomorrow and the archbishop of canterbury, justin welby, has been speaking about his struggle with anxiety and how the country should respond to the virus. here's our religion editor, martin bashir. we have tried to keep calm and carry

on, but in our locked down homes, minds have been racing to. according to the office for national statistics, almost half of adults in the uk are suffering with anxiety. including the archbishop of canterbury. there is real anxiety and you cannot just so easily talk it through. of course, anxiety is a very reasonable thing to suffer. when i talk to the doctor who i talk to from time to time, he says the whole point about anxiety and depression is they are there to tell you something. we often think it is just us who is struggling, that everyone else is doing ok... it was while delivering thought for the day before his 64th birthday that the archbishop admitted to his own depression. he had grown up with an alcoholic father. soon after marrying, he and his wife lost a child, aged just seven months.

loss, grief, anxiety are traumas. and trauma has to be gone through. and you can't do itjust with the stiff upper lip. as archbishop, he wants to open churches when safe to do so but says he is more focused on the mental health of the nation. what i hope and pray that we learn is, first of all, that we cannot base our society on the idolatry of wealth, even of health. secondly, that we build a vision of the society we want. we have a commission of enquiry into what we learn from this — not to blame, but to learn. we have royal commission on how we look after social care. the reaction to the last crisis, the financial crisis, was one of austerity.

yes. do you think the same should happen this time round? can we do that again? no. i think that would be catastrophic, because austerity falls worst on the weakest. let us have a society that follows god's call forjustice and don't kid me that economics and spirituality don't go together. it is god's economy. martin bashir, bbc news, at lambeth palace. that report by our religion editor to mark mental health awareness week which starts tomorrow. that's all for now. we're back with the late news at ten on bbc one. you're watching bbc news with me, james reynolds. the daily death toll from coronavirus in spain has dropped below 100 for the first time in two months. according to the health ministry 87 people died on sunday. that brings the total

number of deaths in the country to 27,650 people. guy hedgcoe is our madrid correspondent. the prime minister has said that he wants to extend the state of emergency, which is the legal framework which allows him to keep the lockdown in place. he wants to extend that at least by another month and he is going to go to parliament this coming week, on wednesday we are expecting a vote and we will find out whether or not he will be able to extend that state of emergency for another month. the feeling at the moment is that it is likely but there has been increasing opposition to the prime minister due to his handling of the crisis. it has been increasingly difficult for him to get these extensions to the state of emergency. what are spaniards able to do at the moment and how much regional disparity is there? it depends where you are, as you suggest in the question. there is a huge disparity geographically

because different parts of the country are being affected very differently by the coronavirus. madrid is very much the epicentre, so the restrictions here are still pretty much in place. you can go out and do some exercise once a day, but madrid is behind many other parts of the country. around half the country moved into what the government has called phase one of a three phase lifting of restrictions just a few days ago. that means that in those areas you can go and have a meal, you can go to a bar or restaurant, but you can only be served at outside tables, you can meet in gatherings of up to ten people, you can go to certain shops and businesses, but still a lot of the restrictions are in place. the government is underlining that this is a very gradual lifting of restrictions.

israel has sworn in a new unity government led by prime minister benjamin netanyahu and his former rival benny gantz. it ends the longest political crisis in the nation's history. lawmakers in the knesset formally approved the three—year coalition government. mr netanyahu vowed to push on with controversial plans to annex large parts of the occupied west bank. the afghan president ashraf ghani and his rival abdullah abdullah have signed a power—sharing deal, ending months of political uncertainty. the deal sees mr ghani remaining as president while both men will choose an equal number of ministers. mr abdullah will lead peace negotiations with the taliban, should they get underway. india has extended its coronavirus lockdown for another two weeks until the 31st of may. however some restrictions have been eased. offices can work with staggered business hours. and shops have been allowed to open with a limit on customers. there have been more than 90,000

coronavirus cases and almost 2900 deaths in india. footage has emerged of the prime minister of belgium getting the cold shoulder from healthcare workers. sophie wilmes visited saint peter hospital in brussels of saturday. but some staff used the occasion to express their opinion about the government's handling of the coronavius outbreak —— turning their backs on her ministerial car as she arrived . we've got used to spending much of our lives staring at screens in recent years. now we're becoming rapidly accustomed to staring through them, too. demand for protective screens in shops and offices is booming during this pandemic — and manufacturers are struggling to keep up. here's our business correspondent katy austin. clear plastic sheets being cut and shaped into protective screens — these will end up on reception desks. this office furniture manufacturer near dudley is getting ten times the normal orders for screens. staff are back from furlough,

making 700 a week. more and more businesses are starting to get back to work and they want to do that safely, which has triggered a huge amount of demand for the kind of protective screens that they make here. the company's boss says offices will start to look very different. normally, you would have screening of this height to provide a separation between the space, now people need to extend that to provide a more practical barrier. but the rush for see—through screens has caused a shortage in transparent acrylic — many businesses could have to wait months. is it possible that everybody who wants a plastic screen will get one now? in simple terms, no. we will be exploring all sorts of alternative materials, but there is a limited supply of acrylic, and that is being used up very quickly. everybody is looking for screens.

for weeks, this firm in leicester has rushed to make visors and supermarket screens. but now other types of business, from taxis through to warehouses, are in need of them. but materials from europe are not made quickly enough. demand has been at least ten times the usual market and that causes troubles. customers are wanting deliveries now because businesses are opening and, with that, we are unfortunately in the position that we cannot supply generally for four weeks. the supply is being monitored. we have been talking to government every day for weeks. we have been monitoring supply change in the industry. we are looking at specific items and the general supply of raw materials, to make sure the government and ourselves are up—to—date with what is available and where. as the economy gets back into gear

with safety at the fore, this could just be the tip of the iceberg. katy austin, bbc news. the former us president, barack obama, has strongly criticised the trump administration over its response to the coronavirus pandemic. it's unusual for a sitting president to be openly rebuked by an immediate predecessor, but mr obama said the pandemic had shown that those in charge don't know what they're doing. our washington correspondent david willis sent this report. class of 2020, this is for you... in the age of the coronavirus, this is what it means to come of age. graduation ceremonies, a rite of passage for youngsters here, now virtual, rather than actual experiences. the future for those graduating more uncertain than at any other time in modern history. the world is yours now. this star—studded televised event had as its keynote speaker the 44th president of the united states,

and he was withering in his criticism of his successor‘s handling of the crisis. more than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally, torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they're doing. a lot of them aren't even pretending to be in charge. since leaving office injanuary 2017, barack obama has largely avoided criticism of his successor, although earlier this month, in remarks leaked to the media, he was heard describing the trump administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic as a "chaotic disaster". and all those adults that you used to think were in charge and knew what they were doing, turns out, they don't have all the answers. a lot of them aren't even asking the right questions. so, if the world is going to get better, it is going to be up to you. barack obama says he intends to hit the 2020 campaign trail hard in the hope of unseating donald trump.

the differences between them, both in substance and in style, could hardly be more stark. david willis, bbc news. the us state of georgia was one of the last states to go into lockdown — and one of the first to begin reopening. governor brian kemp's decision to lift many of the restrictions on businesses and kick—start the state's economy came earlier than many public health experts recommended. it was even condemned by president trump. there hasn't been a surge in covid—19 cases in georgia since the reopening, but for many, fears of a second wave remain. so what has it been like going to work under these circumstances? i'm joined byjillian yeskel, who is a hairdresser in the suburbs of atlanta — she returned to work last week. what it is likely back at work? so far great. when we were allowed to

reopen i had a lot of questions and anxiety because we were the first state, so i took two extra weeks to make sure i could order the appropriate ppe, disinfectants and sanitisers, also making sure that i could forehead the state board of cognitive —— cosmetology‘s guidelines. you are a colourist, you have to get close to a client. what protections are you putting in place for them and yourself? unfortunately we are in close contact, but that being said we are looking sure to social distance with other clients and stylists as much as possible. we are also making sure that clients are also making sure that clients are wearing a mask, right from when they walk in the door to when they leave. the stylist is also wearing a mask and also disinfecting after every client and sanitising as much

as possible. seeing a stylist or hairdresser is a real morale boost, even just hairdresser is a real morale boost, evenjust in normal hairdresser is a real morale boost, even just in normal times. hairdresser is a real morale boost, evenjust in normal times. what has it been like for people to come back and see you ? it been like for people to come back and see you? definitely very exciting. as a stylist, we love to catch up and talk. i have definitely been probably one of the first people my clients have seen since quarantine, so it is definitely something that has been interesting. have you had to rescue any bad, home—made haircuts or styling jobs? i don't want to throw anyone under the bus, but yes, i would say i have definitely had some interesting home coloured services go on. as far as rescuing, sure, but like i said it has been interesting. one article

has been interesting. one article has called the reopening of georgia, not just the salons, has called the reopening of georgia, notjust the salons, but generally, it has been an experiment in human sacrifice. do you agree with that? listen, i think that, had you ask me that right before we opened, i would have been nervous, but now i have been working for a week, knowing i am doing the best i can and keeping am doing the best i can and keeping a safe and clean environment for my clients, i definitely feel like going forward we are in a better position. thank you so much for talking to us. thank you. in south africa, the coronavirus has prompted the authorities to take an unusual step?. for the last 7 weeks there's been a ban on selling alcohol and cigarettes. health experts say the new "prohibition" has helped reduce crime and injuries — but some argue the ban

is playing into the hands of criminal gangs, and damaging south africa's fragile economy. our africa correspondent andrew harding reports from johannesburg. patrolling the dark streets of johannesburg, south africa and police are trying to enforce much more thanjust police are trying to enforce much more than just the lockdown. they have spotted a woman with something in her hand, could she be selling cigarettes? she is bundled into the van. the sale of cigarettes and alcohol is now strictly prohibited here. this is how south africa was back new prohibition is enforced. police on the street at night, looking for anybody doing are carrying alcohol or cigarettes. it isa carrying alcohol or cigarettes. it is a deeply controversial part of this country's lockdown. the south

african government says it's prohibition is working and by restricting alcohol they are reducing public violence and keeping hospital beds free for coronavirus patients. but the ban is also fuelling organised crime. these schoolchildren are now selling contraband schoolchildren are now selling contra band cigarettes on schoolchildren are now selling contraband cigarettes on behalf of powerful gangsters. these people are quite scary? yes, they carry guns around. do you feel ashamed of doing this criminal activity or do think it isa this criminal activity or do think it is a stupid law? i feel ashamed and would rather have a properjob. as for bootlegging, it seems eve ryo ne as for bootlegging, it seems everyone is at it. kitchen gin is being distilled for sale in the suburbs and this woman is brewing pineapple beer, the only source of income since she lost herjob as she has three children. what would happen if you were caught? they

would put me injail and happen if you were caught? they would put me injailand i am happen if you were caught? they would put me injail and i am afraid of that because he would look after my children? those who are not breaking up the new law are in danger of... in the stunning wine lands around cape town, dozens of vineyards are going bust and thousands of workers are losing theirjobs. and then there is this, 7 million litres of beer being poured down the drain to clear a nation's clogged breweries, another unintended consequence of site after‘s divisive coronavirus prohibition. the italian prime minister, giuseppe conte, has admitted that his country is taking a calculated risk by rolling back lockdown measures from next week. the country's daily death toll from covid—19 has now fallen to its lowest since the 9th of march. mr conte said that there could be another rise, but the country could not afford to wait any longer.

donna larsen reports. italy's wait is almost over. from monday, day—to—day freedoms will slowly resume, and by 3rd june, there will be even greater movement, such as domestic and international travel. but the process comes with a warning. translation: we are facing a calculated risk. to put it frankly, we know the contagion curve may rise again. preparations are taking place across the entire country. beauty salons and shops can resume trade on monday. gyms and swimming pools will open on 25th may. cinemas and theatres will follow in mid—june. but measures must be taken to make sure people are kept as safe as possible. translation: we must accept the risk, otherwise we will never be able to start again. we should wait until a vaccine

is discovered and distributed, but we can't afford this. italy has suffered immensely during the coronavirus pandemic. more than 31,000 lives have been lost — the third—highest total in the world. the rate of new infections has now dropped, providing a pathway to start opening up the country. the world's largest church is also opening on monday, after a weekend of deep cleaning. a diluted chlorine solution was used to protect the 16th century marble. worshippers will be welcomed back to st peter's basilica, but numbers will be reduced as the church adapts to a new way of life. donna larsen, bbc news. religious services are resuming in parts of australia under strict conditions, as lockdown measures are gradually being eased. but many churches, synagogues and mosques have decided to stay closed over concerns

for older members. our correspondent in sydney phil mercer told me more about how australians are adapting. across mostjurisdictions in australia's states and territories — here in new south wales, for example, places of worship can now be attended by ten people. so limited numbers, fewer than members of a football team, but, for many parishioners, it is a start. there are churches here in sydney who are asking people to phone ahead to book a spot because of those limited places available. as you say, there are large numbers of synagogues, mosques and anglican churches, certainly here in the state of new south wales, who have decided to stay closed because of concerns for older members of their congregations. and also, some of those authorities controlling those churches and mosques thinking that to open just for ten people isn't really worth it.

so, they are hanging on, many of them delivering services, live—streaming and recording them online too. so, that will continue until further restrictions of australia's coronavirus lockdowns are announced in the coming weeks. the demolition of the national theatre in albania's capital tirana has led to ugly clashes between protesters and police. activists and actors staging a sit in were dragged away by police before the 81—year—old building was flattened. the controversial works are part of plans to redevelop the city. albania's prime minister, edi rama, said no one will stop the transformation of tirana. nature lovers in the finnish capital helsinki have had a rare treat. a family of white—tailed eagles has established its nest there. it's a unique occurrence, as there are no records of the birds ever nesting in such an urban environment in europe. just a few decades ago, the species

was on the brink of extinction. you're watching bbc news. in the last few weeks we've seen all too clearly that — while covid—19 can infect anyone — being poor increases the risk of catching it. so, you might think that the developing nations of the caribbean are more vulnerable to the disease than other, richer parts of the world. in fact, the death toll there has been minuscule compared to europe, asia and north america — with just 84 fatalities across 20 nations. our cuba correspondent will grant reports. the cuban government hasn't changed its message from the start. "don't leave home unless it's strictly necessary," says this doctor in a village outside havana, and lists the symptoms of coronavirus one more time. they also do shoe leather epidemiology, two—person teams of medics going door—to—door

with a clipboard. the survey helps the authorities map the state of health of the town and anyone showing symptoms of covid—19 is closely monitored. it's largely worked. cuba had no coronavirus fatalities on one day last week. and it's been a similar success story across the caribbean. most island nations locked down early to ensure the outbreak stayed within the capacity of their healthcare systems. when the first cases came, the leaders acted very decisively, so, by and large, responded within a week or two of each other with lockdowns. almost in all cases before the first death and in some cases before the first case. the caribbean has established protocols for zika and other infectious diseases, and has ten laboratories carrying out extensive testing and contact tracing for coronavirus. and these labs have been

doing a fantasticjob and turning around results, sometimes within hours, almost always within a day. so you're able to identify persons, you're able to do the contact tracing, so that is the sine qua non for executing a containment strategy and the caribbean was very well prepared. the caribbean is also used to disaster management, like in late 2017 when hurricane irma wreaked havoc across the region. although coronavirus isn't a hurricane or an earthquake, there were parallels in preparing for it which certainly saved lives. nowhere in the world is as dependent on tourism as the caribbean. it's the region's economic lifeblood and without it, many island nations would go under. but as a cautious, gradual reopening beckons, the region's authorities face a difficult balancing act. talk to me in a month and see if i am just as happy, because coming out of this first

wave and also trying to have a foundation for economic viability, while saving life, like i said, is the hardest challenge in my career. the caribbean's covid—19 response may have been simple but it's been effective. with just 84 coronavirus—related deaths in 20 different caribbean nations, the results speak for themselves. will grant, bbc news. time for a look at the weather with ben rich. good evening. some warm weather on the way for many of us over the next few days. for some of us, some wet weather as well. most of that will be found across the north of the uk. it will become very warm around the middle of the week before cooler, windier weather arrives later on. but for the time being, it is a pretty mild night to come. minimum temperatures eight, nine, ten, 11 degrees, some rain moving across the northern half of the uk. that rain will be clearing out of the north—east of mainland scotland as we go

into tomorrow morning. northern scotland will brighten up, but for the far south of scotland, north—west england, northern ireland, we are likely to keep a lot of cloud and some spots of drizzle. to the south of that, it's fine with some spells of hazy sunshine. quite a breezy day, quite a windy day actually across the far north, and as far as the temperatures go, a little bit higher than they have been today. 24 degrees in the south—east, 17 there for belfast, 18 perhaps in aberdeen. as we look further ahead into tuesday and wednesday, we will see increasing amounts of sunshine. those temperatures continue to climb. 27 is likely in the south. hello, this is bbc news with me, james reynolds. the headlines. the uk government insists england's schools are safe to open to more children at the beginning of next month. it is the case that it is extremely unlikely that any school is likely to be the source of a covid—19 outbreak and if, for any reason,