this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. schools are ‘safe‘ — england's chief medical officer seek to reassure parents as millions of children prepare to return to the classroom. many more are likely to be harmed by not going than harmed by going, even during this pandemic. opposition protesters in belarus plan another big demonstration in minsk — two weeks after president lukashenko‘s disputed election victory. president trump declares california's wildfires a major disaster — releasing federal funds to victims who've lost their homes. the final voyage of the last surviving d—day landing craft — following a six year multi—million pound renovation project. we'll speak to a d—day veteran before 10.30.

hello and welcome if you're watching in the uk or around the world — and stay with us for the latest news and analysis from here and across the globe. children are more likely to be harmed by not returning school next month than if they catch coronavirus — according to england's chief medical officer. professor chris whitty said the chance of children dying from covid—19 are ‘incredibly small" — but missing lessons "damages children in the long run". he warned it's unlikely there'll be a vaccine before the end of the year. it comes as holiday makers returning to the uk from croatia, austria and trinidad and tobago now have to quarantine for m days.

in india — the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus passes three million — with the world's highest rate of new infections. and the world health organization recommends that children over the age of 12 should wear face masks. our health correspondent laura foster reports. this is how many schools have looked for months. but with the summer holidays nearly over in wales, northern ireland and england, many are busy changing things to keep pupils, staff and the wider community safe. scientific evidence shows children are unlikely to become severely ill from coronavirus, and some even suggest they spread the virus less than adults. at this primary school in east london, they are looking forward to having the children back. i worry about the lack of social interaction those children have had. i worry about the lack of development. i look at things like theirfine motor skills — the way they would hold a pencil,

the way they would form their words, so their speech and language. some of those children won't have had those experiences over this time. any area that would normally see gatherings in groups has been closed — the staff room, the library, the lunch hall. start times will be staggered to stop parents crowding at the school gates. playtime is going to look very different. in order to keep children within their year group bubbles, here they've marked out different sections of the playground for them using these coloured barriers. that's to stop them mingling. the rest of the playground is going be used for pe, something that's still very important during these coronavirus times. the chief medical officer for england says a vaccine is unlikely to be ready before winter next year, so businesses such as shops and restaurants may be forced to close to keep children learning. we are walking an incredibly narrow path between relaxing enough as individuals and as a society that actually transmission takes off or overdoing it and doing damage socially and economically,

which we didn't need to. it's an incredibly narrow path we are walking. there's not much room for manoeuvre. it means measures in schools like this one will be in place for several months yet. our political correspondent, leila nathoo, joins me now. this is a pretty concerted message from the government, from the chief medical officer for england, the other chief medical officers around the uk, that it is safe to go back to school? ministers will be hoping it isa to school? ministers will be hoping it is a significant intervention, will go a long way to persuade pa rents will go a long way to persuade parents and teachers that it is safe for a full return to the classroom is from september in england, wales and northern ireland. back injune there was a plan to get primary schools and england back before the schools and england back before the school summer holidays, that had to

be abandoned, a patchy picture across the country. the government will be hoping there is enough dialogue with local authorities and unions. there is now more of evidence that it is safe for schools and children to get back. the prime minister has described it as a moral duty to help children back into classrooms. clearly an economic effect, helping parents get back to work if their children are back in school. labour is saying ministers have wasted some time in recent weeks when they could have been planning for schools reopening by having to deal with the fallout of the exam result is chaos. i think that at some context of this, there has been trouble over the exam results so there is now a political test, lots of pressure on the government to get this right, to make sure schools are able to open in full make sure schools are able to open infulland make sure schools are able to open in full and safely come september. let's now speak to the general secretary of scotland's largest

teaching union educational institute of scotland and former labour councillor — larry flanagan. what has been the experience itself out for schools returning in scotla nd out for schools returning in scotland that may be schools around the rest of the uk could learn from? i think across the board the reopening has gone reasonably well ina number of reopening has gone reasonably well in a number of areas. there are concerns about some of the safeguards and litigations have not been implemented. we have to recognise we are barely a week into reopening. we are seeing schools having to close, whole classes having to close, whole classes having to close, whole classes having to self—isolate for a fortnight, young people being infected by the virus despite the fa ct infected by the virus despite the fact that in scotland outside of school is the community level is relatively low. our members understand the importance of young people being back in school, but we have to also dart covid—i9 is not

going away, it is in the community, it will find its way into schools. we should not be overly optimistic this is a straightforward pathway, we have to be on our guard co nsta ntly. we have to be on our guard constantly. on our guard but you do not think the reopening of schools has been premature in scotland?m is an all schedule in terms of our normal school term. we are still concerned about physical distancing. face coverings particularly with older pupils, 15 plus you are talking about young adults rather than children and it is clear they can note only spread the infection but take it back into their homes and communities. we would like to see for example smaller class sizes in order to create some level of physical distancing. and thank

recruitment of teachers would be critical to education recovery and physical distances. lots of damage from five months of work done so the intensive teaching support will be required for education as well as physical reopening. the message from the chief medical officer for england has been the chances of children dying from covid—i9 is incredibly small but when you miss lessons for a sustained period of time that damages children in the long run. it is a trade—off but in the end kids have had to go back to school all around the uk because it is vital for school all around the uk because it is vitalfor their school all around the uk because it is vital for their long—term future. i think that is why two thirds of oui’ i think that is why two thirds of our members supported the decision to reopen schools despite the fact 80% expressed safety concerns. schools are not only about the young people in them, also about teachers and other staff members and schools could be forced to close if too many staff members become infected, in

one school in scotland, a special needs school, it has closed down because of the number of staff who have had infections. it is the whole school community we have to look at, pupils, staff and also parents are pa rt pupils, staff and also parents are part of that school community, and ensure all of the safeguards are there so that schools are secure environments for all concerned. thank you, larry flanagan. large numbers of demonstrators are expected to gather again in the belarus capital, minsk, to protest against president alexander lukashenko and the election they say he rigged a fortnight ago. lithuania and poland have both denied claims that nato is building up its forces along their borders with belarus. it comes after president lukashenko accused what he described as foreign powers of orchestrating the protests.

he made his remarks on a visit to a military facility in the west of the country and ordered the army to stand ready to defend the nation. our correspondentjonah fisher is in minsk and has this update. the situation is like this. today we are expecting the opposition to try and put on a very large demonstration, something similar to what happened last sunday when the entire centre of minsk was taken over by demonstrators, several hundred thousand people on the streets. the problem for the opposition, the man in charge for the last 26 years, president lukashenko, he has built the security apparatus and for now that appears loyal to him. the military here has been loyal to him. the questions the demonstrators face and that they are at the moment facing increasing pressure

from the riot police and security, how do they transfer popular momentum to progress towards removing president lukashenko from office. people power will not be enough to push him out? how is he likely to be removed? it seems there would have to be a move against him from within the security apparatus, the close group to him, someone might tap him on the shoulder and say it is time to go. in moscow, vladimir putin might say they prefer a managed transfer of power rather than the potential chaos of a people's revelation. they might also decide there should be pressure on him to leave in a managed transition toward someone they feel they could work with. that has appeared to recede

somewhat as a possibility as president lukashenko has ramped up the rhetoric about this not being about a rigged election, human rights abuses here on the ground, but a bigger geopolitical question that belarus is under threat from the west, nato, and people need to rally to defend belarus and belarussian identity. dr nigel gould—davies is a former british ambassador to belarus and a senior fellow for russia & eurasia at the international institute for strategic studies. i asked him whether he thinks president lukashenko can whether the popular discontent in his country. there are different considerations to bear in mind. on one hand, the recent history of eastern and south—eastern europe suggests that when people power on the scale we are seeing in belarus mobilises for long enough then it is impossible

for the existing regime to sustain itself. sooner or later, it is the people against a dwindling circle of those with the big sticks and eventually some sort of tap on the shoulder of the kind jonah described. on the other hand, we face some unique circumstances in belarus. lu kashenko has been there a very long time. it is reallyjust about him, there are no other centres of power around him. russia is in the wings waiting too. the key to this is the military and other structures of that kind that take the view the status quo is unsustainable for the country and their interest lies with the people.

he appeared before factory workers the other day, theyjeered him and heckled him. reminiscent of romania. but you don't think that will be enough to push him out of power? the country is pretty much on a knife edge now. the initial response for lukashenko, was to crush and repress the protests against the falsified results. that did not have the intended effect of frightening people into silence as in the past. on the contrary, it has brought new and wider groups into the support of change. the workers in the state—owned enterprises, the crown jewels of lu kashenko's economy, they have increasingly sided with the opposition.

a combination of forces, really, overwhelming in the country, from border to border, a raid against the authorities now. it is a situation lukashenko does not know quite how to deal with it, which is why he is now throwing more sand in everyone's eyes by claiming a external threat, which is manifestly untrue. the headlines on bbc news. schools are ‘safe' — england's chief medical officers seek to reassure parents as millions of children prepare to return to the classroom. opposition protesters in belarus plan another big demonstration in minsk — two weeks after president lukashenko's disputed election victory. president trump declares california's wildfires a major disaster — releasing federal funds to victims who've lost their homes.

president trump has approved california's request to declare the huge wildfires scorching parts of the state as a major disaster. it means federal funds will be available to help victims of the fires. at least six people have been killed and tens of thousands have fled as over 500 separate fires burned more than 4000 square kilometres of land in a week. our north america correspondent peter bowes reports from los angeles some of the biggest wildfires california have ever seen. the north of the state is the worst affected. there are multiple blazes burning in the mountains around palo alto, in the san francisco bay area, and another complex of fires is wreaking havoc in wine country, south of sacramento. in all, almost 600 separate fires, many of them started by a series of rare, dry lightning storms.

a blanket of smoke hangs over much of the state. 175,000 people have been told to leave their homes. some are nervous about taking shelter in crowded evacuation centres because of the coronavirus. there are more cases in california than any other us state. several friends have lost their homes and many others who were evacuated. so this is a really difficult time, but it is great to see the community pull together to do what we can to support each other. with local firefighters growing weary from the unrelenting battle, back—up crews have been drafted in from neighbouring states and further afield. it is hoped teams will fly in from canada and australia to help tackle the growing inferno. officials are warning that there may be worse to come with more lightning forecast and blistering heat that could go on for another week. california is used to the annual threat from wildfires, but they are getting worse. record temperatures,

the lightning, tinder dry brush a perfect storm for a long, hot summer of destruction. peter bowes, bbc news, los angeles. the popular video—sharing service tik tok has confirmed that it will file a lawsuit against the trump administration. the legal challenge comes after the us president signed an executive order blocking transactions with the chinese—owned app and its chinese parent company. tiktok has repeatedly rejected washington's accusations that it is a national security threat, and denies sharing us users' data with the chinese government. it's almost 18 months since the terror attacks on two mosques in the new zealand city of christchurch. the wife of one of the 51 people killed has spoken to the bbc of how her life has changed and of her determination to seejustice done. the gunman will be sentenced in a few days' time. shaimaa khalil reports from sydney.

it was an attack that devastated new zealand and shocked the world. the quiet city of christchurch became the scene of the country's worst mass shooting. on march the 15th 2019, a gunman opened fire in two mosques — killing 51 people, and wounding dozens more as they got ready for friday prayers. taj kamran was shot three times in the leg at al—noor mosque. his best friend died next to him. he struggles to walk and the horrors of the day still haunt him. he's now dreading facing the killer in court at sentencing. because i see the gunman that shot me and shot my friend. that's too hard for me seeing, watching and looking, that part is very difficult. yes, guilty. earlier this year, brenton tarrant admitted 51 murders and a0

counts of manslaughter. the 29—year—old australian was also the first person to be convicted under new zealand's most recent terror laws. dozens of survivors and victims' relatives will address the court in the presence of the killer. they will describe how his crimes changed their lives. but with new zealand's borders closed because of covid—19, many families as well as international media will have to follow his sentencing remotely. i did go back and forth with making the decision... despite the restriction, some relatives were granted visas to attend. hamimah tuyan‘s husband zekeriya died in hospital almost two months after he was shot. she's travelled from singapore and has spent two weeks in quarantine. my husband is not here to speak for himself. so, i am his voice. the children love him so much. and of course i hope that when my boys are big enough to refer to this event or this day,

they will be proud of their oumi that she has travelled 8,500 km in the middle of a pandemic to see to it that their father's killer is locked away in prison for a long time. and how do you feel about seeing the killer in court? i haven't really had the time to think about how i feel about him or about how i feel about seeing him in the flesh. i hope i will be cool, calm, and collected. brenton tarrant is responsible for one of new zealand's darkest days, and will get a mandatory life sentence. the judge must now decide if he'll ever be considered for release. shaimaa khalil, bbc news, sydney. in cricket — england start the third day of the third test against pakistan in a commanding position when play gets underway in southampton. england piled on the runs yesterday, mostly thanks to zak crawley,

who became the third—youngest england player to make a double—century — scoring 267 runs. australians in several states are experiencing surprising — and unseasonal — snow. many people — and kangeroos — have been enjoying the rare event, despite wild winds and heavy snow that closed some roads. the weather has been triggered by a rare antarctic blast blanketing towns in new south wales and victoria. before we go, we've always time for a photograph of a newborn — in this case a baby gorilla at bristol zoo in the west of england. these photographs taken just hours after the birth on wednesday of kala — a 9—year—old western lowland gorilla — cradling a little bundle of fur. as yet unnamed. staff said both mother

and baby were "doing well". the last surviving d—day landing craft from the second world war has been forced to postpone its final voyage after a six—year renovation project costing around $6 million. due to choppy waters and gusty wind, the craft was unable to make its final landing at portsmouth here in the uk, where it will be put on display. our defence correspondentjonathan beale has been keeping track of its journey so far. imposing strings music. archive: the dawn ofjune the sixth comes up like thunder archive: the dawn ofjune the sixth comes up like thunder over the invasion coast. it was the largest seaborne invasion in history. d—day, 19114, bringing an entire allied army to france to defeat the nazis. and it would never have happened without these. hundreds of landing craft, the workhorse of the invasion. quickly built — and just as swiftly discarded after the war. this was britain's last known surviving landing craft designed to carry tanks into battle. lct 707a was eventually turned

into a liverpool nightclub. and then left to sink in the mud and mire of the mersey. just six years ago, the painstaking restoration began. it's an absolute miracle, and it's just — it's so amazing. every step we've taken in this project, i feel like we've given her a little bit of her dignity back. when i first met this ship, she was a funnel sticking up out of the water in birkenhead, covered in rust and barnacles. so, we've had six years, really, from recovering herfrom there, cleaning her, pumping out 80 tonnes of gunk from the inside of her double bottom. she's staggeringly important. these landing craft are what makes d—day work. and until you see one and you stand on this one, and then you realise there were 800 just like this, only then can you really understand the scale of d—day. in 19114, it took three months to build her and at a cost then of £28,000. restoring her has taken much longer

and cost nearly £5 million. all restored to her former glory. tell us what you think. gosh, look at that! but for this d—day veteran, it is now a wonder to behold. mickjennings was 18 years old on d—day, one of the crew of the same type of landing craft that stormed the normandy beaches. i'll be honest — i was a little bit scared. it's only until something goes bang and you realise something like a shell has dropped on the sand, that, you know, they weren't doing it for fun. mick didn't know whether he'd survive that day. and now, nearly 95 years old, he didn't think he would be reminded of it in such a powerful way. i thought, i don't think i'm going to live long enough to see it, which is another amazing thing, you know?

and she'll be there to remind generations to come. in the early hours of this morning, the ghostly image of lct 707a made what was meant to be her final move by barge from portsmouth naval base to her new home at southsea. but with strong winds, her planned landing has had to be postponed until later this week. like d—day itself, it's the weather which has the final say. jonathan beale, bbc news, southsea. you are watching bbc news. let's now speak to d—day veteran charles somerville, who served on three ships during world war two. thank you so much forjoining us, charles. tell us your memories of

the day. our normal port of call was grimsby. we had been anchored in dover for two grimsby. we had been anchored in doverfor two or grimsby. we had been anchored in dover for two or three days so we knew that something was up. we all got a personal letter from knew that something was up. we all got a personal letterfrom general eisenhower and off we went on the faith. it should have been the fourth but the weather was too bad. we set out on the third heading for an area in the channel called piccadilly circus. everything that night had to pass through their and then all spread out all across the channel heading towards the normandy beaches. i have to tell you that

sweeping minds on daylight and a dash on a sunny day can be quite interesting. sweeping minds in a storm in the middle of the night —— mines, it is not a laugh. we carried on sweeping, making an area from bombardment. my undying thought and memory is firstly the noise. all the allied warships were hurling tonnes of shells at the german guns. and the noise was like a bad

thunderstorm times ten. the other memorable thing, as i looked over the stern, i could not see the horizon. the channel was full of ships, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them. all different types of warships coming into the beach. the morning of the 6th of june 19114, in my mind, was a man—made holocaust full of horror and death. when i was demobbed, i decided if i was going to lead a normal life in the future, i would just have to forget about the three

and a half years i've spent in the navy. but there are some memories that will not fade away. you have to picture me standing on the attack of hms dunbar looking at the beach, a young soldier with his rifle runs up that beach and then quite suddenly stops running. forever. iwas that beach and then quite suddenly stops running. forever. i was very lucky because prior to joining this minesweeper i had spent about a year out on the atlantic with the famous captainjohnnie out on the atlantic with the famous captain johnnie walker, second support, killing u—boats. i had a little bit of experience but on