it w u; r "a wind. it does look as though conditions may well quiet endown towards next weekend, which is a bank holiday for some. this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. schools are ‘safe' — england's chief medical officers 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. we are expecting the opposition to put on a very large demonstration, something similar to last sunday when the centre was taken over by demonstrators. several thousand people. 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 has been postponed— following a six year multi—million pound renovation project. we'll speak to the son of a d—day veteran before 11:30pm. snow in south—east australia — the unseasonal weather's been triggered by antarctic air. 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 organisation 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. of course, the floor markers.

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. earlier, i spoke to our political correspondent — leila nathoo — who said ministers will hope the comments from england's chief medical officer will persuade parents to send their children back to the classroom. ministers will be hoping it is a significant intervention, 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 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 and safely come september. we have just had a statement from the teaching union. the general secretary commenting on those remarks by the uk chief medical officers about returning to school. they are saying that today's statement adds weight to be prime minister's message that there is a moral duty to open schools and the schools must reopen safely. the chief medical officer's statement reinforces the critical importance of risk control measures but it does say it is regrettable, the statement from the chief medical officer has not commented on the well known racial disparities linked to covid i9. racial disparities linked to covid 19. it asked the government to

publish its evidence in the equality impact on its planned the schools. so far it has refused to do so. that is just so far it has refused to do so. that isjust in from so far it has refused to do so. that is just in from the teaching union. 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 a 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. 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 4,000 square kilometres of land in a week. our north america correspondent peter bowes reports from los angeles some of the biggest wildfires california has 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 evacuated. very difficult time but it is great to see the community pulled together to see the community pulled together to do what we can. 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.

let's stay with this story, here's an account from professor mark massoud, who has had to flee his home in santa cruz. to evacuate in this kind of way, i was lucky they provided us a few hours — you can call it lucky — to gather things. the question becomes, what do you gather when you only have a few hours to kind of fit everything you can into a car and go? but i do feel lucky for that time. and i am up in sanjose, about a0 miles from santa cruz. they have constructed or bulldozed two fire breaks running from the pacific ocean, maybe tens of miles, up to the ridge of the mountains to stop the fires from coming into the university of california santa cruz. and further on into the actual city of santa cruz, where tens of thousands of people live. the university of california is on the north—west corner of the city and the fires

are just north—west of that. so i am hopeful that, with those fire breaks, the city of santa cruz and the university will be saved. its 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. 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. 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 dollars. 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. 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 buyer 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 like a shell has dropped on the sand, that, you know, they weren't doing that 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 remain 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. captainjim forbes, who now lives in shucknall, began his sea—going career at the royal merchant navy school after his father died in 19110 — hejoins me now from shucknall in the west onf england. thank you so much for being with us. what are your memories, first of all, of d—day? my memories of the day are very clear. it started off on the fifth when we were at anchor

in southampton. the night of the fifth, we went over to normandy but prior to this, the ship had a little bit of damage. we had a slight leak of aviation spirit, which was very dangerous and could have blown the two ships up altogether. however, we survived that. and the convoy we picked up at midnight proceeded over to the port. and at that time at the port, we were given orders to do this and do that and we had eventually to go to... that is where

most of the orders came from. we discharged a little bit of cargo there but most of our cargo was kept for further down the coast. hello? and just tell us, how i would wear you at this time. you were very young, weren't you ? wear you at this time. you were very young, weren't you? i mean, it must terrifying to take part in such a massive military operation. we were not mystified at all about it. enjoyed it mainly because being cadets, our salary was have crown a week. by being a volunteer, we got 500 cigarettes, american cigarettes, which were very valuable. i never smoked in my life but this was a currency of the time for couple of yea rs. currency of the time for couple of years. in addition to getting the

cigarettes free there were drinks, also. and all of these things were free for us. as cadets we worked to on, too. that is two hours on the bridge or two hours on deck, whatever the work was giving, one of us was on whatever the work was giving, one of us was on all the time. so sleep was very, very precious. as soon as we came off, into bed because we are going to be called out again in two hours' time. sometimes we were both called out together. and got no sleep for about 2k are words. however, it seemed natural to us, in other words, the captains came and went. we had five captains during the course of the first couple of yea rs the course of the first couple of years and the crew, we change the whole crew many a time. we stayed on all the time, seeing all these

people coming and going. so we need the ship better than anybody before oi’ the ship better than anybody before or after hours. and just tell us, as you have joined, you have become a cadet after your father had died, joined, you have become a cadet after yourfather had died, sadly, in1940, i after yourfather had died, sadly, in 1940, i think, after yourfather had died, sadly, in 1940, ithink, wasn't after yourfather had died, sadly, in 1940, i think, wasn't it? when his ship was sunk? that is right. tell us about your father, then? his ship was sunk on... let me see. gosh, i can't remember the date or time. it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. your father had time. it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. yourfather had died time. it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. your father had died and thatis matter. your father had died and that is partly why you went then to the royal merchant navy school and became a cadet and then volunteered for d—day? yes. i was 16 at the time. my mother

had no... she had no money coming in at the time. as soon as my father was lost. her income was cut too, so she went to work in factories in coventry or during the war. and i didn't see her for a few years while i was away. however, the ship which i was away. however, the ship which i was appointed to, i was on it altogether for, i was appointed to, i was on it altogetherfor, oh, 35 years. well. it is a fantastic story. extraordinary to hear your account of how young you were, only 16 at the time of d—day and did more than him to take part in that operation. if much for your time. captainjim forbes in herefordshire for hours rhythmic as.

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. a rare antarctic blast has turned parts of south—eastern australia white. the icy cold front has sent temperatures plummeting way below average. towns to the west of sydney in the blue mountains have been blanketed by late winter snowfall. a few months ago, the region was battling bushfires but this has been a treat for locals and visitors. it's brilliant, especially

for the kids and other people that can't get to the snow or those that don't quite have the funds on the finance for the snow, this is absolutely brilliant for them. up to a metre of snow has fallen elsewhere in the state of new south wales. the wintry blast has hit victoria and wildlife has had to contend with the icy conditions. but there are fears that trees and power lines could collapse under its weight. forecasters have said this is a one in a 15—year weather event. australia is a land of extremes. snow falls on its mountains every year, but the amount there is. want to have a taste? no. the complex slope pressure system that brought this wintry spectacle is expected to ease. a world away up in the tropics, the temperature in the city of darwin on sunday will reach 34 celsius. phil mercer, bbc news, sydney.

now it's time for a look at the weather with louise lear. hello there. slightly quieter second half of the weekend. we have lost the gale—force gusts of wind. it is still the case of sunny spells and scattered showers and blustery out there from time to time. but, most of the shower should organise themselves into a line through northern ireland, northern england, parts of north wales, eventually into the north midlands and east anglia. south of that, showers should be fairly isolated and for much of scotland today, it could be a better day, one or two isolated showers, but mostly fine, dry with some sunny spells coming through. but a cool northerly wind impacting the feel of the weather, we have lost the gale—force gusts, but still a blustery, west wind driving those showers on and in terms of the feel of things, 22 degrees the high in the south—east, but only 11—16 for much of scotland. as we move into the start of the new working week, sunny spells and scattered showers continue, but into tuesday, there is another spell of very wet and very windy weather expected,

with gales returning on exposed coasts. take care. hello this is bbc news. the headlines. schools are ‘safe' — england's chief medical officers 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 has been postponed— following a six year multi—million pound renovation project.

snow in south—east australia — the unseasonal weather's been triggered by antarctic air. now on bbc news, it's time for dateline london... hello, and welcome to dateline london. this week: new us sanctions on chinese telecoms giant, huawei — death sentence or chance to shine? and the competence or otherwise of your ruling class — the truth according to coronavirus. my guests on socially distanced screens — isobel hilton of the website, china dialogue, ned temko