today at six — borisjohnson backs his covid road map, even as cases of the indian variant continue to rise. from bolton to bedford, health experts are tracking the latest variant — they want more data about how threatening it is. —— from bedford to glasgow. i don't see anything conclusive at the moment to say that we need to deviate from the road map, but we've got to be cautious. and we'll be looking at the growing argument over travel guidelines — is amber the new red? also tonight... the fred west murders — gloucestershire police are ready to begin excavations in their search for the remains of mary bastholm. how a walk in the park could help our obesity crisis — for the first time, there were more than a million weight—related

hospital admissions. a year on since george floyd was murdered in minneapolis — how has it changed the conversation about race here in britain? it wasjust, racism is bad because it's, "i hate black people." but now it's. .. we're beginning to understand that racism is a system. a self—portrait like no other — so who is the artist behind this ground—breaking exhibition? and coming up on the bbc news channel... just three days after the fa cup final, chelsea face leicester once again, with their places in the top four still in the balance.

good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. despite the widely reported surge in cases of the indian variant of covid, borisjohnson says he has yet to see conclusive evidence to amend the final stages of the road map unlocking the remaining restrictions. ministers are waiting for more data from the growing number of hotspots which stretch from glasgow to bedford. labour says it's time to make changes, especially to the travel advice. more on that in a moment, but first here's our health editor hugh pym. with concerns about the indian variant, the push to vaccinate continues in hotspot areas around the country. like bolton where there has been a recent surge in cases, and in glasgow where cases of the variant have been detected in parts of the city with a mosque among the vaccination centres and a seek temple promoting the message. ——

sikh. the prime minister said today it was too soon to decide whether restrictions should be amended. at restrictions should be amended. git the moment partly because we built up the moment partly because we built up a wall of defences with the vaccination programme, i don't see anything conclusive at the moment to say we need to deviate from the road map. we have to be cautious. we are keeping everything under very close observation. we will know a lot more in a few days�* time. observation. we will know a lot more in a few days' time.— in a few days' time. areas with the lowest covid _ in a few days' time. areas with the lowest covid cases _ in a few days' time. areas with the lowest covid cases population - in a few days' time. areas with the lowest covid cases population are| lowest covid cases population are shown in light blue. four of the top five hotspots have seen rising cases of the variant. in one of them, bedford, vaccination centres were busy today and offering jabs to people arriving without bookings. testing is being stepped up to identify people who are infected but don't have symptoms. public health officials in bedford say they are very worried about the surge in cases and most

involve the variant but they point out that a large number are amongst the under 40s and that they have confidence in the vaccination programme. for those aged a0 and over, scotland, england, wales and northern ireland have achieved similar vaccination rates of around 90% of adults given the first dose. in the south—west of england, while 92% have had the firstjab, in london it'sjust 81% of those aged a0 and over. in parts of london, surge testing is being stepped up because of concerns about the indian variant. cases are spread more thinly. but officials say most can be linked to foreign travel but they're worried that infection rates could pick up. we are very concerned about the indian variant because numbers of cases of the variant first described in india are increasing across the city. we are seeing particularly increases in different geographic areas such as the north—west but many areas are seeing cases as the variant grows.

if you've got a mask put it on. manchester united fans have been going to watch the home game this evening, the first spectators in months and with some coming from the north west of england, officials will keep a close lie on the impact of this and other lockdown easing measures. ——a —— a close eye on this. hugh pym, bbc news. we can talk now to our deputy political editor vicki young, who is at westminster for us. isaid we i said we would talk about this travel advice. basically it seems there is mounting criticism about there is mounting criticism about the messaging. t there is mounting criticism about the messaging-— the messaging. i think the government _ the messaging. i think the government has _ the messaging. i think the government has realised i the messaging. i think the| government has realised it the messaging. i think the - government has realised it has the messaging. i think the _ government has realised it has some explaining to do around all of this. the so—called traffic light system for international travel. you will remember if you go to big green country such as portugal, one of the view, you don't have to quarantine on your return but if you go to a number country, most other eu countries, you have to do 10 days in isolation but it is the reason why you can go to those countries that seems to be confusing even government ministers themselves. the day started with a cabinet minister

saying you could go to an amber country to visit family and friends but the prime minister very quickly said you can only go for a thing family or business reasons and certainly not to go on holiday, and then this evening in the house of lords a health minister saying travel is dangerous, please stay in this country. labour say this is the government's travel policy unravelling almost as soon as it was brought in and they think there should be a complete pose on international travel but downing street said this is a different stage of the pandemic, as they start to unlock, more freedoms return but with that becomes personal responsibility.— with that becomes personal responsibility. with that becomes personal resonsibili . ., , . let's take a look at the latest government covid figures. there were 2,412 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period, which means that on average the number of new cases reported per day in the last week is 2,211. the latest daily figure for the number of people across the uk in hospital with coronavirus is 932.

seven deaths were reported in the latest 24—hour period, that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. on average in the past week, nine deaths were announced every day. the total number of deaths so far across the uk is 127,691. as for the vaccination programme — the number of people who have had a firstjab has risen above 36.8 million, and more than 20.5 million people have had both doses. police in gloucester are to begin excavation work at a cafe where they think a suspected victim of the serial killer fred west could be buried. mary bastholm, who was 15 and worked at the clean plate cafe, went missing in gloucester in 1968. jon kay has this report. mary bastholm was 15 years old when she vanished.

now a tv crew has found what appears to be a piece of blue material buried in the basement of the cafe where she worked. when mary went missing in 1968, she was wearing a blue coat, a blue and white dress and a blue bag. from looking at the material, i can't say if it's a bag or a coat or a dress, what i can say is it is a blue bit of material within a void. after using dogs that can detect human remains, and special radar kit, police have found six areas in the cellar that they want to examine. today they removed doors. tomorrow they start digging. so, decades after the cromwell street murders, fred west is once again the talk of gloucester. he was a regular in the cafe in the years before he was charged with 12 murders. he is also rumoured to have done some building work here. he took his own life in 1995. if mary is in the cafe,

i hope for the family that it is closure for them. i mean, it's upset me, because you always hope against hope that it's not going to end like that. but detectives are being cautious about any links between fred west and mary bastolm. she was last seen waiting for a bus in the city centre. never really thought it would happen to us. her parents died without answers. she was rather a nervous child. if she has run away, it is a sudden impulse to do so, or, apart from that, she has been enticed away. if mary bastholm's remains are found there, as a force, you're going to face questions about why you didn't search it sooner, aren't you? i understand that question, but i'm presented with new information, which is why i made the decision that we're going to excavate tomorrow. police say there are ancient burial sites near the back

of the cafe which might explain what's being detected. so far no human remains have been found. jon kay, bbc news, gloucester. job vacancies across the uk have hit their highest level since the start of the pandemic. the latest figures cover the three months up to april — and since then there has been a further easing of the lockdown. the office for national statistics says there are early signs of recovery in the jobs market. but, as our economics editor faisal islam reports, finding the right people for thejobs is still a challenge. carved out of a northamptonshire farm, a crucial part of our economy. a vital support for working families, child care. here in the form of an outdoor forest school for three and four—year—olds. business is getting back to normal after a pandemic afflicted year, and as parents returned to work, demand for care has gone up.

and sandy here is recruiting again. or, at least she is trying to. these are all people like me advertising. and you can't find the people? no. i spend every hour looking through cvs, looking for people that i can offer interviews. and we still... it's just not working. how many are you finding? truth? none. nurseries need a certain proportion of trained staff, so this is happening nationwide. and in other sectors too, while unemployment remains low. today's jobs numbers, boosting hopes of an early recovery helped by millions of workers is still on the furlough scheme. the rate of unemployment fell to 4.8%, the number of vacancies over the quarter was up to 657,000. in the latest month, getting back up towards the levels last seen before the pandemic. 0fficially, unemployment is falling

and it's actually below have to wear many people had assumed the pandemic would push it. the presumption now is that the vast bulk of furloughed workers will simply return to theirjobs, but there's also a concern amongst employers of a skills crisis. particularly in those jobs popular with european workers. but in that meeting, you will make sure the sales... a city board meeting where digital advertising recruiter and winner of the apprentice mark wright says it all depends on the specific skill. we had a job out for an account and we had 200 applications. we put a roll out for a social media expert, we had one application. a lot of ourjobs were filled by italians, by french people, and we are just not seeing them apply at all. so brexit has had an effect, whether covid has culminated that into a more substantial effect, we are not seeing the europeans apply, but we are not seeing the uk residents skilled to do the work that they are now not filling. let's have a look at

what we have put in here. so a tale of two jobs markets. awaiting return to work in those sectors slowly reopening, and elsewhere from care for kids to computing, a recruitment crisis for in demand skills. faisal islam, bbc news in northamptonshire. the deadly conflict between israel and palestinian militants led by hamas is entering its second week and there is little a sign of a diplomatic breakthrough with the un security council split on whether to issue a declaration on the crisis. there have been clashes between palestinian protesters and israeli security forces in the israeli—occupied west bank. here's our middle east editor jeremy bowen reports now from jerusalem. and just a warning — there are some images you may find upsetting. the israeli army blew up the car of a man who attacked them with grenades. soldiers shot him dead. it

was the centre of hebron where soldiers protected a jewish settlement in the heart of a palestinian city. last night a group showed off their weapons on the west bank. they have been quiet since the end of the last armed uprising around 16 years ago. there return if that's what it is as a sign of a hardening mood on the palestinian side and competition between rival factions to confront israel. this morning they exchanged fire. the israelis are said to have their soldiers were wounded. this was at the damascus gate. egypt blames heavy—handed israeli pressure injerusalem for what it calls palestinian retaliation. the egyptians have used unusually harsh language to condemn israel's

behaviour. that matters because egyptian mediators are a critical part of ceasefire negotiations. much more anger in more places is on display in the palestinian territories in during previous wars between israel and hamas. this was bethlehem just outside jerusalem. this kind of thing built up over night. it comes after years of settlement expansion, land confiscation. what happened in jerusalem and what happened in gaza was the last straw. it is about for these people years of israeli pressure. inside israel, jafa is shared byjews and palestinian arabs. arab businesses across israel were closed in a general strike that was also solid on the west bank. in the last week co existence between israel's arab and jewish citizens has broken down.

a disaster for national cohesion. hamas is still hitting israeli towns. this was ashdod. all the pounding of gaza, this was an american made israeli bomb, has not stopped hamas from firing back. that could be an incentive for israel to respond to pressure from its allies for a ceasefire. jeremy bowen, bbc news, jerusalem. a metropolitan police officer is being investigated by the force's directorate of professional standards after being filmed chanting "free palestine" while on duty during a demonstration at the weekend. free palestine! clips of the female officer were posted on twitter. scotland yard said it was vital for public confidence that officers were impartial during protests. our top story this evening. borisjohnson backs boris johnson backs his borisjohnson backs his timetable for easing restrictions in england

even as cases of the indian variant continue rising. coming up. and how new measures to protect the uk's peatlands could help tackle climate change. in sportsday, after 45 years as a manager, crystal palace boss roy hodgson says the time is right to step away from top—flight premier league football. a year ago video footage of a police officer in the us state of minnesota with his knee on the neck of george floyd sparked worldwide protests — including 250 demonstrations here in uk. floyd's death led to the resurgence of the black lives matter movement and an unprecedented debate about the state of race relations here. here's our community affairs correspondent adina campbell. chanting. everyone here today can make a difference. whether you have privilege

or whether you don't. leamington spa. worlds apart from where george floyd was murdered in minneapolis. i thought 20 people were going to show up, never700. but last summer, people in this leafy warwickshire town came together, calling for change. because it's ourjob to make sure this does not happen again. shianne williams organised the protest. she was 17 at the time. i hadn't seen that many people in leamington coming together for one cause. so, and then you've grown up in a place where you thought people didn't really like you... i have been a victim of racism all my life. i've been spat on, i've been racially abused in the streets, bullied in school. i had another incident where someone through dirt over me. those things have kind of made me stronger and gave me the power to speak up about black lives matter. hundreds of thousands of people

in the uk took part in antiracism marches in the aftermath of george floyd's murder, raising questions about policing. less than 2% of officers in england, wales and scotland are black, a disproportionate representation. as a young, black man was stopped and searched. i know the struggles and difficulties. it's helpful for the community to see police officers that look and sound like them. and to acknowledge what the community are saying. in coventry, campaigners have been reflecting on the last 12 months. but the conversations are changing. before it wasjust, racism is bad because it's "i hate black people." but now we are beginning to understand that racism is a system and there's levels to it. things like, "oh, sorry, can i shorten your name, it's too hard to pronounce?" the reason why we're even

here in the first place is because people are either ill educated or wrongly educated. when i try and talk about these things to other white people my age they go, "well, i can't be racist because i'm a good person." but there are things that you do, because of the society that we live in, that discriminates against black people. have we learned anything that will lead to real change in this country? the kind of naive and sensitive nature of it, the way we talk . about race, is the reason why every ten, 15 years we get _ a pushback from the natives, white people getting a bit... i they don't have the space to be able to speak openly. _ cancel culture means that people are scared. i have had white people ask me if it's ok to refer to me as black. that's how scared they are of using the wrong word, because they genuinely want to be part of the conversation. if we haven't got space to talk openly, then we don't change as a society.

adina campbell, bbc news. a nurse who treated borisjohnson when he was in intensive care with coronavirus has quit the nhs and criticised both the government's handling of the pandemic and the proposed pay rise for nurses. jenny mcgee, who's from new zealand, said she was "taking a step back from the nhs" after what she described as the "toughest year in her nursing career", but said that she hoped "to return in the future". football, and manager roy hodgson is to leave crystal palace at the end of the season, after four years in charge. the 73—year—old former england boss said that after 45 years of management, the time was right to step away from the rigours of top—flight premier league football. the number of people being admitted to hospital in england for treatments related to obesity reached more than a million last year according to new nhs figures. the record number provides the clearest indication yet

of the scale of the obesity problem as coronavirus started to spread across the uk. 0ur health correspondent sophie hutchinson has this report. just nice to move your body, isn't it, outside? a path to a healthier life, a walk on the wirral for patients, prescribed and led by a local gp. this is a great location. this part of the north—west has one of the highest levels of obesity—related hospital admissions in england. since lockdown i've gained a stone and a half. oh, the sun's come out now. lovely. to me, fitness is everything. to be unfit has brought my mood down, it's made me feel miserable. in the year to march 2020 as the pandemic hit, hospitals in england had seen a record one million admissions for obesity—related problems. they'd actually told me if i'd caught covid, that there's every chance that i would die.

being significantly overweight, like phil, is a huge risk factor for getting dangerously ill with covid—19. at his heaviest, he was 25 stone. when he caught the virus, he ended up in intensive care. my wife, we said goodbye, but not really how i would like to. and then i was crying my eyes out in the ambulance, you know? it was heartbreaking. 0n the ward i was on, sadly i saw two people pass away. that was a massive, massive point. come on, then. good boy! it really made me think, "i need to address this." by changing his diet, phil has now lost more than six stone. these researchers in glasgow are trying to understand why the virus is so dangerous for those who are very overweight. people who are heavier probably get a bigger viral hit. and that's really important, because the amount of virus you get will dictate the likelihood of having the immune response being exaggerated.

their blood vessels are less pliable, they have thicker blood to begin with. people effectively who are overweight have less capacity to cope with the damage that covid causes. and now there is evidence many people have put on more weight during the pandemic. people have gained two or three kilos, but that is very unevenly spread. some people have gained much more, and it seems to be a particular problem for women, for younger people, and for those people who are living in more deprived areas. pressure is piling on the government to take radical action to address the obesity problem, but last month experts wrote to the prime minister, urging him to stick to a landmark proposal to banjunk food advertising online and on social media after fears it could be ditched. just one step at a time. that next step, says the government,

will be to introduce a ban onjunk food adverts on television before 9pm. how far it is prepared to go with restrictions online will be revealed in the next few weeks. sophie hutchinson, bbc news. garden centres in england are to be banned from selling peat, as part of new measures to restore nature and tackle climate change. environmentalists say digging up peatlands for use in gardens is devastating for wildlife and a source of carbon emissions. 0ur science correspondent victoria gill has this report. bogs might not be quite as majestic as our native woodland, but peat bogs are this country's rainforests, locking away more than three billion tonnes of carbon, and it's trees and peatland that are central to the government's new package of nature restoration pledges for england. as well as a promise to ban the sale of peat in garden centres, the environment secretary today announced a plan to restore 35,000 hectares of degraded, dried out peatland, an area about the size of the isle of wight. conservation groups say it's a good

start to tackling the interlinked nature and climate crises. they store lots of water, so they prevent flooding and they provide about 70% of our drinking water, and of course they are fantastic places for wildlife, but unfortunately around 80% of peatlands in the uk are currently in a bad state. as we could see from a small bog restoration project in delamere forest that we had special permission to step on just briefly, bringing peat bogs back to life takes time. you can actually feel under your feet by the way it moves that this is just a blanket bog of moss that is floating on the water, but it's taken 20 years to get back to this state that's full of vegetation, that's locking away carbon and is a rich habitat for lots of different wildlife. across the uk, nature is in decline. conservation scientists estimate that we've lost 40 million birds since the 1970s, and that well over a third of our native mammals are under threat of extinction.

we are losing species, birds, mammals, invertebrates, and we are losing those natural spaces. if all the economic drivers have been in that direction so far, why is this point going to be the change that we need? what we once thought was a choice between either economic development or environmental protection, we have reached the point today where we can see we have to do both of these things together, because if we don't look after the environment, in the end that will cause major economic problems. as well as a legally—binding target to halt species loss, the government outlined plans for a task force on reintroducing wildlife that's disappeared from england. it will build on some successes by landowners and charities. this year white storks, that have been missing from britain for centuries, bred successfully for just the second time. the critical challenge will be to make space for nature notjust in protected pockets of habitat, but across the country. victoria gill, bbc news. now, have a look at these self—protraits of an artist. how would you describe the style?

ultra modernist, perhaps? well, the name behind these creations is ai—da and they're going on show from tomorrow at london's design museum. david sillito reports on this ground—breaking exhibition. meet ai—da, the robot artist. it's a slow and steady process, but effective. these are a few of her recent self—portraits. and what's more, she's happy to have a chat. how are you today? i'm well, thank you. how would you rate yourself as an artist? i love to be creative. i enjoy being someone who makes people think. she answers questions. each painting is different, and a surprise. you could almost say she has a personality. fundamentally, that's a funny question.

i think the prospect of getting to know her is hilarious, but at the same time, i mean, peering over at her now, i think her makers probably considered that they have some form of relationship. whether that's reciprocated or not. ai—da, could you look across there to the camera. we are all used to, these days, talking to machines and our phones. but creativity, that's a rather different question and this is meant to be a little bit unsettling, a little unnerving. the thing that concerns us about technology is the fact that we don't know the domino effect of it. ai—da foreshadows many technologies coming through, and she poses those questions by her artwork to say, this is what's coming through: are we happy with that? so, ai—da, the artist. it's painting today. who knows what tomorrow?

david sillitoe, bbc news. time for a look at the weather here's chris fawkes. looking at the weather today, loads of showers, so dramatic clouds shooting up through the blue skies and then downpours, thunder and lightning mixed in. this is the extent of the showers. there are a few gaps, especially in north—west england. what a lovely afternoon in cumbria. plenty of sunshine which i'm sure felt pleasant. showers taking ages to finally calm down. heavier rain across southern counties of england and rain also in northern scotland but in between, eventually becoming drier. temperatures similar to recent nights. tomorrow, rain in scotland and the south of england but otherwise bright and sunshine. shower clouds developing and by the

afternoon, heavy and thundery.