tonight at 10.00 — borisjohnson intends to carry on with plans to end the lockdown in england despite concerns about a new variant of coronavirus. the prime minister says the government will monitor the data over the coming days — and take a very cautious approach. there's been a sharp rise in cases of the so—called indian variant of the virus but the government says there's not enough evidence at this stage to change course. 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. we'll have more details — and we'll be reporting on how obesity can be a factor in developing severe covid. also tonight...

another day of violence between israelis and palestinians, as israeli forces warn of an "intensive night" of strikes on gaza. at least 8,000 migrants have now reached a spanish enclave in north africa, hoping to gain access to the european union. and after 45 years career in football management, the former england boss roy hodgson decides it's time to take a step back. and coming up in sport, on the bbc news channel. fans return to the premier league — as brighton come back from 2—0 down to beat the champions manchester city. good evening. the prime minister says he intends to carry on with his plans to end the lockdown in england despite growing concerns about a new variant of coronavirus. the timetable would mean

all remaining restrictions on businesses and social contact in england being removed after 21stjune. in recent weeks there's been a sharp rise in cases of the so—called indian variant in bolton and blackburn and nuneaton is the latest area where surge testing is being used. ministers say they'll monitor the data over the coming days and depending on the results the reopening on 21stjune might not be as complete as originally planned. 0ur health editor hugh pym has the latest. with concerns about the indian variant, the push to vaccinate continues in hotspot areas around the country — like bolton, where there's 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 sikh temple promoting the message. the prime minister said today it was too soon to decide

whether future plans on restrictions should be amended. at the moment, i think partly because we've built up such a wall of defences with the vaccination programme, 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're keeping everything under very close observation. we will know a lot more in a few days�* time. we will know a lot more areas with the lowest covid cases relative to population are shown in light blue, with the highest in orange. and 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 that most involve the variant, but they point out that a large

number are amongst the under 40s and that they do have confidence in the vaccination programme. for those aged a0 and over, scotland, england, wales and northern ireland have achieved similar vaccination rates, with around 90% given a first dose. but 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 has been implemented because of the presence of the variant. cases are spread more thinly and 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 of our boroughs are seeing cases as the variant spreads. if you've got a mask, please put it on. not far from bolton, manchester united fans headed

to watch the home game this evening, the first with spectators for months. with some coming from across the north west of england, officials will keep a close eye on the impact of this and other lockdown easing measures. hugh pym, bbc news. so, as ministers consider the next stage of lifting the lockdown in england — more questions are being asked about international travel. 0ur deputy political editor vicki young is at westminster. what can you tell us about these calculations? the what can you tell us about these calculations?— calculations? the government is stru: . linu calculations? the government is struggling to _ calculations? the government is struggling to explain _ calculations? the government is struggling to explain its - calculations? the government is struggling to explain its local- struggling to explain its local traffic light system covering international travel which became legal again just yesterday. the problem here is that when it comes to the amber countries and that covers most of the eu what is clear is that when you come back you have to quarantine for ten days but what is not so clear is whether you should be going in the first place and that is confusing ministers themselves. the day started with a minister saying you could go to those countries to visit family and

friends if you needed to, and the prime minister then very quickly said only for pressing reasons and certainly not to go on holiday. this evening in the house of lords a health minister went further saying that travelling is not for this year, it's dangerous, please stay in this country. labour say this is contradictory and the policy is unravelling, but i think what is happening, we are moving into a new phase of the pandemic and as we have seen previously, sometimes imposing the restrictions is far simpler than when you start to lift them and that is what is happening here. the guidance is clear and the prime minister does not want us to go to these countries but there is nothing in the law to stop us so when you get to this phase, downing street is saying that it is much more now about personal responsibility. vicki young, many thanks. 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 2a 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. one of the most significant factors in developing severe covid—19 is being overweight. the scale of the public health challenge has become clear today as figures from the nhs revealed that in the year

before the pandemic, there were more than a million hospital admissions in england related to obesity. 0ur health correspondent sophie hutchinson has more details. 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. lovelx — 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, susanjebb, professor of diet and population health, says there is evidence that for most people the pandemic has lead to weight gain. people have gained two or three kilos, but that's 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's prepared to go with restrictions online will be revealed in the next few weeks. sophie hutchinson, bbc news. the deadly conflict between israeli forces and palestinian militants led by hamas is entering its second week, and there is little sign of a political breakthrough. the united nations security council still can't agree on a formal statement. today, there were clashes between palestinian protesters and israeli security forces in the israeli—occupied west bank. 0ur middle east editorjeremy bowen reports now from jerusalem. and just a warning — there are some images you may find upsetting. explosion the israeli army blow up the car of a man who attacked them with grenades. soldiers shot him dead. it was the centre of hebron where soldiers protect a jewish settlement in the heart of a palestinian city.

chanting last night, a group called the al—aqsa martyrs' brigade showed off their weapons in ramallah on the west bank. they have been quiet since the end of the last armed uprising around 16 years ago. their return, if that's what it is, is a sign of the hardening mood on the palestinian side, and competition between rival factions to confront israel. this morning the al—aqsa brigade and israeli troops exchanged fire near ramallah. the israelis said two of their soldiers were wounded. this was at the damascus gate intojerusalem's old city. 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 than during previous wars between israel and hamas. this was bethlehem just outsidejerusalem. this kind of thing just doesn't build up overnight. it comes after years of settlement expansion, land confiscation. what happened injerusalem and what's happening in gaza was the last straw. it's about, for these people, years of israeli pressure. inside israel, jaffa 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, coexistence between israel's arab and jewish citizens has broken down, a disasterfor national cohesion. explosion

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 firing back. that could be an incentive for israel to respond to pressure from its allies for a ceasefire. jeremy bowen, bbc news, jerusalem. police in gloucester are to start excavation work, on the site of a cafe, where they think a suspected victim of the serial killer, fred west, could be buried. mary bastholm, who was 15 and worked in the cafe in the city centre — went missing in gloucester in 1968. 0ur correspondentjon kay has the latest. 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 bastholm. 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. the spanish prime minister pedro

sanchez has travelled to north africa, for talks about a large influx of migrants into a spanish territory there. spain's also deployed soldiers to its land border with morocco. at least 8,000 migrants have reached the spanish enclave of ceuta, from neighbouring morocco, a record number over a single day. ceuta is one of two north african areas governed by spain. it has become a prime destination for migrants trying to reach europe. 0ur correspondent nick beake sent this report. this was the day spain sent tanks to its beaches to hold back a human tidal wave. the border with morocco under strain like never before. hundreds of troops scrambling to block the final steps to european soil. the pleas and the prayers, they didn't work. so different 2a hours earlier when the first of 8,000 people simply walked or waded

round the border post at low tide. moroccan officials seemingly did nothing to stop them. some families took with them what they could, saying they were driven by desperation and the hope of a more prosperous future. translation: when you have no money and you have to _ pay your rent and you have to take care of your children and parents, you can't afford to be scared. translation: no, i'm not afraid. if i stayed here i would be afraid. i have to leave to save myself. spain's prime minister flew in and was welcomed by local officials. he warned this was a significant crisis, notjust for spain, but for europe. shouting but he was given a furious reception by local residents in ceuta who feel abandoned and want tougher action. translation: this surge of irregular migrants - represents a serious crisis for spain and also for europe. in the name of the spanish government, i want to convey to all spaniards,

especially to those living in ceuta and melilla, that we will re—establish order in their city and at our borders with the utmost speed. this evening, the main reception centre is overwhelmed, even though thousands of new arrivals have already been forced back. spain says children are being allowed to stay. they now await their fate. but some have seen enough and are now taking their chances, believing a new life is within reach. this influx may well be linked to a specific diplomatic row between morocco and spain but it comes at a time when the united nations is warning of a spike in the number of attempted crossings along some of europe's best known migrant routes. this is not the figures of 2015, but it is a vivid reminder that it's a crisis which has not been solved,

and with summer on the way it seems certain that more people will try to get to european soil, wherever that may be. nick, many thanks again for the latest in ceuta in north africa. a nurse who treated borisjohnson last year — when he was in intensive care with covid — has left 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 some time in the future'. job vacancies across the uk have reached 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 return to work, demand for care has gone up. 187jobs. 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 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. officially, unemployment is falling and it's actually below half where many people had presumed 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 accountant 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. it's a year since the murder of george floyd, an african—american who died while being detained by police in the us state of minnesota. the video images provoked outrage around the world, with mass protests reviving the black lives matter movement, including more than 200 demonstrations here in the uk. a year on, adina campbell has been looking at the lasting impact of george floyd's violent death. 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, never 700. 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 when 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. there was an incident where someone threw dirt over me. those things have kind of made me stronger and gave me the

power to speak up about black lives matter. chanting 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 i 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 uneducated 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 the way we - talk about race, is the reason why every 10 to 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. the head of russia's foreign intelligence service has denied that his agency was behind a massive cyber—attack on the us last year. sergei naryshkin insisted the russians did not carry out the solarwinds attack, described by experts as the world's most sophisticated hack. he was speaking exclusively to our moscow correspondent steve rosenberg. he is everything you would expect a spy chief to be. there is charm... "you're unique, he says, "the first foreignjournalist allowed in here." and there is this... translation: london is engaging in open confrontation with russia. | we find this very sad. but confrontation is of russia's making, the uk says. british officials have

accused moscow of malign behaviour worldwide, from election meddling to cyber espionage, like last year's solarwinds hack that compromised at least nine us federal agencies. it's been blamed on russia's foreign intelligence agency. translation: all these claims about cyber attacks, poisoning, hacks, interference in elections, which are blamed on russia, are so absurd and in some cases so pathetic. they are like a bad crime novel. whenever russia is accused by the west of something, moscow always says, "it wasn't us, we didn't do it." are you saying that russia is squeaky—clean, that russia is not guilty of any of these things whether it is election meddling or aggression? translation: regarding these - accusations that have been levelled against us publicly, that's right, russia's not involved. that's why i call these

accusations absurd. do you have conversations and links at the moment with your counterparts in britain in m16? we have started corresponding. i'm telling you a little secret, the correspondence is respectful and polite, and i hope very much that as a result of this there will be contacts. including face—to—face. that is hard to picture, because right now, between russia and the west, instead of cooperation, it's cold war. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. roy hodgson, the former england manager, has decided at the age of 73 that the time is right to step away from the pressures of premier league football. he will leave his current post

at crystal palace at the end of the season after four years in charge. he's spent nearly half a century in football management. 0ur correspondent natalie pirks looks back at his long career. after 45 years and more than 1,200 matches, roy hodgson is now relishing a step into the unknown. i'm certainly not leaving crystal palace with the idea of putting myself back on the market and trying to get anotherjob. i really am stepping down from the club and stepping away from football for a while. the past brought great moments. his managerial career began in 1976 in sweden. seven titles later, swedish had become one of his five languages, albeit still in his distinctive croydon accent. in the �*90s, he guided an unfancied switzerland to their first two major tournaments in almost 30 years. but with the highs came the lows. he was sacked from liverpool afterjust 31 games. he later got the england job

and talked a good fight. do i believe the squad can win the world cup? yes, of course i believe the squad can win the world cup.