this is bbc news. i'm shaun ley with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. president biden urges congress to approve a policing reform bill in memory of george floyd after meeting his relatives on the first anniversary of his murder. all in all, he just wants to be right and meaningful and that it holds george's legacy intact. the us secretary of state pledges aid to rebuild gaza during his visit to the region, but says israelis and palestinians must address the root cause of their conflict. world leaders call for hard—hitting sanctions against belarus after a flight was forced to divert to minsk and a dissident journalist arrested. and interest in digital skills among the elderly doubles as modern technology reconnects friends and family during the pandemic.

hello, and thanks forjoining us. president biden has urged the us congress to pass a policing reform bill quickly in memory of george floyd. after meeting mr floyd's relatives at the white house exactly a year after he was killed by a white policeman, mr biden said both accountability and trust were needed in the justice system. our north america correspondent nick bryant reports from minneapolis. taking a knee in the place that george floyd was killed — a symbol of what's become a global struggle. an act of remembrance that

lasted nine minutes and 29 seconds — the duration of his murder. chanting: one, two, three, four! _ police violence no more! the march for racial justice must often seem like a never—ending journey, with milestones along the way but no endpoint in sight. chanting: george floyd, george floyd! _ that's certainly how it feels a year on from the murder of george floyd. protesters are angry they haven't seen more change. we are hunted in america just for being black, and that's not good. it's time for a change. i got a black boy, a son, a two—year—old. i shouldn't have to teach him to put his hands up when he sees the police. i'm marching because these are racially—motivated murders that this state and other states, the united states of america has committed against our people, and enough is enough. and i'm marching in solidarity with other families, because their days of hurting our people and these racially—motivated

murders are over with. policing is going to change... at a rally outside the courthouse where his murderer, derek chauvin, was found guilty, the floyd family's lawyer demanded landmark legislation. we must use this opportunity. to get the george floyd justice in policing act passed, i so we can prevent some of these unnecessary, - preventable, unjustifiable, illegal and unconstitutional killings of our people! - tonight, the family met joe biden at the white house, but congress has failed to meet today's presidential deadline for police reform to be enacted. he's not happy about it not being met, but all in all, he just wants the bill to be right and meaningful and that it holds george's legacy intact. let me hear your voice! change! change hasn't come fast enough for these modern—day civil—rights protesters. black lives...

..matter! and on the first anniversary of george floyd's murder, the mantra of their movement sounds still like an anguished cry. black lives... ..matter! we will have more on the commemorations and some of the consequences later in the bulletin. the us secretary of state, antony blinken, says america will make tens of millions of dollars available to the palestinians as it seeks to consolidate the ceasefire that ended the fighting between israel and hamas. but after talks with palestinian leaders in the west bank, mr blinken said the hamas militants in gaza shouldn't benefit from aid going to the territory. i've heard a shared recognition from all sides that steps need to be taken, work needs to be done to address the underlying conditions that helped fuel

this latest conflict. the cease—fire creates space to begin to take the steps. attending to the urgent humanitarian needs of palestinians in gaza and helping rebuild is a key starting point. the united states is committed to rallying international support to that effort and doing our part. that's why we announced additional assistance for the palestinian people today. but we all know that is not enough. as president biden has said, we believe that palestinians and israelis equally deserve to live safely and securely. antony blinken is on a three—day trip to the middle east, where he'll also visit jordan and egypt. his trip started in jerusalem, where he met israel's prime minister. the secretary of state reaffirmed that the us supports israel's right to defend itself, and benjamin netanuyahu's message was this.

if hamas breaks the calm and attacks israel, our response will be very powerful. and we have discussed ways of how to work together to prevent hamas rearmament with the weapons and means of aggression. antony blinken then travelled to the west bank to meet the palestinian president. here he is with mahmoud abbas in ramallah. he leads the palestinian authority, which runs the west bank. his rival, hamas, controls gaza. here's mr abbas. translation: we also thank the us administration - for its commitment to a two—state solution i and the maintenance - of the status quo injerusalem and to keep the residents ofjerusalem and sheikhl jarrah in their homes. and also we thank the us - administration for its position vis—a—vis the expansion - of settlements and the actions

ta ken by settlers. let's get some of the day's other news. the united states has called on the world health organization to ensure transparency during the next phase of investigations into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. a series of media reports in the us suggest there's growing evidence that the virus emerged from a laboratory in wuhan rather than from animals. china has rejected the theory. hong kong has warned it could have to throw away vast stores of coronavirus vaccines because of people's reluctance to have a jab. the slow take—up rate has been blamed on a relatively low number of infections and distrust of the government. the american wrestler—turned—actorjohn cena has apologised to china for calling taiwan a country. the controversy began when the fast and furious film star said taiwan would be the first country to be able to watch fast and furious 9 in an interview. beijing opposes the suggestion

taiwan is an independent state. the washington post is reporting that manhattan's district attorney has convened the grand jury that is expected to decide whether to indict former president donald trump should prosecutors present the panel with criminal charges. it says the panel was convened recently and will sit for several months. the exiled belarusian opposition leader has joined calls for further hard—hitting sanctions to isolate the regime of president lukashenko. it follows the international outcry after the arrest of the opposition journalist roman protasevich when a passenger plane was forced to land in belarus. he had been travelling with his girlfriend, sofia sapega, who was also detained. in the last few hours, she has appeared in a confession video

where she appears to be speaking under duress. at the white house earlier, the us press secretary outlined how the biden administration plans to address the situation. i will say that the president has asked his team to develop appropriate options in close coordination with the european union, our allies and other international organisations to help hold the lukashenko regime to account, including sanctions. our correspondent in sarah rainsford is in minsk, the capital of belarus, and explained what impact the international reaction is having. well, it's having one direct effect. we flew in from moscow, and that's now one of the few ways to get here, in fact. as you were mentioning there, eu airlines are cancelling flights here. the belarusian airline belavia is no longer flying to europe, and the airspace over this country is now pretty much closed, off—limits to european airlines, too. so, that's one direct change. but in terms of the political reaction here to what's happening, well, there's been

so far a pretty big shrug. belarus, the belarusian government is presenting itself essentially as a country that stepped in to save the day with that ryanair flight. they're saying that there was a real security threat on board and that the belarusian authorities offered a safe landing here in minsk. so, they're saying the fact that a very prominent wanted man, a very vocal critic of alexander lukashenko was on board that flight and then detained, well, as far as the belarusians are concerned here, that was pure coincidence. the most vocal critics, the most vocal opposition to the government here and to president alexander lukashenko is now outside the country, or if not, they're behind bars. ithink, you know, one of the really kind of clear things that i'm getting, and i've only been on the ground here again for a few hours this evening, but from people i'm speaking to already, you really get a sense, a fear here, people are nervous like they've never been before in all my visits to this country. so, it's really changed here, the atmosphere has changed.

people are telling us that they don't know who could be next. stay with us on bbc news. still to come, what hope for change as the us marks the first anniversary of the death of george floyd. music. in the biggest international sporting spectacle ever seen, up to 30 million people have taken part in sponsored athletics events to aid famine relief in africa. the first of what the makers of star wars hope will be thousands of queues started forming at 7am. taunting which led to scuffles, scuffles to fighting, fighting to full—scale riot, as the liverpool fans broke out of their area and into the juventus enclosure. the belgian police had lost control. the whole world will mourn the j tragic death of mr nehru today.

he was the father of. the indian people from the day of independence. the oprah winfrey show comes to an end after 25 years and more than a500 episodes. the chat show has made her one of the richest people on the planet. geri halliwell, otherwise known as ginger spice, has announced she's left the spice girls. argh, i don't believe it! she's the one with the bounce, the go, the girl power. not geri, why? this is bbc news. the latest headlines — president biden urges congress to approve a policing reform bill in memory of george floyd after meeting his relatives on the first anniversary of his murder. but his sister who did not

attend the meeting expressed disappointment the president had missed his own deadline to get the bill approved by the day. 0ur correspondent barbara plett usher is in minneapolis, where commemerative events are being held. well, what we've seen already today is this street party at george floyd square, a street festival with food and music and lots of activities, family—friendly activities. we are expecting a concert to start shortly very close to us, so if you hear suddenly a blast of noise, you'll know what's going on. and then later on, a candlelit vigil will be held in commemoration of george floyd. there were some activities in another location, as well, which the mayor attended, also george floyd's sister. and as nick was saying ther, there was that 9.5 minutes of silence to mark the amount of time that george floyd's knee was pinned to the ground. the harder question, i suppose, but i'm afraid i'm going to put it to you, is how much do you think has changed in the year since george floyd's killing? well, that's a question i have

been asking citizens and activists here in minneapolis. and what i get very strongly from around this area anyway is that there's a strong sense of community solidarity. people who had not really being that activated before in socialjustice issues, but also just in sort of being active in the community, have been very galvanised. and there's a very positive spirit about that. there's also a much greater focus on racism nationally. you've got a different president in the white house, which is a big difference, and he has made socialjustice and racialjustice and equality a big part of his platform. so, as far as that goes, the tone and emphasis has changed in the white house as we saw with the visit there by the family members of mr floyd. but at the same time, that crucial issue of policing reform, what to do about how americans are policed, especially americans of colour, there hasn't been significant movement on that. there have been some changes made at the state level. rules, for example, say banning that neck restraint that was used on george floyd,

but not that kind of root and branch reform that activists have been demanding. and that policing reform bill is still stuck in congress, and even that, activists say, wouldn't do enough. hundreds of women, who say they were forced to give up their new—born babies for adoption in the 1950s, �*60s and �*70s, because they weren't married, have called on the british prime minister to offer an apology. the women, who are now in their 70s and 80, say around a quarter of a million mothers were shamed into handing over their babies by social workers, church groups, doctors and nurses. many were told they were unfit to be mothers, while others were denied pain relief during birth. they've now written to borisjohnson urging him to follow the lead set by other countries like australia. 0ur correspondent duncan kennedy has the story.

the angelic faces of some of those at the centre of this story. a story of social taboo, unmarried mothers and forced adoptions. we became intimate, and i got pregnant. it was 1965. veronica smith was one of those unmarried women. it was seen as so shameful she was sent to a mother—and—baby home. she even wrote fake airmail letters to herfather, claiming she was working in spain. my mother didn't tell my father because she said it would kill him. so, he never knew? no. ever? never. diana de vries became pregnant at 16. she says she was shamed by a social worker. "you'll give your child to a proper mummy and daddy, because you can't possibly be a parent to your child."

"you're not fit to be a mother." anne keen became pregnant at 17, and says even as she gave birth, she was denied pain relief on purpose. when i asked for help, i wasn't given any help for pain. - in fact, i was told, _ i remember, "you will remember this, so as you won't be wicked again, you bad girl." _ "you won't be wicked again." diana de fries says in her delivery room, a nurse was equally heartless. she said, "this baby's flagged for adoption. i'll take her away. " and i can remember yelling, and saying, "please bring her back, bring her back," and they left me there for four hours. i canjust remember lying there, thinking it'd be better to die.

but i didn't die. the pressure on unmarried women to give up their babies came from social workers, churches, doctors and nurses. tonight's debate is about the... anne keen, who later became an mp, says it amounted to one thing. it was coercion. the phrase was, "this will be for the best. . this will be for the best for the baby, this will. be the best for you." "because if you really love i this baby, you will make sure that he has a different life and not with you." - for most birth mothers, the moment of giving up their baby was the worst. some women can never forget the day. she was asleep. she never woke up.

and they took her from me and gave her to the people who were waiting in the next room to adopt her. and that was it. how could that have happened to me? but my mum was waiting for me downstairs, and we went shopping. we went shopping. i loved her so much. i still love her. i'm her mum. legal experts believe around 250,000 unmarried women in britain were pressured into handing over their babies in the three decades after the second world war. many now say they should receive a government apology. that is what happened to a quarter of a million women in australia.

..takes responsibility and apologises. other governments have since followed. now, birth mothers in britain have written to borisjohnson, asking for an official apology here. a historical injustice - is what happened to us. other countries havel recognised it, and it's high time ours did. well, it would be very good if somebody said "i'm sorry". it would be so powerful. to show people that what happened to us was wrong. the government says it accepts forced adoptions did take place but says laws have changed since that era. many women, like veronica smith, didn't have any more children, and she says it is time someone said sorry. what have you missed out on? i don't know how to mother. i don't know how to,

because i haven't... and it's notjust me, it's thousands, thousands of women. it was so wrong. veronica smith ending that report by duncan kennedy, and we'll hear from some of the children who were adopted in the second part of his report. 0fficials along india's eastern coast are ordering the evacuation of tens of thousands of people as a cyclone approaches. the storm is classed as "very severe", with winds of about 160 kph. it comes a week after another cyclone hit india's west coast, causing power cuts and disruption to the country's effort to combat the spread of covid—i9. unicef says it's rescued more than 500 missing children who'd become separated from their parents following the weekend volcanic eruption in the democratic republic of congo. as many as 2500 homes have been destroyed. at least 20 people have

died in the aftermath of the eruption, with thousands now facing the threat of homelessness. charities working with older people in the uk say demand for video calling and digital services has doubled over the last year. one of those to benefit was 79—year—old ron, who was widowed at the start of the pandemic. he says learning to video chat with people was "a godsend", as the bbc�*s luxmy gopal reports. ron and jean were married for 56 years, but at the start of the pandemic, jean died of cancer. three weeks after we got the funeral over with, lockdown came. it couldn't have come at a worse time. stuck shielding at home for months, ron faced his grief alone, until he decided to learn how to video chat. hiya, ron. hello, there. hello again. nice to see you again. to be quite honest, without me ipad, i would have been totally lost.

in my particular position, it's brilliant because i can't walk, so it's been a godsend to be able to talk to people, you know, without going out of my house. he was remotely taught digital skills by local charities in leeds. after never having touched a tablet device before last year, he's now used his to find bereavement counselling and chat to people. at least you're not talking to faceless people. when you talk to them on the phone, you can't imagine who you're really talking to. i've got in touch with a cousin of mine in kent who i haven't spoken to for 45 years, and i've got through to her on messenger and all you do is press a camera thing and it gets you through, unbelievable. and ron's experience reflects a trend among his generation. an 0fcom study found the proportion of over—65s using video calling nearly tripled after lockdown, and the leeds branch of age uk says during the pandemic it's seen a doubling in demand for its digital support services among older people.

many charities say the online influx could be beneficial in the long term for delivering services — for example, to those with mobility issues or in bad weather. of course, it's not about replacing face—to—face contact, but simply offering more options. it's about giving. people that choice. we're trying to give. people the skills and the access to the devices - and the connectivity, which are all challenges that we face. but if we can encourage people to give it a go so they can see i what it's like to use it if they need to. - do you think this is something you're going to continue with in the future, even after lockdown and the pandemic�*s over? no doubt about it, no doubt about it. yeah, i'll keep on using it. there's work to be done to ensure wider access to the internet and devices for the older community. but the past year of lockdown has at least encouraged more engagement. and the final thought from ron on zoom. you're never too old to learn. it's as simple as that. i mean, if i can learn, anybody can. luxmy gopal, bbc news, leeds.

now, for the first time in 3000 years, tasmanian devils have been born in the wild on the australian mainland. seven joeys were born in a conservation area north of sydney. it comes seven months after more than 20 of the endangered marsupials were released there in an effort to reintroduce the species. tasmanian devils were completely wiped out from the australian mainland, mostly by dingoes. fewer than 25,000 now exist in the wild on the island of tasmania. we all remember the tasmanian devilfrom the warner we all remember the tasmanian devil from the warner bros. cartoons in the i960s. he is become popular through appearing in other cartoons and is do to be in a film later this year. more useful than perhaps that one. more news on our website and more in the coming hours. do stay with us, bye—bye.

hello there. the bank holiday weekend is fast approaching, and we could all do with something a little more settled, couldn't we, to make outdoor plans. well, i can offer you certainly some drier weather over the next few days and into the weekend, and it will be warmer, too. now, just how warm, take a look at this. with the wind direction coming up from the south by the weekend, we could see temperatures peaking into the low 20s, and we've only seen that once so far this may. so, that's something to look forward to. during wednesday, however, this weather front will enhance some showers coming out of eastern scotland during the morning and sinking their way steadily south across north east england, down through the pennines, maybe into the east midlands, although weakening somewhat. behind, we could see a few scattered, sharp showers developing. one or two odd rumbles of thunder, as well, into scotland. the best of the sunshine

across wales, central and south west england, but the wind direction coming from the north, so a cool source. that means that temperatures still on the disappointing side. 12—14 degrees into the north. we could see 16—18 across parts of england and wales. so, moving towards thursday, a relatively dry start with some early morning sunshine. conditions will cloud over a little into the afternoon, but a ridge of high pressure is building keeping things largely quiet. winds light, and as a result, temperatures will be a degree or so higher, 18—19 degrees. there is a weather front for the start of friday. it's pushing in from the west, but it's a very weak affair. as it bumps into that high pressure, it will die away. so, there is the potential on friday of some light patchy rain perhaps into northern ireland, western fringes of scotland, the isle of man, let's say. and it will be quite cloudy, misty, murky, patchy mist and fog to higher ground here. but the best chance of seeing that cloud breaking up perhaps the south east, east anglia, and temperatures will respond with

highs of 20 degrees. that's going to feel very pleasant indeed. so, if you are thinking about heading to the coast for the bank holiday weekend, i don't think you'll be too disappointed. we can't rule out the risk of a few showers up into the north, but generally it'll be fine and warm. if you want something just that little bit warmer and you don't want to head towards the coast, stay inland. again, temperatures are likely to peak into the low 20s, very nice indeed. and after the miserable month of may, that will certainly be welcome news.

this is bbc news, the headlines...

president biden has urged the us congress to pass a policing reform bill quickly, in memory of george floyd. the president met family members exactly a year after mr floyd was killed by a white policeman. mr floyd's family have expressed disappointment that the bill has not yer been approved. the us secretary of state, antony blinken, says america will make tens of millions of dollars available to the palestinians, following the ceasefire that ended fighting between israel and hamas. the un human rights watchdog has demanded the immediate release of the journalist, roman protasevich, by the authorities in belarus. it said the manner in which he was detained — after a plane was forced to land in minsk — was "tantamount to extraordinary rendition." now on bbc news, hardtalk.