this is bbc news — i'm victoria fritz with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. braced for an onslaught — borisjohnson�*s former chief aide, dominic cummings, is expected to be scathing about downing street's handling of the pandemic — as he gives evidence to parliament. prosecutors in the us convene a grand jury, to decide whether to bring criminal charges against donald trump. 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. peace after the conflict in gaza, but we have a special report on a palestinian family threatened with eviction after the ceasefire.

it's the school charity concert with a showbiz twist — music legends send in video messages introducing their greatest hits hello and welcome to the programme. dominic cummings was once the british prime minister's most trusted advisor. this morning, he is expected to accuse borisjohnson of being too slow to introduce a coronavirus lockdown last september. mr cummings will appear before a parliamentary commitee. he has become an arch—critic of his former boss since leaving number ten last november. downing street says throughout the pandemic, the government's priority has been to save lives. helen catt has the latest.

it was a year ago that one of the prime minister's most senior behind—the—scenes advisers found himself in the spotlight. this was dominic cummings taking the highly unusual step of giving a press conference in the garden of downing street after he made a trip from london to durham while england was in its first lockdown. it included a drive to barnard castle, he said, to test his eyesight before heading home. but the whole point was i had been extremely ill, my vision had been a bit weird, we were all going to go back, my wife said, we should drive down the road and you should see if you can actually drive and your vision is weird or if you are ok. and i thought, that's a good idea, i should do. today, he will be quizzed again but this time it will be mps asking the questions in their own look at the lessons learned from the pandemic so far. mr cummings appeared before one committee back in march, then he described the department of health as a smoking ruin in terms of procurement and ppe. it is expected

today's evidence will also be highly critical of the government. in a series of tweets over recent days he made a number of claims about its handling of the pandemic. he claimed secrecy at the start had contributed greatly to the catastrophe. he said the government's plans had been part disaster, part nonexistent, and he claimed the official plan had originally been to allow the virus to spread to reach herd immunity which ministers deny. it's expected that he will also criticise the prime minister's attitude towards bringing back restrictions last september. downing street said that throughout this pandemic the government's priority had been to save lives, protect the nhs and support people's jobs and livelihoods across the united kingdom. dominic cummings left number ten in november last year. up to that point, he had been one of the few people who had been in the room when many of the big decisions of the pandemic were taken. he wasn'tjust an observer, but he has certainly become a critic. helen catt, bbc news, westminster. prosecutors in new york have convened a grand jury

to examine the business affairs of the former president, donald trump. the panel will decide whether there's evidence to charge anyone with a crime. mr trump denies wrong—doing and says he's a victim of a witch—hunt. let's get more from our correspondent will grant in washington. what does this development signal? i think it's clearly an important step by the manhattan district attorney to try to take things to a final point of a courtroom. the point of trying to see whether or not there was sufficient evidence in this two year long investigation into mr trump a �*s business dealings to actually bring a case against anyone, whether or not debate mr trump himself anyone, whether or not debate mrtrump himselfare anyone, whether or not debate mr trump himself are members of his organisation, his family, and obviously that is what he is trying to do at this stage, having done this investigation

into a whole swathes of different areas. they include the question of whether or not assets were being artificially inflated or devalued so that they could obtain tax write and things of this nature so there's a lot there but it's certainly a very significant development. d0 certainly a very significant development.— certainly a very significant development. certainly a very significant develoment. ~ ., development. do we know whether this rand development. do we know whether this grand jury _ development. do we know whether this grand jury could _ development. do we know whether this grand jury could be _ development. do we know whether this grand jury could be asked - this grand jury could be asked to consider turning indictments? ,, ., , indictments? essentially, ultimately, _ indictments? essentially, ultimately, their - indictments? essentially, ultimately, their role - indictments? essentially, ultimately, their role is l indictments? essentially, | ultimately, their role is to examine the evidence before them and determine whether or not there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges. now there is a new focus by the manhattan district attorney into the long—time head of business affairs of donald trump, and that is where a lot of this emphasis has

gone. obviously, what they are going to decide, they vote in secret, that is sealed, we won't ever really know, but it is, as i say, an extremely interesting and important development. of course, former president trump says, as you said in your introduction, the entire thing is a witchhunt and he specifically said no other president in history has had to put up with what i have, this is purely political and he said being driven by highly partisan democratic prosecutors. i know ou will democratic prosecutors. i know you will keep — democratic prosecutors. i know you will keep us _ democratic prosecutors. i know you will keep us across - democratic prosecutors. i know you will keep us across that, i you will keep us across that, thank you. let s get some of the day's other news a presidential election is taking place in government—controlled parts of syria today, which the us and other western countries have rejected, as neither free nor fair. president bashar al—assad faces two little known challengers, but is considered virtually certain to win another seven years in charge of syria — a country devastated by civil war. a new report suggests that

climate change could put the health of olympic athletes at risk during the forthcoming tokyo games. the british association for sustainable sport says mean temperatures in the japanese capital have risen three times faster than global averages over the last century. police in the us state of new hampshire have issued an active arrest warrant for the singer marilyn manson in connection with an alleged assault. the charges relate to an incident involving a videographer in 2019. ecuador has confirmed that a giant tortoise found on one of the galapagos islands is from a species believed to be extinct for more than a century. the tortoise was found two years ago hidden in vegetation — scientists had considered it to be extinct since 1906. 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! israel and hamas continue to observe the ceasefire agreed last thursday, after 11 days of violence. as the dust settles on another gaza war, the disputes that helped to ignite it remain unresolved. one of them concerns the fate of palestinian families living in arab eastjerusalem,

who find themselves threatened with eviction because jewish settler groups claim the land belongs to them. the case is currently sitting with israels supreme court. our correspondent paul adams has been to the neighbourhood of sheikh jarrah. samira's garden feels like an oasis, a place of shade and calm at the centre of a furious incendiary dispute which helped to trigger a war. she and her husband adil have lived here for decades. three or four generations. both theirfamilies were driven from homes in westjerusalem during israel's war of independence in 1948. under israeli law, they cannot get them back. history, they fear, is about to repeat itself. we think that the very happy period that we lived in this house is going to end. we feel that we will be refugees for a second time.

it's quiet today but this is the street in sheikh jarrah where 28 extended families are threatened with eviction. across the way, the house taken over by settlers more than ten years ago. israel says the law favours the settlers, jews owned land here before israel came into being, they are just claiming it back. we are a country of law and order and therefore these families will be evicted for nonpayment of rent, for protected tenancy, that the israeli courts i think, quite rightly gave them at the time. so, you know, we have a property dispute that has been conflagrated into a political dispute in order to invent a provocation. tempers flared here during ramadan, a dispute decades in the making exploded into violence. shrieking. at the nearby al aqsa mosque, more trouble. jerusalem it seemed was on fire. hamasjoined in, firing rockets straight at the city. we, they declared, are here to defend you. when the fighting

ended, palestinians in jerusalem celebrated what some saw as a victory for hamas. did it really do anything to change reality on the ground? this process ofjewish settlers moving into homes in heavily arab neighbourhoods around the old city ofjerusalem has been going on for decades. it started off down here in silwan in the 1990s and now the focus of attention has shifted to sheikh jarrah just over there. the question is what is it all for? what we are seeing now is the encirclement of the old city. daniel seidman has been charting this process for 30 yea rs. there is a concerted effort to displace the palestinians who live there and to replace them with biblically motivated settlers. that is what is happening. it is not an accident that the temple mount and sheikh jarrah were the triggers of this convulse of violence. adiland samira are threatened with eviction on august the 1st. a couple of months to win or lose the house

and garden they have shared for 47 years. their situation just as precarious after the war as it was before. paul adams, bbc news, jerusalem. stay with us on bbc news, still to come:a school charity concert with a showbiz twist — and the music legends lending their support.

this is bbc news, the latest headlines... dominic cummings — boris johnson's former chief aide — is expected to be scathing about downing street's handling of the pandemic — as he gives evidence to parliament. prosecutors in the us convene a grand jury, to decide whether to bring criminal charges against donald trump.

the former colleagues of the activist and journalist who was arrested in belarus on sunday's diverted flight, have told the bbc they now fear for their lives. countries are urgently demanding that belarus release roman protasevich, and his girlfriend, who are both being detained. roman ran an opposition news channel in belarus, and has been targeted for his role in last summer's mass protests. our europe correspondent, jean mackenzie has visited the channel's headquarters, in warsaw. also since a small army of exiles who thought they were protected. not any more. roman protasevich �*s old desk is a reminder. he was the editor of this opposition news channel during the height of last summer �*s protests in belarus. its

founder is this 23—year—old, who fled belarus aged just 20. ina in a country where independent news is scarce, he used his channel to get information out to belarusians, gained an enormous following with more than a million subscribers, it quickly became the most effective way to coordinate the protests. this was enough for them to be labelled as terrorists by the regime.

0k, ok, let's go to our telegram room. ok, let's go to our telegram room, �* ., ok, let's go to our telegram room,�* .,, .,, ., , ok, let's go to our telegram room. , _, room. anastasia is updating the tele . ram room. anastasia is updating the telegram news _ room. anastasia is updating the telegram news feeds, _ room. anastasia is updating the telegram news feeds, they - room. anastasia is updating the telegram news feeds, they getl telegram news feeds, they get hundreds of messages and support to filter through each day. support to filter through each da . �* ., ., support to filter through each da . �* . ., support to filter through each da.�* . . �*, day. i'm afraid, i can say it's a call of— day. i'm afraid, i can say it's a call of duty. _ day. i'm afraid, i can say it's a call of duty. it _ day. i'm afraid, i can say it's a call of duty. it is _ day. i'm afraid, i can say it's a call of duty. it is my - a call of duty. it is my choice _ a call of duty. it is my choice. my part to help our pe0pie _ choice. my part to help our people to live in a democratic country _ people to live in a democratic count . , ., , ., ., country. this video shows roman protasevich _ country. this video shows roman protasevich outside _ country. this video shows roman protasevich outside the - country. this video shows roman protasevich outside the office - protasevich outside the office last year, he is slapping, he believes their work will bring change to belarus. —— he is laughing. i change to belarus. -- he is laughing-— change to belarus. -- he is laughing. i am still watching the news. —

laughing. i am still watching the news. i— laughing. i am still watching the news, i hope _ laughing. i am still watching the news, i hope that - laughing. i am still watching the news, i hope that he - laughing. i am still watching the news, i hope that he is i laughing. i am still watching i the news, i hope that he is ok. time for all the sport now. here's gavin. hello, here's the latest from the bbc sport centre. the build—up to the europa league final has very much started. the game in poland is the first european football showpiece event to be held in front of fans. manchester united take on villareal, the english premier league team will be the favourites. man united have an illustrious european record, their eighth european final but they haven't won a major trophy in four years. the final also falls on the anniversary of legendary manager sir matt busby�*s birthday and the current manager hopes they can channel that to go on and achieve big things. it might be the stepping stone for something better to come.

bright future. because this team is a young team. it's a team we have rebuilt over the last couple of years. so hopefully this is the start of something more. we know of course, sir alex is with us, we know the 26th of may is sir matt's birthday. but the players, when they sign for man united, they sign to win trophies. they sign to accept the challenge of being the best. because this is the best club in the world. unai emery is hoping to become the first man to win the europa league four times. he's won it three times with sevilla, he got to the final with arsenal two years ago. his villareal side knocked the gunners out in this season's semi finals. translation: not at all. i feel my duty is only to villareal and i am very proud to be able to defend this villareal project, the president and everyone who has been working for years to construct this huge project in this

little town and in europe. i want to enjoy it. there is no feeling of revenge against any english team or english people. i am proud working for this club. i am proud to defend the villareal colours. european football �*s governing body uefa has opened disciplinary procedures against a number of clubs over their involvement in the proposed european super league. the clubs were founding members of the breakaway league which later collapsed. the science were the only ones of 12 original is not to subsequently renounce the competition, some reports say they could be sanctioned and even expelled from uefa competitions. novak djokovic faces an opponent in the quarterfinals of the belgrade open, playing on home ground, he cruised through the first set of his match, things got tricky in the second set. twice breaking serve, only to be broken back. he showed his anger on court. he eventually wrapped up the win, the term

incoming head of the french open which starts at the end of the week. finally, an extreme cycling event in south africa has seen once thought to be the longest dirt to dirt front flip ever recorded. the spanish rider landed a 100 foot front flip at the event, beating the previous record of 70 feet! there we go. impressive. that's all from us, you can get all the latest sports news on the bbc sport website but for me in the team, we will see you soon. its not every day sir mick jagger and sting join in your school musical, but students in glasgow, have enlisted the famous names for a charity concert. it's all to raise money for pioneering treatment for dipg, a rare brain tumour — after a student at the school, daniel caplan died with the condition. our entertainment correspondent colin paterson has this report.

this is a school show with a difference.— difference. hello, it's mick jan aer difference. hello, it's mick jagger here. _ difference. hello, it's mick jagger here. i _ difference. hello, it's mick jagger here, i would - difference. hello, it's mick jagger here, i would like i difference. hello, it's mick| jagger here, i would like to wish everyone all the best for your concert. enjoy the music. goodbye. your concert. en'oy the music. goodbyeh goodbye. some of the most famous names _ goodbye. some of the most famous names in _ goodbye. some of the most famous names in music - famous names in music presenting their best—known hits. i presenting their best-known hits. ., ~' presenting their best-known hits. ., ~ ., hits. i would like to introduced - hits. i would like to introduced two - hits. i would like to introduced two of. hits. i would like to i introduced two of my hits. i would like to - introduced two of my son is being performed tonight, fields of gold and shape of my heart. takeit of gold and shape of my heart. take it away. # among the fields of barley. all played by the pupils of hutchinson grammar school in glasgow. and the reason for all of this, a very worthy cause. last november, their classmate daniel kaplan died at the age of 17, six months after being diagnosed with an aggressive

type of brain tumour which kills one child every nine days in the uk. what shocked his parents was the lack of hope they were given from the moment daniel was diagnosed. you they were given from the moment daniel was diagnosed.— daniel was diagnosed. you are literally told _ daniel was diagnosed. you are literally told on _ daniel was diagnosed. you are literally told on the _ daniel was diagnosed. you are literally told on the day - daniel was diagnosed. you are literally told on the day of- literally told on the day of the news of the biopsy that your child will die and they will probably die within months. and there is no treatment plan available. when daniel 's school _ treatment plan available. when daniel 's school friends - treatment plan available. when daniel 's school friends found . daniel �*s school friends found out about his illness they organised a charity football match. �* . . . organised a charity football match. �* . ., . ., match. big chance here for number— match. big chance here for number ten. _ match. big chance here for number ten. dante - match. big chance here for number ten. dante puts . match. big chance here for number ten. dante puts itj match. big chance here for- number ten. dante puts it into the bottom corner! it number ten. dante puts it into the bottom corner!— the bottom corner! it raised more than _ the bottom corner! it raised more than £60,000 - the bottom corner! it raised more than £60,000 to - the bottom corner! it raised| more than £60,000 to help the bottom corner! it raised - more than £60,000 to help fund pioneering treatment but it was too late for daniel. he died two months later. # next to me, next to me! the school music _ # next to me, next to me! iie: school music department # next to me, next to me! "iie: school music department decided to keep fundraising with this doing it for daniel online concert. big names wanted to support the cause. tickets are on sale for £20, the money

going to the funding new row charity, the aim to raise half £1 million. daniel �*s parents are setting up their own charity, are doing it for daniel foundation, to help families who find themselves in the same position they are in. the ultimate goal though is that a treatment can be found for the tumour is so young lives can stop being lost. the american wrestler— turned—actor, john cena, has apologised to his chinese fans after referring to taiwan as a country. speaking in chinese, he posted a video on a social media platform in china saying he'd made a mistake. taiwan is a self—governing island that china considers its own — and reacts angrily to anything that suggests otherwise. the latest instalment of the film franchise fast and furious — in whichjohn cena stars — has just opened in china, which perhaps explains why he's been so quick to apologise.

you can reach me on twitter — i'm @vfritznews. the bank holiday weekend is fast approaching and we could do with something more settled. i can offer you some drier weather over the next few days, into the weekend. and it will be warmer. just how warm, take a look at this. the wind direction coming from the south by the weekend, we could see temperatures peaking into the low 20s. we have only seen that once so far this may. that's something to look forward to. during wednesday, this weather front will enhance some showers coming out of eastern scotland during the morning and singing their way steadily south across north—east england, down through the pennines, maybe into the east midlands of the somewhat. behind we could see somewhat. behind we could see

some scattered sharp showers developing, one or two or rumbles of thunder is well into scotland. the best of the sunshine across wales, central and south—west england, the wind direction coming from the north, a cool source, that means temperatures still on the disappointing side. 12—14 into the north, 16—18 across parts of england and wales. moving towards thursday, relatively dry start, some early morning sunshine, conditions clouding over a little into the afternoon but a ridge of high pressure building, keeping things largely quiet, wind is light and as a result temperatures a degree or so higher, 18 or 19 degrees. there is a weatherfront higher, 18 or 19 degrees. there is a weather front for the start of friday pushing in from the west, it's a very weak affair as it bums into the high pressure, it will die away, there is the potential on friday of sunlight, patchy rain, perhaps into northern ireland, western fringes of scotland, the isle of man. and it will be quite cloudy, misty, murky, patchy mist and fog to higher ground here but the best

chance of seeing the club breaking up, perhaps the south—east, east anglia, temperatures will respond with highs of 20 degrees, that will feel very pleasant indeed. if you are thinking about heading to the coast of the bank holiday, you won't be too disappointed, we cannot rule out the risk of some showers into the night but generally, fine and warm. if you want something warmer and you don't want to head towards the coast, stay in land, again, temperatures are likely to be into the low 20s, very nice indeed. after the miserable month of may, that will certainly be welcome news.

this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. in danger and under fire. how abuse and violence has increased during lockdown, much of it caused by disputes over mask wearing a major supply shortage in the construction industry hampers the post pandemic recovery. and... the boss of airbnb tells us how his company is planning to ride on the post pandemic travel boom. abuse. it's on the rise. and it's happening on high streets up

and down the country. but this time it's different.