this is bbc news, the headlines at four... the health secretary says the delta variant of the coronavirus is 40% more transmissible and the government is �*open�* to delaying the lifting of coronavirus restrictions in england due onjune the 21st. that does make life more challenging for everybody. and you have seen that the case rates have risen a little. but, the good news is that hospitalisations, the number of people arriving at hospital is broadly flat. vaccinations are being opened up to the under—30s this week in the drive to offer covid jabs to all adults in england. borisjohnson will tell global leaders he wants the whole world to be vaccinated against coronavirus, by the end of next year.

a two—minute silence has been held at the british normandy memorial to honour more than 22,000 members of the armed forces, who died after the d—day landings. may god bless our veterans, the families and all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice as a result of the operations around d—day and during the battle of normandy. around 100 veterans, who were unable to travel to france because of the pandemic, laid wreaths at the national memorial arboretum. roger federer withdraws from the french open, saying he doesn't want to push himself too quickly after knee surgery. the stars return to the red carpet, but some as just a hologram. that's the baftas, pandemic style. and, four athletes with one common goal — the new faces we'll be seeing at the tokyo olympic games. that's in half an hour,

here on bbc news. good afternoon. the health secretary, matt hancock, has said that the new �*delta' variant of coronavirus, first recorded in india, is about 40% more infectious than the version detected in kent. mr hancock said increased transmissability was making the decision on whether to lift all remaining restrictions in england on the 21st ofjune "more difficult", and that the government was "open" to a delay if needed. but he told the bbc that the number of people needing hospital treatment was "broadly flat", which means vaccines are working. 0ur political correspondent helen catt reports. it's been nearly three weeks that people in england have been able to socialise more freely. it's not yet been decided if the remaining businesses can

reopen in a fortnight�*s time, and the legal limits on how many people can meet up lifted. cases of coronavirus have risen, and the health secretary this morning confirmed that the delta variant, which first originated in india, is significantly more transmissible than the previously dominant kent or alpha variant. the best estimate of the growth advantage, as we call it, of the delta variant from sage is around a0%. 40%? so that does make life more challenging for everybody, and you have seen the case rates have risen a little. but the good news is that hospitalisations, the number of people arriving at hospital, is broadly flat, and the majority appear to be those who have not had a vaccine at all, and only a very small minority are people who have had both jabs. ministers had said they have seen nothing in the data yet to suggest june 21st could not happen, but mr hancock said

he was absolutely open to delaying if required. there are some worrying signs in the community. we know that the new indian variant is definitely more transmissible, and there is some evidence that it increases your risk of going into hospital as well, so that is a concern. and there's also some early data show, thanks to vaccination, we could have broken the link between disease and hospitalisations. but we just haven't got quite enough data. social distancing guidance is also being reviewed ahead ofjune 21st. the government is not ruling out keeping measures like wearing face coverings or working from home in place beyond then. menawhile, the vaccination programme will move onto the under 30s this week. labour says some areas need more help. we have got blackburn, bury, bolton in the north—west, wigan, where i live, seeing a rise in infection rate, particularly among young people, which is driving a lot of the transmission. we have areas that have

run out of vaccine. we have front line health officials being ignored again by the government when they have requested help. ministers are concerned about the impact of children returning to school tomorrow after half term. this age group have made up a large proportion of cases, although they are less likely to become ill. the government is urging parents to make sure their children test themselves tonight before they go back. helen catt, bbc news. earlier i spoke to paul huneter — professor of medicine at the university of east anglia. he explained how the tranmissability of the delta variant, first detected in india, is calculated. it is not always easy, they look at how rapidly the infection is spreading in the community and how rapidly it is increasing, but of course when you have got a large proportion of the population who have already had vaccines, that does not always give you the right answer, so what you do is compare it to the alpha variant,

the kent variant, and try and estimate how much more infectious it is, and the 40% figure is about where most people have been suggesting it is, a0—50% give or take, about what most of the estimates to date have been coming outwith, but there is a big uncertainty around that. knowing what we know now, how likely is it that the restrictions will be lifted in england onjune 21? the health secretary said today it is making it difficult with the delta variant. 0n the one hand we have, although numbers are low, they are increasing rapidly from one week to the other in percentage terms. that is a big worry because if that carries on for many weeks, we would end up with large numbers of cases. 0n the other hand, as the health secretary

actually said, hospitalisation rates have been pretty flat, maybe a very slight uptick towards the end of last week, but nothing that looks dramatic. if cases are going up but hospitalisations are not going up, trying tojudge how much pressure it will bring to the health service is not actually that straightforward. hopefully things will become a little bit clearer within a week. if hospitalisation rates remain flat, i think there will be substantial further easing of restrictions. possibly retaining the need to wear face coverings in public transport, maybe still encouraging people to work from home if possible, but if hospitalisations start to increase rapidly, then of course that would change the decisions and hopefully that will not happen and we will find out this time next week. we understand the aim

is now to offer vaccines to all adults. what about the need to vaccinate children? they tend not to suffer too badly, some people think you should not vaccinate children to protect adults, do they? because of this ethical implications of that. yes, and i think there is an element of truth in both those arguments, in principle vaccinating people, that doesn't actually give them any benefit, isn't generally something we would want to do. me getting you to have the vaccine to protect myself is not really ethically sound. and i think the evidence on balance is in favour of teenagers receiving the vaccine, i think the benefits to teenagers of vaccinations do outweigh the risks. i think under 11s, i think it is getting very uncertain,

personally i suspect we will be offering vaccinations to teenagers but maybe not for young children younger than that. the latest coronavirus figures have been published by the government. there have been 5,31” positive cases of covid—i9 in the past 2a hours. there have been four deaths within 28 days of a positive covid test. the number of people who are fully vaccinated now stands atjust over 27 million 661 thousand —— that's 52.5 % of the population the prime minister boris johnson will urge leaders at the upcoming g7 summit to commit to vaccinating the whole world against coronavirus by the end of next year. mrjohnson will lay out his plan

at a summit of advanced economies in cornwall on friday — the first face—to—face meeting of the g7 since the start of the pandemic. more than 1,700 charities, business people and academics have signed a letter to borisjohnson warning that the government's foreign aid cut means families are going hungry. last year ministers reduced foreign aid from 0.7% of national income to 0.5% — a cut of £4 billion. the government, which is facing a rebellion by conservative mps on the issue in the commons tomorrow, says it's committed to returning to higher levels of spending when the economy allows. one of the charities which has signed a letter to the government is save the children — it says cuts to the uk aid budget have caused "devastation" in the world's poorest communities. kirsty mcneill, who is the executive director of policy, advocacy and campaigns there, explained what the cut would mean to the people who need it. we see that lives are on the line tomorrow with this vote. to make itjust very tangible, yemen, the world's worst

humanitarian catastrophe, over 90% of children in yemen need humanitarian aid. that is the very aid that keeps them alive, food and medicine, and yet uk aid to yemen has gone down by 60%. syria, an entire generation of syrian children have known nothing but war, and yet the uk has cut aid to syrians by a third. south sudan, two thirds of people are food insecure, and yet, uk aid has gone down by a third. in country after country after country, we see that lives are on the line. this is not an abstract question or a political one, it's one about saving lives. the british normandy memorial for those who died in the d—day campaign has been officially opened in northern france, on the 77th anniversary of the allied invasion of nazi—occupied france. the names of nearly 22,500 servicemen and women

are inscribed on 160 columns overlooking "gold beach" — one of the three british landing sites. hugh schofield, reports from the norman town of ver—sur—mer. it was a small gathering at ver—sur—mer, but the significance and the emotion of the moment were lost on no one. here at the normandy memorial, there's finally a place — and a place of great beauty — where, for future generations, british commemorations of d—day and the normandy campaign will have a single focus. because of covid, virtually no veterans were in france. instead, in rather less clement weather, many of them gathered at the national memorial arboretum in staffordshire and watched the ceremony via a live transmission, including a message from the prince of wales. i could only hope that this serves to commemorate all those whose lives were lost during the events ofjune 19114 and between d—day and the liberation of paris

at the end of august 19114. and in the morning, we will rememberthem. we will rememberthem. there was a two—minute silence to honour the 22,4112 names that are engraved on the columns of the memorial. and then, accompanied by the french defence minister, the british ambassador to paris, lord llewellyn, laid a wreath to declare the memorial officially open. the memorial was only completed a few weeks ago. the press has been very deliberately kept away, and because of covid there are very few visitors in normandy at the moment who could spread the word. as a result, the scale and the beauty of this place have come to many as a monumental surprise. it's set on a hill looking down on gold beach, where thousands came ashore on d—day. for the veterans watching today, a fit place to remember their friends and comrades.

there's lots of young lads, their memory, people like to remember them. i think it's wonderful, it's marvellous that they have put a show on like this 77 years after. the red arrows flew overhead in homage to the dead. the memorial becomes what it is destined to be — a place of contemplation and quiet memory. hugh schofield, bbc news, in normandy. as we heard, many of the veterans and their families couldn't make the journey over to northern france this year because of the pandemic. some of them watched today's ceremony at the national memorial arboretum in staffordshire, from where our correspondent graham satchell sent this update. a poignant service here at the national memorial arboretum this morning. more than 100 veterans of d—day here, along with families of those who died in normandy, to see the unveiling of the new memorial in normandy — something that they have long

campaigned for and long fought for, and finally has come to pass. with me now, the veterans minister leo docherty. leo, what did you make of the ceremony today? it was a really moving ceremony. it was great, as you say, to see so many veterans there today. and really to be reminded of the scale of sacrifice, really, more than 22,000 names on the memorial in normandy. it will be a permanent reminder of the sacrifice of the normandy generation. it's important, isn't it, to not just remember this generation, but that we never forget? indeed, and i think it's also an inspiration... it's a commemoration, but also an inspiration to young service people that actually that's the gold standard of sacrifice and courage. that example lives on in the way they will do their business, and i think people will make reference and bear their amazing example in mind. so, while it's a historic event, it's also a very living,

very contemporary relevance to the actions that took place 77 summers ago. interesting, when you talk to the veterans, how hard they had to fight for this memorial. is that a source of some regret for you? no, i think today is very much a celebration. i think it took a while because, whilst there was a larger living cohort of veterans, it was less on the agenda. but i think it's absolutely right and proper that it is in place now. i think what's also very special is the way it's very much an anglo—french endeavour. excellent to see the french defence attache here awarding the legion d'honneur to nine different veterans, and also in normandy it was lovely to see the red arrows flying over the memorial, trailing a smoke screen of the tricolore flag, a really fitting and moving reminder of the deep bond between our two countries, and the very long lasting defence and security relationship we still have to this day. why do you think it is

that the americans have had their memorial on the beach of normandy, the canadians theirs, for years and years now, and it's taken us 77 years to get the british memorial? well, obviously it took us a bit longer to get round to it, but i don't think that's any disinterest, i think we can celebrate the fact that now it will be a permanent reminder of something very, very special, so i think we should celebrate that. minister, thank you very much indeed. ., ., , and as the minister said, it will be a permanent reminder, something that will be there for generations to come. the headlines on bbc news... the health secretary says the delta variant of virus first detected in india is 40% more transmissible and the government is open to delaying the final lifting of coronavirus restrictions in england onjune the 21st. vaccinations are being opened up to the under—30s this week in the drive to offer covid jabs to all adults in england.

a two—minute's silence has been held at the normandy memorial to honour more than 22,000 members of the british armed forces, who died after the d—day landings. sport now — and sergio perez has won an eventful formula 0ne's azerbaijan grand prix. his red bull teammate max verstappen had led for most of the race, before a tyre failure with four laps to go lifted perez to first. the race then needed to be restarted with two laps left, which is when world champion lewis hamilton — who was second — inadvertantly locked up, going off the track and finishing in 16th. and england and scotland are among a number of countries who play their their final warm—up matches ahead of the european championship. while scotland are away to luxembourg, england face romania in middlesbrough this afternoon — at the same venue they beat austria 1—0 on wednesday. and the england manager is in optimistic mood.

the future for our team, when you look at the age of all of those players, it's really exciting. it means that we can play in different ways, and we have got the balance of the squad to play different systems, and ourjob again, as always, is to prepare the team for each opposition, find the best way of playing for each opponent, and we feel better equipped to cope with different sorts of tactical challenges as well. tennis — and the former world number one, roger federer, has withdrawn from the french open a day after winning his third—round match, so he can rest his knee ahead of wimbledon. federer beat germany's dominik koepfer last night at roland garros, and had been due to play his last 16 match tomorrow. having recently returned to action after knee surgery, he said it was important that he listen to his body and not rush back into competition. cricket — and it's the fifth and final day of the first test between england and new zealand at lord's.

new zealand have set 273 runs to win. a short time ago, england were on 56—1 as they chase an unlikely victory. -- 56-2. and in rugby union, the england prop kyle sinckler has been called up to the british and irish lions squad for their tour of south africa. sinckler will replace ireland s andrew porter, who suffered an injury while playing for leinster on friday. he'lljoin up with the lions following the conclusion of bristol bears domestic season. kent county council says child migrants arriving at dover may be turned away within days, because its services are being overwhelmed. the council has taken the first steps of legal action against the home secretary priti patel, saying other local authorities should take �*their fair share'. according to the council, 2112 child migrants have arrived on kent shores this year, but only 52 have been moved to other local authorities under a voluntary transfer scheme. the president of el salvador has told a bitcoin conference

in florida that he'll make the crypto currency legal tender in his country alongside the us dollar. if congress backs his proposal, el salvador would become the first country in the world to formally adopt bitcoin. aru na iyengar reports. miami, and a bitcoin conference generates huge interest not least because of this announcement from the salvadoran president. next week i will send to congress a bill that will make bitcoin legal tender. in the short—term this will generate jobs and help financial inclusion. nayib bukele says that using bitcoin would make it easier and cheaper for salvadorans living abroad to send money home. about one quarter of el salvadorans live in the us, and last year they sent home nearly $6 billion in remittances. this involves costly fees. presidetn nayib bukele also says bitcoin will help attract investment and open up financial services to the 70% of the population who don't

have bank accounts. it is a bold move — he is a young media—savvy and popular leader who is keen to be seen as an innovator. his new ideas party took control of congress after midterm elections in february. he has made clear his intention to make his country truly sovereign. bitcoin would be used alongside the us dollar, el salvador�*s formal currency, and the country will be partnering with strike. there are concerns over the viability of bitcoin as an alternative to traditional currencies. the bafta awards ceremony will be broadcast later on bbc one, celebrating the best on—screen talent and tv programmes of 2020. steve mcqueen s five—part series small axe leads the way with six nominations. i may destroy you, normal people and the crown are also in the running

some of the nominees attending tonight's baftas have already started arriving on the red carpet. i've been speaking to the one of the co—hosts of the event, vic hope. me and stacey have been running around the red carpet, just like naughty schoolgirls, so excited to see people in the flesh first of all, and be all dressed up. the people who have been inside our tv screens this last year and given us solace, connected us when we have been isolated. tv has been so important and so special, it has educated, informed, entertained, given us escape, so pretty excited. stacey dooley is your co—host, who are you particularly looking forward to seeing? i imagine some of the people you enjoyed watching most. michaela coel, hands down. i may destroy you is the best bit of tv i have ever seen in terms of the writing, acting, the way it is directed and also the conversations it starts and the subjects that sometimes which are triggering but which need to be had.

it made me rethink a lot of things i knew about the world and about myself. good tv, same as a good book, it is something you can lose yourself in but find yourself in, i may destroy you did that for so many people. i would love to see michaela coel and the rest of her team win for that, because it was just magnificent. she has got quite a few nominations, alongside steve mcqueen for small axe. you have holograms for the people who cannot make it, how will that work? magic and technology. the virgin media customers and our audience will not be able to be here, we have managed to beam them onto the red carpet so that they get the full experience of the celebrities they love, the tv stars who have entertained them, they can ask questions to their favourite actors, directors, and we get to chat to them and say

thank you for watching, and being there, and also it is a good chance to find out what they have been enjoying, because we also have the virgin media must see moment award, the only one voted for by the fans. whether it is talking to your families or scrolling on social media, the traction moments have got, we have been able to connect with the fans while they are at home, hologram them into these little outfits, they have sparklyjumpsuits and elvis suits that they can wear, their head appears inside a hologram and we get to bring them to the red carpet. it has been magical. have you rehearsed it? we have just finished the red carpet and everyone has gone in, the awards will be happening later tonight, but it is all happening. i have been running around and am overwhelmed by all the activity and glitz and glamour, but it is all happening and it is really fun. tonight, 7pm, bbc one, you mustn't miss it, it will be great.

good plug, thank you for reminding everybody. don't forget! how many people will be there watching? it has to be socially distanced. tonight it's just the nominees and citation readers, presenters, myself and stacey are presenting the award for best entertainment programme. that will be exciting. a small stripped down closed audience, richard ayoade is hosting again, brilliant, very funny. when there is a smattering of applause, i feel like everyone is so appreciative of the television that has been really important to us over the last year, i think we're going to really be showing as much appreciation as we can, despite being small in numbers, so hopefully there will be support and cheers and a good atmosphere. the first cruise

ship to leave venice since the pandemic began has set sail. while people are keen to get back to normality, not everyone was happy about the ship entering the giudecca canal. rachel stanton reports. "no big ships". that is what is on the flags being waved here in venice. people have taken to the streets and waters, as they are concerned about the impact cruise ships have on the historic city. back in march this year, italy's government said cruise ships would no longer sail past venice's st mark's square and dock in the historic centre, but would instead be diverted to the city's industrial port. however, the infrastructure is not yet in place for this to happen. this is the msc 0rchestra. it's set to cruise around the mediterranean with about 650 passengers. but residents in venice have been urging the government to ban large ships from the lagoon over safety and environmental concerns.

the reason we are here is because we are citizens of venice and we are against this passage, but we are also against this type of tourism model that is destroying the city and is pushing out residents and people that want to live here. a rival protest also took place in support of the resumption of the tourist season. many have suffered financially as well as losing their livelihoods. in the last two decades, the picturesque city has become one of the world's most important cruise destinations, and people are keen for things to get back on track. venice is a home port. this is where many itineraries begin or end, and this means two things, first that the economic impact in venice is huge. the other thing is that, well, basically, there is a risk that if venice is taken off the itineraries, all the adriatic will suffer

the consequences of this, so yeah, it would be a huge impact. the battle to stop large vessels from being in these waters is far from over. the government said it is organising bids for a viable alternative outside the lagoon, relieving the traffic through venice. now to something that's captured the imagination of millions of people across china. a herd of wild elephants that has been moving northwards over the course of several months. they began theirjourney in a nature reserve in yunnan province and after 500 kilometres, they've now reached the outskirts of the city of kunming. tim allman reports. day after day, week after week, month after month, the elephants are on the march. 15 of them, heading northwards, for reasons known only to themselves. occasionally, the smaller

members of the group need a helping hand, or trunk, to get them on the way. translation: such a situation has happened for the first time - in history. it has never happened before, so everyone is thinking about the reasons. it remains to be further observed and studied. it is not entirely clear when their odyssey began but some suggest they set out as early as december, the animals forging a trail through the chinese countryside, occasionally straying into towns and villages, even helping themselves to something to eat as theirjourney progressed. translation: they like to go| to areas frequented by humans as there's plenty of food. the asian elephants take such areas as their habitats. the authorities have deployed thousands of people to evacuate homes, block off roads and try to lure the animals away from the local population but they have now reached a major city of more than six million people. what they plan to do next is anyone's guess. tim allman, bbc news.