The prime minister is set to announce the next stage of lifting restrictions in england. it s expected many will remain in place afterjune the 21st. borisjohnson is boris johnson is due borisjohnson is due to speak any minute. we will bring you that as soon as it starts. the hopes of the hospitality industry are likely to be dashed with many businesses warning they won t survive an extension to the restrictions. it s a race between the vaccine and the variant as the government rushes to get as many adults double jabbed as possible. june 21st was supposed to be the day that the current form of lockdown would be lifted in england. we ll find out in a few minutes what the government has decided. also tonight. it could be costly, it is the czech republic on the break.
Good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. the final easing of covid restrictions in england, planned for next monday, is almost certain to be delayed by up to four weeks. borisjohnson is expected to make the announcement in an hour s time from downing street, alongside his chief advisers, professor chris whitty and sir patrick vallance. several senior ministers have already signed off on a postponement, as cases of the delta variant, first detected in india, continue to rise. latest figures suggest the uk is on track for a major wave of new infections. if the current rate of increase continues, there could be more than 15,000 cases a day by the 21st june, in just one week. the government had four tests it said had to be passed before the next stage of easing could go ahead. they include a successful vaccine programme.
Of demand in the british economy. there is going to be very viable businesses. if there is a delay of another month, we must support them for another month. for another month. thank you for oinin: for another month. thank you for joining us- and borisjohnson is due to confirm the delay to lockdown easing later in a news conference at six o clock. with him will be professor chris whitty, the uk government s chief medical adviser, and sir patrick vallance, the uk government s chief scientific adviser. there will also be a ministerial statement from the health secretary, matt hancock at 8.30 tonight, and we ll of course bring you that live, here on bbc news. a review into the decision to appoint martin bashir as religious affairs correspondent at the bbc following his panorama interview with diana, princess of wales has found no evidence of a cover up. an earlier report by lord dyson criticised the methods bashir used to secure his 1995 interview. today s investigation concluded tha
Hello, this is bbc news with clive myrie. the headlines. a delay in the full lifting of england s lockdown, has been agreed by ministers. the pause could be for another four weeks. borisjohnson will make a full announcement later today. but, a glimmer of hope for those waiting to be married, with hints that restrictions on weddings, might still be eased. how will the delays affect you? victoria derbyshire is in blackpool through the day to hear from people living there about what the final stages of unlocking mean for them. nato leaders, including the prime minister, are in brussels where its secretary general has urged members to respond to china s expanding nuclear arsenal. a bbc review finds no evidence that the bbc decision to appoint martin bashir as religious affairs correspondent
Borisjohnson will make a full announcement later today. but a glimmer of hope for those waiting to be married, with hints that restrictions on weddings, might still be eased. how will the delays affect you? victoria derbyshire is in blackpool through the day to hear from people living there about what the final stages of unlocking mean for them. nato leaders have agreed china poses systemic challenges to international law and security at a summit in brussels. in a final statement nato branded china a security risk to the western alliance. it s being seen as a diplomatic victory for biden, who had urged his fellow leaders to stand up to what he calls china s authoritarianism. for more details on that statement, here s our correspondentjenny hill. there is some pretty tough language. russia the allies say until it demonstrates compliance with international laws and its international laws and its international obligations, there will be no return to business as usual. we are seeing for