Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC Newsroom Live 20170517

Could all be a myth. Researchers looked at the Health Record of more than 3 Million People, Casting Doubt on the theory that some people can be healthy, despite being overweight. And she was famous for her Trademark Headscarf and pinny, now coronation streets hilda ogdens Trademark Items are going under the hammer, good morning. Its wednesday 17th may. Im Annita Mcveigh welcome to bbc Newsroom Live the white house has denied reports that donald trump asked former fbi Directorjames Comey to stop an investigation into the alleged links between one of his senior advisers and russia. Mr comey, who was sacked last week, is said to have recorded the comments in notes taken after a meeting with the president in february. David willis reports. Following a meeting of his Security Advisers back in february, President Trump waited for other officials to leave the room before taking then fbi director james comey to one side. The previous day, his National Security advisor, Michael Flynn, had been forced to resign amid allegations that he misled the Vice President about conversations with the russian ambassador. According to the New York Times, the president then asked mr comey to shut down an fbi investigation into general flynn. But the fbi investigation into Michael Flynn is still under way, along with one into possible collusion between the Trump Campaign and the russian government to influence the outcome of the us president ial election. Last week, james comey was removed from his post by President Trump. The white house has denied the New York Times allegations, saying the president never asked for an end to any investigation, but the suggestion that james comey kept detailed notes of his conversations with President Trump has left some in congress anxious to see them. Last week, President Trump suggested he might have tapes of his conversations with james comey. If they exist, those, too, could be called for, in order to establish whose account of the discussions is correct. Some democrats are already saying this could amount to Obstruction Ofjustice on the part of the president , an unproven allegation, certainly, but the most serious yet to confront Donald Trumps beleaguered administration. The story has been met with surprise in washington, and members of the us congress have been giving their reaction. In a week full of revelation after revelation, on a day when we thought things couldnt get any worse, they have. I was shaken by the report in the New York Times that alleged that the president tried to shut down an active into a close political associate. And we are only one day removed from stunning allegations that the president may have divulged Classified Information to a known at surrey. Concerns about our National Security, the rule of law, the independence of our nations highest law nations highest Law Enforcement agencies, are mounting. Allegedly, the president did something inappropriate. It is an open invitation for the judicial forces. I dont want to read the memo, i want to hear it from him. So you want him to testify publicly. Yes. Have you invited him . Ijust did. Some news coming into is in the last few seconds from aslef which says drivers from Southern Railway will refuse to work overtime from the end of the month. Thats follows talks in what is a long running dispute in driver only trains, those talks have broken down. Drivers on Southern Railway will refuse to work overtime from the end of the month. The uk Unemployment Rate has fallen to 4. 6 , the lowest in 42 years, but inflation is continuing to outstrip wage growth. On tuesday, figures showed that inflation hit 2. 7 in april, its highest since september 20 13. Highest since september 20 i3. People may see prices rising faster than their pay. Joining me to discuss the figures is the Chief Executive of the Joseph Rowntree foundation. Lots of good news in there including that drop in unemployment, but all of this has to be put in context, doesnt it . Unemployment, but all of this has to be put in context, doesnt mm unemployment, but all of this has to be put in context, doesnt it . It is obviously very positive to see such high Employment Rates and low Unemployment Rate, that gives many more people a chance to possibly get out and get going. The problem that we arsene is that it was already very tight for many people in and out of work. 3. 8 Million People in work are receiving benefits. Those Inflation Figures are beginning to show a real squeeze on earnings, a squeeze on peoples abilities to keep their head above water. What evidence is there of a squeeze . Those figures shows clearly that those prices are beginning to rise quicker than wages. That has been around for a while, but those are the starkest figures that we have seen the starkest figures that we have seen for a while. A freeze on working age benefits which we have had which is due to hold for the next three or four years. The combination of those things. Rents have not been dropping until very recently, so the combination of those things is people struggling to keep their head above water. What is co nsta ntly keep their head above water. What is constantly happening is people making very tough choices. Pay their rent or buy their Kids School Uniforms . Those are the things that people are struggling with every day. The Joseph Rowntree foundation s are talking about people feeling the squeeze most when things rise. Do you think it is disproportionately so to people earning more . We are seeing a poor butty poverty remy. Gas, electricity, food and end. What we need to see is all of the parties in this election recognising that whilst employment used to be and still is the best route out of poverty for most people, it is the second or third job that they have to ta ke second or third job that they have to take puts in a position to take the right choices. What are you seeing in terms of helping people facing the premium . On working age benefits is a freeze on working age benefits is a problem going forward. Inflation rising as it is doing, all the parties need to recognise that and talk about that impact on people in and out of work. The second thing is understanding how we make work pay in the long time. Looking at all of those things that we can make it possible to get people out of unemployment and into work. The other area is housing. How can we reduce the cost of housing and give people genuinely long term housing . You will be watching that very closely. Thank you very much. Lets take a look now at todays main stories in the general Election Campaign. As saying he couldnt see the Party Winning the election. The Liberal Democrats launch their manifesto shortly, promising measures to help young people, and a referendum on the brexit deal itself. And the chancellor has dismissed claims of a rift with theresa may as Tittle Tattle, following reports of tension after a government u turn on proposed National Insurance hikes in the budget. Lets get more now on those comments from unite leader Len Mccluskey our assistant political editor, norman smith is At Westminster. A bit of backtracking always you trying to contextualise what he said . A full about to turn. It cranking reverse gear, slam the car backwards moment. Overnight, Len Mccluskey was quoted as saying that Jeremy Corbyn would do well to hold onto 200 seats which would be labours worst result ever since the second world war. Mr mccluskey seeming to suggest that under the circumstances it wouldnt be so bad. Understandably, that is likely to cause consternation amongst team corbyn because it is an admission of likely defeat from one of mr corbyns key allies, but also be timing of it, just the day after the ma nifesto timing of it, just the day after the manifesto launch, which the team will hope will build support, build the labour party. To have one of your key allies saying you havent got a chance is profoundly damaging. This morning is a very different tone from mr mccluskey. Well, first of all the interview that i did with politico was a conversational piece and it was against the backdrop of if the Opinion Polls are to be believed that i made those comments. Since then, labour have launched their manifesto, it is a fantastic manifesto, a manifesto for workers, for ordinary working people. A manifesto that will Change Britain for the good. The response that we have had from Unite Members has been incredible. That is why i was checking our polls that we do, constant rolling polls. And the response has been like something weve never seen before. I am now full of optimism. If i was having an interview today, i wouldnt be making those comments. Ithink, also, the Labour Campaign has been brilliant, it has outshone the tories. Jeremy corbyn has come across as a real man of the people and a real leader. And i am now full of optimism as to what will happen in the next two or three weeks. I believe that the Opinion Polls will start to move, if our members in unite are anything to go by. Once people start to look at the policies that labour have in their manifesto, then anything is possible. We believe now that everything is to fight for over the next three weeks and that is what we will be doing. Much more confident, mr mccluskey, this morning. It is amazing what a difference 2a hours can make. I wonder if any of mr corbins team have been on the telephone to mr mccluskeys team. There has been speculation that may be labour could come down to 200 seats as a way of playing down expectation, so if labour were to lose this election badly, it could be argued that mr corbyn hadnt done so badly in the circumstances and thereby protect his position. As we see, mr mccluskey adopting a very different approach saying it is a Fantastic Ma Nifesto approach saying it is a fantastic manifesto and labour is fighting a great campaign, with mr corbyn proving a true leader. Thank you very much. The Liberal Democrats will focus on Younger Voters when they launch their general Election Manifesto later. A promise to hold a second Eu Referendum on any brexit deal will be at the heart of the document, and it will also include pledges to restore Housing Benefit for younger people and to make it easier to get on the Housing Ladder. Our chief Political Correspondent vicki young has more. The Liberal Democrats see this general election as a chance to Change Britains future and their message is clearly aimed at those who voted remain in last years referendum. They want voters to have another say on brexit once any deal with the European Union has been finalised and if people dont like it, they should be able to reject it and keep the uk in the eu. The Lib Dems Hope their pro eu argument will encourage remain voters to swing behind them, especially in seats they used a hold in london. But in some of the other former heartlands in the south west of england, brexit is much more popular, so the party is trying to broaden its appeal with new policy ideas. The lib dems have already called for extra health and education spending, paid for by higher income and Corporation Tax. On housing, they want to introduce a rent to own scheme for tenants and theyve pledged to legalise and regulate cannabis. The lib dem leader, tim farron, has admitted his party isnt going to win the election and says his aim is to replace labour and be an effective opposition to the conservatives. Sir ed davey is the Liberal Democrats Election Campaign spokesman and explains why the party would be offering a second referendum on the brexit deal. When we had the referendum back last year, no one could tell you what brexit meant. Interestingly, we dont know what brexit means yet and i dont think well know what brexit means for three or four years because these negotiations will take some time. What Liberal Democrats are saying is that because youve never had a choice on the brexit deal and labour and the conservatives are not offering that, Liberal Democrats uniquely will say that when the brexit deals announced, rather than politicians telling you you got to accept it, you can have a choice. You can have a vote and if it is a bad deal and you dont like it, you can vote against it and vote to remain in the European Union. I think that is a very positive alternative and, by the way, it is the most democratic. The chancelllor, Philip Hammond has insisted that talk of tensions with number ten and question marks over his future are media Tittle Tattle. This morning at a conservative News Conference in in london, theresa may was asked whether mr hammond would remain as chancellor, if the tories were returned to power. Our Political Correspondent, Eleanor Garnier is there. Good morning to you. The two of them mr hammond and mrs may were less keen on talking about Tittle Tattle and much keener about attacking the credibility of labours manifesto, werent they . That is right. The Press Conference had been called in the first place. The conservatives wanted to keep pressure on the labour party after the launch of it yesterday, but instead the focus seemed to be on the relationship between the two neighbours at numberten the relationship between the two neighbours at number ten and number 11 downing st with many asking if theresa may would back Philip Hammond as chancellor if they won the general election. I think this was coming up because there had been reports of tensions between the two teams in the media and so theresa may and Philip Hammond were asked about this. Philip hammond was asked this morning on the radio about this same story. He admitted to swearing sometimes and said again in the present conference that his family would say that he does swear sometimes, but it was interesting to listen to theresa mays answers when she was asked if she did endorse Philip Hammond as her next chancellor. We work very closely together. The Prime Minister and i have known each other for many yea rs. Have known each other for many years. She has got an extremely strong team around her. I work very closely with her team. Indeed, some are people that i have known for many years. We work very well as a team. All this media Tittle Tattle is just that, media Tittle Tattle. At the third time of asking when theresa may was asked will you endorse Philip Hammond she said, yes, im happy to do so. Im not sure how much of a Ringing Endorsement that was. Of course, it would be huge if theresa may did re move would be huge if theresa may did remove Philip Hammond if they did win the general election. At the moment, that seems unlikely, but it does seem clear that there has been some sort of tension between the two teams. This isnt what the conservatives wanted to date to be about, they wanted to date to be about, they wanted to date to be about taking holes in labours manifesto and hitting out on what they were calling Jeremy Corbyns chaos. Instead, most of the questions were about the relationship between the top two senior people in the government. Thank you. The Green Party Of England And Wales is promising free sanitary products for people who cant afford them. Theyre pledging to end period poverty by providing towels and tampons to secondary School Pupils and women in financial need. They want to exempt sanitary products from 5 tax, and say the move could be funded by adding vat to some products that are currently exempt. Lloyds bank says the taxpayer has made a profit of nearly £900 million, after the government sold the last of its shares in the group. It is almost nine years since the bank was bailed out at the height of the financial crisis. In a statement this morning, lloyds confirmed the group had been fully returned to private ownership. The headlines on bbc Newsroom Live President Trump faces allegations he asked fbi Chiefjames Comey to drop an inquiry into links between his former National Security adviser and russia. Unemployment falls to its lowest level in 42 years, but average earnings are falling behind inflation. Unite union leader Len Mccluskey says hes confident the Opinion Polls will change in labours favour after earlier saying the party wouldnt win. In sport, the Chief Executive of the Womens Tennis Association say that the organisers had No Grounds To Penalised by Rhea Shara Popa by the nine her a wild card entry to the tournament. They say that she has served her ban for a doping. Andy murray says he is not playing good tennis. He lost against fabio fognini. The first ever report into Gender Diversity into british horse but it was racing say that women are under represented in their career progress. The former american soldier, Chelsea Manning, who Passed Hundreds Of Thousands of confidential diplomatic documents to the website wikileaks, will be released later today from a Military Prison in kansas. Born Bradley Manning, she announced she would be living as a woman, shortly after her trial in 2013. She was expected to remain in jail until 2045, but barack obama commuted her sentence before leaving the white house injanuary. Our north america editor, rajini vaidyanathan, has more. These recent photos show Chelsea Manning in an all mild Military Prison, where shed been held for the past seven years. She fought to receive Gender Reassignment Surgery. The transition to a life as a woman. It was while she was still Bradley Manning that she was convicted of one of the largest leaks of Government Information in us history. As a private in the us army, manning hacked private databases, Handing Hundreds Of Thousands of classified documents to the wikileaks organisation. Including state Department Cables which revealed the private thoughts of us officials. Manning was hailed a Whistle Blower by supporters and after a long campaign, her sentence was commuted by president obama in one of his final acts as office. It was a move criticised by donald trump, who branded manning a traitor. Even after her release, she will remain a member of the us military without pay, but with health care, as she appeals her conviction. In a statement ahead of her release, she said. Chelsea manning was held here at Fort Leavenworth, at times in solitary confinement. And she even tried to take her own life. Her friends say that once she is released, she wont fade into a private life and could become a transgender advocate. Returning to election news and the number of candidates standing for the Uk Independence Party in this election has halved. In 2015, the party fielded a candidate in just about every seat. This time, it is appealing to supporters and areas where there is no ukip cantered to vote for the most pro brexit person standing. The East Of England has a lwa ys standing. The East Of England has always been a stronghold for the party and in deciding not to stand in certain seats, it could change the outcome in certain places. What changes could that lead to, andrew . Good morning from cromer in North Norfolk. This is one of the few Liberal Democrats seats that is left standing. According today, it may not be after this election. If that is the case, it will all be down to be in fluent ukip. Politics here has been dominated by the rise of ukip. This is a very rural part of the country. Big infarming, quite big in fishing, the pressures of immigration and brexit have been very big issues. In some places 65 oi very big issues. In some places 65 or 70 of people voted to leave and so or 70 of people voted to leave and so ukip has always commanded a lot of command here. It has 3 euros meps and in the last lecture on, it came second in many seats. In this election, it isnt standing everywhere. That is so dumb act because it doesnt have the money, but into that is because it doesnt have the money. But that is for another reason. It is famous for the coastline and the norfolk broads. It is not used to being at the front line of an Election Campaign. This take on the race could be very close. The last election, the Liberal Democrats norman lamb had a very reduced majority of 4000. Many people voted ukip. This year is local candidate has decided not to stand. He is actively campaigning for the conservatives. Norman lamb is very much a pro european, we felt the only way to pursue the ends of ukip was to pull out and to support the conservatives. Not particularly the conservatives. Not particularly the conservatives but because the Conservative Camp Delta that candidate was very pro brexit. Conservative camp delta that candidate was very pro brexitlj Conservative Camp Delta that candidate was very probrexit. I do not think they will all naturally gravitate to the conservatives. I think many people have supported norman in the Liberal Democrats in the past and we will be working hard to win the back. The seat of peterborough is another place where ukip could be influential. The majority of less than 2000, the conservative Stuart Jackson is under threat from labour. But ukip polled 7500 votes last time and now they are standing aside to try and get the pro brexit conservatives re elected. The pro brexit conservatives reelected. I guess it will be helpful because a lot of those ukip voters were formerly conservative voters were formerly conservative voters and i think now people realise that there is not much point in voting ukip. They have done their job and theresa may is going to take us job and theresa may is going to take us out and we need all the support we can get. Ukip used to do well in elections in the East Of England, but in this months local elections, it lost all its seats. Voters in peterborough have mixed views about the party not standing here. Peterborough have mixed views about the party not standing Harem Peterborough have mixed views about the party not standing here. If they believe in something, they should stand. It is a bit cynical. Why would you tell someone to vote for another team . Thats sago arsenal and youre going to tell all your Arsenal Supporters to support manchester, otherwise they will like manchester, otherwise they will like manchester too much another comeback to arsenal. Its not a surprise. They have done theirjob. Theyre never going to run this country. Labours candidate launched a campaign at the weekend. They are hoping that ukip voters will come back to them. People voted ukip to come back to to get out of the European Union. But they also voted ukipfor European Union. But they also voted ukip for things that labour are promising to deliver on. You give up trying to get their candidates in this year, but on deciding where not to stand could have a big impact on the selection. Ikea in North Norfolk in another twist, the greens which lasted in another twist, the greens have decided not to stand here to help the liberal democrat candidate norman lamb. In North Norfolk, There Arejust candidate norman lamb. In North Norfolk, there are just three people standing. Here are the list of the candidates standing in peterborough. You can get all the details on the bbc news website. Thank you very much for that. The idea that people can be fat but medically fit is a myth according to a study of the records of more than 3 Million People. Researchers from Birmingham University say being obese increases the risk of suffering Heart Disease, stroke and Heart Failure. Our health correspondent, dominic hughes, reports. So just keep your hands on your hips. The idea that you can be obese, but still healthy has been debated for years. Previous studies have suggested that around a third of very overweight people are healthy. They have normal Blood Pressure and cholesterol levels despite being classed as obese according to their Body Mass Index which is a measure of height versus weight. But a new analysis of the medical records of 3. 5 million uk residents suggests the idea of healthy obesity is a myth. Compared to those of a normal weight, it suggests even outwardly, healthy obese people have a 49 greater risk of developing coronary Heart Disease, the risk of Heart Failure is increased by 96 and stroke by 7 . What was new for me from this study was that it showed that people who are overweight or obese are at an increased risk of Heart Disease even though they may be healthy in every other respect. Previously, i rather thought that obesity increased Blood Pressure and your cholesterol and it was those factors which increased your risk of cardiovascular disease. Just being overweight or obese puts you at increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Rugby players are often used as examples of people who might be classed as obese, but are healthy. Their Body Mass Index would mean they are technically overweight, but for the vast majority, this Research Suggests being obese will eventually catch up with you. The headlines are coming up on the bbc news channel. In a moment we say goodbye to viewers on bbc two first we leave you with for a look at the weather. Not too bad in northern and Western Areas, but there is a lot more to come over england and wales. It will be atrocious out on the road across a good part of central and Southern England in towards eastern wales. Skies will brighten up for a while, that will boost temperatures. For scotla nd that will boost temperatures. For scotland and Northern Ireland, you will see the best of the sunshine today. One or two showers, some showers coming in in north west wales. It will get lively across the south east will stop thunder and rain pushing their way eastwards. A bit of drizzle. Further west, like last night it is going to be chilly. For thursday, a bright one fought northern and Western Areas. Eventually, we will see it put into the south east. Much cooler and fresher across the south east and has of late. Through the day, it will be an afternoon of sunshine and showers and temperatures are about where they should be for a time of year. This is bbc Newsroom Live. The headlines. President trump faces allegations he asked fbi Chiefjames Comey to drop an inquiry into links between his former National Security adviser and russia. The white house denies the claims. Unemployment falls to its lowest level in 42 years, but average earnings are falling behind inflation, increasing by 2. 4 in the year to march, below the Inflation Rate of 2. 7 . Unite union leader Len Mccluskey says hes confident the Opinion Polls will change in labours favour after earlier saying the party wouldnt win, suggesting a Labour Victory would be extraordinary. The former american soldier Chelsea Manning who Passed Hundreds Of Thousands of confidential diplomatic documents to Wikileaks Is Set to be released from a Military Prison in kansas today. And researchers have looked at the Health Records of more than Three Million patients Casting Doubt on the theory that some people can be healthy, despite being overweight. Time for the sports bulletin. That said that the Bbc Sport Centre and joinjessica. Good said that the Bbc Sport Centre and join jessica. Good morning. We start at tennis. After Maria Sharapova was refused a wild card to enter the french open by the tournaments organisers, the head of the Womens Tennis Association has criticised the decision. Steve simon says they had No Grounds To Penalise sharapova further after shed already complied with her 15 month ban for a doping violation. Our Reporterjohn Watson is with me, John Sharapova is neverfar from the headlines these days and she continues to be a divisive figure in the sport. Absolutely. Ever since she made her return to competitive tennis last month after serving 15 months out following the positive test for the band judge meldonium had lost yours australian open, she made her return to the womans to at the stuttgart open where she got a wild card. She reached the same finals before being handed yet more wild cards are so used to boost rankings. She then competed in the madrid open where she lost in the second round and this week was competing in the tying up this week was competing in the tying up before retiring in the second round endured with a thigh problem. But ended her chances of qualifying with enough ranking points for the main draw at wimbledon. Before that much difference Tennis Federation said they would not be handing Maria Sharapova a wild card to compete at the french open, the second major in the french open, the second major in the tennis calendar. The president of the fft said there can be a Wild Ca Rd Of The Fft said there can be a wild card for return from injuries but not for the time from dublin. Criticism over night by the w t eight that the wta, steve simon the Chief Executive saying that sharapova has completed her sanction and believes there is No Grounds To Penalise a further beyond the sanctions. This will bring her presence at wimbledon not in the main draw, but in qualifying, into stark focus. What does this mean for wimbledon . Only a few months away the summer wimbledon . Only a few months away the summer course. Wimbledon . Only a few months away the summer course. Will she be given a wild card do you think . Hours lookings that is a Decision Wimbledon will have to make themselves. They will decide on the 20th of june whether she themselves. They will decide on the 20th ofjune whether she will be granted a wild card to compete in the main draw, as it stands she has enough ranking points to compete in qualifying. Interesting that prevents its own problems for the All England Club because qualifying doesnt take place at wimbledon, but the bank of England Sports ground in roehampton, a much smaller venue isnt equipped as well as wimbledon will be to cope for the large number of visitors that of course the presence of Maria Sharapova will bring. There are logistical issues, security, the safety of competitors and spectators. Before now it was a non ticketed event. Wimbledon have decided to make it a ticketed event this year so they will have some control over the visitors drawn to watch but you can imagine Maria Sharapova, a presence there, she will be a Star Attraction and you can guarantee that having one of the biggest superstars there will certainly draw more visitors this year than ever before. Lots for them to consider. Thank you for bringing us up to date. John watson or sports reporter. Horse racing is watched live basics main people a year in britain, but if women choose it as a career, how they being held back . The first ever report into gender in rating suggests women are underrepresented in the most prominent areas in the sport. Joe wilson has more. Racehorses, pleasure and big business. It is a multi billion pound industry. And in this yard in newmarket, amy murphy is the boss. Pay by owners to train their horses to be winners. She isjust 24, very unusual. The fact that she is a woman is also rare. We have to get the support and sometimes i think is a woman you have to prove yourself before people want to support you what is a few are a man they might support you from day one, but we have had great support and loyalty from some big earners, whether i would have had that from day one had i not had the results i am not sure. Based on hundreds of anonymous responses the new survey found that women from across the Industry Report being patronised, not being taken seriously or being denied opportunities because of their gender. Women in senior positions still stand out. Amy is a rarity, there are some 75 trainers here in newmarket a lonely yet only around 10 of them are women. But how else could you make a high profile name for yourself in this sport . Inevitably so much of the attention will focus on the jockey. Overall just 6 of horses in in races are ridden by women. They are ready and they are off. Eight new competition shown here just for they are off. Eight new competition shown herejust for women they are off. Eight new competition shown here just for Women Jockeys began last week. Nine races spread of the season and called the silk series. But fundamentally are women trusted to do the job as well as men in horse racing . John barry is a newmarket trainer who says he ignores gender. He knows not eve ryo ne ignores gender. He knows not everyone feels that way. The athlete and a horse, and all the jobs around iio and a horse, and all the jobs around no one gender is doing better than the other and they include jockeys in that. When it comes to the daily ca re of in that. When it comes to the daily care of horses, more women than men are joining care of horses, more women than men arejoining racing, working in sta ble arejoining racing, working in stable yards, do you see women in boardrooms . If you look at who is on the senior boards and organisations in racing, the average is 16 and we have several boards in the sport that dont have any women at the top level at all, so we are seeing stagnation of career progression. This ratings governing body recently restructured its Board Of Directors to include more women. Chief executive nick ross said the Gender Survey is a stark reminder that horse racing needs to do more. Meanwhile amy murphy does believe that Racing Culture is changing and if she is leading, there is someone to follow. Thats all the sport for now well have more on the bbc news channel throughout the day. Thank you, see you later. The biggest annual gathering of Police Officers is underway in birmingham. The Police Federation is debating issues affecting the working lives of Rank And File officers in england and wales. A campaign has begun to raise funds for a Memorial Recognising the bravery of Police Officers it would be built at the National Memorial arboretum in staffordshire. June kelly has been speaking to two former senior Police Officers about it. We see this as a very important plan to recognise the sacrifice brought to recognise the sacrifice brought to our mind so recently as Keith Palmers efforts to protect citizens, to have a National Memorial at the arboretum to recognise the bravery for what is still a largely unarmed service. The location is important, isnt it . M isa location is important, isnt it . M is a National Centre of remembrance and to date or stevens read out a letter of support from Prince William who has put his weight behind this campaign, so today we are launching with their own colleagues, former colleagues, and with the public through lbc and the express newspaper, so were asking the public to contribute, and the police to contribute. Anyone can join in simply by looking at the uk police memorial, all one word, the website, they can see the vision and make a contribution. In the past 24 hours we have had the announcement there is to be no prosecution in the case of the death of pc fletcher, what is your reaction to that . Disappointment. I know the immense amount of hard work that has gone into getting to try to get It Prosecution and some of that was regenerated in my time as a commissioner so i am disappointed andl commissioner so i am disappointed and i know a lot of people are. I dont know the reasons, but they have to say i think the public would be disappointed if we werent given reasons why this particular individual wasnt prosecuted. What are your thoughts on that . |j individual wasnt prosecuted. What are your thoughts on that . I agree. I think the public will look for a greater explanation but we have to remember the rule of law must prevail and in these difficult cases, if for whatever reason and the explanation needs to be given we cannot prosecute, the greater dignity of the Police Service is that we will step back, what if we had this memorial we will have somewhere that the family can remember ivan and all the other collea g u es remember ivan and all the other colleagues and have a place to celebrate her life and the conjuration. There was an important statement from her family s, when you read that what did you think . As always they have dealt with it with tremendous dignity in very difficult circumstances and my heart goes out to these people who have lived with this and it has ruined a lot of their lives. Some of course see hope and rememberthe their lives. Some of course see hope and remember the people who died and the reason we remember them and remember the people who died and the reason we rememberthem is and remember the people who died and the reason we remember them is they are outstanding people, every single one. Breaking news, we are hearing from our correspondent in the United States that Chelsea Manning has been released from Military Prison in kansas. A Us Army Spokesperson saying Chelsea Manning has left Fort Leavenworth. Chelsea manning the former american soldier who Passed Hundreds Of Thousands of confidential diplomatic documents to wikileaks. Chelsea manning released from Fort Leavenworth. But ordered by barack obama before he left office at the beginning of the year. A senior un official is warning of a potentially catastrophic situation in gaza, if a solution isnt found on its energy crisis. Since donated fuel ran out last month, the palestinian territorys only power plant Cannot Operate and daily blackouts have become longer. The only power plant Cannot Operate. That situation could become even worse after the Palestinian Authority, headed by mahmoud abbas, said that while its rival hamas controls gaza it will no longer pay for electricity coming from israel. All this comes ahead of President Trumps visit to israel and the west bank, where hes hoping to revive the middle east Peace Process. Yolande knell reports from gaza city. Studying for their end of year exams by candlelight. Like many in the gaza strip, this family cant afford back up power, so the children are learning to make do. Blackouts have long been a problem here, but now Mains Electricity is cut for up to 18 hours a day. Translation we have no electricity when we teach our children. The refrigerators are broken and the electrical appliances have burnt out because the power comes and goes so often. We are constantly chasing the electricity. This is gazas only power plant, but for the past month it has been shut down. It uses imported diesel and International Donations have run out. A lack of energy means a lack of drinking water, because this coastal strip relies on desalination. And here you can see and smell another affect of gazas power crisis. This is sewage water, and there is not enough electricity to treat it properly or pump it away out to sea, so instead it is being discharged like this, just off the coast. Behind this power crisis is a political power struggle. It is ten years since the Islamist Group hamas took over gaza, ousting forces loyal to the palestinian president. Now he is trying to heap on financial pressure and reassert his control amid a new International Push to restart the Peace Process with israel. His government says it will no longer pay for electricity which israel supplies. The un says if that is cut off, the effects could be catastrophic. We are working very hard with the Palestinian Authority to pass messages between all sides that a political solution is to be found for this crisis, and the only reasonable political solution is to in fact work on returning gaza to the control of the legitimate Palestinian Authority, the government. But for now there is no sign of that happening, and rivalry between the main palestinian factions looks set to remain a potential Stumbling Block for peace efforts. Meanwhile nearly two Million People living in gaza are left in the dark over what happens next. In a moment a summary of the Business News this hour, but first the headlines on bbc Newsroom Live. President trump faces allegations he asked fbi Chiefjames Comey to drop an inquiry into links between his former National Security adviser and russia. Former us soldier Chelsea Manning has been released from prison over her involvement with wikileaks. Unite union leader Len Mccluskey says he is confident the Opinion Polls will change in labours favour after earlier saying the party wouldnt win. Hello, these are the top business stories. Uks Unemployment Rate has fallen to a 42 year low, with a Record Number of people in work. But earnings remain below the rate of inflation. Wages were up 2. 4 in the year to march, just 0. 1 higher compared to the month before and below the latest Inflation Rate of 2. 7 . Lloyds is back in private hands after the uk government sold its final stake in the bank. At the height of the financial crisis, the government ploughed £20. 3 billion into lloyds and owned a 43 share. The boss of lloyds told the bbc the bank is now one of the strongest in the world. Its in sharp contrast to rbs, which is still 73 owned by the taxpayer. It too was bailed out during the financial crisis. A pair of Diamond Earrings has been sold for a record price at an auction in switzerland. The flawless pear shaped diamonds one pink, the other blue fetched a combined price of 57. 4 million. The gems, Nicknamed Apollo and artemis, are almost 16 carats each. The buyer has chosen to say anonymous. More about that later. Lets start with those falling unemployment figures. The numbers for march show the jobless total fell by 53,000 to 1. 54 million in the three months to march. Thats a Headline Rate of 4. 6 the lowest since the summer of 1975, or 42 years ago. But wages are still lagging behind the rising cost of living. Earnings were up 2. 4 in march, but inflation rose by 2. 7 . It means in real terms were facing a pay cut. Lets speak to laura gardiner, Senior Research analyst at the resolution foundation. Nice to see you. You have described this as a jobs boom but a pay squeeze and that really is how it seems, isnt it . A real contrast in the statistics published today. More really good news on employment with the red reaching a new record high at the start of this year, but confirmation today that they pay squeeze has returned, back to a period of falling real pay and that has come far too soon after we got out of the previous pay squeeze which was nearly six years following the financial crisis. It means more of this in work which is a good thing, but were just not being paid very much for it or not rising. There are a lot of factors behind that but got through some of them. You might expect with very low unemployment as you have highlighted for that to put pressure on wages upwards and that doesnt seem to be happening and there are two key headwinds. One is you have mentioned is very fast rising inflation and that has been driven a lot by the affect on sterling after the decision to leave the eu. But then the longer term it is productivity, output per hour work that drives pay and that has been stagnant for nine yea rs and that has been stagnant for nine years now. For the new government coming in next month i think the long term consideration to get pay packets on track is how we get productivity moving. The productivity moving. The Productivity Puzzle is still a real problem. When did things start to get better . In terms of the pay squeeze we have just re entered, we expect that to last for a lot of the rest of 2017, probably into the autumn. Then pay should start rising again in real terms. But it will be pretty muted, pretty flat over the coming years. On the best forecast. To move off that platform and up, we have to think about the product numbers, how we get the Output Growth moving to get pay rising well above the rate of inflation, workers really feeling the effects of a growing economy. But still down into some of these figures. It is always interesting when you get the headline, it had some differences across the country, the type of jobs. We will come onto that across the country in a second but lets talk about the job themselves. They are full timejobs talk about the job themselves. They are full time jobs and there was a lwa ys are full time jobs and there was always a worry that we are talking about zero our contract, things that actually contributing to the economy but there is good news in that these are full time and full paid jobs. For much of the last few years when we have had continuous strong employment growth the drivers have been things like Self Employment, we have had fast rising zero hours contract numbers, but now zero hours contract numbers, but now zero hours contract numbers, but now zero hours contract numbers dropping, Self Employment greg clark and the Big Driver Last Year has been full Time Employee jobs for both men and women and that is welcome in terms of where the growth is coming from. Big difference across the country, the regional picture is different. That is right. If you look at places like the East Midlands and the south east, those places with higher than average Employment Rates, and have also had strong growth over the past year survey and strong and surging. Contrast that with the West Midlands and Northern Ireland that have consistently lower Employment Rates than the National Picture and are also growing less fast, so low and falling further behind. Although the National Picture is surely positive, for individual viewers where they are in the country will make a really big difference in terms of how that feels. Absolutely. Good to talk to you, thanks for explaining all that. In other news. European and american officials are meeting to discuss a potential extension of the laptop ban on planes. In march, the Trump Administration imposed new restrictions that stops passengers travelling to the us from eight mainly muslim countries from carrying Electronic Devices larger than a mobile phone in their hand luggage. The original restrictions affected many of the gulf carriers including emirates, etihad and Qatar Airways but now there are reports suggesting that the ban could be extended to include some countries within the eu. More detail on that as we get it. Twitter co founder biz stone says he will re join the social Media Company in the next few weeks after fellow co founder jack dorsey was brought back as Chief Executive in 2015. Mr dorsey has been trying to revive twitter, which says it has more than 300 million monthly users but still struggles to make a profit. Nestle has lost its appeal to change the shape of the forefinger kit kat bar. It was appealing against the verdict that said other companies could use the product. It is disappointed and it will consider the next steps. Also uncertainty on the next steps. Also uncertainty on the markets ahead of what is happening in the United States, what President Trump will do next and other he has been distracted by any of the business policies he is pushing through. More from us later. Thank you. She was one of televisions best Loved Characters hilda ogden famous for her sharp tongue, her Trademark Headscarf, and her pinny. Now some of those iconic items are going under the hammer. Theyre being sold at auction by the family ofJean Alexander, the actress who played her for more than two decades. Our entertainment correspondent Colin Paterson has been along to take a look. It is one of the most famous adverts in the whole of television. Hilda ogdens costume worn byJean Alexander and it is up for auction today. The man who will have the hammer in his hand is mike litherland. Come and join us here. This is an important bit of tv history. How important . Probably one of the most important pieces of tv history. When you consider that i think it was Something Like 29 Million People, the episode where stand passed away, it is a third of the british population. A phenomenal amount of people. Star knocked on her husband. And the fact she has worn it in every episode apart from when she was going out. I am using that word again, iconic. It is media history and i am hoping that it will go to either a collector who will let people see it for a museum or gallery. Who knows . What kind of price are you expecting to go for . That is the 64,000 question. City 4000 . You that is the 64,000 question. City 4000 . You never that is the 64,000 question. City 4000 . You never know because we have had interest from italy, america, canada. We estimated 40 2000. We have had Somebody Else coming in and saying it will make 5000. The sky is the limit. I did it come to be up for sale . We were asked about the film if we would clearJean Alexanders has because they have taken their memories out of the house, the rest they havent got room for and wanted other people to be able to enjoy. A memento of Jean Alexander the person rather than just Jean Alexander the person rather thanjust hilda Jean Alexander the person rather than just hilda ogden. That is what people have the chance to do, bedford of these, but this is the star one, expected to go around 3 30pm or 4pm. These didnt blog to her, they belong to coronation street. But step that a holistic look at the forecast. Thank you. A wet start across the south East Of England. To the north a different story. Northern scotland has started lovely and bright and sunny like this shows and bright and sunny like this shows an acceptance but different further south. A lot of cloud and tricks of rain and woman to whom it. A lot of boring to come. Bright colours showing where the torrential downpours worth. More heavy rain putting into words, the East Midlands. Sunshine continuing across the far south east and that will boost temperatures. Probably the best sunshine will be in scotland and Northern Ireland and we could see temperatures reaching around the mid to upper teens but it will feel a bit fresher than of late. Some showers pro western scotland and Northern Ireland and the Odd Heavy One and brighter weather towards the north west of england getting into words . And fringes of wales and perhaps western cornwall. Further east it is cloudy. Quite cool. Ten oi east it is cloudy. Quite cool. Ten or11. Warm and muggy east it is cloudy. Quite cool. Ten or 11. Warm and muggy in the south east. This will increase through the afternoon and evening. Torrential thundery downpours likely across the south east. Road conditions will be pretty atrocious. The heaviest rain clears away and leaves cloud and drizzle across east angular and the south east. Temperatures shouldnt fall below ten or 11 but another chilling night to come elsewhere. Thursday is a red stripe. Showers pushing into Western Areas again. Brightening in the south east. Cooler and fresher. Generally across the board between 15 and 20. Some showers could be heavy with hail of thunder. This is thursday and friday. This mightjust brushed by the south East Of England to bring patchy rain. This area of low pressure will be the player of the weather into the weekend. Cloudy skies. Rain pushing into the south east and maybe as far north as lincolnshire. We could see some pretty frequent showers towards the north and west. In between some sunshine. Feeling cool particularly with showers. Saturday is sunshine and showers. Some heavy with helen thunder. Temperatures mid to upper teens. For the weekend looking bright with some sunny spells. The knights will be on the chilly side. This is bbc news, and these are the top stories developing at midday. The Liberal Democrats reveal their Election Manifesto, promising a referendum on the final brexit deal and housing and housing help for young people. President trump faces allegations he asked fbi Chiefjames Comey to drop an inquiry into links between his former National Security adviser and russia. Former us soldier Chelsea Manning, who passed thousands of confidential documents to wikileaks has been freed from prison. Unemployment falls to its lowest level in 42 years, but average but average earnings are falling behind inflation. Unite union leader Len Mccluskey says hes confident the Opinion Polls will change in labours favour, after earlier saying the party wouldnt win. It was against the backdrop of if the Opinion Polls are to be believed that i made those comments. Since then, labour have launched their manifesto, a fantastic manifesto. Also coming up, the idea that people can be fat but fit could all be a myth. Researchers looked at the Health Records of more than patients, Casting Doubt on the theory that some people can be healthy, despite being overweight. And she was famous for her Trademark Headscarf and pinny, now coronation streets hilda ogdens Trademark Possessions are going under the hammer. Good afternoon. The Liberal Democrats have just released their general Election Manifesto, which will be formally launched later. The party makes plans for a referendum on the brexit deal central to their manifesto. They also promise more spending on education and health and are promoting policies aimed directly at Younger Voters, including pledges to make it easier to get on the Housing Ladder. Sir ed davey, the Liberal Democrats Election Campaign spokesman, explained the importance of offering a referendum on any future brexit deal. When we had the referendum back last year, no one could tell you what brexit meant. Interestingly, we dont know what brexit means yet and i dont think well know what brexit means for three or four years because these negotiations will take some time. What Liberal Democrats are saying is that because youve never had a choice on the brexit deal and labour and the conservatives are not offering that, Liberal Democrats uniquely will say that when the brexit deals announced, rather than politicians telling you youve got to accept it, you can have a choice. You can have a vote and if it is a bad deal and you dont like it, you can vote against it and vote to remain in the European Union. I think that is a very positive alternative and, by the way, it is the most democratic. Our assistant political editor, norman smith is At Westminster. The norman smith is At Westminster. Lib dems hoping promise the lib dems hoping that this Promise Of A Second Referendum Will Bea promise of a second referendum will be a vote winner. How likely is that . They are pitching pretty much everything on that. They have identified the 48 of people that voted remain as their core constituency. I have been going through their manifesto and i have to say, it is packed, bristling with an extraordinary number of policies and it is actually also a pretty expensive manifesto. Let me run you through some of the tl in it. They wa nt through some of the tl in it. They want end the Public Sector pay cap. They are also talking about ending the Benefit Freeze which Jeremy Corbyn got into a muddle yesterday. They are suggesting working age benefits should increase in line with inflation, that should cost about 3 billion. Similarly, 3 billion for the Public Sector pay 93p billion for the Public Sector pay gap. Also the triple lock in pensions. Talking about a lot more money for Public Services. Saying that the hill fog service and social ca re that the hill fog service and social care should get 7 billion more paid for by a increase in income tax. 7 billion more to go into schools. Chunky sums that they are talking about. Reversing some changes to Corporation Tax, reversing Capital Gains tax reversing changes to inheritance tax, scrapping the married couples tax and introducing a cannabis tax. That is because they are going to legalise cannabis. A bit like cigarettes, they are going to put a tax on it. A few other bits and pieces Michael White eye, they are also talking about a Government Owned Company taking over southern rail. On defence, they save the should no longer have continuous at sea nuclear deterrence. They are talking about lowering the voting age to 16 foot of the last thing that caught my eye is that they are talking about making election debates between the Party Debates mandatory. You couldnt duck out of them in future elections. Those tv live debates would have to happen. The head of the unite union, one of labours biggest donors, has said he is now full of optimism after he was quoted by a magazine well, first of all the interview that i did with politico was a conversational piece and it was against the backdrop of if the Opinion Polls are to be believed that i made those comments. Since then, labour have launched their manifesto, it is a fantastic manifesto, a manifesto for workers, for ordinary working people. A manifesto that will Change Britain for the good. The response that we have had from Unite Members has been incredible. That is why i was checking our polls that we do, constant rolling polls. And the response has been like something weve never seen before. I am now full of optimism. If i was having an interview today, i wouldnt be making those comments. Ithink, also, the Labour Campaign has been brilliant, it has outshone the tories. Jeremy corbyn has come across as a real man of the people and a real leader. And i am now full of optimism as to what will happen in the next two or three weeks. I believe that the Opinion Polls will start to move, if our members in unite are anything to go by. Once people start to look at the policies that labour have in their manifesto, then anything is possible. We believe now that everything is to fight for over the next three weeks and that is what we will be doing. Len mccluskey, it sounds like an about turn, but he is explaining it in slightly different terms. Does that actually matter to members of unite who may be voting for labour oi anyone unite who may be voting for labour or anyone else who is considering voting for the labour party . Len mccluskey is not the first person labour supporter, labour member to suggest that labour have got a difficultjob on the hands. People see the Opinion Polls. Although we know from bitter experience to take those polls with a very hefty pinch of salt, i think that labour themselves have acknowledged they have a long way to go. The difference here is thatJeremy Corbyn and the people around him have consistently said they are in this to win it and they can win it. He has talked about himself being prime in this onjune the 9th. Len mccluskeys comment yesterday seemed to suggest that he thought that they conceded the election. He said that it would be extraordinary if labour did win from their current position and that it would be pretty good if they did get some 200 seats which is 30 or so down from where they currently sit. As you say, Len Mccluskey seems to have changed his position, saying that now he has seen position, saying that now he has seen the manifesto come he thinks it is fantastic and that there is a lot of optimism. The bbc do believe that he made those initial call. Comments to a website called politico. The mccluskey has been clear that hed does think that labour are clear that hed does think that labourare in clear that hed does think that labour are in with a good chance. We are waiting for the shadow chancellorJohn Mcdonnell to are waiting for the shadow chancellor John Mcdonnell to our right and address this lot of labour supporters. No doubt he will be praising labours chances in this election. The party has said in the past that it is confident that the policies and its manifesto that they unveiled yesterday will prove popular with the public and they figure that can change their forgings. Thank you. New figures today indicate the Labour Market is strong. It also says there are potential problems on the horizon. The Unemployment Rate fell to 4. 6 in the last three months to march. Its lowest in 42 years. At the same time, the proportion of people in work reached 74. 8 thats the highest since records began in 1971. Peoples average weekly wage, not including bonuses, went up by 2. 1 , compared with a year earlier. But on tuesday, figures showed that inflation hit 2. 7 in april, its highest since september 2013. So people may see prices rising faster than their pay. With me now is our economics correspondentjonty bloom. Hello. Take us through those good figures on unemployment, the number of people in work and the average weekly wage, all looking very promising. Yes. The economy is very good. We have seen 54,000 jobs created and 54 fall in an implement. Any number of evil in and the number of people in work, the latest Inflation Figures are 2. 7 . That means that on average, peoples money isjust means that on average, peoples money is just not as dumb and going as far as it would a year ago. That is unusual. Youd expect wages to be rising faster rate than this. Is the concern around growth. Many people would hope that you get more people into work and wages go up. The problem really is productivity. The economy has slowed down and we have more people in work. That means that on average per hour we are producing less. As economists will tell you, if you are producing less per hour than you used to it is difficult to get a pay rise. A rise pay rises come from increased productivity. Were back to the Productivity Levels of 2008. Historically, that isa levels of 2008. Historically, that is a very bad performance. Activity normally increases year after year u nless normally increases year after year unless there is a major recession. We have not had a increase of productivity since 2008, that is very surprisingly and that explains why wages are not paying people as much as you would expect with Unemployment Falling in a tightening job market. The former american soldier, Chelsea Manning who Passed Hundreds Of Thousands of confidential diplomatic documents to wikileaks, has been released from a Military Prison in kansas. 29 year old Chelsea Manning was expected to remain injail until 2045, but president obama commuted her sentence just before he left the white house injanuary. Lets go live to our north american correspondence who is at Fort Leavenworth in kansas. That release happening just in the last few minutes with the briefest of state m e nts minutes with the briefest of statements from the us army. That is right. It was the briefest of statements. Actually, the time on that e mail that was sent out to us although we onlyjust received it, is about 2am. So under the cover of darkness, Chelsea Manning left For Leavenworth left Fort Leavenworth. Very little fan fire. Not surprising, the us army said there would be no public event. The same came from Chelsea Mannings lawyers who have revealed much about what she will be doing now she is free. It is worth pointing out now that she is still technically on active duty with the military. Even though she was given a dishonourable discharge at the time of her sentencing. That is because her lawyers say that she is appealing that conviction. While that of fiction conviction remained on the books, she will be not be paid. She is now a free woman. You mentioned that Chelsea Mannings lawyers have not said a great deal about what is next, but what is the thought on whether Chelsea Manning will retire from public view or actually stay very much as a public personality. We have a few clues from some of the interviews that some of herfriends from some of the interviews that some of her friends and lawyers have given in recent weeks. First of all, in the past, Chelsea Manning had said that she would like to go home to maryland, which is where she studied and indeed where she lived with her aunt before she joined the army. It might be that eventually she ends up in maryland which is in the east coast, not too far from washington, dc. Her lawyers and friends say that they dont think she will fade into a private life, they think she might end up becoming a campaigner for transgender rights. Ina a campaigner for transgender rights. In a statement that Chelsea Manning released before she her released she said that she would like to make life better for others based said that she would like to make Life Betterfor others based on said that she would like to make life better for others based on the lessons she had learnt. She could become an activist. You may remember that it was after she was sentenced that it was after she was sentenced that she chose to live life as a woman. During the trial, she was Bradley Manning. In prison, she fought to get Gender Reassignment Surgery fought to get Gender Reassignment Surgery and Hormone Therapy and became, ina surgery and Hormone Therapy and became, in a way, a Key Figurehead for transgender rights. Thank you for transgender rights. Thank you for that. The white house has denied reports that donald trump asked the former fbi director, james comey, to stop an investigation into the alleged links between one of his senior advisers and russia. Mr comey, who was sacked last week, is said to have recorded the comments in notes taken after a meeting with the us president in february. David willis reports following a meeting of his Security Advisers back in february, President Trump waited for other officials to leave the room before taking then fbi director james comey to one side. The previous day, his National Security advisor, Michael Flynn, had been forced to resign amid allegations that he misled the Vice President about conversations with the russian ambassador. According to the New York Times, the president then asked mr comey to shut down an fbi investigation into general flynn. But the fbi investigation into Michael Flynn is still under way, along with one into possible collusion between the Trump Campaign and the russian government to influence the outcome of the us president ial election. Last week, james comey was removed from his post by President Trump. The white house has denied the New York Times allegations, saying the president never asked for an end to any investigation, but the suggestion that james comey kept detailed notes of his conversations with President Trump has left some in congress anxious to see them. Last week, President Trump suggested he might have tapes of his conversations with james comey. If they exist, those, too, could be called for, in order to establish whose account of the discussions is correct. Some democrats are already saying this could amount to Obstruction Ofjustice on the part of the president , an unproven allegation, certainly, but the most serious yet to confront Donald Trumps beleaguered administration. Members of the us congress have been giving their reaction. In a week full of revelation after revelation, on a day when we thought things couldnt get any worse, they have. I was shaken by the report in the New York Times that alleged that the president tried to shut down an active fbi investigation into a close political associate. And we are only one day removed from stunning allegations that the president may have divulged Classified Information to a known adversary. Concerns about our National Security, the rule of law, the independence of our nations highest Law Enforcement agencies, are mounting. Allegedly, the president did something inappropriate. It is an open invitation for the judicial forces. I dont want to read the memo, i want to hear it from him. So you want him to testify publicly. Yes. Have you invited him . Ijust did. Lets speak to jane obrien in washington. Jane, no surprise what the democrats are saying about all of this. Perhaps more importantly, what are the republicans saying about this latest crisis that the administration has lurched into . We are seeing growing concern about senior republicans. There is a real worry that the constant turmoil in the white house is really about to derail their political agenda. They wa nt to derail their political agenda. They want to get things like tax reform through, health care reform, and this constant Allegation Swirling about what President Trump has done or said is incredibly distracting. That is why we are now seeing the german of the House Oversight committee demanding to see all e mails and memos chairman. Particularly those pertaining to russia. They need to clear this up and to do that they need to see the fa cts. And to do that they need to see the facts. At that point they can decide where to go from there. So far, donald trump has dismissed these allegations and claims. Is he going to have to do more than that now . He is already having to do more than that because this latest allegation that because this latest allegation that he may have tried to obstruct justice, which is what democrats are saying, is very serious indeed. The allegation that there is a pattern of behaviour here that anybody wants to see it will find it, starting with the firing of james to see it will find it, starting with the firing ofjames komi, the fbi director last week, yesterdays story that he was giving russians classified or at least Sensitive Information, which he has every right to do, but it still looks horrendous. Today, he might have asked james comey to not go ahead with an investigation into his National Security adviser. All this looks absolutely terrible and that is what people are focusing on. Everything else goes on in washington is being completely a ignored. The suggestion that is a obstruction of justice, ignored. The suggestion that is a Obstruction Ofjustice, that is important. Yes. The New York Times says that they read snippets from a memo from Somebody Else. Nobody has seen memo from Somebody Else. Nobody has seen this. We have got to know what was said before anybody can go any further on this. 0k. Thank you very much. Theyre very good afternoon to you. Theyre very good afternoon to you. The Womens Tennis Association has criticised the decision not to hand Maria Sharapova a wild card for french open. Steve simon says there is No Grounds To Penalise her for such steve simon says there is No Grounds To Penalise Herfor Such Arab Maria Sharapova could still be given a wild card for wimbledon. Former champion pat cash things that would be wrong. I would hope that they would stand strong and that you have to go through qualifying. Maria sharapova will breeze through qualifying. She will need some extra matches. She might welcome those matches. She might welcome those matches. Clearly, she is not physically 100 ready for hard tennis. She had herself this week. In the long run, it might not be a bad thing for her. I think they need to stand up and make a stance on this and say we not rewarding drug cheats. The first ever reported to Gender Diversity in horse racing has found that women are underrepresented in the most prominent areas of the sport. A growing number of women are entering was racing from colleges, outnumbering men from a ratio of about 70 30. A report into women in rating says there is a stagnation in women in racing when they are trying to make progress. Women are not necessarily making it through to the top ranks. Taking it through the korea, if you look at who is on the senior boards of organisations, the average 16 . We have several boards in the sport that dont have any women in the top level at all. We are seeing a stagnation of career progression. That is something that we recognise in other industries, as well. We have known about it in racing, but is the first time we have seen about it, talked about it and can now act on it. That is all the sport for now. We will have more view in the next hour. The chancellor Philip Hammond has insisted that talk of tensions with number ten and question marks over his future are media Tittle Tattle. This morning at a conservative News Conference in london, theresa may was asked whether mr hammond would remain as chancellor if the tories were returned to power. The Prime Minister and i have known each other for many yea rs. She has got an extremely strong team around her. I work very closely with her team. Indeed, some are people that i have known for many years. We work very well as a team. All this media Tittle Tattle is just that, media Tittle Tattle. The Green Party Of England And Wales is promising free sanitary products for people who cant afford them. Theyre pledging to end period poverty by providing towels and tampons to secondary School Pupils and women in financial need. They want to exempt sanitary products from 5 tax and say the move could be funded by adding vat to other products. Lloyds bank says the taxpayer has made a profit on its shares of nearly Nine Hundred Million pounds, after the government sold the last chunk of its equity in the group. It is almost nine years since the bank was bailed out, at the height of the financial crisis. In a statement, lloyds confirmed the group had been fully returned to private ownership. She was one of televisions best Loved Characters hilda ogden, famous for her sharp tongue, Trademark Headscarf, and her pinny. Now some of those iconic items are going under the hammer. Theyre being sold at auction by the family ofJean Alexander, the actress who played her for more than two decades. Our entertainment correspondent Colin Paterson has been along to take a look. It is one of the most famous outfits in the whole of television. Hilda ogdens costume worn byJean Alexander and it is up for auction today. The man who will have the hammer in his hand is mike litherland. Come and join us here. This is an important bit of tv history. How important . Probably one of the most important pieces of tv history. When you consider that i think it was Something Like 29 Million People, the episode where stan passed away, it is a third of the british population. A phenomenal amount of people. And the fact she has worn this in every episode apart from when she was going out. I am using that word again, iconic. It is media history and i am hoping that it will go to either a collector who will let people see it for a museum or gallery. Who knows . What kind of price are you expecting to go for . That is the 64,000 question. 64,000 . You never know because we have had interest from italy, america, canada. We estimated it at 1 2,000. We have had Somebody Else coming in and saying it will make 5000. The sky is the limit. How did it come to be up for sale . We were asked by the family if we would clearJean Alexanders house because they have taken their memories out of the house, the rest they havent got room for and wanted other people to be able to enjoy a memento ofJean Alexander the person rather than just hilda ogden. That is what people have the chance to do, this is the star one, expected to go around 3 30pm or 4pm. These didnt belong to her, they belong to coronation street. A pair of Diamond Earrings has been sold at auction in geneva for a record breaking price of more than £44 million. The pear shaped jewels, Nicknamed Apollo and artemis, are almost 16 carats each. The flawless stones mined in south africa are perfectly matched, except for their colour artemis is pink, and apollo is blue. Lets have a look at the weather. It isa it is a pretty wet day out their full large swathes of england and wales. The extent of the rain and some of that is really very heavy. Nasty conditions on the roads on the pavements. It improves as you had further north, scotland and carr doing very well. 15 or 16 degrees in the north and west, but the low 20s at least temporarily in the south east. Pretty humid here. This evening, Thundery Rain Works its way through the south east. It will sweep that humid air away. Much fresher air follows over night. Single figures for many. Just about south east. That cloud will linger. There is still some good spells of sunshine into the afternoon. Temperature is doing very well. 14 or 15 degrees. Humidity will be a good deal lower. This is bbc Newsroom Live. The headline. A second referendum on brexit is the centrepiece of the Liberal Democrats Election Manifesto, which has been published in the last half an hour. The party is also promising more money for education and health, and policies aimed directly at Younger Voters. President trump faces allegations he asked former fbi chief james comey to drop an inquiry into links between his former National Security adviser and russia. The white house denies the claims. The former american soldier Chelsea Manning, who was behind one of the biggest Intelligence Leaks in us history, has been released from a Military Prison in kansas. Manning was due to remain injail until 2045, but president obama commuted her sentence before he left the white house injanuary. Unemployment falls to its lowest level in 42 years, but average earnings are falling behind inflation, increasing by 2. 4 in the year to march, below the Inflation Rate of 2. 7 . And she was famous for her Trademark Headscarf and pinny now coronation streets hilda ogdens Trademark Possessions are going under the hammer. Some Breaking News coming to us from the reuters news agency, which is reporting that Vladimir Putin is saying he can give a record of the conversation between President Trump and the Russian Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to the us congress. Misty putin saying he can give a record of that controversial conversation between donald trump and Sergei Lavrov of which of Course Mrtrump is and Sergei Lavrov of which of course mr trump is accused of discussing Sensitive Information but the russians. More on this coming in, Vladimir Putin dismissing the accusations that donald trump gave Sergei Lavrov Classified Information, saying they appeared to be part of a developing political schizophrenia in the us. He was speaking at a joint News Conference with the italian Prime Minister. President putin went on to joke that he ought to tell lover of off for not sharing the intermission. President trump said he is entitled to discuss what he wants with whoever he wants but the putin now adding to this, saying he can give a record of the conversation to the us congress. The head of the House Oversight committee in washington has already said that he is ready to issue a legally binding order to ensure the fbi hands over records of contact between the sacked boss james comey and President Trump. Another development in a rather too much was time for the administration of president. We can go to lincoln where shadow chancellorJohn Mcdonnell is speaking. Lets listen in. A proven track record of Standing Upfor in. A proven track record of standing up for this community. Done more for linking than any tory. This is the person we want to represent this area because she comes from a grassroots, she is a committed socialist and she believes we can give this community a future it deserves, so support karen in this coming Election Campaign. Applause. We applause. We launched our manifesto yesterday. Some of you may have seen it and read it. I tell you, yesterday. Some of you may have seen it and read it. Itell you, iam yesterday. Some of you may have seen it and read it. I tell you, i am so proud. A brief moment ofJohn Mcdonnell is saying in lincoln. Lets move now to scotland. Scotlands first minister, nicola sturgeon, has called on voters not to give the tories a free hand to pursue what she calls an Extreme Brexit. Campaigning in mussleburgh in east lothian, the snp leader said that labour was not fit to be an opposition, based on their current performance. Nicola sturgeon said only the snp would stand up forjobs and Public Services, against austerity. Our Political Correspondent Catriona Renton has been speaking to her. We are in the east lothian constituency this morning. This is a seat that borders at number one end and the Scottish Borders of the other. It is a diverse constituency. It has got a Nuclear Power station, more than 250 farms, it is home to be famous Muirfield Golf Course and here we are in musselburgh today. The musselburgh racecourse. This is traditionally a labour seat in the past until the snp took it and it is muscle gains last time around. Labour would like to get back this time but the first minister is here today Showing Up Support and making bacon today Showing Up Support and making ba co n rolls today Showing Up Support and making bacon rolls in the cafe behind us. What is your message in this seat today . We need strong snp mps At Westminster is standing scotlands interest we know the polls in england is testing every elected tory government with a majority, likely to be a war headline Hardline Tory government. Labour is not fit to be an opposition on their current performance. If we dont wa nt current performance. If we dont want a tory free hand we need snp mps standing offer jobs want a tory free hand we need snp mps Standing Offerjobs and Public Services are standing against Tory Austerity and the extreme toy brexit they want to pursue. The Liberal Democrats are launching their ma Nifesto Democrats are launching their manifesto today and calling for another referendum on brexit. What is your view . Think in this election the key is it is not to give them a free hand either to pursue Extreme Brexit or extreme tory brexit. It could put 80,000 scottishjobs on the line. If you vote for the snp you are giving me a mandate to demand that scottish interests around the Negotiating Table in our plan to keep scotland enjoying the benefits of Single Market membership is in the uks negotiating remit. If you want to make sure that is the uk leaves the eu we dont sacrifice the scottish economy and scottish jobs, make sure there are strong snp voices in their arguing scotlands corner. In that manifesto there is a posse about legalising cannabis, what would your message be on the . |j what would your message be on the . am not in favour of a general decriminalisation of legalisation of cannabis. I think there is an itinerant and theyve may ten for legalising the Medicinal Use of cannabis where it is considered by a medical professional to help condition but im not in favour of a blanket decriminalisation. More now on donald trump and reports that he asked the former fbi director, james comey, to stop an investigation into the alleged links between one of his senior advisers and russia. Broadcaster and former Communications Director for republicans abroad joins me now. He is charlie will. Thank you for joining me. Isnt it in the interests of most people for some transparency in this situation . think it is and i think compared to the last white house that has been a lot of transparency. Yes, there have been times when the left hand doesnt know what the red hand is doing, mr negations, but i think it isa doing, mr negations, but i think it is a new white house, an inexperienced white house, so that it expected. But it hasnt really been transparency . A lot of the accusations being thrown around are dismissed simply as they news without any proper investigation teams. As fake news. Without the president giving much detail. The Look Of General Mcmasters yesterday as far as this meeting with russians and the oval office, he could put any more simply. It was all appropriate to what happened couldnt put it any more simply. This thing from reuters, you have got putin coming in and this is becoming a bit of a circus. I think what is going to happen is this is getting perceived by the general public, the ones that voted in trump, what they want is the economy to improve and jobs and they want america to be great again. They dont care about russia. But they are saying is almost stifling of the president from being able to handle out his programme. Lets save those voters dont care about russia, but a lot of people do and they do care, republicans do care about not being able to carry out the programme that they want to carry out, if the white house, if the administration is consumed by trying to deal with all of these scandals. These scandals, i dont think are all necessarily of the white houses making. A lot of this is the explosion, this hyperbole if you will. It is causing what im calling a corruption fatigue. It in the end you cant keep one thing straight from the other in the general public. Isnt that are being driven by the president with his tweets, or what he says, for example the tweets that he says, for example the tweets that he sent warning james comey beware of tapes and so on, a lot of this is being driven by the president s style, isnt it . The thing is that is his style. That is the man, that is his style. That is the man, that is what we are elected. The presidency until i could but they better get used to it. Yet not barack to eat, he is not george w bush, he is sort of a rough businessman from new york. The news co nfe re nce businessman from new york. The News Conference as god they must talk down to the man and it is time to say. But this is not the medias making, the issues going on. The media didnt sackjames comey and the media didnt have this conversation with the russians. And the media didnt have this conversation with the russiansm is fully within his rights to sack james comey. He serves at the president s pleasure. He can sack and with reason or no reason at all. And you give immediate come on as we have heard cnn calling this an abuse of power, a cottage at all crisis, it is not. But there needs to be investigation into this, does there . A full transparent setting out of the conversations, any tapes then maybe, examination of any notes and documents. And that has been going on. But again, i think it isjust important that the leaks happening in the white house, because that is not having just having an effect on the president because of the others, and that has to be there after trump others, and that has to be there after tru m p leaves others, and that has to be there after trump leaves in four or eight yea rs. After trump leaves in four or eight years. Right now there is disrespecting the press and the commentary that i think is going a bit too far. I think the people are retiring. Dont you think the disrespect, if it is there, is directed at the individual and not the office . It affects the office just as much as the individual. Thank you very much. The idea that people can be fat but medically fit is a myth, according to a study of the records of more than three Million People. Researchers from Birmingham University say being obese increases the risk of suffering Heart Disease, stroke and Heart Failure. Our health correspondent, dominic hughes, reports. So just keep your hands on your hips. The idea that you can be obese, but still healthy has been debated for years. Previous studies have suggested that around a third of very overweight people are healthy. They have normal Blood Pressure and cholesterol levels despite being classed as obese according to their Body Mass Index which is a measure of height versus weight. But a new analysis of the medical records of 3. 5 million uk residents suggests the idea of healthy obesity is a myth. Compared to those of a normal weight, it suggests even outwardly, healthy obese people have a 49 greater risk of developing coronary Heart Disease, the risk of Heart Failure is increased by 96 and stroke by 7 . What was new for me from this study was that it showed that people who are overweight or obese are at an increased risk of Heart Disease even though they may be healthy in every other respect. Previously, i rather thought that obesity increased Blood Pressure and your cholesterol and it was those factors which increased your risk of cardiovascular disease. Just being overweight or obese puts you at increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Rugby players are often used as examples of people who might be classed as obese, but are healthy. Their Body Mass Index would mean they are technically overweight, but for the vast majority, this Research Suggests being obese will eventually catch up with you. The Liberal Democrats have promised to help young people get on the Housing Ladder and discounted bus passes. But how will they afford this . The bbcs chris morris has been giving the figures a reality check. So, weve been looking through the Liberal Democrats manifesto, they want to spend money where youd expect on health and education but how do they plan to pay for it . Well, their biggest Revenue Raising Proposal is to add 1p to income tax across the board. They estimate that it will raise £6. 3 billion per year money they would spend exclusively on the nhs, Care Services and public health. Then they want to reverse cuts in Corporation Tax not by nearly as much as labour proposed yesterday but back up to 20 , raising, they say, £3. 6 billion annually. Theres also an eye catching proposal to legalise and tax cannabis the lib dems say this will raise another £1 billion per year. Overall this is a manifesto that will cost the country more by 2020 the Liberal Democrats would spend £14. 1 billion more in new day to day spending than they would raise in taxes. That would mean a small rise in the Budget Deficit by the end of the decade. But if you strip out the money going into longer Term Investments in things like hospitals and roads, they say they would still balance the books. And they want to launch a package of Infrastructure Investment worth £100 billion, including plans to build 300,000 new homes a year. The big thing in this manifesto though that sets the lib dems apart from the conservatives and labour is that they want to hold another referendum on brexit. This time the vote wouldnt just be in versus out, it would be about whether to accept the terms of the deal on offer from the eu at the end of the brexit negotiations in 2019. Theyll also put the option of staying in the eu on the ballot paper. Over the course of the next parliament, the biggest factor in determining the health of the british economy will be the outcome of the brexit negotiations. The lib dems say they oppose a hard brexit. There will be a vote in parliament on a proposed deal, but in this manifesto the Liberal Democrats argue that its the british people who should have the final say. A campaign is underway to raise funds for a Memorial Recognising the bravery of Police Officers and its hoped it would be built at the National Memorial arboretum in staffordshire. Our home affairs correspondentjune kelly has been speaking to two former senior Police Officers about it. We see this as a very important plan to recognise the sacrifice brought to our mind so recently as Keith Palmers efforts to protect citizens, to have a National Memorial at the arboretum to recognise the bravery of what is still a largely unarmed service. The location is important, isnt it . It is a National Centre of remembrance and today lord stevens read out a letter of support from Prince William who has put his weight behind this campaign, so today we are launching with our own colleagues, former colleagues, and with the public through lbc and the express newspaper, so were asking the public to contribute, and the police to contribute. Anyone canjoin in simply by looking at ukpolicememorial. Org they can see the vision and make a contribution. In the past 24 hours we have had the announcement there is to be no prosecution in the case of the death of pc fletcher, what is your reaction to that . Disappointment. I know the immense amount of hard work that has gone into getting to try to get a prosecution and some of that was regenerated in my time as commissioner so i am disappointed and i know a lot of people are. I dont know the reasons, but i have to say i think the public would be disappointed if we werent given reasons why this particular individual wasnt prosecuted. What are your thoughts on that . I agree. I think the public will look for a greater explanation but we have to remember the rule of law must prevail and in these difficult cases, if for whatever reason, and the explanation needs to be given, we cannot prosecute, the great dignity of the Police Service is that we will step back, but if we had this memorial we will have somewhere that the family can remember yvonne and all the other colleagues and have a place to celebrate her life. There was an important statement from theirfamilies, when you read that what did you think . As always they have dealt with it with tremendous dignity in very difficult circumstances and my heart goes out to these people who have lived with this and it has ruined a lot of their lives. Some of course see hope and remember the people who died and the reason we remember them is they are outstanding people, every single one. The headlines on bbc Newsroom Live. The Liberal Democrats reveal their Election Manifesto promising a referendum on the final brexit deal and housing help for young people. President trump faces allegations he asked former fbi chief james comey to drop an inquiry into links between his former National Security adviser and russia. Former us soldier Chelsea Manning who passed thousands of confidential documents to wikileaks has been freed from prison. Its the final day of campaigning ahead of irans president ial election. Voters go to the polls on friday to decide between four candidates, including the current president , hassan rouhani, and the leading conservative challenger, ebrahim raisi. Our correspondent paul adams has more. A hard fought, often Bitter Campaign is almost over. Hassan rouhani has been rallying supporters. There is real enthusiasm here. Polls suggest their man is the favourite, but it is close. We must think about peoples hope, he says, and not deceive the iranian people. But the president s main rival is finishing strongly too. Ebrahim raisi, a hardliner, appealing to poor conservative voters, highlighting the governments failure to create jobs. The governments main rival, he says, is four years of poor performance. At the heart of the campaign, irans 2015 the nuclear deal with world powers president rouhanis biggest achievement. Iran is less isolated as a result, but promised jobs and Foreign Investment have not followed. The slow pace of change useful ammunition for opponents who say the west cannot be trusted. This weeks intervention by mohammad khatami, a former president and leading reformer, was a major boost for the president , resorting to social media to get around an official ban and urging people to vote for rouhani. The president is more pragmatist than natural performer, but his own use of social media suggests he is willing to embrace change. National reformer. Iran in my opinion is a ticking time bomb. It is the bomb of demography and the bomb of over educated society wanting employment, wanting a different kind of future, being pitted against a revolutionary elite that are trying to hold onto their power. An elite embodied by irans elderly Supreme Leader ali khamenei. This is where real power resides, whoever voters choose on friday. North korea provoked an International Outcry following its launch of a Ballistic Missile at the weekend and of course the claim that the rocket was capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The Un Security Council has met in an emergency session, behind closed doors. Before it got underway, the Us Ambassador to the un, nikki haley, promised to call out states backing north korea and its nuclear ambitions. Sarah corker has the latest. Sundays missile test was north koreas most successful yet according to experts. It flew some 700 kilometres, landing in the sea west of japan. Pyongyang says it is capable of carrying a Large Nuclear warhead. The Un Security Council met to discuss tougher sanctions. The us flanked by its allies warned that both countries must step up action against north korea orface the consequences. We have worked well with china. They have really tried to help us in our communications with north korea. But we have seen where they have strengthened sanctions, other countries are trying to bill boyd and i will tell you that if you are a country that is supplying or supporting north korea, we will call you out on it. We will make sure everyone knows who you are and we will target those sanctions towards you as well. Series of missile tests by the north this year sparked international alarm. The us has sent warships the region and is installing an anti Missile System in south korea as tensions on the peninsulas intensify. North korea is at the final stage of nuclear weaponisation. Time is running out and the clock is ticking towards the tipping point. The fear is pyongyangs efforts to develop a Nuclear Tipped Missile capable of striking the us mainland are progressing faster than expected. So far sanctions have failed. North korea continues to defy calls even from its main ally china to rein in its nuclear ambitions. This return to the story, Research Suggesting that somebody can be fat but that is a myth. Joining me is doctorjames brown but that is a myth. Joining me is doctor james brown lecturer but that is a myth. Joining me is doctorjames brown lecturer in biology in biomedical science at aston university. Good afternoon. Do you concur with the findings of this research . I dont know if you can hear me. Doctorjames brown. Obesity expert at aston university. I dont think you can hear me. What a shame. Lets bring you another story. Actually i am being told we may be able to get through to doctor brown, can you hear me . Unfortunately and obviously he cant. Instead, more jobs can be done by robots in future and it is a worry for robots workers and politicians. To what degree can it replace human labour altogether . This exhibition in paris where it that the latest creations are shown. From around the world the robots have come to paris to show off their new skills. This one response to the colour green and seems to be distracted by the cameraman. They are leaving the factories and trying to find roles in everyday lives. Basically he has three functions. The first is to monitor the health of the people. There is onejob monitor the health of the people. There is one job they are after. This is designed to be a companion monitoring the health of an elderly person and alerting relatives of necessary. He will survey the mood of the person. He will survey the activity, if the elderly has no activity, if the elderly has no activity it will alert you. It is like a nurse at home. More and more robots are now appearing in Customer Service and stop this is essentially the kind of automatic ticket machine you see in a lot of cinemas already. But with a robot interface. I can interact with it. I can pay for my tickets as you would normally but i can also leave a video review and a reaction in certain ways. They claim it is 30 times more interactive than a standard ordinary ticket machine. Do we really want to interact with a rubber clinic of the cinema . I am not so sure. This chinese robot is supposed to help out in a supermarket, offering advice to customers. I have to bend down to talk to it and i wondered why it was so talk to it and i wondered why it was so small. It is a humanoid, people will consider it as too dangerous. When we design a robot we need to haveit when we design a robot we need to have it more friendly for users. The big fear is they will take jobs. This Autonomous Tractor is the one worker of the future. This delivery robot could replace banned drivers. The industry claims the robots will improve or working lives. It only ta kes improve or working lives. It only takes the part that is really repetitive, tedious or dangerous or not interesting. Where we have no humanity value, the humans have more time. These autonomous fish shouldnt take anybodys jobs and they dont need feeding. We are going to have to get used to robots in all sorts of unexpected places. Ina in a moment the news at one with simon mccoy but first the weather. Good afternoon. Interesting weather over the last few days. Yesterday was the warmest day of the year so far in the south eastern corner. It was scotlands warmest day of the year as well. Then over night we saw very warm conditions in the south eastern corner. But it was much fresher in northern scotland. It is fresh air that will win out over the next few days and it would be pretty reasonable temperatures but humility will drop. In the process we have to get all the spring out of the way. I a wet afternoon across large swathes of the united kingdom. Across the eastern side. And some lovely spells of sunshine. Present in the sunshine, 15 or 16, of sunshine. Present in the sunshine, 15 or16, but of sunshine. Present in the sunshine, 15 or 16, but some showers in the west and scattered showers and sunny spells in Northern Ireland. Before northern finland should avoid the rent. It will be quite weather across parts of wales, through the midlands. Slowly pulling away from cornwall. Pushing eastwards. Eventually that will crop up eastwards. Eventually that will crop up in the south eastern corner. Some of that could be quite heavy. Before it arrives some places could go into the low 20s. Then to the sleeping so that rain will turn quite heavy. Some rumbles of thunder, pretty atrocious conditions on the roads with more of this ring. Eventually that pulls out into the north sea. I think it will be a pretty quiet night earlier in the night. A lot fresher across the board. Single figures were most places. One to hanging on to double figures in the south eastern corner. We might start bit cloudy in the south east but that will clear out of the way. A good deal of sunshine across parts of the uk but cloud building and the scattering of showers. A fresher day pretty much across the board. Temperatures around about 14 or 15 for glasgow and belfast. 18 or 19 towards the london area. Fresher feel. Early on friday there might be some rain towards the south eastern corner, low pressure to the north west as well. In the north west as well. In the north west and the south east early on we will see some outbreaks of rain. Elsewhere largely dry stored at cloud thickening and a scattering of showers developing and temperatures on the fresh note, 14 and glasgow and 15 or 16 in london. Towards the weekend there will be some spells of sunshine but also some spells of sunshine but also some heavy showers, hail, thunder and the coming few nights will be on the chilly side with maybe a touch of frost. An fbi. Of the fbi to drop an inquiry into his former security chiefs links with russia. James comey who he fired last week is reported to have been asked i hope you can let this go. In a week full of revelation after revelation, on a day when we thought things couldnt get any worse they have. I think it is reaching the point where it is of watergate size and scale. Well be live in washington and asking if this time President Trump could be in real trouble. Also this lunchtime a referendum on any brexit deal the Liberal Democrats put europe at the heart of their manifesto. And to woo Younger Voters help onto the housing the ladder, but no change on tuition fees