by energy companies to forcibly install prepayment metres in homes. thousands of people join pope francis, and other christian leaders, to pray for unity and justice at the mausoleum of south sudan s founding father, john garang. welcome once again. the us has shot down a chinese surveillance balloon that it says has been spying on key military sites across america. the department of defense confirmed its fighterjets brought down the balloon over us territorial waters on the east coast. we can see that moment in these pictures from our partners cbs in the united states. we can see that moment in these pictures from our partners cbs in the united states. three airports were shut and airspace was closed off the coast of north and south carolina as the military carried out the operation, which was approved by president biden on wednesday. china had said the craft was a meteorological research balloon that had been blown off course. this is what president biden told reporters sho
in decades, jeremy hunt wants get millions of those seen as economically inactive back working. how? i ll have the details. and former england rugby player tom youngs speaks to bbc breakfast for the first time since his wife died from blood cancer lastjune. the loneliness probably the one which really gets you. and which really gets you. and which really -ets you. you think, i will rin- someo but and you think, i will ring someone, but it s and you think, i will ring someone, but it s still and you think, i will ring someone, but it s still not the same as having but it s still not the same as having someone there to talk to. we are having someone there to talk to. are gearing having someone there to talk to. - are gearing up for the opening day of the chelsea festival mac cheltenham festival, the highlight of the british jump cheltenham festival, the highlight of the britishjump racing calendar. it is a cold start to the day, a risk of ice on untreated surfaces, a
the bbc football commentator john motson, who has died at the age of 77. also coming up in the programme. australia hold their nerve to reach their seventh consecutive women s t20 world cup final with a tense five run win over india. hello and welcome to sportsday. we start today s programme with news that a new independent regulator of men s football in england is to be established for the first time. the announcement follows a recommendation by a fan led review last year. the main purposes of the proposed new regulator will be stopping english clubs from joining european breakaway leagues, preventing financial failings at clubs, introducing more stringent owners and directors tests, giving fans more power and ensuring a fairer distribution of money down the english football pyramid. the significant move aims to protect english football s cultural heritage. here s just some of the reaction to the proposals starting with the premier league chief executive richard masters. w
pay across england in march. at least 260 jobs are going, as british steel announces the closure of its coking ovens in scunthorpe. and, a pivotal day in welsh rugby players are due to reveal whether they will strike during the six nations, over contractual disputes. good afternoon, and welcome to bbc news. tesco and aldi have become the latest supermarket groups to restrict the amount of some fruit and vegetables that customers can buy in response to recent shortages of fresh produce. yesterday, asda and morrisons put limits on the number of cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes that shoppers can take home. our business correspondent marc ashdown is here with me. in the winter, there were cold snaps. defra says supply chains are resilient. it doesn t appear to be any reason. lancashire s police and crime commissioner has announced an independent review of the investigation into the disappearance of nicola bulley. andrew snowden has commissioned the college of policing to look in