this is the scene live off the coast of the sicilian city of porticello — we'll bring you the latest. democrats get a pep—talk from coach tim walz as kamala harris�*s running mate makes a pitch to middle america. we've got 76 days. that's nothing. there'll be time to sleep when you're dead. we're going to leave it on the field. gcse exam results in england, wales and northern ireland are released — with the pass rate falling for the third year running. and confirmation that the first drug to slow the progression of early—stage alzheimer's — won't be available on the nhs because it's too expensive. hello, i'm geeta guru—murthy,

welcome to bbc news now. italian search teams are still looking for the remaining missing person from the luxury yacht that sank in an intense storm off the coast of sicily. these are the latest developments this hour: there are multiple reports that the latest body recovered this morning from the wreckage is that of the british technology tycoon mike lynch. reuters reports the last missing person is mike lynch's daughter hanna. meanwhile the afp news agency is reporting that all bodies of the five missing men have been recovered and brought back to shore. this is the live scene six people have died the accident and 15 people survived. let's go live to our correspondent bethany bell — in sicily. we are still waiting for confirmation on all the details, but bring us up to date with what has

been going on there in the last few hours. diving teams are continuing their search for the last remaining person that is missing. we have seen boats going out into the site over the shipwreck, divers have been going down, this is extremely difficult work for the divers. they have a short time to get under water and then they can stay there between eight and ten minutes before they have to resurface. they are being helped by remotely controlled vehicles, which are also helping them to scour the area in and around them to scour the area in and around the yacht. the investigation meanwhile is continuing by the authorities, we understand that the captain of the yacht has been questioned for two hours. we understand he was questioned and an active investigation is under way into how this incident happened. in

into how this incident happened. in terms of the search teams, we have heard a lot about how difficult that operation is, can you talk us through how they are working at the moment? ., , ., _, ., moment? overhead, you continue to hear helicopters _ moment? overhead, you continue to hear helicopters flying _ moment? overhead, you continue to hear helicopters flying over - moment? overhead, you continue to hear helicopters flying over and - moment? overhead, you continue to hear helicopters flying over and the l hear helicopters flying over and the divers, we can see there are boats all around the area where the yacht is, above on sea level. divers are going down there, they are trying to look in and around the yacht. but you can imagine it is extremely difficult, there is a lot of debris, they can't stay down there for very long and they are continuing this painstaking work, as they have been doing for the last few days, looking for that final missing person. in

terms of any future identification and confirmation of what has happened here, is there anything that you can tell us on that? the procedure _ that you can tell us on that? the procedure here, _ that you can tell us on that? tue: procedure here, and that you can tell us on that? tte: procedure here, and we have seen it over the last... yesterday and today as well. when the bodies are brought up as well. when the bodies are brought up into the harbour, the boats bring them to the quayside and then we have seen how the bodies are placed in body bags and into waiting ambulances and to waiting mortuaries and their deep formal procedure of identification and postmortems are taking place, under the i of the authorities. this is what the pcjet is, there is this missing person that they are still searching for. thank you very much indeed.

iamjoined i am joined now by a friend of mike lynch. what are your thoughts now as we watch events unfold in sicily? . i am sorry we have lost the line to brent, we will go back to him as soon as we can. he is someone who has known mike lynch through the technology space. this story is being followed online on our live page and the app has all the very latest in the search and developments. we will keep across events there in sicily.

let's turn to the us now — where kamala harris is due to give her headline speech at the democratic national convention later. last night, her running mate, tim walz, gave a personal speech as he accepted the vice presidential nomination. the minnesota governor described it as the "honour of his life." he also attacked the republican agenda which he said served the richest people and most extreme voices. the night continued the democrat's roll out of of star power — with big names such as stevie wonder, oprah winfrey and former us president bill clinton. our senior north america correspondent, gary o'donoghue, was there. democrats have been ramping up the celebrity count. kamala harris! echoing michelle obama, oprah told the packed hall to do something. and what we're going to do is elect kamala harris as the next president

of the united states! but the current president, joe biden, isn't quite forgotten. even by those senior democrats like nancy pelosi, who eased him out of the nomination. thank you, joe. they have already had two presidents this week, here is a third one. and they love him. two days ago i turned 78, l the oldest man in my family for four generations. and the only personal vanity i want to assert is i am - still younger than donald trump. every convention needs its share of glitz and glamour, and this one has got plenty of it. but today is also about introducing governor tim walz. you probably won't have heard of him. two weeks ago he became kamala harris�* pick for vice president. high school teacher, sports coach, 20 years in the national guard, tim walz is being sold

as the ultimate everyman. no matter who you are, kamala harris is going to stand up and fight for your freedom to live the life that you want to lead. because that's what we want for ourselves, and it's what we want for our neighbours. all the razzmatazz is designed for one thing. the build—up to kamala harris�* acceptance speech tonight, the biggest moment of her political career so far. gary o'donoghue, bbc news, chicago. we will pick up further on events in nus and a few minutes but we are going to take it back to our top story and the search for survivors in sicily and i am joined now by brent hoberman who knew and knows mike lynch. thank you very much for being with us. we are still getting details of

that search coming in, what are your thoughts as this search continues? obviously friends of mike had hoped for a miracle and obviously friends of mike had hoped fora miracle and it obviously friends of mike had hoped for a miracle and it seems we haven't had a miracle so it is very tragic and the timing is of a shakespearean tragedy, obviously, he had just worked hard to clear his name over the last 12 years and was on a celebrity cruise with the people who had supported him during that time time —— he was on a celebrate ore cruise. it is important to acknowledge his legacy for uk technology. tell important to acknowledge his legacy for uk technology.— for uk technology. tell us about what he achieved. _ for uk technology. tell us about what he achieved. what - for uk technology. tell us about what he achieved. what he - for uk technology. tell us about what he achieved. what he is i for uk technology. tell us about i what he achieved. what he is rare for uk technology. tell us about - what he achieved. what he is rare in the uk, peeple _ what he achieved. what he is rare in the uk, people complain _ what he achieved. what he is rare in the uk, people complain we - what he achieved. what he is rare in the uk, people complain we don't i what he achieved. what he is rare in l the uk, people complain we don't get scientist and technology that is commercialised at scale. mike was able to do that from the very early

years, from 1996 from when he founded his company and then repeated at scale. dark trace was the next company that wouldn't exist without him and was recently taken private for around $5 billion and he has another company which is a legal technology company that is also doing very well. he is an instrumentalfigurehead doing very well. he is an instrumental figurehead from the cambridge technology scene, showing how... leading the path forward for uk entrepreneurs to commercialise their inventions at a global scale. what was he like to work with, tell us about mike lynch, the person you knew? he us about mike lynch, the person you knew? . , us about mike lynch, the person you knew? ., , ., ., knew? he was always a wonderful ori . inal knew? he was always a wonderful original thinker, _ knew? he was always a wonderful original thinker, he _ knew? he was always a wonderful original thinker, he was _ knew? he was always a wonderful original thinker, he was witty - knew? he was always a wonderful original thinker, he was witty with j original thinker, he was witty with a wry sense of humour, but he was sharp and it was that original thinking i think and determination. you don't get to the scale of achievement that he has without a very hard—headed, tough

determination. obviously, an intellect that is in distraught rate. extraordinary intellect with uncommon common sense. had rate. extraordinary intellect with uncommon common sense. had you been in touch with _ uncommon common sense. had you been in touch with events _ uncommon common sense. had you been in touch with events over _ uncommon common sense. had you been in touch with events over recent _ in touch with events over recent years? t in touch with events over recent ears? . , , in touch with events over recent ears? ., , , ., in touch with events over recent ears? , , years? i was trying to support his lobb in: years? i was trying to support his lobbying against _ years? i was trying to support his lobbying against the _ years? i was trying to support his lobbying against the one-sided . lobbying against the one—sided extradition treaty that we have with the us, which forced him to face that trial and lose so much of what ended up being his last years, fighting. we should emphasise he won against all odds that trial against him in the us. you against all odds that trial against him in the us.— against all odds that trial against him in the us. you were saying the recent few — him in the us. you were saying the recent few days, _ him in the us. you were saying the recent few days, weeks, _ him in the us. you were saying the recent few days, weeks, months i him in the us. you were saying the i recent few days, weeks, months were very important to him. did you know that he was going on this trip? what was he hoping for? t that he was going on this trip? what was he hoping for?— was he hoping for? i didn't talk to him about this _ was he hoping for? i didn't talk to him about this trip. _ was he hoping for? i didn't talk to him about this trip. it _ was he hoping for? i didn't talk to him about this trip. it is _ was he hoping for? i didn't talk to him about this trip. it is clear - him about this trip. it is clear that it was to celebrate, with his key team. mike inspired loyalty and

thatis key team. mike inspired loyalty and that is what is so tragic. these people from morgan stanley and other companies who lost their lives were so loyal to him and he wanted to pay back that loyalty by having a celebration on his fantastic boat. t celebration on his fantastic boat. i am just reading a tribute paying tribute to him saying he was a significant and pioneering figure in the uk technology sector, our hearts go out to their family and friends of those impacted by these events. i should say we are waiting for confirmation of identification from sicily, but obviously, as time goes by, it is clear that hopes for all those involved... it is very difficult. in terms of the questions that come out of this trip and how

his case and the last few days were all handled, the memory that you want to talk about is his contribution to the country and to his work. t contribution to the country and to his work. ~ . ~ ~ contribution to the country and to his work. ~ ., ~ ,, ., , contribution to the country and to his work. ~ ., ~ ,, ., his work. i think that mike was also a real patriot- _ his work. i think that mike was also a real patriot. exemplified - his work. i think that mike was also a real patriot. exemplified by - his work. i think that mike was also a real patriot. exemplified by the l a real patriot. exemplified by the fact that he was a trustee of the bbc, a generous benefactor of their natural history museum, but he gave his time to other entrepreneurs and was a key component of that tech cluster that came out of cambridge, of other extraordinary people who wanted to raise capital and commercialise their businesses. he had a long history of supporting technology and entrepreneurs in the uk and when we think about his legacy, we should think how we support that and echo and amplify that and that we have more people like mike lynch who can take an

idea, an invention, and scale it to a global level.— idea, an invention, and scale it to a global level. thank you very much for talkin: a global level. thank you very much for talking to _ a global level. thank you very much for talking to us. _ a global level. thank you very much for talking to us. we _ a global level. thank you very much for talking to us. we will— a global level. thank you very much for talking to us. we will keep - a global level. thank you very much for talking to us. we will keep you | for talking to us. we will keep you up—to—date with events in sicily. let's have a look to come harris�*s convention speech. i am joined by lauren wright. tim watts introduced himself to the country, is he what people need in november? he country, is he what people need in november?—

november? he is what people exoected- _ november? he is what people exoected- he _ november? he is what people expected. he is _ november? he is what people expected. he is a _ november? he is what people expected. he is a great - november? he is what people | expected. he is a great speaker november? he is what people - expected. he is a great speaker and has a compelling background that democrats seem to want to identify with. it is a hard barfor any vice president to swing any votes but what he can do is amplify harris�*s message around the country and go to some areas where she is a less popular and his background is a better match for those southern states. he talked a lot about his upbringing in a town of 300 people. the point that i came away with was that it the point that i came away with was thatitis the point that i came away with was that it is such a positive message. it is a little shaky on the policy details. they are proposing things that are unpopular with a lot of americans but the message is so positive that if trump could do that on his side he might be doing better in the polls. this personality, forward—looking vision gap that the trump campaign has failed that in the last few weeks and so it has

been successful for the democrats. it has been incredible to watch the line—up of speakers at this convention, with previous massive figures in us politics, presidents and other key figures. we have had barack obama, the clintons, other celebrities. are people watching this and will it change peoples minds? ., , , ., ., ., this and will it change peoples minds? ., ., ., ., , minds? probably not a lot of people are watching — minds? probably not a lot of people are watching speech _ minds? probably not a lot of people are watching speech after— minds? probably not a lot of people are watching speech after speech i minds? probably not a lot of people are watching speech after speech in | are watching speech after speech in prime time. chicago is behind east coast time so it is quite late for quite a few people in the us. the celebrity factor is interesting. if republicans could have that list of these incredibly popular pop singers and influences, they would have them. nobody turns down an opportunity. you can sometimes go too heavy on the celebrity element

and not highlight enough regular people, regularamericans and not highlight enough regular people, regular americans sharing their stories. people, regular americans sharing theirstories. but, people, regular americans sharing their stories. but, their glitz and glamourfactor is what their stories. but, their glitz and glamour factor is what you want from a convention. who doesn't love stevie wonder and john legend? those are attention grabbing opportunities that any political party would take if they had them. tt is that any political party would take if they had them.— that any political party would take if they had them. it is a big moment for kamala harris _ if they had them. it is a big moment for kamala harris later— if they had them. it is a big moment for kamala harris later today. - if they had them. it is a big moment for kamala harris later today. she . for kamala harris later today. she has a good few tough acts to follow. she of course has all the potential of huge political power in her favour and she has had a huge sense of momentum, but is she going to focus on winning over the whole country or is she going to be targeting the swing voters that she needs? tt targeting the swing voters that she needs? ,,. g g targeting the swing voters that she needs? , ., ., ., needs? it is sort of one and the same because _ needs? it is sort of one and the same because the _ needs? it is sort of one and the same because the swing - needs? it is sort of one and the same because the swing voters| needs? it is sort of one and the - same because the swing voters decide national elections in the us.

harris, my guess is, based on the speeches, will continue this message of, it's not about me, it's about you. she will implicitly draw a contrast to trump and try to create this positive vision for the future. now, there is plenty of time to critique the policy and strategy later on and i think once she faces tough questions and once she is in these extemporaneous speaking situations, she might make some mistakes. as far as delivering a great speech, that is well within her capabilities and i'm sure she will do a greatjob.— her capabilities and i'm sure she will do a great job. will do a great 'ob. thank you very much indeed. — will do a great job. thank you very much indeed. of— will do a great job. thank you very much indeed. of course _ will do a great job. thank you very much indeed. of course it - will do a great job. thank you very much indeed. of course it is - much indeed. of course it is fascinating to watch both conventions and we covered they republicans in recent weeks too. we will keep across developments in chicago as they unveil themselves today. around the world and across the uk.

this is bbc news.

hundreds of thousands of students across england, wales and northern ireland have been receiving gcse, btec and other level 2 results. the pass rate for gcses has fallen for a third year running. the overall pass rate is now 67.6%. that's down from 68.2% last year. the students sitting their gcses this time were in their first year of secondary school when the covid lockdowns began. let's speak now to sir martin taylor, chair of the royal society's advisory committee on mathematics education. thank you forjoining us. what do you make of these results? fin thank you forjoining us. what do you make of these results? on the whole there _ you make of these results? on the whole there is _ you make of these results? on the whole there is a _ you make of these results? on the whole there is a lot _ you make of these results? on the whole there is a lot of _ you make of these results? on the whole there is a lot of good - you make of these results? on the whole there is a lot of good news | whole there is a lot of good news and therefore many students, but i have a particular ire for mathematics and the thing that i do is i compare with 2019 and i observe

that the number of people with a grade seven or more has gone up compared to 2013. that's good news. but within the data there is some worrying news and that concerns those students that get less than a grade four. maybe we can come to that later. much good news, but a bit of bad news. tett that later. much good news, but a bit of bad news.— that later. much good news, but a bit of bad news. tell us about how many people _ bit of bad news. tell us about how many people are _ bit of bad news. tell us about how many people are not _ bit of bad news. tell us about how many people are not getting - bit of bad news. tell us about how| many people are not getting grade four, which is seen as a pass. mast four, which is seen as a pass. most ears 30 four, which is seen as a pass. most years 30 - — four, which is seen as a pass. most years 30 - 3396 _ four, which is seen as a pass. most years 30 - 33% fail. _ four, which is seen as a pass. most years so - we fail. but _ four, which is seen as a pass. most years 30 - 33% fail. but their- four, which is seen as a pass. tuttst years 30 — 33% fail. but their story is that they have to keep taking a reset until they pass, right through to the age of 18. then it is a pretty dismal experience and only about a quarter of those students pass a reset and so their outcome is rather depressing. they leave with a bad feeling about mathematics, no

confidence and the employers have no idea what they know or not. that part of the system is not fit for purpose i need reform.- part of the system is not fit for purpose i need reform. what needs to chance if purpose i need reform. what needs to chan . e if a purpose i need reform. what needs to change if a third _ purpose i need reform. what needs to change if a third of— purpose i need reform. what needs to change if a third of students _ purpose i need reform. what needs to change if a third of students are - change if a third of students are not passing maths? t change if a third of students are not passing maths?— change if a third of students are not passing maths? i would change to thins. not passing maths? i would change to things. first. — not passing maths? i would change to things- first. i— not passing maths? i would change to things. first, iwould _ not passing maths? i would change to things. first, i would be _ not passing maths? i would change to things. first, i would be concerned i things. first, iwould be concerned about what they are actually taught. i don't think they are getting a mathematics diet, you might say, thatis mathematics diet, you might say, that is going to be helpful to them. they need to be doing some mathematics, they should know how to do that mathematics with the aid of computing and they should know some data skills as well. these are things that will help them in real life and that they would find interesting and engaging. i think thatis interesting and engaging. i think that is probably the first part of how to go. the second thing concerns assessment. i think that many of them need a different sort of assessment, a bit like a driving test, where they demonstrate a level

of competence and then pass through, rather than this finely graded and dismal experience of grading that they don't need and doesn't help them. this they don't need and doesn't help them. �* , ., ., they don't need and doesn't help them. ~ , ., ., . they don't need and doesn't help them. �* , ., ., . ., them. as a parent of children who recently had _ them. as a parent of children who recently had to _ them. as a parent of children who recently had to go _ them. as a parent of children who recently had to go through - them. as a parent of children who l recently had to go through multiple public exams, i am glad they are behind me, it is the case that every parent you speak to will talk about the effect of the pandemic on the initial year of loss learning and then the aftermath. what is your sense, was it fair to make the grade back to pre—pandemic levels and how does the uk compare globally? there are a number— does the uk compare globally? there are a number of— does the uk compare globally? there are a number of questions _ does the uk compare globally? ttee are a number of questions there. in terms of covid—19, there is an element of speculation that you are asking me to do there and i'm not sure i can do it. i would say that

the royal society ran a survey in the royal society ran a survey in the middle of covid—19 to see the effect of maths teaching on students and we found it was very varied indeed. some students had strong school support, good it, their maths experience seem to be better, they were doing better. there was a long tail of students, often from poor backgrounds, with poor it support and they lost months and months. one can only speculate, but you can see that it was very diverse.— that it was very diverse. briefly, on the internationalist, - that it was very diverse. briefly, on the internationalist, which i on the internationalist, which countries do best and can we lengthen in? —— can we learn from then? lengthen in? -- can we learn from then? ~ . . lengthen in? -- can we learn from then? . ., ., ., lengthen in? -- can we learn from then? ~ ., ., ., ., , ::f lengthen in? -- can we learn from then? ., ., ., ., , ::f ., then? we are an outlier, only 2096 of our students — then? we are an outlier, only 2096 of our students do _ then? we are an outlier, only 2096 of our students do maths _ then? we are an outlier, only 2096 of our students do maths after - then? we are an outlier, only 2096 of our students do maths after 16. -

then? we are an outlier, only 2096 of our students do maths after 16. most of our competitor countries do maths through to 18. employers have at their hands much more mathematically educated cohort. the other thing thatis educated cohort. the other thing that is changing on the international scene is the type of mathematics. i alluded to this a little bit with what i call the loss a third of those with less than a grade four at gcse. i think that things have to change right across... i would say that maths with computing and data is the way to go. we need to transform to be like other countries.— to go. we need to transform to be like other countries. thank you very much indeed. _ like other countries. thank you very much indeed, it's _ like other countries. thank you very much indeed, it's what _ like other countries. thank you very much indeed, it's what i _ like other countries. thank you very much indeed, it's what i say - like other countries. thank you very much indeed, it's what i say to - like other countries. thank you very much indeed, it's what i say to my i much indeed, it's what i say to my children who are doing humanities, but i have lost that argument. we will be back in a few minutes. hello again. the met office has named the low—pressure system coming our way tonight as storm

lilian. this is it here, moving in later. but at the moment we've got our weather front weakening all the time, pushing down towards the southeast. now that's taking its cloud and patchy, light rain and strong winds with it. behind it, it will still be blustery conditions. a lot of dry weather, bright skies, some sunny intervals and a few showers. but strong winds prevail across the northwest and you can see even inland we're looking at gusty conditions. temperatures today ranging from around about 1k in the north to a high of about 21 in parts of the south east and eastern england. as we head on through the evening and overnight, what you'll find is we'll have a dry start and then we start to see the heavy rain coming in. and by the end of the night, strengthening winds, gales through the irish sea, but very windy across northern england in particular. but it'll be windy across the rest of england and wales as well. but storm lilian could well affect the m6, the a66 and the a1 because,

along with the strong winds we'll have some heavy rain tomorrow. that all pulls away into the north sea. but we do have a hook of rain coming in across eastern scotland and northern england and that moves away. the other end of the rain pushes away from the southeast. the winds ease a touch. and then we're looking at brighter skies. not as windy through the afternoon, but blustery showers coming in across the north and the west. temperatures 13 to 23. moving on then, as we move into friday night, we've got this system coming up from the south that looks like it could clip parts of wales central and southern and southeastern england before it moves away, but it could move a little bit further north or a little bit further south. so it's one to watch. this is what we think at the moment, though the rain is slow to clear the southeast, behind it a lot of dry weather, but showery outbreaks of rain coming in and a strengthening wind across the northwest. temperatures 1a to 20 degrees as we head on into the weekend for sunday.

for most, it's going to be bright and breezy. there will be some rain around, and then as we head into monday, a bank holiday for some of us for england and for wales, mostly dry for scotland and northern ireland, there'll be rain coming in later.

this is bbc news, the headlines... a fifth body is recovered from the luxury yacht

which sank off sicily. the search continues for the one person still missing. democrats get a pep—talk from coach tim walz — as kamala harris�*s running mate makes a pitch to middle america. and confirmation that the first drug to slow the progression of early—stage alzheimer's won't be available on the nhs in england because it's too expensive. hello. i'm geeta guru—murthy. back to our top story. italian search teams have reportedly recovered the body of the british technology tycoon mike lynch, after his luxury yacht sank in an intense storm off the coast of sicily. there are multiple reports that the latest body recovered this morning from the wreckage is that of the british technology tycoon mike lynch. his 18—year—old daughter remains missing.