thousands of homes have been evacuated in christchurch in new zealand as wildfires continue. good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. train drivers for southern rail and members of the aslef have voted against a deal to end a long—running series of strikes. it means there is still no end in sight to the disruption on one of the country's busiest commuter networks. the union had been arguing with the parent company over the driver—only operated trains. under the proposed agreement, southern would have been able to run trains without a guard or onboard supervisor under certain circumstances. the parent company has reacted to the vote. our correspondent andy moore

is at aslef headquarters in central london. as they point out this was agreed by aslef leadership so what is it the drivers don't like? we heard from another union involved, the rmt, they describe this deal as a scandalous sell—outs and a disgrace. the leadership has said the deal would only have in certain circumstances, exceptional circumstances, exceptional circumstances, would there only be drivers but other unions and some of membership themselves felt there

we re membership themselves felt there were too many exceptions to that. so were too many exceptions to that. so we had the rank and file membership overturning a deal done by the leadership. the results of the ballot have come through in the last half—hour, and about 900 drivers work for aslef on southern, there was a turnout of about 72%. they we re was a turnout of about 72%. they were asked the question, do you accept the proposed agreement on driver only operation and related issues? 54% voted no. driver only operation and related issues? 54% voted |the rmt are back to square one. the rmt are sending out ballots today to people, staff on arriva trains, merseyside trains as well, so this thorny issue of how many members of staff should be on of how many members of staff should beona of how many members of staff should be on a train, shredded the just the driver? it looks as though that displayed will be spreading across the country. john young is in brighton where many commuters affected by the dispute channel. what are they display? is it british

stoicism or real anger?” what are they display? is it british stoicism or real anger? i think simon its dismay and resignation. this has been going on now for passengers a on the southern mine for ten months. in the beginning there was a lot of sympathy for the industrial action on this to some extent but as time has come on you suggest more and more just on this resolved once and for all. as andy mentioned when a deal seemed unattainable a couple of weeks go there was real hope this was going to be sorted out. this was the reaction of some passages we spoke to ten minutes ago. bell u nfortu nately to ten minutes ago. bell unfortunately it has caused me to changejobs unfortunately it has caused me to change jobs and move to my local town. i am change jobs and move to my local town. iam not change jobs and move to my local town. i am not happy with that. paying a lot of money for the train fare, wasting my time. what is your gut feeling when you hear that it is likely to continue? i want them to sort this out and change the company. crane disappointed, i pay a lot of money to travel to brighten

every day. i think the service that we get is ridiculous, i have to say. what impact will this have on you?l lot of impact. we are awaiting a statement from gigi are, —— from govia thameslink, the rmt management will be delighted to know that saying how pleased they are aslef have them join them. for southern passengers there is a strike set for wednesday 22nd, from rmt, now an expectation there will be more strikes from aslef and as andy mentioned this could be heading to other parts of uk with a ballot on this very same issue for arriva trains north. no end in sight across the country for this dispute. with me now is tim harris, editor of rail news. there seems to be some

surprise at this because everybody assumed it was a foregone conclusion. that is a mistake. assumed it was a foregone conclusion. that is a mistakem would have been a mistake but i think the smart money in the industry was in favour of a deal. as you say it look like a good deal. i'm told unofficially there was more money involved, i do not have confirmation of that but it is very unusualfor a major confirmation of that but it is very unusual for a major union to confirmation of that but it is very unusualfor a major union to make confirmation of that but it is very unusual for a major union to make a strong recommendation and be opposed by its members. in the end of course the executive is at the service of its members and they have spoken. now we are in uncharted waters. what is it about the deal and the whole issue that drivers taking section two, given that other parts of the network it works. we would be guessing as we would have two asked 20 driver two reno the answer. it could be some of them did not like the schism that had broken out between aslef and the rmt and felt their brothers and sisters deserve support. secondly, perhaps many of

them really did not like the additional responsibility. when the driver only operation came in, drivers were in charge of shorter and much less busy trains. it has been transformed since then. we now have 1.5 times as many passengers as in the 90s and it continues to go. last year the number of passengers went up by another 5% and it keeps going. anybody who goes to victoria, london bridge, they will be to it is incredibly crowded at rush hour. there is some concern about proper surveillance and monitoring and safety. the safety issue was raised and gota safety. the safety issue was raised and got a clean bill of health. from the industry safety authorities and i'm not saying they are wrong, the question was what do i think the drivers might be worried about and my perception is that is what i think they are worried about. said

weeks and possibly months or more disruption on the busiest line. we don't have, these are uncharted waters. the aslef executive probably surprise as well. govia thameslink have just said they are going to have just said they are going to have another meeting with aslef to which the only possible response must be, i bet you are. we now don't know what will happen. we do not know what will happen. we do not know what will happen. we do not know what aslef will do. but they have a mandate from their members to keep the dispute going. meantime, coming up behind the rmt are going to strike on wednesday 22nd. we do not yet know exactly what effect that strike will have. 0ne not yet know exactly what effect that strike will have. one important point on this list is exceptional circumstances. when a driver can ta ke circumstances. when a driver can take a circumstances. when a driver can takea train circumstances. when a driver can take a train alone. without anybody else on board in the way of staff will stop apparently this list includes industrial action. so it could be that southern next wednesday will be completely d00, we don't know. and we do not know what

the rmt might do as well, will they tried to involve other brains, the people at it might be another ballot. but you see what i mean, i uncharted waters now. i think they are going to be choppy. thank you as ever. president trump's most senior diplomat is making his debut on the international stage at the g20 summit in germany. the new us secretary of state rex tillerson is meeting russia's foreign minister sergei lavrov this lunchtime, at a time when contacts between the trump administration and moscow are under the spotlight. the us state department says mr tillerson will try to provide a ‘comforting message' to countries uneasy about apparent changes in america's foreign policy positions. we'll be live in germany in a moment, but first this report from wyre davies. with so much attention on his own difficulties at home, donald trump might be thankful that, for the next couple of days, the spotlight will fall squarely on the shoulders

of his new secretary of state rex tillerson, attending the g20 summit in germany. among his first meetings was with foreign secretary boris johnson. the people of gambia were delighted to be coming back into the commonwealth. not something the united states is going to be doing. not that i'm aware of. small talk and jokes for the cameras but mr tillerson's counterparts will want to hear reassuring words about many things, including the new administration's commitment to nato. in a turbulent, uncertain world, much has been made previous role as a senior oil executive with a very close business ties to moscow. a relationship that will come under microscopic scrutiny when he sits down with russia's foreign minister sergey lavrov. from security to global trade, the uncertainty about where the united states now stands on many big issues is almost unprecedented. 0n the one hand you have chaos

and a possibly compromised administration, and by that do i mean the donald trump and his closest advisers, some of them are being implicated for ties to moscow. 0n the other hand you have the pragmatists, for example general mattis, defence secretary, trying to say to nato allies, let's put this back on course. what is also unprecedented and unacceptable, says president trump, is what he called a biased discredited media. like the new york times and cnn, which he accuses of relying too heavily on leaks and hearsay to undermine his government. i do think there is not the same rigour going on right now in newsrooms. this the number of rubbish stories that we are seeing with reporters just rushing to publish with thinly sourced or anonymously sourced stories is not doing any favours to the impression that they are out to get donald trump. the president again took to twitter

today to attack press coverage. but there is also clear, undeniable evidence that his administration is struggling. andrew pudzer, the president's nominee for labor secretary, withdrew late last night after cross—party opposition in congress. these are testing times for mr trump, less than a month after he took office. 0ur correspondent in berlin is jenny hill. interesting because everybody basically is trying to work each other out. and even the officials have said that really this visit is all about reassurance but what the cou nterpa rts all about reassurance but what the counterparts of his set around the summit table are going to want is some clarity. what is the new follow—on policy could look like. where will it stand on issues like global climate change, issues like

syria? certainly global climate change, issues like syria ? certainly in global climate change, issues like syria? certainly in europe and particularly here in berlin there is concern about where it can to stand on nature. we know mr trump has described nato as obsolete. mr tillerson has rather disagree with that and has reaffirmed the us commitment to the organisation. nevertheless we know that the us would like to see member countries upping their spending on defence. so that's something that may come up for discussion at some point. there isa for discussion at some point. there is a lot that those countries represent around the table today wa nt to represent around the table today want to know. i think russia is going to dominate. we know that mr tillerson is due to meet the very first time his russian counterpart, sergei lavrov, at a time when there are so many questions about whether us administration stands in regard to russia and whether it has ties to the criminal. that is something mr aslef was not going to be drawn into when he was asked by reporters but

the people around the table and want to know what the us and stray shabazz today when it comes to for example extending sanctions against russia over its actions in ukraine. there are lots of questions yet to be answered. i think other people around the table today is really about one thing, it's about finding out what it means when donald trump says america first, what it means not just for the says america first, what it means notjust for the us but for international allies. if as expected america says they want russia to abide by the minsk peace agreement that gives them some sort of base. 0n the personality front you have lavrov one of the most consummate diplomat in the world at the moment, they are just good to be feeling their way with each other, the body language will be crucial.|j their way with each other, the body language will be crucial. i guess we'll learn what we can from that. but as you say personalities are at play here. it seems to me that mr tillerson having already said he is going to be in listening mode is going to be in listening mode is going to be in listening mode is going to perhaps take a fairly soft

approach to today's meetings. he knows everyone wants answers, he knows everyone wants answers, he knows people want reassurance. maybe he cannot give them actual answers at the moment. we know that almost every day there are interesting new lines of rhetoric coming from mr trump. perhaps at the moment it's just a very touchy—feely let's feel our way forwards. but i suspect governments certainly here in berlin and elsewhere are getting pretty ansi, they want to know what the new relationship is going to be. and in orderfor that to relationship is going to be. and in order for that to what they will have two move very quickly on issues like this. the us secretary of state has said he was willing to work with russia. we had a productive meeting. we discussed a range of issues of mutual concern. as i made clear in my confirmation hearing, the united

states would consider working with russia when we can find areas of practical cooperation that will benefit the american people. where we do not see eye to eye, the united states will stand up for the interests and values of america and her allies. as research on new common ground when expect russia to its commitment to the minsk agreements. not to escalate violence in ukraine. we can see officials beginning to arrive there at the conference centre. we will have coverage from a summit meeting throughout the afternoon. the headlines this afternoon: no end to the misery for southern commuters as members of the drivers union aslef vote against their leaders and reject a deal that would have solved much of the dispute. as we have been

reporting the new us secretary of state rex tillerson is meeting cou nterpa rts state rex tillerson is meeting counterparts from britain and russia, among others, at his first due 20 summit. more arrests in malaysia in connection with the airport poisoning of the half brother of the north korean leader. and in sport is being confirmed referee mark clattenburg is leaving the premier league to become saudi arabia's new head the premier league to become saudi arabia's nj‘f‘atgi‘ 23574 _— . . m 7 a decision on the g??— ' ' ' fl'- - , -fl um. _ the fa cup. a decision on the future of arsenal boss arsene wenger will not be made until the end of the season. it's expected to be a mutual decision. this follows their heavy defeat to bayern munich last night. 15—year—old jackson pages having more time away from the classroom. the gcse student is having a tough time againstjudd trump in round three of the welsh open. —— jackson

page. the malaysian authorities have confirmed that the man who died after being poisoned at kuala lumpur airport is the half—brother of the north korean leader, kim jong—un. three people, two women and a man, are now in custody in connection with his death on monday. from kuala lumpur, karishma vaswani reports. it has been almost three days since the mysterious death of a man at kuala lumpur airport on monday and still no answers. malaysia confirmed for the first time today that the dead man is north korean leader kimjong un's half—brother kim jong—nam, travelling on another passport. two women, one shown here in police custody, have been arrested so far.

officials say one is an indonesian, while the other was carrying a vietnamese passport. a third suspect, a malaysian male, has also been detained. but we don't know what they have to do with kim jong—nam's death and we still don't know how he died or what he was doing in malaysia, but we do know that he did come here fairly frequently. we understand this is one of the restaurants kimjong—nam used to frequent when he was in malaysia. the owner said that he would regularly come here and would regularly bring bodyguards as well. i spoke to the owner of the restaurant on the phone. he was too scared to speak in person. did kim jong—nam ever tell you that he was worried for his life, that someone might kill him? but at the north korean embassy in kuala lumpur, all was quiet. instead, the focus in pyongyang has

been on the 75th celebrations of kim jong—il‘s birth. north korea hasn't said anything about the death of kim jong—nam and it is highly unlikely it ever will. in this secretive regime, unanswered questions are a way of life. researchers say taking vitamin d supplements could prevent more than three million people in the uk from getting colds or flu each year. sunshine is needed to produce the vitamin naturally in the skin, and levels plummet during the winter. the team, from queen mary, university of london, says the vitamin should be added to foods like bread. here's our health correspondent dominic hughes. this is what vitamin d deficiency can look like. softened bones bowing under the weight of the body. in children it can cause rickets. but now researchers say vitamin d may have other benefits apart from strengthening bones.

effectively, vitamin d boosts the production of natural antibiotic substances called antimicrobial peptides, which are toxic to bacteria and viruses. we have shown the effects of vitamin d to prevent respiratory infections are on a par with those of the flu vaccine and that is a significant effect. they argue that if everyone got enough vitamin d there would be a 10% reduction in the risk of respiratory illnesses like coughs, colds and flu. among those with the very lowest levels of vitamin d, the benefit is even greater, a 50% reduction. and across the whole uk population, that would equate to more than 3 million people avoiding a cold orflu each year. sunlight on the skin is the best source of vitamin d but the increased use of sunscreen, and our weather, means exposure in the uk is limited. it is possible to get vitamin d through some foods. for example, cereals, particularly those marketed at children, have vitamin d added as a supplement. you can also get it from oily fish orfrom eggs, although you would have to eat ten

every day to ensure you got the right amount. what researchers are arguing is that vitamin d should be added as a supplement to products like milk so that we all get ourfair share. but some scientists believe that fortifying food with vitamin d will not be enough. the recommendation is more around that we should all take a supplement in the winter months, in autumn, and in those groups that are at risk, so people with darker skin or who aren't outside as much, they should take them all year round. while the specific benefits of vitamin d are still being debated, sunshine and supplements seem to be the best sources. let's speak to doctor lewis levy, head of nutrition health at public health england. hejoins us from our studio in central london. at this time of year when it is grey and dull it seems logical to take littering the supplements but i'm —— to ta ke

littering the supplements but i'm —— to take vitamin d supplements. our current advice is to protect bone health in the spring and summer we should go outside and eat a diet containing enough vitamin d. but in the winter when skin does not make vitamin d, it is important to eat foods that contain vitamin d or are fortified with it. but some people will have to take a supplement in order to get enough. other people will have to take supplements all year round. people who do not go outside, older people in residential care, or people who cover up fully when the go had, they would not —— on the outside, they would need to ta ke on the outside, they would need to take a ten micrograms supplement. we already have an approach to meet the recommendations in the uk, this study does not change that advice. there are some concerns about this study in that it is influenced

largely by a number of studies, on a small number of children who were actually unwell. so you are adamant this research we are talking about todayis this research we are talking about today is not enough to make you change your advice that you outlined, people should stick with the guidelines as they exist. our current guidelines, on nhs choice, taking the approach we have already identified will help people meet their what ever levels that during their what ever levels that during the summer 80% of the uk published already made those levels. that is interesting, there were quite a lot of people who might not realise they are in one of the categories you described where they would benefit from supplements if only at certain times of the year. you think there isa times of the year. you think there is a question about people perhaps not realising they might benefit?m

you don't get outside or you cover all of your skin when you go outside, you need to take a supplement. if you have a dark skinned you should consider it. in the autumn and winter if you're not eating oily fish, red meat, liver, eggs, fortified cereals, then you need to consider taking a supplement as well. that is a fairly easy thing for people to consider. it is on nhs choices for you to check. but what happened to people see the headlines, they do not look into it, just think i have just read it is not —— it is good to take more, is there any risks associated with that which mark it is possible to overdose on vitamin d, so do take the supplement of ten micrograms. for babies from birth until one year, it is 5—10, but only if they are not having 500 millilitres of formula, that is already fortified.

if you are buying supplements during the winter months make sure it is ten micrograms. you can get much larger doses but it is difficult to overdose. thank you very much indeed. of 7—year—old katie rough in york. katie rough was found with severe injuries in a playing field last month, and died later in hospital. the teenage defendant appeared at leeds crown court this morning via videolink charged with murder, and possessing an offensive weapon. an increasing number of patients are having to wait more than 12 hours at a&e and units in wales compared to a year ago. in january over 4,000 patients waited in welsh accident and emergency departments compared to 3,290 in the same month the year before. the monthly figures look at times patients wait from arrival to their discharge, admission or transfer. well, tomos morganjoins me live now from cardiff.

what are the authorities, what is being said about these figures? the welsh government have responded today by saying the nhs in wales have again when nest and increasingly difficult time as they do every year of the winter period. —— witnessed. those figures you mentioned highlight the standout figure being that the number of patients who have waited for more than 12 hours in accident and emergency departments across wales has increased compared to this time last year. by more than 800. 4000 people having to wait 12 hours or more. those waiting up to 12 hours has also increased by a percentage point. when it comes to the headline target of the four our target, the worst government wanted 95% of

people to be seen. that has been holding steady compared to this time last year. however, authorities have said they don't expect anyone to be waiting for 12 hours in any a&e department across wales. for those who have waited for longer than that, it's little consolation, really. the government have also said they are somewhat unsurprised and not happy with the departments for missing those targets again, they have said they will continue to work alongside departments to improve those systems in place. the nuffield trust has done some research into health care issues across the uk and have always said wales is always affected quite badly when it comes to winter pressures simply due to the finances here and also when it comes to workforce numbers. as you've heard over recent weeks, there has been a big increase in those waiting four hours or more in england. they seem to be catching up in england. they seem to be catching up with the welsh numbers, now. a

slight deterioration when it comes to 12 hours but a big difference when it comes to those waiting 12 hours or more. thank you. it's lovely and mild out there, it's going to remain mild for the foreseeable future. in fact very mild into the start of next week. the best of the sunshine is central and southern areas of england. there are some sunny spells and north—east england and parts of scotland. more cloud with outbreaks of rain. the wind will continue to ease down this evening. 0vernight, northern ireland, parts of north wales, the midlands and through to the south east will hold on to the damp weather. it's going to turn quite chilly with a touch of frost and mist and fog developing. it should dissipate and lift and we should see the best of the sunshine across the

north and east. the wind is much lighter than today. elsewhere, north and east. the wind is much lighterthan today. elsewhere, quite a lot of cloud arounds. a cloudy day generally, fairly mild, where you get the sunshine 10—11dc. staying mild into the weekend. further north and west, northern ireland and scotland, you'll have wet and windy weather. hello. this is bbc news. the headlines. no end to the misery for southern commuters, as members of the drivers union aslef vote against their leaders and reject a deal that would have solved much of the dispute. the new us secretary of state has met his counterparts from britain and russia at his first g20 summit. rex tillerson said that the us will consider working with russia. the united states will consider

working with russia, when we can find areas of practical cooperation that will benefit the american people. more arrests in malaysia in connection with the airport poisoning of the half brother of the north korean leader. can vitamin d supplements stave off colds? new research suggests three million cases could be prevented, and food should be fortified with the vitamin. someone didn't like that story! i thought it was quite interesting myself! when the director loses patience you know about it. laughter now, time for the sport. mark clattenburg is to quit his job as a premier league referee to take up a position in saudi arabia. what exactly is he going to be doing? this news has been confirmed in the last hour. he's going to go to saudi arabia and take up a role

as head of referees, working with existing referees but also refereeing some local league games as well. my understanding is that he's signed a one—year rolling contract. he gave a press conference earlier today, he spoke about the professionalisation of refereeing. he said one thing he is keen to do is work with the team and the president to create a structure in saudi arabia that is going to make refereeing successful for many years to come. he's stepping into the shoes of the former premier league referee howard webb who has gone to the mls to lead a video refereeing development. he'll start initially ona development. he'll start initially on a part—time basis while he fulfils some other commitments, and will be full—time next season. fulfils some other commitments, and will be full-time next season. this is going to come as a bit of a blow to the premier league because he is widely respected. he is indeed. the professional match officials limited, the body that oversees the premier league, they released a

statement saying that mark clattenburg has been a great asset to the english game, hopefully an inspiration for those who get into refereeing. they said they understand it's an exciting opportunity and underlines what high esteem english match officials are held in throughout the world game. there's been speculation this might happen, in december when mark clattenburg received an award, he said he wasn't against the idea of moving to china. as it turns out he's gone to saudi arabia. it's going to be a blow for the premier league, widely regarded as the top referee in the game. he's also taken charge of the champions league final, the fa cup final, the european championship final. now he's leaving to go to saudi arabia in the prime of his career. thank you. after his side were outclassed — beaten 5—1 by bayern munich in the first leg of their last 16 champions league tie — there are more question marks over the future of arsenal manager arsene wenger. bbc sport understands the club will wait until the end of the season before making a "mutual" decision on his future.

i've been receiving messages from lots of arsenal supporters trust members. the vast majority are arsenalfans members. the vast majority are arsenal fans now think it's time to move on. he's given arsenal wonderful service, he needs a fresh start. u nfortu nately we wonderful service, he needs a fresh start. unfortunately we have a board that doesn't seem to lead the club and the decision will be dumped him. in an uncomfortable limbo over the next few weeks and i'd like to see a statement from arsenal sooner rather than than later, clarifying the position. the unhappiness is no good for anybody at arsenal. fifa president gianni infantino wants to encourage co—hosting for the 2026 world cup. the proposal could mean that three or four countries join forces to stage the tournament. 0ur sports news correspondent richard conway has more details. the 2026 world cup will be played between 48 countries. we know that, it has been agreed by fifa. the question of how many host nations

there will be has been something that has been speculated on for some time. co—hosting has been rumoured to be firmly in the sights of gianni infantino. today to be firmly in the sights of gianni infa ntino. today he to be firmly in the sights of gianni infantino. today he has confirmed thatis infantino. today he has confirmed that is the case. that he feels will help with the sustainability and the legacy of the world cup. lots of countries of course take on the world cup on their own, and have two bird in the huge costs that comes with. fifa looking to spread the risk and the cost of hosting a world cup between three or four different countries. 15-year-old schoolboy jackson page playing at the world open snooker has been beaten 4—0. it's back to school for him. that's all sport for now. i'll have more in the next hour. the foreign secretary, boris johnson, has met with the us secretary of state, rex tillerson at the gathering of g20 foreign ministers in germany, with us officials saying he would support a pragmatic brexit that resulted in a strong britain, and a strong eu.

mrjohnson believes that he shares the same views on russia as his us countrerpart, despite mr tillerson's business ties with the country. i think rex tillerson is absolutely clear in his view, which is the same as mine. you've got to engage with russia, but you've got to engage in a very guarded way. you've got to be aware of what they are up to. there's no question, that when you look at russian activity on the cyber front, what they are doing in the western balkans, what's been happening in ukraine, you've got to be very, very cautious. and so, i think it's entirely right to have a dual track approach. we don't want to get into a new cold war. that's something london and washington are com pletely something london and washington are completely at one on. that goes for all our european allies as well. nor do we want to allow russian

behaviour to continue as it is. and rex tillerson has been very clear about that. given the global scale of the unease about president trump's administration and the early signs, are you having to act as a spear carrier or cheerleader for president trump? there's always been a very strong relationship between the uk and the us. as i've said, it's one of the great geopolitical fa cts . it's one of the great geopolitical facts. it's an advantage for the world that there is a strong transatlantic bond. that's notjust incarnated, by the way, by the uk. there are plenty of bilateral relations between the us and everybody else in europe. it so happens we are having to put across our point of view and find a ready audience. and what is so reassuring and encouraging about the conversations we've had today, not just with rex tillerson but with others, it's a growing consensus

about the way forward. the prime minister of new zealand is in christchurch to monitor the efforts to fight a huge wildfire which has led to the evacuation of hundreds of homes. two separate fires which began in hills to the south of the city on monday have combined, to cover a total of nearly 5,000 acres. the city's mayor has warned that the fire could pose a threat for several weeks. sangita myska has the latest. these are the fatal fires that have burnt a ferocious path through the hills above christchurch. it's taken more than two days to bring them under control. an aerial battle is winning the war against the flames, involving 14 helicopters and three planes. the cost, the life of a pilot, a highly decorated former serviceman turned firefighter who crashed while on duty. he was trying to help save the lives in these homes.

a dozen were reduced to charred remains. miraculously, the residents were left unharmed. visiting the displaced, new zealand's prime minister. there's a whole lot of people here have been traumatised by the events, some who have lost their homes, many who have been evacuated, and this is a community that knows how to stick together when things are difficult. a big pall of smoke now sits over the country's second—biggest city. the fire is contained but not under control. wildfires here are rare, but that's of little comfort now. my neighbours up the hill are absolutely terrified because they are surrounded by forest and gorse and long dried grass, so they are very nervous. we've been up pretty much all night, since we were evacuated, keeping an eye on it. the blackened hillsides are now yielding clues about the fire's origin. it's believed it started in two separate locations, combining to burn over 4500 acres.

britain's most seniorjudge has criticised sections of the press. for their coverage of the ruling which said parliament had to be consulted before the process to leave the eu could be triggered. cheering. .e e .ee 3, sew ell the coverage by parts of the press of the judges that decided the article 50 case,

here at the high court, against the government, stung and hurt the judiciary. the judges did not feel they could respond without compromising their position. but now the country's most senior judge, the outgoing president of the supreme court, clearly feels the time is right to say something. some of the things that were said risks undermining the judiciary and unfairly undermining the judiciary, and therefore undermining the rule of law. this former tabloid editor disagrees. when you get an important issue, like brexit, being decided by uniquely i think for the first time in 43 years by referendum, you are going to get big reactions on both sides, so i defend the right of a newspaper to give a rather large raspberry to a controversial decision. lord neuberger wasn't impressed by the response

of politicians, including the lord chancellor liz truss, who has a statutory duty to defend the independence of the judiciary. politicians acted slower than one would have liked, and perhaps expressed themselves rather more pallidly than one would have hoped, but to be fair to politicians, likejudges, they learn, and after the supreme court case decision they did precisely what they should have done. in response to that liz truss said in a statement, that it's right that everyone understands the importance ofjudicial independence and the rule of law in a free society. if sections of the press can be criticised for undermining the rule of law, then the supreme court itself, currently made up of ten white men and one white woman, has faced criticism for a marked lack of diversity. the process of appointing a new president and two newjustices begins today.

with steps to encourage a diverse range of candidates, including the option of part—time working. that should encourage a favourable press. clive coleman, bbc news. social care for elderly people is on the brink of collapse in some part of england, according to the charity age uk. it says more than 50,000 people are now not receiving any help, despite struggling with essential daily tasks such as washing, eating or getting out of bed. our health correspondent sophie hutchinson reports. push... that's it. for ten years, elaine yates has cared for her husband. they managed to get some social care but elaine, who runs a support group for carers, says it's much harder to get now. when michael first came into the system, it was a lot easier, because we had our own care manager that grew to know us and could help support us in what we needed, whereas today, people coming into the system don't get that type of support, they don't have their own care manager.

today's report by age uk says, since 2010, in england, there has been a rise of 50% in the number of elderly people who don't get the help they need with essential daily activities. these are getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, walking across a room and eating. the charity's particularly concerned about more than 50,000 people who struggle with three or more of these activities and receive no support at all. while social care is run in different ways across the uk, cuts have meant councils in england have had to reduce the amount they spend on social care, and age uk says emergency funding is now needed to avert a complete collapse of services in some areas. we are seeing the beginnings of something that's going to get a lot worse. and that's because, if there is going to be any extra money for social care, it's not coming yet. that is a real concern because, every day we have an ageing population, we have more people over 85, in particular, who need care. the government says it

recognises the pressures on the system and is working on a sustainable solution. there is now a growing expectation a rescue package may be included in the budget next month. sophie hutchinson, bbc news. in a moment a summary of the business news this hour but first, the headlines on bbc news. there is no end to the misery for southern rail commuters, as members of the drivers union aslef have voted against their leaders, and rejected a deal that would have solved much of the dispute. the new us secretary of state rex tillerson meets his counterparts from britain and russia at his first g20 summit. he said the us can work with the russians. there have been more arrests in malaysia in connection with the airport poisoning of the half brother of the north korean

leader. in the business news this afternoon. waitrose, iceland and marks and spencer have topped a which supermarket satisfaction survey. iceland is the top supermarket for online shopping, waitrose is top for instore experience, asda is last place. its behind tesco and sainsbury‘s. microsoft bumps up prices of its own brand laptops due to the weakness of the pound against the dollar. they've added between £150 and £400 to the cost of surface books sold by its website. and budget airline wizz air is to open its first ever british base at london luton with three new routes flying eventually increasing to 42 routes. new destinations will be tel aviv in israel, as well as kosovo and georgia. nearly 1 nearly1 million people borrowed to

make ends meet and nearly 6 million households have no savings at all. that's according to experian. they also showed 4000 britons have an unauthorised overdrive or payday loan. these are rather stark revelations, let's start with this figure of1 million people receiving loa ns figure of1 million people receiving loans or gifts to make ends meet. why is that happening?” loans or gifts to make ends meet. why is that happening? i think this isa why is that happening? i think this is a continuation of a trend we've seen for a number of years, that pa rents seen for a number of years, that parents and grandparents have always helped their kids. that continues. pa rt helped their kids. that continues. part of it is down to the generational split between a better wrath, older population, and a younger population that are earning less, and perhaps with less stable jobs than their equivalents would have been in years gone by. could it also been changing desires, wanting to buy more? i think it's true that

people have grown up in their parent ‘s house hold —— household and expected cars and holidays, going out for nice meals and whatever, and that continues. i think there is some element of expectation. that's the life people have got used to. there's always been a balance between people's behaviour on that front. 425,000 with an unauthorised overdraft or payday loan, is that an encouraging figure? overdraft or payday loan, is that an encouraging figure ?|j overdraft or payday loan, is that an encouraging figure? i think you can be encouraged by the fact it's not a lot bigger. i think that a lot of organisations including experian have encouraged people to behave in a more financially sound way home and away which puts them at less risk of having difficulty paying their money back. i think yes, there is some room for hope with that.

it's still sad if you are one of those individuals who has those issues. in terms of distribution across the country, are you finding certain areas are worst at borrowing money than others? there is a big difference between the country in terms of a more financially informed and better off population in london and better off population in london and the south—east, and in one or two of the other major cities, and some of the periphery of the country, where that is more of an issue. i fully understand that, coming from tyneside myself. thank you forjoining us. the competition and markets authority are looking into heineken's bid to buy the pub operator punch taverns. the cma are concerned that the merger might reduce competition and choice for pub goers. punch own 3,350 pubs — if the deal gets the green light it'll make heineken the third largest pub group in the country. if you like your kit kats then you might be interested to know

that the company that owns kit kat — nestle, reported a fall in profits. the rate at which its selling its products isn't as high as it was a year ago. so they've said they're going to start looking at where they can cut costs. the company that makes arctic coats — canada goose, has applied for stock market listings in new york and toronto. now these coats cost as much as £900. the company wants to pay off some debt — and so is hoping to raise $300 million by listing, valuing the company at $2 billion. and, isn't this a good idea? pavement lights have been installed at a pedestrian crossing in a town in the netherlands to help smartphone users cross the road safely. the light strips are designed to catch the eye of people looking down at their device, and change colour to match traffic signals. some groups think it rewards bad behaviour. let's have a look at the markets. the ftse 100

let's have a look at the markets. the ftse100 in negative territory. a couple of big companies today have been dragged down because they are paying up been dragged down because they are paying up their dividend today and the price of their shares falls by the price of their shares falls by the same amount. i'll be back in about an hour with more business news. that story about the lights in the street is astonishing. we are all too lazy to look up, it's terrible! it's better than getting hit by a car! a big area of debate, there! lots of people talking about that one, more on that later. 100 years ago, the women's royal naval service was founded, to free up more men for active service at sea during the first world war. it was the start of a hugely significant change in the role of women in the armed forces. wrens, as they became known, served as cooks, stewards, dispatch riders and telegraphists, and went on to play key roles in the navy, in the second world war and beyond. 0ur correspondent duncan kennedy is in portsmouth where events are being held throughout the year. at 90 years old, win price still has

an affection for the sea. whether it's her admiration for these world war ii motorboats, all the time she joined as a 17—year—old in 1944. the wrens have always held a strong bond over her maritime memories. you had to go in what they were short of. they had kicks and stewards they wanted. i couldn't cook, so i opted for a steward. proud then and honoured now, to be celebrating 100 yea rs of honoured now, to be celebrating 100 years of the wrens. in a way, they started equality. that was the beginning of it. you were the pioneers? i guess. no, the ones the before me were pioneers! the new

wren is welcomed by the petty officer... the women's royal naval service was formed in 1917, but it was in the second world war they came of age. she's a skipper and is by her orders... this may have been the extent of their seaborne presence, but the wrens ‘s 74,000 volu nteers presence, but the wrens ‘s 74,000 volunteers were vital to take the strain of men in the navy's non—fighting roles. strain of men in the navy's non-fighting roles. without the wrens we wouldn't have the service we've got today. they very much did lay the foundations for the women who are serving today. it's a really nice opportunity to look back and celebrate the achievements of the past 100 years and even the pioneers before them. the new exhibition charts this vital service across the last century. when the women integrated with the men in 1993, out went the title wrens, but they continued to embody the standards and professionalism of the royal

navy. the pioneers really set the bar high, i think. they had to prove themselves, which they did really well. after that it was for the other women to embrace that change, and they to get forward, and its continued to go forward. women now make up10% of continued to go forward. women now make up 10% of the royal navy. 100 yea rs make up 10% of the royal navy. 100 years after they became the first of the three services to officially recruit women, the new exhibition is a moment for early wrens like win, to reflect, commemorate and cherish their connections with britain's maritime heritage. duncan kennedy, bbc news, portsmouth harbour. let's catch up with the weather now. thank you very much. quite a pleasa nt thank you very much. quite a pleasant afternoon for many of us. you have the sunshine across southern parts of the country and it's feeling almost springlike. a lot of cloud, it is rain bearing from northern ireland, and streaming

further west into the midlands. we are seeing the sunshine diminish in some areas. it is holding an across the south of the country, a finer end to the day. quite damp with outbreaks of rain and wet and windy weather slowly clearing away from scotla nd weather slowly clearing away from scotland as well. a nice end to the day for the south—west and in towards the south—east after a pretty mild and sunny day. further north it's cloudy with rain pushing in towards the midlands, maybe eastern england, wales as well. north of here, the winds will be falling light, and the showers will be easing as well. that means it's a recipe for temperatures to start falling through the course of the night. when it does so, we will see some mist and fog developing towards the end of the night, maybe in north—east england as well. could see a bit of clearance in the skies in the south—west, it could turn quite chilly. a central slice of the uk will hold onto that cloud and damp weather but hill fog at times.

will wake up to that fog across northern and western areas. it'll tend to clip through the morning, when it does it'll allow for some sunshine. a pleasant day for much of scotla nd sunshine. a pleasant day for much of scotland and north east england —— it'll scotland and north east england —— it‘ ll clear scotland and north east england —— it'll clear through the morning. there will be some wet weather pushing towards northern ireland and the far south—west corner of the country, relatively mild especially where you have the sunshine. it's feeling mild for the time of year. some sunshine in the forecast but also some rain and wind. that will be affecting the north—west corner of the uk, furthest away from this area of high pressure, it'll be generally settled through saturday and sunday, but windy approve scotland. a squeeze in the isobars, gale force winds pushing toward central parts of scotland later on saturday, through the central belt. 0utbreaks saturday, through the central belt. outbreaks of rain, particularly across western scotland. feeling mild once again on sunday. some

rain, and fairly strong winds across scotla nd rain, and fairly strong winds across scotland and northern ireland, with the best of the dry and brighter weather in central, southern and eastern parts of england.