this is bbc news. i'm rebecca jones. the headlines at 3pm: sex education is to be made compulsory in all schools in england. do you have boyfriends and girlfriends at this age? no. children as young as four will be taught about relationships and at an appropriate age about sex. the house of lords seems set to inflict defeat on the government over the brexit bill. some peers want ministers to guarantee the future rights of eu citizens living in britain. it comes as the president of the european commission unveils plans for a new chapter for the eu after brexit. i'm simon mccoy. in the next hour, we'll look at the new rules to tackle motorists who use their phone while driving. from today, offenders will receive double the penalty, a £200 fine and six points. the drive to shake up the game of golf. could changes to make the sport quicker go a "fairway" to improve the game. good afternoon and

welcome to bbc news. sex education is to become compulsory in all schools in england. the education secretary justine greening says that children as young as four will be taught about relationships and secondary school pupils will learn about both sex and relationships. there will be a particular emphasis on the dangers of sexting, online pornography and cyber bullying. our education correspondent gillian hargreaves reports. so we must always make sure that nobody takes embarrassing pictures of us. at this school in dunstable, even the youngest children are taught about their own bodies and relationships with other people. soon such lessons will be compulsory in all schools in england.

sex and relationship education updated for the cyber age. the widespread use of sexting, when images of a child are posted on social media, sexual bullying of girls in secondary school and the ready availability of hard—core online pornography have made mps call for new compulsory lessons. the guidance that schools are looking to in terms of how they teach relationships and sex education was developed in the year 2000 and britain is a very different place. so it's really important we have an updated approach that means our children are safe and protected and they are prepared for life in modern britain. all children from the age of four onwards will be taught about relationships, while older children will also be taught age—appropriate sex education. previously such lessons were only compulsory in council—run schools, not academies. teaching unions and the church of england have welcomed the announcement but others are not impressed. i thnk very often children are being

introduced to things at school they have not seen before. sometimes topics are introduced far too young that they have not yet seen. we need to be aware of this. it's not always about protecting them, we are actually sexualising them, and sexualising them through state programmes. this can't be good idea. of course we have to care for our children. parents will still have the right to withdraw their children from lessons if they wish. the government faces its first defeat over the brexit bill in the house of lords. 0pposition peers want the legislation amended to guarantee the rights of eu nationals to remain in the uk. 0ur assistant political editor norman smith has more. let's talk to our correspondent vicki young. she's at the houses of parliament in the peers‘ lobby. is this the start of a game of ping—pong? is this the start of a game of ping-pong? labour made it clear although they have problems with this bill, they're not going to

frustrate or hold it up too much. so i think there could be a situation where the government is defeated later on on the rights of eu citizens. that would have to go back to the house of commons, but assuming that the commons and mps and even those tory mps who have concerns about this, if they vote the same way as they did last time thenit the same way as they did last time then it would come back here and the expectation is that that would be the end of the rebellion if you like. you never know, but here there is strong feeling about the rights as some labour, some liberal democrats, and some tories as well saying that eu citizens shouldn't be used as part of the negotiations. the argument from ministers is their hope and expectation is this will be sorted out quickly once those talks get under way, once the negotiations get under way, once the negotiations get under way, once the negotiations get under way. theresa may has said she wants it to be a priority, but what she doesn't want to do is to act unilaterally. she thinks that's

not fair act unilaterally. she thinks that's notfairon act unilaterally. she thinks that's not fair on the british people who live abroad. she says it has to be a resip live abroad. she says it has to be a resi p rye cold live abroad. she says it has to be a resip rye cold agreement and so far there are some eu countries who are not willing to talk about this until she triggers article 50 and formally gets the talks under way. the leader of labour, in the house of lords says it is unfair to keep those three million eu citizens in this country in limbo. theresa may's relying on having separate negotiations with 27 separate countries. it could last a very long time and we're losing citizens here. nothing is worse in life than that uncertainty of not knowing anything about your future. the government could resolve it here and now. i suspect it might take a house of lords vote to do so, but i really would say to conservative mps, listen to your constituents and do the right thing. so what happens now? so this afternoon that debate will start in the next half an hour or so, the debate on eu citizens. that could go on for a couple of hours and then the vote will happen. and although i

don't think in the end it will throw theresa may's timetable off course, it is, of course, embarrassing for the government because she wants to go into the negotiations showing that she has really the country behind her, she has parliament behind her, she has parliament behind her, she has parliament behind her, but this would clearly show that there are some people who feel very deeply that she is not doing the right thing here. i don't think i have seen you in the peers lobby before. is this a new thing? we have been allowed in before, but it is much smaller, some would say it is more sedate here, but today they will be showing their rebelous side, i think! vicki young, thank you. the president of the european commission said however painful brexit maybe, it will not stop the eu as it moves to the future. he says it is the start of a process and not the end and hopes that an honest and wide ranging debate takes place. translation: the future of europe

should not become hostage to elections, party politics, or short—term domestic use of success. however painful and regrettable brexit maybe, it will not stop the eu as it moves to the future. we need to move forward. we need to continue. two women have been charged with the murder of kim jong—nam, the half—brother of north korean dictator kim jong—un. they face the death penalty if found guilty. malaysian police believe they wiped the deadly nerve agent vx on his face in kuala lumpur airport just over a fortnight ago. the women claim they thought they were taking part in a video prank. steve evans reports from seoul. in a phalanx of heavily armed police the two women were taken to court. the fear was that they were vulnerable to attack because they know who ordered the assassination. kimjong nam, the exiled half—brother of north korea's leader

kim jong—un, was murdered on 13th february. the accused are alleged to be the women who jumped kim jong—nam at kuala lumpur airport and smeared his face with a deadly oil. the alleged assassins, one from vietnam, one from indonesia, claim they were duped into thinking they were taking part in a reality show prank. in court today the charge was read to them. one said she was innocent. she was perfectly all right and she was calm. of course, she was definitely will be stressed because she is facing the death penalty here. but the malaysian authorities are sceptical. if the attackers thought the gel they were smearing on the victim was harmless, why did they keep it off their own skin? north korea denies being involved, but it has sent diplomats to malaysia to try to get the body sent to north korea. malaysia is saying no.

there is more investigation to be done. after a certain period of time we will have to make a decision on what to do. in this case we have to do it as a government, taking into consideration the international system. the two women accused today face the death penalty if found guilty. the ultimate price for being pawns in a bigger political game. the former british cycling coach who delivered a "mystery" package to sir bradley wiggins at a race in france in 2011 has started giving evidence to mps on the culture, media, and sport select committee. uk anti—doping chief nicole sapstead will also appear before the inquiry. the former team sky medic dr richard freeman pulled out through illness yesterday.

let's talk to our sports news correspondent richard conway. he's in central london. so what have we been hearing rid afternooned? simon cope has been on the end of some ferocious questioning. questions about whether he knew what was in the jiffy questioning. questions about whether he knew what was in thejiffy bag he was asked to deliver to team sky, to the team sky doctor, dr richard freeman in june 2011. the team sky doctor, dr richard freeman injune 2011. he says he was unaware of what was in the package. he was asked to take the package over to france. mps questioning why he didn't ask about this and going into some detail about whether he checkeditin into some detail about whether he checked it in his hold luggage or put it into his hand luggage to determine his level of knowledge about it, but simon cope very clear, despite the fact saying at start of his testimony he couldn't remember what he did last tuesday, had some recall of events five years ago and hadn't asked, the package was sealed

and he did what was asked by his bosses at the time to deliver this package to dr richard freeman who was the team doctor of sky at the time and that was administered to sir bradley wiggins. we were told last december in a similar hearing by dave brailsford, the former head of british cycling and who was with tea m of british cycling and who was with team sky that he was told that the medical contents of the package was fluimucil, a legal decongestant, but the committee are hearing from nicole sa stead the head of uk anti—doping and she is telling mps as we speak, the course of her investigation, uk anti—doping has to look into this matter in september last year, to see if there had been a breach of anti—doping regulations during that race in question back in june 2011. during that race in question back in june 2011. this legal decongestant is interesting, isn't it? you could buy that over the counter in france,

had you wanted to, am i right? fluimucil is available to purchase in many pharmacies in and around where that race was taking place and that's something that mps put to dave bra ilsford last that's something that mps put to dave brailsford last year, but simon cope was asked about why he was asked to bring the medical package across? he said it was a normal thing for deliveries to be madement he said he sometimes went and delivered detergent to riders or to the team if there was a rider who had a specific allergy. questions about why they couldn't use local supermarkets, but this seems to be the level of detail to which team sky operated, that they would bring out specific items to the team when required, but simon cope saying in his testimony that as far as he was aware this was the only medical package that he was asked to deliver. interestingly as well, he was asked when going through the airport, he put this package in his hold luggage. he was asked did he declare to airport staff that he was

unaware of contents of everything that he packed ? unaware of contents of everything that he packed? he said that was his fault and he'd done it. the last point was mps asked him did he feel that he had been in their words stitched—up by this? simon cope agreed and said that he perhaps his reputation had been damaged by this affair. interesting, richard conway, thank you. the annual television licence fee is rising. from april first it will go up from £145.50 to £147. drivers caught using handheld mobile phones will face tougher penalties from today, in england, wales and scotland. the fine has doubled to £200 and the number of penalty points has also doubled to six, meaning that new drivers could lose their licences after one offence. police have pledged to put an "increased focus" on catching offenders. robert hall reports. police have pledged to put an "increased focus" on a busy main road in cambridgeshire police cameras capture another offender.

the evidence from around the uk is crystal clear, we've been warned, but we simply aren't listening. the most recent report from the rac found 31% of drivers admit to using a hand—held phone at the wheel compared with 8% two years ago. she had it held in both hands sort of texting or doing whatever with both thumbs. can you just follow me, please? this driver was spotted holding her phone to plot a route. you had your phone in both hands on top of your steering wheel. you may or may not be aware, it is going to change. six points. £200 fine and no option of any sort of education course at all. it's just how she was using her phone that makes it an offence. it's more than just making a phone call. we can do more and more with our mobile phones and the temptation to use them on the move has proved irresistible. from today there will be no more driver awareness courses, new licenses can be revoked and bus and lorry drivers could face suspension. all underlining a very

simple message. your mobile phone belongs in the glove box. tomasz kroker ignored that advice and is serving ten years for causing the deaths of four people when he ploughed into stationary traffic. one of those seriously injured has welcomed the tougher penalties. we're all going to learn this lesson and we can learn it the easy or the hard way. i learnt it the hard way but it is an easy problem to solve. just put your phone away. we're all going to learn this lesson and we can learn it the easy or the hard way. i learnt it the hard way but it is an easy problem to solve. just put your phone away. back in cambridgeshire, a two—minute call will have serious

consequences for this hgv driver. you were on your mobile phone. you are aware that's an offence? in the 20 odd years i've been on the road i've seen people with laptops. i've seen phone in one hand, laptop on the other, knee on the steering wheel. what just happened there, a minor indiscretion in relation to the scale of things. but no, i should know better. there'd been an accident... unfortunately your mum has been killed. the police operations will now run alongside a media campaign centred on the family of another victim. higher penalties are only part of the answer. in the end, we must all be conscious of the lives we put at risk. there is nothing that is so important it cannot wait. don't use your phone whilst you're driving. in a moment a summary of the business news this hour but first the headlines on bbc news: sex education is to be made compulsory in all schools in england. children as young as four will be taught about safe relationships. there could be defeat in the lords over the brexit bill. some peers want ministers to guarantee the future rights of eu citizens living in britain. the president of the european commission presents different ways the eu can move forward. a coach has reiterated he didn't know what the

package contained. wiggins and team sky deny any wrongdoing. leicester city are in formal talks with former england manager roy hodgson. the championship side sacked manager, claudio ranieri last thursday. golf is set for the biggest shake—up in the rules in a generation to make the rules in a generation to make the sport quicker and simpler. the proposals will come into effect in 2019 if accepted. i'll be back with more on those stories just after 3.30pm. no trains will run in or out of liverpool lime street station "for several days" after a wall collapsed on to the railway. a section of trackside wall loaded with concrete and cabins fell, blocking all four lines into the station. the collapse, which happened yesterday evening, left rubble strewn across the tracks and overhead wires damaged. commuters and travellers are being urged to seek alternative routes.

earlier i spoke to simon evans from network rail about why the collapse happened. 0ur our focus today is very much making this location safe so there is not any further slips. 0nce we've done that, we will begin the task of clearing the debris off the tracks and then repairing it and getting people on the move again because that's ourjob. we like to get people from a to b. right now, at this location, we can't. we want to do that again. going back to your question, why did this happen? well, you know, we don't know yet. it's too early to say, but your correspondent just said, too early to say, but your correspondentjust said, there is some heavy material at the top of the slope and there was some bad weather, but look, we are not speculating on that, that's a conversation for another day. how long will it take for you to get things back to normalfor passengers? that's a question that we right now are trying to figure ot and answer to. we have got structural engineers who have got as

close as they can, close as they safely ca n close as they can, close as they safely can to this location just now and they are figuring out what they need to do to sort this problem out and it comes in three phases. it's making the low case safe. there has been a slip and we need to make sure there isn't anymore. we need to remove the heavy materials from the top of the cutting to make it safe. then we have to go about clearing the detry tis off the bottom and we're talking about many tonnes of stuff off the tracks and then we will begin repairing the infrastructure, cabling, overhead wires which is signalling equipment. so right now, we're saying several days as an estimate. i know that's not very helple to many people, but what we don't went to do is guess, we don't know how long it will take, but i would ask people to bear with us but i would ask people to bear with us and if anything, estimate upwards of the several days rather than downwards. well, that was simon evans of

network rail. police investigating the disappearance of raf gunner corrie mckeague have arrested a man on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course ofjustice. mr mckeague, aged 23 and from fife, vanished on a night out with friends on 24th september in bury st edmunds in suffolk. police said the 26—year—old was arrested on wednesday and is being questioned over "information provided to the investigation". 0ur correspondent ben ando sent us this. corrie mckeague, who is 23 and based at raf honington which is few miles north of bury st edmunds in suffolk disawe peered on 24th september. he had been on a night out with friends. they had been drinking. they had been to various bars and clu bs. they had been to various bars and clubs. he left the group to go and get a pizza, it seemed, he slept briefly in a shop doorway before heading into an area, a sort of service bay at the back of some buildings that's been dubbed the horseshoe. he never came out from there. that's the last sighting of him and since then there has been no

sign and an enormous investigation, searching has drawn a blank. the development today around the arrest ofa man development today around the arrest of a man in suffolk is say the police linked to information provided to the investigation and that man who is aged 26 is being questioned on suspicion of perverting the course ofjustice. the officers aren't saying much else about him other than to confirm that he is not the driver of a bin lorry that was recorded on cctv in the area where corrie mckeague disappeared on the morning, in the early hours of saturday 24th september, that bin lorry then came here to this landfill site in neighbouring cambridgeshire. the police say their records and forensic tests show that bins in that, that was emptied into the lorry had barely anything in it. nonetheless, they are preparing now here to carry out a search. at the moment what is happening isjust preptry work, they're clearing areas and creating a pathway into the area that's of particular interest to them. the full search is expected to start in about a week. sex education is to

become compulsory in all schools in england. the education secretary justine greening says that children as young as four will be taught about relationships and secondary school pupils will learn about both sex and relationships. with me is alison worsley, deputy director of policy and public affairs at barnardo's. thank you for coming in. do you welcome this announcement? absolutely. we have been campaigning about this for many years as part of oui’ about this for many years as part of our work with young people and children who experienced exploitation. this amendment will be another tool to keep young people safe. we know from our work that they don't understand what a healthy relationship might be. relationships that they think might be loving, and normal actually are exploitive and by teaching young people about relationships from an early age, we can help build the foundations around respect and around consent

and appreciation of your own body and appreciation of your own body and an understanding about, you know, just being healthy and staying safe. you mention, you talk about young people, some people might think age four is too young? but this is about building the healthy foundations for this. you wouldn't be teaching a child of four the same as you would be teaching a child of 14. it is about being age appropriate and that's important. it is in what the government has brought forward today. at four, you might be talking about consent in terms of respect for your body. understanding how your family cares for you. understanding how to build healthy relationships. and that's an important skill whether it is a sexual relationship or as you have a friendship or work colleagues even as you grow older. those are foundational skills. what would you say to those parents who feel uncomfortable about this and indeed perhaps think it is theirjob, that they would rather talk to their children about this rather than teachers? well, it's a partnership. asi teachers? well, it's a partnership. as i said, it's about giving an extra tool to help children and

young people keep safe. polling we've done shows that 82% of parents wa nt we've done shows that 82% of parents want this and the amendment will still include the right for parents to opt—out if they wish, but those really good schools that are teaching this and unfortunately not all schools do, have that partnership with parents. you can show parents the materials that you're going to be using with children and make it so parents can support it additionally at home. we have been hearing about the problems of sectioning and cyberbullying for example. are you confident that the government is actually doing enough to protect children? i think it's a responsibility for all of us, pa rents responsibility for all of us, parents and the government. this new sex and relationships education will be part of that. within of the key elements, it must teach is safety. and that will be include online grooming, online bullying, sectioning, children and young people are carrying around the equivalent of a film crew in their pockets with their smartphones and u nless we pockets with their smartphones and unless we give them skills to know what's appropriate and how and when to seek help which is really important, then we will be doing them a disservice.

good to talk to you. thank you for coming in. a labour government would legislate to require future chancellors to ensure their budgets do not discriminate against women. the move follows analysis, released after philip hammond's autumn statement in november, which found 86% of the burden of the government's austerity programme since 2010 has fallen on women. we can speak to the labour mp sarah champion. of course, another budget coming up. ironically on international women's day, what's the message? it is on international women's day because we need to do more for women. i find international women's day because we need to do more for women. ifind it extraordinary that the government, led by a woman, is still seeing the ha rd est cuts led by a woman, is still seeing the hardest cuts going towards women. working women, older women, and particularly, women. can you give me examples? when we look at where the benefits and the tax credits are

going because women, because of the society we're in unfortunately, tend to be paid less. they tend for more reliant on tax credits than men. when you look at where the government are giving tax breaks, they tend to be the higher earners who tend to be men. what i'm looking for is we have a budget that allows everybody to reap their full potential. isn't the legislation already there to stop this sort of thing? well, you're100% right already there to stop this sort of thing? well, you're 10096 right and that's thing? well, you're10096 right and that's the biggest frustration. at the last act that the labour government did was bring in the equalities act and it says any public sector cannot bring in any policies, legislation, that discriminates over one group and u nfortu nately, discriminates over one group and unfortunately, what we're seeing is the government aren't bringing in their equality audits. they aren't, consulting and they aren't seeming to ca re consulting and they aren't seeming to care where their cuts hit the ha rd est. to care where their cuts hit the hardest. is this inadvertent, if you like? a fact of life given that we are where we are and things will

even out over time, some would say? some would say that and some have been saying that about the gender pay gap which is still stubbornly set at 18%. for, if we do nothing with the gender pay gap, it will ta ke with the gender pay gap, it will take 60 years before it naturally settles down. that's not good enough. what we can actually be doing now is really being proactive, making changes that support everybody because to be honest, if everybody because to be honest, if everybody is reaching their economic potential, the whole country benefits. so you want to bring an economic equality bill to parliament, do you? absolutely. basically, what we need to be seeing is the money following the goodwill and intent. we need to make sure when there are policies like the equal pay act for example, that that is followed through with actual real policies, in government, that benefit everybody. notjust warm words and hoping people sort of make it happen voluntarily. i don't wa nt to make it happen voluntarily. i don't want to be doing this. but what i don't want to be seeing is for example, black lone mothers bearing

the heaviest brunt of the tax cuts, of the public services disappearing and of the prejudice that we're facing in this country now. with the labour party in the situation that it is, do you have confidence that you can bring anything through? well, today, it has been a great day to a nswer well, today, it has been a great day to answer that! i have been campaigning along with many mps for yea rs campaigning along with many mps for years to get the government to act on relationship education. and today, they have. i tell you, it is so today, they have. i tell you, it is so much slower when you're in 0pposition, but when you are really focussed you can make a difference. we're looking at 51% of the population who aren't making their full sort of potential known, they're not full sort of potential known, they‘ re not making full sort of potential known, they're not making the fullest economic impact that will benefit all of us so we have to do something, even if it is slow in 0pposition, we have to do something. i remember talking to in you in very studio not that long ago, you were starting out and you were full of optimism, are you still? laughter i've had a lot of it beaten out of me, i have to say because it is so slow. but every time i go back to my

constituency and i meet the yng women who are, you know, so aspirational in what they want to do, but so frustrated about the blocks that are in their place, i keep coming back and thinking no, i'm here for a reason. keep coming back and thinking no, i'm here fora reason. i'm keep coming back and thinking no, i'm here for a reason. i'm going to plod on and i'm going to get there and wins that we have, it makes it all worthwhile. it is always good to talk to you, sarah champion, thank you very much. let's catch up with the weather now. nick miller has the forecast. we're going to find the wind pick up and rain, sleet and snow pushing its way further north. it is this area of wet weather here that will spread northwards. it may flirt with northern ireland for a while. to the north of that, there will be a frost and wintry showers in northern scotland. also gusty winds through the south of wales and the bristol channel and inland gusty too. so that's one feature, but this rain, sleet and hill snow also feeding

through wales and the midlands and northern england and particularly into the welsh hills and the peak district and the pennines. very windy start. particularly east anglia and the south east for a time, but the winds will ease a bit. you can see the sunshine coming through, going into the afternoon. scattered showers about. most frequent in the north and the north—west of scotland. it will feel a little less cold in the afternoon sunshine that comes through across southern parts of the uk, further north, still chilly. what does friday and the weekend bring? john hammond will tell you just before 4pm. hello. this is bbc news. the headlines... the government is making it compulsory for all schools in england to provide sex education. children as young as four will be taught about relationships. it's really important that we have an updated approach

that means our children are safe and protected and that actually they're prepared for life in modern britain. the government's facing its first defeat over the brexit bill, in the lords today. 0pposition peers want an amendment to protect the rights of eu citizens living in britain. the president of the european commission, jean claude juncker, has unveiled a white paper of five options for the eu's post—brexit future. two women have been charged with the murder of kimjong nam, the half—brother of north korean dictator kim jong un. they face the death penalty if found guilty. from today drivers caught using a phone at the wheel within two years of passing their test will have their licence revoked. no trains will run in or out of liverpool lime street station "for several days" after a wall collapsed on to the railway. passengers are being urged to seek alternative routes.

i should not laugh. ishould not laugh. it i should not laugh. it is not fair. now for the sport. the former british cycling coach who delivered a so—called "mysterious package" to sir bradley wiggins in france in 2011 has reiterated he did not know what it contained, nor did he ask. in december, team sky boss sir dave brailsford told the committee that the package contained an over—the—counter decongestant, fluimucil. wiggins and team sky deny any wrong doing. stuart cope has been answering questions from the culture, media and sport select committee. i have listened to the evidence and i think you have been stitched up. people who may not be former collea g u es people who may not be former colleagues or friends, you people who may not be former colleagues orfriends, you have been left in a difficult position. do you feel that? yes. anything else you wa nt to feel that? yes. anything else you want to tell the committee? there is nothing else to say really. i have

told you all i know. i do not know what was in it. i was asked to take it by my employees. i was in a position where my role was not full time. iwas position where my role was not full time. i was trying to secure a job. any little job asked to do, i would do it and that is it. do think your reputation has been damaged as a result? potentially, yes. leicester city have held informal talks with former england manager roy hodgson about their vacant managers position. the bbc understands that he's just one potential candidate that they have spoken to. however it remains likely that caretaker manager craig shakespeare will remain in charge until the end of the season if results continue to go well for the struggling champions. proposals have been unveiled that — if adopted will be the biggest shake—up of the rules of golf "in a generation". they include easier ways to take free & penalty drops, and reducing the time allowed to search for a lost ball. 0ur sports correspondent katie gornall reports. although the game

of golf has evolved its rules are notoriously difficult to navigate. anything they can do to make the game quicker must be a bonus. today we need to be more mindful that people knew to the game need to understand the rules quicker and start playing immediately without the worry of being penalised unnecessarily. even the professionals find it tricky. at the masters a query over the ruling shadowed the champion's trophy win. it is situations like this the authorities want to avoid. if we do not get past that and it is too intimidating for people, we need to look again. i think that was the

circumstances that we face. these proposals are the biggest set of changes to golf in a generation. the aim is to make it more accessible to remove male only references and to speed the game up. we have also got the 40 second rule to play their next shot. that will speed it up. that will help play. then we have the drop rule. you do not have to typically drop from shoulder high. you can drop it on the ground like this. quite nice. a big change. then also, partying with the flag inputs that there is no penalty if i hit the flag. golf is often seen as resista nt to the flag. golf is often seen as resistant to change. the new rules should come into effect in 2019, a significant attempt to move with the times. that's all sport for now.

i'll have more in the next hour. the french presidential candidate francois fillon has refused to stand down, despite being told by magistrates that he will be put under formal investigation. the centre right politician has repeatedly denied allegations that he paid his wife and children public money for work they didn't do. speaking earlier, he delivered a defiant message to the french electorate. france is bigger than us. france is bigger than the stakes. it is bigger than a big number of the press. it is bigger than the opinion polls. it is bigger than the opinion polls. it is because i am totally decided to serve this france but i will impose with all my force that hasn't all calculations the side of the future

and the fate of the french during a very decisive choice. do not let yourself be abused. do not let everybody deny your choice because your voice and your voice alone should decide your future and because my will to serve is bigger than the accusations levelled against me. a violent paedophile has been sentenced to jail. teesside crown court heard that done, said to be paranoid, controlling and short tempered abused four victims over the decades. fiona trott was in court this morning. some viewers mightfind court this morning. some viewers might find parts of her report distressing. michael dunn was able to rape or sexually abuse victims because he groomed them, beat them, or kept them prisoner. we heard of a

girl who was kept in a secret compartment behind his average rate. she was hidden from police. that girl had been abused before. he raped her and when she tried to stop him, she told her she had had sex before and should know what it was like. —— he told her. in an impact state m e nts like. —— he told her. in an impact statements you said, i took an overdose of paris as well because i was struggling to cope with what happened. she is still is suffering from depression. —— paracetamol. i will never truly be able to have a relationship. two other women were abused or raped by him, one as young as ten or 11 years old. michael dunn was described as violent and controlling. 0ne was described as violent and controlling. one of his houses was filled with cameras, locks, and alarms. his victims if they wanted to go to the lavatory, had to ask

for permission. if they challenged him, he beat them. let me tell you why the independent police complaints commission is investigating this. one of the girls reported her abuse to the police in 1993 but she was told it would be taken no further. her impact statement said, i did not feel believed by the police and social services. i had no self—worth. any man could do what he wanted to do without consequences. the court heard she had attempted to take her own life. when sentencing, thejudge told michael dunn, who often shook his head like you still deny responsibility. you say you have done nothing wrong. what you wanted you have got. it is unlikely that personality will change when you are in custody. he was sentenced to 27 yea rs in custody. he was sentenced to 27 years in prison. tomorrow, voters in ireland will go

to the polls again. the green energy scheme remained a hot topic last night who's party leaders again clashed over the issue in a second television debate. 0ur ireland correspondent reports. every election is a test of leadership. in northern ireland, these are testing times. the collapse of stormont‘s sharing government has led to a second election within a year. the breakdown in relationship between the dup and sinn fein appears personal as well as political. and what about a wee bit of respect, michelle?

just saying. what we need to do... what about respect for the public, arlene? what we need to do is to have... applause. the dup leader arlene foster has been under personal pressure over a financial scandal linked to a botched green energy scheme. it has not been the cause of this election. the cause of this election of course is the wish of sinn fein to implement their radical republican agenda on northern ireland. it is about arrogance, it is about how the dup have handled the issue. it is about the fact that arlene could not even be humble to accept that she has made a mistake. and whilst we will get to the bottom of all the issues with the public enquiry, there are some things we do know to be factful and to be true. and that is the fact that arlene did strip out the cost controls. only months ago they were talking about a shared future. the dup have spent this campaign warning of the potential dangers posed by sinn fein's success at the ballot box. the only thing that will change is the dup‘s ego will be wounded. and i don't think the public care about that. they care about health and education. ultimately, just like ten months ago, getting a government back at stormont depends on a power—sharing deal after the election.

people voted for you last time and they got martin mcguinness. and he wrote your resignation letter. the ulster unionist party and the nationalist sdlp are trying to present themselves as an alternative to the last coalition. this is an opportunity to bring about change, away from two parties who only share space, power and responsibility because the law says they have to. and the sdlp leader challenged arlene foster over the dup decision to block the introduction of same—sex marriages in northern ireland. will arlene commit now to not using the petition of concern on equal marriage? let me be very clear... there are many challenges for all the parties if power—sharing is to return to stormont. i see we have a very balanced audience in tonight. let me be clear... the whole electorate will have their say when they vote tomorrow. chris buckler, bbc news, belfast. don't forget, for a full list of

candidates taking part, go to the website. the government has announced that sex and relationships education will be compulsory in schools in england. all children over the age of four will be talked about relationships and once at an appropriate age, sex. parents will have the right to withdraw their children from the classes. up till now this has only been available in council run schools. laura bates, the founder of the —— de welcome this announcement? it is long overdue. it is something the vast

majority of parents, teachers, charitable organisation and students have been calling for for some time. for several reasons, partly because we know young women already have experienced large levels of harassment at school. we no there is a wider problem of sexual violence within our society. it makes sense to educate young people and give them the tools to navigate healthy relationships. it is a really big step forward. antonia, do you agree it isa step forward. antonia, do you agree it is a really big step forward? is it is a really big step forward? is it something that teachers and people want? i think it is a big step backwards. i do not think pa rents step backwards. i do not think pa re nts wa nt step backwards. i do not think parents want theirs. i'm hearing about all the time about how they feel sidelined about this issue in their children's school. they are unhappy with the sort of sex education children are receiving in schools. what we have got at the moment is something which is very messy. the government is trying to make this a compulsory subject.

somehow or another they are saying that parents can withdraw their children. it is very unclear how that will work out. the bottom line is they will make this statutory and it will make millions of parents up and down the country completely powerless to have any say in when their children are taught about sex, what they are being taught. i want to be very clear that having studied many of the sex education resources used in primary schools, they are explicit. errors are left in shock looking at some of these resources, let alone the really distressing impact on children. can you understand there may be many parents who feel very uncomfortable about this question what is really important we are clear about the statistics. there was a major national survey released a couple of days ago which found that 85 the scent of the general public were very much in favour of this. around 90% of parents wanted it. it is

important to be clear about the statistics. it is supported. they also think it is really important to say, we are talking about age—appropriate education. we are talking about giving young people the tools they need to safely navigate healthy relationships, how to respect one another and be aware of issues like the scent and the rights to their own bodies. all the information we have from international surveys have found good quality relationships and sex education has had a beneficial impact. farfrom education has had a beneficial impact. far from the education has had a beneficial impact. farfrom the idea that children are being shot and exposed material they would not otherwise come into contact with, we note from an icm poll from the bbc that 60% of young people are 14 or under when they first see online pornography. we know that 30% of teenagers have been pressured into sending a sexual image of themselves on a mobile phone. these are already issued young people are exposed to. do we give them the tools to learn how to

deal with it, how to navigate these situations, and how to keep themselves safe? isn't that the key? any tools which help children navigate the world in which they live, that has to be a good thing, doesn't it? of course we want to support and guide children in a highly sexualised culture. who are the best people to do this? we think pa rents the best people to do this? we think parents are. all parents? i think it isa slap parents are. all parents? i think it is a slap in the face to think parents are somehow unfit to do this. i speak to lots of parents. they love their children. the instinct in parents is to protect children. the state is not there. schools are not there in the evenings. parents are. i think we are missing out on a huge opportunity here to really help support children. this is what it is all about. it is all about the children. by not engaging and harnessing parental support but that is what this political measure

means. you are pushing parents to one side. i have to say that state intervention, school interventions to influence the sexual behaviour of young people, we have seen in the past they have failed. they do not work. we should learn from the studies that have come out which have tried to influence the way the sexual behaviour of young people, we should note what has happened and move forward. we have not had parents centre stage and we need to. very interesting to hear both your views. thank you very much you. ina in a moment, a summary of the business news of the sexual education is to make compulsory in england that children as four will be talked about relationships. the government is to face defeat in the house of lords about the brexit bill

with peers detecting the rights of eu citizens. there are different ways the eu could move forward after brexit. in the business news this afternoon... meetings have been held at ford's bridgend engine plant today amid claims by the unite union that 1,160 jobs will go by 2021. ford says jobs will stay at similar levels "in the upcoming years". a decision to cut investment in a new dragon engine project was announced in september. uk house prices were up in february with property values rising by 4.5% in a year. according to the nationwide — house prices were up 0.6% compared with the previous month — bringing the cost of the average home to just over £205,000. uk manufacturing activity fell in feb — although it is still growing, just not as fast. the pm! figure was 54.6 —

down from 55.7 in january. but anything over 50 marks growth. analysts say new orders slowed and brexit—induced cost pressures remain high. charities are encouraging us to talk about that should matter more about what we do with our money when we pass away. fees after death will affect millions of people in england and wales. probate fees will go up for those with the biggest estates. dominic carter is from the alzheimer's society. he explained why it is important to get your will done early. we suggest that people plan as far in advance as possible. it can be particularly difficult once someone's dementia has advanced and the impact of the symptoms of dementia can have a devastating

effect on somebody‘s ability to make decisions and to communicate those decisions and to communicate those decisions as well. on those grounds we suggest that people plan well in advance. they can make use of dementia support workers, dementia advisers. these are two services the alzheimer's society advised otherwise make contact with a solicitor and outline their wishes. this hopefully ensures there are not difficult circumstances further down the line. itv has ported a drop in pre—tax profit. —— itv has reported a 14% decline in pre—tax profit to £553 million. the drop is mainly due to costs associated with the purchase of talpa media, the makers of the voice. but if you take out those one—off costs, profits were up 4% at £847 million.

advertising revenue at itv channels fell by 3% but revenue at its studios rose 13%. gill hind, media analyst at enders analysis. she's been explaining the results . itv has always been heavily reliant on advertising. advertising was a lwa ys on advertising. advertising was always closely linked to the state of the economy and was cyclical. in the last few years itv has tried to balance its business taste better. pa rt balance its business taste better. part of that is through the developers of itv studios, whether thatis developers of itv studios, whether that is through acquisition or organic growth. they invested quite significantly. 0rganic growth in the uk was up about 6% last year, which is fairly high. now itv studios internationally has more than 50% of the total studios revenue. in that respect, it has done quite well. pokemon go took the world by storm last year. nintendo's smash—hit saw millions of people take to the streets in search of virtual monsters. our technology correspondent, rory cellanjones, has been speaking to the man behind the madness, at the mobile world congress in barcelona. last summer, an extraordinary craze swept around the world which saw lots of people out with their mobile

phones hunting for pokemon. it is fairto phones hunting for pokemon. it is fair to save the enthusiasm for pokemon go has faded a little since then but there are still pokemon to be found out and about here at the barcelona while congress and i have also found the inventor of the game, the man who has changed our views on augmented reality, the man from the antics. did you have any concept of how big the game was going to be when it launched ? how big the game was going to be when it launched? i wish i could have predicted that. 0bviously when it launched? i wish i could have predicted that. obviously not, it was a huge surprise to us. our servers are going haywire with the traffic. it was beyond what we were anticipating. it was hard for us to keep the situation operating. people we re keep the situation operating. people were pouring down. it was very surreal. has it faded quite a lot? something like that will fade. it

exploded on social media. it had a life of its own. now it has become a very successful product but not at that level of frenzy. it is one of the most used mobile apps out there. president trump announced a spending pledge. the dow pushed above the 21,000 level as well. we are seeing sterling dropped because of manufacturing numbers i was talking that earlier. that has dropped slightly against the dollar. i will be back with more business news in an hour. europe's most active volcano has erupted in a fiery show of lava. mount etna, on the italian island of sicily, has been largely dormant for the past two years. the volcano's latest eruptions began on monday evening. authorities have reported no danger to the nearby towns and there has been no disruption to air traffic. its eruptions can last days or even weeks —

the last major one was in 1992. blue skies there. see what i did? i do not know what the picture is here. john hammond has the details. nothing that dramatic on our horizon for that there is some fairly rough weather along the way in the next few hours to the southern half of the uk in particular. england and wales will have a lively night, to say the least. the winners are increasing with the risk of bales around the coastal errors and heavy rain and the possibility of some snow particularly around high ground. in the south—west, gales around exposed coasts which could cause some issues. the rain will head northwards and turned to snow. maybe the midlands. it is something to be aware during the night. locally there could be some disruption. to the north, a quieter

night, a frosty night with showers in the far north and west try in southern areas. it will be blustery to nine. northern ireland will see wintry showers as well for stock temperatures will be well down, particularly the further north we go. some rough weatherfirst particularly the further north we go. some rough weather first thing in the morning, particularly through the central slice. the gaels will ease away. things will settle down but there will still be a blustery day. still some showers around in the far north west of scotland. further south, a quieter afternoon to come. this is three o'clock. in the sunshine as the winds die down it will feel pleasant. almost like spring stop settling down across northern england after the wintry start to the date was still some showers across parts of northern ireland and the showers will continue in western scotland. to the east of the ills of shaping up to badly. in summary, the northern

areas are quite chilly and further south milder. as we head into tomorrow evening, we will see developers coming up from the south. by developers coming up from the south. by friday morning, more wet weather spilling in. quite a deep area of low pressure on spilling in. quite a deep area of low pressure on our spilling in. quite a deep area of low pressure on our doorstep on friday to push the bands of rain northwards. england and wales will bear the brunt of the rain. blustery winds on friday. that low pressure is going to dominate the weather right the way through the weekend with these and of rain spiralling around the area of low pressure. guess what? it will be joined by another one come sunday. getting details of the bands of rain will not be easy. to some things up, there will be wet weather at times forjust there will be wet weather at times for just about all of us. there will be wet weather at times forjust about all of us. we'll be blustery and inevitably quite chilly as well. all the latest on the weather can be found on the bbc weather can be found on the bbc weather website. we back in half an

hour. ——i weather website. we back in half an hour. —— i will be back. this is bbc news. i'm rebecca jones. the headlines at 4pm: sex education is to be made compulsory in all schools in england. do we have need to have boyfriends and girlfriends at this age? no. no. . no. children as young as four will be taught about relationships and at an appropriate age about sex. the government is facing defeat on its brexit bill in the house of lords with peers seeking to protect the rights of eu citizens living in the uk. it comes as the president of the european commission outlines scenarios for the future of the eu after brexit. i'm simon mccoy. in the next hour, tougher punishment for drivers caught using their phone at the wheel. as penalties double, a new campaign urges motorists to put phones in the glove compartment out of temptation's way. and the biggest shake—up to golf rules in a generation is unveiled