we and even some wintry showers. we have got a lot of rain across the central part of the united kingdom, northern ireland, and fishing to wales. skies will brighten. and it is going to be windy across the south. we could see some sunshine. the top temperature, 15, 16. mild. overnight, that weather front goes to the wet night for many, south, and the for scotland, gales developing, rash of showers. temperatures beginning to fall. that is the trend. cold air. sunshine and showers, increasingly wintry, getting to - levels, and over getting to lower levels, and over frost making a return. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines at 1.30pm: died at the age of 90.

the american singer and guitarist enjoyed a successful seven decade careerwhich produced classic hits beethoven and johnny b. goode. more than 200 metropolitan police officers take part in an exercise involving a simulated terrorist attack on the river thames. the exercise is apart of testing the police's level of preparedness for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. a for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. a 33—year—old for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. a 33—year—old man for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. a 33—year—old man is for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. a 33—year—old man is being for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. a 33—year—old man is being sought for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. a 33—year—old man is being sought by for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. a 33—year—old man is being sought by police for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. a 33—year—old man is being sought by police in for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. a 33—year—old man is being sought by police in connection for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. a 33—year—old man is being sought by police in connection with for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. a 33—year—old man is being sought by police in connection with the for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. a 33—year—old man is being sought by police in connection with the death of for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. police in connection with the death ofa for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. police in connection with the death of a one—year—old for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. police in connection with the death of a one—year—old boy for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. police in connection with the death of a one—year—old boy and for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. police in connection with the death of a one—year—old boy and a for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. police in connection with the death of a one—year—old boy and a girl for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. police in connection with the death of a one—year—old boy and a girl of % for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. of a one—year—old boy and a girl of the same for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. of a one—year—old boy and a girl of the same age for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. of a one—year—old boy and a girl of the same age who for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. of a one—year—old boy and a girl of the same age who remains for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. of a one—year—old boy and a girl of the same age who remains in for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. of a one—year—old boy and a girl of the same age who remains in critical condition, for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. the same age who remains in critical condition, following for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. the same age who remains in critical condition, following an for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. the same age who remains in critical condition, following an incident for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. the same age who remains in critical condition, following an incident in north for neutralising a threat and keeping people safe. condition, following an incident in north london. rape victims in england and wales could be spared cross examination in front of the accused under new plans unveiled by the justice secretary. the reforms would allow sex abuse victims to pre—record their testimony before a trial. now, it's time for the travel show. india.

a vast country, home to over a billion people, birthplace of illustrious ancient civilisations. and today, a fast emerging global power. ever—evolving assortment of cultures, creeds, religions and languages. heading off the well—worn tourist path, we're on a journey that spans this vast subcontinent from east to west, travelling from one of the driest places on earth... it's quite incredible, the sand. i mean, it'sjust hard crystals, white salt. you can probably taste it. to one of the wettest. these. are, serge; “gall?" " " i'm on a quest to find out how history, religion

and politics have shaped india. and i also meet the people who call this intriguing and sometimes overwhelming country home. it's going to be an amazing journey. for thousands of years, india found its riches and influence through international trade. and at the heart of this enterprise was the sea. and the state of gujarat, with 1,000 miles of coastline, served as a shipping gateway to africa, arabia and beyond. this is as far west asvoucange'g! of all the influences from overseas that have helped make the region is known

as kutch, and its beaches, like here in mandvi, are a popular domestic tourist attraction. but this ancient port town's economy is still anchored in a much older maritime tradition. this is genuinely incredible. i'm in heaven. a huge shipyard with boats and ships at various stages of construction, all made from wood. in an industry dominated by bulky and expensive container ships, these smaller, more agile vessels are still in huge demand. so here we are, really close up to these incredible hulks. we can actually go inside. i'm going to see how they make these things. apparently, each of these dhows

takes two and a half years to make. and this ancient craft is now attracting unexpected new admirers. the region of kutch was home to one of the world's earliest civilisations, and can be traced back to prehistoric times. its old royal capital is the city of bhuj. its glory days are kind of over. it was badly hit by

the 2001 earthquake. there's a kind of melancholy about this area, because obviously, this was once the real, opulent centre of a rich empire, a trading empire anyway, and the hub was here. tradition continues. they sell everything. fruit, vegetables; *" ' fabric, groceries. seen in the marketplacerflfiflflf here, as you can see, all different communities and ethnic groups come here. but kutch‘s natural harmony was disrupted 70 years ago,

when the british left. the country was divided on religious grounds, with muslims partitioned to the north in pakistan, and hindus to the south in india. we drove out of the city towards the border with pakistan, along the way encountering some kutch herdsmen. they've been living here for 400 or 500 years. since they migrated down south into kutch from sindh, which is now part of pakistan. ever since the split, there's been tension between the two governmenter national borders and religious differences mean little. for the people of kutch, india and pakistan or hindu/muslim is not that important. people are religious, of course, but they're living in harmony and the relationship between these two different groups is brotherly. when two countries were created

from one, indelible scars were left on the psyche of the subcontinent. archive: independence has not yet brought them peace. rejoicing turned quickly into horror and mourning. in dramatic scenes, more than a million people died in religious rioting, and many millions more were displaced. this all used to be one, but now it's divided in two. and now the border itself has become a tourist attraction. that way is pakistan? that way is pakistan, about 70 kilometres up north. that is where the india—pakistan border is, which lies along the middle of kutch, which is a geographical valley. at nearly 500 metres above sea level, the highest point, kalo dungar hill, allows us a dramatic view of this geological phenomenon: the rann,

or desert of kutch, which continues into pakistan. i wanted to get up closer it's quite incredible, the sand. i mean, it'sjust hard crystals, white salt. you can probably taste it. really unusual to see something like this. the further out i walked, the less lovely it became. it's actually quite incredible. it's more like snow or sludge than white sand or white crystals when it gets wet around here. i'm getting really deep into it. whoa! today, this shimmering wilderness is a healthy source of income for the region, thanks mainly to a three—month long

it is amazing. what was a vast, barren landscape has been transformed and other performances and by day, there's plenty of other activities. just here is what you might call the glamping quarters. 50,000 people have come here in the last couple of months alone. and a holiday resort. it's basically a honeypot for the booming middle classes of india in what has been one of the fastest—growing economies in the world. has been a lifeline for one group of locals in particular, folk musicians.

music in particular is very rich over here. then afterwards. when theycame and their speech and songs are being performed. it's a day—to—day practice. one person plays two flutes at the same time? yes. now, for example, 500 cattles are there and only one shepherd is there. so he'll sit and start playing this and whatever musical reach this has, wow. and they enjoy the music, so the digestive system, the milk output increases. so this is the beauty of it. so it's almost like meditation. yeah. things are changing, definitely.

as you say, tourism, so many music festivals are there, so they are invited in various parts of india and abroad. and of course, they are very well paid. and not only do i get a demonstration, but also the privilege of playing along... as lead tinkler. and yet again, i'm made aware that kutch culture is all about a sense of community and certainly not about religious segregation. from the bottom of my heart, i am telling you till today, and perform till today. traditional music. for the next part of myjourney,

i'm heading to the south—east of gujarat, to the town ofjunagadh. ah, the classic indian railway station. to me, nothing sums up this country better than the indian railway network. more than any political act, they say that this is what unifies this country. i remember as a small child being on an indian train ah, this feels imminent. who knows when this was made, this train? it looks pretty damn old to me. but wow, look at that. it's a network that ferries millions of passengers daily across tens

of thousands of track to nearly 7,000 stations. it's one of the world's biggest employers. if there's one defining legacy of british rule, it's the vast, sprawling, creaking indian railway network. it's still the lifeblood of the country today. they sing. i'll tell you this. you wouldn't get this on a suburban train on a cold wednesday morning in london, or any other western city. this is unique. yeah. yeah, from the train journey?

yeah. train 'ourne¥. train friends. e you're the train friends, excellent. you have a community. is it lucky to have a seat on the train? yes. very lucky. she's very lucky. like you. like me! so here we are, the ancient, fortified city of junagadh, crewde -, {l m! ‘ ‘ ., lfifé & , . just a few minutes from the station

along a dusty, busy road, stands this jaw—dropping and little—known architectural wonder. built in the late 19th century, the mahabat maqbara is an elaborate mausoleum, blending indian, islamic, gothic and european architecture. the intricate carvings took over a decade to complete, and the whole structure reflects the opulence and influences of the time. back in the day, under the british raj, there were hundreds of so—called princely states run by maharajahs and nawabs, powerful and wealthy men. there was one such character here, a nawab who made a decision that still has ramifications for relations with india and pakistan even today. these nawabs led lavish

lifestyles, in stark contrast to ordinary indians. the nawab ofjunagadh, mahabat khan iii, was no different. archive: this states celebrates the marriage of the eldest son archive: this state celebrates the marriage of the eldest son of the nawab with all the pomp and splendour of a princely wedding. harish desai was ten in 19116, and recalls the splendour of the ceremony. in state through the streets. before him and the procession goes a costly profusion of wedding gifts. all the princes were there, attired in a princely pattern with turbans of a particular type on their head. that lasted for several days. and he recalls getting his first taste of this other world.

for the first time, i saw bread, butter, sandwich. that was not known to us here. my father said "you eat this. this is bread and this is butter". and i liked it. there were small pastries. i still remember that made in england, london, there were huntley & palmers biscuits. of his highness, mahabat khan iii. the nawab‘s own most legendary indulgence was his love of animals. hie mam haste fingfiénék he was mad after dogs. i think almost all varieties and breeds of dogs from all over the world were here. he used to arrange marriages for dogs, and celebrated with parties and honeymoon. honeymoon! he used to do it. but with the advent of independence, the power and influence of india's

royal rulers was coming to an end. come partition, the muslim nawab wanted to makejunagadh part of the newly created islamic pakistan... even though the town is more than 80% hindu and hundreds infuriated, the new indian government rallied its troops. the news started coming that the army is coming with huge tanks and trucks and jeeps and artillery and guns and everything are there. an economic blockade was ordered, cutting off supplies of food and resources into the region.

eventually, junagadh acceded to india and yet to this day, 70 years on, his great—grandson still lays claim to junagadh. and the episode lingers as a reminder of the last days of the raj in india. and 65 kilometres down the road in the gir sanctuary, the nawab‘s legacy as an animal lover extraordinaire continues with the most regal of creatures. now, lions may have iconic status here. they're a royal symbol and they're in hindu mythology, but at the beginning of the last century, they were threatened with extinction. of the asiatic lion. witha stable habitat. ,,

the asiatic lions are smaller and paler than their african relatives. and these are their modern—day protectors, india's first female forest rangers, the so—called lion queens of gir. now they're part of a team that performs more animal rescues than any other wildlife park in the world. on average, the unarmed rangers cover 25 kilometres a day and have to tackle venomous snakes, leopards and poachers as well as lions. if they did get agitated, how would you be able

to tell from the animal? how would you know if you're safe or not, being this close to the animal? and it did get dangerous forjayshree early on in her career here. aeeticetiene freq! women fer these ~ ,,, .,, and the rangers are role models and trailblazers in the region today. ooh, look at that mouth. the good news is that from once being in danger of extinction, numbers have climbed to over 500. the next, much more welcome, problem is if the sanctuary is big enough for their growing population. so, the first part of my travels across india comes to a close.

but next week, i head to the north—east of the country. i'm on the banks of the mighty river brahmaputra, and about to go to a very spiritual place. and with the amount of people crammed on here as well, a region that prides itself on tradition and creativity, and a passionate desire to protect this unique part of the world forfuture generations. very unsettled and a lot of cloud in the forecast. if you lucky places have seen the sunshine, that's pushing temperatures mostly to the teens. there is rain for some. that rain has been along this weather para meters rain has been along this weather parameters and affecting central parts of the uk, from northern ireland to southern scotland and northern england. fairly packed together, i there will be a strong together, so there will be a strong wind blowing throughout the afternoon. the rain has been quite heavy, especially across north—west

england. has caused some driving conditions in cumbria. wet through the afternoon here, whereas further north there will be sunshine and showers. some showers likely to be quite heavy. could see a rumble of theeiee quite heavy. could see a rumble of made: in their quite heavy. could see a rumble of thufide" in their particularly for thunder in their particularly for the northern isles later on. it could still just about the northern isles later on. it could stilljust about make ten or 11 degrees in the northern and eastern parts, but colder in the north—west. for the north—west of england, that cloud thick enough for some patches of rain. the south—west heading across into the midlands féééhfififéefiéirif-eiim see the best of the féééhfififéefiéirif-eiim see the be and the best of the temperatures, and the best of the sunshine. this evening and overnight, the rain picks up across southern and western areas. there will be quite a soggy night here. very windy with gales developing a whole rash of - developing and whole rash of showers developing and emerging into longer spells of rain. some snow on the high ground. another mild night to come across

southern and eastern areas. monday isa southern and eastern areas. monday is a messy picture. low pressure bringing further gales to scotland through the morning, and this weather front a really weather front bringing a really 5°99y weather front bringing a really soggy gauge weather front bringing a really soggy gauge of much of england and wales. it slowly will move its way south—eastwards but never really clears away summer south—eastwards but never really clears away summer. be windy clears away summer will be windy with further rain, still quite mild here further north brighter. here furthernerthbrightei? scattered showers, wintry over the high ground and some sunny spells. single figures scotland and northern ireland, double figures for england and wales. it will feel noticeably colder and it will be quite showery as an move into next wednesday. these showers may contain some hail and sleet and snow. it will also see the return to overnight frost. not very springlike weather in the forecast for the near future.