this is bbc news. the headlines at 3. theresa may makes an impassioned appeal to preserve the united kingdom ahead of her first meeting with nicola sturgeon since the snp proposed a second independence referendum. when this great union of nations sets its mind on something and works together with determination, we are an unstoppable force. the family of the american tourist killed in the westminster terror attack say he would not have borne any ill will towards his attacker. he was an amazing individual who loved everyone, and tried to make the world a better place. police investigating last wednesday's terrorist attack in westminster believe khalid masood was driving up to 76 miles per hour on westminster bridge where three were killed. in the next hour. life under is control — we hear from the people of mosul who have witnessed jihadi fighting

and coalition air strikes. god will have revenge on isis. the deadline forforming a new devolved government in northern ireland expires injust under an hour, with no agreement in sight. the new £1 coin is released tomorrow, but are everyday machines ready for it? good afternoon and welcome to bbc news theresa may will meet nicola sturgeon in scotland later for the first time since the snp announced their proposals for a second independence referendum.

at the beginning of a week that will see article 50 triggered on wednesday, the prime minister will say she wants to build a more united nation. tomorrow, the scottish parliament is expected to pass a vote in favour of seeking a new scottish independence referendum — which ms sturgeon wants to hold in autumn 2018 or spring 2019. theresa may, though, has said now is not the time for it. our scotland correspondent lorna gordon reports. it is a week in which two unions will dominate the prime minister's agenda. one, the eu that the country is leaving, the other the uk, a union theresa may wants to keep together. the precious, precious bond between england, scotland, wales and northern ireland. her first visit after taking office was to scotland. now, in a week when she triggers article 50, she's back again. meeting scottish police officers to discuss counterterrorism after last week's attack at westminster. security one likely area

of consensus when the prime minister and first minister meet later. agreement in other areas may prove more challenging. when this great union of nation sets its mind on something and works together with determination, we are an unstoppable force. that is why the plan for britain i've set out, to get the right deal for britain abroad as well as ordinary working people at home has at its heart our goal, to build a more united nation. because i believe when we work together there is no limit to what we can do. a majority of voters in scotland opted to remain in the eu referendum. i believe it would be wrong for scotland to be taken down a path that it has no control over. nicola sturgeon says her government has met a brick wall of intransigence in the negotiations to protect scotland's place in europe. if theresa may didn't want the union to become looser, she is not going a very good

way about it. she needs to treat scotland as a partnership of equals. that has not been the case. she needs not to disregard the will of the people of scotland when it comes to a future relationship with europe. the scottish government has sought compromise with the uk government, it is now up to the uk government to respond to that compromise. tomorrow at the scottish parliament, the snp and the greens are expected to vote in favour of the right to call a second independence referendum. both sides in this debate on scotland's future appear as far apart as ever. talks later, yes, but little sign yet on how this constitutional disagreement will be resolved. lorna gordon, bbc news. joining me now from our glasgow studio is patrick harvie from the scottish green party. good afternoon, is there anything theresa may could say to you that might make you change your mind and not vote with snp tomorrow?m

might make you change your mind and not vote with snp tomorrow? it was funny listening to theresa may's speech which was curiously devoid of detail. there were mild platitudes we could all agree with. if there was any meaning behind what she had been saying, that they genuinely demonstrated they regard the uk not asa demonstrated they regard the uk not as a unitary state but a union of nations with respect between nations, if the uk government behaved in that way i think it would behaved in that way i think it would be possible to reach an accommodation that respects the way people voted in scotland in 2014 to stay pa rt people voted in scotland in 2014 to stay part of the uk, and respects the way people voted in 2016 to stay pa rt the way people voted in 2016 to stay part of the eu. many in scotland voted remain and the uk government has ridden roughshod over that. treated them with contempt. ministers will not come to answer questions to snps is scottish parliament about the damaging approach to brexit, ripping us out of the eu and the single market, as

well. if a new referendum is to happen it should come about by the will of the people and not be driven by calculations of party political advantage, i quote, by calculations of party political advantage, iquote, do by calculations of party political advantage, i quote, do you agree? you are quoting from our manifesto and there have been two tests of the will of the people and in one, 55% voting to remain part of the uk and the other nine months ago, 62% voting to remain part of the eu. i think the scottish government have gone further than i would to offer compromise and some way of reconciling those two positions. the uk government is refusing to discuss that. we called in october at our party conference for this mechanism, section 30, to authorise a new independence referendum will stop because it is the people who should determine this, how to square these two results, not government or

parliament. you are talking about the brexit result, there is nothing to reconcile, brexit is happening. that is the point. theresa may says let's negotiate that and then the people of scotland will know what the deal is. that is what gives the lie to her words today. she says when the four nations set our mind to something we are unstoppable. that is not what is happening. this is being done to scotland and northern ireland. let's remember the chaos happening there with the prospect of direct rule, or a third election in a year. that in the context of brexit, when northern ireland like scotland voted to remain. what about the polling that suggests the people of scotland are not keen on having another referendum, independence referendum?” understand why people have mixed feelings. some people are hostile to

the idea, others recognise it is a necessity. i think the option has to be there and in scotland is going to have the right to make the decision we need to seek legislation for a referendum introduced so that we can debate that. if we do not have that the option is taken off the table and essentially we are dragged out of the eu without the consent of the people of scotland. i think the future of scotland needs to be determined by people who live here, including those disenfranchised in the eu referendum. 16 and 17—year—olds voted in the previous referendum, as well as citizens of other eu countries have chosen to be pa rt other eu countries have chosen to be part of our society and they were disenfranchised. they should have the right to vote in the question about the future direction scotland ta kes. about the future direction scotland takes. ignore the vote in the uk took in june last takes. ignore the vote in the uk took injune last year and behave as though you are already independent?

we need to respect the way the people in scotland voted. in many other structures around the world that are unions of nations, federal structures, if you took seriously the notion of a union of nations theresa may is describing, each constituent part would have a say. the constitutional choices made in the us would require a majority of the us would require a majority of the states, not just the us would require a majority of the states, notjust an absolute majority. even within the eu, the every other member state of the european union will have a chance to ratify the deal negotiated by the uk government scotland did not elect on the brexit arrangement scotland did not choose, negotiated with an eu institutions scotland is no longer represented on and every other member state will have a say. why should the future of scotland be determined by literally everybody else in europe except the people who

live here? thank you very much. let's cross to westminster and speak to our chief political correspondent, vicki young. we will hear a lot of this? certainly. many will say the debate that was not held in the referendum itself, that is what we are hearing now, and as theresa may heads towards wednesday, the triggering of article 50 after these months of waiting, she will be focused on what deal she can get. lots of people chipping in with ideas. she will get a lot of advice and she had some today from the labour party who set out six rules they say they will judge her by. keir starmer there are exit spokesman saying the crucial one is that he thinks there should be the exact same benefits the uk has as a country now in the single market and customs union. that could be tricky, given that theresa may has made it clear the uk will leave the single market. this is what he

said about that. once a small minority in the conservative party, the brexiteers are now in office and in power. this ideologically driven approach to brexit would be disastrous and divisive. and it would stand as a roadblock to continued cooperation in the important fields of technology, research, medicine, security, science, art and culture. the prime minister needs to face down these brexiteers. 0n the other side of the argument ukip and their leader paul nuttall, he laid out six rules, very different, as you can imagine. he says ukip will be the guard dogs of brexit. they have had a difficult couple of days with their only mp

douglas carswell deciding to become an independent mp in the commons. paul nuttall is saying they do not need the presence in the commons to hold the government to account. he said brexit should be done by 2019 and that the uk must not hand over any more cash in the next couple of yea rs any more cash in the next couple of years all once we have left and he said there must be control of immigration. we wish mrs may well in her negotiations. she must know and understand ukip will be there, as the guard dogs of brexit, to ensure that the people are not betrayed, to ensure there is no bartering, to ensure there is no bartering, to ensure there is no bartering, to ensure there is no backsliding. we will be there to ensure that brexit really does mean exit. after all the talking, the arguments, the only talking, the arguments, the only talking that matters, the negotiations that will get under way

in the next couple of weeks and all sides will keep a close eye on it and those in the european commission saying they will be open about what they are asking for. we will have to see if the uk government is the same but this commentary on what theresa may is up to is sure to continue. thanks. and all this week here on the bbc news channel we'll be putting your questions to our bbc editors on the triggering of article 50. today at 5:30, we'll be speaking to our economics kamal ahmed. to our economics editor kamal ahmed. you can get in touch via twitter using the hashtag bbc ask this, or text your questions to 61124. you can email us as well at askthis@bbc.co.uk. the family of kurt cochran — the american tourist who was killed in last week's attack in westminster, have said he would not have borne any ill will towards his attacker. he and his wife melissa were on holiday in london to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary when they were struck on westminster bridge by a car driven by khalid masood. the bbc has learned that police believe the car was travelling at up to 76 miles per hour

on westminster bridge where it hit and killed three pedestrians. 13 people are still being treated in hospital. 0ur correspondent richard lister reports. it was the last afternoon of their wedding anniversary tour of europe. kurt and melissa cochran were due to fly home the next day, but in an instant he was killed and she was badly injured. today their families were in london, paying tribute to the man they lost. he was an amazing individual who loved everyone and tried to make the world a better place. he left a legacy of generosity and service that continues to inspire us. we are deeply saddened to lose him, but grateful that the world is coming to know him and be inspired by him. when khalid masood began his murderous drive across westminster bridge, the two americans were his first victims. kurt was thrown over the bridge rail. the family said they were determined

not to hate his killer. last night, we were speaking as a family about this. it was unanimous that none of us harbour any ill will or harsh feelings towards this. we love our brother, we love what he brought to the world, and we feel like this situation is going to bring many good things to the world. a lot of inspiration, a lot of love. and that remarkable sentiment was echoed today by another of masood's victims. i don't want to blame anyone. i want us all to make sure that we are thankful for what we have, for the people that are still alive and the people currently recovering. and we should try and unify through that, through love and compassion, rather than through our hatred and anger about what happened. as the investigation progresses,

this chilling image has emerged of khalid masood's whatsapp profile, showing he'd been connecting showing he'd been connected to the networkjust minutes before he set off across the bridge. the debate over the issue of secure messaging continues, but for those talking about the attack today, the focus was on remembering those recovering and those who are lost. richard lister, bbc news. the headlines on bbc news: ina in a speech in scotland the prime minister said brexit is an opportunity to strengthen the ties between nations in the united kingdom. she will meet nicola sturgeon later. the family of the american tourist killed in the westminster attack said he would not have born ill will towards the attacker. police investigating the attacker. police investigating the attack believe khalid masood was driving up to 76 mph on westminster bridge, where three people were killed.

the iraqi city of mosul has had an agonising weekend. the jihadists of so—called islamic state seem determined to fight to the death. it is now clear that at least 100 and maybe many more were killed in an air strike on the 17th of march. yalda hakim has been talking to some of the mosul residents who survived the militant snipers and coalition air strikes. they arrived with what little they could carry. these are the tired, desperate and hungry survivors of the caliphate. they've managed to flee notjust isis snipers, but also coalition and iraqi airstrikes. this is the entrance to the hammam al—alil refugee camp. these buses bring people to the actual camp. as soon as people start to arrive, the men and the women are separated, because they want to screen some of the men to make sure that they aren't isis fighters or sympathisers. near a makeshift school,

i meet 12—year—old mohammed. mohammed tells me first isis snipers killed his father, and then his mother, as they tried to get away. he fled here with his two brothers. the camp, now home for the orphans. hammam al—alil is overflowing and people are being asked to either go to one of the other camps or to east mosul. we travelled to the east, where, injanuary, after a bitter battle that lasted 100 days, the jihadis were driven out. 0n the side of the road in the east, 0mar, his wife and two daughters are waiting for a relative to pick them up. in the dead of night, they left their homes and the fighting in west mosul. do you want isis gone from your city? translation: god will have revenge on isis and those who helped isis enter the city.

this is one of the bridges that leads to west mosul. here in the east, life is starting to go back to normal. the traffic is flowing, people are coming out of their homes. it's hard to imagine that, just a few weeks ago, isis was beheading people in these streets. the battle to retake west mosul is complicated. the front line is now in the old city, and the area is densely populated. i first came to mosul four and a half years ago. it was tense, even then, with curfews and complaints from the local sunni population that they were being mistreated by the shia—led military. this battle is now in its final stages. iraqi forces may be fighting to free the people of mosul from the tyranny of the so—called islamic state and their caliphate, but an even more complex task lies ahead — reuniting a very divided city. the un refugee agency has been

working with people fleeing mosul. caroline gluckjoins me now from baghdad. thank you very much forjoining us. a humanitarian crisis was predicted, it seems to be happening. what are you able to do to help? it is happening. the numbers coming out are getting higher. the agencies have worked around the clock to do what they can to ensure everybody coming out gets help. almost as soon as they get out, which means getting water, a hot meal, shelter, medical assistance, and in some cases, some psychological assistance. people come out very traumatised. in many cases they have witnessed killings, executions, they have gone through perilous journeys. executions, they have gone through perilousjourneys. especially children. you can see they are

highly traumatised. what are the numbers you are seeing? we know that since the offensive started, around 350,000 people have come out of mosul. the refugee camp where your reporter was and where i spent most of last week, is seeing the greatest numbers, around 180,000 people cumulatively so far. everybody from west mosul now goes to that site and is security screen. the camp is full. unhcr has almost completed a new camp and we hope by the end of the week, thousands of families will bea—— the week, thousands of families will be a —— able to move there. the site is absolutely overcrowded. many families, three or four, is absolutely overcrowded. many families, three orfour, sharing a tent at the moment. conditions have been difficult. last week, it was

heavy rain, very muddy and cold. how would you describe the international response? i think everybody is working flat out to help people. everybody knows this was and always was predicted to be an enormous humanitarian crisis. it has been difficult, particularly when you get so difficult, particularly when you get so many thousands coming every day. at the refugee camp, between 8000 and 15,000 new arrivals every day. it has been a struggle but i believe there has been good coordination between agencies and government departments. everybody wants to insure that civilians who come out get emergency assistance as quickly as possible. many thanks. the deadline to form a new devolved government in northern ireland looks likely to pass today without an agreement. sinn fein said the talks had run their course. in a press conference earlier today arlene foster, leader of dup, blamed

sinn fein for the lack of a breakthrough saying they had not come to the talks in the same spirit that the dup had. we entered the discussions after the election in good faith. and, as we indicated, we wanted to see a new executive formed. our position throughout the talks was that we wanted to see a successful outcome based on recognition of all mandates. during these discussions it appeared to us that sinn fein were not in agreement—finding mode. indeed, their refusal to have the secretary of state chair the talks resulted in a total lack of structure. any further discussions will have to be built on more solid foundations. michelle o'neill, leader of sinn fein, then address the press conference, defending her party's actions in these talks. we came at the negotiation over the course of the last three weeks fully engaged, our full team were there wanting to deal with all of the issues.

we said consistently throughout the course of that that we needed to see implementation of issues that were previously agreed. that was a major stomping block. the dup did not approach it with the right attitude. they were not prepared to bring forward mechanisms and deal with the issues and make sure we had full implementation. the british government did not play their role in the way that they should. they should have ensured that we had delivery on what has been previously been agreed. the northern ireland secretary will make a statement in the next hour and we will bring you that when it happens. the new 12—sided pound coin will be in circulation from tomorrow. one and half billion of these coins have already been minted and distributed to secret locations ready for the launch. the treasury says the coins will be much harder to forge. our correspondent tim muffett has been finding out if all the parking meters, vending machines and lockers are ready for the change. since 1983, the pound coin has flowed through our economy. down high streets into shops, vending machines, shopping trolleys, parking meters. but the days of the round

pound are numbered. from october 15th, these will no longer be legal tender and from tomorrow, these, the new 12—sided coins, will enter circulation. it looks pretty. i can see the double tone on it. it's nice. can i keep it? it reminds me of the old threepenny bit. feels like monopoly money. the new coin's shape and structure make it harder to forge. it is thought that 3% of the old pound coins were fake but it's thought the total cost of switching over will exceed £100 million. think of all that expense of changing every vending machine, shopping trolley, everywhere you put a pound coin in will need to be changed and it costs someone. it's ridiculous. the industry did not know until we saw it on the news. paul runs one of the uk's largest

suppliers of vending machines. he says that upgrades to 4,000 of them have cost his company £200,000. we have been quite blatantly told, thank you, we're having a new coin and it is your job to update the mechanisms. we have not been given a time frame to do this, it will not be completed until the end of the year. the treasury decided to switch. in a statement it said it worked with business every step of the way to help them prepare for the new pound coin, which it says it will be the most secure of its kind in the world. at the royal mint in south wales, 3 million of them are being produced every day. we had some issues with the old pound coin. the technology was about 30 years old. it is made from two different coloured metals, a white coloured metal inner and a brass coloured outer. in addition there isa semi—hologram. when you look in one direction,

you will see one image, and in the other direction you will see the pound. i think it is important that the public can feel confident, that they know that when they hand this from me to you it is worth a pound and it is genuine. the beeches leisure centre in birmingham where the lockers need upgrading. daryl has been a busy man. we have done nearly 4000 now across the country. things could soon get even busier. there is still a lot of work and a lot of lockers out there that need to be changed over. as of tomorrow there will probably be a wave of leisure centres waking up to the fact that the coin—operated locks will no longer work with the new coin. the treasury admits this is a major transition but says it's confident most businesses are ready for the change. and that the long—term benefits of the new pound coin are worth the short—term cost. tim moffat, bbc news.

isaid it i said it looked like the old threepenny bit. i had threepenny bit. ihada threepenny bit. i had a blank look. i did not know what it looked like. phil avery will get me out of this one. moving swiftly on until i go into what i got thyme christmas. the old ten shilling note? this what a contrast. sunshine north and south. 17 and 18 degrees. underneath the cloud, i have said seven, but some have been stuck at four degrees. pretty much what you have few will keep this evening. fog around yet again, 4—8 will cover it, tomorrow. and a change on tuesday. initially across western areas with more cloud from the atlantic. a showery burst of rain.

working its way further north and east with time. in sunny spots, again we could look at 18, 19, possibly 20 degrees, may be higher. that influence from the atlantic builds into the middle part of the week. we have pulled in warm air from the atlantic up and across the british isles. wetter in the north and west. sunshine in the east. 20, 20 one. hello. this is bbc news with simon mccoy and reeta chakra barti. the headlines at 3.30pm: theresa may has made an impassioned appeal to preserve the united kingdom ahead of her first meeting with nicola sturgeon since the snp proposed a second independence referendum. when this great union of nations sets its mind on something and works together with determination, we are an unstoppable force. the bbc understands that police investigating last wednesday's terrorist attack in westminster believe khalid masood was driving at up to 76 miles per hour on westminster bridge where three pedestrians were killed.

the family of one of the victims, kurt cochran, have spoken publicly for the first time since he was killed. they say he would not have borne any ill will towards his attacker. thousands of people flee mosul as iraqi forces he was an amazing individual who loved everyone and tried it make the world a better place. thousands of people flee mosul as iraqi forces continue their offensive to drive so—called islamic state fighters out of western parts of the city. bt has been fined a record £42 million over delays in installing high speed business lines. the regulator ofcom found that its openreach division failed to pay proper compensation to rival firms. and sinn fein is refusing to be part of an executive led by the democratic unionist leader, arlene foster. the northern ireland secretary will have to decide whether to call a snap election. let's get a round—up of the sport

now and go over to olly foster. andy murray's elbow injury is more serious than first thought. his brotherjamie has revealed that the world number one has a tear in the joint and he isn't expected to play any part in great britain's davis cup quarter—final tie against france. murray pulled out of the miami open last week and was targeting a return to action at the start of the clay—court season start of the clay court season in about three weeks time. that is in doubt as well after a scan revealed the extent of the problem . his medical team should give an update on his condition in the next few days. the draw for the semi—finals of the women's fa cup has been made. birmingham knocked out the holders arsenal at the weekend, and they will face last yea r‘s runners—up chelsea. manchester city will face liverpool. city are the reigning league champions but have never won the cup and are juggling a few

competions at the moment. it isa it is a tricky time to have the games in quick succession, but i guess it adds excitement into the spring series, but it is competitive. it is exactly what eve ryo ne competitive. it is exactly what everyone would want in the run—up to the euros. we have reached the halfway point in world cup qualifying, scotland are up to fourth in theirgroup ahead of their next match which is against leaders, england. that should be a sell—out in glasgow but scotland beat slovenia 1—nil at a half—empty hampden park last night. everybody who is involved will go away. i hope they enjoyed it. we're available for people to come along and support us next time. i know you'll give us that support. it's been a brilliant day for india

in the fourth and final test against australia in dharamsala. they should win the series tomorrow. they need another 87 runs with all their second innings wickets intact. it was an action packed third day with india resuming theirfirst innings. they built a lead thanks to some big hitting from ravindra jadeja. he made a brisk 63 australia then collapsed in their second innings. india bowling them out in 54 overs, skipper steve smith — such a vital wicket — went for 17 the last four went for 16 runs, australia all out for 137. india came back into bat and closed on 19 without loss. victory would see them win the series 2—1. former champion ding junhui had a tricky start on the first day of the china open in beijing. he was docked a frame in his opening match against sean o'sullivan for a "logo issue". he still won the match 5—3.

world champion mark selby lost the opening frame of his first match to the pole adam stefanow but has just made a break of 126 to go 4—3 up. ellie downie finished with three gold medals at the british gymnastics championships in liverpool. the 17—year—old had already won the all—around title but also came out on top in the vault and she won on the bars as well after her older sister becky fell that's all sport for now. john watson will have more in the next hour. theresa may has said that leaving the european union is an opportunity to strengthen the ties between nations in the united kingdom. she has been giving a speech to civil servants at the department for international development in east kilbride, before meeting scotland's first minister, nicola sturgeon, this afternoon. when this great union of nations england, scotland, wales

and northern ireland, sets its mind on something, and works together with determination, we are an unstoppable force. that's why the plan for britain i've set out, a plan to get the right deal for britain abroad as well as a better deal for ordinary working people at home has at its heart one over arching goal — to build a more united nation because i believe when we work together, there is no limit to what we can do. a more united nation means working actively to bring people and communities together by promoting policies which support integration and social cohesion. in scotland, wales and northern ireland, that means fully respecting and indeed strengthening the devolution settlements, but never allowing our union to become looser and weaker or our people to drift apart. so in those policy areas where the uk government holds responsibility, i'm determined that we will put the interests of the union both the parts and the whole at the heart of our decision making. international development is a prime example of that and your work here on behalf of your fellow

citizens across the united kingdom has a huge impact. indeed, the work we do as a united kingdom on the world stage makes an eloquent case for our union as a whole. it is about the values, we share in our family of nations. values of freedom of speech, democracy, respect for human rights, the rule of law. this proud, shared heritage, provides the bedrock of our lives together in the uk and on that foundation, we have built a country where we share the challenges that we face and bring all the expertise, ingenuity and goodwill we share across this union to bear to tackle them. that allows us to do amazing things like the life—saving work which is led from this building. so as britain leaves the european union, and we forge

a new role for ourselves in the world, the strength and stability of our union will become even more important. notjust for the good that standing together brings to our own people here at home, but also for the good we can do together in the world as a global britain. a force for good, helping to build a better future for everyone. the russian opposition leader, alexei navalny, has beenjailed for fifteen days for resisting arrest during an anti—corruption rally yesterday. the court in moscow also fined him the minimum 20,000 roubles for organising the banned protests hundreds of people were arrested during the biggest show of anti—government sentiment for five years. business leaders in lancashire are calling for tough action

against protestors who target companies supplying the fracking industry. a protest group is planning two weeks of direct action against businesses in the industry supply chain. our correspondent danny savage reports. a protest outside a company which supplies cement to the fracking industry and it's about to get ugly. bleep. hey, get out of your car! get out of your car! bleep. the man at the wheel of the 4x4 was last week fined for his driving. the aim of the protest was to persuade the business to stop selling to a fracking company called cuadrilla. we're going to be visiting every business that has owt to do with fracking orfacilitating it and we're going to do exactly the same things everywhere we go. this is where the demonstration took place. protesters say as a result a number of companies have now agreed to stop supplying the fracking industry here in lancashire. none of those companies would comment to us when we approached them. but the local chamber of commerce say what's happened amounts to a campaign of intimidation and harassment.

i think the real concern is that it could escalate very easily. so we could go from intimidation and harassment, and we could see confrontation and aggression escalate towards, you know, physical violence. anti—fracking protests are regular occurrences. this was outside the main site near blackpool last week. get out my way. stop it. a group called reclaim the power is planning direct action against companies in the fracking supply chain. direct action is a campaign tactic. it is normally to stop or disrupt things and cause economic disruption. it's usually the last resort. if somebody turns up with their face covered and hood up, they look like an anarchist, and that's quite intimidating. i understand that but we have a strict policy of not intimidating. we are here to concentrate on saying if you remove the supply chain, then fracking cannot go ahead. in north yorkshire,

pro—frackers living near a proposed site in ryedale are watching events closely. i didn't like it when over in lancashire the companies were backing down and capitulating to the bullies and the anarchists. over in yorkshire i hope we have more grit, more determination, and that we will not back down to these bullies. but anti—frackers say they've spent years following protocol and protest is the only option left. they claim public opinion is overwhelmingly against fracking. it's hard to see anything but a growing sense of conflict over the issue. ministers must introduce tougher measures to tackle childhood obesity in england, including controlling supermarket price promotions on junk food and food high in sugar. a report today by the health select committee argue that plans published by government ministers last year miss several important opportunities and don't go far enough. here's our health correspondent dominic hughes. a levy on sugary drinks was the main element of the government's

childhood obesity strategy when it was announced last year. but while many health experts and campaigners said it was a start, they also thought the government could and should have gone further. now a group of mps has agreed that much more needs to be done to tackle childhood obesity. in particular they want action to curb discounts and price promotions on unhealthy food. the committee also calls for clear goals on reducing overall levels of childhood obesity and for the levy on sugary drinks to be extended to milk—based products that have added sugar. we know that one in three 11—year—olds are overweight or obese, and that's notjust about individual choices, it's about the environment that children are growing up in and really the key thing that's missing from the current strategy is regulation around marketing and the promotions to children. representatives from the food industry itself told the committee that responsible retailers

are being disadvantaged by those who continue to offer big discounts on food high in sugar and fat. in a statement, the department of health in england defended its use of a largely voluntary approach from the food industry to the reduction of sugar and fat, and said ministers had not ruled out further measures if results are not seen. but the mps argue the situation with childhood obesity is so serious and urgent, ministers need to take much more robust action. an avalanche in centraljapan is thought to have killed at least eight high school students and teachers. they were among 60 people from seven different schools on a trip to the ski resort of nasu, 100 miles north of tokyo. rescue efforts are underway but bad weather and heavy snowfall have hampered the operation. our correspondent rupert wingfiled hayes sent this report. high up on the mountainside, rescue teams can be seen climbing through deep snow towards the avalanche site. another team is spread out

in a line, carefully prodding for signs of life or digging for those buried below. 48 high school students and their teachers had set out up this mountain this morning. conditions were terrible. more than 12 inches, or 34 centimetres, of snow had fallen in just eight hours. at around 9am this morning, the whole new snow sheet slipped, tumbling down the mountainside and engulfing the students. all day, the driving winds kept helicopters at bay. the rescue would have to be done on foot. by late afternoon, teams began bringing the dead and injured down, shrouding them in blue sheets to protect their identities. seven children and one teacher are now confirmed dead. most of them from the same high school. another 30 have been injured, although most of those are not serious. as the rescue operation begins to wind down, the questions will begin. with the heaviest march

snowfall in 25 years and avalanche warnings posted, why did this trip go ahead? in a moment a summary of the business news this hour but first the headlines on bbc news: in a speech in scotland the prime minister said brexit is an opportunity to strengthen the ties between nations in the united kingdom. she'll meet nicola sturgeon later. the family of the american tourist killed in the westminster terror attack said he would not have borne any ill will towards his attacker. police investigating the attack believe khalid masood was driving up to 76 miles per hour on westminster bridge where three people were killed. hello. in the business news:

bt has been fined £42 million by the telecoms regulator ofcom for delays in installing high—speed lines. it's the largest fine the regulator has ever imposed. it comes after bt‘s openreach division cut how much it paid telecoms providers for delays in installing lines between 2013 and 2014. banks need to prepare for a wide—range of potential outcomes and avoid sudden changes to lending as the country gets ready to leave the european union. the warning from the bank of england comes just two days before prime minister plans to trigger article 50, the process of formally notifying the eu that britain is ready to start two years of exit talks. and more change on the trains. a hong kong firm has been awarded the franchise to run south west trains for seven years from august, replacing stagecoach. it has joined forces with uk transport firm first group. mtr runs the hong kong metro system and will operate london's crossrail line when it opens. the new franchise promises faster journeys with new trains. there has been a rise in the numbers

of people visiting attractions such as museums, cathedrals and zoos across the uk. the association of leading vistor attractions says the numbers are up by more than 7%. the top attraction, for the tenth year running, is the british museum in london. but the capital has seen a dip in attendances at major sites because of worries about terrorism. now one place that has bucked the trend is kew visitor numbers rise by almost 19%. joining us is sandra botterell the marketing and commercial enterprises director from kew gardens. there has been a hike. how much is to do with the change in the value of the pound ? to do with the change in the value of the pound? well, i think some things are to do with the change in the value of the pound. we have seen more international visitors and also an increase in domestic visitors not wanting to travel abroad because the uk represents better value, but it isa uk represents better value, but it is a reflection of the fact that

people are just enjoying exploring what london has to offer, exploring what london has to offer, exploring what the gardens have to offer and a really varied programme of events and festivals. do you think the higher value of currencies like the euro and the dollar are keeping uk tourists in the country? certainly, there is evidence of that, yes. and more frequent visits as well. so not just more visitors, perhaps trying us just more visitors, perhaps trying us for the first time, but more recurring visits as well. this research talks about the sort of scare around terrorism and how it is affecting visitor numbers. do you feel that at kew? well, we haven't seen any impact and historically there is evidence to show that u nless there is evidence to show that unless there is another attack fairly soon afterwards london is resilient in terms of tourism and

has a good reputation for security so we tend not to have much of an effect actually in terms of tourism numbers. 0k, effect actually in terms of tourism numbers. ok, on wednesday, the prime minister, theresa may, is going to trigger article 50, the formal process of leaving the european union. how does brexit impact the tourism industry and how does it impact your business at kew as well? well, we're open for business and visit britain has been saying that for a long time. britain has long been a tourism destination and london continues to be a very strong tourism destination. i don't see that it will have a huge impact. we have a lot of aspects here. our historic history, our beautiful countryside, they will continue to attract tourists and i think secondly for kew we are a global research organisation and that will continue. we have no plans to stop that work. 0k, that work. ok, sarah, let's leave it there. thank you very much. the qatari finance minister

has said his country will invest £5 billion in the uk. investments will be in infrastructure, so road and rail, financial services and technology over the next three to five years. the bank of mum and dad is more popular than ever, particularly when house buying is concerned. according to new research more than a third of homebuyers in england depend on money from theirfamily. using the latest official data available, from 2013—2014, researchers found 34% of buyers needed cash or a loan from their parents. an oil exploration firm has made what its described as the "largest undeveloped discovery" of oil in uk waters. hurricane energy said one billion barrels of oil could be contained within the greater lancaster area, 60 miles west of shetland. the company hopes to begin production in 2019. the discovery is significantly larger than the average find in recent years,

which has been about 25 million barrels. worries over whether donald trump will be able to push through planned tax and spending changes in the us had a ripple effect across global markets. shares fell and the pound hit a seven week high against the dollar as the dollar weakened on that news. among individual shares, bt group fell about 1.2% this morning after it was given that £42 million fine that we were talking about earlierment the shares are down 0.38%. teasit down 0.38%. teas it from me. i will be back in an hour's time with more business news. united airlines has faced a barrage of criticism after it barred two teenage girls from boarding a flight for wearing leggings. a third girl aged ten, also wearing leggings, was only allowed to board after she put on a dress that was in her backpack. united said paying customers would have been allowed to fly, but as the girls were flying on discounted tickets as relatives of staff members, they had to meet certain standards.

caroline davies reports. it is the online argument that's been called leggings gate. it was started with this tweet by shannon watts a campaigner in the united states m e nt watts a campaigner in the united statesment she saw two girls stopped from going on a united airlines flight from going on a united airlines flight because they were wearing leggings. i was really stunned because i'm the mum of four daughters who travel and live and work in leggings and yoga pants. and also because i wanted to understand the policy, i am a premier member on united and i thought it was really shocking. shannon tweeted at the airline and this was their tweet back: it led it a twitter storm with some celebrities joining it led it a twitter storm with some celebritiesjoining in. it led it a twitter storm with some celebrities joining in. comedian sarah silverman said she wouldn't

fly on united. an actor called it petty. unite clarified their position in a later tweet, explaining that the girls were united pass riders, that's a ticket for company employees or eligible dependants and it does have a dress code which means you can't wear lycra. the company tweeted reminding their normal customers that their leggings are welcome. regardless of what tickets they hold, shannon says she says the polls crisis is sexist and needs to be changed. some news from the metropolitan police in connection with the westminster attacker, khalid masood. this is a statement that's been given to the bbc‘s panorama programme from the deputy assistant commissioner who says that khalid masood last criminal offence was committed in 2003. he wasn't part of

any threat picture. they have been speaking to panorama for a programme that goes out on bbc one tonight. they say any suggestion he was radicalised in prison is speculation. there is no evidence or intelligence that he was the subject of interest or a national security threat in the security service or counter—terrorism police investigations connected with other claims of terrorist acts. there is no evidence that he had any association with either so—called islamic state or al-qaeda and he goes on to say that he knows when, where and how he committed his atrocities, but he needs to know why? and he appeals for anyone who knew him and talked to him, to contact the police. panorama is on bbc one tonight. now the weather. john hammond has the forecast. john. simon, it's simon, its stunning for many of us. there is a huge condition trast in

the weather across the country. you can see where it is gloomy across the heart of the midlands. this shot is from northamptonshire, but if you move northwards or southwards you're into a different world with all that beautiful spring sunshine and yet again, the highlands of scotland are top of the shop temperature wise, 19 celsius in one or two places and this stunning view across the sea at troon. a fine evening for most. that low cloud which never disappeared from eastern counties will become more widespread. some mist and murk around too. the clearest of the skies probably out west. it will be another chilly feeling night. single figures and as we have seen over the last few nights in rural spots where it stays clear, it won't be too far off freezing. some brightness tomorrow. it will be another morning of contrast and then we will see changes out west and showers turning up. some of the showers will work

their way up into south—western parts of scotland. ahead of that, more cloud. nothing like as warm as it has been since 4pm along the east coast will be in single figures. one or two possibly thundery showers across northern ireland. in any sunshine, warm. mid to high teens across eastern counties and brightening up across the south—west tomorrow afternoon. then another batch of rain. this is tomorrow night. some dampness feeding its way up night. some dampness feeding its way up across night. some dampness feeding its way up across the country to be followed by another batch of rain. some of this rain could be heavy and accompanied by a blustery wind as well. further east, it will probably stay dry. limited brightness, fairly cloudy day for most of us on wednesday. and we keep further fronts coming in off the atlantic. this set of fronts bringing a packet of rain into western area, but this warm front will start to draw up some winds from the south of the

warm continent. you can see how the chart turns orange on thursday. so i wouldn't be surprised if one or two places reach 20 or 21 celsius in the south east in the sunshine, further north and west, it is cooler and cloudier with the fronts bringing rain and forall of cloudier with the fronts bringing rain and for all of us as we end the week, it will turn cooler with a showery tart to the week as well. that's it. i will be back with more detail in half an hour's time as well. we this is bbc news. the headlines at 4. theresa may makes an impassioned appeal to preserve the united kingdom ahead of her first meeting with nicola sturgeon since the snp proposed a second independence referendum. when this great union of nations — england, scotland, wales and northern ireland — sets its mind on something and works together with determination, we are an unstoppable force. the family of the american tourist

killed in the westminster terror attack say he would not have borne any ill will towards his attacker. he was an amazing individual who loved everyone, and tried to make the world a better place. police investigating last wednesday's attack believe khalid masood was driving up to 76 miles per hour on westminster bridge where three were killed.