hello, this is breakfast with christian fraser and sally nugent. north korea has said it's prepared to respond in kind to any nuclear attack from the united states. tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians have taken part in a huge military parade amid growing speculation that the country is preparing another nuclear test. good morning. it's saturday, 15th april. also ahead: learner drivers will have to prove they can use a satnav in new changes to the practical test. the sun columnist kelvin mackenzie has been suspended and reported to police over an article he wrote about the everton footballer ross barkley. half of the world's bluebells are found here in the uk, but we'll hear why the british bluebell could be under threat. in sport, brighton take a giant stride towards the premier league. the championship leaders win at wolves, and are now

on the verge of promotion. takeit take it easy. it was definitely a challenge for me. i've been finding out how the team gb alpine skiers, are hoping to leave their opponents adrift. and philip has the weather. good morning, not a bad day for most parts of the british isles. can we keep it going for the rest of the holiday weekend? i'll have the details for you in a few minutes. good morning. first, our main story. north korea has warned that it's prepared to respond in kind to any nuclear attack. it comes amid growing tensions between pyongyang and the us. earlier this morning, kim jong—un oversaw a massive military parade to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of his grandfather, the country's founder. our correspondentjohn sudworth was invited to witness the event. his movements are being tightly controlled, but earlier he described the scene in pyongyang.

it's an extraordinary sight. you can actually feel the ground shake as thousands upon thousands of goose—stepping soldiers, tanks and rockets and other weaponry have marched and rumbled their way through the capital city. this is a display of unity for the young north korean leader and it is meant, of course, to send a key message on the anniversary of his grandfather's birth that his grip on power is unassailable, but as donald trump threatens to thwart his nuclear ambitions, it also sends a message to the outside world that this country's military with its nuclear tests and missile launches is vital for its survival and military analysts will, of course, be pouring over these pictures for evidence of the latest state of technological advancement

of these forces. there is that speculation that it maybe preparing for another underground nuclear test. at the moment, we have absolutely no contact with the outside world other than this tv line that i'm speaking to you on. all of our mobile phones were taken away from us about five or six hours ago before being allowed here into kim il sung square. i think it's probably unlikely that we'll see a test today, but kimjong—un is making it absolutely clear that he is not prepared to negotiate away his nuclear weapons whilst being threatened and challenged by the united states. and experts believe that with missiles, with weaponry like this, they are just a few small steps away from having a real deliverable nuclear arsenal and of course, once they reach that stage, it's a game changer in terms of the regional security situation

and the global international diplomatic calculation about what can be done about north korea's military ambitions? it changes things for good and the young man sitting up there in those stands has learned those lessons from his grandfather and from his father before him. a british student who was stabbed to death on a tram injerusalem has been named as hannah bladon from burton—on—trent. the 20—year—old was studying in the city as part of an exchange programme with the university of birmingham. a palestinian man, thought to have a history of mental illness, has been arrested over the attack. police in sheffield are investigating four unexplained deaths in the barnsley area which they think might be linked to heroin use. they're trying to find out if the deaths were caused by the strength and content of the drug being used locally. driving tests are getting an mot in order to better reflect the demands of modern motoring.

from december, learner drivers will no longer have to tackle some traditional manoeuvres, but will instead be expected to demonstrate new skills, such as using a sat nav safely. judith moritz has the details. every motorist has been through it, the rite of passage of taking a driving test, but in future learners will be examined on new things. the first driving test was taken in 1935. clearly today's drivers are used to a very different road experience. more than half of them use satnav and so the test has been updated to reflect that. so it's turning right out of gate and then continuing to follow the signs. i went for a drive with graham o'brien who helped develop the new test. satnav: turn right and then at the end of the road, turn left. drivers will have to follow satnav directions. so if we can incorporate it into the test that will drive the training and get people more familiar with dealing with that level of distraction as well which we know is one of the biggest causes of accidents in the first six

months with new drivers. learners will also be asked to show they can cope with real life scenarios such as parking within a bay. we were often taking people down into housing estates where they would be reversing around a corner and perhaps using up half a test doing some of these set piece manoeuvres. the point is to change all of that, to get people far greater experience of roads. the new tests have been trialled in some areas and will be introduced for everyone by the end of this year. candidates will be asked to drive independently for longer, but the cost and length of the exam will stay the same as no doubt will the nerves of those going through the process. the sun columnist, kelvin mackenzie, has been suspended after he compared the intelligence of the everton footballer ross barkley to that of a gorilla. the mayor of liverpool, joe anderson, reported him to merseyside police for what he called "racial slurs". caroline rigby has more.

it was this column published yesterday which has seen kelvin mackenzie suspended from the sun. the article was about everton mid—fielder ross barkley who was punched earlier this week in a liverpool bar. in it, the paper's former editor compared the footballer, whose grandfather was born in nigeria, to a gorilla. mr mackenzie also wrote that men with similar pay packets in liverpool were drug dealers. my stomach turned when i saw the picture of ross barkley alongside a gorilla. i think that was totally racist. it offended me. i'm sure it offended ross barkley and his family and it offended lots of other people and that's why i reported this to the police. i'm not reporting it to the police as a gimmick. i've reported it to the police because i felt and i do feel that it was a racial attack on an individual. merseyside police are now investigating whether the comments constitute a racial hate crime. in a statement the sun's publisher, news uk, apologised for the offence caused and said the paper was unaware of ross

barkley‘s heritage. kelvin mackenzie has also responded saying it was beyond parody to describe the column as racist. almost a fifth of parents are being asked to make a financial contribution to their child's school, according to a survey by the nasuwt union. it comes as school leaders and teachers have voiced concerns about growing funding pressures in england's state schools. the government says school spending is at a record high. 2596 25% of pa rents 25% of parents are saying they can't afford to make the contributions and asa afford to make the contributions and as a result of that, their children are unable to participate in creative subjects, in art, in school trips and so on and so forth. we don't think that's right. britain's creative companies are urging the government to overhaul its approach to the sector, as ministers draw up a national industrial strategy. they say british creativity is a big export earner and should be taken just

as seriously as other industrial sectors such as car—making. the business secretary greg clark says he wants to build on the sector's strengths and is committed to doing a deal with the sector soon. competitors in england who take part in weekend fun runs will no longer be charged, under new rules proposed by the government. the changes would make it illegal for councils to charge parkrun, whose events aim to encourage people to exercise. nasa scientists have released new global maps of the earth at night, which they say give us the clearest view yet of the patterns of human settlement across our planet. the maps are created by stitching together thousands of cloud free satellite images, taken over many months. sarah corker has been taking a closer look. these images of the world in darkness have been dubbed the black marble. cameras on board a nasa satellite are so sensitive they can detect light from just a single fishing boat or isolated street lamp. these pictures were taken in 2016.

the satellite data creates beautiful images, but also shows how humans have shaped the planet. this image shows europe at night and if you look more closely, you can see the boot—shaped peninsula of italy and lights coming from its towns and cities. and if we move over to africa, this is the river nile. it clearly shows how people have built their homes along its banks. this is a day—time image of the area, showing green fertile land and this is it lit up at night. the images have become a useful tool for scientists and researchers. they helped to detect power cuts after hurricane matthew struck parts of the caribbean and us in 2016. and in syria, the un has used the data to monitor the movement of people displaced by war. while the most recent mount etna eruption was also caught on camera from space. next, nasa plans to release daily night images.

they should help scientists to reduce light pollution, monitor unregulated fishing and even track sea ice movements across the world's oceans. it is 8.11am. as north korea celebrates the anniversary of the birth of its founding president with a parade of its military might, there is growing concern that tensions between the secretive nation and the rest of the world could be nearing breaking point. china has warned that conflict "could break out at any moment" and a fleet of us navy ships are en—route to the peninsula. john everard is the former british ambassador to north korea and hejoins us now. these are extraordinary times. we have been here before, but how worried are you? i'm concerned. i think most north korea experts are concerned too. we have been through worse, but the problem today is that

everybody is on a hair trigger. everybody has said that if anybody else moves and they will react. so if anybody does actually do anything then you have a domino—effect and very quickly i think we could be in a violent situation. so far, so good. it is now nearly 3.a5pm in pyongyang and so far nobody has actually triggered that sequence. so let's keep our fingers crossed that it stays that way. you're talking about this potential nuclear test. i was looking the other day at the satellite images. north—east of pyongyang, a mountain zone that they have been tunnelling in. tell us about that area and what goes on there? north korea has a lot of very high mountains. they're good at digging tunnels and they dig their tunnels good and deep. and they have shown they are conducting nuclear tests on five previous occasions. it is easy to see the preparations for a test because you pick up vehicle movements on satellites and there have been a lot of those. the

experts are telling us that the test zone is primed and ready for the great leader to press the button at any time. whether, of course, he will do so, we don't yet know. so it will do so, we don't yet know. so it will be a huge explosion underground. the difference, i suppose, over the last few years is they want to attach one of the warheads to a missile that could reach the united states? well, they have been trying to do that for a long time. they're not far off? they are not far off. nobody really knows how far off they are. even if you can geta how far off they are. even if you can get a missile properly targeted on the united states, there are big technical difficulties like stopping it spinning out of control or stopping it burning up on re—entry that we don't think they have mastered, but the situation is bad and if we allow it to continue unchecked they will get to that point. is it glib or wrong to look at the mental health of the leader because a lot of people point to him and say he is mad? no, he's not mad. this is, kimjong—un is neither mentally

u nsta ble is, kimjong—un is neither mentally unstable or a fool. he calculates very carefully. he has shown that he's prepared to take risks rather as certain other world leaders are. that's not insanity, it is simply playing by a different rule book. but he is prepared to press the button? yes. we firmly believe that. it is not a game this. this is not him sort of sizing up the new president. he is fully prepared to press the button? i can't be sure, cani? press the button? i can't be sure, can i? buti press the button? i can't be sure, can i? but i have no reason to doubt that he is. the north koreans said they are not only prepared to press they are not only prepared to press the button, but prepared to use neck collar weapons. the big speech today was one of the senior leaders in north korea saying they would use nuclear war in place of nuclear war is almost a step back. that means they would use their nuclear weapons if somebody else uses their own nuclear weapons first. so they're

not threatening a nuclear reprisal for a conventional strike. it is a slight softening of the situation. in light of what you've just told us, it is crucial the united states thinks carefully about its next move, isn't it? yes. what's interesting is the language that donald trump is using. he is talking about this battlegroup going to the korean peninsula, he calls it an armada and there have been two fairly bold moves, bombing syria and the mother of all bombs that they dropped in afghanistan the other day. so he's putting north korea on notice, but putting chin on notice as well? he's sending signals in all directions as a recent editorial in a china newspaper said the reverberations from the explosion from afghanistan must have been felt in pyongyang. he is telling china that the united states is prepared to use armed force where under president obama he might have hesitated to do so. he's telling

north korea that the leadership bunkers are no longer safe. if the leadership thought it could survive aus leadership thought it could survive a us conventional strike and live to fire its nuclear missiles in return, it better think again. dangerous times. how many of these parades did you go to? several. john, it is very good to see you. thank you for coming in today. here's philip with a look at this morning's weather. there is something to lift your spirits. is this like that everywhere? sadly not. there are many showers to be had and notice how the isobars tend to squeeze up as you drift up into the northern half of scotland. the wind, it is a north—westerly wind, will be present across the northern half of britain. it starts off showery and that's the way it will stay. the wind strong in the scottish mountains. the wind—chill factor high and there will be snow showers as well. at the

lower levels it is sunny spells and showers, not only for northern ireland and scotland the odd one to start off the day in the south—west as well. southern half of britain a lot of dry weather. i think the cloud will develop as the day goes on. if you get that combination of cloud and the breeze as well, it will feel chilly. but it will feel more spring like if you can avoid some of the cloud and get sunshine and step out of the breeze, 15 celsius could be yours. these temperatures pretty much where we have been for the past day or two. it is that sort of time of year, once the skies clear overnight. the temperatures will dribble away, but they won't clear, they will cloud. and we will see rain getting into northern ireland to finish off the night. further east, we will keep it dry. there is a little bit of doubt about the peripheries of this wet weather spell as it drifts through the british isles. i think it will be in the central belt for the first pa rt be in the central belt for the first part of easter day. i think it may

dip into the south—eastern quarter. some of the rain very welcome. maybe the timing is not going to suit your purpose, but some of the fields and gardens are looking dry across parts of southern and eastern parts of the british isles. again the temperatures close to where we've been. the north of scotland stays with a mixture of sunny spells and showers and chilly through the day. here is monday. again, the speckling of showers, predominantly through central and eastern parts driven along by the breeze. on the back of monday we go into really cold nights. if the garden centres tempt you, be prepared to protect the pla nts you, be prepared to protect the plants from frost in the forthcoming week. phil, thank you very much indeed. if you've been out walking in the last few days, you might have been lucky enough to come across a bluebell wood. but this spring, it seems those gorgeous blue—violet carpets have appeared later than in previous years. catriona renton is in hertfordshire for us this morning to find out why. gosh, it's beautiful.

isn't it just gosh, it's beautiful. isn't itjust gorgeous? the birds are singing. the sun is shining and we are amongst this carpet of magical looking bluebells. it is like being in the enchanted forest here in landly wood. i'm joined by steve marsh who can tell us about the bluebells. tell us about the bluebells we're looking at today. they're centuries old. they are an indicator of ancient woodland. at least 400 years old, but thought to go back to the last ice age. let's talk about the actual specifics here. christian was saying he has got bluebells in his garden and he is not sure which type they are. these are the native ones which are native to the uk. we have more than half of these in the bluebell population. these are the native bluebells. we want people in the uk going on the woodland trust website

and tell us where bluebells are and whether they are native or non native. native are distinguishable because they droop overment the non native is upright and stiff. they have a white pollen that you can see inside and the non natives have a blue poll nl. they have a scent, the i'ioi'i blue poll nl. they have a scent, the non natives don't have a scent and they are more delicate, long conicaled flower that curls back on itself. we're not in amongst the carpet, we are on the edge here because they are so fragile, aren't they? bluebells are under threat from lots of different things, habitat loss, climate change, but trampling because everybody loves to get in amongst the bluebells but they are delicate and they can be trampled. looking at this sea, it is stunning. how many of these are there around the uk? where can people go and have a look? anyone can find their nearest bluebell site

by going on the website. you want people to actively get out and have a look and tell you where they are and how many they have seen and what it looks like? it is one of spring's most wonderful spectacles. we want people to get out and enjoy the bluebells because sther not around for long. seeing on twitter the number of people getting in touch, we can see that you're enjoying seeing these too. there is another population underneath here that we all know from folklore, the fairies are living here with us as well.|j think that's a fairy glen. don't you think? it looks like a fairy glen. katrina, it is beautiful. think? it looks like a fairy glen. katrina, it is beautifullj think? it looks like a fairy glen. katrina, it is beautiful. i have got to go home and check my bluebells to see if they are the english variety. clare sent this one of the woodland near her home. she says it smells amazing at the moment. here is poppy enjoying the, oh, look at poppy, yes. enjoying the bluebells. the

next one is from paul who sent us this from shropshire. there is one in dartmouth on the hill overlooking the harbour and it is called bluebell wood and it is spectacular. if there you're there have a look at bluebell wood. you're watching bbc breakfast. time now for a look at the newspapers. the papers are agreeing, we are starting with the daily mirror, they are saying we starting with the daily mirror, they are saying we are on starting with the daily mirror, they are saying we are on the brink of nuclear war. the times has a similar story saying that president trump has been given a number of options which he is looking at the moment. the guardian, the same story. they

are saying north korea warning from china. the daily mail has a story we have been talking about today, the mot for the driving test. you have got to be able to use a satnav and turn on the back heater. telegraph, the same story. david, what have you got for us? pages and pages about how near the world may or may not be to another horrendous war. unsurprisingly therefore, there is not much humour about, but giles corran in the times does his best. he tells us it is world war three and i'mjoining dad's army. this he tells us it is world war three and i'm joining dad's army. this is and i'm joining dad's army. this is a perfect storm, he says, genuine nutters are simultaneously ensconced as leaders of the major powers for the first time since world war ii and then he tells us let's look at the bright side. they're saying it will be over by christmas. we can join the home guard, that looks like such fun, boris might get a crack at

being actual churchill which is what he has been after all along really and everyone already has a keep calm and everyone already has a keep calm and carry on poster and it goes on and carry on poster and it goes on and onment the football season will be abandoned so chelsea won't get to be abandoned so chelsea won't get to be champions. well, there you have it. it is a horrendous... the part he would like is frazer's part. the serious nature is so horrendous and you had your very brave correspondent i saw earlier. john sudworth standing...” correspondent i saw earlier. john sudworth standing... i suspect there was only one tape there. he had a short amount of time. he could do it once. he wasn't allowed a mobile phone. there was a government minuter with him. they're celebrating the 105th birthday of one of the now leaders... who was

a lwa ys one of the now leaders... who was always the president. the man who is in charge is thejunior. always the president. the man who is in charge is the junior. it is, always the president. the man who is in charge is thejunior. it is, you know, really serious time. we have had the you suspect we have had a bit of posturing and certain trying out a few things and sending a few messages to use the colloquial expression, but that can't go on for much longer. one of the horrible things that's going on at the moment with all this in north korea, around the world the way that christians, the world the way that christians, the number of christians, who have been killed, or have been tortured for their faiths is been killed, or have been tortured for theirfaiths is going up and up but thank goodness this happening closer to home, but you know, here we have in this story in the daily mailjesus is only the fourth thing we think of at easter. easter is the

most important date in the christian calendar and it is easy to forget that this act in a country like ours, that this sort of thing is going on with increasing regularity. most likely the copse in egypt who can't go to their church without being bombed. you see what happened at easter and what really happened at easter and what really happened at easter and you wonder how anybody justifies the cruelty and depravity of what is going on. i saw prince charles the other day was talking about, you know, in this time should realise how awful these things are. do you watch university challenge? when i'm forced to. i have noticed in fairness that this seems to ring true to me, there is a lot of men on the set. not only do you suspect there are a lot of men, the teams

are not chosen, we're told by the couege are not chosen, we're told by the college or university authorities, but by the students themselves, but the last series an all male final with one in five female contestants throughout the whole 2017 competition. so it is self selection? it appears to be that. i happen to be interested. you have got the teachers conferences going on this easter... former education correspondent. as i was. i used to dread those teacher conferences. they would ruin your easter. they certainly did, but you do think, i was always brought up that girls, the achievement of girls in schools was at the top level, at the top level, was probably more consistent than the boys and am i seriously being told byjeremy paxman that girls are less competitive than boys? my goodness, they don't know

my girls! two daughters. right, let me get my note pad out. what's the secret to a happy marriage? i want to, as i've said from the start, i want to try and cheer people up this morning. couples who share the secret of their long lasting love in the sun taking separate holidays, have their own bank accounts, do morning crosswords... my wife is painting this morning. the house or a picture? are you going to be joining her? i was going to go and watch the football. well, have your own interest ises the best advice i can give, but i don't think anyone should necessarily listen to me. i like the celebrity secret from barbra streisand who has been married for 19 years. the trick they say is kindness and i would add to that a sense of humour. david, thank

you very much indeed. david says i can watch the football this afternoon. she will be kind. you have got to follow your own interests. maybe you should be kind to her. if she is watching. i will be home soon! you're watching breakfast. still to come this morning. last year the canadian vlogger lilly singh became the world's top earning youtuber. so after conquering the internet, she'll be here to share her advice on conquering life. i'm hoping she will tell us what to do. stay with us — the headlines are coming up. hello, this is breakfast with christian fraser and sally nugent. coming up before nine, philip avery will have the weather. but first, a summary of this morning's main news. north korea has warned it's prepared to respond in kind to any nuclear attack. it comes amid growing tensions between pyongyang and the us. earlier this morning,

kim jong—un oversaw a massive military parade to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of his grandfather, the country's founder. south korean military officials believe a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile was on display. he is definitely not mad. kim jong—un calculates very carefully. he is prepared to take risks, like other certain bold leaders. it is not insanity, it is just working by a different rule book. a british student who was stabbed to death on a tram injerusalem has

been named as hannah bladon from burton—on—trent. the 20—year—old was studying in the city as part of an exchange programme with the university of birmingham. a palestinian man, thought to have a history of mental illness, has been arrested over the attack. driving tests are getting an mot in order to better reflect the demands of modern motoring. from december, learner drivers will no longer have to tackle some traditional manoeuvres, but will instead be expected to demonstrate new skills, such as using a sat nav safely. the sun columnist kelvin mackenzie has been suspended over an article in which he mocked the people of liverpool and compared the intelligence of everton footballer ross barkley to that of a gorilla. the sun has described the comments by its former editor as "wrong" and "unfunny". merseyside police are investigating whether they constitute a "racial hate crime". mr mackenzie has said he didn't realise the player had a nigerian grandfather. almost a fifth of parents are being asked to make a financial contribution to their child's school, according to a survey by the nasuwt union. it comes as school leaders and teachers have voiced concerns about growing funding pressures in england's state schools. the government says school spending is at a record high. chewing gum manufacturers are being urged to contribute

to the cost of removing discarded gum from pavements. it's estimated local authorities spend as much as £60 million a year cleaning it up. the local government association says the industry should also switch to biodegradable products to help tackle the problem. in a galaxy far, far away... the much—awaited first trailer for the up coming star wars film "the lastjedi" has been released. the film, which is the eighth episode in the star wars franchise, will star an new central female. it isa it is a two—minute teaser that shows some epic scenes and also asks the

question, why does luke looks so old. because he's been sitting on the mountain for such a long time. let's move on. so, brighton? it's been a journey to the edge of oblivion and back, but brighton are almost back in the big time, after their 2—0 victory at wolves. both of brighton's goals came from championship player of the year anthony knockaert, one in each half. albion stay top and will be

as good as promoted, if they beat struggling wigan, in front of their own fans, on easter monday. it could be some party. meanwhile, second—placed newcastle were denied a victory, at home to leeds. they went ahead when jamaal lascelles header was deemed to have crossed the line. and they held on to that lead, until the fifth minute of injury time when chris wood snatched an equaliser. 1—1 it finished in front of more than 52 thousand at st james park, and leeds are up to 4th. dan walker is here ahead of football focus and, dan, the brighton story will give hope to coventry city who've gone the other way in the last decade. we have a packed programme. craig

shakespeare is on. he will be talking about lester's revival since the departure of claudio ranieri. also the prickly relationship between himself and claudio ranieri. also, they are still in the hunts in the premier league. we have an interview with fernando torres, he's talking about his time at liverpool. that other little look.|j talking about his time at liverpool. that other little look. i played probably the best football of my career there. my son was born there. liverpool for me is part of my life,

pa rt of liverpool for me is part of my life, part of my career, part of my heart. cani part of my career, part of my heart. can i ask you about your partnership with steven gerrard. i was a big fan of stevie before i went to liverpool. by far the best player i have played with. i will pay to play with him again. by far, the best player he has played with. he would pay to play with steven gerrard. high praise indeed. we also have a nice chat with didier drogba, who has part owner of a club and they are trying to get into the mls. mazz and is out live on about. we will speak to leon osmond as well. a big

evertonian. will speak to him about the game and what has happened with ross barkley in the last few days. we are on from midday for an hour. you miss the big one, everton. i was ignoring him. they are up against it today. his eyes go wide, which means shuts up. the real challenge is to find a goalfrom shuts up. the real challenge is to find a goal from the scottish premier league last night. let's try and do it. there was one game in the scottish premiership last night. it finished goalless between kilmarnock and hearts. fifth placed hearts marginally had more of the game at rugby park,

although kris boyd failed to make the most of this chance to win the match for killy. they're now six points from the danger zone. katie archibald has won great britain's first gold, at the world track cycling championships in hong kong, in the women's omnium. it's decided by the number of points you score, over four different events. the olympic gold medallist, was second, going into the final was second going into the final event, which was the points race, and did enough to beat amy cure of australia to the gold medal. it's archibald's second world title, and herfirst individual gold — she was part of the victorious team pursuit squad three years ago in colombia. ifeel in pain, primarily. but yeah, feel really privileged to pull it off in the end. that was an unbelievably grippy race. i really thought i'd lost it in that middle point ofjust chase and chase and being attacked, chase and being attacked. ijust got back on in the end and pulled it out of the bag. elsewhere, wigan claimed a thrilling derby win over st helens,

who played for 67 minutes with 12 men, after kyle amor, was red carded. liam marshall and his wing partner joe burgess, both scored twice as wigan won 29—18. exeter are joint top of rugby union's premiership, after a bonus point victory over play—off hopefuls harlequins. quins were hoping to squeeze into the last available play off place, but exeter‘s winning streak continued at the stoop. this wonderful effort from henry slade, wrapped up a 39—26 victory. in the pro12, it was pretty much one—way traffic as glasgow beat zebre 45—1, to keep their top four hopes alive, despite effectively fielding a second team. they scored 4, first half tries including this one by peter murchie. snooker‘s world championship gets

under way in sheffield this morning. five—time champion ronnie o'sullivan is in action against fellow englishman gary wilson, in the afternoon session. it will be the 40th year, that the crucible has played host to the tournament, and o'sullivan is in the mood, to lift the famous trophy again. sheffield is a great event. it's a good tournament and everyone looks forward to going there every year. so yeah, it should be a great tournament again, whether it's the 40th or the 21th or the 140th. it'ss still the crucible. it is still seven day there is. a great, great tournament. if you get to pick the trophy up at the end, it's an amazing feeling. if you were asked to name the top alpine skiing nations... is it switzerland? how about great britain. great highland mountains in

scotland's, but pretty much a flat country. but imagine, do remember how citing the transformed? partly thanks to a sky called dan hunt. he has been brought on board tojoin the ski team and he is hoping to turn britain into a top skiing nation. i went along to the championships to find out how the jewish skiing is being brought in from the cold. —— find out how british skiing is being brought in from the cold. the dawn of what many believe could be a gold new era for british skiing and leading the way, on top of the world, dave ryding. he specialises in slalom and this season stunned the world by coming second in a world cup race in austria. there's no way i can

keep up with dave. following in his wake like many others indeed, inspired by his success, the first briton since 1981 to make the podium of a world cup race. it was a life changing moment. especially in austria, the home of skiing, they were going crazy for it. obviously over the moon. i never really planned to get on a podium or anything but ijust kept on working over the years, and yeah, to do it here, like the wembley of alpine skiing, it was awesome. he started off at a dry slope in lancashire while still in primary school and really honed his skills on this surface. it was several years before he first raced on snow and has since been to two winter olympics and world championships but it is only now that he is 30 that it has come right for dave and his coach tristan glasse. commentator: ryding leads the way! a lot of hard work over the last three years. you have to work on the ranking year after year and you get the better start number. this year, i was able to take advantage of a good start in the season and have little less pressure. on the slalom course in tignes, dave did wait for me so he could show me that technique needed for slalom and show what his

body goes through on a daily basis, whether in the gym or practicing on the course. all right, we go for a nice line, don't go straight at the gate, there you go. get that pole in. now take it easy! do you think that went badly wrong? yes. bleep. yeah, i think wejust have to go, try and get the pressure on the outside ski and a nicer line. bleep. all right. you ready? there you go. he's a natural now. the feeling here at the british ski championships in tignes in france is that dave ryding and his story could just be the beginning of a great new era for british skiing. especially now with a man who transformed cycling on board, the ambitions have grown even higher. we set a really clear and ambitious target to become one of the top five ski and snowboard nations and to be podium—competitive across all of our

olympic disciplines by 2030. it feels very similar to back when we started the cycling journey. a lot of ambition. well done, gold medal. there's this huge momentum in british skiing at the moment with the success that dave's had and the success that i'm starting to get. dave and the team's recent success has also got royal approval with prince edward attended the championships to help hand out the medals. there's a different atmosphere now. they've managed to get into much better shape. dave ryding's success is just, i mean, it's stupid but on the men's side, that's a really, really big story. success for the slope started in sochi, when jennyjones of won an historic medal, got the ball rolling and the alpine skiers have shared some of the spoils. more funding is needed and in a sport as precarious as this, nothing can be taken for granted. but the rest of the world are now aware that team gb and dave ryding are a force to be reckoned with. yes and within the next year, can he

win an olympic medal? thank you very much indeed. it is a quarter to nine and you're watching bbc breakfast. one of the most senior religious leaders in the so—called islamic state group has been killed in west mosul, according to iraqi forces. the iraqi government has warned the thousands of civilians who remain trapped in the city to stay indoors, as troops our defence correspondent jonathan beale is embedded with iraqi troops and we can speak to him now. we have seen pictures in the newspapers of the noree mosque. that is in the heart of the old city, is that where they are trying to get to? that is a target they have in mind, along with the narrow winding

streets. it will be a difficult fight. most of that area is still under is control. they are about a kilometre away from the gleaming minaret of that mosque. at the moment, it is pretty quiet here. we had allowed night of air strikes. that is a helicopter gunship above and you can occasionally hear coalition warplanes. but the pace has slowed down. they are finding the fight difficult indeed, the iraqi forces. it has pause for a number of weeks. we have been told they will resume the offensive, but they will resume the offensive, but they are finding it very difficult at the moment. one of your pieces is on bbc online at the moment. i watched it this morning. it seems there are occasions where you can get surrounded and very quickly. is it very hairy to report from there?

does it come on you without even noticing? there are front lines, but there is a lot of mortar fire. noticing? there are front lines, but there is a lot of mortarfire. there are sniper alley is where i are positioned and you don't know where they are. as you say, if you push right to the front, you can be surrounded on two sides of three sides by is and they have been incidents where forces have been cut off and attacks come behind them and they have been killed. it is a dangerous place. there is an awful lot of lead flying about, a lot of artillery, a lot of rockets and mortar fire artillery, a lot of rockets and mortarfire and artillery, a lot of rockets and mortar fire and you don't know when or where they are coming from. there are casualties. we went to be civilians clinic where people have been hit by shrapnel, eitherfrom air strikes or mortars. there are also a lot of people going into hospital who have been shot, and

often shot in the back, which suggests they are being shot by is as they flee. one of the reasons there is so much concern about this operation is because tens of thousands of people are trapped there, being used as human shields by is and it is making despite very difficult indeed. it must be fiendishly difficult for the iraqi soldiers when they come across groups of people like these that we are looking at on the screen at the moment. is will try to mingle amongst them and everyone will therefore be treated with the same suspicion? they do. there is a nervousness when anyone approaches. people are asked to reveal what is under the stomach to make sure they don't have a suicide vest. another development we have seen is there have been is forces who have put on iraqi military uniforms, posed as

troops and opened fire. the iraqis aren't the only ones in this battle. there is the counterterrorism service, the federal police, the emergency response division who were in bed it with the iraqi army, and there has not been much sign of them, which is a cause for concern. we have seen american special forces, although we have been asked not to film them. they are getting help, and of course from the air as well. when it is a bad day weather—wise, the advance slows the quickly because they want the air cover. fascinating. stay safe. thank you for being with us. here's philip with a look at this morning's weather. it is getting colder. it is. at the moment, i'm showing

you both a satellite image. there is plenty of sunshine around, but i have dotted in also the radar to show rain and snow, and i'm not talking about george square or the royal mile, i'm talking about the heels of scotland with the wind is very strong. it is quite noticeable at lower levels in scotland in the north of england. there are one or two showers over merseyside and the west of wales into the south—west, but there is a lot of dry weather across the south and that is probably the way it will stay. the wind will be a noticeable feature across scotland, northern ireland and the north of england. it will usherin and the north of england. it will usher in a peppering of showers. further south there is no great organisation about the odd isolated shower. temperatures, i have talked about slow, but that the lower

levels we opted to much where we have been in recent days. when the skies clear overnight, temperatures would do away. if you are out this evening, bear that in mind. would do away. if you are out this evening, bearthat in mind. in northern ireland though, you will end up with pretty wet weather in the wee hours. the rain would drift to the heart of the british isles. it will move, so even if it starts wet in northern ireland is, that webby the regime for the rest of the day. i'm doubtful about how far north it will go into the central belt. it does have london's name on it though later on in the day. then we are off and running into the new week. holiday for many on monday. not a bad day in prospect, but it will be on the cool side. watch out for those cold nights. her online videos have been viewed

more than one—and—a—half billion times, and feature the likes of michelle obama, bill gates and the rock. last year, lilly singh also became the highest earning female on youtube. so with that sort of media power, it's no surprise the canadian vlogger calls herself superwoman. but after conquering the internet, she now wants to help the rest of us conquer life. we'll speak to lilly in a moment but first, let's take a look at some of her work. iamat i am at howard university. you think you are ready, but you are not ready. i am with the first lady of the united states, michelle obama. ready. i am with the first lady of the united states, michelle obamalj am excited. what are you doing here?

lam am excited. what are you doing here? i am launching my youtube channel andl i am launching my youtube channel and i need some advice. that is my world. i'd just met her and i don't know that much about her. what a huge honour. thank you for being on my youtube channel. this is proved this is not photo shop. do you think the world is becoming a better place because according to people on twitter, it feels like the world is going to hell. ifeel we have so much in common. we are like twins. so people at home who might not immediately know who you are, that who you are. that was a great introduction. thank you. that was the greatest highlights reel i have seen. the greatest highlights reel i have

seen. michelle obama, bill gates. and the rock. the two of you have a great relationship. he was my role model when i was younger.” great relationship. he was my role model when i was younger. i was reading your biography last night and it says that you were a bit retiring, a bit shy, a bit dissatisfied with your life. none of that comes across in those videos. that was mean 2010 before i started making youtube videos. not that long ago. no, seven years. iwas making youtube videos. not that long ago. no, seven years. i was sad, making youtube videos. not that long ago. no, seven years. iwas sad, i was going through a rough period. why? just life. i was in my last year of university and i was convinced i would have to live a linear life. get married, have kids.

i lost my creative spark and then i discovered youtube. i thought people are in their rooms talking to cameras. i tried are in their rooms talking to cameras. itried it are in their rooms talking to cameras. i tried it one day and it gave birth to this creativity in me again. what moment was it when you realise it was getting bigger and bigger? when people asked me this, i can never pinpoint that moment because i feel like i was the last person to discover it was going somewhere. everyone else was saying, you have a million subscribers. i think it was when i first performed in india and i thought, people are watching my videos. you are from a traditional punjabi family. did they tune in to you first because you are this funny canadian woman?” tune in to you first because you are this funny canadian woman? i think people who watch me in the beginning we re people who watch me in the beginning were people who looked like me. it

was refreshing to them. there is a brown girl that is outspoken! you are from a traditional background, but you have put all of that into your youtube videos, haven't you? the pairing characters iplayer are nothing like mine. i have to say that otherwise my parents will get angry. —— that i play. that otherwise my parents will get angry. -- that i play. you grew up inafamily angry. -- that i play. you grew up in a family where you were expected to get married quite young? not young, just after the school and job thing. but now my mum says, i don't ca re if thing. but now my mum says, i don't care if you get married. do they come to your shows? they do now. they are really supportive. they are proud of the book. why a book? you have all of these people who watch

you on the internet, why go through the old traditional medium? when i write my youtube scripts, they are five minutes long. with the book i was able to be more vulnerable and have my face not be seen so i could be more emotional, raw and burrow. —— for oh. -- for oh. what is the book called? how to be a bawse: a guide to conquering life. you have tool can —— you have spoken about young girls and how they can be mean to each other. i have a campaign to end girl on girl pate. we should support each

other. that is the quality of a true woman, to support her and not tear her down. the was some talk last week on another programme i do about young girls who feel they need to be perfectionists. i suppose that group who are watching you on you tube ta ke who are watching you on you tube take a lot of inspiration from you? i would hope. take a lot of inspiration from you? iwould hope. i have take a lot of inspiration from you? i would hope. i have this moment where i thought, 11 million people are watching my videos, let me be empowering. lovely to meet you. i feel inspired. when i get out of here i am going to be a bawse. lilly's book is called how to be a bawse: a guide to conquering life. still to come, the headlines. stay

with us on breakfast. hello, this is breakfast, with christian fraser and sally nugent. north korea has said it's prepared to respond in kind to any nuclear attack from the united states. tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians have taken part in a huge military parade amid growing speculation that the country is preparing another nuclear test. good morning. it's saturday, 15th april. also ahead: learner drivers will have to prove they can use a satnav in new changes to the practical test. the sun columnist kelvin mackenzie

has been suspended and reported to police over an article he wrote about the everton footballer ross barkley. half of the world's bluebells are found here in the uk, but we'll hear why the british bluebell could be under threat.