tonight at 6 — political shock waves around america after president trump fires the director of the fbi. the president says james comey had lost the confidence of key figures in the administration. why did you fire director comey? because he wasn't doing a good job. very simply, he was not doing a good job. absolutely explosive news out of washington tonight. it took the country by surprise. the fbi chief was investigating alleged links between the white house and russia — some smell a rat. are people going to suspect cover—up? absolutely. we'll be asking what this says about the trump presidency. also tonight: the election battle moves to the classroom — both labour and the lib dems spell out their polices on education. the family of 11—year—old evha jannath — who died at a theme park yesterday — describe their loss. dylan has been taking medicines for his adhd since he was six, but are drugs the right answer?

it's the sport he's always been passionate about — we hearfrom prince phillip one week after announcing he's stepping down from public life. and coming up in the sport on bbc news: he's the most expensive footballer in the world, but paul pogba's record transfer to manchester united is now the subject of a fifa inquiry. good evening and welcome to the bbc‘s news at 6pm. washington is awash with rumour and speculation tonight, after president donald trump's shock dismissal of james comey — the director of the fbi. in the president's words,

mr comey "was not doing a good job". there's been widespread criticism of the move — political opponents have raised the suspicion that mr comey‘s dismissal was linked to his investigation into allegations that members of the trump election team colluded with moscow during last year's presidential election. here's our north america editor, jon sopel. this is a fox news alert. fbi directorjames comey this is a fox news alert. fbi director james comey has this is a fox news alert. fbi directorjames comey has been fired by the president of the united states. the term breaking news is bandied about with abandon but last night it was justified. at fbi offices in the first they knew their director had been fired was when it flashed up on their tv screens. and james comey, was in los angeles addressing staff, knew nothing about it either until then had handed him a note. the letter sent by president trump was brutal. you are hereby terminated and removed from office, effective immediately. at least they left in the government

jet to fly back to the east coast. a private citizen, a turbulent career cut short. and today the president was unrepentant. why did you fire director comey? because he wasn't doing a good job, simply wasn't doing a good job, simply wasn't doing a good job. james comey the six foot eight foot tall director confirmed in march that the drug—macro campaign was under investigation for its links to russia during the election. the fbi, as part of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. the president has railed consistently that it's fake news and there has been no improper contact. last night he fired the man heading the inquiry. it's caused furia dismay among some republicans, and all democrats. if there was ever a time when circumstances warranted a

special prosecutor, it is right now. but the white house is seeking to persuade people that the decision to fire comey had nothing to do with russia or the fbi investigation. he is looking for a fresh start at the fbi. i think the president did as he has done in many other cases, took decisive action. he provided strong leadership and to act on the recommendation of the attorney general. the white house is less with confidence stems from james comey‘s investigation into hillary clinton's use of a private e—mail server clinton's use of a private e—mail server when she was secretary of state. i made a mistake using a private e—mail. state. i made a mistake using a private e-mail. he decided last july there'd be no prosecution, just a rap on the knuckles. republicans we re rap on the knuckles. republicans were furious. then, stunningly, he reopened his inquiry 11 days before polling. it took scots the director comey to make the move that he made. -- it comey to make the move that he made. —— it took guts. but if it's all about the way the fbi conducted the

hillary clinton investigation, why sack him now? why this intervention? why not do it when donald trump first came to office? and how do you reconcile it with the praise heaped upon james comey? whatever, reconcile it with the praise heaped uponjames comey? whatever, it's left the fbi feeling very sore about the way their director has been treated. and into the washington maelstrom who should arrive today for his first visit to see the trump administration than sergey lavrov, the russian foreign minister, in jokey mood. he then went to meet donald trump at the white house, but curiously, for the camera loving president, the press was kept away. this feels like house of cards on steroids. and jon is in washington now. can you remember any president in the past behaving anything like this? well, the only other director of the fbi to be fired, that happened some 20 odd years ago when

bill clinton fired his director of the fbi. i think the real parallel you want to go back to his 1973, embattled richard nixon, the president, facing the watergate investigation, and he tried to fire the chief prosecutor. that eventually a year later ended up in richard nixon's resignation as president. but there is something very interesting in donald trump's resignation letter in which he fired james comey. he said i greatly appreciate you informing on three separate occasions i'm not under investigation. james comey has never said that publicly. you are left to wonder if that was part of the reason why donald trump made clear his displeasure and fired him. one other thing, this has come about at a time when there is a fever pitch atmosphere in washington and donald trump has done nothing to dissipate that. jon, thank you. education has taken centre stage in the election

campaign today with labour and the liberal democrats revealing their policies. both parties are pledging billions more for the sector. labour says schools and further education colleges in england would benefit under plans for what it calls a national education service. the liberal democrats say under their plans spending per pupil will be protected. 0ur education editor bra nwen jeffreys reports. we're going to take lots of measurements of how long it takes for the sound to get to us. measuring the speed of sound in cambridge. today a lesson in politics as well as science, news travelling from money for education. ata travelling from money for education. at a college in leeds it was about lifelong learning. labour promising to invest in adult training, but most of all, in schools, paid for by a rise in corporation tax. we have a problem in britain, we have not invested enough in manufacturing industry, in infrastructure, in the

skilled workers, engineers, scientists and teachers of tomorrow. we are determined to turn that around. so what could be the impact ofa around. so what could be the impact of a rise in corporation tax? it will reduce investment by companies in the uk, and in the long run it won't raise as much as it might the short run, as champ companies change their behaviour, reduce investment or move abroad. labour responds that extra money for schools each year reaching 4.8 by 2022, a 10% increase on current spending. 1.5 billion extra for adult skills training, and no school losing out. a promise matched by the lib dems. the party also says it would spend 5.8 billion extra on schools over the next four yea rs, extra on schools over the next four years, and more for poorer pupils. 660 million forfurther years, and more for poorer pupils. 660 million for further education. the lib dems suggested they would also raise taxes on businesses. two

thirds of schools it now turns out though, are trying to lay off at least one teacher, losing at least one teaching post in the next two months. under that kind of pressure, there needs to be a fully costed responds to build a future for all of our children so we can have a decent education and be competent in that. schools in cambridge are among the lowest funded in england. all the lowest funded in england. all the secondary teachers here wrote a pa rent the secondary teachers here wrote a parent with a warning. we said there will be fewer teachers and fewer teaching assistants and fewer resources in classrooms, whether thatis resources in classrooms, whether that is exercise books, laptops. few opportunities for children to go on trips or sporting fixtures. we have said across the board there will be an impactand said across the board there will be an impact and reductions. this school is one of thousands across england who have been writing to pa rents, england who have been writing to parents, spelling out the difficult financial decisions that lie ahead. that has galvanised parents to lobby mps of all parties. it is that grassroots mps of all parties. it is that grass roots pressure mps of all parties. it is that grassroots pressure which has really

pushed school budgets under the election agenda. the cost in schools are rising faster than budget, but today the conservatives defended their record. first of all school funding is at record levels. we've also within that, we're putting record number of funding into early education, protected the school pupil premium, worth £2.5 billion. but what matters in education is actually, it's not just but what matters in education is actually, it's notjust about the funding, it's about the results you see and the education you are providing for the children. 0k, what have you got? labour and lib dems are also promising extra funding across the uk, but no detail today another big issue — labour as yet to confirm it would scrap university tuition fees. and the lib dems on how they will handle the toxic issue for them. branwen jeffreys, bbc news. no conservative politicians or officials will face charges for breaches of expenses rules

during the 2015 general election. it follows allegations that the party had under—estimated the amount it spent in local constituencies. the crown prosecution service said it had examined files from 14 police forces in england, but had not found enough evidence to justify further action. our home affairs correspondent, tom symonds, reports. i'm on the bus. i'm on the bus. on the bus. the last general election, conservative activists to the country by battle bus, staying in a string of hotels as they campaign for local candidates. party officials declared the cost of this as national election expenses — not local. and political rivals said the law had been broken. but today, prosecutors decided there was no case to answer. after full and lengthy investigation the legal authorities have confirmed what we believed all along, and what we said all along, which was that the expenses, that local spending

was properly reported, was properly declared and that the candidates had done nothing wrong. prosecutors said today that under the relevant law it must be proved that a suspect, that's the local official putting in the declaration, knew the return was inaccurate and acted dishonestly in signing the declaration. but in this case, the local officials said they'd been told what to do by the national party which received a record penalty fine from the electoral commission. gregg kinsell and his partner louise were also on the bus supporting a string of conservative candidates. but they went to the police about how the campaign was run. their response to today's news... i think this is absolutely disgusting, it's a cover—up on a huge level, and i think that the electoral commission are involved in this and i think the cps and the government. i think it's all to deflect attention from what really goes on behind the scenes. other parties have also

been fined for the way they've filed election expenses. this time the justice system has concluded there's evidence of inaccuracies, but not of a deliberate attempt to deceive. but that's not it, because there is still a police investigation into one official going on in london and prosecutors are examining files of 2000 lived in campaign spending in south thanet in eastern kent, the candidate then, as now, craig mackinlay. tomorrow is the last day on which he could be replaced on the ballot, but you won't hear about any prosecution by then. so the conservatives are going to have to push ahead with him as their candidate. no doubt holding their breath! thank you. police have named an eleven—year—old girl who died yesterday while on a school trip to drayton manor theme park in staffordshire. evha jannath, from leicester, fell out of a boat on the splash canyon ride. in a statement, her family said their world had been torn apart. phil mackie reports.

evha jannath had come to the park on a school trip. the emergency services arrived quickly, staff and paramedics tried to save her, but she was pronounced dead after being airlifted to hospital. today, investigators are examining the splash canyon ride and trying to work out how she fell into the water. there is a height restriction, which means that young children who are between three and three and a half feet tall have to be accompanied by an adult. although people aren't strapped in, they are told to remain seated. this was patrick treacyjust after he fell in the water on the same ride four years ago when he was ten. parents really should be aware of what, of how safe their children are going to be when they go on these rights. —— these rides. they look pretty calm, but they're actually quite dangerous. and when children aren't accompanied, i think seat belts should be in place. evha's school shut today; staff and pupils have been offered counselling. she was a lovely, sweet natured girl, and she was loved

by everyone at the school. as a school and as a community, we are trying to make sense of this terrible tragedy. our thoughts and our prayers are with evha's family at this most difficult time. evha's family has issued a statement saying their world has been torn apart. they described her as "a beautiful little girl, who was full of love and always smiling". they say that words cannot describe their pain and loss. the park was empty today — drayton manor decided to close as a mark of respect. phil mackie, bbc news, staffordshire. the time has just gone 6:15pm. the top story this evening. political shock waves as the us president fires the director of the fbi. donald trump said james comey was not doing a good job. and still to come — pogba's record—breaking transfer to man u is now the subject

of a fifa investigation. but how much did his agent earn from the deal? coming up in sportsday on bbc news: have england drawn another group of death for the 2019 rugby world cup? well eddiejones says facing both france and argentina at the tournament injapan will be exciting. there's growing concern about the number of children in the uk being prescribed medication to combat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. adhd, as it's known, includes symptoms of anxiety, intolerance and an inability to regulate emotions. a new study has found an increase in prescriptions in the uk of almost 57% between 2005—2012. the research also found large rises in prescribing across europe and the united states. but some parents and doctors worry that drugs are being offered as a quick fix and that long—term

issues behind adhd aren't being effectively addressed. 0ur correspondent, sian lloyd reports. well, my friends, they know i have adhd and they know i take medication. but i don't think they really know fully how it is to be like this. 13—year—old dylan piper was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which is a mental health condition, when he was six. he struggles to concentrate and that can lead to him being disruptive. his mood swings are controlled by medication, so he can continue to go to school. but his family are concerned about whether taking drugs is the best solution to changing his behaviour in the long term. if i was able to do or give him anything else, i would in a heartbeat, and not have him on medication. however, right now, we don't have any other option. the use of medication for children like dylan is the focus of a new international study. the united states has the highest

prescription levels, but the report shows that the uk is catching up. the rate here has increased by almost 57% over a seven—year period. this report tells us that more children and young people are being prescribed medication for adhd. and suggests that some may be taking the drugs for longer periods of time. but it doesn't tell us exactly why more drugs are being prescribed in the first place. doctors like this professor have to follow strict guidelines surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of adhd. medication is effective, but it isn't advised as the first option, except in the most serious of cases. she says professionals can feel under pressure to deliver results quickly. as a society i think our tolerance is going down, you know, as far as behaviour is concerned. we want instant fixes. so there is a lot of pressure to often medicalise behaviour. play therapy is one alternative to medication.

it can help children gain the coping skills they need. 0ccupational therapist nerys hughes was so frustrated by the lack of choice offered to her son and children like him, she set up her own therapy centre to help children with adhd. it is much harder to get funding for a child to like themselves than it is to get funding for a medication that stops a child punching their mum ten times a day. that is the truth. but the long—term impacts of the medication are still not fully uncovered, whereas we do know that children who have gone through successful treatment packages do come out feeling much better about themselves and having a much better way of relating to their world. dylan's family are investigating other ways to help him, alongside the medication. increasingly parents and health professionals say they are concerned about the condition becoming over medicalised. sian lloyd, bbc news.

a lorry driver who stole a 32—tonne tipper—truck has been sentenced to six months in prison, after almost driving into his boss and colleagues following a row at work. police helicopter footage shows patrick denman — from northumberland — driving the wrong way down a dual carriageway and narrowly missing two police patrol cars. the court heard he was on his way to his ex—partner‘s home to intimidate her. a man who was arrested close to downing street last month has appeared in court charged with preparation for a terrorist act. 27—year—old khalid mohammed 0mar ali, from london, is also charged with two counts of making or having explosives. it was the record—breaking transfer of last summer. paul pogba's £89.3 million move from juventus to manchester united is now the subject of a fifa investigation. football's world governing body wants to know who was involved in the deal —

amid claims that pogba's agent earned more than $40 million from the transaction. 0ur sports editor dan roan reports. he came to england with the biggest price tag football's ever seen — paul pogba moved from juventus to manchester united last year for a world—record fee. the transfer was also highly lucrative for this man, the french midfielder‘s representative, mino raiola, one of the game's most powerful agents. earlier, pogba arrived for training ahead of the europa league semifinal tomorrow, but his club are facing questions over how the deal was done. paul pogba's occasionally put in the kind of performance for manchester united that goes some way tojustifying his remarkable transfer fee, but it now appears that it could be the amount of money that his agent received that is the most eye—catching part of that deal. according to a new book published in germany, raiola pocketed £41 million. that included £23 million of the £89 million transfer fee, and a further £16 million from united in five future instalments, plus £2 million extra

through pogba himself. fifa are investigating, confirming here at their annual congress in bahrain that they've written to united seeking clarification. pogba hasn't commented, while raiola says the matter is with his lawyers. united, meanwhile, feel the deal was legitimate. jose, do the headlines and the story about paul's transfer, does that affect you or does that affect the player at all? we're not here to discuss that, we're just here to talk about the game. no. the question is simple. he asked if it affects, no, it doesn't affect. but some in the game feel it's gone too far. the chairman of league 2 accrington stanley today telling me what he made of the money allegedly paid to raiola. totally outrageous. probably 20 times the cost of running accrington stanley a year in one agent's fee, from one club. if you can afford 41 million to pay an agent, fora player,

you've got too much money. spread it out. the premier league makes the point that its superstars like pogba that drive its global appeal, and enable it to redistribute £200 million a season to football league clubs, but for others it's the vast amounts going to the money men behind the deals that's hard to understand. dan roan, bbc news. as we discovered last week the duke of edinburgh will be stepping back from public life in the autumn. today he was out carriage driving in windsor and he was on lively form as an american journalist found out. nicholas witchell reports. he took to carriage driving when he gave up polo. it's a favourite sport. so too is winding up unwary interviewers, as an american

carriage driver interviewing the duke for us television discovered this afternoon. so, a gentle first question. what does it mean to you to have the sport that you helped develop displayed here at windsor? not much. 0k, well, how about some reminiscences? i heard a wonderful story once how you came back with only three wheels and needed a garden stake to sort of prop up... no, that wasn't me. no, it was somebody else. maybe a more technical question about the competitions would work. what was your personal favourite phase of the three days? i didn't have a favourite. we just had to get through them. laughter oh, please, there must be something you'd like to share. do you have some favourite experiences that you'd like to share? favourites? like turning over, you mean? that was your favourite? well, no, but i don't know what you mean about experiences.

special memories you have of your years competing in the sport. is there something that stands out for you that you look back fondly and say, yeah, that was a good time. turning over here in the water. chuckles and there we have it, he's nearly 96, soon he will be taking life easier. we'll miss him. nicholas witchell, bbc news. looked nice in windsor, what about the rest of the country? hearers tomasz schafernaker will stop the rest of the country? hearers tomasz schaferna ker will stop sunny skies and 19 degrees is what we managed but a bit of a change on the way, some damp dewy picture behind me, so the humidity will rise over the next day or so and with that comes the risk of downpours and possibly thunderstorms. the warmth and humidity will come in from the southern climes and it will be here to stay until around about saturday. here is the satellite picture from earlier, beautiful weather across much of the uk, not western and northern scotland, here it has admittedly been a little more

cloudy. tonight lots of clear whether around and through the early hours of thursday morning we will start to see the humidity increase across southern areas, already some showers getting into the south. most of us for sure will have a dry night. tomorrow morning the clouds and into the afternoon will increase in the south, that skies will turn hazy and some thunderstorms might break out in the afternoon but they will be hit and miss and it's impossible to predict which town or city will get the storm. most of us will have a dry day with hazy sunshine and temperatures around 20 degrees. later on on thursday evening we will seek more substantial rain getting into the south, substantial watering for the gardens but i can't guarantee eve ryo ne gardens but i can't guarantee everyone will get the rain in the gardens because it is so difficult for casting these thunderstorms. the much to on coming in from the south—west as you saw, perhaps some rain and storms across the central parts of the british isles on friday. still very humid, temperatures even though it is cloudy and rainy could be 18 or 19

degrees, better dry weather and fresher in north—west scotland at 15. it could be raining in scotland by the time we get to saturday. the south will dry out and this weather front brings fresh weather heading into sunday. thank you, thomas. a reminder of our main story. political shock waves as the us president fires the director of the fbi. donald trump said james comey was not doing a good job. that's all from the bbc news at six, so it's goodbye from me — and on bbc one we nowjoin the bbc‘s news teams where you are. you are watching bbc news. the latest headlines. president trump has defended his decision to sack the head of the fbi without warning saying james comey had lost the confidence of almost everyone in washington. why did you fire director comey? he was not doing a good job. very simply, he was not doing a good job. the family of evha jannath —

the 11—year—old girl who died at a theme park yesterday — say their world has been torn apart. the crown prosecution service says no conservatives will face charges over claims they'd breached the rules on campaign spending during the last general election. and offered to sports david. we've got your sports news and offered to sportsday. as paul pogba tries to prepare to help manchester united reach the championships, he is under the fifa microscope. the governing hardy has not given any decision as to why they ousted the two heads of their ethics committee. england have drawn

the group of death. facing argentina and france will be exciting according to eddie jones. and france will be exciting according to eddiejones. find out why this cyclist was left feeling out of it.