falls on us stock markets have dragged down asian shares, because of fears that the political controversy surrounding president trump will weaken his ability to deliver taxation and regulatory reforms. the venezuelan government has stepped up its military presence in the state of tachira along the colombian border, as violent anti—government protests spread across the country. real madrid have edged closer to winning the spanish league title for the first time in five years. they beat celta vigo 4—1 to go "top of the table with one game to go. it is time for our daily news review. on front of the politico website, the us department ofjustice has announced the appointment of a special prosecutor to lead the investigation into alleged russian interference in last year's presidential election. he's a former head of the fbi and his name robert mueller. the straits times reports on remarks made by russian president vladimir putin, who says he's happy to provide a transcript of the conversation

that took place between his foreign minister and us president donald trump in the oval office. the moscow times has an article on russia's military build up in the arctic where old soviet airfields have been reopened, as well as two military brigades being deployed to the region. the gulf news reports that britain's unemployment rate has dipped to 4.6%, the lowest level for 42 years. however, wage growth has been weak and has been outstripped by inflation. and finally, the telegraph business section says kit—kat maker nestle has lost the latest stage in its legal battle with cadbury to trademark the chocolate bar's four—finger shape in britain. so let's begin. with us isjonathan charles, who is director

of communications at the european bank for reconstruction and development. hello, good to see you both. this investigation continues, and quite quickly. we have a special prosecutor? we live in interesting times. robert mueller is a man of unimpeachable integrity. clearly he has been pointed —— appointed because he has the faith and trust of both republicans and democrats. interesting that his appointment was done before telling the white house. so sending a sort of signal that this will be independent. an independent prosecutor, able to do whatever he needs to do. we'd better remember in all of this, as he looks into the question of russia's alleged involvement in the 2016 in action, we are still lacking any real evidence. —— 2016 election. we have not heard anything which makes us have not heard anything which makes us think, yes, definitely something we nt us think, yes, definitely something went on. there are huge amounts of

speculation around this, huge amounts of journalistic work, investigation by the new york times and the washington post. lots of interesting things are coming out of that. but hisjob will really interesting things are coming out of that. but his job will really be to get to the really hard—nosed stuff and figure out if there is evidence. lam and figure out if there is evidence. iamjust and figure out if there is evidence. i am just about old enough to remember watergate, and i am just about old enough to rememberwatergate, and remember alastair cook, the commentator who had a very long view of us political history. i think if he was alive today he would be taking a deep breath, as he did, with that very theatrical sigh that he did, and he would be saying that there is a fire oi'i would be saying that there is a fire on deck and we have to see whether it is going to spread the neath the deck, or whether it can be put out. —— beneath the deck. i think robert mueller has to quickly come to a conclusion about whether something is going on or not. how quick could that be? these things can potentially take years. if you think back to previous equivalents of special prosecutors, things that happened in the 19905, for

5pecial prosecutors, things that happened in the 19905, for example, thi5 happened in the 19905, for example, this could be a multi—year investigation. and all that time, of cour5e, investigation. and all that time, of course, that question hanging over the white house or web —— about whether there is a fire or not. let's look at the straits times. president putin of russia saying that he will provide any information, detailed transcripts of conversations is foreign minister had with donald trump in the oval office, in which it is alleged that the president diebold is classified information which he should not have done. —— divulged. this is the thing, isn't it? getting hold of this reeled the towel, these documents. like james comey‘s notes. we do live in an interesting world. here we are now with the russian president coming forward, in effect, a5a president coming forward, in effect, a5 a character witne55 president coming forward, in effect, a5 a character witness for donald trump. is it mischiefmaking, slightly? i am sure there is an

element in the kremlin which is quite enjoying what is going on, it i5 quite enjoying what is going on, it is there is a lot of discomfort to the american political system. —— because their years. we do not know whether anything 5eriou5ly 5eriou5 wa5 whether anything 5eriou5ly 5eriou5 was said in a meeting with serbia love from. —— sergei lavrov. there ha5 love from. —— sergei lavrov. there has been an element of chaos in what i5 has been an element of chaos in what is happening, not necessarily maliciou5 action5, not necessarily donald trump really wanting to give ru55ia some piece of information, if he did say something. there is an element of chaotic thought5 he did say something. there is an element of chaotic thoughts and impulsive decision—making. i suspect what the white house really needs right now is somebody to put it all in order. he needs a very good chief of staff. people always point back to ronald reagan and the first george bush, where jame5 george bush, where james baker, who we nt george bush, where james baker, who went on to be the us secretary of state, who interviewed on many occa5ion5, he was a very effective individual. he brought order to the white house. what republicans 5eem

to be seen more and more on capitol hill is that water must be brought to the white house. i was in washington a few weeks ago, and that i5 washington a few weeks ago, and that is all you hear, this phrase that there is a need for order. donald trump could deliver something with hi5 trump could deliver something with his presidency but it needs to be ordered. i suspect that the kremlin doesn't really want chaos either. if they favoured donald trump over hillary clinton, then they want a successful trump presidency. hillary clinton, then they want a 5ucce55ful trump presidency.” hillary clinton, then they want a successful trump presidency. i think what they also want is predictability. in a tense and difficult relationship, and the relationship between russia and many western countries is not easy, predictability i5 western countries is not easy, predictability is quite important. it has been quite interesting, the relationship since he was elected between russia and america has been testy on many occasions, especially with syria. mainly with syria, to be honest. so although you say perhaps they wanted him over clinton and they wanted him over clinton and they wanted him to be successful, since he has the union office, he has not necessarily done what they wa nted has not necessarily done what they wanted him to do, especially in

terms of syria. i was there the week that he won the election, in russia, and be thought there was that it was great for russia. we have seen that for 5tripping away. nothing has been delivered for russia. in fact, there i5a delivered for russia. in fact, there is a hardening of the position on syria. and criticism, as well. ru55ia'5 full—back syria. and criticism, as well. ru55ia'5 full— back will syria. and criticism, as well. ru55ia'5 full—back will be, we like addict ability. —— fallback will be, we like predictability. a striking image on the moscow times front page. frozen conflict, russia's arctic expansion. it is a fascinating story. my take is that it is all about ru55ia'5 military buildup in the arctic were eating neighbours. i think this comes back to economics. a5 climate change group5 to economics. a5 climate change groups the arctic, a5 to economics. a5 climate change groups the arctic, as new pa55age5 open up as the ice melt5, ru55ia groups the arctic, as new pa55age5 open up as the ice melt5, russia is looking forward to what it sees as the potential economic commerce of the potential economic commerce of the arctic. —— economic promise.

shipping, resource extraction, that sort of thing. notjust russia. something i didn't realise, which i have just found out, something i didn't realise, which i havejust found out, russia produces two thirds of the region's total wealth already. they have a big interest there. a large part of ru55ia interest there. a large part of russia is in the arctic circle. i've ‘x: russia is in the arctic circle. i've %of russia is in the arctic circle. i've % of russia's wealth come5 russia is in the arctic circle. i've % of russia's wealth comes from the arctic. —— five cent. —— 5%. russia ha5 arctic. —— five cent. —— 5%. russia has not arctic. —— five cent. —— 5%. russia ha5 notju5t arctic. —— five cent. —— 5%. russia has not just an arctic. —— five cent. —— 5%. russia ha5 notju5t an economic arctic. —— five cent. —— 5%. russia has not just an economic interest but a strategic interest. more so than any other land mass it has a large connection to the arctic circle. we have an erection knocking on our door. yes, i noticed that with all the stuff that came to my letterbox la5t with all the stuff that came to my letterbox last night. —— election. we had to bejobless figures letterbox last night. —— election. we had to be jobless figures the other day, the previous day's figures. does this play into the election process? to what extent are people worried about the schoolies

on our wages? people worried about the schoolies on ourwages? —— people worried about the schoolies on our wages? —— squeeze. people worried about the schoolies on our wages? -- squeeze. the joble55 rate is the lowest since 1975. you wouldn't expect —— you would expect wage5 1975. you wouldn't expect —— you would expect wages to be going up at thi5 would expect wages to be going up at this stage but they are not. wage growth will be about 1% this year. at the same time inflation is to buy 796, at the same time inflation is to buy 7%, and likely to go higher. people will feel wor5e 7%, and likely to go higher. people will feel worse off. that play5 7%, and likely to go higher. people will feel worse off. that plays into the campaign in ways which are perhap5 the campaign in ways which are perhaps not obvious. it is about the timing of the election. it was probably the right time for theresa may to do it, because things are not going to get any easier, economic. we do not have time to talk about kit—kats, but who knew that this legal battle had been going on for ten years? i did! one reason they lost is that in 1937 there was a scandinavian equivalent which looks like a kit—kat. scandinavian equivalent which looks like a kit-kat. there you go, you learn something every day. hello. i know many gardeners in england wanted some rain, but i suspect some of those gardens are now water—logged after what happened during wednesday.

this is one soggy picture from lincolnshire. and in fact it was at coningsby, in lincolnshire, that was one of the wettest places during wednesday, notching up about 40mm of rain — that is nearly a month worth of rain in 2a hours, but you can see elsewhere widely around 20—a0mm of rain from this weather system and clearing now into the north sea. we have a few showers for northern ireland and western scotland, parts of wales, north—west england stayed dry. now we are looking at a fresher feel to things during thursday and for the next few days as we bring in some slightly cooler air. it is more noticeably fresher, less humid rather than cooler because, actually, in some sunshine, where we had the rain during wednesday, it will feel warmer. the sun will eventually come out after perhaps a cloudy start in east anglia and south—east england. elsewhere, plenty of blue sky to begin the day. take a look at things at 8am. some sunshine in the channel islands after wednesday wet weather. plenty of blue sky in south—west england. again brightening up in the far east of england after perhaps a cloudy start. now there is a chance from the word go of picking up a shower somewhere in wales, north—west england.

northern ireland, don't be fooled by a dry bright start, cloud will build quite quickly in the morning, showers break out and there will be one or two across western part of scotland to begin the day. let's go on through thursday and see how the weather develops then. quite quickly the cloud builds in northern ireland. the risk of catching a slow—moving heavy and possibly thundery downpours may come with a bit of hail as well. some beefy showers developing in scotland, too, especially to the north. one or two heavy showers for the afternoon for northern england, for wales and south—west england. maybe an isolated one late in the day in the midlands. much of east anglia and south—east england staying dry. a fresher feel to things, but again quite pleasant in some sunshine. things cool down when the showers move through. some of the showers continue during thursday evening. but as we go through thursday night and into friday morning, another area of rain running up the eastern side of england. during friday, that could actually move across more of the uk, more of northern england and scotland, as we go on through the day. so there's still some uncertainty about this weather system. keep checking the forecast. elsewhere on friday, we're expecting sunshine, showers again, temperatures into the mid—teens.

cooler though where you have any persistent rain rather than showers. we're going to keep low pressure close by going the weekend. perhaps some rain across part of scotland to begin saturday. elsewhere sunshine and showers. throughout the weekend, pleasant in some sunshine. cool with the showers, that could be heavy. fresh—feeling days and there will be some chilly nights. hello, this is breakfast, with charlie stayt and louise minchin. an end to winter fuel payments for wealthier pensioners — if the conservatives win the election. the party launches its manifesto with a pledge to use the extra money to ease pressure on the social care system — tougher immigration rules and cuts to free school meals will also be outlined. good morning.

it's thursday 18th may. also this morning — the doctors' union warns that gp practices are on the brink of collapse because of underfunding, staff shortages and the growing demand for services. details of the hardest products to recycle are revealed —