this is bbc news. the headlines at six. tributes to sir roger bannister, the first athlete to run a mile in less than four minutes, who has died at the age of 88. theresa may urges the eu to get on with discussing what she called an "ambitious but practical" vision for relations after brexit. voting is under way in italy's general election. right—wing and populist parties are expected to make gains following a campaign dominated by immigration. work continues to clear snow — with warnings of further severe weather in scotland, northern ireland, and in the north and south—west of england. good evening and welcome to bbc news.

sir roger bannister, the first man to run a mile in underfour minutes, has died at the age of 88. after his athletics career was over, sir roger dedicated his life to medicine, and went on to become a distinguished neurologist. lord seb coe saying "there is not a single athlete of my generation who was not inspired by roger and his achievements both on and off the track". he was one of the cleverest people i think i have ever met, and he was in equal measure modest as well. he never really got what he did. and it wasn't a front, hejust said, i am quite lucky. i don't think the enormity of what he did came to life for me until i actually had the great privilege, and we both knew him well, of sitting in his sitting room, and we were comparing training diaries. and i think it's fair to say, you know, we were probably doing

in a day and a half, two days, what these guys were doing in a week and a half, maybe two weeks. and when you look at the times he achieved off the back of what was really quite thin training. he had got friends, they were beginning to use the science of the sport and exploring, and of course he had a medical background, but when you look at the time, and people sort of dismiss the four—minute barrier. more people have individually climbed everest that have run a four—minute mile. and it is an extraordinary achievement. shortly, we'lljoin our colleagues on bbc one for a full news bulletin, but first, among the many tributes to sir roger bannister was one from the son of one of the men who helped him set the record. hugh brasher, son of chris brasher, is now race director of the london marathon. the legacy is a lifetime thing. sip

timeless, to be the first man to run under four minutes for the mile. timeless, to be the first man to run underfour minutes for the mile. i think it is almost difficult for us 6 years to maybe understand at the time how important it was. this was britain coming out of a war, with rationing. he lifted a nation. he did what was seen to be physiologically impossible. people had tried for years to break this magical barrier. could someone run under four minutes for a mile? and he did it. but what he also did in his life outside running, in medicine, who he was, his humility. he was head of the sports council which then became sport england. this is the end of an era. he with my father and chris chat away, the three chataaway, the three of them, what they achieved in sport was amazing.

what they then went and achieved outside sport i don't think will ever be seen again, because sport now is a full—time profession. and just tell us who your father was, and what his connection to roger bannister was. my father was the pacemaker, he did the first two lapse, and chris chataway did the next two, and helped him through. they were best men at each other‘s weddings, and had a unique relationship. but sir roger was the man who was capable, but believed, the three of them believed that he could break that four minutes for a mile, and to do it on that way when the weather was potentially against them, it was blowing a gale, people had told them to call it off, sir roger made the decision, had the flag flying on the pole, it suddenly stopped flying

perpendicular, and he made the decision to run. and the rest has become sports history. and i believe it will always be part of that history and will be remembered timelessly. sir roger bannister, the man who broke the 4 minute mile, has died. the man who broke the 4 he the man who broke the 4 goes straight game forwe his achievement in 1954 gave him a place in the record books — and athletics history. a place in the record books — i was totally overwhelmed and delighted. it was a great surprise to me to be able to do it today and i think i was very lucky. to be able to do it today we'll be hearing tributes to sir roger from some of those he inspired to compete. to sir roger from some of those also on the programme... to sir roger from some of those ireland casts doubt on government plans for the irish border after brexit — saying there is still no detail on how to keep the border invisible. saying there is still no detail ‘where is the world' — say the people of eastern ghouta,

as the syrian government advances on the rebel—held area. would on the rebel—held area. you stop interrupting me v would you stop interrupting me while lam interrupting new? and will it be v for victory at the oscars tonight? with gary oldman among the british hopes. good evening. sir roger bannister — the first man to run a mile in underfour minutes — has died at the age of 88. he made athletics history on a track in oxford in 1954 — when he was an amateur athlete. on a track in oxford in 1954 — it was a moment that came to symbolise sporting achievement. after retiring from athletics he became a distinguished doctor and neurologist. he became a distinguished today fellow athletes paid tribute to a man who made "the impossible possible. " tribute to a man who made

joe wilson looks back at a remarkable life. newsreel: 25-year-old roger bannister, third from the left. there are some moments of sporting history which become part of the world's history. history which become part he's decided this is the right moment. what roger bannister achieved in 1954 was like a lunar landing for 20th century sport. in 1954 was like a lunar landing bannister‘s old friend and rival chris chataway is in third place, waiting to take over as pacer. chris chataway is in third place, to run a mile and stop the clock before it reached four minutes in 1954, this was a magical number, a barrier of human achievement. this was a magical number, a feat that would redefine what was humanly possible. and it would fall to a young medical student to achieve it. after two—and—a—half laps, brasher gives way to chataway. bannister, a superb tactician, has suffered some criticism in the past for adopting his own rather unorthodox training methods. but they are paying dividends now. unorthodox training methods. at this point it becomes quite painful. i overtake chris chataway and begin the finish. and here he comes.

and begin the finish. bannister goes streaking forward with about 250 yards to the tapes. every stride counted. with about 250 yards to the tapes. the tape broke at three minutes 59.4 seconds. and bannister has done it. minutes 59.4 seconds. though he is out on his feet, his coach and team manager tell him he has achieved his ambition. his coach and team manager tell him it might have felt like the world stopped when that clock stopped. four minute mile was a sporting catch phrase everyone recognised. all i can say i'm absolutely overwhelmed and delighted. it was a great surprise to me to be able to do it today. and i think i was very lucky. able to do it today. there was certainly a feeling of it being a national event, and something of a landmark for the country. sir roger bannister was a hugely influential figure in sport. especially for those whose athletics careers came after. roger was a great athlete. athletics careers came after. he would tease seb and i in later years about had he been around in our day and had better tracks

and better shoes and better training methods he would have beaten us. and better shoes and better training he was one of the cleverest people i think i've ever met, and he was, in equal measure, modest as well. he never really got what he did and it wasn't a front. laura muir is the most recent athlete to continue great britain's middle distance tradition, giving everything to win a silver medal at the world indoor championships this weekend. she studied medicine to become a vet, and recognises her link to bannister. a vet, and recognises i think he was very influential and very sort of inspirational to a lot of people, and to me, that you can combine, you know, academics and running. that you can combine, you know, sir roger bannister was knighted in 1975. athletics was only a small part of his life. he regarded his work as a neurologist as more significant. when he was diagnosed with parkinson's disease he described the gentle irony that a neurologist should find himself with a neurological condition. a neurologist should find himself training for roger bannister

in athletics had been half an hour a day on a cinder track. in athletics had been half an hour the world's first for minute miler was also perhaps sport's last great amateur. miler was also perhaps sir roger bannister who has died at the age of 88. the irish foreign minister has suggested that britain's proposals for the irish border after brexit may be rejected by the eu because it will need to protect how the single market works. simon coveney said there was little new detail on how to avoid a hard border in the prime minister's speech on friday. theresa may insisted there would be no return to barriers and border checks. there would be no return here's our political correspondent eleanor garnier. it is more than 300 miles long. correspondent eleanor garnier. tens of thousands of people cross it everyday. and more than £1 billion is done in trade between northern ireland and the republic every week. in trade between northern ireland but after brexit, these roads

will be the new frontier between the uk and eu. will be the new frontier the challenge, how to keep this border invisible, when britain is outside the single market and the customs union. we are committed, the irish government is committed, all the parties in northern ireland, to making sure there is no hard border. to making sure there the prime minister's plans would mean 80% of companies would face no new customs checks and with new technology, she believes a hard border can be avoided. but the irish government has its doubts. i am not sure that the european union will be able to support a situation whereby 80% of companies that trade north and south and south north will actually protect the integrity of the eu single market. will actually protect the integrity to sort out this most trickiest of brexit conundrums, multiple sides need to be won over and the prime minister has already made clear, she will not accept the fallback position in brussels. she will not accept the fallback one that would see northern ireland stick to the rules and

regulations of the eu. stick to the rules and mrs may believes her latest thinking is a step forward. it sets out some ways, particularly on the issue of customs across—the—board, in which we can resolve that and i am pleased to say that the taoiseach, when i met him recently, has agreed that the uk and irish governments and the commission can sit down and look in more detail at the proposals that we have put forward. but others elsewhere in the uk have their doubts. i think one of the most shameful features of the whole brexit process has been the way, the negligent way in which the interests of ireland have just been cast aside. so, when i hear hertalk about technological solutions, i guess there is nobody who would disagree with the objectives she is setting, but she is talking at the moment about technological solutions that perhaps do not even exist. the irish border is a key sticking point in the talks, but other problems need solving, too. point in the talks, but other there has been progress, but the brexit negotiations still have a long way to go. but the brexit negotiations this week we will get a better idea

of how convinced brussels is when the eu side publishes its draft guidelines for the next round of talks, but the shape of our future relationship with the european union and back could give us a big clue into whether what the prime minister is asking for is achievable. hundreds of people have been fleeing eastern guta as government forces continued their assault. there are 110w continued their assault. there are now said to hold a quarter of the province which has been in the hands of rebel groups. jeremy bowen reports from damascus. these reports from damascus. people said their village w moving these people said their village was moving because the syrian army had arrived. one man cursed the russians and iranians, key allies of the

regime. air strikes he said including band cluster bombs had not stopped. translation: it has been five days, no fuel, no bread, no food, no water. where is the world? where are human rights? we are humans, not animals. 400,000 people live in eastern guta, an area of fields and small towns about the size of manchester. most of them are civilians who have not been able to escape the war. translation: when the plane ‘s shelves, i could not see anything in front of me. i did not wait for the ambulance, i started running. the air strikes have been followed by ground troops who are making rapid advances. the strategy seems to be to cut eastern guta in half.

negotiations between the rebel groups and the russians have been going on for quite some time. it is not clear if the objective is a ceasefire or are they effective surrender of the rebels. the biggest rebel group says it is regrouping after a retreat. the fighting is still going on, for the regime the prize is the end of the last major rebel enclave around damascus. for the rebels, these are desperate moments. jeremy bowen, bbc news, damascus. work is continuing to clear snow from the roads after days of disruption as the thaw continues after this week's storms. there are still some problems on the railways — danjohnson is at carlisle railway station for us this evening. dan. station for us this evening. not exactly the polar express. station for us this evening. the train to carlisle but has not moved for three days. they have been trying to free it from a snow drift blocking the line from newcastle. from a snow drift blocking a farmer helped rescue the passengers.

they were very pleased to see us. the passengers. very, very pleased, because they had been there for about five hours before we found them. been there for about five hours they were just sitting, getting colder and colder. we found them and we got it sorted. getting colder and colder. there are teams working like this across large parts of the railway network, but the problem is, they keep clearing snow from the tracks, but then high winds blow it back again, blocking the line. but then high winds blow it back so that means replacement buses and increasingly weary passengers. hoping to get the train back on wednesday morning and i had just been staying there since. on wednesday morning and i had just it has taken you five days to get here? five days, yeah, yeah. days to get here? going to weymouth and i have just been told i have got to get three trains, a tube and then a bus. it is difficult to fathom, after this period of time. i am sure they are doing their best, but i am really irritated. and we could see more of that

frustration tomorrow because even though network rail says it has cleared the west coast main line between here and glasgow, trains are still not running north. that service has just arrived from london and the passages have had to get on coaches to continue their urge journey to glasgow. other lines are blocked and some trans—pennine roads are still tricky and we have had power cuts in parts of the country, villages in devon where teams have only managed to reach with a water has been cut off four days. the after—effects of the storm last week and all this snow are still having long—lasting impact. thank you. apologies, the line to dan was a little tricky. sorry about that. voters in italy have been going to the polls today in a general election. going to the polls today the campaign has been dominated by the issue of immigration with the centre—left government facing opposition from a coalition of right—wing parties and the popularist five star movement. parties and the popularist here's our europe editor katya adler. charming, but troubled naples,

unhappily encapsulates the problems at the heart of italy's elections. falling living standards, unemployment, and mass irregular migration from africa. but uncertainty hangs in the today. italians are voting for change. they arejust italians are voting for change. they are just not sure which political party to trust. translation: i am so worried about italy. i said a prayer before coming to vote. translation: italians are frustrated. they need to hear our voice today. some of naples is the leader of the party tipped to become italy's largest today. his 5—star movement claims to be corruption free and people friendly. but the political system here favours

coalitions and meaning this familiar face could be kingmaker in stead. naples and the south of italy will swing the vote today, silvio berlusconi did some last—minute campaigning here on behalf of a right—wing coalition. so, what does this rather chaotic political picture mean for italy and europe? after all, this is the eurozone's third—largest economy. confusion or is quintessentially italian, brussels is used to it, the financial markets seem prepared for it, they believe that a coalition government will water down more extremist populist policies on offer. how does that help italians get to grips with their problems? this shop is famous for its handcrafted political figures. translation: today, all italian voters will help paint the future landscape of the country. hollywood's finest will be

celebrated at the 90th academy awards this evening. celebrated at the 90th but the event takes place against the backdrop of allegations against harvey weinstein, and the #metoo and time's up movements. and the #metoo and unlike the golden globes and the baftas — there will be no black dress code. and the baftas — there will be our arts editor will gompertz is there. here on a still concealed oscars red carpet, just about everybody has got an opinion about what is going to happen tonight. about what is going but what does a genuine hollywood insider, with her ear to the ground think? insider, with her ear does she expect there to be a post—weinstein reaction that might change how academy members vote? a post—weinstein reaction that might in terms of voting on the oscars, i don't think that there will be a real effect on who wins and who loses. my daughter, angela was... and who loses. i would be surprised if three billboards repeated its bafta success and won best ppicture. that movie is quite polarising among american academy members. the shape of water, guillermo del toro's film is one that has won a lot of the precursor awards that lead up to the oscars, so that seems to be sort of a rising contender. who is going to win? of a rising contender. i would put my money on get out. of a rising contender. chris was just telling me how he felt much more comfortable with my being here. how he felt much more

noted. how he felt much more what about best actor? how he felt much more you cannot reason with a tiger! how he felt much more the front runner for best actor is gary oldman for darkest hour, for whom this is, in many ways, possibly a lifetime achievement award. possibly a lifetime there is an outside contender, timothee chalamet for call me by your name. timothee chalamet for he has kind of captured, what i think of as the ingenue spot this year. what i think of as the surely francis mcdormand is a shoo—in as best actress for her performance in three billboards as a grieving, seething mother. if there is any movie that sort of captured the #metoo movement and the idea of female rage, surely it is this one. and what about greta gerwig and herfilm lady bird? could she become just the second woman in the history of the oscars to walk away with the best director prize? i think greta gerwig is a long shot. with the best director prize? i think her being nominated is a milestone for a female director. three, two, one. a milestone for a female director. ready? a milestone for a female director. action! a milestone for a female director. guillermo del toro is the person i would put my money on.

this could indeed be the year, but the shape of water is the film that makes the biggest... but the shape of water is the film splash? but the shape of water is the film will gompertz, bbc news, hollywood. but the shape of water is the film there's more throughout the evening on the bbc news channel, we are back with the late news at xxxx — now on bbc1 its time hello, this is bbc news. theresa may has told donald trump of her "deep concern" at the president's plan to introduce tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to the united states which have sparked fears of a trade war. the us president's announcement on thursday to impose tariffs prompted a backlash from nations around the world. but as our business correspondent joe lynam told me — there's no sign president trump is changing his mind. quite the opposite. the appearance

to us at this weekend is the administration is doubling down, the us commerce secretary a billionaire in his own right has been on the us talk shows this morning an he is talking about retribution or retaliation from other countries in terms of pretty trivial. so they have going to press ahead, the other thing is that there will be no exemptions or exceptions made, even for very close allies, because the biggest steal exporters into the us yes are canada, brazil and then way down the list, the european union, and way down the list as well china. china is the 11th largest exporter of steel to the united states but the perception is in the trump white house that somehow the chinese are dumping their steel into the us, so if he does press ahead of the next few days an he said he will, with a

25% tariff of steel and 10% on almy opinion yum, that could lead to serious issues with world trade issues because the canadians aren't going to stand by, the europeans have threatened to not stand idly by, and this could really escalate very quickly. so this is not a question of british steel and aluminium in the us, it is the question of the knock on effect on global trade. indeed, question of the knock on effect on globaltrade. indeed, there is talk of new taxes on european made car, president trump in a tweet last night was talking about slapping new taxes on european cars. now, 210,000 vehicles which were made in the uk we re vehicles which were made in the uk were sold in the united states last month. that is is a huge bit of the market. if you add a tax to them, that makes them more expensive and people might decide not to buy those vehicles, the real irony is you have 33,000 jobs by german car makers in the united states, they are making

vehicles, bmw, mercedes, based in the united states they wouldn't necessarily be affected by the jobs in the united states that america wa nts to in the united states that america wants to protect might be jeopardised. coming back to the point about trivial rib buetion, can the british prime minister make the retribution anything more than trivial or does that then become you know, an issue of the wider relationship? well, at the moment britain is in customs union and remains one until it is not a member. all decisions are taken in brussels by the 28 government, after britain leaves the customs union, and if there is still some tariffs on uk exports the only solution open to britain is to seek allies round the world, and that means seeking allies with europe. the world, and that means seeking allies with europe. sportsday‘s coming up in a few minutes, but first it's time for a look at the weather with phil avery. thank you forjoining me, let us get you up—to—date with the weather forecast. last week, certainly many

a scene like this and for some of you some days to come will also look like that because the snow won't just disappear straightaway. but there is no doubt about it, we are moving into something a good deal clement than many of us experienced. for that we have to thank this area of low pressure, we don't often thank areas of low pressure but this system anchored as it is away towards the west and south—west over the next few day, will help to feed in relatively mild air from the atlantic, rather than something very much colder, than the heart of continental europe. that doesn't mean to say it will be a heatwave, but we are beginning to see some temperatures tick up in the south. through the course of the evening and overnight the temperatures will stay positive across the southern half of britain, further north major towns and cities yes in positive territory but in the countryside it will be another cold night and there may be further snow shower, simply because this area of low pressure

keeps things unsettled close by to the british isles but it is helping to lift those temperatures slowly but surely. close to that area loaf pressure down to the south—west. expert heavy rain fall, further north, a weather front will produce some rain and sleet round about the coastal area, and right up in the far north, maybe over the high ground we may well find further snow shower, this is tuesday, and we are looking at a fairly settled picture with a bit of dry weather in england and wales, leaden skies it has to be said. a sprinkling of showers in the south—west. further rain round about the coasts of scotland, maybe over the coasts of scotland, maybe over the highest ground, again, a further dusting of snow and at this stage, temperatures in the south starting to push towards double figures, not a great deal of change on wednesday, save for some pretty hefty showers for some spots across england and wales and all the while there is that chance of further wintry showers across the very highest

ground in scotland. but those temperatures by that stage well in positive territory by day. so becoming milder in the coming week, u nsettled becoming milder in the coming week, unsettled because of the low and if there is any snow it will be mainly on the hills.