and finally in the guardian, if your finnish you could be forgiven for feeling on top of the world as the country is crowned the happiest place to live on earth. the top four places are were all taken by scandinavian nations, with finland followed by norway, denmark and iceland. so let's begin. with me is iain anderson who's founder of the international communications agency, cicero group. good to see you again. we have to start with the big story of the moment. the independent focusing on some of the remark, one thatjumped out for me was this unprecedentedly crude revocation that is being described at, in terms of the way theresa may is responding as well. theresa may is responding as well. the rhetoric is ramping up on this story, david. i believe there were about 60 russian diplomats in london, about 60 fish diplomats in

moscow. 23 diplomats are going to be expeuedin moscow. 23 diplomats are going to be expelled in the coming week from the uk, i think we can expect to see 2a oi’ uk, i think we can expect to see 2a or 25 maybe... there is a b drawn up. all the covering, it coverage this morning reflecting on the fact that these are undeclared intelligence. if the office knew they were undeclared why were they not thrown out? but i think that shows what we are built up to understand, that there is spying that takes place in the uk, there is spying that takes place in russia. and governments have tolerated it until this moment. and governments have tolerated it untilthis moment. it and governments have tolerated it until this moment. it begs the question, if she is saying we are going to dismantle the russian espionage network in the uk, but it is conceivable that a0 odd stay. does that dismantle it? you can see there is no reason why this would

continue. if it ratchets up, to get to the point where there is a very bare minimum in moscow and on either side. as everybody watching will know, london is becoming a magnet for russian investment as well globally and the question coming next, i think, globally and the question coming next, ithink, is globally and the question coming next, i think, is whether or not they are going to be sanctioned, the net is going to tighten around russian investment here in the uk. at the moment it looks like it is going in one direction. worth pointing out that while there has been brought support for britain, friends has said let's have all of the proof —— france. before we make any firm moves. the us deciding to be very much on return‘s side. france, this plays into the brexit conversation as well and the big

negotiation next week because security intelligence is a large pa rt security intelligence is a large part of the uk's argument about a future relationship with europe and france not appearing to warm to the uk position overnight. they say a week is a long time in politics but one thing we can be sure of a week from now is that vladimir putin will still be president of russia after another election triumph that sends another election triumph that sends a very clear message. the headline is interesting. it is a vladimir putin or who or what?” is interesting. it is a vladimir putin or who or what? i was looking at some opinion polls in russia at the minute. he has a 50— 60% lead on the minute. he has a 50— 60% lead on the nearest rival. he is on about 70- 75% of the the nearest rival. he is on about 70— 75% of the opinion polling and the next rival, the communist party leader is barely on 50% of the poll.

he is going to romp to victory this weekend. actually, it appears to be a very much a photo of campaign, i read on this story that he literally turned up for about six minutes to talk to 80,000 people in a moscow stadium. he is going through the motions and projecting this strong man, strong russia image. given those polling figures. there was a time where the communist party would have 99 point something. but the ha rd have 99 point something. but the hard man, the man who represents russia, all that is going on this week with the spy issue plays perfectly into it is us against them. it is a big drop for him and before sunday's election, we are going to see russia's response to the uk and i think putin thinks it wasted his advantage. —— play is. ——

playeds. —— plays. the republicans smell fear on the democrats on the verge of victory. 0ne pennsylvania district which has born the wrong way as far as the other kids will see. it appears to be so. and is very close, the democratic candidate is just a whisker ahead. very much a candidate that is on the right of the democratic party. he reads like a republican, he is not a metropolitan liberal, he is ex— army and so the notes that the democrats have chimed have been very carefully orchestrated in this campaign. it may go into another run—off, it is so may go into another run—off, it is so close, so that the result they be contested. but it has got a lot of gop members, republicans on the hill

really concerned about whether or not of a significant defeat in november. this is what happens in politics. the democrats have two shift if they want to start eating into the trump territory again. two shift, they shift in a republican direction. we are doing that a bit. for the democrats really need to do is pick the right candidates for november and tick the right candidate for the next presidential poll. they have a huge opportunity. trump has the lowest approval ratings of any president in modern memory, so ratings of any president in modern memory, so they have got a big opportunity to push forward here, the question is whether or not they ta ke the question is whether or not they take it. we have got the musical chairs that we have been talking about, the next step being larry kudlow coming in as the new chief economic adviser for donald trump.

certainly a fascinating character and he has got a track record as long, going back to ronald reagan's time. he has been in republican circles for 30 years plus. quite bombastic, so let's see how he gets on with the president there. but very much a free trader. the question in my mind is whether or not he reigns trump's desire in to impose sanctions or tariffs or whether they will become more targeted. a big tax cut as well and be too. let's see whether or not he can last the years. and the papers haven't avoided the fact that he has had quite a past. he used to be one of the big cheeses at bear stearns, had to move on because he had a cocaine issue, which he has acknowledged and recognised and worked with. he has got history. dinner, frankly he has grown up to

that history. this is an example of redemption, if you like tom and you can come back from a really difficult personal health crisis. taking us neatly onto our last story, which is happiness breaking out all over the nordic countries particularly finland. the happiness indexis particularly finland. the happiness index is out, finland at the top. is probably pitch black as we speak what they are a happy bunch because they are wealthy, healthy and have got theirfreedom. they are wealthy, healthy and have got their freedom. to be fair, it was pitch black when i arrived here too. iam was pitch black when i arrived here too. i am excited about this. it confounds all the stereotypes you think about the nordic countries, i am about to go to norway to have a break over easter myself so i am hoping... they have dropped off the top spot. i am hoping the happiness ru bs top spot. i am hoping the happiness rubs off. it looks that way. it is

interesting, you look at what people —— what can make people happy and what makes them less happy and it has picked out the us, which has fallen down and they talk about depression, about obesity and drugs. no surprise that that would not make you happy. all of those issues are essentially about health and well—being. that old phrase, health and happiness get—together. is a pretty fundamental measure. this story really shows it. i think we should all head to the nordics for a dose of happiness. may be. quite a lot of responses. our conversation is coming from all over the world and they share that view. thank you very much a. —— thank you very much. thanks for watching the briefing, from me and the rest of the team, goodbye. hello there. ia degrees yesterday in london. a0mm of rain in northern ireland. those were the contrasts we had. together with the rain in the west,

we also had some quite strong winds as well. now, the rain is going to be moving, it starts as rain over the next few days but then it turns colder. we get an easterly wind just in time for the weekend. that's when it really feels cold. we may get some snow showers, mainly for england and wales. this is where we are, though, at the moment. this weather front here is moving its way a bit further north and east across the uk. stronger winds ahead of that weather front, lighter winds developing further south, and we should get some sunshine as well. still some rain, though, for northern ireland on thursday morning and that moves through the midlands away from the south—east of england, heading towards southern scotland and northern england. perhaps a bit of wintriness over the mountains. sunshine to the south and we get some sharp showers. possibly thundery. 12 or 13 degrees. north of that band of rain it is quite a bit colder, but the cold day is yet to arrive. we'll see that rain turn to sleet and snow over the higher ground overnight in scotland.

still some rain for the north—east of england and we could still see some sharp bands of showers pushing up across england and wales towards northern ireland. again, no frost i think early on friday morning. that wet weather in scotland increasingly wintry over the high ground. some heavy, perhaps thundery showers in a band moving across northern england, running into the back of that wet weather and bringing more rain to northern ireland. heavy showers again developing to the south where we'll get sunshine. contrasting temperatures again north and south across the uk. over the weekend, we all get into the same boat. high pressure blocking things off across scandinavia and around it we pick up an easterly wind. there will be a significant windchill as well, especially across england and wales, where we'll have the strongest of the wind. perhaps not too many snow showers, actually, on saturday. there could be some on friday night, but most places will be dry on saturday. you will notice, however, the temperatures significantly lower. remember 12 or 13, perhaps, across the south on friday. four or five at best, and further north one or two celsius. that area of high pressure

still around the northern part of the uk on saturday. stronger winds to the south. we could get as spell of snow overnight and especially near channel, the southernmost counties of england. that pulls through and then we'll probably find a few more snow showers, again more likely across england and wales. most of scotland and northern ireland will be dry and it is not quite as windy here but it's still going to be cold on sunday, colder than it should be. hello. this is breakfast, with louise minchin and charlie stayt. it is "russia's crime." the usjoins britain in blaming moscow for last week's nerve agent attack. at the united nations, its ambassador demands action after britain expels 23 russian officials. but the kremlin again denies any involvement in the attempted murder of former spy sergei skipral and his daughter. the lab where scientists helped identify the nerve agent used

what's in our bottled water? the world health organization investigates after hundreds, even thousands, of tiny particles of plastic are discovered in a number of leading brands.