today at 5.00pm — the duke of edinburgh is admitted to hospital for hip surgery. prince philip, who's 96, will undergo the operation tomorrow at the king edward vii hospital in central london. the duke was admitted to hospital here earlier today in central london after missing in of engagements over easter alongside the queen and other members of the royal family. the other main stories on bbc news— fears over levels of violent crime in london after a teenage girl named locally as tanesha is shot dead. it's appalling. it's not safe to go out, you have to keep locking your doors or do something, it's terrible. jeremy corbyn defends his decision to attend an event organised by a left—wing jewish group following criticism from mainstream jewish leaders. anti—semitism is a vile and evil thing within our society at any level, anywhere, any time and it has to be eradicated.

the french rail network is badly disrupted as a wave of strikes against president macron‘s reforms begin. counting down to the commonwealth games — final preparations are underway for the opening ceremony of gold coast 2018. good evening. the duke of edinburgh has been admitted to hospital for a planned hip operation. buckingham palace say he'll undergo the surgery tomorrow. prince philip, who's 96, is being treated at the king edward vii hospital in london. it's understood he was absent from this year's easter service at st george's chapel in windsor castle because of his hip problem. 0ur royal correspondent daniela relph is at the

king edward vii hospital in london. buckingham palace very keen to stress this is a planned operation. yes, that is right. a planned admittance and operation is the phrase buckingham palace is using. that is very carefully worded there to make sure that there's no sense of alarm, i think, around the admittance of the duke of edinburgh to the hospital here in central london. we are told there is a problem with his head and has been ongoing for the past month, causing him some pain. —— with his hip. the operation will take place tomorrow. the duke of edinburgh had missed the number of events over the past few weeks. even though he has retired from public life we see him alongside the queen and it'll thought we would see him perhaps on maundy thursday at the service at st

george ‘s chapel with the queen. again at winston. it is clear there was a rather more serious problem with his hip. that announcement from buckingham palace this afternoon he has been admitted here to king edward vii hospital. the operation will be tomorrow and they haven't given us any idea of timing or detail of what it is ever to say it is an operation on his hip. his care he will be led by a medical team thatis he will be led by a medical team that is attached to the royal household. aside from his hip problems, we have been seeing less of him because he has stepped down from royal duties. that's right. last summer he stepped down from the public side of his life. he retired, he said. we have seen him a number of times since then. i saw him on christmas day at sandringham where he led the royal

family up to the church. he looked incredibly well. a very good physical health considering he is 96. we haven't seen much of him since then. there were some pictures of him on the royal estate carriage riding which is one of his favourite hobbies. he is a fit and active person which most stand him in good stead in terms of the kind of operation he is going to face tomorrow. having said that, he is 96, he is going to have to have a general anaesthetic, he is going to possibly face of the risks that come with having a major operation here in hospital. at his age that will be some cause for concern i in hospital. at his age that will be some cause for concern i suppose in some cause for concern i suppose in some ways but buckingham palace are keen to stress this is very much planned, the duke has had problems in the past month and it is felt it needed to be dealt with here in hospital. many thanks indeed. we will be talking later to a

co nsulta nt we will be talking later to a consultant orthopaedic surgeon who isa consultant orthopaedic surgeon who is a specialist in hip surgery about what kind of surgery that will happen tomorrow at the king edward vii hospital. there's growing concern about violent crime in the capital, after two shootings overnight. a 17—year—old girl, named locally as tanesha, has been shot dead in tottenham. a 16—year—old boy is critically ill after being found with gunshot wounds in walthamstow. the two incidents were in the space of an hour. london's murder rate has risen sharply this year, with 47 murders so far. richard lister reports. late last night, and police are responding to the murder of another teenager on the streets of london. the victim here in tottenham, a 17—year—old girl out with friends. she didn't deserve that. her mum didn't deserve to watch her die. what would you say if you saw your child on the floor? she was screaming, she didn't know what to do. the victim has been named locally as tanesha melbouurne — this picture was put

on social media. witnesses say a gunman fired on herfrom inside a car. this morning, the investigation continues in a community in shock. i'd appeal to anybody with any information to contact us where you can give information anonymously. we are keen to know why they were in the area at the time and what the motive is there to be shot. i've got to granddaughter of 12 and she could walk timmy in a couple of years' time. she could walk timmy at that time. she could walk timmy at that time of night. it's not safe to go out. it's appalling. you have to keep looking your doors or do something, it's terrible! condolences to the mum and the dad of the young lady that got killed. and that's coming from every single person in tottenham that's got a heart. this is not what we want.

just a few miles away in walthamstow, police found two more teenagers last night, one shot, the other stabbed. a 16—year—old boy is now in a critical tradition with gunshot injuries and the 15—year—old stab victim is said to have suffered life—changing injuries. there have been 47 murders in london this year, most from stabbing or shooting. january saw a total of eight homicides in london. 15 in february, and 22 in march. a rate not seen in more than a decade. this trend of violence on our streets is increasing and it is a worry and i would like to say a crisis because it has never been this young on such a regular occurrence as we're getting now. the latest figures show that gun and knife crime have both increased by around 20% in england and wales, and even more sharply in london where one person has been stabbed to death every three days this year alone. police say we're at a turning point, after more than 20 years

in which such crimes had been going down. the metropolitan police commissioner, cressida dick, said at the weekend that social media may be partly to blame, rival gangs taunting each other on youtube, escalating trivial disputes into violent confrontations, and innocent people often getting caught in the crossfire. it comes down to funding, communities working with these young people, they need guidance and support. what we're seeing is social exclusion and young men and women turning to the streets as a result. forensic teams are still at work here in tottenham. elsewhere there are two north london families at their childrens‘ hospital bedsides. while one family in this street is preparing for a funeral. our home editor mark easton is here. this latest violence and the latest

figures on the murder rate in the capital sound alarming. this loss of life particularly involving young people still in their teens is deeply troubling. after many years of seeing the murder rate fall in london it is understandable some fear we are starting to see it rise again. i think it is probably too early to say the trend has changed. with crimes that are read there will be rises and falls, filers and deliberate killing generally have been declining over the last 20 yea rs been declining over the last 20 years and london remains actually one of the safest cities in the world. it does have a problem with gangs. some would suggest a squeeze and police budgets has made it more difficult to get hold of the key intelligence that means they can disrupt some of their more violent activity. it is just not true to say that more police means fewer murders. five years ago in london there were fewer police officers,

slightly fewer than we have now, but there were more murders. —— more murders now. police will be looking at how they can disrupt gangs, keep guns out of the capital. the reasons for the murder rate rising or falling avidly complicated and they've got a lot more to do with it than the number of bodies on the beat. thank you very much indeed. the duke of edinburgh has been admitted to hospital before a planned operation which is expected to ta ke planned operation which is expected to take place tomorrow. we shall speak to simon jennings to take place tomorrow. we shall speak to simonjennings now who is a co nsulta nt speak to simonjennings now who is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon. what sort of surgery might it be? it is possible to tell? good evening. it is more than likely going to be some form of hip replacement if this is a operation

for a replacement if this is a operation fora hip replacement if this is a operation for a hip scenario. this is a routine procedure but we will need more work upon getting everything ready and it is a procedure we carry out quite a few thousand every year. what is involved in that? can you tell has about a hip replacement? how long could and operated —— operation like that take? it could ta ke operation like that take? it could take between an hour and an hour and a half. they could be some time added on for the anaesthetic. but in realistic terms the joint replacement involves the removal of the ball and socket joint, replacement involves the removal of the ball and socketjoint, replacing besotted with a metal socket, replacing the ball with a metal ball and the plastic liner in between. you have a metal on plastic hip replacement to replace the damaged or diseased joint. this is an operation that is carried out on patients of all sorts of

different ages. are there particular challenges when the patient is in his 90s as the duke is? as with all things, the most important thing is patient safety and making sure all functions and everything worked well and that he is ready for the anaesthetic. the anaesthetic selected will be a regional anaesthetic, perhaps a spinal anaesthetic, perhaps a spinal anaesthetic or a general anaesthetic. they are all tailored to suit the patient. all these things will be taken into to suit the patient. all these things will involving 1to 5:1, m goes 145.7 ' 5:1, m goes well. 7" 3 " {éfiikéggiigfififffi-fifi §§§e “ie-l" ”” ” ”w bolts of the surgery is the nuts and bolts of the surgery is straightforward and has a very high satisfaction rate. people are getting up and going within 24 hours. we aim to get people on their feet within 12 hours of surgery. we need to get patient out of bed and back to normality and mobility. the

patient could be walking very soon after the operation? depending on the scenario, yes. it is as soon as they can possibly get them going. as long as they recover from the anaesthetic and there are no problems with getting things going, i don't see any reason why they can't be up within a couple of hours from surgery if everything goes well. good to talk to you. thank you very much. some labour mps have again criticised their leaderjeremy corbyn for his approach to the issue of anti—semitism. they're angry he attended an event organised by a left wing jewish group called jewdas, which has been critical of more mainstream jewish organisations. the mps have seen mr corbyn‘s attendance as a sign he isn't taking anti—semitism seriously. mr corbyn says he was there in a personal capacity, and has called anti—semitism a "vile and evil thing within our society." here's our political correspondent eleanor garnier. another morning, another

row about anti—semitism in the labour party. 0ut campaigning in swindon, but the questions coming jeremy corbyn‘s way — all about his relations with thejewish community after an event he went to last night. do you regret going to that event last night? not in the slightest. why not? i'm sorry but your question... i went to a very interesting and enjoyable seder supper, talking to young jewish people about their life in britain and the experiences they have had with anti—semitism and how they see the future for our country. and i think that is what political leaders should do. the event in question was organised byjewdas, a left—wing jewish group openly critical of mainstream jewish organisations. it has previously dismissed anti—semitism allegations in the labour party as right—wing smears. it seems strange that mr corbyn‘s first act in the week after he declared that he would be our ally, and a militant opponent

of anti—semitism, that he would choose to meet with a group who denounced the demonstrations and labelled us all as right—wing conspirators. we have to wonder what message he is sending us by attending this event. 0ne mp accused mr corbyn of deliberately baiting the mainstream jewish community and said the party leader had been irresponsible and dangerous. another said it was a blatant dismissal for the case made for tackling anti—semitism in labour. mr corbyn‘s supporters admit there is a wider problem of anti—semitism in the party, but they reject criticism levelled at the leader for going to last night's event. jeremy corbyn attended an event put on by young jewish radicals in his constituency. for non—jews to call that anti—semitic in itself, i find that offensive and bordering on anti—semitic in itself. some say it could simply be naivete, others have accused mr corbyn of a deliberate act of defiance.

but whatever the reason, by choosing to go to thejewdas event he has inflamed tensions rather than calming things down. chanting: shame on you! it has been a difficult week, there were even angry protests in westminster. mr corbyn might have condemned all forms of racism and apologised for the hurt caused by anti—semitism, but the problem is far from sorted. eleanor garnier, bbc news, westminster. joining me from our derby studio is chris williamson, labour mp for derby north who supports mr corbyn attending thejewdas event. thank you very much for being with us. thank you very much for being with us. as we heard in that report, hasn't he just inflamed tensions really by going to that event? at the very least, wasn't this a problem of timing. wouldn't he have

been better advised to talk first to some of these mainstream jewish groups? that is an absurd assertion. he attended an event in his own constituency with a jewish group. to characterise that as inflaming tensions or somehow anti—semitic is ridiculous in my opinion. jeremy has got a proud and strong tradition of opposing racism as has the labour party. it was the labour party that introduced the first race relations act. this whole media framing has been unfortunate to say the least because it implies that there is a particular problem in the labour party when we know that racism and anti—semitism which is a form of racism, regrettably, is a feature of society. we need to come together to tackle society. we need to come together to ta ckle lea d society. we need to come together to tackle lead but the media need to make the point that it isn'tjust the labour party that has a handful of people who have made anti—semitic

remarks. some have been suspended and some have been expelled. the conservative meps have a link with right—wing political groups in the european parliament which are openly anti—semitic. european parliament which are openly anti-semitic. mr corbyn has himself said the labour party does have a problem with anti—semitism and he talked about this being a jewish group but it isn'tjust anyjewish group. in december, this group, jewdas, described israel as a steaming pile of sewage which needs to be properly disposed of. is that a cce pta ble to be properly disposed of. is that acceptable language? jeremy miles two with thejewish group at passover to celebrate the occasion. he has asked for a meeting with the board of deputies. jeremy is time to engage... you haven't a nswered is time to engage... you haven't answered my question about whether jewdas said...

iam not jewdas said... i am not going to second—guess or say it is inappropriate forjewish groups to say what they feel. i know sometimes feelings do run away with people in relation to some of the actions of the israeli government. it is important not to confuse that. there was a protest in tel aviv over the weekend, the massacre of defenceless palestinians who were protesting who were shot in the back by the israeli military. we need to come together to condemn that, we need to work together to drive out racism and anti—semitism but to create all these artificial divisions is very unhelpful. to characterise jeremy as in divisions is very unhelpful. to characterisejeremy as in being bigoted or supportive of tolerating anti—semitism is totally unfair of a

man who has spent his life fighting racism and bigotry in this country. why doesn't he talks to thejewish leadership council, mainstream jewish groups about the problem of anti—semitism in the labour party? he would love to speak to them. he has asked for a meeting with the board of deputies and thejewish leadership council. jeremy is offering that olive branch he is seeking to work with the mainstream jewish community but the board of deputies don't speak for all of them. the group thatjeremy went to join in their celebrations yesterday, they don't share the views of the board of deputies. the jewish community is a complex community. they don't all have exactly the same ideas or views of the world. but he has chosen to go toa group the world. but he has chosen to go to a group who says the whole talk

about anti—semitism in the labour party is a right—wing conspiracy and the right—wing ploy. he has gone to a group based in his constituency, a private capacity. that is perfectly legitimate. but he isa that is perfectly legitimate. but he is a potential prime minister, you can't just is a potential prime minister, you can'tjust go is a potential prime minister, you can't just go and is a potential prime minister, you can'tjust go and say that was a private visit in a personal capacity. people are making mischief about this and i'd have more time about these media criticisms if there was a similar scrutiny of other political parties and racism and anti—semitism in society as a whole. why is it the bbc have not done any expose on the fact that the conservative party has an official relationship with anti—semitic parties in the european parliament? why you focusing on somebody like jeremy corbyn who has spent his life fighting racism and bigotry in this

country? it is unfair. chris williamson, thank you very much indeed for being with us. the labour mpfor indeed for being with us. the labour mp for derby north. there are to be ten new centres across england designed to speed up the diagnosis of cancer. patients with vague, non specific symptoms will have all the necessary checks under one roof, rather than going for several different tests for different forms of the disease. these "one stop shop" centres are part of a drive to catch cancer early and speed up diagnosis. here's our health correspondent dominic hughes. helped me focus more on what my symptoms were... there are to be ten new centres across england designed to speed up whenjohn lost 14kg in weight in just a few weeks combined with nausea and fever, alarm bells started ringing. the fear was he had developed cancer. butjohn had no specific symptoms so he was referred to a new specialist unit at airedale hospital in west yorkshire. fast track team, take blood straightaway, mri scans, ct scans, more or less straightaway.

and you get to know then what is possibly wrong with you instead of waiting weeks and weeks and weeks for some results to come back and you're worrying all that time. getting a rapid diagnosis and starting treatment for cancer can make all the difference. but sometimes patients who have particularly vague symptoms like john did, with rapid weight loss and stomach pain, can find themselves being bounced from department to department while they wait for different test results and that can waste valuable time. so the airedale clinic is one of ten in england designed to speed up a cancer diagnosis, where patients with nonspecific symptoms, like john, can be seen by one team, who can give a fast decision. the advantages for the patient are they can have all the tests they need doing in one place rather than having to go back and forth to different departments. and the quicker we can get the diagnosis of cancer for a patient, the quicker they can start treatment, which means better outcomes for the patients.

and that's why health experts say these new centres could be a step change in the treatment of cancer. there are certain types of symptoms that are really, really tricky to understand what could be causing that, and at the moment there isn't a good pathway for the gp to send a patient on, hence these multidisciplinary centres are being set up to try and investigate how we can do better for patients. various doctors hadn't picked up on the fact that it might be a tropical disease. it turns out thatjohn's symptoms might not be cancer at all, but a form of malaria. the aim is that every patient, likejohn, is given the all clear or a diagnosis within 28 days. dominic hughes, bbc news, airedale hospital. cancer charities have welcomed that one stop shop initiative, but a former health secretary has said another initiative designed for the early detection of cancer has failed to deliver what it promised. lord lansley, who's revealed he is being treated for bowel cancer,

says an automatic early screening programme for bowel cancer introduced in 2010 was only available to half the country because of funding problems. two men have been arrested in west yorkshire on suspicion of planning acts of terror. counter—terror officers are searching two properties in dewsbury after the men, aged 52 and 21, were detained under the terrorism act. west yorkshire police said the arrests were pre—planned as part of an intelligence—led investigation. ever since february's school shooting in florida, there have been growing calls in the united states for tighter gun control but president trump has said he favours arming staff in schools, including teachers. bbc radio 5 live's anna foster has been to visit one school in texas which is already doing just that and giving guns to its employees. it almost looks like a classic scene from the old west. but without a local sheriff to keep

the peace, this school is taking the law into its own hands. the nearest police station is 18 miles away, so here they've signed up to what's called the guardian programme, where some specially—trained teachers carry concealed weapons in the classroom. our goal is for this programme to never be used. we want to throw our monies away on this programme and hope that this programme never is used! but should the case arise, these are individuals that can look themselves in the mirror and know that they're doing what's right. around 170 school districts in texas have adopted this idea, with backing from president trump, who's floated a plan to arm more teachers. it's concealed, so this crazy man who walked in wouldn't even know who it is that has it. that's good — that's not bad, that's good. and a teacher would have shot the hell out of him before he knew what happened.

there are 38 people working at this school, everything from teachers to dinner staff to the caretaker. what's really important in all this is that nobody knows how many of them are carrying a weapon, and crucially, nobody knows the identity of the people who are armed. 0n condition of anonymity, we put some questions to one of the guardians, whose replies here are spoken by an actor. if the need arose, i feel confident that i would use whatever means necessary to protect our students and staff. just over a week ago, hundreds of thousands of people rallied in washington dc, calling for tighter gun control laws. among them were many parents and teachers, but the superintendent here insists he has the full support of the local community. they're caring individuals, they care about our students and they want to make sure that we have an extra layer of protection for each and every one of our students. without the guardian programme, we're just sitting ducks. if there's a crazy person out there, then we have to have a way to defend ourselves.

guns are just part of our everyday lives. you know, my husband is a rancher, on the ranch truck there's a gun, it's not scary, there's nothing scary about guns. to us it'sjust part of normal existence in a rural area. america is at a crossroads. even in this gun—loving state, support for the programme isn't universal. the texan teaching union says arming teachers is fraught with peril. right now, though, it seems the number of guns in american schools is rising rather than falling, and the days of the wild west never really went away. anna foster, bbc news, texas. time for a look at the weather. here's ben rich. today was two seasons in one day. winterfor today was two seasons in one day.

winter for some, today was two seasons in one day. winterfor some, that was today was two seasons in one day. winter for some, that was taken by weather watcher in scotland. further south it has felt more like spring. it has been mild but there have been heavy showers. they will rumble on but they will fade away to leave some clear spells. later in the night we're likely to see some showers pushing in from the south. wintry weather into northern ireland but on to higher ground in scotland too. a chilly night, much, much milder south. we keep those splits forgers tomorrow. the mixture of snow, sleet in scotland but coming down to lower levels. northern ireland seeing some wintry showers and for england and wales, some spells of sunshine but a smattering of really heavy thundery downpours and those temperatures really ranging from 13 degrees in london, to just three ranging from 13 degrees in london, tojust three in ranging from 13 degrees in london, to just three in aberdeen. but for all of us, as we head towards the end of the week, it will turn milder. they will be some rain at times but some sunshine as well.

this is bbc news — the headlines. the duke of edinburgh has been admitted to hospital for a planned hip operation. buckingham palace say he'll undergo the surgery tomorrow. there are fears over levels of violent crime in london — after a teenage girl — named locally as tanesha melbourne — was shot dead in tottenham. jeremy corbyn defends his decision to attend an event organised by a left—wing jewish group — following criticism from mainstream jewish leaders. the french rail network is badly disrupted — as a wave of strikes against president macron's reforms begin. we're just from the united states for people from the same bristol family have died after a collision train to vehicles in florida. this

is from the titusville police department in florida saying that for people from the same family in bristol have died after a collision between two vehicles in florida with no more information about that collision at the moment. we will bring you more details as they come into us. but for people from the same family from bristol dying in that collision in florida for the —— florida. let's get the latest sports news now. good afternoon. england cricketers now have 13 test matches overseas with no victory after the second test with new zealand ended in a draw put up things england lose the series 1— yl. england needed to take 10 on the final day. they took two in the first two balls, but then found it a lot harder to break down a resilient new zealand team who won a series against england for only the fourth time, asjohn watson reports.

estrada lost by massive 492 runs in their final match against south africa. —— australia. 0ne immortal was playing in his final test before retirement. forrester in and their coach it was stepping down after three players had been banned for cheating. an object finished to a controversial draw. and that defeat comes controversial draw. and that defeat co m es after controversial draw. and that defeat comes after one—year suspension for steve smith and david warner with cameron bancroft ban for nine months for their part in the ball tampering scandal in cape town. those bands have been deemed too severe and the

players union in australia especially given the contrition shown by the trio in their public apologies. this droning cricketers association branded it disproportionate. their distress has sent a message across the world as effective as any band could be. i think australia cried with steve smith last thursday, i certainly did. we ask that this extraordinary contrition to be taken into account by cricket australia just as it would be in any fair or proper process. all four nations now know who will carry their flags in the opening ceremony for the commonwealth games. after eilidh doyle was announced as scotland's flag bearer,

today england have named alistair brownlee, and jazz carlin will lead out wales. and netball captain caroline 0'hanlon will carry northern ireland's flag in tomorrow's ceremony. the team has 90 athletes competing across 13 different sports in gold coast. to be asked, i was shocked. very proud. the last time when we were in glasgow we were a new addition to the team. it shows how far we have come as a team, and in terms of netball, how highly we are considered in the team. i'm very proud to represent the girls, and can't wait. the champions league is back tonight the holders real madrid face juventus in the last 8 in what is a repeat of last year's final. tomorrow liverpool host manchester city. the former reds manager rafa benitez now in charge at newcastle of course, told juliette ferrington that he expects the game to join the list of classic anfield encounters. to play at anfield was always fantastic. especially to play during

the night, that was massive. can use see liverpool doing it? i think they are good team. i think both teams are good team. i think both teams a re really are good team. i think both teams are really good. i cannot say it will be this one or the other one because they are so close in many things. maybe one detail will change the game. i think it will be exciting. ronnie 0'sullivan has been knocked out in the first round of the china open that's despite making a record 14th maximum break of his career. nobody has as many competitive 147s as the five time world champion, who went on to lose against elliot slessor in beijing by 6 frames to 2. but he still pockets 42 thousand pounds for the maximum. and a hug from the referee too. that's all the sport for now. you can find more on all those stories on the bbc sport website. i'd also the latest news from the

masters. let's get more on our top story — and the duke of edinburgh has been admitted to hospital for a planned hip operation. buckingham palace say he'll undergo the surgery tomorrow. prince philip, who's 96, is being treated at the king edward 7th hospital in london. 0ur correspondent james robbins is here. buckingham palace are stressing that this is a planned operation. that is the important work in that statement, they're trying to emphasise that there is no reason for alarm. we are hearing the duke of edinburgh suffered some discomfort last week, and withdrew from a couple of things he wanted to attend. he did not attend the easter service for example. but it looks as if there has been time to plan this

operation in response to whatever the diagnosis was and orthopaedic surgeons that the bbc has spoken to say it is perfectly routine even for a man of 96 97 and a couple of months. nothing to be alarmed about. a p pa re ntly months. nothing to be alarmed about. apparently it is a routine operation and could take just over an apparently it is a routine operation and could takejust over an hour. he might even be up and about on a walking frame the day after surgery it has been suggested. he may not be in hospitalfor more it has been suggested. he may not be in hospital for more than a couple of days after the operation tomorrow. as you say a routine operation, he has been out of use because of this problem over easter but he has already stepped back from royal duties. he stepped back last year and formally retired from the intense programme of royal engagements he had kept up ever since marrying the greenback in 1947. but he did not give them up altogether, he has wanted to keep going with a small diary. so this is

an interruption to that but no suggestion that he will not be back on his feet and back at engagements within a relatively short time. of course he must be looking forward to the royal wedding in may and presumably hopes he will be fit if perhaps not quite as mobile as he was by then. thank you for the -- thank you. the french rail network has faced severe disruption, on the first day of strikes against proposed reforms to the state—owned sncf rail company. for the next three months, unions have announced strikes on two days out of every five — representing the biggest test yet for president macron's reform agenda — which unions claim paves the way for privatisation. hugh schofield reports from paris. this morning, french travellers got a first taste of what may well become a regular and exhausting part of their daily lives in the weeks ahead. mass cancellations on the rail network meant in some places deserted station platforms. but elsewhere, scenes of commuter misery.

on some lines into paris, one train ran where there should be six, and nerves are fraying. translation: the day has already started badly. what is the point paying for a travel card if there is a strike afterwards? it is a shame. translation: i'm tired of it, i'm really tired of that. they are allowed to strike but here it is affecting us all because we have to work. we can't miss every day and if this goes on untiljune, what are we going to do? at the gare de lyon in paris, one woman even fell on the track, so great was the crush of passengers on the platform. two days of this a week for the next three months. that's what the rail unions have planned in their campaign to force president macron to backtrack. they say his reforms for the state—owned sncf open the way to eventual privatisation, something the government strongly denies.

translation: i understand that there can be fears among railway workers. i am saying these fears are notjustified and they are being stoked up. for the president, these rolling rail strikes will be the first real test of his resolve to reform. in a year in office, emmanuel macron has had the country broadly behind him, but now, the french are bracing for a long period of grim and ill—tempered attrition. if they ever start blaming not the rail unions, but macron, for their misery, then his chances of success will be gravely compromised. hugh schofield, bbc news, paris. there's growing concern about violent crime in the capital, after two shootings overnight. a 17—year—old—girl — named locally as tanesha — has been shot dead in tottenham. a 16—year—old boy is critically ill after being found with gunshot wounds in walthamstow.

london's murder rate has risen sharply this year — with 47 murders so far. eight people were killed injanuary. in feburary there were fifteen homocides and last month there was another increase, and twenty two people were killed in march with me isjunior smart, founder of the sos project at st giles trust, who became a youth worker after personal experience of the gang lifestyle. also i'm joined via webcam from dorset by the criminologist roger graef. junior, do you believe that there is a real problem now with surging violent crime in the capital and if so what is the reason for that. violent crime in the capital and if so what is the reason for thatm is terrible and when i think about all the deaths that happened i am

gratified —— i'm gutted. these are children losing their lives. there are many catalysts, social media has are many catalysts, social media has a big part to play in this. most of the viewers probably woke up this morning and the first thing they did was checked their mobile phone to see if they had comments on their post or whatever. there is a big need for social validation but it also accelerates things so things are no longer hearsay, it is. contrast that in bringing forward with the other stuff we are seeing happening, so it is a symptom. you have cut happening to youth services, cut to mental health, cut happening within the communities. and you have some really good initiatives being put forward. some of them have been in camden for the

bad actually we need everyone to get together and this needs a holistic approach. it needs prevention work in schools, young people still tell me you can get stabbed in safe places. agencies need to come together. and roger, what is your view on this, is that it proliferation of gangs in the capital? that is a factor but the point about, i agree with everything julian has said but especially the need for safe spaces for youth clubs that have now shut. these kind of refuges these kids need all the years i've studied young offenders on young people really as they were growing up at risk, they are really frightened of each other and do not feel anyone else cares about them or will protect them. and the cuts in policing to not help either. the police need to have trust and enough time to build that trust with these kids and then create safe spaces

which they themselves trust. and thatis which they themselves trust. and that is missing in this equation. combined with social media, the acceleration of insecurities and the feeling that no one else cares about them, they need their weapons and theirgang to them, they need their weapons and their gang to protect them. so you are saying they are frightened and thatis are saying they are frightened and that is why they are joining gangs, ina that is why they are joining gangs, in a sense to defend themselves.” am saying that. many of the people i have met who have been gang members, theyjoined up for security. i had made 60 films on the justice system and been in many prisons working with young offenders and no one has ever threatened me because i treat them with respect and they trust that. and if that your experience, people joining that. and if that your experience, peoplejoining gangs that. and if that your experience, people joining gangs to defend themselves effectively because they are scared? i would not use the term gang, that label brings with it a whole other element. what i see is young people that think there are

safe places that they can stab someone, safe places that they can stab someone, and the work that we do going into schools and colleges, community centres, we really use former offenders and those with first—hand experience, providing them with this safe space. and many areas are still in denial that when we go into schools some teachers say we go into schools some teachers say we do not have a problem here but when young people start to talk to us it is quite shocking how much they know. they need to be supported and guided and also given a safer alternative. it is not as simple as saying do not carry a nice because if they do not they might have to make some serious choices. there could be consequences to that. we need to hear the young people, let's see what they are experiencing and support them. and with these latest shootings in london overnight, gun

crime and knife crime as well, we gather knife crime is responsible for most of the murders there have been so far this year in the capital. what can the police do about this? it is interesting because the spread of gun crime in the 19905 happened because then many drug dealers u5ed teenagers to carry drug5 drug dealers u5ed teenagers to carry drugs for them and gave them weapons to protect their territory. then it became fashionable in its own way and furthermore the other kids felt it everyone else is carrying a gun i need to have one to be able to defend myself. nowi need to have one to be able to defend myself. now i think there is an increase in gun crime and knife crime because people need protection from something. unle55 crime because people need protection from something. unless they can build the kind of trust that we have been talking about, able carry the5e weapons been talking about, able carry the5e weapon5ju5t for been talking about, able carry the5e weapons just for itself as ovation i

think. some people would say the a nswer to think. some people would say the answer to that if they are carrying weapons is to increase stop and search policies. we have already seen search policies. we have already seen that when it is not an intelligence led things like that can backfire. one of the problems with that is it is more damaging to the community involved. and in order to reduce this we need better community cohesion, more people coming together, actual investment in these communities. these are young people that feel they are separated from society and they need involvement. we need to hear their voice, yet there prospective and they need support in order to break they need support in order to break the negative cycle. thank you both. well the commonwealth games on australia's gold coast gets under way tomorrow. since its introduction nearly 90 years ago, it's evolved into the third largest multi—sport event in the world. this year, 71 nations

and territories will be competing for 275 gold medals, across 19 sports. our sports correspondent natalie pirks takes a look at where the home nations‘ hopes could lie. a welcome like no other. with the athletes' village in aboriginal territory, team england was treated by a traditional song and dance. the team has plenty to sing about, in glasgow last time around, they topped the medal table with 58 golds. what a performance! max whitlock helping with three of them. this will be the third games for the nation's most successful gymnast, and before flying to australia, he told me the commonwealth games occupy a special place in his heart. the games mean a lot, a huge competition on my radar, and the first commonwealth games i ever did was my senior debut, so it was so important to me, and that competition really made me sort of believe that

i could go somewhere, and i could do something. there are more than 4400 athletes coming to the games, many of them who will be staying here in the athletes' village. these are the first gender neutral games: there are equal medals for men and women, and it also features the biggest disability sport programme in commonwealth games history. 38 medals across 7 sports. one of those hoping for gold coast glory is england's jade jones, as para—triathlon makes its games debut, mentored by dame tanni grey thompson, jones is also competing in the marathon alongside husband callum. it's just sport and that is what it should be. it should be appreciated for that. so, i like the way that the games does that and it is completely integrated, and for me, it is kind of the way that it should be. games records are already being broken before a starter pistol is fired. this will be northern ireland's

david calvert's11th commonwealth, and atjust11 years old, anna hersey is team wales ping—pong protege. hurdler eilidh doyle will be scotland's flag bearer at tomorrow's opening ceremony, the first woman ever to do so. this is probably the strongest commonwealth games team that we have had, so yes, expecting big things, and hopefully will bring a few medals back. big things played out against a breathtaking backdrop. amit patel lost his sight unexpectedly in 2012. he now relies on guide dog kika to get him around the streets of london. but sometimes people are not as considerate as they should be — so amit fitted his guide dog with a camera and set about recording evidence of the discrimination he faced but could not see. let's have a look at a clip of amit facing a difficult passenger on an escalator. give me one second.

please sir, the gentleman needs to hold on to the handrail. so it is just being a bit considerate. two seconds of your life. so we are coming up to the end of the escalator. amitjoins me in the studio now. thank you for being with us. a lot of people would be shocked seeing that that someone could be so rude and inconsiderate. unfortunately it happens all the time. it is part of

travelling in london. it is busy, eve ryo ne travelling in london. it is busy, everyone is in rush. but you get used to it after a while. and unbelievably you do get abuse from some people. absolutely. we're told we should not be out and about at the time, we're putting everyone in danger, what happens if the fire alarm goes off. it is constant. but for every nasty precedent there are 100 nice people out there. even so people saying you are holding them up, that you should apologise. yes but sometimes i find i know i should not apologise but it is easier to say sorry and it comes everything down. so you go on a train for example with your guide dog and try to get a seat. you ask the dog to go and get your steed sometimes people do not actually get up for you. we

do not actually get up for you. we do not actually get up for you. we do not expect to get a seat or even have a seat on the train but when conditions are bad, if it is raining and the floors are slippery is easier to sit down and have the guide dog under my seat next to me so guide dog under my seat next to me so she's not in the way. on this particular day it was wet and very slippery and the guide dog was distressed, she was making a noise to say she was not happy. because she could not find you a seat. because she could not stay in the same place, she was sliding around. that is not the best thing obviously and people do not realise that if the dog is distressed when we get off the train they do not want to work. and she is my mobility tool, she takes me everywhere safely. if she's not willing to do that then i'm stuck. and you believe it is not just due to the problem replicated not just just due to the problem replicated notjust in london but right around the country. absolutely, from the

feedback with god, notjust people who are visually impaired, people in wheelchairs, on crutches. it is natural just to offer a wheelchairs, on crutches. it is naturaljust to offer a seat wheelchairs, on crutches. it is natural just to offer a seat to someone natural just to offer a seat to someone and unbelievable that people would just notice you and put their heads down and wait for someone else to offer a seat. is it a question of awareness or how should we get these people to change their attitude? awareness or how should we get these people to change their attitude7m is difficult. when you're in the priority seats is it's clearly marked and you probably know that you're sitting in a priority seat. these are priority seats on trains, on the tube or even if you're not sitting in a priority seat and you kill someone needs a seat it should be human to offer up your seat if you think it will help them. i really do not know how we can drive this forward. but from the response with god there are so many great people out there and i think people now have the courage to speak up for

people who do not themselves have the courage to ask for a seat. which i think is fantastic. with saw that clip on the escalator, one commuter been very rude but the others kind of rounding on that person and saying you being rude. that is great when it happens, sometimes people do not realise there is a guide dog and they will shout from the top of the escalator, moved the and duty slowly get people i think that the message that there is a guide dog and it comes all the way down again as well, amazing. the people are understanding with just those few people who are probablyjust in a rush but they do know better. thank you so much for coming in and sharing your experiences. amit patel. southeastern railways have told us... "we would hope that people use theirjudgement when they spot another passenger who may be in greater need to seat, and we're sorry to hear that mr patel experienced an awkward journey on this occasion.

we're already rolling out clearer priority seat signage on the trains that don't already have it to make it more visible. as well as priority seats, we offer priority seating cards and priority seat badges that our passengers can show to another passenger sitting in a priority seat, without causing a fuss or having to explain themselves." dozens of newly—discovered dinosaur footprints, left 170 million years ago, have been discovered on the isle of skye. researchers say the prints were made by theropods, older cousins of the tyrannosaurus rex, which stood up to two metres tall, and also by long—necked sauropods. the tracks, found on the island's north east coast, suggest dinosaurs were present in scotland for a longer period than first thought. dr david norman is a palaeontologist from the university of cambridge,

who told me there were still many unanswered questions. likely these animals were sort of paddling around occasionally in the shallow water and obviously you know if you're walking along the beach and you look behind you, then you can see the foot prints that you leave behind, cant you? but you know very well, you know, you just wait for the next wave to crash and those footprints are gone. so i think the slightly bigger puzzle is how could something as ephemeral as the footprint be left behind? that is sort of more of a sherlock holmes sort of problem which needs to be solved. time for a look at the weather with ben rich. good evening. with seeing some thunderstorms today across england and wales and more to come tomorrow.

the showers are fading for a time but more low—pressure approaching bringing more showers into the morning. further north snow continued to fall over the hills in scotland. called also in northern ireland. —— cold. was no across the higher ground in scotland and rain turning to snow as the temperatures fall. for england and wales you will be lucky to avoid the showers, some of those heavy with hail and thunder. quite blustery day across western areas. temperatures in between the showers into the team. looking ahead to thursday and friday thursday the best day of the week put up turning wet in the west on friday. the rise of violent crime —

two shootings in london leave a teenage girl dead and a boy fighting for his life. the 17—year—old girl was killed in a drive by shooting in north london last night — her friends say she died for no reason. police say she was the 47th person to be killed in a wave of violent crime this year. we're doing everything we can, lawfully, to deal with the rise, using every tactical option available to us, enhancing the police presence in key locations, but most of all, working with communities. we'll be looking at what's behind this rise in violent crime and how police are tackling it. also on the programme. the duke of edinburgh is in hospital tonight — he's having a planned hip operation tomorrow.

jeremy corbyn has defended his visit to a left—wing jewish group which has criticised allegations of anti—semitism in the labour party. rail services in france are severely disrupted as three months of weekly