will be some sunny breaks but it will be milder ones or wherever you are so it will be mired this weekend, generally a lot of cloud and at times they will be rain. is no longer critically ill. sergei skripal has been in hospital since the beginning of march. he is responding well to treatment, improving rapidly, and is no longer in a critical condition. so what could mr skripal‘s recovery mean for the criminal investigation. also on the programme... the met police commissioner offers reassurance to londoners, after a string of murders. we have not lost control of the streets. i can understand why some people are very worried at the moment, particularly in some areas of london. aggression outside the ring — the mixed martial arts star conor mcgregor, appears in court after attacking his rivals' coach. and, worth his weight in gold. gareth evans wins for wales, at the commonwealth games. later in the hour, we will have

sports day on the bbc news channel with all the latest reports, results, interviews and features from the bbc sports he's been recovetind. after being poisoned with a nerve agent, at the beginning of march. his daughter yulia who was also attacked, is said to be gaining strength daily. britain says russia is behind the poisonings, but moscow has denied any involvement. well, our home affairs correspondent leila nathoo is at salisbury district hospital for us this evening, leila. (05)

this is yet another extraordinary turn of events here in salisbury. after more than four weeks in a critical condition, sergei scrip al is now recovering well. this was after an attack in a city he had come to call home triggering a diplomatic crisis between london and moscow. their recovery is introducing a new dynamic to the international tension. targeted with a chemical weapon, sergei skripal and his daughter yulia were exposed to nerve agent, a toxic chemical designed to shut down the human body. today, the hospital gave this update. as yulia herself says, her strength is growing daily and she cannot forward to the day when she

cannot forward to the day when she can leave hospital. i also want to update you on the condition of her father sergei scrip al. he is improving rapidly and no longer in a critical condition. on the 4th of march the two were found incapacitated in the centre of salisbury, critically ill. incapacitated in the centre of salisbury, critically iii. a police officer one of the first to respond to the incident was also admitted to hospital and discharged a fortnight later. last week, yulia regained consciousness and now her father appears to be making progress. it's fantastic news and somewhat unexpected. we heard earlier this week that yulia is getting better and to hear that sergei is recovering well is also great news andi recovering well is also great news and i hope to hear more in the coming week. in a statement, the foreign office has said... yulia skripal is communicating,

yesterday she put out a statement saying she was getting stronger daily. it's not sure whether sergei scrip out is recovering to the same extent. they will now become crucial witnesses in an investigation which is one of the most competent and largest the police have ever undertaken. our diplomatic correspondentjames landale is here. what does this mean for the investigation? there are two key witnesses that they may not have had before which will be able to shed light on what happened that day and

the wider context which may help the investigation. it is usually significant for the investigation and also it will open the door to more speculation and alternative theories suggesting that russia wasn't responsible for this attack as the government says is highly likely. we were told that people we re likely. we were told that people were going to be dying and now they are recovering. remember, the first reaction that vladimir putin gave to this attack was that if this was genuine soviet era nerve agent they would have died earlier. and news of one of their relatives back in russia? victoria skripal was going to visit her relatives but the british government has turned down her visa ostensibly because the visa application didn't comply with immigration rules but it was pretty clear that she was going to be used by the russian state to gain access to the scrip —— skripal‘s family.

the former south african president, jacob zuma, has appeared in court on corruption charges. he was forced out of office in february, accused of fraud, racketeering and money laundering, but denies any wrongdoing. our southern africa correspondent andrew harding was in court. roads sealed off and a show of force here in durban for the moment south africa has been contemplating for decades. jacob zuma in court. mr zuma, andrew harding, bbc, can i ask you how you're feeling? south africa's former president has been fighting off corruption allegations for years but he was pushed out of office in february. this morning, yesterday's man took his seat in the dock. my lord, the accused comes to this court today by way of summons. beside him, a representative of a french arms company, accused of paying zuma huge bribes in the 1990s. this case won't go fast.

zuma's lawyers are already challenging its legitimacy but it is a heavy blow to a man who seemed untouchable. outside court today, a small but raucous crowd. zuma and his populist economic rhetoric still enjoy some support here. a defiant zuma emerged to tell them i'm the victim of a political conspiracy. innocent until proven otherwise. but that argument, like his famous dance moves, is unlikely to help him in the trial. this is a hugely important symbolic moment for south africa in a country where so many powerful men enjoy impunity, this country is showing that no one, not even the former president, is above the law. andrew harding, bbc news, outside durban's high court.

a 16—year—old boy is among at least six people killed, during protests on gaza's border with israel. troops opened fire on the protesters attempting to breach the frontier fence. last week, hundreds of palestinians were injured and more than a dozen killed, in the bloodiest day of violence since the war in gaza four years ago. the head of the metropolitan police, has insisted the force hasn't lost control of london's streets. following a string of murders in the capital, commissioner cressida dick said this wasn't a time for blame, but for working together, although she did say her officers were ‘stretched'. our home editor mark easton has more. more than 50 killings in the capital since the beginning of the year, a catalogue of tragedy that has shone light on the metropolitan police and its commissioner cressida dick. she

has found herself having to respond toa has found herself having to respond to a wave of public anxiety and angen to a wave of public anxiety and anger. commissioner, have you lost control of the streets of london?” can understand why some people are worried at the moment. particularly in some areas of london. we have had some ghastly homicides, as you know, particularly in the last few days, including those of really young people which is bound to be very frightening. people are scared stiff out there. what can you say to reassure them? the metropolitan police are out there. this weekend we have an extra 300 officers each day in the areas which are the most significant hotspots where there have been high levels of life crime. they are above and beyond all the other officers working in covert roles, on patrol, in the neighbourhoods, people who are saving lives every day, arresting people, taking weapons of the streets, targeting the most violent and doing everything they can to bed

down on street violence. have you got enough resources? are there enough police others is? every police chief would always want more office rs police chief would always want more officers and resources. it's myjob to make the case for morch and also to make the case for morch and also to make the best use of what we have got. do you think the awful tragic spike in homicides is down to cut simply budgets? i don't. ithink that ourjob is stretched but the causes of knife crime, violent crime, are very complex and long running. this is something i talked about from the day i arrived as one as my highest priorities. i'm really sorry that these people have lost their lives. i don't say they have lost their lives because we have suffered cuts but i need as many people as i can out on the streets. that's what we're doing this weekend and in the weeks to come. what about the priority of infiltrating the

gangs and getting that intelligence that means you you at one step ahead? these are challenging offe nces ahead? these are challenging offences to investigate. you will have probably noticed that we nearly always arrest and charge people. we have fantastic homicide investigation capability. of the five tragic cases this week we have arrested in all but one. among the five arrests confirmed today is that the old man in connection with the death of tanisha melbourne who was shot on monday. the commissioner except that what is more important is to prevent killings happening in the first place. and markjoins us from north london now. how unusual is the string of attacks? you do get spikes in violence, not just attacks? you do get spikes in violence, notjust tit—for—tat killings but if you have the on the streets people are more likely to carry a weapon. more knives out

there means they are more likely to be used. that can make it appear as though things are getting continually worse. they have been reports today of seven stabbings in london yesterday. actually, and an average day in april last year, there were iii stabbings. context here is important. i think it's a salutary reminder to our police forces and other agencies of the day—to—day realities of people living in our cities and what needs to be done to reduce those risks. thank you. the mixed martial arts fighter, conor mcgregor, has been charged with assault and criminal mischief by police in new york. the irish former light and featherweight champion, is alleged to have vandalised a bus containing rivalfighters. our sports correspondent, richard conway, reports. even ina

even in a sport where the hype comes as standard, conor macgregor may have overplayed his hand. as the ultimate fighting championship held a media day in new york, mcgregor and his entourage stormed the backstage area, attacking a coach that contained rival fighters. backstage area, attacking a coach that contained rivalfighters. video appears to show macgregor throwing a metal trolley while others rain objects towards the vehicle. with his private jet grounded, objects towards the vehicle. with his privatejet grounded, the irishman turned himself into police and after a night in the cells was led to court earlier today. a star of the ufc, mcgregor‘s future in the sport now appears to be in jeopardy. it's disgusting and i don't think anybody is going to be, you know, a huge conor macgregorfan anybody is going to be, you know, a huge conor macgregor fan after this. ufc is hugely popular around the

world. the company which organises and promotes the sport was sold two yea rs and promotes the sport was sold two years ago for more than £3 million. competitors use a combination of fists, knees, elbows and feet in a mixture of martial arts. connor, for bbc, how are you? in that world, there is no bigger attraction than, mcgregor. he turned to boxing last summer mcgregor. he turned to boxing last summer taking on but eventually losing to floyd mayweatherjunior in one of the most lucrative pay for view bouts in history. as a massed ashamed, he revels in creating a circus of controversy and being outspoken. all publicity is said to be good publicity, especially for a man who has forged a career as a fla m boya nt man who has forged a career as a flamboyant outsider. a criminal conviction could yet see, mcgregor lose his right to work in america. our top story this evening... former russian agent sergei skripal is no longer

in a critical condition, and is responding well to treatment after being poisoned. and still to come, as the sugar tax kicks in, what will it mean for some of the high street‘s most popularfizzy drinks? later, sportsday on the bbc news channel with the latest reports, interviews and features. now, if you live in northern ireland, you're almost eight times more likely to wait over a year, for non—urgent nhs operations or treatments, compared to patients in england. figures released to the bbc, show that more than ili,ooo people are on nhs waiting lists in northern ireland, while england, with a much larger population, has 1800. the royal college of surgeons says the suspension of the power sharing executive is now putting patients at risk, but the department of health in northern ireland says more money will be committed

to cutting waiting lists. hugh pym has the story. this was megan when we met her five months ago, doing what she loved. but every move was painful. that's because her spine looked like this. it was getting worse and she sometimes struggled to breathe. after a fundraising campaign allowed her to have an operation in turkey, this is what it looks like today. you are taking your first steps after the operation? yeah. how did that feel? really good. it was kind of sore. fantastic! your mum and dad are there as well? yeah. it was really painful. i felt drowsy and

sick. i was so happy because ijust wa nted sick. i was so happy because ijust wanted it over and done with, to get back on the road to recovery. wanted it over and done with, to get back on the road to recoverym wanted it over and done with, to get back on the road to recovery. it was looking bleak for megan's family when there were told she would have to wait a year for the operation on the nhs in belfast. that is why they felt they had to go private. what does it tell you about the state of the nhs? it's a shambles, it's a mess. it's no fault of the surgeons or the nurses. it's awful. mess. it's no fault of the surgeons orthe nurses. it's awful. it mess. it's no fault of the surgeons or the nurses. it's awful. it seeing your child in or the nurses. it's awful. it seeing yourchild in pain or the nurses. it's awful. it seeing your child in pain every day, knowing that you can't help them and the only way for a lot of families is to fund raise are to actually remortgage your house. just a few miles away, another family relive their ordeal. the nhs in northern ireland arranged for sophie to have spinal surgery in england. but only after a 20 month wait, including the stress of a

last—minute cancellation. we are part of the uk. to think that the waiting list should be similar. we pay taxes, national insurance. i would expect the powers to be to make sure it is pretty equal. northern ireland health and social ca re northern ireland health and social care board says they simply isn't the money or the starving to bring down unacceptably long waiting lists. telling a child they can't have the operation when they want and need the operation is completely inappropriate. this surgeon said they were doing what they could with they were doing what they could with the resources available but they could not defend a long waits. this terrible for the patients, but equally for the health care people involved, the managers, nurses, consultants, stop. it's awful not being able to offer the treatment we know they require in a timely manner. so how do you feel right now, with

megan dancing again? fantastic. i've got my 14—year—old back. now we are just back to being... a normal family. and hugh's here now. the figures for waiting lists in northern ireland are staggering? yes, it is shocking that people are waiting so long for hip and knee replacements. in the case of the girls, important spinal surgery, which should be done in months, not more than a year. 3000 people are waiting more than two years for treatment. one of the reasons, underinvestment, not enough doctors, the royal college of gps is saying it is the lack of a government, the lack of a health minister since the suspension of the power—sharing administration last year, which is affecting the health service and affecting the health service and affecting patients and holding up the process of reform. hospitals are running clinic to get people of the

waiting lists. the department of health wants to invest money to cut the list. there is scepticism about that. many health professionals say the situation is unfair and unprofessional. thank you. a fraudster who posed as a survivor of the grenfell tower disaster, has beenjailed for four—and—a—half years. joyce msokeri, who's a7, claimed her husband had died in the fire, to claim food, clothing, and hotel accommodation worth nineteen thousand pounds. -- £19,000. the old bailey heard how she was in fact single, and living miles away. from today, around nine million people will now have to pay more into their pension, with the minimum contribution for workers rising from one to 3%. that's roughly £20 a month for someone on the minimum wage. the government says the increase will boost retirement incomes. uk productivity, the amount of goods and services produced per hour, has risen at its fastest rate, since before the financial crisis in 2008. figures from the office for national statistics show a rise by 0.8% in the fourth quarter of last year, the second quarter of growth in a row.

the government's sugar tax on soft drinks came into force today, to help tackle obesity and tooth decay, especially in children. it means a two litre fizzy drink, is now up to 48p more expensive, but some manufacturers have already cut sugar content to avoid the tax. others, however, like coca—cola and pepsi, say they won't be changing the recipes of their traditional products. judith moritz reports from halifax. a treat in the school holidays. coca—cola at lunchtime. customers of all ages queing up to quench their thirst at the national children's museum, eureka. there's plenty of choice here, but sugary drinks are popular. coke. it's nice to have some sugar. and ribena because it's not got much sugar in it. the introduction of the uk sugar tax hasn't gone unnoticed here, but for some, sweet habits die hard. if i want it and i like it,

i'm going to buy it. it's like an addiction, isn't it? you can't stop! it's the same with everything. they'll find a tax with everything, saying it's healthy. but at the end of the day they're trying to take choice away. i think it's brilliant. it's a shame it's taken this long to introduce it. they learn about healthy teeth here, but in england a child has a tooth removed in hospital every ten minutes due to decay. it's recommended the maximum amount of added sugar in your diet is 5% of your calories. but children up to four years of age are consuming more than double this at i2%, and teenagers are eating and drinking more than three times as much added sugar as they should. i'm13. yeah, fizzy drinks. sugary drinks? yeah. if they taste good, i guess. some brands, including fanta, ribena and lucozade, have

already cut their sugar content, thus avoiding the tax. you've chosen fanta today. have you noticed a change in the taste? they've reduced some of the sugar. just a bit. it's not major but you can tell the difference. how do you find it? i think it's better. at this corner shop, some drinks now cost more despite bottles holding less. and the owner says customers have complained. the price has gone up. the size has come down. the customer is asking, why did you put the price up? some view the new levy as a tax on treats — others say it is a much—needed boost to our health. judith moritz, bbc news, halifax. it's the second day of the commonwealth games in brisbane, australia, with the home nations today picking up 13 medals. these are the current standings, with australia top, england second,

and scotland and wales in fourth and ninth place. the other home teams, northern ireland, jersey, guernsey and the isle of man, have yet to get a medal. natalie pirks reports. land of my fathers sounds even better when it's sung with gusto. gareth evans was certainly giving it some. he carried the weight of a nation, as well as a total of 299 kilograms, to get wales off the mark with their first gold of the games. now we got the prize, so i'm just a bit overwhelmed, to be honest. i came here with one thing in mind, and that was a medal. not just any medal, but it was this big shiny gold one. in the 50 metre butterfly final was a man swimming in seven events at these games. announcer: chad le clos! the south african burst onto the scene in 2012, when he beat michael phelps to olympic gold. he was aiming for a record

equalling 18 commonwealth medals, and made a good start. that is the first gold of the games for le clos, and he's gotjust 2o minutes before he has to go in his next final. can he repeat the trick in the 200 metre freestyle? it looked like it came too soon. despite a good final turn, he faded to finish seventh. there were still stars to follow. so dominant is adam peaty in the 100 metres breaststroke, that the world and olympic champion hasn't been beaten for four years. that wasn't about to change in the semi. not fast by his standard but a games record nonetheless. 100 metre backstroke para—swimmer alice tighe had already won world and paralympic medals. she can now add commonwealth champion to her cv. one of two golds in the pool for englishwomen tonight. and cycling is a family affair for the archibalds, with katie and brother

john both in pursuit finals. the only major gold missing from katie's collection was a commonwealth one. not any more. butjohn had to settle for silver against england's charlie tanfield. there are lots of stories of people in 2014 coming to cycling because they have seen chris hoy or someone who has inspired them. so i've got that at home. now there's a photo for the family album. natalie pirks, bbc news, the gold coast. time for a look at the weather. today wasn't too bad where we got some sunshine. in fact, brighter spots saw temperatures climbing. it was the warmest day of the year so far. in london, temperatures god up to 17 degrees. you can see from the satellite picture there has been a

lot of cloud feeding in from the south west. heavy rain in the west. that cloud will continue to move its way across the british isles and into the weekend. we lose one area of rain to the north and bring another area of showery rain into the south later. in between, clear spells, mist and fog patches. 49 degrees. winds easing. tomorrow, mist and fog patches to start with. afairamount of mist and fog patches to start with. a fair amount of dry weather. generally rather cloudy. then this next pulse of showery rain across wales, the midlands and into northern england. perhaps fizzling away a little in the afternoon. brighter skies for scotland and northern ireland. in the south—east, temperatures up to 17. there is yet more rain on sunday. this weather front wriggling around on top of us all weekend. on sunday, once again

we are expecting an area of showery rain to spread into southern and central areas. a bit of uncertainty about where it will turn up. elsewhere, generally a lot of cloud. if you are lucky, you will get some spells of suntan. 1o if you are lucky, you will get some spells of suntan. 10 degrees in aberdeen. 15 in london. it will certainly be mild. often cloudy, a little bit of sunshine. equally some rain at times. many thanks. just before we go, some news coming in. police in london say no further action would be taken against the 78—year—old man richard osborne brooks, arrested after a man was fatally stabbed in his home during an attack that —— attended burglary. that's it. so it's goodbye from me. now on bbc one, let'sjoin our news teams where you are. have a good evening. this is bbc news — our latest headlines. sergei skripal, the former russian spy poisoned with a nerve agent in salisbury a month ago, along

with his daughter, is no longer in a critical condition, but uk authorities have told his niece that she will not be granted a visa to come to britain to visit the couple. a man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a 17—year—old girl in north london. tanesha melbourne—bla ke died of her wounds after an apparent drive—by shooting in tottenham on monday night. prosecutors will not be charging a man who was arrested after fatally stabbing a burglar who had broken in to his home. the metropolitan police say no further action will be taken against richard osborne— brooks. campaigners have hailed the introduction today of a new tax is part of an initiative by the government to tackle obesity. the mixed martial arts fighter conor mcgregor has been charged with assault and criminal mischief in new york. the irish former champion was one of a group of men alleged to have vandalised a bus containing rivalfighters. palestinian sources say israeli troops have killed at least six people and wounded

more than 400 during renewed demonstrations on gaza's border with israel.