this is bbc news. i'm ben brown. the headlines at midday: social media companies are threatened with new laws by the health secretary, if they don't do more to protect children online. extra powers may be given to police and mi5 — to intervene earlier to stop terror attacks. verne troyer, who is best known for playing mini—me in the austin powers films, has died at the age of 49. also: the london marathon is given a royal send—off by the queen. cheering a record 41,000 runners are thought to be taking part in the 26—mile event. this is the scene live, as the men's elite race is expected to finish in the next few minutes. it is going to be a massive personal

best, vivian cheruiyot winds the london marathon 2018. kenya's vivian cheruiyot won the women's elite race, to become the fourth fastest woman in history. lam not i am not sure they can catch him and weir will i am not sure they can catch him and weirwillwin i am not sure they can catch him and weir will win once again in london! britain's david weir won the men's elite wheelchair race, for the eighth time. and australia's madison de rozario won the women's. and click asks, can drones deliver, for the global economy? that‘s in half an hour,— here on bbc news. good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. runners in the london marathon have received a royal send—off

at the start of the race. the queen pressed the starter button from windsor castle, to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the first modern 0lympic marathon, started by her grandmother, also from windsor, in 1908. a record—breaking 41,000 runners have crossed the start line for this year's race, set to be one of the hottest ever. the met office has predicted temperatures of up to 23 degrees celsius and people who are planning to wear costumes have been asked to make sure they're appropriate for the weather. we are seeing pictures of the men's

elite race which is coming to an end fairly soon, a bit of picture break—up, sorry. but it is a beautiful day, huge crowds at the london marathon. 0ur correspondent, kate grey, is at the finish line on the mall for us now. let's bring you up—to—date with where we are. what can you tell us? yes, they were just waiting on the finish of the men's elite race, which should be coming in moment. we believe it is the kenyan athlete in the lead, eliud kipchoge. he has set the lead, eliud kipchoge. he has set the pace early on. but the big news is that mo farah is currently sitting in third position in his second london marathon that he is about to complete. he is a british

record target, the european record has slipped away slightly, but he's looking for a third position finish, his best result finish at a london marathon. finished eighth at his last in 2014, but today, he has found his form. he could not keep up with the pace of the leaders. we did find out there was the first british lady, lily partridge, to finish eighth in the women's race and this is what she had to say. will find out from lily later. i think we are seeing pictures of the winner of the elite men's race. and thatis winner of the elite men's race. and that is indeed eliud kipchoge, he is the olympic champion and now the london marathon champion. he set the pace from the very beginning and the rest of the competitors struggle to keep up. we are waiting to see who is silver medal position. a

brilliant response from the crowd. lovely conditions. 22, 20 three degrees. these athletes from the african regions. they know what it is like to compete in this kind of temperature. and mo farah will be coming round the corner any moment 110w. coming round the corner any moment now. just keeping an eye on my screen to see how he is getting on, but he was in third medal position in the final stages. he has been at the mini marathon, this is the second time he has competed. he competed in london in 2014 in a time of two hours and eight minutes, he is hoping to get the british record which currently stands at two hours and seven minutes. that has been held for 33 years by steve jones. and seven minutes. that has been held for 33 years by stevejones. so we will keep an eye on the clock. he is receiving a huge applause. he has

a bright 0range top, so the crowd knows who he is. and he does seem to have found an extra bit of energy in the final stages of the race. and a great way to finish the race. but we can see how britain's first lady got on, and let's see what lily partridge had to say after finishing eighth in her first partridge had to say after finishing eighth in herfirst london marathon. we will catch up with her in a moment. for now, it is mo farah. heading to the finish line. in third position, incredible achievement for the british athlete. 3,000, 5010,000m british record—holder, he has now completed his second london marathon in the bronze medal positions. it does look like he has

completed the british record, so exhausted at the end. let's take a look at lily partridge and her reaction, the first british lady to compete in the elite race. let's see how she felt at the end of the race. i felt much more in the last two miles. that was more to do with how i was feeling as opposed to it being, i don't think that's the hotter in the last two miles. i wanted to run under two point 32 to qualify for the european. sojob done. i got a top ten position and it gives me something good to build oi'i it gives me something good to build on for the rest of the year so i am pleased. that is a brilliant result from lily partridge, the first british lady who finished in eighth place. but the men's elite race has ended here and mo farah has finished in third medal position. he has done a british record so he is the 3,000,

5,000, 10,000 a british record so he is the 3,000, 5,000,10,000 and marathon. the second time he has completed the london marathon. the last time was in 2014 when he did it in two hours and eight minutes and he has dipped under that and got the british record held for 33 years. steve jones will be pleased to see mo farah taking that british record. so the winner of that race was kenya's eliud kipchoge and he was the 0lympic eliud kipchoge and he was the olympic champion and a tough competitor. not far behind him was the ethiopian who stuck with kipchoge for the majority of the race but kipchoge found his form. and not far behind, it was mo farah with a brilliant marathon run taking in the london crowd and proving he can handle the marathon. and he will look to compete in tokyo in the 0lympics look to compete in tokyo in the olympics in 2020. for those elite

runners, i guess the heat is not a problem because they are used to it but for a lot of the runners, the 40,000 running out there today. this is going to be a difficult race. it is going to be a difficult race. it is just so hot. is going to be a difficult race. it isjust so hot. hotter than is going to be a difficult race. it is just so hot. hotter than the african —— the average marathon. yes, a lot of the mass runners have trained in low temperatures. you know how cold this last winter and the last few months have been. so to arrive at the london marathon, a lot of them will not have been prepared. the ethiopian athletes, they know how to race in this condition. but one ends have been sent to the runners to make sure they are wearing suncream to high gesture hydrate up to the day of the marathon. and not get carried away in the early stages of the race. some of the elite athletes have

struggled. maryjepkosgei keitany went off hard in the elite race but she struggled to keep up with the pace and probably struggled in these temperatures. it is a record number of runners, 41,000 out on the course with amazing stories, inspirational stories, and we will keep an eye on them as they finish hopefully in one piece and with a big smile on their face. many thanks, great coverage from the end of the london marathon. the day's other news. the health secretary, jeremy hunt, is threatening social media companies with new legislation unless they voluntarily come forward with safeguards to protect children's mental health. he's written to platforms such as facebook and google accusing them of "turning a blind eye" to the problems arising from social media use. 0ur political correspondent, eleanor garnier, reports. six months ago, the health secretary, jeremy hunt, challenged social media firms like facebook, snapchat and twitter to work with the government to improve the mental health and well—being of young people.

he wants action to cut underage use, encourage healthy amounts of screen time and moves to reduce cyber bullying. but writing in the sunday times, mr hunt says the overall response from the social media companies has so far been extremely limited. he wants action to cut underage use, encourage healthy amounts of screen time and moves to reduce cyber bullying. but writing in the sunday times, mr hunt says the overall response from the social media companies has so far been extremely limited. and mr hunt says the chief medical officer will investigate the impact of technology on mental health in young people, with the possibility of recommending healthy screen—time limits. google uk have responded to the letter from the health secretary.

katie 0'donovan, public policy manager at google uk, said: "along with all parents, we understand the challenge of helping children make the most of the internet in a safe and responsible way. google shares the government's commitment to this, which is why we launched family link to help parents set digital ground rules for their children, such as screen time limits. we also developed the first online safety course to be officially accredited and have taught it to over 40,000 school children so far." earlier, i spoke to sonia livingstone — professor of social psychology at the london school of economics, who researches the risks to children online. well, children are now beginning to use social media in britain from the age of about nine or ten. and by 11 or 12, about half of them have their own profile. and of course, by teenage, they're pretty much all on it. so it depends on the age, but it's a pretty widespread phenomenon. and obviously, they feel there's a lot of positive

experiences from social media, but from your point of view and your research, what are some of the negative experiences and the downsides of children as young as that using social media? well, i think what the research shows is that the risks are quite varied and quite diverse. but of course, people are worried about it. young people themselves are worried about cyber bullying, they're worried about the kind of amount of hate and hostility and what we might call reputation damage that they see and that some of them encounter on social media. there's a lot of worry about sexting and pornography. so there's a range of risks but, at the same time, as you say, the benefits are really great. so young people don't want to log off and turn away from it completely. but they and their parents, research also shows, really would like it to be differently managed and better supported from the social media companies. and do you think there is a real established correlation

between the use of social media by very young children and mental health problems? we can't say that yet. we haven't got enough research, and the research hasn't followed children and young people over enough time. i think what we could be clear about is that social media are part of a mix. there are many pressures and difficulties that are affecting young people's mental health and their confidence in the world. and what social media does is, it kind of amplifies and extends the risk and the sense of social pressure, at ages where children have not necessarily yet developed the confidence in their own norms, or the capacity to kind of push back against those pressures. so it is in some ways too much, too young, though still research shows that many

children are figuring this out and finding ways to be resilient. the headlines on bbc news: social media companies are threatened with new laws by the health secretary, if they don't do more to protect children online. ministers may increase the powers available to police and the security services to try and stop terror attacks at an early stage of planning. verne troyer, who is best known for playing mini—me in the austin powers films, has died at the age of 49. and for a full round—up, from the bbc sport centre, here'sjohn watson. hello, good afternoon. great britain have failed in their attempt to qualify for the world group in the fed cup after being beaten byjapan in the tie which went down to the last match. johanna konta beat a soccer in straight sets to give

great britain 2—1 over itjapan but heather watson lost and the pair linked up in the doubles. a win would have sealed victory in the tie but despite taking the first set, they lost to miyu kato and makoto ninomiya. 6—3, 3—6, 3—6. the defeat means britain miss out on promotion and remain in the europe africa group. they have not played at the top level of buscomb petition for 25 yea rs. top level of buscomb petition for 25 years. arsene wenger takes charge of arsenal against west ham today on what is sure to be an emotional day at the emirates. his first match since announcing his departure. as arsenal manager. it comes after 23 yea rs arsenal manager. it comes after 23 years in charge, his penultimate league match at home later. also today, stoke face burnley, knowing a win is vital to keep there is a bible hopes alive. and a win for swa nsea bible hopes alive. and a win for swansea at home to manchester city sees west brom relegated. chelsea could set up a meeting with

the former managerjose mourinho if they beat southampton at in the fa cup semifinal at wembley this afternoon. his current club, manchester united, securing their place with a 2—1win over tottenham. antonio conte says his side are determined to reach the final again after last yea r‘s loss to determined to reach the final again after last year's loss to arsenal. we had the possibility, we can, we came to win the game. and to play an important final. for the second time ina row, important final. for the second time in a row, yes. and then we are here to try, we are here to try to do our best and to try to finish in the best and to try to finish in the best possible way this season. that for many reasons, we struggled. chelsea ladies and manchester city women are beginning to become the first in the sides to reach the champions league final, the semis get played in two legs with chelsea

at home to wolfsburg and city take on hold as lyon at one o'clock. you can watch both games on the red button and the bbc sport website. city midfielderjill scott says making the final for the first time isa making the final for the first time is a big ambition. i think it is a dream to get to a champions league final. and i think, yes, that is one medal we would all like to have but we can't look past the semifinal. for me in the past, it was evident i made the quarterfinal and this is one step better, but i think we are definitely wanting to make the final definitelywantino to make thef'ggl e to his can he definitelywantino to make thef'ggl e to his- can he adds definitelywantino to make thef'ggl e to his - can he adds that titles to his name, can he adds that this year? live action from bbc two, you can follow it on the bbc sport website as well. racing 92 host munster today in the semifinals of the champions cup with new the winners meeting leinster in the final. all blacks legend dan carter starts on the bench today. he says his role at the club is as much about inspiring as it is plain. this

korea where i have been able to win plenty of trophies and titles and there is no betterfeeling in rugby andi there is no betterfeeling in rugby and i want the younger guys in this tea m and i want the younger guys in this team to experience that. that is why iam team to experience that. that is why i am trying to push this team to help everyone get better, to basically put the team first. no, i could be sitting here getting annoyed i am on the bench or whatever happens. but it is not like that for me. i have got my last couple of months here, am not going to slacken off, i'm going to work harder than i have ever worked. certainly inspiring the next generation, dan carter and chris jones. that is the sport, back to you. thank you very much indeed. john watson. the government is to increase the powers available to police and the security services to try and stop terror attacks at an early stage of planning. a document leaked to the sunday times suggests counter terrorism officers will target up to 20,000 lower priority suspects. our home affairs correspondent, tom symonds, reports. the murderers behind last year's atrocities in britain.

men who planned to kill innocent people. yet only three were on mis‘s radar in any way before striking, and only one of those was being actively investigated. better intelligence, at an earlier stage, might have stopped some of this happening. today's leaked report suggests counter—terrorism investigators could more widely share information on up to 20,000 lower priority suspects with various authorities, in the hope of receiving earlier intelligence of risky behaviour, such as planning an attack. the government has already promised more staff for security agencies like m15 — crucial if they are to target a greater number of suspects. and new powers have been promised — again, these are expected to focus on allowing police to move in at an earlier stage when attack planning is less well advanced.

already announced are higher sentences for viewing terrorism content online, or publishing information about the police or the military for use in targeting attacks. the home office would not comment on these leaked reports, but said the coming strategy would be a comprehensive response to the evolving threat from domestic and international terrorism. tom symonds, bbc news. labour leaderjeremy corbyn has condemned the government's handling of the windrush scandal, where some people who came to the uk from the commonwealth decades ago have been threatened with deportation or refused jobs or healthcare. speaking at the welsh labour conference, mr corbyn accused the government of evading its responsibility. this week, something rotten at the heart of government has come to the surface. the windrush scandal has

exposed how british citizens who came to our country to rebuild it after the second world war have faced deportation because they couldn't clear the deliberately unreachable bar set by theresa may's hostile environment for migrants. we have seen one hostile environment for migrants. we have seen one government hostile environment for migrants. we have seen one government minister after another, including the prime minister herself, trying to dodge and leave around the facts to avoid scrutiny and entirely justified criticism. labour leaderjeremy corbyn. at least 31 people have been killed and 50 injured in a suicide bomb attack in the afghan capital, kabul, according to officials. the bomber targeted people waiting outside a voter registration centre. it's the latest in a string of attacks in afghanistan since voter registration began this month, ahead of elections in october. election officials say security is a big concern, as the taliban and other militant groups either control or contest large areas.

verne troyer, who is best known for playing mini—me in the austin powers films, has died at the age of 49. the actor has been ill recently and had a history of problems with depression and alcohol. simon clemison reports. he is exactly like you in every way... except one—eighth your size. but that never held back mini—me... i shall call him... 0r verne troyer. mini—me. screams the role of dr evil‘s smaller clone in the austin powers comedies brought him worldwide recognition. but his credits also include harry potter and men in black. hi! i'm verne troyer! more recently, verne troyer has been over here, entering the celebrity big brother house in 2009. i'm going to play the nice guy but, you know, deep down, i'm going to be evil!

he cackles earlier this month, the actor was again admitted to hospital in los angeles, as he battled with alcohol addiction. statements on his social media accounts highlight his struggles and also the issue of depression, but it's not clear exactly what has led to his death. # it's a hard knock life for us... yeah! verne troyer said his part in austin powers grew as they saw what he could do. tributes have been led by its co—creator and the man he starred alongside. mike myers said troyer was the consummate professional and a beacon of positivity. simon clemison, bbc news. verne troyer, who has died at the age of 49. the queen celebrated her 92nd birthday with a concert at the albert hall last night with performances from sting and kylie minogue. there was a broad range of music from across the decades and across the world,

organised by the royal commonwealth society. andy moore reports. # ..unusual to go out at any time. sir tom jones kicked off the show, backed by the sound of traditional indian drummers. # if you should ever want to be loved by anyone... zoe ball presented a night she described as ‘the biggest party of the year'. like any one of us on our birthday, the queen has booked her local hall! it is, of course, the stunning and historic royal albert hall. the performers came from across the commonwealth. kylie minogue from australia, shawn mendes from canada and from jamaica, shaggy. # bombastic, say me fantastic, touch me in me back, she say i'm mr #ro... the queen is said to know the lyrics of all the george formby songs — a ukulele orchestra, supported

by some celebrity players, paid tribute to him. # you should see them bill 'n coo # you'd be surprised at the things they do # when i'm cleanin' windows prince harry was there with meghan markle. the wedding is just over a month away. your majesty, if you do nnt mind me saying, you are not someone who is easy to buy gifts for. many members of the royal family were at the event, along with the british prime minister and commonwealth heads of government. surrounded by performers, the queen came on stage at the end to a short rousing tribute from prince charles. would you all give her majesty three unbelievably rousing cheers on her birthday? hip, hip, hip... hooray! the queen is spending the day after her 92nd birthday at windsor castle. let's check out the weather

prospects. we have crammed in a fair bit of weather and we're not done yet. a quiet start to the day in england and wales cricket board drama of last night with the thunderstorms and the lightning. we have a weather front gradually sweeping down across england and wales during the afternoon. ahead of it, still warm, may be a shower or thunderstorm. behind it, cooler, fresher, brighter skies will stop and for the north and west and scotland, you still have the cloud and rain hanging on for the northerly portion. it quits the scene is a cooler and fresher regime dominates across all parts, forget the double figures of the night, we are back closer to where we should be. we maintain that being in the new week. with some decent spells of sunshine, don't bank on it blasting across the western side of the british isles, and bringing in a new set of weather fronts with rain in northern ireland, south—west scotla nd in northern ireland, south—west scotland and the western fringes of

england and wales and temperatures much closer to the seasonal norm. this is bbc news. our latest headlines: social media companies are threatened with new laws by the health secretary if they don't do more to protect children online. he has accused them of turning a blind eye to the problems arising from social media use. ministers may increase the powers available to police and the security services to try and stop terror attacks at an early stage of planning. verne troyer, who is best known for playing mini—me in the austin powers films, has died at the age of 49. sir mo farah finishes third in the men's london marathon in a british record time. kenya's eliud kipchoge came first.

the queen started the 2018 london marathon.