this is bbc news. i'm rebecca jones. the headlines at seven: the bank of england raises interest rates for only the second time since 2009. the increase to 0.75 percent will see some homeowners pay higher mortgages i just think they are thinking about big business and actuallly they're not thinking about the millions of people affected by this who are struggling to pay their bills. keeping the peace in zimbabwe — a new president could be announced this evening, following the disputed election. she was murdered by her adoptive father. now, a review finds chances were missed to save 18—month—old elsie skully—hicks. i'm andrew and i've got a smart phone. i'm kirsten and i've got a smart phone. i'm jake and i've got a smart phone. and i'm alice and i'm too small. how digital devices have transformed all our lives. and almost throwing away millions — the couple that binned

their lotto dream. interest rates are going up for only the second time since 2009. the bank of england's monetary policy committee voted unanimously for the rise, from 0.5 to 0.75%. the increase had been expected, despite concerns over household debt, and a slowing of the property market. it means more than three and a half million mortgages subject to variable or tracker rates, will become more expensive. but it's good news for some savers. here's our business editor simonjack. the road to rising interest rates has

been a very slow one, like the tarmac on this road near lincoln, rates have been flattened for nearly ten years. that changed today for one main reason, wages are on the move. after years in the doldrums they are rising at 2.7% per year, faster than prices going up in the shops, as employers struggle to recruit and retain staff. that prompted the bank to raise rates by just a quarter to 0.75%. although the economy does not look like it is moving very fast, according to the governor upward pressure on prices is growing. the overall level of pay is now finally outstripping the rate of growth and inflation. pay packets are growing faster than prices online and in the shops. what we want to do is to ensure that that continues to be the case, so the economy remains on track and people who are just starting to get ahead, those people in work, continue to get ahead. back on the roads the impact of unemployment at a 43 year low is

clear. i am having to offer at least 15—20% more than i was three years ago for the guys on the field to carry out the work for me. if i enter into the contract market, there is at least that percentage uplift in the value of the man— hourly rate that i have to pay. that is the employers from view. what do employees think? jeff haynes is on a tracker mortgage whose costs will rise. it makes me think i have not got much money to spend in my pocket. it stars making me worried that my disposable income that i had a week ago last month from my pay packet has gone. here on the high streets of lincoln there are some young pedestrians who were not even born last time rates with this type. it feels like interest rates have been at rock bottom for ever, it has been a decade that has been great for borrowers and bad for savers and it has changed our behaviour.

we are now spending more than we are earning and you cannot do that forever, so the bank of england hopes that managing interest higher will help us save more and borrow less. the question for the governor is how fast and how high they will now rise. if you take what financial markets think, which is about one interest rate increase a year, a quarter of a percent per yearfor the next few years, people want the rule of thumb and for now i would use that. that could be it for the time being, a sensible move given what is lurking around the corner and according to some city economists. we think interest rates will not rise for another year and that is because we see a number of uncertainties on the horizon, in particular over brexit. we think the policymakers will probably want to wait until after the uk has left the eu to see what, ifany, impact

that is on the economy before they decide whether to raise rates again. a new era? not really, but it is a small step back towards economic reality. simon jack, bbc news. as we've been hearing, a rate rise was widely expected, with growth, consumer confidence and spending picking up, after a weak start to the year. but what does it mean for households? our personal finance correspondent, simon gompertz has been finding out. this is where a rate rise can hurt. for homeowners in the hertfordshire town of hemel hempstead. they're caught between the high house prices of london's commuter belt and the lower wages of middle england — many onlyjust managing to pay the mortgage as it is, let alone with an increase. young buyers like sarah... hello. ..who already has to find £800 a month. any more and she'll struggle to support her fledgling business,

advising on how to sell on the internet. it would affect my food shopping, i don't buy meat products any more, it's just too expensive. my heating and energy bills i'm constantly watching because all my spare money has to go on paying my mortgage now. how do you deal with that pressure? it makes me feel really stressed out. i hate thinking about money, but it's constantly on my mind. it's those like sarah, with variable rate mortgages, who might see payments go up. there are 3.5 million of them, with an average mortgage of £112,000, with today's increase likely to put an extra £14 on their monthly bill, though it could be more. it's notjust mortgage borrowers like sarah here who care about interest rates, plenty of her neighbours are savers, and while their worry is whether the banks and building societies pass the interest rate rise on, they welcome higher rates. as a family we have an isa, and we haven't really benefitted

for the last couple of years. also being a single mum, i'm going to see benefit for my whole family. instead of people being encouraged to save, the message always, always seems to be, just go out and borrow more money. so higher interest rates that encourages people to save? absolutely, yes. the most popular way of saving is in a tax free cash isa. 16 million people have them, with average savings of more than £11,000. the rate hike will yield just £28 extra a year if it's passed on. none of this makes much difference if you rent, and don't have much to save. it doesn't affect me at all because i've got no savings and if i did want a loan at some point then maybe it would. so some dodge the effects of the interest rate rise but those facing higher costs in towns like this have to worry that soon, perhaps next year, rates are set to go up again.

simon gompertz, bbc news, hemel hempstead. a report has found that there were missed opportunities to protect an 18—month—old baby girl, who was murdered by her adoptive father. cardiff and vale‘s regional safeguarding—children board, has now apologised, following the death of elsie scully—hicks, who died in may 2016. she was subjected to a catalogue of injuries, over several months. matthew scully—hicks was jailed for life with a minimum of 18 years for murder last year. sian lloyd reports. elsie was 18 months old when she was murdered by her adoptive father. matthew skully—hicks was sentenced to 18 years in prison after inflicting a catalogue of injuries on the child. today a report was published into whether lessons could be learnt from her death. there were missed opportunities to raise safeguarding concerns. for this all agencies

involved in elsie‘s care would like to sincerely apologise. the report also found that the adoption was viewed as very successful. opportunities to explore elsie‘s injuries were missed and information was not shared between agencies. together with his husband, matthew skully—hicks had already adopted one child and the family were known to social services. the report says the couple were seen through a positive lens by social workers who hadn't always questioned elsie‘s injuries or recorded them. why was there this lack of professional curiosity? because there is a duty on social workers to be asking questions, particularly around injuries that they can see during an adoption process. that positive lens meant they were not looking in the way they should have been and so you are right. that is something they should have been done, that is something that we have as an organisation recognised and we have taken that fully on board.

children's charities say lessons must be learned. some resolution needs to be found so that information is shared, but the other thing is that basic social work premise of questioning and having professional curiosity about what you are being told. elsie was treated here at the university hospital of wales on a number of occasions but they didn't spot that her injury had been inflicted. now changes have been introduced to ensure that any child brought here under the age of two for an x—ray will be seen by a specialist who will assess whether the injury is not accidental. in all, nine recommendations have been made to prevent opportunities to save other children being missed in the future. sian lloyd, bbc news, cardiff. the labour leader, jeremy corbyn, is believed to be facing opposition to his plans to deliver a speech at the jewish museum in an attempt to defuse the row

about anti—semitism in the party. officials at the venue in london have described the situation as "delicate" and they are seeking clarification about the speech. 0ur political correspondent susana mendonca is in westminster. bring us up to date. what can you tell us about this speech? we understand that the jewish museum was approached by the labour party to use it as a venue. the labour party has not confirmed whether or not it was a speech. that we now understand that the jewish museum said it is in discussions with the labour party about an event next week. it had been rumoured that the event was supposed to be tomorrow but it seems to be next week. the jewish museum has been trying to seek clarification from the labour party about what this event would be about. what they have said is that

they would be open to hosting an event that was about genuine healing dialogue between thejewish community and the labour party, but we've heard today from jewish community groups who are not very happy about a jewish venue being used for a speech byjeremy corbyn. 0ne used for a speech byjeremy corbyn. one group told us that they saw this asa one group told us that they saw this as a stand. we have heard from people saying to us thatjeremy corbyn has not engaged in dialogue with members of the jewish corbyn has not engaged in dialogue with members of thejewish community and he hasn't talked to them about labour's new code of conduct, which has been controversial. we heard from the campaign against anti—semitism today, who said that whether or not there is a speech, they see jeremy corbyn as whether or not there is a speech, they seejeremy corbyn as an anti—semite. they seejeremy corbyn as an anti-semite. how has the labour party got to this point? this is just a row that does not seem to go away. the labour party has had issues over the last couple of years with people talking about whether or not there is anti—semitism within the ranks. within thejewish

community, and also many backbench labourmps, community, and also many backbench labour mps, there has been concern about what they see as the labour leadership not doing enough to root out what they see as the problem. this latest issue is really around the code of conduct. the labour party took on a new code of conduct around anti—semitism which basically adopted most of what is in the international holocaust remembrance alliance definition, but it didn't include some key examples in there, and that is what has sparked this recent row, which has led to two labour mps being potentially disciplined for criticising the leadership. in the case of margaret hodge, she had a row withjeremy corbyn, which led to her facing disciplinary charges. ian austin at the weekend said he was facing disciplinary charges because of a i’ow disciplinary charges because of a row that he had with the party chairman, ian lavery. in terms of how that has been dealt with, there has been criticism that there has been a different way of treating

those who are loyal tojeremy corbyn. in the case of ian wilson, there is a recording that emerged earlier on this week where he referred to some in thejewish community as being trumped fanatics and was casting doubt on whether there was real anti—semitism within there was real anti—semitism within the party. he apologised and then we we re the party. he apologised and then we were told by the labour party that the case had been dropped. there is some criticism about the way his case has been dropped but not in the other two cases. in terms of the jewish community, they want action from jeremy corbyn and want this code of conduct to be taken on in its entirety, and until that happens, it is difficult to see how this row will go away. we'll leave it there for now, susannah. thank you. there have been international calls for restraint in zimbabwe, as the nation awaits the result of the disputed presidential election, following yesterday's violence in which at least 6 people were killed. the winner is expected to be announced later tonight. the mdc claims zanu—pf,

have rigged the election. 0ur africa editor fergal keane reports from the capital, harare. this was his first public appearance since yesterday's violence. nelson chamisa had come to visit wounded people in hospital. but international pressure on him to help de—escalate the crisis seems to have had little effect. offered the chance to call for restraint from his supporters, this was his response. there is no reason for us to show our restraint because it's always been restrained. our people are peace loving. we have demonstrated several times. and we are peace loving people. zimba bwe's love peace but they have a very violent government. in the aftermath of death and injury, this was the normally bustling centre of harare today. soldiers had warned people to go home. this isn't the typical busy harare of a thursday afternoon. it's an apprehensive place. it's a city whose streets don't belong to the people today, but to men with batons and guns.

at the headquarters of the opposition we found a stand—off. police arrested several people who had been taking refuge there since yesterday. the face of a prisoner. they were still seeking the surrender of more holding out inside. the government side has given mixed messages. some warning mdc leaders they face arrest, others appealing for restraint. but certainly it is supporters of the mdc led by nelson chamisa who cause the trouble. i am happy that our supporters exercised maximum restraint and were not involved, and i'm appealing to them to continue to exercise that. in the wake of the harare violence, pressure has mounted for an imminent declaration for the presidential result. still the nation and world wait. do you accept that the longer this goes on, the more it looks particularly to opposition

supporters that there is a fix? we do acknowledge, like they say, that the longer it takes, the more anxiety that is there among our citizens. but we need to do the whole process within the confines of the law. it is now reported there will be a result tonight. whoever wins, it won't end the tension here. feargal keane, bbc news, harare. 0ur correspondent shingai nyoka is in harare. we now know the presidential election results world start to be announced this evening. that weird beard told —— that's what we're being told. what does that exactly? it means that zimbabweans might be infora it means that zimbabweans might be in for a long night. there was an

expectation that when the electoral commission said the results would be announced at ten o'clock, that by the end of the night, people would know who the next president is. the electoral commission has explained that they might have to announce these results constituency by constituency. they have said it is a long, painstaking process to verify the results with all the political parties and with 210 constituencies. they are likely to announce the results of the winner tomorrow. they have urged zimbabweans to be patient. and not to be anxious until saturday. why has it taken such a long time? well, what they say is that there was a verification process that needs to be done according to the law. international

observers and even locals here have acknowledged that the results should have been announced earlier. the european union, for example, we saw yesterday, had said that because presidential results were counted first, it doesn't follow that they are announced last. it has caused a lot of suspicion from the movement for democratic change. their leader was out and about for the first time publicly since... he still declared that he had won. the political parties are anxious and they feel as if this boat is being delayed. we have also heard that six people have been killed as a result of the protest yesterday, up from the three we heard yesterday. we have heard some very harrowing stories from some very harrowing stories from some of those family members. some of them were not even protesters.

there is a 52—year—old woman who was just trying to get home, and she was caught in the crossfire. 0n the one hand, you have these are breaking stories, and on the other, this tough talk from political parties, and it's just not clear whether in light of what happened yesterday the supporters will be able to accept either of the parties will be able to a cce pt either of the parties will be able to accept the results when they are announced. we will leave it there for now, and we will check in with you after 8pm. a prominent rapper has been stabbed to death, and two others have suffered knife wounds in south london. siddique kamara who was 23, was a member of the group moscow 17, which was well known on london's underground rap scene. police say they're treating the incident as gang—related . two men aged 18 and 19 remain in custody, on suspicion of murder. technology giant apple has become the world's first public company to be worth more than one trillion dollars. the iphone maker's stock market value has been rising since it

reported better than expected results on tuesday, and today reached 2007 dollars per share during trading in new york. —— $207 per share. an investigation has been launched into the deaths of four men whose car hit a tree in bradford. the men were in a bmw which was being followed by an unmarked police vehicle when the accident happened early this morning. 0ur correspondent fiona trott sent this update from bradford. well, now that the police cordon has been lifted, people have been coming here to bingley road to lay flowers, and it's clear, isn't it, that the car hit that tree with some force. west yorkshire police haven't confirmed how fast it was travelling, or why it was being followed by an unmarked police car. people living here on bingley road say that speeding cars are an issue in this area, so that's something that may be considered by the independent 0ffice for police conduct. their investigators were here

earlier, and a drone was used for gathering evidence. the local mp, naz shah, has also been here today speaking to people in the local community and asking them to be patient, because she has explained that this is an investigation that will take some time. the way we interact with technology has changed dramatically in the last decade. nearly eight out of ten people now own a smartphone, and according to a new report by the communications regulator, 0fcom, we're now becoming increasingly dependent on them. it's estimated the average person checks their phone, every 12 minutes, with 40% of us taking a look within five minutes of waking up in the morning. but for the first time ever, the number of calls made on mobiles has fallen. instead we're turning to messaging services like whatsapp and facebook messenger

to keep in touch. rory cellan—jones has been to meet one family, to see how technology has changed their lives. dad, what you doing? making some crazy music for instagram. meet the family and a home full of smartphones and tablets which have transformed the way they live. i have a smartphone. i'm kirsten, i have a smartphone. i'm alice and i'm too small. dad how do you use your smart phone? i use it to check e—mail and text messages. how has it changed your life. ? made me become a more independent person, i am visually impaired so i with use my phone to do more tasks than i could previously and it enables me to navigate safely. mum how do you use yours? i use it to wake me up, tell us the weather so we can plan or day, to do all the shopping, so i

don't have to drag you guys round the supermarket every week. andre makes a living from composing music, the technology for visually impaired people on smartphones has given him a whole new way of working. and 2.28. but 0fcom says we have become dependent on our phones over the last decade. the average person spends 2 hours and 20 minutes a day on their phone. 71% of users say they never turn it off, while 78% say they couldn't live without it. this report shows that generally we are pretty happy with the changes smartphones have brought particularly the ability to connect, but we are concerned about how much we use them and there are questions of good manner, should you be checking your phone at the dinner table? well, nearly everybody over a certain age thinks that is right out but the under 35, well, round half of them are ok with that. and are there any rules about how we use our phones?

there are rule, you are not allowed to use it outside of the house, we do not use our phones at the table. and you are not allowed to use it for overa certain amount of time each day. the family rules do allow everyone to multitask on phones and tablets in front testify tv. up and down the country we are all deciding what are good manners for the smartphone era. joining us now from lancaster university is psychologist dr david ellis. good evening to you. good evening. these are fascinating and frankly slightly scary stories about the use of smartphones. how are you finding out that they are checking them every 12 minutes? it is perhaps not

surprising that people do check these devices a lot. what is interesting is that off, have collected this data, i take it, i just asking people. actually, people aren't very good at estimating that, so we aren't very good at estimating that, so we have found in our research that while people may think they check their phones are certain number of times a day, it is actually a lot more than that if you measure the behaviour from the device itself. why do you think they do? i think, because device itself. why do you think they do? ithink, because people device itself. why do you think they do? i think, because people are social animals, and smartphones allow us to communicate to people at any time, in any place, and we know, any time, in any place, and we know, a psychologist, that that makes people happy. if you are chatting to someone, people happy. if you are chatting to someone, that makes you feel happy, so someone, that makes you feel happy, so it makes sense that people are checking their phone to see what is going on, or to reply to a message. have to ask, do you check your phone every 12 minutes? i don't know. i have looked at my usage patterns, and they are quite extreme, but that is perhaps about myjob.

and they are quite extreme, but that is perhaps about my job. is it fair to say that people are dependent on their smartphones? does it verge on an addiction? that is quite a leap to class it has an addiction. there are to class it has an addiction. there a re co nsta nt to class it has an addiction. there are constant comparisons between technology use and drug use, and they are not very helpful because they are not very helpful because they are not very helpful because they are quite inaccurate. people use their devices a lot, but that is a different thing from problematic usage. there are probably people out there who use their phones too much, but there are also people who spend too much time eating too much time exercising so there are always extremes exercising so there are always extre m es of exercising so there are always extremes of behaviour, but the evidence simply isn't there yet to say this is simply an addiction. what could the drawbacks be? are their health issues? i don't think it's fair to make comparisons between technology use and drug use. given the evidence, you could argue that using a smartphone stops you

engaging in physical activity. and we know that that is a risk factor for other illnesses and disease, so i think it's that time that could be spent elsewhere. if you want to level a negative about it, it is that it level a negative about it, it is thatitis level a negative about it, it is that it is probably another reason for us not to take physical activity. saying that, many people are moving away from television and on their smartphones. they allow people to work people —— people to work more flexibly. looking to the future, there are trials now for the next generation of smartphones, 5g — what might that mean for us?m could mean all manner of things. certainly, there is the continual rise of more wearable devices. a report predicts that there are about to be 240 million units shipped by 2021, and devices are becoming more cheap and portable. there are more

things at home that work connected into systems. the use of more virtual assistants, and a transfer oui’ virtual assistants, and a transfer our way from the television being the centre of entertainment towards smartphones and other digital devices. that might sound like there is more of the same, but all it ta kes is more of the same, but all it takes is for one new technology to come along and disrupt that. there is more bandwidth and more data, and that will always open up more opportunities. we have got to leave it there, doctor david ellis. i'll let you get back to your phone! good to talk to you. thanks. it has turned quite warm across the uk, even in northern parts of scotland, where temperatures are in the mid—20s. there is cloud heading oui’ the mid—20s. there is cloud heading our way. it is already across northern ireland, scotland and the north—west of england. we are expecting some rain across this swathe of the country over the next 24 hours, only on and off and it shouldn't last for too long. it is

going to be a very mild and one night. temperatures in the south in the mid and high teens, and similar values further north. whether you are in scotland or the south coast of england, it will be a warm and muqqy of england, it will be a warm and muggy night. in the south—east, tomorrow, temperatures will be in excess of 30 degrees. south of the weather front, it's hot, excess of 30 degrees. south of the weatherfront, it's hot, and north of it, it will be more comfortable. that hot weather will continue in london next week, pretty warm in cardiff too, and in the north, a bit fresher. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines... the bank of england raises interest rates, for only the second time since 2009. the increase to 0.75% will see some homeowners pay higher mortgages. keeping the peace in zimbabwe, a new president could be announced this evening, following the disputed election.

she was murdered by her adoptive father, now, a review finds chances were missed to save 18 month old elsie skully—hicks. more now on the rise in interest rates — the bank of england has put them up to 0.75% — that's the highest they've been since 2009. it means our mortgages, loans and savings could increase. and the governor, mark carney has said people should expect more "limited" and "gradual" rate rises over the coming years. he's been speaking to our business editor, simonjack. some people will say we've got pretty weak growth in the uk, and a trade war kicking off for the big superpowers around the world. and you have the huge uncertainty of brexit around the corner. this is not the ideal moment, so why not wait? 0n the first point of

relatively weak growth — we have growth in the uk that is around hour speed limit, a little faster. we used to be able to run the machine at 3% growth, now it is around 1.5% growth. this is more the new normal, at least for a period of time. the second thing is, without question, there are these uncertainties. brexit is, you know, dominates all the other uncertainties. i think we are all hoping that by the end of the year, there will be much more clarity about the future relationship and that there will be a smooth transition to whatever that relationship is. there are a variety of scenarios that can happen with brexit. we don't have enough time to go through them all. but in many of those scenarios, interest rates should be at least at these levels, and so this decision is consistent with that. in those scenarios, where interest rates should be lower, the mpc, which meets eight times a year, i'm confident would take the right decision to adjust

interest rates at that time. people have seen this first interest rate above 0.5% in eight years come so how much more should they expect? this is not the world precrisis, we're not on the road to interest rates being 5%, which was the average for bank rates since this institution was put in place in 1694. we view that it is a limited amount of rate increases at a very gradual pace, a level of interest rates consistent with that speed limited, wage increases being slower than they were previously. ido i do not want to be tied down. 296, 396? where are we headed? the outside band of that is in the 2—3% range, but there are factors in the uk that mean that it is lower than that. let me answer at this way —

if you take what financial markets think, which is about one interest rate increase per year, of 0.25% per year for the next few years. you more or less get back over the interest rate horizon. people want a rule of thumb for now, i would use that. with the caveat, the same one for virtually economic conversation ——virtually any economic conversation you have in this country, it depends on the brexit negotiation. mark carney they're speaking to simonjack. the rise in interest rates means more than three—and—a—half million residential mortgages that have variable or tracker rates will become more expensive. but what about your savings? anna bowes is the director of savings champion, which compares the best options for saving your money. she joins us live from bristol. a very good evening to you. our

savers going to see the benefits of this right? they should see some benefits but not everybody. there is no one rule fits all here. in the last base rate rise we saw in november, about 50% of the variable—rate savings accounts did not see a rise at all. so that is a huge number. therefore savers can't just sit back and expect the interest on their earnings to rise by 0.25%. in fact, the average easy access account rate has only risen by 0.09% since before the base rate rise in till now. so that was very much less than the rise last time. so the situation for people is that you need to be vigilant and see what you need to be vigilant and see what you are owning and see if you can earn more elsewhere. a query that

has been sent in to us via twitter, one of our viewers has asked if banks and building societies are under any legal obligation to pass a rate rise on. from what you're saying the answer is clearly no. the a nswer saying the answer is clearly no. the answer is no. they can do whatever they feel is right for their business. that will not always be the best thing for their clients u nfortu nately, the best thing for their clients unfortunately, their customers. the good news is that there are some providers who needs savers's money more than others and therefore they will be paying much greater interest rates. you need to look around for it. if you have got a rates that will rise by 0.25%, if it is only going to end up at 0.5%, that is still an uncompetitive rate. you can get1.4% on an still an uncompetitive rate. you can get 1.4% on an easy access account. so it is really important to understand the interest rate that you are owning, understand what it might be after the affects of the base rate rise take effect because

it won't happen immediately, at the very least we normally start seeing rates increasing from the beginning of the following month, probably the 1st of september or a bit longer. 0nce 1st of september or a bit longer. once you know what you are earning, shop around and have a look and see what other rates are out there and if you can do better. it is important to get as much interest as you can. there are record low levels of savings at the moment. is there any evidence at all that the small rise like the one we have seen today as any affect on people's behaviour? it isa as any affect on people's behaviour? it is a positive step. i don't think it is going to be the catalyst that really makes a huge difference but positive news is always good to make people think that there might be a reason. the problem is that a lot of people simply don't have the money to save. it is notjust about them not wanting to save or not being interested. they might not have any money to save especially if they have got loans and mortgages that

will go up if they are not on a fixed rates because of this base rate rise. finally, you are recommending people shop around, some people watching this may not know how to do that. i know that you can walk up and down the high street or you can go online but what is the best way of finding out the best rates that might not always be the best rates for you. it depends how you long you want to tie your money up, doesn't it? it does. it depends if you are willing to do it online because a lot of the best rates are online only. we have best buy tables that show the very best rates in the market. you can look at those and you can look in the newspapers that will have best buy tables especially on the weekend. they might not be bang up—to—date but it is a matter of finding bang up—to—date but it is a matter offinding a bang up—to—date but it is a matter of finding a source you can trust of giving you the very best rates and keeping an eye on those and then

boning up and asking someone for help. we can help you. if you are not sure what the best sort of counties, don't just plump not sure what the best sort of counties, don'tjust plump for it and choose. it might not be the right thing for you. find out and choose the best rate and right account for you. one very final quick question, websites like you are not being paid by the banks and building societies in order to promote certain rates, are you? sometimes we might do but that doesn't influence whether the accou nts doesn't influence whether the accounts becomes on our best buy ta bles accounts becomes on our best buy tables are examples. somewhat subs are difference and they might promote ones they're being paid for at the top but on our website they get on them through merit alone. it makes it quite clear. if we are being paid it does help run a site like ours because it is important that we are not influenced by anybody and that we cover the whole of the uk savings market. good to talk to you and thank you for your time. it's nearly 2 years since so—called

islamic state was ousted from the libyan city of sirte, birthplace of former leader colonel gaddafi. the port city was the groups most significant stronghold outside syria and iraq, and a bitter seven month long fight was waged in the campaign to re—capture it. well, residents have since returned to the ruins they once called home , and say the government has done little to rebuild their city. the bbc s sally nabil has this exclusive report. it looks like a ghost town. the libyan city of sirte was once a stronghold for the so—called islamic state group. they are gone but it is still a struggle to survive. we visited the area which witnessed the final days of a deadly fight. this place was once full of life. if we walk here we can see that someone wrote on the wall, "islamic state will remain, god willing." the scale of the damage in this neighbourhood

is absolutely shocking. it is as if the battles have just ended yesterday. it's hard to believe that fighting has stopped here more than a year and a half ago. everything here is dead. western—backed pro—government forces fought for seven months to oust the extremists who were based here for nearly a year. fierce battles forced civilians to flee. most families are back now but they miss the city they once called home. translation: we wished we hadn't returned to see the city like this. some people fell ill when they returned. one of my relatives died of a heart attack when he saw his house in ruins. libya has been in a deep financial crisis for years. residents only receive government salaries once every three to four months.

translation: we queue all day for aid. we don't want charity. we want the international community to help rebuild our city. we live on the shores of the mediterranean and can take the ball to europe if they don't help us. is remnants operate in the south of the city. major ali and his forces remain vigilant. we accompanied them on one of their daily patrols. translation: it is a huge responsibility to protect a city as big as sirte. it is linked to southern libya where security is pretty lax. if libyans don'tjoin forces then the militants could return. sirte was the birthplace of libya's long—time ruler muammar gaddafi. during the 2011 uprising it was heavily damaged. as the city was trying to rebuild, is militants moved in.

the coastline looks peaceful but peace is very much missed here. residents believe the world and their government have failed them. and their hopes for a bright future are fading away. sally nabil, bbc news, sirte. president trump has received a letterfrom north korean leader kimjong un — following up on their recent discussions about denuclearization of the korean peninsula the two leaders met in singapore in june and announced an agreement in which kim reaffirmed his "unwavering" commitment to denuclearize. no details have been released about the contents of the letter yet. the headlines on bbc news... the bank of england raises interest rates, for only the second time since 2009. the increase to 0.75%, will see some homeowners

pay higher mortgages. keeping the peace in zimbabwe, a new president could be announced this evening, following the disputed election. she was murdered by her adoptive father, now, a review finds chances were missed to save 18 month old elsie skully—hicks. and almost throwing away millions. the couple that binned, their lotto dream. holiday—makers heading to spain and portugal are being warned to be prepared for extreme heat — because record temperatures are expected on mainland europe in the coming days. the current record is 48 degrees celcius, which was measured in athens more than 40 years ago. chris fawkes has the details. high temperatures in spain and portugal are not unusual at this time of year in the summer,

but what is to come over the next few days is extreme and perhaps record—breaking. portugal is set to have its hottest temperatures for years, possibly exceeding its record of 47.4 celsius, and spain can also set a new national record if highs go above 47.3 celsius. so how are people they're coping with the heat? translation: it is just a with the heat? translation: it isjust a matter of common sense. i translation: it isjust a matter of common sense. | have translation: it isjust a matter of common sense. i have been drinking ple nty of common sense. i have been drinking plenty of water. i have found shade where i can and i'm trying to relax in the shade but definitelyjust stay hydrated. the summer has already seen a number of temperature records smashed across the northern hemisphere,

and now it looks like it might be europe's turn. over the next few days, an area of low pressure satjust to the west of morocco is going to stop the cooler atlantic airs from reaching spain and portugal and instead, air that was already heated from southern france has drifted across spain and portugal and it stagnates here, the winds fall light, and that allows temperatures to build up day by day. we are likely to see temperatures peak at around 47 degrees, that will challenge the national records for spain and portugal. if we get to 48 degrees, it would make it europe's hottest day ever on record. to add to a list of records we've already seen this year, japan and south korea have already set new national temperature records, and algeria has equalled their temperature record with highs of 51 degrees. the big question is, will europe be next? climate change is shifting the odds in favour of heatwaves becoming more frequent. extreme heatwaves can turn deadly. during the heatwave of 2003 that set the uk temperature record of 38.5 celsius in faversham in kent and the french record of 44.1

celsius, it is estimated the extreme heat killed 35,000 people in europe. over the next few days, another concern is that high temperatures could trigger thunderstorms, which may not bring much in the way of rain, but lightning may bring the threat of igniting wildfires. if you are heading to the heat, the advice is to keep out of the midday sun and stay well hydrated. joinng us now is alan frost who lives just outside of benidorm... i have to say that in the context of this chat the irony of your surname is not lost on me. good to talk to you. how hot is it to there? currently it is about 8:45pm and the temperature is still in the low 30s. going into a very hot night time.

during the day we have had temperatures just about hitting the 4o temperatures just about hitting the 40 mark. but it is expected in the next few days to go higher again. it is pretty hot. you have lived in spain for 11 years. how does this summer compared to use that to previous summers you have known. summer compared to use that to previous summers you have knownm is probably one of the hottest. five yea rs is probably one of the hottest. five years ago we had a few days ago to 44 degrees but we were halfway up the mountain and in land a little way you would expect temperatures to bea way you would expect temperatures to be a little bit higher. it is certainly a lot hotter and we are feeling the heat but it is better than the rain. indeed. it looks like you to sit on the floor it so hot. yes. we have had a very hot summer here but how do you think holiday—makers coming from the uk will find it? i think they've had a

taste of it with their hot summer but it is going to get to them a little. they have to remember as you said earlier to keep out of the midday sun and make sure you drink the fluids. i probably drink about five litres of water a day. that is to try and keep the hydration up when i am not i'm down in my local barand when i am not i'm down in my local bar and having the odd soft drink and in the evening i might have a beer or two. presumably have to give the air conditioning on. yes. sometimes it is better to have the windows open and a little bit of d raft windows open and a little bit of draft going through as well. eck on can take your temperature, your body temperature... if you go outside into the heat afterwards you really struggle. how are your spanish

friends coping? are they more used to it? i think they are generally. they have been born into it. they don't go out in the midday sun. they keep themselves covered. they wear hats. you don't see them hogging the beachin hats. you don't see them hogging the beach in the afternoons. that is when they siesta. they are away sleeping from around 1pm to 4pm they ta ke sleeping from around 1pm to 4pm they take their rest. because it makes sense. we try to follow them. are you ever tempted to come back? tempted? never! that is pretty definitive. enjoy the weather even though it is hot. last december, indian medical student, turned model, was crowned miss world.

winning the title put her on the covers of magazines around the world and sponsorship opportunities came flooding in. however the title also gives the winner the opportunity to spread awareness of issues close to their heart — in her case that's menstrual hygeine.? she spoke to the bbc asian network's shabnam mahmood in london. miss world, 2017 is... india. the miss world crown, the blue crown as it is known as, is passed on every year and it was made by the queen's jewellers to recognise beauty with a purpose and what it stands for. the crown is passed on every year. it was made by the queen's jewellers to recognise beauty and although ways that stands for. the moment it touched my head, it gives you this different kind of energy where you automatically

realise your responsibilities and the kind of expectations that come with that crown. one of your focuses is on menstrual hygiene. it is still a taboo subject in india. what kind of reaction did you get? it is notjust a taboo in india, it is definitely a cause that might be different, but it is an issue across many countries in the world. there are a lot of cultural backdrops and people do not want to talk about it and they do not want to be seen to be associated with it. my ambition is to empower girls and build that confidence. menstruation is our strength and should not limit us in any way. they should know what is available out there, how to use those products, why it is important to use those products, and apart from using those products, the different hygiene practices you should follow especially when they come to taboos associated with menstruation. there are places in india where you are not allowed to bathe during menstruation which is one of the worst hygiene practices that can have.

critics would say that beauty pageants objectify women. what are your thoughts about that? that is a very old debate and being a person who has been a part of that and who has had a wonderfuljourney in beauty pageants would say that they empower women, they do not objectify them. the last miss india to win miss world went on to be a big bollywood star and now a hollywood star. is that something you want to do as well? two of them are both bollywood actresses and both of them had different journeys, so i know myjourney will be different. it already has been very different. but i think because i am a different person i know i will have a very different story. i still have my college to complete, i have my studies. but i have realised one thing, i do enjoy being in front of the camera.

right now i do have my miss world duties, but once i am done with this, maybe, maybe not. maybe not? you have had bollywood offers? yes, i have, iam very fortunate, i have. miss world, manushi chhillar speaking there to the bbc‘s shabnam mahmood. it's the stuff of dreams, and nightmares. you match all the numbers on euromillions, but you're told it's not a winning ticket, so it's chucked in a bin. then you find out, it is a winning ticket. well that's exactly what happened to a couple from aberdeenshire. lorna gordon has the story, and there are some flashing images. celebrating the win that almost never was. fred and lesley higgins are nearly £60 million richer, even though a shop assistant in a surely through their even though a shop assistant ——initially threw

their ticket away by mistake. he checked it, he tore the ticket up in half, he put it in the bin, and then the machine printed out the little sort of winning slip you normally get when you win the lottery, but no figures on it, itjust said, contact lottery headquarters. the couple kept their ticket hidden in an envelope at home while their claim was investigated, confident the lottery would pay out. and i had written on the envelope in red letters, "money worries over!" holding his hands up to his mistake, the 18—year—old who had been behind the counter, he never thought they would win that much, and he was relieved the winnings came through. i didn't find out till last night, so to hear it was 57 million, it was just amazing, and for a local couple, it's even better. i don't even pay £50 £100, never mind 58 million. the higgins had dreamed of winning big on the lottery. now they have, new hobbies, homes abroad and rare malt whiskeys are among their plans for the future. lorna gordon, bbc news.

now it's time for a look at the weather with tomasz schafernaker. it was a pretty hot day across east anglia and the south—east. temperatures got up to 30 degrees and will continue to stream in from the south. it clips south eastern pa rt the south. it clips south eastern part of the uk. in the northwest we have got slightly fresher air coming off the atlantic. across northern ireland and scotland it is not going to be quite so hot. quite a lot of crowd in fact on this recent satellite image. that also means there will be some rain this evening in the western isles and central parts of scotland as well. also a separate area of rainfall here affecting the irish sea and the lake district. it is going to be a very mild and warm night, 17 in london and 15 further north. muggy for all of us first thing on friday. there

will be some rain around across yorkshire during the course of the middle of the day for at least. to the south of that is where we have the south of that is where we have the heat. temperatures here will be in excess of 30 celsius, possibly as high as 32 in london. in belfast and newcastle and islands of scotland is we're looking at a comfortable low 20s and will be some sunshine around as well. for many of us it looks absolutely fine. here is saturday's weather map. big high pressure building from the atlantic. this is cause the azores heights because this is where the azores are. scotla nd this is where the azores are. scotland might catch some showers. wind blowing off the sea will mean more cloud and moisture. the possibility of a couple of rain showers as well. it will be cooler in glasgow and belfast. london probably just around 30 in glasgow and belfast. london probablyjust around 30 or so. sunday's weather forecast, fine weather in england and wales a

beautiful sunny day here. very hot as well with temperatures in the high 20s and possibly hitting 30s. but look at that in the western isles of scotland. this is mundane now so a little bit more unsettled in the north—west of the country but on monday the heat wave continues across the south—east and the midlands. temperatures will be in high 20s or around 30 degrees. here's a reminder of sunday into monday. hot in the south and a lot fresher with a bit more cloud in the north. goodbye. this is bbc news, i'm rebecca jones. the headlines at 8pm. the bank of england raises interest rates, for only the second time since 2009. the increase to 0.75% will see some homeowners pay higher mortgages i just think they are thinking about big business, and actually they're not thinking about the millions of people affected by this who are struggling to pay their bills.

keeping the peace in zimbabwe, a new president could be announced this evening, following the disputed election. she was murdered by her adoptive father, now, a review finds chances were missed to save 18—month—old elsie skully—hicks. i'm andrew and i've got a smartphone. i'm kirsten and i've got a smartphone. i'm jake and i've got a smartphone. and i'm alice and i'm too small.