this is bbc news. i'm carole walker. the headlines at seven: boris johnson faces growing criticism of his comments about muslim women who wear the burka. when you demonise and dehumanise a minority who happen to be women, muslim woman of colour, i have a problem with this. more than three million british gas customers are facing a rise in prices for the second time this year. 100 years on — remembering the battle of amiens: a ceremony is held to commemorate the centenary of the campaign which helped bring about the end of first world war. australia's most populous state is declared to be entirely in drought. the government has had to provide millions of dollars worth of emergency funding to help farmers in new south wales. and we'll be finding out why celebrities on social media

are ruining the lives of ugly dogs who are looking for a home. the former attorney general dominic grieve has increased the pressure on borisjohnson by threatening to leave the conservative party if the former foreign secretary ever became leader. a number of senior conservatives, including theresa may and ruth davidson, the leader of the conservatives in scotland, have called on mrjohnson to apologise for a newspaper article in which he said women who wore the face veil looked like letterboxes and bank robbers. here's our political correspondent, ben wright. boris johnson remains unapologetic for saying muslim women who wear niqabs look like letterboxes and bank robbers. he doesn't want a ban on face veils,

but said in his telegraph newspaper column they look ridiculous. while his comments have ignited a political row about their wisdom and motivation, one woman who chooses to wear the niqab said mrjohnson should have been more careful. the problem is the language that he used. i absolutely have no problem with anyone disagreeing with my choice to wear it and criticising it. i don't have a problem with that. but when you demonise and dehumanise a minority who happened to be women, muslim women of colour, i have a problem with this. mps are away from westminster, but their criticism of boris johnson has been growing, with demands for an apology by the prime minister and other senior tories. what boris might want to do now is consider whether some of the language that he used was inappropriate and, if he chooses to apologise, i have no doubt that will be welcomed. but i don't think we should take from this incident that people are prohibited from discussing this subject. sources close to borisjohnson insist he is simply speaking up

for liberal values and he has allies in his party. i think there are a lot of people who are out there to make controversy, truthfully, and to read into things that aren't there. i don't think he was out to make any personal attacks, he was just giving his view. a politician saying, "oh, this is boris". oh well, that's ok then? he can say what he likes. this guy's a buffoon. the phone—ins are hot for this, but just 5% of the population are muslim, and most muslim women in the uk are not veiled. like most mps, borisjohnson is away on holiday and not around to take part in the argument he has started or deal directly with calls to apologise. perhaps that is what he intended. but people here in his uxbridge constituency are certainly talking about the issue and him. ijust think he is saying what a lot of us are actually saying. i think it's intimidating to be completely covered up. i don't think he should upset a large community at all and i think they are quite out of order comments actually. he says he's arguing that they should not have a ban of any sort like they do in denmark.

so why does he make the comments? it's not necessary. i think he's right. yeah, so do i. we don't know who's behind them masks. exactly. it could be a man, it could be anyone. he says it like it is. i've always liked him. really, so he increases his standing in your eyes by saying things like this? yeah. and that's the suspicion of many tories, that the ever—ambitious borisjohnson is choosing to talk about an issue that resonate well with the grassroots of the tory party. but today, a senior conservative said he would quit if mrjohnson got the top job. i've no idea if it enhances his leadership ambition but one thing is quite clear, if he became leader of the party ifor one would not be in it. you would leave? without the slightest doubt. why? because i don't regard him as a fit and proper person to lead a political party. so borisjohnson, the front man of brexit, continues to divide. let's speak to our correspondent jessica parker at westminster. ruth davidson, scotland's

conservative party leader wading into this row. she has joined the chorus calling for a borisjohnson to apologise, saying that she believed his remarks were gratuitously offensive, and that it was poor form. but gratuitously offensive, and that it was poorform. but it gratuitously offensive, and that it was poor form. but it has gratuitously offensive, and that it was poorform. but it has rather reached a stage where an off a lot of quite senior conservatives have suggested that borisjohnson should apologise, and it appears at the moment becky isn't going to. of course, we have had sources saying that he is standing up and liberal values and does not think you should apologise. it is not remembering, of course, that when he was writing this article, he was saying he was against any idea of a total ban on the burqa, but those descriptive terms have visit caused offence. we had last night has colic seeing the

book should be withdrawn. it does not look at the moment that that is good to happen, but there has been calls for more disciplinary action. borisjohnson on calls for more disciplinary action. boris johnson on holiday calls for more disciplinary action. borisjohnson on holiday at calls for more disciplinary action. boris johnson on holiday at the moment, not around to address the argument that he has started. the prime minister has backed calls for him to apologise for dead does not appear like he is going to. it is possible the vote will fizzle out of this summer, but it does show that borisjohnson is this summer, but it does show that boris johnson is wanting this summer, but it does show that borisjohnson is wanting to potentially defy his prime minister, and that is what being in mind as mps return to westminster in autumn. a lot of those allies believe this is been equipped up by those who oppose him on brexit? it is obviously true to say that there are mps, politicians, commentators who went a little bit cross with boris johnson about the continued to feel angry and thank the —— think he acts and ina angry and thank the —— think he acts and in a responsible manner. one mp

has been speaking today saying this has been speaking today saying this has been speaking today saying this has been blown out of proportion, and it is fair and right that boris johnson raises issues like this, but this is interesting that there are lines drawn between those are supported brexit and those who supported brexit and those who support domain. he is a man who controversy, and he is a man who knows how to generate headlines. at the conservative party ho, they will perhaps at this stage wish that he had not. we can speak now to shelina janmohamed, who joins me down the line from north—west london. shelina is the author of books including love in a headscarf and generation m: young muslims changing the world. thank you very much indeed for joining us. what do you make a boris johnson's remarks? it is the same old story about burqas being recycled to gain political points. the study comes up every six months, and it never feels like a genuine debate, because the week that mr

johnson described the women who work burqas is the very definition of objectifying and easy and rising them, calling them letterboxes. on them, calling them letterboxes. on the one hand, it is using these women at press, on the other hand, he is mocking and laughing at them. and to laugh at some and you have defined as a victim is a very definition of billion. we need to understand that this is about political point scoring rather than a genuine concern about the women. we know that women have been suffering abuse because of the comments from boris johnson. he was making the point that he does not believe if a scavenger should be banned here, as they are in countries such as denmark and france. the impact of this comment has been damaging for women, because, again, it cast them as some other and are different. we had a comment earlier about other women and mars, as the they are not really

pa rt and mars, as the they are not really part of our society. i am a muslim woman, i get in london. i don't remember the last time i saw someone walking around with a niqab on a burqa. the amount of robin hood with these coverings are so tiny and many skills that are dead most people who watch these programme will ever have ci’oss watch these programme will ever have cross past with them. it is all about creating an enemy and putting that onus on women who are already vulnerable and suffering and suffering alarming rises in hatred, it is really the worst kind of bullying, and it does not do mr johnson any good at all. he believes it is oppressive to women, it is weird and bullying to expect women to cover his faces. so has that is to cover his faces. so has that is to murk them and laugh at them? that does not sound like a genuine way to help people he thinks a refundable. every time you listen to mr women who covered their faces, they are saying it is completed their choice,

and asa saying it is completed their choice, and as a woman who does not cover my face, i believe all women should be standing upfor face, i believe all women should be standing up for the rights of one, because these are our bodies, our choices, and nobody has the right to access our bodies without permission and consent. what about the issue that boris johnson and and consent. what about the issue that borisjohnson and other mps have touched on it saying that, if the constituent were to come and see them they had a face covered, he would ask them to remove the veil, and that could be a legitimate request in a number of other scenarios. do you think that is justified? so, i can be have this really strange paradox, thinking specifically about political engagement. under one hand, the baby talk about mr bradman is that the arab press, excluding themselves,... he believes the winning of the niqab is oppressive to women. but at that moment comes to an mp‘s soldiery and wa nts to moment comes to an mp‘s soldiery and

wants to be politically engaged, that seems to be a very contradiction in saying that. i do not see how an mp can tell our dictate to a women about which items of clothing she can cannot wear. he is not the only mp did say he believes it is necessary to include properly with somebody, informal circumstances such as talking to a constituent. he also gave the example of a class on. people should be able to engage properly with them, and to do so, they need to see theirfaces. them, and to do so, they need to see their faces. most people at home probably don't not i cannot see your face. i am probably don't not i cannot see your face. iam managing probably don't not i cannot see your face. i am managing to do this interview. when we ghetto and packing the arguments, the merits and the merits of covering your face, a comment like the one written by borisjohnson face, a comment like the one written by boris johnson is face, a comment like the one written by borisjohnson is not genuine in its outreach, because it is talking to the audience in an incredibly disrespectful and alienating way. if you have a genuine concern for

people, you do that way that shows a dignity, respect, respect for both people and the office of state that you are with, rather than diminishing and decriminalising them. and the knock—on effect of that has a ready been an alarming rises in the abuse against women. that to me does not strike me as someone that to me does not strike me as someone who is genuinely concerned about defending liberal values and the rights of women and the choices that they make in life. thank you very much indeed forjoining us this evening. british gas is increasing pricesfor millions of customers, for the second time this year. the firm's standard variable tariff will go up by 3.8%, raising the annual bill for a typical dual—fuel customer, by £44. the change comes into effect in october, and centrica, which owns british gas, is blaming the price rise on higher costs in the wholesale market. our business correspondent, emma simpson reports. when it's this hot there is no need to worry

about heating your home but today a sting in the air for three and a half million british gas customers like robert chapman in lincolnshire. he's on a standard variable tariff and has been for decades. and his bill is going up for a second time this year. we seem to just get a hike year after year, not once a year, twice, three times a year. my biggest gripe is the blase stock answer of saying, yes, we are sorry it will hurt people, but they will go on with it. the bills started going up in may. there was an increase of 5.5% for gas and electricity customers on standard variable tariffs. the average bill up by £60. on octoberfirst, as autumn kicks in there will be another hike of 4%, add them together and you get an overall increase

of £104 in less than six months. british gas certainly isn't the only energy supplier that's been putting up bills. standard variable tariffs are almost always the most expensive deal, and millions of households are still on them. british gas says it has to raise prices again, because what it pays for energy has been going up. injanuary, they could have bought next year's supply of gas for about 1.5p per unit. nowadays, it's costing about 2p per unit and it's gone up by a third. i can imagine why they feel they need to put the price up. just yesterday, the energy regulator ofgem said these rising wholesale costs meant that the cap it sets for customers on prepayment meters would have to go up. meaning price rises for millions of vulnerable customers, too. we're really disappointed that british gas have put another price increase on their standard variable tariffs, affecting millions

of consumers. we are worried that they used ofgem's announcement yesterday tojustify their own price increase today and what we really wanted to get across to consumers is that if you are on a standard variable tariff, you could save hundreds of pounds if you just switch. british gas has already lost more than 300,000 customer accounts in the first half of this year. the energy market is changing fast. with a government price gap due by the end cap due by the end of the year. emma simpson, bbc news. the headlines on bbc news... boris johnson faces growing criticism of his comments about muslim women who wear the burka. more than three million british gas customers are facing a rise in prices for the second time this year. the duke of cambridge and the prime minister have attended commemorations in northern france to mark the centenary of the battle of amiens — the beginning of the end of world war one. a man has appeared in court

via videolink charged with murdering the midwife samantha eastwood in staffordshire. micheal stirling, who's the brother—in—law of her former fiance, spoke only to confirm his name. he'll return to court for a plea hearing in october. the body of ms eastwood was found eight days after she went missing. the pound fell today, to its lowest level against the dollar in almost a year. investors are concerned that the uk will leave the european union without a deal in eight months' time. sterling is also down against the euro, the yen and the swiss franc. our economics correspondent andy verityjoins me in the studio. why is the pound down against the dollar? isn't all about those brexit uncertainties? that is part of the

reason. you have got the trade secretary on the weekend saying it was 60% likely we would leave the gdp in union without any kind of trade deal. you have the bank of england governor saying there is the uncomfortable prospect of a no—deal brexit. the reason that is a concern, is that it would hamper economic growth, sole traders are selling. the other reason is that the dollar gained when it has a trade war with china, because the thinking is that the united states will wind that trade war, and it will wind that trade war, and it will reduce the independence on chinese imports. if you look at what has happened to the pound in the last year, you can see it reached its peak here on this line chart in april, when you could get about 1.43 £40. now it is a 1.2 eight. if you buy travel money somehow, you will get about 10% less than you would rose months ago. —— four months ago.

they take out from that is, maybe you should have got to travel money four months ago. you can consult yourself is that you would have got worse rates. not great if you are going to europe on your holiday, but quite good for a british exporters. potentially, it could have a stimulating effect. the pound got down to1.2 stimulating effect. the pound got down to 1.2 all injanuary 2017, and since then it has been growing, partly because the economic news has been better than people expected, but that also means our experts are not as competitor. the new weakness does have an upside. thank you very much forjoining us mad. jurors have been shown footage from the camera a policewoman was wearing, when she attended the fight outside a nightclub where england cricketer ben stokes was arrested. stokes is one of three men accused of being involved in a violent confrontation in bristol last

september. all three deny a charge of affray. our correspondentjon kay was at the court and sent us this update. this man was the first member of police staff on the scene that night in september. he was actually of duty, but he came across what he described as a scuffle here in bristol, and he went to dry to help out. he described the man in the green t—shirt, seemingly ben stokes, as the main aggressor. he said another man was trying to get away from him, but the man in the green t—shirt was the main aggressor. but thejury t—shirt was the main aggressor. but the jury has been shown a range of video angles, cctv, our body camera fitted as well that was carried by another officer who arrested ben stokes that dry, and she described him as completely compliant, as can, and when she told him that but there was a man nearby covered in blood and as an pot had been going on, and

whether he had been involved, he said because he had been trying to help out, because his to mitigate friends were being insulted and he had been trying to help out on their behalf. more of that was said in a statement from ben stokes that was given to police at the time, which was read to the due this afternoon. he said that two men were getting nasty, for big language to a gay couple on the street of the bristol and that he stepped in to try and stop that. he said that these two men, he claimed, had bottles in their hand, so he said he acted in self defence. he said he was a friend. ben stokes, who is 27 and two others are charged with affray. the all denied that charge, and they will be back here as the trial continues at bristol crown court tomorrow. 3000 people have attended commemorations at amiens cathedral in north eastern france, marking the centenary of the battle that turned the tide

of the first world war. the battle of amiens lasted just four days, but it was one of the most successful for the allies, of the whole conflict. theresa may and the duke of cambridge were among those who paid tribute to the fallen, and hundreds of descendants of the troops that took part were also there. robert hall reports. this is a landscape where the course of a terrible conflict was changed. in amiens cathedral, music and personal accounts combined to tell that story. the attack at amiens was a total surprise — at dawn a huge allied bombardment systemically destroyed german guns. the smoke barely clearing before 500 tanks led men from six countries in an advance which took some of them eight miles into enemy territory. amiens was symbolic of the entente cordiale... a battle whose significance was

underlined by the duke of cambridge. today, we return to learn more about the experience of those involved during the historic summer of 1918. to honour the fallen of all nations. the amiens attacks were planned to the last detail as the clock ticked down, commanders penned theirfinal messages. every man will carry on to the utmost of his powers until his goal is won. to those who fall, i say will you not die, but step into immortality. by lunchtime on the first day, men could hardly believe the contrast with the chaos of previous offensives. the americans swept everything before them and the german resistance collapsed. the sun broke through, we began to see the countryside that we hadn't seen for quite some time. it was unscarred. all sorts of cultivated land.

we began to feel, byjove, the war's coming to an end. at least 30,000 german lives were lost, thousands more surrendered, convincing commanders that that the time had come to consider a ceasefire. age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. at the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. today's ceremony remembered the fallen, but also served to highlight a crucial moment in a long and costly conflict. robert hall, bbc news, amiens. women who freeze their eggs need to be aware that the process does not guarantee a baby, according to a leading gynaecologist. with more women freezing eggs past the age of 35,

medical experts warn that many women are leaving it too late to preserve their fertility, instead of making a planned and informed choice. drjane stewart, chair of the british fertility society and spokesperson for the royal college of obstetricians and gynaecologists, explained what the report said... storing perks for preservation for women is not a straightforward thing. it is becoming much more feasible because we can get good recovery gra d es feasible because we can get good recovery grades five eggs. it is a useful thing to do for people who need to store fertility because the note they are going to go through some destructive process which might lose them their fertility, but i think for people who hope to put some eggs abbey in the expectation that they can definitely have a family ata that they can definitely have a family at a later stage, i think we have to be a lot more cautious about that, because it cannot guarantee

success in the future. it can be a back—up, certainly, but it never gives that guarantee of the family later. i'm joined from our leicester studio by dr dr kylie baldwin, a senior lecturer in health and life sciences at de montfort university. thank you very much indeed for joining us. what are the potential dangers and pitfalls of freezing eggs nad hope of then having a child later? we assume that women who are attempting to freeze the eggs are successful at doing so, and some are not. they can get very distressed about results such as a global ovarian reserve. there are difficulties in the process, and very women find the process very emotional distressing, white isolating and quite stigmatising as well. but also more long term, they

are the risk that the technology will not work, that women are spending a lot of money not only to freeze the eggs, but to undergo multiple rounds of ivf with no guarantee of success. that also underlines that they are putting their bodies to the risk of ivf, as their bodies to the risk of ivf, as the process of putting themselves to harvesting eggs is pretty much half of ivf. do you think women are sufficiently aware that those dangers? there is an awful lot to be said for fertility counselling, pre—conceptual counselling. it is important that women who are considering freezing their eggs make use of these services. any those sessions, these issues will be discussed, and the clinician should go through with them their physical risks, and be able to talk and take an opportunity during counselling to

talk about the emotional risk, the difficulties they may encounter. that is why it is so valuable. you have talked about some of the complications and the cost of all of this, but at the moment, most women who wanted, can get it on the nhs. women who are rushing to needing to freeze eggs due to some sort of medical reason, like chemotherapy, can apply to the local surgery to get the treatment far free, however the women who are freezing debt eggs for what it is sometimes termed live cell reasons, are currently having to pay to freeze their eggs. in some reasons, there are multiple cycles to get enough eggs for future use, and then they have to pay for the storage fees for those eggs, which can be in excess of £300 each year.

it can be another £5,000 to try and users eggs to conceive in the future should they wish to. for many women, surely it is simply that they find themselves perhaps into their 30s, not ina themselves perhaps into their 30s, not in a situation where they have got a partner and can have the baby date might want, and feel that they must do this if they are to have a chance of having a tailed in their lives? —— having a child in their lives. their women in my research said they had to take the opportunity because they did not they would look back on it and regret not making use of the technology. i understand it is a very compelling technology because of what it can offer women. but women have to be aware that this technology, as you said, really has no guarantees, especially for women making use of eggs freezing any dead late 30s, which many women are. it is not a guarantee for many women.

thank you very much indeed for joining us. just before we go to the weather, let's show you some images from the international space station. german astronaut alexander gerst took this pictures showing the devastating impact of weeks of record temperatures on the planet. on twitter, he says "after several weeks of night flying, i was able to take the first day pictures of central europe and germany. the sight is shocking. everything that should be green is parched and brown". a real illustration of the effects of all that hot weather. now it's time for a look at the weather with helen willetts. hello there. for many, it's been a more bearable day, particularly in the south and east. of course, we had the fresher weather further north and west yesterday. and the rest of the week, it will remain a little cooler, a little bit more bearable, with some rain in the forecast. not guaranteed for all, because it is in the form

of showers, but those showers will continue to push into western parts of scotland and northern ireland overnight. they will tend to peter out elsewhere ahead of what looks like a cloudier spell of weather coming back into the south and east. so, the humidity is still quite high here, but it will be much fresher overnight further north and further west, where we'll see the lion's share of the sunshine as we start thursday morning. however, we are keeping a close eye on what is happening across east anglia and the south—east tomorrow, because it could turn out to be the pretty wet if this comes off. that rain moving its way north and eastwards. but elsewhere, there will be good spells of sunshine, showers always sharpest further north and west, and a very pleasant 19 to 21 celsius, which is actually around about average for the time of year. so, it is a little unsettled looking, but still quite warm in the sun. hello this is bbc news. the headlines: borisjohnson faces growing criticism of his comments about muslim women who wear the burka. more than three million british gas

customers are facing a rise in prices for the second time this year. the duke of cambridge and the prime minister have attended commemorations in northern france to mark the centenary of the battle of amiens — the beginning of the end of world war one. the value of sterling has fallen below $1.29 for the first time in nearly a year. the entire state of new south wales, which produces about a quarter of australia's agricultural output, is experiencing drought, and it's one of the worst dry spells in many years, in parts of the country. in the last month, officials say less than ten millimetres of rain have been recorded in some areas. phil mercer reports now from sydney. australia is a land well used

to nature's extremes. it's the world's driest inhabited continent, but the resilience of its farming communities is being severely tested. official figures show that australia's most populous state, new south wales, is now entirely in drought. two years ago, there were floods on gary sunderland's farm near the town of condobolin. how quickly things can change. now, it's just the opposite story. the land has gone dry. no feed. stock are dying. some farmers have been carting up to 100,000 litres of water to their livestock since january. this video, taken earlier this year, shows cattle swarming around a water tanker. farmers in the small towns across new south wales are helping each other out with donations. many here say it's the worst they've ever known. all the climate gurus, who know all about the weather still don't know when it's going to break. they've got no idea. we just...

we're blind. you know, we'vejust got to plan and hope and pray that it rains. government aid will ease the financial burdens and the prime minister is promising more help. i do understand these water challenges. clearly, we will work with state and local governments to ensure that water is provided. the fear is that a dry spring will be followed by another hot and punishing summer for australia's farmers. phil mercer, bbc news, sydney. self—testing hiv kits, are to become available on the high street for the first time. superdrug says it will sell them, with the kits providing a result in 15 minutes, for just under 35 pounds. forjust under £35. one leading hiv charity says it welcomes better access to testing, but is worried about the cost. our correspondent sarah campbell reports. the test involves a simple pinprick. antibodies in the blood are measured and after a few minutes the results.

the manufacturers claim it's 99.7% accurate. alex sparrowhawk has been living with hiv for nine years. when i was diagnosed, i had to wait a week for my result. which actually caused a lot of anxiety, a lot of stress. when i got the phone call, i knew it was going to be bad news. i worked full time and actually being able to come into a shop on the high street and do a test in my own time would be great. hiv diagnoses are down with, for the first time from a decline in the number of gay and bisexual men being diagnosed. but it is estimated that more than 10,000 people in england are unaware they have the condition. following a change in the law, hiv self test kits have been available online for several years. it's only now that you can go down to a major high—street chemist and buy one.

i think it's a brilliant idea. i think everyone should be tested, everyone should be aware. it's no different to having a pregnancy test. i think it's a fantastic idea. it takes away the stigma and makes it easier for everyone to access. it's great, actually. at this sexual health clinic, where hiv tests are free of charge, the off the shelf kits have been welcomed. but only as a first stage in the diagnosis process. these are screening tests and we will always need to confirm them. because there is a small number of situations where you may have a false positive test. it is imperative to be certain that the test is truly positive. with the correct treatment, people diagnosed as hiv—positive can have a normal life expectancy. early diagnosis is key and is why facilitating testing is seen as so important. sarah campbell, bbc news. the democratic unionist mp

ian paisley is facing the first ever ‘parliamentary recall petition', under rules introduced in 2015 to allow voters to oust politicians. ian paisley is currently suspended by parliament for failing to declare two family holidays which were paid for by the sri lankan government. if 10% of his constituents in north antrim sign the petition, which opened this morning, it will trigger a by—election. emma vardy has the latest. recall petitions across the constituency opened up 9am this morning. they will be open for people to sign for the next six weeks. this is a first for uk politics. it was brought about by ian paisley‘s failure to declare the luxury holidays that he went on paid for by the sri lankan government. he then went on to lobby the then prime

minister david cameron on behalf of sri lanka. when this came to light last year, the parliamentary standards committee ruled that he was guilty of serious misconduct. over the next six weeks if 10% of the electorate in north antrim signed those recall petitions, it will force ian paisley to stand down and there will be a by—election. as you might expect, the dup‘s main rival sinn fein will be campaigning against him. they began their bed this morning urging people to sign. the report concluded that he was involved in serious and the people of north antrim have six weeks to sign this position. i know the contact that i have had with people over the last couple of weeks, want to do something. this is an issue government. this isn't a issue of

nationalism versus... do theirjob with integrity. the northern ireland electoral office says that the number that would need to be reached to trigger a by—election at 10% is 7543 signatures. however this plays out, mps have already voted to suspend mr paisley for 30 days of parliament. so if he does retain his seat, you will still be suspended up to november and may well miss key votes during this time. that is the longest in mp has been suspended for over 30 years so a mark of how seriously this is being taken. his tweets are bullish — but donald trump's republican party — has suffered a major scare at the polls — ahead of crucial midterm elections in november. its candidate is claiming victory, in what should be a safe mid—western congressional seat.

but the margin, of less than 1% — and votes are still being counted — represents a big swing for the democrats. this ‘special election' was a one—off, but it underlines that the midterms — could be very tight — in the race to control the senate and the house. laura podesta reports. the special election race between republican troy balderson and democrat danny o'connor in ohio's 12th district is too close to call. balderson leads o'connor by fewer than 2000 votes. but more than 8000 provisional and absentee ballots have to be counted which could trigger a mandatory recount. that didn't stop balderson from claiming victory. it is time to get to work. over the next three months, i am going to do everything i can to keep america great again. president trump won the district in 2016. he put the full weight of his support behind balderson, going to ohio over the weekend to campaign for him. can you believe how close this is? cheering.

we are in a tied ball game. keep in mind despite who wins this ohio race, those two candidates will again face each other in november, so this is going to be one primary that a lot of people will be looking atjust find out what is happening in the midterms in ohio for that congressional district. a lot of other tight races that we are keeping an eye on to see if will possibly switch sides and if the democrats can take congress again. they're an essential aid to help anyone who's in cardiac arrest, increasing their chances of survival. but would you know where your nearest public defibrillator is? there are now tens of thousands of them stations, shops and offices — so now a project is beginning to find, and map, all the public defibrillators across england and scotland. ben ando reports. public defibrillators are in thousands of locations, are easy to use, and save lives.

apply pads to patient‘s bare chest as shown in picture. press pads firmly to patient‘s bare skin... they'll tell you exactly what to do, so even with no medical training, anyone can make the difference between life and death. people are scared to use these devices we think. they see lots of things on the television, it's very dramatic and all the rest of it. they worry that they could do harm to the patient. they are really, really simple to use. things can't get any worse for the person at this time. we really actively encourage people to get a defib, grab it off the wall, get it to the patient and stick the pads on and follow the instructions. there are tens of thousands of them in stations, public buildings, offices or department stores. so why does the uk have far worse cardiac arrest survival rates than countries in scandinavia or parts of the united states that have similar coverage? if you're out and about and your heart suddenly stops, the british heart foundation says your chances of living are barely one in ten. that's partly because not enough of us know cpr but also

although there are plenty of defibrillators around, in an emergency, how do you find one? defibrillators locations are usually held by ambulance crews but the british heart foundation says knowledge can be patchy and even 999 operators don't always know where the nearest one is. and that means that potentially life—saving public defibrillators are currently used in just 3% of cases. so working with nhs england, nhs scotland and microsoft, it's launching a year—long scheme to map their locations, create a national database, and ensure they are regularly checked and repaired. it's hoped that this simple measure could drastically improve survival rates and save lives. ben ando, bbc news. vicki gilbert had her right leg amputated more than 20 years ago, after being misdiagnosed with bone cancer. in 2016, she received another diagnosis — of advanced breast cancer.

having come through treatment, vicki decided to take on another challenge — swimming the english channel. fiona lamdin went to see her in training. it's 6am and vicki gilbert has already swum three kilometres in this lake in leeds. but she'll soon be swapping this freshwater for the salty seas as she swims across the english channel. it's a challenge for the most fit and healthy, but for vicki, an amputee still recovering from breast cancer, this is an unbelievable test. wow, that was lovely. well done! right, let's get this around you. 26 years ago while training to be a pe teacher, vicki was diagnosed with bone cancer. she lost her right leg. only to be told a year later it was a misdiagnosis. the cancer was in fact a harmless cyst. and then, two years ago, more unwanted news. at 43, vicki was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. vicki, you are incredibly upbeat. but surely it is not an easy

combination, the mud, the water, crutches and one leg. no, it's not, it's quite difficult and sometimes i struggle to go in on the crutches. so i go in on my bum, not very elegantly. but it's worth it, because once i get in the water the freedom is fantastic. come on, breakfast time! with the day's training behind her, vicki switches from athlete to mum. you're hungry? well now, there's a surprise! oh, it's been hell, it's been awful. it's the chemotherapy that does the most damage and makes you the most poorly. but vicki is putting all this behind her. this summer she's part of a relay team that hopes to cross the channel. ijust think it's crazy. like, cold water, channel swim with like, boats and ducks and it's not clean water! and ijust don't get it. like, not even in a wet suit, ijust could never do anything like that. she is quite inspiring. even though i would never admit that to her! waves, jellyfish, and seasickness.

to name just a few of the side—effects. but vicki hopes the training and the swim will keep the cancer away. people say to me how come you are not bitter. i didn't have a choice. i had to just get on with it. i can't change it, my legs not going to grow back, so i've got to make the best of it. and because i've been given this other chance after the breast cancer and the knowledge and understanding that physical activity can massively help reduce the risk of recurrence, you know, i want to share that with other people and make a difference. this is a woman who despite losing so much will not be stopped. fiona lamdin, bbc news. the headlines on bbc news: borisjohnson faces growing criticism of his comments about muslim women who wear the burka. more than three million british gas customers are facing a rise in prices for

the second time this year. the duke of cambridge and the prime minister have attended commemorations in northern france to mark the centenary of the battle of amiens — the beginning of the end of world war one. there's evidence that some families living on low incomes are struggling to make ends meet during the school holidays. the trussell trust says its foodbanks send out around 18,000 emergency food parcels to families in the west midlands during the summer break. some parents who rely on free school meals say their grocery bills can increase by as much as £40 a week. joanne writtle spoke to one mum, julie, to find out how she's coping with her three children. tower block living is tough forjulie. it is a temporary home after she became homeless due to problems including anti—social behaviour in the community where she used to live in birmingham. and she has six—year—old, a four—year—old

and a two—year—old to entertain here as well. i have been to my sisters, two hostels, and now i am on the top floor of a high—rise flat. it is horrible really. it is horrible for the kids. i am scared of them going by the windows and doors, the balcony. they have gone from a house with a big back garden and now they have got nothing. this is the food bank at nearby church and yesterday was the first time julie asked for help. it is particularly tough for her because of the school summer holidays too. it is costing me an absolute fortune trying to keep us going over the horrendous ten weeks. as a last resort, i have had to come to a food bank to feed me and my kids. emotionally drained, physically drained, i feel helpless for them, helpless for myself. you know, julie has been so open. she is one of many parents this organisation will help over the summer and she didn't even realise assistance like this was here until she was referred by her housing officer. food banks are run by volunteers, including retired headteacherjane who understands the pressures

in the school holidays. in the school holidays. you can go to the park, but still children want ice creams and drinks and i think it is a real struggle. six weeks is a long time. today, julie returned to the church with all three children as a holiday club for the whole community including food bank users. one, it is because the kids have got activities to do and two, it is beneficial because it is not costing me anything. lou is here as well with his son michael. a single bad, he stopped working in a factory is a few weeks ago to care for michael who has health problems. yesterday, he too went to the food bank for the first time. i have always provided for my family and myself so i find it a little bit embarrassing, a bit emotional, but once i came here and i was introduced to people, they are all genuine, they all care, and i felt a lot better in myself knowing that there is people that will help me. the holiday club provided breakfast and lunch, a big help when the holidays mean there is no school meals. new research suggests social media

and celebrities may be driving the popularity of certain dog breeds — leaving unfashionable ones at risk of being abandoned. the survey from dogsblog.com and direct line shows that trends also affect the amount of time a dog has to wait to be rehomed. what does an ‘unfashionable' dog look like? here's some of the good boys that have fallen out of favour. flash is a nine year old greyhound, who has been looking for a home for over two years. benny is a seven—year—old staffordshire bull terrier but has spent six years of his life in a shelter. this is mr bean, a young lurcher who was recently found abandoned in london. shiloh the four—year—old whippet

cross has been in a shelter since he was six months old. he'd been beaten and abused, and had to have his tail amputated. and finally... eleven—year—old staffordshire bull terrier bluebell, who has spent ten years — nearly all her life — in rescue. let's discuss why dogs are falling victim to social media trends — i'm joined by wendy miles, from the rescue centre all dogs matter. and her staffordshire bull terrier, billy, which is the most common dog in shelters. how can that be? billy looks remarkably calm and relaxed in the studio. they are lovely family dogs. they have had a bad rap for a long time. do you think social media is to blame for the fact that dogs like billy sometimes struggle to find a home? i do. i think billy sometimes struggle to find a home? i do. ithink paris billy sometimes struggle to find a home? i do. i think paris hilton was the first celebrity to spark off the desire for designer handbag dogs and also tv shows. all rescues and more

and more huskies and malamute have come in because kids now want to walk with wolves because of game offerings. so people are choosing their dog on the hope that it will give them an attractive instagram account? absolutely and give them some kudos and whatever. huskies, whilst being very sweet dogs, are meant to run 50 miles per day, they don't have a strong bond with humans, their recall is bad and they walk around the block once a day and they wonder why they go crazy. people are getting dogs without realising quite how much commitment and work is involved in keeping a dog. absolutely and the effort it

ta kes. dog. absolutely and the effort it takes. and they are getting dogs from readers that they don't know anything about the breeder, badly bribed dogs, a myriad of health problems and these people who have spent 500 or £700 buying these dogs, when they don't want them any more, they don't take them to shelters, they don't take them to shelters, they sell them on online. the dog gets moved from pillar to post and theissues gets moved from pillar to post and the issues just grow and grow. gets moved from pillar to post and the issuesjust grow and growm seems that the trends do change because staff bull terriers were quite in at one stage. they were. they are wonderful family dogs. they we re they are wonderful family dogs. they were known for decades as a nanny dog because they are so good with children. and then they became status talks for young boys who put spikes on them and encourage them to be fighters, and they are not really

like that. they are very soft, people orientated dogs. do you genuinely find people who are coming in to some of the shelters looking for dogs that are going to fit the right image? 0h, for dogs that are going to fit the right image? oh, yes. ithink for dogs that are going to fit the right image? oh, yes. i think that is true. people come with the most unrealistic expectations of what owning a dog is like. they get big dogs and live in tiny flats. jack russell terriers are very popular in rescues because people look at them and think small lapdogs when of course they have huge personalities and need tonnes of exercise. it is all about trying to educate people to get dogs for their lifestyle and not just for then look all that they will look good on instagram. can more be done to make sure that

people who get a dog or when they are considering getting a joke, really ta ke accou nt are considering getting a joke, really take account of the wider issues of the commitment that is required to ensure a dog is kept properly. absolutely. rescue centres do that. people think you get a rescue dog and you do not know what you are getting but in fact they are strongly assessed for how they are with people, other dogs, food and toys and children and whether they need guardians or space and exercise. if you get a dog from a rescue, they will make the best match. if you buy them of the internet, you don't know what you are getting. when you are fed up with them and people do... billy! and people do get fed up with them quickly and pass them on and sell them on. i think billy has had

enough of this interview. them on. i think billy has had enough of this interviewlj them on. i think billy has had enough of this interview. i think he has. thank you very much for coming in and for bringing billy who has been very good indeed. a star is born. 80 new otter shelters have been placed along the waterways of the fens in the east of england, in a new conservation project. and the otters are being filmed using infra—red cameras, as louise hubball explains. here in the sands below the surface, the drains are teeming with life. this stunning footage captured this year of a mother with her young about a year old shortly before they will leave her side. tell me why this is an ideal spot for the otters ? this is an ideal spot for the otters? it has got a long vegetation, it is quite remote, there is easy access to good quality water. to get to the water's edge can bea

water. to get to the water's edge can be a challenge, but it is here that shelters have been built for these remarkable animals. otters hunt these remarkable animals. otters hu nt m ostly these remarkable animals. otters hunt mostly at night and sometimes the water is cloudy so they can't really use direct eyesight. they use their whiskers and sensors, the movement of the fish are sensed through the whiskers and they can grasp the fish. because this landscape was drained in the mid—17th century, there are no tree roots for the otters to build shelters. this is the solution. the structure is buried underground, one pipe for the entrance, the other for the exit. 81 have been constructed, most fitted with a camera to capture these nocturnal visitors. most fitted with a camera to capture these nocturnalvisitors. they most fitted with a camera to capture these nocturnal visitors. they use them kind of like motels rather than permanent homes. we have created a network of safe places where the otters can go in and hide and spend time if they want to, especially if

they have got younger. that network has spread throughout 120 miles of middle level drains. the shelters need to be a long way apart because males can travel up to 12 miles a night. females up to eight. otters were, of course, here long before the fence were drained and have adapted to this man—made landscape. there is now plans to build more shelters. so that this line can be a home or a shelterfor shelters. so that this line can be a home or a shelter for centuries to come. let's catch up with the all—important let's catch up with the all—importa nt weather forecast. cloudy a spell of weather coming

back into the south and east. the humidity is quite high here but it will be much fresher overnight further north and west where we will see the lion's share of the sunshine. east anglia we are keeping a eye on what is happening because it could be pretty wet. elsewhere, there will be good spells of sunshine. shower was sharpest in the north and west. temperatures average for the time of year. temperatures warm in the sun. this is bbc news. the headlines at eight: boris johnson faces growing criticism of his comments about muslim women who wear the burqa. when you demonise and dehumanise a minority who happen to be women, muslim woman of colour, i have a problem with this. more than three million british gas

customers are facing a rise in prices for the second time this year. 100 years on — remembering the battle of amiens. a ceremony is held to commemorate the campaign which helped bring about the end of the first world war. australia's most populous state is declared to be entirely in drought. a dry winter has caused a crisis forfarmers, ruining their crops and leaving their livestock in danger.