thousands of flames light up the tower of london 100 years after the end of world war one, as the nation prepares to pause and remember the fallen. the prime minister travels to france and belgium to mark the centenary of the armistice. at st symphorien cemetery in belgium, she lays wreaths at the graves of the first and the last british soldiers to die in the war. preparing the poppies — across the country people find their own ways to remember the fallen. clearly upsetting to see how many people who died. no—one is alive from world war i and they're not here to remind us about what happened. also on tonight's programme. the transport minister, jojohnson, quits over brexit, while the dup accuses theresa may of betrayal, around the irish border issue. a car bursts into flames in melbourne in australia —

after a terrorist attack in which three people are stabbed, one fatally. an increase in construction helped the economy over the summer. but new figures show consumers are cutting back. and, a final training session for england, as they prepare for their big test against the all blacks this weekend. and coming up on bbc news. england record a first test win away from home for two years, beating sri lanka by 211 runs. good evening and welcome to bbc news at six from the tower of london where thousands of flames have been lit tonight filling this vast moat to mark 100 years since the end of the first

world war. the flames represent the lives of the fallen and are here to honour their sacrifice. at five o'clock this afternoon emerging from the fortress, one of the yeoman warders, passed on the first flame to a navy cadet. and then a team of volunteers helped light the rest — there are 10,000 torches in all — creating a circle of light, radiating from the tower as an act of remembrance. there are tens of thousands of people here tonight to see it. standing here — it's really powerful, it's very moving. as with the ceramic poppies — almost a million of them that filled this moat four years ago in 2014 to mark the start of world war i. now these flames will bring four years of commemorations to a close — they will be lit for the last time

on sunday night exactly 100 years after armistice day. today the prime minister travelled to france and belgium to mark the centenary. at a military cemetry near mons in belgium, she laid wreaths at the graves of the first and last british soldier to be killed in the war — 16—year—old john parr and ao—year—old george ellison who died an hour and half before the armistice was signed. lucy williamson reports. buried in the soil of europe is part of britain's past, its sacrifices and its souls. in belgium today, the prime minister laid wreaths at the graves of two british soldiers, the first and last of their countrymen to die in the first world war. waiting for mrs may at the town of albert in the somme, the french president told schoolchildren, "never forget your history". before commemorating the past, the two leaders met for talks on present—day challenges. as the prime minister was greeted with a reserved and formal handshake, someone in the crowd

shouted, "stay with us!" this visit is a reminder of the shared military history that unites france and britain. today, they are divided by a political conflict over brexit, but their joint commitment to europe's defence won't change, they say, no matter how tough the negotiations or the terms of their future relationship. at the thiepval memorial in the somme, the two leaders walked through a cemetery honouring their dead. beneath the arches of the monument, they laid a wreath of poppies and cornflowers — the national blooms of remembrance in britain and france. the building here, carved with the names of 72,000 british and commonwealth soldiers lost, is a symbol of anglo—french cooperation, a place to remember shared sacrifice and shared values. a moment for their leaders, amid the tensions over their future relations, to recognise and honour their past.

lucy williamson, bbc news, the somme. across the uk cities, towns and villages have been preparing for the armistice centenary. from knitted poppies on village greens, to marking the contribution of commonwealth soldiers. 0ur correspondent, jon kay, looks at how the country will commemorate 100 years since the guns fell silent on the western front. each one is a life that was lost in the great war. charfield in gloucestershire. somebody made these poppies with love. 4,000 residents, 12,000 poppies. all knitted by villagers over the last year. people are just in tears, literally stood there with tears down their cheeks, really heartbreaking, breathtaking, and i'm just proud of everybody. this is going to be an amazing day. many here are remembering relatives

who fought 100 years ago. what do you think your grandpa would think of this? oh, i think he'd be thrilled. i think he'd think it was wonderful. there are children coming out of houses, going, "can we help you put them up?" and their mums and dads came out to help. this is a close—knit community here. i've been here a long time. close—knit? close—knit. laughter. from cornwall... to norfolk. from anglesey to the isle of arran. from our smallest villages. .. to our biggest cities. we will remember this weekend.

here in the west midlands, this road has been transformed. why did you want to do this as a community? we feel that station road represents communities up and down the country that lost so many people to a terrible war. in this road, we lost 16 young men. making the armistice relevant, bringing history right up to date. people from the war who lived here. charlie and his family say it's helped them understand. makes me proud of the people who fought for us and for our country. and the people who lived in your house? yeah. makes me proud to live here. just one road, like so many others, finding its own way to remember. jon kay, bbc news. they are still lighting the torch is

behind me and they will stay alight until nine p:m.. i'll be back later in the programme talking to the designer who has helped to create all of this. but, for the rest of the day's news, jane is in the studio. jo johnson has resigned as transport minister, branding theresa may's brexit plan "a terrible mista ke" and calling for the public to have a fresh say on leaving the european union. the prime minister's alliance with the democratic unionist party is also under strain, after it accused her of "betrayal" in the negotiations, when a leaked letter indicated that northern ireland could follow different customs rules to the rest of the uk. the government has insisted it won't do anything to put the united kingdom at risk. more details from our political correspondent, alex forsyth. sorry about that, watch your back. watch your back. fateful words perhaps uttered earlier this year by a man who has now delivered

a blow to theresa may. jo johnson was until today the transport minister, but tonight he quit his job with a scathing assessment of the prime minister's brexit plan. crucially he called for another vote saying the current proposal was deeply flawed. it's not going to deliver trade deals — our ability to strike meaningful trade deals is going to be greatly reduced. it's not going to lead to us becoming a singaporean turbo—charged economy on the edge of europe. far from it. we're going to be signing up for all of the rules and regulations over which we will no longer have a say. at present the deal is incoherent on its own terms, and that's why it's so important for the public to have a say so it can confirm that this is really the brexit that it wants. the brother of borisjohnson, he had unlike his sibling, backed remain in the referendum but said he would respect the result. now, though, he says the government's brexit plan is taking britain to the brink of the greatest crisis since the second world war.

his decision to quit drew praise from his brother who said... for the prime minister, with her european counterparts at armistice events, it's another brexit headache on a day she is already facing criticism from supposed allies. the dup, who support her in government, fear she could sign up to am exit deal which might mean northern ireland trades on different terms to the rest of the uk in future. it's not a question of trusting the prime minister, it's a question of what her proposals are for exiting the european union. she has sent us where she believes she is currently at. and remember this is before she goes to brussels to negotiate with them on what they believe is possible, but currently as it stands we could not support her proposals. so it is still the irish border and how to keep trade flowing no matter what that is proving the hardest part of this

negotiation. every possible compromise it seems drawing some criticism. at a summit meant to cement british—irish relations today, ministers were quick to try to reassure. the prime minister has been absolutely clear that she is not prepared to see the break—up of the constitutional, economic integrity of the united kingdom in any deal. now we are working intensely now to getting that deal and securing the deal. i think what we need to do now is have calm heads, cool heads, let's get down and get the deal and then people can comment on it when they see it. the path to brexit has never been smooth. both sides are still working to agree the terms on which we leave but as negotiations near their end whatever that may be it seems the prime minister's opponents are digging in. number 10 has tonight issued a response to the resignation ofjo johnson by saying the referendum in 2016 was the biggest democratic exercise. we will not have a second

referendum. they thanked mrjohnson for his work in government. his resignation has attracted support from conservative mps who backed brexit and remain. there is a level of unhappiness at thejo —— the brexit approach. to get a deal she needs to get it through parliament andi needs to get it through parliament and i will be difficult. there had been talk about a cabinet meeting in the next few days to sign of the brexit deal but there is a lot of work to do first. police in australia say they're treating a knife attack in the centre of melbourne as an act of terrorism. one person was killed and two injured during the evening rush hour. the suspect — a man of somali origin, who was known to the police — was shot by officers and died later in hospital. 0ur correspondent hywel griffith sent this report. face—to—face with an armed attacker. 0fficers confront a man brandishing a knife who kept lunging at them until, moments later, they shot him in the chest.

the police were called after reports of a vehicle on fire. gas canisters were later found at the scene. the attacker had driven into the heart of the city centre, to bourke street, in one of the busiest parts of melbourne, packed with shoppers and commuters heading home. when the police arrived, they found three members of the public had been stabbed. one of them was fatally injured. the attacker also later died in hospital. officers say he wasn't on a terror watch list, but he and his family, originally from somalia, were on their radar. he is known to police. and he is known to police mainly in respect of relatives that he has that are certainly persons of interest to us. counterterrorism officers will now need to establish whether the man was working alone or taking instructions from elsewhere, and this city, like so many others, faces the question of whether more

can be done to protect the public from such sudden, chaotic acts of terror. hywel griffith, bbc news. our top story this evening: the prime minister lays wreaths to remember the first and last british soldiers to die in the first world war. coming up... the schoolchildren getting creative as they learn about the first world war. coming up on sportsday on bbc news... the biggest test in rugby union. england prepare to do battle with the all blacks at twickenham. we weigh up their chances. the hot summer and the football world cup helped to boost

the economy in the three months to september. gross domestic product — the total value of all goods and services produced in the economy — rose by 0.6%, the fastest rate for nearly two years. but most of that growth was injuly, confirming predictions that people may now be beginning to cut back their spending. coletta smith reports. sprucing up, slapping on a lick of paint or planning a bigger project. what's happening in a builder's merchant can tell you exactly how the economy's doing. the diyers are spending a lot more money in here, spending a lot more on the gardens, wanting sort of the nicer things in life. a lot more money was spent on days out with the kids and also when you finish work on a summer's night you tend to drink a bit more, don't you? makes you want to go out more when it's nice weather and stuff.

i want to go out and eat, drinking and stuff like that. there is a lot of work going on at the moment in ribble valley, so, it's all good. splashing the cash over those long, hot summer months has really given the economy a boost. the peak was injuly when the world cup was on and we were all spending more. by the time we got to september, things have slowed down considerably. the economy basically flat—lining at that stage, which raises big questions about the coming months and what is going to happen as things turned colder. down the road on this small construction site in the ribble valley, they're delighted that, at long last, this summer, construction was the fastest growing part of the economy. 0.6% is across all industries. of course, we're in the buoyant sector, 2.1% in construction. so, for me, it feels very exciting. the concerns on the horizon are brexit related, dare i say. and that's more about, can we get people to do the jobs? after a slow start to the year,

the chancellor's pleased things seem to be improving. 3.3 million newjobs, unemployment lower in every region and nation of the united kingdom since 2010. what we've now got to do is pivot to a focus on ensuring real wage growth and higher standards of living. without that wage growth, the high street will continue to see stores disappearing. after the summer glow, or industries are preparing for what could be a very different winter. a look at some of today's other stories. a 16—year—old girl has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the fatal stabbing of a man in south—east london on sunday. ayodeji habeeb azeez died after the attack in bromley. two men who were arrested on suspicion of murder on sunday were released under investigation. researchers have uncovered a significant decline

in global fertility rates. the findings of the report — published in the lancet medical journal — are described as a "huge surprise". they show that, in nearly half of all countries, there are now too few children being born to maintain the current population size. tens of thousands of people are being moved out of parts of northern california as wildfires sweep through the area. the town of paradise, north of sacramento, has been the worst affected. the flames are being driven by high winds and dry conditions. cricket, and england have beaten sri lanka in the first test in galle — england's first overseas test win for two years. spin bowlers jack leach and moeen ali starred, claiming seven wickets between them, including this almost unplayable ball to sri lanka's captain, dinesh chandimal. the all blacks aren't known for their understatement. the new zealand rugby team call themselves one of the most successful teams

in all of world sport. to be fair, they've won the last two rugby world cups and are favourites to win again next year. tomorrow they play at twickenham, providing the biggest possible test for england, asjoe wilson reports. being an all black is a state of mind. and every new zealand player follows illustrious footsteps. is it going to be all blacks magic once again? it normally is. a0 matches between england and new zealand in total — england have won just seven. but today's all blacks carry unique pressure. it's been there since day one for me. we are used to it. we are expected to win every time we go out there, but we embrace it as a team. and england? well, they squeezed a win against south africa last weekend. now, the all blacks. do you think playing new zealand at rugby union is perhaps the biggest test anywhere

in sport, 0wen? er... i've never really thought about it like that. maybe? you know, certainly, they are a brilliant team. what we've got to make sure is that we don't dip our toe into the weekend and feel our way in. we've got to make sure we are throwing ourselves into it. 0wen farrell is good at throwing himself into things. here he comes. england have actually picked three players born and bred in new zealand in their team to play tomorrow. well, you can see the new zealand influence right through european rugby union. tomorrow, ireland will play argentina. they are coached byjoe schmidt, a new zealander. wales will try to beat australia. they are coached by warren gatland, a new zealander. so why do other nations want their own new zealanders? i don't want to sound big—headed or anything but i think it's because they want success. success breeds success

and creates a lot of myths... or a lot of truth. it looks as if, whenever they play, you can put your shirt on them. still true, but england this autumn are playing the all blacks team, not the reputation. joel wilson, bbc news, in london. now let's hear more about today's main story — the preparations being made to mark 100 years since the end of the first world war. sophie is at the tower of london. among those paying their respects on sunday will be a younger generation, learning about the first world war for the first time. thousands of schoolchildren across the uk have been studying the war in class and learning about why we wear poppies. in chapel allerton in leeds, primary school children have been learning about the names of those who died on their local war memorial, which has recently been renovated. elaine dunkley went to visit one of the schools taking part. drunk with fear.

my courage disappearing. each night getting darker, each day getting harder. seeing those i love suffering, dying by a deadly volcano of gas. poems, written by children, reflecting the horror of war. i can see that you've all got some memories and some special artefacts, so who would like to explain first? for these children, not just powerful stories but also personal ones. this is a picture of my great great grandad, alfred frederick hennessy. the poppy means and it symbolises that lots of people died for us and they were very brave. no—one's alive from world war i and they're not here to remind us about what happened, so we need to remember them with the poppy. i think it's upsetting with how many people who died, and that it lasted for so long. like fighting would be really hard for that long.

today, the children are making poppies, one to honour each name on their local war memorial. the centenary of the first world war has really caught the imagination of children at this school — an opportunity for a new generation to learn about the past. we are linked to the past and it makes it a living history. even though there are no survivors now of the first world war, each of us have that legacy to carry on and to keep that memory going. this is their local war memorial. one of the names being remembered there isjohn lewis hogg — an insurance clerk. at the age of 18, he enlisted as a volunteer. hejoined the leeds pals — one of many regiments formed in a wave of patriotism across the north of england. leeds wanted to send its finest and bravest. 0n the first day of the somme, 248 were killed. 0ne private soldier wrote...

we were two years in the making and ten minutes in the destroying. the loss of so many of them was a huge shock to the city. they were some of the city's brightest and finest men, people from the university, sportsmen. the loss of them on the 1st ofjuly really hit the city hard. why do we wear the poppy? 100 years since the armistice, these children will learn the names and stories of all soldiers from their community who lost their lives. right before my eyes, i saw an innocent man die, shouting, screaming, spluttering, and then there was silence. beyond the deepening shadow — that's what this installation is called. the flames were first lit on sunday and thousands of have already come here to see it.

—— more than 100,000 people have come. the 10,000 torches will be lit for the last time on sunday exactly 100 years after the armistice was signed, bringing four years of war to an end. eva koch—schulte is from the historic royal palaces, the creative producer behind it all. it is an incredibly simple but powerful idea. how did you come up with it? we got together with brilliant artists and thought about how to mark the centenary of the end of the first world war. we felt it needed to be ephemeral and it needed to be universal, because there is a universal sense of loss and grief at the end of such a conflict. the little flame, it started as an idea, and the need for music as well, for choral music in particular so we put these ideas together and we built it

into this. the flames start being licked at 5pm in the evening, and when i arrived you can see extraordinary shadows across the laws, almost like the shadows of the dead. it was very eerie. at the beginning, it was volunteers lighting the flames. i think everybody puts a different story into them. it is very powerful and you've had so many people already, more than 100,000 already, and it's going to be busy at the weekend. we are overwhelmed by the response, and people bringing their own stories to tell us about them food that is the moving part. thank you. there will be events across the weekend to mark the armistice. your bbc local radio station will have coverage of events where you live. meanwhile, bbc one will have a special programme from the cenotaph in london, longer than usual. that starts at ten o'clock on sunday. and i'll be at westminster abbey from 5:10pm on sunday evening, ahead of a special service of commemoration attended by the queen and the president of germany. let's find out what the weather

looks like for the weekend. pretty mixed for the weekend, including armistice day, a mixture of sunshine and showers, but for this evening thoroughly wet and windy for some, especially in the west, with the potentialfor travel disruption. bbc local radio will keep you up—to—date. the rain has moved in across northern ireland, wales, the south—west, fringing into north—west england and south—west scotland. if you are heading out in the next hour, heavy bursts of rain and strong and gusty winds. the black winged arrows show the gusts, and in south—west wales there is still a met office amber warning. further rain only likely to exacerbate those issues. parts of northern ireland will continue to see rain, starting to clear away but

continuing to push in in south—west scotland. through the evening and into the night, that wet and windy weather will push its way further east. behind it, some clear shelves but some showers rattling in from the west. at least it will not be a cold night, six to 11 degrees. tomorrow morning, a bit of rain in the far south—east, lingering across shetland for a lot of the morning, but otherwise sunshine and showers. some showers will be heavy, with the potential for lightning and thunder. breezy, but not as windy as right now, and temperatures of 11 to 15. for armistice day itself, a similar sort of weather. there will be sunny spells but also heavy showers. with showers, it's difficult to predict exactly where and when they will turn up but, wherever you are, there is the likelihood of the odd heavy downpour, and equally some spells of sunshine. breezy and mild, so a mixed weekend of weather. sophie, back to you. that's all from the bbc news at six from the tower of london,

so it's goodbye from me. 0n bbc one, we nowjoin the bbc‘s news teams where you are. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines. transport ministerjo johnson resigns from the government over brexit, saying the deal being finalised "will be a terrible mista ke". he's also calling for a fresh referendum. meanwhile, the dup leader arlene foster has said her party couldn't support the government's current proposals on brexit — she accuses theresa may of breaking promises.