18 migrants are stopped as they try to reach the english coast by boat — amid a surge in the numbers trying to cross the channel. more than 100 migrants have made journey in small boats from france to kent in the past three weeks alone. they're being taken by smugglers — some are stealing boats and charging the migrants thousands. transaltion: a boat, it will cost you £3,000—4,000. i'm taking three people with me. they're paying cash. we get the boat and off we go. french police say they've seen far more people risking their lives since they first found boats trying to cross two years ago. we'll have the latest from dover. also tonight. the driver who crashed into a supermarket killing two people — a bus company is fined more than two million pounds after ignoring warnings about him. the prime minister begins selling her brexit deal to the public as she makes flying visits to wales and northern ireland. how what we eat impacts global warming — as the un warns cuts to greenhouse gases are way off track. and tributes to the conservative

peer lady trumpington — a code breaker during world war ii — who's died at the age of 96. and coming up on bbc news... can under pressurejose mourihno and his manchester united team reach the knockout stages of the champions league? they host young boys at old trafford. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. there's been a sharp rise in the number of migrants trying to cross the channel by boat this year. more than 100 have managed the perilous journey from france to the kent coast. this morning 18 migrants in two small boats — including a baby — were stopped in the channel. in the last three weeks alone boats have made it across the channel carrying 110 migrants —

many claiming to be iranian nationals. all of them have been passed to immigration officials. the french police say they believe the recent surge in numbers is down to tighter security at eurotunnel and also brexit — with migrants wanting to get to the uk before it happens. colin campbell reports. rescued off the coast of dover, in an inflatable dinghy, these are migrants from northern france trying to get to britain. in the last few months, there's been a surge in this kind of activity. a migrant camp in dunkirk we're secretly filming using an undercover researcher. it's smugglers like this man who are at the heart of the problem, willing to risk lives forfinancial gain. translation: a boat, it will cost you £341,000. i'm taking three people with me. they're paying cash. we get a boat, and off we go. he says he was a fisherman in iran, and getting us across the channel would be easy.

translation: look, i will check the weather. you have waves in the sea, ferries across the water and they can drag you underneath them even if you are one kilometre away. but i know the sea routes, where you will not be disrupted by the ferries. more than 100 migrants have reached the kent coast. but not all that depart succeed. farhad from afghanistan was put in a dinghy with 11 others. he was rescued at night after the engine stalled. he thought he was going to die. it was freezing couple of days ago, and when you get wet, i was like that to myself. a couple of guys they fainted, they were sleeping and we were trying to wake them up, and they were, we were trying to wake them up because their hearts will stop from the cold. this migrant told me the boat he was in capsized after being battered by waves.

living in a squalid makeshift camp in calais, they claim they fled their countries because of religious and political persecution. their desperation to get to the uk is being fuelled by fears of brexit. how many of you think it's going to get harder, put your hands up? you all think it's going to get harder? there is a rush. everybody‘s talking about it in here, in thejungle, we're like we need to get in quicker, you know what i'm saying, in case the security get fired up. even as winter sets in and temperatures start to plummet here, migrants in this part of the north of france are continuing to prepare to cross this treacherous stretch of water. it's happening at night—time in the dark, and they're using their mobile phones to navigate across to the kent coast. waiting to catch a dinghy to the uk, these iranian migrants told me they paid £6,000 each and were waiting to be taken to a nearby beach by smugglers. translation: we have to go by boat. we know we are putting our life in danger.

i've tried before, but the waves were three metres high and came up over the boat. i already stared death in the face. there are fears drowned migrants could wash up on to calais' beaches. migrants trying to cross are risking their lives, every night, here in calais. is the french authorities doing enough? we try to stop them, we stopped quite every boat that tried to cross the channel, but we need to face the truth. the truth is we cannot stop everyone. 0verloaded with migrants, this was the boat stopped by french authorities this morning. they were rescued, but there's real fear lives may soon be lost. risk and well despite the influx of migrants here in dover in small boats and inflata ble here in dover in small boats and inflatable dinghies it is in the back of a truck, in the back of a lorry we remains the most popular way for migrants in northern france trying to get here, one french

politician said last week that half of all of the trucks being inspected at the channel tunnel in france contain stowaway, the french authority, they believe that it is improved security checks, at the french port, which is driving the smugglers to find new ways of getting here to the uk, which is why they are perhaps sending migrants here in the small boats. gales are forecast out in the channel, the conditions out there are likely to be much more hazardous over the next few day, which is why we are likely to see fewer boats, fewer migrants arriving here in dover. and viewers in the south east can see more on this story on bbc south east today which follows this programme at 6:30. a bus company involved in a fatal accident has been fined £2.3 million for allowing their tired driver

to continue working despite concerns about his abilities. a midland red bus crashed in coventry in 2015, killing a seven—year—old boy and a pensioner. the trial heard that kailash chander, who was then 77, had mistaken the accelerator for the brake. sima kotecha reports it was a bus journey that went terribly wrong, and cost two people their lives. behind the wheel was 77—year—old kailash chander, a driver who lost control as he pulled out from a bus stop and ploughed into a sainsbury‘s store. today, his former employer, midland red, was fined £2.3 million, after admitting failing to prevent the accident by monitoring the driver's performance and tiredness. our own detailed policies were not followed as closely as they should have been. there were failures at an operational level in driver supervision and we deeply regret the opportunities that were missed to act decisively on emerging warning signs. the court was told how on numerous occasions the company had been alerted to mr chander‘s problematic driving and had failed to respond. midland red had received several complaints from

passengers about his driving. a driver assessment system installed on buses consistently scored his performance as poor, and just 48—hours before the crash, one of his managers had warned that he was not safe and that the company should consider ending his contract. thejudge said midland red had deliberately disregarded the evidence because of staff shortages. he said mr chander, who had beenjudged medically unfit to stand trial, had worked more than 70 hours in some weeks prior to the accident. 76—year—old dora hancox and seven—year—old rowan fitzgerald were killed in the crash. today, rowan‘s family said mr chander should have known he posed a risk, and midland red was equally to blame for the cruel way in which the child died. sima kotecha, bbc news, birmingham.

the prime minister has begun trying to sell her brexit deal to the public on a whirlwind tour of wales and northern ireland against a backdrop of continuning criticism — the latest from the likes of president trump, to senior figures in her own party as well as the dup leader arelene foster who today said theresa may had given up on getting a better brexit deal. one of the most controversial parts of the deal is the so—called backstop — to ensure an open border on the island of ireland in the event that the uk leaves the eu without securing an all—encompassing deal. it would involve a temporary single custom territory effectively keeping the whole of the uk in the eu customs union — until both the eu and the uk agree it's no longer necessary. northern ireland would also stay aligned to some eu single market rules. 0ur political editor, laura kuenssberg reports from belfast. the start of another working day.

the start of another working day. the hardestjob in brexit has been working out what happens here. in belfast, as in parliament, maybe the only thing everyone feels is frustration. i think people sort of getting fed up i think people sort of getting fed up with it. a lot of people is maybe afraid, more than we ever were, but you have to get on with it. afraid of what? afraid of a hard border thatis of what? afraid of a hard border that is being talked about. i don't think it will happen. are they going to be left on their own or different pa rt to be left on their own or different part of the uk? just had enough. i don't think anyone knows what is happening. honestly. the prime minister's working day just gets harder. controversy everywhere. here, trying to sell her economic compromise and the so—called backstop, where if there is no big trade deal with the eu in future, northern ireland would be more closely bound to the eu than the rest of the country. she knows it is unpopular, here her laughing about being written off.

i have the final deal, they are saying what is the rest... then back to the script. people don't want to go back to uncertainty and division, and it is that that would happen if parliament does not support this deal. the boss here is far from the only one who is with her. desperate for that agreement to be signed off. not because it is perfect, but because it's something, better than this unsteady situation. he believes is costing jobs. we need a deal, and there is only one deal on the table. ijust can't reconcile the reality of what we face with the position that has been taken by face with the position that has been ta ken by politicians face with the position that has been taken by politicians uk—wide. i didn't see a no—deal brexit on the side of a bus, and didn't see a no—deal brexit on the side ofa bus, and i didn't see a no—deal brexit on the side of a bus, and i certainly can't reposition our industry in the space of four months, they need to face up to the reality, and stop spinning the illusions of what it means.

but all political sides are stubborn. allies of the prime minister are furious that the compromise could see northern ireland more tightly tied to the eu. instead of wasting the new two weeks trying to persuade people this is the only deal, my goodness what sort of propaganda route is this? this is as good as it gets we have to accept it. the prime minister has given up and she is saying this is where we are and we have to accept that. she may have given up on further negotiation, and trying to find a better deal but i haven't. she would say she has don anything but given up, what she is doing the try to get something done that is realistic, rather than spend two years talking about what might be. why do we need to have the backstop? the withdrawal agreement? it is time to get rid of it and find a better deal. what happens here in northern ireland, has been the biggest brexit couple drum all along and the prime minister's solution to the problem

around the irish border is what has turned so many of her natural allies against her. and right now, there is precious little sign of any of them being willing to budge at all. prime minister might find refuge in crowds, today in wales as well as across the irish sea but it's parliament dedecision and many mps think it is doomed. it might take more than handshakes to shift them. nicola sturgeon says theresa may's brexit deal is quite simply a bad deal and would make scotland nine billion pounds poorer by 2030. the first minister was quoting from new research produced by the scottish government's economic advisers. the snp's 35 mps will all vote against the withdrawal agreement. 0ur scotland editor, sarah smithjoins me now. why will scotland be so much poorer? well, she is worried about ease with which scottish company can trade

with the eu and their ability to recruit staff. the scottish government figures suggest that leaving the eu under the prime minister's deal could do such damage to the economy, that it would cost £1600 per person in scotland, by 2030. and she is worried about that northern ireland backstop, because she says if it is activated it could put scotland at a competitive disadvantage with northern ireland, because they would have a closer relationship where the eu, she is worried that northern ireland could benefit from jobs and investment that scotland might miss out on, so the snp are going to keep trying to persuade the other parties to co—less round their plan that would keep the whole of the uk in the single market and the customs union customs union. so what kind of trade deals could britain strike with other countries, under the terms of theresa may's brexit deal? last night us president donald trump said the current deal is good for the eu but could prevent future trade deals between the uk and the us. is he right? our business editor,

simon jack, is here. he cast some doubt on whether we could continue trading with the us. the uk does a great deal of trade with the us, the us buys more uk goods and services than any other single country, round 100 billion woun worth, this is nearly double the amount that we sell to germany, much more than france, much more than ireland, that is still dwarfed by the amount we do with the eu in total, which is at 241 billion, so that still our biggest trading partner, there is no reason the existing trade with the us should suffer, what he may have meant is the prime minister's plan could make it more difficult to make a new trade deal with the us, there he may have a point. as you know the uk is due leave the eu at the end of march, but after that, there will be this transition, a status quo period, and at least until december 2020, in that time, we are part of the tsunami customs union, so

difficult to do a new trade deal then. thereafter, we may trigger the backstop, which we have been hearing about tonight, again we could stay within the eu's customs union during that period, so it would be difficult to do a trade deal then, even after that and we get a deal with the eu, theresa may's deal plans to have a close alignment of rules and regulations with the european union, and that can make it difficult because the us has very different standards on things like food, we have here of chlorinated chicken, as we have seen the uk and the us do plenty of trade. no matter what donald trump says. thank you. our top story this evening. 18 migrants are stopped as they try to reach the english coast by boat — amid a surge in the numbers trying to cross the channel. and still to come...

why it pays for young women, more than men, to study at university. coming up on sportsday on bbc news... england's netballers play their first game at home as commonwealth champions later. they take on uganda in liverpool in the opener of a three—game series. efforts to tackle climate change are way off track, according to the united nations. last year, greenhouse gas emissions reached a record high, and that's notjust down to pollution. the food we eat has a big impact. the global livestock population has reached 28 billion animals. and those animals produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas, that's expected to increase by 60% in the next two years. 0ur science editor david shukman reports on how our food choices have an impact on the planet. every breath from a cow, and especially every burp, releases methane. 600 litres every day.

most from the front end, not the back. and because methane warms the planet, the more we eat beef and dairy products, the more the temperatures rise. at this farm, researchers encourage the cows to feed inside this hood so they can measure the methane. so, a cow came in, she was eating... professor chris reynolds explains what they found. she had five eruptations, five belches. so each spike is a burp, is it? it's a burp or a belch. there's been a huge increase in meat and milk consumption. that demand is going to continue, so i think we need strategies for sustainably producing that meat and milk. one option is adding special supplements to the feed. some of these make the cows a lot less gassy. so technically it is possible to reduce the extraordinary amount of methane that cows produce, but on its own that won't be enough to head off the worst of global warming, so it comes down to the key and highly controversial question

of what we all choose to eat. here at manchester university, researchers study the climate cost of food — the fertilisers, tractors and processing all generate gases that cause more warming. so, add all that up, and these chocolates are responsible for up to 1.4 kilos of carbon dioxide and other gases. that's the equivalent of driving for 12 miles in a car. producing this blt sandwich involves a kilo of the gases — that's like driving for eight miles. and this serving of beef comes out top, creating more than 3.5 kilos of warming gases. that's like a journey for 30 miles. we have got to reduce our carbon emissions across different sectors, and the food sector is absolutely paramount to that because we all eat, and it has a significant

contribution to our... notjust the uk emissions but globally, so we have to do something about it. and it won't be easy, and it won't be popular. so what does this mean for our everyday shopping? mike berners—lee helps supermarkets work out their climate costs. the differences are striking. making the switch from beef and lamb down to plant—based proteins is about one 50th of the carbon footprint. his advice is to eat more of this, and to check if the produce is british and in season. also to avoid fruit and veg that's been flown here. it's the tenderstem broccoli that's come from kenya and that will almost certainly have gone on an aeroplane. there are some simple rules of thumb, so, is it either in season? or is it robust enough to have been able to travel from elsewhere in the world on a boat? mike and other experts say they don't want to preach about low—carbon food, but they say, if we want to tackle climate change,

we need to eat less of this. david shukman, bbc news. the british academic, freed from jail in the united arab emirates yesterday, has arrived back in britain. matthew hedges was welcomed home by his wife daniela tejada and members of his family. the durham university phd student was given a presidential pardon after being sentenced to life in prison just days earlier for spying for the british government. the supreme court has decided not to allow a terminally ill man permission to mount a final legal challenge to the law which prohibits assisted suicide. noel conway, who has motor neurone disease, wants a doctor to help him to die. three supreme courtjudges refused permission to allow a full hearing of his appeal. mr conway said the decision was "extremely disappointing". women who get a degree gain more financially than men in the first few years of work, according to a new study. but some of that difference may be down to the fact women who don't go

to university are more likely to do part time or poorly paid work. the research by the institute for fiscal studies also reveals that, for around a third of men going to university, it initially makes very little difference to what they earn. here's our education editor, branwen jeffreys. sixth form is decision time — university or not, what to study. so how much do future earnings matter? one of the main reasons i want to go into law is because i think lawyers get paid quite well, and it sounds like...it does sound really bad but i want to be able to go on lots of holidays. do you think it's right to put the emphasis on how much you earn when you leave uni? i currently want to do biology, specifically ecology, and that's not really a very well—paid job if you want to be a field scientist. i want to make sure that i'm not just doing something for the sake of what other people think of how much money i get. i want to make sure i'm doing something that is beneficial for me. some careers you don't need a degree

for, and in that case you're probably better off getting experience in the workplace. students will be able to compare similar subjects at differing unis and work out what they might earn when they're 29. this data might be used by some sixth formers to help them make a decision, but ministers also want to use it to put pressure on universities around value for money, and that's because graduates who go on to earn less don't pay off all their loans. the taxpayer ends up picking up the bill. it is hard to simulate the future. brighton university students can expect to do well. at age 29, their earnings on average are 20% higher than non—graduates. subjects like medicine and business did better than the creative arts, and that worries university leaders. creative industries are a real contribution to society and the economy. many graduates in areas such

as humanities and arts go on to do really great things in society, and it's not always measured by the level of salary so i would worry that this may have a negative impact. not all degrees have the same effect on earnings. for men, even more than women, choosing carefully can make all the difference. branwen jeffreys, bbc news. tributes have been paid to the conservative peer lady trumpington, who has died at the age of 96. she worked as a code breaker during the second world war and went on to spend nearly four decades in the house of lords. colleagues have described the peer as one of a kind and an utter joy. 0ur deputy political editor, john pienaar, looks back at her life. laughter always in her place in the house of lords, always the same. so lucky to be here. as david cameron said, theyjust doesn't make

theyjust don't make politicians like that any more, and he meant it. wartime code—breaker, oldest woman ever to be a government minister, and even, after a long life, a youtube sensation. the grainy black—and—white photos tell of a colourful past. land girl on the farm of former pm david lloyd george, during world war ii. then a member of the near legendary code—breaking team at bletchley. churchill visited us. he said "you are the birds that laid the golden eggs, but never cackled." and that was the important thing, was that we never talked. never conventional though. wife to a headmaster, one day, fully clothed, at the school pool... ijumped. and half the schooljumped in with me to save me. and my husband wouldn't speak to me for three weeks. why did you do it? just for the hell of it!

she was made a peer in 1980, seemed proud of standing up to the iron lady, margaret thatcher. we were really good friends, but if i didn't agree with her about something, i said so. and that was very good for her. she chain smoked her way through several government departments, and then came fame. telling her tales on prime time tv. i've had to sign a piece of paper in order to be on this show to say i wasn't pregnant. laughter why the fame though? well, watch this. a tory peer suggesting she was a revered relic of world war ii. and her silent reply. that picture went viral on youtube. complimentary tributes are normal. they're not always as warm as today's forjean trumpington.

baroness trumpington, who's died at the age of 96. time for a look at the weather. here's chris fawkes. it's been the last of the really chilly days today, the weather is turning milder and we have had gusty winds around. what's lurking towards the south—west is the next area of low pressure waiting to steam in to bring strong winds our way into tomorrow. this is how we start off the evening, a band of rain clearing away from eastern scotland and england, replaced by another one moving in from the west later in the night. between the systems there might be some hill fog, but that will improve and lift, the disability will improve. it will be a milder night than we have seen of late. then tomorrow this is our area of low pressure with tightly packed isobars targeting the western side

of the country. the strong winds will be here quite quickly across parts of england and wales, up to 70 mph. transport disruption is a possibility. heavy rain moves across northern ireland into scotland, then the winds pick up. they are still strong enough to cause problems. for the northern isles we will see a number of showers through the day but the winds don't get very strong until later when we could see gusts up until later when we could see gusts up to 90 mph. maybe power supplies affected in some areas, but it will be mild with temperatures 11 to 15 degrees foremost. 0n be mild with temperatures 11 to 15 degrees foremost. on thursday another area of low pressure moving m, another area of low pressure moving in, and windy day with rain at times but if the low pressure is either we could get gusts of wind up to 80 mph. either way it is unsettled looking weather picture and for most of us the mild weather is here to

stay. that is all from the bbc news at six, now wejoined that is all from the bbc news at six, now we joined the that is all from the bbc news at six, now wejoined the bbc that is all from the bbc news at six, now we joined the bbc news teams where you are. hello this is bbc news. the headlines. 18 migrants — including a baby — have been rescued from two small boats in the english channel as they tried to reach the uk. a bus company has been fined almost £2.5 million after one of its drivers crashed into a supermarket, killing two people. theresa may has started her tour of the uk to sell the controversial brexit deal — which has been