this is bbc news, i'm ben brown. the headlines at 103m. work and pensions secretary amber rudd warns company bosses they could be jailed for up to seven years if they "wilfully or recklessly" mismanage their employees‘ pension scheme. theresa may will ask mps for more time to rework her brexit plan — but labour accuses the prime minister of trying to run down the clock. the duke of edinburgh gives up his driving licence, weeks after he crashed his car near the queen's sandringham estate. kurdish—led forces — backed by the united states — have launched a final push to defeat the so—called islamic state group in syria. the scientist who discovered the link between eating too much processed meat and bowel cancer accuses the government of not doing enough to encourage people to cut their consumption. and monkeying around at belfast zoo — visitors were surprised to find a chimpanzee wandering outside its enclosure after it managed to make a ladder out of branches to escape its pen.

coming up on inside out — west midlands — tackling prostitution, surviving the high street downturn and upsales in raw milk — that's at 10:30. company executives who mismanage their employees‘ pension scheme, could be jailed for up to seven years, under a new law being planned by the government. the proposals are intended to avoid a repeat of what happened when the retailer bhs collapsed. monika plaha has this report. bhs collapsed in 2016 with a huge hole in its pension fund. its boss, sir philip green, had sold the company for £1 a year earlier.

the pensions regulator said he had done that to avoid liability for the company's pension scheme. after much criticism from the public and those in parliament, he agreed to hand over 363 million to the fund. the government says it wants to avoid similar cases happening in the future. writing in today's sunday telegraph, the work and pensions secretary amber rudd says... plans for an offence to carry a maximum two—year prison sentence which were outlined last year are being extended after a consultation. the department for work and pensions said company executives who wilfully or recklessly mismanage pension funds could be sentenced up to seven years in prison and face an unlimited fine. well i've been speaking to henry tapperfrom the pensions

consultancy firm first actuarial. he told me he's sceptical about whether this is the right way forward. i think it is slamming the stable door after the horse has bolted. it is a sensational statement. i am not sure this is the correct way to do it. why not? a lot of people say this is absolutely right, any wilful or reckless behaviour as the pensions secretary said, in terms of pensions, livelihoods, these people should be punished, people would agree with that? i think people should see justice if they lose their pensions to wilful mismanagement. the problems being addressed are more about mismanagement of companies than pension schemes themselves.

we have got a system of addressing these problems in place. we have a pensions regulator who does a good job of trying to find the right balance between not making companies cough up so much that they go bust and at the same time protecting members. we have seen high—profile companies in the news over this. bhs and carillion and so on but how widespread a problem is this? do companies and employers wilfully abuse their employee pensions to try and help the company? the problems with pensions are widespread. a number of schemes are in deep trouble. many employers will have great difficulty subsidising pensions to get them out of trouble which is not to say employers are wilfully causing the problems. these problems are systemic and have been there for many years, things like people growing older

and not necessarily the fault of companies who run these schemes. is it not a good idea to have a deterrent in place, perhaps this big stick approach, to say if you do play around with people's pensions you will face seven years in prison, is this not a good approach? i think it is good to have sanctions, people need those to behave, but this is disproportionate. unlimited fines and seven years, there are crimes against pensions in all sorts of places, some crimes have been committed by the government so it is notjust a question of going after some high—profile executives. they need to look at some other areas where pensions are not working. what is your messages to people who have pensions, this is alarming stuff, should they be worried, should they trust the pensions regulator?

i think people should pay more attention to their pension affairs and if in a company pension scheme, they should ask questions about the solvency of it from the trustees. you did not think people ask enough questions? no i do not and i don't think people who become pensions trustees pay enough attention to the pension scheme they are in. theresa may will attempt to head—off further turmoil over brexit this week, by urging parliament to give her more time to achieve changes to the plan to avoid a hard irish border. she's expected to promise mps that they'll be given another vote on brexit, if she's unable to recommend a fresh deal by the end of the month. earlier i spoke to our political correspondent tom barton, who talked through the prime minister's options. 0n the big timetable, fewer than 30 days to go, 47 days until the 29th of march and still we don't really know what brexit is going to look like.

this week theresa may's ministers are going to europe, others will meet their counterparts in european governments to try reach some sort of solution to the deadlock over the deal. in particular those disagreements over the backstop, whether it can be changed. and if it can, how. on thursday of this week, there will be a series of votes held in parliament, giving mps their stay on the stage of the process. there is not any imminent spectre of a deal before 29 march so some ministers have considered resigning to give their support to backbench moves to delay brexit. downing street are saying to them do not rush into anything, promising if there is no deal by the end of this month, theresa may will return to parliament and give mps a vote in which they will have

the opportunity to set out their own alternative suggestions, including potentially extending article 50 to allow more time to reach an agreement. labour are saying those promises are fine but actually we want to make sure we can hold you to them so they are suggesting parliament should hold a vote this thursday, forcing the prime minister to return to parliament if she has not got that deal by the end of the month. if she does not, then give mps more power about what happens next. kurdish—led forces, backed by the united states, have launched a final push to defeat the islamic state group in syria. more than 20,000 civilians have been evacuated from land still held by is near to the iraqi border. here's our arab affairs editor sebastian usher. the us—backed sdf has played a key role in the war against is in syria. its biggest victory was to drive

the jihadists out of their de facto capital, raqqa. in the past few months it's picked off one town, village, or hamlet after another in the corner north—eastern of syria to which is fighters have been driven. all that's left for the jihadists there are a few square miles next to the iraqi border — a far cry from the caliphate the group once declared across huge swathes of syria and iraq. the sdf delayed its final attack until thousands of civilians in the area had been able to get out. now they say a decisive battle is under way. the united states military, our coalition partners, and the syrian democratic forces have liberated virtually all of the territory previously held by isis in syria and iraq. last week, president trump said the total defeat of is could be announced within days. that certainly suits his

agenda of withdrawing all us troops from syria. but he's been criticised before for declaring final victory over is prematurely. caution is still needed. is holds another sliver of territory in syria further west, while its sleeper cells remain active, and it's the same story in iraq. the group's ability to continue a guerrilla insurgency persists. the fate of his hostages, such as the british journalist john cantlie, remains unclear, as does that of its leader, abu bakr al—baghdadi. its most effective foe, the sdf, faces an uncertain future, if and when its us backers leave. sebastian usher, bbc news. a woman who was injured in the car crash involving the duke of edinburgh has welcomed the news that he's giving up his driving licence. buckingham palace said prince philip, who's 97, made the decision voluntarily after the collision with a car carrying two women and a baby. the crown prosecution service

will take his decision into account when considering whether to bring any charges against him. andy moore reports. it was an accident everyone was lucky to walk away from. the duke of edinburgh's land rover freelander was turned over by the force of the impact and landed on its side. a baby was unhurt in the other car, a kia, two women were taken to hospital. one of them, emma fairweather, has told the sunday mirror that the duke was right to take the decision to surrender his licence but he could have done it sooner. she said... just days after the accident, the duke was seen driving on public roads near sandringham without a seat belt. norfolk police said they had spoken to him about that. he also sent a letter to mrs fairweather saying sorry for his part in the accident and said he had been dazzled

by the low winter sun and was very contrite about the consequences. the police say they have now finished their investigation into the accident and the file has been passed to the crown prosecution service. the duke could be charged for driving without due care and attention. the cps said the file will be reviewed carefully before a decision was made. but they also said the duke's decision to surrender his licence would be taken into account. andy moore, bbc news. the scientist who discovered the link between eating too much processed meat and bowel cancer has accused the government of not doing enough to encourage people to cut their consumption. the department of health says it's committed to ensuring that all food products are as safe as possible, as ben ando reports. the cancer risks in eating too much processed meat, like bacon and ham, were first exposed four years ago, but since then, says the man who discovered the link, nothing has been done to warn people or reduce consumption. professor denis corpet,

who led the research, has described the lack of action as a dereliction of duty by politicians in the uk and the eu. the danger is down to nitrites, chemicals that are used to help preserve the meat, which can be responsible for causing bowel cancer. nitrite to put into processed food to protect against bacteria and microbes that can cause food poisoning, which itself, of course, can be very dangerous. the food standards agency says it tries to get the balance right, between putting in nothing to be effective and not so much as to cause undue risk. so what and how much is safe? processed meats include sausages, bacon, ham, corned beef, and deli meats. nhs guidance says to eat no more than 70g a day — that's the equivalent of about two sausages or three thin slices of ham. cancer campaigners say there are other much more risky factors. we know the link between processed meat and cancer is not well—known, especially compared to link

with smoking, but it is putting it into context — that smoking is inherently much more risky when it comes to cancer. but with ham a staple of many school lunch boxes, professor corpet says parents in particular need to think about how much processed meat their children are eating. ben ando, bbc news. well, earlier i spoke to professor denis corpet, the man behind the research, and asked him to explain more about the link between processed meat and cancer. the link is not huge, it is not like smoking of course but when i give ham or bacon to rats and mice, if this bacon contains nitrite, it gives them cancer. if it does not contain nitrite it does not — that is it. the survey shows clearly in humans that there is a link which is not amazing but it is a true link.

to give a figure, every day in the uk there are 100 people who get colorectal cancer, 100 every day and ten of them are caused by processed meats so it is important. nitrites. just explain exactly what nitrites are and why they are dangerous? it is a natural component you can find in carrots or spinach but when included in meats and then when eaten, it makes compounds which are carcinogenic in our gut. it is only when it is in the meat and when you eat it, it is not carcinogenic per se or it would have been banned. it becomes carcinogenic when it is eaten, which is what my team worked on. you have been strong in your criticism of the government

saying they have not done enough to warn people about the links and they need to do more. what would you like them to do exactly? i think they did nothing by the way. four years ago when i was on an who committee, deciding this was carcinogenic, we were not sure there were alternatives but now there are firms in france and in the uk who are making good bacon without any nitrite. this is safe and we know it can be done so the government should really work with the industry, with the meat industry to get rid of nitrite. they have to take some time, they cannot do it in a flash. i think within a year or two, nitrite could be banned really. is that the situation in other

countries, are you saying britain is lagging behind other countries on this? very sadly, it is the same in european countries everywhere and in the united states it is worse. the headlines on bbc news... work and pensions secretary amber rudd warns company bosses they could be jailed for up to seven years if they "wilfully or recklessly" mismanage their employees‘ pension scheme. theresa may will ask mps for more time to rework her brexit plan — but labour accuses the prime minister of trying to run down the clock. the duke of edinburgh gives up his driving licence, weeks after he crashed his car near the queen‘s sandringham estate. sport centre.

wales top the six nations table with two wins out two and they‘ve equalling their record of 11 test wins in a row. they last did that over 100 years ago. a much—changed side beat italy in rome. josh adams scored one of their two tries, with dan biggar kicking 1a points. that was the difference as they won 26—15 — they will need to improve for their next match against england in a fortnight but they are in the winning habit. it‘s a win, and that‘s it. pat yourselves on the back, you have just equalled a welsh record. you have got to enjoy that moment. an international

moment, everything is not about being perfect, and they made it tough for us today. twickenham this afternoon, england we re very twickenham this afternoon, england were very impressive last week. france lost to wales last weekend. no complacency from eddie jones team. they have got a massive pack that can suck you in and make your defence tight so they can take advantage and score tries in the corner. we know that they come alive with offloads and turnovers and a scrappy ball and things like that. all the teams seem to come to life and punish you. but the main thing for us is that we are at it for 80 minutes on the weekend, that we‘re focused, that we‘re engaged and really ready for anything. england face the champions france in the women‘s six nations in doncaster at 12:16. wales and italy gound out a 3—3 draw in lecce in southern italy yesterday. robyn wilkins gave wales a half—time lead.

italy equalised with a penalty in the second half and had this kick to win it in added time. but itjust drifted wide. a draw lifts wales off the bottom of the table. liverpool are back on top of the premier league. manchester city will return there if they beat chelsea this afternoon, butjurgen klopp‘s side have their noses in front, that‘s after a much needed 3—0 win over bournemouth at anfield, it could have been more. sadio mane gave them the lead before that lob from georghino wijnaldum. mo salah scored their third early in the second half. after two straight draws, they had slipped behind city on goal difference, but they are now three points clear, and will have a game in hand after city‘s match. in the scottish cup fifth round, champions celtic play stjohnstone this afternoon while hearts take on auchinleck talbot.

kilmarnock can thank their keeper for taking rangers to a replay for a place in the quarterfinals. daniel bachmann saved james tavernier‘s penalty early in the first half at rugby park. it was goaless at full time, and they‘ll face each other again at ibrox in 10 days‘ time. england are putting up a bit of a fight in the final test against the west indies in saint lucia. the series is already lost and it looked like this could be heading the way of the others as keatonjennings on his return to the side, once again fell cheaply. but an unbeaten century partnership from ben stokes and joss buttler helped england to 231—4. play resumes at 2 o‘clock. david law has his first title on the european golf tour. it came at the vic 0pen just outside melboune.

and what a way to win it, an eagle on the last for a one stroke victory. the scot finished on 18 under par. the vic 0pen is the only touranment with male and female fields playing on the same course at the same time for equal prize money. they play in alternate groups. the prize money is about £750,000. the french player celine boutier also won her first tour title. that‘s all the sport for now. the bafta film awards take place at the royal albert hall tonight. the favourite, starring 0livia colman as queen anne, has twelve nominations. here‘s our entertainment correspondent lizo mzimba. as has become traditional, the duke and duchess of cambridge will be the guests of honour this year‘s ceremony. and it‘s a royal drama, the favourite, which many expect to live up to its title and win the prestigious best film award. while its star, 0livia colman, who plays queen anne,

is the favourite for best actress. did you? look at me! how dare you! close your eyes! she has tough competition, though, from the wife starred glenn close, after she won at the screen actors guild for her portrayal of the wife of an award—winning author. you were seducing the luscious linnea? nothing happened. don't you dare insult my intelligence! four years out of the last five, best actor has been won by someone playing a real—life character. the vice presidency is mostly a symbolicjob. this year, christian bale, who plays former us vice president dick cheney in advice... and remi malik, who plays freddie mercury in the queen —— rami malek, biopic bohemian rhapsody, look to be in a close race for that award. dear dolores... d-e-a-r. this is an animal. similarly for best supporting actor, mahershala ali, who plays

a jazz musician touring america‘s deep south in green book... i‘vejust come from having my teeth bleached. and richard e grant, who plays the best friend of struggling author in can you ever forgive me?, are thought to be neck and neck. while best supporting actress looks to be the night‘s most open race, emma stone and rachel weisz both in contention for the favourite alongside amy adams from vice, claire foy‘s portrayal of janet armstrong, the wife of astronaut neil armstrong in first man, and margot robbie‘s queen elizabeth i in mary queen of scots. lizo mzimba, bbc news. and you canjoin us at the baftas starting with our live red carpet show from 5.15 here on the bbc news channel. we‘ll be talking to the stars as they arrive at the albert hall, and looking at both the films and the fashion and looking at both the films and the fashion. all cub scouts promise to do their best,

but one from lancashire has done better than most. ten—year—old matthew has just completed every challenge to earn every badge on offer. he s believed to be one of only who manage it every year. dave guest has been to meet him. this is matthew. he is much like any other schoolboy of ten. he‘s also a cub scout. but matthew‘s no run—of—the—mill cub scout. he‘s very confident child. he‘s very adventurous and very committed, and he did tell me that he wanted to try and get as many badges as he could. and he‘s done it. amassing over 60 badges, every single one that cub scouts can try for. at the adlington scout hut, they are swelling with pride at matthew‘s achievement. it is a massive achievement. it takes a lot of commitment and a lot of time and a lot of hard work to get that many badges. there's been a few badges that we have had to sort of do a bit kicking and screaming, but most...

which ones? go on, tell. reading, when he had to use an atlas and a dictionary and find lots of words, and that took a little bit of extra time and persuasion. but behind this avid badge collector is his nana, debbie. she deserves a needle and thread badge for sewing each and every one onto his overloaded jumper. so it must be a bit like painting the forth bridge, this, it‘s never—ending. it is, and i've other grandchildren as well, and adopted grandchildren, that i sew their badges on, too. one of the badges matthew did was his chef‘s badge, so now you‘re a better chef. what was your favourite badge to do? the sailor‘s badge. because when me and lynne, my cub leader, got on it, we nearly capsized. oh, dear. did you panic? no. did she? yes. you wanted to go for every badge? were you determined? did you think you‘d do it? no. but you have. yes. and what you think about that? it‘s amazing.

and you now know how to cook as well, don‘t you? in fact, you‘re making the tea, aren‘t you? we‘d better hurry up, because tea—time is looming, and the family is starving. matthew will be going up to the scouts soon, and has his eye set on trying to do every scout badge, too. dave guest, bbc news, adlington. scientists at newcastle university have started some unusual research — looking into the british love of fish and chips. they want to known the best portion size, that‘s not only tasty but healthy? megan patterson has been finding out. with salt and vinegar, sauce or mushy peas, fish and chips remains one of the country‘s favourite takeaways but like all treats we‘re warned off having too much, newcastle university researchers think they‘ve found a solution. we‘re looking for options and opportunities to provide customers with the food they love in a portion that‘s more manageable. packaging plays a crucial role in limiting. we asked take away owners and said hey, can you provide your customers with smaller portions

and then seeing the response from the customers themselves. a standard box of fish and chips has around 1600 calories and the smaller is 600. the boxes were made by gateshead based firm henry colbeck and are now being used in more than 250 shops including this one. a lot of people now don't like a big portion of food. you find they take it home, might not eat it, they throw it away, it's a waste. when people come with a smaller box, they enjoyed it. got exactly what they wanted and came back for the same again. some people might say it‘s just common sense, just have a smaller portion. of course, you are totally right, but the thing is, you give people a big portion of food, they will eat until they can‘t consume any more. if you have big bucket of popcorn in the cinema, you will keep digging away. if you give them a smaller one, they will eat it and be perfectly happy. an extra choice for customers but is it one they really

want to have? my mother only has the small bit so i'll get the...you understand? we share it between. so you share it between the two of you? yeah, yeah, yeah. if it was just you, would you take a smaller box? no, i'll still take a big box. laughs. i probably would, maybe like a lunchtime, then on tea—time i might sort of get one box and share. so an option for the more calorie conscious and more good news, mushy peas count as one of your five a day. families have described their shock as a chimpanzee scaled an enclosure wall at belfast zoo, before escaping. the ape managed to fashion an improvised ladderfrom a large tree branch which was propped up against a wall. lets take a look. it‘s the second time this year that

an animal has managed to break out of the zoo: a red panda went on the run last month before being captured a day later. danielle monaghan, who witnessed yesterday‘s escape with her two children , said she was very scared at first, as the chimp emerged only a foot away. but when she realised he had come to take a closer look at them, she said it was "absolutely grand" and a day she wouldn‘t forget. now it‘s time for a look at the weather with darren bett. hello there, it is not as windy today but it is colder. we have some rain around as we head into the afternoon. the rain heading to south—east england, breaking