this is bbc news. i'm martine croxall. the headlines at 6: aid workers say a pledge by houthi rebels in yemen to withdraw troops from key ports is a "big game changer" as it may open a lifeline for millions of people facing famine. the signs on the ground are people are saying it is tentatively looking good, but let's see in the coming days if that is fulfilled and people's lives are saved. three gunmen storm a five—star hotel in the pakistani province of balochistan, killing at least one person. flying in the uk may have to be restricted because of climate change, admits the government. campaigners say a rethink is essential. a 74—year—old man shot with a crossbow as he adjusted his satellite dish at his home on good friday has died.

jeremy corbyn announces that labour will pay 16 and 17—year—olds the same minimum wage as everyone else if it wins the next election. fly—tipping in england is up by nearly 40% in the past five years. councils say nobody has yet been given the maximum sentence. and england set pakistan a target of 374 to win in their one—day international, asjos buttler hits a century off just 50 balls. good evening and welcome to bbc news. the united nations says houthi rebels in yemen appear to be honouring a pledge to withdraw troops from key ports. it's the first signficant step since a ceasefire agreement was signed in december. the three ports are crucial for the distribution of international aid

in a country where millions are on the verge of starvation. for the last four years, the houthi, supported by iran, have been fighting the yemeni government, which is backed by a coalition of countries led by saudi arabia. awarning, this report from the bbc‘s chief international correspondent, lyse doucet, contains some distressing scenes. a vital lifeline for a nation on the brink of famine. nearly all of yemen's aid comes through here. the houthis control this port and two others nearby. now they say they are pulling out theirfighters. if they do, it's the first step in the deal reached in stockholm in december, hailed then as a rare breakthrough. now the deal is on the verge of collapse. so is yemen, a country facing what the un calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. images like this have shocked the world. not enough to end a brutal war

between houthis aligned to iran and yemen government forces backed by a saudi—led coalition and armed by the west. earlier this year we saw how a fragile ceasefire in hudaydah was largely holding. but both sides agreed in stockholm to withdraw their forces from this strategic corner of yemen. there is deep distrust. if this first step succeeds, it could lead to broader peace talks. if it doesn't, yemen's best chance in years could also fail. lyse doucet, bbc news. gunmen have killed at least one person in an ongoing attack on a luxury hotel in south west pakistan. reports from the port city of gwadar in balochistan suggest gunfire is continuing between the security forces who've rushed to the scene and militants who've entered the pearl continental hotel. guests have been evacuated but some hotel staff may still be inside.

the identity of the gunmen is still unclear. our correspondent in islamabad, secunder kemani, gave us this update. earlier this evening, three gunmen, we understand, entered the heavily guarded pearl continental hotel in the port city of gwadar in the south—west of the country. they killed a security guard who was attempting to stop them and entered the hotel where security forces, we understand, have engaged them in a gunfight. we believe the gunfight is still ongoing. a group called the balochistan liberation army has claimed responsibility for the attack. it is an armed separatist group and it said it was targeting chinese and foreign investors. this militant group is part of a long—running nationalist insurgency in the province of balochistan, it is pakistan's most deprived province and the militants claim its natural resources are being exploited by outsiders. the port city of gwadar where this attack is taking place is the focal point of a huge chinese infrastructure

project, which aims to link western china and the arabian sea to cut import times. these separatists have targeted chinese interests in pakistan before, last year, attacking the country's consulate in karachi. from what we understand so far, there has only been one casualty so far, a pakistani security guard. the hotel guests have been safely evacuated, according to the pakistani military. concerns over climate change might restrict the growth of aviation in the uk, the government has admitted. a senior civil servant says ministers may have to review their strategy, including plans to expand heathrow. it follows a recent warning from the committee on climate change, which advises the government, that the planned increase in aviation would need to be curbed to control carbon emissions. our environment analyst roger harrabin reports. flying is on the up and the government has been planning for it to continue to grow. what about climate

change, you might ask? under current policy, industry will have to cut more greenhouse gases so aviation can expand. but the government is now considering a plan to virtually eliminate emissions by 2050. and a civil servant has admitted in a letter to a green group that it may have to take note of advice from the independent climate change committee, saying that although people could continue to fly while meeting climate change targets, it was not possible for aviation to keep on expanding. in the end, i think the logic of this is completely inevitable. we know that we have to reduce our emissions urgently and radically, and expanding them is going in the opposite direction. itjust does not make sense and i don't think the public want to see the government committing to a plan that is inconsistent with a safe and prosperous future for all of us. any policy change may affect controversial plans to expand heathrow. it definitely means the government will have to think hard

about whether aviation can continue to grow at a time of what parliament calls a climate emergency. roger harrabin, bbc news. the united states says it's ready to defend its forces and interests in the gulf as tensions with iran escalate. the pentagon is sending an extra navy vessel and a patriot air defence missile system to the region, but said it was not seeking conflict with tehran. as america's carrier strike group moves closer to the gulf, the pentagon sends more firepower to the region in a show of military force. a navy ship and an air defence missile system are also heading to the middle east, just days after the uss abraham lincoln and b—52 bombers were deployed. washington says it is sending a clear message to iran, because they had warnings about an unspecified attack.

it released this statement but did not go into detail. the us patriot missile defence system can counter ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and advanced aircraft, and had been scheduled to go to the region, but at a later date. last week, john bolton, america's national security adviser, said any iranian attack would be met with unrelenting force. iran swiftly dismissed that, and calls the claim american psychological warfare. the foreign minister with this message on twitter. if the us and clients do not feel safe, it is because they are despised by the people of the region. blaming iran will not reverse that. tehran has retaliated by threatening to cut off access

to the strategic strait of hormuz, through which about one—fifth of all oil consumed globally passes. but tensions are not just at sea. this week, iran's president threatened to restart his country's nuclear activities within 60 days if his country is not shielded from the effects of sanctions. the move risks killing a landmark nuclear deal which america pulled out of a year ago. but this is what the iranians call us intimidation. one of america's powerful military assets has now passed through egypt's suez canal as it steams towards the persian gulf. two men have appeared in court charged with rioting offences in londonderry on the night that journalist lyra mckee was killed. 51—year—old paul mcintyre is accused of petrol bomb offences, arson of a hijacked vehicle, and rioting.

christopher gillen, who's 38, faces the same charges plus another of hijacking a truck. ms mckee was shot dead while watching disturbances in londonderry last month. our reporter louise cullen is in belfast and has this update. two men appeared in court in londonderry magistrates‘ court. they were 51—year—old paul mcintyre from ballymagowan park in the creggan area of londonderry. and 38—year—old christopher gillen, who is from balbane pass in the city. both men are charged with riot and petrol bomb offences. paul mcintyre is also charged with arson of a hijacked vehicle, while christopher gillen is also charged with the arson and hijacking of a tipper truck. both men refused to stand and acknowledge the court when they were brought into the dock. a detective said that the evidence against the men had come from mobile phone footage handed in by members of the public and also from footage seized from a documentary being filmed by mtv on thursday april 18th in derry, which included filming in the offices of the dissident republican linked group saoradh in derry and also rioting in creggan

during which lyra mckee was shot. he also said he believed the two men were ringleaders. both men were denied bail when thejudge said he didn't believe there was a safe address in the city, at any stage, for them to be remanded to and they were both remanded in custody. labour say if they win power, they will change the minimum wage, so that 16 and i7—year—olds will be paid £10 per hour, up from the current rate of £4.35. it would put them on the same rate as that pledged by labour to older workers. some business leaders say it could risk reducing the number of under 18—year—olds in work, especially apprenticeships. here's our business correspondent katy austin. how much should you pay a young person to work for you? workers in the hospitality and retail sectors are the most likely to be on the lowest pay. today, labour says the youngest employees should be paid more. we will abolish the youth rate

of the minimum wage. workers should be rewarded fortheirwork, not theirage. equal rights for workers means just that, irrespective of age, gender, nationality or ethnicity. at the moment, the independent low pay commission advises the government on what the minimum wage should be. workers under the age of 18 are currently entitled to a minimum wage of £4.35 per hour. for over 25s, it is nearly double that, £8.21 per hour. under labour's plan, a £10 per hour real living wage would extend to people under 18, adding, it says, £2,500 to the amount 16 and 17—year—olds earn each year. this is a very big change, we do not know what the effect would be because nothing like it has been tried before. this is more than doubling the minimum wage for 16 and 17—year—olds. the risk is that employers might not want to take them on at £10 per hour and the particular risk is,

if this applies to apprentices, it may reduce the amount of training some of these young people are getting. labour says it would give smaller firms support to help them afford the rise, saying it would use savings from a reduction in the amount the treasury pays in in work benefits to pay for it. the group representing small businesses told me firms are already squeezed and it wants to hear more detail about exactly what support would be on offer to help them shoulder the cost and avoid job cuts. the conservative vice—chairman for policy said... labour's idea is clearly designed to appeal to younger voters. the verdict from businesses, more detail needed. katy austin, bbc news. the chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench

conservative mps, sir graham brady, says he expects theresa may to give more detail in the coming days about her plans to leave downing street. the prime minister is due to meet the committee's executive next week. earlier i spoke to our political correspondent jessica parker, who said that sir graham has asked for clarity from theresa may. i think he would say he represents the views of backbench conservative mps and let's be clear, those views do vary somewhat, but there are certainly some conservative mps, i think increasingly this is the case, who want theresa may to set an unconditional timetable for her departure, because at the moment, what she has said is that she will go once phase one of brexit is delivered, the withdrawal agreement, the divorce settlement, if you like, of leaving the european union. sir graham brady, he has said, talking to the bbc, that he does understand why the prime minister might be reluctant at this stage to name an exact date. i do not think it is about an intention of staying indefinitely as prime minister or leader of the conservative party,

i think the reticence is the concern that by promising to go on a certain timetable, it might make it less likely that she would secure parliamentary approval for the withdrawal agreement rather than more likely. how likely is it that she will have to go of her own accord rather than being given the shove? look, who can say exactly what will happen over the coming days and weeks? what sir graham has also said is he thinks it would be strange if this meeting did not result in some clearer understanding of theresa may's plans for her departure, but theresa may still wants to secure some kind of brexit legacy and if she does feel that by naming the exact date, that means that those opponents of her deal are more likely to dig in rather than relent, because they can see her departure date in sight, perhaps she will not want to name an exact date, so they might ask for that this coming week, but there is no guarantee that they're going to get it. does sir graham want to throw his hat into the ring for any leadership battle? he hasjoined the many

people who have said they are not ruling it out. jessica parker speaking to me earlier. the headlines on bbc news: aid workers say a pledge by houthi rebels in yemen to withdraw troops from key ports is a "big game changer" as it may open a lifeline for millions of people facing famine. three gunmen have stormed a five—star hotel in the pakistani province of balochistan, killing at least one person. concerns over climate change might restrict the growth of flying in the uk, according to a senior civil servant. masses have been taking place in catholic churches across sri lanka in memory of the victims of the easter sunday bombings. more than 250 people were killed in a series of attacks on christian churches and hotels. sunita jaswal reports. a moment of silence, a time to reflect, and an opportunity to pray for the victims. a country torn apart,

but a country that wants to heal through religion. survivors and the families of victims gathered for a special ceremony to remember their loved ones, as churches begin to reopen their doors. it's notjust a time to remember those who died, but to pray for those who also survived, still injured, still hurt, but they are in church with their faith intact. it's almost three weeks to the day when an armed group launched a series of coordinated attacks on christian churches and hotels in the country. security was ramped up in the immediate aftermath, but fears of further attacks forced many schools and churches to close. earlier in the week, the archbishop of colombo, malcolm ranjith, presided over the first mass at saint sebastian's church in the city of negombo, where 102 people were killed. held outside, under a temporary structure, the special service

honoured the victims and was only open to survivors and their families. this small shrine room was reopened at saint anthony's church, also a target on one of the most religious days of the christian calendar. here, low whispers of prayers from a handful of devotees are drowned out by the sound of drilling and banging, as workers continue to rebuild the site. translation: as a catholic, i'm very happy that we could pray and light a candle in the church again. i hope catholics and others will come and pray and light a candle like i did, rather than a stay—at—home in fear. and that is the message authorities are also sending out, promises that the streets of sri lanka are safe. we don't have to worry about sri lanka's situation. it is controllable, it is contained. so that is why, as army commander, i said, we don't have to worry about it. let the armed forces handle it, you get back to work. people should have their normal lifestyle again.

armed soldiers guarding religious institutions might be the norm for a while, but that added security at least gives churchgoers hope that they are safe to pray. but despite normality starting to settle in slowly once more, sri lankans say they will make sure the victims will never be forgotten. a 74—year—old man who was shot with a crossbow bolt as he adjusted his satellite dish at his home in holyhead, on good friday has died. the bolt had travelled through gerald corrigan‘s upper body, narrowly missing his heart and then passing through his right arm. north wales police said he died as a result of the horrendous injuries he sustained. french president emmauel macron has welcomed home two hostages freed by french special forces in burkina faso on friday. the french tourists were being held by kidnappers in the west african country alongside an american woman and a south korean man. the hostages were seized

from a remote national park in neighbouring benin last week. two french soldiers were killed in the operation to free them and president macron has since paid tribute to their sacrifice. you're watching bbc news it is 6:20pm. fly—tipping has increased by almost 40% in the past five years according to councils in england. the local government association said nobody convicted of fly—tipping since 2014 had been given the maximum penalty of a £50,000 fine or a year in prison because of funding pressures. the government says they've strengthened local authorities' enforcement powers. i've been speaking to guy smith, deputy president of the national farmers union — he explained to me the extent of the problem fly—tipping is on his land. this will come as no surprise to farmers, and approaching 1 million cases, but many farmers will tell you, this is not the whole picture, because many farmers like me, we just don't bother to report it any more, we just get on and clear it up out of our own expenditure,

because we are fed up with reporting it and nothing happening. so it is under reported as well. what sort of experience have you had? look, this is, for a farmer close to a conurbation, this is, if not a daily occurrence, a weekly occurrence. fridges, sofas, household waste, and for some farmers i know, particularly in south essex, 25 tonnes of recycling waste being bashed through fortified gates, tipped up and then away, and that is organised crime. why do you think it has got so much worse? well, it is commercially attractive for a firm to clear someone's garden, take the rubbish out of the garage and have a few quid, and then dump it into a farmer's field or into his ditch, in the knowledge that the risk of being detected is low, and if it does come to court, the fine's going to be low, so it is a commercially attractive thing to do. what sort of damage can it do

to your land, crops and animals? well, farmers take immense pride in the beauty of their farms, hedges, and whatever, and to see it used as a rubbish tip is depressing and frustrating. it makes farmers angry, we take pride in the beauty of our farms, and just to see them abused like this, you know, it is depressing. the powers exist to bring people to court, so, what is the solution, in your view? well, we have heard defra's report and the government's response to this that they have increased powers, but it's clear that it isn't working. so, government do need to speak to local authorities and police to find out how we get this to work, how we have effective deterrents. i would also plead to your viewers that if people are coming and knocking on your door and saying they will take away your household waste, make sure they are a reputable company, make sure they have a landline, a waste disposers carrier's licence, and if they are offering you a cheap deal, ask yourself, why is that?

we implore on local authorities not to be restrictive or close civic amenity tips, because thatjust makes it difficult to get rid of household waste. it is a false economy if it ends up where it's not meant to be. and we would implore central government to realise that they have reacted, but it isn't working, and they need to have a summit between police and local authorities to find out how they can unlock this increasing problem. how do you, then, go about disposing of these pieces of furniture, these fridges that we have just been seeing pictures of? it is obviously at a cost to you. yes, it is my problem, someone has dumped their problem on me. i'm not allowed to put this on a tractor and trailer or van and take this to my civic community tip, because it's deemed to be i'm operating some sort of commercial waste facility and i'm turned away. so it's a real dilemma for me, but i'm notjust going to leave them there, polluting my ditches. i have to get rid of them, i have

to dig into my own pocket and do it. some councils are more helpful than others, i'll accept that, but for me, this is just cost. guy smith from the national farmer's union. in just 12 days' time voters will be asked to elect 73 representatives into the european parliament. the delay in a brexit deal being decided means the uk is obliged to take part in the european elections on the 23rd may. tim muffet has been to grimsby, which overwhelmingly voted to leave the eu, to see what businesses and residents think about the vote. "gutted." that is howjohn feels about the uk's participation in the european elections. it is absolutely disgraceful. will you take part in the elections? no, i won't. what is the point of voting if they don't do what you are asking them to do?

this is a smokehouse in grimsby. they way we traditionally smoked haddock and salmon is unchanged for centuries. the tannins and the flavours within the fabric of the building are part of that taste. but when it comes to european elections, for some employees there is a whiff of anger. i don't think we should be voting on the first place. it is a waste of time and money. —— i don't think we should be in europe in the first place. pro—brexit part of the uk, 70% of those voted did so to leave the eu but for this company, eu rules and regulation play a vital role. we have a protected geographic indication and the indications are something given not easily by europe. things like parma ham, champagne. in lincolnshire there is only one protected food name and that is grimsby traditional smoked fish and it took us several years to acquire that. we need to look after it.

european parliamentary elections are coming up. how do you feel about the fact we are taking part in eu elections? it's good, we need to get engaged because if we stay in and there is every chance we may, we want somebody in there who will represent our interests. the fishing industry in grimsby dates back over 1000 years. legend has it the town's name comes from a danish fisherman who settled here. today it lies within the yorkshire and humber europe in european constituency. we are still in europe, so we should be taking part. they haven't delivered on brexit. it is a big circle where the common man are not getting listen to. those voted to remain will take it seriously this time. do you think there has been a change because of the referendum? yes. it has brought it to the fore. i don't know much about europe just about brexit and what we were supposed to get and didn't get. this constituency elects six meps. at the last election it picked one conservative, two labour and three from ukip.

this time those parties will be up against the liberal democrats, the english democrats, change uk, the green party, the brexit party and the yorkshire party. confused, because you don't know which direction to look in. it is not in everyone's face as it should be. with it being as important as it is. i don't care. i am not interested. it's probably fixed, anyway. if brexit has made some more engaged with politics, it has had the opposite effect on others. political changes across the north sea are leaving many here cold. you can find out more about who is running in the european elections on the bbc news website. now, with the campaign for the european parliament elections under way we're going to be speaking to all the main uk parties here on the bbc news channel over the next few weeks. and we want you to send us your questions. on tuesday at 5.30 we'll have nigel farage of the brexit party, then the next day at the same time

chuka umunna on change uk. you can contact us by the e—mail or text below, or using the twitter hashtag. simon armitage has been named as the new poet laureate, a role that will last for 10 years. the west yorkshire writer says he wants to use the role to ensure poetry embraces major global issues, including climate change. earlier my colleague shaun ley asked him how he views the role. it has really changed, if you go back a few hundred years it was a very mysterious post, it was a job for life and on occasions people would be obliged to write to commission for royal occasions and there is still some of that element attached to it but it has really been modernised over the last two decades, since it became a decade—long appointment. it is more about rolling our sleeves up these days, some elements are ceremonial and ambassadorial,

but there are other parts which are to do with the promotion of poetry and celebrating poetry and trying to encourage younger writers to try their hand at it and to identify people who might have a future in poetry. with the title poet laureate, that might open a few doors in terms of the lobbying you do on behalf of poetry and the work of your fellow poets? that's the key, the fact it is a royal appointment, it helps to raise the prominence of this post and if the role is about making noises and asking questions, lending a voice to certain ideas and ideologies, that association with the monarch, i suppose, is probably the reason why i'm talking to you this morning. that probably is the reason,

when else would we invite a poet onto a news programme? that is a fair comment. it's a busy morning for many people, on a saturday. people have the tv in the corner of the kitchen, someone will be screaming that they have lost their car keys. i wonder if you could read us something? because you say poetry should be for crazy times as well as calm times. it's a poem about climate change and clean air, something you were talking about earlier — it's called in praise of air. "i write in praise of air, i was six or five when a conjurer "opened my knotted fist and i held in my palm the whole of the sky. "i carried it with me ever since. "let air be a major god, its being and touch, "its breastmilk always tilted to the lips, both dragonfly