you're watching bbc news at 9 with me, annita mcveigh. the headlines. talks between the government and labour to try to come up with a brexit deal are about to end without an agreement. it comes as theresa may agrees to set a timetable for her to step down as prime minister, after the next commons vote on brexit in a few weeks‘ time. one hundred people have died from knife wounds so far this year — the youngest victim was 1a year—old jaden moodie, from east london. for the first time in the uk doctors have successfully used keyhole surgery to treat a baby with spina bifida while it was still inside the womb.

the foetus itself is a very small and we are operating on a foetus inside the womb. it's obviously a very delicate operation. one of the world's leading experts calls for testosterone replacement therapy to be made widely available to menopausal women. we are preventing women from being mistreated by products that aren't for women. there's not going to be a tsunami of women wanting testosterone. and in the sport at 9.40 — footballer danny rose opens up about his personal experiences for mental health awareness week. good morning and welcome

to the bbc news at 9. talks between the government and labour to try to come up with a brexit deal are about to end without an agreement. the discussions have been going on for a month and a half, but there have been growing indications that they aren't making any progress. yesterday theresa may agreed to set a timetable for her to step down as prime minister, after the next commons vote on brexit in a few weeks‘ time. if theresa may's withdrawal deal is rejected for a fourth time it's likely to spark a leadership contest. our political correspondent chris mason is in westminster. good chris mason is in westminster. morning. i don't th come good morning. i don't think it will come as a huge surprise to anyone if indeed these talks do break up without an agreement, given the level of discontent amongst mps on both sides about the idea of a deal, but where does this leave the brexit process 7 but where does this leave the brexit process? it leaves it where it's been for some time which is in trouble. the discussions on both

sides of this negotiation, 42 days m, sides of this negotiation, 42 days in, is that there was common ground amongst the negotiating teams, but both had to look over their shoulders to the tribes behind them to work out two things. one, could they bring sufficient numbers with them to assemble a majority in the commons for whatever compromise was cooked up? two, could they do that without smashing their party smithereens? at the conclusion was, sadly to the latter question, and both sides, that they couldn't because so many conservatives both sides, that they couldn't because so many conservatives are desperate to avoid anything that resembles a customs union, which is what labour want, and plenty on the labour side would not want to wave goodbye to any prospect of another referendum as a result of signing on the dotted line with theresa may. and the big concern on top of that for labour is that if they did sign on the dotted line in front of theresa may, they would look up from the document only to discover a prime minister in front of them of a

different name. i guess another big factor, then, in where the brexit process goes, is hugh will eventually replace theresa may —— process goes, is hugh will eventually replace theresa may -- is who will replace her? now she has set a timetable for her to go. at the corridors are alive with the sound of speculation at westminster. they always are but they are in turbo—charged sense now. as you say, we now have a timetable to the timetable. the prime minister has said that by the end of that first full week in june, said that by the end of that first full week injune, in three weeks' time from where we are now, it will be examined by the commons again. it looks like a deal with have been defeated again and she will set out a timetable for her departure. in other words, the length of time the conservative leadership race will go on. and so we now have that assembly of runners and riders. it's been happening in shadow for a while and now it will crank up a bit and it will crank up again in a couple of weeks. who has answered the question

definitively that they are keen on thejob? enter, definitively that they are keen on the job? enter, with definitively that they are keen on thejob? enter, with the definitively that they are keen on the job? enter, with the least surprising revelation ever written by journalist ever, surprising revelation ever written byjournalist ever, borisjohnson telling huw edwards yesterday that yes, he will be going for it. a nice cartoon in the telegraph this morning involving a bear and some woods. who else is in the running? esther mcvey, the former cabinet minister. she is also said she is pretty keen and rory stewart, who has only been in the cabinet for about five minutes, is rather keen on shuffling to a more prominent chairand on shuffling to a more prominent chair and becoming prime minister. there is rather a few more who are pretty keen. here comes another slate of playing cards. we could get through several decks of cards with all the people being talked about, but who else is in the mix? potentiallyjeremy but who else is in the mix? potentially jeremy hunt, but who else is in the mix? potentiallyjeremy hunt, matt hancock, the leader of the house, on and on and on the list goes. what will happen is that they will be an

intense discussion and votes amongst conservative mps, whittling down this grand national field conservative mps, whittling down this grand nationalfield of contenders to just two, and then there two final contenders will go before the conservative party membership and that will mean around 100,000 people scattered across the uk will have the awesome responsibility of selecting on behalf of 65 million people who our next prime minister will be. ok, chris, thank you very much. chris mason at westminster for us. a hundred people have been stabbed to death in the uk so far this year — that's according to figures obtained by bbc news from police forces across the country. the largest group of victims are men in their 20s, as our home affairs correspondent, tom symonds, reports. 100 crime scenes, 100 lost lives. we have been tracking murder and manslaughter in britain in 2019 and the knife is the most—used murder weapon. charlotte huggins became

the first stabbing victim on new year's day in south london. on average, there was a knife murder or manslaughter nearly every day and a half that followed. each face represents a devastated family and an expensive murder inquiry. this is a crime disproportionately affecting young people. nearly a third of victims were under 30. nearly a fifth were under 20, and that is a huge worry for the police and youth workers. in the west midlands, knife crime has risen 96% since 2013, with eight fatal knife attacks this year, along with manchester and london the highest rate in the country. here, they say, violent crime has moved beyond just those involved in gangs. it is across all people now, and we're seeing what used to be a small act of violence,

perhaps a slap or a punch, turn into something far more serious. but two promising signs. in 95 of the 100 cases, someone has been arrested and in london the metropolitan police recently released figures suggesting a 10% fall in knife crime resulting in an injury. tom symonds, bbc news. for the first time in the uk doctors have successfully used keyhole surgery to repair the spine of a baby with spina bifida while it was still inside the womb. the operation was performed by a team at king's college hospital in london. they say the procedure isn't a cure, but improves the baby's chances and is saferfor the mother than invasive surgery. the condition can lead to paralysis and affect bladder and bowel control. here's our health and science correspondent james gallagher. baby jaxson is just a few weeks old, but more than two months ago, he had pioneering surgery on his spine. doctors operated onjaxson while he

was still inside his mother's womb. his mum, sherrie, said it was a shock to find out he had spina bifida. it was a very high—risk pregnancy from the start anyway, through being told i couldn't have babies, and everything. so any decision we've had to make, i've made it purely for the fact that he is meant to be here. you know, it's — he'sjust — he's fought every day. it was these pregnancy scans that showed jaxson's spine and spinal cord were not developing properly. spina bifida can lead to paralysis and affect bladder and bowel control, but surgery in the womb can reduce the risk of complications later in life. we are operating on very delicate structures. the foetus nerves, that they are exposed, the foetus itself is very small, and we are operating on a foetus inside the womb, so obviously it's a very delicate operation. this is how it works. three small incisions

were made in sherrie's bump. a thin camera and small surgical tools were inserted into her womb, then surgeons put the spinal cord back in place and put a patch over the wound. jaxson needed to be looked after in neonatal intensive care when he was born. he has not been cured, but his family hope they have given him the best start in life. he has a lot of movement in his legs, which we were told he'd have minimal movement if he didn't have the surgery, or none at all, he wouldn't be able to move them at all. i got high hopes for him. from day one he's done things, he is amazed us all. the nominal, wishing him and his mum all the very best. we will hear more from the surgeon involved during the morning briefing.

as we come to the end of our special week dealing with issues around the menopause, one of the world's leading experts is calling for testosterone replacement therapy to be made widely available to women who need it. the treatment isn't currently licensed for doctors to prescribe to menopausal women. breakfast'sjohn maguire has more. sophie claus was in her early 30s when she started the menopause after a hysterectomy. i just felt like i'd gone from being a 32—year—old to being 80, like, overnight. as part of the hormone replacement therapy, along with oestrogen, she was given testosterone, most often associated with men but also a vital female hormone. my libido had completely disappeared after surgery, and that's come back. for me, it was just kind of that lifeline. and with the oestrogen and testosterone, i've gone back to where i'm functioning kind of as i was before — slightly a bit more fatigued and forgetful still, but i kind of feel a lot more like my old self again.

however, it is a treatment that many doctors are reluctant to prescribe. at the moment, using testosterone to treat the symptoms of the menopause is unlicensed, but a major international conference featuring almost 900 gynaecologists here in berlin wants that to change. there are a lot of women being treated with male formulations, which are severalfold too much, and compound therapies, which are sort of ad hoc prescriptions. by providing a product for women, we're preventing women from being mistreated by products that aren't for women. there's not going to be a tsunami of women wanting testosterone. what we are going to do is make available a product for women who are already being treated. like all hrt, it is not suitable for every patient, but many here believe it is a treatment that could make a real difference to so many women's lives.

next week will mark two years since the bomb at manchester arena which killed 22 people. the youngest victim was eight—year—old saffie roussos, who was at the concert with her mum lisa. lisa was badly injured in the attack, but after extensive surgery and rehabilitation she is preparing to walk the route of the great manchester run this weekend. alongside her husband andrew, she has given her first broadcast interview to our north of england correspondent judith moritz. i don't really remember a lot. i remember leaving, and saffie had got my hand, this hand, and she was pulling, jumping about. my arm was outstretched, holding her hand as she was pulling me, and the next minute ijust hit the floor with a thud. ijust remember lying there and trying to move. i was just phys —

i was just paralysed. i couldn't move a finger, i couldn't move at all. i could blink. ijust kept thinking to myself, just keep your eyes open. and when somebody finally spoke to me and started moving me, they asked me my name, and ijust said saffie. that's all i could get out. i wanted to say, will you just go and find saffie? then i must have gone again, because the next time, i remember them cutting myjeans off, and that was the last thing i remembered until i woke up. how many weeks later? six weeks. six weeks later. what happened at that point? andrew was with you. andrew was with me, and i can remember thinking, well, why has he not mentioned saffie? and i knew, ijust knew. i thought, if i'm this badly hurt, and she was a tiny eight—year—old, then what chance would she have?

like an intuition? yes. did you ask the question? i said, she's gone, isn't she? it's a painful moment. i can't talk about it. because it is so raw, and it is two years on. it makes no difference at all, does it? no, it doesn't. still like yesterday. yeah. i feel like we're stuck in 2017. yeah, you do. it's amazing how these two years have gone by, but when sometimes we talk amongst each other, you're stuck in 2017. and for you over the last two years, balancing your bereavement, your loss, with your recovery, how have those two things been possible? ifelt like i needed to be strong, and i needed to be the best

i could be before i could deal with the loss of saffie. i had to learn to walk again. the first few steps around the ward, i felt like i'd run a marathon, didn't i? i was out of breath, sweating. it was only about five steps. the hand, i think the progress is a lot slower with my hand. that's been reconstructed ? it's been reconstructed, yes. there's still a lot of numbness in it, and nerve damage. taking part in the great manchester run has given you a goal, has it? for training? yes, it's let me look further into the future than i normally do. and it's the start of the charity, the launch of the charity, so it's all good and positive. a charity needs to be there to help victims of terrorism. there's no help. do you feel let down, lisa?

yeah. by the government, definitely. it was offered — £5,500 each for the death of saffie. through the compensation scheme? through the compensation scheme, that's the maximum. it's a complete insult. taking part in the run in manchester, how will that feel, do you think, being back here? i know it's going to be emotional, not just for me, for all of us that's walking. but it's a good thing, and we need — we need it, don't we? something good's got to come out of something so awful. it's got to. coverage of the great manchester run will be presented by gabby logan, live on bbc two from 12pm on sunday, with a highlights programme to follow at 5pm. the headlines on bbc news. talks between the government

and labour to try to come up with a brexit deal are about to end without an agreement. it comes as theresa may agrees to set a timetable for her to step down as prime minister, after the next commons vote on brexit in a few weeks' time. one hundered people have died from knife wounds so far this year — the youngest victim was 1a year—old jaden moodie, from east london. and in sport, danny rose says he was embarrassed after a club said they wa nted embarrassed after a club said they wanted to meet him to check it wasn't crazy. the tottenham and england defender says it happened when he spoke to an unnamed club about a potential transfer last summer after he had opened up about his struggles with depression. the lao has been officially sacked by rugby australia comes after being suspended last month after posting a social media post saying hell awaits 93v social media post saying hell awaits gay people. and nicky rios admits emotion got the best of him as he forfeited his second—round match. he

railed with a spectator, threw his racket and a chair before walking off court in rome. i'll have more on those stories at around 9:40am. see you then. thank you, see you soon. more than two—thirds of lgbt people say they've been sexually harassed at work but most don't report it, that's according to a report by the tuc, which is believed to be the first major study into lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people being sexually harassed at work. the government says it's starting a consultation on harassment, and will ensure employers understand their legal responsibilities. ben hunte has more. patrick works in the public sector where he went through years of sexual harassment just because he is gay. i was stopped from attending an away day with colleagues. i was told that it was because the male staff were too afraid to share a shower. the teasing, discrimination

and abuse that happened at the start of his career still impact him years later. i suffer from anxiety. i get very anxious. and it's just horrible. it's horrendous. and patrick is not alone. according to new research by the trades union congress, 68% of lgbt people say they have been sexually harassed at work. 42% of those surveyed said colleagues had made unwelcome comments or asked unwelcome questions about their sex life. 27% had received unwelcome sexual advances, and two—thirds didn't tell their employers. we need employers to step up to the mark and to take on a duty. we think it should be a legal duty to prevent sexual harassment happening in the first place. there's lots they could do in terms of policy, working with unions and educating people. i've spoken to several lgbt people who say they are not surprised by the findings in this report. in the uk, we have laws that protect people from discrimination based on their sexuality, but when it

comes to applying those to workplaces, clearly more clearly needs to be done. it had a massive impact. whilst patrick has spoken up, many more lgbt people are still struggling in silence. ben hunte, bbc news. next week's eu elections will be seen as the latest reading on the strength of europe's growing populist parties. the polls, across 28 nations, will elect members of the european parliament in brussels, the eu's only directly—elected body. in many countries, populist parties are expected to do well, including in france where president emmanuel macron has staked his presidency on confronting them. our paris correspondent lucy williamson has been testing the mood among voters on france's north—eastern border. if you want to see what freedom of movement in europe looks like, come to the north—east corner of france early on a weekday morning. this is one of 40,000

people from this area to cross the border each day for work. herfather worked in the local steel mines here. she commutes to her hairdressing salon on the 7.38 to luxembourg. is she living the european dream? translation: dream, no. you need to work, that's all. working near where you live is the ideal but salaries and pensions are better in luxembourg. i asked the passenger next to her how he feels about the eu. translation: i feel in the european union but how i feel towards it... if there was ever a region that felt european, this should be it. alsace—lorraine has close ties to germany, only a few hours' drive to brussels and it has received investment from the eu.

so why did marine le pen's national front do so well here? support for the national rally has gone all grown along with feelings grown along with feelings of inequality and anger at mainstream politicians with liberal economic goals. the pa rty‘s candidate for the european election isjordan, a 23—year—old child of italian immigrants, from the rundown suburbs north of paris. the party came top in european elections five years ago so why, i asked him, has it now abandoned its promise to take france out of the eu? translation: europe has changed. today there is a nationalist wave coming to power in many countries. we now reshape political life. the left and right are in the process of disappearing. it is early afternoon in this old mining town and le centrale is the only bar in town with any customers. unemployment here was almost twice the national average at the last count.

like many regulars here, thierry has given up on politicians entirely. translation: politicians have all become liars. they are only looking out for themselves. i don't believe in them any more. igive up. what has europe done for us? nothing. why should i vote for something that does nothing for me? passengers erupt from the morning commute, flooding the platform at luxembourg. another day's workers heading to europe. next week they will decide where europe is heading. so what are voters here making of the european election campaign so far? the bbc‘s political editor in the west midlands, patrick burns, has been reporting from two very different parts of the region. yesterday he was in north staffordshire, where two thirds voted leave. today, he's in gloucestershire, on the southern edge of his region, where most voters supported the remain campaign.

setting out their stall in cheltenham to keep britain in the eu. hello, have you decided how you're voting in the elections? no? would you like a leaflet? ok. this may seem a difficult sell in our bbc midlands region, where everyone else except warwick combined three years ago to register britain's biggest proportion of leave vote by a ratio of 6—4. not here, 56% revolted remain in cheltenham. one of the biggest challenges is people don't really understand what the eu does and they explicitly don't understand that in terms of the investment that is made in the midlands by the eu in terms of regeneration and our contribution to the economy. really, this is, for some of us, i suppose, a proxy referendum, an opportunity to show and in formalised weight whether or not the remain vote is as

strong as it has become. if remains what is really strengthening here, there is precious little enthusiasm for any compromise or middle ground option is. so for the political high ground, let's head for the hills. moreton in marsh, gateway to the cotswold h ills, moreton in marsh, gateway to the cotswold hills, which give their name to the constituency next door. it voted remain, as well, and surprise, surprise, liberal democrats have just taken control of the council from the conservatives. people ought to have another vote, to be honest, because i don't particularly wa nt to be honest, because i don't particularly want to leave europe. we get far too much from the saint nigel farage clan saying how bad the eu is and we just —— too much from the nigel farage clan. we have to change our prime minister, she is needing to take a step down. she's had long enough. kick on. it's a congested marketplace for the remain vote. the lib dems combining with

the green and change uk present a bewildering array of choices for the voters at this historic crossroads. it 9:26am. let's find out now what's coming up on the victoria derbyshire programme coming up at ten — today presented byjoanna gosling. good morning. the parents of former co—young people who have killed themselves told us they want the nhs to stop prescribing the acne drug roaccutane because of some of the side effects people report.|j roaccutane because of some of the side effects people report. i had depression and sexual dysfunction. i had psychosis, psychotic functions, suicidal thoughts. i had had psychosis, psychotic functions, suicidalthoughts. i had high had psychosis, psychotic functions, suicidal thoughts. i had high hopes, you know, of getting a career and completing uni and now i'm just kind of at home. yeah, it's not good. the vast majority of people have had a good experience with the drug, with some saying it has helped their

mental health by curing their acne. we will hear both sides and join the debate if you have had experience of it. all the usual ways of getting in touch and join us at 10am on bbc two, the bbc news channel and online. thank you. it's that time of the year — yes. the 64th eurovision song contest will take place this weekend in tel aviv. 200 million people will tune in to enjoy 26 songs competing to win the coveted grand prix. the show is taking place in israel this year — at a time of renewed tension on the border with gaza — but contestants have been told to keep the competition politics free. david sillito has more. eurovision — the fans are here... the rehearsals are under way... and representing the uk is michael rice. it's lovely to meet you. nice to meet you. lovely to meet you. who wasn't even born

the last time the uk won. but, having spent the last few months on a tour of europe, he has already got a taste of eurovision fame. i never in a million years thought i'd have fans, so to go to these countries and see everyone there waiting outside hotels for days just to get a photo of me, it's crazy. eurovision very much prides itself on being a celebration of inclusiveness, but the question this year will be very much about exactly who is going to be coming to the party. this is iceland's hatari, who are... award—winning anti—capitalist doomsday techno. and they had doubts about playing in israel, given the political situation, but felt they could make more of a statement by coming. however... you've been told no politics on stage? yes. which is impossible, and a paradox.

have you been told to stop talking about politics offstage? yes, but the line is blurry. we've been warned. but, while there has been talk of boycotts and protests, so far it has actually been pretty much business as usual for israel's eurovision party. david sillito, bbc news, tel aviv. will you be watching? now it's time for a look at the weather with matt taylor. will you be watching? are you a fan? not a huge fan but the might be the odd boom bang a bang of a thunderstorm across england and wales and if you are making your mind up whether to take the rain jacket out today, let me help you decide because there is an wet weather at the moment across parts of england and wales, south—west scotland, heading in the direction of northern ireland. it will turn white for a time through the morning but across the rest of scotland, northern england, skies were bright and after this morning's rain. still

holding onto a lot of cloud across mid and south wales and central and southern england for the afternoon. one or two showers possible and a bit brighter here. an easterly breeze with a much cooler day across the south, where most of all western scotland, could get to around 21 degrees in the western highlands. tonight scotland sees the wettest of the weather coming in from the east. if you showers further south, many dry, plenty of cloud around to take us dry, plenty of cloud around to take us into the start of the weekend but it won't be desperately chilly. for the weekend, there will be some big thunderstorms across england and wales through tomorrow, some outbreaks of rain for scotland and northern ireland, most look brighter and sunday and warmer. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines: talks between the government and labour to try to come up with a brexit deal are about to end without an agreement. it comes as theresa may agrees to set a timetable for her to step down as prime minister, after the next commons vote on brexit in a few weeks' time.

100 people have died from knife wounds so far this year. the youngest victim was 14—year—old jaden moodie from east london. for the first time in the uk, doctors have successfully use keyhole surgery to treat a baby with spina bifida while it was still inside the womb. he is meant to be here, he has fought every day. one of the world's leading experts calls for testosterone replacement therapy to be made widely available to menopausal women. we are preventing women from being mistreated by products that aren't for women. there is not going to be a tsunami of women wanting testosterone. time now for the morning briefing, where we bring you up to speed on the stories people are watching, reading and sharing. let's go to one

of our main stories today. 100 people have been stabbed to death in the uk so far this year, according to figures obtained by bbc news from police forces across the country. byron highton's brotherjonjo was just 18 when he was stabbed to death by a gang in 2014. he's now an anti—knife campaigner. he spoke to bbc breakfast. someone you love killed in such a horrific way, especially the way he was killed, with the injuries, your soul gets ripped out. i know it sounds odd to explain, but that is the closest way of describing it, and i still have not found the part i lost that day. i don't think i have a well at this point. that is you and him when you we re point. that is you and him when you were much younger. you must think you have been deprived of that future together. that is the first day i met him.

0h, oh, that is so lovely! he was attacked by six men who were convicted of stabbing him to death. what kind of situations was he in in terms of...? he what kind of situations was he in in terms of. . . ? he was guilty by association, that was proven in court, he had just finished work, he saw my mum for the last time, took his work clothes off, mum put them in the wash, he went to the pub for a drink then decided to watch as dad's, a couple of hundred yards from where we lived, the car went past, they saw my brother, not the people they were looking for, it was proven in court that they attacked him instead, and unfortunately he got stabbed in the neck with a sword. you talk to people now about carrying knives, you talk to young people about this, and how do they react when you talk about it? i mean, just by association. it is fantastic, the work we are doing, because the bbc once asked in an

interview, a young adult why they would choose to listen to me and stuart and our team, other than authorities... the police. the police in such fall. this young lad said it is because they feel the presence in the room, when i talk to these kids, it is notjust someone saying you can't carry a knife, they feel my emotions. in one of our talks in a few weeks ago in manchester, we had two girls crying, the principal saying it would be a crime if i didn't end up in every school around the country, and people who i had never met before we re people who i had never met before were coming up to me, pouring my heart out to them, and in return i am getting their heart back, and you know, i am am getting their heart back, and you know, iam keeping my am getting their heart back, and you know, i am keeping my brother's name alive every day, it puts a smile on my face for a change, it is amazing what we're doing, i love it. we are talking about this today because bbc has figures which shows that already at this time in the middle of may, 100 people have died in vital stabbings across the country so far

this year — it is hard to know exactly how that compares with other yea rs, exactly how that compares with other yea rs , we exactly how that compares with other years, we can't make any conclusions from that, but just years, we can't make any conclusions from that, butjust that number, 100. after what you have been through, what does that make you feel today? as i said to you before, even one, let alone the 200 is at the end of that, is too much. i wouldn't wish this pain on the people who killed my brother, that is how bad it is. we heard earlier how doctors in the uk have successfully used keyhole surgery to treat a baby with spina bifida inside the womb for the first time. the team from king's college hospital in london say the procedure isn't a cure but improves the baby's future prospects. bahzel zebian, one of the doctors who helped perform this surgery, spoke to bbc breakfast. we've been having discussions with the foetal medicine department, we've got one of the biggest foetal medicine departments in the world pretty much. and we've been looking at the possibility of performing foetal surgery.

but the problems, really, were the complications that you could get. although it was increasingly clear that the outcome for foetuses and babies later in life was better with foetal surgery. so we knew that people were trying more minimally invasive techniques. so we we went around pretty much the world and had a look at various groups and their techniques, and we were very much sold with the doctor from brazil who developed this specific keyhole approach, which just doesn't involve any huge cuts in the abdomen. and no huge cuts in the womb either. and it means we can just put a camera inside and some instruments to do the procedure. sorry for interrupting. so what has happened? because with spinal bifida, why is this so specifically important for foetuses with the condition, or babies with the condition of spinal bifida? a bit complex, i'll try and make it

simple, it's just the way the spinal cord is formed just means that it's not going to be as functional as a normal spinal cord. but to add to that, in the third trimester of pregnancy, the environment is more harmful to the spinal cord that's exposed. so there's various ways people have found this out, but the idea was to actually try and cover the spinal cord before the third trimester in order to prevent a kind of a second hit. and as a result this is why it's very important that, you know, we are very clear about this — this isn't a cure, this is really a way of making things better. but we've had trials have shown that it's significantly better for a significant number of patients. this week bbc news has been talking about the menopause. one of the most high—profile campaigners about the menopause is meg matthews. we caught up with her and her daughter anais gallagher. so you know i've been

going through the menopause for about the last few years? yes. how have you been finding it? i mean, recently it's been all right. i think you've sort of... maybe come through the other side? you're a lot more calm than... definitely at the beginning you were really stressed out, and you were really stressful to be around. yeah, i think i was. you were very overemotional. yeah, i know. i mean, my anxiety was, like, through the roof. yeah. and, yeah, i would just watch something like eastenders and i would burst into tears, and you're not that sort of person at all. no, not at all. and also with your hormones kicking in, which you hated me saying... 0h... that was your pet hate. yeah, it was. i did find, like, you know, little things really wound me up. so, like, you know... i found that, too. your room, i always had a thing about your room was never tidy. yeah. but looking back on it, it was all stuff that was really going on with me. i would look for anything. i've always been very a fussy eater. thank you.

and you knew that i liked fish pie, and in your weirdly messed up menopausal brain you were like, "she likes fish pie, let me buy fish pie for every night of the week." so then you bought seven fish pies, and i opened the fridge, and i was like, "why are there so many fish pies?" and you just started crying. and i started crying, i know. also, like, quite... you need to tell your children about it, because if you don't know about the menopause, you'll just think that they're having a mental breakdown. but when i found out that it was medical then i wasn't that concerned. but you're... you know, you're very grown—up for your age, i must say. yeah, i think so. very mature and we can talk about everything, so... so it was really easy for us, i think. i know you're in your own head when you're going through the menopause, and you can't really think about the bigger picture but, like, at the end of the day, however much you're stressed out and you think that, you know, "poor me..." yeah? your number—one job and priority is to be a mother. the thing is, i don't think any mums actually do that.

they still get on with their life. yeah, that's what i'm saying, you'vejust got to... but your head and everything is so difficult, so hard. but also, like, having... i don't know, from my point of view, it like, you know, as a teenager or a kid, just be understanding, don't take the situation too seriously, the light—hearted. help them to, like, have fun. just talk. yeah, it's all about talking and sharing and being honest. that's my main piece of advice, is just talk. and sharing. no worries. thank you. i love you lots. i love you too, nais—nais. that's it for today's morning briefing. let's have a look at you are looking at and watching on the bbc news app in the last couple of minutes a story about boots customers being puzzled by prescriptions being handed to them in plastic bags. they

have been complaining after receiving those prescriptions in plastic bags, rather than the usual paper ones. one customer who was quoted in his report online says that she was so incensed she took her back back to the store with shame on you and pipe are not plastic written in capitals in black marker pen. boots has said in response that plastic bags are being used because some prescriptions are assembled at central locations, and plastic is more durable, it did sign up plastic is more durable, it did sign up to plastic is more durable, it did sign uptoa plastic is more durable, it did sign up to a plastics pact last year, but this customer is saying that she will be using a different pharmacy if boots continue to give prescriptions in plastic bags. that has just popped prescriptions in plastic bags. that hasjust popped in prescriptions in plastic bags. that has just popped in at number one on the most read. looking down at the most watched, let's have a look at numberfour, most watched, let's have a look at number four, these are most watched, let's have a look at numberfour, these are images most watched, let's have a look at number four, these are images taken bya number four, these are images taken by a farmer who lives near pontypridd of rubbish dumped along hundreds of metres of country road

by fly—tippers, and a local council has described this as heartbreaking and said there is a beautiful landscape which is being messed up and trashed by, as he calls them, mindless people. that is eight today's morning briefing. good morning. danny rose says that a club wanted to meet him, to check that he wasn't crazy after the tottenham and england defender revealed his struggles with depression. the tottenham and england defender says it happened when he spoke to an unnamed club about a potential transfer last summer. he was speaking as part of a special bbc one programme, about men's mental health, alongside the duke of cambridge, thierry henry and peter crouch. ido i do think there is still a long way to go in football, because in the

summeri to go in football, because in the summer i was speaking to another club, and! summer i was speaking to another club, and i said, oh, the club would like to meet you, you know, just to check you are not crazy. really? yeah. because of what you had said to go because of what i have said and what i had been through, you know, and i was embarrassed when he said that. when i first broke into the first at qpr, before they had seen me play, theyjudged to be on appearance, you know, i seen me play, theyjudged to be on appearance, you know, lam was probably even skinnier than i am now, so for me, although i make light of those things, now, they we re light of those things, now, they were a big problem for me growing up, because no teenager really wants to go through these things, and foot ball to go through these things, and football fans can be very ruthless, andl football fans can be very ruthless, and i had these hang—ups, and i always used to cry, i would cry as a cage, dad, idon't always used to cry, i would cry as a cage, dad, i don't look like everyone else who plays football. i

was booed coming on in one of my first games at old trafford. playing for your country, having waited your whole life to do that. absolutely, my family were in the crowd, and what do you do? i could easily have gone under, it was horrible, and i thought my mum will be crying her eyes out. you can watch a royal team talk: tackling mental health on bbc one at 10:30 on sunday night. israel folau has been officially sacked, by rugby australia. he's one of the the sport's biggest stars but was suspended last month over a social media post which said that "hell awaits" gay people. folau was found, to have committed a "high level breach of the players‘ code of conduct." folau himself has released a statement. he says that australians are "born with certain rights, including the right to freedom of religion and the right to freedom of expression." folau says the "christian faith has always been a part of my life, and i believe it is my duty as a christian to share god‘s word." he adds that upholding his religious beliefs should not

stop him from working or playing for his club and country. let‘s have a look at some of this morning‘s back pages. the guardian has a line from gareth southgate who says his england players won‘t walk off the pitch if they‘re subjected to racist abuse. the telegraph carries a picture of brooks koepka and tiger woods on the course at the us pga, more on that in a moment. and the times goes with nick kygrios‘ latest meltdown. kygrios admitted that emotions got the better of him as he forfeited his second—round match at the italian open. it started with a row with a spectator. then his racket went, then it was his chair. he then packed up his gear and walked off court. he‘s been given a hefty fine, lost his prize money and had to cover the cost of the hotel that the tournament had provided for him. staying in rome, it was a busy day forjohanna konta. the british number one had to play twice because of bad weather on wednesday. first she beat the seventh seed, sloane stephens, before seeing off venus williams. she‘s now through to the quarterfinals. tommy fleetwood leads the british charge at the us pga championships in new york.

he‘s four shots off the leader, who is the american brooks koepka. he was in brilliant form at the notoriously difficult bethpage black course. he shot a bogey—free round of 63 to finish his first round on seven under par. tiger woods was fancied to do well, after his win at the masters last month, but he struggled and finished the day two over par. it‘s the fa cup final this weekend — watford playing manchester city. and you can get yourself in the mood by watching ten great goals from fa cup finals on the bbc sport website and app. it‘s the most watched video right now. england play pakistan in the fourth one—day international later. there‘s ball—by—ball commentary on 5 live sports extra from 12:a5. and we‘ll round up the days action in sportsday on the bbc news channel at 6:30 tonight. that‘s all the sport for now. more from the bbc sport centre at 11:15. thanks very much, mike. the headlines on bbc news:

talks between the government and labour to try to come up with a brexit deal are about to end without an agreement. it comes as theresa may agrees to set a timetable for her to step down as prime minister, after the next commons vote on brexit in a few weeks‘ time. 100 people have died from knife wounds so far this year. the youngest victim was 14—year—old jaden moodie from east london. the parents of four young people who have killed themselves have told the bbc‘s victoria derbyshire programme they want the acne drug widely known as roaccutane to stop being prescribed. the department of health has asked the health watchdog nice to develop new guidelines on the treatment of acne by 2021. campaigners say it‘s an opportunity to stop the use of the drug which some young people say has left them unable to have sex years after they have stopped taking it. our reporterjo mcdermott has more.

the acne drug isotretinoin, most commonly marketed as roaccutane, is used by about 30,000 people in the uk. there is a list of 55 possible side—effects. it‘s very effective at getting rid of acne, and most people will have a positive experience and either no side effects orjust minor ones. i would go as far as to say it's a wonder drug, it's completely transformed my life, i feel so much happier and confident in my own skin. today, i'm sitting here without foundation, and that's honestly something i could never even have dreamed of doing. come on, cory. but there are cases of people living lives blighted by depression and sexual problems, which they blame on the drug, years after they stopped taking it. ed henthorn took roaccutane in 2014. he quickly started getting side—effects. i wasn‘t thinking about girls as much. i used to think about girls, you know, as any young man,

19—year—old, i was at the time. and that, with physical erection problems, yeah, erectile dysfunction, so that‘s why i decided to stop it. over the years, the patient information leaflet that comes with the drug has been updated. in 1998, warnings came in about depression and other psychiatric symptoms. two years ago, a new warning was added to say that some people will be affected by problems getting or maintaining an erection and lower libido. the drug regulator the mhra says, in 34 years, it‘s received 105 reports of the sexual side effects. i had the depression, and i had the sexual dysfunction, i had psychosis, psychotic symptoms, suicidal thoughts. it was just pretty overwhelming. roche, which markets roaccutane, points out there are clear warnings about loss of libido and mood changes. it says...

there‘s a lot of people that won‘t come out because of the sexual dysfunction. it‘s quite embarrassing. and i‘m kind of urging people, if they have that experience, to come out as well, to just get some momentum with it and hopefully get something done about it. there‘ll be more on that story in the victoria derbyshire programme at ten o‘clock. it‘s the 50th anniversary of the first crewed moon landing next month, when the apollo 1! mission, with us astronauts neil armstrong and buzz aldrin, touched down on the 20th

ofjuly 1969. now, the uk space agency and the arts and humanities research council are asking members of the public to share their memories of this seminal moment and how it has inspired them. joining me now is sue horne, head of exploration at the uk space agency. thank you very much forjoining us today, i know that you have very vivid memories of the moon landings, watching them at school. yes, one of my early memories, i was just over five at the time, and i had just started school, and we had a battle—axe of a headmistress who wouldn‘t allow televisions to be used in school, even for educational programmes. but on the day after the moon landing, she insisted the television was in the hall and that it was on so we could watch it at lunchtime, because she said it was such an historic moment. it was so amazing, and a couple of years later, the apollo 10 capsule came

round on a tour of the world, and i was unable to see it at a little museum just down the road from where i lived. that must have spurred something new, given your career, it can‘t have been a coincidence, can it? i spent my youth, i used to go to my grandmother‘s for lunch, i used to run home every mission to see what was happening at lunchtime, and to see the images coming from voyager and things like that, and that sparked my interest in science. but i never thought i would be working in space science. i didn‘t realise, at that age, how manyjobs that are in the uk involved in space. 42,000 people employed in the uk on space programmes. and his upcoming anniversary is a good reminder of that, tim peake has called these landings a defining moment for humanity, but nearly 50 yea rs moment for humanity, but nearly 50 years on, where are we with exploration of the moon and indeed

uk involvement in that? ok, well, we are going back to the moon, but this is on the way to mars, but mars is really difficult, and it will take us decades to go there, but we should be back on the moon in the 20 20s. donald trump has said he wants to be there in 2024, and the uk will be playing a part in that, in a partnership with the european space agency. so in november we will be taking a decision to be involved in gateway, which is a space station that will be at the moon, and that will assist future moon landings. now, uk space agency and the humanities research council are asking people to get involved in the 50th anniversary of the apollo 11 landing, neil armstrong and buzz aldrin taking those steps on the moon. how can they do that? well

what we are interested in is memories, photographs, of how the mission inspired people to do things, and they can put their memories on the moon landing memories on the moon landing memories website. so, yes, let me just repeat that, i think the deadline is tuesday the 18th of june. yes, tuesday the 18th ofjune, and we will take that, we will be sharing it throughout the period, and on the 20th ofjuly there will bea and on the 20th ofjuly there will be a magazine published on the internet with the best items. ok, thank you very much for your time, head of exploration at the uk space agency. news just head of exploration at the uk space agency. newsjust coming in head of exploration at the uk space agency. news just coming in from police scotland. police have appealed for help in tracing a 13—year—old boy missing from fort william. imants driksna was last seen at about 19:00 on wednesday. he was last seen wearing

a white shirt, black trousers and black trainers. he is described as 4 feet 11 inches tall with green eyes and a shaved head. let mejust let me just repeat that, police scotla nd let me just repeat that, police scotland are appealing for help in tracing that 13—year—old missing boy, missing from fort william. the world premiere of the eltonjohn biopic rocketman took place at cannes film festival in france last night. the film received a five minute standing ovation, although much of the applause was directed towards elton himself, who wore a tuxedo with the words to his most famous song stitched in sparkles on the back. let‘s ta ke let‘s take a look at the weather forecast with simon king. warm and sunny weather over the last few days but cloud across much of the uk, drifting in from the east, you can

see the satellite imagery through this morning, that feed of cloud coming in, and really for many of us grey skies through this morning, including this one from a weather watcher in staffordshire, almost looking like aspirated cloud, quite a cool pattern, that one. we have had some rain affecting mainly western areas of england and wales, continuing to move further westward, and to the rest of today it will eventually clear away. but for much of southern england and south wales, remaining cloudy, further showers into the afternoon, but further north across england, northern ireland, some sunny spells, lengthy spells of sunshine across scotland, the highest temperatures of 19, perhaps 20 in the north—west of scotland. elsewhere, a little bit cooler, 13—17 celsius, chillier than that across north sea coasts. through tonight, we continue with cloudy weather coming in from the east, with its showery outbreaks of rain pushing into scotland, eastern

areas of england. it is not going to bea areas of england. it is not going to be a cold night, temperatures no lower than about 8—10 degrees. into the weekend, cloudy skies, if you sunny spells developing, but also the risk of some showers. some of those showers could be on the heavy, perhaps even thundery site. so let‘s have a look at saturday, quite a bit of rain across scotland through the morning, into the afternoon while there will be sunny spells for many parts of england and wales, the risk of heavy showers developing here, the odd rumble of thunder, 18 celsius in the capital, chillier further north, 39 and 17 degrees. into sunday, low pressure dominating over the weekend, that continues with this easterly feed of air which will continue to bring in rather cloudy skies during sunday. again, some brighter skies, a bit of sunshine developing here and there, and in the sunshine it is not going to feel bad, really, pleasant enough, one with highs of up to 20 celsius in the south—east.

elsewhere, 16—18 degrees. into next week, high pressure will build again, mostly fine and dry, spells of sunshine, temperatures in the high teens and low 20s. bye—bye.

hello. it‘s friday, it‘s ten o‘clock, i‘m joanna gosling. the parents of four young people who have killed themselves tell us they want the nhs to stop prescribing acne drug roaccutane because of the side effects some users report. i had the depression and i had the sexual dysfunction, i had psychosis, psychotic symptoms, suicidal thoughts, you know, i had high hopes, you know, of getting a career and completing uni and now i‘m just kind of at home, yeah, and it‘s not good. most people have a positive experience on the drug, with many saying it helps their mental health by improving their acne. we‘ll be hearing both perspectives. what next for brexit?