of the $2.7 trillion global meat market. in the times, as the flu season approaches there's good news for uk employers as the sickie appears to be on its way out among british workers. latest figures show that absence rates have more than halved in the past two decades. and finally, on the bbc news website, a pilot on a plane has accidentally set off a hijack alarm and sparked a major security alert at schiphol airport in the dutch city of amsterdam. part of the airport — one of europe's busiest — was then closed off as police responded to the reported threat. so let's begin. with me is alpesh patel who's ceo of praefinium partners. wright the guardian and nearly all the newspapers have tom watson on the newspapers have tom watson on the front page this morning as he

announced he is leaving. he is not running in this election. and i ought to declare a letter campaign of 130 british indian groups against corbyn‘s labour party because they are damaging relations between the uk and india. i would declare that force —— first and foremost. tom watson was seen as a moderate voice and if this pushes them more to the left where presumably there are fewer vote rs left where presumably there are fewer voters and a report today in one of the newspapers, the metro, said they would lose by about 100 seats. what a whopping disaster. this would move them, presumably, to an even greater defeat. not necessarily. and remember, we can't rely on the polls, as we have learned in previous elections.” will give you that about the poles but if you are moving further towards the left and there are fewer people in support of you, i have never seen the kind of campaigns we have been running ever before the election so i think there is a lot of enemies of the party. it doesn't

mean the conservatives would win. i think the lib dems are coming up strong as well. the greens, they might bea strong as well. the greens, they might be a shock winner in many seats as well. lots of the analysis on tom watson's departure in politics, it was a very amicable conversation between him and jeremy corbyn as he did announce the fact he is leaving because of course, he was a very close ally of former prime minister gordon brown. he was one of ed miliband's team. you'll oh yes, a moderate voice. there is a concern that without him there... there where people in the labour party that wanted to oust him. they we re party that wanted to oust him. they were calls seem to go. you limit so many mps have resigned from all parties who said they are fed up of divisive politics. he has not said thatis divisive politics. he has not said that is the reason he is going but

given that there was an element of the left of the labour party who were, —— tried to get rid of him... i have been so captured by narrow interest groups that they are going to be even less electable than the polls suggest. he hasn't been very specific about why he's leaving but he has been clear in saying he will continue to support the labour party and continue to help them in the campaign to get into government. lot of the mps leaving will continue to do public service and that is a good thing. the things that we believe in, that is a good thing because there has been a lot of talent from all parties which is lost and a lot of people who have a voice and can make social change, again, from all parties. that is all positive and i don't think that is positive and i don't think that is positive for the labour party. given the bad news they were for the conservatives yesterday, they will probably be relieved they are not on the front pages today. they will be breathing a sigh of relief because asi breathing a sigh of relief because as i say, this is not good for labour at all. an interesting analysis on the independence. an editorial piece about the use of social media in the run—up to this

particular election to the uk. this could be won by deep fakes is the scary headline. what is she saying? it is about the pictures, the images, the tweets, which are for —— false and then they go viral and then a large enough statement large enough number of people believe them to change their votes. this isn't new. any of us can create a tweet. it is the ability to reach more people and you will have a course got whatsapp messages, i will get sent messages on that and politics has always been about lies. as members of the public, we are so disinterested because we think oh well, manifestoes, aren't they lies? politicians are known as not telling the truth and this just adds to that, i'm afraid, it is sad. political spin doctors using shameless tack text to try and win votes a nd shameless tack text to try and win votes and sway opinion and through

platforms such as twitter and facebook and other social media platforms, that is where they are really... focusing their attention. but you and i know thatjournalist, professional journalists will look at the sources. my dad won't. and 110w at the sources. my dad won't. and now because of the level of accessibility, it is notjust deep fa kes, accessibility, it is notjust deep fakes, it could be superficial fa kes. fakes, it could be superficial fakes. and in this one, given how much the poles are saying one side over the other, i don't think it will be a swaying factor but in other issues and in other seats, it may well be the fault story which around brexit, for instance, the fate —— the false reports about turkish -- fate —— the false reports about turkish —— turkey joining fate —— the false reports about turkish —— turkeyjoining the eu, thatis turkish —— turkeyjoining the eu, that is one aspect about the lawyer does not lie that might have swung it at the last minute. —— the lie. that is a fake story that could have played into prejudices and that is what will swing it in some seats,

i'm afraid. bbc online has lots of analysis but also lots of really helpful elements where the general election made simple. this today, your questions answered, where should students vote? it focuses on the young in particular and the young vote today but there is lots of analysis and lots of links that will help you when it comes to your questions answered about various elements to do with the election. hopefully viewers will become better at realising that actually, let's go to the sources and look, i trust the bbc. i think it is a question of questioning everything you see and read in terms of on social media in particular. where has it come from? people tend not to do that. to this day, i look at my facebook today and they will be a lot of stuff i can find in three seconds that i know is fa ke find in three seconds that i know is fake because other people won't do it because it plays into their pre—existing prejudices and maybe they are not the swing voters

because they will already do what they were going to do. let us look at los angeles times. looking at impossible foods, another company coming up with plant —based alternatives. it is making plant —based pork now as a way into china because in china there is huge demand for pork. it is a huge element of their diet and actually in china, they have had, because of things like swine flu and other problems, they have had shortages this year and it has been a real issue. what do you think of this? plant —based pork. issue. what do you think of this? plant -based pork. again, i am going to show myself interest in this. i am av again. but you have invested in beyond meat. —— —— i am a vegan. i'm going to say this straight to the camera, stop making your body a

graveyard to the carcasses of animals. when it comes to plant —based food or alternatives, there is some analysis saying they are so heavily preyed —— processed and we are told not to eat processed food and actually the salt levels in some cases. . . and actually the salt levels in some cases... from the sides i have seen, it is better than eating meet for the environment, your health, your heart and virtually every report shows this was up if you want to be best at all, don't eat processed food at all. but certainly, getting off meat is the easiest way that we can all do something to help do our bit for saving the environment. as long as, of course, you believe in climate change and there is an environmental problem. let us look at the times, workers halve rates by calling time on sick days. especially since the financial crisis, is this because we are less secure in ourjobs, people are not getting away with it anymore? we are no longer the sick man of europe. we

are no longer going to be the men or women of europe at all soon enough. people are not calling in sick as much as they used to, i think that is good news. as long as it is not because they are so fearful of the jobs that even when they are unwell to do thosejobs, jobs that even when they are unwell to do those jobs, they are too scared to come in. that is the worry. they are infecting everyone else. when we get staff in the office of that are sick, we tell them to go home. there has got to be a balance. hopefully this will impact productivity and it is good news in terms of people not fake calling in as opposed to fake posts. don't post on facebook when you are sun tanning yourself and you are ill, some people have done that. being at wimbledon and being caught at the telly. some people have done that. thank you for your company, have a lovely day.

hello there. parts of england and wales look extremely wet on thursday with the risk of localised flooding in places and the risk of some travel disruption, all courtesy of this new area of low pressure which is going to park itself across the uk and this very slow—moving front will bring some very wet conditions through central portions of the uk. early on thursday, that rain band will be slowly spreading its way northwards so some places quite wet. blustery showers across the southwest and some showers across scotland which will be wintry over the high ground. a little bit of sunshine around and not quite as cold a start as what we have seen the last few nights because we have cloud around. but through thursday morning, that rain band will almost grind to a halt across parts of north wales, the north midlands, northern england and the rain will be heavy and persistent at times. like i said, producing some localised flooding and travel disruption in places and we'll also have quite a keen east—north—east wind, making it feel pretty raw so not very pleasant conditions throughout the day on thursday here. to the north of it, bright, probably the best sunshine for western scotland. a few showers which will be wintry on the hill but quite blustery

here and some heavy, maybe thundery showers across southern and south—western parts of england and it will be quite blustery here, too. but into the midlands and the south—east we should see some sunshine, slightly lighter winds. it will be a chilly day wherever you are, just about 10 degrees across the south and single figure values further north. and like i mentioned, feeling really chilly underneath that cloud and rain. through thursday night, a slow improvement. that weather front with the band of rain continues to ease down and push towards the south and east so it will be a dry and chilly night across many northern and southern areas but where you have the cloud, not quite as cold, ranging from 2—6 degrees there. the pressure chart, as we head into friday, shows this area of low pressure slipping off into the near continent. a bit of a hand back across the eastern side of the country with this weather front which will continue to bring a fair amount of cloud and one or two showers, but a ridge of high pressure builds in across the north and west, so here, after a chilly start, it should be a fine day with plenty of sunshine around. much of the country should see a bit of sunshine apart from the eastern side of england where it's going to be another chilly day.

as we had through friday night, eventually we'll see the cloud and the rain in the south—east clear away, it's going to be a cold night under clear skies with a widespread frost. the next weather front will arrive across the west, so not quite as cold for northern ireland as it will be across much of britain. into saturday, a cold, frosty start for many but that rain will spill in from the west to many areas and then on sunday, it's a gradual improvement with some sunshine developing.

good morning. welcome to breakfast, with charlie stayt and naga munchetty. our headlines today: money is front and centre of the election campaign today. labour say it would borrow billions for schools and homes. the conservatives say the plans willjeopardise economic recovery. labour's deputy leader, tom watson, says he is standing down from his role and is quitting frontline politics after 30 years. this really is a personal decision. and there's never a right time to in politics, but you can leave it longer than you should. a man has been arrested after 15 people were discovered in the back