this is bbc news. the headlines at five: scotland's first minister, nicola sturgeon, warns it would be "completely outrageous" for the westminster government to block a second independence referendum. the people of scotland have voted for the snp on the strength of offering, when the time is right, an independence referendum. the labour leader, sir keir starmer, prepares to reshuffle his team after the party's disappointing performance in the elections — he's already removed his deputy, angela rayner, as campaigns chief. police in kent are granted more time to question a man arrested in connection with the murder of community support officerjulia james. the government is expected to end the advice against hugging each other, as part of the relaxation of lockdown rules in england. and disruption continues on some of britain's busiest rail lines after small cracks are found in some high—speed trains.

good afternoon, and welcome to bbc news. scotland's first minister, nicola sturgeon, has said any attempt by the westminster government to block a second independence referendum would show a "lack of respect" for scottish democracy. she was speaking after the cabinet office minister, michael gove, said the snp's failure to win an outright majority at holyrood proved that people in scotland weren't "agitating" for a new poll. mr gove said the snp should concentrate on recovering from the pandemic instead. from edinburgh, here s our political correspondent nick eardley. back in power, back to work. nicola sturgeon says her immediate priority will be the pandemic, but a battle is coming.

the snp won the election by some distance, and even though they were short of a majority alone, with the greens there is a comfortable pro—independence majority and the first minister says that is a mandate. the people of scotland have voted for the snp on the strength of offering, when the time is right, an independence referendum. and as in 2011, leading up to 2014, any uk government that has any respect for scottish democracy would simply accept that and come to an agreement with the scottish government that puts it beyond any legal doubt. holyrood will now pass a referendum bill and ms sturgeon warned of the consequences of trying to block it in the courts. i think it would be absurd and completely outrageous if it ever got to that point, if it ever got anywhere close to that point. but the uk government does want to stop another referendum any time soon. ministers will not give political consent to one and they don't want to talk about legal battles for now. the priority at the moment is not

court cases, it is not independence legislation, it is recovery from the pandemic. to be fair to the first minister, to be fair to nicola sturgeon, during the course of this election campaign she said that was the single most important thing that we should all be concentrating on and we should work together as team uk in order to deal with the pandemic. is scotland allowed to leave the uk? of course it is. it is, so how? through a legal referendum, which would allow people to make that choice. the question is if and how that could ever happen, a question that downing street is none too keen to answer. but ministers in london will spend the next few months arguing another referendum would be a distraction and that working together would mean a speedier recovery. independence supporters here disagree, saying that in a union based on consent, the election result means there is no legitimate argument for blocking a referendum.

the prime minister has invited the leaders of scotland and wales to a summit on covid recovery. they all agree the pandemic is a priority for now, but over the next few months and years, the future of the uk is going to be a big issue. i spoke to nick a little earlier about how each government would approach the prospect of another referendum.( i think we got a sign, a sample of the battle to come over the next few years, with the first minister and the cabinet office minister for the uk government this morning. you had nicola sturgeon saying, look, we have to focus on the pandemic in the immediate term. but in two or three years�* time, i think i have a mandate to hold another referendum, and it would be anti—democratic for westminster to block it. you had michael gove saying that now is not the time and we have to focus on the pandemic and the economic recovery. it was interesting that he was asked about this idea of the whole thing

ending up in the courts and he just did not want to go there this morning. i think the uk government's strategy is to talk about what it sees as the other priorities and the positives of the union. but, look, there is no doubt that there is a big constitutional clash coming in the next few years over whether or not nicola sturgeon, who is based here — bute house in edinburgh — whether or not she can hold another referendum. there's an argument as well that the recovery is going to take a nationwide effort. we understand borisjohnson will want to have the scottish government and the welsh and northern irish assemblies also involved. so they have got to try to get along. yes, so, borisjohnson has invited ms sturgeon and the welsh first minister mark drakeford to a summit to discuss the covid recovery. ms sturgeon said that she is up for it and will attend, and i suppose the slight difference between the two positions is that

nicola sturgeon says, when it comes to the health emergency, she will focus on that until she thinks about another referendum. michael gove this morning was saying, wait a minute, you need to think about the economic recovery process as well. the argument you will get from the scottish independence movement is they need the tools of independence to have an economic recovery that suits scotland. but the uk government will say, hold on, look at the vaccine roll—out and furlough, they are all things that have been made easier because they've been done across the whole of the uk. the snp are on course for 19 years of power now, and that is a big deal. that is going to be the longest term of any government since devolution in scotland. the pro—independence parties have theirjoint biggest—ever majority — that is a big deal because the last time they had 72 msps, david cameron said yes to alex salmond for the first independence referendum.

but it's really interesting when you dig into the figures of the election result. if you add up the tallies that all the pro—independence parties and all the anti—independence parties got, they are pretty much the same, they're 50—50. if you look at the polls in the last few weeks, they have been around 50—50 as well. when you look at the average of those polls anyway. although the independence movement is in a really good place, they are really happy with the election result, the country is still pretty split, and i think that means we will spend at least another three years talking about the process before we get to potentially, even then, the point of another referendum. and nicola sturgeon wants to work out the answers to some pretty big questions as well, so she's not going to be rushing into it. the labour leader, sir keir starmer, is preparing to announce a reshuffle of his shadow cabinet. the move comes after his party lost control of several councils in england's local elections, as well as the hartlepool by—election.

he's already been criticised by some high profile figures on the left of the party for removing campaigning responsibilities from his deputy, angela rayner. helen catt has the latest. morning, mr starmer. a laid—back look for the labour leader, his task ahead anything but. is this the first of many changes, mr starmer? these elections have been bruising for labour. losing councils in places like durham which they held for nearly a century beforehand and the by—election in hartlepool has been particularly painful. keir starmer said he would take responsibility for the results, but his decision last night to sack the deputy leader angela rayner from her roles running campaigns and as party chair has reignited fights over labour's future and its leadership. when the leader of the party on friday says he takes full responsibility for the election result in hartlepool in particular and then scapegoats angela rayner, i think many of us feel that was unfair. what public relations genius thought this was a good move on the very day actually we were having successes?

he means brighter spots like these. labour has won in several mayoral races, such as greater manchester, where andy burnham was re—elected, and london, where sadiq khan secured a second term. some in the current shadow cabinet have defended their leader. the responsibility as a leader is, of course, deciding what team you need around you for the next stage of what's a really difficult battle for us in labour to rebuild trust with the voters. taking tough decisions is what leaders do. who keir starmer decides to keep in his reshuffle and who he sacks may give an indication of where he thinks the party needs to go. does he keep on trying to unify all the different bits? or does he in effect pick a side? and that might apply to the voters the party wants to reconnect with as well. is it about what he's currently got, which is young voters, graduates, social liberals, remainers? or is it still the party of the working class in britain which is what it

would still like to be, but frankly at the moment isn't? with its leader in office forjust over a year now, labour's challenge to find a message that chimes with voters looks just as tough as it ever did. helen catt, bbc news, westminster. i've been speaking to our political correspondent, chris mason. it's the usual arc after a set of elections. thejubilant it's the usual arc after a set of elections. the jubilant party celebrates, disappears and no doubt has a glass of something bubbly, while the one that is wounded to begin some public introspection, and that's exactly what we are getting within the labour party at the moment. i have been for a skulk around westminster to see if i could bring you the latest on this anticipated reshuffle — no sign of any of the labour leadership. parliament very quiet in preparation for the queen's speech, the new term of parliament coming in just a couple of days�* time. it looks like we could get something soon, not

least because, as we were hearing from helen, what on earth was going on around angela rayner. the deputy leader of the party, she can't be sacked from that role because it is directly elected by the membership, but from all the other responsibility she had been given by circular starmer, particularly around campaigning. people in labour have been saying it is all a mix—up and she will still be a senior figure in the shadow cabinet, but no confirmation yet from circular starmer. —— no clarification yet. all sorts of introspection, anger and commentary, all happening in public. some on the left loyal to jeremy corbyn under his leadership suggesting a variation of it i told you so. john trickett, a long—standing mp, suggesting you shouldn't rule out a leadership race. i think that's unlikely, to be honest, but it gives you some sense of anger and the questions that plenty in labour are asking, such as

how on earth do they bounce back from this, overcome the massive hurdles that stand between where they are now in winning a general election? and brutally, for lots of labour mps looking on that by—election result in hartlepool the other day, they will be thinking not how do we go on to win an election, but how do i go on to hold my seat if that is what happened in hartlepool, which has had a labour mp since 1964? a huge number of very difficult questions for the labour party to wrestle with, and the prospect of at least some answers as far as personnel are concerned, possibly in the coming hours, but who knows? maybe it will leak over into the beginning of next week. the first funerals for the victims of a bomb attack at a school in the afghan capital kabul have been held. more than 60 people — mainly young girls — died in the explosions that went off as they were walking out of the school gates. one man, ghulam hussain, spoke about his niece, who was killed in the blast.

translation: she was 15 years old and was studying — translation: she was 15 years old and was studying in _ translation: she was 15 years old and was studying in class _ translation: she was 15 years old and was studying in class eight - translation: she was 15 years old and was studying in class eight at i and was studying in class eight at school. she was very intelligent and didn't miss a single day of school. yesterday her mother told her not to go to school, but she said, no, mother, i will go today, but i will not go tomorrow. she told the truth, and we buried her here today. our afghanistan correspondent secunder kermani joins me now from islamabad. this neighbourhood in particular has seen horrific violence, even by afghanistan standards. absolutely. i mean, so afghanistan standards. absolutely. i mean. so many _ afghanistan standards. absolutely. i mean, so many places _ afghanistan standards. absolutely. i mean, so many places in _ afghanistan standards. absolutely. i | mean, so many places in afghanistan have endured so much pain, but this particular neighbourhood in the west of cobble has soft —— in the west of kabul has this suffered repeated attacks by the islamic state group because it is from members of a shia

minority. iis have attacked mosques, cultural centres, sports hall, tuition centres in the past. as you say, funerals have been held today so far at a hilltop cemetery overlooking kabul, and the majority of the victims were teenage girls, students at the school, from poorer backgrounds who whose families would have worked hard to give their daughters a better chance at life, and instead they were killed when a car bomb exploded outside the gates yesterday afternoon, followed by two more blasts. this yesterday afternoon, followed by two more blasts-— more blasts. this particular violence — more blasts. this particular violence is _ more blasts. this particular violence is against - more blasts. this particular violence is against a - more blasts. this particular| violence is against a context more blasts. this particular i violence is against a context of increasing attacks and unrest ahead of this proposed us troop withdrawal.— of this proposed us troop withdrawal. ~ �* , ., ,, ~ withdrawal. we've seen a spike in violence over _ withdrawal. we've seen a spike in violence over the _ withdrawal. we've seen a spike in violence over the past _ withdrawal. we've seen a spike in violence over the past week. - withdrawal. we've seen a spike in violence over the past week. last| violence over the past week. last weekend was when the final tranche

of american and nato forces in afghanistan, around 10,000 troops, they formally began withdrawing from they formally began withdrawing from the country, and that process will be completed by september. the start of that withdrawal has coincided with an increase in attacks largely by the taliban against afghan government forces. there were civilians inevitably caught in the middle of that. even if this attack has been carried out by islamic state, which is separate from the taliban, many people are expressing a lot of anger towards the taliban also might because they are contributing through their attacks also out to the general instability in the country. there is a lot of anger and frustration directed at the afghan government because of its ability seemingly to protect ordinary people. the headlines on bbc news: scotland's first minister, nicola sturgeon, warns it would be "completely outrageous" for the westminster government to block a second independence referendum the labour leader sir

keir starmer prepares to reshuffle his team after the party's disappointing performance in the elections — he's already removed his deputy angela rayner, as campaigns chief police in kent are granted more time to question a man arrested in connection with the murder of community support officerjulia james. let's stay with that story now as police continue to investigate the death ofjulia james and have been granted more time to question a man in his 20s. police investigating the death of community support officer julia james have been granted more time to question a man in his 20s. 53—year—old ms james was found dead on 27th april in woodland near dover. she'd suffered serious head injuries. police arrested a man from the canterbury area on friday. our correspondent simonjones is in aylesham and he gave us this update on the investigation. this is day 13 of the murder investigation. the man arrested was detained on friday evening at around 9:30pm and today officers have been granted more time to question him, an additional 36 hours.

and that means they can continue to question him until tomorrow evening. now, at that point, they will have to decide whether to release him, charge him, or they could apply for another 24 hours to question him. today there has been a large amount of activity at this property close to the murder scene. we have seen forensic officers inside the house, coming and going, taking out objects from the property, carrying out a search of a skip, looking at the garden, they have been taking up paving slabs. we do not know whose house it is but the police have confirmed the searches are connected to the murder investigation. julia james was killed on tuesday of last week. she had been working from home that day. she took her dog for a walk when she was attacked. officers are continuing to appeal for information and want to hear from anybody who might have seen anything suspicious that day between 1pm and 4:30pm. police say particularly local people may have noticed someone strange or acting in an unusual manner, perhaps to the extent

that they might have crossed the road to avoid that person or perhaps decide to take a different path. police want to hear from anyone who felt that way. there are hundreds of officers in this investigation. kent police are getting support from other forces, too, and the national crime agency. and the family are saying theyjust hope there is progress in this case soon. the body of a newborn baby has been found in a canal in north west london. police say the baby was found in the grand union canal in the harlesden area earlier this afternoon. officers say an investigation is under way and are urging the baby's mother to seek medical assistance by dialling 999. let's take a look at the latest coronavirus figures for the uk. 1,770 new covid infections have been recorded and there have been two deaths in the latest 24—hour period — that's those who've died within 28

days of a positive covid test. that takes the total number of uk deaths to 127,605. the eu says it has not renewed its order for astrazeneca's coronavirus vaccine beyond june. it comes a day after the bloc agreed a deal with pfizer for 900 million doses by 2023. the eu's relationship with astrazeneca has been troubled, with complaints about delivery shortages in spite of millions of doses of the company's jab going unused across europe in the wake of safety concerns. the government is expected to announce we'll be able to hug each other as part of the next relaxation of lockdown rules in england on may 17th. the cabinet office minister, michael gove, said that, while the government wanted to see contact between friends and family "restored", any relaxation of the rules would be proportionate. earlier i spoke to our correspondent, sangita myska, who said there is still very little detail about how the

rules will be relaxed. not being able to hug each other, not being able to see each other, not being able to kiss each other when we have friends around, even in the garden. this could feel like a really massive turnaround for much of the country, but, and i hate to do this to you, i'm going to sound like everybody�*s mother here, cautious optimism is the way to treat this news. do we have details? not yet. this is why. there have been stories circulating in the papers this morning, and that was confirmed by michael gove today, and the line the government is using is, they would like to see intimate contact between family and friends restored. what does that mean? we have absolutely no idea until there is a press conference tomorrow, however, we can bring you what michael gove said on the andrew marr show this morning. the prime minister will confirm tomorrow that there will be a relaxation. we have already indicated a proportionate relaxation on international travel. very, very limited at this stage because we have to be safe. and in the same way as we move

into stage three of our road map, it will be the case that we will see people capable of meeting indoors, and without prejudice to a broader review of social distancing, it is also the case that friendly contact, intimate contact between family and friends is something that we want to see restored. the 17th of may or thereabouts — hugging, as we call it. _ yes. michael gove talking to andrew marr. we have to say, it is not going to be compulsory when it comes back in, because there has been just horror for people on social media that they are going to have to hug people. no, it will not be compulsory. but there is going to be some science behind this, i imagine, about what is going to be permissible and by whom. absolutely. as i was saying, so far, no solid details, but what we do know is what government has been doing at each stage of raising restrictions, is waiting for four—weeks blocks that they can assess the data and then see what happens. so we are expecting a press conference tomorrow. but needless to say, news organisations like us have been

going out into the world and trying to get a reaction, and we're already hearing from scientists who're involved in assessments that what they want to see tomorrow is something that is very move forward. so, for example, professor noakes from the university of leeds sits on the sage committee that has been advising the government. she is one of those voices that says, look, we have to do everything on a case—by—case basis and the government is going to have to be crystal—clear with the public about what they can do safely and what they can't. we can hear from her now. we need to be a bit careful with that. i mean, it perhaps depends on who you are hugging. if you are hugging a grandparent, hugging a grandchild and the grandparents are fully vaccinated, that is probably quite a low—risk activity most of the time. but it would worry me if we were advocating we can hug all of our friends every time we meet, because i think that is going to perpetuate an awful lot of additional close contact that could still spread the virus.

israel's attorney—general has asked the supreme court to postpone a hearing on the planned evictions of palestinians from land claimed byjewish settlers. it comes as dozens of people were injured in another night of clashes in eastjerusalem between israeli police and palestinians. israel's prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, has defended his handling of two nights of violence, warning that threats to peace and order would not be tolerated. our middle east correspondent, yolande knell, has more. it's relatively quiet right now, but the old city ofjerusalem is always at the heart of the israel—palestinian conflict, and we've seen tensions running really high here through the islamic holy month of ramadan. on friday, that led to really bad clashes, with the worst violence in years in the al—aqsa mosque compound, where there were tens of thousands of worshipers gathered in the evening — israeli police going in there using stun grenades,

palestinians throwing stones, and lots and lots of people were injured. again, clashes on saturday night as well on the holiest night of ramadan, and tensions still remain very high. lots of worries about what happens in shaikh jarrah, a neighbourhood not farfrom here. this is where palestinian families facing eviction, with settlers laying claim to the land there. they have been in a long—running court case, but there have been some really crunch hearings in recent days and they're seeing a lot of support from different activists. now, there are some more sensitive days to come as well, particularly at sunset, when we havejerusalem day. that is when israelis remember the capturing of eastjerusalem, including the holy sites here, in the 1967 middle east war. and there is usually a flag march that goes along with that, with right—wing nationalist israelis marching through here. that's seen as a big provocation and is often a flashpoint for violence. three people — including a four—year—old girl —

have been shot in times square in new york. police say it appears the three victims — who didn't know each other — were innocent bystanders when an argument erupted between two to four men, at least one of whom fired a gun. they're being treated in hospital. doctors say their lives are not in danger. serious disruption on some of the uk's busiest rail lines is expected to continue into next week after cracks were discovered in some high speed trains. inspections on more than 180 trains are due to be completed today, but great western railway and london north eastern railway have advised passengers to check timetables. our correspondent, sean dilley, has been outside kings cross for us. to describe the picture at kings cross, one of the major london terminals, there are people turning up for travel. within the last couple of minutes there was one train on the platform coming behind us here, but there are plenty of staff trying to help people to make theirjourneys.

the advice has been clear that lner along with gwr out of paddington all the way to swansea, bristol and penzance are saying if you don't have to travel, please don't. we heard earlierfrom robert nisbet from the rail delivery group speaking on behalf of all of the train operators, in this case that 183 trains were taken out of service yesterday. these are the hitachi 800 trains with the cracks in the metal underneath. they say safety is the top priority, they are working as quickly as they can to get the hitachi 800 trains back and operational, many of those returning to service today. but the rail delivery group say timetables may have a knock—on effect as we move forward. the advice from the government, which the rail companies appear to be listening to, is to make sure there's plenty of staff to help those who absolutely need to travel. in many ways it's fortunate it is a weekend, many people are used to remote working

with covid—19, but they say if you do not need to travel, please try not to. sean dilley reporting there. bran castle in romania — long associated with count dracula — is offering visitors the chance to getjabbed. doctors and nurses with fang stickers on their scrubs have set up a coronavirus vaccination centre. sightseers are offered a dose of the pfizerjab along with free entry to an exhibition of medieval torture instruments. staff hope the move will lure people back after several slow months during the pandemic. romania has held vaccination drives at well—known landmarks to immunise as many people as possible. in a few moments, viewers on bbc one willjoin us for a round—up of the news with mishal husain. now, it's time for a look at the weather with ben rich. hello there. today has brought us a burst of spring warmth, with temperatures into the low 20s for some.

but it hasn't been blue sky and sunshine all the way. there have been some areas of cloud. in fact, some pretty big shower clouds that developed close to the south—east of england earlier on. they brought some quite heavy downpours and thunderstorms. there could be some more of those to come as well. we've got low pressure sitting out towards the west, feeding areas of cloud northwards across the uk. but also feeding that very warm air northwards, especially across eastern parts of england. 20 or 21 degrees. not as warm as that further west, but still warmer than it has been. sunshine and showers to take us towards the end of the day across scotland and northern ireland. a lot of dry weather for england and wales, but you can see some more of those thunderstorms, which could well drift up across the south—east of england, east anglia, and eventuallyjust clipping into north—east england by the end of the night. frost—free pretty much across—the—board, with temperatures between seven and 11 degrees. so, as we head through the next few days, low pressure is going to be firmly in charge.

this pressure chart runs from monday through tuesday, wednesday and into thursday. you can see the low just sits and spins. it will generate some pretty heavy showers, perhaps some longer spells of rain at times. so, through the week ahead, yes, we can expect heavy downpours, but there will be some drier interludes, too, and the nights should largely stay frost—free. so this is how monday looks. an area of pretty heavy and persistent rainjust clipping in across the north—east of scotland. but elsewhere, it is a sunshine and showers day. some of the showers will be quite heavy, could be the odd rumble of thunder, and it will be quite a blustery day as well. those are the wind gusts. we could see gusts in excess of 40 mph, especially across parts of england and wales. temperatures not quite as high as they have been today, but still getting up to between 14 and 17 degrees in most places. tuesday is a repeat performance for most of us. another sunshine and showers day, although we will see some slightly persistent rain pushing in across the far north—west of scotland. and again, those temperatures in a range between 14 and 17 degrees. wednesday is another

sunshine and showers day, but with lighter winds. as we head towards the end of the week, it looks a little bit drier, but it will turn a bit colder in the north.

labour waits to hear how the leader's top team might change — after the local elections in england sir keir starmer is under pressure to come up with a fresh focus after some disappointing results. but sacking his deputy angela rayner from a key role sees him accused of trying to shift the blame. that's what you do in leadership, you take responsibility. you don't scapegoat and blame others. you take it on the chin. they're hard calls but it is the keir to choose the team he wants and get people in the positions that he wants us to be in. also on the programme — after the scottish parliament results — the prospects for another independence referendum. nicola sturgeon says she'll put the post pandemic recovery first but there is a mandate for another vote. permission to hug — england looks set to progress with lockdown easing

with an announcement due tomorrow. a second night of violence injerusalem as palestinians continue to protest against evictions. and united beat aston villa to keep premier league title celebrations in the blue half of manchester on hold. good afternoon. the labour leader sir keir starmer is in the process of making changes to his top leadership team in the wake of results from the english local elections — sacking angela rayner from her campaigning roles for the party. she remains its deputy leader. sir keir is expected to announce a reshuffle after a series of disappointing results from english councils — and the loss of the hartlepool constituency to the conservatives.

but he's been accused of trying to shift the blame for the results. our political editor laura kuenssberg has the latest. tense laura kuenssberg has the latest. and tight—lipped. removing tense and tight—lipped. it�*s removing angela rayner he taking responsibility? is this the first of many changes?— responsibility? is this the first of many changes? after awful election results, many changes? after awful election results. keir — many changes? after awful election results, keir starmer _ many changes? after awful election results, keir starmer has _ many changes? after awful election results, keir starmer has edged - many changes? after awful election results, keir starmer has edged out his deputy angela rayner, as chair. was she sacked or offered a differentjob? with no clarity from the leader of�*s team. some labour mps around the country are baffled and angry. tote mps around the country are baffled and an: . ~ ., ~ ., , mps around the country are baffled andan: .~ ., ~ ., , , and angry. we need to know this is and angry. we need to know this is an individual— and angry. we need to know this is an individual that _ and angry. we need to know this is an individual that has _ and angry. we need to know this is an individual that has a _ and angry. we need to know this is an individual that has a game - and angry. we need to know this is an individual that has a game plan | an individual that has a game plan for taking us forward. at the moment that isn't clear. he needs to up his game. that isn't clear. he needs to up his name. ,, . ., , , ., that isn't clear. he needs to up his name. ,, ., ., , , ., _ game. shadow ministers hanging by the hone game. shadow ministers hanging by the phone to — game. shadow ministers hanging by the phone to find _ game. shadow ministers hanging by the phone to find out _ game. shadow ministers hanging by the phone to find out about - game. shadow ministers hanging by the phone to find out about their - the phone to find out about their job. the phone to find out about their 'ob. . , the phone to find out about their 'ob. ., , ., ., ~ job. leaders do make their decisions, _ job. leaders do make their decisions, they _ job. leaders do make their decisions, they are - job. leaders do make their decisions, they are hard i job. leaders do make their. decisions, they are hard calls job. leaders do make their- decisions, they are hard calls but it is for— decisions, they are hard calls but it is for keir— decisions, they are hard calls but it is for keir to choose the people

he once _ it is for keir to choose the people he once i— it is for keir to choose the people he once i get is in positions he wants— he once i get is in positions he wants is— he once i get is in positions he wants is to _ he once i get is in positions he wants is to be in.— he once i get is in positions he wants is to be in. others demanding much faster— wants is to be in. others demanding much faster change. _ wants is to be in. others demanding much faster change. we _ wants is to be in. others demanding much faster change. we cannot - much faster change. we cannot saunter our _ much faster change. we cannot saunter our way _ much faster change. we cannot saunter our way back _ much faster change. we cannot saunter our way back into - much faster change. we cannot i saunter our way back into power, much faster change. we cannot - saunter our way back into power, we have to _ saunter our way back into power, we have to show — saunter our way back into power, we have to show the _ saunter our way back into power, we have to show the country _ saunter our way back into power, we have to show the country we - saunter our way back into power, we have to show the country we get - saunter our way back into power, we have to show the country we get the | have to show the country we get the message _ have to show the country we get the message and — have to show the country we get the message and act _ have to show the country we get the message and act absolutely- message and act absolutely decisively _ message and act absolutely decisively-— message and act absolutely decisivel . ., ., ., decisively. labour took a hammering in many areas _ decisively. labour took a hammering in many areas they _ decisively. labour took a hammering in many areas they used _ decisively. labour took a hammering in many areas they used to - decisively. labour took a hammering in many areas they used to treat - decisively. labour took a hammering in many areas they used to treat as i in many areas they used to treat as their own, losing durham councilfor their own, losing durham councilfor the arts first time in 100 years. but there were good results in wales. some celebration with progress in west sussex. even areas like oxfordshire. but there seems to be bitterness, not affection at the party's top be bitterness, not affection at the pa rty�*s top level. be bitterness, not affection at the party's top level. instead of making tories miserable, labour has been clouded by the spat, the opening move of a reshuffle that has gone wrong. move of a reshuffle that has gone wronu. ~ . move of a reshuffle that has gone wron~.~ ., , , , move of a reshuffle that has gone wronu. ., , , , ., .,, wrong. what publisher relations renius wrong. what publisher relations genius thought— wrong. what publisher relations genius thought this _ wrong. what publisher relations genius thought this was - wrong. what publisher relations genius thought this was a - wrong. what publisher relations genius thought this was a good | wrong. what publisher relations - genius thought this was a good move on the very day we were having successes?— on the very day we were having successes? , ., ., , successes? instead of strengthening their un- successes? instead of strengthening their grip and _ successes? instead of strengthening their grip and power _ successes? instead of strengthening their grip and power up _ successes? instead of strengthening their grip and power up in _ successes? instead of strengthening their grip and power up in the - successes? instead of strengthening their grip and power up in the lead l their grip and power up in the lead a's office, keir starmer�*s team has been held up for hours stuck on what

to do, other than making calls to announce a new and they hope, improved shadow chancellor team. these elections for the first for labour with keir starmer in charge on the first since the party received a drubbing in 2019. there were some pockets of progress, but overall the picture was still tough. the shuffling and shifting of his top team was meant to be part of an effort to show he can change and he is decisive and determined the party can punch their way out of this slump. instead, it has been a day for labour, a day of dispute. when what voters see political party scrapping with each other, the temptation can be just to turn away and block out the noise. some big questions for labour, laura, how will it play out? big questions. _ laura, how will it play out? e: 3 questions, but what exactly is going on? the lights are still on in the

leader's office, but there is no news about the reshuffle that was meant to happen today. no names, no confirmed moves about exactly how his top team is going to look. still no clarity and exactly what happens with this dispute with his deputy angela rayner. you might wonder why the fuss matters at all? labour had a hard time this week that there is elections, even though they have a new leader who has made a huge effort to show how much he wants to change the labour party. this few days, this moment should have been a really clear chance for him to have a reset, to grab the party by the scruff of its neck, to get on with the changes he wants to make, even if that makes some very difficult decisions. instead, he has found himself in this confused picture, perhaps a stand—off with his deputy. no clear message about who will be sitting around the shadow cabinet table in the next few days. it has also provided a vacuum into which

his critics, particularly from the left of the party, have spent the whole day touring the broadcast studios throwing in their tuppence worth and suggesting he is taking the party in the wrong direction. the party hopes to give the details of the top team tonight, but it has already been a long date with not much clarity about what is going on. laura kuenssberg, thank you. nicola sturgeon has told borisjohnson it's a matter of when, not if the scottish people get a chance to choose if they want independence. she made the comments in a phone call to the prime minister this afternoon. the cabinet office minister, michael gove, says the first minister nicola sturgeon should focus on economic recovery from the pandemic. she says she will do that but there is a clear mandate for another vote with a majority in the scottish parliament for pro—independence parties. here's our scotland editor sarah smith. nicola sturgeon congratulating some of her brand—new msps who will bolster the pro—independence majority in the next scottish parliament. confident she has a

strong mandate for an independence referendum, she still might face the hurdle of a legal challenge from a uk government. will you see them in court if you have to? the uk government. will you see them in court if you have to?— court if you have to? the snp won the election _ court if you have to? the snp won the election on _ court if you have to? the snp won the election on a _ court if you have to? the snp won the election on a commitment - court if you have to? the snp won the election on a commitment for| court if you have to? the snp won | the election on a commitment for a referendum when we are through the crisis and even that selection overwhelmingly and in any normal democracy, that would be expected. for now she is clear, her priority is dealing with the pandemic and she is dealing with the pandemic and she is to meet the prime minister for a covid summit. nicola sturgeon doesn't intend to take any steps towards a referendum in the near future. although she does plan to pass legislation through the scottish parliament to authorise another vote on independence. if the uk want to stop that, they may have to challenge in court, whether the scottish parliament has the legal authority to authorise that referendum. the uk minister, charged with keeping the kingdom united, is in scotland are swerving questions

on a legal challenge to any referendum.— on a legal challenge to any referendum. , ., , ., referendum. the priority at the moment is _ referendum. the priority at the moment is not _ referendum. the priority at the moment is not court _ referendum. the priority at the moment is not court cases, - referendum. the priority at the moment is not court cases, it | referendum. the priority at the | moment is not court cases, it is referendum. the priority at the - moment is not court cases, it is not independence legislation, it is recovery from the pandemic. to be fair to the first minister, during the course of this election campaign she said it was the single most important thing that we should all be concentrating on. we should work together as a team uk in order to deal with the pandemic. i5 together as a team uk in order to deal with the pandemic. is scotland allowed to leave _ deal with the pandemic. is scotland allowed to leave the _ deal with the pandemic. is scotland allowed to leave the uk? _ deal with the pandemic. is scotland allowed to leave the uk? it - deal with the pandemic. is scotland allowed to leave the uk? it is. - allowed to leave the uk? it is. throu~h allowed to leave the uk? it is. through a _ allowed to leave the uk? it is. through a legal— allowed to leave the uk? it is. through a legal referendum i allowed to leave the uk? it 3 through a legal referendum which would allow people to make that choice. ., , would allow people to make that choice. ., : : would allow people to make that choice. ., , , ., would allow people to make that choice. ., , ., , choice. votes cast on thursday a- eared choice. votes cast on thursday appeared to — choice. votes cast on thursday appeared to show _ choice. votes cast on thursday appeared to show voters - choice. votes cast on thursday appeared to show voters in - choice. votes cast on thursday - appeared to show voters in scotland are split roughly 50—50 on the question of independence. anyone eagerfor another question of independence. anyone eager for another referendum will have to be patient. this result makes it more likely, but not imminent. i makes it more likely, but not imminent-— makes it more likely, but not imminent. ., ~ ., ., , , imminent. i would like it to happen soon, but imminent. i would like it to happen soon. but i — imminent. i would like it to happen soon. but i am _ imminent. i would like it to happen soon, but i am prepared _ imminent. i would like it to happen soon, but i am prepared to - imminent. i would like it to happen soon, but i am prepared to wait - imminent. i would like it to happen soon, but i am prepared to wait a l soon, but i am prepared to wait a few more years. soon, but i am prepared to wait a few more years-— few more years. everything has chanced few more years. everything has changed since _ few more years. everything has changed since 2014, _

few more years. everything has changed since 2014, with - few more years. everything has changed since 2014, with is - few more years. everything has l changed since 2014, with is being taken _ changed since 2014, with is being taken out — changed since 2014, with is being taken out of the eu so i would like to see _ taken out of the eu so i would like to see another independence referendum.— to see another independence referendum. , , ., ., referendum. maybe it is a case of hanuain referendum. maybe it is a case of hanging on _ referendum. maybe it is a case of hanging on and — referendum. maybe it is a case of hanging on and getting _ referendum. maybe it is a case of hanging on and getting ourselves| hanging on and getting ourselves sorted _ hanging on and getting ourselves sorted and — hanging on and getting ourselves sorted and when _ hanging on and getting ourselves sorted and when we _ hanging on and getting ourselves sorted and when we are - hanging on and getting ourselves sorted and when we are in- hanging on and getting ourselves sorted and when we are in a - hanging on and getting ourselves| sorted and when we are in a good place. _ sorted and when we are in a good place. then— sorted and when we are in a good place. then yes _ sorted and when we are in a good place, then yes. but _ sorted and when we are in a good place, then yes. but right - sorted and when we are in a good place, then yes. but right now. sorted and when we are in a goodj place, then yes. but right now we are in_ place, then yes. but right now we are in a _ place, then yes. but right now we are in a pandemic, _ place, then yes. but right now we are in a pandemic, no. _ place, then yes. but right now we are in a pandemic, no. 0“- place, then yes. but right now we are in a pandemic, no.— are in a pandemic, no. on that, there is widespread _ are in a pandemic, no. on that, | there is widespread agreement, are in a pandemic, no. on that, . there is widespread agreement, no referendum during a covid crisis. but in the months and years to come, a political and possibly legal battle over the future of the united kingdom is looming. sarah smith, bbc news. hugging is likely to be officially allowed in england again when the government makes an announcement tomorrow on the next lockdown easing, from may the 17th. the changes on household mixing will be most significant since the rules were introduced last year. but we're being urged to use common sense' and limit close contact. here's our science editor david shukman. remember this, the comfort of a hug? well, for more than a year, we've been warned against it because of the risk of transmitting the virus. but now, with fewer infections

and many more people vaccinated, it seems to be the moment for a cautious return. we've seen an absolutely extraordinary success of both the vaccine programme and also the suppression of cases as a result of this very prolonged lockdown which we've had, and so i think it is time — based on the very careful modeling that's been done — to start relaxing some of those restrictions. so will people rush to hug again or might they hold back? in newcastle this afternoon, we found a range of views. it's brilliant. yeah, really looking forward to that. couldn't help but wanting to hug my friends here at the table. i've never been a big hugger myself. people know that about me, so i think it won't change much. i will be cautious, but i really am looking forward to hugging - the parents and the in—laws and stuff that we haven't i done for a long time. they need it as well, so, yeah, it'll be really nice. _ the prime minister is reported as saying that we need to use our common sense when it comes to hugging, so what exactly does that mean? well, an infected person can release the virus through their breath, so here's the scientific advice.

limit the number of people you hug — just those who mean most to you, not everyone you meet — keep it short — that'll reduce the chances of the virus being passed on — and try to avoid being directly face—to—face. in any event, scientists say a lot depends on exactly who it is you're hugging. if you're a grandparent hugging a grandchild, and the grandparents are fully vaccinated, that's probably quite a low—risk activity most of the time. but it would worry me if we were advocating we can hug all of our friends every time we meet again, because i think that's going to perpetuate an awful lot of additional close contact that could still spread the virus. the pandemic has meant new ways of behaving — elbow bumps, for example. but while life in the uk is now set to become a bit more normal, it's far too early for that in much of the rest of the world. david shukman, bbc news.

and the latest figures show there were 1,770 new covid infections in the past 24 hours — with two more deaths recorded. more than 35 million people have now had their first dose of a vaccine. that's over two thirds of the uk's adult population. more than 17.5 million people have had both jabs, meaning over a third of all adults are now fully vaccinated. in israel, prime minister benjamin netanyahu has defended the actions of police after a second night of violence in and around jerusalem's old city. tensions have been high with palestinians protesting at planned evictions from homes in eastjerusalem. last night's violence came after thousands had prayed at the al— aqsa mosque compound on the most holy night of ramadan. our middle east correspondent yolande knell reports. on the most sacred night of ramadan, this is how prayers ended — with israeli police using stun grenades, palestinians throwing stones injerusalem's old city.

today, israel's prime minister blamed extremists. translation: we will enforce law and orderl decisively and responsibly. we will continue to ensure freedom of worship to all religions, but we will not allow violent unrest. it followed some of the worst violence in years on friday, with clashes right by the al—aqsa mosque bringing international condemnation. tensions have been running high for weeks, with nightly clashes in the eastjerusalem neighborhood of shaikh jarrah. palestinian families here are locked in a long—running legal battle to stop jewish settlers taking over their homes. it's become a rallying point for palestinians, with the militant group hamas warning israel it's ready to act. despite delays in that case, this week looks set to remain volatile. it's nowjerusalem day, when israel celebrates gaining control over the city.

they have a flag march which comes through the damascus gate, waving israeli flags, far—right nationalist israelis. that's always seen as a provocation, and there's fears that could lead to yet more violence. and what happens here matters. jerusalem is always at the heart of the israel—palestinian conflict. yolande knell, bbc news, jerusalem. rail disruption is continuing for a second day after services were cancelled across the uk due to cracks in some trains. 183 hitachi trains were taken out of service yesterday as a "precautionary measure" after the fault was found. katy austin is at king's cross station for us. katy. there are still some cancellations on l and e afternoon and disruption is likely to spill over into tomorrow, but great western railway is the network worst affected, it's got more than 90 of these trains and

it was only able to run a tenth of its long distance services today. it is asking passengers not to travel tomorrow and we don't know how many days it will take before disruption comes to an end. we still don't know how many of these trains are going to need repairs. but the government has said this afternoon it has asked hitachi to set out a longer term strategy for repairs.— hitachi to set out a longer term strategy for repairs. katie, thank ou ve strategy for repairs. katie, thank you very much- _ with all the sport now, here's olly foster at the bbc sport centre. thank you, michelle. the premier league title race is still alive. defeat for manchester united at aston villa would have seen manchester city crowned champions, but united came from behind to win 3—1. here's our sports correspondentjoe wilson. manchester city waited for the title, but when and where? let's visit birmingham. where is bertram try it going? he knew. aston villa winning and for title significance it was manchester united losing.

second half, all change. there was probably no need for a douglas luiz to challenge paul pogba like that. it is a penalty. so step forward bruno fernandes, the way he steps forward. he bruno fernandes, the way he steps forward. .: : . bruno fernandes, the way he steps forward. ., . . ., forward. he was ice cool from the sot. forward. he was ice cool from the spot- three _ forward. he was ice cool from the spot. three minutes _ forward. he was ice cool from the spot. three minutes later, - forward. he was ice cool from the spot. three minutes later, the . spot. three minutes later, the greenwood — spot. three minutes later, the greenwood on _ spot. three minutes later, the greenwood on the _ spot. three minutes later, the greenwood on the turn. - spot. three minutes later, the| greenwood on the turn. mason greenwood on the turn. mason greenwood saw a gap and guided the ball into it. city are still waiting. this match became another of the fine united comebacks, completed by edinson cavani. like that, the title remains a race, or rather, at least, it waits for another day. joe wilson, bbc news. chelsea have won the women's super league on the final day of the season. the reigning champions had to beat reading and they won 5—0. fran kirby scored twice. they finished two points clear of manchester city. chelsea have won the league cup this season, are still in the fa cup and have also reached the champions league final. stjohnstone are into the scottish cup final. they beat st mirren 2—1 and will return to hampden park.

later this month to face hibernian. substitute glenn middleton scored what proved to be the winner from a freekick. stjohnstone are on for the cup double having already won the league cup. lewis hamilton converted the 100th formula one pole position of his career into another victory. he won the spanish grand prix to stretch his lead in the championship to 14 points. ben croucher reports. a winnerfor the 98th a winner for the 98th time in formula 1, lewis hamilton has become the master of making the extraordinary look oh so simple. in spain, this was a lesson in patience, taking the time to strike. max verstappen had his chance at the start, elbows out into turn 1 and no way through for hamilton. he hounded the dutchman lap after lap. his team decided to switch things up, a set of fresh tyres and the chase was on. how far have i got to catch up? 22 how far have i got to catch up? seconds, how far have i got to catch up? 22 seconds, you have done it before.

how far have i got to catch up? 22 i seconds, you have done it before. 22 secows, you have done it before. 22 laps. seconds, you have done it before. laps. in the red corner. seconds, you have done it before. 22 laps. in the red corner. i don't - seconds, you have done it before. 22 laps. in the red corner. i don't see i laps. in the red corner. i don't see howl laps. in the red corner. i don't see how i am — laps. in the red corner. i don't see how i am going — laps. in the red corner. i don't see howl am going to _ laps. in the red corner. i don't see howl am going to do _ laps. in the red corner. i don't see howl am going to do it. _ laps. in the red corner. i don't see howl am going to do it. he - laps. in the red corner. i don't see howl am going to do it. he was i howl am going to do it. he was riaht, howl am going to do it. he was right. the _ howl am going to do it. he was right, the champion _ howl am going to do it. he was right, the champion timed - howl am going to do it. he was right, the champion timed his l howl am going to do it. he was - right, the champion timed his attack with six laps to go and into the lead. to with six laps to go and into the lead. ., .: .: with six laps to go and into the lead. ., ., ., ., lead. to all the men and women in the team, — lead. to all the men and women in the team. you _ lead. to all the men and women in the team. you guys _ lead. to all the men and women in the team, you guys continue - lead. to all the men and women in the team, you guys continue to i the team, you guys continue to impress me. thank you so much for the hard work. ben impress me. thank you so much for the hard work.— the hard work. ben croucher, bbc news. the hard work. ben croucher, bbc news- that _ the hard work. ben croucher, bbc news- that is _ the hard work. ben croucher, bbc news. that is all _ the hard work. ben croucher, bbc news. that is all for _ the hard work. ben croucher, bbc news. that is all for the _ the hard work. ben croucher, bbc news. that is all for the sports i the hard work. ben croucher, bbc| news. that is all for the sports are now. now it is time for the news where

hello. this is bbc news with me, martine croxall. more now on the news that the labour leader, sir keir starmer, is preparing to announce a reshuffle of his shadow cabinet. the move comes after his party lost control of several councils

in england's local elections, as well as the hartlepool by—election. i spoke to matthew doyle, former head of media for the labour party and former special adviser to tony blair about the future of the party. the challenge for keir now is to try and communicate with the party and also with the country about the scale of change that needs to happen for the labour party to get back in sync with the british public. look, it's been more than... ..since the party has been in sync with the public. and now he referred to it earlier this week as being like climbing a mountain. well, if people thought it was ben nevis, it's been clear from these results it's more like mount everest. but if we look away from the english council elections and hartlepool, which i know is a big thing to have to set aside, the mayoral elections have been betterfor labour,

and so has the success of the party in wales. how instructive are those results about what the national party needs to do? i agree, there have been high points for the labour party over the last few days, notjust in scotland and wales, as you mentioned, but also some of the mayoral races that there have been have seen gains for the labour party, have seen increases in majorities for other of the mayors. it's not that we're saying that the position is universally grim, and indeed the bbc�*s own projection shows that the labour party is closing the gap on the tories from where it was in the 2019 general election. but none of that offsets the question that the reality is that if we are going to be on a path for winning the next general election,

then there is just much more work that needs to be done to go not down some sort of philosophical rabbit hole, but to have a very clinical understanding and a practical addressing of why people are voting conservatives in such large numbers. and we have to be honest about the fact that too many voters don't think the labour party cares about them, isn't interested in them and their lives and doesn't have plans to make their lives better. matthew doyl, former special adviser to tony blair. more than 400 athletes, including us athletejustin gatlin, are taking part in a test event at the olympic stadium in tokyo. it is hoped this will show everyone that the olympics can take place safely injuly, as they were cancelled last year due to the pandemic. but there are concerns, as parts ofjapan are under a recently extended state of emergency due to the number of coronavirus infections in the country. rachel stanton reports. on your marks, get set, and go.

athletes here in tokyo are preparing for the upcoming olympics. due to happen injuly, more than 11 test events have taken place to make sure the games can go ahead after they were cancelled last year as a result of the pandemic. translation: they had social distancing. - and every time we touched something, they sterilised it. i thought the organisers were being very attentive and had good anti—virus measures in place. but not everyone feels the same way. there are concerns about the games being given the green light. translation: honestly, we are all so scared - of getting the virus. we understand that we will not be able to take part in the race if we get infected here, so, to be frank, i am taking part in fear. athletes aren't the only ones to voice their concerns. "no olympics" — that is just one of the signs here outside the stadium. and more than 200,000 people have signed an online petition hoping

the event will be called off. |translation: covid-19 infections are important in tokyo and osaka, with many severe cases. so i would like the money from the games to be used in hospitals instead. despite opposition, world athletics president sebastian coe insists it can all be held safely. the covid protocols, particularly that world athletics have developed over the last year and a half by our health and science teams, who are extremely good at this, have consistently helped deliver events in a safe and secure environment. with daily cases topping 7,000 for the first time since the beginning of the year, the battle against the virus is far from over. but with covid restrictions in place across the country, the government is hoping to rein in the surge of infections and that, byjuly, the most famous international sports competition can bring back some normality to our lives. rachel stanton, bbc news.

time for a look at the weather with ben rich. hello there. today has brought us a burst of spring warmth, with temperatures into the low 20s for some. but it hasn't been blue sky and sunshine all the way. there have been some areas of cloud. in fact, some pretty big shower clouds that developed close to the south—east of england earlier on. they brought some quite heavy downpours and thunderstorms. there could be some more of those to come as well. we've got low pressure sitting out towards the west, feeding areas of cloud northwards across the uk. but also feeding that very warm air northwards, especially across eastern parts of england. 20 or 21 degrees. not as warm as that further west, but still warmer than it has been. sunshine and showers to take us towards the end of the day across scotland and northern ireland. a lot of dry weather for england and wales, but you can see some more of those thunderstorms, which could well drift up across the south—east of england, east anglia, and eventuallyjust clipping into north—east england by the end of the night. frost—free pretty much across—the—board, with temperatures

between seven and 11 degrees. so, as we head through the next few days, low pressure is going to be firmly in charge. this pressure chart runs from monday through tuesday, wednesday and into thursday. you can see the low just sits and spins. it will generate some pretty heavy showers, perhaps some longer spells of rain at times. so, through the week ahead, yes, we can expect heavy downpours, but there will be some drier interludes, too, and the nights should largely stay frost—free. so this is how monday looks. an area of pretty heavy and persistent rainjust clipping in across the north—east of scotland. but elsewhere, it is a sunshine and showers day. some of the showers will be quite heavy, could be the odd rumble of thunder, and it will be quite a blustery day as well. those are the wind gusts. we could see gusts in excess of 40 mph, especially across parts of england and wales. temperatures not quite as high as they have been today, but still getting up to between 14 and 17 degrees in most places. tuesday is a repeat

performance for most of us. another sunshine and showers day, although we will see some slightly persistent rain pushing in across the far north—west of scotland. and again, those temperatures in a range between 14 and 17 degrees. wednesday is another sunshine and showers day, but with lighter winds. as we head towards the end of the week, it looks a little bit drier, but it will turn a bit colder in the north.

this is bbc news. the headlines at six: the labour leader sir keir starmer prepares to reshuffle his team after the party's disappointing performance in the elections — he's already removed his deputy angela rayner, as campaigns chief. that's what you do in leadership — you take responsibility, you don't scapegoat goat and blame others, you take it on the chin. thea;r scapegoat goat and blame others, you take it on the chin.— take it on the chin. they are hard calls, but — take it on the chin. they are hard calls, but it _ take it on the chin. they are hard calls, but it is — take it on the chin. they are hard calls, but it is for _ take it on the chin. they are hard calls, but it is for him _ take it on the chin. they are hard calls, but it is for him to - take it on the chin. they are hard calls, but it is for him to choose l calls, but it is for him to choose the team — calls, but it is for him to choose the team he wants and gets people in the team he wants and gets people in the positions he wants us in. scotland's first minister, nicola sturgeon, warns it would be "completely outrageous" for the westminster government to block a second independence referendum. the government is expected to end the advice against hugging each other, as part of the relaxation of lockdown rules in england. and the government is calling on the rail industry to fix disruption on some of britain's busiest rail lines, after small cracks were found

in some high speed trains. and coming up this hour — united beat aston villa to keep