this is bbc news. i'm frankie mccamley. the headlines at 8pm — could the lights go out this winter? the national grid warns that a shortage of gas might mean rolling power cuts across the country. we do have a good supply of energy in the uk. we're in a much better position than many other countries, but of course there's always more we can do. at least 38 people, many of them children, have died after a man carried out a gun and knife attack on a nursery in thailand. a group of high—profile celebrities, including prince harry and sir eltonjohn, have launched legal action against the publishers of the daily mail and the mail on sunday. a special report on one family's experience of living with dementia as new research suggests that nearly

60% of those diagnosed are not getting the help they need. new guidance for universities to contact key family members if they have serious concerns about a student's mental health, even without their permission. good evening, and welcome to bbc news. britain could face rolling power cuts this winter if gas supplies run low. that's the warning from national grid, which keeps the lights on in england, scotland and wales. it says in a worst—case scenario, households could lose power for three hours at a time if gas supplies run extremely low and the energy crisis escalates. but it's reassured customers this

is still thought "unlikely". the former conservative energy minister greg hands told us the uk has "excellent energy security and excellent energy supply". here's our business correspondent emma simpson. europe's energy crisis has seen gas prices soar, and it's in short supply. the big question is are we going to able to secure what we need this winter? not only to heat our homes, but to produce a lot of our electricity. so, where do we get our gas from? the good news is that we produce half of it ourselves from the north sea. the rest we import mostly from norway. we also rely on imports from europe and elsewhere. we use very little russian gas, and that's now gone. the national grid says the network should cope with demand this winter, but if it's a cold one,

like back in 2010 here, we may need to rely more on imports. if it's cold in december, at the start of the winter, when european inventories of gas are high, we might be all right. gas will follow the highest price, that might be here or in europe, but it will be enough to meet demand. but as inventory�*s drawn down over the winter and into january, there's a risk there won't be enough physical molecules to go around. that's when the scenario the national grid set out of the potential for power cuts could come into play. while power stations like these do help us produce most of our own electricity, we also import it from europe when needed. today's report warns that if we can't do that and there's a shortage of gas, we could end up with power cuts. the report says we may need to interrupt the supply to some customers for limited periods in a managed and controlled manner. that's businesses and households across great britain. they could be cut off for up to three hours at a time in peak periods.

supplies to hospitals and other priority sites would be protected. but the national grid thinks this worst—case scenario is unlikely, saying it's cautiously confident there will be adequate margins overwinter. it's also got contingency plans to bolster supplies. three coal—fired power plants that were due to close will remain on standby, and households and businesses could be paid to use less energy. we do have good energy supplies in the uk. we can get through the winter. but, of course, i'm always looking for ways that we can improve the price for consumers. that's why i put in place the energy price guarantee, as well as making sure that we have as much supply as possible. but with volatile gas prices and the war in ukraine, this could be a winter like no other, and an awful lot is riding on the weather. so, possibility of blackouts and people being encouraged not to use energy at peak times to get discounts on their bill.

let's speak kathryn porter, who is an an independent energy consultant. thank you very much forjoining us. how likely are these blackouts? i don't think they're particularly that likely. we do have quite a lot of measures that can be taken. the demand measures you mentioned people get paid to reduce or remove their consumption but also supplies to businesses which would be an action that we would take ahead of any rolling blackouts. find that we would take ahead of any rolling blackouts.— rolling blackouts. and we were heafina rolling blackouts. and we were hearing from — rolling blackouts. and we were hearing from the _ rolling blackouts. and we were hearing from the prime - rolling blackouts. and we were l hearing from the prime minister rolling blackouts. and we were - hearing from the prime minister who said the uk has good energy supplies. what can we take from that? i supplies. what can we take from that? 4' supplies. what can we take from that? ~ �* , supplies. what can we take from that? 4' �* , ., ., ., , that? i think it's true that our gas su lies that? i think it's true that our gas sunplies are _ that? i think it's true that our gas sunplies are very _ that? i think it's true that our gas supplies are very secure. - that? i think it's true that our gas supplies are very secure. we - that? i think it's true that our gas supplies are very secure. we get | that? i think it's true that our gas i supplies are very secure. we get gas as you were mentioning any report from a lot of places and there's not really very much a likelihood of that being disrupted. unfortunately we are a lot more vulnerable with electricity, and this because we have been replacing thermo nuclear generation with a win and if it is not windy, then you can have

difficulties. normally we don't expect to import our way out of that trouble but this year, france and norway are the main sources of those imports and forjulie will not be able to supply them. and that's when the difficulty with electricity arises. there are measures that can be taken to limit this risk. we have a few more gas power stations that can be brought back in the market. we could lift emissions restrictions that would allow businesses to run back at diesel generation and we can even look at some of our larger gas power stations running on oil type products that would reduce the demand for gas. so there are many steps that can be taken before we face blackouts. find steps that can be taken before we face blackouts.— steps that can be taken before we face blackouts. and how feasible are those options? _ face blackouts. and how feasible are those options? is _ face blackouts. and how feasible are those options? is easy _ face blackouts. and how feasible are those options? is easy to _ face blackouts. and how feasible are those options? is easy to turn - face blackouts. and how feasible are those options? is easy to turn to - those options? is easy to turn to those? ,, ., those options? is easy to turn to those? ., ., , ., _ ~ those? some of them are very easy. a lot of businesses _ those? some of them are very easy. a lot of businesses have _ those? some of them are very easy. a lot of businesses have back-up - lot of businesses have back—up diesel generation on—site with unlimited bio emissions restrictions a helmet can run those generators. so if those restrictions were limited and businesses could run those generators whenever they

needed to without worrying about running out, and i think that could be done with a swipe of the pen, if you like. it's an easy measure. looking at dual fuelling, this is more complicated if you have to look at supply chains to deliver oil to those power stations. but these are things that can be looked at. there is spare capacity in thatjet fuel supply chains the moment that could be potentially diverted. you supply chains the moment that could be potentially diverted.— be potentially diverted. you took about businesses _ be potentially diverted. you took about businesses along - be potentially diverted. you took about businesses along there - be potentially diverted. you took- about businesses along there and you advise businesses. what are you telling them to prepare for? i advise businesses. what are you telling them to prepare for? i think there is a high _ telling them to prepare for? i think there is a high chance _ telling them to prepare for? i think there is a high chance businesses l there is a high chance businesses will face curtailment this winter either through the compass at his scheme we have been hearing about or justly because national grid instructs them to reduce their consumption. and businesses should be prepared for that and will make you prepare is to look at how they can save energy can but what i can move that consumption out of the peak hours which reduces the risk of those curtailment and another measure as as i mentioned have back—up generation of their own.

diesel generation is to restrict it by environmental regulations, but you can get biofuel burners that don't suffer from those restrictions and can be operated at any type. qm. and can be operated at any type. 0k, thank ou and can be operated at any type. 0k, thank you ever so much forjoining us here bbc news. for more on how to manage the cost—of—living crisis and latest economic turmoil, join us on a special edition of your questions answered we will explore many issues from the cost of living with our personal finance correspondent kevin pt and arena experts who will form a panel to answer questions you want answered. e—mail us your questions on the e—mail address your questions at the bc dock c0 below. at least 38 people, including more than 20 children, have been killed in an attack at a preschool in north—eastern thailand.

a man armed with a gun and a knife stormed into a childcare facility. our correspondentjonathan head reports from there. his report contains some distressing images. the community consumed by grief and shock that children so young could've been deliberately killed by a fellow parent. the children were taking a nap inside the daycare centre when the attacker turned up to collect his son, who wasn't there, and then opened fire. translation: he used his feet to kick the window, then - he got at the door. i thought he'd got inside. i ran to the kitchen behind. i was in shock. i didn't know what to do. survivors were taken to the nearest hospital, but there weren't many.

police say the attacker was a former police officer who'd been arrested and was being tried on drugs charges. well, it's just a few minutes since they took the bodies out of this daycare centre and away in a long convoy of ambulances. there's still a lot of activity here, a lot of police, a lot of local people who've come down as well, offering help to those affected by this horrific incident. but more than anything else, there isjust stunned disbelief about what could've driven this man to carry out such a cruel and desperate act. a few distraught family members stayed close by, hoping for answers. but there were none. nanticha panchum is lucky to have survived. she's a teacher at the centre. she described hearing the first shots as she was preparing lunch. she recognised the shooter as a parent. "we never thought he would attack the children," she said. this country is accustomed to gun crime, but nothing on this scale, involving so many children.

jonathan head, bbc news, north—eastern thailand. a group of high—profile celebrities, including prince harry and sir eltonjohn, have launched legal action against the publishers of the daily mail and the mail on sunday. our correspondent robin brant is here with more details. they are all household names. you mentioned prince harry and elton john there, including in this list of six is eltonjohn�*s partner, the actress elizabeth hurley, the actress sadie frost and also perhaps most notably is there in a story lawrence, mother of stephen lawrence he was murdered in nets 93. what they allege by having large papers in the courts in london this afternoon is a startling array of widescale surveillance, interception

of communications, what is known as blacking, manipulation and deception to gain information about them and regard to hospitals, clinics, banks, cars, all of these allegations, all of these refuted in the strongest possible way by associated newspapers but nonetheless lawyers representing the six people claim this is a tip of the iceberg. they say these people have been victims of a boric criminal activity and what they described as growth breaches of privacy. and there are five techniques that they say associated newspapers has used it to gather information about the people's lives placing listing devices inside cars, surreptitiously listening in to and recording peoples lives, paying police officials, impersonation of individuals to obtain medical information and fit and violate the accessing of bank accounts. associated newspapers denied this in

the strongest possible terms of this could be the beginning of a very lengthy proceeding in the civil courts. lengthy proceeding in the civil courts, , ., , lengthy proceeding in the civil courts. , ., ., ., , courts. some serious allegations there and at _ courts. some serious allegations there and at the _ courts. some serious allegations there and at the first _ courts. some serious allegations there and at the first time - courts. some serious allegations there and at the first time we . courts. some serious allegations l there and at the first time we have seen celebrity sticking on newspapers. seen celebrity sticking on newsnapers-_ seen celebrity sticking on newspapers. seen celebrity sticking on newsuaers. . ., , ., ., newspapers. prince harry, one of the names among _ newspapers. prince harry, one of the names among the _ newspapers. prince harry, one of the names among the six, _ newspapers. prince harry, one of the names among the six, is _ newspapers. prince harry, one of the names among the six, is a _ newspapers. prince harry, one of the names among the six, is a serial- names among the six, is a serial litigant. he is involved in civil action against news uk, the publishers of the sun, also against reach, and i reported on allegations of phone hacking in the intersection of phone hacking in the intersection of voicemails and that is not made here but i reported on that in trial we had in this country back in 2014. we have heard about allegations in civil and criminal court for the last decade, and they referred allegations going back further than 20 years so it associated newspapers, publishers of eight daily mail, all the latest in a frankly long line of very long line of publishing houses to face allegations but these allegations are on a very large scale. but it's

important to say yet again that associated newspapers denies them in the strongest possible terms. thank ou ever the strongest possible terms. thank you ever so — the strongest possible terms. thank you ever so much, _ the strongest possible terms. thank you ever so much, robin, _ the strongest possible terms. thank you ever so much, robin, reporting there. and we'll find out how this story and many others are covered in tomorrow's front pages at 10:30pm and 11:30pm this evening in the papers. our guestsjoining me tonight are the former trade minister lord digbyjones and rachel cunliffe, who's senior associate editor for the new statesman. sport, and for a full round—up from the bbc sport centre. good evening to you with plenty of football action to bring you up—to—date with. four british clubs in european action tonight. manchester united survived a scare to beat omonia nicosia 3—2 in cyprus in the europa league. united dominated possession, but failed to do much with the ball for the half an hour. karim ansarifard struck with omonia's first

chance. marcus rashford was introduced after the break and immediately made his presence felt. a second substitution mirrored the success of the first as anthony martial made it 2—1 to united. a few minutes to go the game looked to have been put beyond omonia when rashford claimed his second goal of the evening. the cypriot side pulled one back, but united left with the points with the points as 3—2 winners. arsenault kicked off and are so fark goalless against the norwegian champions. but so far, it is goalless at the emirates. west ham recorded a third straight victory in the conference league, beating the belgian side and 1—0. the winner being scored there. one of the two british eyes involved this evening with hearts trailing at home to

fiorentina as they begin the evening second place with fiorentina at bottom but the italian side lead. wales and scotland can take a world —— step closer in the women's world cup tonight as they are involved in the playoffs. well sticking on bosnia in cardiff this giving the wels to leave it taken for offside. they are frustrated they are not leading and it remains goalless there at half—time. meanwhile these are life pictures from scotland where scotland takes on austria in the driving rain. also goalless in that match and if they win against austria, a game against the republic of ireland is next with likely a place in the finals on the line. what's that on the website or if you are in scotland on the television or just watch this corner take place and away it goes. the latest from both wales and scotland.

the fight between conor benn and chris eubankjr has been called off. it follows benn returning what is being called an "adverse analytical finding for trace amounts of a fertility drug". benn�*s opponent, eubankjr, has said on social media "this should not have happened. he has escaped his schooling for now." the promoters had wanted the fight to still go ahead, but the british boxing board of control said they would not permit it under theirjurisdiction. matchroom boxing are now considering legal action. i want to make it clear that he is not suspended by the british boxing board of control, and we do feel that he has not been given due process like many others in this situation before him. i also want to clear up so many different reports from journalists and outlets that we have seen today about us being in the high court this afternoon, us considering other commissions and this isjust not considering other commissions and this is just not true. we took our time with boxing and we made a

decision with that was in the best interests of the parties involved. the british overbite writer chris rouse has died at the injuries to his head when he was struck by another writer despite emergency surgery and hospital. he passed away today in the afternoon. rugby union's financially stricken worcester warriors will be relegated from the premiership at the end of the season. players and staff had their contracts terminated yesterday. their suspension has been confirmed till the end of the season, when they will be relegated. that's all the sport for now. we'll have more for you on the bbc news channel later on. keep up—to—date with all the football matches on the website as well. analysis by the alzheimer's society suggests that nearly 60% of those

diagnosed with dementia in the uk are not getting the help they need. the government says it is providing an additional £500 million to local authorities for adult social care this winter. this is to speed up care assessments and access to care packages. our correspondentjeremy cooke and producer claire kendall have spent days filming withjo, who has alzheimer's disease, and her husband bill, who've have been struggling to navigate the social care system at their home in newcastle. meetjo wilson. hi,jo. are you washing up? trying to get something out for my dinner. that's drjo wilson, phd. high—flying, globe—trotting career woman. she was damn good at what she did and had an international reputation. all of that, and now it's come to this. do you know how old you are? do i know how old i am? of course i know how old i am. how old are you? how old am i? i don't know, because i haven't made my mind up yet.

alzheimer's is cruel, devastating, isolating. my number—one girl. so this isjo's story, but it's bill's story, too. i love you to bits, don't i? and he's invited us in to see their lives, to see the impact of what he describes as the care crisis. up, stand up. help me, jo, help me. no, don't sit down again. i've phoned 42 care homes to look for a respite bed forjo and didn't get one that was prepared to offer respite care. the social care system, everyone knows it's broken. jo is just one of so many living with dementia. it's estimated there will be more than 200,000 new cases this year alone. we need to get some shopping. no, i'm not talking to anybody. i'm just going to sleep. with alzheimer's, everything gets harder. even a routine supermarket run.

jo, hang on, this way. i'm not going shopping at all, i'm going home. don't walk away, please. jo, jo, i have to pay. how was that? better than normal. it's such hard work, though. is this sustainable? you jump in here. well, bill wants to keepjo at home, but he is realistic. i've looked into residential care, and i've been to places cos i know that it's going to happen. and, you know, residential care costs £1500 a week. you heard that right — £1500 a week. a few care homes charge less. many charge a lot more. there's your tablet and some water. you need some cos you've just put a tablet in as well. it's bedtime forjo. i didn't put a tablet in. but no rest for bill. sometimes he has help, but getting carers is not easy.

i've just taken your shoes off... and that's something the government says it's committed to fixing. it took me two years to get a care package in place forjo, and i only got that becausejo had a collapse at home and was ta ken into hospital. but it didn't solve all of bill's problems. forjo, changing care staff and rigid timetables don't really work. so it's back to bill. finally, jo is settled. bill's hoping for some sleep. if only. it's now 5:05am. it took me so long to actually wake up... ..that by the time i did, it was too late, so now the beds wet. what kind of husband doesn't put his wife first? i'm just so tired. morning, is it morning? how are you? come in, please. i'm not good today. this is what exhaustion looks like.

it's devastatingly hard watching the woman that you love starting to disappear from your life, starting just to fade away somewhere, and almost 47 years together, was leaving me. and it was like... ..i don't want you to leave me. i need you here with me. please lift your foot. i'm so tired, i can't struggle with you this morning, so i really would like you just to do simple things to help me. jo does go to a daycare centre a couple of days a week. it's a welcome break for bill, but the background noise of money worries never fades. let's just see how much gas and electric we're using today, scare the life out of me. the cost of most illnesses is covered by the health service, but with dementia, families can face huge bills. the government says that's because there are limited medical

treatments for dementia, and so a limited role for the nhs. there is a huge disparity between being ill that is treatable by the nhs and having the illness of dementia, which is local authority care. why? i don't understand. because she has dementia, nothing's free. we have to pay for everything. so huge bills, rising costs, staff shortages, a care system stretched beyond capacity — calls for radical change. we know currently that three in five people with dementia do not get. the support that they need once they have that diagnosis. - and that leads to crisis in care. it's about a ten—year plan and not just sticking plasters, _ but really thinking about how - we properly transform, how we care for people into the future. if it all sounds bleak, well, it can be. oh, what have you got?

but for bill and jo, there are positives, too. and niece debbie and her kids, a bond that cuts through the fog of dementia. i think if anybody can help bill through whatever- may come in the future, - it'll be them two little children. and there's something else, too — bill and jo have each other. if you had jo back for a moment, a lucid moment, what would you say to her, bill? "i love you." nothing else. jeremy cooke, bbc news, newcastle. universities are being urged to do more for students with mental health problems. new guidance from universities uk, the body which represents 140 unis across the uk, says

institutions should be obliged to contact relatives, carers or friends if they have "serious concerns" about a student's well—being, even without the student's permission. let's talk more about this with the vice president of liberation and equality at the national union of students, nehaal bajwa. thank you ever so much forjoining us. what is your reaction to this? we welcome this move to make policies clearer and more consistent across the country. students have been experiencing mental health crisis for at least a decade now. maybe longer and then we had the pandemic and the crisis now has made that a lot worse. he will think might feel like they are at breaking point. and then the research found recently that a third of students of the cost—of—living crisis was having a major impact on the mental health, so that is kind of on top of what was already going on. and on this

advice, i guess specifically, i think we need to make sure that there are a number of safeguards in place to make sure it does really support students and is not disempowering and most import lead is not kind of dissuade them from accessing mental health support or coming forward because obviously if the student does not understand that if they come forward with a particular thing, the thing that might happen if their parent is called, they can probably cause a bit more disruption and surprise and maybe be quite destabilising to have that agency taken away. so universities have to be able to make sure they are communicating any changes to their existing policy relate clearly and regularly with students because i need to be aware of the applications of those steps and kind of agreeing to that and also they can pick the most appropriate trust to contact because people don't always have the best relationship with their parents or they may not have a little ship with

that parent or the might be other reasons they might not want that to be the trustee contact. but then there is an option of changing the content letter of that person does not feel safe with them or naming someone else and also i guess certain groups are already less likely to disclose mental health conditions to their university or to anyone. so international students are already more surveilled and worried about what the impact of this will be on education or my ability to carry on. and lgbt plus students might be less likely to disclose to their families or might have more troubled relationships with their families were students of colour might be less of you to disclose, especially black men tend to be less of me to come forward if they have mental health issues. sorry, i think some of the really important words here are universities should be obliged and

even without a student plus a permission, there is a fine line there that universities may not want to cross. .,. , there that universities may not want to cross. .. , �* , there that universities may not want tocross. �*, p to cross. exactly. it's difficult because you _ to cross. exactly. it's difficult because you don't _ to cross. exactly. it's difficult because you don't want - to cross. exactly. it's difficult because you don't want to . to cross. exactly. it's difficult| because you don't want to put students off coming forward and you don't want to rob them of agency they have. which might aggravate existing health inequalities, but where is that kind of like? and i think it's also difficult because not all students are 18 and just left home i thought of living alone or away from their parents and 30s or 40s i may have children of their might be coming back to their university education after work. so who is the most appropriate contact in that case? and then is it their partner? what is the situation there? needs to be thought about. interesting discussion and thank you ever so much forjoining us here on bbc news. and if you've been affected by any

of the issues raised in our discussion, there is information and advice on the bbc�*s action line. the address is bbc.co.uk/actionline. now it's time for a look at the weather with tomasz schafernaker. hello. well, overall, the weather is a bit of a mixed bag across the uk. clear spells and some heavy showers through this evening. here's the next band of heavy showers moving through northern ireland and scotland early hours of friday. one or two showers elsewhere, but generally speaking, the further south and east you are, the drier and clearer the weather will be into early friday. and not particularly cold, 10—14 degrees. here's the band of rain moving across northern england and wales through the latter part of the afternoon, reaching the midlands mid—afternoon and then the south—east later in the day. but even behind it, we have a rash of showers carried by a gusty wind off the atlantic, and a chilly one, two. 11 in glasgow, about 15 in liverpool, maybe 18 briefly in the afternoon in london.

here's the outlook for the weekend. the best of the two days most certainly is going to be saturday, especially across england and wales. rain expected in the north come sunday. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines... the national grids warns that that households in britain could be without power to up to three hours at a time this winter if gas supplies run extremely low. a gunman shoots at least 38 people dead at a nursery school in northern thailand. some of the victims were as young as two. a group of high—profile celebrities, including prince harry and sir eltonjohn, have launched legal action against the publishers of the daily mail and the mail on sunday. new guidance has been issued for universities to contact key family members if they have serious

concerns about a student's mental health — even without their permission. interest rates on a typical five—yearfixed rate mortgage reaches 6% for the first time in 12 years. to the war in ukraine now, and missiles have struck the ukrainian city of zaporizhzhia, killing at least three people and leaving others trapped under rubble, according to the regional governor. —— seven people. multiple explosions damaged residential buildings and infrastructure. zaporizhzhia is the capital of one of the regions illegally annexed by russia, but moscow has not commented. the bbc�*s paul adams is there. when things go wrong on the battlefield, is this how russia responds? this was not a military target.

this is where ordinary people lived, where they were sleeping. from dawn, rescue workers looked for survivors among five floors of smouldering wreckage. it's not known how many people died here. this is the very centre of zaporizhzhia. we're not that far from russian—controlled territory here and it's not unusual for explosions to be heard in and around the city. but for an entire apartment building like that to be demolished, that is unusual — and shocking. they know what war looks and sounds like, but they're stunned. and furious. translation: i have no words. it really hurts, and it's going to hurt even when i'm gone. i will never forgive russia for this. i won't. we shouldn't forgive russia for killing our children. we should take revenge and take it to the end. alla has relatives living in the building. she doesn't think they're alive.

translation: why are they doing this to us? | what are they trying to prove? killing old people, why? for what? this morning's attacks came with no warning. explosions. just a series of huge explosions in the darkness before dawn. not far away, on a quiet residential street, more destruction, more urgent work. a modest house reduced to flames and rubble. at a third building, a miraculous escape. russia is lashing out, firing missiles and drones into cities across ukraine. it feels desperate and dangerous. paul adams, bbc news, zaporizhzhia. the chancellor has been meeting

the bosses of high street banks amid turmoil in the mortgage sector sparked by the government's mini—budget. senior executives sat down with kwasi kwarteng to discuss his plans to loosen regulation in the financial services sector. the labour leader sir keir starmer said the mini—budget "is putting hundreds of pounds on people's mortgage bills", and called it "the opposite of a plan for growth". rents have been frozen in scotland until the end of march next year, under emergency legislation passed in the scottish parliament to deal with the cost of living crisis. the bill, also only allows evictions under certain circumstances, but landlords say the proposals aren't a viable solution. our scotland correspondent, lorna gordon, has the details. evie rogkoti and her flatmate adonis renting a flat in glasgow. their landlord wants them to sign a new contract,

and wants to up the rent. so, right now, we are paying £1,100 for this flat and the agency wants to increase it by £300 per month. they gave us a warning of two weeks — just two weeks. either you pay or you go, that was it. i feel very stressed. i feel like it's taken over the whole — all aspects of life. 38% of households in scotland rent. according to one estimate, average rents here jumped by 8.5% last year. the legislation effectively freezes the amount tenants pay from the 6th of september until at least the end of march. landlord organisations, though, have concerns. they believe this is badly thought—out legislation, that grabs headlines, but could cause problems further down the line. it's a nice residential area. it's quite quiet... brian gilmour rents out eight properties.

he says that landlords dealing with their own rising costs on their rentals will be limited in what they can pass on. i understand the principle of let's be reasonable about rents, - but to turn round to the private rented sector and say, you're l dealing with our problem, for me, ithat's not the resolution to this. i the problem being? the problem being the cost of living crisis that we've got. _ housing associations tonight are warning that the rent freeze could, if extended, threaten their ability to maintain and build more social housing. but scottish government ministers believe the cost of living crisis means they must find ways to support those impacted most. lorna gordon, bbc news, glasgow. for the first time in its history, the royal college of nursing is balloting its members across the uk for strike action. the union says if the strikes went ahead, they would not affect emergency care. the rcn wants a pay rise for its members of 5% on top of the 12% rpi rate of inflation.

so far, there's been no offer coming close to that. in england and wales, nhs staff including nurses are being offered an average increase of 4.75%. it's higher in scotland, with no decision yet in northern ireland. the rcn says average pay for a full—time established nurse was just above £32,000 last year — similar to average pay across the economy. caroline davies has the story. through the darkest days of the pandemic, the uk's nurses were some of the nation's heroes. now they're being balloted to strike over pay. sometimes you end up having not enough money to feed yourself or even feed your children. victoria is a mental—health nurse in an nhs trust. she has a young baby and works part—time. she needs government help to cover her childcare costs

and says if she worked full—time, her wage wouldn't cover that bill. if i'm going to work and i'm making a difference in people's lives, then i feel like i should be able to be compensated and have enough pay for myself. 300,000 royal college of nursing members in the nhs will receive a postal ballot. in old money, i'm a senior sister... ..and conversations about pay are happening around the country. especially coming out of the pandemic, you know, we've had the government singing our praises, but actually, all people want is to be able to earn a living... suzanne is one of many to have left the nhs. she's now an agency nurse. i decided to leave because of the pay, really. it's a sad thing, because as a student, you always think, "oh, i'm going to work in the nhs, that'll be the place i work." the reality is, i couldn't live. rachel is a senior paediatric a&e nous, concerned that the pay means not only will nurses leave

but new staff want to join., but new staff won't join. patients are already at risk - in hospitals because they can't be cared for the way that they need to be cared for. _ nurses are making this stand - because it's too important not to. the rcn is asking for a pay rise of 5% on top of inflation. nurses in northern ireland have been on strike before, but if this vote goes through, it will be the first time in the rcn's 106—year history that there's been a nationwide strike. not all nurses would walk out. some whose work is considered to be life—preserving or if it wasn't administered would lead to permanent disability will continue to work, too. but this strike is intended to disrupt, and it's likely to come at a time when winter pressures are starting to build. the rcn say they have no other choice. is this the responsible thing to do, to take strike action when we're coming into winter? you see, this is about nurses trying to get ministers to actually stand up and listen to the dire straits that they are in, trying every day

to look after their patients. if they don't listen to nurses, we'll continue to work in the crisis we are in. the department of health and social care in england has said it values the work of nhs nurses and is supporting them by giving them a pay rise of at least £1,400 a year. scotland's health secretary suggested yesterday that he would be making an improved offer. other unions are also planning or have already started balloting their health workers. there may be desperation and anger over pay, but of those voting will be grappling with the knowledge that any strike will affect the very patients they care for. caroline davies, bbc news. the union is balloting its members on uk—wide strike action meanwhile, ambulance staff in some regions of england are to be balloted on strike action over pay by their union the gmb. our health editor hugh pym has more details. this is ambulance staff in the west and the east midlands in england, about 3000. in each service of england,

there'll be different exercises like this. we already know that it's happening in the north—east and yorkshire, another 2250. they will be balloted on the pay award in england, around 4% on average, between 4—5% depending on different types of health work. and these are ambulance staff and paramedics. no dates have been set yet for the ballot, but it follows on that news, as you were saying, about the royal college of nursing announcing that it's started a ballot right around the uk of 300,000 members, again over pay. they want a pay deal much higher than inflation, inflation running at 10%, rather than the award that's been announced by the government in england. in scotland, there's an offer of 5%. the rcn, royal college of nursing, members are going to be balloted there. wales have gone with 4%. there's been no formal offer yet in northern ireland. and another health union, unison, that represents some nurses and other health workers,

they've said they will be balloting in all the uk nations in due course, but with no dates yet. our health editor there. women in iran have been at the forefront of protests that have swept the country. they've been demanding their basic freedoms, and an end to the mandatory headscarf. but their battle did not begin now. different women. different generations. still fighting for freedom. a fight that began soon after the islamic revolution of 1979. there are no cinemas or bars, and very few televisions. most women wear the black cloak.

less than a month later, iran had a new dress code for women. they were told that they have to wear a headscarf. the shah charged us down by force, but we are putting it up by force. women marched against it. now we are for freedom. a lot of women realised under this new islamic republic, the new government that they would lose their rights, but unfortunately... i sat down with a women's rights activist whose aunt was at those protests. we had a discussion in the house of my aunt the night before the demonstration, that she wanted to go to this demonstration with a black scarf to show that she is sad of this new situation. i've been looking at many of these videos from the first weeks after the islamic revolution of 1979, and it's clear that women wanted freedom

and equality from day one. but they were mostly under oath. despite the uproar, the headscarf became a law in 1983. women rapidly lost many of their basic rights. at that time, we did not have the morality police. we had only the committees. they started to control women in the street. they started to write in every shop a sign that women who have no headscarf are not allowed to come in. for decades, women showed a subtle resistance and wore the hijab more loosely... ..until 2018, when this woman shocked the country by taking off her hijab in protest. she became an icon. this action is the beginning of the courage that the women showed, because everybody knew, "i am important.

i can do something individually." today, many women are risking their lives on the streets of iran, and they're no longer alone. with more men by their side, they are waving their headscarves, just like women did before then. the headlines on bbc news... the national grids warns that that households in britain could be the national grid warns that that households in britain could be without power to up to three hours at a time this winter if gas supplies run extremely low. a group of high—profile celebrities, including prince harry and sir eltonjohn, have launched legal action against the publishers of the daily mail and the mail on sunday. a gunman shoots at least 38 people dead at a nursery school in northern thailand. some of the victims were as young as two.

the metroplitan police say a man in his 60s has been arrested the metropolitan police say a man in his 60s has been arrested following a bbc news report which found that an immigration official at the home office has been suspended for posting racist content in a whatsapp group for ex—met police officers. bbc news understands that rob lewis, a former metropolitan police officer, created the group chat. police now say a man has been arrested under the communications act on suspicion of misconduct in a public office. he's in police custody. now, with the cost of living continuing to rise, there are calls to expand the number of children who are eligible for free school meals. the celebrity chef tom kerridge is urging the government to act. he says around 800,000 pupils are slipping through cracks in the system, many of them in london. john maguire reports from lewisham.

today, chef tom kerridge is cooking with pupils at torridon primary school in south—east london. tom is also calling for free school meals to be made available to a wider range of families. at the minute, there is a gap of over 800,000 children whose family qualify for universal credit, but they don't qualify for free school meals. so, that means testing, surely that has to be one thing. if you qualify for universal credit, then you should qualify for free school meals. because we know these are the most vulnerable children in society. in england, all children up to year 2 can have free school meals during term time. in year 3 and above, pupils from households on benefits could be eligible, for those on universal credit, net income must be less than £7,400 a year. the school's head chef has had many successes in national competitions and clearly loves the job he does and the difference it makes to children's lives. what ijust love is knowing i'm

feeding the children and this could be the only meal they eat, sometimes. so, for me, a lot of love and passion goes in it. you didn't start off wanting to be a school chef? originally, i was in restaurants and hotels. so, i think, at first, you do not hear much about school catering, and it does get a bit of stigma in the press. so, i think seeing it for myself hands on, it's more different, cos the food we produce, the kids are smiling everyday. the government in england says it will keep all free school meal eligibility under review and has expanded access more than any other government in recent decades, currently reaching 1.9 million children. i like the pizza. but i would say it is like very thin and it| wasn't really cheesy, _ but, otherwise, it was very good. sometimes, it can be very nice, and sometimes it can be just fine. but i say very often it's very nice.

i really think this food is nice. our cooks do cook good food. so far, this is my favourite. the cost of living crisis for families and those supplying food is increasing anxiety about child hunger and, therefore, the need for solutions and answers is ever more urgent. to bath now, where the royal agricultural university in cirencester is to undertake a major study on laboratory—grown meat. farming institutions and scientists are working together to find out whether cultured meat is a threat, or an opportunity, for uk farmers. steve knibbs reports. today, being grown in this lab in the university of bath, muscle cell. the cells would originate directly from an animal that has been slaughtered for meat. the team are developing technology to produce lab—grown meat at scale. there's a huge opportunity for

farmers to be able to diversify how they produce proteins, so to get more value from their animals. so, still providing carcasses for the food chain, but actually growing cultured meat and perhaps on their own farm or locally with a group of fans. with a group of farms. she's teamed up with a former dairy farmer to get the technology to market within the next few years, and there's a serious focus — not to replace meat, but to plug a gap in the global supply of food. looking at the current climate, in term of the cost of living, a lot of people are not going to have access to food in the same way that we have had in the past, and so we need more technologies to bring food to a level of parity that's accessible to all. so, if cultured meat is going to have such a big role in the future supply of food, what threat does it pose to traditionalfarming? so, some might be selling products into it, some might see it as the competition, and that's what we're trying to tease out, is where are the big risks, where are the opportunities and what can the farmers do at the moment, and what can happen in policy—making, as well,

to change any of that? gloucestershire beef farmer david barton agrees that food sustainability and security should be top of the agenda but doesn't believe that cultured meat has all the answers. livestock are such a key part of keeping our soils healthy and this is being largely missed and i think it's so, so important because our soil is what feeds us. it's about four inches of soil, across the world, that's what feeds us. we have to look after it, make sure that we sustain it and keep in its tiptop condition. at that heart of the drive for cultured meat is ensuring food security, so now it's time for a serious discussion about whether that offers opportunities or hinders traditional producers. steve knibbs, bbc points west, at the university of bath. the prince and princess of wales were shaken and stirred today as they took up a cocktail making challenge during a visit to northern ireland. it was a light—hearted moment in a day which also included a visit to a charity which helps young people dealing with issues of self—harm. charlotte gallagher reports.

on the menu in belfast, cocktail—making. and the new prince and princess of wales got into the spirit, with a friendly competition. our champion! applause. they also spent time with a mental—health charity that helps people in the city. this is the couple's first visit to northern ireland since they received their new titles, and in the seaside town of carrickfergus, a warm welcome — despite the weather. cheering. as soon as word got out that the royal couple were coming here, crowds have been lining the street. some have been here for hours for the chance to see the new prince and princess of wales, others rushed down as soon as school had finished with their children. and you can see for yourself the reaction the couple are getting. it was great meeting them, and they were so nice as well.

it was fantastic. it's expected the couple will make more visits across the uk now charles is king, and as some of the most popular members of the royal family, towns like carrickfergus are thrilled to have them. love you, william and kate! charlotte gallagher, bbc news, carrickfergus. the uk's biggest movie event, the london film festival, got underway last night. over the next week, it will feature more than 150 films, showcasing british talent and oscar hopefuls. the opening film was the world premiere of matilda the musical. our entertainment correspondent lizo mzimba was there. the west end smash is now a big—screen movie. the world premiere of matilda the musical is opening this year's london film festival.

it boasts an all—star cast, including dame emma thomson as miss trunchbull. how much of an honour does it feel to have this film opening the london film festival this year? i mean, iwas so, so surprised, because... i don't know why i was surprised, because, isuppose, it's been around for a while, the story, and it's the london film festival, obviously. it normally opens with, i don't know, martin mcdonagh's latest, you know. and i think it's a wonderful thing to have chosen. the festival will be showing several films hoping for success in the forthcoming oscar season. she said details one of the decade's most significant stories, the new york times investigation into harvey weinstein, which helped launch the me too movement. the only way these women are going to go on the record is if they alljump together. while empire of light is set in a cinema in the 1980s. it stars academy award winners olivia colman and colin firth, alongside bafta winner michael ward. now, it might be called the london film festival, but it isn'tjust limited to the capital. more than a dozen films from here will also be screened

to audiences around the country. including oscar hopeful the banshees of inisherin, about two men's fractured friendship... now, if i've done something to you, just tell me what i've done to you. ..my policeman, starring harry styles, whose character finds himself attracted to another man, at a time when a same—sex relationship like this was illegal... and the sequel to comedy drama knives out, glass onion. last month, its star, daniel craig, told me about his love for this new franchise. everyone... is in danger. it's a joy, because rianjohnson is such a wonderful director, and i would work with him for the rest of my life if i could. but also, to have such an amazing cast, like this. lizo mzimba, bbc news. now it's time for a look at the weather with tomasz. hello. the weather's going to remain quite changeable over the next few days.

it's been beautiful in the south of the country, but the showers remain frequent and quite gusty in the north and west. that's likely to continue into tomorrow. let's have a look at the big picture across our neck of the woods. here's the strong jet stream pushing and weather system. that's not going to change, but we're always going to be closer to high pressure in the south, so this is where the driest and sunniest weather will be. let's look at the satellite picture. you can see for thicker cloud in the northwest. this is a band of heavy showers that's going to move across scotland and northern ireland through this evening and into tonight with that very gusty wind. a few showers elsewhere out towards the west, but generally speaking, the west, but generally speaking, the further east and south you are, the further east and south you are, the drier and clearer the weather will be. not cold tonight, temperatures between 10—14 degrees. that band of rain lasting may be an hour or so. will sweep across

northern england and wales later, eventually reaching the southeast, but dying a death as it does. brisk winds behind it in the northwest here and quite chilly. 11 in glasgow, but maybe 18 before that fronts arrives. tomorrow evening, a lot of clear weather, but a few showers out towards the west. here's a saturday — high pressure briefly, the weather looking absolutely fine on sunday. in england and wales, a beautiful day. very little cloud and the winds will be light, so it will feel quite warm. despite temperatures, 16—17 degrees, in the northwest, this is a bit more cloud heading our way. gusty winds and rain in the morning across scotland and northern ireland. this is on sunday, then that weather front drifts further south later to the day. furthersouth, drifts further south later to the day. further south, again, drifts further south later to the day. furthersouth, again, it's drifts further south later to the day. further south, again, it's a case of mostly bright if not sunday the weather for east anglia. the

weather remains fine in the south for the next few days, further north, always more changeable with sunny spells and occasional showers and spells. bye—bye.

hello, i'm christian fraser. you're watching the context on bbc news. a new club of nations gathers in prague. 44 countries represented at the first summit of the european political community. prime minister liz truss was there as the uk looks to shape its post—brexit relationship with europe. energy, security and ukraine were top of the agenda. a shock to global oil markets as opec+ countries announce a cut in production. brent surges to a three—week high. the white house lambasts a short—sighted decision. bulking up for the winter — the fat bears of alaska, who are vying for top spot in a global poll of admirers. tonight with the context, the political scientist dahlia scheindlin and joel rubin,

who served in the obama administration as assistant to the secretary of state.