face really on top of that, they face really ageist attitudes from recruiters and from companies when they do get through. and this is a real problem, because by 2025, over half of the workforce in the us will be over 50. we have a huge skills shortage. we have a big drive to get over 50s back to work. there is a big gap in the rhetoric getting people to apply for jobs, the rhetoric getting people to apply forjobs, and your story today the rhetoric getting people to apply for jobs, and your story today about the treasury and its own recruitment of over 50s being so low, i think is very typical of what is going on across the country despitejeremy hunt's good intentions. haw across the country despite jeremy hunt's good intentions. how much is it about staff — hunt's good intentions. how much is it about staff who _ hunt's good intentions. how much is it about staff who don't _ hunt's good intentions. how much is it about staff who don't cost - hunt's good intentions. how much is it about staff who don't cost them i it about staff who don't cost them so much over experience? well there robabl is so much over experience? well there probably is a — so much over experience? well there probably is a bit _ so much over experience? well there probably is a bit of— so much over experience? well there probably is a bit of that. _ so much over experience? well there probably is a bit of that. lots - so much over experience? well there probably is a bit of that. lots of - probably is a bit of that. lots of people were made redundant because

there were more expensive. but it is possible for companies to have compensation for all the workers saying, either you will get made redundant or can we talk about flexibility within the job. what we're seeing on the platform is that flexibility is incredibly important to the over 50s. the women we surveyed, it is 16 times important than traditional status, and i think these companies have really wised up to the fact that the companies are ready to have a conversation about pay and hours. they want the job to fit around their life. the other thing that is really important is having a purpose in doing something that feels worthwhile. the women i have seen who have left theirjobs have seen who have left theirjobs have just got to the point where they don't want to play a corporate game any more. they don't want to play a corporate game any more-—

game any more. given that these algorithms _ game any more. given that these algorithms may _ game any more. given that these algorithms may be _ game any more. given that these algorithms may be the _ game any more. given that these algorithms may be the first - game any more. given that thesel algorithms may be the first barrier causing this discrimination, how can we get round it if you are an applicant in your 50s? at we get round it if you are an applicant in your 50s? at the moment it is really difficult. _ applicant in your 50s? at the moment it is really difficult. i _ applicant in your 50s? at the moment it is really difficult. i remember - it is really difficult. i remember applying for a fewjobs myself i say after i left being a newspaper executive. i couldn't get interviewed and i couldn't get through. if you go through specific headhunters, then they can make a case for yuan and more individualised basis, and there are companies now called 55 redefined who are doing a system about age friendly employers. this month it is barclays who are actively recruiting people over 50. so there is beginning to be a movement was switched on employers realising that if they are going to recruit over 50s they need to change their practices. so hopefully that is a movement that which we really grow.

where demographics are growing because there is an increase in the number of older people, and because of the pension situation which means we are going to have to work until we are going to have to work until we are going to have to work until we are at least 6768, that is difficult if they algorithms are knocking you out if you try to apply for a job over 50. so you need the rhetoric to be backed up by the employee recruiting practice. thank ou. the bbc has suspended its decision to close its choir — the bbc singers — after a public outcry. it said a number of organisations had come forward to offer alternative funding. the group is britain's only full—time professional chamber choir and was targeted as part of budget cuts, shortly before its centenary. choirs across europe added their voices to those of many professional musicians and music lovers in the uk who expressed dismay at the original decision. i'm joined by our correspondent yetunde yusuf.

remind us how this all started. bbc sinners are remind us how this all started. bbc singers are much loved in their classical music scene and recognised globally. when the bbc announced plans to end bbc singers, this meant a lot of upset and criticism from top conductors to amateur choirs. as well as the musician bass white union as well, who described it as utterly devastating. but it was all planned by bbc to change the way that orchestras and performing groups worked. the bbc said it wanted to create agile ensembles, but it did spend £25 million last year on orchestras and performing groups, so there is no doubt about it that there are plans to make financial savings. what's changed? financial savings. what's changed 7 the financial savings. what's changed? the bbc has been in intensive talks with the musician's union over the last few weeks and they have been approached by a lot of organisations who have been keen to see this group

saved with alternative funding options. we will be looking at these options. we will be looking at these options to see if any of the options are viable, if any of them are, then the bbc singers group could potentially be saved.- the bbc singers group could potentially be saved. the bbc singers group could otentiall be saved. �* �* potentially be saved. under the bbc banner, or potentially be saved. under the bbc banner. or run _ potentially be saved. under the bbc banner, or run by _ potentially be saved. under the bbc banner, or run by someone - potentially be saved. under the bbc banner, or run by someone else? i potentially be saved. under the bbc| banner, or run by someone else? we don't banner, or run by someone else? - don't know all the details yet. at the moment, still unclear as to what it could look like, but they are saying they are looking at it. thank ou ve saying they are looking at it. thank you very much _ saying they are looking at it. thank you very much indeed. _ the bbc says it won't continue filming the latest series of top gear, following an accident in december where its presenter freddie flintoff was hurt. there are reports this morning that flintoff has decided to leave the programme — the bbc has not commented. our entertainment correspondent lizo mzimba reports. and you're expecting me... yeah. ..to go down there? freddie flintoffjoined top gear in 2019. along with co—presenters paddy mcguinness and chris harris, he helped to reverse the fall in ratings that had followed the departure ofjeremy clarkson, richard hammond and james may

four years earlier. the incident at top gear's test track at dunsfold park aerodrome in surrey last december, resulted in freddie flintoff being taken to hospital for treatment. just over three months later, bbc studios, which produces the bbc one show, says it's concluded its report into what happened. it says that it has sincerely apologised to flintoff, and that it'll continue to support him throughout his recovery. in a statement, it also says that, under the circumstances, it would be inappropriate to resume making the current series of top gear at this time, and that it will make a judgment about how best to continue later this year. three, two, one, go! there was also an initial inquiry by the health and safety executive into the incident. it said that it wouldn't be investigating further. lizo mzimba, bbc news.

a council leader is set to resign after giving the go—ahead for more than 100 trees to be chopped down overnight in plymouth. richard bingley will face a vote of �*no confidence' after he signed off the decision to make way for a town centre redevelopment plan. our south west england correspondent, jenny kumah, has this report. "despicable vandalism." "environmental devastation." "a chainsaw massacre." just some of the words used by opponents to this felling of more than 100 trees in plymouth city centre. the contractors came late at night. then, at around 1am, campaigners

were able to get an injunction to stop the chop. if you cut any more trees down it'll be a criminal offence. by then, only a few trees remained. do you have anything to say to the people of plymouth? plymouth city council said, given the size of the tree machinery, it had scheduled the works to be carried out at night, with as few people around as possible, for public safety reasons. in the cold light of day, the sight of the destruction left many feeling angry. it's just disgraceful that all the protests and all the people's feelings just meant nothing. they're supposed to be putting in new ones. but why cut down the old ones? they could have left them there. the council will appeal the injunction at the high court in london. if they win, they'll be able to remove the felled trees. they haven't been able to do that yet because of the injunction. they'll also be able to fell the remaining 16 trees. this is what the council plans for the city centre to look like, as part of a £13 million regeneration project. many traders and residents agree a spruce up is long overdue. the council admit, though, that a consultation showed overwhelming objections to their plans, but they say they listened, and changed the final design to deliver more than 170 semi—mature trees. it was the leader of the council, richard bingley, who used

his executive powers to order the felling of the trees. and he hasn't responded to our requests for an interview. and just a few days ago, his conservative group announced that he'll resign on monday, when he's due to face a no confidence vote. this has been an emotive and divisive issue in plymouth. that's likely to continue to be the case, whatever the judgment is of the high court this afternoon. jenny kumah, bbc news, plymouth. for more than 100 years, kings and queens have been among the few people permitted to walk on one of britain's greatest mediaeval treasures — the cosmati pavement. now, for the first time in its history, visitors to westminster abbey will be allowed to stand — in socks — in the exact spot where the king will be crowned. our royal correspondent sarah campbell has more. in just six weeks' time, westminster abbey will host

another coronation. since 1066, 39 monarchs have been crowned here. and for the past 700 years, beneath their feet has been this, a mosaic made from thousands of pieces of glass, marble and stone, the cosmati pavement. it's just so unusual that this is here. italian masons came here with all their materials. they collaborated with the english masons to produce this fantastic, glittering, shiny mosaic, in front of the high altar at the heart of westminster abbey. it would have looked amazing. it's so beautiful in the flesh, but it's been covered up for years. yes. covered with carpet and boarding, just because it was in such a deteriorated condition that it couldn't be safely used. and that's why, when you look back at archive footage from the late queen's coronation in 1953, all you can see is the light coloured carpet. the medievalfloor, which by then was uneven and damaged, had been covered up

since victorian times. vanessa and her team spent two years fully restoring the mosaic, with maintenance an ongoing project. it's witnessed so, so much. you know, throughout the centuries, every special event has taken place probably on the cosmati pavement. usually, the public is kept well away from the cosmati pavement in order to protect it. but, for a few short weeks after the coronation, they will be allowed for the first time to actually walk on the mosaic, as long as, of course, they take off their shoes. it's the high altar, it's a very sacred space. it's where special services and major services take place. and for normal visiting the area is completely roped off. but we just think as part of the celebration of coronation, we want to allow a few people access onto the pavement to see what it's really like, and to get a real feel

and a sense for the space. and to stand on the place where the coronation chair will have just been. yeah, you'll be able to stand right in the centre point where the coronation chair sits and faces east. and also, you'll be able to see the pavement itself in great detail. i mean, it's a masterpiece. it's been there since 1268. it's really lovely. anti—monarchy campaigners opted not to remove their shoes when they carried out a brief protest there earlier this week. on may the 6th, the focus will once again be on this seven—metre square mosaic, a colourful example of the abbey�*s long history and connection with the monarchy. sarah campbell, bbc news, westminster abbey. now it's time for a look at the weather with stav. low pressure has dominated the weather all week. sunshine and mark showered some stuff mostly. centre

of the low passing to the north of the uk, some light winds across scotland, but blustery conditions across england and wales. gusts of “p across england and wales. gusts of up to a0 to 50 mph. that will push the showers through quite quickly, some heavy hail and thunder, but some heavy hail and thunder, but some lighter wins for scotland mean the showers will be slow moving here. temperature is ten to 1a or 15 celsius. a mild area of low pressure will cross the country and blustery to the southern half of the uk. lows of five to eight celsius. it stays mild, sunshine and showers on saturday as we move into sunday. things turn colder and northerly winds start to begin with an increasing of showers.

this is bbc news — welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. i'm martine croxall. our top stories: a visit by king charles to france has been postponed amid widespread protests over french president emmanuel macron's retirement reforms. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu meets with uk prime minister rishi sunak in london, as backlash continues over controversial policy reforms at home. indian opposition party leader rahul gandhi is disqualified from parliament after being convicted in a defamation case relating to prime minister narendra modi. british billionaire sirjim ratcliffe puts in a revised bid to buy one of football's biggest names, manchester united.

the state visit of king charles to france has been postponed. the french and british governments took the decision following a phone call between president emmanuel macron and the king. this comes after widespread protests over the country's pension reforms. the interior ministry says more than a50 protestors were arrested and aao members of the security forces injured. more than one million people took to the streets on thursday to protest against the retirement age being raised from 62 to 6a. let's get more on this with our correspondent charlotte gallagher. a disappointment for both france and the uk? ., ., , ~., , ., the uk? totally. money will have been spent. _ the uk? totally. money will have been spent, this _ the uk? totally. money will have

been spent, this trip _ the uk? totally. money will have been spent, this trip will - the uk? totally. money will have been spent, this trip will have i been spent, this trip will have taken months to plan so both sides will be really disappointed. this was a last—minute cancellation. this morning we were being told the visit was still going to go ahead. we were perhaps expecting some alterations to the itinerary but not a complete cancellation. president macron of france obviously felt this trip wouldn't be a success with the current situation, the violent protests on the streets of france, and how would it have looked as well if you have the king and queen consort having a state visit, the p°mp consort having a state visit, the pomp and ceremony of that, and then a few streets away things on fire, people taking to the streets really angry. so both sides will be disappointed. this was king charles' first state visit, and france one of the uk's oldest allies, really close relationship. the queen, his mother, had many successful state visits to france so he wanted continue that tradition, but in this case it's not

been possible. the security implications of having the british monarchy in france at the moment and also the optics of how it would have looked to have this pomp and ceremony while those protests were going on. 50 ceremony while those protests were auoin on. , ., , , ceremony while those protests were uuoinon. , . , , ., going on. so germany gets to host the kin: going on. so germany gets to host the king but _ going on. so germany gets to host the king but not _ going on. so germany gets to host the king but not france? _ going on. so germany gets to host the king but not france? so i going on. so germany gets to host the king but not france? so they l the king but not france? so they will be going _ the king but not france? so they will be going to _ the king but not france? so they will be going to germany, i the king but not france? so they will be going to germany, that i the king but not france? so they l will be going to germany, that was meant to be the later stage of this trip, so they will go there but france is off the table. i'm sure they will return there when they can. they have made a point of saying the trip is postponed, not cancelled, but there will be a lot of disappointed people in buckingham palace. somejournalists had already travelled to france ahead of this trip happening, and then itjust seemed there was too much pressure perhaps on the french police, the french security services, trying to have this trip with all the publicity it entails and then dealing with these huge protests as well. ~ . , dealing with these huge protests as well. . . , , ., dealing with these huge protests as well. . , , ., , well. what is the purpose of this tri - ? well. what is the purpose of this trip? because — well. what is the purpose of this trip? because there _ well. what is the purpose of this trip? because there have - well. what is the purpose of this trip? because there have at i well. what is the purpose of this | trip? because there have at times been certain animosity between france and the uk. is it designed to

bring the countries back together? i think it's also about charles getting onto the world stage, introducing himself to world leaders as king. he met a lot of them including president macron during the queen'sfuneral, but this is his first state visit. the impact of that was a great honour for france to host him on this trip. it's also about the king setting the mood ahead of the coronation. these big events and having his wife, the queen consort, on these trips because of course camilla hasn't done many of them before because they haven't been married that long really. so it is about embracing the world stage, and at this point it's been a bit of a disaster, it's fair to say. hopefully they will be returning in a few months. charlotte gallaaher, returning in a few months. charlotte gallagher, thank _ returning in a few months. charlotte gallagher, thank you. _ i'm joined now by our correspondent in paris hugh schofield. so the republic cannot host them on it, it would have looked tone deaf

to have gone ahead.— it, it would have looked tone deaf to have gone ahead. yes, president macron is saying — to have gone ahead. yes, president macron is saying this _ to have gone ahead. yes, president macron is saying this was _ to have gone ahead. yes, president macron is saying this was a - to have gone ahead. yes, president macron is saying this was a joint i macron is saying this was a joint decision and it was taken really at the request of president macron, evidently he's the one under pressure here. the latest news from last night after rioting last night, let's not mince words, was the next day of action was going to be tuesday which is right in the middle of the planned visit. the visit was going to take him that day to bordeaux in the south—west, the wind city, where only last night the main monumental main door, a big portal of the town hall which he would have gone to were set on fire. so the situation was clearly not right, not propitious for a visit. but it's a massive loss of face for president macron and an admission finally, i mean what his opponents are saying is that he's trying to pretend there is that he's trying to pretend there is no big problem, but an admission there is a big problem and it

reaching levels of the yellow vest. it might not be the same level but it has that feel about it, so therefore not only is there a risk attached to the visit, but the image it would create is bad. bad for the king but also perhaps more importantly for president macron, bad for himself. the idea of him and the king dining together at versailles of all places in the hall of mirrors, you couldn't get a greater symbol of monarchy, the regime and all that protesters hate, the idea of them dining there at versailles. the start of the revolution was in versailles! wildfires burn on the streets of paris, it was all a bit much. what paris, it was all a bit much. what will the french _ paris, it was all a bit much. what will the french president - paris, it was all a bit much. what will the french president do i paris, it was all a bit much. what will the french president do about the ongoing protests? we will the french president do about the ongoing protests?— will the french president do about the ongoing protests? we 'ust don't know. i defy — the ongoing protests? we 'ust don't know. i defy anyone i the ongoing protests? we 'ust don't know. i defy anyone to i know. i defy anyone to prognosticate. he hoping they will go away, obviously he's hoping that

people will see there is and then inevitability about the law now, now that it's past in parliament, and therefore they will dwindle. the problem for the unions is what are we going to do now, i mean what are they going to do now? are theyjust going to keep turning out every few daysin going to keep turning out every few days in the hope the days get bigger and bigger and there is more and more action? there is pressure on the unions too. but right now, it is the unions too. but right now, it is the president who is really feeling it because yesterday was a big day and tuesday will be a big day too. it's a face—off. 1.1 or the other will back down. there will have to be some way out. the moderate union which is the main interlocutor in the past with the government and the one that all hope hinges on is sort of putting out feelers today, so maybe there will be some talk of starting a great big session of

talks about notjust this reform but other aspects of labour reform that might come in, more favourable for the unions, that might be a way of splitting the movement. even if that happens, it's not for tomorrow. prognosticate in one might say is our reason for being! hugh schofield in paris, thank you. israel's prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, has been holding talks with rishi sunak in downing street. as the uk prime minister met his counterpart at the door for a handshake, they could clearly hear loud shouts of "shame" in hebrew from protesters waving israeli flags and placards stating their aim of "saving israeli democracy". protests are continuing in israel, where the government is pushing ahead with controversial reforms that would limit the power of the courts. here's more analysis from earlier by our diplomatic correspondent, paul adams. for benjamin netanyahu, he would like to talk about his pet concerns including iran's nuclear ambitions, a message he's taken

to france and germany. he is concerned that with negotiations on resuming some kind of nuclear deal at a standstill iran is enriching uranium in an alarming way. he has voiced that concern many times in the past, but anything he might want to talk about is being overshadowed by this real political crisis at home, the echoes of which he would have heard when he entered downing street this morning. i think it is week 11 of mass anti—government protests in israel, remind us of the background to those. it's all following the legislative agenda that his government is pursuing, an agenda which would change or limit the authority of israel's supreme court in terms of how

the judges are appointed. it would increase political involvement in that. essentially for mr netanyahu's critics, it would undermine one of the pillars of the israeli state, the supreme court and its ability to operate independent of political influence. and of course his critics argue this is something in which there is a large measure of self interest because mr netanyahu has been facing legal difficulties of his own for the last couple of years and one of the measures that was actually passed last night by the israeli knesset will make it harderfor the prime minister to be removed from office. so they do see a large measure of self interest in what he and his government are doing. let's get more now on those protests here in the uk against mr netanyahu's visit. protesters have gathered outside downing street. our news correspondent frances read is there. it's probably about a couple of

hundred protesters here, it's gone down from over a thousand that it was here. , ., . down from over a thousand that it was here. ,., . ., . , was here. there were police forces linin: the was here. there were police forces lining the street, _ was here. there were police forces lining the street, a _ was here. there were police forces lining the street, a big _ was here. there were police forces lining the street, a big police i lining the street, a big police presence here. because of course benjamin netanyahu was meeting rishi sunak and it is certain they would have seen the protest is here, and coming out to say they are concerned about the status of democracy in israel. i'mjoined now about the status of democracy in israel. i'm joined now by one of the protesters who have come out today. judy, can you tell us first of all, why did you want to come out here today? $5 why did you want to come out here toda ? �* , . why did you want to come out here toda? today? as an israeli living in london who's _ today? as an israeli living in london who's been - today? as an israeli living in london who's been here i today? as an israeli living in london who's been here for| today? as an israeli living in l london who's been here for 16 today? as an israeli living in - london who's been here for 16 years, i london who's been here for 16 years, i can't _ london who's been here for 16 years, ican't sleep — london who's been here for 16 years, i can't sleep at the moment, i can't ican't sleep at the moment, i can't think— i can't sleep at the moment, i can't think at— i can't sleep at the moment, i can't think at the — i can't sleep at the moment, i can't think at the moment. all i'm doing is thinking — think at the moment. all i'm doing is thinking about my israeli friends and family— is thinking about my israeli friends and family in israel who have been protesting — and family in israel who have been protesting relentlessly over the last 12 — protesting relentlessly over the last 12 weeks against the judiciary

reform _ last 12 weeks against the judiciary reform that this very right wing government want to pass through government. it's my duty to come and protest _ government. it's my duty to come and protest here, — government. it's my duty to come and protest here, especially when benjamin netanyahu comes to london to meet— benjamin netanyahu comes to london to meet rishi sunak. it�*s benjamin netanyahu comes to london to meet rishi sunak.— to meet rishi sunak. it's very likel he to meet rishi sunak. it's very likely he heard _ to meet rishi sunak. it's very likely he heard what - to meet rishi sunak. it's very likely he heard what you i to meet rishi sunak. it's very likely he heard what you are l to meet rishi sunak. it's very i likely he heard what you are saying. what's the message you wanted to give to him today? the what's the message you wanted to give to him today?— what's the message you wanted to give to him today? the message is we are auainst give to him today? the message is we are against his — give to him today? the message is we are against his reform, _ give to him today? the message is we are against his reform, that _ give to him today? the message is we are against his reform, that we - give to him today? the message is we are against his reform, that we will i are against his reform, that we will stand _ are against his reform, that we will stand strong against it and we will not stop _ stand strong against it and we will not stop at — stand strong against it and we will not stop at anything. we will continue _ not stop at anything. we will continue protesting and we will ensure — continue protesting and we will ensure that that legislation and all of the _ ensure that that legislation and all of the legislations stop.— of the legislations stop. there are a lot of people — of the legislations stop. there are a lot of people today _ of the legislations stop. there are a lot of people today who - of the legislations stop. there are a lot of people today who don't i a lot of people today who don't agree, what theirfamilies have had to go through they don't agree with that. can you speak of that? israeli that. can you speak of that? israel is almost 75 _ that. can you speak of that? israel is almost 75 years _ that. can you speak of that? israel is almost 75 years old _ that. can you speak of that? israel is almost 75 years old now, - that. can you speak of that? israel is almost 75 years old now, we i that. can you speak of that? israel is almost 75 years old now, we arej is almost 75 years old now, we are about _ is almost 75 years old now, we are about to _ is almost 75 years old now, we are about to celebrate its 75th year of independence, and it's built on a

strong _ independence, and it's built on a strong democracy. we have fought lon- strong democracy. we have fought long and _ strong democracy. we have fought long and hard to get to where we are now _ long and hard to get to where we are now a_ long and hard to get to where we are now. a strong democracy, a strong economy, _ now. a strong democracy, a strong economy, and within a matter of 12 weeks. _ economy, and within a matter of 12 weeks. the — economy, and within a matter of 12 weeks, the government is trying to pass through all sorts of pieces of legislation to weaken the democracy and take _ legislation to weaken the democracy and take all the power to the government and we won't let him do that _ government and we won't let him do that. . ~ , ., ., government and we won't let him do that. . ~ ., , , ., ~ ., , that. thank you for speaking to us toda . so that. thank you for speaking to us today- so that _ that. thank you for speaking to us today. so that meeting _ that. thank you for speaking to us today. so that meeting has i that. thank you for speaking to us today. so that meeting has taken | today. so that meeting has taken place between rishi sunak and benjamin netanyahu, and the message was clear, they wanted their voices heard here today and that they are hoping that will be the case. for the moment, thank you very much. frances read there. there is much more about this on the bbc website and the bbc news app.

you're watching bbc news. the indian opposition leader, rahul gandhi, has been disqualified from parliament following his conviction for defamation on thursday. mr gandhi — who is a key congress party figure — was given a two—year prison sentence for remarks about the prime minister's surname — modi — in a campaign speech in 2019. mr gandhi was an mp in the southern state of kerala. he remains on bailfor 30 days and has said he will appeal the verdict. from mumbai, the bbc�*s south asia correspondent yogita limaye reports. rahul gandhi has been sentenced to two years in jail by a court in the western state of gujarat. he has been found guilty of defamation for comments that he made in 2019 about indian prime minister narendra modi's last name. the lower house of india's parliament, of which mr gandhi is an elected mp, they have put out

a notice today saying that mr gandhi has been disqualified. several legal experts believe that the rules say that if an mp has been given a sentence that is of two or more years, they cannot continue as a member of parliament. mr gandhi's party, the congress, they have been protesting outside the parliament. they have called the court's judgment erroneous, unsustainable and politically motivated, accusing the ruling bjp party of being behind it. just to give you a common text of defamation cases in india, just to give you a context of defamation cases in india, it is extremely rare for someone to get a jail sentence for defamation in this country. that is perhaps why we have seen several opposition parties supporting the congress and mr gandhi today. as far as the jail sentence is concerned, it is not expected that he will be jailed, or not at least anytime soon. but what lawyers say is that if the sentence is not suspended, or if he is not acquitted,

he cannot contest elections and national elections are due next year. china has responded to the controversy surrounding any company to provide data located in foreign countries and has no plans to do so. the foreign ministry spokesperson mao ning was answering questions about the testimony of tiktok�*s ceo shou zi chew in the us congress. tiktok is owned by the chinese company bytedance. mr chew faced a grilling by us lawmakers for five hours on thursday, where he defended the app against concerns it was a threat to us national security. our north america technology reporterjames clayton has the latest. if tiktok�*s boss thought washington would roll out the red carpet for him, he thought wrong. forfour and a half hours, shou chew faced hostile and relentless questioning. the chair of the energy and commerce committee set the tone.

tiktok collects nearly every data point imaginable, from people's location, to what they type and copy, who they talk to, biometric data and more. and from there, it didn't get much better for tiktok�*s boss. it's notjust politicians in the us that are worried. the uk parliament has banned tiktok from its work devices over concerns about security, with similar measures taken by the scottish and welsh governments. there are two primary concerns about tiktok. they both involve china. the first is that we know tiktok hoovers up data from your phone, like usage data, location information and biometric data. there are worries that this could be handed to the chinese government, something that tiktok categorically denies. the other concern is that so many people now use tiktok, it wields enormous influence. could the chinese government tweak the algorithm to influence what we think? this is what shou chew said to that.

i'm making the following commitments to you, and to all our users. number one, we will keep safety, particularly for teenagers, as a top priority for us. number two, we will firewall protect the us data from unwanted foreign access. number three, tiktok will remain a place for free expression and will not be manipulated by any government. the uk often follows the us's lead when it comes to cyber security. and what we know now is that many politicians in the us don'tjust want the platform reformed, they want it banned outright. james clayton, bbc news. i'm joined now by social media consultant matt navarra. he is a former digital communications adviser for the uk government.

how good of an account do you think shou chew gave? he didn't delay anyone's's fears. i think he went into the hearing knowing he would be having a grilling and it was exactly that. the battle goes on i think for tiktok to stay alive in the us. hoop tiktok to stay alive in the us. how much was it _ tiktok to stay alive in the us. how much was it really _ tiktok to stay alive in the us. how much was it really to _ tiktok to stay alive in the us. how much was it really to do with technology as opposed to politics? yes, i think the majority of the situation with tiktok now in the us is a political theatre really and it's all about geopolitics with china. the issues, the technical issues seem to almost have gone out the window in terms of some of the things they want to try and do. i think a more sensible approach would be to think about measures to manage

apps from abroad, notjust from china but anywhere that have dated privacy concerns they can tackle going forwards rather than picking on one app from china. haifa on one app from china. how realistic. — on one app from china. how realistic, how _ on one app from china. how realistic, how viable - on one app from china. how realistic, how viable would l on one app from china. how realistic, how viable would an outright ban of an app like tiktok be? ., ., , ., outright ban of an app like tiktok be? ., be? there are lots of ways it could be? there are lots of ways it could be done, be? there are lots of ways it could be done. and _ be? there are lots of ways it could be done, and at _ be? there are lots of ways it could be done, and at this _ be? there are lots of ways it could be done, and at this moment i be? there are lots of ways it could be done, and at this moment in i be? there are lots of ways it could i be done, and at this moment in time we don't know which one they would go for, but they could force google and apple to remove it from the app store, and could stop people accessing it on their devices, but there are often ways around these blocks so it's possible any block would be kind of escaped by the people that desperately want to keep hold of it, which is gen z and all the people who love tiktok. it hold of it, which is gen 2 and all the people who love tiktok. it could 'ust -o- u- the people who love tiktok. it could just pop up in _ the people who love tiktok. it could just pop up in another _ the people who love tiktok. it could just pop up in another guise, - just pop up in another guise, couldn't it?— just pop up in another guise, couldn't it? , , , , , couldn't it? possibly. the spaces left for the _ couldn't it? possibly. the spaces left for the likes _ couldn't it? possibly. the spaces left for the likes of _ couldn't it? possibly. the spaces left for the likes of meta - couldn't it? possibly. the spaces left for the likes of meta and i left for the likes of meta and others to step in, and the question is what happens when another app

does come along from somewhere like china? this is why a solution needs to be forward thinking rather than reactive to just one platform and one company called bytedance. matt navarra, social— one company called bytedance. matt navarra, social media consultant, thank you for your time. let's stay with social media for the moment — and the us state of utah has become the first to require parental permission for children to use social media platforms, citing growing concerns for youth mental health. the bill requires a parent or guardian's explicit consent before children can create accounts on the apps. it also gives parents full access to their child's accounts, including posts and private messages. and a social media �*curfew�* will block children's access between 10.30pm and 6.30am. it's been confirmed that british billionaire sirjim ratcliffe has put in a revised bid to buy one of the world's biggest football clubs — manchester united.

the qatari banker sheikh jassim is expected to submit a second bid later today. ratcliffe and jassim were the only publicly declared bidders until recently. but now the finnish entrepenuer thomas zilliacus has announced he wants to buy half the club. earlier i spoke to football journalistjames montague. i began by asking if there were other bids in for the club? there's been others as well. the elliott group, who are quite famous for being known as vulture capitalists is a phrase i don't think they like to be used, but they buy the distressed debt of third world countries and make them pay the full amount on it. they were involved in the ac milan takeover. they've been sniffing around as well. so, there's going to be a few people because manchester united is the biggest, most valuable sports franchise in the world. more than the most expensive football club in the world. bigger than any nfl franchise, so there will be a lot of interest around the world to buy the club. how much of this is about the football rather than business?

it is about business, i guess. when you look at clubs, especially when we drill down into the qatari potential ownership of manchester united, it's not really about business. it's about something much bigger. this is a trend we have seen since manchester city was taken over by a state backed... they would deny it is state—backed, but basically the people that run the united arab emirates, now run man city. we have the same at newcastle united. the crown prince of saudi arabia is chair of that and that essentially owns 80% of newcastle united. these are state—backed middle eastern countries owning football clubs. i think there is a business case but also something much wider, in that football clubs are fantastic advertising opportunities for your country, to rebrand yourself — reputation laundering. especially somewhere like saudi arabia which has an appalling human rights record. and qatar has been a country that has used football, especially the world cup in 2022, owner of psg, and has projected

itself onto the world stage. this isjust, if you look at it, really, the next iteration of that. the bbc says it won't continue filming the latest series of top gear, following an accident in december where its presenter freddie flintoff was hurt. there are reports this morning that flintoff has decided to leave the programme — the bbc has not commented. our entertainment correspondent lizo mzimba reports. and you're expecting me... yeah. ..to go down there? freddie flintoffjoined top gear in 2019. along with co—presenters paddy mcguinness and chris harris, he helped to reverse the fall in ratings that had followed the departure ofjeremy clarkson, richard hammond and james may four years earlier. the incident at top gear's test track at dunsfold park aerodrome in surrey last december resulted in freddie flintoff being taken to hospital for treatment. just over three months later, bbc studios, which produces the bbc one show, says it's concluded its report

into what happened. it says that it has sincerely apologised to flintoff, and that it'll continue to support him throughout his recovery. in a statement, it also says that, under the circumstances, it would be inappropriate to resume making the current series of top gear at this time, and that it will make a judgment about how best to continue later this year. three, two, one, go! there was also an initial inquiry by the health and safety executive into the incident. it said that it wouldn't be investigating further. lizo mzimba, bbc news. don't forget, there is much more on all of the stories we are following here today in the uk and around the world on our website. and also the

bbc news app. plenty more here on the bbc news channel, stay with us. hello there. it's been an unsettled week, really, all in all. we've had rain followed by sunshine and showers. today certainly is going to be one of sunshine and showers with our area of low pressure sitting on top of the uk. but once again, like it's been all week, it's going to be mild through the afternoon. temperatures in the low to mid—teens for most of us. our area of low pressure is slowly pushing across the country. in its centre, winds will be light, so lighter winds across scotland today but blustery across many central and southern areas. through the afternoon, gusts will be reaching a0 or 50 mph in exposure across southern and western coasts. that will rattle these heavy, maybe thundery showers through quite quickly, whereas the showers will be slower moving across scotland with the lighter winds there. but a mild day to come for all, ten to maybe 1a degrees in the south—east. still quite chilly, though,

for the northern isles. now, this area of low pressure continues to push across the country towards the north sea overnight. again, it's going to be blustery across southern areas with showers or longer spells of rain, lighter winds further north. nowhere particularly cold. lows of 5—8 or even 9 degrees. now, into the weekend, we continue with the theme of sunshine and showers and fairly mild on saturday. but by sunday, things will be turning colderfor all areas. an increasing chance of wintry showers across the north of the country. this area of low pressure will skirt towards the south of the uk as we move through saturday night and into sunday, eventually clearing away on sunday, and as it does that's where it'll open the floodgates to this arctic northerly that will spread southwards across the uk from sunday and it'll stay cold into the start of next week as well. so this is the picture for saturday. again, it's sunshine and showers. i don't think quite as many showers as what we are expecting today. still quite breezy across eastern areas but the winds will turn lighter.

signs of the colder air starting to make inroads across the far north of the uk. however again it's going to be a mild one for england, wales and northern ireland. we see that overnight rain slowly clearing away from southern areas on sunday morning. eventually it will do, but then the colder air spreads southwards and an increasing chance of sunny spells and wintry showers across scotland. you can see those temperatures dipping in the north, just about making double figures across southern england. but sunday night will be cold taking us into the start of monday. don't forget this weekend the clocks go forward by one hour.

this is bbc news. welcome if you're watching our top stories... king charles has postponed a planned to trip france, amid widespread protests against a two—year increase to the country's retirement age. more than a50 people have been arrested and hundreds of police injured in demonstrations across major french cities. israeli pm benjamin netanyahu has faced protesters at downing street, where he's held talks with uk pm rishi sunak. protests are continuing also in israel, over the government's push for controversial reforms that would limit the power of the courts. the uk's national association of head teachers has accused the country's education watchdog of making a �*terrible mistake' by failing to suspend school inspections. there have been calls for ofsted to put the process on pause,

following the death of a headteacher. the bbc has suspended its decision to close its choir — the bbc singers — after a public outcry. the group is britain's only full—time professional chamber choir, but was included in planned cuts to the bbc�*s orchestras. the organisation that oversees standards in england's schools says inspections must continue despite calls from unions and head teachers to pause them. it follows the death of a primary school headteacher. according to her family, ruth perry took her own life due to the pressure. speaking for the first time since the tragedy the chief school inspector says she knows the process can be "challenging" but that it remains in children's best interests. graham satchell reports.

the death of ruth perry has devastated the education world. the headteacher of caversham primary school in reading took her own life after her school was downgraded from outstanding to inadequate. it has led to calls for ofsted inspections to be paused and radically reformed. in her first public statement since the death, ofsted's chief inspector, amanda spielman, said ruth perry's death was a tragedy. "our thoughts remain with ruth's family, friends and the school "community of caversham primary." she goes on to defend the current system. "i don't believe that stopping or preventing inspections would be in children's best interests," she says. "our aim is to raise standards, so that all children "get a great education." the department for education in england and a protest by the national education union, carrying banners saying, "replace ofsted" and photographs of ruth perry. this is the latest part of their campaign to change the inspection process.

they handed over a petition with more than 50,000 signatures. our members tell us that we need an inspection system that is fit for purpose. that we need an inspection system that doesn't judge schools on a single—word judgement based on a two—day visit. the criticism of the current system in england is long held, that its one—word judgement — outstanding, good, inadequate — is too simplistic for the complex roles schools play in different communities. and the anxiety and stress of the inspections themselves has become unbearable. the pressure that we're put under, as we prepare for ofsted inspections, is enormous. and alongside the general stress of running state schools at the moment, i can absolutely see how some headteachers will be pushed to breaking point. in her statement, amanda spielman concludes by saying, "the broader debate about reforming inspections to remove grades "is a legitimate one, but it shouldn't lose sight "of how grades are currently used.

"they give parents a simple and accessible summary of the school's "strengths and weaknesses. "any changes to the current system would have to meet "the needs of both parents and of government." the department for education in england say inspections in england remain hugely important because they hold schools to account for their educational standards. but teachers are determined that ruth perry's death must be a catalyst for change. graham satchell, bbc news. the bbc has suspended its decision to close its choir — the bbc singers — after a public outcry. it said a number of organisations had come forward to offer alternative funding. the group is britain's only full—time professional chamber choir and was targeted as part of budget cuts, shortly before its centenary. choirs across europe added their voices to those of many professional musicians and music lovers in the uk who expressed dismay at the original decision. earlier i spoke to our correspondent

yetunde yusuf, and began by asking her about how this all started. bbc singers are much loved in the classical community. they are recognised globally. and so when the bbc announced plans to end bbc singers, this was obviously met with a lot of upset, a lot of criticism from top conductors to amateur choirs. and as well as the musicians' union, they described it as utterly devastating. but it was all part of plans by the bbc to change the way its orchestras and performing groups worked, so losing some 20% of the roles there. and the bbc said it wanted to create agile ensembles, but it did spend £25 million last year on orchestras and performing groups, so there is no doubt about it that it is plans to make financial savings. what has changed? well, the bbc has been in intensive talks with the musicians' union over the past few weeks, and they have been approached by a lot of organisations who are keen to see this group saved with alternative funding options. but they are going to be looking at these options to save any

of the options are viable. if any of them are, essentially, the bbc singers group could potentially be saved. under the bbc banner, or run by someone else? we don't know all the details of that yet. they will still be in talks with the musicians' union, so at the moment, still unclear as to what it could look like, but they say they are looking at it. for more than 100 years, kings and queens have been among the few people permitted to walk on one of britain's greatest mediaeval treasures — the cosmati pavement. now, for the first time in its history, visitors to westminster abbey will be allowed to stand — in socks — in the exact spot where the king will be crowned. our royal correspondent sarah campbell has more. in just six weeks' time, westminster abbey will host another coronation. since 1066, 39 monarchs have been crowned here. and for the past 700 years, beneath their feet has been this, a mosaic made from thousands

of pieces of glass, marble and stone, the cosmati pavement. it's just so unusual that this is here. italian masons came here with all their materials. they collaborated with the english masons to produce this fantastic, glittering, shiny mosaic, in front of the high altar at the heart of westminster abbey. it would have looked amazing. it's so beautiful in the flesh, but it's been covered up for years. yes. covered with carpet and boarding, just because it was in such a deteriorated condition that it couldn't be safely used. and that's why, when you look back at archive footage from the late queen's coronation in 1953, all you can see is the light coloured carpet. the medievalfloor, which by then was uneven and damaged, had been covered up since victorian times. vanessa and her team spent two years fully restoring the mosaic, with maintenance an ongoing project.

it's witnessed so, so much. you know, throughout the centuries, every special event has taken place probably on the cosmati pavement. usually, the public is kept well away from the cosmati pavement in order to protect it. but, for a few short weeks after the coronation, they will be allowed for the first time to actually walk on the mosaic, as long as, of course, they take off their shoes. it's the high altar, it's a very sacred space. it's where special services and major services take place. and for normal visiting the area is completely roped off. but we just think as part of the celebration of coronation, we want to allow a few people access onto the pavement to see what it's really like, and to get a real feel and a sense for the space. and to stand on the place where the coronation chair will have just been. yeah, you'll be able to stand right in the centre point

where the coronation chair sits and faces east. and also, you'll be able to see the pavement itself in great detail. i mean, it's a masterpiece. it's been there since 1268. it's really lovely. anti—monarchy campaigners opted not to remove their shoes when they carried out a brief protest there earlier this week. on may the 6th, the focus will once again be on this seven—metre square mosaic, a colourful example of the abbey�*s long history and connection with the monarchy. sarah campbell, bbc news, westminster abbey. gene—edited food can now be developed and sold in england after a change in the law. supporters of the technology say it will speed up the development of crops that will adapt better to climate change. critics argue that the move could bring �*disaster�* to food production and the environment. here's our science correspondent, pallab ghosh. this research centre in the cambridgeshire countryside has been developing crops for farmers for more than 100 years. they crossbreed different varieties to produce new ones that grow better

and are more resistant to diseases. it can take 10—15 years of development. but from now they'll be able to use a new genetic technology in england called gene editing that can halve that time. the other thing we need to now do is adapt to climate change. mario caccamo, who is the head of the lab, shows me what can be done with gene editing. one of the characteristics we are looking into in wheat, is at the root structure. typically, wheat will have a very shallow structure, that we see here. but when we look at some other varieties that can go deeper, and they will be better prepared for climate change because they will do better in conditions of drought. professor caccamo believes that traditional breeding methods won't be able to produce all the food we need for a growing population in a warming world. the projections are showing that if we don't bring an assimilation into how we can improve crops, we will be struggling to feed the world. the uk is among the world

leaders in plant genetics, but that expertise hasn't really been able to take off because of the effective ban on the commercial development of the technology. the hope is the change in law will attract greater investment, leading to new companies, newjobs and new foods. but gene—edited foods won't be allowed in scotland, wales and northern ireland because the devolved governments won't be changing their rules. and there's also opposition from campaign groups in england. the entire process of this bill has been one of the government consulting a narrow range of vested—interest scientists, usually in the biotech industry, who are reassuring the government that this change in the law will have no consequences. history has shown that when we remove regulatory control, particularly around food and the environment, there is a looming disaster on the horizon. the next step is to allow

gene—edited animals on english farms, like these disease—resistant pigs, but that will require another vote by mps in westminster once the government is satisfied that animals won't suffer. pallab ghosh, bbc news, cambridge. 179 british servicemen and women were killed during the iraq war that followed the us—led invasion 20 years ago. 3,500 others were wounded. many more suffered mental injuries. caroline hawley has been speaking to veterans whose lives were scarred by their service in iraq now finding healing at sea. these iraq veterans are now moving forward with their lives and helping others do the same. sean set up a sailing charity for those scarred by their experience. paul is the chief instructor. being out on the water, mother nature as well. that's how i came about sailing, was to find something to keep me occupied.

paul did two tours during the iraq war. i wouldn't want it to be forgotten about. there was a lot of people did some great work out there. a lot of people died doing that work. and like, as always, we should never forget that side. did you know people who died? yes, yes, some close friends, yeah, over the years. sean's job as a medic in the raf, a trained a&e nurse, was to save lives. multiple casualties, significant injuries, absolutely life changing, multiple deaths. some of the decisions i had to make were really challenging with limited resources. sometimes you had to say no. you know, that was really, really hard. jan was injured when the helicopter she was travelling in was shot down in baghdad. after her leg was amputated she was medically discharged from the navy. i fitted into civvy street 0k. i still have my anger issues.

i still have my nightmares, which i struggle with. i i only sleep about three or four hours a night. i and when you look back now on the iraq war, how do you feel about it? i don't see the point, - personally, of wars, any wars, because nobody ever wins a war, do they? _ it's just a lot of i pain and suffering. thousands of veterans like jan have now sailed with the charity turn to starboard and experienced the therapeutic effect. sean wanted others to benefit after it helped him find a way out of the darkest point of his life. i was no use to anybody, and i had some really awful negative thoughts. i never actually attempted to kind of take my own life, but i certainly thought about it. the charity's got veterans of iraq still coming forward for help two decades on. here they can recreate the camaraderie, the sense of belonging, of pulling together, that many miss when they leave the military.

we've got 22 yacht masters on the programme. three of those attempted suicide last year. now, we've sailed them. and you see this positivity and excitement about their futures and then they go home and have a conversation with their other halves, and there's light. it's extraordinarily positive. i love myjob. i love every day. and i know that my family are really proud of what i've achieved. caroline hawley reporting from falmouth bay in cornwall. a project helping students recover from addiction is being rolled out at the university of birmingham. the scheme, which is the first of its kind in the uk, sets students up in �*recovery flats' which allows them to focus on their studies rather than drop out of university. our midlands correspondent phil mackie has more. hey, morning. welcome. welcome, fellas. hi. come in, come in. welcome to the recovery flat. this student flat is unique.

three rooms here. my room is on the end. that's my space. yusuf is a mature student, eight years in recovery. opened since january, there's room for five other students, all of whom are recovering from some form of addiction. recovery flats, and the support projects which work alongside them, are commonplace in american colleges, where they've helped tens of thousands of students complete their degrees. in a recovery flat like this, they don't have to be around people coming. you know, the temptation is out of the way when they're in their home where they're living. so, you know. and building those relationships with other people in recovery is also very important. you know, they may not even know it yet, but they know they want something. butjust being around those people helps them come out of their shell, if you like, because obviously addiction can be characterised by denial. so yeah, i'm in here mondays and fridays from nine to five. luke trainor suffered years of addiction. as a heroin user he lost everything. i reached that kind

of gift of desperation where i went to people that i knew that could help. and i said, "i've got no ideas, i surrender." now clean, he's rebuilt his life partly through studying here at the university. he manages better than well, the project which helps students, and believes that must mean involving them in as normal a student life as possible. we didn't want students in recovery to be kind of hidden away in some little obscure part of the campus. the whole idea of better than well is that the students in recovery can experience the whole package without being hindered by their addictions. to get yourself out of the hole is harder than to kind - of stay out of the hole. they say it's easier tojust carry on. i every friday evening, they get together to discuss their recoveries. it gives them a chance to get together, but also to share their experiences. there's still a stigma to overcome,

whether it's drugs, alcohol or a behavioural addiction like gambling. so everyone here asked for anonymity. nonetheless, the project has had lots of engagement and some real success. people are still very reticent about talking about their problems with addiction. they still... there's a fear that if they mention it, they might get into trouble. they might get thrown out of the university, they might get prosecuted. when you see the outcomes that you get, you see the students that you've managed to keep within their degree, you've helped them notjust drop out, but to thrive and to finish their degree and get their qualification, it's very likely you've changed the trajectory of the whole course of their life. the university's uk task force is due to report soon on drug addiction on british campuses. it's been closely looking at successes the model here has already had. phil mackie, bbc news. as gp surgeries in england await the government's recovery plan — some practices are coming up with new ways to tackle old problems, like patients

accessing appointments. our health reporter lucy watkinson has been to visit one surgery that has introduced solutions it says are working for both patients and staff. the old—fashioned model of everyone just having one clinician, one patient in one room being seen, simply can't cope with the level of need and demand that's out there. dr tim norbury loves going to work. he's making changes to his gp practice that seems to be making a difference. staff and patients agree. we deal with everything on the day. i've got no complaints at all. the doctors are not really in charge any more in the same way. the consultation just takes as long as it needs. i absolutely love it. ok, you've been having some tests to do with your circulation... tucked alongside the m5 is taunton vale surgery�*s clinical hub. but it is controlling your blood pressure very well... gps, paramedics and a nurse practitioner are working their way

through the list of patients, deciding who needs a call or a face—to—face appointment. it's 5pm on a tuesday afternoon. so, we're over 300 now. from a list like that of 300, we'd typically find somewhere between 20 and 30 will have needed to come for a face—to—face appointment. a press conference by the french president emmanuel macron. the postponement of king charles�*s visit over the next few days. translation: the visit to paris urged us to do that and the work started immediately... first

urged us to do that and the work started immediately. . .— urged us to do that and the work started immediately... first of all, we will be accelerating _ started immediately. .. first of all, we will be accelerating our- started immediately... first of all, l we will be accelerating our supplies to ukraine and we will be putting in place acquisition policies and that debating european arms industry, we are... is a continuation of the agreement in versailles a year ago, we urge that to put companies in the footing to supply these arms. our discussion also plans to reinforce

our conviction that we will be giving international aid to ukraine and bringing back children who have been ported to russia. we also want to address the situation in moldova. and we will continue to support that and ensure that all efforts to support stabilisation are provided. there will be a meeting on the 1st of april. as i told you last

december, we are completing the first term at a building a cohesive collective strategy with the united states. this was debated and approved and is to streamline modernisation and the technical allowance to simplify... we will also be respecting environmental concerns. we have made some progress

of a concrete nature in adapting the framework. we also attach great importance to our public—private investment and so on. we have always defended ambitious strategy, trade strategy, and this was approved in the summer last year. regulation and a net zero industry and regulation on resources. on that, we have a raft of strategic policies which to my mind certainly represents concrete action across europe to remain competitive at a global level. on

competitiveness, in this respect, we marked our agreement to use all of these new instruments. we resisted a number of efforts to destabilise this. now we are going to use our acquisition capacity is in order to make sure that in the autumn of this year, we will do better. the second one is the reform of the market. we

agreed to stop this reform before the end of the year. haste agreed to stop this reform before the end of the year.— agreed to stop this reform before the end of the year. we “oined that ress the end of the year. we “oined that press conference i the end of the year. we “oined that press conference in i the end of the year. we joined that press conference in rushing - the end of the year. we joined that press conference in rushing with i press conference in rushing with emmanuel macron speaking to eu leaders. we were hoping to hear him address the issue of the postponement of king charles�*s visit to france next week. it was the king's first state visit since he became monarch. he has not got on to that yet, but we will bring it to you a little later. there is that the weather forecast with chris. the aurora borealis spotted over the southern parts of england. weather—wise, it is a day of sunshine and showers. showers will be widespread in some heavy and thundery. with very nearly had double the amount of march rainfall

in places already, and there is loads more to come through today, the weekend and into next week. the radar picture shows where we have got the showers at the moment. across northern scotland, the showers will be coming through thick and fast as we go through the afternoon. bands of rain for northern ireland, so you will get a soaking there. across wales, loads of showers there, and across southern counties of england where we get a line of showers forming. some of those showers today will be really quite heavy. still a relatively mild day. quite blustery westerly winds. a0 to 50 mph towards the coast in the south—west. overnight, showers will continue to feed in, and it stays quite breezy as well. a frost free night, with temperatures between nine and four celsius. on saturday, the area of low pressure is retreating. it is still quite an unstable air mass so we are looking at a day of sunshine

and showers. most of the showers will be hanging around through the morning. the afternoon generally turning a bit brighter with more in the way of sunshine for scotland wales and southern england, but showers will be quite widespread across northern england even into the afternoon. some of those can be quite heavy as well. temperatures up to 1a celsius, but in the second half of the weekend, we will have some colder air moving down into northern areas of the uk. further south, cloud and further outbreaks of rain. showers will start to turn wintry across northern scotland. some snow in the scottish northern hills, but quite high up really. temperatures down, between eight and 12 celsius. a reminder that the clocks change at this weekend, the weather doesn't, though. more next

week.

school inspections in england will continue, despite calls for a pause following the death of headteacher ruth perry. the head of ofsted says stopping the visits would be against children's best interests. some teachers and unions say there needs to be change. we need an inspection system that doesn'tjudge schools on a single—word judgment based on a two—day visit. we'll have the latest. also this lunchtime... the state visit to france by king charles has been postponed after protests in the country about pension changes turned violent. the bbc says it won't resume filming on the latest series of top gear, after presenter freddie flintoff was injured in an accident in december.