bbc verify�*s ben chu has been looking at those proposals in more detail. the government says it wants to get britain working and is outlining new policies to achieve that. let's start by looking at the problem the government the government is concerned about inactivity. that's not the same as unemployment, which is people looking for work who can't currently get it. inactivity is people who are not looking for work, so essentially the government wants to get more people out of this group and into work. and one of the reasons inactivity is increasing is increasingly long—term sickness. our best estimate of the number of working age people not in work because of a long—term illness is up from around 2 million in 2019 to around 2.8 million today. most of those people are on benefits. spending on working age health and disability benefits stands this year at £56 billion, and it is projected to rise to £75 billion in 2030 as more people becoming inactive. this is the spiralling benefits bill referred to by the work and pensions secretary liz

kendall. so what are some of the policies the government is proposing that would tackle all of this? well, one is a youth guarantee. so every young person has access to education or training and the threat of benefits being removed if they don't take it up. two, replacing the apprenticeship levy on companies in england with a more flexible growth and skills levy. three, devolving powers to mayors and councils to connect local work, health and skills support in ways that meet the needs of their specific areas. four, measures to overhaul the health, disability and benefits system so that benefits support people to enter and remain in work. that last one will be a particular challenge, and here's why. in the election campaign, labour claimed that the tories�* tax plans were not fully funded because their policies to cut £12 billion from the welfare bill in this parliament

were already factored into spending projections by the government's official forecaster. that was a valid point at the time but it now means this government has to deliver a chunk of those planned welfare bill savings, around £3 billion. employment and welfare experts think well—designed policies can encourage more people into work and that this would be beneficial for the individuals involved. previous governments have managed to reduce working age inactivity with some help from economic growth. yet experts also caution that bringing down the welfare bill isn't necessarily the same thing and that this has been historically not simple to achieve. let's get more on the extreme weather events we have seen across europe in recent weeks. nearly 100 flood warnings are still in place across parts of england and wales after storm bert caused damage and disruption over the weekend. more rain is falling today on already—wet ground, even as communities in the affected areas try to clear up.

0ur correspondent alison freeman has the latest. everything that was three orfourfoot up, including the sofas, was floating from front to back like a scene from the titanic. and surreal, silent, and odd. this barbershop in chippenham is just one of the left assessing the damage after the river avon burst its banks, sending floodwater through the town causing chaos in many of the shops. people here said they have not seen anything like it for decades, but they aren't going to be beaten. we will get everything out, we will hose it to death and then work backwards and see what is salvageable and take it from there and do the best we can as soon as we can, a couple of days hopefully. just a few doors down at the pet shop it is a community effort, helping to clean up after the flooding. one of my customers has come in to help me tidy up and we have had customers coming in already buying

stuff so...just because they want to help out. it's amazing, itjust makes us feel wanted on this high street and gives us the fire in the belly to sort of push through and carry on. and the owner is passing that goodwill forward — any food sachets that can't be sold because of damaged packaging is being sent to the local animal shelter. in northampton, the environment agency describes the deluge has a one in 100—year event. people living at the billing aquadrome were forced to leave the caravan park. many offered shelter and much more at a local centre. we are trying to offer them a little bit of hope because a lot of these people have lost their homes to the flood waters. and we are just giving them some warmth as well. 0bviously they have been in a really tough situation with being in waterfor a long time and having to evacuate in the middle of the night, not being able to take all the the stuff they need. in south wales, wash out from an old coal tip caused slurry to come down the mountain. homes had to be evacuated and people who live there have been told it could be weeks before they can return. thoughts are now turning to what can be done to stop communities experiencing the devastating effects of flooding.

so now we are forward looking in terms of what is best for these communities that have been affected, these different measures that can be put in place, is hard structures the right thing for communities? in certain circumstances, yes, but in others it is not. it is trying to get a balance between natural flood management, personal property resilience and also building walls and big infrastructure. for now, though, many on the high street in chippenham are just hoping to get back on track for the run—up to christmas. got to be pragmatic, it will get clean, we will be back in business. alison freeman, bbc news. we are keeping an eye on the possible — we are keeping an eye on the possible ceasefire deal between israel _ possible ceasefire deal between israel and hezbollah,— israel and hezbollah, ben'amin netanyahufi israel and hezbollah, ben'amin netanyahu due * israel and hezbollah, ben'amin netanyahu due to i israel and hezbollah, ben'amin netanyahu due to speak_ israel and hezbollah, benjamin netanyahu due to speak in - israel and hezbollah, benjamin netanyahu due to speak in just| netanyahu due to speak in just over an hour's time. you're watching bbc news. sir bob geldof has welcomed the debate around the the landed single.

it was a renewed with controversy around how it betrayed africa. he said all views on the song help to keep theissues views on the song help to keep the issues on the political agenda. the issues on the political a . enda. ,., the issues on the political aaenda. , ., . agenda. the debate is fantastic and it only _ agenda. the debate is fantastic and it only happens _ agenda. the debate is fantastic and it only happens because i agenda. the debate is fantastic and it only happens because of| and it only happens because of this small pop song. without it, the debate does not come anywhere, so now it is out in the public, it is being talked about committees being written about. that gives us immense political access. 5ir about. that gives us immense political access.— political access. sir bob geldof- _ political access. sir bob geldof. let's _ political access. sir bob geldof. let's say - political access. sir bob geldof. let's say with i political access. sir bob - geldof. let's say with music. for many, it's the highlight of the glasonbury festival weekend, the so called �*legend' slot. past performers includ dolly parton; kylie minogue and shania twain. well next year's �*legend' has been announced. sir rod stewart will be performing in that famous sunday afternoon slot on the pyramid stage. the last time he played at glastonbury was 2002. tickets then cost £97 — that's about $122. when he returns next summer he will be 80 years

old and tickets now cost £360 — that's more than $450! journalist andrew trendell explained to me how significant this announcement is. well, it makes sense, sir rod... it has its last chance to say goodbye to glastonbury, he has history there, he has bangers, so i think it is a pretty bang on backing for a sunday lunchtime, for sure. i will come back to when he last played there, but he is 79, he will be 80 when we get round to it. have you seen him in recent years performing? i it. have you seen him in recent years performing?— years performing? i have not. my mum _ years performing? i have not. my mum and _ years performing? i have not. my mum and dad _ years performing? i have not. my mum and dad have - years performing? i have not. my mum and dad have quite l years performing? i have not. j my mum and dad have quite a bit. ithink it my mum and dad have quite a bit. i think it sort of doesn't matter too much about, almost beyond the point of what he sounds like on the day, people

just get swept up in the moment of the second slot, and it can overtake what a headliner feels like. dolly parton, that was one of the biggest crowds at glastonbury, jeremy corbyn was the biggest, then dolly parton came on and it was unbelievable, so much fun. it was all anyone ever talked about. at the same with lionel richie, people of all ages getting really, really caught up getting really, really caught up in this moment of what will be the last glastonbury for a while. . ,': , ., , while. he headlined 23 years auo. while. he headlined 23 years a90- the _ while. he headlined 23 years ago. the audience _ while. he headlined 23 years ago. the audience then - while. he headlined 23 years ago. the audience then did l while. he headlined 23 years l ago. the audience then did not quite know what to make of it in the end, but then he sort of won them over, didn't he? 2002 he played- _ won them over, didn't he? 2002 he played- yes. _ won them over, didn't he? 2002 he played. yes, did _ won them over, didn't he? 2002 he played. yes, did he _ he played. yes, did he headlined that your? i'm not sure. i thought he might have opened it. but if he did headline, wow. he is a strange one, but he is as much a part of the lineage of rock and roll as the rolling stones are, especially for those in some base's songs, so i think it has every reason to be there. if

you accept all the hits, struts around the stage, fair to say that that is all the fans want? yeah and if you back in much the footage of shania twain last year, that time of day, people have just got all the energy for the last sprint at the finish line, the end of the sunday, he needs to come out and be as entertaining as he as far as we are aware. 0ther rumours include the come out sunday, he needs to come out and be as entertaining as he can be and especially if it is can be and especially if it is a goodbye of sorts, he will a goodbye of sorts, he will throw everything at them, maybe throw everything at them, maybe we'll get some guests, the we'll get some guests, the stereophonics or something. the stereophonics or something. the other room i was going to be other room i was going to be share, and maybe share could share, and maybe share could come back in 2027, if she is come back in 2027, if she is not retiring —— cher. if it is not retiring —— cher. if it is less goodbye to glastonbury, he less goodbye to glastonbury, he will throw everything at it. will throw everything at it. will you be there?- will you be there?- will throw everything at it. will you be there? yeah, every will throw everything at it. will you be there? yeah, every ear! 12 will you be there? yeah, every year! 12 hour— will you be there? yeah, every ear! 12 will you be there? yeah, every year! 12 hour— will you be there? yeah, every year! 12 hour days. _ will you be there? yeah, every year! 12 hour days. i'm - will you be there? yeah, every year! 12 hour days. i'm looking| year! 12 hour days. i'm looking year! 12 hour days. _ will you be there? yeah, every year! 12 hour days. i'm - will you be there? yeah, every year! 12 hour days. i'm looking| year! 12 hour days. i'm looking forward to, especially if a lot forward to, especially if a lot of rumours are true. 0livia of rumours are true. 0livia rodrigo is likely to headline, rodrigo is likely to headline, as far as we are aware. 0ther as far as we are aware. 0ther

rumours include the 75, rumours include the 75, sam fender, rumours of neil young as well. that has been doing the rounds recently. so who knows what could happen. it is especially if they're going to take a year off, they will want to grab out with a bang. find to grab out with a bang. and ruth rendell _ to grab out with a bang. and ruth rendell from _ to grab out with a bang. and ruth rendell from nme talking to me. a quick reminder that at 1800 gmt,

is heading our way. this is a developing area of low pressure and it will be responsible for a period of heavy rain tonight across southern parts of the uk and the winds could become quite gusty in one or two areas as well. but this is what the rush hour looks like. largely clear, with just a few showers across the bulk of the uk, but that weather front rearing its head there in the southwest, initially quite heavy in southwestern england, southern parts of wales too. and then that rain will spread further towards the east through the course of the night and the showers becoming very heavy along that southern coast. so a relatively mild night here with the rain and the increasing winds. to the north, a touch of frost around northern ireland, the lake district and also scotland. so, here's that area of low pressure over us tomorrow, with the cloud and the rain curling into the centre of the low. so it's actually coming back again into parts of lincolnshire, the midlands, the peak district. there could even be a little bit of wintriness across the hills, but around coastal areas as that low pressure pulls away, winds up to near gale force for norfolk, suffolk and also around the

essex and kent coast. so i think the risk of very strong winds, which was there yesterday, has actually diminished. for most of us on wednesday the weather's looking pretty decent but chilly. look at that. clear skies for belfast and 5 celsius, about that for newcastle and also liverpool. now, on thursday we've got an area of high pressure over us early in the morning. this is what's called a transient high, so it doesn't stick around for very long. it's between two areas of low pressure. and when we have this area and when we have this area of high pressure over us, of high pressure over us, this transient high, this transient high, we get light winds, we get light winds, a frost in the morning, a frost in the morning, a bit of fog here and there. a bit of fog here and there. so i think a calm start so i think a calm start to the day for many of us to the day for many of us on thursday with some sunshine on thursday with some sunshine if you haven't got the fog if you haven't got the fog whereas further south i think but out towards the west, but out towards the west, weather fronts are looming, weather fronts are looming, making only very slow making only very slow progress across ireland during the course of progress across ireland during the course of the day on thursday. the day on thursday. and for many of us, it's and for many of us, it's actually quite a chilly day actually quite a chilly day on thursday, only around on thursday, only around 5, maybe 5 celsius. 5, maybe 5 celsius. now, the outlook suggests cloud now, the outlook suggests cloud with some rain at times with some rain at times

the further north you are, the further north you are, whereas further south i think high pressure will generally be the main influence with dry weather.

live from london, this is bbc news. israel hits beirut with a wave of attacks, as their security cabinet meets to discuss a ceasefire deal with hezbollah. prime minister benjamin netanyahu is due to address the media within the hour — we'll bring you that as it happens.

we'll hear from our correspondents in beirut and jerusalem. five people have been found alive, and four bodies have been recovered after a tourist boat sank off egypt's red sea coast. ukraine says russia has launched a record number of drone strikes, damaging critical infrastructure across the country. vauxhall�*s van making factory in luton is to close, putting more than 1,000 uk jobs at risk. # the first cut is the deepest # honey, i know...# and rod stewart's return — 23 years after he last headlined at glastonbury, he will be back to play the legends' slot. hello, i'm matthew amroliwala. let's start in lebanon — where there's been a series of huge israeli air strikes

that, despite all the