:00:17. > :00:22.80mph. The Environment Agency say there's a continued risk to life.
:00:23. > :00:25.The Education Secretary calls for a crack down on bad behaviour in
:00:26. > :00:27.schools. And a late push by France leaves
:00:28. > :00:55.England defeated in the Six Nations. Good evening. The Environment Agency
:00:56. > :00:59.is warning that there is a continued risk to life from floods tonight.
:01:00. > :01:04.Three severe flood warnings remain in place and gales have reached more
:01:05. > :01:07.than 80mph. After high tides this evening, some residents near
:01:08. > :01:10.Aberystwyth were urged to leave their homes and there's concern
:01:11. > :01:14.about a surge of water forecast in the River Severn tomorrow. Our
:01:15. > :01:22.correspondent Duncan Kennedy has the latest.
:01:23. > :01:26.Aberystwyth tonight facing the most des instructive of combinations,
:01:27. > :01:30.high tide and strong winds. The seafront area is being battered
:01:31. > :01:35.again. The waves breaking wildly along this stretch of coast. It's
:01:36. > :01:40.just a month after another storm smashed into the same promenade.
:01:41. > :01:45.Hundreds of students were sent home earlier from here, that decision
:01:46. > :01:51.looking more sensible by the hour. This is what a high tide looks like
:01:52. > :01:58.when it surges up a river. The famous Severn Bore today ridden by
:01:59. > :02:03.surfers despite dangers. It was classified a four-star. Tomorrow
:02:04. > :02:09.they're expecting a five-star one. It may be a new month but it's the
:02:10. > :02:15.same old weather. A cocktail of rain, wind and high tides returning
:02:16. > :02:20.again today. It's been under water for four weeks. More bad weather to
:02:21. > :02:24.come. It's heartbreaking, we don't know when it's going to end. The
:02:25. > :02:28.fire service today beefed up its flood draining operation. It's now
:02:29. > :02:32.the biggest they've ever organised. We have got eight high-volume pumps
:02:33. > :02:36.moving in excess of three million litres April hour, the equivalent of
:02:37. > :02:41.about one Olympic swimming pool worth of water every hour.
:02:42. > :02:48.Everywhere you go here there are pumps pumping, from big operations,
:02:49. > :02:53.to others much more modest. Tonight, the police said they were
:02:54. > :02:57.expecting more of this, the weather, as usual, staying one step ahead.
:02:58. > :03:01.The forecast I have heard today indicates no let-up in the first
:03:02. > :03:06.week of February. We are expecting this multiagency response to
:03:07. > :03:11.continue for the foreseeable future. Western coasts also took a pounding
:03:12. > :03:15.today. In Lancashire, some decided they wanted a closer look. It's
:03:16. > :03:20.rainy and windy yet again here and there are severe flood warnings in
:03:21. > :03:26.place right across the south-west, adding further pressure to this
:03:27. > :03:34.already saturated land. Guess what? There are more high tides expected
:03:35. > :03:36.in the morning. The Education Secretary, Michael
:03:37. > :03:39.Gove, is calling on schools in England to crack down on bad
:03:40. > :03:41.behaviour. Our education correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti is
:03:42. > :03:45.here with more details. What exactly is he saying? He wants
:03:46. > :03:48.to encourage head teachers and teachers to use community
:03:49. > :03:52.service-style punishments against pupils who misbehave. Things like
:03:53. > :03:57.clearing up graffiti, picking up litter in the playground, tidying up
:03:58. > :04:01.the dining hall after school lunch. Ministers actually think that bad
:04:02. > :04:05.behaviour has got better since 2010 but they say in those schools where
:04:06. > :04:09.it hasn't they fear that heads and teachers are a bit unclear about
:04:10. > :04:12.what sort of sanctions they can use, they worry about health and safety
:04:13. > :04:16.legislation, for example. Or even about being sued by angry parents.
:04:17. > :04:22.However, what they're talking about today is guidance, rather than new
:04:23. > :04:26.powers and as such, it's drawn a bit of a lukewarm response from one of
:04:27. > :04:30.the union leaders who says they always welcome the backing of
:04:31. > :04:37.Government, but with no new powers this feels like a PR exercise. Thank
:04:38. > :04:40.you. The Conservatives have been accused
:04:41. > :04:43.of trying to put Tory supporters in charge of public bodies. The claim's
:04:44. > :04:47.been made by the Labour peer Baroness Morgan, after she was told
:04:48. > :04:49.she would not get a second spell as head of England's schools
:04:50. > :04:52.inspectorate, Ofsted. Downing Street has rejected the claim saying
:04:53. > :04:56.appointments were made on merit and a number of former Labour ministers
:04:57. > :05:01.had been given jobs. Our political correspondent Tom Barton reports.
:05:02. > :05:06.It sends inspectors into our schools on a daily basis, checking the
:05:07. > :05:12.standards of teaching and care across England. Ofsted brands itself
:05:13. > :05:16.as independent, and impartial. But its outgoing chair, a Labour peer,
:05:17. > :05:21.says the Conservatives are playing politics with her role. I am the
:05:22. > :05:26.latest of a fairly long list of people now who are non-Conservative
:05:27. > :05:30.supporters who are not being reappointed. I think there's a
:05:31. > :05:34.pattern and I think it's extremely worrying because I think, you know,
:05:35. > :05:39.one of the really important things about public appointments is they're
:05:40. > :05:43.made on the basis of merit. Sally Morgan isn't pointing the finger at
:05:44. > :05:48.Michael Gove who appointed her in 2010. She insists they've not had a
:05:49. > :05:53.falling out. Instead, she's blaming Downing Street, claiming there's a
:05:54. > :05:58.determined effort there to recruit Tory symphathisers to bodies like
:05:59. > :06:05.the Arts Council and the Charity Commission. A senior source inside
:06:06. > :06:12.Number 10 has described these am accusations as baseless. Simon
:06:13. > :06:17.Stephens, a former Labour advisor is about to become the chief executive
:06:18. > :06:20.of NHS England, while two former Labour cabinet ministers are
:06:21. > :06:26.carrying out reviews for the coalition into pensions and social
:06:27. > :06:31.mobility. There are hundreds of independent public bodies in the UK.
:06:32. > :06:35.And who runs them matters because they control everything from the
:06:36. > :06:40.food we eat to the state of the roads, to our gas and electricity.
:06:41. > :06:43.The Conservative Party chairman insists the Government is simply
:06:44. > :06:48.focussed on getting the best people for the job. We have to make sure
:06:49. > :06:53.that we have the right people in place to deliver Government policy.
:06:54. > :06:57.There is now likely to be pressure on Number 10 to steer clear of
:06:58. > :07:01.Conservative Party supporters when the new head of Ofsted is appointed.
:07:02. > :07:06.Already Liberal Democrats are privately saying that whoever gets
:07:07. > :07:08.the job should do so based on their experience and their knowledge,
:07:09. > :07:16.rather than their political afillation.
:07:17. > :07:19.The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, has sharply criticised
:07:20. > :07:22.Ukraine over its handling of anti-government protests. It comes
:07:23. > :07:26.after allegations that a senior opposition leader was abducted and
:07:27. > :07:30.tortured. The demonstrations in Ukraine - over the country's ties
:07:31. > :07:33.with the European Union and Russia - began last November but turned
:07:34. > :07:41.violent last month. Duncan Crawford's report from Kiev contains
:07:42. > :07:44.images you may find distressing. Entrenched in their positions,
:07:45. > :07:49.anti-Government demonstrations show no sign of ending. But this
:07:50. > :07:53.frontline now feels like it's become a tourist attraction as well as a
:07:54. > :07:56.battle zone. And despite the freezing temperatures, the
:07:57. > :08:02.protesters seem more determined than ever. This is not democratic, we
:08:03. > :08:08.stay here. We fight for our country. We fight for our freedom. People's
:08:09. > :08:16.anger has been fuelled by the latest allegations of torture. Dmytro
:08:17. > :08:22.Bulatov says he was kidnapped and beaten for eight days. He is now
:08:23. > :08:26.being treated in hospital. The most horrifying thing is they crucified
:08:27. > :08:31.me. They nailed me to something. Police have suggested the kidnapping
:08:32. > :08:37.was staged. A theory dismissed by protesters. The American ambassador
:08:38. > :08:43.paid a visit earlier in a show of solidarity. He remains in hospital
:08:44. > :08:49.here, he is under police guard. The fact that US and E ument officials
:08:50. > :08:51.came here today -- EU officials came here reflects growing international
:08:52. > :08:55.pressure over what is happening. Russia has warned the West against
:08:56. > :08:59.interfering. But Western pressure is growing.
:09:00. > :09:03.At a conference in Munich it was all smiles to begin with. But the
:09:04. > :09:08.world's top diplomats couldn't pretend for long. Ukraine, just the
:09:09. > :09:12.latest incident to stir up angry exchanges between the West and
:09:13. > :09:17.Russia. Why don't we condemn those who seize
:09:18. > :09:22.and hold Government buildings, attack and torch the police, use
:09:23. > :09:27.racist anti-Semitic and Nazi slogans? The vast majority of
:09:28. > :09:32.Ukranians want to live freely in a safe and a prosperous country. And
:09:33. > :09:36.they are fighting for the right to associate with partners who will
:09:37. > :09:41.help them realise their aspirations. This whole crisis started after
:09:42. > :09:46.Ukraine scrapped plans for closer ties with the EU, in favour of
:09:47. > :09:50.Russia. But now these protests have become about much more, a direct
:09:51. > :10:01.challenge to the President's rule and people of all ages are being
:10:02. > :10:04.drawn into the conflict. Police are tonight continuing to
:10:05. > :10:08.question two men and a woman who were arrested after the death of a
:10:09. > :10:11.baby from severe head injuries. The baby boy, who was just seven weeks
:10:12. > :10:23.old, came from the Clarksfield area of Oldham. The 23-year-old woman is
:10:24. > :10:26.thought to be the child's mother. There's been fighting in the Thai
:10:27. > :10:30.capital, Bangkok, ahead of a general election tomorrow. It's the latest
:10:31. > :10:33.flare-up in a month long struggle between Government supporters - with
:10:34. > :10:37.strongholds seen here in red - in the North of the country - and the
:10:38. > :10:41.Opposition based mainly in the South. Damian Grammaticas has sent
:10:42. > :10:48.this report from Bangkok. Thailand, known for its beaches and
:10:49. > :10:55.smiles. Now riven by divisions. On the Eve
:10:56. > :11:02.of this election a gunfight. No one was sure who the gunmen were. But in
:11:03. > :11:07.this city of six million, they shut down one busy intersection, leaving
:11:08. > :11:14.six injured. And fears the country could be fraying. This is what
:11:15. > :11:17.triggered things today, a Buddhist monk siding with the opposition was
:11:18. > :11:21.leading a blockade of some Government buildings. Trying to
:11:22. > :11:28.prevent ballot papers stored inside from being distributed. Nearby
:11:29. > :11:33.police held back angry Government supporters. The Government is
:11:34. > :11:37.genuinely popular, it draws many votes from the less well-off and
:11:38. > :11:43.from regions outside Bangkok. It's won every election in recent years.
:11:44. > :11:49.The opposition, unable to win an election, are trying to stop this
:11:50. > :11:54.one happening. Many of Thailand's disaffected are
:11:55. > :12:00.its smartphone wielding middle classes. They bankroll the op
:12:01. > :12:06.campaign with cash and frustrated opt being shut out of power say the
:12:07. > :12:12.Government is corrupt. Why not let Thailand's people decide? We are not
:12:13. > :12:16.against elections in the future. But we want them to be free and fair.
:12:17. > :12:24.People's votes have been bought. This is not democracy. We want
:12:25. > :12:29.reforms first and an election later. The problem is this election could
:12:30. > :12:33.leave Thailand even more divided than before, split right down the
:12:34. > :12:41.middle. The two sides could try to form rival governments and some even
:12:42. > :12:46.say civil war is a possibility. Another casualty could be Thailand's
:12:47. > :12:50.economy. Bangkok Airport still heaves with tourists. Most will soak
:12:51. > :12:58.up the sun on the beaches, oblivious of the political tensions. But this
:12:59. > :13:03.fight is about who controls Thailand's future. One bullet grazed
:13:04. > :13:07.this man's skull. He wants things to return to normal. The political
:13:08. > :13:23.system is in crisis, though, and no one seems prepared to compromise.
:13:24. > :13:26.Let's take you to the sport now. Rugby Union's Six Nations
:13:27. > :13:29.Championship is under way. There was a scare for Wales in Cardiff against
:13:30. > :13:32.Italy and England were stunned in Paris by the French. Here's our
:13:33. > :13:37.sports correspondent Joe Wilson. If you learn more from defeat than
:13:38. > :13:43.victory, then England in Paris were at university. In the game they call
:13:44. > :13:46.Le Crunch, they've been bitten. France were ahead after 30 seconds.
:13:47. > :13:52.England's young players exposed by the bounce of the ball as much as
:13:53. > :13:59.the occasion. At half-time they were eight behind. England took the lead
:14:00. > :14:04.and there was little sign of them releasing it.
:14:05. > :14:13.Three minutes left in the match. France flinging the ball in a last
:14:14. > :14:16.attack knowing a try would do. Under the post to make the
:14:17. > :14:23.conversion simple and seal the win by two points. Breath-taking, or
:14:24. > :14:28.hard heart -- or heart-breaking? Depending on your perspective. Here
:14:29. > :14:33.the plan for Wales was to ease into their Six Nations defence against
:14:34. > :14:40.Italy. It wasn't that easy. Italy entrusted their defence to
:14:41. > :14:45.some youngsters. Horrible for him. Lovely start for Wales. They had
:14:46. > :14:52.another try by half-time. Roberts making the breakthrough with
:14:53. > :15:01.Williams in support. 17-3. Steady. The second half really belonged to
:15:02. > :15:05.Italy. There were two individual tries. Wales were certainly worrying
:15:06. > :15:09.about losing. They hung on to win by eight points and hardly felt by
:15:10. > :15:17.celebrating. In games of small margins, victory is the important
:15:18. > :15:21.thing. The top four teams weren't playing
:15:22. > :15:25.today, but there are still plenty of Premier League goals coming up on
:15:26. > :15:27.Match of the Day after the news. If you want the results now, here they
:15:28. > :15:29.come. Manchester United's hopes of
:15:30. > :15:32.qualifying for the Champions League have been hit by another defeat.
:15:33. > :15:37.Charlie Adam scored twice for Stoke in their 2-1 win at the Brittania
:15:38. > :15:41.Stadium. United stay 7th. There were also wins for Cardiff and
:15:42. > :15:44.Everton. Fulham are now bottom of the table after losing 3-0 at home
:15:45. > :15:47.to Southampton. Tottenham drew at Hull, Sunderland
:15:48. > :15:52.pulled further away from the relegation beating Newcastle 3-0 in
:15:53. > :15:56.the north-east Derby. West Ham beat Swansea.
:15:57. > :15:59.Aberdeen are into their first major final for 14 years, after beating St
:16:00. > :16:04.Johnston 4-0 in the League Cup semi-finals. There were just a
:16:05. > :16:07.couple of games in the Premiership. Kilmarnock against Ross County and
:16:08. > :16:16.Partick Thistle Dundee Utd were both draws.
:16:17. > :16:27.Great Britain have lost their Davis Cup doubles rubber against the USA
:16:28. > :16:31.in San Diego. Dom Inglot and Colin Fleming went down three sets to one
:16:32. > :16:36.against the American Bryan brothers. Great Britain still lead the tie 2-1
:16:37. > :16:41.but hopes now rest with Andy Murray in tomorrow's singles. Before we
:16:42. > :16:46.leave you, time to let you he the Education Secretary Michael -- to
:16:47. > :16:50.let you know the Education Secretary Michael Gove will be among the
:16:51. > :16:52.guests tomorrow on the Andrew Marr show. That's all from me and the
:16:53. > :17:06.team here, bye. Good evening. The weather is showing
:17:07. > :17:10.some signs of calming down but it's only looking fairly temporary. Even
:17:11. > :17:15.tomorrow, although the weather will be calmer, it's still going to be
:17:16. > :17:16.blustery but most of us will see spells of sunshine. Most of us