01/02/2014 BBC Weekend News

80mph. The Environment Agency say there's a continued risk to life.

The Education Secretary calls for a crack down on bad behaviour in

schools. And a late push by France leaves

England defeated in the Six Nations. Good evening. The Environment Agency

is warning that there is a continued risk to life from floods tonight.

Three severe flood warnings remain in place and gales have reached more

than 80mph. After high tides this evening, some residents near

Aberystwyth were urged to leave their homes and there's concern

about a surge of water forecast in the River Severn tomorrow. Our

correspondent Duncan Kennedy has the latest.

Aberystwyth tonight facing the most des instructive of combinations,

high tide and strong winds. The seafront area is being battered

again. The waves breaking wildly along this stretch of coast. It's

just a month after another storm smashed into the same promenade.

Hundreds of students were sent home earlier from here, that decision

looking more sensible by the hour. This is what a high tide looks like

when it surges up a river. The famous Severn Bore today ridden by

surfers despite dangers. It was classified a four-star. Tomorrow

they're expecting a five-star one. It may be a new month but it's the

same old weather. A cocktail of rain, wind and high tides returning

again today. It's been under water for four weeks. More bad weather to

come. It's heartbreaking, we don't know when it's going to end. The

fire service today beefed up its flood draining operation. It's now

the biggest they've ever organised. We have got eight high-volume pumps

moving in excess of three million litres April hour, the equivalent of

about one Olympic swimming pool worth of water every hour.

Everywhere you go here there are pumps pumping, from big operations,

to others much more modest. Tonight, the police said they were

expecting more of this, the weather, as usual, staying one step ahead.

The forecast I have heard today indicates no let-up in the first

week of February. We are expecting this multiagency response to

continue for the foreseeable future. Western coasts also took a pounding

today. In Lancashire, some decided they wanted a closer look. It's

rainy and windy yet again here and there are severe flood warnings in

place right across the south-west, adding further pressure to this

already saturated land. Guess what? There are more high tides expected

in the morning. The Education Secretary, Michael

Gove, is calling on schools in England to crack down on bad

behaviour. Our education correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti is

here with more details. What exactly is he saying? He wants

to encourage head teachers and teachers to use community

service-style punishments against pupils who misbehave. Things like

clearing up graffiti, picking up litter in the playground, tidying up

the dining hall after school lunch. Ministers actually think that bad

behaviour has got better since 2010 but they say in those schools where

it hasn't they fear that heads and teachers are a bit unclear about

what sort of sanctions they can use, they worry about health and safety

legislation, for example. Or even about being sued by angry parents.

However, what they're talking about today is guidance, rather than new

powers and as such, it's drawn a bit of a lukewarm response from one of

the union leaders who says they always welcome the backing of

Government, but with no new powers this feels like a PR exercise. Thank

you. The Conservatives have been accused

of trying to put Tory supporters in charge of public bodies. The claim's

been made by the Labour peer Baroness Morgan, after she was told

she would not get a second spell as head of England's schools

inspectorate, Ofsted. Downing Street has rejected the claim saying

appointments were made on merit and a number of former Labour ministers

had been given jobs. Our political correspondent Tom Barton reports.

It sends inspectors into our schools on a daily basis, checking the

standards of teaching and care across England. Ofsted brands itself

as independent, and impartial. But its outgoing chair, a Labour peer,

says the Conservatives are playing politics with her role. I am the

latest of a fairly long list of people now who are non-Conservative

supporters who are not being reappointed. I think there's a

pattern and I think it's extremely worrying because I think, you know,

one of the really important things about public appointments is they're

made on the basis of merit. Sally Morgan isn't pointing the finger at

Michael Gove who appointed her in 2010. She insists they've not had a

falling out. Instead, she's blaming Downing Street, claiming there's a

determined effort there to recruit Tory symphathisers to bodies like

the Arts Council and the Charity Commission. A senior source inside

Number 10 has described these am accusations as baseless. Simon

Stephens, a former Labour advisor is about to become the chief executive

of NHS England, while two former Labour cabinet ministers are

carrying out reviews for the coalition into pensions and social

mobility. There are hundreds of independent public bodies in the UK.

And who runs them matters because they control everything from the

food we eat to the state of the roads, to our gas and electricity.

The Conservative Party chairman insists the Government is simply

focussed on getting the best people for the job. We have to make sure

that we have the right people in place to deliver Government policy.

There is now likely to be pressure on Number 10 to steer clear of

Conservative Party supporters when the new head of Ofsted is appointed.

Already Liberal Democrats are privately saying that whoever gets

the job should do so based on their experience and their knowledge,

rather than their political afillation.

The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, has sharply criticised

Ukraine over its handling of anti-government protests. It comes

after allegations that a senior opposition leader was abducted and

tortured. The demonstrations in Ukraine - over the country's ties

with the European Union and Russia - began last November but turned

violent last month. Duncan Crawford's report from Kiev contains

images you may find distressing. Entrenched in their positions,

anti-Government demonstrations show no sign of ending. But this

frontline now feels like it's become a tourist attraction as well as a

battle zone. And despite the freezing temperatures, the

protesters seem more determined than ever. This is not democratic, we

stay here. We fight for our country. We fight for our freedom. People's

anger has been fuelled by the latest allegations of torture. Dmytro

Bulatov says he was kidnapped and beaten for eight days. He is now

being treated in hospital. The most horrifying thing is they crucified

me. They nailed me to something. Police have suggested the kidnapping

was staged. A theory dismissed by protesters. The American ambassador

paid a visit earlier in a show of solidarity. He remains in hospital

here, he is under police guard. The fact that US and E ument officials

came here today -- EU officials came here reflects growing international

pressure over what is happening. Russia has warned the West against

interfering. But Western pressure is growing.

At a conference in Munich it was all smiles to begin with. But the

world's top diplomats couldn't pretend for long. Ukraine, just the

latest incident to stir up angry exchanges between the West and

Russia. Why don't we condemn those who seize

and hold Government buildings, attack and torch the police, use

racist anti-Semitic and Nazi slogans? The vast majority of

Ukranians want to live freely in a safe and a prosperous country. And

they are fighting for the right to associate with partners who will

help them realise their aspirations. This whole crisis started after

Ukraine scrapped plans for closer ties with the EU, in favour of

Russia. But now these protests have become about much more, a direct

challenge to the President's rule and people of all ages are being

drawn into the conflict. Police are tonight continuing to

question two men and a woman who were arrested after the death of a

baby from severe head injuries. The baby boy, who was just seven weeks

old, came from the Clarksfield area of Oldham. The 23-year-old woman is

thought to be the child's mother. There's been fighting in the Thai

capital, Bangkok, ahead of a general election tomorrow. It's the latest

flare-up in a month long struggle between Government supporters - with

strongholds seen here in red - in the North of the country - and the

Opposition based mainly in the South. Damian Grammaticas has sent

this report from Bangkok. Thailand, known for its beaches and

smiles. Now riven by divisions. On the Eve

of this election a gunfight. No one was sure who the gunmen were. But in

this city of six million, they shut down one busy intersection, leaving

six injured. And fears the country could be fraying. This is what

triggered things today, a Buddhist monk siding with the opposition was

leading a blockade of some Government buildings. Trying to

prevent ballot papers stored inside from being distributed. Nearby

police held back angry Government supporters. The Government is

genuinely popular, it draws many votes from the less well-off and

from regions outside Bangkok. It's won every election in recent years.

The opposition, unable to win an election, are trying to stop this

one happening. Many of Thailand's disaffected are

its smartphone wielding middle classes. They bankroll the op

campaign with cash and frustrated opt being shut out of power say the

Government is corrupt. Why not let Thailand's people decide? We are not

against elections in the future. But we want them to be free and fair.

People's votes have been bought. This is not democracy. We want

reforms first and an election later. The problem is this election could

leave Thailand even more divided than before, split right down the

middle. The two sides could try to form rival governments and some even

say civil war is a possibility. Another casualty could be Thailand's

economy. Bangkok Airport still heaves with tourists. Most will soak

up the sun on the beaches, oblivious of the political tensions. But this

fight is about who controls Thailand's future. One bullet grazed

this man's skull. He wants things to return to normal. The political

system is in crisis, though, and no one seems prepared to compromise.

Let's take you to the sport now. Rugby Union's Six Nations

Championship is under way. There was a scare for Wales in Cardiff against

Italy and England were stunned in Paris by the French. Here's our

sports correspondent Joe Wilson. If you learn more from defeat than

victory, then England in Paris were at university. In the game they call

Le Crunch, they've been bitten. France were ahead after 30 seconds.

England's young players exposed by the bounce of the ball as much as

the occasion. At half-time they were eight behind. England took the lead

and there was little sign of them releasing it.

Three minutes left in the match. France flinging the ball in a last

attack knowing a try would do. Under the post to make the

conversion simple and seal the win by two points. Breath-taking, or

hard heart -- or heart-breaking? Depending on your perspective. Here

the plan for Wales was to ease into their Six Nations defence against

Italy. It wasn't that easy. Italy entrusted their defence to

some youngsters. Horrible for him. Lovely start for Wales. They had

another try by half-time. Roberts making the breakthrough with

Williams in support. 17-3. Steady. The second half really belonged to

Italy. There were two individual tries. Wales were certainly worrying

about losing. They hung on to win by eight points and hardly felt by

celebrating. In games of small margins, victory is the important

thing. The top four teams weren't playing

today, but there are still plenty of Premier League goals coming up on

Match of the Day after the news. If you want the results now, here they

come. Manchester United's hopes of

qualifying for the Champions League have been hit by another defeat.

Charlie Adam scored twice for Stoke in their 2-1 win at the Brittania

Stadium. United stay 7th. There were also wins for Cardiff and

Everton. Fulham are now bottom of the table after losing 3-0 at home

to Southampton. Tottenham drew at Hull, Sunderland

pulled further away from the relegation beating Newcastle 3-0 in

the north-east Derby. West Ham beat Swansea.

Aberdeen are into their first major final for 14 years, after beating St

Johnston 4-0 in the League Cup semi-finals. There were just a

couple of games in the Premiership. Kilmarnock against Ross County and

Partick Thistle Dundee Utd were both draws.

Great Britain have lost their Davis Cup doubles rubber against the USA

in San Diego. Dom Inglot and Colin Fleming went down three sets to one

against the American Bryan brothers. Great Britain still lead the tie 2-1

but hopes now rest with Andy Murray in tomorrow's singles. Before we

leave you, time to let you he the Education Secretary Michael -- to

let you know the Education Secretary Michael Gove will be among the

guests tomorrow on the Andrew Marr show. That's all from me and the

team here, bye. Good evening. The weather is showing

some signs of calming down but it's only looking fairly temporary. Even

tomorrow, although the weather will be calmer, it's still going to be

blustery but most of us will see spells of sunshine. Most of us