22/04/2016

:00:13. > :00:15.Hello, it's Friday, it's 9am, I'm Norman Smith in for Victoria.

:00:16. > :00:23.Our top story today: President Obama arrives in the UK and steps

:00:24. > :00:30.At the start of a three day visit he appeals for the UK to stay

:00:31. > :00:32.in the European Union but Vote Leave campaigners say

:00:33. > :00:49.Also today: Tributes pour in for the singer Prince,

:00:50. > :01:00.He was a legend of our city, he was probably

:01:01. > :01:04.He brought the Purple Rain, he brought a whole different type

:01:05. > :01:07.of atmosphere with the music, rock and roll, he played

:01:08. > :01:10.all the instruments, and he was just a different style about him,

:01:11. > :01:14.We'll bring you reaction and the latest on the

:01:15. > :01:24.40,000 runners prepare to pound the streets of London this weekend,

:01:25. > :01:28.but just what does it take to get through 26 miles

:01:29. > :01:48.As we go on air this morning huge crowds are gathering in Minnesota

:01:49. > :01:55.to pay tribute to Prince, who has died aged 57.

:01:56. > :01:57.Thousands of fans have joined a party in Minneapolis,

:01:58. > :01:59.where the singer, songwriter and producer was born.

:02:00. > :02:01.We'll bring you tributes throughout the programme.

:02:02. > :02:11.Do get in touch on all the stories we're talking about this morning.

:02:12. > :02:17.If you text, you will be charged at the standard network rate.

:02:18. > :02:20.And don't forget if you've got a story you think we should be

:02:21. > :02:24.Our top story today: President Obama has started a three day tour

:02:25. > :02:26.to the UK with an impassioned intervention in the debate

:02:27. > :02:33.In a newspaper article, Mr Obama argues that if Britain

:02:34. > :02:36.leaves the EU it will be less able to tackle terrorism,

:02:37. > :02:38.the migration crisis and economic problems.

:02:39. > :02:40.But Vote Leave campaigners say his comments are

:02:41. > :02:46.Our North America editor, Jon Sopel, travelled

:02:47. > :02:49.with the president from Saudi Arabia to London on Air Force One.

:02:50. > :02:56.His report contains flashing images.

:02:57. > :02:58.Phase one over, and now on to London.

:02:59. > :03:00.There was probably relief that for President Obama this

:03:01. > :03:02.would be his last visit to Saudi Arabia as president.

:03:03. > :03:05.Although London will not be without controversy.

:03:06. > :03:08.The president is preparing to leave Saudi Arabia,

:03:09. > :03:11.leaving the conflicts of the Middle East for a rather

:03:12. > :03:15.different conflict, European politics, and whether Britain should

:03:16. > :03:22.In an article for today's Daily Telegraph, he tackles the idea

:03:23. > :03:26.that this is no business of the US by saying the tens of thousands

:03:27. > :03:29.of Americans who rest in Europe cemeteries

:03:30. > :03:34.are a silent testament to just how intertwined our prosperity

:03:35. > :03:44.When he joins David Cameron for a news conference later today

:03:45. > :03:47.in the Downing Street garden, it won't be to cook up a barbecue,

:03:48. > :03:50.but it will be to skewer the arguments of those who want Brexit.

:03:51. > :03:52.That will delight David Cameron, but will bring accusations

:03:53. > :04:02.They argue that President Obama would never allow US sovereignty to

:04:03. > :04:05.be pooled with Canada and Mexico in the way Britain does with

:04:06. > :04:21.Carole Walker is in Westminster for us this morning.

:04:22. > :04:28.We have already seen this barnstorming article by President

:04:29. > :04:35.Obama in the Daily Telegraph. I imagine Downing Street were doing a

:04:36. > :04:39.jig of joy. Yes, they can barely contain their delight. They keep

:04:40. > :04:43.insisting it is down to the British people but saying we should listen

:04:44. > :04:48.to our friends and let us make no mistake, we already have the

:04:49. > :04:52.barriers going up around Westminster for people turning up to see

:04:53. > :04:58.President Obama. He is pretty big box office, a lot more popular in

:04:59. > :05:02.the UK than at home. This is a direct powerful emotional appeal to

:05:03. > :05:09.Britain to stay in the European Union and that article... He talks

:05:10. > :05:14.about the Americans who fought and died alongside the British and

:05:15. > :05:20.Britain's relationship is enhanced by the EU and we would have less

:05:21. > :05:26.influence on the global stage and on tackling a whole range of issues

:05:27. > :05:31.from extremism and terrorism, the migration crisis, global warming,

:05:32. > :05:34.all of that he says is better tackled by Britain acting

:05:35. > :05:38.incorporation and through cooperative action with the rest of

:05:39. > :05:50.the EU. A pretty strong intervention. Of course delighting

:05:51. > :05:54.the Remain side of the argument. What do the people on the Brexit

:05:55. > :06:00.side do to respond to such an argument from President Obama? Their

:06:01. > :06:05.basic point is that this is what one of them, the Justice minister,

:06:06. > :06:10.described as wanton double standards. Boris Johnson the mayor

:06:11. > :06:16.of London talked about as an example of hypocrisy, do as I say, not as I

:06:17. > :06:21.do. They say the United States would never accept the loss of

:06:22. > :06:25.sovereignty, loss of powers, imposition of rules and regulations,

:06:26. > :06:30.which Britain has to accept as part of its membership of the European

:06:31. > :06:36.Union. Furthermore they are saying that President Obama is motivated by

:06:37. > :06:40.what is in America's national interest not necessarily Britain's

:06:41. > :06:46.interest and the two do not necessarily coincide. Saying this is

:06:47. > :06:51.a decision for the British people, the president can express his views,

:06:52. > :06:56.but letters make no mistake, he has a vested interest in keeping Britain

:06:57. > :07:03.inside the EU. The wider point is that their only hope is to represent

:07:04. > :07:10.themselves as the sort of insurgent campaign against the establishment.

:07:11. > :07:16.On the Remain side you have President Obama and Francois

:07:17. > :07:20.Hollande and Angela Merkel and a host of other world leaders, the

:07:21. > :07:25.IMF, the Bank of England, all saying there are huge risks to Britain

:07:26. > :07:29.leaving the EU. What those who want to do so can say is this is the

:07:30. > :07:34.establishment, of course they are going to say that, come with other

:07:35. > :07:39.due can have a brighter and freer future outside the EU. There is no

:07:40. > :07:43.doubt this intervention by President Obama at this stage is a significant

:07:44. > :07:50.boost to the Remain campaign. Thank you. A busy day ahead. I hope you

:07:51. > :07:53.have your flag to wave in Downing Street.

:07:54. > :07:56.We'll bring you reaction to Prince's death in just a moment but first

:07:57. > :08:00.we cross to the BBC Newsroom for more on that and a summary

:08:01. > :08:04.A post-mortem examination is to be carried out on the body

:08:05. > :08:06.of the pop legend Prince, who has died aged 57.

:08:07. > :08:08.It could take place as early as today.

:08:09. > :08:12.The American musician, who defined the sound

:08:13. > :08:15.of the 80s with songs like 1999 and Purple Rain,

:08:16. > :08:18.was found collapsed in a lift at his home in Minnesota yesterday.

:08:19. > :08:21.Meanwhile, thousands of fans have joined a party in Minneapolis,

:08:22. > :08:23.where the singer, songwriter and producer was born.

:08:24. > :08:27.Our US Correspondent James Cook reports.

:08:28. > :08:30.Paisley Park feels like the new Graceland.

:08:31. > :08:33.Prince's home and recording studio is awash with tears and tributes

:08:34. > :08:38.as fans of all generations come to pay their respects to a musical

:08:39. > :08:43.Half of my family members knew him personally.

:08:44. > :08:48.My mother-in-law went to school with him.

:08:49. > :08:50.All around, I think he was a phenomenal guy.

:08:51. > :08:54.I grew up listening to Prince in college.

:08:55. > :08:58.That is what we listened to when we went to clubs and

:08:59. > :09:05.Prince was found slumped in a lift by sheriff's deputies

:09:06. > :09:22.Efforts to resuscitate him failed, and he was pronounced dead at 10.07.

:09:23. > :09:23.Mystery still surrounds the cause of death,

:09:24. > :09:25.and a post-mortem examination is scheduled for Friday.

:09:26. > :09:29.Tributes have poured in from around the world.

:09:30. > :09:31.Fellow musicians lining up to praise a legend who reshaped

:09:32. > :09:44.Among the fans in mourning, Michelle and Barack Obama.

:09:45. > :09:48.Prince Rogers Nelson's uniquely sexually charged blend of funk,

:09:49. > :09:56.He was a prolific composer for himself and others.

:09:57. > :09:59.He played dozens of instruments, and of course he could sing.

:10:00. > :10:05.Prince will also be remembered for struggling for the soul

:10:06. > :10:07.of his art, changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol

:10:08. > :10:12.He leaves a treasure trove of recordings

:10:13. > :10:28.We'll bring you more tributes to Prince throughout

:10:29. > :10:34.Surgeons are concerned that overweight people and smokers

:10:35. > :10:36.are being refused routine operations, such as hip

:10:37. > :10:42.Research by the Royal College of Surgeons found that a third

:10:43. > :10:45.of NHS areas in England are blocking surgery until people lose weight

:10:46. > :10:50.The college claims the policies are in breech of official guidelines

:10:51. > :10:51.and has urged the government to step in.

:10:52. > :10:58.Here's our health correspondent, Adam Brimelow.

:10:59. > :11:00.The Royal College of Surgeons is becoming increasingly alarmed

:11:01. > :11:03.about what it calls rationing of surgery in a tough financial

:11:04. > :11:05.climate, particularly for people who smoke or are overweight.

:11:06. > :11:07.Its report draws a distinction between voluntary policies,

:11:08. > :11:10.where patients are encouraged to stop smoking or lose weight

:11:11. > :11:14.before routine operations, and mandatory approaches,

:11:15. > :11:16.which delay or deny surgery for patients

:11:17. > :11:23.Freedom of Information returns suggest more than one in three local

:11:24. > :11:27.commissioning groups in England have at least one compulsory

:11:28. > :11:29.restriction on surgery, related to smoking or weight.

:11:30. > :11:34.In 2014, about one in eight restricted access to hip

:11:35. > :11:41.Our major concern is for the patient.

:11:42. > :11:46.Every patient who is denied access to surgery or the surgery is delayed

:11:47. > :11:49.because of arbitrary rationing conditions is likely to suffer

:11:50. > :11:57.The college said it supports public health programmes to help weight

:11:58. > :12:01.management and quit smoking but it insists treatment should be based

:12:02. > :12:07.However, some of the local NHS groups who have been criticised

:12:08. > :12:10.say their policies are based on good evidence.

:12:11. > :12:18.The government has been forced to cancel a national spelling test

:12:19. > :12:20.for primary school pupils after it accidentally appeared

:12:21. > :12:29.Half a million seven-year olds in England were due to take

:12:30. > :12:32.The Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, has apologised,

:12:33. > :12:37.Apple's co-founder, Steve Wozniak, has said his former company

:12:38. > :12:43.Mr Wozniak said all companies including the technology giant Apple

:12:44. > :12:50.Apple, along with Google and Amazon, has been criticised for not paying

:12:51. > :12:52.enough in tax and the firm is currently the subject of

:12:53. > :13:07.More than 200,000 miscarriages happen in the UK every year.

:13:08. > :13:10.What causes so many of them is still not known.

:13:11. > :13:12.It's hoped that will change with the opening, next week,

:13:13. > :13:21.of the UK's first national research centre dedicated

:13:22. > :13:24.to understanding causes and effects of miscarriage.

:13:25. > :13:26.That's a summary of the latest BBC News.

:13:27. > :13:29.Do get in touch with us throughout the morning.

:13:30. > :13:42.If you text, you will be charged at the standard network rate.

:13:43. > :13:48.Good morning, lots of sport to get through.

:13:49. > :13:52.Arsene Wenger has called on fans to support the team.

:13:53. > :13:55.Arsenal have moved into third place in the Premier League ahead

:13:56. > :13:58.of Manchester City after beating West Bromwich Albion 2-0 last night.

:13:59. > :14:01.The Gunners have seen their title hopes fade recently and some fans

:14:02. > :14:05.didn't attend last night to see a routine victory started

:14:06. > :14:11.Arsenal had most of the chances and Sanchez took them further

:14:12. > :14:13.clear with this free kick before half time.

:14:14. > :14:15.The result keeps them on course for Champions League

:14:16. > :14:21.We are in the position where it depends

:14:22. > :14:36.But we want more, so we have to fight at least to stay in the top

:14:37. > :14:41.That means we have to absolutely try to win every single game we play.

:14:42. > :14:44.Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has accepted a charge of improper

:14:45. > :14:46.conduct from the FA, which means he could now be

:14:47. > :14:52.Vardy reacted angrily to his red card against West Ham

:14:53. > :14:55.at the weekend and will miss the Premier League leaders' home

:14:56. > :14:58.He's requested a personal hearing but could be given

:14:59. > :15:00.an additional suspension, meaning he'd miss the trip

:15:01. > :15:05.to Manchester United the following weekend.

:15:06. > :15:09.Two goals from England's Fran Kirby earned Chelsea a 2-0 win at Arsenal

:15:10. > :15:11.in the women's Super League, three weeks before the sides meet

:15:12. > :15:15.An awful mix-up in the Arsenal defence allowed Kirby to open

:15:16. > :15:20.She added a second ten minutes from time as Chelsea

:15:21. > :15:23.won their second successive game and are top of the table on goal

:15:24. > :15:28.The Olympic flame was lit yesterday in Greece as it begins the long

:15:29. > :15:31.journey to Rio de Janeiro for this summer's Games.

:15:32. > :15:33.Unfortunately though, some of golf's biggest stars

:15:34. > :15:38.South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen is the latest big name to pull out,

:15:39. > :15:45.It's golf's first appearance at the Games since 1904 but already

:15:46. > :15:47.Australia's Adam Scott and Vijay Singh of Fiji have

:15:48. > :16:09.Liverpool's and field will host its first rugby league match. -- and

:16:10. > :16:12.feel. New Zealand will play Scotland. The Olympic Stadium in

:16:13. > :16:13.London has also been chosen as a venue.

:16:14. > :16:15.Huddersfield coach Paul Anderson called referee Joe Cobb's

:16:16. > :16:17.performance disgraceful as the Super League's bottom side

:16:18. > :16:22.The Giants had led midway through the second half thanks

:16:23. > :16:25.to a hat trick from full back Ryan Brierley.

:16:26. > :16:27.But a try and two drop goals from Wigan's Matty Smith put

:16:28. > :16:30.the home side back in front, before this try from Dan Sarginson

:16:31. > :16:40.sealed the win, which sends Wigan top of the table.

:16:41. > :16:52.That is all the sport. As a Spurs fan, I am not massively upset about

:16:53. > :16:53.Fardy's difficulties. -- Fardy's difficulties.

:16:54. > :16:55.Huge crowds are gathering in Minnesota to pay tribute

:16:56. > :16:59.Thousands of fans have joined a street party in Minneapolis,

:17:00. > :17:01.where the iconic singer, songwriter and producer was born.

:17:02. > :17:04.And Prince's sister has met mourners who are also meeting

:17:05. > :17:19.Major world figures have been playing tribute. Here are a few of

:17:20. > :17:26.them. President Obama tweeted that a strong spirit transcended rules.

:17:27. > :17:31.Nobody's spirit was stronger, bolder and more creative. Madonna said he

:17:32. > :17:34.changed the world. A true visionary. And Paul McCartney tweeted, God

:17:35. > :17:39.bless this created giant. than 100 million records

:17:40. > :17:42.during his career, with hit albums including Purple Rain,

:17:43. > :18:18.1999 and Sign O' the Times. # I never meant to cause you any

:18:19. > :18:28.sorrow. # I never meant to cause you any pain.

:18:29. > :18:34.# only want to see you in the Purple Rain.

:18:35. > :18:43.??HOTKEY Purple Rain, Purple Rain. # Purple Rain, Purple Rain.

:18:44. > :19:03.# Purple Rain, Purple Rain. # only want to see you laughing in

:19:04. > :21:06.the Purple Rain. Fantastic stuff. Let's mull over

:21:07. > :22:12.Prince. John McKie is the former

:22:13. > :22:15.editor of Smash Hits. Mobeen Azhar is a Prince

:22:16. > :22:17.fan and journalist. And Nihal is a DJ and BBC radio

:22:18. > :22:26.presenter. John, let me start with you. It is

:22:27. > :22:33.almost a bit glib, trite, to say that he was a rock star. He was so

:22:34. > :22:38.much more? He was beyond that. Stevie Wonder, Kate Bush, they were

:22:39. > :22:44.a musician to orderly revered Prince. I would probably say he was

:22:45. > :22:49.the greatest live performer in the history of contemporary popular

:22:50. > :22:54.music. The curious thing about him, I was thought, was here was a man of

:22:55. > :23:00.huge charisma and talent and yet he was a shy, private individual. He

:23:01. > :23:05.was. It was all about the music for him. We know the pop star Prince.

:23:06. > :23:10.The guy who sold 100 million records and won Grammy awards and Oscars.

:23:11. > :23:16.But ultimately it was about the music. In the past decade he would

:23:17. > :23:22.give away albums as cover amounts. He would not do promo videos. It was

:23:23. > :23:27.a single-minded obsession with getting music out of there. The

:23:28. > :23:34.other funny thing about him is that he liked to characterise musicians

:23:35. > :23:39.of being a particular genre. -- we like to categorise. Where do you put

:23:40. > :23:45.someone like Prince? He embodies everything that is great about

:23:46. > :23:48.modern music. Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard, James Brown, Joni Mitchell,

:23:49. > :23:57.they lived inside of him. He managed to make them sound completely fresh

:23:58. > :24:03.and completely new. What sort of reaction has there been? We have

:24:04. > :24:06.seen fans traumatised. I always wonder who is fans were. He seemed

:24:07. > :24:14.to encompass so many different kinds of music. Who was the Prince fan?

:24:15. > :24:19.One thing that I have noticed about a lot of people I know who are

:24:20. > :24:22.Prince obsessives, I Fardy has this kind of devotion attached to him on

:24:23. > :24:33.like any other artist I know about -- of. One thing about him is

:24:34. > :24:39.allowing people to be with a. That is quite often for people, wherever

:24:40. > :24:47.they are, who feel very isolated and different from everybody else. It

:24:48. > :24:58.allows you to be pre-war. And that raw sexuality. That makes him beyond

:24:59. > :25:02.a normal artist. That energy. I text it Beverley Knight last night, who

:25:03. > :25:09.is a huge fan. I am sure you drop names with politicians all the time.

:25:10. > :25:18.She could not even speak she was so upset. So part of his aura. It was

:25:19. > :25:23.an aura. It was beyond music. It was magical. Bowie and Prince in one

:25:24. > :25:29.year. It is a terrible year for music. From a journalistic point of

:25:30. > :25:39.view, how was he with the media? Many stars distrust. They do the

:25:40. > :25:43.media but they do not like it. We are from a generation where Lady

:25:44. > :25:50.Gaga will tweet what she is having for dinner. Prince was so

:25:51. > :25:56.mysterious. In the rare interviews he gave, he would not allow

:25:57. > :26:04.Dictaphones. You had to take notes. At concerts he banned camera phones.

:26:05. > :26:08.That made his concerts more of a communal experience. It made them

:26:09. > :26:13.more special. It made them more one off. Even trying to find video

:26:14. > :26:17.footage last night as I was, it is still quite difficult. When you

:26:18. > :26:21.think about someone who lived for music and played a gig and then an

:26:22. > :26:27.after show gig until three o'clock in the morning, still managing to

:26:28. > :26:33.find stuff online is difficult. That is how much control he exerted over

:26:34. > :26:39.the material he wrote. We know he produced a huge catalogue of work,

:26:40. > :26:42.nearly 40 albums. It was the live performances which were his defining

:26:43. > :26:47.feature. That is what made him special. It was. I worked on a

:26:48. > :26:52.documentary last year and I went to Minneapolis. I met lots of the band

:26:53. > :26:56.members who played on those instrumental albums and had played

:26:57. > :27:01.with Prince from the 70s until now. And they told me he was constantly

:27:02. > :27:06.recording. He was recording all the time. I remember one of them said if

:27:07. > :27:09.Prince was to leave the world today, he has gotten enough unreleased

:27:10. > :27:14.music to put an album out every year for 100 years. I am right in saying

:27:15. > :27:23.that he had signed up to do a memoir? When I heard the news about

:27:24. > :27:28.the memoir, I thought this was so unlike Prince. It was not a Prince

:27:29. > :27:34.thing. It is a Prince thing to write poetry. It is not a Prince thing to

:27:35. > :27:38.write a straightforward memoir. Who knows if we will ever see that? In

:27:39. > :27:44.terms of his unreleased work, there are more than 100 unreleased albums.

:27:45. > :27:48.He recorded pretty much every live performance he ever did. His

:27:49. > :27:54.bandmates told me that. There are complete promo videos in the vault.

:27:55. > :27:59.There are two feature films that had never been released. There is a lot

:28:00. > :28:05.of material. I am wondering if he can be imitated? Can anybody

:28:06. > :28:09.actually try to follow on from him or is it mission impossible? It is

:28:10. > :28:14.absolutely Mission impossible. Why would you try to do something like

:28:15. > :28:18.that? It is like me saying I want to be Usain Bolt. It is never going to

:28:19. > :28:28.happen. One thing about Prince and his universality was really put into

:28:29. > :28:37.focus by a tweet from a DJ on BBC. He said, at this point every station

:28:38. > :28:41.is playing different Prince songs simultaneously across four BBC

:28:42. > :28:47.stations. An incredible man. You need to take the parts of Prince

:28:48. > :28:50.that feel something to you and go on your own journey. He would 100% not

:28:51. > :28:57.be up for you being a pastiche of him. That is completely against

:28:58. > :29:00.everything he stood for. He was kind of an unlikely figure to be a

:29:01. > :29:05.superstar if you look at his background. A very small guy, he did

:29:06. > :29:13.not come from the Bronx. He came from the midwest. An unlikely

:29:14. > :29:19.superstar. But wrote his first song at seven. A prodigy. He was a

:29:20. > :29:24.one-off. One of the things that made him interesting was that he was

:29:25. > :29:30.obsessed with James Brown as he was with Joni Mitchell. White Rock and

:29:31. > :29:36.funk and soul, it would all meet in the middle with Prince. That is why

:29:37. > :29:40.he could write a song like Purple Rain and Nothing Compares 2 U and

:29:41. > :29:47.Manic Monday. He can do all that. A master songwriter. And a live

:29:48. > :29:51.performer that can do all that is beyond rare. I think it is really

:29:52. > :29:56.important to say as well that he was in many ways an unlikely star. But

:29:57. > :30:02.if you strip away the flamboyant clothes and the Hare and the videos,

:30:03. > :30:10.there was so much there. It was raw talent. Who is there who has jumped

:30:11. > :30:15.from a drum kit to piano to base to guitar and play all of them with

:30:16. > :30:20.skill? His first Alchemy recorded every single instrument. He can sing

:30:21. > :30:26.like an angel. And he writes Andy Bridges is. Who else can do that?

:30:27. > :30:32.All of this stuff is so out there. It is so otherworldly that the

:30:33. > :30:33.persona of Prince was inconsequential. It is always about

:30:34. > :30:42.the music. Thank you very much. Still to come: Will President

:30:43. > :30:44.Obama's impassioned plea for Britain to remain in the EU make any

:30:45. > :30:47.difference to the way people vote? If you work for a large company

:30:48. > :30:50.on a self-employed basis, are you missing out on staff

:30:51. > :30:52.benefits which your We'll hear about a test case

:30:53. > :31:01.which could change the law. President Obama has started

:31:02. > :31:14.a three day tour to the UK with an intervention

:31:15. > :31:15.in the debate over In a newspaper article,

:31:16. > :31:18.Mr Obama argues that if Britain leaves the EU,

:31:19. > :31:21.it will be less able to tackle terrorism,

:31:22. > :31:22.the migration crisis But Vote Leave campaigners

:31:23. > :31:35.say his comments are Saying the US would never allow a

:31:36. > :31:40.foreign power to have control over national issues. A postmortem

:31:41. > :31:46.examination is to be carried out on the pop legend Prince who has died

:31:47. > :31:51.aged 57. It could take place later today. He defined the sound of the

:31:52. > :31:57.80s. He was found collapsed in a lift at his home in Minnesota

:31:58. > :32:02.yesterday. Thousands of fans have joined a party in Minneapolis where

:32:03. > :32:07.he was born. A Prince fan told us how much music meant to the start.

:32:08. > :32:11.It was all about the music for him. We know the pop star Prince so we

:32:12. > :32:18.know the man who sold all the records and won Oscars and Grammys

:32:19. > :32:24.but it was about the music. In the past decade or so he would give away

:32:25. > :32:29.albums as cover mounts, he would not do promo videos. His only concern,

:32:30. > :32:32.it was their single-minded obsession with getting music out there.

:32:33. > :32:34.Surgeons are concerned that overweight people and smokers

:32:35. > :32:36.are being refused routine operations, such as hip

:32:37. > :32:42.Research by the Royal College of Surgeons found that a third

:32:43. > :32:45.of NHS areas in England are blocking surgery until people lose weight

:32:46. > :32:50.The college claims the policies are in breech of official guidelines

:32:51. > :32:54.and has urged the government to step in.

:32:55. > :33:06.The UK's first national research centre dedicated

:33:07. > :33:09.to understanding the causes of miscarriage is to open next week.

:33:10. > :33:11.More than 200,000 women in Britain suffer miscarriages every year.

:33:12. > :33:13.What causes so many of them is still not known.

:33:14. > :33:16.The new centre will look at the impact of miscarriages on women and

:33:17. > :33:22.families. The government has been forced

:33:23. > :33:24.to cancel a national spelling test for primary school pupils after it

:33:25. > :33:26.accidentally appeared Half a million year two pupils

:33:27. > :33:36.in England were due to take The Schools Minister,

:33:37. > :33:38.Nick Gibb, has apologised, That's a summary of

:33:39. > :33:46.the latest BBC News. There have been difficult times at

:33:47. > :33:55.the Emirates recently. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has

:33:56. > :33:57.made a plea to the club's fans They beat West Brom 2-0 last night

:33:58. > :34:01.in the Premier League to consolidate their position

:34:02. > :34:11.in the top three. Two goals from Alexis Sanchez. Louis

:34:12. > :34:20.Oosthuizen is the latest golfer to pull out of the Olympic Games. He

:34:21. > :34:23.says he will not attend due to family and schedule issues.

:34:24. > :34:25.It's been announced Liverpool's home, Anfield, will host its first

:34:26. > :34:26.rugby league matches in almost 20 years.

:34:27. > :34:29.The final of England's Four Nations tournament will take place

:34:30. > :34:39.The Olympic Stadium in London has also been chosen as a venue.

:34:40. > :34:42.And I will be talking to this man hopefully just after 10am.

:34:43. > :34:45.The Everton fan raising money by walking from Merseyside

:34:46. > :34:47.to Wembley for the FA Cup semi-final.

:34:48. > :34:55.So President Obama steps off Air Force One in London and steps

:34:56. > :35:00.straight into the febrile debate on the European Union.

:35:01. > :35:03.The UK should stay in, he says, because that's how it will be best

:35:04. > :35:05.able to tackle terrorism, the migration crisis

:35:06. > :35:12.Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Obama says the UK's ability

:35:13. > :35:16.to fight terror would be more effective if it voted to remain

:35:17. > :35:18.and that the EU had helped magnify Britain's influence

:35:19. > :35:23.He said now more than ever was a time for friends

:35:24. > :35:30.Leave campaigners say he's being hypocritical because the US

:35:31. > :35:32.wouldn't hand over control of its borders and many

:35:33. > :35:38.Mr Obama's here for three days and will have talks

:35:39. > :35:40.with David Cameron this afternoon at Downing Street.

:35:41. > :35:47.That will largely focus on the terror threat.

:35:48. > :35:54.But does he have a right while he's here to intervene and will

:35:55. > :35:57.Here to discuss the president's visit is Bronwen Maddox,

:35:58. > :35:59.the Editor of Prospect Magazine, and Freddie Sayers,

:36:00. > :36:05.Also with us are Caroline Drewett, an ambassador for the Leave EU

:36:06. > :36:10.campaign, Polly Jones, Head of Campaigns and Policy

:36:11. > :36:26.Here comes the Barack Obama. A big article in the Telegraph. Will it

:36:27. > :36:29.make a difference? In a complicated campaign the messenger matters

:36:30. > :36:34.almost as much as the message. Barack Obama is a huge figure, one

:36:35. > :36:38.of the most admired figures in the world with approval ratings that any

:36:39. > :36:44.British politician would die for. No doubt this is a coup for the Remain

:36:45. > :36:47.campaign. It might not make a huge amount of difference on its own but

:36:48. > :36:52.it will add to the background sense there are credible figures lining up

:36:53. > :36:59.alongside them. This is a bit of a problem to have such a global

:37:00. > :37:06.superstar saying do not believe, for you guys. It is true, he is a big

:37:07. > :37:19.character, but Boris is Britain's Obama. Really? Do not tell him that!

:37:20. > :37:25.It is of course important that Obama is here but he is on his way out and

:37:26. > :37:30.it does not make a difference. You have been around the diplomatic

:37:31. > :37:39.world. This article is not new and, carefully calibrated, it is strange?

:37:40. > :37:43.No. He is not the first to say it. So has Angela Merkel and other

:37:44. > :37:50.foreign leaders. He is right that Britain is better off in and Europe

:37:51. > :37:53.is stronger with Britain in. We are at the point of fragility and

:37:54. > :38:00.defending Western values and the kind of country we have in the world

:38:01. > :38:06.and it need the strength that project has. He is entitled to see

:38:07. > :38:11.it. It is about a common project of the west. He has made a specific

:38:12. > :38:17.point which is the rub of all of the boroughs point about sovereignty. He

:38:18. > :38:23.has referred to the servicemen dead in European graveyards and said you

:38:24. > :38:26.would not be independent, you would not have a sovereign country, if it

:38:27. > :38:34.were not for American intervention in those words.

:38:35. > :38:36.Also here is MP Pat McFadden, a former Europe Minister campaigning

:38:37. > :38:45.It looks like Barack Obama has come over here to tell us what we should

:38:46. > :38:51.be doing with our country and the lot of people might think back off,

:38:52. > :38:56.we will decide. He acknowledged in his article this was a decision for

:38:57. > :39:01.the British people, but I think he has every right to speak out in this

:39:02. > :39:06.way. Partly for the reasons he has said. American soldiers fought

:39:07. > :39:11.alongside us in two world wars and the history and future of Europe is

:39:12. > :39:16.wrapped up in a sense in these shared values. He is not alone in

:39:17. > :39:23.speaking out in this way. The Prime Minister of Canada has talked about

:39:24. > :39:25.Canada's interest being in a strong and united Europe, Australian

:39:26. > :39:33.leaders, New Zealand leaders and so on, and this is important because

:39:34. > :39:42.the vision that the Leave campaign has put forward, the problem is the

:39:43. > :39:47.very people they are saying they wants to be closer to our saying no

:39:48. > :39:52.thank you, we think Britain is stronger and more powerful and a

:39:53. > :39:55.better ally if it remains in. Awkward for you guys because Jeremy

:39:56. > :40:04.Corbyn is usually the sort of died protesting outside the US embassy. I

:40:05. > :40:08.do not share his views on the United States as a whole. It is important

:40:09. > :40:14.that the President's message in substances listened to because he is

:40:15. > :40:18.telling us that this is a matter of values as well as interest and

:40:19. > :40:26.telling us it is a matter of power as well as control and giving us a

:40:27. > :40:30.message about how power is exercised in an interdependent world. You only

:40:31. > :40:34.have to ask yourself not to is advising us to stay but who would be

:40:35. > :40:39.pleased if we came out and the answer is probably President Putin.

:40:40. > :40:50.And the French National Front made some comments this week. How far is

:40:51. > :40:55.President Obamaburst Ewing American interests and not that bothered

:40:56. > :41:00.about whether we are in or out and he wants to make sure that any

:41:01. > :41:04.influence the US can project is maximised by making sure his best

:41:05. > :41:09.pals and in the European club? That is top of the agenda. No matter how

:41:10. > :41:16.much he says he is looking forward to having tea with the Queen. Obama

:41:17. > :41:19.has staked his political career on trying to get this deal negotiated

:41:20. > :41:26.before he leaves at the end of the year. That is part of his trip. Once

:41:27. > :41:29.he has left ear and had negotiations with David Cameron he is going to

:41:30. > :41:34.Germany to try to get this deal in the back and we are very concerned

:41:35. > :41:40.about the deal and there are issues that it might backfire because this

:41:41. > :41:46.trade will is the epitome of the worst of Europe, shrouded in

:41:47. > :41:50.secrecy, good for corporations with very little democratic control. Are

:41:51. > :41:54.you disappointed Jeremy Corbyn is seeking a visit with President Obama

:41:55. > :42:00.and his criticism seems to be" to one side? Not disappointed he would

:42:01. > :42:05.be seeking a meeting, you have to meet and make your case. He wants to

:42:06. > :42:16.make sure that every opportunity you have a chance to make your argument

:42:17. > :42:22.-- you want. Some emails. John says nobody outside the UK shouldn't

:42:23. > :42:27.fear. The US only wants us to remain because it suits. They are

:42:28. > :42:31.hypocrites. Paul says Obama wants Britain to remain in the EU because

:42:32. > :42:37.US companies will not be able to plunder the UK so easily. Someone

:42:38. > :42:47.says President Obama sticking his nose into Brexit. If this visit is

:42:48. > :42:53.going to have an impact, we have had a whole host of people lining up,

:42:54. > :42:56.the IMF, the world and his wife saying do not go, it does not seem

:42:57. > :43:01.to be reflecting in the polls because it is touch and go.

:43:02. > :43:06.Absolutely. It is very close with a couple of points in it. The people

:43:07. > :43:11.that matter is a group of people who have decided one way and the other

:43:12. > :43:15.way, it is the people who are not particularly aware of the details

:43:16. > :43:20.who are the most valuable votes at this point because they will shift

:43:21. > :43:24.either way. Someone like Barack Obama who potentially cuts through

:43:25. > :43:28.to be Bobby do not normally pay attention to politics can make all

:43:29. > :43:34.the difference. We hear your side trying to say it is the big boys

:43:35. > :43:38.bullying is almost. We have had big companies, big banks, telling us

:43:39. > :43:46.what to think, David and Goliath almost. Does it when rounding off

:43:47. > :43:53.voters? It appeals to some but does taking on everyone get you over 50%?

:43:54. > :43:58.It is important to realise the big banks and big corporations are the

:43:59. > :44:02.ones with the large voices, the ones the small people listen to because

:44:03. > :44:09.they think they must have something to say, they earn lots of money, it

:44:10. > :44:12.must be important, but actually people have become disillusioned

:44:13. > :44:19.with banks and politics. The Tory party less than popular. How much is

:44:20. > :44:23.anybody listening to David Cameron? We are a sovereign country and

:44:24. > :44:27.should be making our laws. Is it not the people who should be making

:44:28. > :44:32.those decisions? That is coming back round. Is there not a risk in

:44:33. > :44:39.adopting that approach that it can seem as if you think there's some

:44:40. > :44:44.sort of conspiracy by big business to do others don't? It verges

:44:45. > :44:48.towards looking as if is against us. It is true in the sense of of course

:44:49. > :44:53.you need big business for a country to run but Obama said there was no

:44:54. > :44:59.way we would have a trade agreement with Britain a few left the EU. That

:45:00. > :45:04.is rubbish. Countries like Iceland, the size of Dudley, have trade

:45:05. > :45:15.agreements with China. I used to work in Dudley.

:45:16. > :45:24.There is no way we can be bullied into thinking that Britain is not a

:45:25. > :45:32.bigger power. May be many people in America, particularly on the

:45:33. > :45:39.Republican side of the argument, may not share of Obama's view. It is an

:45:40. > :45:43.interesting point. I think a whole series of Presidents of all kinds of

:45:44. > :45:51.Persuasion 's have found it easier to deal with Europe as one block, if

:45:52. > :46:02.you like, and have seen in Europe as stronger working together. --

:46:03. > :46:10.Persuasions. I think the Republicans would not say leave. Is that wishful

:46:11. > :46:14.thinking on America's Park? Europe is a multiheaded beast and will

:46:15. > :46:21.always be a multiheaded beast. Maybe America once that single entity?

:46:22. > :46:28.There has always been that element. Even in the past couple of years you

:46:29. > :46:33.could say, there is an answer, just call Angela Merkel. But Europe is

:46:34. > :46:36.much more complex. It has a strength working together, a diplomatic and

:46:37. > :46:43.economic strength, which America does want to continue. That goes

:46:44. > :46:49.across the political aisle. Pat McFadden, the Obama intervention is

:46:50. > :46:55.the biggest of all interventions. When you look at the totality of the

:46:56. > :47:00.campaign, why is it, still, despite those interventions, and George

:47:01. > :47:04.Osborne warning we will be poorer if we ever leave the EU, a massive

:47:05. > :47:13.effort going into it by the government... Why is it that still

:47:14. > :47:18.is so close? When I knock doorsteps in my Wolverhampton constituency,

:47:19. > :47:23.the main reason people raise with me for being against the EU at their

:47:24. > :47:27.concerns about immigration. I think it is important we acknowledge those

:47:28. > :47:33.concerns. This brings pressure as well as advantages. That is probably

:47:34. > :47:36.at the core of people's concerns. As the campaign develops we will see a

:47:37. > :47:40.desire to look at the bigger picture. We began this week with a

:47:41. > :47:48.big warning about the economic costs of leaving, that we would actually

:47:49. > :47:52.probably be poorer as a country. That has an impact on family

:47:53. > :47:57.finances. Today we are talking less about economic interests and more

:47:58. > :48:04.about values and power in the world. As we look at the broader picture on

:48:05. > :48:10.the economy, and on how a country in today's world maximises its power,

:48:11. > :48:14.we see a broader picture on the EU. That is really the importance of

:48:15. > :48:17.president Obama's intervention. Pat McFadden and everyone else,

:48:18. > :48:22.thank you. Let me give you a couple of more

:48:23. > :48:27.tweets and e-mails. This from Len. Obama should not be dictating to

:48:28. > :48:35.smack about our referendum when our Queen Elizabeth does not even

:48:36. > :48:39.comment. We have a pro-Obama tweet. Freedom of speech exists at all

:48:40. > :48:40.levels of society. The president has his right.

:48:41. > :48:43.Coming up: We'll be joined by some London marathon first-timers

:48:44. > :48:49.and giving them some tips for how to survive the race.

:48:50. > :48:52.I know the answer to that. Jelly babies.

:48:53. > :48:55.When you spend up to 50 hours a week cycling round London delivering

:48:56. > :48:59.parcels, and are told what to do, when to do it and wear a company ID

:49:00. > :49:02.why don't you get holiday pay, the national minimum wage

:49:03. > :49:07.It's because you're self-employed and not an employee.

:49:08. > :49:11.Four bicycle couriers are taking their companies

:49:12. > :49:13.to employment tribunal, saying they should be counted

:49:14. > :49:17.The ruling could have a massive impact

:49:18. > :49:18.on others who are classed as self-employed.

:49:19. > :49:28.Our legal eagle, Clive Coleman, has more

:49:29. > :49:36.They may not be everybody's Freiberg road user but the life of a city

:49:37. > :49:42.bicycle courier is not easy. There is the danger of weaving in and out

:49:43. > :49:47.of traffic. I flipped on a manhole cover. And there is a lot of

:49:48. > :49:52.distance to cover. Then there is how they are treated by courier

:49:53. > :49:57.companies. I am being told which ordered to do. If I do not do them

:49:58. > :50:03.in the right order, I will get shouted at. Insurance is not

:50:04. > :50:07.provided. That is not expendable. You are. These couriers regard

:50:08. > :50:11.themselves as employed workers because they work for one company

:50:12. > :50:16.for around 50 hours per week. They are told what to do, how to do it

:50:17. > :50:23.and when to do it. But they are not treated as being employed. The idea

:50:24. > :50:30.that we are independent contract is running our own company is simply

:50:31. > :50:35.not true. I do not get sick pay, holiday pay or pension. Like many

:50:36. > :50:39.others who work in sectors such as cab driving our construction, they

:50:40. > :50:42.are treated as self-employed independent contract is, which means

:50:43. > :50:46.they are not entitled to a range of rights and benefits, including the

:50:47. > :50:55.national minimum wage, and the right not to be treated or dismissed.

:50:56. > :50:58.So in what could be a landmark case, four London courier companies are

:50:59. > :51:03.being taken to an employment tribunal. The couriers, supported by

:51:04. > :51:08.their union, preceding a declaration that they are in fact employed

:51:09. > :51:14.workers. The career industry has been premised on this bogus to

:51:15. > :51:18.declaration. All of the courier companies, nearly all of them, do

:51:19. > :51:24.this. You have hundreds of bicycle couriers and thousands of motorbike

:51:25. > :51:30.and van drivers who, on a regular basis, are being deprived of paid

:51:31. > :51:33.holidays, sick pay, pensions, the right to claim victimisation.

:51:34. > :51:37.According to the lawyer bringing the case, a win for the careers could

:51:38. > :51:40.have a significant impact on the modern labour market. They are

:51:41. > :51:49.either employees or workers and therefore entitled to employer --

:51:50. > :51:53.employee rights. They can go to a court and say, it does not matter

:51:54. > :51:56.what it says on the contract, I am an employee and worker and can I

:51:57. > :52:04.have the same rights? We spoke to the four courier

:52:05. > :52:06.companies. None of them conceded the claims of the careers. The city

:52:07. > :52:09.sprint's response was representative.

:52:10. > :52:29.-- city Sprint. For the moment, the couriers

:52:30. > :52:31.continue to be treated as self-employed, which means putting

:52:32. > :52:39.in the miles with no employee benefits.

:52:40. > :52:47.Andrew Boxer is a bike courier and one of four claimants in the case.

:52:48. > :52:55.He works for XL. Mario Cunha is a bike courier and union official for

:52:56. > :53:00.the Corriere branch of the independent workers of Great

:53:01. > :53:08.Britain. What is it you lose out on from not being an employee? Holiday

:53:09. > :53:16.pay. That is one of the major things. If we go to a tribunal, for

:53:17. > :53:21.instance, and they decide to victimise me for that, I don't have

:53:22. > :53:29.any rights. That is another major point. We may not even get the

:53:30. > :53:34.minimum wage some weeks. A couple of weeks ago I did not manage to get

:53:35. > :53:42.that. It is a big deal for you? Absolutely. It surely turns on

:53:43. > :53:46.whether people like Andrew can work for other people? If they can work

:53:47. > :53:54.for one company one day and another and another day, it becomes harder

:53:55. > :53:59.to say you are an employee? OK. They cannot do that. I assume most

:54:00. > :54:04.couriers do a little bit here and there? Absolutely not. You are

:54:05. > :54:11.locked to one company. You have to work certain hours, nine to five.

:54:12. > :54:16.You cannot deviate. They dictate when you take your break. They

:54:17. > :54:25.dictate which order you do the jobs in. What happens if you say to them,

:54:26. > :54:30.that is fine but this afternoon I am working for them and tomorrow I am

:54:31. > :54:35.over there? You cannot do that. Absolutely that. You are basically

:54:36. > :54:38.working for this company. If you are going to take time off work to do

:54:39. > :54:46.something, you have to ask permission. It is not paid. I am

:54:47. > :54:56.thinking London, it is just so dangerous cycling in London. If you

:54:57. > :55:03.take a hit, have you taken a hit? Did you get covered? Nothing like

:55:04. > :55:10.that. As Mario has passed -- said, the insurance is for the package on

:55:11. > :55:17.my back, not for me. We do not get sickness pay. You could take out

:55:18. > :55:22.insurance for yourself? One could do. But with the amount of money we

:55:23. > :55:30.are paid, there is no spare capital. I have to pay the gas bill. It is

:55:31. > :55:33.tough. Mario, you are bicycle couriers. What happens with

:55:34. > :55:40.motorcycle couriers? Do they have a different deal? Everybody in the

:55:41. > :55:46.career industry has the same deal. They are viewed as self contracting.

:55:47. > :56:01.Yes. Self contracting. What do the companies say to you? That is one of

:56:02. > :56:08.the tricks they play on us. You are on the same level as them. In

:56:09. > :56:14.practice, you have none of the rights of a self contracting worker.

:56:15. > :56:19.You turn up when they say you turn up. You do what they say. You get

:56:20. > :56:29.fired. And you have no recompense for that. Andrew, a quick one. How

:56:30. > :56:33.far do you cycle in a day? I do sort of 55 miles every day, easily. But

:56:34. > :56:37.quite often more than that. Sometimes we can do 10-hour days. I

:56:38. > :56:43.am thinking you should be doing the London Marathon!

:56:44. > :56:46.Coming up, an investigation is launched after the national spelling

:56:47. > :56:51.test for seven-year-olds in England is published in error on a

:56:52. > :56:55.government website. We will speak to the eagle eyed teacher who spotted

:56:56. > :57:00.it. Let's get the latest weather with Thomas.

:57:01. > :57:08.There is a chill on the way. We have been forecasting it for a few days.

:57:09. > :57:14.It is already turned cold in Scotland. Minus five degrees last

:57:15. > :57:18.night. Towards the south, we have got cloudy, rainy conditions. Tried

:57:19. > :57:21.a bit of contrast across the country. Through the week and there

:57:22. > :57:28.will be contrasting temperatures compared to what we have experienced

:57:29. > :57:33.in the past week. Winds coming from the Arctic. It will not feel like

:57:34. > :57:39.Arctic air would do in the middle of winter. But it certainly will feel

:57:40. > :57:43.on the chilly side. Two things happening today. We have cloud and

:57:44. > :57:51.rain in the South. Not a pretty picture in the south-west. Only 10

:57:52. > :57:55.degrees. An easterly breeze. In southern parts of Wales, still spots

:57:56. > :58:01.of rain. From the Midlands North words it is a better day. Some

:58:02. > :58:05.sunshine for Belfast, Carlisle, Edinburgh, Glasgow. The air is cold.

:58:06. > :58:09.Wintry showers over the hills of Scotland. Through today, look what

:58:10. > :58:15.happens with the rain in the south, it retracts back into the English

:58:16. > :58:19.Channel. The reason for that is the colder air coming from the North is

:58:20. > :58:24.winning, squeezing it out. Temperatures will be giving away.

:58:25. > :58:28.The skies will start to clear. And those temperatures will tumble.

:58:29. > :58:33.Tomorrow looks something like this. For many it is a bright, crisp

:58:34. > :58:37.start. Then in the afternoon, from morning on words, we will see some

:58:38. > :58:43.showers. Some of these could be sleety. I would not be surprised if

:58:44. > :58:50.there was some hail. Foremost we are talking about 10 degrees. The

:58:51. > :58:56.morning will nippy. Saturday night into the early hours of Sunday,

:58:57. > :59:00.quite a widespread grass frost. A significant air frost across

:59:01. > :59:06.Scotland and northern England. The South may just about get away with

:59:07. > :59:11.it. Sunday, a fair bit of cloud for some. Also some sunny spells. Some

:59:12. > :59:16.showers. The possibility of wintry ones. It looks as though for the

:59:17. > :59:20.marathon it is going to be dry most of the time. I would not rule out a

:59:21. > :59:25.shower. These conditions persist through Monday and Tuesday. Northern

:59:26. > :59:33.part of the UK could turn really cold. Here is a summary for the

:59:34. > :59:35.weekend. A colder feel. Sunshine and showers. And night frosts. Wrap up

:59:36. > :59:47.warm. Hello, it is Friday. I am Norman

:59:48. > :59:53.Smith funding around in Victoria's place. Welcome.

:59:54. > :59:55.Welcome to the programme if you've just joined us.

:59:56. > :59:58.Coming up before 11am: "Working as one to make the world

:59:59. > :00:01.President Obama praises what he calls the "remarkable

:00:02. > :00:03.legacy" of the US, Britain and the EU.

:00:04. > :00:05.So will his impassioned support for our continued membership

:00:06. > :00:24.Also today: Tributes pour in for the singer Prince whose death

:00:25. > :00:41.Stevie Wonder, Keadby -- Kate Bush, people who revered prince, he was

:00:42. > :00:50.the greatest performer in contemporary music.

:00:51. > :00:54.We'll bring you reaction and the latest on the

:00:55. > :01:01.And we will speak to the teacher who discovered that a spelling test had

:01:02. > :01:04.been published on a government website.

:01:05. > :01:08.All that to come but first here's a summary of today's news.

:01:09. > :01:11.President Obama has started a three day tour to the UK

:01:12. > :01:16.by intervening in the debate over the European Union.

:01:17. > :01:19.In a newspaper article, Mr Obama argues that if Britain

:01:20. > :01:21.leaves the EU it will be less able to tackle terrorism,

:01:22. > :01:25.the migration crisis and economic problems.

:01:26. > :01:30.But Vote Leave campaigners say his comments are hypocritical,

:01:31. > :01:33.saying the US would never allow a foreign power to have such control

:01:34. > :01:45.The US president is due to have lunch with the Queen at Windsor. Our

:01:46. > :01:50.correspondent is there. An interesting mix of politics and

:01:51. > :01:55.pageantry. That meeting with the Queen but a law to focus on the EU

:01:56. > :02:01.referendum comments. Indeed. It has been a busy few days in Windsor for

:02:02. > :02:06.the Queen's 90th birthday celebrations and those continue. A

:02:07. > :02:10.private lunch today. The president and the first Lady will arrive by

:02:11. > :02:15.helicopter from London. There will be photocalls but the lunch is

:02:16. > :02:18.taking place behind closed doors. Those conversations would be

:02:19. > :02:24.fascinating to listen to but we will not get to hear. He will go to meet

:02:25. > :02:28.the Prime Minister David Cameron to hold a press conference and then

:02:29. > :02:33.another royal engagement, meeting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

:02:34. > :02:38.and Prince Harry. Prince Harry somebody that Michelle Obama has met

:02:39. > :02:44.several times, sharing similar interests. Very much royal

:02:45. > :02:48.engagements on the agenda. Thank you.

:02:49. > :02:51.A post-mortem examination is to be carried out on the body

:02:52. > :02:58.of the pop legend Prince, who has died aged 57.

:02:59. > :03:00.The American musician, who defined the sound

:03:01. > :03:03.of the 80s with songs like 1999 and Purple Rain,

:03:04. > :03:06.was found collapsed in a lift at his home in Minnesota yesterday.

:03:07. > :03:08.Meanwhile, thousands of fans have joined a party in Minneapolis,

:03:09. > :03:15.where the singer, songwriter and producer was born.

:03:16. > :03:24.A DJ tool does about the music legend's fan base. He has this kind

:03:25. > :03:32.of devotion attached to him unlike any other artist I know of. One

:03:33. > :03:39.thing about him is his allowing for people to be who they art, whoever

:03:40. > :03:41.they are, and that is quite often for people who feel isolated and

:03:42. > :03:44.different from everyone else. Surgeons are concerned that

:03:45. > :03:46.overweight people and smokers are being refused routine

:03:47. > :03:48.operations, such as hip A third of NHS areas

:03:49. > :03:52.in England are blocking surgery until people lose

:03:53. > :03:55.weight or give up smoking, according to research

:03:56. > :03:59.by the Royal College of Surgeons. The college claims the policies

:04:00. > :04:01.are in breech of official guidelines and has urged the

:04:02. > :04:06.government to step in. Apple's co-founder, Steve Wozniak,

:04:07. > :04:09.has said his former company Mr Wozniak said all

:04:10. > :04:18.companies including Apple Apple, along with Google and Amazon,

:04:19. > :04:22.has been criticised for not paying enough in tax and the firm

:04:23. > :04:24.is currently the subject of The UK's first national research

:04:25. > :04:30.centre dedicated to understanding the causes of miscarriage

:04:31. > :04:33.is to open next week. Tens of thousands of women suffer

:04:34. > :04:39.miscarriages every year. In total around 200,000

:04:40. > :04:43.lost pregnancies. What causes so many of them

:04:44. > :04:45.is still not known. The new centre will look

:04:46. > :04:48.at the impact of miscarriages The government has been forced

:04:49. > :04:52.to cancel a national spelling test for primary school pupils after it

:04:53. > :04:53.accidentally appeared Half a million Year Two pupils

:04:54. > :04:59.in England were due to take The Schools Minister,

:05:00. > :05:02.Nick Gibb, has apologised, That's a summary of

:05:03. > :05:08.the latest BBC News. 40,000 runners prepare to pound

:05:09. > :05:19.the streets of London this weekend, but just what does it take

:05:20. > :05:23.to get through 26 miles And do get in touch with us

:05:24. > :05:27.throughout the morning. If you text, you will be charged

:05:28. > :05:42.at the standard network rate. Football fans up and down

:05:43. > :05:48.the country may have already caught a glimpse of our next guest,

:05:49. > :05:51.mainly because he's Speedo Mick is a big Everton fan

:05:52. > :05:55.and, like his name, he's not leaving He's walking from Merseyside

:05:56. > :06:03.to Wembley for the FA Cup Tell us about what you're doing

:06:04. > :06:17.and why in Speedos. The reason for the Speedos is I swam

:06:18. > :06:22.the English Channel and I decided to carry on the fundraising by going to

:06:23. > :06:29.all of the Everton games in my Speedos, my goggles also, for the

:06:30. > :06:34.rest of the season, and I have done. We got into the semifinal of the FA

:06:35. > :06:40.Cup so I thought I would work in my Speedos all the way to Wembley from

:06:41. > :06:44.Goodison Park, and one day away from Wembley, I have been in my Speedos

:06:45. > :06:51.for nine days, it has been pretty cold. We wanted to prove to be Bobby

:06:52. > :07:00.have been giving money to your cause that you are indeed wearing Speedos.

:07:01. > :07:07.It is over 200 miles. Luckily the weather has been kind. How have you

:07:08. > :07:13.found it? Yes. It is about four seasons in the last nine days. The

:07:14. > :07:21.four seasons were in two days about three days ago, heel Stone is,

:07:22. > :07:31.slowing and reigning. A little bit of sunshine as well. I have a bit of

:07:32. > :07:37.a. Over the last couple of days it has been pretty fair. Conditions I

:07:38. > :07:42.have been putting up with over the winter doing 90 minutes that

:07:43. > :07:46.everything go game, it is not bad today. Many people have seen you at

:07:47. > :07:54.Everton games in your Speedos collecting money. What was harder?

:07:55. > :07:59.The cold Merseyside winter. It has been so long, every week. Some weeks

:08:00. > :08:08.it has been two games, Wednesday and Saturday. I would not undertake

:08:09. > :08:15.anything as long as that again, I would not do it, but I might be

:08:16. > :08:21.walking to the final. A big FA Cup semifinal coming up. You lost the

:08:22. > :08:24.Merseyside derby. A very poor performance from Everton. What are

:08:25. > :08:36.you expecting to greet you when you get to Wembley? Football wise? Yes.

:08:37. > :08:41.You never know what is going to happen in the cup and that is the

:08:42. > :08:45.only hope I have got. Even if we lose, if they show heart and passion

:08:46. > :08:51.we will walk away with our heads held high. The results and the way

:08:52. > :08:57.we have been playing with no passion, I had a hard day walking

:08:58. > :09:02.yesterday after the result, the 4-0, not because we lost 4-0 but because

:09:03. > :09:08.there was no heart in the team. I was this heartened. I thought I am

:09:09. > :09:14.walking 200 miles to watch a team that has already lost. Best of luck

:09:15. > :09:26.with the rest of your journey and the FA Cup semifinal. Come on you

:09:27. > :09:36.Blues! That is the sport. I am looking forward to your reading the

:09:37. > :09:42.sport in your Speedos. Breaking news, a play in the Alton Towers

:09:43. > :09:48.crash court case. A number of people were injured, five seriously, in the

:09:49. > :09:52.crash on the ride last June. The Health and Safety Executive is

:09:53. > :09:56.prosecuting the owner of the theme park. Our reporter is at

:09:57. > :10:03.Newcastle-under-Lyme Magistrates' Court. Give us the latest. This is a

:10:04. > :10:09.very brief hearing which has been taking place at the Magistrates'

:10:10. > :10:14.Court. Merlin attractions operations, the parent company of

:10:15. > :10:19.Alton Towers, has pleaded guilty to breaching section three of the

:10:20. > :10:27.health and safety at work act from 1974. Not surprising because that

:10:28. > :10:31.crash... They very quickly said they accepted responsibility and talked

:10:32. > :10:35.about human error being to blame. We will not find out the full details

:10:36. > :10:41.of what happened on that day today because they are going to adjourn

:10:42. > :10:45.for sentencing. The Health and Safety Executive may give us some

:10:46. > :10:49.outline of what happened on the 2nd of June. We have seen a number of

:10:50. > :11:00.the victims who were hurt on that ride coming into court. The people

:11:01. > :11:04.most seriously hurt or the front row, including two girls who lost a

:11:05. > :11:10.leg, they Currin caught with their families. It is packed at the

:11:11. > :11:17.moment. We have seen three of the people on the second role of the

:11:18. > :11:22.crash. A woman and her daughter and another woman and her daughter, who

:11:23. > :11:27.were badly hurt as well. One had to spend a long period in hospital as a

:11:28. > :11:31.result of the injuries she suffered. They have never spoken before but

:11:32. > :11:36.have given an interview to the BBC which we will be hearing later. We

:11:37. > :11:39.will bring you more detail as we get it because the Health and Safety

:11:40. > :11:44.Executive is giving more information about what happened on the 2nd of

:11:45. > :11:51.June last year. This was something that led to the closure of the

:11:52. > :12:00.Smiler ride and other rides across the group, but they are all open

:12:01. > :12:04.again. Alton Towers said in the past that accepted responsibility for

:12:05. > :12:05.what happened and has been paying for psychological and physiotherapy

:12:06. > :12:11.for people hurt that day. Thank you. Our top story today: President Obama

:12:12. > :12:14.has started a three day tour to the UK with an impassioned

:12:15. > :12:17.intervention in the debate In a newspaper article,

:12:18. > :12:22.Mr Obama argues that if Britain leaves the EU it will be less able

:12:23. > :12:25.to tackle terrorism, the migration crisis

:12:26. > :12:28.and economic problems. But Vote Leave campaigners

:12:29. > :12:30.say his comments are Let's take a look back at his two

:12:31. > :12:38.terms in office with Bob Ravelli from Democrats Abroad,

:12:39. > :12:42.Kate Andrews from Republicans from Democrats Abroad, Kate Andrews

:12:43. > :12:44.from Republicans Overseas, and Charlie Wells from

:12:45. > :12:52.the Wall Street Journal. It always seemed to me the

:12:53. > :12:56.difficulty with Obama was even before he started he had raised the

:12:57. > :13:02.bar so, Lord solely high that when he came in he could only disappoint.

:13:03. > :13:07.He came in on a promise that he would transform America, he talked a

:13:08. > :13:15.lot in his campaign about wanting to be sort of like Reagan, a president

:13:16. > :13:19.who transformed the political scene and changed a lot of the assumptions

:13:20. > :13:24.we have about how government and society works. I do not know that he

:13:25. > :13:30.never thoroughly did that. He made a lot of changes. It seems as if it is

:13:31. > :13:38.a continuation of a lot of the assumptions we had. Republicans seem

:13:39. > :13:43.to really laws President Obama and President Obama Cayman and one of

:13:44. > :13:49.the things that he wanted to do was create a bipartisan politics and

:13:50. > :13:54.that has failed spectacularly, I would suggest because of you guys

:13:55. > :14:02.who whacked him back. That is what the president says as well. You are

:14:03. > :14:06.on the same page. Senator Obama ran on a platform of change and said he

:14:07. > :14:10.was going to unite people and I think Republicans who did not miss a

:14:11. > :14:15.thoroughly support him were hopeful that would be one of the benefits

:14:16. > :14:22.that came out of his presidency and his first and I would say only major

:14:23. > :14:27.piece of legislation was a process in which he refused to meet with a

:14:28. > :14:34.single Republican to discuss any ideas for a massive health care

:14:35. > :14:42.reform. Roosevelt and Reagan made sure they were bipartisan. President

:14:43. > :14:49.Obama was arrogant and turned the Republicans of. I think leadership

:14:50. > :14:55.comes from the top. I am going to ask you to reply.

:14:56. > :15:02.I think the president made a bold decision to bring the health care

:15:03. > :15:05.bill in in his first year in office, at a time when he had a lot of

:15:06. > :15:10.political capital to expend. You could argue that maybe you could use

:15:11. > :15:16.that political capital in another way. The fact he did, it will be his

:15:17. > :15:22.greatest legacy because he went and did something that has been talked

:15:23. > :15:26.about for years by many Presidents and he was successful. The

:15:27. > :15:30.Republicans who tried to knock it out, appealing it, went to the

:15:31. > :15:35.Supreme Court, at the end of the day it is there and it is working. Many

:15:36. > :15:40.Republicans find their constituents saying this is great. Many people

:15:41. > :15:44.would say he has failed in foreign affairs. Most people would point to

:15:45. > :15:50.Syria where he seemed to put down a pretty clear red line and said to

:15:51. > :16:00.Asad, you use chemical weapons and we will get involved. And he backed

:16:01. > :16:06.off. He didn't mean what he said? I look back at the Bush administration

:16:07. > :16:11.and the neo-cons who controlled the agenda at the time, it was about

:16:12. > :16:17.military action first and talk later. President Obama has always

:16:18. > :16:23.been of the opinion that diplomacy is what we use. We only use force

:16:24. > :16:26.when it is absolutely necessary. The American public has been very

:16:27. > :16:32.reluctant to support any foreign invasion after the disaster in Iraq.

:16:33. > :16:36.Therefore, his ability to do bold initiatives in terms of sending

:16:37. > :16:42.troops overseas would not even pass muster in Congress. Charlie, it is

:16:43. > :16:49.probably right that Americans were profoundly scarred by the Iraq war.

:16:50. > :16:53.But in Obama's foreign policy, many Americans, I suspect, view it as

:16:54. > :17:00.weak? That is certainly a prevailing view. One of the issues with Obama

:17:01. > :17:10.is he is very Surei broke, he is professorial, he will take big

:17:11. > :17:16.issues, mulled over. Others worry that sometimes it is a little bit

:17:17. > :17:20.cold. On Syria he was incredibly straightforward and incredibly

:17:21. > :17:27.rational. Americans were quite afraid of that. The message could

:17:28. > :17:35.have been communicated better. Kate, let's just talk gun laws. President

:17:36. > :17:40.Obama, after another massacre, said, right, we are going to sort this.

:17:41. > :17:44.What is it about reforming gun laws in America that makes it mission

:17:45. > :17:52.impossible, even for Barack Obama when he said he was going to do it.

:17:53. > :17:55.--? What makes it so impossible? It is impossible because Republicans

:17:56. > :18:02.and Democrats believe very strongly in gun writes. Overwhelmingly,

:18:03. > :18:07.Democratic politicians know they cannot touch gun laws. Even

:18:08. > :18:12.Democrats in urban areas have strong historical ties to their gun rights.

:18:13. > :18:16.What President Obama did, having the comfort of a second term, is use an

:18:17. > :18:22.executive order to bypass Congress and do this on his own. He has a bad

:18:23. > :18:27.history of using executive power in a manipulative wear. Obama care has

:18:28. > :18:33.not been a great deal for middle America. Premiums have risen. He

:18:34. > :18:37.continues to bring in this legislation that he decides is his,

:18:38. > :18:43.ignoring the checks and balances. Maybe the defining legacy of Obama

:18:44. > :18:49.is who he is and what he represents, namely a black president? It was

:18:50. > :18:53.historic and it sort of shattered a lot of barriers that were out there.

:18:54. > :18:58.It put race on the table in a way that it had not been in a long time.

:18:59. > :19:04.But of course as we have seen during the course of the administration,

:19:05. > :19:10.race is still an issue. A huge issue. I think it was an historic

:19:11. > :19:14.and proud moment to elect our first African-American president. One of

:19:15. > :19:17.my decent -- disappointment is that he has not prioritised school

:19:18. > :19:20.vouchers that would get poorer African-American kids into better

:19:21. > :19:25.schools. He had real opportunity to bring the country together and he

:19:26. > :19:29.did not. It was an historic moment but he has been vilified by the

:19:30. > :19:33.right from the moment he took office. Republicans said from day

:19:34. > :19:37.one they would do nothing to help. They would do everything they could

:19:38. > :19:41.do damage his presidency and not getting re-elected. In spite of

:19:42. > :19:45.that, he has accomplished a lot. Yes, he had to do it by executive

:19:46. > :19:49.order on occasion because he had no choice. In spite of that, he has

:19:50. > :19:53.been a very successful president. History will judge 's overall

:19:54. > :20:00.accomplishments. But I would say in terms of health care, the economy is

:20:01. > :20:04.much stronger. Charlie, thank you.

:20:05. > :20:08.Thank you for your time. Still to come, we will be joined by London

:20:09. > :20:15.Marathon first timers asking them what inspired them to take part.

:20:16. > :20:17.Merlin attractions operations Limited, which operates the Alton

:20:18. > :20:22.Towers resort in Staffordshire, has pleaded guilty to breaches in health

:20:23. > :20:32.and safety law. 16 people were injured on the Smiler ride in June

:20:33. > :20:38.last year. One of the five seriously hurt people has given a broadcast

:20:39. > :20:42.interview with her daughter. Mrs Khan has spoken to the BBC about

:20:43. > :20:44.what happened that day. They claim the support they first received from

:20:45. > :20:52.the company has stopped, leaving them feel neglected. The pair spoke

:20:53. > :20:59.exclusively to us. We did not actually know what had

:21:00. > :21:05.actually happened. Had it crashed? Had it made an emergency stop? But

:21:06. > :21:10.the fear of sitting there, and I kept thinking, we are going to tip.

:21:11. > :21:16.It is going to slip off the rails and we are going to fall right on

:21:17. > :21:24.our heads. That image comes across constantly for me.

:21:25. > :21:32.We could not see each other. I thought I had lost my kids. All of

:21:33. > :21:37.these things went through my head. Every so often I was drifting off

:21:38. > :21:44.again. It was like I was in and out of consciousness. There was moaning,

:21:45. > :21:47.crying, screaming. And then there was an eerie silence. It was so

:21:48. > :21:54.haunting. I still get that haunting. The

:21:55. > :21:59.family had gone to Alton Towers on a girly day out. This picture shows

:22:00. > :22:01.three of them wearing black, grey and pink tops sitting in the second

:22:02. > :22:09.row of the carriage that collided with an empty cart on the Smiler

:22:10. > :22:17.ride. They were sitting behind Vicky Balz, Daniel Thorpe, Joe Pugh and

:22:18. > :22:21.Leah Washington. -- Vicky Balch. I could see when the medics arrived

:22:22. > :22:28.that they were tending to the kids in front. They were not in a good

:22:29. > :22:35.state. They were in a horrible way. We were in a horror movie with

:22:36. > :22:42.things, flesh, blood, everything. Although we were not cuts, and our

:22:43. > :22:51.scars were invisible, that stayed with us. What do you remember about

:22:52. > :23:01.getting off the right and the rescue operation surrounding that? I was

:23:02. > :23:09.hoisted out of my seat and asked to walk down the scaffolding. That was

:23:10. > :23:13.quite a height. I told them I was in excruciating pain and that I could

:23:14. > :23:19.not do it. They said, just a little bit more. They encouraged me to get

:23:20. > :23:24.down. When I touched the ground, I think I just fell to the ground. She

:23:25. > :23:29.was helped away by members of the emergency services. She was later

:23:30. > :23:34.diagnosed with broken ribs and a swollen long.

:23:35. > :23:40.They took scans of me and found I had fluid in my abdomen. There was

:23:41. > :23:48.some internal bleeding. They had to operate. They also told me I may end

:23:49. > :23:58.up with a colostomy bag. Luckily I didn't. But later on, I found that

:23:59. > :24:03.my liver had ripped. That is what was causing internal bleeding. What

:24:04. > :24:09.sort of help did the company offer you initially?

:24:10. > :24:18.From Alton Towers, initially they appeared to be quite concerned.

:24:19. > :24:22.Promised the world. Promised the world. They promised us everything.

:24:23. > :24:28.They signed us to a rehabilitation programme. We had a physio, a

:24:29. > :24:35.psychotherapist. They gave us a taxi account. Otherwise I could not go

:24:36. > :24:40.and see Venetia. She could not see us. I am very close to my grandsons.

:24:41. > :24:44.A lot of help we received was from family and friends.

:24:45. > :24:48.My injuries were not major but they were very painful. They stopped me

:24:49. > :24:59.from being a mum for a large amount of time. And I feel like we have

:25:00. > :25:04.been neglected by them. Is it that they do not think we

:25:05. > :25:16.require any more rehabilitation? What is it? How can they assume

:25:17. > :25:24.that? I feel that it is like everything we have had to ask for,

:25:25. > :25:28.or request, has been a battle. Our support system has broken down but

:25:29. > :25:36.it is affecting my grandchildren, it has affected all of us. And it has

:25:37. > :25:41.continued to. How important is this health and safety executive hearing?

:25:42. > :25:45.The court procedure. How important is it to you? I would never want

:25:46. > :25:50.anybody else to be in the situation that we were put in. So in that

:25:51. > :25:54.case, yes, I am glad they have been taken to court. Does it make a

:25:55. > :26:01.difference to me? No. At the end of the day we still have to go through

:26:02. > :26:06.what we are going through. You never think it is going to happen to you.

:26:07. > :26:09.Merlin attractions in a statement said the company continues to

:26:10. > :26:15.provide all of the help and support it can to those injured. They say

:26:16. > :26:16.they are always available to deal with individual issues privately but

:26:17. > :26:18.will not discuss them publicly. This morning we've been

:26:19. > :26:20.sharing your tributes to Prince, He became a superstar in the 1980s,

:26:21. > :26:26.with the albums 1999, Purple Rain and Sign O' the Times

:26:27. > :26:28.and was found dead Thousands of fans have been partying

:26:29. > :26:35.through the night in his home town, and Prince's sister has met mourners

:26:36. > :26:40.outside his Paisley Park home. Major world figures have

:26:41. > :26:44.been paying tribute - President Obama tweeted: "A strong

:26:45. > :26:50.spirit transcends rules, Prince once said, and nobody's

:26:51. > :26:53.spirit was stronger, And Paul McCartney

:26:54. > :27:16.tweeted: "God bless The global superstar sold more than

:27:17. > :27:29.100 million records during his career. Here is a selection of some

:27:30. > :27:32.of his hits. # tonight we are going to party like

:27:33. > :28:01.it is 1999. # you do not have to be beautiful to

:28:02. > :28:06.turn me on. # just need your body baby from dusk to dawn. # you've got

:28:07. > :28:43.the luck. ??HOTKEY it looks good. # I'm going down to alphabet Street.

:28:44. > :28:47.??HOTKEY I am going to talk so sexy shoe wander from my year to my feet.

:28:48. > :28:49.RJ Benjamin is a musician who was inspired by Prince,

:28:50. > :28:51.and a vocal coach who works on South African versions

:28:52. > :29:03.Bryant McIntosh is a Prince fan in Chicago.

:29:04. > :29:12.It is probably a dumb question, but what was it that made prints so

:29:13. > :29:21.special? There is so much. For me as an artist, obviously it is just the

:29:22. > :29:24.seemingly never-ending creativity. I found as an artist growing up that

:29:25. > :29:34.for me he was like the encyclopaedia of pop music or rock. Like every

:29:35. > :29:39.album there was something. We're having some difficulty.

:29:40. > :29:46.Bryant, can you remember how you first got into prints and what he

:29:47. > :29:52.made you suddenly set up? Well, the first time I heard Prince was back

:29:53. > :29:58.in 1979 when I heard the song I want to be your lover. Even being that

:29:59. > :30:05.young of an age, I respected him. I really liked the music. It continued

:30:06. > :30:10.on from then. Everything he embodied, even back then, you could

:30:11. > :30:14.tell the genius in the man. You could tell the musicianship. I

:30:15. > :30:17.learned he had played every instrument on the album. Me being a

:30:18. > :30:22.young kid and playing instruments myself, irony admired that.

:30:23. > :30:25.He was more than a musician. He was a cultural phenomenon. He could do a

:30:26. > :30:37.range of things. Definitely. Everything he touched...

:30:38. > :30:46.He could be on stage at the Grammys and Hollywood would be in awe of

:30:47. > :30:51.him. Just the mystique of them was amazing, not like any other person

:30:52. > :30:55.we are going to see again. I was interested when you talked about the

:30:56. > :31:01.mystique because as a fan was difficult to relate to him in the

:31:02. > :31:07.sense that he seemed a very private, almost shy, individual. Yes, but I

:31:08. > :31:14.do not think it was not easy to relate to him a call as his body of

:31:15. > :31:17.music, it touched so many people, touched everybody. There was

:31:18. > :31:23.something that everybody could find in his music. Relating to him and

:31:24. > :31:28.finding something in his music that you could identify with, I believe

:31:29. > :31:30.everybody could find something to identify with in his music. Thank

:31:31. > :31:37.you. Still to come: A spelling test

:31:38. > :31:45.is pulled after it appeared online. We'll talk to the teacher

:31:46. > :31:47.who worked out that her seven-year-olds had

:31:48. > :31:54.seen it all before. Now for the news from

:31:55. > :32:09.the BBC Newsroom. The Alton Towers operator Merlin has

:32:10. > :32:17.admitted breaching health and safety rules in a crash last year that

:32:18. > :32:20.badly injured five people. Merlin attractions operations Limited, the

:32:21. > :32:27.parent company of Alton Towers, has pleaded guilty to breaching section

:32:28. > :32:34.three of the health and safety at work act from 1974. Not surprising

:32:35. > :32:36.because that crash on the Smiler ride last June, they quickly

:32:37. > :32:43.accepted responsibility and talked about human error being to blame.

:32:44. > :32:49.This is the scene outside the court. We are expecting a statement from

:32:50. > :32:51.the Health and Safety Executive and a victim's lawyer, and we will bring

:32:52. > :32:54.those to you. President Obama has started

:32:55. > :32:57.a three day tour to the UK by intervening in the debate over

:32:58. > :32:59.the European Union. In a newspaper article,

:33:00. > :33:01.Mr Obama argues that if Britain leaves the EU it will be less

:33:02. > :33:04.able to tackle terrorism But Vote Leave campaigners

:33:05. > :33:06.call his comments hypocritical. Seeing the US would never give

:33:07. > :33:10.control to a foreign power. MP Pat McFadden, who wants

:33:11. > :33:13.to remain in the EU, says Obama has every right

:33:14. > :33:19.to make his voice heard. He acknowledged in his article that

:33:20. > :33:24.this was a decision for the British people but I think he has every

:33:25. > :33:30.right to speak out in this way, partly for the reasons he has said.

:33:31. > :33:35.American soldiers fought alongside us in two world wars and the history

:33:36. > :33:42.and future of Europe is wrapped up in a sense in these shared values.

:33:43. > :33:44.A post-mortem examination is to be carried out on the body

:33:45. > :33:47.of the pop legend Prince, who has died aged 57.

:33:48. > :33:50.The American musician, who defined the sound

:33:51. > :33:53.of the 80s with songs like 1999 and Purple Rain,

:33:54. > :33:57.was found collapsed in a lift at his home in Minnesota yesterday.

:33:58. > :33:59.Meanwhile, thousands of fans have joined a party in Minneapolis,

:34:00. > :34:07.where the singer, songwriter and producer was born.

:34:08. > :34:09.The government has been forced to cancel a national spelling test

:34:10. > :34:11.for primary school pupils after it accidentally appeared

:34:12. > :34:15.Half a million Year Two pupils in England were due to take

:34:16. > :34:18.The Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, has apologised,

:34:19. > :34:25.The UK's first national research centre dedicated to understanding

:34:26. > :34:29.the causes of miscarriage is to open next week.

:34:30. > :34:32.Tens of thousands of women suffer miscarriages every year.

:34:33. > :34:35.In total around 200,000 lost pregnancies.

:34:36. > :34:38.What causes so many of them is still not known.

:34:39. > :34:40.The new centre will look at the impact of miscarriages

:34:41. > :34:53.Join me for BBC Newsroom live at 11am.

:34:54. > :34:58.Here's the sport headlines with Hugh.

:34:59. > :35:01.Tell me you're not going to show people dancing in their underpants

:35:02. > :35:05.again! Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has

:35:06. > :35:08.made a plea to the club's fans Lots of empty seats at the start of

:35:09. > :35:14.their game yesterday. They beat West Brom 2-0 last night

:35:15. > :35:17.in the Premier League to consolidate their position

:35:18. > :35:19.in the top three. It's been announced Liverpool's

:35:20. > :35:21.home, Anfield, will host its first rugby league matches

:35:22. > :35:23.in almost 20 years. The final of England's Four Nations

:35:24. > :35:26.tournament will take place The Olympic Stadium in London has

:35:27. > :35:32.also been chosen as a venue. The 2010 Open Champion Louis

:35:33. > :35:35.Oosthuizen is the latest golfer to pull out of this summer's Olympic

:35:36. > :35:38.Games. Golf returns to the Games

:35:39. > :35:41.for the first time since 1904 but Oosthuizen says he won't attend

:35:42. > :35:45.due to family and schedule issues. And England pace bowler Mark Wood

:35:46. > :35:49.will be out until the late summer after having further surgery

:35:50. > :35:50.on an injured ankle, which was also operated

:35:51. > :35:54.on back in November. It means the Durham man will miss

:35:55. > :35:57.a significant portion of the season. I'll have more on BBC News

:35:58. > :36:11.throughout the morning. We are hoping to bring you a

:36:12. > :36:16.statement shortly from the owners of Alton Towers after pleading guilty

:36:17. > :36:17.to the Health and Safety Executive prosecution following the accident

:36:18. > :36:20.at Alton Towers. Two days to go until the start

:36:21. > :36:22.of the London Marathon. Around a quarter of a million people

:36:23. > :36:26.applied to take part. Close to 40,000 will run,

:36:27. > :36:29.a huge number of them taking on the challenge

:36:30. > :36:36.of a marathon for the first time. One man who knows all about

:36:37. > :36:39.the London Marathon is John Fisher. This will be his 15th consecutive

:36:40. > :36:41.London Marathon after having Francis, 24, is running

:36:42. > :36:49.the London Marathon for the first time for Macmillan in aid

:36:50. > :36:52.of his father Martin who died last year and Leeann Nash is running

:36:53. > :36:56.the marathon for the first time for the National Autistic society

:36:57. > :36:59.to raise awareness for autism. Her 14-year-old son

:37:00. > :37:12.Thomas is autistic. You are all sitting down. You will

:37:13. > :37:17.not be sitting down on Sunday. What sort of stage are you at? How many

:37:18. > :37:24.miles have you been putting in? Is it looking daunting? It is daunting

:37:25. > :37:29.but I have run up to 22 miles so I am quietly confident but who knows

:37:30. > :37:35.what could happen? It is to raise awareness for the National Autistic

:37:36. > :37:41.Society. Costume? No question. I thought about it but I was worried.

:37:42. > :37:48.How long have you been pounding? Have you run before? I have. It is

:37:49. > :37:54.my first marathon. I used to run with my dad. Sunday is going to be a

:37:55. > :37:59.special day. Do you train on your own? Sometimes on my own and

:38:00. > :38:05.sometimes with others. I am training with someone else who is running the

:38:06. > :38:11.marathon with a. I expressed incredulity that you have had a

:38:12. > :38:17.heart transplant and are doing marathons. What are you doing? It

:38:18. > :38:23.puts strain on an old hard but I have a young heart. People see this

:38:24. > :38:34.old body but I have a brand-new Italy mag. Top tips? Do not drink

:38:35. > :38:38.too much. Drink at every station but do not drink the whole bottle. I

:38:39. > :38:42.would not step what over my head to cool off the closure body is trying

:38:43. > :38:54.to you up. Put something over your risk. -- wrist. Do not go for

:38:55. > :38:58.porridge. I normally have chocolate muffins and chocolate Swiss rolls

:38:59. > :39:05.and a can of Coke. In the training you have done what has been the

:39:06. > :39:11.hardest bit? Is it getting going? Or 15 miles when you have a lot more to

:39:12. > :39:18.do? All of the aforementioned. I have six children. The autistic one

:39:19. > :39:24.will not be coming but some of the others will be. The great thing

:39:25. > :39:32.about London as the crowds. They drag you around. Yes, fabulous

:39:33. > :39:37.support. They give you an orange or somebody might give you jelly

:39:38. > :39:44.babies. It is a party atmosphere. When you do the London Marathon you

:39:45. > :39:47.will be reflecting on your dad. How much is it the charity element which

:39:48. > :39:52.has driven new to do it and how much is it something you want to tick

:39:53. > :40:01.off? A bit of both. McMullan were incredible. How much have you

:40:02. > :40:06.raised? Just short of ?5,000. McMullan were so supportive during

:40:07. > :40:11.my dad's illness. It is something I have always wanted to do and it will

:40:12. > :40:17.be fantastic to do it. Did your dad do marathons? Not quite. He did

:40:18. > :40:25.holes. We would have liked to have done a marathon together. You have

:40:26. > :40:35.finished the London Marathon, do you think you will think you like this

:40:36. > :40:45.and might do another one? Yes. Injuries. How have you done? Did you

:40:46. > :40:50.run before? No. But I was quite fit. People say that runners are either

:40:51. > :40:56.coming back from an injury or about to be injured. Luckily I did not

:40:57. > :41:01.suffer any injury. You are doing yet another marathon. Do you get bored?

:41:02. > :41:07.No. This one is special because it is going to be my 54th birthday and

:41:08. > :41:14.my 15th marathon. Are you getting faster? No. Each year the weather is

:41:15. > :41:20.a big factor. It looks pretty grim this year. I keep thinking I will

:41:21. > :41:26.beat the year before but then I remember I am each year older. I

:41:27. > :41:34.enjoy the atmosphere. I am hoping to get somewhere near four hours. I

:41:35. > :41:42.have entered a run in May. 54 mile run in South Africa. Are you mad? In

:41:43. > :41:50.the blazing sunshine? What is the training for that? The London

:41:51. > :41:56.Marathon. This is a warm up! When you get to the end of it, family,

:41:57. > :42:02.big celebration, a few beers, pizza, or flat on your back? A bit of both.

:42:03. > :42:10.Mandy is going to be a struggle to going to work. Do you have the

:42:11. > :42:15.family? Yes, family and friends. How much of a difference does that make?

:42:16. > :42:19.A huge amount. You cannot underestimate how important that

:42:20. > :42:23.will be. I will hopefully see them at as many points along the route as

:42:24. > :42:32.possible and it will give you a boost. Knowing you are going to see

:42:33. > :42:37.your family soon. My tip is go to the toilet before you start because

:42:38. > :42:52.otherwise it is grim. I also brought these, my emergency rations. There

:42:53. > :43:02.is a daily baby. Super foods. -- jelly. Tomorrow will Richard Johnson

:43:03. > :43:06.will be crowned a champion jockey which means he has written more

:43:07. > :43:10.winners than any other jockey this season but in terms of sporting

:43:11. > :43:13.determination and commitment it means more than that because he has

:43:14. > :43:21.been runner-up nearly every year for 20 years. The man who thought it

:43:22. > :43:27.time each time AP McCoy, finally it is his turn to lift the trophy.

:43:28. > :43:29.7:30 on a Somerset morning and Richard Johnson is exactly

:43:30. > :43:35.Today, he's helping to train horses for more victories.

:43:36. > :43:38.Every year, the jump jockey who wins the most races is champion.

:43:39. > :43:43.But Johnson's faced an almost impossible problem.

:43:44. > :43:49.He was cursed to be competing against AP McCoy.

:43:50. > :43:51.For 20 consecutive years until he retired, McCoy

:43:52. > :43:56.For nearly all of those years, Johnson finished just

:43:57. > :44:04.I'm sure in my 20s, I got very frustrated with AP always...

:44:05. > :44:08.I never felt, however hard I tried or however great a week I had,

:44:09. > :44:14.It's a shame he's not still riding because it would have

:44:15. > :44:18.But again, it does not take the shine off it for me.

:44:19. > :44:24.When AP McCoy finally retired last year, he had

:44:25. > :44:33.But in the history of the sport, only one other jump jockey has ever

:44:34. > :44:40.There's a brand-new trophy for the new Champion Jockey

:44:41. > :44:46.The man who helped choose the new design and who will

:44:47. > :44:49.give Johnson the trophy on Saturday is AP McCoy.

:44:50. > :44:54.I could not be happier as to who I'm presenting it to.

:44:55. > :45:00.He is someone who made me achieve what I achieved for so long.

:45:01. > :45:03.I think that it is deserved for his great work and his hard work

:45:04. > :45:08.and dedication over the last 20 odd years.

:45:09. > :45:11.I think it shows that perseverance can always pay off in the end.

:45:12. > :45:18.Two days off and the next one begins.

:45:19. > :45:26.The champion of perseverance and patience is not stopping now.

:45:27. > :45:32.The Schools Minister has cancelled a national spelling tests

:45:33. > :45:34.for primary schools in England, after a teacher spotted it had

:45:35. > :45:36.already been published online as a practice paper.

:45:37. > :45:39.More than half a million seven-year-olds had been due to take

:45:40. > :45:42.the test next month, as part of their Sat tests.

:45:43. > :45:45.Nick Gibb described the incident as "regrettable".

:45:46. > :45:47.Charlotte Smiles is a teacher at Upland Primary School -

:45:48. > :45:52.And Mary Bousted is General Secretary at the Association

:45:53. > :46:09.Gosh, what a thing to spot. How on earth did you work out that someone

:46:10. > :46:12.had done the test before? We were testing in small groups and a

:46:13. > :46:18.colleague of mine was taking her group to take the test. One of the

:46:19. > :46:27.children appeared to know what was coming next. He was saying, I know

:46:28. > :46:32.this one! Quite unusual for a child. It struck a chord with her. She did

:46:33. > :46:37.some digging online and followed a link that another school had

:46:38. > :46:39.published on their website to encourage parents to help

:46:40. > :46:43.familiarise themselves with the test, and that is when she found it

:46:44. > :46:48.online. What did you do? Did you bring the

:46:49. > :46:53.Department of education saying there was a problem? Yes. I was quite

:46:54. > :46:56.shocked. I rang the standards and testing agency and asked if there

:46:57. > :47:02.had been a mistake in possibly the test they had sent us. They said to

:47:03. > :47:06.leave it with them and they would get back to me. A couple of hours

:47:07. > :47:12.later I had a phone call to tell me that they had actually... Firstly,

:47:13. > :47:20.they could not find the paper. I had to direct them. Then I was told that

:47:21. > :47:27.yes, it had been mistakenly loaded onto the website. Mary, at one

:47:28. > :47:35.level, what a mess. At another level, does it matter that much?

:47:36. > :47:39.Well, it matters in that if a school made this mistake, there would be

:47:40. > :47:43.serious professional consequences for the headteachers and the

:47:44. > :47:47.teachers. They would be sacked. So when a government agency does it,

:47:48. > :47:52.that shows there is a real problem. It is not just a problem with this

:47:53. > :47:59.test. There are problems with tests for 11-year-olds, GCSE and A-level.

:48:00. > :48:06.The whole test programme is chaotic. There is too much testing, scrap it?

:48:07. > :48:11.It should have been done properly. Tests are very important things both

:48:12. > :48:16.for the people who sit them, for schools and parents. What has

:48:17. > :48:21.happened is we have had a raft of A-levels, GCSE, the 11-year-old test

:48:22. > :48:26.of the seven-year-old test, introduced to quickly and in two

:48:27. > :48:30.chaotic anyway. Now the government is making big mistakes in their

:48:31. > :48:34.administration. This is not good enough. It is not good enough for

:48:35. > :48:36.pupils, it is not good enough for parents.

:48:37. > :48:47.And the government is in special measures. I am impressed by, was it

:48:48. > :48:51.a boy who found this paper? Is there are a lot of searching that goes on

:48:52. > :48:59.on the Internet to try to find past papers? I do not think so. This is a

:49:00. > :49:12.new testing system. It is a new curriculum. It is the first year it

:49:13. > :49:15.has been introduced. The best way to educate children is to have

:49:16. > :49:24.all-party singing from the same hymn sheet. We encourage is parents to

:49:25. > :49:26.encourage their children at home. Doesn't it become though... I

:49:27. > :49:30.understand what you say about familiarising them, but isn't there

:49:31. > :49:41.a danger it becomes cramming, endless practising for the test Yes

:49:42. > :49:45.it does. We would ask parents to use it more for a familiar race and

:49:46. > :49:49.exercise. That is part of the new curriculum. There are grammatical

:49:50. > :50:01.balls that need to be crammed into heads. Presumably things will carry

:50:02. > :50:05.on and the garment will have tighter Internet security? This is not the

:50:06. > :50:11.only thing they have put on hold. They have cancelled the baseline

:50:12. > :50:16.tests taken by four-year-olds. Last year they gave those tests to three

:50:17. > :50:21.test providers. They were told not to do so. All the warnings that you

:50:22. > :50:26.would not get comparable results have been proved to be true. They

:50:27. > :50:30.have cancelled those tests. They have cancelled key stage one

:50:31. > :50:37.spelling tests. The writing assessment is in chaos. We have had

:50:38. > :50:51.five further clarifications. We have got GCSEs. We have got the same. The

:50:52. > :50:57.reason it is all going pear shaped is because it is too much? There is

:50:58. > :51:02.too much testing. It is being implemented too quickly. Testing is

:51:03. > :51:05.very difficult to get right. It is being implemented to quickly and it

:51:06. > :51:11.is based on a curriculum which is inappropriate. What is your take on

:51:12. > :51:16.testing. You are the one in front of the class, you have a sense of how

:51:17. > :51:18.the kids are doing. Why don't you form an assessment rather than wait

:51:19. > :51:26.for the government to present you with a test paper? I agree with that

:51:27. > :51:30.point of view. We know these children better than any test paper

:51:31. > :51:33.can tell you. They were not give you the same insight into a child that

:51:34. > :51:42.we can give as a teacher. We should be trusted. From the point of view

:51:43. > :51:49.of a parent, they want the certainty of a national comparison, which in

:51:50. > :51:55.national test would give them? Yes, and I can understand that. When you

:51:56. > :52:02.look at schools, you need to take everything into consideration. But

:52:03. > :52:06.you can have a uniform policy, a uniform system where teachers can

:52:07. > :52:12.assess their children, that does not involve them sitting down taking a

:52:13. > :52:16.formal test. Let me stop there. Thank you both. The health and

:52:17. > :52:21.safety executive and a solicitor for the victim are making statements

:52:22. > :52:27.outside the court after Merlin pleaded guilty to breaching rules of

:52:28. > :52:29.health and safety in the Alton Towers crash.

:52:30. > :52:33.It failed in its legal duty to protect people on the Smiler right.

:52:34. > :52:39.Those injured on the 2nd of June had every right to expect a carefree and

:52:40. > :52:44.fun day out. The incident was profoundly distressing for all those

:52:45. > :52:48.involved, both physically and mentally. It left some with life

:52:49. > :52:54.changing injuries. We hope this first step in this criminal case

:52:55. > :53:05.will help those affected by the matter in their recovery going

:53:06. > :53:16.forward. I am acting on behalf of eight of

:53:17. > :53:20.the victims from the accident. Going back to that notorious date now in

:53:21. > :53:26.June, my clients sustained significant and in some cases life

:53:27. > :53:29.changing injuries. But it is important to say that from the

:53:30. > :53:34.perspective of the families, today was certainly not about victory.

:53:35. > :53:41.Today was certainly not about retribution. But it was a very

:53:42. > :53:48.important step, a psychological milestone along the recovery route.

:53:49. > :53:54.Clients still have psychological injuries. They were last a good

:53:55. > :53:58.while. The physical injuries were last forever. This, as I say, was

:53:59. > :54:05.not about punishment. It was about trying to find out what went wrong

:54:06. > :54:11.that day. Whatever the facts that lead this accident, and also to

:54:12. > :54:16.ensure, very critical to the families, to ensure it will not

:54:17. > :54:23.happen again, not only on the Smiler right but for other rights around

:54:24. > :54:27.the country and indeed into Europe. It is perhaps not surprising that

:54:28. > :54:31.there will be a guilty plea today because here our young people who

:54:32. > :54:38.have gone out to have a fun day out and have come away, some, with an

:54:39. > :54:42.amputation. But that said, it is a comfort that there has been a guilty

:54:43. > :54:46.plea and now we will not have to go through the necessity of a trial.

:54:47. > :54:52.May I say finally that the families are very grateful to the health and

:54:53. > :54:55.safety executive for the manner and thoroughness with which they

:54:56. > :55:00.prosecuted this case. In particular may I say with the sensitive way

:55:01. > :55:11.they have dealt with the families. Thank you very much. The company

:55:12. > :55:17.which runs Alton Towers has issued a statement. It says Merlin today

:55:18. > :55:22.pleaded guilty to an offence under the health and safety and work act.

:55:23. > :55:25.From the outset the company has accepted responsibility for what

:55:26. > :55:28.happened in June last year and it has cooperated fully with the health

:55:29. > :55:34.and safety executive in its investigation. We have sought to

:55:35. > :55:40.provide help and support to those injured in the accident, and will

:55:41. > :55:44.continue to do so. Well, tomorrow marks the 400th

:55:45. > :55:49.anniversary of the death of England's most celebrated playwright

:55:50. > :55:52.and poet, William Shakespeare, of course. His works have been

:55:53. > :55:58.translated into 80 languages, including Klingon. He will -- he

:55:59. > :56:04.helped shape the English we use today, introducing more than 300

:56:05. > :56:10.words and many well-known faces. We can take a look as people read a

:56:11. > :56:16.scene from as you like it. All the world is a stage and all the

:56:17. > :56:21.men and women merely players. S they have their exits and their

:56:22. > :56:28.entrances. One Man in his time plays many parts. His acts being seven

:56:29. > :56:33.ages. At first of the infant mewling and polluting in the nurse's arms.

:56:34. > :56:37.And then the whining schoolboy with his satchel and shining morning

:56:38. > :56:47.face. Creeping on willingly to school. Fine like furnace with a

:56:48. > :56:59.woeful ballot. Then, a soldier full of strange oafs, jealous in honour,

:57:00. > :57:04.sudden and quick in quarrel, seeking the bubble reputation even in the

:57:05. > :57:09.Canon's mouth. And then the Justice in fair or round belly with good

:57:10. > :57:16.cave on, lined with eyes severe and beard of formal cut, full of wise

:57:17. > :57:23.souls and modern instances, and so he plays his part. The sixth phase

:57:24. > :57:28.shifts into the lean and slicker pantaloon. His youthful hose well

:57:29. > :57:35.saved, a world too wide for his shrunk shank and his big manly

:57:36. > :57:41.voice. Turning again toward childish trouble, pipes and whistles in his

:57:42. > :57:49.sound. The last scene of all that ends this history is second child as

:57:50. > :57:59.this. Song's eyes, song's taste. Song is everything.

:58:00. > :58:04.Blow winds and cracked by cheeks! Spout fire! That is King Lear.

:58:05. > :58:09.Enough. BBC newsroom live is next. They will have the latest on this

:58:10. > :58:12.morning's breaking news, the operator of Alton Towers has pleaded

:58:13. > :58:16.guilty to breaching health and safety regulations of the roller

:58:17. > :58:18.coasters crash last year. Five people were seriously injured when

:58:19. > :58:22.the carriage collided with another one. Thank you for your company

:58:23. > :58:23.today. Normal service resumed on Monday.

:58:24. > :58:26.Cheerio.