:00:08. > :00:12.Libya post-Gaddafi, the country's interim government will meet world
:00:12. > :00:17.leaders at a conference hosted by the French President. The Libyan
:00:17. > :00:20.leadership will call for help for rebuilding and preparing for
:00:20. > :00:28.democracy. Nearly 2,000 RAF and Army personnel
:00:28. > :00:31.are to be told they are to be made redundant.
:00:31. > :00:36.Raising the flag at RAF Brize Norton - a special ceremony is held
:00:36. > :00:43.to mark the transfer of military repatriations. To the people of
:00:43. > :00:47.Wootton Bassett, for years one small town did this whole country a
:00:47. > :00:57.great service. A tobacco giant tries to access
:00:57. > :01:04.research about teenagers' smoking habits.
:01:04. > :01:07.Attempts to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS are condemned as
:01:07. > :01:17.woefully inadequate. Coming up: Mo Farah is safely
:01:17. > :01:34.
:01:34. > :01:38.through to the 5,000 metres final Good afternoon. Welcome to the BBC
:01:38. > :01:42.News at One. Libya's new leaders will join representatives of 60
:01:42. > :01:45.nations and organisations in Paris this afternoon to discuss the
:01:45. > :01:48.future of their country. The Foreign Secretary says the meeting
:01:48. > :01:53.is an opportunity for the international community to discuss
:01:53. > :01:57.how it can support a free, democratic and inclusive Libya.
:01:57. > :02:00.Overnight, the RAF flew millions of pounds worth of Libyan banknotes
:02:00. > :02:05.into Benghazi, money that was frozen under United Nations
:02:05. > :02:14.sanctions at the start of the crisis. Let's cross to Ben Brown
:02:14. > :02:19.who is in Tripoli. Today is a hugely important day for
:02:19. > :02:23.Libya. Not only that very important summit in Paris, but this is the
:02:23. > :02:27.42nd anniversary of Colonel Gaddafi coming to power. He is no longer in
:02:27. > :02:29.power. In fact, he is on the run, a fugitive in his own country. The
:02:30. > :02:35.latest information from rebel commanders here in Tripoli is that
:02:35. > :02:38.they believe he may be in the town of Bani Walid, down the road, about
:02:38. > :02:46.100 miles south-east of Tripoli. Although there is no confirmation
:02:46. > :02:51.of that at the moment. Meanwhile, that unfrozen cash has arrived from
:02:51. > :02:55.the UK into the Libyan city of Benghazi.
:02:55. > :03:00.After six months of protests, battles and revolution, this is the
:03:00. > :03:07.moment the Libyan opposition take to the world stage. But to complete
:03:07. > :03:10.their success, the opposition, the revolutionaries, need hard cash. In
:03:10. > :03:15.the opposition stronghold of Benghazi last night, a scene
:03:15. > :03:19.straight out of a Hollywood movie. Under heavily-armed guard, the
:03:19. > :03:23.Royal Air Force flew in the first instalment of nearly �1 billion
:03:23. > :03:31.worth of Libyan banknotes, printed in Britain but until now frozen
:03:31. > :03:36.under UN sanctions. So this is what 280 million Libyan dinars looks
:03:36. > :03:43.like, all urgently needed here and, says the British Government, the
:03:43. > :03:48.first instalment of future help. The Libyans are checking every note,
:03:48. > :03:58.determined to never again have their money stolen by their leader.
:03:58. > :04:01.
:04:01. > :04:04.So excited tonight. We are celebrating our eighth day.
:04:04. > :04:10.convoy speeds the money to the Central Bank. It is desperately
:04:10. > :04:13.needed. Shortages of cash mean there have been long queues and
:04:13. > :04:17.lively scenes at Libyan banks. The country also needs some of the
:04:17. > :04:25.billions of dollars of foreign currency frozen in foreign accounts
:04:25. > :04:29.in order to buy essential petrol and other supplies. This is Abdul-
:04:29. > :04:36.Alti al-Obeidi - now the latest Gaddafi loyalist to be captured by
:04:36. > :04:41.the opposition. But as the opposing armies square up outside the city
:04:41. > :04:46.of Sirte, Colonel Gaddafi's son is still in hiding issuing more
:04:46. > :04:53.threats. TRANSLATION: You are welcome to
:04:53. > :05:01.come to Sirte. There are 20,000 of our loyalists there, fully armed,
:05:01. > :05:05.ready and itching to fight. contradictory message from his
:05:05. > :05:09.brother Saadi. Clearly the Gaddafi family are not united. The focus
:05:09. > :05:14.here in Libya is already on building for the future after the
:05:14. > :05:18.end of the conflict and on rewarding allies. In Benghazi's
:05:18. > :05:20.main square, David Cameron shares in the grateful thanks addressed to
:05:20. > :05:28.world leaders from the Libyan people. Whoever would have dreamt
:05:28. > :05:32.of that a few short months ago. Well, in a moment, we will hear
:05:32. > :05:37.from James Robbins with the latest from that Paris conference. Let's
:05:37. > :05:41.go live to Jon Leyne in Benghazi. You saw that cash arrive, crucial
:05:41. > :05:48.in the short-term, but in the longer term this is a very wealthy
:05:48. > :05:58.country, isn't it, with 2% of the world's Oil Resources here? Yes. I
:05:58. > :06:01.have seen lots of different figures putting it at well over �100
:06:01. > :06:05.billion in foreign bank accounts. As soon as the world is happy that
:06:05. > :06:08.there is a proper government in place here and they have taken over,
:06:08. > :06:11.that money will be released. The Libyan opposition, soon to be
:06:11. > :06:14.government, are pressing as hard as possible to get as much of that as
:06:14. > :06:17.possible because there are shortages here causing great
:06:17. > :06:21.problems, shortages of petrol here in Benghazi as well as in Tripoli,
:06:21. > :06:25.shortages of food, shortages of fuel for the generators. They
:06:25. > :06:34.really want cash in the bank to provide for the people and to
:06:34. > :06:38.reward their support. Thank you very much. James Robbins in Paris,
:06:38. > :06:42.it's a huge number of countries represented. Is this mainly a
:06:42. > :06:46.symbolic meeting, do you think? think the symbolism is hugely
:06:46. > :06:50.important. You are looking at behind me one of the great
:06:50. > :06:55.ceremonial political stages of the world, the steps of the Elysee
:06:55. > :06:58.Palace. In a couple of hours' time, it will be decked out with the
:06:58. > :07:07.ceremonial honour guard with the French Republic - they are taking
:07:07. > :07:11.shade from the sun at the moment. Of course, it will be the imagery
:07:11. > :07:14.which will be so important of President Sarkozy and David Cameron
:07:14. > :07:18.welcoming as the emerging government of the new Libya what
:07:18. > :07:21.was the rebel leadership. It will mark a really important transition,
:07:21. > :07:25.I think, in world perceptions and I am sure it will be very important
:07:25. > :07:33.to Libyan people, the imagery. Beyond it, there is some substance
:07:33. > :07:37.to this meeting. It is a chance to hear from the rebel leadership
:07:37. > :07:40.their plans, how they intend to carry Libya forward and to try and
:07:40. > :07:45.press them, to ensure they have the means to do it, to provide security
:07:45. > :07:49.for the people of Libya, to provide them with essential services and to
:07:49. > :07:53.set them on an undeviating path towards democracy. Some people have
:07:53. > :07:58.fears that perhaps this leadership is only united in the idea of
:07:58. > :08:02.getting rid of Colonel Gaddafi. Indeed. James Robbins, thank you,
:08:03. > :08:07.and also to Jon Leyne in Benghazi. Well, while they talk about the
:08:07. > :08:11.transition to a Libyan democracy in Paris, there is still possibly
:08:11. > :08:15.fighting ahead here in Libya. The rebels have set an ultimatum of
:08:15. > :08:19.Saturday for Gaddafi loyalists in Sirte, the Colonel Gaddafi's
:08:19. > :08:22.stronghold, his hometown, to surrender or face an attack by
:08:22. > :08:26.rebels who have converged on that city from east and west. It may
:08:26. > :08:32.well be that that is the final battle here in this conflict. That
:08:32. > :08:37.is it from me here in Tripoli. Back to you in London.
:08:37. > :08:39.Thank you. Ben Brown in Tripoli. Here, nearly 2,000 Army and RAF
:08:39. > :08:44.personnel are being told today that they are being made redundant as
:08:44. > :08:51.part of the cuts announced in last year's Strategic Defence Review.
:08:51. > :08:58.About 75 0 of them are being made compulsory redundant including 150
:08:58. > :09:03.Gurkhas. Britain may be fighting wars on two
:09:03. > :09:11.fronts wits long-term commitment in Afghanistan and its continuing
:09:12. > :09:18.mission over Libya, but today's -- with its long-term commitment in
:09:18. > :09:26.Afghanistan and its continuing mission over Libya, but today's
:09:26. > :09:31.announcement means the size of its force is decreasing.
:09:31. > :09:36.In this first wave of redundancies, the Army is losing 920 posts, most
:09:36. > :09:41.will be volunteers with 660 soldiers successfully applying for
:09:41. > :09:49.redundancy. But 260 who did not volunteer will be forced to leave.
:09:49. > :09:55.The RAF's losing 930 posts. Of those, 440 have volunteered for
:09:55. > :10:02.redundancy. Another 490 RAF personnel will be facing compulsory
:10:02. > :10:06.redundancy. We will treat our people with as great a dignity as
:10:06. > :10:10.we can. Our people will be available to help those people
:10:10. > :10:14.transition from the military life to civilian life. Some units have
:10:14. > :10:18.been hit hard. The Gurkhas, who the MoD say are overmanned, account for
:10:18. > :10:22.more than half of those in the Army being forced to take redundancy.
:10:22. > :10:27.This is just the start of what is likely to be a very painful process,
:10:27. > :10:31.not just for the Gurkhas. The Royal Navy will announce details of their
:10:31. > :10:38.first wave of redundancies at the end of this month. Over the next
:10:38. > :10:40.few years, thousands more service personnel will be losing their jobs.
:10:40. > :10:44.Those Armed Forces personnel affected have been ordered not to
:10:45. > :10:49.talk to the media. But organisations that speak on their
:10:49. > :10:54.behalf say these are worrying times. This is a very difficult time for
:10:54. > :10:57.families. When the first tranche was announced the number of
:10:57. > :11:01.redundancies needed was lower than we now know. All Army families will
:11:01. > :11:05.be concerned about whether or not their soldier will be made
:11:05. > :11:09.redundant. Those serving in Afghanistan, or involved in
:11:09. > :11:13.operations over Libya, have been protected from this round of
:11:13. > :11:18.redundancies. But Labour warns that the cuts will have an impact on the
:11:18. > :11:21.nation's ability to fight the next war.
:11:21. > :11:25.Let's talk about all of this with General Sir Mike Jackson, the
:11:25. > :11:29.former head of the British Army. Thank you for your time this lunch
:11:30. > :11:33.time. The Government would argue that cuts here and now mean that
:11:33. > :11:36.later in the decade the Armed Forces can regenerate, they will be
:11:37. > :11:43.able to continue fighting as we would expect, partly because of
:11:43. > :11:49.spending on equipment as well. Does it all stack up, do you think?
:11:49. > :11:56.hope it does. The Strategic Defence and Security Review looked forward
:11:56. > :12:01.to 2020 and beyond and that is the structure that is being designed.
:12:01. > :12:07.We are, whatever it is, nine years away from 2020 and in the
:12:07. > :12:16.intervening period I think it does carry risk without doubt. The risks
:12:16. > :12:19.being what in your opinion? Well, for example, we will not have
:12:19. > :12:25.carrier strike, aircraft on aircraft carriers until the end of
:12:25. > :12:30.the decade. That is clearly a gap in our capability. And so could we
:12:30. > :12:35.reach a point as a country where a politician of any colour goes to
:12:35. > :12:40.the head of the Armed Forces, says, "We are interested in such and such
:12:40. > :12:46.a fresh campaign" would the military ever feel able to say, "We
:12:46. > :12:52.are overstretched, we can't do that"? I think that is a very
:12:52. > :12:56.hypothetical question. We have Afghanistan at the moment and the
:12:57. > :13:01.Prime Minister has made it clear that that will be done by 2015 in a
:13:01. > :13:06.combat role. Of course, we have the air action over Libya, which
:13:06. > :13:10.hopefully will be coming to a rapid end. But the point I would like to
:13:10. > :13:15.make here is, of course, uncertainty is the name of the
:13:15. > :13:20.world we live in and we have seen that time and time again. It may
:13:20. > :13:25.well be that come 2015 we have no operations, but it would not
:13:25. > :13:30.surprise me at all if circumstances came along where the Government
:13:30. > :13:36.would have to again decide whether to take part in some intervention
:13:36. > :13:41.or whatever between now and the end of the decade. It will very much
:13:41. > :13:46.depend on what such an operation would require in terms of military
:13:46. > :13:50.capability as to the Armed Forces' ability to discharge what is asked
:13:50. > :13:54.of them. That is the point. You said yourself it is an uncertain
:13:54. > :13:59.world. Do we - are we entering an era where we have to be more
:13:59. > :14:04.realistic and future operations simply might not be possible?
:14:05. > :14:09.the day, it is for the Government to decide its spending priorities,
:14:09. > :14:14.that is the political process and I'm not going to comment, other
:14:14. > :14:19.than just to note that despite all the difficulties, the Government's
:14:19. > :14:24.spending programme this fiscal year is some �700 billion of which
:14:24. > :14:29.defence takes �35 billion, that gives a sense of the proportion
:14:29. > :14:38.which defence is taking up in terms of Government spending. General Sir
:14:38. > :14:40.Mike Jackson, we must leave it A ceremony was held this morning to
:14:40. > :14:45.mark the transfer of military repatriations from RAF Lyneham, to
:14:45. > :14:48.RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Yesterday the people of Wootton
:14:48. > :14:57.Bassett marked the end of their town's role in honouring British
:14:57. > :15:00.service men and women killed overseas with a special service.
:15:00. > :15:06.From now on the coffins will travel through the town of Carterton. Our
:15:06. > :15:13.correspondent, Jon Kay, is there. After four years, Wootton Bassett
:15:13. > :15:21.can stand at ease. It is Carter sent that sees itself as being on
:15:21. > :15:24.duty. -- Carterton. The ceremonial handover has taken place. Every
:15:24. > :15:34.time there is a repatriation through the base, it will be
:15:34. > :15:39.lowered to half-mast. A community prepares to enter the spotlight.
:15:39. > :15:44.Carterton, taking over where Britain Bassett left off. Just
:15:44. > :15:50.outside RAF Brize Norton, they gathered on the new memorial garden.
:15:50. > :15:55.This will now be the focus of military repatriations. In a
:15:55. > :16:01.symbolic handover, the flag that has flown over Wootton Bassett was
:16:01. > :16:05.given to this new community. behalf of the communities of
:16:05. > :16:10.Carterton and Brize Norton, I pledge our support to the families
:16:10. > :16:15.of the fallen. At this Memorial Garden and beneath this Union flag
:16:15. > :16:22.from Wootton Bassett, we will come together to pay our some respects
:16:22. > :16:31.to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. -- solemn. Overhead a
:16:31. > :16:36.reminder of this area's links to the armed forces. On A day when the
:16:36. > :16:41.Government is under pressure for making cuts to the military, the
:16:41. > :16:46.Prime Minister was here but in his capacity as local MP. The ceremony
:16:46. > :16:50.has been important to mark the change from RAF Lyneham to RAF
:16:50. > :16:53.Brize Norton and the handover from the people of Wootton Bassett to
:16:53. > :16:59.the people of Carterton and Brize Norton so they can show their
:16:59. > :17:03.respects in the same way. Some say this garden is to set up -- sterile
:17:03. > :17:10.and it is not appropriate to have it by an industrial estate, the
:17:10. > :17:15.whole thing is to organise. Wootton Bassett evolved over time. Local
:17:15. > :17:19.people working to take part. It is the people that will make it feel
:17:19. > :17:25.like Wootton Bassett so give it time. You think the same spirit
:17:25. > :17:29.will be here? Definitely. Her all Carterton can do is to show the
:17:29. > :17:34.world and make Britain proud. I think we can manage it. In a week's
:17:34. > :17:40.time they will gather here for the first repatriation. They hope it
:17:40. > :17:44.will also be the last one. As somebody who has reported from
:17:44. > :17:51.Wootton Bassett sadly on so many occasions over the last four years,
:17:51. > :17:56.I cannot tell you have different this place is. It is unrecognisable.
:17:56. > :17:59.There has been criticism within this community. They want to put
:18:00. > :18:03.all that behind them and move on and do what they see is the right-
:18:03. > :18:10.thinking and start showing respect whenever they are called on -
:18:10. > :18:15.whenever they are needed. Our top story this lunchtime: Libya's
:18:15. > :18:17.interim government is meeting world leaders this afternoon. At a
:18:17. > :18:27.conference hosted by the French President, security, rebuilding and
:18:27. > :18:28.
:18:28. > :18:34.preparing for democracy are on the agenda. Coming up: We will be
:18:34. > :18:40.broadcasting to you from the top of the Blackpool Tower which has just
:18:40. > :18:47.undergone a multi-million-pound refit. Later in the sport, Alan
:18:47. > :18:51.Pardew has been charged with improper conduct for comments he
:18:51. > :19:01.made in the derby against Sunderland. He has until Monday to
:19:01. > :19:02.
:19:02. > :19:05.Efforts to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS in this country have
:19:05. > :19:09.been described as woefully inadequate, by a House of Lords
:19:09. > :19:12.committee. It's calling for a national campaign to raise
:19:12. > :19:15.awareness of the condition 25 years after the Don't Die of Ignorance
:19:15. > :19:18.campaign of the 1980s, and more screening. The HIV virus attacks
:19:18. > :19:28.the body's immune system, reducing its ability to fight infection and
:19:28. > :19:34.there is still no cure. Here's our health correspondent. There is now
:19:34. > :19:38.a danger that has become a threat to us all. 25 years ago today, a
:19:38. > :19:44.start advertising and leaflet campaign began to warn every
:19:44. > :19:48.household in the UK about the virus behind AIDS. So far it has been
:19:48. > :19:51.confined to small groups but it is spreading. The Conservative
:19:51. > :19:56.politician who launched a campaign when he was Health Secretary has
:19:56. > :20:01.led today's report. He wants to see a new drive to raise awareness of
:20:01. > :20:05.HIV once again. We are spending absolutely next to nothing on
:20:05. > :20:10.prevention. That is really the scandal. We should be spending much
:20:10. > :20:15.more money on trying to prevent HIV. It is obviously good for the
:20:15. > :20:20.individual and good for the economy, good for the Treasury. HIV used to
:20:20. > :20:26.mean an early death. Now drugs contain this virus and stop the
:20:26. > :20:31.onset of AIDS. The report warns a vaccine is still many years away.
:20:31. > :20:34.The number of people who are HIV positive is predicted to pass
:20:34. > :20:40.100,000 by next year. It means the annual bill for drug treatment in
:20:40. > :20:44.the UK has now reached almost �1 billion. It is estimated just over
:20:44. > :20:50.a quarter of those with HIV do not realise they have it. People think
:20:50. > :20:54.it is no longer a problem and it has gone away. Over the years,
:20:54. > :20:59.awareness and concern about HIV has dropped off. It is the fastest
:20:59. > :21:04.growing serious health condition in the UK. We must wake up to that.
:21:04. > :21:08.The report says HIV testing should be a routine part of medical care
:21:08. > :21:17.by GPs. The Department of Health agrees messages on safe sex are as
:21:17. > :21:21.vital now as they were 25 years ago. The number of households in the UK
:21:21. > :21:25.where no adult works has fallen to 3.88 million. That's a drop of
:21:25. > :21:28.38,000 on last year. The figures, from the Office for National
:21:28. > :21:32.Statistics, suggest that about a fifth of households have no adult
:21:32. > :21:36.in work. A British military cadet has died after being critically
:21:36. > :21:39.injured in a skydiving accident. The officer cadet, who has not been
:21:39. > :21:43.named, was seriously injured along with another cadet at the Lake
:21:43. > :21:48.Elsinore Parachute Centre in southern California. The cause of
:21:48. > :21:51.the accident is being investigated by the Ministry of Defence.
:21:51. > :21:56.Stirling University is fighting an attempt by a tobacco company to
:21:56. > :21:58.gain access to its research into the smoking habits of teenagers.
:21:58. > :22:03.Philip Morris International, which makes Marlboro cigarettes, has
:22:03. > :22:06.submitted Freedom of Information requests to the university.
:22:06. > :22:09.Academics say revealing their findings would be a major breach of
:22:09. > :22:19.confidence, and could jeopardise future research. Our Scotland
:22:19. > :22:20.
:22:20. > :22:26.correspondent, James Cook, is in Why do teenagers start smoking?
:22:26. > :22:30.That is the question a team at Stirling University has been asking.
:22:30. > :22:36.They had into the thousands of youngsters between the ages of 13
:22:36. > :22:40.and 24. Some of their findings have been published. I think you would
:22:40. > :22:46.have to ask Philip Morris were they are interested. As a researcher, I
:22:46. > :22:49.have spoken and my colleagues had spoken, two young people, in
:22:49. > :22:55.confidence, on the strict reassurance that week and bona fide
:22:55. > :23:00.researchers will be the only people to look at the data. I think it is
:23:00. > :23:04.absolutely essential that we stand by that. Around the UK, plain
:23:04. > :23:08.packaging call cigarettes is being considered. Philip Morris says this
:23:08. > :23:13.research can shed light on the impact of such a move. At Stirling
:23:13. > :23:18.University they are painting there's as David against Goliath, a
:23:18. > :23:28.small group of researchers against a giant corporation. Philip Morris
:23:28. > :23:32.
:23:32. > :23:36.does not see it like that. In a Scotland's Information Commissioner
:23:36. > :23:40.says a request for information about smoking is legitimate but
:23:40. > :23:45.researchers can still argue they should not hand it over. The
:23:45. > :23:49.university intends to fight this all the way. When you switch the
:23:49. > :23:52.lights on at home tonight, the chances are you're using a 60 watt
:23:52. > :23:55.bulb. But we won't be able to buy them for much longer. The UK's most
:23:55. > :24:05.popular lightbulb is being phased out in favour of energy efficient
:24:05. > :24:07.
:24:07. > :24:12.versions. It is part of the big switch-off. First 100 watt
:24:12. > :24:18.lightbulbs disappeared and now 60 watt versions are being consigned
:24:18. > :24:21.to history. It has prompted some customers to bulk buy. They are
:24:21. > :24:26.buying bulk quantities. They are stocking up for their lifetime for
:24:26. > :24:30.the lifetime of what they think is their fitting. The Government
:24:30. > :24:35.believes switching to energy efficient lighting will reduce
:24:35. > :24:41.carbon dioxide emissions. These efficient lightbulbs are more
:24:41. > :24:48.expensive. Energy-saving experts say they use up to 80% less
:24:48. > :24:50.electricity than traditional baths and last 10 times as long. Shoppers
:24:50. > :24:55.appreciate the new light bulbs are better for the environment but some
:24:55. > :25:04.say they are not sure they do the job as well. To be honest, I do not
:25:04. > :25:09.like them. I would rather an ordinary bulb. The newer light
:25:09. > :25:14.bulbs give very poor light. They have to accept that. The Government
:25:14. > :25:18.says you have to do this, people should be given a choice.
:25:18. > :25:23.Environmentally friendly box last longer but throwing them away
:25:23. > :25:27.requires more thought. -- light bulbs. You cannot chuck them in the
:25:28. > :25:33.bin. You need to take them somewhere where they can be
:25:33. > :25:38.disposed of because they contain mercury. A lot of shops will have
:25:38. > :25:44.the old lightbulbs in stop for months to come. Displays like this
:25:44. > :25:49.show efficient lightbulbs Thembi just as illuminating as the iconic
:25:49. > :25:51.original's. -- can be just. One of the UK's most famous seaside
:25:52. > :25:56.attractions, the Blackpool Tower, has re-opened, after a multi-
:25:56. > :25:59.million pound refurbishment. The tower now boasts a new 4D cinema
:25:59. > :26:09.and the town council is hoping to double the number of visitors to
:26:09. > :26:15.
:26:15. > :26:19.800,000 a year. Our correspondent, Here I am, right at the very top,
:26:20. > :26:25.the very busiest of heights at the top of the Blackpool Tower. It is
:26:25. > :26:31.one of the best loved landmarks on the Blackpool seafront. Those who
:26:31. > :26:37.have known and loved it over the years, it has become tatty. It has
:26:37. > :26:43.been given a new lick of paint outside and in. From the bottom up
:26:43. > :26:48.to the top it has been renovated. It has cost many millions of pounds.
:26:48. > :26:55.The whole idea is to attract as many families as possible to the
:26:55. > :27:00.area. If you have a head for heights, come on a journey. 158
:27:00. > :27:04.metres up and on a day like today the top of Blackpool Tower gives
:27:04. > :27:09.you unrivalled views. You have always been able to see for miles
:27:09. > :27:14.but the tower has been given a makeover or with a new glass
:27:14. > :27:23.walkway. It is ingenious. It gets your emotions going in a really
:27:23. > :27:28.strange way. It is spectacular. Blackpool Tower has been a fixture
:27:28. > :27:34.on the skyline since 1893. It is seen here in film from the 19
:27:34. > :27:40.hundreds. It is not the first time the town has been given a makeover.
:27:40. > :27:44.Or they have to do now is change the name. They have taken the black
:27:44. > :27:51.out of Blackpool. There are those he considered the resort to have
:27:51. > :27:57.seen better days. Now �250 million has been spent regenerating the
:27:57. > :28:00.town. Suffering from vertigo, I confess it is not my ideal
:28:00. > :28:05.assignment. Tourism bosses are hoping there will be enough
:28:05. > :28:15.visitors who are game enough to come up here of their own accord.
:28:15. > :28:15.
:28:15. > :28:21.Blackpool council bought the Tower of their own accord. Five people go
:28:21. > :28:25.out of the UK for every two foreign visitors that come in. One way to
:28:25. > :28:30.address that is to make world-class attractions and world-class resorts
:28:30. > :28:34.and destinations will be able to come to. Blackpool has long been a
:28:34. > :28:38.fixture on the stag and hen party circuit. With the prospect of a
:28:38. > :28:44.super casino now gone, the new hope is that families will flock to the
:28:44. > :28:50.resort instead, bringing a much- needed boost to its economy. As I
:28:50. > :28:58.mentioned in that report, this is not my idea of fun. This is eight-
:28:58. > :29:02.year-old Clary. She is perfectly happy to do the splits this high up.
:29:02. > :29:12.When I had finished speaking to you, I will be getting out of here as
:29:12. > :29:16.
:29:16. > :29:22.For the first time in a long time we are seeing the sunshine. Lately
:29:22. > :29:29.it has been cloudy. It is feeling much warmer than it has done lately.
:29:29. > :29:34.In the coming days it is set to get even warmer. Temperatures peaking
:29:34. > :29:40.in the mid- twenties. It will not last as we head into next week.
:29:41. > :29:44.High pressure has kept the weather dry but it has been cloudy. Clear
:29:44. > :29:49.skies have meant we started with sunshine this morning. The
:29:49. > :29:55.satellite picture reveals the cloud nibbling away across Scotland and
:29:55. > :30:04.Northern Ireland to reveal much needed blue-sky. This afternoon the
:30:04. > :30:11.weather is set fair. Temperatures climbing up to 21 degrees in London.
:30:11. > :30:16.The sunshine extends in the seven seaside counties. It will feel like
:30:16. > :30:21.summer. Dry weather and sunshine extends across Wales. Even in
:30:21. > :30:27.Northern Ireland, there are sunny spells around. There is a weather
:30:27. > :30:30.front lurking in the West. A fine afternoon for much of Scotland. The
:30:31. > :30:36.clouds will break to reveal bright skies through the afternoon and
:30:36. > :30:41.temperatures climbing up to 18 degrees. In the North of England
:30:41. > :30:46.that sunshine has been revealing itself. We just saw blue skies in
:30:46. > :30:51.Blackpool. This evening the weather front will be making progress
:30:51. > :30:59.across Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the north it will be a
:30:59. > :31:05.mild night. Under clear skies it will turn pretty chilly in the
:31:05. > :31:10.south. The north-west will be cloudy, wet and pretty breezy.
:31:10. > :31:16.Further south tomorrow, temperatures climbing up to 26
:31:16. > :31:21.degrees in London. Even 22 degrees as far north as Manchester. Into
:31:21. > :31:28.the weekend we have high pressure in the South East keeping it there.
:31:28. > :31:32.In the north-west there will be wet and windy weather. On Saturday and
:31:32. > :31:37.Sunday in the north it is looking pretty cloudy and wet. In the south
:31:37. > :31:43.it will be a beautiful day on Saturday. There could be the risk
:31:43. > :31:50.of showers. A bit of a divide in the weather but feeling like summer