:00:11. > :00:15.The wife of a Chinese politician is given a suspended death sentence
:00:15. > :00:19.for killing a British businessman. Gu Kailai admitted poisoning Neil
:00:19. > :00:23.Heywood last year. She said her sentence was just.
:00:23. > :00:30.The Duke of Edinburgh thanks staff after being discharged from
:00:30. > :00:33.hospital today in Aberdeen. The man behind Top Gun, the
:00:33. > :00:39.British-born director Tony Scott has died after jumping off a bridge
:00:39. > :00:43.in Los Angeles. Footage of fighting in Afghanistan
:00:43. > :00:46.is released by the Ministry of Defence. British soldiers speak of
:00:46. > :00:53.the bravery of their colleagues in Helmand.
:00:53. > :01:00.Even after all that had happened, he'd managed to say he'd got the
:01:00. > :01:04.back of me neck and pulled me down and said thank you. So, even the
:01:04. > :01:09.state he was in, he was still thinking of others rather than
:01:09. > :01:12.himself. The lottery win couple who were
:01:12. > :01:14.initially told they hadn't won a thing. A shop worker has been
:01:14. > :01:18.sentenced for claiming their ticket was his.
:01:18. > :01:21.Later on BBC London: Police broaden the search for two masked men who
:01:21. > :01:31.robbed and tortured this grandmother in her home. And, up to
:01:31. > :01:48.
:01:48. > :01:52.18 months in prison for owners Good afternoon. Welcome to the BBC
:01:52. > :01:56.News at One. A Chinese court has handed down a suspended death
:01:56. > :02:00.sentence to the wife of one of China's leading politicians for
:02:00. > :02:07.murdering the British businessman, Neil Heywood. Gu Kailai, wife of
:02:07. > :02:10.the politician Bo Xilai, admitted poisoning Mr Heywood whose body was
:02:10. > :02:20.found last November. She said she thought the sentence was just. Our
:02:20. > :02:24.
:02:24. > :02:27.Beijing correspondent Damian China today put on a show of
:02:27. > :02:32.justice. Gu Kailai's lawyer arrived knowing the verdict was never in
:02:32. > :02:37.doubt. She was brought to court having already confessed to
:02:37. > :02:42.murdering Neil Heywood. The Communist Party enmeshed in scandal
:02:42. > :02:45.and on the verge of a leadership transition wants to show that even
:02:45. > :02:51.the powerful aren't above the law here. Neil Heywood was poisoned by
:02:51. > :02:57.Gu Kailai, the wife of one of China's most high profile
:02:57. > :03:00.politicians. She lured him to a hotel, got him drunk and poured
:03:00. > :03:04.cyanide in his mouth. They had fallen out over a failed property
:03:04. > :03:10.deal. The court found her guilty. They were careful to be lenient to
:03:10. > :03:14.her. She didn't the get the full death sentence. The judge accepted
:03:14. > :03:21.she had a mental break down and was not in control of her actions. She
:03:21. > :03:27.should serve a minimum of 14 years. Gu Kailai thanked them saying the
:03:27. > :03:31.verdict was just and showed respect for the law and for life. A
:03:31. > :03:35.premeditated murder in China often means the firing squad. The
:03:35. > :03:38.Communist Party this was case closed, neat and tidy. What this
:03:38. > :03:43.trial did not address, though, were the most sensitive questions raised
:03:43. > :03:47.bit death of Neil Heywood. It triggered China's biggest political
:03:47. > :03:52.scandal in years because of the light it's throne on skrupgs and
:03:52. > :03:56.abuse of power at the top of the party. Did her husband have any
:03:56. > :03:59.lirving to the -- link to the crime? He was one of China's most
:03:59. > :04:07.powerful politicians but he's vanished, detained bit party, held
:04:07. > :04:14.in secret. He was hoping to join the ranks of these men, the top of
:04:14. > :04:17.the political bureau, who run China. Many believe they've dictated the
:04:17. > :04:23.outcome of this race. British diplomats were in court today. The
:04:23. > :04:26.embassy said the UK had not wanted the death penalty applied. Then the
:04:26. > :04:32.lawyer representing Neil Heywood's family emerged. Is this a result
:04:32. > :04:36.that will please the Heywood family? I don't know, he answered.
:04:36. > :04:40.It leaves the impression justice here still favours the powerful and
:04:40. > :04:44.China's priority is to contain the fallout from this affair so the
:04:44. > :04:49.Communist Party can press ahead with its leadership change. We can
:04:49. > :04:58.speak to Damian who's outside the court. What has been the response
:04:58. > :05:02.to this case in China, both from the public and the authorities?
:05:02. > :05:05.rain has just started falling here outside the court here. What we've
:05:05. > :05:09.seen are two different things. The authorities have come out and give
:05:09. > :05:13.a bit of explanation about the verdict. What they said from the
:05:13. > :05:19.court was that they believe that Neil Heywood had not posed any
:05:19. > :05:22.threat to Gu Kailai's son and that's the reason she had given for
:05:22. > :05:26.suffering the mental break down. They accepted she was not in full
:05:26. > :05:29.control of her own actions, that she had been through some sort of
:05:29. > :05:35.mental break down and therefore they had given a suspended death
:05:35. > :05:38.sentence. That has caused a bit of a public outcry. On the internet
:05:38. > :05:43.here there's censorship around this issue because it's so sensitive in
:05:43. > :05:47.China. Many people have found ways to post messages on Chinese equiff
:05:47. > :05:52.lents of Twitter and the like. What many of them are saying is that
:05:52. > :05:55.they don't believe Gu Kailai has been given the sentence she should
:05:55. > :05:59.have done. They said she's escaped the firing squad, which many
:05:59. > :06:04.Chinese would have got for a similar crime because of her
:06:04. > :06:07.powerful political connections, because of her husband, Bo Xilai,
:06:07. > :06:11.because she herself comes from a rich and powerful background. There
:06:11. > :06:15.is real sense that there is a lot of anger about the outcome of this
:06:15. > :06:20.trial, at least on the internet here. Her husband once tipped for a
:06:20. > :06:24.position at the top of China's Communist Party, what happens to
:06:24. > :06:29.him now? Well, very good question. That is the big problem facing the
:06:29. > :06:34.party. He was tipped for one of those very top jobs, to be one of
:06:34. > :06:38.the nine people who really run China, when it reshuffles its
:06:38. > :06:41.leadership later this year. He's vanished. He's been suspended. He's
:06:41. > :06:44.under party investigation. His hopes of one of the top jobs seems
:06:44. > :06:48.to have gone. He has a strong following. He has faction that's
:06:48. > :06:52.back him. This has created fissures within the party, which the party
:06:52. > :06:56.has to overcome before that leadership transition. We don't
:06:56. > :06:59.know what it's going to do about him. We haven't heard from him in
:06:59. > :07:04.months. The party has to sort out this political problem to move
:07:04. > :07:08.ahead with the leadership change. That -- is the real damaging change
:07:08. > :07:14.of the scandal, the light it's thrown on the way the party has
:07:14. > :07:18.divisions and corruption at the highest levels. Thank you.
:07:18. > :07:21.The Duke of Edinburgh has been discharged from Aberdeen Royal
:07:21. > :07:27.Infirmary after being treated for recurrence of a bladder infection.
:07:27. > :07:31.He spent five nights at the hospital. Lorna Gordon reports. A
:07:31. > :07:35.low-key departure from hospital, just as the Duke of of Edinburgh
:07:35. > :07:39.would have wanted. Looking well, he was smiling and joking with some of
:07:39. > :07:44.the doctors and nurses involved in his treatment. One of those doctors
:07:44. > :07:48.describing him as an excellent patient. As he was driven away,
:07:48. > :07:52.Prince Philip greeted well wishers who heard he was being discharged.
:07:52. > :07:57.The Duke was admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary by ambulance on
:07:58. > :08:01.Wednesday afternoon. His manner of leaving, decidedly more relaxed.
:08:01. > :08:05.The 91-year-old has had a busy summer. His stay in hospital for
:08:05. > :08:11.treatment for the recurrence of a bladder infection was preskreeded
:08:11. > :08:14.by this trip to Cowes last week. Alongside the Queen, he was at the
:08:14. > :08:18.Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics and was a presence at some
:08:18. > :08:23.of the events. And a rare garden party for 3,000 guests at the Royal
:08:23. > :08:27.Family's private estate, Balmoral, on royal Deeside. It is here that
:08:27. > :08:36.the Queen has remained throughout the Duke's stay in hospital. Just
:08:36. > :08:39.yesterday attending the weekly service at the local church Cath y
:08:39. > :08:43.Krathie parish church. Buckingham Palace describe his stay in
:08:43. > :08:47.hospital as a precautionary measure. It's believed he was treated with
:08:47. > :08:51.antibiotics. Doctors ordered him to rest. While the Royal Family and
:08:51. > :08:56.the Queen were said to be in constant touch with him by phone,
:08:56. > :09:02.there were no visitors, as he focused on getting better. Arriving
:09:02. > :09:11.back at Balmoral a short time ago, that recuperation will now continue,
:09:11. > :09:15.as the Duke of Edinburgh gets to enjoy a well deserved summer break.
:09:15. > :09:19.Tributes have been paid to the British film director Tony Scott,
:09:19. > :09:23.who's died after jumping from a bridge in Los Angeles harbour. He
:09:23. > :09:27.was 68. Tony Scott started in advertising before the move into
:09:27. > :09:31.films, which included Top Gun, Days of Thunder, and True Romance.
:09:31. > :09:38.Fellow director Ron Howard said his death marked a tragic day. From LA,
:09:38. > :09:47.here's Alistair Leithhead. Tony Scott was born in North Shields,
:09:47. > :09:53.but made his name in Hollywood. Top Gun launched him into the top
:09:53. > :09:58.flight as a well respected action movie director in 1986, working
:09:58. > :10:03.with Tom Cruise again on Days of Thunder. There were rumours Top Gun
:10:03. > :10:09.II might soon go into production. Denzel Washington was another A-
:10:09. > :10:17.list actor he often worked with. From Crimson Tide, to The Taking of
:10:17. > :10:22.Pelham 123. He produced that in 2009. And it was producing he had
:10:22. > :10:26.focused on in recent years, often working with his elder brother
:10:26. > :10:30.Ridley Scott, another famous director and producer in Hollywood.
:10:31. > :10:33.The Scotts have a great association with the region. From here, their
:10:33. > :10:38.family's all from here. They trained here before they went to
:10:38. > :10:42.art school in London and off to Hollywood. Big connections with the
:10:42. > :10:48.North East. The legacy for Tony is as one of the great action
:10:48. > :10:52.directors of the last 30 years. Tony Scott parked his car on a well
:10:52. > :10:56.known suspension bridge in Los Angeles. Witnesses said he jumped
:10:56. > :11:06.to his death into the harbour below. The Coroner said he left a note in
:11:06. > :11:10.his car and added there was nothing to suggest this wasn't suicide.
:11:10. > :11:15.There were many tributes to his life and work in the industry. On
:11:15. > :11:19.Twitter, some well known named left accolades. Stephen Fry was deeply
:11:19. > :11:25.saddened to hear about the news. A fine film maker and the most
:11:25. > :11:29.charming, modest man, he said. The American director Ron Howard
:11:29. > :11:35.similarly said, "No more Tony Scott movies. Tragic day."
:11:35. > :11:44.And there were many more tributes to him. From Hollywood and around
:11:44. > :11:50.the world. He was always known as someone who really took Hollywood
:11:50. > :11:55.on on its own level, on its own terms and created some fantastic
:11:55. > :12:01.action pictures. I mean, it's a real shock for everyone in the film
:12:01. > :12:03.industry. Tony Scott was married and had twin boys.
:12:03. > :12:10.He was 68 years old. The British film director Tony
:12:10. > :12:14.Scott, who died yesterday. We're joined by the film critic, James
:12:14. > :12:19.King, who is in our central London studio. James, clearly a terrific
:12:19. > :12:24.shock to the film industry, how best will Tony Scott be remembered?
:12:25. > :12:29.Well it's like it was said in that piece, as an action movie director.
:12:29. > :12:34.What he brought to action movies was a really visceral experience.
:12:34. > :12:38.When you went to watch a Tony Scott movie you didn't sit back and let
:12:38. > :12:43.it wash over you. You were really immersed in the action because of
:12:43. > :12:47.the way he shot things, because of the way he edited things. It was
:12:47. > :12:51.really energetic film making. had a very diverse career, started
:12:51. > :12:56.in advertising and went to films. He had a good television career as
:12:56. > :12:59.well Yeah, as a TV producer he was making hit TV shows. As a film
:12:59. > :13:05.producer, he was producing things as well as being behind the camera.
:13:05. > :13:12.In terms of style as well, he was diverse. We remember Top Gun, his
:13:12. > :13:18.biggest film as the archetypal 80s movie. Then ten years later he made
:13:18. > :13:22.True Romance, very much a 90s movie. He moved with the times and adapted
:13:22. > :13:26.his style. James, thank you. Councils and Housing Associations
:13:26. > :13:30.in England should sell off their most expensive houses and reinvest
:13:30. > :13:33.the money in building cheaper homes, according to the think-tank Policy
:13:33. > :13:37.Exchange, which has close links to the Conservative Party. It says
:13:37. > :13:40.social tenants shouldn't live in better homes than most people can
:13:40. > :13:45.afford. Critics say the least well off will be forced into new ghettos.
:13:45. > :13:50.Mike Sergeant reports. Many people on benefits or low
:13:50. > :13:53.incomes still live on expensive streets. You can find social
:13:53. > :13:58.housing in some of the most desirable postcodes. The Policy
:13:58. > :14:01.Exchange think-tank says this amounts to a vast untapped resource.
:14:01. > :14:04.What we're arguing is that there's a certain number of expensive
:14:04. > :14:08.social properties up and down the country. As those become vacant
:14:08. > :14:12.they should be sold off and the proceeds used to build four, five
:14:12. > :14:17.or six decent quality family homes. From an economic perspective that
:14:18. > :14:21.might seem attractive. The Policy Exchange says there's �159 billion
:14:21. > :14:25.worth of expensive social housing. Selling a slice of it every year
:14:25. > :14:31.could fund up to 170,000 affordable homes in cheaper areas and create
:14:31. > :14:35.up to 340,000 jobs. But anyone attempting it would face determined
:14:35. > :14:40.opposition from Housing Associations. If you strip out all
:14:40. > :14:45.of the social housing in an area, then you create different parts of
:14:45. > :14:48.the city, one part that's all wealthy people, one that's all poor
:14:48. > :14:52.people. London, Manchester, Birmingham, the great cities of our
:14:52. > :14:58.nation, they work because they are so mixed. This is not something
:14:58. > :15:03.that we should tamper with and seek to change. Here in Notting Hill, a
:15:03. > :15:09.two bedroom flat can cost well over �500,000. Out of reach for many who
:15:09. > :15:13.work nearby. People who are working and can't a -- afford these areas,
:15:13. > :15:18.it seems unfair that people on social housing should live in such
:15:18. > :15:23.areas. It's quite a good thing here because otherwise it would feel too
:15:23. > :15:27.restricted in social class. It gives a good mix of people.
:15:27. > :15:30.Ministers say councils and Housing Associations already have the
:15:30. > :15:34.freedom to sell in expensive areas like this and build more affordable
:15:34. > :15:37.homes in cheaper locations. They say it's common sense for them to
:15:37. > :15:43.use their housing stock efficiently. But what doesn't seem to be on the
:15:43. > :15:46.cards is a much wider attempt to force a sell-off.
:15:46. > :15:50.Downing Street is, though, encouraging councils to look at
:15:50. > :16:00.this idea and explore other ways to build more houses and boost the
:16:00. > :16:03.
:16:03. > :16:08.A shop worker who tried to claim a prize has been sensed to prison. He
:16:08. > :16:12.told Maureen Holt that she had won nothing when she canned her
:16:12. > :16:17.EuroMillions ticket at a store in Oldham. He later phoned the hotline
:16:18. > :16:23.to say he had bought the winning ticket. Over to Nick in Manchester
:16:23. > :16:26.now. Maureen Holt and her husband had been on holiday in Spain
:16:26. > :16:29.celebrating his 80th birthday, while they were there they had
:16:29. > :16:39.missed the draw, so when they got back, she went to the corner shop
:16:39. > :16:43.to check whether hereticet had come up. Behind the counter was
:16:43. > :16:49.FarakNazar. The kiosk flashed up that Maureen had been a winner, but
:16:49. > :16:54.he told her she had won nothing. He kept hold of the ticket and rang
:16:54. > :16:59.the hotline to try to claim the prize as his own. The National
:16:59. > :17:05.Lottery organiser, Camelot, became suspicious when he was unable to be
:17:05. > :17:09.clear about which shop the ticket had been bought at. While Maureen
:17:09. > :17:12.and her husband eventually got to enjoy the winnings which were
:17:12. > :17:17.rightfully theirs, which they said would give them the secure
:17:18. > :17:21.retirement they had not had, the police started investigate. He
:17:21. > :17:26.admitted the offence and today at Manchester Crown Court a judge told
:17:26. > :17:36.him he had taken advantage of a vulnerable elderly woman, who knew
:17:36. > :17:37.
:17:37. > :17:41.and trusted him. He was jailed for 30 months. Our top story this
:17:41. > :17:45.lunchtime - the wife of a Chinese politician is given a suspended
:17:45. > :17:52.death sentence for killing a British businessman.
:17:52. > :17:55.Coming up, in cricket England are chasing 346 runs to win the final
:17:55. > :18:00.Test against South Africa. Later on BBC London - the new restrictions
:18:00. > :18:05.aimed at changing the way charities collect money on our high streets.
:18:05. > :18:15.And, the legacy of stoke Mandeville, we look at the rise in popularity
:18:15. > :18:17.
:18:17. > :18:19.of the paralympic Games. The BBC has been given exclusive access by
:18:19. > :18:22.the Ministry of Defence to thousands of hours of footage
:18:22. > :18:24.filmed by British soldiers in Afghanistan, showing some of the
:18:24. > :18:27.fiercest fighting of the war. The material shows men of Arnhem
:18:27. > :18:30.Company, from the 2nd Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, who
:18:30. > :18:32.were sent into enemy territory in Helmand province, to flush out the
:18:32. > :18:42.Taliban in 2010. Our defence correspondent, Caroline Wyatt
:18:42. > :18:43.
:18:43. > :18:48.reports. During one of the toughest summers of this long war, the men
:18:48. > :18:53.of around ham Company were sent on a daring three-day mission in
:18:53. > :18:58.Helmand, into enemy territory. The sergeant was filming it all on his
:18:59. > :19:04.headcam. We didn't think it would be as hard as it was. The Taliban
:19:04. > :19:10.were to prove a tenacious enemy. started walking over to get my
:19:10. > :19:15.pants off the washing line and then it sounded like a twig snapping. I
:19:15. > :19:25.had time to think, this can't be happening. I shouted there was a
:19:25. > :19:30.
:19:30. > :19:40.grenade. It's on the side of the wall. On the other side of the
:19:40. > :19:43.
:19:43. > :19:49.wall! In the fire fight, one soldier was fatally wounded.
:19:49. > :19:55.Another wads grazed by a bullet, but had a miraculous escape. One of
:19:55. > :19:58.those leading some of the men was Captain Andrew Griffiths, the son
:19:58. > :20:03.of the colonel of the regiment. spoke to him as they were preparing
:20:03. > :20:07.to go out and he said, "We're going on another big one. This could be
:20:07. > :20:12.really hard." That was all he said, because he couldn't say any more.
:20:12. > :20:17.He didn't want to worry us any more. He only told that to me. He
:20:17. > :20:21.wouldn't have told it to his mum. The next day, around ham Company
:20:21. > :20:25.moved to a new compound. They didn't know that buried within it
:20:25. > :20:30.were several Taliban home-made bombs. Andrew Griffiths stepped on
:20:30. > :20:36.one of them, setting it off. His comrades did their best to save him.
:20:36. > :20:41.They called the medics in, and there was a sandstorm, but they
:20:41. > :20:49.moved him with huge ris to be their own lives. Even -- risk to their
:20:49. > :20:56.own lives. Even after all that, he pulled me down by the back of my
:20:56. > :21:04.neck and said thank you. So, even the state he was in, he was still
:21:04. > :21:10.thinking of others, rather than mim self. -- himself. Andrew was flown
:21:10. > :21:16.home and 12 days later he died with his family at his bedside. The one
:21:16. > :21:19.thing we found most difficult was we got him back for 12 days. Broken
:21:20. > :21:26.and battered, if he had lived, he would have had a great life with
:21:26. > :21:31.the support we would have given him. I feel in a way I've been cheated.
:21:31. > :21:36.That, I think, I personally, as a soldier and as a father, find most
:21:37. > :21:44.difficult. You shouldn't ever have to bury your son or daughter, but
:21:44. > :21:47.sadly, too many have to. Brigadier Mike Griffiths ending that report.
:21:47. > :21:50.Caroline Wyatt reporting on the footage of the fighting in
:21:50. > :21:54.Afghanistan. You can see more on that tonight, in Our War on BBC 3
:21:54. > :21:57.at 9:00pm. The owners of a South African platinum mine, where 34
:21:57. > :22:02.striking workers were shot dead by police, have told staff to return
:22:02. > :22:06.to work or face the sack. Many miners said to end the strike would
:22:06. > :22:16.be an insult to those killed. The company said a limited number of
:22:16. > :22:18.
:22:18. > :22:25.men turned up for their shifts today. Navdip Dariwal reports.
:22:25. > :22:31.Operators at one of the world's largest platinum mines are standing
:22:31. > :22:36.firm, rush or face dis missal. Lonmin claim 25% have returned, but
:22:36. > :22:38.weren't clear if they were among the original strikers. Despite the
:22:38. > :22:42.company's ultimatum, it's pretty clear from the people here, more
:22:42. > :22:46.people are arriving, that the workers are refusing to simply go
:22:46. > :22:50.back to work, without some of the demands being met. It's hoped that
:22:50. > :22:57.a peaceful resolution will be found to the dispute as union members are
:22:57. > :23:01.due to arrive and Cabinet ministers will hopefully speak to the workers.
:23:01. > :23:10.Police gunned down 34 minuters after claims they charged them with
:23:10. > :23:15.weapons. The President has declared a week of national mourning. South
:23:15. > :23:20.Africa is looking to a judicial review to shed light on why what
:23:20. > :23:29.should have been a relatively minor dispute escalated to one of the
:23:29. > :23:33.worst scenes of violence since apartheid. Hopes are fading for a
:23:33. > :23:37.four-year-old boy who went missing in Somerset yesterday. Police have
:23:37. > :23:40.named him at Dylan Cecil from Kettering in Northamptonshire. The
:23:40. > :23:45.coastguards say the search for him is continuing, but the operation
:23:45. > :23:51.has now turned into a recovery mission. Dylan's parents tried to
:23:51. > :23:56.rescue him, but were unable to reach him. Tougher sentences come
:23:56. > :24:00.into force today in England and Wales for people convicted of
:24:00. > :24:06.offences involving dangerous dogs. Owners who attack and injure face
:24:06. > :24:09.up to 18 months in prison. Those who own a banned breed could be
:24:09. > :24:12.sentenced to six months. Cricket, and England's position as the
:24:12. > :24:15.world's number one Test nation seems to be slipping away. They are
:24:15. > :24:25.chasing 346 runs to win the final Test against South Africa at Lord's,
:24:25. > :24:31.
:24:31. > :24:36.but have already lost two wickets this morning. England on the ropes.
:24:36. > :24:40.If not a knockout blow, the loss of both openers hardly inspired
:24:41. > :24:45.confidence. It showed early on. South Africa played on the nervous
:24:45. > :24:52.tension. Ian Bell caught out for the second time of asking by Graeme
:24:52. > :24:56.Smith. Then Philander was the architect of the dismissal again.
:24:56. > :25:00.The tourists were not in the mood to give away cheaply. Pressure it
:25:00. > :25:05.lead you to do all manner of strange things. James Taylor
:25:05. > :25:07.thought there was a run when there clearly wasn't. It's been that sort
:25:07. > :25:12.of series. The world number one status is slipping away without a
:25:12. > :25:17.fight. Jonathan Trott had to put that disaster to the back of his
:25:17. > :25:25.mind and get on with the job in hand, however unlikely. He needed a
:25:25. > :25:29.lot of luck too. He got a bit when for once the tourist's ruthless
:25:29. > :25:35.streak last. Jonny Bairstow the only man to start with the bat and
:25:35. > :25:43.picking up where he left off in the first innings. A change in momentum
:25:43. > :25:46.mean a win is still possible, but getting more unlikely by the wicket.
:25:46. > :25:49.Now to something that was must-see. They were It was must-see
:25:49. > :25:52.television in the 80s and now it's back. Dallas is returning to our
:25:52. > :25:55.screens after 21 years with many of the original cast, including Larry
:25:55. > :26:00.Hagman and Linda Gray. In its heyday it attracted huge audiences.
:26:00. > :26:03.21 million viewers in the UK tuned into the Who shot JR? Episode. But
:26:03. > :26:13.can the new series be as good as the old one? Lizo Mzimba has been
:26:13. > :26:18.talking to some of the cast. Throughout the 1980s this was one
:26:18. > :26:21.of the most familiar sights on television. Now, after more than 20
:26:22. > :26:26.years, Dallas is back with a glossy updated version of the show. Along
:26:26. > :26:30.with the new cast, key characters from the old series are also back,
:26:30. > :26:38.most notably Larry Hagman. His motivation for returning not a
:26:38. > :26:42.million miles away from those of his screen alter ego, JR. Money.
:26:42. > :26:48.That's always good. What is it about the approach, how they wanted
:26:48. > :26:51.to attack the series? They wanted to look at the children and make
:26:51. > :26:58.them acceptable and interesting and that will be the main focus of it
:26:58. > :27:02.I'm sure eventually. I would like to be dragged kicking and screaming
:27:02. > :27:08.into another 30 years. First hitting the screen in 1978, Dallas
:27:08. > :27:12.Dom indicated television for close to a decade. Storylines like who
:27:12. > :27:16.shot JR attracted an audience of 100 million and triggered an
:27:16. > :27:21.immediate frenzy when the tapes revealing the would-be killer's
:27:21. > :27:25.identity arrived in the UK. This is my son, John Ross. The new series
:27:25. > :27:29.continues the themes of the old - oil, wealth, greed and feuding
:27:29. > :27:33.families. This time, it's the ambitions of JR's son that's at the
:27:33. > :27:36.centre of the drama. The actor playing him knows there's a lot of
:27:36. > :27:44.expectation resting on his shoulders. How much pressure do you
:27:44. > :27:48.feel? When I got the show, you know, it was - I was excited, but also
:27:48. > :27:52.intimidated in bringing back a show that was such a big deal and so
:27:52. > :28:01.well perceived. I knew it was also probably a lot of expectation as to
:28:01. > :28:04.who was JR and Sue-Ellen's son now. I will get it back. Oil was my
:28:05. > :28:08.birthright. There have been plenty of attempts to revive successful
:28:08. > :28:16.shows. The team behind this will hope it will satisfy fans from the
:28:16. > :28:19.80s and well as attracting a new audience of loyal followers.
:28:19. > :28:22.Dallas is back next month. Dallas is back next month.
:28:22. > :28:27.Now the weather. What's happening? It was a little misty and murky and
:28:27. > :28:30.quite a bit of cloud to start with, but things have been brightening up.
:28:30. > :28:34.More sunshine around, although there is cloud across the south-
:28:34. > :28:39.east. That should clear though. Well-broken cloud further north,
:28:39. > :28:43.but that hides the showers. We have some not too far away from Belfast.
:28:43. > :28:48.A short time ago you could see the cloud across Belfast, but for many
:28:48. > :28:51.there will be a bit of sun to be enjoyed throughout the day. Into
:28:51. > :28:55.the detail. I mentioned showers and quite a lot across the north and
:28:55. > :29:00.west of Scotland. Some could be heavy. Maybe thundery. Fewer as we
:29:00. > :29:08.head further south. In between the showers, with sunshine temperatures
:29:08. > :29:12.around 18. Not too showers across northern England. -- not too many
:29:12. > :29:16.showers across northern England. There may be showers into East
:29:16. > :29:20.Anglia too. But they are clearing away. Things will brighten. Humid
:29:20. > :29:26.in the south-east, with temperatures in the mid-20s. We
:29:26. > :29:29.have top temperatures around the south coast of around 22. For
:29:29. > :29:33.south-west England, through the afternoon, it's dry and fine. We
:29:33. > :29:37.have sunshine. Again, temperatures at around 22. Much of Wales should
:29:37. > :29:41.be dry and bright through the afternoon. The showers in Northern
:29:41. > :29:45.Ireland are quite well scattered this afternoon. Here, they will
:29:45. > :29:49.clear through the evening, so quite a fine end to the day. We keep the
:29:49. > :29:54.showers going for a little bit longer across Scotland, but for
:29:54. > :29:59.most it's dry and some clear spells. Allowing the return of patchy mist
:29:59. > :30:03.and fog to form and quite a warm night. Any mist and fog should lift
:30:03. > :30:07.during the first couple of hours of the day. We are going to see quite
:30:07. > :30:10.a bit of cloud to the south-east corner, more than through the day.
:30:10. > :30:14.Further north, the return of the showers. Tomorrow afternoon they
:30:14. > :30:19.are likely to be widespread and heavy and slow moving. We'll keep
:30:19. > :30:23.an eye on them. Some occasional brightness in between. Still some
:30:23. > :30:27.showers in the forecast for Wednesday. Not quite as intense.
:30:27. > :30:35.More well scattered. The best of fi dry, bright weather further south
:30:35. > :30:39.and -- of any dry, bright weather further south and east. As we look
:30:39. > :30:48.to the end of the week, we begin with high pressure, so Thursday
:30:48. > :30:52.starting off dry and fine. There is low pressure just sitting across my
:30:52. > :30:59.shoulder for the weekend and that shoulder for the weekend and that
:30:59. > :31:03.shows us things may be more unsettled. Our top story - the wife
:31:04. > :31:07.of a Chinese politician is given a suspended death sentence for