:00:12. > :00:14.suddenly at the age of 52. Tributes pour in from shocked friends and
:00:15. > :00:17.adversaries after Bob Crow who led the Rail, Maritime and Transport
:00:18. > :00:27.Union passed away in the early hours. This was a guy who really
:00:28. > :00:32.fought for his members and stuck up for his point of view. Obviously I
:00:33. > :00:38.didn't always agree with what he had to say, but I think that together
:00:39. > :00:43.with other union members, Bob Crow unquestionably helped to drive
:00:44. > :00:49.forward huge progress. You have got to be shocked. Even his enemies,
:00:50. > :00:53.people who never agreed with him when they were alive, Bob would be
:00:54. > :01:00.laughing his head off that they are finding these great words about him.
:01:01. > :01:03.Also this lunchtime: No apparent terrorist links - Interpol says two
:01:04. > :01:05.Iranians who boarded the missing Air Malaysia plane using stolen
:01:06. > :01:06.passports were probably asylum seekers.
:01:07. > :01:08.The chief executive of the Co-operative Group offers his
:01:09. > :01:11.resignation claiming that the business has become ungovernable.
:01:12. > :01:13.The first alleged victim in the sexual assault trial against the
:01:14. > :01:20.former deputy speaker Nigel Evans begins giving evidence.
:01:21. > :01:23.And they're off - as the Cheltenham Festival gets under way, almost a
:01:24. > :01:31.quarter of million people expected at a packed week of racing. On BBC
:01:32. > :01:38.London, more on the death of Bob Crow, described as a fighter. Boris
:01:39. > :01:39.Johnson has been criticised for trying to attract more foreign
:01:40. > :01:56.investors to London. Good afternoon and welcome to the
:01:57. > :02:00.BBC news at one. Bob Crow, one of Britain's best known union leaders,
:02:01. > :02:03.has died suddenly at the age of 52. He had been general secretary of the
:02:04. > :02:06.Rail, Maritime and Transport Union since 2002 and was involved in a
:02:07. > :02:08.number of high profile industrial disputes, including the recent
:02:09. > :02:15.strike by London Underground workers. Tributes to him have been
:02:16. > :02:24.pouring in from both sides of the political spectrum, as our Industry
:02:25. > :02:29.Correspondent John Moylan reports. All we want is the opportunity to
:02:30. > :02:36.express a point of view... This was Bob Crow last month, at the height
:02:37. > :02:41.of the strike in London underground's tube, he hijacked a
:02:42. > :02:49.phone in with Boris Johnson. There is a table to be sat round. The men
:02:50. > :02:53.hadn't spoken in years, today the London mellowed the tributes.
:02:54. > :03:00.Obviously I didn't always agree with what he had to say but I will say
:03:01. > :03:03.this - together with other union members, Bob Crow unquestionably
:03:04. > :03:08.helped to drive forward progress on London Underground and he leads a
:03:09. > :03:15.massive legacy behind. Bob Crow spent his working life in the rail
:03:16. > :03:20.industry, often on the picket line. He described himself as a Communist
:03:21. > :03:25.Socialist and as leader of the RMT he was instrumental in ending its
:03:26. > :03:31.affiliation with the Labour Party. Regarded as an effective and
:03:32. > :03:35.pragmatic union boss, for years he campaigned against privatisation of
:03:36. > :03:39.the rail industry. The Government should be saying to these
:03:40. > :03:43.companies, give back some of the profits they have been making over
:03:44. > :03:47.the last seven years and give that back to the workers. News of his
:03:48. > :03:59.death came in this short statement from his union:
:04:00. > :04:05.Even his enemies, the people who never agreed with him when he was
:04:06. > :04:10.alive, Bob would be laughing his head off that they are now finding
:04:11. > :04:18.these great words about him. Everybody knows he was incredibly
:04:19. > :04:22.good at his job. Today there were tributes to Bob Crow from across the
:04:23. > :04:26.political spectrum. The Labour leader Ed Miliband said that while
:04:27. > :04:31.he didn't always agree with him politically, he respected his
:04:32. > :04:42.tireless commitment for fighting for the men and women in his union. When
:04:43. > :04:47.Bob would go around the streets and you would see him on trains, people
:04:48. > :04:53.gave him a warm reception. They liked the fact that he said what he
:04:54. > :04:58.thought, and they recognised, even when they were inconvenienced by a
:04:59. > :05:02.strike, that he had done rather well for his members. A lot of people at
:05:03. > :05:08.work were thinking, why isn't someone standing up for me? Bob Crow
:05:09. > :05:13.was 52, he will be remembered for his hardline brand of trade unionism
:05:14. > :05:17.that often lead to the pay deals that were the envy of other workers.
:05:18. > :05:22.Let's talk to our chief political correspondent, Norman Smith. Just 52
:05:23. > :05:29.years old, the news is a big shock but it is notable how many tributes
:05:30. > :05:33.have been pouring in. Bob Crow was arguably Britain's most successful
:05:34. > :05:38.modern-day union leader, and in many ways he was unique because at a time
:05:39. > :05:44.when trade union influence was waning, when their leaders are
:05:45. > :05:48.relative unknowns, Bob Crow booked every one of those trends. He was a
:05:49. > :05:53.household name, probably better known than half the Cabinet.
:05:54. > :06:00.Everyone knew Bob Crow with his flat cap, East End, Millwall supporter,
:06:01. > :06:04.gruff demeanour and he was hugely successful. He nearly doubled the
:06:05. > :06:09.membership of his union, he repeatedly won better pay and
:06:10. > :06:14.conditions for his members, and he was an unashamed socialist at a time
:06:15. > :06:20.when trade unions by and large have become more managerial and
:06:21. > :06:24.professional and consensual, Bob Crow described himself as a
:06:25. > :06:35.communist socialist. It was prepared to fight for working people. -- he
:06:36. > :06:40.was. It would be a mistake to view him either as his critics do as some
:06:41. > :06:45.sort of pantomime villain, or as his supporters do as some latter-day
:06:46. > :06:51.working-class hero. He was an incredibly widely, astute, media
:06:52. > :06:56.savvy operator. He was a deal-maker and that probably explains why he
:06:57. > :07:04.was such a successful trade union leader. Thank you.
:07:05. > :07:06.Two men who boarded the missing Air Malaysia flight using stolen
:07:07. > :07:10.passports have been identified as Iranians who were probably asylum
:07:11. > :07:12.seekers not terrorists. The mystery surrounding the passenger plane
:07:13. > :07:15.continues and the search area has been widened again amid reports from
:07:16. > :07:18.the Malaysian military that the plane may have turned back during
:07:19. > :07:27.the flight. Jonathan Head is in Kuala Lumpur.
:07:28. > :07:32.Ever since that airliner went missing, much of the focus has been
:07:33. > :07:37.on the two men who passed through passport control behind me using
:07:38. > :07:43.stolen passports, as to whether they played a role in the downfall of the
:07:44. > :07:48.plane. Today I have been to meet a man in Kuala Lumpur who knew one of
:07:49. > :07:54.them well, and according to him they were simply people seeking a better
:07:55. > :07:59.life in Europe. For four days, these Vietnamese aircraft had been going
:08:00. > :08:05.through the same ritual, scanning and empty seats, finding nothing. So
:08:06. > :08:11.the search has been expanded, right over to the other side of the Malay
:08:12. > :08:15.Peninsula. At least one mystery has been solved, the identity of two
:08:16. > :08:21.passengers travelling on stolen passports. Mohammed is a young
:08:22. > :08:25.Iranian living in Kuala Lumpur. He has asked to keep his identity
:08:26. > :08:33.hidden. The men came to stay, he said, the night before they left. Be
:08:34. > :08:38.found me on Facebook, he found that I live in Malaysia. He said, I am
:08:39. > :08:45.coming to Malaysia tomorrow. He said he was here for three or four days.
:08:46. > :08:52.After that, he is going to Frankfurt in Germany, he wanted to go to his
:08:53. > :08:57.mother. He told me they flew in from Iran to Malaysia and booked their
:08:58. > :09:02.tickets through an agent. They received them by e-mail. Muhammad
:09:03. > :09:07.printed them out three hours before the flight. We went together to the
:09:08. > :09:14.print shop and we printed the ticket. After that, I saw the ticket
:09:15. > :09:20.and I said, this is not your name. Then he said, I have another
:09:21. > :09:27.passport. After that I don't want to continue the story, I just said OK.
:09:28. > :09:31.Is there any possibility in his mind that his friend could have had
:09:32. > :09:40.anything to do with the disappearance of the plane? They
:09:41. > :09:46.work the same as my age. The other guy was so nice, so quiet. I saw
:09:47. > :09:57.there are back and suitcase, it was open. So when Pouria said he was
:09:58. > :10:03.seeking asylum, that seemed normal to you? He wanted a better life. One
:10:04. > :10:06.of the questions in this extraordinary case has more or less
:10:07. > :10:11.been answered but that leaves many others unanswered, in particular,
:10:12. > :10:17.where was the plane when it went down? It disappeared over the South
:10:18. > :10:22.China Sea from the radar but sources say they believe the plane may have
:10:23. > :10:27.switched off its signalling equipment, and comebacks. That is
:10:28. > :10:31.why they have moved the surge over to the other side of the Malay
:10:32. > :10:36.balance you'll. Still no sign of the plane anywhere.
:10:37. > :10:39.The chief executive of the Co-operative Group, Euan Sutherland,
:10:40. > :10:43.has offered his resignation, saying the business is ungovernable. He is
:10:44. > :10:46.said to have offered to go on a point of principle, warning that he
:10:47. > :10:48.would only return to his post if sweeping changes to the Co-op's
:10:49. > :10:56.structure were approved. Our personal finance correspondent,
:10:57. > :11:01.Simon Gompertz, reports. One day he is thrust into the limelight for a
:11:02. > :11:08.new pay package worth more than ?3.5 million a year, then Euan Sutherland
:11:09. > :11:12.is threatening to resign, the latest act in a pantomime which is the
:11:13. > :11:17.Co-op. First the banking arm was brought to the brink of failure
:11:18. > :11:22.after a ?1.5 billion black hole was found in its finances. It was
:11:23. > :11:29.rescued by the rest of the Co-op and big investors but then the banks's
:11:30. > :11:44.former chairman was arrested for alleged offences over drugs. Once
:11:45. > :11:48.the CEO has threatened or in a sense offered his resignation, it creates
:11:49. > :11:53.a question about whether the board could continue to challenge that CEO
:11:54. > :11:59.going forward, and we want them to challenge so it is a very difficult
:12:00. > :12:04.situation to see going forward. Listen to make Hillyer on the left,
:12:05. > :12:14.a Labour MP backed by the cooperative movement. He is jumping
:12:15. > :12:18.the gun, ignoring this. The bank is owned by its members and that is a
:12:19. > :12:24.fundamental part of what the cooperative movement is about. In
:12:25. > :12:28.Rochdale, shoppers were disappointed. I don't think you
:12:29. > :12:33.should abandon ship, and put things right for the future. They have
:12:34. > :12:41.given millions of pounds to top dogs and that is defeating the purpose of
:12:42. > :12:46.the Co-op. Is this just a case of a frustrated boss throwing his toys
:12:47. > :12:51.out of the pram, or is it something that could jeopardise the future of
:12:52. > :12:55.the Co-op? He has backing from within the cooperative movement but
:12:56. > :12:58.there is a question over whether the changes he wants can easily be
:12:59. > :13:03.made. The shake-up would probably need to be approved by the annual
:13:04. > :13:11.members meeting which isn't due for another two months.
:13:12. > :13:14.The ousted Ukrainian president has criticised the west for supporting
:13:15. > :13:18.what he called the bandits who seized power in a coup last month
:13:19. > :13:24.and said he will return to Kiev soon. His warning comes as American
:13:25. > :13:33.and EU officials meet in London to discuss possible sanctions in
:13:34. > :13:38.response to the crisis in Ukraine. Pro-Russian forces consolidated
:13:39. > :13:44.their grip on Ukraine's Crimean and insular. This convoy, presumably
:13:45. > :13:50.Russian, was outside the port city of Sevastopol. Pro-Russian Cossacks
:13:51. > :13:56.are among the self-defence forces manning checkpoints. There are also
:13:57. > :14:00.patrols at the main Crimean airport in the capital, Simferopol, where it
:14:01. > :14:05.seems flights from Kiev have all been cancelled. The only planes
:14:06. > :14:10.landing now come from Russia. And they are getting ready for the
:14:11. > :14:14.referendum on Sunday, hastily arranged to endorse a plan to break
:14:15. > :14:24.away from Ukraine and join Rocher, a step that has been welcomed in
:14:25. > :14:28.Moscow but loudly condemned as illegal in Western capitals. Today a
:14:29. > :14:35.copy of the ballot paper was on display, giving two choices, join
:14:36. > :14:39.Rocher today or possibly later. In southern Russia the ousted Ukrainian
:14:40. > :14:43.President Viktor you can bitch has made another appearance to scotch
:14:44. > :14:56.rumours that he had suffered a heart attack and had announced fascists he
:14:57. > :14:59.claims have seized power with the backing of Western leaders. I would
:15:00. > :15:05.like to ask the western masters of these dark forces, have you gone
:15:06. > :15:11.blind? Have you lost your memory? Have you forgotten what fascism is?
:15:12. > :15:17.As for Ukraine's new authorities in Kiev, they are continuing to brace
:15:18. > :15:21.themselves, calling for veterans to help the reserves to defend the
:15:22. > :15:34.country. Perhaps the most worrying is the ratcheting up of tensions
:15:35. > :15:37.between Russia and the west. So, as Ukrainian troops dig in on their
:15:38. > :15:42.side of the Crimean border, the scene is set for further escalation
:15:43. > :15:45.with the west is now debating targeted sanctions against Russia to
:15:46. > :15:54.be imposed within days if nothing changes. The jury in the trial of
:15:55. > :15:57.former Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Nigel Evans has been
:15:58. > :16:01.hearing evidence from an alleged victim who said Mr Evans assaulted
:16:02. > :16:04.him whilst on a night out in Soho. The MP for Ribble Valley in
:16:05. > :16:08.Lancashire, denies one count of rape, two of indecent assault and
:16:09. > :16:13.six of sexual assault. Our Correspondent Danny Savage is at
:16:14. > :16:18.Preston Crown Court. Sophie, yesterday the jury in this trial
:16:19. > :16:21.ahead the overview of the case but today the evidence began. And what
:16:22. > :16:25.they heard is coming, logical order, evidence about Cantone, alleged to
:16:26. > :16:31.have been an indecent assault carried out by Nigel on a younger
:16:32. > :16:35.man in a bar in Soho in central London more than a decade ago --
:16:36. > :16:38.Cantone. Day two of the trial of Nigel Evans MP. Today he heard
:16:39. > :16:41.first-hand from one of his alleged victims. The former Deputy Speaker
:16:42. > :16:44.sat making notes as he listened to the evidence from a 38-year-old man
:16:45. > :16:51.who, exclaimed, he indecently assaulted in a London bar about 11
:16:52. > :16:57.years ago. The alleged victim said Mr Evans had a reputation. Facing
:16:58. > :17:08.the jury, the Westminster worker said:
:17:09. > :17:16.Adding that the attention was unwelcome, he thought:
:17:17. > :17:20.But under cross-examination, the alleged victim admitted that he and
:17:21. > :17:24.Mr Evans had later treated the incident like a bit of a joke,
:17:25. > :17:33.referring to it as life in crazy, crazy Westminster. The man added,
:17:34. > :17:36.not in a million years did he think the incident would end up in court
:17:37. > :17:41.and told the jury, "I regard Nigel Evans as being a friend, but one who
:17:42. > :17:45.overstepped the mark that night. It's something I forgave him for".
:17:46. > :17:47.Nigel Evans, a lifelong Conservative, has been an
:17:48. > :17:54.independent MP since the allegations came to light. And he stepped down
:17:55. > :18:02.from his role as Deputy Speaker. His trial could last for up to five
:18:03. > :18:06.weeks. The victim in this case that we've heard from today basically
:18:07. > :18:09.says Nigel Evans sidled up to reminisce bar and deliberately
:18:10. > :18:12.touched, but you're so sad, when I heard he had been arrested for
:18:13. > :18:16.rape, I couldn't believe it and he also said the jury today, he didn't
:18:17. > :18:22.consider himself to be a victim of crime as a result of the allegations
:18:23. > :18:26.being talked about in court today. Nigel Evans denies one count of
:18:27. > :18:31.rape, two of indecent assault and six of sexual assault and the trial
:18:32. > :18:33.continues here, safety. Thank you. Our top story this lunchtime.
:18:34. > :18:37.Tributes pour in for one of Britain's best known union leaders.
:18:38. > :18:46.Bob Crow has died suddenly at the age of 52. And coming up, fancy
:18:47. > :18:50.risking life and limb for around ?20,000 a year? That's the job of
:18:51. > :18:54.horse racing's jump jockeys. I will reflect on the risk and reward as
:18:55. > :19:01.the famous festival begins here at Cheltenham. Later on BBC London,
:19:02. > :19:03.researchers find children and teenagers in the capital are
:19:04. > :19:08.exceeding adult sized portions of salt. And we are at the Centre for
:19:09. > :19:10.excellence for the big top way you can study a degree in circus and
:19:11. > :19:21.learn the art of trapeze. It's three years since Japan was hit
:19:22. > :19:24.by a massive earthquake and tsunami, which triggered a nuclear leak. Now
:19:25. > :19:27.doctors are warning that a second silent disaster is unfolding. In the
:19:28. > :19:30.area around Fukushima, the number of evacuees who have died since the
:19:31. > :19:37.disaster has exceeded the number killed in the initial earthquake and
:19:38. > :19:39.tsunami. Many of the deaths have been linked to suicide, depression,
:19:40. > :19:46.and illness as Rupert Wingfield-Hayes reports. This is the
:19:47. > :19:52.dead zone. In the little towns around the Fukushima nuclear plant,
:19:53. > :19:56.time stands still. The destruction wrought by the earthquake lies
:19:57. > :20:02.unrepaired. But what has happened to the people who once lived here,
:20:03. > :20:07.forced to flee the radiation? Forced to abandon all they owned? Three
:20:08. > :20:10.years after the disaster, there are now some very serious questions
:20:11. > :20:15.about its aftermath that need to be answered. Firstly, has the threat of
:20:16. > :20:18.radiation to people's health here actually been greatly overstated by,
:20:19. > :20:25.for example, the media and by anti-nuclear campaigners? And
:20:26. > :20:28.secondly, is the fear of radiation now actually turning out to be much
:20:29. > :20:33.more lethal than the radiation itself?
:20:34. > :20:42.At a private clinic 60 kilometres from the plant, a little boy is
:20:43. > :20:46.having his thyroid gland examined. His mother is scared.
:20:47. > :20:53.TRANSLATION: At Chernobyl, children were diagnosed many years after the
:20:54. > :20:57.disaster. Children here may be fine now, but if there is any risk, I
:20:58. > :20:59.want to find out as soon as possible. But child cancer experts
:21:00. > :21:04.say Fukushima cannot be compared with Chernobyl. The 33 cases
:21:05. > :21:09.discovered so far are not connected to the nuclear disaster.
:21:10. > :21:15.The radiation released from Fukushima was much less than at
:21:16. > :21:19.Chernobyl, he says. Children here got a much smaller dose. But once
:21:20. > :21:26.you start using sensitive equipment to check for thyroid cancer, you
:21:27. > :21:27.will find more cases. That is why we are seeing an increase. Not because
:21:28. > :21:38.of the disaster. But the Fukushima disaster is taking
:21:39. > :21:43.lives. This woman has come to pray at her father's grave. She says his
:21:44. > :21:51.health collapsed after he was forced to abandon his farm and his animals.
:21:52. > :21:55.Within two years, he was dead. TRANSLATION: I blame the power
:21:56. > :21:58.company for his death. They took his dreams, his hope. They took his land
:21:59. > :22:04.and scattered his family far from home. Nothing will ever bring those
:22:05. > :22:12.back. No one has died from radiation in Fukushima. But, unable to return
:22:13. > :22:15.home and rebuild their lives, a growing number of evacuees are dying
:22:16. > :22:30.from anxiety, from suicide and from losing the will to live.
:22:31. > :22:35.The Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, has been questioned by
:22:36. > :22:38.MPs this morning. He was asked by the Treasury Select Committee about
:22:39. > :22:41.allegations that officials at the bank turned a blind eye to warnings
:22:42. > :22:44.of price rigging in the foreign exchange market. Last week the bank
:22:45. > :22:46.revealed it was conducting its own internal inquiry. Our Chief
:22:47. > :22:48.Economics Correspondent Hugh Pym reports. The Bank of England
:22:49. > :22:51.governor was questioned over how much his officials knew about
:22:52. > :22:54.allegations the currency markets were being rigged. Mark Carney was
:22:55. > :22:58.asked when he and the bank 's ruling body found out last year that their
:22:59. > :23:05.staff are known from while about problems in the markets. A member of
:23:06. > :23:09.the bank first became aware of allegations relating to the issue we
:23:10. > :23:17.are disgusting on the 16th of October. I was informed them. I
:23:18. > :23:21.informed the chair on that day. We convened governors and launched an
:23:22. > :23:25.investigation within 48 hours and began a very thorough systematic
:23:26. > :23:28.relentless investigation. Allegations that foreign exchange
:23:29. > :23:32.markets were being rigged emerged in the middle of last year. More than
:23:33. > :23:37.20 traders and the number of global banks had been suspended as my guide
:23:38. > :23:40.has examined records of online conversations. Investigations are
:23:41. > :23:45.focusing on the setting of key currency and marks known as the
:23:46. > :23:48.London fix, as each day, at 4pm, average currency rate over a
:23:49. > :23:52.one-minute period are calculated. It is possible banks could secretly
:23:53. > :23:55.agreed to trade at certain levels over that time to manipulate the
:23:56. > :24:02.rates of the aim being to boost bank profits. So what do the Bank of
:24:03. > :24:06.England no minutes published last week revealed that the issue was
:24:07. > :24:09.known about eight years ago. One official at the bank has been
:24:10. > :24:13.suspended while an enquiry is underway. The subcommittee used to
:24:14. > :24:18.meet at upmarket restaurants like this one in the city of London. The
:24:19. > :24:21.Bank of England staff joined senior players in the foreign-exchange
:24:22. > :24:25.markets to discuss the latest of elements. At one meeting at this
:24:26. > :24:29.restaurant in July 2006, the minutes say it was noted there was evidence
:24:30. > :24:33.of attempts to move the market around popular fixing times. The
:24:34. > :24:37.governor and his colleagues faced further questions about those
:24:38. > :24:40.minutes and Mark Carney suggested an independent review of the banks
:24:41. > :24:46.conduct would be appropriate. There is continued speculation that the
:24:47. > :24:57.foreign-exchange rigging allegations could be as serious as the Libor
:24:58. > :25:00.four London as a financial centre. A friend of the South African athlete,
:25:01. > :25:03.Oscar Pistorius, has been telling the jury at his murder trial about
:25:04. > :25:07.an occasion when the Olympian fired his gun from a car without any
:25:08. > :25:09.warning. He told the court that Oscar Pistorius had a big love for
:25:10. > :25:12.weapons. The athlete denies murdering his girlfriend at his home
:25:13. > :25:18.last year. Andrew Harding is outside the court in Pretoria. Tell us more
:25:19. > :25:21.about what was said in court. Yes, it was another awkward day for Oscar
:25:22. > :25:28.Pistorius though he kept his calm, his composure, unlike yesterday. I
:25:29. > :25:31.close friend of hers gave evidence and talked about two specific
:25:32. > :25:36.incidents, one where Oscar Pistorius allegedly shot a gun in the through
:25:37. > :25:41.the roof of the car, right next to his ear, causing to lose hearing
:25:42. > :25:48.here for some time. And then, separately, in a restaurant, where
:25:49. > :25:52.apparently, according to him, there was a mishandling of a gun under a
:25:53. > :25:59.table, and Oscar Pistorius fired that gun accidentally. The defence
:26:00. > :26:04.tried to pick Cole in his evidence didn't succeed. Earlier, it was the
:26:05. > :26:07.same with the State pathologist who spoke yesterday about how Reeva
:26:08. > :26:12.Steenkamp had certainly got up and eaten a meal about two hours before
:26:13. > :26:15.she died at about 1am. That contradicts what we have heard
:26:16. > :26:20.earlier from Oscar Pistorius. Today, his defence tried to find
:26:21. > :26:26.some room in there, suggesting she had got up earlier than that. The
:26:27. > :26:29.state pathologist stuck to his ground and insisted that Reeva
:26:30. > :26:34.Steenkamp must've eaten about two hours before she was killed. So, in
:26:35. > :26:40.the middle of the night, so not a good day all in all, for Oscar
:26:41. > :26:43.Pistorius. Andrew, thank you. Now, the event they call the world
:26:44. > :26:46.championship of jump racing begins today. It's the first day of the
:26:47. > :26:48.Cheltenham Festival and the big race, the Champion Hurdle, carries
:26:49. > :26:52.almost half a million pounds in prize money. There will be a frenzy
:26:53. > :26:59.of excitement but some moments of reflection too. Our Sports
:27:00. > :27:03.Correspondent Joe Wilson is there. Yes, in just a few minutes, we'll
:27:04. > :27:06.hear the huge draw which signifies the resumption of the Cheltenham
:27:07. > :27:12.Festival. A great many people it's a key part of the sporting landscape,
:27:13. > :27:23.essentially, because it's so exciting. But this little more than
:27:24. > :27:26.ever before. The horses will attract over 200,000 people to Cheltenham
:27:27. > :27:32.this week. The festival is expanding. A ?45 million
:27:33. > :27:34.redevelopment will soon begin. However sophisticated facilities,
:27:35. > :27:39.the spectacle still depends on the simple bravery of horse and jockey.
:27:40. > :27:43.Jason Maguire was supposed to be riding here today but instead is in
:27:44. > :27:48.hospital after major surgery following a fall yesterday. Last,
:27:49. > :27:53.John Thomas McNamara suffered a terrible fall at Cheltenham. He
:27:54. > :27:59.remains in hospital severely paralysed for the absent but
:28:00. > :28:04.admired. This is his cousin, Brian Fulton once they against each other.
:28:05. > :28:09.He still recovering after his own fall last year, when he was in a
:28:10. > :28:12.coma. He would give anything to be riding in Cheltenham this week. It's
:28:13. > :28:20.unbelievable to walk out into the paddock and get onto your horse.
:28:21. > :28:24.Hopefully we will remember John Thomas and will be nice to stop from
:28:25. > :28:30.42 and think about him. For most jockeys, the reward which comes with
:28:31. > :28:35.the risk is still modest. One faith made their expensive, on average a
:28:36. > :28:38.document in around ?22,000. A year. I think that compares with an
:28:39. > :28:43.average 10 million players weekly salary. And they are followed around
:28:44. > :28:50.by any number of ambulances when they are racing. And they will fall
:28:51. > :28:55.once in roughly every ten rides. For jockeys, Cheltenham is vital. Barry
:28:56. > :28:59.Geraghty won three races last and earned ?50,000 in a matter of
:29:00. > :29:05.minutes, all jump jockeys know their sport lies can change very quickly.
:29:06. > :29:10.Barry Geraghty has a reasonable chance this year but most eyes will
:29:11. > :29:14.be on hurricane fly, who is trying to win the race for the third time
:29:15. > :29:19.but is under pressure from younger contenders including appropriately
:29:20. > :29:25.enough, the new one. Jo, thank you. Time now for a look at the weather.
:29:26. > :29:30.Fine and dry weather for the rest of this week. Some sunshine but for
:29:31. > :29:37.others, little bit more cloud around. If we do get the brightness,
:29:38. > :29:43., temperatures around 12 degrees, but it does mean, by night, it will
:29:44. > :29:46.turn pretty chilly. We started at -3 across north-east England. The
:29:47. > :29:51.sunshine is getting to work, clearing the mist and fog away.
:29:52. > :29:55.Further south, however, more cloud around and through the rest of this
:29:56. > :29:59.afternoon, the overcast skies will held for southern counties. When the
:30:00. > :30:03.ad on the chilly north-easterly breeze, it will feel fairly cooler.
:30:04. > :30:09.As we had further west, a few breaks across parts of West Cornwall, and
:30:10. > :30:13.Wales. The best of the brightness across North Wales. Temperatures
:30:14. > :30:18.around 12 - 13. North-west England, a bright and sunny afternoon after a
:30:19. > :30:20.misty foggy start. Things are brightening up nicely throughout the
:30:21. > :30:26.afternoon in Northern Ireland. 10 degrees. I the bulk of Scotland,
:30:27. > :30:31.fine and dry but as we head up towards Stornoway and the Northern
:30:32. > :30:36.Isles, breezy and more overcast. Through the central lowlands,
:30:37. > :30:39.temperatures, 8-9. Yet again, glorious blue skies sitting across
:30:40. > :30:44.much of Yorkshire. But it will lead to a chilly night tonight where we
:30:45. > :30:48.have breaks in the cloud. At high pressure system is shifting around
:30:49. > :30:51.slightly so the cloud will move, too. It's becoming more extensive
:30:52. > :30:57.across southern areas with mist and fog. Still a risk of fog further
:30:58. > :31:01.north by dawn where temperatures will start just above freezing. Not
:31:02. > :31:05.as chilly further south, but we have a great start to the day. Quite a
:31:06. > :31:10.bit of cloud across England and Wales tomorrow morning. That a
:31:11. > :31:14.better chance of some of the breaking cloud by the afternoon.
:31:15. > :31:18.Certain across southern counties, get more sunshine. The exception
:31:19. > :31:21.around coastal areas where it could be cold and cloudy for much of the
:31:22. > :31:25.day and more cloud tomorrow moving into the north-west corner, as well
:31:26. > :31:29.with temperatures into double figures but we could see highs of 15
:31:30. > :31:32.in the south. Brightness for Cheltenham in the next couple of
:31:33. > :31:38.days but fair amounts of cloud here. At least compared to last year. A
:31:39. > :31:41.big improvement. We will keep the high pressure for many places for
:31:42. > :31:44.the end of the week, but there was a weather front moving into the
:31:45. > :31:47.Northwest thickening up the cloud and a bit of rain to come on
:31:48. > :31:51.Thursday. Still some brightness in the South. 15 degrees. Now a
:31:52. > :31:54.reminder of our top story this lunchtime. Friends and adversaries
:31:55. > :31:58.have paid tribute to one of Britain's best known union leaders,
:31:59. > :31:59.Bob Crow who's died suddenly at the age of 52. That's all from us.