:00:09. > :00:10.Around 300 people, many of them school children,
:00:11. > :00:13.are missing after a ferry capsized off the coast of South Korea.
:00:14. > :00:15.A major rescue operation was launched,
:00:16. > :00:17.but the ferry sank within 90 minutes,
:00:18. > :00:22.and it's feared many passengers were trapped beneath deck.
:00:23. > :00:25.The announcement told us that we should stay still,
:00:26. > :00:30.and there were a lot of students who did not get out of the ship.
:00:31. > :00:34.More than 150 people were rescued - they've been taken to a gym
:00:35. > :00:36.on a nearby island, where they're being looked after.
:00:37. > :00:38.We'll have the latest on the search-and-rescue operation
:00:39. > :00:44.Also this lunchtime, for the first time in four years, wage increases
:00:45. > :00:47.overtake the rise in the cost of living and unemployment falls again.
:00:48. > :00:50.The former Co-op Bank boss Paul Flowers has been charged
:00:51. > :00:54.with possession of drugs, including cocaine.
:00:55. > :00:59.Tesco announce falling profits for the second year in a row.
:01:00. > :01:02.And a sunny welcome for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as they arrive
:01:03. > :01:07.in Sydney with their son at the start of their tour of Australia.
:01:08. > :01:14.a record number, 100,000 children apply for primary-school places.
:01:15. > :01:16.And how a stolen hat inspired a grieving mum
:01:17. > :01:40.Good afternoon and welcome to the BBC's News At One.
:01:41. > :01:45.after a ferry capsized and sank off the coast of South Korea.
:01:46. > :01:50.But at least three people are known to have died,
:01:51. > :01:53.and it's feared that number will rise considerably.
:01:54. > :01:56.Almost two thirds of those on board were school children
:01:57. > :02:01.for the 14-hour journey to the tourist island of Jeju.
:02:02. > :02:06.was three hours from its destination when distress calls were made.
:02:07. > :02:15.Lucy Williamson reports from South Korea.
:02:16. > :02:22.They had been clinging on for half an hour when rescue came - students
:02:23. > :02:28.on a school trip to South Korea's holiday island. Each tiny figure
:02:29. > :02:40.emerging from the crippled Hal, a lifeline for one parent, brother or
:02:41. > :02:43.sister waiting on shore. -- hull. But as they were being asked to
:02:44. > :02:50.rescue boats, the ship beneath them began to sing. Within the hour, it
:02:51. > :02:57.was almost gone. The worry for rescuers and parents is that some of
:02:58. > :03:01.the passengers were still inside. Those who were picked up by rescuers
:03:02. > :03:06.have arrived on shore and begun to tell their stories, how they felt a
:03:07. > :03:10.third before the ship began to tilt, how some students were told to jump
:03:11. > :03:15.into the water before it went down and some were told to stay.
:03:16. > :03:19.TRANSLATION: The announcement told us we should stay still, but the
:03:20. > :03:24.ship was already sinking, and there were lots of students who did not
:03:25. > :03:29.get out of the ship. TRANSLATION: It was very tense, the ship was tilted
:03:30. > :03:34.more than 45 degrees, and it was very tense.
:03:35. > :03:38.For survivors, the reunions have already begun. The full horror of
:03:39. > :03:46.what might have been giving way to tearful relief. For now, they are
:03:47. > :03:50.the minority. With so many of those on board still unaccounted for, the
:03:51. > :03:56.demands of their parents and others here on shore are growing
:03:57. > :04:00.increasingly desperate. TRANSLATION: I felt like my heart stopped, I
:04:01. > :04:06.cannot describe the feeling with one word. I was too shocked, I cannot
:04:07. > :04:10.even talk about it. Many more families are waiting for
:04:11. > :04:14.news of those still missing and demanding answers. What happened on
:04:15. > :04:20.this routine journey, they are asking, why did this very sink, and
:04:21. > :04:23.where are our children? Lucy Williamson, BBC News on the South
:04:24. > :04:28.Korean coast. We can get the latest from the South
:04:29. > :04:31.Korean capital, Seoul, Martin Patience is there. Unimaginable
:04:32. > :04:35.scenes for the parents waiting to find out if their children are
:04:36. > :04:40.alive, what is the latest on the search and rescue operation? The
:04:41. > :04:44.latest figures are that four people are confirmed to have died in his
:04:45. > :04:49.accident, although the death toll is expected to rise with almost 300
:04:50. > :04:53.people still missing. This massive search and rescue operation has been
:04:54. > :04:57.under way now for more than 12 hours, it is now dark in South
:04:58. > :05:01.Korea, and that of course will complicate efforts. The fear is that
:05:02. > :05:07.many of the missing are trapped in the hull of this very, which of
:05:08. > :05:10.course sank. We know that dozens of divers have been sent down to be
:05:11. > :05:16.submerged vessel in order to try and find any of the survivors. As we
:05:17. > :05:19.have been hearing, most of the passengers on board were high school
:05:20. > :05:24.students on a trip to a holiday island. For their families, for the
:05:25. > :05:25.families of the missing, it is a desperate weight as the search
:05:26. > :05:28.continues. Martin, thank you. After four years
:05:29. > :05:31.of falling living standards, wage increases have finally risen
:05:32. > :05:33.above the rate of inflation. Weekly pay, including bonuses,
:05:34. > :05:36.went up by 1.7% in February, according to the Office
:05:37. > :05:39.for National Statistics. It comes as new figures show
:05:40. > :05:42.that unemployment fell by 77,000 in the three months to February,
:05:43. > :05:46.to just under 2.25 million, Our chief economics correspondent,
:05:47. > :06:00.Hugh Pym, reports. The economic wheels are turning,
:06:01. > :06:07.companies like this one are expanding, and that is better news
:06:08. > :06:09.for jobs and wages. This firm supplies materials for household
:06:10. > :06:14.kitchens and flooring. It started life in the recession and has grown
:06:15. > :06:20.fast, but only now is the boss able to start offering wage rises. We are
:06:21. > :06:23.increasing the level of pay for the staff at the moment, and we are
:06:24. > :06:28.going through the process because we want to retain the excellent staff
:06:29. > :06:32.that we already have, and the state of the economy is now allowing us to
:06:33. > :06:38.pay a higher wage, whereas turn the clock back a couple of years, it
:06:39. > :06:43.would have been different. Across the economy, the gap between pay and
:06:44. > :06:46.price increases has closed. Inflation picked up rapidly from
:06:47. > :06:50.2010, but it has fallen back a lot in the last few months. Average wage
:06:51. > :06:56.rises were running well behind inflation but have now caught up. So
:06:57. > :07:00.on paper at least the long squeeze on spending power is over. The news
:07:01. > :07:04.was welcomed by ministers but with an acknowledgement that it would be
:07:05. > :07:08.a while before the recovery was complete. There is still a very long
:07:09. > :07:11.way to go, both to ensure our economy is fully recovered and that
:07:12. > :07:14.living standards are growing in a sustainable way. That is why we
:07:15. > :07:18.absolutely have to stick to the plan we have laid out that has got us
:07:19. > :07:22.this far in terms of economic growth. And some economists argue it
:07:23. > :07:25.could take some time for people's living standards to get back to
:07:26. > :07:28.where they were before the recession. We have to remember we
:07:29. > :07:39.have been through the biggest squeeze on spending power and real
:07:40. > :07:41.incomes since the 1920s, so it will take a number of years, probably
:07:42. > :07:43.five, possibly ten, before that spending power is fully restored.
:07:44. > :07:46.Labour argued that, for many, the cost of living problem had not gone
:07:47. > :07:50.away. There is still an awful lot more to do to tackle rising prices,
:07:51. > :07:54.especially gas and electricity bills, and do more to ensure that
:07:55. > :07:58.wages start to increase, particularly for people in part-time
:07:59. > :08:03.jobs, zero hours contracts, who are struggling to make ends meet right
:08:04. > :08:06.now. With more jobs being created in the economy and the unemployment
:08:07. > :08:09.rate falling below 7% of the workforce, there is no doubting
:08:10. > :08:15.there is a brighter outlook in the labour market.
:08:16. > :08:20.You is with me now, we have been waiting for this, a significant
:08:21. > :08:24.moment? Indeed, Sophie, we have got figures suggesting bonuses and wages
:08:25. > :08:28.were up 1.7% in the year leading up to February, and then in March, as
:08:29. > :08:32.we discovered yesterday, inflation dipping to 1.6%. So the end of the
:08:33. > :08:37.cost of living squeeze on paper, which has gone on for several
:08:38. > :08:40.years. So significant in the economic and political debate. One
:08:41. > :08:44.important factor, as we lent more about today, is that the economy is
:08:45. > :08:53.creating more jobs. That means employers have to pay a bit more to
:08:54. > :08:55.retain and recruit people. Good news for workers and good news for the
:08:56. > :08:58.economy, and obviously the unemployment rate falling below 7%,
:08:59. > :09:02.that is another important milestone. The Government on the
:09:03. > :09:06.Bank of England have set 7% as the threshold to review interest rates.
:09:07. > :09:11.He has moved on to a different way of assessing it, and unemployment
:09:12. > :09:15.has fallen faster than he expected, down to 6.9% of the workforce.
:09:16. > :09:19.Positive news on jobs. One slight issue is that quite a lot of the new
:09:20. > :09:22.jobs have been self employment, people who are self-employed rather
:09:23. > :09:25.than fully employed, and what we don't know was whether they want to
:09:26. > :09:30.be doing that or whether they possibly there because they have
:09:31. > :09:33.lost jobs elsewhere. To Westminster now for political reaction, our
:09:34. > :09:38.chief political correspondent, Norman Smith, is there. As he was
:09:39. > :09:41.saying, a significant moment economically but also politically,
:09:42. > :09:46.how much pressure does this put on Labour? It is an important moment
:09:47. > :09:51.politically, but there is a paradox here in that while it is important
:09:52. > :09:55.politically, it will not make a blind bit of difference for most
:09:56. > :09:59.people. Most people will still be facing pay freezes, benefit curbs,
:10:00. > :10:03.rising fuel prices and pressure on their living standards for years to
:10:04. > :10:06.come. Politically, it is symbolically critical for the
:10:07. > :10:11.Government. They can at long last say, your pay is beginning to
:10:12. > :10:15.outstrip prices. More than that, the earnings figures coupled with the
:10:16. > :10:18.big fall in unemployment following on from yesterday's inflation
:10:19. > :10:27.suggests the recovery is taking hold much faster and more strongly than
:10:28. > :10:29.many people suspected, and certainly well before the general election,
:10:30. > :10:32.giving the Government month after month in which they can say to
:10:33. > :10:35.people, you are slowly getting better off. As for Labour, they are
:10:36. > :10:37.not going to run up the white flag on the cost of living argument, but
:10:38. > :10:43.they will not be saying, you are going to be worse off by the next
:10:44. > :10:47.election than compare to the last election. There will be a brief
:10:48. > :10:53.frame in, a shimmy and a shift in their core argument. They will say
:10:54. > :10:56.it is also about job security, about their children's prospects, about
:10:57. > :11:00.getting full-time work, and the reason for that is because today's
:11:01. > :11:04.figures tell us although there is an awful long way to go, the tide is
:11:05. > :11:07.now turning on the cost of living. Norman, thank you.
:11:08. > :11:11.says Russia has started to export terrorism to Ukraine
:11:12. > :11:13.and wants to destroy the country's independence.
:11:14. > :11:17.entered the eastern town of Kramatorsk
:11:18. > :11:21.to recapture areas seized by anti-government separatists.
:11:22. > :11:23.However, they were blocked by civilians,
:11:24. > :11:25.and it's unclear whether they have any control of the town.
:11:26. > :11:42.Armoured vehicles passing checkpoints on their way into the
:11:43. > :11:49.eastern city of Sloviansk. The forces are welcomed by men carrying
:11:50. > :11:52.guns and cheering crowds. Heavily armed, these troops are flying the
:11:53. > :11:59.Russian flag, and they looked ready for a fight. This soldier claims
:12:00. > :12:07.some of them are from the Ukrainian army. We have switched sides, he
:12:08. > :12:08.says. It is not entirely clear whether these men have truly
:12:09. > :12:23.defected or who they are. Either way, it is a sign that the Ukrainian
:12:24. > :12:25.government faces a serious fight to regain control of buildings occupied
:12:26. > :12:27.by pro-Russian activists. Earlier, in Kramatorsk, Ukrainian soldiers
:12:28. > :12:30.tried to move in but didn't get very far. Crowds and pro-Russian militia
:12:31. > :12:34.surrounded their armoured personnel carriers, questioning why they were
:12:35. > :12:38.there. These troops are meant to be part of what Kiev has called an
:12:39. > :12:45.anti-terrorist operation. It doesn't seem to be going according to plan.
:12:46. > :12:49.In Donetsk, pro-Russian activists have taken control of another
:12:50. > :12:54.building. The mayor's offers. They met no resistance but did not seem
:12:55. > :13:00.happy about being filmed. Outside, their supporters demanded more
:13:01. > :13:08.autonomy from Kiev. This man says they want a referendum on more local
:13:09. > :13:12.powers. The Ukrainian military build-up continues in the east, with
:13:13. > :13:14.helicopters and tanks on the move, possibly preparing for an assault.
:13:15. > :13:23.An assault on people who say they are not going to give ground. Duncan
:13:24. > :13:28.Crawford, BBC News, Donetsk. We can get the latest from Donetsk, James
:13:29. > :13:32.Reynolds is there, the situation remains very unclear. It does, but I
:13:33. > :13:35.think there is one thing we can say at the moment, and as far as we can
:13:36. > :13:39.tell, Kiev has not taken back any of the lost ground that it gave up two
:13:40. > :13:43.pro-Russian occupiers over the last week. Its large anti-terrorist
:13:44. > :13:51.operation, as it calls it, is under way, but it has yet to have anything
:13:52. > :13:54.to show for it, and that will be a source of major disappointment in
:13:55. > :13:56.Kiev. I was on the ground earlier today in Kramatorsk, and I saw a
:13:57. > :14:00.crowd surrounded convoy of Ukrainian vehicles, and then suddenly
:14:01. > :14:05.pro-Russian activists, well armed, also surrounded it. It was difficult
:14:06. > :14:09.to see how that stand-off ended. We have also had reports of convoys
:14:10. > :14:13.carrying Russian flags, we are still checking those out. And NATO has
:14:14. > :14:18.reacted in the last hour, suggesting it will reinforce its presence in
:14:19. > :14:21.Eastern Europe, in the Baltic and in the eastern Mediterranean, a sign of
:14:22. > :14:23.how tense the situation is. James, thank you very much.
:14:24. > :14:28.after a pile-up involving at least four vehicles this morning.
:14:29. > :14:31.Six people have been taken to hospital
:14:32. > :14:33.after two lorries, a car and a van collided
:14:34. > :14:36.at around 9:30 this morning, closing both lanes of the motorway.
:14:37. > :14:39.Police have told motorists to avoid the area, and they say the motorway
:14:40. > :14:43.is likely to remain closed until at least the early evening.
:14:44. > :14:45.Paul Flowers, the former chairman of the Co-operative Bank,
:14:46. > :14:47.has been charged with possession of drugs.
:14:48. > :14:50.Mr Flowers stepped down as head of the bank last summer
:14:51. > :14:54.amid claims of illegal drug use and inappropriate expenses payments.
:14:55. > :15:03.Danny Savage is at Stainbeck police station in Leeds.
:15:04. > :15:09.Sophie, Paul Flowers has been on bail in relation to these charges
:15:10. > :15:14.since November last year, so we came to answer bail again today. He found
:15:15. > :15:18.the door locked when he arrived and told waiting journalist that they
:15:19. > :15:21.were vultures. He eventually got inside, was interviewed by
:15:22. > :15:25.detectives for an hour or so, and then his solicitor came out to say
:15:26. > :15:30.that Mr Flowers had been charged with two counts of possessing Class
:15:31. > :15:34.A drugs, including cocaine, and one count of possessing a class see
:15:35. > :15:38.drug, known as testament. The next stage in the process will be that he
:15:39. > :15:41.will have to appear before magistrates in Leeds on me the
:15:42. > :15:46.seventh. He came to prominence in November last year when, as the
:15:47. > :15:50.former chairman of the Co-op Bank, revelations were made about his
:15:51. > :15:54.private life in a Sunday newspaper. Those charges that have been put to
:15:55. > :15:58.him relate to that time in November last year, so he has now been
:15:59. > :16:11.charged. The next stage is the magistrate appearance, that will
:16:12. > :16:16.take place next month. Sophie. At least 300 people have died and many
:16:17. > :16:20.are missing after a ship capsized off the coast of South Korea. A
:16:21. > :16:25.search is under way for survivors. Coming up: We'll be live in Orkney,
:16:26. > :16:28.where there is a campaign for greater powers for the islands,
:16:29. > :16:29.whether or not Scotland votes for independence.
:16:30. > :16:33.The film he almost forgot - Terry Jones tells us
:16:34. > :16:36.about his new work ahead of the Monty Python reunion this summer.
:16:37. > :16:40.can we keep it for the rest of the Easter break?
:16:41. > :16:51.Britain's supermarkets have been engaged in a price war
:16:52. > :16:54.for the last few years as they battle it out for customers.
:16:55. > :16:57.Discount retailers like Aldi and Lidl are piling on the pressure
:16:58. > :17:00.and more and more people are doing their weekly shop online.
:17:01. > :17:01.And it seems that it's taking its toll.
:17:02. > :17:04.The UK's largest retailer, Tesco, has announced that profits have
:17:05. > :17:18.Here's our personal finance correspondent Simon Gompertz.
:17:19. > :17:27.The profits are still colossal but the direction of travel, downward,
:17:28. > :17:29.is causing alarm. So much so that Tesco's chief executive faced
:17:30. > :17:34.questions today over whether he would keep his job. I intend to see
:17:35. > :17:38.this job through. We're in the middle of a very big change. I'm
:17:39. > :17:42.going to make Tesco better for customers and that's how,
:17:43. > :17:46.ultimately, we will be measured. It's the invasion of the UK by
:17:47. > :17:52.cut-price competitors that is putting Tesco and other competitors
:17:53. > :17:58.to flight. Aldi's sales have jumped 35% in a year, Lidl's are up 17% and
:17:59. > :18:04.at the top end, Waitrose has gained nearly 5% and Tesco has just
:18:05. > :18:07.revealed a 1.4% crop in sales. The discounters say they are winning
:18:08. > :18:10.over middle-class shoppers, like fleas in Bournemouth, who are no
:18:11. > :18:18.longer embarrassed to be seen in their stores. I find Tesco a bit
:18:19. > :18:23.dearer for most things so you go where you think the bargains are,
:18:24. > :18:25.don't you? Some of the establishments can be a little
:18:26. > :18:30.high-handed in the way they treat their customers. They say it's a
:18:31. > :18:34.bargain but when you look closely, it's not. Just as internet shopping
:18:35. > :18:40.is shaking up the grocery business as never before, loyalty to Tesco is
:18:41. > :18:45.slipping away. Tesco today isn't any more value. It also isn't quality.
:18:46. > :18:48.It's just everywhere. That's a very different offered to customers and
:18:49. > :18:53.it's partly of their own making. They've been increasing prices way
:18:54. > :18:58.too fast over the last five years. Tesco's convenience stores have done
:18:59. > :19:01.better. It's revamping hundreds of other supermarkets. It says it's
:19:02. > :19:04.reducing prices and coming up with new ways to deliver to online
:19:05. > :19:09.customers. But as the biggest player, in the middle of the market,
:19:10. > :19:14.it is the target for all the others. If ever Tesco needed a little help,
:19:15. > :19:16.it's now. It's being urged to bring in more discounts, but that would
:19:17. > :19:22.deal a another blow to profits. The former editor of the News
:19:23. > :19:25.of the World Andy Coulson has revealed for the first time that he
:19:26. > :19:28.did listen to private voicemail messages relating to former home
:19:29. > :19:31.secretary David Blunkett in 2004. He told the phone hacking trial
:19:32. > :19:34.at the Old Bailey that one of his senior reporters had played
:19:35. > :19:37.him excerpts of the messages left But Andy Coulson said it was
:19:38. > :19:41.the first and last time messages Our home affairs correspondent
:19:42. > :19:51.Tom Symonds is at the Old Bailey. Sophie, this was new evidence. Andy
:19:52. > :19:55.Coulson said that in 2004 he was on holiday in Italy when his chief
:19:56. > :19:59.reporter phoned up and said he had voice mail messages of David
:20:00. > :20:03.Blunkett, from his phone, which suggested he was having an affair
:20:04. > :20:08.with the publisher Kimberly Quinn. Mr Colson told the court he was
:20:09. > :20:13.angry about this and said, "what do you think you are doing?" But when
:20:14. > :20:16.he came back to Britain, he told the court that the reporter played him
:20:17. > :20:20.part of those messages and that resulted in Andy Coulson going to
:20:21. > :20:24.David Blunkett and saying that the newspaper had evidence they were
:20:25. > :20:28.having an affair. But he didn't - and the tape was played to the jury
:20:29. > :20:31.- tell Mr Blunkett that that evidence came from phone hacking. Mr
:20:32. > :20:36.Coulson said he felt that was a mistake and she should have laid
:20:37. > :20:39.that in front of Mr Blunkett, the Home Secretary at the time. It may
:20:40. > :20:45.have brought the whole thing to ahead, he said, and he said it may
:20:46. > :20:50.have ended in police action. The context of this is that two years
:20:51. > :20:53.before he told the court yesterday phone hacking was just something
:20:54. > :20:57.that journalists gossiped about. Today he said that in 2004 he knew
:20:58. > :21:02.one of his reporters had hacked messages. But it wasn't until 2007
:21:03. > :21:06.that Andy Coulson resigned because of phone hacking.
:21:07. > :21:08.British commanders must bear a degree of responsibility
:21:09. > :21:11.for breaches at Camp Bastion in two years ago, which left two
:21:12. > :21:13.American servicemen dead and eight British personnel wounded.
:21:14. > :21:15.That's according to MPs on the Defence Select Committee.
:21:16. > :21:17.They say when Taliban fighters attacked the camp,
:21:18. > :21:19.troops were exposed to unnecessary risk,
:21:20. > :21:23.partly because more than half the guard towers were unmanned.
:21:24. > :21:30.Here's our defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt.
:21:31. > :21:33.Set in the middle of the Helmand desert, far from any town,
:21:34. > :21:34.Camp Bastion was seen as impregnable.
:21:35. > :21:37.Suicide bombers had never breached the perimeter fence
:21:38. > :21:40.and MPs now say the forces inside - British, American and Afghan -
:21:41. > :21:49.But in September 2012, a Taliban attack took everyone by surprise.
:21:50. > :21:52.This training video, released at the time by insurgents,
:21:53. > :21:55.allegedly showed how they planned to get into the camp.
:21:56. > :21:59.Something 15 Taliban fighters managed under cover of darkness,
:22:00. > :22:03.the gun battle lasting into the next day.
:22:04. > :22:07.The insurgents killed two US Marines and injured eight British troops
:22:08. > :22:13.Six US Harrier jets were destroyed in the attack at a cost
:22:14. > :22:20.The RAF Regiment and others helped fight insurgents and killed all
:22:21. > :22:25.The defence committee's report found that arrangements for
:22:26. > :22:30.Fewer than half the towers were manned.
:22:31. > :22:33.Insufficient attention was given to the need to defend the camp and MPs
:22:34. > :22:39.say British commanders must bear their share of the responsibility.
:22:40. > :22:41.It's absolutely essential that the Ministry
:22:42. > :22:46.of Defence learns proper lessons from the events that happened here
:22:47. > :22:52.and doesn't display the complacency that we say did get displayed here.
:22:53. > :22:58.You must not underestimate the enemy and you must put in place
:22:59. > :23:05.The Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said the MoD was not complacent and
:23:06. > :23:10.always sought to capture and learn lessons from current operations.
:23:11. > :23:13.British forces are well aware today that as they prepare to leave
:23:14. > :23:17.Camp Bastion and Helmand by the end of the year, vigilance remains
:23:18. > :23:29.As the people of Scotland consider whether or not
:23:30. > :23:33.to vote for independence, a campaign for greater powers is gathering pace
:23:34. > :23:38.Campaigners say they want to see more control at a local level -
:23:39. > :23:39.whatever the result of September's referendum.
:23:40. > :23:48.Our Scotland correspondent James Cook is in Kirkwall in Orkney.
:23:49. > :23:55.Yes, Sophie. Often the debate about independence happens in black and
:23:56. > :24:01.white terms - a simple yes or no to the vote in September. But here in
:24:02. > :24:04.Orkney, it's more interesting, with this campaign mounting for greater
:24:05. > :24:09.control on the islands of their own affairs.
:24:10. > :24:10.Orkney looks, feels and sounds different.
:24:11. > :24:13.There's a respect for old traditions here, a slower pace of life
:24:14. > :24:17.But scratch the surface and opinions are strong.
:24:18. > :24:23.the yes campaign are offering us more future and more positivity than
:24:24. > :24:28.the fearmongering negative campaign.
:24:29. > :24:32.I'm probably the same as 95% of the islanders here,
:24:33. > :24:41.Although I do know that Edinburgh's closer to Orkney than London.
:24:42. > :24:44.But these islands have strong Scandinavian connections and some
:24:45. > :24:48.feel that choosing between Edinburgh and London is beside the point.
:24:49. > :24:52.The debate about Scotland's future is very different here in Orkney.
:24:53. > :24:59."We're either ruled from a long way away or a longer way away."
:25:00. > :25:02.And so the islanders have come up with a plan.
:25:03. > :25:04.Orkney has joined Shetland and the Outer Hebrides
:25:05. > :25:10.pushing for local control of local issues such as fishing,
:25:11. > :25:15.These islands should be more empowered to look
:25:16. > :25:18.after their own future, to make their decisions about the
:25:19. > :25:24.Because we're islanders, we have a mindset that means we
:25:25. > :25:27.like to fix things ourselves, sort things out ourselves.
:25:28. > :25:33.The Scottish Government and the Labour Party are both enthusiastic.
:25:34. > :25:36.So too is the UK Government, whose Secretary of State for Scotland
:25:37. > :25:44.and as Secretary of State for Scotland,
:25:45. > :25:47.I've been quite determined that there should be more power and
:25:48. > :25:52.more influence coming from Westminster direct to
:25:53. > :25:56.It feels like a campaign on the move.
:25:57. > :25:57.Whatever happens to Scotland in September,
:25:58. > :26:09.these islands are hoping for a brighter future.
:26:10. > :26:16.Well, there is certainly some vocal support for independence here and a
:26:17. > :26:20.lot of quiet opposition, as well. But both sides, in large part, agree
:26:21. > :26:26.that they want more powers and I think the momentum is now with them.
:26:27. > :26:29.They're moving towards it. The Scottish Government, Labour and the
:26:30. > :26:33.UK government all back them. I think they feel that this will happen.
:26:34. > :26:36.Thousands of people have lined the steps of Sydney Opera House to
:26:37. > :26:38.welcome the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Australia.
:26:39. > :26:40.The couple, with eight-month-old Prince George,
:26:41. > :26:42.had arrived in the country after ten days in New Zealand.
:26:43. > :26:47.Our royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell was there.
:26:48. > :26:54.Another airport arrival, this time in Australia, and another appearance
:26:55. > :26:58.by George, once again carried down the aircraft's steps by his mother,
:26:59. > :27:03.who had chosen bright yellow for her debut in Australia. For his, George
:27:04. > :27:09.found himself shaking a few of the VIP hands being held out to him.
:27:10. > :27:14.There was a change of carrier from Mum to diet, followed by a vigorous
:27:15. > :27:18.bout of bouncing. Then it was one of those hunches of flowers which
:27:19. > :27:21.people keep giving to mum to inspect stop all becoming part of a day's
:27:22. > :27:28.work for this particular eight-month old. William and Katherine headed
:27:29. > :27:32.into central Sydney. Most of the city carried on its day as normal.
:27:33. > :27:36.There was no ceremony or public welcome. But at the Opera house, by
:27:37. > :27:40.Sydney Harbour Bridge, a few thousand had gathered in the autumn
:27:41. > :27:43.sunshine to welcome them. Inside the Opera house, William spoke about his
:27:44. > :27:48.family and the deep regard it feels for Australia. His own, he said, had
:27:49. > :27:55.been learned directly from the Queen. The affection my grandmother
:27:56. > :27:59.has for Australia is infectious. George has no idea what Australia
:28:00. > :28:03.is, of course, but at the weekend, he is due to meet a bill be, a small
:28:04. > :28:17.furry animal, when they visit Sydney zoo. I suspected that George's word
:28:18. > :28:21.might be bilby because koala is hard to say. The message is clear that
:28:22. > :28:25.Australia matters to the Royal family and as they arrived in the
:28:26. > :28:29.country, there was a sense that Republican feelings may have been
:28:30. > :28:35.stemmed. The front-page headline in the morning newspaper is, " as the
:28:36. > :28:38.Royals arrive, the Republicans recede". They say that support for a
:28:39. > :28:43.republic has slumped to its lowest level in more than three decades. A
:28:44. > :28:48.poll had found 51% wanting to keep the monarchy, 42% favouring a
:28:49. > :28:55.republic. For the moment, monarchy seems to be winning the day.
:28:56. > :29:00.Time for the weather now with Nick Miller.
:29:01. > :29:07.All eyes on the Easter weather. A promising start but I'll get to that
:29:08. > :29:10.but in a moment. Some cloud is rolling in through Scotland and
:29:11. > :29:13.Northern Ireland but still plenty of dry weather around this afternoon.
:29:14. > :29:18.Still some bright sunny spells coming through the cloud but there
:29:19. > :29:22.is a of rain around. The far north-west of Scotland could see
:29:23. > :29:29.spit and spots and the same in the West of Northern Ireland. But to 70
:29:30. > :29:32.degrees in northern England but for some, turning a bit hazy as the
:29:33. > :29:36.afternoon goes on. We will keep crystal clear blue sky across the
:29:37. > :29:39.West of England and Wales but towards the south coast, a
:29:40. > :29:43.noticeable southeasterly wind. You've got the sunshine but there is
:29:44. > :29:47.a breeze and a bit of a chill in the breeze, so temperatures held down
:29:48. > :29:52.into low double figures. Lots of sunshine across Wales as well.
:29:53. > :29:56.Turning hazy to the North. 15 degrees near Rhyl. For Northern
:29:57. > :30:00.Ireland, not quite as warm as yesterday but eastern parts called
:30:01. > :30:03.on to some bright skies. If you spots of rain and it continues to be
:30:04. > :30:08.wet in the far north-west of Scotland. Elsewhere, despite the
:30:09. > :30:11.cloud, mainly dry. The weather front bringing the rain moves south
:30:12. > :30:17.tonight, heading through western parts of Scotland and across
:30:18. > :30:20.Northern Ireland. By the end of the night across northern England and
:30:21. > :30:28.North Wales. Blustery showers in northern Scotland. Clear spells in
:30:29. > :30:31.southern England. A touch of ground frost tomorrow morning to stop
:30:32. > :30:35.cloudier skies tomorrow for England and Wales but the rain of the
:30:36. > :30:38.weather system dying away. We'll hold onto some sunshine across the
:30:39. > :30:45.south coast and Southern counties and it will be a warmer day than
:30:46. > :30:50.today. Showers and the wind easing and it will feel decidedly fresh in
:30:51. > :30:54.Scotland. Southern areas could see 18, 19 and maybe 20 degrees. This is
:30:55. > :30:59.the start of the long Easter weekend. Lots of sunshine on Good
:31:00. > :31:03.Friday but a chilly start with a touch of frost and thanks to high
:31:04. > :31:09.pressure, Saturday will continue in a similar vein. Then Easter day, an
:31:10. > :31:13.area of low pressure comes into England and Wales with some rain
:31:14. > :31:18.coming in. A cold day. Scotland and Northern Ireland will stay dry.
:31:19. > :31:23.We'll keep you updated on the fine detail. A fine start this Easter but
:31:24. > :31:24.later in the weekend, and increasing threat of rain as it turns
:31:25. > :31:27.unsettled. At least four people have died and
:31:28. > :31:33.300 - many of them schoolchildren - are missing after a ferry capsized
:31:34. > :31:37.off the coast of South Korea.