:00:10. > :00:12.Political shock waves in America as President Trump sacks the head
:00:13. > :00:26.James Comey - the country's most senior law enforcement official -
:00:27. > :00:27.was investigating links between the president's
:00:28. > :00:41.If an at independent prosecutor is appointed we can get too the bottom
:00:42. > :00:45.of this. If not everyone will suspect cover up.
:00:46. > :00:48.But President Trump claims James Comey had lost the confidence
:00:49. > :00:50.of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike.
:00:51. > :00:52.We'll be looking at the impact his decision could have.
:00:53. > :00:56.The 11-year-old girl who died on a school trip to a theme
:00:57. > :00:58.park in Staffordshire - her family say their world
:00:59. > :01:02.No Conservatives will face charges for breaches of expenses rules over
:01:03. > :01:06.the 2015 general election "battle bus" says the CPS.
:01:07. > :01:08.Education election pledges - both Labour and the Liberal
:01:09. > :01:11.Democrats say they would invest billions in schools over
:01:12. > :01:17.And 50 years after Pink Floyd's debut album - the new exhibition
:01:18. > :01:19.at London's Victoria and Albert museum celebrating one of
:01:20. > :01:27.And coming up in the sport on BBC News: England are handed a tough
:01:28. > :01:53.They'll play France and Argentina in the tournament in 2019.
:01:54. > :01:56.Good afternoon and welcome to the BBC News at One.
:01:57. > :02:00.President Trump has defended his decision to sack the head of the FBI
:02:01. > :02:02.without warning, saying he'd lost the confidence of almost
:02:03. > :02:08.James Comey learnt of his fate last night when he was handed a note
:02:09. > :02:11.as he briefed FBI agents in Los Angeles.
:02:12. > :02:14.Mr Comey had been leading an investigation into alleged links
:02:15. > :02:17.between Mr Trump's election campaign last year and Russia.
:02:18. > :02:19.But the White House insists he was dismissed for mishandling
:02:20. > :02:21.an inquiry into Hillary Clinton's emails last year.
:02:22. > :02:29.From Washington, here's Aleem Maqbool.
:02:30. > :02:31.Absolutely explosive news out of Washington tonight...
:02:32. > :02:36.FBI Director James Comey has been fired by the president
:02:37. > :02:39.Americans have learned to expect almost anything
:02:40. > :02:46.from their president, but this really was high drama.
:02:47. > :02:49.FBI Director James Comey wasn't even in Washington.
:02:50. > :02:51.He was addressing FBI staff in Los Angeles
:02:52. > :02:59.A short while later, a letter arrived at FBI headquarters.
:03:00. > :03:01."You are hereby terminated and removed from office,
:03:02. > :03:07.While I greatly appreciate you informing me on three separate
:03:08. > :03:09.occasions that are not under investigation, I nevertheless concur
:03:10. > :03:12.with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you're not able
:03:13. > :03:26.Except the Trump campaign was being investigated by the FBI
:03:27. > :03:34.James Comey was leading the investigation, and now he's gone.
:03:35. > :03:36.Are people going to suspect cover-up?
:03:37. > :03:40.If an independent special prosecutor is appointed,
:03:41. > :03:42.they still can be some faith that we can get to
:03:43. > :03:47.If not, everyone will suspect cover-up.
:03:48. > :03:51.Speaking on US TV, the president's adviser dismissed that notion.
:03:52. > :03:54.This has nothing to do with Russia, it has everything to do
:03:55. > :03:56.with whether the current FBI director has the
:03:57. > :04:03.And can faithfully and capably execute his duties.
:04:04. > :04:07.The shock waves from this decision are not just
:04:08. > :04:11.being felt here at the FBI, but across the city and beyond.
:04:12. > :04:13.For his supporters this is evidence that Donald Trump
:04:14. > :04:18.But for many others this just adds to the perception that this country
:04:19. > :04:21.is now being run by a man who is intolerant of those
:04:22. > :04:25.who disagree with him and who do not entirely do his bidding.
:04:26. > :04:29.Aleem Maqbool, BBC News, in Washington.
:04:30. > :04:31.Well the shock sacking of James Comey has led to US
:04:32. > :04:35.Democrats and some Republicans intensifying their calls
:04:36. > :04:37.for an independent investigation into links between the Trump
:04:38. > :04:39.presidential election campaign and Russia, as Richard
:04:40. > :04:52.James Comey's impact on the American presidency has been profound.
:04:53. > :04:56.Democrats say he swung the election against Hillary Clinton. Trump
:04:57. > :05:02.supporters say he has undermined the White House. But the question is why
:05:03. > :05:08.now? I made a mistake using a private e-mail. When days before the
:05:09. > :05:11.election Mr Comby re-opened the investigation into whether Mrs
:05:12. > :05:20.Clinton had compromised national security by using a private e-mail
:05:21. > :05:23.server, trump was thrilled. It took guts for director Comey to make the
:05:24. > :05:29.move he made in light of opposition he had. Then came this. Although
:05:30. > :05:33.there is evidence of potential violations of statutes regarding the
:05:34. > :05:38.handling of classified information, our judgment is that no reasonable
:05:39. > :05:44.prosecutor would bring such a case. Is but even months on, the justice
:05:45. > :05:52.department has decided Mr Comey had no right to announce the case was
:05:53. > :06:00.closed. The deputy Attorney General said:
:06:01. > :06:09.Democrats think it is another announcement from Mr Come that got
:06:10. > :06:13.him sacked, that efs investigating Russian support for Donald Trump.
:06:14. > :06:18.That includes investigating the nature of any links between
:06:19. > :06:22.individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian
:06:23. > :06:28.Government and whether there was any co-ordination between the campaign
:06:29. > :06:32.and Russia's efforts. Mr Trump's first national security advisor
:06:33. > :06:36.Michael Flynn had to resign after lying about talks with Russian
:06:37. > :06:40.officials. But one Republican believes this sacking could
:06:41. > :06:46.jeopardise the investigates by the Senate.
:06:47. > :06:52.There ends up being nothing there, I will be the first to acknowledge
:06:53. > :06:58.that, but boy oh boy with the president's actions and his
:06:59. > :07:05.comments, his whole approach to our investigation, really raises a huge
:07:06. > :07:10.level of concern with me. But Donald Trump said today Comey lost the
:07:11. > :07:16.confidence of all everyone in washton. When things calm down they
:07:17. > :07:24.will thank me. But for many, this sacking will raise more questions
:07:25. > :07:29.than answers and an the day he is due to meet the rush foreign
:07:30. > :07:31.minister, this controversy will continue.
:07:32. > :07:33.Our washington correspondent Gary O'Donoghue is outside the FBI
:07:34. > :07:44.President Trump is defiant, how much of an impact could his decision
:07:45. > :07:50.have? Sophie, they have seen some things here at the J Edgar Hoover
:07:51. > :07:56.building, but the sacking of a director less than four years into a
:07:57. > :08:02.ten year term has rocked Washington. The president has been out there on
:08:03. > :08:08.social media defending his decision, saying people will thank him and
:08:09. > :08:14.lambasting the democrats saying they were not keen on James Comey and now
:08:15. > :08:20.they play so sad. The question now is the timing. Why now? Because the
:08:21. > :08:25.things that were cited in all the letters released yesterday talk
:08:26. > :08:32.about the way James Comey handled the Hillary Clinton investigation.
:08:33. > :08:37.There is this over riding issue - the links with Russia and the
:08:38. > :08:43.possible co-ordination between the Trump campaign and Russia. Subpoenas
:08:44. > :08:47.potentially flying around. People asking for immunity from
:08:48. > :08:51.prosecution. It is something that had got unther the president's skin
:08:52. > :09:00.and there are few here who believe that was not a major factor in his
:09:01. > :09:06.summary dismissal of jachls Come -- - James Comey yesterday.
:09:07. > :09:09.An eleven-year-old girl who died after falling from a water ride
:09:10. > :09:11.at a theme Park in Staffordshire yesterday has been named
:09:12. > :09:15.She was on a school trip to Drayton Manor park when she fell
:09:16. > :09:20.Our correspondent Phil Mackie is at the theme park now.
:09:21. > :09:27.This time yesterday you would have heard a lot of noise - the park was
:09:28. > :09:30.filled and there would have been screams from the school-children
:09:31. > :09:36.enjoying that are rides. Now, things are much quieter. The park is
:09:37. > :09:38.deserted and an investigation has begun into how an 11-year-old died
:09:39. > :09:42.24 hours ago. The Jannaths had come
:09:43. > :09:45.to the park on a school trip. The emergency services arrived
:09:46. > :09:47.quickly, staff and paramedics tried to save her, but she was pronounced
:09:48. > :09:50.dead after being airlifted to Today investigators are examining
:09:51. > :09:53.the Splash Canyon ride and are trying to work out how
:09:54. > :09:56.she fell into the water. There is a height restriction
:09:57. > :10:00.which means that young children who are between three
:10:01. > :10:03.and 3.5 feet tall have to be Although people are not strapped in,
:10:04. > :10:07.they are told to remain Four years ago another young boy,
:10:08. > :10:12.Patrick Tracey, fell into the One hand was still
:10:13. > :10:16.holding onto the bar and And at that point the boat
:10:17. > :10:20.bumped against the And he was just tossed
:10:21. > :10:25.headfirst into the water. I panicked and I did
:10:26. > :10:27.not know what to But luckily there was a member
:10:28. > :10:31.of the public, a lovely lady next to me who just said hold
:10:32. > :10:33.on, I've got him. And jumped over the fence
:10:34. > :10:36.that we were leaning on. She jumped over a second
:10:37. > :10:38.fence and dragged Patrick Drayton Manor says it is checking
:10:39. > :10:41.through its records and liaising with the Health
:10:42. > :10:43.and Safety Executive. Staff and pupils have been
:10:44. > :10:49.offered counselling. She was a lovely,
:10:50. > :10:50.sweet natured girl. And she was loved by
:10:51. > :10:54.everyone at the school. As a school and as a community
:10:55. > :10:57.we are trying to make sense of this Our thoughts and prayers
:10:58. > :11:04.are with her family. Myself, I could not sleep last night
:11:05. > :11:15.thinking about this. I have got kids that probably
:11:16. > :11:18.in the future will be The park is shut today
:11:19. > :11:22.as a mark of respect. No decision has been made
:11:23. > :11:33.on when it will reopen. We are expecting an announcement on
:11:34. > :11:39.the re-opening soon. We have a statement from the family that said,
:11:40. > :11:43.yesterday our world was torn apart by the news that our daughter lost
:11:44. > :11:48.her life in tragic circumstances. She was a beautiful girl, full of
:11:49. > :11:49.love and always smiling. Words cannot describe the pain and loss
:11:50. > :11:53.that we feel. Thank you. No Conservative politicians
:11:54. > :11:55.or officials will face charges for breaches of expenses rules
:11:56. > :11:58.during the 2015 general election. The Crown Prosecution Service said
:11:59. > :12:00.it had examined evidence from 14 police forces in England but it
:12:01. > :12:03.did not "meet the test" But it is still investigating
:12:04. > :12:06.the Conservative campaign With me is our Home Affairs
:12:07. > :12:22.Correspondent, Tom Symonds. Remind us what this was about. It
:12:23. > :12:25.goes back to the 2015 election campaign and the allegation then was
:12:26. > :12:30.that the Conservatives nationally were sending battle buses full of
:12:31. > :12:34.activists out to marginal constituencies to help the
:12:35. > :12:40.candidates campaign. And the claim was that wrongly that spending, the
:12:41. > :12:46.cost of that, was being put on a national spending release that has
:12:47. > :12:49.to go to the Electoral Commission, rather than the local commission.
:12:50. > :12:55.The claim is that was done deliberately. The Crown Prosecution
:12:56. > :12:58.Service said it is an offence to knowingly make a false declaration.
:12:59. > :13:04.But there was no evidence that the suspects in the case, MPs, agents,
:13:05. > :13:06.acted dishonestly in making inaccurate returns to the
:13:07. > :13:13.commission. So there can't be any charges that. S. The Conservative
:13:14. > :13:16.Party are pleased and say they were politically motivated and unfounded
:13:17. > :13:21.complaints. But there is a sting in the tail. One of the files relating
:13:22. > :13:25.to Kent has not been considered yet and there could still be
:13:26. > :13:28.prosecutions there. The problem is that tomorrow is the closing date
:13:29. > :13:34.for any candidates in the election to pull out. So you can see that we
:13:35. > :13:36.won't hear about that by tomorrow and that will cause a headache for
:13:37. > :13:40.the Conservative Party. Thank you. A man who was arrested close
:13:41. > :13:42.to Downing Street last month has appeared in court charged
:13:43. > :13:44.with preparation 27-year-old Khalid Mohammed Omar Ali
:13:45. > :13:48.from London is also charged with two counts of making
:13:49. > :13:50.or having explosives. Our Home Affairs Correspondent,
:13:51. > :14:04.June Kelly, is outside There two explosive counts relate to
:14:05. > :14:11.alleged activity in Afghanistan in 2012. Khalid Omar Alli spent a
:14:12. > :14:15.number of years abroad and then came to Britain last year. A member of
:14:16. > :14:20.his family became concerned and contacted the police. He was put
:14:21. > :14:24.under surveillance, followed through London and arrested in Westminster
:14:25. > :14:33.close to Parliament Square. And a number of knives were recovered from
:14:34. > :14:37.the scene. Today, at this hearing, he wore handcuffs and they were kept
:14:38. > :14:42.on. Unlike the rest of court he didn't stand up when the judge came
:14:43. > :14:47.in and it also emerged he has refused to have a lawyer. Now when
:14:48. > :14:51.the charges were put to him, he said that he did not recognise the
:14:52. > :14:57.charges and so would not be entering a plea. So pleas of not guilty were
:14:58. > :15:02.recorded. He has been remanded in custody and his next court
:15:03. > :15:05.appearance will be on May 19th at the Old Bailey.
:15:06. > :15:09.Political shockwaves in America as President Trump sacks the head
:15:10. > :15:14.Mr Trump says James Comey had lost the confidence
:15:15. > :15:20.It looks great but it sounds terrible.
:15:21. > :15:22.Sydney Opera House gets a makeover to improve
:15:23. > :15:30.Fifa start an inquiry into the transfer of the world's
:15:31. > :15:32.most expensive player - Paul Pogba to Manchester United.
:15:33. > :15:46.They want to know who received what from the ?89 million deal.
:15:47. > :15:48.Billions of pounds invested in schools -
:15:49. > :15:50.that's what both Labour and the Liberal democrats
:15:51. > :15:53.are promising if they win the general election.
:15:54. > :15:55.Labour says it would plough five billion pounds more
:15:56. > :15:59.The Lib Dems are going further than that -
:16:00. > :16:01.they say they would invest an extra seven billion across
:16:02. > :16:04.Our Political Correspondent, Leila Nathoo, has been
:16:05. > :16:20.It is an issue that has galvanised parents and teachers across England.
:16:21. > :16:25.Now school funding is firmly on the election agenda. Labour is pledging
:16:26. > :16:29.to transform an education system it says has been starred of money.
:16:30. > :16:32.Every child whatever their background will be given the
:16:33. > :16:40.opportunity to unlock their full potential. We will give further and
:16:41. > :16:44.technical education the parity of esteem it deserves not just with
:16:45. > :16:49.warm words but bold actions. Labour are promising to create a national
:16:50. > :16:54.education service, schools in England will get a ?4.8 billion
:16:55. > :16:57.boost over the next four years with ?335 million to cushion losses from
:16:58. > :17:02.changes to the way government money is allocated. Under the plans
:17:03. > :17:05.Education Maintenance Allowance for college students and grants for
:17:06. > :17:12.university students would both be reintroduced. And adults would be
:17:13. > :17:17.able to retrain for free. Pouring more money into the mix is also the
:17:18. > :17:21.Liberal Democrat plan. ?6 billion for schools in England over five
:17:22. > :17:25.years and extra for the devolved administrations. Two thirds of
:17:26. > :17:30.schools it now turns out today are planning to lay off at least one
:17:31. > :17:34.teacher in the next two months and under that kind of pressure do need
:17:35. > :17:37.to be a response, a fully costed response, to build a future for all
:17:38. > :17:42.our children so we can have a decent education and be confident in that.
:17:43. > :17:45.But big plans come with big bills. Both parties said they would reverse
:17:46. > :17:52.cuts to corporation tax to fund schools, Labour says the rate would
:17:53. > :17:56.rise from 19 to 26% by 2020. The Labour Party proposals would raise
:17:57. > :18:01.more than enough corporation tax to pay for these increases in school
:18:02. > :18:05.funding but of course an increase in corporation tax has significant
:18:06. > :18:08.economic effects, it will reduce investment by companies in the UK
:18:09. > :18:13.and in the long run it will not raise as much as it might in the
:18:14. > :18:16.short term as companies change their behaviour. Hadgee dues have
:18:17. > :18:19.protested their facing the biggest squeeze on school budgets for
:18:20. > :18:25.decades. They said would mean cuts to subjects and bigger class sizes.
:18:26. > :18:28.Because Abbas said that schools have received record levels funding and
:18:29. > :18:34.wants the opposition parties cannot deliver on their promises. 1.8
:18:35. > :18:38.million more children in good and outstanding schools. And education
:18:39. > :18:41.in England has been improving while education in Scotland and Wales has
:18:42. > :18:45.been moving backwards. You'll also note that the free schools we have
:18:46. > :18:49.created have created good and outstanding school places where they
:18:50. > :18:53.did not exist before. The government plans to open new grammar and three
:18:54. > :18:57.scores and change the formula used to calculate school funding have
:18:58. > :19:00.both proved controversial. It is given the opposition parties
:19:01. > :19:02.ammunition to take their electoral battle to classroom.
:19:03. > :19:08.Our Assistant political editor Norman Smith is in Westminster.
:19:09. > :19:14.Labour and the Lib Dems pledging bidding war for schools. To the
:19:15. > :19:18.figures add up? Under both of their plans it is business that will have
:19:19. > :19:24.to pay up. And under the Labour plan to pay up an awful lot more because
:19:25. > :19:28.Jeremy Corbyn, his plans for schools are hugely ambitious, talking about
:19:29. > :19:33.a national education service to mirror the National Health Service.
:19:34. > :19:40.In other words free, lifelong learning for everyone from cradle to
:19:41. > :19:46.grave. So getting rid of fees for adults who want to return to
:19:47. > :19:50.college, reintroducing, or sorry, scrapping, sorry, reintroducing
:19:51. > :19:54.maintenance grants for students and a massive building programme which
:19:55. > :19:58.alone cost around 30 billion. Add onto that possibly scrapping tuition
:19:59. > :20:02.fees as well, it comes to nearly 50 billion and to pay for that Labour
:20:03. > :20:06.are suggesting business should face an increase in corporation tax of
:20:07. > :20:11.more than a third. That is probably the biggest hike in business tax we
:20:12. > :20:16.have seen in an awfully long time. Labour said business will benefit
:20:17. > :20:19.from a more productive workforce but if you're a businessman or woman
:20:20. > :20:24.cuddling with the uncertainties of Brexit you might think that a huge
:20:25. > :20:28.tax bill is the last thing that you need. Norman Smith, thank you.
:20:29. > :20:30.One of the most hotly contested battlefields during general
:20:31. > :20:33.elections is the West Midlands - with its clusters of marginal seats
:20:34. > :20:35.which have a habit of swinging back and forth between Labour
:20:36. > :20:40.A succession of senior politicians have already beaten a path
:20:41. > :20:42.to the region's doorsteps as our West Midlands Political
:20:43. > :20:47.Where once they built Spitfire fighters in Erdington, they now make
:20:48. > :20:51.One reason why the Midlands is the only UK region
:20:52. > :20:58.But if having a prize business asset like that on its doorstep really
:20:59. > :21:01.does much for Erdington itself, well, there is precious little
:21:02. > :21:04.evidence of it here in and around the high street.
:21:05. > :21:06.It is one of the most deprived constituencies in
:21:07. > :21:09.Britain, 63% of the electorate here have voted Leave in the
:21:10. > :21:15.And for many voters here there is no doubt about the number
:21:16. > :21:22.Now we know that it is actually going to go ahead and we
:21:23. > :21:28.Well, I think we should have more say in our
:21:29. > :21:30.The EU didn't give us that, did they?
:21:31. > :21:33.The election last week of a Conservative Midlands
:21:34. > :21:36.Metro Mayor sent out the clearest signal yet that some old political
:21:37. > :21:41.Walsall has two marginal Labour constituencies.
:21:42. > :21:46.Those of us with long memories recall Margaret Thatcher
:21:47. > :21:50.telling her supporters exactly 30 years ago that they still had to win
:21:51. > :21:54.All but one of Birmingham's ten constituencies are
:21:55. > :21:59.This time, though, Erdington is one of at least
:22:00. > :22:01.four seats in the city where the Conservatives reckon
:22:02. > :22:07.It is also where Theresa May's Joint Chief of Staff Nick
:22:08. > :22:11.So Erdington is also code for those ordinary working
:22:12. > :22:17.More jobs, more living accommodation.
:22:18. > :22:22.And more apprentice jobs you know, for training young people.
:22:23. > :22:26.There are too many young people being wasted.
:22:27. > :22:30.To me it is health, education, and employment.
:22:31. > :22:32.The way the NHS is going, yes, that is
:22:33. > :22:40.So it is not mainly about Brexit as far as you're concerned?
:22:41. > :22:46.You can see Birmingham's changing skyline from out here too.
:22:47. > :22:52.But which party has the best plan to drive all that economic energy
:22:53. > :22:57.towards the places barely three miles away that need it most?
:22:58. > :22:59.Forget Middle England, it is in the city that you
:23:00. > :23:12.It has killed nearly 100 dogs in the UK since it first
:23:13. > :23:15.Yet little is known about the disease called Alabama Rot.
:23:16. > :23:17.First discovered in America in the late 1980s -
:23:18. > :23:20.it causes lesions on dogs' legs and paws.
:23:21. > :23:23.But there's still no known cure - which is why vets and animal welfare
:23:24. > :23:25.groups are meeting in Reading today for the first time
:23:26. > :23:43.It is that time of day. The walk, run, the fun. Repeated by 8 million
:23:44. > :23:47.dogs across the United Kingdom. But for Gabriel Williams from
:23:48. > :23:53.Monmouthshire those joys came to an end earlier this year. Her dog, a
:23:54. > :23:58.family pet for five years, caught Alabama Rot and died. It is still
:23:59. > :24:01.hard to get your head around it, she's not here because it happens
:24:02. > :24:07.quickly and she was quite young, just five and a half. It was hard to
:24:08. > :24:11.see. So it has been difficult and very sad. Alabama Rot was first
:24:12. > :24:17.recorded in the United States in the 1980s. And it gives dogs nations,
:24:18. > :24:21.ulcers and in many cases kidney failure. So it is very unpleasant
:24:22. > :24:27.disease and luckily Lola has avoided it. But 15 dogs in the UK have died
:24:28. > :24:33.from Alabama Rot so far this year, bringing the total to almost 100
:24:34. > :24:37.since it was first noticed in 2012. Those first cases were seen in
:24:38. > :24:42.Hampshire but there have now been examples in 29 counties. There's no
:24:43. > :24:51.obvious pattern to the location or breed. Today's first-ever conference
:24:52. > :24:55.on Alabama Rot in the UK has been organised by David Walker, of that
:24:56. > :25:00.was studied it for five years. What is your gut feeling of what this is?
:25:01. > :25:03.I would say my gut feeling is that intrinsically within the dog they
:25:04. > :25:06.have a predisposition to this disease process and then perhaps
:25:07. > :25:10.there is an environmental trigger on top that means they develop the
:25:11. > :25:14.disease later in their lifetime. It is certainly a disease that these
:25:15. > :25:19.owners in the new Forest are aware off now. Until I see any signs again
:25:20. > :25:24.or anything appearing I just keep going like normal. They do not know
:25:25. > :25:29.what is causing it so you just have to continue as normal. Let's say
:25:30. > :25:31.that this need not be alarmed. Alabama Rot remains extremely rare.
:25:32. > :25:37.But symptoms should not be ignored. It's one of the most iconic opera
:25:38. > :25:45.houses in the World but it's famously NOT a great place to hear
:25:46. > :25:48.music because of its high ceiling. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra says
:25:49. > :25:50.the sound is like "playing on a football pitch that's
:25:51. > :25:52.shrouded in fog". After 40 years of these notoriously
:25:53. > :25:55.bad acoustics work to try and improve them will finally start
:25:56. > :25:57.later this month. Our Sydney Correspondent
:25:58. > :26:02.Hywel Griffiths reports. It's the building that
:26:03. > :26:04.defines not just Sydney, Bold and bathed in sunshine,
:26:05. > :26:09.the opera house's tall But inside, the sound is,
:26:10. > :26:17.well, not so stunning. For its resident Symphony Orchestra,
:26:18. > :26:21.is a regular frustration. The shape of the concert hall makes
:26:22. > :26:24.it hard to hear themselves, It's a bit like playing football
:26:25. > :26:30.on a pitch that is sort of shrouded in fog and you know your team-mates
:26:31. > :26:33.are out there somewhere, And for us I guess the issue
:26:34. > :26:39.is they are a bit hard to hear. Often I don't feel like we are
:26:40. > :26:42.really always playing together. And then with some of the other
:26:43. > :26:44.sections of the orchestra, we can actually have time delays
:26:45. > :26:47.at times as we are trying The problem dates back
:26:48. > :26:51.to the very beginning. Changes were made to
:26:52. > :26:54.the original design. The architect fell out
:26:55. > :26:56.with the engineers and never saw After decades of trying
:26:57. > :27:02.out different fixes, a new system of reflectors
:27:03. > :27:05.and risers has been tested and, it is claimed, will finally deliver
:27:06. > :27:15.crystal clear sound. It was honestly like someone had
:27:16. > :27:18.just lifted a Perspex box off And you could hear
:27:19. > :27:21.them so much better. The sound sounds
:27:22. > :27:23.a lot closer to you. You feel as if you're actually
:27:24. > :27:28.hearing, you can hear The famous tall sails that form
:27:29. > :27:32.the outside of this building have always placed a limit
:27:33. > :27:36.on what can happen inside. The concert hall is too big for
:27:37. > :27:39.orchestral concerts, for example. The real challenge for the next four
:27:40. > :27:43.years is making sure what happens inside here matches the quality
:27:44. > :27:55.of what people see out there. This will be the first time
:27:56. > :27:58.the opera house will close any But they will still be
:27:59. > :28:01.music within these walls. As they try to fine-tune one
:28:02. > :28:04.of the world's best loved buildings. It's 50 years since Pink Floyd
:28:05. > :28:12.released their debut album. And to mark the occasion
:28:13. > :28:15.a new exhibition is opening at London's Victoria
:28:16. > :28:17.and Albert Museum this weekend It features memorabilia
:28:18. > :28:21.including instruments, Our Arts Correspondent David Sillito
:28:22. > :28:31.has had a sneak preview. The Queen Elizabeth Hall,
:28:32. > :28:37.a classical music venue, hosted what was to become a landmark
:28:38. > :28:41.in rock history. The lights, the surround
:28:42. > :28:43.sound, the psychedelia. The Pink Floyd, they have
:28:44. > :28:51.an audience, and people who have an audience ought
:28:52. > :28:56.to be heard. Perhaps it's my fault that
:28:57. > :29:03.I don't appreciate them. 50 years on, this exhibition tells
:29:04. > :29:07.the story of how Pink Floyd helped turn rock music into a visual
:29:08. > :29:09.spectacle by retreating It was a gradual
:29:10. > :29:24.slide into obscurity. We just found that it worked better
:29:25. > :29:27.to utilise sort of effects and video and strange lighting devices
:29:28. > :29:38.and so on to augment the music. It was an era of massive
:29:39. > :29:40.experimentation and there was a whole generation of designers
:29:41. > :29:43.and architects creating things that they thought no
:29:44. > :29:45.one would ever built. The stage designs,
:29:46. > :30:01.the giant inflatable pig. All vital visuals for a band
:30:02. > :30:08.that liked to say no. I do remember that when we went
:30:09. > :30:11.on the road there was a big I think we were a bit
:30:12. > :30:24.po-faced and snotty. It is in many ways a record
:30:25. > :30:30.of an era which is now past. When albums ruled and no one was
:30:31. > :30:53.counting the cost of rock excess. Good afternoon. The big UK headline
:30:54. > :31:00.today is that the eastern side of England is finally seeing some
:31:01. > :31:04.sunshine. This is from a weather watcher in North Yorkshire are
:31:05. > :31:09.showing virtually unbroken blue skies. But for the North West and
:31:10. > :31:17.West of Scotland we have more clout around. But all the eastern side of
:31:18. > :31:20.England based in sunshine and the cloud you can see across the
:31:21. > :31:26.northern half of Scotland plaguing many parts with even a bit of light
:31:27. > :31:30.rain for the far north and in towards the Northern Isles. Any
:31:31. > :31:35.sunshine will come and go for central parts of Scotland and
:31:36. > :31:40.Northern Ireland but feeling quite warm in the sunshine. Most of the
:31:41. > :31:42.sunshine across England and Wales and generally feeling warmer than
:31:43. > :31:48.yesterday. Most noticeable across eastern areas which have been quite
:31:49. > :31:53.grave for the past week or so. Top temperatures close to 20 degrees in
:31:54. > :32:01.the South East. This evening and overnight things turned cool again.
:32:02. > :32:06.Some frost possible. Signs of change across the South, a weather front
:32:07. > :32:13.bringing patchy rain and cloud with increasing humidity. So on Thursday
:32:14. > :32:18.it is a chilly start for most, lots of sunshine once again. The weather
:32:19. > :32:22.front across the South continues to move north bringing patchy outbreaks
:32:23. > :32:26.of rain. It introduces more humid air and in the afternoon we could
:32:27. > :32:35.have some sundry downpours developing. Very much needed rain.
:32:36. > :32:41.Quite a warm field to things with a top temperature between 20, 20 two
:32:42. > :32:47.Celsius. Then into Thursday night, early Friday morning, quite a humid
:32:48. > :32:53.feel to things and more persistent rain moving up from the South. That
:32:54. > :32:56.weather front continues to move north on Friday introducing some
:32:57. > :33:03.sundry downpours possibly because the air will be quite warm and
:33:04. > :33:08.humid. Most public through Wales, the Midlands, northern England and
:33:09. > :33:13.into East Anglia. Across the north-east quite a chilly feel with
:33:14. > :33:19.more of a breeze. Then the weekend the community is pushed away so a
:33:20. > :33:20.bit fresher. And it will feel warm in the sunshine. -- the