:00:13. > :00:19.22 children from Belgium have been killed in an horrific accident
:00:19. > :00:23.coming back from a school skiing trip. Their coach crashed head-on
:00:23. > :00:26.into a wall as it drove through a tunnel in Switzerland. 00 medics
:00:26. > :00:29.and firefighters battled through the night to save as many as they
:00:29. > :00:33.could. Six adults are dead, many more children seriously injured.
:00:33. > :00:38.The anguish of the parents waiting to find out if their children are
:00:38. > :00:41.among the dead. And the school's in shock.
:00:41. > :00:50.Eight children, we don't know what is happening with them. The older
:00:50. > :00:55.children have broken legs and arms. Our teacher and our monitor, they
:00:55. > :00:59.are dead. Also on the programme:
:00:59. > :01:01.Cautious optimism as unemployment rises again, but more slowly than
:01:01. > :01:05.before. How President Obama showed David
:01:05. > :01:09.Cameron the two leaders are talking the same language.
:01:09. > :01:14.David, we are chuffed to bits that you are here.
:01:14. > :01:17.I'm looking forward to a great Nater.
:01:17. > :01:21.I'm confident that together we are going to keep the relationship
:01:21. > :01:25.between our two great nations absolutely top-notch.
:01:25. > :01:35.And a tale of new cities. Three towns across Britain are granted
:01:35. > :01:59.
:01:59. > :02:04.city status after winning a Jubilee competition. Good evening.
:02:04. > :02:08.Welcome to the BBC News at Six. 22 school children from Belgium aged
:02:08. > :02:12.11 and 12, have dieded after their coach crashed in Switzerland as
:02:12. > :02:15.they were coming home from a skiing trip. Six adults including the two
:02:15. > :02:19.drivers were killed and 24 other children have been hurt, most are
:02:19. > :02:23.reported to have life-threatening injuries. Belgium has declared a
:02:23. > :02:28.national day of mourning. The school party had only just left
:02:28. > :02:31.the ski resort when the accident happened near Sierre at 9 o'clock
:02:32. > :02:36.last night. The coach swerved and hit a wall head-on while travelling
:02:36. > :02:38.through a tunnel. About 200 police, firefighters, doctors and medics
:02:38. > :02:45.worked through the night to try to save the dying and injured.
:02:45. > :02:49.Christian Fraser is at the crash scene for us.
:02:49. > :02:52.Thank you very much. This is peak skiing season in Switzerland and a
:02:52. > :02:56.lot of school coach parties are in the alps at the moment. I'm sure a
:02:56. > :03:00.lot of parents at home are deeply anxious and horrified by what
:03:00. > :03:03.they've heard and read today. Deeply saddened too the town of
:03:03. > :03:07.Sierre which sits alongside the tunnel behind me, you had to catch
:03:07. > :03:10.the rescue unfold last night. There is a tribute that's growing on this
:03:10. > :03:14.bridge behind me. I've been speaking to rescue workers today.
:03:14. > :03:22.Some of these people were long serving, experienced professionals
:03:22. > :03:28.and they tell me they were deeply shocked by what they encountered.
:03:28. > :03:31.They worked long through the night, freeing the survivors in cramped,
:03:32. > :03:35.traumatic conditions. Embedded in the tunnel wall, the coach, full of
:03:35. > :03:40.11 and 12-year-old children, those who could had already clambered
:03:40. > :03:46.from the wreckage. But there were many still trapped inside.
:03:46. > :03:49.Over 200 emergency workers rushed to the scene. There were 12
:03:49. > :03:53.ambulances and eight helicopters that ferried the injured to
:03:53. > :04:03.hospital. When we saw the first patients
:04:03. > :04:04.
:04:04. > :04:08.coming out, this was the first horrific moment also for us. You
:04:08. > :04:11.could imagine what it would look like inside the tunnel. The full
:04:11. > :04:15.horror of the accident was write none the wreckage they removed this
:04:15. > :04:21.morning. So violent the impact that the front third of the coach was
:04:21. > :04:24.torn apart. In all, 28 people died, among them 22 children and both
:04:24. > :04:28.drivers. This is the opposite side of the
:04:28. > :04:31.tunnel that we drove through today. The prosecutor has ruled out any
:04:31. > :04:35.suggestion the driver was speeding. Nonetheless, the coach appears to
:04:35. > :04:39.have hit the right hand wall before colliding head-on with a concrete
:04:39. > :04:42.pillar that forms part of the emergency exit.
:04:42. > :04:46.It's unlikely that driver fatigue will be to blame for this accident,
:04:46. > :04:49.since the school party were just over an hour into their return
:04:49. > :04:53.journey. The weather and the driving conditions were good, much
:04:53. > :04:57.as they are today. In this tunnel, there is a steep
:04:57. > :05:00.kerb which is, if you hit it at speed, it would throw the steering
:05:00. > :05:06.wheel and that scenario will form part of the investigation which is
:05:06. > :05:12.now under way. The victims were from the villages
:05:12. > :05:16.of la Mel. Eight of the children were from the same Sint
:05:16. > :05:19.Lambertusschool. When the school gates opened, some parents were
:05:19. > :05:25.still learning of the accident. While a number had confirmation
:05:25. > :05:29.their children survived, there were those who had to assume the worst.
:05:29. > :05:36.We have 24 children here of our school. Eight children we don't
:05:36. > :05:42.know what is happening with them. The other children have broken legs
:05:42. > :05:46.and arms. Our teacher and our monitor, they are dead.
:05:46. > :05:50.The families flew to Switzerland aboard a specially charted military
:05:50. > :05:52.flight. The Belgian Prime Minister who visited the scene this
:05:52. > :05:56.afternoon spoke of a national tragedy.
:05:56. > :06:01.Switzerland has some of the strictest driving regulations in
:06:01. > :06:06.Europe and this is their worst coach accident in 30 years. Tonight,
:06:06. > :06:09.24 people remain in hospital, three of them young children still in a
:06:09. > :06:14.coma. In Belgium, a small community is
:06:14. > :06:19.grieving and their nation mourns with them.
:06:19. > :06:22.We have just had a press conference in the nearby town at which the
:06:22. > :06:26.Belgian Prime Minister's spoken, no words to describe the pain was the
:06:26. > :06:29.term that he used. They've also clarified some of the details that
:06:29. > :06:32.they've managed to ascertain so far. I told you in that report that
:06:32. > :06:36.they've ruled out speed. That leaves three other options. They
:06:36. > :06:39.are looking at a technical problem with the bus, although it was new
:06:39. > :06:43.and it was fitted with all the safety equipment that was required,
:06:43. > :06:45.including the seat belts. They are looking at the driver's health,
:06:45. > :06:49.whether he might have suffered a heart attack, something which may
:06:49. > :06:53.have meant he couldn't actually control the bus. And they're also
:06:53. > :06:58.looking, of course, at driver error, whether indeed he hit that kerb and
:06:58. > :07:02.then lost control of the steering wheel. We are told one child is
:07:02. > :07:06.still in intensive care. Speaking to the rescue workers today, it's
:07:06. > :07:09.very clear that those who did cur vief are going to need an awful lot
:07:09. > :07:13.of love and care. One person said when they walked into the tunnel,
:07:13. > :07:18.there was no screaming and shouting, there were just children standing
:07:18. > :07:25.by the bus who were numb at what they encountered. -- survive.
:07:25. > :07:28.Some of those killed were from a small school in a Belgian town. Our
:07:28. > :07:31.correspondent is there at Heverlee for us. It's agonising for the
:07:31. > :07:35.parents, particularly some of them don't yet know whether their
:07:35. > :07:42.children are among the dead, is this right? It's the uncertainty
:07:42. > :07:44.that is most dreadful for this town. You can see behind me, this is the
:07:44. > :07:50.school, there are flowers candles, pictures and tributes that some of
:07:50. > :07:54.the young children have put for their teacher Frank who they lost.
:07:54. > :07:57.Almost the worst thing is, we just don't know how many children have
:07:57. > :08:01.died. It's feared that eight children from this school have died.
:08:01. > :08:05.We know that three have died, the families of five still waiting for
:08:05. > :08:09.confirmation. In another school a couple of miles north, it's feared
:08:09. > :08:12.that 14 children have died. The priest who was here when the
:08:12. > :08:16.parents were summoned at breakfast said there was this terrible
:08:16. > :08:19.contrast between the relief on the faces of parents who'd heard from
:08:19. > :08:24.their children who knew they'd got out and the agony of those who
:08:24. > :08:27.feared their children were dead. Just to add to that agony, we have
:08:27. > :08:32.heard from the authorities in Switzerland today that there is a
:08:32. > :08:37.great difficulty identifying the bodies of those who've died. So
:08:37. > :08:41.even the comfort of knowing is denied to many parents and the
:08:41. > :08:44.waiting goes on. Thank you.
:08:44. > :08:50.An investigation is under way into what caused the tragedy with
:08:50. > :08:52.attention focusing on the driver and the condition of the coach. Our
:08:52. > :08:55.Transport Correspondent Richard Westcott is here. There will be a
:08:55. > :08:59.lot of worried parents out there with children going on coach trips.
:08:59. > :09:02.How safe is it to travel by coach? The answer is it's very safe. There
:09:02. > :09:05.is reassuring news out there. If you look at the figures for 2010,
:09:05. > :09:10.the latest we've got. Buses and coaches are actually amongst the
:09:10. > :09:14.safest vehicles on the roads. There were nine deaths in that year, and
:09:14. > :09:19.if you compare that to cars, 835 deaths. Of course, across the ch U,
:09:19. > :09:24.it's a similar picture as well, 150 fatalities across the EU in 2010.
:09:24. > :09:26.But that is barely half a percent of the total number of people
:09:27. > :09:32.killed. It sounds obvious, but coaches are big, they tend to be
:09:32. > :09:36.strong so they tend to be safer. heard in this case that the coach
:09:36. > :09:40.was new and appeared to have the safety equipment. How tightly are
:09:40. > :09:44.they regulated? Very tightly here and in the EU. Companies face
:09:44. > :09:48.regular inspections from Government inspectors, things like tiredness,
:09:48. > :09:51.the drivers are regulated on the number of hours they can work but
:09:51. > :09:55.they can in exceptional circumstances take a 15-hour day
:09:55. > :09:59.with regular breaks, but they can work a long shift. Speeding, we
:09:59. > :10:03.know that's not an issue here, but most coaches are limited to around
:10:03. > :10:06.60mph as well. Seat belts, Christian mentioned those.
:10:06. > :10:09.Interestingly, across the UK, the rules are tighter than in Britain.
:10:09. > :10:13.If Britain, if you are under 14, you are not legally obliged to wear
:10:13. > :10:16.your seat belt on a coach. The driver can't make you do it. In
:10:16. > :10:20.those cases, it often comes down to the teachers on the coaches making
:10:20. > :10:23.sure the children are sat down with their belts on and so on. The
:10:23. > :10:26.reality is, coaches are safe, but you are always going to get
:10:26. > :10:30.horrific accidents like we have had in Switzerland.
:10:30. > :10:34.Thank you. The number of people out of work
:10:34. > :10:37.has risen again, though by less than before. Official figures
:10:37. > :10:41.though the increase was the lowest in almost a year. The number of
:10:41. > :10:46.people unemployed now stands at.67 million. The Government says it's a
:10:46. > :10:50.sign the situation is stabilising - - 2.67 million. Hugh Pym has been
:10:50. > :10:55.to Leicestershire where the picks chur is mixed.
:10:55. > :11:00.A week to go to the Budget and there are more hard decision force
:11:00. > :11:03.the Chancellor to make. Today from a jobs market which has been
:11:03. > :11:09.overwhelmingly gloomy, this there were a few rays of sunshine. Up to
:11:09. > :11:13.the three months to January, unemployment rose to 2.67 million
:11:13. > :11:16.by 28,000, the smallest increase for nearly a year. Public sector
:11:16. > :11:20.employment fell by 37,000 in the final three months of last year,
:11:20. > :11:27.but the rise in private sector employment up by 45,000, more than
:11:27. > :11:32.made up for public sector losses. That's not much consolation for
:11:32. > :11:34.Dawn Ryder from Leicester. She's consulting a recruitment adviser
:11:34. > :11:37.after being made redundant last month. She was a middle manager
:11:37. > :11:40.with a retail chain. She hopes to find something soon, but the
:11:40. > :11:45.experience of being out of work has hit her hard.
:11:45. > :11:50.For so many years, I've been used to getting up at early hours,
:11:50. > :11:57.getting into work, long hours, weekends. And that's now all gone.
:11:57. > :12:02.You just totally feel lost. Although I still get up, it's for
:12:02. > :12:06.what? That's the biggest hardship you feel with yourself, you're just
:12:06. > :12:10.lost now, you're unknown. Some areas of the economy are growing
:12:10. > :12:12.faster than the others and therefore creating more jobs. One
:12:12. > :12:16.example is renewable technology. This construction company is
:12:16. > :12:19.building the foundations for a windfarm and it's taken on more
:12:19. > :12:22.staff. There are fewer public sector
:12:22. > :12:26.contracts going but the building firm's found other opportunities
:12:26. > :12:30.like this project in Leicestershire and just last week, it signed up
:12:30. > :12:35.six apprentices. We wouldn't be taking them on if we didn't feel
:12:35. > :12:38.like they had a long-term future here. We took on some apprentices
:12:38. > :12:41.last year and they are all still here today working on our sites
:12:41. > :12:46.throughout the UK. The new recruits are certainly relishing the
:12:46. > :12:49.opportunity. Makes me feel really good. I do
:12:49. > :12:53.have friends who're struggling to find jobs and getting made
:12:53. > :12:57.redundant. But there are companies out there willing to take on new
:12:57. > :13:00.apprenticeships. So with spring comes some hope and
:13:00. > :13:04.in Northern Ireland, the jobless number fell slightly, but there's
:13:04. > :13:14.still a long way to go, bringing unemployment down remains a
:13:14. > :13:15.
:13:15. > :13:20.daunting challenge. The Metropolitan Police a subjected
:13:20. > :13:23.a schoolboy with learning disabilities to battery. They were
:13:23. > :13:27.in breach of the Human Rights Act when they forced the 16-year-old
:13:27. > :13:30.into handcuffs and leg restraints during a school swimming trip in
:13:30. > :13:34.2008. The police said they would apply to appeal the decision. The
:13:34. > :13:36.Supreme Court has told a group of former servicemen who say they were
:13:36. > :13:40.made ill when they witnessed nuclear testing in the South
:13:40. > :13:44.Pacific that they cannot claim damages because their cases were
:13:44. > :13:47.brought too late. The veterans watched more than 20 explosions
:13:47. > :13:55.between 19 52 and 1958. The Ministry of Defence said there is
:13:55. > :13:59.no proof their ill-health was the direct result of the tests.
:13:59. > :14:01.With a 19 gun salute and 17,000 guests gathered on the south lawn,
:14:01. > :14:04.David Cameron was spare nod ceremony in his welcome to Barack
:14:04. > :14:08.Obama to the White House this afternoon. David Cameron said
:14:08. > :14:11.relations between Britain and America had never been stronger. On
:14:11. > :14:15.Afghanistan, President Obama said there were no plans to speed up the
:14:15. > :14:19.withdrawal of coalition troops. Our North America editor, Mark Mardell,
:14:19. > :14:23.reports. The essential allies roll up at the
:14:23. > :14:27.White House to celebrate a relationship the Prime Minister
:14:27. > :14:32.says is deep and broad. There were kisses for those he called kindred
:14:32. > :14:36.spirits. President Obama has pulled out all the stops. He was bowled
:14:36. > :14:43.over by his reception is London and was determined to put on all the
:14:43. > :14:48.pomp America can muster. A 19-gun salute, only heads of state get 21.
:14:48. > :14:53.A crowd of more than 5,000 local children on the lawn, a hand shake
:14:53. > :14:57.for the ecstatic few. Reviewing the troops stresses an essential part
:14:57. > :15:02.of the special relationship. Britain's an essential allie, but
:15:02. > :15:07.as a march-past by the red-coated Fife and drum corps reminded were
:15:07. > :15:12.also the oldest enemy. In 1812, we burned this place to the ground,
:15:12. > :15:17.the two men joke about that and the President had fun with the common
:15:17. > :15:20.language that divides us. David, we are chuffed to bits that you are
:15:20. > :15:24.here and I'm looking forward to a great Nater. I'm confident that
:15:24. > :15:29.together we are going to keep the relationship between our two great
:15:29. > :15:33.nations absolutely top-notch. President said America and Britain
:15:33. > :15:38.stood together and bled together and that military cooperation is at
:15:38. > :15:41.the core of the relationship and the heart of what the two men
:15:42. > :15:46.discussed today. In The Oval office, the two men talked about Iran,
:15:46. > :15:49.Syria and Afghanistan. They agreed that Afghans would increasingly
:15:49. > :15:52.take the lead role in combat operations from next year. When
:15:52. > :15:55.that was first announced last month, it was a shock to Britain. The
:15:55. > :15:59.President suggested that wouldn't happen again. There are going to be
:15:59. > :16:09.multiple challenges along the way. In terms of pace, I don't
:16:09. > :16:10.
:16:10. > :16:13.anticipate at this stage that we are going to be making any sudden,
:16:13. > :16:16.additional changes to the plan that we currently have.
:16:16. > :16:19.The Prime Minister said people had to understand why troops were still
:16:19. > :16:23.there. It's simply that we want
:16:23. > :16:26.Afghanistan to be able to look after its own security with its own
:16:26. > :16:29.Security Forces so we are safe at home.
:16:29. > :16:33.This visit has been a mixture of the intensity serious and some
:16:33. > :16:38.friendly fun. Last night, they watched a basketball game together
:16:38. > :16:45.and munched on hot dogs. Tonight, it will be posher nosh with a full-
:16:46. > :16:50.For the President and Prime Minister, Afghanistan is still
:16:50. > :16:54.clearly at the top of the agenda? It is, but it is far from the only
:16:54. > :16:56.thing. This trip has been far from announcements but long on ceremony.
:16:56. > :17:00.I thought there was a great danger when the President said he was
:17:00. > :17:06.chuffed, that he might turn around to the Prime Minister and call them,
:17:06. > :17:12.mate. And turn to Samantha Cameron, and call her, love. This was about
:17:12. > :17:15.a gesture being made to Britain, but it is easy to forget the
:17:15. > :17:20.substance that was being talked about. On Afghanistan, they are
:17:20. > :17:25.talking about how to end and -- a war. The signal being sent was that
:17:25. > :17:29.if the Afghans can take control in 2013, they don't want to spell it
:17:29. > :17:33.out, these two leaders, but British and American troops will be able to
:17:33. > :17:36.come home a little faster. On Syria, they acknowledged that they had
:17:36. > :17:40.investigated the military options there, but thought it would be
:17:40. > :17:44.quicker to remove President Assad in a different way. To try to get a
:17:44. > :17:49.transition at the top, rather than a revolution from below. There were
:17:49. > :17:53.striking words from the President on the issue of Iran. He said the
:17:53. > :17:58.diplomatic window was fast closing. That is diplomatic speak for saying,
:17:58. > :18:02.we're getting closer to military action taken by Israel, if they
:18:02. > :18:06.believe they can no longer live with what they perceive is a threat
:18:06. > :18:12.from Iran. Forget all the words, the pomp and circumstance, forget
:18:12. > :18:16.all the fun. This is a relationship, the President said, had at its
:18:16. > :18:18.backbone the two military is of our country. They are talking about
:18:18. > :18:28.ending one war and contemplating the possibility that there could
:18:28. > :18:28.
:18:28. > :18:32.Our top story: 22 school children from Belgium are among those killed
:18:32. > :18:38.in an horrific coach crash in Switzerland.
:18:38. > :18:41.Coming up, Sam and Michelle in the spotlight, with an itinerary as
:18:41. > :18:46.carefully choreographed as that of their husbands.
:18:46. > :18:51.In business on the news channel, a very public letter of resignation.
:18:51. > :19:01.A former Goldman Sachs employee says the bank is toxic. And the
:19:01. > :19:04.
:19:04. > :19:08.property ombudsman says the letting Three new cities have been
:19:08. > :19:13.announced, to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The winners, out
:19:13. > :19:16.of 25 competitors, are Chelmsford in Essex, Perth in central Scotland
:19:16. > :19:23.and St Asaph in Denbighshire, which is now one of Britain's smaller
:19:23. > :19:27.cities, with just 3,500 inhabitants. Have they been celebrating? They
:19:27. > :19:30.are really delighted. Although for many people here, the presence of
:19:30. > :19:35.the cathedral behind me means they have always really thought of
:19:35. > :19:38.themselves as a small city. Now it is official. This is one of three
:19:38. > :19:46.new cities across Britain. Even though for many of us, its name
:19:46. > :19:51.doesn't quite yet slip off the tongue. Chelmsford, Perth and St...
:19:51. > :19:56.Say... Have been awarded the right to call themselves a city.
:19:56. > :20:00.St Asaph in North Wales is just 3,500 people. It is hardly Paris,
:20:00. > :20:07.New York or London, but they have always been convinced the City
:20:08. > :20:12.status is theirs by right. We have one of the largest sheep markets in
:20:12. > :20:16.Wales. Not necessarily what people would regard as crucial for city
:20:16. > :20:21.status. No, but if you are a Freeman of the City of London, you
:20:21. > :20:25.get to be able to drive your sheep across London Bridge. Perhaps they
:20:25. > :20:30.will be asking farmers to come across the city bridge of St Asaph
:20:30. > :20:35.in due course. North of the border, Perth is now Scotland's 7th city.
:20:35. > :20:39.Its bid was rooted in history. This was the first capital of the Scots,
:20:39. > :20:44.after all. Nicknamed the fair city, Perth lost its status as part of
:20:44. > :20:49.the local government shake-up in 1975. Now it is back. I think it is
:20:49. > :20:51.richly deserved. It was a city, it was taken away from it, and it has
:20:51. > :20:58.got back what it should have always had.
:20:58. > :21:02.In England, Chelmsford in Essex celebrates new city status. A
:21:02. > :21:08.champagne moment. Chelmsford is now the first city in England's second
:21:08. > :21:12.largest county. It has been a long time coming. At last, at last. It
:21:12. > :21:16.has taken long enough. I have been following Chelmsford City Football
:21:16. > :21:19.Club for a long time and it has always been a joke that it is not a
:21:19. > :21:24.city, but now it is, it is brilliant. Four other cities, it
:21:24. > :21:29.has been a day of disappointment. This was Reading. Cheltenham.
:21:30. > :21:35.Chelmsford? Some people would say, do we need a city, does it make any
:21:35. > :21:39.difference? I think, yes, it does. It is outrageous. Disappointing.
:21:39. > :21:42.should be a city. A similar reaction in other communities,
:21:42. > :21:48.including Bournemouth on the south coast. Not everyone gets to call
:21:48. > :21:52.their town a city. Perhaps that is why for some, it feels so important.
:21:52. > :22:01.On this auspicious day, that's not forget Northern Ireland. As part of
:22:01. > :22:07.the process, armadas to appoint a Lord Mayor -- Armagh get to appoint
:22:07. > :22:11.A man who admitted concealing his father's body for almost five
:22:11. > :22:15.months after his death, in order to claim his benefits, as been jailed
:22:15. > :22:20.for three years. Police found the body of Guy Blackburn in the living
:22:20. > :22:23.room of his home in Lancashire in March last year. His son,
:22:23. > :22:28.Christopher Blackburn, had been living at the house with his 10-
:22:28. > :22:33.year-old daughter, telling her her grandfather was asleep.
:22:33. > :22:37.He kept his father's death a secret. For five months, Christopher
:22:37. > :22:43.Blackburn lie to his family, friends and neighbours. Why did you
:22:43. > :22:47.do that? The motive, police say, was greed. He has left in decaying
:22:47. > :22:52.in his house whilst he has continued to live there. He has
:22:52. > :22:56.then continued to claim and spent his father's benefits. This is
:22:56. > :23:01.where his father, Guy Blackburn, lived. Neighbours became suspicious
:23:01. > :23:05.when he stopped coming out of his house. Totally disgusted. Dear D
:23:05. > :23:09.Ray cooked meals for the 54-year- old, thinking he was too sick to
:23:09. > :23:14.leave home. When you said to Christopher, how is your dad doing,
:23:14. > :23:19.what did he say? OK, and walk off quick. He would never look me in
:23:19. > :23:22.the eyes. He would always do it quick. It was always straight off,
:23:22. > :23:26.no conversation. That is what made me wonder if there was something
:23:26. > :23:30.else wrong. Neighbours did ring police. After Christopher
:23:30. > :23:35.Blackburn's daughter told a friend, my grandad is dead. When police
:23:35. > :23:39.came inside, they said there was an immediate strong smell of decay.
:23:39. > :23:42.Next to Guy Blackburn's body were male and newspapers dated from the
:23:42. > :23:46.third and 4th November. When they asked his son, Christopher
:23:46. > :23:50.Blackburn, what was going on, he said he had seen his dad alive a
:23:50. > :23:58.week earlier. In fact, he had died from heart disease five months
:23:58. > :24:03.before. It was Stephen Twyford who first called police. I asked him
:24:03. > :24:08.how his father was, he said he was OK. To me, he knew what was going
:24:08. > :24:11.on. But as soon as we got the police involved, he got caught out.
:24:11. > :24:20.Christopher Blackburn was to date jailed for three years. The judge
:24:20. > :24:23.The Prime Minister and the US President have been talking up the
:24:23. > :24:30.special race issue between the UK and the United States. Michelle
:24:30. > :24:33.Obama and Samantha Cameron have been cementing their own, -- the
:24:33. > :24:37.special relationship between the UK and the United States. They held a
:24:37. > :24:41.mini Olympic competition and talk to British schoolchildren who
:24:41. > :24:45.travelled to Washington to meet the first lady.
:24:45. > :24:55.24 hours in the spotlight. Michelle Obama and Samantha Cameron develop
:24:55. > :24:59.
:24:59. > :25:04.I want to join in and also welcome our very special guest, Mrs
:25:05. > :25:09.Samantha Cameron. Samantha Cameron, hearing more about one of Michelle
:25:09. > :25:12.Obama's causes, tackling touted obesity through exercise. What did
:25:12. > :25:17.the athletes at this many Olympic Games make of their celebrity
:25:17. > :25:22.guests? It was a great experience and I will remember it for the rest
:25:22. > :25:26.of my life. If Britain and America can get together, it will help kids
:25:26. > :25:29.get together and make better relationships. Michelle Obama is
:25:29. > :25:33.from the south side of Chicago. Samantha Cameron has an
:25:33. > :25:37.aristocratic background. Despite these differences, the two high
:25:37. > :25:42.profile working mothers have bonded. The students are from the Elizabeth
:25:42. > :25:46.Garrett Anderson School, visited by Mrs Obama in London. Now she has
:25:46. > :25:49.invited them to the White House. The girls have been getting some
:25:49. > :25:54.advice from the first lady and Mrs Cameron. I remember Mrs Obama
:25:54. > :25:59.saying, if you fail, just get up. I took that in and I know next time I
:25:59. > :26:04.fell, I shall get up and move on. They told us we have defined a
:26:04. > :26:09.passion, no matter what it was. a visit showcasing Britain's role
:26:09. > :26:17.as America's key ally, these influential women are reflecting
:26:17. > :26:20.the ties between their husbands and Let's look at the weather now.
:26:20. > :26:24.It is dry nearly everywhere, that is the easy bit. Deciding whether
:26:24. > :26:30.cloud is going to break has been challenging. It was a cloudy start
:26:30. > :26:34.to the day, white cloud, wafer-thin, it is like tissue paper. All of a
:26:34. > :26:38.sudden, the cloud broke across many parts of the day and the sun came
:26:38. > :26:43.out. It was quite delightful. In other places it stayed resolutely
:26:43. > :26:47.cloudy and cool. We have another challenge overnight tonight with
:26:47. > :26:51.the prospect of fog forming. It will ironically fall where it is
:26:51. > :26:56.peer at the moment. That is more likely across the southern half of
:26:56. > :27:01.the UK -- where it is clear at the moment. One or two places could get
:27:01. > :27:05.close to freezing. Further north and west, cloudier. Patchy rain
:27:05. > :27:09.turning up across parts of western Scotland. That will continue on and
:27:09. > :27:13.off through the day. Other western areas will stay rather dull. Once
:27:13. > :27:16.the fog has cleared, we will see increasing amounts of sunshine
:27:16. > :27:20.across the more southern and eastern parts of the UK. The
:27:20. > :27:24.forecast comes with a bit of a health warning, there is still a
:27:24. > :27:29.lot of uncertainty about the detail. It looks as if further west you are,
:27:29. > :27:33.it is more likely to stay cloudy. Further east, in the sunshine, 17
:27:33. > :27:37.or 18 is possible. Not too bad at Cheltenham. Generally across
:27:37. > :27:43.central and parts -- eastern parts of England we should have a fine
:27:43. > :27:48.enough the -- afternoon. For western Scotland, the rain will pep
:27:48. > :27:55.up later in the day. That will signify a change. A disorganised
:27:55. > :28:00.gaggle of weather fronts will cross the country. Fairly hit and miss.
:28:00. > :28:04.As we hit the weekend, most of us will see a splash of rain and start
:28:04. > :28:08.to feel a touch cooler as well. Keep up-to-date with the changes by
:28:08. > :28:16.checking out the website. Make the most of the sunshine if you manage