:00:05. > :00:11.A-level students could face tougher exams after the Government orders a
:00:11. > :00:21.radical shake-up. The Education Secretary says students aren't
:00:21. > :00:23.challenged enough - he wants universities to help set the papers.
:00:23. > :00:26.When you get to university, you find out what you have been told
:00:26. > :00:30.has got nothing to do with what you're going to be taught in your
:00:30. > :00:33.first year, it is a very big leap. Also on tonight's programme... The
:00:33. > :00:36.latest fall-out from the phone- hacking scandal - James Murdoch
:00:36. > :00:39.quits as chairman of BSkyB. Winter returns to Aberdeenshire with six
:00:39. > :00:46.inches of snow, just days after record high temperatures - what's
:00:46. > :00:49.happening to our weather? Underworld, underground - we're on
:00:49. > :00:59.the set of the latest Bond film, as Daniel Craig takes the series into
:00:59. > :01:26.
:01:26. > :01:30.Good evening, welcome to the BBC News at Six. A-level exams could
:01:30. > :01:33.get a lot tougher if the Education Secretary has his way. Michael Gove
:01:33. > :01:36.says the current exams, which students sit in England, Wales and
:01:36. > :01:41.Northern Ireland, do not prepare them for the rigour of university
:01:41. > :01:46.education. He wants universities to have a say in what goes into the
:01:46. > :01:51.papers. The exams watchdog has welcomed the proposal, but some
:01:51. > :02:01.teachers say it's a quick fix gimmick. Here's our UK affairs
:02:01. > :02:05.
:02:05. > :02:08.Securing a place in university is a major achievement. But the
:02:08. > :02:12.Education Secretary is concerned that success at A-level does not
:02:13. > :02:15.necessarily mean you're ready to study for a degree. In a letter
:02:15. > :02:25.sent to the regulator and obtained sent to the regulator and obtained
:02:25. > :02:27.
:02:27. > :02:32.by the BBC's Newsnight programme, His answer is to give universities
:02:32. > :02:37.a say. They would help to decide on a level courses and how they are
:02:37. > :02:40.assessed. It is a stepping-stone to university, so it is a good thing
:02:40. > :02:44.to make sure that universities are involved in making sure that we
:02:44. > :02:49.have the highest possible standards at A-level. Teaching unions are
:02:49. > :02:53.angry that they have not been consulted. But there are students
:02:53. > :02:58.who admit that going from school to university can feel like quite a
:02:58. > :03:03.leap. I thought A-levels were quite straightforward, but then you come
:03:03. > :03:08.to university and it is all a bit confusing at first. In science
:03:08. > :03:12.subjects especially, they teach you a dumbed down version at A-level.
:03:12. > :03:17.For decades, the number of people studying to go on to university has
:03:17. > :03:27.grown, as have claims that aid levels have been getting easier.
:03:27. > :03:36.
:03:36. > :03:40.The pass rate has certainly been There are other examination boards
:03:40. > :03:44.which traditionally set A-levels for students in Wales and Northern
:03:44. > :03:52.Ireland. And in Scotland, the system is completely different,
:03:52. > :03:56.there, Highers are generally used instead. But the exams set by the
:03:56. > :04:00.English boards are taken by some students in each part of the UK. If
:04:00. > :04:04.this plan were to go ahead, it could put pressure on schools to
:04:04. > :04:09.use exams which have been officially recognised, even
:04:09. > :04:13.approved, by universities. If we have the opportunity, we would like
:04:13. > :04:18.to shake a levels to reduce the number of resits, to reduce the
:04:19. > :04:23.modularisation, and to beef up some of the components. A future
:04:23. > :04:26.generation of students may find that A-levels are becoming harder,
:04:26. > :04:28.and university is rather more difficult to get into. Our
:04:28. > :04:31.political crrespondent Robin Brant joins us now from the Department
:04:31. > :04:40.for Education. Robin - what long- term impact could there be if the
:04:40. > :04:44.changes go through? There's no doubt, as far as Michael Gove is
:04:44. > :04:48.concerned, that aid levels will get harder, and he believes they should
:04:49. > :04:53.get harder. Michael Gove thinks there is a crisis of confidence in
:04:53. > :04:57.A-levels, and there are many people in Westminster who agree. His
:04:57. > :05:01.answer is to hand control over the content and the assessment of A-
:05:01. > :05:06.levels over to academics at England's universities, in
:05:06. > :05:10.particular, some of England's best universities. He believes they are
:05:10. > :05:15.the best people who are best placed to decide what the future of A-
:05:15. > :05:19.levels should be. There are two fundamental problems, as far as the
:05:19. > :05:23.critics are concerned - firstly, the question of elitism, perhaps
:05:23. > :05:27.those academics might return to the old type of A-level, and we could
:05:27. > :05:32.end up with an exam which does not reward students with a range of
:05:32. > :05:35.abilities. The second criticism is that they say it lessens the role
:05:35. > :05:45.for employers and teachers, two groups whom they say should have a
:05:45. > :05:48.
:05:48. > :05:50.very important role to play in the In the latest twist in the phone-
:05:50. > :05:53.hacking scandal, James Murdoch has resigned as chairman of BSkyB. Mr
:05:53. > :05:55.Murdoch, who faced some tough questioning from MPs, had already
:05:55. > :05:58.stepped down as head of News International, which owned the
:05:58. > :06:01.former News of the World. Mr Murdoch said he didn't want the
:06:01. > :06:04.fall-out from the phone hacking scandal to tarnish BSkyB. Our chief
:06:04. > :06:13.economics correspondent, Hugh Pym, has the story. His report contains
:06:13. > :06:17.some flash photography. The spotlight has been firmly on James
:06:17. > :06:19.Murdoch since revelations of phone hacking at the News of the World.
:06:19. > :06:25.In February he quit his post running the British newspaper
:06:25. > :06:29.business. Now, he has decided to step down as chairman of the
:06:29. > :06:36.broadcaster BSkyB, part owned by news Corporation, though he is
:06:36. > :06:42.staying on the board. The Prime Minister, on a visit to a housing
:06:42. > :06:48.development, gave a brief reaction. It is a matter for him and for the
:06:48. > :06:53.company and its shareholders. I say is that the issues at News
:06:53. > :06:57.Corp go beyond one person. It is about how the organisation can
:06:57. > :07:00.restore public confidence. Phone hacking allegations that the News
:07:00. > :07:04.of the World raised questions about what James Murdoch did or did not
:07:04. > :07:08.know. The former editor Rebekah Brooks was later questioned by
:07:08. > :07:13.police. James Murdoch and his father were grilled by a Commons
:07:13. > :07:17.committee, and its report is due out within weeks. They will also be
:07:17. > :07:21.questioned by the Leveson Inquiry into the media. Mr Murdoch said he
:07:21. > :07:25.had behaved ethically at all times, but he was aware that his role as
:07:25. > :07:30.chairman could become a lightning rod for BSkyB, hence his
:07:30. > :07:36.resignation. Today's boardroom change will not make any difference
:07:36. > :07:39.to Sky viewers. The same management team is in place. But it is highly
:07:39. > :07:44.significant for James Murdoch personally, his position in the
:07:44. > :07:48.media industry and the Murdoch empire. When he resigned from being
:07:48. > :07:55.the head of the press interests in the UK, it was said that he would
:07:55. > :08:00.then focus on pay-TV. The fact that he is leaving that sector as well
:08:00. > :08:07.does mean that he is unlikely to have a really consistent job in the
:08:07. > :08:17.pay-TV area. Even after James Murdoch's resignation, an inquiry
:08:17. > :08:20.
:08:20. > :08:23.by the regulator in to BSkyB's The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick
:08:23. > :08:26.Clegg, has now made it clear that the Government will not ram through
:08:26. > :08:28.plans to allow the security services to gain access to our e-
:08:28. > :08:31.mails, text massages and online history. Earlier today, ministers
:08:31. > :08:33.were saying that they hoped to legislate as soon as the
:08:33. > :08:36.parliamentary timetable allows. Let's get more from our political
:08:36. > :08:39.correspondent John Pienaar. A Welsh government scheme that could see as
:08:39. > :08:47.many as 12,000 new jobs created over the next three years has been
:08:47. > :08:50.launched. Is this a retreat? looks like it. The Home Office is
:08:50. > :08:53.saying that we will put in at the legislation as soon as
:08:53. > :08:59.parliamentary time allows. Before you know it, Nick Clegg is saying,
:08:59. > :09:03.we will have to have a proper look at it first, with draft proposals.
:09:03. > :09:09.So, bullish rhetoric from the Home Office, and conciliatory rhetoric
:09:09. > :09:11.from Nick Clegg, and above all, the opponents of this idea detect the
:09:11. > :09:16.clear sound of ministers and officials slamming on the brakes.
:09:16. > :09:20.Just to make it hurt that bit more, sources close to Nick Clegg are
:09:20. > :09:23.saying quite clearly, they think this has been mishandled by the
:09:23. > :09:29.Home Office, and that Nick Clegg has had to step in to sort it out.
:09:29. > :09:37.More questions about the Government's radar screens, and as
:09:37. > :09:40.far as the recriminations are concerned, oh, dear. A Welsh
:09:40. > :09:44.government scheme which could create 12,000 jobs has been
:09:44. > :09:47.launched. The plans aim to tackle youth unemployment by paying the
:09:47. > :09:50.salaries of 16- to 24-year-olds for their first six months in a job.
:09:50. > :09:53.The Liberal Democrats have launched their campaign for the English
:09:53. > :09:56.local elections. The leader, Nick Clegg, said it would be a tough
:09:56. > :10:02.contest, but added the party should not shy away from the difficult
:10:02. > :10:05.choices it had to make in A week ago, people in Aboyne in
:10:05. > :10:08.Scotland were basking in sunshine as temperatures soared to a record
:10:08. > :10:11.high of 23.6 degrees. Today, they've swapped sunscreen for snow
:10:11. > :10:21.shovels. It may be spring, but Aberdeenshire is under six inches
:10:21. > :10:28.
:10:28. > :10:34.The first signs of spring, smothered by snow. Seven days ago,
:10:34. > :10:37.Aboyne was warmer than Barcelona. What a difference a week makes.
:10:38. > :10:44.week ago, I was enjoying the sunshine, having a glass of beer in
:10:44. > :10:48.the garden, it was wonderful. snow has brought down power lines,
:10:48. > :10:53.cutting off 3,000 homes. All day, engineers have been working to fix
:10:53. > :10:57.it. Mountain rescue workers have also been hard at work, airlifting
:10:57. > :11:02.nine Belgian tourists from the slopes of Britain's second highest
:11:02. > :11:08.peak, Ben Macdui. Tonight, the three adults and six teenagers are
:11:08. > :11:12.safe, well and a lot warmer. They are fine. They did have camping
:11:12. > :11:20.gear with them. They made camp last night, and we managed to get to
:11:20. > :11:24.them in time before they started to get cold. Back in Aboyne, the snow
:11:24. > :11:30.shovels were out again. It is not exactly what the hoteliers had
:11:30. > :11:34.hoped for before Easter. Last week, customers were out on the deck, it
:11:34. > :11:38.was 24 degrees in the shade, 32 degrees in the sunshine. We all
:11:38. > :11:43.knew that it was not going to last. But the tourists do not seem to
:11:43. > :11:48.mind. These women are on a bus trip from Blackpool. It is very
:11:48. > :11:53.picturesque, hopefully we will get about three seasons in a few days.
:11:53. > :11:59.Is this what you were expecting? Certainly not, but it is beautiful..
:11:59. > :12:04.It is hard to believe that just seven days ago, Aberdeenshire was
:12:04. > :12:09.baking in the dry, dusty air from the deserts of Africa. One week ago,
:12:09. > :12:19.this park was packed with people enjoying the sunshine. Now, the
:12:19. > :12:19.
:12:19. > :12:29.daffodils are buried beneath a? snow. So, plenty of snow, but the
:12:29. > :12:32.
:12:32. > :12:36.ski centres are cut off by Well, Aboyne wasn't the only place
:12:36. > :12:38.in the UK to see some exceptional weather last month. There was less
:12:38. > :12:42.rain, more sunshine and hotter temperatures than we've seen for
:12:42. > :12:52.years. So what's happening to our weather? As Jeremy Cooke reports,
:12:52. > :12:56.March turned out to be a month of records. An extraordinary month -
:12:56. > :12:59.days on end of dawn till dusk sunshine, record-breaking March
:12:59. > :13:04.temperatures in Scotland and swathes of England officially in
:13:04. > :13:09.drought. I think there is going to be a need for people to think
:13:09. > :13:14.harder about the way they use water, to be thinking hard about everyday
:13:14. > :13:18.usage and trying to avoid as much waste as they can. Water is a very,
:13:18. > :13:21.very important resource. gardeners, weather watching has
:13:21. > :13:28.always been something of an obsession, and they are noticing
:13:28. > :13:34.big changes, including exceptionally dry winters and warm,
:13:34. > :13:38.springs with no rain. It is all having a big impact on gardening.
:13:38. > :13:48.These plants do not need so much water, some of them do not use so
:13:48. > :13:49.
:13:49. > :13:53.much water, a lot of them originate from hot, dry countries. Here, then,
:13:53. > :13:56.spring is in full bloom, but the dramatic shifts in our weather
:13:56. > :14:03.patterns are presenting big challenges to the gardeners. On a
:14:03. > :14:10.bigger scale, our farmers, too, are having to adapt. On his farm in
:14:10. > :14:16.Cambridgeshire, this man is keeping records of rain, that hardly ever
:14:16. > :14:20.comes. His soil is as dry as dust. The reservoirs on his farm are
:14:20. > :14:25.running low. The amount he can take out of the rivers is severely
:14:25. > :14:31.limited. And so, a big decision. This plant is planting crops which
:14:31. > :14:40.need less water as a response. -- this farm. Potatoes and onions need
:14:40. > :14:44.a lot of water, so we're putting in more of things like sugar beet and
:14:44. > :14:49.oilseed rape. Plants which need water, but have less reliance on
:14:49. > :14:55.irrigation. In the east of England, cracks are peeing on the roads, as
:14:55. > :14:58.the earth beneath the carriageway tries and shrinks. -- cracks are
:14:58. > :15:02.appearing on the roads. In much of England, the hosepipe ban comes
:15:02. > :15:12.into force on Thursday of this week, and is likely to remain in place
:15:12. > :15:14.
:15:14. > :15:17.Our top story tonight: A-levels could get tougher under Government
:15:17. > :15:21.plans to give universities more say over the exams.
:15:21. > :15:31.Coming up, I'll be reporting from the set of the 50th anniversary
:15:31. > :15:46.
:15:46. > :15:50.Bond movie being shot here at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire.
:15:50. > :15:53.There's less than a month to go before elections for what many
:15:53. > :15:57.regard as the most powerful political post outside Westminster,
:15:57. > :16:01.the Mayor of London. The campaign boiled over today with a row over
:16:01. > :16:04.tax affairs between rivals Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone.
:16:04. > :16:10.The pair are also divided on how London's public transport should be
:16:10. > :16:14.run and where cuts and spending should go. Our Deputy Political
:16:14. > :16:20.Editor James Landale reports. Yes, it's them at it again, Ken and
:16:20. > :16:26.Boris, Boris and Ken, same parties, same candidates but a very
:16:26. > :16:30.different election. The outsider and incumbent have
:16:30. > :16:34.swapped roles. The current Mayor says he'd invest in jobs and not
:16:34. > :16:38.make empty promises. I have to tell you my friends, there is a risk for
:16:38. > :16:42.London. That risk, he believes, is his old rival, Ken Livingstone, who
:16:42. > :16:47.wants his job back. So Boris Johnson's out campaigning, though
:16:47. > :16:51.he's been offered more than just votes. A nice cut and blow dry, how
:16:51. > :16:53.would you like that... At a time of austerity when the Government is
:16:53. > :16:58.making cuts, Boris Johnson isn't going into the campaign promising
:16:58. > :17:02.to spend lots more money. Instead, the one time outsider who's now an
:17:03. > :17:06.incumbent is campaigning on his record and his recognition.
:17:06. > :17:10.When people are feeling the pinch, won't they like Ken Livingstone's
:17:10. > :17:14.promise to spend money to help them out? If you want London to be the
:17:14. > :17:19.greatest City on earth and want to invest in transport infrastructure,
:17:19. > :17:23.then you can't make promises to people that you have no intention
:17:23. > :17:27.of keeping. At a time when critics are once again saying the Tory
:17:27. > :17:30.party is the party of the rich following the Budget and tax cuts
:17:31. > :17:36.for... We are not only cutting council tax, we are driving
:17:36. > :17:39.employment in this City, we are helping huge numbers of people with
:17:39. > :17:42.concessianary fares. Boris Johnson's promising to cut waste
:17:42. > :17:47.from London's Budget and use the cash to create 200,000 more jobs.
:17:47. > :17:52.He's ahead in some polls but is still looking for votes and needs
:17:52. > :17:56.to get his message across. Where's the leaflets, team? There, thank
:17:56. > :18:00.you very much. Ken Livingstone's hit the streets too, taking his
:18:00. > :18:03.leader into Tory leaning suburbs to find the votes that could swing the
:18:03. > :18:07.election his way. This election is not just about who will be Mayor of
:18:07. > :18:09.London but it's also a test of the central argument of British
:18:10. > :18:13.politics. Will voters support Ken Livingstone who's promising to
:18:13. > :18:17.spend more money or will they support Boris Johnson who says
:18:17. > :18:21.these plans are just unaffordable? We are standing because we want to
:18:21. > :18:26.represent all Londoners. Livingstone's promising to cut bus
:18:26. > :18:29.and tube fares by 7%, paid for he claims by a surplus in the
:18:29. > :18:33.transport budget. When voters across the country seem to accept
:18:33. > :18:37.the argument that Government across the peace has to make cuts, you are
:18:37. > :18:41.promising lots of cash. Why do you think that's going to happen?
:18:42. > :18:46.Because I've found where the money is sitting. I'm giving commitments,
:18:47. > :18:51.we'll cut the fares, we'll freeze the council tax, we'll not increase
:18:51. > :18:55.the congestion charge. Spending, spending, spending? No, just
:18:55. > :18:58.cutting out the waste. This election is about London but about
:18:58. > :19:03.economic spending and credibility, so the results here will help shape
:19:03. > :19:07.what the parties may offer at the next general election.
:19:07. > :19:14.And there are seven candidates in all running for London Mayor with
:19:14. > :19:18.voting taking place on the 3rd May. People with learning disabilities
:19:18. > :19:23.are being left increasingly isolated by cuts made by local
:19:23. > :19:25.authorities, that's according to a survey carried out by the learning
:19:25. > :19:29.disability coalition. The organisation says day services and
:19:29. > :19:33.personal support are being reduced as council budgets across England
:19:33. > :19:36.are squeezed. Our Social Affairs Correspondent, Alison Holt joins me
:19:36. > :19:40.now. For some, the cuts are starting to bite? That's certainly
:19:40. > :19:43.what the coalition of charities believes, George. Their report
:19:43. > :19:46.details the pressures faced by some of the most vulnerable people in
:19:46. > :19:51.society when it comes to their care. What's particularly interesting is
:19:51. > :19:54.that it looks at the impact of cuts from all angles. 70 local
:19:55. > :20:00.authorities, about half the councils in England, responded.
:20:00. > :20:05.They care for 69,000 people with learning disabilities. 77% say
:20:05. > :20:08.they're having difficulties funding services by either making cuts or
:20:08. > :20:12.efficiency savings. Other people with learning disabilities
:20:12. > :20:18.questions just under half have had their support reduced or the costs
:20:18. > :20:23.they pay for care increased. Amongst them is 41-year-old Susie
:20:23. > :20:27.Rowbottom. Many many ways, Susie is like a ten-year-old, but until now,
:20:27. > :20:30.she's managed well in a shared house with support. She used to get
:20:30. > :20:38.12 hours help a week, but in December that was cut to two hours.
:20:38. > :20:43.She's not happy. I thought I want my life back to
:20:43. > :20:47.how it used to be. You want to go back to what you used to have?
:20:47. > :20:51.Her mother does what she can but worry force the future. The five
:20:51. > :20:54.sessions Susie used to have at a day centre have already been cut to
:20:54. > :20:58.one afternoon at the library. Mrs Rowbottom believes it's storing up
:20:58. > :21:05.problems and doesn't understand it. As far as I'm concerned, they
:21:05. > :21:09.assessed she needed 12 hours 14 years ago and her needs haven't
:21:09. > :21:13.changed. The vulnerability of them, that's what worries me. And of
:21:13. > :21:19.course when I'm not here any more, I mean I'm not a young spring
:21:19. > :21:22.chicken by any means, neither is my husband. The local council West
:21:22. > :21:26.Sussex maintains that Susie is getting the right level of support
:21:27. > :21:30.and that she's coping well with greater independence. The charities
:21:30. > :21:34.and companies providing the care say they're also feeling the
:21:34. > :21:38.squeeze. 66% of the organisations who responded say councils expect
:21:38. > :21:43.them to provide more care either for the same amount of money or for
:21:43. > :21:47.less. That's really hit care workers like the Hiltons.
:21:47. > :21:50.Deborah and Keith have spent many years caring for people with
:21:50. > :21:55.learning disabilities. But the company they both work for has had
:21:55. > :22:00.the money it gets for its services cut. Now staff are being asked to
:22:00. > :22:06.accept a 40% cut to their salaries. I don't want to lose my job, I
:22:06. > :22:09.don't want to have to go and look at another employment for better
:22:09. > :22:13.pay. I want to stay looking after these service users that I've
:22:13. > :22:17.looked after for 14 years, but I really don't think I can on the pay
:22:17. > :22:20.that they're proposing. Government maintains most people
:22:20. > :22:25.with learning disabilities are not facing cuts to care. It also says
:22:25. > :22:28.more money has been put into the system because it knows it's under
:22:28. > :22:32.pressure. Now, the report covers England, but
:22:32. > :22:36.although the care system differs elsewhere in the UK, it's under
:22:36. > :22:39.pressure in many places and, according to campaigners, it's the
:22:39. > :22:43.most vulnerable who're really feeling the impact of that.
:22:43. > :22:46.Thank you. Planned strikes by ground staff at
:22:46. > :22:51.Stansted Airport over Easter have been called off after talks.
:22:51. > :22:56.Members of the GMB union had been due to walk out for four hours on
:22:56. > :23:00.good Friday, Saturday and Easter Monday in a dispute over pay.
:23:00. > :23:03.England's cricketers have had a mixed first day in the second Test
:23:03. > :23:08.match against Sri Lanka. They need to win in Colombo to keep their
:23:08. > :23:14.position as the world's best test team, but Sri Lanka recovered from
:23:14. > :23:21.an early slump with a century which helped the hosts to 238 for six at
:23:21. > :23:25.the close of play. It's 50 years since the first James
:23:25. > :23:31.Bond movie and six 007s later, it's still going strong with a 23rd
:23:31. > :23:36.installment due out this October. Filming is under way at Pinewood
:23:36. > :23:40.Studios and our entertainments correspondent, Lizo Mzimba is there
:23:40. > :23:44.and has had a sneak peek. Yes, thank you very much, filming is
:23:44. > :23:48.still under way on the famous 007 stage behind me, a stage that's
:23:48. > :23:53.housed everything from nuclear submarines and the Spy Who Loved me
:23:54. > :23:57.to an ice hotel in Die Another Day. Right now there's the recreation of
:23:57. > :24:02.a London underground tube station. The BBC's been given the chance to
:24:02. > :24:07.show for the very first time, Daniel Craig himself in action
:24:07. > :24:11.behind-the-scenes of the new film. Bond is undoubtedly a British icon
:24:11. > :24:17.and so it seems appropriate that for this movie unusually much of
:24:17. > :24:21.the filming has been taking place above and below the streets of the
:24:22. > :24:26.capital. Five months into filming, Daniel Craig says he's keen to be
:24:26. > :24:30.remembered as a great Bond. deal for me has always been to make
:24:30. > :24:35.bigger and better ones. If I'm still making them, I want to leave
:24:35. > :24:38.my mark and this, I feel very much with this one, I feel it will be
:24:38. > :24:44.very different from the last two but it will still be a great Bond
:24:44. > :24:48.movie. Starting with Dr No in 19 62, it's the longest running film
:24:48. > :24:53.franchise in history. Time we said goodbye to an uninvueted guest
:24:53. > :24:59.fpltz 007 has been played by six the the r different actors over 23
:24:59. > :25:03.official movies with the series in total taking over �3 billion at the
:25:04. > :25:07.worldwide box office. One factor in the series' continuing success has
:25:07. > :25:11.been its ability to constantly reinvent itself over the years to
:25:11. > :25:16.reflect changing times. That theme's continued with this movie.
:25:16. > :25:22.So guns, but fewer gadgets are making Bond less super hero and
:25:22. > :25:26.more super spy. Craig though knows he won't be Bond
:25:26. > :25:30.forever. I'm under no illusions, I know there'll be someone after me
:25:30. > :25:34.so hopefully someone after them again. It's just being part of that
:25:34. > :25:39.process. I'll keep going until they tell me to stop.
:25:39. > :25:42.His first two outings as Bond have gone down well with audiences and
:25:42. > :25:46.critics. He's hoping that will continue when this latest film is
:25:46. > :25:49.released later in the year. Expectations for these movies are
:25:49. > :25:54.always huge and it's even more intense for this one because it's
:25:54. > :25:59.the 50th anniversary, so now, more than ever, Bond holds a special
:25:59. > :26:05.place in cinema goers' hearts, the film series that's almost half as
:26:05. > :26:09.old as cinema itself. Thank you. Now, two giant pandas at
:26:09. > :26:15.Edinburgh Zoo are to be allowed to share the same enclosure for the
:26:15. > :26:19.first time since they arrived from China. It's believed the female is
:26:19. > :26:23.in season and they could be ready to mate. Female pandas only have
:26:23. > :26:29.two days a year in which they can get pregnant.
:26:29. > :26:31.Time for the weather now with John Time for the weather now with John
:26:31. > :26:35.Hammond. Hello. Bet the pandas will be grateful for
:26:35. > :26:39.the warm coats because it's particularly cold across Scotland.
:26:39. > :26:44.This was the scene earlier on in the Highlands. Winter bites back.
:26:44. > :26:48.For most of us, it's useful rain that's falling out of the skies.
:26:48. > :26:55.The snow is the story though. We have seen the snow across Scotland,
:26:55. > :26:59.now creeping into the high ground of northern England too. Mostly
:26:59. > :27:03.above 200, 300 metres. Even at lower levels, there could be some
:27:03. > :27:08.big blobs of wet snow in northern England. The high ground of North
:27:08. > :27:12.Wales could be badly affected. Poor visibilitys on the roads in this
:27:12. > :27:15.part of the world through the night. Elsewhere, once the rain is cleared
:27:15. > :27:19.through, dry spells across southern parts of England and Wales. The
:27:19. > :27:22.coldest weather will be across the glens of Scotland, particularly
:27:22. > :27:27.where we have snow cover. Several degrees below freezing and the risk
:27:27. > :27:30.of ice. Here, a much better day tomorrow, bright and sunny for the
:27:31. > :27:34.most part. This band of wintry weather, rain, sleet and a bit of
:27:34. > :27:38.snow over the high ground edging southwards through parts of the
:27:38. > :27:41.Midlands and Wales. To the south of that, again, a bit like today,
:27:42. > :27:45.we'll see some sunshine in-between some fairly lively showers across
:27:45. > :27:51.southern counties. In the best of the brightness, the mild air will
:27:51. > :27:55.be hanging on, 1 11, possibly 120 degrees. We are then into the
:27:55. > :27:58.wintry zone of weather. Some snow up over the highest ground,
:27:58. > :28:01.hopefully not causing too many problems. For northern England,
:28:01. > :28:04.Northern Ireland and Scotland, a sunnier day with a steady thaw of
:28:04. > :28:08.any lying snow. None too warm though, particularly out of the
:28:08. > :28:11.sunshine and in the breeze. Further ahead towards Easter weekend, some
:28:11. > :28:14.outbreaks of rain, particularly across northern parts of the
:28:14. > :28:17.country. The best of the dry and bright weather further south. In
:28:17. > :28:23.the short-term, it's all about the snow. We'll keep you updated.
:28:23. > :28:26.Thank you very much. A reminder of the main news: A-
:28:26. > :28:28.levels could get tougher under Government plans to give
:28:28. > :28:34.universities more say over the exams.