:00:00. > :00:00.The controversy over grammar schools, the government says
:00:07. > :00:08.selecting pupils by ability can play a role in the education
:00:09. > :00:16.But grammar schools would be part of a "broad-based school system"
:00:17. > :00:19.with no return to the past, the Education Secretary told MPs.
:00:20. > :00:22.There'll be no return to the simplistic binary choice
:00:23. > :00:25.of the past, where schools separate children into winners and losers,
:00:26. > :00:31.We'll be looking at why academic selection continues to divide
:00:32. > :00:38.Misery under water, hundreds of key sites across England
:00:39. > :00:44.are still at risk of flooding, according to a government review.
:00:45. > :00:46.We have a special report from the Greek island of Chios
:00:47. > :00:51.on the EU's migration policy, and why it's not working.
:00:52. > :00:54.A rise in the number of drugs related deaths in Merseyside,
:00:55. > :00:58.health experts are called in to investigate.
:00:59. > :01:01.And a spectacular start to the Rio Paralympics,
:01:02. > :01:07.as Great Britain goes for gold later today.
:01:08. > :01:10.Coming up in Sportsday later in the hour on BBC News,
:01:11. > :01:14.Lochte pays the price for that infamous night out in Rio.
:01:15. > :01:36.The American swimmer is banned for ten months.
:01:37. > :01:49.There has been a major development in the controversy over grammar
:01:50. > :01:52.schools as the Education Secretary Justine Greening told MPs she does
:01:53. > :01:55.want an element of selection in schools in England.
:01:56. > :01:58.Her statement came after a document with proposals for new grammar
:01:59. > :02:00.schools was snapped by a photographer outside No 10
:02:01. > :02:03.Grammar schools remain one of the most divisive issues
:02:04. > :02:07.Presently, there are 163 grammar schools in England out of a total
:02:08. > :02:11.A law banning the setting up of new grammars was introduced in 1998.
:02:12. > :02:14.Northern Ireland retains a grammar school system - it educates
:02:15. > :02:19.There are no grammars in Scotland or Wales.
:02:20. > :02:21.Critics say grammar schools are a middle class preserve -
:02:22. > :02:25.and that it's wrong to divide children at the age of 11.
:02:26. > :02:32.Here's our Education Editor Branwen Jeffreys.
:02:33. > :02:39.Their numbers have been limited but grammar schools have never gone
:02:40. > :02:44.away. This is where Theresa May's top adviser came to school. From an
:02:45. > :02:51.ordinary working family to Downing Street in one generation. But here,
:02:52. > :02:55.they no longer rely just on an academic test. I think it's hard to
:02:56. > :02:59.find a test that is going to be immune to practice and tutoring.
:03:00. > :03:04.This group of grammar schools sets aside some places, up to a quarter
:03:05. > :03:09.go to children from low income families. It's about the children,
:03:10. > :03:13.about maximising the impact and the life chances, the impact we can have
:03:14. > :03:17.on all those children, whatever their background. Grammars have a
:03:18. > :03:27.history of getting pupils into top universities, but some fear this
:03:28. > :03:29.simply entrenches privilege. Grammar schools are proud of their tradition
:03:30. > :03:33.of academic excellence. The problem is, the very few have gone as far as
:03:34. > :03:37.this school in making sure poorer pupils get places. It's why the
:03:38. > :03:40.debate about who gets into grammar schools is now going to be so
:03:41. > :03:46.crucial. Research into grammar schools across England found just 3%
:03:47. > :03:52.of pupils entitled to free school meals because of low family income.
:03:53. > :03:58.Compared to 18% in other, nonselective schools around them.
:03:59. > :04:02.13% of grammar pupils had been to fee-paying, Independent primary
:04:03. > :04:06.schools. For children who don't go to grammar schools they have lower
:04:07. > :04:11.results and lower later life earning as a result of selection in
:04:12. > :04:15.education. As a result that increases inequality rather than
:04:16. > :04:20.reducing it. The Education Secretary went to a comprehensive in rubber
:04:21. > :04:26.rum. She is known to have doubts about creating completely new
:04:27. > :04:32.grammar schools -- Rotherham. There will be no return to the past where
:04:33. > :04:37.children are separated into winners and losers, successes and failures.
:04:38. > :04:42.This government wants to build upon the future and create a truly
:04:43. > :04:46.21st-century school system. And Labour opposition will have some
:04:47. > :04:51.cross-party support, too. Despite that waffle a cat is finally out of
:04:52. > :04:56.the bag. The government has revealed their plans for new grammar schools
:04:57. > :05:02.in England... It's their parents the Prime Minister wants to reach.
:05:03. > :05:07.Offering more grammar places as part of a mixed school system. But she
:05:08. > :05:11.faces a fight from those who say they close the door an opportunity.
:05:12. > :05:13.Branwen Jeffreys, BBC News, Birmingham.
:05:14. > :05:17.Our Political Correspondent Vicki Young is in Downing Street.
:05:18. > :05:24.If Theresa May was casting around for a big new domestic policy idea,
:05:25. > :05:28.why hit on grammar schools which are so controversial? There are some
:05:29. > :05:33.vociferous critics of the whole idea of grammar schools. On the other
:05:34. > :05:36.hand when she spoke to MPs about it last night, with most of them it
:05:37. > :05:41.went down well. It's incredibly popular amongst conservative
:05:42. > :05:45.grassroots. This all goes back to her mission as she sees it to
:05:46. > :05:50.improve social mobility, to make sure those from disadvantaged
:05:51. > :05:55.families fulfil their potential. Ministers seem to agree there is a
:05:56. > :05:59.problem and Theresa May thinks the education system could be the key to
:06:00. > :06:02.changing all of that. The contentious part is whether grammar
:06:03. > :06:06.schools could do that or whether they have the opposite effect. It
:06:07. > :06:10.was striking listening to Justine Greening today, she was certainly
:06:11. > :06:15.taking a cautious approach. Signalling there won't be a return
:06:16. > :06:19.to the 11 plus everywhere. She talked about choice for parents but
:06:20. > :06:24.there is no doubt there are very many MPs, some Tory and Labour, who
:06:25. > :06:27.are opposed to this. They really feel a discussion about a few
:06:28. > :06:32.grammar schools in England is not going to solve some of the problems
:06:33. > :06:34.in other state schools. They think the focus must be improving schools
:06:35. > :06:38.where the majority of pupils go. At least 530 locations
:06:39. > :06:40.across England are still vulnerable to flooding, according
:06:41. > :06:43.to a government review set up after devastating floods affected
:06:44. > :06:44.Britain last Christmas. Then, thousands of people
:06:45. > :06:46.were forced from their homes in Yorkshire and Cumbria when flood
:06:47. > :06:49.defences didn't work. Our Science Editor
:06:50. > :06:59.David Shukman reports. It was a winter that saw Storms
:07:00. > :07:05.bringing terrible destruction. The bridge at Tadcaster
:07:06. > :07:06.just crumbled. The record rainfall
:07:07. > :07:08.swamped 16,000 homes. The sight of families being rescued
:07:09. > :07:10.was repeated week after week so questions were raised
:07:11. > :07:12.about our flood defences and the government
:07:13. > :07:15.promised a review. Today it unveiled a new weapon
:07:16. > :07:18.against flooding. Temporary barriers that
:07:19. > :07:20.can be assembled where The Army has units ready for the job
:07:21. > :07:27.and ministers say this should help. At the end of the day we don't know
:07:28. > :07:30.exactly where the rain I can't promise that no home
:07:31. > :07:34.will ever be not flooded again but I can say we are in a better
:07:35. > :07:37.place than we were last winter in being able to
:07:38. > :07:44.respond to incidents. All these barriers are ready to be
:07:45. > :07:47.deployed to hold back There are six other big sites
:07:48. > :07:51.like this across the country. It looks like a lot until you read
:07:52. > :07:54.the report of the flooding last winter and see just how
:07:55. > :07:56.many vitally important pieces of infrastructure,
:07:57. > :07:58.water supplies, electricity networks, telecommunications
:07:59. > :08:03.are still vulnerable to flooding. The report investigated exactly how
:08:04. > :08:07.many sites are at risk. It found that across England 820
:08:08. > :08:11.are vulnerable to flooding. Of these, 290 are kept safe
:08:12. > :08:14.with good defences but 530 And the potential impact
:08:15. > :08:23.of that is all too obvious. Even now, the bridge at Tadcaster
:08:24. > :08:26.is still being repaired. Local people have long said
:08:27. > :08:28.the Government isn't doing enough for them and this
:08:29. > :08:31.was the reaction to that investment But let's really get
:08:32. > :08:41.into the detail of it. I think we would need to be spending
:08:42. > :08:46.a lot more on the defences. Emergency repairs by
:08:47. > :08:48.helicopter last winter. The government has committed
:08:49. > :08:52.?2.5 billion to flood defence over six years but that
:08:53. > :08:55.won't protect everyone. Matthew Brown runs
:08:56. > :09:01.pubs in Hebden Bridge. He is worried he is
:09:02. > :09:05.still vulnerable. I don't believe to my
:09:06. > :09:08.knowledge there is anything We are still a bit
:09:09. > :09:13.concerned it could happen. The flood tore through northern
:09:14. > :09:15.England, Wales, Scotland Met Office analysis has come up
:09:16. > :09:21.with a worrying conclusion - there could easily be
:09:22. > :09:27.bigger storms to come. There have been extraordinary
:09:28. > :09:32.exchanges at Bristol Crown Court from a taxi driver accused
:09:33. > :09:34.of murder, who's defending himself. Christopher Halliwell is accused
:09:35. > :09:42.of killing 20-year-old Becky Godden. Jon Kay was in court
:09:43. > :09:53.and joins us now. Tell us what was said. It is a
:09:54. > :09:56.defendant's right to represent themselves in court and that is what
:09:57. > :10:00.Christopher Halliwell has chosen to do. He doesn't have a lawyer in the
:10:01. > :10:05.courtroom, instead he gets to stand in the dock and question witnesses.
:10:06. > :10:06.Today he had the opportunity to cross examine the detective who
:10:07. > :10:13.arrested him. Taxi driver Christopher Halliwell.
:10:14. > :10:19.Five years ago he pleaded guilty to the murder of Sian O'Callaghan. She
:10:20. > :10:23.had been stabbed in the head after a night out in Swindon. This week the
:10:24. > :10:27.jury has been told when he was arrested over her disappearance, he
:10:28. > :10:31.also led the police to the body of Becky Godden, who went missing in
:10:32. > :10:37.Swindon a decade earlier. It is alleged that after taking police to
:10:38. > :10:41.Sian's body, Halliwell then brought officers to this remote field in the
:10:42. > :10:45.Gloucestershire countryside where Becky's remains were found. Today
:10:46. > :10:49.the former detective who arrested him came to court to give his
:10:50. > :10:54.account of what happened. He said Halliwell told him there was another
:10:55. > :11:00.one and offered to take him to what he called the exact spot. Because
:11:01. > :11:04.Christopher Halliwell has chosen to represent himself, he then got a
:11:05. > :11:08.chance to cross examine the former police officer from his position in
:11:09. > :11:13.the dock behind a glass screen. During the exchange she said, by the
:11:14. > :11:21.end of this process you will know the truth of my involvement. He then
:11:22. > :11:25.said it was a pleasure ruining your career. Graphic details were given
:11:26. > :11:33.about the state of her daughter's body when it was found buried in a
:11:34. > :11:36.field. Christopher Halliwell denies murdering Becky Godden. Jon Kay, BBC
:11:37. > :11:44.News, Bristol Crown Court. Donald Tusk has urged Theresa May to
:11:45. > :11:47.start negotiations to leave the EU as soon as possible.
:11:48. > :11:50.During a meeting in Downing Street, Mr Tusk said that the ball
:11:51. > :11:54.The Prime Minister's spokeswoman said Mrs May felt the EU
:11:55. > :11:57.understood her need to take time - before triggering the formal
:11:58. > :12:00.11 days of competition have begun at the Paralympics in Rio,
:12:01. > :12:03.with Great Britain hoping to surpass its success at London
:12:04. > :12:07.Among the hopefuls is the cyclist, Dame Sarah Storey.
:12:08. > :12:10.If she triumphs this evening, she'll have won more Gold medals
:12:11. > :12:13.than any other British female Paralympian.
:12:14. > :12:15.Our Sports Correspondent Andy Swiss joins us
:12:16. > :12:33.A busy first day of action here at the Paralympic Park. 38 gold medals
:12:34. > :12:38.being decided, real chances of British success over the next few
:12:39. > :12:40.hours. After a difficult build-up, signs that Rio is already embracing
:12:41. > :12:50.these games. So with the fans come? Well, this is
:12:51. > :12:55.the answer. After all the worries over ticket sales, thousands flocked
:12:56. > :13:03.to the Paralympic Park hoping for a dramatic day. After a dramatic
:13:04. > :13:07.night. Among the Opening Ceremony's highlights, Amy Purdie dancing the
:13:08. > :13:14.samba with a robot. It wasn't a total celebration. The booing of the
:13:15. > :13:19.Brazilian president a reminder of the country's problems. This was the
:13:20. > :13:24.true Paralympic spirit. The torch bearer slipped on a rain-soaked
:13:25. > :13:30.floor, but the stadium rose in support. She picked herself up and
:13:31. > :13:35.carried on. Her determination to succeed which Rio will hope these
:13:36. > :13:42.games can now emulate. As the action got under way for British fans, the
:13:43. > :13:48.early signs were encouraging. In the pool Bethany Firth and Ollie Hind
:13:49. > :13:53.both qualified fastest for their finals. In the velodrome Dame Sarah
:13:54. > :14:01.Storey in search of history. Through two tonight's pursuit final. Sarah
:14:02. > :14:07.Storey has excelled first as a swimmer and then as a cyclist. One
:14:08. > :14:09.more title will take her past Baroness Grey-Thompson's 11 gold
:14:10. > :14:16.medals, something she told me she could scarcely believe. I always
:14:17. > :14:20.think that their history, the statistics that you guys keep tabs
:14:21. > :14:26.on, it was an unknown to me. When I was told I was just as good as Tanni
:14:27. > :14:31.I thought, there's no way that's possible. For the Brazilian fans the
:14:32. > :14:34.seven aside football proved a predictable draw. The competition
:14:35. > :14:39.for athletes with cerebral palsy or athletes who have experienced brain
:14:40. > :14:44.injuries pitted them against Great Britain. Brazil won 2-1. For the
:14:45. > :15:00.hosts this was even better. In the visually impaired long jump, Ricardo
:15:01. > :15:04.Costa de Olivieri winning. Yes, a great moment therefore Brazil and it
:15:05. > :15:18.could be a great night for Britain. Dame Sarah Storey going for gold.
:15:19. > :15:22.Also keep an eye out for another gold for Britain.
:15:23. > :15:25.The government says selecting pupils by ability can play a role
:15:26. > :15:27.in the education system in England as ministers consider
:15:28. > :15:41.Coming up, I'll be finding out how DNA evidence has transformed our
:15:42. > :15:44.view of the world's tallest mammals. Coming up in Sportsday on BBC
:15:45. > :15:47.News at half past six, a Kiwi clinches today's stage
:15:48. > :15:50.of the Tour of Britain. Bauer is the first man
:15:51. > :15:52.into Bath but Vermont BBC News has learned that
:15:53. > :16:07.Public Health England has been asked to investigate high numbers
:16:08. > :16:14.of deaths among drug users and alcohol users on the
:16:15. > :16:16.Wirral in Merseyside. They were called in by the local
:16:17. > :16:19.council after 74 deaths were Official figures on drug-related
:16:20. > :16:23.deaths in England and Wales Last year's figures were at record
:16:24. > :16:26.levels, having risen Figures for deaths in Scotland,
:16:27. > :16:31.released last month, Our Social Affairs correspondent
:16:32. > :16:47.Michael Buchanan reports. Merseyside was ravaged by heroin in
:16:48. > :16:51.the 1980s, Liverpool was the first City in Britain to have a mass
:16:52. > :16:56.epidemic. At one time the highest rate among teenagers was to be found
:16:57. > :17:02.here on the Wirral. Those who survived are dying off rapidly.
:17:03. > :17:06.Thinking back to the last funeral and the next one. Frances Cook has
:17:07. > :17:14.lost several friends in recent months. Like him, they were foremen
:17:15. > :17:21.heroin addicts reliant on the rehabilitation support. If it had
:17:22. > :17:29.worked in a spirit of openness and sharing and listening to what the
:17:30. > :17:36.service users wanted, needed, then things could have been so different.
:17:37. > :17:39.Drug and alcohol services on the world are provided by this
:17:40. > :17:44.organisation. In the last 18 months we have heard that 74 clients have
:17:45. > :17:47.died and the council have asked Public Health England to
:17:48. > :17:51.investigate. Most died of long-term health goblins rather than drug
:17:52. > :17:54.overdoses says the charity running the service who maintain they are
:17:55. > :17:58.providing good support but access they could do more. It's an
:17:59. > :18:03.opportunity to see if we can intervene earlier to help people
:18:04. > :18:07.access the right treatment. We are not a health care provider, it isn't
:18:08. > :18:11.in our gift to make sure that people get the respiratory care they need.
:18:12. > :18:16.You could pass them on and it hasn't been happening? Not as often as it
:18:17. > :18:18.should do. On the street in Birmingham we found plenty of
:18:19. > :18:24.evidence of the City's enduring heroin problem. The number of users
:18:25. > :18:32.is declining among the country but many need support. With the rehab
:18:33. > :18:36.budget being cut here, as elsewhere, this former GP has significant
:18:37. > :18:43.concerns. Anything people can do to put more resources in in terms of
:18:44. > :18:47.people and trained helpers, then we'll move towards getting a safe
:18:48. > :18:51.drug treatment service again but at the moment it doesn't feel safe in
:18:52. > :18:58.Birmingham. Many former Orange users rely on methadone Susa five but
:18:59. > :19:03.government policy has been to encourage abstinence -- many former
:19:04. > :19:06.heroin users. That approach works for some people but it can have
:19:07. > :19:13.unintended consequences. Getting people to stop using drugs increases
:19:14. > :19:17.the risk of relapse into illegal drug use and consequently increases
:19:18. > :19:20.the risk of sudden death. Heroin addiction on the housing estates of
:19:21. > :19:29.Edinburgh was the inspiration for a seminal novel. The so-called
:19:30. > :19:35.Trainspotting generation are dying from long-term issues. A heroin
:19:36. > :19:39.epidemic decades ago is still killing people.
:19:40. > :19:42.A mentally ill man stabbed a university lecturer to death
:19:43. > :19:44.in north London just days after prosecutors dropped charges
:19:45. > :19:48.against him for possessing knives and assaulting a policeman.
:19:49. > :19:51.Dr Jeroen Ensink was killed as he left home to post
:19:52. > :19:54.cards announcing the birth of his daughter.
:19:55. > :19:57.23 year old Femi Nandap admitted his manslaughter by reason
:19:58. > :20:14.What was said in the court? This was in December last year, just before
:20:15. > :20:17.TPM, Doctor Jeroen Ensink, a renowned epidemic, had gone a few
:20:18. > :20:21.steps from his front door when he was repeatedly stabbed. His wife was
:20:22. > :20:24.at home looking after their 11-day-old daughter, she became
:20:25. > :20:28.concerned when he didn't return. She opened her front door to see a
:20:29. > :20:33.police cordon and their cards and letters over the pavement. Today at
:20:34. > :20:36.the Old Bailey 23-year-old Femi Nandap admitted manslaughter on the
:20:37. > :20:39.grounds of diminished responsibility but what came to light is that six
:20:40. > :20:43.days before the killing, three charges against him had been
:20:44. > :20:47.dropped, possession of two knives and assaulting a policeman. Today
:20:48. > :20:51.the CBS said the charges were dropped because of insufficient
:20:52. > :20:56.evidence and they also said that cases are constantly reviewed and
:20:57. > :21:03.lessons learned. Doctor Jeroen Ensink's colleagues at the London
:21:04. > :21:05.School of hygiene and to book a medicine have set up a fund which
:21:06. > :21:13.raised more than ?20,000. Thank you for joining us.
:21:14. > :21:18.The Scottish Government will carry out a three-month consultation on
:21:19. > :21:24.the Named Person scheme complying with human rights law. A health
:21:25. > :21:28.visitor or a teacher would monitor the welfare of every child in
:21:29. > :21:30.Scotland and was halted after a challenge in the Supreme Court.
:21:31. > :21:34.Most voters in Northern Ireland do not want a referendum on Irish
:21:35. > :21:36.Sinn Fein had called for a referendum on the issue -
:21:37. > :21:39.under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement - after a majority
:21:40. > :21:47.of people in Northern Ireland opposed Brexit in June.
:21:48. > :21:49.Greece is still struggling to cope with the migrant crisis
:21:50. > :21:52.despite a deal between the EU and Turkey designed to reduce
:21:53. > :21:54.the flow of refugees and migrants crossing by boat
:21:55. > :22:00.The process of either returning them to Turkey,
:22:01. > :22:02.or moving them elsewhere in the EU has virtually ground
:22:03. > :22:04.to a halt with some 60,000 now stuck in Greece.
:22:05. > :22:06.Our Europe correspondent Damian Grammaticas reports
:22:07. > :22:23.It all looks so calm. The tourists are here, indulging, enjoying their
:22:24. > :22:30.Greek, it ill. In the background, the refugees linger, trapped as
:22:31. > :22:35.Europe's crisis festers. Out at sea, the boats have slowed, Greek
:22:36. > :22:40.coastguard scanning the water. But tonight, nothing. Europe's deal with
:22:41. > :22:52.Turkey is having an effect. Turkish patrols are deterring more
:22:53. > :22:56.crossings. Rivals now, around 100 a day, not in the thousands --
:22:57. > :23:01.arrivals. So it is here on land where the crisis has shifted. This
:23:02. > :23:11.man arrived from homes in Syria two months ago. -- Homs. He is now stuck
:23:12. > :23:16.in a temporary shelter hoping for refugee status but with no end to
:23:17. > :23:24.the process insight. Like 60,000 others in Greece. It is like a
:23:25. > :23:29.snail. There are people here for six months and they are still waiting.
:23:30. > :23:33.For me, I am two months so maybe we will wait two years, I don't know.
:23:34. > :23:40.Adding to their frustration, the refugees cannot work. They are
:23:41. > :23:43.reliant on hand-outs and it is charities and not the EU that is
:23:44. > :23:49.feeding them. For this lady, a Syrian Kurd, it is demoralising and
:23:50. > :23:56.degrading and not what they expected in Europe. TRANSLATION: We escaped
:23:57. > :24:01.war, death, how can they reject us? Where is their humanity? We are in
:24:02. > :24:07.Europe, which always talks about human rights. They must protect us.
:24:08. > :24:12.Right in the heart of Chios the refugees have made their own shanty
:24:13. > :24:15.and islanders believe the EU is deliberately slowing the asylum
:24:16. > :24:23.process to deter more arrivals. The EU would like to mon eyes -- to
:24:24. > :24:28.minimise the flow so they leave the procedure to take months for the
:24:29. > :24:31.refugees. The EU's policies have too an extent secured European borders
:24:32. > :24:35.here for now, limiting the influx but they have left Greece and the
:24:36. > :24:38.refugees already here in limbo, unclear when or to where they will
:24:39. > :24:41.move on. Now, to most people
:24:42. > :24:45.a giraffe is a giraffe, but scientists have discovered that
:24:46. > :24:47.in fact there are four In genetic terms it means
:24:48. > :24:53.the differences between some African giraffes are as big
:24:54. > :25:12.as between a Polar Behind me we have got one of four
:25:13. > :25:17.newly identified species of giraffe, enjoying an elevated snack. This
:25:18. > :25:21.study shows how little we know about the biology of the world's tallest
:25:22. > :25:23.mammal so I have come to this zoo to look into a study that has redefined
:25:24. > :25:26.what it means to be a giraffe. They're Africa's gentlest
:25:27. > :25:29.giants but these animals are in decline as their natural
:25:30. > :25:32.habitat is shrinking. That threat was the trigger
:25:33. > :25:34.for an investigation. Geneticists and conservationists
:25:35. > :25:39.worked together to sample giraffe DNA to find out more about these
:25:40. > :25:44.increasingly fragmented populations. And this revealed
:25:45. > :25:48.a genetic surprise. What these new results show
:25:49. > :25:50.is that there are actually four All very tall and they look very
:25:51. > :25:56.similar. But they are actually as genetically
:25:57. > :25:59.distinct from one another as a polar here at the zoo just one
:26:00. > :26:06.of the four species. The others are northern
:26:07. > :26:09.giraffes, southern giraffes This might look like a very tricky
:26:10. > :26:18.game of spot the difference but to conservationists,
:26:19. > :26:20.it's crucial information. Understanding that they look
:26:21. > :26:31.different is just the start, now understanding is real genetic
:26:32. > :26:33.differences helps us perhaps to understand that there may be big
:26:34. > :26:35.differences in mating Those of course are critical
:26:36. > :26:38.to conserving a species and important understanding how
:26:39. > :26:40.threats might impact upon it and how we can reduce them
:26:41. > :26:44.and save species from extinction. The wild population of giraffes
:26:45. > :26:46.has declined by 40% So, looking deep into their DNA
:26:47. > :26:54.could help conservationists work out exactly what these animals need
:26:55. > :26:56.from their environment, to protect the habitat
:26:57. > :27:15.that the world's tallest It has been a day of mixed fortunes,
:27:16. > :27:19.some heavy rain, especially over parts of Scotland but also some
:27:20. > :27:24.glorious sunshine. This is Jersey earlier today. We've lost the
:27:25. > :27:28.heaviest rain from north-east Scotland but a lot of showers for
:27:29. > :27:32.more than an western parts of the country this evening and overnight,
:27:33. > :27:36.quite blustery. In the south and south-east, drier and clearer,
:27:37. > :27:40.another mild night, so temperatures still in the middle teens but not as
:27:41. > :27:46.humid as it has been over recent nights. Tomorrow a week weather
:27:47. > :27:49.front is ringing some cloud and showers over central and eastern
:27:50. > :27:54.parts of England followed by some sunshine but from the West,
:27:55. > :27:57.increasingly wet and windy weather coming in, heavy rain in Northern
:27:58. > :28:03.Ireland, the West of Scotland and gale force winds around the coasts
:28:04. > :28:06.and hills. Wet and windy in the north-west, dry and bright and warm
:28:07. > :28:11.to the south-east with a chance of showers. Friday evening, we will see
:28:12. > :28:17.strong wind and heavy rain moving gradually further south and east. To
:28:18. > :28:18.start the weekend we have the rain lingering around central and
:28:19. > :28:25.southern England towards East Anglia. Some uncertainty about the
:28:26. > :28:29.detail of the rainfall. It may be there for much of the day in the
:28:30. > :28:34.south and east. Further north west, clearer and pressure conditions,
:28:35. > :28:36.temperatures 15-21 and most of us will see some wet weather later in
:28:37. > :28:41.the day on Sunday. That's all from the BBC News at Six
:28:42. > :28:44.so it's goodbye from me, and on BBC One we now join the BBC's
:28:45. > :28:45.news teams where you are.