and more people cannot work because of long—term sickness. a muslim student loses a high court challenge to a ban on prayers at their north london school. a once in a decade opportunity — we'll tell you where you can see this unusual plant, now in flower forjust a few days. and the olympic flame is lit in olympia in greece at the start of its journey to the games in paris this summer. and coming up on bbc news... they have the advantage in the premier league title race, but can manchester city overcome real madrid in the champions league tomorrow night? hello and welcome to the bbc news at one.

mps will debate legislation shortly which would give the uk some of the strictest anti—tobacco laws in the world. the new laws would raise the minimum age for smoking by one year every year. that means it would be illegal for anyone currently 15 or younger born afterjanuary 1st 2009 to ever buy tobacco products. the department for health says smoking kills about 80,000 people a year and costs £17 billion a year in treating smoking—related illnesses and through lost productivity. the tobacco and vapes bill also aims to make vapes less appealing to children. but a number of conservative mps have told the bbc they won't back the bill. here's our health correspondent sophie hutchinson. smoking is the single biggest cause of preventable death in the uk. it kills two thirds of long—term users.

the aim of the new bill before parliament is to protect younger generations from harm by banning tobacco use for them. one caller with experience of that harm told the nicky campbell show on bbc radio 5 live he regretted ever starting to smoke. i 5 live he regretted ever starting to smoke. ., ., ., ., smoke. i had to have one lung removed. _ smoke. i had to have one lung removed. got _ smoke. i had to have one lung removed, got emphysema - smoke. i had to have one lung i removed, got emphysema and smoke. i had to have one lung - removed, got emphysema and copd in the other lung, and now i've found out i've got terminal cancer in my liver and adrenal glands. i’m out i've got terminal cancer in my liver and adrenal glands.— liver and adrenal glands. i'm so sor . liver and adrenal glands. i'm so sorry- yeah. — liver and adrenal glands. i'm so sorry. yeah, it's _ liver and adrenal glands. i'm so sorry. yeah, it's something - liver and adrenal glands. i'm so sorry. yeah, it's something i'vei liver and adrenal glands. i'm so - sorry. yeah, it's something i've got used to now. _ sorry. yeah, it's something i've got used to now, i've _ sorry. yeah, it's something i've got used to now, i've come _ sorry. yeah, it's something i've got used to now, i've come to - sorry. yeah, it's something i've got used to now, i've come to terms i sorry. yeah, it's something i've got l used to now, i've come to terms with it, but what i've gone through the last few years i wouldn't want anyone to go through. and if i could go back, i wish i'd never started. the harm done by smoking is well documented. it causes lung and heart disease, cancer, stillbirths, dementia and asthma. england's chief medical officer chris whitty supports the ban.— medical officer chris whitty supports the ban.

medical officer chris whitty su orts the ban. ., ., ,, supports the ban. people are trapped into smoking — supports the ban. people are trapped into smoking at _ supports the ban. people are trapped into smoking at a _ supports the ban. people are trapped into smoking at a very _ supports the ban. people are trapped into smoking at a very young - supports the ban. people are trapped into smoking at a very young age - supports the ban. people are trapped into smoking at a very young age and i into smoking at a very young age and once they become addicted, their choice is taken away. so, if you are favour of choice, you should be against something which takes away people's choices, the great majority of smokers wish they had never started, but now they are in trouble. ., . . ., ., started, but now they are in trouble. ., ., ., , , started, but now they are in trouble. ., ., , �* trouble. the tobacco and vapes bill before parliament _ trouble. the tobacco and vapes bill before parliament today _ trouble. the tobacco and vapes bill before parliament today represents| trouble. the tobacco and vapes billl before parliament today represents a huge change. it proposes that anyone turning 15 this year and anyone younger than that would be banned from buying cigarettes throughout the whole of their lives. but it has sparked a fierce debate about freedom is.— sparked a fierce debate about freedom is. . , ., , , freedom is. what this does is it infantilised _ freedom is. what this does is it infantilised his _ freedom is. what this does is it infantilised his future _ freedom is. what this does is it infantilised his future adults. i freedom is. what this does is it - infantilised his future adults. when you are 18 in this entry, you are legally an adult, and as such you should be treated like one. at 18 you can drive a car, you canjoin the army, you can possess a credit card, you can buy alcohol, and most importantly, you can vote. the card, you can buy alcohol, and most importantly, you can vote.— importantly, you can vote. the bill also includes _ importantly, you can vote. the bill also includes new _ importantly, you can vote. the bill also includes new restrictions to i also includes new restrictions to tackle concerns about the sharp rise in the number of children using

vapes. it would ensure flavours and packaging were less appealing to children, but some are doubtful it would work. i children, but some are doubtful it would work-— would work. i don't think anybody necessarily _ would work. i don't think anybody necessarily looks _ would work. i don't think anybody necessarily looks at _ would work. i don't think anybody necessarily looks at the _ would work. i don't think anybody | necessarily looks at the packaging and thinks, let's try that. it is more. — and thinks, let's try that. it is more. it— and thinks, let's try that. it is more. it is— and thinks, let's try that. it is more, it is vaping, it is a cool thing — more, it is vaping, it is a cool thing to— more, it is vaping, it is a cool thing to do _ more, it is vaping, it is a cool thing to do. just like smoking was in the _ thing to do. just like smoking was in the '80s — thing to do. just like smoking was in the '80s. kids will be kids but i will try— in the '80s. kids will be kids but i will try smoking, they will try vaping — will try smoking, they will try va - in . ,., will try smoking, they will try vain. , vaping. the debate continues in parliament _ vaping. the debate continues in parliament today, _ vaping. the debate continues in parliament today, where - vaping. the debate continues in parliament today, where mps i vaping. the debate continues in l parliament today, where mps will vaping. the debate continues in - parliament today, where mps will be given their foes chance to vote on what would be the world's first lifelong smoking ban for younger generations. sophie hutchinson, bbc news. our political correspondent ben wright is at westminster. just how significant is this, do you think, ben? it just how significant is this, do you think, ben?— think, ben? it is huge, jane. in ears to think, ben? it is huge, jane. in years to come. _ think, ben? it is huge, jane. in years to come, long _ think, ben? it is huge, jane. in years to come, long after- think, ben? it is huge, jane. in years to come, long after rishi| years to come, long after rishi sunak has left no 10, this policy will be remembered. the phasing out of smoking will have a massive impact on public health and i think it's really unlikely that a future government would reverse this move. remember, it's less than 20 years ago that people could smoke in

restaurants, in the cinema, on buses, on trains. and the then labour government's move to ban smoking in public places did, like now, because a big political rompers here at westminster, splits between the parties, but parliament passed the parties, but parliament passed the measure, and it stuck, and the impact of that was huge. i think the impact of that was huge. i think the impact of that was huge. i think the impact of this will be even bigger. it's also a huge intervention by the state, which is why a lot of conservatives hate the idea. rishi sunak�*s two recent predecessors as prime minister have condemned it, borisjohnson said the plan was not, liz truss has described it as unconservative, many other tory mps feel it is just impractical. the vote today will be a free vote which means that mps will be voting according to their conscience. tory mps are not going to be ordered to support this and it will be very interesting to see how many conservative mps, potentially including cabinet ministers as well, decide to either abstain or vote on this measure. it has become i think

something of a flashpoint within the argument going on within the conservative party about what it stands for now. but with labour supporting this measure, if there is enough parliamentary time between now and the general election, it will pass into law, and as i said i think it could be the most enduring part of this government's legacy. ben wright, thank you. the number of people out of work in the uk has risen. figures from the office for national statistics show the unemployment rate was 4.2% between december and february, that's up from 3.9% in the previous three months. but the number ofjob vacancies is still high. there's been a rise in the number of people who are economically inactive, that is no longer looking for, or able to, work — and that reflects a rise in the number of people who are long—term sick. dharshini david has the details. i would give anything to not kind of wake up every day feeling absolutely rubbish. 21—year—old chloe

lives with depression, borderline personality disorder and autism. she took up work at 16 but that didn't last long. currently a student, she is concerned about a lack of understanding. they don't really understand the complexity of mental illness. it's not something that... although there are days that i can't get out of bed — days and weeks and months that i don't get out of bed in a depressive episode — there is also days and weeks and months i can't keep myself safe and going to work is dangerous for me. the number of young people like chloe getting personal independence payments from the government related to mental health disorders has tripled over eight years. but why? the pandemic definitely had a big one—off effect. we saw a real big increase in the prevalence of people reporting a first mental health condition. and actually, the cost of living crisis has compounded that further and there is some evidence pointing towards some causal impacts of use of smartphones leading to worse mental health.

but i think that's still really not clear. but the largest increase in the number of those on disability—related benefits has been among older people who are more likely to suffer physical ailments for many reasons. ruth, who is 59, survived breast cancer only to be struck by long covid, which has left her with complex problems from asthma and fatigue to arthritis and unable to return to herjob in a supermarket. ok, this is me before i had covid and long covid. i'd like to be back there again and not have that. but you can't change things, can you? it changes how you feel about yourself, the contribution you can make to society, the contribution to the family, the bills and everything like that. so it's been very, very hard at times but i've had to come to terms with it. the minister here responsible for the labour market acknowledges that some have complex challenges but it is challenges

but it is concerned things may have gone too far. the government argues that households are better supported by work rather than welfare. so its £2.5 billion back to work plan focuses on just that, via, for example, benefit reform and occupational health. but that may not suit everyone. there is a record 2.8 million people not working due to illness. over 700,000 more than before the pandemic. the public purse paid out £65 billion in benefits related to poor health last year. official projections say that could top £90 billion by 2029 — that's before the cost to households and employers. employers, the government, health and education providers all have a role to play, enable those like chloe and ruth to work again, but many public services may face squeezed budgets. a complex prescription is needed to keep britain working. and dharshini is with me — what do these figures mean for the wider economy? well, jane, there are two questions

we have to answer. if you are looking for a job, what do these figures actually mean? also what does it mean for the interest rates? on the face of it, it does look like thejobs on the face of it, it does look like the jobs market is turning a corner here, that these higher interest rates, the higher costs employers have faced over the last couple of years, are impacting hiring plans, but we do have to interpret a figures with a pinch of salt because even the people putting them together say are some technical figures issues with them but it doesn't appear that on a planet is rising, but only slightly, by less perhaps than the bank of england had predicted. one reason for that is that those who are not counted as unemployed, the number of inactive, is on the rise, as we were hearing in my report. at the same time however that also means that vacancies are still higher than they were before the pandemic. so if you are looking for a job, don't lose hope, there are things out there. on the other hand the bank of england has been concerned about the labour market, because it was very tight, because there was a lot of demand and wages were rising quite sharply, it had been hesitant to cut interest

rates. that is also changing now, wage growth is slowing although it is still outpacing inflation and because we have see that rise in unemployment, economists are saying the bank may feel it can cut interest rates perhaps as soon as june, so there could be a bit of a silver lining there for some. dharshini david, thank you. a muslim student has lost a high court challenge to a ban on praying at school. a secondary school in wembley in north london introduced a ban last year after some pupils began praying in the playground during breaks. today's case had argued that the move discriminated against muslim pupils who make up about half of the pupil population but that was rejected by the court. here 5 our education editor branwenjeffreys. morning. katharine birbalsingh says her school is the strictest in england. last year, a ban on prayer was brought in, leading to this legal challenge. some muslim pupils had started praying in the yard, asking for space to pray inside.

the school argued it had always been non—religious. from the moment we opened in 2014, we've never had a prayer room, we always made that clear to parents. i mean, it's notjust prayer rooms — everything that we are, because we are different, we say that to parents, and yes, we use the word "secular" to describe ourselves. today, the court upheld the school's right to decide. in a statement, the head teacher said... "a school should be free to do what is right for the pupils it serves. the court's decision is therefore a victory for all schools. michaela school structures every moment of the day for pupils. it argued allowing prayer would change the ethos. the founding chair of governors and former home secretary has backed this approach. we need to have cohesion around

common values, british values. those children are british citizens, and therefore its around a british culture that they should cohere. that's what michaela propagates and advocates — that's why it's been a successful school. the pupil in this case remains anonymous. her mother said she was profoundly dismayed by thejudgment, adding... "the case was rooted in the understanding that prayer isn'tjust a desirable act for us, it's an essential element that shapes our lives as muslims. thisjudgment has this judgment has implications for every state funded, non—faith school in england. it supports the right of individual schools, the head teacher, school governors, to decide what is in the best interests of

their pupils. while some schools do set aside a room for prayer, or quiet reflection, there is no legal, overriding duty to do so. branwen jeffreys, bbc news. the israeli government has written to more than 30 countries calling for sanctions against iran's missile programme. a wave of missiles and drones were fired from iran, iraq, syria and yemen on saturday, though most were shot down by israel and its allies. tehran says the attack was in retaliation for the presumed israeli air strike on its consulate in syria, which killed 13 people. here, prime minister rishi sunak is looking to have a phone call with the israeli prime minister as soon as possible. let's speak to yolande knell injerusalem. what is the latest in israel's thinking about its approach now to iran? ~ , ., ,

iran? well, the message that is cominu iran? well, the message that is coming through _ iran? well, the message that is coming through very _ iran? well, the message that is coming through very much - iran? well, the message that isj coming through very much from israeli officials, although they are now saying this directly on the record, is that they want to retaliate in a powerful way to that unprecedented drone and missile attack by iran in the early hours of sunday morning. —— although they are not saying this directly. but it is interesting to note really that so far we have not had the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu coming out and appearing in person directly addressing the israeli public since that attack took place. and we have not had him talking to some of the world leaders you would have expected him to talk to, like rishi sunak. you know, the british prime minister, britain, was playing a key role there in the defence of israel in that big drone and missile attack and it has been said in the israeli lunchtime news and the public radio here that yesterday, mr

netanyahu refused a call from the british prime minister. we know of course that he has been involved in long meetings with his own war cabinet deliberating on what should happen next. we know of course that he is under a lot of pressure from his own base, and there is really very much a call in israel for israel to kind of restore its deterrence in the region in its response to iran. but it does also look like he is trying to avoid a message from world leaders, who would be trying at this moment very much to calm things down, they do not want a new escalation in this region, where already we have the war in gaza raging on.— war in gaza raging on. yolande knell, thank _ war in gaza raging on. yolande knell, thank you _ war in gaza raging on. yolande knell, thank you very - war in gaza raging on. yolande knell, thank you very much. i easyjet has extended its suspension of flights to and from israel. it now won't operate to tel aviv before late october. easyjet said the extension is because of the "continued evolving situation" in the region. customers booked to fly on the route up to october 27th are being offered a full refund.

fire has engulfed one of denmark's most historic buildings, the 17th century stock exchange in copenhagen. everyone inside the building was able to leave. the building was being renovated and had been shrouded in scaffolding and protective plastic covering. the fire destroyed its famous twisted spire. firefighters tackling the blaze say the damage is extensive and also spread to nearby buildings. as work continued to stop the blaze people were seen helping firefighters rescue a number of art works. as they were brought from the building, bystanders ran to take the paintings across the street and away from the burning stock exchange. according to the local fire brigade, many have been saved. all the paintings and all the things of value that was possible to save from the building

has been saved. i can't account for how many paintings that are not saved, the registration afterwards will show that. the latest on that fire in copenhagen. our top story this afternoon: mps are about to debate some of the strictest proposed anti—smoking laws in the world — the prime minister wants to make it illegal for anyone currently 15 or younger to ever buy tobacco. and hope for medal glory at this summer's paris olympics — adam peaty is confirmed as part of team gb 33 strong swimming squad. coming up on bbc news... adam peaty is expected to be named in the gb swimming squad for this summer's olympic games in paris later today. we'll hear from the three—time olympic gold medallist.

india is gearing up to hold its general election and it'll be the largest the world has ever seen. just under one billion people are eligible to vote — more than the population of all the countries of europe combined. more than 13 million indian citizens who live abroad can take part as well, though they have to return to the country to cast their ballot. voting takes place over six weeks, beginning this friday through to 1st ofjune, with the results announced on june 4th. the prime minister narendra mohdi is hoping to win his third successive term and opinion polls suggests he will. although a controversial figure, he's amassed a huge following, almost unparalleled in contemporary india, as our south asia correspondent yogita limaye reports. cheering. narendra modi is the reigning superstar of indian politics. rallies like these are an integral

part of an indian election, but only a few leaders have evoked such a response in the country's history. what we are seeing here is the confidence of the party that very much believes it's going to win another resounding victory. and what we've also seen amidst the crowd is confidence about being indian on the global stage — one of the things that prime minister modi's tenure will be remembered for. mr modi, is a divisive figure. but here, among his mostly hindu following, he can do no wrong. translation: he's like god for me. he's made women like us feel safe. translation: he's a good speaker i and he has built drains and roads. and villages and cities. no one had done that till now. building infrastructure has been

one of the strengths of mr modi's government. a few miles from the rally in uttar pradesh, we saw a road that was made just over a year ago and met farmer ashoke singh transporting his produce. translation: we can move freely now, and security is better, too. _ but unemployment and price rise are big issues for us. the realities on the ground might be mixed, but the picture that reaches voters overwhelmingly, one that the ruling party wants people to see. mr modi's bjp runs an exhaustive and unparalleled campaign, door to door, as well as on social media. it is a crucial power to influence what people believe to be true. ultimately, it will affect how they vote. yogita limaye, bbc news, mairead.

police in australia say a knife attack at a church in sydney was a religiously—motivated terrorist act. a bishop and several members of the congregation were stabbed and injured during a sermon. a 16—year—old boy has been arrested. this was the second horrific knife attack in as many days. the horror quickly turned to outrage and crowds descended on the church. paramedics and police, along with the attacker, who was also injured, will hold up for several hours, unable to leave. the crowd became increasingly angry and wanted the attacker to face justice. today, forensic experts were combing over the crime scene. residents reflecting on last night's events. we just heard people screaming. it was shocking. it was something literally out of a movie. sydney's assyrian community is tight—knit.

this attack in their church has rocked them. this man, who knows the bishop well fled iraq 17 years ago. coming to a church, people think they are safe. and what they have seen last night brings them so many triggers and bring back the trauma, especially for refugees and migrants. this stabbing came just two days after another horrific attack in sydney and everyone i've spoken to these past few days has expressed their shock, their surprise — this sort of thing doesn't happen in australia. but it has happened and it's happened twice and that's been a very difficult thing to process. myrna and her family came to spend a quiet moment outside the church. my daughter is nine months old, so at the weekend i'm thinking i'm not going to the shops any more, i don't feel safe. now it's like, do i also stopped coming to church? i think the community has been affected by that. tonight the mood was sombre, but hopeful. people putting their faith in bringing australia together after a bruising few days. katy watson, bbc news, in sydney.

the inquiry into the post office it scandal has been hearing evidence that as early as august 1999, there were "ongoing concerns" about transactions being recorded properly. according to minutes from the time, the then chief operating officer david miller said the problem would have led to difficulties balancing cash accounts in all office had horizon been live. let's get more from emma simpson. yes, david miller had a number of roles at the post office. he was the horizon programme director in 1998 as it was being trialled and tested. he was intimately involved in the delivery of this new it system. mine was very aware of significant problems right from the get go. yet, we heard this morning he never passed on any of this knowledge when

he got promoted. as the prosecution for well under way, for instance he didn't mention it to the post office board that he eventually sat on. but he did acknowledge he should have notified lawyers to be very cautious looking at horizon evidence. mr miller also spoke about his role in the case of sub postmasterjulie wilson stone. the post office settled civil proceedings out of court back in 200a. she had a computer expert to give evidence, raising concerns about horizon. but mr miller didn't read it, although he signed off on the compensation and he regretted that. he told the inquiry this morning, i should have said stop, let's review this case properly. going on to say, as we can see from the paperwork, people wanted to keep it quiet. he agreed

this was a missed opportunity which might have prevented many of the things that followed.— might have prevented many of the things that followed. emma, thank ou. things that followed. emma, thank you- emma — things that followed. emma, thank you. emma simpson. _ adam peaty will compete for a third olympic 100m breaststroke after being confirmed in team gb's swimming squad for the paris games. the five time olympic medallist has returned to the sport after taking time out to tackle personal issues — and he credits part of his return to rediscovering his faith. jo currie's been talking to him. back to his best and with gold in his sights once more. this guy is phenomenal! adam peaty will head to paris this summer and put it all on the line to seal his place in history. i've got nothing left to prove. i've done everything in the sport i wanted to do. but now it's how can i do something not many people have done? the only other male to do it is michael phelps. you know, over the whole history of the olympics, it's unheard of to do three in a row _ the 29—year—old is already double olympic champion in the 100 metres breaststroke, but after hitting a self—destructive spiral it took for him to rediscover his faith in god

to rediscover his faith in the pool. it wasn't really until i went back to church, when i was burning out, and i was like this puts a lot more in perspective and i actually feel at home here. there are not many places on earth i feel at home and feel warm and feel welcome. how does it work on a daily basis in terms of going to church and fitting it in with swimming? a few years ago i would act the same way, my behaviour would be out of line. your ego would support that — oh, it doesn't matter. but now if my behaviour is starting to get out of line i check in with myself, check in with my bible, i check in with things that keep me grounded. i checking with people at church. i still need that person in the arena so it's how can you be peaceful but also a fighter who needs to go to war? the paris olympics are just three months away, but what about the next games in four years' time? i've got so much to be grateful for. i am highly blessed. la 2028 is obviously

going to be on the horizon. i would be a fool to write it off now, but that's four years, that's a long time. i will try and keep that one on the quiet in my head. the olympic flame has been lit in a ceremony in greece's ancient olympia. the flame was lit by the sun's rays. the lighting of the flame kicks off an international torch relay, which ends at the paris 2024 olympic games. it will now travel 3,000 miles through greece, by boat to france, and through french overseas territories before arriving in paris for the opening of the games injuly. now, this is an unusual sight — this exquisite plant can take ten years to flower. it's a puya alpestris from the chilean andes, and it's now in bloom at birmingham's botanical gardens. our correspondent phil mackie has been to have a look.

towering over all the cacti and succulents in the arid house, the sapphire tower as it's known is an extremely rare gem. but getting to it isn't an easyjob. after its sudden growth spurt, it now stands at 3.5 metres tall. it takes so long for the plant to gather the energy and be ready to flower. and then to create this masterpiece of flowering, it's just rare and really exciting to witness it. it lasts maybe a week or two and then it's gone and the plant itself dies. it's remarkable. nectar is literally falling out of it and in its natural habitat it would have all the pollinators flocking to it. but there aren't any hummingbirds in birmingham so alberto has to use a paintbrush to do the job instead. it's a very slow growing plant so it takes years to get to the flowering stage. word has spread and visitors have been making a beeline to see it.

but they won't have very long. so normally it looks completely lifeless, absolutely dead. every ten years or so it gets enough energy to flower and in a couple of months it will completely die back again and look as lifeless as it did to begin with. once the flowers have faded, it will fruit, and later this year alberto will collect the seeds so visitors will be able to see the next generation of puya alpestri in the nursery in the future. it's just so unusual and rare to see it. it doesn't really matter how many times you see it, it's just great. phil mackie, bbc news, birmingham. time for a look at the weather. here's darren bett. last weekend we had our warmest weather so far and across other parts of europe, temperature records were broken. a colder air has slipped in across many parts of europe and at home we have the risk of frost at night in the next couple

of frost at night in the next couple of nights. it is