Detecting language using up to the first 30 seconds. Use `--language` to specify the language Detected language: English [00:00.000 --> 00:04.720] in the breeze. And the breeze gets stronger through Monday night into Tuesday. A significant [00:04.720 --> 00:09.080] strength in other wind linked into this deepening area of low pressure. Another stormy low we've [00:09.080 --> 00:12.840] seen some over the past few weeks. Another one to come through Monday night into Tuesday. [00:12.840 --> 00:17.720] Prompting the Met Office to issue an early warning of strong winds across the UK. 50 [00:17.720 --> 00:22.340] to 70 mile gusts possible quite widely across the country. Even more than that around the [00:22.340 --> 00:26.720] coasts and the hills. We will see heavy rain as well to begin the day. Easing to the south [00:26.720 --> 00:30.320] east for the afternoon. Snow then packing into north west Scotland. But there will be [00:30.320 --> 00:34.360] the risk of some minor flooding from that rain. Temperatures lifting a little bit. Temperatures [00:34.360 --> 00:38.800] will lift further on Wednesday after a chilly start. Dryest, brightest for longest to the [00:38.800 --> 00:42.880] south and the east. But more cloud and rain and hill snow for Scotland starting to push [00:42.880 --> 00:47.240] in from the north west later. Temperatures are around 7 to 10 Celsius. So a topsy turvy [00:47.240 --> 00:50.720] week of weather. Your five day forecast are online and there's more later on the news [00:50.720 --> 00:57.920] channel. This is a highly volatile situation. We have to leave. It's getting violent. How [00:57.920 --> 01:04.680] do you end this crisis? Keep your head down. As far as the eye can see, you've got destruction [01:04.680 --> 01:10.160] and devastation. It's been a truly memorable occasion. Mr President, what would he have [01:10.160 --> 01:16.440] had to do to be captured? It's extremely tense here right in the heart of Athens. This is [01:16.440 --> 01:21.600] the most terrible day of my life. The United Nations World Food Programme say 10 million [01:21.600 --> 01:26.200] others in this corner of Africa are going to need their help in the next few months. [01:26.200 --> 01:30.680] This is the image of London that has flashed around the world. It was a day which changed [01:30.680 --> 01:36.360] America and the world. One fighter told me that Mahmoud Gaddafi said to him, what did [01:36.360 --> 01:41.480] I do to you? He said he took the decision for the good of the country. Are we better [01:41.480 --> 01:49.240] off outside the hero? You bet we are. Extraordinary events, unparalleled coverage. In 2012, stay [01:49.240 --> 01:52.240] with BBC News. [01:52.240 --> 02:07.360] It's hungry time, isn't it? Do you first. Hello. How are you? Can you just give me one [02:07.360 --> 02:17.840] minute? Yes, I know. No, we're fine. You're busy. That's why renewing your TV licence [02:17.840 --> 02:45.320] is easy. Visit tvlicensing.co.uk. [03:17.840 --> 03:28.640] The final countdown begins for London 2012, but there's a new warning about betting syndicates. [03:28.640 --> 03:32.960] Celebrations as the Olympic year gets underway, but the government says it's concerned about [03:32.960 --> 03:37.600] those who want to spoil the party. I'm very worried about it, and it's not just me. The [03:37.600 --> 03:41.920] president of the International Olympic Committee thinks that this is the biggest threat facing [03:41.920 --> 03:48.440] sport this year. Also tonight, grim tidings, Europe's leaders warn 2012 will be even more [03:48.440 --> 03:54.920] difficult than last year, but insist the eurozone will emerge from the economic crisis. Plans [03:54.920 --> 03:59.360] to make subletting council houses a criminal offence, tenants who rent out their homes [03:59.360 --> 04:04.520] could face jail. The Duke of Edinburgh walks to church to join the other Royals for a New [04:04.520 --> 04:14.320] Year's Day service. And Sunderland snatch it with a last gasp goal against league leaders [04:14.320 --> 04:34.480] Manchester City. Good evening. Events have taken place today to mark the start of the Olympic year. The chairman [04:34.480 --> 04:40.000] of London 2012, Lord Coe, said the Games would show that Britain was open for business, but [04:40.000 --> 04:44.520] the dangers ahead were highlighted by the Olympics minister. He warned that betting [04:44.520 --> 04:49.280] syndicates are aiming to fix the outcome of competitions. Our sports correspondent James [04:49.280 --> 04:55.760] Pierce is in London's Trafalgar Square now. James? Good evening. This countdown clock [04:55.760 --> 05:01.480] seems to hold special significance this evening. 208 days to go, but one wait is over. Here [05:01.480 --> 05:07.080] we are now in 2012. Today there have been special celebrations in this part of London, [05:07.080 --> 05:11.840] Olympic themed with the Lord Mayor's New Year parade. I should warn you that this report [05:11.840 --> 05:19.840] contains some flash photography. The dawn of a new year over London's Olympic Stadium. [05:19.840 --> 05:27.400] 2012, the year for which all of this has been built. In the centre of the city, the annual [05:27.400 --> 05:33.900] New Year's parade with an Olympic theme as a build up to the Games intensifies. Economically, [05:33.900 --> 05:39.200] the coming months carry uncertainty, but the message from London 2012 is that the party's [05:39.200 --> 05:46.120] spirit mustn't be dampened. This is a country that is open for business and we need to use [05:46.120 --> 05:53.880] every opportunity we can off the back of the Games to showcase the fantastic creativity, [05:53.880 --> 06:00.200] our fantastic businesses, our artistic endeavour, our sporting endeavour and most crucially [06:00.200 --> 06:07.160] what we are as a nation. But many challenges still remain. In November, three Pakistani [06:07.160 --> 06:12.580] cricketers were jailed for their involvement in a betting plot. Today the sports minister [06:12.580 --> 06:17.720] warned about the risk of a similar scandal at the Olympics. It absolutely is a possibility [06:17.720 --> 06:22.580] and the danger, the real danger lies in spot fixing. Just consider how easy it is to bet [06:22.580 --> 06:27.320] on something like the first short corner in a hockey game. Any team sport you can bet [06:27.320 --> 06:31.920] on an individual action or occurrence. So you look at the number of team sports that [06:31.920 --> 06:38.100] there are in the Olympics and the threat, the real threat becomes very obvious. This [06:38.100 --> 06:43.880] being London, one of the other great unpredictables is the weather. Those taking part in today's [06:43.880 --> 06:50.320] parade got soaked. Not that that deterred one Olympic champion who's hoping that by [06:50.320 --> 06:55.840] August he'll have another medal to hold alongside his gold from Beijing. I think what's most [06:55.840 --> 07:00.280] exciting about 2012 is not the fact that we can necessarily go and win gold medals but [07:00.280 --> 07:05.520] the amount of enthusiasm that the country has for the Olympics. We've been competing [07:05.520 --> 07:09.900] for this Olympics for years but it's really exciting to see the country sort of almost [07:09.900 --> 07:14.520] wake up and have that moment of revelation. The fact that 2012 is the Olympic year and [07:14.520 --> 07:17.680] we as a country are going to celebrate it and come away with some fantastic gold medals [07:17.680 --> 07:25.040] to boot. The venues are almost ready. The year is here. The London Olympics suddenly [07:25.040 --> 07:31.880] feel very close. The organisers will hope that when that countdown clock gets to zero [07:31.880 --> 07:35.600] the weather is going to be very different than it has been today. We've had torrential [07:35.600 --> 07:40.120] rain throughout the afternoon but the organisers have done a good job so far getting us to [07:40.120 --> 07:44.080] where we are at the start of 2012 with all those venues pretty much ready for action [07:44.080 --> 07:48.720] but as the sports minister has highlighted there are still some very big issues to be [07:48.720 --> 07:54.760] faced before the games can begin. James, thank you very much. Eurozone leaders [07:54.760 --> 07:59.800] have given a gloomy assessment of the year ahead, exactly ten years after Euro, coins [07:59.800 --> 08:04.560] and banknotes first went into circulation. The French president Nicolas Sarkozy warned [08:04.560 --> 08:09.320] that the worst economic crisis since the Second World War would continue to hurt households [08:09.320 --> 08:14.660] in 2012 while Angela Merkel said that for millions of Germans this year would be more [08:14.660 --> 08:19.120] difficult than last. Stephen Evans reports from Berlin. [08:19.120 --> 08:25.720] Everybody's crying for 2011, the year of riots in Greece as belts got tighter and tighter [08:25.720 --> 08:31.640] and friends fell out as euro tensions got tougher and tougher and leaders got shunted [08:31.640 --> 08:42.640] out as voters got less and less patient. So welcome 2012 with fireworks over the Brandenburg [08:42.640 --> 08:49.640] Gate in Berlin and the annual message to her people from Chancellor Merkel. She did not [08:49.640 --> 08:57.920] promise a happy new year. Europe is growing together in the crisis. The [08:57.920 --> 09:03.840] path to overcoming this remains long and won't be free from setbacks but at the end of it [09:03.840 --> 09:13.000] Europe will emerge stronger from the crisis than it went into it. And in Paris the fireworks [09:13.000 --> 09:19.000] were subdued but a new year's glow shone over the Eiffel Tower, a glow in the gloom [09:19.000 --> 09:28.560] of the message from the president. We have to be courageous and we have to be lucid. [09:28.560 --> 09:33.240] What's happening in the world announces that 2012 will be a year full of risks but also [09:33.240 --> 09:39.280] full of possibilities, full of hope if we know how to face the challenges, full of dangers [09:39.280 --> 09:45.240] if we stand still. There is a new year ritual in Germany. Everybody [09:45.240 --> 09:51.160] watches a remake of an old British comedy about a duchess and her butler. This year [09:51.160 --> 09:56.240] there was a twist, a spoof with Chancellor Merkel and President Sarkozy. [09:56.240 --> 10:10.640] In real life they are now linked together to save the euro. They meet again in a few [10:10.640 --> 10:18.880] days time to try to agree on greater integration of euro's own policies. Even here in Germany, [10:18.880 --> 10:24.480] Europe's strongest economy, the forecasts are for growth not much more than zero. Throughout [10:24.480 --> 10:33.240] the rest of Europe it may well be recession. 2012 does not promise to be better than 2011. [10:33.240 --> 10:39.320] Germans take to the icy water in another new year ritual. Their government is not promising [10:39.320 --> 10:47.320] any warm up of the economy, quite the contrary. And that's bad news for every economy in Europe. [10:47.320 --> 10:54.240] Stephen Evans, BBC News, Berlin. A soldier killed in an explosion in Afghanistan [10:54.240 --> 10:59.160] was named today as Private John King from 1st Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Private [10:59.160 --> 11:04.880] King who was 19 and from Darlington was killed in a blast in the Nasaraj district of Helmand [11:04.880 --> 11:10.280] province on Friday. Council tenants who sublet their homes for [11:10.280 --> 11:14.680] money will face prosecution and could be jailed under new government plans for England and [11:14.680 --> 11:19.720] Wales. Higher earners may also be forced to pay the market rate for living in their council [11:19.720 --> 11:26.960] property in proposals outlined today. Political correspondent Vicky Young reports. [11:26.960 --> 11:31.400] They're pocketing money at the taxpayers' expense. That's what ministers think of council [11:31.400 --> 11:38.440] tenants who sublet their property. Around 160,000 tenants move out and take up to £1,000 [11:38.440 --> 11:43.520] a week in rent from someone else. The government says it's a form of fraud to profit from [11:43.520 --> 11:47.960] accommodation that's no longer needed. And they're promising to change the law to make [11:47.960 --> 11:53.320] it a criminal offence. It's not fair. It's not right. Hardworking taxpayers [11:53.320 --> 11:58.320] pay billions of pounds to build social housing. It should go to the people who really need [11:58.320 --> 12:01.720] it, not people who are committing that kind of fraud and abuse. [12:01.720 --> 12:06.400] Many local authorities already tell their tenants not to sublet. But often the worst [12:06.400 --> 12:11.760] penalty they face is losing the property. In future, they could go to jail. [12:11.760 --> 12:16.080] And eight million people in England and Wales live in a home owned either by the council [12:16.080 --> 12:21.400] or a housing association. But there's a lengthy waiting list, too, with almost two million [12:21.400 --> 12:27.100] families hoping to be housed. Ministers believe that making subletting illegal is one way [12:27.100 --> 12:31.840] to try and provide council homes for those who really need them. [12:31.840 --> 12:37.520] The government is also considering allowing councils to raise rents for high-earning tenants. [12:37.520 --> 12:43.200] Employers with an income over £100,000 may have to pay more, although only 6,000 people [12:43.200 --> 12:48.200] are likely to be affected. But Labour say these measures won't do anything [12:48.200 --> 12:53.640] to tackle a far deeper problem. The reality is the housing crisis is only [12:53.640 --> 12:59.120] going to be solved by building new affordable houses. And Grant Shapps as housing minister [12:59.120 --> 13:03.480] should stop reannouncing things that aren't going to make an immediate big difference [13:03.480 --> 13:08.040] and get on with building new houses. The government will consult on its proposals [13:08.040 --> 13:13.000] soon, but the housing charity Shelter has called for bigger and bolder solutions, not [13:13.000 --> 13:18.180] more tweaks to social housing policy. Vicky Young, BBC News. [13:18.180 --> 13:22.760] The Archbishop of Canterbury has said in his New Year message that society is letting down [13:22.760 --> 13:28.480] young people. Dr Rowan Williams says the suspicion and negativity shown towards young people [13:28.480 --> 13:34.280] is driving them into unhappiness and anxiety. He said last August's riots in England were [13:34.280 --> 13:41.360] part of a much bigger and more serious problem. Iran has test-fired a new medium-range missile [13:41.360 --> 13:45.840] during naval exercises close to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest shipping [13:45.840 --> 13:49.540] routes for transporting oil. The announcement of the test firing was followed [13:49.540 --> 13:55.200] shortly afterwards by Tehran, saying it has successfully tested a nuclear fuel rod made [13:55.200 --> 14:02.800] from uranium enriched from within Iran for the first time. Nick Childs reports. [14:02.800 --> 14:07.800] Iran's naval forces show off their firepower, manoeuvres at sea that look like a riposte [14:07.800 --> 14:12.880] to Western diplomatic manoeuvres to tighten sanctions on Iran over its suspected nuclear [14:12.880 --> 14:19.940] ambitions. This naval commander says Iran is able to defend all its coastline and hit [14:19.940 --> 14:25.640] any target at any time it chooses. In the midst of 10 days of exercises, it warned [14:25.640 --> 14:30.120] last week that it would shut the Strait of Hormuz if its own oil exports were squeezed. [14:30.120 --> 14:34.440] It may have backed off those comments later, but it's all a reminder of the fears for the [14:34.440 --> 14:39.200] oil market, fragile Western economies and stability in the Gulf. [14:39.200 --> 14:43.480] Iran straddles the narrow Strait of Hormuz the mouth of the Gulf. The waterway's strategic [14:43.480 --> 14:48.600] significance stems from the fact that it carries more than a third of all oil shipped by sea. [14:48.600 --> 14:53.560] That's one reason the U.S. Navy has the headquarters for its fifth fleet in the Gulf, in Bahrain. [14:53.560 --> 14:57.080] Britain stations a small force of naval mine hunters there, too. [14:57.080 --> 15:02.560] The decision to test a missile is simply to engage in some sort of brinksmanship to show [15:02.560 --> 15:07.320] that in the event of any attack they would have retaliatory capabilities, but it's also [15:07.320 --> 15:12.040] a gesture, a way of upping the pressure to make audiences in the West feel they should [15:12.040 --> 15:15.040] stay back. [15:15.040 --> 15:19.660] Iranian television also today proclaimed a new milestone in its nuclear developments, [15:19.660 --> 15:24.400] the production of its first fuel rod with domestically produced uranium. The images [15:24.400 --> 15:28.920] were meant to reinforce its position that its nuclear plans are purely peaceful. It's [15:28.920 --> 15:34.520] also hinted it might be ready to resume negotiations on its nuclear program. But President Obama [15:34.520 --> 15:40.120] has just signed a bill that could tighten U.S. sanctions on Iran, even as the West ponders [15:40.120 --> 15:43.200] this mixture of new messages from Tehran. [15:43.200 --> 15:45.760] Nick Childs, BBC News. [15:45.760 --> 15:49.000] The Duke of Edinburgh has joined the rest of the royal family for the New Year's Day [15:49.000 --> 15:53.240] service at Sandringham. Prince Philip was greeted by hundreds of well-wishers as he [15:53.240 --> 15:57.640] walked to church just a few days after he was released from hospital following surgery [15:57.640 --> 16:02.140] for a blocked artery. Mark Worthington reports. [16:02.140 --> 16:06.260] After more than a week's rest, the Duke of Edinburgh's New Year message was that he's [16:06.260 --> 16:12.580] now firmly back on his feet. Striding as usual at the head of the royal party, he made the [16:12.580 --> 16:19.780] short walk to the morning Sandringham church service to the sound of spontaneous applause. [16:19.780 --> 16:24.680] The hundreds of well-wishers who lined the route far more than normal and all visibly [16:24.680 --> 16:29.960] pleased that just a few days after leaving Papworth Hospital, Prince Philip appeared [16:29.960 --> 16:31.320] to be in good health. [16:31.320 --> 16:35.720] As he came up, people were clapping and genuinely pleased and we're all excited saying he's [16:35.720 --> 16:38.720] here, he's here. So yeah, I think everyone's really pleased to see him. [16:38.720 --> 16:43.680] I'd like to think I looked as good when I was 91. But yeah, he looked good, yeah. [16:43.680 --> 16:47.640] A very well-looking Prince Philip, yes. He looked really well and it was nice to see [16:47.640 --> 16:50.660] him out walking. [16:50.660 --> 16:55.640] After the service, the Duke of Edinburgh emerged from the church to be greeted once more by [16:55.640 --> 17:05.320] applause. It was a show of support he clearly appreciated. [17:05.320 --> 17:10.320] The Queen may have made the journey to and from church by car but by arriving and leaving [17:10.320 --> 17:15.360] under his own steam, Prince Philip was sending a clear message that his Christmas health [17:15.360 --> 17:19.040] scare is behind him. [17:19.040 --> 17:25.440] And the whole royal family can now look ahead to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year. Mark [17:25.440 --> 17:28.920] Worthington, BBC News, Sandringham. [17:28.920 --> 17:33.320] Onto football. Manchester City still lead the Premier League but only on goal difference [17:33.320 --> 17:39.120] after suffering a shock defeat against Sunderland. Joe Wilson watched the action. [17:39.120 --> 17:44.720] For Mancini's Man City, 2012 promises the Premier League title. It's simple enough to say. Manchester [17:44.720 --> 17:49.800] United's defeat to Blackburn was a reminder of the dangers that lurk throughout the league. [17:49.800 --> 17:54.200] And here, rejuvenated Sunderland should have opened the scoring after two minutes. Nicholas [17:54.200 --> 17:59.760] Bentner, the squanderer. City rested their star forwards, well, some of them. There was [17:59.760 --> 18:05.360] still Edin Dzeko, thwarted by Sunderland's keeper, the masked Mignolet, with recently [18:05.360 --> 18:07.560] fractured nose and eye socket. [18:07.560 --> 18:14.420] Stale, mate. Mancini added sparkle from the substitutes. Aguero and Silva both on, no change. [18:14.420 --> 18:19.760] City dominated possession but time and time again Sunderland kept them out with organisation, [18:19.760 --> 18:25.260] bravery and a bit of good luck. A goalless draw seemed well earned until the third minute [18:25.260 --> 18:32.720] of injury time, and a young South Korean called Ji Dong-won. Possibly offside, no-one cared [18:32.720 --> 18:39.560] in Sunderland. Teams managed by Martin O'Neill never give up, as Man City have just discovered. [18:39.560 --> 18:42.440] Joe Wilson, BBC News. [18:42.440 --> 18:47.860] Everton climbed into the top half of the Premier League table after a 1-0 win at West Brom. [18:47.860 --> 18:52.520] With just three minutes of the game left, substitute Victor Anchaby, playing his first [18:52.520 --> 18:57.480] game since August because of injury, pounced on some poor defensive work to score from [18:57.480 --> 19:00.120] close range. [19:00.120 --> 19:06.320] In rugby's Aviva Premiership, struggling Bath beat London Irish by 33 points to three. The [19:06.320 --> 19:10.520] pick of the tries for the home side came in the 58th minute when they ran the ball from [19:10.520 --> 19:15.640] inside their own 22. With the South Africa scrum-half Michael Claessens, who finished [19:15.640 --> 19:21.380] off the move by going over in the corner. [19:21.380 --> 19:24.960] As we've heard, today marks the start of a big year for Britain, and it began with a [19:24.960 --> 19:30.760] spectacular fireworks display in London, the host city for the 2012 Olympic Games. The [19:30.760 --> 19:36.480] display featured 12,000 fireworks, producing some 50,000 projectiles, and lasted nearly [19:36.480 --> 19:37.920] a quarter of an hour. [19:37.920 --> 19:44.120] Luisa Baldini takes another look. [19:44.120 --> 19:49.560] Big Ben chimed in the new year in London, leading a magnificent fireworks display for [19:49.560 --> 19:57.920] which thousands have gathered along the banks of the Thames. [19:57.920 --> 20:02.880] The fireworks at Edinburgh Castle saw the longest ever midnight display put on for the [20:02.880 --> 20:08.600] Hogmanay celebrations. [20:08.600 --> 20:13.560] Across the pond in New York, Lady Gaga was at the centre of proceedings in Times Square [20:13.560 --> 20:22.280] with Mayor Michael Bloomberg. [20:22.280 --> 20:28.360] The celebration in Moscow was more muted, but Red Square lit up by fireworks was a breathtaking [20:28.360 --> 20:34.200] spectacle as ever. It was cold there, but in Brazil it was wet, though the heavy rains [20:34.200 --> 20:43.840] didn't put off two million people from seeing in the new year on Copacabana Beach in Rio. [20:43.840 --> 20:48.720] Back in London, it was wet too, but that didn't dampen the celebrations which were welcoming [20:48.720 --> 20:54.040] in not just another new year, but the Olympic year with a bang. [20:54.040 --> 20:58.880] Luisa Baldini, BBC News. [20:58.880 --> 20:59.880] Happy New Year to you. [20:59.880 --> 21:03.040] I'll be back with more from the newsroom at ten past ten. [21:03.040 --> 21:08.080] Now on BBC One, it's time to join our news teams where you are. [21:08.080 --> 21:17.680] Hello, good evening. You're watching BBC News with me, Anita McVeigh, and let's get a little [21:17.680 --> 21:24.560] more now on the Olympic Games. We're just 208 days away now from the opening ceremony, [21:24.560 --> 21:28.440] and our sports news correspondent James Pearce has been in Trafalgar Square where the New [21:28.440 --> 21:32.960] Year's Day Parade has been taking place with an Olympic theme. [21:32.960 --> 21:40.240] So you can see the countdown clock, just 208 days to go. Here in Trafalgar Square in 2005, [21:40.240 --> 21:43.680] many people gathered to watch the announcement that London was going to be the host city [21:43.680 --> 21:48.560] for those 2012 Games. It seemed so far away at the time, but here it is, and I'm delighted [21:48.560 --> 21:52.320] to say alongside us, we have an Olympic gold medalist, hopefully a two-times gold medalist [21:52.320 --> 21:56.120] by the end of this year, and his fiancée, Zach Perk, just thank you very much for joining [21:56.120 --> 21:59.400] us. I have to say, medals were awarded today. You should get one. You've come all the way [21:59.400 --> 22:04.880] from Oxfordshire just for this, but here's a medal that really matters, your Beijing [22:04.880 --> 22:10.300] medal. Try and put into words what it feels like as a British athlete to wake up and look [22:10.300 --> 22:13.160] at the calendar and see that it really is 2012. [22:13.160 --> 22:16.960] Well, you know what? It didn't really hit me until we saw the fireworks go off last [22:16.960 --> 22:20.520] night. We sat at home watching the TV, and we saw those fireworks going off to the eye, [22:20.520 --> 22:24.960] and the Olympic theme to them, and you just realise that there's only, as you said, 208 [22:24.960 --> 22:27.840] days to go, and time to really get cracking with some training. [22:27.840 --> 22:30.640] Does it actually feel different this morning, being in Olympic gear? [22:30.640 --> 22:34.520] I really hope it's not raining like this in August, I'll tell you that, but no, it feels [22:34.520 --> 22:35.520] really special. [22:35.520 --> 22:36.520] You're used to water being in a rowing boat anyway. [22:36.520 --> 22:41.480] Yeah, yeah, you're used to water, but hopefully it won't be coming down from the sky. [22:41.480 --> 22:46.880] What do you now have to do? Obviously, the days get closer and closer. Is it just a matter [22:46.880 --> 22:50.320] of training and training, or is there a lot of mental work to be done? What's the secret [22:50.320 --> 22:52.160] to success now? [22:52.160 --> 22:57.680] The secret for us is going to be real consistency. We know we can be good, we've won the last [22:57.680 --> 23:01.600] World Championships, the one before that, and for us it's about putting in the right [23:01.600 --> 23:05.640] work at the right time, and making sure whatever we do is really effective, and it's not going [23:05.640 --> 23:07.680] to go too much of the wrong way. [23:07.680 --> 23:11.640] Let's talk more in a moment, but let's introduce this as well. You're getting married in August [23:11.640 --> 23:12.640] this year? [23:12.640 --> 23:16.040] That's right, two weeks after the Olympics finish, which is great planning. [23:16.040 --> 23:18.960] What's it like being engaged with someone whose focus probably isn't on the wedding [23:18.960 --> 23:19.960] right now? [23:19.960 --> 23:20.960] Well... [23:20.960 --> 23:21.960] Maybe it is, but maybe it shouldn't be. [23:21.960 --> 23:24.400] I'll let him off, I'll let him off, I think. No, he's got a lot of work to do, and I'm [23:24.400 --> 23:27.480] happy to be doing most of the planning whilst he's away and on training camps. It's fine [23:27.480 --> 23:28.480] by me, yeah. [23:28.480 --> 23:31.000] Do you find yourself a bit of a sporting widow at the moment? [23:31.000 --> 23:35.000] Yeah, I think that goes away in another four days' time on a three-week training camp. [23:35.000 --> 23:39.480] That'll be hard, as always. But you sort of get used to it. We've kind of got used to [23:39.480 --> 23:45.000] it by now, haven't we? It's been six years of the same routine now, so yeah, I'm really [23:45.000 --> 23:46.000] excited. [23:46.000 --> 23:49.440] The key question for you, Zach, is are you going to do it? You've done it once with your [23:49.440 --> 23:53.840] partner, Mark Hunter. Confident you can do it again this year? [23:53.840 --> 23:57.760] I think that with the form we've shown over the last few years, if things go right, then [23:57.760 --> 24:01.280] there shouldn't be any reason why the opportunity doesn't present itself in a good way. Obviously, [24:01.280 --> 24:05.400] there's a lot of stuff to do between now and then, injury and illness permitting, we should [24:05.400 --> 24:06.400] come out on top. [24:06.400 --> 24:09.720] And rowing, really, perhaps should be the strongest sport for Team GB. [24:09.720 --> 24:14.240] We have a fantastic tradition in the sport. Throughout the years, we are the only sport [24:14.240 --> 24:17.920] that's come out with a gold medal at every single Olympics for the last few times. So [24:17.920 --> 24:21.560] it's really exciting to be part of that. And that history really spurs us on. We can be [24:21.560 --> 24:25.200] sitting down on the start line, knowing that we are part of not only a very successful [24:25.200 --> 24:30.280] team within Team GB, but a very successful rowing team as part of that. And it's really [24:30.280 --> 24:31.280] inspiring to be part of that team. [24:31.280 --> 24:34.200] Well, don't spend too much time looking at the clock behind you, because I tell you what, [24:34.200 --> 24:37.200] it's going down all the time. It's getting close, but thanks so much for joining us. [24:37.200 --> 24:41.720] You've done a much better job than me of keeping your hair dry as well. So from one Olympic [24:41.720 --> 24:44.360] gold medalist, back to you in the studio. [24:44.360 --> 24:48.000] James Pierce there in a very wet Trafalgar Square. Let's check out the rest of the weather [24:48.000 --> 24:51.000] forecast now. That's with Matt Taylor. [24:51.000 --> 24:54.640] Hello there. Persistent rain we've seen across eastern areas this afternoon will clear through. [24:54.640 --> 24:59.720] And as it goes, we introduce much colder air across the whole of the UK. Now that colder [24:59.720 --> 25:04.040] air comes with it, some showers. That colder air chasing away the persistent rain we've [25:04.040 --> 25:08.360] seen in the east quite quickly. But eastern areas do become dry and clear for a time. [25:08.360 --> 25:11.760] But it's in the west, the showers will continue. And for northwest England, Northern Ireland [25:11.760 --> 25:16.280] and Scotland, they'll become increasingly wintry. For all temperatures, very close to [25:16.280 --> 25:20.440] freezing, much colder than recent nights, frost and where the ground is damp, a risk [25:20.440 --> 25:24.560] of ice that is more of a significant risk for northwest England, Scotland and Northern [25:24.560 --> 25:27.840] Ireland, where there'll be wintry showers throughout the day tomorrow. Northwest England, [25:27.840 --> 25:31.880] Northern Ireland, rain and sleet. Scotland, sleet and snow, even to lower levels. Mainly [25:31.880 --> 25:35.560] rain across southern counties of England during the morning, but they will gradually clear [25:35.560 --> 25:39.560] through, I think, for the most part. Eastern areas generally drier and brighter than the [25:39.560 --> 25:44.240] west, where the showers will continue through the day. But for all, it will be a much colder [25:44.240 --> 25:48.800] day, particularly in the breeze, four to seven Celsius at best. Turn stormy on Tuesday. More [25:48.800 --> 25:52.920] details on that online and in half an hour. [25:52.920 --> 25:58.680] Great things happen when people come together. So in the run up to London 2012, world class [25:58.680 --> 26:04.280] are inviting schools across the world to partner up. Inspired by the Olympic spirit, pupils [26:04.280 --> 26:09.480] can reach out to each other across the globe to learn about life in another country, share [26:09.480 --> 26:15.640] ideas and join in the excitement counting down to the games. So twin your school for [26:15.640 --> 26:26.800] London 2012. Go to bbc.co.uk world class to find out how. [26:26.800 --> 26:30.400] Hello and a very good evening to you. This is BBC News with me, Anita McVeigh. A summary [26:30.400 --> 26:35.280] of our main stories now at almost half past five. Events have taken place across London [26:35.280 --> 26:41.120] today to mark the start of the Olympic year. The chairman of London 2012, Lord Coe, said [26:41.120 --> 26:45.240] the games would show that Britain was open for business. However, there was a warning [26:45.240 --> 26:50.600] from Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson, who's described event fixing by betting syndicates [26:50.600 --> 26:58.280] as the biggest threat to the 2012 games. European leaders have given a sombre assessment of [26:58.280 --> 27:03.300] the financial prospects for the year ahead. President Zarcozy said the eurozone debt crisis [27:03.300 --> 27:08.440] was not yet finished, while the German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Europe was experiencing [27:08.440 --> 27:14.600] its most severe test in decades. Here, council tenants who sublet their homes [27:14.600 --> 27:19.460] could face prosecution under proposals to be set out by the government. Tenants on high [27:19.460 --> 27:24.720] wages may also have to pay market rates for their homes or face eviction. It's estimated [27:24.720 --> 27:32.160] that up to 6000 people living in social housing have incomes of more than £100,000. [27:32.160 --> 27:37.180] A British soldier killed in an explosion in Afghanistan on Friday has been named by the [27:37.180 --> 27:42.840] Ministry of Defence as 19 year old Private John King. The serviceman from 1st Battalion [27:42.840 --> 27:50.600] the Yorkshire Regiment was killed in an explosion in the Nare Siraj district of Helmand province. [27:50.600 --> 27:55.400] Hundreds of well-wishers gathered at Sandringham earlier to see Prince Philip make his first [27:55.400 --> 28:00.040] public appearance since having surgery on a blocked artery just before Christmas. The [28:00.040 --> 28:07.480] Duke of Edinburgh joined the rest of the royal family for a New Year's Day church service. [28:07.480 --> 28:12.200] More for me at 6 o'clock, but right now it's World Olympic Dreams. Matthew Pinsent meets [28:12.200 --> 28:16.040] young athletes from around the world aiming to make it to London 2012. [28:42.200 --> 28:53.040] Welcome to World Olympic Dreams, the series that follows 26 athletes from all across the [28:53.040 --> 28:59.600] globe in their preparations for the London Olympics. This is Lord's and the long room, [28:59.600 --> 29:07.400] the home of cricket and it's through these doors that players walk on their way to bat. [29:07.400 --> 29:12.920] Cricket has been played here since 1814 but this week Old Father Time is looking down [29:12.920 --> 29:21.000] on the world's best archers as they compete in a London archery classic. It's an official [29:21.000 --> 29:27.000] test event for London 2012 giving around 100 of the world's top archers the perfect chance [29:27.000 --> 29:32.160] to acclimatise to conditions here in central London and hopefully I'll be able to have [29:32.160 --> 29:35.640] a go myself. [29:35.640 --> 29:43.040] Also coming up in this edition of World Olympic Dreams. My Linda Kalmendi, a judo fighter [29:43.040 --> 29:50.800] whose Olympic aspirations are threatened by political wranglings in the former Yugoslavia. [29:50.800 --> 29:56.280] From the war ravaged banks of Baghdad's River Tigris to the idyllic calm of Lake Bled in [29:56.280 --> 30:13.760] Slovenia, Iraqi rower Haider Rashid tells me about it.