and going for the double—double — man city and celtic hope to repeat their cup successes of last season, to add to their current league titles. coming up on bbc london: he was the former labour leader, and stay with us here on bbc news for continuing coverage and analysis from our team of correspondents in the uk and around the world. hello. two of the most recognisable names in conservative party politics in recent years have announced they won't be standing again at the general election. late this evening, the levelling up secretary, michael gove, announced he'd be stepping down as an mp, and in the last hour and a half, dame andrea leadsom said she'd also be leaving politics.

michael gove says he supports rishi sunak to return as prime minister, but it's time for a new generation to lead. in what appears to be a mass exodus, overall, one in five mps won't be running for office again onjuly fourth, with more than 70 from the conservatives, and over 20 from labour. nine from the snp are also standing down. chris left mason has the latest from westminster. michael gove�*s name the standout of them all, was it a shock, a surprise?— standout of them all, was it a shock, a surprise? good evening, i don't think— shock, a surprise? good evening, i don't think it's — shock, a surprise? good evening, i don't think it's entirely _ shock, a surprise? good evening, i don't think it's entirely surprising l don't think it's entirely surprising michael gove has decided to stand out having been in parliament for the best part of 20 years, but it's an illustration as you were touching on just there of a wider trend, so you look at the conservative party and by my calculation, 22% of their mps are standing down. it's about

20% of members of the scottish national party, only around 10% of labour mps. mps pack it in that general elections for all sorts of reasons, retirement, wanting to do something else, personal reasons, but there's often an element of politics at play and if you are in a party where you fear you might be about to go backwards then i guess the temptation to go off and do something else might be all the greater and when you look at the conservative numbers, broadly speaking it's a similar actual number and proportion of conservative mps deciding to stand down before this election as did so prior to the 1997 election, where they did particularly badly. but yes, one name stands out tonight, and it's michael gove and his decision to leave westminster. he is one of the most consequential, colourful and controversial political figures of the last few decades. �* , political figures of the last few decades. 3 . . political figures of the last few decades. �*, . . ., political figures of the last few decades. �*, . . decades. it's fantastic to be here with 'ust decades. it's fantastic to be here with just three _ decades. it's fantastic to be here with just three weeks _ decades. it's fantastic to be here

with just three weeks to - decades. it's fantastic to be here with just three weeks to go - decades. it's fantastic to be here | with just three weeks to go before the referendum and the chance to take back our independence. michael gove was a passionate advocate - gove was a passionate advocate of brexit, even if he did look a bit sheepish on the day the leave campaign won. figs sheepish on the day the leave campaign won-— sheepish on the day the leave camaiunwon. a ., ., ., campaign won. as we move forward we should be in — campaign won. as we move forward we should be in no — campaign won. as we move forward we should be in no doubt— campaign won. as we move forward we should be in no doubt that _ campaign won. as we move forward we should be in no doubt that britain - should be in no doubt that britain is embarking on a new chapter, but one that is in line with our best traditions. mr one that is in line with our best traditiona— one that is in line with our best traditions. ~ , ., , traditions. mr gove began his career as a journalist- _ traditions. mr gove began his career as a journalist. here _ traditions. mr gove began his career as a journalist. here he _ traditions. mr gove began his career as a journalist. here he was - as a journalist. here he was reporting for the bbc on pride march in london, 31 years ago. so reporting for the bbc on pride march in london, 31 years ago.— in london, 31 years ago. so what are the chances — in london, 31 years ago. so what are the chances of _ in london, 31 years ago. so what are the chances of a _ in london, 31 years ago. so what are the chances of a change _ in london, 31 years ago. so what are the chances of a change in _ in london, 31 years ago. so what are the chances of a change in the - in london, 31 years ago. so what are the chances of a change in the law. the chances of a change in the law that makes young gay love a sex crime? he that makes young gay love a sex crime? , u, that makes young gay love a sex crime? , h, ., ~ that makes young gay love a sex crime? , u, ., ~ :: :: that makes young gay love a sex crime? , u, . ~ :: :: ., crime? he became an mp in 2005 and was a close ally _ crime? he became an mp in 2005 and was a close ally of _ crime? he became an mp in 2005 and was a close ally of david _ crime? he became an mp in 2005 and was a close ally of david cameron, - was a close ally of david cameron, at least until they fell out over brexit. as a reforming education secretary he made friends and not a few enemies and he was a central figure in the psychodrama is of the conservative party over the last ten years. he managed to strangle boris

johnson's first tilt at becoming prime minister. johnson's first tilt at becoming prime minister.— johnson's first tilt at becoming prime minister. i've realised that while ifloris _ prime minister. i've realised that while boris does _ prime minister. i've realised that while boris does have _ prime minister. i've realised that while boris does have those - prime minister. i've realised that while boris does have those very| while boris does have those very special abilities to communicate and to reach out, what he did not have was the capacity to build and to lead that team and to provide the leadership the country needs at this critical moment. mr leadership the country needs at this critical moment.— critical moment. mr gove ran unsuccessfully _ critical moment. mr gove ran unsuccessfully for _ critical moment. mr gove ran unsuccessfully for the - critical moment. mr gove ran unsuccessfully for the top - critical moment. mr gove ran unsuccessfully for the top job himself in 2019. i unsuccessfully for the top 'ob himself in mad unsuccessfully for the top 'ob himself in 2019. h, _, ., himself in 2019. i can confirm that i will be himself in 2019. i can confirm that i will be putting — himself in 2019. i can confirm that i will be putting my _ himself in 2019. i can confirm that i will be putting my name - himself in 2019. i can confirm that i will be putting my name forward | himself in 2019. i can confirm that l i will be putting my name forward to be prime minister of this country. and when liz truss was in the deepest of trouble as prime minister, mr gove ensured she was plunged deeper still. the minister, mr gove ensured she was plunged deeper still.— minister, mr gove ensured she was plunged deeper still. the sheer risk of usin: plunged deeper still. the sheer risk of using borrowed _ plunged deeper still. the sheer risk of using borrowed money _ plunged deeper still. the sheer risk of using borrowed money to - plunged deeper still. the sheer risk of using borrowed money to fund i plunged deeper still. the sheer risk| of using borrowed money to fund tax cuts, that is not conservative. to have as your principal decision the headline tax move, cutting tax for the wealthiest, that is a display of the wealthiest, that is a display of the wrong values. but the wealthiest, that is a display of the wrong values.— the wrong values. but there is no such criticism _ the wrong values. but there is no such criticism of— the wrong values. but there is no such criticism of rishi _ the wrong values. but there is no such criticism of rishi sunak- the wrong values. but there is no such criticism of rishi sunak in i the wrong values. but there is no | such criticism of rishi sunak in his letter to his constituency chairman.

he writes, the chance to serve this wonderful, but there comes a moment when you know that it is time to leave, that a new generation should lead. he adds, rishi has the plan our country needs at a time of global insecurity and growing challenge. i will do everything i can to support him. the day has been a day of departure is here. human reflections and thanks from those standing down including a former prime minister praising her husband. who has also been the person who was there when_ who has also been the person who was there when i_ who has also been the person who was there when i was prime minister in there when i was prime minister in the evenings when he needed to make the evenings when he needed to make the beans _ the evenings when he needed to make the beans on toast and pour the whiskey. — the beans on toast and pour the whiskey, when the day hadn't gone quite _ whiskey, when the day hadn't gone quite as— whiskey, when the day hadn't gone quite as well as i'd expected and that of— quite as well as i'd expected and that of course is my husband, philin — that of course is my husband, philin he_ that of course is my husband, phili. a . . that of course is my husband, phili. a ., ., ., ,, , philip. as parliament wrapped up this evening. _ philip. as parliament wrapped up this evening, mps _ philip. as parliament wrapped up this evening, mps queued - philip. as parliament wrapped up this evening, mps queued up - philip. as parliament wrapped up this evening, mps queued up to i philip. as parliament wrapped up - this evening, mps queued up to shake hands with the speaker, who ends up here in six weeks' time is your

call. meanwhile, chris, on day two of the campaign, what have the parties been up to? well, keir starmer, the labour leader, has been in glasgow, so many key seats for labour in and around glasgow and edinburgh and we'll hear more about that in a second. ed davey of the liberal democrats has beenin davey of the liberal democrats has been in eastbourne and the prime minister has completed his hurtle around the uk. he was in england, scotland and wales yesterday. headed to northern ireland today. a couple of bumps if you like on the road, or in the skies, for the prime minister. something of a row between him and the mother of one of the victims of the manchester terror attack. she went to see him in downing street the other day and he promised to introduce a new law to make things more secure at concert venues and elsewhere. 0f make things more secure at concert venues and elsewhere. of course, there is now going to be a general election, rishi sunak saying he would introduce that if he won the

election. when the prime minister was in staffordshire this afternoon he encountered some protesters, protesting about the middle east. a key part of democracy and a general election campaign that this kind of stuff goes on. and some teasing publicly and privately from the prime minister's colleagues about his choice of venue when he was in belfast, he went to the titanic quarter, insert the inevitable cheap 9395 quarter, insert the inevitable cheap gags about sinking ships. these are elements of colour, you get this in every campaign and every leader will have those kind of moments and this is very, very early days, clive. we will have the manifestos and promises to come in the weeks ahead and the tv debates and plenty more besides. we are onlyjust getting going. besides. we are only 'ust getting anoin. , ., ~ going. indeed, chris mason, thank ou, at going. indeed, chris mason, thank you, at westminster. _ sir keir starmer has been campaigning in scotland, where he said children were "paying the cost" of snp failures there, and conservative failures at westminster.

scotland is seen as a key battleground, with 57 seats up for grabs. that's two less than at the last election because of boundary changes. it means the parties are defending the following seats. both labour and the conservatives are hoping to capitalise on the scottish national party's recent troubles. from glasgow, here's james cook. cheering for half a century, labour ruled the roost in scotland. when sir keir starmer was a boy, the party routinely sent dozens of mps to westminster. at the last general election, it sent one. i want scotland to send a government — a labour government. cheering that means persuading voters that labour, not the snp, can bring about real change. you want to stick to tory spending plans. you, too, want limits on immigration to bring it down. and you want to stick to some tory welfare plans. aren't you just a tory in disguise? what's unforgivable in politics for any political party

is to leave your country worse than when you found it. a worse economy, worse public services, everybody feeling that they're not as well off as they were 1a years ago. that is unforgivable. i am not prepared to have a labour government come in and cause that sort of pain and suffering for working people, hence the stability that only labour can now provide. the switch in support from labour to the snp a decade ago was driven in part by a desire among many voters here in glasgow for scotland to become independent. now, that hasn't disappeared, but the question is, will it be a priority for voters in this election? kate forbes hopes it will. scotland's newly—minted deputy first minister has been campaigning on a croft in inverness—shire. we represent farmers, crofters people who make their living in rural industries and all of them lament the impact of brexit on food

and drink exports. the impact of the cost of living, for example, on energy. and that's why we need snp representatives to stand up for rural scotland. the conservatives are also bidding for the rural vote. they have six scottish mps in the north—east and the south of scotland. if people want the focus of their mp to be on their local priorities rather than independence, they can unite behind the scottish conservatives to send that very strong signal to the snp to end their obsession with separating scotland from the rest of the uk. 0n the streets of edinburgh, the lib dems were focusing on the health service. the snp have let our nhs crumble. that's why lib dems in this election campaign want to improve world class mental health services by taxing the social media giants who do so much of the harm and reducing that burden on our local gp practices. this campaignjourney is onlyjust beginning. voters, not politicians, will choose where it ends.

but right now it's labour who are hopeful of restoring their old scottish heritage. james cook, bbc news, glasgow. the former labour leader jeremy corbyn has confirmed he'll stand as an independent at the election, in his seat in islington in north london. he's been suspended from labour since 2020 over the party's handling of antisemitism claims, and was expelled today after declaring he would run as an independent. and here are the candidates who have been selected, so far, for some of the bigger parties, to fight in the constituency of islington north on fourthjuly. the bbc will have a full list of candidates once nominations close. their lives and reputations were ruined, becoming pariahs in their own communities. well, today, finally, there was justice for hundreds of sub—postmasters in england, wales and northern ireland, wrongly accused of theft and false accounting in the horizon it scandal. their convictions were quashed by parliament,

their criminal records erased. it was a colossal miscarriage ofjustice, and many of the prosecutions took place while paula vennells was the chief executive at the post office. so what did she know, and when did she know it? today was her third day giving evidence at the public inquiry into the scandal, and she was accused of living in la—la land by a lawyer representing sub—postmasters. emma simpson reports. celebration three years ago, as the first wrongful convictions are overturned in court. now, hundreds more former sub—postmasters are having their names cleared today. lee williamson, on the right here, from county tyrone, was given a suspended sentence forfraud in 2014, which is now being quashed — sooner than he expected. there's always been delay or frustration to delay the whole process. so to actually hear it is a relief. i suppose maybe other emotions will come to light once it settles in.

so, who is to blame? paula vennells, did you put profits before people? it's day three for her at the public inquiry. time for the sub—postmasters' lawyers to ask questions. you still continue to live in a cloud of denial. - and they didn't hold back. "i didn't know, nobody- told me, i can't remember, "i wasn't shown this. "i relied on the lawyers." i have tried to do this to the very best of my ability. looking under that rock you're going to find a problem. it's going to devastate the post office, ruin it. you couldn't let that happen, could you, ms vennells? i loved the post office. i gave it...

i worked... ..as hard as i possibly could to deliver... ..the best post office for the uk. she was asked about this episode of the one show, which highlighted the case ofjo hamilton. if i pleaded guilty- to false accounting... she then discusses it in this e—mail to senior colleagues. "i was more bored than outraged," she says. "jo hamilton lacked passion and admitted false accounting on tv." did the mask slip? i made a mistake in this e—mail. and is the reality that what you said here reflected the behind closed doors attitude to these postmasters? no. she's been rude to all of us. that's the whole thing.

if she'd just sorted it out, she could have ended it, i what, eight year ago. royal mail was split from the post office and privatised early in her tenure. the inquiry heard she removed a reference to horizon in the prospectus for investors and emailed the post office chair, saying, "i've earned my keep." you wanted to defuse this, because of course it was going to be immensely politically damaging, both to the post office itself, but also to the privatisation. i don't think it was ever my... ..style to try to please or to keep in with people. but she listed it in an appraisal as one of her key achievements that year. she admitted letting the sub—postmasters down, but says there was no deception. it's now up to the inquiry chair tojudge how credible her evidence has been.

emma simpson, bbc news, at the post office inquiry. the united nations' top court has decided that israel must immediately halt its military offensive in rafah, in southern gaza. the international court ofjustice, which rules on disputes between countries, says the catastrophic situation in gaza had deteriorated, and described humanitarian conditions in rafah as disastrous. the israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, has again rejected allegations of genocide, calling them false and outrageous. lucy williamson has the latest from jerusalem. gunshots. israel's soldiers have been ordered to push into rafah. israel's leaders have been ordered to stop. footage from both sides shows the fighting, as israeli troops edge closer to the city centre. but the un's highest court today focused on civilians, those still there, and the 800,000 who have fled. israel must immediately

halt its military offensive and any other action in the rafah governorate which may inflict on the palestinian group in gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part. israel says this is a precise and limited operation, but satellite pictures of rafah show the destruction, less than two weeks after the assault. today, israel's army said it had recovered the bodies of three hostages from northern gaza — michel nisenbaum, 0rion hernandez and hanan yablonka. one member of the war cabinet said israel had to keep fighting to return its hostages and safeguard its citizens, and would continue to act according to international law. foreign criticism of israel's actions in gaza is growing. but prime minister benjamin netanyahu, or bibi, as he's known, is comfortable being seen

as the staunch defender of israel's security under siege. i don't like bibi, to say the least. i don't think he's a war criminal. it's very easy to sit miles away and criticise what's happening. do we have a better alternative? i don't really care about what people are thinking about us. you can see that if we do care about what people think, so we should stop the war. no, we are here. we are israel. therefore, it's really important for us to have support and we don't get it. this woman, sheltering in a tent on the coast north of rafah, had little faith in the court's power to change her situation. translation: implement this on the ground. - they shouldn't say one thing and do something different. today, they say they want to stop the war, but the massacres are only increasing. the rafah offensive has blocked key aid routes through southern gaza.

supplies brought in via a new us pier, quickly looted. the court today ordered israel to reopen the rafah crossing. new battle lines in this war driven by promises on both sides to protect civilians. lucy williamson, bbc news, jerusalem. dominic casciani is here. the jurisdiction thejurisdiction of the jurisdiction of the court, can they enforce this? hat the jurisdiction of the court, can they enforce this?— the jurisdiction of the court, can they enforce this? not really, no. it is not they enforce this? not really, no. it is not like _ they enforce this? not really, no. it is not like there _ they enforce this? not really, no. it is not like there is _ they enforce this? not really, no. it is not like there is a _ it is not like there is a world police force to go and execute a warrant. south africa asked for a lot more than it actually got. while it is chalking this up as a victory, if you look at the wording, it only applies to rafah, nowhere else in gaza, and there is actually room in here for israel to actually effectively appease the courts, because the court said hold the military offensive there, if it may bring about the physical destruction

of the palestinians. in essence it is saying, if you have other military options, go for those. 0n the enforceability, the practical route for south africa if nothing happens is to go to the un security council, but then that becomes political. the us has a block there. in reality, this is where law and diplomacy rubs up. the court has tried to pull off a balancing act, it has stopped short again or talking about this being genocide, it is trying to find a language to underline the alarm and reflect what it is seeing on the ground, but it is not tone deaf to diplomacy. it is really batting this towards israel. critically, also, the us and other countries say enforce this, find a solution. ,., . countries say enforce this, find a solution. . ., ~ , ., the court of appeal has ruled that the former nurse, lucy letby, cannot challenge her convictions, after being found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others. she'd been working at the countess of chester hospital when they died between 2015 and 2016.

judith moritz reports. hello, lucy, is it? lucy letby was supposed to care for the most vulnerable, premature and poorly babies, nursing them, often in intensive care, at the neonatal unit where she worked. but betweenjune 2015 and june 2016, she murdered seven babies and attempted to murder a further six at the countess of chester hospital. she was found guilty last summer after a ten—month trial in manchester. shortly afterwards, she applied for leave to appeal against her convictions. today, at a short hearing at the court of appeal, she was denied permission. this court, having heard her application, has decided to refuse leave to appeal on all grounds and to refuse all associated applications. the court hasn't given its reasons for the decision. a fulljudgement will be handed down at a later date, although it won't be made public for some time. we're currently very limited in terms of what we can report of lucy letby�*s appeal, and that's because there are restrictions in place

to protect a retrial. that's due to happen here in manchester next month, where the nurse will face one charge of attempted murder, which she denies, which the jury in her original trial was unable to make a decision about. separately, a public inquiry examining events at the hospital where letby worked is expected to begin in the autumn. judith moritz, bbc news, manchester. black majority rule in south africa is three decades old this year — a period in which the african national congress party has dominated politics. but next week, in a land where the hopes and dreams of so many haven't materialised, millions will go to the polls, and president cyril ramaphosa, and the anc, are in danger of losing their majority for the first time. fergal keane, who reported on the end of apartheid, has returned, revisiting one family to hear their story of the last 30 years.

it was one of those rare shining moments. archive: the end of the order of racial discrimination, - of segregation, the end of the age of pain and humiliation for millions of black south africans. an extraordinary story unfolding... archive: white rule on the continent of africa came to an end at 7:00 - south african time this morning. ..when history shuffled forward with the promise of equality and justice for all. 30 years later, loud and energetic, democracy has endured. the ruling anc talks of promises delivered on housing and services, but it's presided over a massive corruption. archive: it is dawn _ on the margins of existence... back in 1994, they hoped for a very different south africa.

hopes i heard from the poor of the squatter camps. i want to live in a nice house with my children, because i'm suffering. i want to be the same like the white people. a single mother, cynthia mthebe scavenged on a dump for tin cans which she sold to feed her seven children. if you don't work, you can't eat. you must work very hard. now, as south africa prepares to vote, i've come back to find out what's happened to cynthia and her hopes. i'd meet her again in a rural area, where she'd come to escape the squalor and crime of the squatter camps. i'm so happy to see you. but cynthia, now 78, is blind and ill. it's so lovely. yeah. it's yourfigure. it's me. you can't see me at the moment, can you? but you can hear me. there we go. she has a house — but built

by her children, not the state. no running water, frequent power cuts. what do you think of how the country is now? 0h, south africa. there's no life. there's no life in south africa. cynthia escaped from this, but apartheid's legacy of poverty and anc corruption have hurt. son amos was shot by criminals and is lame. he can't find a job. daughterjoyce, also among the more than 30% of unemployed people. they survive because daughter doris set up her own small shop and helps everyone else. 0k, guys, i'm going to show you something here that you've never seen. the mthebes asked us to see the old film of their lives. you must work very hard. do people get sick? in their reaction, the measure

of what's been endured. 0n laptop: fergal keane, bbc news. things are better now, but still we're still putting hard. so my mother, i want to thank this lady. because of her, i'm who i am. i really, mum, i love you. and i want to be like you. back in 1994, cynthia's shack was demolished in the last days of apartheid. forward to now, a few kilometers from where i first met her. the destroyed shacks of a new generation. the homeless, in the world's most unequal society, where the top 10% own 86% of the wealth. this land is slated for development, including houses for the poor.

but the waiting is long. in the meantime, shotguns keep trespassers at bay. there's people suffering. but they can say, "vote for me, vote for me," always. that's why i was saying, i'm not going out to vote. i'm staying at home. singing the generations of mthebe women, like so many other of this nation's poor, who, when elections have come and gone, will be holding theirfamilies and their country together. fergal keane, bbc news, klipgat, south africa. those elections begin next week. local derbies in football can be explosive — and the rivalries in glasgow and manchester come to a head this weekend.

celtic take on rangers in the scottish cup final. more on that shortly. while man city take on man united in the fa cup at wembley. here's natalie pirks. we are under way. last year, fans were still taking their seats in the wembley sunshine when manchester city's captain had them on their feet again. 0h, incredible! not many would bet against more of the same tomorrow. after an historic fourth successive title, they're looking to make history again with back to back doubles. not any team have done four in a row because it's difficult. when any team had won back to back premier league and fa cups, because it's not easy. so when we are here, we're going to go to london to perform well. well, things aren't so rosy on the red side of manchester. there's a chasm between united and city right now. and there are reports tonight that this could be erik ten hag's final match in charge, regardless of the result. ijust think give him another year, to be honest. see how it goes with the new ownership.

and he's not really at the fair crack of the whip. i'd never go against my own team, but it's going to be hard. it's a cup final, it's a one off, anything can happen. - same teams, same venue — same outcome? united will be praying their season to forget boesn't end in a case of deja blue. it was the blue side of glasgow who lifted the scottish cup back in 2002 — the last time rangers and celtic faced each other in the final. rangers were the winners that day, but a lot�*s happened since then for both clubs. 22 years later, the old firm will meet here at hampden park for a chance to win this trophy. and whichever club lifts it, they will have a season's double. celtic pipped their rivals to the league title last week in brendan rodgers returning season, but the manager wants more. it would finish off a double for us, which would point to a really good season. rangers boss philippe clement

only arrived in october and promptly won the league cup. but his side are yet to beat celtic this season. it's always more than a trophy in this country. we need to focus now on the now, on this moment, and to grab the moment. tomorrow, both sets of supporters will fill scotland's national stadium. one half, wishing for green ribbons to adorn this trophy, the other for blue. jane dougal, bbc news, hampden. time for a look at the weather. here's stav.