at one: they're calling it triple lock plus — the conservative pledge to raise the tax—free allowance for pensioners if they win the election. labour's dismissed the plan, and say they're the party of business, pledging not to increase corporation tax. also this lunchtime: israel carries out some of its most intense bombing of southern gaza. tanks are now in the centre of rafah. in a private meeting with bishops, pope francis, is alleged to have used a derogatory term for gay people. and we look at the eye—watering price hikes for some premier league tickets now on sale for next season. and coming up on bbc news... two—time wimbledon champion rafa nadal hints he may not play there this year, as he focuses on the paris olympics.

hello. rishi sunak is promising to increase the tax—free allowance for pensioners if the conservatives win the general election. he says the policy would mean retirees are £95 better off from the beginning of the next financial year. in a moment, we'll be on the campaign trail with labour and the reform party. but first, harry farley reports on the new conservative pledge and the reaction to it. the prime minister at a pottery factory in stoke—on—trent, painting his offerfor pensioners. under current government plans, the tax threshold are frozen, so as the state pension rises under what is known as the triple lock, more pensioners would be dragged into paying tax. now the prime minister

is promising the tax—free allowance will increase for pensioners, but not everyone else. for will increase for pensioners, but not everyone else.— will increase for pensioners, but not everyone else. for people who work hard all _ not everyone else. for people who work hard all their— not everyone else. for people who work hard all their lives _ not everyone else. for people who work hard all their lives and - not everyone else. for people who work hard all their lives and put. work hard all their lives and put in, then we need to make sure that they have the dignity they deserve when they have finished, and that is why i've really protected pensions and the triple lock, and you have seen our announcement today, the triple lock plus, where we will raise the threshold and make sure pensioners get a tax cut and they will never pay tax on the state pension. will never pay tax on the state ension. ., ,., h will never pay tax on the state ension. ., �*, ,, ., ., will never pay tax on the state ension. . �*, ,, . ., . . ., pension. labour's shadow chancellor is toutin: pension. labour's shadow chancellor is touting the — pension. labour's shadow chancellor is touting the backing _ pension. labour's shadow chancellor is touting the backing of— pension. labour's shadow chancellor is touting the backing of business - is touting the backing of business leaders today, the result of her years long charm offensive, but like other opposition parties, dismissing the conservatives' policy. todd? other opposition parties, dismissing the conservatives' policy.— the conservatives' policy. today is 'ust the conservatives' policy. today is just another _ the conservatives' policy. today is just another desperate _ the conservatives' policy. today is just another desperate gimmick i the conservatives' policy. today is i just another desperate gimmick from the conservatives. even before today, — the conservatives. even before today, they had racked up £64 billion— today, they had racked up £64 billion of— today, they had racked up £64 billion of unfunded tax cuts, and last night— billion of unfunded tax cuts, and last night they offered us another one~ _ last night they offered us another one the — last night they offered us another one. the only reason that pensioners are looking _ one. the only reason that pensioners are looking for the first time at paying — are looking for the first time at paying income tax on their basic state _ paying income tax on their basic state pension is because the conservatives lost control of the economy — conservatives lost control of the economy. gf

conservatives lost control of the econom . , ., conservatives lost control of the econom. , ., ., conservatives lost control of the econom . , ., ., , economy. of course, we want to see investment _ economy. of course, we want to see investment in — economy. of course, we want to see investment in people's _ economy. of course, we want to see investment in people's pockets - economy. of course, we want to see investment in people's pockets and l investment in people's pockets and making sure that pensioners are seeing a benefit to any economic improvement in the situation that the country faces, but we are seeing the country faces, but we are seeing the consequences of ia and a half years of austerity that both labour and the tories are committed to continuing. it’s and the tories are committed to continuing-— and the tories are committed to continuin.. �*, ., ., , continuing. it's rather remarkable the are continuing. it's rather remarkable they are trying — continuing. it's rather remarkable they are trying to _ continuing. it's rather remarkable they are trying to make _ continuing. it's rather remarkable they are trying to make out - continuing. it's rather remarkable they are trying to make out this i continuing. it's rather remarkable i they are trying to make out this is some _ they are trying to make out this is some great— they are trying to make out this is some great policy— they are trying to make out this is some great policy when _ they are trying to make out this is some great policy when they - they are trying to make out this isi some great policy when they were they are trying to make out this is- some great policy when they were the ones who— some great policy when they were the ones who increased _ some great policy when they were the ones who increased taxes _ some great policy when they were the ones who increased taxes on - ones who increased taxes on pensioners— ones who increased taxes on pensioners in— ones who increased taxes on pensioners in the _ ones who increased taxes on pensioners in the first - ones who increased taxes on pensioners in the first place i ones who increased taxes on . pensioners in the first place by ones who increased taxes on - pensioners in the first place by not raising _ pensioners in the first place by not raising the — pensioners in the first place by not raising the allowance. _ pensioners in the first place by not raising the allowance. it _ pensioners in the first place by not raising the allowance. it was - pensioners in the first place by not raising the allowance. it was the l raising the allowance. it was the lib raising the allowance. it was the lib denis — raising the allowance. it was the lib denis who— raising the allowance. it was the lib dems who fought _ raising the allowance. it was the lib dems who fought hard - raising the allowance. it was the lib dems who fought hard to - raising the allowance. it was the - lib dems who fought hard to increase the income _ lib dems who fought hard to increase the income tax — lib dems who fought hard to increase the income tax allowance _ lib dems who fought hard to increase the income tax allowance to - lib dems who fought hard to increase the income tax allowance to help - the income tax allowance to help pensioners— the income tax allowance to help pensioners and _ the income tax allowance to help pensioners and people _ the income tax allowance to help pensioners and people on - the income tax allowance to help pensioners and people on low . pensioners and people on low incomes _ pensioners and people on low incomes. , , , ., ., incomes. the lib dems leader not alone in pointing _ incomes. the lib dems leader not alone in pointing out _ incomes. the lib dems leader not alone in pointing out this - incomes. the lib dems leader not alone in pointing out this idea - alone in pointing out this idea reverses a previous conservative policy. the politics, as ever, a question of balancing priorities as the election campaign hits week two, the election campaign hits week two, the parties all hoping they are the ones to make a splash. harry farley, bbc news, westminster. meanwhile, the shadow chancellor, rachel reeves, says labour

is the natural party for british business, and she wants to lead the most pro—business treasury the country has ever seen. she's been speaking at the rolls—royce plant in derby, after dozens of business leaders signed a letter endorsing labour's economic plans. simon's here. courting business — is it working? it has been a major charm offensive over the last couple of years and the principal pitch has been that labour can provide the kind of stability that business likes. they used to say that stability would in itself be a change after a period where we have had five prime minister, seven chancellors, taxes going up and down, and it includes our cap on corporation tax, a promise to get the office for budget responsibility to cost any major and prominent policy changes. —— permanent policy changes, and a business tax road map so people know what is coming down the line. rachel reeves was talking to people at the rolls—royce factory in derby today.

i want to lead the most pro—growth, the most pro—business treasury that our country has ever seen, with a laser focus on delivering for working people. today, more than 120 senior business leaders have signed a letter expressing their support for a labour government. across the world of business, labour is being recognised as the natural partner of business, the party of growth, and the party of enterprise. the natural party of business, some argue, are the conservatives. they would say that is the case. what has their reaction been? thea;r would say that is the case. what has their reaction been?— their reaction been? they called this letter is _ their reaction been? they called this letter is from _ their reaction been? they called this letter is from -- _ their reaction been? they called this letter is from -- letter - their reaction been? they called this letter is from -- letter from this letter is from —— letter from business leaders a damp squib. they noted there were no high—profile ftse 100 business leaders on it, and looked at comments from some business leaders that labour's new deal for workers could put off investment, things like a crackdown on zero—hours contracts, a crackdown on zero—hours contracts, a crackdown on fire and re—hard, and offering

greater employment rights and day one. a lot of the proposals have been watered down in the last month, to the dismay of some in the union movement, perhaps highlighting the tension between making new friends in the boardroom and keeping old friends on the factory floor. simon, thank you- — the honorary president of the reform party, nigel farage, says he was right to warn years ago about small boat crossings on the channel. he's also been defending his use of the word "invasion." he was speaking at a launch event for reform's candidate in dover for the election, where he also pushed back against the conservative argument that a vote for reform is a vote for labour. lucy manning is in dover. that is an argument he is going to have to keep fighting, isn't it, the suggestion that a vote for reform is actually one for the labour party? yes, that's right. i mean, this was a general election campaign with a man who isn't even standing at the general election. he denied that he was a chicken for not standing as an

mp, said he was more of a realist, but he did take a pot shot at both the tories and labour, and on that point of taking votes away from the tories, he said, in his view, the election was set, that labour was going to win it, so he thought a vote for labour or the conservatives was a wasted vote, he tell people, vote for what you believe in. the tokyo today was about illegal immigration, and his claims that both parties had failed to deal with it. he stood behind a sign saying richey won't stop the boats. his view is that the government has to do more. he said it was like d—day in slow motion in reverse, with all the boats coming in, was how he put it, colourfully. he said it was an invasion, as he has claimed it was before. and he talked about the need to put royal marines out there to try and stop the boats if the french won't do that. nigel faraj, not

standing at this election but determined to have an impact on it. lucy, thank you for that. eyewitnesses say israeli forces — including tanks — have advanced into the heart of rafah in southern gaza. officials there say at least 16 people have been killed overnight. the deaths come after dozens were killed on sunday, when a fire broke out in a refugee camp following an israeli air strike. meanwhile, spain and ireland have formally recognised the state of palestine with norway expected to follow later today. yolande knell has more from jerusalem. all packed up. but many don't know where to go. as israeli forces have pushed further into gaza's southernmost city, palestinians aren't waiting for evacuation orders to leave. "we woke up at 5.30 from the shelling and rockets," ahmed says on his way to collect children and elderly relatives. "we don't have tents or anything." yesterday, children picked

through the burnt—out remains of a tent camp in rafah where dozens had been killed by a huge blaze. explosion. an israeli strike started the fire overnight. israel said it was targeting two hamas commanders with precise bombs. translation: despite our best efforts not to harm _ the non—involved, unfortunately a tragic mishap happened last night. we are investigating the case. but that hasn't quelled the international condemnation caused by israel's deadly action. spain was the first of three european countries which are today recognising a palestinian state diplomatically, despite an angry reaction from israel. this is a historic decision that has a single goal, to contribute to achieving peace between israelis and palestinians. more than seven months into the bloodiest ever gaza war,

israel continues to face down international opposition. it says it is determined to root out hamas fighters and rescue hostages it believes are being held in rafah. but once again, that leaves many palestinians desperately searching for safety. yolande knell, bbc news, jerusalem. the bbc has found that child labour has been used in the supply chains of companies creating some of the world's most luxurious fragrances. the investigation found that during the 2023 jasmine—picking season, egyptian children, some as young as five, were working in dangerous conditions throughout the night, often earning as little as a dollar a day. heba bitar has that story. it's three in the morning and heba is waking her children to pickjasmine. it's hard work that must be done at night in order to catch this delicate flower�*s fragrance.

the mosquitos and pesticides are overpowering. translation: i only have one head lamp and my children won't be - able to see in the dark. the strong smell from the jasmine gives me a chest allergy. some of my children have skin allergies and they keep scratching their skin. after a night's work, heba takes what she has gathered to a collection point. about a third of what she will earn will go to the owner of the jasmine field. it is not enough to live on, so she needs her children to work at her side. she's not alone. during the 2023 jasmine harvest season, the bbc filmed on farms in four different locations in the al gharbia region, the centre of egypt's jasmine trade, and witnessed children, some as young as five, working in the jasmine fields that were supplying l'oreal�*s lancome, and estee lauder�*s hair and beauty through factories in egypt.

both l'oreal and estee lauder have signed a letter of commitment to the united nations pledging to abide by the guidelines, promoting safe working practices and eliminating child labour. we took our evidence to professor tomoya obokata, the united nations special rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery. looking at this footage, they are not actually doing things that they had promised to do. there is no safety consideration, and their mental and physical well—being are affected as a result of that. all of these are quite clear indicators of hazardous work which may constitute the worst form of child labour. we put ourfindings to l'oreal and estee lauder. l'oreal told us, whenever an issue arises, l'oreal works proactively to identify the underlying causes and the way to resolve the issue.

despite our strong commitments and actions, we know in certain parts of the world where l'oreal suppliers operate, there are risks to our commitments being upheld. we never request fragrance houses go lower than the market price for ingredients at the expense of farmers. estee lauder said, we believe the rights of all children should be protected and have contacted our suppliers to investigate this very serious matter. we are taking action to gain better transparency and to work towards improving the livelihoods of sourcing communities. heba bitar, bbc news. and you can watch the full documentary, perfume's dark secret, on bbc iplayer. the time is 13:13. our top story this afternoon: the conservative pledge to raise the tax—free allowance for pensioners if they win the election. and, as the d—day landings near their 80th anniversary,

we meet two royal navy wrens who were instrumental in the planning. coming up on bbc news: the rising cost of premier league tickets. football fans tell us what they think, with some facing huge price rises going into next season. it's been reported that pope francis has allegedly used a derogatory word to refer to the gay community. according to italian media, it happened during a closed door meeting with a group of bishops, when he was asked if gay men should be allowed to become priests if they remained celibate. aleem maqbool is with me. so did he say? this was at the italian bishops' _ so did he say? this was at the italian bishops' conference. i so did he say? this was at the - italian bishops' conference. there weren't any cameras and it wasn't recorded but we are starting to hear much more of what he said. in response to that question about

whether gay men should be allowed to train for the priesthood, he said, no, there's already too much, then used an italian word, in the church already, and that word translates as being as derogatory as it gets in terms of its laws aimed at gay men. the reaction has been a lot of disappointment, because this is a man who, through more than ten years of his papacy, has ushered in a very different tone when it comes to talking about homosexuality, about same—sex couples. before him, previous popes looked at homosexuality as a disorder. he didn't do that. right from the start, he said, who am i tojudge? even those trying to defend him now who were at the conference are not saying he didn't say these words, but they are saying that perhaps because he is not a native italian speaker, he might not have known how offensive they were, but he was the

son of italian immigrants and did grow up in an italian speaking household, so that doesn't really wash with a lot of others. interesting. thank you. more details have emerged of the preparations at major channel crossing points for a new eu border it system. it's due to be launched in october, and means non—eu nationals — including people from the uk — will have to register biometric information, such as a fingerprint. tens of millions of pounds are being spent on the changes at eurostar�*s london terminus and dover's ferry port, but there are still fears of delays, as katy austin explains. dover, europe's busiest ferry port. since brexit, brits have had to have their passports stamped as they travel through, and there's more change to come. this autumn, a new eu it system is due to go live at the border. it'll replace passport stamping. it'll also mean people have to register their fingerprints, have a photo taken, and answer some questions about their journey. and at places like dover, the registration process will have to be done here,

at the port. people queuing for ferries will be handed an ipad to collect the extra information. dover has already suffered from long queues at peak periods. the time it will take to register has prompted concerns of longer waits. so right now, it takes somewhere between a5 seconds and a minute and a half, typically, for a car to go through border controls. so a first—time traveller who has to register their details should anticipate that it will take a couple of minutes to register those details on the system. so then it depends on how many people are in the car, what nationalities are in the car as well, and so it will take a bit longer. the port is spending about £10 million preparing, trying to make things go smoothly. coach—loads of passengers will be processed in a separate area. there's also a plan to reclaim land from the sea by next summer, to create more space. coach companies like this one in cornwall worry about bottlenecks getting worse.

we find that a lot of our customers have already had a fairly lengthy journey before they even get to dover. we've also got to think about drivers' hours and the cost on drivers' hours. it's not only dover that's affected. eurotunnel is putting £70 million towards new lanes for cars, and machines like this to take people's details. at eurostar�*s london st pancras terminal, space is tight. to try to avoid long queues, it will install a9 new ees kiosks. it's expanding into other areas of the station, like this, to fit in them in. behind me, you have where our passengers arrive normally for check—in today. and unfortunately, ees brings an additional step, where we have kiosks, and those kiosks will be positioned just around the corner. also a huge amount of people there to guide our passengers. eurostar insists its preparations will mean people don't need to turn up any earlier before a train. for the first six months, the eu is expected to allow ees

checks to be reduced if queues get really bad. still, travel businesses have nerves about what's on the horizon. katy austin, bbc news. south africans go to the polls tomorrow, 30 years after the end of apartheid — a system where your race dictated your life, including access to jobs, housing and where you lived. now, three decades on, for some, the geography of apartheid hasn't changed. barbara plett usher has more from cape town. this derelict hospital in the heart of cape town is under occupation, trading patients for tenants. the space here was first toilet for women... it was a toilet? at first. and now, it's a kitchen? now, it's a kitchen. it's my home. i love, yeah. an unlikely home has become a community. people waiting for government housing took matters into their own hands...

we have probably around about 1,500 people living here. ..pressing for solutions to the housing crisis. and it's all about location. poor and vulnerable people have generally been pushed to the periphery of the city. where the occupation is located, it's close to the city centre, it's close to employment opportunity, it's close to health services. there is public land that could unlock access to the inner city. activists say state intervention is needed to open that door. using a piece of land i in the centre of the city that suffers from such a severe housing crisis and such - a severe segregation. crisis to store vehicles, instead of providing homes, makes no sense from - anyone's perspective. cape town is possibly the most segregated city in the world. designed this way by apartheid laws that reserved its beautiful beating heart for the white minority. still this way because of economics

that keep people trapped in poverty at its edges, like in the khayelitsha township. the government has kept election promises to build housing, but not nearly enough — and most of it, far from the city centre, where the land is cheaper. so instead of reversing segregation, in many cases, it's only reinforced the geography of apartheid. there are signs of a new approach, a model for affordable housing close to the city's jobs and services. the to the city's “obs and services. the section we — to the city's jobs and services. the section we are _ to the city'sjobs and services. the section we are walking now is affordable housing. this provincial minister acknowledges _ affordable housing. this provincial minister acknowledges a - affordable housing. this provincial minister acknowledges a backlog i affordable housing. this provinciall minister acknowledges a backlog of 600,000 people waiting for housing assistance, but says they are waiting for it. we assistance, but says they are waiting for it.— waiting for it. we are very ambitious _ waiting for it. we are very ambitious for _ waiting for it. we are very ambitious for our - waiting for it. we are very ambitious for our next - waiting for it. we are very| ambitious for our next five waiting for it. we are very - ambitious for our next five year cycle _ ambitious for our next five year cycle in — ambitious for our next five year cycle in terms of delivery. we have 29 social— cycle in terms of delivery. we have 29 social housing projects planned in our— 29 social housing projects planned in our project pipeline at various stages — in our pro'ect pipeline at various stares. �* , , ., , ., stages. but the budgets are small. timelines are _ stages. but the budgets are small. timelines are uncertain. _ stages. but the budgets are small. timelines are uncertain. and -

stages. but the budgets are small. timelines are uncertain. and hope| timelines are uncertain. and hope for the future is in short supply. certainly, for noliyema — she's only ever known life in a shack in khayelitsha. a quarter of her meagre salary goes to transport for herjob in the city. and she doesn't expect the election to change that. i'm not going to vote to say because i'm tired about the vote. because i vote before, but i didn't see change. still, i'm staying here. the end of apartheid did bring political rights and freedoms for all. but on the eve of south africa's seventh democratic election, enduring inequality still divides this country. barbara plett usher, bbc news, cape town. prosecutors and defence lawyers in donald trump's oche money trial will present their closing arguments in

new york today. the former us president faces 3a charges of falsifying business records in connection with a payment to a pawn actress before the 2016 presidential election. mrtrump actress before the 2016 presidential election. mr trump denies covering up election. mr trump denies covering up a payment to stormy daniels, which prosecutors say was an attempt to silence her about their alleged affair. —— porn actress. the premier league season may only just have ended but, already, many teams have released their ticket prices for the next campaign, and some costs have gone way up. a review by bbc sport of more than 1,600 fans from 15 of the top clubs found that most would end up paying either "slightly more" or "significantly more" for new season tickets. nottingham forest have the largest overall percentage increase, with the cheapest adult tickets going up by 18.3%. and at wolves, fans under 1a in the billy wright upper stand face price rises from £105 to £290. that's an increase of 176%. joe lynskey has more details.

matchday at fulham, and right now at this club, these are the good times. for the third year in a row, they'll be a top—flight club next season, but it comes at a cost. tickets here are some of the most expensive in the country. fulham has a localfan base, but the premier league is a global product. ijust know it's an old stadium! yeah. now i'm a lifelong fulham fan, after today. is it expensive? it was, like, e100. but worth it for... ? it's a holiday, so, no, i don't care. so are you premier league fans back home? more american football fans. but, uh, you know, i love the premier league. record demand has pushed up the prices, and one season ticket in fulham's new stand on the thames costs £3,000, caught in the swell

are those who've watched this club for years. there will be a time when fulham may find themselves back in the championship again, and then where are your supporters going to be then? if you've priced them out, those loyal supporters, they're not going to be coming. some season tickets here are still below £500, but in three stands for next season, the price goes up by a%. it's not just at this club, it's a trend through the league. rising ticket prices have been met by protest. at liverpool, for one match, they took the flags down from the kop. at spurs, for one minute, they turned their backs on the game. tottenham's proposals will affect older supporters. from the season after next, they'll phase out senior concessions, so fans who turn 66 will still pay full price. for alan, who's 68, his 50% discount will soon be reduced to 25%. it is an atrocious decision, aimed at loyalty.

it is a message from the club to us, as seniors, that we're not wanted. and it is a message to every single fan about how much they value loyalty — they don't. tottenham say senior concession numbers have gone up four—fold since they left white hart lane, and that limits choice for others. through the league, every club is seeking a balance between fans who'll pay more for a single match day and the fans who'll be there every august, through to may. joe lynskey, bbc news. next week, millions of people around the world will pause to remember the 80th anniversary of d—day. it wasjune 6th, 19aa, when allied forces stormed the beaches of northern france to re—take occupied europe from the nazis. john maguire has been to meet two royal navy wrens who helped to plan the landings — including christian lamb, who created maps for the troops, and is now 103.

she spent countless hours scrutinising every inch of this coastline, but today, after 80 years, christian lamb is seeing it for herself for the very first time. it looks absolutely wonderful. so clear and so blue, and it's so attractive. i don't suppose it looked like that then, really. one was very worried about it and expecting ghastly things to happen. must have been armour in sight of all kinds. christian is fast approaching her 10ath birthday. but in 19aa, as preparations for the allied invasion of normandy ramped up, she was a young wren in the royal navy — based in whitehall, creating maps to be used by landing craft. are these what i'm supposed to have made? these are the maps you made. amazing. this will have saved lives. i hope so.

there will have been so many lives lost... ..but perhaps one or two saved. we were visiting a submarine... joining christian on the trip is pat owtram, also a former wren. as a german speaker, herjob was to eavesdrop on the enemy navy. i really wouldn't have wanted to miss that chapter in my life because, erm, i happened to know german and i could intercept and listen to their messages. although secrecy was their watchword and neither were aware of exactly when the invasion would begin, both believed what they were doing, the part they played was absolutely vital to the war effort. wherever they go, pat and christian are feted by the french people they meet. merci! why did you go to war- when you were so young?

and to the delight of the children, their questions — asked in english — are answered in french. ma grand—mere a parle tres bien francais. lovely surprise. extraordinary. yes - they came here both to visit the beaches and towns their top—secret work had helped to liberate and to meet the people, 80 years on, whose freedom was secured, and who are eternally grateful. john maguire, bbc news, normandy. applause indeed, what a day that was. time for a look at the weather. good afternoon, rain in the forecast for the rest of the week, no surprise. but not a complete wash—out, there is a bit of sunshine around today, that was the north of scotland earlier on. this has been the scene for more of us, cloud, outbreaks of rain. over the next few days, more of those heavy and at times thundery downpours. but with

spells of sunshine in—between. this is the radar picture from so far today. this band of rain continues northwards and eastwards. we saw the brightness that still holds on in the north—east of scotland, not a bad afternoon here. elsewhere, outbreaks of rain. and behind that, really sharp showers and thunderstorms in parts of northern ireland, southern scotland, northern and eastern england. showers that could give you a lot of rain in a short space of time. in—between, sunshine, highs of 17 or 18. the rain moves northwards and stalls in northern scotland overnight. elsewhere, heavy showers for a time. most places will be dry by tomorrow morning. not quite as chilly as it was last night. ten, 11, 12 degrees. into tomorrow, the sunshine and showers could crop up just about anywhere. there will be heavy ones and thundery, but the heaviest showers of all will be found across northern and eastern parts of scotland, perhaps into north—east england evolve. thunder and

lightning and possibly some hale