as a labour mp after an investigation into her conduct. but it's not clear if britain's first black female mp will be allowed to stand at the election. meanwhile, police say labour's deputy leader angela rayner will face no further action after allegations that she broke electoral law. with the first full week of election campaigning under way — the main parties have been focussing on the economy today — we'll have all the details. also tonight — under attack — ukraine's second biggest city kharkivjust 20 miles from the russian border — and russia's soldiers are advancing. the ukrainians are having to make some very hard choices about what they can defend, and they are fighting an enemy that has adapted itself to exploit their weaknesses. closing arguments at donald trump's hush money trial — the prosecution says he conspired to corrupt the 2016 presidential election —

his lawyers say it's all lies. palestinians flee rafah in southern gaza — as israeli tanks arrive in the city for the first time. giving babies and young children smooth peanut butter could give them lifelong protection from peanut allergies say researchers. and stay with us here on bbc news for continuing covering, coverage and analysis for correspondence in the uk and the rental world. —— and around the world. good evening. the veteran mp diane abbott has been reinstated by labour — after she was suspended last year during a disciplinary process. but it's unclear tonight whether she will or can

stand for the party at the general election. the hackney north and stoke newington mp, who was first elected in 1987, was suspended after suggesting that jewish, irish and traveller people did not face racism "all their lives". it's understood that party officials had tried to broker a deal by which she would be readmitted in return for standing down. here's our political correspondent, damian grammaticas. diane abbott, campaigner, trailblazer, and over a0 years she has been a fixture on the left of politics, not afraid to criticise her own party, like the rack wall, whenjeremy her own party, like the rack wall, when jeremy corbyn her own party, like the rack wall, whenjeremy corbyn became party leader she became shadow home secretary —— iraq war. 30 months ago she was suspended by labour and this was on 1997, the day she became the first black woman elected to be an mp. -- 1987. first black woman elected to be an mp- -- 1981— first black woman elected to be an mp. "1987. if you would like to go to the swing —

mp. "1987. if you would like to go to the swing doors. _ mp. "1987. if you would like to go to the swing doors. what _ mp. "1987. if you would like to go to the swing doors. what got - mp. "1987. if you would like to go to the swing doors. what got her. to the swing doors. what got her suspended _ to the swing doors. what got her suspended was _ to the swing doors. what got her suspended was the _ to the swing doors. what got her suspended was the letter - to the swing doors. what got her suspended was the letter to the | suspended was the letter to the observer saying this... that are jewish, irish and traveller people do undoubtedly experience prejudice but they are not all their lives subjected to racism. she withdrew her remarks and apologised and the internal investigation resulted in a formal warning for conduct prejudicial to her party, and keir starmer was made a priority —— who made a priority of rooting out anti—semitism from the party was under pressure to say whether she would be reinstated to the party. the process is a bit longer than the fact—finding exercise bike in the end this is a matter that will have to be resolved by the national executive committee and they will do that in due course. find executive committee and they will do that in due course.— that in due course. and this evening it was revealed _ that in due course. and this evening it was revealed her _ that in due course. and this evening it was revealed her position - that in due course. and this evening it was revealed her position has - it was revealed her position has been restored, she is once again a labour mp, and with an election coming, it could be for only a few days. it is not clear whether diane abbott, for so long a fixture in her

party, will stand again for labour. and damian is here now. what happens now? it is an open cuestion, what happens now? it is an open question. and — what happens now? it is an open question, and we _ what happens now? it is an open question, and we are _ what happens now? it is an open question, and we are not - what happens now? it is an open question, and we are not clear. question, and we are not clear exactly what will be the outcome of this. what we do know, of course, she has been a really significant figure in labourand she has been a really significant figure in labour and the handling of the case has been a difficulty and a challenge and a priority for sir keir starmer, he has already had a jeremy corbyn who is standing against labour, so it keir starmer knows he needs to approach this carefully. the understanding is that she is now at the point when she can't be nominated by her own constituency any more, the date was

passed yesterday, she could put herself forward as a candidate, next week, to decide on that, but the more elegant way that has been suggested is that she could herself now finish her time as a labour mp and then choose to quit which could be a way to everyone to try to exit this. she is 70 and has had health issues but ultimately the question for diane abbott is one for herself. thanks forjoining us. there'll be more on this story on newsnight later — here's victoria derbyshire with the details. the decision to lift the suspension of diane abbott comes after we revealed that the labour investigation into her comments on racism finished five months ago, and it leaves key questions for keir starmer on the labour handling of this and while there seems to be an expectation from the labour leadership that diane abbott will announce she will retire and not stand at the election, actually, we understand that diane abbott has never indicated to the leadership her intention to retire. we will get reaction from a close friend of diane abbott who is a labour mp and also we will look at the pledge of

the tories on pensions. 0ur guest include the former conservative chancellor kwasi kwarteng. we will see you then. greater manchester police says it will not take any further action against labour's deputy leader angela rayner, following an investigation into her living arrangements before she was an mp. she had faced questions as to whether she paid the correct tax on the sale of her council home in 2015, and if she was registered to vote at the correct address. ms rayner welcomed the news, while the labour leader sir keir starmer said he had never doubted that she had done nothing wrong. 0ur correspondentjoe pike reports. it's the tale of two houses which has dogged labour's deputy leader for months. i got that advice that is categoric that i do not owe any capital gains tax on that property. and which, as far as the police is concerned, is now over. i'm obviously pleased they have come to a conclusion. i never doubted that angela hadn't

done anything wrong. tonight, angela rayner has welcomed the news, saying conservatives reported her to distract from their record in government. the tories say she still hasn't provided an explanation for the questions around her former living arrangements. the row is about whether she was honest about where she lived and when. the first home is vicarage road in stockport where angela rayner bought a property in 2007, eight years before she became an mp. in 2010, she married mark rayner, who owned his home around two miles away and appears to have registered one of their children at his address, but on the electoral register, she continued to be listed as living at her house, creating confusion as to where she legally lived. it matters because of capital gains tax. you don't pay it when you sell your main home but married couples can only count one property as their main home. according to a labour source, hmrc has told angela rayner it'll take no further action.

the tax office almost never comments publicly because of privacy rules. in any case, keir starmer�*s team will likely be relieved that the police investigation has now been dropped. minimising the chances of difficult headlines later on in the campaign. for months, the party's long time attack dog has herself been under attack. perhaps now she will be unleashed. joe pike, bbc news, westminster. the economy has taken centre stage on the campaign trail today. the prime minister says he will protect pensioners from a tax hike if the conservatives win the next election. rishi sunak launched what's being called the "triple lock plus" plan which will increase pensioners' personal allowance to prevent more people paying income tax. labour says the plan is not credible. meanwhile, the shadow chancellor rachel reeves has said that labour is the "natural party for british business". faisal islam reports. the prime minister was inspecting china in the potteries today,

but there are no delicate ming vases in his campaign. the conservatives' strategy appears to be move fast and break things, with bold policies. today's new offer — no tax for those on the basic state pension. for people who work hard all their lives and put in, then we need to make sure that they have the dignity they deserve when they've finished. and that is why i have already protected pensions and the triple lock and you have seen our announcement today, the triple lock plus, where we will raise the threshold, make sure that pensioners get a tax cut and they will never pay tax on the state pension, as well as the triple lock going up. 30 miles down the a50 at rolls—royce in derby, labour's top two are also talking economics. at britain's world beating exporter ofjet engines, the shadow chancellor, rachel reeves, heralded the support of over 120 business executives for a change of government. i can say with confidence that this labour party is the natural party of british business.

it is take off for the election campaign with big calls being made by the two main parties. the conservatives are making almost daily policy announcements that involve tax and spend, without being fully accounted for. labour say they don't want to follow the conservatives down what they say is a rabbit hole and have a singular message of stability, stability, stability, and they are trying to remind the electorate of what happened under liz truss with the mini budget. no tax rises, says the shadow chancellor, rachel reeves. but nor will she match the pension tax cut. what you won't get from me, either in this election campaign or if i become chancellor of the exchequer in a few weeks' time, is any commitments that is not fully costed and fully funded. because if you do that, you are going down the liz truss route and we saw the damage that she did to our economy. rishi sunak is going down that route. i never will. but you can address pensioners who are thinking about where to cast

their x in the ballot box in six weeks' time and at the moment they have an offer from the prime minister and the current chancellor which is, if you are on the state, basic state pension, you won't get taxed on it if you vote for them, whereas with labour, you would. well, pensioners are only looking at paying tax on the basic state pension because of what the conservatives have done. people should not believe these promises from the government because unless a plan is fully funded, you shouldn't have any confidence it is going to be delivered. and that is the problem with the conservative party, they are throwing around these ideas with no idea of how they are going to pay for them. in the lake district, some other opposition parties were chasing floating voters, perhaps. the lib dem leader, sir ed davey, said the state pension move was a u—turn. the last thing pensioners need is another dose of conservative government. the last thing the country needs. liberal democrats have some really attractive policies for pensioners. not only are we behind the triple lock, as the ones who began it in the first place, we want to make sure the health

service that pensioners rely on is properly funded, that there is a care system there. of course, we want to see investments in people's. pockets and making sure - pensioners are seeing a benefit to any economic improvement. in the situation that 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. at a bowling club in leicestershire, the pm pressed his case with what has been a dependable demographic for his party. the question is whether older voters prefer a tax cut offer for those on the state pension or believe the promise of stability under a changed government. who is on target with this argument could well determine the winner injuly. faisal islam, bbc news, in the east midlands. the honorary president of the reform uk party, nigel farage, has used a speech in dover to criticise both

conservatives and labour for not doing enough to stop migrants coming to britain. he said reform — previously known as the brexit party — was offering a "distinct" message and that he would be campaigning for his party untill polling day — even though he himself is not standing for election. 0ur political editor chris mason sent this report from dover. maybe you love him... sorry to keep you. ..maybe you really don't. but make no mistake, nigel farage is one of the most influential politicians of his generation. i've got a brolly, rishi, i've got a brolly! he's never been an mp, he's not even standing himself at this election. but he's going to have plenty to say. welcome to dover. welcome to the front line of the great national debate on immigration. and it's the front line of this campaign that mr farage is attempting to get onto, arguing he was first to warn a few years ago about people crossing the channel in small boats. so i said that i thought that unless something dramatic was done that there would be an invasion. now, of course, for using that

word, i was called all the names under the sun. and he reckons millions have been let down... to brexit voters, what is happening in the english channel is a serious affront and they see, frankly, us allowing it to continue as being a betrayal. he claims immigration poses a national security emergency and he's been accused of islamophobia for saying war in the middle east is prompting a small but growing number of people to vote based on religion. i never thought i'd see sectarian voting in england. i saw it in northern ireland and didn't like the look of it there very much. and it's happening because and there's no debate about it because, and they'll all cry foul at me because. labour started this with a completely irresponsible immigration policy and the conservatives have accelerated it. take on the critique that says you're a divisive contributor. what do you say to those people directly? well, i'm willing to say things that others aren't. .. and which some find inflammatory?

no, they find embarrassing and difficult and awkward. help out our viewer or listener who thinks, hang on a minute, one minute it seems that nigel farage is flirting with the conservative party. the next minute he wants to destroy it. which is it? i have not flirted with the conservative party, all right? many of their mps and peers and members have flirted with me because they want the conservative party to have the same ideas as i do. nigel farage in the fray. the politics of small boat crossings prominent. we've got a bold plan, the rwanda scheme, to ensure that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay and you'll be returned. that's how you create a deterrent. i'm not going to comment on anybody else's campaign in this election. - what we've got in the labour- campaign is confidence, assurance. the lights are on, the lights are on. nigel farage has made it his life's work to disrupt, delight, dismay, horrify, and he reckons he's not done yet. chris mason, bbc news, in dover.

and we'll be focusing on some of the other parties throughout the campaign. ukraine's second biggest city, kharkiv, is under intense pressure as russian soldiers ntensify their attacks on the north—eastern front. the city is just 15 miles from russia. its troops made it to the city's suburbs at the start of the war before being pushed back. now though russia is on the advance again. president zelensky has called for the west to supply more air defence systems urgently. but president putin has warned of serious consequences if those weapons are used on targets inside russia. our international editor jeremy bowen reports from kharkiv. no—one tried to put the fire out in the kindergarten in yurchenkove — its young families are long gone. front line villages are emptying because last year's hope of driving the russians out is now a grim

struggle to stop them moving deeper into ukraine. vika, a psychologist from a local relief group, is evacuating the last elderly residents. "leaving home after a0 years hurts my soul," said lyubov. but stay and the shelling might kill her. the couple next on vika's list preferred to risk it. "you'll be well looked after," she said. "and it's all free." "thank you," said emma, "but we won't go." vika tried again. "we're evacuating people because there's a real crisis. "it's very dangerous. "there's going to be more shelling." emma stayed with her husband. ukrainian composure under fire is impressive, but that cannot obscure real challenges from a resurgent russia. vika had better luck at the next house. leaving home will only be temporary if ukraine weathers the dangerous summer ahead.

all these personal tragedies like valentina leaving her home, it all adds up to ukraine's massive national trauma at a time, because of russian military pressure close to here and ukraine's own relative military weakness, that the people here are feeling under more pressure than at any time since the months after the full scale invasion more than two years ago. loud explosion. and here in kharkiv, they can feel it. the city's hit most days by missiles and guided bombs made in russian factories, retooled for a long war. ukraine is short of weapons and troops. this raid destroyed a print factory. kharkiv is vulnerable, effectively defenceless, against russian missile strikes. translation: it takes 40 seconds for the missiles to get here. - only the us patriot system could destroy them.

and we don't have patriots. the destruction is a practical consequence of shortfalls and delays in military aid, especially as $60 billion package that was held up for months in the us congress. ukraine needs reliable supplies if it it's to stop russia. the ukrainians weren't able to intercept the missiles that did this and they were not able to attack the russian drone that was patrolling in the skies above here before, during and after. the ukrainians are having to make some very hard choices about what they can defend. and they're fighting an enemy that has adapted itself to exploit their weaknesses. ukrainians are feeling the pain inflicted by the resilience of russian forces who've learnt from their mistakes. kharkiv�*s paramedics pulled out another body. the strain is showing, notjust among workers who've seen their colleagues killed,

but right across the country. yet another missile warning came in. what's he saying? what did he say? it felt close to panic. constant attacks over years now, not months, erode morale. ukraine is not defeated, but it will not stop the russians without more troops, better defences, and more weapons from its allies. at the weekend, russia destroyed a crowded diy superstore in kharkiv, killing at least 18 people. ukraine wantsjoe biden to allow them to hit back at launch sites inside russia with powerful american weapon systems. "we won't give up," said andrei, manager of the shop next door. "look at the beautiful plants people

were buying and no soldiers — everyone was a civilian." war carries a heavy cost on every side. dozens of kharkiv�*s police officers paid their last respects to their colleague who was killed evacuating civilians from a front line village. ukrainians are paying a heavy price in blood to stay independent. it is harder now than when russia launched the full scale invasion more than two years ago for ukrainians to persuade their allies to make big sacrifices to support them. alarm blares. air raid alarms continued throughout the service. 0therwars, economic challenges and elections are distracting europe and america. ukraine's leaders are trying to get their allies once again to look this way

at what's happening here. it is safe to say that president putin's attention has stayed focused. jeremy bowen, bbc news, kharkiv. dorset police have arrested a 20—year—old man on suspicion of murder and attempted murder after a 3a—year—old woman was stabbed to death on a beach in bournemouth. amie gray died on durley chine beach on friday. a second woman who sustained serious injuries remains in hospital. donald trump's lawyers have delivered their closing arguments in the hush money trial against him — telling the jury the case is based on "lies". the former president denies falsifying business records to cover up payments to a porn star during the campaign. mr trump has been accused by the prosecution of conspiring to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. 0ur senior north america correspondent, gary 0'donoghue is in new york now.

tell us more about what has been going on in court today. bitter tell us more about what has been going on in court today.— going on in court today. after six weeks and _ going on in court today. after six weeks and more _ going on in court today. after six weeks and more than _ going on in court today. after six weeks and more than 20 - going on in court today. after six i weeks and more than 20 witnesses going on in court today. after six - weeks and more than 20 witnesses we are entering the closing stages in what must be one of the most famous trials in us history. they have been arguing that no crime was committed when that $130,000 was paid to stormy daniels before the election in 2016. on the reimbursement of that money to his lawyer after that. the prosecution say that violated campaign election finance laws and they made the extraordinary claim that that and other payments to other women may have been the thing that actually run donald trump the 2016 election. 0utside that actually run donald trump the 2016 election. outside the court we saw some minor scuffles between protesters and an extraordinary impromptu appearance by robert de niro, no less, a prominent democrat and the man who has been campaigning

forjoe biden this time around. he called donald trump a dangerous clown. thejury called donald trump a dangerous clown. the jury are expected to begin their deliberations tomorrow. whatever they come up with will reverberate through this campaign and well beyond.— an emergency meeting of the united nations security council is taking place in new york — as concerns grow about israel's operation in southern gaza. israeli tanks have reached the centre of rafah for the first time — the city where hundreds of thousands of displaced people have been sheltering. the hamas run health authority says at least 21 have been killed today after an explosion in a tented evacuation zone on the outskirts of the city. it comes two days after dozens more were killed when an airstrike triggered a blaze on another tent camp near rafah. internationaljournalists are prevented from entering gaza by israel and egypt. lucy williamson has sent this report from jerusalem. rafah was once gaza's refuge,

the safest place in a dangerous war. today, the city's west and centre was emptying, those still sheltering here fleeing again amid air strikes and artillery fire. taking whatever they need to survive, whatever they can't leave behind. there has been no evacuation order from israel's army and for many, no sense of where to go. translation: i'm just walking in the street, l i don't know where to go, there is nowhere safe. where should we go? this is not a life, this is not a life. they were packing up also in the displacement camp at tal al—sultan to the west of the city, still scarred by fires triggered in an israeli air strike on sunday. dozens dead, survivors spent.

there is more than one way to lose a life. israel says its operation in rafah is key to defeating hamas and that the strike on sunday on hamas commanders in the camp was carried out with precise munitions that would not, by themselves, have caused so many deaths. we are talking about munition with 17 kilos of explosive material, this is the smallest munition that ourjets can use. following this strike, a large fire ignited for reasons that are still being investigated. 0ur munition alone could not have ignited a fire of this size. while people fled today, gaza's health ministry said more than 20 were killed in fresh air strikes to the west, over half of them women. as far beyond these borders, three european nations officially

recognise a palestinian state, and gaza's last urban centre begins to fall under israeli control. lucy williamson, bbc news, jerusalem. the pope has apologised for using an offensive word for gay people during a meeting with a group of bishops during which he was asked if gay men should be allowed to train for the priesthood. in a statement, the vatican said pope francis "never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms." giving smooth peanut butter to babies and throughout early childhood could give lifelong protection against peanut allergy, say researchers. teenagers who ate it up to age five were almost three quarters less likely to develop an allergy than if the food was shunned. 0ur health correspondentjames gallagher has the details.

atticus is now a 6'7" a—level student. it's good for you — protein. but as a baby, he was given a regular diet of peanut butter to try to prevent an allergy. doctors thought he was high risk. he had eczema and had already had a severe reaction to wheat. that was pretty terrifying in itself, so if there was a chance that we could ensure that not happening again later in life by eating peanuts, then it was like, "sign us up." from as young as i can remember, i can remember eating peanuts. not having this allergy is just such a blessing, you know? peanut allergy has become increasingly common in the uk. around one in 50 children are now allergic to peanuts. this trial gave smooth peanut butter to children at risk of allergy from as early as four months until they were five years old. when these children became teenagers, those who consumed peanut butter in early childhood were 71% less likely to develop an allergy.

this is a big deal because with l a very simple, safe intervention, eating peanuts early in infancy, . we can confer long term protection against peanut allergy, prevent - 10,000 new cases of peanut allergy every year and, hopefully, - i believe, eradicate peanut allergy. we're so grateful to professor lack and his team for including atticus in the leap study because it potentially saved his life. for years, parents have been told to avoid giving peanut butter to young children, but now those early years are seen as a crucial moment for shaping the immune system for life. james gallagher, bbc news. time for a look at the weather. here's elizabeth rizzini. hello. 0ne