at ten, will she or won't she be allowed to stand at the general election? diane abbott's future as a labour mp hangs in the balance. whom jurors in donald trump's hush money criminal trial in new york end their first day of deliberations. and up, up and away. the battle of the balloons between north and south korea. 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. there's still confusion tonight over whether the long serving labour mp, diane abbott, can stand in the general election. her suspension from the party ended last night, following comments on race that she made in a letter to a newspaper last year. but she told supporters in east london this evening, that labour wants her "excluded from parliament," a claim sir keir starmer says isn't true. joe pike has our top story. will you be standing as an independent? at the last election, she was labour's pick to be home secretary. this time round, diane abbott may not be allowed to run for the party at all.

they just want to be excluded theyjust want to be excluded from parliament. 50 they just want to be excluded from parliament-— parliament. so what happened to olitical parliament. so what happened to political independence? - what's your message to keir starmer? this morning, she told the bbc, "i am banned from standing as a labour candidate." it took almost five hours until that was officially challenged. no, that's not true. no decision has been taken to bar diane abbott. the process that we were going through ended with the restoration of the whip the other day. so she's a member of the parliamentary labour party, and no decision has been taken barring her. this row has been rumbling for more than a year, after the veteran mp said jewish, irish and traveller people do not face racism all their lives. she apologised, but was suspended, and only readmitted as a labour mp last night

after a 13—month party process. over decades, diane abbott built a reputation as a passionate and outspoken politician, but almost always from the backbenches. it was only with the ascent of her friend and allyjeremy corbyn that she got close to power, reaching the shadow cabinet in 2015, nearly 30 years after her historic arrival in parliament. as britain's first black woman mp. cheering. but since keir starmer took over, she's been consistently critical of him on social media. among diane abbott's constituents, some say it is time for her to go. i think she has the opportunity to retire with dignity on what is a very significant record. i personally would like the opportunity to vote for a different labour candidate. while at tonight's rally, others are unhappy with the labour leader. what

do you think of how keir starmer has handled this? i’m do you think of how keir starmer has handled this?— handled this? i'm disappointed with him. i handled this? i'm disappointed with him- i would — handled this? i'm disappointed with him. i would really— handled this? i'm disappointed with him. i would really like _ handled this? i'm disappointed with him. i would really like to _ handled this? i'm disappointed with him. i would really like to be - him. i would really like to be behind — him. i would really like to be behind him. _ him. i would really like to be behind him, but— him. i would really like to be behind him, but this- him. i would really like to be behind him, but this has- him. i would really like to be i behind him, but this has made him. i would really like to be - behind him, but this has made me a bit behind him, but this has made me a hit shakx _ behind him, but this has made me a hit shakx ll— behind him, but this has made me a bit sha . , ~ ., behind him, but this has made me a bitsha . , ~ .,, , bit shaky. it is like a setup. he has been _ bit shaky. it is like a setup. he has been very _ bit shaky. it is like a setup. he has been very evasive - bit shaky. it is like a setup. he has been very evasive and - bit shaky. it is like a setup. he has been very evasive and has| has been very evasive and has treated appallingly, with total lack of respect. treated appallingly, with total lack of resect. , ., , treated appallingly, with total lack ofresect. , ., , ~ treated appallingly, with total lack ofresect. , . , ~' , treated appallingly, with total lack ofresect. , ., , ~ of respect. safe seats like this are rarel of of respect. safe seats like this are rarely of interest _ of respect. safe seats like this are rarely of interest in _ of respect. safe seats like this are rarely of interest in a _ of respect. safe seats like this are rarely of interest in a general- rarely of interest in a general election. the diane abbott row has changed that. some say that this has been damaging and distracting from the key campaign messages. others say it supports keir starmer�*s key argument that over the last five years, labour has changed. the final decision on diane abbott's future lies with the national executive. but for now, herjourney representing this community could soon come to an end. junior doctors in england will be taking industrial action again, just a week before the election. the five—day strike will begin at 7am onjune 27th and end early on tuesday 2nd ofjuly, just two days before election day.

it means there'll be thousands more hospital appointments and treatments cancelled. it's their 11th strike since march last year, as hugh pym reports. it started in march last year. junior doctors in england out on strike in their dispute over pay. by the summer, walk—outs were continuing, but for a time with talks under way, there were hopes of a settlement. by february this year with the tenth strike, the dispute wasn't settled. then came mediation talks. they failed, and another strike has been called. the government walked away and collapsed talks. there was nothing more that we could do to be able to have those talks with them, because they refused. and so now we're asking, if they're not going to talk to us, to make a public commitment that gives the confidence in our committee that there is a plan for pay restoration. what do we want? pay restoration. when do we want it? now! by pay restoration, the bma mean a 35% increase phased in to compensate for inflation over more than a decade. the government said that wasn't reasonable, and awarded

an average 9% last year. the health secretary, victoria atkins, had this response to the doctors' union. i'm angry. we know that industrial action last year had the impact that 1.4 million appointments were cancelled as a result of strikes, and to call this strike now during a general election campaign i think shows very cynical politicisation. out in sheffield today, there was a mixed view of the junior doctors' strike plan. i really support what they're doing in many ways, but i think they'll have to be careful that it doesn't backfire on them. why would you upset the apple cart when you don't know - who is going to have the reins. of power to make the decisions in your favour a few weeks hence? if now, when are people going to listen, you know? like they're doing it for a reason, for unfair pay and stuff. labour said the chaos would continue under the conservatives, but what would they do to resolve the dispute? that 35% pay claim is not one

that i would be able to meet onjuly 5th. i'd be willing to sit down and negotiate, because thejourney back to fair pay is exactly that. this it's going to be a journey not an event, so let's work together on pay. the liberal democrats said ministers were to blame for the continuing dispute. it's the patients - who i really fear for. the fact is that the conservatives have had months if not years - to resolve all of the strikes, and the fact that strikes - are happening yet againjust shows that they're leaving our nhs - in a state of crisis and chaos. whoever forms the next government will have to try to find a way forward and get talks going again. and possibly consider finding a different kind of offer. junior doctors in wales and northern ireland are in disputes with devolved administrations. hospitals in england meanwhile are preparing to close operating theatres and cancel appointments on the next strike days. hugh pym, bbc news. rishi sunak has been campaigning in south west england,

saying the conservatives would replace what he calls rip—off university degrees, to fund 100,000 new apprenticeships a year. the south west is a key battle ground and this map shows the current state of the parties in the region, which is dominated by tory blue. some constituency boundaries will change at the election, and chris mason has been travelling with the prime minister. bodmin in cornwall, one week into the general election campaign. and the verdict from some folk here? it's ok, really. i think it's a good idea to have it. they're looking for your vote, of course, but ijust think they're fighting with each other and it's ridiculous. what do you make of the whole election fun and games? it's a total nightmare. i can't bear it. i can't watch television. it's just dreadful. you can't be telling me you're not watching television! i'm trying not to.

planes and policies, trains and... ..yet more trains. the prime minister arriving in penzance this morning, not looking too rough after a night on the sleeper from london. first up, a rail maintenance depot to talk up his idea on apprenticeships in england. a future conservative government will take the bold action of closing down underperforming university degrees that are letting our young people down, and instead using that money to fund 100,000 new high—quality apprenticeships. meet, greet, talk and move on is the rhythm for all the party leaders out and about. it's lunchtime, this is liskeard, and the prime minister is arriving at a local broadband company. i've heard you're a bit of an expert anyway... having a go at other people's jobs, all part of many a visit... cheering. ..and listen out for the generous job offer, depending how things turn out. that was perfect, so if you're

looking for a job in telecoms... the winding road to the 11th ofjuly, polling day, still has plenty around the corner, and where every announcement prompts a flurry of reaction as each party seeks to undermine the others. our message, that the conservatives have let people down— in the west country over - the health service, the economy, things like sewage in our rivers and on our beaches, _ is resonating with people. the conservatives have to say, if they announce any policy, how they are going to pay for it. that is what we in the labour party deliver — fully costed policies, and that is what we expect from the conservatives. in this general election, it is really the cost of the union on the table. we have a cost of living crisis inflicted by westminster, challenges connected to brexit, and of course austerity policies. the prime minister has made quite a thing of projecting a certain energy. he has hurtled around england, scotland, wales, and northern ireland in the first couple of days. now he's here in the south—west of england, a region teeming

with conservative seats he really needs to cling onto. and after a morning in cornwall, next it's devon. late this afternoon, rishi sunak arrived in dunkeswell at a military vehicle manufacturer to talk to members of staff and to reporters. prime minister, there is no doubt you are meeting plenty of people out and about, but are you changing many minds? look, chris, you can see we are having a conversation here, but i am determined to talk to as many people as i can across this country over the remaining weeks of this campaign. that's how i started it, and as you heard, i'm thoroughly enjoying myself. i'm enjoying having conversations with people about... and changing minds? ..about the things that matter. yes, iam changing minds. the tour for all the party leaders trundles on. oh, and you can tell the election is getting near when you see pictures like this. five weeks to go. chris mason, bbc news, in devon.

well, the conservative promise of 100,000 more apprentices a year by the end of the next parliament would be funded by scrapping what they call "rip off" university degrees. branwenjeffreys has more from birmingham. universities in england already have to meet minimum standards and the regulator can fine them if they don't. the conservatives want to go further and close down courses that are deemed to be of low value. for the first time that could include taking graduate earnings into account, and that might squeeze some creative subjects. it's also not clear exactly how much money it would save. there's no limit on the number of university places available in england, so it's up to students what they decide. i know a lot of people that i know would rather do an apprenticeship than a uni degree. i believe every single degree has a value.

the conservative skills promise involves creating 100,000 extra apprenticeships a year by the end of the next parliament. the party says by then it would cost £885 million. large employers already have to put cash into supporting apprenticeships, but each year around £550 million of that is handed back to the government unspent, raising questions about employers' willingness to get involved in creating new apprenticeships. so for these changes to happen, it requires both students and employers to make different decisions. and that's beyond the control of any government. branwen jeffreys, bra nwen jeffreys, our branwen jeffreys, our education correspondent. labour's focus has been on the nhs today, and proposals to tackle the huge backlog of patients waiting for treatment in england.

the party says if elected, within five years, the backlog of those waiting more than 18 weeks would be cleared. sir keir starmer unveiled the plan, alongside the shadow health secretary, wes streeting. dominic hughes now explains how the proposals might work. the current waiting list for the nhs in england stands at 7.5 million treatments, and more than 40% of people have been waiting longer than 18 weeks. well, labour says that, should it win power, it will, within the first year of taking office, offer 40,000 extra appointments every week on top of the two million or so that are already happening. and it's going to do this by encouraging the nhs to do more work in the evenings and at the weekends and by making greater use of the private sector. labour has also said it would double the number of scanning equipments that are available, because people waiting for vital test results are a key logjam in the system. so labour says its plans will cost £1.3 billion in the first year. so where is this money going to come from? well, the party says it's going to clamp down on tax

dodgers and close loopholes for non—dom tax payers. but this has been tried before, and experience tells us it's very unclear exactly how much money this can raise and when it will come on stream. there are also key questions around staffing. not only are there significant shortages in nurses, doctors, and other key health workers, but we know that people working in the nhs are burnt out and stressed after an incredibly tough few years. so it's great having all these extra scanners and appointments, but you've got to have the people to make it work. dominic hughes, our health correspondent there. the labour mp for brighton kemptown, lloyd russell—moyle, has been suspended by the party over an allegation about his behaviour. he says he believes it is a "vexatious and politically motivated complaint" and that he will be fully exonerated. labour has confirmed a complaint has been received and is being investigated.

chris is here. it is a week since the election was called, do you detect a quickening of the pace as the campaigning is continuing? yes, just a week since it started, although it feels a bit longer than that. the pace is quickening and the jeopardy is climbing. in plenty of the parties there are the selections before the election. last—minute candidates being picked. tonight a slew of announcements from labour, a sizeable crop of figures steeped in the labour movement and outwardly likely to be loyal to keir starmer selected in seats. meanwhile we see the anger, the bitterness and the fury still swelling around diane abbott's future. an awkward case study in the anger about anti—semitism within labour in the last few years and also where the

left finds itself within the labour party. the conservatives are doubling down what i think you could call their energy and policy strategy of the first week. in other words, rishie sunak hurtling hither and thither and grabbing attention with new policies. and talking of the pace quickening, we get the first of the tv debate taking place next week on itv, head to head debate, rishi sunak and keir starmer in front of a live audience and i suspect there will be more where that one comes from. the suspect there will be more where that one comes from.— suspect there will be more where that one comes from. the pulse will be quickening. _ that one comes from. the pulse will be quickening, too. _ that one comes from. the pulse will be quickening, too. chris _ that one comes from. the pulse will be quickening, too. chris mason, i that one comes from. the pulse will| be quickening, too. chris mason, our political editor. and if you want more on our top story, the row over diane abbot�*s future, newsnight�*s where you should go, and here's victoria derbyshire. yes, as chris was just saying the labour row is deepening tonight with

others on the left of the party saying they are being banned from standing. we ask, is the purge of the left? we will speak to one of those candidates alive. and what does it say about keir starmer�*s leadership? as 12 jurors began deliberating in donald trump's trial, we will speak to former comms chief. an initial report has found that a singapore airlines flight which hit severe turbulence last week, leading to the death of a passenger, had experienced a �*rapid change in gravitational forces.�* the aircraft rose and fell dramatically, in the space of a few seconds, throwing around passengers who were not wearing seatbelts. the plane then dropped 178 feet, in less than five seconds. dozens were badly injured, onboard the flight from london to singapore. here's katy austin. the aftermath of last week's severe turbulence. today, new details of how the terrifying incident over the south of myanmar unfolded before the plane diverted to land

in bangkok in thailand. an analysis of the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder says the plane probably went through an area of rapidly rising and falling air. moderate turbulence was followed by the plane unexpectedly rising and the seat belt signs going on. then a swift drop, which caused people not wearing seat belts to become airborne, the report says. when the aircraft went up again, they fell back. i'd say it's the speed of the ups and downs, because... the rapid changes over less than five seconds resulted in the plane losing 178 feet in altitude. if you're strapped into the aircraft — here's my person here — strapped into the aircraft. if there's a sudden drop in altitude, if you're secured to the aircraft you will drop with it. however, if you're not, as the aircraft suddenly drops you will stay where you are and the aircraft drops and that actually results in then

heads banging on ceilings, which is exactly what happened. dozens were injured and 73—year—old geoff kitchen died. earlier today, singapore airlines said 42 passengers were still in bangkok, 26 of whom were in hospital. the airline said it was committed to supporting crew members and passengers, including covering medical expenses. katy austin, bbc news. jurors in donald trump's criminal trial in new york, have ended their first day of deliberations. he's facing 3a counts of falsifying business records, to cover up a hush money payment to a pawn star, before the 2016 presidential election. he denies all the charges. gary o'donoghue is outside the court in new york. while thejury were while the jury were deliberating, mr trump had to be called back into court? , , , , ., court? yes, the “my spent four hours and _

court? yes, the “my spent four hours and 37 — court? yes, the jury spent four hours and 37 minutes, - court? yes, the jury spent four hours and 37 minutes, to - court? yes, the jury spent four hours and 37 minutes, to be i court? yes, the jury spent four - hours and 37 minutes, to be precise, deliberating. that is after they had instructions from the judge at the beginning of the day. he told them to ignore various bits of evidence, only trust their own beliefs about the evidence, not to read or understand or to look at anything else outside of the court. they went into deliberate and at the end of the day, a buzzer goes off twice in the day, a buzzer goes off twice in the court. the jury has questions. they want to hear transcripts, they are not allowed to have them in the jury are not allowed to have them in the jury room full some reason and they want to hear all the instructions thejudge want to hear all the instructions the judge gave them all over again. that took more than an hour this morning. that will happen tomorrow morning. that will happen tomorrow morning. donald trump not sounding overly confident about his chances. he said that mother teresa wouldn't beat these charges. mil he said that mother teresa wouldn't beat these charges.— beat these charges. all right, gary o'donoghue _ beat these charges. all right, gary o'donoghue in _ beat these charges. all right, gary o'donoghue in york, _ beat these charges. all right, gary o'donoghue in york, thank- beat these charges. all right, gary o'donoghue in york, thank you. i the mother of amie gray, who was 3a when she was killed on a beach in bournemouth last

friday, has been paying tribute to her daughter. she said amie, seen here on the left with her wife, was "amazing, funny, kind and energetic." a second woman who was also attacked, suffered serious injuries and remains in hospital. a 20—year—old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. the former scottish health secretary, michael matheson, has been banned from parliament for a record 27 days, for breaching expenses policy. it follows an £11,000 data bill, racked up on his parliamentary ipad. he eventually admitted his children had used it, to watch football while on holiday. his salary will also be withdrawn, for 5h days. criminal charges against world number one golfer, scottie scheffler, following his arrest at the us pga championship, have been dropped. the american was arrested after trying to drive to the tournament in heavy traffic. he'd been charged with various offences, including second—degree assault of a police officer and reckless driving.

the owner of royal mail, has agreed to a £3.6 billion takeover bid from a czech billionaire. the offer includes commitments to protect the company's public service offering. the deal will still need final agreement from the government. simonjack�*s here to tell us more. the first owner of royal mail was henry viii, 500 years ago. 12 years ago it was split from the post office and privatised. this man wants to be the next owner. daniel kretinsky, a reclusive czech billionaire with stakes in sainsbury�*s, west ham football club and already owns 27% of royal mail's parent company. clearly a very sensitive case, so he is offering some assurances to allay concerns from unions and politicians. and they are to keep the brand, the uk headquarters and keep paying tax in the uk. maintain the one price goes anywhere "universal service". and promise no compulsory redundancies till 2025 — in line with the current deal

between royal mail and the unions — which may be extended with negotiation. but royal mail is not in the rudest of health. it made a loss last year of £3118 million. and has consistently missed delivery targets with 74% of first class letters delivered next day — against a target of 93%. it's been hit with fines and strikes over the last few years. mr kretinsky says he can improve that performance and negotiations are already ongoing about reducing second class deliveries to every other week day which could save the company hundreds of millions of pounds. the government can block it. so far, the chancellor has said it would be scrutinised but the current government has no objection in principal. shadow business secretary said the assurances offered are welcome and they would ensure they were adhered to. but unions are uneasy — but not openly hostile as they say the current owners and management have done a poorjob. any decision will fall to whoever is in government after the election.

simon, thank you. a volcano in southwestern iceland has erupted again, sending hot lava 160 feet into the air. these are live pictures. it's the fifth eruption since december, on a peninsula near the capital reykjavik, opening a fissure about 1.5 miles long. it is growing, too. the famous blue lagoon resort, has been evacuated as a precaution. millions of south africans have been voting in the country's election, 30 years since the first democratic poll following the end of apartheid. the ruling african national congress faces its toughest challenge yet, with widespread disappointment over the state of the economy, corruption and high levels of crime. the anc could lose its majority in parliament for the first time. anne soy, has the latest, from durban. voters endured long hours in the sun, waiting for their turn

to cast their ballots. queues reminiscent of the country's first election after the end of white minority rule. but three decades on, many dreams of liberation are still yet to be realised. there's a sense of despondency, particularly among the youth, and that they hope to change. i'm looking at the lines because i've been voting here for the last 20 years. it has never been like this, it's so exciting. it's not about a political party, it's about what you're going to bring to the country that we don't have at the moment. for someone like myself who has - a master's degree but is unemployed, so i'm definitely hoping that my today's vote i is going to make the difference. this queue has gone round all the way to the other side of this building. south africans coming out in their numbers to make their voice heard. this is billed as the most

competitive election, yet. they have 50—odd parties to choose from. it could be a fragmented vote, but importantly for them, they get to have a say on who has the best solution for their challenges. this vote is a verdict on president ramaphosa's record. under him, the economy has all but stagnated. the decline began with his predecessor, jacob zuma, who is now fronting a new breakaway party. also in the running is the party formed by the controversial former youth leaderjulius malema. the largest opposition party, the democratic alliance, entered a pre—election coalition with smaller parties hoping to benefit from the ruling anc falling fortunes. i think the best hope for south africa going forward are actually coalition governments. i don't think one dominant party would serve this country. that's not something that worries voters. a more competitive election may throw political parties

into a spin for now, but ultimately it may strengthen democracy. anne soy, bbc news, durban. south korea has warned residents to stay indoors, after accusing north korea, of sending giant balloons carrying rubbish across the border. officials say more than 260 were found, with reports that some were carrying animal waste. it appears to be retaliation for propaganda leaflets sent north, on balloons by activists. shaima khalil has the latest, from the south korean capital, seoul. this is what many people here in south korea found on their streets. dozens and dozens of these balloons spotted across the country carrying manure, waste and all kinds of rubbish, including this empty bottle of detergent and this time release device. residents received alerts warning them against leaving their homes and urging them to go to the authorities if they encounter one of the balloons. the army has been deployed

with rapid response teams and explosive disposal personnel inspecting the objects. if you're thinking, why on earth would north korea send these balloons? well, because it's happened before. pyongyang says this is in response to the frequent scattering of leaflets in its border areas. the deputy defense minister earlier warned that mounds of rubbish and waste will be strewn in the south and that the authorities in seoul will find out what a hassle it is to clean it up. because of the north korean attitude the situation is very concerning and i'm concerned that this could escalate into a shooting situation. in recent years, south korean activists have been sending balloons, carrying anti—pyongyang leaflets like the ones in this video from 2016. and just this month, an activist group sent 20 balloons with about 300,000 leaflets, as well as usb sticks loaded with k—pop music. this has been the most talked about story here. the fear is that in an increasingly tense korean peninsula, things can take a much more sinister

turn thanjust retaliatory littering. shaima khalil, bbc news, seoul. time for a look at the weather. here's louise.