this is bbc news. the headlines at 7pm. labour and the conservatives compete for workers' votes — theresa may rules out a vat rise, while labour says it won't raise tax for those on low incomes. on the tenth anniversary of madeleine mccann‘s disappearance, her parents say they still have hope she'll be found. one of the world's best known mountaineers, ueli steck, has died in an accident on mount everest. counter—terrorism detectives have arrested a woman who was shot during a raid in north london on thursday. president trump says pressure on north korea over its nuclear programme is working — and says china is helping. president xi, i believe, has been putting pressure on them also, but so putting pressure on them also, but so far perhaps nothing has happened and perhaps it has. also in the next hour — chelsea keep their four point cushion at the top of the premier league. they won 3—0 away to everton,

while their title rivals tottenham, beat arsenal in the north london derby. good evening and welcome to bbc news. theresa may says there'll be no increase in vat, if the conservatives win the general election. but the prime minister did signal that she would scrap a pledge, not to raise income tax or national insurance. the labour leaderjeremy corbyn has also promised not to raise vat. he said labour would protect middle income earners and end what he called tax "giveaways to the rich". our political correspondent ben wright reports. so, this will be a law. this is a guarantee, because i know what needs to be done... it was a startling policy, a solemn promise made days before the 2015 general election.

david cameron said that three key taxes, vat, income tax and national insurance, would not go up for a five—year parliament, so will theresa may repeat that pledge in her manifesto? we have no plans to increase the level of tax, but i am also very clear that i don't want to make specific proposals on taxes unless i am sure that i can deliver on those. a pretty strong hint the prime minister does not think the existing tax freeze can be continued. and remember, just last month, the chancellor's plan to raise the national insurance rate in the budget was criticised for breaking the manifesto tax pledge, and the move was ditched. why does all this matter? because public services cost money. politicians need to decide how to balance the growing demand of hospitals, schools, social care, defence,

with voters‘ willingness to pay, and there is one tax that theresa may today said would not come up if the tories win. we will not increase vat. but no matching promise on national insurance or income tax. labour is making a lot of spending promises which it says will be costed in their manifesto. we are the party that wants low taxes for low and middle earners. the conservative party are the ones who want lower taxes for high earners. so, yes, there will be changes, but they will be very much at the top end. in the next couple of weeks, we will get the party manifestos, when promises of a tax and spending will crystallise into policy. the biggest issue facing britain over the next two years is brexit, and there seems to be a divide between theresa may and the rest of the eu over how negotiations should happen. yesterday, eu leaders dismissed the idea of a quick trade deal and said there had to be progress on the terms of the divorce

first, including the money britain owes. but theresa may has other ideas. yes, they do want to start discussions about money. i'm very clear that at the end of the negotiations we need to be clear not just about the brexit arrangement, the exit, how we withdraw, but also for our future relationship is going to be. opposition parties said the government was kidding itself. the prime minister is not in charge of the agenda. there are 27 member states in the european union apart from the uk. they are absolutely united, they are holding a common line, and theresa may is not going to be able to tell them what to do. but the eu will not begin to negotiate with us until after polling day and a new westminster government is in place. ben wright, bbc news. our political correspondent is here.

journalists need to hold politicians to account, but we do not have the ma nifestos to account, but we do not have the manifestos to work from. exactly. the prime minister managed to grace the soft furnishings of the bbc and itv in the time that would take you to make a bacon sandwich and eat it, so to make a bacon sandwich and eat it, so you to make a bacon sandwich and eat it, so you can to make a bacon sandwich and eat it, so you can tell we're in the middle of elections. she was placed on a range of issues and would see repeatedly, hang on, wait for the ma nifesto. repeatedly, hang on, wait for the manifesto. those manifestos are a week away in all likelihood. the selection is coming on, we are these bundles of promises? but if you are political party you're going to be held to these for the next five yea rs, held to these for the next five years, so held to these for the next five years, so it is not unreasonable that you would spend time knocking them together, particularly since they go from a standing start ten days ago to produce these glossy promises. yes, there was a promise on vat, yes, it is small, but it is a definitive promise. tax will also pique interest is always pique

interest. yes, people will always look very particularly at the small print in terms of how parties assembled a language about what they are saying they are going to do. a couple of years ago the conservatives in binding themselves not to increase vat, national insurance and income tax is an astonishing promise because it did buy in the hands of their chancellor. that is quite something for her to back down from, but over the last couple of weeks, the last week or so, she started increasingly dropping hints that we will not raise any of those will be dropped. regardless of your earnings and income, you pay the same vat, but it would seem that she has best every

opportunity she has to say it is staying, that she has left wriggle room to say the government could put up room to say the government could put up vat or income tax if they chose to. whereas labour are more emphatic about what they would not do. emphatic, but in a vague kind of way. they do say, look, we will put up way. they do say, look, we will put up taxes for those at the top end, but they do not say who is the top end. john mcdonnell the shadow chancellor floated the idea of £70,000 a year of annual income being somebody who was rich. people within labour said you could dispute that, but you could point to the fa ct that, but you could point to the fact that average earnings are 26,000, so 70,000 metric does count you as being rich. labour are not spelling out the top end, as things

stand, as they define it, they say again, waitfor stand, as they define it, they say again, wait for the manifesto.” wa nt to again, wait for the manifesto.” want to talk about the lib dems, having just showing nuisance pictures rash pictures ofjeremy corbyn, i'm now going to mention tim farron. he has been doing the rounds today. a lot of people say he spoke very well, did some good interviews, and he has even suggested that even for him, the european union is not perfect. yes, tim farron has had a shaky perfect. yes, tim farron has had a s ha ky start perfect. yes, tim farron has had a shaky start to the campaign because of those questions that followed him for a while about how he squares being a liberal democrat with his deeply held religious convictions and this whole issue of whether gay sex was a and this whole issue of whether gay sex was a seven. he has and this whole issue of whether gay sex was a seven. he has put a lid on that saying he does not think it is, but that was clearly awkward for him. what the party has been trying to do is say that we are the definitive voice across the uk of being pro—european union, standing up being pro—european union, standing upfor being pro—european union, standing up for the 48% who voted to remain.

what was interesting today was that he entertained the idea that there was a bit of her matters a eurosceptic. clearly the lib dems have got to... they have previously been the occupiers of the seat full stop in some ways even the most ardent advocate of the european union would be able to find fault with the institution, but again, it is interesting that he has shown the tiniest bit of sceptic heel, despite saying that his brand of is being this voice of being pro—brussels. saying that his brand of is being this voice of being pro-brussels. we will wait for the manifestos. thank you very much. we will find out how this story is covered in tomorrow's front pages at 10:30pm and 11:30pm this evening. ten years after the disappearance of madeleine mccann,

her parents have told the bbc they will do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes to find their daughter. madeleine was three years old when she went missing on holiday in portugal, while her parents were eating at a nearby restaurant. speaking to fiona bruce, kate and gerry mccann talked about the pain they continue to face, after a decade of uncertainty. every day is another day without madeleine. i think it's just that number. that ten—year mark makes it more significant. it's a reminder of how much time has gone by, and obviously ten is a big number. i think that the day and the poignancy of it... we don't tend to go back to the time because it's so draining. but inevitably on anniversaries and birthdays, they're by far the hardest. how different is your life now to what you must have imagined all those years ago? it's a hard one.

it's such a long time. i think before madeleine was taken, we felt we'd managed to achieve a little perfect, nuclear family of five. we had that for a short period. you adapt. you have a new normality. unfortunately for us, the new normality at the minute is a family of four. last time we talked, you told me how you were still buying birthday presents and christmas presents for madeleine... are you still doing that? yes, i still do that. a lot of thought goes into it. but i couldn't not. she'll always be our daughter. the police have talked about one significant lead that they're still pursuing. can you tell me anything about that? we're very much... the investigation is in the hands of the met police. there are ongoing enquiries. we've come a long way and there is progress, there are some very

credible lines of enquiry the police are working on, and while there's no evidence to give us any negative news, that hope is still there. it really is there, in your hearts? yeah. one day you'll be reunited with your daughter? no parent is going to give up on their child unless they know for certain their child is dead. we just don't have any evidence. my hope of madeleine being out there is no less than it was ten years ago. a woman who was shot by armed officers during a counter terrorism investigation in north london has been arrested. the 21—year—old was taken to a hospital on thursday to be treated for her injuries. she has now been discharged and arrested. officers have been given more time to question another man,

suspect khalid mohammed omar ali, arrested on thursday. president trump has described the north korean leader kimjong—un as a ‘pretty smart cookie' — while also warning that a conflict with pyongyang could kill millions of people. mr trump made the comments during an interview with the us network cbs, where he also did not rule out military action against north korea. earlier he marked the 100th day of his presidency with a speech at a rally in pennsylvania.

our correspondent laura bicker is in harrisburg. supporters last night were pleased with how he is performing around the globe, they say they have a tough leader in donald trump. during the rally he explained to his supporters why you appears to have stopped publicly decrying china as a currency manipulator. during the campaign you might remember it was one of his messages that he would do and you deal with china and he would be tough on china because they were manipulating the currency. last night he told his supporters that it was bad timing and he had sat down with president xi and come to an agreement over north korea. when it comes to that ballistic missile test that north korea field to let off on friday, our time in the us, he believes he can be more heavily on china. this is what he said to cbs. a man china. this is what he said to cbs. amanl china. this is what he said to cbs. a man i have got until like and respect, the president of china, president xi, i believe has been putting pressure on him also, —— on them also, but perhaps so far nothing has happened and perhaps it has. this was a small missile, this was not a big missile, this was not

a nuclear test that he was expected to do three days ago, we will see what happens. earlier in the week president trump described kim jong—un as a tough young leader, who had had a tough time taking over at the age ofjust 27. he seemed to repeat those comments in the interview. he is dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular the generals and other, and ata particular the generals and other, and at a very young age she was able to assume power. a lot of people would have try to take that power away, whether it was his uncle or anyone else, and he was able to do it. so obviously he is a pretty smart cookie. the trump administration will be discussing over this weekend how to deal with north korea situation after that failed missile test. what options do they have? they can lean further on china, and you can hearfrom president trump but that is perhaps one strategy he is following, but also looking at further sanctions they can take. they may target specific banks in north korea and

china. also, military options have never been ruled out. we understand from some us officials that it may be that they send more aircraft to the area or more warships to the area. that may upset the chinese who do not like that kind of us presence in the region, but these are options that have to be discussed. difficult global issues for the trump administration, while they also deal with issues at home. a reminder of the headlines. labour and conservatives compete for workers' votes. theresa may rules out vat rise, while labour says it will not raise tax for those on low incomes. madeleine mccann has been missing for ten years, but in an interview to mark the anniversary, her parents say they still hope she will be fine. president trump says pressure over north korea on its nuclear

programme is working and says china is helping the us. one of the world's most accomplished mountaineers, ueli steck, has died in an accident on mount everest. steck, known as the swiss machine, was climbing alone on the mountain as he prepared for an attempt on the summit without oxygen. steck, who was 40, had won many awards and was famed for the speed of his ascents. alexandra mackenzie reports. mount everest, dangerous and daunting, even for the most experienced of climbers. the idea isjust climbing from base camp to camp number two. ueli steck, also known as the swiss machine, planning the detail of his route. we don't know if it is possible, that is the interesting thing. nobody has done that before. i think the chance is there and it is possible, but i don't know. so he knew the dangers,

he had reached the summit without oxygen in 2012, and in 2015 he climbed all 82 alpine peaks, over 4000 metres injust 62 days. he conquered the north face of the eiger in less than three hours. ueli steck was on everest to acclimatise before attempting a new route on the summit. it is thought he slipped and fell. his body has been recovered and tributes paid. he broke amazing records by a mixture of modesty, humility and great ability, on top of athleticism of the most amazing take. really cool! the climbing community has said it has lost a pioneer. he was known for his speed and ruthlessly murder would —— methodical approach. joining us

is alan hanks, a mountaineer who knew him well. thank you very much for joining knew him well. thank you very much forjoining us. tell us how you got to know him. he sounds extraordinary. yes, first of all i should say my heart goes out to the people of switzerland where he is a national treasure. he was one of the world's greatest mountaineers ever. unique in that how he pushed the boundaries, claiming unwrought, very fast, he made his way solo on the north face of the eiger, and to put it in perspective to non—climbers listening, he was like the wayne rooney or the david beckham of the mountaineering world. it will be a great loss. he was a lovely bloke, just a packet of power. and unbelievably well honed athlete. incredibly fit to be able to cope

with speed at which he climbed. but he knew the risks, as you all do. he did, and on camera he said soak. we all know the risks, and therefore the grace of god. i was nearly killed in the lake district, so you do not have to be on everest. the irony is he was not on technically difficult ground where he was killed, which is what often happens, sadly. psychologists would say we all have a bit of cognizance, he knew the dangers but was prepared to accept them. he was pushing the boundaries of difficulty and what was possible. those of us who do not really understand the draw of it, the risk must be some of its appeal, what you are pitting yourself against. i guess it is. sometimes it is likened to a drug, it is our

drug, we need to put ourselves against the difficulties, but we do mitigate the risks. he was well trained, he was honed like an olympic athlete, somebody in the tour de france, he knew what he was doing, so those risks were mitigated. he did not have a death wish, he had a life wish. he loved being in the mountains, that is where he was at home. when a member of your community dies like this, what impact does it have on the rest of you? this will have a big impact evenin of you? this will have a big impact even in britain to people who do not even in britain to people who do not even know him, and your mountaineers know him. he was the man of the moment. it does make you think and realise your mortality and it can happen to you. it does not put you off, just as you come across a car crashed badly at times but you still drive the car. we are very practical but this is a sad loss, and it shows

it can happen to the best of us. dimensions do not take prisoners, particularly ones like everest. but those who are still able to climb, what will they take from his pioneering techniques? more and more people are going to emulate him, it is the way forward to climb light and fast and push the difficulties. lots of people do not have... most people claiming evidenced are not experienced, they go with mountain guides and local nepalese people, thatis guides and local nepalese people, that is not what the cutting—edge of climbing is about, he was doing the cutting—edge of everest, and ueli would have gone on to do things on k2, the second—highest but much more difficult than everest. proper climbers are going to do great things and he has set bar high, and people will follow one for sure. he will go down in history. thank you

very much. authorities in the united states say that several tornados that hit texas on saturday evening have left at least five people dead and nearly 50 injured. emergency services are conducting a search for missing people and say they fear the death toll may rise. as david campanale now reports, the american midwest has been struck by an intensive weather system that has caused damage across several states. it's texas, and this region of the united states is known as tornado alley for its frequent, powerful storms. twisters like this are not uncommon but their dramatic capacity for death and destruction is unstoppable and always unwelcome. homes in the state have been flattened, trees uprooted and cars overturned. at least one powerful storm hit the city of canton about 80 kilometres east of dallas. more were reported in surrounding areas.

this is the tornado crossing the road right in front of us. blocked roads have hindered emergency responders, who are still trying to get out to numerous calls for help. fatalities, i believe, what i'm getting is that they are still coming in. we are talking about maybe five casualties. that number may go up once we can get into those areas. we are trying to deploy search and rescue and recovery right now. that number may go up, hopefully it doesn't, but we do know we have a number of fatalities as of right now. heavy rains and damaging winds have struck a broad swathe of the us heartland. downpours that began on friday have been so intense the ground has been unable to absorb rainfall, causing widespread flooding and prompting evacuations. the governors of missouri and oklahoma have declared states of emergency due to flooding and the damage caused to power supplies and structures. the massive storm system has also delayed thousands of flights. colorado and wyoming further north have been struck by snowstorms.

heavy rain in the midwest is expected to continue to the end of the weekend, along with wind gusts of 95 kilometres per hour. mps are calling for best—before dates on food to be scrapped, saying they‘ re unnecessary and contribute towards unacceptable levels of food waste. in a report published today the environment, food and rural affairs committee say that £10 million of food is thrown away every year. the government and supermarkets need to act, says the report. mixed in with other waste, we throw more than £10 billion worth of food away every year. the committee calls it a scandal. councils have to raise bills to dispose of it. and this is happening while food

bank use is at a record high. last year, the average household threw away £470 worth of food. those with children, around £700. the average person in the uk, £200. we are all likely to have packets with dates on, and they can be confusing. so this is the key one, the use by date. i really shouldn't eat this after the 3rd of may because it might not be safe. but then these have got best before date on. i can eat this after the 5th of may, but it might not be at its best. the best before date i believe can be scrapped because it is unnecessary. it means food is wasted, sometimes people don't actually eat that food when it goes beyond the best before date. i always make sure that i throw away the food before the date, or two days before it is out of date. i suppose i go by what the product looks like. if it looks all right to eat, i would probably eat it. i am a fussy eater, so i ifind that i like to stick to them, but then i feel bad because there is such a build—up of waste food.

customers after pioneering project in the browser food that supermarkets have thrown out. three tonnes arrived here each day. adam smith is the founder. we have to stop this now. we can't wait another generation for this to stop, because it is single—handedly destroying the planet. and there was perfectly good produce getting thrown away for just a date, and it is nonsense. mps say we need tougher food waste target and that we need to love our wonky venture. —— veg. priceless egyptian artefacts that were badly damaged during the second world war are once again going on display at liverpool's world museum, for the first time in more than 70 years. a gallery expansion and extensive restoration work means they're now part of the largest egyptology collection outside of london, as lindsey prosser reports. from the everyday to the beautifully decorative, these objects reflect the rise and fall of ancient egyptian society.

it is our most ambitious exhibition we have done for egypt. we've got a whole range of artefacts, right from the prehistoric period, we have stone vases and stone tools, all the way through the christianity in egypt. so we've got these beautiful leather slippers that people would wear in life, and also be buried in. when the museum was bombed during the second world war, part of its priceless collection was badly damaged. we have two granite statues of the goddess s2ekhmet, —— we have two granite statues of the goddess sekhmet, a human form with a lioness head, and they were both shattered. the fire damaged the two pieces, which were intact before then, and it wasn't until recently we have restored them, pieced them back together, and put them back on display for the first time with the rest of the egyptian collection.

the challenge for this team is to move the statues into the gallery without breaking them. at the same time, mummies who were also fire—damaged are being installed. we keep the objects not because they look stunning or because they look beautiful. it is because of the information they hold. so part of what we do is unlocking the stories that they hold, and revealing their hidden histories. we have two romano—period mummies here, and they are both quite young. one is a teenager. we have wondered in the past if they were associated with each other. so they could be sisters. you never know, they could be. this display at liverpool's world museum is now the largest ancient egyptian gallery outside of london. now, the weather. good evening. a big contrast from south to north

across the uk today. in the south the uk this afternoon, dark skies and rain, but completely different at the other end of the country. lovely sunny spells here on the shores of the mudeford. the reason for the contrast is low—pressure working its way into this south—west. in the moray firth.. north of lincolnshire and manchester that is essentially fine and dry overnight, but no worries about it being particularly called. lowest temperatures on the edge of scotland. some places in double figures. bank holiday monday, the southern half of the uk will see the lion's share of the showers, some of those will be heavy with the odd rumble of thunder. some early showers in the