this is bbc news. the headlines at 8pm: theresa may says no to vat rises if she wins the election, but signals scrapping a pledge not to increase income tax or national insurance. 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 far perhaps nothing has happened and perhaps it has. one of the world's best known mountaineers, ueli steck, has died in an accident on mount everest. 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. well, with just under six weeks to go until the general election on 8th june,

and those all—important party manifestos yet to be released — our political correspondent chris mason explained just how significant theresa may's comments on vat have been. you can tell that we are in an election campaign that the prime minister managed to grace the soft furnishings of the bbc and itv in the time it would take you to make a bacon sandwich and eat it, but she was pressed again and again on a whole range of issues and could say repeatedly, "ah, hang on, wait for the manifesto". those manifestos are a week or fortnight away, in all likelihood. now, yes you might think, as a voter, well, that is very frustrating. there is an election coming along and where are these bundles of promises? if you are a political party, you are going to be held to these for the next five years, so it is not unreasonable that they would spend quite a bit of time knocking them together, particularly given that they have had to go from a standing start ten days ago to try and produce these glossy tomes. so, yes there is a focus on this vat thing. yes, it is relatively small, but it is a definitive promise both from labour and the conservatives.

and tax is always going to pique people's interests, isn't it, from both parties? yes, both the big parties, all of the parties are always really careful about what they are saying about tax. no one likes paying tax particularly and people will always look very particularly at the small print in terms of how parties assemble the language about what they are saying that they are going to do. now, a couple of years ago, the conservatives in binding themselves not to increase vat, national insurance or income tax, it was quite an astonishing promise that really because it really did bind the hands of the chancellor of the exchequer. that is quite something for theresa may to back down from. but, over the last couple of weeks, certainly the last week or so, she has started increasingly dropping hints that that ‘we won't raise any of those three things' will be ditched. she has ring—fenced vat. you can make the argument that vat is the most regressive of those taxes because regardless of your earnings and your income you pay the same amount of vat as the next person. the other two are related to how much you earn.

but it would seem, she has certainly missed every opportunity she had to say it is staying, that she will leave herself the wriggle room that a conservative government could put up income tax or national insurance if it chose to. yes, it doesn't mean they will, but they have that option, haven't they? yeah. whereas labour are more emphatic about what they would and wouldn't do. emphatic, but then... emphatic in a vague kind of way, is probably the way to put it. so they say, look, we will put up taxes for those at the top end. what they don't say is who is the ‘top end'. so, john mcdonnell, the shadow chancellor, floated the idea of £70,000 a year of annual income defining someone as being rich. plenty of others, including within labour, suggested that there might be those who would dispute that. you could equally point to the fact that average earnings are around £26,000, £27,000, so you could argue that £70,000 on that metric does count as you being rich. labour, as we stand, are not spelling out the ‘top

end' as they define it. they say that, again, "wait for the manifesto". i want to talk about the lib dems as well, having just show we ll find out how this story, and many others, are covered in tomorrow's front pages at 10.30pm and ii.30pm this evening in the papers. our guests joining me tonight are ‘fleet street fox', susie boniface, columnist at the mirror, and jim waterson, buzzfeed's political editor. 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. kate and gerry mccann speaking to fiona bruce. and you can see more of that interview here on the bbc news channel at 8:30pm. a woman who was shot by police and wounded during a counter—terrorism operation in north—west london last week, has now been arrested after she was discharged from hospital. police are still questioning six other suspects. meanwhile, officers have been given more time to question another man, khalid mohammed omar ali, who was taken into custody on thursday afternoon near parliament square. 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 he 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. —— do a new deal with china. 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 i have got to like and respect, the president of china,

president xi, i believe has been putting pressure 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 others, and at a very young age he 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 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. the headlines on bbc news: labour and the conservatives compete for worker‘s votes — theresa may rules out a vat rise, while labour says it won‘t 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 found. president trump says pressure on north korea over its nuclear programme is working, and says china is helping the us. sport now. chelsea have a four—point lead at the top of the premier league table after a 3—0 victory over everton at goodison park. antonio conte says his side must now turn a good season into a fantastic one by sealing the title. goals from pedro, gary cahill and willian in the second half secured a slightly flattering scoreline, in what was one of their hardest—looking fixtures in the run—in. we must be pleased we played a game

with our heads and this is very 20 yea rs. with our heads and this is very 20 years. —— and this is very important, you might lose your head, heart and lakes. —— you must use your head, heart and lakes. spurs kept up the pressure by beating north london rivals arsenal 2—0 at white hart lane. victory also means spurs finish above arsenal for the first time since 1995. tim hague watched this one. when it comes to north london, there‘s a changing landscape. totte n ha m there‘s a changing landscape. tottenham against arsenal at white hart lane for the last time. could spurs finish above the local rivals for the first time in 2a years. your conclusion was the man at the moment back then. now it is harry kane and dele alli‘s ten. it got a little worse. christian eriksen had the opening goal but shot straight over it. dele alli was on target this

time. those celebrations would only get louder on their next attack. the other element of the dream duo came. he followed it up with the finish. number 27 for the season and one that meant more than most. an awful afternoon for arsenal. a further goalkeeper, and several occasions as good a beam you relating. spurs lost above. too bennett this season for the arrival. a changing lives give. a changing landscape. we put more pressure in the second half and created more chances. the team was given more freedom. he played well. i‘m very happy for the fans and for the players. in the race for the

title for points, we will see what happens now. we try to be ready for the next study. elsewhere, manchester city missed the chance to go third they drew 2—0 at middlesbrough, twice having to come from behind. so, pep guardiola‘s side stay fourth, while city rivals manchester united remain a point behind them in fifth after drawing 1—1 at home to swansea city. finland‘s valtteri bottas has picked up his first victory in formula one, winning the russian grand prix. the mercedes driver beat both the ferrari‘s to the first corner and held off a late charge from championship leader sebastian vettel for his maiden win. lewis hamilton could only finish fourth. john higgins has the advantage over defending champion mark selby in the final of the world snooker championship in sheffield. in the opening session, selby took the lead twice in the opening three frames, but only to see higgins draw level at 2—2 and, in doing so, hit a break of mi in the fourth frame.

higgins then ran away with the final four frames after the interval to lead 6—2 going into this evening‘s session. well, let‘s take you live to the crucible now for the latest from that evening session. the pair have traded frames thus far. higgins now 7—3 ahead in the first to 18 contest. coverage continues over on bbc two and the bbc sport website. you it on the website. that‘s all sport for now. 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 type.

at the peak! really cool! the climbing community has said it has lost a pioneer. he was known for his speed and ruthlessly methodical approach, pushing himself to the limits of human endurance. earlier i spoke to mountaineer alan hinkes and i asked him what ueli steck meant to the climbing community. first of all, my heart goes out to the people of switzerland, where he is a national treasure and i think that is a great tribute. unique in how he pushed the boundaries. climbing unroped, solo. very fast on technical ground. made his name by soloing the north face of the eiger, which most people have heard of. to put him in perspective to non—climbers listening, he was like the wayne rooney

or the david beckham of the mountaineering world. he‘ll be a great loss. he was a lovely bloke. he was just a package of talent. a coiled spring, unbelievably well honed athlete as well. incredibly fit to be able to cope with the speed at which he climbed. he knew the risk, as you all do. he did. there‘s even him on camera saying that he knew the risks and that he ought to give this up before he gets killed. we do know the risks and, you know, i was nearly killed last winter in the lake district on an ice climb. you don‘t have to be on everest for it to happen. the irony is that he wasn‘t on particularly technically difficult ground where he was killed, which is sadly what often happens to us mountaineers. psychologists would say we all have a little bit of cognitive dissonance, i guess, he knew the dangers but he was prepared to accept the risks and he was an outlier, he was pushing the

boundaries difficulty. those of us don‘t climb, who don‘t really understand the draw of it, the risk must be some of the appeal. what you‘re pitting yourself against. i guess it is. sometimes it‘s been likened to a drug. we do mitigate those risks. he was well trained and he trained himself up. he was like an olympic athlete or somebody on the tour de france. he knew what he was doing and those risks were mitigated. he did not have a death wish. now manzanilla has a death wish. he was a fellow and you love to be in the mountains. that was where he was at home. when a member of your community dies, what impact of your community dies, what impact of your community dies, what impact of your community dies, 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. he was the man of the moment. it makes you think and realise your own mortality. it can happen to you. it doesn‘t put you off. just as it come across a car crash, and you still drive your car. we are very practical but this was a great loss. it just shows we are very practical but this was a great loss. itjust shows that has happened to the best of it. the mountains. dig any prisoners, particularly big ones like everest. —— don‘t take any prisoners. particularly big ones like everest. -- don't take any prisoners. those that still climb, what will they ta ke that still climb, what will they take from his techniques? more people will emulate it. the way forward is to climb a fast and light. most of the people that are attempting everest at the moment are going with guides. that what the

cutting edge of climbing is about. he was doing the cutting—edge of climbing on everest. he would have gone on to do on k2, second highest but much more difficult. he said the bar high and people will follow on. he will go down in history. at least five people have been killed and nearly 50 others injured after several tornados hit texas yesterday evening. as the search for missing people continues emergency services say they fear the death toll may rise. the winds flipped over cars, destroyed houses and left roads strewn with debris and fallen power lines. the american midwest has been struck by an intensive weather system that has caused damage across several states. the founder of a persian language television network, gem tv, has been shot dead in istanbul. saeed karimian and a business partner were attacked by masked gunmen who opened fire on their vehicle. gem tv broadcasts foreign and western shows into iran, where mr karimian had previously

been tried and convicted, in his absence, for spreading propaganda against iran. officers from the uk borderforce have detained a group of people suspected to be illegal immigrants on board a yacht which ran aground at orford in suffolk. one source said seven ukrainians were onboard. our correspondent richard slee has been following the story and said it was a member of the public who rang 999. two lifeboats were dispatched and when they arrived at the mouth of the river ore, they discovered a yacht which had run aground in high winds. according to the coast guard, on board were a number of people they say from the ukraine, now believed to be seven people. the coast guard alerted border force police officers, and the coast guard towed the yachts to safety. this is the second time a group of ukrainians have turned up in the small leisure port, orford harbour, in recent years, and there has been a report on the situation written by the chief inspector of borders and immigration just recently. according to the sunday times today,

this report was delivered to the government two months ago and would normally have been published by now. we asked the home office today about the details of the report and when it would be released to the government. the response was that this report would be released in due course. they also said no further comment would be made until after the election. 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. —— £10 billion. the government and supermarkets need to act, says the report. food and rural affairs committee also believes that supermarkets should sell more wonky vegetables, as claire marshall reports. 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 find that i like to stick to them, but then i feel bad because there is such a build—up of waste food. customers at a pioneering project in leeds browse food that supermarkets have thrown out. three tonnes arrive 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 all this 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 veg. claire marshall, bbc news. now the weather, with jay wynne. a split across the uk overnight.

further south, it is quite wet. the rate will be heavy and there might be some thunder. by the end of the night, some places will be in double figures. mostly single figures in scotland. bank holiday monday, potentially some early rain in england. dry and bright and breezy in the north part of britain. when the showers come along, they could be quite heavy and boundary. 15 degrees and london. maybe 12 in newcastle. nine in aberdeen. 18 degrees in scotland. through the evening, showers continue for a time before clearing a later was to god. a breeze coming in from the east. it will be cooler for eastern and coastal counties.