tonight at ten, theresa may's big speech to the conservative conference offering major new policies is undermined by a series of setbacks. the speech was intended to revive the government's fortunes after the election result earlier this yearfor which the prime minister took full responsibility. i hold my hands up for that. i take responsibility. i led the campaign. and i am sorry. as cabinet colleagues looked on mrs may's then suffered a prolonged coughing fit which proved difficult to discard. speaks hoarsely: why... coughs. why we will nev... excuse me. speaks hoarsely: we will never hesitate to act where businesses aren't operating as they should. to make matters worse a security breach when a prankster gained access to the stage but mrs may's colleagues insisted she'd done well to carry on. i thought it was a brilliant speech

and the most important thing is she set out her vision for how to renew the british dream. i do not think it felt like a struggle, it was ambitious, some clear proposals for reforms. ambitious, some clear proposals for reforms. we'll have details of the speech with new policies on energy price caps and more council housing. also tonight: president trump is in las vegas to meet those affected by sunday's mass shooting and to thank the emergency services. a peaceful protest in catalonia following the disputed independence referendum. we have a special report on the political standoff. and the twin brothers who finally discovered their father's resting place in an italian military cemetery more than 70 years after his death. and coming up in sportday on bbc news, we will look ahead to tomorrow's world cup qualifiers, with the latest from the england, wales and northern ireland camps. good evening.

theresa may's speech to the conservative party conference was intended to revive the government's fortunes. it contained some major policy announcements on energy and housing. but the event was overshadowed by a series of setbacks, including a security breach and the prime minister's persistent cough. on policy mrs may set out plans for a cap on energy bills for millions of households and a programme of house building to build a "new generation of council houses". there was a standing ovation at the end after mrs may had struggled through the speech which was interrupted at one point by a prankster. this report from our political editor laura kuenssberg contains some flash photography. a wobble. a wave. and a long, lonely walk.

her colleagues fixing those smiles for the camera. a clear of the throat... may coughs. ..before what was meant to be a comeback. sorry was not the hardest word at all, but it was the first important one. we did not get the victory we wanted because our national campaign fell short. it was too scripted, too presidential. and it allowed the labour party to paint us as the voice of continuity when the public wanted to hear a message of change. i hold my hands up for that. i take responsibility. i led the campaign. and i am sorry. applause. for her husband and closest staff, this speech was to take the party by the scruff of its neck and move on. but then... it's the conservative party... just as she was finding her stride, out of the corner of her eye a piece of paper was proffered.

in the buttoned—up guise of a tory activist, a man interrupted theresa may. stand—up comedian simon brodkin handing her a fake p45. boris, job done, i've given her the p45. to start with, neither the prime minister nor anyone else knew what was going on. a stunt during the biggest speech of the most powerful politician in the country. i did the job, it's done. go, go. get lost. go away. leave please. thank you. with terribly british polite irritation, the cabinet tried to get him to leave. boris asked me! boris, please say you did this, you asked me to, and now you are denying it! before eventually security guards and chanting from the crowd got him out. you gave her a p45?

it was allegedly a joke — nothing to do with the foreign secretary. there could be trouble for the conference organisers — a man cleared by the tight security here, causing trouble within inches of the prime minister, ending up in handcuffs. cheering and applause. back in the hall, an ovation in support to will her on. even though there has been chatter about her suitability for thejob for weeks. it was at least good fodder for a joke at labour's expense. i was about to talk about somebody i would like to give the pas too, and that isjeremy corbyn! cheering. as she tried to press on, to make the case for markets, new plans for housing, schools and capping energy bills... she coughs. ..she began to falter. stuffed with a cold all week.

what were meant to be bold statements were repeatedly choked by coughs. voice cracking: the deficit is back to precrisis levels. it sounds as if my voice is not on track! more than an hour on the podium. in some moments, it felt as if she wouldn't go on. hear, hear. the home secretary telling colleagues to get to their feet for ovations, to give the prime minister time to recover. the chancellor, yes, the chancellor passing cough sweets to try to help. i hope you noticed that, ladies and gentlemen, the chancellor giving something away free! this was an ordeal. miles from a heart—swelling speech. and as if a prank and a dreadful

cough weren't enough, watch this. theresa may's slogan literally falling apart as she spoke. but word by word, phrase by phrase, she doggedly ground on to the end. let us fulfil our duty to the british people. let us fulfil our duty to our country. let us fulfil our duty to britain. and let us renew the british dream. thank you. applause. trying to contain her cough, but perhaps distress, too. it was clearly a feat just to get through it. those who eye herjob wearing loyalty today. imagine this happening to you on your most important day at work of the year. her husband comforting rather than celebrating with her at the end.

but she led the party into an election she did not have to call, losing her majority and much of her authority — a precious commodity today's speech was intended to restore. that speech was less the british dream, it felt like a nightmare, it was a real struggle and notjust because of her voice. i don't think it felt like a struggle at all, it was really ambitious with clear proposals for reforms, ambitious on housing which we know needs to be addressed. it was a brilliant speech and the most important thing is she set out her vision for how to renew the british dream. she fought through and came out triumphantly and made a great speech despite having problems with her throat. great speech. went through the things that matter. some of the audience clearly dumbfounded by what they had just seen. she needs to resign, the sooner she goes, the better for the party. so what if she had a bit of a cough, she is human. good on you, theresa, keep going.

conference speeches can make or break political leaders — it's as simple as that. the air in here was deeply, deeply awkward at times, the crowd willing the prime minister just to get through it. no leader wants a sympathy vote. yet theresa may's allies are already praising the resilience that she showed today. there is drift in this party — the conference was a chance to set a direction again, to stop power deserting her. the prime minister has put her arguments, but will they be really be heard? this was her answer to her terrible luck this afternoon. now for her party, and for you, to answer her. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, manchester. despite the struggle with a cough and a security breach the prime minister did make a series of policy announcements especially on housing and energy. she said the "british dream that life should be betterfor the next generation" was out of reach for too many people, something

she promised to tackle during her time in downing street. our deputy political editor john pienaar takes a look at some of the prime minister's pledges. gas hob clicks on theresa may had a plan today, like putting a lid on energy bills to show those feeling the pinch that she was on their side and try to get tory doubters back on hers. doubts about butting into the energy market, warnings that investment could take a hit, were brushed aside. this was about helping customers. the energy market punishes loyalty with higher prices. and the most loyal customers — the most loyal customers, are often those with lower incomes, the elderly, people with lower qualifications and people who rent their homes. those who, for whatever reason, are unable to find the time to shop around. that's why next week, this government will publish a draft bill to put a price cap on energy bills.

it has become hard or impossible for many to afford a home or pay the rent. councils want freedom to borrow more money for building but the government says no to more public debt. today, the prime minister called it her mission to solve the problem, providing land for affordable housing, and cash — not nearly the kind of cash councils and campaigners want — but more. for 30 or a0 years, we simply haven't built enough homes. as a result, prices have risen so much that the average home now costs almost eight times average earnings. and that has been a disaster for young people in particular. today, i can announce that we will invest an additional £2 billion in affordable housing, taking the government's total affordable housing budget to almost £9 billion. the state was stepping in in other ways, too. some 500 people died in a year for lack of organs for transplant.

the prime minister's answer — considering following scotland's and wales' example in england too, so organs are used automatically, unless people deny permission before death. on education, the prime minister promised 100 free schools would be set up each year to give more choice. the tories have set themselves the job of rebuilding faith in free markets and their ability to manage them before they face labour again at the next election. but they are confronting huge problems with very little money. as one senior minister said to me, we could never hope to rebuild our popularity this week — that will take years. john pienaar, bbc news, manchester. laura kuenssberg is here. iam i am wondering to take stock at this moment. the prime minister had important policy statements and important policy statements and important personal statements, did

any of that come through? people in the conservatives would say thank goodness there was a coherent view. she did show, my goodness, getting through what was clearly a very difficult, physical ordeal that was in their view difficult, physical ordeal that was in theirview an difficult, physical ordeal that was in their view an exemplary demonstration of some of her strongest characteristics, that determination to keep going, that resilience, even when everything is against you. the pessimists in the tory party, and there are plenty of them, are saying tonight that there isa them, are saying tonight that there is a sense that bad luck can start following you around in politics. that is a sense leaders can sometimes become tainted by a set of circumstances that are not necessarily their fault, they are not of their creation, but they become a penny that keeps turning up, bad luck penny, for the party.

parties like to win and if the leader stops looking like a winner, and her authority was so fractured by the election, that today compounds that sense whether that is fairor compounds that sense whether that is fair or not. there are those in the party who had severe doubts about her before who are this evening talking to each other, discussing what they are going to do, discussing potential events. at this stage it is very much in the balance as to whether they are actually going to do something, will they move against her? there is not enough to demonstrate that there is enough to demonstrate that there is enough appetite in the party to do that. it is very much hanging in the balance. there is also no agreement as to who should take over if they we re as to who should take over if they were to try to remove her. the consequence of the brexit negotiations is we are in those negotiations is we are in those negotiations and the clock is ticking louder. thank you very much. thank you very much. president trump is visiting las vegas to meet families of the victims of the mass shooting which happened on sunday

night and the emergency services who responded. stephen paddock, a retired accountant, killed 58 people who were attending a music festival and injured more than 500. the gunman‘s partner was met by the fbi as she landed in los angeles last night. they hope she'll be able to shed light on his motives. let's join my colleague clive myrie in las vegas. for investigators, marabou darron lee is described as a person of interest. they want to know why she left the united states and headed to the far east, the philippines, two weeks before this man went on his killing spree. they want to know why stephen paddock deposited $100,000 in her filipino bank accountjust a few days before they committed mass murder here. the authorities believe she could be a window into his state of mind just before the killings. in

the last a0 minutes or so we saw our force one rise up into the blue sky herewith president trump on board. he had been on the ground for about four or so been on the ground for about four or so hours talking to some of the paramedics, the first responders who arrived in the middle of the carnage on sunday night and has spoken to some of those injured in the mass shooting. our north america editorjon sopel has the story of the day. get down! go that way! get out of here. there's gunshots coming from over there, go that way. it'sjust after 10pm, and the first shots have been fired. gunfire. police body—cam images capture the panic that is starting to spread in the concert ground. everybody stay down, stay down. where's it at? police are trying to identify the source of the firing. north of the mandalay bay. it's coming out of a window. and to shepherd people to safety. everybody get down, get down. today, the president and first lady arrived in las vegas to meet some of the survivors and first responders.

at police headquarters he was briefed on the investigation and then spoke to the people of las vegas and america. we cannot be defined by the evil that threatens us, or the violence that incites such terror. we are defined by our love, our caring, and our courage. key to the investigation will be this woman, stephen paddock‘s girlfriend. marilou danley was brought back from the philippines last night and is being questioned by the fbi. donald trump has described paddock as demented, and a madman. well, that's as may be, but as more details emerge, what becomes clear is that this was a meticulously planned and executed attack by a man who had a massive armoury, all legally obtained. at the hospital, the president met medical staff and praised the way they had responded to the disaster. it makes you very proud to be an american when you see the job that they've done,

and people that would not be around today, are up there, and they will be leaving the hospital in a week or two weeks or five weeks. though one question he didn't want to engage with. does america have a gun violence problem ? we're not going to talk about that. but in washington, no such restraint from those demanding a tightening of gun laws. gabby giffords, the congresswoman who nearly died after she was shot campaigning, leading the charge. now is the time to come together, be responsible. democrats, republicans, everyone. we must never stop fighting. fight, fight, fight. donald trump's motorcade passed by the mandalay bay. today, he has fulfilled his role as consoler—in—chief, but on wider policy questions arising from this shooting, he chose silence. jon sopel, bbc news, las vegas.

some extraordinary stories of survival have emerged, and the testimony of the first responders on the scene, as james cook reports. the first urgent calls from inside the concert venue came from glen simpson and his team. 16 paramedics were on site when the shooting started. i had to look at people straight in the face that were asking me to do cpr on their loved one and tell them, "no, we're not doing cpr." it seemed that no matter which direction you looked, there was at least one person that was... was dead next to a person that was applying pressure to a gunshot wound on someone else. it was difficult to learn yesterday

that one of my friends who attended the event was actually shot and killed. i don't know if he died in the venue, i don't know if i passed him at any point in the venue. i don't know if he ended up in the back of one of our ambulances. who lived and who died here was a matter of pure chance. in dodging bullets, chynna zurflueh was lucky. we could see them through the air, because the way that they were angled, they were flying towards our faces and towards our heads. and when we would duck they would hit the ground next to us. the worst i saw was just shots to their upper body and above the shoulders and we saw a lot where it was their legs, and they would fall, but there was one man in our group who stopped and actually like put his hand inside someone's leg to stop the bleeding. we later found out that that man survived. best friends amy and krystal were lucky, too. we did have a guy that came and laid on top of us and covered amy's head and said "i've got you,

i've got you." did you know him? no, we still don't know who he is, we don't know his name. we do know that he was shot. he covered my head. he said, "i've got you." he was much larger than me. i don't know his age, but he was... i could hear him right in my ear. we would love to know how he's doing. closer than ever now, the friends are determined to stay positive. you know, it wasjust one bad... one bad man that made a huge tragic incident. but that is not representative of our world. it is a fine thought, but staying strong is so hard in a city beset by grief. james cook, bbc news, las vegas. this is america's deadliest shooting in modern times that this country

will move on, famous as america is for not dwelling too much on the past. for many, there are dangers because it means lessons cannot be learned and the fear is that inevitably a similar tragedy is bound to happen again. many thanks, clive myrie, with the latest in las vegas. the president of catalonia has appealed for mediation during the referendum which was declared unlawful by spain. the spanish government said there could be no mediation unless cata la n there could be no mediation unless catalan leaders respected the law. catalonia, a self—governing region in spain, held its own independence referendum on sunday. the violent tactics of spanish police provoked criticism. catalonia has said they will declare independence in a matter of days. fergal keane has sent this report. so much noise, so for very little

listening. the now likely protest in barcelona. to which the years of madrid have been firmly shut. —— the 110w madrid have been firmly shut. —— the now likely protest. the catalan president appeared on television tonight, criticising spain's king forfailing television tonight, criticising spain's king for failing to condemn police violence in his address last night. but also seeming to soften his tone with an appeal for dialogue. i'm open to a process of mediation, he said. peace, dialogue and agreement are part of the cata la n and agreement are part of the catalan way of doing politics. emotions are running high. yesterday nearly three quarters of a million people protested against spanish police brutality. among the president does my core supporters, his pledge to declare independence in days is keenly welcomed. i'm for independence, it's my culture, this woman says. it's true that there is also an economic

aspect and very potent oppression by the state. nationalism might be in the ascendant, but catalan politics is and always has been a complex mosaic. among the diverse coalition 110w mosaic. among the diverse coalition now confronting the spanish state is this barcelona academic. translation: it's not necessarily that people only love what is catalan, rather they are saying that this state as it is does not service any more, we don't like it any more. the question is whether new alliances can be created from this common and broad rejection. among those who oppose madrid, many are scared by the idea of cessation. in this bar, they celebrate left—wing heroes of the spanish civil war and the owner is deeply concerned at the move towards independence. translation: concerned at the move towards independence. translationzlj concerned at the move towards independence. translation: i don't support independence because i don't know what it means. it is showing

there is a fracture in society and it is breaking up families and friendships, stretching coexistence to the limit. declaring independence and actually making it work are very different things. the regional government here has a strong degree of popular support but it is by no means universal. the coming days will pose fundamental questions. how many people here will back the government ina people here will back the government in a prolonged showdown with madrid and how far would they be prepared to go in support of independents? mediation, perhaps by the church, is possible, but would require both sides to step back now from the politics of belligerence. fergal keane, bbc news, barcelona. our europe editor katya adler is in madrid. fergal talking about the possibility of prolonged showdown, do you detect any evidence of a willingness to move on either side?

what you feel most of all tonight is that emotions are running really high and there is a sense of apprehension, notjust high and there is a sense of apprehension, not just in high and there is a sense of apprehension, notjust in catalonia but in madrid and across spain. whoever i speak to, whether politician or person on the street, no one knows what will happen next. there is a deadline looming, that is when the catalan parliament discusses the results of their independence referendum that has not been recognised by the spanish government. that could be this friday all this coming monday, but in the meantime the spanish prime minister refuses the catalan offer of dialogue as long as the threat of declaring unilateral independence remains on the table. as tensions mount, the realfear is that this constitutional crisis could spill into violence on the streets of catalonia. not again with spanish police but rather catalan against catalan, those for and against catalan, those for and against independence. many thanks, katya adler in madrid.

a brief look at some of the day's other other news stories. the european commission has ordered the government of luxembourg to recover £220 million in back taxes from amazon. it says luxembourg approved an arrangement which allowed the company to avoid taxes on most of its eu profits for many years. a homeless man, aaron barley who murdered tracey wilkinson and her son pierce in stourbridge in the west midlands after the family had cared for him, has been given a life sentence with a minimum term of 30 years. an army fitness instructor, emile cillers, has gone on trial at winchester crown court accused of trying to kill his wife by tampering with her parachute. victoria cilliers almost died when both her main and reserve parachute failed to open. mr cillers denies all charges against him. today marks the start of an extended roll—out of universal credit, the new welfare payment which aims to simplify the benefits system by merging six benefits into one. it will be introduced to a5job centres this month and 50

a month from now on. but critics says a 6—week wait— before claimants can receive their money is pushing more people into debt. but in scotland claimants are being offered new ways to manage the money they receive, as our scotland editor sarah smith reports. do you want to put your bag on? ellie is off to nursery school. fortunately, she doesn't know about the hardship her mother suffered when she first applied for universal credit. amber mcfadden had to wait more than six months before she received any payments. she survived only because she could borrow money from her family. there were times when i had to call my mother in the middle of the night and ask her to come round and help me pay for electricity, because i had none, or to buy some milk or a loaf of bread because i couldn't afford to buy it. and it was traumatic, to be honest, because i couldn't provide for my child.

i ended up going to food banks and getting by that way, but it really wasn't enough. it was... it was awful, really. around one in five universal credit claimants are, like amber, waiting longer than they should for their first payment. the government says emergency loans are available. but the system is deliberately designed to make new applicants wait six weeks before receiving any money, which could tip people into debt and deprivation. the scottish government cannot do anything about the initial six—week wait for new claimants, but they do, as of this week, have the power to vary how and when payments are made. so in scotland, claimants will be able to opt to receive their money fortnightly rather than monthly, and they can choose to have their rent paid directly to private as well as social landlords. inverness was one of the first places in britain to get universal credit. lessons learned here mean

the scottish conservatives cautiously support the changes. we're happy to support the government's tweaks at the moment, flexibilities, adjustments. we'll have to wait and see if they work. i mean, if they have unintended consequences, which they might, and want the wider roll—out of universal credit across the uk to be stopped. it makes no sense to me whatsoever to charge on blindly when you know that there are problems here that cause real hardship and damage to people. fix it before you carry on. amber wants to eventually return to full—time work. universal credit‘s meant to make that easier. but the problems with this introduction are currently making life much harderfor many claimants. sarah smith, bbc news, inverness.