time is running out for theresa may as she promises to prepare for the way for the end of her premiership. if she loses the next vote on brexit at the start ofjune, sources say she will resign. it follows talks today with senior conservatives. i tried to make sure that all the views represented in the executive were expressed, and we had a very frank exchange with the prime minister. would you do a better job on brexit, boris? as theresa may prepares to leave, boris johnson finally confirms he'll run for herjob. we'll have the latest from westminster. also tonight: the french waiter stabbed to death by the london bridge attackers — a nurse who tried to help him tells the inquest how she was stabbed as well. turning cancer into a chronic rather than fatal disease — researchers say they hope drugs that

allow many more to live longterm with cancer will be available within 10 years. and the preshistoric insects — a new study reveals that bedbugs have been around for 100 million years, much longer than thought. and coming up in sportsday later in the hour on bbc news: in mental health awareness week, we look at how footballers find this time of season particuallry tough, with record numbers seeking help. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. theresa may could have less than a month left in office as she formally promised to set a timetable for electing a new prime minister. if the next brexit vote, expected at the beginning ofjune, is defeated, sources have told the bbc she would then resign. if mps pass the vote, she will still

go by the end ofjuly. it comes after the prime minister held talks with senior tory backbenchers. the chair of the backbench group, sir graham brady, described the talks as a frank discussion. as theresa may began paving the way for her departure, the former foreign secretary, borisjohnson, finally confirmed he will put himself forward to succeed her. here's our political editor laura kuenssberg. a police escort is no protection from reality. theresa may's tried and tried to keep notjust the trappings but a slippery grip on power. her party's agonies over europe and gridlock behind those gates mean her time is officially nearly up. don't push me. the formality of the announcement no disguise for what the prime minister had to agree. we have agreed to meet to decide the timetable for the

election of a new leader of the conservative party as soon as the second reading has occurred, and that will take place regardless of what the vote is on the second reading, whether it passes or fails to pass. not leaving for the last time yet, but in plain english, if theresa may can't persuade reluctant mps to back her brexit deal injune, the door will close on her time in office. it is out of the question she could stay if she loses, one cabinet minister told me. land she could stay if she loses, one cabinet ministertold me. land in the unlikely event ministers could still win it, she would likely resign in july. who still win it, she would likely resign injuly. who could be next? he won't say. can you confirm you will run for the leadership? he won't say. can you confirm you will run for the leadership7m he won't say. can you confirm you will run for the leadership? it is a lovely sunny day and lovely to see you here. she won't say. are you ready to declare today? but in the latest you could not make it up

moment, today happened to be the day when get who finally admitted to a business conference that he would definitely take part in a race. i'm going to go for it. i don't think thatis going to go for it. i don't think that is any particular secret to anybody. soon, this whole place will bea anybody. soon, this whole place will be a frenzy over who is next, who will be our next prime minister. we can't know that yet, but we can be sure, another tory leader's time in office has been cut short by the pa rty‘s office has been cut short by the party's decades—old dispute. witham in essex should feeljust like home for tories, but listen to the fury of committed tories driven to distraction because we are still in the eu. we are so fed up, and i think we are top of the fed up list at the moment, as we are ourselves.

i thought she did a greatjob as home secretary. i warmed to her when she first became leader. not quite so warm fiow. she first became leader. not quite so warm now. there she first became leader. not quite so warm now. there are she first became leader. not quite so warm now. there are conservative vote rs so warm now. there are conservative voters out there refusing to vote conservative. yellow might we want out as soon as. it has absolutely stagnated the country on other big issues. this is a great sadness to all us conservatives but because we are all leader orientated, but when you have got a run leader, you have got a rom leader. that's it. with brexit farfrom got a rom leader. that's it. with brexit far from resolved, got a rom leader. that's it. with brexit farfrom resolved, a new resident here will still be confronted by some of the same problems. but even by the end of july, a different politician will call this place home. laura is in westminster. the prime minister could potentially be resigning within, what, three weeks? that's right, so people stopped did not agree to sign up to

a particular date on which she will quit, but the political reality after that meeting with senior backbenchers is that at the time of her next big brexit vote, she will agree a plan to elect the plan who will take over from her. agree a plan to elect the plan who will take overfrom her. and if that vote is lost, which is the expectation of nearly everyone around here apart from some of the inner core in downing street, then it is likely she would go very quickly. one of her inner circle said to me it is inconceivable that she would be able to stay if indeed she would be able to stay if indeed she is defeated on her brexit plan for yet another time. but whatever happens, she is likely to stay on in downing street until a successor would be found. she wouldn't resign and then walk out immediately. what we are probably looking at is either a quick conservative leadership contest where it would all be squashed into a few weeks, with a new prime minister by the end of july, or may be more likely, given the number of people after the job, a longer process that would go on

over the summer, with the new prime minister being anointed at the conservative party conference in the autumn. either way, there is something strange about this, in a sense colon to stay on in downing street until a successor would be found. she wouldn't resign and then walk out immediately. what we are probably looking at is either a quick conservative leadership contest where it would all be squashed into a few weeks, with a new prime minister by the end of july, or may be more likely, given the number of people after the job, a longer process that would go on over the summer, with the new prime minister being anointed at the conservative party conference in the autumn. either way, there is something strange about this, in a sense: theresa may has fought and that now the pretence is over, the moment for her actual departure is real and is coming soon. laura in westminster, thank you. a nurse who was stabbed in the neck by one of the london bridge attackers has told the inquest how she was trying to help a french waiter who had been fatally injured. helen kennett was off duty and having a drink with her mother and sister when the three men ran in and began stabbing people randomly. from the old bailey here's our home affairs correspondent daniel sandford. today, we heard compelling and hot

renting —— heart—rending evidence from helen kennett. she told how helping alexandre pigea rd from helen kennett. she told how helping alexandre pigeard led to her being stabbed herself. she ended her evidence in tears, and the waiter‘s father went over and thanked her for trying to save his son. just after seven minutes past ten onjune the 3rd 2017, a van crashed into railings after fatally injuring two pedestrians on london bridge. just below, in the borough bistro, waiter alexandre pigeard reacted to the noise and rushed outside. a colleague saw alexandre pigeard heading for the stone steps, trying to see what was going on. then there was confusion and people running, and the next thing anyone saw, he was heading back down this wall, clutching a wound to his neck. off duty nurse helen kennett was in the bistro with her sister and mother, celebrating her birthday. she stepped forward to help the wounded waiter.

i went to him because i thought, i need to do something, because he's bleeding a lot, she told the coroner today. she said, i'm a nurse, let me help you. he shook his head. he said, no, just run. then she realised that alexandre was being held by a man with a knife. i looked up to the attacker. i looked at him and i said, what's wrong with you? and he looked at me and said, no, what's wrong with you? he stabbed me in the neck on the left—hand side. ijust remember his eyes. they were completely soulless, evil, empty. angelica was also in the bistro. she saw a knifeman grasping the waiter who had been serving her minutes earlier. i could only see his face. he looked evil and he was smiling, she told the coroner. as he was stabbing, the attacker was looking around for the next person to stab. alexandre pigeard died from multiple knife wounds just outside the bistro where he worked. other witnesses saw this young australian nurse, kirsty

bowden, being stabbed on the ground just metres away. she also died. in less than two minutes, the attackers had stabbed five people to death around the borough bistro, and others, like helen kennett, were lucky to have survived. daniel sanford, bbc news, at the old bailey. the uk has seen one of the biggest increases in the availability of opioid painkillers among any leading economy. between 2013 and 2016, the amount of prescription and over the counter opioids in the uk increased by two thirds, according to new research. our health editor hugh pym is here. these are highly addictive, aren't they? what is behind the increase? yes, sophie, opioid painkiller addiction is a serious addiction and overdoses can be fatal. that is the background to this report from the oecd, which is saying a crisis first highlighted in the usa and canada is now a threat to other economies,

including the uk. let's look at some of the figures from the oecd. first, over three years in the uk, the availability of opioid painkillers, prescription and over—the—counter, and for research, legally available, was up 68%, the third biggest of any of the countries surveyed. and then deaths caused by opioid abuse, it looks at figures for england and wales — they weren't available for the rest of the uk — up 43% over a five year period, up there with other economies such as canada, the us and sweden. according to the oecd, countries need to wake up to this and do something about it. the supervision of all offenders on probation in england and wales, is being brought back under public control after a major government u—turn. the probation service was part privatised in 2013, by then justice secretary chris grayling. but following a series of failures, and a warning from the chief inspector of probation that the system was "irredeemably flawed", the move will be reversed from next year.

here's our home editor, mark easton. like the supposedly reformed prisoner who ends up back injail, the government has performed a humiliating u—turn in its probation policy for england and wales. parts of the service privatised just six years ago are to be renationalised. when it comes to offender management, i recognise the system isn't working as we wanted it to work. payment by results has not worked. in hertfordshire today, ex offenders were hard at work as part of their probation programme, but service providers say they have seen the human cost of introducing payment by results into the complicated business of helping people turn their lives around. changing people's behaviour is a complex task and so payment results was never likely to work, and that was predictable. and you told them? i think it would be fair to say that the entire criminal justice system told them.

the spending watchdog says the failure has cost taxpayers almost £500 million. instead of cutting reoffending, there has been a sharp increase in offenders breaching probation rules and being recalled to custody. everyone is different and it's all well and good saying here is a programme, everyone do the same thing and everyone should come out at the end of it. it doesn't work like that. everyone is individual and everyone comes with their own problems and things like that. chris grayling was the minister who privatised probation management for low and medium risk offenders, refusing to test his plans would work first. i met him at the launch in 2013. no more money, greater responsibility and businesses looking to make a profit out of it all. is this the way to run probation? it is partnership. i want to get the best of the public sector, private sector and voluntary sector. at the time we didn't know that chris grayling had already been warned that his plans were almost certain to fail with higher risks for the public and poorer outcomes for victims.

he went ahead anyway. a statement from the private companies running probation services today expressed disappointment at the decision to renationalise, warning of potential confusion and fragmentation. as for mr grayling, he wasn't available to answer my questions about probation today but this latest embarrassment comes just a fortnight after the government confirmed his cancelled brexit ferry contracts would cost the taxpayer tens of millions of pounds. mark easton, bbc news. our top story this evening: theresa may promises to prepare the way for the end of premiership. and still to come: you can see my blood in it. that's gross. what happened when our intrepid reporter had a close encounter with a bed bug. coming up on sportsday in the next 15 minutes on bbc news: we'll have the very latest

from golf‘s second major of the year, the us pga championship, as defending champion brooks koepka loses his way on the back nine. big advances in how cancer is treated could be on the horizon. scientists say they hope that, within the next decade, drugs will be available that will stop cancer cells becoming resistant to treatment. it would mean that tens of thousands of people would live much longer as cancer became a chronic rather than fatal disease. the institute of cancer research is about to launch a new centre to develop such drugs. our medical correspondent fergus walsh reports. it has been called the survival of the nastiest. it takes just a few rogue cancer cells to adapt and develop resistance to drugs for a tumour to survive and reappear perhaps years later with greater

force. but scientists are beginning to learn how they may be able to stay one step ahead of the hundreds of cancers which affect us. cancers evolve because their mutated dna is unstable. evolve because their mutated dna is u nsta ble. every evolve because their mutated dna is unstable. every time they divide more genetic errors occur and the disease changes, so when drugs are sent to destroy them this natural selection can mean some cancer cells are able to evolve and survive. scientist here at the institute of cancer research hope to exploit this process of darwinian evolution to herd mutating cancer cells into a state that makes them more vulnerable to particular drugs and perhaps a combination of different treatments. they predict that new treatments. they predict that new treatments could be available in around ten years, which helps further extend the life expectancy of patients. we think we can predict what the cancer is going to do next

and so we know how to treat you next, therefore we are turning it into something you can live with longer instead of something you die from. something that helps me get through cancer is my escape... christine was diagnosed with breast cancer seven yea rs christine was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago and found out last year it had spread to her brain. she knows she cannot be cured but is doing well on a new treatment which targets her tumour‘s ability to spread. at some point my cancer will develop resistance and re—occur andi will develop resistance and re—occur and i have to be on a new form of treatment. with new research coming out, hopefully it means by the time i need that next new treatment, there will be something even more innovative and new available to patients. one in two of us will get cancer so advances patients. one in two of us will get cancer so advances matter to every family. new drugs will cost billions to develop but should ensure more

patients survive cancer for longer. fergus walsh, bbc news. all landing cards for international passengers will be scrapped from monday. international passengers will also be able to enter the uk through e—gates, which are currently only accessible to people from the eu. the immigration service union, which represents thousands of border staff, says it's deeply concerned at the decision. the uk border force says the change is aimed at providing an improved arrival experience. metro bank has begun the process of raising £350 million from its shareholders to shore up its finances. it follows an accounting error in january which finances. it follows an accounting error injanuary which wiped hundreds of millions of pounds off its market value. the company is likely to raise the money but existing shareholders need to approve the deal. shares have fallen about 75% in metro bank this year. this time next week, voters will be heading to the polls across

the uk for the european parliament elections. the conservatives are taking a low—key approach to the campaign, while labour is focused on policy beyond brexit. the results could see a surge in support for some of the other parties, including newcomers to the political scene, like the brexit party and change uk. our correspondent alex forsyth has been out on the campaign trail. the report contains flash photography. you have got my vote for this one. for some, these elections have brought welcome attention. without a shadow of a doubt you have my vote. nigel farage was on the campaign trail in pontefra ct was on the campaign trail in pontefract on monday. this is what we need, we voted brexit, we voted out. not everyone was completely sold. i feel like he also lets us down because i don't think they had a plan in place. the newly formed brexit party has been targeting

labour heartlands and leave areas, tapping into anger at how brexit has been handled. ijust want a clean break away from the eu totally. nigel farage knows how to draw a crowd, but he has been competing against the brand he helped create, ukip, which is campaigning and canvassing in these elections saying it is the authentic party of leave. with its own battlebus, ukip has been out on the road trying to maintain eurosceptic support. but pro—eu voices are pushing to be heard. in norwich earlier this week the green party was promoting its anti brexit stance. let me explain... the tories and labour know they are under threat from the smaller parties, which have a clear

brexit message. i think they will do better than most people, i'm thinking of voting for them. better than most people, i'm thinking of voting for themm seems right for the world today. but there is a battle for those trying to capture the remain vote. at bristol university yesterday, the lib dems leader was rallying student supporters. for 50 years actually the lib dems have been the party of europe... trying to build on their success in local elections, they seem success in local elections, they seem comfortable with a quieter campaign. they love knocking on doors and talking to people and that works in our favour because we are speaking to them and asking about issues. they are not the only ones hoping to get through to people, change uk is seeking its breakthrough moment. in bath today trying to reason with remainers to win support. the vote is going to be split, it cannot be helped. if you

compare the academic intelligence of rash and reasoning with the ranting and raving and outright lies, the comparison is stark. this campaign is clearly driven by brexit. whatever the tactics on the trail... i will do my best, i promise! the outcome will depend on whose message can cut through. alex forsyth, bbc news. more information on the european elections, including who's standing in your area, can be found on the bbc website. and, tonight, andrew marr will be looking at how the eu elections work and what could happen once the votes have been counted. join andrew for europe: the big vote at 8pm on bbc one. so andy murray has received his knighthood at buckingham palace more than two years after he was awarded the honour. sir andrew murray, for

services to tennis and charity. the three—time grand slam champion was named in the queen's new years honours in 2016, following his second wimbledon title and second olympic gold. sir andy said he was "very proud" to receive the honour. the former australian prime minister bob hawke has died at the age of 89. he was in office between 1983 and 1991, during which time he became well known for his love of cigars, cricket and beer. he was the australian labour party's longest—serving pm, who achieved the highest approval ratings of any leader. you never want to see them, and you usually can't, with adult specimens just over 5mm long. but what bedbugs lack in size, they make up for in durability. a new study has revealed that, although the overall number of insects is in decline, bedbugs have been around for 100 million years, and survived the extinction event that killed the dinosaurs. victoria gill reports. tiny, bloodsucking and seemingly indestructible. these are the bugs that no one wants

to share their bed with. but, while most of us would rather bedbugs were nowhere near us, a scientist here at the university of sheffield has been gathering and studying the insects for decades. with an international team of biologists, he has captured the secrets of their revolutionary history and success. so they are very sensitive to co2 and to warmth. in return, he often provides his bugs with a meal. if ijust grab one here, and if you can just hold the tube and put the top back on. ok, yes. and i can take this one and put it on the back of my hand. and it should... she is quite hungry, there we go, and she's now... is she sucking your blood? yes, i can just feel her now. she's pushing her mouth parts into the skin. the biggest surprise was that they have been around for 115 million years, which was twice as long as we thought they had been around for. up until our study was published, people thought they evolved 50 million years ago with mammals

and bats, and what our study shows is they were around at the time of dinosaurs. they outlived the dinosaurs, tougher than the dinosaurs. they did, yes, they are tough. there are 100 different species of bedbug. only two feed on humans and the secret to why they do that and how to control them could be hidden in this genetic information that the scientists have gathered. so, just stick it on there. meanwhile bedbugs will continue to do what they do best. bite. you can see my blood in it. ew! gross. victoria gill, bbc news. that really is gross! let's go to something far more pleasant, i hope. i have one hand to scratch, bear with me for that! here is a

satellite picture, still plenty of sunshine and an area of cloud coming towards us from the east brings the chance for some rain as we going to the start of the weekend and in fact a night from thicker cloud running into england, we will see some outbreaks of rain moving on but patchy in nature. clear spells elsewhere, temperatures holding up to9 elsewhere, temperatures holding up to 9 degrees but close to freezing in the coldest parts of aberdeenshire. into tomorrow, it is a cloudy day for many of us. rain pushing through western areas of england and wales, further showers following on behind with plenty of cloud. the cloud running into eastern scotland, later some rain for the evening. elsewhere staying mainly dry with sunny spells. we are all contending with a stronger north—easterly wind which will make it feel cooler, particularly along the north sea coast, but still close to 20 in parts of scotland. it is a cooler day for many of us. a lot of cloud on saturday, some rain around,

particularly into scotland and the eastern side of northern ireland, north england and wales. some sunny spells here. mainly temperatures here in the high teens but elsewhere temperatures in the mid to low teens. it is a quieter day on sunday, still showers around and some of those could be heavy, especially into scotland and england. there is the chance of a shower just about anywhere so good news for the gardens but also some sunny spells with lighter winds and if you get to see some sunshine on sunday, it will start to feel warmer once again. thank you. a reminder of our top story: time is running out for the prime minister. theresa may has agreed to set a timetable for her departure from downing street after the next brexit vote, which is expected to ta ke brexit vote, which is expected to take place in just brexit vote, which is expected to take place injust weeks. that's all from the bbc news at six so it's goodbye from me and on bbc one we nowjoin the bbc‘s news teams where you are.

theresa may has agreed to set a timetable for theresa may has agreed to set a timetable for her theresa may has agreed to set a timetable for her departure theresa may has agreed to set a timetable for her departure from downing street. borisjohnson said he of course he will run for the conservative leadership. helen kennett, the nurse who tried to save the life of this man, has spoken at the inquest into the london bridge attacks. the government abandoned its controversial part privatisation of the probation service.

on beyond 100 days a closer look at president trump's moves to restrict access to america's markets. struggling travel firm thomas cook issues a warning and says brexit is affecting travel plans. that is at half past eight. and before nine o'clock a new report showing that opioid painkillers and abuse is not just showing that opioid painkillers and abuse is notjust an issue in the us, there are increasing problems in the uk. that is all ahead. hello, i'm olly foster, here's what's coming up on sportsday tonight.