joe pike, bbc news, welshpool.ncy. the liberal democrats are calling for extra money to help young carers with their education. sir ed davey wants to provide extra financial support for schools to help young people who balance care responsbilities with their education. latest figures show that around 30% of young carers are missing school. the snp leaderjohn swinney was in leith to wish the scotland men's national team well in the euros — along with a message about his party's stance on the european union. mr swinney said returning to the eu as an independent country would be the "next best thing" to scotland getting to the final of the tournament. the green party has temporarily removed an online version of its manifesto after it was criticised for using an image of an ill man to illustrate its policy on hiv. the greens launched their manifesto yesterday. the image appeared in the easy read version of the document. some users on social media suggested it was misleading and stigmatising. the green party said it had

joe pike with the latest _ heart of british politics. you. the founder of wikileaks, julian assange, has flown out of the uk after spending five years in belmarsh prison fighting extradition to the united states. he's struck a deal with prosecutors, and will stop in a us territory, the northern mariana islands, to plead guilty to a charge of espionage on his way home to australia. mr assange uploaded classified us military files to his website nearly 15 years ago. our diplomatic correspondent caroline hawley reports. julian assange, a polarising figure, was already airborne when the world learned of the deal that secured his release — the end of an extraordinary international legal drama. after five years in belmarsh, a maximum securityjail, he strode out yesterday in the afternoon sun to board a private jet bound for bangkok. it followed a bail hearing in london last week, kept secret until today. a plane ride to freedom after he agreed to plead guilty to one charge of conspiring to illegally obtain classified us military information. h

let's pick it up with joe pike, correspondent in westminster. your story,, joe about the scottish secretary. what do we know? guest: a-lister jack may not be the most famous cabinet minister, but he has been in the cabinet a longtime secretary under rishi sunak and liz truss. in the last hour, we broke the story that he claimed he had won 2100 pounds betting on the date of the election, he told us after rishi sunak had enough the election date, but before craig williams became the first political figure at the heart of this scandal. now, he said that one of those that don't was a 25:1. a challenger or dust challenged on it this last week, he said he had been joking and pulling my leg. in a statement today he clarified, "saying this i am clear that he never placed any bets on the date of the general election during may, the period under investigation by the gambling commission. furthermore, i am not aware of families or friends placing bets." he is in the cabinet and has said that he won money previously. he has been confirmed when asked whether

joe pike, thank you very much _ appropriate.next hour, the wikileaks founder, julian assange, will land in the northern mariana islands, an american territory in the south pacific where he is due to appear in court to plead guilty to one charge under the espionage act. mr assange was released from prison last night and flown by private jet via bangkok to saipan. the plea deal he's struck with prosecutors carries a custodial sentence, but assange has already served five years for breaching bail conditions, and so will be released immediately for time served. it brings to a close a 1li—year saga in which mr assange has fought extradition, first hiding out at the ecuadorian embassy in london, then fighting extradition from a prison cell at belmarsh. mr assange's wife, stella assange, spoke this morning to the bbc�*s today programme. i don't want to say too much until it's been signed off by a judge, but the important thing here is that the deal involves time served, that if he signed it, he would be able to walk free. joining me fr

joe pike caught up with him last week. minister. joe pike caught up with him last week.— with him last week. did you have information _ with him last week. did you have information from _ with him last week. did you have information from inside - with him last week. did you have information from inside when - information from inside when you placed your bet? it is information from inside when you placed your bet?— placed your bet? it is an independent _ placed your bet? it is an independent process - placed your bet? it is an l independent process with placed your bet? it is an - independent process with the gambling commission and i will not be expanding on that statement. did ou be expanding on that statement. you have any be expanding on that statement. d c you have any information? be expanding on that statement. did you have any information? i- be expanding on that statement. did you have any information? i made i be expanding on that statement. did you have any information? i made a| you have any information? i made

joe pike, bbc news, welshpool.. leaders at the g7 summit in southern italy have agreed to lend ukraine $50 billion, taken from interest made on frozen russian assets, which the prime minister called "game—changing". but it's still not clear who precisely is doing the lending. vicki young reports from the summit in puglia. he might consider this welcome respite from the election trail. rishi sunakjoined leaders from seven of the world's richest countries. and at least here there was the guarantee of a warm welcome from italian host giorgia meloni, who boasted that she led the strongest government of all. ukraine has been high on the agenda. president zelensky is here, shoring up support. mr sunak reiterated ukraine's right to self defence in the face of russia's invasion. i've been discussing with my colleagues a game changing package of support for ukraine that would be funded by the profits on seized russian assets. this is something that i and the uk have personally championed and led on for a while now, so it's

joe pike, bbc news.cton constituency on your screen now. president biden has attempted to get back on the front foot, after a stumbling performance in his first televised presidential debate with donald trump. directly addressing concerns about his age, mr biden told a campaign rally he�*d been knocked down but would get back up. but there�*s still alarm in democrat circles at his rambling during the debate. here�*s our north america editor, sarah smith. the president of the united states, joe biden. is this old man up to the job? america wanted to know. as soon as he opened his mouth, the doubts began to grow. the, er...with the covid...excuse me, with dealing with everything we have to do with, er... look. . . if. .. we finally beat medicare. he was hard to hear and sounded confused. this is him talking about immigration. the total initiative relative to what we�*re going to do with more border patrol and more asylum officers. president trump? i really don't know what he said at the end of that sentenc

joe pike from our team caught up with him last week.ed your bet on the election date? it's an independent process with the gambling commissioner. i won't be expounding on that statement. did you have any inside information when you made the bet? i clearly made a huge error ofjudgment. that's for sure. and i apologise. mr williams acknowledged publicly himself that he had placed a bet of £100 on a july election, three days before it was called, four weeks to the day on from rishi sunak surprising many with a summer election. it's timing is still generating headlines. chris mason, bbc news. you can find a full list of candidates standing in the general election on the bbc website. the leader of the iranian—backed lebanese group hezbollah has threatened war against cyprus if it allows israel to use its military infrastructure. in a televised address on wednesday, hassan nasrallah warned that opening cypriot airports and bases to israel would be considered an act of war. hezbollah has fired rockets and drones into northern israel since the

individuals was another conservative candidate who was a parliamentary aide to the prime minister. joe pikede information when you placed your bet on the election date? i made a statement. it's an independent process with the gambling commissioner. i won't be expounding on that statement. did you have any inside information when you made the bet? i clearly made a huge error ofjudgment. that's for sure. and i apologise. mr williams acknowledged publicly himself that he had placed a bet of £100 on a july election, three days before it was called. four weeks to the day on from rishi sunak surprising many with a summer election, it's timing is still generating headlines. chris mason, bbc news. chris mason, there, and just in the past hour or so, we've had some reaction from the labour party, who've called it a "staggering "development" that a second conservative candidate is being looked into by the gambling commission. you can find a full list of candidates standing in the general election on the bbc website. the story that also we are looking at. a high—level delegation of us politicians has

joe pike from our team caught up with him last week.n you placed your bet on the election date statement? it's an independent process with the gambling commissioner. i won't be expounding on that statement. did you have any inside information when you made the bet? i clearly made a huge error ofjudgment. that's that's for sure. and i apologise. mr williams acknowledged publicly himself that he had placed a bet of £100 on a july election, three days before it was called, four weeks to the day on from rishi sunak surprising many with a summer election. it's timing is still generating headlines. chris mason, bbc news. you can find a full list of candidates standing in the general election on the bbc website. inflation has hit the bank of england's target for the first time in almost three years. prices rose at 2% in the year to may, compared to 2.3% the month before — the fall was driven by a slow down in rising prices forfood, soft drinks and furniture. but petrol prices went up sharply. rishi sunak said bold action by the conservatives m

joe pike from our team caught up with him last week. , , ., ., ., week.id you have that information _ week. did you have that information when - week. did you have that information when you i week. did you have that. information when you place week. did you have that - information when you place your bet on the election stay? it is in independent _ bet on the election stay? it is in independent process from the gambling commission. | in independent process from the gambling commission.— gambling commission. i won't exand gambling commission. i won't expand on _ gambling commission. i won't expand on the _ gambling commission. i won't expand on the statement. - gambling commission. i won't expand on the statement. did | expand on the statement. did you have information you made the bat? i you have information you made the bat? . ., ., ., the bat? i made a huge error of judgement _ the bat? i made a huge error of judgement. that's _ the bat? i made a huge error of judgement. that's for _ the bat? i made a huge error of judgement. that's for sure. - judgemen

joe pike caught up with him in welshpool. politics often rewards gamblers. hello, mr williams. you have inside information when you placed your bet on the election date? i have made a statement. it's an independent process with the gambling commission now. as rishi sunak�*s closest parliamentary aide, he sits behind the pm at pmqs. every time i sit behind him, i try to wear a tie. from a different part of montgomery. but what did he know when he reportedly placed £100 on there being a july election, three days before his boss's surprise announcement? did he know that you were calling a july election when he led his bet on that? it's very disappointing news. you will have seen craig williams say it was a huge error ofjudgment. there is an independent inquiry that is ongoing, which is necessarily confidential, as well as independent. you'll appreciate that, given that, it wouldn't be appropriate to comment while that is ongoing. and mr williams is not being completely clear. i won't be expanding on that statement. did you have any inside information? i made a huge error ofjudgmen

joe pike, bbc news, west london.an see a full list of the candidates standing in the clacton constituency on your screen now. and here's fiona with details of that question time special. the leaders of the four main parties got the question time treatment last week. this week it's the turn of the co—leader of the greens, adrian ramsay, and reform uk's nigel farage, whose party has been a bit in the news today you might have noticed. it is time to test them both with our audience of voters here in birmingham. we are live on bbc one at 8.00. in the us, there is deep disquiet in democrat circles after a stumbling performance byjoe biden in the first televised presidential debate with donald trump. it was a bad—tempered meeting, during which mr trump attacked the president on the economy and foreign policy, and mr biden took aim at his rival�*s criminal conviction. but it wasjoe biden�*s meandering and at times confusing speech that alarmed supporters. here's our north america editor sarah smith. this is a pivotal moment

joe pike, bbc news, west london.e candidates standing in the clacton constituency, and it's also on the bbc news website. well, after the channel 4 investigation into reform uk, eyes will be on nigel farage when he takes part in a question time leaders special which also features green party co—leader adrian ramsay in birmingham. let's speak to our political correspondent hannah miller, who's in the spin room. hannah, ican hannah, i can imagine that a lot of scrutiny on nigel farage, what is the midway you are?— scrutiny on nigel farage, what is the midway you are? welcome to the sin room the midway you are? welcome to the spin room in — the midway you are? welcome to the spin room in birmingham. _ the midway you are? welcome to the spin room in birmingham. we - the midway you are? welcome to the spin room in birmingham. we have i spin room in birmingham. we have seen quite a few of these in recent weeks, haven't we, where generous and representatives from the party gathered to tell us what they think of the debate a

joe pike caught up with him in welshpool. politics often rewards gamblers. hi, mr williams. i have made a statement. it's an independent process with the gambling commission now. shes independent process with the gambling commission now. as rishi sunak's closest _ gambling commission now. as rishi sunak's closest parliamentary i gambling commission now. as rishi sunak's closest parliamentary aide, | sunak's closest parliamentary aide, he sits behind the pm at pmqs. eater? he sits behind the pm at pmqs. every time i sit behind _ he sits behind the pm at pmqs. every time i sit behind him, _ he sits behind the pm at pmqs. every time i sit behind him, i _ he sits behind the pm at pmqs. every time i sit behind him, i try— he sits behind the pm at pmqs. er time i sit behind him, i try to wear a tie. time i sit behind him, i try to wear atie. �* . time i sit behind him, i try to wear a tie. �* ., ~ ., a tie. but what did he know when he re ortedl a tie. but what did he know when he reportedly placed — a tie. but what did he know when he reportedly placed £100 _ a tie. but what did h

joe pike, bbc news.eas such as transport. i think most people want to do the greener option, but the greener option has got to be the cheaper and more convenient option as well. so how would you make it cheaper, that's just what i'm wondering. there are huge subsidies that go into the aviation industry whilst we have some of the most expensive rail prices in europe. so one of the things we would do is to bring the railways back into public ownership, which i think people would really like to see. adrian ramsey, co—leader of the green party there. let's dip into some of tomorrow's front pages. beginning with the financial times — which looks at the aftermath of that much discussed presidential debate, and president biden's decision to stay on in the race for the white house. meanwhile, the daily mail has focused on the uk general election — and former prime minister boris johnson — who has spoken out encouraging voters not to vote for keir starmer — which he says would be "starmergeddon" as he calls it. p

joe pike, from bbc news. did you have inside information when you place your bet on the election?tion?— on the election? i've made my statement. — on the election? i've made my statement, it _ on the election? i've made my statement, it is _ on the election? i've made my statement, it is an _ on the election? i've made my. statement, it is an independent process— statement, it is an independent process with a gambling commission. i process with a gambling commission. iwon't _ process with a gambling commission. iwon't he _ process with a gambling commission. i won't be expanding on that. did ou have i won't be expanding on that. you have any i won't be expanding on that. d c you have any information? i won't be expanding on that. did you have any information? i- i won't be expanding on that. did you have any information? i have clearly made _ you have any information? i have clearly made a _ you have any information? i have clearly made a huge _ you have any information? i have clearly made a huge error - you have any information? i have clearly made a huge error of - clearly made

hello, mr williams. joe pike from bbc news.or ofjudgment that's for sure. hat i made a huge error of 'udgment that's for swat that's for sure. not helpful is, what did you _ that's for sure. not helpful is, what did you make _ that's for sure. not helpful is, what did you make of- that's for sure. not helpful is, what did you make of this? i that's for sure. not helpful is, | what did you make of this? he that's for sure. not helpful is, . what did you make of this? he is obviously made _ what did you make of this? he is obviously made a _ what did you make of this? he is obviously made a huge - what did you make of this? he is obviously made a huge error - what did you make of this? he is obviously made a huge error of judgment. it is good and independent body are _ judgment. it is good and independent body are looking at this and let the due process unfold but it is good that he _ due process unfold but it is good that he is— due process unfold but it is good that he is made that fairly clear apology— that he is made that fai