last friday political editor laura kuenssberg reflected on what was widely considered to be somethingcal earthquake. what was surprised at the start... and what we're saying is the conservatives are the largest party, note they don't have an overall majority at this stage. gradually, seat after seat, was glorious shock for labour. loss after loss for the conservatives. images of cheering labour politicians and supporters, and of disappointed or angry conservatives made it hard to remember at times that the latter had won 56 more seats than the former. and were back in power. when the prime minister from ten downing st on friday was the question laura kuenssberg shouted out to her. is this strong and stable, prime minister? she who dares doesn't always win. but she had won, some newswatch viewers pointed out. at least in the sense that the conservatives were forming the next government. and graham watts objected to what he saw as: there certainly seemed to be some relish in comments made by george osborne on sunday's andrew marr show, repeated widely on bbc news. theresa may is a dead

last friday political editor laura kuenssberg reflected on what was widely considered to be somethinglitical earthquake. what was surprised at the start... and what we're saying is the conservatives are the largest party, note they don't have an overall majority at this stage. gradually, seat after seat was glorious shock for labour. loss after loss for the conservatives. images of cheering labour politicians and supporters, and of disappointed or angry conservatives made it hard to remember at times that the latter had won 56 more seats than the former. and were back in power. when the prime minister from ten downing st on friday was the question laura kuenssberg shouted out to her. is this strong and stable, prime minister? she who dares doesn't always win. but she had won, some newswatch viewers pointed out. at least in the sense that the conservatives were forming the next government. and graham watts objected to what he saw as: there certainly seemed to be some relish in comments made by george osborne on sunday's andrew marr show, repeated widely on bbc news. theresa may is a de

laura kuenssberg, bbc news. until the polls open, the parties have done all they can to get their message across to voters. so what are the prime issues that have dominated this election campaign and influenced public opinion? 0ur deputy political editor, john pienaar, has spent the day with voters in cheshire. it may feel like a long march, this election, but then britain is deciding its future — choosing between candidates to run the country. whether you've joined the battle, like the labour faithful here in runcorn today, or you've have other pressing business, people everywhere have been making their minds up. my mum works in the nhs, she deserves a pay rise. my school, the children who go to school, the two schools have got to find almost £1 million worth of cuts in the next three years. my niece goes to university, and she is going to leave with £44,000 worth of debt. we've just had enough. stop privatising the railways and bring them back into the public, you know. instead of selling them off all to these

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. heard, the deal could have a significant impact on the future of devolved government in northern ireland. sinn fein has repeatedly said that in doing the deal the uk government has abandoned its duty to remain impartial under the terms of the good friday agreement of 1998. the latest deadline to restore the power—sharing executive at stormont is this thursday. our ireland correspondent, chris page, has the latest. belfast is a much changed city. the conflict is receding into history, thousands were heading to a concert thinking mainly of music and not money is that they did talk about the deal in london which is bringing more cash to this part of the uk. the deal in london which is bringing more cash to this part of the uki think in terms of the economy it will get us on a map. it is a fantastic deal for the people of northern ireland, no question. how it goes down elsewhere we will see. i think it is a waste, you need to get the executive working before we get the executive working b

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.ies on their brexit plans, but how much detail did we actually get? so here's our reality check correspondent chris morris. thanks, huw. it is striking that there has been so little debate during this election campaign, even today, about exactly how the brexit negotiations will be conducted. both the conservatives and labour are saying, in effect, "trust us to get it right." but neither party has really discussed the difficult compromises with the eu that will be needed if they are to succeed. that's partly because as soon as you dig down a bit into brexit, it gets incredibly complicated, it doesn't fit into neat election slogans. let's just take a couple of examples. the european court ofjustice — the union's top court. the conservatives say it will no longer play a role in british life after brexit. but the eu insists that the ecj must continue to protect the rights of eu citizens here in the future. that's got to be negotiated. and what about the huge issue of immigration? labour sa

our political editor laura kuenssberg reports. nervous? not so you would notice.

over the next year or to laura kuenssberg over the next year 01’ so. to laura kuenssberg over the nextr so. i think that is good advice! peter, your prospective going back decades in this fascinating process, what are your thoughts? one of the great upsets general elections since the second world war which will be seared in the collective memory of the nation forever because of the atrocities of manchester and london bridge. the most extraordinary few weeks.|j manchester and london bridge. the most extraordinary few weeks. i want to thank you all, emily, john, jeremy, there is an army of people outside the studio as well performing all kinds of vital tasks and without any of that we would not be an airto and without any of that we would not be an air to all of you, wherever you are, not just be an air to all of you, wherever you are, notjust here in the bbc centre, but across the uk of course, thank you all very much. it's been a remarkable 15 hours and i think it's fairto remarkable 15 hours and i think it's fair to say nobody expected to be in this position, least of all theresa may

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.e manchester bomber — salman abedi — have been speaking to the bbc tonight, after being released from custody without charge earlier this week. isaac and abz forjani, from fallowfield in manchester, expressed their sympathy with the families of those killed in the manchester bombing and said they had no idea what their cousin was planning to do. imean my i mean my thoughts are obvious, i'm still shocked, it sinking in slowly, getting by somehow. it's not easy being connected to 22 lost innocent lives. and the fact that the person that did this was related to us by blood is something that you cannot deny and you never think one day you would be sat there getting questioned for seven nights about a horrific crime it is something that will stay with the for the rest of my life and my thoughts are with the family of the victims,, we can try to move on with our lives that they have lost loved ones and i don't know what more to say. what about you? i'm still in shock to be honest. looking at

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. tighter security measures in response to what officials describe as a spider web of terrorist threats. commercial flights into the us from 105 countries will have to comply with the new department of homeland security rules. they include enhanced checks on electronic devices, as well as increased passenger screening. the changes will cover more than 300,000 air passengers entering the country each day. that's a summary of the news, newsday is coming up at midnight — now on bbc news it's time for newsnight with evan davies. she thinks she can remain pm for two years. some senior tories think she should be gone in two days. what future is there for theresa may? the government is not exactly falling apart, but it is looking worn at the edges, with disparate views openly expressed. bad news for the pm — the tories will make party survival their priority. we need to have a new leader in place by the time that the conservative party goes into the next election. it's possible to imagine ther

laura kuenssberg bbc news, downing street.eting her french counterpart emmanuel macron in paris this evening. instead of opening discussions about brexit with the new french president from a position of strength, a politically weakened mrs may insisted that talks with the european commission will begin next week as planned. a joint anti—terror initiative to combat extremism online was also announced. our europe editor katya adler reports from paris. it must have felt a bit lonely getting out of the car today at the grand elysee palace. emmanuel macron‘s greeting was friendly, though far from a effusive. from effusive. the prime minister will have imagined this visit very differently before the election. but now she's on the brexit back foot, her credibility damaged in europe, standing next to the passionately europhile french president, theresa may was determined to sound resolute. i think there is a unity of purpose among people in the united kingdom. it's a unity of purpose having voted to leave the eu, that their government

first, our political editor laura kuenssberg reports on a night and day of intense political drama.s this strong and stable? she who dares doesn't always win. the most votes, the most seats. but under this stinging glare, no iron gates, nor police protection can shield the reason they from the accusation she looks apolitical lose. —— apolitical lose. the trappings of power, the visit to the palace, help from northern irish mps mean she can gather enough support to stay on. but having believed herself to be on the brink of a sizeable majority, going backwards seems like defeat. i have just been to see her majesty the queen and i will now form a government. a government that can provide certainty and lead britain forward at this critical time for our country. this government will guide the country through the crucial brexit talks that begin injust ten days. not a single mention of the result. what the country needs more than ever is certainty and having secured the largest number of votes and the greatest number of seats in the general election, it is clear that only the conservative

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, parliament. a new power—sharing executive in northern ireland have been extended after the parties failed to reach agreement by the deadline today. downing street says discussions between sinn fein and the democratic unionists will continue until monday. if there is no agreement by then, there could be a rule from westminster. the northern ireland secretary could give the parties more time to negotiate or call an assembly election. the islamic state group is facing defeat in mosul, its last big powerbase in iraq. government forces say they're finally set to recapture the entire city. it's three years to the day since is declared a global caliphate. after prolonged battles and countless military offe nsives, is has been pushed back to the cities of raqqa in syria and mosul in iraq. this report from our correspondent 0rla guerin and cameraman nicolas hameon on the frontline in the old city of mosul. gunfire covering fire, as troops dart into position. wejoined them, pushing forward but keeping low.

laura kuenssberg in brussels.s in the church of england helped to hide historical sexual abuse by a former bishop — that's the conclusion of an independent review. peter ball, who's now 85, was jailed in 2015 after admitting the offences. today's review criticises the former archbishop of canterbury, lord carey — and the current archbishop, justin welby, has asked lord carey to step down from his position as an honorary assistant bishop. here's our religious affairs correspondent, martin bashir. and what hurts us most... charismatic and ambitious, peter ball and his twin brother michael was a bishop in the church of england. thejoint was a bishop in the church of england. the joint achievement heralded on national television. making spiritual noises. in 1993 peter ball was forced to stand down as bishop of gloucester after accepting caution for gross indecency. despite his admission he continued to officiate in churches and at several public schools. a second police investigation led to him being jailed at the old

our political editor laura kuenssberg joins me now in downing street. ve theresa may, with her own mps and she has to take into account the dup as well? yes, she is very vulnerable, no question. she may have the biggest number of seats and the biggest number of votes but her expectations, she underperformed so much that it seems she is the real loser here. there is period among some mps about the m ista kes period among some mps about the mistakes they believe led them to this place in a poorly led campaign —— fury. while she managed to get people to rally around her today, propped up by ten northern ireland mps, she may only be able to hang on for a matter of months. it is a question of her being very brittle ina question of her being very brittle in a volatile situation. the point is, the timing of her departure feels like it may not be up to her. it is likely political disaster of this campaign leaves her standing on a trapdoor and she cannot be sure at all when it will suddenly open underneath her. and labour? they have not won, they are acting as th

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.y said that doing the deal, the uk government has abandoned its ability to remain in partial under the good friday agreement. the deadline is four o'clock this afternoon. 0ur ireland correspondent chris page has the latest. belfast is a much changed city. the conflict is receding into history, thousands were heading to a concert thinking mainly of music and not money is that they did talk about the deal in london which is bringing more cash to this part of the uk. i think in terms of the economy it will get us on a map. it is a fantastic deal for the people of northern ireland, no question. how it goes down elsewhere we will see. i think it is a waste, you need to get the executive working before we get more money, it will be wasted. so where will the £1 billion of new money go? £350 million is likely to be spent on health and education, 400 million will go to infrastructure, four example roads and public buildings. 150 million is in marked for improving broadband and a further £100 mi

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. ura: a precarious moment for theresa may with great uncertainty about the brexit negotiations. security officials in libya have told the bbc that the bomb attack in manchester last month had been planned since december. for more than a month before the attack, they said they had the bomber, salman abedi, under surveillance. officials complain of poor security cooperation with britain, which they say must be improved to prevent further attacks. from tripoli, our correspondent orla guerin sent this report. orla: an abandoned house on the outskirts of tripoli links to mass murder in the u.k. this is where the manchester bomber spent a quiet month with his family, leaving days before the attack. the bbc has been told that throughout his stay, salman abedi was under surveillance here, along with his father and his brother. it is unclear if britain was informed. security officials say the brother, hashem, has admitted he and salman joined i.s., and he bought parts for the bomb. the spokesman

tonight we have full coverage and we begin with laura kuenssberg. laura: she who dares doesn't always win. the most votes, the most seats, but under this stinging glare, no iron gates nor police protection can shield theresa may from the accusation she looks a political loser. the trappings of power, the visit to the palace, help from northern irish mp's means she can gather enough support to stay on, but having believed herself to be on the brink of a sizable majority, going backwards seems like defeat. prime minister may: i've just been to see her majesty the queen, and i will now form a government -- a government that can provide certainty and lead britain forward at this critical time for our country. laura: not a single mention of the results. prime minister may: it is clear that only the conservative and unionist party has the legitimacy and ability to provide that certainty by commanding a majority in the house of commons. this will allow us to come together as a country and channel our energies towards a successful brexit deal that works for

laura kuenssberg, thank you very much from downing street.s and sounds of the past 2a hours, as the voters of britain refused to give theresa may the big majority she sought, and delivered a hung parliament with far—reaching consequences for the months and years ahead. goodnight. big ben tolls. and what we are saying is the conservatives are the largest party, note they don't have an overall majority at this stage. unless the exit poll is incredibly wrong, the prime minister has failed to achieve her principal objective. the worst possible outcome would be a hung parliament. cheering. politics has changed, and politics isn't going back. cheering. you live by the sword and you die by the sword. i am standing down today as the leader of ukip with immediate effect. cheering. are you resigning, prime minister? are you stepping down, mrs may? chanting: 0h, jeremy corbyn! morning, all! i will now form a government. a government that can provide certainty and lead britain forward at this critical time for our country. we will enter discussions with

laura kuenssberg, bbc news. is well more on the election in just a moment.ws coming into a strong greater manchester police, which is that a 20—year—old man has been arrested in relation to the manchester bombing after handing himself into police. they say that he voluntarily presented himself at north manchester police station to night. he was then arrested on suspicion of offences to the terrorism act and remains in custody. 2! people are now —— have now been released —— arrested in relation to the event. 12 had now been released. so to recap that, a 20—year—old man has been arrested in manchester in relation to the bombing after handing himself into police. so, back to the election, and the parties have done all they can to get their message to voters. so what are the prime issues? for conservatives and labour, that have influenced this campaign, and influenced this campaign, and influence public opinion? —— what has. our deputy political editor john pienaar has spent the day with voters in cheshire. it may feel like a long march, this election, but then

our politica editor laura kuenssberg has the latest. can see who seems to be enjoying it more but whoever‘s in charge next week, taking us out of the european union is their biggestjob, their biggest opportunity, an the biggest danger too. —— and. i am confident that we can fulfil the promise of brexit together and build a britain that is stronger, fairer and even more prosperous than it is today, because the promise of brexit is great, the opportunities before us enormous. we in labour understand that getting the right deal, one that secures our country's interest for the long—term will be challenging. a matter of serious planning and negotiations, not hectoring and threats. —— hectoring and threats. labour is ready. ready to deliver a deal that gives british business and british society the chance to thrive in a post brexit war. —— world. beyond those big claims, though, there's a lot we just do not know, about how the next occupant of this place would approach everything once in charge, when whitehall really has to get down to work t

laura kuenssberg bbc news, downing street.meeting her french counterpart, emmanuel macron. instead of opening discussions about brexit with the new french president from a position of strength, a politically weakened mrs may insisted, nonetheless, that brexit talks with the european commission will begin next week as planned. our europe editor, katya adler, reports from paris. it must have felt a bit lonely getting out of the car today at the grand elysee palace. emmanuel macron‘s greeting was friendly, though far from a effusive. the prime minister will have imagined this visit very differently before the election. but now she's on the brexit back foot, her credibility damaged in europe, standing next to the passionately europhile french president, theresa may was determined to sound resolute. i think there is a unity of purpose among people in the united kingdom. it's a unity of purpose having voted to leave the eu, that their government gets on with that and makes a success of it. but president macron had word of warning. t

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.sector pay and the wider debate about the pros and cons of fiscal austerity comes amid signs that public attitudes could be changing. the british social attitudes study suggests that almost half of people think government spending and taxes should rise. it's the highest level of support for more taxation and spending for over a decade. 0ur economics editor kamal ahmed has been studying the potential implications. chanting: no public sector cuts! it has been a clash of cultures. 0n the one side, anger at public sector cuts. 0n the other... because of our plan, things are getting better. but there is still a long way to go. a government, past and present, which says we must fix the public finances. i've come to ealing in west london. before the election, this was a marginal seat, with the conservatives just a few hundred votes behind labour. now, it is safe labour. thousands turned out for the local candidate. does that mean that voters want more taxes or want more public spending? i'm h

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, bath.st on this and all the stories we're following. just head to our website, bbc.com/news the afghan president, ashraf ghani, has described a massive bomb attack in kabul‘s diplomatic quarter as "a crime against humanity." at least 90 people, most of them civilians, died in the blast during the morning rush—hour. 400 people were wounded. caroline hawley reports. her report contains distressing images. you could see from miles away the force of this explosion. a massive bomb at a busy kabul intersection, hitting commuters on their way to work, children on their way to school. it was a bomb so powerful it shattered windows up to a mile away, leaving a trail of horrific destruction. 0ne witness said it was like an earthquake. there were so many casualties, security vehicles had to double—up as ambulances. the afghan government said hospitals in the capital were in dire need of blood. translation: i was working in the office when a powerful blast happened. i collapsed under the desk and recei

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.mahatma gandhi's last days, caught on camera. we'll have the story of how a french photographer found himself at the very crossroads of history. members of the of the neo—nazi resistance movement stormed the world trade center armed with pistols and shotguns. we believe that, according to international law, that we have a right to claim certain parts of this country as ourland. i take pride in the words "ich bin ein berliner." cheering and applause chapman, prison—pale and slightly chubby, said not a single word in open court. it was left to his lawyer to explain his decision to plead guilty to murdering john lennon. he believes that onjune 8th, god told him to plead guilty, and that was the end of it. the medical research council have now advised the government that the great increase in lung cancer is due mainly to smoking tobacco. it was closing time for checkpoint charlie which, for 29 years, has stood on the border as a mark of allied determination to defend the city. this is bbc

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.have announced a public inquiry but a review of building regulations covering fire safety promised by theresa may's chief of staff last year has still not been published. that review was ordered after the fatal lakanal house fire in 2009, a multi—storey block in which six people died. the coroner in the subsequent inquest said that the government should encourage providers of high rise housing to consider retrofitting sprinkler systems. there was none in grenfell, currently there are 4,000 tower blocks in the uk that don't have sprinklers. chris cook looks now at the possible part the building's cladding may have played in the fire's spread. one of the most important questions to answer quickly is, how many other buildings are at risk from fires of the sort that devastated the grenfell tower. right now, that's a very hard question to answer. to really understand the tragedy that unfolded this week in kensington, it may help to appreciate a success story from camden. back in 2012, there

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, brussels.est match between the british and irish lions and new zealand in auckland. the bookies make the all blacks firm favourites for the game, but many analysts think it will be tight — with the set piece being a key battleground area. the all blacks also have a formidable record at eden park and haven't lost there in over 20 years. patrick mckendry is a sports reporterfor the new zealand herald in auckland and joins me now. to the streets of auckland are awash with northern hemisphere tourists very keen on this match? indeed, yes. i was out last night in downtown auckland on the streets we re downtown auckland on the streets were awash in men and women of all ages are wearing red jackets and supporting the lions. they were enjoying the moment ahead of what is going to be an interesting and exciting test. you have had wet weather and everything could be slippery. who does that benefit? you would have to say the lions. that will suit them a bit more. in terms of the pitch i think it will be a

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, brussels. charged darren 0sborne with terrorism—related murder and attempted murder, after the attack at a mosque in finsbury park in north london in the early hours of monday morning. one man died at the scene and nine other people were taken to hospital. the 47—year—old from cardiff appeared in court this afternoon, and was remanded in custody. 0ur correspondent daniel sandford reports. darren 0sborne being driven off to prison after his first court appearance this afternoon. he's accused of the murder and attempted murder of a group of muslims leaving prayers. in the dock, with a detective on either side, he'd confirmed that he was 47 years old and said he has no address. he appeared to have a black eye. the prosecution said it was their case that darren 0sborne was motivated by extreme political views and a personal hatred of muslims. they said he had acted deliberately to kill, maim, injure and terrify as many people as he could. the attack, in which a hired white van drove into worshipper

our political editor laura kuenssberg reports.l here, with new mps parliament returning to its business. the commons speaker elected, well dragged by tradition to his grand chair again. but the government in charge, not quite yet. mr speaker elect, on behalf of the whole house, may i congratulate you on your election. at least someone got a landslide. theresa may able to laugh about losing seeds but no deal in place yet, that will prop her up. as we face difficult challenges ahead, let's come together in a spirit of national unity to keep our country spirit of national unity to keep our cou ntry safe spirit of national unity to keep our country safe and build a stronger, fairerand country safe and build a stronger, fairer and more prosperous future for everyone in every part of our united kingdom. the labour leader delighted in throwing the tories‘ campaign barbs back at her. democracy is a wonderful thing and can throw up very unexpected results. and i'm sure... and i'm sure we all look forward to welcoming the queen's speech jus

laura kuenssberg, bbc news.r parties contesting the election. the lib dems will be trained to increase their 90s that they currently hold. tim farron has promised extra money for schools and hospitals if they win power. so how do things stand? earlier, i spoke to gary 0'donoghue and asked him what the latest polls suggest. -- nine seats. it is very substantial. some polls put the conservatives with a 5—point lead. some have a 12 point lead. there is not a lot of confidence, i would have to say, in polls at the moment. britain is still, in a sense, still rocking from the referendum result, last year, which was not predicted by the pollsters. so there is a lot of caution about polls, here. there is a lot of feeling that, perhaps, people and not necessarily tiny pollsters is atley what they are planning to do. they are plain cards pretty close to their chest. we have a huge number of voters with a large number of variety and variation. tomorrow will bea variety and variation. tomorrow will be a gamble. the politici

here's our political editor laura kuenssberg on the queen's speech and what it means for mrs may's premiershipa sense of occasion but a political year like no other. despite the grandeur, beef eaters still have to get the bus and for now, she still has the prime ministerialjaguar. for now, she still has the prime ministerialjaguar. your first and last queen's speech, prime minister? the music and the marching still happened. yet, with the election held in a hurry, no time for the queen's causes to practice. so the royal bentley had to do. the queen arriving for the 64th time. her son, not her husband alongside her. get your skates on. first race is to 30 pm! after all, with royal as got on, this was not the only business of the day. the queen was here to lay out the plan for this government. the political situation even more awkward than the small talk between these two. my government's priority is to secure the best possible deal as the country leaves the european union. my ministers are committed to working with parliament, the devolved administrations, business and others to build the wides

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, parliament.med the decision to offer free access to abortions in england. among them are many women who've travelled to other parts of the uk in the past, where they've had to pay for terminations. our ireland correspondent chris page has more on today's reaction. we said pro—choice, they say no choice! abortion may be an intensely personal issue, but in northern ireland, it's also highly controversial. strong campaign groups push for the law to be changed, and others passionately defend the status quo. every week, women go across the irish sea to have their pregnancies terminated. four years ago, the bbc filmed sarah as she went to england to have an abortion. her baby wasn't expected to survive birth because of a genetic condition. she says today's decision will make a difference to people in her position. it's a good thing that we're now going to get it in hospitals across the water instead of a clinic. but at the same time, if it's ok for us to go over there and have it on the nhs, it should

a rock star here but we all determine who find the pot of gold. 0ur political editor, laura kuenssbergshed a campaign rally. 0ne full day of campaigning to go. you were talking about: —— talking about the tone, what is the tone of the rhetoric? theresa may wanted to make it plain that she is willing to act more radically than the government has done. that is why she said she would be willing to change the law on human rights if it meant more effective measures to crack down. technically, they said she is not talking about leaving the human rights charters, she is talking about opting out of parts of the human rights law. labour is accusing her of going back on guarantees that she gave on that. they are accusing her of a u—turn at the last minute on the election campaign. that is flatly denied. they say they always had that wriggle room. it is very clear that theresa may believes even at this late stage, it is worth sketching out more of what she would do if re—elected because the nature and abolition of the threat means if she wins on thursday she would need to change the government's

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.pects of what happened and insists that downing street ‘completely understands' the shock and anger felt by people. there are many questions outstanding for the local authority, builders, and subcontractors, as well as the company that managed g re nfell tower. 0ur correspondent tom symonds reports on the investigations that will take place into the causes of the fire and why it spread so rapidly. grenfell tower showing its age a few years ago. it was built in the 1960s and recently it was refurbished. new cladding and windows were added, standard treatment given to tower is all over the country. so why this? how did it start? why did it spread so fast? it is clear something went badly wrong. colin todd wrote the guidelines council ‘s use when considering fire safety in tower blocks. i have been in fire safety for 41 years and never seen a fire of this nature in terms of speed of spread and extent of development. investigators' first priority will be to find out how it managed to sprea

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, brussels.tween the british and irish lions and new zealand in auckland. the bookies make the all blacks firm favourites for the game, but many analysts think it will be tight. 0n the line is gavin hastings, former lions captain who took on new zealand in 1993. thanks forjoining us, gavin. a mouthwatering event in prospect, but they've got a tough ask, haven't they, the lions? they certainly have, the new zealanders haven't lost at eden park in any test match since 1994 and it was way back in 1959 the lions last won a test match at eden park, so that shows the enormity of the challenge that awaits the british and irish lions tea m awaits the british and irish lions team this afternoon. the team had a good warmup, they‘ re team this afternoon. the team had a good warmup, they're coming to the boil nicely? i think they are, absolutely. they've played six matches, five of them against top—quality opposition, they've lost a couple of matches and those losses have been very narrow, by less than a sco

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, telford.t overall it's been the economy, the nhs and brexit that have divided the parties. so where do each of the parties stand? in a moment we'll hearfrom do each of the parties stand? in a moment we'll hear from our health editor hugh pym and our europe editor, katya adler, but first here's our economics editor, kamal ahmed. whether you're a voter out shopping or battling to be the next prime minister, there are three big economic challenges that are pretty familiar. that living standards squeeze, the state of the public finances and that brexit deal. the parties have laid out pretty different approaches, but there is one central promise from all of them — they will balance the books, they say, when it comes to government financing. the conservatives say that only they can provide the foundations for a strong economy, for enhanced workers' rights and a good brexit deal. but critics say that a theresa may win would only lead to harsher levels of austerity for longer. for labour, the talk is

laura kuenssberg with the latest that the eu summit in brussels.sive taking place to gain control of raqqa, the city which so—called islamic state regards as the capital of its declared caliphate. in the past few days fighting has intensified between syrian democratic forces — backed by the us — and the fighters of the islamic state group. 0ur correspondent gabriel gatehouse, producer peter emmerson and cameraman fred scott are the only british broadcasters to have ventured inside raqqa — a city engulfed in violence — and they sent this report. this has been a long and brutal road. we're inside raqqa now, driving towards the centre with the syrian democratic forces, the sdf, a coalition of kurds and arabs. they have onlyjust retaken these streets off the fighters that call themselves islamic state. here, is is often unseen, but all the more dangerous for it. a noise in the sky signals the presence of a drone. what's happening is that we've just driven down these narrow side streets and suddenly, there's gunfire overhead and everyone's looking up in

laura kuenssberg there, our political editor at westminster.at don't require immediate legislation is the government's commitment to review its counter—terrorism strategy in the wake of recent attacks in london and manchester. it's also decided to establish a new commission for countering extremism. but senior police officers are still raising concerns about thier budgets and resources as our security correspondent, gordon corera, tells us. four terrorist attacks in four months have pushed security up the agenda, raising questions about what government can do. after the london bridge attack, just days before the election, the prime minister promised action. but it is time to say, enough is enough. when it comes to taking on extremism and terrorism, things need to change. but in the queen's speech today there were no new laws proposed, nothing on deportation or detention without charge. ...to safeguard national security. instead, there was a broad commitment to review existing counter—terrorism powers, including looking at tougher sentences for

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.c attitudes to pay and taxation are changing. the annual survey of public opinion shows that nearly half of us now want higher taxes to pay for more spending on health, education and social benefits. here's our economics editor kamal ahmed. chanting: no public sector cuts! it has been a clash of cultures. chanting: no public sector cuts! on one anger at public sector cuts. because of our plan, things are getting better. but there is still a long way to go. and on the other a government, past and present, which says we must fix the public finances. i have come to ealing in west london. before the election this was a marginal seat. with the conservatives just a few hundred votes behind labour. now it is safe labour. thousands turned out for the local candidate. does that mean that voters want more taxes or want more public spending? i'm here to find out. i earn in the top tax bracket. do you think you should be paying more tax? i think i should be paying more tax, absolutely. i would pay

and we can talk to our political editor laura kuenssberg now...eting with backbenchers is still going on. what more can you tell us? she is still taking questions from mps after an opening short speech to them where to tories, many of whom were furious about what happened with the election, she apologised directly to them. she apologised to colleagues who had lost their seats and she also said, i got into this mess and i will get us out of it. i understand it is notjust this group of mps that she has apologised to. she also apparently apologised to the cabinet this afternoon and said she was responsible for calling the election. she led the campaign and she is sorry. the truth is that she can now say sorry as much as she wa nts, can now say sorry as much as she wants, as colleagues had demanded. but her authority is extremely fractured and minds here are turning to what is next. in that meeting tonight, she acknowledged that she is not calling the shots any more. she said, i will serve as long as you want me. that is about as far from a prime mini

john kay, bbc news. 0ur political editor laura kuenssberg is here again.for her own position but the cabinet and her government and how she goes forward from here? and what it means for the country. the irony here is that theresa may did not have you hold the election but did so with the hope of creating more stability and certainty ahead of what may be a tumultuous period as we leave the eu. instead, of course, the electorate decisions have left the electorate decisions have left the country less certain and more doubts about the future and, with the possibility that theresa may may not be able to hold on for very long. wejust do not not be able to hold on for very long. we just do not know how long the tory party will be willing to put up with somebody so we can. there are a lot of events that could influence that timing but for that reason she took the decision tonight to keep the five top jobs in cabinet committee home secretary, foreign secretary, chancellor, defence secretary, chancellor, defence secretary, they all stay around the cabinet table to c

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, brussels.ren 0sborne with terrorism—related murder and attempted murder after the attack at attempted murder after the attack at a mosque in finsbury park in lorca london in the early hours of monday morning. 0ne london in the early hours of monday morning. one man died at the scene and nine other people were taken to hospital. the 47—year—old from cardiff appeared in court this afternoon and was remanded in custody. 0ur correspondent daniel sa ndford custody. 0ur correspondent daniel sandford reports. darren 0sborne being driven off to prison after his first court appearance this afternoon. he's accused of the murder and attempted murder of a group of muslims leaving prayers. in the dock, with a detective on either side, he'd confirmed that he was 47 years old and said he has no address. he appeared to have a black eye. the prosecution said it was their case that darren 0sborne was motivated by extreme political views and a personal hatred of muslims. they said he had acted deliberately to kil

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, birmingham.mind you there are 650 seats or constituencies around the country. the number required for an absolute majority is 326. in 2015 the conservatives won 331 seats. rob watson has steered us through the campaign these past weeks, he is in westminster for us tonight. good evening. the final line in that report was that this is a decision that will affect our lifetimes. and this time around it is that profound because of brexit and the direction the parties want to take us in. that is one strange thing about this rather strange election. that the sta kes rather strange election. that the stakes could not possibly be higher. after a ll stakes could not possibly be higher. after all whoever wins the election gets to decide the path in the world of the uk after being a member of the eu for more than a0 years. that affects the place in the world, security arrangements, diplomacy, economics, everything. but yet despite the stakes being so high it is difficult to imagine a campaign that feels less

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, brussels.ews stories: five people have died after being electrocuted at a water park in turkey. the first three victims were children swimming in a pool. the park owner and his son died when they tried to rescue them. a sixth person was injured and two people received shocks. the colombian president, juan manuel santos, says the farc rebel group will finish disarming later on friday — another landmark in the peace process. there's no confirmation yet from the un which is supervising the disarmament process. do stay with us here on bbc news. still to come: putting muslims in the mainstream: the new rom—com challenging conventions across america. members of the neo—nazi resistance movement stormed the world trade center armed with pistols and shotguns. we believe that, according to international law, that we have a right to claim certain parts of this country as ourland. i take pride in the words "ich bin ein berliner." cheering and applause chapman, prison pale and slightly chubby, said not a si

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, birmingham.ces on offer from labour and the conservatives in tomorrow's election? the conservatives' number one goal is to deliver the best brexit dealfor britain. they plan to increase the nhs budget in england by £8 billion pounds over the next five years. they've restated their pledge to cut immigration to the tens of thousands. and they say they will achieve a balanced budget by 2025. labour have a brexit deal in mind too, putting the economy and living standards first. they promise to end austerity and invest in public services and they'll increase taxes on business and the highest paid. they say they will nationalise a number of companies, and abolish tuition fees for university students in england. 0ur deputy political editor, john pienaar, reports. it may feel like a long march, this election, but then britain is deciding its future, choosing between candidates to run the country. whether you havejoined the battle like the labour faithful here in runcorn today, all you had other pressing

laura kuenssberg, theresa may has got deal, but how much stronger is her politically?mbo is like she has been flying around in a limbo experiencing turbulence in the disappointing election results. she has now come into land, if you like, budget has landed on very shaky ground. there is concern inside the conservative party about the image of this deal being tied to the image of this deal being tied to the dup in this kind of way, there is also real anger from some of the other parties, and in cardiff, edinburgh and probably the north of england too, if the dup has managed to get this extra cash for northern ireland, what about the rest of the country? but i think it comes down to the brute force of the numbers — without this deal, theresa may did not have a majority in the house of commons, without this deal, therefore there was absolutely no guarantee that she would be able to get anything done, and without this deal, she was very vulnerable to any kind of confidence vote and simply not being able to get her queen's speech through the commons later this week. so what

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, brussels.commander has pleaded guilty to 200 terrorism offences, including five murders. gary haggarty admitted the crimes as part of a deal to give evidence against other senior members of the ulster volunteer force. he's due to be sentenced in september. from belfast crown court, our ireland correspondent chris page reports. during the troubles, the uvf took more lives than any other loyalist paramilitary organisation. it killed more than 500 people. one of its commanders was this man, gary haggarty. he's pleaded guilty to 200 offences. the prosecution case document runs to around 12,000 pages, covering 16 violent years from 1991. two of the five men who haggarty has admitted murdering were gary convie and eamon fox. the catholic workmen were shot dead at a building site 23 years ago. haggarty was an informer for the security forces at the time. eamon fox's son believes his father's death was preventable. i don't care about the uvf. they'll meet their maker some day. but it's the police, the

our political editor laura kuenssberg has more detail. will remember that reason they decided to stick with her ambition of reducing net migration, the difference between the number of people who move away and the number who settle here permanently, to under 100,000, when she published a manifesto. it was controversial to do that because the target was missed my miles by the tories since 2010. but they resolutely refused to give a timetable, to give a deadline. when asked this afternoon by reporters whether it means the end of this parliament by 2022, she said "that is what we are working for, although it will not be easy". it is significant as it is the first time she has gone anywhere near assessing a timetable. but it is awkward. david davies told bbc question time that it cannot be promised within five years. tory sources are playing this down and said it is always clear, there is no strict deadline, thatis clear, there is no strict deadline, that is not what theresa may was saying. that there is no disagreement. in their view they ar