good evening. he's insisted numerous times since the general election was called that he would not stand as a candidate — but today he changed his mind, and possibly how the election will play out. nigel farage says he's going to take over leading the reform uk party and will run as a candidate for it in the seat of clacton in essex. he put down his sudden change of heart to the millions of people he says he doesn't want to let down. our special correspondent lucy manning has all the details. mr farage, are you standing? well, we'll find in a moment, won't we? why did you change your mind? who knows? who says i have? well, you said a few weeks ago, well, you said ten days ago you weren't going to stand, so why the change? did you ever change your mind about anything ever? he said he wouldn't, but now he will. a major u—turn. a change of heart thrust nigel farage into the heart of the general election campaign. i've changed my mind. it's allowed, you know. it's not always a sign of weakness. it could potentially be a sign of strength. so i am going to stand in this election. margaret thatcher famously said she wasn't for turning. you are obviously for turning. why the massive u—turn all of a sudden? this is the old thing about hearts and heads, isn't it? you know, i rationally thought this was too difficult. i've changed my mind because i can't let down millions of people who would feel let down by me, unless i was at the front and led this charge over the course of the next five and a half years. a reform uk source says mr farage loves the theatre of it all and he certainly put himself centre stage at this election. the worry for the conservatives is that he will divert votes away from them. mr farage, who'd been called a chicken for not running, was also announced as the new reform uk leader. unlike other parties, without any sort of vote. when the election was called, mr farage had said it was too soon and he was also too busy with us politics. six weeks is such a short period of time to fight a parliamentary constituency and promote the cause around the country. and you know, i think rishi sunak has wrong—footed an awful lot of people, myself included. nigel paul farage. he's tried seven times before to be an mp, so will it be eighth time lucky in clacton, in essex? the seaside town, big brexit voters and previously had a ukip mp. today's announcement making waves. i wouldn't want in running the country. but some of the things he says and does, it is good old british style. you know, i think if he run for the clacton, i he will win, win it. i don't understand why people focus so much on him when he doesn't bring anything other than division and difficulties. the tories say reform uk won't win any seats, so voting for them only helps labour and they claim nigel farage is giving keir starmer a blank cheque. but the reform uk leader says he will surprise everyone again, and that will worry the conservatives. lucy manning, bbc news. and here is the list of candidates we know about so far standing in the clacton constituency. the bbc news website will have a complete list, once they're all confirmed. the labour leader, sir keir starmer, says if he becomes pm he would be prepared to use nuclear weapons to defend the uk. at a campaign event in bury, he said his party would increase defence spending and update the country's nuclear arsenal. both the tories and labour are keen to make national security a prominent issue in this election, as our political editor chris mason reports. the fusilier museum, in bury, in greater manchester is a shrine to military service. today, the man who wants to be prime minister wants to convince you the country would be safe in his hands. look at those around him — they have each served in the forces. they are now labour candidates. national security is the most important issue of our times. something which, of course, is always true. and which, for us, if we are privileged to serve our country, will become our solemn responsibility. and labour is promising to keep the uk's nuclear weapons if it wins. keir starmer, you could be prime minister next month. if circumstances necessitated it, would you authorise the firing of nuclear weapons — yes or no? it's a vital part of our defence, and of course that means we have to be prepared to use it. how things have changed. i can't imagine being invited to a place like this for a speech by his predecessor, jeremy corbyn... i want to be here because of my belief in a nuclear—free future! ..here addressing a campaign for nuclear disarmament rally in 2016. in that same year, half a dozen members of the current shadow cabinet voted against renewing the uk's nuclear weapons. has the labour leopard really changed its spots on defence? i lead this party. i've changed this party. if we are privileged to come in to serve, i will be the prime minister of the united kingdom. and i have got my whole shadow cabinet behind me. one of those opponents eight years ago, labour's now deputy leader — she backs the current policy, but chose to mention something today her boss did not. globally, we should be looking at disarmament of nuclear weapons, but that has to be done in combination with other countries. the scottish national party are opposed to nuclear weapons, the liberal democrats criticise conservative cuts to the army, and the tories are having a go at labour. you have got starmer promising everything on defence, 2.5%- when conditions allow. i would love to do everything i when conditions allow, it's just, you can't believe a word this guy says _ so, let's talk about money with the man who could be keir starmer�*s defence secretary in a matter of weeks. you've talked about labour spending 2.5% of national income on defence, but you've not put a timeframe on it. it's meaningless, isn't it, without a time frame? we must increase defence spending to deal with the increasing threats we face. but by when? we'll undertake a defence review within the first year, where we'll look at the threats we face, the capabilities we need, and we will set the plan to hit 2.5% as part of that review. labour look and sound very different on defence than they did. the question for you is how that might change your view of them, or not. chris mason, bbc news, in bury. the conservatives have pledged to update equality laws, to define sex as someone�*s biological sex at birth. they say current confusion over definitions cannot be allowed to continue — and updating the law would make biological sex a protected characteristic. they claim that means it would be easier to create protected spaces for women and girls. labour say the law doesn't need to be amended and accuse the conservatives of stoking a culture war. here's alex forsyth. flanked by young footballers, the prime minister claimed today he was tackling an issue to improve the safety of women and girls. the conservatives want to change the equality act so sex would mean biological sex. they say that would make it clearer that single sex spaces, from public toilets to refuges, can be for biological women and girls only, not those born male, even they have legally changed their sex on their birth certificate. the equalities minister claims this is necessary because there has been confusion and legal challenges over the issue. we have, you know, rapists being put in women's prisons and that being said to be legal. we can'tjust leave this and say, "oh, well, you know, we'lljust put out some more guidance." we've put out the guidance, it's not working, people going to court, endless tribunals. we need to settle this once and for all. labour point out there is already provision for single sex spaces. they would issue more guidance, but claim the tories are just trying to divert attention. we've seen, whether it's through this or national service, i think an attempt by the conservatives to generate some debates which are not about the economy, or the nhs, or law and order and criminaljustice to move away from those issues where the conservatives have an appalling record. even the lib dems, no stranger to political stunts of their own, called this a distraction to stoke a culture war. where a public service needs to have further guidance, we are happy to issue that guidance, but let's not pick apart legislation that reflects the hard—fought and hard—won protections given to women, to trans women, and to all sorts of people from protected characteristics. the conservatives have been accused of trying to stoke tensions, not least in other political parties. they say it's a point of principle. this is a complex and sensitive area that can involve balancing the rights of those involved, and it's already been proven this issue is not easy to navigate. tensions were brought to the fore when the scottish government tried to change the law to make it easier for people to change their legal sex, only to be blocked by uk ministers. now the tories say decisions on this issue should be taken in westminster — not something welcomed by the snp. it's just another example of undermining the powers of the scottish parliament. now, obviously i don't want to see that, because i believe we should have a parliament with the full range of powers to tackle all of the issues that affect the people of scotland. so, a policy change that's needed, or an issue being used as a political football? another point of contention in this campaign. alex forsyth, bbc news. let's go back to chris mason. rishi sunak and keir starmer are out on the campaign trail today. which is most likely to be affected by the announcement of a candidate for a sleet bear seat in clacton? without cuestion, sleet bear seat in clacton? without question. the _ sleet bear seat in clacton? without question, the conservatives. - sleet bear seat in clacton? without question, the conservatives. the . question, the conservatives. the kind of news that nightmares are made of for the conservatives. nigel farage, tory tormentor in chief, relaxed and jocular, enjoying the idea of making the conservative party, a party he once belonged to, really squirm. why? because plenty of conservatives conclude that quite a few of their recent voters are lowered by reform uk and already were. and they now fear the prospect of nigel farage being much more prominent will enhance the magnetism of that party. it's notjust that nigel farage is going to be a candidate, it is that he is assuming the leadership of the party, but will give him a platform and profile that he simply wouldn't have had in his other role as an honorary president. in other words, his other role as an honorary president. in otherwords, nigel farage isjust where he president. in otherwords, nigel farage is just where he loves to be, centre stage and disrupting. and this matters not because of him, loved by some, loathed by others, it's because of his capacity to shape the mood and the outlook of one of the big actors in this campaign. in other words, one of the big actors in this campaign. in otherwords, the conservative party. how do they react to the prospect of nigel farage out and about with much greater prominence? and all over this, on the eve of the first big set piece moment of the campaign, the head to head a prime ministerial debate between rishi sunak and keir starmer happening on television tomorrow night. the first televised leadership debate of the general election is taking place in glasgow tonight. and there've been robust exchanges between leaders from the snp, scottish conservatives, scottish labour and scottish liberal democrats. 0ur scotland editorjames cook has been watching. ready or not, here they come. the first of many election debates is under way. first of many election debates is under way-— first of many election debates is under wa . ,., ., ., .., under way. good evening and welcome to the leaders — under way. good evening and welcome to the leaders debate. _ under way. good evening and welcome to the leaders debate. with _ under way. good evening and welcome to the leaders debate. with scotland . to the leaders debate. with scotland centre stage. _ to the leaders debate. with scotland centre stage, the _ to the leaders debate. with scotland centre stage, the leaders _ to the leaders debate. with scotland centre stage, the leaders began - to the leaders debate. with scotland centre stage, the leaders began by l centre stage, the leaders began by pitching for votes. {lit centre stage, the leaders began by pitching for votes.— pitching for votes. of the snp win, the will pitching for votes. of the snp win, they will claim _ pitching for votes. of the snp win, they will claim every _ pitching for votes. of the snp win, they will claim every seat - pitching for votes. of the snp win, they will claim every seat as - pitching for votes. of the snp win, they will claim every seat as a - they will claim every seat as a mandate for independence. they will be distracted from the local issues you care about. in key seats up and down scotland, if everybody who wants to beat the snp votes together for the scottish conservatives, we can end their obsession with independence for good. scotland can't afford _ independence for good. scotland can't afford five _ independence for good. scotland can't afford five more _ independence for good. scotland can't afford five more years - independence for good. scotland can't afford five more years of. independence for good. scotland | can't afford five more years of this rotten _ can't afford five more years of this rotten tory— can't afford five more years of this rotten tory government. we can't miss— rotten tory government. we can't miss this _ rotten tory government. we can't miss this opportunity for change. so every— miss this opportunity for change. so every vote _ miss this opportunity for change. so every vote for scottish labour is a vote to _ every vote for scottish labour is a vote to make sure we get rid of the tories, _ vote to make sure we get rid of the tories, maximise scotland's influence _ tories, maximise scotland's influence and deliver the change scotland — influence and deliver the change scotland needs. we influence and deliver the change scotland needs.— influence and deliver the change scotland needs. we all know the westminster _ scotland needs. we all know the westminster system _ scotland needs. we all know the westminster system is - scotland needs. we all know the westminster system is broken. l scotland needs. we all know the - westminster system is broken. it has delivered _ westminster system is broken. it has delivered austerity, _ westminster system is broken. it has delivered austerity, brexit _ westminster system is broken. it has delivered austerity, brexit and - westminster system is broken. it has delivered austerity, brexit and the i delivered austerity, brexit and the cost of— delivered austerity, brexit and the cost of living — delivered austerity, brexit and the cost of living crisis. _ delivered austerity, brexit and the cost of living crisis. scotland - cost of living crisis. scotland deserves _ cost of living crisis. scotland deserves better. _ cost of living crisis. scotland deserves better.— cost of living crisis. scotland deserves better. scottish liberal democrats _ deserves better. scottish liberal democrats are _ deserves better. scottish liberal democrats are all _ deserves better. scottish liberal democrats are all about - deserves better. scottish liberal democrats are all about help. i deserves better. scottish liberal i democrats are all about help. and deserves better. scottish liberal - democrats are all about help. and we are part of the change that is coming. in the next parliament, we will be working for a better britain, to restore yourfaith in politics and fix our broken relationship with europe. the debate cuickl relationship with europe. the debate quickly turned _ relationship with europe. the debate quickly turned to _ relationship with europe. the debate quickly turned to the _ relationship with europe. the debate quickly turned to the economy - relationship with europe. the debate quickly turned to the economy and l quickly turned to the economy and north sea oil. irate quickly turned to the economy and north sea oil-— north sea oil. we would do a windfall tax _ north sea oil. we would do a windfall tax on _ north sea oil. we would do a windfall tax on oil— north sea oil. we would do a windfall tax on oil and - north sea oil. we would do a windfall tax on oil and gas i north sea oil. we would do a - windfall tax on oil and gas giants, to make _ windfall tax on oil and gas giants, to make sure we are putting more money— to make sure we are putting more money into— to make sure we are putting more money into peoples pockets, to lower their bills, _ money into peoples pockets, to lower their bills, as well as investing in a clean _ their bills, as well as investing in a clean energy of the future to lower— a clean energy of the future to lower bills for good. the danger with our lower bills for good. the danger with your position _ lower bills for good. the danger with your position is _ lower bills for good. the danger with your position is that - lower bills for good. the danger with your position is that it - lower bills for good. the danger with your position is that it willl with your position is that it will lead to the loss of tens of thousands ofjobs in the north—east of scotland. that is a price not worth paying. of scotland. that is a price not worth paying-— of scotland. that is a price not worth -a inc. , ., , worth paying. the parties have been bereft of ideas, _ worth paying. the parties have been bereft of ideas, they _ worth paying. the parties have been bereft of ideas, they have _ worth paying. the parties have been bereft of ideas, they have not - bereft of ideas, they have not driven — bereft of ideas, they have not driven down reliance on fossil fuels until the _ driven down reliance on fossil fuels until the steps to bring about the transition — until the steps to bring about the transition. ., ., ., ., transition. you will not hear me at an time transition. you will not hear me at any time in _ transition. you will not hear me at any time in this _ transition. you will not hear me at any time in this campaign - any time in this campaign downplaving _ any time in this campaign downplaying the - any time in this campaign downplaying the difficultl downplaying the difficult circumstances _ downplaying the difficult circumstances facing - downplaying the difficult - circumstances facing people in scotland. _ circumstances facing people in scotland, across _ circumstances facing people in scotland, across the _ circumstances facing people in scotland, across the whole - circumstances facing people in scotland, across the whole ofl circumstances facing people in i scotland, across the whole of the circumstances facing people in - scotland, across the whole of the uk and in _ scotland, across the whole of the uk and in many — scotland, across the whole of the uk and in many parts _ scotland, across the whole of the uk and in many parts of— scotland, across the whole of the uk and in many parts of the _ scotland, across the whole of the uk and in many parts of the world. - already plenty of food for thought. here tonight, this debate is not over yet. clearly that was a snapshot but even in that snapshot we have learnt a few things about this campaign and also there has been a reminder of how much has happened in the last few years, because the principal discussion was about the economy, the cost of living and in that there was talk of covid, brexit, liz truss, the climate crisis, so a lot that has happened over the past few years. the second theme was there was discussion about policy areas that are not the responsibility of westminster, they are the responsibility of the scottish government but nonetheless, some of those are determined by how much funding is allocated at westminster. and then the third theme emerged is, guess what, the constitution. the bubbling debate about independence in scotland still is there under the surface. it is not going away, it won't go away for this campaign either. you've told us that you want to be more involved in this election campaign, so we want to hear from you in your voice, your vote. tell us which issues really matter to you and where you want us to report from and why. keep your suggestions coming during the campaign — you can find details of how to submit them on the bbc news app. and if you want more on the election then newsnight�*s where you should go, here's victoria derbyshire. tonight how much damage could nigel farage due to both the conservatives and labour? plus there is so much chatter about the latest opinion polls, what is going on? sojohn curtice is with us live. join us live on bbc two and i play at half past ten. there are mixed signals tonight from the israeli government about whether they will agree to a us peace plan for gaza. the israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, says israel could start adopting parts of the plan, but not unless it leads to the total destruction of hamas. tonight it's been confirmed that four hostages are dead, including one british—israeli man nadav popplewell. last week, president biden set out a three—part peace plan, starting with an initial six—week ceasefire leading to an end in the fighting, the freeing of all the hostages and the reconstruction of gaza without hamas in power. 0ur middle east correspondent lucy williamson hears from people inside gaza and in the town of sderot on the israel—gaza border, to gauge reaction to the new plan. the price of gaza's war is rising as its cities crumble. the price of peace too high for leaders on both sides. israel said it had bombed more than 50 targets since yesterday. but hamas is still fighting here, and hopes for the new ceasefire deal were mixed. translation: hamas should | raise its demands and seriously adhere to the conditions they set, which are the people's demands. translation: hamas, accept the deal. it's enough. enough of what we lost. we urge hamas to stop the war. israel's prime minister is negotiating on two fronts. his far right allies say he must continue the war until hamas is destroyed, or they'll bring down the government. he's insisted his conditions for a ceasefire haven't changed. translation: we have gone a long way i to return the hostages while keeping i the war�*s objectives in mind, primarily the elimination of hamas. we insist that we will achieve both. it's all part of the plan, not something i've just added. but hamas has said it won't free more hostages without a guarantee the war will end. tonight, israel learned that four more captives were confirmed to have died — chaim peri, yoram metzger, amiram cooper, and british israeli nadav popplewell. after almost eight months of war, much of northern gaza lies in ruins, but israel's prime minister is struggling to end the war because he hasn't achieved his war goals. he hasn't brought back all the hostages, he hasn't destroyed hamas. the us president says hamas is no longer capable of carrying out the kind of attack it did on the 7th of october, but israelis living here by the gaza border say they still don't feel safe. this is the last time yarin saw her neighbourhood. trapped in her home in sderot by the gaza border, as hamas gunman ran through the streets. she and her three children fled tojerusalem the next day. a ceasefire now, she says, won't be enough to send them home. we will free the hostages, but a few years from now your life will be... you will be the next hostages, you will be the next people that get murdered, the women that get raped, all of this will happen again. the ceasefire will kill us. ending this conflict rests with the leaders of israel and hamas, locked in a war for their own survival. lucy williamson, bbc news, sderot. around 500,000 families haven't received their child benefit payments, which were due to be put into their accounts today. hm revenue & customs say a technical issue meant some of today's bank transfers weren't made. but the problem has now been fixed and those affected will be paid on wednesday morning. theo leggett reports. like hundreds of thousands of other parents, susan macdonald was expecting her child benefit to be paid today. the disabled mother of two says she needs the money to pay for essentials like food and electricity. it didn't arrive. we rely on that money every week. it's £a2 that you get for two kids, and that is a lot of money to people like myself. and i can't imagine what other people must be feeling, the exact same way. it's so frustrating. child benefit is worth £25.60 per week for the eldest child and £16.95 a week for younger children. many families on low incomes depend on it. hmrc says a processing error meant that three out of ten payments due today didn't go through. in a statement it said, "we are very sorry that some customers did not receive their scheduled child benefit payments as expected, and we understand the concern and difficulty this may have caused. but those affected will still have to wait until wednesday before getting their money. i don't even know what i'm going to do. that's really stressful. i'm going to have to maybe speak to a friend to borrow money for gas and electric. i have no idea. hmrc says if people have been left out of pocket — for example, if they've been fined for late payments — they may be able to obtain compensation by making a complaint online. and it's promised that people who are due to get child benefit tomorrow will be paid without a hitch. theo leggett, bbc news. joe biden's son hunter has gone on trial today on gun charges — the first prosecution in us history for the child of a sitting president. the 54—year—old denies three criminal charges stemming from his purchase of a handgun in 2018. the prosecution claim he was heavily addicted to drugs at the time. tom bateman is outside the courthouse in wilmington, delaware. this trial for hunter biden is serious enough but it couldn't come at a worse time for his father. that's right. five months before a presidential election and a trial here due to put in a very public glare the personal life and allegations of serial drug abuse of the son of the united states president. hunter biden arrived here first thing this morning with members of the bythe and family. among them his stepmother, the first ladyjill biden, who sat in court all dayjust around a metre or so away from hunter biden in the public seats, just behind him. i was in the press gallery and saw him glance back to her as the proceedings began. they have selected a jury today, all of this dates back to the purchase in 2018 of a handgun here in wilmington by hunter biden. the prosecution allege he lied on a form, the application form by not declaring he was a drug user at the time. the defence will argue he couldn't knowingly have described himself as a drug addict at that moment, but it is some of the political overtones that will also dominate the coverage here in the us as republicans have tried to link scandal around hunter biden unsuccessfully to joe scandal around hunter biden unsuccessfully tojoe biden. he says he will not comment on a legal case but as a father, he is standing by his son. ., ., ~ ,., there have been scenes ofjubilation in mexico city's zocalo square, as thousands of people celebrate the election of mexico's first female president. claudia sheinbaum won about 60% of the vote in sunday's election. she's an environmental scientist turned politician and considered a protege of the previous president. she insists, though, her predecessor will wield no influence over her government. will grant reports. it's a new day in mexican politics. after two centuries of men in power, when voters eventually chose their first female president, it was with a landslide. the victory itself was a moment to savour for claudia sheinbaum, and she was quick to acknowledge the many women who blazed a trail before her. "i didn't get here on my own. we got here together," she said. "thanks to our ancestors, our mothers, our daughters and granddaughters." in a nation of such entrenched machismo, what claudia sheinbaum has achieved here is no small feat. other women have tried and failed, but her offer of continuity with the governing party's social policies, which have pulled millions from poverty, have proved hugely popular with the electorate. this election has been historic for all the wrong reasons, too. it's been mexico's most violent campaign in living memory, with dozens of candidates murdered as they sought votes. in the city of zelaya, a mayoral candidate with ms sheinbaum's own party was gunned down in the street. her murder a sign of the task ahead for the president—elect, one which her critics say she isn't up to. rather, they say, she'll be a puppet of her authoritarian mentor, president andres manuel lopez 0brador. speaking to the bbc during the campaign, she denied that accusation. of course, i am of the same movement with lopez 0brador. we fought together for 20 years, or more than 20 years, to have the government that we have now and the opportunity for mexican people and the right for mexican people the rights. and of course, i'm going to leave a different time in history. viva mexico! mexico may have turned a corner with claudia sheinbaum's win, but it is still a nation where women are treated as inferior, where 11 women and girls are murdered every single day. to curtail that violence, she must now succeed where so many men before her have failed. will grant, bbc news, mexico city. football and in the warm—up matches for next month's euros tournament, scotland and england have been in action. andy swiss reports. for england fans of every generation, you could hear the excitement. st james's park awash with optimism. with the euros just 11 days away, this was a chance for some of the fringe players to stake their claim. among them, aston villa's 0llie watkins, who forced an early save. but bosnia—herzegovina were proving no pushovers. with the break, it was goalless and it was frustrating. but then a bit of shirt pulling, a var check and a penalty to england. step forward cole palmer to fire them in front. the king of the spot kicks. the young chelsea star showing his ice cool composure. would england now ease clear? well, eventually they did. the moment of the match from trent alexander—arnold extended their lead, before harry kane rounded things off. farfrom their best but for england, still a 3—0 win. victory then for the fans here to celebrate but plenty to work on. england will be hoping for a more fluent performance when they face iceland in theirfinal warm—up game on friday. scotland continued their preparations against gibraltar, world ranking 203. sounds easy? well, think again. chance after chance went begging for scotland until after the break, ryan christie lashed them ahead. at long, long last, scotland do get the breakthrough. and with the deadlock finally broken, che adams thumped home their advantage. a 2—0 win for scotland but they know far tougher tests await. andy swiss, bbc news. with poignant timing, the day after the death of the leeds rhino player rob burrow from motor neurone disease, work began today to build a centre in his name for mnd sufferers — he raised funds for it and also helped in its design. the 41—year—old left this last message to be broadcast after his death. by the time that you watch this, i will no longer be here. i hope i have left a mark on the disease. i hope it shows to live in the moment. i hope you find inspiration from the whole story. my final message to you is, whatever your personal battle, be brave and face it. every single day is precious. don't waste a moment. in a world full of adversity, we must still dare to dream. rob burrow, over and out. a remarkable man — and a very brave one. the last public words of rob burrow who died yesterday.