this is bbc news. the headlines at 6.00pm: the environment secretary, michael gove, suggests the government could support a lifting of the 1% pay cap for public sector workers. council tenants whose services have been disrupted by the grenfell tower fire have their rent suspended. italy calls on other european countries to let in rescue ships — more than 80,000 migrants have arrived there since the start of the year. the irish government criticises the uk's decision to withdraw from an agreement allowing foreign countries to fish in its waters as "unwelcome and unhelpful". also in the next hour: could battery powered planes be the future of flying? we'll take an exclusive look at an experimental electric plane. wimbledon fans set up camp as they

queue for tickets for the play, starting tomorrow. good evening and welcome to bbc news. the environment secretary, michael gove, has suggested the government could support a lifting of the 1% pay cap for public sector workers as calls grow for ministers to ease austerity measures. he told the bbc‘s andrew marr show the government should "respect the integrity" of the independent bodies that review pay for groups including nurses, teachers and the police. 0ur political correspondent emma vardy reports. complaining about seven years of austerity, "not one day more" was the slogan for protesters yesterday. the plan to drive down the deficit has meant year after year of pay freezes and caps for some 5 million public sector workers. but that could be about to change. the environment secretary, michael gove, said that

if independent pay review bodies recommend a rise, then the government should accept it. i think we should listen to the pay review bodies who govern each individual area of public sector pay. public sector workers have effectively had a 1% cap on pay rises since 2013 and a two—year pay freeze before that. there are eight independent bodies which make recommendations to the government about the pay of public sector workers including teachers, police and nhs staff. but the government is not bound by these recommendations. it is up to the prime minister and the various secretaries of state to decide how to respond to their advice. there has been scepticism over whether the pay review bodies are truly independent. they work under the overall strategy set by the government? they take account of that, but they also take account of other questions as well, including the number of people

who are entering the profession, and whether we need to increase pay in order to get the best people in the profession. these pay review bodies have been set up in order to ensure that we can have authoritative advice on what's required, in order to ensure that the public services on which we rely are effectively staffed, and the people within them are effectively supported. in march, the nhs pay review body warned the cap was putting stress on the health service. this month, we are due to find out the recommendations being made for the pay of police and teachers. we are saying to the pay review bodies, get rid of the 1% cap and give a fair pay rise. i think they should consider giving people a pay rise in line with earnings. it's no longerjust opposition parties who want an end to the long—running freeze on public sector pay. now, conservative backbenchers are also lobbying for a change. joining us now from brighton is the conservative mp for lewes,

and former nurse, maria caulfield. good evening to you. good evening. what would you like to see the government to about this pay temp one? i said in my speech in this debate last week that the pay temp one, which i had to endure as a nurse is betting huge pressure on public sector workers. they are not paid a great deal in the first place because there is no end in sight, it is causing great anxiety. it can't be right that a nurse in the nhs turns £26,000 a year but a manager is on £45,000 a year. it is notjust about the pay cap, but the pay structure as well. does that mean scrap the cap? is that your message to government? it needs to be more sophisticated than that. there are

people across the public sector that are ina people across the public sector that are in a significant amount of money and if you just lifted the pay cap they would be getting pay rises, too. i'm thinking about chief executives of trusts that are on hundreds of thousands of pounds. i think we need to be more of this, we need to be targeting the small amount of money that we've got to the people at the front line because they are the ones that carried those services for the last ten years. er conservative mp. you pop the selection on a manifesto that said this pay cap would go on past the 2020 election. what changed? we were on the doorsteps in their general election. it was meant to be an election. it was meant to be an election on brexit but it was anything but. people were worried about school funding, public sector pay and needed to be addressed. we

have heard that now we need to do something about it. would you not accept there is confusion at the top of government, we are hearing different messages from different ministers as to whether this change ta ke ministers as to whether this change take place. the government have a very difficultjob to do. the deficit is costing the country £46 billion a year in interest alone. we can't just through austerity billion a year in interest alone. we can'tjust through austerity i've com pletely can'tjust through austerity i've completely because if we start spending uncontrollably against those interest payments will only get higher. the government has a difficult balancing act to do but for me the priority has to be public sector workers, they have to be top of the agenda. but if we pay public sector workers and left that cap that will cost about £6 billion, so something else will have to give. thank you. more than 80,000 migrants have arrived in italy in the first six months of the year .the united nations high commissioner for refugees has

added its voice to those calling for italy to be given more support, as it deals with large numbers of migrants crossing the mediterranean. earlier, our correspondent richard galpin gave us this update. it isa it is a huge challenge and there has been a big spike in the past week. in two days more than 12,000 migrants were picked up. 0bviously, this is higher than what they had in the same period last year. the figures have really gone up a lot. the italians are very, very worried. there is a meeting taking place today between interior ministers of italy, france and germany. we think it will start later on this evening, in which this issue will be discussed. italy says it can't cope any more and it has to have much more support from all the other members of the european union. it feels very much isolated. it is not

getting the support that it needs because financially and logistically it is very burden —— burdensome and the need help. are they looking specifically to mediterranean coastal countries, spain and greece, 01’ coastal countries, spain and greece, orfurther coastal countries, spain and greece, or further afield? it is everywhere. everyone will look to germany for money. they're looking across to hold european union. this meeting will take place today, then another this week in talyllyn in estonia when it will be a product of interior ministers who will try to thrash the site. italy are saying they cannot cope. there seems to be anecdotal evidence of this. i was talking to an ngo that runs one of the rescue ships, german organisation called the watch, they have picked up record numbers. they have picked up record numbers. they have far too many people on the boat. it was beyond the safety limits of the boat. they needed to disembark those people onto a bigger ship off at sea. they appealed for

this. they went to the communication centre in room, or spoke to them on the radio, can't you get the ball to us? they said they would but nothing came. the allegation is that this is deliberate. the other thing the italians have threatened his that they make those airports to any ngo ships bringing migrants into italy. and the motivations for people making these treacherous journeys remain as poor in many parts, particularly the middle east, poverty and parts of africa. yes, it isa mix. poverty and parts of africa. yes, it is a mix. certainly, what's the watch was saying to me is that they give a list of nationalities and said people from sub—saharan africa, quite a lot of them come from economic reasons. from countries like syria, libya, bangladesh, it is

economic development. it is a real mix. the new commissioner was saying that he believes the majority of them are a regular migrants, as they describe them. rob macgillivray is the search and rescue director with save the children he joins me now via web link from ardrossan in scotland. the italians are clearly worried about the pressure they are under. do you sympathise with their concerns? yes. save the children sympathises with the italian government. i think that europe and indeed the world owes a debt of gratitude to the italian governments for them keeping their doors opened to very vulnerable people. but the solution is not for italy to close its doors. this solution in part is for other european nations to open their doors, step up to the plate and give asylum to vulnerable

people. do you get the sense that other european countries are willing to do that? not as yet. there is the advocacy issue. we need to have other european countries open their doors. if for example italy does close its doors, our understanding is that they will not close the point entirely, but they will close the ports to non—italian registered vessels. save the children has a vessels. save the children has a vessel registered in italy, but that puts more pressure on providers like save the children who have italian registered vessels to rescue people in the mediterranean. we call on italy to keep the doors open, but we call on other european countries to open bears. people may feelthat we have been here before. certainly last summer and we saw similar

scenes and similar debates were had about how to deal with the issue. have we learned nothing from the events of 12 months ago? i think the learning is that as far as our mandate is concerned, we will continue to rescue people in the mediterranean. it is not really within our responsibility to offer a big political solutions. our mandate is simply to rescue people. thank you for coming on. the irish government has criticised britain's decision to withdraw from the london fisheries convention, which gives boats from ireland, france, belgium, germany and the netherlands access to waters close to the uk coast. the irish agriculture minister, michael creed, described the announcement as "unwelcome and unhelpful. " the government says leaving the london fisheries convention will allow the uk to take back control of access to its fishing rights. daniela relph reports. the uk fishing industry

is a multi—million pound business. but the government says britain's exit from the european union is a chance to build a new domestic fishing policy. the withdrawal from the london fisheries convention will prevent vessels from france, belgium, germany, ireland and the netherlands fishing within 6—12 nautical miles of the uk's coastline. but it won't be a quick process. britain's departure from the convention will take around two years. environment secretary michael gove said triggering the withdrawal from the agreement would lead to a more competitive, profitable and sustainable industry for the whole of the uk. the london fisheries convention was signed in 1964. it currently allows other countries to catch 10,000 tonnes of fish from uk waters, worth approximately £17 million. the government believes leaving the convention will allow britain to take back control of its fishing policy. a man has been arrested by police

after a 16—year—old girl was killed and six other teenagers injured by a car in croydon in south london early this morning. the man, in his 30s, is being questioned on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. officers are appealing for any witnesses. kensington and chelsea council is suspending rent for residents of buildings around grenfell tower whose services have been disrupted because of the fire. meanwhile, some campaigners say victims of the disaster could boycott the public inquiry unless its scope is widened. 0ur correspondent simonjones reports. the devastating fire that claimed so many lives has opened up a gulf between residents and the council elected to represent them. is this the first good decision you have made? the leader nicholas paget—brown is on his way out but labour council member beinazir lasharie, who has just returned to her home

in the shadow of grenfell tower, says change is needed quickly. now that he has resigned, who is taking responsibility? who will he palm this off to? yes, he should resign but he needs to take responsibility. people need to be in place to manage what is going on here. as the community mourns the dead, the government says the new leader will be chosen by the council itself. commissioners from outside will not be sent in. it is warning it will intervene if it needs to. the absolute priority remains looking after the victims, their family and friends, making sure they get everything they need and in doing so, when it comes to local council, nothing is off the table. the council insist the disaster was so huge any authority would have struggled to cope. but it says it wants to learn lessons. when that new leader has been elected, we have to revise how we have come across and we have to be more proactive. we have to listen more,

we have to show the residents that we really are on their side. it is a tough task. and a warning from both the government and residents — you must get it right this time. the headlines on bbc news: the environment secretary, michael gove, has suggested the government could support a lifting of the 1% pay cap for public sector workers, amid growing calls for ministers to ease austerity. germany, france and italy's interior ministers meet for crisis talks as italy warns the influx of migrants into the country is unsustainable. labour's shadow environment secretary says the government's quite provocative decision to remove from an agreement to allow other european countries to fish off british waters could put trade talks at risk. blown—out vehicles in the centre

of the syrian capital. the suicide bomber detonated their device just before eight o'clock this morning. the streets near tahrir square in central damascus had been busy, as people here return for their first full day of work after celebrating the end of the holy month of ramadan. the car had been surrounded by the syrian authorities when it exploded, killing at least 19 people, injuring several others. the blast shattered windows and damaged buildings in the area, which has now been cordoned off. syrian authorities say they blew up two other would—be bombers before they entered the city. these state television pictures showed what they say is the damage caused on the main road heading into the city centre. residents are now clearing up the debris left from this, the bloodiest attack in the syrian capitalfor months. it is another day when people here can do little but try to carry on, as they come to terms with further loss of life. syria is still in the throes of a devastating civil war that has lasted more than six years,

killed hundreds of thousands and forced more than a million people from their homes. iraqi special forces have recaptured more territory in the old city of mosul, in the final stages of the operation to drive out the so—called islamic state. troops and police are now closing in from three sides on the is militants, who captured the city injune 2014. but iraqi commanders say as many as 50,000 civilians may be trapped behind is lines, as 0rla guerin reports from mosul. safe at last from the dying days of battle against islamic state. traumatise civilians are fleeing with little more than the clothes they stand up in, some newly bereaved by the conflict. she weeps

for her brother. every day you ask me how i am, she says, and we sit together. now my heart is burning. the civilians here have just managed to escape the fighting. they are hungry and tired and looks scared. they have been caught between the two sides at risk from islamic state and the operation against them, but the troops here are being cautious. they want to make sure that no one has emerged who could be a risk. they are concerned that suicide bombers could be trying to come out in among the civilians. we are fine to carry the woman and the kids out butted if it is america will to see it is better if we have medics. it is the worst. we have the

snipers, the vehicle borne explosives. suicide bombers, even a woman yesterday which makes it extremely dangerous for us because mostly the we carry our women and children. many come here to a field hospital nearby. doctors say they have been losing children to mortars and shrapnel, but soon hundreds could die of hunger. they see dozens per day who are severely malnourished. much of the civilians suffering here has gone unseen but three years of ids will have deeply scarred muscle and its people. from this one street in the old city, ies executed for men. sometimes i worry they will be back, she says, when i hear fighting at night they will be back, she says, when i hearfighting at night i hope i can forget them. a military win looks

close here, but there are fears about islamic state sleeper cells and about the future that may await this broken city. the northern ireland secretary, james brokenshire, is due to make a statement tomorrow on the government's plans for rule in stormont. this weekend's talks between the parties at stormont were paused today, following deadlock over several issues. earlier, i spoke with our correspondent sara girvin in belfast and i started by asking how far apart the two sides are. well, very far apart, although that should not be too much of a surprise given that northern ireland has not been without a functioning devolved government since january. talks between the political parties in northern ireland to try to restore power—sharing with student after the general election but since then it has been a very bumpy road. the two main parties involved, the dup and

sinn fein, as you say are unable to find a way forward in several major issues. one of those issues is the introduction of an irish language act which was given —— would give official status to the irish language act. the dup has a post about, sinn fein wanted. they also can't agree on issues like abortion and same—sex marriage. that the gpu deal in recent weeks with theresa may to essentially prop up the government has raised tensions as well. the talks process has already crashed through to deadlines, one in march and one last thursday, with no agreed way forward. the talks were positive day and the focus is very much on tomorrow whenjames broken chair will address the house of commons. he has the option of extending the talks. he could call another assembly election or reintroduce direct rule from westminster. he was speaking yesterday in belfast and he did say

that he believes power—sharing is still possible, but over the weekend the mood music has not been good. when you look at those options, elections would not necessarily change the overall make up necessarily change the overall make upa great necessarily change the overall make up a great deal. he really is stuck in terms of what he can usefully do. absolutely. it seems that another election would not go down well. the last one was very polarising in northern ireland. james broken chair is looking to the parties to make some sort of agreement. we have heard from the parties today. the talks were paused but the dup has said that sinn fein cannot demand a 10-0 said that sinn fein cannot demand a 10—0 win in these talks. 0ne said that sinn fein cannot demand a 10—0 win in these talks. one of those mlas seem to indicate that sinn fein demands were excessive. they say that is not the case and all they want is a quality. both parties talk about a good deal, they wa nt parties talk about a good deal, they want a parties talk about a good deal, they wantafairer parties talk about a good deal, they want a fairer deal. but with such

different views of what they and good means it seems so unlikely that we will see any deal struck by tomorrow. at least 28 people have been injured following a shooting at a nightclub in the us state of arkansas. police say two people are in a critical condition following the incident, which took place around 2.30am local time. a huge fire has broken out in a camp for syrian refugees in neighbouring lebanon. one person is reported to have died and the entire camp in the bekaa valley was destroyed. it's not yet known what started the fire. lebanon hosts some 1.5 million refugees from syria — a million of them registered officially. the french president, emmanuel macron, says he's determined to help eradicate terrorists in the sahel region of north africa. he is attending a security summit in mali, alongside the leaders of five countries in the region — mali, mauritania, niger, burkina faso and chad. they are seeking support for a 5,000 strong regional force to combat islamist militants in the sahel.

thomas fessy reports. the french president, emmanuel macron, and his west african cou nterpa rts macron, and his west african counterparts together to launch a regionalforce. malley, chad, me share but also mauritania and burkina faso will leitch provide 1,000 troops. france will support them with equipment and it will help them with equipment and it will help them convince western countries to fund their operations. 0nly them convince western countries to fund their operations. only the eu has so far pledged nearly $60 million, a fraction of the force's total cost, but france remains keen total cost, but france remains keen to see deployed as soon as possible. translation: our enemies want only one thing, to destroy our civilisation. they feed themselves on our weaknesses. the complexities

of her past and ineffectiveness as a collective, but together we can make the decision to proceed differently, to tell ourselves everything, whether it pleases us or not. to expect things of one another because we believe that her future is in common. this deployment is part of the huge security build—up in the temp were foreign military presence has the match quickly increased in the last few years. french troops are seen here in malley. the us and germany are also operating in the region. the french may be here for the long haul, but they are hoping that they would remain the only ones standing guard. tennis fans are queuing for tickets at wimbledon ahead of the first day of the championships tomorrow. hundreds are expected to camp overnight outside the all england club for the chance to see britain's andy murray start the defence of his title. 0ur correspondent paul hawkins is at the wimbledon queue.

iam i am told there is over a thousand people camping here tonight. when it comes to queueing, nobody does it better than the british. this one is the first in the queue, then it goes all the way to the ends. these people in the morning will be allocated a number, the stewards will come and collect them in the morning and there will be taken over there where they can put their left luggage and valuables safely locked away, then there will be won through the golf course to the championships. there is a code of conduct put queueing. this one is particularly important. queue jumping is not to be tolerated. also, this one, everyone has to be bedded down by ten o'clock, so there

is no chaos. let's speak to some of those queueing. experience wimbledon q awards, anju? those queueing. experience wimbledon 0 awards, anju? it is not our first time. we first came in 2010, before we we re time. we first came in 2010, before we were married. we set off from manchester at midnight and i think we we re manchester at midnight and i think we were baby—sitting my nephew. we came down here, got in the key of fourin came down here, got in the key of four in the morning and saw a lot of die—hard fans already here. we love the experience. it is an amazing experience, even to come to the queue. want to have been in the queue, to go and watch the tennis. you have had lots of friends through queueing at wimbledon. so many friends. people are contacting me, send you have to go and see certain players. these are friends that we

met in the queue years ago. rafael nadal is eu are here for? yes, he is. she is going to wait until rafael nadal‘s top comes off. is. she is going to wait until rafael nadal's top comes off. what is wrong with andy murray were roger federer? both great players, glad they are here to play and to keep they are here to play and to keep the game interesting. i think i have fallen in love with rafael nadal yea rs fallen in love with rafael nadal years ago. it is due that was the sea has top off, isn't it! you caught me! you weren't here last year. no, i had open heart surgery. that is my scar. i'm still recovering. my wife has been tremendous in helping me do everything from showering, to getting out of bed i'm getting stronger. she wrote to makeover the operation that we would go to wimbledon when i am recovering. and

here we are. so, you kept your promise. lovely to talk to you. rafael nadal is not the favourite, neither is andy murray, who has said he is fit. he is expecting his second child. he has run into a loss of form. roger federer is the clear favourite, even though he is