more signals that the 1% pay cap for public sector workers could be coming to an end. with pressure on the prime minister, including from her own party, a cabinet colleague suggests recommendations from independent panels may be accepted. i think that we should listen to the pay review bodies who govern each individual area of public sector pay. we'll be exploring how changes might be made, and how increases might be paid for. also tonight: plans to restrict foreign fishing in british waters, the uk says it's pulling out of an international agreement. a new wave of arrivals from north africa, italy struggles to cope with thousands of people heading to its shores. petra kvitova's return to wimbledon after an attack that made her fear she'd never play tennis again. of course, i had some bad dreams afterwards. i couldn't really sleep well. i was still a bit tired, with everything that

had happened emotionally. and the milestone stephen hawking thought he would never reach — he is 75 today. good evening. there is growing pressure on the prime minister and the chancellor over public sector pay rises, after another cabinet minister raised the prospect of the current 1% cap being lifted. the environment secretary, michael gove, suggested that the recommendations of public sector pay bodies — which review increases — should be respected. one of those bodies has warned that the cap is putting pressure on the health service. here's our political

correspondent iain watson. they save our lives, they keep us safe, they teach our children. and when things do go wrong, that on the front line, dealing with the aftermath. but politicians from all political parties are now asking if enough is being done to repay the debt to public service workers. the health secretary and education secretary want to see limits on public sector salaries and relaxed. a former nurse, now conservative mp says pressures on public services will increase if the government doesn't lift its pay cap. will increase if the government doesn't lift its pay capli will increase if the government doesn't lift its pay cap. i know of collea g u es doesn't lift its pay cap. i know of colleagues who have left nursing. i know people who are taking early retirement, for example, because it's a tough job and long hours. retirement, for example, because it's a toughjob and long hours. and they can get otherjobs with less hours, less responsibility for similar pay. we've got to look at the pay structure across the public service. pay in the public sector has been strictly limited for most

of the decade. if that continues as planned for two more years, the average pay of a public sector worker will be back at 2005 levels in real terms, adjusting for inflation. eight independent public service pay bodies recommended level of increases for a whole range of staff, nurses, doctors, prison officers tojudges. the staff, nurses, doctors, prison officers to judges. the government can either agree with them or overrule them. this month, ministers will be given recommendations on pay for teachers and police officers. the new environment secretary says collea g u es the new environment secretary says colleagues should accept them. i think we should listen to pay review bodies who govern each individual area of public sector pay. these pay review bodies have been set up in order to ensure we can have authoritative advice on what is required in order to ensure that the public services on which we rely are effectively starved and the people within them are effectively supported. theresa may's cabinet is split over

the principle of whether to lift the public sector pay cap but it could be dismantled bit by bit. it is widely expected that some pay bodies will recommend increases above i% and the government minister close to the process has told ms government is prepared to accept those recommendations. but not everyone in government is convinced the pay cap should be eroded. it's very important to keep discipline. it's impossible to pay for our public services without having a growing economy. but what we have done on public sector pay, actually by having that cap in place, we have saved around 200,000 public sectorjobs. but labour say they would simply scrap the cap entirely. we're saying to the pay review bodies, get rid of the 1% cap and give a fair pay rise. in what context? well i think they should consider giving people a pay rise in line with earnings. demonstrators were in parliament square this weekend, calling for an

end to austerity. they won't get that, but they might get two cheers to any increase in public sector pgy- and iain watson is in downing street now. 0ne signal after another. if there isa 0ne signal after another. if there is a change, how would that be funded? some estimates suggest that lifting the public pay gap entirely could cost as much as £6 billion, six times more than that dup deal. you could understand why the chancellor at number 11 downing st could be weary. 0n hearing other cabinet heavyweight could weigh in on this, piling on the pressure in the papers tomorrow. you might see a partial lifting of the pay cap on these pay review bodies are structured in such a way that ministers could decipher example to get nurses a pay increase but not senior get nurses a pay increase but not senior managers. get nurses a pay increase but not senior managers. rank—and—file police officers but not chief police officers. money needs to be found from somewhere. 0ne former minister interestingly said they ought to be what he called careful tax rises. dealing with the public sector pay cap isn't a cost free option but not

dealing with it, the government could pay a big political price. thank you. the government has announced it's withdrawing from a 50—year—old convention that allows five other countries to fish in waters close to the uk coastline. it's described the move as a first step towards a new post brexit fishing policy, but one of the countries affected, ireland, has called it unwelcome and unhelpful. our business correspondent joe lynam reports. as formal brexit talks set off, britain has said it would be taking back control over who fishes in its waters. so, it's quitting a 53—year—old convention which allowed countries like france and belgium to fish right up to the british coastline. we are giving notice that we intend to quit that. it's a provision in the agreement that enables us to do that with a two—year notice period. this is important to give us the legal clarity. we're absolutely clear that when we leave the eu, we leave the common fisheries policy, and we will take control for managing fisheries resources in oui’ own waters. so, what is the london fisheries convention?

at the moment, trawlers from france, belgium, netherlands, germany and ireland can fish to within six nautical miles of the british coastline. boats from these countries catch 10,000 tonnes of fish in this area a year. that's a fraction, just over i%, 700,000 tonnes a year caught by british fishermen. the real haggling between brussels and london will be over this, the much wider 200 nautical miles of water around the uk. but the decision has angered the irish government, which has the only land border with britain. its fisheries minister described the move as "unwelcome and unhelpful". and scrapping the convention could also be meaningless. michel barnier, the eu's chief brexit negotiator, said in a tweet that the london convention had been superseded by eu rules covered by the common fisheries policy. but fishermen welcomed the government's action. what it does is make a strong

commitment to taking sovereignty over our waters, which international law states is ours at the moment of brexit. this is just another statement of intent that that will be what happens. so, while some have welcomed the government's claim that it's taking back control. they may not get their ultimate wish. fisheries as a tiny part of britain's economy to be used as a bargaining chip in the frosty relations between britain and the eu. a number of flights have been disrupted at gatwick airport this evening because of a "drone in the vicinity". close to the runway. british airways and easyjet were disrupted. police are investigating. the government has identified a further 32 high rise buildings that have failed fire safety tests,

taking the total number to 181. tests are continuing nationwide, in an attempt to identify buildings encased in cladding similar to that used on the grenfell tower. according to the figures, salford has the greatest number of high rises that have failed tests. iraqi special forces have recaptured more territory in the old city of mosul, in the final stages of the operation to drive out so—called islamic state. troops and police are now closing in from three sides on the militants, who captured the city three years ago. but iraqi commanders say as many as 50,000 civilians may be trapped behind is lines, as 0rla guerin reports now from mosul. safe at last. from the dying days of battle against is. traumatised civilians fleeing with little more than the clothes they stand up in. some newly bereaved by the conflict. loud crying.

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're hungry and tired and they looked scared. they've been caught between the two sides, at risk both 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're fine to carry the women and the kids out, but if it's a medical emergency, it's better if we have our paramedic... british volunteer sally becker is here with a medical charity. a veteran of war, she says nothing compares to mosul. actually, it's the worst. we've got the snipers. we've got the vehicle—borne

explosives. people. suicide bombers. even women. even a woman yesterday, which makes it extremely dangerous now for us. because most of who we carry is women and children. and 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 civilian suffering here has gone unseen but three years of is rule have deeply scarred mosul and its people. from this one street in the old city, is executed four men. "sometimes i worry they will be back". "when i hearfighting at night, i hope i can forget them". a military victory looks close here but there are fears about is sleeper cells and about the future that may await this broken city.

0rla guerin, bbc news, mosul. 20 people have been killed in a suicide car bombing in the syrian capital, damascus. the bomber was in one of three cars that had been pursued by security forces. the other two car bombs were intercepted and destroyed. the un refugee agency is asking european leaders to help italy deal with the growing numbers of people who have been arriving on its shores in recent weeks. last weekend alone, almost 13,000 migrants and refugees arrived. and it's estimated that so far this year, more than 2000 people have died in perilous mediterranean crossings. most of the migrants are from north africa, trying to reach italy and then travel on in europe. 0ur correspondent rami ruhayem has witnessed the relief effort in in the central mediterranean.

no, no, no, leave it. leave it. rescuing migrants in the central mediterranean. a delicate task, even in fairly calm waters. go, go back! as the rubber boat deflates, people panic and the rescuers lose control. go back! one man on this boat drowned. they come from across africa and asia, many fleeing extreme poverty and war. the boats leave from libya, a country that has descended into chaos and brutality. the fortunate ones can pay for wooden boats, but they, too, are overcrowded and dangerous. we're on a rescue ship run by the charity doctors without borders. so far, they've taken more than 600 people on board, from three different boats. there's another transfer that's

ongoing at the moment. most are men, but there are also women and children. all have risked their lives to make the dangerous crossing. jalid is among a group of syrians. he tells me he is fleeing war for the second time. 0thers tell us they are simply desperate for work. in morocco, nojobs. in morocco it's zero. morocco is zero. italia is good, europa, too, is good. charities began operating in the mediterranean after italy terminated its own search and rescue operation, which was replaced by eu missions with a bigger focus on anti—smuggling and border control. currently, msf is trapped in a situation that is very difficult. because we know we cannot stop

the rescues for the moment. because many people will die. while we know it is not a sustainable solution either. with sicily in sight, a sense of relief on board. but even as the un sounds the alarm over the unfolding crisis, the italian government is pressing the eu for help and warning its ports may not remain open to the migrants. rami ruhayem, bbc news. president trump has been accused of inciting violence against journalists, after he tweeted a spoof video showing him physically assaulting a man with a cnn logo super—imposed on his head. he is shown slamming the cnn character to the ground and punching it repeatedly. mr trump regularly accuses cnn and other critical media outlets of broadcasting what he calls fake news. 0ur correspondent laura bicker

is in washington now. what's the reaction to this been like? cnn has taken the unprecedented step of issuing a statement condemning the president and saying that his tweet incites violence against reporters. they are backed by a number ofjournalists groups, even some right—wing commentators believe, on this occasion, donald trump has crossed a line. but the white house said there's nothing to be alarmed about. the homeland security adviser said this should not be perceived as a threat. consider this. on this should not be perceived as a threat. considerthis. on friday, the white house press spokeswoman rounded on the press, accused them of not covering policy. but if you like donald trump's twitter habit, the one thing he tweets about most often is about the press. he describes his twitter habit as not

being presidential, but being "modern presidential". it may keep his base happy, but while it continues, distracts from his agenda, to make america a great again. laura, thank you. the two—time wimbledon champion petra kvitova has spoken of her fear that she would never play tennis again after being attacked in her home six months ago. suffering serious injuries to her left hand, she faced a gruelling fight to regain herfitness and will be competing at wimbledon — where play begins tomorrow. 0ur sports correspondent david 0rnstein has been to meet her. umpire: game, set and match, miss kvitova. cheering she's a two—time wimbledon champion whose life was turned upside down. just days before christmas, petra kvitova was attacked in her own home by an intruder with a knife. her recovery has been remarkable. i presume you're not drinking from

it. not yet. waiting for a big party. she told me career threatening injuries to her plane had left physical and mental scars. i had all my fingers cut. all seven tendons on all five fingers. the lowest point, it's tough to say. i mean, of course, i had some bad dreams afterwards. i could not sleep well. i was still a bit tired from everything that happened emotionally. i was very empty. of course, i had bad thoughts that i would never play tennis again. kvitova underwent an emergency operation lasting almost four hours but still faced an anxious wait over the outcome. i was really worried, seeing my hand after taking the band off, for the first time. it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. is it right that you still can't fully close your hand? that's right. which can't be easy for a tennis player. on the other hand, i'm lucky i'm playing

tennis and not playing badminton, whatever, where the grip is much smaller. it's describing my situation. by march, she was able to hold a racket again and two months later she even made it to the french open. courage, belief and..? "come on", in czech with a heart. but wimbledon was always her target. she prepared by winning in birmingham and now, incredibly, she is being tipped by many for the title. i'm not here to win it. i ready won the biggest fight before. so, i'm happy already. david 0rnstein, bbc news, wimbledon. stephen hawking is 75 today — a milestone he's said he never thought he would reach after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease in his early 20s. today, he was honoured by friends, family and colleagues at cambridge university, and he's been talking to our science correspondent pallab ghosh. when i was diagnosed at 21, i was told it would kill me in two or three years. now, 5a years later, albeit weaker and in a wheelchair, i'm still working and producing

scientific papers. today, stephen hawking celebrates his 75th birthday. but it's been a great struggle, which i have got through only with a lot of help from my family, colleagues, and friends. at an event at cambridge university to pay tribute to his life, he was applauded for his scientific achievements. the legacy will be the scientists that he inspired. and there will be thousands of them, and they're still being inspired today. so there will be ten—year—olds today, or eight—year—olds, who are reading about stephen, reading about the work that he did, and may go on to be the next einstein, or... we don't know. in an exclusive interview with bbc news, professor hawking told me that he was worried about the future of our species. what are your views

on president trump's decision to withdraw from the paris climate agreement, and what impact do you think that will have on the future of the planet? we are close to the tipping point where global warming becomes irreversible. trump's action could push the earth over the bridge, to become like venus, with a temperature of 250 degrees and raining sulphuric acid. stephen hawking has three children. his daughter lucy says his life is an inspiration, and notjust to scientists. people who've lived in really extreme circumstances seem to find something very, very inspirational in his example of perseverance and persistence, and his kind of ability to rise above his suffering, and still want to communicate at a higher level. his ideas have transformed our understanding of the cosmos. but what's also being celebrated is his determination and humanity. that's all from me,

stay with us on bbc1, it's time for the news where you are. this is bbc news. more on our main story. environment secretary, michael gove, has suggested the current limit of 1% on public sector pay increases could be scrapped. there's been increasing pressure from the public for an end to austerity measures. earlier, i spoke to katie boyle, the political correspondent at the spectator and she questioned how a lifting of the cap might be out. are they going to hold out to the

autumn budget or will she cave in? you say cave in. we are seeing a lot of this. there is a chipping away at theresa may's authority. what do you think this is doing to her and how long will she last? there's a general feeling of disarray at the moment. we saw last week people talking about who would be the next leader. the conservatives are focusing on who can get more money for their department. theresa may is vulnerable. if enough mps are worried, she doesn't have the numbers. she will be fine for the next few months but she will look more we get she goes into this. you

say when not if, this must be a great win for the labour party. the optics are good for labour. the conservatives were never going to keep this pay cap for ever. but it looks like the reason it is being quick and it's because of the pressure labour are putting on it. we saw with the amendment to the queen's speech on public sector pay cap, it would he put the pressure and it was very bad that when the conservatives voted to get rid of the amendment, they cheered at it was not a good look. it played into labour's cams, suggesting the conservatives don't care about public sector workers. —— labour's hands. there does seem to be a definite mood change towards austerity by the british public and politicians as well. yeah, if you look back to david cameron, when ed miliband was labour leader, you couldn't really get back through a pmqs 01’ any common session without hearing about the five—year plan or they need to cut the deficit. but the conservatives have really stopped using that argument.

the deficit was only mentioned three times in the conservative manifesto. it has meant that corbyn has really been able to promise all the spending without being reminded of why it might not be such a good idea. now, lots of conservatives are really doubting themselves. they are looking at the election result and they are thinking all the previous need for fiscal discipline actually isn't popular and now they are second—guessing themselves. and i suppose for the tories, breaking down and undoing austerity is something of a vote winner. but is it too late for them? the conservatives pride themselves on their economic record. that's what has got the majorities in previous elections. not this one. it's a risky strategy if they look like they are just letting go of it completely. what's worrying is looking at the sunday papers today. every paper has a different ask for more money for a different section of the government. and i think that while they can relax on a few of those things, if they do it for everything, their whole idea of the magic money tree and labour starts to not work. it looks like the conservatives do have a magic money tree for certain things like the dup.

more than 80,000 migrants, many fleeing war and poverty have arrived in italy in the first six months of this year. the united nations high commissionerfor this year. the united nations high commissioner for refugees has added his voice to those calling for italy to be given more support as it deals with large numbers of migrants crossing the mediterranean. claire seaward is a humanitarian campaign manager at 0xfam and she joins seaward is a humanitarian campaign manager at 0xfam and shejoins me from chesham in buckinghamshire. great to have you with us this evening. what do you think of these figures? they are holding a meeting tonight. what would you like to see coming out of that? we are seeing two things at the moment going on. it's important to remember that europe, these numbers coming across now holds a very small number of refugees, 86% of the refugees around

the world are hosted in developing countries. whilst europe are seeing increasing numbers, 28 countries make up the richest continent in the world. it is a problem that is easy to handle if it decides to manage it well. what we have seen europe do is focus on trying to push the problem out of its borders. which completely ignores its international responsibility. we need to see europe focusing on safe and regular routes for people to travel. we would like to see two things, one, keep the route open. people coming across are experiencing great suffering. it is not acceptable for europe to shut off this route. secondly, expand safe and regular options for people to travel so they don't have to take these perilous journeys that they really don't want to ta ke journeys that they really don't want to take but there are such few other options. this problem has to be tackled collectively by the european union, not forced onto one or two countries. doesn't that encourage the people traffickers? that is the

source although what of these problems, people say. people making these journey, lots of them, they are economic migrants as well. you see a big range of reasons why people are coming over. the rates of successful asylu m people are coming over. the rates of successful asylum claims are a lot higher than people would imagine. it's over a0%. that is those who get a case heard. we have seen that actually, when you make life difficult, in terms of options, to travel, it forces people underground. by europe clamping down and trying to clamp down, it pushes people into the hands of smugglers, rather than doing what they claim to do, which is stop the smuggling routes. what do you make of the suggestion that frontex needs to end these rescue missions and tow these boats back to places like libya. which is where people like italy are getting the main source. 0ne

where people like italy are getting the main source. one of the organisations we work with in italy provide mental health care. what has been striking is every