tonight at ten... nhs workers in england consider strike action after the government suggests a 1% pay rise. nurses say it's an insult after a year on the front line of the pandemic. i thought this sort of time would prove, like, how valuable we were to, like, the system and stuff like that but i feel like that hasn't been translated with this at all. the health secretary says he recognised the incredible work of nhs staff, but the pandemic has put a strain on public finances. elsewhere in the public sector there is a pay freeze in place and we've proposed what we think is affordable. also on the programme tonight... a mystery sixth person who arrived in the uk and tested positive with the concerning brazalian covid

strain has been found in south london after a five—day search. portugal and cyprus say they would welcome back vaccinated british tourists from may. once travel restrictions are lifted here. figs once travel restrictions are lifted here. �* , . . . once travel restrictions are lifted here. . ., ., , here. as an adult we lived a really independent _ here. as an adult we lived a really independent life _ here. as an adult we lived a really independent life to _ here. as an adult we lived a really independent life to then _ here. as an adult we lived a really independent life to then go - here. as an adult we lived a really independent life to then go into . independent life to then go into this construct. the duchess of sussex says royal life wasn't as she expected and she now feels liberated. and coming up in sport, on bbc news... a sprint finish from amy—eloise markov in the 3000 mentres saw her claim the first british gold at the european indoor championships. good evening. two unions representing tens of thousands of health care workers are warning of possible strike action after the government suggested a 1% pay rise for most nhs workers in england.

it has been branded an insult and hypocrisy in its greatest form by health care workers. but the government insists 1% is all it can afford at a difficult time for public finances. around a million other public sector staff, including teachers, the armed forces, firefighters and police officers, are about to have their pay frozen for a year. from westminster, our deputy political editor vicki young sent this report. the covid pandemic is taking its toll on nhs staff. definitely undervalued i think is what quite a lot of people are feeling right now. the government suggesting a 1% pay rise. really sad, yeah, just very disappointed. alice and ella just two of the many nurses dismayed at today's news. and it's raising awkward questions for ministers. health secretary, you stood at that podium in may last year and said that nursing deserved fair reward. is a 1% rise fair?

elsewhere in the public sector there is a pay freeze in place and we've proposed what we think is affordable to make sure that in the nhs people do get a pay rise. i bow to nobody in my admiration for nurses. in fact, i learned that at the knee of my grandmother who was a nurse. the independent pay review body will look at a range of nhs workers' pay, including nurses. their starting salary is almost £25,000. the government says newly—qualified nurses have had a 12% rise over the last three years. the royal college of nursing says a nurse with average experience will be earning over £30,000. i thinkjust a deep sense of worry, really. but for holly it's the future that worries her. the nhs won't return to normalfor a long time. we are demoralised, we are exhausted, we are fed up and now i think people are actually quite angry and deeply,

deeply worried for our patients. we know that waiting lists are incredibly high at the moment and there is a big concern of how we are going to manage things when one in three nursing staff want to quit. nhs scotland has given staff and interim pay increase of i% backdated to december, ahead of full pay negotiations soon. and in wales, staff also received a £500 bonus. but in england one nursing union has set up a strike fund in case they decide on industrial action. this was some of the reaction in birmingham over the pay row. i think at this time we really need to be supporting the nhs and the nurses in particular who have done an absolutely amazing job. they have had a bad experience and they deserve a lot more than that. in terms of strike action i can see why they would want to do it. - it's probably not the best time to do it, idon't think it - would carry much favour with the public. - economics in this country is as bad as they've ever been, so overall it's better than nothing.

they deserve something, it's an offer which i feel should be accepted without the threat of a union strike. others have also worked through this pandemic but most public sector workers will have their pay frozen. the labour leader says they all deserve a rise. the freeze on public sector pay is wrong, we've challenged the government on it, i challenged them in the budget response on it and will continue to challenge it. so you want pay rises for everyone, but don't want any tax rises? is that financially responsible? we have to have a plan for the future to rebuild the foundations of our country. you don't do that by freezing the pay of those on the frontline throughout this pandemic, public sector workers. the nhs response to this pandemic prompted an outpouring of gratitude from the public. and the decisions ministers make now over how staff are rewarded will be scrutinised extremely closely.

four unions tonight have written to the chancellor asking him to reconsider this proposal. he says this must be considered in the wider context of the hit there has been on the economy. nhs pays our motive at the economy. nhs pays our motive at the best of times, but both sides will have to consider their next steps, unions are looking at strike action and ministers who do not want to be on the wrong side of public opinion. if they are, they will have to calculate how much political pain it will cause them. vicky young, thank you. vicky young, thank you. the latest government figures show there were 5,947 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period, the lowest since the end of september. 236 deaths have been recorded in the last 2a hours, that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid test. the total number of deaths so far across the uk is 124,261. as for the latest vaccination figures, more than 376,000 people had their first dose of a vaccine

in the latest 24—hour period. in total more than 21 million people have now had their firstjab — that's 40% of the adult population. a mystery sixth person who was infected with the concerning brazilian coronavirus variant has been found following a five—day search. the individual, who lives in croydon in south london, had been quarantining at home. the news comes as covid infection rates continue to fall across the uk. the number of deaths is falling sharply too. the health secretary matt hancock says the link from new cases to hospitalisations to deaths is now being broken because of the vaccine. our health correspondent, catherine burns reports. this mystery started when authorities found six people in the uk who'd tested positive for a worrying variant of coronavirus linked to brazil, but they'd only actually found five of them. the last person hadn't

registered their test properly. the team started trying to track them down, narrowing it down to 10,000 people, and then a few hundred. at this point enhanced contact tracing kicked in, with call handlers calling, e—mailing and phoning all of the individuals that could have received a test in that time interval. these calls narrowed it down to 27 individuals. now we know the person had recently flown back from brazil, lives in croydon in south london, and had quarantined at home. there will be extra testing in the area to make sure it's not spread any further. another positive development, figures from the office for national statistics show how far cases have fallen since this lockdown started. they suggest that at the start of the year about one in 50 people across the uk would have tested positive for coronavirus. by the end of january cases had fallen to one in 65. and now another drop,

to one in 230 people. schools going back is the first step towards things opening up and authorities will be keeping a close eye to see what kind of impact it has. one possibility is that the fall in infections will begin to slow down. another is that new cases could begin to rise, potentially pushing up the r number — how the virus spreads — up by 30%. but the vaccine roll—out means that wouldn't necessarily be such a huge problem. until now, high infection levels have inevitably meant high numbers in hospital and then a high death toll, but as the vaccines have more impact that link is being broken. and so nine weeks since the start of term, an end to home—schooling in england. lucy has been doing lessons with her children astrid and albie. now it's over and it's fair to say they've got mixed feelings. albie, it's the end of home school.

no, i don't want to go back to school! what i'm most excited about is being iable to see my teachers and friendsl again and being able to play with them. . slightly nervous about everyone going back next week, a little bit apprehensive to be honest. this has been a strange time. so what's this question? but no matter if they are reluctant or desperate to get back, primary and secondary schoolchildren in england will be swapping the kitchen table for the classroom on monday. the rest of the uk will take things more slowly. catherine burns, bbc news. both cyprus and portugal say they hope to welcome vaccinated british tourists from may when travel restrictions may be lifted in england. it's not clear how vaccine status would be proved. meanwhile, from monday anyone leaving england will have to fill out a form to say why they're travelling. our transport correspondent caroline davies reports. the run—through well before the runway.

while many of easyjet�*s planes aren't going to carry passengers yet, many are stored on the tarmac, waiting. staff training has continued during the pandemic, putting pilots in simulators... face masks are required to be worn at all times. ..and cabin crew through mock scenarios. while airports sit almost empty. scotland, wales and northern ireland are yet to set a date on when international travel might return, but the prime minister's roadmap for england means that things are already starting to change here in gatwick. since the announcement, we've started work on returning all our colleagues back to work. the timescales around bringing the numbers of people back and the volumes of equipment and restarting the infrastructure, it takes time. it's not something that can be switched on overnight. the industry is desperate to welcome passengers back up the steps and into international travel again, but the question is, where will they be going to? how do other countries feel about having british tourists back?

some are already working on their plans. cyprus has announced that they'll welcome british tourists as soon as the uk will allow them to go. everybody is going to be able to fly from the uk to cyprus, as long as they have the necessary tests, and no matter what the case, there will be no quarantines unless, of course, you test positive when you get here. they say that vaccinated british travellers can come to cyprus without a test at all from may if the uk allows them to fly. portugal is currently on the uk's red list, meaning anyone arriving from there in the uk has to go into hotel quarantine at their own expense, but the tourism minister is optimistic about may, too. for the time being, non—essential travel needs to be restricted, but we do believe that portugal will soon allow restriction—free travel, not only for vaccinated people but for those that are immune or test negative, and that will happen soon, a couple of months, maybe may, early may, we'll have everything ready to enable british people to come and visit

the country, for sure. going on holiday is still illegal, and from monday, anyone travelling will have to carry a form which says their trip is permitted. there are no government guarantees that trips to cyprus, portugal or any other country will be possible from the 17th of may. after a year of crushingly low passenger numbers, the industry is holding its breath and hoping that the summer will save them. caroline davies, bbc news. more than a million nhs workers have now had the covid vaccine in england. but there are still tens of thousands who haven't. london in particular stands out — more than 20% of staff are yet to have their firstjab, while in other parts of england nearly all have had it. now the government is looking at whether covid vaccination should be made compulsory for all health workers. our health editor hugh pym reports. it's a vaccine promotional video with a difference — an nhs trust reaching out

to its own staff via social media in a range of languages. here at hampshire hospitals, they're preparing for the next consignment of the vaccine doses. 90% of staff have had their first dose, and management are trying to talk to the others who still haven't had a jab. we're making sure that we're having individual conversations with people who haven't had it to really understand why, and if it is around misinformation, we're making sure that we correct that. three senior staff are working as vaccine champions, and they're addressing the concerns they hear. they're working with colleagues at the three hospitals in the trust. it's notjust our diverse communities that have had concerns about the vaccine. the are the other non—bame communities as well, but also our eastern european contacts and colleagues have also expressed some concerns in a similar fashion, but we're trying to share

the message that it is safe. i've had the vaccine myself, i have recommended my family to take the vaccine. ministers are now actively reviewing whether vaccination should be compulsory for nhs staff. it'll be a tricky decision. they'll have to weigh up boosting public confidence, but also whether such a move would alienate or antagonise staff. a gp at a surgery in hereford wrote to her local mp saying it was her personal choice not to have the vaccine, and she'd quit if she was made to have it. one nurse at a different practice, who didn't want to be identified, told me why she wouldn't be vaccinated. if i'm vaccinating people, i'm at risk myself of getting covid, and that's my responsibility. senior health leaders are saying it's your professional responsibility, and other nhs staff, to have the vaccine. they can say that, but to me, that would be against my human rights. it's forcing me into doing something, where i should be able to make my own decision.

dr monica alabi is a gp in luton running extra vaccination clinics for local people. a couple of her practice staff have been hesitant, but she says persuasion is the answer, not compulsion. there has to be dialogue, and you have to trust the local leaders to deal with this rather than mandating it from the top. it can have unintended consequences. we don't want to lose staff, we don't want to lose people from the nhs. we are struggling with workforce as it is. vaccination rates among care home staff are lower than in the nhs. the review will consider that, and the calls which have been made for further intervention. hugh pym, bbc news. the duke of edinburgh has been transferred back to london's king edward vii hospital following his successful heart procedure this week. prince philip, who's 99, was taken by ambulance from st bartholomew's hospital, where he underwent the procedure for a pre—existing condition on wednesday.

a soldier has been killed during a training accident at the castlemartin firing range in pembrokeshire. the bbc understands the soldier, who has not yet been named, was a sergeant in the welsh guards and died during a live fire training exercise last night. for some of the most deprived areas in england, january was the deadliest month since the pandemic began. one town that has suffered greatly is burnley in lancashire. in january deaths from all causes were 60% higher in burnley than the average in england, according to analysis by manchester university. the government says it is committed to reducing deprivation and has spent more than £100 billion on welfare support during covid. our special correspondent ed thomas reports. we thank you for their lives... this is now a weekly routine. we thank you for their love... in burnley, covid and lockdown have taken a heavy toll on the poorest.

amen. my days are full, dealing with torment, death, the tears. people don't really see it. it's unreal. for some of the most deprived areas, january was the deadliest month since the pandemic began. and lord, we pray that grace... today's prayers are for grace. her mental health suffered terribly during lockdown. she was 28. everything going for her. and i feel i have failed her now. you haven't failed her. a family desperate for comfort. a mum, nanna and son. don't want to see us children... you want to see them get married. he's been so brave, but he's trying to be brave for us. - what do you want to happen? just bring her back

and tell her never to go. just stay with me. i mean, i'm only ten, i'm too young. donations are paying for grace's funeral. i was saying, mum, where are we going to get the money from? i can admit, i was suicidal. without mick's help, what would have happened to grace? she would have been in a pauper's grave. she would just have gone in with people she didn't know. it's becoming more and more and more obvious that there's a growing number of people who are too poor to die. it's about dignity, this. it's too late forjanet to claim some of that dignity. it's a funeral but with no body. even though he won't be there he's there in our hearts. you know? kevin had acute respiratory problems. his health got worse during the pandemic. he couldn't walk. he didn't even know me. were you asking for help?

we kept asking, saying we wanted carers in, but we didn't get nowhere. how old was he when he passed away? 56. she had no money to collect her husband's body, so he'll be cremated by the hospital. when they've done it they are going to ring me and tell me and then i've to get somebody to go over for his ashes to fetch them back. do you know when that's going to happen? no. i'm seeing the consequences of lockdown. i'm doing funeral after funeral after funeral of people that don't have the finances and support. and we've come together to grieve for kevin. and now this is pastor mick's church. a closed—down gym. another casualty of the pandemic. but it's here janet, her family, can say goodbye. we can express our love and our grief. i appreciate doing it this way. at least he's getting a send—off

and all the family can be there. and it's goodwill and charity that gifted grace's family this day. these people are not statistics. they hurt, they bleed, they cry. mum, don't leave me, ijust want you in my life forever. these children that are losing their parents — they're not numbers on a board, and i want their stories to be told because this should not be happening. that report by ed thomas. pope francis is on the first ever papal visit to iraq amid tight security. the pope called on iraqis to renounce violence and intolerance of religious differences. the country's small christian community has faced persecution and been subjected to terror attacks in the past. mark lowen reports. still masked, but no longer grounded.

pope francis�* first trip since covid, his riskiest of all, a perilous pilgrimage to iraq in the grip of a pandemic. on the first ever papal visit here he told me he was very happy, calling it special. beneath the pomp is a significant message, dialogue between faiths and support for persecuted christians. no open—top popemobile here. in a country torn by conflict an outstretched hand through an armoured car was almost all we will see. but less protection from the other danger here, the pandemic. little social distancing and few masks are what is worrying many. after a meeting with the president the pope called for an end to extremism. translation: only if we learn to look beyond our differences | and see each other as members

of the same human family will we be able to begin an effective process of rebuilding. for iraq's dwindling christians it is like a salvation. haman, who named her son after pope francis, has watched as much of her community were killed orforced to flee. we have been dreaming of this visit day and night, she says. we must stop the bloodbath and we must stay in iraq. the risk is that the symbolic importance of this trip is overshadowed by covid concerns and that it becomes a super spreader. but a defiant pope francis believes that this nation has waited long enough for a papal visit and that there is no time to lose to bring a message of peace and hope to iraq. mark lowen, bbc news, baghdad. a group representing the main loyalist factions in northern ireland says the creation of an eu customs border

under the brexit deal undermines the union with britain and as a result has withdrawn support for the good friday peace agreement. the belfast agreement brought to an end a conflict that claimed over 3,500 lives. the loyalist move comes amid a row this week over trading rules and a wider push for a referendum on irish unity from the main nationalist party, sinn fein. fergal keane has been gauging reaction amongst unionists. the echoes of the past are being summoned forth. the old fear of the union broken, of being sold out to the catholic south. ian paisley: in our province, we say never, never, never! l never! but the troubles have ended. the power of the catholic church has faded away. the southern government speaks

of respecting unionist fears. i don't believe the future of the island of ireland is about majoritarianism, in the crudest sense. i think it's about consensual relationships, trust. he sort of gets it... but soothing words don't reassure loyalist politician billy hutchinson, who feels irish nationalism is advancing against divided unionists. he served 15 years in jail for murdering two catholics during the troubles, but later became an advocate of the peace process. more than 20 years after the peace agreement, it's a measure of enduring mistrust here that for him irish unity would mean victory for sinn fein, the party that spoke for the ira. if we were to live in a 32—county- ireland i would imagine some of that power would be decentralised - and if that power is decentralised, i if ulster was six counties or nine. counties, we would feel persecuted because the people who would - have the power would be sinn fein.

i think i am right in saying we are the most mild part of great britain. but 100 years after the foundation of a unionist—ruled ulster at the heart of the british empire, that world has been changed by the troubles, by demographics, and global transformation. news archive: belfast, - city of a thousand launches... the industrial muscle of the unionist working class is gone, memorialised in popular art. where thousands once laboured to build ships like titanic, amazon now employs dozens. in this time of change i wondered what a younger generation of unionists might feel about the prospect of a united ireland. sarah creighton is a lawyer, left—wing in her politics and avowedly pro—union. i don't know where i fit in. where do i fit in an united ireland? i'm british and i'm irish as well.

but it is something that worries me, it worries me i guess, not so much the idea of it happening, although obviously i don't want it to happen, it's that it happens and with no plan, we don't know what it's going to look like. there's no physical frontier on the island any more. but among many rural protestants the long memory of killing has left deep wounds. this is the orange hall of altnaveigh, three miles from the border. a frequent target of vandalism, it has a beleaguered air. six protestants were murdered here at the time of ireland's partition, 100 years ago. and this, 15 minutes drive away, is kingsmills, scene of a more contemporary massacre. ten protestant workmen were lined up by the roadside and shot dead by the ira in 1976.

it was a sectarian retaliation for the killing of local catholics. kenny worton, he had two wee girls, they were wee toddlers... alan black was the only survivor. ..and that was his whole world. what comes up back, if i can ask you? my 18—year—old apprentice, screaming for his mummy, and a gunman coming over and blowing his face away. and he was shouting, "mummy, mummy, mummy." that comes back, that comes back often. with all this talk of a border poll i've met people, i've met a lot of protestants who are unsettled, fearful of what might be coming. what do you feel about it? i'm not fearful. if a border poll, well, it's like everything else, like brexit and everything else, whoever votes for it will get it.

i'm a unionist by nature, but i'll take whatever is voted on, whatever the vote is. a poll isn't imminent and predicting a result not possible, but there's no certainty which the ties which defined their identity will endure for the generations to come. fergal keane, bbc news, belfast. the duchess of sussex says it's liberating now she can speak for herself again. in a clip released ahead of her interview with oprah winfrey she suggested life within the royal family was not what she had expected. daniela relph reports. "would you please give me an interview?" and you said... for three years, oprah winfrey has pursued this interview. finally we get to sit down and have this conversation. well... for the duchess of sussex, talking to oprah a sign

that the restrictions of royal life have lifted. it's really liberating to be able to have the right and the privilege, in some ways, to be able to say, "yes, i'm ready to talk." and to say it for yourself. to say it for yourself. and not to have to consult with anybody at this point. yeah, to be able tojust make a choice on your own and just be able to speak for yourself. meghan and harry are just the latest in a long line of high—profile confessionals. when people make up stories that i don't want to be - who i am, it hurts me. oprah winfrey got cyclist lance armstrong to finally come clean. yes or no, did you ever take banned substances to enhance your cycling performance? yes. and she's previously persuaded royalty to bear their soul. it was so hard because the last bride up that aisle was me. - news anchor and war correspondent christiane amanpour has been interviewed by oprah winfrey. she says her interview style is perfect for drawing out royal revelations. there's been a bit of chat that perhaps she isn't going to be

the most challenging interviewer for harry and meghan, particularly cos there is a sort of friendship,