this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. pope francis begins his historic visit to iraq with an appeal for all religions to come together and work for peace. translation: i'm coming - here as a pilgrim to encourage them to express and practice their faith, hope and charity in the iraqi society. more clashes in myanmar — as the united nations security council meets to decide what action to take against the generals who seized power. some nursing staff in england say they are considering taking strike action — after the government says it can only afford a one percent pay increase.

also ahead — more from meghan markle's interview — as she reveals what she felt when she joined the royal family. as an adult who lived a really independent live to then go into this construct. hello and welcome if you're watching in the uk or around the world and across the globe. we start in iraq, where pope francis has begun the country's first ever papal visit. he brought a message of tolerance, and urged the different religious communities to work together towards peace. the trip is taking place amid tight security — as our correspondent 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 all most 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. the pontiff's visit is obviously a huge moment for catholics in iraq

and the wider middle east. as part of his schedule the pope is set to visit the church of the immaculate conception in northern iraq. it's located in the city of qaraqosh. the archbishop there is head bishop nizar semaan. he says it is a very important moment. this visit brings hope not just for the city for all christians of iraq. and for all iraqi people. so it's a sign of hope. it's a call for us as a christian to stay in this land. to live in this land and to share the life with other people. it means that the death cannot be stronger than lie. it's a call for life.

an assurance for the better future for christians and for the entire iraqi population. well the iraq he christian population has been dispersed across the world given the difficulties in suffering that the community had under the islamic state occupation. your parish very much was subject to extreme difficulties. you were here in london, you are in sense return, talk us through a little bit how you rebuild your parish. the church when i was ordained the biggest church in this area was destroyed, burned by isis. but since the people went back and they start first of all building the houses and then later we start restoring this church. fortunately now this church looks like bright, welcoming and waiting for pope francis to enter, to be the first person to enter at the church after being restored.

and this is a symbol of return to normality and really, it's encouraged christians when they saw the church brilliant like theirs, encourage them to practice their faith and to stay in this land. so i assure you now it looks like bright. many thanks to christian and due from different parts of the world that helped us to rebuild. not just this church but also our houses, our schools, our hospitals, our streets and all that infrastructure. we are building our city step—by—step because we want to stay here. and we are thinking about the future. we are sons and daughters of the future.

and we are going to work for it with all the iraq people. the un's special envoy on myanmar has urged the security council to restore democracy to the country. in a closed—door meeting in new york, christine schraner burgener said anti—coup demonstrators were beginning to lose faith in the united nations. the spokesman for the un secretary general has been giving more details. the envoys stressed that we must be robust and timely in pushing for a stop to the violence and the restoration of myanmar�*s democratic institutions. we must denounce the actions by the military which continued to severely undermine the principles of the united nations and ignores our clear signals to uphold those principles. protests against last month's military takeover have been met by an increasingly violent response by the security forces. a man died in the city of mandalay on friday when police opened fire. police in dawei also used tear gas — and there were rallies in towns and cities across the country. more than fifty people

have been killed since the demonstrations began. here's the editor of the bbc burmese service, soe win than. one person in central city was killed today and on wednesday we saw over 30 people killed in the streets across myanmar in different cities. we still see security troops we are patrolling. it'sjust well over midnight and myanmar now. we saw the pictures coming over from myanmar that security troops going around to the different places and rounding up those people who set up neighbourhood watches. at night they go around to the places and are rounding up. so there is no letting up on the violence or the crackdown. no letting up on the violence but are there any negotiations taking place, is there any willingness to talk to the protesters? no, who did they negotiate with? they have detained all the elected leaders and put away and they are slapping charges against those leaders were him who do they negotiate with, you know?

the military is not familiar to the negotiation, the tactics they use is cracking down and crushing dissent and any resistant to their rule. this is what they are doing right now. here in the uk, two unions representing tens of thousands of health care workers are warning of possible strike action, after the government suggested a i% pay rise for most nhs workers in england. they argue they deserve more, for the work they've carried out during the pandemic. but ministers say one percent is all the country can afford. 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 i% 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. i think we need to support the nurses in particular have done an amazing job. nurses in particular have done an amazing job-— amazing job. they've had a bad exnerience _ amazing job. they've had a bad experience and _ amazing job. they've had a bad experience and they _ amazing job. they've had a bad experience and they deserve i amazing job. they've had a bad experience and they deserve a | amazing job. they've had a bad i experience and they deserve a lot more _ experience and they deserve a lot more than — experience and they deserve a lot more than that. in experience and they deserve a lot more than that.— experience and they deserve a lot more than that. in terms of strike action, i more than that. in terms of strike action. i can _ more than that. in terms of strike action, i can see _ more than that. in terms of strike action, i can see why _ more than that. in terms of strike action, i can see why they - more than that. in terms of strike action, i can see why they would i action, i can see why they would want _ action, i can see why they would want to— action, i can see why they would want to do— action, i can see why they would want to do it _ action, i can see why they would want to do it. it's— action, i can see why they would want to do it. it's probably- action, i can see why they would want to do it. it's probably not l action, i can see why they would l want to do it. it's probably not the best time — want to do it. it's probably not the best time to — want to do it. it's probably not the best time to do _ want to do it. it's probably not the best time to do it. _ want to do it. it's probably not the best time to do it. i— want to do it. it's probably not the best time to do it. i don't - want to do it. it's probably not the best time to do it. i don't think- best time to do it. i don't think they— best time to do it. i don't think they had — best time to do it. i don't think they had carried _ best time to do it. i don't think they had carried much - best time to do it. i don't think they had carried much favour. best time to do it. i don't think. they had carried much favour with they had carried much favour with the puhtia — they had carried much favour with the ublic. u, ., . , they had carried much favour with the ublic. .., ., . , , the public. economics in this country is — the public. economics in this country is as _ the public. economics in this country is as bad _ the public. economics in this country is as bad as - the public. economics in this country is as bad as it's - the public. economics in this country is as bad as it's ever| the public. economics in this - country is as bad as it's ever been. overall, it's better than nothing.

they deserve something. it's in offer which i feel should be accepted. offer which i feel should be accepted-— offer which i feel should be accepted. offer which i feel should be acce ted. ., ., ., accepted. either that of the threat of a union strike. _ accepted. either that of the threat of a union strike. others - accepted. either that of the threat of a union strike. others have - accepted. either that of the threat | of a union strike. others have also worked through this pandemic but most will have their pay frozen. labour leaders say they all deserve a rise. ., labour leaders say they all deserve arise. ., ,,. a rise. the freeze on public-sector -a is a rise. the freeze on public-sector pay is wrong- _ a rise. the freeze on public-sector pay is wrong- we _ a rise. the freeze on public-sector pay is wrong. we challenge - a rise. the freeze on public-sector pay is wrong. we challenge the . pay is wrong. we challenge the government on a comment challenge the budget response on it and will continue to challenge on it. so your -a rises continue to challenge on it. so your pay rises for _ continue to challenge on it. so your pay rises for everyone, _ continue to challenge on it. so your pay rises for everyone, you - continue to challenge on it. so your pay rises for everyone, you don't i pay rises for everyone, you don't want any tax rises, is not financially responsible? taste want any tax rises, is not financially responsible? we have to have a plan — financially responsible? we have to have a plan for— financially responsible? we have to have a plan for the _ financially responsible? we have to have a plan for the future, - financially responsible? we have to have a plan for the future, 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 front line throughout this pandemic public sector workers. the front line throughout this pandemic public sector workers.— public sector workers. the nhs resonse public sector workers. the nhs response to — public sector workers. the nhs response to this _ public sector workers. the nhs response to 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. the head of the world health organisation has said there must be no relaxation in the fight

against the coronavirus because there could be more waves of the pandemic. tedros adhanom ghebreyesus added the world had experienced a trauma greater than it did after world war 2. it's in now even with this covid pandemic with bigger magnitude more lives have been affected. almost the whole world is affected. each and every individual on the surface of the world, actually has been affected. and that means mass trauma which is beyond proportion, even bigger than what the world experienced after the second world war. days of violent protests in senegal have led to the death of at least one person, with young people taking to the streets nationwide in support of the main opposition leader who was detained on wednesday. several stores as well as gas stations, have been looted and burned. the senegalese opposition leader

ousmane sonko was arrested after a hearing over alleged rape charges. the bbc�*s emiline nsingi nkosi reports. supporters believe it to be a plot to remove their leader and suspect they are looking to run for a third term. at the beginning of february a young 20—year—old masseuse working in a private practice filed a complaint against him. believed to be his last strong rival. she accuses him of sexual assault and death threats. in a series of public statements, he has denied the accusations against him and maintains that it is a conspiracy hatched by the president. the president has denied any involvement in what he has declared this private affair. but his lawyers are suggesting otherwise. translation: let there be no mistake the arrest is a state conspiracy. - it is clear that the rule of law has

given way to a repressive state. that the democratic and republican state has given way to a dictatorial state with methods that senegal has never known. and this situation is worrying not only for the senegalese people but also is worrying for the international community. many senegalese are saying these protests are due to the hardship of life of the past year since the start of the pandemic. a strong police force has been put in place in the surrounding areas of the courthouse. about 100 metres from there the area surrounding the presidency has been sealed off. and on the ground the situation is really tense. clashes have been going all day friday in neighbourhoods of the city. in a statement released late thursday government spokesman has condemned the violence calling it a flag violation on the state health disaster in place since last month due to the covid—i9 pandemic.

local media report the death of three people while the government is investigating the death of one person. the government has suspended two television stations for a 72 hours for the coverage of the unrest and issued a warning to the media over what the government has called biased coverage likely to stir up hatred and violence. at least ten people have been killed in a car bomb attack on a restaurant in the somali capital, mogadishu. police said a rickshaw packed with explosives blew up outside the lul yemeni restaurant. some reports have put the number of casualties far higher. the islamist militant group, al shabab, said it carried out the latest attack. the same venue was hit by a suicide bombing last year. stay with us on bbc news, still to come. the politics of soup. we'll reveal how the beetroot—based borscht is becoming a recipe for nationalism in eastern europe.

first, the plates slid gently off the restaurant tables. then suddenly the tables, the chairs and people crashed sideways and downwards. it was just a matter of seconds as the ferry lurched onto her side. the hydrogen bomb. on a remote pacific atoll, the americans had successfully tested a weapon whose explosive force dwarfed that of the bomb dropped on hiroshima. i had heard the news earlier. and so my heart went bang, bang, bang. i the constitutional rights of these marchers are their rights as citizens of the united states, and they should be protected even in the right to test them out, so they don't get their heads broken and are sent to hospital. this religious controversy, i know you don't want to say too much about it, but does it worry you that it is going to boil up when you get to the states? well, it worries me, yes, but i hope everything will be

all right at the end of the day. this is bbc news. welcome back. the duchess of sussex says she feels "liberated" now that she and prince harry can make their own choices without the royal family. in the latest clip from her forthcoming interview with oprah winfrey meghan 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. - she is now a media executive who has an estimated 1.8 billion pounds. and that oprah brand provides meghan and harry with an influential platform.

oprah is the most powerful woman in america _ oprah is the most powerful woman in america she— oprah is the most powerful woman in america she is— oprah is the most powerful woman in america. she is also— oprah is the most powerful woman in america. she is also the _ oprah is the most powerful woman in america. she is also the wealthiest i america. she is also the wealthiest black_ america. she is also the wealthiest black woman — america. she is also the wealthiest black woman in _ america. she is also the wealthiest black woman in america. _ america. she is also the wealthiest black woman in america. it's - america. she is also the wealthiest black woman in america. it's great| black woman in america. it's great for them _ black woman in america. it's great for them to— black woman in america. it's great for them to be _ black woman in america. it's great for them to be aligned _ black woman in america. it's great for them to be aligned with- black woman in america. it's great for them to be aligned with her- for them to be aligned with her because — for them to be aligned with her because she _ for them to be aligned with her because she can't _ for them to be aligned with her because she can't really- for them to be aligned with her because she can't really give i for them to be aligned with heri because she can't really give lot for them to be aligned with her. because she can't really give lot of guidance _ because she can't really give lot of guidance to— because she can't really give lot of guidance to them _ because she can't really give lot of guidance to them in— because she can't really give lot of guidance to them in navigating - because she can't really give lot of guidance to them in navigating life as public— guidance to them in navigating life as public figures _ guidance to them in navigating life as public figures in _ guidance to them in navigating life as public figures in america. - guidance to them in navigating life as public figures in america. he i as public figures in america. he wanted a as public figures in america. wanted a list, will get to give as public figures in america.- wanted a list, will get to give you a list. ., , . , . wanted a list, will get to give you a list. ., , ., , ., , ., a list. hope it was a guest at their weddina. a list. hope it was a guest at their wedding. there _ a list. hope it was a guest at their wedding. there will— a list. hope it was a guest at their wedding. there will be _ a list. hope it was a guest at their wedding. there will be a - a list. hope it was a guest at theirl wedding. there will be a familiarity to this interview. the timing is also sensitive with the duke and hospital and royal relationships strained. but oprah is an expert at dealing with family dramas. here in the uk, the duke of edinburgh has been transferred back to london's king edward the seventh hopital after his heart procedure this week. prince philip — who's 99 — was taken by ambulance from st bartholomew's hospital, where he underwent the procedure on a pre—existing condition on wednesday. our royal correspondent nick witchell gave us this assessment.

on monday he was transferred to saint bartholomew is and on wednesday this unspecified surgical procedure was carried out to treat this unidentified pre—existing heart condition. this morning he was moved from the nhs hospital specialising in cardiac care back to a private hospital where he will remain for some days for rest and recuperation and where on sunday he will be able to watch the queen and other members of the royal family taking back do my part in the commonwealth day event and on monday he will be able to watch his grandson and his wife, should teachers, taking part in their big interview, but somehow i think he may choose not to tune in. ajudge in argentina has ruled that five children, fathered by diego maradona, will be entitled to his multi—million dollar inheritance. maradona died of a heart attack in november. the world cup winner had money in numerous bank accounts

when he passed away. the player officially acknowledged the paternity of five children. but at least four other people claim he is their biological father and wanted part of his fortune. ukraine has been holding a national online cooking competition today as part of a drive to get unesco recognition for borscht, a beetroot soup, as a ukrainian dish. twenty five participants from all regions of the country have been cooking their own regional recipe for borscht on youtube. but the origin of the soup is not clear cut. russia and poland both claim it as their own national dish. so whose borscht is it? polish chef and restaurateur damian wawrzyniak, has cooked for the duke and duchess of cambridge. i asked him earlier to tell me the history of the polish soup and the best ingredients to use. well, it's a long story. 16th—century where the borscht came

onto the polish tables. it's definitely polish. 100%, only made the best of the beet roots. what i have here is the borscht made a nationalfermentation. this is how the normal polish soup made. it is a very traditional soup usually served on christmas day. you can't claim it as a completely polish dish only. in romania, moldova, lithuania, russia and ukraine. it's international. it's very european front of the only difference between polish and ukrainian, we eat beans and potatoes. you are not going to find potatoes and beans in ukrainian. you'll find it only in polish. that's the main difference between those two different traditions.

when it comes to cooking this, how can ukraine justify their borscht represented in unesco as at ukrainian dish, once they are thinking do you reckon? it all depends on the way it is cooked i've got here a natural starter. that's the beet root made of beets which ukrainian and eastern european, we all do the same. like i said, the polish version, the only difference is those beans and potatoes. if we're going to see clear soup like this i would just literally say that's100% ukrainian borscht. if you going to see beans and potatoes that's polish traditional borscht from 16th—century even there is a book called the good man, the delight of a good man where he wrote about polish borscht. of course.

you've cooked for royalty, celebrities when it comes to the perfect batch, what's the magic ingredient? share as your tips. the number one ingredient you have to have a really, really good beetroot. we start with your fermentation process. similar to sourdough bread. use small beets or the version which are the long ones. not the old and because obviously it's too much flavour, dryer. that's the base and the best quality borscht. the quality ingredients is the key for perfection. i can't tell you how much commentary there is on the origins of borscht and whose dish it is. it's got people talking. lets end with an inspiring story of a belgian woman living in turkey who's quite literally fighting parkinson's disease. seventy five year old nancy van der stracten has taken

up non—contact boxing — to help her battle the symptoms of parkinson's disease. she is doing rather brilliantly. go nancy. hello. last weekend was a mainly dry weekend across the uk, with high pressure in control. and this weekend will be the same. but there is a significant difference between weekends — that word there, cold. a very different feel to things. spring in the air last weekend, 15 celsius in the sunshine. this weekend, with only a few sunny spells around, it's closer to 7 degrees. and it feels like winter's still got a bit of life left in it. but it is high pressure across us, so it is going to be mainly dry. just this one weak weather front

will deliver a bit of rain into parts of scotland, especially the further north you are. there is milder air out in the atlantic. it will come our way in the week ahead, but that's not the only change coming, as i'll show you in a moment. this is how saturday begins, temperatures well below freezing. in the coldest parts, a widespread frost to start the day. some mist and fog patches around. there's the chance of catching a shower along the north sea coast, maybe around the thames estuary early on. they'll fade, showers come into the western isles, far north of mainland scotland, one or two into the northern isles. elsewhere, variable cloud, some sunny spells and temperatures only around that 7 celsius mark. on into saturday night, then, we'll keep a few areas of cloud but also some clear spells. the rain becoming a little bit more widespread across northern scotland, with some heavier bursts around here, keeping the temperature up, whereas elsewhere, if you're clear for any period of time, your temperature will drop below freezing and there will be another frost on sunday morning. still in scotland on sunday, towards the north and northwest, some outbreaks of rain. elsewhere, well, again, it's the sort of day

where if you start sunny, you're likely to cloud over. if you start with cloud, you'll eventually see a few sunny spells. a little less cold in scotland and northern ireland. and then on monday, it is again scotland most likely to see a few outbreaks of rain, but the odd spot in parts of northern england and northern ireland can't be ruled out. to the south, after a frosty start, still a fair amount of cloud around, maybe a few early mist and fog patches. but significant weather changes on the way into midweek. goodbye, high pressure, hello, low pressure, and that does mean a change to, yes, slightly milder weather coming our way and some potentially disruptive wet and windy weather once more.

hello, welcome. you're watching bbc news. our main headlines: pope francis has urged iraq's different religious communities to join together in a journey towards peace. at the start of the first ever papal visit to the country, he called for an end to violence and extremism. myanmar�*s military rulers are facing further international condemnation at a un security council meeting in new york, as protesters continue to defy the army's attempts to crush opposition. the head of the world health organization has warned there could be a third, or even a fourth, wave of coronavirus infection. tedros ghebre—yesus said it was a mistake to think falling death rates meant the pandemic was over. in the latest clip from her forthcoming interview with oprah winfrey, the duchess of sussex, meghan, says she feels "liberated" now that she and prince harry can make their own choices without the royal family.