this is bbc news. the headlines at five... pressure grows on the government over its pay offer to health service staff in england. more unions have joined the backlash. pope francis has delivered an impassioned condemnation of extremism and violence during the first ever papal visit to iraq. concerns over unnecessary self—isolation for school children in england, because of inaccurate —— because of coronavirus infection test results. police say they're increasingly concerned about the disappearance of a woman in south london on wednesday night. they're usually a sign that spring has sprung but why is this host of golden daffodils being left unpicked? in cricket, india thrash england by an innings and 25 runs in the fourth test to secure

the series 3—1. good afternoon. the group representing health service trusts, nhs providers, hasjoined unions in saying the government's proposed 1% pay rise for health service staff in england is not enough. ministers have defended the rise, saying the pandemic had placed unprecedented strain on public finances. here's our political correspondent, jessica parker. pulling up, a very public row about this week's i% pay offer, with claims an increase of 2.1% had been baked—in as part of a longer—term settlement. which is actually enshrined in an act of parliament, so we've got a really strong legal basis here to say that

that the pay rise was there. obviously, that was all set out pre—pandemic, but actually the pandemic really only enhances the case for a pay rise for nhs staff. an nhs funding boost was enshrined in law, say the government, but not figures on pay. its proposal will now be looked at by an independent pay review body. last night again, the message — the pandemic has changed things. the challenge is that nation's finances are tight and whilst everybody else in the public sector is going to have a pay freeze, we are able to give a... to propose a pay rise for nurses. they also say over a million nhs staff are benefiting from existing deals, but is this new offer counter—productive? a former conservative health minister says yes. you begin to erode morale and you push people to work as agency staff, and that ends up costing the nhs much more

than actually employing permanent staff and giving them a slightly better annual wage settlement. out on the water earlier this week, the prime minister, post budget, with a chancellor who talked about fixing the public finances, but with the threat of strike action, already the right —— the ride is getting bumpy. so that's what the unions think. the department of health and social care have given us this response.

pope francis has met the spiritual leader of iraq's shia muslims, in the city of najaf on the second day of his trip to the country. pope francis is the first pope to hold talks with grand ayatollah ali al—sistani, a highly influentialfigure in the middle east. pope francis has now arrived in the ancient city of ur where the prophet abraham, central to islam, christianity and judaism, is believed to have been born. that meeting with shia muslin cleric, grand ayatollah ali al—sistani was an unprecedented moment. our rome correspondent mark lowen is travelling with the pope and has this update.

after the first day of this trip was focused on the politics, and on meeting iraq's dwindling and persecuted christian minority, today was about outreach and dialogue with other faiths, chief among them the meeting this morning with the country's top shia cleric, grand ayatollah ali al—sistani, an extremely symbolic moment, the leader of the catholic church face to face with the leader of iraqi shia islam and one of the most influential figures in this country. this was a meeting years, decades in the making. previous popes had wanted to meet the 90—year—old cleric. they failed to do so, failed to come to iraq, but francis has come here on the first ever papal trip to iraq and had that meeting in najaf.

little was released about details but it's thought that they discussed dialogue between faiths, and the pope thanked the shia for standing up for some persecuted christians. then the pope went to ur, the birthplace of the prophet abraham in the bible, and in the windswept plains he sat among other religious leaders and spoke of the need for peace and how extremism was blighting religion. this was a day in which pope francis was reaching out to other faiths, other religions, in a country that has been so long torn apart by sectarianism. there are fears that thousands of school children in england, and theirfamilies, could be forced to self—isolate as a result of so—called "false positives" when mass coronavirus testing begins next week. every secondary school pupil will be offered three rapid—result tests over the next fortnight as part of government plans to bring children back into the classroom. our health correspondent nick triggle has more. the tests that will be used in schools in england are designed to give quick, on the spot results.

but it's thought that for every 1,000 carried out, between one and three will result in an incorrect positive result, a so—called "false positive." when these tests are carried out at home, users are entitled to a standard covid test that's processed in a lab to check the result is right. but this will not be happening with the tests in schools. instead, it will be assumed the rapid test is correct. the royal statistical society and testing experts are worried low infection rates could cause a higher proportion of positive cases to be false, meaning thousands of pupils and families could be forced to isolate for no reason. the main concerns are that actually, tests are not going to be finding very many cases at all. the data from the last week of testing from the government, from 300,000 children and staff being tested, they were finding one positive for every 1,500 people being tested. and that means the tests

are both missing cases, and it's a large amount of effort and work being done, being put into this, to find very, very little. but government insists the testing regime will have a positive impact by identifying asymptomatic cases that would otherwise be missed. it says around one in three people who have coronavirus have no symptoms. nick triggle, bbc news. the department of health is expanding its workplace testing programme in england. until now, only businesses with 50 or more employees have been able to get free lateral flow tests. now companies of all sizes are eligible. the tests will be free until the 30th ofjune, and businesses have until the end of this month to register. a large group of rangers fans have defied coronavirus lockdown rules to gather outside ibrox stadium with the team on the verge of winning the scottish premiership. supporters crowded the area around the glasgow ground

as the side faced st mirren. some set off flares. the scottish government said it's "extremely disappointed" and condemned the group for what they said was "jeopardising" the safety of others. a 50—year—old man has been arrested in dundee in connection with the disappearance of a woman and two children. 0fficers entered a property in troon avenue in the city yesterday afternoon as part of an enquiry into a missing 25—year—old woman, bennylyn burke, and two children from south gloucestershire. the woman's next of kin has been informed and are being supported by colleagues in avon and somerset. a soldier has died during a training exercise involving live ammunition in wales. the victim was a sergeant in the welsh guards and was fatally wounded at the castlemartin base in pembrokeshire on thursday night. the ministry of defence says his next of kin has been informed and a police investigation

is under way. the duke of edinburgh has spent his first night back at the private king edward vii's hospitalfollowing his heart surgery at st bartholomew's on wednesday. he has spent 18 nights in hospital, his longest ever stay. buckingham palace says he will remain in hospital for a number of days. police say they're increasingly concerned about the disappearance of a woman in south london. sarah everard, who is 33, spoke to her partner on the phone while walking from clapham junction to brixton on wednesday night — which was the last time anyone heard from her. a friend said it was extremely uncharacteristic for her to go missing. well, detective chief inspector ian kenward is from the metropolitan police. he gave this statement to reporters on clapham common, one of the areas being searched this afternoon.

i'm here today to appeal for information for the whereabouts of sarah everard. she was last seen on wednesday the 3rd of march. she had been to a friend's house in leathwaite road. we believe she left about nine o'clock and was heading home towards brixton. we are not clear on which exact route she took, but the a205 south circular would certainly be a sensible route to take but we are not sure and we have not had any contact from sarah and neither have herfamily. you have had search teams in clapham common where we are now. why have you got search teams here, do you suspect she may have gone through the common? yes, we suspect she may have gone through the common. as i say, the south circular is one of the most natural routes you would take to get back to brixton, through the common. the reason we have search teams, we have a number of enquiries, so we are looking for potential evidence and it is one of many, many inquiries that are under way at the moment. in myanmar an increasingly brutal crackdown by police and the military has not stopped protests against the military coup.

meanwhile the un's special envoy on myanmar has urged the security council to restore democracy to the country. in a private meeting in new york, members were told that anti—coup demonstrators were beginning to lose faith in the united nations. mark lobel reports. gunfire. the crackdown continues on citizens calling out the coup. they chant. they remain defiant, despite the deadliest week here. appealing for international support, these signs are reference to the un's responsibility to protect principle, to prevent mass killings. now, a month after the un's top security body called for a return to democracy and for the immediate release of detainees, including aung san suu kyi, it's met again. we requested this morning's meeting following further deterioration of the situation in myanmar. as of today, more than 50 people have been killed and many more injured since the coup began.

over 1,000 people have disappeared or are unaccounted for, the economy is in a state of deterioration, and up to a million people face a humanitarian crisis. but diplomacy can take time. it's significant that security council members and myanmar�*s neighbours and trade partners — china, russia, india and vietnam — agreed to this meeting. but until a joint statement is issued, we won't know how far they are prepared to go. we'll be exploring further national sanctions and stand ready to consider possible measures under the un charter should the deterioration — the situation deteriorate further. that could mean an asset freeze, travel ban or even arms embargo to cripple the junta. but at the meeting, the un special envoy on myanmar warned of the consequences of no action.

the envoy said that "the people of myanmar, including committed civil servants, are the real heroes and protectors of their nation's democratic progress. "but," she warned, "the hope that they have placed in the united nations and its membership is waning." however, china and russia are unlikely to rush towards implementing sanctions, and other asean nations — of which vietnam and myanmar are both members — are seeking their own solutions, too. nonetheless, there is no doubt at the shared frustration now building globally at the myanmar military�*s increasingly violent approach. mark lobel, bbc news. pakistan's prime minister, imran khan, has won a vote of confidence in parliament, days after suffering an unexpected political setback. mr khan himself called the vote in response to the failure of his finance minister, abdul hafeez shaikh, to win a seat in the senate. a victory for the populist leader had been expected, with opposition mp's deciding

to boycott the vote. famous faces from the nation's favourite cookery shows have joined forces with the nhs to tackle covid vaccine hesitancy and boost uptake in the british bangladeshi community. launching the campaign in a video message, nadiya, winner of the great british bake off in 2015, says education is empowering. by educating ourselves around vaccination it allows us to encourage ourfamily members, loved ones and communities to get the vaccine. lets have a listen. if we want to get back to celebrations and spending quality time with ourfamilies, we need to find a way out of this pandemic. we have been given that opportunity with the covid—19 vaccine so i encourage you to read around the vaccine and ask questions to your doctors. my sister has had the vaccine and suffered no side effects. when the time comes, i'll be getting my covid—19 vaccine, too.

i spoke to one of the three chefs fronting the campaign, the chef and restauranter asma khan. she told me that boosting the take—up of vaccines was vital to the bangladeshi community. very, very important. but it is beyond just a business interest that, you know, i think that people need to look at it. it's really about our livelihood and our responsibility, because we all need to get back to normal. but if there are too many people in our community who are hesitant and not taking the vaccine we will never be completely safe. and this is really important. we've been through one year of yo—yoing and agony and three lockdowns. i think the only way forward is for all of us to invest in the community which we are a part of. how much has the bangladeshi community lost over the last year in terms of its traditional culture, in terms of the way people normally spend time together?

i think there's going to be a huge impact for a lot of bangladeshis who run the curry houses, the little restaurants along the way, because i know, i'm a restauranteur, it's hugely debilitating what has happened over the last year. but also part of every bangladeshi family is getting together, eating together. in some ways, everyone feels bereaved. but it is so important because, talking of bereavement in bangladesh, i've lost three members of my family within 30 days — in the first wave of the pandemic. so i'm notjust involved in this because i think it is important as a community, but personally i know our family will never recover. no ramadan and no eid will ever be the same without those three men, who went just suddenly. it is so important that actually all of us understand. and over 100,000 families have already been through this in this country. vaccine is not a life choice, it is necessary.

as far as we say in my community, it is your duty to take the vaccine. do you have a sense of where the hesitancy comes from among, in particular, bangladeshis in britain? well, i mean, it is about politics. they have always felt marginalised by the majority community, often felt on the fringes of society. one of the reasons why so many bangladeshis came into this country in the 60s and set up restaurants was because they could not find any otherjob. they couldn't rent a house, they couldn't get loans, they set up these little restaurants and hired their own family. so this is a very resilient community who has always worked outside, in some ways, in the mainstream. and this is the price we are paying now. they have never felt that their voices counted, that they counted. they've always made do, they haven't got stuff from the state. they didn't live off benefits, they worked very hard, they made their own lives, they educated their children, and many of the people who are running this campaign now are doctors and medics whose families were restauranteurs. and it is so important

that they understand that now everything matters — their lives matter and the vaccination is there for everyone in the community. and this is where there is a level playing field and they must participate. my experience of bangladeshi home life has been that this is a culture that traditionally is very welcoming visitors, very generous, in which all generations of the family kind of gathered together and want to meet and greet whoever comes into the household. all of that has stopped, hasn't it, over the last year? as it has for all families. but ijust wonder what difference it has made for bangladeshis in particular because of the nature of the culture? well, i mean, the reason why a disproportionately high number of bangladeshis have got the covid and unfortunately the high death rate in the community is because of the way that many — three or four generations — live in the same house. so this whole idea of a community, eating together, being together, is inherent in this community. it has been very debilitating and i think it is going to take

everybody a long time to recover from this kind of almost isolation. this is very alien in our community. we're very much a very gregarious, always hanging around together. and because of the location of where our communities live, you actually know everybody, your neighbours. you go to the same shops. and the fact that so many of the shops are closed and you don't get to see the same faces again, it is very hard. and i think there's also going to be these unspoken mental health issues in the community after this is all over because they have really found it difficult to get themselves cut off from each other.

further criticism of the proposed 1% pay rise for healthcare staff in england. the group representing health service trusts hasjoined unions saying it's not enough, particularly given the challenge of covid. actually, the pandemic only enhances the case for a pay rise for nhs staff. the duke and duchess of cambridge talk about the impact of the pandemic in a special programme on the commonwealth. and england have slumped to defeat in the test series in india. they lost the fourth and final match in ahmedabad.

good afternoon. the group representing health service trusts, nhs providers, hasjoined unions in saying the government's proposed 1% pay rise for health service staff in england is not enough. ministers have defended the rise, saying the pandemic had placed unprecedented strain on public finances. here's our political correspondent, iain watson. government ministers for nhs staff in india would be grateful to be exempted from public sector pay freeze, welcome at the reality looks rather different. those run hospital trusts as well as the unions are calling for the government to look again at the proposed pay rise, and claimed that as part of a long—term plan for the nhs, ministers had previously planned to put up the pay by twice as much this year. the

assumption _ by twice as much this year. the assumption is _ by twice as much this year. the assumption is 2.196 _ by twice as much this year. tue: assumption is 2.1% which by twice as much this year. tte: assumption is 2.1% which is actually enshrined in an act of parliament so we have got a strong legal bases here to say that the pay rise was there, and obviously that was all set out before the pandemic but actually the pandemic only enhances the case for a pay rise for nhs staff. ., ,., , the case for a pay rise for nhs staff. ., _ ., staff. the government say that enshrined _ staff. the government say that enshrined in _ staff. the government say that enshrined in law _ staff. the government say that enshrined in law and _ staff. the government say that enshrined in law and injection l staff. the government say that l enshrined in law and injection of extra cash for the health service but not a specific pay increase and the argument in any case from them is that paid staff are getting more money —— lower paid staff are getting an increase. but some of borisjohnson getting an increase. but some of boris johnson possible getting an increase. but some of borisjohnson possible own mps say he must find an antidote to politically toxic rails.- he must find an antidote to politically toxic rails. there could be a tax-free _ politically toxic rails. there could be a tax-free bonus _ politically toxic rails. there could be a tax-free bonus as _ politically toxic rails. there could be a tax-free bonus as a - politically toxic rails. there could be a tax-free bonus as a one-off| be a tax—free bonus as a one—off payment, that might be one way of addressing the issue, but what i do know is that the people i represent expect and believe that there should be a reward. and that means i'm

afraid more than 1%. the government's _ afraid more than 1%. the government's proposed l afraid more than 1%. the government's proposed 1% increase is not the final word on pay and it may remain independent review bodies will make the decisions and if they are worried about recruitment of nhs staff it is possible it could say that pay should go up above 1%, but ministers are very clear that this could only be funded by making cuts elsewhere in the budget. but somehow the union is considering strike action over pay, the political temperature could continue to rise. iain watson, bbc news. concerns are being raised that thousands of pupils and their households may wrongly be told to isolate because of inaccurate rapid covid test results. secondary school pupils in england are being offered lateral flow tests as schools return next week. these tests are less accurate than the ones carried out at official testing centres which are analysed in labs. 0ur health correspondent katharine da costa reports. like all secondary schools in

england, these pupils in london are getting three rapid covid test in school followed by two home tests per week, school followed by two home tests perweek, but school followed by two home tests per week, but why are tests taken at home could be backed up with a standard lab —based pcr test, under government policy that won't be happening in schools. but lateral flow tests are not as accurate. public health england suggest that for every thousand carried out, between one and three will give a false positive and with around 3.4 million state secondary school pupils in england, the number of inaccurate tests could run into many thousands. richard's son had a positive lateral flow test result on wednesday and his school told him to take a pcr test which came back negative. but richard says nhs test and trace said the family still needed to isolate for ten days. tt needed to isolate for ten days. tit has affected my kids because they can't go to school, it has affected my wife and myself and i can't work from home. my wife can but it is

very difficult. it's incredibly frustrating that we know this is a false positive and yet we can't do anything about it. the government sa s one anything about it. the government says one in — anything about it. the government says one in three _ anything about it. the government says one in three people _ anything about it. the government says one in three people would - anything about it. the government i says one in three people would covid do not have any symptoms and that a quick on the spot test like this could help identify asymptomatic cases and help stop the virus from being passed on. but some question the government of�*s decision not to recommend a back—up pcr test following a positive result in school. ~ . . , following a positive result in school. ~ ., . , ., following a positive result in school. ., . ., school. we are currently at a time when the infection _ school. we are currently at a time when the infection rate _ school. we are currently at a time when the infection rate is - school. we are currently at a time when the infection rate is low - school. we are currently at a time when the infection rate is low and | when the infection rate is low and so it is essential that positive lateral flow tests from secondary school pupils as were adults are subject to confirmation by pcr or by some other means but i'm shocked to think that is not being done. the department _ think that is not being done. the department of health says it will keep rapid tests under review, while no test is 100% accurate, many will

be reassured by mass testing in schools. 0thers moment the way they are being used was undermining public confidence. katharine da costa, bbc news. the latest government figures show there were 6,040 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period which means that on average the number of new cases reported per day in the last week is 6,118. across the uk, latest data shows the number of patients in hospital with coronavirus is 10,898. 158 deaths have been recorded in the last 24 hours— that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid test. on average in the past week, 220 deaths were announced every day. the total number of deaths so far across the uk is 124,419. on to vaccinations now and nearly 437,463 people had their first dose of a vaccine in the latest 24 hour period. in total nearly 21.8 million people have now had their firstjab.

a man has been arrested in dundee in connection with the disappearance of a 25—year—old woman and two children from south gloucestershire. avon and somerset police had issued an appeal last week to trace 25 year old bennylyn burke, and the two children. a large group of rangers fans have defied coronavirus lockdown rules to gather outside ibrox stadium with the team on the verge of winning the scottish premiership. supporters crowded the area around the glasgow ground as the side faced st mirren. some set off flares. the scottish government said it's "extremely disappointed" and condemned the group for what they said was "jeopardising" the safety of others. the duchess of cambridge has spoken of how the pandemic has prompted the public to really back and support all those working on the front line. her comments were made during a special bbc programme — being shown tomorrow — in which members of the royal family celebrate the commonwealth.

prince charles paid tribute to the extraordinary determination of the commonwealth's people during the covid crisis. jon donnison reports. once you have had the vaccine, you have a feeling of, you know... for the queen, the country and the commonwealth, the global pandemic has meant it has been a year like no other. zoom meetings and lockdowns, the new normal. royal visits to commonwealth countries a thing of the past. this pandemic has shown us... prince charles will be among several royals to join the queen for a special pre—recorded bbc programme to celebrate the commonwealth in this most difficult of years. the coronavirus pandemic has affected every country of the commonwealth, cruelly robbing countless people of their lives and livelihoods, disrupting our societies and denying us the human connections which we so dearly cherish. amidst such heartbreaking suffering,

however, the extraordinary determination, courage and creativity with which people have responded has been an inspiration to us all. the duke and duchess of cambridge also feature in a video call with dr zolelwa sifumba, a south african advocate for the rights of health care workers. here in the uk, there has been masses of public recognition of the amazing work the frontline are doing and it is sad almost that it has taken the pandemic for the public to really back and support all those working on the front line. but there are two royals who are unlikely to appear in tomorrow evening's special bbc programme. they will, though, undoubtedly be getting a fair amount of airtime. the duke and duchess of sussex's much trailed appearance on the oprah winfrey show will go out in full in the us just a few hours later. jon donnison, bbc news. pope francis has met

the influential shia muslim cleric, grand ayatollah ali al—sistani, during the first—ever papal visit to iraq. pope francis is on the second day of his trip to the country. this evening he said mass as a packed congregation gathered at stjoseph's cathedral in baghdad. cricket and england have lost the fourth test to india by an innings and 25 runs. they were bowled out forjust 135 runs in their second innings meaning india take the series 3—1. our sports correspondentjoe wilson has the story. 0ne consolation for england — it is finally all over. no more must they endure trying to bat in india. zak crawley began this final collapse. bairstow soon followed with another nought. ben stokes had only just finished bowling. now batting, briefly. two runs from him, too much asked of him. what of the burden onjoe root?

the batsman who had put win into england's winter. he made 30. and then a familiar—looking lbw. when dom bess lunged hopefully and edged faintly, axar patel had his fifth wicket. whether the ball is red or pink, it turns to gold in his hand. england needed 190 to make india bat again. really, theyjust needed some pride. dan lawrence made 50 — at least it was something to get dressed up for. that's a surprise. this wasn't. five wickets for ravi ashwin. england all out to spin. this test had unravelled like the previous two. the results have not been for lack of effort or character. i think we did well in that respect but unfortunately we were out skilled by some very talented players in these conditions. yes, conditions and opponents were challenging, true, but england had to find their own answers in this series, and by the end there was only one team in it.

joe wilson, bbc news. finally, spring is on the way and that means it's daffodil season. britain produces 90% of the world's crop, but this year, millions of the flowers will rot in fields because of a shortage of seasonal workers to pick them. growers say the impact of the pandemic and the post—brexit visa scheme have led to the labour shortage. jon kay reports from cornwall. it is a beautiful springtime sight, but not for daffodil farmerjames walkers. it is heartbreaking, it is heartbreaking. it's just saddening to see flowers going to waste. when they're yellow, it is too late to pick them, so 50 million daffodils are being left here to rot. everybody loves to see it, it looks really, really nice as you drive round the county, but to a grower it's a crop loss. like other farmers, james has

come to rely on seasonal workers from europe, but this spring he only has half the number he needs. aurimas has officially settled in the uk, but his lithuanian friends have stayed away. there are some that don't want to come any more because of brexit, especially this year. there are not many people in the field, as you can see. farmers hoped they may be able to turn back the clock and attract more local workers like they did in the past. how many british workers have you got here now? none. no british workers at all. we had five young lads who came to work for us and then it got wet and it was windy and their backs ached, theyjust said they couldn't hack it any more. the government has given 30,000 visas this year to foreign fruit and vegetable pickers, but farmers say the scheme also needs to include flowers.

ministers have promised they will make sure that all sectors have the labour they need in future. if you're wondering why the farmers don'tjust use machinery to pick the daffodils instead, well, they say it's not really practical because there are so many different varieties of flower, all growing at different heights and blooming at different times. they say, without changes, their industry could also wither and die. jon kay, bbc news, cornwall. that's it. we're back with the late news at ten. hello, the weather's been quite settled for a while now. it is a little on the nippy

side — for most of us, in fact, quite cloudy. a touch of frost on the way tonight and tomorrow night. next week is looking very different because this high pressure isn't going to hang around for very long. just a few days — three days or so. it is also quite cloudy, high pressure, there is very little wind across the uk right now to move the clouds around. but it's not one continuous layer of grey. in fact, farfrom it. there have been big breaks in the cloud. eastern scotland, northern ireland, broadly the south—western portion of the uk. so some of us have had some very lengthy sunny spells today. but the vast majority stuck underneath the cloud. 0nly around four, five celsius. it has felt nippy and will continue to do so. now, tonight, it's a different story in the north—west of scotland. weather fronts are sneaking in. they're just brushing the north—west of the uk so it will be mild and damp here — for example, in stornoway. but certainly from central scotland southwards, with clearing skies there will be a touch of frost. probably around —1 or two celsius outside of town. and tomorrow, we do it all over again. hardly any wind at all across much of england and wales — northern ireland, too. so some of us will be stuck

underneath the cloud, others will have some sunshine. but the weather fronts continue to sneak into scotland, so there will be some rain, particularly in the western isles. and this pattern continues into monday. see, the high pressure is eroding away to the south, and that is basically opening up the doors for weather fronts and that atlantic breeze to set in. and that's what's bringing the moisture and the clouds to the north—west of the uk. but we're still under the influence of the high pressure across england and wales, so here, if anything, temperatures are creeping up a little bit. with some sunshine, it shouldn't feel too bad at all in liverpool. big changes going on in the air for next week. this is tuesday. by wednesday, a powerfuljet stream making a beeline for us. because this jet is powerful, it's also going to generate a nasty area of low pressure which will swing in our direction. in fact, there could be multiple low pressures heading our way and that spells very wet, very windy, quite stormy weatherfor some of us. that probably won't arrive until wednesday, so until then

the weather is looking on the settled side. goodbye. hello. this is bbc news. people in switzerland will vote on whether or not to ban face coverings such as the burqa and the niqab when they go to the polls on sunday. supporters say a ban would be good for women's equality —

opponents are calling it an anti—muslim policy. imogen foulkes reports. very few women, less than three dozen, wear the burqa or the niqab in switzerland. it seems a small issue to have a nationwide vote on, but supporters of a ban say it's not about numbers but about freedom. translation: we are firm i supporters of gender equality, and face coverings for women clearly undermined that, so everyone, especially leftists and feminists, should support this ban. but this is the same political party which successfully campaigned for a ban on minarets in switzerland way back in 2009. many swiss muslims felt then their faith was being targeted. now the burqa ban campaign feels rather similar. they are saying they want to empower females and help them, but we start to feel unwanted, or especially i do, because it's

again a ban only towards the muslim community here in switzerland. in fact, the debate has divided switzerland's muslim community. some think a ban could be positive, a chance to send a signal about the rights of women. translation: the motivation behind the burqa ban - probably is anti—islam, but the motivation doesn't concern me. gender equality concerns me, and i think a ban would promote the emancipation of muslim woman in switzerland. but that appeal to feminists isn't working. in a country where women of all faiths and none still lag behind men in salary and career chances, they argue that banning an item of clothing is hardly the right move. by banning it, we are making those women who suffer into criminals. that's pointless, we would never in any other field make the victim

into the criminal, and also, by banning the burqa, the niqab, we isolate these women further. 0pinion polls suggest this is going to be a very close vote. by sunday, the burqa and the niqab could be banned in switzerland. sceptics might argue that real emancipation for women may have to wait a little longer. imogen foulkes, bbc news, zurich. ear cropping, where part or all of an animal's ear is removed, is illegal in the uk — but the rspca says there's been a sharp rise in the number of dogs that have had the procedure. the charity blames the increase on celebrities and reality tv stars who have dogs with cropped ears, and post pictures of them on social media. a warning — some viewers may find some of the details in charlotte gallagher's report distressing. this is eton, who is a neapolitan mastiff, when he was just a tiny puppy, his ears were cropped for no reason

other than how it looked. it has affected him in so many ways. if you go to touch eton around his head, if you're someone he does not know, he is incredibly wary. it's like he's waiting for something unpleasant to be done to him. ear cropping is a painful procedure. dr samantha gaines is from the rspca. in some cases, part of that ear structure will be removed, then it will be splinted and then taped, so that the ears then grow and heal back erect so that they stand upright. but in other cases, and what we are seeing quite a lot of now, particularly with american bully dogs, it's just where their ear is completely removed, so the entire ear flap is removed. in 2015, the rspca received 14 reports about ear cropping from callers in england and wales. by last year, that figure had risen to 101, a rise of 621%.

the rspca says celebrities with these dogs is driving what it calls "a worrying trend." leigh—anne pinnock from little mix, love island's jack fincham, and the premier league footballer jesse lingard all own dogs with cropped ears. jesse lingard and jack fincham's pets came from firms that specialise in personal security dogs. these animals are imported from countries where ear cropping is not banned, and the companies are not breaking the law. leigh—anne pinnock�*s came from a uk breeder that was later prosecuted for cutting puppies' ears to make them look tougher. there's no suggestion the singer knew what was happening or condoned it. pinnock and lingard have not commented. jack fincham says he did not buy the dog, it was a rescue and going to a rehoming centre, adding that he does not condone ear cropping and thinks it is cruel. some celebrities are speaking out against the practice.

people that have got a platform and social media presence, who are looked at as role models, they should be telling people, no, this is not a good idea, rather than showing off their dog and saying, "this is what it should be like." ear cropping is illegal in the uk, but it does still happen. however, one of the biggest problems is dogs being bought from overseas with their ears already cropped, that you can see on eton here. the rspca is now working to ban these imports. it's a measure that's supported by some mps. we could introduce a ban very simply in the act that's coming up, the agricultural bill coming up. we could introduce a ban on the import of dogs with cropped ears. the rspca believes unless this ban happens and attitudes changed towards ear cropping, we will see cases continue to rise in the uk. charlotte gallagher, bbc news.

i will be back with the headlines at 6pm. now on bbc news, it's click. hey, welcome to click! hope you're doing 0k. i think it's fair to say that each of us have had to work out our own way to manage the last 12 months and let's be honest, i don't think anyone's coming out of this unscathed — i'm certainly not. lara, how are you doing? i'm getting strangely used to this existence, which i think is probably worrying in itself, but i am really looking forward to being able to see my mum and friends — even though you keep telling me that you're perfectly happy in your own company! oh, yeah!