this is bbc news. i'm lukwesa burak. the headlines at 7... pressure grows on the government over its pay offer to health service staff in england. more unions have joined the backlash. actually the pandemic really only enhances the case for a pay rise for nhs staff. hundreds of rangers fans gather outside ibrox stadium in glasgow despite lockdown rules. the team's on the verge of winning the scottish premiership. pope francis delivers an impassioned condemnation of extremism and violence during the first ever papal visit to iraq. the duke and duchess of cambridge talk about the impact of the pandemic in a special programme on the commonwealth. and coming up in sportsday... england slump to defeat in the test series in india.

they lost the fourth and final match in ahmedabad. 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. if government ministers thought nhs staff in england would be grateful to be exempted from a public sector pay freeze, well, the reality looks rather different.

those who run hospital trusts, as well as the unions, are calling for the government to look again at the proposed 1% rise, and claim that, as part of a long—term plan for the nhs, ministers had previously planned to put up pay by twice as much this year. the assumption is 2.1% which is actually enshrined in an act of parliament so we have got a strong legal basis here to say that that pay rise was there, and obviously that was all set out pre—pandemic, but actually the pandemic only enhances the case for a pay rise for nhs staff. the government say they'd enshrined in law, an injection of extra cash for the health service, but not a specific pay increase. they argue, anyway, that lower paid stuff will get more than 1%, changes to pay grades will boost some incomes, and newly qualified nurses have benefited from multi—year pay deals. but some of borisjohnson�*s own mps say he must find an antidote

to a politically toxic row. there could 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 that i represent expect and believe that there should be a reward. and that means, i'm afraid, more than 1%. the government's proposed 1% increase isn't the final word on pay. in may, independent pay review bodies will make their recommendations and if they're worried about recruitment of nhs staff it's possible they could say that pay should go up above i%, but ministers are very clear that this could only be funded by making cuts elsewhere in the budget. with some health unions 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. our health correspondent katharine da costa reports. like all secondary schools in england, these pupils in london are getting three rapid covid tests in school followed by two home tests a week, but while 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 aren't as accurate. public health england suggest that for every thousand carried out, between one and three will give a an incorrect positive result, a so called 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 patton's son had a positive lateral flow test result on wednesday.

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. it has affected my two kids because they can't go to school. it has affected my wife and myself — 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 says one in three people with covid don't 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's decision not to recommend a back—up pcr test following a positive result in school. we're currently at a time when the infection rate is low and so it is essential that positive lateral flow tests for secondary school pupils, as for 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 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. others warn the way they are being used risks undermining public confidence. katharine da costa, 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. 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 2a 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 427,463 people had their first dose —— on to vaccinations now and 437,463 people had theirfirst 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 kingswood in south gloucestershire. avon and somerset police had issued an appeal last week to trace 25 year old bennylyn burke, and the two children. from dundee, joanne macaulay reports. police came to a property here on troon avenue in the ardler area of dundee yesterday afternoon. since then they have cordoned off the street and are only allowing residents in and out. they are investigating the disappearance of 25—year—old bennylyn burke and two children. bennylyn, from south gloucestershire, was last seen at her home on the 17th of february. she was reported missing on the 1st of march and avon and somerset police put out an appeal to try to find her and two children from the area.

they say that bennylyn�*s family have been made aware and are being supported by police officers. meanwhile, the police here in dundee say they will have an increased presence in this area in the coming days and are asking anyone with any information to come forward. 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. 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. one of the largest legislative packages in us history has passed its biggest hurdle by the narrowest possible margin.

the senate has approved president biden�*s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan — the plan at the heart of his election campaign — by 50 votes to 49. the vote ended marathon round—the—clock negotiations. it means millions of people will get a payment of $1,400. and there'll be multi—billion—dollar payouts to cities and states to help them deal with the effects of the pandemic which has now killed more than half a million americans. the bill only passed after democrats made a key concession to placate moderates in their own party. here's the senate's leading democrat, majority leader chuck schumer. from the beginning we said we had to pass this legislation. we made a promise to the american people that we would deliver the real relief

they needed and now we have fulfilled that promise. nobody said passing one of the largest, perhaps the most significant bill to help the most significant bill to help the poor and working people in decades would be easy, particularly with 50 votes, but it is done. i said from the beginning we would power through, said from the beginning we would powerthrough, not let said from the beginning we would power through, not let anything stop us until we got the job done. by god, we did and here we are. president biden is speaking in reaction to that.— president biden is speaking in reaction to that. they believe it is ura ent. reaction to that. they believe it is urgent this _ reaction to that. they believe it is urgent. this bill _ reaction to that. they believe it is urgent. this bill returns _ reaction to that. they believe it is urgent. this bill returns to - reaction to that. they believe it is urgent. this bill returns to the - urgent. this bill returns to the house of representatives which has done a greatjob from the beginning. i hope it will find quick passage so it can be sent to my desk to be signed into law. passing the american rescue plan will have heeded the voice of the american

voice —— the voice of american people, not ignored them. we will deliver real, tangible results for american people and their families and they will be able to see and know and feel the change in their own lives. by passing this plan it will prove this government, this democracy can still work. what has to be done, it will improve people's lives. 0ne to be done, it will improve people's lives. one more thing, the vast majority of economists, left, right and centre, from wall street to the private economic pulling initiatives, economists left, right and centre say in addition to the needs the people have, we need this to grow the economy, if we haven't

spent this money and recreated incentive for people to be able to make a good living, we would be in real trouble. this will create millions of newjobs. estimated over 6 million newjobs itself. increase gdp by $1 trillion, put our nation in a position to outcompete the rest of the world, because the rest of the world is moving, particularly china. as tough as this moment is, there are brighter days ahead, there really are. as i said before, it is never a good bet to bet against america or the american people. we are america. we are going to get there, we are going to remain the leading economy in the world and be the most successful economy in the world, because of you, the american people. thank you and god bless you all. may god protect our troops.

that was presidentjoe biden speaking from washington in reaction to his us covert relief bill being passed. —— covid relief bill. the headlines on bbc news... pressure grows on the government over its pay offer to health service staff in england — more unions have joined the backlash. hundreds of rangers fans gather outside ibrox stadium in glasgow despite lockdown rules — the team's on the verge of winning the scottish premiership pope francis delivers an impassioned condemnation of extremism and violence during the first ever papal visit to iraq. the duchess of cambridge has spoken of how the pandemic has enhanced public support for all those working on the front line. her comments were made during the bbc programme: a commonwealth celebration. prince charles also pays tribute to the extraordinary determination of people throughout the commonwealth

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 spiritual leader of iraq's shia muslims, in the city of najaf on the second

day of his trip to the country. he's the first pope to hold talks with grand ayatollah ali al—sistani, a highly influential figure 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. 0ur 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 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, pope 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 leader 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. nicola green, is an artist who has been painting religious leaders, and their meetings, for 10 years, including pope francis — shejoins me now. these religious meetings at which you have been present, you have painted a lot of them. what is it like when you are they are? often i was the only _ like when you are they are? often i was the only person _ like when you are they are? often i was the only person in _ like when you are they are? often i was the only person in the - like when you are they are? often i was the only person in the room i was the only person in the room other than usuallyjust was the only person in the room other than usually just to was the only person in the room other than usuallyjust to religious leaders meeting with each other. i have travelled all over the world. i was usually the only woman but second of all i was only allowed in there because i was not recording their words, everything i recorded was in drawings and photographs and

a visual image. but i have spent ten years following and witnessing these interfaith meetings where religious leaders have been trying to work out together and individually how they speak about each other without undermining the absolute truth of their own faith and this is why religious leaders have not met in his story. it is really only the last decade since 9/11 that global religious leaders have made a serious effort in a serious way so, yes, this has been ten years in the making. yes, this has been ten years in the makinu. ., . , yes, this has been ten years in the makinu. ., ., , , yes, this has been ten years in the makin.. ., . , , ., making. you have been party to something _ making. you have been party to something very _ making. you have been party to something very intimate - making. you have been party to something very intimate and . making. you have been party to - something very intimate and special something very intimate and special so how important do you think these meetings are?— meetings are? incredibly important. i think religious _ meetings are? incredibly important. i think religious leaders _ meetings are? incredibly important. i think religious leaders haven't -

i think religious leaders haven't met because actually as human beings we have all kinds of differences we have to resolve and live together and if we are to live together in peace we must accept each other�*s different beliefs. religious belief, in a sense, because it is absolute, is almost the most extreme, and that is almost the most extreme, and that is why so many people go to war in the name of religion. the fact these leaders have been trying to work out and succeeding in having public and private events, to talk about each other without undermining those absolute beliefs, that is a really huge deal and are actually politicians and all of us have a lot to learn. ., ., ~' . politicians and all of us have a lot to learn. ., ., ~ ., ,., politicians and all of us have a lot to learn. ., , . , to learn. looking at some pictures on the screen _ to learn. looking at some pictures on the screen and _ to learn. looking at some pictures on the screen and everything - to learn. looking at some pictures| on the screen and everything looks very serious and calm. when you are there and painting, what is it like? i know you have painted pope francis but is there a certain theme you try to capture within the painting? i see myself there as a witness and so

i am really interested in recording exactly what is happening at all levels, notjust what is being said but the body language. sometimes the differences and difficulties are really intense and they are not always easy meetings. i suspect today's were no different. actually the leaders that have been meeting with each other in good faith to try and move a story on that has been kind of stopped for hundreds or thousands of years. i think it is a big deal that they have been having these meetings and today's meeting was very significant. what these meetings and today's meeting was very significant.— was very significant. what is pope francis like? _ was very significant. what is pope francis like? i— was very significant. what is pope francis like? i spent _ was very significant. what is pope francis like? i spent a _ was very significant. what is pope francis like? i spent a lot - was very significant. what is pope francis like? i spent a lot of - was very significant. what is pope francis like? i spent a lot of time | francis like? i spent a lot of time with political— francis like? i spent a lot of time with political and _ francis like? i spent a lot of time with political and religious - francis like? i spent a lot of time | with political and religious leaders and i would say of everybody i have met, he exudes a calm that is quite

extraordinary. i think he has our deep self—confidence and kind of humility that allows him... really he is calm and it affects everyone around him, genuinely extraordinary. to myanmar now, where an increasingly brutal crackdown by police and the military has not stopped protests against the military coup. today, security forces have continued firing tear gas on protesters gathered in yangon. the un's special envoy on myanmar has told the security council that there is "urgency for collective action". this is a scene that has become all too familiar in cities right across myanmar, from the northern mountain region to the major cities of yangon

and naypyidaw in the south. young protesters have been standing up to police, banging on home—made shields, and marching for democracy. on saturday, security forces used tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades against activists in yangon to clear the streets. and there have been further allegations of police brutality. it's been over a month now since the protests erupted against the military coup on february 1st that overthrew aung san suu kyi's elected government. in that time, the people of myanmar have faced internet blackouts, night—time raids, unlawful arrests and death. 38 people were killed on wednesday alone, the deadliest day since the start of the coup. hundreds gathered in mandalay on thursday for the funeral of one of the victims. angel wasjust 19 when she was shot in the head during anti—coup protests a day earlier. she was wearing a t—shirt with the phrase "everything will be ok" when she died. the pressure is being felt globally.

on friday, the un special envoy to myanmar urged the security council to hear myanmar�*s desperate pleas, and called for swift international action to end the violence. the envoy said that the people of myanmar, including committed civil servants, are the real heroes and protectors of the nation's democratic progress, but she warned that the hope that they had placed in the united nations and their membership is waning. it is critical that this council is resolute and coherent in putting the security forces on notice and standing with the people of myanmar firmly in support of the clear november election results. but china and russia are unlikely to impose sanctions. so far, the biggest international reaction has come from corporations, not governments. facebook, instagram, and now youtube have all banned accounts belonging to the militaryjunta. the army have threatened civil servants who continue to strike that they will be fired.

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. the scottish government said it's "extremely disappointed" and condemned the group for what they said was "jeopardising" the safety of others, as chris mclaughlin reports. pictures that a year ago would impress now shock. this is glasgow in lockdown. hundreds of rangers fans gathering at ibrox to welcome their team, who went on to beat saint mirren. partying in the knowledge that their club is just one celtic slip—up from the title. there are 15,500 people with the virus in this country.

15,500. some of them could be there. so don't put yourself in that position. and uefa will be looking on — uefa are talking to us now about fans' safety, about all the things we need to do to get crowds at the euros. it's not a good look. views echoed today by the justice minister. empathy to a point, but a reminder to fans that mass gatherings are not allowed. police have warned fans against similar scenes tomorrow. why? well, if celtic don't beat dundee united, rangers are champions. party indoors is the message — but will fans listen? chris mclaughlin, bbc news. famous faces from the nation's favourite cookery shows have joined forces with the nhs to tackle covid vaccine hesitancy and boost uptakein 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 and 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. 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 the brexit, especially this year. there are not many people

in the field, as you can see.