this is bbc news. the headlines at six... hopes for nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe, as she is released from house arrest in iran, but a new court case against her is scheduled for next week. it's not the release we wanted. it's not that ticket home and her passport back and coming back to us. schools in england re—open to all pupils tomorrow, the first step in easing the coronavirus lockdown. the queen stresses the importance of staying in touch with friends and family in a message to mark commonwealth day, just hours before the duke and duchess of sussex's interview with oprah winfrey. pope francis on the final day of his visit to iraq, greeted by thousands for an outdoor mass in irbil. and coming up in sportsday, celebrations after

rangers win the scottish premiership for first time in ten years. hello and welcome to bbc news. nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe, who was jailed in iran nearly five years ago has had her ankle tag removed by the authorities to mark after completing her five year sentence, raising hopes of her return to britain. she still faces another potential charge and her family say she remains in harm's way and fear her ordeal may still not be over. our correspondent caroline hawley reports. a rare glimpse into what's keeping this family together.

it's still quite a messy house. but there's no such thing as an online cuddle. for six—year—old gabriela, an image on a mobile phone can't replace the touch of her mother. gabriela's been counting down the days till the end of her mum's sentence. this morning, nazanin�*s ankle tag that the family this was the moment five years ago when nazanin was arrested by iran's revolutionary guards at tehran airport. her holiday with her parents was over, and she was heading back to london. since then, she's endured eight months of solitary confinement, blindfolded interrogations and many false promises of release. and now, another court case hangs over her. her husband says she's been held over financial debt that britain owes iran. i think if i'm honest,

the point i make to the government is if we get to this point and she's not out, then she's a hostage. you know what they want, they've been talking a long time. "we want our money back, we want the debt, it hasn't been settled." and here we are at the end of nazanin�*s prison sentence, which was unfair in the first place, but it's illegal under british law, it's illegal under iranian law, illegal under international... every kind of law you want. we have to face the facts that needs to be sorted. right now, i don't have an answer as to what we'll get home. we've just gone past what was the worst threshold. the worst case scenario we imagined for a long time was her full sentence, and here we are at the end of five years, and it's not the end. i can reassure... but the bigger picture of when will this be over, gabriela asked me that. "when is mummy coming home?" and i have to say i don't know, i'm not sure. what's the first thing you're going to do with mummy

when she comes back? first thing you're going to do together? go to the toy shop. but nazanin isn't coming home yet. she's still, richard says, a pawn in a game of international chess. the foreign secretary dominic raab says iran is putting the family through an intolerable ordeal. her mp says it's mental torture. for how much longer will they have to endure this agony of separation? i love you, baby. say goodbye to mummy. love you! bye — bye! love you. caroline hawley, bbc news. caroline explained why nazanin�*s or jail is not over. == caroline explained why nazanin's or jail is not over.— jail is not over. -- ordeal. it is the horrific _ jail is not over. -- ordeal. it is the horrific roller _ jail is not over. -- ordeal. it is the horrific roller coaster - jail is not over. -- ordeal. it is the horrific roller coaster that l jail is not over. -- ordeal. it is i the horrific roller coaster that the family have gone through almost rolled into one day. first she had her ankle tag removed, she's

overjoyed, she goes to visit her elderly grandparents. she can now go for a coffee and a cafe. the simple pleasures that she hasn't been able to enjoy in five years of captivity, and then she hears that she's got this new court hearing hanging over her. that's due to take place a week today. and her sister—in—law has told us that there will be more sleepless nights. there's really a sense that the iranian authorities are toying with her. this has never been about the law. it's been about politics, and here you have an ordinary family caught in the middle of all that, hope and despair. ten million pupils in england begin going back to schools and colleges tomorrow, in the first stage of lockdown easing. they'll be tested regularly, initially in school and then at home, with face masks now expected to be worn in classrooms as well as communal areas. our education editor branwenjeffreys reports.

nervous but willing — teenagers lining up for tests. seat 09, please. the first of three lateral flow tests in school, then they get kits to do them at home. at first, if you've never done the test before, of course you're going to feel nervous, but the moment the swab goes in your mouth, you realise this isn't as bad as everyone has made it out to be, and then all the nerves just fade away. once it goes up your nose, it's a very weird feeling, but i guess you get used to it eventually. but i guess you'll get used to it eventually. so, you wipe the tonsils both sides, then up the nose as far as you can bear and twizzle it around. and then it's into the solution, and the results should be back within 30 minutes. but how reliable are these fast tests? experts say fewer than one in a thousand give a false positive, so will they be followed by a pcr lab test? we recommend people do pcrs if they test at home, and that's for the families, for example, with primary school children who will be testing themselves at home rather than in school. and also, when the children start

to test themselves at home, we will be recommending confirmed tests for those individuals there. but will teenagers do it twice a week at home? it's voluntary, but might help get things back to normal. hopefully, with a little bit of support from us and reminding them, etc, and reminding them that if we do this and we catch anybody with the virus early, it means they don't need to go home for ten days of isolation. i think that'll be a real incentive to both the students and the parents who won't want to home educate again. schools reopening is a calculated risk. it may well increase the rate of infection. that's why masks and classrooms are also being advised. that's why masks in classrooms are also being advised. we saw from wearing - masks and communal areas masks in communal areas that it wasn't compulsory . but it was strongly advised. we saw that between september and december, and it— worked very, very well. we recognise we're asking

people to go a little - bit above and beyond, but it's just one - of the many measures. as these desks fill up, the worry is helping kids catch up. there's tutoring as part of a £1.7 billion fund, but research today shows other ideas, like longer school days or shorter holidays, aren't always popular with parents. branwen jeffreys, bbc news. the latest stage of the coronavirus vaccine roll—out has reached 56 to 59—year—olds in england, with everyone in that age band being contacted with the offer of booking a jab. across the uk the aim is to reach all over 50s by the middle of april. our health correspondent, dominic hughes reports. the vaccine programme is moving into the next stage. at 56, the prime minister, touring a vaccination centre this morning, is one of those in the next group eligible for a jab. i've got to get mine in a couple of weeks, actually. the vaccine roll—out is proving to be pivotal to our return to normality. i'm focusing on rolling out

the vaccine, making sure that we get it into as many arms as possible, and using that extraordinary vaccine roll—out programme to deliver a cautious but we hope irreversible road map to freedom. that's what i am focusing on. the pace at which vaccinations have been carried out at centres like this one in manchester, as well as thousands of gp surgeries, community settings, pharmacies and hospitals, has been extraordinary. by the middle of april, everyone over the age of 50, that's 32 million people, will have been offered their firstjab. and the plan is that by the end ofjuly everyone over the age of 18, that's another 21 million people, will also have been offered a vaccination. one of the keys to a successful vaccine roll—out is making sure as many people as possible take up the jab, so efforts are under way to make sure no one is missed. so what we're trying to do is keep going through the priority cohorts, but keep looping back over the initial cohorts as well —

for different reasons. some people will have said no and then change their minds. some people might have moved or gone from being in hospital to out—of—hospital, or a range of other reasons why they have not been picked up. but even as the vaccine offers hope of some brighter days to come, there are warnings about what might still lie ahead. i think we have to prepare for a hard winter. - not only with coronavirus but we've | had a year of almost no respiratoryj viruses of any other type, and that i means potentially the populationl immunity to that is less, _ and so we could see surges in flue, we could see surges and other respiratory— viruses and other- respiratory pathogens. as the vaccination programme moves forward, nhs officials say enthusiasm seems to be only growing. yesterday was reported to be the busiest day ever for people booking appointments. but while the vaccine remains the key to easing a lockdown, the restrictions we have all been living with will be with us for some months to come. dominic hughes, bbc news.

the latest daily data on coronavirus is still coming in. what we have at the moment shows 5,177 new infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. and now to the vaccination numbers, ai6,000 people have had their first dose of one of the three approved covid—i9 vaccines in the latest 24—hour period, taking the overall number of people who've had their firstjab to 22.2 million and 1.1 million people have now had both doses of the vaccine. the queen has spoken of the importance of staying in touch with family and friends during what she called testing times in a message broadcastjust hours before the us television interview involving prince harry and meghan markle. she said technology had helped to transcend the divisions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

our royal correspondent, nicholas witchell, is here. it's an important day for the queen every year, commonwealth day, but the timing just before the interview, people are always good to be looking for clues or for possible hidden clues. it be looking for clues or for possible hidden clues.— hidden clues. it sounds as though the queen is _ hidden clues. it sounds as though the queen is trying _ hidden clues. it sounds as though the queen is trying to _ hidden clues. it sounds as though the queen is trying to send - hidden clues. it sounds as though the queen is trying to send a - hidden clues. it sounds as though i the queen is trying to send a headed message to the sussexes —— hidden message. but she really isn't. it looks like it's the battle of the broadcast, that the queen in london, the sussexes on the west coast of america, has been coincidental, but it's turned out like that because the queen's commonwealth a broadcast has been planned for weeks if not months. it's coincidental that it's going out today. they found out of courts that the sussexes have recorded the oprah winfrey interview and they were planning to transmit that in the early hours of tomorrow morning. thanks to this rather bizarre coincidence, we are getting

this alternative image of what royalty is all about. so, the queen and other members of the royal family, including the cambridge �*s, and prerecorded messages on bbc one tonight angered from westminster alley, but the queen talking about the pandemic —— today tonight angered. and it is a result of the difficulty of the commonwealth has faced that is necessary to keep in touch with family. it isn't that coded message about the sussexes. let's have a listen, she talked about reflecting on a time like no other. , , . _ other. the times experienced by so many have — other. the times experienced by so many have led _ other. the times experienced by so many have led to _ other. the times experienced by so many have led to a _ other. the times experienced by so many have led to a deeper- many have led to a deeper appreciation of the mutual support and spiritual sustenance we enjoy. by and spiritual sustenance we enjoy. by being _ and spiritual sustenance we enjoy. by being connected to others. the need _ by being connected to others. the need to— by being connected to others. the need to maintain greater physical distance — need to maintain greater physical distance or to live and work largely

in isolation — distance or to live and work largely in isolation has, for many people across_ in isolation has, for many people across the — in isolation has, for many people across the commonwealth, been an unusuat— across the commonwealth, been an unusual experience. in our everyday lives, _ unusual experience. in our everyday lives, we _ unusual experience. in our everyday lives, we have had to become more accustomed — lives, we have had to become more accustomed to communicating. it has been new— accustomed to communicating. it has been new for some of us. with conversations and common gatherings including _ conversations and common gatherings including commonwealth meetings conducted online, enabling people to stay in _ conducted online, enabling people to stay in touch with friends, family, colleagues — stay in touch with friends, family, colleagues and counterparts who they have not— colleagues and counterparts who they have not been able to meet in person — have not been able to meet in person. we have found ourselves able to enjoy _ person. we have found ourselves able to enjoy such communication, as it offersm _ to enjoy such communication, as it offersm that— to enjoy such communication, as it offers... that transcends boundaries, helping any sense of distance — boundaries, helping any sense of distance to disappear. it�*s boundaries, helping any sense of distance to disappear. it's always im ortant distance to disappear. it's always important to _ distance to disappear. it's always important to mark _ distance to disappear. it's always | important to mark commonwealth distance to disappear. it's always - important to mark commonwealth day. she's reported it throughout her

reign. i wonder if it's frustrating for the house that a lot of the attention inevitably what, whether tonight or tomorrow, will be about that interview, not about this day. it will be frustrating, but of course, commonwealth day normally goes by each year without anybody paying any attention to it. so it's actually giving much more attention this year than it normally would. we need to remember it embraces nearly one third of the world's population, so it is this enormous multiracial organisation which has been absolutely abiding commitment of the queen throughout the decades of her reign. i think part of her will be delighted that it is getting this amount of attention, a special programme on bbc one this evening, but, yes, there will be great frustration. it has been seen as a way of completing broadcast. now, we inevitably have to look forward to the sussexes' broadcast, the oprah winfrey experience, which will be

across all programmes tomorrow. what can we expect? it's hard to say. the trailers have given us an indication of what megan is likely to feel that she wants to share —— meghan. i think the big question is whether she will get into her perspective as to whether there has been some sort of racial prejudice against her. but we don't know, we'lljust have to wait and see. in terms of how the palace is feeling, it would wish to give the impression that it's going to take all of this in its stride and of course, it will. it's been used too many worse windsor crises and dramas in the past. i think it is absolutely the case that if there is absolutely the case that if there is real substance from the dust duchess of sussex, backed up by evidence as to how the palace could and should have done more to support her, to accommodate her within the royalfamily, if she her, to accommodate her within the royal family, if she can cite that, then without question, the palace

tried so hard to make this work will wish to reflect on any real evidence as to why it didn't. it remains to be seen whether in this interview she is able to produce any such evidence. we shall have to wait and see. , ., ., , ., evidence. we shall have to wait and see. ., , ., �* evidence. we shall have to wait and see. ., �*, see. yes, a few hours more. i'm sure --eole see. yes, a few hours more. i'm sure peeple will— see. yes, a few hours more. i'm sure peeple will be — see. yes, a few hours more. i'm sure people will be talking _ see. yes, a few hours more. i'm sure people will be talking about - see. yes, a few hours more. i'm sure people will be talking about quite - see. yes, a few hours more. i'm sure people will be talking about quite a l people will be talking about quite a lot of it tomorrow. thank you very much. it is now approaching 17 minutes past six. the headlines on bbc news... hopes for nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe, as she is released from house arrest in iran, but a new court case against her is scheduled for next week millions of pupils in england prepare to go back to schools and colleges tomorrow — the first step in easing the coronavirus lockdown. the queen stresses the importance of staying in touch with friends and family in a message to mark commonwealth day, just hours before the duke and duchess of sussex's interview with oprah winfrey.

the prime minister has defended the recommended i% pay rise for nhs workers in england, saying the government's tried to give staff as much as it can. unions have described the offer as an "insult" and, alongside opposition parties, called for a bigger increase. our political correspondent, jessica parker told me that ministers were unlikely to change their pay offer despite the backlash from across the health service. there's no sign yet that they're going to move on this recommendation they've put to the independent pay review body for a 1% rise. the rows that have broke out on thursday night and then yesterday, nhs providers which represents nhs trusts in england, they pointed to a long—term funding settlement enshrined in law which they say had assumed a higher increase this year ofjust over 2%. the government said, though, that while the longer term funding settlement was enshrined in law,

specific pay increases weren't. but it's something that the labour shadow health secretary, john ashworth, was keen to raise this morning. this document is the nhs long—term spending plan. it promised a 2.1% increase for nhs staff. not only was it promised, it was budgeted for and it was legislated upon. this is the law of the land, tory mps voted for 2.1%. that's the document, you can ask gavin williamson about it if you like. so that's really interesting. you say 2.1%, the rcn says i2.5%. there is a big, big gap. let me finish. the government budgeted 2.1%, they passed that in legislation because their spending plans for the nhs came to the house of commons and it went through the house of commons. every tory mp voted for 2.1% injanuary last year. that should be the basis on which negotiations and discussions are now entered into with the trade unions.

and nowjohn ashworth saying that should be the basis. labour, when they've been asked, what do you think the rise should be, what would you say to the pay review body? they've been slightly reluctant to be drawn on a specific figure. it was interesting as well watching the shadow health secretary earlier speaking, he was asked repeatedly about whether he would support potential strike action. he seemed a little bit reluctant to be drawn on that too much. he said he'd supported action by staff in the past, but he was very insistent at the moment that it was hypothetical and that nhs staff and nurses don't want to strike. from the government's perspective, what we've been hearing from ministers recently is that the economy is in a difficult situation. that money is potentially tight, there is a wider public sector pay freeze which they carved nhs staff out of by potentially offering them this i% and they also point to existing sort of multi—year deals that they say a lot of people are benefiting from. but for the first time since the row broke out, we heard from the prime minister today and he was asked, as you were sort of suggesting there a moment ago, was the government on the defensive heading for a u—turn? i'm massively grateful to all nhs

i staff and indeed for social care i workers who have been heroic throughout the pandemic. - and what we've done is tried to give them as much as we can _ at the present time, _ the independent pay review body will obviously look at what we've proposed and come back. - don't forget, that there has been a public sector pay freeze. - we're in pretty tough times. we've tried to give the nhs as much as we possibly can and that means l l in addition to the £140 billion l annual money, we've got another £62 billion we've foundl to help support the nhs throughout the crisis. but my gratitude is overwhelming. but you can't put a price on gratitude, i guess. but politically, is the government potentially helped by the timetable for all of this? possibly, because we don't expect to hear back from this independent pay review body that will look at what the government's proposed until later this spring.

so in a way, they've got some breathing room. i think a lot depends though on where public opinion is at. which, you know, i can't sit here and say, i can read that, but i've spoken to a few conservative mps, for example, about what extent they're getting traffic through their inboxes, their so—called post bags in terms of complaints. one conservative mp told me that they had seen a significant push back, but others saying the reaction had been relatively moderate. it's interesting, the royal college of nursing, which has set up this strike fund, reacted to borisjohnson's words after he spoke earlier today and they're saying that the prime minister should put his money where his mouth is. jessica parker talking to me earlier. a 17—year—old boy who was believed to have been holding a metal pole that touched an overhead electric line has died. the incident happened in the village near chorley in lancashire. two other teenagers were also hurt in the incident, which happened yesterday evening. lancashire police say an investigation is underway. on the third and final day

of his trip to iraq, pope francis has visited some of the areas previously held by the islamic state group. christians were among those targeted by is when they seized parts of northern iraq in 2014. today, pope prayed among ruined churches in mosul before meeting iraqi christians in qaraqosh. and in irbil, he celebrated mass in front of an estimated 10,000 people. our correspondent mark lowen is travelling with him and sent this report. from the rubble of war, a messenger of peace. face—to—face with the brutality of islamic state terror in mosul, pope francis came to appeal for unity to rise from its ashes. beside a church destroyed in the fighting, a powerful moment of reflection.

rarely has the hand of healing been needed more than this. he called for persecuted christians to return here and gave a prayerfor the victims. translation: today, . we reaffirm our conviction that fraternity is more durable than fratricide. that hope is more powerful than death. that peace, more powerful than war. then another risk in the trips finale — a large public mass in irbil in the midst of the pandemic. it's what some had warned against — spreading the virus, notjust the word of god. but the papal fans were undeterred. i hope that this visit will bring a lot of peace to this country and to all religions and nationalities — to live together in peaceful life. the short—term impact of these

crowds could well be a spike in infection, but from the warmth of his reception to the potency of his message, this is a trip that could have a long—lasting legacy, too, beyond simply the symbolism. that he came at all was, for many iraqis, a miracle. but a defiant pope has made history here, hoping to have given a balm to this injured land. mark lowen, bbc news, irbil. let's return to our lead story — that the british—iranian woman, nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe has had her ankle tag removed — following the completion of her five—year prison sentence in iran. she was convicted of spying in 2016, which she's always denied. rebecca ratcliffe is the sister—in—law of nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe — i asked her how the family was feeling following today's decision.

the fact that she has had the ankle tag taken off, it was an unexpected phone call from her this morning. has produced a smile on her face and it was lovely to see her smiling and the car going out to see friends of prisoners that she's been in prison with and go out and see her grandma tonight. but it's not the release we wanted, it's not that ticket home, her passport back and coming back to us. it may be hard to express this, but i'll ask you — if you don't want to answer, please say — how difficult has it been from the family to give the support they want, notjust to nazanin, but also to richard and to your niece? yeah, it has been hard. in different times— yeah, it has been hard. in different times harder. covid hasn't really been helpful.

richard has a certain amount of strength, but there are times when he has down days and it's ourjob to pick him up because he's the driving force behind the campaign. we do what we can when we can. we're backing him 100%. do you think it would help for iranian authorities have a sense of the family? notjust of this woman? on a humanitarian level, what you're all going through for five years since this terrible nightmare began. it must come at a big cost for all of you. yeah, it is a big cost. it's notjust... obviously, it affects richard and gabriela much more, but it is the wider family that's affected, and ironic of course. -- in iran. i expect the iranian authorities are aware of the impacts, but the hardliners are hard—hearted

about it, and they're doing it for diplomatic leverage. and they will keep doing it, so the consequences is there so the consequences is they're going to keep doing it until they get what they want. i don't know how they can keep doing it and destroy families. this is a mother and a child. it's hard i supposed to know how you should deal with each stage as it comes. you've now got the release physically of confinement. she's now able to travel around city, at least, which is a dramatic improvement. before that, the period she was in prison, which obviously must�*ve been so awful for her to try and deal with and get through. she did get through it. now you've got a week of uncertainty. you don't know really what this means. this week is going to feel a very long week. it's going to be hell. today is relatively a good day. we're seeing nazanin smile, it in a car for the first time

get in a car for the first time in years, getting out of the flat. as we get close to sunday, there's going to be a lot of worrying about what sunday means. she's back in front of the judge that gave her the five year sentence before, and the judge that's a suggested there's another sentence over her and more charges ahead of her. we don't know whether that's what's going to happen on sunday, but the worry for us as a family and i suspect for nazanin, that's what's headed her way. do you know what these charges are? they were saying this case goes back to 2017 and has never been pursued until now. there's absolutely no evidence for this, whether the ambiguity, this other case isjust, they think, a sham. no other evidence has been brought forward. the only evidence they've ever showed was back in 2017, after the prime minister said what he did.

part of that was the prime minister's speech, really. there hasn't been any other convincing evidence for her current sentence, and there's been known for the next charge. it'sjust on hold. are you clear what the other charge is? no, i think it'sjust slightly wording of what she's been slight rewording. now it's time for a look at the weather with tomasz shafernaker. well, in the short term, the weather's going to remain relatively quiet across the uk. some big breaks in the cloud this afternoon across parts of the country. you can see sunshine there in the midlands, the south of the uk, but it's starting to turn now in the northwest of the uk. weatherfronts are pushing in, cloud, some outbreaks of rain and it's going to stay overcast with occasional rain overnight in scotland and northern ireland. probably some of that, rain reaching the lake district

and northern england by the early hours of the morning.