you're watching bbc news, i'm ben mundy. the headlines at five o'clock... people in england may not need to self—isolate if they've been in close contact with someone with coronavirus. daily rapid tests will be offered as an alternative to ten days quarantine. the foreign office plays down any suggestion aid worker nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe is to be released, after iran's state tv claimed the uk had paid to secure it. hundreds of manchester united fans invade the old trafford pitch — protesting against the club's owners. this afternoon's premier league game with liverpool has been delayed. india records its highest number of covid—19 deaths in a single day since the start of the pandemic — 3,500 in the past 2a hours. a national day of mourning in israel, after 45 people were killed by a crush at a jewish

festival early on friday. surgery in the womb: a pioneering procedure to repair a baby's spine while still in its mother's womb continues — despite pandemic pressures. hello, welcome to bbc news. the rules that require people to self—isolate if they come into contact with someone who's tested positive for covid, could be relaxed. in a trial starting next week, up to 40,000 people contacted by nhs test and trace will be asked to take a lateral flow test every morning for a week — instead of starting ten days of quarantine. 0ur health correspondent, anna collinson, reports. test, test, test. it's a key part of society reopening. currently, if you come into close

contact with someone who's tested positive, you may receive this — a message from test and trace saying you must self—isolate for ten days. but this could soon change. a new study, backed by the government, is going to trial giving close contacts rapid lateral flow tests every morning, for seven days. results take about 30 minutes — and if they're negative, they can go about their lives as usual. rapid tests are considered less sensitive compared to pcr ones, which are processed in a lab, but scientists hope they can still play an important role in tackling the virus. we will also ask participants to take a pcr test at the beginning of the seven—day period and at the end of the seven—day period, and also if they test positive at any time to confirm the result, and this will help us really understand, you know, the effectiveness of this approach. there are also hopes this study could help people who've

struggled to self—isolate, particularly those who are unable to work from home or are struggling financially. it's been particularly difficult for children — often self—isolating for a contact in their year group who they've never actually seen or met, and they're off school for an extra ten days, so i think this is a really positive step. but even if quarantine for close contacts is scrapped, there are still calls for improved financial support for those who test positive. it's one of the many precautions scientists would like to see over the coming months. it's too early to declare victory and to drop our guard. we do know that this infection has a tendency to come back again, and we need to use this time to be absolutely sure that we've got every precaution in place to stop further outbreaks. so, as the uk looks forward to a summer of relaxation and hopes of a foreign holiday, a reminder that the battle

is still farfrom won. anna collinson, bbc news. the latest government coronavirus figures show there were — 1,671 covid-i9 new infections as well as a further 14 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. the official data also showed that 34.51 million people had received their first dose of the vaccine. the foreign office has played down any suggestion that the british iranian aid worker — nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe — a is about to be released. iranian state tv is reporting that the uk will pay a £400 million to secure her release. the foreign office says legal discussions are ongoing about the historical debt to iran. nazanin has been detained in iran for five years on spying charges. she was recently convicted for a second time and banned from leaving tehran. earlier, the foreign secretary dominic raab told the bbc, iran's actions amounted to torture.

nazanin is held, unlawfully, in my view, as a matter of international law. i think she is being treated in the most abusive, torturous way. i think it amounts to torture, the way she is being treated. and there is a very clear, unequivocal obligation on the iranians to release her and all of those who are being held as leverage, immediately and without condition. and we call on iran to step up and comply with its obligations. manchester united's game with liverpool has been delayed — after around 200manchester united fans stormed the pitch at old trafford — in protest against the club's ownership. thousands more are protesting outside the stadium. the game had been due to kick off at a30. here's what two fans had to say who jointed the protest the protest outside the ground. this needed to be done, with the owners, it's been a long time coming.

owners, it's been a long time cominu. ~ . ., , coming. we have the heritage they have taken away. _ coming. we have the heritage they have taken away. not _ coming. we have the heritage they have taken away. notjust - coming. we have the heritage they have taken away. notjust the - coming. we have the heritage they l have taken away. notjust the super league but in general. {iii have taken away. notjust the super league but in general.— league but in general. of course, ou look league but in general. of course, you look at— league but in general. of course, you look at when _ league but in general. of course, you look at when they _ league but in general. of course, you look at when they came - league but in general. of course, you look at when they came in - league but in general. of course, | you look at when they came in the club wasn't — you look at when they came in the club wasn't in debt. a few years leter— club wasn't in debt. a few years later 400 — club wasn't in debt. a few years later 400 million in debt. they take out £8 _ later 400 million in debt. they take out £8 million in dividends during a pandemic, — out £8 million in dividends during a pandemic, it is not right. liam bradford from bbc radio manchester is there for us. not the afternoon you had planned, you're stuck in the car park, what is the latest? it you're stuck in the car park, what is the latest?— is the latest? it is chilly, but other than — is the latest? it is chilly, but other than that _ is the latest? it is chilly, but other than that we _ is the latest? it is chilly, but other than that we know - is the latest? it is chilly, but i other than that we know there is the latest? it is chilly, but - other than that we know there is a meeting taking place inside the stadium to figure out what is happening next. since then, essentially the ground is now clear of protesters after they broke into the playing surface twice. it is now clearer protesters and the stewards inside have been told tourism there usual positions which would suggest

we are not i usual positions which would suggest we are noti million miles away from getting everyone back in the ground and restarting this game. next couple of hours, some of the rumours which is speculation that may be at 715 kick—off but we just have to wait and see what is decided. however the fans managed to get in the stadium, huge security questions for manchester united about this? i think so. the number of fans arrived for this protest probably caught manchester united off guard. it certainly, me off—guard. i wasn't expecting as many to turn up when i was outside the stadium earlier. an awful lot of fans protesting the ownership of the football club. a lot of those fans will see today as a success. they have had an impact and feel they have done theirjob. maybe some questions about the way they have gone about it. not exactly

a peaceful protest when you break into a football club and cause damage in the process. i think manchester united are now struggling to get things back on track again when maybe, there are some security concerns about how that went on. to be honest, this is not the first time manchester united have had to deal with security concerns. back in 2016, there was a game against bournemouth which was played three days later. it takes 90 minutes for the security guards to do a sweep of the security guards to do a sweep of the stadium once they have got the last of the protesters out. that is now happening and the ground is cleared of protesters.— cleared of protesters. we're 'ust waitinu cleared of protesters. we're 'ust waitin: to cleared of protesters. we're 'ust waiting to hear i cleared of protesters. we're 'ust waiting to hear what i cleared of protesters. we're 'ust waiting to hear what time h cleared of protesters. we're just waiting to hear what time the i cleared of protesters. we're just i waiting to hear what time the game may kick—off. the players are there yet? may kick-off. the players are there et? ., . . , may kick-off. the players are there et? ., . , ., yet? neither of the coaches have arrived so _ yet? neither of the coaches have arrived so all _ yet? neither of the coaches have arrived so all of _ yet? neither of the coaches have arrived so all of the _ yet? neither of the coaches have arrived so all of the preparation i arrived so all of the preparation from liverpool and manchester united

ahead of the game has gone slightly awry. plenty of talk about who that will benefit and who it will not. we will benefit and who it will not. we will leave that to the public. we need match officials, players and backroom staff and none of them are here yet. none of the coaches have turned out yet for the start of this game so it will not be eminent. thank you very much forjoining us this afternoon. —— imminent. india's prime minister narendra modi is under intense pressure to announce a national lockdown after india reported the highest number of deaths with covid—i9 over a 24 hour period — almost 3,700 people. mr modi had resisted the measure in the build up to regional elections where his party is trying to extend its influence. but with the polls now over, the prime minister has been meeting senior officials to review the situation. 0ur correspondent devina gupta is in delhi — and told us more about the possibility of a lockdown across the country. india's prime minister, narendra modi, in his last

address with the public, when the regional polls were going on, had stopped short of announcing a national lockdown, saying it is up to the states to decide whether they want to have a mini lockdown and it should only be used as a last resort, because livelihoods of a lot of people in india, almost 90% of the workforce, which is in the employment sectors, dependent on odd jobs and daily wages that they get in various states. and if there is a lockdown, what happens to those people? we have seen a migrant crisis where a majority of the migrants staying in the cities have walked back to their homes without any transport, at least in the first month of the lockdown. there were reports of how many people walked on foot, and also experienced fatigue. and that is a situation that the government wants to avoid at the moment. but experts say it is just a race against time. the extent of the pandemic now is quite different from last year. we see a record number of deaths, over 3600 being reported,

a record number of cases, over 400,000 reported across the country earlier this week. these are the numbers that require bold, decisive steps and national lockdown could be the way of dealing with this crisis at the moment to save as many lives as possible. lets get more on the government's response to the coronavirus outbreak and the news that the government has begun a trial of daily lateral flow tests for people who have come into close contact with someone with covid, which if successful could spell an end to the requirement to self—isolate. one big question likely to be answered in the coming days is which countries you can travel to without needing to qurantine when you return home. 0ur political correspondent, jonathan blake, told me the big date in everyone's diary is may the 17th, when the government hopes to allow international travel again. i'm told we should expect an announcement was the end of this coming week, the foreign secretary, dominic raab, said this morning

the details are coming shortly. it will be a confirmation that international travel will be allowed again, and crucially the list of which countries will be green in status, meaning you can travel there and return without having to go into quarantine. that will be a very limited list to begin with, and none of those countries are yet confirmed. we also had a hint of what life might be like further down the road map out of lockdown, beyond june the 21st, where the government hopes to lift all legal restrictions in england. the foreign secretary suggested that some guidance may remain after that. well, we've said it will be evidence driven. if you're talking about the fourth step of the road map... iam. they won't end before then and we're going to be evidence driven, but that's the aim. and i think the progress we've made with the vaccine, over 34 million first doses have been dispensed, that's 60% of the adult population, on track to hit the end—of—july target. i think we're in a good position,

but we've got to keep tracking variants and keep tracking the evidence. that is in the uk. india, as we have heard, remains a desperate situation. what have we been hearing today from politicians here about the uk response? the uk is one of several countries that is helping india with aid shipments in its fight against coronavirus. eight shipments from the uk specifically arriving this week. we have heard more today from the government about what it is doing. the foreign secretary said this morning it would send another 1000 ventilators to help india treat those most ill with coronavirus. that is in addition to 495 oxygen concentrators, 120 ventilators that have already been sent. the question beyond that is will the uk help with vaccines in india. and will any of the doses here, which are perhaps surplus to requirements, be sent to india to help them vaccinate the population? the government has said it is not looking at doing that at

the moment. the shadow foreign secretary, labour's lisa nandy was asked if her party thinks that would be a good thing to do this morning. let's not pit the people of india against the people of britain. . we need to keep up the progress. we have made with the vaccination process here, they need to ramp up i supply and money factoring acrossl the world. that is notjust a case l in india, although it is a particular issue for the well - because of the size and severity of what we are seeing. it is also the case _ in the global south and refugee camps, and that is why i support- what professor 0penshaw was saying. we need a global agreement to make i sure we get on the front foot about. this and get the vaccination. to every corner of the globe. it doesn't seem like there is any prospect of the uk vaccination programme will be slowed down, to send them elsewhere. if there is any surplus after that, possibly, but you heard lisa nandy increasing calls for a more coordinated, globalapproach.

jonathan blake, our political correspondent talking to me earlier. the headlines on bbc news... people in england may not need to self—isolate if they've been in close contact with someone with covid. daily rapid tests will be offered as an alternative to ten days quarantine. the foreign office plays down speculation that the aid worker nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe is to be released, after iran's state broadcast tv claims the british government had paid to secure it. india has recorded its highest number of covid—i9 deaths in a single day since the start of the pandemic. a national day of mourning is taking place in israel after a crush at a jewish festival early on friday, in which 45 people died. they were trapped in a narrow walkway at mount meron. the victims include teenagers and children. 0ur middle east correspondent tom bateman reports. two brothers who travelled to a mountaintop tomb. they went to rejoice.

but 18—year—old yosef and his brother mordecai, just 12, were buried there overnight — among the young boys killed in a national tragedy. today, they paid tribute to the victims and absorbed the disaster�*s terrible toll. the israeli flag is lowered to half—mast. we're all heartbroken, saddened, shattered into a million pieces. there's no words to describe the feeling of the entire country. it's like a day of wailing for an entire country, saddened. wherever you go, whatever part of the country, people are sad and talking about one topic — what happened here at meron. friday's crush developed as crowds of ultra—0rthodox pilgrims became packed in a narrow walkway, down a slippery ramp. those at the front became trapped. investigators have been at the site. an inquiry will look at the role of the police and officials,

and why years of safety warnings were ignored. people i spoke to caught in the crush here were angry with the police, who they blame. but there is soul—searching going on in the country over the degree of autonomy the government gives to political and religious leaders of the ultra—0rthodox, and what part that had to play in poor planning and a lack of safety. israel is united in grief, but much more split over who's responsible. with some bodies still to be identified, more funerals are due to take place. there is a fraught atmosphere amid the search for answers but, for now, israelis are pausing to honour their dead. tom bateman, bbc news, jerusalem. north korea has accused president biden of pursuing a hostile policy towards the country, and has warned that the united states will get hurt if it provokes pyongyang. the north was giving its first response to the biden

administration's policies on the country, which it has set out this week. mark lobel reports. north korea has issued a sharp response to these recent comments from president biden. 0n iran and north korea, nuclear programmes that present serious threats to american security and the security of the world, we will be working closely with our allies to address the threats posed by both these countries, through the diplomacy as well as stern deterrence. in turn, north korea also cracked the whip, with its foreign ministry saying... north koreans are again returning to their acerbic and belligerent rhetoric to try and get the sanction relief and try to reset the negotiations.

it's a far cry from president biden�*s predecessor's hopeful, but ultimately unsuccessful attempts, to try to strike a deal with kim jong—un. the white house insists its goal is the complete denuclearisation of the korean peninsula. it's attempting to chart a new path, a middle road between what it calls donald trump's grand bargain approach and barack 0bama's standoffish one. as far as diplomacy goes, north korea appears to view this as more stick than carrot. it added that the us would get hurt if it provoked them. as covid restrictions are eased, and test events without social distancing take place — for families grieving the loss of loved ones, there are still restrictions at funerals. in england, only 30 mourners can currently attend. the government says the rules for england are under constant review and will be eased

when evidence suggests it is safe to do so. there are different limits in scotland, wales and northern ireland. earlier i spoke to maria bailey who lost her mother to cancer in december. my mum sadly passed away on the 14th of december. she had had cancer, and it was quite a short battle with cancer as well. we only found out at the end ofjuly. when it came to her funeral on christmas eve, i had the rather embarrassing situation of thinking i was allowed to invite 30 guests, only to find out that the venue, the local crematorium, could only house 20. so i had to let ten of herfriends down. we also had a situation where friends and family were going into tiered lockdowns. one of her very best friends from kent could not make it. i was very grateful that we could have a video link, so that friends and relatives who were not able to attend were able to watch all over the world.

my aunt in australia, friends and family in chester. yeah, it was quite a difficult situation to be put in. because it is already bad enough, losing my mother, without this added complication on top of working out who could be there. for those of us who could attend, there was the added restriction of not actually having that human contact, that touch of people you love, at a time when you really need a hug. if things like cup finals can go ahead, with lateralflow tests, i think it is time to think about whether funerals can go ahead in a normal way as well. even larger venues, where you can socially distance more than 30 people at two metres apart such as cathedrals and large churches. could the government start thinking about those as an option? do you think that the government should be prioritising

easing the restrictions on funerals sooner? absolutely. yes, if there are lateral flow tests in place beforehand and they can check it is ok. i'm not advocating risk—taking here, if the cup final can go ahead. we had the contrast at one weekend. the queen sat on her own at husband's funeral, and then the following weekend, a football match where 8000 people could attend because they had had a lateral flow tests. it really stuck with me, those two different images. so if they can do that, i think they should look at changing the rules for funerals now. maria bailey, grief recovery specialist. a pioneering operation to repair a baby's spine — while still in its mother's womb — was made available for the first time on the nhs lastjanuary. since then the surgery, which reduces the complications caused by spina bifida, has been carried out on 32 women, despite the major disruption caused by the pandemic.

let's get more on this from our health correspondent katharine da costa. it comes with risks but, then, this operation will mean that i've done the best for her. in my mind, there was no choice. ijust had to do it. hello! 0h, someone's tired, aren't they? this is mila, short for milagro — or miracle, in spanish. after six failed rounds of ivf, helena had almost given up hope of having a second baby, but on her seventh attempt, she fell pregnant and things seemed to progress well — until her 20—week scan. i was told the news that she definitely has got spina bifida. she's got a very big lesion on her back. so, basically, half of her spine was exposed. and they... they said that it's likely that she will be paralysed, likely she'll be incontinent, and will need a shunt to drain the fluid from her brain later on. iwas... i was beside myself when they told me all these possible outcomes

for having this condition. and... and ijust couldn't stop crying, basically. they told me the probability of her walking or moving her legs — very, very low. and, yeah, that was... that was absolutely devastating. within days, helena was referred for tests and scans similar to this one at university college hospital in london, and because the baby was otherwise healthy, she could be operated on while still in the womb. at 23 weeks pregnant, helena travelled to this specialist hospital in belgium, which is working in partnership with the nhs. a team of 25 clinicians carried out the complex operation, just like this one, to repair mila's exposed spinal chord and close the hole in her back. previously, the baby would have the repair to the spinal defect after birth. but now, because we can offer

surgery in the womb, what it means is that the defect is closed a lot earlier. so, it means there is less damage to the spine, and that increases the chance the baby's going to walk and have much better control of their bladder and their bowel. shall we do some gym? mila was born at 36 weeks and is doing well. it's hoped up to 30 babies a year — from across the uk — could benefit from this surgery on the nhs, and while it's not a cure, it could be the difference between a child learning to walk or not. she can move her legs, and she's got feeling to her toes, so it is absolutely amazing. i'm just so grateful to the surgeons who have done this operation because her life would look very different without it. katharine da costa, bbc news. four astronauts have returned from the international space station, in nasa's first night—time landing in 53 years. the crew, made up of three astronauts

from nasa and one from japan's space agency have spent six months in space. recovery ships were waiting in the gulf of mexico to reach the capsule and crew. the american actress 0lympia dukakis, who won an oscar for her role in the 1987 romantic comedy moonstuck, has died aged 89. she had a long and distinguished career and also as a director. but it is for her roles in comedy films such as moonstruck and steel magnolias that she found international fame. the singer and actress cher, who played 0lympia dukakis' daughter in �*moonstruck�*, has been among those sharing their memories of her — tweeting that she had spoken to her shortly before her death. viola davis, who starred with 0lympia dukakis in the 1998 film �*the pentagon wars' descibed her as a "consummate actor" and "a joy to work with". to hear more about her life and legacy, earlier i spoke with film critic and journalist, james luxford.

she was a versatile actress who could turn to a number of different roles, either warm or quite stern, such as the headmistress in mr holland's 0pus in the mid—905. that really came from her reputation as a versatile and popular broadway theatre actor in and around new york. what was it about her performances and her work off screen that made her so well liked? i think it was that versatility, that warmth, that humanity in the performances. in films such as moonstruck and steel magnolias, are very popular with people because they feel they speak to stories that people can relate to. 0lympia dukakis was a big part of telling the stories. we have also seen through those

sharing tributes, her teaching was a big part of her life and she passed on some other skills and wisdom to many others. absolutely, she was a big believer in passing on her craft. you only have to see that in the documentary about her career. 0lympia, which came out in 2018. a number of big—name oscar winners such as whoopi goldberg, laura linney, just absolutely enthusiastic in their praise of her generosity and her belief in passing on all that she had learned on stage and screen. touching on her legacy, in a recent interview she said she was encouraged by how things had improved for women. she said there is a forward movement which is real and strong. i think there really is. there is a hunger with so many different avenues to watch movies and tv shows, to have a broader spectrum of storytelling and that includes stories from the female perspective.

she obviously would have experienced a narrower spectrum throughout her long career where there were fewer in terms of the variety of roles that actresses, but towards the end of her life, that seems to have picked up with more stories being told and more actresses getting more opportunities. the film critic james the film criticjames lex for talking to me earlier. police in north wales say they're "pulling out all the stops" to find those responsible for the destruction of a platform to encourage ospreys to breed. it was chopped down just a day after an egg was laid in the nest. 0spreys are a protected bird of prey and it is an offence to interfere with them or their nests. tim muffett reports. ospreys are a very rare sight in the uk. nesting platforms for the birds of prey were first built at llyn brenig reservoir in north wales in 2013 as part of a successful conservation project.

but on friday night, just one day after an egg was laid in this nest, what's been described as an horrific act of vandalism took place — the nesting platform was cut down with chainsaws. we're really pulling all stops out to try to catch the person or persons responsible for this. the whole team are absolutely devastated by it, and i'm sure the community are as well. these birds give a lot of people a lot of pleasure and ijust can't understand how anybody could go and do something like that. 0spreys spend the winter in africa, typically returning to the same nest each spring. 0sprey eggs have been targeted by thieves before, although police say they don't know the motive in this instance. my initial reaction when i heard the news was incredulity, really. shock. ijust couldn't believe anybody had done this to such a rare bird. you've got to bear in mind, you know, ospreys have been absent

from wales for 400—odd years. they were re—colonised in 2004, but still, we only have five pairs here. so it's one fell swoop, one act of mindless vandalism, and we've lost 20% of our ospreys. conservationists have placed a decoy egg on a nearby site in the hope that the pair will nest there instead. anyone with information about this crime is being urged to contact north wales police. tim muffett, bbc news. hello there. it has been another cool day today with a mixture of sunshine and showers. across more western parts of the uk, the showers should be turning fewer, we will end the day with a bit more in the way of sunshine. continuing eastwards, we will keep the showers going more widely for longer. some of them could be heavy with some hail and thunder. if we look out at the atlantic, this is what is to come for bank holiday monday. underneath this shield of cloud,

we have an area of low pressure, that is going to be deepening, so the wind is going to be strengthening as it arrives in the uk to blow in some rain from the west as well. this evening, still a few sharp showers around, mainly for the eastern side of the uk. though showers do tend to decay overnight, clearing skies for a while. then we see the first signs of that rain coming towards northern ireland, a few showers ahead of it. more in the way of cloud and breeze. the frost more restricted to eastern scotland and north—east of england by morning. we are watching for the wind to pick up steadily during the day, the cloud to increase, and this rain to move in from the west. it is going to take a good part of the day to reach the south—east of england and east anglia, and it may be largely dry in the far north of scotland. but when the rain is there, it could turn out to be quite heavy. western areas turning a little bit showery later. low pressure building that wet and windy weather, with the strongest wind to the south, across england and wales, gusts of 50—60 mph. temperatures are going to struggle in that increasing cloud, wet and windy weather, it is going to be a cold bank holiday monday.

it stays windy into the night, the worst of the rain, heaviest of the rain moves through and that low pressure exits out towards the east. it will still be windy early on tuesday, particularly down those north sea coasts, the wind gradually easing down a bit, but we have showers, longer spells of rain, some wintriness over the higher ground in scotland. temperatures, seven celsius in northern scotland. where it is a bit drier in the far south of england and wales, temperatures could be 12 or 13 celsius. the heaviest of the showers will get tracked away with that area of low pressure, but look where the wind is still coming from, all the way from the north. that is cold air, and cold air is going to remain with us for the week ahead. so could be a touch of frost early on wednesday with lighter wind by this stage. showers, some wintriness over the hills breaking out in scotland, some showers for the eastern side of england. head further west, it is largely dry with some sunshine. still, temperatures no better than 11 or 12.

the foreign secretary, dominic raab, dismisses calls for a faster easing of lockdown rules in england. he says it's the "last lap" of the race to beat coronavirus, but urges caution, even when lockdown is over. we want to get to a position at the end ofjune where we can get life back as close to normal as possible. but there will still need to be some safeguards in place. the government is now considering a vaccination roll—out for schools. also on the programme: hundreds of manchester united fans stage a pitch protest against the club's american owners, delaying today's match against liverpool. the government suggests nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe, jailed in iran, is being held hostage by the regime, and suffering treatment amounting to torture. mournful cries.

and, a national day of mourning in israel, after the crush at a jewish festival which killed 45 people. good afternoon. the foreign secretary, dominic raab, has dismissed calls for a faster easing of lockdown rules in england. he's urging caution, saying the country's entering the "last lap" of the race to beat the coronavirus. he also suggests "some safeguards" may remain, even when all legal restrictions end next month. the government is considering a range of measures, including a vaccination programme for schools, although no final decision has been made. here's our political correspondent ben wright. it has been a testing time and

enduring people do not have covid will continue to be crucial as the country reopens. the government is beginning a trial of daily lateral flow to the people in england who have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus. it could eventually mean the end of self—isolation. ministers are also considering giving vaccines to secondary school children. we want to get to a position at the end ofjune where we can get life as close to normal as possible but there will still need to be some safeguards, that is one of the tools we will look at but no decision has been made. today dominic raab said the uk was in the last lap in its fight against covid but that does not mean the imminent end of facemasks. particularly it will be around distancing, maybe something around facemasks but i don't really want to prejudge, those are just some options. lockdown rules have differed in different parts of the uk but are being eased everywhere. from may the 17th at the earliest four people will be able to meet indoors in

scotland, six in england. may the 17th is when some international travel will be able to resume. an update is expected at the end of the coming week on which countries will be placed on the green list allowing people to travel without the need for quarantine. but one labour frontbencher is not rushing to book a flight. the truth is it will be quite complicated for a long time. the government is saying the rules can change _ government is saying the rules can change at — government is saying the rules can change at short notice, you may be required _ change at short notice, you may be required to— change at short notice, you may be required to quarantine, you may need to shell_ required to quarantine, you may need to shell out _ required to quarantine, you may need to shell out large sums for hotel deals _ deals. people need to be deals. — people need to be careful. deals. peole need to be careful. ., people need to be careful. for weeks the government _ people need to be careful. for weeks the government has _ people need to be careful. for weeks the government has batted _ people need to be careful. for weeks the government has batted away - people need to be careful. for weeks| the government has batted away calls from some tory mps to lift restrictions sooner insisting this needs to be cautious and irreversible. for more than a year, unprecedented laws have restricted who we can meet, and where we can go. those laws look set to be lifted in england byjune the 21st if the data around vaccines and infection rates supports it, and life

will begin to feel something like it did before the pandemic. but covid will not have gone away and at the moment the government is conducting four reviews into vaccine passports and social distancing, for instance, that could well shape our behaviour for a long time to come. already some snooker fans are back in their seats but with no vaccine 100% effective it could be a while before the cloud of covid has lifted altogether. ben wright, bbc news. the latest government figures show there were 1,671 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period, with on average 2,188 new cases reported per day in the last week. 14 deaths were recorded, that's of people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. which means on average in the past week, 16 deaths were announced every day, taking the overall total to 127,538.

just over 34.5 milion people have now had their first dose of a covid vaccine. and more than 15 million people have had two doses. hundreds of manchester united fans have invaded the pitch at old trafford, in a mass protest against the club's american owners. it's caused a delay to one of the biggest games of the season against liverpool. the fans claim the glazer family have piled debt on the club, and betrayed supporters by signing up to the now defunct european super league. 0ur sports correspondent, joe wilson, has more from old trafford. protesters chanting. 1:30pm outside old trafford, the concourse where protesters were expected to congregate. the anger expressed here is a long—standing opposition to manchester united's ownership by the american glazer family. by 2pm, some protesters decided to go further. ultimately, on to the pitch itself. this was the scene at one of the most famous football

grounds in the world, that revered manchester united pitch, the place of stirring feats of football, occupied. meanwhile some of those who'd stayed peacefully outside were leaving. as we are speaking outside the ground there are lots of fans on the pitch. are there? they got through? what do you think about that? it's a frustrating thing because, obviously, as fans we want the best for our club. it has been from when we were young, watched it, it has been magical, the history we have had. and people get so annoyed with it. do you think the glazers will be watching? i hope they are, i hope they are. if they haven't, they should be watching it online. - they know supporters have been - here and put everything on the table for them so it is up to them now to decide, isn't it? _ as we are speaking outside the ground there are fans actually on the pitch, do you approve of that? no, i don't approve of that. protests had also taken place at the hotel where

the manchester united team were staying. the players could not leave. there was a football match scheduled for a 4:30pm kick—off here against liverpool. a football match which was not happening. chanting. the initial announcement that kick—off had been delayed came with protesters still inside the stadium. outside the security in place for an event which had been well publicised in advance was very visibly outnumbered. joe wilson, bbc news, old trafford. and we'll get an update from joe a little later in the programme. the government is suggesting the british iranian aid worker nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe, who's in prison in iran, is being held hostage by the regime, and suffering treatment that amounts to torture. she's been detained for five years on spying charges, and was recently convicted of another offence, and banned from leaving tehran. our world affairs correspondent caroline hawley is here. what are the iranians saying? let me

tell you all along richard ratcliffe her husband has said she is being held as a hostage, a political pawn, saying she has been held in part four of £400 million debt which the uk has ode to iran forfour decades. a few hours after dominic raab said he could not argue with a description of nazanin as a hostage, as if to confirm that, state—run tv in iran had a report a deal had been done with the americans for a prisoner swap and release of some iranian money grows on under sanctions. it also said if nazanin would be freed if the uk debt would be freed. the uk denies it has done a deal and the uk, and has played down any notion nazanin is about to release. it says it is continuing to explore options for this case and won't comment because of legal discussions are still going on. we do not know what is going on behind the scenes but iran has made clear

what it once, that is a pretty naked transaction. caroline hawley, thank you. flags are flying at half—mast across israel as the country observes a day of mourning for the victims of friday's crush during a jewish pilgrimage. 45 men and boys died after becoming trapped in a narrow passage during the festival at mount meron. 0ur middle east correspondent tom bateman reports. a mother mourns her son. yedidia went on a journey with his dad. it should have been a joyful pilgrimage. but the 13—year—old will never come home. his brother shmuel survived. his father avigdor was brought from the hospital. a final goodbye. "we didn't tell you enough we love

you, yedidia," says avigdor. "god has taken you to your religious school, a class of 45," he says, referring to all the victims. they dug his grave in the middle of the night. jewish tradition calls for a quick burial of the dead. i met the family on friday when yedidia was still missing. their hopes quickly faded. theirs is the grief of so many. 45 people, all men and boys, 12 in their teens and younger. friday's crush developed as crowds of ultraorthodox pilgrims became packed in a narrow walkway down a slippery ramp. those at the front became trapped. there is soul—searching going on in the country over the degree of

autonomy the government gives to the religious and political leaders of the ultraorthodox and what part that had to play in poor planning and the lack of safety. israel's government has started a formal inquiry. the search for answers will stretch into the months ahead but today was a time to pause and honour those they have lost. tom bateman, bbc news, jerusalem. now, people have started to arrive for a music festival at sefton park in liverpool, where up to 5,000 will attend. they'll all have to show a negative covid test and have follow—up swabs in five days' time. it's one of a number pilot events, as lockdown restrictions ease. 0ur correspondent danjohnson is at sefton park for us now. dan. it is filling up here, the crowd is starting to build and whether this is the sort of thing you have missed or you always make sure to miss,

whatever you are looking forward to doing for with your summer weekends could depend on how this goes and what happens this evening because this may be one relatively small gig for liverpool but it could potentially be one giant leap for life events. they were ready for this, after life has been emptied for so long. unmasked and ready to go! it is the first time we _ unmasked and ready to go! it is the first time we have _ unmasked and ready to go! it is the first time we have been _ unmasked and ready to go! it is the first time we have been allowed - unmasked and ready to go! it is the first time we have been allowed out in so loud — in so long. it- in so long. it is- in so long. it is like they are lifting the restrictions now. and because we are going into it first and have gone out of it first. everyone is being tested and will be checked again next week but the question is, can people gather like this to enjoy themselves without masks, without social distancing but without the virus spreading? all your festival favourites are here, the bar is well stocked and after a silent summer last year they are looking forward to feeding the 5000.

can't wait to have so many over—the—counter and get back to normal. hopefully busy as well. a busy day. hopefully busy as well. a busy day-— hopefully busy as well. a busy day. hopefully busy as well. abus da. ,. a busy day. but scientists are here to see how — a busy day. but scientists are here to see how this _ a busy day. but scientists are here to see how this goes _ a busy day. but scientists are here to see how this goes and - a busy day. but scientists are here to see how this goes and what - to see how this goes and what lessons can be learned. we have around 40 cameras set up around _ we have around 40 cameras set up around the — we have around 40 cameras set up around the site and we will be looking — around the site and we will be looking from that to observe how people _ looking from that to observe how people move and behave whilst attending the festival. people choosing to wear masks, how they choose _ choosing to wear masks, how they choose to — choosing to wear masks, how they choose to greet each other. after— choose to greet each other. after so _ choose to greet each other. after so long at home, headline act blossoms will get back on stage for the first time in more than a year. we did a couple of online festival things. _ we did a couple of online festival things. but— we did a couple of online festival things. but it— we did a couple of online festival things, but it is _ we did a couple of online festival things, but it is not the - we did a couple of online festival things, but it is not the same - we did a couple of online festival things, but it is not the same asi things, but it is not the same as being _ things, but it is not the same as being in— things, but it is not the same as being in a — things, but it is not the same as being in a room— things, but it is not the same as being in a room with _ things, but it is not the same as being in a room with people - things, but it is not the same as being in a room with people and having _ being in a room with people and having that _ being in a room with people and having that connection. - being in a room with people and having that connection. it - being in a room with people and having that connection. it has i being in a room with people and i having that connection. it has been tough _ having that connection. it has been tough and — having that connection. it has been tough and tough _ having that connection. it has been tough and tough for _ having that connection. it has been tough and tough for everyone - having that connection. it has been tough and tough for everyone whol tough and tough for everyone who worked _ tough and tough for everyone who worked behind _ tough and tough for everyone who worked behind the _ tough and tough for everyone who worked behind the scenes- tough and tough for everyone who worked behind the scenes like - tough and tough for everyone whol worked behind the scenes like that all managers. _ worked behind the scenes like that all managers, production - worked behind the scenes like that i all managers, production managers, lighting, _ all managers, production managers, lighting, sound _ lighting, sound. this— lighting, sound. this was- lighting, sound. this was a - lighting, sound. - this was a warehouse gig lighting, sound. _ this was a warehouse gig last righting, sounu — this was a warehouse gig last night in liverpool. music's uniting force,

which connects so many people, is helping us get back to the things we enjoy. danjohnson, bbc news, merseyside. now with all the sport, here's lizzie greenwood—hughes, at the bbc sport centre. thanks very much. good evening. we're going to go back to old trafford where our correspondentjoe wilson has been following the protests by manchester united fans. just affect united. if they had lost today manchester city would have been crowned premier league champions. yes, this could have been a decisive match in the premier league if manchester united had lost and there is no way they could catch manchester city at the top of the league. i suppose we would be at half—time now. instead we are focusing on something different. we have come to a place where we think it is safe because police operations are ongoing around 0ld it is safe because police operations are ongoing around old trafford, there is still a lot of anger and it became inevitable this game would be

rearranged. i want to make it clear there are people here who did not want to associate themselves with the protesters who got on to the pitch. equally there are various people we have spoken to who feel after 16 years of ownership that the family taking money out of this club, and their boys not being heard, they felt they had to do something today extreme —— their voice. and that is what happened. there has been one game today, newcastle beaten by arsenal. scottish premiership champions rangers rubbed salt in rivals celtic�*s wounds by thrashing them 4—1 in their last old firm game of the season. celtic had a player sent off in the first half and rangers took full advantage. it's rangers' first league title for a decade. chelsea have won the final of the women's champions league. they came from 2—1 down

in the first leg to beat bayern munich 5—3 on aggregate. it'll be the wsl leaders' first european final and it means they're still on course for an historic quadruple this season. lewis hamilton showed why he's a seven—time world champion — with a remarkable drive in the algarve to win the portuguese grand prix. he had to to use all his experience to overtake rival max verstappen and then hunted down team mate valterri bottas. the victory extends hamilton's lead in the drivers' championship to eight points after three races. and the all—english final of snooker�*s world championship is underway. you can follow the action on bbc tv and the bbc sport website. that's it. i'll be back with the late news. now on bbc one, time for the news where you are.

hello. this is bbc news. we're less than a week from may's elections, with different polls depending on where you live. 0ur correspondent lewis goodall has been taking a look at what's happening — and where. we have got a bumper mammoth leviathan crop of exciting elections coming up on may the 6th across much of the country. but how can we judge on may the 7th how each of the main parties have done? well, the answer is it's quite complicated because there are lots of elections happening in lots of different places. let's take scotland just to begin with. in scotland, obviously the big question is whether the snp are going to get their majority back.

they lost their majority rather unexpectedly back in 2016, this was the 2016 result. you need 65 seats to get a majority. 129 seats in the chamber and back in 2016 they got 61. the number of seats unexpectedly went down. still by far the biggest party in the chamber. more than double the conservatives, the second biggest party on 30. but they would dearly like to get their own majority back. or if not, majority with other pro—independence parties, probably the green party in scotland because they have committed to independence as well. and they could potentially use that as a launching pad for a mandate for another independence referendum. how likely is that going to be on the basis of current polling? well, as you can see, the snp dominating in both the constituency and regional lists for the current polling for the scottish parliament. it was the conservatives back in 2016 that basically deprived the snp of their majority. they did very well in that election under then then new popular leader ruth davidson.

she is now departing the scene, she's got a seat in the house of lords. their new leader, douglas ross, not doing as well according to the polling, i think it's fair to say. the polling quite a bit worse means that it's a bit of a problem for unionism generally in scotland. labour have been going down in every single election in scotland since the scottish parliament was actually created back in 1999. they came third back in 2016, humiliating for a party that used to dominate scottish politics. they're hoping under their new leader, anas sarwar, to get back into the game. is that likely? if we look at the polls and put them into a machine and project, it is just a projection, we should say, project how that might look in terms of the chamber, how it might look on may the 7th, we can see from the last few poles, it would give the snp slightly up on the 63 seats, just shy, though, of that 65 magic staging post for a majority. but look at the greens, look at the scottish greens, doing very well indeed according to that projection, doubling their seats to ten seats. that would leave a pro—independence

majority overall in hollywood, putting the snp and the greens together of 73, which would be, by far, the biggest pro—independence majority we've seen in holyrood since it was created. both the main other parties, the conservatives and labour going down a little bit. conservatives maintaining their position as the main opposition party. very interesting scottish political situation to come. very different situation in wales, of course. welsh labour have been in office even longer than the snp has in scotland. they've been in office since the welsh parliament was created, back in 1999, over 20 years. still dominating unlike other parts of the country, labour. 29 seats back in 2016. they had been in a sort of coalition with the lib dems, very small coalition, it has to be said with their one seat to give them nearly a majority of 30 in the welsh parliament. labour will be hoping to keep as many of these seats as possible. meanwhile, plaid and the conservatives battling it out for second place. a big question what happens to the ukip seat, which you can't see, because they've

since splintered off into lots of different seats. but ukip did very well in these elections when they were last contested in wales back in 2016, before the brexit referendum was even contested. political eons ago. and it's hoped, the conservatives then, they will be able to absorb quite a bit of support and swelled their numbers in the welsh parliament. there is a bit of a pro—independence sort of feeling a big shift on constitutional issues in wales, as well. plaid open to take advantage of that, as well. and then, of course, we think, of everything that is going on in england. and if we think a bit about what is going on there and the fact that it is keir starmer�*s first outing as leader of the opposition before voters, how can we assess how well he's done? one way is by comparing it to other leaders of the opposition in their first year before the voters. and how many seats, extra seats, they won comparison to how many they had before. tony blair, for example, his first set of local elections, as leader of the opposition back in 1995, he increased their party's number of seats by a whopping 32%, very, very successful.

all good, very well for the 1997 general election for him. but then we look at william hague, not considered a particularly stellar leader of the opposition, it has to be said, considering that he only won net one more seat in the 2001 general election, he still did pretty well as well, back in 1998, 23.5% increase in the number of seats for the conservatives. the only one to do really badly in fact, really, wasjeremy corbyn, going down by 1.4% back, i think, in 2016. so, how well starmer does, where he fits on this table, will be a sort of benchmark for how well he's done in these elections. but, of course, many in the labour party rather nervous given the apparent vaccine bounce that recently in the polls the conservative government has been enjoying. looking forward to an exciting few days ahead with the elections. now it's time for a look at the weather with darren bett.

we have a mixture of sunshine and showers, still some heavy showers are out right now but those should ease into this evening and clearer skies for a while but out towards the west the clay will be increasing, rain coming in from the atlantic, the breeze picking up, meaning frost tonight will be more limited to eastern scotland and the north—east of england. many places start the they dry on monday but the wind blowing in this cloud and rain, pushing across to the west. taking most of the day to reach the south—east of england, maybe drier, western areas turn more showery later on. the strongest winds will be to the south across england and wales, gusts of 50—60 mph and staying very windy into the evening and because of the wind and the rain and because of the wind and the rain and all that cloud it will be a cold day on monday, staying cold through the week ahead.

this is bbc news, the headlines at six. people in england may not need to self—isolate if they've been in close contact with someone with coronavirus. daily rapid tests will be offered as an alternative to ten days quarantine. you want to get to a position at the end ofjune where we can get life back as close to normal as possible. but there will still need to be some safeguards in place. the foreign office plays down any suggestion aid worker nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe is to be released, after iran's state tv claimed the uk had paid to secure it. manchester united's match against liverpool — which could have decided the premier league title, is postponed after fans — opposed to the club's oweners — invade the pitch at old trafford. in liverpool, after friday night's rave — now a concert in sefton park as 5,000 people attend

the latest large—scale event in the government's coronavirus pilot scheme.