,off their strikes. —— and call off their strikes. it comes asjunior doctors in england start a five—day strike — described by their union as "the longest in nhs history" — after their calls for a 35% pay increase were rejected. a bbc investigation finds new evidence that casts doubt on the greek coastguard's account of last month's migrant boat sinking. and the oscar—winning actor, kevin spacey, begins giving evidence for the first time in his sexual assault trial. we'll be live outside the court. hello, i'm matthew amroliwala. welcome to verified live, three hours of breaking stories and checking out the truth behind them. we start with a major development here in the uk. after months of strikes among public sector workers, the government has said it will accept the recommendations from the pay review bodies in full. but it came with a warning from the prime minister, rishi sunak, that

this was a final offer and further industrial action would not change that decision. the teaching unions immediately responded, by suspending their plans for further strikes. the announcement came asjunior doctors began five days of strikes — what their union calls "the longest stirke action in the nhs' history." these are the pictures from one of the picket lines in central london. they're demanding a pay increase of over 30%. ministers have said that's "unreasonable" and risks fueling inflation. we'll have more on that in a minute. let's have a quick look, though, at the recommendations which affect millions of workers. police officers have been offered 7%. consultants, dentists and gps, 6%. junior doctors, 6%. prison officers, 7%. the armed forces, 5%. teachers, 6.5%.

this was rishi sunak a little earlier. i can confirm today that we are accepting the headline recommendations of the pay review bodies in full. but we will not fund them by borrowing more or increasing your taxes. it would not be right to increase taxes on everyone to pay some people more, particularly when household budgets are so tight. nor would it be right to pay for them by higher borrowing because higher borrowing just makes inflation worse. instead, because we only have a fixed pot of money to spend from, that means government departments have had to find efficiencies and savings elsewhere, in order to prioritise paying public sector workers more. now, there is a clear message here. there are always choices. budgets are not infinite. when some ask for higher pay, that will always create pressures elsewhere, costs which must

ultimately be borne by the taxpayer or by spending less on our other priorities. so that is our decision. and having honoured the independent pay review process, i urge all union leaders to accept these pay offers and call off their strikes. let's go straight to westminster. our political correspondent, charlotte rose, is there for us now. she is monitoring this. the prime minister has been under such pressure after months of strikes in all sectors. he says this is the final offer. all sectors. he says this is the final offer-— final offer. yes, exactly and i . uess final offer. yes, exactly and i guess he's — final offer. yes, exactly and i guess he's going _ final offer. yes, exactly and i guess he's going to - final offer. yes, exactly and i guess he's going to say - final offer. yes, exactly and i guess he's going to say that l final offer. yes, exactly and i - guess he's going to say that because he wants to see an end to the strikes, so clearly saying however many more strengths there are, it is not going to make any difference, he hopes to draw a line under this. interestingly, you were going through the pay rises for different parts of the public sector there. overall increases behind 5—7%. we

were saying this morning that government departments had budgeted for around 3.5%, so clearly a gap fair to be found that people were asking, where is that money going to come from if the government were to accept all the independent pay body�* recommendations? which of course, they have. we heard rishi sunak saying in that clip that essentially the money is going to have to come from savings within departmental budgets orfrom prioritisation. he said he wasn�*t going to commit to any further government borrowing because that could increase inflation and he says he wasn�*t going to increase taxes because he couldn�*t ask uk households to pay more at this time to fund pay rises for only some people. so the next question, of course, is, are the union is going to accept this cross? we�*ve only had an early reaction from four of the teaching unions. they say they are delighted with the 6.5% pay increase and they are pleased that in terms of the

re—prioritisation of funding, that is not going to affect, as they have described it, front line services. so it won�*t impact on schools budgets, they say they will be putting this to their members and recommending they accept it. but critically, we have not heard from some of the other unions. we have not yet heard from police, from prison officers, from the armed forces or of course from the major health unions and this is, of course, as we have said, in the context ofjunior doctors beginning a five—day strike from this morning, lasting into next week. and of course, we know the bma were asking for an increase of 35% to make up for an increase of 35% to make up for what they say is a shortfall in pay over the last decade, so of course to davis offer of 6% is only really a fifth of what they have been asking for. we have also been getting reaction from some of the political parties. the labour leader sir keir starmer has been speaking at the unite conference in brighton and he says these pay increases will

now be subject to negotiation with the unions, by which i guess he means being put to votes by union members. and he says he is not going to wade into that, but he says that his party would have failed if it can�*t break the stranglehold of low pgy- can�*t break the stranglehold of low pay. now, of course, he was speaking at a union event, so you might sense that he was speaking to the audience in the room. we have also heard from the liberal democrats, who say the prime minister must now come clean over what they describe as savage cuts, now facing hospitals and schools in order to afford these pay increases. ., ., ., ., increases. charlotte, thanks for takinu increases. charlotte, thanks for takin: us increases. charlotte, thanks for taking us through _ increases. charlotte, thanks for taking us through all _ increases. charlotte, thanks for taking us through all that. - increases. charlotte, thanks for taking us through all that. as . taking us through all that. as promised, let�*s turn back tokmak the five—dayjunior doctors strike in england. our correspondnet simonjones has been getting reaction to the government�*s announcement outside university college hospital in london. this is one of the largest hospital trusts in the country and junior doctors walked

out at 7am this morning. they are demanding a 35% pay rise. the government says it is prepared to give them a 6% pay rise for the coming year, following the recommendation of the independent pay review body. let�*s talk now to a couple of the junior doctors here, dr alex and dr rebecca. alex, tell me first of all, you�*re asking for 35%. what do you make of the 6% offer? i think i will have to look at it probably because we have onlyjust heard what it involves and, you know, if there's anything going forwards, but obviously that is far off what we are asking for. and i think when you consider the impact of the strike so far, i think to settle for that, you question, why were we striking in the first place? question, why are we striking in the first place? how do you feel being on strike today? it must be difficult because you�*re going into the profession wanting to help people and today you have been standing on a picket line. it is difficult, it is really frustrating. no one goes into medical school to do what we have had to do today, but we feel like we have to do this in order to— protect both the future of a doctor's career in this

country, but also the nhs as a whole because if_ staff, if the conditions and pay keep deteriorating as they are, we are not going to have the staff that we need to provide the health care this country needs. let�*s turn to rebecca now. i know you work in maternity here. yes. no such thing as a typical day, but give us an idea of what you face when you go into work and how challenging it can be. so, it is an absolute privilege to do - the job that i do. i love it. and at the same time, | it is very, very intense. it is the same job, if you have seen this is going to hurt, _ which i think was a bbc production, it is that same job. _ i would say it is normal— for emergency buzzers to be ringing, it's normal for there to be life - threatening situations for pregnant people and their babies every single day. - and we want to provide care that is notjust safe, but _ excellent to those people. it is intense and it is not an easyjob to do. - and i think that we see shifts that go i unfilled every single week, -

that need to be filled, are put out as additional locums and i think that needs to change. - so it looks like this latest pay offer is unlikely to messes the view on the picket line. live now to alison leary, professor of health care thank professor of health care you so much for being her the thank you so much for being here on the programme. we were listening there tojunior doctors. the programme. we were listening there to junior doctors. we the programme. we were listening there tojunior doctors. we know they have a 35% pay demand, the government offering 6%. where do you think that leaves things now that sector? i think that leaves things now that sector? ., , think that leaves things now that sector? ~ , ., ., , sector? i think it is going to be interesting _ sector? i think it is going to be interesting to _ sector? i think it is going to be interesting to see _ sector? i think it is going to be interesting to see how- sector? i think it is going to be interesting to see how the - sector? i think it is going to be i interesting to see how the junior doctors vote on that offer. one of the things we really do need to consider, that even professions that have accepted a pay offer, so for example the nurses and physios and professional occupational therapists, they accepted a 5% offer, howeverthere therapists, they accepted a 5% offer, however there is still quite a lot of discontent in that sector, so the real issue is whether a pay offer will actually retain staff.

retention is a serious issue in the nhs. i retention is a serious issue in the nhs. ., , ., ., retention is a serious issue in the nhs. ., ., ., ., retention is a serious issue in the nhs. ., retention is a serious issue in the nhs. i was going to ask exactly that in m next nhs. i was going to ask exactly that in my next question, _ nhs. i was going to ask exactly that in my next question, in _ nhs. i was going to ask exactly that in my next question, in terms - nhs. i was going to ask exactly that in my next question, in terms of. nhs. i was going to ask exactly that| in my next question, in terms of the big issues, do you navigate between basic pay and retention? which is causing the most problems at the moment? , , , causing the most problems at the moment? , , ., moment? pay is definitely a lever for attention. _ moment? pay is definitely a lever for attention. we _ moment? pay is definitely a lever for attention. we know _ moment? pay is definitely a lever for attention. we know that. - moment? pay is definitely a lever for attention. we know that. it. moment? pay is definitely a lever for attention. we know that. it is| for attention. we know that. it is not the only lever for retention. so one of the issues we also really see now is things like junior doctors training opportunities, so a junior doctor might sound like it is a career entry—level, but actually junior doctors range from everything from people who havejust left medical school to people who are just about to become consultants, so it is a very, very wide range and we know that there are issues around the way that they are able to access training to become specialists, for example obstetrics or anaesthetists, so that is also a challenge, but also their working conditions, they move around the country quite

frequently, so it is not only pay, but also their working conditions. a; but also their working conditions. a quick final thoughts because it is such a tussle, isn�*t it, internationally to try and attract doctors and other health care workers? that continues and in terms of this sort of pay award, even if it was accepted at 6%, there is no new money, so what are the consequences of that on the wider nhs, do you think? i consequences of that on the wider nhs, do you think?— consequences of that on the wider nhs, do you think? i think there are two very serious _ nhs, do you think? i think there are two very serious consequences - nhs, do you think? i think there are two very serious consequences of. two very serious consequences of that. the pay awards, we have been told the deficit has to be found from local budgets and the only way you can do that, really, is to de—professionalise your workforce and have lower skilled people, cheaper workers working in that area. the other is that there is a global shortage of health care workers of every kind and it is a global market and we have to be competitive as a country in that global market. pay restraint won�*t help with that. global market. pay restraint won't help with that.— global market. pay restraint won't help with that. professor, we have to leave it there, _ help with that. professor, we have to leave it there, but _ help with that. professor, we have to leave it there, but thanks - help with that. professor, we have to leave it there, but thanks for i to leave it there, but thanks for those headline thoughts here on bbc news. let�*s go from the health

sector back to the teaching unions because kevin courtney is the drudge general secretary of the national education union. as we have heard, they have suspended their industrial strike action after what we have heard from the government today. first of all, just your reaction from what we had from the prime minister and others in terms of the basic pay review recommendations and the acceptance of that? yes. basic pay review recommendations and the acceptance of that?— the acceptance of that? yes, i will come onto — the acceptance of that? yes, i will come onto that, _ the acceptance of that? yes, i will come onto that, but _ the acceptance of that? yes, i will come onto that, butjust - the acceptance of that? yes, i will come onto that, butjust to - the acceptance of that? yes, i will come onto that, butjust to say i the acceptance of that? yes, i will| come onto that, butjust to say we haven�*t suspended strike action because we haven�*t got any strike action to suspend, but we have some strikes last week, it was a pity we had to have those strikes, it was a pity the government didn�*t come forward with this before that, but we haven�*t currently got any strike action scheduled, although we are in action scheduled, although we are in a ballot with our members, but on the package the government has put to us of fully implementing the accommodation of 6.5% on all pay base points and all allowances and of 900 million new money for

schools, which we have been guaranteed doesn�*t come out of any front—line services, so it is not coming from 16—19 or send all school capital, we think there are steps in the right direction. there is also a commitment signed oft by the prime minister to look at workload problems, workload production for teachers, which is driving people out of the profession. so we think this package, it is not everything we wanted, but is good enough for us to put it to members with the recommendation that they vote for it, that we ended the campaign of industrial action comedy forward campaign that we haven�*t declared yet, but we would end it and then we go back to normal relations with government and normal campaigning to get better pay and better funding for our schools, get better pay and better funding for ourschools, but get better pay and better funding for our schools, but not with industrial action in the immediate term. ., ., , ., ,, , ., term. you rolled several issues into one. term. you rolled several issues into one- let's — term. you rolled several issues into one. let's return _ term. you rolled several issues into one. let's return to _ term. you rolled several issues into one. let's return to where - term. you rolled several issues into one. let's return to where the - term. you rolled several issues into i one. let's return to where the money one. let�*s return to where the money comes from. in terms of budgets,

coming from existing budgets, do you think it can be done, then? because we know this is a sector already under severe strain.— we know this is a sector already under severe strain. well, it is not cominu under severe strain. well, it is not coming from _ under severe strain. well, it is not coming from school _ under severe strain. well, it is not coming from school budgets, - under severe strain. well, it is not coming from school budgets, it. under severe strain. well, it is not coming from school budgets, it is| coming from school budgets, it is not coming from 16—19 or send all school capital. we have been told that, for example, there are some understands in the department that the treasury would normally claw back at the treasury is allowing the department to keep them. now, that is the treasury funding it, as far as i am concerned, and there are a number of matters like that that are going on, so we feel that this 900 million is not going to turn back front line services. it is certainly not coming from this other thing that rishi sunak talked about, about levies on migrants, there is no sense that that is happening in education. and you think that what will happen is if the dfee doesn�*t have to hand it is understands back to the treasury, that allows them to fund this and then in the next

comprehensive spending review, these will be built into the baseline so in practice we have got new money for education. a, in practice we have got new money for education-— for education. a brief final thought- _ for education. a brief final thought. could _ for education. a brief final thought. could this - for education. a brief final thought. could this have l for education. a brief finall thought. could this have all for education. a brief final - thought. could this have all been done quicker? we know of the levels of disruption already, the youngsters have gone through a lot, could we have got to this point sooner? ~ . ., ., . could we have got to this point sooner? ~ _, ., ~ ., sooner? we could have. we had those two strikes last _ sooner? we could have. we had those two strikes last week _ sooner? we could have. we had those two strikes last week on _ sooner? we could have. we had those two strikes last week on wednesday . two strikes last week on wednesday and friday. we were in communication with government, saying, come to the table. we knew what the st rb report had said from the leak that had been in the sunday times newspaper a while ago. we were indicating to them that if they told us they would implement that, if they would talk properly about funding and workload, that we could have suspended their strike last week. it is a great shame they didn�*t do that, but we are in a place now we�*re going to have a zoom called with our members on monday night and go through this offer, go through the funding questions that, you know, that is the biggest question our members have and immediately on social

media, it is, is this bondage? we will go through that with them on monday night and then we�*ll start an electronic consultation with our members about whether they think we are right when we say they should accept this. it will be on our members�* hands, but we think they should accept this, stop the industrial action and then we can carry on campaigning in other methods going forward. kevin, we have to leave _ methods going forward. kevin, we have to leave it _ methods going forward. kevin, we have to leave it there, _ methods going forward. kevin, we have to leave it there, but - methods going forward. kevin, we have to leave it there, but thank l have to leave it there, but thank you for that snapshot reaction here on bbc news. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. let�*s stay with a few stories making the headlines here in the uk. new figures suggest the uk economy shrank in may, but not by as much as economists had predicted. gdp fell by 0.1% compared with the month before — analysts had forecast a bigger drop because of the extra bank holiday in may to mark the king�*s coronation. drivers are being urged to brace themselves for higher costs when dropping off friends and family at some of the uk�*s biggests airports this summer. the rac says charges for short—stay visits have

risen by almost a third. operators have defended the hikes, saying the extra revenue is reinvested into services to help keep costs down for passengers. the royal veterinary college has estimated that in 2021 more than 10% of puppies bought in the uk were illegally imported. that�*s more than double the figure from 2019. the rvc also says that animals brought into the uk illegally are also more at risk of having been exposed to infectious diseases abroad. you�*re live with bbc news. the bbc is re—starting its investigation into the conduct of its highest—paid news presenter, huw edwards. london�*s metropolitan police have said they�*d found no evidence of a criminal offence, following allegations that he�*d paid a young person for explicit photos. his wife said he is being treated in hospitalfor serious mental health issues.

live now to helena wilkinson in the newsroom. she has the latest on the story and has been following it through the course of the week. let�*s do this in stages. forthe course of the week. let�*s do this in stages. for the bbc, course of the week. let�*s do this in stages. forthe bbc, restarting their investigation, what are the outstanding questions for them? i mean, there are lots of questions, aren�*t there, for the bbc? we know that, as you mentioned there, there will be no criminal investigation into this and the bbc had to pause their internal investigations until their internal investigations until the met police basically gave them the met police basically gave them the go—ahead to carry on. so the bbc is now continuing with their investigations. they will carry out a review and that will be looking at how they handled is... you will remember the complaint by the family of the person in the original sun newspaper story, the allegations that the presenter, unnamed at the time, who we now know is huw edwards, alleged to have paid this youngster thousands of pounds in

exchange for explicit photographs. so the review will be looking at the processes. we have a body heard from the director—general of the bbc, tim davie, who spoke about how he wanted a red flagging of complaints that had come through to the bbc, how they are dealt with. so that is something that is going to make a priority, but that will, that review will look at what happened and when. we have already had that timeline, but clearly this review looking into what happened will be going into it and much more detail and probably speaking to those who dealt with the complaint at the time. the bbc will also be carrying out an internal investigation into the conduct of huw edwards and of course at the centre of that, they will be wanting to speak to the presenter, but clearly they won�*t be able to, as we know, as we have been reporting, his wife yesterday, vicki flynn, said

that he is now in hospital, receiving treatment after a serious mental health episode. and he will be in hospitalfor the foreseeable future. so it is a very difficult exercise for the bbc in terms of that investigation. they will carry on, neverthe that investigation. they will carry on, never the looking at what has happened and all of the allegations, but they might have to wait some time for huw edwards —— might be for huw edwards is much better and able to give his side of the story and version of the events and for him to able to reply to all of the allegations that have been made about him over the past five days. and briefly, helena, for the sun newspaper, a lot of focus and attention on them in terms of the way they initially reported this story. take us through the questions focused on them.— focused on them. yes, so the sun newspaper— focused on them. yes, so the sun newspaper initially _ focused on them. yes, so the sun newspaper initially reported - focused on them. yes, so the sun newspaper initially reported that i newspaper initially reported that the person was 17, teenager, at the heart of these allegations. now,

what the sun newspaper didn�*t do was speu what the sun newspaper didn�*t do was spell out to its readers that it could be a criminal offence in terms of the sexually explicit photographs. that is not something they put in their original story. and then later in summer their courage, they tweaked the wording and said it was understood that the contact between the presenter, huw edwards, who wasn�*t named at the time, happened at the age of 17. there are lots of questions a box of commentators asking whether the sun newspaper was right to publish that story, especially given that the teenager, now 20 years old, at the centre of that story had, through a lawyer afterwards said that he claims his mother had made, the claims his mother had made, the claim is the mother had made were complete rubbish. and so, there are many, many questions for the sun newspaper in terms of how they handled the story originally. helen wilkinson there _ handled the story originally. helen wilkinson there in _ handled the story originally. helen wilkinson there in the _ handled the story originally. helen wilkinson there in the newsroom. thanks very much for that. the actor

kevin stays —— my kevin spacey was on trial in central london accused of assaulting four men has admitted he did touch one of his alleged victims, but said it was in a gentle and romantic way. he started giving evidence at southwark crown court and denies all the charges against. let�*s head to the court, where greg mckenzie is there for us. welcome to the programme, take a through what you have been hearing. weill. the programme, take a through what you have been hearing.— you have been hearing. well, the actor took — you have been hearing. well, the actor took to _ you have been hearing. well, the actor took to the _ you have been hearing. well, the actor took to the stand _ you have been hearing. well, the actor took to the stand for - you have been hearing. well, the actor took to the stand for the . actor took to the stand for the first time in this trial. he is accused of 12 counts of sexual assault against four individual men between the years of 2001 and 2013. all of which the 63—year—old actor denies. now, today in court it is the first time we have heard from the first time we have heard from the us actor, who said that it was following a 2017 magazine online article that his world exploded. it was an article that alleged that he had sexually assaulted an american actor in the united states and that

was the beginning of his downfall. he said he lost hisjob, he lost his reputation in a matter of days. he said he hasn�*t worked in the past six years and thanked those in the film industry that have given him bits of work here and there. he says he strenuously denies those allegations of those four individual men, who have all testified here at southwark crown court during this trial, which began onjune the 30th. mr spacey will be cross—examined by the prosecution here tomorrow to answer to those 12 counts. greg mckenzie there _ answer to those 12 counts. greg mckenzie there at _ answer to those 12 counts. greg mckenzie there at southwark crown court, thank you very much for taking us through the evidence. we have heard the evidence so far today, as the defence begins there at that trial. let me show you the live pictures from helsinki because we are expecting in the next little while,

i say that because joe expecting in the next little while, i say that becausejoe biden is expected to come to the microphone and speaker in helsinki, but quite often and we saw this over the last couple of days with that nato summit, that can often be delayed, but the room is pretty packed already and on his way back from that nato summit and the g7 of yesterday, the latest comments there from the us president, of course, bear with finland, who of course have joined bear with finland, who of course havejoined nato, the latest bear with finland, who of course have joined nato, the latest member of nato. we saw all of those discussions surrounding sweden over the last 48 hours, but finland joining nato and of course that the consequence of the war in ukraine with russia, for so long pushing back against nato, but the conflict, the invasion, the war in ukraine adding to all of those countries surrounding the borders of russia and actually has led to the increase of nato to the edge of russia. so, i

am sure we will get the there and the latest questioning in terms of strategy, in terms of what to do as we are now into the second year of this war in ukraine. and of course, russia and vladimir putin, who also has been speaking in the last little while, remains defiant and no sign of any progress, despite that counteroffensive already being under way from the ukrainians. so we will be there at the news conference just as soon as it starts. you won�*t miss as soon as it starts. you won�*t miss a bit of that here on bbc news, don�*t go away. hello there. another one of those days where the cloud is building up to give us some showers, probably not quite as many or as heavy as yesterday and not quite as windy either, but temperatures very similar to yesterday. they�*re not quite as high as they normally are at this time of the year. we�*ll still have some showers late afternoon to evening, particularly heavy ones in northern scotland. but there is more cloud continuing to push up from the south—west and that is going

to bring pockets of rain through northern ireland, northern england heading into southern scotland, but it is this wet weather arriving in the south—west that will bring quite a significant change in weatherfor tomorrow. south—western parts of england, southern and western wales that could be quite windy tomorrow, approaching gale force and some rough seas picking up as well, and not only that, we have this rain. the first area of rain is somewhat lighter, it�*ll head north into scotland, but this will develop more widely across england and wales and northern ireland, could be heavy or possibly thundery in places. perhaps not so much rain in the south—east, could be quite muggy here for a while, but again temperatures not changing too much. the winds pick up across england and wales and it is all around that area of low pressure here, this is not a typical summer weather pattern, that low pressure pushing north through the weekend and it will bring some unusually windy weather for this time of the year. there is some rain around as well that could be heavy and thundery and again it is staying rather cool as well. we have some windy weather for england and wales on saturday.

the biggest impacts are probably more likely to be across this area where the winds could be gusting 50—55 mph, particularly around southern coasts and hills. but it will be windy across the whole of england and wales and we will see these downpours developing more widely, perhaps even thundery as well. not quite so windy for scotland and northern ireland, but we do have some areas of rain here as well, all dampening down those temperatures to 18—20 . there may be a bit of sunshine in between those downpours, we may see a bit more sunshine for the second half of the weekend as the low pressure continues to move north, tending to pull away and taking away the strongest of the winds as well. the strongest of the winds are more likely to be across scotland, northern england, perhaps northern ireland. there will still be some showers around, but a bit more sunshine to come as well, those winds not as strong across the southern parts of the uk, but it is still cool.

this is bbc news. the headlines: millions of workers in the uk are offered a pay rise — as the government accepts the recommendations of a public sector pay review. live in helsinki as president biden meets with nordic leaders. the un is told of eighty seven people being buried in a mass grave in sudan —

with evidence they�*d been killed by paramilitary forces.