the widow of the russian opposition leader alexei navalny says her husband was killed because the russian president couldn't break him. she says she will now continue his work fighting for their country. the 47—year—old died unexpectedly in a prison camp on friday. his family have still not been allowed to retrieve his body to independently determine how he died. our russia editor, steve rosenberg reports. for three days now, she's been trying to recover his son's body, but alexei navalny�*s mother — here in the middle — was told that investigators are not ready to release it or even where the body is. a clue, perhaps, caught on cctv in the dead of night near mr navalny�*s remote penal colony, a prison convoy heading to a nearby town, just hours after the announcement of his death. it's thought this midnight motorcade may have been transporting his body. alexei navalny was an ambitious politician, promising

a brighter future for russia. he once tried to run for president. he ended up in prison. now he's dead. in a video statement filmed abroad, his widow, yulia, accused the kremlin of killing him and vowed to continue his fight to change russia. translation: having killed alexei, putin killed half of me, _ half of my heart and half of my soul. but i still have the other half, and that tells me i have no right to give up. i will continue the work of alexei navalny, continue to fight for our country. today, yulia navalny was in brussels, meeting european foreign ministers. for years, she's kept a low profile. now she's vowing to unite opposition to vladimir putin. and the kremlin, what has it been saying about the death

of its staunchest critic? very little. president putin has yet to make any public comments about the death of alexei navalny, but today the kremlin spokesmen described accusations that it was the russian leadership that killed him as "obnoxious and utterly unacceptable". at this makeshift shrine to alexei navalny, we discovered that many of the floral tributes have been cleared away. and yet muscovites were still coming here to honour the man who called for change but would never live to see it. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. odesa rae, is the producer of the oscar—winning documentary "navalny". i spoke to her a little earlier about the life of alexei navalny. what i think has to be understood with this question, which i've been asked so many times in the last year and a half

of getting the film out, is that alexei navalny, the precedent that had been set at the time that alexei navalny went back was that anyone who tried to remain relevant from outside russia was was completely ignored by the russian people, because in their perspective, how dare you sit comfortably in germany and tell us what we should be doing, tell us how we should be reacting to the situation that we are living in. so for alexei navalny to have a voice, to be still heard and mean something to the russian people, he had no choice but to go back. and what now changes, if anything, in the kremlin? there is international criticism. there are further calls for answers. as we heard in steve rosenberg's report, the kremlin has been very silent about its response, except to refute those allegations that have been made.

does this change anything or will theyjust hope that now everyone moves on and this is forgotten? and this is the classic response from the kremlin. you know, silence. and i think that it's going to be up to the russian people to decide when they've had enough of that. in the uk — a man who piloted a dinghy carrying dozens of migrants from france to britain, four of whom drowned, has been found guilty of their manslaughter. ibrahima bah, who is from senegal, agreed with a smuggling gang to pilot the boat in return for a free crossing even though he had no training. it's the first case of its kind and could have implications for future investigations.0ur legal correspondent dominic casciani reports. a light in the dark. cries in the distance. the early hours of december 2022, a fishing boat in the english channel discovers a sinking migrants�* dinghy. men swim for their lives.

39 saved, at least four drowned. this man in the blue coat, ibrahima bah, accused of their manslaughter. he agreed to pilot the inflatable to england. over two trials prosecutors said he was criminally responsible for the deaths. when it began taking on water he could have taken the dinghy back to france. one of the survivors from that night told the bbc everyone feared they would drown. people stood up inside the boat and then the boat collapsed. i didn't know whether he was a smuggler, a refugee, asylum seeker, but he helped us and he saved us. i don't know what to say. he was speeding the boat in order to get closer to the fishing boat and he also turned or swerved

the boat in a way that helped us. and this is why the crossings are so dangerous. this boat is a similar size and construction to the one that ibrahima bah was in. the border force have got it out to show us and filled it with the items they find typically in every rescue. you have got buoyancy aids used on canoes, on lakes and rivers, totally unsuitable for the job. you've got fuel bottles, foot pumps, and look at this, the construction. it's basically a bouncy castle and that is why they say these are a death trap. jurors were told smugglers had offered ibrahima bah a free seat in return for piloting. the prosecutors argued the deaths occurred as part of a criminal enterprise. the senegalese man was responsible for everyone's safety and could have foreseen the tragedy. but bah said he had no choice, the smugglers threatened to kill him when he had second thoughts. this manslaughter trial has been unprecedented. somebody is responsible, he can't duck out of saying that he was responsible simply because he says that he was in the same situation as the other migrants. he chose to be the man in charge?

yes. more than 140 other people have been prosecuted for piloting boats since 2022, boats that have brought 30,000 men, women and children on dangerous journeys, a trade the government is under huge political pressure to stop. let's speak to steve smith, chief executive of care—li—calais, a refugee charity. thank you debbie with us. this is thank you debbie with us. this is a thank you debbie with us. this is a horrible story all around, but it does underline the difficulty of determining who is responsible here. you might say that the soft target for the prosecution because he was there, and actually it's the people smugglers organising the steps that are really to blame. it smugglers organising the steps that are really to blame.— are really to blame. it really is trauic, are really to blame. it really is tragic. isn't — are really to blame. it really is tragic, isn't it, _ are really to blame. it really is tragic, isn't it, for— are really to blame. it really is tragic, isn't it, for so - are really to blame. it really is tragic, isn't it, for so many - are really to blame. it really is - tragic, isn't it, for so many people involved but also clearly for those

who died. he's been prosecuted under a law that did not exist untiljust over a year ago, the nationality and his act. i do feel sorry for this poor lad came 18 or 19 years old, probably had very little choice. as with others on the boat, absolutely terrible and desperate circumstances. i understand that the two that were biting —— guiding the boat using their note that takamoto funds for navigation, we know the situation there, we know people are still fleeing the taliban and after we exited so quickly. and so many people fleeing such difficult things, and he was offered a free place, there he is a teenager, offered a free place on this boat. he's not a skipper, he's not trained in this. he has no choice in the sea where these of the boat, safety equipment on board, he'sjust heard it on to the beach by the people

smugglers and at the point where he boards the boat, he probably feels he has nowhere else to go and has his hand on the tiller. as a result of which he has of course been found guilty of notjust for manslaughter but for facilitating the entry of those into the uk. it really is a tragic story all around. it highlights the need for safe routes into the country. it highlights the need for safe routes into the country.— into the country. it also highlights the difficulty _ into the country. it also highlights the difficulty were _ into the country. it also highlights the difficulty were seemingly - into the country. it also highlights the difficulty were seemingly the l the difficulty were seemingly the impossibility of finding out who is organising this stuff at source because here this guy, as you said, whether he chose to or was coerced, he had no training, and it seems like a very disorganised affair, and yet it is an organised enterprise that people who are putting these boats in calais and sending them across the water is an organised enterprise. why is it so difficult to target them to convict them? it really seems to be, doesn't itmy going to stand on this occasion there is some mistake and i understand it where kurds who wear

the motivators to have you pin them down separately and subsequently my view on this is that we need to put the people smugglers out of business, but by continuing simply to provide deterrence or infective custom patrols isn't doing the trick. but we getting there safe and regulated routes it works with ukrainians and works of those coming from hong kong. there are limits of those coming from afghanistan, but i'm picking up because many are coming through calais. those schemes work. it would give us the opportunity to screen people off shore for those with a good case to come to the country and because they'd already been prescreened. it would speed up that's a way to put the people smugglers out of business. you don't see ukrainians on the post and you don't see hong

kong chinese on the boats. 50m; on the post and you don't see hong kong chinese on the boats. sorry to interru t, kong chinese on the boats. sorry to interrupt. you _ kong chinese on the boats. sorry to interrupt, you use _ kong chinese on the boats. sorry to interrupt, you use that _ kong chinese on the boats. sorry to interrupt, you use that word - interrupt, you use that word deterrence. this is not a deterrent is it. he was inspired of the organised gang here. it's not a determined statement the so-called deterrence being _ determined statement the so-called deterrence being put _ determined statement the so-called deterrence being put up _ determined statement the so-called deterrence being put up on - determined statement the so-called deterrence being put up on this - determined statement the so-called deterrence being put up on this side | deterrence being put up on this side of the water so things like using former barracks, using the borage, threatening to send people to rwanda, that is clearly not working. people are fleeing for their lives. being told that you might be one of a few hundred that may or may not go to rwanda, that is not going to put them off trying to get to safety. it is the safe unregulated routes properly managed that would put the people smugglers out of business. —— safe regulated routes. people smugglers out of business. -- safe regulated routes.— safe regulated routes. steve, thank ou for safe regulated routes. steve, thank you for your — safe regulated routes. steve, thank you for your time _ safe regulated routes. steve, thank you for your time tonight. - safe regulated routes. steve, thank you for your time tonight. more - safe regulated routes. steve, thank you for your time tonight. more on | you for your time tonight. more on that developing story that we've been talking about in the last hour,

a military spokesperson said its forces have targeted the sea champion and that fortuna. the spokesman also claimed that a british merchant vessel attacked by the who feeds on sunday had now sunk. —— houthis. let's get the very latest from james langdale. what can you tell us about this? we been reporting these strikes have continued off the coast of yemen, all of chris related to what is happening between israel and gaza and now a claim of responsibility, very specifically two us ships attacked one uk british ship now sunk. .,, ., attacked one uk british ship now sunk. ., . ., , attacked one uk british ship now sunk. ., u, , _ sunk. those of the claims by the houthi rebels _ sunk. those of the claims by the houthi rebels in _ sunk. those of the claims by the houthi rebels in yemen. - sunk. those of the claims by the houthi rebels in yemen. it's - sunk. those of the claims by the houthi rebels in yemen. it's not| houthi rebels in yemen. it's not confirmed that that ship has actually sunk. we do know that the british government has admitted that it's been taking on water and the crew have been evacuated. they are all safe. they've been put on shore

in djibouti, relatively close to where the incident took place. what is happening here is a number of incidents in a similar period, and escalation by the iranian backed houthi rebels, what happened is this british owned police flagship was attacked yesterday evening, two missiles, we understand, struck the stern. the houthis claimed they inflicted catastrophic damage, the ship is abandoned and the crew are safe. there are reports that it's carrying fertiliser, which can, in certain circumstances, notjust be toxic, but also explosive. so that is an issue of concern. as well as that time of the houthis are claiming they've attacked two us ships, when we are not so clear about, the nevis fortuna, the other one, the sea champion, we have seen to understand has been struck in the gulf about 100 nautical miles east.

it's us owned, its flagged by the greeks. the information we are getting on that at the moment is there has been some explosion, but as far as we know it is undamaged. at the same time, the uk maritime authorities in the region have literally in the last hour made reports about other incidents that they are investigating. there is 160 nautical miles north of djibouti, another incident 90 monocle miles in saudi arabia. so there is clearly quite a lot of activity taking place in that southern part of the red sea where who the rebels have taken upon themselves to attack civilian merchant shipping that they say as a result of the conflict in the middle east and specifically in support of palestinians in gaza.— east and specifically in support of palestinians in gaza. james, thank ou for palestinians in gaza. james, thank you for that _ palestinians in gaza. james, thank you for that update. _ palestinians in gaza. james, thank you for that update. our— palestinians in gaza. james, thank| you for that update. our diplomatic you for that update. 0ur diplomatic correspondent there, thank you.

around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. let's look at some other stories making news. police say the father of a missing two—year old — who fell into a river in leicester yesterday — entered the water to try to rescue his son. additional specialist teams have todayjoined the search for the missing boy. emergency services were called to the river soar, in the aylestone area, late yesterday afternoon. the british museum has turned off comments on one of its social media posts because of a campaign demanding the return of stone monuments to easter island. the museum in london has two statues taken from the chilean territory in the 19th century. the statues, known as the moai, aree hundreds of years old and are said to embody the spirits of prominent ancestors. junior doctors in northern ireland are to go on strike next month over pay. the 2a hour walk—out from 8am on the 6th of march is their first strike. the union claims doctors pay has been eroded over the last 16 years and what the government is offering is unacceptable.

more on those stories on our website. you're live with bbc news israel has given the first indication, of when its forces might launch a ground offensive against rafah in southern gaza. a minister in the israeli war cabinet, benny gantz, said, the assault on the city in the southern—most area of the strip would begin in three weeks — unless hamas released all the hostages. rafah is currently overcrowded with at least 1.4 million palestinians sheltering there, after the israelis made them move away from northern and central parts of the gaza strip which have been already flattened by air strikes. gaza's health ministry says more than 30,000 palestinians have been killed in gaza since israel launched its assault in october. speaking on sunday, mr gantz said the message was clear. if by ramadan hostages are not home, the fighting will continue everywhere —

to include rafah area. we will do so in coordinated manner, facilitating the evacuation of civilians, in dialogue with our american and egyptian partners to minimise the civilian casualties as much as possible. this leaves only three weeks for the israelis to come up with an evacuation plan for the one. ——with an evacuation plan for the 1.5 million palestinians currently in southern gaza. the un has warned of an impending slaughter. there have been suggestions that people there could move north or west — or even across the border into egypt. in recent days, new images have shown the building of a wall and compound across the border, something denied by egypt's foreign minister. he's stated there is �*no preparation whatsoever�* for influx of palestinian civilians at gaza's rafah border crossing'. justin crump is the chief executive of the defence and intelligence company, sibylline. so what can we learn from the satelitte images that have been released ?

that she told me what is expected in the coming days. the negotiations for a cease—fire and a hostage release. i think there is tremendous of international pressure and that the negotiators, qatar, egypt, the us, are working extremely hard to try to bridge the gaps between israel and hamas ensure that the catastrophe is avoided. especially things the month of ramadan commences in around two weeks. , ., ., ramadan commences in around two weeks. , . ., , ., weeks. yes, and that is where that deadhne weeks. yes, and that is where that deadline effect, _ weeks. yes, and that is where that deadline effect, if _ weeks. yes, and that is where that deadline effect, if it _ weeks. yes, and that is where that deadline effect, if it has _ weeks. yes, and that is where that deadline effect, if it has not - weeks. yes, and that is where that deadline effect, if it has not and i l deadline effect, if it has not and i wonder, though, people may be preventing their hearing what the just explained, the suggestion that they move for the last thing. there is not a lot of room to move to,

particularly of course because we know some of those areas have already been destroyed by israeli air strikes. already been destroyed by israeli airstrikes. so already been destroyed by israeli air strikes. so there are very few options for these people to be able to move. and therefore talk to me about the significance of those images we just saw across the border into egypt and the significance of palestinian people moving across that border and leaving guys out. that is something that has been ruled out and thought impossible, perhaps, up until now. i ruled out and thought impossible, perhaps, up until now.— perhaps, up until now. ithink it is impossible- _ perhaps, up until now. ithink it is impossible. it— perhaps, up until now. ithink it is impossible. it is— perhaps, up until now. ithink it is impossible. it is impossible. - perhaps, up until now. ithink it is impossible. it is impossible. in. impossible. it is impossible. in first of all i know some discussion in the media alone it's been made very clear, crystal clear from israeli officials throughout that there is no way that there would be any move up north. we are talking about setting humanitarian corridors to the mallozzi area, an area that borders with the mediterranean sea in the south. the problem there is that this is a small area and it can

house one point four. cannot house hundreds of thousands of displaced palestinians. so you are right in saying there is a problem in terms of an evacuation plan and the us has insisted seeing, they have not so clearly stated that they would not support any kind of ground incursion into rough as long as they don't see detailed evacuation plan —— rafah. egypt is building this seven metre high compound for the case that the border will be breached. there isn't any suggestion whatsoever that egypt would open its borders to palestinians, to displaced palestinians, to displaced palestinian populations and raw file. it isjust palestinian populations and raw file. it is just breaking itself for the eventuality that the border is no longer sustainable and that there will be a storming, basically across but i do think there is nobody in

the mood at the moment to launch a ground incursion into gaza and i highlight the emphasis on trying to get from israel's point to be the hostage out and from hamas's point of you a cease—fire. hostage out and from hamas's point of you a cease-fire.— of you a cease-fire. does this in an wa of you a cease-fire. does this in any way feel _ of you a cease-fire. does this in any way feel like _ of you a cease-fire. does this in any way feel like an _ of you a cease-fire. does this in any way feel like an endgame i of you a cease-fire. does this in any way feel like an endgame in j any way feel like an endgame in this conflict? because we know that israel's stated aim is to destroy hamas's capability to wage war against israel. the fact that we now see egypt making these contingency plans however temporary or perhaps they may not be used if people do not cross the border or are not able to cross the border. does it feel that this war is reaching any sort of endgame given that there are very few other places not only for palestinian people to be able to move within gaza but also for israeli forces as they make their way from the north now the southernmost point of that territory. i southernmost point of that territo . ~ southernmost point of that territory-— southernmost point of that territo . ~' ., territory. i think the long term enduame territory. i think the long term endgame has _ territory. i think the long term endgame has to _ territory. i think the long term endgame has to be _ territory. i think the long term endgame has to be peace. -

territory. i think the long term endgame has to be peace. it l territory. i think the long term i endgame has to be peace. it has territory. i think the long term - endgame has to be peace. it has to be, as palestinian state, a continuous palestinian state between gaza and the west bank there are talks for unity between the palestinian authority and hamas, talks being set for moscow on the 26th of this month. the palestinian president has met with leaders from hamas in the political bureau in qatar. intense negotiations and try to work out a plan short term as well as the medium term and long—term plan for a palestinian state coupled with normalisation for israel with saudi arabia and do not have a peace agreement with it. there has to be, that is the endgame, and without that, if you just reach a cease—fire and you don't look forward... if you don't

look at the bigger picture, you are going to get another war. an organisation with another name with similar principles and a palestinian state alongside an israeli state. with serious security guarantees for israel. we are not likely to see the end of this. israel. we are not likely to see the end of thia— end of this. the implications of some of the — end of this. the implications of some of the diplomat - end of this. the implications of some of the diplomat work - end of this. the implications of l some of the diplomat work going end of this. the implications of - some of the diplomat work going on around the weather being felled once again today. as al has called its ambassador to tel aviv in an escalating row. that follows the president because my controversial statements about israeli action in gaza. 0n statements about israeli action in gaza. on sunday, he described the conflict as a genocide, not a war, which can only be compared to eight of —— adolf hitler is's aim to exterminate the jews.

of —— adolf hitler is's aim to exterminate thejews. his top foreign adviser described a decision as absurd. we will look at events in ukraine injusta as absurd. we will look at events in ukraine injust a moment as absurd. we will look at events in ukraine in just a moment as well. we've got the statement coming to us from ukrainian president celine ski saying that the front line situation, he says, is extremely difficult. he says russian troops are concentrated there on that front line and says that russia is exploiting delays in aid. now you will note that president zelensky has been pushing western leaders, particularly allies to ukraine to provide aid quickly. the us still military and financial aid still being held up by indecision, political indecision there. so referring, perhaps, to the point of the situation is extremely difficult, as this for new approaches its third year. ukraine marking the green milestone of the second anniversary this week of the

link between russia and ukraine. president zelensky saying the situation remains very difficult. more on that very shortly. stay with us here on bbc news. hello there. it's staying mild for the time of year for the first half of this week, but towards the end of the week, things are set to turn colder as we pick up north—westerly winds, with increasing chance of wintry showers on hills in the north. tomorrow, though, it's going to be another mild day, and we'll see a band of rain spreading southwards across the country. but tonight, many places will be dry, variable cloud, some clear spells. most of the cloud in northern and western areas, and then we'll start to see that weather front pushing into western scotland, northern ireland, bringing outbreaks of rain here and strengthening winds. so temperatures lifting here, but some chillier spots further south and east under the clear skies. so, for tuesday then, here's this weather front moving its way southwards and eastwards gradually through the course of the day.

ahead of it, it stays mild, rather cloudy, some glimmers of brightness here and there. but the rain, heavy at times, will spread across scotland and northern ireland through the morning period, and then start to spread southwards and eastwards across england and wales as we head into the afternoon. but behind it, it brightens up for scotland and northern ireland. sunshine, some blustery showers — a few of these could be heavy — hail and thunder across north—west scotland. ahead of the rain band, it's going to be another largely cloudy day, but very mild, 13—14 degrees here. something a bit cooler further north. that weather front moves southwards, fizzles out. it's dry, clear and chilly for a while for the first part of the night. but then the next low pressure system hurtles in off the atlantic, and the increasing cloud, wind and rain will lift those temperatures, certainly across southern and western areas. so here it is, then, a more active system to move through for wednesday. more isobars on the charts, so it will be windy.

we're looking at gales around coastal areas, particularly across northern areas, and a very wet start. some of this rain could be quite heavy, and in fact, it's falling on saturated ground, we could see some issues with localised flooding. but the rain mostly clears out into the north sea into the afternoon. skies brighten up, although obviously there'll be some blustery showers to clear across northern and western areas. bit of a hangback of cloud for eastern england and the south—east. fairly mild again, eight to 12 or 13 degrees, but that's the last of the mild days through this week. from thursday onwards, we open the floodgates to a north—westerly wind. you can see the blue colours taking over, so it will be turning chillier for all areas. and because low pressure will be nearby, it will tend to remain fairly unsettled. so temperatures dipping for all areas closer to the seasonal norm. some of the showers in the north could have a wintry element to them.

this is bbc news. the headlines — alexei navalny poz met would've accuses the russian president m food and of murdering her husband and vows to continue to fight for a free russia. the situation in ukraine continues to worsen. we have a special report from the front—line as the war in ukraine nears its second anniversary. this small town feels torn between determination and despair. what unites it now is sheer exhaustion, the knowledge that this war will not be quickly won. a bbc investigation finds a large

number of nhs patients in england are stuck on hidden waiting lists. and all the glitz and glamour as award season arrives in london for the baftas. we'll look at who took the top prizes. let's return to one of our main stories. to russia's war on ukraine. this week marks the second anniversary of the start of russia's full invasion, and as russian forces make advances in the east, there are concerns over what a third year of conflict may bring. the president of ukraine quoted by reuters and afp say situation on the front line is extremely difficult. 0ur correspondent andrew harding has returned to the town of lyman, close to the front—line, to assess the mood of the people there. how do you judge the mood of a country this big and this broken? we've come back to a front—line town, lyman,

a place seized by russian forces and then liberated by ukraine