we'll have the latest with our royal and social media correspondents. the shadow chancellor promises a new chapter in economic growth, while the man she wants to replace hints there could be an october general election. like a walk in the park. on newsnight at 10.30, will not go deeper behind the headlines and speak live to keep del my key players on today's big look tomorrow's fronts pages. good evening. we begin tonight with a conflict that's been described as the war the world forgot.

and yet in sudan, more people have been displaced because of fighting than in any other conflict on earth. today, the un security council, has been meeting to discuss the situation in sudan, with the uk calling for an immediate ceasefire, as the country teeters on the brink of famine. as many as five million people face starvation because of the war. but how did we get here? well, back in 2019, the head of the sudanese army, and the leader of a powerful rebel group, the rapid support forces, took control of the country, in a power sharing agreement. but, the men fell out, and have been battling for total control for almost a year. tens of thousands have died, and millions have had to flee their homes. the bbc hasn't been able to report from the front line since the fighting began. but now, bbc arabic�*s feras killani, has gained rare access with the sudanese army, in the city of omdurman, close to the capital khartoum.

a warning, you may find some of the details in his report upsetting. children in sudan are facing a living nightmare. aid agencies warn an entire generation is at risk. 300 families are crammed into this school here in port sudan. zubaida, a mother of eight, has leukemia. she hasn't been able to get her medication since the war erupted last april. translation: my last pills finished three days before the war. - from that moment on, i'm suffering. i'm in constant pain. i'm so tired. these classrooms should be full of children learning. instead, desperate people from across sudan are sheltering here for safety. but there are horror stories hidden here. five people have died of cholera and others are suffering

from severe diseases. this clinic feels like a front line of a humanitarian disaster the world doesn't know is happening. starving children getting what little help they can. we meet this woman, who has lost all hope, struggling to keep her three—year—old daughter alive. she could barely tell us the rsf stole her home, stole her life. and this is where her life was, in the city of omdurman, the front line of this war. sudanese army troops have been in a battle with the rapid support forces for nearly a year. a war that has devastated this country. the un says both sides face accusations of horrific abuses, even war crimes.

claims both deny. the army was keen to show us the damage they say was inflicted to the city and its people by the rsf. they tightly controlled what we saw and where we went. raised voices. millions across the country have had to leave their lives behind. few have stayed. 64—year—old mukhtar took us to see what used to be a town square — now a makeshift graveyard. translation: there are 150 people here. | i knew many of them. mohammed, abdullah, jalal... there's just me left. a moment to remember their names. for many, a grave is only a number.

the world has been distracted with other wars, other suffering, but the appeal from here is clear: the world is being urged not to forget sudan. feras killani, bbc news, sudan. lyse doucet, our chief international correspondent, is here. we heard at the suggestion that this is a conflict that the world has forgotten and you is a conflict that the world has forgotten and you were briefly is a conflict that the world has forgotten and you were briefly in sudan at the beginning of the fighting, what diplomatic efforts are taking place to try and end all this? a, are taking place to try and end all this? �* ., ., this? a living nightmare that the world does _ this? a living nightmare that the world does not _ this? a living nightmare that the world does not even _ this? a living nightmare that the world does not even know is - world does not even know is happening is how it was described in that powerful report but of course the world does know it is happening but world powers are distracted by bigger crises, dating, in gaza and ukraine —— they think, in gaza and ukraine —— they think, in gaza and

ukraine and haiti. regional powers in africa know it is happening but different powers are bagging different powers are bagging different sides in this war, in a country which is mineral rich and on the red sea, and it is starting to change a bit, and a few days ago the un security council finally called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. words matter but it will take much more than that. pressure on these warlords to come to the table, even to allow aid to reach the millions who desperately need it, pressure on these warlords to be held accountable, both of them accused of war crimes, even genocide. pressure to let a journalist in to see what is happening on the ground. until the world, world powers in the west and in the region, people speak more loudly and more forcefully, sudan will be forsaken and then if sudan goes, so does stability in the horn

of africa and the red sea and then the world will pay attention. but thenit the world will pay attention. but then it is too late. tao the world will pay attention. but then it is too late.— then it is too late. too late indeed- — then it is too late. too late indeed. thanks for - then it is too late. too late indeed. thanks forjoiningl then it is too late. too late i indeed. thanks forjoining us. and there's more with lyse on the situation in sudan, on the global story podcast, available on bbc sounds tomorrow. kensington palace has made no comment, about footage of the princess of wales at a farm shop in windsor over the weekend. the video, published by the sun, is the first we've seen of kate, since undergoing abdominal surgery injanuary. prince william has been back at work, visiting housing initiatives in sheffield, tackling homelessness. here's daniela relph. calming the noise of social media conspiracies or just fuelling them? the first pictures of the princess of wales since her surgery, out shopping at the weekend with her husband at windsor farm shop. her recovery, it seems, is going well, but still, the rumours persist. it's been around that long.

yeah. got it. the safety of a selfie. royal photos have been a tricky issue recently. today, prince william was in sheffield, trying to shift the focus onto the more serious side of public duty. because you think a lot of people just think, give people a house and it's all fixed. and that's it, yeah. it's not being taken care of very well outdoors. he met supporters of homewards, his project to end homelessness in six areas of the uk. hey. - how are you? i'm good, great to meet you. very nice to meet you. - great to meet you. he is one of the most famous people on the planet. - a lot of people may say, "well, why... i i "well, surely a prince won't carel about an issue like homelessness "or a lack of access to housing because he may not have - "directly experienced that? " but i somewhat feel that's even more impressive about it, _ not having that direct experience, . but still understanding that so many people are suffering. there was also chat about the challenges

faced by young families, an area the princess of wales has worked on — something her husband mentioned. the rumours and gossip were off the agenda today, replaced perhaps by a sense of relief... cheering ..that a regular royal engagement went off smoothly, amidst the speculation that won't quite go away. daniela's here along with our social media correspondent, marianna spring. daniela... it is quite something that kensington palace had to come out and confirm the video. that kensington palace had to come out and confirm the video.— and confirm the video. that is the world we are _ and confirm the video. that is the world we are in _ and confirm the video. that is the world we are in with _ and confirm the video. that is the world we are in with this - and confirm the video. that is the world we are in with this story, i and confirm the video. that is the l world we are in with this story, and people used to say about the royal family, especially the late queen, they had to be seen to be believed, but now even when they are seen, not everyone actually believes it is them. it is a muddled and confusing narrative, it is virtually

impossible for the team around the prince and princess of wales to fully manage, but for now their position is to say nothing, knowing full well whatever they say could fuel the rumours further. there are two sides to the problem, on one you have the thirst for information and a lack of trust in what is being said publicly but on the other side of the more human side, the princess of the more human side, the princess of wales, she wants the time and space to recover, knowing when she returns to duty in the intent is clear that she needs to be well enough to cope.— clear that she needs to be well enough to cope. social media is havin: a enough to cope. social media is having a field _ enough to cope. social media is having a field day. _ enough to cope. social media is having a field day. it is, - enough to cope. social media is having a field day. it is, and - enough to cope. social media is having a field day. it is, and it l enough to cope. social media is| having a field day. it is, and it is re having a field day. it is, and it is pretty hard _ having a field day. it is, and it is pretty hard to — having a field day. it is, and it is pretty hard to avoid _ having a field day. it is, and it is pretty hard to avoid the - having a field day. it is, and it is pretty hard to avoid the frenzy l having a field day. it is, and it is i pretty hard to avoid the frenzy that has been _ pretty hard to avoid the frenzy that has been unfolding around this in particular. — has been unfolding around this in particular, and i woke up this morning. _ particular, and i woke up this morning, the first thing on my tiktok— morning, the first thing on my tiktok and _ morning, the first thing on my tiktok and twitter were conspiracy theories _ tiktok and twitter were conspiracy theories suggesting this image of kate was— theories suggesting this image of kate was a body double, it was some kind of— kate was a body double, it was some kind of actor— kate was a body double, it was some kind of actor or an impersonator who had been _ kind of actor or an impersonator who had been paid to feature in a video, which _ had been paid to feature in a video, which is _ had been paid to feature in a video, which is not — had been paid to feature in a video, which is not true, but it was spreading _ which is not true, but it was spreading like wildfire and they

have _ spreading like wildfire and they have been questions and concerns but they have _ have been questions and concerns but they have evolved into quite hard on conspiracy _ they have evolved into quite hard on conspiracy theories in some cases. i was looking — conspiracy theories in some cases. i was looking at the numbers, on twitter. — was looking at the numbers, on twitter, more than 12 million views on this— twitter, more than 12 million views on this particular conspiracy theory about— on this particular conspiracy theory about body— on this particular conspiracy theory about body doubles, and on tiktok, more _ about body doubles, and on tiktok, more than _ about body doubles, and on tiktok, more than it — about body doubles, and on tiktok, more than 11 million views, that is a lot— more than 11 million views, that is a lot of. _ more than 11 million views, that is a lot of, more than some media outlets — a lot of, more than some media outlets will reach come at the social— outlets will reach come at the social media frenzy is exist when there _ social media frenzy is exist when there is— social media frenzy is exist when there is a — social media frenzy is exist when there is a vacuum of information, and the _ there is a vacuum of information, and the media play a part as well, but this— and the media play a part as well, but this is— and the media play a part as well, but this is about algorithms. computer—generated system recommending this kind of content, and i_ recommending this kind of content, and i got _ recommending this kind of content, and i got in — recommending this kind of content, and i got in touch with tiktok and x to ask— and i got in touch with tiktok and x to ask for— and i got in touch with tiktok and x to ask for a — and i got in touch with tiktok and x to ask for a comment, and they say they do— to ask for a comment, and they say they do not— to ask for a comment, and they say they do not allowed misleading content — they do not allowed misleading content which may cause significant harm _ content which may cause significant harm to _ content which may cause significant harm to individuals regardless of the intent. x say that protecting the intent. x say that protecting the voice — the intent. x say that protecting the voice of uses is one of their key values _ the voice of uses is one of their key values but they did not respond to nry— key values but they did not respond to my approach. key values but they did not respond to my approach-— to my approach. thanks for “oining us. and you can find more on this,

and all of tonight's stories, live on the iplayer. a man has become the first person to be found guilty of the new offence of cyber—flashing in england and wales. nicholas hawkes, from essex, was sentenced to more than a year in prison, after pleading guilty to sending unsolicited, explicit photogra(phs, to a 15—year—old girl and a woman. here's sanchia berg. it's happened to many thousands of women and girls. without warning, a photo appears on their phone or their computer. explicit, shocking and unwanted. cyber—flashing and these other forms of online violence against women and girls, it has significant and profound impacts to women and girls' sense of safety, sense of well—being, sense of being able to operate in the online world. seven weeks ago, sending images like those became a criminal offence. and today, at southend crown court, the first person was jailed

for cyber—flashing. nicholas hawkes admitted sending pictures of his genitals to a teenage girl and a woman in her 60s. the court heard that he suffered from severe post—traumatic stress disorder after being kidnapped and tortured some years ago. his barrister said he got no sexual gratification from sending those images. the judge did not accept that. the lord chancellor, alex chalk kc, said... many hope this conviction will give victims renewed confidence. it's so important that the state shows women and girls that they're on their side, that violence against women and girls is not acceptable,

it's not going to be tolerated. so—called lower level offences like cyber—flashing actually result in prison sentences. many early cases of cyber—flashing took place on public transport, especially the london tube. now, it seems to be widespread. research suggests a majority of teenage girls report they've experienced it. prosecutors say they want to pursue more cases. they're inviting victims to come forward. if they do, that will be a real test of the new law. sanchia berg, bbc news. the shadow chancellor, rachel reeves, says growing the economy is the only way to increase cash for public services. but she admitted labour would not be able to do things "as quickly" as they would want if voted in, adding that she was "under no illusions" of the challenges. my two priorities as chancellor of the exchequer if i get that opportunity, the first to bring stability back to the economy and the institutional

reform that's necessary for that, and then the comprehensive plan for growth. important big picture? but i think that is the big picture because in the end, unless you get growth in the economy, you're always going to have to make almost impossible trade—offs. you saw faisal islam in that interview with rachel reeves and he is here. anything surprising in what she said? she is here. anything surprising in what she said? . , is here. anything surprising in what she said? ,, , ., ,., ., she said? she is giving an important lecture to city _ she said? she is giving an important lecture to city financiers _ she said? she is giving an important lecture to city financiers and - lecture to city financiers and business people today and it was the length fiesta explanation we have had of what labour would do with the economy if it wins the next general election, if rachel reeves got the keys to number 11. it wasn't an alternative budget, it was more about the big picture strategy, about the big picture strategy, about of the of the economy, the bank of england, the treasury, the forecasters, that have been some attack under the liz truss administration but tweaking them so they become progrowth, pro—green growth, pro—investment. as you had a

knack cudlipp, she will idea by the self—imposed restraints on borrowing exactly the same that the government adheres to on the national debt, which he says will make it very difficult to spend in order to boost the economy. 50 difficult to spend in order to boost the economy-— difficult to spend in order to boost the economy. difficult to spend in order to boost the econom . ., , ., , ., the economy. so the man she wants to relace if the economy. so the man she wants to replace if they — the economy. so the man she wants to replace if they win _ the economy. so the man she wants to replace if they win the _ the economy. so the man she wants to replace if they win the election, - replace if they win the election, labour, he has been saying some interesting things today? {line labour, he has been saying some interesting things today?- labour, he has been saying some interesting things today? one of the reasons i think _ interesting things today? one of the reasons i think why _ interesting things today? one of the reasons i think why we _ interesting things today? one of the reasons i think why we didn't - interesting things today? one of the reasons i think why we didn't get - reasons i think why we didn't get much policy detail of rachel reeves on tax and spend when she thinks now there will be another budgetary event before the general election in the autumn. jeremy hunt himself told peers at the house of lords, he said he hoped there would be another budget type event before the general election in the autumn. so a clear hint that is the direction of travel and probably why we are getting big strategies but not detailed plans yet. strategies but not detailed plans et. . ~' , ., strategies but not detailed plans et. ., ,, ., ,., the creation of the first independent regulator for men's football in england is a step closer, after the government introduced new proposals. if passed into law, a new body would oversee clubs across england's top five tiers,

independent of government and the footballing authorities. here's our sports editor, dan roan. whether it's controversy over teams docked points for overspending, clubs getting into financial difficulty, or the threat of a european super league, english football has faced various crises in recent years. and today, the government published legislation that will establish the game's first independent regulator. we've seen 64 administrations since the premier league was formed in 1992. today, this bill is about making sure that we bring financial resilience and stability back into football, so we don't see those clubs go under. this comesjust days after the premier league failed to agree a proposed £900 million funding deal that would have seen it share more with clubs like this, leyton orient of league 1. so i was hugely disappointed. the government has been very clear from the outset in these discussions,

that if football didn't come to a deal, the regulator would be able to, in the bill that we were going to be bringing forward. as well as the power to impose a financial settlement on the game and to block clubs joining breakaway leagues, the regulator will be able to issue club licenses linked to financial security and fan power on key decisions, fine clubs up to 10% of their annual turnover for non—compliance and implement a tougher owners' and directors' test. in 2017, this club was almost in liquidation once upon a time and since then, we have had bury, who have had to go through what they have gone through, the financial difficulties of what reading is currently going through. when you look at it from the outside in, there's definitely a concern and you want there to be robust measures in place that can protect football clubs. this constitutes the most significant reform to the way that the game is run in england for a generation, but the premier league has said it's concerned about any unintended consequences

that could weaken the competitiveness or appeal of the game here. cheering. the premier league reiterated it distributes £1.5 billion over three years to all levels of the game and while some campaigners say the legislation has not gone far enough, the football league welcomed it. the gulf between top and bottom has grown to — it's a chasm. when we formed the premier league, the premier league's turnover was 45 million, the efl�*s was 3a, a gap of 11 million. the gap is now three billion. it's not bridgable. the regulator, which ministers want to become law before the general election, will not block state ownership of clubs and with the possibility of amendments, its final form is still in play. dan roan, bbc news. a food delivery rider, who bit off part of a customer's thumb, has pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm at winchester crown court. the attack happened

after an argument over delivery instructions. despite her victim has been left with life—changing injuries, but can't claim any compensation from her or the firm, with the the case raising questions about the liability of some of the biggest firms operating in the so called "gig economy". angus crawford has that story. she'd clean taken it off. it's as if i'd gone through a chainsaw. a friday night pizza is all stephen wanted. now i have to live with this for the rest of my life. what he got was life—changing injuries. the deliveroo rider went to the wrong address. there was a brief argument and then she bit his thumb off. the force in which she must have been biting... all i remember, my arm was there and i was shaking her helmet with this hand, trying to get her off. my arm dropped and my brain said, �*oh, she's let go.�* i lifted my arm up and i sprayed her with blood. after months off work and reconstructive surgery, stephen wants compensation. the rider, jenniffer rocha, was using someone else's account. the free company insurance doesn't

cover criminal acts. i don't at the moment see the light at the end of the tunnel. financially, i'm ruined, you know, because at the moment, i'm getting nothing from deliveroo. substitution... that's because of something called substitution. deliveroo doesn't employ riders as workers, they're classed as self—employed, independent contractors, so they can lend their account to anyone they choose — as long as they do all the right checks. the problem with that is that if something goes wrong, say you get injured by a substitute rider, well, deliveroo can't be held liable, and that's the same for all the big food delivery apps. the rider in today's case is brazilian, in the uk legally and has the right to work. but our last investigation revealed a black market in rider accounts on social media. anyone could buy or rent them. deliveroo told us their riders are self—employed, which has been confirmed by uk courts

on multiple occasions. they said this was an awful incident and they ended the account of the rider concerned immediately and have fully cooperated with the police investigation. today, at winchester crown court, rocha pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm. she'll be sentenced in may and could go to prison. angus crawford, bbc news. thousands of new electricity pylons are needed across the uk to connect off shore wind farms to the electricity network. the national grid says the extra power lines, as well as underwater cabling, will cost close to £60 billion, and customers will have to foot part the bill. here's simonjack. green, cheap, home—grown. offshore wind has been a massive british success story and more huge wind farms are planned to decarbonise uk electricity and make it less reliant on imported fossil fuels.

but you need to get the electricity from where it's produced out at sea back onshore to where it's used. the current grid is not ready for that and needs a massive rewiring. here is what is needed over the next decade according to the people who will manage the uk's power grid. in green, those are the wind farms that will be there in 2035, as you can see, clustered around the east coast of scotland and the east coast of england. in blue, 4,000 miles of subsea cables, moving the power around the coast. and then in red, 1,000 miles of onshore power lines cutting through scotland, north—west england, wales, east anglia and here in essex. a 100—mile stretch of pylons from norfolk to the outskirts of london will run right through these blackcurrant fields in rural essex. opponents say there are better ways and vow to fight the proposals. we've never had options. we've been told pylons, pylons, pylons, down a certain route, even though we know there are better options for the country as a whole, notjust for us.

this is nimbyism, isn't it? i think we need to see all the best, modern solutions looked at, not this dinosaur technology of the past. pylons are the technology of yesteryear. burying cables underground is more expensive and will add to the £58 billion cost which will see an extra £20—30 added to annual bills for a decade, according to the system's planners. we've tried to balance cost, environmental impact, impacts on communities and the security of the electricity system. what that's meant is that we have got in the plan four times as much offshore infrastructure, new offshore infrastructure, as onshore, but inevitably that does mean, in balancing those four factors, there is still going to be some infrastructure onshore. so that inevitably means more pylons? yes, it does, for some communities. all: no! the government has promised a robust planning process. disagreement is guaranteed. the local residents near where the line's going to go, local councils who want to make sure their voters will keep voting for them, local mps who will make

their voice known if not, aligning all those people behind the project is the challenge that government faces now. there is a long way to go but without a grid upgrade, britain's wind riches risk going to waste. simonjack, bbc news, essex. the outgoing first minister of wales, mark drakeford, has faced questions in the senedd for the final time. in his resignation speech, he thanked the welsh people and his colleagues for their support, during what he called the "hardest and saddest year", after his wife clare died suddenly. he announced he'll submit his formal resignation to the king this evening. a bear has been terrorising residents in northern slovakia. over the last few days the bear has rampaged through the town liptovsky mikulas, injuring five people including a ten—year—old girl. this evening, local residents have been warned to stay away from a wooded area on the outskirts of the town, as armed hunters move in.

the behind—the—scenes story of the bbc interview which caused prince andrew to withdraw from all public duties has been turned into a film. scoop tells the story of emily maitlis' newsnight head—to—head with the duke of york. here's colin paterson. tomorrow night, in an unprecedented interview, we will hear from the duke himself. it's newsnight: the movie, or rather, a netflix dramatisation of how producer sam mcalister, played by billie piper, secured emily maitlis' 2019 interview with prince andrew. the allegations surrounding jeffrey epstein include his friend prince andrew. with gillian anderson as emily maitlis. like a walk in the park. why do you need to make a dramatic version of it when the original is still there? because this, as much as anything, is about the story behind the acquisition of the interview. why not dramatise up until one of the most important and dramatic interviews

in history, really. i think it is in history, isn't it? mm, yeah. myjob is booking the people we can'tjust call up. hello, everyone. billie, it's important to say this is very much from the point of view of sam mcalister. she was very much available to us, which was great. it's kind of what you wish for as an actor playing a real person. she's so high energy and unlike anyone i've ever met, actually, and i don't say that lightly. i've never been smuggled into a palace before. at first, gillian anderson actually turned down the role of emily maitlis. i can't tell you what the questions will be because i don't know myself yet. but when i do know... ..i still won't tell you. i mean, it's just too scary to play emily maitlis. why? well, because she's still living, because she's so formidable, because people know her so well and they said, well,

then you have to do it. do you remember dancing at tramp? no. and to make things more complicated, emily maitlis herself is executive producer on an upcoming rival three—part amazon drama about the interview. i thought that all went very well. prince andrew famously thought that the interview had been a triumph. gillian anderson and billie piper both agree that there is almost no chance he will watch this version. this interview, does it matter? colin paterson, bbc news. yeah, it matters. time for a look at the weather. here's ben. hello, thank you very much. good evening. tomorrow marks the spring equinox and already we have had some signs of spring. in lincolnshire today with some hazy temperatures, temperatures got to 17 celsius. that won't necessarily last for the rest of this week, as i will show you in a moment. in the short term, the

milder we have in place is also feeding a lot of cloud in our direction and that cloud is producing some outbreaks of rain. this is where we are expecting the rain to be as we head through the rest of the night. we will see some clear skies in the north—west of scotland, allowing it to get a little chilly. further south and east, a very mild night for the time of year, ten or 11 to take us into tomorrow morning. it will be a cloudy start for most with some outbreaks of rain. a lot of the rain will tend to peter out and turn increasingly light and patchy. for some, it will brighten up. in the south—east of england, if we see hazy sunshine, temperature in london could get to 18. for south—west england, wales, the midlands, parts of east england, it will stay grey and damp. northern england may brighten up a little bit. the northern ireland and scotland by the afternoon, there should be a decent amount of sunshine. the winds will be light, temperatures of 10—12, so it won't feel too bad. this window of clear skies will move south—eastwards during tomorrow

night but only to be replaced by this next where system bringing wind and rain into northern parts of the uk as we move through the day on thursday. another mile deep and warm one if you get to see some sunshine. but as i hinted at the start, there is a change to come. thursday night into friday, we push this cold front south—eastwards. this deep low passes to the east of scotland which could bring aylesbury time. with the cold fronts we've been through, we will be left in some colder air. such temperatures as we headed to the weekend lower than they have been, below the average for the time of year. there will be some showers which could be wintry of the high ground. when we factor in the strength of the wind, it will feel decidedly spring that's it. chilly. maybe spring on hold.