i'm shocked, i really am shocked. we showed the draft report to a barrister who defended post office victims in court and to a sub—postmistress who wrongly lost herjob and reputation. the former cryptocurrency billionaire sam bankman—fried is jailed for 25 years for stealing $8 billion from his customers, one of the biggest financial frauds in us history could scotland become the first nation in the uk to allow terminally ill people to have help to end their lives? the king speaks of his sadness at missing the annual royal maundy thursday service, as the queen takes his place. as india's general election looms, we report on the growing anxiety among the country's muslim population. and the british boom in country music, as beyonce becomes the latest

star to embrace it. on newsnight at 10.30, we'll go deeper behind the headlines and speak live to key players on today's big stories, plus a look tomorrow's front pages. good evening. it has emerged the post office spent £100 million of public money fighting wrongly accused sub—postmasters in court, even though it knew its case was untrue. the bbc has uncovered a draft report that reveals that by 2017 the post office had seen evidence showing that the losses at post office branches could have been caused by remote access to its horizon computers by fujitsu, who supplied the system. despite that, the post office's lawyers kept arguing until 2019 that theft or mistakes by sub—postmasters must have been to blame.

zoe conway has the story. in howey, mid—wales, there is something missing. for years this house was the village post office, but not any more. this was all part the shop, and then the post office was at the end. joan bailey and her husband had to give up the jobs they loved after being accused of stealing. there was a £40,000 shortfall in the accounts. she suspected the horizon system was at fault. the numbers on her computer screen would change overnight. we were in bed! nobody else can get in the house. when they were suspended from running the post office, some villagers assumed they'd stolen the money. we were just pariahs. to be thought of as a thief, itjust seems wrong that we should be treated this way. whatjoan couldn't have known,

and what this secret 2017 report makes clear, is that her account could be accessed remotely without her knowledge and that the system was full of bugs and flaws. commissioned by the post office, the report by deloitte said fujitsu employees had the ability to amend or delete transactions entered by branch staff. the system wouldn't flag up to a postmaster a change had been made, and those changes could cause a shortfall in branch accounts. it also said a malicious actor could potentially change data, though there's no evidence this happened. going to law will force the post office to open their files, so, finally, we'll get to know everything the post office knows. the sub—postmasters took the post office to court in 2018. by then, post office management, lawyers and investigators knew about findings within the report.

but instead of coming clean, they kept it secret. despite knowing their defence was false, they continued to discredit the postmasters. i'm...shocked, i really am shocked. the barrister who acted for the sub—postmasters has never seen the report before. this is exactly the sort of thing that we would have wanted to have, and to analyse and put in front of the judge. it's them admitting that they could do in 2017 something they were still denying that they could do in 2019. the case dragged on for two years. it cost the taxpayer more than £100 million. i don't think the case should have happened. it should have been settled. and it's a great shame some of the people have died since then without having their names cleared. it's tragic and very, very sad.

when victory came, it was bittersweet. the vast majority of the postmasters�* compensation was swallowed up in legal fees. the deloitte report also vindicates ron warmington. previously employed by the post office to investigate horizon, he proved postmasters�* accounts could be accessed by others. mainly fujitsu, maybe also post office staff, that'll come out, were routinely altering branch accounts without keeping of who was doing what or, more importantly, what they were doing. lord arbuthnot has been a long—time campaigner on behalf of the postmasters. i've been trying to bring the post office to a sense of its own responsibilities, but why they did it is very hard to see, how people can lose all sense of morality in the way that the post office clearly did. in a statement, the post office said

it was deeply sorry for the impact the scandal has had on people and told the bbc the public inquiry�*s next phase would look at the issues raised. fujitsu said that it regards this matter with the utmost seriousness and offered its deepest apologies to the sub—postmasters and their families. it's disgusting, it's disgusting. joan is still fighting for compensation, butjustice is about so much more. dignity is something you can't buy with any amount of money. it's got to be there for people to think, "i've got my dignity back now, "and i'm not going to be called a liar any more." zoe conway, bbc news, howey. the 32—year—old former cryptocurrency billionaire sam bankman—fried has been sentenced in new york to 25 years in prison after stealing $8 billion from his ftx customers. speaking in court before his sentencing,

the man who was known as the crypto king apologised and said he'd made a series of bad decisions. our business correspondent erin delmore reports from outside the court in new york. a stunning fall for sam bankman—fried, a crypto exchange founder and mogul in the industry who graced the cover of forbes magazine and appeared on stage with tony blair and bill clinton. american football player tom brady and supermodel gisele bunch starred in his company's ads. he spoke in front of congress as a leader in the burgeoning crypto industry. he founded the cryptocurrency exchange ftx, where customers traded their dollars and pounds for cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. when the exchange collapsed in november 2022, he assured customers their money was safe. but it turns out his entire business was built on lies. ajury convicted him here in this courthouse in november on fraud and conspiracy charges after only five hours of deliberations —

a nod to the strength of the government's case. nowjudge lewis kaplan has sentenced him to 25 years in prison, saying bankman—fried knew his actions were wrong and criminal and that he made a bad bet that he wouldn't get caught. judge kaplan said the losses to ftx customers, investors and lenders totalled more than $11 billion. bankruptcy proceedings have been able to claw back much of the money, but the judge said that doesn't absolve bankman—fried. the prosecution was able to show multiple times where sam had the opportunity to do the right thing, to come clean, and he chose not to do so. during sentencing, thejudge hearkened back to testimony from the prosecution's star witness, caroline ellison, the former girlfriend of sam bankman—fried and head of his crypto hedge fund, alameda research. she painted the man known by his initials, sbf, as a risk taker

hungry for influence. now facing decades behind bars, his risk—taking days are over. in new york, erin delmore, bbc news. scotland could become the first uk nation to legalise assisted dying if a bill introduced at holyrood is approved. under the proposals, a patient could only request medical assistance to end their life if they had an advanced, progressive, terminal illness, which had been diagnosed independently by two doctors. two doctors would also need to establish someone is mentally competent. the patient would have to be aged 16 or over and a resident of scotland for at least 12 months. they would also have to administer the life—ending medication themselves. our scotland editor, james cook, has been hearing arguments for and against the bill. august 2015, i was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer. and it was terminal, it had spread. mandy has been defying the odds

for nearly a decade. she was just 26 when she was told she could be dead within two years. advances in cancer care have prolonged mandy's life, but concern about the end still keeps her awake at night. i spent a lot of time being anxious and worrying about dying a slow, horrible death, and my mental health would be so much better if this law got passed because i could sleep easy at night and i wouldn't be worrying constantly about the future, about how brutal it's going to be, and i wouldn't feel scared. it would be a huge, huge relief. i think for too long, too many dying scots have been failed. liam mcarthur is the liberal democrat whose proposal could help some terminally ill patients end their life — some, but by no means all. the terminal illness would need

to be advanced and progressive. it would require the diagnosis not just of one but of two medics, who would also assess capacity, who would discuss with the patient the reasons why they had arrived at that decision, to ensure that there hasn't been undue coercion or pressure applied. so how's your day been today? audrey has terminal cancer, but she does not want the option of an assisted death. instead, she has found comfort at st columba's hospice in edinburgh. having being here and feeling the way it scoops you up, and it does, you know, and feeling the care and the expertise, the skills of the people, and now, i mean, that may change, but now i'm not afraid of dying. so you think there might not really be a need for this legislation, if we as a society improved end—of—life care? yes. yeah — in a very holistic sense, yeah. many doctors who specialise

in palliative care also have concerns about the bill. as a palliative care doctor, when i see patients who are suffering, i don't see the answer to their suffering as being to end the life of the sufferer. how would you assess the state of palliative care in this country at the moment? in order to ensure that people have consistent and reliable palliative care where they are, when they need it, we need a much better investment in palliative care. supporters of the bill actually agree. they also know their plan faces profound objections — moral, religious and practical. james cook, bbc news. in south africa, at least 45 people have died in a bus crash in the north east of the country. the department for transport says the vehicle plunged off a high bridge into a ravine after colliding with the crash barrier while travelling from botswana to the limpopo province. the bus then burst into flames when it hit the ground.

local media is reporting that an eight year—old girl was the only survivor. the boss of the uk's biggest water company, thames water, has told the bbc that customer bills need to rise by 40% by 2030 to pay for improvements. chris weston also said it is eventually possible the company could be nationalised if it fails to secure fresh funding from investors. earlier today, shareholders announced they would not be putting £500 million towards a rescue plan. our business editor, simonjack, reports in the village of lambourn in west berkshire, drains have overflowed regularly, pouring raw sewage onto the streets and straight into the local river — a protected chalk stream. thames water says high rainfall has overwhelmed storm drains. villagers and local charities say it's down to years of underinvestment by the company. we'd like to see water quality being put above profit. we'd like to see people

in towns and villages having their sewage treated, and it being returned to the river after being treated, so that we have healthy chalk streams. and we have communities not walking through sewage on their streets. thames is the biggest water company in the uk, serving 16 million customers. but it also has nearly £15 billion in debts. having paid out millions to former shareholders in years gone by, its current owners were due to pump in £500 million by tomorrow — a first instalment — and over £3 billion in extra cash, but that depended on the regulator approving a 40% increase in bills over the next five years. ofwat said no, and the cash was withdrawn. the new boss says that the investment needed makes higher bills inevitable. i would argue that that is the price that customers have to pay for the investment in our infrastructure that is needed, and the investment that is required to cope with things like climate change and population growth. but public ownership

is a possibility, isn't it? it is eventually possible, but i don't want to alarm anyone. and the first thing i would say about it, even if that were to happen, the services will continue to be provided. there will still be clean drinking water, and we will still deal with all the waste that has to be dealt with. thames water says it's got enough money in the bank to last it for a little over a year, but at some point it's going to have to raise fresh money to fund the vast investments that are needed, and those investors will want to see a return — which could inevitably mean higher bills. in north london, these blue pipes are replacing those laid when victoria was on the throne and these streets were fields. it will take tens of billions of pounds, and thames is not alone. ultimately, that money has to come from customers, meaning higher bills, orfrom taxpayers. simon jack, bbc news. india's general election is being held next month, one that prime minister narendra modi is widely expected to win. but his second term in power has

been marked by deepening religious polarisation and increasing islamophobia. there are more than 200 million muslims in india, making up the country's largest religious minority. members of the muslim community have told the bbc that they feel they are being marginalised and suppressed, claims consistently denied by india's hindu nationalist government. our south asia correspondent yogita limaye reports from northern india, and you may find the images in her report distressing. the sense out on the streets of the capital, delhi, a policeman assaulted muslims offering prayers.

just outside goa, a muslim man was beaten by a mob, forced to chant the name of a hindu deity. and injaipur in the north—west, a family devastated by perhaps the most chilling incident of violence against muslims in india. umesa begum's husband, the father of their five children, muhammad asgar ali, was among three muslim passengers shot dead by a railway policeman on a train. "if his killer was a muslim, he would have been hanged by now, "but that won't happen, because he's a hindu," asgar�*s daughter, amina, said. "no—one can return my father to us." the constable filmed here standing with a foot on asgar�*s bloodied body.

a man who's meant to protect people issues a threat, seemingly to india's muslims. "we know your masters are in pakistan, "but if you want to live here, vote for prime minister modi." the policeman is being tried for murder, but it's rattled the community. human—rights groups have recently raised concerns about what they say are illegal demolitions, targeted specifically at muslim homes, businesses and places of worship in different parts of india. behind me here is the debris of a mosque in south delhi. next to it, there was a muslim religious school. now, historians have said that this mosque was at least 600 years old. the government, however, says these were illegal structures and destroyed it all. the school was home to dozens of children, most of them orphans, seen in these videos filmed by their

teachers before the demolition. they're now scattered. we met 12—year—old mohammad zeeshan, temporarily housed at another islamic school. "i feel fear whenever i think of that moment," he said of bulldozers and policemen. "they forced us out and didn't allow us to take even our shoes. "it was a cold winter morning." the indian government didn't respond to the bbc�*s questions. but we met zafar islam, a muslim spokesman from the prime minister's party. it is the opposition parties who are using muslim community as a shield. they're feeling the heat. muslim community is absolutely comfortable, they're happy. but some people have told us this, we have recorded this — ordinary people, not political parties. if one or two people say such a thing, it cannot be true for the entire community.

the ruling party doesn't have a single mp from the country's largest minority. just one more factor that contributes to the unease we found on the ground. there is a very major sense of insecurity here, right? for example, if you take your mic and you walk around here, there won't be many people who would be looking to talk to you. translation: the most beautiful thing about india is its diversity, i but that is now being crushed - and the main victims are muslims. critics see the upcoming election as an inflection point for india's long—cherished secular ideals. yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. now a look at some other stories making the news today. three prisoners and three staff from lewes prison in east sussex have been taken to hospital for suspected food poisoning. emergency teams were sent to the jail at about midday. it's understood a number of people became ill soon after after eating a curry served

after a maundy thursday service. a man has been arrested in connection with the death of the gogglebox star george gilbey. the 40—year—old, who was a self—employed electrician, died at work after falling from a height. essex police said a man in his 40s had been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. the former england cricket captain freddie flintoff is returning to television after his top gear accident. he was injured at the programme's test track at dunsfold park aerodrome in surrey in december 2022. he'll be back on television for the second series of the bbc one cricket documentary freddie flintoff�*s field of dreams. king charles has spoken of his great sadness at missing the annual royal maundy thursday service. instead he sent a recorded message in which he spoke of the importance of "extending the hand of friendship" especially in times of need. queen camilla, taking the king's place at the event

in worcester cathedral, handed out the traditional "maundy money" on his behalf. the ceremony dates back to the thirteenth century when the monarchy gave coins to older people who helped the church and their local community. this year receipients received silver maundy coins and a five pound coin with a tudor dragon printed on it. here's phil mackie. cheering. more than 1,000 people braved the cold to greet the queen today. many had been waiting hours to grab the best spots and express their support at a difficult time. the news about the cancer treatment that both the king and princess catherine are receiving is very much on the minds of the people who've turned up to see the queen today. i think it's important to show our support for the crown, particularly in these difficult times. and they're stoic and they are true to their country, they're true to their people, and we need to be true to them. inside the cathedral, the congregation was played a recorded message from the king. in this country, we are blessed by all the different services that

exist for our welfare. we need and benefit greatly from those who extend the hand of friendship to us, especially in a time of need. welcome to saint barnabas. john has devoted his life to the church and to service in his parish of st barnabas. he was among the 150 people who were given maundy money today. just an enormous sense of honour. i never expected anythingl like that to happen to me. so what are you going to do with the money? keep it. keep it and show it off. the queen rewarded the worcester crowds with a walkabout. on sunday, the king will appear in public for the first time since his diagnosis. phil mackie, bbc news, worcester. the stone of destiny, the sacred block of sandstone upon which king charles was crowned, is returning to perthshire for the first time in more than 700 years. it is the centrepiece

of a new museum opening in scotland this weekend. our culture editor katie razzall reports. perth, scotland's ancient capital. and in the former city hall, which at one point faced demolition, a new museum is putting this region at the centre of scotland's story. the lead curator took me in to see the star attraction. really, this is to give people an understanding of what they're about to see. it's an immersive way into the stone of destiny, still a potent symbol of scottish nationhood. and what is the relevance of this block of stone today? this is a live ceremonial object. so for future coronations, it'll be transported down to westminster and placed back in edward is coronation chair. it's still a relevant and important cultural symbol. it's part of the regalia. it's part of the crown jewels of scotland. and this is where it all happened — on moot hill, where scottish

monarchs were crowned on the stone of scone. this one's a replica, but this is one of the most important historical sites in scotland. macbeth was made king here in 10110. two centuries later, edward i seized the stone of scone and took it to england. newsreel: westminster abbey, - spiritual heart of the commonwealth, lost one of its most precious relics — contested over the centuries, in 1950, four students took the ancient symbol of scottish kings back to scotland in an audacious raid. the stone went back to westminster abbey a year later and officially returned to edinburgh in 1996. oh, wow. but it hasn't been seen in perth for more than 700 years. given its disputed history, it's held securely, and these local sixth formers got a preview. i think it brings us all together as a nation,

and it makes me feel quite happy that it's close to home and it's like... i think it's where it should be. history itself, i think, i needs to be reinforced in our generation to understand where their culture _ actually comes from. other scottish stories are here, too. there's a bronze age log boat and a never—before—displayed sword belonging to bonnie prince charlie. there are a lot of people who'll tell you that the city centre is not what it used to be. but £27 million has been spent on a building slap bang in the centre of our city. and if this is one more thing that brings people into perth, then that would be brilliant. advance free tickets to see the stone of scone on its opening weekend were snapped up injust 13 minutes, which bodes well. katie razzall, bbc news, perth. country music is booming, and now the pop star beyonce has become the latest big star to embrace it with the release of her first country album tomorrow. the uk is now one of the biggest markets for country music outside the united states. and its popularity here is growing fast, as felicity baker reports. we're chapel hart. and make sure that you stay tuned into bbc news!

if you haven't heard of chapel hart yet, you soon will. # 0h, jolene... it's an energy here which, with the fans here is... unmatched. uk fans hit so different, like y'all are a different breed, and we absolutely love it. # you can have him, jolene... they're one of many up—and—coming artists who are drawn to the uk's rapidly growing country scene. # jolene. # this ain't texas... beyonce's move into country is being hailed as a game—changer. # 16 carriages... for a genre that is now taking on the mainstream. but does it meet fan expectations? not ever so keen on what she's done, but you know what? everyone's welcome in this genre. i love it because she's a country girl. she's from texas. so who can do it

better than beyonce? i mean, she's popular. get more people into country music. so i guess why not? i feel like we're next level. i think artists like beyonce, post malone, lana del rey doing things and country music is helping us get that exposure. this will be the biggest year for country in the uk, with more artists playing here than ever before. including grammy award winning duo brothers osborne, who first came to the uk nearly a decade ago. the whole purpose of us coming over here and playing our music is to connect with people and show them kind of maybe the cliched things that they think about country music isn't true. the thing about the uk that makes us want to come over here are the fans. they listen like the sober crowd and they react like a drunk crowd. it's like the perfect combination that you want in an audience. # showed up this morning # because i didn't know where else to go... with other artists

following beyonce's move into country later this year, audiences over here are only expected to get bigger. felicity baker, bbc news. time for a look at the weather. here's louise lear.