and promises a new package of us weapons will make a difference to ukraine's hard—pressed troops. judges rule the sentence handed down to the nottingham killer valdo calocane was not "unduly lenient". tension around the parliament in georgia where mps are set to pass a controversial law that critics say will silence dissent. and it's been called a medical game changer — a new study suggests widely used weight loss drugs could cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes. hello, i'm ben brown, welcome to bbc news now, three hours of fast—moving news, interviews and reaction.

more american weapons are on their way to the frontline in ukraine — and for ukraine they're supplies that can't come soon enough, with russian troops making advances in the area around the city of kharkiv — seizing a string of villages and forcing thousands of civilians to flee. the message that more weapons are coming was delivered in person by us secretary of state antony blinken, who's arrived in kyiv by train for a surprise visit and for talks with president zelensky. it's the first visit to ukraineby a senior u.s. official since congress finally passed a long—delayed $61 billion military aid package for the country last month. our ukraine correspondent, james waterhouse, has been following antony blinken�*s visit. he's described how a free and thriving ukraine is the best way to

rebuke vladimir putin. he has described his visit is a real sign of reassurance, and this is not to say visits like this, not from ukraine's biggest military backer are dismissed. these visits bear fruit and they are essential to ukraine's continued war effort. he will be talking with president zelensky and his senior ministers, at a time when russian forces are expanding its invasion, where it is now starting to have a different dimension with this new north—eastern front line. and so you can be sure that they will be pointing mr blinking to what is happening and president zelensky has orally said he has raised the issue of the speed of this american ammunition and weaponry. while it was a political coup for kyiv, for this huge $61 billion package to finally be unlocked in washington, after months of disagreement, we are after months of disagreement, we are

a month after that and we understand that there has been a trickle down effect really in terms of ammunition. we are told that artillery shells and long—range missiles have started to arrive. to give you an idea, kyiv acknowledges, evenif give you an idea, kyiv acknowledges, even if all of it was to arrive tomorrow, its goal is only to stay in the fight and hold the front line. at the moment we have got more than 30,000 russian forces thought to be part of this cross—border incursion into the kharkiv region. we have mass evacuations in the surrounding area. we have a town which officials say is being levelled and then you have evacuations further north where there is constant shelling. it is clear russian ambitions are widening and its confidence is increasing. it is a timely visit by antony blinken, which of course is welcome to. so what are the arms that the united states is supplying to ukraine — and how could they

make a difference? the package is part of an aid package recently agreed by congress after protracted debate, worth $61 billion. it includes air defence interceptors — surface to air missiles designed to combat enemy bombers and reconnaissance planes. there's more artillery which has been in short supply — as ukrainian forces try and fight off russian advances. finally the us has sent attack�*ems long—range precision guided missiles. they can strike russian targets at a range of up to 300 kilometers. separately, the eu has agreed a further 50 billion euros in aid after hungary stopped blocking the deal. and the uk is sending an extra £500 million on top of the £2.5 billion in military aid it had already pledged to give ukraine this year.

let's speak to mariia mezentseva. she's a member of the ukrainian parliament and shejoins us from kharkiv. thank you very much for being with us. a lot of aid now promised, at least. more aid promised in terms of weapons, especially from the americans. is it going to get there in time, do you think, to stop that russian advance around kharkiv where you are? a, russian advance around kharkiv where ou are? �* , ., ., you are? a very good afternoon from the ci of you are? a very good afternoon from the city of kaki- _ you are? a very good afternoon from the city of kaki. we _ you are? a very good afternoon from the city of kaki. we say _ you are? a very good afternoon from the city of kaki. we say generally - the city of kaki. we say generally here in the region, we needed these weapons yesterday. there are different political causes for a slight delay but the congress made its vote, historical one, and one month later russia is trying to advance its occupation in the northern part of the region. it is not very successful because ukrainian brave army is contra

attacking and still, for instance, the city which was mentioned in the report is under control from where more than 6000 civilians were evacuated to the city of kharkiv. today president zelensky made it very clear, he made his request of at least two system patriot, air defence we really need to protect civilians in kharkiv city and in the region generally, which is now receiving a lot from other areas... do you think the russians have used this opportunity because they have seen there was this delay in american weapons coming to ukraine, and that they have used this period to launch this attack around where you are in kharkiv?— to launch this attack around where you are in kharkiv? they might have, but it is not — you are in kharkiv? they might have, but it is not very _ you are in kharkiv? they might have, but it is not very successful. - you are in kharkiv? they might have, but it is not very successful. they - but it is not very successful. they are trying to dislike it might distract the attention of the world

from what is really happening currently in donbas where severe battles are ongoing daly. this is not realistic because ukrainian armed forces are focusing on old territory of ukraine. kharkiv has withstood in 2014. it did in february 22. it will do so today. in the region as well. i must say it is about weapons but also it is about justice, it is about the invitation of the countries, uk, us and others, to the swiss summit of peace of president zelensky. it is about conducting steps to create special tribunal, and all this effort will pave the way to justice, peace and resilience. of course we are highly thankful to the recent increase in budget allocations, specifically of the uk, as nato member, up to 2.5%

of its annual defence budget, and this is great because this is an example that other nato allies must follow. a . example that other nato allies must follow. a, . ~ , ., , example that other nato allies must follow. . ~ , . , ., follow. mariia mezentseva, member of the ukrainian — follow. mariia mezentseva, member of the ukrainian parliament, _ follow. mariia mezentseva, member of the ukrainian parliament, thank- follow. mariia mezentseva, member of the ukrainian parliament, thank you i the ukrainian parliament, thank you very much forjoining us from kharkiv. thank you for your time. to georgia now where there've been scuffles in the parliament and protests outside it over the expected passing of a new law that would force civil society groups and media organisations to declare foreign funding. opponents of the law fear it will be used to impose the same clampdown on media as in russia — where there's already similar legislation in place. protestors say the law silences dissent, and also makes it harder for georgia to join the european union. let's go live to our correspondent rayhan demytrie who is in tbilisi.

we have seen protests outside parliament. i think we have seen some scuffles inside parliament. what has been going on? it is quite tense outside _ what has been going on? it is quite tense outside parliament _ what has been going on? it is quite tense outside parliament where - what has been going on? it is quite i tense outside parliament where we're standing now. there are protesters here and behind me you can see the facing off next to police and riot police, guarding the entrances to parliament. inside parliament it is also quite tense. there has been physical and verbal fights inside parliament between opposition and pro—government mps as they hear this final hearing on this controversial law. we expect that the georgian party which holds enough votes, seats in parliament, that they will pass this law, despite weeks of protest and a lot of criticism that

has been voiced by georgia's western partners, by the european union and the united states.— the united states. thank you very much indeed. _ the united states. thank you very much indeed. our— the united states. thank you very| much indeed. our correspondence the united states. thank you very i much indeed. our correspondence in much indeed. 0ur correspondence in tbilisi outside parliament there. let's speak to natia seskuria. she's an associate fellow at the royal united services institute and she previously worked for georgia's national security council. thank you for being with us. this is quite a technical law butjust explain what is at stake here. in a sense this is a battle for the future of georgia, whether in the orbit of russia the orbit of europe, and the european union.— orbit of russia the orbit of europe, and the european union. thank you ve much and the european union. thank you very much for— and the european union. thank you very much for having _ and the european union. thank you very much for having me. _ and the european union. thank you very much for having me. yes - and the european union. thank you i very much for having me. yes indeed, you are absolutely right. this is a battle for georgia's future and the people who are protesting and who have been protesting for two weeks now i looking at this issue precisely through the lens of

georgia's future trajectory and the aspirations that georgia has had for many years tojoin aspirations that georgia has had for many years to join the european union. as much as the government is as the law as an insurer of transparency we know that this similar legislation, for example in 2012, was passed by vladimir putin in russia and then russian state has used this legislation to put pressure on the civil society and eventually just get pressure on the civil society and eventuallyjust get rid of free media and civil society. georgians are very fearful that this law will accelerate the process of georgia returning into the russian orbit and will stop georgia's progress, that we have seen throughout the past couple of years, especially, and the fears are that this process will be stopped there. the fears are that this process will be stepped there-— fears are that this process will be stopped there. the reality though is this law is going _

stopped there. the reality though is this law is going to _ stopped there. the reality though is this law is going to go _ stopped there. the reality though is this law is going to go through, - this law is going to go through, isn't it, whatever the fears and concerns of the protesters and the wider public in georgia? yes. wider public in georgia? yes, unfortunately _ wider public in georgia? yes, unfortunately it _ wider public in georgia? yes, unfortunately it seems - wider public in georgia? yes, unfortunately it seems like i wider public in georgia? ye: unfortunately it seems like the law will go through. the parliament will approve the law today. but the president of georgia has mentioned that she will veto the law. so there will be a couple of safe procedural steps left when the government will still have some sort of time to discuss the law with the partners and may be georgia's partners, and maybe to make some changes. so far the rhetoric that we have been hearing from the government officials is that they are very much determined to pass this law and i fear that the consequences of this will be very dreadful for georgia. what do you mean? we only have a minute or so left but when you say dreadful consequences for georgia, what are you talking about? essen;

what are you talking about? every sinale what are you talking about? every single strategic _ what are you talking about? every single strategic part _ what are you talking about? every single strategic part of _ what are you talking about? er single strategic part of georgia, the eu, the heads of states of the eu countries as well as the united states government, is urging georgia to stop this process because what this law will do is that, this law fundamentally comes against european values, weighed georgian people see their future. unfortunately i think that georgia should not expect any progress on the europe after this law will be passed. irate progress on the europe after this law will be passed.— progress on the europe after this law will be passed. we have to leave it there but — law will be passed. we have to leave it there but thank _ law will be passed. we have to leave it there but thank you _ law will be passed. we have to leave it there but thank you very _ law will be passed. we have to leave it there but thank you very much - it there but thank you very much indeed for spelling that out and the consequences, potentially, for georgia. associate fellow of the royal united services institute. around the world and across the uk, you are watching bbc news.

later today, the isle of man could become the first place in the british isles to legalise assisted dying. the island off the west coast of england is a self—governing crown dependency. king charles is the head of state but it sets its own laws. under the proposals, assisted dying would be lawful for terminally ill patients, with a life expectancy of 12 months or less and who have a clear and settled intention to end their life. two doctors must approve, and the individual must be over 18, and have lived on the isle of man for at least five years. our medical editor fergus walsh has been to meet people on both sides of the debate. the isle of man has a population ofjust 85,000, the same as grimsby. but for over a thousand years it has set its own laws and is about to vote on one of the most contentious issues facing society.

these two campaigners want to see assisted dying introduced on the island. simon was kept alive way too long, in way too much pain. he had no dignity whatsoever, no quality of life. sue biggerstaff is haunted by the memory of her husband's agonising death from motor neurone disease. the doctor, everybody was wonderful. but the fact is, simon had intravenous morphine in both legs and both arms, and patches. and still he was in pain. she says simon's final months were torture — paralysed from the neck down, his muscles wasting with open wounds that would not heal. how can anybody want to be alive when they're decomposing? i mean, it's sick. it's sick. ella, god love her, if i had her here now

paralysed from the neck down, incontinent and her body decaying, and i didn't do anything, i'd be locked up. so should the terminally ill have a right to die? that is what the manx parliament tynwald is set to decide. this is the chamber of the house of keys, equivalent to the house of commons at westminster, where members will vote on a bill which could see the isle of man become the first part of the british isles to legalise assisted dying. claire barbour, a member of the house of keys, is a former intensive care nurse who says at present some are denied a good death. i've come across people who have openly expressed a will for assisted dying because they're suffering, but they're not allowed to. so we allow and encourage, we empower people to make decisions about their health care all the way

through their life. but when it comes to making those decisions around a good death, we take the ultimate decision away from them. but those against say legalising assisted dying would set a dangerous precedent. bill leishman, a baptist minister, says christian churches on the island are united in their opposition. my big concern for this bill is for vulnerable people, l for people who don't have much agency for themselves, - and the effect that it could have, the dangers of coercion, - the dangers of unintended l consequences, the dangers for people who feel suicidal. these are the people that - i would be most concerned for. if assisted dying came in, it would really challenge me emotionally. all the island's doctors, like duncan gerry, qualify overseas. he says many like him will consider leaving if assisted dying is introduced. i'm very concerned that assisted dying is a slippery

slope that you start on. when you allow people to be killed by their doctor, to die by their doctor, it begins a journey that doesn't stop and vulnerable people start out with an offer, becomes a suggestion, becomes an obligation to die. and i worry that vulnerable people will be sucked into a law to help a very, very small number of people. if the bill is approved, it could become law next year, with the first assisted death in 2027. although there's now a proposal for the whole issue to be put to a referendum, giving the public — not politicians — the final word. fergus walsh, bbc news, on the isle of man. russian president vladimir putin will visit china this week with the two—day visit starting on thursday. it will be putin's first trip abroad since his march re—election and his second in just over six months to china. it comes as russia faces unprecedented sanctions over its military offensive in ukraine.

the kremlin said the two leaders would discuss their "comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation" as well as "define key areas of development of russian—chinese cooperation and exchange views on international and regional issues. president lopez 0brador of mexico says measures taken by his country and the us have halved the number of migrants arriving at their shared border. in december, daily encounters between migrants and us border agents exceeded 12,000. the surge overwhelmed mexican immigration facilities and shelters in border cities. the daily figure is now about 6,000. migration has become a key issue in the us presidential campaign. a whistleblower who helped expose allegations of australian war crimes in afghanistan has been jailed for almost six years. david mcbride pleaded guilty to three counts of stealing

and sharing secret military information with journalists. he said he'd felt a moral duty to speak out after internal complaints he made were ignored. the sentence handed down to mr mcbride was the maximum allowed. he's expected to appeal. in the uk, seniorjudges have ruled the sentence given to nottingham killer valdo calocane was not "unduly lenient." 32—year—old calocane was handed an indefinite hospital order for the manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility of grace 0'malley—kumar, barnaby webber and ian coates, and the attempted murder of three others last june. attorney general victoria prentis referred the sentence to the court of appeal in february, arguing it was "unduly lenient". at a hearing last week, lawyers said calocane should instead be given a "hybrid" life sentence, where he would first be treated for his paranoid schizophrenia before serving the remainder

of his jail term in prison. however, this was rejected in a ruling on tuesday from the lady chiefjustice baroness carr, lord justice edis and mrjustice garnham at the royal courts ofjustice in london. 0ur our conclusion. there was no error in the approach adopted by the judge. the sentences imposed were not arguably unduly lenient. leave to refer the sentences is refused. it is impossible to read of the circumstances of this offending without the greatest possible sympathy for the victims of these terrible attacks and their families and their friends. terrible attacks and their families and theirfriends. the terrible attacks and their families and their friends. the victim terrible attacks and their families and theirfriends. the victim impact statements paint a graphic picture of the appalling effects of the

offender's conduct. had the offender not suffered the mental condition that he did, the sentencing judge would doubtless have been considering a whole life term of imprisonment. but neither nor this court can ignore the medical evidence as to the offender's condition, which led to these dreadful events, or the threat to public safety, which the offender continues to pose. thank you very much. that is an excerpt of the judge's ruling. let's speak to our home and legal affairs correspondent dominic casciani who is at the royal courts ofjustice. this is a case, well, horrific killings, which have aroused intense

emotions. talk us through, from a legal point of view, this ruling today. legal point of view, this ruling toda . , ., , legal point of view, this ruling toda. , .,, ., ~ legal point of view, this ruling toda. , ., ~ ., today. yes, to be frank, there was a certain inevitability _ today. yes, to be frank, there was a certain inevitability felt _ today. yes, to be frank, there was a certain inevitability felt by _ today. yes, to be frank, there was a certain inevitability felt by many - certain inevitability felt by many legal observers, that this was going to be the outcome. during the stage where valdo calocane was sentenced at nottingham crown court, there was overwhelming evidence, as thejudge saw it at the time, that he had been deeply unwell, suffering an acute episode of psychosis, brought on by an almost untreatable paranoid schizophrenia, we now know that he suffers from. in that context the judge had to decide what the best way, notjust dealing with him in terms of sentencing, but protecting the public. 0ne terms of sentencing, but protecting the public. one of the things lady chiefjustice baroness carr said chief justice baroness carr said this chiefjustice baroness carr said this morning was, the key factor in this morning was, the key factor in this case was not whether or not a penal element was required, i ascending him to prison for

punishment. the key issue was to strengthen the link between the offender's impairment in the offending in question, and here, at the time of the assault, the offender was in the grip of a severe psychotic episode. in that context the judges psychotic episode. in that context thejudges ruled psychotic episode. in that context the judges ruled the judge psychotic episode. in that context thejudges ruled thejudge in nottingham had not been in error when he decided the best form of protecting the public was this indefinite hospital order because of the risk that if he was sent back to prison, he could possibly have come off with medicine and posed a great danger to others. i think this has been quite a complex case, also subject to a degree of misunderstanding. the court of appealjudge was clear today that thejudge got it appealjudge was clear today that the judge got it right.— the judge got it right. thank you very much _ the judge got it right. thank you very much indeed, _ the judge got it right. thank you very much indeed, with - the judge got it right. thank you very much indeed, with the - the judge got it right. thank you | very much indeed, with the latest from the royal courts ofjustice. do stay with us here on bbc news. hello again. it's been a wet start to the day for some of us today.

we've got a band of rain which is slowly pushing northwards and eastwards. to the north of it, some brighter skies. to the south of it, some brighter skies. but we're also looking at some showers which are likely to be blustery. low pressure is driving our weather for the next few days. here it is here. this is the weather front moving north and east. if we follow it round, it's producing some showers, wrapped around the area of low pressure itself in the south—west. so you can see the progress that the weather front is making. now, to the north in scotland, there will be some cloud at times, but there'll be some sunny spells as well. the rain clearing northern ireland, and for northern ireland, wales and south—west england, into the midlands, it's a mixture of bright spells, sunshine and also some showers. 21, 22 degrees being the top temperature around the moray firth today. widely, we're looking at up to 19, but cooler on the north sea coastline. here's our weather front tonight. increasingly turning light and patchy, the rain on it. but it will rejuvenate in its southern end by the end of the night.

and once again, a lot of low cloud, mist and murk coming in from the north sea. but it's not going to be a cold night. temperatures staying in double figures and the winds easing. so we start the day with our weather front producing cloud and also some rain from the south—east into the south of scotland. now, through the day, this low cloud, mist and murk on the north sea coastline will drift inland. so once again, it's the north of scotland favoured for the lion's share of the sunshine. but there will be sunny spells in northern ireland, wales, into the midlands and southern england and here we're likely to see one or two showers, but temperatures up to 23 degrees. a wee bit fresher on the north sea coastline. into thursday, variable amounts of cloud, some showers. if anything, through the course of the day, the showers developing a wee bit more widely. some dry weather across southern areas and our temperatures ranging from 13 to about 20 degrees. north—west scotland could well see 22 degrees during the course of thursday. beyond that, for friday and into the weekend, our area of low pressure pushes further east.

we've got a ridge of high pressure across the northern half of the country, so that will tend to settle things down. so in summary, for the south, we are looking at sunshine and showers, whereas in the north it's looking like it will be that bit drier, but temperatures still a bit above average.

this is bbc news, the headlines...

america's top diplomat is on a surprise visit to kyiv, and promises a new package of us weapons will make a difference to ukraine's hard—pressed troops. the infamous austrian rapistjosef fritzl, who fathered seven children with his captive daughter, is to be moved from a psychiatric unit to a regular prison. and the cannes film festival kicks off later. a new study suggests that widely used weight loss drugs could cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes. and the cannes film festival kicks off later. we have a preview of what we can expect from the world famous event. hello, i'm ben brown. israel is marking its independence day, but this year the commemorations are taking place under the shadow of war.