this is bbc news. i'm annita mcveigh. the headlines at 10.003m. a strong warning to washington's enemieses after the us drops a massive bomb on an is base in afghanistan killing dozen of militants. they will now face an american and a coalition force that's prepared to do what's necessary to do thejob. former afghan president karzai condemns the dropping of the mother of all bombs as an unhuman and brutal misuse of our country. schools in england face their worst funding cuts for 20 years, the warning from teaching unions as they meet for their annual conferences. a threat to small businesses, labour proposes new powers for the financial regulator to stop banks closing high street branches. also in the next hour, do you know who you're inviting into your home? a bbc investigation finds people's properties have been burgled by scammers using stolen accounts on airbnb. and in half an hour a special report

by vlogger katie snooks, investigating how people cope with acne in me, my spots and i. good morning and welcome to bbc news. the united states has used the largest non—nuclear bomb ever used in combat, killing at least 36 militants in afghanistan. the weapon, which is known as "the mother of all bombs," was dropped on a deep tunnel complex in eastern nangarhar province near the pakistani border. the us says the tunnels were being used by fighters aligned to the so—called islamic state group. afg hanistan‘s chief executive abdullah abdullah said the attack had been coordinated

with the kabul government. but the former afghan president hamid karzai has condemned it as "inhuman" and "brutal". this report from jane francis kelly. this is the gbu—as, also known as a moab, a massive ordnance air blast, or as it is more commonly known, the ‘mother of all bombs‘. the largest non—nuclear weapon ever deployed. the target is so—called islamic state in afghanistan. a white house spokesman outlined the action. we targeted a system of tunnels and caves that isis fighters used to move around freely, making it easier for them to target us military advisers and afghan forces in the area.

the united states takes the fight against isis seriously and nrd to defeat the group we must deny them operationally space which we did. the united states took all precautions necessary to prevent civilian casualties and collateral damage as a result of the operation. us military commanders want inler crease in troops to support afghan forces now facing both the taliban and isis. we are so proud of our military. it was another successful event. the tunnels and caves used by the taliban 15 years ago are now being used by is. this bomb was dropped on a complex tunnel network in nangarhar province, close to the pakistan border, where a member of us special forces was killed last week. but the actions brought a furious tweet from afghanistan's former president hamid karzai. this is not a war on terror but the inhumane and most brutal misuse of

oui’ inhumane and most brutal misuse of our country as a testing ground for a new and dangerous weapon.sm our country as a testing ground for a new and dangerous weapon.s it is important not only for the military to be effective, i think it's a very important signal to adversaries, whether it's esis or the taliban that they will now face an american and a coalition force that is prepared to actually do what is necessary to win and to do the job. unions representing half a million teachers say schools in england are facing the worst real term cuts for 20 years. the nut and nasuwt will discuss what they say is a crisis in funding when they meet today at their easter conferences. but the government says £40 billion is being spent on schools this year — the highest cash figure ever. our education correspondent gillian hargreaves reports. st martin's school in essex is a good school. but even here, it has become

increasingly difficult to recruit staff, particularly in specialist subjects. at one stage, they had a science teacher vacancy for more than a year. but there are also shortages in maths and modern languages. i look at the pool of people that are teaching in those areas, and the number of people that are due to retire over the next ten years, and also the number of people that are coming in that aren't actually a specialist in the subject area that they're teaching, and i think that this is really the thin end of the wedge. teachers are gathering for their conferences at a time of unprecedented anger over cuts. there have been widespread protests from parents and schools who say, without more money, class sizes will go up and teaching posts will be cut. the government points out £40 billion is being spent on schools this year, the highest cash figure ever. but teachers say that hasn't taken into account rising costs, like pay, pensions, and the running costs of schools. the funding pressure is also beginning to hit parents,

something of a concern to the unions. half of parents are saying they're making at least one financial contribution to the school's funds, in order to "enhance resources", whatever that means, at school level. and many parents are finding that even the cost of school uniform is something which they can no longer afford. there is also much disquiet about government plans to introduce a new wave of grammar schools. teachers argue money set aside for them would be better spent on existing schools. however, the government says this new wave of grammars would benefit less—well—off families. tesco has apologised for causing offence after it used good friday in an advertisement for a beer. the ad ran in some newspapers to promote "offers on beer and cider" in the run—up to easter. the supermarket said it would not run the advert again after it attracted criticism from some religious figures. a clean—up operation is under way in new zealand after a powerful

storm swept across the country. cyclone cook brought down power lines, and caused landslides and flooding. many roads were closed and hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes. a state of emergency was declared in some parts of the country's north island, while heavy rain is still affecting south island. a doctor in the united states has been charged with carrying out female genital mutilation on young girls. it's believed to be the first prosecution of its kind in the country. prosecutors in the state of michigan say the doctor, jumana nagarwala, performed the practice for 12 years on girls aged between six and eight. if found guilty, she faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. despite being outlawed in most countries, laws are poorly enforced. more than 200 million women worldwide have three million girls are subjected to what's sometimes known as "female

circumcision" every year. globally, one in three girls are married before the age of 18. a future labour government says it would bring in a law preventing banks closing high street branches. more than 1000 local branches closed in the uk between 2016 and 2017. labour says lending to small businesses decreases in areas where banks close, but the conservatives said their support for small businesses, including start—up loans, had helped 40,000 firms. with me is our political correspondent chris mason. chris, lots of banks report a real fall—off in the number of people going in to branches, so why is labour proposing this? about 3096 fall—off in the number of people going through the doors of traditional branches and doing banking the old —fashioned traditional branches and doing banking the old—fashioned way in front of another human being across a till, gone down by about a third since 2011. what labour are arguing

is that despite that, they don't dispute that figure, there is still a sizeable minority of people who are entirely reliant on the physical branch to do their financial stuff, around seven million people, 11% of the population don't do any online banking according to research. they say those people need to be looked after. they make the argument that given the banks globally make a huge amount of money, part of their roll, beyond being a commercial entity in the business of making money, should be about maintaining services as a local level for those reliant on a particular form of the service, ie a physical branch, rather than banking online. they say the financial conduct authority should be responsible for a series of checks and rigorous checks that a bank would have to go through before it was authorised to close a local branch. at the moment, there are some checks and balancings but

ultimately it's a commercial decision if they conclude it's not making money, that branch can dispeer. a commercial decision. what's the reaction, given most people would expect banks to be making this decision themselves on a purely commercial basis? yeah, and in that sense it's a big intervention in the market. labour would argue it's a justified intervention but a big intervention it is nonetheless. we have seen from the consumers' association, the statistic that you mentioned, 1,000 branches closing in the uk in pretty much the last year. the banks' argument is more people are banking online, the argument is that it's much easier than it has been in the past to do that with the rollout of broadband and tablets and all the rest of it, and, crucially, the argument is made that's not banking online should be encouraged to do so and arguably, the consequence of a local branch closing would be to give someone the incentive to master the art of online banking. i think banks will make the argument that

they are in the business of making money, that is why they exist. they acknowledge they have a societal and community function as well but they've got to make money and as more people are banking online it's inevitable there will be fewer branches around. labour will hope that in a kind of political retail sense this is something that will get people talking and something that people will care about regardless of their political view and with the local elections around the corner i suppose from their perspective that could be useful. thank you very much. a deal has been struck between the syrian government and rebel forces to evacuate 30,000 civilians from four besieged towns. residents of two government—held towns in a rebel—controlled area of aleppo province have already been pictured leaving on buses. the swap, brokered by iran and qatar, also sees people from two rebel—held towns in a regime— controlled area near damascus allowed to leave. in the last hour or so we have had

the first pictures of the operation under way. these were sent to us by and evacuee of the rebel town madaya near the capital. he also sent us his thoughts on having to leave his home. translation: in a few hours we will be leaving the blockade. we feel like migrants in our land. there are no words to describe it. you feel like you are leaving your land. we are leaving our lives, our hope, our future, our memories, our past behind. our correspondent ben james, who's in beirut in neighbouring lebanon, has been following events in syria — and hejoins me now. is this evacuation going as planned,

it's part of what is known as the four towns agreement, isn't it? that's right. the four towns, two which are government—held towns in a broadly opposition—held area, two which are opposition—held towns in an area mainly controlled by the government. it does seem like they are continuing as planned. we understand the buses are in at least three of the four towns, one remaining town, we understand the buses will be on the move tomorrow. now, critics of deals like this, and there have been others, but this is by far the biggest, say it amounts to forced displacement, displacement that has been forced through siege, through bombardment, that people would rather be staying in their own homes and for the siege to be lifted, rather than moved in an uncertain way to another part of the country that they do not know. nevertheless, this deal has gone ahead we are seeing these people on the move and there is also a sectarian dimension too that people point to, shia people being moved

out of mainly sunni areas and vice ve rsa out of mainly sunni areas and vice versa and that's a dimension people also criticise. the syrian foreign minister meeting the iranian and russian foreign minister in moscow today, what can we expect out of that? they last had that sort of three—way meeting in moscow back in october and how things have changed since then. of course they've all been bringing out their various statements, as have the americas —— americans and others since that strike on the air base. we will wait to see what investigation they might sanction into what happened in khan sheikhoun, the alleged chemical attack that president assad is quote, 100%100% attack that president assad is quote, 100% 100% fabrication, through that interview yesterday. so far based on preliminary findings,

the allegation is credible but they're the allegation is credible but they‘ re yet to the allegation is credible but they're yet to carry out a full investigation into what happened. thank the nigerian government says it is actively negotiating with boko haram to free the schoolgirls who were kidnapped in chibok. demonstrators will hold demonstrations to mark the third anniversary. the headlines on bbc news... a strong warning to washington's enemies after the us drops a massive bomb on an is base in afghanistan killing dozens of militants. schools in england face their worst funding cuts for 20 years — the warning from teaching unions as they meet for their annual conferences. labour says it would bring in a law preventing banks from closing high street branches. let's take a look at the sport.

we can go to hugh in the bbc sports centre. good morning. some news just some newsjust in in the some news just in in the last 50 minutes, former world champion jenson button will replace fernando alonso at mclaren for the monocle grand prix in may. alonso, seen on the right, will miss the race to ta ke the right, will miss the race to take part in the indianapolis 500, with full support from the team and detention partner. he is replaced by his former team—mate, mclaren's reserve driver. first practice ahead of the bahrain grand prix will get under way at 1155, you can listen on bbc radio 5 live sports extra and the bbc sport website and up. manchester united manager jose mourinho says his side can only blame themselves for a lack of goals this season. they drew 1—1 in the first leg of their europa league quarterfinal against anderlecht in belgium. henrikh mkhitaryan scored the opener. but mourinho felt it was his attacking players who not only

let his side down on the night but also the reason they haven't won more games throughout the entire campaign. we were very solid defensively. that is not just about the defenders, we were very solid defensively. that is notjust about the defenders, it is notjust about the defenders, it is about the team as a team. but then when the team is broken because we get to counterattack, we cannot lose so many balls. it is notjust about the chances we mist, we did not miss so many. —— it is notjust about the chances we missed. there are hard chances when you feel the timing is there but the decision is wrong. the iaaf president lord coe is disappointed by the lack of progress being made by russia in their anti—doping reforms. the country is currently banned from competing in international athletics after a report claimed over 1000 athletes had benefited from a state—sponsored doping programme. coe believes the russian methods are not as transparent or stringent as they could be.

i'm frustrated on behalf of the athletes. more progress should have been made. it has always been our ambition to get athletes back into international competition, separated from ia tainted system. i'm frustrated for them that more progress has not been made. luke donald is in second place at the pga tour's rbc heritage in south carolina on six under par. donald, who's down to 96th in the world rankings, had this fantastic approach from the needles as he carded five birdies, an eagle and dropped just one shot in his first round. american bud cauley leads on eight under. cycling's track world championships continues today with the women's sprint, women's omnium and men's individual pursuit, with team gb riders hoping to go one better than the silver won by elinor barker earlier this week and chris latham's bronze in the men's scratch race in hong kong. it's his first international medal as a senior rider

and he could win another. he rides in the omnium tomorrow. you can watch that action from hong kong on bbc two at 11:50am today. that is all the sport from us, we will have more in the next hour. thank you. airbnb says it will improve security after a bbc investigation found that people's homes had been burgled using stolen accounts. they hijack profiles with verified badges and changed some personal details to pull off the thefts. chris fawkes reports. like millions of people, christian had let out his home on airbnb while he was out of town, as a convenient way to make some extra money. he had done so for years without a problem. but on his birthday, his home was burgled. i got that horrible text message saying someone is in the account,

and it is not me, because my account had been compromised. obviously my birthday was over. that was my first reaction. christian thought he had let out his home to a verified profile, somebody who had verified government identification, and had positive reviews from previous bookings. but the account had been stolen. the attacker changed the name, photograph and contact details on the profile, but kept airbnb's "verified" badge. and christian is not alone. the bbc has spoken to two other people who were robbed this way, and three others who had their accounts stolen, and airbnb's facebook page has dozens of comments from people who had their accounts compromised. there are many ways attackers could have been hijacking airbnb accounts. they might be able to trick people into handing over their passwords. but there are ways airbnb could have defended against this. we put our security concerns to airbnb. google, facebook and others have

2—step verification. we put our security concerns to airbnb. the company said. those changes include two—step verification when somebody logs in from a new device, and text message alerts if somebody changes your profile information. but, for christian, the changes come too late. he says the whole experience has left him with a bad feeling, and he may not use airbnb again. the world famous las vegas strip had to be closed overnight on thursday, after a fire broke out at one of the city's biggest casinos. flames broke out near the roof of the bellagio hotel which is at the centre of las vegas boulevard. the fire was reported atjust before 11pm local time — emergency teams say they were able to bring it under control,

but the location made the operation difficult. it's not thought that anyone was injured — and the bellagio's famous water fountain show, which is staged just in front of the building, apparently continued throughout the incident. it's been almost a year since so—called legal highs were banned but recent news coverage of people openly using the synthetic drug spice in public means it's under the spotlight more than ever. now paramedics say the unpredictable effects of the substances on users is making theirjob harder and putting them at risk of assault. dan whitworth‘s report contains images of the effects of drug taking. spice was banned by the government nearly a year ago, along with other so—called legal highs, but that doesn't worry adam and derek. since the ban came in, it's easier to get ahold of, and it is cheaper as well. police in manchester say they dealt with around 60 incidents involving

the drug last weekend alone. while the college of paramedics, which represents 11,000 emergency workers across the uk, says the use of synthetic drugs is making treating people even harder. spitting, biting, punching, kicking, those things are what paramedics have to put up with. so it's important for people to realise that this substance, whatever it is you are taking, it could kill you. unfortunately that is what we are seeing, kids are dying. it is a familiar problem for people at charities like lighthouse. some of the people at this session have struggled to stop using spice. i was a heroin user, i have been clean of that for 17 years. i have been smoking spice for nine years, and it is stronger. stronger than heroin. three years ago, that is when my life started with spice. it hasjust ruined my life, basically. the government says it will publish a drug strategy shortly aimed at stopping the use of synthetic

drugs like spice, and it says anyone caught using these kinds of drugs already face up to five years in prison. if you are a dog owner you know how ha rd if you are a dog owner you know how hard it is to leave them while you head off to work. some people are asking whether it is time for people to be allowed to bring their canine companions into the office. around one in ten businesses has a dog friendly policy already. brooke, reggie, max and peggy are office buddies at nestle in gatwick. the pets at work scheme proved so popular that by the end of the year around 100 dogs passed an assessment to gain their own staff pass. i think some people did wonder how many dogs would actually come into the office and whether we would have large numbers or packs of dogs

roaming the office. the reality is on any given day we probably have between 20—25 dogs in an office of 1,000 people. and in fact it is very rare to even hear a dog bark in the office. they are there if you want to find one to pet. dog don't just relieve stress, they also help build office camaraderie. it has made me make friends. people come and talk to me. they know my dog. and it opens doors. what about the time when she needs to go to the loo? she starts to get up and paces around and looks at me. we have had the odd accident. dog daycare is £30—e40 per day. i have three of them. for me it is a big saving. have there been fallouts with other dogs? not that i have seen. they love chasing each other around the park. you hear the odd bark, that is it. so, just how easy it is it taking your pet into the workplace? i have borrowed mama to find out. this is the bbc.

come on. this is the business unit. i am going for an editorial meeting. dow jones on last night from the slide. here we go. here we are. claire, if you hear some noises it is because we have a dog in this morning's meeting. 0k. different. i am going to the studio now, down to make up. i am going to give you a little bit too. i might need to brush off a few hairs. marna remained calmly inquisitive until she saw the cleaning trolley. we have a little guest in today. marna's following me around. she is scared. next, the bbc studio, we meet debra conolly, a dog specialist. you are gorgeous indeed. every office is different. some are quiet, some have the public in and out. you need to be sure your dog has the right temperament and recognise the signs your dog might be struggling. and make sure the other people in the office are checked out to be

sure they are not afraid or allergic and take a bag of goodies for your dog to be entertained. interview over, it is lunchtime, and marna can spend it with me. and after her performance in the editorial meeting, i think she deserves a treat, don't you, marna? come on. she definitely deserved a treat. well done! hull is taking centre stage this year as it hosts a series of arts events as the uk city of culture. just four months in to 2017, and people have already been flooding in to see what the city has to offer. our arts correspondent colin paterson is there for us this morning to see some of the sights. the place would have smelt of carpet, overalls and the makeshift fire. hull, city of culture, were even taxis are being turned into theatres. and he'd raise us up by pumping a handle up and down. for the next three months, wayne jackson is performing his show, now then, about people's memories of hull to an audience of six in the back of his father's cab.

it's quite close. and the show is only 20 minutes, so i'm doing it, kind of, eight times a day. so, it's demanding and challenging. and his dad is loving it. it's absolutely brilliant. it's combining my son's work and mine. we've always been so proud of him. had you ever done anything arty before? nothing at all, whatsoever. and venues have been popping up all over the city. this week's big opening, flood, a state—of—the—nation parable, is performed on a floating stage right in the middle of a residential area. these people in their flats have been looking down upon us for six weeks. we've been chatting to them, we've been to local primary schools, to say hello, to teach them a song that in the play. we have a little boy called jim, who comes by every day on his way back from school and says, "what are you doing?" and at that very moment, who should arrive butjim for his daily inspection? proudly sharing the title the crew

have bestowed upon him. executive producer. excellent, that's a great title. it's a small example of how people of all ages have been getting involved since hull's year in the spotlight began onjanuary 1st with a musical firework display. other highlights so far have included the visit of enormous sculpture, the blade and the humber bridge being given a musical accompaniment by opera north. it's just been a magical start to the year. we've seen hundreds of thousands of residents getting involved, but also, people coming from all over to experience hull for the first time. and those who have lived in hull all their lives have noticed a difference. it'sjust framed everything up, everything up, it's lovely. it's a pleasure, actually, to walk around town. and there's still eight and a half months to go. the organisers of the eurovision song contest say russia will not be

participating in this year's competition, after the country's tv station channel one said it wouldn't broadcast the show next month. it follows a dispute over russia's contestant. julia samoilova — who is banned from ukraine, which is hosting this year's event. the ukrainian authorities say the singer will be prevented from entering the country because she performed in crimea two years ago — after russia's annexation of the peninsula from ukraine in 2014. for 200 years, a team at the armagh observatory have taken manual weather readings on the temperature, wind, and rainfall every day, by hand. but that may all be about to change. the observatory, who are thought to have the longest record of manual weather readings, now say they're looking at moving to an automated system. our weather presenter nick miller has been to armagh