and around the world. the international community expresses horror at the killing of dozens of protestors by the security forces in myanmar. and what was the deadliest days for the military coup. the us and the un has condemned the violence is horrifying and violence is fierce fighting is reported in northern unacceptable. mozambique between islamists and government forces near giant gas projects in the north of the country. the french news agency quotes news sources and saying she had a and sees the town of palma. the french energy group has now suspended plans to resume work at its nearby facility. resume work at its nearby facility. a huge container ship remains stuck in the suez canal despite hopes that it would be dislodged by the high tide. local authorities are hopeful that it could be afloat before monday.

the first minister of scotland has said there had questions over her predecessor to return to public office. mr samet launched a public party lot three not called alba it will contest the scottish parliamentary in may. he has left the s&p to join the alba party. our scotland correspondent has the details. nicola sturgeon wanted to focus on the snp zone election campaign today. but instead she's been facing questions about another parties campaign. the new party led by her former friend and mentor alex salmond. sturgeon questions both the motivation and suitability to return to public life. it’s motivation and suitability to return to public life.- return to public life. it's not an opportunity _ return to public life. it's not an opportunity to _ return to public life. it's not an opportunity to gamble i return to public life. it's not i an opportunity to gamble with the future of the country. i've known him well in years gone by alex salmond is a gambler it's what he enjoys doing for the top of this is not the time to gamble the future of the country. this is the time to make a

serious choice. strong experience leadership and policy programme and a chance to choose independence. the alba party- — to choose independence. the alba party- mr _ to choose independence. the alba party. mr samet unveiled the new party yesterday. he says he wants to create a so—called super majority at holyrood for independence. he got a boost today when a prominent member of the snp defected. mccaskill was the scottish justice defected. mccaskill was the scottishjustice secretary defected. mccaskill was the scottish justice secretary and is now a west minister mp. this is now a west minister mp. this is 'ust is now a west minister mp. this isiust the _ is now a west minister mp. this is just the alex _ is now a west minister mp. this is just the alex salmond party or even— is just the alex salmond party or even the alexander cameron mccaskill— or even the alexander cameron mccaskill party for at the party— mccaskill party for at the party for those who support the cause _ party for those who support the cause of— party for those who support the cause of independence and who want _ cause of independence and who want to— cause of independence and who want to make sure that we grasp that nettle which is badly required because of the risks and challenges that we face. the scottish election is still six weeks away and it's hard to predict how much support mr samet to new party may attract. at the battle between the snp and his party it may well become the defining theme of this campaign. jamie mciver bbc news glasco. now on bbc news, talking movies reports on the forthcoming oscars

ceremony which because of the pandemic will be radically different from anything that's come before. hello from new york. i'm tom brook and welcome to our talking movies oscars look ahead special. so, the oscars are on course to take place at an in—person physical event in los angeles on april 25. the organisers have mandated that it will be no zoom event. presenters, nominees and guests will be required to be in attendance at the ceremony. so here's what we know about hollywood's biggest night of the year so far. the first big change is that it will take place at two locations — at the oscars' traditional home

at the dolby theatre on hollywood boulevard, and for the first time, at la's spacious union station, which can meet social distancing requirements. obviously we need people who are socially distant, but you also have to do it in a way that is visually exciting, that feels like a big event. union station in los angeles, which opened in 1939, is an architectural wonder to many. it has a long connection with cinema. it has served as the backdrop to numerous pictures. sequences were shot there for the 2012 picture the dark knight rises, and the station's custodians view it in the most magnificent of terms, definitely fit for an oscars ceremony. people have said that union station, particularly was the most beautiful building. was the most beautiful building. the interiors, was the most beautiful building of any in los angeles. and i think we are going to be able to prove that when the academy awards are presented here.

exact arrangements for the red carpet are still being worked out. only nominees, their guests and presenters will be invited. dress code recommendations ask for outfits that are inspirational and aspirational, whatever that means. nominees will not be permitted to take part in the ceremony via zoom. they went so far as to say that if travel or other circumstances prevent you from coming, we will not allow zooms. that is pretty radical to say — "if you cannot be here, you will not be part of the show." so if they get a lot of turn—downs, they may have to alter that. because this is an oscars ceremony taking place during a pandemic, it is being organised as if it was a movie set, with an onset covid team. awards show audiences have been crumbling —

the golden globes were down 60% and the grammys netted its lowest audience ever, as did the oscars last year. the academy awards needs to demonstrate its cultural relevance. on april 25th, it has to bring in big audience. it is incredibly important right now for the oscars to find some way to be relevant and do it in the most public way possible, which is through this telecast, because the academy is supposed to support the art of film—making and the industry of hollywood and the rest of the world in a way that is dazzling and sends a very powerful message about its resilience. so now, more than ever before, it does need to be successful and networks are doubly hoping that will translate to great tv as well. and union station won't close down during the oscars, so you might find train whistles drown out acceptance speeches.

movies stars are important, trains must keep running. the oscar nominations are behind us. the announcement brought one or two surprises, but more than anything else, it gave us reassurance that the academy, with membership long dominated by older white men, was somewhat in touch with the wider culture. the academy has been trying to diversify its membership to be more inclusive. emma jones reports on the progress being made. what are you going to do? i don't know. it is a year of firsts. it is the first time in 93 years that two women are nominated in the main directing category — chloe zhao for nomadland, and emrald fennell for promising young woman. steven yeun in minari is the first asian american man to be given a nod for best actor. while british actor riz ahmed, also in the running

for best actor for his role in sound of metal, is the first muslim man in that category. you must have breathed a huge sigh of relief at the nominations. you got that right! i was like, "ok, all right. "it's not perfect, but, woo! "we are heading in the right direction." it is great to have so many firsts, but what took so long? see, it is a great day to celebrate, but at the same time, i'm like, we cannot be proud of this moment that has taken this long to happen. yes, we should say, great, but we should say, mm—mm, a long way to go. perhaps the biggest change is that nothing feels predictable. promising young woman, a wickedly clever tale about a woman taking revenge on predatory men, is emerald fennell�*s first feature film. another woman, british—palestinian director farah nabulsi, has an oscar nomination for herfirst everfilm, the present, a short movie about crossing

checkpoints on the west bank. i'm100% arab, i'm muslim, you know, and i am telling a story about a very underrepresented group. it is not perfect, but i think i am a testament to the system working in the right direction. these nominations are the fruit of the academy's new diverse intake of members to challenge the "oscars so white" criticism. of its 819 new members, nearly half are women and a third are from underrepresented ethnic communities. we don't belong here. nigerian—born british actress wunmi mosaku is nominated for a best actress bafta for her role in british refugee horrorfilm, his house, and is also a voting member of the academy. having that membership, that invite was quite extraordinary because i was like, i now get a say

in my industry, too. but it does not mean the academy is full when it comes to black narratives, only shaka king'sjudas and the black messiah, a biopic about black panther fred hampton, makes the best picture list. you can't murder freedom! viola davis has herfourth oscar nomination for ma rainey�*s black bottom, chadwick boseman has a posthumous nomination, but the film isn't noticed in the direction, screenplay or best picture section. one night in miami, made by regina king, delivers a supporter actor nomination for leslie odom jr, playing sam cooke, but nothing for direction. what will help get a wider selection of film notice for the narratives? it is just important people watch the films because you will find gems.

and instead ofjust watching the people that you know, and the directors you know and trust, instead of just watching that, you know, watching it all. it is significant that mank by david fincher, an old—fashioned story about hollywood, the type of film the academy has loved, still has the most nominations. but what's clear now is that in the search for gender and racial inequality, wider society will not put up with perceived injustice and hollywood has to follow. another round, a danish picture that can be loosely described as a drinking drama, has earned two nominations, won for best international feature film and another for its director, thomas vinterberg. he recently sat stand me to discuss the film and his work.

in another round, four danish high school teachers embark on an experiment apparently based on the observations of a norwegian philosopher who made the claim that humans are born with a small alcohol deficiency and that lives will be improved if they increase their consumption. the film is not so much a celebration of drinking, but more a portrait of sad, less than fulfil middle—age men stuck in a rut. history teacher martin, portrayed by mads mikkelsen, is the central character and at first, increased alcohol brings improvements — exhilaration and exuberance. i looked at world history and acknowledged and enjoyed the fact that a huge amount of great accomplishments had been done by people who are drunk. liquor can both elevate people, elevate situations, but also kills people and destroys

families at the same time. so we decided to examine, make a survey, both ends of the world of drinking, basically. the success of another round rests on its performances. mads mikkelsen shines as the teacher martin. he is one of denmark's best—known actors, having played various roles such as hannibal and portraying the villain in the bond movie casino royale. mads mikkelsen is exceptional. end of story. but i find that he, this performance and this character, he is extremely honest, vulnerable, and capable of so many different things. i am asking him to be very emotional in a super refined way, and yet still be funny and yet still be drunk, which is quite difficult.

and the dance, of course. to me, that dance sequence at the end of the film is one of the best moments of cinema in the past year. mads mikkelsen has a background as a gymnast and dancer, and it shows. another round is a really engaging movie that has been picking up all kinds of awards, but its production was tinged with sadness. the director's teenage daughter aida died in a traffic accident four days after shooting began. he'll be thinking of that loss should he win on oscars night. i feel it is honouring her memory and i guess an oscar would be an ultimate... ..ultimate situation, ultimate honour of her memory. and thomas vinterberg may have a good night at the oscars.

although he is not expected to prevail in the best director category, his picture is viewed as the frontrunner for best international feature. struggles, the different kind ofjustice and stories that resonate in these pandemic times are among the themes that can be found in the five films competing for best documentary feature at the oscars. triston daley has been exploring what these films, all very strong, have to offer. collective follows team ofjournalists investigating the deaths of people who were trapped in a bucharest nightclub that caught fire. dozens more people died while being treated in hospitals, but not as a direct result of the incident, and journalists are tipped off to corruption in romania's

health care system. director alexander nanau followed the events with his camera. a doctor came to this sports journalist to blow the whistle about the fact, the truth of why burns victims are dying in romanian hospitals. and she revealed to them that is was due to hospital infections and they took this lead and found that a company that is doing business since ten years in all public hospitals in romania selling diluted disinfectants to hospitals, but was known by the secret service. it was really corruption at a highest level of politics. the film is tightly edited, an investigative thriller rooted in experiences of real people. collective is not only up for best documentary, but best international film. another nominated documentary called crip camp: a disability

revolution focuses on a summer camp in upstate new york catering specifically to disabled teens in the 1970s. we decided that we were gonna sit down in the street and stop traffic. it shows how that experience had a positive experience on their lives and how the sense of community lead some camp—goers to become involved with the american disability rights movement, a social movement of activitists fighting for equal rights for disabled people. time is another documentary nominated in this category and it follows fox rich, a woman who'd been fighting for more than 20 years to commute her husband's 60 year sentence for a robbery they committed together. she served her time for the crime, but she and her community felt her husband's sentencing was too harsh for a first offender. audiences get a window into her decades—long fight to free him through her eyes. garrett bradley shot the film and gathered 100 hours of footage shot by fox rich herself, and made it into this powerful testimony of a family fighting to be reunited against an unforgiving justice system.

my twins will be 18 next month and they have no idea what it means to have a father in their house. while the film deals with intimate details of the effects of mass incarceration on people, the director feels it is more of a story about love — a woman's love for her husband and herfamily. viewers can find another love story in the oscar—nominated my octopus teacher, but not one like you might expect. it is the story of craig foster, a man who comes across a fascinating creature that captured his imagination and that creature is an octopus. it is about how he kind of dedicates the next year of his life to learning as much as he can about her. after experiencing burn—out from working on nature documentaries, craig foster embarks on the healing journey and dives into waters off the coast of south africa every day for a year to get to know and film this octopus.

he even captures some dangerous encounters it has with its predators. while the film has an obvious nature documentary about it, james reid, the film's co—director believes the release of the movie in 2020 appealed to viewers in lockdown on a more personal level. craig was having some mild mental health problems, the personal relationships in his life were not going the way that he wanted them to. i think that we are all honest about lockdown and, you know, that all relationships were put under strain. so there was something that brought you into his personal story. the last feature length documentary nominated was the mole agent, which had its own unique appeal to people quarantining during the pandemic. the mole agent follows sergio, an elderly men in chile, who has been hired by a private detective to plant himself among women

living in a nursing home. the detective's client is suspicious that her mother is being abused by the staff and it is sergio's job to find evidence. while investigating, he and, in turn, the audience get to know women who stay at the nursing home. what emerges is a bittersweet story about the loneliness felt by elderly people and the importance of personal connections. no matter who wins the oscar for best documentary, viewers have a rich selection of films to choose from among this year's competitors. at the oscars, nothing is certain, but many odds—makers predict that the late, great chadwick boseman will be rewarded with a best actor trophy for his portrayal of a troubled trumpet player in the movie ma rainey�*s black bottom. many people think his performance was the best of his sadly short career. boseman died last august, at the age of 43, from colon cancer. dr chadwick boseman. ..

chadwick boseman had a special message for the graduating class of 2018 at his alma mater howard university. whatever you choose for a career path, remember, the struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose. boseman�*s words now take on deeper meaning, knowing he was battling late—stage cancer. but long before that struggle, he was committed to his purpose as an artist. his friend and college classmate camilla forbes remembers him being deeply immersed in every art form. he was a consummate craftsman. i think chad was very intentional. he was extremely intentional with everything that he did and every decision that he made. his craftsmanship was on masterful display in his final performance as levy in ma rainey�*s black bottom. based on one of ten players by acclaimed playwright

august wilson chronicling the black experience, the character was the kind of complex character boseman was known to play. you add in the underlying nuances that were happening personally in his own life, then your result is just something that is nearly undeniable in terms of his gift to cinema. at the apollo theatre here in the historically black neighbourhood of harlem has showcased supported black performers for decades. so, naturally, when black panther, the blockbuster superhero film was released, camilla forbes invited her friend chadwick to discuss the film. nearly 2000 people showed up to cheer him and his costars on/ but it was one special moment with a little boy which spoke to boseman was as a person and artist. when he did walk out on stage, it was a little boy you could tell was there to see him. he came in his full black panther costume.

and chad called him to the front and was like, "all right. " he had the power to quiet everybody down, because he was like, "i've got to be with this little boy and talk to this little boy." and he walked up and he talked and he signed his little costume. that was him. what was important was a private moment to share with that little boy. that was chad. his co—star viola davis saw the same quality in him, that he was not driven by ego. he was a character actor trapped in a leading man's body. he wasn't interested in chadwick, he wasn't intereted in being the sexy lead of a movie. he was interested in the transformational value of the business. it may be one of the no—brainers on oscar night that he will be winning an academy award. i think this would

have been happening anyway if he was here. and i think it is always important to put it into context — his performance is that good. i have to prepare myself, because i will cry. his wife will speak about him and that will destroy anyone anytime. in that case, we may all need to get our tissues ready. but win or lose, what is clear to the people who knew him best is that chadwick boseman reached his pinnacle because of his deep commitment to fulfilling his purpose. i'll always remember him as someone who lived every moment, every beat with purpose and meaning. always with purpose and meaning. well, that brings our programme to a close. we hope you've enjoyed the show. please remember, you can always reach us online and you can find us on facebook and twitter. so, to keep you thinking about the oscars until we return with our eve of ceremony

programme, we will leave you with a very beautiful oscar—nominated song speak now from the movie one night in miami performed by leslie odom jr. # listen, listen # while the storm in your heart is raging # listen, listen, listen listen, listen # to the echoes of martyrs praying # listen, listen, listen # listen # brothers and sisters # listen, listen, listen # i swear we'll never find a way to where we're going...# hello there.

as the clocks spring forward the temperatures spring upwards. some warm weather on the way for the next few days although if you're in the northwest of scotland prepare for some heavy and persistent rain which could cause some localised flooding. the rain has already arrived. a band of rain to start sunday across parts of northern england, wales and northern ireland and that will be working north in the day. so across scotland sunshine and showers will be replaced by especially heavy across high ground in the west. some brightness for northeast scotland. further south and east will see a little bit brightness, the cloud should break up across some parts of eastern england. it will be windy with gusts of a0 to 50 mph may be a little stronger in places but mild even warm in places with temperatures may be up to 16 degrees across parts of york shire and lincolnshire. as we head through sunday evening we will see further rain up towards the northwest. remember the sunset

will be later. maybe eight o'clock across parts of northern ireland. 7:47 in the evening in west cornwall. as we head through sunday night we will see further outbreaks of rain but coming focused across those western part for the that's what we could see flooding. an exceptionally mild night and particularly across the central swathe. temperatures for some staying in double digits. into monday wriggling frontal system will continue to bring rain up towards the north but to the south of that weather front where we will be importing some very warm air for the time of year. monday looks like this, cloud and rain through northern ireland yes but most especially across western scotland for the eastern scotland seeningsome brightness and for england and wales to be some spells of sunshine, cloud breaking up and if you do see sunny skies temperatures could get to 19 maybe 20 even 21 degrees. but those temperatures have further to climb through tuesday yes rain will still be plaguing northwest scotland over the next few days we could see over 200 mm of rain. further south with the sunshine

tuesday is when temperatures could get up to 23 degrees. but don't get too used to it. from mid week onwards this frontal system will push southwards opening the door to some colder air to question from the north in time for the end of the week. look at london for example, 23 on tuesdayjust ten degrees for good friday.

welcome to bbc news — i'm lewis vaughanjones. our top stories. the international community expresses horror at the killing of dozens of protestors by security forces in myanmar. fierce fighting is reported in northern mozambique between islamists and government forces near giant gas projects in the north of the country. thousands of women protest in turkey against president erdogan�*s decision to withdraw from a treaty on preventing gender—based violence. a huge container ship remains stuck in the suez canal despite hopes that it would be dislodged by the high tide.