this is bbc news, i'm tim willcox. the headlines at 8pm... borisjohnson urges russia to step back and engage in diplomacy as he flies to ukraine. he warned there'd be consequences for russia if any soldiers cross the border. we are also preparing a package of sanctions and other measures to be enacted at the moment the first russian toecap crosses further into ukrainian territory. manchester united footballer mason greenwood has been further arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and threats to kill. the police officers at london's charing cross accused of bullying, misogyny, discrimination and sexual harassment. britain's looming energy bill crisis we explain why bills

are about to rise so steeply. and a multimillion pound deal for the man who invented wordle for his girlfriend during lockdown as it's sold to the new york times. good evening and welcome to bbc news. borisjohnson has called on russia to step back and choose the path of diplomacy, amid continuing concerns over a possible russian invasion of ukraine. he was speaking on a visit to ukraine this afternoon. he warned that a russian invasion of ukraine would lead to a military and humanitarian disaster. the uk is offering nearly 90 million pounds in aid to help ukraine tackle corruption and reduce its reliance

on russian energy. moscow has repeatedly denied planning to attack ukraine, but has deployed an estimated 100,000 troops near the border, angry that a country once part of the soviet union, is now seeking closer ties with nato a military alliance dominated by the us, but with most members in europe. 0ur diplomatic correspondent, james landale, sent this report from kyiv. for borisjohnson today, a change of subject, a change of place. he arrived in ukraine to make a show of support for a country facing the threat of invasion, a country where political survival has a more existential meaning. he held talks with ukraine's president about the stand—off with russia and discussed what more support britain could give. he also promised £88 million to help ukraine tackle corruption and reduce its reliance on russian energy.

alongside other countries, we are also preparing a package of sanctions and other measures to be enacted the moment the first russian toecap crosses further into ukrainian territory. the uk has been one of ukraine's most vocal supporters, sending 2,000 anti—tank weapons and british troops to train ukrainian forces how to use them — something not all european countries have been willing to do. but this is what is facing them just over the border, the continuing build—up of russian forces that the prime minister said showed no sign of de—escalating, forces that russia insists are training and pose no threat. britain's political and military support has been welcomed in ukraine. recently, "god save the queen" was trending on social media here, and in some bars, britons could get free drinks, but that welcome has been tempered by a desire for western leaders

like borisjohnson to calm some of the rhetoric and talk of war to avoid escalating tensions and damaging the economy. 0ne european leader — the hungarian prime minister, viktor 0rban — chose to visit moscow to visit president putin. the russian leader says his security interests were not being addressed. translation: we're carefully analysing the responses - from the us and nato, but it is already clear that the fundamental russian concerns have been ignored. but the russian president did not speak to borisjohnson. a planned call on monday didn't happen because the prime minister was speaking to mps about parties. the call might happen tomorrow. why should the international community take your diplomacy seriously when you're so preoccupied at home, when you put talking to mps ahead of talking to president putin? i think there's a great deal of concern in our country about what we're seeing on the border with ukraine and it's

absolutely vital that the uk government should step up now, bring together our friends and partners in the west in the way that we are. this memorial in kyiv records the 13,000 people who have died in fighting between government forces and russian—backed separatists since 2014. what ukraine needs is security, notjust visiting foreign leaders. james landale, bbc news, kyiv. well, we can speak now to lord darroch, a cross bench peer, who is a former national security adviser to the uk government and british ambassador to washington. he joins us live from falmouth. thank you forjoining us today. given the divisions in europe over this crisis, was borisjohnson right to use the language that he did today, and indeed to have postponed that call with president putin in advance? 1 that call with president putin in advance? ~ . that call with president putin in advance? ~' ., ., , advance? i think if we want to be seen as serious _

advance? i think if we want to be seen as serious players - advance? i think if we want to be seen as serious players on - advance? i think if we want to be seen as serious players on an - seen as serious players on an international scene, we have to be involved in trying to resolve and calm down this crisis. i think it's right for the prime minister, a show of support. it's a pity that the phone call was postponed yesterday. it's not a good look when that's postponed because they have to explain themselves in parliament, it would've been many ways been better to talk to putin before seeing the ukrainian president rather than afterwards, but not too much has been lost. 50 afterwards, but not too much has been lost. ., , . afterwards, but not too much has beenlost. ., , . ., been lost. so domestic politics did overtake the _ been lost. so domestic politics did overtake the diplomatic— been lost. so domestic politics did overtake the diplomatic push. - been lost. so domestic politics did overtake the diplomatic push. i . been lost. so domestic politics did | overtake the diplomatic push. ijust wondered also how provocative it was that today's meeting was really part of an alliance with poland, britain and ukraine, poland and britain both are nato members. does that suggest provocatively that that door is still very much open for ukraine and perhaps imminently? fine still very much open for ukraine and perhaps imminently?—

perhaps imminently? one of the messaues perhaps imminently? one of the messages i _ perhaps imminently? one of the messages i think _ perhaps imminently? one of the messages i think of _ perhaps imminently? one of the messages i think of the - perhaps imminently? one of the l messages i think of the americans has been given to russia to putin and his officials is that although there is no question of russia having a veto on ukrainian membership at nato, it's not actually likely to be a reality for several years if not more. ukraine simply isn't ready to join. so several years if not more. ukraine simply isn't ready tojoin. so in terms of offering any comfort at all, that's about as much as one can say. i don't know how much putin honestly will read into britain, poland, ukraine. ithink honestly will read into britain, poland, ukraine. i think his eyes will mostly be in washington, what washington thinks about this, but it's not more at one can offer than that other than that negotiations on arms control in europe. it that other than that negotiations on arms control in europe.— arms control in europe. it was georae arms control in europe. it was george w- _ arms control in europe. it was george w. bush _ arms control in europe. it was george w. bush back - arms control in europe. it was george w. bush back and - arms control in europe. it was i george w. bush back and 2008, arms control in europe. it was - george w. bush back and 2008, i george w. bush back and 2008, i think of offered ukraine and georgia

swift access and membership of nato. that something that's always stuck in prudent �*s craw. how great is he to feel intimidated by having western forces, nato forces on russia's border, or is it more than threat democratically elected democracies on russia's border which is the issue here? i democracies on russia's border which is the issue here?— is the issue here? i think putin is reuted is the issue here? i think putin is reputed to _ is the issue here? i think putin is reputed to believe _ is the issue here? i think putin is reputed to believe the _ is the issue here? i think putin is reputed to believe the collapse l is the issue here? i think putin is| reputed to believe the collapse of the soviet union was a terrible day for russia, but it actually was a terrible day for the world. a lot of us would disagree with that. and it's been a long—term ambition, i think, for him to be a network of client states around russia's borders. there's always been historically a russian fear of encirclement. sadly, the world does not work in spheres of influence any more. and of central european and eastern european countries want to join nato or want tojoin

eastern european countries want to join nato or want to join the eastern european countries want to join nato or want tojoin the eu, they cannot be stopped from doing that. they can be no veto on that. it doesn't mean we talk to putin about future agreements on arms control in europe whether missiles are conventional forces, but that's about as far as we can go and it would mean concessions on the russian side as well as on the western side. is russian side as well as on the western side.— russian side as well as on the western side. , ., , ., ., western side. is that your view that putin and russia _ western side. is that your view that putin and russia could _ western side. is that your view that putin and russia could move - western side. is that your view that i putin and russia could move across the border and suffer the consequences that the world, well, more or less unanimously, has said they would suffer?— they would suffer? look, i think it is clearly a — they would suffer? look, i think it is clearly a possibility. _ they would suffer? look, i think it is clearly a possibility. maybe - they would suffer? look, i think it. is clearly a possibility. maybe more than that. maybe some would say a probability. he's not getting offers out of nato, i was of the united states that come anywhere near the objectives that he sent. i do think it would be an extraordinarily risky move for him. i think militarily, russian forces, the numbers they've

assembled, given the comparative weakness of ukraine's forces by comparison, russia would score a military victory, but what do you do after that? are they really contemplating occupying ukraine indefinitely, which would take vast resources, involve lots and lots of potential russian casualty stretching into the future. so it's quite hard for me to see just what put in�*s exit plan here is. find put in's exit plan here is. and civen put in's exit plan here is. and given that — put in's exit plan here is. and given that it _ put in's exit plan here is. and given that it would _ put in's exit plan here is. and given that it would involve casualties on all side and possibly draw other countries into a european war which is what borisjohnson was talking about today, how does the west find some sort of graceful way of talking putin down from doing that? this of talking putin down from doing that? �* , �* of talking putin down from doing that?�* �*, ., ., that? as i've said, there's not a great deal _ that? as i've said, there's not a great deal you _ that? as i've said, there's not a great deal you can _ that? as i've said, there's not a great deal you can offer - that? as i've said, there's not a great deal you can offer him - that? as i've said, there's not a - great deal you can offer him against the demands he has made. what you can say dennis, look, ukraine cannot be denied nato membership eventually, if that is their choice, but they are not ready for it and

won't be ready for perhaps several many more years. and you can say to him, we have had agreements with you in the past that have affected military forces in europe, whether conventional missiles, remember the inf agreement and the 80s such actually only expired a couple of years ago. we can negotiate those again and that will make all of us safer, but no russian veto is over whether the sovereignty of central or eastern year and come dashed eastern european country.- or eastern year and come dashed eastern european country. thank you ve much eastern european country. thank you very much indeed _ eastern european country. thank you very much indeed for— eastern european country. thank you very much indeed for speaking - eastern european country. thank you very much indeed for speaking to - eastern european country. thank you very much indeed for speaking to us | very much indeed for speaking to us this evening. and we'll find out how this story and many others are covered in tomorrow's front pages at 10:30 and 11:30 this evening in the papers our guestsjoining me tonight are penny smith and martin, home affairs editor of the evening standard. prime minister may be in ukraine —— well the prime minister may be

in ukraine, but as the fallout from sue gray's initialfindings into lockdown parties in downing street continues, borisjohnson has insisted his focus is entirely on delivering on the priorities of the british people. the deputy prime minister, dominic raab, says conservative mps still "overwhelmingly" support borisjohnson, despite sue gray concluding there'd been a "failure of leadership". here's our political correspondent, chris mason. after a mauling from mps in public and pleading with his backbenchers in private yesterday, fleeing abroad — even to a potential war zone — must have felt like a relief for the prime minister today. but 1,500 miles and a few hours later, the questions he faces at home had followed him to ukraine. he didn't want to say much about them. my focus is entirely on delivering on the priorities of the british people, and they include ensuring that we are secure in our relations with our friends and allies and that our friends and allies are secure. back here in westminster, conversation is still reflecting

on the report that said there was rule—breaking at the top of government. not only did the prime minister and others break the rules, but they've taken the country for fools by insulting our intelligence in the cover—up that's gone on since. borisjohnson�*s promised a shake—up in how downing street works... are you sticking around, chief whip? ..which means questions for the man in charge of persuading conservative mps to back the prime minister... are you making a run for it? ..and ones with the prime minister's chief of staff, too. down the road in parliament, one of mrjohnson�*s most loyal allies insisted... we're moving on with delivering with the british people. we're implementing the manifesto in which he got an intensely personal mandate in 2019. but others have had enough. people want honesty! yeah, iagree. this conservative backbencher congratulated by a passer—by for talking candidly about his grandma's funeral.

i didn't hug my siblings, i didn't hug my parents. i gave a eulogy, and then afterwards i didn't go into her house for a cup of tea. does the prime minister think i'm a fool? i feel this is tarnishing us all, and the longer it goes on, the more damage it does the conservative party as a whole. that means finding another leader? it may well do. i've had hundreds of people in my inbox overnight, and they don't feel that they can vote for this government as it stands. the prime minister has survived for now, but there are two big questions — for how long and can he recover? even some of borisjohnson�*s biggest supporters acknowledge privately he has been damaged by this, perhaps irreversibly changing some people's perceptions of him. and this is farfrom over. with a police investigation ongoing, there is still the prospect the prime minister could be found to have broken the law. chris mason, bbc news, at westminster.

to consider than he has admitted today he has submitted a letter calling for a vote of no—confidence in the prime minister. he spoke to the bbc to explain his decision this evening. it’s the bbc to explain his decision this evenina. v . , the bbc to explain his decision this evenin. �*, ., , , ., ., evening. it's a big distraction from a whole number _ evening. it's a big distraction from a whole number of _ evening. it's a big distraction from a whole number of issues - evening. it's a big distraction from a whole number of issues and - a whole number of issues and challenges that government has got to address both on a global stage andindeed to address both on a global stage and indeed on a domestic stage. i just don't think this can come on. so after a lot of soul—searching and a heavy heart, what i have done is, and i have never done this before. i have submitted a letter to the 1922 committee to the chairman, basically asking for a vote of no—confidence in the prime minister. i don't like doing this, but ijust feel that there no alternative. 0ur political correspondent ben wright is in westminster. what is happening? we have had that call for resignation and another mp

standing down. not quite calling for the prime minister to go, but getting pretty close.— the prime minister to go, but getting pretty close. that's right. there is clearly _ getting pretty close. that's right. there is clearly movement - getting pretty close. that's right. there is clearly movement within j getting pretty close. that's right. - there is clearly movement within the conservative party, but it is quite slow at the moment in terms of, you know, discontent towards boris johnson turning into potential mutiny. peterwho johnson turning into potential mutiny. peter who wejust johnson turning into potential mutiny. peter who we just heard from there, i think now becomes the ninth tory mp to have publicly declared that he has sent a letter to the chair of the 1922 committee, that shop steward for conservative mps, he gathers these letters, and if the pile hits 5a, 15% of the tory party, that triggers a confidence vote in borisjohnson, which he would have to win by more than 50% to stay in office, which is why there is loads office, which is why there is loads of speculation at the moment about who may or may not be sending letters and and how close we might be to that tipping point. sir charles walker, i talked to him as well, he is standing down because he

just cannot face any more of the pantomime, i think is the word he used about it. what about the johnsonian loyalists? how much have day galvanised support at the moment? ~ , ., ., ~ ., moment? well, they are working hard behind the scenes _ moment? well, they are working hard behind the scenes supplementing - moment? well, they are working hard behind the scenes supplementing the | behind the scenes supplementing the efforts by the government went, the traditional and forces of party discipline around westminster. boris johnson has deployed a team of long—standing loyalists who've been with him as he's risen up the parliamentary ranks and have fanned out across the houses of parliament in the last couple of weeks to try to short borisjohnson. there are signs that that effort has paid off. some of the most friended speculation that we could be on the cusp of a confidence vote ten days orso cusp of a confidence vote ten days or so ago, that has dissipated, despite what most tory mps would acknowledge was a pretty poor performance by borisjohnson in the house of commons yesterday when we got the initial findings house of commons yesterday when we got the initialfindings produced by sue, the civil servant who has been

investigating — sue, the civil servant who has been investigating this— sue, the civil servant who has been investigating this whole _ sue, the civil servant who has been investigating this whole party- sue, the civil servant who has been investigating this whole party sagal investigating this whole party saga will stop— investigating this whole party saga will stop she — investigating this whole party saga will stop she made _ investigating this whole party saga will stop she made some - investigating this whole party saga will stop she made some very- investigating this whole party saga . will stop she made some very robust observations— will stop she made some very robust observations about _ will stop she made some very robust observations about the _ will stop she made some very robust observations about the culture - will stop she made some very robust observations about the culture in - observations about the culture in downing — observations about the culture in downing street, _ observations about the culture in downing street, she _ observations about the culture in downing street, she was- observations about the culture in downing street, she was clear. observations about the culture in downing street, she was clear that rules had been _ downing street, she was clear that rules had been broken. _ downing street, she was clear that rules had been broken. the - rules had been broken. the investigation sits at the police, and they will decide in the coming weeks, possibly months, but that the law was broken or whether penalty notices, fines should be handed out to people in number ten potentially including the prime minister. i think that gives or is something of a rep read for now, and i think tory mps are waiting to see but that police does, to see what happens in the big set of local elections coming up in may before deciding whether or not to pull the trigger, because it is a huge thing for a tory mp to do, certainly to say publicly that they do not feel that there prime minister is up to the job and should resign, but there are increasing numbers of tories willing to do that. , to do that. ok, with the very latest, thank _ to do that. ok, with the very latest, thank you _ very much indeed. what's happening in the world of sports, let's go over to mark. that evening, tim.

more bad news for england ahead of their six nations opener against scotland on saturday — forwards courtney lawes and jonny hill have been ruled out flanker lawes is recovering from concussion, while lock hill has a foot injury. lawes' absence adds to england's leadership problems with regular captain 0wen farrell out for the championship. but propjoe marler will be available — he's returned to training following covid—19 isolation. a bit of good news though,... it's a busy night in the scottish premiership tonight. with top two rangers and celtic meeting on wednesday, the focus at the top is third—placed hearts' visit to neighbours hibs, who are two spots behind. so around half an hour played. still 0-0, still 0—0, meanwhile, saintjohnston are a bowl up at livingston, callan hendry heading home from 12 yards out, that one coming after ten

minutes. and two games in the championship, millwallv preston north endswansea city v luton town both are goalless. i still have confirmed that their captain has left the club by mutual agreement. he's been pictured training with barcelona today, though the club has not officially announced his signing. he hasn't played for arsenal since a disciplinary breach in december, but scored 92 goals in 163 games prior tojoining from dortmund in 2018. tom brady, one of the greatest players in nfl history, has confirmed his retirement at the age of 1m. the tampa bay buccaneers quarterback has won seven super bowls in an astonishing career spanning 22 seasons. brady won six titles with the new england patriots before his final triumph with the buccaneers last year. in a statement he said...

golf's saudi arabian—funded asian tour will stage its first event in england this year. the centurion club in hertfordshire is set to host the £1.5 million pound tournament, from the 9th to 12thjune — one of 10 international events. the asian tour season starts on thursday. the tour recently revealed it'd been boosted by a 148 million pound investment from the saudi arabia government's private investment fund. that funding has been increased by a further 75 million pounds, we're three days away from the winter olympics 0pening ceremony in beijing. one of britain's best medal hopes is the snowboarder katie 0rmerod, in the slopestyle competition. she was the first british snowboarder to won the world cup title in 2020 — and she thinks the conditions might suit her.

since 2018, i've had a few really good seasons, including the best of my career, i think having that success and being on the podium, it's really helped me to come into these games feeling really confident, i'm the best snowboarder i've ever been, so i'm just really excited now to get stuck into it. it's artificial snow here, but you know, i grew up in the uk, so it's all artificial snow. know, i grew up in the uk, so it's allartificialsnow. it know, i grew up in the uk, so it's all artificial snow. it is different, and it's actually running really well, a lot better than i expected. and it starts just after midnight tonight. team gb curlers bruce mouat and jen dodds in the mixed doubles against sweden. two days before the official opening ceremony in beijing. you can follow it all live on bbc tv, bbc iplayer, bbc red button and online; listen on bbc radio 5 live and bbc sounds; live text and highlights on bbc sport website and mobile app. that's all the sport for now. you can find more on all those stories on the bbc sport website. 0ver over to you, ten. any more platforms to tell us about?

i think that's it. that's it. thanks very much. staying with sports, the manchester united footballer mason greenwood has been further arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and threats to kill. the 20—year—old premier league star was initially arrested on sunday afternoon on suspicion of the rape and assault of a young woman. 0ur sports editor dan roan reports from old trafford. manchester united striker mason greenwood is now set to spend a third night in police custody. he was originally arrested on sunday on suspicion of rape and assault. and he has been questioned ever since. that was after a woman posted allegations on social media. and in a statement tonight, greater manchester police said that the suspect continues to be questioned after magistrates authorised an extension until tomorrow. following inquiries so far, they said, he has since been further arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and threats to kill. manchester united, meanwhile, have just issued a statement of their own, saying that it reiterates its strong condemnation

of violence of any kind. and they say that, as previously communicated, mason greenwood will neither train or play for the club. his sponsor nike yesterday also said that they were suspending their relationship with him. greenwood has worked his way up here at the club from the academy. he made his debut in 2019, and he's become a key member of the first—team squad. he is yet to respond to these allegations. the police watchdog says it's found evidence of "disgraceful" bullying, misogyny, discrimination and sexual harassment, in some ranks of the metropolitan police. most of the officers investigated, were constables, and mainly based at charing cross police station in central london. the met police says it's "deeply sorry," about the report's findings. a warning that this report by our home affairs correspondent lauren moss contains

some distressing details. a culture of bullying among the team of officers at this police station. the watchdog began an investigation after allegations and officer had sex on duty — that was never proven. instead, what did emerge was a series of racist, sexist and homophobic whatsapp messages sent to officers in 2016—18 in non—leaked investigations. officers in 2016-18 in non-leaked investigations.— investigations. what are investigation _ investigations. what are investigation uncovered | investigations. what are i investigation uncovered his investigations. what are - investigation uncovered his other officers bullying officers and the team, and a culture of fear. what we found was that female officers, probationers, officers from diverse and ethnic backgrounds were being bullied. and that bullying was prevalent. bullied. and that bullying was prevalent-— bullied. and that bullying was revalent. , ., , bullied. and that bullying was revalent. , prevalent. many of the message is described as _ prevalent. many of the message is described as banter— prevalent. many of the message is described as banter are _ prevalent. many of the message is described as banter are too - described as banter are too offensive to show, but one message from a male officer to a female officer said... a whatsapp

conversation between two police officers with when referring to a woman read... the officer replies... in another whatsapp conversation, an officer asks... 1a officers were investigated and two were dismissed for gross misconduct, although when resigned before had, several others attended misconduct meetings and were put on training programmes while four were found to have no case to answer. the while four were found to have no case to answer.— while four were found to have no case to answer. the content of the messa . es case to answer. the content of the messages we _ case to answer. the content of the messages we are _ case to answer. the content of the messages we are talking _ case to answer. the content of the messages we are talking about. case to answer. the content of the messages we are talking about on| messages we are talking about on this occasion absolutely deplorable, and there is no was a sin policing, let alone here in the next, for that kind of deeply offensive language and behaviour. haifa kind of deeply offensive language and behaviour.— kind of deeply offensive language and behaviour. ., ., ., , ., ~' and behaviour. how long do you think it's auoin and behaviour. how long do you think it's going to — and behaviour. how long do you think it's going to be _ and behaviour. how long do you think it's going to be until, _ and behaviour. how long do you think it's going to be until, you _ and behaviour. how long do you think it's going to be until, you know, - it's going to be until, you know, i'm not coming down here and asking you about these repeated incidents? i don't want to be standing or having these conversations with you again in the future. but i think that's why it's important that i take the learning from this report and work with officers up and down the nets to make sure we absolutely

minimise the likelihood of me having to stand here and talk to you again about such a buoyant behaviour. the watchdog made 15 recommendations to tackle underlying cultural issues, but one former senior officer says this is not a new problem. this a this is not a new problem. as a ounuer this is not a new problem. as a younger probation _ this is not a new problem. as a younger probation officer, i experienced racism, homophobia, sexism. _ experienced racism, homophobia, sexism, and these whatsapp messages, and it shows _ sexism, and these whatsapp messages, and it shows that that culture is still there _ and it shows that that culture is stillthere. it is and it shows that that culture is still there. it is not overt and as open _ still there. it is not overt and as open as— still there. it is not overt and as open as it — still there. it is not overt and as open as it was when i was passed up at what the — open as it was when i was passed up at what the mets says that thomas already _ at what the mets says that thomas already made changes, a review of the culture — already made changes, a review of the culture is due in the coming months — here with me now is abimbola johnson who is the chair of the independent scrutiny & oversight board on the police action plan on inclusion and race. i won't ask you what your reaction is to this report, because i think most people would imagine what your reaction is. the bigger question is, how do you stop this and overhaul

this and rebuild the system? i how do you stop this and overhaul this and rebuild the system? i think the ke of this and rebuild the system? i think the key of what _ this and rebuild the system? i think the key of what is _ this and rebuild the system? i think the key of what is taking _ this and rebuild the system? i think the key of what is taking place - the key of what is taking place at the key of what is taking place at the moment is the level of media and public engagement that there is around these issues. those of us for example who have practices where we concentrate on police misconduct, or those of us who are involved in the areas such as actions against the police have seen examples of this over the years, but the difference is that very often, it swept under the carpet. what's really key in this report is that the approach that they have taken is they have noticed these trends, they recognise that in their position, they are able to see that these are cultural matters, and rather than isolated incidents, they have taken deposition and opened up their findings so that the public can engage and see that this has happened. we live in a democracy. we live in a society where the police rely on having the trust and confidence of the average citizen to make them a legitimate organisation,

so i think it's very key that we have seen bil pc released this report after noticing that these are cultural issues and really applying external pressure to the metropolitan police service to pay attention to these recommendations and to make sure those changes occur sooner rather than later. it’s sooner rather than later. it's cultural on _ sooner rather than later. it's cultural on several _ sooner rather than later. it's cultural on several levels, visited? as misogyny and as well, notjust racism, just a point that outcome in terms of demographics and culture, for example, policing in this country and all over the world, 30 or a0 years ago was a lot worse than it is now, so go back to my point, how do you rebuild a system where that isn'tjust part of what perhaps would have been seen as banter 3a years ago? i would have been seen as banter 34 ears auo? ., . would have been seen as banter 34 ears auo? ~ ., , would have been seen as banter 34 ears ao? ~ ., , ., years ago? i think what needs to ha en is years ago? i think what needs to happen is there _ years ago? i think what needs to happen is there needs _ years ago? i think what needs to happen is there needs to - years ago? i think what needs to happen is there needs to be - happen is there needs to be engagement internally and external to policing. it's interesting what you've just sat around the fact that 30 or a0 years ago, policing was very different, but when you look for example at the wording in the

inquiry and the report which, of course, 1998, you look at what police were saying at that time, they were saying then, well, we are not as bad as we used to be, 20 or 30 years ago, things are much worse, look how far we have improved. i think the key at the moment is the police need to recognise that what they are doing right now is not good enough. the public, the media, expect far more from them. they need to be willing to let go of certain practices. they need to be willing... practices. they need to be willing- - -_ practices. they need to be willinu... ., ., ., , . willing... let go of what practices? what was highlighted, _ willing... let go of what practices? what was highlighted, for - willing... let go of what practices? what was highlighted, for example willing... let go of what practices? i what was highlighted, for example in this report is the idea that some of the language that was adopted by these officers was downplayed as dan terra, was seen as part and parcel of police to culture, as inherent to the way that people communicate with one another. what is really keen as a lot of these messages are shared in groups, notjust in one—on—one conversations. so you have these extra levels of participation by

people, those who are actively participating in the conversation, but also passive bystanders who allow this to happen. you but also passive bystanders who allow this to happen.— but also passive bystanders who allow this to happen. you track all whatsa - allow this to happen. you track all whatsapp groups _ allow this to happen. you track all whatsapp groups observing - allow this to happen. you track all whatsapp groups observing police officers and you use technology to flag any offensive words? you would make it easierfor you would make it easier for police officers who observe that behaviour to base on an escalate those matters. �* . to base on an escalate those matters. . ., ., matters. and what about whistle-blowers? - matters. and what about whistle-blowers? and i matters. and what about. whistle-blowers? and more transparent— whistle-blowers? and more transparent measures - whistle-blowers? and more transparent measures as . whistle-blowers? and more. transparent measures as well whistle-blowers? and more - transparent measures as well being put in place so people can recognise that there is an ease in reporting these matters rather than them having to galvanise themselves to potentially speaking out about these matters and risk personal sacrifice to it you make it so easy but it will be harder to stay silent around us matters. that's what needs to change. it needs to be an overhaul in cultures that people recognise that the deity of being open and

honest notjust that the deity of being open and honest not just when that the deity of being open and honest notjust when you are donning the uniform and you are out on the streets, it's also in those more quiet moments when you are looking at your phone and you can see colleagues who share this title refused saying despicable things that you saw in this what's group. diversity is still not great in english police forces. 93% white scale. how are they doing on that front? that is something you are seeing an improvement in? {line front? that is something you are seeing an improvement in? one of the work streams — seeing an improvement in? one of the work streams coming _ seeing an improvement in? one of the work streams coming through - seeing an improvement in? one of the work streams coming through from - work streams coming through from this action plan is about internal culture and that involves looking at recruitment and promotion of offices. it's notjust getting more minority groups through the door. it's about making sure they feel listened to and they are better protected within the police force and their skill sets are properly recognised and their contributions are going to leave they need to. when you see that i think you will see a transformation of the police force in terms of diversity.-

force in terms of diversity. thank ou. force in terms of diversity. thank you time _ force in terms of diversity. thank you time for— force in terms of diversity. thank you. time for some _ force in terms of diversity. thank you. time for some weather. - hello. after a brief dip in temperatures, it actually turns milder for many as we go through the night and into the morning. it is this zone of thicker cloud, outbreaks of rain or drizzle pushing its way northwards and eastwards through the night, which brings that milder air with it. never quite reaches the northeast of scotland. stays chilly here, clear spells, a scattering of showers and a blustery wind, but the winds easing down compared with today. a noticeable wind chill to make it feel colder than 3 celsius there in lowick. but elsewhere, 9—10 celsius for most on a mild start to wednesday morning. some rain or drizzle here and there, eastern, northern parts of england, southern scotland and towards the north in particular, rain and drizzle keeps growing in the north and scotland throughout the day. it will turn a bit drier elsewhere, but lots of cloud around. best of the afternoon cloud breaks across aberdeenshire, but more especially through parts of wales, the midlands and southern england. a noticeable breeze on wednesday afternoon, but nowhere near as strong as recent days, and it's coming in from the west, and it's that which brings the milder air with that. we could see temperatures peak around 12—13 celsius

across the south during wednesday afternoon. a chilly 5 degrees in lowick, but even here, it turns milder on wednesday night. hello. you are watching bbc news. borisjohnson urges russia to step back and engage in diplomacy as he flies to ukraine. he warned there'd be consequences for russia if any soldiers cross the border. we are also preparing a package of sanctions and other measures to be enacted the moment the first russian total crosses further into ukrainian territory. manchester united footballer mason greenwood has been further arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and threats to kill. the police officers at london's charing cross accused of bullying, misogyny, discrimination and sexual harassment. britain's looming energy bill crisis — we explain why bills

are about to rise so steeply. and a multimillion pound deal for the man who invented wordle for his girlfriend during lockdown as it's sold to the new york times. tens of socials of social health care staff are breathing a sigh of relief after it government u—turn means they will not have to have a couple big vaccine or lose their jobs. around 30,000 care workers have already been let go after the policy was introduced in care homes. they say their staff or unwilling guinea pigs in a disastrous policy that has added two recruitment problems. ministers say the proposal is no longer proportionate to the threat from covid—19. 0ur social affairs editor has this. this is a job that gail loves,

but she faced losing it because she wouldn't have the covid vaccine. she is relieved by the government's decision to scrap mandatoryjabs. it means she can continue caring for people like 89—year—old pat at her home in liverpool. these are my carers. they come in four times a day, and they've been very kind to me, and i love them very much. there you go, you are already... both gail's colleague deborah and pat have been vaccinated, but neither felt she should be sacked over a jab. you've been coming here seven months, and you've been in contact with me, like that, and that... so i don't agree with it. it's blackmail, it is blackmail. they can't make you do something you don't want to do. i know, my love. i couldn't imagine not seeing you every day, pat. i couldn't imagine! now gail won't have to choose between a vaccine which she believes hasn't had enough research, and herjob. you know, i can't think of anything i don't like about the job. it's what i'm meant to do. it doesn't feel like a job. there is no doubt that vaccinations

have been vital in protecting people who are older or disabled from covid. in care homes where vaccinations became compulsory last november, about 95% of staff are double—jabbed. in home care, it's about 80%. hi, helen, it'sjust sophie calling from the office, are you 0k? but if mandatoryjabs had gone ahead for home care staff this april, the company where gail works feared it could lose up to 20% of its liverpool staff. i'll send over the links for the government websites and stuff for more information. and already they don't have enough people to meet the demand for care. we are seeing waiting lists treble in some of our areas, so there's many people in hospital, there's many people at home waiting for care that simply we, and i imagine other carers, just can't provide. care leaders say it's better to persuade staff to be vaccinated, and in care homes the last months have been chaotic. organisations have lost very valued staff, people who receive care and support have lost those people

who worked with them, and employers have gone through enormous hoops to implement this policy, and within less than three months the government is declaring it essentially obsolete. daniela lost herjob in a care over the vaccine. now working in home care, she thought she'd be sacked for a second time. i'm not robbed of my career, and i'm free to work without being dismissed from making an informed decision. the government and care providers emphasise that it remains the professional duty of staff to get vaccinated. alison holt, bbc news. the government's latest coronavirus figures, show there were 112,a58 new cases recorded, in the latest 2a hour period. that includes people who have been reinfected. it means there was 91,177 cases on average per day in the last week. 212 deaths have been reported, that's of people who died within 28 days of a positive test, though some will have died of other causes.

on average in the past week, there were 231 deaths per day. household energy bills are expected to rise by 50% from april — we should know the exact figure on monday when the new domestic energy price cap is announced. it comes at a time when more than one in five people says they're already cutting back on how much gas and electricity they use with many more saying fuel prices have already pushed up their cost of living in the past month. 0ur economics editor faisal islam explains why energy prices are suddenly soaring. at the mouth of the river medway, the isle of grain in kent. 0nce nicknamed energy island, one of the best places to explain why we have an energy price shock and what can be done about it. you can get a sense of all the factors pushing up energy prices from this point, whether it's the tankers full of natural gas from around the world

that enter the uk here and off—load into our gas system, whether it's the lack of storage for that gas because it was shut down a few hundred miles up the coast here. also, we have some of the wind turbines that are working quite well now, a good source of clean, green energy when the wind is blowing but can't always be relied on, or the electricity coming from the continent entering at this point. all of these factors combined are heading straight to the energy bills of households and businesses, pushing them to records within weeks. these days, north sea gas does not meet our energy needs. in two decades, the uk has gone from being a gas exporter to importing about half of its gas requirements. over the last month, we've seen a record number of ships

full of liquid natural gas come to the uk — 35, with most of them coming from the usa at record prices. 0ne tanker even u—turned in the middle of the pacific and came back through the panama canal after prices paid here vastly exceeded those in east asia. all of this feeds into energy bills, of course, and we can show how much on a typical dual fuel bill, at the energy cap just under £1300, you'll see that over £500 of that is the rising price of energy, as it was before the autumn. because it's gone up so much since then, the energy cap is heading closer to £2,000, with a near doubling in that cost of energy, and that informs what are the options for the government in the next week before the energy cap is announced. they could reduce vat. that's one option — you can see that's a relatively modest amount, under £100. they could take away the levies that

have helped subsidise green energy — that's between £100 and £200 and would have to be funded elsewhere. so what we're seeing is the government trying to help the energy companies, potentially, with billions of pounds of loans, affect that cost of energy, effectively. temporary and targeted help for rising prices is coming, but for how many exactly depends on decisions made by the chancellor and pm in the coming days. faisal islam, bbc news, on the isle of grain. kathryn porter is an independent energy consultant this really is a gas provision crunch and it's the market which is driving all these prices? yes. crunch and it's the market which is driving all these prices?— driving all these prices? yes, that is riuht. it driving all these prices? yes, that is right. it has _ driving all these prices? yes, that is right. it has been _ driving all these prices? yes, that is right. it has been a _ driving all these prices? yes, that is right. it has been a difficulty . is right. it has been a difficulty in gas over the last year where

production was cut during covid—19 by a larger amount than the demand was cut and we are catching up on the effects of that now. find was cut and we are catching up on the effects of that now.— was cut and we are catching up on the effects of that now. and we have not the the effects of that now. and we have got the price cap- — the effects of that now. and we have got the price cap. it _ the effects of that now. and we have got the price cap. it has _ got the price cap. it has the steepest rise blooming since 2019 and another one in october potentially when that might rise further. the knock on impact of that will be what? it's notjust households is it? it will be right across the economy.— households is it? it will be right across the economy. that's right. it's a across the economy. that's right. it's a particular— across the economy. that's right. it's a particular concern _ across the economy. that's right. it's a particular concern for- across the economy. that's right. | it's a particular concern for energy intensive industries. you see their cost rises significantly and impacting their international capacity. impacting their international caaci .~ . , impacting their international caaci .~ ., , ., capacity. what is the solution here? presumably — capacity. what is the solution here? presumably households _ capacity. what is the solution here? presumably households are going . capacity. what is the solution here? | presumably households are going to reach your stress crisis points quite quickly. reach your stress crisis points quite quickly-— reach your stress crisis points quite quickly. they are and it's re quite quickly. they are and it's pretty unfortunate _ quite quickly. they are and it's pretty unfortunate this - quite quickly. they are and it's pretty unfortunate this is - quite quickly. they are and it's| pretty unfortunate this is going quite quickly. they are and it's i pretty unfortunate this is going to affect increasing numbers of households. i think we need to see fairly significant reforms of the retail energy market. we really need

to have suppliers refocusing on supply and taking away from them a lot of the responsibilities they currently have that do not have much to do with supply and helping them to do with supply and helping them to start developing new business models so they can support consumers not just at the high models so they can support consumers notjust at the high prices but also with the changes they have to make their net zero.— their net zero. how much will that stri out their net zero. how much will that strip out of _ their net zero. how much will that strip out of the _ their net zero. how much will that strip out of the beer _ their net zero. how much will that strip out of the beer if _ their net zero. how much will that strip out of the beer if they - their net zero. how much will that strip out of the beer if they did i strip out of the beer if they did that? we saw in the airport if you take off the vat and the levy it's only a couple hundred by £250 out of a potential bill of 2000. it is a potential bill of 2000. it is unfortunately there - a potential bill of 2000. it is unfortunately there is - a potential bill of 2000. it 3 unfortunately there is not a lot you can do about the high wholesale prices and another fairly significant component is the cost of all the suppliers that went bankrupt last year that now have to be recovered through bills going forward. that is adding hundreds of pounds onto the bills coming from april. celebrating those costs in the future and potentially looking into taxation rather than energy bills will help as well. it

into taxation rather than energy bills will help as well.— into taxation rather than energy bills will help as well. it does not sound as if _ bills will help as well. it does not sound as if you _ bills will help as well. it does not sound as if you have _ bills will help as well. it does not sound as if you have got - bills will help as well. it does not sound as if you have got very i sound as if you have got very much good news or optimistic thoughts to give him this. if the wholesale prices are high we have to accept it. , ., �* , , it. yes. that's right. there is some encouragement — it. yes. that's right. there is some encouragement on _ it. yes. that's right. there is some encouragement on the _ it. yes. that's right. there is some encouragement on the gas - it. yes. that's right. there is some encouragement on the gas side i it. yes. that's right. there is some i encouragement on the gas side where we should expect the gas market to start going back into balance later on this year and how soon that happens depends a lot on what the letter is like for the rest of this winter so if it is cold this winter and it's been fairly mild so far but if the weather gets colder across europe and that will prolong the difficulty with high prices and of course we have got the risks around geopolitical tensions as well. the issue on because we are facing structural shortage of electricity in the winter so although gas prices may recover after next winter i think we can expect hey winter electricity prices for the next few years. the other ub prices for the next few years. the other pub and _ prices for the next few years. the other pub and is looking at it geopolitically it's every nation for

itself and president biden has been take —— talking to qatar recently trying to free up weekly gas supplies from there as well and that just plays into the market and raises prices yet further. {line just plays into the market and raises prices yet further. one of the problems — raises prices yet further. one of the problems is _ raises prices yet further. one of the problems is that _ raises prices yet further. one of the problems is that european l the problems is that european countries have forgotten about the issues of security of supply. in the past we had things like strategic oil reserves to protect against this type of crisis and we have not had anything comparable in the gas markets particularly since the closure of our strategic guests damaged infinity in 2017. so while governments are not thinking about security supply which is when prices are steep everything is fine but when prices go up we get these problems. i think what governments need to start doing across europe is securing long—term supply contracts with producing nations and it will give them fixed volumes when they need and at the moment most of the supply contracts allow the sellers to divert to the markets at high

prices which are typically in asia. not stream two is a swap because what gas problems would like to do is move away from the infrastructure through ukraine and favourite that gas into northern europe and of people think that they are playing politics around this but last year in 2021 gasparilla expected a record volume of gas to europe so it's a bit difficult to say they've been holding european hostage over nordstrom to against that context. in scotland, 7000 people are still without power after a weekend of storms, with some customers warned they may not be reconnected until wednesday. the worst impact of storm malik on saturday then storm corrie on sunday was in the north east and highlands. david shanks reports. another day without power. food fans like teeth are — another day without power. food fans

like teeth are providing _ another day without power. food fans like teeth are providing essential i like teeth are providing essential meals. jane has been cut off since the weekend. icrate meals. jane has been cut off since the weekend-— meals. jane has been cut off since the weekend. we have no power or -hone the weekend. we have no power or phone signals- _ the weekend. we have no power or phone signals. so _ the weekend. we have no power or phone signals. so i— the weekend. we have no power or phone signals. so i have _ the weekend. we have no power or phone signals. so i have to - the weekend. we have no power or phone signals. so i have to come i phone signals. so i have to come here to charge up my phone. so i can speak to my father in hospital. so it is worrying that i am not able to be in touch with him as much unless i can then charge my phone. mike has been set up — i can then charge my phone. mike has been set up serving _ i can then charge my phone. mike has been set up serving here _ i can then charge my phone. mike has been set up serving here for- i can then charge my phone. mike has been set up serving here for three i been set up serving here for three days. been set up serving here for three da s. , ., been set up serving here for three da s. , ~:: :: been set up serving here for three das. , ~::::.., ., days. yesterday 600 came, there over 200 and it's — days. yesterday 600 came, there over 200 and it's nonstop _ days. yesterday 600 came, there over 200 and it's nonstop from _ days. yesterday 600 came, there over 200 and it's nonstop from in _ days. yesterday 600 came, there over 200 and it's nonstop from in the i 200 and it's nonstop from in the morning — 200 and it's nonstop from in the morning and we could not leave the van to— morning and we could not leave the van to get— morning and we could not leave the van to get out for a break so it was so many people needing food. from the air, so many people needing food. from the air. the — so many people needing food. from the air, the aftermath _ so many people needing food. from the air, the aftermath of _ so many people needing food. fr'rrrn the air, the aftermath of storm corrie. a forest nearly destroyed. and he lives next to the woods and she says it's been devastating. aha, she says it's been devastating. a lot of people love those words. and honestly _ lot of people love those words. and honestly yesterday _ lot of people love those words. and honestly yesterday morning - lot of people love those words. and honestly yesterday morning they i lot of people love those words. and i honestly yesterday morning they were volunteers _ honestly yesterday morning they were volunteers walking _ honestly yesterday morning they were volunteers walking up _ honestly yesterday morning they were volunteers walking up and _ honestly yesterday morning they were volunteers walking up and down - volunteers walking up and down almost — volunteers walking up and down almost in — volunteers walking up and down almost in tears. _

volunteers walking up and down almost in tears. it's _ volunteers walking up and down almost in tears.— almost in tears. it's so sad. communities _ almost in tears. it's so sad. communities like _ almost in tears. it's so sad. communities like this i almost in tears. it's so sad. communities like this one l almost in tears. it's so sad. | communities like this one up almost in tears. it's so sad. i communities like this one up and down the country had to contend with three stories in as many months but canmore be done to prevent the kind of disruption that has come with them? thousands were still without power this morning with a00 extra engineers brought in from around the uk to help reconnect them. itruiheh uk to help reconnect them. when costs of 90 _ uk to help reconnect them. when costs of 90 300 _ uk to help reconnect them. when costs of 90 300 100 _ uk to help reconnect them. when costs of 90 300 100 mph - uk to help reconnect them. when costs of 90 300 100 mph it's - costs of 90 300100 mph it's difficult and it's about us responding and restoring power as quickly as possible but there will be lessons to learn from this storm as there have been in storms in the past and we will do everything to make sure we have resilient supplies. make sure we have resilient supplies-— make sure we have resilient su lies. ., , , supplies. phone lines were severed b treaties supplies. phone lines were severed by treaties leaving _ supplies. phone lines were severed by treaties leaving many _ supplies. phone lines were severed by treaties leaving many without i by treaties leaving many without broadband and access to essential information. it’s broadband and access to essential information-— information. it's been widespread destruction _ information. it's been widespread destruction of _ information. it's been widespread destruction of fallen _ information. it's been widespread destruction of fallen trees. - destruction of fallen trees. engineers trapped in their homes and we reacted _ engineers trapped in their homes and we reacted well to that and will continue — we reacted well to that and will continue to do that to support our customers— continue to do that to support our customers and wrister customer service — customers and wrister customer service as — customers and wrister customer service as quickly as possible. as

the service as quickly as possible. the clean—up service as quickly as possible. .is the clean—up continues service as quickly as possible. is the clean—up continues across the country, most storms are expected to be connected tonight and some more isolated places would have to wait another night in the cold. the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse has said police and councils still do not understand the risk of organised gangs grooming children in their areas. it said authorities were failing to collect data which would help identify paedophiles. it found signs of abuse in six areas. tom symonds has the story— just a warning his report contains distressing detail. children from troubled backgrounds enticed into adult worlds by drink and drugs, sexually abused by gangs of men — the subject of this primetime bbc drama, but still horribly real for daisy. she was abused in rochdale, one of those cases which shocked the country. when i was a child, because i got drunk and i woke up with no underwear on, i didn't actually think i'd been raped.

i always kind of blamed myself in that situation. and, she says, everyone knew it was happening. the school knew that i was pregnant at 1a and used to see me get picked up and dropped off by asian males. the hospital knew because they carried out the abortion, without my parents' consent. the police knew because i was arrested every other week. that was around 2010. even as recently as a decade ago, some police forces and social services were making a fundamental mistake, believing that children or young teenagers could be encouraging their own abuse by adults. this report attempts to prevent that from ever happening again. but the inquiry focused on six representative cities as case studies. it found police and social services in none of them had an accurate understanding of networks sexually exploiting children in their area. there was a flawed assumption that sexual exploitation was on the wane. they don't know the scale of it, because theyjust record exploitation in the generic sense.

so that could be county lines — children being groomed to sell drugs through the county lines model. so they don't know how many of the children they have recorded as being exploited in some way are actually being sexually exploited. they don't know the ethnicity of the people that might be exploiting them. the inquiry says data about ethnicity isn't collected and should be. would it have led police quicker to this gang in rochdale? the former police officer who blew the whistle on that investigation says maybe. whether it'sjimmy savile, whether it's a priest in the catholic church, i don't care. if it's a pakistani man in a community that has got an organised network that are preying on young children, we have to face up to that. police forces say they're not complacent, they're getting more data. 0rganised child abuse is now a police priority in line with terrorism. but this report was harder—hitting than some had expected.

its core demand remains that the victims, the children, come first. tom symonds, bbc news, manchester. details of organisations offering information and support with child sexual abuse are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline, or you can call forfree, at any time to hear recorded information on 0800 077 077. tomorrow the government will finally unveil its plans for levelling up. the idea of tackling regional inequalities and helping overlooked communities across england is what helped the conservatives win so many traditional labour seats at the last election. 0ur political correspondent alex forsyth reports in the seaside town of cleethorpes, most people would welcome a little more local attention. it needs some money spending on it. places like this have been made big promises by this government — investment, opportunity — what they call levelling up. i don't know. no idea, never heard of it.

no idea. have you heard about levelling up? i certainly have. what do you think about it? well, i think it's high time we were levelled up. i he's put the bridge up. he's put your bridge up? yes. this is the man who will tomorrow unveil a plan meant to tackle deep rooted inequality. power and money will be moved from london to communities around the country, with more elected mayors like those in manchester and birmingham. we've got to make sure levelling up is a reality for communities in the next couple of years. it means providing them with strong local leaders who can hold westminster and whitehall to account. for too long, our country's been over centralised and you've had the money being announced is not new. this is just one step, one step in what will be a long road, and my message to everyone in government is we can't afford to go slow on this,

but unless we are the government for levelling up then we will have failed the people who voted for it in 2019. people like this family who run a gymnastics centre and grimly. we met them at the heart of the pandemic, they had supported the government, now they are losing faith. i feel there is an anything different here, families are still struggling. there are plans, but they haven't been implemented in the area, and it's definitely showing. do you trusted government to do what it says? with what's been happening recently? not like that in 12 months ago. towns like grimsby have received funding to improve high streets and regenerate. but critics say it all falls far short. if all emerges from two and a half years of big premises is a few new metro mayors and part refund on some of the money that has been stripped out

of our communities, then i think people will feel very let down. improving opportunity in places like grimsby is meant to be the government's flagship policy, the detail will come tomorrow. but with many families facing a real challenge over the cost of living, and the recent turmoil in westminster, perhaps the key question is whether people still believe the prime minister can deliver. hasn't he just lost people's trust and faith in him now for that? don't for a moment under the degree of angry and upset people will feel. for me the most important thing is making a difference to the lives of individuals and communities like grimsby mp phelps. if there is a leadership contest, will you stand? forget about it. there's not going to be a leadership contest and i will be supporting the prime minister. the government is trying to reset, pointing to work started, but he admits change will take time and right now public patients may be in such short supply.

alex forsyth, bbc news, grimsby. now have you become hooked on wordle — the free simple word game invented by a man for his girlfriend during lockdown. it has just been sold to the new york times. i got it in three guesses. three. two this morning. i think it was like five. i've got it the first time. no! yeah! no, i promise it, i swearto god. how many goes does it take you to solve the daily wordle puzzle? wordle has proved an online smash. it's the kind of game that offers its legions of fans the opportunity to take a few moments out of their day, the sort of thing they can enjoy while taking a break. so far, its strength and popularity seems to be in its simplicity and the fact that, up until now, it's been free. once a day, a new challenge arrives on the wordle website at midnight. the player has six attempts to guess a five—letter word. after each attempt,

correct letters that are in the right place turn green. if it's the right letter but in the wrong place, it turns yellow. if a letter isn't in the word at all, it turns grey. and that's it. keep going until you correctly guess the day's word. created by software engineer josh wardle as a fun pastime for his partner, it's garnered millions of fans online. it's also attracted the attention of the new york times, who have bought the game from mr wardle for an undisclosed low seven—figure sum. it's free to play. we don't want to restrict the game as it comes to our site. i am susie dent and i am a lexicographer and a linguist. hopefully, they will realise just how much the world cherishes wordle at the moment. and they've said they'll keep it free for a while, so fingers crossed they'll stick to that. marc cieslak, bbc news. now it's time for a look

at the weather with matt taylor after a brief dip in temperatures, it actually turns milder for many as we go through the night and into the morning. it is this zone of thicker cloud, outbreaks of rain or drizzle pushing its way northwards and eastwards through the night, which brings that milder air with it. never quite reaches the northeast of scotland. stays chilly here, clear spells, a scattering of showers and a blustery wind, but the winds easing down compared with today. a noticeable wind chill to make it feel colder than 3 celsius there in lowick. but elsewhere, 9—10 celsius for most on a mild start to wednesday morning. some rain or drizzle here and there, eastern, northern parts of england, southern scotland and towards the north in particular, rain and drizzle keeps growing in the north and scotland throughout the day. it will turn a bit drier elsewhere, but lots of cloud around. best of the afternoon cloud breaks across aberdeenshire, but more especially through parts of wales, the midlands and southern england. a noticeable breeze on wednesday afternoon, but nowhere near as strong as recent days, and it's coming in from the west, and it's that which brings the milder air with that. we could see temperatures peak around 12—13 celsius across the south during wednesday afternoon. a chilly 5 degrees in lowick, but even here, it turns

milder on wednesday night. hello, i'm christian fraser. you're watching context on bbc news. in moscow — president putin accuses the united states of trying to pull russia into an armed conflict in ukraine. in kyiv the british prime minister says it is russia that is holding the loaded gun, and once agains he warns the kremlin there will be severe consequences for any incursion. we are also preparing a package of sanctions and other measures to be enacted at the moment the first russian toecap crosses further into ukrainian territory. in his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, new reports suggest donald trump had drafted executive orders directing the federal

government to sieze voting machines, in key swing states.