this is bbc news. our top stories... president biden says he's convinced vladimir putin has made the decision to invade ukraine — with an attack on kyiv expected in the coming days. we're calling out russia's plans loudly and repeatedly not because we want a conflict but because we are doing everything in our power to remove any reason russia may give to justify invading ukraine and prevent them from moving. storm eunice continues moving eastward — after leaving a trail of destruction in the uk and northern europe. and brad pitt sues his ex—wife — angelina jolie — for selling her stake in the french vineyard where they got married.

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe president biden says he's convinced russian president vladimir putin has made the decision to invade ukraine — with an attack on the capital, kyiv, expected in the coming days. speaking in a televised address mr biden said the us and its nato allies, would stand together in full support of the people of ukraine we're calling out russia's plans loudly and repeatedly not because we want a conflict but because we are doing everything in our power to remove any reason russia may give to justify invading ukraine and prevent them from moving. make no mistake. if russia pursues this plan, it will be responsible for a catastrophic and needless war of choice. the self—declared people's

republics of donetsk and luhansk have been fighting the ukrainian army in the east for the past eight years, in a conflict that's claimed more than 1a,000 lives. the west fears president putin could use an incident in the separatist republics as a pretext to invade ukraine. our correspondent orla guerin has been to the frontline village of trudivske, and sent this report. an increasingly grim horizon in eastern ukraine. we headed for the front lines, where shelling has intensified. a prelude, perhaps, to much worse to come. the village of trudivske is in the line of fire. emotions were rawjust hours after shells rained down. alexander basilev is lucky to be alive. he was at home with his wife when a shell landed in their garden.

"they started at the hill," he says. "the last shell fell here. "now all the mud is inside my house." the attack here was part of a flare—up along the front line. the village is on ukrainian soil, but some here sympathise with moscow and put the blame on ukrainian troops. they insist it was russian—backed rebels nearby and say president putin is laying a trap. "we think it's a provocation," she says, "because there is shelling of civilian areas where there "are no army positions. "the enemy wants to provoke the ukrainian army." the tension has been increasing here, and for communities living on the front line, the risks and the suffering are increasing also. the warnings about an invasion keep coming, but whether or not that happens, communities here are already trapped

in a war of attrition. and across the front line, in the breakaway capital of donetsk, sirens wailing after the authorities announced women and children would be evacuated to russia. separatist leader denis pushilin said the operation was arranged on friday the 18th, because ukraine would soon attack. but a bbc analysis of the metadata shows this footage was recorded two days earlier. video has emerged showing small numbers boarding buses, apparently bound for russia. the west has long feared that president putin would use the separatist areas as a pretext for an attack on ukraine. it looks like the stage is being set for something. orla guerin, bbc news, eastern ukraine.

earlier, i spoke to olga lautman, senior fellow at the centre for european policy analysis — and host of the kremlinfile podcast. i asked her whether rhetoric on russian state media has escalated. the change actually began last weekend. it began with this narrative that they started building of genocide being committed in ukraine. i mean, it varied which politician said it and which media outlets discussed it but it was basically ranging from politicians saying ukraine is committing genocide to ukraine is preparing a massacre of russians inside ukraine. and we saw this today from the foreign ministry spokeswoman, we saw it from putin and pretty much that is when you saw the shift take place and then from there, by wednesday, we saw it shift over into these shellings

and the increase of shellings and by yesterday, it was with the bombing of the kindergarten and now it's like every ten minutes, there's another event unfolding, bombing or shelling of a town. and you see the escalation, with violence escalating, within the past 48 hours, and the propaganda escalating since last weekend. media in russia is controlled by the state. how is this being received by people in russia, are they taking it with a pinch of salt? i mean, it's hard to get a measure. privately, when i speak with people inside russia they do not want a war. right now, they have coronavirus spiking and there is economic problems so privately, they do not want a war, publicly they cannot voice that because anyone who makes any critical criticism of the putin regime immediately gets arrested or harassed by the russian

intelligence services, the fsb. so it's hard to get a good read of what is happening. we did have the case of a few generals who came out and spoke out against a war and called for putin to resign and basically said what we are all saying, that nato poses no threat to russia. what is president putin's aim here? well, i have been thinking about that a lot for a while. why now? he has ruled russia for over 20 years. he has nothing to show for it over the past 20 years. the economy is faltering, conditions inside russia are horrible. and i think he wants to be simply capturing territory because he saw the soviet union collapse as one of the biggest catastrophes and he continuously repeated that over the past 20 years.

and i think he wants to leave a legacy behind that he did recapture territory. we saw belarus which has been softly annexed because right now, putin controls basically the military side of belarus as well as having the territory to conduct exercises. and we know he has always wanted ukraine. he definitely does not want a democratic ukraine. so i think it's both about restoring legacy and also ensuring his neighbours do not have successful democracies because then, people inside russia are going to look and say, we want this type of country. a former french soldier has been sentenced to life in prison for abducting and murdering an eight year old girl in a case that has horrified france. nordahl lelandais confessed to killing maelys de araujo who disappeared in august 2017 from a wedding in eastern france. the trial came months

after lelandai was jailed for another murder. aru na iyengar reports. the three week trial in grenoble to getjustice for eight—year—old maelys de araujo, murdered in august 2017, has gripped france. waiting for the sentencing, her mother and sister. at the start of the trial, 39—year—old nordahl lelandais said he killed maelys involuntarily. later, he admitted his actions were deliberate. the former soldier and dog handler was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 22 years. translation: i'm happy with the verdict that - was pronounced today. the life sentence. that's what we got for not having maelys anymore. maelys put a dangerous criminal in prison. he will never hurt anyone again. and that was my goal and i wanted to pay tribute to her. the french public galvanised behind the family to help find the truth — who took maelys. she went missing after

a wedding she attended with her parents in the alpine village of pont—de—beauvoisin in the east of the country. lelandais was also a guest. he was the main suspect after traces of maelys�*s blood were found in his car. but it took five and a half months before he led police to her body in a village close to the wedding venue. this trial came only months after lelandais was jailed for another murder. he's already serving a 20 year sentence for killing corporal arthur noyer in april 2017. maelys�*s father asked lelandais to take responsibility for his actions. his lawyer said there would be no appeal. he added the road for lelandais would be very long. aruna iyengar, bbc news. across europe, the clean up from storm eunice is beginning. here in the uk, three people were killed in london, hampshire and merseyside as the powerful storm hit. deaths were also reported in the netherlands, belgium and ireland, with most of the victims crushed by falling trees.

the bbc�*s danny savage reports from bristol in south west england. the sea state along the south coast was frightening. the isle of wight recorded a gust of 122 mph. in hampshire, a man in his 20s died when the van he was in hit a tree. the driver was also seriously injured. oh, my gosh! oh, my gosh. oh, my gosh! and it wasn'tjust trees falling. that is the spire of st thomas�*s church in wells being destroyed. near bristol, a speed limit on the m4 prince of wales bridge wasn't enough to keep traffic moving. for what's thought to be the first time ever, both bridges here across the severn estuary are closed because of the high winds. but the severe flood warnings here have now expired. thankfully, the worst—case

scenario wasn't realised. temporary flood defences were not tested. but authorities say it isn't over yet. today, as serious as it is, and it is really a serious, severe event today, but on the back of this, we have more rain coming, so there could be possibility of fruther flooding as the week pans out. let us get today out of the way, then let's make sure all of our infrastructure, all of our defences are still in good shape. as the day wore on, the storm headed east. for the first time ever, the south—east of england and london were also in a red warning area. in north london, a woman in her 30s died when a tree fell on a car she was a passenger in. the man who was driving was taken to hospital. a few miles away, the wind ripped off the roof of the o2 arena, leaving a gaping hole. 1,000 people had to be evacuated from the site. in merseyside,

another passenger in a vehicle was killed. debris blown in the wind smashed through the windscreen of a van, fatally injuring a man in his 50s. the north of england and parts of scotland also had some heavy snow. this morning's rush hour was difficult, but things later improved. storm eunice will be remembered for its mountainous seas, wind damage and loss of life — a violent weather system which wreaked havoc across the british isles. danny savage, bbc news. canadian police say they've made at least 100 arrests as they move to end a truck drivers�* blockade of the capital, 0ttawa. more than 20 vehicles — including lorries parked outside parliament — have been towed away. drivers spent the last three weeks protesting against mandatory coronavirus vaccinations to cross into the united states. marieke walsh is a reporter with the globe

and mail — i pointed out there were scuffles earlier and asked for an update on the situation. certainly, a few skirmishes that we saw, especially later this evening. it is friday in the capital. what you see behind me is this black or darker wall, that is a wall of people facing off with protesters and police. the police are walking towards them very slowly and deliberately, a few steps at a time and all the while, protesters are trying to resist them, facing off with them, sometimes shouting at them. but the police are still moving forward, still pushing forward, they have a lot of back—up, police on horses for example. they have used pepper spray. it is certainly tense behind me in ottawa. several of the key organisers have been arrested, what are the protesters who are still there saying?

it depends on who you talk to. some protesters have told us today that while they plan to stay in ottawa this weekend, they have actually moved their trucks off the area of the blockade so their trucks do not get caught up in the sweep of police where they could get impounded, seized, they could lose their insurance for example which of course if you are a driver, is very difficult and so some are taking precautions, trying to avoid the worst consequences while remaining here. others are digging in, leaving their trucks where they are and others are simply leaving entirely. we have seen some leaving parliament hill in front of me, driving by, the police check in with them and then they leave so there is a mixed reaction. stay with us on bbc news — still to come... more bad blood for brangelina — brad pitt sues angelina jolie over the ownership of a french vineya rd.

nine years and 15,000 deaths after going into afghanistan, the last soviet troops were finally coming home — the withdrawal completed in good order, but the army defeated in the task it had been sent to perform. malcolm has been murdered. that has a terrible effect for the morale of the people. i'm terrified of the repercussions in the streets. one wonders who is next. as the airlift got under way, there was no let—up in the eruption itself. lava streams from a vent low in the crater flow down to the sea on the east of the island, away from the town for the time being. it could start flowing again at any time. the russians heralded - their new—generation space station with a spectacular night launch. _ they've called it mir — l

the russian for "peace". this is bbc world news, the latest headlines... president biden says he's convinced vladimir putin has made the decision to invade ukraine — with an attack on kyiv expected in the coming days. storm eunice continues moving eastward — after leaving a trail of destruction in the uk and northern europe. the former minnesota police officer who killed duante wright — a black driver — when she says she confused her handgun for her taser, has been sentenced to two years in prison. kim potter was convicted of first degree manslaughter for shooting 20—year—old daunte wright outside the city of minneapolis. barbara plett usher reports. this is one of the saddest cases... the case was about the killing

of a young man, and about a police officer of 26 years who made a fatal error. i am so sorry that i brought the death of your son. kim potter turned to the family as she begged for forgiveness. daunte wright was a 20—year—old man of mixed race. last april, police pulled him over in his car. he tried to flee, and potter reached for her taser but grabbed her gun by mistake. he died laterfrom injuries. gunfire. the shooting triggered days of protests in a city on edge over the murder of another black man killed by police, george floyd. she took our baby boy. with a single gunshot through his heart, - she shattered mine. daunte wright's mother urged the court to hold kim potter accountable for taking a life, but the judge said this case was not the same as other high—profile police killings. 0fficer potter made a mistake that ended tragically. she never intended

to hurt anyone. kim potter murdered my son, and he died april 11. _ today, the justice system . murdered him all over again. a system that still sees justice in black and white, the family said. this is the problem withl ourjustice system today. white women tears trumpsjustice. - amidst growing outrage, the state's attorney general has urged everyone to accept thejudgment. "no—one has won," he said. "we have all lost. " barbara plett usher, bbc news, washington. the brazilian president, jair bolsonaro, has said emergency funds — amounting to half a million dollars — will be released to help rebuild the city of petropolis, which was devastated by torrential rains and landslides on tuesday. 123 people are now known to have died and more than a hundred more are still missing. 0ur south america correspondent katy watson is there. there has been little letup here in petropolis.

the rain keeps coming. residents who haven't already left are living dangerously. once again, the sirens sounded, warning people to leave now or face the threat of more mudslides. in the centre of petropolis, another search site, three people missing at this gym. translation: if it starts to rain again, that - increases the chances of another mudslide affecting the teams who are working. plus, it's really hard working in the rain and it makes everything much more risky. the recovery operation is still ongoing. the immediate concern will be finding those who are still missing. the authorities have blamed intense rains, and it was unprecedented. but one of the causes was inequality. look at the houses still at risk. millions of brazilians live like that with little oversight from the state. it is not the first time this has happened

and it won't be the last. for more than 100 people who have been displaced, this school is now home. 13—year—old mariana is one of them. she narrowly escaped the mudslides. "i looked up and my house started shaking," she tells me. "i ran up to my neighbour and you could see "the entire mudslide — it was like a waterfall." mariana and herfamily are safe, but history has repeated itself for her mum, who is now helping the community get back on its feet. 26 years ago, a mudslide killed her mother. she was just 15 at the time. translation: we can't - afford to live anywhere else. nobody ever imagined it would be so dangerous. i don't believe in the authorities, i believe in the power of the people. authorities have to look out for us more. many people here feel like her, forgotten, and have little faith anything will change.

for now, though, this community that has been ripped apart is doing everything to come together. katy watson, bbc news, in petropolis. brad pitt is suing his ex—wife — angelina jolie — for selling her stake in the french vineyard they bought together. the couple took a controlling interest in chateau miraval in 2008 and got married there six years later. pitt says he and his former wife agreed not to sell their stakes without the permission of the other. the bbc�*s tim allman reports. they were just about the most famous couple in hollywood. but when their love story reached its unhappy ending, it wasn't just their romantic relationship that hit the rocks. the two hollywood stars shared ownership of this chateau and vineyard in southeast france. they kept hold of the asset, even after their divorce. but now angelina jolie has sold up, and brad pitt isn't happy about it. according to court documents, his lawyers claim thatjolie

consummated the purported sale without pitt's knowledge, denying pitt the consent right she owed him, and that the new owners would seek to control the business to which pitt had devoted himself, and to undermine pitt's investment in miraval. angelina jolie has the upper hand. she is a shareholder and — notwithstanding brad pitt's arguments that he put in more money, he put in more time and he put in more effort into the winery — she is still a part—owner entitled to sell her shares. guys, nice photo together, please! according to reports, angelina jolie had tried to sell her stake to her former husband, but a deal could not be reached. she therefore looked to a third party — believed to be a russian billionaire. no longer husband and wife, no longer business partners. anyone hoping to savour some brangelina rose will be more than a little disappointed. tim allman, bbc news.

let's return to storm eunice. as the worst of the storm hit britain, tens of thousands were glued to big jet tv — a live youtube stream of planes trying to land at heathrow airport — as david sillito has been finding out. it has been, shall we say, an interesting day to be an air passengerflying into heathrow. easy, easy, easy. go on, son! and watching it all and providing a live commentary on the extraordinary skills being displayed, big jet tv live. it has been a day to marvel at the skills of pilots as they've navigated these extraordinary winds, and following it minute by minute has been jerry here on big jet tv. it's been quite a day. this cockpit footage from qatar airways. 200,000 watched. touched down, at the third attempt. bosh!

and in the cabin of this ba flight, you can feel the relief. applause. very, very skilled individuals. this is where their training and their years of experience... i say years of experience — some of them are sprogs, aren't they, young pilots who haven't been flying for very long? but, you know, they do a greatjob. crabbing. look at him crabbing, man. "crabbing", "vectoring" — jerry's new viewers have been introduced to all sorts of new terms on a day when pilots have truly proved their mettle, and one that many passengers won't forget in a hurry. david sillito, bbc news, heathrow. go on, lad. oh, yes! terrifying and incredible in equal measures! you can reach me on twitter — i'm @ rich preston

hello there. storm eunice turned out to be every bit as powerful and damaging as anticipated. this storm swirled its way eastwards across the uk, with the strongest winds on its southern flank, across the southern half of the uk. the strongest gust, at needles on the isle of wight, was 122 mph, provisionally the strongest wind gust ever recorded in england, but plenty of other places, including gatwick and heathrow airport, had their strongest winds in around 15 or 20 years. and further north, winds were less of a feature, but snow came down, turning parts of scotland into a winter wonderland. now, our storm system is sliding quickly away eastwards, but there is more unsettled weather on the way for the weekend. we will have more wet and windy

weather, but nothing quite as stormy as we've seen over the last 2a hours or so. so, during saturday, outbreaks of rain pushing in from the west, snow over high ground in wales, the north midlands, north england, potentially even to low levels. some snow for parts of northern ireland and southern scotland as well. gales accompanying this weather feature across some southern and western coasts. there will be some sunshine to be had as well, temperatures north to south between 4 and 11 degrees. and then during saturday night, this first area of rain clears away eastwards, still some residual rain and snow moving across scotland, and then a more active weather system moves in from the west, heavy rain and once again some strengthening winds. but with that cloud, with the outbreaks of rain, it will be turning really quite mild as we head into the first part of sunday morning. for sunday, we find ourselves between these two weather fronts in an area of windy, cloudy and at times wet weather but mild weather. that could melt some of the snow in scotland. that could cause flooding issues. and through the afternoon,

we will see cloud and rain continuing to affect parts of england and wales, especially around western hills. brighter skies with showers, some wintry for northern ireland and scotland. gusty winds again, 40, 50, 60 miles per hour or more in the most exposed spots. not as windy as it has been, but it could hamper any clear—up operations. temperatures, 10 to 1a degrees, although i think northern areas will turn chillier as the day wears on. so the weekend summed up like this. more wet and windy weather, not as severe as it has been. but you can keep up—to—date with the latest weather warnings on our website.

this is bbc news, the headlines.

president biden says he's convinced that the russian president vladimir putin has made the decision to invade ukraine — with an attack on kyiv expected in the coming days. mr biden said the united states and its allies would stand together in full support of the people of ukraine. nine people have been killed as storm eunice left a trail of destruction across parts of northern europe. deaths were reported in the netherlands, belgium, britain and ireland — many of the victims crushed by falling trees. gusts of close to 200kmph have been recorded. canadian police have made at least a hundred arrests as they move to end a truck drivers�* blockade of the capital 0ttawa. more than 20 vehicles have been towed away. drivers spent the last three weeks protesting against mandatory coronavirus vaccinations to cross into the united states. now on bbc news, our rome correspondent mark lowen

investigates how italy is failing to tackle the scourge of clerical sex abuse.