welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines: as russian missiles continue to bombard ukraine, the mayor of kherson confirms his city is the first to fall under the control of russian soldiers. officials say more than 2,000 civilians have died since russia's invasion began. russian forces attack by land and air. ukraine's president, says moscow is acting "beyond humanity. " translation: they have in order

to erase our _ translation: they have in order to erase our history, _ translation: they have in order to erase our history, to _ translation: they have in order to erase our history, to erase - to erase our history, to erase our country, to erase us all. more people try to flee the fighting, nearly 900,000 people have taken shelter in neighbouring countries. and, chelsea's owner, roman abramovich, who denies links to the russian state, puts the premier league football club up for sale. hello and welcome to newsday. seven days after russia began its invasion of ukraine, russian soldiers have taken the ukrainian port city of kherson. it's the first city to have fallen under the control of the invading forces. russia has continued its attacks on other cities too. ukranian authorities say

there has been heavy fire on the cities of kharkiv, near the russian border, and mariupol, which lies to the south, around a hundred kilometres from crimea. ukraine says more than 2,000 civilians have been killed since the invasion began. meanwhile russia has for the first time acknowledged military casualties, confirming nearly 500 deaths, and three times that number being injured. we begin our coverage with this report from our international correspondent orla guerin, on the russian advance towards the capital, kyiv. in broad daylight, danger just outside the window. this is the town of borodyanka, about 25 miles from kyiv. as the russians advance on the city, they are leaving a trail of destruction. translation: they know nothing about our capital, i about our history. but they have an order — to erase our history, to erase our country,

to erase us all. and here, west of kyiv, the aftermath of a deadly missile attack in the town of zhytomyr. the target may have been an air base nearby, but family homes were destroyed. oleg stands calmly in the rubble, but he has lost his wife. "she was the light of my life," he says. "she's the best thing that's happened to me. "but i'm trying to keep myself together because of one reason — "i still have parents and a daughter." they're telling people to stay inside. they're shooting in the air. you hear the sounds. and a glimpse of street—to—street fighting in kherson on the black sea. tonight, russia appears to have

captured the port city. the mayor says he just asked for people not to be shot. and in the capital today, sirens wail in deserted streets... ..that echo fear and dread... ..so liliya romanova and her daughters have gotten used to going below ground. victoria and olena have learned to dress quickly and run and how to play war games. translation: on the second day, the children woke up and made - pistols with their lego, to kill the enemy. our elder daughter doesn't remember dancing any more. they say they must kill.

it shouldn't be like this. it can't be like this. people are dying, cities are on fire. it's not normal. but i will not leave my country, i will not move. neither will my children. in the face of all this, as war closes in, liliya is doing what parents do — trying to put on a brave face for the sake of her girls. translation: you keep yourself in hand until the very last - moment. when you hear the national anthem, you start to cry. even children are singing it, young children. and that's the moment when you can't control yourself. and you don't want your children to see you crying, because they are worried

and they start crying with you. liliya shows me photos of better days... ..when her daughters wore party dresses and won prizes for dancing. olena will be four soon and knows she won't get a birthday present. she told her mum, "that's ok — you can get me one later." victoria remains silent, her childhood changed forever. orla guerin, bbc news, kyiv. so much has changed for people in ukraine in that city of kherson. for more on this, i'm joined now by mark lobel in london. what more can you tell us

about the situation in kherson? yes, picking up on what orla was saying about kherson, if we can just show you some pictures of russian tanks rolling through that city on tuesday, what appears to be the first major city to fall to russian forces, it is a fluid situation, ukrainian forces could push back on that but right now it is an important city because it is a regional centre as you can see, north of crimea. it sits on a strategic position at the mouth of the river that reaches the black sea and the reason we are saying it has been taken is because of a statement from the mayor, saying:

and to underline the new rules that they are under, he said that they are under, he said that there will be a curfew from eight until six, only because with food and medicine can enter the city and finally said that citizens were being asked to walk one by one and to stop at first demand to show that nobody was a risk. it is really a changing scene across the country as you can see and feel just the country as you can see and feeljust by hearing these stories and if you look at the situation in the north—east, this is how the business of war is being conducted there. this is being conducted there. this is a vision by the russian military to discuss a takeover, it is tense, you can see the residents are surrounding the soldiers who have raised arms,

one of them is holding a grenade. after that meeting between the mayor and those trips he addressed a crowd of residents and said that there was an ultimatum with artillery aimed at the city, do they all agree to surrender or will they fight the russians? the man says he is bullfighting but he outlined the risks to the crowd and one response from the crowd is to evacuate the women. the city is under ukrainian control at the moment, one wonders whether it's going to be a decision for close combat in the city, whether they are going to wait and see what happens if they do nothing or if they do decide to surrender. in the meantime after that a video message hasjust been released by president zelenskiy in which he urges ukrainians to keep up the fight. and as you point out the situation is so fluid there are, day by day changing of course. you've painted the picture of what the scene is like on the ground for

people in ukraine trying to fight back against the russians, what about the russians, what about the russian troops themselves, what is the status of them?— is the status of them? their tactics in — is the status of them? their tactics in order _ is the status of them? their tactics in order to _ is the status of them? their tactics in order to get - is the status of them? their tactics in order to get that l is the status of them? their| tactics in order to get that is like that to surrender our based on theory, no doubt. in the past hour and a half there have been four explosions in the capital, in kyiv. we're just going play you one now. two of those explosions in the city centre and two by a metro station and remember those pictures of the convoy which we can remind you of now? this is a huge line of troops that haven't moved in 24—48 hours but it is on the outskirts of the capital, but not everything is going to plan, it does the capital, but not everything is going a o plan, it does the capital, but not everything is going a mixed it does the capital, but not everything is going a mixed picture. here

still might be looking for further help in order to help its war effort, perhaps underestimating the resistance they have received from the ukrainian people.— they have received from the ukrainian people. indeed, thank ou for ukrainian people. indeed, thank you for keeping _ ukrainian people. indeed, thank you for keeping us _ ukrainian people. indeed, thank you for keeping us up-to-date l you for keeping us up—to—date with all the latest developments. the international criminal court has opened a war crimes investigation into russia's invasion of ukraine. the court's chief prosecutor karim khan put out an announcement saying: "active investigations formally

commence in the ukraine situation, upon receipt of referrals by 39 states". that's the most countries ever to ask the court to investigate. the uk, france and germany are among them. the icc has now begun collecting evidence, and will investigate past and present "allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide committed on any part of the territory of ukraine". a russian missile strike on the city of kharkiv in eastern ukraine on tuesday is likely to be among the incidents investigated. rocket fire and air strikes have killed 21 people there in the past 2a hours. many of the city's residents have fled south to the city of dnipro. a warning, there are some distressing images, in sarah rainsford's report. a university folding in flames, in a war that is against all

logic and reason. the attack on kharkiv is intensifying every day and these targets are not military at all. the city council was hit today. a whole street left in ruins and from the wreckage of people's homes, rescuers bring out a survivor. it is why so many in kharkiv have moved underground to hide in basements and bunkers. we spoke to polina's parents yesterday, the three—year—old whose cancer medication is running out. today the family made a dash across town to the station, anxious to get the girl who was already been through so much to safety. she said there were so many people at the station, she didn't know whether they would make it onto a train. translation: we whether they would make it onto a train. translation:— a train. translation: we are really worried. _ a train. translation: we are really worried. i _ a train. translation: we are really worried. i am _ a train. translation: we are really worried. i am always - really worried. i am always scared i'm doing the wrong thing. eitherstaying scared i'm doing the wrong thing. either staying at home or coming here where there is a

huge crowd. wejust or coming here where there is a huge crowd. we just go or coming here where there is a huge crowd. wejust go back or coming here where there is a huge crowd. we just go back and forth and i have no idea what's right. forth and i have no idea what's riuht. �* ., ., , right. and the danger zone is curowin. right. and the danger zone is growing- this _ right. and the danger zone is growing. this hospital- right. and the danger zone is growing. this hospital was i right. and the danger zone is | growing. this hospital was hit in the south—east. but in a nearby city, nerves are being tested across this region here in dnipro we found families trying to evacuate the youngest and most vulnerable. this train has just pulled into the station and all this crowd know is that it is supposed to be heading west, shouting at the women and children to come through first but there is chaos here are. people desperate to get on board. we have been _ desperate to get on board. - have been here a few days and

here may be kyiv, kharkiv, may be better to leave. i here may be kyiv, kharkiv, may be better to leave.— be better to leave. i love you, this father _ be better to leave. i love you, this father tells a child. - be better to leave. i love you, this father tells a child. he - this father tells a child. he will now stay to face the russian troops. no—one can hide their emotion today. i asked this man where he is sending his family. translation: to a better life. _ his family. translation: to a better life, he _ his family. translation: to a better life, he says. _ his family. translation: to a better life, he says. outside i better life, he says. outside we found a _ better life, he says. outside we found a family _ better life, he says. outside we found a family who - better life, he says. outside we found a family who had l better life, he says. outside i we found a family who had just emerged from their bomb shelter now trying to flee aboard. — a breaks down, telling me they don't want to abandon the city but she doesn't want to see her children see people getting killed. her own mother says they have left everything. after 65 years in this town, she has no idea whether she will be back. dnipro isn't

under attack but to its people, the risk of that feels very real. ukraine is still resisting, pushing back but it is trying to protect everyone it can. sarah rainsford, bbc news. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: the russian billionaire roman abramovich who denies to vladimir putin says he is selling the chelsea foot all club. first, the plates slid gently off the restaurant tables. then suddenly, the tables, the chairs and people crashed sideways and downwards. it was just a matter of seconds as the ferry lurched onto her side. the hydrogen bomb on a remote pacific atoll. the americans had successfully tested a weapon whose explosive force dwarfed that of the bomb dropped on hiroshima.

i had heard the news earlier, and so, my heart went bang, bang, bang! i the constitutional rights of these marchers are their rights as citizens of the united states and they should be protected, even in the right to test them out, so that they don't get their heads broken and are sent to hospital. this religious controversy — i know you don't want to say too much about it — but does it worry you that it's going to boil up when you get the states? well, it bothers me, yes, but i hope everything will be all right - in the end, as they say. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma vaswani in singapore. our headlines: the mayor of kherson confirms his city is the first to fall under the control of russian soldiers. ukranian ofiicials say more than 2000 civilians have died since russia's invasion began.

facing global condemnation, russia hope to rely on some of its original partners but china abstained during a special session of the un general assembly. separately, the chinese foreign minister has expressed chinese's willingness to play the role of mediator. a chinese without from the colts says... —— call. china analyst at the centre for strategic and international studies says china's intention are clear. i would say that china has not

chosen a side in this. it has clearly chosen russia's side in terms of its description, including the readout you mentioned and all readout of calls with various counterparts. it says this primarily as an expansion issue and refuses to call it an invasion instead using it as moscow's language to describe it as a special military operation and continues to abstain at the un. the first point i would make, it is clear what ageing is trying to both support russia all the while trying to mitigate some of the damage now that the invasion that putin has lodged has gone catastrophically wrong. haifa that putin has lodged has gone catastrophically wrong. how can president putin _ catastrophically wrong. how can president putin depend - catastrophically wrong. how can president putin depend on i president putin depend on china? we have seen some economic results but what is it

that russia needs from beijing at this time? that russia needs from bei'ing at this time?i at this time? after the 24th of february. _ at this time? after the 24th of february. it — at this time? after the 24th of february, it needs _ at this time? after the 24th of february, it needs a _ at this time? after the 24th of february, it needs a whole i at this time? after the 24th of february, it needs a whole lot| february, it needs a whole lot more. the relationship between beijing and moscow has been steadily improving for three decades. that is the most important point. as a china's power militarily and canonically has grown, the distance between russia and china has grown as well. after the annexation of crimea, in 2014, it extended a lifeline to moscow, through purchases of russian energy importantly. the question is, how much of a hand is beijing going to extend to putin an as we have seen with the extraordinary array of sanctions internationally coming to back, putin will be leaning on xijinping over the

next days, months. how far will beijing go in terms of offering support. this is not 2014 so there is much more scrutiny on beijing? actions. it has a deteriorating relationship with europe and the united states and if beijing goes far in supporting moscow or mitigating some of the effects of the sanctions, beijing is going to get blowback from that. which is why we see beijing adopting a bit of an edge position here. that was a china analyst at the centre of strategic and international studies speaking to me earlier. more anti—war protests have been taking place in russia. these pictures show a rest at a demonstration in saint petersburg. russia's claim down on any protests against its military action in ukraine with thousands detained since the start of the invasion. let's take a look at some other stories in the headlines.

nearly 200 countries have agreed to start negotiations on an international agreement to take action against pollution caused by plastic. the decision to draw up a global plastics treaty was made at a meeting of the un environment assembly in nairobi. it will look to set rules for the production, use and disposal of plastics. bottom line is, we will eliminate plastic pollution from our environment and that is critical. western australia has become the country's final state to re—open its borders, after closing them to prevent the spread of covid—i9. vaccinated people can now travel there, for the first time since april 2020. one of hong kong's most prominent lawyers has left the territory after reports that he'd been interviewed by the national security police. paul harris, a british barrister, led the hong kong bar association, a professional body that seeks to maintain the territory's judicial independence. beijing officials had accused

mr harris of being anti—china, after he criticised aspects of the national security law. the owner of chelsea football club the russian businessman roman abramovich says he's planning to sell the club which he has owned for the past 19 years. last week the uk parliament was told of a leaked government document referring to mr abramovich as having links to the russian state, links which he denies. our correspondent laura scott reports. there wasn't even time to tell the players before the news broke that, after nearly 20 years owning in chelsea, russian billionaire roman abramovich has decided to sell. in a statement, he said he felt it was in the best interests of the club in the current situation. he said he'd instructed his team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated and this

would benefit all victims of the war in ukraine. abramovich said he wouldn't be calling in the £1.5 billion the club owes him. but for some, there was a gaping hole in what he said. there's still, still no condemnation from roman or the club about what's happening in ukraine. abramovich's departure is a seismic moment but not entirely unexpected, coming after mounting calls for the government to sanction him. he's a person of interest to the home office because of his links to the russian state and his public association with corrupt activity and practices. abramovich has always denied doing anything to warrant sanctions, but some will see this as an attempt to secure the club's future before any possible sanctions come his way. chelsea have been transformed into a footballing force under abramovich, winning 19 major trophies — little wonder, then, that some supporters are sad to see him go. absolutely gutted, mate.

but he's done it for the right reasons. we know he has. british government put a target on his back, and everybody's on him now. obviously it's very i sad what is happening in the ukraine, but at the end of the day, i i think football comes second, doesn't it? i abramovich has already been approached by potential buyers, but will he get the £3 billion he reportedly wants for the club? i think that is unlikely to be achieved, but if you are looking for a trophy asset, something to show off to your compatriots, to your friends, then chelsea has an awful lot of attraction. chelsea celebrated another success tonight, but as bidders swirl around stamford bridge, questions do too over how this club will fare as it enters a new era. laura scott, bbc news. that's all for now. thank you forjoining us. state

with bbc news for the latest updates on the ukrainian conflict. hello there. on wednesday, we saw the thicker cloud moving further north across the uk, bringing with it some rain and some drizzle. there was still some sunshine across northern parts of scotland, over eight hours of sunshine, actually, in shetland. but thursday starting cloudy pretty much everywhere, quite misty and murky. as a result of the cloud, though, it's frost—free this time. but we do have a band of rain that's been pushing its way in from the west. that should be clearing away from northern ireland. it'll clear up here with some sunshine and a scattering of showers, but you can see how slowly that rain moves into scotland, into northwest of england, across wales, eventually into the west midlands and into the west country, allowing some late sunshine in the far southwest of england and wales. and ahead of that ragged band of rain, eastern parts of england should have a drier, brighter day on thursday, maybe some sunshine

in the southeast of england, lifting temperatures to a milder 12 degrees. the weather front is bringing this rain in from the west. it's moving so slowly eastwards that, eventually, it'll grind to a halt and then start to move back toward the west. by the time we get to friday, most of that rain and drizzle will be affecting the eastern side of scotland, northeast england, through parts of yorkshire, into the midlands and perhaps into the southeast of england, meaning some sunshine is still possible in east anglia. out towards the west, this is where we should see some brighter skies, some spells of sunshine. still a scattering of light showers for wales, northern ireland and the southwest. underneath that cloud, low cloud and rain and drizzle, it'll feel quite cold. into the weekend, we should see more sunshine developing more widely as the weekend progresses, but it will still be quite chilly. a frosty start for scotland and northern ireland. sunshine here on saturday. that weather front is still bringing this cloud and patchy light rain and drizzle for england and wales. starts to move back to the west, so we should get some sunshine through lincolnshire, east anglia and the southeast of england during the afternoon. temperatures around 10 degrees at best, but only 6

or so in the northeast of england. we got higher pressure bringing the sunshine for scotland and northern ireland, and that's going to build across that weather front. it'll continue to weaken it. it'll continue to dry it out as well. and we should see some brighter skies. again, a frosty start, though, for scotland and northern ireland, some sunshine here. always a bit more cloud, i think, for england and wales, but it will be lifting a bit. skies should be brighter. we should see some sunshine and it's likely to be dry across england and wales on sunday, but still not particularly warm, temperatures typically around 8 or 9 celsius.

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