this is bbc news, i'm ben thompson, with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. ukraine's humanitarian crisis deepens, with tens of thousands of civilians trapped in cities under near—consta nt russian shellfire. there is a fair amount of incoming fire coming into this land, artillery fire. there are loads of civilians around. ukraine's president condemns the attacks, saying those responsible for deliberate murder would never be forgiven. who controls the country's largest nuclear power station? the head of the international atomic energy agency expresses his concerns.

we travel with some of the refugees heading west, leaving their homes and belongings, looking for safety. ukraine's young cancer patients, evacuated to poland, fighting a battle for survival on two fronts. and, asian stock markets fall as the price of oil continues to rise, as the war enters its twelfth day. hello to you, a warm welcome to the programme. ukraine's president, volodymyr zelenskiy, has angrily condemned russian military attacks that have targeted civilians. in a video address, mr zelenskiy said those responsible for the deliberate murder of ukrainians would never be forgiven. tens of thousands of civilians are trapped in cities under near—constant

russian shellfire. they lack food and other most basic needs. in kyiv, the ukrainian army has been reinforcing its defences as the russian military continues its attacks to the north of the capital. the towns of bucha, hostomel and irpin have been under heavy bombardment. and some people trying to flee the fighting have been killed by russian mortar fire. our senior international correspondentjeremy bowen spent sunday in irpin — and i must warn you, there are some distressing details and images in his report. distant explosions. russian shelling might break ukraine's will to fight — but not yet. davay, davay. they have to keep moving. until the last minute, these families had hung on. leaving your home, even in a war, is a giant step. they're heading towards the capital, still almost untouched, but only about ten miles away. she was as dignified as a woman

striding to the park. in fact, like all of ukraine and russia, they are struggling into a dark future. ukrainian troops were moving back into irpin, and this is why its people left. shell zips past. journalists tried to help the casualties. a family, mother, father and children were killed. this was inside the town, russia's target as its tries to revive its offensive. the civilians are getting out over what's left of a bridge that was blown to slow down the russians if they take irpin. civilians are supposed to be protected by the laws of war.

russian shells were very close. shouting, explosions. stopping was not an option. "i'm 0k," she said. "keep going." a disabled man couldn't make it up the steep river bank on his own. there's a fair amount of incoming fire coming into this now — artillery fire. there are loads of civilians around. families coming out. there's a lady over there with her dog following on. this is the edge of the town that the russians have got to. explosions, shouting. civilians were in the firing line, but the russians might have been trying to knock out nearby active ukrainian artillery. casualties and evacuees were taken to an assembly point in a suburb about a mile away.

they were still in range of russian guns but for now, relatively safe. vladimir, 85, a 30—year veteran of the soviet army got his family out. "i served for many years," he said. "right now, i'd tear those fascists into pieces. "they're killing people for no reason. "that's what's really painful." on the way out, families grabbed their most precious things — puppies, pets, some comfort. tell me what it was like crossing the bridge and getting out of the town? oh, it was a miserable feeling. we are nervous. i was terrified. it was... it was, it was the horrible, horrible way. they moved on into the capital. this was a terrible day, but the russian military is operating on half power.

if it can build up full momentum, there will be many days worse than this. jeremy bowen, bbc news, kyiv. for the second day in a row, an attempt to evacuate 400,000 residents from the besieged city of mariupol in south—eastern ukraine has failed. a planned ceasefire broke down with both sides blaming each other. 0ur correspondent sarah rainsford is in the city of dnipro, where officials had been preparing to welcome those fleeing from mariupol. when night falls, they keep the lights off here, in the hope that'll hide them from the russian bombs. families who fled the fighting in kharkiv to a nearby town, still too close to feel safe. this is me and my friends in the metro. 15—year—old nika has left behind her city, her friends and the father she loves, and she's struggling. oh, thank god i'm alive. i can't sleep normally —

i am sleeping two or three hours every day because i heard bangs and i'm afraid. i start shaking because i think they're here and it's very bad. it's not only kharkiv under attack. in volnovakha to the south—east, whole streets are in ruins. the fighting was meant to stop today to give civilians chance to get out. but a local mp told me russian forces had broken the ceasefire for a second day. russia said it would provide a safe corridor, this man said, but they were firing along the route. gunfire. and there was no let—up at all in mariupol. imagine living under this ..with no power and little water now, orfood. so the buses that were sent to

rescue thousands stood empty. translation: in the first days of the war, we counted dozens of dead. now it's hundreds and it'll soon be thousands. but they don't even give us a chance to count, because the shelling hasn't stopped for six days. people were supposed to be bused here, three hours north, to zaporizhzhia, still firmly under ukrainian control. there is no shelling here yet, but it's too quiet, almost deserted. we spotted armed police doing spot checks. then, one patrol yelled at us to pull over. three armed officers pointed their guns at us, made us open the car doors, wanted to check who we were. they asked us to put our hands in the air. once they saw we were journalists they were fine, but it is getting really nervy here. the fear comes before the fighting, but both are now spreading here every day. sarah rainsford, bbc

news, zaporizhzhia. the head of the un's nuclear watchdog says he's extremely concerned about reported communication difficulties between the ukrainian regulator and nuclear sites under russian control. rafael grossi said the ukrainian authorities were having trouble contacting staff at the zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the biggest in the country. a relative of someone working inside the chernobyl has spoken to the bbc. that facility was taken by russian forces over a week ago. we've called her �*valerie�*, which is not her real name, to protect her identity. she described the situation. the conditions are kind of concerning right now. they are fed only once a day, it is very simple food, they can't sleep normally because first of all they have two work, basically 24/7 because they have to keep maintaining the plant working

properly. almost all their moves are controlled. they are not interrupted if they are working but they can't move freely, theyjust always have to be watched by a russian army. so how worried should we be? joseph cirincione is a nuclear policy expert at the quincy institute for responsible statecraft in washington. we should be very worried. 0perating we should be very worried. operating a nuclear power plant under the best of circumstances is a tricky business. these guys are not homer simpson, they are trained engineers, technicians, they take it very seriously. it is a delicate situation stopping the technicians at chernobyl or three mile island didn't intend to cause a nuclear catastrophe, something went wrong. and here you have these operators operating at gunpoint under the command of a russian military officer who knows nothing about nuclear power plants, haven't

been able to communicate with theirfamilies, haven't had been able to communicate with their families, haven't had a shift change since thursday, operating under duress, it is a recipe for disaster. you can't shut them down and we understand that several of the actors at this site are shut down but however that has consequences stopping number one you are now cutting off electric supply through ukraine which is dangerous in itself and second, even when you shut it down it is still dangerous. as fuel rods don't turn off like a lightbulb, they are a hot for months or days so you have to keep the coolant either in the reactor or the fuel ponds which are also at the site, unprotected, no containment, no protection whatsoever. if that coolant system breaks down, if you stop pumping the water in, or if an artillery shell hits one of the spent fuel ponds than you are looking at those reactor rods quickly super heating and melting down. that is how you get a meltdown, that is how you get a meltdown, that is how you get a meltdown, that is how you get a major release of

radioactive gases in the ground, in the water supply and in the air. as the fighting intensifies, buses and trains continue to arrive in the western ukrainian city of lviv, as people leave their homes and belongings, and prepare to seek sanctuary elsewhere. our special correspondent fergal keane has been travelling with some of those who've fled. the young men have been working all night. they try to bring some chair to the old woman. it was our service, theyjoked, let me get you tea or coffee. it spares none, this war. not the old, the young, or the sick. these children from kharkiv are orphans. they have special needs and serious health conditions.

their distress is difficult to watch. but it is an essential truth of the war�*s destruction for those who are their carers. translation: it's very deplorable. we are being bombed from morning till night. we've been in the bomb shelter all this time, all the kids, all of them. this is what they are fleeing. the destruction that's broken the calm, ordered life they knew. uprooting a million people so far. —— uprooting a million and a half people so far. the bus is heading to the polish border. care and nurturing travel with them. translation: we are tired

and you hear how the children behave, they also want calm, silence, cosiness and warmth. what do these children mean to you? translation: many people ask me why i do this job. ifeel that i'm needed here. just when you think that this war cannot get any more obscene in the way that it ruptures human lives no matter how young, it does. and sobering, sad thought is that it will continue to do so. they've been travelling 30 hours already, there are many more hours ahead. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: get me to the checkpoint on time — why armed conflict didn't stop this couple from tying the knot.

the numbers of dead and wounded defied belief. this, the worst terrorist atrocity on european soil in modern times. in less than 24 hours, then, the soviet union lost an elderly, sick leader, and replaced him with a dynamic figure 20 years his junior. we heard these gunshots in the gym. _ then he came out| through a fire exit and started firing shots. god, we were all petrified. james earl ray, aged 41, sentenced to 99 years and due for parole when he's 90, travelled from memphis jail to nashville state prison in an eight—car convoy. reporter: paul, what's it feel like to be married at last? - it feels fine, thank you. what are you going to do now? is it going to change your life much, do you think? i don't know, really — _ i've never been married before.

this is bbc news. the latest headlines: ukraine's president condemns russian military attacks that have targeted civilians. volodomyr zelensky said those responsible for the deliberate murder of his people would never be forgiven. the international atomic energy agency says it's concerned about reports ukrainian authorities are having trouble contacting staff at nuclear plants now under russian control. more than 1.5 million people have now left ukraine since the conflict began according to the united nations. they've described it as the fastest—growing refugee crisis since the second world war. some of those fleeing have acute needs — with cancer patients having to leave their hospitals with treatment interrupted as they seek safety elsewhere in europe. our correspondent mark lowen

has been hearing some of their stories in poland. they, too, are the fighters of a debilitating disease made deadlier by the war they've fled. ukraine's young cancer patients evacuated to poland, victims of a battle on two fronts. taken to a hotel to be examined, the most urgent to be sent to hospitals here and across europe. "our hearts are tearing from pain," says this lady. "my son always says he's fine, but we need to continue his treatment. the trauma whole families torn from their homes at the most difficult time. olivia was born a day

before russia's invasion. alexi has a brain tumour and is weak from the journey. he had three operations and then he had therapy. but he didn't complete therapy because the war started. the next morning, they wait for triage. the days to get here perilous for some. well, this isjust a desperately sad situation. children who are safe from the war but now plunged back into danger with their illness. rushing to resume treatment that's been broken off. this is a conflict that is killing, uprooting and now threatening the most vulnerable. the one doctor is overwhelmed. she checks 12—year—old andrei, whose soft tissue cancer has spread to his lungs. this is a very serious situation.

are there patients who you think could die from having to have everything interrupted like this? yes, just. most of these kids are in a life—threatening situation and any kind of delay of their treatment is very bad for them. this, of all places, is little andrei's first ever trip abroad. "i miss my home and my grandma and grandpa" he says. "at least here we don't have to run into shelters, "because that was scary and hard. " as volunteers from germany take the first children to a hospital there, more arrive. the cruelty of one man's war now forcing them to battle. mark lowen, bbc news, central poland. american express has joined visa and mastercard

in shutting down its operations in russia and belarus. netflix has also stopped its service in russia, and tiktok has suspended all new video uploads and livestreams there. the video—sharing app said in a statement, "it had no other choice", after russia introduced its new �*fake news�* law, that's aimed at limiting information about its invasion of ukraine. during an emergency parliamentary session on ukraine last week, germany's chancellor, olaf scholz, announced drastic measures that would have been previously unthinkable — including an additional $113 billion for the german army. it's arguably one of the biggest shifts ever seen in germany's post—war foreign policy. olaf scholz, announced drastic measures that would have been previously unthinkable — including an additional $113 billion for the german army. it's arguably one of the biggest shifts ever seen in germany's post—war foreign policy. but in a recent poll, 78% of germans agree

with the transformation in foreign policy. appalled by war this is a nation shaking off its past. a climate activist now sees a new threat to her future. climate activist now sees a new threat to herfuture. as children we were told europe is safe, we have a safe space. we are in peace. — safe, we have a safe space. we are in peace. we _ safe, we have a safe space. - are in peace, we are secure. and this has changed quickly. new german generation politically engaged are war and against the oil and gas proven profits from. what is clear that the war in a space of a few days is changing germany profoundly, new approaches are being adopted fast. in the parliament policy some decades old have been ditched. the chancellor suspending a key pipeline almost ready to pump gas from russia. arms are going to ukraine and 100 billion

euros will be spent to upgrade the military. in berlin, memories of the world wars germany unleashed are everywhere. what's left of the railway station from where in the holocaust dues were transported to their deaths. the memorial to the millions of russian soldiers who died to defeat germany, in recent times german a—league thought they could partner russia. no more. we have seen this assumption as long as we stick to diplomacy and engaging with russia they will also engage with us and refrain, from taking military action, from threatening the european security order, i think this conviction is now shattered. think this conviction is now shattered-— think this conviction is now shattered. ., ., ., . shattered. the world that once divided berlin _ shattered. the world that once divided berlin is _ shattered. the world that once divided berlin is gone, - divided berlin is gone, replaced by a population that has grown comfortable. so germany has prosperity, but no longer the certainties that underpinned it.—

longer the certainties that underpinned it. this means a more realpolitik _ underpinned it. this means a more realpolitik approach - underpinned it. this means a more realpolitik approach to | more realpolitik approach to foreign policy not one on visions and dreams and aspirations, and i think that is not a bad thing for germany in these turbulent, global and european times.— in these turbulent, global and european times. polls show more than two-thirds _ european times. polls show more than two-thirds of— european times. polls show more than two-thirds of germans - european times. polls show more than two-thirds of germans back| than two—thirds of germans back the shift. for some, than two—thirds of germans back the shift. forsome, it's than two—thirds of germans back the shift. for some, it's not enough, others are uneasy at germany rearming. it is enough, others are uneasy at germany rearming.— enough, others are uneasy at germany rearming. it is way too much. germany rearming. it is way too much- way _ germany rearming. it is way too much- way too _ germany rearming. it is way too much. way too little, _ germany rearming. it is way too much. way too little, way - germany rearming. it is way too much. way too little, way too i much. way too little, way too slow. much. way too little, way too slow we _ much. way too little, way too slow. we have _ much. way too little, way too slow. we have to _ much. way too little, way too slow. we have to remember. much. way too little, way too - slow. we have to remember these people _ slow. we have to remember these people in— slow. we have to remember these people in ukraine right now are fighting — people in ukraine right now are fighting and dying for our values _ fighting and dying for our values as well.— fighting and dying for our values as well. ., , ., ., , values as well. european values in defence _ values as well. european values in defence of _ values as well. european values in defence of which _ values as well. european values in defence of which a _ values as well. european values in defence of which a new- in defence of which a new germany is awakening. damien grammatical is, bbc news, bellin. well, as we've just seen, the russian invasion of ukraine is causing chaos for millions of people. and yet, in the midst of all this, two people on the front line have decided they will not let a war get in the way of their own plans for life, as the bbc�*s

tim allman explains. meet lesya and valeri — bride and groom, defenders of ukraine. no dress, no tuxedo but still, there were flowers, a veil, and confetti. singing. the ceremony taking place at a checkpoint in kyiv. they've been together for 20 years and never saw any reason to tie the knot, but a military invasion does tend to focus the mind. translation: we decided to get married because we live in challenging times and you never know what's going to happen to you tomorrow. translation: we must live in the moment. many people talk about it, but just a few people live according to this rule. to remain sane, we need to live in the moment. both are members of ukraine's territorial defence unit, and the service was carried out by a military chaplain. laughter. there was champagne, a wedding breakfast, and even a cake.

one imagines, not much chance of a honeymoon, and an uncertain fate for them and their country. but, despite it all, a day they will never forget. a russian gymnast is under investigation because of what the international gymnastics federation called his �*shocking behaviour�* at the world cup in doha. after earning a bronze medal in the parallel bars final, ivan kuliak taped a letter �*z�* to his chest when he went to the podium to stand next to the winner, ukrainian illia kovtun. the letter �*z�* has become symbolic of russia's invasion of ukraine and has been seen painted on the sides of tanks and military vehicles. it's also being worn by pro—war politicians in russia. all the latest business headlines coming up for you, and just a moment.

you can reach me on twitter. i'm @bbcbenthompson. hello. the weekend brought as a lot of dry weather with variable amounts of sunshine but the cloud did tend to break up more later on sunday, so we've had clear spells through sunday night and that means certainly a cold start to monday morning. so, a widespread frost to start off this working week but a lot of dry and sunny weather on the cards, at least for the next 24 hours or so. so, temperatures first thing monday, then, may be as low as low as —5 or even —6 across parts of scotland. very cold for northern england, northern ireland, down into the midlands as well. a little less cold in the far south, where we've got a bit of a breeze blowing through the morning. but there will be more sunshine compared to the weekend across many southern and eastern parts of england. elsewhere, a little bit of patchy cloud drifting across wales, northern ireland, northern england, southern scotland, too, but it is looking dry.

it's not going to feel particularly warm — still a bit of a breeze coming in an easterly direction — and temperatures at best on monday afternoon only between around about 7—9 degrees for most of us, so despite a lot of spring sunshine around, it isn't going to feel particularly warm for this time of year. but dry with light winds, a pleasant day ahead on monday. as we move through monday evening and overnight into tuesday, there will be a few areas of cloud drifting from south to north but still, some long, clear spells, so another cold night. probably temperatures not quite as low first thing tuesday as they are first thing monday morning but still, a widespread frost for tuesday morning. things are set to change a little bit through the day on tuesday because we've got a weather front approaching from the west, so high pressure easing off towards the east. that means the breeze is going to be picking up. we are going to see more cloud rolling in from the west and some rain for northern ireland and western parts of britain later in the day. eastern scotland, eastern england should stay dry with some sunshine all day and it'll turn a little bit less cold, so we're starting to see some of those temperatures back up into double figures on tuesday. looking ahead towards the middle of the week, then, and things turn gradually more unsettled as a weather

front starts to try and work in from the atlantic. high pressure still sitting off to the east, so they are only making slow progress eastwards across the uk, but what they're also going to bring is a change in wind direction, so into wednesday, you can see the yellow colours — this warmer air mass starting to move in with those southerly winds. so, yes, not as cold — temperatures on the rise — but also turning wet and windy on wednesday towards the west, so some fairly heavy, persistent rain for northern ireland pushing into western parts of britain. in the east, it should be largely dry but temperatures back into double figures. bye for now.

this is bbc news with the latest business headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. oil prices soar as the us and its allies discuss banning imports of russian crude. rushing for the exit. the list of multinational companies leaving russia continues to grow as it becomes increasingly difficult to operate in the country. and the boss of the world's largest fertiliser producer warns of higher food prices, as the conflict and sanctions hit supplies of key ingredients.