this is bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top stories: ukrainian officials say a theatre in mariupol being used as shelter for civilians has been destroyed. russia denies attacking it. president biden brands vladimir putin a war criminal, as the us pledges a further $800 million of military support for ukraine. russia counts its dead in the war, but vladimir putin insists the invasion is going to plan. back home, after six years in captivity in iran, nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe arrives back in britain to be reunited with her family. i think it's been a really difficult 48 hours. the expect

patient that they would be released, but we weren't sure and write until the last minute. families reunited, the first picture of nazanin back with her husband and daughter. we start in ukraine and the besieged port city of mariupol. officials say russian forces have bombed a theatre, where it's thought more than 1,200 civilians were sheltering. the number of casualties is not yet known, and russia denies it's responsible. meanwhile in the capital kyiv, the emergency services said russia had shelled a residential building. the city is currently under a 35—hour curfew. our first report is from jeremy bowen in kyiv, a warning it contains some flashing images.

just after dawn, another attack hit a residential area in kyiv. ukrainian forces say they're keeping russian artillery out of range, but missiles can be fired from russia, and they are harder to stop. it was another harsh day. in the besieged city of mariupol, a theatre was hit, where the deputy mayor says civilians were sheltering. it isn't yet clear how many were in there when it was destroyed. siren blares. and by mid—morning in kyiv, sirens and smoke on the horizon from the ukrainian counter—attack, trying to push back the stalled russian offensive to the north—west. that was why there was a curfew — making it impossible to check out the sounds of battle. ukraine's president zelensky dropped more hints about a ceasefire.

but decisions, he said, had to be in ukraine's interest. perhaps the missile attacks on kyiv are to pressure ukraine to offer concessions for a ceasefire. so far, the attacks are isolated, threatening how bad it could get. for residents cleaning up before the curfew, even a single missile is terrifying. "i'm so stressed," she says. "i can't even tell you anything, i'm still shaking." but really big tests of ukrainian resolve in the capital have not yet happened. more missiles could be that test. ukraine's will to resist, though, is still strong. workshops have switched to war production, strengthening fortifications. the ukrainians say they're part of the reason why russian troops are not able

to break into kyiv. this was filmed before the curfew. what they're working on here is a tyre ripper. the idea is that anyone driving over this will get their tyres destroyed, and they've even got little extra bits that go into the tyre to make it even worse. after three weeks, is a ceasefire possible? if not, will russia punish this city? would that break ukraine's will to fight? jeremy bowen, bbc news, kyiv. president biden has announced a further $800 million of military aid to ukraine. it comes after ukrainian president, volodymyr zelensky, used a rare live address to the us congress to make an emotional appeal for more help from america. 0ur north america editor sarah smith has more. straight to the heart of american democracy, a plea for the us to defend democratic freedom. a hero's welcome, but these

lawmakers will not answer his pleas for a no—fly zone over ukraine. translation: is this a lot to ask for, to create a no—fly zone over ukraine, to save people? is this too much to ask? showing a video of brutal russian bombardment, zelensky drew a direct comparison with pearl harbor and 9/11 — times when the us was attacked from the skies — then speaking in english to appeal directly to the us president. you are the leader of the nation, of your great nation. i wish you to be the leader of the world. being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace. with this impassioned

plea, president zelensky is challenging president biden to defend the very idea of democracy against autocracy, increasing the pressure on the us to do more to support ukraine. but biden is adamant — to impose a no—fly zone would risk escalating this conflict into a world war. what's at stake here are the principles that the united states and the united nations and across the world stand for. it's about freedom, it's about the right of people to determine their own future, it's about making sure ukraine will never be a victory for putin. later, and for the first time, he called putin a war criminal. 0h, ithink he is a war criminal. signing over an additional $800 million of military assistance for ukraine. hundreds of portable surface—to—air stinger missiles have already been sent there, with many more on the way, along with anti—tank weapons,

guns and ammunition to help defend against russian attacks. the us is promising a total of $13 billion for ukraine, in weaponry and humanitarian aid. there is a deep cross—party commitment to help as much as possible, but also a firm resolve that us forces or aircraft will not, cannot get involved in this conflict. sarah smith, bbc news, washington. president putin claims the invasion of ukraine is going to plan and described the attack as �*completely justified'. he also went on to detail extra support for russians, faced with sanctions and inflation. translation: we had no other option but self defence, - for the security of russia, apart from carrying out the special military operation. all the goals set will certainly be achieved. we will reliably ensure the security of russia and our people.

we will not allow ukraine to serve as a springboard for aggressive actions against russia. in terms of the military tactics developed by russian ministry of defence and the general staff, they have been completelyjustified. and our lads, soldiers and officers, have shown bravery and heroism. they are doing everything they can to avoid loss of civilian life ukrainian cities. there's a human toll being paid in russia too, with thousands of soldiers being sent to ukraine to fight in president putin's war. our russia editor steve rosenberg has been to one military funeral in the west of the country. in russia, they are grieving, too. mikhail was killed in action in ukraine. angelika is his widow. how many russian

soldiers have been killed in what the kremlin still refuses to call a war? one family's pain is being repeated across the country. it's a criminal offence in russia to quote anything but official figures. and those are 498 russian servicemen dead. that was on march 2nd. there has been no update for two weeks. many russians rally around their leader in times of crisis. it's as if they don't want to believe their president may have taken a fatal decision. "we're doing the right thing," nikolai says. "nato wanted to set up shop right next to us in ukraine,

"and they've got nuclear weapons. "well done, putin, for stopping them." the kremlin wants russians to believe that what their troops are doing in ukraine is both necessary and heroic. it's what the state media is telling them from morning till night. because if people stop believing that, in large numbers, they'll start wondering why sons, brothers and husbands have been sent into ukraine for what's been called here "the special military operation". father ivan is wondering why. he recently delivered an anti—war sermon, and he criticised the kremlin�*s offensive on the church website. he was detained and fined under a new law for discrediting the russian armed forces. translation: i believe that any bloodshed, however you try to justify it, is a sin. blood is on the hands of the person who spilled it.

if an order was given, it's on the hands of whoever gave the order, supported it, or stayed silent. on his finaljourney, full military honours for soldier mikhail. his country calls him a defender of the fatherland. and yet it was russia's army that attacked ukraine, on the orders of president putin, to restore russian power, and to force ukraine into russia's orbit. russian national anthem plays. but at what cost? steve rosenberg, bbc news, kostroma.

let's get some of the day's other news. the united states says a new agreement with iran to revive the 2015 nuclear deal is within sight. a spokesman for the state department, ned price, declined to confirm iran's claim that two issues, economic guarentees and the removal of iran's revolutionary guard from the us terror list, remained outstanding, but he said the issues were surmountable. two people have died injapan and more than ninety others were injured when a powerful earthquake struck off the country's north—eastern coast. two million homes were left without power and a bullet train was derailed. none of its passengers were hurt. the earthquake happened in a similar location to one that led to the destruction of the fukushima nuclear power station 11 years ago. ajudge in honduras has authorised the extradition of the former president juan orlando hernandez to the united states on drugs—trafficking and firearms charges, which he denies. officials say mr hernandez has

three days to appeal against the verdict. he was arrested last month hours after the us requested his extradition. his supporters gathered outside the court for a protest. the war in ukraine has had many countries reappraising their reliance on russian energy, and today the british prime minister borisjohnson, on a visit to the middle east, held talks with the united arab emirates and saudi arabia, to try to increase oil and gas supplies. our political editor, laura kuenssberg is travelling with the prime minister. politicians don't just politicians don'tjust drop in for social calls and they can't always pick who to stand alongside or which national anthem is played. the minister wants to starve rush of ripples which means phasing out their oil and gas. the saudi grand prince has the power to turn

the taps on, but asking him means leaning on a controversial ally whose human rights record is so often condemned at a moment when democratic values around the world are so under attack. how can part of the solution be going to a country like saudi arabia that hasjust going to a country like saudi arabia that has just executed more than 80 of its citizens, that has questionable records on women's rights, gay rights. the uk has a historic long—standing relationship with saudi arabia that goes back many, many decades and that is not going to disappear. and i'm not going to disappear. and i'm not going to pretend that it is easy to have those conversations, but we have to do it. and we have to look at the progress that we are making with that relationship, in driving green investment in the uk and making sure that we are more able to have energy security for the people of

britain. so, basically, it's worth it? you don't like it, but it's worth it? so i want to be clear, we don'tjust turn a blind eye, we don't wink at them, we don't ignore it. we raise it, and we make the argument. the two men talked for so long the staff had to wait. an hour and 45 minute conversation included human rights, but it is not clear exactly what was said. then, after some obvious confusion, the pair did emerge to sign an agreement — not for more oil straight away but a promise to work more closely together, and more investment announced today. yet the opposition�*s asking questions about the company mrjohnson keeps. i think everybody wants to see measures to bring the energy bills down, but going cap in hand from dictator to dictator is not an energy strategy. the prime minister says we can't rely on russia, so now he goes to saudi arabia. but hard thinking is needed — notjust clocking up air miles — to untangle military, economic, diplomatic clashes that haven'tjust built up overnight. if you look back at 2014

and what happened when putin took part of crimea — part of ukraine, then — took crimea and the donbas, we totally failed to understand the threat that he posed. and ukraine is paying the price for that with the west looking the other way. i totally agree, and so what we need to do now is make sure that the west is never again vulnerable to putin's blackmail. i think the reality is that, in one important sense, putin has already failed, in that he did not understand what he would encounter when he sent his troops into ukraine. he's still bombing ukrainian men, women and children. he didn't understand the strength of their resistance. what putin needs to realise is that he cannot now succeed. he won't be able to crush and conquer ukraine, because they've shown, fundamentally, that they have an indomitable spirit. yet the world already looks so different. alliances shifting, unknown possibilities hang in the air.

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, riyadh. stay with us on bbc world news, still to come: we'll have more analysis on the arrival back in britain of the aid worker nazanin zaghari ratcliffe. today, we have closed the book on apartheid and that chapter. more than 3,000 subway passengers were affected. nausea, bleeding, headaches and a dimming of vision — all of this caused by an apparently organised attack. the trophy itself was on the pedestal in the middle of the cabinet here. now, this was an international trophy and we understand now that the search for it has

become an international search. above all, this was a triumph for the christian democrats of the west, offering reunification as quickly as possible, and that's what the voters wanted. this is bbc world news, the latest headlines: ukraine says russian forces have bombed a theatre in the besieged port of mariupol that was being used by large numbers of civilians as a shelter. russia has denied carrying out the attack. within the past couple of hours the british—iranian woman, nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe, has touched down on british soil for the first time since

she was detained in iran six years ago. this is the moment mrs zaghari—ratcliffe arrived at raf brize norton in oxfordshire just after 1am local time on thursday morning. she walked down the steps of the plane along with fellow british—iranian anoosheh ashoori, after their release was secured. the two later waved at cameras as they walked into a reception building at the air base. they had flown back via a brief stopover in oman. our correspondent simonjones was at raf brize norton when nazanin landed and gave this update. we know that this journey back from iran today has taken around 12 hours but the campaign to get nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe freed and allowing her to return back to the united kingdom has taken almost six years. there has been a huge amount of diplomacy, stepped up in the past six months or so and then, really, a whirl—wind 24 hours when the family were suddenly told that there was

a possibility that nazanin could be returning home and could be returning home very quickly. it is something that they feared may never happen and even once the news emerged yesterday about a possible return to the united kingdom, they almost did not dare believe it. but now this has fully happened. she is now back in the uk and the reunion is certainly going to be an emotional one. we have heard from richard ratcliffe who says that he just can't wait to begin what he is describing as a new chapter in the life of the family. but it's certainly going to be a challenging chapter, given what nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe has been through, almost six years in detention, psychological torture, a trial that was considered unfair by charges that were considered trumped up, accused of spying and then plotting to overthrow the government in iran, something she always denied.

but now, a chance back in the united kingdom tojust enjoy some family time, to try to get back to a sense of normality. what we are expecting is that the family are likely to go away for a couple of days to have some quiet time and privacy, just to spend time together for the first time in years. there will also need medical checks for nazanin after what she has been through but really a sense here really in the early hours, just after one o'clock uk time, a sense of relief that, finally, this has happened. the british foreign secretary, liz truss, was also there for the arrival. she gave this statement shortly after. first of all, it's fantastic to see anoosheh and nazanin come off the plane and safely back in britain for the first time in years.

and that is truly fantastic for everybody and i think everybody across the country understands that. i've met the families, they're safe and well, people are in very, very good spirits. i think it's been a very difficult 48 hours, the expectation that they would be released, but we weren't sure right until the last minute, so it's been very emotional but also a really happy moment for the families and i'm pleased to say that both and nazanin and anoosheh are in good spirits, and they're safe and well, back here in britain. i've been speaking to jason rezaian. he was the washington post's tehran correspondent for four years, and spent more than 500 days imprisoned by iranian authorities until his release in january 2016. he told me how it felt like to land back home after being imprisoned for so long. it is a mixed bag. there is obvious joy and elation that you are

finally being returned to liberty, a great sense of relief that you are out of harm's way but, also, sadness of what you left behind. in the case of nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe, her parents and siblings and the place where she grew up. and i think it is a process of recovery that takes months, if not years and, you know, the initial feeling that i remember having in the days and weeks that followed my release was that i am thrilled to be free but why am i not happy? unspooling the trauma that one has experienced by being held hostage for so long takes a long time to work out. that is an absolutely fascinating insight and that such a complicated emotion

to try and unpick why you are not happy. that must be incredibly difficult to work through and take a lot of time. and even richard ratcliffe, he was saying that this is not the end, this is now the beginning of that kind of journey. and the phrase we have heard throughout the day is people come out different people than they went into prison. is it something you recognise? certainly. it may sound a little odd but it took a couple of years for me to really recognise that voice inside my own head as me, the fear, the trepidation, the anxiety in public places were not something that i was used to before, before i was arrested and,

you know, again, it takes a lot of work and a lot of time, fortunately i have a wonderful family and employers and a community around me that was there to care for me and i know from six years of getting to know richard ratcliffe, that nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe is coming home to a wonderful ally and partner. and let me show you these pictures of nazanin being reunited with her husband and daughter. daughter gabriella reportedly asked "is that mummy?" as nazanin came down the steps of the aircraft. images on social media showed the happy family, as well as a photo of all of them with anoosheh ashoori and his family. these moments are so precious for everyone involved after the days, weeks, months and years of waiting for that reunited

family photo. hello there. there's going to be a different look to the weather on thursday and a change of fortune for much of the country as well. with the rain having cleared away, we had the sunnier skies across more western parts of scotland. there was almost an inch of rain in wiltshire and, for a while, we actually had some quite heavy rain here in lincolnshire as well. with that wetter weather clearing away out into the north sea and these showers yet to arrive from the northwest, we're going to have some clearer skies developing. so, by the time we get to early thursday morning, it could be quite cold and frosty in a few places. temperatures will be close to freezing, maybe down to —4 or so in the northeast of scotland. we'll find those showers coming in from the northwest across scotland and northern ireland — notjust one band of showers, but two, and they could be quite heavy as well.

some sunshine in between. those showers tending to die out as they move over the irish sea, one or two in the afternoon for northern parts of england and wales. but for much of england and wales, it will be dry with more the way of sunshine this time and lighter winds towards the southeast — temperatures here making 14, perhaps even 15 degrees. we do have some weakening weather fronts moving down from the northwest, bringing those bands of showers, but high pressure is going to be building by the end of the week, so it looks like it'll be dry on friday. could have some moisture left over from the earlier showers, giving this patchy mist and fog across parts of wales and the midlands. that will tend to lift, and we'll see a good deal of sunshine, i think, on friday, the breeze starting to pick up in some areas later in the day, but those temperatures are tending to climb as well. 13 degrees in the central belt of scotland, 15 or 16 perhaps in the east midlands and towards the fens. the weekend remains quiet and dry as well. a lot of sunshine around this weekend, but we're likely to have some stronger winds, too. after a chilly—ish start,

i think, on saturday, it looks like a fine spring day — lots of sunshine around, dry day, but a noticeably stronger east or southeasterly wind, which means the highest temperatures are likely to be along the coast of northwest england and around the moray firth — 16 or 17 celsius. high pressure in charge this weekend. the centre of the high is drifting to the east of the uk, allowing these stronger winds to arrive and maybe threatening one or two showers in the evening on sunday in the far southeast of england. otherwise, sunday is a dry day. temperatures a little bit lower. we may see a bit more cloud on monday and perhaps one or two showers.

this is bbc news, the headlines: authorities in the besieged ukrainian city of mariupol say a theatre that was being used by large numbers of civilians as a shelter has been destroyed by russian bombing. city officials say the building was deliberately targeted. russia has denied carrying out the attack. british—iranian woman nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe has arrived back in the uk for the first time in almost six years. her husband and seven—year—old daughter were waiting as her plane touched down. she had been detained in iran, after being accused of working against the government in tehran, something she denied. travelling with mrs zaghari—ratcliffe was the british—iranian man anoosheh ashoori, who has also been allowed to return to the uk.

the retired civil engineer had been detained for almost five