this is bbc news — welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. our top stories... the number of refugees who've fled their homes since the start of the war in ukraine reaches 10 million. everything is ruined and i don't know will stay my house in safety? i don't know when i can come back to ukraine. in ukraine, the bombardment continues — russia bombs a school in mariupol where around 400 people were sheltering — president zelensky says moscow has committed war crimes in the city. translation: to do this to - a peaceful city that the occupiers did to it is a terror that will be remembered for centuries to come.

ukrainian�*s president has also suspended eleven pro—russia political parties and ordered the broadcast of a single stream of television news. also in the programme — exploring ways of boosting unity and morale and for those who've chosen to stay in ukraine's capital. hello, welcome. the united nations says ten million people have now fled their homes because of what it calls the devastating war in ukraine. it comes as the authorities in the beseiged city of mariupol have accused russia of bombing a school where around 400 people were sheltering. there's no word yet on casualties. president volodymyr zelensky has described the russian blockade and bombardment of mariupol as terror that will be remembered for centuries to come. with all the developments, jonah fisher has this report.

to look down on mariupol is to see the lie that is vladimir putin's "liberation" war. an important port city of a00,000, now a smoking ruin, with no clean water or power. from the local authorities come accounts of atrocities that we cannot independently verify. an art school that was sheltering 400, apparently destroyed from the air. in one part of town, it's claimed that advancing soldiers have forcibly taken thousands of ukrainians across the border into russia. translation: the besieged city. of mariupol will go down in history for the war crimes being committed. the terror the occupiers did to the peaceful city will be remembered for centuries to come. a staggering quarter of all ukrainians have been forced out of their homes during this war. about three million of those have left the country,

leaving 6.5 million looking for safety inside ukraine, somewhere like here in lviv. those that have managed to escape mariupol bring harrowing stories. vadim is a pensioner and is now staying in a lviv apartment paid for by his daughter. when the home he shared with his wife irina came underfire, they sheltered for 12 days inside a theatre. irina says they burned the chairs to boil water for the 600 children there. two days after vadim and irena left, the theatre was bombed. it's still not clear what has happened to all the children. "those people were killed for nothing, they're

civilians", irina says. "mariupol is a russian—speaking city, everyone has relatives in russia and russia is killing its own people." "i'm glad putin opened my eyes as to who i really am," says vadim. "we are ukrainians." let's go live to lviv in ukraine and my colleague zhanna bexpiatchuk from the bbc ukrainian servicejoins me now. can we talk first of all about the impact of the significant number of people who have now either been displaced by the fighting or have chosen to move within ukraine or are leaving the country altogether? quite a lot of those people must be ending up in lviv, even if it is on their way out of the country. yes. their way out of the country. yes, exactl . their way out of the country. yes, exactly- i'm _ their way out of the country. yes, exactly. i'm staying _ their way out of the country. yes, exactly. i'm staying in _ their way out of the country. yes, exactly. i'm staying in the - their way out of the country. 133 exactly. i'm staying in the region of western ukraine which receives right now around 300,000 ukrainians from all over the country. from regions that are right now under attacks from the russian army. what

i can say, it's very nice, sunny weather today in lviv. many people are going outside for a walk in this local park. but underneath, there is still a very strong fear of war in this part of the country. and you can see the tension on people's faces all around. i talked to refugees in western ukraine and central ukraine recent days, and i heard from different people in different occasions, approximately the same words. "it is not our life, evenif the same words. "it is not our life, even if it is relatively safe here." although the city was already hit by russian ballistic missiles, an aircraft plant was hit here, but it is relatively safe and relatively comfortable for people. people want

to come back to their lives in their home towns, cities and villages in the north, the south, east of the country. and that is the pain these people. so basically, for the moment, we can say that this part of the country has all these challenges, it is true that for the majority of ukrainians coming here it isjust a majority of ukrainians coming here it is just a transit point. it is not possible to replace everything that millions of ukrainians lost in their homes with humanitarian aid here. it is not possible for people to for people to stay for weeks and months in shelters like schools or theatres, which host them here in lviv. so that is the reality on the ground in lviv.— lviv. so that is the reality on the ground in lviv. zhanna bexpiatchuk, thank ou ground in lviv. zhanna bexpiatchuk, thank you very _ ground in lviv. zhanna bexpiatchuk, thank you very much _ ground in lviv. zhanna bexpiatchuk, thank you very much for _ ground in lviv. zhanna bexpiatchuk, thank you very much for that. - ground in lviv. zhanna bexpiatchuk, thank you very much for that. that l thank you very much for that. that is a very powerful account of what is a very powerful account of what is happening in the city at the moment and the impact on the many

people trying to carry out their everyday lives, as well as those who are forced to seek shelter and the hospitality of their ukrainian neighbours. attention now is focused on mariupol and other cities in ukraine. but the mp, kira rudik, has warned that the russian army could try to take the capital, kyiv in the next few days. shejoins us now. in terms of your situation at the moment, the situation the country finds itself in, there has been a sense in kyiv that the actual attempt to occupy the city had been attempt to occupy the city had been at the very least delayed, if not frustrated by the level of resistance. what makes you think that could change this week? hello, thank ou that could change this week? hello, thank you so — that could change this week? hello, thank you so much _ that could change this week? hello, thank you so much for— that could change this week? hello, thank you so much for having - that could change this week? hello, thank you so much for having me. i | thank you so much for having me. i am on _ thank you so much for having me. i am on my— thank you so much for having me. i am on my way right now because an hour ago— am on my way right now because an hour ago there has been another rocket _ hour ago there has been another rocket hit — hour ago there has been another rocket hit and we getting there together with my team to see if anyone — together with my team to see if anyone needs help and what is going on the _ anyone needs help and what is going

on the ground. we are about to arrive _ on the ground. we are about to arrive right _ on the ground. we are about to arrive right now. we think that putin— arrive right now. we think that putin definitely changed tactics. he tried to _ putin definitely changed tactics. he tried to take kyiv by the ground last week— tried to take kyiv by the ground last week but the attempt failed on the outskirts of the city, and his forces _ the outskirts of the city, and his forces were pushed back in all directions. and right now he just keeps _ directions. and right now he just keeps bombarding the peaceful city, the residential areas, the homes of people. _ the residential areas, the homes of people, and just hopes that this will hreek— people, and just hopes that this will break us. well, again, the point — will break us. well, again, the point that— will break us. well, again, the point that we do actually need is a nor-fiv— point that we do actually need is a no-fiy zone — point that we do actually need is a no—fly zone or something similar. we need ari— no—fly zone or something similar. we need an ability to protect our skies. — need an ability to protect our skies, otherwise he willjust be bombarding our cities, destroying the homes of people, destroying lives, _ the homes of people, destroying lives, just— the homes of people, destroying lives, just with us watching it. nato — lives, just with us watching it. nato said _ lives, just with us watching it. nato said no to no—fly zone, it doesn't — nato said no to no—fly zone, it doesn't mean that my country and my

people _ doesn't mean that my country and my people stopped needing it. it doesn't — people stopped needing it. it doesn't mean that our homes are being _ doesn't mean that our homes are being bombarded. find doesn't mean that our homes are being bombarded.— being bombarded. and if the is cominu being bombarded. and if the is coming from — being bombarded. and if the is coming from this _ being bombarded. and if the is coming from this what - being bombarded. and if the is coming from this what will- being bombarded. and if the is l coming from this what will come being bombarded. and if the is - coming from this what will come from the skies is the reason that numbers of people are leaving the country or forced to be displaced within the country. that's10 million figure, almost a quarter of the population of ukraine, have basically left their homes because of this fighting. that must have huge implications for the country's stability, ability to feed itself, for the future.— stability, ability to feed itself, for the future. bright, this is a matter of _ for the future. bright, this is a matter of people's _ for the future. bright, this is a matter of people's lives. - for the future. bright, this is a matter of people's lives. as i for the future. bright, this is a matter of people's lives. as a | matter of people's lives. as a citizen — matter of people's lives. as a citizen of _ matter of people's lives. as a citizen of kyiv, what can i tell you? — citizen of kyiv, what can i tell you? i— citizen of kyiv, what can i tell you? i can _ citizen of kyiv, what can i tell you? i can train myself to be able to protect — you? i can train myself to be able to protect from what comes from the ground, _ to protect from what comes from the ground, i_ to protect from what comes from the ground, i can sustain siege, but there _ ground, i can sustain siege, but there is— ground, i can sustain siege, but there is absolutely nothing i can do to protect — there is absolutely nothing i can do to protect myself or a loved one is from _ to protect myself or a loved one is from the _ to protect myself or a loved one is from the air — to protect myself or a loved one is from the air. and this is the most

important — from the air. and this is the most important point and why people are fleeing, _ important point and why people are fleeing, because we as a simple people — fleeing, because we as a simple people cannot do anything. and as for the _ people cannot do anything. and as for the country and the people who fled and _ for the country and the people who fled and the ability to sustain, i think— fled and the ability to sustain, i think this — fled and the ability to sustain, i think this will be a question not only for— think this will be a question not only for ukraine, it will be a question— only for ukraine, it will be a question for the whole world, because — question for the whole world, because ukraine is top three producer— because ukraine is top three producer of grains, of sunflower oils and — producer of grains, of sunflower oils and tomatoes, and not this year. _ oils and tomatoes, and not this year. the — oils and tomatoes, and not this year, the world will face a shortage of all— year, the world will face a shortage of all these — year, the world will face a shortage of all these produce in the next couple — of all these produce in the next couple of— of all these produce in the next couple of months. i don't have any idea of— couple of months. i don't have any idea of when it will be able to recover _ idea of when it will be able to recover. . ~' idea of when it will be able to recover. . ~ .. recover. indeed, kira rudik, can i ask ou recover. indeed, kira rudik, can i ask you about— recover. indeed, kira rudik, can i ask you about the _ recover. indeed, kira rudik, can i ask you about the announcement| recover. indeed, kira rudik, can i - ask you about the announcement from the presidency earlier? the country is under the martial law, so many of these decisions can be introduced rapidly. but the president has announced that the rights of a number of pro—russian parties are to

be suspended, at least for the duration of the conflict. what do you make of that decision? you are a smaller liberal party, does it make you uneasy when you are defending democracy, to be simultaneously the president feeling the need to control part of the political operation? to basically say that some political parties cannot take part in public events because of the work? . . , part in public events because of the work? ., ., , ., part in public events because of the work? . ., ., , . work? that was not only decision that was made _ work? that was not only decision that was made by _ work? that was not only decision that was made by the _ work? that was not only decision that was made by the president i work? that was not only decision i that was made by the president and national— that was made by the president and national council of defence. the change — national council of defence. the change of — national council of defence. the change of what channels could be on air and _ change of what channels could be on air and which change of what channels could be on airand which are change of what channels could be on air and which are not, so if on one hand— air and which are not, so if on one hand i_ air and which are not, so if on one hand i can— air and which are not, so if on one hand i can agree that the pro—russian parties can operate in

ukraine _ pro—russian parties can operate in ukraine when we are at war, however there _ ukraine when we are at war, however there is— ukraine when we are at war, however there is a _ ukraine when we are at war, however there is a court for that and it cannot— there is a court for that and it cannot be _ there is a court for that and it cannot be done by hand. what is done manually— cannot be done by hand. what is done manually right now is definitely the rules of— manually right now is definitely the rules of war. however, it does hother— rules of war. however, it does bother me _ rules of war. however, it does bother me how we affect democracy, because _ bother me how we affect democracy, because we _ bother me how we affect democracy, because we are fighting for free speech— because we are fighting for free speech and an ability for people to freely— speech and an ability for people to freely express their will, to freely express — freely express their will, to freely express. so today we will have parliamentary leaders meeting to discuss _ parliamentary leaders meeting to discuss how we react to that. obviously, the president has the right— obviously, the president has the right to — obviously, the president has the right to do it because of the martial— right to do it because of the martial law. we gave him this right. however. _ martial law. we gave him this right. however, when it touches the free speech— however, when it touches the free speech sparked, this is not exactlym _ speech sparked, this is not exactly- - -— speech sparked, this is not exactly. . . speech sparked, this is not

exactl . ,, ., ,, exactly... kira rudik, thank you very much _ exactly... kira rudik, thank you very much for— exactly... kira rudik, thank you very much forjoining _ exactly... kira rudik, thank you very much forjoining us. - exactly... kira rudik, thank you very much forjoining us. we . exactly... kira rudik, thank you i very much forjoining us. we hope the rest of yourjourney is uneventful. thank you so much. thank ou. as we've been hearing, ten million people — around a quarter of the population — have now fled their homes in ukraine in all, more than half a million have gone to romania. nick thorpe met some people taking the crossing from the romanian port town of isa ccea. the river danube cuts ukraine in the north from romania to the south. so many people are fleeing ukraine, it's easy to miss the few returning by river ferry. you still need a ticket if you're

going the wrong way. it's a romanian ship flying the ukrainian flag as a courtesy. irina is one of the passengers, a lawyerfrom kyiv. she's just taken her twin children to safety in germany. now she's on her way back to fetch her mother. ukraine was a great country but now everything is ruined and i don't know will stay my house in safety? i don't know when i can come back to ukraine. the ferry docks and a dozen or so people disembark. barely an hour later, the ferry fills with refugees. irina and her mother natalia are among them. many are from 0desa, but there are also some from mykolaiv, the city further east still blocking any russian advance along the coast.

in romania, the ukrainians get a warm welcome. she was crying, she thinks that we will never see each other again. i will feel happy when i return to ukraine. i will be happy. as the sun sets, another ferry embarks from the romanian shore to bring more ukrainians across. nick thorpe, bbc news, in isaccea in the danube delta. many have stayed to help in whatever way they are. our chief international correspondent has been out meeting people who are joining the effort to sustain the city's morale. in the heart of kyiv, in st sophia's square, thousands of tulips. a trident takes shape, a three—pronged spear. it's our symbol, the symbol

of ukraine and once more symbol of peace and of our country. for one side, we want to stay in peace but for another, all of us are ready to stay and to defend our country. and so many people have left kyiv, especially women and children. why are you still here? i don't want to go anywhere. my grand—grand—grandfathers, mothers were born and died in my city and for me kyiv is my heart. i understand and i'm absolutely sure that people who have small children, they must leave because it's not possible to stay when bombs will come, i don't know, on the land. when you see what's happening to mariupol and kharkiv and so many other parts of the country, does it worry you this could happen here?

it's a very big pain in my heart. daytime i am a restaurateur and daytime we are cooking for our people. in the night time, i'm praying. it's my way how to support these people. also i do a lot of volunteer work with people who come from mariupol, from bucha, from irpin, from chernihiv, from kharkiv, everyone doing the best what you can do from their place. people from across the city are being drawn to this intriguing installation, including a very popular rock star, 0leg skrypka. why are you here? a lot of ukrainians left the country but i think we have to stay here to support our land, to support ukrainians and support our warriors and it's my country,

it's my city and now we are in the war but mostly important is the culture, and it's the action installation with flower because the flower is the symbol of freedom. so are you fighting this war with your culture, with your music? i found the channel to support emotional for people. you try to inspire them? because music can't stop russian tanks. absolutely, we'll do it. he sings ukrainian national anthem # shche ne vmerla ukrainy # ni slava, ni volya # shche nam, brattya molodiyi # slava ukraini!

that's the power of music. he claims it can stop russian tanks but certainly it does inspire ukrainians and they are looking for inspiration at this time of devastating war, now in its first month and no sign it's going to end any time soon. lyse doucet there outside the cathedral in ukraine. to the uk now, and the chancellor, rishi sunak, has promised to help people deal with the rising cost of living in his spring statement on wednesday, but warned that sanctions imposed on russia were not "cost—free." he's facing calls, including from more than 50 conservative backbench mps, to cut fuel duty. labour has backed that proposal, but urged the treasury to do more. 0ur political correspondent ione wells has more. soaring fuel prices, inflation pushing up the cost of everyday items, energy bills and national insurance set to rise in april. the list of pressures currently hitting people's pockets. and the chancellor rishi sunak

is under pressure as well to help. today he said it would not be easy, but of course he would step in to help people with bills in the coming months and years. i will stand by them in the same way i have done over the past couple of years. people can see that where we can make a difference, of course we will. you saw that with energy in particular. we know the price cap is going up in april and that's why we acted last month to announce £9 billion worth of support, £350 for most households. he didn't say exactly what support could be introduced to help people with the rising cost of living. he's ruled out scrapping the rise to national insurance in april, with government arguing this would only benefit higher earners more. but i understand one option under consideration is whether the threshold where people start paying certain taxes could be tweaked to help lower earners. some tory mps also want him to cut fuel duty to help motorists and businesses. government insiders have suggested the door to further intervention on fuel prices

is not necessarily shut. labour say it would support a fuel duty cut, but say this would not go far enough. what is needed is a windfall tax on the big profits being made by the north sea oil and gas companies right now and using that money to take money off people's domestic gas and electricity bills. everybody pays a gas and electricity bill. treasury sources have downplayed speculation of any big spending announcements but some personal finance experts say the chancellor must consider the sacrifices people are making. the chancellor is asking us to suck in what is going on a little bit, bear that burden, and equally i think we need to look at him and say you have to bear the burden of maybe not following your full ideology to stop people starving or freezing this winter. rishi sunak says his ideology is being a low tax tory and wants

to cut taxes in the future, but circumstances could mean he will need to consider pulling levers he would not normally want to. as we heard earlier, a ukrainian mp has warned that russian forces could make another attempt to get from the outskirts into the capital, kyiv, in the next few days. kira rudik, who's also the leader of the opposition golos party, says residents are doing everything possible to repel them. one of those residents, alex borovenskiy, has turned the rehearsal room at his theatre in central kyiv into a bomb shelter for artists and the local community. we are a small independent theatre, that's why we were always in a basement and the basement is the safe place so in an invasion you know where you will go, to a theatre underground and one by one, local people joined. here we are with a shelter. how many people are in there with you at night? right now it's 25. we used to have more but some people fled kyiv in the first week

so here are the strongest and toughest stayed. so 25 people, some babushkas, some artists. a lot of people coming into the shelter have presumably never met each other. now we are like one big family, everyone knows everyone, i know their personal stories and the stories of their children, we know when their birthdays are and everyone is united. i never knew these people before, they are local people and friends of friends but now i know each one and we know that ukraine is going to kick russia's asses. i understand you are living through a curfew so have you had a chance to get above ground in the next few days. i went to a small town in the outskirts of kyiv, not the war zone but another

direction and i have seen the territorial defences and army, i've seen quite a lot. the curfew has been lifted. the curfew right now starts around 8pm and is lifted in the morning so curfew has finished. so you are on your own right now? kyiv is protected. i mean you're on your own in the theatre or the shelter. yes, the inhabitants of the theatre are here, a couple of my friends are volunteering around the town in their cars, a couple of my friends went to work because they work with the news, your colleagues, they went to work with the news and actors are here. we are going to rehearse a new play so artwork never stops.

and it's a very topical play in the circumstances. a very appropriate play given the circumstances you are currently trying to cope with. this one we have a play about germany being bombed by the allied forces in 1943, in a small town and i think it's very ironic and scary because the history is repeating. it just reversed. what started out as a simple fundraising idea has quickly ballooned into something much bigger for a small toy manufacturer in the us. figurines of president zelensky went on sale with a price tag of $100 — and sold out. money raised is being sent to the charity direct relief, who have sent medical aid to ukraine

since the russian invasion began. it some form of immortality, isn't it, when they turn you into a toy? those are the stories on bbc news. stay with us. and it's another fine day brought by a large area of high pressure. 0n the satellite picture, you can see the clouds rotating around this big high. just fringing on western parts of the uk. and also a bit of cloud rotating into parts of the southeast and east anglia. not completely sunny everywhere, but i think sunny for most of us. the temperatures today will have maxed out at around ten degrees on the north sea coast — and still feels chilly in that wind out of the east. around western parts of the country, possibly no higher than 13. it will be a chilly evening this evening and a frost developing tonight. so here's the forecast. clear skies and light winds across many central areas of the uk. could be cloudy for a time along the north sea coast and maybe out towards the west.

you can see the blue colours, that's where the frost is. even in central london it will be barely above freezing. 0nly there in tropical plymouth, around 6 degrees. here's the forecast for the next few days — it will become warmer, much warmer widely across the uk as this milder air sets in from the south and pushes away that colder air that we've had off the north sea. so a much warmer atmosphere spreading in across the uk. in fact, air coming all the way from portugal and spain, maybe even northern africa. here's the forecast for tomorrow. lots of sunshine around. a little bit of cloud building in the south. so i think we'll call it sunny spells rather than clear blue skies, but decent temperatures — 16 in london, a little bit better on that north sea coast. still a little on the chilly side in northern scotland — eight to ten degrees. then from tuesday, a proper mild current of air coming in from the southern climbs. we've already had 20 — in fact,

that is what happened yesterday in western scotland. but i think the high teens up to 20, more widespread on tuesday. up to 20 in london, i think 17 or 18 in the north west of england and mid to high teens in scotland. wednesday can you see the difference? it's going to be a mild day. here's a forecast for the week ahead. a little bit of a dip in the temperature. still decent enough. goodbye.

this is bbc world news. i'm shaun ley. the headlines... the number of refugees who've fled their homes since since the start of the war in ukraine reaches 10 million. in ukraine, the bombardment continues. russia bombs a school in mariupol where around 400 people were sheltering. president zelensky says moscow has committed war crimes in the city. the ukrainian president has also suspended ii pro—russia political parties and ordered the broadcast of a single stream of television news. now it's time for the media show.

hello, as governments around the world race to sanction