welcome to newsday. reporting live from singapore, i'm mariko oi. the headlines... a fresh curfew is declared in kyiv after a series of russian strikes on civilian targets, including a shopping centre. you can see here that the scale of the destruction is absolutely immense, and spread over a wide area, surrounded by apartment blocks. there could be a lot more of this ahead. ukraine rejects russia's demand it gives up the city of mariupol, saying there is "no question of any surrender". in other news: president xi jinping has ordered a full investigation into the crash of a passengerjet carrying 132 people. local media say there

are no signs of survivors. and the us senatejudiciary committee is holding four days of hearings on the nomination of the first black woman to the supreme court. live from our studio in singapore. this is bbc news. it's newsday. ukraine has accused russia of committing war crimes in the southern port city of mariupol, where heavy fighting has reached the city centre. of mariupol, where heavy fighting president zelensky has ignored russia's demand to give up the strategic city, saying there's "no question of any surrender". tonight, the capital kyiv is under a new night—time curfew after residential areas were attacked by russia, killing eight people. one of the targets was a shopping centre which russia claims was storing rockets.

russian forces are trying to encircle and cut off the capital, but large areas around kyv remain under ukrainian control, especially in the south. our international correspondent orla guerin reports. footage of the shopping centre in kyiv released by russia appears to show a military vehicle driving up. and this was the russian attack which moscow says was targeting rocket launchers stored at the site. in the darkness, emergency services picked their way through the ruins. from the rubble, hands emerge, trembling, and a survivor is pulled to safety. but eight people were killed in this attack on the capital. here is what is left of the shopping centre.

there are indications that the ukrainian military had a presence here, but russia has hit plenty of non—military targets, in kyiv and elsewhere. you can see here that the scale of the destruction is absolutely immense, and spread over a wide area, surrounded by apartment blocks. there could be a lot more of this ahead for kyiv. russian forces are not inside the city, but they can hit hard from the outside. how are you feeling about the future here now in kyiv? i don't know now, but i don't want to leave kyiv stop what you want to stay? it's my home.— stay? it's my home. even though thins stay? it's my home. even though things are _ stay? it's my home. even though things are so _ stay? it's my home. even though things are so dangerous now? i l stay? it's my home. even though - things are so dangerous now? i know, but it's dangerous _ things are so dangerous now? i know, but it's dangerous all _ things are so dangerous now? i know,

but it's dangerous all over ukraine. i but it's dangerous all over ukraine. bumped the key city, the key target is kyiv. in the forest on its outskirts, its defenders are preparing for battle. these territorial defence recruits, now training for urban combat. their instructor is a georgian who fought the russians during the war in his homeland in 2008. the concern here is not that russia can surround or capture kyiv, but that it may avenge itself on the city. i'm not sure that they will be able to besiege kyiv, because we're a large city with a lot of defence, and it will be really hard to encircle it. but what i really am afraid is that out of weakness, out of despair, because they are losing this war, they will destroy it as much as possible — because of hate.

then, time to get into position — behind the sniper sights. alex has been a hunter since boyhood. he is unflinching and unapologetic about his new wartime role, hunting the enemy. it's our motherland, and we must defend it. and in this case, i think it's no difference between the animals which i try to shoot and the animals which come here to kill our people, kill our children, destroy our buildings and destroy our life. ukrainian forces may be facing a war of attrition here. british defence officials expect russia to make a renewed push for the city in the coming weeks. orla guerin, bbc news, on the outskirts of kyiv.

ukraine has rejected a russian deadline for its forces to stop fighting in the besieged port city of mariupol. the first international journalists have arrived into areas of the city under russian control, describing an apocalyptic wasteland. hundreds of thousands of civilians remain trapped in the southern city with little access to food, water or power. in another development, the authorities in ukraine's biggest port, odesa, say russian naval forces in the black sea have shelled some residential buildings on the outskirts of the city. it's the first time buildings there have been hit. our correspondent wyre davies has been speaking to families who've escaped mariupol to the city of nipro. a warning — his report contains scenes you may find distressing. in recent days, we've seen how cruel this conflict is, especially for children. but there is just occasionally

kindness and humanity, too. this community—run centre in the central city of dnipro is the first point of safety and refuge for many victims of the war from across eastern ukraine, including mariupol. the city they left behind is in ruins. barely a building is left unscathed by russian shelling, and according to the city council, 3,000 civilians have been killed. many of them lie where they fell, others are hastily buried by neighbours. a russian—imposed deadline for mariupol�*s defenders to surrender was ignored. so the shelling continues. some residents stay in makeshift shelters. those who can flee north. nearly everyone who leaves mariupol in cars packed with families arrives here with absolutely nothing at all. and it is to places like this they come, waiting patiently for the very basics, food, clothes, and medicines.

children get hand—me—down toys. their mothers, the bare essentials. here they avoid talking too much about what people have gone through. it's too soon. it's also an effort dealing with so many desperate cases. translation: everything - that is brought here isn't funded by large corporations or budgets, it's from local people, and some from charities, but you can see how many people there are and what we have just isn't sufficient. in what was a school canteen, volunteers package up basic food parcels that will keep refugee families fed for a few days. for schoolteacher vadim, it is his civic duty to be helping out. because i'm ukrainian, i must do what i can. this is myjob now. this is my front now. and if i can help people i must do it. some will stay in dnipro. for others it's the start of a long journey. as they escape to mariupol,

some were told by russian soldiers to keep going as this city too would soon be under attack. we were driving out underfire, says 0lga. shells were exploding. they were bombing us and there were dead bodies everywhere. the un says there are 6.5 million displaced people inside ukraine alone. the city and this community are doing their part to make that transition less traumatic. wyre davies, bbc news, dnipro. as we've been hearing, heavy fighting is continuing around the ukrainian capital kyiv. but the uk ministry of defence says that according to its analysis, that russian advance there has stalled. so what is russia's military strategy? melinda haring is the deputy director of the atlantic council's eurasia centre. shejoins me now from maryland. thank you so much forjoining us on

newsday. firstly, why is taking mariupol so important to russia? sure, there's two reasons. the first is that putin thought he would roll into ukraine in a matter of days, and that he'd be able to take kyiv, the capital, and president zelensky. and it's been three weeks now, and he still hasn't made much progress. so he needs a big win. right now, it looks like a stalemate, and no one expected this. everyone expected the ukrainian side to fall within a matter of days. so number one, he needs a big win, and a second reason is that the russians want mariupol so they can establish a land bridge across the coast that would connect russia to crimea. you across the coast that would connect russia to crimea.— across the coast that would connect russia to crimea. you mentioned the caital k iv russia to crimea. you mentioned the capital kyiv - — russia to crimea. you mentioned the capital kyiv - if _ russia to crimea. you mentioned the capital kyiv - if russia _ russia to crimea. you mentioned the capital kyiv - if russia tries _ russia to crimea. you mentioned the capital kyiv - if russia tries to - capital kyiv — if russia tries to take it once again, do you think they'll be able to succeed, given they'll be able to succeed, given the resistance being put up in the rest of the country? ida. the resistance being put up in the rest of the country?— the resistance being put up in the rest of the country? no, i have good

news tonight. _ rest of the country? no, i have good news tonight, they _ rest of the country? no, i have good news tonight, they won't _ rest of the country? no, i have good news tonight, they won't be - rest of the country? no, i have good news tonight, they won't be able - rest of the country? no, i have good news tonight, they won't be able to | news tonight, they won't be able to take kyiv so easily. kyiv is a hard city to take. it is on a hill, it has narrow roads, it's difficult to navigate and is heavily defended. and the ukrainians know that russia wants it more than anything, so they are ready for a big fight, it's going to take a long time and a huge amount of indiscriminate bombing to take kyiv. and right now, the russians can even take mariupol. so i think that right now, the focus of the action is in don bass, and russians are making a little bit of progress there and in mariupol. but they are too heavily focused on those areas right now. but there is really serious gelling in kyiv, but it will be really hard to take. —— schelling. it will be really hard to take. -- smelling-— it will be really hard to take. -- schellina. �* , ., ., , schelling. aside from those heavy fi . htin . s schelling. aside from those heavy fightings and _ schelling. aside from those heavy fightings and those _ schelling. aside from those heavy fightings and those two _ schelling. aside from those heavy fightings and those two cities, - schelling. aside from those heavy i fightings and those two cities, what comes next in russia's war against ukraine? there have been warnings of it possibly using other weapons, as well. , ,.,

it possibly using other weapons, as well. , ., �*, , well. yes, so that's the big question- _ well. yes, so that's the big question. no _ well. yes, so that's the big question. no one - well. yes, so that's the big question. no one knows i well. yes, so that's the big i question. no one knows how well. yes, so that's the big - question. no one knows how to get out of this mess. at this point, it looks like it's a stalemate, but putin is not ready to negotiate. he gave two big speeches this week— he is defiant, he is emotional, he's not willing to give up or admit that his army has made serious mistakes. and the ukrainian side will not give up either. the ukrainian side will not give up crimea, it won't give up the donbas. so we are really at an impasse — and what happens on the battlefield now will determine the contours of a peace agreement in the future. so i think honestly, i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but what we are seeing in mariupol is likely to be repeated in kharkiv, in kyiv and other cities. so there'll be indiscriminate bombing. vladimir putin does not value human life, and we will see more of the same — so that's why it's imperative now to establish humanitarian zones where innocent ukrainians can leave, they can get out of the country and get to safety as quickly as possible.

melinda, thanks so much forjoining us on newsday. my melinda, thanks so much for “oining us on newsdavfi us on newsday. my pleasure, thank ou. in southern china, more than 130 people are feared dead after a passenger plane crashed in a mountainous area. urgent efforts are under way to find out why the aircraft went down, near the city of wuzhou. 0ur correspondent stephen mcdonell reports from beijing. rescue teams raced into the remote mountains of guangxi, hoping to find survivors. instead, there was barely a trace of flight mu5375 after the passenger jet completely disintegrated when it hit the ground, causing a fire in a bamboo forest. this unverified cctv footage is said to have captured the plane's vertical descent. tv news delivered a message from the country's leader. xi jinping said he was shocked and called on investigators to quickly discover the cause

of the crash. as a precaution, all of china eastern's boeing 737 800s like this one have been grounded. boeing said in a statement that the company's thoughts are with those who were on board, and it pledged technical support for the investigation in china. for people in china, today's crash has been extremely unsettling. this is a country with a strong air safety record, so strong that travellers have, frankly, taken air safety for gra nted. not any more. at guangzhou airport, the wait for news of family and friends and family who never arrived. "my heart is really heavy", says one man who had to call the family of a colleague to tell them he was on the flight. here, they must know that their loved ones are not coming home. stephen mcdonell, bbc news, beijing. you're watching newsday on the bbc.

still to come on the programme: the british—iranian woman released in tehran last week says the uk government took far too long to get her freed. let there be no more wars or bloodshed between arabs and israelis. with great regret, the committee have decided that south africa be excluded — have decided that south africa be excluded from the 1970 competition.

praying streaking across the sky, the white-hot _ streaking across the sky, the white—hot wreckage - streaking across the sky, the white—hot wreckage from - streaking across the sky, the l white—hot wreckage from mere streaking across the sky, the - white—hot wreckage from mere drew gasps _ white—hot wreckage from mere drew gasps from _ white—hot wreckage from mere drew gasps from onlookers _ white—hot wreckage from mere drew gasps from onlookers in _ white—hot wreckage from mere drew gasps from onlookers in fiji. - this is newsday on the bbc. i'm mariko 0i in singapore. 0ur headlines... a fresh curfew is declared in kyiv after a series of russian strikes on civilian targets, including a shopping centre. ukraine rejects russia's demand it gives up the city of mariupol, saying there is "no question of any surrender". more on that story — ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky says a meeting with president putin is necessary to determine russia's position on ending the war

he launched in ukraine. here's our chief international correspondent lyse doucet with the latest from kyiv. president zelensky has asked repeatedly to meet president putin. i remember injanuary, even before this began when one world leader after another was speaking to president putin, presidents linsky says, "why are you not talking to me?" people ask him now, what is there to talk about? he says, "even if there is a i% there to talk about? he says, "even if there is a 1% chance of ending this war, i will take it." what we hear from the turkish and israeli mediators, while they say they've made some progress, they say that the time is not right — and that is the time is not right — and that is the message we also hear from russia. president putin himself keeps repeatedly saying that this campaign is going according to plan, whatever his plan is, and that it will only and once it achieves its goals. we still ask the people of

this capital ask, what are the goals of president putin here? we are at the third 35 hour curfew here since the third 35 hour curfew here since the invasion began. last night was a night of sustained russian artillery fire — louder, closer than it's been before. but still, no clear movement of russian forces into the city. there is an assessment that they are consolidating their positions on the edge of the city, digging in their artillery. but still, they cannot take this capital or even encircle it. it's a month now on thursday since this invasion began — and thursday will also mark a moment of intense diplomacy. presidentjoe biden will be in brussels, there'll be a nato meeting, a g7 meeting, an eu meeting trying to find ways to and war. will it make president putin changed mind? it hasn't yet.

the us senatejudiciary committee is holding four days of hearings on the nomination of the first black woman to the supreme court. in her opening statement, ketanji brown jackson pledged independence and said she prided herself in deciding cases from a neutral position. if i am confirmed, i commit to you that i will work productively to support and defend the constitution, and this grand experiment of american democracy that has endured over these past 246 years. i have been a judge for nearly a decade now, and i take that responsibility and my duty to be independent very seriously. i decide cases from a neutral posture. i evaluate the facts, and i interpret and apply the law to the facts in the case before me without fear or favour, consistent with myjudicial oath.

for more on this, i'm joined now by our north america correspondent, peter bowes in washington, dc. thank you so much forjoining us on the programme. so what did we learn today about her from her opening statement? i today about her from her opening statement?— today about her from her opening statement? ~' ., ., , , ., statement? i think we got a sense of judue statement? i think we got a sense of judge jackson's _ statement? i think we got a sense of judge jackson's sense _ statement? i think we got a sense of judge jackson's sense of _ statement? i think we got a sense of judge jackson's sense of history, - judgejackson's sense of history, and what she was saying. clearly what has gone before her, but her potential place in history, as well, as she was outlining, as we've just seen, the position that she believes she will hold and how she will be independent in the courtroom, talking about that grand experiment of american democracy, and judging cases without fear of favour. —— or favour. that was the thrust of her message in what is likely to be several days of quite partisan questioning over her past and some of her past decisions. she talked

about being a judge for the past decade — this really was her opportunity in her own words to set out her stall, but she's likely to be questions over the next few days on a wide range of issues. 50 be questions over the next few days on a wide range of issues.— on a wide range of issues. so how likel are on a wide range of issues. so how likely are republicans _ on a wide range of issues. so how likely are republicans to - on a wide range of issues. so how likely are republicans to approve | likely are republicans to approve her nomination?— her nomination? well, it isn't a foreuone her nomination? well, it isn't a foregone conclusion. _ her nomination? well, it isn't a foregone conclusion. i- her nomination? well, it isn't a foregone conclusion. i think - her nomination? well, it isn't a i foregone conclusion. i think things have changed in this country, as we are seeing across the nation, but we are seeing across the nation, but we are also seeing the extreme partisan politics in the senate, as well. and that will apply to i think the line of questioning from some republicans. wonder public and said he was looking forward to a candid conversation with the judge about her past sentencing record. she has been criticised by some for allegedly being too lenient in some of the cases that she has presided on over the years, and the allocation from republicans might be

that she has been soft on crime. and perhaps in this politically charged year with an election coming up, the midterm elections in november, that is a claim that the republicans perhaps are notjust directing at this nominee, but the biden administration as well. so it is quite likely that we could see some fireworks before the end of the week. �* , , , ., week. and briefly before we let you uo, week. and briefly before we let you no, if she week. and briefly before we let you go. if she was _ week. and briefly before we let you go. if she was to — week. and briefly before we let you go, if she was to be _ week. and briefly before we let you go, if she was to be approved, - go, if she was to be approved, this will be a very historic moment. hugely historic, and i think that's why she was at pains to delve into the historic importance of her particular role, of course, the first black woman to be appointed to the supreme court. it won't change the supreme court. it won't change the political makeup of the court, the political makeup of the court, the conservatives will still have a 6-3 the conservatives will still have a 6—3 majority, but as far as her individual role is concerned, yes, hugely significant.— individual role is concerned, yes, hugely significant. peter, thank you so much for — hugely significant. peter, thank you so much for that _ hugely significant. peter, thank you so much for that update. _

nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe has made her first public appearance, since she was relased by iran last week. she returned to the uk after nearly six years in detention. here's our diplomatic correspondent caroline hawley. out of the darkness into the spotlight. for six long years, she was silenced. it was her husband who had to speak for her — of the psychological torture she endured, the agony of being separated from her daughter. but today, at last, nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe got to have her say. and she began with some important thank yous. my amazing husband, who has been tirelessly campaigning for me, so thank you so much. and my daughter for being very, very patient with mummy to be coming home. so i am so grateful. at this point, gabriella, who's seven, is much more interested in the games on a mobile phone. nazanin flew home in the early hours of thursday morning, along with another british national, anoosheh ashoori, after the uk repaid a long overdue military debt.

but she wasn't keen to give the government any credit today. i was told many, many times that, "oh, we're going to get you home." that never happened. so there was a time that i felt like, do you know what? i'm not even going to trust you, because i've been told many, many times that i was going to be taken home, but that never happened. how many foreign secretaries does it take for someone to come home? five? it should have been one of them eventually. so now, here we are. what's happened now should have happened six years ago. at nazanin's request, the daughter of a british born iranian left behind in tehran was there too. morad tahbaz is a 66—year—old wildlife conservationist serving a ten—year term who thought he was part of the deal that brought nazanin home. roxanne tahbaz made a direct appeal to the government. to prime ministerjohnson and foreign secretary truss, we beg you to please stand by your word and bring back both of my parents, my father, and my mother.

gabriella told me on the phone one day that, mummy, you do realise that you are very famous, and then it's me and then it's daddy? laughter fine. then i said, "ok, you know, it's not good to be famous, because you want to have a normal life, and, you know, just to have..." and she was like, "oh, you're not going to be famous for ever. maximum a week!" so we're bracing ourselves for a week of fame, and then we're just going to have a normal family. and with that, she was off to start a new chapter in her life, away, the family hopes, from the public gaze. you have been watching newsday. after refusing an offer of safe passage, ukraine president zielinski says they will never bow to russian ultimatums. president zelensky said ukrainians would have to approve any compromise agreed with russia, and local commanders said the death toll in mariupol now exceeded 3000 — the

actual figure was unknown. that's it for this edition of the programme, thanks so much for watching. it's very settled on the weather front right now, and that's how it'll stay generally over the next few days. how about the details? and there are a few to talk about — just the chance of catching a shower on tuesday. some of these fairweather clouds will build into shower clouds, but i think the vast majority of us will miss them. now this is the high pressure that's dominating the weather across europe — it really is an extensive high, and so many towns and cities enjoying that spring sunshine. so the forecast, then, through the early hours shows a little bit of cloud here and there, perhaps some mist and murk forming through the early hours. generally frost—free with temperatures of around 3—6 celsius — but in northern parts of england, in the northeast and also in scotland, just a touch of frost, particularly in rural areas.

so we wake up to lots of sunshine, and again, these shower clouds may develop across parts of wales, central england, and the north here. i mean, you could hardly see them on the weather map here, so again, for most of us, it's a dry day. temperatures typically 15—18 celsius, but some of us will warm up to around 20 or so, particularly across southern parts of england, the usual spots. so the forecast into wednesday, then, and light winds — again, lots of sunshine, again, just the outside chance of those showers being sparked off by the higher temperatures. and i think widely in the high teens across england, and certainly in the lowlands of scotland, easily 16—17 celsius. and pleasant enough for northern ireland, too, the mid—teens. now the high pressure is right over the uk on thursday — that means very light winds across central areas of the country. so even though the temperatures may be not quite as high on thursday in some areas, it'll still feel every bit as warm because the winds will be light,

and we'll have so much sunshine around, as well. now, friday and the weekend, the high pressure will wobble a little bit — all that means is that the winds will start to change in direction. but on the whole, it means very little change in the weather overall. so here's the outlook, then, for the next few days — a lot of fine weather, it really is a cracking week of weather. i think the next spell of more unsettled weather won't arrive until around the end of the month. that's it for me, bye bye.

this is bbc news, the headlines the ukrainian president has said his country will never surrender its biggest cities. kyiv rejected a russian offer to allow people to leave the besieged city of mariupol if they laid down their arms. the ukrainian capital is under a curfew until wednesday morning. last night, the city was rocked by a number of large explosions. one of the targets was a shopping centre which russia claims was storing rockets. the us presidentjoe biden has held a phone call with european leaders to discuss the ongoing war in ukraine. the white house said they shared their concerns about russia's brutal tactics, including its attacks on civilians.