this is bbc news. welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. i'm rich preston. our top stories: yelling. as ukrainian troops are said to be reclaiming lost ground, we report from the small town facing the might of the russian forces and pushing them back. this war is only a few weeks old and the russians will almost certainly be back with more soldiers and a lot more firepower. nothing left but the ruins: ukraine says russian airstrikes are turning the besieged port of mariupol to dust. survivors tell of children starving to death. the leading kremlin critic facing yet more jail time —

the us says it's part of russia's crackdown on dissent to hide the war in ukraine. and the women's world number one, ash barty, says she's retiring from tennis. the pentagon says ukrainian soldiers are successfully reversing battlefield momentum against invading russian forces to reclaim ground in some parts of the country. but the intense bombardment of the southern port city of mariupol shows no signs of abating, with the ukrainian president saying damage is so bad it no longer exists. a spokesman for the us defence department says there were some optimistic signs in other areas of the south. ukrainians are going a bit

more on the offence now. they have been defending very smartly, very nimbly, very creatively in places that they believe are the right places to defend, and we have seen them now in places, particularly in the south, near kherson, they have tried to regain territory. again, we don't have great fidelity of tactical movements, but we have seen them make these efforts, and i would tell you, it's not... the ukrainians themselves several days ago said that they were planning on counter—attacks, and so i think we have seen indications that they are moving in that direction. reports are now emerging of local citizens and ukrainian soldiers in the southern town of voznesensk, with a population ofjust 35,000, destroying a column of russian tanks and pushing back russian troops who attacked the town. from there, our correspondent andrew harding sent this report.

in war, a single bridge can sometimes make all the difference. a bridge and a town determined to keep it from the enemy. and that's what happened here in voznesensk, a quiet farming community that stood its ground. security cameras captured the moment russian tanks roared into town, determined to seize the bridge, and beyond it, a clear road across southern ukraine. but the locals were already setting a trap. all hands on deck. blocking off roads, guiding the russians into an ambush. gunfire a local shopkeeper, alexander, filmed himself on the front lines. "you little beauties!" he shouts. "it was a colossal effort

by the whole town," he says. "we used hunting rifles, people threw bricks, "old women loaded sandbags, "the russians didn't know where to look. "i've never seen the community come together like that." as the invaders approached the bridge, the locals blew it up — at which point these british anti—tank weapons played a decisive role. the ukrainians destroyed almost every russian vehicle, denying them the chance to seize the town and to rebuild the bridge. tank tracks still mark svetlana nikolajevna's garden. her outhouse took a direct hit. she says the russians took two ukrainian soldiers prisoner in there, and she feared they were going to kill them, but then the battle

got out of hand. that's the blood of russian soldiers who were sheltering in her house. while she hid in a cellar, her cottage became a russian field hospital. translation: they left at night in such a hurry. | they left almost everything behind. theyjust took their dead and wounded. it may be russia's heaviest defeat so far, their troops retreating far to the east. this town, this community, achieved something remarkable here, but we need to put it in perspective. this war is only a few weeks old, and the russians will almost certainly be back with more soldiers and a lot more firepower. not surprisingly, the town hall is crowded with people wanting help getting out of voznesensk. 0thers go straight to the 32—year—old mayor.

he's well guarded these days, brimming with confidence, but realistic about what lies ahead. "we know we can't win here "without more anti—tank weapons," says yevheni velichko. "we're grateful for western supplies, but we need more. "we know the russians will be back." back for the bridge and back for the town that stood its ground. andrew harding, bbc news, in voznesensk, southern ukraine. the southern port city of mariupol is a key strategic target for russia. many have fled but around 300,000 people are believed to be trapped there, with food and water running out. 0ur correspondent, wyre davies, sent this report from zaporizhzhia, where some people from mariupol have managed to flee. after 170 miles, mined roads and 15 russian army

checkpoints — freedom. their ordeal is by no means over, but for these families who have escaped from mariupol in a motley convoy of bomb—damaged vehicles, the last month has been as close to hell as any human should ever get. it was bombing every ten, five minutes and we haven't any central heating, gas, electricity, food or water, nothing. before leaving, katya grabbed her obstinate dog jesse. but this isn't the first time she's fled war. i passed through war in 2014. i'm from donetsk. but it was light variant, really. and now, it's my second war, but it is harder. this van, filled with 25 people, also made it through today. all occupants of the same bunker in mariupol escaping together —

from ages 2 to 75. 0vercome with emotion, �*babushka', or grandmother, anna, says, "it's all too much for me at my age." some of those arriving today gave us videos, a snapshot of the nightmare in which they've been living and the perils of their journey out. around 300,000 people are still thought to be trapped inside the besieged city, much of which has been destroyed by the russian bombardment. from the sky in particular, russia is causing real damage to mariupol�*s civilian and industrial infrastructure. it was a bombardment that almost took the life of two—month—old volodymyr. when a shell landed near their apartment, his father instinctively threw himself over the baby. dad alexei was hit by shrapnel and glass. his son, born only a month before the war, bears no injuries.

"after that we lived in the shelter, "cooking with wood and just trying to survive," says alexei. ukrainians have their differences, but the war has brought people together in adversity. volunteers provide anything those escaping mariupol need for their onward journeys, knowing full well that their town could be next. wyre davies, bbc news, zaporizhzhia. russia's most prominent opposition figure, alexei navalny, already serving jail time, has been given a 9—year prison sentence, after being found guilty of fraud and contempt of court, charges which are widely considered to be fabricated. 0ur russia editor, steve rosenberg, has more details. the images are grainy, but the meaning was clear. kremlin critic alexei navalny, already a prisoner, was about to receive anotherjail term. his prison colony had been turned into a courtroom. his supporters call

it a show trial. he was sentenced to nine years, maximum security, for fraud. this was mr navalnyjust over a year ago, russia's most prominent opposition figure, detained when he flew into moscow. his arrest and imprisonment sparked nationwide protests. protester yells. but what followed was a kremlin crackdown. the result? more repression, less freedom. so much has happened here in the last year. the russian opposition has been crushed, kremlin critics have been silenced. this feels like a very different russia. and that feeling is all the stronger after president putin's decision to send his troops into ukraine. the kremlin calls what it's doing in ukraine a �*special military operation'. it demands that

everyone do the same. the freedom of speech is non—existent. this is the horrible war that we are not even allowed to call the war, because here it is called a �*special operation'. and people that come onto the streets with a banner "no war" are detained. russian mp maria butina thinks that in times of trouble, russians should support the motherland. as for alexei navalny? he cheated on the government. he cheated on certain businesses. it is widely seen as politically motivated. it is not politically motivated. absolutely not. so there are no political prisoners in russia? there are no political prisoners in russia. not a single one? not a single one, absolutely. and that is precisely the picture that the kremlin paints for the russian people, hoping they'll believe that there's no repression here, no war, no problem.

steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. as we've been hearing, much of the focus of the current fighting is in the south of the country, where cities of key strategic importance lie along the coastline. 0ur security correspondent, gordon corera, has this assessment of russia's military tactics, almost one month on from the invasion. russia invaded ukraine from a number of directions, but it's the south where the fighting has been fiercest and which looks to be strategically most important. russian forces entered through crimea, which they had already seized in 2014. we've just seen details of some of the fighting around voznesensk. it is one of a number of places where russia has met much tougher resistance than it expected. this is a strategically important place. the reason is, if russia seized it it would offer them a land route

towards the historic city of 0desa. the port of 0desa has already been preparing its defences. 0ne western official today said it remains a prime military objective for moscow. there has been concern there could even be an amphibious assault from the sea where russia has assembled dozens of vessels but an attack from the sea would be hard, unless there was also a move from land towards the city. so let's look at the south—east now. we have heard a lot about mariupol. you can see the importance of the city because it would give russia a land bridge between the east and crimea if they were able to seize it. russian forces, seen here in red, have encircled the city and have started to go in. and the devastation has been pretty terrible, with some estimates putting up to 90% of mariupol destroyed. so the russian ambition may be to seize the whole of the south, leaving ukraine landlocked. that would impose economic

as well as military costs. but russia has faced fierce resistance, its forces are spread thin, and it's not always been able to keep territory it has taken, so that may be an ambition too far. still to come on the programme: who might own this super—yacht that ukraine wants seized before it sets sail? find out later. applause i'm so proud of both of you. let there be no more wars or bloodshed between arabs and israelis.

with great regret, _ the committee have decided that south africa be excluded . from the 1970 competition. singing in own language streaking across the sky, the white—hot wreckage from mir drew gasps from onlookers on fiji. this is bbc world news, the latest headlines: ukraine's president says there's a chance of surviving the war — as his military stops the russian advance on some key targets. the us condemns the latest jail sentence given to kremlin critic alexei navalny. washington says it's part of the crackdown on dissent to hide

the war in ukraine. tennis — and the world number one, ash barty, has announced she's retiring from the game. in a surprise announcement on social media, she said she was leaving the sport �*proud and fulfilled'. the 25—year—old won three grand slam singles titles, including the australian open injanuary. let's speak to our correspondent phil mercer in sydney. good afternoon. this must have come as a huge surprise? fix, good afternoon. this must have come as a huge surprise? a bolt out of the _ come as a huge surprise? a bolt out of the blue _ come as a huge surprise? a bolt out of the blue and _ come as a huge surprise? a bolt out of the blue and ash - come as a huge surprise? a bolt out of the blue and ash barty i out of the blue and ash barty is leaving the sport very much at the top of her game. she won herfirst grand slam at the top of her game. she won her first grand slam at the french open in 2019, she won wimbledon last year and perhaps her crowning glory was triumphant at this year's australian open. she was the first australian man or woman to win a singles title on home soil, in 44 years. ash barty in

that statement on social media saying the aussie title, the aussie open title was the perfect way for her to end a career, at the age ofjust 25. she said that she is physically spent, she is exhausted, she has nothing else to give and she is leaving tennis to pursue other dreams. and this will be a major shock, other dreams. and this will be a majorshock, i other dreams. and this will be a major shock, ithink other dreams. and this will be a major shock, i think too many australians who really did appreciate her determination and her home spun approach to the ultracompetitive sport of professional tennis. you mention _ professional tennis. you mention some - professional tennis. you mention some of - professional tennis. you mention some of her . professional tennis. you - mention some of her career highlights what kind of legacy has she left the sport? she highlights what kind of legacy has she left the sport?- has she left the sport? she is one of the — has she left the sport? she is one of the rich _ has she left the sport? she is one of the rich -- _ has she left the sport? she is one of the rich -- very - has she left the sport? she is one of the rich -- very few. one of the rich —— very few indigenous australians who are a champion in the sporting field. and also a household name. forthat field. and also a household name. for that reason she joins the likes of yvonne gulaga callie another tennis champion

here in australia, cathie freeman who was the start of the sydney 0lympics freeman who was the start of the sydney olympics in 2000, and ash barty will nowjoin that list of revered sporting heroes in this country. and on and the australian open ash barty has many more australian so, the sport on a one of encouraging more girls to follow in her footsteps and australia to with.

i've been speaking to ron sleiman, a ukrainian—american who explained how he escaped ukraine with his wife and three—year—old. well, so, we were in a very dangerous spot outside of kyiv and we basically took the chance because it was getting very risky. so we were able to kind of navigate through a few little towns but when we got to the villages, we didn't have any gps, we didn't have any internet, so we were lucky enough to be with a convoy of self—organised people who wanted to leave and it took us about three hours but, it was very dangerous. we ran into a column of russian tanks but luckily we were not fired upon. the locals had kind of warned us about it but we got through, but it was a very scary time not knowing where you were and not having access to anything. i can imagine it must have been absolutely terrifying. we've heard about these

humanitarian corridors being set up in various parts of the country. how useful have they been for people? we were quite fortunate because we left pretty much in the middle of this whole thing but the corridors right now are not safe at all. even if they say they are guaranteed, we've heard many stories especially out of mariupol that the convoys are being fired upon or buses are being turned back, so even when they say that they have come to an agreement, the agreement is not being followed through and it is very dangerous. you are now safely with family and texas, do you hope to be able to return to ukraine at some point? i do but i am not too optimistic about it. the war has basically broken the country and we are trying as much as we can to help right now, to bring the humanitarian aid and help as much as we can but life as it is, as we know it, i was there for 18 years and that life, i don't think is ever

going to come back to normal. let's get some of the day's other news: rescuers at the site of a plane crash in southern china have found burnt wreckage and personal belongings of those on board, but no sign of any survivors. china eastern flight mu—5735 was carrying 132 people when it nose—dived 30,000 feet into hills in guangxi province on monday. recovery work has been hampered by difficult terrain. new zealand is to significantly loosen its covid—19 rules as prime ministerjacinda ardern announced �*a new beginning'. the country has had some of the toughest restrictions in the world, but it's seen a huge surge in infections since the 0micron variant took hold — with almost 21,000 new daily cases recorded. president biden's nominee for the supreme court has been questioned by senators on the second day of her confirmation hearing. kentaji brown jackson rejected republican allegations she had been too lenient in her sentencing in child sex cases. she also defended her work representing terrorism

suspects. the 51—year—old judge is expected to gain enough votes to secure the confirmation. america and its allies have, so far, refused to respond militarily to moscow's invasion of ukraine. but they have mounted a concerted campaign against the russian economy. sanctions have been imposed and assets seized. the latest potential target is a multi—million dollar yacht that might have a very significant owner, as the bbc�*s tim allman explains. almost hidden away on the tuscan coast, the scheherazade is no ordinary vessel. registered in the cayman islands, some say it could be the personal property of vladimir putin. 140 metres in length, it is the very epitome of wealth and extravagance. one of the world's biggest superyachts, the scheherazade is believed to be worth around $700 million. anticorruption activists claim

some of its crew work for a russian government agency that manages security for high—ranking officials, including presiden putin. in his speech to the italian parliament, ukraine's president volodymyr zelensky called for the yacht to be seized by the authorities. "we need to freeze all their real estate, their bank accounts, their yachts," he says. "from scheherazade down to the smallest. we need to freeze the assets of everyone. those in russia who have the power to decide." another of these so—called superyachts can be seen in waters off the coast of turkey. this is the eclipse, owned by russian billionaire roman abramovich, and this is solaris, also the property of mr abramovich, trying to dock in the port of bodrum. pro—ukrainian demonstrators aiming to get in the way. as for the scheherazade, italy's financial police service are believed to be investigating. they have already seized yachts

belonging to several russian oligarchs. if this vessel does turn out to be owned by vladimir putin, it could be next in line. tim allman, bbc news. the duke and duchess of cambridge have left belize after a four—day visit as part of their caribbean tour marking the queen's platinum jubilee. the next stop is jamaica asjonny dymond reports. into the sunshine and into controversy. it all looks like business as usual. the governor—general brought a warm welcome. the couple brought thanks from the queen for seven decades of support over her reign. but not everyone is feeling supportive. some here, and some in government, want an apology for slavery, the slavery that britain ran and that some britons made vast profits from, the slavery that did so much damage to this country. and there is talk of financial compensation too. 0utside britain's

high commission, its embassy to jamaica, today, a reminder of past pain and present anger. this is an issue that is only building momentum. it's clear to see that belizeans value their environment, whether it's the marine environment or the land environment. from the couple's household, new pictures from their last stop, belize. the government there wanted the couple to see the country's barrier reef. as jamaicans waited for the couple's arrival, it was football star raheem sterling that took the spotlight. the prince will address the issue of slavery here tomorrow night. as jamaica's future turns out to see the couple, there's no escaping the shadow of the past. jonny dymond, bbc news, kingston, jamaica.

much more on all those stories on the bbc website. you can reach me on twitter — i'm @ richpreston. hello there. at this time of year, warm days are often followed by decidedly chilly nights. and tuesday was certainly a warm day, with temperatures in northwest wales getting close to 21 degrees, the warmest day of the year so far. plenty of other places not too far behind. but as soon as the sun went down, the temperatures followed. it has been turning quite chilly out there. high pressure still close by on wednesday. it stays mostly dry, but with those clear skies overhead, quite a chilly start to the morning, with temperatures down around freezing, below freezing in a few places. one or two early fog patches around as well. they should tend to lift and clear by the middle part of the morning. and then it is another beautiful spring day, with lengthy spells of sunshine.

the vast majority will stay dry. there's just a small chance of one or two showers popping up in northeast scotland and maybe across eastern counties of england. not as breezy as it was on tuesday across western areas and every bit as warm. top temperatures between 16 and 20, maybe 21 degrees. but as we head through wednesday night, again, the sun goes down, the orange colours drain away from the map, replaced by blues and greens, with temperatures again dropping down to around freezing. those are the values for the towns and the cities. out in the countryside, i think there will be a touch of frost, and again potentially some fog patches on thursday morning. now, england and wales will once again have a mostly sunny day, with just the odd rogue shower. for scotland and northern ireland, expect more cloud creeping in from the northwest, with some spots of light rain and drizzle. top temperatures through thursday between 16 and 19 degrees in most places. now, for friday, again, the further north you are, there will be a bit more in the way of cloud. some rain for the northern isles. further south, more in the way of sunshine, a bit more of a breeze through the english channel at this stage, and temperatures maybe down

just a fraction but still getting up to between 15 and 19 degrees. and then we head into weekend, and some of that cloud in the north associated with a weak frontal system will try to work a little further southwards, but high pressure continues to hold firm, so despite that extra cloud and the greater chance of a bit of fog, it is going to stay fine and dry with some spells of sunshine. into next week, though, we develop a northerly wind. it'll start to feel quite a lot colder and there could even be some wintry showers.

this is bbc news. the headlines: ukraine says continued russian shelling is still stopping rescue workers reaching the theatre in mariupol targeted last wednesday. they say hundreds of people are trapped in the theatre's bomb shelter. there are reports that food and water shortages mean children are starving to death. ukraine says its troops have managed to stop russian soldiers advancing on the port city of 0desa. heavy fighting is continuing in many parts of the country. united nations head antonio guterres has appealed for an end to the war, warning it's becoming more unpredictable by the hour. the us has condemned what it called russia's orchestration of a sham trial against the kremlin critic, alexei navalny. his prison sentence was extended to nine years after he was found guilty of fraud and contempt of court.

he's widely regarded as the country's most