tonight at ten: the chancellor sets out plans to help hard—pressed families facing some of the worst economic headwinds in decades. delivering his spring statement, he warned we should all be prepared for "the economy to worsen." but, he told the commons new tax cuts, would ease the burden for millions. a tax plan that cuts taxes on working families by over £330, that cuts taxes on fuel by 5p a litre, cuts taxes on fuel by 5p a litre, cuts taxes on businesses, and yes, for the first time in a long time, cuts income tax.— for the first time in a long time, cuts income tax. inflation is at its hi . hest cuts income tax. inflation is at its highest level— cuts income tax. inflation is at its highest level for _ cuts income tax. inflation is at its highest level for 30 _ cuts income tax. inflation is at its highest level for 30 years - cuts income tax. inflation is at its highest level for 30 years and - highest level for 30 years and rising — highest level for 30 years and rising. energy prices at record highs — rising. energy prices at record highs. people are worried sick.

there — highs. people are worried sick. there is— highs. people are worried sick. there is a _ highs. people are worried sick. there is a bleak prediction and a tough backdrop. the chancellor can make his promises, but our living standards are set to fall. so, what difference will the chancellor's spring statement make to struggling families? we'll look at the numbers. also tonight: school's out for afghan girls. heartache as the taliban fails to resume secondary education. in ukraine, the city of mariupol, devastated by russian shelling. we talk to one of the survivors of the siege. and america's first woman secretary of state, madeleine albright, has died. she was 8a. and coming up in the sport on the bbc news channel: arsenal's women start their bid to reach the champions league semifinals against wolfsburg.

good evening. the chancellor, rishi sunak, has set out his plans to address the cost of living crisis, predicted to be the worst in decades. he told mps that fuel duty would be cut by 5p per litre, through to march next year. though national insurance payments are set to rise from april 6th, he said the threshold at which people will have to pay any contribution will be raised by £3,000 from july. that means you'll need to earn at least £12,570 a year before paying any income tax or national insurance. and mr sunak said he intends to cut the basic rate of income tax, the first reduction in 16 years, from 20% to i9%, by the end of the current parliament in 202a. but the chancellor also gave some eye—watering figures on inflation, or the rate at which prices go up. today it hit 6.2% in the 12 months to february, with the chancellor saying that's

likely to hit an average 7.4% for the year. and he talked about the uk s growth forecast, which has been revised down to 3.8 per cent, with mr sunak blaming the conflict in ukraine. 0verrall, he conceded that everyone should be "prepared for the economy and public "finances to worsen, potentially significantly." this was backed up by the office for budget responsiblity, which provides independent economic forecasts to the government. the 0br says household disposable incomes are set for their biggest drop since records began. 0urfirst report tonight is from our political editor, laura kuenssberg. peering ahead, there is threat to all around. rising prices and falling standards of living that could push some families to the edge. reporter: is there more pain to come, chancellor? - rishi sunak is the man who has to manage the economy through to the other side. reporter: are you doing enough i to help working people, chancellor? yet, can every step be certain when our world is anything but? i now call the chancellor

of the exchequer, rishi sunak. in the next half hour, he had the power to change what's in the country's pockets. the invasion of ukraine presents a risk to our recovery, as it does to countries around the world. the war�*s most significant impact domestically is on the cost of living. people should know that we will stand by them as we have throughout the last two years. standing by is not the same as supporting everyone's income. and help for drivers was first. i want to help people now. today i can announce, for only the second time in 20 years, fuel duty will be cut. not by one, not even by two, but by 5p a litre. with the cost for fuel for your tank and heating your home spiralling, vat will disappear on ways of making your home energy efficient, and there's an extra £500 million for those who struggle

most to pay their bills. yet these weren't drastic moves. the chancellor holding back because... we should be prepared for the economy and public finances to worsen, potentially significantly. ..interest on debt will tip £80 billion, more than the government spends day today on schools, courts, prisons and borders put together. yet, although money is tight, rishi sunak vowed to undo some tax rises he's already put in place. from thisjuly, people will be able to earn £12,570 a year without paying a single penny of income tax or national insurance. and then, to more cheers on his own side, he promised a penny off income tax, but not now — in time for the next election, still two years away. before the end of this parliament, in 2024, for the first

time in 16 years, the basic rate of income tax will be cut from 20 to i9p in the pound. my tax plan delivers the biggest net cut to personal taxes in over a quarter of a century, and i commend it to this house. but there is the world in there — excitement among conservatives about hypothetical tax cuts — and the world out here, the economy promising only weak sunshine. families and firms are already struggling to make ends meet. shadow chancellor of the exchequer, rachel reeve. for labour, the ups and downs of tax vows miss the point. today was the day that the chancellor could have put a windfall tax on oil and gas producers, to provide real help to families.

but he didn't. today was the day the chancellor could have set out a proper plan to support businesses and create good jobs, but he didn't. today was the day that he could have properly scrapped his national insurance hike, but he didn't. people are worried sick. for all his words, it is clear that the chancellor does not understand the scale of the challenge. he talks about providing security for working families, but his choices are making the cost of living crisis worse, not better. the opposition parties accusing ministers of turning their backs. the chancellor has not done nearly enough today to help with the cost of living crisis. people who are receiving their energy bills through their doors just now, there's really nothing additional for them today, other than the heat now, pay later loan that the chancellor already announced. whilst there are some l measures that are to be welcomed, on the whole, _

as a package, we are very concerned that it won't actually address the scale _ of the crisis, and many. households across wales, and particularly in _ rural areas, will still find it - a big struggle to pay some of those bills. there is a climate—shaped hole at the heart of the statement. you know, the chancellor didn't even mention the word climate once, and that is all the more unforgivable, given that the solution to the climate crisis, and indeed the cost of living crisis, is the same. what we need to see is a mass home insulation programme. his focus for now, though, is at the pump, and the promise and reality of some tax cuts. how are you doing? for rishi sunak, for the government, the taxpayer cannot and should not pick up everyone's tab. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. despite the chancellor's concessions on tax, the office for budget responsibility says overall, taxes will hit their "highest level since the late 19405" in coming years. here's our economics

editor, faisal islam. even before today's actual tax and spending decisions, the fate of the economy and of the finances of millions of households was repealed by rises in prices of fuel, food and electricity pushing inflation to a new 30 year high. the grim news from the government's economic forecaster, that this will be with us for some time. since the 1990s, inflation has generally stayed below 4% but hit 6.2% in the figures today. in the last forecast, the 0br recognised any prices would push inflation up this year and now they say it will rise even higher for longer, tojust under 9%, the highest level since the 1980s. the russian invasion of ukraine happened halfway through the forecast but we did take energy prices a week after the invasion happened and roughly speaking, they have returned to both levels in the last few weeks. it does have a big impact on

inflation, pushing it up to 8.7%, the highest level in a0 years, and had a knock—on effect on growth. it had brought it down from 6% in the previous forecast to 3.8% in this forecast. the big announcement from the chancellor was to lower two - taxes but since the start of this parliament, the government has announced tax rises worth nearly 4% of the size of the economy. for income tax, national insurance and corporations. this is all about scale. the half reversal of a national insurance rise that has yet to hit, alongside the down payment on an income tax cut that will come in a couple of years will be material, worth hundreds of pounds for tens of millions of households eventually. but they are dwarfed by the existing tax rises already in train across

the economy, and the incredible hit to living standards from rising prices, in particular energy. put all of that together, and even despite the government support, millions of households this year will see real post—tax incomes fall by 2%, the biggest amount in 66 years that these statistics have existed. but some will be hit harder. if you're not an income taxpayer, not in work or paying national insurance, there was literally nothing in there for you. benefits, universal credit, state pension, going up byjust 3.i% next month, inflation over the year is expected to average something like 7% and that is a big cut in the living standards on those on the very lowest incomes. some very big questions not yet fully answered arising from inflation staying so high for so long. public sector workers alongside pensioners and recipients of tax credits are likely to push hard for more public spending to ease their squeeze. faisal islam, bbc news.

well, what's been the public reaction to the chancellor's attempts to try to ease the cost of living crisis? 0ur political corresponent alex forsyth has been gauging the mood in tamworth, in staffordhsire. hello, have you had a good day? yeah, it was all right. good, good. the fords are a busy family. kids, come and help! and for them, like many, it is the day to day routines that are becoming costly. after school, there's football and dancing, family dinner. you take the car. and with fuel, food and energy bills all climbing, they are having to think about what they spend in a whole new way. thinking of our food bills each week, it's definitely increased probably at least 20 to £30, i think, in the last 12 months. and i am conscious. actually, we turn lights up, shut doors. fuel prices mean driving to after—school activities is more expensive, so susie shares lifts with other families, making today's cut in fuel duty welcome. but at daughter lottie's dance club, few

are jumping forjoy at the prospect of prices rising further. parents watching children dancing or playing cricket say things are already a stretch. it's the electric bills and the gas bill. - i'm very conscious of not having the heating on at full. well, our wages don't go up at the same rate, so you know, it's all coming out of our pockets. i think the government really need to step up and start doing something about this now, because it's not on. giving over 30 million workers a tax cut worth over... back at the fords, susie watched to see if the chancellor would bring much relief, and for her, the changes to national insurance will help. working part—time, that is beneficial for myself. so, yes, it's a better outcome than we could have anticipated. and the income tax cut due in two years? i suppose it's a case of sit and wait. for many here, it's a case of waiting to see if it makes a difference. the market town of tamworth is in the west midlands, which already has some of the most

deprived areas in england. the measures announced by the chancellor today are meant to mitigate the financial pressure so many households are facing, but with prices set to rise further, there are plenty here still worried about what's to come. the cost of living could well be a defining challenge for this government. for martin, it's already a struggle. he set up a courier company during covid, and rocketing fuel prices have been crippling. we are paying an extra 20 to £40 a day per van, so if i operate seven days a week, that's up to £600 a week. so, will today's announcements help? i think it's embarrassing that that's the best the british government can do. i mean, next week, the fuel pumps will probably go up by 5p, so that's swallowed up straightaway. that's the risk — as well as the impact on families and firms, if costs keep climbing, there could be a political price to pay, too. alex forsythe, bbc news, tamworth.

let's speak to our political editor, laura kuenssberg, who's at westminster. how well did the chancellor walk that tightrope of trying to be positive while inflation is going in the wrong direction. it is positive while inflation is going in the wrong direction.— the wrong direction. it is a difficult task, _ the wrong direction. it is a difficult task, on _ the wrong direction. it is a difficult task, on a - the wrong direction. it is a difficult task, on a day - the wrong direction. it is ai difficult task, on a day like the wrong direction. it is a - difficult task, on a day like today, a huge amount of information and it will take time to work out what the sum of the parts that rishi sunak put foe ward. but several things are clear, clear absolutely that rishi sunak wants to be seen as a tax cutter. he he tickled the tummies of party by promising tax cuts. the treasury is not in the mood to offer huge amounts of extra cash to help people feeling the pinch. there is the premise of cuts in fuel duty and

the premise of cuts in fuel duty and the threshold of national insurance and some money for people who are really feeling the worst of some of the increases in energy bills, but no significant action. no action for people on benefits. above all else, what is clear tonight, looking at the forecast that were published, is there are very significant pressures coming down the line for everyone, forfirms, forfamilies, for the for firms, for families, for the government, forfirms, forfamilies, for the government, the suggestions of where inflation might land are things which for any government are a difficult thing to manage. i think for all that the chancellor made promises about his own hopes for times ahead, that means he will be managing a very tricky backdrop and leighs himself open to the charge that the opposition is already making tonight, that the government has not yet understood the scale of the challenge that people are already facing, just how tough

things may be for household budgets in the months ahead.— and there's more information on the chancellor's spring statement, and what it could mean for you, on the bbc website, just go to bbc.co.uk/news. on to other news, and the taliban has abruptly ordered girls' secondary schools in afghanistan to remain closed on the day they were due to re—open. many had been shut since last august, when the taliban retook control of the country. a spokesman says more time's needed to decide what uniforms female students should wear. our correspondent, secunder kermani, has more from kabul. dusting the desks. the morning began full of smiles and hope. for these students in the west of kabul, returning to school felt particularly poignant. last year, more than 90

were killed here in an attack by the local branch of the islamic state group. we want to be successful so we can fulfil the dreams of our martyred classmates, says zakhina. that will be our revenge on those responsible. not long after they've arrived, there is a unexpected bad news. the girls had literally just sat down at their desks and the head teacher got a whatsapp message from the local taliban in charge, saying that, actually, teenage girls can't come back to class just yet. and the girls are just devastated. "we just want to learn and to serve our country, " says fatima. "what is our sin?" she asks the taliban. "you're talking about islam. "does islam say to

harm women like this? "it doesn't. "i want to address the girls of afghanistan. "please don't give up fighting for your rights." the taliban's ministry of education pressed ahead with the ceremony marking the start of the new academic year but seemed at a loss to explain what had gone wrong. the central leadership has said until a plan is developed on the basis of sharia and afghan culture, girls' secondary schools will remain closed, a spokesman told us. we were at a school in the west of kabul today. there were teenage girls in tears because they had been told that they have to go home again. who should they blame for this? "i work for the ministry of education," he says. "we made our preparations. "you need to ask someone representing the leadership." the students filed home just an hour or so after having arrived. in private, taliban members admit hardline elements within the group still find the idea of female education controversial, even though

schools are already segregated. that leaves these young women deeply worried for the future. secunder kermani, bbc news, kabul. now, let's get the very latest on the situation in ukraine, and cross to my colleague ben brown, who's in the western city of lviv. good evening. for the first time, there are signs that ukrainian forces are going on the offensive. the ukrainian government says its troops have retaken the town of makariv, west of the capital kyiv. local authorities there say ukrainian flags are flying in the town once more. volunteers and troops in the southern town of voznesens'k destroyed a russian armoured convoy and pushed back russian forces. and in kherson, the first city to fall, ukrainian forces are trying to recapture territory.

but the port city of mariupol is still under intense russian bombardement. president zelensky says around 100,000 civilians are now trapped there without food, water or power. 0ur correspondent wyre davies has been speaking to a survivor of the russian attack on the city's theatre — where hundreds of civilians including children had been taking shelter. maria walked for four days to escape mariupol. without money, a car orfamily, she has nothing. she's the first known survivor of the mariupol theatre attack to speak about what happened. translation: the theatre was completely packed with people. there was no space to lie down people were just sitting. it was clear that this was a shelter, people knew this. also that there was massive signs saying children that were made on both sides of the theatre.

where were you at the exact time of the attack? we were getting our breakfast and by breakfast i mean we were getting some boiled water. someone brought me some pieces of fish, i think to feed the dogs. when they finished eating, i went outside to the water tank to get a bowl of water for them. this is when the shell landed. i saw that it landed just where i had been sitting. i was outside and survived only because there was some man nearby. he heard the shell falling, grabbed me by the collar, pinned me between the ground on the wall and covered me with his body. we were sprayed with broken glass and concrete. i was stunned, probably even concussed because i fell unconscious several times since. when the dust settled a bit, i cleared my eyes i saw injured people around. i tried to make my way inside. the dogs were the family for me.

they were everything i had left. i could not find a way to get inside to at least find out whether they were alive or dead. i sincerely hope they died instantly. maria says there were at least a thousand people inside the theatre. while russia denies targeting civilians, and said it was not responsible, what maria saw suggests otherwise. translation: i don't know how many people died, sorry. there were some rooms in there, those were allocated for families with children. that part of the theatre is completely gone. partially deafened by the blast, her back in pain, maria now relies on the kindness of friends. she worries for her grandmother in mariupol and mourns her dead pets. atjust 27, it is difficult to stay strong. wyre davies, bbc news, zaporizhzhia.

in a moment we'll speak to our europe editor katya adler, who's in the polish capital warsaw. but first let's speak to our chief international correspondent, lyse doucet, who's in the ukrainian capital kyiv. lyse, the ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky has recorded a new message for the ukrainian people tonight, to mark a month since the russian invasion. what's he been saying? yes, well let me just remind viewers the speech that he recorded in the early hours of february 24th, which was just hours before russia early hours of february 24th, which wasjust hours before russia invaded ukraine. he was sitting in his office, in his suit, he said he had tried to contact president putin, but he only got silence and he appealed in russian to the people of russia to stop the invasion. a month on, here in kyiv, he has recorded

another address, on, here in kyiv, he has recorded anotheraddress, in on, here in kyiv, he has recorded another address, in his olive green fatigues, outside the presidential buildings and he has appealed in english to people around the world, saying this is notjust a fight against ukraine, this is a fight for freedom, the freedom of the world and he called on people around the world to leave their offices, schools, homes, to take ukrainian symbols to go into streets and squares and show that they will fight this war. because he said only the world can defeat this war. it is a big gamble, we already have seen a response in many countries and now he has again upped the stakes to say if it really matters to you, show it. he is a man who was a a former entertainer, he understands there is a narrative about the war and the war unfolding on the ground and he has shown tonight he understands that more than most.—

and katya in warsaw, presidentjoe biden is heading to poland on friday, tomorrow's he with nato leaders in brussels. what's he hoping to achieve? well, first of all, this is a very bil well, first of all, this is a very big moment. because president biden comes_ big moment. because president biden comes to _ big moment. because president biden comes to europe when security here is more _ comes to europe when security here is more under threat than it has been _ is more under threat than it has been in — is more under threat than it has been in decades, when nuclear war is a possibility, — been in decades, when nuclear war is a possibility, thanks to vladimir putirr's— a possibility, thanks to vladimir putin's threats. sojoe biden tomorrow has three major meetings with the _ tomorrow has three major meetings with the g7, with nato and the eu leaders _ with the g7, with nato and the eu leaders. all of these he will be looking — leaders. all of these he will be looking at how to stop the bloodshed in ukraine _ looking at how to stop the bloodshed in ukraine and to keep imposing sanctions — in ukraine and to keep imposing sanctions on russia until it is agreed — sanctions on russia until it is agreed to— sanctions on russia until it is agreed to a realistic ceasefire. after— agreed to a realistic ceasefire. after that _ agreed to a realistic ceasefire. after that he heads to poland, that is a show— after that he heads to poland, that is a show of— after that he heads to poland, that is a show of solidarity with eastern european — is a show of solidarity with eastern european countries that feel most exposed _ european countries that feel most exposed to russia. but you know the more _ exposed to russia. but you know the more brutal— exposed to russia. but you know the more brutal russian attacks become

in ukraine, — more brutal russian attacks become in ukraine, the harderthe more brutal russian attacks become in ukraine, the harder the decisions for western— in ukraine, the harder the decisions for western leaders as to how much they intervene and the more difficult _ they intervene and the more difficult it becomes forjoe biden to maintain that unity he has come here to _ to maintain that unity he has come here to europe to emphasise. thank ou. that's it from me and the team here in ukraine, back now to clive in the studio. ben, many thanks. jamaica's prime minister has told the duke and duchess of cambridge that his country is "moving on" and intends to become an independent nation. andrew holness has been meeting prince william and kate on their visit to the caribbean, marking the queen's platinum jubilee. 0ur royal correspondent, jonny dymond, has sent us this report from the jamaican capital, kingston. today looked like business as usual. the duke and duchess at a teacher training college, pursuing kate's

passion for early years learning. but first, from the jamaican prime minister, a public reminder that he wants an end to the british monarch's role as head of state. this won't have been what the duke and duchess were expecting. the prime minister did campaign on a pledge to make jamaica a republic, but to speak to the couple like this in front of the cameras is really strong stuff. if offence was taken, they certainly weren't showing it.

but the prime minister's words are a reminder that the ties between britain and the far flung realms depend on present day politics, as much as the long links of history. jonny dymond, bbc news, kingston, jamaica. the former us secretary of state, madeleine albright, has died at the age of 8a. she'd been living with cancer. a child refugee from czechoslovakia, she rose to become america's top diplomat, the first woman secretary of state, in us history. 0ur washington correspondent, nomia iqbal, looks back at her life. a warning, her report contains some flash photography. madeleine albright was a trail blazer. in 1997 she became american's top diplomat. but he story began outside america. her

family fled prague from the nazis when she was a year old. a decade later, herfamily were when she was a year old. a decade later, her family were granted asylum in the us. 0n the political stage, madeleine albright was the face of us foreign policy during the president clinton years. she pursued what she called aggressive multi—lateralism. she was a major influence on us policy in the middle east, clashing with saddam hussein. he called her a serpent. so started her use ofjewellery he called her a serpent. so started her use of jewellery to he called her a serpent. so started her use ofjewellery to make a point. starting with the snake. russia's vladimir putin said he knew what the mood of meeting would be by looking at her left shoulder. the 84—year—old supported getting other women in higher position and backed hillary clinton in 2016 with a except that some considered controversial. she later apologised. just remember there is a special place in hell for women who don't

help each other!