welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore. i'm mariko oi. the headlines: we have a special report from the front line, inside kharkiv that's under constant russian bombardment. you can see what they're up against here. this is daily, but the steadfastness of these men is being felt notjust in kharkiv but around the world. they've had four weeks of this and still they remain. the russians haven't been able to break their lines. as soldiers battle for peace in ukraine, this is their message to russian forces. translation: either you stay here forever, in the ground, . or you go back home and stop killing children and destroying homes and families.

western leaders promise to increase military aid to ukraine, as president biden says russia's invasion has given the nato alliance unprecedented unity. nato has never, never been more united than it is today. putin is getting exactly the opposite of what he intended to have as a consequence of going into ukraine. outside the capital, kyiv, ukrainian forces say they're pushing russia's army back in a series of counter offensives. and protests and prayers — we meet the russians desperately seeking an end to the war. live from our studio in singapore, this is bbc news. it's newsday.

hello and welcome to the programme. nato leaders have approved plans to increase military aid to ukraine and to send thousands more troops to eastern europe after meeting at an emergency summit in brussels. the g7 and eu also held meetings in the belgian capital, in a show of western unity against moscow. we'll have more on that in a moment. but we start with a special report from inside the city of kharkiv, in the east of the country, less than a0 kilometres from the russian border. it has faced relentless russian missile strikes and shelling. our correspondent quentin sommerville and cameraman darrin conway have spent time with two fighters who have been on the front line in kharkiv from the very beginning. a month of fighting alone. and russian guns still haven't silenced ukraine's cry for freedom.

at the kharkiv philharmonic, maria baranovska may not have an audience, but this is not a city abandoned — only a city half gone. she remains here with her ten—month—old boy. staying is her duty. translation: i believe in our victory. _ i know that the armed forces of ukraine will protect their home. we just need to be a little bit more patient. standing united with the boys defending her and her son. a month ago, 22—year—old vlad said goodbye to his own mother and went off to fight. he and fellow private mark have been here ever since. they have quickly grown comfortable with war�*s daily tempo.

they have the upper hand in kharkiv. what are you fighting for? translation: for peace in ukraine. what about you, mark? translation: like my comrade just said, - for peace in ukraine. these people came to our land. no—one was waiting forthem here, no—one asked them to come. and what do you want to tell the russian soldiers that are shelling you? translation: run. we were not calling you here. run away. there is nothing else to say. either you stay here forever, in the ground, or you go back home and stop killing children and destroying homes and families. translation: go back home while you are still alive. - their steady determination, and a little help from western weaponry, have got

them this far. it is time to head out to the front again. this, they say, is their land. they know these fields and villages better than the invaders. and here, amid the melting winter snows, they cover every inch of ground. ukrainian mud is the defender�*s friend. mark's foxhole has room for one, and offersjust about enough protection from exploding russian shells. suddenly, on the horizon, there is movement. an enemy scouting party spotted. the russians shoot back.

but the danger here is artillery. mark tells us we have to move. the russians will definitely respond, he says, 100%. it's time to seek better cover. what is it like, spending day and night out in those tiny, tiny little trenches? translation: the shifts are longer during - the day, but at night, when it's cold, we swap often. what about you, mark? translation: it's ok, you get used to it. - humans can adapt to... humans can adapt to everything. what's going on right now? translation: they are targeting our position. l

get down, get down. the shells begin to land all around us, only metres away. you can see what they're up against here. this is daily, but the steadfastness of these men has been felt notjust in kharkiv, but around the world. they have had four weeks of this and still they remain. the russians have not been able to break their lines and this invasion might have come as a surprise to the rest of the world, but this is what they have been expecting and training for for years. unable to move, the shelling is relentless. these bombardments are endless. this is russia's tactic of choice.

shouting we are told for the third time that day we're told for the third time that day to get into a nearby underground shelter. the russians are pretty determined to break these lines. are they going to get past here? past you and these men? translation: i think no. we will not surrender kharkiv. our loved ones have got our backs. they won't get through here. quentin sommerville, bbc news, kharkiv. president biden says nato has never been more united and that russia's president, vladimir putin, is getting the opposite of what he intended when he ordered the invasion of ukraine. the us president was speaking after a summit in which leaders approved plans to send new battlegroups to four countries. our north america editor sarah

smith reports from brussels. this show of solidarity is why president biden�*s here with the nato chief and over 30 other world leaders, to display the unity they believe is their strength. the nato summit is naturally focused on defence, how to help defend ukraine. more weapons and equipment are being promised, with britain pledging to double the number of missiles being sent. but ukrainian president zelensky wants far more. translation: you can give us 1% of all your aircraft. _ i% of all your tanks. 196. we can'tjust buy it. such a supply directly depends only on nato's decisions, on political decisions, by the way. nato will not send troops to ukraine, but will station many more forces in member countries bordering russia as the alliance turns to face east. nato is being rapidly reshaped by this war in ukraine in ways that, frankly, the us has been

pressing forfor years. on the plane on the way over here, president biden�*s national security adviser told me it is time for member countries to put their money where their mouths are. in other words, european countries need to spend more and contribute more forces and for many years to come. putin was banking on nato being split. in my early conversations with him in december and early january, it was clear to me he didn't think we could sustain this cohesion. nato has never, never been more united than it is today. putin is getting exactly the opposite of what he intended to have as a consequence of going into ukraine. at the g7 economic meeting, sanctions were on the table, with more imposed on russia today as everyone keeps a wary eye on whether china will try to assist russia, either financially or militarily. ending europe's dependence on russian oil and gas is next. the us will promise to send

supplies of liquefied natural gas soon but wants to know there's a long—term plan to get supplies elsewhere, as the crisis in ukraine is reshaping global relations for the long—term. sarah smith, bbc news, brussels. three weeks ago, a huge convoy of russian troops moved towards the capital kyiv, but its advance was stalled. since then, fierce fighting has taken place in the towns and cities outside the capital, and ukrainian forces now claim they've succeded in pushing russian troops back with a series of counter attacks, as jeremy bowen reports. in smallgroups, ukrainian soldiers are crossing the river irpin, joining the month—long battle to keep the russians out of kyiv.

"it's bad," said pavlo, one of the last civilians leaving. "children are dying, everyone is dying." only a few other civilians are coming out of the ruins. slava emerged, desperate to save her dogs. thousands of civilians came this way when the war started, but now this whole area has been swept up by the fighting. ukrainian troops have broken all the russian ground attacks here so far, so now moscow's men increasingly are using the weapon they trust most, heavy artillery. we were here about three weeks ago, and there is a massive difference. look at the devastation around this area. it's been hit very heavily. the shelling makes all movement here dangerous, so the command posts are underground. the ukrainians say the russians have only a toehold in irpin. outside, they have been pushed back. you say they can't get into the city. why is that?

apart from your own resistance, what do they lack? commander oleg said the russians don't have the combat power, his men are hitting their supplies and, in kyiv, there'd be armed citizens shooting from every window and door. shane matthews, a former british soldier, is fighting here. he's a medic and a sniper and says this is the worst he's seen. i have seen lots of civilians killed. we witnessed a car with four people in not ten days ago get blown to pieces. it was a family evacuating from the city. took a direct hit from a i55—mil artillery round. nothing left? nothing. you could've swept them up and put them into a bin liner. on the road to kyiv, which the russians have tried repeatedly to seize, the forest either side is burning from the shells. back in the city centre, more volunteers were waiting to be transferred to the long fight in and around irpin. it was quiet, a little tense.

they knew what would be waiting for them. katrine had a few minutes with her son. she's a sniper. she said his name is nikita, he's 18 months old. "i will kill," she said, "to protect his future." the war has changed everything for these volunteers, for all of ukraine, and the world now feels more dangerous. whatever happens in the battles that these soldiers are going to fight, it's clear already after a month that this is the biggest threat to international peace and security in decades. and the consequences, the impact of this war is already being felt beyond the borders of ukraine. the younger ones were born when europe was hopeful, in the 1990s. the men in their 60s grew up when this city was part

of the soviet union. it was time to say goodbye. the old drumbeat of the cold war, of the risks of confrontation between the big powers, is back for a new generation. the buses left for the front line. jeremy bowen, bbc news, kyiv. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: we meet the man who's turned netflix from streaming giant to movie powerhouse. 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. praying streaking across the sky, the white—hot wreckage from mir drew gasps from onlookers on fiji. wow! this is newsday on the bbc.

i'm mariko oi in singapore. our headlines: as fighting continues in kharkiv, an official says six civilians were killed in russian strikes on a post office where residents were receiving humanitarian aid. western leaders, meeting in brussels, promise to increase military aid to ukraine and send more troops to neighbouring countries in eastern europe. more now on ukraine. president putin has never called it a war — but rather a "special operation" to demilitarise his neighbour. russia has seen protesters take to the streets, and life for many has been changed drastically by economic sanctions. our russia editor steve rosenberg reports from st petersberg. at the age of 76, she's a prolific artist but, for yelena osipova, the priority now isn't paintings, it's placards. they're anti—war and anti—putin. "putin is war," this one says.

"we don't want to die for putin." after russia attacked ukraine, yelena took to the streets of st petersburg. like many anti—war protests in russia, it ended like this. she describes one of her favourite placards the police haven't given back. translation: i'd been given some red tulips, | beautiful young flowers. but very quickly, they died and wilted. they reminded me of young men falling into their graves, so i made a poster and wrote, "the people were being sent to their deaths." in vladimir putin's home city, home truths about ukraine... ..and deep concern. this human rights group is taking calls from russian mothers worried that

their conscript sons are in ukraine. under intense pressure from the authorities, the group is having to close down. translation: the authorities prefer to cover up problems, l to give society a false picture that everything in the army's absolutely fine. they want soldiers' mothers to be patient and to be silent. for the staff, a moment of reflection and prayers for an end to the fighting. but, when this conflict does end, life here will never be the same. when vladimir putin came to power in russia more than 20 years ago, he promised russians security and stability. today, his army is suffering losses in ukraine, the economy here is suffering from sanctions and russia

is facing growing international isolation. but, from the kremlin, no hint of regret. quite the opposite. the authorities are rallying support for their offensive in ukraine. st petersburg riot police made this video to show they back it. the letter z has become the symbol for the kremlin�*s special operation. and many russians believe their president has got it right. "i trust him 100%," dennis says, "no, iso%." but then vladimir putin controls the media here and the messaging. without that, it would be much harder to convince his people that he is taking russia in the right direction. steve rosenberg, bbc news, st petersburg. now some of the day's other news.

ethiopia has declared an indefinite humanitarian truce, which it says will allow aid to get to the tigray region in the north of the country. aid flows have been constantly prevented during 16 months of civil war and no aid trucks at all have reached tigray since mid—december. so far, tigrayan insurgents have not responded to the announcement. the uk transport secretary, grant shapps, has said he'll bring forward measures to stop companies employing foreign workers on pay below the uk minimum wage. the boss of p&o ferries has admitted the company broke uk employment law, when it chose not to consult trade unions before sacking 800 staff and bringing in cheaper overseas workers. in sport, italy won't be at this year's football world cup for the second time in a row after a shock defeat to north macedonia. italy, who are the reigning european champions, lost their playoff semifinal i—o. north macedonia will now face portugal for a chance to qualify for the finals

in qatar later this year. this weekend is oscars weekend in california, and this year, netflix dominates the studios with no fewer than 27 nominations, including for the most prestigious award — that of best picture — for the power of the dog. the man who's turned netflix from streaming giant to movie powerhouse is scott stuber. he's netflix's head of globalfilms, and he's now one of the most powerful individuals in hollywood. in his first uk broadcast interview, he spoke to our culture editor katie razzall in los angeles. hollywood is changing, revolutionised by the streaming services which now dominate the oscars too. scot stuber is often described as the most important man in the business. the power of the dog, best picture, how are you feeling about it? i'm nervous. right, ithink, you know, whenever you've got a chance you're always nervous. 25 years since our first run together... netflix has 12 nominations —

nearly half the total — for its period western the power of the dog. what will success like for you? is it to win best picture? well, you'd love that. i think we're all going in that room, all the ten films that are nominated, with that hope and that dream. what matters whenever you're making film is, can you make a film where the people involved can be considered best in class? the preparations at la's dolby theatre are beginning for an awards that celebrate the best of the movies, but with more than 200 million subscribers to netflix alone, the way we watch movies has changed dramatically since the oscars started more than 90 years ago. and with the streamers only offering short cinema releases at best before their films are rolled out on the small screen, some accuse them of killing cinema. well, do pardon me. even the power of the dogs star benedict cumberbatch has complained about the impact on the big screen experience. you know, he criticised you and said he felt like he was working for the goliath that is killing david.

i mean, you are a film lover... did he say that? yeah, i'm afraid he did. you know, and you're the film lover. surely in your heart, you want longer release times in cinemas, you want people to see films like the power of the dog in the cinema? yeah, completely. and then you think about the audience on netflix. the size of the audience for that film is huge compared to what it would be. i want you to meet my cousin... what stuber says matters. he's brought some of the world's biggest directors to netflix, including martin scorsese, who made the irishman, as well as alfonso cuaron and steven spielberg... you cannot go around saying to people that there's a 100% chance that they're going to die. ..and big stars, too, like meryl streep. don't look up is also nominated for best picture this year. do you think the way we'll watch movies will change? i mean, what will it look like in ten years and 50 years? you know, istill think the same, to be honest. i don't think there's a better version to watch a film

than on a big screen, or on a big screen in your home. i don't think that those two things will change. i do think there are obviously people now who watch them on ipad or on a cell phone. does that offend you? if someone tells you they've watched... it bums me out a little bit, but then i go, "well, that's their choice." what matters this week, though, is the oscars showdown in la, and the chance — when it comes to best picture — for netflix to prove it really does have all the power. katie razzall, bbc news, los angeles. the duke and duchess of cambridge have arrived in the bahamas for the final leg of their caribbean tour which has attracted ecstatic crowds and criticism from campaigners seeking reparations from the monarchy for slavery. their final engagement injamaica saw william and kate riding in the same red carpet—lined land—rover used by the queen in her heyday. if you want to keep up with events in ukraine as they happen, just

go to our website — you'll find a live page which is being continually updated with the latest news and developments. that's all at bbc.com/news — or you can download the bbc app. that's it for the show. thank you so much for watching. hello there. there are some big changes in the weather pattern on the way, but notjust yet. on thursday, despite the haziness of the sunshine, temperatures reach 20 celsius in east yorkshire, the warmest place in the country. it's a few degrees cooler than that in northern ireland and across scotland, where we did see more cloud. and we've still got a weak weather front draped in the northern isles, bringing some damp weather here. otherwise, it's high pressure that's dominating the weather. with that stagnant air and no mixing, we've continued to see some poor air quality, and we'll find some high levels of air pollution, again, across some eastern parts of england, in particular on friday. underneath that high pressure with clear skies, though, we start the day on a chilly note, as we have done over the past few days. temperatures in rural areas won't be far away from freezing.

there may be a few pockets of mist and fog to start the day across scotland and northern ireland. but away from the northern isles, there'll be more sunshine on friday for scotland and northern ireland. plenty of sunshine for england and wales — the odd shower could pop up over the high ground in northern ireland, southern scotland, and northern england. but essentially for most, it's a dry and largely sunny day. and quite warm again for the time of year — 18—19 celsius for england and wales. the high pressure is still there across the uk for saturday. there is that weather front that's moving its way down into the north sea, bringing with it some cloud — that'll be important for the second half of the weekend. could be some mist and low cloud affecting some northwestern parts of the uk, but otherwise it's another dry and mostly sunny picture, and those temperatures showing little change, really, on saturday. but on sunday, we are expecting some changes — still got the high pressure, but all that moisture, all that cloud that's in the north sea will be dragged into that area of high pressure for the second half of the weekend. a lot of uncertainty still about the extent of the cloud, but it looks like for england

and wales, there will be some cloud, at least for a while, quite low cloud, misty weather, too. where it sticks, it'll be quite a bit cooler, but further north, across a good part of scotland and northern ireland, there's likely to be some more warm sunshine on the way. into next week, though, this is where we see significant changes — not least because we'll start to see a northerly wind moving down, and that will really drop the temperatures. as the high recedes early next week, we've got the chance of seeing some rain. and then, that northerly wind arrives — it will be much colder by day, and also colder by night.

this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines and all the main news stories for you at the top of the hour, as newsday continues — straight after hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk, i'm gabriel gatehouse. my guest today is a former member of the russian parliament who's fighting in ukraine against russia. a man who's long said he wants to bring down vladimir putin but who was once on the russian government payroll. ilya ponomaryov has had his feet in many camps — among the russian elite, inside the popular opposition, and now with the ukrainian defence forces. so what will be the repercussions of this war