this is bbc news. i'm lucy grey. our top stories: a city under constant russian bombardment. we report from the front line inside kharkiv. you can see what they're up against here. this is daily, but the steadfastness of these men has been found 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 fight for peace in ukraine, they tell us about their hopes. mainly, we discuss the time when all of it well end, when we will come back to normal life, when everything will be good, and it won't be dangerous to go outside and have a walk.

western leaders promise more military aid for ukraine as president biden says russia's invasion is only bringing nato closer together. nato has never — never been more united than it is today. putin is getting exactly- the opposite what he intended to have as a consequence of going into ukraine. - and in afghanistan, a national outpouring of sadness after the taliban backtracks on reopening high schools for girls. it is still a nightmare for me to believe we went back 20 years and a girl cannot continue her way in order to realise her dream. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. 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's faced relentless russian missile strikes and shelling. 0ur correspondent quentin sommerville and cameraman darren conway have spent time with two fighters who have been on the front line in kharkiv from the very beginning. violin plays 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 isn't 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 comradejust said, for peace in ukraine. these people came to our land. no—one was waiting for them 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's 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 defenders�* friend. mark's foxhole has room for one, and offers just about enough protection from exploding russian shells. suddenly, on the horizon, there is movement. an enemy scouting party is spotted. gunfire the russians shoot back. gunfire 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... explosion humans can adapt to everything. what's going on right now? they are targeting our position. explosion another explosion get down, get down. the shells begin to land all around us, only metres away.

explosion 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've had four weeks of this, and still, they remain. the russians havne't 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. explosion this is russia's tactic of choice. explosion 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? are they going to get past you and these men? translation: | think no. - we will not surrender kharkiv. 0ur loved ones have got our backs. explosion 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 battle groups to four countries. 0ur 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.

ukrainian president zelensky wants far more.— ukrainian president zelensky wants far more. you can give us 1% of all wants far more. you can give us 196 of all your— wants far more. you can give us 1% of all your aircraft, _ wants far more. you can give us 1% of all your aircraft, 1% - wants far more. you can give us 1% of all your aircraft, 1% of- i% of all your aircraft, 1% of all your tanks. i%. we can't just find just a supply, that depends on nato's positions. 0n political decisions by the way. nato will not send troops to ukraine but will state and many more forces in member countries bordering russia is 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 for four years. that, frankly, the us has been pressing forfour years. on that, frankly, the us has been pressing for four years. on the plane on the way here, president biden�*s national security adviser told me it is time for members to put money where their mouths are.

european countries need to spend more and contribute more forces, and for many years to come. putin was banking on nato being split. my early conversations with him in december and earlyjanuary, 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 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 on the agenda stop the us will promise to send supplies of natural gas soon, but wants to know there is a long—term plan to get supplies elsewhere as a crisis in ukraine is reshaping global relations for the

long—term. sarah smith, bbc news, brussels. earlier, i spoke to mark cancian, a senior security adviser at the center for strategic and international studies about thursday's summit, and the latest on the ground in ukraine. there is one group that believes that eventually russia's larger military, their larger country, will be able to wear the ukrainians down in a war of attrition. 0n the other hand, there are many people who believe that the ukrainians have time on their side, they are getting supplies from the west, their militias are getting better trained, whereas the russians are drawing down their supplies, and, frankly, taking a lot of casualties. the russians have lost somewhere between 7,000 and 15,000 killed, probably twice as many wounded, so they have maybe lost 40,000 troops out of the ground force of 150,000. that is over 25%, that's a huge loss. and to give you a sense

of perspective — in ten years of fighting in afghanistan, the russians lost 15,000 troops, and if they've lost 15,000 in four weeks in ukraine, that is a tremendous loss and it is not clear they can sustain that, politically or socially, for very long, and, frankly, i would be surprised if they could keep the war going many more weeks. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: 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. recites islamic blessing streaking across the sky, the white—hot wreckage from mir drew gasps from onlookers on fiji. this is bbc world news. the latest headlines: as fighting continues in kharkiv, officials say 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. the us and other western countries have condemned the taliban's decision to shut girls secondary schools in afghanistan just hours after reopening them, and urged the hardline islamist movement to open them. they said the decision harms the group's prospects for legitimacy. secunder karmani reports from the afghan capital, kabul. when the taliban closed this school last year, this girl began drawing at home. it's been more than six months now, and her portfolio is filling up. this week she and her sister, like so many others, thought girls�* secondary schools would finally be reopening. i was dreaming for many nights that we would be back in class and happy. and believe me when we heard the news, it was hard

to believe, it is still like a nightmare for me. we've gone back 20 years and a girl like me cannot continue to realise her dream. 0nline, afghans have been sharing videos of sobbing teenage pupils. they arrived at school in the morning only to find out it is closing again. here, a tv presenter chokes up during a live segment. the western—backed government that used to be in power here was blighted by corruption. but one of the most significant gains you can point to over the past two decades, even if it was not perfect, was real improvement in girls�* access to education. and now with this abrupt and confusing u—turn by the taliban on schools reopening, it feels as if there has been a national

outpouring of grief. this man runs a charity promoting education in some of the most remote regions of afghanistan. he says even there some people are now thinking of leaving the country to ensure their daughters can go to school. thousands of people say that education is our right. it is not 1996, this is a new afghanistan and all people want to send their daughters and sisters in school. even more conservative in rural areas? yes. the majority of people. they want these activities in remote areas. protesting against the taliban is dangerous. this small group of women gathered at an undisclosed location. "you have taken work and food away from us," they say, "do not take education as well." secunder kermani, bbc news.

eu officials have agreed on a landmark provisional ruling to clamp down on anti—competitive abuses by the world�*s largest technology platforms, in a move that will set the standard for leveling the playing field across global digital markets. our technology correspondent james clayton has the details. this law contains pretty much everything that big tech would not want in a law because for years and years and years companies like google, apple and meta have been accused of being gatekeepers in their field. that essentially they use their products to give themselves an unfair advantage for other products that they sell. for example, apple owns the app store and it can, essentially, set the rules on who can and cannot sell apps in the store. they also charge up to 30% commission. those kinds of stories you have heard over and over again, criticism that they are not playing by fair rules.

and many of these companies are colossal companies. they are companies with trillions of dollars and the question is how did they get to be so big? many people including the anti—trust tsar for the eu think they got there unfairly, that they are not playing by the rules that many other smaller companies play by and as a result they need their wings clipped. so this is a very significant law. if it were, indeed, to come into force and it is a law that tech will push against very, very heavily. 0bviously they have a lot of money and expensive lawyers that they will use to try and fight this. but this could be very damaging for a key sector for big tech. jesse lehrich, co—founder of accountable tech, a not for profit advocacy group

joins me now from charleston. i know that you think this is significant too because you have called it a transformational moment. just explain why is? transformational moment. just explain why is?— explain why is? yeah, i think it is obviously _ explain why is? yeah, i think it is obviously significant - explain why is? yeah, i think it is obviously significant in i it is obviously significant in europe where, finally, these big tech gatekeepers are going to have to play by some set of rules which they really haven�*t had to adhere to at all. they were very innovative in getting to where they got to but since then, since they have entrenched their dominance, they have exploited that monopoly power, but i think it is also huge globally because there is this misconception that it�*s impossible to take on big tech and when and in the us here where i am, lawmakers have been talking about reining in these monopoly abuses for years but we haven�*t seen this kind of progress and so this is really a landmark law and a game changer on the global stage. ii game changer on the global staue. . ., ,

stage. if it comes in, we need to add, stage. if it comes in, we need to add. don't— stage. if it comes in, we need to add, don't we? _ stage. if it comes in, we need to add, don't we? just - stage. if it comes in, we needj to add, don't we? just explain to add, don�*t we? just explain them because as you say these companies are innovative and they have a lot of power. who is going to believe it and make sure that they don�*t find clever ways around this? i clever ways around this? i think a lot have been clever ways around this? i think a lot have been learnt from gdp are and the lack of enforcement, the lack of teeth that that law proved to have despite being well written, well construct, so i think lessons have been learned and i think nobody is ever really —— nobody has ever really had oversight in this manner over these companies so they were innovative but there is nothing innovative but there is nothing innovative about self referencing your own product or charging monopoly rents for small upstarts that might one day challenge you so it is going to unleash innovation for the kinds of companies that these companies once were 15 years ago. figs these companies once were 15 years age-— these companies once were 15 earsauo. , years ago. as james was saying the will years ago. as james was saying they will push _ years ago. as james was saying they will push against _ years ago. as james was saying they will push against it, - years ago. as james was saying they will push against it, will i they will push against it, will go through, do you think? i

think so, they have thrown everything at the wall already stopping they lobbied as hard as they possibly could over the last 16 months as this regulation was making its way through brussels and they have pulled out every card in the book and i think it is inspiring to see that those players that have worked so consistently for them over the last two decades didn�*t deter eu lawmakers and policymakers from passing this incredible advance. at only strengthened their resolve so as we have said before, that should send a message also to us lawmakers. it is not impossible to pass laws that constrain these companies from their most abusive behaviours and two, if we don�*t write the rules here in the us they are going to get written without us.— written without us. thank you very much — written without us. thank you very much for— written without us. thank you very much for your _ written without us. thank you very much for your thought. l a streaming service could win

big at the oscars on sunday. netflix has 27 nominations, more than any other studio, with the power of the dog one of the frontrunners to be named best picture. the man who�*s turned netflix from streaming giant to movie powerhouse is scott stuber. he�*s netflix�*s head of global films and 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 its total — for its period western the power of the dog. what will success look 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 dog�*s 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 an ipad or on a cellphone. 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 as well as 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. before we go just a reminder if you want to keep up with events in ukraine, as they happen, just go to our website anytime, you�*ll find a live page which is continually updated with the latest developments. that�*s all at bbc.com/news, or you can download the bbc app. you can reach me on twitter, i�*m @lucyegrey.

thanks very much for your company. 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. the headlines: officials in the eastern ukrainian city of kharkiv say air strikes have killed at least six civilians near a post office. the victims were receiving aid when the missiles hit. the city which is less than 25 miles from the russian border has faced relentless shelling and bombardment. western leaders meeting in brussels have promised to increase military aid to ukraine, and send more troops to neighbouring countries in eastern europe. president biden and the european commission president, ursula von der leyen, said they were united against what they called russia�*s unjustified and unprovoked war. the us and other western countries have condemned the taliban�*s decision to shut girls secondary schools in afghanistan just hours after they reopened for the first time in seven months.

they said the decision harms the group�*s prospects