this is bbc news — welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. i'm ben boulos. our top stories... explosions in lviv — smoke rises over the ukrainian city as russian rocket attacks continue. i'm in lviv, where as darkness falls the people in this city are still taking shelter. in poland, us presidentjoe biden holds face—to—face talks with ukrainian government ministers and has this message for russia. nato stay absolutely, completely, thoroughly united. president biden continues his visit to poland where he met ukrainian refugees. he's expected to make a speech in warsaw soon.

in other news, a ferry operated by p&0 has been detained in northern ireland because of fears about staff training. and tributes from across the music industry for taylor hawkins — the drummer with the rock band, the foo fighters — who's died at the age of 50. hello, and hello, and welcome hello, and welcome to hello, and welcome to the hello, and welcome to the programme. authorities in the western ukrainian city of lviv say five people have been wounded in a rocket attack. smoke could be seen billowing across the city following the attack. it comes just a day after the kremlin claimed russian forces were moving to "stage two" of the invasion of ukraine, and would now focus on securing their gains in the eastern region of donbas. meanwhile, president biden has been

holding face—to—face meeting with ukrainian government ministers — the first since the russian invasion of their country. we'll have more from those talks in poland later — first let's go live to lviv and our correspondent anna foster. actually, as you speak to me, we have just heard three loud explosions here in lviv. that is further to the explosion that you were talking aboutjust there, where were talking aboutjust there, where we saw black smoke on the horizon about three hours ago. these explosions, wejust about three hours ago. these explosions, we just heard them a minute or so explosions, we just heard them a minute orso apart explosions, we just heard them a minute or so apart in that direction. i saw a flash in my peripheral vision. the people here are nervous tonight, understandably. as you said just yesterday, russia said that it was going to change the focus for phase two of its invasion. it said it was going to focus on the dunbar subregion in the east, and yet this afternoon and this evening we have here in lviv, in the west of

ukraine, the closest major city to poland, russian air strikes which so far have not been something that have really affected this city. people have been prepared for it but this really feels like a change in focus from the russians today. find focus from the russians today. and how do we explain this when the kremlin has said it would now focus militarily on the eastern region of ukraine? and yet, where you are, is way over to the west side of the country. way over to the west side of the count . . , . way over to the west side of the count . ., , ., . country. that is an excellent question. — country. that is an excellent question, and _ country. that is an excellent question, and it _ country. that is an excellent question, and it is _ country. that is an excellent question, and it is very - country. that is an excellent question, and it is very hard| country. that is an excellent i question, and it is very hard to explain. as you mentioned, the mayor of lviv has identify those early strikes at four o'clock this afternoon as having targeted an oil storage facility, and certainly some of the images that you will see on social media showed these big oil storage containers burning. the thick black smoke are still on the horizon at the side, and we guessed early on that it was probably some thing to do with oil because the smoke, the clouds, they have that

very solid, thick, dark quality. it really makes very little sense, as we said, when you look at what russia said yesterday about their changed priorities. it certainly doesn't fit in at all with what they have said they are going to be focusing on from the stage onwards. i think what is also worth saying, here in lviv the weather hasn't been great today, but yesterday it was a beautiful, beautiful spring day. people were out in this city, they were drinking coffee, children were playing. there were a couple of sirens yesterday afternoon and really nobody flinched at all. i was standing next to a coffee shop where people barely stopped sipping their drinks when they heard the sirens. they have been a feature here, but of course people have seen places like mariupol, places like kharkiv, these rounded by russian forces. they have seen what happened in kyiv and the suburbs there. what we are seeing here in lviv, in the far west

of ukraine this afternoon, is a real change from what we have seen in the first few weeks of this conflict. anna foster, thank you very much indeed. and he will have noticed that we dimmed the lights there for the safety of anna and her crew following the flashes that anna mentioned at the start of that report. as we've been reporting, president biden has been holding face—to—face talks with ukrainian ministers during his visit to poland. he's expected to deliver a speech in the capital warsaw shortly, but let's have a listen to some of what he had to say earlier today. the single most important criteria in this time of changing worlds. so much is changing, notjust here but in other parts of the world, is that nato stay absolutely, completely, thoroughly united. that there be no separation in our points of view. that whatever we do, we do in unison and everyone, everyone comes along.

i'm confident that vladimir putin was counting on being able to divide nato and be able to separate the eastern flank from the west. to be able to separate nations based on past histories. but he hasn't been able to do it. we've all stayed together. well, let us show you the scene in poland right now. this is warsaw castle, where president biden will give a speech shortly. it is no coincidence that this is all happening in one of the nato alliance is's most eastern located members, poland of course. and we have seen president biden meeting ukrainian government ministers there already, he has met some refugees, and a speech which we are told will be a significant one, will be

happening we believe in the coming minutes. as soon as that begins, we will cross life to it and bring it to you. our correspondent mark lowen is in warsaw. interesting, isn't it, that these two presidents in the past have not really seen eye to eye. they come from very different political backgrounds, and yet here they are brought together by this crisis. yeah, i think that is really an interesting part of the story at the moment. but the biden administration was not on particularly good terms with the government of president duda until the war happened. president duda was a donald trump man, and with the rise in right—wing populism here, with poland's drift towards liberalism as many see it, that was heavily criticised by the biden administration. back in

november, biden was talking about poland's drift towards totalitarianism. but then came russia's invasion of ukraine, and that has really bonded these two countries. and to have president biden here in warsaw, he was in eastern poland yesterday, but really standing shoulder to shoulder with president duda, a very visible manifestation of how poland's perception in the world has changed in the past month. remember, this is a country that until the ukraine war was seen as particularly anti—migrant, quite right wing, and now it is a country that is taken in more than 2.2 ukrainians fleeing the war and has been widely praised right around the world for the hospitality that it has given. and that sense of gratitude is certainly a message that president biden has been passing on to his polish counterpart, and really, if vladimir putin was hoping to exploit divisions and differences between the western nations with this

ukraine war, i think he has clearly achieved quite the opposite. and thatis achieved quite the opposite. and that is very much, that sense of unity and solidarity, one that president biden is hoping to project on this visit. find president biden is hoping to pro'ect on this visit.— on this visit. and this trip has taken in face-to-face - on this visit. and this trip has i taken in face-to-face meetings taken in face—to—face meetings between president biden and ukrainian government ministers, including the foreign and defence ministers, do we know anything about undertakings of military support or further help that the us might now give? orare further help that the us might now give? or are they keeping that all under wraps? the give? or are they keeping that all under wraps?— give? or are they keeping that all under wra is? ,, ., ., ., under wraps? the ukrainian foreign minister after— under wraps? the ukrainian foreign minister after those _ under wraps? the ukrainian foreign minister after those meetings - under wraps? the ukrainian foreign minister after those meetings todayj minister after those meetings today with president biden said that they had received additional guarantees of defence cooperation between the americans and the ukrainians. i mean, the fact that the meeting at all took place as highly significant. the first face—to—face meeting that president biden has had with such high ranking ukrainian officials. and some are saying that,

the fact that they felt ready to leave their country in the middle of a war, is possibly a sign of growing confidence on the part of the ukrainians. but i think there will be some quite some distance between what the ukrainians want and what the americans are prepared to give. but the ukrainians want is a nato patrolled no—fly zone. they want nato to be closing the skies over ukraine. to stop the kinds of air to surface missiles, the bombs that the russians are dropping, but so far the americans are simply not going to play ball with that because they are not prepared to have nato boots on the ground controlling a no—fly zone. whether the two sides came a bit closer together, we don't know at this stage. but clearly the americans are funnelling a lot of military hardware into ukraine. during ourtime in military hardware into ukraine. during our time in the east, on the ukraine border, we saw a lot of military hardware building up at the airport there. we saw military

transport planes, tanks, missile defence systems that were stationed there at the airport, ready to come in. you know, in a sense it is already a proxy war between nato and russia, but the americans do not want to commit to a no—fly zone for the time being. we will have to see whether quite what came out of those talks today and whether the americans are willing to step up their military assistance even further. a ., their military assistance even further. ,, ., ,, , ., their military assistance even further. ~' ., ~' , ., , further. 0k, mark, thank you very much. further. 0k, mark, thank you very much- we — further. 0k, mark, thank you very much. we will— further. 0k, mark, thank you very much. we will keep _ further. 0k, mark, thank you very much. we will keep an _ further. 0k, mark, thank you very much. we will keep an eye - further. 0k, mark, thank you very much. we will keep an eye on - further. 0k, mark, thank you very much. we will keep an eye on the j much. we will keep an eye on the location of the speech that president biden is due to give. businesses start speaking, we will cross over to that life. in one of its largest military exercises in recent years, nato has been simulating its response to an attack on a member state. it's been taking place in norway, which shares a border with russia and was planned before the invasion of ukraine. but as our defence correspondent jonathan beale reports — the war has given the training

a sharper focus. gunfire another neighbour of russia has been invaded. this is northern norway, but it is just an exercise — a test for nato allies to come to its defence. something nato says it will do to protect a member state, though not for ukraine. but what's happened in ukraine has suddenly made this training feel more real. an exercise like this, it's really good to have, uh, to prove to countries like russia and other foreign states that you don't want to mess with nato. i think there have been some discussions about if the co—response should take place, but i think it's more important to do it now than ever. and what signal does it send to russia, do you think? that we're willing to fight. we will not give up our land. exercise cold response in norway

is one of nato's largest, involving 30,000 military personnel from 27 countries. it was planned long before russia invaded ukraine, but russia's been building up its military presence in the arctic, too — one reason why british and american marines are also stepping up their training here in this harsh, unforgiving environment. president putin wanted less nato near his border. what he's getting is more. notjust more exercises like this, but thousands more nato troops stationed along nato's eastern flank, all the way from the baltic to the black sea. it's notjust nato allies taking part. so are finland and sweden, who have a long history of neutrality. but both countries have seen a recent surge in public support to join nato.

russia's war in ukraine is forcing more of europe to pick sides. the military is ready, if the political decision — and there is a decision tojoin, but it's not up to us to make that decision. russia's war in ukraine has sent shock waves throughout the world. i met borisjohnson yesterday... and the head of nato, who met troops taking part in cold response, says the consequences will be felt for many years to come. president putin is getting exactly the opposite of what he wants. he wants less nato at his borders, he's getting more nato at his borders. he wants to divide nato. he's actually united, is uniting nato. but there's still a limit as to what nato is willing to do. it stands ready to defend its members, but it won't be using its military power to intervene in ukraine. jonathan beale, bbc news, narvik, norway. in the afghan capital, kabul,

around two dozen, largely female, protesters have held a rare demonstration calling on the taliban to reopen girls' secondary schools. the group has been condemned for making a last—minute u—turn earlier this week and ordering them to remain shut. secunder kermani reports from kabul. "open the doors of girls' schools, education is our right," they chant, while the taliban watch on. these women are incredibly brave. others who have protested against the taliban have been detained by the group. aren't you afraid being here? translation: when it comes| to standing up for the freedom of my country and the girls who want to go to school, i am willing to die. we are here for our daughters' right to an education. without that right we are dead anyway. on this occasion, the taliban allowed the protest to continue.

their last—minute decision earlier this week to close girls' secondary schools just hours after they reopened has been widely condemned. in most of the country, only younger girls, along with all boys, are being allowed into the classroom. translation: i want our generation to be free and to flourish, _ notjust to shed tears at home and be unable to study. when i saw the videos of young school girls crying, it hurt my gut. right, we are just interrupting the report to cross life to warsaw, where the us presidentjoe biden is giving a speech. iii where the us president joe biden is giving a speech-— giving a speech. if you don't, come u . giving a speech. if you don't, come u- on giving a speech. if you don't, come up on stage- _ giving a speech. if you don't, come up on stage. thank _ giving a speech. if you don't, come up on stage. thank you _ giving a speech. if you don't, come up on stage. thank you very - giving a speech. if you don't, come up on stage. thank you very much. j up on stage. thank you very much. it's a great honour to be here. mr president, they tell you over there somewhere. thank you, mr president.

be not afraid. those were the first words at the first public address of the first polish pope after his election in october, 1978. they are the words that would come to define popejohn paul ii. words that would change the world. john paul brought the message here to warsaw in his first trip back home as pope injune of 1979. first trip back home as pope injune of1979. it first trip back home as pope injune of 1979. it was a message about the power of faith, the power of resilience, the power of the people. in the face of a cruel and brutal system of government, it was a message that helped and the repression in the central land in eastern europe 30 years ago. it was

a message that will overcome the cruelty and brutality of this unjust war. when popejohn brought that message in 1979, the soviet union ruled with an iron fist behind an iron curtain. then, a year later, the solidarity movement took hold in poland. i know he couldn't be here tonight, but we are all grateful in america and around the world. it reminds me of that phrase from the philosopher kierkegaard, "faith sees best in the dark." they were dark moments. ten years later, the soviet union collapsed and poland and

central and eastern europe would soon be free. nothing about that battle for freedom was simple or easy. it was a long, painful slog. thought over not days and months but years and decades. but we emerged and you in the great battle for freedom, a battle between democracy and autocracy, between liberty and oppression, between a rules —based order and one governed by brute force. in this battle, we need to be clear eyed, this battle will not be one in days or months either. we need to steel ourselves for the long fight ahead. mr president, mr prime minister, mr meier, members of parliament, distinguished guests and the people of poland, and i suspect

some people of ukraine that are here. cheering. we are gathered here at the royal castle, in a city that holds a secret place not only in europe but human kind's an ending search for generations, warsaw has stood for liberty has been challenged and liberty has prevailed. in fact, challenged and liberty has prevailed. infact, it challenged and liberty has prevailed. in fact, it was here in warsaw when a young refugee who lead her home country czechoslovakia was under soviet control, stood with solidarity in dissidents. her name is madeline cobalt albright. she became one of the most ardent supporters of democracy in the world. she was a friend with whom i

served, america's first woman secretary of state. she passed away three days ago. she fought her whole life for central democratic principles and now, in the perennial struggle for democracy and freedom, ukraine and its people are the front lines, fighting to save their nation. their brave resistance as part of a larger fight for a central democratic principle that unite all three people stop the rule of law, fair and free elections, the freedom to speak, to write and to assemble, the freedom to worship as one chooses, the freedom of the press. these principles are essential in a free society. but they have always come up they have always been under siege, they have always been a battle. every generation has had to

defeat democracy�*s moral foes, battle. every generation has had to defeat democracy�*s moralfoes, that is the way of the world. for the world is on perfect as we know. the appetites of ambitions of a you forever seek to dominate the lives and liberty of many. my message to the people of ukraine is a message i delivered today to ukraine's foreign and defence ministers, who i believe are here tonight. we stand with you. period. today's fighting in kharkiv are the latest battle of a long struggle. poland, 1956, and then again in 1981. czechoslovakia, 1968. soviet tanks crushed democratic uprisings. but the resistance continued until finally,

uprisings. but the resistance continued untilfinally, in 1989, at the berlin wall and all the walls of soviet domination, they fell. they fell. and the people prevailed. but the battle for democracy could not conclude and did not conclude with the end of the cold war. the last 30 years, the forces of autocracy have revived all across the globe. its hallmarks are familiar ones. contempt for the rule of law, contempt for democratic freedom, contempt for democratic freedom, contempt for democratic freedom, contempt for the truth itself. today, russia has struggled democracy, has sought to do so elsewhere, not only in its homeland. under false claims of ethnic solidarity, it has invalidated neighbouring nations. putin has the gall to say he is denazify in ukraine. it is a lie, it isjust

cynical, he knows that, and it is also obscene. president zelensky, who was democratically elected, he is jewish, who was democratically elected, he isjewish, his who was democratically elected, he is jewish, his father's family was wiped out in the holocaust, and putin has the audacity like all autocrats before him to believe that white will make right. my own country, a former president named abraham lincoln voiced the opposing spirit to save our union in the midst of a civil war, he said let us have faith that right makes might. today, let us have that faith again. let us resolve with the strength of democracies in action to thwart the designs of autocracy. let us remember that the test at this moment is the test of all time. the kremlin wants to portray nato

enlargement as a empirical project. nothing is furtherfrom enlargement as a empirical project. nothing is further from the truth. they know it is a defensive alliance, it has never sought the demise of russia. the lead up to the current crisis, the united states and nato worked through months to engage russia to avert war stop i met with him personally, talk to him many times on the phone. time and again, we offered real diplomacy and concrete proposals to strengthen european security, enhanced transparency, build confidence on all sides, transparency, build confidence on allsides, but transparency, build confidence on all sides, but putin and russia met each of the proposals with this interest in any negotiation. with lies and ultimatums. russia was bent on violence from the start. i know not all of you believe me and asked when we kept saying they are going to cross the border, they are going

to cross the border, they are going to attack. repeatedly he asserted and guaranteed that he would not move. repeatedly saying he would not invade ukraine. repeatedly saying russian troops along the border were there for training, all 180,000 of them. there was simply no justification or provocation for russia's choice. it's an example of one of the oldest human impulses, using brute force and disinformation to satisfy a craving for absolute power and control. this is nothing less than a direct challenge to the rule based international order established at the end of world war ii, and it threatens to return to decades of war that ravaged europe before the international role —based order was put in place. we cannot go back to that. we cannot. the gravity

of the threat is why the response of the west has been so swift and so powerful. and so unified and overwhelming. the only things that are going to get russia to change its course. within days of his invasion, the west has moved jointly with sanctions to damage russia's economy, the russian central bank is now blocked from global financial systems, denied kremlin's access to the word fund that is stashed around the word fund that is stashed around the globe. aimed at the heart of russia's economy by stopping the import of russian energy to the united states. to date, the united states has sanctioned 140 russian oligarchs and family members, seeking their ill begotten gains, their yachts, their luxury mansions. we have sanctioned more than 400

russian government officials, including key architects of this war. they have reaped enormous benefit from the corruption connected to the kremlin. and now they have to share the pain. the private sector as active as well. over 400 private multinational companies have pulled out of doing business in russia, left russia completely. mcdonald's. as a result of these unprecedented sections, the rouble was almost immediately reduced to rubble. the russian economy, that is true by the way. it takes about 200 roubles to equal $1. the economy is a cut in half in the coming years. russia's economy was ranked the 11 biggest in the world. it will soon not even rank among the top 20 in the world. taken together,

these economic sanctions are a new kind of economic statecraft with the power to inflict damage that rivals military might. these international sanctions are sapping russian strength, its ability to replenish its military and its ability to project power. and it is putin, it is vladimir putin, who is to blame. period. at the same time, alongside these economic sanctions, the western world has come together to provide for the people of ukraine with incredible levels of military, economic and humanitarian assistance. before the invasion, we americans had sent over 1600 million dollars before they crossed the border in weapons to ukraine, including an thai air and and high armour equipment. since the invasion, america has committed another one point three $5 billion

in weapons and ammunition, and thanks to the courage and bravery of the ukrainian people, the equipment we have sent under colleagues have sent have been used to devastating effect to defend ukrainian land and air space. effect to defend ukrainian land and airspace. ourallies effect to defend ukrainian land and air space. our allies and partners have stepped up as well. and as i've made clear, american forces are in europe, not in europe to engage in conflict. american forces are here to defend nato allies. yesterday i met with the trips that are serving alongside our polish allies to bolster nato's front line defences. the reason we wanted to make clear is their movement on ukraine, don't even think about moving on one single inch of nato territory. we have a sacred obligation. we have a sacred obligation under article five to defend each and every inch of nato territory. with the full force

of our collective power. earlier today, i visited of our collective power. earlier today, ivisited international stadium, at thousand ukrainian refugees are now trying to answer the toughest question is a human can ask. my god, what is going to happen? what is going to happen but to my family? i saw tears in many of the mother is's eyes as i embrace them, their young children. young children are not sure whether to smile, cry. one little girl said, "mr president, my brother and my daddy, are they going to be ok? will i see them again? " in many cases their brothers and sisters date back to fight idid not i did not have to speak or understand the language to feel that emotion. ~ , , , ,

understand the language to feel that emotion. . , , , , ., emotion. when they gripped my hand and little kids — emotion. when they gripped my hand and little kids hung _ emotion. when they gripped my hand and little kids hung onto _ emotion. when they gripped my hand and little kids hung onto my - emotion. when they gripped my hand and little kids hung onto my leg - and little kids hung onto my leg praying with the desperate hope that all this is temporary. apprehension that they may perhaps be forever away from the home. that was the debilitating sadness that this is happening all over again. but i was also struck by the generosity of the people of warsaw and for that matter all the polish people in the depths of their compassion and willingness to reach out, opening their hearts. they were opening their hearts and their homes simply to help. i also want to thank the great american chef andrews and his team for helping to feed those yearning to be

free and helping these refugees is not something talent or any other nation should carry alone. all the world democracies have a responsibility, all of them, and the people of ukraine can count on the united states to meet its responsibility. two days ago i announced 100,000 ukrainian refugees to be welcomed. we will provide $3 million of humanitarian assistance and provide tens of thousands of tonnes of food, water and medicine and other basic supplies. in brussels i announced the united states would provide more than $1 billion of additional humanitarian aid. the world food programme despite significant obstacles make sure that at least some relief is getting to major cities in ukraine. but not mariupol because russian

forces are blocking relief supplies. and they will not, we will not cease to provide humanitarian relief. let there be no doubt that this war is already strategic failure for russia already. i know that as no solace to people who have lost family but he, putin, thought ukrainians would roll not fight. i'm not much of a student of history. russian forces have met their match with brave and stiff ukrainian resistance. and their

brutal tactics of strengthened the resolve and rather than driving later apart the west is now stronger and more united than it has ever been. russia wanted less of a nato presence on his border but now he has a stronger presence, a larger presence with over 100,000 american troops here along with all the other members of nato. in fact russia has managed to cause something that i'm sure he never intended, that the democracies of the world are revitalised with purpose and unity found in months that we had once taken years found in months that we had once ta ken years to found in months that we had once taken years to accomplish. it is not only russian actions in ukraine that are reminding us of democracy but our own country, his own country, the kremlin, 200,000 people have allegedly already left and there is allegedly already left and there is a brain drain leaving russia. shutting down independent news, state media is all propaganda.

blocking the images of civilian targets, starvation tactics and russian forces in ukraine. any wonder that 200,000 russians have left their country in one month. and in such a short period of time. and that brings me to my message to the russian people. i have worked for decades with russian leaders and sat across the negotiating table all over back to soviet times when we talked arms control at the height of the cold war. i've always spoken directly and honestly to you, the russian people and let me say this if you are able to listen, you are the russian people are not our enemy. i refuse to believe you welcomed the killing of innocent children and grandparents. or that you accept hospitals, schools and maternity wards being pummelled with russian missiles and bombs. cities

being surrounded so civilians cannot leave and supplies cut off in an attempt to starve ukraine into submission. millions of families are being driven from their homes including half of all ukraine's children. these are not the actions of a great nation. of all people new, the russian people, as well as all people across europe still have all people across europe still have a memory of being in a similar situation in the late 1930s and 19405. situation in the late 1930s and 1940s. world war ii still fresh in the minds of many grandparents in the minds of many grandparents in the region. whatever your generation, whether it was the siege of leningrad all you heard about it from your parents or grandparents, train stations overflowing with terrified families, mornings sifting through the rubble of your home, these are not members of the past, not any more. this is exactly what

the russian army is doing to ukraine right now. march to 26, 2022, just days before you were a 21st century nation with hopes and dreams as people all over the world have for themselves and their families and now the question of putin has cut you off, the russian people, from the rest of the world. and is taking russia back to the 19th century. this is not who you are. this is not the future you deserve for your families and your children. i'm telling you the truth, this war is not worthy of you, the russian people. putin can and must end this war. the american people stand with you and the braked citizens of ukraine who want peace. my message to the rest of europe, this new battle for freedom has already made

a few things crystal clear. first, europe must end its dependency on russian fossilfuels and europe must end its dependency on russian fossil fuels and we in the united states will help. that is why i announced in brussels the plan to the present european commission to get europe through the immediate energy crisis. over the long term as a matter of economic security and national security for the survivability of the planet will need to move as quickly as possible to clean, renewable energy and we will work together to help get that done so that the days of any nation being subject to the whims of the tyrant for its energy needs are over. they must end, they must end. and second, we have to fight the corruption coming from the kremlin to give the russian people have their chance and finally we maintain

absolute unity, amongst the world democracies. it is not enough to speak noble words of democracy and freedom and liberty, all of us including here in poland must do the hard work of democracy, each and every day. my country as well. that is why i came to europe again this week with a clear and determined message for nato, the g7, the european union, for all freedom loving nations, we must commit now to be in this fight for the long haul. we must remain unified today and tomorrow and the day after and for the years and decades to come. it will not be easy. there will be a cost but it is a price we have to pay because the darkness of

autocracy is no match for the freedom flame and time again history shows some of the darkest moments, the greatest progress follows and history shows that this is the task of our time, the task of this generation. let's remember the hammer blow that brought down the berlin wall, the mite that lifted the iron curtain. not the words of a single leader, it was the people of europe who for decades fought to free themselves, their sheer bravery opened the border between austria and hungary for a opened the border between austria and hungary fora pan opened the border between austria and hungary for a pan european picnic and theyjoined hands along the baltic way. they stood for solidarity here in poland and together it was an unmistakable and undeniable force of the people that the soviet union could not withstand and we are seeing it once again

today. with the brave ukrainian people showing that their power of money is greater than the will of any one dictator. so in this hour let the words of popejohn paul ii as brightly today, never, ever give up as brightly today, never, ever give up hope. never doubt, nevertire. never be discouraged. be not afraid! applause. applause. a dictator bent on rebuilding an entire will never raise the people's love liberty and brutality will never grind down their will to be free for that ukraine will never be a victory for russia. three people refused to live in a world of

hopelessness and darkness. we will have a brighter future rooted hopelessness and darkness. we will have a brighterfuture rooted in freedom and democracy and freedom of possibilities. for god sake, this man cannot remain in power. god bless and may god defend our freedoms and may god protect our truce. thank you for your patience. thank you. applause. present biden speaking in the polish capital warsaw there and as speech where the term covered quite a lot of ground, really. from the emphasis on the challenge that europe faces, that ukraine faces with the current situation with the russian invasion but also setting out the optimism of a brighter and more hopefulfuture beyond what we are seeing at the moment. some very defiant messages

being made and being conveyed. let's pick up on some of those. our correspondent mark lowen is in warsaw. what were the most significant points that jumped what were the most significant points thatjumped out for what were the most significant points that jumped out for you? what were the most significant points thatjumped out for you? i points that jumped out for you? i thought the whole way in which joe thought the whole way in whichjoe biden framed this with the historical parallels giving a speech here in poland, a country which was a soviet satellite state for so many decades, behind the iron curtain and part of the warsaw pact of course. the soviet military alliance and which then threw off the yoke of soviet control. was very interesting and powerful. he talked about the battle for the freedom of poland against soviet control. the battle between democracy and autocracy in the parallels again today. and then use that to go into the message that

now towards ukrainians there is the same message to fight for democratic principles and that this is the latest battle in a long struggle, he said. he really framed it as something very large, this is more than simply a war in one country. it is a test of our times, he said. a battle for democracy against autocracy and then he had very harsh words of course for vladimir putin saying that russia was bent on violence from the start. nato is a defensive alliance he said. he talked about the brute force and disinformation to satisfy vladimir putin's absolute power. he then talked about the unprecedented and sanctions crippling the russian economy and reducing the rouble to rubble, he said. but of course moving on to the response and generosity of poland of the fact he visited the warsaw stadium just before this speech and met some of the 2.2 million refugees that poland has welcomed end. then i thought was

interesting that he turned to an analysis that in his words he thought the war was a strategic failure for russia already in its miscalculations. but the democracies of the wealthy that had been revitalised and then a direct message to the russian people towards the end, you are not our enemy, he said. you do not accept these atrocities and this is not you are. the war is not worthy of you. he said we must as democratic nations be committed to being in the site for the long haul. this is the price that we must pay and he said that this man, vladimir putin, cannot remain in power. so a very wide—ranging and very deeply principled speech i suppose by present biden framing this as really a very wide battle at the moment between the west and the democracy that western nations stand for and the authoritarianism of vladimir

putin and aggression that he has shown. and the fact that within the last month alone 200,000 russians he said have left the country. that kind of brain drain. so a message to russia, to democratic russians anti—putin to stop the aggression and a message also to the western world to remain united in the face of that aggression. just world to remain united in the face of that aggression.— of that aggression. just to pick up on one of those _ of that aggression. just to pick up on one of those points, _ of that aggression. just to pick up on one of those points, it - of that aggression. just to pick up on one of those points, it struck. of that aggression. just to pick up i on one of those points, it struck me that line at the very end of the speech, you could easily have missed it. he concluded by saying putin cannot remain in power. given the reaction that came from the kremlin whenjoe biden earlier spoke of, calling putin a war criminal, this sort of talk of removing him from power, that could be seen as incredibly provocative?- power, that could be seen as incredibly provocative? yes, i mean joe biden has _

incredibly provocative? yes, i mean joe biden has been _ incredibly provocative? yes, i mean joe biden has been very _ incredibly provocative? yes, i mean joe biden has been very outspokenl joe biden has been very outspoken about that my in recent days and again today he repeated that in his words he was a war criminal and called him a butcher as well. and then very interesting to finish this speech with those words, he cannot remain in power. it will probably, possibly be framed by the putin media machine as calling for a change of regime. perhaps the americans and perhaps thejoe biden administration will say this is the message to the russian people to the free loving russians that they cannot continue to accept this man in power. but that clearly i think there will be the hope within the americans and amongst many here in europe that russians themselves will begin to rise up against dilemma putin. you've seen all these anti—war protests in russia in recent weeks. they were clamped down

uponin recent weeks. they were clamped down upon in a typical suppression from the kremlin. and i think that will be the kind of greatest hope is suppose amongst americans. they will not come in to remove him from power of course but perhaps they willjust be hoping that the discontent will build amongst these economic sanctions and amongst the brain drain and amidst all the kind of, the sort of horror among freedom loving russians i suppose that what is happening in the neighbouring country, in ukraine, to thy brethren, their brothers, that perhaps they would begin to peel away the support. we will have to see if that is something that can happen. see if that is something that can has ten. a ., see if that is something that can ha en, ~' ., , see if that is something that can hat-en. ,, ., , ., see if that is something that can ha en, ~' ., , ., ., see if that is something that can ha..en_ ~' ., , ., ., happen. mark, many thanks for your anal sis of happen. mark, many thanks for your analysis of that _ happen. mark, many thanks for your analysis of that speech. _ happen. mark, many thanks for your analysis of that speech. other - happen. mark, many thanks for your analysis of that speech. other news| analysis of that speech. other news now. a p&o ferries ship is being held in northern ireland — after it was declared "unfit to sail" according to the transport secretary grant shapps. no freight or passengers were onboard the european causeway when it was detained in larne. the maritime and coastguard agency

said it was being held because of missing documentation and "failures in crew training". let's go live to the port of hull where protests have been taking palce on saturday, and our correspondent paul murphy. this follows the mass sacking of 800 p80 workers replacing them with p&o workers replacing them with agency staff, is disconnected do we know? it agency staff, is disconnected do we know? , ., ., ._ , agency staff, is disconnected do we know? , ., ., , ., know? it is, and we are nine days on from that instant _ know? it is, and we are nine days on from that instant dismissal- know? it is, and we are nine days on from that instant dismissal by - know? it is, and we are nine days on from that instant dismissal by zoom | from that instant dismissal by zoom that cause such anger amongst the workforce and their unions and of course as you say they have been all kinds of problems for p&o notjust that impoundment in northern ireland but here there's been a blockade of the port of hell, cars and lorries have been stopped from entering the port. the pride of rotterdam has been, it was due to sail tonight at 8:30pm and we understand that that selling is still going ahead and

just in the last few minutes cars and passengers have been allowed to access that very but not before the unions he had been making a point, handing out leaflets to passengers. they have concerns about the nature of their dismissal last week but also about the safety of the ferries because the reason why the maritime and coastguard agency has impounded that terry and northern ireland is because it is concerned about the level of training amongst these new replacement staff on board and whether they are able to operate this complex and large vessel. so the p timetable around the country has been disrupted by the industrial action and by what has happened with the maritime and coastguard agency. they have been protests in dover and liverpool and here as well and feelings are still running very strong. feelings are still running very stront. �* feelings are still running very stront.�* , , ,_ feelings are still running very stroni.�* , , .,_ ,

strong. and presumably in places like hull for— strong. and presumably in places like hull for the _ strong. and presumably in places like hull for the maritime - strong. and presumably in places| like hull for the maritime industry provides a lot of work in the community, there will be a huge amount of reputational damage done even when they get to a point of resuming services and presumably people will be reluctant perhaps to spend their money with p&o? i think ou're spend their money with p&o? i think you're right. — spend their money with p&o? i think you're right. this— spend their money with p&o? i think you're right, this is _ spend their money with p&o? i think you're right, this is a _ spend their money with p&o? i think you're right, this is a community - you're right, this is a community which has a big type with the maritime industry and was shipping, a long history with passenger ferries going back to performance when one of the north sea ferries was requisitioned to help out in the conflict. and people are loyal but also they are wary now of this brand and an enormous amount of damage has been done. people who work on this very, 80 of them sacked here last week and they live in this community and they have a community around them which has supported them. there are people who have been turning up todayjust are people who have been turning up today just to say well done to the

unions for doing what they're doing here so the brand is damaged here but also perhaps irreparably. thank ou for the but also perhaps irreparably. thank you for the update. _ the united states has called for tougher international sanctions on north korea — following its latest missile test. washington's ambassador to the un accused pyongyang of �*increasingly dangerous provocations', after the north korean leader, kim jong—un, oversaw the launch of its largest ever inter—continental ballistic missile. the bbc�*s gail maclellan reports. dramatic music. it wasn't just the leather bomberjacket and aviator sunglasses that made this north korean television piece such a surprise. hollywood movie stylings, at odds with the serious tone the country's people have come to expect. they do not see hollywood

movies in north korea, so what might have made of it in pyongyang is hard to know. this man said for the cameras, because of comrade kim jong—un the power of north korea and the dignity of the people are gloriously shining. but this isn't tom cruise, and this isn't a movie. it is real and very dangerous. echoing shouting. flight data indicated the missile flew higher and longer than any previous north korean missile test before crashing into the sea of japan. eliciting this from the japanese defence ministry.

translation: compared to most recent launches this _ was on a different level forjapan and the region. it is a risk to the peace and stability of the international community. other neighbours were equally outraged, with south korea accusing kim of breaking his 2018 promise to suspend such launches, and posing a serious threat to the korean peninsula. the whole production might have appeared, surely unintentionally, comic, but the threat is not, and the message has been delivered. north korea has the ability to strike with a nuclear warhead, almost anywhere in the world. gail maclennan, bbc news. thank you for watching and i will have the headlines injust thank you for watching and i will have the headlines in just a thank you for watching and i will have the headlines injust a minute. see you soon.

that evening. another glorious day for most of us today with spring sunshine and warmth but west was best with high teens quite widely and a high of 20 degrees in the afternoon in wales. across the north norfolk coast a different story with some grey cloud coming in from the north sea and temperatures struggling at 10 degrees through the afternoon. this low cloud pushing in and the next few hours so it could linger anywhere south, south—east but at least preventing temperatures from falling any lower than five or 6 degrees. the best of sunshine

throughout the day west is best once again tomorrow. the crowd breaking up again tomorrow. the crowd breaking up in places for some glimpses of sunshine and again temperatures could struggle where it lingers at ten or 11 degrees. as we close out sunday it looks likely that high pressure starts to ease its grip a little allowing this one a front to move in that brings in increasing cloud generally across the country in the next few days. low cloud first thing in the morning and patchy mist and fog forming and some showers even across north wales, northern england and eastern scotland as well. temperatures not quite as high, 12, 16 degrees widely across the country byjust 6 degrees in the northern isles. that cold air sitting behind the cold front. and that will gradually sink slowly south taking its time to arrive in the southern england but gradually doing cell so we will start to see the change from tuesday onwards.

again a lot of cloud around in comparison to of late. hopefully some brief glimpses of sunshine. more frequent showers sitting across the far north as well. top temperatures generally around nine, 13 degrees but cooler still in the far north and the trend continues. we'll run the risk of some wintry showers even from time to time at lower levels as well. climbing down into the weekend. if you're after that do not forget that we put the clocks forward in the early hours as british summer time begins early on sunday morning. good night.

their brothers and sisters date back to fight

this is bbc news — welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. i'm ben boulos. our top stories... multiple explosions are heard in the western city of lviv — smoke rises over the ukrainian city as russian rocket attacks continue. president biden visits poland where he met ukrainian refugees and addressed crowds in warsaw. he had this message about vladimir putin. this man cannot remain in power. god bless you all and may god defend our freedom. in other news, a ferry operated by p&o has been detained in northern ireland because of fears about staff training. and tributes from across the music industry for taylor hawkins —

the drummer with the rock