at six — a big boost to nuclear power in britain as the government lays out its energy strategy for the future. there are plans for eight new reactors to help secure energy supplies for the uk — and make us less dependent on imports. this is about tackling some of the mistakes of the past and making sure that we are set well for the future. a promise too of more energy from off shore wind farms thanks to faster planning consent. but the much delayed strategy has prompted criticism. all we've got today is a cobbled together a list of things that could and should have been done over the last 10—12 years. environmentalists say there is not enough focus on ways to cut the amount of energy we use. also tonight...

in eastern ukraine, ukrainian troops dig in, awaiting a fresh russian attack as civilians in the area flee to safety. in kyiv, hopes nato leaders will agree more military aid for ukraine's foreign forces to keep pushing russian troops back. calls for the chancellor to answer questions on his family finances, after it emerged his wife benefits from a tax—saving arrangement. and a sensational comeback for tiger woods at the masters, a year after a car crash that nearly killed him. and coming up in sport on the bbc news channel: over a0 years since they last played a european quarterfinal, west ham prepare to face lyon in the last eight of the europa league.

good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. there's a big boost for nuclear power in the uk as part of the government's long—awaited energy strategy to secure britain's energy supplies. as prices soar, the idea is make the uk much less reliant on importing energy from abroad. and there'll be more focus on speeding up the production of wind, hydrogen and solar energy too. by the end of this decade, the plan is to get 95% of the uk's electricity from low carbon sources like wind farms. under the plans, eight new nuclear reactors would get the go ahead by 2030 — they would generate a quarter of all the uk's electricity by the middle of the century. planning laws will be sped up to allow more off shore wind farms, there'll be moves as well to encourage communities to embrace on shore wind farms, with the promise of cheaper bills for those living near them.

there are also plans to allow more oil and gas to be extracted from the north sea — recognising that we will still need it in the short term. however, experts have said the plans don't focus enough on reducing demand through energy efficiency and will not help households and businesses cope with the current energy crisis. here's our business editor simonjack. this is what the centrepiece of the government's future energy policy looks like. the two reactors at hinkley point will be the first new nuclear power built in nearly 30 years. do nuclear power built in nearly 30 ears. y ., nuclear power built in nearly 30 ears. ,, ., ., nuclear power built in nearly 30 ears. ., ., ., ., m years. do you want to have a go? he certainly does. — years. do you want to have a go? he certainly does, the _ years. do you want to have a go? he certainly does, the government's - years. do you want to have a go? he l certainly does, the government's new strategy aims to improve leek prove another eight reactors in eight years to reduce uk's reliance on fossil fuels. years to reduce uk's reliance on fossil fuels-— years to reduce uk's reliance on fossil fuels. this is about tackling some of the _ fossil fuels. this is about tackling some of the mistakes _ fossil fuels. this is about tackling some of the mistakes of- fossil fuels. this is about tackling some of the mistakes of the - fossil fuels. this is about tackling - some of the mistakes of the past and making sure that we are set well for the future, we are no longer subject, neveragain

the future, we are no longer subject, never again subject to the vagaries of the global oil or gas price. we can't be subject to blackmail, as it were, from people such as vladimir putin. we have energy security here in the uk. this is how the uk _ energy security here in the uk. this is how the uk generates electricity now to stop gas—fired power stations contribute over a third, a proportion the government wants to shrink. low—carbon, which includes nuclear and renewables, makes up nearly 60% of power generation. by 2030, the government because my ambition is for low—carbon to generate 95% of uk power with 25% of the total coming from nuclear by 2050. this is construction on a truly breathtaking scale and that is a problem for some. to its detractors, it is big, slow, it can be risky and at £20 billion plus a p0p, be risky and at £20 billion plus a pop, it's incredibly expensive. but for the government, big nuclear is an always on, low—carbon, truly domestic non—imported form of

energy, and that security for the future. 0ffshore energy, and that security for the future. offshore wind power has already transformed the uk energy mix and the government aims to quadruple output by the end of the decade. it also wants to revive onshore wind, despite objections from many of its own mps, by offering discounts to those who live near turbines. a good deal all round according to energy providers. the best way of _ according to energy providers. tue: best way of weaning according to energy providers. tt;e: best way of weaning ourselves according to energy providers. t"t9 best way of weaning ourselves off gases wind power and onshore wind is the fastest and cheapest is that we welcome the consultations and pilot programmes which will help us prove local communities want wind power if it can drive down their energy costs. and of course we won't build it where people don't want it. however, remember, gas still heats 25 million homes and many feel this strategy�*s focus on future power supply ignores the current crisis and the need to reduce demand. emil; and the need to reduce demand. only last week, and the need to reduce demand. only last week. we — and the need to reduce demand. only last week, we saw _ and the need to reduce demand. 0�*le last week, we saw energy bills going up last week, we saw energy bills going up in the middle of a very real cost of living crisis, which is causing

people real hardship. all we have todayis people real hardship. all we have today is a cobbled together a list of things that could and should have been done over the last 10—12 years. and it doesn't even tackle really important things like insulating homes, which could save £400 on everybody�*s bill. the homes, which could save £400 on everybody's bill.— homes, which could save £400 on everybody's bill. the importance of usini everybody's bill. the importance of usin: less everybody's bill. the importance of using less rather _ everybody's bill. the importance of using less rather than _ everybody's bill. the importance of using less rather than supplying . using less rather than supplying more energy was echoed by other parties. we more energy was echoed by other arties. ~ :, :, , , parties. we have a big focus particularly _ parties. we have a big focus particularly on _ parties. we have a big focus particularly on insulating - parties. we have a big focus - particularly on insulating peoples homes, — particularly on insulating peoples homes, that is the measure that can help bring _ homes, that is the measure that can help bring down people's fuel bills, keep people warm, create jobs and create _ keep people warm, create jobs and create real— keep people warm, create jobs and create real energy security. the liberal democrats want to invest in renewables — liberal democrats want to invest in renewables we _ liberal democrats want to invest in renewables. we want _ liberal democrats want to invest in renewables. we want to _ liberal democrats want to invest in renewables. we want to insulate . renewables. we want to insulate people's — renewables. we want to insulate pe0ple's homes— renewables. we want to insulate people's homes and _ renewables. we want to insulate people's homes and slash - renewables. we want to insulate people's homes and slash taxes. renewables. we want to insulate - people's homes and slash taxes. that would _ people's homes and slash taxes. that would be _ people's homes and slash taxes. that would be real— people's homes and slash taxes. that would be real action _ people's homes and slash taxes. that would be real action to _ people's homes and slash taxes. that would be real action to give _ people's homes and slash taxes. that would be real action to give real- would be real action to give real help to — would be real action to give real help to people _ would be real action to give real help to people who _ would be real action to give real help to people who need - would be real action to give real. help to people who need help right now. oil— help to people who need help right now. :, :, , , : , help to people who need help right now. :, , : , :, now. oil and gas prices have soared as russian exports _ now. oil and gas prices have soared as russian exports risked _ now. oil and gas prices have soared as russian exports risked being - as russian exports risked being withheld or boycotted. today's plan fast tracks new investment and production in uk waters to secure supply even if it is unlikely to

affect prices.— supply even if it is unlikely to affect prices. even those fossil fuels that _ affect prices. even those fossil fuels that come _ affect prices. even those fossil fuels that come from - affect prices. even those fossil fuels that come from scottish | fuels that come from scottish waters, they are open to the vagaries of the international market. 0iland vagaries of the international market. oil and gas is an internationally traded commodity so if the prices go up internationally, we cannot insulate ourselves from that. �* , : :, :, that. the uk's record on delivering ener: that. the uk's record on delivering energy projects — that. the uk's record on delivering energy projects is _ that. the uk's record on delivering energy projects is not _ that. the uk's record on delivering energy projects is not good. - that. the uk's record on delivering energy projects is not good. in - that. the uk's record on delivering energy projects is not good. in the j energy projects is not good. in the 12 years since the government last announced a new nuclear age, this is the only plant under way. the government will help that the current crisis will provide a sense of urgency, even if this plan is not the solution. simon jack, bbc news. well, it was only a few months ago that the uk hosted cop26 — the united nation's climate change conference in glasgow — which ended with a pledge to reduce the use of coal and to cut greenhouse gases faster. but much has changed since the war in ukraine. 0ur climate editorjustin rowlatt looks at what impact the government's energy strategy will have on environmental targets. the uk has a good record on cutting carbon emissions. in 1990, we emitted around 800

million tonnes of carbon dioxide. but to look at this. emissions were down 40% by 2019, that's the largest reduction among the g20 countries and that is despite, look at this, the economy growing by nearly 80% over the same period. this is a big part of how we do it... closing down polluting coal—fired power stations. here is how much electricity the country has generated since 1990. that yellow line at the bottom, that is nuclear power and electricity from abroad. the grey area is coal and, look at that, 80% of our power back in 1990, now a teeny 2%. gas, the blue area there, played the biggest part in filling the gap left by coal, but look at renewables. mostly wind and solar, that's the green area, from almost nothing to more than a quarter of our electricity now. it is quite an achievement. the last time emissions were as low

as this was the late victorian era. but deeper cuts are going to be more difficult. why? well, this is what we've got to do, reduce emissions all the way down to zero and here is what the government's advisers on climate change, the climate change committee, says will get us there. there has to be a massive switch to electricity for transport. you will be driving an electric car. we need to improve energy efficiency in our homes and businesses. now that wasn't a big part of today's announcement but cutting energy demand will be crucial, says the government's climate watchdog. and, yes, it will mean lots of us ditching our gas boilers. we also need to massively reduce leaks of methane from fossil fuel plants, find ways to capture carbon dioxide emissions so they don't go into the atmosphere and, finally, there will need to be some biofuels. now getting those kinds of changes on a national scale is not going to be easy. the big criticism from environmentalists today —

too much focus on the supply side, not enough effort to get us all to cut our energy demand. justin rowlatt there. to find more of our climate change coverage, including explainers and the latest updates, head to our website at bbc.co.uk/news. let's get the latest in ukraine. we cross now to my colleague clive myrie. good evening. russian forces may have withdrawn from around the city here, but the ukrainian government, believes the kremlin will renew an attempt to take the capital at some point in the future. but for now, moscow seems to be focusing it's attention ukraine, and specifically the donbas region. the bbc has witnessed hundreds of thousands of civilians fleeing that area where separatists have been fighting for eight years. 0ur defence correspondent, jonathan beale, reports now

21st century combat on ukraine's eastern front can look and sound more like something from the first world war. but they've been fighting russian—backed separatists this way for the past eight years. western officials say this is where ukraine has some of its best trained and most battle hardened troops. they're certainly not all young. from his dugout, 52—year—old anatoly says he can already see russian troops just 500 metres away. translation: if they try to take this position, i'll kill them. - if i don't kill them, they'll kill me — those are the rules of war. they know their enemy can be brutal. they've had little rest from the fighting. they can already hear the russian artillery getting closer. but they say morale is high.

translation: without trenchesl to defend from, we would all die. but these trenches will protect us. as you can see, they are well dug in here. very different from the fighting that you've seen in kyiv. in urban areas, both sides are well dug in. easier to defend, but, of course, the russians have significant firepower and we know they are bringing more, too. the mass exodus of civilians from eastern ukraine is already under way. this, a 50—mile tailback of traffic heading west. the donbas is emptying fast. we entered the town of lysychansk, already being targeted by russian artillery. can see some smoke in the distance rising. now a ghost town. this was a children's centre. books and clothes now

strewn amongst the rubble. but down in the basement, we found a few seeking shelter. the poor, the frail and the old. even before this war started, russian—backed separatists were occupying part of the donbas. and it soon became apparent that pro—russian sentiment hasn't died here, despite their bombs. translation: i'm sorry, | but it is my understanding that this land was sold. they're destroying our donbas to give the land away to the americans. the americans bought it to place their nuclear weapons here. back above ground, we did find one woman, valentina, who did blame president putin for the destruction of her town. translation: putin is to blame for the war. l he gathered this army here. why did he do this, when our guys did nothing? they said they were exercising. exercises my ours! the russian offensive around

the capital kyiv may have sailed —— failed but here in the donbas they are slowly taking ground. waging war by artillery, their tactics still seem the same. and, once again, it's ukraine's civilian population that's likely to suffer most. jonathan beale, bbc news, in eastern ukraine. the call by ukraine for more arms in its battle against russia has been echoed in brussels today, as nato foreign ministers agreed to send more sophisticated weaponry, including the uk. it comes as russia has been suspended from the united nations human rights council, following allegations of war crimes by its troops. 0ur correspondent nick beake has the latest from brussels. ukraine's foreign minister was among friends today. no shortage of hugs and handshakes. but it is more weapons he really wants. and after arriving at nato h0,

he told me western allies needed to do more to stop president putin now. i think the deal that ukraine is offering is fair. you give us weapons, we sacrifice our lives, and the war is contained in ukraine. this is it. it was a plea the head of nato said allies would act on. we agree that we must further strengthen and sustain our support to ukraine so that ukraine prevails in the face of russia's invasion. sending different types of weapons and allies are providing them with different types of weapons. the bond between the us and the uk looks closer than in the trump years. and america's top diplomat said a big collective effort was needed to end russia's war. we are not going to let anything stand in the way of getting ukrainians what they need, and what we believe can be effective. so we are looking across the board right now, not only at what we have provided and continue to provide, but whether there are

additional systems that would make a difference. after all the meetings at nato hq today, ukraine is cautiously optimistic it will get many of the extra weapons it has been asking for, but fears it could be many weeks before they arrive. and all the while, more civilians will die. and tonight, another sober warning that for all the show of support, ukraine will be a country under russian attack for months or years to come. nick beake, bbc news, at nato headquarters. a video has emerged which purports to show ukrainian forces shooting and killing a captive russian soldier. jeremy bowen is with me. what more do we know about this? well, it is a really horrible thing to watch because there are a number of soldiers on the ground and they have been identified as russians and

there is one who is moving slightly and somebody comes up and puts a few more bullets into him and then he does not move any more, there's a lot of blood. and they are quite triumphalist about it as well, celebrating, very about it. under the laws of war, you know, a much maligned body of work but the only way we have ofjudging these things, when a soldier is either captured or wounded, they become effectively a noncombatant and they have the same status as civilians. so if it is what it seems to be, it is clearly grounds for being a war crime. the question then is what does the ukrainian government do about it. do they try to sweep it under the carpet or do they go after the perpetrators? that is the test really of a government in the circumstances because sadly, in every war, there are atrocities and there are crimes, usually from every side. in the wider sense of what is going on at the moment, kyiv has really changed, the feel, you can see it yourself.—

see it yourself. yes, i have noticed- — see it yourself. yes, i have noticed. people _ see it yourself. yes, i have noticed. people are more | see it yourself. yes, i have - noticed. people are more relaxed, sho -s are noticed. people are more relaxed, shops are opening _ noticed. people are more relaxed, shops are opening and _ noticed. people are more relaxed, shops are opening and it _ noticed. people are more relaxed, shops are opening and it is - noticed. people are more relaxed, shops are opening and it is very i shops are opening and it is very different in the east and that now seems very much to be the focus of where things are happening. i was talking to some soldiers today who had a couple of days off and who were getting new kit and heading that way. were getting new kit and heading that wa . , :, , that way. yes, that is where the main battlefront _ that way. yes, that is where the main battlefront is. _ that way. yes, that is where the i main battlefront is. jeremy bowen, main battlefront is. jeremy bowen, thank you. that's all from me and the team here in kyiv. now back to sophie in the studio. the time is 8:19pm. our top story this evening. the government unveils its much delayed energy strategy with a big boost for nuclear power and offshore wind farms but labour says it does nothing to help people now with rising bills. and i am live at the bafta games awards as the great and good of the gaming industry start to arrive to celebrate. coming up on sportsday on the bbc news channel, full crowds are back for a wet start to the masters at augusta national, where rory mcilroy will tee off later, hoping to complete the career grand slam.

the chancellor, rishi sunak, is facing calls to answer serious questions over his family's financial affairs, after it emerged his wife benefits from a tax—saving arrangement. akshata murty — who's thought to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds — has non—dom status, meaning she does not have to pay uk tax on income earned abroad. she earns money from shares in an indian software giant founded by her billionaire father. her spokeswoman said she pays all tax due in the uk — but labour called for "complete transparency". 0ur political correspondent damian grammaticas has the details. he's been called "dishy rishi". the chancellor and his wife, akshata murthy, are both millionaires. when he became a minister, he declared the fact she's a non—dom to officials. but now it's public, so is the shine coming off? the chancellor's been very honest, very clear and she is, after all, a private citizen,

she's not a politician and i think her affairs were completely transparent. and, as you say, there's no hint of any wrongdoing at all. under uk tax rules, when you're resident here, all your worldwide earnings are taxable in the uk, but so—called non—doms do not have to pay uk tax on foreign income. to claim the benefits of the status, a uk resident has to declare their permanent home is elsewhere. they must not have a settled long—term commitment to stay here and do still have to pay tax on all their uk earnings. she will have taken the position, she was domiciled in india, which may be a reasonable position, but then she made an active choice to claim the remittance basis, which means she's taxed only on money she brings into the uk, not on profits, income gains outside the uk, and that was a choice. it's a choice that could prove damaging for him. he's in charge of all our taxes, just put them up this week, and has been criticised for not

doing enough for the poorest. his wife, who was born in india, has shares in this giant indian it firm which earn her millions. it was founded by her father, who's now a billionaire — one of india's richest men. we need complete transparency on this, so that we can all understand what scheme she may have been using to reduce her own tax. but to use a scheme, when the chancellor is out there day after day saying we need tax rises on millions of people in this country, who are really, really struggling, is breathtaking hypocrisy. we're told akshata murthy has always paid all the uk tax due on her income here and pays tax abroad. but for the couple, there may still be questions. for her, how strong are her ties to india? her spokesperson has said today she intends to return there one day. so for him, does that mean he has no long—term commitment to remain in the uk? damian grammaticas, bbc news, downing street.

two more parties have launched their manifestos ahead of next month's local elections. the scottish labour leader anas sarwar set out plans to deal with the cost of living crisis. they include a windfall tax on oil and gas producers to reduce household bills, as well as plans to halve railfares for three months and a cap on bus fares. the welsh conservatives launched their campaign with promises of building "stronger, safer communities" — and pledges to give local residents a leading voice on where new houses and other infrastructure are built. the man accused of murdering the conservative mp sir david amess told jurors he decided to kill him because he voted for air strikes on syria. at his trial at the old bailey, which resumed today, ali harbi ali told jurors he doesn't regret killing sir david in essex last october. the 26—year—old from north london denies one count of murder and one of preparing acts of terrorism. traffic has come to a standstill in parts of kent again after police

had to close a 23—mile stretch of the m20, to accommodate hundreds of lorries held up by channel crossing delays in dover. the problems are also being caused by the suspension of p&0 sailings while regulators check the safety of vessels with new crews. it comes after p&0 sacked 800 staff, putting a strain on other ferry companies to pick up their passengers. the golfer tiger woods has made an extraordinary comeback after he teed off this afternoon at the masters in augusta. a year ago, he was in hospital with terrible leg injuries and unable to walk, after a car crash that nearly killed him. but he's not only back — he's now bidding for a sixth title, as andy swiss reports. tiger woods! cheering and applause. just months ago, it would have seemed utterly unthinkable, but for tiger woods and the watching golfing world, not any more. with that opening shot, one of sport's most remarkable comebacks was complete. woods admitted he was lucky to be

alive after crashing his car last year. simply walking again was an achievement. but now, here he was, playing again at the masters, golf�*s greatest stage. so how would he get on? well, at the first hole, a testing putt. could he make it? tiger woods is back, folks. and didn't they know it? thousands roared him on as woods got off to a solid start. his steps perhaps a little slower than before, but he was soon defying any doubters as only he can. cheering. i can't believe what i'm seeing! a birdie for woods which left him vying for the early lead. his extraordinary story shows no sign of ending. andy swiss, bbc news. the children's author and illustrator david mckee — best known for the mr benn books — has died after a short illness. he was 87.

the tales of mr benn became a popular children's tv series in the early 1970s, with mckee penning only 13 episodes, but they were repeated for the next 20 years. he wrote several other children's titles, including elmer the elephant, and sold more than 10 million books worldwide. the children's author david mckee, who's died at the age of 87. the pandemic brought big business for the gaming industry — as millions of people around the world turned to the likes of call of duty and fortnite to pass the time and stay connected. but it's notjust the big name games that have benefited in this multi—billion—pound industry. and tonight the bafta games awards will recognise some of smaller games that have succeeded in the past year. 0ur gaming reporter steffan powell is on london's southbank where the awards are being held.

not only is tonight a chance to appreciate the success of the last 12 months but as you were saying, the broader successes of the games industry over the last few years, the sixth biggest market in the world is now, where £7 billion to the uk economy and that success is largely down to the people in this room who are being recognised tonight. you want to know what this story is really about, huh? it takes two — a fairy—tale puzzle game about family break—up. what we are trying to say, darling, is that we have decided _ to go our separate ways. nominated for eight of the famous golden masks, the title has brought cooperative, rather than competitive gameplay, back to the forefront of the industry. not a surprise, really, after a period where people have been forced apart. it is hotly tipped to do well tonight. over and over, i relive my first moments on this alien planet... 0n the other side of the spectrum are titles like the action—packed returnal and high—octane

forza horizons, games made and released by some of the industry's biggest players, sony and microsoft. but tonight is also a chance for titles with a fraction of the staff and budget to compete for awards. games is more thanjust grand theft auto or whatever the big release of the year is. i still think games are treated as a kind of secondary form of media by a lot of people, and there is a lot of quality stuff out there. the baftas really manage to cut across that and show all the sides of the games industry. it is so competitive. it is hard for anyone, but yeah, being a smaller developer, there are so many people putting their games out there, and visibility is the most important thing you could ask for. so to be in a situation where people are talking about you alongside all of these big games is basically just the dream scenario. since 2004, bafta have been recognising the cultural impact of games in their many forms. we have got to get him

and us out of here. and tonight is set up to be no different. steffan powell, bbc news. time for a look at the weather. here's chris fawkes. low, it has been a dramatic day for cloud spotters, this was one of the big shower clouds we have had across the country, a big cumulonimbus thundercloud passing on the horizon in lincolnshire. lots of showers around today but of all the cloud on the satellite picture, my eye is drawn to this, to the north—west of the british isles, a trough that is enhancing the downpours which will be coming our way tomorrow. more on that in a second. 0vernight tonight, shower is increasingly turning to snow across the hills of northern scotland with the risk of icy stretches here. otherwise, very gradually over the next few hours, most showers fading away to give clear skies and a cold one with a widespread frost. tomorrow morning, we have a weather system going across france which will put a band of rain across the channel islands,

so wet here and the rain gets really close to the south coast so it is a maybe, maybe not kind of forecast for the extreme south of england. for the rest of us, a sunny start to the day mostly but the trough i was talking about will bring widespread storms to scotland and northern ireland, and then northern england, very widespread, lots of thunder and lightning and quite a bit of hail mixed in as well for tomorrow. temperatures, well, highs of around 10-12 c. on to the temperatures, well, highs of around 10—12 c. on to the weekend, again, a story of sunshine and showers, the shower is becoming pretty widespread into the afternoon but probably fading away from northern ireland later in the day as the pressure begins to rise for a time. temperatures coming up the degree, 10-13, temperatures coming up the degree, 10—13, for most of us, still a little cool the northernmost areas of scotland. sunday, a bright enough start to the day with some sunshine but through the second half of the weekend, we will start to see cloud increase of the atlantic and it could bring a few patches of rain into northern ireland before the end of the day but the winds will start to change direction and temperatures

will begin to rise with highs of 13-14 will begin to rise with highs of 13—14 across southern areas. it looks pretty unsettled over the next few days and even into the weekend and beyond that, next week, we have got low pressure with us bringing some rain and further showers our way. that's all from the bbc news at six, so it's goodbye from me and on bbc one, we nowjoin the bbc�*s news teams where you are.