this is bbc news. i'm nancy kacungira. our top stories: president biden has for the first time accused russia of committing genocide in ukraine. i called it genocide because it becomes clearer and clearer he wants genocide for ukraine. britain's prime minister and his chancellor found to have broken the law after breaching the lockdown rules they imposed on the country. i understand the anger many will feel about breaking the rules the government had introduced to protect the public.

we have a special report from the front—line in eastern ukraine, as forces prepare for a major russian onslaught. they are notjust having to worry about russian armour or russian offensive coming in this direction they have to worry about the enemy within. a huge manhunt continues for a gunman who opened fire on a new york subway train during rush hour. after two weeks�* covid lockdown in shanghai, officials admit they're struggling to feed the city's 25 million people. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. president biden has used the word "genocide" to describe russia's war in ukraine, in an apparent escalation of his criticism of president vladimir putin.

he first used the term during a speech on fuel prices in iowa. he then re—affirmed the accusationjust before boarding air force one. i have called it genocide because it's become clear and clearer, that putin isjust trying to ramp the idea that it's the ukrainians. the evidence is mounting. more evidence is mounting. more evidence has come out, literally the horrible things that the russians have done in ukraine. and we can only learn more and more about the devastation. and let the world decide internationally whether it qualifies but it seems that way to me. meanwhile, the mayor of the besieged ukrainian city of mariupol says he estimates that 21,000 civilians there have been killed. ukraine and russia continue to build up their forces in the east of the country, ahead

of a new russian offensive. moscow says its war aim is the "complete liberation" of the donbas region. our defence correspondent, jonathan beale, is in the city of kramatorsk in the donbas, travelling with ukrainian forces — he sent this report. this is where the war in ukraine will be won or lost. the wide open landscape of the east. we went with ukraine's army to see artillery already firing on russian forces. nervously watching for signs of russian aircraft. explosions crack. at their position, american—made stinger anti—aircraft missiles were ready to fire. the continuing supply of western weapons will be crucial to their success. ukraine's military might be smaller, but they have been more mobile. translation: if we stay in one position for more than a couple| of days, we usually

become the target. but if we fire one or two shells, nothing will happen. well, these artillery pieces are well hidden, just hearing some artillery in the distance there. but they are targeting russian military positions through here. unlike the russian artillery, which seems to be often targeting ukrainian towns and cities. columns of russian armour have already been spotted moving from the north. western officials believe russia is trying to double, even treble the strength of its military forces here in the east. ukraine is also having to keep an eye on its own population. there is pro—russian sentiment in this region, those who they fear may be passing on information to the russians. this shows they are notjust

having to worry about russian armour, a russian offensive coming in this direction, but they are also having to worry about the enemy within. it's a job made all the more difficult by the regular threat of russian air strikes and artillery. air siren wails. we have to head to a bunkerfor shelter. there, viktor tells me they are arresting people nearly every day. "we look for bad people who help the enemy. we find them and then hand them over to the intelligence services." mournful singing. ukraine is already taking casualties. among the most recent, tatiana's only child, alexander, who was killed on the front line. there will be many more grieving families in

the weeks to come. this next phase of the war could be decisive, but it will also be bloody. jonathan beale, bbc news, kramatorsk. the organisation for the prohibition of chemical weapons says it is concerned about unconfirmed reports of chemical agents being used in the besieged ukrainian city of mariupol. the international watchdog said it was monitoring the situation closely. the us secretary of state, anthony blinken has also expressed his concern. the reports you are referring to, we aren't in a position to confirm any either. let me say this — we had credible information that russian forces may use a variety of riot control agents, including tear—gas mixed with chemical agents, that would cause stronger symptoms to weaken and incapacitate entrenched ukrainian fighters and

civilians, as part of the aggressive campaign to take mariupol. us secretary of state anthony blank in there. lieutenant colonel daniel davis is a senior fellow at the foreign policy think tank defence priorities. i asked him about the credible evidence the us secretary of state was referring to. actually, it is part of the russian doctrine that has existed for a long time, that they could use that. we don't know what the source of their current intelligence that claims that they have or they will consider using it. i think it is probably safe to assume it will just happen, prepare for it so you aren't shocked if it ever does come to pass. russia claims that they don't, that they have gotten rid of all of their chemical weapons, but everything is possible on a battlefield, we have

to admit that. does the use of chemical weapons constitute a red line for the united states, where they mayjust see themselves getting more involved in this war? we know that in 2012, with president obama, that was a red line in syria, could we see the same thing happening here? i don't believe so, and it needs to not be, both for the united states and the nato alliance at large because, look, this war has already been horrific with some of the devastation that you have been covering here, even on this episode, but the last thing that we need to do is to take any action out of an understanding emotional understanding of the carnage, it could escalate the war and maybe triggers an article five somewhere. if the united states, or any other nato member, takes any kind of kinetic action against russia, for example like the united states did against bashar al—assad on a couple of occasions where they launched cruise missiles on various targets, that won't work

here because that will expand the war, and all of a sudden, it could be polish cities, it could be other western european cities that are the targets and we simply cannot allow that. we have to draw the red line at the nato border, not anywhere in ukraine. the two most senior members of the british government, prime minister borisjohnson and his chancellor of the exchequer, have been fined for breaking covid lockdown laws by attending a party in downing street in 2020. it makes borisjohnson the first ever sitting prime minister to have broken the law. he's apologised, but that hasn't stopped calls for his resignation. here's our deputy political editor, vicki young. we all have images we rememberfrom lockdown — the queen forced to sit alone at her husband's funeral. but for many in downing street, it was different. drinks in the office and garden, dancing in the basement — and now, police have decided that the wrongdoing went right to the top. today, the prime minister apologised but said he wouldn't resign.

i understand the anger that many will feel, that i myself fell short when it came to observing the very rules which the government i lead had introduced to protect the public. and i accept, in all sincerity, that people had the right to expect better. and now, ifeel an even greater sense of obligation to deliver on the priorities of the british people. but you did repeatedly say that all the guidelines were followed in downing street. that was a lie, wasn't it? when i said that, i spoke in completely good faith — because, as i've said to you just now, at the time that i was standing up for nine minutes in the cabinet room where i work every day, it didn't occur to me that iwas... you didn't understand your own rules, and everyone else had to follow them? it didn't occur to me that, as i say, i was in breach of the rules. i now humbly accept that i was. # happy birthday to you.

this was the day borisjohnson broke his own rules — june 2020, his birthday. it started with a school visit — that was allowed. but later, there was a gathering in the cabinet room in downing street. carriejohnson turned up — she's also been fined. today, the prime minister explained that he'd had a busy day, the occasion lasted less than ten minutes, and it didn't occur to him at the time that he'd done anything wrong. the chancellor, rishi sunak, was also there for a meeting, and tonight offered an unreserved apology. in a statement, he said... this is an extraordinary moment — a prime minister standing here in chequers, admitting he's broken the law. and this wasn't some insignificant rule, these were rules that kept families and friends apart for months, stopped people going to funerals.

but in the darkest hours for some people, the atmosphere in downing street was very different, where people time and again broke the laws that they drew up. and for many, this is unforgivable hypocrisy. labour's leader says for the prime minister and chancellor, the game is up. this is the first time in the history of our country that a prime minister has been found to be in breach of the law — and then he lied repeatedly to the public about it. britain deserves better. they have to go. the police investigation isn't over yet — they're looking into a long list of events in downing street and other government buildings. more than 50 fines have now been issued, and there could be more. and these words could come back to haunt the prime minister. i have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party, and that—

no covid rules were broken, and that is what i have been repeatedly assured. political opponents say it's damning. if you mislead parliament, if you lie to parliament, then you resign. there's no ifs, there's no buts. we know that this prime minister has lied to parliament. he should be offering his resignation. i am absolutely clear now they must go, they must go immediately so we can get fresh leadership. and if conservative mps won't do that, i feel they are directly associated with this wrongdoing. tonight, borisjohnson has received backing from his cabinet and, more importantly, tory mps, who just a few weeks ago were trying to oust him after months of damaging lockdown allegations. vicki young, bbc news. with me is our reporter mark lobel. the prime minister, his wife, his chancellor all mind, how

much of a shadow is this casting on the career of boris johnson. casting on the career of boris johnson. ,, . , casting on the career of boris johnson. ,, ., , ., johnson. quite a big one, it has raised _ johnson. quite a big one, it has raised eyebrows - johnson. quite a big one, it has raised eyebrows around johnson. quite a big one, it - has raised eyebrows around the world, it's the first time in this office on the whole of living memory has broken the law. i was talking to a spanish diplomat to find out of party gate was on their radar and they were viscerally upset. they were almost personally offended by what they thought was a very tasteless allegation of these doings behind closed doors at number ten. so it has spread it well damages reputation, as the most aggressive advocate of the ukraine war in europe and leaves people kind of confused as to whether he has misled his fellow lawmakers around the world, leaves them scratching their head. borisjohnson their head. boris johnson though their head. borisjohnson though is an election when it has to be said and he has these elections coming up in the uk in may, he's also got a

potential by—election from the westminster seat so we see if it has in fact, three things going for him, the polling was dire when it came as to whether he should resign that has stepped down a bit and those advocating that he goes in the conservative party that key constituency who would have to rule against him for him to go has said he is part of an alliance against vladimir putin and they wouldn't want to move him now and some of the key uk newspaper said there are more important things to worry about at the moment. will there be any further investigation? although he has downplayed this particularfine, but she although he has downplayed this particular fine, but she didn't think was a breach, and once supporter said he was ambushed with cake, there could be more revelations that could be bad news — if he is fined again. also, there is a senior civil servants report to come yet which may have different reports of specifics that happened in parties. there are

also people in the wings, rishi sunak, who has had a terrible week but is down, not out. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: lawyers forjohnny depp brand amber heard a liar in opening arguments of the defamation trial between the former spouses. pol pot, one of the century's greatest mass murderers, is reported to have died of natural causes. he, and the khmer rouge movement he led, were responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million cambodians. there have been violent protests in indonesia, where playboy has gone on sale for the first time. traditionalist muslim leaders have expressed disgust. the magazine's offices have been attacked and its editorial staff have gone into hiding. it was clear that paula's only contest was with the clock, and as for her sporting legacy, paula radcliffe's competitors will be chasing her new world—best time

for years to come. quite quietly, but quicker and quicker, she seemed just to slide away under the surface and disappear. this is bbc world news, the latest headlines: president biden has for the first time referred to russia's actions in ukraine as genocide. britain's prime minister and his chancellor of the exchequer are fined for breaching the lockdown laws they imposed on the uk. a huge manhunt is under way for a gunman opened fire on a new york subway train during rush hour. the gunman flooded a train carriage with smoke from two

gas canisters before shooting, injuring ten people. our new york correspondent nada tawfick reports. in an instant, the rush of the morning commute turned to a race to safety. on this subway car, new yorkers went into a state of shock, after a man wearing a green vest and sweatshirt detonated a smoke bomb and began opening fire. the attacker fled the scene to the sound of people's screams, and the sight of some collapsing on the platform, bloodied and wounded. we were all told to get. people were screaming for medical. it was a scary moment. everybody was packed together. i didn't know what happened after. i saw people coming out of the train station screaming, yelling for help. i saw a lady shot in her leg. shot in her leg? yes, and she was screaming for help. a massive emergency response from the nypd to the fbi

flooded the area. investigators are combing through the crime scene and nearby surveillance cameras for any clues. new york is counting itself lucky that nobody died, but this will once again put the focus on public safety. there's been a slight easing of strict covid restrictions in the chinese financial capital, shanghai, after the first dip in infections since the beginning of april. the move is in response to complaints of widespread food shortages among the 25 million residents. here's our correspondent robin brant, who's one of people dealing with lockdown. protestors chant. more than two years after covid first emerged here, china is still trying to keep it out. and this is how it's doing it. tens of thousands of people forced into government—run quarantine.

in one of china's most advanced cities, the conditions, for some, are awful. translation: the moment i really broke down - was when i entered the cabin hospital. we spoke to this 26—year—old — she tested positive a few days ago. in china, symptoms or no symptoms, you are forced to quarantine. we were first assigned to the shared area. the condition was terrible. my roommate and i found two camp beds. there was only one rest room and one washbasin on each floor. forced quarantine is one of two often brutal measures that china is using to try to beat covid — the other is citywide lockdowns. i'm two weeks into the one here, along with the other 25 million people that live in shanghai. now, for many, that means you can't step out of your gate. for some, it means you can't even go beyond your front door. and also, daily worries about food — for some,

even about water. for some, the plight is now desperate — a battle to place an order on your phone, or a fight with the authorities, alljust to get food in. seeing video of communist party officials berated like this is rare here, but the party is digging in. everyone's being repeatedly tested — but this has become less about science. it's now a battle between a resurgent virus and communist party credibility. no one has officially died here from covid, and zero—covid remains the goal. china is still determined to prove it can beat nature. robin brant, bbc news, locked down in shanghai. earlier, i spoke to alessandro pavanello who is currently in an isolation facility in shanghai after testing positive for covid.

there are a few rules. rules wise, there are a few. there is a big area outside we are not allowed to go to at every time. there are specific moments during the day. but then the rest, like, there are no specific rules but the conditions here are borderline terrible. you cannot see it, and i'm supposed to not— i suppose i should move the camera but i have another person who i don't know sleeping at one metre from my bed. i am sitting on my bed now. there are two other beds there, and there are thousands of people all around me. the bathrooms are obviously... luckily, we are one of the centres that has men and women bathrooms separated, but you can imagine thousands of people going to one bathrooms, which are not cleaned on a regular basis. we don't have showers, so we have a little... this to clean ourselves. we put some water inside and we use a towel to, you know, just wash ourselves off. it really feels like i have lost all my dignity and i'm, you know, somehow

being mistreated. as a westerner, i am not really enjoying being here, of course. but i'm a guest here, so i need to go through this process, i will go through it and hope itjust ends as soon as possible. that was alessandro pavanello in an isolation facility after testing positive for covid in shanghai. lawyers for the actor, johnny depp, and his former wife amber heard have given their opening statements in his defamation case in the united states. mr depp is suing ms heard for 50 million dollars over an article she wrote about being a survivor of domestic violence, that didn't mention him by name. david sillito reports from virginia, where the trial is taking place. fairfax, virginia, and in court today, a hollywood star — johnny depp, who was here to sue his ex—wife, amber heard, for libel. this is a defamation case. it's a case about how devastating words can be when they are false

and uttered publicly. in court, both barely even glanced at one another as this $50 million libel suit began, a case about an article in the washington post, in which amber heard talked about enduring sexual assault and how institutions protect violent men. she did not namejohnny depp, but his lawyers say she didn't need to — everyone knew who she was talking about. his legal team said the allegations were all lies. amber heard was the abuser, notjohnny depp. and she has been preparing to give the performance of her life in this trial. but this trial is about the evidence. it's about a man's reputation. his legal team described johnny depp as a kind soul, who would never raise his hand to a woman. amber heard was characterised as being troubled, manipulative, but it's worth remembering this is not the first time the couple has met in a libel court.

at a previous hearing in london, a judge ruled almost overwhelmingly in amber heard's favour. may i approach? yes, sir. - and, just as in london, amber heard's lawyers today presented a very different picture of the star — a man prone to rages, a hidden side amber heard described as "the monster". you're going to see - who the realjohnny depp is. behind the red carpets, i behind the fame, behind the money, behind the piratel costumes, you're going to see who that man really is. so, two years on from that case in london, a second attempt to clearjohnny depp�*s name begins, this time with a jury. jurors have been told this could take up to seven weeks. david sillito, bbc news, fairfax, virginia. that is all for now. we will bring you the headlines in a few minutes.

you can reach me on twitter — i'm @kacungira. stay with us on bbc news. hello. the easter weekend is just around the corner, and as we move closer to it, things will turn drier and warmer for many. not always sunny, complicated slightly by some mist and low cloud lingering, and here we could see some patchy rain at times, but a lot of dry weather in the forecast. it is looking drier for many as we head through wednesday. the area of rain we had on tuesday came courtesy of this area of low pressure, and it is pulling away into the north sea through wednesday. still close enough to scotland that it will bring more cloud, still some patchy rain into north—east scotland and the northern isles through the morning, that will pull away. some mist and low cloud likely to linger through some northern and western coasts through the day, but elsewhere, some spells of sunshine developing, but also some sharp afternoon showers, perhaps with a rumble of thunder.

the winds will be a light—to—moderate westerly for many, and that means a warmer day across north—eastern coasts, where we have the best of the sunshine through wednesday afternoon, temperatures quite widely into the mid or high teens. pollen levels, though, will be high for much of england and wales through wednesday, moderate across northern england, and also moderate across southern scotland, and into northern ireland, as well. so through wednesday evening, most of the showers will fade. many of us will see some clearer skies, although mist and low cloud will start pushing back in to wales, south—west england, north—west england, and also more cloud nudging into northern ireland and the western isles. again for many, it is a mild night, with temperatures typically between six and nine celsius. so for thursday, we've got this area of high pressure, which is the dominant feature, and i'm sure you can see these fronts trying to push in from the west, and will bring much more cloud across northern ireland, maybe some patchy rain, particularly for western areas through the afternoon. some of that could just push into the western isles, too. once again, mist and low cloud will be slow to clear for some northern and western areas, but elsewhere, spells of sunshine developing

through thursday, particularly the further east you are, and here is where we will see the highest temperatures, mid—to—high teens for many, perhaps 19, 20, maybe even 21 celsius in south east anglia and south—east england. for the easter weekend, for many, we hold onto this high pressure. frontal systems trying to push in from the atlantic, they will be fairly weak affairs, but particularly as we head into easter sunday, then we could begin to see some more showery outbreaks of rain into the north and the west, but for most, over the easter weekend, it is looking warmer, it is mainly dry — yes, there will be some overnight mist and fog, but also some sunshine, too. goodbye.

this is bbc news. the headlines: president biden has for the first time accused russia of committing genocide in ukraine. he used the term during a speech on fuel prices in iowa. mr biden then reinforced the accusation, saying president putin was trying to wipe out the idea of even being a ukrainian. britain's prime minister, borisjohnson, and his finance minister, rishi sunak, have rejected calls for them to resign after they were fined by police for breaking covid lockdown rules by attending a party in 2020. twenty. mrjohnson�*s wife, carrie, was also fined. police in new york say they have recovered a handgun and a range of incendiary devices at the brooklyn station

where a man opened fire on commuters on tuesday