welcome to bbc news. i'm david eades. our top stories: ukrainian forces say they're holding out against russia's latest attacks, despite intense bombardment in the eastern donbas region. this community is trying to prepare itself for a full—on russia offensive. they are doing their best but this is going to be a difficult, protracted war. the united states and its allies promise to send more weapons to help ukraine in its defence. the british prime minister, borisjohnson, apologises profusely to parliament for breaking covid lockdown rules and insists once again it was not done deliberately.

as soon as i received the notice, i acknowledged the hurt and the anger, and i said that people had a right to expect better of their prime minister. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in the uk and around the world. russia's latest major offensive has been anticipated for long enough. now we are getting a clearer idea of how far they will go in their assault on the east of the country and in their effort to damage ukraine's ability to respond. so we are starting in the east, where a major attack is under way, following russia's pull back from around the capital, kyiv. moscow claims to have

struck more than 1200 military targets overnight as part of efforts to establish full control over the donetsk and luhansk regions, known collectively as the donbas. in mariupol, a strategic port on the edge of the donbas, russian—backed separatist fighters have been trying to storm an industrial complex. it's the azovstal works, where the city's last defenders, the azov brigade, have been holding out inside, along with hundreds of civilians. our correspondent, catherine byaru hanga, sent this report from a village close to the eastern front line. russia unleashed its assault on eastern ukraine, thousands of troops backed by heavy weaponry on the move. it's a campaign to seize the donbas region, an attempt to salvage some kind of victory after significant losses in the north. another stage of this operation is beginning, and i'm sure this will be a very important moment of this

entire special operation. villages like novoselivka are becoming the new front line of this war. explosion in distance russian forces have stepped up their bombardments. a small bomb squad has been called into diffuse unexploded munitions. they have to work carefully, but quickly. explosion there are more and more people needing their services. translation: the enemy has started deploying these - munitions in large numbers, and quite a few of them failed to function in certain conditions. from this village, we can hear live artillery rounds in the distance. they're loud booms. and, this community is trying to prepare itself for a full—on russian offensive. they're doing their best, but this is going to be a difficult, protracted war.

mykola ivanovich was home when the explosions started. from a population of 300 people, there are just a handful left in novoselivka. translation: it happened at night, it started - with three massive explosions. at 6am, i got up to work and saw people running around. i saw bits of bombs covering farms. i told them not to go there. some time ago, a woman picked one up over there and got killed. there's a devastating cost to russia's invasion. mariupol in the south has been razed to the ground. aid agencies say thousands of civilians are trapped here, under siege. a few ukrainian forces refuse to let the city fall, holding out in an iron

and steel plant. today, russian special forces began storming buildings nearby. but a russian victory is far from certain in ukraine. catherine byaruhanga, bbc news, novoselivka, in the east of ukraine. ukraine's allies say they will send more military support to aid the push back against a renewed russian offensive. president biden said his government would provide extra weapons and artillery and britain is sending anti—ship missiles. the us defence department also said ukraine was getting access to more fighterjets, without saying which countries were providing them. let's speak to michael o'hanlon, senior fellow and director of research in foreign policy at the brookings institution in washington dc. thank you forjoining us. one is left to wonder perhaps what sort of military hardware is needed now, as we see this

change, a different stage in the offensive?— change, a different stage in the offensive? writer, great question- — the offensive? writer, great question. i'm _ the offensive? writer, great question. i'm not— the offensive? writer, great question. i'm not sure - the offensive? writer, great question. i'm not sure there will be a magical technological solution, one may imagine smart minefields that are difficult for any invading force to penetrate but that is hard to figure out where to deploy. pretty hard to overcome the international prohibition against landmines. it is pretty hard to attack the forwarder of 200, 300, 500 kilometres but you are right, there is no technological magical solution and ukrainians will have to keep trying to take advantage of the fact it is a muddy season in the ukraine, russians will be on the road primarily and therefore they are hoping to bring their anti—tank weapons to roadblocks. i think that will be the essence of the tactical advantage and there is no magical technological weapon that will make this work.

perhaps short of numbers, more military hardware and equipment because the message we're getting at the moment is ok, it is from moscow, but they are talking about hitting 1200 military targets, being attacked in the course of last overnight. that is ramping up by some degree, the intensity, isn't it? , ., by some degree, the intensity, isn'tit? , ., , isn't it? yes, of course masco wants to _ isn't it? yes, of course masco wants to control _ isn't it? yes, of course masco wants to control the - isn't it? yes, of course masco wants to control the speed i isn't it? yes, of course mascol wants to control the speed and messaging and give the sense they are under control —— — moscow, when in fact they have been battered by six and seven weeks by the ukrainian resistance and the whole world has been inspired by it. nevertheless, the russians have the numbers. it to me, it is about the american north and the american south against the civil war. the south one many of the battles but the north won the war because of the relentless pace and the ongoing ability to keep delivering combat power with a 3—1, 4—1

advantage in numbers and that takes its toll and i think ukrainians will have to hope for some kind of negotiated outcome here, rather than believe in some kind of military victory per se. yes, because _ military victory per se. yes, because it _ military victory per se. yes, because it will _ military victory per se. yes, because it willjust - military victory per se. yes, because it willjust go - military victory per se. yes, because it willjust go on i military victory per se. yes, | because it willjust go on and on, that is how many perceive it. is there any anxiety in washington, do you believe, i suppose that the solidity of the allies' position to helping militarily? because there is some indications that germany and perhaps france and italy are becoming a little less ready to provide the hardware, as it were. ready to provide the hardware, as it were-— as it were. ironically, ithink they should _ as it were. ironically, ithink they should be _ as it were. ironically, ithink they should be more - as it were. ironically, ithink. they should be more anxiety, more anxiety, not so much about the alliance solidarity, which has been impressive, but what is the endgame? how do we get this to stop at a reasonable point? it is obviously way beyond reasonable. if the goal is something more than just stopping russia, what is the endgame, and what kinds of

concessions can ukraine make, hopefully preserving its sovereignty and its territory and its independence, and yet trying to bring this war to a close. ., , ,., , close. your list there, sorry to interrupt, _ close. your list there, sorry to interrupt, your _ close. your list there, sorry to interrupt, your list - close. your list there, sorry to interrupt, your list of- to interrupt, your list of those things that they cannot let go rather than the answer that there is no end at the moment. president putin has his goals and they do not fit with ukraine's determinations to hold on territorially so this will go on?— will go on? i'm afraid so. there is _ will go on? i'm afraid so. there is a _ will go on? i'm afraid so. there is a chance - will go on? i'm afraid so. there is a chance here i will go on? i'm afraid so. - there is a chance here russia will decide, claim victory or the territorial conquest in the east, south east and south maybe wait to find a different day, heaven forbid, but nonetheless, what they can get now get some sort of negotiated outcome in some limited lifting of sanctions. that is the good news scenario. the bad news scenario is many months more of this. , , ., scenario is many months more of this. , , . . ., this. russia and frozen conflict _ this. russia and frozen conflict are _ this. russia and frozen conflict are two - this. russia and frozen| conflict are two phrases this. russia and frozen - conflict are two phrases that go well together. thank you for

joining us. as apologies go, this was pretty comprehensive. the british prime minister, borisjohnson came face to face with his fellow politicians on tuesday, for the first time since he was fined over breaching covid regulations. he apologised yet again, he apologised �*profusely�*, �*wholeheartedly�* and �*unreservedly�* but he also insisted he did not mislead fellow lawmakers in earlier statements and he will not resign. but that wasn't enough for one former minister who said he'd lost confidence in borisjohnson. the bbc�*s deputy political editor, vicki young, has more. he may want to talk about something else, but this isn't over yet. reporter: did you lie - to parliament, prime minister? boris johnson's honesty and integrity are being questioned. jeering and cheering many of his mps offered support as he made a choreographed commons entrance

with his chancellor. "you're cheering a criminal", shouted labour. i now call the prime minister. all he could do was apologise — again. it did not occur to me then, or subsequently, that a gathering in the cabinet room just before a vital meeting on covid strategy could amount to a breach of the rules. objections i repeat, that was my mistake, and i apologise for it unreservedly. mrjohnson said last week he'd been fined for a gathering with colleagues that had lasted just nine minutes. the labour leader accused him of coming up with insulting and absurd excuses. what a joke. even now, as the latest mealy—mouthed apology stumbles out of one side of his mouth, a new set of deflections and distortions pour from the other. but the damage is already done. the public have made

up their mind. they don't believe a word the prime minister says. the most uncomfortable moment for the prime minister and his chancellor came when sir keir talked about a husband who couldn't be with his wife in hospital. john would have given the world to hold his dying wife's hand, even if it was just for nine minutes. but he didn't, because he followed the prime minister's rules. the prime minister continues to apologise for his behaviour, but he's effectively downplaying the seriousness of his lawbreaking, saying there are far more important things a prime minister should be concentrating on, but this wall of tributes to those who lost their lives to covid goes some way to explaining why it could be so difficult for him to move the debate on. lockdown and the harsh restrictions we all lived under for so long won't be easily forgotten. scotland yard continues to investigate, which means

mrjohnson and conservative mps can't be sure this is over for the government. the international monetary fund has warned that the war in ukraine will severely set back the global economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. in its latest assessment, the imf forecast ukraine's economy would suffer a 35% collapse over the next two years, while russia's economic output would drop by 17%. here's our economics editor, faisal islam. the world economy has been on a mentored road, according to the imf but now that it suffered a severe setback, as the imf puts it, over russian invasion over

ukraine, sending growth down across the world and inflation and prices rising even more. that is six out of seven of the worlds economies face downgrades in this new world economic outlook coming out today. at the imf i had of important meetings of the world's central bank governors are notjust the advanced economies facing lower growth and those economies most exposed to russia's invasion of ukraine, namely russia and ukraine and the neighbouring companies but in particular emerging economies dependent on the region for theirfood. also those dependent on low energy prices are also seen their prices are also seen their price inflation forecasts going up price inflation forecasts going up and their forecasts for growth going down as well. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: the actorjohnny depp takes the stand in his

defamation case against his former wife. the stars and stripes at half—mast outside columbine high. the school sealed off. the bodies of the dead still inside. i never thought that they would actually go through with it. choir sings one of the most successful- singer—songwriters of all time, the american pop star prince has died at the age of 57. - ijust couldn't believe it, didn't believe it, he was just here on saturday. for millions of americans, the death of richard nixon in a new york hospital has meant conflicting emotions. a national day of mourning next wednesday sitting somehow uneasily with the abiding memories of the shame of watergate. and lift—off of the space shuttle discovery, with the huddle space telescope, our window on the universe.

this is bbc news — the latest headlines: ukrainian forces say they're holding out against russia's latest attacks despite intense bombardment in the eastern, donbas region. the united states and its allies promise to send more weapons to help ukraine in its defence. hundreds of thousands of women across the uk had their babies taken away from them during the 1950s, 60s and 70s because they were unmarried. for more than a year,— bbc news has been hearing from women who say they were pressured into forced adoptions by doctors, social workers and churches.

now for the first time, a former national health service maternity nurse has come forward to say she witnessed callous behaviour towards some of these women. duncan kennedy reports. in the 30 years after world war ii, hundreds of thousands of unmarried women were shamed into giving up their babies for adoption. most gave birth in hospitals, which were supposed to be places of compassion. some of the older midwives would see — i hate the word — but sort of, these are fallen women. they've got to get on with their lives. in 1974, anne hair was a trainee maternity nurse. she spent some time at this hospital in edinburgh. she is the first health worker to confirm to us that some nurses treated the unmarried pregnant women with scorn and derision. sometimes you felt they were cruel in how they spoke about them. how did these young mothers react? i think they were in shock.

anne says some nurses removed babies straight after delivery, without the mothers being able to hold them. she says she is still haunted by one teenager, desperate to keep her baby. i can still picture her, because she was crying, and i remember her saying to the midwife how she wanted to keep her baby. and ijust was tearful after it. why were you upset? i just felt it was unjust. she says some nurses treated forced adoptions in an almost routine way. i think they were just generally institutionalised. that's what they did. and maybe they thought, by trying to cut everything short, cut and dried, right,

you are in, you are away, you'll have your baby, your baby will go for adoption — that's it. it sounds callous. now, absolutely. these mums, were the unmarried mums? they were these young... we showed the interview to lisa roland, who was one of those shamed into giving up her baby. hair, herface, tears streaming down, and she was very puffy. she became pregnant at 16 and was separated from her baby for nearly 30 years. she says hearing from a former trainee nurse proves what birth mothers went through. actually having someone in the profession saying, this is what happened, just... ..just gives you credibility. as a young, unmarried mother, turning up at hospital to have a baby, you... ..you had absolutely no chance whatsoever. it wasn't just nurses. parents, social workers and churches also shamed the young women. forced adoptions are now the subject of two national inquiries — one by the scottish government and one by the uk parliament, with birth mothers calling for official apologies. what do you say to their campaign to get an apology

from the scottish government and the uk government? i think they are right. these women were not treated with the dignity and respect that you would expect of a professional. it must have been horrible and ghastly for them. duncan kennedy there. let's get some of the day's other news. shares have fallen sharply for the streaming service netflix after it reported a loss of subscribers for the first time in more than a decade. its customers dropped by 200,000 betweenjanuary and march. the company blamed increased competition and its decision to suspend operations in russia. a bomb blast at a bar in eastern nigeria has killed at least five people. nineteen others were seriously

wounded in the explosion in the town of iware in taraba state. eyewitnesses said the bomb had been hidden in a bag. one man was killed and at least eleven others wounded when police opened fire on demonstrators protesting about severe fuel shortages in the central town of rambukkana in sri lanka. the country is facing its worst economic crisis since 19118. fuel prices increased by more than 60 percent on tuesday. johnny depp — the hollywood actor — has appeared in court in virginia on the the fifth day of the defamation case he brought against his ex—wife, amber heard. the lawsuit centres on an article ms heard wrote for the washington post in which she described herself as a victim of domestic violence. david sillitto was in court — and sent this report. good afternoon, mr depp. good afternoon. can you please tell the jury why you're here today? erm, yes, erm... that pause rather captures the moment. his audience, a court, and this, johnny depp's one chance

to salvage his reputation. watching was his ex—wife, amber heard, who says she endured months of violence during their brief marriage. all of it, he says, is a lie. watching was his ex—wife, amber heard, who says she endured months of violence during their brief marriage. all of it, he says, is a lie. never... ..did i myself reach the point of striking miss heard in any way, nor have i ever struck any woman in my life. two completely opposed accounts of a marriage, and so many of the witnesses are either close friends or employees. and the events, most of them

took place behind closed doors, so the heart of this for the lawyers is who to believe, which is why today matters. he talked of childhood abuse, his long career and the effect of the allegations. one day, you're. .. ..cinderella, so to speak, and then, in 0.6 seconds, you're quasimodo. and i... ..i didn't deserve that, nor did my children, nor did the people who have believed in me for all these years. ok, we'll take a recess, thank you. thank you. throughout, he was careful, hesitant, serious. of course, this isjust one side of the story — amber heard's will follow. but as they rose to leave for recess, a little whistle... whistling. ..a smile. david sillito, bbc news, fairfax, virginia. venice is about to become the first city in the world to experiment a regulation system of visitor flows. day—trippers will have to make a reservation for visiting

the city and will soon have to pay an entry fee. it's in an effort to tackle overcrowding. emily brown reports. the floating city of venice is a unique destination for the millions of tourists who, before the pandemic, flocked to these narrow streets and scenic squares every summer. the easter weekend was the first real sign of the tourism sector bouncing back, with more than 80% occupancy in some of the bigger hotels. but from this summer, venice will be the first city in the world to experiment a regulation system of visitor flows to tackle overcrowding. reservations will be compulsory if you want to visit and from next year, visitors will have to pay an entry fee. translation: covid change feelings and perceptions - of what tourism is, in the world and in venice too. so we want less quantity and more quality.

we will have an experimental phase, starting this summer, by the booking of the visits. the entrance fee is set to be up to 10 euros, depending on the season. people staying in hotels and local residents will be exempt. and while venice contends with the volume of visitors, it also banned large cruise ships from sailing into the city's lagoon. authorities hope the tourist tax will reduced daily visits and encourage longer stays. it means tourism in venice may never be the same. emily brown, bbc news. just time to share some pictures with you of an event which took place in west sussex in england. follow this van for a moment. up and over it goes. it was the annual car jumping competition. that was quite

a success, that one. the drivers seemed thrilled. it features drivers stripping down their cars — and then driving them at high speed up a ramp — to see how far they can go over a queue ofjunkyard vehicles. hello. for the keen gardeners out there, if your garden and your planters are looking a little bit parched at the moment and you missed out on some of the showers we saw on tuesday, you're going to be grabbing the watering can for the rest of this week — very little rain around. there will be a few showers across western areas, but notice how high pressure is dominating the weather charts in and around the uk, pushing rain bearing low pressure systems down towards iberia, time and time again. and through the week, the breeze will be strengthening. in fact, a bit more breeze tonight across england and wales into the morning, which means it won't be quite as chilly as it has been. but for scotland and northern ireland, a touch of frost and patchy mist and fog around. that should clear by the end of the morning rush hour. there will be some cloud drifting westwards across england and wales, but overall, a lot more

sunshine around on wednesday, compared with tuesday, although a few showers will pop up through the afternoon across some of these western districts. most, though, dry. as i said, a bit more of an easterly breeze, making it feel cooler along those north sea coasts of england especially, 9—10 celsius for one or two, but actually, the air�*s a little bit warmer than tuesday, so central and western areas, temperatures up to around 16—17. 17 also possible in and around the moray firth as well. now, as we go through wednesday night into thursday, we continue with a predominantly dry story. a little bit of cloud drifting in on that breeze, but with the breeze continuing to pick up, notice how the temperatures aren't going to drop as much. we should be clear of a frost as we go into thursday morning. a lot of dry and sunny weather, though, to come on thursday. greater chance of some mist and low cloud though, the coast of north east england, eastern scotland. a bit of cloud drifting through england and wales, but sunny spells for many and still pleasantly warm where you have that sunshine. but it is going to start feeling cooler down those eastern coasts, and you've got to bear in mind that easterly wind, coming off sea temperatures around 7 or 8 degrees. it is always going to feel cooler here, especially so on friday as that wind picks up even further. greater chance of some slightly thicker cloud,

especially across england and wales, by this stage, with some light showers, even a little bit of drizzle in places, but most will be dry. sheltered from the breeze, western areas, where it could be quite gusty that wind, is where we'll see the highest of the temperatures, 15—16 west of scotland, maybe up to around 15 or 16 on the south coast of england. quick look into the weekend, and a bit of a complication as to what happens to this area of low pressure, how further north out of iberia it gets and its influence on us. throughout the weekend, we'll still have that breeze with us and that will make it further along the eastern coasts. in the sunshine feeling quite pleasant, but a greater chance of one or two more showers. bye for now.

defamation case against his former wife. this is bbc news, the headlines: ukrainian forces say they're holding the line in the east of the country, despite intense bombardment in the luhansk region. russia says it has struck over 1,200 military targets in eastern ukraine and has again called for the country's forces to lay down their arms. the united states and other allies have promised to increase weapon deliveries to ukraine, as it attempts to resist the renewed russian offensive. western leaders say they'll send artillery, anti—tank and air defence equipment. the government in kyiv has repeatedly asked for more military support. the british prime minister has given what he called a wholehearted apology to parliament after he was fined for breaking covid lockdown laws. borisjohnson repeated that it did not occur to him

the birthday gathering he attended at downing street injune 2020 had breached the rules.