this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. i'm samantha simmonds. heavy fighting is continuing in eastern ukraine where russian forces are trying to take the entire donbas region. it comes as russia confirms it fired missiles into kyiv — during a visit by the un secretary general antonio guterres. the first one struck on that side. it was really cloud. i thought it fell somewhere near my office. after about ten seconds the second one hit here. russia's foreign minister sergey lavrov has said his country does not consider itself to be at war with nato — and is not threatening anyone with nuclear weapons. also ahead... former wimbledon tennis champion boris becker is jailed for two and a half years,

for lying about his assets during bankruptcy proceedings. a retired afghan general has told the bbc that he and other former soldiers and politicians are preparing to launch a military offensive against the taliban. as heavy fighting continues in eastern ukraine, an advisor to the country's president volodymyr zelensky has acknowledged that ukrainian forces have suffered serious losses. he said ukraine had lost control of some towns and villages — but claimed that russia's casualties had been "colossal". this report from our eastern europe correspondent sarah rainsford contains some images you may find distressing. vera gyrych was carried from the wreckage of her home in a body bag. she'd been found buried beneath rubble after a russian missile

strike on central kyiv. vera was 55, a journalist for the american broadcaster radio liberty. it says it's shocked and outraged by the meaningless manner of her death. we saw forensic workers bring out what looked like fragments of the missile. russia's defence ministry claims it was firing precision weapons. only the military factory opposite the apartment block is scorched, but still standing. this couple feel lucky to be alive today, even able to salvage something from the ruins. misha said they'd just got home when they heard the first blast. "if we'd been in a lift a minute longer," he tells me, "we'd have been burned or killed." russia may well have been aiming at a military facility across the road here,

but once again it's civilians who are the casualties of this strike. the mayor here in kyiv now says 100 civilians have been killed in ukraine's capital alone in a war that russia began over two months ago and still shows no sign it wants to stop. and down in mariupol, the besieged city by the sea, there are still civilians and fighters under fire, surrounded at the giant azov steelworks. the rest of the shattered city is now under russian control. olia's husband and natalia's brother are both soldiers there. trapped, with supplies running out. so, the women came to kyiv to urge the government to do more to save them. they're talking about civilians, but not about military, and i'm really worried about it because the military are also people. they don't want to die in that city that is already destroyed. why do they have to do it?

i don't understand. they have been holding the whole ukraine and even europe for two months, and they deserve to come back alive. kyiv itself has begun to come alive again now that russian force have retreated from its suburbs. but even this half normality is fragile when moscow has shown it can strike at any time. sarah raynsford, bbc news, kyiv. russia's foreign minister sergey lavrov has said that his country does not consider itself to be at war with nato over ukraine. in comments quoted by the russian news agency ria, he said war with nato would increase the risk of nuclear war — something he claimed russia was not threatening. and he added that he blamed ukraine for the failure of peace talks to achieve any results yet — saying that kyiv was constantly changing its negotiating position. much more on this from bbc news online. including our live page —

where you can find all of the latest developments, and look back at some of our analysis and journalism. we've been looking into the numbers given by both ukraine and russia about the number of russian service personnel who've been killed since the invasion began — as you might expect, the two sides�* figures are very different. just log on to bbc.com/news — or download the bbc app. denmark has been welcoming ukrainian refugees since the start of the russian invasion — new arrivals could reach 100,000 in the coming weeks. the danish government has just passed a law that will allow them to stay for up to two years. but at the same time, the government has also been working on plans to reduce the number of non—european asylum seekers — with human rights groups accusing denmark of discrimination. bbc arabic�*s hanan razek reports from copenhagen

they were so kind to us. how am i supposed to integrate in a society that re'ects supposed to integrate in a society that re'ects me? supposed to integrate in a society that re'ects me? one supposed to integrate in a society that re'ects me? .,, that rejects me? one hosting count , that rejects me? one hosting country. two _ that rejects me? one hosting country, two different - that rejects me? one hosting i country, two different refugees, that rejects me? one hosting - country, two different refugees, two different experiences. recently the danish government has bashed a special law to host ukrainian refugees although it is well for its zero asylum policy. this has led to a lot of will get to see some to the danish government and i have come here to find out if there is a double standard when it comes to refugees. mi; double standard when it comes to refu~ees. y , double standard when it comes to refu~ees. g , , ,., refugees. my first stop is a cam ostin: refugees. my first stop is a cam posting ukrainian _ refugees. my first stop is a cam posting ukrainian refugees. - refugees. my first stop is a cam - posting ukrainian refugees. denmark has received — posting ukrainian refugees. denmark has received around _ posting ukrainian refugees. denmark has received around 40,000 - posting ukrainian refugees. denmark. has received around 40,000 ukrainian since the start of the russian invasion. are you planning to learn danish? of course. this woman is a mother of four here is here with her family. we mother of four here is here with her famil . ~ ., , ., ~ mother of four here is here with her famil . ~ . , ., ~ ., family. we are very thankful for danish people. _ family. we are very thankful for danish people. they _ family. we are very thankful for danish people. they give - family. we are very thankful for danish people. they give us - family. we are very thankful for| danish people. they give us roof family. we are very thankful for - danish people. they give us roof to lift. food to eat and all this

clothes. we have a lot of donations. it is very, very nice. figs clothes. we have a lot of donations. it is very, very nice.— it is very, very nice. as she prepares — it is very, very nice. as she prepares to _ it is very, very nice. as she prepares to make - it is very, very nice. as she prepares to make this - it is very, very nice. as she i prepares to make this country it is very, very nice. as she - prepares to make this country home, other refugees have been feeling less welcome. around 35,000 refugees have arrived in denmark since 2015. these protests in copenhagen last year were against laws making it harderfor them to year were against laws making it harder for them to stay here. the government announced plans to revoke the visas of over 1000 syrians, claiming that it was now safe for them to go home. this group of syrians have been here for over five years. syrians have been here for over five ears. ., ., , , ., years. how am i supposed to integrate — years. how am i supposed to integrate in _ years. how am i supposed to integrate in a _ years. how am i supposed to integrate in a society - years. how am i supposed to integrate in a society that. years. how am i supposed to - integrate in a society that rejects me? it's media rejects me. everywhere icy it promoted that they don't want me here.— don't want me here. syrians are the most sympathetic _ don't want me here. syrians are the most sympathetic to _ don't want me here. syrians are the most sympathetic to the _ don't want me here. syrians are the| most sympathetic to the ukrainians.

the insured — most sympathetic to the ukrainians. the insured to the same. in parliament, refugee status as a controversial issue but the government says they cannot help everyone. we have to say that we are a very small country compared to most other countries in the world. it seems that you are a small country for this syrians but you are not a small country for ukrainians. we think we have a responsibility in europe. we think that people in the middle east have a responsibility for helping refugees there. there is no about the warm welcome ukrainians have received including syrian refugees. that welcome has left syrian and others wishing they could be treated the same. here in the uk, the six times tennis grand slam champion boris becker has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison, after being found guilty lying about three million dollars of assets during bankruptcy proceedings.

our sports correspondent natalie pirks has more. as he walked into court, his tie in the wimbledon colours that always brought him rain and fortune, boris becker was no throughout contemplating how it came to this. three weeks ago a jury found him guilty of four of the 24 counts against him including transferring cash to avoid paying creditors from the 2017 bankruptcy and failing to disclose a property in germany. in her sentencing remarks the judge said he had shown no remorse, no humidity and had failed to heed the chances here is given from his past conviction for tax evasion 20 years ago in germany. the court was packed. to my mac look shocked and red—faced as here is sentenced to have years in prison with half of my sins. as you can see, this case has generated considerable interest across europe. the picture was painted in court of a man with

nothing to shower for his glittering sporting career. a man with chaotic with no future earning potential, his reputation lies in tatters. unknown and unseeded, boris becker forged an instant bond with the british public in 1985 when he won wimbledon atjust 17, british public in 1985 when he won wimbledon atjust17, the youngest man to then do so. during his 14 year career he won a full delete a total of 49 singles titles. it made him a rich man with a successful stint as a pundit and a coach afterwards. but boom boom will soon bust. the expensive lifestyle commitments including a high—profile divorce and payments for a child conceived one night at a london restaurant saw him in financial trouble. career earnings of £38 million gone and tax evasion and bankruptcy case followed. i think today the tennis world is a little

bit sad of what has happened. this was bit sad of what has happened. ti 3 was somebody of such a great talent and had so much to offer and are still a very lovable, likeable character and, you know, ithink still a very lovable, likeable character and, you know, i think it is very sad thinking about where he is very sad thinking about where he is out tonight. i5 is very sad thinking about where he is out tonight-— is out tonight. is partner left a note to begin _ is out tonight. is partner left a note to begin life _ is out tonight. is partner left a note to begin life without - is out tonight. is partner left a j note to begin life without him. is out tonight. is partner left a . note to begin life without him. he will now spend more than a year in prison put up a successful career in court ended quickly inside one. prison put up a successful career in court ended quickly inside one. a confessed member of the terror islamic state group has been alexanda kotey — originally from the uk — pleaded guilty last year to being involved in the killing of american hostages as well as britons david haines and alan henning. he was part of a gang nicknamed the isis beatles, due to their british accents. kotey was extradited to the us last year over accusations he helped jail and torture western hostages. the premier of the british virgin islands — a british overseas territory in the caribbean — is due to appear in court in florida, charged with drug trafficking and money laundering. andrew fahie was detained on thursday by us agents posing as members of a cocaine cartel.

here's our diplomatic correspondent, james landale. good day to my people of the british virgin islands and those abroad. this is andrew fahie, premier of the british virgin islands, opening a recent athletic schemes. he is effectively the prime minister of the small british overseas territory in the eastern caribbean, but perhaps not for much longer. yesterday, he was arrested at this airport in miami by undercover us drug enforcement agents pretending to be members of a mexican cartel. enforcement agents pretending to be part of a mexican cartel seeking his help smuggling cocaine to the us. an agent reported that in one meeting, mr fahie asked for a slice of the profits from smuggling the drugs. the court papers state that fahie pulled out a calculator and worked out that 10% of $78 million

would be $7.8 million. fahie agreed to use the ports to ship the cocaine. the drugs would be hidden in five kilograms buckets of water proofing paint. it is alleged that mr fahie was shown part of his payoff in a privatejet, designer shopping bags containing $700,000, and when he was arrested, he reportedly said, why am i getting arrested ? i don't have any money or drugs. the foreign secretary liz truss said she was appalled by what she called the serious allegations. she spoke to the governor of the bvisjohn rankin who represents the queen there. he has been overseeing a commission of inquiry into separate allegations of corruption in the caribbean tax haven. today it concluded their work gross failures of government in the bvis and serious dishonesty. it recommended the island's elected government would be suspended and the governor take over direct

rule for two years. i pledge that the best interests of the people of bvi will continue to be my overriding concern. ensuring transparent, honest and open governance, in accordance with the rule of law, to strengthen the foundations of the british virgin islands. very good to see you. the foreign secretary, visiting the netherlands today, said the report showed that substantive legislative and constitutional change was needed on the islands, but she has yet to decide whether she will accept the recommendations of the commission. stay with us on bbc world news, still to come: the devastating heatwave that's hitting india and pakistan.

this is news, the latest headlines: as heavy fighting continues in the east of the ukraine,

a presidential adviser has acknowledged serious losses — but said russia's were even worse. the three—time wimbledon men's singles champion, boris becker, has been sentenced to two and a half years injail in connection with his bankruptcy in 2017. the head of a mosque in the afghan capital, kabul, says at least 50 worshippers have been killed by powerful explosion that struck just after friday prayers. the attack is believed to have been detonated by a suicide bomber. taliban authorities say only ten people have died. it's the latest in a spate of attacks at religious sites across afghanistan during ramadan. a former general in afghanistan's national army has told the bbc that he and many other former afghan soldiers and politicians are preparing to launch military operations against the taliban next month after the islamic eid festival. thirty—seven—year—old left—tena nt general sami sadat, who had just assumed command of afghan special forces

when the government collapsed last august, says eight months of taliban rule has already convinced many afghans that military action is the only way to stop their increasingly authoritarian rule. he's been speaking for the first time about their plans to our chief international correspondent lyse doucet. why are you rushing into something that afghans don't want? i was ”lannin that afghans don't want? i was planning initially _ that afghans don't want? i was planning initially with - that afghans don't want? i was planning initially with my - that afghans don't want? i —" planning initially with my friends to give the taliban 12 months and see if they change. unfortunately, every day you wake up, the taliban have had something new to do. they

are torturing people, killing, disappearances. food shortages. children malnutrition and everything. and it is easy for others in the west are elsewhere to say give the a chance but it is not easy for me that every day i see my phone getting hundreds of messages from young girls, young boys, from families, from good people, from doctors and officers who say we have been tortured, we had been disrespected and what are you going to do about it. i mean, there's probably thousands of afghans who are getting these messages. igraiiiiii are getting these messages. will also hear from _ are getting these messages. will also hear from many in the afghan countryside which bore the brunt of war, the past 20 years that they are so relieved that the us and afghan planes and trains are out of the sky. they are relieved that they feel whatever they think of telephone, they are relieved, at least, that there is peace. with a welcome and give the kind of support to your fighting forces that you would need in order to make any kind of advance? i

would need in order to make any kind of advance?— of advance? i think, i don't believe there is peace _ of advance? i think, i don't believe there is peace in _ of advance? i think, i don't believe there is peace in afghanistan. - there is peace in afghanistan. certainly more peaceful and they say even for example where you commanded forces, many people remember the kind of operations that you ordered in which civilians were killed, even markets were hit. i in which civilians were killed, even markets were hit.— markets were hit. i don't think civilians were _ markets were hit. i don't think civilians were killed _ markets were hit. i don't think civilians were killed under - markets were hit. i don't think civilians were killed under my| civilians were killed under my command. civilians were killed under my command-— civilians were killed under my command. there are repeated instances. _ command. there are repeated instances, reports. _ command. there are repeated instances, reports. this - command. there are repeated instances, reports. this is - command. there are repeatedl instances, reports. this is what some people tell us. this instances, reports. this is what some people tell us.— instances, reports. this is what some people tell us. this is word of mouth. if there _ some people tell us. this is word of mouth. if there is _ some people tell us. this is word of mouth. if there is evidence - some people tell us. this is word of mouth. if there is evidence that - mouth. if there is evidence that directly my forces have been involved in, you know, with the civilians getting hurt i think that is not true. i have ordered all the civilians to leave the city. if afghan history has any lessons it is that armed groups make progress when they have a stronghold, a sanctuary in a neighbouring country. if they

have a stronghold, foothold inside the country where they can operate from and if they have strong foreign backers. to have any of those? even the people that you will be working with? oi the people that you will be working with? . ., , ., , with? of course the war this time rize will with? of course the war this time prize will be _ with? of course the war this time prize will be very _ with? of course the war this time prize will be very different. - with? of course the war this time prize will be very different. we i prize will be very different. we will be fighting as an insurgency, and they put it that way. it will not cause as a lot of expenses. a lot of afghans have come together. they want to share their wealth. they want to share their wealth. they want to share their wealth. they want to share and support the struggle. i will not comment on the neighbouring countries and i hope that we will. .. neighbouring countries and i hope that we will... but neighbouring countries and i hope that we will. . ._ neighbouring countries and i hope that we will... but you have allies, foreian that we will... but you have allies, foreign allies? _ that we will... but you have allies, foreign allies? we _ that we will... but you have allies, foreign allies? we don't. - that we will... but you have allies, foreign allies? we don't. we - that we will... but you have allies, foreign allies? we don't. we don't| foreign allies? we don't. we don't want to have _ foreign allies? we don't. we don't want to have foreigners _ foreign allies? we don't. we don't want to have foreigners involved l foreign allies? we don't. we don't| want to have foreigners involved in our war. 50 want to have foreigners involved in our war. ~ ,�* want to have foreigners involved in our war. ~ 1 i. our war. so few weeks' time you will head to a neighbouring _ our war. so few weeks' time you will head to a neighbouring state - our war. so few weeks' time you will head to a neighbouring state with i head to a neighbouring state with times to move inside afghanistan to start attacking? i times to move inside afghanistan to start attacking?— start attacking? i don't want to put a timeline but _ start attacking? i don't want to put a timeline but we _ start attacking? i don't want to put a timeline but we definitely - start attacking? i don't want to put| a timeline but we definitely decided to go into a struggle against the

taliban and join to go into a struggle against the taliban andjoin our to go into a struggle against the taliban and join our other brothers who are doing that and they are definitely trying to get some sort of a political unity among our and then work together in the younger generation of afghan leaders into going on and freeing our people from the taliban so what we want to do this, you know, create circumstances whereby even the taliban themselves, the moderate taliban could become part of the government, could be safe in our society. we are not against the taliban. we are against the way they are governing. the textbook is wrong for afghanistan. let s get some of the day's other news. sri lanka's central bank chief has warned an expected imf bailout package could take up to three months to arrive as protests continue over

the country's economic crisis. the pakistani government has issued a heat warning after temperatures in parts of the country reached highs of 47 degrees celsius. the increase demand for energy due to the intense heat, combined with poor infrastructure and fuel shortages, has led to regular power cuts with some regions reporting blackouts of up to 14 hours a day. and in india, a leading meterologist said the band of heat is likely to stay for another three days — although it should ease with the start of the monsoon next week. this will come as a relied to the country's doctors who say the onset of heat—related health conditions pose a greater risk today marks 30 years since the los angeles police officers charged with beating african american rodney king were acquitted, and the city erupted in violence. more than people were

killed in the uprising. the days of riots and looting that followed resulted in damage costing a billion dollars. three decades on, many remain pessimistic about race relations in the city as our los angeles correspondent sophie long reports. they are a danger. they still put targets on your backs. for some black americans whose loved ones were killed and accounted with police, the fight for justice isjust beginning. justice for our people. 30 years ago, the policeman who were filmed beating of rodney king were acquitted. and la was burned. more than 60 people were killed in the uprising that lasted six days. it changed los angeles and america. but how much depends on who you ask. the basic tectonic plates have not changed. the basic poverty, the basic segregation, the basic economic discrimination and racism. we create ghettos in this country

and then we send cops into contain and suppress what ghettos create. until that toxic physics of racial deprivation, until the end, you will continue to see riots. in a park in downtown la, the man armed with a knife is arrested without anybody being harmed. the man charged says policing here has been changed. in my 35 years on thejob, we have established relations and had a footprint in the community. there are certain areas of the community, lower poverty stricken areas where police went in there only to arrest people and now we have engagement, we have activity for children, for youth, for the community involvement and so i think we have really expanded a wrong way. the cop that made it my boy didn't get prosecuted. kenneth rossjunior, say his name! kenneth ross junior. on a weekly protest against police brutality, i asked the co—founder of black lives matter la what she thought of that. they are wrong. they say that i am a black mother

and a black los angeles who has three black children, who constantly feel intimidated and harassed and feel the threat of police brutality. so even if they have relationships, those relationships are not equal relationships. those relationships come as a result of fear and intimidation. many here are fighting forjustice and for change. i would like to see officers prosecuted that are murdering people's children. 0k? just like if you want to murder someone, you would be prosecuted. just because they are the police, hiding behind badges, that does not give them the right to murder someone get away with it. the families of those who have been killed and find peace and the young brothers can have a future free from fear and intimidation. sophie long, bbc news, los angeles.

that is it from me for the moment. sunnier skies are not necessarily a sign of things to come this bank holiday weekend. in fact, there is actually a bit of rain in the forecast. a bit of blue sky that to be enjoyed during friday. high pressure is kept as drier quite a while now but here comes low pressure. this is some rain. into northern ireland and scotland. overnight the cloud will increase in northern ireland and western scotland along with the breeze and that will keep the frost at bay whereas elsewhere you can see the blue here. patchy frost and cold spots will be below freezing going into the morning. a cold start,

then, but with plenty of sunshine. away from that incoming weather system. across the west of scotland into the afternoon and towards north—west england and north wales during the afternoon. the head of that after all that sunshine the cloud is going to increase. further sunny spells. a warmer day compared with today in east anglia in south—west england. a cooler windy day with the rain in northern ireland and scotland. in the rain does move south overnight and into sunday. now, it is going to weaken but it still has been with it. as you can see, particularly through wales, the midlands and the western side of england but also some outbreaks of rain reaching for there is to cross england into what will be a much milder night. after tonight there is no frost for the west of the weekend and into the start of next week. so, sunday, then, there is another look at the system. gradually petering out but with a little rain. as it is weakening there probably won't be very much rain at all where we have

had a dry april particularly across the east of england. that said, though, will still be damp on places on sunday. outbreaks of rain into the afternoon in scotland and northern ireland. mainly dry with sunny spells coming through and for sunday it is a warmer day but for england and wales, cloud and rain, a cooler day. and then for the bank holiday itself there was a lot of cloud of iron. a few sunny spells here and some places will stay dry there is also the chance to see some showers particularly across some areas of the uk. a colder day in northern scotland. warmer again by then in england and wales.

this is bbc world news, the headlines a ukrainian presidential adviser has acknowledged that the country's forces have suffered serious losses as fighting continues in the east of the country. but he added russia's were even worse. russia's foreign minister sergey lavrov has said his country does not consider itself to be at war with nato. he added that ukraine's desire to �*play games' had caused peace talks to fail so far. the six times tennis grand slam champion boris becker has been jailed for two and a half years. he had been found guilty of trying to hide millions of dollars in assets during bankruptcy proceedings. a member of the group calling itself islamic state has been

jailed for life in the us, for the murder of western