tv BBC News BBC News May 2, 2022 3:00am-3:31am BST
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welcome to bbc news, i'm david eades. our top stories: trapped for weeks in a steelworks in mariupol. dozens of ukrainian civilians are evacuated after sheltering in desperate conditions from russian bombardment. translation: when the shells started landing there, - i thought my heart would stop and i would not survive. the us house speaker, nany pelosi visits kyiv with a promise to president zelenskyy that american support will continue until the fight is done. more anti—government protests in sri lanka, over the crippling cost of living. tens of thousands march in may day protests across france against plans by president macron to raise the retirement age.
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and, the most detailed sd model of the female anatomy, to help make better medical diagnoses, for women. hello, thank you forjoining us stop mariupol is really a shell of what it was before the russian invasion began, but throughout the bombardment, many civilians have been stuck there, despite repeated efforts to get them to safety. the red cross and united nations are now helping and operations to move them, and a convoy of vehicles made it to mariupol on saturday to than it takes some of the hundreds of people trapped in the city's vast azovstal steel plant. we have some pictures to show —
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evacuees arriving earlier on sunday at their first stop in donetsk on the russian border, accompanied by red cross and un staff. around 1000 more are still sheltering inside the complex, along with around 2000 ukrainian fighters, as they make a last stand in the city which has almost been completely destroyed by russian forces. 0ur correspondent is in zaporizhzhia where civilians have been taken. after 60 days in darkness. they can finally crawl into the daylight. above ground, they pick through the rubble, the remains of their place of refuge. they've lived in a maze of tunnels below this vast steel plant for weeks. the only way to survive the russian bombardment. svetoslav was six months old yesterday. nearly half his life has been underground. supplies have been cut off, for weeks. "the children were hungry," this woman says. more than 100 people have
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been allowed to leave. their horror is over, for now. translation: i can't believe it, two months of darkness. l i told my husband, we won't be needing to go to the toilet with a torch and use a bag as a loo. the azovstal steel plant is one of the biggest in the world. a unit of ukrainian fighters has tried to hold on to the site as this once vibrant european city was pounded by the russians. civilians took shelter underground alongside them, but the bombing was relentless. the azov group claim that even their hospital was targeted. people have experienced fragmentation wounds, lacerations, the fractures, bullet wounds, wound channels. it is amputations, critical condition, serious condition.
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there are a couple of hundred of them. but now there is a glimmer of hope. it will be a tense wait to see if more will make it out of this city alive. around 100 civilians are expected here in zaporizhzhia tomorrow, but there are hundreds more still trapped within the steelworks. there are thought to be 100,000 people within the city of mariupol itself. that gives you an idea of the scale of the operation still to come. talks are under way, but i'm told those negotiations are delicate, tense and complicated. everyone wants to see this succeed. laura bicker, bbc news, zaporizhzhia. further north in the capital, kia, nancy pelosi, the speaker of the house of us representatives has made a surprise visit to speak with volodymyr zelensky and said that the us would stand with ukraine until the fight is done, as she put it. she said congress would also move
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quickly to deliver $33 billion worth of aid, as proposed by president biden. he is ben brown. nany pelosi is the latest high profile international political figure to come to kyiv and offer president zelenskyy moral support. and he's getting much more than that from the united states, some $33 billion worth of economic, humanitarian and military assistance promised by president biden. speaking in poland after nancy pelosi had left ukraine, she said ukraine is fighting for everyone's freedom. do not be bullied by bullies. if they're making threats, you cannot back down. that's my view of it, that we're there for the fight. and you cannot fold to a bully. russia is now stepping up its offensive on the eastern front in donbas, raining down rockets, artillery and tank fire on ukrainian trenches and bunkers.
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after two months on the front line, these ukrainian troops from the 81st brigade are now pulling back for a short rest, a break from the relentless russian onslaught that has killed and injured many of their colleagues. a combat doctor treats some of the troops for trench foot because they haven't been able to change soaking wet boots and socks. translation: this is a good opportunity for the boys - to rest and to return to the fight with new energy, to recover physically, morally and psychologically. but before too long, his men will be heading back to the front line, perhaps to face an even more ferocious russian attack. this war, which president putin had hoped would only last for a few days, could now rage on for months or even years to come, consuming more lives with every passing day.
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we will have more on the situation in ukraine later. the rising cost of living is something of a global crisis, really. shellac is far from immune. tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in the capital as they protest against very steep rises for essential goods. a part of the sri lankan problem is the lack of foreign currency reserves, meaning that the nation of some 22 million is struggling to pay for food, fuel and foreign medicine. the latest really brought together people from all of the country's different ethnic groups and opposition to the government. this report from colombo. a bruised economy bringing thousands to the streets. the country has run out of cash, struggles to import essential items. but these sri lankans aren't giving up. they demand a course correction. vimarsana ranasinghe has been
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camping here for 18 days. for people like her, basics have become luxury. you cannot afford to live here. food prices are increasing day by day and shortage of fuel, gas and all other essential goods and also medicine, so it is very difficult to live. i personally stopped buying fresh milk because i can't afford it anymore. a classic case of a country living beyond its means. now colombo is running from pillar to post for loans. a rude awakening for sri lankans. protesters chant i have been coming to sri lanka for the past 25 years and these protests are quite extraordinary. ethnic fault lines, they run very deep here in sri lanka, but the cost of living crisis has brought the three major communities — the sinhalese, muslims
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and tamils — together. elsewhere in colombo, in a show of strength, the opposition turned up in huge numbers. the present government has led our country to total ba nkru ptcy. there is abject poverty in all sectors of society. this government is an incompetent government. the government is on the back foot. it now admits to a colossal failure in managing the economy. yes, missed the point. they should have known, for example, 2020 when we started with a fresh government. no—one can say that we didn't have the facts. i mean, if you are a good analyst of the economic situation, you should have known that this is coming. the only thing that
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you couldn't have predicted was the corona impact. the country's economic recovery is going to be long and arduous. these people want to ensure the government gets it right this time. anbarasan ethirajan, bbc news, colombo. the first international tourists have arrived in new zealand after the removal of coronavirus measures there, which pretty much close the country for two years. the first visitors arrived in auckland from fights from the united states. before the pandemic, china was new zealand's the second largest tourism market, however chinese travellers will still not be able to visit until october at the earliest. in france, tens of thousands of people have been marching for may day protests as they challenge president avenue macron�*s agenda ahead of thejune
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parliamentary elections. he said he would unite france after winning a second term in office. some may have given president emmanuel macron a second term, but these tens of thousands of protesters are not letting him off the hook yet. translation: macron has been re-elected but he was _ re—elected to stop the far right. yes, but not for his programme and so today i think it's important to show macron and the rest of the political world that we are ready to protest to defend our social rights, defend what we stand for. may day marches returned to france, with officials counting more than 116,000 people in attendance, largely made up of trade unionists, climate campaigners and left—leaning parties. and while they started peaceful... shouting ..some turned violent, with storefronts like this in mcdonald's left in tatters,
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and police firing tear gas on protesters, arresting 5a in the capital. their main grievances, salaries, as well as plans to raise the retirement age from 62. and there's is a lot riding on this for the president. he may have won a new 5—year term after beating his far—right challenger marine le pen, but parliamentary elections are fast approaching and his opponents aren't done fighting. translation: we have never been in a better position _ for parliamentary elections at this time. why? because you know it. everywhere i go and everywhere my comrades go, they hear it's a third round soon, we'll be there. president macron has insisted his second term will be different. gone is his top—down leadership style. he's in listening mode now. but these voters are making it clear that they will hold him to his promise. nazanine moshiri, bbc news.
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stay with us on bbc news. coming up — back with a bang, the unusual thai festival making an explosive return. i, nelson rolihlahla mandela, do hereby swear to devote myself to the well—being of the republic of south africa. after six years of construction and numerous delays, the channel tunnel has been formally opened by the queen and former president. the tunnel is still not ready for passenger and freight services to begin. for centuries, christianity and islam struggled for supremacy. now, the pope's visit symbolises their willingness to coexist. roger bannister becamel the first man in the world to run a mile in-
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underfour minutes. memories of victory, as the ve celebrations reach their climax. this night is dedicated to everyone who believes in our future of peace and freedom. who are watching bbc news. the main story this hour. an operation is under way in ukraine to evacuate people from the other style steel plant. they are being assisted by the un and the red cross. just to pick up on another element with regards to the ukraine issue, because worshippers like
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foreign minister sergei lavrov has accused western media organisations of misrepresenting moscow's nuclear intentions. we'll get some more on this as we can talk to darren campbell, the executive director of the arms control association. thank you for joining control association. thank you forjoining us. sergei lavrov said a few days ago, don't underestimate the elevated risks of nuclear conflict over ukraine. is there a change in his message at the moment? if so, i mean, what is he trying to say? so, i mean, what is he trying to sa ? ,, ., ., ~ to say? sergei lavrov i think is backpedalling _ to say? sergei lavrov i think is backpedalling a _ to say? sergei lavrov i think is backpedalling a little - to say? sergei lavrov i think is backpedalling a little bit, | is backpedalling a little bit, but what is clear is that president putin has from the beginning of this war and very recently on april 27 made nuclear threats. recently on april 27 made nuclearthreats. he recently on april 27 made nuclear threats. he has drawn a clear red line that russia might use nuclear weapons if the united states or nato become directly involved militarily, or if the russian
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state itself is under some strategic threat. so he has made this kind of threat repeatedly. it does raise the risk, i think, repeatedly. it does raise the risk, ithink, of repeatedly. it does raise the risk, i think, of nuclear use higher than it has been in decades, and the risk really comes from the possibility of that as this long conflict drags on, nato or russian forces coming direct conflict, the war escalates to become a wider conflict and one side or the other might employ nuclear weapons on the so—called battlefield to try to win the day or try to tip the favour in their side. day or try to tip the favour in theirside. is day or try to tip the favour in their side-— their side. is the risk the fact he is _ their side. is the risk the fact he is talking - their side. is the risk the fact he is talking about l their side. is the risk the l fact he is talking about it, because i think both sides hold that as a sort of reserve position, don't they? we might in extremis use nuclear weapons. i mean, that is stated. ~ ., , weapons. i mean, that is stated-— weapons. i mean, that is stated. ~ , ., stated. well, it has been a fact in the _
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stated. well, it has been a fact in the nuclear - stated. well, it has been a fact in the nuclear age - stated. well, it has been aj fact in the nuclear age that each side might use nuclear weapons if attacked with nuclear weapons, weapons if attacked with nuclearweapons, but weapons if attacked with nuclear weapons, but what we are talking about here is the president of russia making nuclear threats against any thing that might interfere in a war of aggression against a non—nuclear democratic state. this has never happened in the nucleus age, —— nuclear age, and i think we need to recognise this is a significant and i think in my view illegal and i think in my view illegal and highly responsible threat from russia, and we have to understand that the risk is real. we have heard american officials warn about the potential, and we have heard them downplay the potential. the risk is there. the red line that russia has drawn is if nato becomes directly involved. rate. what is the chance, do you think, of any improvement
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in the circumstances indeed in readiness to talk down issues of nuclear war, and effectively talking up further issues of de—escalation with regards to nuclear? that's a great question- _ nuclear? that's a great - question. right now, the two sides are not talking about the ceasefire or ending the war, they are not talking about nuclear risk reduction. they had talks about subjects that were suspended during the war. there are lines of communication that are supposed to be open between russia's military and the nato military is to do conflict to make sure there is no misunderstanding with military aircraft and naval vessels in the area but those lines of communication don't appear to be being used on a regular basis. so number one, the russia needs to end their statements about potential nuclear use. i think presidents putin and by the
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need to speak directly, or at least direct their foreign ministers, defence ministers to speak directly about ways to reduce the nuclear risk, and to tone down and eliminate the nuclear rhetoric.— tone down and eliminate the nuclear rhetoric. probably not auoin to nuclear rhetoric. probably not going to happen _ nuclear rhetoric. probably not going to happen in _ nuclear rhetoric. probably not going to happen in the - going to happen in the immediate future. thank you very much indeed, daryl. thanks forjoining us. the speaker of the house of commons has called for a radical review of working practices. it follows a series of sexual misconduct and bullying claims against politicians. sexism and misogyny. sexual misconduct. there are some bad apples who are out of order, who behave like animals and are bringing parliament into disrepute. it's been a grim week for parliament, with mps agreeing this place needs to change. a moment of madness and also totally wrong. yesterday, the tory mp neil parish quit, after admitting to watching pornography on his phone in the house of commons. that followed the backlash to an article about labour's deputy leader, angela rayner.
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there was cross—party outrage at a story saying she crossed and uncrossed her legs to distract borisjohnson. today, a tory source claimed that after investigating the matter, ms rayner had originally made the comments herself. labour called that a "vile, sexist smear." it's all put a spotlight on the culture of the commons. i think we've got to distinguish between some bad apples, people who behave badly, and the general environment. it's very similar to when people say, "oh, well, there are a number of racist people in this country, so that means the whole country is racist". that doesn't follow. female mps have been speaking out about their experiences of sexism and harassment and there is concern women could be deterred from going into politics in the first place. it's been really difficult to get women to come forward and stand for an election, because there is a sense that politics and public life is not a safe space for women any more.
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we need to show. to women and girls, if you come into i politics, it's going to be an environment where you are - safe, you'll feel respected. parliament is certainly a unique workplace. mps employ their staff directly. it's a place of late nights, long hours, powerful people and boozy bars. a new process for dealing with sexual harassment and bullying complaints was introduced four years ago. everything that we've talked about in the last week is a breach of the rules already, but the key thing is, do we make sure that those rules are then enforced? i express my sympathy... but the speaker of the house of commons says there now needs to be an urgent review into how westminster works. he wants cross—party talks, and swift reform. i think he wants to pull parties together and see what else can be done. i'm very happy to participate in that because we can't go on with allegations coming out overand overagain.
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the most intricate, 3d model of the female body has been produced to help medical students in the study of human anatomy. our medical editor, fergus walsh, has that story. the female anatomy, in all its minute and precise detail. something that's been largely missing from medical textbooks and teaching over the centuries. just this angle, here, in females is much wider than we would see in males. at brighton and sussex medical school, first—year students have been taught using this new 3d female anatomy tool. next, we are going to add on the breast tissue. the male body has been the default reference image for medical textbooks. several studies suggest women are more likely to be misdiagnosed than men for a range of conditions. previously, the teaching of anatomy has always been based on the male form, and then the differences in females added on as an almost strange kind of adjunct. so it wasn't providing that really accurate information at students' fingertips,
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which they need, not only when they are learning, but when they're doctors in practice. these students have yet to study on actual patients, but the hope is, by having both female and male anatomies, in exquisite detail, it'll help prepare them for medicine in the real world. it makes a huge difference, because women aren't just the sort of small men that medical textbooks usually make them out to be. we can see the full differences, ratherthanjust putting some anatomical aspects of a female onto a male pelvis, we can see an actual female pelvis and the acute differences. it's a far cry from anatomical images of centuries past, which often relied on dissected bodies of male criminals. and it's much wider in females than it is in males. _ the developers say the female 3d anatomy is the most detailed ever produced, and is already being used in over 350 universities. fergus walsh,
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bbc news, brighton. the covid pandemic brought much of the world to a halt of course, but events that had been long postponed are going ahead, including one festival in the southern thailand, back with a bang. rocket rumbles for a religion based on principles of inner peace and serenity, this seems an odd way to celebrate. drumming but for the ethnic mon people, there is no better way to honour the dead. the look noo festival involves building a home—made rocket, stuffing it to the brim with gunpowder, tying it to a cable, and then standing well back. translation: some teams want their rocket to be - the fastest and to reach the furthest distance,
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so they use a highly explosive material, but if you're not careful, the rocket might explode. 0ur rockets have exploded in the past. more than two dozen teams take part in an event originally intended to commemorate deceased buddhist monks. the targeting sometimes leaves a little to be desired, but the locals think the whole thing really hits the spot. "this competition demonstrates teamwork," says this spectator, "that's why we're proud of the event." the winners get our top prize of $4110, and perhaps a little spiritual enlightenment along the way. tim allman, bbc news. fur flying, aren't they? furflying, aren't they? that is a sort of stand well back sort of festival i would say. just to remind you, if you go to our website, we have more on all of our main stories,
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particularly for the very latest in mariupol, and ukraine. take a look at the website. you are watching bbc news. hello. the weather's been very mixed in the last couple of days. generally, a lot of cloud about, occasional outbreaks of rain and the outlook for the next two or three days is more or less the same. again, plenty of cloud, just a few sunny spells and scattered showers. but the really thick cloud with the outbreaks of rain that we had in the last day and a half has now moved to the south. it's in the english channel. it's just hugging the south coast through the early hours. so bits and pieces of rain from the tip of cornwall, devon, perhaps the isle of wight. elsewhere, across the country, it's a cloudy early start, with mist and murk in places, perhaps a bit of drizzle here and there, and not cold — between six and ten degrees.
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so, here's bank holiday monday, starting off pretty cloudy in most areas. there will be some sunshine developing, certainly across western parts of scotland, northern ireland, around the irish sea. inland, there'll be sunny spells too, but also inland showers will start to develop almost anywhere, i think through the course of the morning into the afternoon. temperatures only 10 in scotland, maybe 17 in the south of the uk. now, here's the weather map for tuesday. a weather front tries to push into the northwest of the uk. here it is, just to the northwest of our neighbourhood. but i think, generally speaking, we are talking about light winds, a lot of cloud, showers perhaps brewing, particularly around wales and the south of england. the driest of the weather will be on the east coast there, but cold — only ten in newcastle, nine degrees in aberdeen. so that was tuesday, this is wednesday. again, more of the same. there's very little wind in the atmosphere to push things around. so we keep that cloud, but showers are expected to form once again, particularly across central
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and more more especially southern parts of england, but temperatures recovering to 17 in london and around 15 in the lowlands of scotland. now, towards the end of the week, we are anticipating a change. the azores high is expected to build in, and with that also comes a warmer atmosphere. a warmer current is going to spread across the country, so that means temperatures are expected to rise. so here's the summary on the outlook. here's bank holiday monday, often cloudy for many of us, with just a few sunny spells. and then towards the end of the week, we're expecting those temperatures to rise. bye— bye.
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this is bbc news. the headlines: dozens of civilians evacuated from the besieged ukrainian city of mariupol have spoken about the desperate conditions in the steelworks where they've been sheltering from relentless russian bombardments. many of the evacuees spent weeks in tunnels under the azovstal industrial complex. tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of the sri lankan capital, colombo, protesting steep price hikes for essential goods. dwindling foreign currency reserves have left the island nation of 22 million people, struggling to pay for food, fuel and basic medicines. tens of thousands of people have marched in france for may day protests, challenging president emmanuel macron�*s agenda ahead of the june parliamentary elections.
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