this is bbc news. these are the latest headlines in the uk and around the world. dozens of people trapped in a besieged steelworks in the ukrainian city of mariupol have been allowed to leave — with more civilians being evacuated today. more anti—government protests in sri lanka, over the crippling cost of living. new zealand finally reopens its borders to more international visitors after one of the world's strictest covid lockdowns. eid celebrations begin today, following a difficult ramadan period, as the rising cost of living puts a squeeze on some festivities free—range eggs return as hens are allowed back outside across the uk, after measures to control an outbreak of bird flu are relaxed.

hello, and welcome if you're watching in the uk or around the world. humanitarian workers in ukraine are preparing to welcome about 100 people who were allowed to leave the steelworks plant in the besieged city of mariupol. they're expected to arrive in the nearby city of zaporizhzhia today, and there are hopes that more will be freed later. the un refugee agency says more than 5.5 million people have now fled ukraine. tim muffett has the latest developments. daylight at last, after weeks in a maze of underground tunnels. it's thought around 1,000 civilians have been hiding beneath the azovstal steel plant in mariupol,

sheltering from russian bombardment. supplies had been cut off. conditions were desperate. yesterday, around 100 were evacuated. this child is six months old. he's spent nearly half of his life underground. translation: i can't believe it. two months of darkness. when we were in the bus, i told my husband, we won't have to go to the toilet with a torch and use a bag as a loo. the operation involved the un and the red cross. it�*s thought evacuees have been taken to both russian— and ukrainian—controlled areas. translation: ukrainians, - our defenders, today we finally managed to start the evacuation of people from azovstal. after many weeks of negotiation, after many attempts, different meetings, people, calls, countries, proposals, finally. earlier, president zelensky met nancy pelosi, the speaker of the us house of representatives.

as well as moral support, america is providing $33 billion worth of economic, humanitarian and military assistance. do not be bullied by bullies. if they're making threats, you cannot back down. that's my view of it. we're there for the fight. no—one expects that fight to end soon. the training of ukrainian troops continues. some have been getting to grips with new weapons, like these short range anti—tank missiles. for others, after two months on the front line, it's time for a short rest. these troops are from the 81st brigade. 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. meanwhile, in venice, the ukrainian symphony orchestra

has been performing at a concert for peace. the repertoire featured a mix of music by italian and ukrainian composers. international harmony in stark contrast to life in ukraine. tim muffett, bbc news. russian troops are advancing slowly in the donbas region of eastern ukraine. there's been little movement of the front lines in two weeks of intense fighting, but president putin has said he intends to seize the whole region. the eastern town of lysychansk is encircled on three sides by russian troops. most of the city's residents have left, with the last remaining people in desperate conditions, and under constant shelling. andrew harding sent this report. the russians are getting closer,

their missiles landing to our left and our right as we take the last road into lysychansk, a farming town under siege. we're following a ukrainian army medic, 0live kravchenka, pointing out the town's latest lacerations. look here, bomb. he's taking us closer to the front lines, to a hidden base from where his teams scoop up casualties. several days, it's blood, blood, blood, blood. the russians are making a big push now. yeah, yeah. very, very. you'd say the fighting is getting a lot worse now? yeah, very extreme. very extreme and very dangerous, very. the army has taken over the local hospital. a soldier is brought in by ambulance with a head wound. "his injuries are severe," says the medic. "there's not much hope for him". upstairs, a sombre silence on the wards. you can see here the impact of this

intense russian bombardment, which we're still hearing outside now, in fact. room after room of young men with concussion. faces dazed and haunted. "i've got three young children," he says. "i wish the shelling would just stop. we've all watched our brothers die in front of us." so what do this town's torments tell us about the wider war in eastern ukraine? there are signs that russian troops are being methodical and therefore perhaps more effective in their offensive in this region. they're pushing slowly forwards against this town and a dozen others in the donbas region. but there's still no sign that the kremlin�*s forces are about to deliver some kind of knockout blow. even here, a few civilians cling on, these parents saying they can't afford to flee.

and nine—year—old masha is trying to take it all in her stride. the sound of the bombs? you're not scared? she says, "because i'm the oldest girl, i'm not scared." good for you. inevitably, those left behind here have moved underground. this couple still wait for good news from their radio. so they're disagreeing here. she wants to go, but has no means of getting out. her husband wants to stay. "have you seen what's happened here? i don't know if we'll survive this," she says, voicing the fear that now hangs over

this whole region. andrew harding, bbc news, lysychansk. earlier i spoke to our correspondent joe inwood, who is in lviv. he had the latest on the evacuation of mariupol. 100 people, as we have been reporting, who were brought out yesterday, in a number of different processes. the first news we got was that they were being taken to a town on the russian border. that caused some concern at first, because we were told they were going to a separatist processing station, and we thought maybe that would be seen as a breach of the agreement that they could go back to ukraine, but in his address last night, president zelinsky has said that those people, the ones who want to,

are being allowed to go to zaporizhzhia, ukrainian—controlled territory, one of the negotiating positions ukraine had. they have not arrived yet as we understand, we should say a lot of this is happening in secret, they are not giving running updates on the process, but i think once we see those people arrive in zaporizhzhia, that will give some confidence to the ukrainian authorities and for people still stuck inside the steel plant, that it is safe for them to come out. and what does this say about the diplomacy going on behind the scenes? this is a real shift in position, isn't it? absolutely, i think the first thing it says is that diplomacy is an option. we have seen, before this, a number of attempts at humanitarian corridors, time and again we have said said they are happening, and time again they have failed. this is the first one where there has been some movement, and i think it is interesting, it is worth pointing out this is the first one that has had the involvement of the united nations and the red cross really fully involved with it.

i think that tells us that, if we are going to have any negotiation here, we are going to need particularly united nations involved would be my guess. i think it is worth pointing out, though, that what we are talking about here is a very small number of people, a limited humanitarian situation. we are a long way away from talking about wider peace talks there, i don't think there's any common ground, i think the reason we have had some success here is because both sides could see that having the civilians out of this area is to their advantage. and as you say, it is just a small part of the picture, and concerns are growing, actually, further afield to moldova and the intelligence sources saying the prospect of an invasion there because it would make an attack on 0desa in southern ukraine easier for russia. yes, this was in the times newspaper this morning, the russians might be looking at launching an attack on moldova itself, a real widening of the conflict, that would be extraordinary.

the talk had been around an area, a sliver of land on the eastern border of moldova, between moldova and ukraine. it has been declared independent since the 1990s, and you have about 1,500 russian troops there. there had been some talk, people wondering why they were not getting involved in the war, but some talk of them coming in to the western border of ukraine and pushing towards the crucial port city of 0desa, so allowing a pincer movement on 0desa, but that hasn't happened. now this report, which really ifind extraordinary, is the idea that they might be invading moldova. i don't know, we do not have anything to suggest that is the case other than the reporting of the times, as far as i'm aware, but that would be an extraordinary expansion of the conflict, it would make it truly an international war. the european union is considering whether to impose a ban on russian oil imports as part

of further sanctions against the kremlin. the european commission has spent the weekend holding talks with member states about the move, which would be phased in over a number of months. germany has signaled its readiness to wind down supplies from russia, but hungary has restated its opposition to any embargo. last week, russia cut gas shipments to bulgaria and poland after the two eu member states refused to pay moscow in roubles. the new hungarian parliament is holding its inaugural session today, with prime minister viktor 0rban beginning his fourth consecutive term in office. let's speak to our correspondent nick thorpe in budapest. it is clear that had begins with the threat of those eu sanctions against hungary. what impact would those sanctions have?— sanctions have? yes, a strange moment for— sanctions have? yes, a strange moment for viktor _ sanctions have? yes, a strange moment for viktor 0rban, - sanctions have? yes, a strange - moment for viktor 0rban, because he has won this massive election victory, his fourth consecutive one, this should be a day for celebration in the parliament. he has a two

thirds majority there, but although he has this massive legitimate support, usually facing a very difficult economic situation. hungary depends on 85% of its gas and 65% of its oil from russia, hungary depends on 85% of its gas and 65% of its oilfrom russia, it was not expecting this war, but the country is now very exposed, so even though he has this huge legitimacy at home, he is also facing isolation abroad, because he has been more reluctant than most to condemn the russian invasion, although he has condemned it in passing. but this dependence of hungary on russian gas and oil is leading him to take a very strong position against any kind of embargo on an international level. but kind of embargo on an international level. �* , , .,_ kind of embargo on an international level. , , level. but presumably the collision course is unavoidable _ level. but presumably the collision course is unavoidable because - level. but presumably the collision course is unavoidable because the| level. but presumably the collision i course is unavoidable because the eu is standing firm on standing up against what hungary stands for now in terms of what is going on in ukraine. fin in terms of what is going on in ukraine. ., ., , ,

ukraine. on the one hand, yes, the hunuarian ukraine. on the one hand, yes, the hungarian government _ ukraine. on the one hand, yes, the hungarian government is _ ukraine. on the one hand, yes, the hungarian government is saying - ukraine. on the one hand, yes, the hungarian government is saying in | hungarian government is saying in its own defence, the germans, the austrians, six or even nine countries in europe do not want a gas embargo, at least. what the others, though, do seem to be doing is looking for more ways of diversification, and the hungarian strategy for years has been completely dependent on russia, both the gas, oil and nuclear, because the gas, oil and nuclear, because the russians are planning to build a new nuclear power station or extension of the nuclear power station. sort viktor 0rban, however much support he has at home, is looking quite isolated internationally, but he is trying to downplay that, saying there are so many countries in central europe who do not yet have alternatives in place to russian oil and gas. thank ou, nick place to russian oil and gas. thank you. nick thorpe — place to russian oil and gas. thank you, nick thorpe in _ place to russian oil and gas. thank you, nick thorpe in budapest. - border force officers have intercepted groups of migrants in the english channel in what is believed to be the first crossings in 11 days. more than 200 people

are thought to have made the crossing, although precise numbers have not been confirmed. the ministry of defence is expected to give further details later, and says it is addressing the issue by cracking down on people smugglers. tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of the sri lankan capital, colombo, protesting against steep price hikes for essential goods. the island nation of 22 million people is struggling to pay forfood, fuel and foreign medicines. the latest rally united people from the country's different ethnic groups in opposition to the government. from colombo, anbarasan ethirajan reports. 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. people are dying in the queues. vimarsana ranasinghe has been 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 any more. 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 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. it cannot govern, they have to go home. the government is on the back foot. it now admits to a colossal failure in managing the economy. yes, we missed the point. we 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 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 spanish government says the mobile phones of the prime minister, pedro sanchez, and the defence minister, margarita robles, have been infected with spyware. 0fficials described the hacking as illegal and extremely serious. they didn't say who they thought was responsible. the phones of other ministers are being examined to see if they are also infected with pegasus spyware, which was developed by an israeli company. last month, spain launched an investigation into the hacking of the phones of pro—independence politicians in catalonia, with the government insisting its own intelligence agency was not responsible. the first international tourists have arrived in new zealand after authorities removed coronavirus restrictions. the country closed its borders for more than two years but now people from more than 60 countries, including britain, are able to visit. simon atkinson reports. a cuddle that's been a long time coming. it's the biggest day yet in

new zealand reopening to the world. but for these passengers, it's so much more. i originally applied for a working holiday visa in february of 2020, and i'm finally here. amazing. the older you get, the more family becomes important. and i'm getting old, and family's becoming very, very important, so tremendous. this is three generations here. we missed his brother's wedding, as well, because of covid, because we couldn't... we couldn't come, so we'rejust like... voice breaking: it was very hard, so it's very good to be back. - i'm sorry. from today, vaccinated travellers from more than 60 countries are allowed into new zealand without quarantine, after one of the world's longest and toughest border restrictions. but they're arriving in a nation still adjusting to the idea of living with the virus. for most of the pandemic, covid—19 cases have stayed very low here. a policy of putting people ahead of the economy has saved thousands of lives, and proved popular among new zealanders.

but for some, patience began to wear thin with the government's strict approach — a feeling that, as the world was opening up, they were being left behind. alarm, bang. violent protests in wellington back in march shocked the country. police clashing with a vocal minority, angry over restrictions and about losing jobs if they didn't getjabs. with more than 95% of adults double vaccinated, most rules have now been stripped away. but people are still nervous. recently, new zealand's seen one of the world's highest covid transmission rates, and more than 700 people have now died with the virus here. border closures have given the economy a rough ride, too. before the pandemic, international tourism made up 20% of the country's income. recovery will be slow. locking out backpackers and workers from some pacific islands has meant chronic labour shortages. it'll be later in the year until new zealand welcomes

travellers from other parts of the globe, including india and china. but for those who can arrive, this is a happy day. simon atkinson, bbc news, auckland. joining me now is gemma richardson, who lives in auckland, and hasn't been back home to pentre halkyn in flintshire for four and a half years. welcome. thank you so much for joining us. are you planning, then, to travel soon?— to travel soon? yes, i fly a month toda , to travel soon? yes, i fly a month today. so — to travel soon? yes, i fly a month today. so 30 _ to travel soon? yes, i fly a month today, so 30 days _ to travel soon? yes, i fly a month today, so 30 days to _ to travel soon? yes, i fly a month today, so 30 days to go. - to travel soon? yes, i fly a month today, so 30 days to go. and - to travel soon? yes, i fly a month today, so 30 days to go. and howj today, so 30 days to go. and how are ou feelin: today, so 30 days to go. and how are you feeling about _ today, so 30 days to go. and how are you feeling about that? _ today, so 30 days to go. and how are you feeling about that? really - you feeling about that? really excited, you feeling about that? really excited. just _ you feeling about that? really excited, just hearing - you feeling about that? really excited, just hearing that - you feeling about that? really excited, just hearing that vt l you feeling about that? really i excited, just hearing that vt was getting me quite emotional, hearing about people coming into new zealand. excited, but also nervous. it has been a long time.— it has been a long time. yeah, so many different — it has been a long time. yeah, so many different emotions, - it has been a long time. yeah, so many different emotions, and - it has been a long time. yeah, so many different emotions, and as| it has been a long time. yeah, so i many different emotions, and as you say, it has been a long time, and people have got used to a different kind of normal, so what sort of

emotions are you feeling around that nervousness that you mentioned? i nervousness that you mentioned? 1 think the nervousness for me is because the builders have been so strict, i am very confident that i will get home, but there's still that small tiny bit of me that is worried that the borders will be closed again. and i know it is very small, i also haven't caught covid yet, so i am going to shelter a week before i fly, so i am very careful before i fly, so i am very careful before my flight.— before my flight. before you fly back to wales, _ before my flight. before you fly back to wales, but _ before my flight. before you fly back to wales, but then - before my flight. before you fly back to wales, but then what i before my flight. before you fly l back to wales, but then what will you do about taking precautions before you go back to new zealand? because obviously you will need to make sure you are negative then. yeah, it's real interesting you said that. before i came on air today, a friend of mine messaged me saying she was in the uk and tested positive for covid at the airport, so she could not fly back to new zealand today and now has to wait over a week to come back. so i am again would have to be very careful,

but if anything happens i willjust have to live with it and the consequences.— have to live with it and the consequences. have to live with it and the conseuuences. ., ., consequences. you mention feeling emotional watching _ consequences. you mention feeling emotional watching the _ consequences. you mention feeling emotional watching the report. - consequences. you mention feeling emotional watching the report. it i consequences. you mention feeling emotionalwatching the report. it isj emotional watching the report. it is emotional watching the report. it is emotional seen people who have been separated for so long finally being able to get back together. no doubt there will be strong emotions and yourfamily when there will be strong emotions and your family when you reunite. yeah, i think it is — your family when you reunite. yeah, i think it is going _ your family when you reunite. yeah, i think it is going to _ your family when you reunite. yeah, i think it is going to be _ i think it is going to be quite overwhelming. ijust i think it is going to be quite overwhelming. i just want to hug everyone, hug my family. my father lost his mother since i have been away, so i haven't seen him since then, so yeah, going to be lots of happy tears, i think, lots of hugs. how have you felt about the extent and the duration of the restrictions in new zealand?i and the duration of the restrictions in new zealand?— and the duration of the restrictions in new zealand? i think sometimes ou have in new zealand? i think sometimes you have to — in new zealand? i think sometimes you have to take _ in new zealand? i think sometimes you have to take a _ in new zealand? i think sometimes you have to take a step _ in new zealand? i think sometimes you have to take a step back - in new zealand? i think sometimes you have to take a step back and i you have to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. i can understand the frustration, but how i saw it was that we were a little bit delayed in variants coming into the country, lockdowns happening, just by the government —— how the

government reacted to covid. and thatis government reacted to covid. and that is not necessarily a bad thing, i can understand the frustration, because a new zealand we saw the whole world opening up, and there was a feeling of, why can't we? but i understand the delay, so i am quite content. i think when we look back at it, what we have done, the team of 5 million, we have saved lives, and that is something we can be proud of. lives, and that is something we can be proud of-— lives, and that is something we can be roud of. ., ,, i. , . ., be proud of. thank you very much for “oininr us, be proud of. thank you very much for joining us. safe _ be proud of. thank you very much for joining us, safe travels. _ be proud of. thank you very much for joining us, safe travels. thank - be proud of. thank you very much for joining us, safe travels. thank you. l qantas will launch the world's first direct non stop passenger flights to connect sydney to london by the end of 2025. the long haul sydney—london flight will take roughly 20 hours, making it one of the world's longest. the australian airline has ordered 12 airbuses ahead of the move. qantas already provides a direct 17—hourflight between london and perth. it's an important week for the uk's political parties — local elections are held on thursday. politicians' behaviour has come under greater scrutiny in recent weeks, most recently the conservative mp

neil parish resigned after admitting he'd watched pornography in parliament. senior mps have called for a radical overhaul of the culture at westminster, and there's speculation over how much the scandal will influence the elections, as our correspondent, helen catt, explained. this week on thursday, thousands of council seats will be up for election across wales, scotland, much of england, and the northern ireland assembly also up for election, so that is a lot of voting happening across the country. and as you have said, in recent weeks we have seen a real focus on some of the things that have been going on inside the house of commons, inside westminster. this is where we find out what is going on outside, if you like, and what those around the country think of what they have seen over recent months. so obviously, there are local elections, so clearly major local issues will have an impact on those individual results, but across the board, it will be seen as a national test of opinion. and if we look at england

specifically, the last time this set of council seats were up for election in england was 2018, so this is the first time those seats have been contested under borisjohnson, keir starmer, and ed davey, so there will be a lot of scrutiny on how they do in those places, particularly for example places where the conservatives took lots of votes off labour in the 2019 general election. there will be a lot of scrutiny on, is the tory vote still holding up, is borisjohnson's personal popularity still holding up? have things like the fine for the downing street party affected things, or the way he has handled ukraine? or how is keir starmer holding up in those areas where he needs to make the right inroads for a path for power to labour? and will the liberal democrats win the rural seats they are looking for? mps are out there talking to voters, they will get a real sense of what is important,

and of course the bigger issue that is a real massive national backdrop that all these elections are happening against, is rising bills, the cost of living, many of the parties have been campaigning hard on that, labour, the snp, the liberal democrats continue to campaign hard on that this week in the run—up to polling, borisjohnson and the conservatives looking more towards local issues as we head towards polling day on thursday. as muslims begin eid celebrations today, usually a time for big feasts and gifts, the rising cost of living has put a squeeze on some festivities. the charity islamic relief says the organisations it works with in the uk have experienced their busiest ramadan ever. 0ur consumer affairs correspondent colletta smith reports. this time of year, a lot of people will be stocking up. a lot of meat items, a lot of dates, you know. abid has run a chain of supermarkets in leeds for decades... are you all right? service with a smile with no extra charge, eh? ..and he knows his customers inside out.

this year's been a very different and a very difficult year for people, especially in the month of ramadan. so over the last few weeks through ramadan, have people been spending less? people have been spending less, yes. they're very, very cautious. i mean, a person would normally come in and buy a box of tomatoes. they will only buy a few. spending is not as much as it was previous years, you know, in the month of ramadan. if this is normally your busiest time of year, are you worried about the future? definitely worried about the future, yes, because the eid festival is really inviting families together, really spending a lot on your family and your children. i would say this year, they won't be buying bulk, but everybody is feeling that pinch. so you have to get it, but probably less or something. i don't know. it's difficult. i've tried extra hours, to get more, but it's not happening. _ so there's nothing we can do. you used spend £50 and you can

see, "oh, my gosh, bought loads of stuff." now you spend £50 and you look at the bag, like, "what did you buy? what is it? " are you 0k? breaking the fast at sundown this ramadan has become a struggle for many. ok, so they're doing eid cards and stuff and your mum's going to get her display ready. so rifhat has been organising free community iftar meals for anyone in need. but what happens at christmas? i mean, you know, people obviously go into debt. they want to try and give their children and their loved ones a good present, a good christmas. and we want to do exactly the same. we want to give a good eid. we want to give nice presents to our children. the families that we're working with, they don't have that. now, we've seen families born and bred in britain on state benefits who've never turned to a charity for help. and one of the families in particular who's here this evening, they've actually felt embarrassed.

they've actually said that we get invited to break fast with people, and we normally have people in our house, but we can't reciprocate that. lots of those here tonight have told me they're glad of the extra help at this special time. yeah, to be honest, it's very nice and we enjoy it, to be honest. and the kids are enjoying it. it's such a lovely feeling that we can help somebody and just bring a smile to theirface. although the tables might look different for many this year, the prayers of gratitude through ramadan and into eid remain the same. coletta smith, bbc news, in leeds. a record 2.7 million people have been referred for cancer checks by nhs england in the last year following a dramatic fall in numbers during the pandemic. at least 30,000 people are still waiting to start treatment. charities have welcomed the increase in referrals but warned of the devastating impact the covid backlog has had on cancer care. with me now is shaun walsh, head of public affairs and campaigning at

cancer research uk. welcome, thank you forjoining us. so the numbers of referrals are up by 250,000 since before the pandemic. presumably, that is people who, if there had not been a pandemic, in normaltimes, who, if there had not been a pandemic, in normal times, would have been referred earlier? weill. have been referred earlier? well, eah, have been referred earlier? well, yeah. these _ have been referred earlier? well, yeah, these are _ have been referred earlier? well, yeah, these are very _ have been referred earlier? well, yeah, these are very welcome - have been referred earlier? in yeah, these are very welcome numbers that we are hearing today from nhs england, it does reflect positively on the hard work staff across the nhs to get services back on the front foot again. but you are right, the pandemic had a devastating impact on cancer services and on patients. screening programmes effectively stopped. we know that there was a huge backlog which is building on a backlog that existed before the pandemic, we should remember that we haven't met cancer waiting times before the pandemic

stroke, so the past two years have exacerbated already challenging circumstances, but these figures announced today do give us cause for some positivity, but there is much, much, much more to do to improve cancer survival in this country. so cancer survival in this country. so can ou cancer survival in this country. so can you give us a sense of the scale, then? the increase is positive, but in the scheme of things, in terms of how many people who were not able to come forward, perhaps did not come forward, or were not able to get treatment during the pandemic, how does it fit in that picture and how quickly the backlog can be dealt with? it’s a backlog can be dealt with? it's a ositive backlog can be dealt with? it's a positive step — backlog can be dealt with? it's a positive step forward, _ backlog can be dealt with? it's a positive step forward, but - backlog can be dealt with? it's a positive step forward, but i - backlog can be dealt with? it�*s —. positive step forward, but i think as nhs england themselves have confirmed today, there are still at least 30,000 people who haven't started treatment due to the pandemic. the real challenge we have with cancer, as you and your viewers will know, is that it is critical that we are able to diagnose it early enough. if we diagnose it

early, that gives us the better chance of finding curative treatment of the best options for patients, and that is critical to improving cancer survival. the challenge we have in this country is that we don't diagnose cancers soon enough. part of the reason for that is that we don't have enough specialists working in the nhs to meet the demand for treatment, so whilst it is fantastic news that more and more people are coming into the system because of these efforts, the challenges we do not have enough staff, we don't have enough kit within the nhs to ensure that those diagnoses and treatment will happen in a timely way. a big ask of the government, cancer research uk and other charities have been campaigning for this, is for investment in the nhs workforce. it is something that has been put off on a number of occasions, and this crisis has illustrated how important it is to have a fully resourced cancer workforce. the government recently consulted on the ten—year cancer plan, which they are due to

publish this summer, and it is absolutely vital that the plan is fully costed long term and provides the resource that we know we need to turn cancer survival around in this country. turn cancer survival around in this count . ,, ., . , ., ., . country. shaun welsh, from cancer research uk. _ country. shaun welsh, from cancer research uk, thank— country. shaun welsh, from cancer research uk, thank you. _ country. shaun welsh, from cancer research uk, thank you. thank - country. shaun welsh, from cancer| research uk, thank you. thank you very much- — research suggests the impact of repetitive concussions in sport, especially in women, will have dire consequences for some people in later life. the government is now taking steps to standardise concussion policy for both sexes and for all sports and ages. new rules are expected to be proposed in the uk that will dictate how long players must rest after a concussion. and a new scanning technology is being trialled, as our health editor, hugh pym, reports. it's the game we love, but what are the risks? you've got to stay on the side this time, let's go. thursday night training for actonians women's team. there are concerns about concussion and long—term injury from repetitive heading and collisions. people can see the serious risks

that are coming over time. early research shows women can be more vulnerable than men. it only takes two people to go up for a headerfor a ball, you get each other�*s heads instead of the ball, you're fully focused on winning that. it's time that now something serious happens about it, and there is more awareness, and it is good that it is finally arising, especially ahead of the euros this summer. just put your head back slightly towards me, a bit more. jess is trying out a new brain scanning device, one of several being developed around the world. click the mouse when you hear the high pitch. the idea is that sports clubs could scan all players at the start of the season, using these images for comparison if an injury occurs, looking at how the brain has been affected and when it is safe to start playing again. you can stop now, relax, open your eyes, have a little rest. there is growing concern in rugby as well. just last week, england world cup winner steve thompson revealed

he no longer remembers the victory because of his early—onset dementia, caused, he says, by head injuries in his playing career. my five—year—old, she came and sat on my knee, she sort of looked at me, she gave me a kiss and then she kissed me on the head, and i said, "what's that for, darling?" she went, "0h, you've got a poorly head, so i'm going to kiss it better." his world cup colleague ben kay, along with other former players, has regular scans in research funded by alzheimer's society to chart his brain health. the team downstairs are going to look at this. this is an absolutely normal scan, there is no sort of health problems. now there is a push to come up with standard rules for handling concussion in all contact sports for men, women and children. the speed, the strength of these players is increasing all the time, and that can only lead to more injury, unless we know how to deal with it. the teachers, the coaches, the referees at the junior levels — everybody has to understand it, going down to the parents

and the doctors, the gps. so how did jess get on with her trial run with the scanning device? so your scan with these data is going to look like that, like the one at the front, the baseline. nice and normal. nice. you've got a brain! hopefully! it's early days for the technology. more studies are needed to assess if it might help. new uk—wide concussion rules are due to be drawn up later this year, building on what is in place in scotland. the aim is letting people play their favourite sports while keeping them safe. hugh pym, bbc news. when ed sheeran headlined a huge benefit concert for ukraine in march, you may remember that a ukrainian band called antytila posted a video message asking if they could take part. that couldn't happen because members of the band are now serving in the ukrainian army, and the concert organisers wanted to avoid focus on the military. however, ed sheeran saw their message and wanted to work with them.

today they're releasing a remixed version of ed's song two step. take a look. # two—stepping with the woman i love. # and all we need is us... singing in ukrainian we can speak now to taras topolia, the lead singer of antytila. he's in kharkiv, where he's serving as a medic in the ukrainian army. thank you so much forjoining us. gosh, that was moving, actually,

watching that and seeing the video, knowing that you wrote those lyrics on the battlefield, thinking of your wife and children, who you had basically helped to leave kyiv, and then you have subsequently signed up. tell us more about how you felt making that song.— making that song. thank you for callin: making that song. thank you for calling me. _ making that song. thank you for calling me. it— making that song. thank you for calling me, it is— making that song. thank you for calling me, it is very _ making that song. thank you for calling me, it is very important i making that song. thank you for l calling me, it is very important for me to like, translate, make you to understand the lyric of the ukrainian part of this song. so it is a simple story, it is simple but very dramatic. it is notjust only my story, it is the story of millions of people, millions of ukrainian people which peaceful life interrupted the war, and like husbands stay in city and country to defend the country, but the women

and the kids goes away to find the safety place. and it's notjust my story, but understand that i haven't seen my wife and my kids, eye to eye, more than two months, just only by the internet connection. and i am a happy man, because i know that they are in safety place, and someday we will be again together. but, unfortunately, a lot of ukrainian husbands never will go back home, cos they already killed by russian soldiers, by russian fighters. so what i tried to do,

like, by the creative tools to describe this drama, this war drama in our country. and thanks, ed sheeran and the team of ed to let me to do this. it's very important for us to send messages like this through the songs to all of the people of the united kingdom and all of the people all over the world. it of the people all over the world. it gives you a powerful platform, obviously, having the backing of ed sheeran and being able to tell your story in this way.— story in this way. yeah. but the absolute fundamental - story in this way. yeah. but the absolute fundamental reality i story in this way. yeah. but the absolute fundamental reality is | absolute fundamental reality is where you are and what you have been describing, was it quite surreal writing this and producing this in the midst of what is going on around you? it the midst of what is going on around ou? . , the midst of what is going on around ou? ., , ., , . ., you? it was hard, but i decided to tell, like. — you? it was hard, but i decided to tell, like. my— you? it was hard, but i decided to

tell, like, my own _ you? it was hard, but i decided to tell, like, my own story _ you? it was hard, but i decided to tell, like, my own story to - you? it was hard, but i decided to tell, like, my own story to let - you? it was hard, but i decided to tell, like, my own story to let the | tell, like, my own story to let the people feel it, how they can do it. so it not so easy was to record the voice, because our studio was under occupation, while we were creating the lyrics for the song, creating the lyrics for the song, creating the lyrics for the song, creating the lyrics in our hearts and our heads, so our studio was under occupation, but we found a way to record the voice, and also our friends, big thanks for our ukrainian friends that created the video for this song. the video is also very heartbreaking, you should to watch it, i am asking you, please, watch the video, because the video compares the message of the song. video compares the message of the son:. �* ., y video compares the message of the son:. �* ., , ., , ,

song. and the money raised will be auoin to song. and the money raised will be going to charities _ song. and the money raised will be going to charities supporting - going to charities supporting ukrainian children. you said about you feeling happy, knowing that your family are safe, out of ukraine, obviously for those who have left ukraine and their loved ones behind, that gives them different types of stresses. what are your feelings about the future in terms of the support and right now the support that people will need? it is support and right now the support that people will need?— that people will need? it is a lot of support _ that people will need? it is a lot of support they _ that people will need? it is a lot of support they will _ that people will need? it is a lot of support they will need - that people will need? it is a lot of support they will need during | that people will need? it is a lot - of support they will need during the next years, and i think. and it is a horrible, terrible situation about what the kids, the children feel during this war. it isn't right, it's not right, so every time i'm feeling that somebody supports ukrainian kids, not only by

humanitarian, but also in an educational way, to help educate the kids, ukrainian kids, help them to grow up, to upgrade their skills, it is very important, and i want to say thank you for the people of the united kingdom, great britain, for supporting us, not only in humanitarian way, but also in educational way. cos, you know, during the war, the education should not stop, cos smart kids is our future, and we understand this also. you have gone, obviously, from being a singer to working on the front line, you know, that is the story many of you right now, as you mentioned, you had normal lives, and now you are in this. what has the transition been like for you? it is

transition been like for you? it is hard to find _ transition been like for you? it is hard to find the _ transition been like for you? it 3 hard to find the words to explain. every time i say i am adapted, i am already adapted with my friends, my colleagues in the band antytila, we are used to doing this through three months, and it is absolutely a different life. but every day, we keep open side that some day we will get a victory and we will gather at the stadium in ukraine and also invite a lot of people from all over the world to undefeated, happy ukraine. so i don't want to, like, described the details, cos they are not so beautiful, what i am doing and what i see every day, what i feel every day. but in all of this

situation, the main thing is that ukrainians are united, that ukrainians are united, that ukrainians believe in the victory, and every day get small victories in direction to the big victory. and also, without support of all of the europe, of great britain, of the united states of america, of all of the freedom countries in the world, we will get this victory — much more faster and much more bravery... thank you so much. thank you, thank you so much forjoining us, taras topolia, wishing you all the very best. . ., topolia, wishing you all the very best. ., ,, , ., topolia, wishing you all the very best-_ thank - topolia, wishing you all the very best._ thank you. - it's estimated thousands of africans were among more than five million refugees who fled the russian invasion of ukraine. as they tried to escape, many were treated as second—class citizens. reports of discrimination at ukraine's western borders were widespread. bbc africa eye tells their stories.

there was a place, coming into the city, nothing going out and nothing coming in. africans caught up in the horror of the war in ukraine. we are students, we're not fighters. this is not our war, it is not our fight. we want to go. all: we want to go! as they fled, many have been treated as second—class citizens. we are not allowed to enter inside the gates. jessica 0rakpo is a nigerian medical student who was based in western ukraine. on her way to the polish border, she says she was stopped from boarding a bus. i was begging. the official literally looked in my eye and said, in his language, "0nly ukrainians, that is all." that if you are black, you should walk. another nigerian trying to escape was dr awoffa gogo—abite, a surgeon and university lecturer who lived in ukraine

for almost 1a years. he says, when he arrived at the ukraine's border with poland, alongside other africans, they were pushed to the back of the queue. the temperature was freezing and there was no shelter. when some people tried to complain, they said, "we are allowing just women and kids to pass." but if he said women, there are black women here. there are women, and you're letting them pass. we were the last people, over 18 hours, who were let to pass. it was horrible. it was uncalled for. it was deeply inhumane. i needed to go there and talk to these people myself. touch flesh with them and make sure that their stories, their voices were heard as well. as africans across the border, we were there to meet them. even though they'd reached poland, there was still unease. translation: | still do not feel safe. - when i walk past, i see people staring. i know they could do something,

they could attack me or something like that. i was reporting alongside my cameraman, amir. we sensed this feeling of racism in poland too. we were turned away from two restaurants for no reason. and were confronted by a menacing group of polish men who demanded to see our bbc ids. because of this experience that i'd had, this very uncomfortable experience of somebodyjudging me for my skin colour, it made me understand what these people who had crossed from ukraine were telling me. for them to say it was worse on the ukrainian side, ijust cannot imagine. the un high commissioner for refugees has acknowledged racist treatment at ukraines's borders, but not all africans encountered racism as they escaped the conflict. we just arrived to lviv. the 0jimadu family were much moved by the reception they got as they crossed into hungary.

the love shown is overwhelming at the borders. little things but they make you feel like crying. the ukrainian government has said africans should be offered equal opportunities to return home and has promised to spare no effort to solve the problem. peter 0kwoche, bbc news. free—range eggs will soon be back on supermarket shelves in britain, as measures which were introduced to curb bird flu cases are dropped. farmers and egg producers have been forced to keep chickens inside since november, because of the worst outbreak of avian flu the uk has ever seen. sarah rogers reports from a farm in north wales. free—range chickens haven't been able to roam like this since november — they've been on lockdown to protect them, following the uk's largest—ever outbreak of bird flu. today, that housing order has been lifted by the government, meaning some 27 million hens across the uk can flock back to the fields.

so this is the outer disinfection point. any vehicles, personnel, people that come in here, they stop here, they sign in, they suit up... but biosecurity is still very strict. defra, the department for the environment, say although the risk level has been lowered, farmers must remain vigilant. we have a backpack sprayer, go round with a disinfectant and disinfect, and then the gate can be opened and head then down to the poultry unit. we've got animals indoors and outside... this farm in kendal has been in graham wadsworth's family for more than 100 years — he's got 16,000 free—range chickens. but he's diversified the business into a family farm park to help pay the bills. so, graham, tell me what we've got here. so we've got a whole range of animals from horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, pigs, alpacas, llamas, all the way down to rabbits, there's guinea pigs, ferrets, and a whole lot more.

with increasing costs in egg production due to the rising price of feed and energy, this flock could be his last. all in all, we're looking at a situation where we're going to be losing £300 a day — which, over the course of 12 months, about 100,000. so for a small family farm like ourselves, that's just unsustainable. so if you were going to decide now whether you were going to have chickens again after these ones go... ..what are you thinking? yeah, so the decision now will have to be, no, that we can't. if everything continues at the moment with the feed price, all the other costs as they are, the egg price not having moved, with us losing £300 a day, i think it's an obvious decision — we'lljust sit empty. these eggs will end up some a0 miles away in penrith to be sorted and packed off to retailers — some half a billion eggs pass through here each year.

so we've actually been eating barn eggs for quite some time — because of the bird flu outbreak, farmers were allowed to keep their chickens inside for 16 weeks. however, last month that time limit ran out, and you may have noticed these appearing on your free—range egg boxes. however, from today, they can be removed because any eggs coming into here will now be free—range. 58% of the egg market is free—range, and whilst they hardly look in short supply here, if farmers decide not to take on new flocks, it could have a major impact on the market. oh, no, i mean, if you haven't got eggs, you can't sell them. i can't see how the food prices can avoid to go up — there already is massive food inflation in the uk and it's everything — it's notjust eggs, it's everything. but putting up the price of a main ingredient like eggs is adding yet another cost increase to businesses' already full plates. this farm shop and cafe only uses free—range eggs in all of its cooking.

ultimately, we'll have to pass that on to the consumer because there's more at stake than just the cost to the consumer. we're part of a very big network of local food suppliers, and those businesses need to be viable for the future. and if menus get pricier, will customers be willing to pay? if the price went up to support - farmers, then i don't think i'd have too much of an issue with iti because being a local person and supporting local farmers is an important thing. - i guess we haven't really thought about it yet. i am scared of the general price rise. i haven't looked specifically at the eggs, though. we always buy free—range eggs. i mean, fortunately we can afford them, but, you know, if you buy battery eggs or cheap eggs, then, yes, i mean... ..everything's going to go up, unfortunately. so whilst free—range eggs will be back on the shelves for now, the future of the industry is far less certain.

three new photographs of princess charlotte have been released to mark her seventh birthday. the pictures were taken in norfolk this weekend by the duchess of cambridge. they show charlotte, who is the second eldest of william and catherine's three children, sat among bluebells and, in one photo, hugging her pet cocker spaniel, 0rla. new york is gearing up for its annual night of celebrity, showbiz and fashion with the met gala returning to fifth avenue. this year the theme of the ball, led by vogue veteran anna wintour, is in america: an anthology of fashion, and the dress code is gilded glamour and white tie. previous years have seen flamboyant outfits from stars including kim kardashian, megan fox, harry styles and billie eilish. i thought we were going to show some glamorous pictures, but didn't have any! the duchess of sussex's animated show about a young girl has been dropped by netflix. the streaming service has cancelled development of pearl as a way of cutting costs. the show is one of several projects being dropped.

thanks for your company, i am on twitter, you are watching bbc news. hello again. for many of us, in the next few days, it's going to be fairly cloudy. there will be some sunny intervals, but we're also looking at some scattered showers. and that certainly is the case today. there's a lot of cloud around. now, we've seen some bright skies across lincolnshire, parts of east anglia and kent this morning, but a bit more cloud will develop for you. but we will see some sunny intervals here and there. but we've got a weak weather front sinking south across scotland, northern ireland and northern england, producing some showery rain, especially in the east. and it will feel cool along the north sea coastline today. pollen levels — high across much of england and wales, but moderate or low across the rest of the country. now, through this evening and overnight, our weatherfront continues to move southwards across england and wales, producing some showery outbreaks of rain here and there, behind a lot of cloud,

and where the cloud remains broken across parts of northeast scotland, temperatures could fall away as lowly as one or two degrees, which means you mightjust see a touch of frost, but for the bulk of us it is going to be a frost—free night. so tomorrow we start off on a cloudy note. we've got the remnants of the front moving south, bringing in some showery outbreaks of rain. it will brighten up, though, in western areas, and as the sun comes out, that in itself could spark off some showers, which could be heavy with the potential for some thunder, and a weak weather front coming into the west will also introduce some rain. as we move on through the week into wednesday, high pressure still clinging on, but we've got a clash of fronts moving eastwards and also southwards. so, once again, wednesday's quite messy to describe, so basically there'll be a lot of cloud around, there will be showers at times moving east and south, and again, some of those could be heavy. but you can see how it brightens up with some sunny intervals developing in the west.

temperatures, ten in lerwick to about 18 in cardiff. now on thursday, england and wales start off with some sunshine, cloud building through the day. we've got a weak weather front bumping into high pressure, bringing in some rain — it won't be particularly heavy. and it's going to be quite mild, 10—20, possibly 21 degrees somewhere in the south east. but we hang on to the milder weather during the course of friday, and then something fresher looks during the course of friday, like it's coming our way into the weekend, notjust by day, but also by night, but for most it will be dry.

this is bbc news, i'mjoanna gosling. the headlines at 11. more civilians are being evacuated from mariupol according to officials, it comes after dozens were allowed to leave the besieged steelworks yesterday. a record 2.7 million people have been referred for cancer checks by nhs england in the last year. it follows a dramatic fall in numbers during the pandemic. the pandemic had a devastating impact on cancer services and on patients. we know that there is a huge backlog, which is building on a backlog that existed before the pandemic. the ministry of defence says more than 250 migrants on seven boats were picked up in the channel yesterday, following 11 days without any crossings. we'll get the latest live from dover. pitch—side brain scans are to be trialled, in an effort to help spot

concussion and make sports safer. coming up this hour, the bbc�*s former ukraine correspondent, jonah fisher, analyses volodymyr zelensky�*s transformation from ukrainian comedian to one of the world's most recognisable leaders. that's in zelensky: the making of a president at 11:30. good morning, welcome to bbc news. officials in the besieged ukrainian city of mariupol say more civilians have been brought out by bus, but hundreds are still trapped in a steelworks. around 100 people are expected to arrive in the nearby city of zaporizhzhia later, after an evacuation from the azovstal plant, which is the last ukrainian stronghold in mariupol. the un refugee agency says more

than 5.5 million people have now fled ukraine. tim muffett has the latest developments. daylight at last, after weeks in a maze of underground tunnels. it's thought around 1,000 civilians have been hiding beneath the azovstal steel plant in mariupol, sheltering from russian bombardment. supplies had been cut off. conditions were desperate. yesterday, around 100 were evacuated. this child is six months old. he's spent nearly half of his life underground. translation: i can't believe it. two months of darkness. when we were in the bus, i told my husband we won't have to go to the toilet with a torch and use a bag as a loo. the operation involved the un and the red cross. it�*s thought evacuees have been taken to both russian—

and ukrainian—controlled areas. translation: ukrainians, - our defenders, today we finally managed to start the evacuation of people from azovstal. after many weeks of negotiation, after many attempts, different meetings, people, calls, countries, proposals, finally. earlier, president zelensky met nancy pelosi, the speaker of the us house of representatives. as well as moral support, america is providing $33 billion worth of economic, humanitarian and military assistance. do not be bullied by bullies. if they're making threats, you cannot back down. i that's my view of it. we're there for the fight. no—one expects that fight to end soon. the training of ukrainian troops continues. some have been getting to grips with new weapons, like these short—range anti—tank missiles.

for others, after two months on the front line, it's time for a short rest. these troops are from the 81st brigade. 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. meanwhile, in venice, the ukrainian symphony orchestra has been performing at a concert for peace. the repertoire featured a mix of music by italian and ukrainian composers. international harmony, in stark contrast to life in ukraine. tim muffett, bbc news. the ukrainian military says it's continuing to prevent russian forces from advancing in parts of the donbas region. the eastern town of lysychansk is encircled on three sides by russian troops. most of the city's residents have left, with the last remaining

in desperate conditions, under constant shelling. andrew harding sent this report. the russians are getting closer. their missiles landing to our left and our right, as we take the last road into lysychansk, a farming town under siege. we're following a ukrainian army medic, 0live kravchenka, pointing out the town's latest lacerations. look here, bomb. he's taking us closer to the front lines, to a hidden base, from where his teams scoop up casualties. several days, it's blood, blood, blood, blood. the russians are making a big push now. yeah, yeah. very, very. you'd say the fighting is getting a lot worse now? yeah, very extreme. very extreme and very dangerous, very. the army has taken over the local hospital. a soldier is brought

in by ambulance with a head wound. "his injuries are severe," says the medic. "there's not much hope for him". upstairs, a sombre silence on the wards. you can see here the impact of this intense russian bombardment, which we're still hearing outside now, in fact. room after room of young men with concussion. faces dazed and haunted. "i've got three young children," he says. "i wish the shelling would just stop. "we've all watched our brothers die in front of us." so what do this town's torments tell us about the wider war in eastern ukraine? there are signs that russian troops are being methodical and therefore perhaps more effective in their offensive in this region. they're pushing slowly forwards against this town and a dozen others

in the donbas region. but there's still no sign that the kremlin's forces are about to deliver some kind of knockout blow. even here, a few civilians cling on. these parents saying they can't afford to flee. and nine—year—old masha is trying to take it all in her stride. the sound of the bombs? you're not scared? she says, "because i'm the oldest girl, i'm not scared." good for you. inevitably, those left behind here have moved underground. this couple still wait for good news from their radio.

so, they're disagreeing here. she wants to go, but has no means of getting out. her husband wants to stay. "have you seen what's happened here? "i don't know if we'll survive this," she says, voicing the fear that now hangs over this whole region. andrew harding, bbc news, lysychansk. the european union is considering whether to impose a ban on russian oil imports as part of further sanctions against the kremlin. the european commission has spent the weekend holding talks with member states about the move, which would be phased in over a number of months. germany has signaled its readiness to wind down supplies from russia, but hungary has restated its opposition to any embargo. last week, russia cut gas shipments to bulgaria and poland, after the two eu member states refused to pay

moscow in roubles. it's an important week for the uk's political parties, local elections are held on thursday. politicians' behaviour has come under greater scrutiny in recent weeks, most recently the conservative mp neil parish resigned after admitting he'd watched pornography in parliament. senior mps have called for a radical overhaul of the culture at westminster and there's speculation over how much the scandal will influence the elections, as our correspondent, helen catt, explained. this week on thursday, thousands of council seats will be up for election across wales, scotland, and much of england and northern ireland, a lot of voting happening across the country. in recent weeks we have seen a focus on some of the things that have been going on inside the house of commons, inside westminster. this is where we found out what's going on outside and what those around the country think of

what they have seen over recent months. 0bviously they are local elections, so clearly major local issues are going to have an impact on those individual results, but across—the—board it will be seen as across—the—board it will be seen as a national test of opinion and if we look at england particularly, specifically, the last time this set of council seats were up for election was 2018. this is the first time those seats have been contested under borisjohnson and keir starmer and ed davey is. there will bill a lot of scrutiny, particularly the places where the conservatives took lots of votes from labour in the general election. scrutiny of his tory vote still holding up, is boris johnson's personal popularity holding up? have things like the fine for downing street parties affected things. how is keir starmer doing in the areas where he needs to be making the right inroads to get a path to power for labour for the liberal democrats they have got a

real target on rural votes, will be when there enough? there will be huge scrutiny on those and the other thing is it is notjust the results but the campaigning means it's a really intensive period of activists, mps being out there, talking directly to voters, they will get a real sense of what is important and of course the big issue that is a real massive national backdrop that these elections are happening against is rising bills, it is the cost of living, many of the parties have been campaigning hard on that. labour, the snp, liberal democrats campaigning hard on that. boris johnson and the conservatives looking to local issues as we head towards polling day. let's speak to ben brown, who is in the capital kyiv. what is the latest on the evacuation of the steelworks in mariupol? brute of the steelworks in mariupol? we are of the steelworks in mariupol? - are waiting to see how many more civilians can be rescued from that

absolutely desperate situation where they have been trapped deep underground for more than 60 days of this war, these civilians with very little food, water or medical attention. we don't know how many civilians are left there, women and children. i have been talking to the managing director of the azovstal plant who is here in kyiv at the moment and he said he thinks another 300, other estimates say as many as 1000 civilians have been trapped there. we have had that first batch to were extricated with the help of the united nations and the red cross, but there are lots more who need to be got out and there was this two day ceasefire which allowed that 100 people to be rescued, but now we're hearing from ukrainian defenders at the azovstal steelworks that the russian shelling comedy bombardment, has resumed. that window seems to have been closed. whether it will reopen, whether there can be a renegotiation to get humanitarian corridor open so that

the unr red cross and ukraine and russia all agree that more people can be evacuated from azovstal, we willjust have to wait and see. is willjust have to wait and see. is the fight for mariupol and the strategic goal of russia effectively over and achieved there? i strategic goal of russia effectively over and achieved there?- strategic goal of russia effectively over and achieved there? i mean, the defenders who _ over and achieved there? i mean, the defenders who are _ over and achieved there? i mean, the defenders who are there _ over and achieved there? i mean, the defenders who are there at _ over and achieved there? i mean, the defenders who are there at the - over and achieved there? i mean, the defenders who are there at the as - over and achieved there? i mean, the defenders who are there at the as of. defenders who are there at the as of style steel plant are the last ukrainian fighters left. this is the last stand in mariupol. to all intents and purposes, the rest of the city has fallen to the russians although there is not much of the city left to be honest, they have pulverised it, they have completely razed to the ground. we think there is about 2000 fighters there, in that network of tunnels and bunkers deep underneath this vast soviet—era steelworks, which stretches for many miles. 2000 fighters and several

hundred fighters who were wounded and some with horrific injuries who cannot really get medical attention, and some of them according to relatives are suffering from gangrene, they have been in there for weeks and weeks without medical attention and that's another question, not only what happens to the remaining civilians, but what happens to the wounded fighters? will russia allow them to be evacuated? will be any more evacuations at all from azovstal? thank you, ben. border force officers have intercepted several groups of migrants in the english channel in what is believed to be the first 254 people made the crossing yesterday. the ministry of defence says it is addressing the issue by cracking down on people smugglers. simonj0nes is in dover this morning, simon tell us more. what happened this morning? the crossinas what happened this morning? tie:

crossings are continuing what happened this morning? ti2 crossings are continuing once again today. if you take a lookjust down there, this is the latest group of people to arrive. they have been brought in on a border force rib. this is actually the fourth report of people who have arrived in dover. i am going to talk you through a fifth group because if you look slightly beyond, over there, we have got another rib coming in with more people on board. so you can see a sense of the numbers we are talking about today. these are the smaller ribs, so containing mary four, five, ten people on board those but we have had much bigger vessels into day, so the numbers who made the crossing are rising. 250 ali came over yesterday on seven boats according to the ministry of defence and those were the first crossings we had seen for 11 days. there had been some speculation this might be down to the government plan to send some asylum seekers to rwanda. maybe that was acting as a deterrent, but i think really the major factor in

all this has been the weather. because today, it is very calm, there have been crossings. yesterday was very calm, there have been crossings. the previous ten or 11 days, it had actually been fairly rough, pretty windy in the channel and so we did not see any crossing. this is very much a weather dependent thing. people arriving at the moment you can see down there on that rib, they will eventually be walked up the gangplank which is just behind on that walkway there, they will then be put straight onto coaches and taken to a processing centre not far from coaches and taken to a processing centre not farfrom here in kent, where their initial processing will begin. the vast majority will end up claiming asylum in the uk. in terms of the people we have seen today, we have seen a few women, there was a woman carrying a child that the vast majority of people who have arrived today have been young men. the government says it is determined to crack down on the people smugglers

who are organising these types of crossings. it thinks the plan to send people to rwanda may act as a deterrent, also the ministry of defence have taken operational command in the channel to try to better coordinate the response of the home office, the coast guard, the home office, the coast guard, the border force, the lifeboats who are all involved in these operations. if wejust are all involved in these operations. if we just looked are all involved in these operations. if wejust looked down there again, i will show you the latest couple of ribs coming in with people on board herejust latest couple of ribs coming in with people on board here just waiting to begin the process of having their details checked here in dover. ultimately, it shows once again that this is an issue very much dependent on the weather and people arriving as soon as that weather is calm. thank you, simon. sport and for a full round—up, from the bbc sport centre, here's gavin. good morning. four—time olympic champion mo farah has been beaten on his return to racing for the first time since failing to qualify for the olympics last year. club runner ellis cross, who represents aldershot, set a personal best, as he beat the four

time olympic champion to win the vitality london 10,000m. farah has won it seven times previously and said before the race if he didn't feel he could compete at the highest level any more then it would be time to stop and retire from the sport. ellis did really well and to win here, but at the same time, you have got to see where you are and at the minute, this is it, that's where i am now. is minute, this is it, that's where i am now. , , ., minute, this is it, that's where i am now. , ., am now. is it where you are in your career taking _ am now. is it where you are in your career taking your _ am now. is it where you are in your career taking your face _ am now. is it where you are in your career taking your face by - am now. is it where you are in your career taking your face by race? i am now. is it where you are in your| career taking your face by race? for sure ou career taking your face by race? sure you have career taking your face by race? fr?" sure you have got to take it race by race and let the body see what it can do. i ain't young any more, and i? winner of the women's race eilish mccolgan missed out on breaking paula radcliffe's 19—year—old british record by just two seconds. but she did beat her mum liz's scottish record. danny sidbury and sam kinghorn won the wheelchair races. manchester city goalkeeper karen bardsley has announced she's retiring from the game after an illustrious 20—year career

for both club and country. the 37—year—old won eight major trophies during her time with city and played 81 times for england. she also represented great britain at the 2012 olympics. bardsley will be honoured at wednesday s women's super league home game against birmingham city. she's revealed that failing to fully recoverfrom a hamstring injury picked upduring the 2019 world cup has forced her to quit the game. it certainly wasn't easy. if i think about maybe having this conversation two years ago i would not be able to get a word out, i would be bawling. so it is disappointing when you know that you have still got an element of capability in new, but when your body does not match what your mind wants to do, it is a uniquely frustrating experience. everton revived their hopes of premier league survival with a vital win over chelsea yesterday, but the major talking point came after what proved to be richarlison's match—winner at goodison park. moments after scoring, the brazilian forward celebrated and threw a gas cannister back

in the direction of the crowd. the club said he was aiming for a gap in the corner of the stadium. the fa will investigate. emotions clearly running high, his goal, here it is, securing a 1—0 win over chelsea that keeps alive their hopes of maintaining their 68—year stay in the top flight. ronnie 0'sullivan is just six frames from a record—equalling 7th world snooker final. fans have been packing in to see the rocket against 2019 winnerjudd trump, where they've witnessed all sides of his game. that included a warning by the match referee over an obscene gesture he made after he'd snookered himself, he is being filmed for an all—access documentary at the moment. he has been head and shoulders above his opponent, 12—5 he leads. you can see how it plays out from 1pm on bbc two. mark cavendish will compete at the the giro d'italia for the first time since 2013. he's been named in the quick—step alpha vinyl team for the event which begins on friday. back in late 2020 he was considering retirement after injury, illness and depression hampered his form. cavendish, who turns 37 this month, made a stunning return to the podium

with four stage wins at last year's tour de france, but he was only included after a team—mate withdrew. he's won 15 stages during his five previous appearances at the giro. and to tennis, andy murray says he's "not supportive" of players from russia and belarus being banned from wimbledon. 0rganisers ruled last week that players from the two countries can't play at this year's grand slam due to russia's invasion of ukraine. murray said there's no right answer on the issue and says he "feels really bad for the players who aren't allowed to play." murray isn't alone in criticising the decision, with world number one novak djokovic calling the ban "crazy". while russian world number eight andrey rublev said it was "complete discrimination" and "illogical. " that's all the sport for now. a record 2.7 million people have been referred for cancer checks by nhs england in the last year, following a dramatic fall in numbers during the pandemic. at least 30,000 people are still waiting to start treatment.

charities have welcomed the increase in referrals but warned of the devastating impact the covid backlog has had on cancer care. joining me now is professor martin marshall, chair of the royal college of gps. first of all, specifically on the number of referrals, which have gone up number of referrals, which have gone up from 2.4 million preplanned to now 2.6 million in the past ten months, does that indicate that gps at that working at full strength and more? . , at that working at full strength and more? ., , .., , ., more? primarily indicates that atients more? primarily indicates that patients are — more? primarily indicates that patients are coming _ more? primarily indicates that patients are coming forward i more? primarily indicates that i patients are coming forward with symptoms that might be cancer. general practice has always been open, certainly the move towards remote consulting, sometimes left patients wondering whether they could come in or couldn't come in. the reality was general practice was always open but patients were not coming forward partly because of government messaging about save the nhs, protect the nhs, partly it was

patients's own concerns about coming into health facilities. it's really good news patients are coming forward and really good news that gps are able to make the referrals they want to make into specialist services. the challenge of courses that the specialist services are under significant duress and it is a backlog now. the under significant duress and it is a backlog nova— backlog now. the referral is one thin but backlog now. the referral is one thing but being _ backlog now. the referral is one thing but being seen _ backlog now. the referral is one thing but being seen by - backlog now. the referral is one thing but being seen by a - backlog now. the referral is one i thing but being seen by a specialist and getting treatment is another and what do you see in terms of what happens once it goes past the gatekeepers of the gp practices? we are gatekeepers of the gp practices? 2 are seeing two problems. first of all, access to diagnostic services, lucy problems with perhaps a prolonged course or blood in their you're in or a lump and using guidance, we accept that might be cancer but we are not certain, so we need to arrange investigations, the first step is access to diagnostic

investigations, blood tests, scans, perhaps sometimes biopsies or endoscopies. then once they have had investigations and the diagnosis of cancer is made it is access to specialist oncologists zones. problems across the whole pathway, from the front end where there is enormous stress right the way through to specialist oncology services. ~ ., , , , services. meanwhile presumably the number of people — services. meanwhile presumably the number of people going _ services. meanwhile presumably the number of people going to _ services. meanwhile presumably the number of people going to gps - services. meanwhile presumably the number of people going to gps now| number of people going to gps now they feel confident that they can make continue to increase and the numbers entering the system to put it that way could just create, put even more pressure?— it that way could just create, put even more pressure? yes, i think that is absolutely _ even more pressure? yes, i think that is absolutely right. _ even more pressure? yes, i think that is absolutely right. we - even more pressure? yes, i think that is absolutely right. we know| that is absolutely right. we know the number of people to general practice in the first year of the pandemic was much lower than we

would have expected. by the end of the year, october or november 2020, the year, october or november 2020, the numbers were back to pre—pandemic levels in terms of presenting. now the numbers are well above pre—pandemic levels. but still there is a significant wariness about people's access to the nhs in general. we know cancer outcomes in the uk are lower than in other comparable european countries and a lot of that is about early diagnosis and we need to have highly accessible service so we know people feel comfortable and confident accessing and at the moment because of pressures in the nhs particularly a shortage of staff, gps and pathologists and cancer specialists, that we still have a significant problem in the nhs.— that we still have a significant problem in the nhs. thank you very much.

free—range eggs will be back on supermarket shelves from today, as measures which were introduced to curb bird flu cases are being dropped. farmers and egg producers have been forced to keep chickens inside since november. sarah rogers reports. free—range chickens haven't been able to roam like this since november. they've been on lockdown to protect them, following the uk's largest—ever outbreak of bird flu. today, that housing order has been lifted by the government, meaning some 27 million hens across the uk can flock back to the fields. so, this is the outer disinfection point. any vehicles, personnel, people that come in here, they stop here, they sign in, they suit up... but biosecurity is still very strict. defra, the department for the environment, say although the risk level has been lowered, farmers must remain vigilant. we have a backpack sprayer go round with a disinfectant and disinfect, and then the gate can be opened and head, then, down to the poultry unit.

these eggs will end up some 40 miles away in penrith, to be sorted and packed off to retailers. some half a billion eggs pass through here each year. so, we've actually been eating barn eggs for quite some time. because of the bird flu outbreak, farmers were allowed to keep their chickens inside for 16 weeks. however, last month, that time limit ran out, and you may have noticed these appearing on your free—range—egg boxes. however, from today, they can be removed, because any eggs coming into here will now be free—range. 58% of the egg market is free—range and, whilst they hardly look in short supply here, if farmers decide not to take on new flocks, it could have a major impact on the market. so whilst free—range eggs will be back on the shelves for now, the future of the industry is far less certain. three new photographs of princess charlotte have been released to mark her 7th birthday.

the pictures were taken in norfolk this weekend by the duchess of cambridge. they show charlotte, who is the second eldest of william and catherine's three children, sitting among bluebells and hugging her pet cocker spaniel. new york is gearing up for its annual night of celebrity, showbiz and fashion, with the met gala returning to fifth avenue. this year, the theme of the ball, led by vogue veteran anna wintour, is in america: an anthology of fashion and the dress code is gilded glamour and white tie. previous years have seen flamboyant outfits from stars including kim kardashian, megan fox, harry styles, and billie eilish. and a quick reminder, we'll be taking your questions on menopause, for your questions answered live tomorrow at 11.30, where we'll have expert guests to answer the questions you send in, whether that's to understand what menopause is, or the symptoms to look out for. you can get in touch on twitter using the hashtag bbc your questions, or you can email us on...

now it's time for a look at the weather with carol. hello again. over the next few days, for many of us, we are looking at quite a bit of cloud at times, some showers, but equally there'll be some sunny spells as well. today's no exception. we've got a weak weather front crossing scotland, northern ireland and northern england, producing some showery outbreaks of rain at times, especially southern scotland and northeast england as we go through the afternoon. but we will see some holes in that cloud develop and, a little bit of sunshine coming through with temperatures 7—17 degrees. through this evening and overnight, our weather front continues south, taking its patchy rain with it. there will be a lot of cloud around. some breaks across northeast scotland here, temperatures could fall away to about one or two degrees. but for most, we're going to be frosty tonight. ——frost—free. but it leads us into tomorrow and another cloudy start, with the showers continuing to push steadily southwards,

brighter breaks coming in across some western areas could also spark off some heavy showers through the day, and a new weather front will bring some rain in across western scotland and northern ireland later. hello, this is bbc news with joanna gosling. the headlines. officials say more civilians are being evacuated from mariupol by bus — but hundreds are still trapped in the besieged steelworks. a record 2.7 million people have been referred for cancer checks by nhs england in the last year — it follows a dramatic fall in numbers during the pandemic. the ministry of defence says more than 250 migrants on seven boats were picked up in the channel yesterday, following 11 days without any crossings. now it's time for zelensky, the making of a president.