tonight, hundreds of civilians — including children — are still trapped in the steel plant in the southern ukrainian city of mariupol as a ceasefire breaks down. some of those who managed to escape yesterday said living conditions inside the complex were brutal. translation: for a month we were eating - _ over a0 of us — six food tins. we boiled two buckets of soup out of them, and that was it for the whole day. as russian troops try to advance in the east of the country, they're meeting fierce ukrainian resistance 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. we'll bring you the latest. also tonight — nearly 3 million people were referred for cancer checks last year — a record — but nhs england say at least 30,000 are still waiting to start treatment. some chinese firms investing in projects across europe are accused of exploiting workers and treating them �*like slaves�*. tettey yellow your champion, ronnie 0'sullivan! snooker champion of the world for a seventh time — ronnie 0'sullivan matches the record of stephen hendry. -- commentator: your champion, ronnie o'sullivan. _ good evening, from the ukrainian capital kyiv. the attempts to evacuate more

civilians from the devastated city of mariupol have stalled tonight — ukrainian officials say russia has ended a ceasefire and it's now blocking humanitarian corridors. hundreds of women and children are still trapped in bunkers beneath the city's huge azovstal steelworks, where 2,000 ukrainian troops are making a last stand against the russian forces surrounding them. ukraine says russia resumed its bombardment of the steelworks shortly after yesterday's successful evacuation of about 100 people from the plant. 0ur correspondent laura bicker reports from nearby zaporizhzhia. a short break to feel grass under theirfeet, after weeks of only concrete. the survivors from mariupol are allowed a break in their long—awaited journey away from the front line. translation: for a month we were eating - _ over a0 of us — six food tins.

we boiled two buckets of soup out of them and that was it for the whole day. translation: there | is no house anymore. of course there isn't. this is mariupol after two months of war. homes, play parks, cafes are now charred in blasted ruins. tens of thousands of people are thought to have died. many of the survivors came here, the azovstal steel plant. as the city fell, pounded into smouldering ashes, ukrainian fighters used the underground chambers to stay and fight. translation: there were five very powerful bomb shelters that, - according to soviet standards at the time, could withstand a direct nuclear strike. all people, if they were injured during the bombing and shelling, could come to us.

we thought it was possible we'd be shelled, but we did not expect such a genocide and such an inhumane war. for weeks, women and children lived in these maze—like tunnels — they used them as a refuge. appeals to get them out of the plant were ignored — until now. yesterday, for the first time in more than 60 days, they clambered out of their dark refuge and were led through the rubble out of what many have described as hell. this is where they will come. others have made it out of mariupol today after scrambling for parts to rebuild their wrecked car. daniel was living on a tug boat. translation: we were bringing food from the tug boat. - the russians had been assaulting the port for ten days and we had been sheltering. we couldn't even raise our heads. it was scary to be there. after days of terror and chaos, there is help, but the lives and city each one of these people

once knew is now gone. the apollo officials told us that russia bombed the steel plant not long after they left. it is not clear what the hold—up is. meanwhile, talks to get out the remaining several hundred people in the steel plant, including we understand, 20 children, are continuing but those negotiations are proving difficult. laura bicker, zaporizhzhia. meanwhile in the donbas region in the east of this country, the ukrainian army claims its pushing back against russian advances in some areas. but the town of lysychansk is besieged on three sides by russian troops. most of the town's residents have fled — those who are still there are living in desperate conditions, under constant shelling. andrew harding sent this report. the russians are getting closer. their missiles landing

to our left and right, as we take the last road into lysychansk. a farming town under siege. we're following a ukrainian army medic, pointing out the town's latest lacerations. look here. a bomb. he's taking us closer to the front lines, to a hidden base from where his teams scoop up casualties. yes, every day, it is blood, blood, blood, blood. the russians are making a big push now. yeah, yeah. very, very. you'd say the fighting's getting a lot worse now? yeah, very extreme, very extreme and very danger, very. the army have 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... speaking ukrainian you're not scared? speaking ukrainian 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. speaking ukrainian so, they're disagreeing here. she wants to go, but has no means of getting out. her husband wants to stay.

she sobs "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. let's take a look at some of the other main developments from here in ukraine today. the strategically important port city of 0desa has been hit by another missile strike. details of injuries are still emerging, but the city council has confirmed a 15—year—old boy was killed. it's the second attack there in a few days — on saturday authorities said the runway at 0desa's airport had been targeted. israel has summoned moscow's ambassador there for what it called "clarifications", after the russian foreign minister claimed that adolf hitler had "jewish blood".

sergei lavrov made the comments on italian television, after being asked how russia could claim to be "denazifying" ukraine when president zelensky wasjewish. germany says it's prepared to back an eu embargo on russian oil, after an emergency meeting of european ministers. there are divisions amongst eu members over the proposed ban. poland has called for immediate sanctions, while hungary, which is highly dependent on russian supplies, has re—stated its opposition to the move. and tonight, uefa have announced a series of bans for russian football teams because of the war here in ukraine. nesta macgregor is in the bbc sports centre. nesta, bans for both the russian men and women's national teams, and for clubs too.

that's right, and back in february at the start of this conflict uefa imposed sanctions on all levels of russian football. tonight's update reinforces that ban but we now know the knock—on effect, and it directly impacts uk based teams and tournaments. the key points, russian clubs will not be competing in next season's champions league or europa league competitions. as a result of the scottish premiership winners will now enter the champions league at the first group stage instead of the play—offs, while the runners up in scotland will enter the same competition at the third round and not the second. and when it comes to international football russia's women will not compete at euro 2022. that's being hosted by england and starts injuly. portugal, who russia beat to qualify for the tournament, will take their place. the russian football federation�*s bid to host euro 2028's bid has been declined and that's significant because the

uk and ireland submitted a joint request to host that tournament. turkey are also possible hosts. whether it is youth or full internationals, men or women, as it stands, no russian teams will feature in the uefa tournaments. uefa says it will to monitor the legal and factual situation and make changes as necessary. back to you, ben. . ~' , ., , changes as necessary. back to you, ben. ., ~ , ., , . that's the latest from me and the team here in ukraine — back to you in the studio victoria with the rest of the news. thank you very much, ben. a record 2.7 million people were referred for cancer checks in the last year, according to nhs england. it comes after a dramatic fall during the pandemic. but senior doctors say while progress is being made in seeing more patients, at least 30,000 people in england are still waiting to start their treatment. dominic hughes reports. so bring your arms up above your head...

the earlier cancer is detected, the better the chances of a good outcome. just keep your eyes closed. that's why the drop—off in referrals at the height of the pandemic caused so much concern. doctors knew there were thousands of people who had cancer but were not being identified or treated. the real challenge we have with cancer is that it's critical that we're able to diagnose it early enough. if we diagnose cancer early, it gives us the best chance of finding curative treatment or the best options for patients, and that's critical to improving cancer survival. the latest data shows how, as covid pressures have eased, cancer referrals have bounced back. nearly 2.7 million people have been referred for cancer care in the past year — that's an increase of i6% on pre—pandemic levels. but while there has been progress, around 30,000 people are still waiting to start treatment, a legacy of the pandemic. we know that the pandemic has disrupted cancer care, but the nhs is working absolutely as hard as we can and going as fast

as we can to recover the backlogs that have been created. nobody in the nhs wants to see potential cancer patients not being treated. that's why we're expanding community diagnostics, that's why we're ensuring that we get through as many treatment cases as we possibly can. 0ne—stop shops for tests, mobile clinics and telephone hotlines have been set up to work through the backlog. but a shortage of qualified and trained cancer specialists and radiologists who can interpret scans remains a big stumbling block. charities warn this is perhaps the most pressing issue, but it could take years to resolve. dominic hughes, bbc news. more than 100 people have been brought ashore by the border force and lifeboats, after trying to cross the english channel in small boats. yesterday, more than 250 people made the journey — the first arrivals for 11 days. 0ur political correspondent iain watson is here.

tell us more. the number of dead channel crossings _ tell us more. the number of dead channel crossings have _ tell us more. the number of dead channel crossings have been - channel crossings have been increasing this year quite significantly but there had been this 11 de la will be for the weekend, leading to speculation the government's new policy of sending some asylum seekers to row and i was having some effect but then the weather improved and the crossings resumed. some suggested the new policy was driving up demand with people trying to get it before it is implemented. it will take some time to implement, not least because it's facing legal challenges. nonetheless, even though it will take some time to implement, its backdated, so anyone who has arrived since january the 1st unlawfully is at risk. the truth is even the home secretary did not expect an instant halt to the crossings just because the new policy was announced. it's designed to last for five years so it take quite some time to assess what impact, if any, it will have on people's willingness to risk their

lives in small boats.— people's willingness to risk their lives in small boats. thank you very much, lives in small boats. thank you very much. iain. — lives in small boats. thank you very much, iain, thank _ lives in small boats. thank you very much, iain, thank you. _ in three days time, polls will open for elections across much of the uk. voters are struggling with a cost of living crisis, the impact of war in ukraine, and what to make of mps behaviour in westminster, but it'll be local issues that will take prominence. 0ur deputy political editor vicki young explains what elections are taking place, and where. may's elections will see votes taking place in each of the uk nations. it's been four or five years since most seats were contested and quite a lot has changed since then. the uk was still in the eu. theresa may was prime minister, jeremy corbyn was labour leader, arlene foster led the dup and carwynjones was first minister in wales. coronavirus wasn't a word many of us were familiar with. but many of the issues relevant to local elections remain the same, from care for the elderly to bin collections, road maintenance and access to libraries. so let's run through where votes are taking place. we'll start in northern ireland,

where 90 mlas will be elected to the assembly. these are the results from 2017 — the dup winning one more seat than sinn fein. now, recent polls have put sinn fein in the lead and if they win the most seats, they would get to nominate a first minister for the first time. in england, 146 councils are being contested. that includes all 32 london boroughs, plus most other big towns and cities. not many elections in rural areas, so labour are defending most seats. the liberal democrats are hoping to make gains this year. there are also a handful of mayoral elections. in 2018, labour and the conservatives were pretty level in overall national share in england. this is one of the best ways to measure how recent events have affected voters. in scotland, every local authority, 32 in total, is up for election. last time, the snp retained its position as the largest party in terms of votes and councillors.

the conservatives, under ruth davidson then, displaced labour as the second largest party. it'll be interesting to watch what happens to that conservative vote this time round. now, in wales, all 22 local authorities are being contested. in 2017, labour suffered losses, but still won the most seats and the most councils. the tories made gains, but were still behind plaid cymru. also, these will be the first local elections in wales in which 16 and 17—year—olds can vote. so that's where it's all happening. there's plenty more information about elections in your local area — bbc.co.uk/news is, as ever, the address you need. the war in ukraine is forcing countries across europe to reconsider doing business with russia. it comes at a time when moscow's most powerful ally, china, continues to expand its economic interests across european countries. but there are allegations of worker exploitation,

environmental damage and so—called "debt traps" where beijing has stepped in to lend billions of dollars. china denies the accusations and insists it's a reliable partner and offers investment where others are unwilling. 0ur europe correspondent nick beake has visited key chinese project across the balkans and southern europe and has this special report. it's an unmistakably chinese scene... ..from the workers to the offices. beijing is pouring money into this copper mine, hoping it's a golden gateway to further economic expansion. but this is not china — it's serbia, on the edge of the eu, where the red of the communist party is leaving its mark. translation: the chinese company treats us terribly. | we tracked down this vietnamese man, who said he'd paid the equivalent of £1,200 to come here

for a constructionjob. translation: they forced us to work more, but they did not _ provide enough supplies. there are 20 or 30 workers living together in each container. they treat us like slaves. after half a year, the father of three tried to leave but was stranded. shortly after we met, he did manage to return home — only after taking out a £1,500 loan. this is the linglong tyre factory where he worked. employment contracts we've seen appear to be copied and pasted from the middle east. if you're caught stealing, your hand is chopped off. if you were to murder someone, you're beheaded. this is the most visible case of labour exploitation we had in the country so far. human rights groups say it's a warning, as chinese business expands further into europe. if you're actually having chinese

companies coming to other countries and not having institutions who are strong enough to prevent human rights violations or labour standards violations or any other violations, you will have probably the race to the bottom with other companies. from serbia to greece, inside the eu and one of its fastest growing economies. most of the booming port of piraeus, near athens, is now owned by cosco, a chinese state company. it first invested here when no other country would. when you get this close, you can see just how huge these container ships are. and day in, day out, they're bringing tonnes of goods which will then be dispatched to all corners of europe, and this is a crucial gateway to the continent for china, but the expansion of this port is controversial. dockers have been on strike over safety concerns. watch the containers on the right. a narrow escape.

but last year, a worker did die in a separate crane accident. the greek government told us it's not planning to take any further big investments from beijing. venture north through the balkans, and this is montenegro — supposedly on the path to eu membership, but it's china lending the cash for this — the country's first motorway. however, in six years, only 25 miles have been built. the cost — 1 billion euros, which must be paid back to beijing. we need investments. if the chinese are the only ones interested in investing in you, yeah, i say go for it. butjust be careful about, like, the terms of these investments, conditions of these investments, and making sure that everything is in line with your general policy. none of the chinese companies responded to the allegations made against them, and five chinese

ambassadors in europe we asked for an interview were not available. china has declared a new global order with its ally russia, and has failed to condemn the invasion of ukraine. more than ever, european nations are reassessing the risk and reward of doing business with beijing. nick beake, bbc news, montenegro. millions of muslims around the world have been marking the end of the holy month of ramadan. in britain, blackburn rovers became the first football club to host eid prayers, with hundreds from the local muslim community taking to the pitch. eid marks the end of a month of fasting, with the community coming together to celebrate. research suggests the impact of repetitive concussions in sport, especially in women, will have dire consequences for some people in later life. the government's expected to take steps to standardise concussion

policy for both sexes and for all sports and ages and 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 sides 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 is coming over time. early research shows women can be more vulnerable than men. it only takes two people to go up for a header for a ball, you get each other's heads instead of the ball. you know, you're fully focused on winning that. it's time that now something serious happens about it, and there is more awareness, and it's good that it's finally arising, especiallyjust ahead of the euros this summer. just put your head back slightly, please, 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's been affected and when it's safe to start playing again. you can stop now, relax, open your eyes, have a little rest. is this applicable to all types of sporting clubs? absolutely. amateur, different age groups, notjust professional, it really is realistic, is it? absolutely, it's absolutely realistic. it doesn't matter whether you're amateur, whether you're elite, whether you're at horse racing, whether you're at boxing, whether you're at football, hockey, rugby — it doesn't matter, you can have one of these in your physiotherapist�*s kit room and if somebody is concussed, for whatever reason, it's applicable to them at that time. and i've had quite a few mri scans... there's growing concern in rugby too. england world cup winner ben kay, along with other former players,

has regular scans, in research funded by alzheimer's society, to chart his brain health. this is an absolutely normal scan, there's no sort of health problems. now there's 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 of 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. 0k, cool. 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's in place in scotland. the aim is letting people play their favourite sports while keeping them safe. hugh pym, bbc news. ronnie 0'sullivan has won the world snooker championship for a seventh time — equalling stephen hendry�*s record. he beat the 2019 champion judd trump 18 frames to 13 at the crucible in sheffield, as jane dougall reports. cheering 21 years after he won his first, ronnie 0'sullivan lifted his seventh world championship trophy. at the start of the day, it had looked a foregone conclusion, but his seven frame lead was reduced to three after an incredible fightback from judd trump. so it was game on in the final session. commentator: that is a wonderful long red. i living up to his name, the rocket started well, and mistakes from trump were punished.

he had to watch on as ronnie cleaned up and pulled away. trump's long game was improving... ..but he couldn't make a tough shot on the brown, and 0'sullivan was back in. that was tough. from then on, the crucible sat back and watched history. a composed display getting him to the magic number of 18 frames. ronnie 0'sullivan has proved without doubt that he's the greatest player in the world! i tried to be as relaxed as i could but, you know, it wasjust a... that's probably my greatest result i've ever had, to be honest with you. i don't know whether it's a good idea but we'll probably go again next year... cheering i'm a glutton for punishment! champion! an emotional embrace of his children and then the trophy. at a6, ronnie 0'sullivan is the oldest to win this title, adding longevity to his many talents. jane dougall, bbc news.

there were emotional reunions in auckland today, as new zealand opened its borders to more international visitors. people from more than 60 countries can now enter the country — as long as they're vaccinated and have tested negative for covid. the country closed its borders in march 2020, with many being kept apart from their loved ones, until today. it's been two years ofjust wondering if and when, and never knowing if the moment was even going to come. i'm just so pleased to finally be able to get down here, to actually hold this little precious bundle. we missed his brother's wedding as well because of covid, - because we couldn't come. so it was very hard. so it is very good to be back. i'm sorry...!

amazing. the older you get, the more family becomes important, and i'm getting old and family is becoming very, very important. that's it from us. now on bbc one, it's time for the news where you are. have a great night. hello, and welcome to our look ahead to what the papers will be bringing us tomorrow. with me are natasha clark, political and environmental correspondent for the sun, and aubrey allegretti, who's a political correspondent at the guardian. we will say hello to both and just a moment but first let's take a look at the front pages themselves. the financial times shows a mother and daughter who've been evacuated

from the besieged ukrainian city of mariupol.