welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore. i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines: in eastern ukraine, the governor of the luhansk province says most of the key city of severodonetsk is now in russian hands. the prosecutor of the international criminal court has described ukraine as a crime scene, where they will be carrying out the biggest ever investigation. after more than two months of full lockdown, shanghai eases its covid restrictions. and bts, the wildly popular south korean k—pop group,

visits the white house to speak about the growth in anti—asian hate crimes in america. live from our studio in singapore, this is bbc news. it's newsday. hello and welcome to bbc news and to our viewers in the uk and around the world. and to our viewers in the uk it's 6am in the morning here in singapore and 1am in ukraine, where it's reported that a russian air strike has hit a chemical plant in the embattled city of severodonetsk, releasing a cloud of dangerous gas. residents have been told to stay in bomb shelters to avoid the fumes. the ukrainians say russian forces now control most of severodonetsk, the main focus of the russian offensive in the donbas region. the local governor said the city wasn't surrounded,

but continuous shelling was making it impossible to bring in supplies or evacuate the remaining civilians. and russian troops are pushing deeper into the region. this is the city of slovyansk, where three people have been killed in a russian missile strike. ukraine says the battle for severodonetsk is only one in a much larger context and that more weapons from the west are key. this is the former defence minister speaking to the bbc. we will always be looking at counteroffensives, because as soon as we can get more weapons, particularly these artillery weapons which are being shipped right now from the west, we can go to counteroffensives, because russians... as i said, they are applying everything they can in order to get there and they're bringing their artillery systems, they're bringing old tanks, they're bringing old equipment and so on, so currently, the maximum of their capacity, maximum of their capability.

and ukraine is still gaining capabilities from the allied countries, so we do believe that the counteroffensive is in the future. well, now you've heard from the ukrainians, i want to bring you our correspondent in kyiv, james waterhouse, who explains the importance of western weapons in this fight. well, the ukrainians have long been calling for more weapons, frankly. they are outgunned and outnumbered by the russians in the eastern donbas region. as a result, the russians are more easily able to deploy familiar tactics as they try to surround more cities. severodonetsk, we're told by authorities there that there is now fighting inside the city, a place where 15,000 people are thought to be trapped. i think the taking of severodonetsk for the russians will be more symbolic than strategic. estimations from the west is that it would simply allow the russians

to claim a few more miles of territory, but crucially for vladimir putin, he can turn back to his people and say, "this is the first significant achievement in this so—called "special military operation." the other half of the donbas region, the donetsk region, is still in his sights. and this is all part of a sizeable land corridor now occupied by the russians, making up a fifth of ukraine. that was james waterhouse reporting there. in another development, the prosecutor of the international criminal court has described ukraine as a crime scene and said the tribunal was carrying out its largest ever investigation there, with plans to open an office in kyiv. 0ur correspondent anna holligan at the hague has more details. the joint investigation team is working together to gather, preserve and share evidence of alleged atrocities. and they're looking at everything at the moment from cases of rape, to the deliberate killing of civilians, to the forcible transfer of children. the ukrainian prosecutor who's

here in the hague pointed out they didn't have access to some of these alleged crime scenes, which are currently under russian occupation, but they do have access to people — victims, witnesses — and to areas that have been liberated by the ukrainian forces. the icc persecutor karim khan talked about the importance of sharing notjust evidence but also the investigative skills, forensic techniques among the member states. he also talked about the importance of the icc�*s presence in the region, which is why they are working on setting up an office in the capital kyiv. beyond this, thousands of atrocities are now under investigation. 600 suspects have been identified, including within the military and political circles, according to the ukrainian prosecutor. the icc prosecutor pointed out this case wasn'tjust about protecting europeans or european values but,

he said, basic human standards in the 21st century. meanwhile, after weeks of discussions — as we reported on this programme 2a hours ago — eu leaders have agreed on a partial embargo of russian oil imports. it will affect oil that arrives by sea — around two—thirds of imports — but not pipeline oil, following opposition from hungary. the plan is expected to affect up to 90% of russian oil imports is it too little, too late? daniel freed is a former us ambassador to poland. as former state department coordinator for sanctions policy, he also crafted us sanctions against russia in response to moscow's aggression against ukraine starting in 2014. so, plenty of experience there, great to get you on the programme. i just want to start by asking you, some ukrainian officials are telling us this is too little, too late, this move. what do you think? it is not a little — this move. what do you think? it is not a little move, _ this move. what do you think? it is not a little move, it _ this move. what do you think? it 3 not a little move, it is a significant move by the european

union, but it is not enough by itself. i think the americans are going to have to come in and help support this move, to prevent the russians from circumventing it, getting around it. it is a serious move. the european union deserves some credit. but we will see what the effect is. some credit. but we will see what the effect is-_ the effect is. it is only beginning. it is only beginning, _ the effect is. it is only beginning. it is only beginning, mr— the effect is. it is only beginning. it is only beginning, mr freed, i the effect is. it is only beginning. | it is only beginning, mr freed, but at the same time, it is wanting to announce a stated reduction, or the ambition to reduce, dependence on russian oil. it is another thing for this to play out in reality. can russian not divert its oil up to places like india and china? it can t . places like india and china? it can t , and places like india and china? it can try. and this _ places like india and china? it can try. and this is — places like india and china? it can try, and this is where _ places like india and china? it can try, and this is where the - places like india and china? it can try, and this is where the us - try, and this is where the us government can come in. the us government can come in. the us government does have the ability to back—up the european union sections with threats of sanctions of its own

against governments, including china and india, if they pick up the slack. there are different ways in which the us can do it. they could do a price cap, they could do various... their various options, but absolutely right. to avoid the russians figuring out how to circumvent the opinion union sanctions, the us can come in and banked them up, and i think the us xa considering its options right now —— the european union sanctions. daniel, just to say, what is stopping the us from acting faster on this? it strikes me that russia is willing to continue despite all of the sanctions that have already been put in place on moscow, what makes a difference in the long term? sanctions bite in the long—term. the

problem you identified is not the long—term, it is the immediate term, which is that putin is going for victory on the battlefield. sanctions will not let him down, weapons made, so a policyjust based on sanctions is not going to work, but a policy that relies on sanctions for the medium and longer—term and sends weapons to the ukrainians right now has a chance. the ukrainians are fighting. it is not clear that they will be defeated on the battlefield. i am not saying they're going to win, i am saying they're going to win, i am saying the battle hangs the balance indeed. daniel freed there. thank you so much forjoining us on the programme with your thoughts.— with your thoughts. thank you for havin: with your thoughts. thank you for having me- _ the first funerals for the 19 children and two adults killed in a school shooting in uvalde, texas have taken place one week on from the shooting. president biden vowed action on gun reform on sunday. will grant has been speaking to one of the families now facing a future of unimaginable grief.

there is grief and then there is the grief of losing a child. come on, ok. further still the grief of losing a child in these most awful of circumstances. she was just loved. alithia ramirez was one of the 19 children killed by a gunman inside her classroom as an ordinary school day at uvalde descended into horror. a week on, her parents, jess and ryan, are still struggling to comprehend their loss. i haven't able to, like, eat or drink and it's just affecting me really, really bad. like, she was my best friend and she looked a lot like me. i would always tell her like, she is my twin and she would always smile. and it'sjust been really hard on me. how can you move on from that? how can you get over that moment? this is a parent's nightmare.

this is the worst of the worst. a talented artist, alithia's bedroom is full of her awards, especially for drawing. compounding her parents' grief is their anger over how the police let the gunman spend more than an hour in the school before they shot him. i don't understand how... you know, police officers, they're sworn to protect and they're outside the room and just hearing gunshots, kids screaming. you know, go in there, save those kids. on sunday, president biden came to uvalde to pay his respects and meet the victims' families. ryan told him alithia was an artist and mr biden asked if he could have one of her pictures to hang in the white house.

he did say that, "whenever we hang it up, we're going to send "you a picture where it's hanging and you're free to see it any time." there's something special that she put her heart into it and it's there hanging in the white house. after the darkest week in its history, uvalde must now bury its victims. a community heartbroken over the senseless murder of alithia, 18 of her class—mates and her two teachers. will grant, bbc news, uvalde. let's take a look at some of the stories in the headlines in the uk for you. borisjohnson�*s independent standards adviser says there's a "legitimate question" over whether the british pm broke the ministerial code by receiving a fine for attending a lockdown party in downing street. it comes as more conservative mps add their voices to the criticism directed at the pm.

the nightmare continues for many travellers caught in massive queues and delays at airports across the uk and ireland as many try to get away for the long weekend break. staff shortages are thought to be responsible for the disruptions. and bradford has been named as the uk's next city of culture. it will succeed the current holder of the title — coventry — in 2025. the city in west yorkshire has been hailed for its rich history and diverse community. prime minister borisjohnson said the win builds on the "dynamism of the city". still to come a bit later in the programme: a record 70 years of service on the throne and no fewer than 1a prime ministers — a special report on queen elizabeth's jubilee celebrations. but first, let's go to shanghai now — where, after more than two months of full lockdown, there's been a significant easing of covid restrictions, which will allow most people to move more freely around the city.

public transport and many offices are reopening, though life will remain restricted in many ways and leaving shanghai is still difficult for many residents. 0ur china correspondent robin brant has been one of the millions of residents locked down for the past two months. for the last 65 days, i've been coming up to this gate on the edge of the compound where i live. i've been filming myself and explaining what it's like to live under the restrictions this city has faced, what it's like to be confined to your home. and here i am again, by the gate, but it's different now. we're outside. let me just step over the barrier. we've been allowed some freedom for the last 48 hours, which has been a huge relief. still, though, it's very, very quiet. this road will not be like this... ..this time tomorrow, when the bulk of the restrictions are being lifted. people are going to be able to walk around in and out of where they live, go to shops

that are going to be opening but not to full capacity. there will be a basic service on public transport, the buses and the metro cars will be allowed to drive around. it is a significant easing of the restrictions, which obviously is hugely welcoming, because the city has been crippled, frankly — there's no two ways about it — by that full lockdown. but it is not a full lifting of the lockdown. over half a million people remain confined to their homes because they are still in areas classified as sealed. they can't come in or go out. also, people like me and the other 25 million or so people that live here are going to need three things to go about your daily business now. you're going to need a green code on your smartphone to show you haven't been anywhere suspicious. you're going to need a certificate to show that you've had a pcr test, valid for, at the maximum, the last 72 hours. and you'll also need a mask if you want to get on a bus or a metro or,

frankly, get close to anyone here. so it's not normal, in the sense of what was required before, you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: bts — the popular south korean k—pop group — addresses anti—asian hate crime at a white house press briefing. the queen and her husband began their royal progress to westminster. the moment of crowning in accordance with the order of service by a signal given, the great guns of the power. tributes have been paid around the world to muhammad ali, who's died at the age of 7a. 0utspoken but rarely out—fought, ali transcended the sport of boxing, of which he was three—times world champion. he was a good fighter and he fought all the way to the end,

even through his illness. yes, he did. uefa imposes an indefinite ban on english clubs playing in europe. today is the 20th anniversary of the release of the beatles' lp sgt pepper's lonely hearts club band, a record described as the album of the century. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma vaswani in singapore. 0ur headlines: the governor of the luhansk province says russian forces now control most of the key city of severodonetsk. the prosecutor of the international criminal court describes ukraine as a crime scene, where his tribunal is carrying out its biggest ever investigation. to the us now, where a meeting between k—pop powerhouses bts

and president biden saw the korean boy band saying surge of hate crimes, including against the asian—american community. the south korean group met with president biden at the white house to discuss the issue of anti—asian hate. the k—pop phenomenon are well known for using their music and enormous fan base to speak out on important social issues. they met with the us president privately, after making brief statements to media in the white house press briefing room. lastly, we thank president biden at the white house for giving lastly, we thank president biden and the white house for giving this important opportunity to speak about the important causes, to remind ourselves of what we can do as artists. hope king is a reporter with axios and has been covering the issue of anti—asian hate extensively. shejoins me now from new york. great to get you on the programme, hope, and just have to have simple disclosure here — bts is a huge hit in my house. my house is a huge fan

of the band! while it is not unusual for them to speak out about social issues, this meeting is a little unusual, isn't it? what message are they trying to send? i unusual, isn't it? what message are they trying to send?— they trying to send? i think it is they trying to send? i think it is the one they — they trying to send? i think it is the one they want _ they trying to send? i think it is the one they want to _ they trying to send? i think it is the one they want to send your| they trying to send? i think it is - the one they want to send your kids, possibly. as you mentioned, they are a global hit, and if they do anything, say anything online, it will reach hundreds of million people, and i think that is why the white house invited them today took about this issue. 0ne white house invited them today took about this issue. one of their tweets last year, following the shooting death of six asian women in the atlanta area, spot shootings, that was the most retreated to eat of 2021, so i think that is why that was so important for the white house, to raise awareness around into asian hate crimes —— most retweeted tweet. into asian hate crimes -- most retweeted tweet.— retweeted tweet. hope, is my understanding _ retweeted tweet. hope, is my understanding right _ retweeted tweet. hope, is my understanding right that, - understanding right that, anecdotally, we definitely did see

hate crimes against the asian community rise during covid or post—coven? can you talk about why? really starting in 2020, we saw a surge in these hate crimes, and there have been different ways to measure the number of those hate crimes. there are official federal reports, based on what the cities are reporting, back up to the federal level, and are academic studies as well. and so one of the most recent reports has shown that, last year, there was an increase of about 3a0% in hate crimes directed towards asian people. that is on top of the record we already saw in 2020, and part of the reason is because of the former president criticising china and talking about where the virus may or might have come from, inaccurately, of course, and so people were conflating the region, the country of china, may be people who look like me, from that region, two people in america with

that kind of rhetoric. that is what we see the numbers continue to climb, is that now because we are entering the midterm election season here in the us, there have been politicians who have been using china again as part of their campaign, to drum up support for their base, weather is about competitiveness —— whether it is about... things unrelated to covid. you are seeing that play out as well. is you are seeing that play out as well. , , . ,., you are seeing that play out as well. , , ., ,., ., you are seeing that play out as well. , , ., , , well. is 'ust about covid, briefly, if ou well. isjust about covid, briefly, if you don't _ well. isjust about covid, briefly, if you don't mind, _ well. isjust about covid, briefly, if you don't mind, or— well. isjust about covid, briefly, if you don't mind, or is _ well. isjust about covid, briefly, if you don't mind, or is it - well. isjust about covid, briefly, if you don't mind, or is it more l if you don't mind, or is it more widespread? it if you don't mind, or is it more widespread?— if you don't mind, or is it more widesread? , . .y , . widespread? it has been a systemic issue, but covid _ widespread? it has been a systemic issue, but covid has _ widespread? it has been a systemic issue, but covid has certainly - issue, but covid has certainly brought it back to the forefront the last couple of years, ever since the founding of this country, there has been specific laws passed to prevent, let's say, chinese people from coming in, from getting citizenship, and then during the civil rights movement and even a couple decades after, there have been protests and violent beatings

and killings of asian americans because of the systemic belief that asians have traded some kind of economic unfairness. i asians have traded some kind of economic unfairness.— asians have traded some kind of economic unfairness. isee. hope kina, economic unfairness. isee. hope king. thanks _ economic unfairness. isee. hope king. thanks so _ economic unfairness. isee. hope king, thanks so much _ economic unfairness. i see. hope king, thanks so much for - economic unfairness. i see. hope king, thanks so much forjoiningl economic unfairness. i see. hope i king, thanks so much forjoining us. and finally, in a record 70 years on the throne, britain's queen elizabeth has dealt with no fewer than 1a prime ministers — starting with winston churchill, right through to margaret thatcher, tony blair, and now borisjohnson. one of the mainstays of the royal and political calendars is the weekly audience between monarch and prime minister, just one aspect of the queen's work on affairs of state, as our deputy political editor vicki young reports. the queen and her prime ministers. this was a reunion organised in the 1990s. head of state and head of government appear side by side for dozens of public events, but the relationship is forged behind closed doors — weekly meetings at the palace... nice to see you again. lovely to see you again. ..that we only get a glimpse of.

the queen's views are kept private, political neutrality carefully adhered to, her words written by her prime ministers. i pray that the blessing of almighty god may rest upon your counsels. her first was winston churchill. he was protective of this new young sovereign who had so much to learn. archive: now, upon the shoulders of sir anthony falls _ the role of the queen's first minister. - after churchill came anthony eden, whose decision to send troops to suez in 1956 brought national humiliation. in 1964, harold wilson became the queen's first labour prime minister. she does our homework, i hadn't done mine. i hadn't read a particular cabinet committee, which i didn't chair, and i was leaving for the weekend. she knew i hadn't done my homework, she was very nice about it. the queen's constitutional right is to be kept informed of government policy — she offers encouragement and advice. every prime minister, - i would guess, from talking with other prime ministers. and from my own experience, has the greatest _

friendliness from the queen. on rare occasions, the queen has very subtly aired her views, like this speech where mr callaghan's government was considering devolution. i cannot forget that i was crowned queen of the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland. good evening, your majesty. you've had a very long day... when margaret thatcher became britain's first female prime minister, there were reports that the queen privately disapproved of the government's social agenda. but the iron lady played down suggestions of a serious rift. even if she did say it, all right, she may have felt something, but there was never any difficulty in saying anything to me. any difficulty at all. every year, there's a royal invitation to balmoral — matters of state discussed over a cup of tea. in the years that i came - to know her as prime minister, prime ministers had private meetings with the queen each week, _ she invariably looks forward. tony blair certainly appreciated the queen's advice after his landslide

victory for labour. even though i was the politician and she was the monarch, i found her notjust useful, but sometimes deeply insightful. it's very good to welcome you here... when you have to explain what you're trying to achieve, it's a very good form of therapy. imagine doing that to the world's greatest public servant who's seen it all and heard it all. there's really no better way of getting your head straight about what you're trying to do. 1a prime ministers — 1a very different politicians with their own visions, worries and agendas. for seven decades, the queen has worked with all of them, a monarch at the heart of a democratic constitution — advising, encouraging and warning, providing continuity as each new political tide swept in. vicki young, bbc news. what a remarkable lifetime of

service. that's it for us on tuesday. thanks so much for watching. —— on newsday. do stay with bbc news. hello. a new month starts with very similar weather. after tuesday's big cloud, showers and thunderstorms, umbrellas at the ready for wednesday. the showers probably not as widespread, but there will still be some heavy ones around, with warmer sunny spells in between. low pressure's still close by. high pressure's trying to build in, and although that may be in time for the platinum jubilee weekend, there are some complications, as we'll see in a moment. this is how we start off wednesday morning, low single figures in the chilliest, clearest spots. an area of rain pulling out of wales, into the midlands, and then just turning into another batch of showers as it bears down on southeastern areas. now, many other places will start the day dry with sunny spells. cloud's going to build, scattered and at times heavy showers break out through central, southern parts of scotland, northern, central and eastern areas of england in particular,

maybe with a rumble of thunder. not many showers at all for northern ireland, northern scotland and for wales and the southwest, becoming mainly dry at the end of the afternoon, and a day where temperatures are a little bit higher than they've been. and in fact, a lot of fine weather to end the day. 0vernight and into thursday, increasing cloud towards northern ireland here. there's a weather system from the atlantic trying to feed in. ahead of that, clear spells with some patchy fog around and another rather chilly start to the day for thursday, the first, of course, of this long holiday weekend. and outbreaks of rain look as if they're going to push in very gradually towards northern ireland on thursday. ahead of that, a few showers breaking out across scotland and northern england, whereas the further south you are in england and through wales, stays largely dry. temperatures are a bit higher than they've been — we're talking high teens and low 20s. in the sunshine, it will feel warmer. what's moved into northern ireland by friday will be a batch of showers across mainly central areas, but some breaking out towards wales and southwest england as well. and away from these, still some pleasantly warm sunny spells to be had.

keeping things a bit cooler along north sea coasts with an onshore breeze. it will get stronger over the weekend, as we look to the south, to an area of low pressure throwing in some heavy and thundery showers through parts of england and wales saturday into sunday, whereas closer to high pressure, northern ireland and scotland stay mainly dry with the sunniest and the warmest weather for saturday and sunday. so from thursday onwards, yes, warmer, sunny spells, but if you've got outdoor plans — and, of course, there are street parties to be had — factor in, there will be some occasional downpours here and there.

this is bbc news, the headlines ukrainians say russian forces now control most of severodonetsk — the main focus of the russian offensive in the donbas region. the prosecutor of the international criminal court has described ukraine as a crime scene, and said the tribunal was carrying out its largest ever investigation there. ukraine's prosecutor— general said her officials had already identified more than six—hundred russian war crimes suspects. after more than two months of full lockdown, shanghai eases its covid restrictions ended at midnight on tuesday. most of the city's 25 million residents can now freely leave home, return to work, use public

transport, and drive their cars. bts — the wildly popular south korean k—pop group —