tonight at ten... russia claims a strategic victory after some of the firecest fighting in the war in ukraine. after months of pounding, the kremlin says the town of soledar in the east has been captured. the toll on civilians has been devastating and president zelensky says his forces are continuing to fight. we'll assess the significance with our international editor, jeremy bowen. also tonight... the manchester city footballer benjamin mendy is found not guilty of rape and sexual assault but he faces a retrial on two counts. finding residential care for a loved one living with dementia,

we follow one family's battle. global tributes to lisa marie presley, the only child of elvis, who's died suddenly at the age of 5a. and we speak to eric cantona about his new exibition on sportsman who've changed the world, and how the premier league has lost its soul. i feel that if i was in england today i would support a club in the second division, i think. and stay with us here on bbc news channel for continuing coverage and analysis with our team of correspondents in the uk and around the world. good evening. after months of intense fighting, russia says it's captured the eastern ukrainian

town of soledar. the area's been pounded for weeks by russian fire, as you can see here. in fact, it's seen some of the most intense battles of the war. ukraine denies russia has full control, saying its forces continue to resist. it's the first ukrainan town russia has claimed to have captured sincejuly — after six months of military setbacks. the next target of the russian offensive could be nearby bakhmut — in preparation for an assault on the key city of kramatorsk. our ukraine correspondent james waterhouse reports. a salt mining town under russian assault, soledar has become a story of carnage and contradiction. after months of bloody fighting, an attempt by russia to give a clear message. for the first time, a claim, to be in complete control, and that this town is the start of something bigger. "the capture of soledar became

possible due to the constant destruction of the enemy," says russia's defence ministry. "by ground attack, aircraft, missiles, and artillery." but ukraine is saying... "fighting continues in soledar, our troops are holding defence against the enemy." ukraine has resisted russia's attack here for months. the price is getting heavier. translation: we will never give up. this is our soledar, our city, and we will not give it to anyone. ukraine is ours. as soon as we see the russian soldiers we will hit them. the kremlin has not had anything to cheer about for the last six months since it last captured a major location. soledar would change that but it's also why kyiv is hinting at a possible retreat, and that is because the last time a city fell russia made minimal gains and ukraine retook swathes

of territory elsewhere. it's also why soledar is unlikely to alter the course of this war. we were in the nearby city of bakhmut last weekend, an urban battlefield that could not have felt further from the politics of control. ukraine is trying to portray its own momentum. translation: the aggressor must be defeated on the ukrainian land - where he came so that it won't be necessary to fight on the lands of other european nations later. we need to do it now so that russia does not get a break, does not have time to adapt and restore its strength. this year is crucial. more western weapons are on their way to ukraine. the fear is, without them, russia's advance might not stop at soledar. james waterhouse, bbc news, kyiv. our international editor jeremy bowen is here. how important is this region?

i was there in soledar last summer, it is a small town, on a hill, so thatis it is a small town, on a hill, so that is quite useful for artillery, but for the russians it is more symbolic, and it may be a sign and you could hear that from what president zelensky said in that clip, saying that the time is now, we need more help. there's a feeling the russians may be learning a few lessons and it may be getting their act together and they still have big problems. logistics, command and control, terrible morale, but this is a victory and they have had a lot of setbacks so the evening from the kremlin has improved.— of setbacks so the evening from the kremlin has improved. longer term, what is your— kremlin has improved. longer term, what is your reading _ kremlin has improved. longer term, what is your reading of _ kremlin has improved. longer term, what is your reading of where - kremlin has improved. longer term, what is your reading of where the . what is your reading of where the war is going? this what is your reading of where the war is going?— what is your reading of where the war is going? this is a remarkable statistic, ukraine _ war is going? this is a remarkable statistic, ukraine has— war is going? this is a remarkable statistic, ukraine has been - war is going? this is a remarkable statistic, ukraine has been firing l statistic, ukraine has been firing as many heavy artillery shells in a week as the us makes in a month and what this means is that there has to be a big decision is taken about the level of support that the ukrainians get and we heard from president zelensky, they want more, they always want more, and there have

been some of the taboos about what they can have, they have gone, they are getting patriot missiles, and there is talk of tanks as well. but there is talk of tanks as well. but the fact is, to get to a state where they can actually try and get towards a victory, they will need a lot more than that. the us navy secretary has said, they are getting so much at the moment, by the sum of the us navy may have to choose between arming itself and arming ukraine —— by the summer. but to get to the victory point the need, the west and the americans will have to make a big commitment in terms of real war economy sacrifices and simply, real war economy sacrifices and supply, and that commitment has not been made. , , ., ., been made. jeremy, thanks for “oininu been made. jeremy, thanks for joining us- _ the manchester city footballer, benjamin mendy, has been found not guilty on six counts of rape, and one of sexual assault. butjurors at chester crown court

failed to reach verdicts on two other charges, meaning he will now face a re—trial later this year. another man, louis saha matturie, was also found not guilty of three counts of rape relating to two teenagers. our north of england correspondent, danny savage, has the details. commentator: and it came to mendy! oh, what a clearance. he was the millionaire footballer who had the world at his feet, but what now for benjamin mendy? it's a brilliant strike from mendy. cleared of the majority of charges against him, but facing a retrial on two others a jury couldn't decide upon. so, come to the darkness. mendy lived here, a mansion in a prosperous cheshire village — where the court heard he ignored lockdown rules and had parties. his trial heard he told one woman it would be her privilege to sleep with him. he would meet them in restaurants and nightclubs, arguably charm them with his strong french accent,

and bring them back here. a country house, where the prosecution claimed some women felt vulnerable, scared and isolated. but a jury concluded that he wasn't guilty of six alleged rapes said to have happened here. and here is like the cinema place. this is mendy giving a guided tour of his gilded life. in court he gave evidence in his defence, insisting he hadn't forced anyone to do anything. mendy was a member of a world cup winning squad and won the premier league with manchester city. despite being cleared of many charges, it's hard to see him resurrecting his career any time soon. one of the interesting things that came out of the trial was his own defence lawyer saying, effectively, his career in football in this country is over. and that was a recognition that in terms of the behaviour that came out in the trial and the way that he, by his own admission, treated women, it makes it very, very difficult to employ him.

benjamin mendy�*s solicitor today said the player is delighted at being unanimously acquitted of eight out of ten charges he faced and that he looks forward to clearing his name in relation to the other two charges, so he can start rebuilding his life. danny savage, bbc news, chester. a man has appeared in court charged with murdering the beautician ellie edwards in merseyside. the 26 year old was shot in the head at a pub in wallasey, on christmas eve. connor chapman, who's 22, has been remanded in custody. police say a woman who died after being attacked by a dog in surrey yesterday was walking a number of dogs at the time. paramedics were unable to save the 28—year—old after she was attacked at gravelly hill in caterham. a second woman who received treatment for dog bites has since been discharged from hospital. no arrests have been made. the economy unexpectedly grew in

november, according to new figures. the office for national statistics said it rose 0.1% overall, with pubs and restaurants boosting growth, as people went out to watch the world cup. our economics editor faisal islam reports. at g—tech in worcester, their cordless vacuum cleaners sold well during the black friday discounts in november, but founder nick gray says british consumers are far from cleaning up in current circumstances. we can very much tell that there's a little bit of tension in consumers, and we feel it ourselves. the winter world cup in qatar did cause an upsurge in spending in pubs and bars and on pizza delivery that helped the economy post surprise growth in the month of november. it could stave off a formal recession, at least for a bit. so this is what those numbers look like month to month. you can see the economy shrank during covid — that's january 2021 — growing when the restrictions eased.

and now the economy is still weak but mayjust have grown, or at least not fallen further, at the end of last year. however, what really matters now is this year, and you can see here that inflation should have peaked at the end of 2022, according to the forecast, but it's still high — driven, as you can see, by food prices in red, energy in blue and fuel in black. and although it is coming down, it's still very high across this year. and with interest rates rising too, this is when it eats into incomes. and inflation would have been even higher were it not for the government's energy price guarantee. the net effect, though, on the economy can be seen in this chart. the uk economy tanked during covid and is still, even after today's figures, smaller than it was in 2019 before the pandemic. the government's own forecasts point to it not recovering to that 2019 level actually until the end

of 2024, as households continue to be hit hard. so the question from today's figures is whether the british consumer isjust a bit more resilient to these shocks or if this was a world cup related one—off adding to the hangover from festive spending right now. back in worcester town centre, there's worry. we certainly have not had the heating on. i am very, very frugal with my heating and hot water, believe you me. we've not got the heating on atj the moment and stuff like that, just because you can't afford it. with interest rates set to be hiked further next month to around 4% and taxes going up, too, the economy and households remain under recessionary pressure. faisal islam, bbc news. it is a dilemma for many families — when to move towards residential care for a loved one living

with dementia, and whether or not they'll get a place. three years ago a high flying businesswoman, drjo wilson, was diagnosed with alzheimers, at the age ofjust 66, and for the past six months, we've been following her story, as her husband bill has battled to get enough help and care. 0ur uk affairs correspondent, jermey cooke, has the latest. i'm back in newcastle. there's word from bill. trouble, i hear. bad news. i'm just beyond, beyond everything. i don't know if i'm coming or going. i'm going round and round in circles. stand up. last year we saw how bill is devoted to his wife, jo. but now the cruel grip of alzheimer's is tightening as the days and weeks go by. have a little sip.

today, jo's childhood friend christine is here to help. for this professional, successful woman it's come to this. bill has always wanted to keepjo at home but months ago now he had to admit it's become too much. i thought i was beyond exhausted the last time i saw you. that was a walk in the park compared to where i am now. you might remember bev. you look well this morning! she's the boss of dementia matters where jo comes for daycare. we've been really worried aboutjo. she hasn't... she has struggled since christmas, really. here, they have a room forjo ready to move into but everything is on hold, bev is still waiting for official sign off. getting dementia patients into residential care means they may be less likely to need a priceless hospital bed. just to be clear, if people are here then for the most part they aren't in a hospital? exactly. we've got capacity here

to open up more beds. we could extend and increase our day services by opening up overthe weekend. can i have a little i listen to your chest? back at home, jo isn't so well. bill has called the doctor's surgery, and caroline is here to help. you're doing really good. a classic case of where a dementia patient may end up in hospital. the heart rate is a wee bit fast. for bill it's a "no." when the oxygen is that low we would normally i pop her to hospital. right. i'm going to say "no." i thought you might. bill has been waiting four weeks forjo's room to get the go—ahead from the regulator. finally, bev is on the line. hi, bill. hi, bev. you're on speakerphone. bill, we are ready when you're ready. 0k. is this a green light now? yes. sojo can move into that room?

yes. brilliant. it can be tomorrow. for years bill has known this was likely to happen. it's what he and jo desperately need. still, it's not easy. i've kind of built up to this moment but when someone says it out loud, i'm devastated. because it's real? yeah. and... i don't know what to do. i know what i have to do. i don't have a choice. but it's so hard. it's so hard. dementia takes so much from so many. residential care means that big financial worries will have to be faced but for bill and jo the actual bottom line is the reality, that this weekend will be their last days at home under one roof after 47 years together. jeremy cooke — bbc news.

millions more people in england and wales, could be prescribed statins to lower their cholesterol. the pills are prescribed to those at high risk of a heart attack or stroke, but under new advice for the nhs, they should be considered for those at a lower risk too. our medical editor, fergus walsh, is here. at least 7 million, mostly older adults in the uk take statins, these cholesterol busting pills cost just a few pence per patient per day. cholesterol is a fatty substance mainly produced by the liver. high levels of bad cholesterol can clog your arteries restricting blood flow, causing problems like heart disease. statins work by lowering levels of bad cholesterol, so reducing the risks. the current nhs guidance is that if you have a i in 10 risk of a heart attack or stroke

in the next 10 years you should be offered a statin. the new recommendation from the health assessment body nice is this should be widened to those with a i in 20 risk which would include millions more younger adults. nice reckons that for every 1,000 people at low risk who take a statin, it would prevent 20 of them getting heart disease or having a stroke. over the years there's been a lot of discussion about the side effects of statins. the most common is muscle pains. but a definitive study last year from oxford university found this risk was very small, and disappeared a year after starting the pills. the british heart foundation says patients should discuss the risks and benefits of statins with their doctor, healthy diet and exercise are also crucial elements in lowering your cholesterol.

a builderfrom sussex, who murdered two women, has been sentenced to a minimum of 49 years in jail. mark brown, who's a1, was found guilty last month of killing leah ware and alex morgan, in 2021. he was sentenced in his absence, after refusing to attend hove crown court. leah ware's mother has been speaking to our correspondent, duncan kennedy. when i first heard that she'd been murdered, i wouldn't believe it. i couldn't. but if he would've been there today... rebecca martin is tormented by the death of her daughter leah. leah was killed six months before alex morgan — two young mothers murdered by someone thejudge called "depraved." he was mark brown, today told he will spend at least 49 years in prison — a man leah's mother cannot forgive. ifind it very, very hard

because i'm a christian and forgiveness is everything, but this has been the hardest thing — i cannot forgive him for taking my girl. taking away the children's mum. brown murdered leah ware and alex morgan at this remote farm in hastings in 2021. he admitted burning alex's body but has never revealed what he did with leah's — something that haunts her mother. he's got to tell us. and i will do whatever i have to do to get him to tell me. if i have to go and see him face to face, i will do it, i will plead with him, i will beg him. and i'm a proud woman. i would get on my knees and beg him

to tell us where she is. sorry. the judge said mark brown was controlling and manipulative, obsessed with violent pornography. for leah's mother, it's a moment of profound sadness for the daughter taken and now unseen. hard to put all of it into words, really. she was my angel... ..and she always will be. leah ware and alex morgan, two lives shortened by a man who today faced justice. duncan kennedy, bbc news. let's take a look at some of the other top stories. an explosion has hit a gas pipeline in northern lithuania, which is connected to latvia.

flames reached 50 metres high but there were no reports of injuries. the grid operator says the gas supply to latvia, has now been restored. donald trump's business organisation has been fined $1.6 million for tax fraud — the maximum allowed. jurors had found the trump organization guilty of falsifying business records to avoid tax — for over 15 years. the former president and his family were not among those facing charges. and the sportswear firm, adidas, has lost a legal bid, to stop a fashion designer from using a four stripe design logo, which the company said was too similar, to its three stripe design. thom browne won the case, after his lawyers argued that consumers were unlikely to confuse the two, because three stripes, is different to four. there have been fulsome tributes to the singer and songwriter, lisa marie presley, who's died suddenly at the age of 5a. she suffered a cardiac arrest at her home in california.

she was the only child of elvis presley, and was previously married to michaeljackson and nicholas cage. our entertainment correspondent, colin paterson, looks back at her life. lisa marie presley on the red carpet at the golden globes on tuesday evening, two days before she died. that night, austin butler won a best actor globe for playing her father elvis in baz luhrmann�*s biopic. the film deals with the tragic end to elvis's life. now, there is yet another terrible chapter to the family saga. thank you for opening your hearts, your memories and home to me. lisa marie, i love you forever. on thursday, lisa marie presley was found unresponsive at her home in calabasas, california, and rushed to hospital.

this comes just three years after her son ben keough took his own life after having spoken about the pressures of being a presley. she was elvis presley's only child, born exactly nine months to the day after his wedding to priscilla. lisa marie was nine when elvis died, making her thejoint heir to his estate, inheriting the lot at 25. there were four marriages. 20 days after the first ended, she wed michaeljackson, uniting two of the most famous names in music. even appearing in his video for you are not alone. they were together for little more than a year. her marriage to oscar—winning actor nicolas cage was even shorter — 108 days. in 2003, lisa marie presley launched her own music career, making the uk top 20 with lights out. # i was crying every time i'd leave you #. a big music lover, you know.

had a huge impact on me my whole life, so i didn't do it to become a pop, you know, whatever. it's not a pop record. but ijust sort of needed to do my own thing. she also recorded a number of duets, combining her vocals with the original takes by her late father. tom hanks, who stars in the elvis film, was one of the first to pay tribute, describing himself as "absolutely broken." while nicolas cage said, "lisa had the greatest laugh of anyone i ever met." fans have begun to turn up at graceland to pay tribute. once again, a presley is being mourned. lisa marie presley, who's died aged 5a.

he was one of the leading lights of the premier league, when it began in the early 90s, but now the former manchester united forward, eric cantona, says big money is ruining the game. now an actor and art enthusist, he's co—curated an exhibition of paintings, looking at major figures in the sport, who've used foorball, to bring about societal change. nick robinson has that story. for the man they still call the king, football was always much more than a game. it was an art form and eric cantona believes art should always make a statement as it does in this new exhibition of paintings of great sports men and women who changed things off as well as on the pitch. football is an art, from my point of view. we can use football in sport because you have a great sports man who has been

brave enough to try to change things, even the first black player to play for england. and the same thing with socrates in brazil. trying to promote democracy. eric cantona helped propel manchester united to trophy after trophy in the 1990s. his goals are still revered but football has changed so much since then. it is not only football, it is modern life, the winter olympic games in asia, it went to saudi arabia, which is unbelievable, it seems that money can buy everything. success these days is oiled with millions from the arab world. the saudis are helping to turn

newcastle into winners again, manchester city's rise to the top was funded by abu dhabi, and arsenal's emirates stadium is sponsored by dubai. if i was in england today, i would support a club in the second division, i think. in a better atmosphere of football. i love football and i love the atmosphere of football and i do not know why some clubs change their stadium to be a bigger stadium. i think arsenal, when they left highbury, they left their soul. but he hopes that the new stars will use their influence beyond the world of sport. i'm very optimistic and i really believe in the new generations. the message of this powerful exhibition in eric cantona's adopted home is that sport can be about so much more than money. it can be about hope. and change. and evenjustice. nick robinson, bbc news, at the national football museum in manchester.

time for a look at the weather, here's stav. rain, rain, go away, come again another day. it is going away but we will swap for wintry conditions from sunday onwards, so we different set of hazards. it's been very wet from the 1st of january this month. we hazards. it's been very wet from the 1st ofjanuary this month. we have seen well over a month's worth of rain already. a number of flood dwellings in place, particularly in southern part of the uk, river levels breaching their banks. head online to check the latest status near you. the rain will start to clear this weekend. but we are swapping the wind and rain and flood warnings with ice and snow warnings from sunday onwards. we will get a taste of winter. this area of rain is what is pushing up across the south and west. rain from the lake district all the way south. some

areas could see 20 millimetres of rain, on top of what we've already had, river levels are running high, likely to see flooding issues as the rain continues to push eastwards. the northern half of scotland will stay drier with a few wintry showers. but it will be cold. further south with the wind and rain it'll be milder. an atrocious start of the morning tomorrow. terrible conditions on the road. standing water, localised flooding. the rain will clear away. water, localised flooding. the rain will clearaway. it water, localised flooding. the rain will clear away. it brightens up for all areas. will clear away. it brightens up for allareas. sunny will clear away. it brightens up for all areas. sunny spells, scattered showers, particularly across the northern half of the country and they will have a wintry element over they will have a wintry element over the hills as it'll be turning cold in the north and the west. the last dregs of the milder air in the south—east but that will get pushed away during saturday night then we are all in the arctic air for sunday, winds coming down from the north. the weather front enhancing shower reactivity for northern ireland over to the midlands. wintering is in that. snow showers affecting the far north of scotland.