they've gone up to a% to try to control inflation. the bank's governor says there are early signs of improvement. i very much hope so, but we've onlyjust begun to turn the corner in my view, so it's too early to make that call with any, i'm afraid, degree of certainty, but i hope so. we'll be looking at the consequences for people with mortgages, credit card debt and other borrowing. also tonight... in ukraine, a former russian army officer tells the bbc that he witnessed russian soldiers engaged in torture, looting and threats of rape. the family of a missing woman who disappeared in a lancashire village, appeal for anyone who saw her to contact the police.

british gas admits there's no excuse for using debt agencies who broke into homes to fit prepayment meters. and, we speak to microsoft's bill gates about covid, vaccines and conspiracy theories. i guess people are looking for the bogeyman behind the curtain, the over—simplistic explanation. and coming up on the bbc news channel... manchester united say they will conduct their own process before determining the future of their player, mason greenwood, after assault charges were dropped against him today. good evening. the bank of england has raised interest rates to the highest level for more than 1a years, with inevitable consequences for people with mortgages, credit card debt and other borrowing. the rise — by 0.5 percentage point to 4% — is yet another attempt

to control inflation. the bank confirmed that the economy is set to enter recession this year, but it said the recession could be less pronounced than previously thought, as there are early signs that the economy is starting inflationary moments close to its highest level for a0 years. the bank is warning there are big risks to manage, their words, today. let's start tonight with our economics editor, faisal islam. so, rates have been raised consistently and rapidly in just over a year, from nearly zero to today's a%. however, the question arising today is if it will go up much further, or even stay at a%. the bank does say inflation has peaked — so let's split that into goods prices — as you can see, it has come down and the bank expects that to continue as energy prices continue to fall. but then why raise rates again? here's why. in services — restaurants,

hotels and office work, which is much more sensitive to wages, prices are still set to go up. upfront, however, is some good news. three months ago the bank expected a long and deep two—year recession. but now, they say it should be much milder, shorter and shallower — but a recession still nevertheless. but look at that picture over a few years, and the bank now says something remarkable — that after the pandemic and brexit and the energy shock, the economy has suffered some enduring hits, meaning it won't have grown at all during the 20205. still at the same size at the end of 2019 just before covid all the way over here in 2026 — more than a lost half decade. the squeeze continues. an official interest rate of a% should not feel huge, but it does, and notjust here in nuneaton forjoanne, who runs a furniture and gift shop.

the mortgage on the business has increased, gas and electric have increased, wages have increased and are due to go up again, so there's a lot of things that i have to think about on a daily basis to ensure that the business will be sustainable for the future. but could there be some relief from the bank of england? some strong hints today that this should be one of the last, even the very last, of these ten rate rises. is the central message of today's decisions in the report that we may be beyond the worst point of this crisis, with energy? well, i very much hope so, but we've onlyjust begun to turn the corner in my view, so it's too early to make that call with any degree of certainty. we think inflation is going to come down rapidly and a lot of that is down to energy prices, which have fallen rapidly. but i'm afraid there are big risks out there which mean that it may not happen in that way. the government backed the move, suggesting that putting up public sector pay too much amid the wave of strikes could risk higher interest rates,

but the opposition said borrowing costs were hitting families. the bank of england is absolutely right to do what they have done today, and we in the government must make sure we support them, by what i do in the budget, to make sure that we make it easier, not harder, for them to do what we all want to do, which is to halve inflation. ialready, before this interest rate i rise, we know that a million people coming off fixed—rate deals - or on tracker deals who on average are going to see mortgage payments going up by £2500 a year, _ so, a very difficult time for people. i britain mayjust be at a turning point in terms of the immediate energy shock recession, interest rates, inflation. but the medium—term picture for the economy is far more sluggish. there's an extraordinary chart in your report showing that since just before the pandemic, that the size of the economy, we're not at it now, but we won't be at it even in the early part of 2026. that's over five years' lost economic growth.

yes, that is extraordinary, actually. of course, we may have to conclude that covid has had bigger long—run effects than we thought it would, particularly in terms of things like the labour supply, with people choosing to come out of participating in the labour force. but you're right, it is quite remarkable in that sense. so, a softer landing in the next year, but the pandemic, brexit and the energy shock are leaving some lasting scars. faisal islam, bbc news. as we mentioned, the rise will affect many of those with mortgages, credit card debt and other borrowing. 0ur cost of living correspondent colletta smith has been talking about the cost of living pressures with people in cleckheaton, in west yorkshire. i'm 200 miles away from the uk's central bank, but decisions made in the bank of england this lunchtime will impact everybody�*s finances in lots of different ways.

fabian is under pressure to make his wages stretch to cover all his bills. i rent a one—up one—down in cleckheaton. it's small, but yeah, it goes, i'd say 35 to a0% of both our outgoings. with the interest rates going up, will my landlord put my rent up? it's notjust homeowners who are impacted by increasing interest rates. renters like fabian are, too, because if landlords are facing higher mortgage rates, then they're really likely to pass that on to tenants, or to sell up, which means prices going up for everyone in the rental market because there are fewer properties going round. don't forget, though, a landlord can't increase your rent unless you've come to the end of your tenancy agreement. it's all about the wheels for sam, so he's signed a pcp deal — a type of car loan he's paying in big monthly chunks. got my own business, that's going very well. i still live with my parents,

which is nice, on a very nominal amount of board, which is lovely. but, yeah, this is certainly the biggest thing that comes out monthly, is my lovely car. so with the interest rates going up, will my monthly car payments increase? most people on a pcp or a hire purchase deal are locked in for a particular period of time. sam hasjust re—signed for another two years, so he's ok for a while. anyone looking for a new car deal are likely to be facing higher rates because of the interest rate increase today. jane's thinking of her whole family and knows her daughter will be facing higher mortgage rates. looking at my daughter, i'm sickened for her, - but i've been there as well. we've seen some big interest rates over the years, so... _ and people that have got savings. and being careful with their money deserve to have a little bit more growth as well, definitely. - with the interest rates going up, i'd like to know when our- savings are going to show an interest increase. - banks have been slow to pass on that higher interest rate compared to what they're charging for loans at the moment.

so if you've got a choice between paying off some debt or tucking it away in savings, then you're probably better off to pay down your debt. that's nice, helen. wherever you live, it won't be long before interest rate benefits and losses filter through to your pocket. colletta smith, bbc news, in cleckheaton. joining me now is our economics editor, faisal islam. after today's events, what's your reading of things?— reading of things? definitely a shift in tone _ reading of things? definitely a shift in tone from _ reading of things? definitely a shift in tone from the - reading of things? definitely a shift in tone from the bank- reading of things? definitely a shift in tone from the bank of| shift in tone from the bank of england and there is a good reason for that which is the market price for that which is the market price for gas has fallen considerably on the back of the fact that europe generally has shown for now it can live without russian gas, so the price has fallen and that should filter its way into domestic bills eventually sometime this year but looking beyond that at slightly different message, that the successive shocks that we've had, brexit, covid, the energy shock, that they are leaving a kind of lasting imprint on the tisch economy, in the size of the

workforce primarily but also the ease with which we trade with europe. both things being affected in this forecast. so although there is light at the end of the tunnel in terms of the immediate sort of energy shock recession, beyond that little bit of concern that goes both ways in terms of what the bank of england said today.— england said today. faisal islam, our economics _ england said today. faisal islam, our economics editor. _ for more information about the economic situation, go to our cost of living section on the bbc news website. a former russian army officer has told the bbc that he witnessed russian soldiers committing crimes in ukraine, including torture, looting, and threats of rape. konstantin yefremov is the most senior figure to have spoken out so far. he says he saw one ukrainian prisoner of war being beaten and shot. mr yefremov is now considered a traitor by the russian authorities.

he's been speaking to our russia editor, steve rosenberg. this is the war in ukraine — the official russian version of it. packaged, promoted, propagandised by moscow. fearless russian soldiers fighting the good fight, defending the motherland. but konstantin yefremov was there, and the reality, he says, is very different. konstantin was a senior lieutenant in the russian army, but he's fled russia and he's agreed to tell me about crimes he says he saw russian soldiers committing in ukraine. starting here. this is one of konstantin's first photos from ukraine — an air base seized by russian troops in melitopol. translation: i saw looting there. soldiers and officers grabbed everything they could. they climbed all over the planes

and went through all the buildings. buckets, axes, bicycles — they bunged it all in trucks. konstantin says that on the day russia invaded ukraine, he tried to quit the army. he was warned he'd face up to ten years in prison for desertion. in occupied ukraine, he was sent to guard this artillery unit, and then a facility where he says he witnessed ukrainian prisoners of war being tortured. translation: the ukrainian had a blindfold on. _ the colonel put a pistol to the prisoner's forehead and said, "i'm going to count to three and then shoot you in the head." he counted and then fired just to the side of his head, on both sides. the colonel started shouting at him. isaid, "comrade, colonel, he can't hear you.

you've deafened him." the interrogations became increasingly violent, claims konstantin. translation: during anotherj interrogation, the colonel shot the prisoner in the arm and in the right leg, under the knee and hit the bone. i went to the commanders and said, "the ukrainian needs to go to hospital. he'll be dead by morning from blood loss." we dressed him up in a russian uniform and took him to hospital. we told him, "don't say you're a ukrainian prisoner of war because either the doctors will refuse to treat you or the injured russian soldiers will hear you and shoot you." the bbc has verified documents, photographs and videos provided by konstantin confirming his identity and his movements. 0nce he'd returned to russia, back on base, he was accused

of a serious breach of discipline — for refusing to go back to ukraine. he was dismissed from the army. a russian human rights group, gulagu.net, has helped him leave the country. translation: | apologise i to the whole ukrainian nation for coming to their home as an uninvited guest with a weapon in my hands. i don't even have a moral right to ask forforgiveness from the ukrainians. i can't forgive myself, so i can't expect them to forgive me. konstantin says that senior officers called him a traitor for being anti—war, but he points out that he gave an oath to protect his country, not to attack another. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow.

the family of a missing woman who disappeared in a lancashire village have appealed for anyone who saw her to contact the police. nicola bulley, who's a5, was last seen walking her dog next to the river wyre in st michael's on wyre last friday morning. a major search involving police divers, drones, helicopter and sniffer dogs has been continuing, as our correspondent danny savage reports. this is where nikki bulley was last seen alive — a riverbank in a quiet village in lancashire. she vanished from here last friday morning. today, police divers once again searched the water close to a bench where her mobile phone was found still connected to a work call. detectives say they are keeping an open mind about what happened to the mother of two young girls, but do not believe she was attacked. for her family, the last few days have been agony. people don'tjust vanish into thin air. there's got to be somebody that knows something. all we are asking, no

matter how small or big, if there's anything that you can remember that just doesn't seem right, then please reach out to the police. please just get in touch and get my sister back. police have now released a timeline of nikki bulley�*s last known movements on friday. at 8:50am she was seen by a fellow dog walker. at 9:01 she connects to a work conference call. at 9:10 she's seen in a field by a local who recognised her. 20 minutes later her work call ends, but nikki's phone stays connected. five minutes later her phone is found on a bench with her spaniel wandering close by. what happened in the minutes between her last being seen and her dog being found? the obvious concern is that nicola bulley somehow ended up in the water here, but how and why? the mystery has the community here stumped and a family with young children at their wits end.

everywhere you go there are these missing posters on fences, tied to bmp missing posters on fences, tied to lamp posts, all appealing for information. the obvious concern nikki fell into the water somehow a week ago tomorrow, but the longer it goes on with no trace of her, the more people questioned that theory. there is a family at the centre of this with two young children desperate for answers. there are dozens of officers involved, with divers, drones looking for clues, trying to find nicky and that search will continue tomorrow at first light, that will resume. danny savage, our correspondent there. the oil and gas giant shell has announced record profits of more than £32 billion for 2022 — double what the company made in the previous year. the surging prices of oil and gas

since russia's invasion of ukraine have been a majorfactor. some mps have described shell's profits as "outrageous", and they accused the government of letting energy firms "off the hook". our business editor simonjack is here with more details. these are extra—ordinary profits. the highest in shell's 115 year history, the highest ever reported by a uk listed company. £32 billion — double what it made last year as energy prices surged as the world demand recovered post—covid and soared as russian oil and gas supplies were shut off or shunned. so how much uk tax did they pay on that? £108 million in 2022 — the first time they've paid uk tax in five years. next year they're expected to pay £a05 million. now, that's peanuts, you might say, in comparison to those profits. butjust a reminder, only 5% — one twentieth of shell's money — is made here in the uk.

most of it is made in — and taxed by — other countries, and at 75% the uk has one of the highest tax rates on oil and gas in the world, and companies are allowed to offset decommissioning of old oil rigs and new investments against those revenues. the company paid £5 billion to its shareholders last year — which include pension funds — and expects to do the same next year. energy prices have come down in recent months and many will hope shell will never make this kind of money again. that's unlikely to satisfy those who think that a uk headquartered company, which has set a new record for corporate profits, should be paying more, and those who point out that shell paid more to its shareholders than it spent on renewable energy investments. a public inquiry will be held into the biggest atrocity which took place during the troubles in northern ireland.

29 people died after the bombing in the town of 0magh in august 1998, and bereaved families have been campaigning for a full inquiry for more than a decade. a belfast court ruled two years ago that there should be a new investigation into whether the attack — by the so—called real ira — could have been prevented. 0ur ireland correspondent chris page is in 0magh tonight. it is almost a quarter of a century since a car bomb exploded on this the main shopping street in 0magh. it was a sunny saturday afternoon and the loss of life was on a scale never seen before in three decades of violence in northern ireland. three families have been dealing with grief, trauma and the news that no one has been prosecuted. how much

intelligence agencies knew about the bombers and whether the security forces could have used the information to prevent the attack. that will be the focus of the new inquiry. it will have the power to compel witnesses to give evidence under oath. the government suggested the chair of the investigation will decide how much evidence should be heard in public. ministers have said at least some matters will stay private because they will involve scrutiny of intelligence gathering methods. the lengthy court case was brought by michael gallagher whose son was killed in the bombing. he is stressing the inquiry will not be shifting blame the state. he says the play will always lie with the dissident republican paramilitaries who onto this town. the inquiry is expected to last three years. british gas is facing an investigation by the energy regulator 0fgem into the practice of using debt collectors, who broke into the homes

of vulnerable people, and fitted pre—payment meters without consent. fitting the meters can result in heating being cut off. the owner of british gas, centrica, said it was "inexcusable" and has been joined by other suppliers tonight in suspending the practice. our business correspondent emma simpson has the story. hello, british gas, your gas supplier. we're here with a court warrant. debt collectors, about to break in to install a prepayment meter. this is the exciting bit. i love this bit. he didn't know about the undercover reporter, though. the customer, a single father with three young kids, isn't home. and the times found evidence of other stories like this too. if they'rejust saying, "i'm a single mum and i've got three kids," that is not a vulnerability. it is a vulnerability, but i am a bit old school, a bit hard—nosed. the company is arvato financial solutions, acting on behalf of british gas. there is nothing that i can say that

can express the horror i had when i heard this, when i saw this. it's completely unacceptable. so as soon as we heard this, we suspended arvato. arvato has said it respected and adhered to the rules. energy suppliers can legally force—fit prepayment meters. it should be a last resort if people are in arrears, and vulnerable customers shouldn't be switched. one woman told us four men broke into her home to try to put one in... the problem is, if you are forced into a prepayment meter, that effectively means if you don't have the money to top up, you are cut off from your energy supply. we've seen energy bills this year that are unprecedented for a generation or more. british gas has now suspended

all forced installations. the government has already urged all energy suppliers to do this. the pressure's now really lit up to protect the poorest customers who can't afford to pay. emma simpson, bbc news. there were "warning signs" of sexism, within in welsh rugby union, but the organisation was "in denial", according to the man who's been appointed acting chief executive. nigel walker was giving evidence to a parliamentary committee in cardiff, following the allegations of sexism and misogyny revealed in a bbc wales investigation, which heard about a "toxic culture" in the wru. 0ur correspondent wyre davies reports. wales men's team preparing for the opening six nations match against ireland in cardiff on saturday. plenty of pressure with a change of coach and in a world cup year. but the build—up has been overshadowed by a different kind of scrutiny. a bbc wales investigation detailed

allegations of sexist behaviour and a toxic culture inside the welsh rugby union and the harrowing experiences of former female employees. there was in attitude that it was ok to make sexist/ sexual comments around women. "we don't want to shine a light on the women's game because it's not fit for purpose." "they're all gay, they're all..." you know, it was that kind of culture. damage limitation was the original response from the wru but after widespread anger from within the game the new interim chief executive was today full of remorse. it's possible for thing to occur over a period of time and for people to turn a blind eye. so the warning signs have been there for quite some time. when it's presented as graphically as it was during that programme... the bbc wales programme, the week before last, it hits you like a ten tonne truck.

after what the bbc understands was a highly critical internal review into women's rugby, union bosses say they are now making progress but according to one former international, attitudes at all levels need to change. you get your goal which is to play for wales and then realise there are people within the organisation, within the union, people in positions of power that are in charge of your future that don't support the women's game. welsh rugby is a £100 million a year business. sponsors with high profiles are critical to the union's finances. and it's understood that they have made their feelings very clear. the allegations made by women to the bbc have shaken welsh rugby to the core. comparable to the racism scandal in yorkshire cricket and allegations of abuse in gymnastics. and have brought cause for fundamental change. in the words of the wru itself, this is an organisation facing an existential crisis.

wyre davies, bbc news, cardiff. bill gates, the billionaire founder of microsoft, has told the bbc he was surprised to be at the focus of so many conspiracy theories during the pandemic. mr gates has given tens of billions of pounds to the causes of global health, including fighting malaria and tackling climate change. he's been telling the bbc�*s amol rajan. for most of his life, bill gates has been the richest man in the world. but the founder of microsoft has, somehow, gone from being the face of american computing and capitalism to the front man for endless conspiracy theories. he's given tens of billions to philanthropy, focusing on climate change and global health. particularly that of children. i travelled to kenya to question him on a range of issues, including those raised by critics of his philanthropy.

who made you god? i'm not god. i mean, as a percentage of the world economy, i'm kind of rounding there, but, yes, i decided that the death of children, when i read that diarrhoea was killing half a million children and that the vaccine to stop those deaths was being given to the rich kids but not to the poor kids, isaid, "wow. now i know the area of inequity most of my money will go on." during the pandemic, gates became the subject of countless conspiracy theories. i did not expect that but, you know, during the pandemic, there were tens of millions of messages about, that i intentionally caused it or i'm tracking people, which... it's true i'm involved with vaccines but i'm involved with vaccines to save lives. you know, i guess people are looking for the bogeyman behind the curtain, the oversimplistic explanation, that its malevolence is a lot easier to understand than biology.

greta thunberg credits her asperger�*s as her special power. what is your special power? defining whether somebody is on the asperger�*s spectrum is a pretty big thing but my ability to concentrate... is very high. and when i was young, it was weirdly high. you know, to memorise things and try out my thinking, which made science and maths super interesting. and then i discovered software and was able to throw all my energy into that. you're going to turn 70 in three years, that's a big milestone for some people. how do you feel about it? no, it's strange to be an old person. i don't think of myself that way. you know, ifeel young but i have limited time. my life is two thirds done. can i get malaria eradication done? i think so.

bill gates... thank you. ..a real pleasure to talk to you. amol rajan, bbc news, kenya. and you can see that interview in full, tomorrow night at 7.30 on bbc two, when bill gates also the programme will also be available on iplayer and as a podcast on bbc sounds. time for a look at the weather. weather changes on their way for the weekend. here are a lot of cloud out there, that made for some decent sunset views. by sunday, more sunshine out there but temperatures will have dropped. along with all of the cloud moving in. plenty of mild air across as right now but lower temperatures by sunday, although the sky by then will be bluer. a lot of cloud out there tonight, very windy

across scotland, northern ireland, northern england with the rain moving southwards.