welcome to newsday. reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines... police in georgia crack down on protestors, as thousands demonstrate against controversial new laws. this place outside of georgia's parliament in the capital of tbilisi has been the scene of so many antigovernment and anti—russian protests over the year, but this time the government may have gone too far. an investigation into the killing of the black woman breonna taylor concludes that a us police force indulged in routine discrimination, illegal searches and the use of excessive force.

britain's government is accused of utter failure over its plans to stop migrant boats, but the prime minister insists they're the �*people�*s priority�*. and australia looks set to become the first country insists they're the �*people�*s priority�*. and australia looks set to become the first country in the world to totally eliminate cervical cancer. welcome to bbc news — broadcasting to viewers in the uk and around the world. we begin in the former soviet republic of georgia, where large crowds, as you can see here in the live pictures, have been protesting against new laws

which critics say will limit freedoms. the biggest demonstrations were in the capital, tbilisi — where police used water cannons and tear gas to try to disperse the crowds. stu n stun guns have also been used. the scene on the ground still pretty chaotic, as you can see there. our correspondent rayhan demytrie is in tbilisi and she sent us this update. every big moment in history has its iconic image — this may be georgia's. on tuesday, thousands of protesters stood for europe and stood their ground against water cannons, tear gas and pepper spray.

and they even fought back. 55 police officers were injured. protesters have been outraged by what's been happening in parliament. pro—government mps spoiling for a fight with the opposition and then backing a controversial foreign agents bill. the law would require ngos and media that get more than 20% of their funding from abroad to label themselves as agents of foreign influence. it's in the same spirit as russia's foreign agent law, which over the years has been used to stigmatize and silence critical voices. the georgian government says that it wants more transparency and that the bill has been copied from an american law. but in a statement, the united states embassy in tbilisi described it

as �*kremlin—inspired" legislation and said it was a dark day for georgian democracy. this place outside georgia's parliament in the capital, tbilisi, has been the scene of so many anti—government and anti—russia protests over the years. but this time the governments may have gone too far. the country's opposition is powerless to change things inside parliament because the government holds a majority of seats. but it doesn't mean that the people of georgia are ready to give up the fight for their country to have a future in europe. we belong to europe. we are europe. i'm here along with all these people, to guarantee that there will never be a russian rule here — ever. on the international stage, georgia's authorities say they want to join the eu, but their actions back at home speak louder than their words abroad. this could be georgia's maidan

moment, the first stirrings of mass unrest against the government that appears increasingly out of sync with its own population. i want to take you back to tbilisi live to the scene on the ground now. you can see protesters they are a building some sort of a barricade from the looks of it. but the scene looks increasingly tense. just to remind you what were looking out, it is the scene in tbilisi, the georgian capital, where tens of thousands of people have been protesting and hundreds of riot police have been moving in on demonstrators they are. they have been using tear gas, water cannons, and stun grenades. at the same time, these people who have been demonstrating are trying to oppose a bill that they say is modelled on a russian one thatis is modelled on a russian one that is used to suppress civil

liberties. at times they have been united at shining their mobile phones in darkness, carrying national and eu flags, chanting for the laws to be repealed. you can see our show of patron as well, and that sort of makeshift barricade thatis sort of makeshift barricade that is being built right in front of arrives. a scene very chaotic, as i say, and we be sure to come back to that when we hear more from our teams on the ground. for now, i want to move to other stories for you today. the us justice department has delivered a damning indictment of louisville police department — over the fatal shooting of a black woman in 2020. breonna taylor was shot dead by police during a raid on her home in 2020. an investigation by thejustice department has concluded that the police department in louisville routinely discriminated against black people, used excessive force and conducted illegal searches. here is what attorney general merrick garland had to say. lmpd uses excessive force,

including unjustified neck restraints and the unreasonable use of police dogs and tasers, conducts searches based on invalid warrants, unlawfully executes warrants without knocking and announcing, unlawfully stops, searches, detains, and arrests people, unlawfully discriminates against black people in enforcement activities. our north america correspondent, nada tawfik has more. the department ofjustice after the black lives matter movement in 2020 really took off after the killings of george floyd and breonna taylor. they have launched these investigations. now, the investigation into minneapolis is still ongoing. but here we have a really damning indictment about what happened in louisville, kentucky, in this 86 page report.

you heard the attorney general, merrick garland, outlining there just exactly how this was a pattern of racial discrimination. i mean, he detailed how police officers videotaped themselves throwing drinks from their cars at people, how they insulted disabled people, how they used racial slurs against black citizens, calling them things like animal, monkey boy. and he said this extended even into the department's practices when it was looking into sexual assault calls or other calls that were of a sensitive nature. and he said that this really eroded the community trust that is so needed when we are talking about effective policing in communities. so this really speaks, i think, to what a lot of activists have been saying, that there is a widespread toxic culture in policing that needs to be addressed. merrick garland talked about the fact that there are cops who do theirjob very well and serve the community, but that he did see

this pattern here. and i think that makes this report incredibly significant. so where do we go from here now that, as you point out, there has been such a great deal of detail and evidence in that report? where do we go from here? well, if you look at louisville, what the attorney general has reached with the city and the government there is what's called a legally binding consent decree. so they actually have to have a monitor that will oversee a lot of the reforms that they have agreed now to put in place as a result of this report. if we look at what happened with tyree nichols in memphis, well, the police chief there has actually asked the department ofjustice to look at their practices and to come up with recommendations. and we know that the department ofjustice is more widely looking at some of these specialised police units.

remember, five of the police officers who beat and killed tyree nichols, who are now facing murder charges, second degree murder charges, they were part of a specialised unit that was actually supposed to reduce crime in these areas. but what many citizens there said actuallyjust led to intimidating the community. so i think we are now seeing some of these reforms having to be put in place. i think for, you know, social justice advocates, they're going to continue pushing for those reforms and trying to hold these police departments to account to see if anything really changes. the proposed legislation would ban people who arrive in the country in small boats from seeking british citizenship. the government has been accused of delivering utter failure and call the latest plan a get gimmick.

we do not consider that we have crossed the boundary and we do not consider that we are in unlawful territory. labour don't want to appear soft as some see it, but reckon the governments approach continues to be hopeless.— to be hopeless. after13 years, small boat _ to be hopeless. after13 years, small boat claimants _ to be hopeless. after13 years, small boat claimants higher. small boat claimants higher than — small boat claimants higher than ever, the taxpayer playing for hotel— than ever, the taxpayer playing for hotel rooms, criminal gangs running — for hotel rooms, criminal gangs running all— for hotel rooms, criminal gangs running all the way laughing to the bank _ running all the way laughing to the bank. an asylum system utterly— the bank. an asylum system utterly broken.— utterly broken. the prime minister _ utterly broken. the prime minister said _ utterly broken. the prime minister said labour - utterly broken. the prime minister said labour had l minister said labour had opposed many of his plans, including sending a simon seachrist to rolanda. this is the peeple's _ seachrist to rolanda. this is the people's priority. - seachrist to rolanda. this is the people's priority. he - the people's priority. he wanted _ the people's priority. he wanted to in his words, scrapped the row and the deal. he voted — scrapped the row and the deal. he voted against measures to

deport — he voted against measures to deport foreign criminals. mr speaker, _ deport foreign criminals. mr speaker, and he even argued against — speaker, and he even argued against deportation flights. he's— against deportation flights. he'sjust another lefty against deportation flights. he's just another lefty lawyer standing in our way. he'sjust another lefty lawyer standing in our way.- he'sjust another lefty lawyer standing in our way. talking of criticisinu standing in our way. talking of criticising lawyers _ standing in our way. talking of criticising lawyers and - criticising lawyers and governors, look at this. an e—mail that didn't come from the home office, but the conservative party, suggesting previous policies on small boats were blocked by an activist blob of left—wing lawyers, civil servants, and the labour party. it's all in the labour party. it's all in the name of the home secretary, even though she's claiming she knew nothing about it. civil servants are furious. the conservative _ servants are furious. the conservative party - servants are furious. the conservative party made| servants are furious. tue: conservative party made a mistake, admit it. apologise to the people you have insulted. those people are working and some of the most difficult or complex areas of government. they deserve better than this. they deserve better than this. the conservative party such as looking into it. back in the cartons, the scottish national party accused the government of exaggerating. this party accused the government of exaggerating-— exaggerating. this was a tory government _ exaggerating. this was a tory government that _ exaggerating. this was a tory government that said - exaggerating. this was a tory government that said 100 - government that said 100 million _ government that said 100

million people could be coming to the — million people could be coming to the shores. and this is a tory government that this morning said that number could in fact— morning said that number could in fact be — morning said that number could in fact be billions. complete and — in fact be billions. complete and utter nonsense. may i ask the prime _ and utter nonsense. may i ask the prime minister, from whom are his — the prime minister, from whom are his government taking inspiration, nigel farage's the fi . ure inspiration, nigel farage's the fiaure of inspiration, nigel farage's the figure of 100 million, inspiration, nigel farage's the figure of100 million, it doesn't _ figure of100 million, it doesn't come - figure of100 million, it doesn't come from - figure of100 million, it doesn't come from the | doesn't come from the governments, - doesn't come from the governments, it- doesn't come from the | governments, it comes doesn't come from the - governments, it comes from the united _ governments, it comes from the united nations, _ governments, it comes from the united nations, mr— governments, it comes from the united nations, mr speaker. - governments, it comes from the | united nations, mr speaker. and it illustrates _ united nations, mr speaker. and it illustrates the _ united nations, mr speaker. and it illustrates the scale _ united nations, mr speaker. and it illustrates the scale of- united nations, mr speaker. and it illustrates the scale of the - it illustrates the scale of the global— it illustrates the scale of the global migration. _ it illustrates the scale of the global migration.— global migration. and this is the governments _ the governments greatest response to what it calls a crisis. a former raf base in essex that will be used to house migrants. our correspondent has been asking if this will stop people from crossing the channel.

in the sudanese migrant camp in calais, they understand determination. you don't end up here without it. the prime minister's own resolve to stop the boats shrugged off around the campfire. "we will never stop, we will never give up," they said. salah has been trying to reach the uk since last summer. we showed him the home secretary's speech to parliament yesterday and explained what the new policy means. yes, i will go uk. that's my ambition, my dream. he told us he would rather be in prison in the uk than stay free here in france. if i go to prison, no problem, i can stay in england, yes. even in prison? yes, no problem. i will come england. but he said he would take extreme action, perhaps even take his own life, if he was faced with deportation. i will not return in rwanda if that is happening. i can kill myself, but i'm not returning rwanda. police now routinely clear tents from sites like this

and patrols stopped 40% of small boat crossings last year. the vast migrant camps you used to see here in northern france have now largely gone. they have been replaced by these smaller scattered groups. uk immigration policy may have got tougher in recent years, but conditions here in the camps have also got much harder — an added incentive to leave. aid workers say that suicides in the camps have risen for the refugees, - it is the french police who is very bad and it is calais which is a very bad place to be, but if we tell them that it is the uk government who gives the money to make those fences and pay those police, mostly they don't believe it, they will say, "no, no, uk will never do that, many cling harder to the lure of life across the channel. the uk wants to make the price not worth the passage,

but caution is a luxury many here say they cannot afford. lucy williamson, bbc news, calais. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme... england's �*lionesses' football team are celebrating another victory. we heard there's gunshots and they started firing. we were all petrified. james earl ray, aged 41,

sentenced to 99 years, l paul, what is if you like to be married at last? it feels fine, thank you. do you think of the marriage will change your life do you think's i don't know, - i've never been married before. this is newsday on the bbc. our headlines.. as thousands demonstrate against controversial new laws. police have been using pepper

spray to clear the streets of protesters who have been angered by legislation that they say will restrict civil liberties. you can see now, it's just about four o'clock in the morning there, and people, dozens of them are still on the streets, very angry and chaotic scenes. just moments ago, we have seen tens of thousands of demonstrators gathering here for a second day, and georgia's parliament member approved a first reading of the bill, despite public protests that we have seen an international condemnation. the governing party says that foreign agents law will root out people working against the interests of georgia and its orthodox church. the us and president zelenskyy have expressed support for the georgian people. we will have more for you on that story throughout the day here on bbc news. i want to take you now to australia, which says it is on track to become the first country in the world to totally eliminate cervical cancer. globally, this is the fourth most common cancer and also the

fourth leading cause of cancer death. the world health i organisation has a target to eliminate cervical cancer within the next century, but australia could achieve that as soon as 2028. this type of cancer is entirely treatable, given screening, vaccination, and access to treatment, but it's also a disease of inequality with low income groups facing the worst survival rates. earlier i spoke to doctor nightingale from the malvern school of publishing in global health and asked her why australia cervical cancer strategy was so successful. thank you for having me. australia has had a very strong focus on prevention for a very long time. as you mentioned, screening and vaccination a very important here. so australia has had a screening programme for the last 30 years, either in the form of a pap

test as many people will know or more recently hpv testing. about 60 to 70% of women have participated regularly in this programme, and also australia introduced a school—based vaccination programme to girls in 2007 and extended to boys in 2013. both these programmes have led to very low rates of cervical cancer here and have resulted in are staying on track to eliminate cervical cancer is a public health problem. but there are some women and some people with her cervix in australia that do participate in lower rates, and therefore do continue to remain at higher risk of cervical cancer. why is it so difficult to reach these people? what are the challenges to getting this treatment to those who need it? it's really getting people access to the right prevention mechanisms. so for screening, so aboriginal people, some culturally and diverse immunities, people living

with a disability and gender diverse people can face barriers to screening, including a lack of services that they have access to, that make them feel safe, embarrassment, shame, and additional cultural we hope that some of these barriers can be overcome with the newer screening option, and it is self collection. talks of her and held with you screens president regarding exporting grain. it allows ships to sail from southern ukraine into the international waters

of the black sea — cross the bosporus strait and continue past istanbul, avoiding mined areas. the deal�*s up for renewal next week and russia has signalled it may not agree to extend it. antonio guterres says the agreement offers critical relief to those in developing countries. export of grain from ukrainian ports. this contributed to lowering the global cost of feud and has offered critical relief to people who are also paying a high price for this war, particularly in the developing world. indeed, the food and agricultural organisation food price index has fallen by almost 20% over the last year. export of ukrainian as well as russian food and fertiliser are essential to global food security and food prices. i want to underscore the critical importance of the rollover of the black sea grain initiative on 18

march, and are working to create the conditions to enable the greatest possible news of export infrastructures through the black sea, in line with the objectives of the initiative. following on from their momentous win at last summer's women's football euros, england's lionesses team are celebrating another victory. they've persuaded the uk government to put more money into sport for girls. the plans were announced on international women's day and means girls at schools in england will be offered the chance to play football and have the opportunity of at least two hours of pe every week. here's our sports correspondent natalie pirks. it was a moment that english football will never forget. but the next day, despite bleary eyes, the team were laser focused on their next target, ensuring equal access to sport for school girls. today, on international women's day, the prime minister granted their wish. we are passionate about a lasting legacy and the next generation of football for girls especially, but it is exciting times ahead,

and hopefully there are girls who can take over from us and do better. fantastic football players but so much more, their consciousness, that social conscience and trying to have a positive impact on society has brought us where we are today. with a two year cash injection, the government wants all english primary schools to achieve sport gender equality and commit to a minimum of two hours of pe a week. these figures illustrate why. 72% of girls play as much football as boys in primary school, but by the time they reach secondary school, the figure drops to 41%. only 46% of all schools offer girls the same access to football via after—school clubs, and figures released last week show that is an enjoyment gap of more than two million fewer women who enjoy getting active compared to men. a lot of that is down to experiences in school. it feels really brilliant because just knowing that everyone is equal, it's really important. i am really glad because i

think everyone should be equal and get the same amount of support. a note of caution, though, the department for education has ploughed billions of taxpayer cash into ring fenced pe funding in the last ten years with little scrutiny of actual spend and impact. just how will they ensure schools now deliver on their big promise? it is potentially wonderful news for all primary schools in receipt of the funding, and the important thing is the devil is in the detail. we need ofsted to scrutinise what schools do thoroughly, which they have not done since september 2019. by helping to remove barriers for future players, the lionesses have shown they are not afraid to fight for their legacy. are you ready to go and be our next generation of football stars ? now the government must hold up their side of the bargain.

that's it for us. thanks for watching. we stay with bbc news for the latest global headlines and analysis. hello there. we have some disruptive weather on the way in the next 2a to 48 hours. looks very snowy indeed across a central swathe of the uk. the met office have issued an amber warning for heavy snow across northern england, particularly over the pennines, where we're likely to see up to a0 centimetres of snow by the time we move through thursday, thursday night and into friday morning. reason for it, this deep area of low pressure with all its rains pushing into the cold air. so although we'll have rain south of the m4 corridor, some of this rain could be quite heavy across southern england, south wales. it will be turning readily to snow across the northern half of wales through thursday into the midlands, certainly the north midlands and across northern england where we'll see significant accumulations starting to pile

up over the pennines and also for north wales. a milder day to come, i think across southern areas, 10 to 13 degrees here. this is where we'll have the heavy rain. a chilly but sunny day across scotland with a few snow showers around now as we head through thursday evening, thursday night, the snowfall continues across north wales, northern england, certainly over the pennines and developing into northern ireland, southern scotland as well. again to the north of here, it's likely to stay very cold with clear skies. but we have a widespread yellow snow warning for northern ireland, much of southern scotland, northern england, the midlands into north wales, two to ten centimetres lower levels, up to 15 centimetres on the hills. but it's this amber warning most concerned about over the pennines, 25 to a0 centimetres likely by the time we reach friday morning. so the snowfall continues in those similar areas through the early hours of friday. starting to pull away, though, from northern ireland and southern scotland. here is going to be another very cold night. snow showers for northern scotland. that wintry mix of rain,

sleet and snow will be affecting large parts of england and wales. as we start friday morning, that area of low pressure starts to pull away in towards the near continent, taking the snow with it. but also we'll see a spell of strong northerly winds for a while and it's on its back edge as it pulls away. so a cold, windy, snowy morning across central and eastern parts of england, in particular for friday, could see some drifting of snow as well. but it clears out quite quickly and then we'll see plenty of sunshine moving in its place for friday afternoon, but it's going to be a cold day wherever you are. take care.

this is bbc news. we'll have all the headlines and the main stories in newsday at the top of the hour straight after hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk. i'm stephen sackur and today i'm in nice on the french riviera, a glamorous corner of europe, which has long been a favorite haunt of russia's oligarchs. and my guest today, sergei pugachev, is one of them, or at least he was — the billionaire businessman helped vladimir putin make it all the way to the kremlin. but their relationship soured. pugachev was accused of massive financial crimes.