this is bbc news broadcasting in the uk and around the globe. our top stories... ukraine's foreign minister has warned that countries failing to support kyiv during its darkest hour will be held to account. china's president, xijinping, is to make a state visit to russia next week. more than 1,000 passport office workers will go on strike for five weeks over a dispute aboutjobs, pay and conditions. the uk government and education unions have agreed to hold "intensive talks" on teacher pay, conditions and workload reduction. and a former professional surfer has broken the world record for the longest surf session in australia

hello and welcome to bbc news. dmytro kuleba, ukraine's foreign minister, has warned that countries which "mistreated ukraine" during "the darkest moment of its history" will be held to account after the war ends. in an interview with the bbc, he also warned western allies that delaying the delivery of weapons will cost the lives of ukrainian soldiers. he has spoken to our diplomatic correspondent, james landale. the battle for bakhmut is now the longest of the war. more than half a year of bloody fighting for control of what is little more than rubble. but ukraine's foreign minister told me holding the city was vital, and notjust for the damage it's causing to russia's army. defending bakhmut is emotionally

very challenging, because people find it hard emotionally to take, carry the burden of this death, loss of human life and destruction. it's a struggle to save those who are behind bakhmut from that same destiny as bakhmut is now suffering from. he said what ukraine needs in bakhmut and elsewhere on the front line is artillery shells, and western partners were not acting fast enough. if one delivery is postponed for one day, it means that someone is going to die on the front line. it means that someone who could have been still alive is going to die. western allies may be giving military support like tanks, now potentially even fighterjets, but some countries oppose the war and have given ukraine nothing.

for them, mr kuleba had a warning, telling me any nations which mistreat ukraine now would pay a price in the future. if anyone in the world thinks that the way this or that country behaved itself or treated ukraine at the darkest moment of its history, and that that will not be taken into account in building future relations, these people just don't know how diplomacy works. for now, the fighting continues but so too does the diplomacy. for without that, ukraine soldiers will run out of the arms and ammunition they need to hold their ground. james landale, bbc news, kyiv. the chinese president, xijinping, will visit russia next week to hold talks with president putin. the announcement for the state visit was made by the foreign ministry in beijing and by the kremlin, which said the two leaders would discuss strategic cooperation. it added that a number

of important bilateral agreements would be signed. i'm joined now by our asia pacific editor, celia hatton good morning. what issues of strategic cooperation will they be discussing and tell us more about these bilateral agreements and what they might consist of. i these bilateral agreements and what they might consist of.— they might consist of. i can't tell ou what they might consist of. i can't tell you what those _ they might consist of. i can't tell you what those agreements - they might consist of. i can't tell you what those agreements will| they might consist of. i can't tell. you what those agreements will be because we don't know, the statement from both the kremlin and beijing, they were very short today. however, we do know that in the past, when the two men discussed future cooperation, of course, ukraine is going to be front and centre. but also the united states. both xi jinping and vladimir putin, part of the reason they have developed a close relationship over the past few years is because they both share a joint desire to challenge western

dominance. they have seen a lot of value in the partnership over the years because of this. we should also say that xi jinping is coming off a really diplomatic coup because china was able to help broker new ties in saudi arabia and iran. so xi jinping is becoming a bit of an international statesman and i am sure that new relationship between saudi arabia and iran will be of great interest to both russia and china. ., . ~' great interest to both russia and china. ., ., ~ ., ., china. you talk about their “oint efforts in challenging �* china. you talk about their “oint efforts in challenging the h china. you talk about theirjoint efforts in challenging the west, j china. you talk about theirjoint - efforts in challenging the west, but might the chinese approach on ukraine be slightly more nuanced? 0bviously, appeals have been made to china to take a different approach to ukraine. do you think that president xijinping is to ukraine. do you think that president xi jinping is likely to bring any influence on president putin with regards to russia's strategy in ukraine?— putin with regards to russia's strategy in ukraine? china has said officiall it strategy in ukraine? china has said officially it is _ strategy in ukraine? china has said

officially it is neutral, _ strategy in ukraine? china has said officially it is neutral, it _ strategy in ukraine? china has said officially it is neutral, it has - strategy in ukraine? china has said officially it is neutral, it has a - officially it is neutral, it has a neutral stance and in fact it has released what some are calling a peace plan but is reallyjust china's proposalfor peace plan but is reallyjust china's proposal for how they could be negotiated settlement to end the war in ukraine. it very clear that throughout the time that russia has beenin throughout the time that russia has been in ukraine, the china has not denounced the invasion. it's peace plan has called for unilateral sanctions to be lifted. it has also called for a territorial integrity to be respected. what that means exactly is a bit up for debate, so it is not clear really what china is really looking for. however, we do know that of course the united states has been voicing concerns that china might ultimately provide weapons to russia. so far, there is no evidence of that. but that really is the question. china and russia, xijinping and vladimir putin said

they have a no limit partnership. but at the moment, weapon supply seems to be the limit. but if russia appears to be struggling in ukraine, what would china do that? would they go so far as to provide weapons in order to shore up russia in the war two ., ' ,., order to shore up russia in the war two ., ' , ., order to shore up russia in the war two ., two the china 12 point plan for eace in two the china 12 point plan for peace in ukraine, _ two the china 12 point plan for peace in ukraine, do - two the china 12 point plan for peace in ukraine, do you - two the china 12 point plan for| peace in ukraine, do you think two the china 12 point plan for - peace in ukraine, do you think that is likely to be discussed? i am sure the will is likely to be discussed? i am sure they will discuss _ is likely to be discussed? i am sure they will discuss it, _ is likely to be discussed? i am sure they will discuss it, it _ is likely to be discussed? i am sure they will discuss it, it was - they will discuss it, it was interesting when that was first released, most go's response to it was relatively lukewarm, actually, it didn't fully embrace the plan. and ukraine also, it didn't completely disregard it, they said there were some points they find interesting, but, again, the idea of territorial integrity is up for debate. where would the line be? would russia need to withdraw a little bit? is beijing pushing ukraine to accept where russia has

invaded up to this point? that plan has been met with a lot of scepticism, frankly, from everybody, i do not know anyone who is endorsing china's12 point plan of a negotiated settlement. and? thank you very much. more than 1,000 passport office workers in britain are going on strike for five weeks in a dispute over pay and conditions. members of the pcs union in england, scotland and wales will take part in the action from april the 3rd to may the 5th of may. those working in belfast are being balloted and could join the strike. the union warned the action is likely to have a "significant impact" on the delivery of passports ahead of the summer. there'll be no further strikes by teachers in england for two weeks, after the government and unions agreed to hold �*intensive talks'. the government says the move will create a �*period of calm' from the national education union in england, as talks take place. the discussions will focus on pay, conditions and workload, and follow strikes which hit schools

across england earlier this week 0ur education editor branwen jeffreys gave me the latest developments on this story earlier. we have had a statement from the four unions, including the national education union which has been taking strike action, for prents will have been very aware of that in the last couple of days, and the governmentjointly saying they're going into what is described as intensive talks which are going to start today and continue through the weekend in an effort to resolve the dispute over pay. it is worth noting that in the other parts of the uk there is no strike action currently under way in scotland, the dispute has been settled. in wales an offer has been considered. so the remaining place where teachers pay remains a huge issue is in england, and these talks are aimed at resolving that.

in order to create what is described as a period of calm, the national education union has agreed to not announce any further strike days in the next two weeks, to allow a bit of a pause in which detox can take place. remind us what teachers are looking for in terms of their pay offer, alongside those issues around conditions, workload, etc. this year in england most teachers will have received a 5% pay offer which the unions are pointing out is way below the cost of living increases we are seeing. the proposal for the government for next year is 3.5% overall and when you break that down, that is 3% for most teachers and an increase in the starting salary for new teachers up to 30,000. so that headline figure of 3.5, where the other public sector discussion started, is below the sort of 5% where we are seeing for example settlement with the health unions. as we have just discussed,

i put the question to my last guest about whether he thought this was a fair offer, given the loss of pay during the strike days, and as you said, the cost of living, the rate of inflation. where do you think teachers are at the moment in their thinking? obviously a number of strike days, they say they do not want to disadvantage pupils any more but this is about they say making sure they can also retain and recruit good teachers, so do you think they are prepared to stick this out with more strike days and to try to win more than that 5%? there are many moving parts in this. workload, many teachers feel all the work you do at weekends and evenings and overall this is not truly recognised in their pay and we know for the most experienced teachers, independent economists say their pay is followed by 13% up to 2010, so by 13% up to 2010,

so there is a feeling of want of redress across the public sector. i think if there is movement and some of the other areas like workload, there would be room for manoeuvre around a settlement, but you're looking at those figures in scotland and in wales were the hovering around seven or 8%, not confirmed the government in england would be willing to go that far. doctors�* leaders and government ministers are being urged to start formal pay talks after a breakthrough on a deal with other nhs staff in england. unions representing health workers — including nurses, ambulance staff and paramedics — are recommending their members back a 5% pay rise following months of industrial action. with more detail here's our health editor hugh pym. what do we want? fair pay! when do we want it? now! it was an unprecedented series of strikes by nhs staff, starting in december. two weeks ago, intensive talks with ministers began in england and now health union leaders have agreed to put a new pay offer to members in a ballot. for this financial year,

there'll be a one—off payment of at least £1655, for the lowest paid workers, with larger amounts for more experienced nhs staff. and there will be a pay rise of 5% in the next financial year, beginning in april. this offer that is on the table has been hard won by health workers. we would have liked to have seen this significantly earlier, and we could have avoided all of the disruption over this winter. that said, what we have wanted all along is to give health workers a choice between taking strike action and having a credible offer on the table. but apart from saying some of the money will come from the existing department of health budget, the government has not given much detail on the funding of the offer. we're being clear that as part of the discussions we have, this will not come from areas of the budget which impact on patients. so those were part of the terms of the discussions that we had. that was the nature of the negotiation, and that was part of the mandate

i received from the prime minister and from the chancellor. a strike byjunior doctors in england this week affected all forms of care including emergencies. many hospitals cancelled operations and appointments. yesterday the health secretary wrote to the british medical association offering to meet. the doctors union said it was willing to do so. but, he said before he will only discuss the sort of deal offered to other health unions. the bma has called for 35% wage rise to compensate for inflation over 15 years. so while a preliminary meeting looks likely, the possibility of further progress is more uncertain. nhs providers, representing trusts in england, said there must be urgent movement on talks with thejunior doctors and both sides needed to re—double their efforts. hugh pym, bbc news. the uk's deputy prime minister dominic raab hopes that continued talks mean nhs strikes will come to an end soon.

i think it's regrettable that we had the strike action, i am not going to start finger pointing because i think it is good that the two sites have come together and that we feel on the cusp of a settlement here. i think that is what your viewers will want to know, the strikes will end, we can focus working together on getting those nhs waiting lists down, there's a huge amount of investment that has gone in, and i hope thatjunior will investment that has gone in, and i hope that junior will follow suit. i'm joined now by dr vivek tridedi, co—chair of the british medical association's junior doctors committee. thank you forjoining us. i want to ask you about the author that has been considered by nurses and other nhs workers, it is a 5% pay rise from april, still well below the rate of inflation of course and a one—off payment to take account of the current financial year which is almost over of at least £1655. do you think that is a fair offer for

them? no i think the positives in this is that they have been able to come to the table and have talks. it is not for me to discuss about where they feel within that deal, that is for the members of the union to decide. i support all of my colleagues who are asking for full pay restoration and i support any of them who want to see their pay restored. it them who want to see their pay restored. , ., ., ,., them who want to see their pay restored. , ., ., . ., ., restored. it is all about creating a -a scale restored. it is all about creating a pay scale or— restored. it is all about creating a pay scale or a _ restored. it is all about creating a pay scale or a pay _ restored. it is all about creating a pay scale or a pay structure - restored. it is all about creating a pay scale or a pay structure that i pay scale or a pay structure that will retain staff. and recruit staff as well. and that has an impact on the work that you do as a junior doctor, you and your colleagues. where are we in terms ofjunior doctors moving forward in discussions with the government about this? we discussions with the government about this?— about this? we are finally at the stale about this? we are finally at the stage where _ about this? we are finally at the stage where we _ about this? we are finally at the stage where we are _ about this? we are finally at the stage where we are hopefully i about this? we are finally at the i stage where we are hopefully going to have meaningful talks. junior doctors have written to sue partly all the way back in august to bring this item to the table to talk about

this. to talk about the real issue aboutjunior doctors having lost about junior doctors having lost more aboutjunior doctors having lost more than 15% of their pay over the last few years and the knock—on effect to retention. it is sad that it has taken so long for them to come back to us because that is all we wanted to do, to have a meaningful discussion, to work towards a credible offer that we can do to our members. and? what will the credible offer look like? junior doctors have asked for a 35% pay rise which the bma says will reverse 15 years of cuts. [30 rise which the bma says will reverse 15 years of cuts-— 15 years of cuts. do you realistically _ 15 years of cuts. do you realistically think - 15 years of cuts. do you | realistically think you're 15 years of cuts. do you - realistically think you're going to get anywhere close to that amount? you are asking me do i think any of my colleagues are worth less than they were in 2008? the answer is no. i do not thing any of my colleagues should be valued worse off than they were in 2008. that 35% uplift is a reversal of the pay cuts that we have had over this year. and that is what the membership have wanted, and

thatis what the membership have wanted, and that is what has driven the unprecedented mandate that we received when we balloted for strike action. d0 received when we balloted for strike action. ,., ,, ~ received when we balloted for strike action. ,., i. ~ , action. do you think there will be more strikes? _ action. do you think there will be more strikes? we _ action. do you think there will be more strikes? we want - action. do you think there will be more strikes? we want to - action. do you think there will be more strikes? we want to talk... action. do you think there will be . more strikes? we want to talk... no doctor wants — more strikes? we want to talk... no doctor wants to _ more strikes? we want to talk... no doctor wants to go _ more strikes? we want to talk... no doctor wants to go on _ more strikes? we want to talk... no doctor wants to go on strike, - more strikes? we want to talk... no doctor wants to go on strike, we do | doctor wants to go on strike, we do not want to have to call for strike action but we want to have a meaningful action to work towards incredible offer. if it seems that steve barclay does not have a mandate to negotiate, does not want to work towards a credible offer, or comes in bad faith, we reserve the right to call for industrial action because ultimately we want to bring the dispute to an end as quickly as possible. patients do not want to see the strike out and we do not want to see a drag out but we need the government to be serious. and? i spoke earlier to the boss of the nhs confederation and he spoke about their concerns over the capacity to recover services affected by the strikes. , ., , , ., , strikes. obviously, as you have 'ust said, strikes. obviously, as you have 'ust said. doctors— strikes. obviously, as you have 'ust said, doctors do �* strikes. obviously, as you have 'ust said, doctors do not i strikes. obviously, as you have 'ust said, doctors do not want i strikes. obviously, as you have 'ust said, doctors do not want to h strikes. obviously, as you havejust said, doctors do not want to strike, j said, doctors do not want to strike, but you must be concerned for the

impact on patients. what do you say to patients who have been affected by this? i to patients who have been affected b this? ., ., , ., ., ., by this? i apologise to anyone who has that any _ by this? i apologise to anyone who has that any elective _ by this? i apologise to anyone who has that any elective activity - by this? i apologise to anyone who has that any elective activity that l has that any elective activity that has that any elective activity that has been disrupted because of the strikes, i am sorry that has happened. i am also sorry that we have let this come to a position where a lot of these people might have been waiting up to two years for an appointment procedure with over 7 million patients and climbing on the waiting list. it is clear we need to do something to address the workforce crisis that is leading us to understaffed rotor across the health care system. it is not allowing us to provide the level of patient care we want to. we know thatis patient care we want to. we know that is being driven by and large by low pay. taste that is being driven by and large by low -a . ~ . that is being driven by and large by low .a _ . ., , that is being driven by and large by low - . ~ ., low pay. we have spoken about the 3596, can low pay. we have spoken about the 3596. can you _ low pay. we have spoken about the 3596. can you give _ low pay. we have spoken about the 3596, can you give me _ low pay. we have spoken about the 3596, can you give me a _ low pay. we have spoken about the 3596, can you give me a figure - low pay. we have spoken about the 3596, can you give me a figure at i 35%, can you give me a figure at which you and your colleagues would if not satisfied, not be satisfied with, would find acceptable for the moment? 35�*s

with, would find acceptable for the moment? q; , , with, would find acceptable for the moment? 5: , , ., , ., , moment? 3596 is only to reverse the -a cuts moment? 3596 is only to reverse the pay cuts as — moment? 3596 is only to reverse the pay cuts as i — moment? 3596 is only to reverse the pay cuts as i mentioned _ moment? 3596 is only to reverse the pay cuts as i mentioned and - moment? 3596 is only to reverse the pay cuts as i mentioned and that i moment? 3596 is only to reverse the pay cuts as i mentioned and that is i pay cuts as i mentioned and that is what the membership have asked for from their ballot. any further discussions would be for steve barclay and others to discuss. co—chair of the junior doctors committee at the bma, thank you very much. protests are continuing in france over changes to the retirement age. this is a road on the outskirts of paris — one of the main orbital routes around the city. last night, french riot police used tear gas and water cannon to clear thousands of protesters from the streets of the capital. the unrest began after president macron forced through plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, using a rarely—used clause in the constitution to avoid a vote in the assembly. russell trott reports. singing this isn'tjust a rendition of the national anthem, this is a protest by france's own lawmakers. the prime minister

was repeatedly heckled. translation: i wasn't angry, i was really shocked. - it reflects the fact that a certain number of opposition groups do not respect our institutions. some of them had said it clearly, they want chaos in the assembly and on the street. president emmanuel macron would have known this move would anger the people of france, pushing through laws without a vote has always been unpopular. and pension reform has been an inflammatory issue. this is how president emmanuel macron approached the vote. his prime minister invoked article 49.3 of the constitution so they could bypass a vote in the national assembly. that allowed the government to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 — mere minutes before lawmakers were due to vote. translation: we could not gamble on the future - of the essential reform to

preserve our retirement system dealing with possible changes of position of opposition members. protesters across the country do not agree. unions are calling this a declaration of war. translation: it is an important day | because we feel that there is anger, | determination and that we have to transform that into victory. and that is our determination. the far—right opposition leader marine le pen has said she'll table a vote of no confidence. unions are calling for more protests next week. but for now, mr emmanuel macron is standing firm. the united states has welcomed the first meeting of japanese and south korean leaders for 12 years. the summit in tokyo was designed to reset trade and diplomatic relations. 0ur correspondent, shaimaa khalil,

says both countries face growing challenges from china and north korea. the top of the agenda, really, was set by north korea just hours before president yoon was supposed to land in tokyo. north korea fired a long—range inter—continental ballistic missile, and in that, it really demonstrated why it was important for the two leaders to talk to show a united front because of the now frequent missile launchers from north korea. this is the fourth this week. but also not just that, the fact that they also have threats from china, the expansion, its military ambitions in the region. these are security issues that affect both countries and they both benefit, really, from working together on them. new zealand's government has become the latest to ban tiktok on devices with access to its parliamentary network, due to security concerns. this is because of fears that the chinese—owned app passes information about users to the chinese government —

something the owners, bytedance, deny. earlier on thursday, the uk followed the united states, and the european commission, in banning the app from sensitive government devices. china says it's a politically motivated decision, not one based on facts, and tiktok�*s european spokesman had this to say. we are very disappointed. the government has said this is about fears rather than facts. we haven't done anything wrong. and we believe this is based on geopolitics more than anything else. i think tiktok is a political football in all of this. i'm joined now by chris stokel—walker. he's the author of �*tiktok boom: china's dynamite app and the superpower race for social media' good to see you. listening they are to tiktok�*s head in europe, do you

think this is a political move? it seems to be a domino effect at the moment. it seems to be a domino effect at the moment. , , ., , . ., moment. it seems to be coordinated, we can definitely _ moment. it seems to be coordinated, we can definitely say. _ moment. it seems to be coordinated, we can definitely say. it _ we can definitely say. it potentially is more about geopolitics than national security, it is notable the cabinet secretary stood up in parliament yesterday and said this was a precautionary measure, it did not actually say it was something they had found that had been of concern, did not say there had been an extrapolation of data of any sort of type of any kind from tech and it was more an attempt to head off any potential issues that may arise in the future. it is an unusual step because we often do not pre—emptively ban these sorts of things. it seems contrary to the values we often have of being a free market and a free democracy to kind of step in and ironically seems a little bit kind of chinese almost to say we are going to throw up a wall and you cannot use this in a certain

aspect. and you cannot use this in a certain asect. ., , ., aspect. you use the word pre-emptive. _ aspect. you use the word pre-emptive. do - aspect. you use the word pre-emptive. do you i aspect. you use the word | pre-emptive. do you have aspect. you use the word i pre-emptive. do you have any pre—emptive. do you have any concerns about security issues are read tiktok? what are your thoughts on that? in read tiktok? what are your thoughts on that? , ., , ., ., on that? in terms of user data, absently not. — on that? in terms of user data, absently not, it _ on that? in terms of user data, absently not, it does _ on that? in terms of user data, absently not, it does not i on that? in terms of user data, absently not, it does not mean | on that? in terms of user data, i absently not, it does not mean to say, i cannot categorically set in front of you to today and sit on television and say tiktok is entirely safe because i don't know myself. but in the absence of evidence proving otherwise, we have to say not. it is a case of i've spent five years looking at this app, | spent five years looking at this app, i am spent five years looking at this app, iam not spent five years looking at this app, i am not the world's best journalist but i'm not the world's worse, and trying to find the smoking gun, perfect information that would prove this link to china would be a brilliant story. i have not found it. cybersecurity experts i speak to have not been able to find it. it doesn't mean it doesn't exist, it doesn't mean we won't find it eventually, but we have to bear mind that we are putting the cart before the horse here in terms of the ban. d0

before the horse here in terms of the ban. ~ before the horse here in terms of the ban. ,, ~ , before the horse here in terms of the ban. ,, ~' , u, before the horse here in terms of the ban. ~ , , the ban. do you think they could be tem ora the ban. do you think they could be temporary given — the ban. do you think they could be temporary given tiktok— the ban. do you think they could be temporary given tiktok was - the ban. do you think they could be temporary given tiktok was not i temporary given tiktok was not reduced and dominance gay �*i temporary given tiktok was not reduced and dominance gay1 billion users worldwide, _ reduced and dominance gay1 billion users worldwide, it _ reduced and dominance gay1 billion users worldwide, it is _ reduced and dominance gay1 billion users worldwide, it is notable i reduced and dominance gay1 billion users worldwide, it is notable the l users worldwide, it is notable the only country in the world has put an right ban is india due to geopolitics over the border dispute. i don't think we will see a wholesale ban, we have seen a move with the united states with the biden administration giving tiktok an opportunity to sell its chinese ownership status or be banned in the country. i do think that sort of thing would be tricky to enact and would be subject to legal problems. it is an easy stepping stone for governments worldwide to show their being tough on china but not actually grappling with the problem. thank you very much for your thoughts on that story today. 11 of america's biggest financial institutions have agreed to a $30 billion bailout for the regional bank, first republic.

shares in the san francisco—based bank had plunged, as investors worried that it could be the next bank to fail. it follows the collapse of two other specialist lenders in the us, including silicon valley bank. samira hussain reports from new york. the collapse of two us banks have spooked investors who are now left wondering which bank could be the next to fail. and that has been putting a ton of pressure on smaller regional banks. now, depositors at first republic have withdrawn billions of dollars. the regional banks' share prices has been cut in half. now, the biggest of the american banks have stepped in, led by the likes ofjp morgan and citigroup. 11 companies have agreed to make $30 billion of uninsured deposits in first republic. now, they have done this in the hope it will be enough to shore up confidence and notjust in first republic, but in the entire banking system.

joining me now is financial times markets editor, katie martin. welcome. do you think this attempt at shoring up will be enough to stop the run on the banks we have seen in the run on the banks we have seen in the us in the last seven days? i hope so. early signs are that it will be successful. we have had really quite the week in global markets, this time last week, silicon valley bank appear to be in its death throes and it was really uncertain where it was going to go and how damaging that would be to the broader system. every sensible investor we spoke to said this is just a silicon valley bank thing, this is a us regional bank thing, don't worry about it spreading through the system, but at the start of this week it did spread across the system and there was a massive flight to safety for investors across the world, a massive rush into government bonds, a big burst

of nerves, and the concern was that the us central bank the federal reserve has been pushing up interest rates really hard to tackle inflation. is this the thing that is going to break as a result? can the us banking system handle this? the big banks are probably fine and as you say, they stepped in really forcefully to back first republic, and they hope as this will put a stop to it, rotate the authorities have stepped in to support depositors in silicon valley bank although the bank itself has failed, anyone who had money in there has been made whole and are supported. the hope is this can draw an end but the overriding concern is that the us banking system and in fact the european banking system might start to show cracks now that us interest rates are so high. the reason this is so important, just to discuss for our viewers, the world banking system are so

interconnected that if problems start in one country, they could very quickly end up in many others, with impacts on everyone's lives, pensions, savings, mortgages, so many areas. 100%. we pensions, savings, mortgages, so many areas. 10096.— pensions, savings, mortgages, so many areas. 10096. we have already seen this this _ many areas. 10096. we have already seen this this week, _ many areas. 10096. we have already seen this this week, with _ many areas. 10096. we have already seen this this week, with the - many areas. 10096. we have already seen this this week, with the swiss. seen this this week, with the swiss bank credit suisse, it has had issues for years but this week one of its shareholder said if you get into any more trouble we will not back to you, and there is no can think of between silicon bank and credit suisse, but nonetheless they suddenly morphed into a european banking issue, credit suisse shares a very terrible time this week, it is support from its own central bank and european backing stock is pretty much across the board took a heavy hit certain point this week. they have recovered towards the end of the week, itjust goes to show that once you get this injection of nerves into system, you have... that

can very quickly morph into something that becomes a much broader crisis, and this is why regulators and authorities in the states have been so quick to step in, why they have encouraged other commercial banks are come in and help first republic. it surely imperative to the entire global financial system that banks remain stable. they are much more stable peace now than they were in 2008 and the ever so keen convince authorities, people like you now, the blanks globally are safe. fin the blanks globally are safe. on first the blanks globally are safe. 0n first republic itself, why that particular bank westpac after silicon valley bank and so forth, why first republic, why was that the one that investors were feeling nervous about and started to withdraw deposits from? investors and depositors _ withdraw deposits from? investors

and depositors look _ withdraw deposits from? investors and depositors look to _ withdraw deposits from? investors and depositors look to a _ withdraw deposits from? investors and depositors look to a list i withdraw deposits from? investors and depositors look to a list of- and depositors look to a list of which banks look similar, so we have had an issue with a number of banks in the west coast very exposed to tech and to crypto, so silicon valley, silver gay, through three of them and first republic looked like be most similar thing that was next on the list. never a huge amount of logic to this process, but there is definitely a problem amongst banks that have a very heavy exposure to tech and who do have very heavy exposure to government bonds fell very heavily impress a share. so this is the broader issue, which banks hold which bonds and which can be vulnerable to further shocks. we hope very much is that it ends here. thank you very much. a senior russian—appointed official in an occupied part of eastern ukraine has said the battle for the town of bakhmut remains very difficult. denis pushilin, who heads russia's proxy administration in donetsk, told russian state television there was no sign that ukrainian forces were planning to withdraw.

the city has been the scene of a gruelling struggle that's lasted for more than seven months. two ukrainian army brigades defending the city's southern flank recently gave the bbc access to their positions — as fierce fighting continued in and around the city. they say russian casualties far outweigh theirs, but that the enemy is using new techniques to try to seize the city and the surrounding countryside. 0ur correspondent quentin sommerville sent us this special report. in war�*s uncertain journey, fates are decided in the unlikeliest of places. ukraine has drawn a line in the mud, and that line is bakhmut. no matter the hardship, the enemy must not pass. this ground must be held. winter has given way to early spring.

they hope it might slow russia's advance. the thing is, it complicates the job for both parties. the enemy has difficulty attacking, because nothing moves in the mud. nothing except tank tracks. ..and army boots. the mud's unreal. it pulls you this way and that way. it's a trap for men, for vehicles. it makes moving around this battlefield almost impossible. and for the soldiers of the third separate assault brigade, it means going the long way round. moving as fast as the territory allows. they're in range of russian guns.

we're told to keep low. stop, stop! there's a russian outpost around here. these trenches are new, but warfare along this front is antiquated. below ground, these are dugouts that their grandfathers would recognise. but by digging in, they've tied up russian forces here and held bakhmut longer than many expected. but it isn'tjust the conditions that are basic. this is a 21st—century war, being fought with 19th—century weaponry. it's a maxim machine—gun. 120 years of history of killing russians. a weapon from the first world war, used in the third world war.

sporadic gunfire. right, we are heading right to the very forward position. we can hear shelling right now and automatic gunfire. there's more shelling. they get attacked here on a daily basis. translation: there are the enemy positions, so let's move very fast. i 0k. almost every day, some shells from artillery. we can see the craters all around here. there is a fresh crater, right there. we've got to go, we've got to go. there's hardly any tree cover here, the men are exposed. gunfire. and the russians have found them. 0k, move, move. you can go in the car, because it's a little bit hotter here. keep down.

gunfire. the russians are only 500 metres away. that's automatic fire. all along this line there's grenade fire, automatic gunfire and tank fire. translation: it's really dangerous there, bullets are flying everywhere. that kind of fire is every day here. seven months, more than seven months into this battle, it's created a wasteland. this is the longest battle of the war so far. to the north, and to the east, and here in the south, russia's been making gains.

but it's costing them. the ukrainians say that for every one soldier they lose, russia loses seven. but still they hold on here. and bakhmut is a town that no—one believes has strategic value. but to russia and to ukraine, it matters in this war. translation: this is not| a strategic question for us. we are just ordinary soldiers. but this is our land. if we lose here, then do we retreat to chasiv yar, to sloviansk, then all the way to kyiv? however long it takes, two, four, five years, we have to fight for every piece of ground. so, every tiny step of land needs to be defended, even as they toil under waves of attack from russian prisoners sent by wagner group. translation: we were in combat every two hours. l as far as i understand, they were wagner. we were fighting them, and without over estimating our achievements, i would say a single company was killing 50

of their men a day. we checked the figures, they are awful numbers. they are outgunned and outnumbered but, for now, unyielding. in bakhmut, like in the rest of this war, they have grown used to the odds being against them. quentin sommerville, bbc news, on the outskirts of bakhmut. a major review of the metropolitan police is expected to heavily criticise the force for racist, sexist and homophobic behaviour. lady casey — the uk�*s first victims�* commissioner — was appointed to review the met�*s culture and standards after the murder of sarah everard by wayne couzens, a serving policeman. her second report is due out on tuesday and the bbc has been told the findings are "very serious". i�*m joined now by abimbola johnson she�*s the chair of the independent scrutiny and oversight board

which was set up to tackle racism and racial disparity in policing at an institutional level. thank you for your time today. 0bviously thank you for your time today. obviously we are yet to see that full report but what do you make of what we are hearing about it so far? i don�*t think it should come as a surprise, the interim report that was released in october of last year gave some strong indications she was seeing pervasive racism, misogyny and those issues across the metropolitan police, that she was using data which had been available to the force and demonstrated that it had been in existence for years and years, so i don�*t think anyone would be surprised to hear the depth of the issues she will be revealing in her report next week. in of the issues she will be revealing in her report next week.— in her report next week. in the interim, in her report next week. in the interim. are — in her report next week. in the interim, are you _ in her report next week. in the interim, are you seeing - in her report next week. in the interim, are you seeing or- in her report next week. in the i interim, are you seeing or hearing about any changes in approach high smack any changes in behaviours that make you believe the mets is taking this all on board? had one meeting.

this all on board? had one there were some big promises made, the discussion around taking very seriously their approach to racism and racial discrimination, howeveri and racial discrimination, however! do have to say that in terms of the joint working between the metropolitan police and the national programme of the police face action plan, there has been some distraught man there. it would be good to hear them coming into meetings providing a lot more transparency in terms of what they are doing, sharing where they are going well, what issues they�*re having, but one of the issues we often see in placing his big promises can be made by very senior officers, the question is what happens with the rank and file in policing, how are they being supported and equipped to tackle these issues, and what resources are being provided to them, what assurances are being given to them that they will be assisted with raising out these issues? when the re ort is raising out these issues? when the report is published _ raising out these issues? when the report is published in _ raising out these issues? when the report is published in full— raising out these issues? when the report is published in full next i report is published in full next week, what do you hope to hear that

makes it move the metropolitan be on these sort of big promises to the action should have been describing? we want to see tangible changes. community brought in to discussions, experiences they have been having, police officers, we saw the experience of black and asian officers in particular was right at the sharp end of a loss of the issues we were seeing, particularly the experiences of women, so we need to see devices being taken very seriously, and seen follow—through. i think people are very tired of the rhetoric of hearing promises, are feeling assurances that things will be done. there needs to be tangible change. there is to be things like the difference in the engagement we see between the metropolitan police and units like professional standard units, raised by baroness casey is an issue that they were not dealing with misconduct effectively. the use of gross misconduct being used more

consistently and transparently, because that provides the place with the ability to take drastic action on officers they see falling short of what is expected of them. a reduction in the racial disparity we see in the misconduct system. and better use of factors like regulation 13 which allows for the removal of probationers, that is not being used in a family report the baroness, so you better use of the power is already available to police, better munication with internal and external communities to make sure processes are being properly considered as an institutional level and a better use of messaging throughout every level in policing, notjust rhetoric from senior officers. in policing, not 'ust rhetoric from senior officers._ in policing, not 'ust rhetoric from senior officers. ., ,, , ., , . senior officers. thank you very much for talkin: senior officers. thank you very much for talking to — senior officers. thank you very much for talking to us. _ senior officers. thank you very much for talking to us. we _ senior officers. thank you very much for talking to us. we will— senior officers. thank you very much for talking to us. we will probably i for talking to us. we will probably speak about this next week here on bbc news. thank you very much in the meantime. this weekend marks the 20th

anniversary of the 2003 invasion of iraq by a us—led coalition of countries, including the uk. the initial phase of the war saw an intense aerial bombardment of baghdad, in which one of the many casualties was 12—year—old ali abbas. ali lost his parents and his younger brother in the attack, as well as both of his arms. 0ur diplomatic correspondent caroline hawley — who was based in iraq before the war — has been speaking to him. few iraqis carried deeper scars from the invasion than ali abbas. his father had been desperate to see the end of saddam hussein�*s dictatorship. we were farmers. my father was saying that when he see the americans coming, he�*lljust make like a party for them. he�*ll make a barbecue. you know, we werejust hoping for a better life. we were thinking that getting rid of saddam, we will have a good future for iraq. but it�*s never happened. i never know any family that they haven�*t lost a loved one, you know?

ali�*s family had fled the capital, baghdad, for safety, but returned thinking the worst was overjust hours before their home was hit by a rocket. i remember the house collapsed on us. fire everywhere. ihear my... my mother screaming and my father also. yeah, it was terrible. i felt the fire burning my body and my arms. so this picture was the first picture when i arrived in hospital. i remember my neighbour was telling me that when he pulled me out of the rubble, you know, that because my arm was so badly burned... so when he pulled me out, one of my arms came off. the pain just must have been unbearable. yeah, iwas... i wasjust in so much pain. i wasjust...

i didn�*t want to live at that time, you know. it was when his parents didn�*t visit him that he knew for sure that they were dead. so that�*s me in the middle. and that�*s my two brothers. that�*s maybe four months before the attack. this is my little brother who lost his life. ali now has a precious new family member. hello! his five—year—old son, yusef, who�*s with his mother in baghdad, though ali hopes to bring him here. yeah, i have a very good relationship with yusef. he�*s calling me like four or five times a day, you know, we are always on the phone together. when i go back to iraq, he�*s always spoiling me, you know, he doesn�*t let me do anything. he is trying to be my carer, you know, he�*s taking good care of me. yeah. if i�*m trying to do something with my feet, he�*lljust say, "no, daddy, i�*ll do that for you.

you don�*t have to do it." he likes going out with me in the car a lot. you know, he likes my driving. you know, i try to live independent. i do many things, i can write with my feet. i can use the phone. i can also hug him with my with my feet, you know. so it�*s ok with that. i just want to make a good future for my son, you know, and i hope also maybe i can create my own charity one day and help people who are like in my situation, you know. i have been through a very difficult time, especially just after the injury. i have to deal with it without parents and without arms. so it was very difficult in the beginning. but i�*ve seen many people with injuries that are much worse than mine. and i always thank god for what i have got. so i think of the positive things.

scientists in scotland say they�*ve solved the mystery of why people from the orkney islands — off the northeastern coast of the country — may be more susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer. it�*s all about a gene variant — which is already known to increase the risk of those cancers — being more common in people of 0rcadian heritage. laura goodwin has the details. people have lived here on the island of westray for many thousands of years. in part, the community�*s deep connection to their roots have helped scientists solve a 25 year medical puzzle. an increase in family history of breast cancer first noticed by the screening services in 0rkney. now a team of geneticists have come to the island to communicate their findings face to face. around one in 1,000 women across the uk have a brca1 variant. the study found 1 in 100 people

with 0rkney grandparents have this particular variant. the historical nature of small island communities means there is some shared ancestry and researchers have been able to trace its origin back hundreds of years to westray. linda hagan can map her own westray family tree for many generations. i lost my sister four years ago, she was younger than me, to breast cancer and an aunt, a well—loved aunt who died when she was 46. so it has affected our family and there are cousins as well who have had breast cancer. although this is news that we don�*t want to hear, it is important for us to know what is going on in the hopes that some maybe further treatment or at least a recognition of what could happen if we carry the gene. karen scott has already been tested for the gene due to herfamily history of breast cancer. she didn�*t have it, but hopes other

women will be tested. 0rcadians are all over the world. this is a massive discovery and hugely important for the health of every individual in 0rkney, and the generations to come. there are other communities within the uk that have a known prevalence of brca gene variants, but identifying founder mutations like this is rare. women with the same variation have already been found across the uk and america, which means their roots most likely lead back to 0rkney. laura goodwin, bbc news. earlier i spoke to michael maclennan who is interim chief executive officer for cancer support in scotland, and asked him how the discovery was made. well, the discovery was made by scientists from the university of aberdeen who identified a variant which is known to increase the incidence of breast and ovarian cancer in people from 0rkney. one and 100 people have ancestors from 0rkney,

and it increases the risk of developing these cancers. and? what contact have you had with people there? 0bviously, really concerned, really worried about this news. how are you planning to support them? cancer support scotland is here to support everyone in scotland who has been affected by cancer. last year, we supported a lady in 0rkney who was in late stages of breast cancer, we offered our services, not only for people who have cancer but also for friends and family who will be affected by this. i think it�*s really important right

now to have this discovery because it means it can lead to earlier detection of these cancers. the early detection of breast cancer can increase survival rates by five times. while this is a big concern for people from 0rkney, it does help in terms of hopefully being able to save lives in the future. it is about scans, checking to make sure that everything is ok and catching something at the earliest possible stage of its developing. how can people on 0rkney be sure they will get the same level of treatment and support as people on the mainland? that�*s a really good question. it is one of those things where digital technology allows people to access services that previously may be were inaccessible in more remote locations. cancer support scotland, we offer befriending, workshops, a range of services that means wherever you are, you can get in contact with us, you can speak to councillors, and hopefully, you can find the support that is suitable for your needs. you touched on this earlier, how important is it to expand that

support to the people who are supporting individuals with cancer, close family and friends who will be around the individual suffering from this disease? i think it�*s incredibly important. when somebody has cancer, it is not only the person themselves, it is their network who is affected but they can also support the person with cancer. that is why we as a charity look to support anyone who has been affected. we are also aware that with the discovery like this, it means that people from 0rkney may be concerned about passing on the variant. there will be additional issues they want to discuss. that is why we are here to support those people who have discovered this. more than 1,000 passport office workers are going on strike for five weeks in a dispute over pay and conditions. members of the pcs union in england,

scotland and wales will take part in the action from april the 3rd to may the 5th of may. those working in belfast are being balloted and could join the strike. the union warned the action is likely to have a "significant impact" on the delivery of passports ahead of the summer. a former professional australian surfer has broken the world record for the longest surf session. blakejohnston eclipsed the previous mark of 30 hours and 11 minutes at cronulla beach in sydney. he�*s raising money for youth mental health projects, and risked infected ears, dehydration, hypothermia and drowning. he also had to deal with swarms ofjellyfish, and at one point, the lights illuminating the sea overnight went out — meaning he had to surf in the dark. yeah, pretty good. you just smashed the world record, are you tired? yes, i�*ve still got a job to do, though, i said 40, so... how are you feeling overall at the moment?

yeah, pretty cooked. that�*s all for now, you can reach me on twitter. hello, it is another very mild day for the middle of march, but a changeable weather picture out there today, so, yes, there�*s been a bit of sunshine around thrown into the mix, but also scattered heavy showers, perhaps the odd thunderstorm working in through the course of the day, despite all the mild air. it�*s unsettled because we have low pressure, you can see on the satellite image to the west, this swirl of cloud, also a more persistent area of rain working its way to the south—east as well, but with that low pressure to the west, that means the wind is coming from a southerly direction, most of us well in that mild air. just a bit colder across the north of scotland. still in the colder air here. still a bit of rain to come for parts of east anglia and the south east over

the next few hours. the rest of the uk seeing a mixture of sunshine and a real peppering of showers. we will not all see them, they will be hit and miss, you may catch them across southern england, wales, the midlands, could be heavy and potentially thundery. some hail mixed in as well. plenty of dry weather in between some of these showers that will continue across northern england and southern scotland. northern ireland clouding over a little later, perhaps some drizzly rain, for scotland we have this band of cloud sitting in the north, that�*s a weather front, to the north of that, clear skies up in lerwick. quite chilly there. most places in the mid—teens today. through this evening and into tonight, still some drizzly showers working their way gradually northwards on that fairly light breeze, a lot of low cloud, quite a murky grey start to saturday morning, mild and murky, temperatures about 5—9 for most of

us, and up towards the northern isles a touch of frost there. low pressure drifts its way slowly eastwards, sitting firmly right across the british isles during the day on saturday and that means lighter winds, so similarto today, sunny spells and scattered showers but if you see some of these showers cropping up on saturday, particularly across parts of england and wales, they could be slow moving, potentially heavy as well, some more persistent rain in the far south—east and east anglia, more persistent rain for northern ireland and western scotland later on as well. temperatures between about 8—14 on saturday, still mild for the time of year, a ridge of high pressure into sunday, a slightly cooler start to the day, fewer showers for sunday, a fair amount of dry weather, probably the best of the sunshine towards the south and the east, more cloud and outbreaks of rain working into the north—west of the uk later in the day and highs between around 8—14.

this is bbc news — welcome if you�*re watching here in the uk or around the globe. our top stories. china�*s president, xijinping, is to make a state visit to russia next week, for talks with president putin. ukraine�*s foreign minister tells the bbc that countries failing to support kyiv during its darkest hour will be held to account. here in the uk, passport office staff are to strike for five weeks, which could have a major impact on holiday—makers booking summer holidays. meanwhile teachers�* strikes in england are put on hold as unions agree to talks with the government about pay. and the families on a remote scottish island with a high risk of cancer after scientists discover a harmful gene.

good morning. the chinese president, xijinping, will visit russia next week to hold talks with president putin. beijing and moscow say the two men will discuss "strategic cooperation". the announcement for the state visit was made by the foreign ministry in beijing and by the kremlin, which announced that a number of important bilateral agreements would be signed. and, a chinese foreign ministry spokesman said the war in ukraine. joining me now is our china correspondent, stephen mcdonell. what more do we know about this trip? what more do we know about this tri - ? what more do we know about this tri . ? , ., , what more do we know about this tri - ? , ., , ., �* ., trip? the problem for bei'ing, in a wa , for trip? the problem for bei'ing, in a way. mush trip? the problem for bei'ing, in a way, for this trip i trip? the problem for bei'ing, in a way, for this trip is i trip? the problem for bei'ing, in a way, for this trip is that i trip? the problem for beijing, in a way, for this trip is that all - trip? the problem for beijing, in a way, for this trip is that all eyes . way, for this trip is that all eyes are going to be on moscow. there is some expectation that the trip by xi jinping to speak to vladimir putin

might achieve some sort of breakthrough in terms of peace in the ukraine war. whether it is fair or reasonable or not, there is going to be the expectation. the reason for that is firstly that beijing does have sway with the kremlin, secondly, it�*s a fresh off, this coup, when the chinese government is able to negotiate to get saudi arabia and iran to re—establish diplomatic relations. so people are going to be thinking, well, china is on a roll, can they do this with ukraine and russia? i think, on a roll, can they do this with ukraine and russia? ithink, though, many harder heads would say that it is probably not going to happen, it seems very unlikely, and, in fact, many would question whether or not they generally want to do that anyway. but, that said, there is going to be a lot of attention on this visit and what comes from it. the key question is how much

influence beijing has over moscow? we know there has obviously been a lot of political and economic pressure on russia, we saw vladimir putin speaking yesterday, and what is in china�*s best interest? that putin speaking yesterday, and what is in china's best interest?- is in china's best interest? that is a very good _ is in china's best interest? that is a very good question. _ is in china's best interest? that is a very good question. the - is in china's best interest? that is a very good question. the most i a very good question. the most cynical reading of this could be that it cynical reading of this could be thatitis cynical reading of this could be that it is not really in china�*s interests for the conflict to stop because, at the moment, russia is really taking it up to the west, eating up all of these western resources, challenging the west�*s presence in europe and geo strategically, if you like, that benefits china really. however, it has upset global trade, and those types of things, so some might say it is not in china�*s interests for the war to keep going and they might also say that china did have pretty good relationship with ukraine before the war started. in terms of those questioned whether china is

really neutral in this, you will have to look at the tv news here to see that it isn�*t really. the state—run tv reports here are running the kremlin line. they are not giving the people here a dose of wat zelensky�*s government thinks, they are not even talking about a war. they speak about a conflict and they are certainly not describing it as an invasion. that gives you an idea of what china�*s position really is on this. that said, after they had patched it up, help a child between saudi arabia and iran, imagine what a coup it would be if beijing could do the same in terms of the war between russia and ukraine. it would be quite something. it would lift the government of xijinping something. it would lift the government of xi jinping onto another level in terms of what it is seen that it could potentially achieve on the world stage. i5 seen that it could potentially achieve on the world stage. is going to be an interesting _ achieve on the world stage. is going to be an interesting few— achieve on the world stage. is going to be an interesting few days. i achieve on the world stage. is going j to be an interesting few days. thank you.

slovakia has become the second country to announce that it will provide ukraine with mig—29 fighterjets. kyiv has long said it needs more military aircraft if its to win its war against russia�*s invasion. poland announced yesterday it would also supplyjets. both countries neighbour ukraine and are members of nato. it comes as ukraine�*s foreign minister, dmytro kuleba, warns that countries which "mistreated ukraine" during "the darkest moment of its history" will be held to account after the war ends. he has spoken to our diplomatic correspondent, james landale. the battle for bakhmut is now the longest of the war. more than half a year of bloody fighting for control of what is little more than rubble. but ukraine�*s foreign minister told me holding the city was vital, and notjust for the damage it�*s causing to russia�*s army. defending bakhmut is emotionally very challenging, because people find it hard emotionally to take, carry the burden of this death, loss of human life and destruction. it�*s a struggle to save those who are behind bakhmut from that same destiny as bakhmut

is now suffering from. he said what ukraine needs in bakhmut and elsewhere on the front line is artillery shells, and western partners were not acting fast enough. if one delivery is postponed for one day, it means that someone is going to die on the front line. it means that someone who could have been still alive is going to die. western allies may be giving military support like tanks, now potentially even fighterjets, but some countries oppose the war and have given ukraine nothing. for them, mr kuleba had a warning, telling me any nations which mistreat ukraine now would pay a price in the future. if anyone in the world thinks

that the way this or that country behaved itself or treated ukraine at the darkest moment of its history, and that that will not be taken into account in building future relations, these people just don�*t know how diplomacy works. for now, the fighting continues but so too does the diplomacy. for without that, ukraine soldiers will run out of the arms and ammunition they need to hold their ground. james landale, bbc news, kyiv. i�*m joined now byjustin crump, chief executive of the intelligence consultancy sibylline and a former british army tank commander. thank you forjoining us. just want to kick off with this news confirmed of a chinese — russian meeting next week, do you think there is any possibility of china acting as a

peacemaker here? i possibility of china acting as a peacemaker here?— possibility of china acting as a peacemaker here? possibility of china acting as a eacemaker here? ., _ peacemaker here? i would say there is very little — peacemaker here? i would say there is very little chance _ peacemaker here? i would say there is very little chance of _ peacemaker here? i would say there is very little chance of china - is very little chance of china acting as an impartial peacemaker, i think it is notable that xi jinping is going to moscow to speak to putin, i think the best they are doing is a zoom call to ukraine. 0f doing is a zoom call to ukraine. of course, you might remember that before the invasion began, putin was in beijing to speak to xi jinping around the time of the olympics where obviously the invasion was almost certainly discuss or at least the possibility of it was race. we have certainly seen more allegations of chinese support, certainly, quite support, for russia�*s position in this. that makes strategic sense as well. exactly what you said earlier in the programme, it would be a great coup for china to bring about the end of this conflict, but i think really, here, it�*s more of a message that they are prepared to support the russians, our ghibli, and i think you can give the russians greater prominence in the conflict, inarguably tying off that the support that ukraine is getting from the west. at least, they are threatening or hinting that that

might be the case. a lot of the posturing around these diplomatic gestures at the moment. i�*m not sure how sincere a genuine desire for peace is, i think certainly they do want to see russia lose, i think they certainly want to send a message to the us with whom china is of course almost consciously uncoupling at the moment. compared to the relationships we have had over the last four years.- to the relationships we have had over the last four years. there was a lot of talk — over the last four years. there was a lot of talk about _ over the last four years. there was a lot of talk about the _ over the last four years. there was a lot of talk about the one-year i a lot of talk about the one—year anniversary of the invasion with the us from china to russia is that possible that there is also an announcement about that. thea;r possible that there is also an announcement about that. they have the 0 tion announcement about that. they have the option as — announcement about that. they have the option as well, _ announcement about that. they have the option as well, that's _ announcement about that. they have the option as well, that's likely i the option as well, that�*s likely confusing message, we think a lot of support bingo from china in less obvious ways to support russian efforts but i think, obviously, we are seeing military equipment in large numbers and very obvious quantities going but there is lots of support russia needs, especially in the face of sanctions and retractions from china. whether we see the announcement of clear military transfer is a red line for

china at the moment but there is lots of things they can do shorter that to their support and that is what will expect to see next and potentially veiled threat alongside a peace offering would be almost what i would expect out of this visit. so it sort of both an ultimatum and a bit of an offer to ukraine to help russia, frankly, get out of the trouble is on at the moment. out of the trouble is on at the moment-— out of the trouble is on at the moment. ,, ., ., ~ ., , ., ., ., ., moment. slovakia is following poland with an announcement _ moment. slovakia is following poland with an announcement that _ moment. slovakia is following poland with an announcement that it - moment. slovakia is following poland with an announcement that it is i with an announcement that it is offering some fighterjets to ukraine, what difference could that make? hill the great thing is thinking aboutjust a year ago, eighth a last year, is when the when these 'ets eighth a last year, is when the when these jets are _ eighth a last year, is when the when these jets are being _ eighth a last year, is when the "rowan these jets are being discussed, it's thesejets are being discussed, it�*s great to see them now and something tangibly moving on this. it�*s not a vast number but it is probably as many in total as the ukraine started the war with. they have had help in keeping some of the aircraft in the x0 the great thing is for ukrainians they used to operating this type of aircraft, they got spares, mechanics

understand it, they�*ve really done work on integrating nato systems and weapons onto these aircraft so it is quite an immediate boost and in terms of utility this is better than getting 30 aircraft from the united states or something like that. what they really want is access to more advanced western aircraft of the future not least because there are only so many currently available to give the ukraine and of course russia is the main supporter of these type of jets russia is the main supporter of these type ofjets in the manufacture of parts that they have got a limited life in ukrainian use like a lot of the ex soviet stuff. what they really want is the more advanced native equipment, probably, primarily the f—16 that they will get glue might take anything they can get. it�*s great for now and will increase the capability in the short term. . ., increase the capability in the short term. ., ,, i. more than 1,000 passport office workers in britain are going on strike for five weeks in a dispute over pay and conditions.

members of the pcs union in england, scotland and wales will take part in the action from april the 3rd to may the 5th of may. those working in belfast are being balloted and could join the strike. the union warned the action is likely to have a "significant impact" on the delivery of passports ahead of the summer. i�*m joined now by our employment correspondent zoe conway. what is this going to mean for people wanting to renew their passports?— people wanting to renew their --assorts? ., ., _ ., passports? the union are saying that the are passports? the union are saying that they are expecting — passports? the union are saying that they are expecting this _ passports? the union are saying that they are expecting this to _ passports? the union are saying that they are expecting this to have i passports? the union are saying that they are expecting this to have a i they are expecting this to have a big impact. they say that there aren�*t 1000 900 passport office workers and 1300 of them are members of the union. so you can expect them to be part of this action. they have also told me today that 75 members of staff joined the also told me today that 75 members of staffjoined the union since this morning so that number could grow over the coming days. they also say that the home office has been caught on the hot by this. they think the

home office wasn�*t ready for this to be an else. i have spoken to the home office, i think we are going to find out, as the day progresses, what those contingency plans might look like, is it about moving other civil servants from other departments over to help? because we are talking about a strike for five weeks monday— saturday. what happen with the border for strike was that the army came in. the home office is not going to move the army into staff the passport office so it is still not clear who they would move in to cover this but the home office is obviously working away on this at the moment. is obviously working away on this at the moment-— is obviously working away on this at the moment. ., , , ., ., ,., the moment. people be worried about not aaivin the moment. people be worried about not giving able — the moment. people be worried about not giving able to _ the moment. people be worried about not giving able to get _ the moment. people be worried about not giving able to get passports i not giving able to get passports ahead of the summer holiday season. young absolutely. the next question is can�*t they get in a room and try and sort this out? i�*zre is can't they get in a room and try and sort this out?— and sort this out? i've asked the union if the _ and sort this out? i've asked the union if the government - and sort this out? i've asked the union if the government has i and sort this out? i've asked the i union if the government has reached out and the union has said no. so

let�*s see what happens over the next few days but the union are trying to bounce the government into getting on with pay negotiations as quickly as possible. there�*ll be no further strikes by teachers in england for two weeks, after the government and unions agreed to hold �*intensive talks�*. the government says the move will create a �*period of calm�* from the national education union in england, as talks take place. the discussions will focus on pay, conditions and workload, and follow strikes which hit schools across england earlier this week. doctors�* leaders and government ministers are being urged to start formal pay talks after a breakthrough on a deal with other nhs staff in england. unions representing health workers — including nurses, ambulance staff and paramedics — are recommending their members back a 5% pay rise following months of industrial action. with more detail here�*s our health editor hugh pym. chanting: what do we want? fair pay! when do we want it? now! it was an unprecedented series of strikes by nhs staff,

starting in december. two weeks ago, intensive talks with ministers began in england and now health union leaders have agreed to put a new pay offer to members in a ballot. for this financial year, there�*ll be a one—off payment of at least £1655, for the lowest paid workers, with larger amounts for more experienced nhs staff. and there will be a pay rise of 5% in the next financial year, beginning in april. this offer that is on the table has been hard won by health workers. we would have liked to have seen this significantly earlier, and we could have avoided all of the disruption over this winter. that said, what we have wanted all along is to give health workers a choice between taking strike action and having a credible offer on the table. but apart from saying some of the money will come from the existing department of health budget, the government has not given much detail on the funding of the offer. we're being clear that as part of the discussions we have, this will not come from areas of the budget which impact on patients. so those were part of the terms

of the discussions that we had. that was the nature of the negotiation, and that was part of the mandate i received from the prime minister and from the chancellor. a strike byjunior doctors in england this week affected all forms of care including emergencies. many hospitals cancelled operations and appointments. yesterday the health secretary wrote to the british medical association offering to meet. the doctors union said it was willing to do so. but, he said before he will only discuss the sort of deal offered to other health unions. the bma has called for 35% wage rise to compensate for inflation over 15 years. so while a preliminary meeting looks likely, the possibility of further progress is more uncertain. nhs providers, representing trusts in england, said there must be urgent movement on talks with thejunior doctors and both sides needed to re—double their efforts. hugh pym, bbc news.

now on to the us where the irish taoiseach leo varadkar is due to mark st particks day with presdient biden.the two leaders will hold talks in washington and celebrate their shared history. well to discuss this further i�*m nowjoined by the former irish taoiseach, bertie ahern. he was also one of the key architects of the good friday agreement. the 25th anniversary of the good friday agreement is coming up. what are your thoughts as we approach that anniversary in terms of its success and the jeopardy around it in recent years after the brexit vote? ., , , vote? hopefully in the next few weeks it was — vote? hopefully in the next few weeks it was this _ vote? hopefully in the next few weeks it was this time - vote? hopefully in the next few weeks it was this time 25 i vote? hopefully in the next few weeks it was this time 25 years | vote? hopefully in the next few i weeks it was this time 25 years ago on saint patrick�*s day when we started the run into the good friday agreement, it was three weeks of intensive debate and discussions and bring it to conclusion. as we all know, the institutions of the good friday agreement have not met for a

year. that was to try to find out a way around the impulses that came from brexit. hopefully, the windsor record will give us that. where we�*re at is i think that the puppet politicians come out and particularly the dup, they have to come to the conclusion on what they want and what they are going to get from the british government in addition to what is already an agreement and by that i mean they are apparently going to seek clarification on some amendments to the 1998 act. that is mainly around koh defying european law through the uk. ratherthan koh defying european law through the uk. rather than northern ireland still having some eu law that they have to comply with. so that seems to be the remaining sticking point, there might be other ones, but i think that�*s the main one. do there might be other ones, but i think that's the main one. do you think that's the main one. do you think power-sharing _

think that's the main one. do you think power-sharing will- think that's the main one. do you think power-sharing will be i think power—sharing will be eventually back up and running this year? i eventually back up and running this ear? ., ., ~' eventually back up and running this ear? ., ., ,, , ., year? i do, it might take up a number of— year? i do, it might take up a number of weeks _ year? i do, it might take up a number of weeks more i year? i do, it might take up a number of weeks more but i l year? i do, it might take up a - number of weeks more but i can't see any reason why not quite frankly was not i think all of the points that were put forward over the winter have been dealt with and i think the prime minister, to his credit, has been involved in serious dialogue over the last few months and i think that culminated in the agreement between the european union and the uk a few weeks ago. so maybe there is some tweaking, some clarification, but i don't think there is more chance that is preventing the institutions from getting back up and running. you have been on _ getting back up and running. you have been on the saint patrick's day visits with us presidents, it's a tradition, how engaged is president biden with maintaining good relations in the north and the south, he has spoken publicly of his deep interest in all of this?

president biden has been in ireland numerous times, even when he was vice president. right throughout his life he has been here many times. his family connections in both the west of ireland and the border areas, so he has a ways been very much on top of it. i suppose other than the late and great ted kennedy, he is probably the coalition that has kept in touch most. he is very much across the good friday agreement and he understands the subtleties of well which was always a complication but he is very supportive and i think in fairness to him and bill clinton over the last 25 years, they have done extraordinary work to try to bring peace and to try to bring normality to northern ireland and to that island of ireland. [30 to northern ireland and to that island of ireland.— to northern ireland and to that island of ireland. do you think that when ou island of ireland. do you think that when you see _ island of ireland. do you think that when you see the _ island of ireland. do you think that

when you see the demographic- island of ireland. do you think that - when you see the demographic change in northern ireland, we have seen the rise of the alliance party, that some people said that with brexit there would be a referendum on a united ireland within ten years, do you see that? i united ireland within ten years, do you see that?— united ireland within ten years, do you see that? i think there are two thins to you see that? i think there are two things to remember. _ you see that? i think there are two things to remember. one - you see that? i think there are two things to remember. one is - you see that? i think there are two things to remember. one is that i you see that? i think there are two l things to remember. one is that the good friday agreement makes provision for a referendum and it clearly states that part of the agreement allows a unity referendum at some stage. my own personal opinion i have stated this many times to the parties and i think it is accepted now that two things have to happen to allow that referendum to happen to allow that referendum to be a meaningful one. one is that the institutions which haven't blew blue opal rule for a long time at a sustainable, competent level for a good period of time, and a good

period of time i don't mean a few weeks, certainly a number of years. that's the first thing. and the second thing is that the necessary work of what a new ireland would look like so that people could make a logical decision has to be undertaken and completed. we are a long way away from that point so whether it is the end of this decade whether it is the end of this decade whether it's a bit longer but certainly not now. i think there will be in due time a unity referendum, i think it should be on a new ireland, a different kind of ireland and we will get everyone in an inclusive way but we are a number of years away from that and then unless we can make progress on the issues in front of us know it will be even further away. looking ahead is it a bit awkward or embarrassing that us president is is it a bit awkward or embarrassing that us presiden— that us president is due to be visitin: that us president is due to be visiting to _ that us president is due to be visiting to mark _ that us president is due to be visiting to mark that - that us president is due to be i visiting to mark that anniversary that us president is due to be - visiting to mark that anniversary of the good friday agreement if power—sharing isn't up and running? we've been talking since the 1st of

january about whether we would have it up and running by the anniversary and the president and the clintons are coming and tony blair is coming and several others so it is a big event so we have peace and we have had very few issues of violence over the last 25 years so that end of it is good but the fact that the institutions are not up and running that people can get on with power—sharing, that certainly is something that we wish we could put in the past and if we can't do it in the next few weeks i don't know when we can so hopefully by the end of the month it's going to promise that there will be a clear decision by there will be a clear decision by the dup by the end of the month. we are getting very close that. i remember covering the good friday agreement all those years ago, i'm sure we will hear a lot more from you in the relative that. thank you for your time.

introducing peanut products to babies from 4—6mths old could reduce the chance of developing a peanut allergy, new advice suggests. i'm joined now by our health and science correspondent james gallagher why as advice come from? this is a bid study that _ why as advice come from? this is a bid study that has _ why as advice come from? this is a bid study that has been _ why as advice come from? this is a bid study that has been conducted l why as advice come from? this is a i bid study that has been conducted by researchers in the uk and the us but its implications are truly global and they have been looking at outdated evidence that has come out over the past 15 years or so on what happens when you give peanut butter and things like that earlier on in life and showing that you can massively reduce the risk of peanut allergy and that is in sharp contradiction to what many people will be familiar with because you don't have to go back that long to when the advice was don't give peanut before the age of three. 15 peanut before the age of three. is this advice going to be applied globally? this advice going to be applied aloball ? , , , , globally? this is the thing. this is a series of scientific _ globally? this is the thing. this is a series of scientific studies, - globally? this is the thing. this is a series of scientific studies, this| a series of scientific studies, this isn't an official government recommendation but truly it would apply globally if the findings have

been tested in lots of different races and ethnicities and in many respects it is a global story because this started in israel where peanut is given much earlier in life, peanut —based snack is given from earliest weaning and some researchers were there and were thinking why is nobody here having peanut allergy and yes it is sorting and other countries like in the united kingdom, is one of 50 children now. it really stem from there and showed that early exposure, while the immune system is still learning and developing and trying to figure out what is safe to eat, that early exposure is what can help prevent peanut allergy. thank ou. coming up in world business but we will have more on the $30 billion bailout on the regional bank first republic. this is bbc news. more on the worries around the financial system, reassurances coming from the

us yesterday but still a lot of concern around the uncertainty in the banking sector. we are back in a few minutes with much more, stay with us. it is a mild day for the middle of march but a changeable picture today. there is a bit of sunshine around but there is also scattered to heavy showers, perhaps the odd thunderstorm working in through the course of the day despite the mild air. it is unsettled because we have a low pressure, to the west, this swirl of cloud, a more persistent area of rain working into the south—east as well. with the low pressure, the wind is coming from a southerly direction, a bit colder across the north of scotland. we have rain for parts of east anglia and the south—east over the next few hours. the rest of the uk is seeing a mixture of sunshine and some showers.

we are not all going to see them, hit and miss, but if you catch one across southern england, the wales, midlands, heavy and potentially thundery. dry weather between the showers. they will continue across northern england and southern scotland. northern ireland clouding over later on, drizzly rain and for scotland a band of cloud in the north, it is a weather front, to the north, clear skies towards lerwick. most places in the mid—teens today. this evening and overnight, drizzly showers working northwards on the light breeze. a lot of low cloud, a grey start to saturday morning, temperatures 5 degrees to 9 degrees for most of us. frost in the northern isles. low pressure moving eastwards, setting firmly across the british isles on saturday. that means light winds, similar to today, sunny spells and scattered showers, some showers could crop up across parts of england and wales and it could be and potentially heavy. persistent rain in the

south—east and east anglia. more persistent rain for northern ireland and western scotland later on. temperatures 8 degrees to 1a degrees on saturday. high pressure on sunday, a little more cool in the morning, fewer showers, dry weather, best of the sunshine towards the south and east. more cloud and rain in the north—east later today and highs of around 8 degrees to 1a degrees. bye.

big banks to the rescue! first republic is offered a lifeline from lenders in an effort to calm fears of a collapse in the us financial system. and we take a look at the global ai chatbot race, as china's ernie bot takes the stage. welcome to world business report. i'm ben boulos. we begin in the us where, in an extraordinary move to contain panic in the banking system, 11 of america's biggest financial