our top stories. donald trump becomes the first former us president to face criminal charges. the charges are thought to relate to falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to a porn star. the unprecedented indictment of a former president of the united states for a campaign finance issue is an outrage. states for a campaign finance issue is an outrage-— is an outrage. former paralympic chamion is an outrage. former paralympic champion oscar _ is an outrage. former paralympic champion oscar pistorius - is an outrage. former paralympic champion oscar pistorius was - champion oscar pistorius was convicted of murdering his girlfriend and is denied an early release from prison. a cricket disciplinary hearing upheld charges against several players over the use of a racial slur. former yorkshire cricketer, azeem rafiq, says the sport needs to end institutional racism for good. one of the core reasons for me speaking out was for the game to get better and i think it is really, that test really starts now. president zelensky attends ceremonies being held in bucha — a year since the town was recaptured by the ukrainian army.

donald trump has become the first former us president to face a criminal prosecution. the precise charges against him have not yet been made public, but they're thought to relate to falsifying business records to hide a payment to a porn star during the 2016 election campaign. it's alleged stormy daniels was paid off in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair. mr trump denies any wrongdoing, calling the indictment "political persecution and election interference". our north america correspondent john sudworth reports. the massed ranks of the media say it all. donald trump's provided plenty of big moments in american politics, but few bigger than this —

his own imminent arrest. this is an abc news special. now reporting, david muir. we are coming on the air early because of breaking news at this hour. a grand jury here in new york city has handed up an indictment against former president donald trump. the news was confirmed in an angry statement from the former president, blaming his political opponents. the democrats, he said, have done the unthinkable. the case against him centres on this woman, the porn star known as stormy daniels. ahead of trump's 2016 election win, she was paid $130,000 to stop her going public with claims she had had an affair with him — something he denies. his fixer and lawyer, michael cohen, was convicted over that payment, along with other charges, back in 2018. since out ofjail, he's been giving evidence to the grand jury that's now decided charges are warranted. this is not revenge, right?

what this is is about accountability. i don't want to see anyone, including donald trump, indicted, prosecuted, convicted, incarcerated, simply because i fundamentally disagree with them. this is all about accountability. he needs to be held accountable for his dirty deeds. the big question is whether mr trump knew about the hush money. although his organisation ultimately footed the bill, he's always denied any knowledge. did you know about the $130,000 payment to stormy daniels? - no. unless he refuses to comply, at some point in the next few days, donald trump will have to come here to new york. he'll be booked and fingerprinted in the building behind me there, have the charges read to him and enter a formal plea in front of a judge. it's an extraordinary moment — the first president in us history to be arrested. the charges have been brought not by federal prosecutors,

but by the manhattan district attorney, alvin bragg, a democrat — now a key figure in the trump campaign's claim that this is politics, notjustice at work. for a media savvy populist eyeing the white house again, donald trump may see electoral advantage in all this. his opponents, though, will be hoping that a man who's long overridden the usual rules of the political game is about to be brought down with a bump. john sudworth, bbc news, new york. presidentjoe biden has been asked about donald trump. let's hear what he had to say. your reaction to president trump's indictment. no. reporters talk over each other. i have no comment on the indictment. have you any comment in the wake of the indictment? no, i'm not going to talk about trump's indictment. reporter question. i have no comment on trump. ...of the charges against trump

politically motivated? i have no comment on trump. i think we got the point, he no comment! —— he had no comment. former vice president mike pence labelled donald trump's indictment a political presecution, and critised the manhattan district attorney for campaigning to bring charges against him. i think the unprecedented indictment of a former president of the united states for a campaign issue is an outrage. it is clear the overwhelming majority of the american people think this is nothing short of a political prosecution, being effected by a manhattan da who literally campaigned on bringing charges against one particular american. and i must tell you that that should be offensive to every american, left, right and centre. what every american deserves equal treatment under the law, and i believe the

american people will see this for what it is. let's get more on this now with my colleague katty kay, who's our us special correspondent, and one of the hosts of the bbc podcast americast. thank you forjoining us. just listening to mike pence, there, using pretty much the same language as donald trump, this is a political persecution, talking about this being offensive, it all being political, does that... does that really reveal what mike pence thinks about all of this? or, for some cynics, is this mike pence trying to keep hold of those voters that perhaps donald trump already has? yeah, mike pence, i mean, a bit like ron desantis, has called this un—american. we know that mike pence is thinking of running for the presidency and we know that ron desantis is thinking of running for the presidency and both of those men

know that they cannot win the republican nomination without getting some of the people who voted for donald trump in 2016 and 2020 to vote for them in 202a. they are kind of walking a tightrope. they can't alienate those people too much. but they would also like to beat donald trump in the quest for that nomination to be the republican nominee. i think that is some of what you are hearing, there. the only caveat i think that both of these men might be looking at is that there is a group of people who helped donald trump with the white housein helped donald trump with the white house in 2016 who has become increasingly disaffected with him and that is evangelical christians. donald trump's support amongst evangelicals has been eroding and ron desantis in a recent poll now has more evangelical christians are supporting him than donald trump. those people may be a bit wary of this whole trial, of the association with donald trump with a former pawn star, and i think they have to calibrate that, how do they not alienate those evangelical

christians but also not alienate the donald trump supporters who are still in his camp. it is a complicated route, political route that they have to take and of course, we don't know what these charges are and we don't know how the trial is going to unfold, so we are in slightly uncharted waters, as are in slightly uncharted waters, as are they. i are in slightly uncharted waters, as are the . ~ ., , are in slightly uncharted waters, as are the . ~ . , ., ., , are they. i think that is a really important _ are they. i think that is a really important point, _ are they. i think that is a really important point, the _ are they. i think that is a really| important point, the suggestion seems to be from a lot of observers that this might be a good thing for donald trump, that it is going to rally the base, that it is going to keep his supporters and support solidified, and it could well help him, put him over the top when it comes to the run for the white house but as you say, those evangelical christians, not too happy about a porn star being involved at all of this, number one, and numbertwo, they might feel that they have got out of donald trump what they set out of donald trump what they set out to get from him in the first place, three posts on the supreme court and the rolling back of roe v wade. ., ., court and the rolling back of roe v wade. . ., ., , court and the rolling back of roe v wade. . ., ._ ., . . ., ., wade. yeah, that may account for some of them _ wade. yeah, that may account for some of them being _ wade. yeah, that may account for some of them being less - wade. yeah, that may account for some of them being less keen - wade. yeah, that may account for

some of them being less keen on | wade. yeah, that may account for - some of them being less keen on him than they were in 2016. i have spoken to evangelicals who have said to me very frankly, we did a deal with donald trump in 2016, we kind of held our noses at a president who had been divorced multiple times, who had said things on camera that we did not like about women, and we wanted to get those core positions and as you have pointed out, they have already got those court positions. i was texting somebody in trump world who is pretty close to the president and speaks to him on a fairly regular basis, as the news was breaking just last night and he said to me, this is a terrible thing for democrats, this is the weakest case against donald trump because remember, there are three other cases out there that may also lead to indictment and he was pretty much celebrating. that is what the trump people are saying but you know, he is someone who has also said in the past that he has to watch out for that evangelical base. i don't trust anyone at the moment, clive, who tells me they know how this is going to turn out, ijust don't. we have

never been in this position before. i can hear very strong arguments on both sides of the argument about why this is good for democrats and why this is good for democrats and why this is good for democrats and why this is good for republicans. i think all we can do is watch how this turns out. we don't know, i can't tell you whether this is going to help donald trump or if it is going to hurt him. we arejust going to have to see what happens during the trial, when the trial starts. yes, we have no idea, do we, at the moment? we don't even know the full extent of the charges. they will likely be unsealed next week, we understand, when he appears in court in new york. but the image of a former president, potentially in handcuffs, being led into court, that... that is a powerful reflection on his time in the white house and in fact, frankly, the last few years of division.— few years of division. yes, and my understanding _ few years of division. yes, and my understanding is _ few years of division. yes, and my understanding is by _ few years of division. yes, and my understanding is by the _ few years of division. yes, and my understanding is by the way - few years of division. yes, and my understanding is by the way that l few years of division. yes, and my l understanding is by the way that he won't be in handcuffs and his lawyers are speaking to the district

attorney's office in manhattan, the deal has been done that he won't be in handcuffs but he will be fainter printed and have a dna swab taken and a mug —— fingerprinted. that in and a mug —— fingerprinted. that in and of itself is going to be a huge spectacle. you can see their fury that it spectacle. you can see their fury thatitis spectacle. you can see their fury that it is eliciting on the right of american politics, that this man, that democrats have been after donald trump ever since he came down the escalator in 2015, you remember the escalator in 2015, you remember the famous scene when he came down the famous scene when he came down the escalators. they will tell you that democrats have been waiting to charge him, they tried two impeachment trials, they have been looking for something that would stick and that this is, you know, in the current parlance, a political witchhunt. democrats on the other hand would say that donald trump has been so egregious his whole life, whether it is in business or politics, he has skirted the law and was flirting with this just because of his behaviour and was setting himself up for some kind of charge. i think the interesting question is going to be, what impact this might

have on those other charges, investigations that are out there that could lead to potential charges against donald trump and whether, how american democracy handles this. i think the key for america at the moment is that this is seen as a legal process and not a political process, and that this does not necessarily lead to some kind of tit—for—tat where presidents are just up for being indicted as soon as they leave office, out of some kind of political vengeance scheme, that would really undermine the fabric and the belief in american democracy which is shaky as it is. but the key for alvin bragg and the prosecutors is to make this a judicial process and take it out of the realm of politics as much as they can. the realm of politics as much as the can. ., ., , the realm of politics as much as the can. . ., , ., they can. indeed, a really important oint. they can. indeed, a really important point- thank— they can. indeed, a really important point- thank you — they can. indeed, a really important point. thank you for _ they can. indeed, a really important point. thank you forjoining - they can. indeed, a really important point. thank you forjoining us. - doctor lauren wright is a political scientist at princeton and she joins

me now from newjersey. first of all, in terms of the indictment, there is nothing stopping donald trump from running for the nomination, right, at this moment in time? ., ., ., ., time? no, nothing at all. in fact, he could be _ time? no, nothing at all. in fact, he could be convicted _ time? no, nothing at all. in fact, he could be convicted and - time? no, nothing at all. in fact, he could be convicted and still. time? no, nothing at all. in fact, | he could be convicted and still run for president. we saw that in 1920 with a socialist candidate. there is even a precedent for that in our country. frankly, if there is any candidate who could run a campaign at the primary level, successfully, it is somebody with the built in support and name recognition that donald trump has. he does not have to be something like the other candidates, introducing himself to the country. he has these very high levels of support because he is still seen as the leader of the party. still seen as the leader of the -a . �* still seen as the leader of the .a _ �* , ., still seen as the leader of the party. and we 'ust heard katty kay, our us party. and we 'ust heard katty kay, us special— party. and we just heard katty kay, our us special correspondence, - our us special correspondence, talking about this tightrope that a lot of the candidates who are thinking of running or who have declared that they will run in the

race for the nomination, this tightrope in trying to be critical of this indictment and of their suggestion that it is a political witchhunt, and it is a sort of political persecution, but at the same time, they are going to have start taking chunks out of donald trump. start taking chunks out of donald trum -. , if start taking chunks out of donald trump-- if the _ start taking chunks out of donald trump. yes. if the race continues to to trump. yes. if the race continues to go forward- — trump. yes. if the race continues to go forward- how— trump. yes. if the race continues to go forward. how do _ trump. yes if the race continues to go forward. how do navigate that? trump. yes. if the race continues to go forward. how do navigate that? i j go forward. how do navigate that? i mean, this is a fascinating thing to watch unfold, especially with ron desantis. i think frankly, he has been pretty savvy with regard to this on two fronts, when he was first asked about the potential indictment, he made sure to say, yes, i think it is politically motivated and alvin bragg is a partisan and a george soros back to democrat and all of this but he didn't know about hush money payments to a porn star because it is not behaviour he engages in. i

think that is a successful tightrope walk. the other one is, he seems to be capitalising on the fact that he refuses to participate in an extradition of trump from florida to new york. well, he won't have to anyway because trump is going to voluntarily turn himself in. and so ron desantis has done a pretty good job of scoring some political points where he can, but drawing a distinction between himself and trump and that is something every single one of these candidates will have to do eventually. right now, it is just the trump show and it is impossible for them to have their own individual message. i impossible for them to have their own individual message.- impossible for them to have their own individual message. i mean, that was re own individual message. i mean, that was pretty clever _ own individual message. i mean, that was pretty clever from _ own individual message. i mean, that was pretty clever from ron _ own individual message. i mean, that was pretty clever from ron desantis, | was pretty clever from ron desantis, you are right, in suggesting he's not going to have anything to do with donald trump effectively being extradited to new york when he would not have anything to do with it anyway. not have anything to do with it an a . . not have anything to do with it anyway-- so _ not have anything to do with it anyway.- so there - not have anything to do with it anyway. yes. so there you go. as far as donald trump's _ anyway. yes so there you go. as far as donald trump's mindset is concerned, do you think he is worried? .

concerned, do you think he is worried?- or— concerned, do you think he is worried?- or is _ concerned, do you think he is worried?- or is he - concerned, do you think he is worried? yes! or is he thinking, it is fantastic. _ worried? yes! or is he thinking, it is fantastic, i'm _ worried? yes! or is he thinking, it is fantastic, i'm really going worried? jesi or is he thinking, it is fantastic, i'm really going to sock it to them? ila is fantastic, i'm really going to sock it to them? no presidential candidate would _ sock it to them? no presidential candidate would raise _ sock it to them? no presidential candidate would raise their- sock it to them? no presidential candidate would raise their hand sock it to them? no presidential. candidate would raise their hand for this. part of the allegation here is that trump covered up this alleged behaviour because he thought it would affect the 2016 campaign. and so reporting has indicated he was even surprised by this, no one would volunteer for this. even surprised by this, no one would volunteerfor this. and even surprised by this, no one would volunteer for this. and so even surprised by this, no one would volunteerfor this. and so i think the political commentary a lot of times is confusing a benefit with his campaign to something that he might survive anyway, because people are supportive of him anyway in the republican party. it is important not to conflate those two things. he might just not to conflate those two things. he mightjust be too far ahead to lose at this point and people are willing to turn their heads.— to turn their heads. sure, all riaht, to turn their heads. sure, all right. dr _ to turn their heads. sure, all right, dr lauren _ to turn their heads. sure, all right, dr lauren wright - to turn their heads. sure, all right, dr lauren wright from | right, dr lauren wright from princeton, thank you forjoining us. south african paralympic star oscar pistorius has been denied parole in south africa.

that's according to the department of correctional services — but now there is confusion about whether he was even eligible to apply for it in the first place. we spoke to our africa correspondent andrew harding a little while earlier about what has happened. it is a pretty farcical situation, the south african justice system looking like it has made a big mess of this. today's parole board hearing, we are now learning, should never have gone ahead in the first place, because the prison authorities here actually received a letter three days ago, on tuesday of this week, explaining to them that oscar pistorius has not actually served, according to their calculations, half his time in prison, half of his sentence. in fact, that time will come next august, in 202a. i spoke just a short while ago to oscar pistorius's uncle arnold who was mystified. he said it was clear to him that he had served half his sentence, and he said he would be getting

legal advice on how this confusion could have arisen. what seems to have happened, though, is because oscar pistorius was initially sentenced once, that was appealed and he was sentenced again, he spent some time in prison, he spent some time under house arrest, then he spent another longer period, which he is currently still doing, in prison, so there is confusion about exactly when his sentence should be considered to have started. and it seems like the supreme court of appeal here and the chiefjustice have decided it only began on the last time he began his prison sentence, so they are taking the strictest interpretation of the law, if you like. andrew, that, as you said right at the beginning there, is not a situation that covers the justice system there with much glory. can we get to the substance of the issue as opposed to the justice system, but i suppose the family of reeva steenkamp, and the reaction there? they have said they welcome this delay.

they argued in the parole board in the prison behind me here where oscar pistorius is still incarcerated, they argued today that they didn't believe that he was genuine in his remorse. they still insist that oscar pistorius needs to confess to killing reeva steenkamp, his girlfriend, deliberately. the court has never ruled on that. it simply ruled that he should have known that whoever was hiding behind his bathroom door would die when he shot three times through the closed door. but the pistorius family insist that he has not shown remorse, has not admitted the truth, and therefore should stay in prison. but we also know that pistorius and his lawyers argued that he has shown remorse, he has met reeva steenkamp's father last year and expressed his remorse again, and apologised for his actions. we also know that prison officials, the social workers, have spoken about his behaviour during the last years in prison, and leaked

information from a previous court dispute seems to indicate that prison officials believe that pistorius in general has behaved well, and that in their view he has ticked the right boxes to be allowed out on parole. but clearly that is not going to happen at least for some time, as more clarity no doubt is sought and more lawyers get involved in trying to work out where and when pistorius could be eligible for parole. and in the last hour, ms steenkamp's family released the following statement... in the uk, the cricket discipline commission has upheld complaints against five former yorkshire players for using racist or discriminatory language towards team—mates. the charges by the england and wales cricket board stemmed

mainly from allegations made by azeem rafiq, who in 2020 laid bare the extent of racism in the sport. meanwhile, the former england captain, michael vaughan, has been cleared of using racist language towards a group of asian players, which included rafiq, in 2009. in a statement, michael vaughan criticised the procedure, saying the england and wales cricket board invited claim and counterclaim. but he said he still wants to continue to fight for change in the sport. he said... he goes on to say... azeem rafiq has been speaking to the bbc about the ecb decision.

here's his reaction. i feel vindicated. seven out of the eight charges that have been upheld, and most importantly, one of the main reasons i spoke out, dan, was to highlight the wider problems across the game, and the institutional racism at yorkshire county cricket club, and i think that has been proven overand overagain. obviously it has been a tough process for everyone to go through, but i think it became very clear that it was something that the game had to go through, and hopefully now can start to learn from it, reflect and really make cricket a game for everyone. does it disappoint you that the panel found that michael vaughan had not said the words that you alleged he'd said? look, for me from day one, i tried to very much make sure that this doesn't become about individuals. i spoke about my experiences and what i went through, and i've done that openly from day one.

it's been corroborated by players, coaches and other people present. so from my point of view, i can only talk about my experiences. look, of course i'm disappointed. i don't agree with the findings. but i respect them. the panel upheld some of the charges against five other former yorkshire players. what did you make of that? did that please you, did that vindicate you? look, i've not really had a chance to go through the details of the findings, and how the panels got to their decisions. like i said, i've been vindicated over and over again through several processes, and today seven out of eight charges have been upheld. but one of the core reasons for me speaking out was for the game to get better, and i think that test really starts now. i really hope that people can start to come together.

there has been a lot said, and a lot has gone on over the last two and a half years. that was azeem rafiq answering questions by dan roan. george dobell is a senior correspondent for the cricketer, and the journalist who broke this story originally back in 2020. he gave us his views on what we've learnt today. it is almost too much to take in but it is almost too much to take in but i think the important thing is that azeem rafiq's general experiences have been vindicated. i think the important thing is to cling whole to that he started a conversation about racism in the game which has been very valuable, which continues to go on and which will hopefully change the game for the better. i think that will be his long—term legacy. in terms of the process, it has not been great but i don't know how else you can do it. i mean, that is the wayjustice you can do it. i mean, that is the way justice works, you can do it. i mean, that is the wayjustice works, isn't it? it is adversarial, it tends to be, anyway. that is a thorough process. it is

muddy and messy and not perfect but i don't, i can't think of an alternative that is better and it is better surely that people go through the process and have a fair hearing and can be cleared or not than rather not having that process? i don't know. it is like democracy, it might not be perfect but it sure beats the alternative. pope francis has baptised a newborn in the paediatric ward of the gemelli hospital in rome where he is receiving treatment for bronchitis. the pope appeared in good physical condition and also visited young patients on an oncology ward, bringing them chocolate eggs and copies of a book about the life ofjesus. francis is expected to leave the hospital on saturday pending the results of his latest medical tests and is scheduled to take part in a palm sunday service the following day, the vatican said on friday.

hello, the last day of march was unsettled across the southern half of the uk, plenty of showers and areas of heavy rain and strong winds but this area of low pressure will clear away during the first part of the weekend and into the start of april, things become a bit drier and brighter and more settled and we should start to see more sunshine on sunday. this area of low pressure has been pulling away into the near continent, taking strong wind with it but leaving a legacy of cloud, further showers and a weather front bringing further rain to northern ireland, parts of wales, southwest and southern england, some of the rain heavy at times, further north, a lot of cloud across north sea coasts but western scotland and north—west england seeing the best of any clearer skies are so temperatures may take a bit of a tumble. for saturday, still an area of low pressure pulling away very slowly to the near continent, leaving a legacy of cloud across the country. a few showery bursts of rain being pushed in on an east north—easterly wind and eastern

scotland and eastern england staying grey and cool. this weather front bringing further rain to northern ireland, parts of wales and the southwest will tend to fizzle out through the day. we could see skies brightening a touch but it will be chilly, certainly compared to the last few days across north sea coast, with an onshore breeze. further west, coast, with an onshore breeze. furtherwest, highs coast, with an onshore breeze. further west, highs of 11, coast, with an onshore breeze. furtherwest, highs of 11, maybe 12 or13 furtherwest, highs of 11, maybe 12 or 13 in the sunny spells across further west, highs of 11, maybe 12 or 13 in the sunny spells across the south—west. as we head through saturday night, it stays rather cloudy for most. this weather front should peter out and turn drier across northern ireland, south—west england and i think any rain across eastern england will fizzle out. many places dry with variable cloud and clear spells and temperatures dipping between t — seven, a cooler night to come, then. —— 2—7. sunday, high pressure builds in, few isobars so the wind will be much lighter. we are importing some slightly drier airfrom the east are importing some slightly drier air from the east so i are importing some slightly drier airfrom the east so i think are importing some slightly drier air from the east so i think early on we should start to see any cloud beginning to break up and then sunshine will become abundant into the afternoon. a much brighter

second half of the weekend for much of the country, away from northern scotland and northern ireland, a bit more cloud. despite the sunshine, although feeling warm in the sunshine, still quite cool, 9—12. pretty reasonable for early april. into next week, it looks like high pressure continues to bring a lot of dry unsettled weather, at times, weather fronts bringing dry unsettled weather, at times, weatherfronts bringing rain to dry unsettled weather, at times, weather fronts bringing rain to the north and west of the uk but turning milder as we move through the new week.

this is bbc news — welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. i'm clive myrie. our top stories... donald trump becomes the first former us president to face criminal charges — after an investigation into a payment made to a porn star. the charges relate to breaking the law by falsifying business in new york — he denies any wrongdoing. oscar pistorius, the former paralympic champion jailed for murdering his girlfriend, has been denied an early release from a prison in south africa. the parole board said he hadn't completed his minimum detention period. the cricket discipline commission has upheld complaints against five former yorkshire players for using racist language. but the former england captain, michael vaughan, was cleared of using racist language towards a group of asian players in 2009. president zelensky has been leading ceremonies in bucha, on the first anniversary of its recapture by ukrainian forces. the suburb northwest of kyiv has come to symbolise russian atrocities.

sport now, and for a full round—up, from the bbc sport centre, here's olly foster. many thanks, clive. the former yorkshire bowler azeem rafiq says he feels "vindicated" after a cricket discipline commission found charges had been proved against five former players of bringing the game into disrepute through their use of racist and/or discriminatory language. the former england captain michael vaughan was cleared "on the balance of probabilities" of using racist language towards fomer teamates and rafiq. vaghan's lawyer has criticised the process and the toll it's taken on all parties.

one of the criticisms that could be made around having to use cdc proceedings is that it is adversarial, it will invite claim and counterclaim, it invites people to call each other liars because that's the environment litigators operate in. and that big dumb actor can be very damaging and a harmful process. it's very often very good at getting to the truth, in the case of the heart of the matter, but ultimately it can cause a lot of damage as well in the process. vaughan had to stand down from his work as a cricket pundit and broadcaster with the bbc during the ecb investigation. the bbc has released this statement... wimbledon will allow russian and belarusian players to compete in this year's tournament, but under a neutralflag. they were banned last year

in response to russia's invasion of ukraine. the ukrainian foreign minister has describing the decision as "immoral". but british tennis organisations would have lost millions because the lead up grass—court events would have to be cancelled. they wouldn't be sanctioned by the atp. our tennis correspondent russell fuller says there'll be contrasting reactions. well, the players again, if you take them as an international group, will be broadly very supportive of this decision. they did not like the idea that they could all be potentially be, as they saw it, discriminated against on the grounds of nationality. but where it'll upset people very, very deeply is amongst the ukrainian player contingent — because we are now moving towards a situation where the international olympic committee have indicated very strongly they want to allow russian and belarusian athletes to compete at the olympic games in paris next year, and it means

wimbledon and the other warm—up events on the grass in the uk before the championships will also be able to invite russians and belarusian players. and there are some that have spoken up quite vocally. thus he has talked about having a panic attack before a match she was due to play against arena sub—barranca of belarus in california earlier this month. she talks about an ethical conflict every time a ukrainian player comes up against a russian or belarusian. barcelona manager xavi hernandez says he would be delighted to re—sign lionel messi despite being initially reluctant to discuss the possibility, he says, "it's normal that people are excited. it's a last dance like michaeljordan." messi is yet to sign a new contract with paris saint—germain, with his two—year deal due to expire in the next couple of months. he made a tearful farewell to barcelona in 2021 after they were unable to offer him a new deal because of financial problems.

anthonyjoshua has weighed in at a career—heavy 18 stone, 3lbs for saturday's contest against the american jermaine franklin at london's o2 arena. the british fighter, lost his last two fights to world champion oleksandr usyk in august. american franklin meanwhile is lighter than when he lost to dillian whyte in november. a heavierjoshua suggests he could be targeting a knockout win, using his added weight and strength. we will see. and that's all the sport for now. more now on the reaction to the indictment of former president donald trump. our north america correspondent nada tawfik explained what some of the legal terms mean to my collegue lewis vaughanjones, starting with what exactly being indicted means. well, an indictment isjust the written formal accusation that somebody is now charged with a crime to stop it starts with a grand jury that is convened, which is just a group of citizens — they hear testimony from witnesses, they look at pieces of evidence,

then they decide whether there's enough to move forward with criminal charges. now it's important for people to understand that the difference between a grand jury and a jury in a trial is they don't have to have a unanimous decision, theyjust have to have a majority of the citizens on the grand jury to decide there's enough to move forward, then the indictment has the basic information of the charges. great, that's nice and clear — next word for you is arraignment, what's that? well, that'sjust the initial court appearance. it's relatively brief, it's where the defendant goes and has the charges read formally out to them, and then they enter a plea. in this case, of course, with the former president though, there could be a little bit of difference in how this plays out, but we do expect mr trump to appear in person like any other defendant to hear those charges. some of the technicalities — that is really, really clear and really useful, thank you for that. just going to run you through now some of the other big questions that are being posted online by people

interested in this story. i suppose the next one, the top one is, "is trump going to jail?" i think when you talk to most legal experts, they doubt that. they think it's more likely that he'll be hit with fines from this. and the reason is, for example, misdemeanors, or low—level crimes like falsifying business records — generally you can get away with paying a fine, rather than serving jail time, although it does carry up to a year in prison in certain circumstances. if mr trump is charged with a felony, a much more serious charge, that carries up to four years in prison. but again, many experts are saying until we see those exact charges, it's really hard to know, but they expect he'll be able to pay a fine even if found guilty. 0k, last one before i let you go is the idea that now, can he run for president given these legal proceedings?

i think many people will be surprised to hear that not only can he run for president after this indictment, but if he's found guilty and convicted, he can still run for president. we've heard mr trump say that nothing will stop him from running, and there isn't anything in the constitution to stop that from going forward. so it really is up to the voters in this case. if, in a republican primary, they choose him to represent the party in the 2024 presidential election, that's exactly what he'll do. so it could make for some interesting campaign years ahead if he is having to defend himself in this trial while also campaigning.

the town bucci has come to symbolise atrocities carried out by russian forces. butcherwas atrocities carried out by russian forces. butcher was the focus of intense fighting. our reporter, hugo bachega is in bucha today. president zelensky came here to bucha to mark this day, one year since the town was captured by ukrainian forces, and bucha will forever be remembered as the site of one of the worst and he said that humanity would prevail. now russian forces are accused of executing, torturing, and raping civilians in abuja. i think everyone remembers the images of dead bodies lying in the streets. now there is a massive effort in bucha to collect evidence of possible war crimes, international

investigators, activists and volunteers are there interviewing witnesses and survivors. the hope is that one day, the perpetrators can be identified and brought to justice. the oscar winning actress, gwyneth paltrow, has been awarded a symbolic sum of $1 after winning a two—week court battle over a skiing collision in utah, in 2016. terry sanderson, who's 76, had accused her of crashing into him at a resort, and sued for nearly a quarter of a million pounds. sophie long reports from utah. the oscar—winning actress has been present throughout this trial that's been streamed around the world like a reality tv courtroom drama. a "he said, she said, who hit whom" on the slopes of a luxury ski resort — and at what cost? this is hard because i don't like going through this scene. he said he broke four ribs and has permanent brain damage, but she said she suffered, too. he has deterred you from enjoying the rest of what was a very expensive vacation?

well, i lost half- a day of skiing, yes. right, 0k. he said he was hit from behind. i heard something i've never heard at a ski resort and that was a bloodcurdling scream. just can't do it, it was... aaagh... and then, boom. but she gave a different version of the collision. i was skiing, and two skis came between my skis, l forcing my legs apart. and then there was a body pressing against me, - and there was a very. strange grunting noise. so, my brain was trying to make sense of what was happening, . i thought, "am i...? is this a practicaljoke? is someone, like, doing something perverted? i this is really, really strange." late—night hosts turned the case into comedy. he's a bumbling optometrist. she's a celebrity mogul. they collide on a ski mountain and neither one can remember what happened? this christmas, see hallmark�*s

newest hit, goopsy daisy, a ski accident of the heart! applause and cheering thank you. but no—one was laughing here. mr sanderson's lawyers tried to paint a picture of an entitled celebrity lacking in care for the little people. and ms paltrow�*s legal team said he wanted to hold her accountable for the unwanted effects of ageing and exploit her high profile and wealth. was gwyneth paltrow at fault? no. after a trial lasting nearly two weeks, it took the jury just two hours to decide that it was not ms paltrow but mr sanderson who had been responsible for the crash. as the actress and influencer left court she went to see the man whose accusations had brought her here and said, "i wish you well." sophie long, bbc news, park city, utah.

from saturday, firms will get a discount on the wholesale prices as the government says the current businesses are warning they'll have to cut working hours, due to high energy bills, ahead of government help being scaled back. from saturday, firms will get a discount on wholesale prices, as the government said the current scheme which caps costs was too expensive. our business correspondent, marc ashdown, reports. like thousands of businesses, this pizzeria in prestwich is facing rising energy costs, a new contract signed last year saw it rise to 40p, subsidised by the government. when that support ends tomorrow they will be paying all of 70p per unit, five times more than last year. our contract runs out at the wrong time. we were searching around to find the best deal and at the time it was either close or take what was on offer at the time. we wanted to open a year ago, but obviously with the prices through the roof we had to stop. so this kitchen and pub in stockport remains a work in progress. plans to serve food are on hold because of energy bills. it is sad that we have just had to postpone everything in order

to get to the point of making it financially viable. since october businesses have been getting support with energy costs. their bills have been capped, but that scheme has cost the taxpayer {18.4 billion, so from tomorrow a new scheme starts, offering a discounted rate instead, estimated to costjust £5.5 billion for the coming year. but with some saying their bills could rocket by more than 400%, it is feared 300,000 small businesses might need to restructure, downsize or even close. there is some good news, official figures confirm today that at the back end of last year the uk economy grew marginally by 0.1%, expelling fears it would tip into recession. as inflation is expected to come down, costs could follow. but to get the economy growing businesses need to grow first and at the moment confidence is in short supply. since 1987 jack masters in leicester have prided themselves on producing low carbon knitwear, like christmas jumpers. but energy prices are expected

to triple this year and expansion plans have gone into reverse. to save money we have had to reduce the usage on our gas boiler down from five days to four days and production cut down from five days to four days in some areas. in the next 12 months we need to severely reassess where we need to invest. money spent on gas and electric cannot be set spent on employing new staff or investing in capital assets. some energy intensive industries like steel and glass makers will get a larger discount. there are calls for energy companies to now negotiate with companies if they are trapped in expensive contracts, was for some these next few months could be make or break. the environment agency has found large amounts of raw sewage were discharged into england's rivers and seas last year, but the volume was down on the year before. untreated effluent, including human waste,

wet wipes and sanitary products, was released into waterways more than 300,000 times. that's a 34% reduction in the duration of spills since 2021, due to drier weather, not the actions of water companies. our science and environment correspondent victoria gill has more from west yorkshire. braving the chilly water of the river wharfe. for the wild swimmers here in ilkley this river is a lifeline. we don'tjust swim together, we talk together, we drink together, we eat together, we go away together. the whole network of swimming is very, very important to my life. that was so much fun. but beneath the surface there is a problem. we are keeping our heads above the water. i wouldn't want to put my head in this because i think the risks are too great. just half a mile away raw, untreated sewage is regularly

released into the river. so this is where it comes out, down here. it'sjust a grill so it means that solids can come out as well. in an effort to have their river cleaned up, campaigners are lobbied to have this stretch of the water officially designated as a bathing site. that means the environment agency has to test and monitor the quality of the water. members of the public when they come to ilkley, because it is designated as bathing water they think the water is clean. the tests actually show that the water quality is poor. how do you feel then about the state of this river now? it is very frustrating we should be seeing the quality of the river come before the profits of companies. the water company is investing in the wharfe. this £13 million pipe will divert much more rain water and sewage away from the river and store it underground ready for treatment. have water companies done an unacceptable amount of ecological damage to the rivers? i don't think any water company can say that their activities don't do harm to a river,

but what we are trying to do is to do less. would you swim in the river around here? i would swim in the river when i think that it's a sensible time to do so. when is a sensible time? when it has just rained i wouldn't think it was a good time to go swimming. pollution in the river wharfe isn't hidden under the surface any more, it's a problem that runs through the heart of this community. victoria gill, bbc news, ilkley. it follows criticism that it won't make up for lost trade with the european union following brexit. business secretary kemi badenoch says the agreement was notjust about economic benefits, but also geopolitical ones. prime minister rishi sunak has hailed the deal as a

demonstration of the economic benefits of what he called post—brexit freeman. i'm joined now by the leader of the liberal democrats, sir ed davey. thanks for being with us. do you agree with rishi sunak, that perhaps we are seeing the benefits of a post—brexit world? we are seeing the benefits of a post-brexit world?— post-brexit world? tomorrow, eo - le's post-brexit world? tomorrow, people's taxes _ post-brexit world? tomorrow, people's taxes will _ post-brexit world? tomorrow, people's taxes will go - post-brexit world? tomorrow, people's taxes will go up - post-brexit world? tomorrow, people's taxes will go up in - post-brexit world? tomorrow, | people's taxes will go up in the post-brexit world? tomorrow, - people's taxes will go up in the new financial year, and lots of people cosmic energy bills will go up. people's living standards are falling at a great rate. for conservatives to say this is some kind of legal miracle shows they are just not on this planet, they are totally out of touch. this trade deal they are talking about will increase the national income by 0.08% in ten years. but increase the national income by 0.08% in ten years.— increase the national income by 0.08% in ten years. but we know that urowth in 0.08% in ten years. but we know that growth in the — 0.08% in ten years. but we know that growth in the euro _ 0.08% in ten years. but we know that growth in the euro zone _ 0.08% in ten years. but we know that growth in the euro zone will _ 0.08% in ten years. but we know that growth in the euro zone will be - growth in the euro zone will be tepid at best over the next decade, and it'll be roaring the asia—pacific region — this kind of deal makes sense, doesn't it? hide

asia-pacific region - this kind of deal makes sense, doesn't it? we are already treating _ deal makes sense, doesn't it? we are already treating very _ deal makes sense, doesn't it? we are already treating very well _ deal makes sense, doesn't it? we are already treating very well with - deal makes sense, doesn't it? we are already treating very well with the - already treating very well with the asia—pacific region. many people who i spoke to said this will make almost no difference at all — and yet the awful trade deal that the conservatives got with our european neighbours, our closest neighbours has cost us over 4% of national income, way more, over do times more than this new trade deal might get in ten years. so i'm afraid the maths doesn't add up. they are running the economy extremely badly, people's living standards are falling due to the tax and energy prices, and they can't hide behind some pathetic trade deal which nobody is a against free trade. conservatives have made exporters while mike lives miserable. but you don't deny over— while mike lives miserable. but you don't deny over the _ while mike lives miserable. but you don't deny over the next _ while mike lives miserable. but you don't deny over the next 2-3 - don't deny over the next 2—3 decades, it will be the asia—pacific region that will be developing much

faster than the euro zone? that may well be, faster than the euro zone? that may well be. and — faster than the euro zone? that may well be. and i _ faster than the euro zone? that may well be, and i welcome _ faster than the euro zone? that may well be, and i welcome that, - faster than the euro zone? that may well be, and i welcome that, and - well be, and i welcome that, and i welcome trade in every part of the world. but i'm afraid the announcement that this will somehow make a dot of difference to most people cosmic lives is nonsense. i just repeat for your viewers, they'll see their income taxes go up in a very unfair way because the conservatives have frozen tech services next year, and it'll hit the people on lowest incomes the hardest, and they've also not done enough to help people with rising energy bills. with the cost of living standards hitting so hard, the conservatives have got literally no answer to it. they are out of ideas, out of excuses, and out of touch. the liberal democrats campaigning in these local elections are trying to get most of them out of councils, and hopefully by the

time we get to the next election, we can get the conservatives out of government. theyjust don't have any answers to our economic problem is in this country. answers to our economic problem is in this country-— answers to our economic problem is in this country. thank you very much indeed. in this country. thank you very much indeed- thank— in this country. thank you very much indeed. thank you. _ 15—minute cities — where everything you need is within a 15—minute walk or bike ride — are an idea being explored around the world. but the concept has ignited fierce debate and conspiracy theories. anna holligan has been looking at why. the 15— minute city... 15—minute cities — they've become a magnet for protests around the world, from canada to the uk, with conspiracy groups claiming, without evidence, they're designed to imprison us in our neighbourhoods and limit ourfreedoms. yet the idea seems pretty pragmatic — to have everything we need from doctors and supermarkets to work and schools within easy reach, by foot or bicycle. the misinterpretation has roots in the uk, where two separate plans to cut carbon emissions, one involving low

traffic neighbourhoods and another based on the 15—minute city were blended together. in oxford, those have been mixed up and things have been added and it has become a way larger thing which i think has also made it more difficult to actually look at what's really going on. we sat down to get some insight from the architect of the 15—minute city. this is just a concept for improving the quality of life of a city and to develop more local economies, shorter circuits, more ecological activities, more shopping, and to work without a daily long commute. lots of people are now wondering what it might be like to live and work in a 15—minute city. but here in the netherlands, pretty much the entire country is covered with them — so i thought it might be usefuljust

to take you out for a spin on my bicycle to see what that looks like in reality. within 15 minutes, i can reach my daughter's school, the supermarket, doctors and all the other essentials for daily life. and despite the people objecting to the 15—minute idea, saying, in order to get this, we will be locked down in our neighbourhoods, there's no evidence of any boundaries or restrictions here. which might explain why so many dutch people are so bemused by these claims. when i heard about the conspiracies, i thought it was kind of ironic, because i feel like if you don't live in a 15—minute city, you are locked up somewhere. so much time gets lost in commute, and if you do live in a 15—minute city you can go anywhere you want, you feel so much more freedom. the disinformation could make it trickier for cities to pave the way to bring people and life's necessities closer together.

anna holligan, bbc news, in the hague. king charles' three—day tour of germany has come to a close. the last event of the trip for the monarch and queen consort was a reception with hamburg residents and members of the local british community, they were accompanied by germany's president frank—walter steinmeier. it's the first state visit of charles's reign. it was supposed to have begun in france, but due to the numerous demonstrations there over the raising of the pension age, it was cancelled and has since been postponed. you're watching bbc news. stay with us, bye for now.

hello, the last day of march was unsettled across the southern half of the uk. plenty of showers and areas of heavy rain and strong winds, but this area of low pressure will clear away during the first part of the weekend, and into the start of april, things become a bit drier and brighter and more settled and we should start to see more sunshine on sunday. this area of low pressure has been pulling away into the near continent, taking strong wind with it but leaving a legacy of cloud. further showers and a weather front bringing further rain to northern ireland, parts of wales, southwest and southern england, some of the rain heavy at times. further north, a lot of cloud across north sea coasts but western scotland and northwest england seeing the best of any clearer skies are so temperatures may take a bit of a tumble. for saturday, still an area of low pressure pulling away very slowly to the near continent, leaving a legacy of cloud across the country. a few showery bursts of rain being pushed in on an east north—easterly wind and eastern scotland and eastern england staying grey and cool. this weather front bringing further rain to northern ireland,

parts of wales and the southwest will tend to fizzle out through the day. we could see skies brightening a touch but it will be chilly, certainly compared to the last few days across north sea coast, with an onshore breeze. further west, highs of 11, maybe 12—13 in the sunny spells across the south—west. as we head through saturday night, it stays rather cloudy for most. this weather front should peter out and turn drier across northern ireland, south—west england and i think any rain across eastern england will fizzle out. many places dry with variable cloud and clear spells and temperatures dipping between 2—7. a cooler night to come, then. sunday, high pressure builds in, few isobars so the wind will be much lighter. we are importing some slightly drier air from the east so i think early on we should start to see any cloud beginning to break up and then sunshine will become abundant into the afternoon. a much brighter second half of the weekend for much of the country, away from northern scotland and northern ireland,

a bit more cloud. despite the sunshine, although feeling warm in the sunshine, still quite cool, 9—12. pretty reasonable for early april. into next week, it looks like high pressure continues to bring a lot of dry and settled weather. at times, weatherfronts bringing rain to the north and west of the uk but turning milder as we move through the new week.

the first former us president

today at six, donald trump becomes to face criminal charges — over money paid to a former porn star, stormy daniels. it's alleged mr trump paid hush money to ms daniels over an affair but recorded it as a business expense. mr trump denies wrongdoing, and the affair, saying the indictment is "political persecution". he's due to appear in court on tuesday. also on the programme: charges of racism are upheld against five former players at yorkshire cricket club, but ex—england captain michael vaughan is cleared. sewage was discharged into our waterways at the equivalent of 800 times a day last year, according to environment agency figures. and plans to create and protect up to 100 wild flower meadows to mark the king's coronation.