this is bbc news broadcasting in the uk i'm shaun ley. our top stories: at least three people dead in arkansas and illinois as devastating tornadoes tear through america's midwest. arkansas and the state government stand ready to offer whatever assistance is needed. pope francis has left hospital in rome. he was admitted on wednesday after complaining of breathing issues. donald trump's lawyers say he'll surrender to a court in new york on tuesday after becoming the first former us president to face criminal charges. the bbc launches a new education programme for children in afghanistan who are banned from attending school.

the death toll from the latest series of tornadoes that have ripped through parts of the united states is rising. at least three people have been killed in the states of arkansas and illinois. dozens have been injured and tens of thousands have lost power. the governor of arkansas, sarah huckabee sanders has declared a state of emergency. our reporter shelley phelps has more. oh, my god!

ripping away building tops, downing trees and flipping over vehicles, the catastrophic tornado started moving through little rock on friday afternoon. this man told cbs news what he saw. and through our window i saw a transformer back here that kind of blew up. i saw that the lightning strike, it kind of blew up, caught me off guard, went in the bathroom, closed the door, and then all of a sudden, it was just like so much wind everywhere. it felt like kind of like the house was shaking and things were kind of like being thrown against it. and it was just something i never experienced before. dozens of people have been taken to hospital. debris lies scattered across roads and tens of thousands of homes are without power. there were also dramatic scenes in illinois, where the rain caused the roof of a packed theatre to collapse. it comes just a week after a deadly tornado hit expert says such severe weather is unusual. , , , ., unusual. this is very uncommon because typically _ unusual. this is very uncommon because typically the _ unusual. this is very uncommon l

because typically the atmosphere likes to focus on one particular area. it comes just a week after a deadly tornado hit mississippi, killing 25 people. president biden has been there meeting the relatives of those who lost their lives. today, i authorised the federal government to cover 100% of the cost for removing debris and emergency measures that are involved in keeping up here. by keeping shelters up and running and paying for overtime for everyone, 100% of the cost, not from the state but from us, for 30 days, and then after that, we're not leaving, either. similar help will be required with the clean—up efforts elsewhere, and difficult hours lie ahead for the millions of people facing severe weather warnings across the midwest and the south. i'm joined now by our weather reporter nick miller.

it isa it is a similar weather set up to what we had last weekend with the deadly tornado in mississippi, and moving across the usa. i can show you what has been going on and the weather system that is because this latest round of severe weather. it is a weather system of low pressure which burst away across the west of the uk but has emerged from the rockies and has the strong cold front which is brought from arkansas to illinois severe storms and tornadoes and strong straight—line winds and that severe threat is still around for saturday around eastern states of the usa where that weather front is sitting there. northeast and south—east dates in particular where there is a slight severe rest. what we have just had as a moderate to high severe rest. it doesn't look as bad but still possible damaging straight—line winds but also possible tornadoes before it clears the way for sunday

and it is much quieter again. what is the explanation for the frequency of tornadoes particularly in the midwest? when all know the wizard of oz and dorothy being carried away from kansas. tornadoes are not unique to the usa but the strongest tornadoes tend to be focused towards this part of the usa and the states towards the east of the rockies and thatis towards the east of the rockies and that is where you have these weather elements that come together producing thunderstorms that turn into tornadoes. it is a clash of air masses with very warm moist they are coming up from the gulf of mexico and the cold air coming down from the arctic east of the rockies so they are clashing together. sometimes you have dry ear towards the mid—levels of the atmosphere so several different types of a all complete for supremacy. —— you have

dry ear and several different types of ar. ——air. the tornado touches the ground and if the conditions are right you will see the awful consequences. pope francis has been discharged from rome's gemelli hospital. he was admitted on wednesday with breathing difficulties — and later diagnosed with bronchitis. the vatican says the pontiff responded well to antibiotics. a vatican spokesman confirmed that he would take part the following day in a service for palm sunday — a major event in the church calendar that kicks off easter week celebrations. holy week, as it is known, includes a busy schedule of rituals and ceremonies that can be physically exhausting, including a good friday nighttime procession by rome's colosseum. as you can see from the pictures, he was waving to well—wishers

and spoke briefly to the media. "upset, angry — but not worried," that's how donald trump's lawyer has described the former us president's reaction to his indictment by a new york court. he will appear there on tuesday charged with falsifying business records. at least one felony offence is included — that could result in a jail sentence. it's all linked to hush money paid to former porn star stormy daniels. our north america correspondent gary o'donoghue reports from new york. this manhattan courthouse doesn't normally look like this. but then it's not everyday a former president gets charged with a crime. in fact, it's never happened before. and this is the man who's brought the charges against donald trump, district attorney alvin bragg — a democrat and a prosecutor in america's highly

politicised legal system. but if mr bragg was saying nothing, the former president wasn't so reticent. he's called it "political persecution", "election interference" and his opponents "thugs" and "radical—left monsters". no—one is above the law, not even a former president of the united states. the case all centres on the financial accounting for $130,000 paid to this woman to buy her silence before the 2016 general election. hi, everyone! stephanie clifford aka stormy daniels. an adult film star, says she had sex with donald trump in 2006, something he denies. today, it's donald trump. tomorrow it's going to be a democrat. the day after that it could be your brother, your son, your daughter. and we have to be concerned about the rule of law falling. because what's happened here is this is a case that would not have been

brought against another individual in this country if his name wasn't donald trump. in the next few days, donald trump will come here to the courthouse. he'll have his fingerprints and his photograph taken. he'll then appear before a judge to enter a plea. until recently the most powerful man in the world will be processed like any other defendant. it's finally good to see somejustice happen. it's a political sham, and it's politically motivated. but this case in new york is not the only legal problem facing donald trump. stop the steal! two other criminal investigations are looking into his role in the storming of the capitol on january the sixth two years ago, after he lost the election, and attempts to overturn the results. # cos there ain't no doubt i love this land...# those inquiries could prove much more serious for the former president prove much more serious as he readies himself for another run at the white house. gary o'donoghue, bbc news, new york.

let's get some of the day's other news. investigations are continuing in switzerland after two separate rail derailments on friday that took place within 20 minutes of each other. 15 people were hurt in the incidents — both north of the capital bern — around 30km apart. rail operators believe stormy weather might�*ve played a role. the immigration detention centre in mexico hit by a deadly fire earlier this week is being shut down. 39 migrants died in the ciudad juarez centre on monday with leaked footage suggesting the victims were stuck inside locked cells. five people have been arrested, accused of not helping those who were trapped. more than 100 fires are continuing to burn in parts of northern spain, although many of them are now under control. the authorities say most of the fires centred in the region of asturias were started by arsonists. hundreds of people fled the area and a number of roads were closed. israeli police have shot

dead a palestinian man who allegedly stole a gun from an officer in eastjerusalem. there were no casualties among israeli forces. clashes later broke out between the security forces and palestinians. earlier on friday, thousands of palestinians gathered for ramadan prayers at al aqsa mosque. the new school year started last week in afghanistan. but for the second year running a taliban ban is keeping teenage girls out of school. so what are the options for young afghans who want to keep up their studies but are unable to return to class? shazia haya reports on one new solution being offered by the bbc world service. across afghanistan, girls�* classrooms sit empty. they have told the bbc how it feels. translation: | find it - so painful that they are not allowing us to our schools. this decision is against islam.

translation: for the past two years, every morning i go to the rooftop - of our home to watch the primary schoolgirls going to school. i stay there until midday when they finish and i cry. i miss learning new things. the bbc made lessons for the children to access remotely during the coronavirus lockdown in the uk. we thought they might be useful in somewhere else. this is where the journalists and producers of bbc�*s afghan service are coming together to work on a very different task from what we normally do. this is dars, a lesson in dari and pashto, the two most widely spoken languages in afghanistan. the show will help people learn english in both my maths and science

—— the show will help people learn english, maths and science as well as have a bit of fun. for the presenters who are all journalists from afghanistan, just a very personal project. my father was a teacher and he was killed in a suicide bomb attack 16 years ago. at that time, i felt that i want to be a teacher because my father was a teacher. but i became a journalist. but now, by presenting this programme, i think that i have become a teacher and fulfilled my dream and also my father's dream. in afghanistan for those unable to go to school, classes will now come to them at home. with me is shazia haya, one of the presenters of dars, and i'm alsojoined by mariam aman, a producer on the series. i think it has been eight weeks we have been working on this project

and yesterday we recorded an episode and yesterday we recorded an episode and today we launched it. it has been a pleasure _ and today we launched it. it has been a pleasure and _ and today we launched it. it has been a pleasure and a _ and today we launched it. it has| been a pleasure and a wonderful and today we launched it. it has been a pleasure and a wonderful ride of eight _ been a pleasure and a wonderful ride of eight weeks. a relentless amount of eight weeks. a relentless amount of work_ of eight weeks. a relentless amount of work has — of eight weeks. a relentless amount of work has gone into it and we are extremely— of work has gone into it and we are extremely happy to be at the stage we are _ extremely happy to be at the stage we are. ., ~ ., , ., z: we are. you left afghanistan 20 ears auo we are. you left afghanistan 20 years ago at _ we are. you left afghanistan 20 years ago at a _ we are. you left afghanistan 20 years ago at a time _ we are. you left afghanistan 20 years ago at a time when - we are. you left afghanistan 20 years ago at a time when the i years ago at a time when the prospect of education was disappearing for girls and obviously recently that option briefly opened up recently that option briefly opened up again. what did it mean to have the education opportunities away from afghanistan, and how frustrating was that when you thought of your wider family still back home? the thought of your wider family still back home?— thought of your wider family still back home? ., , , back home? the cycle of this problem in afghanistan. _ back home? the cycle of this problem in afghanistan, currently _ back home? the cycle of this problem in afghanistan, currently we - back home? the cycle of this problem in afghanistan, currently we are - in afghanistan, currently we are talking about the more recent two years, this has been going on for over two generations though, and while she is quite young i am from the generation that the first round

of the taliban in power was there and i had just turned a teenager when the taliban had the first rally. ifled and my when the taliban had the first rally. i fled and my family fled and here i am living a good life with all the privileges that i have fear that my cousins could not. a teenage cousin of mine got married then in the late 1990s and no she has daughters of this age that she was when the first round of the taliban came. so this cycle of misery and lost hope and dreams continues. so you are hoping to break the cycle? shazia, thinking back home, a lot of our concentration is on kabul but afghanistan is a large country with

a lot of rural areas. are you hoping to reach a lot of children who have not had the opportunity to go to school? ma; not had the opportunity to go to school? g _, , , ., not had the opportunity to go to school? g , , ., ., ., school? my cousins are now not allowed to _ school? my cousins are now not allowed to go — school? my cousins are now not allowed to go to _ school? my cousins are now not allowed to go to school - school? my cousins are now not allowed to go to school but - school? my cousins are now not allowed to go to school but i - school? my cousins are now not i allowed to go to school but i know that they — allowed to go to school but i know that they are thirsty, really desperate to get education through our programme and they can watch and listen _ our programme and they can watch and listen to— our programme and they can watch and listen to this _ our programme and they can watch and listen to this programme and get some _ listen to this programme and get some education through our bbc social_ some education through our bbc social media platforms and the tv and our— social media platforms and the tv and our satellite channel and this programme will not only reach and audience _ programme will not only reach and audience in — programme will not only reach and audience in kabulan programme will not only reach and audience in kabul an pick cities but even _ audience in kabul an pick cities but even in _ audience in kabul an pick cities but even in rural— audience in kabul an pick cities but even in rural afghanistan and small cities _ even in rural afghanistan and small cities and _ even in rural afghanistan and small cities and villages because it will be broadcast not only on satellite channels — be broadcast not only on satellite channels and social media channels but on _ channels and social media channels but on radio— channels and social media channels but on radio as well and we have good _ but on radio as well and we have good audiences on radio as well. we

are good audiences on radio as well. are really good audiences on radio as well. - are really happy for that. the bbc broadcast for that country has magnificent white reach for the country and on radio we hope we to reach the most remote part of the country and by satellite and pouch on tv and social media we want to reach more cities and other places. —— persian tv. reach more cities and other places. -- persian tv-_ reach more cities and other places. -- persian tv. most of the emphasis has been on — -- persian tv. most of the emphasis has been on girls _ -- persian tv. most of the emphasis has been on girls in _ -- persian tv. most of the emphasis has been on girls in particular, - has been on girls in particular, what about the lost opportunity for the country and the fact the education opportunities are limited by poverty and employment opportunities, the location of places and also by choices that the leaders have made. how frustrating is that and is it something that with an initiative like that you can slowly start to change some of those

attitudes and something not for girls? attitudes and something not for i irls? attitudes and something not for uirls? ., ., , girls? something with a really good intention with _ girls? something with a really good intention with a _ girls? something with a really good intention with a lot _ girls? something with a really good intention with a lot of— girls? something with a really good intention with a lot of laughter, - intention with a lot of laughter, this programme has been made. it is a purely— this programme has been made. it is a purely academic programme to be done to— a purely academic programme to be done to bite—size all the information we take during the pandemic. we have put together a purely— pandemic. we have put together a purely academic programme where we aim to _ purely academic programme where we aim to reach _ purely academic programme where we aim to reach a lot of these children of the _ aim to reach a lot of these children of the afghanistan war for some reason — of the afghanistan war for some reason banned from education but in terms _ reason banned from education but in terms of— reason banned from education but in terms of the whole of the country, as i terms of the whole of the country, as i said _ terms of the whole of the country, as i said when i was in afghanistan as i said when i was in afghanistan as a teenager, we didn't have climate — as a teenager, we didn't have climate change is a big force as it is now _ climate change is a big force as it is now. right now we have poverty,

climate _ is now. right now we have poverty, climate change and an elite political _ climate change and an elite political order which is not at best ideal. _ political order which is not at best ideal. if_ political order which is not at best ideal. if i— political order which is not at best ideal, if i put it mildly. there are things— ideal, if i put it mildly. there are things that — ideal, if i put it mildly. there are things that are out of our control that there — things that are out of our control that there are things that we as journalists at the bbc, as people born in— journalists at the bbc, as people born in that country we can do and this is— born in that country we can do and this is one — born in that country we can do and this is one of— born in that country we can do and this is one of them. and we hope there _ this is one of them. and we hope there are — this is one of them. and we hope there are other forces as well doing similar— there are other forces as well doing similar things that we could bring a small— similar things that we could bring a small but— similar things that we could bring a small but significant and meaningful change _ small but significant and meaningful chance. ,, . . small but significant and meaningful chance. ,, ., ., ., ., ., , change. shazia, how have your family reacted? my — change. shazia, how have your family reacted? my mother _ change. shazia, how have your family reacted? my motherjust _ change. shazia, how have your family reacted? my motherjust watch - change. shazia, how have your family reacted? my motherjust watch the i reacted? my mother “ust watch the programme _ reacted? my mother “ust watch the programme and _ reacted? my mother “ust watch the programme and she _ reacted? my motherjust watch the programme and she was _ reacted? my motherjust watch the programme and she was really - reacted? my motherjust watch the l programme and she was really happy and she was so happy and said i was looking so pretty. i am sure she is feeling proud to have me and i am proud to be part of this programme. good luck with it, thank you pawson

for coming in to talk to us about it, it is a wonderful thing —— thank you so much talk to us about it, it is a wonderful thing and maybe people back here in the dyas barat will want to watch and send in their ideas. —— diaspora. this is bbc news, the latest headlines: three people have been killed and more than 20 others injured after a tornado hit the us city of little rock. the governor of arkansas has declared a state of emergency. donald trump's legal team say he's "angry but not worried" after becoming the first former president to face criminal charges. he'll surrender to a court in new york on tuesday. a critical incident has been declared at the uk port in dover, as coach passengers face hours—long delays caused by bad weather and long processing times in france. hundreds of people hoping to esape for the easter break were stuck in queues overnight. port officials say they're deeply frustrated by the situation.

we spoke to a couple of holiday makers stuck in the queue. we were meant to be going to italy, ultimately but were booked into a hotel in france this evening but i don't know if we're going to make it. there is a long queue here. normally i go on the tunnel but it was fully booked and here we just got to wait and see what happens. it's going to be a long one, i think, we will be here for a while but it's ok, it's a holiday. our correspondent aruna lyengar has the latest from dover. lots of people getting on coaches, going on ski trips to france, lots of people sitting in cars and lorries, waiting to get across the english channel. the reason for the delays is partly due to the weather, delays because of that, partly because of the huge numbers of people trying to leave the uk and get over to france but also

because of french border controls. there are increased border issues there. the home office say that is the main reason but also our own uk border controls as well, those three factors are causing this huge delay and i have been speaking to people who have been on coaches like university students. one coach i spoke to, they said they arrived last night at 8pm after a long drive with delays on the roads from the north outside here and were waiting for hours. in fact they'd onlyjust managed to get into the terminal where they think they will still be waiting for another ten hours so there is real frustration by passengers. i also talked to people, coaches full of children and teachers and the teachers did not want to be interviewed and they can't put their children up for interviews but they said they were really frustrated and all they had been given was a bag of crisps and some chocolate and a bit of water to see the children through

until they can get over to france. the rapid melting of ice in antarctic is slowing down the flow of deep ocean water and could have devastating consequences on the global climate. that's according to scientists writing in the journal nature. they say ice melts are driving a "substantial slowdown" of water circulation. this could trap nutrients in the deep ocean, reducing the their ability to support marine life near the ocean surface, i'm joined now by professor matthew england from the climate change research centre at the university of new south wales. he is the co—author of a ground—breaking new study on climate change. the problem is we have and overturning circulation that keeps our oceans healthy and is circled around antarctica that we are very cold and salty water is formed and

with ice melt it is making the water and less dense and more buoyant and it is not sinking in the problem is if we shut down the circulation we basically stagnate the very bottom half of the ocean, so three kilometres down that water is really important flowing down off antarctica to ventilate these very deep layers and bring nutrients back up deep layers and bring nutrients back up to the surface. find deep layers and bring nutrients back up to the surface.— up to the surface. and those nutrients — up to the surface. and those nutrients are _ up to the surface. and those nutrients are presumably - up to the surface. and those - nutrients are presumably essential to supporting life on the oceans but have an impact on the rest of us as well. . , ,., , , have an impact on the rest of us as well. absolutely, this recycling of nutrients, we _ well. absolutely, this recycling of nutrients, we don't _ well. absolutely, this recycling of nutrients, we don't want - well. absolutely, this recycling of nutrients, we don't want to - well. absolutely, this recycling of i nutrients, we don't want to stagnate the bottom of the oceans because marine life has been used to the nutrient uplift. over time, marine life has been used to the nutrient uplift. overtime, i marine life has been used to the nutrient uplift. over time, i read a study before i came online looking at the impacts. we didn't study them biology, we study the circulation and i will get back to the antarctic ice impacts but the biological

uplift is estimated to take away about 30% of the source of nutrients for platinum on a multisensory timescale. we don't want to leave future generations without that supply of nutrients supporting marine life at the upper ocean in the marine system. fine marine life at the upper ocean in the marine system.— the marine system. one of the effects of— the marine system. one of the effects of this _ the marine system. one of the effects of this is _ the marine system. one of the effects of this is the _ the marine system. one of the effects of this is the amount i the marine system. one of the effects of this is the amount of carbon dioxide the oceans absorb. has this already been incorporated into the models because we know they have dealt with the question of the melting of the ice caps? like have dealt with the question of the melting of the ice caps?— melting of the ice caps? like most ofthe melting of the ice caps? like most of the models _ melting of the ice caps? like most of the models they _ melting of the ice caps? like most of the models they have _ melting of the ice caps? like most of the models they have this i of the models they have this slowdown according but what is unique about our study as it captures the four main sources of that bottom what information very accurately. a lot of previous models had the connection out in the open ocean and the new projection we have has a much more accurate baseline

simulation and you can look online at the floor feel —— flow field. people can find that article in nature which is also available online. hello. many of us will have been waiting patiently and crossing ourfingers for some drier weather because march has certainly been a very wet month across much of the uk, particularly for parts of england, where it's been the wettest march since 1981, over a0 years ago. some places have had three times the expected march rainfall, but now we turn the calendar over to april and actually through the weekend, things are going to be becoming drier and gradually brighter as well. not dry everywhere today, we've still got low pressure close to the southeast and we've got a weather frontjust draped across western areas as well. so that's going to bring some

outbreaks of rain in parts of northern ireland, south west england, south wales as well. and from the east, with the breeze coming in from the north sea, that's going to import a lot of cloud and a few splashes of fairly light rain, some sunshine here and there, particularly parts of northern scotland, perhaps a bit down towards wales into the midlands as well. where you do see the breeze coming in though for northeast england and eastern scotland, only about seven to nine degrees. the rest of us, typically around 11 to 13 by the afternoon. a few glimpses of sunshine here and there, but most places are fairly cloudy into the evening and overnight. then we keep a fair amount of cloud and some spots of fairly light rain. that weather front in the west graduallyjust easing away, fading out through the night, some clear spells developing for eastern areas. and they could just be a touch of frost for prone parts of eastern scotland, for instance. that's how we start sunday. now, sunday will be an improving sort of day because high pressure is eventually starting to build in. and that's going to clear

the weather fronts away and mean lighter winds, a drier and a brighter day ahead still a little breezy for east anglia and the south east, but certainly more sunshine than we've seen of late, a little bit more cloud drifting across scotland at times, northern ireland into wales and the south west of england, too. still rather cool around the east, nine or ten degrees, but most of us, about 11 to 13. and of course, the sun is starting to feel a little bit stronger this time of year. so monday then high pressure still very much with us. we've got a couple of weather fronts sitting out here in the atlantic and through the week they'll try and nudge in from the west, but they'll bump into that area of high pressure, so largely dry and settled with lighter winds on monday. it is looking like a much improved day. it could be some overnight frost, though. so a bit of a chilly start to things, by the afternoon, though, temperatures between about ten to 13 degrees for most of us on monday. and then looking ahead through the rest of this coming week, then a lot of dry, unsettled weather, perhaps a little bit of rain through the middle of the week. but at the moment, it looks a little warmer and drier towards easter.

bye— bye.

this is bbc news. i'm shaun ley. the headlines... the death toll from a series of tornadoes that have ripped through parts of the united states is rising. at least three people have now been killed in the states of arkansas and illinois. pope francis has left hospital in rome. he was admitted on wednesday after complaining of breathing issues. he joked with well—wishers on his departure, saying, �*i'm still alive!�* lawyers for donald trump say he will surrender to a court in new york on tuesday, after becoming the first former us president to face criminal charges. his legal team say he's �*angry but not worried' about the case. in the uk, the port of dover has declared a critical incident with up to 70 coaches delayed overnight as they tried to cross to france. port authorities cited french border controls and bad weather for the hold ups.