this is bbc news — welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top stories. pope francis leaves hospital after receiving treatment for bronchitis, and promises to lead the mass celebrating palm sunday. a critical incident has been declared in dover as passengers are delayed for hours at the start of the easter getaway. devastating tornadoes tear through america's midwest, leaving four dead. arkansas and the state government stand ready to offer whatever assistance is needed. despite months of protests , wearing headscarfs in iran will be �*enforced rigorously�* according to authorities there, who are giving women just days to act. the bbc launches a new education programme in afghanistan

for children banned from attending school. the pope has said he will take part in the mass celebrating palm sunday in the vatican. the 86—year—old was discharged from a hospital in rome in the last few hours where he was receiving treatment for bronchitis. smiling and leaning on a cane as he left rome's gemelli hospital, the pontiff greeted well—wishers and joked he was still alive. the vatican said he'd resumed some work duties while in hospital, baptising a new born baby as well as sharing a dinner with some of the doctors and nurses.

i'm joined now by our correspondent jenny hill who is in rome. he is saying that he is doing well? i think the message from pope francis and the vatican is very much business as usual. he talks about how he spoke to people waiting outside the hospital and appeared to be an extremely good spirits and joking with the reporters who had been camped outside the clinic for several days. but also appearing to do what he does best, signing the plaster cast of a young boy but also comforting a couple whose daughter had died in the hospital overnight. he has also crossed to be here tomorrow and say square for sunday mass. it is significant because it the beginning of holy week, the week long easter tide culminating at

easter sunday next weekend. he said that he will participate in all easter services as originally planned. we don't quite know what his role will be tomorrow, he will be here but the cardinal will actually celebrate the mass at the altar. he will be in the square, not just up the balcony. as i say, the vatican and the pope are really keen to reassure the millions of catholic watching around the world as well the tens of thousands of people have come to the square tomorrow that all is well. as you imagine, this hospital stay has been in intensive i'd speculation about his long—term future. he has said in more than one occasion that he would stand down if he felt that he had become too frail to do the job properly and so at the age of 86, many here are wondering might not tie becoming rather sooner than later. . ~

might not tie becoming rather sooner than later. ., ~ , ., , . the latest series of tornadoes to have ripped through parts of the united states has left at least four people dead, they were 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. ripping away building tops, downing trees and overturning cars. the catastrophic tornado started moving through the city of little rock in arkansas on friday afternoon. this man told cbs news what he saw. and through our window, i saw the 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 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 a tornado caused the roof of a packed theater to collapse. experts say such widespread severe weather is unusual. this is the first time in i believe more than ten years that we've had two areas of high risk. that's very uncommon 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, keeping up here by keeping shelters up and running and paying for overtime for everyone.

100% of the cost, not for the state, but for 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. shelly phelps, bbc news. women who do not wear the hijab will face prosecution without mercy, the head ofjudiciary in iran has declared. his, gholam hossein mohseni ejei, latest comments come in the wake of widespread protests that erupted in iran, following the death of 22—year—old mahsa amini who was arrested last year by the morality police for violating the hijab rules. joining here with me is parham ghobadi from bbc persian service. thank you very much for coming in. talk us through what prompted this?

what you see on the streets of tehran was completely unimaginable before the death of mahsa amini and the process. you see women walking without headscarves and without a hijab, they used to be this uniform that women wear a raincoat kind of thing. they don't wear that any more and this is completely unfathomable seven months ago. so this is happening in iran and iranians hardliners, that is what the regime is likely. they are complaining on a daily basis that this is happening on the streets of iran in wintertime stop what is going to happen in summer? it's warmer is that women are going to wear more revealing clothes during that period so they are very concerned. however the regime is between a rock and hard place now because there are hundreds

of thousand women walking on the streets of iran without hijab and on the other hand they know that arresting them like they used to before mahsa amini might spark another round of protests which is the last thing they want. henge another round of protests which is the last thing they want.— the last thing they want. have we had any kind _ the last thing they want. have we had any kind of— the last thing they want. have we had any kind of response - the last thing they want. have we had any kind of response to - the last thing they want. have we had any kind of response to this | had any kind of response to this latest declaration?— had any kind of response to this latest declaration? iranian issued a really strong _ latest declaration? iranian issued a really strong worded _ latest declaration? iranian issued a really strong worded statement - really strong worded statement saying that they are going to confront women without hijab. iranian mp gave a warning today iranians arejust sorry iranian mp gave a warning today iranians are just sorry that they've got 48 hours to finish this business to actually confront the iranian leader. what we've seen in the past exams during the protests is that young iranian women who have at the forefront of this and there is no sign that they are willing to back off. by wearing hijab. {linger

sign that they are willing to back off. by wearing hijab.— sign that they are willing to back off. by wearing hijab. off. by wearing hi'ab. over the next coule of off. by wearing hi'ab. over the next couple of days. — off. by wearing hijab. over the next couple of days, potentially - off. by wearing hijab. over the next couple of days, potentially more . couple of days, potentially more flashpoints and? find couple of days, potentially more flashpoints and?— couple of days, potentially more flashpoints and? and might lead to, the morality — flashpoints and? and might lead to, the morality police _ flashpoints and? and might lead to, the morality police in _ flashpoints and? and might lead to, the morality police in the _ flashpoints and? and might lead to, the morality police in the shape - flashpoints and? and might lead to, the morality police in the shape of. the morality police in the shape of what you had in the past, it does not seem to be on the streets any more. iranian regime has huge gamble on the one hand dissatisfied hardliners who back them up and on the other hand if they want to confront evading women, they risk putting the country into another conflict and a the process. i know ou will conflict and a the process. i know you will be _ conflict and a the process. i know you will be monitoring _ conflict and a the process. i know you will be monitoring the - conflict and a the process. i know. you will be monitoring the situation for us, thank you for that. "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 onjanuary the 6th 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, as he readies himself for another run at the white house. gary 0'donoghue, bbc news, new york. 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. 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. working on an educational programme for young afghans, this 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 as well as have a bit of fun. where's afghanistan? 0k. for the presenters who are all journalists from afghanistan, it is 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.

great to see you both. lovely to see that report. really big aims, how did this all come about and what you hope it will achieve? this did this all come about and what you hope it will achieve?— hope it will achieve? this is a half an hour show _ hope it will achieve? this is a half an hour show we've _ hope it will achieve? this is a half an hour show we've put _ hope it will achieve? this is a half an hour show we've put together. j an hour show we've put together. it's basically a mix of all the subjects, maths, english, history, science, a great selection of inspirational stories across the world. and we partnered with bbc bite size, we took their coronavirus lessons and we adapted it to our audience in afghanistan. we paid attention to cultural sensitivities and we also reviewed the afghan curriculum and we kind of merit these lessons to those academic lessons that they have in afghanistan.— lessons that they have in afghanistan. lessons that they have in afuhanistan. ., , ., ., ~ .,

lessons that they have in afuhanistan. ., , ., ., ~' ., ., afghanistan. lots of work gone into it. bbc afghanistan. lots of work gone into it. ssc bitesize — afghanistan. lots of work gone into it. ssc bitesize is _ afghanistan. lots of work gone into it. bbc bitesize is what _ afghanistan. lots of work gone into it. bbc bitesize is what is _ afghanistan. lots of work gone into it. bbc bitesize is what is the - afghanistan. lots of work gone into it. bbc bitesize is what is the same j it. bbc bitesize is what is the same system in the uk. shazia, what do you hope this will achieve? in system in the uk. shazia, what do you hope this will achieve?- you hope this will achieve? in my work as a journalist, _ you hope this will achieve? in my work as a journalist, i _ you hope this will achieve? in my work as a journalist, i have - you hope this will achieve? in my. work as a journalist, i have spoken with many— work as a journalist, i have spoken with many schoolgirls in afghanistan and they— with many schoolgirls in afghanistan and they are so desperate to learn and they are so desperate to learn and they— and they are so desperate to learn and they were asking us if we had a programme — and they were asking us if we had a programme because they want to learn so right— programme because they want to learn so right now— programme because they want to learn so right now there is a programme for them _ so right now there is a programme for them and they can learn and bars programme — for them and they can learn and bars programme can motivate them, it can given— programme can motivate them, it can given the _ programme can motivate them, it can given the good side of learning and from yesterday, we are getting really _ from yesterday, we are getting really positive feedback from schoolgirls, from parents, they are calling _ schoolgirls, from parents, they are calling us_ schoolgirls, from parents, they are calling us on the radio show and asking _ calling us on the radio show and asking about programme details and they find _ asking about programme details and they find bbc world news for this

work _ they find bbc world news for this work. ., , they find bbc world news for this work. . , ., ~ they find bbc world news for this work. . , ., ,, , ., work. that must make you feel good, makin: a work. that must make you feel good, making a difference? _ work. that must make you feel good, making a difference? it's _ work. that must make you feel good, making a difference? it's been - work. that must make you feel good, making a difference? it's been an - making a difference? it's been an incredible feeling _ making a difference? it's been an incredible feeling is _ making a difference? it's been an incredible feeling is we _ making a difference? it's been an incredible feeling is we launched | incredible feeling is we launched this morning and we hope as this programme is aimed at 11 to i6—year—olds, we hope that they will be able to watch and listen to us at home. we are putting it everywhere on afghan channels, we have just launched on afghan had hit a channel last week. we are putting it in the bbc�*s very famous radios in afghanistan and also in other audits as you have access to internet, they can access it throughout the week. anywhere, there is a possibility for them to get it and we are also repeating the programmes over days and weeks till the next one comes to give our audience is the best chance of watching us. so far, the feedback has been amazing. this is a 12 week long period, the programme because a

decision is temporary at this stage so is our programme at this stage. can i ask a bit about your personal story and your connections. you seen the periods of times when education has been fairly available and you can see it that's not so much the case as it is right now? mr; can see it that's not so much the case as it is right now? my mother manaued case as it is right now? my mother managed to _ case as it is right now? my mother managed to complete _ case as it is right now? my mother managed to complete her- case as it is right now? my mother. managed to complete her education case as it is right now? my mother- managed to complete her education in the 50s, 60s and early 90s kids, i was one of the teenagers in the 90s you can get education. and then we had this period other public, 20 years where shazia and other people like her got educated. but now we are back to this same time as when i was a teenager and now again the same policies are implemented and overnight, girls are deprived from

schooling. the overnight, girls are deprived from schoolina. , , ., a schooling. the best of luck with our schooling. the best of luck with your efforts- — schooling. the best of luck with your efforts. thank _ schooling. the best of luck with your efforts. thank you - schooling. the best of luck with your efforts. thank you very - schooling. the best of luck with . your efforts. thank you very much. 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�*re meant to be going to italy, ultimately, but we are booked into a hotel in france viz evening. but i don�*t know the going to make it. there�*s a long queue here so i don�*t know. normally i go in the tunnel but that was fully booked and here it�*s, well, we have just got to wait and see what happens. it's going to be a long one i think. we're going to be here for a while, but it's ok. it's holiday.

what is a situation in dover? it's really busy- _ what is a situation in dover? it�*s really busy. they're expecting it to really busy. they�*re expecting it to be really busy at the start of this weekend but it�*s causing big problems because the boss of the port of dover have admitted that more coaches turned up and they were expecting. today, they are having to deal with around 400 coaches, 5000 cars and lorries to or wanting to come across the channel. we had some pretty grim stories overnight are people forced asleep on coaches, some having to wait around 15 hours to try and get on board a ferry because there was such long queues here at dover. the big problem has been the issue with coaches because now, in a brexit world in the uk,

people had their passports checked here on british soil by the french authorities but now to get the passports, you have to get off the coach and have their passports stamped and that is all adding to the delays. plus yesterday we were told it was a bit of storm because the weather was particular wendy and that was a length of the ferries and adding the quantity of people we want to get away, particularly now there are no covert covid regulations.— there are no covert covid reuulations. ., . ,, regulations. one more quick question- — regulations. one more quick question- i _ regulations. one more quick question. i want _ regulations. one more quick question. i want to - regulations. one more quick question. i want to try - regulations. one more quick question. i want to try and l regulations. one more quick. question. i want to try and offer some hope and optimism potentially to anyone. any sense of when things will be cleared and get up and running back to normal? i will be cleared and get up and running back to normal? i had a bit of aood running back to normal? i had a bit of good news _ running back to normal? i had a bit of good news for _ running back to normal? i had a bit of good news for you. _ running back to normal? i had a bit of good news for you. at _ running back to normal? i had a bit of good news for you. at the - running back to normal? i had a bit. of good news for you. at the moment, passengers are turning up on

coaches, we are being told that is only taking a couple of hours to get through french security but don�*t be full by that because actually, many coaches are still being held on the outskirts of the town. the cruise liner terminal. there is a big weight there before they actually get into the port and that two hour wait to get through security and another way to get on the ferries. the boss of the port of dover has just told me they hope that from today, things will start to come down and tomorrow, they�*re expecting about half the traffic. we saw big problems here at dover at eisa last year. people were asking why there is happening again. the port says it will have to go away and have a look at its processing here and how they are dealing with the level and they don�*t want similar scenes like theirs over the rest of the holiday period and during summer. 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. a court in romania has agreed to allow the controversial social media influencer andrew tate to leave prison and move into house arrest. the british—american former kickboxer has millions of online followers. he�*s being investigated for a number of crimes — all of which he denies. tim allman reports. hello, andrew. freedom at last. it seemed almost like a hero�*s welcome as andrew tate returned to his home in romania. but he wanted to stress he was also relieved and grateful. i want to give respect firstly to the judges who heard us today, because they were very attentive and they listened to us

and they let us free. so i have to give absolute respect to them. i have no resentment in my heart for the country of romania or for anybody else. ijust believe in the truth. andrew tate is a controversial character. he has a huge following online and he�*s previously been accused of misogyny. it�*s been proven that the smartest people in the world are men, that�*s been proven. and i said that female infidelity is more disgusting than male infidelity. and i think that the world agrees with me. then in december last year, romanian police raided his home along with his brother and two local women. he�*s being investigated on allegations of rape, people trafficking and forming an organised crime group. he continues to deny any wrongdoing. i truly believe thatjustice will be served in the end. there is 0% chance of me being found guilty of something i have not done. i maintain my absolute innocence and i think most people understand this and i look forward to being home. the two brothers have been forbidden from contacting any witnesses and can�*t leave their house without approval

from the authorities. no charges have yet been brought. andrew tate says he�*ll now focus on reading the quran and doing push ups. tim allman, bbc news. 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. 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 40 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 south east 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 there 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 for many of us. 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. the headlines: despite months of protests, hardline politicians in iran are insisting that wearing headscarfs should be "enforced rigorously" — they are demanding that judges enforce the law. pope francis has left hospital in rome — he was admitted on wednesday, after complaining of breathing issues. the pope says he will take part in the mass celebrating palm sunday. the death toll from a series of tornadoes that have ripped through parts of the united states is rising. at least four people have now been killed in the states of arkansas and illinois. 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.