live from washington. this is bbc news. the us starts evacuations in sudan as fighting continues. the leader of the rsf militia group tells the bbc he won't negotiate until fighting ends. at least 25 civilians have been killed in a wave of russian air strikes across ukraine. and the bbc chairman richard sharp resigns after a report finds he was not open about his dealings with borisjohnson when he interviewed for the chairman'sjob. welcome. we start in sudan where fighting continues despite an extrended ceasefire. as for who is responsible, the army and the rival

militia group, the rsf, are pointing at each other. this as thousands of sudanese, as well as many other nationalities continue to attempt to flee the country. these pictures of the situation in the capital khartoum today. at least 512 people and killed and many more injured. figures estimated to be higher. a bus convoy carrying several hundreds of u s citizens has left khartoum, bound for port sudan these pictures are courtesy of cbs news. meanwhile the uk deputy prime minister oliver dowden says uk evacuation flights from sudan will soon end. dowden said the last flight will leave by six o'clock uk time on saturday and that there's been a significant decline in the number of british nationals coming forward. in an exclusive interview, our presenter zeinab badawi spoke with rapid support forces leader general mohamed hamdan dagalo, also known as hemed'ti. here's what he has to say.

the people of sudan particularly in the capital are living in absolute ordeal what would it take for you to allow humanitarian corridors? first of all i would _ humanitarian corridors? first of all i would like _ humanitarian corridors? first of all i would like to - humanitarian corridors? first of all i would like to think - of all i would like to think the bbc for the interview regarding the truce. we have been asking for it since start of the war and we opened the court or straightaway. we open these within the areas controlled by our forces. these within the areas controlled by ourforces. we started the truce from our site. we are working for the sake of the civilians and our fight is on the behalf of the civilians. we have no problems with these core doors and we are helping you diplomatic missions.

we have no problems with these quarters whatsoever. joining me now to discuss the conflict is diplomacy and national security reporter at foreign policy, robbie gramer. what do you make of the comment from the paramilitary leader? at this point the question of who shot first is irrelevant. sudan is plunged into this massive crisis now and these two leaders al—burhan and hemed'ti are effectively holding the country's population hostage as their forces try to duke it out and take control of the country. i have spoken with us officials as well as people in khartoum that the country health care system is on the brink of collapse. people there are still sheltering in place even as thousands try to flee.

the situation is incredibly ugly and ceasefires not holding really does not bode well for how this conflict could play out. it is not the first cease—fire that has failed. stay with us. we also want to hear another bit from the interview with hemed'ti. this is on whether or not the rss is willing to open i want to put it to you that the people of sudan, particularly in the capital khartoum, are living in an absolute ordeal. what would it take for you to allow humanitarian corridors. regarding the truce. we have been asking for it from the first day of the war. we started the humanitarian corridor straightaway. we opened these corridors within the areas controlled by our forces. we started the truce from our side. we are working for the sake of the civilians and our fight is on the behalf

of the civilians. we have no problems with these corridors and we are helping the diplomatic missions. the sudanese people acknowledge the areas under our control. we are working hands and feet to help others. we have no problem with these corridors whatsoever. we've heard these conflicting accounts from both sides. do you think that we will see some sort of humanitarian corridor being established anytime soon? it is the hope of everyone involved, the international community, american officials and other western officials are hard at work to try to get the cease—fire locked in place to expand put corridors for people to leave. there are two factors to consider.

when listening to hemed'ti's comments. the first is to the extent of which he has control of his forces, this is a paramilitary group that is heavily armed but not well trained. the same goes for the sudanese armed forces on the other side run by his rifle burhan. the second factor is can you take hemed'ti at his word? this is a warlord, effectively. who was responsible for massive atrocities in darfur, that is how he rose through the ranks and became a powerful paramilitary commander that you see today. so a lot of people in addition to frantically working with hemed'ti and burhan to set up the cease—fire, absolutely have zero trust with either side here. it is a difficult situation and there is no real easy answer to if the cease—fire can be simply turned on or off at a switch. even with a lot of international and diplomatic pressure.

cyprus has become a major landing point for britons flying out to safety, before heading onwards to the uk. our correspondent caroline hawley has the latest from there, and a warning report does show some graphic images of injuries that one doctor sustained while escaping from sudan... this is what counts for a ceasefire in the capital, khartoum. it's less than two weeks since fighting erupted. so much damage already done. on the scale of human suffering growing by the day. and the scale of human suffering caused by this conflict is growing by the day. the journey to the airfield is fraught with risk and time is running out now for any british national wanting to escape. for the past few days people have been queuing to get out with flights leaving day and night. this footage was filmed by a british woman who had to leave her young nieces and nephews behind. because they don't have uk passports or visas. we've been told that officials on the ground back in sudan can exercise some discretion on who gets on the planes. so who arrives here in cyprus has been something of a lottery. among those bussed into larnaca airport after an overnight flight was abdulrahman

and his 86—year—old mother. he worked for 30 years as a gynaecologist in the nhs, delaying his retirement because of covid. he's a british national. his 86—year—old mother is not. they had to persuade british officials to let her come. abdulrahman was injured last week, shot at in his car by rsf fighters. he had to treat these wounds himself at home with pillowcases as bandages. we caught up with him as he waited to board his flight out to the uk. hi, abdulrahman. it was just like a dream, coming through here. it was like a dream coming true. once they knew that i had a gunshot, they took me straight to theatre there and they did all the necessary things. are you concerned that some people like your mum are now getting out and some people aren't? i can see there are people there about a day before us and they sent them back.

but here at larnaca airport, the tiniest evacuees, just 25 days old,, already uprooted. what future for them and for sudan now? caroline hawley, bbc news, larnaca. to ukraine, where a wave of russian air strikes across the country has killed at least 25 people including children, in one of the deadliest days for civilians since january. president zelensky described the attacks as another night of russian terror. one of the worst hit areas, was the central town of uman. from there, our correspondent hugo bachega sent this report. after weeks of quiet, the terror of russia's missiles returned to ukraine. this time, it is uman that is counting the dead. a town away from the front lines that until today had been largely spared of the brutality of this war. it was still dark when this block of flats was attacked. people did everything they could to try to escape.

this woman was woken up by the sound of a huge blast. translation: we were in our beds. we wanted to open the door to help people because children were screaming, one child who was screaming in the flat next to ours, but everything collapsed. the missile hit the top of the building and that entire section collapsed as residents were sleeping. many were trapped under the rubble. and all day here there was a massive effort to try and rescue people alive. among those missing is natalya's stepson, jaroslaw. she clings to what hope she has left. translation: we pray so much. a small part of his flat�*s kitchen was left standing. maybe there is a chance he could still be found alive. across the country,

the devastation could have been worse if it wasn't for the ukrainian air defence. the military said all but two of the 23 missiles that russia had fired were shot down. ukraine is getting ready for an offensive to try to take back occupied territory. today's attacks could be an indication of how russia is likely to respond. hugo bachega, bbc news, uman. a look now at other stories making headlines. florida governor ron desantis is wrapping up a week long international tour with a stop in the london today. desantis who is widely expected to announce his run for president in 2024 soon met with britain's foreign minister, aiming to boost economic ties. a 5 percent pay rise offered to national health service staff in england is likely to get majority union backing. a major union representing ambulance workers and others says its members are in favour making it likely that most of the 1a nhs unions will support the deal

when they meet ministers next week. children and parents in the uk are bracing for more disruption as teachers in england prepare to strike again. members of the national education union in england won't work on tuesday. it's the start of the fifth day of national strike action this year with the union seeking higher pay for teachers. delhi police have told india's supreme court they'll begin investigating sexual harassment allegations against the head of the country's wrestling federation. brij bhushan singh, who is also a parliament member for the governing party, has been accused of sexually exploiting women wrestlers. the country's top wrestlers have been protesting since sunday, demanding his arrest. mr singh has denied the accusations. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news.

chris is been a farmer since he was a chris alford has been a farmer in brecon since he was a teenager. he's been a victim of rural crime several times over the years, losing tens of thousands of pounds in valuables, from a land rover to slates off a farmyard building. if you do get anything stolen, you can probably write off the next week or two. you just can't concentrate on anything. anyone turns up on the yard, any strangers, you're wary. so itjust puts you on the back foot all the time. then you get over it and then all of a sudden it'll crop up again, just constantly on your guard all the time. the welsh government are collaborating with wales'

four police forces to crack down on rural crimes, including theft. it's part of a new strategy which was launched at the royal to the uk now and the bbc chairman richard sharp resigned today, after accepting the findings of a critical report, which found he'd failed to be transparent about his dealings with borisjohnson to the panel interviewing him for the job. the controversy centred on his involvement in facilitating an £800 thousand loan guarantee for mrjohnson, who was prime minister at the time, and who signed off on his appointment as bbc chairman. mr sharp is to stand down injune from the role, which is meant to defend the bbc�*s standards and values. he said it would be a distraction for him to remain in thejob. so why is the bbc chairman appointed by the prime minister and what is the chairman's role? our analysis editor ros atkins explains. richard sharp's resignation raises questions for the bbc, for the government and about how power works in britain. the job at the centre of the story is bbc chair. the chair leads the bbc board, which has to ensure the bbc delivers its commitments

to the country and is tasked with upholding and protecting the independence of the bbc. and appointing a bbc chair isn't for the bbc to do. it's a government decision, ultimately a prime minister's decision. and in 2021 it was boris johnson who appointed richard sharp. but now mr sharp has resigned after breaching the rules of the appointment process. first, he failed to declare that he told borisjohnson that he wanted the job before he applied for it. the next issue also concerns mrjohnson. let's bring in a canadian millionaire called sam blythe. he wanted to offer the former prime minister financial help with a loan guarantee. and he asked his friend richard sharpe if he could make a connection to do that. richard sharp spoke to the cabinet secretary, head of the civil service, simon case. mr sharp thought that was sufficient disclosure. today's report found that it wasn't. and as we've been hearing, richard sharp says he now regrets not mentioning that conversation.

and that oversight brought risks for the bbc because while the bbc didn't appoint richard sharp, its director—general tim davie has been vocal on impartiality. this story risked undermining that message and in the end, it's worth emphasising that all of this has happened because of a failure to mention one conversation, not because the bbc chair is a long time acquaintance of the prime minister who appointed him, not because the bbc chair was a donor to the ruling party, not because each bbc chair is chosen by the government of the day. for better or for worse, this is all within the system. but there are renewed questions about whether it should be. a series of killings in india has reignited a debate about whether laws designed to protect cows are actually being used to target muslims.

cows, of course, are considered sacred by the country's hindu majority. vigilante cow protection groups say they are helping the police to enforce laws banning the slaughter of cattle. but they've been blamed for a number of recent high profile deaths, as our correspondent leila nathoo reports. these roads hold many stories. by night, pradeep and his men scan them for trucks that could be carrying cows or beef. tonight, none are on his radar. but he shows us where just days ago, they found a container packed with cattle. so how did you come to know that the the truck would be travelling on this road? he had his informants, he says, so they stopped the truck and called police. here in haryana, the slaughter of cows is illegal, and bands of hindu men patrol the highways to stop any of the animals they hold so sacred being led to their deaths.

we get angry, but we also felt happy that we saved them from getting slaughtered. it is a great feeling that we did something good. across the state, another cow protector has long been boasting about his work online. posting videos of chases and encounters like these. but he is now a suspect in the recent murder of two men, junaid and nasser, whose burnt remains were found in this car wreckage. they'd set off from this village in rajasthan. now, quietly grieving for two of its own. junaid's wife, sajida, is wrestling with what happened

their bodies were bought in a bag. it was ashes. there was nothing else. just a handful of ashes and a few bones. the killings have captured attention across india, jogging memories of a previous wave of violence linked to cow vigilantes. indian muslims here fear they're being targeted by the groups who are linked to right wing hindu factions. and we found evidence of another possible victim. this man died after being involved in a car crash. it was captured on cctv. moments later, a group was filmed pulling a cow from the car. a video of him alive and being questioned was streamed live on the facebook account of the notorious vigilante that night.

you are facing charges. shokin had been travelling in the same car. he claims they were chased by a cow protection group who beat them up so badly that worries died from his injuries. it was not an accident. he was killed. they are targeting muslims. there was not a single injury from the crash. mona mansour denies involvement in any of the deaths and police say they're not investigating juarez�*s case. there is a sprawling cow protection network in this part of northern india. at this shelter for rescued cows, we meet seniorfigures in the movement. but what do you say to people who say that you are taking the law into your own hands and actually this matter should be one for police. if someone harasses a woman, should we wait for police? our enemy is the cow smuggler. not just any muslim. families seeking justice while india's cow protection squads

are under scrutiny. bbc news in haryana. pope francis had a strong message for europe during his visit to hungary, and warned against rising nationalism on the continent. nick thorpe has more from budapest. this is st stephen's basilica, the main church or cathedral in downtown budapest, where in the last few moments, pope francis has finished an address to the catholic clergy, to the catholic faithful, many of them inside the church, and many more outside here in the square. he's had a busy and eventful first day in budapest. he went straight from the airport this morning to a meeting with political leaders, including prime minister viktor orban. to those dignitaries, he made a major speech with a message to everyone, to the hungarians, to show more kindness and open christian heartedness to refugees and strangers, to europe to end

its divisions and work harder to show more creative energy, as he put it, to ending the terrible war in ukraine. he also had words of praise for his hungarian hosts, for their defence of the traditional family, and their support offered to persecuted christians around the world. it's taken the pope ten years to get to hungary for a major pastoral visit. he's got a packed programme and it seems a lot to say. preparations for the coronation of king charles, which will take place next saturday are under way and in the run up to the ceremony, the bbc�*s special us correspondent katty kay has been meeting with royal families of other nations to see what lessons they might have for britain's new king. shejoined me earlier to chat about her new documentary "europe's royals revealed." cheering. he is the kilted king,

a monarch with his heart in the highlands, and deep roots here at the castle of mey on the northernmost tip of great britain, as well as in royal deeside, edinburgh and ayrshire. he loves scotland, and especially the highlands. joanie whiteford is the king's representative in ross and cromarty. her husband david used to run a charity for charles. it's really, absolutely his idea to help support the area, the traditional industries of the area, the farming, the fishing, the artisanal food production, and the tourism. it's notjust a romantic connection. it's a very practical connection, from your point of view. yes, and you say practical, and, you know, if you're lucky enough to shake his hand, he's got a very tough hand. that's because he's a practical man. i think the people up here feel a real passion for the king, a closeness. he always wears the kilt up here. so he's making an effort to be one of us, and i think people really appreciate that in him. it's clear that the king

has a deep affection for this land, this nation. but what do people here think about him? polls suggest there is much less enthusiasm for the monarchy in scotland than there is in other parts of the uk, a challenge for the new monarch. archive: now comes the queen. and the king has a tough act to follow. in 1953, scotland embraced his mother after her coronation as the embodiment of hope for a nation emerging from the shadow of war. there couldn't be anything, i suppose, more dramatically different from where we are now. the first months of the king's reign in scotland have also been dominated by political turmoilfor the snp. given recent events, i would honestly have to say that the cause of independence is virtually dead for at least a generation. and how does that affect the monarchy? it means that, unlike his predecessor, he is in

a position of much greater strength, as far as the unity of his kingdoms are concerned. if scotland does become independent, the snp�*s official plan is to keep the king as head of state, although some in the party want a bolder approach. someone who is a head of state should be elected. i don't think we, as working—class people, should be paying tens of millions a year to the monarchy. and so now, for you, the time of the coronation is actually a good time to have this conversation? yes, i think it's a good time to have this conversation, and let's be honest with each other. what kind of future do we want? bagpipes play. in humza yousaf, scotland now has a republican first minister as well as a nationalist. although, as he waved off the stone of destiny for the coronation ceremony, he was tight—lipped about both.

james cook in scotland. stay with us on bbc news. hello. the bank holiday weekend is upon us, and the weather is looking a little mixed, but, you know, overall, it's not going to be too bad. plenty of sunny spells in the forecast, but one or two showers, and some of them could be heavy. let's have a look at the big picture. across our neck of the woods, so a low pressure in the north atlantic, a large one, and it's helping to draw in a warm atmosphere from the southern climes. infact, milderair coming all the way from the azores. but the very far north of scotland, under the influence of a colder current of air from the north. so here is the forecast for the early morning, for saturday, and it's a sort of mild—ish start to the day. it's certainly not frosty out there, 5—10 celsius in some spots. a lot of cloud in the morning,

first thing, particularly across the northern half of the uk. and then showers are expected to develop from wales, the midlands, the north—west of england, certainly in northern ireland, maybe one or two in scotland as well. the best of the sunshine and the warmest weather will be across the south. take a look at these temperatures, 19 or 20 celsius in london, about that as far west as cardiff. but in scotland, chilly, only 7 celsius expected in aberdeen. in fact, it will be chilly right along the north sea coast. here's a look at sunday, i think there'll be quite a few showers around, hit and miss, sure, but some thunderstorms are possible in northern ireland, so there could be some downpours. again, the best of the weather on sunday further towards the south and east, temperatures in the high teens, but more typically, it'll be around about 15—16 celsius. so that's the end of sunday. how about the bank holiday itself? well, overall, again, not looking bad for most of us. high pressure is close by, particularly out towards the west. but weather fronts also affecting the north

of scotland, and also showers are in the forecast for east anglia in the south—east. and, again, there could be one or two downpours. so after a sunny saturday and sunday, showers on the cards for london and the south—east. elsewhere, variable amounts of cloud and actually not looking too bad at all. look at that, 17 celsius in newcastle, around 16 celsius in belfast. let's have a look at the outlook then for the week ahead. so here's that little mixed weekend, and then into next week, i think the temperatures will ease somewhat, but overall the weather isn't looking too bad. bye— bye.

this is bbc news. we will have the headlines and all the main news stories for you at the top of the hour as newsday continues straight after the travel show. this week on the travel show... the holiday videos you didn't know you were making. i feel angry about it. i don't like being watched all the time. i think it's good for the security. through departures with a guide dog... this is the moment of truth. olga's first aeroplane experience. plus, life as a laird. why it's been boom time for scottish castles. my great—grandfather built this house for entertaining. around the world, technology has become integrated