and after two years of hearing testimonies in what's been described as the greatest miscarriage ofjustice — today's the last day of evidence at the post office inquiry. hello, i'm catherine byaruhanga. you are live with bbc news. sources within ukraine's security services — the sbu — have told the bbc that it was behind a bomb attack in moscow which killed a senior russian general in charge of the country's nuclear, chemical and biological defence. igor kirillov and his assistant were blown up as they left an apartment building around six kilometres south—east of the kremlin. on monday ukrainian prosecutors charged lieutenant general kirillov with using banned chemical weapons. russian investigators say the bomb was hidden in a scooter —

and detonated remotely. the sbu source has described mr kirillov as "a legitimate target" — and a "war criminal" who gave orders to use banned chemical weapons against ukraine's military. this is the scene live in moscow outside the apartment block where the general was killed. our russia editor steve rosenberg is following —— our —— oui’ pressure —— our pressure editor says investigators are trying to find out what happened. here he is with the latest. well, this is what we know so far. this is based on what russian investigators have said. they say that the bomb was hidden in a scooter by the entrance to an apartment block and detonated remotely. they say that lieutenant general igor kirillov was killed along with his assistant. now, lieutenant general kirillov was head of russia's nuclear, chemical, biological protection forces. so this is a senior figure

killed in this attack. images that have been coming in from the scene show considerable damage to the entrance to that, that block of flats. a lot of bomb damage. a lot of police and investigators on the scene now, looking for clues. and as you mentioned yesterday, ukraine's security service actually charged the russian general in absentia for allegedly using chemical weapons in ukraine. he was actually sanctioned back in october by the british authorities, who accused him, accused russia of flagrant violation of the chemical weapons convention. but dramatic scenes, certainly in moscow today. a typical sort of block of flats, apartment block. and residents completely shocked by what happened this morning, this significant, this considerable blast, from this bomb that was hidden,

as investigators say, in a scooter outside the entrance to this apartment block which has killed a senior russian military figure. let's speak to vitaliy shevchenko, russia editor at bbc monitoring. just tell us a bit more about what these ukrainian sources have had to say today. this is how it normally _ have had to say today. this is how it normally works, - how it normally works, catherine, they never go on the records officially saying we did it, there is no named figure from the ukrainian security service who has done it in the past. this is how they have done... how they have handled similar situations such as the one almost one year ago when a former ukrainian mp who held strongly pro—russian views was killed outside moscow.

then, just as now, there were unnamed sources from the ukrainian security server speaking to the media who said that we did it, but, as it were, unofficially and without any names to which these statements could be attributed. of course this does not really detract from the message sent by ukraine to russia and the world, which as we can't do it, we can assassinate senior, important figures within the russian political and military establishment just four russian political and military establishmentjust four miles establishment just four miles east establishmentjust four miles east of the kremlin. and what do you think the response from the russian authorities is likely to be? this morning so far we have had a statement from the russian foreign ministry spokesman who

praised general igor kirillov, saying he fought staunchly against the anglo—saxons, that is the phrase she normally uses for russia's adverse arese across the globe. it is not inconceivable to assume that russia will carry out strikes against ukraine and possibly say they are in retaliation for his death. but, of course, is if russia admits that ukraine, also that ukraine, did stuff like that right at the heart of moscow. also we need to remember that all these missile strikes carried out by russia, some of which, according to moscow, were carried out in retribution for something, they didn't really need any reasons for that during this war, this is what russia does in ukraine, attacking ukraine's infrastructure to achieve its military objectives during the

so—called special military operation, even if russia says that these strikes are a response to something ukraine did. so this is probably what will happen today as well but we will be looking to see what exactly russian investigators say, who they blame for this attack. so far there has been nothing out of moscow on that score. . , nothing out of moscow on that score. ., , ,, . score. vitaliy shevchenko, thank yom _ score. vitaliy shevchenko, thank you. just _ score. vitaliy shevchenko, thank you. just to - score. vitaliy shevchenko, thank you. just to let - score. vitaliy shevchenko, thank you. just to let you | thank you. just to let you know, we have a live page on the bbc website with some of the bbc website with some of the latest developments on that story coming out of moscow. our colleagues at bbc verify are also looking at some of the images coming in from the scene in moscow where this bomb attack explosion took place. we will bring you some of those details on our live page but also here on bbc news.

the father and stepmother found guilty of murdering 10—year—old sara sharif are due to be sentenced today. over more than two years, sara was beaten and burned by urfan sharif and beinash batool, before her body was found at the family home in woking last year. a warning, some may find helena wilkinson's report distressing. the murder of ten—year—old sara sharif has shocked the country. behind the smiles of this little girl was a life of torture and beatings. at the weekend a vigil was held in sara's memory outside her home. people who didn't know the ten—year—old, horrified at what happened, came together to remember her. police! police discovered sara's body in a bunk bed at the family home in surrey in august last year. she had around 100 injuries. after sara died, herfamily abandoned her body. they fled to pakistan, from where the ten—year—old's

father called police. your daughter has died? i killed my daughter. he also left this note by his daughter's body. it said, "it's me, urfan sharif, who killed my daughter by beating." after more than a month on the run, sara's father, stepmother and uncle faisal malik, came back to the uk and were arrested. they made no comment during police interviews. who did that to sara? no comment. do you love sara? no comment. did you care about her at all? no comment. the old bailey trial heard that sara had been subjected to horrific suffering for more than two years. she had dozens of old and new injuries, including fractures and refractures, burns, bruises, and bite marks. today, herfather and stepmother will be sentenced for her murder.

sara would help with the washing. judy lozeron lived next door to sara and herfamily in woking. i shall feel glad that they're going to get the punishment that they deserve. i don't think anything is great enough to punish someone who's taken away an innocent child's life, but we would feel some justice has been served. sara's uncle will also be sentenced today for causing or allowing her death. sara was a confident ten—year—old girl who loved to sing and play the guitar. she was always smiling despite the horrific suffering that she endured. helena wilkinson, bbc news. the government has unveiled new legislation

aimed at protecting the most at—risk children. this comes on the day that the father and stepmother of sara sharif are due to be sentenced for her murder. under the the children's wellbeing and schools bill, parents will no longer have an automatic right to educate their children at home if their child is subject to a protection investigation or plan. education secretary bridget phillipson has been setting out the plans for the bill. we need action to protect children and keep them safe, so today i am setting out a landmark children's bill to protect vulnerable children, to make sure those responsible for their care are working more effectively. schools, the police, children social workers, we all have a responsibility to protect children and keep them safe and today's measures will make a significant difference to the lives of children across the country and transform their life chances. i am afraid there will always, life chances. i am afraid there willalways, much life chances. i am afraid there will always, much as i would like this not to be the case,

be violent, manipulative people who would seek to do terrible things to the children they are responsible for. it is never possible to stop at all but it is possible to do a lot more, which is what we are doing today. a strong 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck the pacific island nation of vanuatu. early reports say several buildings were damaged in the capital, port vila. among them a structure housing the american, uk, french and new zealand embassies. this drone footage filmed by a localjournalist in vanuatu also shows the aftermath of a landslide near the international shipping terminal. let's speak to now dan mcgarry, a journalist living in port vila. thank you for taking the time to talk to us. first of all, what was your experience when the quake struck and what have you seen when you have been out and about? it you seen when you have been out and about?— and about? it was a violent earthquake. _ and about? it was a violent earthquake, the _ and about? it was a violent earthquake, the worst - and about? it was a violent earthquake, the worst i - and about? it was a violent i earthquake, the worst i have ever seen in 21 years living here in vanuatu. we get earthquakes regularly,

frequently higher than six, but none of us, nobody i have spoken to here, has experienced anything like it in their lives. it was very close to the capital, that 7.3, i think we felt every bit of edge. some of the older buildings in town were severely damaged, some of them collapse entirely, damage was not as widespread as you might see in other countries that do not build to such an exacting standard as we do here, that it's a relief to many of us. however, i went to the hospital shortly after the initial shock and talk to police the who confirmed one fatality. i spoke to police later and they said there were multiple fatalities but would not give me a number. it is clearfrom not give me a number. it is clear from what we have seen at the triage centre that they set “p the triage centre that they set up outdoors, outside of the emergency ward, that there are dozens of people who have been

injured, some severely, some not so much. we don't have a good assessment of the extent of the human toll right now. it appears a great deal of our basic infrastructure has been damaged, we have issues with the main road way through the centre of town, the roads connecting us to the airport and i have heard unconfirmed reports that the airport runway itself might be damaged. if thatis itself might be damaged. if that is damage that may hinder the disaster response significantly.- the disaster response significantly. what is the situation _ significantly. what is the situation for _ significantly. what is the situation for people - significantly. what is the j situation for people right significantly. what is the - situation for people right now, i understand there are power cuts and communications challenges. figs cuts and communications challenges.— cuts and communications challenues. a , �* challenges. as you can see, i'm talkin: challenges. as you can see, i'm talking to _ challenges. as you can see, i'm talking to you — challenges. as you can see, i'm talking to you in _ challenges. as you can see, i'm talking to you in the _ challenges. as you can see, i'm talking to you in the dark, - challenges. as you can see, i'm talking to you in the dark, i - talking to you in the dark, i have a torch, a generator and a starling and i am more fortunate than many here in port vila. communications are slowly coming back, i was able to call my family a while ago, which was not possible earlier today. we have seen come back

today. we have seen come back to the area around the hospital, it is an obvious priority for officials. i expect we will see power restored fairly promptly that there was damage to one of our major water tanks in the hills overlooking the town, i do not know what the impact will be. i think we are in for a little more hardship before we come out of this. jan more hardship before we come out of thia— out of this. jan mcgarry, we really appreciate _ out of this. jan mcgarry, we really appreciate you - out of this. jan mcgarry, we really appreciate you taking | really appreciate you taking the time to speak to us. good luck to you and your family. police say the suspect in a school shooting in wisconsin was a 15—year—old girl. a teacher and a student were killed and the attacker took her own life. only 3% of mass shootings in the us have been carried out by women or girls. the police chief in the city of madison said the alarm was raised by a pupil who was just seven or eight years old. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

after months of deadlock, israel and hamas appear to be moving closer to a gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. a senior palestinian official has told the bbc that indirect talks were in a "decisive and final phase," while israel's defence minister said an agreement was closer than ever. let's speak to our middle east correspondent yolande knell, who's injerusalem. what is more are we learning about this likely deal? we know that in recent _ about this likely deal? we know that in recent weeks _ about this likely deal? we know that in recent weeks we - that in recent weeks we have had the us and capitol and resuming mediation efforts here and there have been these reports that israel and hamas were showing more willingness to make compromises needed to bridge the gaps between the two sides —— we have had the us and qatar resuming mediation efforts. lots of diplomatic and

security officials have been coming and going in the past few days and we have had comments from a senior palestinian official who told the bbc this is really a 3—phase plan being looked at, the first phase will last for 45 days and in that stage you would see the remaining civilian hostages, women soldiers too being released from captivity and gaza, a partial israeli troop withdrawal and also some mechanisms so that as place would be able to return home to the north of the strip. the second phase is said to be where you would have the remaining hostages being released and he would also have a further israeli troop withdrawal before the third phase which is where you would see talks to finally end the war and move on to a reconstruction phase. all sites stressing there is a lot more detail to be sorted out here

but this is more positive than it has been for the past couple of months. it has been for the past couple of months-_ it has been for the past couple of months. thank you, yolande knell in jerusalem. _ people living in the french indian ocean territory of mayotte have described the "apocalyptic scenes" left by cyclone chido. it's the worst storm in 90 years to hit the area, and rescue workers are continuing to comb through the debris for survivors. our africa correspondent, mayenijones, reports. on the small island of mayotte, cyclone chido's devastation is so total it can be seen from space. winds of more than 140 miles an hour ripped off houses, smashed buildings and beached boats, leaving residents to literally pick up the pieces of their lives. translation: where we are now was the dining room. _ and here was the kitchen. you can see the sinks, the sinks that were there. that is the refrigerator, the gas stove. and on the other side again,

that was my bedroom. several hundred are thought to have died in the storm. but the island's prefect has warned the final toll could reach close to a thousand, or even several thousand. france has promised a relief effort to support mayotte will be fully mobilised. and french president emmanuel macron is expected to visit the island in the coming days. mayotte is one of the poorest parts of france and many of the 300,000 residents were already living in poverty. cyclone chido has ripped away what little they had. mayenijones, bbc news. today is the final day of the uk post office inquiry. since 2022, evidence and testimonies have been given by sub—postmasters and postmistresses who were wrongly prosecuted due to the faulty horizon it system. emma simpson reports. the indignity of having to have a shower in front of a prison warden.

it began with the victims telling their stories of how the post office ruined their lives. wake up in the morning, i'm actually disappointed that i've woken up. once, the newspaper put, "postmistress guilty." you can imagine. we couldn't live, we i couldn't, we couldn't... we had no money, we were destitute. and day after day the sub—postmasters came to watch the inquiry too, especially when it was the turn of the investigators who pursued them to get a grilling. do you accept that you behaved unprofessionally? no. do you accept that it was part of the culture within the investigation team to intimidate and abuse subpostmasters? no, no. there was the odd apology. i'm sorry. i feel ashamed that i was part of this. ijust don't remember this at all. memory loss was also a running theme. am i supposed to have written all this? i might well have signed it.

mr singh, are you going to tell the truth today? then there were revelations about the behaviour of lawyers, including jarnail singh. you were covering up your own guilty knowledge. no, i wasn't. he helped prepare the case against seema misra, who ended up in prison and pregnant. he was forwarded an email about a bug. the header showing it was printed on his computer three days before her trial. but the material was never disclosed. this was saved in your drive, wasn't it? i don't even know what you're talking about. i don't know how to do, how these things worked. you don't know how to save a document? no. former post office boss paula vennells starting her 1550 00:21:41,475 --> 00:21