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| | Accusations of genocide in Ukraine as Russia continues offensive | |  | | | | | | | | | Ukraine is recapturing territory as Russian troops retreat from areas near the capital Kyiv to focus operations elsewhere in the country. Their withdrawal is exposing what Ukraine says "looks exactly like war crimes". It’s accusing Russian troops of a "deliberate massacre" - and in a television interview Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said: "This is genocide". One of his aides revealed mass graves have been discovered, and at least 20 bodies and burned-out tanks have been found in the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv. There has been widespread condemnation from world leaders including Germany, France and the UK. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says Russia's "despicable attacks" on innocent Ukrainian civilians in Bucha and Irpin are "yet more evidence" of war crimes. The UK, along with France, says they will support an International Criminal Court investigation, as Western nations now move to impose more sanctions on Russia.
Russia, however, has denied targeting civilians, claiming photographs from Bucha and Irpin are propaganda. But according to one expert, Russia's actions in Ukraine are a "playbook of what war crimes look like". There have been 3,455 civilian casualties so far, according to the UN. Despite the accusations, Russia is continuing its offensive. Missiles have hit the southern port city of Odesa, and attacks on Kherson and Mariupol continue, with those who have managed to escape saying their suffering is far from over. Meanwhile in Hungary - which has taken in refugees but refuses to supply weapons to Ukraine - Mr Zelensky’s been criticised by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has won a fourth term by a landslide. He's described Mr Zelensky and Brussels bureaucrats as "opponents".
- Live page Follow for the latest updates
- Analysis The EU has new focus, but will it last?
- Overview The heavy losses of an elite Russian regiment
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| | Fines issued over No 10 event - sources | | | | | | | | | Some of those who went to a leaving party for the former No 10 director of communications James Slack have been issued with police fines, sources have told the BBC. The gathering on the eve of Prince Philip's funeral was held on 16 April 2021. It formed part of the Metropolitan Police investigation into events held while coronavirus restrictions were in place. Sources confirmed the fixed penalty notices had been sent by email, as part of the first batch of 20 fines issued by police. The email says officers believe there are reasonable grounds that an offence was committed in contravention of Covid regulations. Prime Minister Boris Johnson - who has so far not been fined - didn’t attend the party but has apologised. It’s one of 12 events across government that are being looked at by police after an internal inquiry by senior civil servant Sue Gray passed information to the force . | | | | | |
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| | Grammy Award winners revealed | | | | | | | | | This year’s Grammy Awards was not just a celebration of music - the ceremony also featured a plea from Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. The annual event - the 64th in its history - saw Olivia Rodrigo, Silk Sonic and jazz musician Jon Batiste sharing the top awards. There were performances from Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish and BTS at the star-studded ceremony in Las Vegas. Before John Legend performed, the audience heard Mr Zelensky's pre-recorded message, which included the words: "Our musicians wear body armour instead of tuxedos." Once the message finished, Legend played his new song, Free, with Ukrainian musicians Siuzanna Iglidan and Mika Newton and poet Lyuba Yakimchuk. Read more about the awards here and take a look at the fashion on display on the red carpet. | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | Texas has passed one of the strictest abortion laws in the US, banning the procedure after around six weeks' gestation. That has left many women looking for options. It was shortly after the birth of her second child when Dallas-based Aubrey Schlackman had an epiphany. "We'd been to the grocery store and were driving home. And I passed a big ranch for sale, and I just suddenly had the idea," she says.
She wanted to open a place that could provide accommodation and support for single mothers facing an unforeseen pregnancy. Aubrey and her husband Bryan had been working with Christian ministry programmes taking care of pregnant women. "A lot of them were first-time moms," Bryan says. "And then we discovered there were lots of situations where a mother with existing children who got unexpectedly pregnant did not have many places to go." So the Schlackmans founded a non-profit, Blue Haven Ranch. | | | | | | | | | | | | Linda Pressly | | BBC News, Texas | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | Accusations Russian troops tortured and massacred civilians in Ukraine appear on the front of the Guardian and many of this morning’s other papers. The paper describes, and pictures, the "horror in Bucha" - a town near the capital Kyiv - and highlights evidence of civilian deaths in nearby Irpin and Hostomel. "Worse than Isis" is the Metro's take on the story while the Daily Mail says the alleged genocide and war crimes "echo (the) horror" of World War Two. Condemnation from Prime Minister Boris Johnson leads the Daily Express, and the EU is planning fresh sanctions as "evidence grows of war crimes", the Financial Times reports. Read the newspaper review in full here - it contains some distressing images. | | | | | |
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| | | | | Covid EasyJet cancels 100 flights due to staff absences | | | | | | | Sri Lanka Cabinet resigns as crisis protesters defy curfew | | | | | | | NHS Gynaecology waits soar by 60% during pandemic | | | | | | | Post Price of first class stamps rises to 95p | | | | | | |
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| | If you watch one thing today | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | If you listen to one thing today | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | If you read one thing today | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | Need something different? | | | | | | | | | Dolly the sheep was the first cloned mammal when she was born in 1996, then nearly a decade later a dog was duplicated. Now, though it’s controversial, making exact genetic copies of beloved pets is becoming more popular. It's a costly process, so why are people doing it? Find out here.
We couldn’t recreate this next story without showing you the footage from it. It’s the moment described as the handshake in space, which brought hope. The US and USSR - despite long-standing differences during the Cold War - embarked on a joint space mission. We’ve taken a look at that moment with memories from people who were there. See for yourself.
And finally, we’ve been to a place where memories are becoming murals. Famous faces and important parts of history are springing up as artwork in a town in County Down. It’s hoped they will be around for decades to come. Take a look. | | | | | |
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| | On this day | | | | | | | 1968 Civil rights leader, Dr Martin Luther King, is assassinated in the southern US city of Memphis, Tennessee. | | | | | | | | |
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| | | Let us know what you think of this newsletter by emailing bbcnewsdaily@bbc.co.uk. If you’d like to recommend it to a friend, forward this email. New subscribers can sign up here. | | | | | |
