know government, i want them all to know that they will be held responsible for what they have done with our country, with my family, with my husband. �* ., ., ., ., , , before we turn to our main story about the death of alexei navalny, i just went to take you to paris because as you can see, the french president emmanuel macron is there at the podium and he is meeting the ukrainian president zelensky to the right of him out of shot at the moment and they are due to sign a bilateral security agreement. that is what they are meeting for. these are live pictures from that event.

earlier, president zelensky signed a similar agreement with the german chancellor and in remarks afterwards, he said the ukrainian military is trying to defend strategic groups in the eastern town as russian forces surrounded. the white house warned on thursday that the town was at risk of falling because of a shortage of artillery shells. a little earlier i spoke to the security analyst patrick buri who explained the significance of these agreements for ukraine. {sheen these agreements for ukraine. given these agreements for ukraine. given the us 60 these agreements for ukraine. given the us 60 billion — these agreements for ukraine. given the us 60 billion in _ these agreements for ukraine. (1: an the us 60 billion in military assistance has not been approved by the house of congress and there has been a drop

off therefore in duress and also a delay in eu support but that it has finally come these are basically go some way to filling the gap. if you look at the 1.1 billion euros which germany has pledged in military assistance today, that will go for air defence artillery and ammunition it seems and it will be interesting to see how the french still will be a similaramount to see how the french still will be a similar amount and a similar type. this comes on top of a uk move in january of £2.5 million. so you can see the european allies are stepping up see the european allies are stepping up to the plate there is a bigger question about what that they actually have the capacity to match the us in the longer run and at the moment they do not. how the us in the longer run and at the moment they do not.— the us in the longer run and at the moment they do not. how much do you think that concerned _ moment they do not. how much do you think that concerned about us - moment they do not. how much do you think that concerned about us aid - moment they do not. how much do you think that concerned about us aid is - think that concerned about us aid is a factor in these specific agreements? do you think they were a capitalist, that fear? i agreements? do you think they were a capitalist, that fear?— capitalist, that fear? i think they were prodded — capitalist, that fear? i think they were prodded along _ capitalist, that fear? i think they were prodded along in _ capitalist, that fear? i think they were prodded along in terms - capitalist, that fear? i think they were prodded along in terms of| capitalist, that fear? i think they i were prodded along in terms of the timelines, certainly. because there is this gap and there is an increasing worry about it. nevertheless, i think the direction of travel was this way anyway so probably the timeliness and speed of which the deals were concluded, potentially, rather than the actual nature of them. if you look at basically, there is still more to be

done here. the pledge that was given at the nato summit injuly, and all of that has been met. so there is more work to go there. essentially, the us is the major player in town in this regard in terms of what it can give and the amount of stuff it has in terms of stockpiles. even that it has had to ramp up its own production. european production is really struggling to get going and then pledged i million shells and only have delivered 500,000. the defence industry really needs to be put on a more prewar footing defence industry really needs to be put on a more prewarfooting rather than business than usual, just in time logistics approach. i than business than usual, 'ust in time logistics approachh than business than usual, 'ust in time logistics approach. i want to ut ou time logistics approach. i want to put you with _ time logistics approach. i want to put you with the _ time logistics approach. i want to put you with the former - time logistics approach. i want to j put you with the former ukrainian foreign minister said about these agreements, that allies will deliver what they can and when they can which is fundamentally different than delivering what's needed and when it is needed going back to the point of what ukraine needs so how big is the gap of what is being offered and what ukraine actually needs? in offered and what ukraine actually needs? , , ., needs? in the summer before the ukraine offensive, _

needs? in the summer before the ukraine offensive, it _ needs? in the summer before the ukraine offensive, it was - needs? in the summer before the ukraine offensive, it was actually| needs? in the summer before the | ukraine offensive, it was actually a period of out matching russian artillery shells that they had fired. they could fire more than the russians. that creates the possibility that you may be able to suppress an area. and then ideally it did not prove the case, but breakthrough, but a our church warfare artillery and drone heavy on the front lines they need to shells will stop at the moment the russians will stop at the moment the russians will be firing up to 7000 a day and the ukrainians as far as i understand as low as 2—3000 so they are being outmatched and we are seeing the effects of that will stop secondly the delays of the aid coming through have already having an effect. i'm delighted to see there is more air defence coming through luckily that is quite down in the last months or so but it remains another critical area. security endless speaking to me earlier. let's return to our top story. the most prominent opposition leader in russia, alexei navalny, has died in prison according to the country's prison service. the 47—year—old was president putin's most fierce

critic and was serving decades long jail terms for offences widely considered politically motivated. the head of nato said russia had serious questions to answer. 0ur russia editor steve rosenberg reports from moscow. smiling, crackingjokes. this was alexei navalny yesterday as he gave testimony from prison by video link. even court officials cracked a smile. today, russia's prison service announced that mr navalny was dead, claiming he'd lost consciousness inside this penal colony. russian tv rarely mentions alexei navalny. it read out the prison service statement about his death and moved on to other news. he was vladimir putin's most vocal critic, a protest leader, an anti—corruption campaigner who'd long clashed with the kremlin. i remember this six years ago.

alexei navalny is russia's most prominent opposition figure and president putin's most vocal critic. he's been barred from running in the presidential election. he's now being arrested by police. in 2020 in siberia, he'd been poisoned with a nerve agent and airlifted to germany for life—saving treatment. he accused the kremlin of trying to assassinate him. but as a politician, he felt he couldn't stay away from russia. when he returned the following year, he was arrested on arrival. he'd been in prison ever since. his friends and family fearing for his safety. just hours after alexei navalny was reported dead, his wife, yulia, made a dramatic appearance at the munich security conference. she couldn't confirm his death, but...

translation: if it's true, iwant putin and his whole entourage, l his friends and his government to know that they will be held responsible for everything they've done to our country, to my family, and to my husband. and this day will come very soon. president putin, too, made an appearance today meeting industrial workers. he made no mention of alexei navalny. alexei navalny was one of the most charismatic political figures in russia in modern times, and the only opposition leader here who appeared capable of bringing large crowds on to the streets to protest against the authorities. and for that reason, the kremlin saw him as a threat. he knew that by taking on the authorities, he was taking a risk. my message, for the situation when i am killed is very simple — not give up.

in memory of russia's most famous prisoner, some here lay flowers. by this simple act, their message — we will not forget. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. vitaly shevchenko from bbc monitoring has been telling me how this story is being reported in russia. and russian state media it has been reported briefly. it was never going to be a story that they would focus on in any sort of detail. in terms of what officials are saying, dark hints of possible western involvement, for example. the speaker of the russian lower house said, it is brussels in the west that are responsible for the death of alexei navalny regardless of what

killed him in the forests ministry saying that all of the statements coming from the west expressing dismay at the death, they had allegedly been prepared in advance. so that is what officials are saying. whether the public in russia actually believe it is a different question. we have been seeing reports over the past few hours of russians laying flowers in different cities across russia, notjust in moscow. as a tribute to alexei navalny. also importantly, on social media, we have heard of trolls and bots which pushed the kremlin line to pass, they have been claiming that alexei navalny died because of a health issue with nothing to do with politics or the conditions in which he was held which is not

surprising at all.— which he was held which is not surprising at all. how likely are we to ever get — surprising at all. how likely are we to ever get substantiated - surprising at all. how likely are we to ever get substantiated facts - to ever get substantiated facts about what happened? idat to ever get substantiated facts about what happened? not very likel , if about what happened? not very likely. if at _ about what happened? not very likely, if at all— about what happened? not very likely, if at all given _ about what happened? not very likely, if at all given the - about what happened? not very likely, if at all given the tight i likely, if at all given the tight controlled the kremlin exercises over pretty much everything in russia's political life, legal system, penalsystem. so, officials such as the kremlin spokesman, they have been talking about an autopsy and investigation into alexei navalny�*s death, but it would be naive to expect that investigation to yield to the truth and to the complete truth about what happened to mr alexei navalny. after all, people have died in fresh and prisons. people have killed in russian prisons. it is probably something being resurrected, the

good old gulakfrom the something being resurrected, the good old gulak from the soviet union. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. bbc news — bringing you different stories from across the uk. with wide open space and expansive views, this gleadless valley, in sheffield could be a popular place to live. but the estate, which was built about 60 years ago, is becoming dilapidated while it waits for a £97 million face—lift. the refurbishment was first planned in 2017. we are now present, at 2024, and nothing has happened, not a single spade has hit the ground. very frustrated — frustrated for people living on the estate. under the plans, blocks of maisonettes like this one were to be knocked down and replaced, and other homes were to be completely transformed. sheffield city council says it took five years to consult on and draw up

the master plan because of covid and administration change. however, work will start next month to demolish a former care home. for more stories from across the uk, head to the bbc news website. you're live with bbc news. nearly six million donkeys are being slaughtered every year to satisfy a growing demand for a chinese medicine, according to the charity donkey sanctuary. it says a decline in china's own population of the animal has led to an increase in the theft of them in africa, and that's caused a outcry in poor communities that rely on the donkeys for rural work. 0ur science correspondent victoria gill reports. this donkey is much more than this woman's companion. translation: without my donkey, life would be incredibly challenging. - with their strength and ability to work in heat and drought, these animals mean the difference between a livelihood and destitution for millions of people in poor,

rural communities around the world. they can be a lifeline. but these photographs tell another story — donkeys taken to slaughter for their skins. there's both legal and illegal trade in donkey skin, but campaigners against it say it's inhumane. the huge market for these skins is believed to have fuelled an increase in donkey theft. the hides are exported to china and used to make a popular traditional medicine. the skins are boiled down to make it in liquid, powder, or edible form — and it's believed to have benefits from strengthening the blood to aiding fertility. to understand the extent of the trade, i sat down with experts at the donkey sanctuary who've been examining its impact across africa. what are the effects of this huge demand for donkeys for their skin? from 2016 to 2019, almost half of the population of donkeys in kenya had been slaughtered. hah? it's completely unsustainable. this is affecting very negatively livelihood, because if somebody loses

their donkey, then there's no way of making a livelihood. part of that decline is that donkeys are so slow to breed. so, from pakistan to brazil to sub—saharan africa, it's countries with large, working donkey populations that are being targeted by the trade. in some african countries, it's become a divisive issue. and now, in response to public outcry and a shrinking donkey population, african leaders and the brazilian government are poised to ban the slaughter and export of the animals. it's brutal and it's devastating donkey communities. it's devastating the people that rely upon them. for the uk's donkey sanctuary, it's a step forward. but banning donkey exports in one part of the world, some experts say, could shift the trade elsewhere. there could be another solution. investment in sustainable alternatives — such as producing safe collagen in labs that can provide a source material for this trade, without the need to have to eliminate a product that is so culturally significant,

but removing the need for suffering. these animals have carried people for millennia. the question now is whether they can be protected for the next generation. victoria gill, bbc news. raphael kinoti is regional director at brooke east africa, an international charity that protects and improves the lives of horses, donkeys and mules around the world. he's been giving me his reaction to a potential ban. if a ban is implemented by africa, it will be unprecedented because then we've seen there is a whole direct relationship between the illegal slaughter and the illegal slaughter. i'll give an example. when there was legal slaughter in kenya the numbers of donkeys that

were stolen ran through the roof when the country decided to ban that. we saw the numbers of donkeys stolen, really dropped dramatically, dramatically. so this is going to be a great decision by african union and we believe it's going really to go a long way in curtailing this trade all over the world. but do you think it perhaps might not fully solve the problem? because i understand some countries, such as kenya, have already made it illegal to slaughter donkeys, and yet there's an illegal trade there. yes. yes, i think the ban will not actually finish the whole trade. there will be the illegal side of it. but then, as i said, there is a way when there is legal trade, then the legal one is fuelled to a big extent. africa declaring a ban all over, then that means all the legal slaughterhouses will be closed. now we'll be left with the challenge of the illegal one, which i would say is fairly smaller actually than now, when there is both legal and illegal going on. even if it is a smaller proportion, how worried are you that actually,

if it's driven underground, it will be a lot harder to tackle as a problem? it is different. i mean, when it gets illegal and gets goes underground, i think now we'll be talking like, you know, the challenges of rhino horn or elephant tusks. i think that that's where it probably may be headed. but then we've also we've seen governments go, you know, a step a step forward and work really hard to curtail the challenge. so really, we are saying, yes, it is a step to the right decision. it may not finish everything in terms of the illegal trade. but then, as i have said, whenever around africa that is the legal trade, we see a huge proliferation of illegal trade. and so then these are very direct linkage. and so stopping the legal trade

really reduces the illegal trade. but then now we are left now mopping up what probably could be left in terms of the illegal trade. prince harry has spoken publicly for the first time since his father's cancer diagnosis. emma vardy reports from whistler. nearly a fortnight on from his short trip back to britain to see his father, prince harry and meghan stepped out in the snow to meet athletes. the king, he said, had told him personally about his diagnosis. reporter: how did you get the news that the king was ill? _ i spoke to him. and what did you next? ijumped on a plane and went to go and to see him as soon as i could. what's sort of your outlook on his health? that stays between me and him. speaking to one of america's biggest morning shows, this is the first personal interview prince harry has given for more than a year. the couple have been rebranding their image in the us, after stepping away from royal duties, frustrated with buckingham palace.

do you feel american? do i feel american? no, i don't know. i don't know. i don't know — i don't know how i feel. what did you think about becoming a citizen? yes, i have i have considered it, yeah. taking on the sliding track in canada alongside injured veterans, he's clearly been enjoying the freedom to pursue his own projects. harry, what was it like? you guys should all have a go. the focus of this trip has been the invictus games, a cause that is close to prince harry's heart, but with his father's cancer treatment continuing, there's questions over whether we may see him back in the uk more often in the months to come, and whether his father's illness might bring him closer once again to his family. an illness in the family can have a galvanising or sort of reunifying effect for a family. is that possible in this case? yeah, i'm sure i've got other trips planned that would take me

through the uk or back to the uk. so, you know, i'll stop in and see my family as much as i can. but, after prince harry's grievances were laid bare last year in his book, a reconciliation still feels a way off. emma vardy, bbc news, whistler in canada. more on that story and others including the death of alexei navalny on the bbc news website and the app. you are watching bbc news. let's have a look at politics now. labour has won a resounding double by election victory in a bad night for the conservatives. big majorities overturned. indwelling burger in northamptonshire they were eliminated a conservative majority of more than 18,000 earning themselves a majority of more than 6000. our political editor has the story. the polls for the wellingborough constituency have now closed. a night of counting into the small hours beckoned. encouragement and biscuits on offer.

every vote counts. a process for the patient. at silly o'clock, the results. and the story of these contests. i do hereby declare that damien egan is duly elected. gen kitchen of the labour party is duly elected. after some sleep for some and no sleep for others, the winners tried to explain their wins. this is becoming an increasingly familiar sight and sound — a labour victory rally. we ran a campaign on access to nhs, bringing back pride to our town centres, making sure people felt safe and secure on our streets and tackling potholes. i was saying on the hundreds of doors that i knocked, the choice is what voice do you want in parliament?

do you want a voice on the conservative benches defending this government or do you want a voice that's talking for the change that we need to see? if there was any triumphalism from keir starmer, he hid it somewhere under the breakfast sofa. merely describing labour as credible contenders come the general election. there is always more work to do. you know, there's a long way to go before this election. _ and as every football fan knows, you don't win the league - by a good win in february. and for the prime minister today, one key question. isn't it the truth that you're now staring down the barrel of a major general election defeat whenever it arrives? we've clearly been through a lot over the past couple of years as a country, but i genuinely believe at the start of this year that we're pointing in the right direction. the circumstances of these by elections were, of course, particularly challenging. now, i think if you look at the results, very low turnout, and it shows that we've got work to do to show people that we are delivering on their priorities. and that's what i'm absolutely determined to do.

adding a splash of doom to the conservative gloom, this man with a smile, ben habib, is reform uk's deputy leader. what do you say to the conservative critique? and you'll have heard it, that a vote for reform uk makes it easier for keir starmer to get to downing street? i mean, i'm almost offended by that suggestion because it implies that this is a two—party system where there should know that this is a two—party system where there should be no other entrant. and if your phone rings and it's rishi sunak on the phone saying, "can we do a deal?" you would say what? i'd say, rishi, "you're not a conservative mate." no deal�*s reformers managed these results "no deal�*s." reformers managed these results without their honorary president. 0ne nigel farage, whose knack for teasing and trouble causing remains in fine fettle. i think if you asked tory party- members right now they'd vote for me to be leader and not rishi sunak i of that i have no doubt at all, i and that's backed up by polling.

but look, let's focus - on this general election. i'm backing reform. we'll have to see what active role i play. - two results today, perhaps not surprising but still extraordinary. labour, a party crushed just five years ago, who now look as close to government as they have been in nearly a decade—and—a—half. a reminder of our main story — prison officials in russia say the leading kremlin critic, alexei navalny, has died. they said he'd felt unwell after a walk in his arctic penal colony, and had almost immediately collapsed. a local hospital said the 47 old died despite attempts to resuscitate him. but mr navalny�*s mother said her son had looked alive, mr navalny was serving a lengthy prison term on what are seen politically motivated charges. the authorities have warned against protests to mark his death, after online calls for rallies in central moscow.

the us president saying he is not surprised by the news. these are live pictures outside of the russian embassy in central pleasanton where people have gathered. with messages one of many sittings around the world where people have gathered to pay tribute to alexei navalny. we will have more on that. stay with us here. hello there. it looks like things will be turning even milder as we head into this weekend. and where we get some sunshine, it really will feel quite spring—like. but there will be some rain in the forecast this weekend, particularly late on saturday during saturday night and for england, wales perhaps for sunday morning as well. so we're all into that mild air mass, as you can see, these darker orange colours introducing something a little bit warmer still as we move into saturday and sunday. but it does look like tonight, maybe a little bit cooler than it's been the last few nights, mostly dry and any thicker cloud in the north and the west. there will be some spots of rain and temperatures will dip close to 1—2 celsius across the far north—east of scotland. for most, though, 6—8 celsius.

so saturday starts off largely fine this week. weather fronts will bring a band of clouds, some spots of rain. but it's these weather fronts moving in behind later on, which will bring the more substantial rain with stronger winds here. so quite a lot of cloud, scotland, northern england, some splashes of rain with that weak weather from there. there will be some holes in the clouds, will have some sunny spells again. but then the rain, stronger winds push into northern ireland that spreads across the irish sea into western britain. as we head into the afternoon, temperatures could be up to 111—15 celsius in the warmest spots, but all areas will be in double figures. then through saturday evening, saturday night, that rain, wind spreads across the country. it will tend to clear from scotland and northern ireland, bar the odd shower, but it will take its time to clear away from england and wales, so it could stay quite wet by the end of saturday night across the south—east. temperatures coming down a little bit in the north, double figures in the south. sunday then, these weather fronts will take their time

to clear england and wales. a bit of a question mark on the speed they do clear. but at the moment it looks like it could be quite cloudy and wet to start sunday across much of england and wales. slowly, skies will brighten from the west, but there could be a hung back of that rain across parts of eastern england, east anglia and the southeast. but elsewhere, not a bad looking day, i think, to come for sunday with some sunshine around. temperatures, maybe degree or so down in the north, but again, at 111—15 celsius across the south, so well above where we should be for the time of year. into the new week, it does stay on the mild side, increasing chance of rain and stronger winds towards the end of the week where we'll also start to see temperatures coming down a little bit.

hello, i'm lewis vaughanjones. you're watching the context on bbc news. translation: i want to putin and his whole entourage, - his friends and his government to know that they will be held responsible for everything they've done to our country. make no mistake, putin is responsible for navalny's death. putin is responsible. putin and his friends fear nothing more than people that _ stand up, that speak up, that fight for freedom. . no—one could look at this regime now and not recognise it for the truly dreadful nature that it has.

hello, welcome to the programme. we of course start with russia. plenty of course start with russia. plenty of news on it alexei navalny, the russian opposition politician, died in prison according to the prison service they are in russia. his lawyer is on his way to the remote prison right now. expect to arrive saturday morning. they have had no independent confirmation yet as to exactly what has happened. however, us presidentjoe biden says vladimir putin is responsible. there has in fact been a huge reaction from leaders around the world. we will bring you that. russia says that reaction has been not equitable. we

are keeping across different live feeds and pictures