the omicron variant. and then murdering ahmaud arbery, a black man, have been sentenced to life in prison. and their neighbour roddy bryan were convicted of felony murder. they had chased mr arbery while he was jogging, before he was shot to death. their defence had claimed they feared he was planning to commit a crime. the mcmichaels will spend life in prison without the possibility of parole. roddy bryan will serve life, but does have the possibility of parole. here's georgia superior court judge timothy walmsley, outlining some of the evidence from the trial. there's a frame where i believe ahmaud arbery, it looks to be if he's 20 yards out — that may be close — 30 yards out — it's the frame of travis mcmichael lifting the shotgun to fire at ahmaud arbery. and you watch that with context — and when i say �*context�*, after hearing the evidence in this case and thinking about a young man that had been running at that point for almost five minutes — and it is a chilling, truly disturbing scene. ahmaud's mother gave her reaction to the sentencing outside the court. first, i want to say thank you to god, who made this all possible. yes. my prayer was to get justice for ahmaud. he filed for us in the courts, he gave us a fairjudge, judge walmsley, he heard the testimonies from each witness. he gave us a very good verdict and he gave us a very good sentence. our north america correspondent, david willis, told us about reaction to the trial in the us. simon, it's amazing, isn't it, that this death went largely unreported for two months after it occurred. it wasn't until that very harrowing video went viral that local prosecutors actually started to take some action, and ten weeks after the death of ahmaud arbery before these three men were arrested. well, today, thejudge described it as a very harrowing and chilling incident and he held a minute's silence in recognition of the terror that he said ahmaud arbery must�*ve endured as he was being chased for five minutes by these three men in pick—up trucks. he sentenced gregory and travis mcmichael, father and son respectively, to life without the possibility of parole. the other man, william �*roddy�* bryan — the man who took the infamous video footage — he was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, but he will be 82 years old before he gets to enjoy that right, if he lives that long. yeah, it's a really tragic case, david. is there a sense that change is slowly, but is taking place in america, because obviously, we've been seeing quite a few of these cases recently — high—profile racial cases like that of george floyd, and now, of course, this one. is there a sort of sense that maybe the policing system, the judicial system is changing for the better? it's an interesting question. now, ahmaud arbery�*s case is different to george floyd — ahmaud arbery was not killed by police officers, he was killed by people who were — who believed they had the right to act as police officers, if you like, as so—called vigilantes and, indeed, his family described the death as a modern—day lynching. they have since, i might add, expressed their delight at the sentences that have been handed out. but ahmaud arbery�*s death was all part of a sort of national reckoning, as far as racial injustice is concerned in this country, that really came to a head, of course, a few months later, following the death of george floyd at the hands of a minneapolis police officer. yasmin cader, director of the trone center forjustice and equality at the american civil liberties union, gave us her reaction to the trial. my reaction is that this verdict is significant for many reasons. one of the first is that we are to remember this conviction almost never happened, and so it wasn't until the family and his community organised, mobilised and demanded a full investigation that these individuals were even arrested. so the significance of this verdict in my mind is very much the fact that it almost never came to be. the fact that it almost never came to be-_ the fact that it almost never came to be. ., ., ., ., , came to be. you have got to be relieved obviously _ came to be. you have got to be relieved obviously at _ came to be. you have got to be relieved obviously at the - relieved obviously at the verdict after all of that, because as you say, initial enps2 arrest and charge these men until this footage emerged? that is right, but i think when you see relief, what that brings to mind to me isjust how much more work we have to do. this verdict, these sentences, they don't fully reflect in any way what the type of systemic change is that we need to make sure happens in this country. we need to make sure happens in this country-— this country. yeah, and you think the — this country. yeah, and you think the sentence - this country. yeah, and you | think the sentence therefore sends out a wider message that is obviously needed for a long time, is that maybe a couple of years ago this sentence may not have come about, this verdict may not have come about, and now there is change albeit too late and too slow, but changes happening? i late and too slow, but changes happening?— happening? i think the chains that this community - happening? i think the chains that this community is - happening? i think the chainsl that this community is seeking is much broader than the sentences. the change this community is seeking is one in which so many like ahmaud arbery would be alive today. he never would have been seen as a threat simply byjogging in this neighbourhood where he lived ten minutes away. he would be part of an integrated community even though we are 70 years past the brown versus board of education decision which said that we shouldn't be segregated anymore in education or in other systems. he would have been recognised in life notjust in his death through this really retroactive mechanism. i this really retroactive mechanism.- this really retroactive mechanism. , , , ., ., , mechanism. i guess your hope therefore _ mechanism. i guess your hope therefore is _ mechanism. i guess your hope therefore is there _ mechanism. i guess your hope therefore is there is _ mechanism. i guess your hope therefore is there is real - mechanism. i guess your hope therefore is there is real fast l therefore is there is real fast and significant change now of course alongside verdict in the george floyd case in other cases of this nature?- george floyd case in other cases of this nature? yes, and that changes _ cases of this nature? yes, and that changes much _ cases of this nature? yes, and that changes much broader . cases of this nature? yes, and i that changes much broader than these individual cases or these verdicts, but instead, that that change is one of systemic in nature that are really reimagined all of these systems and seeks equity for all. let's get some ofthe equity for all. let's get some of the day — equity for all. let's get some of the day was _ equity for all. let's get some of the day was my _ equity for all. let's get some of the day was my other - equity for all. let's get some | of the day was my other news now. opponents say he doesn't have authority to impose the rule without going through congress. they say it will save lives. judgement is not expected for several days. later remains ready to talk to russia but warned the allies would impose a heavy price for any further russian aggression. austria's chancellor karl nehammer has tested positive for coronavirus. the a9—year—old, who took over as chancellor a month ago, is in self—isolation, and says he isn't showing any symptoms. he's issued a statement saying "there is no need to worry, i am fine and doing well." the president of kazakhstan has ordered his security forces to use lethal force on protesters after days of unrest following a sudden rise in fuel prices. russian troops have arrived to support his government. the us secretary of state has warned that it may be difficult to get them to leave. our correspondent, abdujalil abdurasulov, is in kazakhstan�*s largest city almaty with the latest. the army of kazakhstan is standing guard here on the streets of almaty. after days of violence and many protesters killed, the state's security forces seem to be back in control, and when we came close to them, the warning not to approach is very clear. gunshot today, the president was clear too — any more unrest will be met with lethal force. translation: terrorists| continue to damage state and private property and use weapons against civilians. i have given the order to shoot to kill without warning. president tokayev portrays the protesters as terrorists who are sowing chaos. they say that their movement is peaceful and blame the authorities for provoking the violence. the unrest was triggered by a sharp rise in fuel prices, but this country's corrupt authoritarian regime is unpopular. some of the biggest clashes took place here at the former presidential residence and the mayor's office. the buildings were burnt out and you can see here all these cars were also set on fire. you can hear, again, the shots, but maybe it's the military and police officers are firing into the air to warn people not to approach the square because they closed the square in order to prevent people from gathering. many people fear that the violence will drag on. along with protests, many shops were looted. this 22—year—old man says that while he supports the demands of the protesters, he wants looters to be stopped. "it's really scary, and we feel we have no protection," this woman says. this is one of the electronics shops that was looted in almaty, and i think the looters tried to burn this place as well because it still smells of smoke. this mass unrest is a huge blow for almaty, which is the financial capital of kazakhstan. it's not clear yet if the violence is over or how much damage has been done to the authority of kazakhstan�*s hardline leader. abdujalil abdurasulov, bbc news, almaty. us secretary of state anthony blinken has been talking about the deployment of russian troops to kazakhstan as part of the post—soviet collective security treaty organization. he had this warning for the kazakh regime there are very particular drivers of what is happening in kazakhstan right now, as i said, that go to economic and political matters, and what's happening there is different from what's happening on ukraine's borders. having said that, i think one lesson of recent history is that once russians are in your house, it's sometimes very difficult to get them to leave. one place closely watching events in kazakhstan is belarus. both countries are members of the russian—led collective security treaty organisation, or csto, which has sent peacekeeping forces to kazakhstan. speaking on state tv, belarussian president alexander lu kashenko said his forces were not there to kill. translation: we would inform the un we would like to help kazakhstan to restore peace. you cannot kill, not provide. we are peaceful people. we need to stop the war and we are doing exactly that. a short time ago, i spoke to franak viacorka, who's a senior advisor to sviatla na tsikhanouskaya, the exiled belarusian opposition leader. i asked him what reaction there had been in belarus to csto troops being sent to kazakhstan. it is shameful but they should not participate in such operations. they should stay in power by all means also what are your thoughts on the csto in general?— in general? this is the first time they _ in general? this is the first time they have _ in general? this is the first time they have been - in general? this is the first - time they have been mobilised in its history. what do you personally think of that? it is an artificial— personally think of that? it 3 an artificial organisation that was never used before, it was created and this is the very first time it is used by one of its member states. csto is used by russia primarily in order to keep the soviet countries under control, and belarus participation in csto in my personal opinion must be stopped. the situation with kazakhstan shows we will be working closely with belarus and asking them not to participate in operations. it is a fairly serious situation in kazakhstan. you don't think this justifies mobilisation of allies to try and calm the situation?— allies to try and calm the situation? the situation in kazakhstan, _ situation? the situation in kazakhstan, we _ situation? the situation in kazakhstan, we pass - situation? the situation in kazakhstan, we pass thisl situation? the situation in | kazakhstan, we pass this in 2020, same in kazakhstan, people ask for freedom and democracy and they were brutally cracked down by dictatorships. russia and others should not interfere and should not help them to stay in power. we believe all the crisis can be solved with dialogue, a conversation. all the parties in kazakhstan, the regime in the processes and we are calling for a peaceful resolution. same as in belarus. we are continuing calling for a peaceful resolution and we don't want russian troops come to belarus to help us and solve our own crisis. he to belarus to help us and solve our own crisis.— our own crisis. he obviously worked very _ our own crisis. he obviously worked very close _ our own crisis. he obviously worked very close with - our own crisis. he obviously worked very close with the l our own crisis. he obviously - worked very close with the main opposition leader in belarus. what other thoughts about all this? ~ ., , what other thoughts about all this? ~ . , . this? we are very concerned, and at one — this? we are very concerned, and at one point _ this? we are very concerned, and at one point they - this? we are very concerned, and at one point they will. this? we are very concerned, | and at one point they will feel weak and a new wave of protests will start, and russian troops will start, and russian troops will appear, so we are asking the community to prevent it, allow this to happen to belarus. we sincerely believe belarusian �*s can solve their own crisis by themselves without help of russia or any other countries. just to bring you a small line of news reaching us on the situation in kazakhstan, because the us state department have said they have agreed non—emergency staff and their familes currently working at the us consulate in almaty can leave if they want to. this is bbc news. the headlines: a court in the us state of georgia has given life sentences to three white men who murdered the young black man ahmaud arbery while he was outjogging. the us questions kazakhstan's decision to invite in russian troops to quell unrest — saying it might be difficult to get them to leave. as coronavirus cases continue to rise across india, new movement restrictions have come into effect for people in the capital delhi over the weekend. restaurants, markets and most shops will be closed until monday morning. russell trott reports. bharat�*s shop sells everything for the kitchen and more. but with fewer customers and takings down, he has been badly hit by the pandemic. yet, despite india's capital delhi locking down over the weekend, he remains upbeat. translation: the way corona cases are on the rise this - lockdown, the weekend curfew is a must. for the past two years, we have faced losses and we will face the same in the future. i will be happy when the amount of cases are lower and there is no lockdown. as the authorities grapple with a fresh surge in cases, partly fuelled by the fast—spreading omicron variant, most businesses here are still recovering from last year's outbreak that overwhelmed hospitals and crematoriums. but daily case numbers had, since then, stayed reasonably low — until last week. all residents besides essential workers will now be asked to stay home from friday night to monday morning. this is a big concern, big challenge. we have seen that over the last eight days, the figure has gone very high — from 10,000 cases to more than one lakh, injust eight days. so with this period, the number will be much higher in the previous weeks. more than 200,000 people died across india last spring, after a wave of delta variant infections that brought the healthcare systems to its knees. india's a81,000 known covid deaths is the world's third highest toll behind the us and brazil, but under—reporting is widespread and some studies have estimated its actual toll could be up to ten times higher. the omicron variant is expected to hit hard but with fewer cases expected to need hospital treatment, some experts warn another lockdown and its economic impact is just not worth it. russell trott, bbc news. the former us president barack obama has led tributes to the actor sir sidney poitier, who's died at the age of 94. mr obama said the star had "opened doors for a generation of actors". sidney poitier made his name in a series of ground—breaking films which challenged racial stereotypes. he was the first black man to win an oscar for best actor, and his success paved the way for generations of other black artists. our correspondent lizo mazimba looks back on the life, of a hollywood icon. # in the heat of the night... sidney poitier�*s virgil tibbs, a man of authority... i'm a police officer. ..intelligence and a steely determination never to back down — the kind of qualities that defined poitier on screen and off. he made his cinema debut playing a doctor, a man of status — something almost unheard of for black performers then. and with roles like an escaped convict in the defiant ones and a struggling husband in a raisin in the sun, he tackled prejudice head on. maybe i'll get down on my black knees. all right, mr charlie. all right, mr great white father. you just give us that money! and we won't come out there and dirty up your white folks�* neighbourhood. the era, of course, meant he had a burden his white counterparts rarely had to carry — the weight of being a symbol. but he bore it with dignity. in lilies of the field, playing a travelling handyman, helping build a group of nuns a new chapel. # sing it over. the winner is sidney poitier. he won the academy award — the first black performer ever to receive the oscar for a leading role. in the years that followed, he became hollywood's biggest star, redefining how audiences saw black characters with films like to sir, with love. you will call me �*sir�* or �*mr thackeray'. the young ladies will be addressed as �*miss�*, the boys by their surnames. some of what i am was reflected in those movies. it was, in a way, i was saying to an audience, "this is who i am. look at me." more controversial was his role as a highly gifted, hugely successful doctor engaged to a white woman in guess who's coming to dinner. i love your daughter. there is nothing i wouldn't do to try to keep her as happy as she was the day i met her. some criticised it, saying the impression it gave was of an interracial relationship that was only acceptable because his character was so perfect and accomplished. hello! he also directed �*80s comedy stir crazy — the first movie from an african—american film—maker to pass the blockbuster $100 million mark in the united states. what are you doing? i'm getting bad! in his later years, he was awarded the presidential medal of freedom by barack obama, who today said sidney poitier epitomised dignity and grace. oprah winfrey paid tribute, saying: while denzel washington said: those words two decades after he celebrated him at the academy awards. a0 years, i've been chasing sidney. they finally give it to me, what do they do? they give it to him the same night. i'll always be following in your footsteps. there's nothing i would rather do. applause. that same night, poitier also received an honorary oscar. hollywood recognition for a star who blazed a trail for so many... they call me mr tibbs. ..and who entertained millions more. sidney poitier — one of the greats. sidney poitier, who's died at the age of 94. a letter posted to a man in northern ireland with no surname or address on the envelope, butjust his first name and a 57—word biography, has managed to find its way to the right place. our ireland correspondent emma vardy has the story. "feargal, lives across the road from the spar. "his ma and da used to own it." no house number, no street name, a few things much more personal than that. the first thing i noticed was the amount of detail on the envelope and basically, my biography. "moved to waterford after he got married." despite nothing more than a short story and half a postcode, yesterday this letter found its way straight to feargal lynn. i laughed so much. right through it all, to playing guitar, to, "friends with the fella who owns the butchers in waterford." feargal had taken to writing letters to people over lockdown as a way to brighten the gloom, but never expected such a strange reply. the letter was from an old friend in belfast, who perhaps could have found out his address but thought this way was a little more fun. we were talking about the pandemic, we were talking about mental health and the need to brighten the mood a bit. did she actually expect it to reach you? i think she just took a punt. "plays guitar and used to run discos in the parochial hall." it happened to be that feargal�*s local postman was also a childhood friend. we've had some strange addresses over the years, but this is the most bizarre of them all. the first line, "feargal who lived across from the spar." the number of times we played in his front garden as wee boys, i knew right away who it was. this could give other people ideas, if they don't know an address. oh, that would be a nightmare! and inside the letter, just a cheery hello and a recipe for coleslaw that feargal had been asking about, but it meant much more than that. there's so much letters these days that's meaningless, it's financial, it's a rates demand and it's so nice to receive something so personal. "friends with the fella who runs the butchers "in waterford too. "btaa, northern ireland." so, could letters make a comeback over email in future, as something a lot more enjoyable? well, we'll keep you posted! emma vardy, bbc news. a volcano perched on top of one of ecuador�*s famous galapagos islands has erupted, producing a spectacular lava flow. the one—mile—high wolf volcano is located on isabela island, home to a rich variety of flora and fauna of the type that helped inspire charles darwin's theory of evolution following his visit in 1835. fortunately the eruption poses no threat to wildlife populations, or to humans. that's about it for me from now. you can get more news on our website. you can reach me on twitter, i'm @sipusey. thank you for watching and do stay tuned to bbc news. hello. well, earlier, the skies were clear and we had a touch of frost, even some icy patches in places after the recent wintry weather. but now, a weather front is approaching, and the first half of saturday at least will be very wet and windy. here's the low pressure that's sweeping into the uk, here's the weather front, and this is rain—bearing cloud, so if the rain hasn't reached you already, it will do very soon. ahead of this weather front, there's some temporary snow falling across the highlands of scotland, but for many of us, it really is rain. and the rain will be heavy, it'll bring also very blustery weather by the end of the night to many western parts of the uk. and look at the temperatures — eight degrees in belfast, double figures in the south—west, just around freezing or above across eastern parts of the country. so here's that low pressure around early saturday. within it, we've got milder air. you can see the milder winds coming in from the south. behind the cold front, yes, there's slightly colder weather, but not as cold compared to what we've been having in the last few days. so, here's that wet and windy weather for the first half of saturday. later, notice that the skies clear. there will be frequent blustery showers, some will again be wintry, particularly across the highlands, but for many of us, it is rain. it will feel chilly in the wind, but notice that rain really dragging its heels around east anglia and the south—east. it may not clear the south—east until after dark, so here, it really will be an unpleasant day. come the evening, i think saturday night into sunday, things will start to dry out. here's the good news — saturday night into sunday, the weather will calm down, which means that on sunday, it will be a much better day. better — there still will be some showers around, particularly across northern areas, and in fact, we are expecting later on sunday some damp weather to move into south—western parts of england and maybe wales. but on the whole, it's a much better day, much drier and brighter for many of us, with temperatures around the average for the time of the year. so, here's the weekend summary again. you can see that wet weather earlier in the day on saturday, much better by sunday, and thereafter, it is turning milder. bye— bye. this is bbc news. the headlines: in the us, three white men who were convicted of chasing and then murdering ahmaud arbery, a black man, in the state of georgia, have been sentenced to life in prison. the case became a focus of protests by the black lives matter movement. the us have questioned kazakhstan's decision to seek russian military support to deal with a wave of violent unrest. russia says its deployment of troops is temporary. dozens of people have been killed during nationwide protests triggered by a rise in fuel prices. and one of the best known black hollywood actors of the past century, sidney poitier, has died. he was 94. mr poitier was the first black man to be awarded best actor at the academy awards in 1964 and paved the way for a new generation of stars.