these are all crimes. reporter: this is cnn breaking news. thursday, april 21st. 9 a.m. here in london. 11 a.m. in ukraine. we begin with breaking developments in the war. russia s defense minister telling president vladimir putin that russian forces need three to four days to take over the steel plant in the besieged city of mariupol, whereas, as many as 1,000 are hold up. they have not stopped shelling mariupol. tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped inside the city. we will continue to follow the story. meanwhile, we re seeing the devastation and human toll across ukraine. a new report finds russian forces committed apparent war crimes in bucha. the report says researchers have found evidence of executions, disappearances and torture. the russian offensive continues to push forward in the donbas region. the enhanced military say russian forces have taken a central village. they report russian forces are advancing from donbas to creme tors being. they have added
which is the largest unionist party in northern ireland says that it s leader sirjeffrey donaldson is stepping down with immediate effect after confirming that he has been charged with what they say are allegations of an historical nature. sirjeffrey, who has had an almost ao year career in politics, was elected to the northern ireland assembly in 1985 becoming the youngest person to win a seat at stormont at the age of 22. he became dup leader injuly 2021 following the resignation of edwin poots. pending the outcome of the judicial process, the dup have confirmed the appointment of gavin robinson as interim party leader. after news of sirjeffrey s arrest, the democratic unionist party met early on friday morning. in a statement it said that in accordance with the party rules, our correspondent sara girvin joins me now from outside the northern ireland assembly, at stormont. asi as i look is standing there and thinking back only a matter of weeks since we saw those imag
and dozens injured in two reported explosions in the pishin district of baluchistan, according to a local government official. one of the explosions happened in front of the party office of an independent candidate from the area. these pictures just in show the aftermath of one of the blast. these pictures just in show the aftermath of one of the blast. police are trying to determine the cause of the blast, and the injured are being transported to the nearest hospitals. no group has claimed it carried out the attack, which has come just a day before the pakistan general elections. these are some fresh images we are getting from baluchistan in pakistan, the aftermath of one of the two explosions which are now reported to have killed 20 people in pakistan. let s turn to the situation in the middle east. and diplomatic efforts to reach agreement on a new ceasefire between israel and hamas in gaza are intensifying. america s top diplomat secretary of state anthony blinken wil
experts and commentators to guidance through the day. welcome to viewers on bbc one northern ireland and viewers on bbc news, this is a stormont special, in which history is about to be made. let s cross to parliament buildings. talk is through the significance as you see it as to what will happen. i through the significance as you see it as to what will happen. it as to what will happen. i don t think ou it as to what will happen. i don t think you could it as to what will happen. i don t think you could understate - it as to what will happen. i don t think you could understate the l think you could understate the symbolic significance today here after 100 years of northern ireland, we are going to get our first nationalist republican first minister here and we have had 11 other leaders in northern ireland, so this will be a significant moment is notjust because titles matter, michelle o neill will have a new title, but we will see within the assembly chamber that visual