Ukraine begins first war crimes trial

In the first war crimes trial in Ukraine, a Russian soldier has pleaded guilty to shooting dead a sixty-two year-old Ukrainian in the Sumy region. Sergeant Vadim Shishimarin faces life in prison. Russia's defence ministry says nearly a-thousand Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. The BBC has learned that secret schools are operating in Afghanistan to allow girls to continue their studies. The Taliban have refused to allow them to return to classrooms. The head of the UN has called for a speedy transition to renewable energy after a new report showing the climate crisis accelerated last year -- breaking records for sea-levels, ocean heat and greenhouse gas concentrations. (Photo: Vadim Shishimarin is a 21-year-old tank commander in the Russian armed forces. Credit: Reuters)