One of lifes most underappreciated talents is to know when its time to move on to lives next chapter. So i stand before you today, was a president , and my colleagues, to say this will be my last term as republican leader of the senate. For more on both mcconnell� s stepping down and the spending deal, heres our north america correspondent, gary odonoghue. After repeated attempts to get a spending agreement, it does look like leadership in congress from both sides of at least reached a partial agreement on some other Spending Bills that they have been arguing about. It looks now in the next couple of days that resolutions were put through senate and the House Of Representatives to extend one of the deadlines until next friday by which time they will pass Spending Bills on six separate departments. They havent reached an agreement on the other six departments but they are going to push the deadline for that back until march 22 so in some ways, this is progress being made and in some ways, it is still a long way to go, particularly because they spending bill is a controversial ones involving Homeland Security and defence. They will all be have to be organised by the leadership in both places and weve learned today that mitch mcconnell, republican leader in the senate and a Minority Leader has decided to step down from leadership at the election in november. The longest serving party leader in the senate, his beenin party leader in the senate, his been in the post since 2000 and 7 cents George W Bush was president. He entered the senate in 1985 was one of reagan was president so almost 40 reagan was president so almost a0 years. His been of force of nature, a conservative aimed in the senate relentlessly and his got a lot done but he did fall out with donald trump particular Overjanuary 6 where he accused the former president of being morally and practically responsible, he had some Health Issues in the last year or so which may have been a factor in his decision to stand down from leadership in november. He wants who want described himself as a grim reaper, he made that but the political grim reaper has come calling. President joe biden also weighed in on mitch mcconnell� s announcement, reflecting on his time as the Republican Senate leader, he said a judge in the us state of illinois has barred donald trump from appearing on the ballot there because of his role in in the january 6th riots. But she delayed her ruling to take effect, ahead of an expected appeal by the former president. Mr trump also sits at the center of two major developments at the us Supreme Court. The first is whether donald trump can claim president ial immunity from being prosecuted on charges of trying to overturn the 2020 election. It will mark the first time the nations highest court will weigh in on such a case. The Supreme Court says it will hear arguments in the case in the week of april 22. In the meantime, former president trump� s washington, dc case will be on hold while justices consider the matter. The other case involves a trump era gun ban on bump stocks. The Supreme Courtjustices appeared divided on whether the ban on the Gun Attachments which allow a semi automatic rifle to fire more rapidly should be upheld. The Trump Administration banned bump stocks after 60 people were killed in a mass shooting at a Las Vegas Musical Festival in 2017. The gunman had dozens of ar 15 style rifles outfitted with the device. The incident is the Deadlist Mass Shooting in us history. The justices wrestled with whether the administration acted lawfully. For more, the bbc spoke with Tennessee State representative justin jones who was temporarily expelled from his seat following a protest over gun violence last year. For more, lets bring in scotusblog reporter, amy howe. Shejoined us in the she joined us in the studio. Quite a busy day at the Supreme Court and will get onto bomb stocks in just court and will get onto Bomb Stocks Injust A Moment but court and will get onto bomb stocks in just a moment but if we start with this case that quite late on the date of the Supreme Court says its going to hear, it is common to hear the case whether donald trump has immunity or not, how do we expect them to handle that . They will hear arguments, sometime in the end of april and what the real city a000 other questions right now is how quickly will they rule . Because the judge has already put the proceedings in washington, dc on hold. And shes indicated that even if the call were to rule that frump is not immune, that there would be some more time, as much as three months before the trial could actually go forward. Trump. What a lot of people are paying attention to is if the court were to rule late june or to is if the court were to rule latejune or earlyjuly which late june or earlyjuly which is latejune or earlyjuly which is what one would late june or earlyjuly which is what one would normally expect a high profile case like this, particular one that argued in late april, that might mean that the trial would not be ready to go forward until september or even early october which would put it right in the middle. Of the president ial election. In early november president ial election. In early november. The president ial election. In early november. The special president ial election. In early l november. The special counsel jack smith has made the case previously that is an emergency and should be treated as such, has been an indication from the Supreme Court within the justice has considered an Emergency Case . Justice has considered an Emergency Case . Justice has considered an emeruen case . ,. , Emergency Case . The singles are mixed to that Emergency Case . The singles are mixed to that they Emergency Case . The singles are mixed to that they dont mixed to that they dont regarded as quite as an emergency as he does. He asked them, first of all, to let the case to say that they were not going to weigh in, that the decision by the federal Appeals Court in washington, dc stand for itself and allow the trial to go forward without the Supreme Court ruling and today, they indicated that they would not going to do that. The other option is said was for the case to go forward in the Supreme Court but he asked them to really fast track it, to hear or argument in march and issue a decision quickly. And they didnt do that and one signal that they didnt regarded as an emergency as he did was it took them almost two weeks indicate today what they were going to do, the case has been fully briefed and setting before them for almost two weeks before they finally acted which is not a thing that it regarded as a true emergency. The timeline ou true emergency. The timeline you outline true emergency. The timeline you outline with true emergency. The timeline you outline with possibly true emergency. The timeline you outline with possibly a. You outline with possibly a decision in earlyjuly and what they were me for a trial may be not happening until the time of the election and if donald trump is re elected, that trial would fall than entirely, wouldnt it . Would fall than entirely, wouldnt it . One can only assume. Wouldnt it . One can only assume, he wouldnt it . One can only assume, he would wouldnt it . One can only assume, he would be wouldnt it . One can only assume, he would be in l wouldnt it . One can only assume, he would be in charge of the department ofjustice and one would expect that he would direct the Department Of Justice to drop the charges. The Supreme Court also awaiting a decision on the related to colorado deciding that donald trump should not be on the ballot there again, that was described as something for urgency of consideration, the colorado primaryjust around colorado primary just around the colorado primaryjust around the corner, do we know when you make a decision there . We the corner, do we know when you make a decision there . Make a decision there . We dont have any idea make a decision there . We dont have any idea when make a decision there . We dont have any idea when that make a decision there . We dont have any idea when that will have any idea when that will happen, the Supreme Court, you dont know what decisions you are going to get unless its a very last day of the Supreme Court � s term until youre sitting at the Supreme Court and they say, they have the opinion and trump Versus Anderson so they dont have any days are scheduled, they indicate had a time when they will issue opinions, didnt have any days are scheduled this week so, we dont know when that will be. Super tuesday, when they have all of these different primaries over these different primaries over the countries for much feared and so, one of the things that colorado was for them to ask act quickly but we havent seen in opinion yet. We hear illinois saying that donald trump will be excluded from the ballot there as well. The trump will be excluded from the ballot there as well. Ballot there as well. The other Bi News Ballot there as well. The other big news from ballot there as well. The other big news from the ballot there as well. The other big news from the supreme i ballot there as well. The other i big news from the Supreme Court was this hearing around bump stocks. And whether the Trump Administration had been correct in banning them, these are attachment that turn rifle into something to a machine gun, what arguments are there today . There are different strands of argument, one part of the case was highly technical, the argument that the challenges are making is that the definition of machine gun that converts acted in 193a doing probation doesnt apply to bump stocks and the have a variety of different arguments that relate to exactly how the bump stocks work and how thats different from the definition of machine gun and the government has counterarguments about why it does fall within the definition of machine guns, some of the courts conservative justices were worried because for a long time, until 2018, the bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms had indicated that bump stocks wont machine guns and some of the justices were concerned about the people who bought bump stocks before 2018 and could be now subject to criminal liability, for something that was not a crime when they purchased it, the government response was, weve given them an opportunity to turn those in and it is a well publicised issue but several of the conservative justices were concerned about that. On the other hand, several of the justices said, when congress enacted this law backin when congress enacted this law back in 193a, they were concerned about the kind of damage that machine guns could do, the idea of firing, multiple rounds, hundreds around a minute at high speeds and this is precisely what bump stocks allow someone to do by attaching it to a semiautomatic rifle. , certainly this falls, within the heartland of the statue. , � , within the heartland of the statue. , � ,. ,. , statue. So thats another decision statue. So thats another decision that statue. So thats another decision that we statue. So thats another decision that we will statue. So thats Anotherj Decision that we will wait patiently for it to come. Making yourjob attends one. Thank you so much forjoining us on bbc news. The widow of the russian Opposition LeaderAlexei Navalny has made an emotional address to the european parliament, in which she alleged her husband was tortured for three years on Vladimir Putins orders before being murdered. The long standing critic of the russian president died suddenly in prison earlier this month. Nick beake reports. Its not even two weeks since she lost her husband, but Yulia Navalnaya says she has to keep fighting. The latest stop on her path to justice, the european parliament, where she condemned Vladimir Putin for actions that had bereaved russians, ukrainians and her own family. Putin must answer for what he has done with my country. Putin must answer for what he has done to a neighbouring, peaceful country. And putin must answer for everything he has done to alexei. Alexei navalny died in his siberian prison, where he was serving a 19 year sentence that was widely seen as being politically motivated. His family say he was murdered. The russian authorities claim it was natural causes. Yulia navalnaya said europes leaders must stop treating Vladimir Putin like a normal politician and deal with him as a mafia boss. She said passing endless resolutions and the same old sanctions wouldnt have any impact. She said there needed to be a new effort to go after the money of his inner circle in the way you deal with organised crime. But before that, Alexei Navalny� s family say they want to bury him here in southern moscow on friday. Its unclear what sort of Public Display of grief the police will tolerate. Putin is capable of anything. Yulia navalnaya says she will now go and recruit yet more supporters to her cause, promising that russia does have a beautiful future once it is rid of evil. Nick beake, bbc news, strasbourg. Meanwhile, ukraine has blamed congressional inaction in the us for its recent losses on the battlefield as its troops face a shortage of ammunition and key weapons. On wednesday, president zelensky even proposed that ukraine start partnering with other south Eastern European countries to manufacture that critical ammunition. Lets take a closer look now at the State Of Play on the frontlines where russia has pushed back some key Ukrainian Defensive advances since late summer. In august, ukraine retook the city of robotyne, hoping it could cut off a key supply route to russian controlled crimea. But this week, Russian Forces appear to have advanced to the western and southern outskirts of the village. Russia also appears to be advancing around the village of krynky, ukraines bridgehead across the dnipro river. And this month, ukraine withdrew its troops from avdiivka a key eastern town russia had beseiged for months. Ukraine had hoped the town would be a gateway to reach the russian controlled city of donetsk. Now, as James Waterhouse reports, ukraine has retreated yet further from the town it fought so hard to hold onto. Ukraines military today says it is pull the out of two villages close to the town of avdiivka which fail last week after months of bombardment and assault from Russian Forces and its clear they are not stopping there. On the ukrainian side, we are getting told that they are trying to re establish the front lines, trying to stabilise the situation they say but it is clear that russia is trying to push on and while these villages, like so many pieces have been mostly deserted, 100 people are full thought to live in both of them, we are once again seeing a russian flag hoisted above a pile of rubble, the thought here in kyiv, russia has assembled 80,000 troops in the closed city of bakhmut would where they are looking to push and make it as difficult as possible for the Ukrainian Forces to re establish themselves. It is clear that russia has the momentum and it is clear that waning western support, notably sizeable Military Package in the us, is directly hampering ukraines ability to stem that tied. Now, while these villages individually among too much, it puts illness cities and difficult positions because this is where people are going to evacuate to, the pledges that come under constant bombardment and it may well be the case that the threat of Ocean Occupation could be as great as it ever has been. Earlier, we spoke with former cia director david petraeus. He broke down some of the factors determining the way forward in ukraine. First and foremost, again, getting the us system is authorised and appropriate in the pipeline fuelled backup to be sure but then, is an issue that ukraine has a result of the selves that has to do with the selves that has to do with the generation of forces and units. As you probably know, the average age of a fighter soldier on the front lines is over a0 and the Ukrainian Army and contrast to the 18 23 average age of those that i was privileged to lead in a rocket and afghanistan. This has to do with the Conscription Systems and the laws that clearly they are going to have to reduce the age of conscription from 27 25, take other steps so that they can be a Unit Rotation Policy as well monitors individual replacement. These are very, very authority issues, president zelensky is working with the members of their parliament but theyre very difficult, its the one issue that he gene