a very powerful message that she's given today. a cancer diagnosis that's absolutely got this ripple effect. and i think what we know is that and herself and she shared is she's needed to take the time for herself to come to terms with and understand her own diagnosis. and that's what we would often recommend to people, is you need to adjust to the information for yourself and then with the support of your loved ones around you and then work out the timing and how you want to talk to your children. and it's often helping parents understand they know their children best. and she's got three wonderful children, but they're at different ages. so they will need that information given in different ways and at different times. but they can pick up on secrets if they can hear rumours. so it is better to have an open and honest dialogue with children not too much, but enough,

and then to answer the questions as they as they bring them up. i think she shared today that that's her primary focus is in supporting herself through her own treatment, but with williams making sure that the children are well cared for. let's return to that other major news we're following this hour. at least a0 people, including some children, have been killed and almost 150 wounded in an attack on a rock concertjust outside moscow. gunmen in camouflage began opening fire as they entered the lobby of the crocus city hall in krasnogorsk. reactions from world leaders continue to come in. in the last half an hour, we've heard from french president emmanuel macron. he condemned the attack and called it a terrorist attack. he said, i condemn this terrorist attacks committed by the islamic state and the people of france send this oro

to russia and its people. one of the first who published video from inside the hall was a russian blogger pavel shampanov. when the attack started, he recorded this video into his social media. everyone is running, shouting. gunfire they are shooting rifles. they are shooting into people. a lot of witnesses shared what was happening in the concert hall in their social media, insluding instagram. let's listen to one of the witnesses. translation: we just ended up in a firefight in crocus. _

we were waiting for a concert by the band piknik. some people in brown clothing, i don't know who they were, terrorists, military, whoever, broke into the auditorium and started shooting at people with assault rifles. everyone started running away. there was a crush, it was terrible, simply panic, everyone was lying on the ground, people were pushing each other. right now behind me crocus is on fire, they set it on fire. we just literally somehow got out of this several minutes to go without our coats, without anything. we alljust ran out of there. not everyone managed to run out because everyone was running to different parts of crocus. we don't know where the police are. the police, the riot police are just starting to arrive. assault rifles are being used. terrorists. i don't know, there is no—one, no—one to help people. everyone tried to save themselves as best as they could. many remain in crocus. our bbc verify team has been

checking the footage coming out of moscow, including that visual which was shared on social media. merlyn thomas gave us this update... people have been filming the dramatic events on their phones and posting them on social media channels. so let me show you what we have been looking at. this video begins as people start leaving the hall. and something appears to have gone very wrong. you suddenly hear gunshots and people running. it's difficult at this point to know how many people are involved in this incident but in this video you can see many people in the hall. screams begin to ring out and you can hear people shouting "close the door." and people then begin to fall onto the floor, hiding behind the chairs. and then gunshots continue to be heard inside the hole. as you can see there are scenes of panic and people trying to escape. now, here is another video we verified. this is from outside the hall. you can see there is a significant part of the building on fire

with smoke, plumes of smoke rising. and we have seen another video from a different angle, again showing the outside of the building, again on fire. now, witnesses have said that the shooting started in the foyer. we have also seen another video with four gunmen which is too graphic to show you. in it you can see people shooting with several casualties on the floor. it is worth noting that a few weeks ago the us embassy in moscow had issued a warning for people to avoid crowded places in the capital city. we have also seen reports of another explosion inside the hall and that some of the gunmen had barricaded themselves inside. as i said, this is a developing news story and we will continue to verify more footage as we get it. the united states embassy in moscow said it was "shocked" by the attack. a little earlier i spoke to our north america editor, sarah smith who's in washington.. she gave this analysis on us reaction to the attack. yes, so we are hearing that us officials — yes, so we are hearing that us officials have confirmed that they have intelligence which they think backs _

have intelligence which they think backs up — have intelligence which they think backs up the claim of responsibility from islamic state. they think it was that— from islamic state. they think it was that group are carried out this attack _ was that group are carried out this attack and — was that group are carried out this attack. and the bbc's news partner, cbs, has _ attack. and the bbc's news partner, cbs, has spoken to an intelligence source _ cbs, has spoken to an intelligence source who— cbs, has spoken to an intelligence source who has told them that this been _ source who has told them that this been a _ source who has told them that this been a steady stream of intelligent dating _ been a steady stream of intelligent dating as— been a steady stream of intelligent dating as far back as november saying — dating as far back as november saying that islamic state wanted to strike _ saying that islamic state wanted to strike in _ saying that islamic state wanted to strike in moscow and also that that information was passed on to the russian _ information was passed on to the russian authorities, under the duty to warrr~ _ russian authorities, under the duty to warrr~ so — russian authorities, under the duty to warn. so we assume, that that warning _ to warn. so we assume, that that warning that was put out by the state _ warning that was put out by the state departmentjust over warning that was put out by the state department just over two weeks a-o, state department just over two weeks ago, telling americans to stay away from large — ago, telling americans to stay away from large gatherings, including concerts, — from large gatherings, including concerts, and we spoke about the fact that — concerts, and we spoke about the fact that the us was monitoring the possibility— fact that the us was monitoring the possibility that extremists would launch _ possibility that extremists would launch an immediate, imminent attack

and intelligence, was passed on to moscow. _ and intelligence, was passed on to moscow, we have been told. so moscow, we have been told. despite the moscow, we have been told. sr despite the state of relations between the us and russia, they would have passed on this warning so is it perhaps surprising that there were not any more advanced security measures taken for an event like this? i measures taken for an event like this? ., ., ., ., ., , , this? i have no idea what happened to this information _ this? i have no idea what happened to this information once _ this? i have no idea what happened to this information once it - this? i have no idea what happened to this information once it was - to this information once it was passed — to this information once it was passed on— to this information once it was passed on to moscow or what the authorities they were doing about it. it authorities they were doing about it it is _ authorities they were doing about it. it is interesting that, so quickly— it. it is interesting that, so quickly after this assault, where we have started hearing this information coming from the american authorities. _ information coming from the american authorities, who were very quick off the mark, _ authorities, who were very quick off the mark, as— authorities, who were very quick off the mark, as soon as reports were coming _ the mark, as soon as reports were coming in. — the mark, as soon as reports were coming in. to— the mark, as soon as reports were coming in, to make sure it was absolutely— coming in, to make sure it was absolutely not ukraine or ukrainians that were _ absolutely not ukraine or ukrainians that were involved. they were very speedily— that were involved. they were very speedily saying that it has nothing to do— speedily saying that it has nothing to do with — speedily saying that it has nothing to do with ukraine and that may well be because _ to do with ukraine and that may well be because they were worried that

president — be because they were worried that president putin might try to falsely blame _ president putin might try to falsely blame ukraine because he has in the past _ blame ukraine because he has in the past he _ blame ukraine because he has in the past. he tried to accuse ukraine of acts of— past. he tried to accuse ukraine of acts of terrorism so very quickly, they— acts of terrorism so very quickly, they were — acts of terrorism so very quickly, they were saying it was not ukraine and now _ they were saying it was not ukraine and now a — they were saying it was not ukraine and now a couple of hours onwards we are hearing _ and now a couple of hours onwards we are hearing sources telling us about intelligence reports saying that they believed islamic state was ready— they believed islamic state was ready to — they believed islamic state was ready to attack.— they believed islamic state was ready to attack. they believed islamic state was read to attack. ~ ., ,, ., ,, ready to attack. when you talk to us officials, ready to attack. when you talk to us officials. how — ready to attack. when you talk to us officials, how concerned _ ready to attack. when you talk to us officials, how concerned are - ready to attack. when you talk to us officials, how concerned are they - officials, how concerned are they about a resurgence of islamic state in areas that they haven't operated in areas that they haven't operated in before? , ., , .., in before? they are being careful about what _ in before? they are being careful about what they _ in before? they are being careful about what they wanted - in before? they are being careful about what they wanted to - in before? they are being careful about what they wanted to make | about what they wanted to make public, _ about what they wanted to make public, about the administration's assessment of this. it is interesting to note that this is something they have been monitoring for months _ something they have been monitoring for months and fascinating, as you say, the _

for months and fascinating, as you say, the state of diplomatic relations between washington and moscow— relations between washington and moscow that this is information that they feit— moscow that this is information that they felt they had to share. in terms — they felt they had to share. in terms of— they felt they had to share. in terms of america buzz response to this, _ terms of america buzz response to this, of— terms of america buzz response to this, of whether they see similar threats— this, of whether they see similar threats around the well, they have not divulge that information as of this point — not divulge that information as of this point. —— divulge. as we've been hearing, there are reports the islamic state group has claimed responsibility for the attack — our security correspondent gordon corera gave us his analysis of that claim. just seeing this report that there is some kind of statement which has been put out by the group saying they were behind it. not always clear that that means they were. i mean, we have to treat all of these claims with a touch of skepticism initially, although i think that certainly has always been seen as as a strong possibility in terms

of who might have been behind it because of the nature of this attack. it's quite similar to other attacks we've seen a kind of marauding gunmen attack that we've seen in other cases, for instance, even at a paris venue, the bataclan, back in 2015. so that certainly remains a strong possibility. but it'sjust a claim at the moment, and i don't think we can confirm it because we've had this speculation about who might have been behind it, the question of whether there were warnings from the us or not, and also obviously the ukrainians quickly denying that they were in any way responsible, clearly worried that perhaps moscow might point the finger at them given the ongoing conflict between russia and ukraine. but certainly the way that those gunmen operated in the theater from the us or not, and also obviously the ukrainians quickly denying that they were in any way responsible, clearly worried that perhaps moscow might point the finger at them given the ongoing conflict between russia and ukraine. but certainly the way that those gunmen operated in the theater gunmen operated in the theatre and in the shopping mall trying to kill as many innocent people as they could, certainly does seem to have some similarities with other attacks we've seen before linked to isis rather than the other kind of operations we might have seen within russia. so i think we have to treat all

of those statements with a degree of skepticism, but it's certainly possible. meanwhile mykhailo podolyak, an adviser to ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky, has denied that ukraine had any involvement.let�*s have a listen. translation: regarding the event in crocus city hall near moscow - where certain events took place today, some shooting, some terrorist actions by unidentified person. let's be clear, ukraine has absolutely nothing to do with these events. firstly, because we have a high—grade, full—scale, huge, intense war with the russian regular army and with russia as a country, and no matter what, everything would be decided on the battlefield. it is important for ukraine to conduct effective combat operations, offensive actions in order to destroy the regular russian army in this war. secondly, ukraine has never used terrorist methods of warfare, terrorism as a method. a little earlier we heard from konstantin eggert, a russian columnist at deutshe well

and a contributor to tv rain — russia's independent tv channel. he started by describing the concert hall. what we see is that this building, and i've been to it quite a few times in my life, it is a very big concert venue with several thousand seats and a shopping centre. so it seems the roof has caved in. what we have also seen is unverified video of a person being arrested or detained near the site. and of course what we see now is basically two waves on social media and unofficial channels. on the official kremlin sort of media you have calls for vengeance against the so far unnamed terrorists. on the independent russian media which is now mostly based in exile outside of russia there are comparisons

to the _ infamous 1999 uninvestigated apartment building bombings in moscow which led also to dozens of deaths and which propelled vladimir putin as a kind of strong leader— that can win the war in chechnya at the time. so you have these two narratives. and just as we speak i see a post by all the telegram accounts by dmitry medvedev, the former president, who is already saying that if we learn that these terrorists are terrorists from kyiv we should deal with them accordingly and all of them should be eliminated, including the officials that sanctioned this, or rather which perpetrated this. so you see the atmosphere is basically becoming very heated, i would say. political leaders from across the spectrum have wished the princess of wales a speedy recovery after she revealed she was being treated for cancer. in a pre—recorded video address,

catherine said tests after her abdominal surgery injanuary had revealed the disease, and that she was now having chemotherapy. our royal correspondent daniela relph has more. this was the last official footage of the princess of wales with the royal family, on christmas day at sandringham, with her three children who she is now so keen to protect after going public with news of her diagnosis. back in december, all seemed well as she spoke to the crowd. thank you so much, it's very sweet of you to come and say hello to us. very happy christmas. but three weeks later she was admitted to hospital for major abdominal surgery. it was in her post—operative tests that signs of cancer were found.

the clamour for information about the princess's condition has been intense. the king has said that he and the queen will offer their love and support for the whole family through this difficult time. the message too from california. the relationship is still strained but the duke and duchess of sussex issued their own statement. harry and meghan said, we wish help and healing to the family. but perhaps the most personal message of all came from the princess's brother on instagram. he said, overthe princess's brother on instagram. he said, over the years we've climbed many mountains together. as a family, we will climb this one with you too. this footage, published earlier this week, filmed by a member of the public, showed her shopping in windsor with her husband last weekend and this photo, released on mother's day, to ease some of the public

speculation, did the opposite, with the princess issuing