attack on a concert hall where at least 130 people were killed. the death toll is expected to "rise significantly", according to the city's governor. in a televised address, president vladimir putin said that all four gunmen behind the attack have been arrested. seven others have been detained for their suspected involvment. he called the attack a �*barbaric terrorist act', and he announced that the 24th of march would be a national day of mourning. president putin said �*all those responsible will be punished'. translation: all those _ who were shooting and killing people were found and detained. they tried to hide and were moving towards ukraine where, according to preliminary information for them from the ukrainian side, a window to cross the border had been prepared. altogether, 11 people were detained. federal security services of russia,

other services work on finding the whole base of support of the terrorists. those who provided transport for them planned the ways to leave the scene of the crime, prepared the hiding places with weapons and ammunition. as we heard, president putin making accusations of ukrainian involvement. ukraine's andriy yusov, a representative of the gur military intelligence agency in ukraine, has responded to the allegations of involvement, labelling them �*absurd'. translation: ukraine has clearly stated that it has i nothing at all to do with this terrorist attack. and moreover, everything showed that putin's regime was interested in these events. if we talk about the information that those who carried out this terrorist attack were supposedly moving towards the ukrainian—russian border, that looks absolutely absurd, because the russian regions bordering ukraine are today full of military and special services.

considering the latest events in the belgorod and kursk regions, where military actions are currently under way, these are front line regions. if we are to suppose that the people who committed this terrorist attack were moving in that direction, then that means either they're stupid or suicidal, or they wanted to be caught. the us�*s top diplomat, secretary of state antony blinken, is the latest western leader to condemn the attack. live to washington and our correspondent will vernon. good afternoon, will. what has the secretary of state been saying? fix, secretary of state been saying? short time ago, we received a statement from the us secretary of state, anthony blinken. in that, he said the united states strongly

condemns yesterday's deadly terrorist attack in moscow, expressing deepest condolences to the loved ones of all those affected. he added that washington stands in solidarity with the people of russia and condemns terrorism in all its forms. obviously, relations between the us and russia are the worst they have ever been, so i think this message of condolences and support, very intentionally targeted, sent to the russian people specifically, as they mourn the victims of this brutal attack. interestingly, you point out, as you say, the message to the russian people, and this comes off the back of comments by washington yesterday that it had warned russia of a potential attack by the islamic state group. tell us more about that? ., �* , ~ state group. tell us more about that? . �*, ~ ., , that? that's right. i think many russian people _ that? that's right. i think many russian people will— that? that's right. i think many russian people will be - that? that's right. i think many russian people will be shocked i that? that's right. i think many - russian people will be shocked when they are reminded that the us authorities, both publicly and

privately, warned russia that an attack like this was impending, that an attack like this was being planned, specifically mentioning concert halls. last night there was a statement from the national security council spokesperson, confirming that washington had warned moscow that an attack was planned, and there was that warning, that public warning from the us embassy in moscow, around 16 days ago, that radical islamist were planning an attack. the other key thing we have learned here is that one unnamed us official speaking to the bbc�*s partner, cbs news, said that washington has intelligence confirming that claim from is that its followers, radical islamists, were responsible for that attack. so a confirmation from us intelligence

that this was actually the work of isis. ~ . ~ that this was actually the work of isis. ~ ., ~ , ., , that this was actually the work of isis. ~ ., ~ ,, , . isis. well, thank you very much. -- will. the islamic state group is claiming responsbility for the attack. i asked ourjihadism specialist from bbc monitoring, mina al—lami, what it's been saying. in the last hour, is released a follow—up statement offering more details about its claim of responsibility. so, as you know, yesterday, it released a very brief and generic claim just to say that it was responsible for the attack. and just now, it released a statement giving more details. saying, for example, four militants were involved in the attack. they did not... it did not clarify what their current fate is. yesterday, it said that they had escaped safely. today, it didn't say so. it also did not indicate which of its global branches or regional branches was responsible for the attack. and in terms of the motive, it said that this comes as part of the normal context of the war

between the so—called islamic state and countries that are fighting islam, in its own words. so, that was the motive. it didn't tie it to anything specific against russia. it said "part of the ongoing war" between is and its enemies. mina, i wonder if you can give us a bit more detail. when you say this is what you've seen and these are the statements that have been put out, where does is put this information out? does it attribute it to a particular spokesperson or a group leader? how do you come across this information? so, is operates mostly through outlets on the messaging app telegram and it has mirror accounts that push out the same content, for the sake of resilience. and in the cases of attacks where the group is normally present, like syria and iraq, you would immediately get a claim of responsibility, with the branding of that specific brand. so it would say an attack on syria, by the syria branch. but in this case, where the attack is in a country where is doesn't normally carry out attacks or has

a clear presence, the claim came out and would come out by is's so—called news agency, amaq. so this is more of a kind of general outlet that puts out information on behalf of the group. usually, we would get a follow—up account from is giving some details, maybe if there is a branch, the branch responsible. but we didn't get that in this case. and is seems to be deliberately delaying linking this attack to, for example, it has the khorasan branch active in afghanistan or, indeed, the caucasus branch that is active in, well, that is known to be active in russia. the caucasus branch was responsible for past attacks in russian republics like dagestan and chechnya and small attacks in russia, but nothing on this scale.

it has just it hasjust gone it has just gone apm in moscow, sunsetjust it has just gone apm in moscow, sunset just over it has just gone apm in moscow, sunsetjust over an hour ago. sunset just over an hour ago. throughout sunsetjust over an hour ago. throughout the day, tributes have been building up at the sight of the crocus city hall. the gunmen targeted the building. officials in russia now say 133 people were killed. they do say they expect that number will rise as rescuers continue to search the building. more than 140 others were reportedly injured. the hall is one of moscow's biggest music venues, just on the outskirts of the capital. our russia edgein outskirts of the capital. our russia edge in tow, steve rosenberg, has sent the day at the concert hall and —— our russia editor. so, the building behind me is the crocus city hall,

and the first thing that you notice when you come here isn't the sight of the building, it's the smell. the air is still thick with smoke because the concert hall was burning all night. this was one of the most famous concert venues in russia, but yesterday it became a bloodbath when gunmen went on the rampage here, killing dozens of people and leaving russia in shock. now, throughout the morning, russians have been coming here, bringing flowers, laying the flowers at a makeshift shrine and trying to comprehend what has actually happened here. and among the people here are russians who saw the news on television and felt they had to come. there are people who had friends here yesterday, and there are also people who were here themselves during the shooting. i spoke to one woman who recounted her nightmare, the nightmare she went through. she told me that she managed to get out and the first thing she did when she got home was to hug her children tight.

our russia editor, steve rosenberg. there's been an outpouring of support for the princess of wales after she revealed she is having treatment for cancer. in a video statement, catherine said the diagnosis came as a "huge shock", and that she's in the early stages of chemotherapy. kensington palace says it's confident the princess will make a full recovery. our correspondent laura trant, has more. the last official appearance of the princess of wales with the royal family at sandringham on christmas day, when she stopped to speak to the crowds. thank you so much. that's very sweet of you to come and say hello to us. yes, well, have a very happy christmas. three weeks later, catherine was in hospital for major abdominal surgery. as we now know, it was in post—operative tests that cancer was found. but in the weeks after surgery, speculation mounted. this mother's day photo that prompted conspiracy theories and further speculation led to the princess saying that she had edited the image.

there was also the sudden change of plan at the end of february, when prince william pulled out of his godfather�*s memorial service, king constantine of greece. we now know this was around the time catherine would have received her diagnosis and treatment plan. since catherine released herfilmed statement, there has been an outpouring of support from around the world and closer to home in the uk. i think we really feel for her, and i think she's very brave. and the fact she said giving hope to other people with cancer, when she's in so much pain herself, it says a lot for her. ijust feel for them. i think i wouldn't want. to wish that on anyone. and i think the whole country, l whether you're a royalist or not, should be with them _ from a humanitarian point of view and think about how they're feeling, and their children as well. _ she's a good advert for st andrews and so is prince william as well. so good wishes to all of them,

including king charles, yeah, hopefully, they all get well soon. i've had bowel cancer myself a couple of years ago and it's a tough thing, and it's a tough thing for your family, as well as yourself. so, yeah, i wish her all the best. just goes to show you that no matter who you are, this horrible disease can get anyone. doesn't matter whether you're famous, who you are. it's just devastating for them. hopefully, she'll get through it. it was, yeah, it was a real big shock. i and hopefully, she can pull through and have i the treatment and get better. that's all that i'm sure - the great british public want. she's one of my favourite royals, so i was really sad to hear about it, actually. yeah, so whatever treatment she needs, i really hope it works for her and she recovers well. we're quite in on the social media, so we've seen some horrible things go on and be said, and people are having different opinions, different comments, and people just really need to respect their privacy and what she's going through. it's absolutely heartbreaking. and i know quite a lot of people that have gone through cancer, and ijust feel like people really need to back off and just appreciate the time and let them be. for the prince and princess

of wales, the priority has been to protect their young children — prince george, princess charlotte and prince louis — and they will spend time privately over the easter holidays as a family. there won't be a return to official duties for the princess until she has taken the time and space she needs. laura trant, bbc news. royal watchers will know that prince william and kate middleton met as students at st andrew's university. we spoke to people there and asked them how they felt about the news. ijust hope she recovers well. she's getting the care that she needs, so you can only cross your fingers and hope that all goes well. ithink, well, we really feel for her and i think she is very brave. and the fact she said giving hope to other people with cancer when she is in so much pain herself, that says a lot for her.

i think it's absolutely - shocking what was going through and we are quite _ in on the social media so we've seen some horrible things go on and be i said and people are having different opinions, different comments, and people just really need - to respect the privacy- and what she's going through. it's absolutely heartbreaking. and i know quite a lot of people that have gone through cancer. and ijust feel like people really- need to back off and just appreciate the time and let them be. i think she's a wonderful woman and i wish her all the best and i think she's a good advert for st andrews and so is prince william, so good wishes to all of them, including king charles, yeah. hope they all get well soon. earlier i spoke to jack royston. he is newsweek's chief royal correspondent, and also he presents the royal report podcast. i began by asking him about the international interest in the story of the cancer diagnosis. before this announcement, which was dramatic and inspired massive amounts of sympathy for kate, there was already gargantuan amounts of interest from america. kate on google has been generating more searches than donald trump and joe biden, despite the fact that we have an election around the corner in

america. so it really has been a massive story, even before she revealed that she had cancer. now, i think that the kind of audience is split between those who massively regret some of the things they've been posting on social media, and a contingent of people who are doubling down and have pivoted from spreading crazy, wild conspiracies about kate to maybe having a pop at prince william, so some people clearly not viewing this situation with the gravity that i think it deserves, and i just sincerely hope that those people think through how they may feel, months down the line, if kate's still struggling. this is an incredibly difficult time for the monarchy, which is an institution. it performs roles. whether you are for the monarchy or against, it does serve a purpose in society, and we've had the announcement about the princess just a few weeks after the announcement about the king himself. how does the institution continue to function?

yes, well, they'vejust got to keep going. and i think william is going to have to try to keep giving regular engagements, keep getting back out there, meeting the public on a regular basis, and camilla, too. but it is a huge weight on both their shoulders. obviously, the hope will be that the king goes into remission and, you know, is at some point back in the saddle, so to speak, and ditto for kate. but the question is, how long will that take? and it could be a long time. it could be months, so they are very short of people now. i've been saying that i actually think it's completely implausible that they bring back harry and meghan. i don't think william and kate would want that. but it might be possible to have a word with beatrice and eugenie and see if they would want to do some royaljobs. jack, one of the reasons this has touched so many people is because it's not that uncommon for people to receive a cancer diagnosis, and i think most people know someone

in their family or a friend connection who's had a cancer diagnosis. can you talk us through what we know, if anything, about how, where and when kate's treatment will take place? yes, so, you're talking about the actual diagnosis itself. kate went into hospital on the 16th of january for an operation which was not actually related to cancer. and she was told at that point that it was noncancerous, and the palace briefed to journalists at that point that it was noncancerous. then, at some point after that, she was obviously told that, based on further investigation, there was a cancer issue that she was facing. now we think that there was some kind of, some proximity to the memorial for king constantine, prince william's godfather, which he pulled out of for what was described as a personal matter, so it's obviously very likely that the personal matter was

related to the princess's diagnosis, but we still don't know exactly when that actual diagnosis took place. jack royston there, chief royal correspondent for newsweek. the un secretary—general, antonio guterres, has visited rafah crossing, which links gaza and egypt, to again call for an immidiate ceasefire. hundreds of trucks are waiting at the border crossing to bring much—needed aid into gaza. mr guterres's visit comes as israel faces mounting international pressure to allow more goods into the territory, as fears mount of imminent famine. our middle east correspondent hugo bachega is also in egypt, near the rafah crossing. he sent us this update on the aid trying to get into gaza. this is the egyptian side of the rafah crossing with gaza, and one of the main entry points for humanitarian assistance into the territory. and here, hundreds of trucks are waiting to be allowed to enter gaza. now, western officials,

aid groups have been criticising israeli authorities for this inspection process. they say that it is extremely slow and they say some of the strokes have been turned away because they have been carrying some items that have been banned by the israeli authorities, such as medical equipment and sleeping bags. some of these trucks have been here for weeks waiting for these inspections. and the un says more than 1,500 trucks are here in egypt. and obviously, the humanitarian situation in gaza is worsening. today, antonio guterres is back here, the un chief is again calling for a

humanitarian ceasefire in gaza and for israeli authorities to do more to allow more humanitarian aid into gaza. this visit happens just days after a un backed report says half of gaza's population 2.2 million people faced catastrophic levels of hunger and that famine in northern gaza was imminent if there was no pause in fighting and a surge in aid. sport, and for a full round—up, let's head over to the bbc sport centre. it is the opening weekend of the women's six nations championship. last year's runners—up, france, ran in five tries against ireland for a bonus point win. the french have been second to england for the last four years. they will face the red roses in the final round of fixtures in the championship. they are off to a strong start. 38—17. wales, who came third in last year's championship, they are playing scotland in cardiff right now. they are losing. scotland with an early try there. they are 10—3

up. grand slam champions england are beginning their campaign against italy in parma on sunday. max verstappen has maintained his perfect start to the formula 1 season, having won back the opening two races of the year. he has secured his third pole position in a row. you will start from the front in the australian grand prix in melbourne on sunday. his two laps in the final session were both quicker than anyone else. pushed close by ferrari's carlos sainz. he made an impressive return to action having missed the last race due to having his appendix out.— his appendix out. quite tricky to find the right — his appendix out. quite tricky to find the right balance _ his appendix out. quite tricky to | find the right balance throughout the weekend so far. even in qualifying, i didn't expect to fight for pole in kew two, even. i like to do laps we did in q3. for pole in kew two, even. i like to do laps we did in 03. i surprised myself a little bit as well. i cannot ask for more because it is impossible — cannot ask for more because it is impossible to be 100% and do a perfect — impossible to be 100% and do a perfectjob today. i impossible to be 100% and do a perfect job today. i feel like impossible to be 100% and do a perfectjob today. i feel like if tomorrow i feel good, i will give it

my best _ tomorrow i feel good, i will give it my best shot, but to beat max tomorrow _ my best shot, but to beat max tomorrow you need to be 100%. arena sabah linker— tomorrow you need to be 100%. arena sabah linker has _ tomorrow you need to be 100%. arena sabah linker has won _ tomorrow you need to be 100%. arena sabah linker has won make _ tomorrow you need to be 100%. arena sabah linker has won make her - tomorrow you need to be 100%. fii�* sabah linker has won make her first sabah linker has won make herfirst match at the miami open, following the death of her former boyfriend earlier this week in what miami police have described as an apparent suicide. despite the difficult circumstances, the belarusian, who is the world number two, claimed a composed straight sets win. honestly, both of us are pretty strong mentally. we are strong women, and she proved it, i proved it. we knew how to disconnect in that hour and a half of the match. she played really well, i played really well for where i am coming from, so i think it was quite decent, and we know we have been through a lot in our lives and we are strong women and we knew how to separate that in that moment. coca separate that in that moment. coco golf's also into _

separate that in that moment. coco golf's also into the _ separate that in that moment. coco golf's also into the last _ separate that in that moment. coco golf's also into the last 32 - separate that in that moment. coco golf's also into the last 32 in miami, having secured a straight sets win. naomi sarkar and ego suntec are amongst those playing later. there is a backlog because there was a lot of rain and a lot of games were lost on friday, so they are trying to make up time in miami. lots of international football on saturday as well. perhaps the most high—profile matches at wembley, england facing brazil. world champions argentina have already beaten el salvador 3—0. france taking on germany in a few hours. denmark and switzerland playing each other also back. they will all feature at the euros in germany this summer. the republic of ireland have kicked off their game against belgium in dublin. no goals there yet. back to that wembley game and we can hear from the yet. back to that wembley game and we can hearfrom the england manager ahead of the match against brazil. we don't need to build these games up. the quality of the opponent does that, the timing in the year does

that. what i have seen, our new players have fitted in brilliantly. our more regular and senior players make that as comfortable as possible. if you talk to any of the boys that have come in, they would identify that. and we are really looking forward to the challenge of the two games. looking forward to the challenge of the two games— the two games. keep on top of all those international _ the two games. keep on top of all those international matches - the two games. keep on top of all those international matches on i the two games. keep on top of all| those international matches on the bbc sport website. all your bbc sport. that's all for now. just before we go, i want to bring you breaking news on the situation in gaza. according to the health ministry in gaza, run by hamas, 19 people have been killed and dozens injured while they were queueing for aid on the outskirts of gaza city. that is coming into us from the afp news agency. israel has denied firing at the crowd. there is also fighting continuing around the al schieffer hospital in the city. israel says it has killed 20

palestinian gunmen. hamas denies this, saying those killed were patients and medical staff. stay with us on bbc news. good afternoon. some impressive cloud scapes out there. yes, spells of sunshine, but these big shower clouds bringing some very heavy downpours of rain, a bit of thunder and lightning thrown in. some of the showers have been wintry other high ground in the north. this is the satellite picture. these lumpy shower clouds pushing south—east across the uk. just about wherever you are through the rest of the day, you are through the rest of the day, you could see a shower. some of them heavy with hail and thunder. still wintry over the highest ground in scotland, above 500 metres or 600 metres. the wind is particularly gusty for western and northern coasts, so that is affecting the feel of the weather. temperatures on

the thermometer of nine or 10 celsius, but factor in the strength of the wind, that fields like temperatures, around five or six celsius. as we head into the evening, still a few showers around. more persistent rain and mountains never crossed parts of eastern and north—eastern scotland. elsewhere, most of the showers will fade through the night. it will stay fairly glossary, winds easing in western parts, but windy enough to stop temperatures dropping to five. 3-5 c stop temperatures dropping to five. 3—5 cfor stop temperatures dropping to five. 3—5 c for most of us into tomorrow morning. we start tomorrow with this very weak ridge of high pressure trying to build in. that will give a window of drier and quieter weather. still windy on the east coast as we start the day, with one or two showers. we will keep showers in northern scotland, wintry other high ground. through the afternoon, cloud will gather out towards the west. that may bring rain into western counties of northern ireland through the second half of the afternoon. temperatures are little up on today,

around 11 or 12 celsius. sunday night and into monday, this frontal system tries to push its way in from the west. there is a little uncertainty about how much progress this front will make to the north and east. the greatest chance of rain on monday is across south—west england, parts of wales, northern ireland, but it may be that this wet weather will push further north. if it gets into scotland, that could give some snow. at this stage, it looks like wintry showers in northern scotland. eastern parts of the uk are largely dry. through the week ahead, we will showers are see longer spells of rain, the chance of snow, especially other high ground in scotland, temperature slowly creeping upwards. —— especially over high ground.

live from london. this is bbc news. our top story this hour — president vladimir putin says all four gunmen behind a deadly attack on a concert hall near moscow have been arrested. at least 133 people were killed when attackers entered the packed venue on friday, firing indiscriminately. the islamic state group has claimed responsibility. hello, i'm rich preston. welcome to the programme. here in the uk, the father

of damilola taylor, who was murdered aged ten, has died. richard taylor — who was 75 and seen here with the dark red tie on — had spent years campaigning for disadvantaged children after his son was stabbed to death with a broken bottle in 2000 in peckham in south london. he set up the damilola taylor trust to campaign against knife crime. let's speak to dr 0lu coker, a trustee at the damilola taylor trust. he knew richard very closely. 0lu coker, thank you very much for joining us, i appreciate this will be a difficult time for you and i am very sorry for your loss. can you tell us what richard was like as a person miss he tell us what richard was like as a person mis— tell us what richard was like as a erson mis ., , , person miss he was a very personable man to work — person miss he was a very personable man to work with, _ person miss he was a very personable man to work with, he _ person miss he was a very personable man to work with, he connected - person miss he was a very personable man to work with, he connected with | man to work with, he connected with people around the community. it was very passionate about young people and believe that the young people come up with the right support, could do well.—

could do well. you became an unintentional— could do well. you became an unintentional campaigner - could do well. you became an l unintentional campaigner when could do well. you became an - unintentional campaigner when he lost damilola taylor in the year 2000 but it was a role he really took on with both hands and threw himself into. could you talk us through some of the work he achieved? he through some of the work he achieved?— through some of the work he achieved? , , ,., ., achieved? he turned his personal traced achieved? he turned his personal tragedy into _ achieved? he turned his personal tragedy into purpose _ achieved? he turned his personal tragedy into purpose and - achieved? he turned his personal tragedy into purpose and he - achieved? he turned his personal- tragedy into purpose and he believed that young people, given the right support, can walk on the path of contributing to the community rather than being the problem so he had this vision that he wants to get all young people in positive activity. he believed in having skills, he believed of support they can excel, and that has been the focus of his work over many decades, so far, and the other end of the trust, he focused on getting people into careers and he collaborated with the king's college to give opportunities

to disadvantaged people coming into the medical profession and he also campaigned in schools around issues of knife crime. a number of projects from the platform of the damilola taylor trust to equip people with the right skills to access work. just briefly, pull the work of the trust continue?— just briefly, pull the work of the trust continue? yes, last month he talked about _ trust continue? yes, last month he talked about what _ trust continue? yes, last month he talked about what he _ trust continue? yes, last month he talked about what he sees - trust continue? yes, last month he talked about what he sees for - trust continue? yes, last month he talked about what he sees for the l talked about what he sees for the future of young people and he gave clear instructions as to what you would love to see happen, as he was aware of his own mortality. we want that vision and that work to continue and we want to continue his legacy so what we are asking for is for all people who have known richard taylor to in keeping vision alive and expanding his work for

young people. alive and expanding his work for young people-— alive and expanding his work for young people. once again, we are very sorry — young people. once again, we are very sorry for— young people. once again, we are very sorry for your _ young people. once again, we are very sorry for your loss, _ young people. once again, we are very sorry for your loss, olu - young people. once again, we are| very sorry for your loss, olu coker, very sorry for your loss, 0lu coker, but thank you very much forjoining us and telling us about richard taylor's life and work. now on bbc news, we have this special programme on how the princess of wales announced her cancer diagnosis in a special message to the world. from the princess of wales, a deeply personal statement. it has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family. her operation injanuary had been successful, said catherine, but there was a problem. it was thought that my condition was non—cancerous. the surgery was successful. however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. that meant she was now undergoing chemotherapy. this, of course, came as a huge shock and william and i have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. it followed a flood of speculation about her health, so will that come to an end now, and what's next after kate's cancer diagnosis?

she is one of the most popular royals, whether hosting events herself or at the side of her husband, the prince of wales, catherine has played an active role as a senior royal since marrying william in 2011. catherine is a hugely popular member of the royal family and she is a very important member of the royal family for that reason. you know, when she steps out looking glamorous, she will be on the front page of every magazine, of every newspaper, and that is important for a royal family that needs to be seen. there are fewer senior members of the royal family out and about and i think part of the reason why this social media frenzy has developed over the last couple of months is because she hasn't been as visible because she has been taking time out for this recovery

and she has been missed. the princess of wales is a key player within the royal family and she is of huge importance to their regular goings—on. if you think of annual events like trooping the colour, the horse guards parade, all the things that we have to look forward to within the royal family's calendar. but separate from that, she possesses her own brand. that is really valuable to the people and to herself, that connection she has with the people separate to her role in the royal family has made her this really international icon. but for now, her public activities are on hold after her statement on march 22, 2024. i wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you personally for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst i have been recovering from surgery. it has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but i have had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me

for which i am so grateful. in january, i underwent major abdominal surgery in london and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non—cancerous. the surgery was successful. however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. my medical team therefore advised that i should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and i am now in the early stages of that treatment. we will begin with that breaking news from the royal family. catherine the princess of wales . releasing a video statement saying she has been diagnosed with cancer. kate's statement prompted headlines around the world. reaction to the statement was immediate and heartfelt. well, they seem to have been under the cosh for a while, but i hope she recovers and also the king as well, i hope he recovers. you know, prayers from the usa or from all of us because i think all of us have been touched

by cancer with family members so to know that... we know what you're going through. i mean, it is terrible to hear that news about anyone and yes, i am processing. a bit miffed with some of the social media and some of the comments that have come out from that and i think she has actually been very brave to set the record straight. buckingham palace issued a statement on behalf of the king. he said he was... he also said that he and the queen... there was a message from california too. harry and meghan said... and there was a very personal message from the princess's brother on instagram. james middleton posted a childhood photo with his sister and he wrote...

i think the statement from the princess of wales is quite extraordinary. it's dignified, it's brave, it's come at the right time. i think it was beautifully composed. it was recorded, as we know, a few days before friday night and it has now come out. the context really is that there was news about the princess's health and it is quite clear from her statement that they needed to tell their children about it first so that it was the right time to do it. the setting for the statement was so purposeful and so thoughtful. she is at home at windsor. there's daffodils behind her and i think it was a lovely, upbeat setting for the message, but what i really loved is what she was wearing. the fashion was not the focus for this video, but the way that she came to the people in her sort of iconic striped jumper and jeans, it was dressed down but it was relatable. it really felt like she was speaking to us, speaking to the people

in a relatable, personable way. i think it is unprecedented. i don't think i've ever seen a statement from a member of the royal family like that about their health, so huge credit to her for doing it. i think everyone who watched it could just feel the combination of bravery but also pain that she is going through emotionally in this process, so i think it is a pretty significant landmark, actually, for the royal family, and in a sense, for coverage of the royal family. i think what struck me most of all about the statement was that catherine is someone who is very private. you don't hear her talk actually very often. it is not something she is hugely comfortable about doing in public, but here she was, clearly after all the months, the weeks of speculation, wanting to lay out in her own words what was wrong, what the problem was and addressing the public directly. for now, kate has signalled her priorities are getting well and looking after her children.

this, of course, came as a huge shock and william and i have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. as you can imagine, this has taken time. it has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. but most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to george, charlotte and louis in a way that is appropriate for them and to reassure them that i am going to be ok. as i have said to them, i am well. i'm getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body and spirit. having william by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too. as is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. it means so much to us both. we hope that you will understand that as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while i complete my treatment.

my work has always brought me a deep sense ofjoy and i look forward to be being back when i'm able. but for now, i must focus on making a full recovery. at this time, i am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. for everyone facing this disease, in whateverform, please do not lose faith or hope. you are not alone. undoubtedly, i think catherine would say that her role within the royal family is one of wife to william, his support to the heir to the throne, and also the mother of three young and also the mother of three young children. george is the eldest, he is still only ten years old, charlotte is eight years old, prince louis is five. and throughout their upbringing, both the prince and princess have tried as much as they can to give them as normal an upbringing

as possible, which within the confines of the royal family cannot be easy. she almost always l does the school run. she is at the rugby games, at the football matches, i and that is her highest priority, and that has been consistent. throughout this experience. her surgery was timed - for when the children went back to school and this whole recovery process has gone on while they l have been at school. they have been distracted, surrounded by friends - and teachers to support them, and now this new news - is being shared as they have several weeks off of school and have time . to step away, create a biti of a bubble and to support during an incredibly difficult time. those problems were nowhere in sight when kate made her last official appearance before the statement at sandringham on christmas day. very happy christmas. onjanuary 17, kensington palace announced she had undergone abdominal surgery and would stay in hospital for up to two weeks. she was not expected to resume royal duties for several months. 0n the same day, buckingham palace

reveals that king charles would receive treatment for an enlarged prostate. later, it was announced that the king had cancer. a few weeks later, he appeared in public at sandringham. when kate released a mother's day photo with her children, it sparked controversy over how the image had been manipulated, speculation on social media about kate's health intensified. that was a very honourable attempt to try to show people that she was there and with her kids and it was a lovely and ijust wonder, we'll never know, as i say, _ whether that, in different times, would have been entirely the right thing to do. and it was unfortunate that immediately, partly because of the social media frenzy, people interrogated. they did, they interrogated the photograph as if it was a piece of evidence in a court case. so i suspect, given that wasn't as successful as it should have been, we had to get to a place where there was going to be a direct communication from the princess herself. when she was spotted out shopping with her husband,

william, on march 19, there were claims that the pictures were of a body double. i was quite surprised how many people i know actually did go online. in fact, there was a survey this week where 50% of the people surveyed had actually gone online to look at the conspiracy theories, and that is the problem. it's the wild west, the world of the social media, and of course it's possible to ignore it all but what happened to ignore it all but what happens sometimes is that social media wild west—ness gets into the traditional media and i think that's where we potentially were before the princess of wales made the statement. and what unfolded was a social media catastrophe from a pr point of view, where the message really got out of control. the palace has always operated under never complain, never explain, keep calm and carry on, and i think they really tried to stick with that this time because in terms of the larger

of the larger picture, in the big picture of things, that has always served them historically in every situation. if they stick to their message and release the information that they feel comfortable with, it has always worked out. but this time, we really saw a real unravelling, a real frenzy around the lack of information. this time, it is a new set of circumstances, so i don't think there has been any time before this when the social media impact of what people perceive as a being a news vacuum probably this time has been more dramatic than ever before. there have always been conspiracy theories around the royal family, but this time, i think it got to a stage where it had to be dealt with directly. maybe there is a learning from this time about how the palace, the people of the palace, the advisers of the palace kind ofjudge, and it is very difficult, judge what the mood really is as opposed to what the social media mood might appear to be, and i suspect in most cases they are very different. in his message of support, the prime minister, rishi sunak, said that catherine had been

unfairly treated in the weeks leading up to the statement. labour leader sir keir starmer said she had been the subject of lurid speculation. this year, i think it was especially important, and their team really took the time to think this through, that a fresh, recent family photo was really what the public needed. and unfortunately, it seems that this was a bit rushed, it was a bit of a last—minute decision and so after school on friday, the children and their mum sat down for a photo, prince william took the photo, and the princess of wales edited it that evening and then it went out into the world and just caused absolute chaos as social media sleuths started identifying these photoshop inconsistencies. and this was a really good example of old world techniques and sort of releasing these family photos not really working in our modern age. today at six, the princessl of wales issues an apology when a mother's day photograph leads to a storm of speculation. _

catherine apologised for what she called any confusion over how she had edited the photo, and a number of picture agencies withdrew the image. they issued so—called "kill notifications", an industry term used to make a retraction. it is a really interesting question as to whether actually the princess of wales had to go public because of the speculation. i do think that the photograph, the family photograph in other circumstances would have been a great success, and people would have said it was a lovely picture of the family with the children smiling, but because of this vortex of kind of social media sort of craziness, not to put too strong a word, it didn't work and people immediately, it almost compounded the conspiracy theories about why a photograph may have been changed other thanjust a happy mother trying to make the photograph the best possible outcome. the royal family will be hoping that kate's public statement about her health will bring much of the rumour and speculation to an end. injanuary, i underwent major

abdominal surgery in london, and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non—cancerous. the surgery was successful. however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. my medical team therefore advised that i should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and i'm now in the early stages of that treatment. this will be a familiar situation for many people watching this because one in two people in the uk will get some form of cancer in their lifetime. and just like them, princess catherine has asked for time, space and privacy while dealing with this, and kensington palace has not put out detailed medical information. we don't know what type of cancer she has or when it was caught, and we won't be speculating on that. | i think some patients find telling | other people harder than actually taking it themselves because they're worried about their reaction. - they're worried about them.

and as a mother, all she's going to be thinking - about is her children. and so that must have been really difficult. . she's got a lot on her plate. and then imagine us all having to | tell our friends and our children, | and then she's had to tell the whole world. - huge amounts on her plate. and i think she's done such a fantasticjob. . princess catherine has said that she has been advised by her medics to have preventative chemotherapy, as she terms it, and that she's in the early stages of this. chemotherapy, well, it's a catch—all term, really, for drugs, for medication that kill cancer cells. when it's given after an operation, it's often given to mop up any cancer cells that are still there and to prevent cancer from growing. catherine didn't say much herself about when she's having her treatment. it started late february, her preventative chemotherapy. and kensington palace has said it won't be releasing

further detail on this, that she has an expectation, as everyone else does, for medical privacy. hello, what's your name? many of the side effects can be prevented or managed and will go away once the chemotherapy is over. some of the side effects that people might be familiar with are things like tiredness, fatigue, feeling sick. and people will have heard that some people — not everyone — gets hair loss during chemotherapy, and there are ways of helping to reduce this and prevent it. at this time, i'm also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. for everyone facing this disease in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. you are not alone. those words in support of cancer sufferers have been widely welcomed. every family has difficult times and it doesn't make it any easier, but i think in particular i was struck by the princess of wales' comments about people suffering from cancer and saying,

"you are not alone." these very simple, powerful statements from a member of the royal family can make a huge difference. so part of the enduring interest in the royal family is, i've always thought, that it holds up a mirror to ourselves. of course the royal family is different, but every family suffers, sadly, from illnesses, from separations, from changes in relationships. and i think this is what people find interesting and sometimes fascinating about the royal family. and i'm sure like every other family, pulling together, just pulling together as a family is going to be critically important. kate's cancer diagnosis is the latest in a string of challenges for the royal family. in the last few moments, - we've received breaking news from buckingham palace, - which has announced that the king has been diagnosed with cancer. from the deaths of the queen and prince philip to the king's own cancer diagnosis, the health of the royals has been under intense scrutiny.

it has been a difficult few years for the royal family on a personal level, first of all, with the death of prince philip and then really not long afterwards, the death of queen elizabeth ii, that has meant that there has been more pressure on the new king, king charles, and the prince of wales to step into those roles. the princess of wales has said that the prince of wales - is invaluable to her in terms of comfort and support, - so he's stepped back from quite a few of his royal duties, - and so we have him sort of out of this game as well. - and now this slimmed—down monarchy that we've spoken about in the reign . of king charles iii looks a little bit out of place. _ it looks too slim. and now there's not enough key players to support - the monarchy during this time. for now, catherine has asked for time out of the public spotlight. having william at her side is a source of reassurance, she says, as is the kindness shown by many members of the public.

it's really hard to imagine - because we've put them on such a beautiful pedestal, _ but the royal family are real people and they struggle with the same things that we will struggle - with as everyday people. and i think that they recognise that in everything that they do, - but especially in light of king charles iii's . diagnosis and the princess of wales' diagnosis, - where they have used their platform and taken the time to acknowledge i those suffering from similar- diseases, from similar cancers, utilising their platform to, - as the king did, encourage men especially to receive health checks. and i think the princess of wales i did a beautifuljob emphasizing how she's taking time to heal her mind, i body and spirit and in an indirect. way, encouraging all of us to take i time to take care of ourselves. i it's quite clear the princess is an extraordinary mother, and it must have been very difficult for the princess to talk about telling her children

about her cancer. but i think a lot of people... that would resonate with a huge number of people. it's a very personal thing. and clearly, the way she described it, they thought long and hard, prince william and the princess of wales, about how to tell the children, when to tell the children. and here we are, it's the easter holidays and they've chosen this time. but i think it was a very emotional part of what was an emotional statement, because everyone can feel what that must have been like for her. we hope that you'll understand that as a family we now need some time, space and privacy. while i complete my treatment. my work has always brought me a deep sense ofjoy, and i look forward to being back when i'm able. but for now, i must focus on making a full recovery.

hello, it was a day of dodging the downpours was some very heavy showers out there driven by storm clouds including this one caught by one about weather watchers in surrey with this shape indicative of what we call my martyr clouds that form in areas that are very unstable and we see how these allow these big storm clouds to bubble up with a brisk north—westerly wind allowing the show was to blow through an area of low pressure moving out into the north sea overnight and still quite windy for eastern england and still some showers which will be wintry of

the high ground and clear spells elsewhere and because of the strength of the wind, it will not be a particularly cold night but still getting down to around three or 6 degrees so that area of low pressure sliding away eastwards and very briefly a ridge of high pressure which you can barely see on the chart and there is then another weather system approaching from the west so for sunday it is really a window of fine weather with some showers and still some brisk winds down this east coast and still some showers are times in northern scotland and then through the afternoon, clouds thickening up across northern ireland and may be some rain into western counties by the very end of the day and also perhaps into parts of cornwall and pembrokeshire. not as chilly as it has been today, eight to 12 degrees, and then here comes this frontal system as we move on into monday but instead of sweeping through quickly, it sort of meanders and takes a time, it does dawdle, this weather front. so, not moving through quickly, in fact, front. so, not moving through quickly, infact, rangers front. so, not moving through quickly, in fact, rangers lingering across western england, wales, northern ireland and if the rain get

into central and southern parts of scotland we could see some significant snow over the high ground. we keep hold of some sunshine in the south—east corner, if that happens, we may get up to 12 degrees. by tuesday, we will be left in some relatively cold air so any showers we see in the north of the uk could be wintry over high ground and a slow—moving band of rain could sit over south—west england and the channel islands and it'll be a very wet day here and this temperature is no great shakes, seven to 11 degrees. as we head to the end of the week and into easter weekend, it looks very unsettled with bouts of rain and turning very unsettled particularly in the south but cold air may linger in the north of the uk.

live from london, this is bbc news. four gunmen are arrested after more than 130 people were killed in a moscow concert hall attack — president putin vows they will be punished. the islamic state group claims it was behind the attack, releasing a photo of four masked men it says were involved. iam in i am in windsor, the hometown of the princess of wales. after she released her cancer diagnosis yesterday, people here have been offering their support and their sympathy to the princess. "it is time to stop the nightmare" — the words of the un chief, speaking at the rafah border crossing into gaza.

hello, i'm nicky schiller. we start this hour in russia. president putin says all those involved in the attack on a concert hall near moscow on friday will be punished. at least 133 people were killed and more than 140 injured after gunmen stormed the packed venue and began shooting at random. this is the scene live in moscow, where people have been leaving flowers in memory of those who died and we've seen candles being lit. a national day of mourning has been declared for sunday. armed police have been patrolling the area around the crocus city hall. in a televised address, president putin called the attack a �*barbaric terrorist act,�* and said all four gunmen had been detained. the islamic state group says it carried out the attack and released a photograph of four masked men. our first report is from out

russia editor, steve rosenberg, who has been to the scene, and a warning, you may