putin lays flowers near the scene of the saint petersburg metro blast. 11 people died. authorities say it is a terrorist attack. translation: there was a big bang. it was deafening. i was sitting next to metal railing and i think it saved my life. everybody was knocked in one direction by the blast. survivors of the landslides in colombia bury their loved ones, but the search of it continues with more than 200 people still missing. why china is experiencing a baby boom driven by partly older mothers. we have a special report. china's president heads for the united states. we hear from president heads for the united states. we hearfrom asian americans in new york about what they think about president trump's policies in the region. live from our studios in singapore and london, this is bbc world news. good morning, it is sam here in

singapore and 1am in london, and 3am in saint petersburg, where russian security services are on high alert following an explosion on a train on the metro system in saint petersburg, which killed 11 people and left more than a0 injured. prime minister dmitry medvedev has condemned the incident as a terrorist attack, but other possible causes are being investigated. the explosion happened in a train travelling between two stations. the blast coincided with a visit by president putin to the city. he is seen here laying flowers at a vigil. reporters say the device may have been detonated by a suicide bomber

from central asia. steve rosenberg has this report. a woman is shouting, "are there any children?". a train carriage torn to shreds and a desperate effort to pull people from the wreckage. from the safety of a passing train, a hint of the devastation it is leaving behind. at least ten passengers were killed today and dozens more wounded. the blast occurred in the tunnel but the wrecked train sped on and managed to reach the next station. this was the scene one stop behind. the platform filled with thick, choking smoke and the stench of explosives. translation: there was a huge bang, it was deafening. i was sitting next to a metal railing and i think it saved my life. everyone was knocked in one direction by the blast. the emergency services were on the scene fast. and from this underground hell, the wounded were helped to the surface and to safety.

adding to their physical injuries was a deep sense of shock. a spokesman for russia's antiterrorism committee said the train had been blown up by an unknown explosive device. special units of the security forces, he said, were being despatched. the st petersburg metro went into emergency lockdown. all passengers evacuated, all stations closed and searched. later it was revealed there was an explosive device discovered at another metro station in st petersburg. this one was made safe. a confirmation that today's explosion was deliberate. vladimir putin was in st petersburg today. his meeting with the president of belarus overshadowed by the tragedy across town. the police and special services would do all they could to find the cause of what happened, president putin said, and he promised support

for the families of the victims. russia says this was an act of terror. so, who carried it out? russia has made enemies with its bombing campaign in syria. in recent years, the country has been targeted by islamist terrorists. in 2015, a plane carrying russian holidaymakers was blown up over sinai, killing 217 passengers and crew. so—called islamic state said it planted the bomb. the russian president vladimir putin visited the metro station where the bombed train had ended its journey and paid his respects. for the victims of this attack, st petersburg has declared three days of mourning. the metro is the lifeblood of this city. an act of terror on a train has left people here fearing more violence. steve rosenberg, reporting from

saint petersburg. diplomats and world figures have in reacting to the news. here is some of what they had to say. obviously we don't yet know exactly what is behind this or who is responsible for this outrage, but clearly our thoughts are very much today with the families of the victims and with the people of saint petersburg, just as a few days ago they were with the people of london. 0ur condolences go to all russian people, in particular those who lost their loved ones. we continue to follow the news coming from saint petersburg where they a lot of apprehension. the united states condemns this reprehensible attack, this act of violence. 0ur condemns this reprehensible attack, this act of violence. our thoughts and prayers are with the injured and with the russian people as we extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured.

attacks like these on auden citizens going about their lives us that the world must work as one to combat violence in all its forms. —— ordinary citizens. terrible thing, happening all over the world. absolutely terrible thing. the reaction of some of the world's leaders earlier. max abrams is an assistant professor of political science at northeastern university in north america. he explains to me why he thinks russia was targeted. really easy and may be tempting to blame russian behaviour in syria as the big catalyst behind the attack. remember, when the russian ambassador to turkey was killed, the shooters said, it was payback for aleppo. —— shooter. so maybe vengeance aleppo. —— shooter. so maybe vengeance is at play. but it is also important to point out that russia has consistently been a juicy target for islam feruz long before its 2015 intervention in syria. —— islamic terrorism. so the attacks against

the train station, in the subway, we have seen that before several times. in 2013, in 2010, in 2009, in 200a. so in that sense i think that we should be cautious about pinning this target selection just on syria. it really could have happened even in the absence of russian intervention there. let's look at what else is making the news. president trump has declared strong support for the leadership is his egyptian counterpart abdel fattah el—sisi, the first egyptian president to visit the white house in nearly a decade. stud trump says his administration would work with cairo to fight islamist militants, and declared that president sese had done a fantasticjob in a very difficult situation. —— president trump. south korea heads for an election following the impeachment of its former leader. the man tipped to become the next president has formally been nominated as the

opposition party's formally been nominated as the opposition pa rty‘s candidate. formally been nominated as the opposition party's candidate. moon jae—in now leads the democratic party and shows signs of taking a softer line on north korea. the election will go ahead on the ninth of may. china has announced it wants 80% of its citizens to speak the dominant dialect of mandarin within three years. the government says only 70% of chinese citizens can currently speak standard mandarin. more than a00 million people speak in other chinese dialects. spectacular images to show you now from south korea. the tallest building there, the 123 story lotte tower has opened in style in seoul. an enormous fireworks display from the skyscraper itself, accompanied by music on the opening night. to top it off there was a sum of seniors laser show as well. that totalled around 30,000 rounds of fireworks, lighting up the night—time sky. quite a sight. more than 250 people are now

confirmed to have died in the colombian city of mocoa — which was devastated on friday by a landslide. families and friends of the victims have started to bury their loved ones. survivors and rescuers continue their search for victims, but the likelihood of finding any more survivors is fading. the bbc‘s laura bicker has the latest from mocoa. just near here, as we were coming into the town, there's a huge queue outside the cemetery, with people with masks on, because that's where they have the tough task of trying to identify their loved ones. the search and rescue teams have been working tirelessly to try to find anyone who may be left in the mud, but for days many of them have been tearing at the mud with their hands. it's now a co—ordinated effort but, with each hour that goes by, i'm sorry to say, the chances of finding anyone alive diminishes. this is one of the worst natural

disasters colombia has seen, and it's an area very well used to disasters. the mountain you can hopefully see behind me, there are five rivers coming together and they have an unprecedented amount of rainfall. president santos is visiting here. his third day in a row. he is trying to talk to people here who are coming to terms with death, who now need to prepare themselves for the prospect of disease. they are handing out sanitation kits to try to prevent the spread of disease. as you drive into the town the smell is horribly overpowering. so, as you can imagine, this is a town trying to come to terms with death, and now has a more difficult prospect as they try to bury their loved ones and come to terms with their loss. law at the corrupt in from mchale.

-- laura law at the corrupt in from mchale. —— laura bicker reporting from mocoa. it's been just over a year since china abandoned its controversial one—child policy because of concerns about its increasing elderly population. it appears to be having the desired effect with nearly 18 million births last year. that's an increase of nearly 8% on 2015. and nearly half of those births were to mothers who already have at least one child. as our china editor carrie gracie reports — there has been a notable rush of older mothers who had stored their embryos after fertility treatment and are keen to have biggerfamilies. heartbeat of an imminent arrival, a last ultrasound scan for a a8—year—old mother—to—be. she had herfirst child through fertility treatment — 16 years ago. the hospital kept her frozen embryos, and now that china's one child policy has become a two child policy, she's about to have her second miracle baby. more good news — it's a boy. she tells me she's thrilled. she's got a daughter already and would be happy with another, but the in—laws want a grandson.

a two child family is still a great novelty here, so a big fuss at the clinic for a special visitor. especially as this miracle was conceived here in a petri—dish, and frozen as an embryo for years, until china's policy changed and she could become somebody‘s little sister. translation: as soon as i heard about the policy change, i was terribly excited. i ran to the hospital immediately. my second child had been frozen there for too long. i couldn't wait to take her home. not everyone is so lucky.

this lady is desperate to have a second child, but there are questions over whether her embryos are viable. translation: i only have three embryos left and the doctor says one is good, one is average and one is poor, but i'm staying optimistic. i hope heaven will give me this gift. blessings born from frozen embryos. many of them second children, after last year's policy change. 0lder mothers with fertility problems are now suddenly at an advantage, because they have frozen embryos to fall back on, where other older women don't. back home and getting ready for the new arrival.

baby clothes from the first time round, 16 years ago. hospital bag ready for the birth, and she's already decided if the two child policy becomes a three child policy, she'll go for a third. carrie gracie, bbc news, guangzhou. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: we ask asian—americans in new york what they think about the new alliance between president trump and asia. also coming up, you might have heard of meals on wheels. but wait until you meet the man who will send you a poem on his bike. the republic of ireland has become the first country in the world

to ban smoking in the workplace. from today, anyone lighting up in offices, businesses, pubs and restaurants will face a heavy fine. the president was on his way out of the washington hilton hotel, where he had been addressing a trade union conference. the small crowd outside included his assailant. it has become a symbol of paris. 100 years ago, many parisians wished it had never been built. the eiffel tower's birthday is being marked by a re—enactment of the first ascent by gustave eiffel. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm mariko 0i in singapore. i'm babita sharma in london.

our top stories: russia is in mourning after an explosion on a metro train in st petersburg kills 11 people and injures dozens more as authorities say it is a terrorist attack. after a devastating landslide, colombian authorities bury the dead, and bring in emergency water supplies, as they race to avoid the spread of disease. and one of the most read stories on bbc.com, this exciting discovery of the remains of an ancient pyramid in egypt, just south of the capital cairo. it's believed to have been built 3,700 years ago. it's hoped excavation work will reveal more and establish the size of the pyramid. let's take a look at some front pages from around the world. let's start with the straits times, in singapore, as it covers the st petersburg metro explosion.

it quotes the interfax news agency as saying that the blast may have been caused by an explosive device hidden in a briefcase. 0nto the japan times that reports on president trumps' latest comments on north korea, insisting that it'll act alone if china fails to help. this comes just days before president trump hosts chinese president xijinping at his estate in south florida. and finally to the south china morning post, whose front page is dominated by a picture of chickens. it says that hong kong looks set to continue the sale of live poultry despite the threat of bird flu. now, mariko, what stories are sparking discussions online? we love this story! a social media post has gone viral in taiwan

after a user revealed his grandmother had been using a louis vuitton handbag he'd bought her to carry fish! the woman hadn't realised her new handbag was so iconic so greeted her grandson with the bag full of groceries and fish. the neverful handbag is highly prized around the world, and retails for around $1,100 us. while admitting he was speechless to see his grandmother waving the fishy bag at him, he decided not to point out her mistake after seeing how happy she was! on thursday a high stakes meeting is taking place between presidents trump and xi. and just days before the meeting president trump has insisted the us will deal with north korea alone if china fails to help. what does that mean for america's partners in the region, such as japan and south korea? we've been asking asian americans in new york what they make of trump's attitude to asia.

so what will america's regional allies be making of president trump's promise to deal with north korea alone if necessary? i asked simon littlewood, president of the asia now consultancy group. it's not clear that he has a lot of leverage with north korea and certainly although he's come out of the gate fighting, he seems to believe that china has the ability to basically change north korean policy and we've seen lots of evidence in the last decade or so that that's just not the case. china is of course terrified that north korea will collapse and 25 million people will move across the northern border and it would much rather therefore seek stability in north korea. it's also not clear there is a military response to north korea given china, a nuclear power, is right next door. but north korea is heavily dependent on china economically, so is donald trump right to ask or pressure china to

put extra pressure on pyongyang?m course china, in terms of the past, china has already done quite a lot, it has significantly reduced coal supplies for example. it's not clear that it can do much more because if it creates chaos in north korea, that will only hurt it. look, one of the features of trump is he tends to ta ke the features of trump is he tends to take things at a bit of a gallop without necessarily understanding the details. let's hope wiser counsels will prevail because the last thing we need is a crisis. mathias svalina rides his bike for long distances and writes surrealist poetry. he's combined the two into a sort ofjob. he's travelling the us, writing dreams for customers, and delivering them direct to their door. the bbc caught up with him in richmond, virginia. this is the one thing i am good at. i have a very limited skills,

which involves writing repetitive, brief, surrealist narratives and biking for long distances. one of the nice things about writing dreams is that the tropes that would seem awful in writing realist narrative are fine. so, "then, suddenly, a penguin walks into the room." you know, in a jack reacher novel that's not going to work, but in a dream text, perfectly acceptable. penguins are allowed to walk into your room at any point ina dream. so, this past month i had a7 subscribers, and my intention every morning was to write a7 unique dreams every day. sometimes i don't get there. i double up and some people

dream the same dream. every once in a while i will run into a subscriber who has woken up at 5am for some reason and we will run into each other on the porch, and they don't want to see me and i don't want to see them and i think i forget oftentimes that there are people who are going to be reading them, and it becomes this completely insular world where i'm making up as much weird stuff as i can every day and scattering it out like a johnny appleseed oddity. i wanted to find a way to make the writing the primary focus of what i'm doing with my life. i didn't want to be part of a university. and it's sort of the way that a lot of artists in america get taught, this is how you get through your

life, you do your art, that's nice, then yourjob that you spend 80 hours a week on is administration for an academic department. alternately i like the idea of having this process where i have to sit and write for maybe ten hours a day but then i required to be out and biking around for three orfour hours a day too. so having, this, like, incredibly intense experience of sitting at my computer and something that's more liberating and something that's more liberating and something that's more physical. a very creative job! you've been watching newsday. stay with us. we will be taking a look at why australia's property market has become too hot to handle. thanks so much forjoining us! and before we go, is this a hedgehog? 0ra hairbrush?

this is a lowland streaked tenrec. it's one of four to arrive at chester zoo here in england. that's all for now, stay with bbc world news. morning. we've got some rain working its way in from the west but, before we take a look at that, let's look back at some of the highlights of monday. a beautiful weather watchers picture sent in from cambridgeshire. a lovely afternoon, and we saw highs here of 18 degrees. but the storm clouds gathered in argyll and bute. a very atmospheric shot here. and that's because the rain arrived from the west. now, it's fairly fragmented and it's moving somewhat erratically eastwards over the next few hours, perhaps sitting towards dawn in the south—east corner. behind it, some clearer skies, a fresher start to the day across scotland and northern ireland. more cloud, though, into the south—west. and for wales, the odd spot or two of rain still at 8am. the bulk of the rain probably sitting across the south coast up into 0xfordshire, east anglia

and the south—east corner. but even then it will be fairly light and well fragmented. further north, we keep a lot of cloud, some early—morning mist and murk perhaps. some decent spells of sunshine, though, for northern ireland and scotland. a bit more of a breeze to the north and west, and that could continue to drift in on one or two showers through the northern and western isles. and the wind willjust take the edge off things, i suspect, particularly on exposed coasts. but the sunshine will break through across north—west england, wales and the south—west by the end of the day. perhaps just the midlands and eastern england which will stay pretty cloudy. and, again, still with the odd spot or two of rain. and temperatures a little subdued into the south—east. highs of around 15 degrees. elsewhere, eight to 13 or 1a as the daytime maximum. now, if you are heading to the premier league matches in the evening, i don't think you will be disappointed with this story. 8pm kickoff, so obviously it's dark but not too cold at 8—10 degrees. a similar story, it could be windy in scotland, so that will make it a little bit chilly, but it will be dry, and that's

the most important thing. high pressure stays with us through the middle of the week. weather fronts toppling over the top of that high, and it will continue to stay quite windy in scotland. in fact, on wednesday we could see gales, maybe severe gales to the extreme north, and a scattering of showers, some of them quite heavy as well, into the far north—west. elsewhere, we start off with some decent spells of sunshine, a little bit of fair—weather cloud bubbling up through the afternoon, and temperatures pegged back a little. but nevertheless, eight to 1a degrees the high. all in all, that's not too bad. and it's a similar story, really, for the end of the working week. thursday into friday, relatively sunny, a little bit of cloud into the afternoon. welcome back. our top story. russia is in mourning after a suspected terrorist attack kills 11people. more than a0 others were injured in an explosion at a train station in st petersburg. another homemade device was disabled by a bomb disposal experts. president putin has laid flowers at a makeshift shrine to the victims.

he said all causes were being investigated. the us president, donald trump described it as a "terrible incident." south korea's tallest building, the 123—story lotte world tower, has officially opened in seoul, with a truly spectacular fireworks display and laser show. a total of about 30,000 rounds of fireworks lit up seoul's night—time sky. you are up—to—date. stay with us. and the top story here in the uk. theresa may has dismissed suggestions that britain might be prepared to go to war with spain