hello, you're watching bbc world news. i'm tom donkin. our top story this hour: the us looks to be shifting its stance on syria. president trump says he's rapidly revising his views following the chemical weapons attack that left 70 dead. i will tell you, it has already happened that my attitude toward syria and a side has changed very much. —— assad. welcome to the programme. our other main stories this hour: aung san suu kyi denies the ethnic cleansing of myanmar‘s rohingya muslim minority. we have an exclusive bbc interview. faith and fear: russia's crackdown on extremism could mean a ban for the country's jehovah's witnesses. hello, and welcome.

president trump has accused the syrian regime of crossing "many, many" red lines with its latest chemical weapons attack on a rebel—held area. he called it an "affront to humanity. " at least 70 people were killed in idlib province on tuesday. mr trump said the deaths, including 20 children, had changed his attitude towards president assad. at a tense and bitter session of the un security council moscow was accused of allowing its syrian ally to carry out war crimes. nick bryant has this report from new york. 5—year—old ibrahim went to bed in his spiderman pyjamas and woke up to the latest horror in syria's unending war. his grandmother was at his hospital bedside caring for ibrahim and his sister, tebba, because their father was killed in the attack. lives ended, lives ruined, by a toxic cloud that filled victims‘ lungs with poison. translation: my grandchildren were sleeping. everyone woke up to a loud noise. they went outside and that's when they came across the chemical attack.

they just fell to the floor and died. it's all too easy to become desensitised to the suffering of the syrian people, but consider the plight of abdul hamil al—yousf, he lost 20 members of his family, including his twin children, killed in a second explosion. translation: i left them in good health. why did this happen? i went to help other people and thought my children were 0k. now they are gone. yesterday, donald trump derided his predecessor, barack obama, for warning the assad regime that using chemical weapons crossed a red line, but not following through on that threat. but today, in the fragrant setting of the rose garden, he deployed similar language himself and signalled a change in thinking on syria. these heinous actions by the assad regime cannot be tolerated. my attitude towards syria and assad

has changed very much. it crossed a lot of lines for me. in an angry emergency session at the united nations security council, western nations pointed the finger of blame at the assad regime and also its diplomatic protectors here, russia, but moscow claimed that syrian rebels were to blame for the deaths. translation: the syrian air force conducted an air strike on the eastern edge of khan sheikhoun on a large warehouse of ammunition and military equipment. on the territory of that warehouse there was a facility to produce ammunition with the use of toxic weapons. but that prompted this electrifying moment of diplomatic theatre, the us ambassador, nikki haley, getting to herfeet and holding up graphic images of the dead. then, eye—balling her russian counterpart, she blasted moscow. if russia has the influence in syria that it claims to have, we need to see them use it.

we need to see them put an end to these horrific acts. how many more children have to die before russia cares? today, we saw the usual divisions at the security council, the usual deadlock over syria, and the usual inability of the international community, even to agree about basic facts on the ground. this is the deadliest attack in syria in nearly four years and after that atrocity in 2013, the assad regime was supposed to have handed over its chemical weapons stockpile. but it's continued to use banned toxic weapons and experts believe the evidence points to damascus having carried out another war crime. wrecked buildings and ruined cities are usually the grim landmarks of the syrian conflict, but today, it was empty streets and signs that warned of the poison

still contaminating the air. nick bryant, bbc news, new york. almost 18 months since aung san suu kyi led her party to power in myanmar‘s first openly contested election in 25 years, questions are being asked about her leadership and her silence on the persecution of minority groups. in the past six months, around 70,000 rohingya muslims have fled their homes in myanmar amid reports that the national army is responsible for mass killings and gang rapes. aung san suu kyi sat down exclusively to our special correspondent, fergal keane. it is a relic of the absurdity and paranoia of military rule, a capital marooned far from the people, designed to keep the generals safe, but where the new democratic government is trying to consolidate its hold on power. its leader, aung san suu kyi, has undergone a rapid transformation from pro—democracy icon.

it's good to see you, a year later. a period of intense scrutiny and criticism. now, for the first time this year, she's agreed to a face—to—face interview. in terms of change in the lives of ordinary people, one of the things that's happened, it's happened in south africa, for example, is a massive sense of disappointment when a liberation movement comes into power. what have you done to make their lives better? you go through the whole list of things we have done, such as how many miles of roads and how many bridges and so many townships electrified. last year, we started out by saying that at the top of our priorities was job creation and we discovered, over this one year, that if you start constructing all—weather roads and if you provide electrification, then people start creating jobs for themselves. there've been advances in healthcare and, critically, more free elections. but all of this has been overshadowed by the terror

in rakhine state where tens of thousands of rohingya muslims have fled what human rights groups call ethnic cleansing, and about which aung san suu kyi has condemned for failing to speak out. what exactly is it that they are condemning? they want you to allow a un fact—finding mission into rakhine state. that is just now. that is just what they asked for last month. but what is that they have been condemning over the last year? many, many people, including those who would be sympathetic to you, look at the situation and say "why hasn't she spoken out?" "here's an icon of human rights..." what do you mean by "speaking out?" now, fergal, this question has been asked since 2013 when the troubles, the last round of troubles broke out in the rakhine, and they would ask me questions, and i would answer them and people would say i said nothing simply because i didn't make the kind of statements which they thought i should make, which is to condemn one community or the other.

so, what we're trying to go for is reconciliation, not condemnation. do you ever worry that you will be remembered as the champion of human rights, the nobel laureate, who failed to stand up to ethnic cleansing in her own country? no, because i don't think there's ethnic cleansing going on. i think "ethnic cleansing" is too strong an expression to use for what's happening. it's what i think, as an outsider, i have to say. fergal, i think there's a lot of hostility there, and, as i pointed outjust now, its muslims killing muslims as well, if they think that they're collaborating with the authorities. so, it's notjust a matter of "ethnic cleansing," as you've put it, it's a matter of people on different sides of a divide. she remains the most popular politician here by a very long way, and her goal remains to negotiate the military out of politics, with people power at her back and a steely interior determination. do you think that people in the west misjudged you or mischaracterised

you or misunderstood you, expecting you to be this sort of amalgam of mahatma gandhi and mother teresa, for example? and, actually, maybe you're closer in your determination and steeliness to someone like margaret thatcher? well, no, i'mjusta politician. i'm not quite like margaret thatcher, no. but, on the other hand, i'm no mother teresa either. fergal keane, bbc news. you can watch a longer version of our interview with aung san suu kyi and stay up—to—date with the latest developments in myanmar, that's at our website. in other news this hour, the italian coast guard says humanitarian groups operating rescue ships off libya's coast have picked up more than 700 migrants from seven flimsy and overcrowded boats. the number of migrants arriving in italy on boats from north africa are up 30% so far this year, according to official figures released last week.

one of donald trump's closest advisors — steve bannon — has been stripped of his position within the national security council, reversing one of the most controversial early decisions the president made back injanuary. a white house aide said the reshuffle was not a demotion for mr bannon, who used to run the right—wing website breitbart news. the authorities in colombia say at least 290 people are now known to have died following saturday's mudslide in the city of mocoa. the government has ordered an investigation to find out whether building safety regulations were properly enforced. meanwhile the search continues for the more than 300 people still missing. the united states says illegal border crossings from mexico have fallen to their lowest level in 17 years. the homeland security secretary, john kelly, says fewer than 17,000 undocumented immigrants were detained in march. he said the fall was the result of president trump's tough

immigration policies. china's president xi jinping travels to the united states today for his first meeting with president trump, who had some very harsh words for china during his election campaign. people in both countries have their opinions on how the talks should go. the bbc‘s rajini vaidyanathan and stephen mcdonell took to the streets of washington and beijing to find out more. camaraderie, corporation. —— cooperation. maybe let us off a bit about that to them. —— let us off a bit of our debt. president trump likes to talk tough on china. china's resident xi jinping says that free trade is the answer, and

this is what will bring jobs to china and the us. what do you think president trump should say to his chinese counterpart? i'm sorry. i apologise. i have been perhaps unfairto you. apologise. i have been perhaps unfair to you. i am one of those people who think we should make more they are not a true democracy. that's the worst thing about china. social repression. who do you think gets the most out of it? definitely the us. whether they like it or not, when xijinping and donald trump are sitting across the table from one another, this is

probably the world's most important connection. it's notjust money and trade that drives the relationship. when it comes to climate change or getting north korea to contain its nuclear ambitions, america needs china onside. with a closer look at this meeting of the two presidents and really what it means for trade, sally is here. absolutely. it will be very interesting, what these two leaders get out of this meeting. it is a much anticipated gathering between the two presidents of the world's two biggest economies. and it is the very first time they are meeting in person, as you have heard, and trade ties will be very high on the agenda. atjust over $659 billion of goods and services in 2015 it's one of the biggest trading relationships in the world. last week mr trump tweeted that today's meeting "will be a very difficult one in that we can no longer have massive trade deficits" trump has been outspoken in his desire to put

"america first", and in terms of what he might do about it —— during his election campaign mr trump floated the idea of a 45% tariff on goods from china. but the big problem donald trump has is that it's heavily tilted in china's favour because the us had a deficit of $336.2 billion. ere have been indications china would retaliate to any such move and injanuary president xi said "waging a trade war will only cause injury and loss to both sides." so will the two leaders see eye—to—eye? the president of protocol and the maverick early now become president. we will get some expert opinion on that in world business report. we will have all the other business

stories is welcome in about 15 minutes. thanks, sally. stay with us. still to come, after a series of devastating floods in peru we will be finding out how the floodwaters have changed the landscape. 55 years of hatred and rage, as theyjump up on the statue. this funeral became a massive demonstration of black power, the power to influence. today is about the promise of a bright future, a day when we hope a line can be drawn under the bloody past. i think that picasso's works were beautiful,

they were intelligent, and it's a sad loss to everybody who loves art. this is bbc world news, i'm tom donkin. the latest headlines: president trump has called the deadly gas attack in syria an affront to humanity, and said it has changed his view of bashar al—assad. myanmar‘s de facto leader, aung san su kyi, has spoken to the bbc, defending her record over atrocities against the rohingya muslim minority. russia's supreme court is considering whether to ban the jehovah's witnesses religious movement. thejustice ministry had earlier called for the organisation to be defined as extremist, after claiming to have found material of a radical nature.

any ban could affect around 175,000 members in russia. but it is notjustjehovah‘s witnesses who could be affected by the country's controversial extremism laws, as sarah rainsford reports from moscow. every evening, in moscow, jehovah's witnesses gather to pray. but very $0011 witnesses gather to pray. but very soon services like this could be banned. it is all because these believers claim their faith is the only true. russian prosecutors say that makes them extremist. filmed by undercover police, this footage was an attempt to gather evidence. the man leaving leading the service was charged with extremism. at the prayer hall just charged with extremism. at the prayer halljust outside moscow, this man shows me where the policeman sat. he says no one suspected of being. he was acquitted at first, added to a list of

extremist is, and now the case against him has been returned to court for a retrial. translation: jehovah jehovah's witnesses court for a retrial. translation: jehovahjehovah's witnesses have never done anything to cause harm. we try to help people. so to be accused of all these absurd violations of the law is really upsetting. if the supreme court does then the jehovah's witnesses, upsetting. if the supreme court does then thejehovah's witnesses, then holes like this one across the country will have to close, as well. and people here think that is a pretty extreme application of russia's anti— extremism laws. but it is not just russia's anti— extremism laws. but it is notjust the russia's anti— extremism laws. but it is not just the jehovah's witnesses that that legislation is being used against. this man is an atheist weather popular video blog. he has been charged with inciting hatred for playing pokemon go in a church. activists who monitor extremism here say the laws to prevent it are increasingly misused.

there are far right groups, including violent groups, there are jihadist groups. there is a danger, but the instrument is bad. and on the other hand, if political leadership needs to put pressure on the —— peaceful political opposition, this may be useful process. for this it is disturbingly familiar. he tells me his own pa rents were familiar. he tells me his own parents were among thousands of jehovah's witnesses sent to siberia by stalin. they were exiled just practising their religion, for reading the bible and sharing the bible truth with the neighbours, that's all. and now we can see that, for the same reason, in modern russia, we are facing the same situation. the court decision will affect more than 170,000 russians, who say it can't change their faith, but could force it underground. sport now, and first to golf,

and the world number one, dustin johnson, could miss the masters, which gets underway at augusta later on thursday. johnson hurt his lower back when he fell down the stairs at his rented home near the course, and he is now a doubt for the first major of the year, although his agent is hopeful that he will be fit to play. johnson has won the last three tournaments he has played in, and is the favourite to add a second major championship to the us open that he won last year. speaking before his accident, johnson said he wasn't taking victory for granted, clearly aware that it is 12 years since a world number one or pre—tournament favourite last won the title. golf is a funny game, you know. it doesn't matter how good you're playing, you can still not win. it's the same that goes for this week. if i'm going to win here, everything is going to have to go well for me. driving well, putting well.

everything's going to have to be, you know, really good. i have a lot of confidence in my game right now. especially the way i have been playing in the last few tournaments. but, you know, anything can happen. football, and chelsea remain seven points clear of tottenham, after wins for the top two in the english premier league on wednesday. chelsea beat manchester city 2—1 at stamford bridge, with their belgian international eden hazard scoring both goals. the winner came after he had a penalty saved, but pounced to score the rebound and claim his 13th goal of the season. big win. you know, it's always difficult to play against man city. when they start to play, you need to play well. and we did. we scored enough today, so we are very happy to stay top with seven points. you scored two goals, with a bit of help. yeah, a bit of help. sometimes we need this, we need this kind of help. i remember three years ago,

we won the title and i thought the same penalty against crystal palace, so it's a good sign. meanwhile, tottenham scored three times in the last six minutes, as they came from behind to win 3—1 at swansea. third—placed liverpool were held to a 2—2 draw by bournemouth, while arsenal are up to fifth, after beating west ham 3—0. there were also wins for hull and southampton. and the top two both won in spain. alvaro morata scored twice, as real madrid won 11—2 at leganes. they remain three points clear of barcelona, who beat sevilla 3—0, with lionel messi scoring two for the home side. real madrid also have a game in hand. a series of devastating floods in peru have left 100 people dead and tens of thousands homeless since the start of the year. entire roads and bridges have been swept away. peru's air force has deployed planes to airlift thousands of people. now, satellite images collected by conservation groups show how the floodwaters have changed the landscape in north—west peru. sarah corker reports.

maria hasjust been rescued by troops from her flooded village of north—west peru. but, while on board the helicopter, she goes into labour. a military doctor manages to deliver her baby girl midflight. this is the look of relief and exhaustion, a mother and child now recovering in hospital. translation: i thought the helicopter was not going to arrive. i was already in pain, but the commander called and said the helicopter was on its way. for weeks now, peru has been under siege from raging floodwaters. using makeshift boats, people salvage property and pets as the river burst its banks. 800 towns and cities have declared a state of emergency. 100 people have been killed,

and the rescues go on. warm temperatures in the pacific have led to torrential rains and mudslides, ripping through everything in their path. new satellite and aerial images show how the landscape in northern peru has rapidly changed. this is the piura region at the start of the year on the left. the right shows how a lagoon had formed by march. this is january. this is the la leche river at the start of the year. this is after the peura river burst its banks. the yellow line is the pan—american highway. the homeless have found shelter inside some of peru's most ancient ruins, some dating back to 900 ad. translation: we're here because the people have basically felt invaded from this water, as much from the river as from the rain.

the whole nation is suffering. these are the worst floods in peru in almost three decades, an ongoing crisis affecting half the country. sarah corker, bbc news. now to a near miss caught on camera in australia. you can see a mattress flip off the back of a van straight into the path of a motorcyclist. luckily he managed to keep control, coming toa luckily he managed to keep control, coming to a very quick stop indeed. he was left shaken but unharmed. 0ncoming motorists came to his aid, stopping further traffic and clearing away the mattress. and, before we go, time to tell you that a zoo in virginia has welcomed notjust one but two litters of cheetah cubs. five were born on 23 march, and another seven cubs came along just a few days later. coming up injust a couple of minutes, sally has all the latest business news in world business report. first a look at the weather where you are.

there is a lot of usable weather in forecast for the the next few days. into the weekend, things are really warming up for england and wales, but in the short term we will have quite a lot of cloud around this area of high pressure. light winds generally, but we should see some breaks appearing in the cloud. some sunny spells, and across the north of this high some sunny spells, and across the north of this high pressure, more of a breeze. that will feed into the cloud. outbreaks of rain for northern and western scotland, with probably the best of the sunshine for scotland across the east, sheltered from that westerly wind. for northern ireland, for much of england and wales, variable cloud and also some sunny spells. i think potentially the best of the sunshine will be across south wales and the south—west of england, much like what we have seen during the course of wednesday, and that will boost temperatures up to 15, maybe 16 degrees in the warmest spots. 0therwise, around 11 or 12 where we have the cloud. a similar picture on friday.

high pressure with us, generally light winds, a lot of cloud, but also some sunny spells, where it will feel quite warm. now, high pressure remains with us into the weekend, as well, but we start to see some changes. it moves position, pushes into the east, so we get a run of southerly winds. we will be drawing some warmer, drier air across the near continent. that means temperatures really will start to rise. i think you will notice a difference late on saturday, and certainly into sunday, as that warm air pushes in across most of england and wales. notice that blue block behind me, that is going to make inroads on sunday during the course of the day, in the north—west of the country. saturday is looking brighter, more sunshine around, so that will knock temperatures up a little bit. 16, maybe 17 celsius. it is looking pretty good in aintree, as well, on saturday. light winds, dry ground. we have had very little rain in the past week, and no rain in the forecast. temperatures on 15 degrees. there is that weather front i was talking about on sunday, bringing some rain for the north—west of scotland, northern ireland, increasing breeze, and temperatures a little bit lower here.

but, for england and wales, pretty much wall—to—wall sunshine. it is going to be pretty glorious, actually, temperatures responding well, 20 to 23 celsius possible across the south—east. so the main message is, for the next few days, because of high pressure, a lot of dry weather, light winds, with some sunshine, increasing amounts of sunshine as we head on towards the weekend. and that means it will be warmer, as well. a big difference on monday, quite a dramatic drop in temperature, 10 degrees or more across the south—east. more cloud, northerly winds, temperatures struggling to get into double figures across the north. this is bbc world news, the headlines. president trump has called the deadly gas attack in syria on tuesday an affront to humanity and said it changed his view on bashar al—assad. previously, the us administration said trying to topple mr assad would not be a priority. aung san suu kyi, who's in effect the leader of myanmar, has rejected international criticism that she's stood by while the country's rohingya muslim minority is ethnically cleansed, killed or gang—raped by the national army.

a series of devastating floods in north west peru have left a hundred people dead and tens of thousands homeless. roads and bridges have been swept away and the air force deployed to airlift thousands of people. russia's supreme court is considering whether to ban jehovah's witnesses on the grounds that they could hold extremist views.