i'm rico hizon in singapore. the headlines: john bolton is set to become the next us national security adviser after the president ousts his predecessor by tweet. trump slaps sweeping tariffs on chinese imports. could this be the first shots of a trade war? i'm sharanjit leyl in london. also in the programme: from couch potato to sporting champion. how professional video games players are hitting the big time. from darkness into the spotlight. how a blind singer overcame adversity to hit a high note. good morning.

it's 8am in singapore, and 8pm in washington, where we've just had breaking news that president trump has named john bolton as his new national security adviser. he'll replace general hr mcmaster in the latest change in personnel in the white house. let us cross live to our correspondent in washington chris buckler. why is hr mcmaster being replaced. full weeks there's been speculation that hr mcmaster is on his way out of the white house, and so it has passed, the latest high—profile white house figure to go with donald trump's point of view that he is not

surrounded by the people he wants in these positions, and that's certainly true with the position of national security adviser. he had clashed with hr mcmaster over the months and he has been replaced. although he has given a warm tribute to him, he has had moments when he has been less than favourable towards hr mcmaster. for example he was openly critical whenever hr mcmaster suggested there was evidence russia had interfered in the 2016 general election. but i really think what you're here at the white house is a changing of the guard when it comes to foreign policy, because only a matter of ten days ago we had rex tillerson replaced as secretary of state by the cia director mike pompeo. we now have hr mcmaster being replaced by john bolton. they are both figures who think more along donald trump's line, particularly if you take a look at ambassador bolton. he is someone look at ambassador bolton. he is someone who is regarded as a hawk, a hardliner, someone from the bush

iraq, who has been very critical of iran and north korea. many people know who john iran and north korea. many people know whojohn bolton was in the international community because he was a former us ambassador to the united nations. that's absolutely correct. he was also someone who has been outspoken over the years, and he is well—known as well in america, not least because he is a media commentator. he pops up, for example, on fox news quite regularly, and indeed he's been on fox news within the past hour or so discussing what he intends to do as national security adviser. perhaps what's key here is that he has said what he has said in the past is in the past. he is focused on the mall. he was very critical of recent leaks that have come out of the national security office. for example those leaks that a p pa re ntly office. for example those leaks that apparently president trump was not to congratulate vladimir putin on his election as russian president, which of course president trump ignored. he said those kind of leaks are an acceptable and the president

was just being polite. are an acceptable and the president wasjust being polite. so are an acceptable and the president was just being polite. so you are seeing somebody who is going to, i think, try and align himself with president trump, very much try to be on president trump's page, but you've also got to marry up the idea that what he has said in the past, although he wants to leave that the hide, has been extremely hardline. that's particularly true when it comes to the likes of iran but particularly north korea, who he'd suggested military action against. that is an interesting stance for the national security adviser given the national security adviser given the change in tone we've seen over the change in tone we've seen over the past couple of weeks with this planned summit between president trump and kimjong—un planned summit between president trump and kim jong—un potentially on the horizon. thanks so much for that update. the new trump administration national security adviser. us president trump has also announced plans for 60 billion worth of tariffs on china, moving the prospect of a trade war between the world's two largest economies a step closer. mr trump said the levies were needed to end what he said was the biggest trade deficit in history.

donald trump's move has prompted a swift response from china. beijing forcefully denounced the tariffs, saying it will defend its own legitimate interests with all necessary measures. stephen mcdonnell is in hong kong. stephen, we know that's been a hardline response from china. any idea on what kind of retaliatory measures they might take, and will this all lead to a trade war? well, actually we do have some ideas of what china is threatening already, and i can tell you later todayit already, and i can tell you later today it will be a very crowded briefing at the foreign ministry in the coming hours, because the world will be waiting to hear what china's going to do regarding both the new appointment of donald trump's

national security and visor, and also these tariffs being levelled directly at china, but we have in a statement from the commerce ministry here saying that china intends to suspend equal concessions and other obligations to the us in accordance with the relevant provisions of the world trade organization agreement. so they are saying the minute these ta riffs so they are saying the minute these tariffs click in, we are going to retaliate, and what they are suggesting they are looking at is fruit, nuts, wine, american ginseng and steel pipes. you can imagine with some of those provisions — for example, wine, fruit, nuts, ginseng — who will that hit hard in the us? well, farmers who voted for donald trump. but i should add, this is just a shot across the bow from china. if they really wanted to go hard, they know what they've got up their sleeve — boeing aircraft,

caterpillar, heavy vehicles, apple computers. these are the things, if china really wanted to hurt the us, it would slap a tariff on, so there are those that are worried that we are those that are worried that we are looking at some type of trade war unfolding here. all right, stephen mcdonald ringing us all right, stephen mcdonald ringing us up—to—date with that story from hong kong. thank you. former south korean president lee myung—bak has been arrested on charges of bribery, embezzlement and misuse of power. mr lee has been accused of taking millions of dollars in bribes and amassing a slush fund of more than $30 million. he denies the allegations, saying they are politically motivated. a warning that you might find these pictures disturbing. police in arizona have released a video of a fatal collision between an uber self—driving vehicle and a pedestrian. the video shows the car driving along in the dark when the woman, who was pushing a bicycle across the road, appears in the headlights. elaine herzberg later died from her injuries. uber has suspended driverless testing, and safety regulators are investigating.

the nigerian government says it will not stop in its efforts to free the last remaining schoolgirl being held by boko haram after a kidnapping in the northern town of dapchi last month. the christian girl, who refused to convert to islam, is still being held while most of the 110 girls taken have now been released. five other students are believed to have died. tests have confirmed this small 15 centimetre long skeleton is not, as many believed, an alien. discovered intact in chile's atacama desert in 2003, its unusual physical features led to speculation it was the remains of an extra—terrestrial, but dna tests now confirm it belonged to a newborn indigenous girl with genetic mutations. just a quick piece of breaking news reaching us from our colleagues in the vietnamese service. at least 13 people have apparently been killed at a huge blaze at the carina residential block

in ho chi minh city. according to local media, many residents remain trapped inside. we will bring you more as we get it. this weekend, thousands of americans are expected to march on washington to demand a change in gun laws in the wake of last month's florida school shooting. some have called for the us to follow australia's example, which, after the death of 35 people in the 1996 port arthur massacre, swiftly introduced strict controls credited with cutting gun—related deaths. but would the measures work in america? here's our sydney correspondent, hywel griffith. gunshots ring out at the tourist site in tasmania. the indiscriminate murder of 35 people by one man carrying an aer 15 semiautomatic

rifle would become the worst mass shooting in australian history. the port arthur massacre left a nation in shock but the response was swift and powerful — the relatives of the dead led the calls to tighten gun ownership laws. there are 35 people who no longer have the ability to improve their country. walter mikak, whose wife and two children were killed, channelled his grief into helping the campaign. it really came down to the arsenal, the firearm. i thought, we really need to change that. for that to be so simple to happen, this is a good place to start, a good legacy for those 35 people who died. that legacy has survived. the 1996 ban on automatic weapons is still in place. gun ownership is still strictly license. and last year brought another national amnesty where thousands of

firearms were destroyed. australia's national firearms agreement has been in place for more than two decades but now, more than ever, it's being contested. some want the controls loosened. in one state, they are planning to double the duration of the licence for some guns, and increase the licence for some guns, and increase access to the licence for some guns, and increase access to rapidfire and pump action shotguns. australia doesn't have a gun lobby as powerful as america's nra, but it does have a political party dedicated to the cause, which argues the country's laws are not working and only criminalise gunowners. the port arthur laws simply do not address and never were attempted to address theissues and never were attempted to address the issues of the criminal use of firearms. it was all about getting at people like me and nearly1 million other australians around australia. australia's gun laws and amnesties are credited with presenting mass shootings, but would they work in the united states?

america doesn't have a chance of enforcing this. let's face it, what out enforcing this. let's face it, what our prime ministerdid enforcing this. let's face it, what our prime minister did was confiscation of private property under threat of going to jail. now, that's not the american way. after yea rs of that's not the american way. after years of campaigning in australia, walter mikac recognises change is unlikely to come quickly in america, but he believes there is now hope it will eventually follow in the same direction. french police have clashed with protesters in paris as public sector workers across the country went on strike. they are reacting against president emmanuel macron's plans to cutjobs and benefits. lucy williamson reports. the old ways are often cherished in france. that goes for protests as much as forjob contracts. firecrackers, union flags, a few favourite chance. they stop the march of change before, but are they a match for france's newest president? translation: emmanuel macron wants

to be the one who succeeds in breaking the rail unions. it's one of the last strong union bastions, so for him that would be a real victory. macron is destroying an entire social system, whether it's social security, pensions, the rail service or the hospitals. he is destroying all the rights our predecessors won and we have to fight against that. the march through teachers, air traffic controllers, hospital staff, all protesting against reforms that will mean fewerjobs, protesting against reforms that will mean fewer jobs, fewer protesting against reforms that will mean fewerjobs, fewer benefits and more flexibility. but it's france's railway workers that are seen as the real challenge. read forming the ra i lwa ys real challenge. read forming the railways is president macron's biggest test so far, but this is more than a row about pay, pensions and job security, it's an argument about long established values and expectations that don't fit with mr macron's plan to france. conditions for france's train drivers have barely changed in half a century.

it's a job for life with retirement at 52. the national rail company has promised months of rolling strikes to protect those benefits, but president macron has staked his presidency on reforming the economy, and when it comes to the railways, opinion polls suggest that two thirds of french voters agree with him. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: (tx oov + vamp) (00v) getting ahead of the game , how professional video games players are scoring big. let there be no more bloodshed between arabs and israelis. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm rico hizon in singapore. i'm sharinjit leyl in london. our top stories. trump replaces us national security adviser hr mcmaster with bush—era defence hawk john bolton.

the us president has initiated punitive measures against china in retaliation for what he calls the theft of intellectual property. let's take a look at some front pages from around the world. the china daily is reporting that self driving cars are about to hit the roads of the nation's capital, beijing. the internet giant baidu has obtained a license to test their autonomous cars. so they could be cruising into people's lives faster than expected. according to the south china morning post, one in seven people living in hong kong is a millionaire. that number is up 15% from a year earlier. apparently the surge in big earners was fuelled by booming stock and property markets. and the front page of the japan times features snaps of people who are really rocking the runway. these models were strutting their stuff as part of tokyo fashion week. the event gives topjapanese designers a chance to showcase

their latest works. it's already a multi—million dollar industry and it's predicted to become a multi—billion one by the end of the decade. it's called esports, or, to you and i, professional video gaming. it's fast becoming a spectator sport and big business in turn. and now esports is to become a medal event at 2022 asian games. chester king is the founder and acting ceo of the british esports association. hejoins us now from hong kong. explained to us who are not familiar with us. —— explain it to. explained to us who are not familiar with us. -- explain it to. good morning. professionalvideo with us. -- explain it to. good morning. professional video gaming is called esports. it is always

human against human, as opposed to human against human, as opposed to human against human, as opposed to human against computer. depending on the game, and there are about 30 different esports, it can be one against one or six against six, like overwatch. you are playing against other people, but what is athletic about it? is it fair to include it in competitions where you are up against people doing physical sport? yeah, so, in the uk we have a view at the professional level it is a sport because you have a team a nutritionist, coaches, analysts, and fans. at the amateur level, it is definitely a game. it is a great move on1 definitely a game. it is a great move on 1 level to make people more aware it is a mainstream activity. in the uk, we feel it is more like a game, in asia, a sport. it is interesting to call it a sport.

there are studies that playing too many video games, even with other people, leads to antisocial behaviour. is it fair to include it in something like the ioc—recognised asian games. to clarify, there is a difference. esports is not antisocial. you need to communicate with people. you have to be clear, when you see video games, you have to be clear about the difference to esports. the ioc is reviewing things. they do not control the asian games. is this elite level of esports a new phenomenon? hasn't been building up for a number of yea rs been building up for a number of years in asia? -- has it. you have some fantastic career players. it has been around for a long time. at the elite level, the biggest

tournament is the dota international, in august, with a winning prize pool of around $30 million. what is the point of it in the asian games in beijing? what happens when it debuts? in asia, they call it a sport. in poland, a sport as well. and the german government have just announced esports will become a sport. in the uk, asi esports will become a sport. in the uk, as i said, it is a game. a great activity and alternative to passive media for children. in asia, it is a natural extension of how they classify it. all right, thank you so much. from videogames to singing. alienette coldfire started singing as a child. most people who dream of becoming singers come across challenges along the way, but alienette faced an extra one,

being blind. but this never stopped her from pursuing what she wanted to do. the vocalist from the philippines learned french in just three years, and even came third in a national tv talent contest in france. she's in singapore this week for the true colours festival, involving artists with disabilities, and joins me soon. but before we speak to her, let's have a quick listen to her singing one of her own songs that she wrote in french. singing in french. birthday and some filipino folk songs. -- tunes. i like the song happy birthday. i have to give you a special treat. became popular because of a viral video when you saying at a shop. that opened a lot of doors for you. it opened many opportunities. how

did you enter this competition in france? you learn french in a few yea rs! france? you learn french in a few years! my passion for the french language started when i heard pief singing. isaid french language started when i heard pief singing. i said french had to be the next big thing in my life. i learned it by talking to my friends on line. 1of it by talking to my friends on line. 1 of them convinced me to try my luck on a french tv show. that is why i sent videos of me to the productions of france has got talent. can you sing me a few lines from la vien rose? beautiful. thank

you. i am getting goosebumps listening to you. what has been the reaction to your singing, especially in the philippines? has there been a difficulty being blind ? in the philippines? has there been a difficulty being blind? have there been any challenges performing? 0k, so, in the philippines, generally, the public is very appreciative. but iamjust the public is very appreciative. but i am just hoping that the media and people who are running the music industry, umm, they try to focus on, umm, my singing ability and not necessarily on my disability. and for those with disabilities, they have to believe in themselves that they can really do it and overcome they can really do it and overcome the challenges. and 1 of them, gaining so much international success ,

gaining so much international success, is andrea potchelli. he is 1ofmy success, is andrea potchelli. he is 1 of my musical influences. and she sang you a happy birthday song as well. happy birthday to use you. thank you so much, sharanjit leyl. i will turn a0 tomorrow. thank you so much, sharanjit leyl. i will turn 40 tomorrow. stay with us. wall street punches after the ta riffs wall street punches after the tariffs on china. —— plunges. wall street punches after the tariffs on china. -- plunges. and a few more pictures to look at. this isa few more pictures to look at. this is a poor pod of dolphines trapped when there was a freeze over in canada. some fast thinking locals came to their rescue by breaking up the ice. thursday was another pretty mild

day. a top temperature of 15.1 celsius in the north—east of scotland, making this the warmest day of the use so far for scotland. overnight, a series of weather fronts coming in from the west bringing outbreaks of rain. cloud and strengthening winds. by the end of the night into the early hours of friday, most of the rain will be confined to scotland and northern ireland and northern england. the weather fronts further south will have heavy rain and the odd speed and spot, mainly cloud. —— spit. a mild start to friday. heavy and persistent rain in the northern half of the country for friday. improving in the afternoon. cloud will move away and sunshine will appear to be away and sunshine will appear to be a few showers in the north and west of scotland. the far north—west of scotland, wet. single figure temperatures in the north. cool,

12-13 temperatures in the north. cool, 12—13 for england and wales. friday night. this feature in the south of the country will bring further rain into central and southern england. with more cloud cover, not so—called to start saturday. further north, temperatures around freezing. —— so cold. not looking bad for the weekend. sunshine. a few showers, most in the north. temperatures will be typicalfor this time most in the north. temperatures will be typical for this time of year. saturday, cloudy to start. damp in southern britain. outbreaks of rain confined to the south—east of england in the afternoon. the best of the brightness further north and west. temperatures ranging between 9,10, west. temperatures ranging between 9, 10, 11 for west. temperatures ranging between 9,10,11forthe west. temperatures ranging between 9, 10, 11 for the south. saturday night, that rain should eventually clear away from the south of the country. largely clear skies. continuing showers in scotland. many

will be wintry. a cool like to come. light winds. —— night to come. for degrees in towns and cities. a chilly start for saturday. sunday is the best day of the weekend. a few showers in the north. wintry in nature. it could be a touch more mild. 10— 13 degrees in the south. as we go through the new working week, temperatures begin to fall away. easter, importing cold wind and the risk of snow and a light frost. i'm sharanjit leyl with bbc world news. our top story: another sacking in the white house. president trump has named john bolton as his new national security adviser. he'll replace general hr mcmaster in the latest change in the administration's personnel. the prospect of a trade war between the us and china is looming. president trump has initiated punitive measures to counter the theft of intellectual property, while beijing has said it

will defend its interests. and this video is trending on bbc.com. tests have confirmed this small 15—centimetre long skeleton found in chile in the atacama desert in 2003 is not, as some believed, an alien. dna tests now confirm it belonged to a newborn indigenous girl with genetic mutations. that's all from me now. now on bbc news it's time for hardtalk.