welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is lewis vaughanjones. our top stories: the french president describes a police officer who swapped himself for a hostage during a supermarket siege as a hero. british officials search the london headquarters of the firm at the centre of the privacy row involving facebook data. the head of porton down military research centre dismisses russian suggestions it might have leaked the salisbury nerve agent. bump stocks — the devices that turn semiautomatic rifles into machine—guns — are to be banned in the us. and prince harry and his fiancee meghan markle head for a pub lunch on a visit to belfast. hello.

security forces in southern france have shot dead a man claiming allegiance to the islamic state group, after he killed at least three people and wounded 16 others in separate locations. the french president, emmanuel macron, says it was another terror attack on his country. he's praised the heroism of a police officer, who swapped himself for some hostages during a siege at a supermarket. lucy williamson reports. it wasn't a symbol that was attacked in trebes today. a local supermarket provided the only target necessary — people. special forces surrounded this provincial branch after a gunman burst in, shouting his allegiance to the jihadist group islamic state. translation: people were running everywhere. lots of them were wounded on the ground. our butcher was shot. translation: i took cover, but he saw me, he ran after me. i don't know if he had run out of bullets.

i managed to escape through an emergency exit. the gunman was named as 26—year—old moroccan—born redouane lakdim, known to police as a petty drug dealer, but not a violentjihadist. his motive the release of salah abdeslam, a key suspect in the november 2015 paris attacks, currently in jail in france. lakdim began by hijacking a car in carcassonne, killing a passenger and injuring its driver. then he shot and wounded a policeman — the bullet, passing three centimetres from his victim's heart. before heading to trebes, where he took several people hostage inside the supermarket, shooting two of them dead. with hundreds of police surrounding the building, one senior officer swapped himself for some of the hostages. unknown to the attacker, his mobile phone was connected to his colleagues, listening outside.

when lakdim began firing at him, special forces stormed the building and shot the gunman dead. the officer is now fighting for his life. france's interior minister, visiting the scene, called him a hero. president macron said he did honour to his office and his country, and that france had once again been the victim of islamist terrorism. translation: i invite all citizens to be aware of the seriousness of the terrorist threat. but also understand the strength and resilience of our people who have been attacked. tonight, police have raided the flat in carcassonne where redouane lakdim lived. one close associate has been taken into custody. this investigation, raising old unanswered questions about how to spot everyone at risk of radicalisation, and how to tackle a threat that strikes at random in every corner of france. president macron said today the threat had changed. where the risk was originally from places like syria and iraq, the risk was now from dangerous individuals inside france. the challenge is how to spot

them and tackle a threat that strikes at random in every corner of france. the president today said that the chain -- the president today said that the chain —— risk to front and change. the challenge is how to spot the risks, and how to tackle a threat that strikes at random in every corner of france. and for more on the french supermarket siege, head to our website. you'll also find plenty of background information on the gendarme being hailed as a hero, after volunteering to take the place of a hostage — that's all at bbc.com/news. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. president trump has signed a memorandum effectively banning most transgender people from serving in the us armed forces. but the document does give the military some leeway in implementing the policy.

the obama administration allowed tra nsgender military personnel to serve openly back in 2016. iran has condemned president trump's appointment ofjohn bolton as his new national security advisor. in the past, mr bolton has advocated military action against both iran and north korea. the appointment does not require us senate confirmation — and he'll take up the job on 9 april. officials from north korea have confirmed they will hold high—level talks next week with seoul, to discuss arrangements for an inter—korean summit. both koreas will each send a three—member delegation to the border truce village of panmunjom next thursday for talks aimed at paving the way for a summit in late april. thousands of pro—independence supporters in catalonia have clashed with police as they protested against the decision of a supreme courtjudge to prosecute 25 catalan leaders for rebellion,

embezzlement or disobeying the state. five of the leaders were detained, including the man nominated by pro—independence parties to head the catalonian government, jordi turull. a search operation is continuing at the london offices of cambridge analytica, the company at the centre of the facebook data privacy scandal. the british information commissioner is investigating allegations that the firm illegally harvested personal data from fifty—million facebook users to influence the last us presidential election. lebo diseko reports. a search of cambridge analytica. 18 enforcement officers working for the uk's information commissioner looking for documents, computers and anything else relating to information gained from the profiles of facebook users. this is where it all began — a british academic invented an app which invited facebook users to do a personality test. 300,000 downloaded it and it collected personal information

on them and all of their facebook friends, harvesting data on 50 million users. that data was obtained by the consultancy cambridge analytica in 2014 and it says it deleted that information years ago but it's been claimed it was used by the firm in its work for the trump election campaign, an allegation the company strenuously denies. it's called the media frenzy over the scandal distressing and says, "we in no way resemble the politically motivated "and unethical company that some have sought to portray." but the questions for both facebook and cambridge analytica remain. facebook says it's made changes to try and stop data breaches in future, but britain's information commissioner wants to know whether personal data was gained in an unauthorised way, if there was enough consent to share it and what was done to safeguard that information. for its part, cambridge analytica says it is committed

to helping that investigation. the director of britain's military research laboratory at porton down has dismissed russian suggestions that his facility was the source of the nerve agent that left a former russian spy and his daughter in a critical condition. scientists at the chemical defence unit have been analysing samples taken after the attack on sergei and yulia skripal in salisbury. 0ur security correspondent gordon corera was given special access to porton down and sent this report. it is one of the most sensitive and secret sites in the country. porton down, home to the defence science and technology lab, and now at the heart of the salisbury poisoning investigation. inside one of the labs, scientists demonstrated to us one of the many ways used to detect the presence of chemical agents. a call came here to porton down in the early hours of monday march the 5th.

within hours, a specialist response team was deployed down the road to salisbury. they collected samples that were brought back to laboratories at the site and which identified a military grade nerve agent. based on that, as well as other information, the government said it is highly likely that russia was responsible for poisoning sergei and yulia skripal. security at porton down is tight. russian diplomats have raised questions as to whether somehow nerve agent from here could have got out. that is something officials say is impossible. you know, we have the highest levels of controls of security around the work that we do here. we would not be allowed to operate if we had a lack of control that could result in anything leaving the four walls of the facility here. so, you know, we have complete confidence that there is nothing that could have come from here out into the wider world,

as it were. is it frustrating when you hear that kind of accusation? yes, it is a coincidence that it is down the road, that this has happened, it is very frustrating to hear that. everybody here knows that is just not true. they emphasise that the work here is purely defensive. chemical agents are pumped into this chamber to test how well the chemical suits given to soldiers stand up. there have been allegations in russia that a new chemical weapons factory is being built. but officials showed us the local planning application, saying what is being built here is actually going to be a facility for the analysis of explosives. what about the accusation that it's secret chemical warfare facilities here, or being built here? that is just nonsense. this is a defensive organisation and we know that the russians have been suggesting certain buildings are for making chemical warfare. that is just complete rubbish. this afternoon, the park bench in salisbury where sergei and yulia skripal were found was taken away. international inspectors from the 0pcw are now taking samples from the scene.

they are also working inside porton down itself to independently confirm its analysis, including the conclusions that point to russian involvement. well, european union leaders meeting in brussels said they're preparing co—ordinated measures against russia over the salisbury attack. in separate talks, they agreed guidelines for the next phase of the brexit negotiations, which will focus on trade and security. with more on that, here's our political editor, laura kuenssberg. they don't always look so pleased to see each other. the eu's chief negotiator grasping the prime minister's hand. today, the day when formally, finally, the stage right after brexit, the transition, was agreed. i welcome the fact that the eu council this morning has agreed

the details of the implementation period. this gives certainty to people and businesses. it gives them the clarity to plan for their future. i believe we are approaching this with a spirit of cooperation, a spirit of opportunity for the future as well. not much will change for nearly two years after we leave, but how closely will the uk hug the continent after? that is the next fight on the table, the next details to work out. "time is of the essence", the eu's most powerful voice said. "if the uk wants to leave the customs union and the single market, that means a free trade agreement", germany's angela merkel said. agreeing a buffer zone between leaving the eu and cutting off all ties was never in doubt today. but theresa may's argument also swayed eu leaders to turn up the pressure on russia, the union even pulling back its own ambassador here to brussels.

perhaps, after months of difficulties, britain's stock here is on the up. it's notjust the eu ambassador leaving moscow. other european countries say they will send russian diplomats back there in coordinated moves next week. but leaders here have been willing to walk the walk alongside britain, matching theresa may's stance in contrast to an awkward pause yesterday. the european union agrees with the uk government assessment that it is highly likely that the russian federation is responsible for this attack and that there is no other plausible explanation. despite the tough brexit negotiations, the european union has demonstrated unanimous and unequivocal unity with the uk in the face of this attack. we decided to call back our european ambassador in moscow.

this is an extraordinary measure — we never took it before. this time, although the uk is leaving the eu, the continent still stands together. the next 12 months could fray those alliances. then she will make this departure for the final time. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: meeting the dapchi girls freed from captivity. nigeria's president pledges the return of all those still held by boko haram. let there be no more wars or bloodshed between arabs and israelis. i'm so proud of you both. with great regret, the committee

have decided that south africa should be excluded from the 1970 competition. chanting. streaking across the sky, the white—hot wreckage from mir drew gasps from onlookers on fiji. woman: wow! this is bbc news. the latest headlines: security forces in france have shot dead a man claiming allegiance to the islamic state group after he killed at least three people in separate attacks.

officers from the uk information watchdog have been searching the headquarters of the firm at the centre of the privacy row involving facebook data. the us attorney general has announced plans to change gun laws which will effectively ban bump stocks. the devices can modify a semiautomatic rifle to fire like a machine gun. the move is in response to last october's mass shooting by a gunman at a hotel in las vegas which left 58 people dead and more than 800 injured. our correspondent peter bowes is in los angeles. he said the climate on gun control seemed to be changing. well, it is significant in that it is something and it is what a lot of the complainers, a lot of the stu d e nts the complainers, a lot of the students especially who took to the streets after the florida school shooting had been calling for an shortly after that shooting, in

fa ct, shortly after that shooting, in fact, president trump himself said that he would take action regarding bump stocks, he did the authorities in washington to look at it and we have now just heard in washington to look at it and we have nowjust heard as you say that the attorney—general has announced that bump stocks will effectively be banned. they will be categorised as the same as a machine—gun. machine—guns have been banned for many years for use by the general public. now, there is a short 90 day consultation period before public comment on this but it seems inevitable that bump stocks will be banned which, as i say, is what many people want, although a lot of those people want, although a lot of those people we have been seeing on the streets, and many more people on the streets, and many more people on the streets of washington later, they wa nt streets of washington later, they want things to go much further than this. i want to pick you up on that much later, tell us, what is it and what actually are those hundreds of thousands of people, if they do turn up thousands of people, if they do turn up in washington, what are they actually hoping to achieve in concrete terms? have a bump stocks change in the law, what else would they want to see happen?”

change in the law, what else would they want to see happen? i think they want to see happen? i think they want to see happen? i think they want to see semiautomatic weapons in themselves targeted and make it much more difficult for people to get hold of these weapons. i think that is something concrete. i think that is something concrete. i think overall they want to draw attention to this issue like never before and i think that will be the big significance of the day that we will have hundreds of thousands of people, many young people, students from around the country, converging on the capital to make a point about this issue that really goes to the heart of the american constitution for many people, that's right that a given right as some people see it to bare arms. it is challenging the fundamental belief of so many americans in a way which we have not seen on americans in a way which we have not seen on a mass scale so yes, americans in a way which we have not seen on a mass scale so yes, there are specific in terms of what they wa nt are specific in terms of what they want but i think it is drawing attention to the issue that will be so attention to the issue that will be so significant about this day. at least 15 people are reported

to have been killed and many more injured in a suicide attack in the afghan province of helmand. the explosion took place at a sports event in the town of laskar gah. harvey biggs reports. the aftermath of a deadly car bomb attack in afghanistan's helmand province. a vehicle packed with explosives blew up outside a sports stadium in lashkar gah as spectators were leaving a wrestling match. local authorities say the suicide bomber attempted to go inside the stadium but was stopped by police and detonated his explosives. the blast was very intense. the children were also killed. and, uh, several were children. the bomber, er, the bombing of this bomb has not yet claimed responsibility, up to the taliban or also to isis. the wrestling match was part of celebrations for nowruz, the persian new year holiday considered by some fundamentalist muslims as unislamic. the attack caps a bloody week in afghanistan. on wednesday, 33 people were killed

and 65 wounded in a suicide bombing in kabul — the fifth bomb attack in the capital in recent weeks. the group calling itself islamic state has claimed responsibility. there are fears the situation will only get worse as both is and the taliban ramp up attacks ahead of the official start of what has become known as the spring fighting season. afghanistan's president, meanwhile, has condemned this latest attack against innocent people. once again, it is they who are paying the heaviest price for the country's unrest. harvey biggs, bbc news. the nigerian president, muhammadu buhari, has told schoolgirls released by the islamist group boko haram that they should pursue their dreams without fear. most of the girls were abducted from their school in dapchi last month. mayenijones reports. fed and cleaned up ahead of their meeting with president buhari, these girls have come a long way in a few short days. the scene is reminiscent of the release of 82 chibok girls

almost a year ago. that release, in may 2017, also caused controversy as commentators speculated on how the government was able to secure their liberation. mr buhari, clearly aware of the parallels, had a message for the families of chibok. i want to appeal to the chibok community never to lose hope or to despair. we are determined, as never before, to bring back our remaining chibok daughters, and this we must accomplish. but there are still girls missing. there is no confirmation of the death of five of the girls and a sixth girl, believed to be the only christian in the group, is still in custody after refusing to renounce her faith. back in dapchi, her relatives are anxious for her return. among the kids that was abducted in dapchi, she was the only christian lady and, to my surprise, she is the only one they've left behind.

so i'm urging people and the federal government, please, to do something better, to return this girl back to her parents. but they are also defiant, refusing to be cowered by those who abducted their daughter. i have a message for her — that she needs to keep on being a faithful christian. she should never, never denounce christianity, no matter what the suffering is. president buhari has said he is as committed to freeing the girl who remains in captivity as he was to her peers. he has also asked security forces to ensure no future abductions take place but after two major mass kidnappings, it is unclear how they will avoid another one from happening. a rescue operation to try and save a large group of whales who became stranded on a beach in western australia has come

to an end. all but six of the 150 short—finned pilot whales have died, despite the efforts of conservation officers at hamelin bay. it came nine years to the day after the last mass stranding at the same spot. europe's most active volcano, mount etna, is sliding towards the sea at a rate of 14mm a year. a british—led research team that studied the sicilian mountain says there's no immediate danger, but there's a risk of a major collapse of etna's leading flank at some point in the future. prince harry and his fiancee meghan markle have spent the day in northern ireland. they were shown a peace—building initiative im county antrim and enjoyed a pub lunch in belfast. as our royal correspondent sarah campbell reports, the trip is one of a string of public engagements ahead of their wedding in may. the audience could not quite believe who was walking in. prince harry and meghan markle

surprised thousands of youngsters gathered at the site of the former maze prison, all there to help promote peace between their communities, part of an initiative launched by harry on a visit here last september. and then to lunch in one of belfast‘s best—known pubs. are you closed or not? we are open for you today! on the menu, irish stew, washed down with a little liquid refreshment, of course. meghan had a half a guinness and a half of the mourne mountain gold ale to sample with her lunch. where are you from? i'm from here. i can tell. from belfast. fed and watered, the couple brought their now familiar hands—on approach to their royal walkabout. these visits have partly been about introducing ms markle to the people, but also about giving her a greater understanding of the uk — the place she has chosen to call home.

cardiff injanuary and mini harry and meghan gave their namesakes welsh love spoons. in london, they took part in a broadcast on a community radio station. and in edinburgh, a close encounter with a shetland pony. rain today in belfast, the final uk capital city left for meghan to visit, in her continuing journey from california girl to wife of a british prince. sarah campbell, bbc news, belfast. visitors to a dinosaur theme park in colorado literally saw a giant model tyrannosaurus rex blow its top as it burst into flames. the model started smouldering before being destroyed by the flames. it's thought the fire was caused by an electrical fault. no—one was injured in the incident. it is now extinct. this is bbc news. hello there.

this weekend is looking better than last weekend. certainly much warmer and on sunday, we should see good spells of sunshine. a bit cloudy on saturday, and the reason for the cloud through saturday is because of this feature — this deep area of low pressure running into the south of the uk. further north, though, it should be clearer and as a result, it's going to be a colder start to saturday. the cloud will be thick enough, outbreaks of rain across england and wales. the odd heavier bursts across wales, central southern parts of england with quite a breeze blowing there for cornwall and devon. so where we have the cloud to start saturday morning, it should be milder — 5—7 degrees, but cold. scotland, northern ireland with clear skies and a touch of frost. so for the weekend, then, we should see some good spells of sunshine, especially on sunday. there will be some showers around and temperatures will be around the seasonal average. so this is the picture then through saturday morning. a grey start for england and wales as that area of low pressure continues to move south—eastwards. for scotland and northern ireland, though, you will have the best of the sunshine.

a few showers pushing into the north—west of scotland. these will be wintry over the high ground and the cloud will be thick enough crossing wales for the odd spot of light rain or drizzle, and some mist and murk, too. temperature—wise, 9—11 celsius across the south. during saturday night as that area of low pressure starts to pull away, it will take the cloud with it, too. it'll become confined to the south—east corner of england. so here where we have the cloud, by the end of the night, it should still be fairly mild — temperatures above freezing, certainly. elsewhere, it's going to be a chilly night with a touch of frost around. we start sunday, then, on a really chilly note for many. a touch of frost around but bright, crisp sunshine across many central and northern areas. eventually, the cloud will clear away from east anglia and the south—east, so the sunshine will make an appearance here later in the morning and into the afternoon. so a better—looking day across the board. again, a few showers for the north and the west of scotland, these will be wintry over the hills. but with more sunshine around, and light winds, too, temperatures a bit higher there —

12 or 13 celsius. now, a ridge of high pressure which brings the fine weather on sunday moves away eastwards, and then we look at this feature running in off the atlantic into western areas. it will bring stronger winds, too, as the day wears on. monday starts off again cold but bright. plenty of sunshine. central and eastern areas stay dry all day but then the cloud begins to increase and outbreaks of rain pushing to northern ireland and into western parts of britain, along with the strengthening breeze as well. some rain could be quite heavy. temperature—wise, again, nine to 11 or 12 degrees celsius. again, fairly mild where we have some sunshine. things are set to change as we move deep on into the week. colder air moves down from the north and the run—up to easter looks like we could see a little bit of sleet and snow. this is bbc news. the headlines: the french president, emmanuel macron, has said a police officer who swapped himself for a hostage during a supermarket siege is "fighting for his life" in hospital. three people were killed and 16 injured in three separate attacks. officers working for the uk information commissioner are searching the headquarters

of cambridge analytica in london. the company is at the centre of a data privacy row concerning 50 million facebook users. the united states attorney general, jeff sessions, has announced plans to amend gun laws and effectively ban bump stocks. these devices can make a semiautomatic rifle fire like a machine gun. they were used in last october's shooting in las vegas, in which 58 people were killed. a lorry driver has been jailed for 1h years for causing the deaths of 8 people in a crash on the m1 last year. he was over the drink—drive limit and had stopped his vehicle on the inside lane when he was involved in the crash with a minibus