welcome to bbc news. broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: wife of one president, mother to another. the former first lady of the united states, barbara bush has died — she was 92. president trump admits high level talks are already underway with pyongyang, there are unconfirmed reports that a senior us official met the north korean leader over easter. syria says international weapons inspectors are at the scene of the suspected chemical attack in douma. american officials say the experts are still being kept away from the site. it's been announced that the former first lady, barbara bush — has died. she was 92, the wife of president george bush and mother of president george w bush.

she was married to george senior for 73 years, and during her years in the white house set up a foundation for family literacy, helping parents and children of disadvantaged americans to read and write. in her early years, she also spoke out against segregation and backed a more liberal view on abortion rights. laura trevelyan looks back at her life. barbara bush was a commanding matriarch. only the second woman in american history to be both the wife of a president and the mother of one. she was married to the 41st occupant of the white house and raised the a3rd. born barbara pierce, she met george hw bush at a school dance and they were married in 1945 after his service as a navy pilot in world war ii. barbara was credited with helping his political career by keeping a cardfile of everyone he ever met. it all paid off when george hw bush was elected, first vice president to ronald reagan and then president. the office of president

of the united states... barbara wore her trademark pearls at his inauguration, confiding they hid the wrinkles in her neck. it was this honesty that helped endear her to the american public. as first lady she focused on promoting literacy, helping the most disadvantaged americans. if more people who can read, write and comprehend, we would be that much closer to solving so many of the problems that plague our nation. during the first gulf war in 1990, barbara bush spoke for the nation in calling for a speedy end to the conflict. we are all wishing for peace. we want our people home. when her son george w bush decided to run for president, barbara was back in the spotlight once again. after his two terms in office, she was regretting the lack of civility in public life. i just hate it. i hate the fact that people think compromise is a dirty word. it is not a dirty word. by the time her sonjeb made his unsuccessful run for president in 2016,

barbara bush was a national icon. barbara bush was smart, tough and often plainspoken. an influentialfigure in a political dynasty. our north america correspondent peter bowes is in los angeles. with abigail adams, she shares a particular place in history. only the second woman to be married to a us president and to be a mother of a us president and to be a mother of a us president. abigail adams, many yea rs us president. abigail adams, many years ago, the wife ofjohn adams, the second us president. barbara bush quite a unique character and i think she certainly epitomised the notion of a family matriarch, a strong woman at the heart of the bush family. she was really a rock

in that family, advising her husband, her son, other in that family, advising her husband, herson, other members in that family, advising her husband, her son, other members of theirfamily. and husband, her son, other members of their family. and i husband, her son, other members of theirfamily. and i think i many accounts, getting her own way, often times she was the person who laid the law down in that family and was very much respected for it. family inside is reporting that she decided to decline further treatment and spend her last bit of time at home. she was still having conversations and urban, apparently on sunday night. yes, she had a finaltip and urban, apparently on sunday night. yes, she had a final tip of —— tipple. she declined further medical care and wanted to focus on comfort ca re medical care and wanted to focus on comfort care in the final few days and really not that epitomises the woman, that was what she was all about. she wanted to be in control, she made that decision and that is how she wanted to spend her final few days. there have been a lot of tributes already, as you might expect to this great woman. president trump leading those tributes, he said, issuing a

statement on behalf of himself and the first lady, joining the nation in celebrating the life of barbara bush as a wife, grandmother, former spouse and former first lady was an advocate for the american family. among her greatest achievement was recognising the importance of literacy as a fundamental family value that requires nurturing and protection. she will be long remembered, he says, for her strong devotion to country and family, both of which she served unfavourably well. a statement coming in from bill clinton, he says barbara bush was a remarkable woman, she had gripped and grace, reigns and beauty, she was fears and feisty and supported her family and beauty, she was fears and feisty and supported herfamily and an her country and her causes. she said showed us what an honest, vibrant person is full of life, uri and i mourn her passing. —— hillary and i. on the line is bradley blakeman, who was a friend

of barbara bush and her husband for 35 years. he was also in the bush senior administration. how will she be remembered?” how will she be remembered? i think she will be remembered as a consummate second and third lady. she had a mission and that was to support her husband but also to support her husband but also to support literacy at home and around the world, making sure that child is —— children and results could —— adults could read and write. she was adults could read and write. she was a lady of principle and she cared. she cared about her family, she cared about her political family and she can about the american family. i think what we saw with mrs bush is what you got. she was the same person through the years that i knew her and person through the years that i knew herandi person through the years that i knew her and i think the american people came to appreciate how genuine and real she was. she was the epitome of the family matriarch, apart from what her husband ‘s achieve —— husband achieved. five children, 17

grandchildren. yes, she was the grandma, the great—grandmother, she was a mom to us on the roads. she would raise us for what we did right and scold us when we did wrong. —— praise it. what would you say to her causes? a political journey involved. in her early years she was quite a liberal. she was but i think she came to realise that the republican principles of left government and more opportunity for individuals really is something that she took a hold of. she also realised that she wasn't the person you are at it, that her husband and her son were elected, the other son was the governor of florida and a grandson held a position in texas. this is misunderstood that her place was to support the elected officials the best she could, she did that

brilliantly. just personally, in a family setting, what was she like to be around? she wasjust somebody who cared for others. it was never about her. it was always about the president, it was always about people other than herself. she didn't like people to make a fuss. she will call you over and say it did you get something to eat today? would you like anything? and here we are seeing her as a support staff and yet she was worried about whether you are eating right or got enough sleep. i would get notes from her all the time, just being appreciative of what we do. her all the time, just being appreciative of what we dolj her all the time, just being appreciative of what we do. i know you have lost a friend of 35 years standing, thank you very much for talking to us right now. my pleasure, take care. michaeljohns is a former speech writerfor george bush and hejoins me from philadelphia.

what are your memories of barbara bush? her legacy is extraordinary, this family that she was surrounded by until the very end and the impact that she had obviously on her husband, was really the only relationship that she had in her life. i think she used to joke as i recall, that he was the first man she kissed and 87 decades plus marriage with him and obviously five extraordinarily successful children, two of whom i think are well—known to the world and of whom are less known. they are equally successful in their own right. less known is the fact that they lost a child to leukaemia at the age of three, very emotionally devastating understandably. she spoke about that in very moving terms of. she was an unpretentious woman, i think for

someone unpretentious woman, i think for someone who was first lady of the country. she defended herself by wearing thick pearls, she loved her spaniel, who she included in her official portrait, as i recall. she championed this idea of literacy, which i think all of us would have subconsciously knew was an important issue but honestly didn't have a lot of people out front that were really speaking to get at the time and it was a moment that the united states was a moment that the united states was trying to continue to focus on the importance of reading and learning and she brought a great deal of attention to that issued at a critical moment, just like her predecessor did to the war on drugs and saying no to drugs in the administration before her. we have been reporting in her earlier years she spoke out against segregation and backed a more liberal view on abortion rights, quite apart from

the causes she fought in her own right. there were enormous events swirling around her, the first iraq, the iran—contra scandal.” swirling around her, the first iraq, the iran-contra scandal. i think the extraordinary pressure of the presidency requires a spouse that is equally strong. and she certainly was that for george bush. and importantly, forgotten is the fact that george bush didn't have a public life as bryce, vice president and had an important career and importantjobs and had an important career and important jobs before that, and had an important career and importantjobs before that, a member of congress, an ambassador to china and had been in the cia. really, over multiple decades he held some high positions in the us and she was standing by him throughout that. do you have personal memories of her? it was one of warmth, caring and her

authenticity. often authenticity is sometimes missing but this was a real woman who came as advertised. and she was strong, but she never really lost her core values and focus. she was an intriguing woman. off the beaten path, in some ways. i think i can recall that even though she attended the more elite colleges of the united states, she actually did, tooka of the united states, she actually did, took a job in a factory over the summer and some of herfamily we re the summer and some of herfamily were questioning that, but she was a woman who felt comfortable around anyone and everyone. and she obviously brushed shoulders with some of the most powerful people of the world of that generation, but also with everyday americans and

doing an important job also with everyday americans and doing an importantjob of first lady. thank you so much for sharing all of that with us. high level talks are already underway between north korea and the united states, according to president trump — although contrary to earlier reports, it now seems the president himself has not spoken with kim jung—un. the washington post is claiming that mike pompeo — current head of the cia and mr trump's nominee to be the new us secretary of state — made a secret visit to pyongyang over the easter weekend, and did meet the north korean leader. the reuters news agency reports confirmation of that from a senior american official. in a moment, our correspondent barbara plett usher. first, this is what mr trump said a short time ago. we've had talks at the highest level. let's leave it a little short of that we have had talks at the highest level. we will see what happens. there was some confusion about what

he was actually saying, he at one point responded to a barra shopper report is a question —— reporters questions with the asset yes. one of those questions was you speak to recoup the kim jong—un? those questions was you speak to recoup the kimjong—un? the those questions was you speak to recoup the kim jong—un? the white house later clarified he had misunderstood the question and clarify that he hadn't spoken directly to anyone but there had been comedic age and at the highest level. and now we have a report from the washington post, which is quoting two anonymous sources, saying that the cia director paid a secret visit to north korea at the easter weekend to lay the groundwork for the forthcoming summit and he did visit and meet kim jong—un. it is notable that about a week after that white house made a public that kimjong—un had that white house made a public that kim jong—un had directly confirmed that he was willing to talk about denuclearisation, putting that on the agenda. it seems according to

the agenda. it seems according to the report that that did come in a face—to—face conversation with the cia director, who of course has been nominated to be secretary of state and is waiting to be confirmed as such. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: stormy daniels speaks out again. the porn actress reveals a sketch of the man she says threatened her to keep quiet about having sex with donald trump. the pol pot, one of the century's greatest mass murderers, is reported to have died of natural causes. he and the khmer rouge movement he led were responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million cambodians. there have been violent protests in indonesia, where playboy has gone on sale for the first time. traditionalist muslim leaders have expressed disgust. the magazine's offices have been attacked and its editorial staff have gone into hiding.

it was clear that paula's only contest was with the clock, and as for a sporting legacy, paula radcliffe's competitors will be chasing her new world—best time for years to come. quite quietly, but quicker and quicker, she is seenjust to slide away under the surface and disappear. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: the former first lady of the united states, barbara bush, has died aged 92. she was the wife of one president and mother to another. president trump admits high level talks are already under way with pyongyang. there are unconfirmed reports that a senior us official met the north korean leader over easter. syrian state tv is reporting that an international chemical weapons inspection team

has arrived in douma — the town east of damascus where it's alleged a gas attack killed dozens of people. western powers believe president assad's forces were behind the attack, which triggered missile strikes by britain, france and the us in response. our chief international correspondent lyse doucet is in aleppo, where official celebrations for syria's national day are underway. aleppo's ancient ramparts now a monument to president assad's staying power. once in rebel hands, once the scene of the war‘s worst fighting, which divided the city and cost so many lives. now, for the government, a site of celebration, chosen notjust to mark syria's independence, but to show the world the war is going its way. i could not stand here, you could not stand here, we would have been sniped or beheaded. and this is... look, look, it became,

you know, normal again. tonight, inside this fortress, soldiers strike up national anthem to a crowd of syrian elite and invited guests, some from abroad. entertained by songs and dance of a syria gone by. a syria from before the war. stirring old emotions and defiance too. translation: it's a big celebration for aleppo and all syria. we are very happy and celebrating this day. you can see the people around you, we are the winners. god protect the president. translation: we are celebrating two things, our independence and surviving the air strikes, through the leadership of bashar al—assad. tonight, government supporters rally around theirflag, their president. in a city where so many lost

so much, and for those forced to flee, even the city they once called home. lyse doucet reporting from aleppo. you can keep up to date with the investigation into the alleged chemical weapons attack on douma on the bbc website. we look at the challenge for the international inspectors, so many days after the attack. that's all at bbc.com/news, or download the bbc news app. us transport authorities are saying one person has died after a jet engine failed on a southwest airlines plane. a relative of one of those on board said a woman was "partially sucked out" of a window after it was pierced by debris from the engine. lebo diseko has more. this is the southwest airlines plane forced to make an emergency landing after one of its engines exploded mid—air. the flight was on its way from new york to dulles when passengers described hearing allowed wang as the left engine blew up.

moments later, shrapnel from that engine smashed a window. eyewitnesses say one woman was partially sucked out of it. crew members eventually managed to land the plane at philadelphia airport. the investigation is now under way. there were 144 passengers and five crew members on board. certainly, we do know that there have been injuries and we would like to offer our condolences to all of those who have been affected by this, by this event. seven people were treated at the scene by emergency services. our members went on board the aircraft and went into service, and again, our medics did what they do many times a day, and treated the people on board that aircraft, and one of those folks was transferred to the hospital in a very rapid manner. southwest airlines has confirmed that one person has died. it says

the entire southwest airlines families devastated and extends its deepest, heartfelt sympathy to all of those affected by this tragic incident. lebo diseko, bbc news. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. the us drug enforcement administration is to limit the amount of opioids that can be manufactured by drug—makers each year, in a further attempt to tackle a deadly epidemic that has plagued the country. it follows legal action taken by the state of west virginia over drug manufacturing quotas. there was a 30% rise in opioid overdoses in the us in 2017. the rise in the number of reported cases of sexual abuse against children in india has been described as a "national emergency" by the country's nobel laureate, kailash satyarthi. there's been protests across india after reports of a series of child rape cases over the last ten days. a report by mr satyarthi's foundation says more than 100,000 such cases are pending in the indian courts. official figures show nearly 19,000 child rape cases were registered in 2016.

the french president has made a passionate appeal for the european union to defend liberal values. speaking in strasbourg, emmanuel macron said the continent seems to be in the midst of a civil war, with democracy on one side and rising authoritarianism on the other. starbucks is going to close 8000 of its cafes in the us for a day next month to train 175,000 staff members in racial awareness. the move follows protests over the arrest last week of two black men at a cafe in philadelphia. they were waiting to meet friends but staff called in the police, alleging trespass when the pair refused to leave. the porn actress who says she had an affair with donald trump 12 years ago has said she hopes that by going public, she can convince other women to confront those who've bullied or intimidated them. interviewed on abc television, stormy daniels said she, her husband and young daughter were tired of being threatened. katty kay reports.

i'm sorry, i'm done. i'm done being bullied. meet stormy daniels, a porn star, allegedly an erstwhile mistress of donald trump, and now prime antagonist of the 45th president of the united states. she was composed, articulate and confident. stormy went on mid—morning talkshow tv today to explain her 2006 relationship with donald trump. that's the other thing i want to, like, make very clear. it was not prostitution, because there was absolutely no solicitation, no agreement and no money exchanged. this woman is now in the eye of an almighty legal storm over whether mr trump's personal lawyer, michael cohen, violated campaign finance laws when he paid her $130,000 shortly before the 2016 election. and because this colourful cast of characters wouldn't be complete without a tv host, enter the news that one sean hannity, fox news anchor and number one trump supporter,

has now also been revealed as a client of mr cowen. michael cohen never represented me in any legal matter. i never retained his services, i never received an invoice. i've never paid michael cohen for legal fees. i did have occasional brief conversations with michael cohen, he's a great attorney, about legal questions i had or i was looking for input and perspective. it's all very cosy, except that ms daniels claims she and her young daughter was threatened by a man she says looked like this, threatened not to reveal her affair with donald trump. he looked at my daughter and ijust remember him saying, like, "oh, it's a beautiful little girl, it would be a shame if something happened to her mum." we don't know the legal implications of this appearance, but mr trump would be wise not to underestimate this woman. the former first lady barbara bush has died.

she was 92, the wife of president george bush and mother of president george w bush. she was married to george senior for 73 years, and during her years in the white house set up a foundation for family literacy. in her early years, she also spoke out against segregation and backed a more liberal view on abortion rights. she had five children, 17 grandchildren and seven great—grandchildren. the washington post is claiming that mike pompeo — current head of the cia and mr trump's nominee to be the new us secretary of state — made a secret visit to pyongyang over the easter weekend, and did meet the north korean leader. reuters news agency reports confirmation of that from a senior american official. more on that to come. more on all the news any time for you on the bbc website. that is it canal. thank you very much for watching. —— for now. hello there, good morning.

the temperature on tuesday was just over 20 celsius in dorset but temperatures are going to rise higher than that over the next few days. this was the scene in cambridgeshire, where we enjoyed a good deal of sunshine and warmth as well but with more sunshine, and the winds becoming lighter and pushing away the rain, the temperatures will be rising even higher. and talking of rain, there was some of that on tuesday across some western parts of the uk. wales was quite cloudy, some rain from to time. it came from that band of cloud there. that has been weakening, and the rain petering out as the cloud has thinned. but this is the thicker area of cloud and that is heading its way northwards and taking rain back across ireland, some heavier rain in northern ireland early in the morning, spots of rain through the irish sea. it all clears up towards the north—west of scotland, allowing more and more sunshine to develop widely. the winds still southerly, not as strong. it will feel warmer and temperatures will be a shade higher. 18 in the central belt. 24 or even 25 now in the south—east of england.

still that rain towards the north—west of scotland, could come back into northern ireland, western scotland for a while overnight, then that tends to peter out. we're left with cloud through the irish sea, a little bit misty here as well. otherwise further east, clearer skies, lows of 9 or ten degrees. that band of cloud there is a very weak weather front. it is more a band of cloud but even across northern ireland and scotland, that cloud should break up. still rather misty and cool around some of these western coasts, so not quite the sunny skies here. widely getting into the high teens in scotland and northern ireland. inland england and wales, low 20s. 26 possible in the south—east of england. that's probably the peak of the heat on thursday. the really high temperatures get pushed away into central europe. we start to get more of an influence from the atlantic. so instead of the southerly, we're picking up more of a west to south—westerly. still a warm day, though, on friday. and a lot of dry weather too. maybe some showers coming into the north—west of scotland but otherwise some good spells of sunshine around and those temperatures, just a little bit

lower than they're likely to be on thursday but still pleasant in the sunshine. this time, it could be rather misty around the coasts in the english channel and around some north sea coasts as well. high pressure building in across the uk. going to keep these weather fronts at bay for the time being. so the fine weather continues into saturday. again, some areas of misty low cloud in the morning perhaps. that should tend to break up more in the afternoon, allowing the sunshine to develop more widely. temperatures a little bit lower by this stage, mind you. the air‘s not quite as warm, but it's still going to be a warm one for the london marathon on sunday. this is bbc news. the headlines: the former us first lady, barbara bush has died, aged 92. mrs bush, was the matriarchalfigure of a political dynasty as the only woman to have seen her husband and son sworn in as us president. she had been in failing health for some time and had declined further medical treatment. president trump says high

level talks are already underway with pyongyang. mr trump did not specify who was involved in the talks, but there are unconfirmed reports that the director of the cia, mike pompeo met kimjong—un on a secret visit to north korea at easter. it's hoped a summit will take place by earlyjune. the syrian ambassador to the un says an inspection team from the chemical weapons watchdog will go to the site in douma