welcome to bbc news — broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: history in the making — south korea says it's considering negotiating a peace treaty with the north. 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. wife of one president, mother to another. the former first lady of the united states, barbara bush, has died. she was 92. a passenger dies, another is almost sucked out of a plane window. a faultyjet makes an emergency landing in philadelphia. within the past few minutes, some breaking news

from the south korean capital, seoul. south korea's blue house — the presidential office — quoted by the reuters news agency, is saying that south korea is considering negotiating a peace treaty with north korea. let's go straight to seoul, and our correspondent laura bicker: it could be a very big moment.” it could be a very big moment. i can confirm that that is what the blue house has announced, that is the presidential palace. its spokesman has said that within these talks that will take place between north and south korea and, hopefully, between the us and north korea, they will be seeking a peace treaty. just to remind viewers, the korean war endedin to remind viewers, the korean war ended in 1953 but the two sides as technically still at war. they are

yet to sign a peace treaty, they have only signed an armistice to this point. what we are hearing from the blue house is that this is not something they will completely put on the table for kim jong and. they are potentially offering it as an incentive to give up his nuclear weapons. they are looking for a way to reward him for denuclearisation and they believe a peace treaty may be the way to do that. an important thing to note is that i mentioned the us would have to sign it. it could not just that the us would have to sign it. it could notjust that be between the north and south korea is. earlier today while president trump was speaking with the japanese prime minister, he said he would give his blessing to any peace treaty, to the end of tension between north korea and south korea. if it comes to it, it seems they have the blessing of president trump but the emphasis coming from here in seoul is that it isa coming from here in seoul is that it

is a long—term plan. a process. not something that will be immediately put on the table. north korea will have to give up its nuclear weapons for this to happen. there are all kinds of potential implications here. we will discuss or more in a moment that breaking news that has come through about relations between north korea and the us. but for nearly seven decades, have there been something like 30,000 us troops holding the line with the south korean military in south korea, against the north. when it comes to the presence of the troops here in south korea, it has angered north korea and angered china. it seems that if north korea is going to come to the table, perhaps one of the things they will demand it is the removal of either us troops or the us protective umbrella, the nuclear umbrella it puts overjapan and south korea. when it comes to

denuclearisation, many people are wondering exactly what kim jong on will mean. that will be the basis of these talks. next week, when president moonjae—in comes face—to—face with the north korean leader we will get a better idea. analyst believe that when kim jong—un says denuclearisation, he does not mean handing over his own weapons, he is talking also about it he is going to give up his, he wants the us to do so as well. it will be interesting to see exactly what north korea come to the table with and what they ask for in return. what we are hearing from south korea 110w what we are hearing from south korea now is that they are prepared to offer a peace treaty is, and only, north korea gives up its weapons we should remember the bigger picture. most analysts tell us that north korea and china, its main ally, really wa nt korea and china, its main ally, really want the us off the korean peninsula altogether. that is right. 0ne peninsula altogether. that is right. one of the demands they have made on

several occasions if they want rid of the presence of the united states here. is also worth noting that north korea has sent envoys and kim jong—un himself to beijing. they have sent envoys to moscow, so they are shoring up support ahead of any potential summit. they are doing their ground work so they know what they are going to go into the box with. south korea say they are dealing with north korea with clear rise. and then we bring in the united states into the picture and this extraordinary news in many of the us media that the cia direct visited north korea in a secret plan to sign meeting over the weekend. that tells us what america is doing in terms of who is leading their ground work for their summit and who is prepared to go ahead and do the ground work. not rely on south korea 01’ ground work. not rely on south korea

or north korea. there is an interesting alliance forming and an interesting alliance forming and an interesting amount of intelligence gathering going into the summit before anyone has sat down face—to—face at a table. in case you just joined us, case you justjoined us, let'sjust put some flesh on the bones of that. as you were hearing, the us president has confirmed that high—level talks between north korea and the us are already under way. the washington post has reported that mike pompeo, the current head of the cia and the nominees of the new secretary of state position, has made a secret visit to pyongyang over the easter weekend and met the north korean leader. reuters reports confirmation that independently from a senator. the us media are reporting that mike pompeo, the director of the cia, paid a secret visit to north korea

over easter to lay the groundwork for the summit. over easter to lay the groundwork forthe summit. mike over easter to lay the groundwork for the summit. mike pompeo had been nominated to become secretary of state. he met with kimjong—un one week later the white house said it had directly concerned that kim jong—un was willing to negotiate about the possibility of giving up his nuclear weapons. it seems to be this meeting that mr trump was referring to when he said that contact referring to when he said that co nta ct ha d referring to when he said that contact had been at the highest level. we have had talks at the highest level. well... a little short of that. but we have had high—level talks. it is going very well but we will see what happens. all of this has come to light as mr trump is hosting the japanese prime minister at his resort in west palm beach. prime minister are there was taken aback when he heard that president trump was preparing to meet kim jong—un and on the back of that announcement he asked for this visit so he could express his views and find out what mr trump was thinking and that he could be sure that the security interest of japan

would not be downplayed during a one—on—one meeting. he seems to be fairly satisfied with how things are gone so far, especially the promise to raise at any summit the issue of japanese citizens being abducted by north koreans which is an important domestic issue for the japanese. 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. 0ur 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 here, 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 have lost so much, and for those forced to flee, even the city they once called home. lyse doucet reporting from aleppo. and 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. 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. it's been revealed that the nerve agent used in the poisoning of former russian spy sergei skripal and his daughter was delivered in a liquid form. the uk's department for the environment said only a very small amount of the nerve agent was used. a massive clean—up operation is underway in the city of salisbury to decontaminate nine sites. it's likely to take several months and cost millions of dollars. starbucks is to close 8,000 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 former first lady, barbara bush, has died. she was 92 and was 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 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. 0ur north america correspondent, peter bowes, in los angeles says barbara bush shares a particular place in history. only the second woman to be married to a us president and to be the mother of a 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 members of theirfamily. and i think by 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 insiders reporting that she decided to decline further treatment and spend her last bit of time at home. she was still having conversations and bourbon, apparently — on sunday night. yes, she had a final tipple, apparently. she declined further medical care, she wanted to focus on comfort care in the final few days and really that also epitomises the woman — that was what she was all about. she wanted to be in control, she made that decision and that's 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,

military spouse and former first lady, she was an advocate for the american family." amongst her greatest achievements 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 unfailingly well." a statement coming in from bill clinton, he says, "barbara bush was a remarkable woman, she had grit and grace, brains and beauty, she was fierce and feisty and supported her family and her country and her causes. she showed us what an honest, vibrant person is full of life, hillary and i mourn her passing and bless her memory." 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. 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: history in the making. south korea says its considering with the north that would officially end the korean war 65 years after hostilities stopped. us transport authorities say one person has died on a southwest airlines plane after an engine exploded. a relative of one of those on board said a woman was partially sucked out of a window, which was pierced by debris from the engine. lebo diseko has the story. this is the southwest airlines plane forced to make an emergency landing after one of its engines exploded mid—air.

flight 1380 was on its way from new york to dallas when passengers described hearing a loud bang 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. an investigation is now under way. how unusual is it to have what we had today? it is very unusual. we're taking this event very seriously. this should not happen and we want to find out why it happened so we can make sure the preventative measures are put in place. 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, in treating 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 family is devastated and extends its deepest, heartfelt sympathy to all of those affected by this tragic incident. lebo diseko, bbc news. the porn actress who says she had an affair with donald trump 12 years ago has said she hopes to convince other women to confront those who've bullied or intimidated them. 0n the us tv network abc, stormy daniels said she and her family 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 mr 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. a group of scientists in china is taking the lead in the quest for the ultimate form of green energy, nuclear fusion. it could provide virtually limitless amounts of power without the waste created by existing nu clear rea cto rs . 0ur china correspondent, stephen mcdonell, has been to meet the team who've come closer than anyone else. it costs more than $15,000 a day just to turn on this machine

and it may hold the key to inexhaustible energy and, unlike existing nuclear reactors, with virtually no waste at all. many are trying to crack nuclear fusion, with only limited success, but nobody has come as far as this chinese team. the giant encased metal doughnut known as the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak, or by the acronym east, has been quietly breaking records and we've been given rare access to it. translation: fusion is going to require huge breakthroughs from scientists and engineers as well as a lot of financial backing from the government. existing reactors use nuclearfission, which splits an atom, leaving highly toxic radioactive waste that must be stored for tens of thousands of years. fusion instead joins two nuclei, and powerful magnets control the massive energy it creates. yet even these scientists can only deliver a stable reaction for around

100 seconds. when china's president xi jinping came, he wanted to know about the dangers of this technology. so we asked what they told him. translation: a fusion reactor is quite safe compared to a fission reactor. magnetic confinement is controllable fusion. i can shut down the power supply and it's perfectly safe, there won't be any nuclear disaster. now, when you come here and see this giant machine, it's still hard to believe that on the inside its being heated up to what's said to be four times the temperature of the sun's core, and that this can be sustained. now, admittedly, it's only for a very short time at the moment but every year it gets longer and longer.

and yet to be talking about goals which are ten times as long as what's being achieved now at temperatures of 100 million degrees celsius, it's frankly incredible. they hope to soon design a fully—fledged fusion test reactor capable of generating electricity, but it could still be decades till cities are lit up with this technology. stephen mcdonnel, bbc news, anhui province. a reminder of our top story: within the past few minutes, some breaking news from the south korean capital, seoul. south korea's blue house, the presidential office, quoted by the reuters news agency, is saying that south korea is considering negotiating a peace treaty with north korea. that's 65 years after full hostilities ended. that's it for now. thank you very much for watching. 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.

2a 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. 0therwise further east, clearer skies, lows of 9 or 10 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: south korea says it's considering negotiating a historic peace treaty with the north that would officially end the korean war, 65 years after hostilities stopped. the development follows president trump announcing high level talks are already under way with the north koreans prior to a proposed summit. syria's ambassador to the un has said a team of chemical weapons inspectors will be going within hours to the site in douma where western

countries say president assad's regime carried out a chemical gas attack nearly two weeks ago. the former first lady of the united states, barbara bush, has died. she was 92. mrs bush was the matriarch of a political dynasty — only the second woman to see her husband and son sworn in as american president. she had been in failing health for some time and had declined further medical treatment a few days ago. now on bbc news, hardtalk