welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: president trump says maximum pressure will continue on north korea until it ends its nuclear programme there's a bright path available to north korea when it achieves denuclearisation, in a complete and verifiable and irreversible way. cu ba's national assembly names miguel diaz—canel as the next president, ending the castro era. air safety officials investigate the death of a passenger who was almost sucked out of a plane window in mid—air. trouble in paradise. the philippines government shuts down an entire island because of growing environmental issues. president trump and japan's prime minister have presented a united

front on north korea, both saying maximum pressure must be maintained, they hope pyongyang will agree to nuclear disarmament. at a press conference after talks at the president's florida resort, mr trump also promised to press the north korean leader to send home japanese citizens abducted in the 1960s and ‘70s. but prime minister abe, under severe political pressure at home, has not got the concessions on trade that he needed from the american president. president trump said he was hopeful his planned summit with kim jong—un would be a success but suggested he was prepared for things to go wrong. if i think that it's a meeting that is not going to be fruitful, we're not going to go. if the meeting, when i'm there, is not fruitful, i will respectfully leave the meeting, and we'll continue what we're doing, or whatever it is that will continue, but something will happen.

so i like always remaining flexible, and we'll remain flexible here. i've gotten it to this point. president moon of south korea was very generous when he said if it weren't for donald trump, the olympics would have been a totalfailure. it was my involvement and the involvement of our great country that made the olympics a very successful olympics. if you look at ticket sales prior to what took place with respect to north korea, it was going to be a big problem, and it turned out to be a very successful olympics. so we've gotten us here, and i think we're going to be successful. but if for any reason ifeel we're not, we end. as you heard, mr trump was full of praise for himself for his role in the success of south korea's olympics. japan's prime minister, like the south korean leader, seems to have decided that complimenting mr trump is the best

way to keep his attention. mr abe praised the president's policy towards pyongyang. translation: the situation surrounding north korea, due to the decisive decision by president trump on the first ever us—north korea summit, is at a historical turning point. the past mistakes should never be repeated. on this point, president trump and i were in full agreement. the bbc‘s barbara plett—usher is in florida near the president's mar—a lago resort where the talks were held. i think what we saw there on the issue of north korea, these two allies very much in lockstep, which would have been a relief for shinzo abe. i think he got quite a strong statement from president trump that the united states was committed to japan's defence,

that the americans would not release or ease their sanctions or provide any concessions to north korea until there were concrete results from talks. these are things that shinzo abe wanted to nail down, and i think he got them. and otherwise, in terms of north korea, you saw quite an effusive and prolonged statement by mr trump about the abduction of the japanese citizens, that he would really raise this in the summit, and he spoke about it at some length. so again, that was for mr abe's benefit, because, of course, that's important back home. so again, the two men came out sounding like they were pretty much on the same page. and in that regard, mr abe said that if the line was held on everything, and if they could get movement on these talks, thenjapan might be ready to open up diplomatic relationships with north korea at some point. and he called the summit an historic turning point, so he also very much supported mr trump and his move at this stage. our correspondent in tokyo, rupert wingfield—hayes,

says there is suspicion injapan about north korea's motivations for nuclear disarmament. mr abe appears to have got some of the assurances that he was seeking from president trump onjapan‘s concerns, particularly on sanctions against north korea and on this abductees issue. mr abe is very much playing catchup here. he was very much taken by surprise when president trump made the surprise announcement that he was going to hold a summit with the north korean leader, kim jong—un. up until then, japan had been supporting very strongly president trump's strong stance, his threats of military action and ever—tightening sanctions against north korea, then the us president really took a iso—degree turn suddenly and it left japan feeling left on the sidelines, unconsulted, even uninformed about what was going on. so mr abe is playing catchup on what is going on, we've seen in his press conference today him praising mr trump

for his strong diplomacy, and i have to say that here in tokyo there is strong suspicion about north korea's motives, and i think concern that america and south korea are being drawn into a process that is to north korea's advantage, that it's playing for time while it continues its nuclear programme. great suspicion here particularly in the foreign ministry and amongst experts on north korea. and on trade, rupert, mr abe has not got what he wanted from mr trump, nor what he needed politically? no, and this again is a big problem for mr abe. he has tied himself very closely to president trump, he's invested a lot in their personal relationship. that's not very popular here injapan, mr trump is not a popularfigure here injapan. prime minister abe had no choice but to do that and, of course, was expecting some sort of payoff in return on the issue

of trade, he has not got that. mr trump is playing to his domestic us constituency, he has promised that he would do something about these huge trade deficits with countries like japan and china and that is his priority. and despite this close and apparently real friendship between the two leaders, mr abe has been left out again. these tariffs against japanese steel and aluminium exports have not been dropped and that was definitely what mr abe was hoping for, and he's sort of now been drawn into discussing the possibility of a bilateral trade deal betweenjapan and the united states, and that is something that again japan absolutely does not want. it wants america to come back into the trans—pacific partnership, which japan is currently leading after president trump left it last year. cu ban officials have announced a replacement for president raul castro, who's stepping down and ending six decades of rule by his family. the new leader will be the current vice president, miguel diaz—canel. raul castro will stay on as the head

of the communist party and is expected to remain a powerful influence. our correspondent, will grant, reports from havana. cu ba's old guard is finally changing. almost 60 years of rule underjust two men, two brothers, are at an end. the father of the revolution died in late 2016. his tomb a shrine to legions of socialist followers. now the younger brother, raul, is leaving the limelight too. less charismatic than fidel, raul castro still had an eventful decade as president. he opened up the economy on the communist—run island and re—established ties with washington. now comes the hard part, replacing them. that falls to this man, vice president miguel diaz—canel. considered a moderniser by some, a hardliner by others, the former education minister has the unenviable task of trying to fill castro's shoes.

few cubans can recall a time without a castro at the helm. now their successor inherits an island facing some deep—seated economic problems, and must govern with none of the revolutionary past of fidel or raul. today's the anniversary of the castros‘ greatest victory, repelling a cia—backed invasion at the bay of pigs in april, 1961. these days, only a few residents of the time remember those dark days with washington. "i think raul castro should stay", says 81—year—old dolores, who fled with her children when the invaders attacked. "i guess my generation is just too old now." raul won't be leaving power entirely, he'll remain head of the communist party. however, his public life is set to end and the island so synonymous with the name castro must now built a future without them. will grant, bbc news, cuba.

air safety officials are investigating exactly what happened to an airline passenger who died after she was almost sucked out of a plane in mid—air. the southwest airlines boeing 737 was flying from new york to texas when one of its engines exploded at 32,000 feet. the blast shattered a window, with catastrophic consequences for the passenger sitting next to it. nick bryant has the story. imagine the relief of the passengers on board after this southwest airlines boeing 737 landed safely on the ground. they'd heard the engine explode at 32,000 feet. they'd seen a window smashed open by the debris. they'd watched as a fellow passenger was partially sucked out of the cabin after the rapid depressurisation. one of the 149 people on board, marty martinez, captured the high—altitude drama. first, there was an explosion, and then almost immediately the oxygen mask comes down.

and then, probably within a matter of ten seconds, the engine then hit a window and busted it wide open. it felt like it was freefalling, and of course everyone's freaking out, everybody‘s crying. at the controls, captain tammie jo shults, a highly experienced former top gun navy pilot. she radioed for help, showing extraordinary calm. air traffic control: airport 10, there's a hole in the side of the aircraft. passengers managed to pull the woman sucked out of the window back into the cabin, but she died from her injuries. she's now been identified as jennifer riordan, a bank executive from new mexico, a 42—year—old mother—of—two who'd been on a business trip to new york.

investigators are looking into what's the first fatal us airline accident in almost a decade. the early signs point to metal fatigue causing a fan blade to break off. even before this incident, european authorities have called for non—urgent inspections of these american and french—made engines that are a workhorse of the global aviation industry. us authorities are now likely to follow suit. this could've been a catastrophic accident, and the pilot who landed this stricken aircraft is being hailed as a heroine. nick bryant, bbc news, new york. united nations officials are saying time is of the essence in syria, a team sent to investigate the suspected chemical weapons attack in douma has again been delayed. the team's security detail came under fire in the town on tuesday. the us defence secretary has suggested the syrian regime may have brought about the delays on purpose. andrew plant reports. it's almost two weeks since this

alleged attack using chlorine, said to have killed more than a0 people. the syrian government is accused of using the banned weapon, something president bashar al—assad denies. a team from the organisation for the prohibition of chemical weapons arrived in the country this week to examine the site, but the fact—finding mission has so far been unable to work. there was an advance un security team that went into douma yesterday, as is standard practice for these high risk missions, to see what the situation was like. while they were there, they came under small arms fire, there was also an explosive device that was detonated. america and france have both said they have proof the syrian government carried out the chemical weapon attack. at the pentagon on wednesday, us defence secretary james mattis suggested the delays could have been orchestrated by the syrian regime. we're very much aware of the delay

that the regime imposed on that delegation, but we're also very much aware of how they have operated in the past and what they have done using chemical weapons, in other words, using the pause after a strike like that to try to clean up the evidence before the investigating team gets in. so it was unfortunate they were delayed. on friday, british, french and us military targeted chemical weapons depots and production facilities with missiles, and said they wouldn't rule out further action. meanwhile, the united nations team providing security to the fact—finding mission is due to go back into the town of douma on thursday. andrew plant, bbc news.

stay with us on bbc news, still to come: she was the last of the great cruise liners. the qe2 reopens as a luxury floating hotel 10 years after her final voyage. the stars and stripes at half—mast outside columbine high, the school sealed off and the bodies of the dead still inside. i never thought that they would actually go through with it. some places and have already had nearly as much rain as they would normally expect in an entire year. for millions of americans, the death of richard nixon in a new york hospital has meant conflicting emotions. a national day of mourning, next wednesday, sitting somehow uneasily with the abiding memories of the shame of watergate. and lift off of the space shuttle discovery with the hubble space telescope — our window on the universe. this is bbc news.

the latest headlines: president trump says a campaign of maximum pressure will continue on north korea until it agrees to complete nuclear disarmament. after almost 60 years, cuba prepares for the end of the casto era, as members of the national assembly name miguel diaz canel the next president. nigerian police are trying to recover the ceremonial mace of the country's senate. it was stolen during a debate on wednesday. several men burst into the chamber and stole the mace while fights broke out around them. the culprits are believed to be supporters of a recently suspended senator. bill hayton reports. this was the moment the symbol of nigeria's democracy was stolen from the upper house of parliament. despite the presence of police and politicians, the man stole the mace and took it from the senate. the

entrance of that chamber, people we re entrance of that chamber, people were struggling with security. so they went away with it. the senate spokesman said the man ended with a recently suspected senator. —— entered. last week he was temporarily banned from the senate after trying to sue it in court. he was trying to overturn a summons to appear before the ethics committee. that followed comments he had made about nigeria's new election. he was about nigeria's new election. he was a supporter of president buhari, and a nalysts fear that a supporter of president buhari, and analysts fear that seems like these are warning of more trouble to come as nigeria prepares for general and presidential elections next year. in the meantime, the hunt for the missing mace goes on. bill hayton, bbc news. canada's prime minister is in london, where he sat down with the bbc‘s yalda hakim. they talked about airstrikes on syria, dealing with president trump, and more.

trade, first of all. the majority of your country's trade is done with the united states and mexico. president trump wants the nafta deal signed as soon as possible. deal or no deal, prime minister? it depends on what happens at the table. obviously we're looking at a level of positive momentum and enthusiasm as we approached deadlines around both mexican elections that are about to kick off and the us midterms, which means we would love to get it through congress before summer. and so we see the coming weeks as an opportunity to really dig in, and see if we can get to that win—win—win. so we're feeling great about trade, and we're optimistic about nafta, even though we know there's going to be a lot of hard talking. and there is hard talking. are you concerned about president trump's threats that he may pull out? we've been working constructively with this administration for over a year now. you know, there's always a certain amount of rhetorical flourish around the way the president operates.

we stay focused on, you know, getting things done that will be good for canada and good for the united states. looking for that common ground is always what i've approached the president on. there are areas where we disagree, and he knows myjob is to stand up for canadian interests, and he gets that. dealing with him, is it challenging? any relationship amongst leaders is challenging. there has been nothing like this. you haven't seen this sort of modus operandi before. do you find that challenging? this is certainly a particular kind, people recognise that. the president prides himself on a level of disruption and unpredictability that is challenging certain aspects of global systems that we've perhaps taken for granted, and, you know, it does keep me on my toes.

but we have a good working relationship, because that is what canadians expect me to do. the dramatic growth of tourism in south east asia, driven by low—cost airlines and by chinese travellers, in particular, is putting almost intolerable strain on the most popular destinations, forcing governments to protect them. none has gone as far as the philippines, where president duterte has ordered the most popular holiday island, boracay, closed for six months, starting next week. our south—east asia correspondent, jonathan head, is there. boracay has it all, white sand, warm, clear water, and balmy weather. the first tourists, 50 years ago, described a miraculously untouched beach resort. but they were followed by hundreds and then thousands more. today, over 2 million visit this narrow, palm—fringed strip of land every year, causing an unplanned building boom, and trafficjams, and most worrying of all, serious pollution from inadequate sewage treatment. so president duterte has countered with a characteristically dramatic response — immediate closure. boracay isn't alone in its environmental difficulties.

in fact, right across this region, beaches are being swamped by a growing tidal wave of tourists. but nowhere else has the government taken such drastic action as shutting down an entire resort island. necessary, says president duterte, but it has stunned the people who live and work here. more than 30,000 people live on boracay, many migrants from other parts of the country, drawn tojobs here. this beach masseur is wondering how she will pay her son's student fees when the tourists leave. "but, if that's the president's choice," she says, "there is nothing we can do." this man says he is hoping the government will give him a replacementjob, to support his wife and two children. the president sent his spokesman, harry roque, to boracay to explain how the six—month closure would work. can you explain why president duterte insisted on such a sudden closure of boracay, giving the locals very little time to prepare, rather than the original proposal for a six—month preparation period? it was the only way to do it. it's a drastic police measure, intended to protect the environment. the president said, i will spend public money for the welfare of the local people,

but he will not subsidise the rich resort owners. so can a six—month hibernation restore boracay to its former pristine beauty? the government is promising some basic infrastructure work during the break, and tougher planning rules. but there is also talk of building huge new resorts and casinos here. this will not be a return to the quiet tropical idyll of days gone by. jonathon head, bbc news, boracay, the philippines. ten years after her final voyage, the qe2 has finally opened to the public. the flagship of the cunard line is now a luxury hotel permanently berthed in dubai. guests will be able to relive the golden age of sea travel at quite a price. the bbc‘s tim allman has more. she is still quite a sight. her seafaring days are behind her now, but the qe2 is opening her doors once more. a hotel like no other, 1300 rooms, 13 bars and restaurants.

the cheapest accommodation, less than $200 a night. the most expensive suite, $15,000. we are opening the ship in phases. the first phase is seven decks, seven floors. that is 244 rooms. now, there's a huge following around the world about the qe2 because of how famous she is and what she stands for. new york. as mayor lindsay said, she's a stately queen made for the miniskirt age. the qe2 made her own voyage in 1969, one of the last of the great cruise liners. she epitomised glamour and luxury. but what is her appeal now that her life on the waves has ended? nostalgia. we have been on the ship when it was active, on the qe2, when it was actively a cunard ship. so we wanted to come back and see it. maybe we will come and stay on her.

she's remarkable. so, a new home, and a new life for this remarkable ship. her voyages may have ended, but her story still continues. tim allman, bbc news. and you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter. i'm @bbc mike embley. hi there. it's been the warmest day of the year so far, with temperatures climbing up to 25 degrees celsius on wednesday around the greater london area. and it was a fine end to the day, as well, for western wales — in gwynedd, a fine sunset there. looking at the picture today, it was good to be even warmer in the sunshine, which will be widespread as well. however, at times there will be a little bit more in the way of cloud across western areas. that's because we've got a weak weather front out west. it's not really going to do much for rain, but there is the strip of cloud. maybe one or two spots over the hills of northern ireland, western areas of scotland, but otherwise it's fine. any early—morning mist patches, perhaps through the thames estuary,

will clear through the day. with winds coming from the south, and even hot today. temperatures will reach 27 degrees, which will be the first time we've pushed into the 80s in terms of fahrenheit. now, looking at the weather picture for thursday night, we'll see a little bit of cloud developing over western areas, maybe a few mist patches forming, as well. the cloud across the west of scotland threatening some showers. but another relatively mild night. temperatures between seven and 13 degrees. more of the same on friday, although there will be some showers coming and going across the highlands of scotland, across the northern isles too. fresher air working across scotland, northern ireland and northern england. the temperatures will be easing in the northern half of uk, but in the south it's another very warm one, temperatures 25 towards london and the south—east. so all this fine weather is being brought to us thanks to this high pressure. the area of high pressure is slipping away a little bit as we move through the weekend, to allow a greater risk of some showers to come up from the south. so they're most likely to swing up ahead of a weather front that's out just to the west of the british isles. we may well see some showers

or thunderstorms developing across western areas of the uk. sunny spells, though, elsewhere — the best of the sunshine probably for scotland and across eastern areas of england, where it will feel pleasantly warm, with temperatures up to 23. for the second half the weekend, again it looks like we may see further showers, and we'll continue to see the temperatures just ease back, particularly across the north—west of the country. in fact, sunday could turn out to be quite a wet day across the far north of england, northern ireland, and the west of scotland. still, not many too showers across the south—east, just one or two passing ones, with temperatures continuing the trend ofjust cooling a little. a good dealfresher across the north—west. and there'll be a further cool—down with the weather as we look at the forecast for next week. that's your latest weather. this is bbc news. the headlines: president trump and japan's prime minister have said maximum pressure must be maintained on north korea.

they hope it will agree to complete nuclear disarmament. at a joint press conference after talks in florida, mr trump also promised to press the north korean leader to send home japanese citizens abducted in the 1960s and ‘70s. cuba's vice—president, miguel diaz—canel, has been named as the next leader. he's 57 and expected to take office on thursday. the handover will bring to an end nearly six decades of rule by the castro family. fidel castro led the revolution in 1959. air safety officials are investigating the death of a passenger who was almost sucked out of a plane in midair. an engine exploded on the southwest airlines flight from new york to texas, shattering a window.