this is bbc news. i'm samantha simmonds. our top stories: international inspectors have finally been able to collect samples from douma in syria where it's thought chemical weapons were used two weeks ago. kim jong—un suspends all north korea's nuclear and missile tests, ahead of talks next week. and the funeral for the former first lady of the united states, barbara bush has been held in houston, texas. her son jeb bush described how he had asked her if she was ready to die. without missing a beat she said, i believe in jesus without missing a beat she said, i believe injesus and he is my saviour, i don't want to leave your dad, but i know i will be in a beautiful place. hello and welcome to bbc news. chemical weapons inspectors in syria have finally managed to visit the site of the suspected chemical attack in douma. their mission has been postponed several times over the past week.

the alleged attack took place on the seventh of april, local medics say it left at least a0 people dead. these are just some of the images uploaded online which shocked the international community, said to show victims of the attack, among them a number of children. medics in douma report people foaming at the mouth, with pinpoint pupils and difficulty breathing. a week later, on the 14 april, the us, uk, and france carried out missile strikes on a number of syrian military sites in retaliation. that same day, the opcw chemical weapons team was in damascus and hoping to visit the part of douma where chemical weapons were said to have been used. then four days later, 18 april, a un security team is fired upon while trying to visit the site of the alleged attack, ahead of the opcw inspectors. the following day the us say they have credible information that russia and syria are trying to "sanitise" places where chemical weapons were used, while denying inspectors access to the area, russia accuses syrian rebels of preventing the opcw visiting the site. and today, the inspection team

finally got to visit douma and collected samples from the alleged site of the attack. angela kane is a former chemical weapons inspector and was in charge of the investigation in syria in 2013. she says the delay of two weeks to the opcw investigation affects the chances of it being looked into properly. it is of course very much a concern. two weeks park into the attack on dimmer. not only have two weeks past, but there have been a number of movements. —— two weeks have passed since the attack on douma. i don't know of the number that have been evacuated as hundreds or a thousand, but they understand there we re thousand, but they understand there were 90 buses filled with people taken out. were 90 buses filled with people ta ken out. those were 90 buses filled with people taken out. those were people who had been affected by the attacker could have been interviewed, they were first responders, they were victims. so they are no longer available for

interviews and taking samples, so thatis interviews and taking samples, so that is free much a concern. are the opcw still that is free much a concern. are the 0pcw still going to be able to come to some kind of determination about whether there was a chemical weapons attack there? from what we know there was a chemical weapons attack, but it depends on what kind of attack. if it was a chlorine bomb attack, it is harder to have any evidence at this point in time. chlorine evaporates quickly, it does not remain in the body nor in the soil, so it would be difficult to find conclusive proof it was a chlorine attack. if another substance was used, a sarin—like substance or derivative, it stays longer in the body and environment and i would imagine samples could be found. if many people have been evacuated and are no longer available for interview or taking samples to show inspectors evidence, that is a concern because the government has had access to this territory for a number

of days and could have obliterated any traces of the attack. you were responsible for the investigation of alleged chemical weapons use in syria in 2013 which supposedly resulted in syria's destruction of chemical stocks. if sarin or chlorine is found in the site in douma by the opcw, could it only have been syria behind the use of those? chlorine is openly available. it is used in water purification. and in private and commercial use. it depends on how much chlorine was used. if it was as a weapon that is against the convention. it has come to light syria destroyed after it acceeded to the convention

tons of isopropanol which is a chemical used in commercial use. 0n the other hand it can be used as a precursor to sarin and while syria destroyed that 133 tons of isopropanol, they also imported 96 tons of isopropanol between 2014 and 16. that has only recently come to light, which is surprising. why import a large quantity of isopropanol which is for commercial use but can be used as a precursor of sarin? that raises questions that need to be answered by the syrian government. if they refuse to answer what should happen? the 0pcw makes a report monthly to the security council and to this report is being looked at by council members and discussed at great length. it has a lot of information. the last meeting was in early april. it takes place every month.

all of the questions still open are being aired in these discussions and raised with the government but i believe this recent importation of isopropanol has only come to light this week, i understand, so this question was not raised in the early april consultation in the security council. authorities in saudi arabia have firmly denied any major security breach after reports of gunfire near the royal palaces in riyadh. state media said a small unauthorised drone was shot down at around 7:50 local time and that king salman was not at his palace at the time. authorities are now investigating the incident. north korea's announcement that it's suspending its nuclear missile tests has been given a broadly positive response. president trump tweeted it was "big progress", but russia and japan in particular, have been more cautious. kim jong—un says he's stopping the tests because he's completed his goal of developing nuclear weapons. from seoul, laura bicker reports.

north korea's favourite news anchor is back. usually the famous ri chun—hee would be announcing the state's latest missile test. but today was different. kim jong—un has declared there will be no more nuclear or ballistic missile tests. he's also going to shut down an atomic test site to focus on building north korea's economy. in a tweet, the us president said, "this is very good news for north korea and the world. big progress. look forward to our summit." today, i believe in north korea, the path is open for the peaceful denuclearisation of the korean peninsula. and it also proves that diplomacy is the way to solve conflicts. not war. others were more guarded. translation: what's important is whether this move will lead

to complete, verifiable, and irreversible abandonment of north korea's nuclear and missile programmes. we'll have to watch it closely. these students have defected from north to south korea. they are sceptical of their former leader's claims. translation: there are three nuclear facilities and they're only closing one. it's just to show action, to negotiate with the us. it doesn't mean they're going to give up their nuclear weapons. translation: to develop nuclear weapons they've killed tens of thousands of people by starving them. i think north korea is trying to get a reward because they've been pressured by sanctions. in seoul, a hotline has been set up to pyongyang to allow the leaders of the divided peninsula to talk to one another. they are welcoming this latest news from the north ahead of a summit meeting between the two sides next week. it's worth noting what kim jong—un did not say. he's not handing over his nuclear weapons —

he's simply going to stop testing them. this is not denuclearisation as ordered by the united states. nevertheless, it is a significant step. it really signals he's all in, you know, and we need to catch up, i think, in terms of our analysis of where kim jong—un is. he's ready for the summit with the south koreans, for the summit with donald trump. it's a measure of his seriousness that he's doing this before the meetings. pyongyang has broken nearly every promise it has made to the international community. but there is some hope that, this time, maybe, it will be different. laura bicker, bbc news, seoul. earlier i spoke tojoel wit, who worked for 15 years in the us state department on arms control and non—proliferation. he believes that this move from north korea is a positive sign. well, i agree with people who are

saying it is significant, but i don't think we can count or about chickens before they hatch. no one would have expected kimjong—un chickens before they hatch. no one would have expected kim jong—un to make this announcement, salei think in that context it is an indicator of the direction the north koreans are heading in —— so i think. 0n of the direction the north koreans are heading in —— so i think. on top of that, most people had missed that he has announced —— enunciated a new line which is to declare victory in terms of their development of nuclear weapons and missiles, and now to pivot towards development of his economy. and he knows in order to do that he is going to need to put his nuclear programme on the bargaining table. do you think that this is significant progress, looking forward to the summit between north korea and south korea next week and further ahead to the

hoped—for summit between north korea and washington or is it all part of the game which must be played to show willingness? you know, i have got to say that i am getting tired of the media analysis that this is all a game. i of the media analysis that this is alla game. i have of the media analysis that this is all a game. i have been hearing this since january. and the fact is, everything that has happened since january is another indication that this is a very serious move by north korea. the issue here now is how do we ta ke korea. the issue here now is how do we take advantage of that move? it is not whether it is serious or not, it is hardly take advantage of that move to serve oui’ it is hardly take advantage of that move to serve our own interests? that is the main objective here for the united states and for south korea. joel wit talking to me earlier. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. malaysian officials say the murder of a palestinian in kuala lumpur may have been the work of a foreign intelligence agency. police say the victim had been shot dead by two men on a motorbike. palestinian officials identified him as fadi al—batsh,

an engineering lecturer. american actor verne troyer, who was best known for playing mini—me in the austin powers films, has died at the age of 49. earlier this month, he was admitted to hospital in los angeles, although his team did not say what he was suffering from. last year, troyer was hospitalised for alcohol addiction and had been open about his battle with alcoholism. the funeral of barbara bush, who died on tuesday age 92, was held today. her family and friends shared memories of the former first lady with the 1,500 mourners gathered in texas to say goodbye. chris buckler reports. in the houston church she attended for most of her life, four living presidents gathered with others to pay tribute to barbara bush. among those former heads of state, were both her widower and her son. she was described as the rock of undoubtedly what is a political

dynasty, but was, at its art, was and isa dynasty, but was, at its art, was and is a deeply loving family. my dad is a phenomenal letter writer, and he would write mum on their wedding anniversaries, which totalled an amazing 73 years. this was written onjanuary totalled an amazing 73 years. this was written on january six, totalled an amazing 73 years. this was written onjanuary six, 1994. "will you marry me? iforgot was written onjanuary six, 1994. "will you marry me? i forgot we did that put years ago. i was very happy on that day in 1945, that i am even happier today. you have given mejoy that you may know. you have made our boys into men by bowling them out, and then, right away, by loving them. you have helped our daughter be siu distorting the whole wide world. i have claimed perhaps the highest mountain in the world, but even that cannot hold a candle to being barbara's husband." during his many decades together, they were seen many decades together, they were seen to support each other, but barbara bush was never afraid of making her own physical opinions known. as first lady, she campaigned for literacy and pushed her own

liberal views, sometimes bringing her into conflict with others in the republican party. but she believed that she and her family could make a difference and was back on the campaign trail just two difference and was back on the campaign trailjust two years ago, when her sonjeb ran to be the republican nominee for president. she was a smart, strong, fun, and feisty. at times her considerable which could be biting, but warned along with humour was central in the many stories told about her in this legal service —— walk. many stories told about her in this legal service -- walk. she corresponded for several years with a young girl who named her how far after barbara. —— in an kerkow. the child sent frequent updates on the third phone barbara bush which competed in the houston rodeo and livestock show one year and finished in eighth place. i was sorry to my

little friend, barbara said later, but i was slightly relieved because i wasn't sure i could have stood the headlines, barbara bush wins the fat stock show. the current first lady, melania trump, was among those in attendance. although her husband, the current president, was absent. he said he wasn't attending to avoid extra security be needed at the church. although the bush family have had a difficult relationship with donald trump, the of an feisty barbara bush would have been the first to acknowledge. her sonjeb said he had imagined his mother telling him to keep the service short and not to get weepy. but that proved impossible for many of the family she was so devoted to. chris butler, bbc news. stay with us on bbc world news, still to come: a veiled warning from iran's president. hassan rouhani says that violence can't promote virtue, after a video emerges of morality police violently accosting a woman. 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'd 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: international inspectors say they've visited the syrian town where it's thought chemical weapons were used two weeks ago. north korea has said it's suspending all nuclear and missile tests with immediate effect. it comes a week before a meeting between leaders from the two koreas. "promoting virtue will not work through violence." those were the words of iranian president hassan rouhani earlier today as he appeared to criticise the country's morality police. it follows a viral video of a scuffle involving a morality officer. a warning — you may find the following pictures upsetting. in the video, an officer appears to be assaulting a woman for not covering her head properly with her headscarf.

the footage has been widely shared online — and has prompted outrage on iranian social media. i asked women's rights activist soussan tahmesebi what she makes of the president's comments. iam glad i am glad that he condemned it, even if it was veiled condemnation. but this is not the first time president rouhani has made statements like this. in fact, rouhani has made statements like this. infact, he rouhani has made statements like this. in fact, he has made state m e nts this. in fact, he has made statements like this on numerous occasions, including at the time when he was campaigning to be initially elected. he made many promises to women and one of them was ending the violence on the street and ensuring women's security and their dignity by ending this kind of enforcement. but he has consistently failed to live up to these promises, or to be statements, u nfortu nately. these promises, or to be statements, unfortunately. so why, in your view, do you think he makes them?|j unfortunately. so why, in your view, do you think he makes them? i think he makes them because it is the right thing to do and it is expected

and there is a lot of dissatisfaction with the monitoring and control of women's bodies and women's dress, especially on the street, and the violence women have to face. so he is stepping up to the plate because it is the right thing to do. but in a sense he is kowtowi ng to to do. but in a sense he is kowtowing to both sides, he is responding to a population which is dissatisfied and angry at this kind of humiliation and control and wants this kind of violence against women to end, but at the same time he is not taking any steps to end it. the morale of the police, this kind of violence, women face it on aid daily basis. —— morale at a police. —— morality police. there are reports that the morality police have been less visible since president rouhani came to power five years ago and have perhaps taken a softer line on breaches of the islamic code. yes, of course, i think there are reports, and even during

ahmadinejad's time, when he stepped up ahmadinejad's time, when he stepped up the presence of the morality police after the 2009 elections, those morality police were turned into police to arrest protesters, and the controlling and monitoring of women's dress was more lax. that has continued during president rouhani's presidency as well, but it is still too much. i think people are fed up with it. during a previous presidency the practice of actually morally policing women and citizens ended. we expect president rouhani to do the same, i think women expect president rouhani to do the same, and this practice. but he has failed to do so, even though he promised it in his campaign promises. in april 1945, after the british army liberated the nazi concentration camp at bergen—belsen, a bbc reporter interviewed a young dutch girl who'd been held prisoner there. hetty verolme was just 15 years old and had been in belsen

with her two younger brothers for over a year. now, more than seven decades on, she's been back to the camp with the bbc‘s history programme witness to listen once again to the interview she gave just days after gaining her freedom. i passed through the barrier and found myself in the world of the night now. the living lay with their head against the corpses and around them was the awful ghostly procession of emaciated, aimless people. this is what the germans did. if you gave up hope, then within two days you were dead. we get used to a lot of things which you think couldn't get used to. we a lwa ys you think couldn't get used to. we always were hungry. half a slice of

red in the morning and half a slice of red in the night. —— bread. 90% of red in the night. —— bread. 90% of the people were sick with typhus. and that's why we have so many dead. and that's why we have so many dead. and the dead lobbies, in the end, we didn't see them any more and we didn't see them any more and we didn't smell them any more. —— dead bodies. we werejury didn't smell them any more. —— dead bodies. we were jury shall. that's why we were brought here. —— we were jewish. when my mother was taken away, my two brothers held her and wouldn't let her go. we knew the significance of staying alive. if you said shh, they went quiet, they didn't makea you said shh, they went quiet, they didn't make a sound. when the

british came, we were very, very happy. we couldn't believe it. they sat with their loudspeaker from the truck, they said we would get food, and it was the next thing in the morning, they delivered hot tea with sugar rendered. and it was the first and —— of the first decent thing we had four weeks. a huge eight after the liberation i was interviewed by gordon walker, he was from the bbc. how old are you? 15 years. and how long have you been in this camp, bergen—belsen? long have you been in this camp, bergen-belsen? 14 months. did your

pa rents bergen-belsen? 14 months. did your parents come with you? yes. and are they still with you? no. this is the area i was interviewed. i was happy to tell him the story. and i wanted to tell him the story. and i wanted to know where my parents work, but they didn't know. can you read what it says here? here, 2500. many children died in the war, in the second world war. i hope they rest in peace. we were very lucky. my father and mother and my two brothers and i came back from three different concentration camps. i am sometimes surprised that young people, they don't know what the

holocaust is. and you have to explain it to them. when i am not there any more, i hope that somebody will, like you. they will remind the world that it did happen. it did happen. it doesn't matter if things are bad, and a very dark, you must believe that tomorrow will be a better day. that was hetty verolme, giving us her story of how she survived bergen—belsen, liberated at the age of 15. that's it from me for now. don't forget you can get more details about all the stories we are colour and on the bbc news website, and you can get in touch with me on twitter. —— stories we are covering. good morning. well, after the heat

of saturday, some spectacular storms through the night across parts of england and wales. they will ease starting sunday. some shower was through the day, particularly in the west, and that fresh air is coming in behind us, tracking from west to east throughout the day. introducing atla ntic east throughout the day. introducing atlantic air, sweeping away the warmth we have had and dropping temperatures as that pressure drops. some warmer air across parts of eastern england for the start of the day. once the shower was clear, temperatures rising quickly. in the west we have that weather front to begin the day across parts of western scotland and northern ireland, bringing outbreaks of rain, and some thunder off the east coast of scotland. thicker cloud bringing showers to the western fringes of england and wales. the sun is out in east anglia and south—east england, so once the early showers have cleared it is looking fine for the

london marathon, for spectators at least. probably a bit warm for the runners, 2122dc possible. maybe you area runners, 2122dc possible. maybe you are a fashion shower later. that is tied in with this weather front, working its way eastern. brightening more quickly across parts of england and wales. we could see the warmth in the south—east spark off some heavy showers later on, maybe a rumble of thunder across east anglia. 23a24 in london and norwich, 13 in belfast. weise finished the day with sunshine and showers. —— we finish. clear skies developing further south. a fresh night then we have had over the past few days, in all parts of the uk temperatures dropping back down to single figures to begin your monday morning. that isa sign to begin your monday morning. that is a sign for next. back to normal. back to factory settings for the weather, because it is spring and it will feel like spring once again. a cool start to your monday. a bit of sunshine around in central and

eastern areas. a fine day for many, the cloud will increase. in the west the cloud will increase. in the west the cloud will be thicker. it will turn damp, grey and drizzly towards the south—western coasts. temperatures where they should be for this time of year. the south holds onto cloud and patchy rain and drizzle at times. brighter skies, particularjurien the middle part of the day. further north, lots more sunshine around. a scattering of showers. note the cool temperatures across the north. they will stay with us as we go through the rest of next week. brighter further south. further north, frequent showers expected. this is bbc news. the headlines: chemical weapons experts have been to the site of the suspected chemical attack in douma in syria. the organisation for the prohibition of chemical weapons has said its inspectors gathered samples which will be examined. barbara bush, former first lady of the united states, has been laid to rest in houston. she died on tuesday aged 92. fourformer presidents attended herfuneral, but president trump did not. north korea has announced

the immediate suspension of nuclear and missile tests, ahead of summit talks next week. state media said the suspension was aimed at pursuing economic growth and peace on the korean peninsula. at a special cabinet meeting, the indian prime minister, narendra modi, cleared a decision to introduce the death penalty for anyone convicted of raping a child under the age of 12. now on bbc news, lisa summers meets parents struggling to cope with children whose behaviour is extremely challenging.