of south korea moon—jae across the most heavily fortified border in the world. there was talk of peace, of working together to rid the peninsula of nuclear weapons — albeit without many specifics. maria, how optimistic should we be after this historic meeting? it was an amazing moment, to cd to make men holding hands and skipping over the concrete barrier like two boysin over the concrete barrier like two boys in kindergarten. only months after kim is shooting missiles towards japan and trump is calling him little rocket man. i think optimism has its own momentum and i think it is important. i think there is so much we don't know, we know we have been somewhere like this before but not quite the same. i do not think kim has spoken before about com plete think kim has spoken before about complete denuclearisation, so it could be a moment and i think moon jae—in has set trump up very well.

he has set him up to need to succeed because if this meeting that we hope is coming up between trump and kim, which is the meeting between the wild card and the enigma, i think there is an expectation that something will come out of that and i think it is important. i think we should be optimistic. alex, you were nodding. that is right. i have no doubt that the critics who was saying that this is the sort of thing trump would make a hash of, will boot manning the barricades. i thought the president was rightly generous in his acknowledgement to getting it to the table like this. behind the smiles, kim has systematically starved their population, abused them, repressed them. they are running out of food

and friends. that is part of what has propelled them to the negotiating table, but in these circumstances this may be part of what is pushing us towards a good resolution. we have been here before, but we have seen images like this before and heard promises like this. previous negotiations, there wasjimmy carter, this. previous negotiations, there was jimmy carter, marilyn albright, each time north korea said, we will make an effort, and they were biding theirtime. make an effort, and they were biding their time. also previous negotiations were not so quite open—ended, no specific goals each time. ithink open—ended, no specific goals each time. i think this time they will wa nt time. i think this time they will want to have timing and moon, it is the south korean leader at the ce ntre the south korean leader at the centre of world diplomacy and has set such issues, good ones, to say that each time north korea moves,

they should be rewarded with some benefit, and i think there is a convergence of interests, not only an trump's side, because that would be his macho erratic tactics may prove strangely efficient. we should recognise it if it is an achievement. kim has achieved his nuclear plan, his nuclear power, he is now considered as an equal at the negotiating table with trump, something that his ancestors have not managed to achieve. and now the priority for him is the economy because, his people are starving. there may be a moment that will deliver. i am there may be a moment that will deliver. lam hopeful. it is there may be a moment that will deliver. i am hopeful. it is such a mad world we are living in, it is nice to see them. is trump corrects to claim a little of the credit? the

chronology would say yes, he came into office swaggering and getting the washington establishment convinced there was a possibility of a nuclear throw down. anyone who was an ocean away and keeping calm, they would say beijing is only 500 miles from pyongyang so maybe we will not have a nuclear throw down, chill out. but the chronology starts with him. ithink out. but the chronology starts with him. i think the critical moment was the olympics, and maria being of greek heritage that the olympics, they were set up to stop war and have games. and what happened? president moon invited north korea to send a delegation, they marched into the arena together, there was lots of id meant about that in washington, they should not do that. whose side is south korea ron! ? it

turns out he is the perfect media type for our media age where diplomacy is conducted. here is this very attractive, and i am not sending to a sexist sense, she is very photogenic and they say, maybe they are not the hermit kingdom after all. also, to remind people, we tend to still look at north korea as the hermit kingdom and the inscrutable thing. kim jong—un was educated in switzerland. he has a western education inside that facade he presents of being kind of unpredictable, and i think that when it comes time, if it happens, there are some weeks before the summit with trump, donald trump went to a private school and was privately educated, kim jong—un was educated ina similar educated, kim jong—un was educated in a similarfashion, they may be able to talk to each other more than

we think. there is interesting thing to come out of these talks. in the aftermath of the execution of saddam hussein, people around dictators around them advise them to get nuclear weapons, it is the way to preserve the regime and stay safe, to ensure that they are not pushed to ensure that they are not pushed to the brink. it is one of the great challenges of the 20th century, to get past that. maybe through president trump, this is it. the two meet in the next few weeks, so we will return to that. that is something we will definitely be discussing in the coming weeks. two european leaders visited washington dc this week. france's president emmanuel macron spent three days with donald trump — germany's chancellor angela merkel barely three hours. they both hoped to head off us tariffs on eu exports of steel and aluminium, and to persuade the us president to stick with the iran nuclear deal. only one of them managed a visible rapport, with endless

smiles and back—slapping — the us president called his french counterpart "perfect". agnes, macron appears to have been quite a hit? except for the dandruff! he made quite an impression. an impression on everyone. it is very strange. they were curious images. including for us in france. when he invited trump to bastille day parade, apparently it struck a chord and trump wanted his own parade in washington, but it shows dictatorship if you show off too many tanks. there is a strange friendship year, there is genuine

humble manner between the two men. we have seen macron in front of the congress speaking his mind, trump may like the guy and likes this, because both their worldviews are starkly opposite. macron was quite forthright in his speech. there was plenty of gladhanding, but he spoke about the dangers of america turning inwards. macron has a purpose and if he can keep trump from his worst instincts, it is a fight worth fighting. he sees with macron i die, especially on the iran deal —— he sees with macron i tie. he keirin out of it saying, i do not think i have convinced the american president, but now i think i have

managed to make him see the implications if america was pulling out of it. he would see that as progress. we will talk about more of iran ina progress. we will talk about more of iran in a moment. michael? we talk about the north korea pictures. thursday we would have been talking about the dandruff picture. things change, move very quickly. the meeting is as much about economic issues as anything. i do not think anyone is under any illusion as to whose voice donald trump listened to on iran. they are domestic political things happening, whispering in his earandi things happening, whispering in his earand i think things happening, whispering in his ear and i think an emotional inclination to distrust the irani regime. what they are worried about are the tariffs as actions against russia and this morning, for example, one of the things that is critical to germany is the price of

aluminium. russia provides a tremendous amount of the aluminium that goes into holding at bus planes and this morning the oligarch who is under sanction by the us and made importing and purchasing the stuff more difficult has stepped aside. he is leaving the company. these sorts of things, when you read them after macron and merkel have been visiting with trump, you think there is something going on there that is bearing fruit from the conversations which on behalf of line issue do not bear fruit at all. your reading of it, alex! ? it, alex! trump bear fruit at all. your reading of it, alex! trump so... trying to make a virtue of being hostile to the resident, i will be your best

friend. it seems to have worked. the bigger question in europe is where does macron go with his political agenda? he has a political party thatis agenda? he has a political party that is built an environment that has a separation of powers, built to support him, that is what en marche is. but — we do not know what block in the european parliament they would standing, where is macron? is he on the reforming right, centre left? in this sense, he is like trump, a political outsider, circumvents much of the mainstream expectation to seize power in a charismatic way. next year will be an informative thing on what on marsh those. —— on where en marche goes. i felt that these speech in congress which was amazing and gave republicans and democrats the chance

to cheer for republicans and democrats the chance to cheerfor their is republicans and democrats the chance to cheer for their is no planet be and his demand about theyjoined the climate on environment. he is placed himself as a european statesman, perhaps taking over from angela merkel who is waning. that is what struck me about these two meetings back—to—back, macron is, i am struck me about these two meetings back—to—back, macron is, iam now the visionary for europe, whatever the visionary for europe, whatever the visionary for europe, whatever the vision is, because he is very unspecific politically. he is a centrist. we have to get used to it! he was a protege... a new,. and alex's point, he is maybe not fully formed and we do not know what he stands for. but the amazing to

become a nascent political figure. that is why we are perplexed. it is ina good that is why we are perplexed. it is in a good way, but he is unlike any one we have had before and he is a cultured man, but remember his speech to congress from hemingway to james baldwin and jefferson and roosevelt. we liked that. we have not had an intellectual in a while. by not had an intellectual in a while. by the same token, neither macron or merkel my shtick gets terribly far on that issue of tariffs, one of the things that does concern them. except merkel, i think that was the purpose of her three—hour visit. i think we will know a bit more in the next few hours and days what actually happened. germany is concerned, much more than france's. i think she missed a trick. i think there was an opportunity to get closer to trump and think about the

future in a way that macron did and she didn't. she has got a three term is already behind her. and it is a question of personality as well. she is straightforward straight down the line. it is not her. one would hope there is place for all styles in politics. we touched on the iran deal, one of the things that merkel and macron were addressing are attempting to address with donald trump in washington. also this week... exhaustive talks with some 70 delegations have been on going in brussels to try to find a way to end the war in syria. the talks broke up on thursday without any apparent progress. on the ground, as the conflict continues, the iranian revolutionary guard has been setting up bases and arms dumps throughout the country, and close to the border with israel. michael, how worrying is this? it's told that mag it all ties in

with iran. at this point, we would be forgiving for knowing that these talks were happening bust up how worried about you about the current state of affairs? on one level, it is all the same. the new wrinkle is that israel in the last couple of weeks has attacked some iranians bases. there is a lot of speculation about, this may lead to some kind of direct conflict between israel and iran and the secretary of defence is in israel today. i am slightly sceptical about shooting war between iran and israel out of this, although i think the possibility of direct conflict inside syria skirmishing style exists. it is hard to get reporting. they going under

strict restrictions, it is very hard. iran controls the militias, it is its own revolutionary guard that is its own revolutionary guard that isa is its own revolutionary guard that is a force. but the real arbiter in syria is russia. they control whether assad stays in power and interestingly, talking of the nuclear deal, we talk of how will the european governments, who are co—signatories feel about it? russia is also a co—signatory of that deal. russia is the main player when it comes to dealing with iran, i think, andi comes to dealing with iran, i think, and i also know that israel's press is opening reporting it. there is daily contact between israel government and russian government. about operational issues and i think thatis about operational issues and i think that is really how you have to look

at what israel's rule is in this. also where the next phases are, which sadly don't bring any soccer at all to the syrian population, whether they have been been displaced and are under attack or they are living in damascus and cleaving to the region and to keep them safe and hoping the regime stays in power so there will not be a bloodbath if it collapses. i think this is the overall state of play. so when i read these nations have met to do what? reconstruction? a walk that i fear has still fuel and hatred yet to walk out. —— get a work—out. of all the conflicts i have seen and covered, is nothing quite like this with the same dynamics. when there were the missile strikes on syria after the

attack in eastern ghouta, a syrian man is said the west doesn't care that we die, only how we die. and that quote has just stayed with me. half of syria's prewar population are now dead, displaced refugees, the country is absolutely destroyed. the question of how this war, if this war will end, and who will pay for the reconstruction of this completely devastated country. u nless this completely devastated country. unless russia and iran are prepared to come to some sort of negotiating table, unless president assad is also willing to respect something other than the golden as a means of settling anything, it is just more suffering and disaster ahead. we tend to look at the latestjupiter goal threat emerging from syria, but what has happened there everyday is

so what has happened there everyday is so difficult to talk about because teams so helpless. only half the population is left. ido only half the population is left. i do not think anyone emerges from this with much added, we were for and against assad, we are really against him now, but then we looked at the people opposing him and we did not like a lot of them either, especially on the ice is aside. we looked at the allies, we do not like them. we see what putin is doing. putin has always viewed the world through a geopolitical view where... he does not care what we think, he cares about his domestic audience and the power you controls. he is doing rather well in that. we need to think whether we can live with a putin— led resolution, we can't, in which we should intervene properly. we do not have the will. the reason we hesitate so much is not the moral

quorum is, —— moral questions, what we worry about is the... in iraq, we we nt we worry about is the... in iraq, we went to a country and started the conflict. you can discuss what happened post—911 and so forth, but we started a conflict with sudan. —— sadam. it is a different question now. and then there is the libya episode. i do not think the west will intervene in the way it should should have, and now it is becoming a sort of lebanon and that is why iran wants to as a way to pressure israel directly to stop israel does not want to let it become a new lebanon for them. we are talking figures of 80,000 iranian forces scattered around, and israel is

concerned, so scattered around, and israel is concerned, so our scattered around, and israel is concerned, so our week, scattered around, and israel is concerned, so ourweek, and iran facing all those hostile powers in the region are playing its cards trying to control as much as blue route —— trying to control as much as blue route — — beirut. trying to control as much as blue route —— beirut. that is one valid point, but to what extent also are people waiting for maybe 12, which is the iran, trump deadline. all five of us discussed the fact that this week there were talks, they were in brussels, going on for some time but they broke up on for some time but they broke up on thursday and we had to go, oh, yes! did anyone see anything? and that sense coming out of brussels, we are not issuing a munich eight, we are not issuing a munich eight, we have nothing to say because this maybe 12 is looming. let's assume that trump says, i am not good to certify the deal. there

is still a whole range of other issues if you get into some kind of shooting war between this group that group. iran is involved militarily ina lot group. iran is involved militarily in a lot of spaces just next door to america. there are 2000 american soldiers in syria, north—eastern syria. iran is a critical player in iraq. don't forget, the kurdish crisis of the autumn, it was the commander of the revolutionary guards who actually went into kurdistan and got everyone. this had this is the new dispensation. iraq is about to have very important elections. i think if we look at may 12 as something that is going to trigger something because we anticipate donald trump making a decision, i think that is also wrong. i think we also have to remember very clearly what the map

of the middle east looks like. israel has a border with syria, but it does not have a border with iran and you cannot fight was when you are surrounded by vast tracts of desert. you can skirmish and bomb in the limited fashion, but that is not fighting a war, but is not invasion or tearing countries apart as has happened in syria. does not necessarily stop the anxiety. the americans do not share a border with iraq and it did not stop them. unless iran wants to send a couple of divisions across iraq... it is not a small troop... nevertheless, taken together, tens of thousands of troops is not a small manoeuvre. these conversations we are having are related. people do not want the uranium regime to become the next north korea empowered with nucleic

capability to reinforce itself. it was your president hanging out with trump has affected his diplomacy who tweeted, iran will not be a nuclear power, not into mackey is, not in five years, never. these are tough line is being taken, but they are informed that we do not want to get in the situation like with north korea with high stakes and an unpredictable regime. and that is a point on which to end it, only for this week. thank you for being with dateline. see next time. thank you for watching. bye— bye. hello.

a bit of sunshine to the north and the west today, but through some parts of central and eastern england it's grey, wet and cool. the area of cloud that brought the rain yesterday, most of it has gone off into the north sea, but it has left this trail of cloud stretching across these areas where it continues to rain into this afternoon. the rain moving further north to the north east midlands, parts of lincolnshire and yorkshire. that means skies may brighten towards the south—east into the afternoon, and it may start to feel a touch warmer. not too much wet weather further west. more sunshine in the south west and wales but one or two showers breaking out. it's the same in north west england and the far north of england. sunny spells and only a few showers. the showers we seen over northern ireland and scotland though, while there will be big gaps between them, where you do see them they will be heavy with hail and thunder and could hang around for quite a while as well. some big puddles around before the day is out. sunny spells between the showers, up to around 13 degrees for some of you. but through the midlands towards lincolnshire, south yorkshire and east yorkshire, just 7—8 degrees through the afternoon. disappointingly cool for late april.

still some rain here through into the night and it gradually turns lighter and patchy. elsewhere to the north and west, clearer skies. some mist and fog patches, and quite a chilly night to come. temperatures low enough for a touch of frost in a few spots. last night we got down to “i! in the highlands of scotland, i wouldn't be surprised if there were one or two similar tomorrow. but, like today, northern and western areas favoured for sunny spells, a few showers, perhaps not as many as will be around today. drier day through central and eastern england to begin with, temperatures still on the cool side. later on it turns wet and windy towards the far south—east and east anglia. that is linked into this area of low pressure. if you've got plans to be outdoors on monday across central and eastern england, look away now. it is going to be a pretty cold, wet and windy day. heavy rain which could lead to some minorflooding. we've got strong winds, severe gale force winds are some especially around the coast, whipping up some rough north seas. that rain will be there all day long, even turning to sleet and a bit of wet snow mixed in over the very tops of the hills in the south. away from it, many will be dry. northern and western parts

of england and wales with increasing amounts of cloud and breeze through the day. sunniest of all, scotland and northern ireland. 13 the high, only around 11—5 for the heart of england during the afternoon. it's not going to be that cold all week. you'll be glad to hear there will be high teens across eastern areas by friday. take care. this is bbc news. i'm shaun ley. the headlines at 12. the parents of alfie evans, the 23—month—old boy who was at the centre of a legal row about his treatment, say he has died. his father said on social media, "my gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings. cabinet backing for amber rudd, who says she didn't see a memo copied to her office detailing home office targets for deporting illegal immigrants. the home secretary has apologised saying that of course she should have seen it. but she cannot be held accountable or responsible for a document she didn't see and for decisions that she didn't take.

plans for easier challenges to parole board decisions following the case of serial sex offenderjohn worboys. also: the race to the premier league goes down to the wire. fulham beat sunderland and move to second in the championship. premier league relegations could also be confirmed today