this is bbc news. i'm nkem ifejika. our top stories... a terrorist knife attack in paris leaves one person dead and at least four others injured. the so called islamic state say they did it. north korea announces plans to dismantle its nuclear test site within weeks. international experts and journalists are invited to watch. counting is under way after iraqis vote in the first general election since the country's victory over is. favourites israel win the eurovision song contest, while britain's performance is disrupted by a protestor. hello and welcome to bbc news. french prosecutors have begun a terrorism investigation after a man armed with a knife lashed out at passers—by

in central paris. one person was killed and at least four others were injured. the attacker was shot dead by police. it took place in opera, one of the busiest districts of the city, at around 9:30pm in the evening. eyewitnesses said the knifeman shouted "allahu akbar" and later, so—called islamic state said it was behind the attack. the french president, emmanuel macron, said on twitter that france had once again paid the price of blood. bill hayton reports. it should have been a pleasant night out in a popular part of paris. instead, a victim lies stabbed in the street. eyewitnesses reported scenes of panic as an attacker lashed out with a blade. investigators say he shouted "allah akbar," arabic for god is great. police flooded the area near the opera house and eyewitnesses said officers first tried to taser the suspect and then fired two shots.

the authorities have confirmed the attacker was dead. the police arrived quickly, everyone arrived quickly. we did not know what was going on. the removed into the bar. and went outside and saw a man lying on the floor. president macron said his thoughts were with the victims and their loved ones. he saluted the courage of the police opposite who, in his words, neutralised the terrorist. the city's mayer said all parisians stood by the victim's side. the incident is being treated as terrorism but there has been no word on the background of the attacker. the islamic state group has claimed responsibility, saying it was targeting countries of the coalition that fought against it in the middle east. translation: france is absolutely determined not to yield in anyway to

the threats issued by attackers. our response will be firm and clear. over the past three years, a string ofjihadist attacks around france have claimed the lives of almost 250 people. as the investigation continues, police will north korea has announced it will dismantle its nuclear test site later this month in plain view of the world's media. the three—day event is scheduled to take place just weeks before president trump and the north korean leader kim jong—un hold their historic summit injune. from south korea, here's laura bicker. another key public announcement from the usually secretive state. she's describing a ceremony to dismantle north korea's main nuclear test site. kim jong—un has carried out all six nuclear blasts within the secluded mountain valleys of punggye—ri, but now he says he'll blow up all of the tunnels and block all entrances, and allow foreign media to watch. it's the kind of serious step the us

has been hoping for. earlier this week, the secretary of state travelled to pyongyang with an offer to help build the state's economy if they give up their weapons. back in washington, in a meeting with the south korean foreign minister, mr pompeo made it clear sanctions will remain until any deal is done. i will require a robust verification programme, and one that we will undertake with partners around the world. the us president tweeted his approval. he said, thank you, a smart and gracious gesture. it's been a week of dizzying diplomatic efforts, with the release of three men who were held in north korea for over a year. sceptics say president trump is falling for the pyongyang playbook. but others believe there's a chance that north korea's priorities are changing, and thatjust perhaps this time might be different.

the electoral commission in iraq says fewer than 45% of eligible voters took part in saturday's parliamentary elections. it's the first vote since the government declared victory over the islamic state group. earlier, three people were killed in a bomb attack near the city of kirkuk in what officials say was linked to the elections. our middle east correspondent, martin patience, reports from baghdad. iraq is at a turning point. people here hope that this election will represent a fresh start. but the fear is the country could slip back into violence. despite the islamic state group being pushed out of most of iraq, the threat of attacks remains. translation: we hope that new politicians will be elected who will change things for young people. we have got university degrees but we are sitting at home unemployed.

translation: god willing, the situation will improve, the younger generation will get jobs, electricity will get better, and most importantly we'll have security. prime minister haider al—abadi won praise for his fight against the islamist militants. translation: today, iraq is powerful and unified after defeating terrorism, and this is a huge achievement for all iraqis. these elections will determine the immediate future for iraq, and it's the citizens themselves who will decide that future through this election. he needs all the votes he can get. he's facing unexpectedly tough competition from other shia politicians. but whoever wins this election will need to rebuild the country's shattered cities and gain the trust of sunni muslims, whose marginalisation in the first place led to the rise of is. the results will also be closely watched across the region and beyond, as they could tip the balance of power

in the middle east. this is a critical moment for iraq. security has vastly improved here, and there's an opportunity to rebuild the country. but iraq's unity is fragile. sectarian divisions could once again tear this country apart. and, with growing tensions between america and iran, many iraqis fear their country could be a casualty of any struggle. martin patience, bbc news, baghdad. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. malaysian police are reported to have raided an apartment block with links to the recently defeated prime minister, najib razak. a senior police officer told the reuters news agency officers were looking for sensitive government papers which they feared could be taken out of the country. one of britain's most notorious serial

killers has died in prison. denis nilsen admitted murdering fifteen young men at two houses he lived in over a five—year period in london in the 1970s and 80s. 72—year—old nilsen was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1983. now, could silvio berlusconi be about to embark on yet another political comeback? a court in italy has overturned a ban which prevented the former prime minister from holding public office. the six—year ban had been imposed following a 2013 conviction for tax fraud. our rome correspondent, james reynolds, reports. silvio berlusconi's latest fate was announced where it has so often been decided before — in court. in milan, a judge ruled that the 81—year—old is now free to hold public office, ending his years in the cold. he spent a portion of his ban volunteering at a care home. this did not perhaps take up

all of his attention. this march, mr berlusconi led his party into italy's general election even though he was not allowed personally to stand as a candidate. but his movement performed badly. now he is able to put himself forward again. translation: this represents the end of the last five years, which have severely damaged us. with the full eligibility of silvio berlusconi, italy will rely on us again and forza italia will be increasingly decisive in our country. but the party may have missed its moment. right now, italy's two main populist movements, five star and the right wing league are getting ready to form their own governments. five star's leader, luigi di maio, has made it clear, ban or no ban, silvio berlusconi is not invited. silvio berlusconi may be back but he cannotjust muscle his way to the centre of the arena.

italy's immediate future lies with the populists, not with him. turkey's president, recep tayyip erdogan, has accused israel of "instigating war" in the middle east. mr erdogan was commenting on israel's recent strikes on what it said were iranian military sites in syria. the israelis said this followed an iranian rocket attack on their forces in the golan heights. israel said it launched them in retaliation. israel launched the attack on the iranian revolutionary guard after they carried out their action on israeli posts in the occupied golan heights. the president of iran.

turkey's president there talking to the bbc‘s zeinab badawi. and you can watch more of that interview with recep tayyip erdogan on hardtalk. it's on bbc world news on monday the 14th may at the times on your screen now. viewers in the uk can see the programme on the bbc news channel. stay with us on bbc news. still to come... the climb for equality. more than 80 women in cinema gather on the steps at the cannes film festival calling for improvements in the industry. the pope is short. the pope will

live. ploughs barbie went on trial today in the town where he was gestapo chief in the second world war. winnie mandela never looked like a woman just sentenced to six yea rs like a woman just sentenced to six years injail. there was no indication she felt even the slightest from morse. the chinese government has called for an all out effort to help the victims of a powerful earthquake. the computed deep blue has triumphed over world chess champion garry kasparov. it is the first time the machine has defeated reigning world champion in a classical chess match. this is bbc news.

the latest headlines... the islamic state group says it was behind the knife attack in central paris in which one person was killed and at least four others injured. and north korea details plans to dismantle its nuclear test site within two weeks, and says international media and experts will be invited. the army in the democratic republic of congo says it is working with park rangers to try to locate two british tourists who were kidnapped by gunmen on friday. during the attack in virunga national park, which is home to rare mountain gorillas, a female ranger was shot dead. a driver was taken away with the british tourists but was later released. our reporter louise dewast — who's in the capital, kinshasa — has the latest. we have just been told by an army spokesman in the province of north kivu, where the attack happened, that they are conducting

searches in the park, that the hostages are still being held captive. the attack happened just north of goma, a town in north kivu, in this world heritage site known for its mountain gorillas. but there are many armed groups operating in and around the park. and there have been kidnappings there before. and actually, the number of kidnappings has been increasing in recent years. some human rights groups estimate that around 50% of those kidnappings are for ransom. we have not heard yet any confirmation on any ransom demands with these two missing tourists. but it's something we will be monitoring. conflict in the region is rife. there are about 70 different groups operating in eastern congo alone. louise dewast there. now, injune 2001 more than half a century after being driven into exile by communists, bulgaria's former

king simeon the second made a dramatic comeback by winning the country's parliamentary election. witness has been speaking to simeon saxe—coburg—gotha about his remarkable journey from child king to prime minister. the monarchy strikes back. after more than 50 yea rs'inexiterfl former king simeon's vote was much more than symbolic. i really didn't think that we would have such a landslide. it was really quite a surprise. it was also a tremendous decision. would i live up to it? was i capable? simeon was just a boy when he was crowned king in 1943, at the age of six, leading a country which was a reluctant ally of nazi germany during the second world war. in september 7111, the soviet troops marched in, and there was a coup d'etat, and after that came the period where my uncle and other

regents, plus a number of people were executed. we left from this house, as a matter of fact. right from this door. we boarded a so—called royal train, and what worried my mother was that they noticed there were russian soldiers. they suddenly thought the very worst, that we would be taken somewhere and done in, but it didn't happen, obviously, since i can answer your questions today. we never thought that this would last 50 years. and suddenly, the way west was opened. this did not look like a planned move from the communist authorities, but rather another panic response by a government giving way to the parliament of the street. watching the news of the fall of the wall, literally this is what i started thinking —

well, there might be a chance that eventually we would see bulgaria again. simeon returned from exile to huge crowds in 1996. from one part of the road to the centre was literally a sea of people. most bulgarians think a decade of democracy after the fall of communism has given them far too little reward. now the ex—king must decide how to lead his people again. i demoted myself to be prime minister, rather than stay with the hypothetical title of king, to be able to be more useful. to me, it was something which was against everything i had been taught over the years, that the king wouldn't meddle in direct politics. so that was one thing

which cost me personally a lot of sleepless nights. to my father's generation, for centuries, people only had married within these families. my generation on, people started marrying persons who were outside the royal families, but this in itself shows that the monarchy isn't something stale, stuck and back in history. my view is, having worn both hats, i couldn't say that there is one single system which is the best, but certainly the monarchy is something much more flexible than a politician, which i have been, works with sort of four years' time orfive years' time. the king is actually with a generation, so you think 25 years ahead roughly.

i think the more people get a little bit upset with their politicians, the more monarchy has a function. i think it's a pretty fair system. i'm not doing publicity of my own trade, but i really think it. dozens of women film stars have held a protest at the cannes film festival against what they say is gender—based discrimination in the industry. the prestigious cannes festival has come under criticism for failing to showcase more films by women directors. the protest comes after a period of turmoil in the industry following allegations of sexual harassment. russell trott reports. with directors and film stars amongst their number, the timing was a lwa ys amongst their number, the timing was always going to be perfect. 84 women

working in world cinema walking slowly, silently on the red carpet. they said to symbolise the and a representation of female film—makers atan representation of female film—makers at an event meant to celebrate the global nature of the industry. we demand that our workplaces are diverse and equitable so they can best reflect the world in which we actually live. a world that allows all averse in front and behind the camera, all averse, to stand shoulder to shoulder with our male colleagues. in a lighter and more an arctic moment, the legendary directorjean luke gothard appeared on the small screen, turning a cannes news conference into what one critic called the weird, cinematic event. he appeared by mobile phone taking questions from everything —— on everything from geopolitics. harvey weinstein has always denied

engaging in nonconsensual sex. and antiharassment hotline has been created. in another sign of the times perhaps news that it had received several calls since the film festival began. the eurovision song contest has been won by israel's entrant netta after a closely—fought race with cyprus. but the event was overshadowed by a protestor rushing onto the stage during a performance by the british entrant. tim allman has more. # i still have faith. # i still believe in chasing... the united kingdom has had, well, an interesting relationship with europe in recent years, so perhaps it was almost symbolic that the country's performance in this year's eurovision song contest didn't exactly go as planned. surie was performing her song storm when this happened. # storms don't last... nazis of the uk media, we demand freedom! a man stormed the stage,

grabbed her microphone and appeared to shout, "nazis of the uk media, we demand freedom". he was then taken away by security to be questioned by police. away from there, it was the usual fare, a little high—energy pop... a dash of angsty guitar rock... and something involving what looked like a giant cupboard. # wonder woman, don't you ever forget... among the favourites, netta from israel, with her song, toy. and eleni foureira, who performed fuego for cyprus. as always with eurovision, the real fun comes with the voting rather than songs. it split into two halves — first the nationaljuries, where some things never change... 12 points to cyprus.

cyprus, 12 points! then the phone votes, and as the bookies predicted, it came down to israel and cyprus. and by quite a margin, the european public voted for the israelis. i think i'm pretty sure that means that netta... has won. yes, they've announced it, they've called it. i'm so happy! laughter. thank you so much... for choosing different. thank you so much for accepting differences between us. thank you for celebrating diversity. eurovision, choosing different. you can say that again.

i think she was happy there. and you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter. i'm @ nkem ifejika. goodbye. the weather continues to bring as mixed fortunes during the course of the weekend. there was an east — west split on saturday and the same for sunday. here is the satellite image from space. you can see a lot of cloud in central and eastern parts of the country with clearer skies out west. we had clear skies in holyhead in anglesey. beautiful

sunshine birth of the grey skies at saint leonards on sea in sussex. still some rain lingering over the next 24 hours in the east. on sunday we are looking at cloudy conditions persisting in the east with the best of the sunshine in the west. one or two showers in the far south—west will ease away. the rain anywhere from northumberland into aberdeenshire and the northern isles as well. for the rest of the country not a bad day. a better day for the south—east of england and the midlands. temperatures up to 18 degrees. it should feel fine on sunday afternoon. as we work our way into sunday evening we keep the rain across parts of the far north—east of scotland, particularly the northern isles. this line of cloud stretching down across the south east. for most of us clear and dry

conditions. temperatures into single figures first thing monday morning. the weather should improve over the next few days. high pressure across scandinavia and another area of high pressure working in from the azores across the atlantic. that means the pressure should rise and things should brighten. still one or two showers lingering in east anglia and the south east. for much of the country blue skies and sunshine with light winds. more cloud working into the far north—west later in the day. temperatures warmer than over the last few days. that trend continues on into tuesday. another largely dry, bright day. more cloud and outbreaks of rain for northern ireland and the north west of scotla nd ireland and the north west of scotland down to a weak front. england and wales keep the sunshine all day on tuesday. the temperatures should be doing pretty well. i is up to 23 in london and fresher in

northern ireland and scotland. as high pressure continues to build, a lot of dry weather was sunny spells and it should feel pleasantly warm. goodbye for now. this is bbc news. the headlines: one person has been killed and four others injured after being stabbed in a busy part of central paris, in what authorities are treating as terrorism. the attacker was shot dead by police and is reported to have shouted allahu akbar. so—called islamic state say they were behind it. north korea has announced plans to start dismantling its nuclear test site in less than two weeks, and says international experts and journalists will be invited to watch. president trump's thanked north korea and called it a very smart and gracious gesture. votes are being counted in iraq after the first general election since the government declared victory over the islamic state group. but the country's electoral commission is reporting a low turnout, with less than 45% of eligible voters casting their ballots. countryside campaigners are calling

for action on what they say