were killed in sunday's suicide bombings. officials now believe 253 people died. the uk government is advising against all but essential travel to the country. the foreign office says terrorists are very likely to try to carry out indiscriminate attacks. six weeks after the christchurch mosque attacks — prince wiliam has delivered a powerful messsage on defeating extremism. the duke of cambridge paid tribute to the courage of the community at the al noor mosque — and praised new zealanders for their compassion in the aftermath of the attack. 31 years after his first challenge for the white house, joe biden has declared a new presidential bid, putting an end to months of speculation. the former us vice—president said the core values of america's democracy were at stake under president trump.

now on bbc news, hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk with me, seen a adar we welcome to hardtalk with me, seen a adarwe in welcome to hardtalk with me, seen a adar we in the synergies capital khartoum by the banks of the river nile. the nile has witnessed many upheavals throughout sedan‘s long history and perhaps one of the most dramatic has been the downfall of military strongman omar al—bashire up military strongman omar al—bashire up to 30 years in power. he was forced out by long protests led by the sudanese professional association. they say they will not stop the demonstrations until the military council ruling the country hands overpowered to the civilians. how realistic are these demands. in this special edition of hardtalk, i have three guests from different groups in the protest movement. my

first guest is professor mohamed yousef, official spokesman for the sudanese professional association. what will it take for you to call of these protests? i know it is very difficult to exactly predict. we are so difficult to exactly predict. we are so optimistic that it is going to be in effect next week because the number of factors are gathering to accelerate the process. one of them, the amassing of more people in the

sitting area from all over the country, from different regions. but the sudanese professional association does not represent all of sudan. of course, of course. around them are people from different walks of life. farmers, animal herders and traders and even the military. so the forces for freedom and change of which the sudanese professional association is now part of it, also includes some of the old established political parties in the sudan? yes. how can you speak with one coherent voice because the legal of the military council has said, whenever he has talks with these forces, he is presented with 100 different

visions. this is not true because in the alliance for freedom and change, we have been working together since the first day, they are receiving 100 different views. they are speaking about political parties that do not subscribe to our declaration. those who we are waiting for, the collapsing regime. just in very simple terms, set out for us what your concrete demands are for this transitional phase. we wa nt to are for this transitional phase. we want to dismantle the old regime. economically, politically as well as legally. this is our main objective. in addition to this, we want to make some kind of salvation about the

hardship and the collapse of the economy. who is going to carry out all this economic reform? who has the mandate? you've got to have the people in place to carry out these economic reforms? our members, together with the members of the political parties and organisations, have been active throughout the 30 yea rs have been active throughout the 30 years in following the programmes. from any person. but now the streets are mandating us, the majority of the people in every institution, in every village. yes, that we accept but it's just going forward. i give you an example. one party, the du p, the democratic unionist party, which is not part of the forces for

freedom and change, i accept, nevertheless it's a very old, influential traditional party with extensive support in the sudan. the spokesperson says the sba, the sudanese professional association, are into much of a hurry to remove the military of commanding. this is not a wise idea because of the instability in the country with armed militias in the former ruling party, the ncp at large. what murtaz has expressed, the majority of sudan is from different places, convinced that the intrusion of the military into the political arena is the majorfactorfor into the political arena is the major factor for the instability of the country. that is why they have to be removed. you initially said they should go in a matter of days.

are you still sticking to that? this is the only way to open the way for the avenue for making democracy. when do you want them to go? the avenue for making democracy. when do you want them to 907m the avenue for making democracy. when do you want them to go? in a matter of days? a matter of days. you are saying having this done in days. i tell you what the european ambassadors sedan says, he promises the military council assistance in the military council assistance in the transition to civilian rule but he says, don't be too hasty. we wa nted he says, don't be too hasty. we wanted to be as soon as possible because not beginning to implement what we are thinking with the presence of the military. you are sticking to your request that general burhan disband the military council in a matter of days. yes. will you escalate your protests until he steps down or disbands the military council? we are doing that. do you fear that could be some kind

of violence, that the armed forces could get that up within this structure —— obstructions to people's daily lives, in khartoum, the street protests, that force could be used to disband you. we believe and we have every reason to believe and we have every reason to believe that armed forces, might be that up, not with what is going on the street, but the kind of inflexibility shown by the parties. you don't fear any violence. what should happen to president bashir? he should be tried? in the sudan or surrendered to the international criminal court. we have to try him first in sudan. if there is evidence that a jury can't deal with that big

gross crimes, we don't mind to send him wherever. you would send him to the? but we would prefer to try him here. when the protest started in december you are seen as here. when the protest started in december you are seen as one here. when the protest started in december you are seen as one of the key players, regarded as the brains behind the sudanese professional association, a professorfrom khartoum university, did you think you would see the end of bashir‘s rule by april? at that time, a lot of events were moving. to convince even ordinary people. men and women. that regime is collapsing. that is why we opted to grasp the

opportunity and push the movement of the people, the movement of the youth and we made it particular because this revolution now going on is, ina because this revolution now going on is, in a sense, social. because social grievances rather than economic or political divisions is the main source of enmity. but you we re the main source of enmity. but you were euphoric when you saw the end of bashir‘s rule? did you yourself personally celebrate? of course. what did you do? i was in prison. you celebrated the end of bashir‘s rule in prison? i was then released from prison at 1030. how long were

you in prison for? two months. are you in prison for? two months. are you optimistic? are you really confident there will be a new sudan? iamso confident there will be a new sudan? i am so confident. the resilience of the youth and women in particular 110w the youth and women in particular now on the streets makes me so optimistic that we are going to win, that the wish and will of our people is going to be imposed. could you going to politics yourself? we see president mohamed yousif in time? no, because i'm a great and staunch supporter of young person to be in that place and i prefer this to be a woman. this is my own. and i'm campaigning for this. but i prefer

to go back to my profession where i can serve my people better as a university press —— professor rather than a president. i know very little about the intrigues of that. the protest movement of which professor yousif is one of the leaders has many young people in it and that's one of the striking features of this revolution. in fact, one of the striking features of this revolution. infact, one one of the striking features of this revolution. in fact, one young woman is being seen as the icon of the revolution. and it is 22—year—old student alaa salah. did you really have any idea that when you stop —— stood on top of the car charging a revolutionary poem, that it was going to be a picture that captured the imagination of everybody all over the world?

did you think that you are going to become the icon of this revolution here in sudan? on the 2013

revolution, you are only 16, you're just 22 now. have you always been very politically engaged from a very early age? so that iconic picture of us taken on the eighth of april and three days later president bashir had been removed from office. how did you

feel? and you are not scared for your safety?

were your parents are not worried about you, you are one of seven children, three sisters and three brothers? did you blame omar al bashirfor all the problems of sudan?

you, as the female icon of this revolution, do you think it has changed forever the status of women in sudan? has the status for women change for goodin has the status for women change for good in sudan?

you are an architectural engineering student here in khartoum. you want to become an engineer when you graduate or are you going to go into politics? what has the reaction been of other revolutionaries to you and the fact that you have become famous, really, asa that you have become famous, really, as a result of that intervention of

yours? but you have also had some reaction which has not been favourable about you, isn't that right? for instance there has been a fake twitter account in your name? what do you want to happen now?

i hope that that dream of yours come true. thank you very much for talking to me. young people like alaa salah dream ofa young people like alaa salah dream of a free sedan. the stakes are high. for all the ten of its years of independence it has been ruled by the military. the last prime minister leads the party, one of the biggest and oldest in sedan. he was deposed by omar al bashir end of the coup in 1989. very nice to see you

again. he receives a steady stream of visitors in his home at the capital, seeking his opinion and this turbulent time in the sudanese politics. he is descended from one of the most famous revolutionary fighters who defeated the british in 1885 and delivered sovereignty for the sudanese. this is the term where he is buried and it is one of the best—known historic landmarks in the whole of the country. he is relieved that saddam has liberated itself from omar al bashir. omar al bashir it is really a bloodthirsty leader. his career was full of this

attitude, he executed 28 officers without trial, executed three civilians because they held hard currency. he gave a carte blanche for security. sudan has known military rule for all of its 60 odd yea rs of military rule for all of its 60 odd years of independence, how can you keep the military out of government in sudan? they have become hinged to the idea of takeover so we must have a civilian military charter that we basically of the role of the military in training and so on that

we make the military subject to civilian democratic control stop democracy itself cannot be stabilised without addressing certain issues, like cultural and social adaptations stop we cannot simply cut and paste the westminster pattern so we have to revise this in order to make it practical and to be able to successfully exercise democracy. you need an ingenious plan, as you said. indeed and this is what i have been thinking about all the time and now it is time to begin to exercise this idea and we are going to inculcate that in our

constitution, the coming constitution, the coming constitution i hope it will involve this political engineering. i am optimistic. if it succeeds it's a great opening for the whole region. it would constitute a new historical step therefore the challenge is so great but the opening is also very great. we end this special edition of hardtalk from khartoum, a city where the blue and white male meet and become the single river nile. in the same way, the civilian and military in this country must come together as one united sudan.

hello there. after the warm easter weather that we saw last weekend, it's been turning gradually cooler and also more unsettled over the past couple of days. and that unsettled theme continues for the next few days too. this amazing picture was taken as the sun set on thursday evening in salford. you can see the big shower clouds that we had, the heavy downpours. a similar picture on friday. there will be some sunshine around, equally some heavy showers in the forecast too. and things will start to feel cold over the next few days. you can see the blue colours, that is a colder air mass filtering in from the north—west. the warm weather that has been with us is now pushing further east across europe. so for friday morning we have got some clear skies for many eastern areas to start off the day. more cloud already in the west, with some showery rain for northern ireland, wales, the south—west of england through the morning. that should then push its way eastwards into south—west scotland, northern england too, before the next bands of showers arrive from the west later in the afternoon. so temperatures for the likes

of belfast and cardiff, only around 11—12, but we could still see 17 degrees 01’ so across eastern parts of england. but some heavy showers almost anywhere on and off through the day. into friday evening and saturday, that's when things turn particularly stormy. storm hannah moving its way in from the atlantic. that's going to be quite a troublemaker, i think, bringing a wet and a particularly windy start to saturday, wherever you are. so let's take a look at storm hannah. it's moving its way in from the atlantic through friday night and into the early hours of saturday. so this developing area of low pressure has got a lot of isobars associated with it, particularly on the southern edge. so it will be across ireland that we see the very strong winds, but they're also going to push into wales and the south—west of england. widespread gales likely here on saturday, with winds gusting around 60, even 70 mph. so notjust the strength of the wind, but also some really heavy showery rain for many areas through the day on saturday. the heaviest of the showers and the strongest of the winds pushing eastwards through the day across central and eastern parts of england. should dry up for northern ireland, north—west scotland,

and the south—west of england later in the day. but it will feel cold, with temperatures generally around 10—12 degrees on saturday. when you add on the windchill it is going to feel pretty chilly and we could well see some disruption due to the strength of the wind. as that area of low pressure then clears to the east into sunday we see a smaller ridge of high pressure building in. so sunday the quieter day of the weekend. not wall—to—wall sunshine, i think, quite a lot of cloud around still. perhaps one or two showers just lingering in the east, and then more showery rain moving on from the west later in the day. not as cold, though, as saturday, with top temperatures for most of us around about 13 or 1a degrees. bye for now.

this is the briefing. i'm victoria fritz. our top story: cyclone kenneth strikes northern mozambique — it's forecast to bring storm surges to a country already devastated by floods. president macron outlines plans to modernise the french economy and bring an end months of protests, but will tax cuts be enough? prince william delivers a powerful message on defeating extremism as he meets victims of the mosques attacks in new zealand. the message from christchurch and the message from al noor and linwood mosques could not be more clear. the global ideology of hate will fail to divide us. coming up in the business briefing: amazon, and on.