welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore, i'm monica miller. the headlines: a former policeman in thailand kills at least 38 people at a nursery school, most of them children. what could have driven this man to carry out such a cruel and desperate act? president biden pardons all americans convicted of marijuana possession under federal laws and urges state governors to follow his lead. as six people face criminal

charges over indonesia's football stadium disaster we hear from survivors and families of those killed in the crash. piling on the pounds, why alaska's brown bears are big news. live from our studio in singapore, this is bbc news. it's newsday. it was a massacre that shocked the nation and the world. now, thailand's king is expected to visit the town of uthai sawan. it's where at least 38 people, mostly young children, were killed by an attacker at a nursery school. the man responsible was a former police officer who was facing a trial on drug charges.

he carried out the attack with a gun and a knife and killed children and teachers before shooting himself dead. our south—east asia correspondent jonathan head is at the scene. and a warning — his report contains some very distressing images. this is a community now consumed by grief and shock. that children so young had been deliberately killed by a fellow parent. the children were taking a midday nap inside the nursery when the attacker turned up translation: it all. went down really fast. he was slashing the knife, he didn't use the gun, he kept slashing in there, it's all by knife. translation: he was in the middle of reloading the gun. i held my hands up and begged for mercy. the authorities say the attacker was a former police officer who had been arrested and was being tried on drug charges.

they removed the last of the victims from this day care centre a few hours ago and there is little left now to indicate the horrific events that took place here. there is a stunned disbelief not just in this village but across thailand that however troubled his life may have been, this former police officer could have carried out such a cruel and desperate act. a few distraught family members stayed close by, hoping for answers, but there were none. this woman is lucky to have survived. she is a teacher at the centre. she described hearing the first shots as she was preparing lunch. she recognised the gunmen as a parent she said. "but we never thought he would attack the children." this country is accustomed to gun crime. but nothing on this scale

involving so many children. over the next 2a hours we expect the families of those who died here to come back here, start processing it, asking questions. we are also expecting a visit from the king, a rarity but it shows the impact it has had on the country. i think they will be combing through the life of this man who carried out this extraordinary and shocking crime to see if they cannot find an explanation for what they did. there will of course be discussion about how he had access to guns. he legally had won a gun, and it seems like he mostly used the night. i don't think there are explanation people can find. he was clearly a very troubled man but this is something almost inexplicable and i think it will leave a lot of scars on this community. that was jonathan head reporting from north—eastern thailand. joining me now with the latest developments is journalist and producer, teirra kamolvattanavith, who's in bangkok.

thank you very much forjoining us on the programme. jonathan hasjust us on the programme. jonathan has just described the perpetrator in this as a very disturbed individual but do we have any more information on him? , . . . ., have any more information on him? , ., him? yes, according to the olice him? yes, according to the police he — him? yes, according to the police he was _ him? yes, according to the police he was at _ him? yes, according to the police he was at a - him? yes, according to the police he was at a court - police he was at a court hearing on a drug charge prior to the attack. police say that the attack may have been drug fuelled, he may have been inebriated at the time of the shooting. after the court hearing he allegedly showed up at the nursery looking for his son and agitated when he found he wasn't there and that is when he started firing at the children and teachers. most of the children were sleeping at the children were sleeping at the moment. after he shot and stabbed his victims he fled in a white pickup truck and also reportedly opened fire and crashed his vehicle into a crowd of bystanders before returning home to tragically take his wife, his child's and

his own life. this is very tragic news coming from thailand. gun violence is something we see quite commonly but mass shootings at the scale, especially involving students and children in such a manner are really not common. the attacker in this instance used a knife but he did have a gun. asjonathan said, there may be discussion in thailand over gun ownership moving forward. as you said, these mass shootings are extremely rare but gun ownership is rather high. do you expect the laws to change? i rather high. do you expect the laws to change?— rather high. do you expect the laws to change? i would expect there to be _ laws to change? i would expect there to be serious _ laws to change? i would expect there to be serious discussions| there to be serious discussions about gun ownership and there are some policies around gun ownership, gun transport and gun use already but enforcement hasn't been so strict so i think there is also going to be a question of, how do we enforce these policies in a way that does not let this happen

again? that does not let this happen auain? ~ . , , that does not let this happen aaain? . , , ., that does not let this happen aiain? ~ ., , , ., ., again? what is being done to hel the again? what is being done to help the victims? _ again? what is being done to help the victims? the - help the victims? the government - help the victims? the government says - help the victims? the | government says they help the victims? the - government says they will help the victims? tie: government says they will be providing financial aid to the families to cover financial expenses and medical treatment, as well the king and queen today are visiting the injured, as well as the schools. there has just been an over pouring of support from the community. i think last night there was a call from the hospital in the province for blood donations and the turnout at the hospital was great. there are pictures where the crowds of people there. i think thailand is... everyone isjust trying there. i think thailand is... everyone is just trying to do whatever they can to provide support. whatever they can to provide su ort. , , , . whatever they can to provide su--ort. , ,,. ., support. this is such a shocking. _ support. this is such a shocking, terrible - support. this is such a - shocking, terrible incident, and i understand the king is making a rare appearance today. what can you tell about his visit? there's not much information

right now, here's due to visit with his wife. you are right, it is not common for him to visit but that again shows the of tragedy and shows how much thailand is keeping an eye on it. teirra kamolvatta navith, thank you. president biden is pardoning all prior federal offences of marijuana possession and is ordering a review of its legal status. mr biden said that thousands of people have been denied employment, housing or education because of their past offences. he also urged state governors to follow suit. i spoke with our north america correspondent peter bowes earlier about the impact of these pardons. this will affect about 6,500 people, people who have a conviction for simple possession of marijuana, as it relates to the federal laws, very distinct from local laws, from state convictions, which is quite separate and may well be addressed in the future.

and the president saying he is doing this because to use his words, the current situation has upended too many lives, and what he is referring to are the difficulties faced by people with these convictions in getting on with their lives, in getting a job, in getting access to housing or education, how it affects them and their close families. and that is what he wants to bring an end to, and of course the wider implications as well, some people see this as the beginning of the end, in terms of the criminalisation of the use of marijuana. he has also called on governors of us states which have their own laws on this matter to consider following suit. have we heard any reaction from any governors so far? governors are not reacting directly to this and clearly this is going to be — at least not yet — this is going to be a political

hot potato because while there are many states across the country where the use is legal, even more states use it for medicinal states, there are states where the use of marijuana is illegal, and for political and for personal reasons, son, with tax and gun related crimes. he has previously denied any financial wrongdoing, and has acknowledged using crack cocaine. the us attorney in delaware, appointed by former president

donald trump, will decide whether to indict him. the pakistan says he have to beg help after f-qlqlqéfl’af catastreehic flooded one third mrglpaftercatastreehic flooded one third of monsoon flooded one third of the country. he also said he seeks climate justice from the international community. the official death toll from the is least 1600 but blood is at least 1600 but many estimates on the ground have been much higher. —— from the ground. to indonesia now, where six people have been charged over a football stadium disaster that killed 131 people at the weekend. a senior police chief said match organisers and police officers were among those being investigated on suspicion of criminal negligence. the bbc has been speaking to survivors and people who have lost loved ones in the crush. a warning: there's some distressing content in this report.

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including prince harry and sir eltonjohn taking legal action elton john taking legal action against eltonjohn taking legal action against a british newspaper? we will find out later. this was a celebration by people who were relishing their freedom. they believe everything's going to be different from now on, they think their country will be respected in the world once more, as it used to be, before slobodan milosevic took power. the dalai lama, the exiled spiritual leader of tibet, has won this year's nobel peace prize. as the parade was reaching its climax, two grenades i exploded and a group of- soldiersjumped from a military truck taking part inl the parade, and ran towards the president, j firing from kalashnikov automatic rifles. after 437 years, the skeletal ribs of henry viii�*s tragic warship emerged. but even as divers worked to buoy her up, the mary rose went through another heart—stopping drama. i want to be

the people's governor. i want to represent everybody. i believe in the people of california. cheering and applause this is newsday on the bbc. i'm monica miller in singapore. our headlines: a former policeman in thailand has killed at least 38 people at a nursery school — most of them children. rescue workers in the ukrainian city of zaporizhzhia are continuing their search for people buried in the rubble, after russian missiles hit residential buildings on thursday. volunteers formed human chains to dig through the debris and sniffer dogs are being used to try to locate survivors. the attacks come as the ukrainian army continues to make dramatic progress against russian forces in the east and south of the country. our correspondent, paul adams, reports.

when things go wrong on the battlefield, is this how russia responds? this was not a military target. this is where ordinary people lived, where they were sleeping. from dawn, rescue workers looked for survivors among five floors of smouldering wreckage. it's not known how many people died here. this is the very centre of zaporizhzhia. we're not that far from russian—controlled territory here and it's not unusual for explosions to be heard in and around the city. but for an entire apartment building like that to be demolished, that is unusual — and shocking. they know what war looks and sounds like, but they're stunned. and furious. translation: i have no words. it really hurts, and it's going to hurt even when i'm gone. i will never forgive russia for this. i won't.

we shouldn't forgive russia for killing our children. we should take revenge and take it to the end. alla has relatives living in the building. she doesn't think they're alive. translation: why are they doing this to us? | what are they trying to prove? killing old people, why? for what? this morning's attacks came with no warning. explosions just a series of huge explosions in the darkness before dawn. not far away, on a quiet residential street, more destruction, more urgent work. a modest house reduced to flames and rubble. at a third building, a miraculous escape. russia is lashing out, firing missiles and drones into cities across ukraine. it feels desperate and dangerous. paul adams, bbc news,

zaporizhzhia. prince harry and sir eltonjohn are part of a group who've launched legal action in the uk against associated newspapers, publishers of the daily mail, the mail on sunday and the mail online for alleged gross breaches of privacy. tom symonds has the story and i should warn you his report contains flashing images from the start. they are veterans of the fight against media intrusion. now prince harry, sir eltonjohn, liz hurley and sadie frost have combined forces to take on the mail, along with, and this was a surprise, baroness doreen lawrence. she has had a warm relationship with the daily mail, two of her son's killers were jailed in 2012. for more than a decade,

the mail helped keep the case in the headlines but this is what lawyers now say associated newspapers journalists have been involved with. more serious allegations even than phone hacking, according to a lawyer who has been involved in legal action against associated newspapers. they are highly intrusive. they are means of delving into the private lives of people and private lives which are protected by statute under the human rights act and by convention by the european convention of human rights. it is a gross invasion of privacy if these things occurred and it would be right and proper, if they did occur, that associated newspapers and hopefully some of the seniorfigures are held to account.

phone hacking was not practised by the mail on sunday or daily mail. that was the former editor in 2012. today's statement from associated newspapers: baroness lawrence had been persuaded to endorse lies, the company said. it is all heading for court and is likely to take years to resolve. if the mail's owners are to lose, the stakes are enormous. tom symons, bbc news. the uk's biggest movie event, the london film festival, is underway. over the next week, it will feature more than 160 films, showcasing british talent and oscar hopefuls. the opening film was the world premiere of matilda the musical.

# we are revolting children living in revolting times!...# the west end smash is now a big—screen movie. the world premiere of matilda the musical is opening this year's london film festival. it boasts an all—star cast, including dame emma thomson as miss trunchbull. how much of an honour does it feel to have this film opening the london film festival this year? i mean, iwas so, so surprised, because... i don't know why i was surprised, because, isuppose, it's been around for a while, the story, and it's the london film festival, obviously. it normally opens with, i don't know, martin mcdonagh's latest, you know. and i think it's a wonderful thing to have chosen. can you imagine how many harveys there are out there? among the oscar hopefuls, she said, about the investigation into harvey weinstein that helped launch the me too movement. the only way these women are going to go on the record is if they alljump together. while empire of light is set in a cinema in the 1980s.

it stars academy award winners olivia colman and colin firth, alongside bafta winner michael ward. now, it might be called the london film festival, but it isn'tjust limited to the capital. more than a dozen films from here will also be screened to audiences around the country. including my policeman, starring harry styles, whose character finds himself attracted to another man at a time when a same—sex relationship like this was illegal... and the sequel to knives out, glass onion. last month, its star, daniel craig, told me about his love for this new franchise. everyone... ..is in danger. it's a joy, because rian johnson is such a wonderful director, and i would work with him for the rest of my life if i could. but, also, to have such an amazing cast like this. the film will close the festival in 10 days' time. lizo mzimba, bbc news.

in the northern hemisphere it is now autumn. for millions of animals this is a time to hibernate — sleeping through the winter months and waiting for spring. at the katmai national park and preserve in the us state of alaska they take this time of year very seriously — especially when it comes to one animal in particular. the bbc�*s tim allman explains. it's been said you can never be too rich or too thin. tell that too rich or too thin. tell that to the brown birds of southern alaska who have to file on the pounds in preparation for their winter hibernation. park regis decided to encourage them, come up decided to encourage them, come up with what they call fat per week. . , , , ., week. early summer, the bear was skinny _ week. early summer, the bear was skinny and _ week. early summer, the bear was skinny and late _ week. early summer, the bear was skinny and late summer. week. early summer, the bear was skinny and late summer it was skinny and late summer it was fat. i thought wouldn't be fine if we let people decide who was the fattest and most successful bearer of the year? this is otto, the remaining four times champion, seen at

the start of summer in 2021. here he is a little more than six weeks later, a diet of mostly fresh salmon saw him balloon in size. brown bears can reach a weight of nearly 550 kilograms beginning to those sort of proportions is no easy feat. those sort of proportions is no easy feat-— easy feat. this is an opportunity - easy feat. this is an opportunity to - easy feat. this is an l opportunity to reflect easy feat. this is an - opportunity to reflect on the work that brown bears need to put into surviving winter and to consider the different ways that they survive and the challenges they face in their lives. �* , . ~ lives. but bear week will last until next — lives. but bear week will last until next tuesday _ lives. but bear week will last until next tuesday and - lives. but bear week will last until next tuesday and the l until next tuesday and the partner of the year be unveiled. their prize? not much, except fora unveiled. their prize? not much, except for a very long sleep. tim allman, bbc news. that's a lot of fish! in a world first, two arctic walls have been closed by a company in china in the last month. this is meyer, the first wolf pup this is meyer, the first wolf pup to be born. she is playing

with her surrogate mother happens to be a beagle. the arctic wolf is a subspecies of a great wolf native to the canadian northern arctic archipelago. that's all for newsday. please stay with bbc world news. goodbye for now. hello there. the unsettled theme is lasting through the end of the week, but into the weekend it looks like high pressure will build in to settle things down for many of us, though. more wet and windy weather will arrive across the north and the west of the country. during sunday. friday, though, is another windy day with sunshine and blustery showers. could even see a spell of rain associated with this weather front, which will spread southwards across england and wales through the course of the day. some of this rain could be quite heavy and squally for a short time, maybe some rumbles of thunder with it as it continues to advance southwards. ahead of it, the odd shower, but some sunny spells, quite breezy, quite warm here. behind it, cooler, fresher, with a mixture of sunny spells, scattered showers.

some of them could be quite heavy even across western scotland. and it will be a windy day, these are mean wind speeds. gusts will be higher than that, particularly along that weather front and across northern and western scotland. so cool, mid teens in the north but warm in the south—east — 18 or 19 celsius. that squally line of heavy rain moves out of the south east eventually during the evening. overnight, it's drier, southern and eastern areas, more showers. into the north and the west of scotland, not as many as the last few nights. and again, it'll feel quite chilly, but the winds will start to ease down. that's because we've got this ridge of high pressure building in for saturday. so fewer isobars on the charts, lighter winds, still a few showers affecting the north and the west of scotland closer to the area of low pressure, which will be sitting across scandinavia and denmark. there'll be a lot of dry, settled, sunny weather on saturday. very pleasant indeed for england and wales — highs of 17 or 18 degrees. lots of sunshine here, a bit more cloud further north. temperatures here 13 to 15 celsius. doesn't last long in the north and the west through sunday,

the next area of wet and windy weather moves in here. but for much of central, southern and eastern england, we're still under the influence of that area of high pressure. so even part two of the weekend will be nice here with a lot of dry and sunny usable weather to get out and about. further north and west, it will be wetter and windier, some heavy rain at times here so that'll impact the temperatures — around the low teens, i think for most. that doesn't last long either because as you move into next week, monday and tuesday look fine for many of us, thanks to a ridge of high pressure before more wet and windy weather moves in later in the week. so we start next week off on a fine note for many, very pleasant in central and southern areas with a good deal of sunshine around, variable cloud but make the most of it before it turns unsettled again.

voice—over: this is bbc news. we will have the headlines and all the main news stories for you at the top of the hour, straight after this programme. newscast from the bbc. chris in the street and south london. james here in the studio. alex _ james here in the studio. alex in _ james here in the studio. alex in the studio.- james here in the studio. alex in the studio. chris, you have just _ alex in the studio. chris, you have just come _

alex in the studio. chris, you have just come back- alex in the studio. chris, you have just come back from - alex in the studio. chris, you | have just come back from the labour and conservative conferences. outstanding you are still standing. what was your day?