live from london. this is bbc news. a knife attack in france — four young children and an adult are injured — some are in a critical condition. the uk foreign secretary confirmed that one of the injured children was a british national. the suspect is in custody. this video shows the moment the man alleged to have carried out the attack was detained by police. president zelensky visits kherson, the area badly affected by the destruction of a huge dam in southern ukraine. hello, i'm ben thompson, welcome to bbc news now. a man with a knife has attacked nursery school children in the french town of annecy. four are in hospital, two are in a critical condition. the police have described

the alleged attacker as a syrian man with refugee status in sweden. it's not currently being linked to terrorism. the foreign sector a james cleverly has said that one of the injured children was a dish national —— foreign secretary. the children, all aged three and under, were on an outing to a park, some in pushchairs. the attacker also stabbed an elderly man walking nearby, before he was overpowered by police. we are expecting a news conference and we will go there as soon as it begins. the french parliament held a minute's silence when news of the stabbings emerged. the country's prime minister, elisabeth borne, is at the scene. france's president has tweeted about the attack.

france's president has emmanuel macron said... live now to our paris correspondent hugh schofield. it looks like there has been a hasty rearrangement of the press conference, so while we wait for that to begin, let's discuss what we know so far and crucially what we do not know. bring us up—to—date. what not know. bring us up-to-date. what we know it's — not know. bring us up-to-date. what we know it's pretty — not know. bring us up-to-date. what we know it's pretty much _ not know. bring us up—to—date. “await we know it's pretty much what happened because there is video of the attack. shocking to see and which cannot be broadcast. it shows a little playground like you see anywhere in a french town with swings and roundabouts, life going on as normal with children running around, and their parents and minders, and then a man comes in with a knife and very quickly there

are screams and he is clearly looking for chilled to attack and he attacks one in a pushchair. —— children to attack. it is very surreal. in part of the video life is going on as normal but in the other part of a man is going around with a knife. he then flees and another video shows him moving over open ground looking rather confused. kind of loping away. and then he was stopped and apprehended by police. they may have been shots fired, there is confusion about that, but that will be cleared up in the press conference. the other thing is that much more information has appeared about who he is, a 31—year—old syrian man, he was in europe legally because he has refugee status in sweden. what is intriguing is that in sweden we learnt he had a life, a

wife and a child, a three—year—old child. it seems there may have been separation because in the last few months he left sweden and came to france and was living in annecy apparently on his own and had been seen by people hanging around by the lake, a famous part of the area. the other thing that has come out, during the attack, he shouted out something which was a christian and he told police he was a christian and for his application for asylum in france he put himself down as a syrian christian so we can rule out any islamist connection, seemingly, and what might be shaping up is a man who is psychologically damaged by break—up and with the loss of his own three daughter in sweden and had become fixated on the happiness of

other three—year—olds, that the speculation, but that is what people are beginning to think. that speculation, but that is what people are beginning to think.— are beginning to think. that stark detail is interesting, _ are beginning to think. that stark detail is interesting, the - are beginning to think. that stark detail is interesting, the idea - are beginning to think. that stark| detail is interesting, the idea that the attacker passed by adults with an explicit aim of reaching the playground to attack young children, very young children. he playground to attack young children, very young children.— very young children. he had been seen near— very young children. he had been seen near thereby _ very young children. he had been seen near thereby an _ very young children. he had been seen near thereby an ice - very young children. he had been seen near thereby an ice cream i seen near thereby an ice cream seller who has been on the radio and tv. he described the man as having sat on the edge of the lake with a bag for the last couple of days, twitching and shaking, may be disturbed. he said he could not call the police every time he sees someone looking a bit odd by the side of the lake. anyway, the fact is, you can see he is not attacking adults in the video, he is looking for very young children, and the shocking thing is that they were so young. there is information coming out on local media that there was an

english child and a german child as well. the english child of two and a german child of 18, 20 months, something like that. another brother and sister who are the ones who are in a life—threatening situation. that seems to be firming up and what is being reported on local television.— is being reported on local television. ., . television. you are right. in the last few minutes _ television. you are right. in the last few minutes we _ television. you are right. in the last few minutes we had - television. you are right. in the last few minutes we had that i last few minutes we had that confirmed by the uk foreign secretary james cleverly confirming one of the injured children was a british national. explain the context in terms of attacks like this, they are not common but they have happened in the past in france. explain some of the history. when an one explain some of the history. when anyone hears _ explain some of the history. when anyone hears of _ explain some of the history. when anyone hears of an _ explain some of the history. when anyone hears of an attack- explain some of the history. when anyone hears of an attack of - explain some of the history. when anyone hears of an attack of this l anyone hears of an attack of this nature, you automatically assume it is part of a sequence which started in 2015 of islamist attacks. we had

the big ones, the organised ones, but since then they have been in declining frequency, attacks by lonely young man, often illegal immigrants —— lone. 0ften disturbed and sometimes associated with cannabis, marijuana, and sometimes associated with religion, but it is still fairly sporadic. it has been awhile since we have had one like this but we are used to it and it is part of the paradigms of modern living in france. this is of a different nature and the fact that the attack was on children, that the token is a different kind of attack, and it seems that it is. it is much more likely to be a man who was made fragile by his refugee status and by

his sense of alienation in europe and he is looking for his bearings and he is looking for his bearings and can't find them and has been destabilised by the breaking down of his marriage in sweden. and has lost contact with his three—year—old daughter and through a terrible twist of a warped side mind has come to take that out on children in a playground. that is what is more likely and therefore it is a different situation from islamist attacks although i dare say that some people will also say, this is linked to immigration and the mass arrival of people from syria and other countries because it is amongst these populations when you find people with the psychological profiles because they tend to be more alienated and therefore more prone to these terrible impulses. stay with us for a while. we are awaiting at the press conference.

you have been talking about what happened in the immediate aftermath of that attack. we have an eyewitness account. formerjournalist — eleanor vincent — is in annecy and witnessed the moments after the attack. i was approaching that end of the lake, i saw and heard multiple police sirens and a helicopter about to land. i knew immediately there was some very dire emergency situation happening. so i stopped where i was at the corner of the park near the lake and started photographing. and i observed a channel 26 french tv person with her cameraman. it was somewhat chaotic. the police were trying to keep

bicyclists and people from approaching the scene, which was fairly far away from where i was standing. you could see it, but it was closer to the lake where the stabbing occurred in one of the public park areas. we can return to hugh schofield. we saw earlier the prime minister, elisabeth borne, meeting with the emergency services and there is credit to them for how quickly they responded to this attack. they shot the assailant and later arrested him. they were on the scene pretty quickly. him. they were on the scene pretty cuickl . ~ . ,, him. they were on the scene pretty cuickl. . , ., quickly. what everyone says is that there was four _ quickly. what everyone says is that there was four minutes _ quickly. what everyone says is that there was four minutes between i quickly. what everyone says is that | there was four minutes between the call and the arrival of the police. i have heard one eyewitness who watched the man attacking an adult, later on, after the attack on the children, and this eye witness said he was shocked that the police did not intervene more quickly with their guns to shoot the assailant. it was all in the heat of the moment and people will see things in different ways but the fact is it seems they were on the scene very

quickly which suggests a country which has trained its police forces in urban areas to be very quick off the mark and to know that anywhere an attack of this nature or of a violent nature could be happening. even in these remote and picturesque and tranquil areas, police are told and tranquil areas, police are told and no that they could be called very urgently to the scene of this kind of horror —— know. it is very urgently to the scene of this kind of horror -- know.— kind of horror -- know. it is very --oular kind of horror -- know. it is very popular with _ kind of horror -- know. it is very popular with tourists, _ kind of horror -- know. it is very popular with tourists, close - kind of horror -- know. it is very popular with tourists, close to i kind of horror -- know. it is very. popular with tourists, close to the italian border and the swiss border, population of around 140,000 people. explain what president macron has said about the attack. he explain what president macron has said about the attack.— said about the attack. he will have been across _ said about the attack. he will have been across this _ said about the attack. he will have been across this from _ said about the attack. he will have been across this from the - said about the attack. he will have been across this from the moment said about the attack. he will have l been across this from the moment it broke and he has said on twitter that this was an attack of absolute cowardice and that the nation is in

shock. nothing surprising. every politician of every type has been tweeting their support and their horror. 0n the media you can see that even the journalists are finding it hard to put into words what they have to describe and if you see the video you will find it very upsetting. it is not so much the violence of the act of stabbing but the normality of the scene and how quickly it breaks down into terrible scenes. what is most profoundly upsetting is to see a scene which you have known in your everyday life of a local park and how that suddenly transforms into something awful on how the people on the picture do not realise what is going on. their lives are going on normally, they think, and in their midst is a man with a knife. hugh

schofield, thanks _ midst is a man with a knife. hugh schofield, thanks for _ midst is a man with a knife. hugh schofield, thanks forjoining us. what you are seeing is the press conference that we are awaiting at the top of your screen. we are getting more details. confirmation from the uk foreign secretary james cleverly confirming one of the children injured in the knife attack in annecy was a british national. and our correspondent said a three—year—old child was german. we currently know that six people including four children were hurt in the attack in annecy and the ages of them is all the more shocking. under them is all the more shocking. under the age of three. the old man was attacked we understand whilst the man with a knife was trying to get away from the scene. the attacker was trying to escape. he attacked an

older man who also faces life—threatening injuries. that is the bbc live page on the website thatis the bbc live page on the website that is up and running and it has the latest details. including at the top, news confirmation that a british national is amongst those who were injured in that attack. this is all the more shocking given that the victims were so young. there are a number of videos on social media that we will not show you because they are so shocking. this was a playground near a lake and life was continuing as normal and life was continuing as normal and children and their parents, and and children and their parents, and a man arrived with a knife and began attacking children. some of the eyewitness testimony is also pretty harrowing and what is so shocking is that the man did not seek to attack adults. apart from the older man who

was attacked as he was leaving the playground. but especially looking for children. very young children. this attack all the more shocking. the details on screen. six people including four young children hurt including four young children hurt in an attack in annecy. we will leave those details on the screen and we will go back to the press conference in annecy when it gets under way. somewhat delayed because we were expecting this in the last hour but we will stay right across it and take you there when we have any further developments. ukraine's president has gone to the kherson region to see the scale of the chaos unleashed by the destruction of a dam on tuesday. volodymyr zelensky visited the injured in hospital, and praised teams helping to rescue people trapped in buildings or on rooftops. ukraine says more than two—thirds of the flooded land is occupied by russia — on the left bank of the dnipro river. the russian—installed administration there says five people died as the result of the kakhovka dam

bursting its banks. kyiv has not given casualty figures. but at least one person was killed, they said. the governor of the kherson region says an area ten times the size of manhattan is now under water. there've also been warnings that russian landmines, uncovered by the flooding, are now drifting downstream. paul adams sent this report from kyiv. a wartime president with yet another crisis on his hands, thanking rescue workers and volunteers who've been working around the clock since tuesday. the president is angry. he says aid agencies have been slow to respond, but ukraine is dealing with this catastrophe alone. the floodwaters in kherson are no longer rising, but people are still being rescued

from low lying areas. translation: i wish i could get someone for this. one of the russians for what they did. how many people's lives are ruined and for destroying our environment? at a local hospital, a warm welcome for mr zelensky. "how are you being treated?" he asks the women. it seems they have no complaints. ukrainian officials say 230 square miles of land either side of the river is under water, an area the size of the isle of man. but the river sustains agriculture across a huge swathe of southern ukraine. the scope of this disaster is vast. while the eyes of the world are on the flooded streets of kherson, fierce battles are raging to the east. ukraine's long anticipated counteroffensive, which seemed to begin in earnest on monday, is still gathering pace. gunfire

the long running battle for bakhmut is now part of that offensive. ukraine says its forces are making progress, hoping perhaps to cut off russian troops inside the city. russia says its soldiers still control the city, but these battles just outside seem intense. translation: the ukrainian tactics are like this. - first, smaller groups move in with the support of armored vehicles. they make up a concentrated task force, but they've had no success at all so far. but ukraine's main effort is likely to be further south. it's been on the front line for months. a dire existence for those hardy civilians who remain. translation: people are constantly dying, regularly wounded. _ they're taken away from the city. we're very afraid. ukraine is deliberately saying very little about its military plans, keeping its enemy guessing. we know there's heavy fighting not far away, but we don't know who's winning.

pauladams, bbc news, kyiv. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. some other stories now developing in the uk. a 14—year—old boy who died following an incident at a school in west lothian has been named locally as hamdan aslam. emergency services were called to st kentigern's academy in blackburn on tuesday afternoon. the teenager was taken to hospital but died shortly afterwards. it is understood another 14—year—old boy was involved in the incident which the school has described as isolated. the head of the metropolitan police has apologised for the force's past failings towards the lgbt—plus community. in a letter to the human rights campaigner peter tatchell, sir mark rowley said scotland yard had systems in place that led to bias and discrimination towards the public over many decades. peter tatchell has described the apology as "groundbreaking". there has been a significant shift in how we do our grocery shopping since the covid pandemic and cost of living crisis. retail data, compiled the analyst

firm kantar has told the bbc, shoppers now visit the supermarket less often, spend more on own—label goods and are turning to loyalty schemes to get discounts. you're live with bbc news. we are going to go to annecy where the french prime minister is giving a statement. let's see if we can listen in. translation: took charge of the injured. 0ur inquest will allow us to examine the background of this assailant and

shed light on the details. we are absolutely shaken by all this and we are standing firm by all the inhabitants of annecy. the state prosecutor is conducting this inquest and i invite her to take the floor. ~ ., ., . inquest and i invite her to take the floor. . . ., . ., . ., floor. we have launched a criminal investigation _ floor. we have launched a criminal investigation into _ floor. we have launched a criminal investigation into this _ floor. we have launched a criminal investigation into this massacre. l investigation into this massacre. the person— investigation into this massacre. the person in question is arrested and in _ the person in question is arrested and in the — the person in question is arrested and in the police station in annecy. there _ and in the police station in annecy. there does— and in the police station in annecy. there does not seem to be any kind of terrorist — there does not seem to be any kind of terrorist motivation, at least apparently. we have no evidence as to terrorist — apparently. we have no evidence as

to terrorist motivation. and what we are talking _ to terrorist motivation. and what we are talking about are for children and two — are talking about are for children and two adults and the children are in a severe — and two adults and the children are in a severe state and they are in intensive — in a severe state and they are in intensive care —— four children. one of the _ intensive care —— four children. one of the victims — intensive care —— four children. one of the victims has been lightly injured — of the victims has been lightly injured. the assailant... had a knife. — injured. the assailant... had a knife. so — injured. the assailant... had a knife, so the inquest is proceeding to determine the circumstances in which _ to determine the circumstances in which the — to determine the circumstances in which the police were using firearms _ which the police were using firearms. and as i said, there is no

indication— firearms. and as i said, there is no indication as — firearms. and as i said, there is no indication as to motivation of the assailant — indication as to motivation of the assailant yet. it is much too soon to say— assailant yet. it is much too soon to say anything precise but we do have _ to say anything precise but we do have the — to say anything precise but we do have the first elements of some kind of inquest _ have the first elements of some kind of inauest. �* ,, �* have the first elements of some kind of inquest-_ 0n - have the first elements of some kind of inquest._ on the i have the first elements of some kind i of inquest._ on the face of inquest. translation: on the face of inquest. translation: on the face of it, at this stage, _ of inquest. translation: on the face of it, at this stage, we _ of inquest. translation: on the face of it, at this stage, we know _ of inquest. translation: on the face of it, at this stage, we know it - of inquest. translation: on the face of it, at this stage, we know it is - of it, at this stage, we know it is a syrian national who has refugee status in sweden and who applied for asylum in france. but this was overridden by the swedish one which dates from ten years ago. this

person in question has no criminal record. and neither does he have any psychiatric record. he record. and neither does he have any psychiatric record.— psychiatric record. he has one child ofthe psychiatric record. he has one child of the same — psychiatric record. he has one child of the same age — psychiatric record. he has one child of the same age as _ psychiatric record. he has one child of the same age as the _ psychiatric record. he has one child of the same age as the children - psychiatric record. he has one child of the same age as the children he | of the same age as the children he attacked — of the same age as the children he attached i— of the same age as the children he attacked. ijust want to intervene, because _ attacked. ijust want to intervene, because we — attacked. ijust want to intervene, because we are talking about a child of 22 months, or three years, —— of three _ of 22 months, or three years, —— of three years — of 22 months, or three years, —— of three years. the incident happened at a playground. all the victims have _ at a playground. all the victims have been_ at a playground. all the victims have been cared for. and all the witnesses — have been cared for. and all the witnesses who were not injured are being _ witnesses who were not injured are being cared for. they are in a state of shock _ being cared for. they are in a state of shock. they are being looked

after _ of shock. they are being looked after by — of shock. they are being looked after by an _ of shock. they are being looked after by an emergency medical team. i after by an emergency medical team. i have _ after by an emergency medical team. i have to _ after by an emergency medical team. i have to say— after by an emergency medical team. i have to say that we are talking about infants, very young infants, who have been very seriously injured, and i think everyone who is a parent, all of us, are terrifically shocked by this event. it is a terrible thing that has happened. i intervened as soon as possible to make sure everybody was being cared for and looked after. everybody in the administration is going to be looking at the refugee status of this individual. as i said, he has refugee status from sweden and therefore because sweden is part of the eu, he could come to

france without any particular permission. but i think the most important message is one of solidarity with the children, the six victims, and the parents of those children as well. i want to underline again how shocked we are. studio: there we had further details of the knife attack in annecy earlier today. just to repeat some of what we heard, the french prime minister elisabeth borne wrote saying the country is absolutely shaken. we heard from the public prosecutor who said an investigation has been launched and she said the attacker had been arrested and he is now in a police station. she said there is no terrorist motivation they are aware of right now. we are

getting a few more details about the attacker and we are told he is a syrian national and he had refugee status in sweden. the prime minister making it clear he had been granted that ten years ago. so ten years swedish refugee status, she also said he has no criminal record and no psychiatric record. she says he also has one child who is the same age as the children who were attacked this morning. they are unclear about the motivation of the assailant and they say it is still far too soon to be able to talk about anything precise but crucially we had an update on the condition of those who were attacked, confirmation they were four children and two adults, we assume that one is the elderly man who was attacked as he was on the outside of that park and the other adult, the assailant himself, the man with the

knife. the prime minister france made it clear that those children are in a critical condition and she said they remain in intensive care. the knife attacker was lightly injured, police were able to shoot him at the scene before bringing him into custody. that investigation now getting under way and the public prosecutor said an inquest has been opened and they have a lot of the evidence and a lot of the details that they need, given so much of it was able to be covered in this way with video from eyewitnesses and also test on me that we have reported today, but clearly the police were able to get to the scene very quickly. there are reports that they were there almost immediately to be able to react to that attack this morning. also confirmation that of the children who were attacked, one is a dutch national, one is a

british national. those are the latest details we have about the children who were caught up in that knife attack whilst in a playground in annecy earlier today. live now to our paris correspondent hugh schofield. we have discussed the details that are emerging and interestingly, further information in the press conference, especially related to the assailant himself, a syrian national with a ten year swedish refugee status. the prime minister making it clear that means he was able to move to france without the need for any special permissions or visas. , ., , , . ., visas. indeed. this has been coming out on local— visas. indeed. this has been coming out on local media _ visas. indeed. this has been coming out on local media and _ visas. indeed. this has been coming out on local media and she - visas. indeed. this has been coming out on local media and she has - out on local media and she has confirmed all that. this man had initially applied for refugee status initially applied for refugee status in sweden and he got it ten years ago and then he had come to france a few months ago and had applied for

refugee status