Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20170907

Mps start debating the landmark brexit bill. Discussions focussed on the transfer of thousands of pieces of eu regulation, into british law. This bill simply brings eu law into uk law, ensuring that wherever possible the rules and laws are the same after brexit as before. That we are leaving is settled, how we leave is not. This bill invites us to surrender all power and influence over that question to the government and ministers. That would betray everything that we were sent here to do. How likely are you to become a victim of crime . The bbc launches a new tool to help you find out. And Prince George starts his first day at school with a little encouragement from his father. Good evening and welcome to bbc news. Hurricane irma one of the strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean has destroyed almost everything in its path as it sweeps across the eastern caribbean. At least nine people are known to have been killed with many more injured. The islands of barbuda and st martin were first to feel the full force of its 180 mile an hour winds. Then came puerto rico and now its heading northwest towards cuba and florida. With phone lines down, roads destroyed by flooding and airports damaged its been difficult to get the latest information. Our correspondent laura bicker reports from puerto rico. Hurricane irma, a storm the size of france, has carved a destructive path through the caribbean. In puerto rico, three people were killed as winds battered the island. As daylight came and the clear out began, most felt lucky to have survived such a storm. I prayed. Go dont come here any more. This man told me he felt blessed to be alive and the only damage was downed power lines and fallen trees in the street. They have kept eight month old aaron safe. There is a collective sigh of relief in puerto rico. There is work to be done, up to 30 foot waves threw up debris and downed trees but when it comes to that catastrophic eye of the hurricane, that only skirted the island, unlike others in the caribbean. On the tiny island of barbuda, barely a building was left untouched. Thousands of families find themselves homeless. The house, i lose my home, i lose my shop. Everything is damaged. Also my vehicle. And right now, i have nowhere to go to sleep. We had cars flying over our heads, 40 foot containers flying left and right. And the story that you are getting from most of the residents here is that the eye of the storm came just in time. Persons were literally tying themselves to their roofs with ropes to keep them down. The Prime Minister of barbuda said the island was barely habitable. What i saw was heart wrenching. Absolutely devastating. In neighbouring saint maarten, the full force of the eye of the hurricanes eye was caught on camera. Winds of 185 mph hammered the island. More than 70,000 people live in this area, which is made of dutch and french territories. Shipping containers were tossed around like lego bricks. Moored boats were smashed in the harbour and there are warnings that the death toll is likely to rise. France has sent three emergency teams to help with the clear up and has already set up a reconstruction fund. In the british territory of anguilla, the uk response was criticised as pathetic and disgraceful. The only hospital has been badly damaged and residents say they need food, water and shelter. A British Task Force is on its way there, including Royal Marines and army engineers. Efforts are under way to get supplies to the island of saint barts. The french government says the priority is making sure people have food and drinking water. Water is going up. the British Virgin islands is the latest place to be pummelled. It is a tropical paradise transformed. Hurricane irma is not finished. She has maintained her wind speeds and is barrelling towards another british territory the low lying turks and caicos islands. The us Sunshine State of florida will be next in her sights. They are nervous after watching others endure her wrath. A reporter for radio anguilla, a station on the small caribbean island that was in the direct path of Hurricane Irma on wednesday morning, kept broadcasting the latest news despite the storm shutting down the radio systems. Here is a clip she filmed yesterday. This is what it is looking like. The shutters have come down, the trees are uplifted. Galvanised objects are being blown out. The trees are completely destroyed here. We are trying our best to stay afloat, its a very small island. We dont have much to protect us from the force of these winds. You have to understand that we are being told that the root of the hospital is lifting. It is very bad here in anguilla. Nisha dupuis joins us now from anguilla. Us watching that here in the safety of britain, where we do not encounter hurricanes like this, it is difficult for us to understand what you have gone through. Can you describe the sheer force of the storm . I am going to try my best to describe it to you. Initially, i started picking it up at iam and even then you could tell that it was about to be a very powerful storm. The shutters started rattling. At the station you could feel the impactand the station you could feel the impact and that around liam, it really began picking up. Leaves were coming in through the shutters and shaking until eventually they couldnt hold up. What had to happen was we had to remove the board, to protect us, the wind speeds were extremely strong. Up to 185 mph is. The concrete structure of the walls we re the concrete structure of the walls were being basically lifted up here. It has very strong and powerful. A very strong hurricane. And terrifying but he kept broadcasting somehow. How did you manage and how long did you go on for . Our system shutdown at one point. There was a lot of water. I dont know if it caused the system to go down, but a lot of water started seeping in and we had to cover it. It was right above the microphone where we had to speak. The window was exposed. My manager here at radio anguilla had to stand by while we kept on announcing. When the system went down it was just. Announcing. When the system went down it wasjust. We announcing. When the system went down it was just. We still had wi fi and a generator, i went on to twitter and i kept sharing. People we re twitter and i kept sharing. People were calling the emergency lines, its a very big deal. Inaudible yeah, i put it on my twitter and i started showing everybody what was going on. The weather advisory was not able to get back on air so i showed it on twitter. So many people, if they could follow you, they would have been doing so. What are the conditions like now . In talking to you, it seems like it is, . Definitely, talking to you, it seems like it is, . Definitely, the talking to you, it seems like it is, . Definitely, the weather is fine. Right now we are just dealing with the impact. A lot of houses, the hospital, the infrastructure is damaged. Here at radio anguilla, you can still see that there is a lot of damage. We are kind of in recovery mode, wrapping for hurricane jase. Jose. Mode, wrapping for hurricane jase. Jose. We are just trying to clear and make sure that it does not become projectile when hurricane jose comes. If it hits anguilla, which we think it may. You barely have time to pause for breath before the next storm arrived. Given that you are used to hurricanes and Hurricane Irma has been bigger than anything else, we understand, how well prepared is the island generally to cope . In terms of state of preparedness on the island, it is something that the Disaster Department may be better off commenting on, but i can say that we do have concrete structures here on anguilla. People put down their shutters and prepared, but the wind force was so strong, it completely blew away shutters, windows and doors were smashed in. All of these things. Even with this preparedness, and the shutters and the impact of the hurricane is so strong. We are urging anyone who may come into contact with Hurricane Irma to prepare as best as you can. Do all you need to. Even with the preparation we have on anguilla, we we re preparation we have on anguilla, we were still devastated. Just because of its strength. There is no doubting your commitment to your job, thank you for speaking to us. Alex lemos is a forecaster with the Weather Prediction Centre at the National Oceanic and atmospheric administration. Thank you for joining us, can you explain the conditions in the atlantic that are driving Hurricane Irma and allowing it to be such a huge and devastating storm . When you talk about Hurricane Irmas intensity, you need to start with climatology. At this time of year, we are in september, the peak of Hurricane Season. Conditions are usually most favourable for these really strong hurricanes at this time of year. Additionally, irma originated as a cluster of storm is coming from africa. We call them copper birdie storms. They are major hurricanes and they have the biggest impact. And what about the sea temperature . How critical a factor is that in providing irma with its strength . Right, the sea temperatures are warm in the atlantic, they are a little above normal. We look at sea surface temperatures of 26 degrees. To get a hurricane formation in, and sustain it. Right now it is about 30 celsius, so we have clearly exceeded the general rule of thumb all benchmark. And the 1 degree difference, how critical is that . you go much below 26 degrees, it is difficult to maintain the storm and stuff that surrounds and gives the hurricane its strength. That is the level that we look at. It is a little above normal right now. Quite warm overall, 30 degrees is pretty warm overall, 30 degrees is pretty warm water. That gives the hurricane is fuel. Its like getting into a bath tub. Exactly. In terms of its staying as strong as it has done, how critical is landfall in that . Yeah, exactly. There is a number of factors that add into sustaining a hurricane for a strong period of time. The sea surface temperatures are one of them. And also, for a lot of moisture, some dry air would wea ken of moisture, some dry air would weaken a storm, typically. Land interactions. And around a small caribbean islands, they were not enough to disrupt the inner core, and we look at the wind shear, and generally, over the last several days, irma has avoided any wind shear that would tear the storm apart. And what is behind irma . You said that we are in peak Hurricane Season said that we are in peak Hurricane Season and there is plenty more to come . Right, we have hurricane jose in the Atlantic Ocean, and following generally a pretty similar path to irma. The trajectory is slightly different but we are forecasting it to pass pretty close to some of the smaller islands around the caribbean. Again, like you said, we are at the peak of Hurricane Season so are at the peak of Hurricane Season so it is important for Anyone Around the Atlantic Basin to have a hurricane plan, just because we do not have one now it does not mean one would come later in the season. And how predictable is a hurricane . They do not always follow the course that you are expecting, do they . Not really, we made quite a few advancements in the prediction of hurricanes over the last ten or 20 yea rs, hurricanes over the last ten or 20 years, and predictions have generally become more reliable. If you look at, over time, the accuracy levels of the National Hurricane centres forecasts, they have been steadily improving over several decades. Its a Success Story in forecasting, they will not be perfect all the time but they always emphasise that there are traffic areas, and they are around four or five days. Just because the doctors isnt overdue it doesnt mean that you should let down your guard but in general, the forecasts have been improving. Thank you very much for your time. Yes, thank you. 0ur correspondent will grant is in the cuban capital havana. Well, tell us what has been happening there . As you can probably see, the wind is picking up. There isa see, the wind is picking up. There is a real sense of trepidation in cuba, as people have obviously seen the destruction that irma has brought elsewhere in the region, and heard the testimony of people who have survived the storm. They are very concerned about their own well being. The majority of people are taking steps to get ready for this storm, whether or not it is simply about getting enough drinking water, or getting fuel for running generators, or boarding up their homes. 0r generators, or boarding up their homes. Or the authorities taking steps to evacuate the most likely affected areas. How well prepared is the most likely affected areas. How well prepa red is cuba the most likely affected areas. How well prepared is cuba in dealing with hurricanes like irma . Although this is bigger than one we have seen before . That is key, no matter where you are in the caribbean you will have experience at dealing with these larger atlantic storms. It is these larger atlantic storms. It is the size and magnitude of this one that stands out. But we are talking extremely powerful winds of within the region of 175 mph or more. Dumping large amounts of brain, 30 centimetres or so large amounts of rain. That is what threatens cuba,in of rain. That is what threatens cuba, in low lying coastal areas, the storm surge will be an issue. Evacuations are underway. A lot of tourists are courting the mix. They will be taken back here to the capital, havana, avoiding the worst of it, or parts of the country on the other side of the island. Well, thank you. The uk government is facing criticism that it has been too slow to help british 0verseas territories devastated by Hurricane Irma. Theresa may has said the uks response to the crisis in anguilla and the British Virgin islands has been swift. No one can fail to be affected by the absolute desperate plight of people in the caribbean who have been hit by Hurricane Irma. My thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected, especially british nationals in overseas territories of atwell and the British Virgin islands. It is devastating, it has destroyed buildings and infrastructure but it had had such an impact on peoples lives as people have seen their livelihoods com pletely have seen their livelihoods completely destroyed. Some people are missing and some will have lost loved ones. We have taken action and moved swiftly. There are uk people, people on the ground. £32 million has released. The royal fleet auxiliary ship is in position providing assistance with Royal Marines and army engineers. A military task group is on their way on hms 0cean with several hundred troops. Joining us now is baroness valerie amos from Soas University of london where she is director. Thank you very much. We heard theresa may defending britains response. How would you characterise what we have done so far for those territories . Of course, this is devastating for those tiny islands in the caribbean. Notjust the overseas territories, but also the independent irelands for whom not just homes but schools, health facilities, opportunities for employment, they have been wiped out. My heart goes out to all of those people. I think the issue here for the people in overseas territories is one around planning. We know that this is Hurricane Season and they would want support from britain in terms of planning in advance. Then, they would want an urgent and immediate response. I do think that it is good that theres been an announcement of money, and of people, that there is a ship on the way. But, lets not forget that these are tiny places. They need support. I was the overseas territories minister a very long time ago and i know that things have changed. But the relationship between the British Government and the governments of the overseas territories can sometimes be tense. I very much hope that in a situation like this, we are working hand in hand to resolve what is a really difficult situation for people on the ground. Some commentators have said that the response of france was much better. They already had military positioned and ready to act straightaway. By comparison, britain seems rather reactive, doesnt it . Well, from my perspective, having dealt with many of these kinds of disasters around the world, when i was at the un, its always the people on the ground who respond first. They are looking to their National Governments and looking outside for as much help to come as quickly as possible. Certainly, we are now a couple of days in. I think people are feeling that britain did not respond quickly enough, given that we know that this is Hurricane Season and given that we know that sometimes, these hurricanes can shift and hit irelands that were not expected to be in the way. Of course, there are concerns that there is another hurricane coming back could have even more devastating consequences. And how clearly defined is the response that britain is supposed to make . Intensive the amount of money that it needs to contribute, and the help that it must provide in practical terms . It must be finite . |j that it must provide in practical terms . It must be finite . I do not think it is set out as clearly as that. Of course, there will be a major reconstruction effort after this. We have seen what happened in past years, this. We have seen what happened in past yea rs, to this. We have seen what happened in past years, to places like grenada, jamaica, after they had major hurricanes. If you look at barbuda, 90 of the homes were destroyed. If you look at anguilla, i have seen some terrible pictures of what happened to that island, and to the people on that island. It is the response now. There have been totality is and of course my heart goes out to those families and communities affected. But, we should also be thinking about the longer term as well. Baroness amos, thank you very much forjoining us. Today marks another milestone in britains brexitjourney mps have started debating a bill that will repeal the 1972 act of parliament that took britain into the European Union. The bill will also convert all eu legislation into uk law. Finally and this is controversial it includes new powers for ministers to alter laws without full parliamentary scrutiny. Labour has already said it will not support the bill. 0ur Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg reports from westminster. From brussels to westminster, laws have landed here from the continent for 44 years. Todays government bill will use 66 pages to try to transfer all of it. With 28 clauses, the withdrawal bill cuts and pastes the europeans onto ours but if the government riles just six rebels, they would face defeat. Villagers say it is nothing to worry about, just a paper exercise. 0pponents fear on these harmless looking pages there is a power grab on a huge scale. European Union Withdrawal bill, second reading. But sadly, this bill is an essential step. Whilst it does not take us out of the European Union, that is for article 50, it does ensure that on the day we leave, businesses know where they stand, workers rights are upheld and consumers remain protected. This bill is vital to ensure that as we leave, we do so in an orderly manner. But there is so much to sort out that affects all of our lives, the government says there is no time for mps to take over every detail so ministers will be able to make tweaks here and there. That gives them the same power as medieval monarchs, says labour. The combined effect of the provisions of this bill would reduce mps to spectators as power poured into the hands of ministers and the executive. It is an unprecedented power grab, rule by decree is an affront to parliament and accountability. Decree is not a misdescription its an affront to parliament and accountability. Though the arguments are plenty, in the commons and in the lords, and esters privately concede they will have to give some ground but they also know that it is far from the only scrap they face either at home or abroad. If talks about the overall brexit deal are going well, the official negotiator in brussels did a good job of hiding it this morning. Complaining about the british unwillingness to talk about the cash. Translation i have been very disappointed in the british position, there is a problem of confidence, accusing the uk of backtracking. Closer to home, a letter doing the rounds among tory mps has been linked to the bbc. Dozens of brexit supporters demanding the Prime Minister sticks to a crisp exit and not a longer, softer transition. Warning ministers they must not allow the country to be kept in the eu by stealth. It was circulated, if not signed, by a Junior Member of the government. The letter states very explicitly that we are in favour of leaving the Single Market and the Customs Union. We want to take back control of our laws. We want a strictly time limited transition period, we want to be able to strike free trade agreements with the rest of the world. All of that is consistent with government policy. Remainer tory mps dont buy that, during conservative divisions could burst again. In the tory party, in parliament and in the power struggle with the eu. No brexit not much chance of keeping the peace. Laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. Lets speak to our Political Correspondent iain watson at westminster. If ever there was a time when you needed a majority in parliament, ian . Thats right, and theresa may does not have one, only with the help of the democratic unionist party. But having said that, i dont think she is in desperate trouble at this stage of the parliamentary process. The vote will not come until monday, after a day of debate. It may not coming until as late as midnight but when it comes, i suspect the very first stage of effectively getting the eu withdrawal bill through will get the backing of a majority in parliament. That is for two reasons. Firstly, conservative rebels are likely to keep the powder dry until late in the process. A process of greater scrutiny in the bill, the committee stage, and there some of the more avid remain as may be putting forward specific changes. Secondly, some mps voted for brexit, and they are likely to back the government rather than jeremy corbyn, are likely to back the government rather thanjeremy corbyn, when it comes to that vote on monday, other labour mps comes to that vote on monday, other labourmps in comes to that vote on monday, other labour mps in constituencies where there are a big league vote may abstain. Getting through this, there may be further trouble ahead and that trouble, where the argument is made effectively, the argument by keir starmer made, that the government is engaged in a power grab, notjust to give ministers sweeping powers but also given westminster and cardiff more powers when those powers returned from brussels. There will be some arguments but i think a problem for theresa may is having pressure applied from those conservative mps that we were hearing about in lauras report. All backslidings and interestingly she spoke to a Junior Member of the government involved in the letter. I know there is at least one other, i suspect a couple more than that. Even people, the so called payroll vote, supposed to be supportive of the government, they are delivering a strong message to theresa may, that they do not wa nt to to theresa may, that they do not want to stay in the eu by stealth, as they put it. Damian grammaticus has more on the reaction from brussels. Here in brussels they have been watching very closely whats happening in the uk, because as they say here, the uk, because as they say here, the uk, what it wants out of brexit is crucial to what they will negotiate here in terms of any future trade dealjust here in terms of any future trade deal just before here in terms of any future trade dealjust before that, on the current issues, the chief negotiator Michel Barnier today laid out very clearly that he has significant issues at the moment, on the question of the Northern Irish border, he said that he was very worried by what he had heard from the uk, the uk proposals, he said, we re the uk, the uk proposals, he said, were not good enough, they had to come back with better ideas for how to deal with the border, because he said the uks decision to leave the eu, the Single Market and the Customs Union would create a lot of issues there. On the issue of financial settlement, he said on that, the uks approach to question the eus financial settlement paper, going through line by line, he said that was very negative, because the eus position was clear there was a legal basis for every euro demanded. He asked the uk to go away and read that. Essentially what he said was that unless progress can be made on these issues, he would not be recommending eu move forward to discussing a future relationship with the uk. These things have to be done first. We can now speak to ian blackford, parliamentary leader of the snp in westminster. Hejoins us from westminster. Thank you for joining us this evening. David davis says this is just a technical matter so says this is just a technical matter so why is the snp concerned . My goodness, a technical matter, what a phrase we are 20 years to the week from the referendum which brought in the scottish parliament. We often hear the phrase taking back control whats happening here is that the government in london is notjust taking back control from europe, but there is a power grab against the parliaments in edinburgh, cardiff and belfast. Ithink parliaments in edinburgh, cardiff and belfast. I think the way the government has behaved, and we should remember that this is a minority government, they were given a clear message by the electorate on the 7th of june a clear message by the electorate on the 7th ofjune and you would have thought that we should be seeing some gee ability and a desire to work with the other administrations. Thats not happening. This is the biggest exercise in taking back power from the democratically elected institutions throughout the United Kingdom, and itsjust com pletely United Kingdom, and itsjust completely unacceptable. When you consider that there are mechanisms in place, there is supposed to be a joint Ministerial Committee of the devolved administrations meeting with the westminster government hasnt met since the 7th of february. The welsh and the Scottish Government wrote a joint letter in june requesting an urgent meeting. That request was ignored. We tabled questions about this in parliament this week and on the back of that pressure, at long last the government has conceded to a meeting of thejoint ministerial government has conceded to a meeting of the joint Ministerial Committee but has not said when it will take place. If they are serious about this, they have to recognise that they have to negotiate with the devolved administrations, particularly when you consider that westminster is going to ask edinburgh and cardiff for legislative consent, so they really have to take seriously their responsibility to negotiate with democratically elected institutions throughout the United Kingdom. But if the government has got enough votes even without a majority, it doesnt have to do any of that, does it, a can do as it likes because the mandate for brexit is there from the referendum . I think it is clear from the debate we have this afternoon that there a number of on site backbenchers who have put the government on notice that they will support the government in the Division Lobbies next monday but they are deeply unhappy about this dogs breakfast of a bill. The henry viii clauses, it is anti democratic. U nless viii clauses, it is anti democratic. Unless this government begins to listen to the devolved administrations, and i would say reasoned voices in westminster, theyre going to be in trouble. Weve always accepted the decision was taken weve always accepted the decision was ta ken throughout weve always accepted the decision was taken throughout the United Kingdom to come out of europe, but by the way it was not what was voted for in scotland, we voted to remain. Parliament has to recognise those divisions. Michel barnier has said today that we have to have a deal which respects the unique situation of Northern Ireland fish if that is the case bottle then that cannot be the case bottle then that cannot be the case bottle then that cannot be the case for scotland. The government in edinburgh has a clear proposition that we demand to remain within the Single Market in the Customs Union and i would argue that there is a growing clamour in parliament and outside parliament, throughout the United Kingdom, to make sure that we dont come off the cliff edge and the economic damage which will happen to scotland and indeed the rest of the United Kingdom. This is an issue which i think has got some way to run. Yes, we would respect the brexit decision which was taken throughout the uk, but we dont accept that people should become poorer and we run the risk of quite significantjob losses if we havent got access to the Single Market and the Customs Union. Ian blackford from the snp, thank you very much. Hurricane irma is now the longest lasting category 5 super storm ever recorded, surpassing the record set by typhoon haiyan, which hit the philippines in 2013. So, why has it gathered so much energy . And are these types of storm becoming more frequent . Our science editor, david shukman, explains. A menacing swirl of clouds stretching over the caribbean. This view from space of Hurricane Irma shows its extraordinary scale. If it was over britain, it would cover most of the country. A brave flight crew ventures right inside. And facing them are the staggeringly large walls of the inside of the eye. This hurricane has set a new record for having dangerously fast winds for the longest time. On the ground, the effect is shattering. This part of the world knows all about hurricanes and Early Warning has definitely saved lives, but this one is stronger than most. How do hurricanes become so destructive . The strongest form off the coast of west africa, warm waters cause the air to rise, triggering thunderstorms and that is when the winds can circulate and as this weather system crosses the atlantic, it grows and becomes stronger. If the winds are moving in the same direction at all levels, as with irma, they reach devastating speeds. Closer to the caribbean, the hurricane gets another boost as it passes over yet more warm water. And Ocean Temperatures are unusually high this year, making the winds even more aggressive. On top of all this, the low pressure inside the hurricane creates a storm surge, a huge wave that strikes the coast. And because Climate Change is raising the level of the sea, the impact is all the greater. As the people of the caribbean try to cope with the terrible aftermath, many are asking if there will be even more scenes like this as the world gets warmer. Scientists say they dont know if hurricanes will become more frequent but they do think they will become more violent. One of the things we know about Climate Change is that a warmer atmosphere can hold more water. That means when a hurricane hits, more rain can come out of it and cause more flooding that is one thing we definitely know. Another thing is the warmer oceans feed the hurricanes, they are the energy source, so a warmer ocean will lead to stronger hurricanes. This comes as the people of texas are still recovering from Hurricane Harvey last month. There are plenty of quiet years, but this one is shaping up to be one of the most violent on record. This sequence shows how right behind irma, theres another distinctive swirl of cloud hurricanejose. The research patrols have been kept busier than ever before. For the latest on the path of Hurricane Irma, and where its likely to head by the weekend, heres nick miller of the bbc weather centre. Where is it going to head next . Well, now, we have three hurricanes in this atlantic Hurricane Season and the main focus at the moment is on irma. I can show you some of the images. We have seen the destruction on the ground, but some of the images taken from space as it went directly over barbuda, the eye of the storm. Catastrophic winds followed by the calm of the eye and followed by the calm of the eye and followed by the calm of the eye and followed by catastrophic winds once again chief amazing images, but remember on the ground, people were living through this. And just today, bearing down on the turks and caicos. As we take a look at what has been happening over the past few hours, as we move bit further forward into the future, this is now passing between the Dominican Republic and the turks and caicos, and still close to the eye of the storm, winds of 175mph. But thats not everything. We are absolutely concerned about the storm surge. It is ata concerned about the storm surge. It is at a level which is higher than the normal tide level, if you like, and that could be up to 20ft across parts of the turks and caicos. And then after that we move north into cuba and targeting florida exactly where in florida, we are not yet sure. Three hurricanes. Behind irma, its jose. That sure. Three hurricanes. Behind irma, itsjose. That is expected to become a major hurricane and it could be impacting Antigua And Barbuda already by this weekend. Aid workers in bangladesh say the number of Rohingya Muslims escaping across the border from myanmar continues to rise. In the past two weeks, 164,000 rohingyas most of them women and children have fled violence in Myanmars Rakhine state. The labour leader, jeremy corbyn, spoke to the bbc, calling on Aung San Suu Kyi to demonstrate her commitment to human rights. We add my and supported you all those years you were under house arrest. We marched in your support and we recognise your commitments to human rights. These show that same commitment to the human rights of the rohingya people at the present time. Our correspondent Sanjoy Majumder has more on the refugee crisis from bangladesh. More Rohingya Refugees have come into bangladesh today from myanmar. And you can just see how congested it has become. Theres absolutely no space. Theyre all on the road. Now, over here, they have brought in bamboo. This is to construct new tents for the fresh arrivals. The existing camp itself is in dreadful shape. Extremely crowded, conditions unhygienic. Now, aid agencies are very concerned. They say, apart from food, there is an urgent need for medical support. Msf, the humanitarian agency, says many of the new refugees have gunshot wounds, injuries, and therefore, they need as much support as possible. Theyre all coming in because they say they are fleeing violence in myanmar. Our bbc colleague has managed to get into Rakhine State and he has witnessed a muslim village being set on fire by rakhine youths. Mps have been urged to back the governments brexit bill, which will transfer thousands of European Union laws into the uk statute books. Labour says itll vote against the legislation, accusing ministers of a power grab. So, what are the details of the bill being debated and why are opposition parties threatening to try to block it . Chris morris from our Reality Check Team can tell us more. It began life in a Prime Ministerial speech as the great repeal bill, then it became simply the repeal bill, and now were working with its official title, the rather more prosaic european Union Withdrawal bill. Heres where it will end up with all the other vellum scrolls in the houses of Parliament Going back centuries. What does it do . Well, its a complex mix of constitutional change and legal continuity. Firstly, it repeals the 1972 european communities act that took the uk into what was then known as the European Economic community. The repeal would come into effect on the day of brexit, which, until anyone decides otherwise, will be march 29th 2019. Secondly, the bill will transfer eu rules and regulations wholesale into uk law to avoid legal and financial chaos when we leave. Were talking here about an estimated 19,000 separate pieces of legislation a vast body of law that has developed over more than a0 years. So, a new category of domestic law will be created called retained eu law. After brexit, any of it could then be amended or repealed by the uk parliament. Thirdly, and perhaps most controversially, the bill will channel this man, henry viii, who knew a thing or two about trying to take back control from europe. This is all about what are known as henry viii clauses, named after the statute of proclamations of 1539. Of proclamations of 1539, which gave henry the power to legislate by proclamation. The modern day equivalent gives ministers and officials the power to make changes to some laws without full parliamentary scrutiny. This has set alarm bells ringing in many quarters. There are those who argue that it will undermine the ultimate sovereignty of parliament, and those who worry that eu laws that cover things such as workers rights or Environmental Protection could be changed on the quiet. The government says none of that is going to happen, and that on all the big issues immigration, customs, agriculture there will be separate pieces of legislation. But there is another point of contention the role of the devolved parliaments and assemblies in scotland, wales and Northern Ireland. The first ministers of scotland and wales have described the withdrawal bill as a naked power grab because it returns all powers from the eu to the uk parliament, rather than to the devolved administrations. All in all, then, there are massive challenges for the government, as it embarks on the daunting legislative task of turning brexit policy into practice. Chris morris there for us. Well, joining me in the studio is jack blanchard, whos the editor of politicos london playbook morning newsletter. How perilous is this bill likely to be too the government, because it doesnt have a majority . Almost any bill will be perilous because of that reason. But especially this one because even her own party is divided on its. This is the first big test on this since the election, the first of what will be a number of pieces of brexit related legislation which she has to get through parliament, just for brexit to happen and this is almost the most important one, the one which ta kes most important one, the one which takes us out of the eu. There is a series of votes which will happen over the next month or two. Today is the very start of that process, the first vote happening on monday night. Now, it doesnt look like shes going to lose the vote on monday, it looks like the tory mps who are not happy on this one will keep their powder dry and further down the line, sometime probably in october, this is really going to kick off. So, whose comments today in this debate made you think, hang on, i had better watch you because you might not actually go along with what she wants in future . You might not actually go along with what she wants in future . |j you might not actually go along with what she wants in future . I watched a lot of the debate today and there was a lot of toing and froing. The most interesting intervention i thought was from dominic grieve, who isa thought was from dominic grieve, who is a conservative mp and he used to be the attorney general under david cameron, the governments top lawyer. Now backbench mp, not normally someone who causes trouble for the government, quite clever, the ballistic guy, and he stood up and he describe this bill as a monstrosity. If you know dominic reeve, thats not the sort of language you expect him to use. He did say he wasnt going to vote against it on monday, but that when the bill goes into its next stage, the bill goes into its next stage, the longer debate to give mps the chance to amend it, hes going to put forward his own amendments to water down some of these powers. If youve got a guy like that on your own side trying to do that and you dont have a majority in parliament, you would flatly have a problem. That would be music to the ears of those in parliament who are anti brexit, but of course labour have got mps who sit on both sides of the argument . Thats right. And from a political point of view, both parties are so divided on the issue of brexit. It doesnt follow normal party lines. They have both got their own problems trying to manage this. However the labour party largely seem to have coalesced around a position where they do not like this bill, they dont like these heavy powers which the government wants to grab and so the labour party will vote against it, really just on that labour party will vote against it, reallyjust on that basis. And so it wont take very many tory rebels to vote with labour or four labour to vote with labour or four labour to vote with labour or four labour to vote with the rebels, and for the bill to start to be, not thrown out but significantly changed, and we will see these powers watered write down. A man has beenjailed for a year after posting lets kill every muslim on social media in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena attack. 22 year old Keegan Jakovlevs from wrexham in north wales admitting publishing material with the intention of stirring up religious hatred. He was sentenced at mold crown court. He posted the message on facebook after the manchester suicide bombing by salman abedi, in which 22 people were killed in may. Lets return to Hurricane Irma and the International Relief effort. Joining us is a professor in politics and International Relations in bristol. Thank you very much for joining us this evening. How valid is the criticism of the response so far of the British Government, compared with france, who according to some commentators have done much better in pre empting what these islands are going to need . better in pre empting what these islands are going to need . I think it is important to understand the differences in governance which exist between the uk and its territories and france and its territories. The french territories are actually part of france, so the french state has a much more significant presence within the French Islands and can react more quickly. In the case of the uk, the uk does have ultimate responsibility for the territories, but the territories have greater autonomy. So there is an issue in terms of whats on the ground and ready to come into play to help and what needs to be brought in from outside. I remember the volcanic eruption in montserrat 20 years ago, and britain was criticised then, so what has changed in the way britain response to crises . The montserrat volcano was a significant turning point in many ways in relation to how the United Kingdom governs the territories. There are issues about the way in which the Foreign Office and the International Development side Work Together. There was an issue around the fact that the citizens of the territories didnt have british citizenship and that made them quite vulnerable. Certainly a lot has changed over the last 20 years. But in many ways time will tell over the next weeks and months in terms of how the various agencies of the government Work Together and also in relation to luna working with the territories themselves. So i think things have moved on and improve, but this is a real test of the new mechanisms in place for the British Government. Theres no escape from brexit and it even has a bearing on the relief response now and in the future could you explain that . Yes, there is an important subtext in relation to brexit. Any of these territories are relatively wealthy, they have high gdp per capita, and as a consequence the British Government doesnt think they are deserving of significant funding. The eu does not provide bilateral support, it provides Regional Support for these territories. When it comes to hurricanes like the one in 2004 which impacted the Cayman Islands quite significantly and when the turks and caicos was hit by two in 2010, millions of euros of aid was provided to those territories to help with short term relief also for longer term reconstruction. At the moment, right now, those territories will benefit from eu support, but that will likely end in the next couple of years. So there is a concern in the negotiations which are being undertaken at quite a low level, underneath the radar, between the territories under uk government, what happens after 2020, really, when the existing set of funding from the eu ends. Will the uk step up and provide that longer term support, and thats a serious question mark. Also theres theresa may who has talked to her contemporaries, the french president and dutch Prime Minister, about trying to coordinate efforts across the french, dutch and uk territories, and that is an indication of the kind of co operation which is embedded within the European Union and could well be lost in the future. Four ramifications i had not even contemplated. Thank you very much for joining contemplated. Thank you very much forjoining us. If you go by the headlines we should all be worried about crime. But do we really understand how likely we are to be victims . The bbc has launched this new tool online its called the crime calculator. You put in some details, about your gender, age, and where you live, and itll show you how likely you are to be a victim of crime. Its been launched in conjunction with the office for national statistics, whose figures suggest that there is a gap between how we perceive the risk of crime, and the reality. Our Home Affairs Correspondent Dominic Casciani reports. Crime seems to be everywhere. We watch it on tv, its in the papers, and we talk about it on social media. Surveys show many of us fear that crime is growing nationwide. The bbcs crime calculator gives you a more accurate idea of your personal risk. So here in reading, were peoples perceptions on target . Friends omar and victor are soon off to university, and they have both been victims of crime. My friend here, victor, he had his bike stolen from this but you personally, youve never had anything specific like a bike stolen or a mobile phone stolen . Oh, i got my mobile nicked here as well, actually. So how does omar compare to the National Average . A higher risk of being a victim of robbery, and a higher risk of theft. I didnt expect that, actually, for that to come out if im being perfectly honest. That was quite surprising. I did not expect that. Victor gets a similar result. Statistics show that young men are more at risk of crime. But as you get older, you actually become safer. You become safer . Yeah. Yeah, that is quite surprising, because you might expect older people to be more vulnerable to certain types of crime. The truth is, that as we get older, we live gentler and safer lives. We learn how to protect ourselves from crime. June, from the bowls club, has been a victim of online fraud. So, how likely is she to be a victim of face to face crime . The calculator shows that people like her have a low risk. Its absolutely brilliant, i can rest in my bed without worrying any more its ingenious this, actually. Most of us get on with our daily lives without being too concerned about crime in our neighbourhoods, but official figures show that there is a real Perception Gap between the sexes. Men are the most likely victims, yet they worry the least. Women worry more, even though they are often safer than they may think. Official surveys show that our fear of crime is influenced by the media, and what we see in the wider world around us. We cannot know for sure whether it will happen to us because many victims and offences simply are not included in the figures. But most experts still say that we are safer than we used to be. And Prince George starts his first day at school with a little encouragement from his father. The duchess of cambridge missed the occasion as shes suffering from severe morning sickness due to her pregnancy. Nicholas witchell reports. It is a daunting day for any four year old, no matter who you are, and george arrived looking, well, understandably a little nervous for his first day at the new school in south london his parents have chosen for him. Dad was there to take his hand and carry his schoolbag, but not mum. She had to remain at kensington palace, suffering from acute pregnancy sickness. Each day at thomass school in battersea starts with a handshake with the teacher. George knew what was required, as did his father. And then it was time for those shiny new school shoes to head for the classroom, to find the peg for George Cambridge and to meet the 20 other four year olds boys and girls who will be in the reception class with him. For william, it may have prompted memories of the day 30 years ago when he was taken by his mother for his first day at school. Back then, it was all rather more formal. A boys only school complete with a school cap. School caps and formality were much in evidence in 1957, when the queen took Prince Charles for his first day at his all boys prep school. Charles was in fact the first heir to the throne to go to school rather than to be tutored privately. Fast forward 30 years and Georges School offers a broad curriculum fast forward to 2017 and Georges School offers a broad curriculum with a strong emphasis on sport and human values. Its a choice of school which represents a bit of a break with royal tradition. Nothing too radical, of course, its still private and fee paying, but it is coeducational and the school has a strong emphasis on kindness. George will find that be kind is one of the Guiding Principles for pupils here, together with courtesy and humility. All useful qualities for a future king. The best days of his life lets have a look at the weather. After a cloudy, who rainy day for many of us, tomorrow the prospect of something a bit brighter, but there will still be showers around. We will still be showers around. We will continue to see outbreaks of rains sinking south eastwards across england and wales as we go through the night. To the north of that, something clearer to in the north west we will still have a feed of showers. Into tomorrow, sunshine and showers towards the north west and showers towards the north west and 15 further east. For southern england and into wales, outbreaks of rain spreading east during the day. Quite windy at times, especially across parts of southern england. Temperature is nothing special. Starting off on saturday, some sunny spells. Some showers but by no means everybody will catch one. This is bbc news. Im martine croxall. The headlines at 8. 00pm Hurricane Irma causes widespread destruction across the caribbean. At least ten people are reported to have died so far. My whole house caved in. There was seven of us. All we had to do was pray and call for help. But the firemen came to our rescue as soon as they could have come. I have to thank god for life. This is the moment irma struck the us virgin islands. Communications have been cut in st martin and the small island of barbuda is said to be barely habitable. Irma is one of the biggest hurricanes ever recorded in the atlantic, roughly the size of france. It remains a category 5 storm. In the us, evacuations have started in florida, where the storm is expected to hit over the weekend. Also in the next hour