The stars of strictly pay an emotional tribute to the shows former host, sir Bruce Forsyth, who died last month at the age of 89. And our sunday morning edition of the papers is at 9. 35. The reviewers are Rachel Cunliffe and the former editor of the sunday times, peter conradi. Good morning and welcome to bbc news. After battering its way through the caribbean, Hurricane Irma, currently a category four storm, is within hours of hitting the us coast. The storm made landfall in cuba late on friday, causing widespread damage and cutting off power to large areas. The hurricane is now inching towards the Southern Coast of florida, where water levels have already begun to rise. Wind gusts close to Hurricane Force are battering islands south of the state, with the mainland due to be hit in the coming hours. Over 6 Million People, almost a third of the states population, had been urged to evacuate, but the state governor told residents yesterday, its now too late for anyone remaining to leave. Well have reports from havana, the British Virgin islands and miami. First jane obrien reports on the preparations well under way across the state of florida. The west coast was supposed to be the safer part of florida as the east prepared to bear the brunt of irma. But now cities like tampa and naples are in the path of a category four hurricane. Tampa hasnt seen anything like this since 1921 and is ill prepared for such a storm. At fort myers, thousands of people crowded into a sports stadium in a last minute dash to find somewhere safe. I think were going to be staying here for two nights, maybe three. They really dont know where the storm is going to go exactly, so we have no way of knowing. We are waiting for it to start and end. Irma could shift course again. Hurricanes are notorious for sudden wobbles. But the giant system is already too close to make much difference. This is a deadly, major storm and our state has never seen anything like it. Millions of floridians will see major hurricane impacts with deadly, deadly, deadly storm surge. Meanwhile, the low lying keys were being menaced by a life threatening storm surge of 15 feet as it moved relentlessly towards the mainland. Tornado watchers were also in place. In miami there was a collective sigh of relief. The city looks likely to escape the deadly cone. But Hurricane Force winds are still expected through sunday. An estimated 75,000 people are now thought to be taking refuge in shelters. More than 6 million have been asked to leave their homes in the biggest evacuation in the history of florida. The entire state is expected to suffer. The only question now is how much. Jane obrien, bbc news, miami. President trump has echoed the calls for residents in florida to seek shelter. This is a storm of enormous destructive power, and we ask everyone in the storm path to heed all instructions, get out of its way. Government officials, i know youre working so hard, youll never work like this, and i appreciate also your bravery. Property is replaceable but lives are not. Safety has to come first. Dont worry about it, just get out of its way. That was the latest from president trump. On the line is chip kasper, a seniorforecaster with a National Weather service in key west. Thank you for being with us. Give us an idea of the picture as it affects florida. Well, yes, Hurricane Irma is very large and dangerous. It is category four, which means it has maximum sustained winds of i30 category four, which means it has maximum sustained winds of 130 mph at its core. In the florida keys we are getting numerous reports of wind gusts of Hurricane Force. With the instrument on top of our office here, we recently measured wind gust of 84 mph. The storm is centred over the straits of florida, just south of the keys, and move north west at about six miles per hour. It will bring the most damaging winds onshore to the lower florida keys in a few hours, just after daybreak. There is a hazard notjust of wind but storm surge flooding, which has already begun and will increase through the morning hours. What is its trajectory from now on . You were saying it is already affecting the keys, those hurricane gusts, but what you expected to hit in terms of the florida landmass . The hurricane is particularly large and slow moving right now. In a florida keys, a string of islands extending south west from the southern tip of the florida peninsula, in the keys, we are experiencing hurricane for sustained wind, and we will do for several hours, through most of the day into the Late Afternoon hours. Beyond that, the hurricane is forecast on a path roughlyjust west of due north, really providing impact to most of the florida peninsula, from naples all the way up peninsula, from naples all the way up through the tampa bay area, and perhaps later into tallahassee and the panhandle. In terms of the force of the hurricane, is it as powerful as you feared and expected . We have as you feared and expected . We have a category four hurricane, a major hurricane. When hurricanes with this intensity and this size affect vulnerable population, usually extreme to catastrophic damage occu is extreme to catastrophic damage occurs and we are probably going to see that, unfortunately, with this storm. And you are key west. Give us an idea of your situation. Are you inside and are you worried about staying there . No, fortunately we are ina staying there . No, fortunately we are in a structure which was designed and built to withstand a category five hurricane. We are fortified and elevated so that my collea g u es fortified and elevated so that my colleagues and i can do ourjob to help protect and serve the people in the keys and also the First Responders who are also helping to protect the citizens here. So we are safe, safe and sound, so we can do oui safe, safe and sound, so we can do ourjob. But outside our walls, the wind is howling, we have ripping gales, and damaging winds, wind driven rain, and the water is arriving. All right. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us much for taking the time to talk to us and to bring us up to date. I know you are extremely busy. Chip, forecaster in key west. On the line is tampa resident ron anderson. He also runs the florida disaster consulting agency. Thank you for being with us. What is the picture where you are . We are starting to get schools of rain and a bit of wind gusts coming through but it is not bad at all yet. Are you expecting it in the coming hours to get much worse . Yes. If it stays on the track that it is forecasted right now, then we will be on the eastern edge of the hurricane winds. As you understand it, what sort of time, how many hours from now, when will it be hitting tampa, do you think . Sunday evening, probably 10pm oi think . Sunday evening, probably 10pm oriipm, into think . Sunday evening, probably 10pm or iipm, into monday. Think . Sunday evening, probably 10pm or 11pm, into monday. What is the atmosphere there . How many people have left . We have heard the evacuation orders. Statewide about 6. 5 Million People have evacuated storm surge areas. We dont evacuate inland as much. Wejust get storm surge areas. We dont evacuate inland as much. We just get away from the water. Most of the residents that live in the storm surge areas are seeking shelter elsewhere. What are people feeling . How nervous or worried people about their property . Everybody gets concerned about losing everything they own bed as the government has been saying, property can be replaced and your lifetime. Losing everything they own. Getting safe is a last. And people listen to the authorities and doing what they are advised . Yes. Surprisingly it has gone very well. Most people have gotan has gone very well. Most people have got an out and very few incidents have happened and it went fairly smoothly. What is your situation . Where is that they are you and will you be safe . I am located about 40 miles east of tampa bay. I will not be in any storm surge whatsoever but there will be 12 inches of rain forecast and hurricane sustained winds. Florida hasnt really seen anything like this hurricane for decades, has it . Since 2004, 2005, since we saw this much activity. Decades, has it . Since 2004, 2005, since we saw this much activitym it your understanding that Hurricane Irma is as strong and powerful now as it was feared to be . Do you think it is weakening in any way . No, i do not. Simply because the size of the storm is so large that everybody in florida is getting affected. Because it has slowed down to six miles per hour, the wind and rain will stay around a lot longer, causing more damage than if it was moving through quickly. 0k. Damage than if it was moving through quickly. Ok. Good luck and stay safe. Ron anderson, a resident of tampa, who also runs the florida disaster consulting agency. Thank you for being with us. That is the situation in florida. Meanwhile cuba is counting the cost after the storm battered its north coast. The government says it caused significant damage and cut off power to large areas. More than a million cubans were evacuated and there are reports of villages being engulfed by storm surges, with whole communities left homeless. Our correspondent, will grant, is in cubas capital, havana. Hes been assessing how the country has been coping. Well, it has been an extraordinary experience being in cuba during Hurricane Irma and now it is reaching, it has reached, havana. This is the bbc Havana Bureau and im speaking from inside because we simply cant go outside any longer. Were boarding in the building. Miraculously we still have electricity but much of the rest of the building does not have any of that. As you can see behind me, the window is flexing with the winds that are buffeting the city and it is raining very, very hard out there. That, of course, is nothing in comparison to what cubans further east on the island have already experienced. These are just the last vestiges, really, of Hurricane Irma as she moves out of cuban territory and into clear water between cuba and the United States before making landfall in florida. But we are still feeling the effects of the sheer magnitude of this storm. Out east along the northern coastal zone, whole villages were hit very hard by the storm. We understand that some were largely submerged under water. Others have had roofs ripped off. Scores of houses, and a lot of the roughly one Million People who were evacuated from the area may have no homes to go to. For now, from here in bbc Havana Bureau, it feels really like the time to hunker down, batten down the hatches and wait out the remnants of this massive storm. Will grant with the latest from cuba. At least five people are known to have died in the British Virgin islands as a result of Hurricane Irma. Our correspondent, laura bicker, is there and sent this update. We have just flown over the Virgin Islands and i can tell you that some of the devastation is very difficult to witness. Houses look like they have been blown apart. Once prized possessions now scattered and in ruins. You can see the effects of that 20 feet storm surge. Both lie littered around the islands. Where they have been moored together, they have crashed and been sent flying into pieces. There has been criticism here of the british governments response to this crisis. I can tell you that the Royal Army Engineers are here. They are assessing this runway as a priority and that is because they need to get aid in and people out. There has also been concern about looting but i am told by the Deputy Governor that they are trying to get things under control. There is still a lot of work to do here. Laura bicker reporting. As she mentioned, there has been some criticism of the uk aid effort. The uk government is deploying extra troops to help the relief effort in the caribbean. Engineers have now completed work on the airport runway in the British Virgin islands to allow the first aid flight to land there. A command headquarters will also be set up. The defence secretary, sir michael fallon, says relief operations are now well under way. We have two to three flights now going out each day bringing more troops and engineers, medical support, pallets of aid and additional civilian police and helicopters to make sure the aid can be properly distributed around the islands. The relief operation now is well under way. So michael fallon, the defence secretary. And there is plenty more on Hurricane Irma on our website, bbc. Co. Uk news. It is 9 15am exactly. The latest headlines Hurricane Irma strengthens as it closes in on florida where it is expected to make la ndfall florida where it is expected to make landfall in a matter of a few hours. Over 6 Million People have been ordered to leave their homes. Overnight, cuba has also been battered. There has been significant damage as winds of up to 115 mph hit the north coast of the country. And in mexico at least 90 people are known to have been killed since thursdays earthquake. Now moron that story. Correction at now more on that story. Theres been a sharp increase in the number of people known to have been killed by thursdays major earthquake in mexico. The number now stands at about 90, more than 70 of them in the state of oaxaca alone. Aaron safir reports. Clearing the rubble in southern mexico, the town worst hit by thursdays earthquake. Rescuers have told the bbc they dont believe there is anyone left under the 7000 buildings that collapsed here. And while the machines, men and sniffer dogs continue their work, others continue to bury their dead. At least 36 people are reported to have been killed here. Among them, this mans son. He didnt have time to get out and the building completely collapsed. It was very old, over 200 yea rs collapsed. It was very old, over 200 years old, and unfortunately out of the seven people inside, only four we re the seven people inside, only four were able to be rescued. The other three unfortunately died. Tabasco and chi and chiapa are among the poorest states in mexico. The earthquake was deep soak the shaking felt on the surface was less strong thanit felt on the surface was less strong than it would have been for a shallow one. That is little comfort for these people picking up the pieces. One in three houses are affected and thousands of families have lost their homes. Food and water are scarce and parts of the city dont have electricity. The hundreds of after shocks felt since thursday have left people fearful. Lot of people are sleeping on the streets because they fear another quake, because they fear the after shocks that have been happening continuously, and it is a very ugly fear that we are experiencing. The Authorities Say tens of thousands of ration packs, bla nkets tens of thousands of ration packs, blankets and cleaning kits are arriving to help the recovery efforts, but the homeless and bereaved of southern mexico, it is help that cant come soon enough and will only be the first step in rebuilding their lives. Rohingya muslim rebels in myanmar have declared a unilateral one month ceasefire, saying they want to ease the humanitarian crisis in the country. Rebel attacks on Security Forces triggered a two week military campaign, during which nearly 300,000 rohingyas fled to neighbouring bangladesh. Soldiers have been accused of carrying out killings and burning villages. Our correspondent Sanjoy Majumder has been following whats happening in bangladesh. The Salvation Army is the group that carried out last month a series of coordinated attacks on 20 police boats and army base inside me and marks rack and state. It led to a military crackdown which in turn has prompted thousands of hinge of muslim refugees to flee for their lives and come across the board into bangladesh where i am now. The militant group has put out a statement on its twitter handle saying it was suspending what it described as its military operations to enable humanitarian aid to reach the area. It has also asked them i am our authorities to reciprocate the gesture. We have had no response as yet from the me and my government. We understand over the last couple of days that they have been lying land mines along the border. Amnesty international has put out a statement saying they have seen evidence including photographs and as well as speaking to victims of landmine attacks which appear to suggest these are fresh landmines and personal landmines which have been placed along the border a p pa re ntly been placed along the border apparently to prevent muslim refugees from leaving or re entering myanmar. We have been along the border spoken to villagers and the border spoken to villagers and the Border Police who appear to corroborate this fact. The un is increasingly concerned about the conditions in which the refugees who have come over to bangladesh from myanmarfind have come over to bangladesh from myanmar find themselves in. Have come over to bangladesh from myanmarfind themselves in. There is an urgent shortage of food and medicine as well as adequate shelter. The un now says it needs 77 million in urgent assistance to come to the aid of those who have come to the aid of those who have come here. Sandal image pope francis has urged colombians to support peace and reconciliation during a visit to the city of medellin. His visit to colombia is taking place as the country implements a peace deal signed last year with the farc, which has become a Political Party after abandoning its insurgency. From the colombian capital bogota Natalio Cosoy reports. If you needed any proof of the faithfuls devotion in colombia, ta ke faithfuls devotion in colombia, take a look at this. Yet again, huge crowds turned out to welcome pope francis. This time it was medellin, a city once notorious for its links to drug trafficking. The service taking place in a stadium, usually the venue for bull fighting. Thousands welcome to him, with some of the nuns showing particular enthusiasm. The pope made reference to the citys dark history, talking of young lives discarded and destroyed by drug dealers. He urged his listeners to ask god for forgiveness for those who shattered the dreams of so many young people. Earlier in the day, once the rain had cleared, a huge open air mass was held at the citys airport. It is estimated around 1. 3 Million People turned out to hear a message of peace and reconciliation in a country that has been divided for so long. Then the pope headed to a home for abandoned children. They were, he said, the future of colombian society, the world and the church. On sunday, the pope will visit the city of cartagena before returning home. North koreas leader kimjong un has attended a celebration to congratulate the scientists behind last weeks powerful nuclear test. State television showed the leader greeting crowds and enjoying the entertainment. The regimes Nuclear Programme has faced wide spread condemnation. More than 60 homes in peru have been destroyed by a huge fire in the Northern City of iquitos. The fire sparked panic among residents in the neighbourhood of belen but firefighters battled the blaze and managed to prevent it from spreading to other areas. So far no deaths have been reported. Thousands of people have taken part in a rally for Marriage Equality in australias largest city, sydney. It comes ahead of a postal vote on same sex marriage which could lead to its legalisation. The australian prime minister, malcolm turnbull, has urged the public to back the issue. He said he wanted to ensure fairness for gay couples pointing out that 23 other countries have already legalised same sex marriage. Less than four months on from the bomb attack that left 22 people dead, 14,000 people attended the reopening of the Manchester Arena last night. The we are Manchester Show included performances from Noel Gallagher, peter kay and rick astley. Our entertainment correspondent Colin Paterson was there. So, sally can wait. Manchester arena united in song. Headliner Noel Gallagher leading the 14,000 capacity crowd in dont look back in anger, which became an anthem of unity after the terror attack in may. Crowd dont look back in anger. Dont look back in anger, i heard you say. Earlier, outside the venue, it was all rather different. There was heightened security, with armed police and longer than usual searches on the way in. That wasnt stopping those going from having fun, even if many were experiencing mixed emotions. Obviously there is a little bit of scaredness but not as much as excitement. Its the overriding emotion of hope, just to show that the events open again and what the terrorists did wont overcome us. The langbridge family had bought tickets for the show, despite having been in the foyer when the terrorist bomb went off. Scary, nervous but were here for the 22 people what died. Weve got to make memories. They cant make memories any more, can they . Inside, the first people to sit in these seats since the bomb exploded in may. Before the concert, greater manchesters mayor read the names of the 22 victims. Of megan, courtney and philip, of wendy and elaine. And then the poet tony walsh started proceedings. We should give something back. Tonight, we will. Always remember. Never forget. The eclectic line up also featured peter kay. And i was here on the opening night, 16th july 1995. I were working. £4. 10 an hour. Afterwards, the consensus was that it had been a very special night. Buzzing. Proper well good. We came together. Whata gig i cant believe everyones come together like this. Absolutely incredible. Itjust made you proud to be mancunian. And as for the langbridge family on their return to the arena . Did you walk through the foyer . Yes. How was that . Nerve racking. It took your breath away a little bit. But we had to do it. We will be coming back with kids so we had to do it. This is the first of many more journeys back. This concert had two goals to raise money for a permanent memorial for those who died, and also to show that Manchester Arena is open for business. Both were achieved. Colin paterson, bbc news, manchester. The 15th series of strictly come dancing began last night, as the celebrity contestants were matched with their professional partners. New head judge Shirley Ballas also made her debut, following len goodmans retirement. Tributes were paid to the shows former host sir Bruce Forsyth who died in august at the age of 89. Presenters tess daly and Claudia Winkleman said everyone missed him dearly. What a routine. He would have loved that. Our thoughts are with his dear wife winnie, his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, and everyone, i mean everyone at strictly, is thinking of you. He was a legend to so many people but to us he was brucie and his hard work and dedication and professionalism helped to make the show what it is today. To put it in his own words, didnt he do well . Now lets check out the weather. The showery afternoon to come for many with showers merging across scotland and Northern Ireland for long spells of rain, some of them heavy, with hailand of rain, some of them heavy, with hail and thunder and squally winds circulating around the low pressure. Villa south and east, it may well stay dry until after dark. The rain will come and winds will strengthen through the night gusting to gale force close to the bristol channel. Plenty of frequent showers driven in by blustery winds across the west facing coasts. Nine to 13 to greet us facing coasts. Nine to 13 to greet us first thing on monday but the showery start to the working week. Showers heavy and thundery. If you dodge them, you will see some sunshine but it will not feel very warm. 13 to 19 at the very best. A brief lull in proceedings perhaps on tuesday that it will not be long before we see another spell of wet and windy weather which will arrive on tuesday night into the early hours of wednesday morning
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