12/10/2013 BBC Weekend News

New calls for action from Europe's leaders after the deaths of more

migrants attempting the sea crossing from North Africa. Dozens are now

known to have died in the latest tragedy. Malta warns the

Mediterranean is becoming "a graveyard for Europe." More hostile

reaction to plans for press regulation proposed by the party

leaders. This is beginning of a process of state involvement which I

worry about profoundly. A massive cyclone hits India as more than half

a million people flee their homes. And Scarlets open their Heineken Cup

campaign with a thrilling win over Harlequins.

Good evening. The Prime Minister of Malta has warned that the

Mediterranean is becoming a "cemetery for migrants" following

the deaths of at least 34 people who drowned when their boat capsized

yesterday. Joseph Muscat said southern European countries had been

abandoned and urged the EU to take action. The latest tragedy took

place 70 miles off Lampedusa, the Italian island where 300 migrants

drowned last week. Far from land, the survivors struggled for an hour

before their rescuers arrived. Some had had time to put on the red life

vests. Imagine the panic, all alone had had time to put on the red life

at sea, as they tried to stay alive. And tried to keep their children

alive. By night those who made it were being taken to safety. Some to

the dockside in Lampedusa, among them, a young couple clutching their

baby and carrying an unbearable burden. They had had to choose which

of their children to save. Their son drowned in front of them. At the

over stretched refugee centre here we met another survivor. He came

from Damascus and asked not to be identified.

TRANSLATION: The waves got really high. The boat lost balance, it

filled with water in the bottom. The people got scared. A wave let the

boat move to the lef Everybody went to the right, the boat leaned to the

right and it capsized. Malta's Prime Minister said the Mediterranean was

turning into a "cemetery". Italy called for urgent action.

TRANSLATION: The problem in Lampedusa is not an I tall beyond

problem. This border is not the border of Italy, but the border of

Europe. Questions about these human dramas must be asked in all of

Europe. Some here argue that the solution is to start more legal

means of migration to Europe. To open up official channels to allow

people to escape war and poverty safely. Yet, that doesn't fit in

with the political debate in many European countries where the

instinct right now is to tighten immigration laws, not loosen them.

What of the dead? Where do they fit into Europe's immigration politics?

Today, a sorry procession of lorries, each one full of coffins,

arrived at the port here. More than 350. They died in last week's

syncing. There was no dignity in death for them. No ceremony as they

were loaded onto a boat bound for the mainland. Tiny white boxes for

were loaded onto a boat bound for the children. The Labour Party has

joined the Government in urging newspapers to accept the latest

proposals for press regulation put forward by the three main political

parties. Labour's Deputy Leader, Harriet Harman, said the industry

"had nothing to fear" from the proposed Royal Charter. The

newspapers' response to the plan has been overwhelmingly negative. The

three party leaders have reached a rare agreement on press regulations

backed by a Royal Charter. But the newspapers have made it clear they

will reject their plan. What next? Should the politicians impose new

rules? I don't think that the Government wants to impose direct

regulation and neither do any of the political parties or parliament.

Actually, we want the press to set up a system. The trouble of what

happened in the past is they have always said after a scandal, we will

mend our ways, we will set up a tough new independent system. After

a while it has slipped back. The politicians have already made some

changes. Allowing editors to help draw up a new code of conduct.

Charging a fee for arbitration to prevent too many claims and

requiring a two-thirds majority in parliament to change the rules. The

newspapers have their own charter, already rejected by senior

parliamentarians. It says there should be no political influence

with parliament prevented from making changes and newspaper editors

should have a bigger role in overseeing the new regulator. I

don't believe there is any chance what so ever that this politicians'

Royal Charter will be backed by the press because it is from

politicians. Politicians should have no say what so ever in the running

of a free press. That is not democracy. It emerged that some

Conservative MPs share their concerns and are warning against

political intfrjs -- interference. We removed away from state licensing

of the press 300 years ago. The central commitment that lord Leveson

made in his report he wanted a system that was voluntary

self-regulation. This is the beginning of a process of state

involvement. All those involved in trying to establish a new system of

regulation say they want to protect the freedom of the press.

Disagreements on how to achieve this could lead to legal battles and more

rows between the papers and politicians in future. A little sign

of support for these proposals? That is right. If the party leaders

thought their concessions would be sufficient to get the newspaper on

board, they badly misjudged the mood of the press. Even the offer to

allow some regional papers to opt-out of some of the arbitration

costs has been dismissed by one regional editor as, frankly

"insulting" he said although many regional papers were concerned about

that cost, that was missing the main point. The key thing is that

newspapers were the -- whether regional or national don't want

politicians here at Westminster meddling in their system of

regulation. You add to that the fact that the Prime Minister did not want

to be the person who was laying down the law to the papers. That is why

he set up the Leveson Report in the first place. He is now facing calls

from his own MPs to say, look, don't get involved in this. Warning that

the system that the politicians have come up with is not something that

they are happy with either. What happens now? Well, that is... A

question to which no-one on either side of this argument appears to

know the answerment we have a couple of weeks before the party leaders'

know the answerment we have a couple plan will go to a group of senior

parliamentarians who decide whether it should get a Royal Charter. Many

are already questioning whether they will really ask Her Majesty to put

her signature to an argument which doesn't have the backing of an

industry which it is governing. That is part of the deadlock that we are

seeing now. Nobody at this moment seems to have an answer to what the

way out of it is. The funeral has taken place of a mother and three

children who died in a suspected arson attack in Leicester last

month. More than 1,000 mourners attended the service in Dublin. Dr

Muhammad Taufiq Al Sattar led prayers for his wife and their three

teenage children. Eight people have been charged in connections with the

deaths. Dr Muhammad Taufiq Al Sattar received condolences, a man left a

widow and without his three teenage children. The funeral for his family

was held in Dublin, where he is a neurosurgeon and a prominent member

of the Muslim community. The bodies of his wife and children were

brought to Ireland by ferry over night. One by one the coffins were

carried. More than 1,000 people came to pay their last respects. Shehnila

Taufiq wife died along with her daughter, Zainab and two sons, Bilal

and Jamal. Fire engulfed their home in a suspected arson attack. It was

the families wish to come to Ireland when the children completed their

education. Dr Muhammad Taufiq Al Sattar Thaied their deaths had left

him feeling like a "bird with wings". He said he was heartened by

the support he received over the past month and would now dedicate

his life to his work. A massive cyclone has struck India's eastern

coastline bringing with it winds of more than 130mph. More than half a

million people have been forced to evacuate their homes. A number of

deaths have been reported. Cyclone Phailin is sweeping in across the

Bay of Bengal hitting the States of Phailin is sweeping in across the

Orissa Andhra Pradesh and. Andrew North is in the town close to where

the storm struck land. It's the biggest cyclone to hit India in

years. Gale force winds and rain lashing the coastline. For fishermen

a last-minute effort to save their boats. As the cyclone swept in, the

coast emptied out. Tens of thousands have been moved to make-shift

shelters inland. Among them, these children, cold and bewildered. Still

fearing for those who stayed behind. I have come to take shelter to save

myself from the cyclone. My son has to stay back with his wife because

of cattle and our belongings. I don't know if they are save.

TRANSLATION: I have come here with my family to save us from the

cyclone. Our house is destroyed. As we drove towards the coast, we saw

it gathering strength, passing through shuttered and desserted

towns. The cyclone is pounding this part of India. The winds are so

strong it's hard to stand up, even here on our hotel balcony. We have

witnessed widespread damage as we drove in before the storm peaked.

The full-scale of the devastation won't be clear until first light.

For tens of thousands of people it is going to be a long and terrifying

night. Andrew joins me now from Orissa with the latest. How bad is

this looking? We got in really just before the cyclone peaked. Already

it was clear, as we were driving to this town of Brahmapur, that there

was going to be a lot of damage as a result. We had to drive around

scores of felled trees and power lines to get here. Debris was being

blown around the roads. It was a terrifying journey. The real storm

came. The winds buffeting the hotel where I am now at the peak of the

storm were Inamoto credible. Windows were blowing in -- incredible.

Windows were blowing in. It's hard not to imagine that with those kinds

of gale force winds hitting this whole region that there hasn't been

quite serious damage elsewhere. We will not know of course until light

comes up. The real concern though is going to be what has happened about

the surge of water that often comes with these kinds of big cyclones.

Thank you. OK, with a round-up of the day's sports action it's over to

Catherine Downes in the BBC Sports Centre. Amid fears for it is future

rugby union's Heineken Cup is underway this weekend. It is a

chance for the Celtic clubs to show what Europe's top competitions could

be missing if plans for an Anglo-French breakaway goes ahead.

There were upsets both in Edinburgh and London. They were packed into

this open try scored by Williams, remember that surname. Sometimes the

bounce of the ball is what matters. Here it favoured Harlequins. Brown

took advantage and got Quinns back into it. Scott Williams checked his

options and went for it himself. He stretched his legs and the Scarlets'

lead before half time. At times the Welsh club were over eager to make

their mind. Lee left an imprint on this player and saw the sin-bin.

Where there was a Williams, there was a way. Jordan Williams picked

his way through for what would be the game's decisive try. Scottish

his way through for what would be rugby could do with a lift. It came

from a surprising source. Edinburgh are bottom of the Pro 12 League,

this try shocked Munster. If this is the last year Welsh and Scottish

teams are involved in European competition, they won't go quietly.

Elsewhere, a Dylan Hartley try couldn't stop Northampton losing

19-13 at Castres. Leinster beat ospreys 19-9. A Jonny May try

cancelled out James Hook's points as Gloucester defeated Perpignan 27-22.

The family of formula 1 driver Maria de Villota believe her sudden death

yesterday was caused by neurological injuries she suffered in a crash

during testing last year. Drivers at the Japan Grand Prix wore stars on

her helmets and cars during qualifying today to remember the

33-year-old. Mark Webber went fastest and will start on pole ahead

of Sebastian Vettel who could get his fourth straight World

Championship if he wins tomorrow. Lewis Hamilton will start on third.

Marc Marquez will start at the front of the grid for tomorrow's Malaysian

MotoGP. The Marquez leads the Championship by 39 points and will

set a new lap record to clinch pole. Val Rosberg will start second with

Cal Crutchlow third. Raheem Sterling has been called into the England

squad for the World Cup qualifying match against Poland. He replaces

Tom Cleverley. Victory on Tuesday will guarantee England's place at

the finals in Brazil next year. There are more calls for action from

Europe's leaders after the latest deaths of dozens of migrants in the

sea of off Italy. Good night.