12/10/2013 BBC Weekend News

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

Mediterranean is becoming a cemetery for migrants, following the deaths

of at least 30 more people who drowned when their boat capsized

yesterday. Joseph Muscat said southern European countries felt

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. From there, Matthew Price reports.

The survivors said they had been in the water for an hour before their

rescuers arrived. Imagine the panic, all alone at sea, as they tried to

stay alive. Tried to rescue their children. Aboard this vessel it was

mainly Palestinians, and Syrians. Some had phoned ahead to friends

already in Italy to say they were on their way. By night, those who

survived were being taken to safety, to hospitals in Italy and Malta and

a few here to the dockside in Lampedusa. Among them, a young

couple clutching their baby. Brought here by Italian boat, after

suffering an unbearable loss. As the sun came up, we learned they had had

to choose which of their children to save. The father and the mother were

able to save the daughter, the save. The father and the mother were

nine-month-old daughter, but they were not able to save the son that

was in front of them. They left him there. They were in this state for

one hour in the water before being rescued. No wonder there were calls

from some for urgent action to address the problem. We are just

building a cemetery been our Mediterranean Sea. We feel abandoned

regarding Europe's frontier. Yes, we have patrols, we act as rescuers,

but we feel on our own. Some 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. And 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.

Today a sorry procession of lorries, each filled with coffins arrived at

the port here. The dead from last week's sinking, more than 300. There

the port here. The dead from last was no ceremony as they loaded them

on to a boat to take them to the mainland. This is the human cost of

this great migration. Labour has joined the Government in

urging newspapers to accept the latest proposals for press

regulation, put forward by the three main political parties. The party's

deputy leader, Harriet Harman said the industry had nothing to fear

from the proposed Royal Charter and it would be very regrettable if they

tried to challenge it in the courts. Our political correspondent Carole

Walker reports. 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'll reject their

plan. So 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 trunl of -- trouble of what's

happened in the past they've always said we will mend our ways, set up a

tough new independent system and after it slipped back. The

politicians have already made some changes, allowing editors to help

draw up a new Code of Conduct, charge ago fee for arbitration and

requiring a two-thirds majority in parliament to change rules. But 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's any chance whatsoever that this politicians'

Royal Charter will be backed by the press, because it's from politicians

and politicians should have no say whatsoever in the running of a free

press. That's not democracy. Today the editor of the Daily Mail said

the recent row between his paper and the Labour leader Ed Miliband showed

why parliament should keep out of press regulation. The differences

between the papers and the party leaders are small in practical

terms, and both sides say they want to protect the freedom of the press.

But the newspapers fear that important principle would be

undermined if parliament has a say in how they're regulated. Many

Conservative MPs share that concern and warn any system drawn up without

the agreement of the newspapers will lead to legal battles and more

acrimonious rows between press and politicians in future.

A funeral service has been held for a mother and three children who died

in a suspected arson attack in Leicester a month ago. Hundreds of

mourners, led by her husband, Dr Muhammad Taufiq Al Sattar, turned

out in Dublin, as Shehnila, and their children - Zainab, Bilal, and

Jamil - were laid to rest. Eight people have been charged in

connection with the deaths. Over half a million people have been

forced to evacuate their homes in India as a massive cyclone has

reached the country's eastern coastline. The cyclone is sweeping

in across the Bay of Bengal to strike the states of Orissa and

Andhra Pradesh. Our correspondent Sanjoy Majumder is in the town of

Berhampur, not far from where the cyclone is due to make landfall.

It's the biggest cyclone India has seen in years. The entire coast

lashed with heavy rain and strong winds. Fishermen struggling to save

lashed with heavy rain and strong their boats. As it approached the

coast emptied out. Many people have been moved to temporary shelters in

one of the largest evacuations in India's history. Among them these

children, cold and miserable after their ordeal. These are the lucky

ones who have managed to get away. But they're worried about what

they've left behind. TRANSLATION: I have come to take

shelter to save myself from the cyclone. My son has to stay with his

wife because of cattle and our belongings but I don't know if

they're safe. I have come with my family to save us from the cyclone.

Our house is destroyed. The Navy and air force are on stand-by, ready to

swing into action. Emergency rations and supplies are being readied for

the thousands who might be stranded or homeless. It is the biggest

deployment for a single disaster, so far, about 2,300 people and

personnel, including medical first responders and other technical

people with heavy equipment to deal with search and rescue. Already the

impact of the cyclone has been felt in some areas. This temple is

submerged in flood waters. But with the storm expected to last several

hours, it will be a while before the damage can be assessed.

More than 100,000 people have lined the streets of Vietnam's capital

Hanoi to pay their respects to the general who helped win victory in

the Vietnam War. General Von Gwin Zap led troops who defeated the

French administration in 1954 and played a pivotal role in driving the

French administration in 1954 and Americans out of his country.

Sport now, and in Formula One Red Bull will start the Japanese Grand

Prix on pole but this time it's not Sebastian Vettel, but his team-mate

Mark Webber. The Australian, who will quit the sport at the end of

the season, set the fastest lap at Suzuka to claim his first pole of

the year. But Vettel, who was second quickest, could yet clinch his

fourth straight World championship title if he wins tomorrow. Lewis

Hamilton will start third. Despite fears for its future, Rugby

Union's top European club competition - the Heineken Cup - is

under way this weekend and it's Edinburgh who have caused an early

shock. This try from Scotland winger Tim Visser helped them upset Munster

at Murrayfield, 29 points to 23. Elsewhere Welsh side Scarlets are

beating Harlequins and Northampton are losing to Castre.

That's it. I will be back on BBC1 at 10.15pm. Now we join the news teams