:00:00. > :00:12.Hurricane Irma hits, and leaves a trail of devastation.
:00:13. > :00:15.The eastern Caribbean islands were first in line for a battering.
:00:16. > :00:26.We had cars flying over our heads, 40-ft containers
:00:27. > :00:36.And all we had to do was pray and call for help.
:00:37. > :00:39.As the scale of the devastation in Barbuda is becoming clear,
:00:40. > :00:41.Irma is headed for the Turks and Caicos Islands.
:00:42. > :00:47.This is what they were escaping - the homes of Myanmar's Rohingya
:00:48. > :00:52.The number who've fled to Bangladesh reaches almost 150,000.
:00:53. > :00:57.We report from the largest official detention centre in Libya,
:00:58. > :01:06.where the BBC found desperate conditions.
:01:07. > :01:13.For many who set out hoping to get to Europe, who took the risk with
:01:14. > :01:16.their lives of trying to cross the Mediterranean, this is where the
:01:17. > :01:27.dream of reaching Italy has come to an end.
:01:28. > :01:31.Hello, and welcome to World News Today.
:01:32. > :01:33.Hurricane Irma - one of the strongest ever recorded
:01:34. > :01:35.in the Atlantic Ocean - has left a swathe of destruction
:01:36. > :01:39.in its path as it sweeps across the eastern Caribbean.
:01:40. > :01:44.At least ten people are known to have died.
:01:45. > :01:49.The islands of Barbuda and St Martin were first to feel the full force
:01:50. > :01:52.Then came Puerto Rico, and now it's heading northwest
:01:53. > :01:54.towards Cuba and Florida. The category five hurricane has
:01:55. > :01:56.disrupted communications, making it difficult to get
:01:57. > :02:00.information from some of the worst hit places.
:02:01. > :02:01.In Puerto Rico, 70% of the population have
:02:02. > :02:10.Our correspondent Laura Bicker was on the island when Irma struck.
:02:11. > :02:13.Hurricane Irma, as storm the size of France, has carved a destructive
:02:14. > :02:19.In Puerto Rico, three people were killed as winds
:02:20. > :02:32.As daylight came and the clear-out began, most felt lucky to have
:02:33. > :02:47.I prayed, go, don't come here no more.
:02:48. > :02:50.This family told me they felt blessed to be
:02:51. > :02:53.This family told me they felt blessed to be alive,
:02:54. > :02:56.was downed power lines and fallen trees in the street.
:02:57. > :02:58.There is a collective sigh of relief in Puerto Rico.
:02:59. > :03:02.There is work to be done, up to 30 foot waves threw up debris
:03:03. > :03:04.and downed trees, but when it comes to that catastrophic
:03:05. > :03:06.eye of the hurricane, that only skirted the island,
:03:07. > :03:10.On the tiny island of Barbuda, barely a building
:03:11. > :03:18.Thousands of families find themselves homeless.
:03:19. > :03:24.My house, I lose my home, I lose my shop.
:03:25. > :03:41.And right now, I don't have nowhere to go to sleep.
:03:42. > :03:43.We had cars flying over our heads, 40 foot containers
:03:44. > :03:47.And the story that you are getting from most of the residents
:03:48. > :03:50.is that the eye of the storm came just in time.
:03:51. > :03:51.Persons were literally tying themselves to their roots
:03:52. > :03:55.The Prime Minister said the island was barely habitable.
:03:56. > :04:09.In neighbouring St Martin, the full force of the eye of
:04:10. > :04:18.Winds of 185 mph hammered the island.
:04:19. > :04:21.More than 70,000 people live in this area, which is made of Dutch
:04:22. > :04:27.Shipping containers were tossed around like Lego bricks.
:04:28. > :04:29.Moored boats were smashed in the harbour, and there
:04:30. > :04:36.are warnings that the death toll is likely to rise.
:04:37. > :04:39.France has sent three emergency teams to help with the clear-up,
:04:40. > :04:45.and has already set up a reconstruction fund.
:04:46. > :04:54.In the British territory of Anguilla, the UK response
:04:55. > :04:59.The only hospital has been badly damaged, and residents say they need
:05:00. > :05:02.A British task force is on its way there,
:05:03. > :05:04.including Royal Marines and army engineers.
:05:05. > :05:08.Efforts are also under way to get supplies to the
:05:09. > :05:12.The French government says the priority is making sure people
:05:13. > :05:16.The British Virgin Islands is the latest place to be pummelled.
:05:17. > :05:20.It is a tropical paradise transformed.
:05:21. > :05:28.She has maintained her wind speeds, and is barrelling
:05:29. > :05:30.towards another British territory - the low-lying Turks
:05:31. > :05:42.The US sunshine state of Florida will be next in her sights.
:05:43. > :05:47.They are nervous, after watching others endure her wrath.
:05:48. > :05:50.Laura Bicker reporting from Puerto Rico.
:05:51. > :05:52.Hurricane Irma is now the longest lasting category five
:05:53. > :05:54.superstorm ever recorded - surpassing the record
:05:55. > :05:56.set by Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the Philippines in 2013.
:05:57. > :05:58.So why has it gathered so much energy?
:05:59. > :06:00.And are these types of storm becoming more frequent?
:06:01. > :06:06.Our Science Editor, David Shukman, explains.
:06:07. > :06:08.A menacing swirl of cloud stretching over the Caribbean.
:06:09. > :06:10.This view from space of Hurricane Irma shows
:06:11. > :06:22.If it was over Britain, it would cover most of the country.
:06:23. > :06:27.A brave flight crew ventures right inside.
:06:28. > :06:29.And facing them are the staggeringly large walls
:06:30. > :06:33.This hurricane has set a new record for having dangerously fast winds
:06:34. > :06:40.On the ground, the effect is shattering.
:06:41. > :06:43.This part of the world knows all about hurricanes, and early
:06:44. > :06:47.warning has definitely saved lives, but this one is stronger than most.
:06:48. > :06:59.So, how do hurricanes become so destructive?
:07:00. > :07:05.The strongest, like Irma, form off the coast of West Africa,
:07:06. > :07:08.warm waters caused the air to rise, triggering thunderstorms
:07:09. > :07:10.and that is when the winds can circulate,
:07:11. > :07:14.crosses the Atlantic, it grows and becomes stronger.
:07:15. > :07:17.If the winds are moving in the same direction
:07:18. > :07:19.at all levels, as with Irma, they reached devastating speeds.
:07:20. > :07:21.Closer to the Caribbean, the hurricane gets another boost
:07:22. > :07:23.as it passes over yet more warm water.
:07:24. > :07:26.And ocean temperatures are unusually high this year, making the winds
:07:27. > :07:29.On top of this, the low pressure inside the hurricane
:07:30. > :07:39.creates a storm surge - a huge wave that strikes the coast.
:07:40. > :07:42.And because climate change is raising the level of the sea,
:07:43. > :07:46.As the people of the Caribbean try to cope with the terrible aftermath,
:07:47. > :07:49.many are asking if there will be even more scenes like this
:07:50. > :07:56.Scientists say they do not know if hurricanes will become more
:07:57. > :07:59.frequent, but they do think they will become more violent.
:08:00. > :08:01.One of the things we know about climate change is a warmer
:08:02. > :08:10.That means when a hurricane hits, more rain can
:08:11. > :08:13.and cause more flooding, and that is one thing we definitely
:08:14. > :08:22.And another thing is the warmer oceans feed the hurricanes,
:08:23. > :08:25.they are the energy source, so a warmer ocean will lead
:08:26. > :08:28.This comes as the people of Texas are still recovering
:08:29. > :08:33.There are plenty of quiet years, but this one is shaping up to be one
:08:34. > :08:37.This sequence shows how right behind Irma there is another
:08:38. > :08:38.distinctive swirl of clouds - Hurricane Jose.
:08:39. > :08:41.The research patrols have been kept busier than ever before.
:08:42. > :08:52.Well, are is now crossing to the north of the Dominican Republic,
:08:53. > :08:56.heading for the Turks and Caicos Islands. Emergency officials admit
:08:57. > :08:59.they are anxious about writing out the storm. Doctor John Freeman is
:09:00. > :09:00.the governor of the British territory.
:09:01. > :09:02.Of course, everyone is nervous and anxious here.
:09:03. > :09:07.But, we've made the preparations we should do.
:09:08. > :09:09.We've evacuated, we ordered the evacuation of two islands.
:09:10. > :09:12.We've got our shelters operating and people going into them.
:09:13. > :09:15.We're messaging out as best we can to make sure people do that.
:09:16. > :09:22.Yesterday, we spent a lot of time encouraging visiting tourists to get
:09:23. > :09:27.We've reduced the number of people who are here who don't live
:09:28. > :09:34.So, yes, we're anxious, and we're going to have to ride it out.
:09:35. > :09:36.And, you know, this is a country that's been hit
:09:37. > :09:45.And therefore, you know, a surge means more water coming
:09:46. > :09:48.on here, which means more flooding, which causes more problems in terms
:09:49. > :09:54.of utilities and the functioning of the islands.
:09:55. > :09:57.Those in the most low-lying are the ones who also have
:09:58. > :09:58.vulnerable structures, and we've been encouraging them
:09:59. > :10:04.As I say, they are moving into the shelters now.
:10:05. > :10:07.Along with the surge you mentioned, of course it's the wind speed
:10:08. > :10:10.that we are waiting to see what the impact of that is.
:10:11. > :10:13.And I'm afraid we're not really going to know this
:10:14. > :10:15.until of course it's hit us, but already we can see
:10:16. > :10:28.We are already within the frame, she's already touching us remotely.
:10:29. > :10:32.The United Nations says as many as 164,000 Rohingya Muslims,
:10:33. > :10:34.mostly civilians, have now fled into Bangladesh from Myanmar
:10:35. > :10:38.The exodus was sparked by a crackdown by Burmese security
:10:39. > :10:40.forces after Rohingya militants attacked police posts.
:10:41. > :10:44.Our correspondent Justin Rowlatt has been to a refugee camp in Teknaf,
:10:45. > :10:55.Their shoes lost in the mud on the long journey here.
:10:56. > :10:59.This is an exodus on a truly massive scale.
:11:00. > :11:02.The truth is, no-one knows for certain how many Rohingya
:11:03. > :11:08.refugees have crossed the border here to Bangladesh.
:11:09. > :11:12.We've joined this kind of river of humanity,
:11:13. > :11:16.because we've been told a refugee camp has erupted in
:11:17. > :11:23.Apparently thousands of people have come here and made camp.
:11:24. > :11:28.A UN official was told there were 15,000 people here.
:11:29. > :11:36.She told the BBC she couldn't say how many refugees have
:11:37. > :11:54.And everyone has a horrific story to tell.
:11:55. > :11:56.TRANSLATION: My three sons were taken.
:11:57. > :12:12.Villages burning, allegedly torched by soldiers from the Myanmar army.
:12:13. > :12:16.TRANSLATION: Lots, lots, lots of people died.
:12:17. > :12:25.And then they shot us from helicopters and from the ground.
:12:26. > :12:29.Mr Shafiq saw some appalling scenes on his long trek.
:12:30. > :12:35.Bodies floating in the river, Rohingya refugees drowned
:12:36. > :12:42.the barbed wire fence that marks the border with Bangladesh.
:12:43. > :12:44.The BBC cannot verify any of this footage,
:12:45. > :12:50.but the stories the refugees tell are remarkably similar.
:12:51. > :12:55.They've been driven from their homes into this.
:12:56. > :13:03.Into what is a rapidly escalating humanitarian disaster.
:13:04. > :13:14.Let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news.
:13:15. > :13:16.The Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, says a planned
:13:17. > :13:18.referendum on independence by the autonomous region
:13:19. > :13:23.Central government in Madrid is taking steps to prevent
:13:24. > :13:26.the vote from taking place, after Catalan lawmakers voted
:13:27. > :13:31.The region voted overwhelmingly for independence in 2014
:13:32. > :13:37.in an unofficial election, which was unrecognised by Madrid.
:13:38. > :13:40.The EU's Security Commissioner has warned that there's a real risk that
:13:41. > :13:42.so-called Islamic State will increase funding
:13:43. > :13:47.Julian King said that as IS loses ground militarily in Iraq and Syria,
:13:48. > :13:51.it's moving money out of the region, which could lead to an influx
:13:52. > :13:57.of cash for terrorism in European states.
:13:58. > :14:01.A son of the Philippine president has denied involvement
:14:02. > :14:03.in a multi-million-dollar drug smuggling operation.
:14:04. > :14:05.Paolo Duterte told a Senate hearing the allegations
:14:06. > :14:07.against him were baseless, although he refused
:14:08. > :14:12.His father, President Rodrigo Duterte, launched a violent campaign
:14:13. > :14:14.against drug crime last year, and has promised to resign
:14:15. > :14:22.if any family members were involved in the trade.
:14:23. > :14:25.Many migrants trying to reach Europe make the perilous crossing
:14:26. > :14:29.But what about those who get caught before the journey?
:14:30. > :14:32.We've gained access to Libya's largest official detention centre,
:14:33. > :14:37.Many have suffered deeply traumatic experiences at the hands
:14:38. > :14:41.of people-smugglers as they tried and failed to reach Europe.
:14:42. > :14:43.The BBC's Orla Guerin has been inside the Triq al-Sikka
:14:44. > :14:50.Well, for those being held in detention in Libya,
:14:51. > :14:58.In this centre alone, there are more than 600 men being held.
:14:59. > :15:00.There are women and children, even newborn babies,
:15:01. > :15:06.The men here have asked us to show these conditions.
:15:07. > :15:09.They are very anxious for all of this to be seen.
:15:10. > :15:22.It's hot, it's airless, it's overcrowded.
:15:23. > :15:25.At night, when everyone is jammed in and the doors are locked,
:15:26. > :15:28.they tell us that some have to try to sleep standing up,
:15:29. > :15:30.because there isn't even room to lie down.
:15:31. > :15:32.The men here say there isn't enough food.
:15:33. > :15:35.At breakfast, for example, all they're getting is a small roll
:15:36. > :15:40.Now, the authorities who are in charge here tell us
:15:41. > :15:42.they've run out of funding to pay the catering companies.
:15:43. > :15:45.They say they are relying on donations from Libyan companies
:15:46. > :15:52.The only hope of release for these men is to be deported back
:15:53. > :15:59.Some of those here tell us they've been languishing in these conditions
:16:00. > :16:08.Detainees in another centre told us the guards had demanded bribes
:16:09. > :16:13.Some of these migrants have been bought and sold by different
:16:14. > :16:21.Some have been forced into modern-day slave labour.
:16:22. > :16:25.For many who set out hoping to get to Europe,
:16:26. > :16:29.who took the risk with their lives of trying to cross
:16:30. > :16:31.the Mediterranean, this is where the dream of reaching Italy
:16:32. > :16:45.Today marks another milestone in Britain's Brexit journey -
:16:46. > :16:48.MPs have started debating a Bill described by the Prime Minister
:16:49. > :16:50.as an "essential step" on the way to leaving the EU.
:16:51. > :16:53.The Bill aims to ensure that European law will no
:16:54. > :16:55.longer apply in the UK, by repealing the act
:16:56. > :16:58.of Parliament that took Britain into the European Union back in 1972.
:16:59. > :17:01.The Bill will also convert all
:17:02. > :17:06.current EU legislation into UK law - Government ministers say this
:17:07. > :17:12.is to avoid a "cliff-edge" the day after Brexit.
:17:13. > :17:15.Finally, and this is controversial, it includes new powers
:17:16. > :17:18.for the Government to alter laws without full parliamentary scrutiny.
:17:19. > :17:23.Opposition parties have already said they will not support the Bill.
:17:24. > :17:24.Our Political Editor, Laura Kuenssberg,
:17:25. > :17:40.Ministers say there is nothing to worry about, there opponents say it
:17:41. > :17:45.is a power grab. Put simply, this bill is an essential step. Whilst it
:17:46. > :17:48.does not take us out of the European Union, that is a matter for the
:17:49. > :17:54.Article 50 process, it does ensure that on the day with we leave,
:17:55. > :18:00.businesses know where we stand. Consumers remain protected. But this
:18:01. > :18:04.is so much to sort out the perfect all our lives. The Government says
:18:05. > :18:08.there is not time for him is to be of every detail. So ministers will
:18:09. > :18:12.be able to make tweaks here and there. That gives them the same
:18:13. > :18:18.powers as medieval monarchs, Labour says. The combined effect of the
:18:19. > :18:22.provisions of this bill would reduce MPs to spectators, power pawns into
:18:23. > :18:29.the hands of ministers and the executives. It is an unprecedented
:18:30. > :18:31.power grab. It is an affront to Parliament and accountabilities.
:18:32. > :18:38.Bike ministers privately concede they will have to give some ground.
:18:39. > :18:42.But they also know which is the only -- it is far from the only scrap the
:18:43. > :18:47.fee. If talks about the overall Brexit deal going well, the official
:18:48. > :18:51.negotiator in Brussels to do good job of hiding at this morning.
:18:52. > :18:55.Complaining about the British unwillingness to talk about the
:18:56. > :18:58.cash. TRANSLATION: I've been very
:18:59. > :19:04.disappointed in the British position. There's problem of
:19:05. > :19:08.confidence. He is accusing the UK of backtracking. Close to home, a
:19:09. > :19:13.letter doing the rounds among Tory MPs has been leaked to the BBC.
:19:14. > :19:18.Dozens of Brexit supporters demanding the Prime Minister sticks
:19:19. > :19:21.to a crisp exit, not a longer, soft transition. Warning ministers they
:19:22. > :19:26.must not allow the country to be kept in the EU by stealth. And was
:19:27. > :19:33.circulated, if not signed, by a junior member of the government. The
:19:34. > :19:37.letter says that we are in favour of leaving the Single Market and the
:19:38. > :19:41.customs union, we want to take back control of our laws, we want a
:19:42. > :19:44.strictly time-limited transition period, we want to be able to strike
:19:45. > :19:51.free trade agreements with the rest of the world. All of that is
:19:52. > :19:56.consistent with Government policy. Remainer Tory MPs don't buy that,
:19:57. > :20:00.fearing Conservative divisions could burst again. In the Tory Party, in
:20:01. > :20:05.Parliament, and in the power struggle with the EU... No Brexit!
:20:06. > :20:11.There's not much chance of keeping the peace.
:20:12. > :20:18.As Parliament debates the bill, it is not making for happy watching
:20:19. > :20:19.according to the chief negotiator, Michel Barnier. Damian Grammaticas
:20:20. > :20:22.has more from Brussels. Well, what we've heard
:20:23. > :20:24.from today here in Brussels is the chief negotiator,
:20:25. > :20:26.Michel Barnier. He said that they were watching very
:20:27. > :20:28.closely here the debates going on in the UK, because the UK,
:20:29. > :20:32.he said, will have to come up The EU wants to know what sort
:20:33. > :20:37.of future deal the UK wants to do with the Single Market,
:20:38. > :20:39.the customs union, all And that will be crucial to what
:20:40. > :20:43.sort of negotiations happen here. But for now, he pointed to some very
:20:44. > :20:46.difficult issues he said On Ireland, the question
:20:47. > :20:49.of the Northern Irish border, he said that he was very worried
:20:50. > :20:52.by the proposals put forward He said they simply
:20:53. > :20:55.weren't good enough. The UK's decision to quit the EU
:20:56. > :20:59.and to quit the Single Market and customs union would,
:21:00. > :21:00.he said, bring complications, The onus was on the UK
:21:01. > :21:06.to come up with solutions On the issue of money,
:21:07. > :21:12.the financial settlement, he said that the UK's approach
:21:13. > :21:15.questioning the legality of what the EU says the UK's
:21:16. > :21:21.obligations are was very negative Mr Barnier said that every euro
:21:22. > :21:30.the EU is demanding, He said the EU budgets had been
:21:31. > :21:35.approved by David Cameron when he was British Prime Minister,
:21:36. > :21:38.also approved by the UK Parliament, and that there
:21:39. > :21:42.was a legal basis for that. And he said in order to move forward
:21:43. > :21:46.to discussing a future relationship, the EU has to see progress on those
:21:47. > :21:55.other issues first. Facebook says it has discovered
:21:56. > :21:59.a Russian-funded campaign to promote divisive social and political
:22:00. > :22:01.messages on its network. It said there were about 3,000 ads
:22:02. > :22:04.over a two-year period. The ads did not back any political
:22:05. > :22:06.figures specifically, but instead posted on topics
:22:07. > :22:07.including immigration, Our Silicon Valley reporter,
:22:08. > :22:15.Dave Lee, has the story. Was in the wake of the US election
:22:16. > :22:20.result when Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said it was -
:22:21. > :22:23.quote - "crazy" to think that misinformation or fake news
:22:24. > :22:25.on Facebook could have But the company's own investigation
:22:26. > :22:29.appears to have revealed those concerns were not too
:22:30. > :22:34.crazy after all. It found thousands of ads directing
:22:35. > :22:37.users to pages and profiles spreading misinformation
:22:38. > :22:39.on the world's biggest The advertisements did not back any
:22:40. > :22:46.political figure specifically, but instead posted inflammatory
:22:47. > :22:48.statements on topics such as immigration,
:22:49. > :23:00.race and equal rights. The company said it believed
:23:01. > :23:03.the advertising was bought by a group in Russia known
:23:04. > :23:06.as The Internet Research Agency. It's an outfit based
:23:07. > :23:08.in St Petersburg, and known for flooding social media
:23:09. > :23:10.with pro-Kremlin material. Facebook said it was cooperating
:23:11. > :23:12.with US investigators, who are looking into the wider issue
:23:13. > :23:15.of alleged Russian meddling Facebook is said to have now handed
:23:16. > :23:22.over its data to Robert Mueller, that's the special counsel in charge
:23:23. > :23:24.of that investigation. Prince George had his first
:23:25. > :23:28.day at school today. The four-year-old is attending
:23:29. > :23:30.Thomas's School in South London, where he'll be known
:23:31. > :23:32.to his classmates He was dropped off by dad,
:23:33. > :23:36.Prince William, but the Duchess of Cambridge missed the occasion
:23:37. > :23:38.as she's suffering from severe morning sickness
:23:39. > :23:40.due to her pregnancy. It is a daunting day
:23:41. > :23:51.for any four-year-old, understandably a little nervous
:23:52. > :23:57.for his first day at the new school in south London his parents
:23:58. > :23:59.have chosen for him. Dad was there to take his hand and
:24:00. > :24:03.carry his schoolbag, but not Mum. She had to remain at
:24:04. > :24:05.Kensington Palace, suffering Each day at Thomas's School
:24:06. > :24:08.in Battersea starts George knew what was required,
:24:09. > :24:14.as did his father. And then it was time for those
:24:15. > :24:18.shiny new school shoes to head for the classroom,
:24:19. > :24:21.to find the peg for George Cambridge and to meet the 20
:24:22. > :24:23.other four-year-olds - boys and girls - who will be
:24:24. > :24:28.in the reception class with him. For William, it may have prompted
:24:29. > :24:32.memories of the day 30 years ago when he was taken by his mother
:24:33. > :24:35.for his first day at school. Back then, it was all
:24:36. > :24:37.rather more formal. A boys-only school complete
:24:38. > :24:44.with a school cap. School caps and formality were much
:24:45. > :24:49.in evidence in 1957, when the Queen took Prince Charles
:24:50. > :24:52.for his first day at his Charles was in fact the first heir
:24:53. > :25:00.to the throne to go to school rather Fast forward 30 years, and George's
:25:01. > :25:06.school offers a broad curriculum with a strong emphasis on sport
:25:07. > :25:08.and human values. It's a choice of school
:25:09. > :25:12.which represents a bit of a break Nothing too radical, of course -
:25:13. > :25:19.it's still private and fee-paying, but it is coeducational,
:25:20. > :25:21.and the school has a strong George will find that 'be kind'
:25:22. > :25:25.is one of the guiding principles for pupils here,
:25:26. > :25:27.together with courtesy and humility. All useful qualities
:25:28. > :25:30.for a future king. Nicholas Witchell,
:25:31. > :25:43.BBC News, Battersea. Just to update you on our main news.
:25:44. > :25:48.Hurricane Irma, one of the strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean,
:25:49. > :25:51.has been making a path of destruction as it sweeps across the
:25:52. > :25:56.eastern Caribbean. At least nine people are known to have died. It is
:25:57. > :25:59.currently north of the Dominican Republic, heading towards Turks and
:26:00. > :26:03.Caicos. Thanks very much for watching BBC World News Today.