this is bbc world news today. i'm samantha simmonds. our top stories: a powerful, life—threatening hurricane bea rs down on the coast of texas. as residents prepare for the worst, the state authorities ask the president to declare a major disaster. at least 28 people have died in northern india, after police used live ammunition on supporters of a self—styled holy man, who's been convicted of rape. the us announces tough new sanctions against venezuela, branding nicholas maduro‘s government corrupt and repressive. the united states will target the means with which the dictatorship can accumulate debt to enrich its corrupt regime insiders and perpetuate its behaviour. and it's shaping up to be the biggest money making bout in history. floyd mayweather takes on connor mcgregor in las vegas on saturday. hello and welcome

to world news today. hurricane harvey has intensified into a category three storm as it pushes closer to the us gulf coast. the governor of texas has asked president trump to issue a major disaster declaration, hours before the state is expected to be battered. texas and louisiana haven't been hit by a major hurricane in more than a decade. officials say harvey could also bring life—threatening flooding that will likely last for days. as you know, this is a hurricane that will calm in land and then is expected to hover for a long that will calm in land and then is expected to hoverfor a long period of time. they could be days. during that time, there will be a

tremendous amount of rain. it will be dropped on miles upon miles of texas. this is going to lead to what was described earlier in our conference call as record flooding at multiple locations, ranging all the way from the corpus christi area all the way up to the houston area. president donald trump has treated president donald trump has tweeted to those in the path of storm to heed the advice of local officials. just a short time ago his press secretary said he will visit the areas hit by hurricane harvey. it looks like the president will make plans to go to texas early next week. we will keep people stood on details of those as they are formed up. the storm is expected to make landfall near corpus christi — that's where don champion has been watching the hurricane come in throughout the day. within the past two hours, we started to feel the tropical storm force winds move into this part of

the texas golf course —— texas golf course to. hurricaine harvey is coming into the region. it is meant to bea coming into the region. it is meant to be a catastrophic event. this is the bay at corpus christi. this morning the water is much lower than it is now. i've checked before coming on airand it is now. i've checked before coming on air and the storm surge year is already up to feed and the water is starting to splash over at this wall. by the end of this weekend, i can guarantee you that this very spot will very likely be under several feet of water as the storm surge just under several feet of water as the storm surgejust in under several feet of water as the storm surge just in on dates these coastal areas before hurricaine harvey makes landfall. the storm is expected to strengthen even more before making landfall sometime tonight or early saturday morning just north of where i am standing.

the big danger that officials are worried about is the flooding that is expected with the storm. more than 30 inches of rain is quite possible in parts of this region. just to give you an idea of how much thatis, just to give you an idea of how much that is, the city of corpus christi typically gets dirty inches of rain in one year. they will get that in a matter of the few hours. there are dire concerns and serious concerns for officials here. as you can see behind me, remarkably there are still plenty of people here who have decided to stay put and tried to ride out the storm. a lot of them coming over to the core still area and taking pictures and ticking in the site. —— the coastal area. this will become ever more dangerous as the day goes on. the governor here in texas has been going on local

media discussing all morning long, telling these folks that time is literally running out to get out of this region safely. stay safe. thank you. some breaking news now and reports of a shooting in the belgian capital brussels. soldiers are said to have shot a man who attacked them with a knife. the man is in a critical state in hospital. that is being reported by the reuters news agency. the man was 30 years old and not known for terrorist activities. the soldiers were lightly injured in the attack. we will bring you more from that story when we get it. at least twenty—eight people have been killed in clashes in india after a self—styled holy man was convicted of rape. more than 100,000 supporters

of gurmeet ram rahim singh had gathered in the town of panchkula ahead of the verdict. thousands of his devotees went on the rampage after the verdict, and police responded with rubber bullets and then live ammunition. the self—styled "guru in bling" is renowned for his flamboyant taste in costumes covered in jewels. he was convicted of assaulting two members of his sect 15 years ago. violence broke out almost as soon as the guilty verdict was handed down by the court in this town in north india. more than 100,000 followers of the self—styled godman guru, had flocked to demonstrate their support. they went on the rampage, burning cars and attacking the police, who responded with tear—gas and water cannon. when that didn't subdue the crowd, they fired live ammunition. and there have been clashes elsewhere, too. this train was torched by an angry mob here in the indian capital, delhi. elsewhere in the city, buses have been set on fire.

the guru has an absolutely enormous following. he estimates 50 million people and the fear is, that violence could spread in north india. gurmeet ram rahim singh is a charismatic figure. he calls himself the messenger of god, sports a huge beard and has a taste for enormous motor cycles. he has been dubbed "the baba of bling", and stars in his own movies and pop videos and, despite his extraordinary appearance, he's regarded as a living saint by many of his followers. this is the latest in a series of scandals here in india, involving those who claim exceptional spiritual powers. guru ram rahim says his sect is a social welfare and spiritual group, but he's been accused of involvement in murder and it is also claimed he persuaded 400 of his acolytes to have themselves castrated in order to get closer to god. it's that kind of devotion that explains the scale and intensity

of the violence here in north india and also why the authorities are so concerned about it spreading. justin rowlatt, bbc news, delhi. a little earlier i spoke to the bbc‘s neha bhatnagar who told me things were beginning to calm down. at the moment because it has night—time in india, the situation is under control but very tense. it looks like there is not any large scale violence but small instances that are being. large parts of north india are under lockdown which has affected the train and bus services, people were leaving their offices early. the capital, delhi, which is not next—door with all this happened. the tension is quite palpable still there. a lot of security forces on the ground. more

than 2000 people have been arrested in quitea than 2000 people have been arrested in quite a large part of north india. there is a prohibiting order that means more than 45 people are not allowed to gather together. we do fear this could lead to more violence and clashes. we are still waiting for the whole of the weekend and the sentence will only be given on monday, that could be delayed. a lot for the security forces to deal with the given his massive and future following. he is a very, very popular man, isn't he? tens of thousands, millions he says around the world. was that violence to be expected in any way? where the government for warrant for this? this was expected. most news reports start with just as expected, given his following. there is criticism that the administration where underprepared. they were not caught unaware that could be have prepared

better? the prime minister treated saying he is distressed with that. a lot of people have said, the government should have done enough to make sure that there is enough security on the ground. the chief minister of that state has been heavily criticised for this. if you look at what is happening on the streets and these pictures of violence, if you turn to social media and facebook and twitter, people are coming out and criticising massively. here is a person who has been convicted of rape of two women and this is the kind of support that india and people in india show for him. there is anger amongst people. what is the image that the country is showcasing? what is the government doing? how come 28 people have been allowed to die in this kind of perhaps preventable situation? a court has found two white south african farmers guilty of attempted murder after they forced a black man

into a coffin and threatened to burn him alive. the judge said it was clear willem 0osthuizen and theo jackson had intended to kill victor mlotshwa. the two farmers were arrested after a video of the attack was posted on social media. the bbc‘s nomsa maseko was in court. the video of the assault caused outrage here in south africa. it highlighted racial tensions in farming communities. two white farmers shoving a black man into a coffin, threatening to bury him alive. the accused him of trespassing on their farm. alive. the accused him of trespassing on theirfarm. the alive. the accused him of trespassing on their farm. the two men were arrested after the video of the attack was widely circulated on social media. we said the only wa nted social media. we said the only wanted to teach the victim a lesson and meant him no harm. but thejudge is missed their claim, saying it was clear their intention was to commit

murder. in relation to this, i find you both guilty. with attempt to cause previous bodily harm, ifind you both guilty. ifind cause previous bodily harm, ifind you both guilty. i find you cause previous bodily harm, ifind you both guilty. ifind you both guilty. shortly after the verdict was delivered here in court, the visibly emotional victim told me he was relieved thatjustice has finally been served. as mother welcomed the verdict. all i am asking is for harsh prison sentences for these men. the ordeal left my son deeply traumatised and i am happy his attackers have been found guilty. various political parties supporters protested against racism outside the court. the convicted men will be sentenced in two months‘ time. many he attended the trial are hoping thejudge will

time. many he attended the trial are hoping the judge will deliver lengthy jail terms. hoping the judge will deliver lengthyjail terms. let‘s have a look at some of the other stories making the news now. at least fourteen people, including five children, have been killed after an air strike hit a residential area of yemen‘s capital, sanaa. witnesses said two buildings in the south of the city, which is controlled by houthi rebels, had been destroyed. the former thai prime minister, yingluck shinawatra, has fled the country, hours before a verdict was to be delivered in her trial for criminal negligence. she faces up to ten years in jail over a rice subsidy scheme. more than 20 people have been killed in an attack on a shia mosque in the afghan capital, kabul, as worshippers gathered for afternoon prayers. the incident began when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the mosque. two gunmen then stormed the building. they were killed by special forces after a siege lasting several hours. the united states has announced new financial sanctions against venezuela, designed to further isolate the government of nicholas maduro. the measure bans dealing

in the bonds of some venezuelan public companies, including the state—owned oilfirm pdvsa. earlier this month the us imposed sanctions on president maduro himself — and some of his closest aides — branding him a dictator. a short while ago president trump‘s national security h r mcmaster explained the latest sanctions. this order demonstrates more clearly than ever that the united states will not allow an illegitimate dictatorship to take hold in the western hemisphere at the expense of its people. through the president‘s strong action, the united states will target the means with which the dictatorship can accumulate debt to in rich its corrupt regime insiders and perpetuate this repressive behaviour. 0ur correspondent will grant has been following the latest developments from cuba. it isa

it is a tough one. on the one hand, it is clearly targeted exactly where it is clearly targeted exactly where it is clearly targeted exactly where it is going to hire the venezuelan utmost, it‘s crippled economy and flailing energy sector. for an oil giant like venezuela, attacking the state run energy company is a serious step. many people have advised the trump administration to not take that route. i am in cuba which has been under economic sanctions for a decade and the argument by the previous administration in the white house was that it was not working. there area was that it was not working. there are a lot of observers that suggest are a lot of observers that suggest a similarthing are a lot of observers that suggest a similar thing could happen in venezuela, in fact what the sanctions would end up doing is hurting the tourists the most and conversely strengthening his hand. —— the purist the most. conversely strengthening his hand. -- the purist the most. what has been the reaction? the vice president has come out and say they

are analysing it. there has not been are analysing it. there has not been a huge amount yet. that is waiting in the wings. we can be sure that he will come out with the normal firebrand vitriol against the trump administration. we can expect them to throw it back to washington and say it as an example of imperialism, neoimperialism in latin america. these are the things that have a lot of weight. let‘s not forget that the trump administration said a military option is still on the table. these are things that are not taken lightly when it comes to latin america, the suggestion of military option or economic sanctions. we are all been focused towards venezuela and it might create some sympathy among the other states in the region that otherwise might be challenging and criticising them. stay with us on bbc world news, still to come how would you feel driving alongside one of these knowing no—one

was behind the wheel? driverless lorries will appear on british roads next year. but how safe are they? the latest headlines for you. 28 people are dead in northern india after clashes with police and supporters of a holy man who has been convicted of rape. the worst storm of the decade is about to hit the coast. semi—automated, self—driving lorries will be tested out on british roads from next year. the trucks will be connected wirelessly with up to three lorries travelling in convoy. the technology has already been tested elsewhere in europe and the united states. supporters say it will mean cheaper fuel bills, lower emissions and less congestion. 0ur correspondent richard lister looks at how it will work. this could be the future. the driver

in the second lorry is only steering. his speed is controlled by a computer which is monitoring what the lead driver is doing. these dutch trials suggest lorries linked by wi—fi can drive closer together and may have benefits. 10% fuel and may have benefits. 1096 fuel savings, that is money off the shopping bills. goods in shops will go down, 10% less c02. congestion, if we get them doing this running smoothly together, we will not have the traffic jams. smoothly together, we will not have the trafficjams. safety, we can have robots and sensors not looking mistakes. this is one of the specially equipped lorries that will ta ke specially equipped lorries that will take part in the british trials. first on test tracks and then on 2019 the motorway network. this technology is moving fast. some cars can steer themselves, too. the haulage industry wants to catch up.

do sophisticated lorries like this need people at all? the short answer is yes. most of british roads are too small and complex. vehicles like this could revolutionise long distance haulage. we are going to jump distance haulage. we are going to jump into the vehicle and start the exercise. les is training the next generation of lorry drivers here in slough. daniel is about to take his test. neither are keen of sharing the driver‘s seat with a computer. the machine breaks down, which is my main concern, wi—fi connections, what of that breaks down? do not think that is a good idea. we should be in full control of the lorries we are driving. there are other road users. you have to consider that when you are driving these lorries. uk waterways are the most congested in europe. we have more entrances

and experts. if you have a platoon of driverless lorries, it is difficult to see road signs and exit the motorway. with several countries now testing this technology, looks like is coming. the uk will have to decide if it wants it. conor mcgregor will way m4 at this year‘s super fight. it will break all paper view records after months of build ups. mcgregor, the biggest star. former world champion chris eubank thinks the irish man can cause a big shock that not many expect. everything is possible. that man in mcgregor has the will. i am a fan of boxing. i do not choose sides. the one who is willing to

ta ke sides. the one who is willing to take deepest and shall mean —— show me what rocky inspired in me. going beyond the call of duty and doing what is crazy, insane, extraordinary. that man is coming from a place of hunger. in mcgregor. if from a place of hunger. in mcgregor. hindeed from a place of hunger. in mcgregor. if indeed mcgregor boxes him and tries to be clever in that, there is only one winner. to me, mayweather cannot lose that fight. if you bring is that warrior and makes a fight, then everything and anything could happen. that is why i am here. that is why i have travelled here to see. it is not a farce. it is a farce if he uses his tools the wrong way. he isa he uses his tools the wrong way. he is a character, isn‘t he? ben stokes hit a century for england. the story of the day was the much improved

performance from the tourists.|j think many people were expecting to be talking about the decline of the cricket after day one here, instead they have given a good account of themselves. after their defeat at ed bastin, the bold expertly. it met none of the batsmen in england wa nted none of the batsmen in england wanted to find form ahead of the ashes. england once again had to rely on their captain to pass 5a the 12th successive test. that level is a record. ben stokes went further, he made 100. stokes on two occasions, once online. the west indies must be thinking about what might have been. for england, today was not good enough. australia will have watched it with some interest.

the last a wicket before the close. cot by alistair cooke and the west indies last night workers on the last day of the last test, there will be a worry there will be another collapse under u2. strangely frustrating day for both sides but west indies much better. that is all the sport for now. breaking news coming into us. they are reporting a man has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm on police after two officers received minor injuries outside buckingham palace, the official residence of the queen here in london. they seek no other injuries have been reported and officers remain on the scene at the moment and enquiries are ongoing. the queen is usually at balmoral in scotla nd the queen is usually at balmoral in scotland at this time of year. it is unlikely that she or any of the senior members of the royal family we re senior members of the royal family were at home at buckingham palace.

we will get more information on that. the press association are reporting that a man has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assault on police after two officers received minor injuries outside buckingham palace here in central london. this is in to us from the metropolitan police. we have no details whether this was related to terror at all. we have this information at the moment and we will bring more information to you as soon we will bring more information to you as soon as you can. you can we will bring more information to you as soon as you can. you can get in touch with me on twitter. stay with us. it isa it is a bank holiday weekend for most areas of the country. the forecast is in decent shape. some

warm sunshine around. showers continuing through parts of northern ireland in the night and got in a northern england. dry spells elsewhere and temperatures dropping to 12 celsius. tomorrow, the showers become confined to northern and eastern scotland and eastern england. i‘m heavy with the possible under. a dry day than of late. across the bulk of england and wales, manchester into the midlands, fine with sunshine. temperatures up to 25 celsius. a similar day on sunday. at this stage, even northern areas will be dry. some good spells of sunshine. damp weather into scotland. at ten o‘clock, the full round—up of the day‘s news. but first, we are going behind the scene

17. we‘re here on the stage which is the first day. we are going to try and get around as much as possible and we have this. hull has seen its first ever children‘s literature festival inspiring the next generation of writers. when you grow up generation of writers. when you grow up you are still a child inside. the stories that i write by the stories i made stories that i write by the stories imade up stories that i write by the stories i made up for myself when i was eight. uk pride comes to the city of culture. i am so proud now that things are, on in leaps and bounds for everyone. and winning comedy and

cheery city to the museums. from two feet away, however the pistol ball did not strike him and instead struck a hedgehog. it is the cultural quarter of the city. and this happens. there are more than 200 bands here today. 200 bands playing across 1a stages with 13,000 people descending here. you can clearly excitement and the vibe. 0ne can clearly excitement and the vibe. one of the land here today is the happy endings. a couple of months ago they were playing at glastonbury, but tonight they are here. it was like i had made it. 0nly here. it was like i had made it. only a few months ago, you were at glastonbury, how does this compare? that is a different animal. i had as

much fun playing earlier as i did at glastonbury. do you think city of culture has made a difference?‘ glastonbury. do you think city of culture has made a difference? a lot of people are looking to see what all the fuss is about and i think it is nice. i have sensed a lift. when you went to glastonbury do people know where you were from? only because i announced at! tell the world. to write! beautiful harmonies. we cannot stay here all day, we need to go. it is brilliant that it is all local talent. it advertises hull as the city of culture. this year,

particularly, it is special because