this is bbc news. the headlines: the most powerful storm to hit the united states in more than a decade theirs down on the coast of texas. the state authorities say the president is to declare a major disaster, as forecasters say that up to one metre of rain could fall. police in brussels shoot dead a man who attacked two soldiers with a machete. it is being treated as a terrorist incident. at least 28 people have died in northern india, after police used live ammunition of supporters of a self—styled holy man, who has been convicted of rape. the us announces tough new sanctions against venezuela, branding nicholas maduro‘s government a corrupt, repressive dictatorship. the united states will not allow an illegitimate dictatorships to take hold in the western hemisphere at the expense of its people. and one of the most hyped contests in boxing history.

ireland's conor mcgregor takes on floyd mayweather in las vegas. hello and welcome to bbc world news. the most powerful storm to hit the united states for more than a decade is heading towards the gulf coast states of texas and louisana. hurricane harvey is gathering in strength as it heads towards the coast. it's expected to reach land in the next few hours, with winds of around 120 mph. this is the satellite imagery of the category 3 storm, as it approaches the state of texas. thousands of residents are boarding up their homes and heading inland, following warnings that parts of the state could be uninhabitable for weeks. up to a metre of rain is expected to fall. from texas, james cooke reports. the view from space as hurricane harvey barrels

towards the united states of america. the storm blew up fast in the gulf of mexico, taking texans by surprise. now time is scarce to prepare for the worst. it's a hurricane that will prove more dangerous than many hurricanes. not only are we going to be dealing with the high winds that typically come with what should be a category three hurricane, but we are going to be dealing with immense really record—setting flooding. in some coastal cities, though, evacuations were urged, not ordered. many people here are determined to ride it out. we're going to go ahead and stick it out here. we've got sand bags ready, food for about a week, we've got water, everything we need. but even before it arrives, harvey is threatening lives. here, ten critically ill babies are being evacuated from its path. getting out is not easy.

the roads are clogged as tens of thousands of people seek shelter away from a dangerous storm surge. the oil industry is bracing for a battering too. the area at risk produces some 7 million barrels a day. with production already slowing, oil prices are rising and at the pumps there is a rush to fill up, meaning that supplies are running short. so too is food and water. supermarket stocks are dwindling amid warnings about catastrophic flooding from torrential rain which may linger for days. in neighbouring louisiana, those warnings send a shiver through new orleans. in 2005, it was devastated by hurricane katrina. the city was ill—prepared and disaster followed. and yet this time it looks exposed again, with pumping stations not at full capacity. this is the first big domestic urgency for president donald trump, but the white house rejects claims that his administration

is understaffed and inexperienced. some may defy the storm for now, but not for long. the authorities say a major disaster is just hours away. the bbc‘s nick miller gives us an update on the storm's progress. the latest advisory has maximum sustained winds right near the centre of this hurricane, 125 mph. there will be stronger gusts associated with that as well. so clearly it's a very powerful hurricane in terms of strength. but it's not just hurricane in terms of strength. but it's notjust the wind that matter. we heard about the other features. you get the wind speed, which is how hurricanes are categorised. you also have the storm surge, the amount of water above normal tide level, which will come into the coastline around this hurricane. we are talking several feet above normal tide

levels. that process is already under way. so that inundation of the coastline through that higher level of water is already taking place. so you've got the storm surge, but you've got the storm surge, but you've also got how much rain will come out of this. one metre of rainfall, that's extraordinary, especially for hurricane. it's a huge amount and the reason for that is it so slow—moving. some hurricanes will go through quite quickly. they will be disruptive and will produce a lot of heavy rain and there will be a storm surge, at the worst of it can be over in a couple of hours. this hurricane is forecast to just of hours. this hurricane is forecast tojust meander of hours. this hurricane is forecast to just meander close to this texas coastline, not just for a to just meander close to this texas coastline, notjust for a few hours, but several days. that's why although the storm surge aspect of it will ease, as devastating as that may be, the winds will ease once it has interacted with the land and lose some of its power, but the rain is set to continue and the forecast

—— forecasters say the rain could be there for a wednesday. so we are still seeing the possibility that some of the brain is still falling on the same parts of texas by wednesday and the flooding continues after rain has even stopped, so we could still be talking about this flooding even at the end of next week. the official line is catastrophic flooding is expected due to heavy rainfall and storm surge. a man has been shot and killed by security forces in brussels after reportedly attacking soldiers with a machete. eye—witnesses reported hearing the sound of gunfire, the authorities believe it was a terrorist attack. kevin connolly has more from brussels. this is of course brussels, one of those european cities where the sight of soldiers on patrol carrying rifles has become commonplace over the course of the last year or so. it's designed to reassure the public of course in the wake of attacks in paris and barcelona. but of course to some individuals those armed soldiers are a target.

that's what happened here this evening. a man armed with a knife or machete attacked two solders in a busy district of shops and restaurants. he was then shot. we believe he has now died. the two soldiers were likely injured. authorities say they do consider it to have been a terror attack. they are investigating it in that spirit. it's worth saying of course that these attacks do not happen all the time, but there is a consciousness in places like brussels that they can happen any time and that does produce a kind of persistent bubbling lower—level sense of anxiety in places like this. meanwhile, in a separate incident here in london police say they've arrested a man with a knife outside buckingham palace. the police said the man, who's in his early 20s, was arrested after officers spotting a large knife in his car. it's understood that no members of the royal family were in buckingham palace at the time. in yemen, children were among

at least 1a people killed in an airstrike on an apartment block in a residential part of the capital sa naa. it's the latest in a wave of bomb attacks which have drawn widespread international condemnation for the failure to avoid civilian deaths. another ruined building in yemen's battered capital. this is what's left of an apartment block in sanaa. amongst the rubble, bodies of dead children. the pictures, too distressing to show. this man says civilian homes are always targeted. local people are convinced the attack was from a saudi coalition air strike. today, the coalition has responded and said it will investigate these reports. we were in the same neighbourhood just two weeks ago when we met nine—year—old nujood,

you could hear the sound of coalition fighter jets. she told us they hit everywhere and how she and herfamily have been living in fear. "stop the war", she told me then, but today another tradegy has struck just a few streets away from her home. tensions have been rising. wednesday's attack on a hotel has now led to a call from the un for an independent investigation. more than 30 were killed here. the saudi—led coalition said they were targeting armed houthi militants who they've been fighting in this brutal war. but aid agencies on the ground in yemen say they're increasingly concerned about what they call "the blatant disregard "for civilian lives". the high cost paid by civilians, in terms of deaths and casualties, is unimaginable and that comes

in a situation where the war sees no sign of ending and we see the lack of political progress and, therefore, people see this as a daily... this is the new normal for people here in sanaa. the war, now in its third year, has crippled yemen. disease has spread, more than half a million people here have cholera and a quarter of the population are on the brink of famine. this war has created what's now being called the world's worst humanitarian crisis, and with the failure of international diplomacy and the growing threat to civilians, there's no end in sight for the people of yemen. nawal al maghafi, bbc news. a curfew has been imposed in two states in northern india after clashes earlier which left twenty eight people dead. the violence in the town of panchkula followed the conviction of a self—styled holy man on rape charges.

more than 100,000 supporters of gurmeet ram rahim singh had gathered there ahead of the verdict. after he was found guilty, thousands of them went on the rampage, setting vehicles, buildings and railway stations on fire. 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 sexual assaults on two female members of his sect 15 years ago. violence broke out almost as soon as the guilty verdict was handed down by the court in north india. more than 100,000 of gurmeet ram rahim singh‘s followers had flocked to the town to demonstrate their support. they went on the rampage, burning cars and attacking the police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons. 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, 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 is that violence could spread in north india. guru ram rahim is a charismatic figure, he makes movies calling himself the messenger of god. his huge beard and flamboyant style has led to him being called "the baba of bling." but despite his sometimes extraordinary appearance, he is regarded as a living saint by many of his followers. this is the latest in a series of scandals here in india involving ascetics who claim exceptional spiritual powers. guru ram rahim insists his sect is a social welfare and spiritual group, but these two rape convictions aren't the only allegations

of criminal behaviour. he has been accused of helping plan a murder and it is also claimed he persuaded 400 of his acolytes to have themselves castrated in order to get closer to god. it is that kind of devotion that explains the scale and intensity of the violence here in north india and also why the authorities let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. us president donald trump has taken another step towards barring transgender people from the military. today he signed a memo banning recruitment and stopping payment for gender—related surgery for those already in the armed forces. he's left the fate of those already serving up to the pentagon. sources close to the family of the former thai prime minister, yingluck shinawatra, say she fled thailand just hours before the verdict in her trial for criminal negligence. a bbc correspondent says the military had earlier urged ms yingluck to leave thailand but that she had refused. she faces up to ten years in jail

over a rice subsidy scheme. a former volkswagen engineer, who helped develop a device that enabled cars to evade us pollution rules, has been sentenced to more than three years in prison. james liang is the first person to be prosecuted in the emissions scandal. he's also been ordered to pay $200,000. the us investigation has led to charges against seven others in the us and sparked probes in other countries. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: the circus begins in las vegas ahead of one of the biggest fights boxing has ever seen. he is the first african—american to accept the presidential nomination of a major party, and he accepts 45 years ago to the day that martin luther king declared, "i have a dream." as darkness falls tonight,

an unfamiliar light will appear in the south—eastern sky. an orange, glowing disc that is brighter than anything save the moon — our neighbouring planet mars. there is no doubt that this election is an important milestone in the birth of east timor as the world's newest nation. it will take months, and billions of dollars, to re pair what katrina achieved injust hours. three weeks is the longest the great clock has been off duty in 117 years, so it was with great satisfaction that clockmaker john vernon swung the pendulum to set the clock going again. the latest headlines... —— this is bbc news. the latest headlines: millions in texas are bracing for hurricane harvey.

evacuations are underway as residents prepare for the worst storm to hit the us mainland in over a decade. police in brussels have shot dead a man who attacked two soldiers with a machete. it's being treated as a terrorist incident. the circus has begun in las vegas ahead of one of the biggest fights boxing has ever seen. at the weigh in, the boxer floyd mayweather and the mixed martial arts star connor macgregor stood before the crowd in the t mobile stadium where they will go head to head tomorrow night. the fight has been dismissed as a stunt by boxing purists who say macgregor, who's not fought professionally before, won't stand a chance. but he's still confident he can win, despite facing an opponent who's undefeated in 49 fights. that is the worst shape i have ever seen him in. he looks blown out, out

of shape. i will breeze room. trust me on that. there was a lot of talk about you having trouble to make weight, how tough was a? 153. it is dedication and focus, but i make it. iam in dedication and focus, but i make it. i am in peak physical condition. u pwa rd i am in peak physical condition. upward in the as ever i can see. i'm ready. it won't go the distance. mark my word. this could be the last time you get on the scale. what role does is playing a finalfight? time you get on the scale. what role does is playing a final fight?|j just want to thank the fans. i'm not worried about the scale or the last time. this will be conor mcgregor's la st time. this will be conor mcgregor's last fight, also. ben mundy is in las vegas ahead of the fight. then, they both made the weight, and 110w then, they both made the weight, and now we wait, as it were... yes. we wait for about 2k hours now. as the

last time there was each other. it was of excitement and full of irish conor mcgregorfans. was of excitement and full of irish conor mcgregor fans. when floyd mayweather took to the stage where his way in, it was greeted by boos. the wall of sound was incredible. it was deafening. lossmakers has become a mini island in the last 3a hours. —— las vegas has become a mini—ireland. conor mcgregorsaid that floyd mayweather didn't look that floyd mayweather didn't look that he was in good condition. from where we will work, they both look pretty good. now it is just the way for the ring. floyd mayweather said he will not go the distance, conor mcgregor? this is a boxer who has not boxed in a professional capacity. that is an easy seven to make. the irish fans with spoken to in the last 24 hours or so are adamant that conor mcgregor will

shock the world and will beat floyd mayweather, a man who has gone 49 fights without defeat. it would cause a shock around the world about happen. indeed it would. the united states has announced new financial sanctions against venezuela, designed to further isolate the government of nicolas maduro. the measure bans dealing in the bonds of some venezuelan public companies, including the state—owned oil firm pdvsa. 0ur correspondent will grant has more. as the months of violence and chaos in venezuela have worn on, the trump administration has gradually ramped up administration has gradually ramped up their response. now, they have increased the pressure significantly. these latest sanctions are intended to hit venezuela where it hurts the most: its economy. specifically the all—important oil sector. its economy. specifically the all—importa nt oil sector. the

its economy. specifically the all—important oil sector. the state run agency pdvsa has been banned from selling bonds in the us. we could have a serious impact on venezuela, even causing default. but the trump administration insists it is seeking the right course of action. is a strong message for the people of venezuela, and it is a strong message to nicolas maduro. we're going to tolerate the dictatorship he has tried to create, and we are not there to respect the sham assembly. at the new sanctions the strong rhetoric, too. the white house now routinely refers to nicolas maduro as a dictator, and donald trump recently warned that all options remain on the table. we have many options for those leather. and, by the way, i am not there to rule out a military option. we have many options for those leather. unsurprisingly, that kind of language, and the new sanctions, have provoked an outcry in venezuela. translation: the imposition of

sanctions, or the attempt to impose sanctions, or the attempt to impose sanctions, just like the military threats, correspond to our suppliers politics. we are spiders the united nations's secretary general, but the general assembly to take a position on this antagonistic threat, which we cannot except under any circumstances. cuba has been under embargo for decades, and it has done little to remove the leadership, and much to hurt the poorest on the island. in response to the steps by washington a much was held. —— a march. this has been a decisive dice rolled by the drum administration. but some consider the decision misguided. the ari might be that

rather than hurt —— the irony might be that it might not hurt because the dureau, but strengthen his hand. south korea's military says that north korea has fired several missiles from the province of kangwn—do. they've recently accelerated their missile testing programme. we're told that driverless cars are the future, and some have already been trialled on british roads. now it's the turn of lorries because from next year convoys of semi—automated, self—driving lorries will be trialled in britain. they will connect to each other via wi—fi, but will only have one driver. but the insurance industry is grappling with the potential impact on our insurance premiums. 0ur transport correspondent richard westcott reports.

on a military base in switzerland, important tests are going on. one of the world's biggest insurance companies is deliberately crashing cars. for the first time, they're simulating what driverless vehicles might do when things go wrong, like if the computer was hacked, so the brakes don't work. well, this car is obviously a complete write—off, you can really smell that the airbags have gone off, but all of the sensors are now full of data, telling them what the car did, what happened to the driver here and all of that information will be used to determine how much insurance we all pay in future. not too many rockfalls in britain, but it's a problem in switzerland. there's not a lot a computer can do about this.

so what are insurers hoping to learn? we want to demonstrate that we can't have the same accident investigation methods as we had before for autonomous cars. we need to know whether the driver or the car was in charge of driving the car. and that's a key question. if a computer's driving, who'll be responsible for the crash? i don't think people need to worry about whether it's their fault or the computer's fault. the uk government has decided an insurance policy will be required and that will deal with the claim in the first instance, so people will be compensated and then the insurance companies, motor manufacturers, they can argue amongst themselves in the background. they save the real drama until last. this next test is about giving the computer a moral dilemma. when an accident is inevitable, does it hit the person on the quad bike or someone in a car? the bike's causing the accident,

but the rider's more vulnerable, so who should the computer hit? for this test, they simulate a car choosing the rider. it's just a dummy, but it's still hard to watch. computer—driven cars are inevitable and these tests will determine how our insurance will work. they already predict that premiums will come down because computers make better drivers than humans. richard westcott, bbc news, zurich in switzerland. just time to update you on the developing story of the missiles fired by north korea. according to reuters, the us military says the north korean launches did not pose a threat to north america or. reuters is reporting that there were three short—range missiles. —— north

america or guam. hello. i will get to the weekend forecast injusta i will get to the weekend forecast injust a moment, i will get to the weekend forecast injusta moment, but i will get to the weekend forecast in just a moment, but what a night in takes us. dealing with a major hurricane, this is it on the satellite. it is going to hang around for several more days to come, which means the rain willjust keep on coming. this is how it looks on saturday. bright colour showers the intensity of our rain. sunday into monday as well, it is close by. we're talking hundreds of millimetres here. catastrophic, life—threatening fluttering could well be taking place in the next few days. —— luding. 0nto the weekend weather, and some warm sunny spells on the wafer size. the chance to catch a shower. but the saturday and sunday, even though there will be surrounded, for most of us it will not. sun for england to begin with. some showers one or two even in northern england. if you do get sharon scotland, it could be on the

heavy side, maybe with a rumble of thunder. —— shower in scotland. temperatures into the mid—20s. the at headingley, as it continues to the next few days, things will warm up. it is a mainly dry pitch. broken cloud and sunshine, turning breezy by the time that we get to monday. as to the women's rugby world cup far north in belfast on sunday evening, at there should be sent out around by then, but is likely dry. temperatures will ease away after the warmth of the day. this is a picture through saturday night. mist fog developing after a clearer night on saturday night in sunday morning. temperatures will be lower. they find start to sunday. a bit more breeze in scotland, was patchy library to be had. but the mist majority will be dry. i don't expect clear blue sky. —— vast majority.

temperatures will get to 20 celsius, but the later temperatures will be in england and wales, low to mid—20s. what will continue on monday. at the weather system, more wended outbreaks of rain in scotland and northern ireland on monday. it isa bank and northern ireland on monday. it is a bank holiday where you are, there are big contrasts across the uk on monday. was it a re—entering scotla nd uk on monday. was it a re—entering scotland and northern ireland, gales and northern ireland, but that sunshine for many across england and wales. and quite a range of temperatures, too. on the cool side in the wind in scotland and northern ireland, the becoming very warm for a time in south—east england. —— but becoming. this is bbc news. the headlines: a major hurricane travelling towards texas has developed into a category three storm, with sustained winds of

215 kilometres per hour. a major disaster has been declared. south korea's military says north korea has fired several short—range missiles into the sea off its eastern coast. the us says they did not pose a threat either to guam or north america. a man has been shot and killed by security forces in brussels after reportedly attacking soldiers with a machete. one report said two soldiers had been lightly wounded. and two of the world's biggest fighting stars have completed their weigh—in ahead of saturday's fight. the boxer floyd mayweather and the mixed martial arts star connor mcgregor will go head to head in las vegas. now on bbc news, weather world. this time, the bbc weather team take to london's rooftops with urban