i'm rico hizon in singapore, the headlines. 2,000 people rescued as houston is hit by catastrophic flooding. tropical storm harvey continues to batter texas with heavy rains. security forces on high alert in northern india ahead of the sentencing of a guru convicted of rape. i'm babita sharma in london. also in the programme. the largest festival gets under way in west london with a tribute to the terms of the grenfell tower disaster. and making military history — the indian navy's all—woman team gets set to sail around the world. good morning.

it's 8am in singapore, 1am in london and 7pm in texas, where storm harvey is battering the city of houston. weather forecasters in the us have cold the situation unprecedented — parts of the city have seen more than 30 inches — that's 76 centimetres of rain in the past 48 hours, and there's more on the way. emergency teams have rescued more than a thousand people so far and residents have been told to head onto rooftops to escape the danger. 0ur correspondent james cook is in houston and sent this report. harvey arrived in houston with a vengeance. no longer packing the full force of a hurricane, but still deadly. forecasters say it is on track to dump more than 50 inches of rain in texas, making it the largest on

record. in the fourth largest city in the united states, the results are devastating. this appears to be either the worst or one of the worst floods houston has ever had. we are measuring not in inches but in feet. people have been making boats to get out of the city. however, it can quickly become a matter of life and death. we prayed a lot, we just praised god, and we were rescued. so we we re very praised god, and we were rescued. so we were very thankful. houston has ground to a halt, and with the rain teeming down, waters keep on rising. police are urging people not to venture out and risk their lives, and this is why. pedro told us he was almost swept away. and this is why. pedro told us he was almost swept awayli and this is why. pedro told us he was almost swept away. i had to walk all the way there, the rescue boat

was over there. i was stuck. there are rescue is happening just up their? yes. the storm has crippled transport and left people struggling to go about their lives. right now, it is hard to believe that this is the richest nation on earth. you get a sense of how quickly this situation is unfolding. the flooding clearly caught these drivers by surprise, and still the rain is coming down with no sign of it stopping. the authorities are struggling to cope. they are calling for more boats to be sent in. more than 2000 people in need of rescue have called the emergency services, and the mayor is trying to stem a sense of panic. we are coming to you. we want people to know in the city. if you are there and there is a need, we will get to you. i will simply ask that you remain calm, remain patient and we will get to you. tonight, the city and its bedraggled

citizens are increasingly isolated. getting out is harder and harder. with night approaching and waters rising, this is a disaster in the making. junaid and nadia iqbal join me from houston. earlier this morning their house, in the memorial area of houston, was flooded. you are clearly staying in other accommodation, what happened? yes, thank you for having us on. we are very graciously being hosted by friends, but the ordeal that we went through this morning between 7am, when we started seeing water rushing into the griedge at daybreak, then deciding to leave, by ten o'clock, it started rolling into the house. we scrambled to get the kids up and get them out —— garage. itjumped

about five feet in a very short time. i have three children and my wife. we had to double back home, a could not venture out in five feet of water, it was just not an option. we have been looking at some photographs from your house, utter devastation. the water very quickly rose, how are you feeling that you can't get home? i can't even tell you. i know i should be grateful that ourfamily you. i know i should be grateful that our family has been saved, but not knowing whether we will have a house to go back to tomorrow, it is just devastating. it is not only us, it is our entire neighbourhood of 200 people. nobody knows if they have a house to go back to. we are hearing this from a lot of residents we have spoken to, saying it took

them by surprise. they knew there we re them by surprise. they knew there were warnings, but they never thought it would be on this scale. is that how you felt as well? absolutely. we are new to houston, we moved from the midwest. we always thought that if a hurricane happened, we would be prepared. enow subdivision, it had never come close to flooding, so we had peace of mind. last night it was heavily raining. with daybreak, water coming m, raining. with daybreak, water coming in, it took the entire subdivision by surprise. water rescues had to happen throughout the day. your children were obviously of utmost concern, have you heard about when you might be able to return home? 0urfriends you might be able to return home? our friends have been you might be able to return home? 0urfriends have been going around the complex, there is no way we can get into a division. we have no idea

when we will be able to get back to the house. we are grateful for both of you joining us, thank you and we wish you the very best for a speedy return to your home. the stories of so many who have been affected by this very bad storm. texas isn't the only place experiencing strong winds and heavy rains. tropical storm pakhar hit hong kong and macau on sunday. both cities issued weather warnings early in the day as winds intensified, churning up rough seas and flood alerts. it comes just days after one of the strongest typhoons on record, hato, caused serious damage in the area, killing 12 people. two days of fighting in myanmar‘s rakhine state has caused thousands of people to flee their homes. members of the muslim rohingya minority, who have gone to the border with bangladesh, are being turned back. some, though, have managed to cross

the river that separates the two countries. anti—american protests have broken out in pakistan in response to a speech by the us president last week, in which he accused islamabad of prolonging the war in afghanistan. pakistan has now postponed a visit by a us official that was scheduled for monday. some of the eight people killed in a crash on britain's mi motorway have been named. they include several visitors from india, who were travelling in the minibus that collided with two trucks. the drivers of the trucks have been charged with causing death by dangerous driving. some beautiful pictures from the opening ceremony in china. it is known as the mini 0lympics, all the regions of the country are represented. 12,000 athletes are competing across 33 sports. it is the country's top competitive sports

competition. political colleagues of the former thai prime minister yingluck shinnawatt have confirmed she is in dubai, considering her next move. there are reports she may be seeking asylum in the uk, to escape the verdict of a criminal negligence trial, linked to a rice subsidy scheme. ms shinnawat could face ten years injail if convicted. 0ur correspondentjonathan head is in the thai capital bangkok. the rumour mill is running wild, how did yingluck escape given how closely watched she was? everyone is wondering that. it appears very much at the last minute, right up to the day before, the verdict was scheduled to be given. everyone, even her closest supporters and family members were under the impression she would be in court. she has been throughout the two—year trial. it was clearly a last—minute

decision to flee. we don't know what made her change her mind. it is unlikely to have been a failure of nerve. it must have been a change either in terms of what she expected to happen... 0ne either in terms of what she expected to happen... one of her colleagues gotan to happen... one of her colleagues got an exceptionally heavy sentence ona got an exceptionally heavy sentence on a related charge, there had been hopes of leniency but that may have seemed unlikely. it is no secret that the thai generals wanted her to leave. she is much easierfor them to do with the outside of the country. they were worried about trouble no matter what the verdict was. there is no doubt that they wa nted was. there is no doubt that they wanted this to happen. nobody is really contesting the scenario that whatever reason she left four, when she decided to go, it was essentially facilitated for her. she left swiftly, we believe via cambodia, tojoin

left swiftly, we believe via cambodia, to join her left swiftly, we believe via cambodia, tojoin her brother in dubai. what happens now? that is a big question. the party is under military rule, it is likely to be the largest party whenever the military goes back to an election, which we can expect in the next 18 months. the date is constantly shifting so we are not sure. they are without a clear leader at the moment. it is not a secret to say that many are demoralised by the decision to flee. they see her as a symbol of resistance, they have supported her through court hearings. they are a bit bewildered, her supporters. i expect it will damage her party. some of her mps might defect. it may not be that much damage. whatever happens, her party is still the most significant. the system has been designed that it

wea ke ns the system has been designed that it weakens parties. whoever comes on top in the next election, it may be a coalition. the military will still hold a great deal of influence. i don't think the shinnawatt family will be out entirely. they have bounced back before and i would not rule them out for some kind of political role in future. there are fears of further violence in india as a self—styled guru was sentenced for rape on monday. it triggered an explosion of arrests over the weekend, 38 were killed and 200 injured. thousands of police and troops have been sent to the town where the cult leader is being held. 0ur south east asia correspondent reports. behind this wall is the vast temple complex that is the headquarters of the sect run by the

man who became known as the guru of bling. as well as this cinema, there is a hospital, hotel and a vast auditorium. but today, his followers were in no mood to welcome visitors. 0therjournalists have been attacked and their vehicles burnt. guru ram rahim is a flamboyant and controversial figure who stars in his own movies but he commands extraordinary support. his claim that he has 60 million followers worldwide may be an exaggeration, but one army officer told me he thinks there are at least 40,000 devotees inside the compound at the moment. driving away from the temple complex, you get a sense of how tense the atmosphere is.

the local town has been under a strict lock down for days. the shops are closed and there are many roadblocks. we were turned back when we asked for permission to pass. guru ram rahim is due to be sentenced on monday in a town about two hours drive from here. the fear is it could spark yet more violence. all day, there has been a steady stream of devotees leaving the complex. translation: we knew they would make a victim, the court forced them to do it. we all love him, god has gifted him with special powers. these guys have all left the compound. they are heading away, getting into vehicles and heading out of town. i asked them if they are going to the town where the sentencing of the guru will be held? they said no, but whether it is true

or not, i don't know. local people have retreated into their homes, and with good reason. there is a huge military presence. the authorities have ordered the guru's assets, including the temple complex, be seized. but the devotees don't look ready to give it up without a fight, leaving a very dangerous stand—off. you are watching the newsday. still to come: we catch a lift with the first all—female crew from india hoping to sail around the world —— you are watching newsday. you are watching he is the first african—american to win 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. this is newsday on the bbc.

i'm rico hizon in singapore. i'm babita sharma in london. our top stories: up to 2,000 people rescued as parts of texas face unprecedented flooding. tropical storm harvey dumps 70 centimetres of rain in two days with more on its way. security forces are on high alert in northern india, where a guru found guilty of rape will be sentenced later on monday. the front pages. we mentioned it earlier. the china leeds on the opening of the 13th chinese games on sunday. it says president xi jinping is urging china to become a better sporting nation, fitter and better,

preparing for the japan 2020 let the games. and look at this. a 17—year—old figure skater. see got the first—ever winter sports gold medalfor her the first—ever winter sports gold medal for her country. —— she. the first—ever winter sports gold medalfor her country. —— she. and the japan times reporting on a spectacular fireworks display which nearly did not happen. more now on oui’ nearly did not happen. more now on our main story. the devastating floods that have hit texas. earlier, i spoke to cbs correspondent, kenneth craig who's in houston. officials are calling the flooding in houston catastrophic. they are not playing around with

their words. epic and catastrophic. that is what they are calling this. just to give you some perspective of where we are, we are in the downtown houston area. this is buffalo bayou. it typically floods with heavy rains but nothing like what we are seeing 110w. between the bayou and me is a park that is completely flooded. right behind me is a parkway. and this is an underpass directly behind me that is 15—20 feet deep and able to accommodate tractors and trailers. that is filled to the brim. this is just one corner of the city, but it is a representation of what we have seen in the last few hours. there have been hundreds if not thousands of rescues at this point, both by boat and air. people have left their homes. a number of them have sought shelter. there has been an emergency shelter opened at the convention centre to accommodate

thousands who have left homes with nothing but the shirts on their back. the 51st nottingham hill carnival has opened with prayers for those who died the grenfell tower fire. carnival —goers were asked to wear something green to remember those affected by the tragedy. # when you are down and out. # when you're on the street... it started with a song to heal broken hearts. a promise of strength. grenfell, be united. amen. and then, with the joyous sounds and vibra nt colours of carnival, they celebrated the lives of those taken by tragedy. many wore green for grenfell, a colourfor growth and renewal. it is to honour the victims.

my own relatives died. we love the carnival, and my relatives loved the carnival. we participated every year, go to their house, people would come from europe. her house would be full up, 16 people sleeping on the floor. we are bringing back colour, bringing back life. at times, those watching were overwhelmed, sad for those who once had a front row seat for the biggest carnival. with laughter and love, carnival paid respect in the way it knows how. to bring us all together as a sharing, caring community, that we are one love and one community and together we are much more successful and together we celebrate the best of britain. there have been moments of reflection, stillness and solitude as well as gratitude for those who saved lives. carnival has always had its roots firmly within this community.

it started in the 1960s by west indian immigrants who were facing racism, inequality and poor housing. much of this still resonates on the streets of notting hill today. especially for grenfell tower, it is important we have a sense of community. we have had a minute's silence for them. in the moment of madness, everyone heard that minute. it is a good spirit right now. good vibes. notting hill carnival will always symbolise celebration, freedom, revelry, but in the shadow of grenfell it has a new purpose, the voice of a community trying to heal. elaine dunkley, bbc news. a determined team of young women from india are trying to change attitudes towards sailing, and they're undertaking a big challenge to do it. in just a matter of days, they will begin their attempt to circumnavigate the globe.

and if they manage to complete their goal, they'll be making waves in more ways than one. we have been training for the last two years as a team. when we started, there could have been initial hiccups in building the team. we have now reached a stage where we can say, ok, we are 18. we are pretty much excited, presently our preparations are on track for the long voyage. you would ask why a sailing is not so popular in india,

it is because it is very expensive. we have a very long maritime history in terms of sailing, but we don't have good infrastructure. maybe people will change their reconceived notions about women and probably have more faith, maybe that will give women some confidence. we are normal people, if we can do it, so can you. good luck, ladies. wish you all the

best around the world. with that we end this edition of newsday. thank you so much for watching. i am rico hizon in singapore. stay with us. we will speak to the starter of aianb, how it is to expand through asia, and what is next. there is an update on tropical storm harvey. it is causing issues in texas. the national hurricane centre is warning of more tornadoes possible and also additional rainfall. we will bring you up—to—date latest apartments on that story. bye for now, thank you for joining that story. bye for now, thank you forjoining us. that story. bye for now, thank you for joining us. —— that story. bye for now, thank you forjoining us. —— developments. hello. temperatures are coming down in the week ahead, make the most of any warm

sunshiny hub on monday. the bulk will be across parts of england and wales, for scotland and northern ireland, weather fronts close by. winds picking up and some wet weather to come. this band of rain pushing south during the day. not too much wet weather into eastern scotland. with it, windy, some cloud increasing. north—west england into wales. for the pennines and east wales, very warm sunshine. once this green band has pushed through northern ireland in scotland, especially in the evening, brightening up again from the north. one or two showers, a spell of rain for a glasgow and fringing into edinburgh through the afternoon. to the south, staying dry for the bulk of the day across northern england. venturing into the lake district in snowdonia, low cloud and drizzle around. for eastern wales across the midlands, east anglia, southern england, long and sunny spells. for some, unbroken sunshine. that allows temperatures to head higher than sunday. across parts of south—east england, 28— 29, even a chance of 30. it could be the warmest bank holiday on record. monday night, this band of cloud and rain across northern england and the midlands by tuesday morning.

cool feel behind that across northern ireland, might be into east anglia in south—east england. warm and sunny spells before cloud increasing in east anglia in south—east england. not much rain on this area of cloud, sinking south. to the north, cool and fresh feeling. some sunny spells across wales, northern ireland and scotland. some areas of northern scotland will see showers. they could be heavy. complicated picture on wednesday. low pressure threatening england and wales. on thursday, high—pressure building in across the uk. on wednesday, england and wales could see some rain. one or two of those continuing on thursday. for thursday into friday at the weekend, high—pressure settling things down. the outlook this week, warm, even very warm start for some. turning cooler as the week goes on. a bit of rain, monday, wednesday. high—pressure settling things down later in the week. the outlook this week, warm, even very warm start for some.

turning cooler as the week goes on. a bit of rain, monday, wednesday. high—pressure settling things down later in the week. i'm babita sharma with bbc world news. our top story. tropical storm harvey has brought massive flooding across much of texas. houston has been badly hit — more than 2,000 people have been rescued as the waters continue to rise. president trump is due to visit texas on tuesday. there's a heavy security presence in northern india, ahead of the sentencing of a controversial guru convicted of rape. 38 people dead during protests after gurmeet ram rahim singh

was found guilty. and this video is trending on bbc.com. a moment's silence has been held at london's notting hill carnival to remember the victims of the grenfell fire in west london. doves were also released in honour of those who died.the carnival takes place in the same area as grenfell tower. and the top story here in the uk. health officials in east sussex have confirmed that 133 people