welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is duncan golestani. our top stories: in houston, more than 1,000 people have been rescued from the rising waters caused by tropical storm harvey. hundreds of others are stranded in their homes. we just... we prayed a lot. and we just praised god and he rescued us, so we are very thankful. texas continues to be battered by heavy rain with nearly 80cm falling over the last 48hours. texans brace themselves as forecasters warn more is on its way. eight mountain climbers have died in three separate accidents this weekend in the austrian and italian alps. europe's largest festival gets under way in west london, with a tribute to the victims of the grenfell tower disaster. hello. welcome to the programme.

more than a thousand people have been rescued from flooding in one of america's most populous city's, houston, in texas, as a huge storm continues to batter parts of the state. forecasters there say the conditions are "unprecedented," and warn the waters are still rising. the white house has announced that president trump will visit the region on tuesday. 0ur north america correspondent, james cook, reports from houston. harvey arrived in houston with a vengeance. no longer packing the full force of the hurricane but still deadly. in just 2a hours, more than two feet of rain fell on 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. houston has ground to a halt and with the rain still teeming down, the waters keep on rising. we prayed a lot. we were rescued so we are very thankful. houston has ground to a halt and with the rain still teeming down, the waters keep on rising. police are urging people not to venture out, not to risk their lives and this is why. pedro told us he was almost swept away. my truck got stuck. i have to walk all the way there and the rescue boats are over there but i was helping somebody else.

there is a rescue happening up there? 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 2,000 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. they are becoming isolated and

getting in and out is getting harder and harder. this is a disaster in the making. bbc news. kenneth craig is a reporterfrom cbs news in houston where the rain is still falling. he told me why the city struggles so much with heavy rainfall. we arejust a we are just a few hundred yards from buffalo. it typically floods with heavy rains but nothing like what we are seeing now. 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 12

hours driving all around. where is the water going?m where is the water going? it is going back into the drainage. eventually it leads out to the gulf of mexico. that is where it will go eventually. right now there is so much rain on the ground. we have seen so much in the last 2a hours. two feet of rain. nowhere for this to go. what is unfortunate is that houston so easily floods with the smallest amount of rain. we have been here for much less significant storms with water is rising quickly and pretty scary moments happening. if you are talking about two feet of rain in 2a inches on the way, it is a scary prospect. part of the rescue effort in houston is conducted by the us coast guard. i spoke with lieutenant commander scott mcbride about their operation. this is an all hands on deck

revelation for the us. we have 16 helicopters continuing round—the—clock search and rescue efforts, pulling people off of houses, getting people off the roads. we have an additional nine helicopters around to assist. we are working with the navy to get additional helicopters in the second round of search and rescue efforts. the people you are helping, are they people that tried to move away, did they want to stay behind?” people that tried to move away, did they want to stay behind? i don't have that information. we are getting phone calls. we have gotten 2000 phone calls from the area requesting assistance. they are calling from homes, rooftops, we have rescued people from roads and stranded vehicles. we are seeing a variety of rescue attempts. you are

getting so many calls. how do you decide what is an emergency and what is not? that is a great question. we have to prioritise all of these calls. basically, how we do that is elderly and life—threatening and then children. we have some people who get a little bit of water in the house and it is understandably scary and they will call. but we have to prioritise. if you have a life—threatening illness, you are the elderly, young children, those are the ones we are prioritising first. patients at a texas nursing home were airlifted to safety sunday after being trapped by harvey's floodwaters. part of the reason help arrived was because of this shocking photo. this was inside la vita bella facility in dickinson, south of houston. the owner sent the photo to her daughter and son—in—law in florida who then shared it. it quickly went viral. and you can

see why. earlier, i spoke to the daughter of the care home owner.m happened very fast. i spoke with my mother this evening. now everyone is safe. but at 3am, she received a call that the toilets were overflowing at the home. she rushed to get their with my stepfather. when she arrived, water was coming in through the door. she said within 10-15 in through the door. she said within 10— 15 minutes, it went from ankle high to waist high. immediately they we re high to waist high. immediately they were underwater and floating. they we re were underwater and floating. they were able to call the disaster line that they were supposed to call to get help. they told them to just call 911 for help. they called 911 and 911 said they could not come out, they could not reach them.

effectively they were stuck. out, they could not reach them. effectively they were stucklj suppose being a residential care home, your mother must have had some kind of plan for evacuation, to get the elderly away. yes. they had evacuation plans. 0ne the elderly away. yes. they had evacuation plans. one was to reach out to the state and the state was supposed to get them. that is when they told them to call 911. they could not reach them, they could not get them. they were also told that in event of a hurricane they would evacuate. in this case they were told to stay put and not leave. that is why they did not leave. the night before everything was fine, just some rain. the power were still on. everything was fine by the morning. see, i texted her in the morning to see if she was ok. see texted me the photo. —— she. no one was coming to

get them. that is why we took action to get help. that is when we tweeted the photo to try to get as much attention as possible to get them help. kim, can you tell us where the residents are in that photo? how are they doing? it must be dramatic. yes, very traumatic. emergency management confirmed at 1pm eastern time, they were picked up and taken to hospital. that is when they told us we were to hospital. that is when they told us we were not. the national guard turned up to take them in trucks to a school. the school did not have any room for them. than they were sent to another facility. they did not have any room for them. my mother already had plans to go to another nursing home. instead, they

went to another nursing facility where they are now. kim speaking to me earlier. let's look at some more news. more bad weather. 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. people have been warned to stay away from beaches in east sussex on england's southern coast and to keep doors and windows closed after a suspected chemical leak. police said there was an "unknown haze" coming from the sea. around 150 people have been treated in hospital complaining of vomiting, breathing difficulties and irritation to their throats and eyes. eight mountain climbers have died in three separate incidents this weekend in the austrian and italian alps. five people were killed and another seriously injured after an accident on mount gabler, east of innsbruck,

in austria on sunday. while in northern italy, two climbers died in the ademello brenta park near trento. and further west in the valtellina valley near the swiss border, a climber died after being hit by rocks. sarah corker reports. this is a remote area of the alps in austria 3000 metres above sea level. six climbers were roped together here attempting to cross this icy slope when one slipped. they all fell 200 metres before landing in a crevasse. five of those killed were from germany and in their 60s. the lone survivor was flown to hospital in a stable condition. the accident is believed to be the deadliest so far this season in austria. translation: the group of six were on a glacier

with a 45 degrees gradient. the group on the rope stopped and discussed if it was too dangerous to go on. in this situation, one of the climbers slipped in to the others with him. it has been a deadly weekend in the european alps, where scores of climbers die every year. in northern italy, two italians were killed near trento. several were injured, injured, including two teenagers. flowers were laid in the town where rescuers brought the body of one of the victims. translation: we feel these things because every year something happens in these mountains. the risks of mountaineering are well—known. but the unpredictable climate and geography in the alps can be deceptively dangerous. sarah corker, bbc news. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: thousands of rohingya muslims escape fighting in myanmar,

only to be turned back by bangladeshi border guards. 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 bbc news.

the latest headlines: thousands of people are rescued from rising floodwaters, as houston bears the brunt of tropical storm harvey. the american national weather service has described the flooding as "beyond anything experienced". officials say there are more tornados and rain on its way. let's stay with our top story, then. zac let's stay with our top story, then. za c m ccoy let's stay with our top story, then. zac mccoy is a resident of houston, and he has his neighbour, lionel sims, staying with him — he has been flooded out of his home. zac and lionel, thank you for speaking to us. first of all, zac — your home hasn't been flooded. explain to us why. thanks for having us. so we've

actually flooded twice in the past two years. actually flooded twice in the past two yea rs. after actually flooded twice in the past two years. after the second flood within lane months, my wife and i decided to invest in having our home elevated three feet. so you brought your house up by three feet because your house up by three feet because you thought this was going to happen ain? you thought this was going to happen again? you've been proven right... yeah, that's right. so, um, they dig in and create concrete piers and physically lift our existing structure up so that, when water rises, it doesn't, hopefully, rise as high as the house is. zack, if this keeps on happening in your neighbourhood, do you almost feel like more needs to be done in terms of flood defences, or is this really just a natural event and you accept it? yeah, i don't think any of us accept it as a natural event. i don't know if it's a storm issue, but i've got neighbours who've been living here 50 years and have never flooded before, and now twice in 26 months — and significant flooding

that will kick them out of their homes for at least six months at a time when this happens. homes for at least six months at a time when this happenslj homes for at least six months at a time when this happens. i wonder now ifi time when this happens. i wonder now if i can turn to your neighbour lionel, who is staying with you. final, just explain to us what has happened to your home. um, well, i'll start from the beginning. i've beena i'll start from the beginning. i've been a resident in this neighbourhood for 29 years. what we call the memorial day flood in 2015 — the one that zack and i both encountered — was the very first one that we ever really had. then again, the next year was the tax day flood — zack then took on some water, but we did not. so, right now, there's a bevy of emotions running right now, because it's not a house — it's my home. to see that waterjust keep coming up like it is — my wife and i are going to have to have some serious consequences about probably doing what zack is done — to invest in our property. 0k. lionel and

zack, we appreciate you speaking to us. thank you very much. thank you. thank you for having us. thank you. thousands of people have left their homes after two days of violence in a deepening crisis in myanmar‘s rakhine state. people from the muslim rohingya minority have escaped to the border with bangladesh. but border guards are turning them away, and non—muslim villagers have been evacuated. 0ur south asia editor, ethirajan anbarasan reports. life in the open. these rohingya muslims are adjusting to the new reality. all these years they have been demonised and discriminated against in myanmar. but they survived. life was danger. they had no other choice but to flee across the border into bangladesh. they accuse the myanmar army of indiscriminately targeting civilians. but the government of myanmar, run by aung san suu kyi, denies the charges. translation: i came here alone by myself. i don't know where my four sons or grandchildren are.

allah knows what will happen now. civilians are caught in the middle. the myanmar government says rohingyas are legal the myanmar government says rohingyas are illegal migrants from bangladesh. bangladesh does not accept either. they say they are being systematically driven out of myanmar. more than 400,000 rohingya refugees authority crossed into bangladesh. more than 400,000 rohingya refugees have already crossed into bangladesh. on sunday, the plight of the rohingyas echoed in rome. pope francis appealed for an end to their suffering. translation: sad news has arrived of the persecution of the religious minority, our rohingya brothers. i want to ask the lord to save them and help them and give them full rights. they are our brothers. for now, they face an uncertain

future, but they cannot live in the open forever. rohingyas feel they are an abandoned community. political colleagues of the former thai prime minister, yingluck shinawatra, have confirmed she is in dubai, considering her next move. there are reports she may seeking asylum in the uk to escape the verdict of a criminal negligence trial linked to a rice subsidy scheme. ms shinawatra could face ten years in jail if convicted. jonathan head has more on her surprise disappearance. the rumour mill is running wild — how did yingluck escape, given how closely watched she was? 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... one of her colleagues 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 wanted this to happen. nobody is really contesting the scenario that whatever reason she left four, when she decided to go, it was essentially she left for, when she decided to go, it was essentially facilitated for her.

she left swiftly, we believe via cambodia, tojoin her brother in dubai. after decades of war, colombia's farc rebel group are taking the first steps towards transforming into a party that could seek elected office after ending their half—ce ntu ry office after ending their half—century of armed struggle. more than 1,000 delegates from the freshly demobilised revolutionary armed forces of colombia attended the opening of a founding congress in bogota. the 51st notting hill carnival has opened in west london, with the release of doves and multi—faith prayers in memory of those who died in the grenfell tower disaster in june. firefighters and paramedics were among those who bowed their heads in tribute. carnival—goers have been asked to wear something green to remember those affected by the tragedy. from notting hill, elaine dunkley reports. # 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 vibrant 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. a reminder of our top story: thousands of people are being rescued from rising floodwaters as houston bears the brunt of tropical storm harvey. before we go, take a look at these pictures from the opening ceremony of the china international games in tianjin, known as china's mini 0lympics. all the different regions of the country are represented, and more than 12,000 athletes are competing across 33 sports. it's the country's top sporting event, and is seen as a training ground for the real 0lympic seen as a training ground for the real olympic games. the oldest competitor will be 72 years old. stay with us here on the bbc. hello.

temperatures are coming down in the week ahead, make the most of any warm sunshine you have 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 and 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 and 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 with rain. 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 and the weekend, high pressure settling things down. the outlook this week, a warm, even very warm start for some. turning cooler as the week goes on. a bit of rain, monday, wednesday. a few showers and then high pressure settling things down later in the week. this is bbc news. the headlines: more than 1,000 people have been rescued from flooding in houston as a huge storm continues to batter parts of texas. forecasters say the conditions are "unprecedented," and warn that the waters are still rising. 70 centimetres of rain has fallen over 48 hours, and emergency workers are still trying to reach hundreds of people stranded in their homes. 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. 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 released in honour of those who died. the carnival takes place in the same area as grenfell tower. now on bbc news, it's time for hardtalk.