welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: it's now a record—breaking category five storm, caribbean islands make final preparations before hurricane irma hits. four british soldiers are arrested on terror offences, accused of belonging to a banned neo—nazi group. more than 35,000 rohingya refugees flee myanmar in a single day, the un warns of a humanitarian disaster in bangladesh. growing protests as president trump scraps a scheme protecting undocumented child migrants from deportation. hurricane irma has strengthened to a category five storm and has a string of caribbean

islands, puerto rico, haiti, cuba and then florida in its path. the national hurricane center in miami says it has sustained winds of nearly 300kph and could strengthen further. a state of emergency has been declared in florida, puerto rico and the us virgin islands. in a moment, sarah corker will have the latest on preparations for this major storm, first here's bbc weather presenter stav danaos. the caribbean is bracing itself for one of the strongest hurricanes ever to develop in the atlantic. hurricane irma became a powerful category five storm late on tuesday and it's continuing itsjourney westwards during wednesday. could be some devastation to the leeward islands, and it continues to move westards in towards haiti, dominican republic and eventually towards cuba by thursday and friday. this storm really means business, it's an extremely dangerous storm that will maintain its strength for the next few days. sustained wind speeds of 185mph, gusting over 200mph,

some torrential rain and a significant storm surge that could lead to some severe coastal flooding so this storm really means business. it's an ongoing story and we'll keep you updated. this is the view of hurricane irma from space. it's expected to be one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the atlantic basin. images released by nasa show it's heading towards several caribbean islands, bringing with it 185 mph winds and torrential rain. puerto rico will be one of the first to be hit. people there aren't taking any chances, securing their homes and stocking up on essentials. hurricane irma is on a collision

course with popular holiday destinations like antigua and said martin. with storm surges up to 12 feet, flooding is a major concern. in the dominican republic, the rains have already arrived. the tourist island, like its neighbour, haiti, hasissued island, like its neighbour, haiti, has issued hurricane warnings. and in florida, a state of emergency has been declared. the storm is massive and the storm surge predicted will go for miles and miles. right now hurricane irma is travelling at around 15 mph and the track has it forecasted to move just south of the florida keys on a westerly path with a slight north turn. it's incredibly important that all floridians keep a close eye on this incredibly dangerous storm. do not sit and wait to prepare, get prepared now. the storm's track may change, but at the moment it looks set to head towards the british virgin islands, puerto rico, cuba, and by the weekend, the florida keys. this monster hurricane

comes on the heels of harvey, who, which struck texas and louisiana last month, but hurricane irma is a bigger storm and potentially more dangerous. in miami they're preparing for the worst. i've lived through hurricane andrew in miami, hurricane katrina, hurricane wilma andi hurricane katrina, hurricane wilma and i have faith in god. these pictures show conditions inside the hurricane to help predict its root. now millions of people across the caribbean are preparing for this potentially catastrophic storm. sarah corker, bbc news. 0n the line is the chief editor of the antingua chronicle, angelica 0'donoghue. how is it looking for you now?m how is it looking for you now? it is very windy. not a lot of rainfall so far but the wind is really picking up. have you been through this kind

of thing before? i have. we had a serious hurricane back in 1995, hurricane lillis, that was one of the strongest winds we had, i was only eight years old but i truly remember what it was like. it took a while to catch up as an island. so you know what to expect, what are you know what to expect, what are you expecting? we are expecting serious winds and flash floods, a storm surge as well but to be honest according to all the meteorologists this storm is unprecedented so we can prepare for a hurricane as much as we can, but it's never been seen 01’ as we can, but it's never been seen or experienced before so we can only expect the worst and prepare for the worst. i was going to ask you about preparations, how well—prepared do you feel the area is? we are as prepared as we can be. we've been preparing since the weekend,

stocking up on essentials. yesterday into today you can drive around the island and you saw people boarding up island and you saw people boarding up their houses. the hurricane shelters were fully equipped. 0ther shelters were fully equipped. 0ther shelters were fully equipped. 0ther shelters were open since 2pm today. they've been moving things in and helping the elderly. the control wall has been in a state of preparation and the government has been helping a lot. preparation has been helping a lot. preparation has been top notch. i was hearing most of the power is down so we are reliant on a generator at the moment? we are. the entire island is ina moment? we are. the entire island is in a blackout right now. if you can would you mind holding for a minute? joining me now is sandra bahri, a resident of st george, antigua. you have a hardware store, you must have seen a lot of people coming through? yes, we did. today we were very busy, we had a steady business

of people buying nails and batteries and all kinds of things that would help them to secure for the hurricane. we had tarpaulins to help hold down items. it was a steady flow of business today. people are battening down, they are expecting to stay put, they aren't trying to get out? i think we have been very well—prepared here. our prime minister, gaston brown, gave him good guidance and everybody has stayed put and we have battened down very well and i think we are very well—prepared, as very well and i think we are very well—prepa red, as prepared very well and i think we are very well—prepared, as prepared as we can be for this category five hurricane. you have seen pretty bad storms before, what are you expecting? you have seen pretty bad storms before, what are you expecting ?|j you have seen pretty bad storms before, what are you expecting? i am expecting it to be very bad. i was around 22 years ago for hurricane lewis and i've heard from the weather reports that this one is going to be even worse. i would say

we are a little scared at this point, very scared, but we're trying to show our confidence but i think it will be catastrophic and we've got to do the best we can do. i know the shelters have been open since this afternoon and i know there are many shelters and every community have shelters, there were long queues today at the supermarket and at the hardware stores as i said and i think we are very prepared and we will put the rest in god's hands and we hope everything will turn out 0k. anyone listening to you can imagine how scary it is, i know you've been out and about, what can people do for each other in these circumstances? i think the best thing we can do for each other is to listen out for each other, there might not be lines of communication open but have a peep out of your window without going out to damage yourself, which is in danger, but have a look to see if your neighbour is ok. invite them into your home to try to help them. all of us have

snapped up nonperishable food so if someone doesn't have them and yours hasn't blown away then invite them in and give them something to eat, we have blankets and pillows, i know the red cross will be distributed tea m the red cross will be distributed team stuff for people in low—lying areas that distributing stuff. they will be out to try to save people so we have to try to be everyone's keeper and stick together and come together as a nation and our government has done a good job through all of this. i think we will definitely pull through together. sandra, thanks very much. i'm sure eve ryo ne sandra, thanks very much. i'm sure everyone is wishing you the best. let's go back to angelica, the chief editor of antigua chronicle. if i'm right there are concerns about barbuda with around 1500 people on it, the hurricane is likely to hit their first, it, the hurricane is likely to hit theirfirst, it is it, the hurricane is likely to hit their first, it is very flat, isn't it? that's right, it is smaller than

antigua, the population is around 1500 people. they are on the sea level, it is a very flat sand based island so it's pretty scary for them. thankfully the government again has had a good response to that, the people have been preparing themselves. most of the buildings are built with heavy concrete over there and i can see they have used a lot of wood. but barbuda can only prepare for what they going to get, and that will be the brunt of it. there are reports of car crashes, is that the weather or people trying to get somewhere in a hurry in a panic? people are panicking, they are trying to get home before it gets worse. it's a small island and a lot of people are on the roads so it was panic. there is a curfew in place, the government insisted everyone stay indoors. thanks so much for

giving us your time. all the best. you're welcome. and you can get all the latest updates on hurricane irma including a map showing when its predicted to make landfall and where on our website. just go to bbc.com/news. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. syrian government forces have broken a long—running siege of deir al—zour by so—called islamic state. the city and its surrounding province is the last major territory in syria still mostly controlled by the militants. an estimated 93,000 civilians have been trapped in the area since 2015. they have depended on military relief flights and un air drops. a row over how much money britain should pay the european union when it leaves will go on until the brexit talks end in march, 2019. that's according to the uk's brexit minister david davis. he's been briefing mps at the start a new session of parliament. he said the talks had been tough and confrontational. researchers in the united states

have found that the zika virus, which causes birth defects in babies, could be used to fight the most common form of brain cancer in adults. early studies on mice show that the virus targets brain cancer stem cells, preventing tumours from recurring. the virus does not appear to affect healthy adult brain cells. five men, including a number of serving british soldiers, have been arrested on suspicion of being members of national action, a neo—nazi group which was banned last year. national action was described by the home office as virulently racist, anti—semitic and homophobic and it was banned in the wake of the murder ofjo cox, the mp killed last year by a white supremacist. our home affairs correspondent tom symonds has more. the bbc‘s been told three of the men are members of the royal anglian regiment, which recruits in norfolk, suffolk, essex and cambridgeshire.

four were arrested in the uk, one in cyprus. an army spokesman said... that group is national action, which described itself last year in the language of hitler's fascism, as a national socialist youth movement. its members marched the streets. the focus was as much on spreading neo—nazi ideas online. but experts say the far right is not well supported. but when the labour mpjo cox was murdered by a loner influenced by similar far right propaganda, the government acted, proscribing or banning national action. legally, the group should not now exist but police in birmingham are questioning five suspected

members under counterterrorism laws, while searches of properties are carried out. aid agencies are warning of a humanitarian crisis in bangladesh after a dramatic increase in the number of rohingya muslims fleeing neighbouring myanmar. fighting in the state of rakhine has left hundreds dead. 123,000 people have sought refuge in the last 11 days. 0ur correspondent sanjoy majumder is on the myanmar bangladesh border and has this report from cox's bazaar. desperation is what is driving the rohingya refugees, and bangladesh, which has taken them in, is being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. so a truck's just backed up now to take all of these refugees to the nearest relief camp, and you can just see the chaos as they're all desperate to get on board. it's a chance for them to get somewhere where they'll be safe, where they can rest.

we're getting a sense now that things are slowly spinning out of control. soldiers try to bring in a sense of order, but the refugees are weak, dehydrated and disorientated after days on the road. the rohingyas are often described as the world's most persecuted minority. ethnic muslims and buddhist majority myanmar have been denied citizenship, despite living there for centuries. now their villages have been burnt, hundreds killed in waves of religious violence. translation: people are either being shot or burnt alive in their homes. we had to flee for our lives. they're making sure there are no muslims left there. so they fled, carrying with them whatever they could salvage from their wrecked homes. local volunteers meet them as they arrive, handing out packets of cooked rice and meat, their first proper meal in days.

but with so many refugees coming in, space is running out. existing camps are stretched beyond capacity. new ones are being built by the hour, open fields and hilltops have now become vast settlements. but the conditions are basic. this pit, filled with rain, serving as the camps water supply. bangladesh is one of the world's most densely—populated nations, now it has to somehow find space for all the rohingyas who are pouring in. sanjoy majumder, bbc news, cox's bazar. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: the duke and duchess of cambridge win their privacy battle over topless photos. —— the north korean regime is still going strong after world powers are unable to agree on what action

should be taken next. she received the nobel peace prize for her work with the poor and dying in india's slums. the head of the catholic church said mother teresa was a wonderful example of how to help people in need. we have to identify the bodies, then arrange the coffins and take them back home. parents are waiting and wives are waiting. hostages appeared, some carried, some running, trying to escape the nightmare behind them. britain lost a princess today, described by all to whom she reached out as irreplaceable. an early—morning car crash in a paris underpass ended a life with more than its share of pain and courage, warmth and compassion. this is bbc news.

the latest headlines: caribbean islands are making final preparations before the record—breaking category five hurricane irma makes land—fall. four serving british soldiers have been arrested on terror offences, they are also accused of belonging to a banned neo—nazi group. russian president vladimir putin says further sanctions against north korea are useless, and that ramping up military preparations could lead to global catastrophe. it comes after the us said it would propose a new un resolution on tougher sanctions in the wake of the latest test of a hydrogen bomb by the north. from seoul, yogita limaye reports. off the eastern coast of south korea, today it was that navy's turn to show its strength. the commander of this fleet said they were training to bury the enemy at sea.

south korea has held military drills for two days now in response to the north's nuclear test. pyongyang claims it successfully made a hydrogen bomb that can be fitted onto missiles capable of reaching america. at a un conference in geneva, north korea's ambassador was defiant. the recent self—defence measures by my country, dprk, are gift packages addressed to none other than the us. the us will receive more gift packages from my country, as long as it relies on reckless provocations and futile attempts to put pressure on the dprk. those attempts include further squeezing north korea's economy. but some don't think that's a good idea. translation: the use of sanctions of any kind in this case is already useless and inefficient. as i told my colleagues yesterday,

they will eat grass, but they will not give up this programme if they do not feel safe. south korea doesn't feel safe either and so is setting up this american anti—missile defence system, designed to shoot down enemy rockets. and now president trump has said he's allowing japan and south korea to buy more sophisticated military equipment from the us. he's also agreed to remove limits on these south korean missiles, lifting restrictions on the weight of the warheads they can carry. it's this country, south korea, which has the most to lose if things go wrong. some people here still have family living up in the north. but they've heard these threats for so long now that they've almost become a part of normal life here. and yet things are a bit different now. translation: the experiment north korea did this time was much larger in scale and so

it makes me nervous. this woman says she's worried, but she doesn't believe war is going to break out. barely 50 kilometres from the border with north korea, people here live each day with the knowledge that they are vulnerable, but with a strong belief that the peace that has held for more than 60 years is not about to be broken. yogita limaye, bbc news, seoul. the trump administration is ending the legal protection for immigrant children brought here unlawfully by their parents. the 0bama policy known as daca gave legal status to almost 800,000 young people, known as dreamers. former president 0bama called today's decision cruel and wrong. aleem maqbool reports. anger at what's seen as the white house once again being anti—immigrant. its decision affects those brought to this country illegally as children, who under president 0bama were offered an amnesty. the us attorney general

announced its been scrapped. the effect of this unilateral executive amnesty, among other things, contributed to a surge of minors at the southern border which yielded terrible humanitarian consequences. it also denied jobs to hundreds of thousands of americans by allowing those same illegal aliens to take those jobs. ximena is one of the hundreds of thousands affected, now fearful she'll lose her job and ultimately be deported. it's tough. it's tough to think that as a young adult you've given a lot to a country and that you love a country so much and you feel like you've earned something and they take that away from you. and jesus, a paramedic who's been

working to help the victims of the flooding in houston, is another who has had his life turned upside down by this decision. entire lives are here. there's nothing that's back in our countries. i haven't been back to mexico since i was six, so to be sent back to mexico, i wouldn't know what to do, i wouldn't know where to go. he said he would do this when he was running for president. but with business leaders concerned, it was supposedly a difficult decision. business leaders concerned, it was supposedly a difficult decisionm is difficult for me, because i love kids. people protested outside the

white house. it is an attack against a community that has fought to get to where they are. they are amongst the most reactionary people in our society. there will be millions of donald trump's supporters who are celebrating, and others who feel he even needs to go further. the president's given congress six months to come up with an arrangement that could soften the blow. but for so many who've been contributing to american society for years, there's already a sense they've been cast out. aleem maqbool, bbc news, washington. the duke and duchess of cambridge have been awarded damages by a court in paris for the publication by a french celebrity magazine of topless photographs of the duchess. the royal couple were staying in provence when the images were taken five years ago. a french court ruled closer magazine

should pay more than 100 thousand euros in damages. its editor and owner were also fined 115,000 euros each. thousands of people have been taking part in a festival in the nepali capital, kathmandu, to mark the end of the monsoon season. people took to the streets to celebrate the annual indra jatra festival which welcomes the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the harvest. nepal along with india and bangladesh have been particularly badly hit by flooding caused by this year's monsoon rains. a reminder of our top story. officials in a string of caribbean islands have ordered people to prepare for one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the atlantic. hurricane irma is now an extremely dangerous category five storm with winds of nearly three—hundred kilometres an hour. on several islands people have been told to go to public shelters. thank you for watching.

good morning. hot on the heals of hurricane harvey comes irma, and this has the potential of be a catastrophic hurricane. already a category 5, we have sustained winds of 185mph, potentially gusting to 220mph. you can see quite clearly the eye of the storm, here on the satellite picture. it is notjust the strength of the winds and the volume of the rain, it's also a significant storm surge that's heading towards the leeward isles. the storm surge is where, underneath this area of low pressure, it literally lifts the surface of the sea by as much as 9—11 feet, descending across these caribbean islands. so certainly, we will need to keep you updated on developments of that storm. back closer to home, things are a little quieter. we have got more of a westerly direction to the source of our air now, that means so slightly fresher and it does mean that first thing in a morning we could actually see temperatures into single figures in more rural spots. so it will be a chilly start but potentially a dry one,

with some sunshine coming through. there will be a scattering of showers into the far north—west with more of a significant breeze here. but the rest of the sheltered south—eastern area should see some sunshine and, as a consequence, we should get some warmth as well. highest values possibly up to 20 degrees, as supposed to 1a to 17 further north and west. now, as we move out of wednesday, into thursday, the winds will strengthen again, and we will see more significant rain. an area of low pressure will move in from the atlantic. it is going to bring heavy rain to scotland and northern ireland, eventually moving through the borders into the north of england and north wales. further south of that, is a drier story, but it does mean a pretty disappointing day on thursday afternoon, in scotland, underneath the cloud, with wind and the rain — 13—15 degrees at the very best. some of the rain quite heavy close to the lake district, and stretching over the higher ground of wales. sheltered eastern areas should cling on to some sunshine and, if this happens, we could see 19—20 degrees perhaps,

across the southeast through london. further west, wit hmore of a fresher westerly breeze, a little more cloud and a slightly fresher feel. that low pressure, with its front, sweeps south and east, during thursday night, into friday. it takes a spell of significant rain with it as well. wrapped around that low, there will be some squally showers. so some rain to come for england and wales, for a time. some of the showers heavy, with some hail and some thunder into the far north—west. and temperatures, again, pretty disappointing. i can offer you something a little better as we move into the start of the weekend. drier through england and wales with a scattering of showers into the far north—west. take care. this is bbc news, the headlines: officials in a string of caribbean islands have ordered people to prepare for one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the atlantic. hurricane irma is now an extremely dangerous category five storm with winds of nearly 300kph.

the storm is heading for puerto rico and cuba and is on track for florida. five men, including four members of the british army, have been arrested as part of an investigation into a proscribed far—right group. national action was banned by the government last december for promoting violence and acts of terrorism. the joint operation involved the police and the army. the united nations is warning of a humanitarian crisis in bangladesh after a dramatic increase in the number of rohingya muslims fleeing neighbouring myanmar. fighting in the state of rakhine has left hundreds dead. aid agencies say more than 35,000 refugees fled in a single day. now on bbc news, tuesday in parliament.