this is bbc news. i'm ben brown. the headlines at a:00. hurricane irma continues its trail of destruction through the caribbean. at least 1a people have been killed. more thani million people are estimated to have been affected by the storm across the caribbean, which is now heading towards the united states. raf planes are loaded with aid for victims, as the prime minister chairs an emergency cobra meeting. but critics say the government was slow to react. we should have been in step with persons like president macron, who ensured that military was on the ground. in other news, a review of the criminaljustice system in england and wales finds discrimination in the treatment of people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. mexico is hit by its most powerful earthquake in a century, killing dozens of people. a 13—year—old girl who donated her

organs has helped a record eight different people. the parents ofjemima layzell, who died in 2012, say they are proud of her special legacy. and, on track to do the double — can chris froome add the vuelta espana title to his tour de france victory earlier this year? good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. at least 1a people have been killed and more than a million people have been affected by the destruction wrought by hurricane irma as it barrels through the caribbean. millions of people are still under threat. the massive storm — one of the most powerful atlantic hurricanes ever recorded — was over haiti yesterday and caused widespread damage in the british virgin islands overnight. cuba is the next country in its path — it's due to hit

the island later today. irma is then expected to make landfall in the united states over the weekend. jon donnison has the latest on the destruction across the region. hurricane irma is proving to be relentless. the british territory of the turks & caicos islands among the latest places to be hammered. the wind has dropped, but only slightly. this was the moment irma passed over the british virgin islands. and this is what it left in its wake. the major warning was when a skylight was blown off of our roof. and you could just hear the wind blasting through the upstairs of the house and, at that moment, you thought the roof might go. that was the warning to get the hell downstairs into the basement, the most secure part of the building. a state of emergency has now been declared. all of us have been affected

by irma, and some more than others. apart from the structural damage, there have sadly been reports of casualties and fatalities. i am truly heartbroken by this news. my thoughts and prayers are with each and every one of you. these pictures, from the capital, road town, show the extent of the damage. viewed from space, irma looks almost serene but at 400 miles wide, it's massive and it is now heading north west to cuba. there, people are doing what they can to secure their homes and bracing themselves. translation: look at the state of the houses that people have here and you will realise the magnitude of the hurricane. what will happen to the town? what will happen to the people? translation: i do feel fear. how can i not feel it? what really worries me is that it will take the whole roof away. just north, in the bahamas,

they have also been getting ready for what could be a direct hit. people have been stockpiling fuel and food. hurricane irma has already left a trail of destruction across the caribbean. the island of st martin — which is made up of french and dutch territories — is one of the worst affected areas. dutch troops are now on the streets to try to maintain order. the red cross says 1.2 million people have already been affected and that that figure could rise to 29 million by the end of the weekend, when the storm's due to hit florida. there, 7,000 national guard have been brought in to help, with the national weather service warning large parts of the state could be left uninhabitable for weeks, or even months. with a storm surge of up to three metres expected, half a million people have taken to the roads, after being ordered

to leave their homes. florida isn't the only us state under threat. hurricane irma continues to be a threat that is going to devastate the united states and either florida or some of the south—eastern states. this is a complex forecast. anybody from alabama to north carolina should be watching this storm very closely. two days after hurricane irma first hit land, the worst could still be to come. and another storm, jose, is sweeping in from the atlantic. jon donnison, bbc news. we were saying the death toll so far from irma was 14. we are now hearing its 19. i9 from irma was 14. we are now hearing its 19. 19 dead in the destruction

caused by irma across the caribbean. we are also hearing in washington the us house of representatives has passed a hurricane relief package worth $15 billion. lawmakers voting 316-90 to worth $15 billion. lawmakers voting 316—90 to prove that package, a day after the senate also passed the measure. a hurricane relief package worth $15 billion passed in congress. the fringes of the storm have already begun to hit cuba — will grant is in havana. let's talk to him now. do we know, i think it's on the east coast it was expected to hit, has it actually hit cuba yet or is it about? we think it started to brush the eastern end of cuba and started to make its way along the northern coastline. but it's still approaching the island. it's just the outer fringes that the

rain dumping has begun. it's going to bea rain dumping has begun. it's going to be a tough 12—24 hours potentially down in that part of cuba. as it makes its way along the northern coastline and eventually up towards florida, we'll see whether 01’ towards florida, we'll see whether or not it brings storm surges and flash flooding. that's really the main concern in cuba. thank you. cubais main concern in cuba. thank you. cuba is expecting hurricane irma to hit ina cuba is expecting hurricane irma to hit in a couple of hours. let's take a quick look at some images of the destruction that irma has caused in the caribbean. these photos taken by the caribbean. these photos taken by the bbc‘s laura picker who is on the ground in barbuda. the prime minister there has said the island has been left barely habitable and thatis has been left barely habitable and that is the scene there. the devastation and destruction that you can see. pretty much every building

damaged or destroyed. there has been a mass evacuation ahead of the arrival of another hurricane, hurricanejose. the royal navy has delivered its first aid, one plane took off this morning, with another two expected to go, taking marines and engineers to the caribbean. the prime minister has chaired an emergency cobra meeting in whitehall to discuss the response to irma. it comes amid criticism that the uk hasn't responded quickly enough to the disaster. duncan kennedy reports from raf brize norton. the first raf flight from britain left at lunchtime. ahead, a nine—hour journey to the caribbean, as the world's military response to the crisis gets under way. the loading operation at brize norton included tents, water and medical supplies.

30 pallet loads at first, with more to come. everything from ready—made meals to an industrial refrigeration unit. around 70 royal marines are also on board, with a range of skills and experience of working in disaster areas. the base commander rejects claims that britain has been slow to respond. it's very important that we understand the effects of the hurricane, where is open to us, where we can get into safely, and that's what we've been doing over the past 2a hours. so i think now, we're ready to make the rightjudgments about where we can most effectively deliver that aid, and we'll be doing that as quickly as possible. the french have already established a base on guadeloupe and its military operation does appear more advanced than britain's. british naval helicopters have already been in anguilla working off a navy auxiliary vessel, but it's the speed and scale of britain's input that's been criticised today. what we definitely need to see is a sustainable,

if not continued and permanent commitment to support the development of anguilla. at present, we've had precious little support of significant quantities and we need that now. but britain says it has responded as rapidly as possible and is now offering more than £30 million of help. the fact is, we had a royal naval vessel — mounts bay — in the region because we knew the hurricane was coming. this is hurricane season. and, in fact, we are always prepared. this is one of a number of rafjets heading to the region. in all, there'll be something like 300 royal marines on the ground over the space of the next two or three days. but even when they arrive there, no—one is fully clear yet what their operational role is going to be and where they can get to. the race to get help to the people of the caribbean now involves operations from more than a dozen countries. duncan kennedy, bbc news, at raf brize norton. there has been criticism from some that the british response

to help its overseas territories has been slow. the defence secretary, sir michael fallon gave his response to the criticism a short while ago. we already have a ship, mounts bay, in the region for precisely this reason. we keep a ship on station during hurricane season, so that they are ready to help immediately. mounts bay has been helping, as it's been helping bringing relief to anguilla, and is now heading for the british virgin islands to bring help there. hms 0cean will help the reconstruction, the work that now has to be done, to provide more permanent shelter for those who've lost their homes and to make sure that power is restored to those islands that have lost it and that more medical supplies can be brought ashore. 0cean will have the heavy—lift, the helicopters, the marines and be able to transport supplies en masse to the islands that need them. is there a case for the hms 0cean to be sent out earlier?

we knew this was coming, we've seen the humanitarian effort. should it have been sent out earlier? mounts bay is the kind of ship you need to deal with hurricane relief. it's a huge ship with a helicopter, supplies on board already. it was the right ship to have on station. but the hurricane has been devastating. we haven't seen a hurricane of this strength for a very long time. we've taken the decision to add a second ship, as we begin the work of helping the islanders rebuild their lives. hms 0cean was involved with nato operations in the mediterranean. what kind of impact will this deployment have on that? well, operations have to take priority over exercises. 0cean was due to exercise at the other end of the mediterranean. but you have to make these decisions. i've had to give priority to the need to get relief to the caribbean over the exercise which we have another ship taking place. how important is it that the uk

does take a leading role in this relief effort? first of all, these people on the islands are british. they're british nationals, they are our people and it's our duty to help. we've got to do that. 0bviously we'll work with other allies. the french have interests there. so do the dutch. but these are british nationals and they look to us for help. we are going provide it. sir michael fallon defending the british government's response to hurricane irma. earlier i spoke to josephine gumbs connor — a former adviser to the former chief minister of anguilla. she explained to me her frustration with the lack of relief effort from the uk government. this was no ordinary storm, and that i think is the heart of what needs to be appreciated. yes, there is a royal navy ship that

usually is in the caribbean, in advance of storms, but this required a direct and special focus, once it was determined, which was at least a week in advance, that this was going to be a storm like no other, and that it was going to be shattering the record books as to its strength. therefore, we should have been in step with persons like president macron, who ensured that the military was on the ground. right now, if you try to call the emergency disaster management office in anguilla, you will not be able to reach them. why is that? their generator is not functioning, so right now there is no ability to be able to reach them other than trying to call radio anguilla, the one radio station that is currently functional, and try to see if you can get a message to the disaster management. this is the kind of heart and soul of what i'm talking about.

i've been trying to reach the governor's office — the governor's office — since yesterday. the governor's office, their phones do not respond because they sustained damage, and so you can't get in touch even with the governor's office, which is also pivotal to be able to get your needs through. i have a foreign national with me, as a guest of our villa, and i've been trying to coordinate an effort to get him out of anguilla prior to the next impending storm. there is no hotline, there is no mechanism in place, to be able to evacuate foreign nationals who wish to leave. there is no systematic sense of organisation, so when i level the criticism, it isn't out of the blue. it's in the current circumstances of which we speak. right now in anguilla, people are waking up — they have no ability, there is no electrical services, there is no information

as to where they can go and charge their phones and try and make contact. there is no, essentially, vehicles blaring out any messages throughout the villagers, telling people what they can do. we are getting ready for hurricanejose, and part of anguilla who have sustained damages have no way, even at this point, to help to shore up ourselves for what might be a category 3 hurricane. reaching us tomorrow. i'm sure people will hear your criticisms, but at the same time the government have said here in britain they are going to spend more than £30 million on disaster relief and that's a lot of money, a lot of taxpayers' money, obviously, and theresa may, the prime minister, is chairing an emergency committee right now, this afternoon, so the government are, they would say, acting, and they say their response has been swift.

no, their response has not been swift, and i think that if you look at the chronological pace at which things have moved, it's actually through the journalism in the uk that moves the needle, because you will recall that the first messaging coming out of whitehall was that they were going to send a0 marines and the technical experts. that was the first messaging, and that's why the criticism here has come swift, because that in no way could cater to the catastrophe we are looking at on the ground, and so we are hoping that through this act ofjournalism that there will be that recognition, that attention that has to be paid to anguilla, and obviously the overseas territories. that £30 million is not coming to anguilla. that £30 million is coming

to three of the islands, but at this point we need manpower. we need to see the military, we need to see the hum of chainsaws trying to clear the debris, we need to make sure that our hospital and these facilities that are under challenge and... obviously we recognise that this is disastrous proportions. president trump has been talking about hurricane irma, warning about its destructive potential, as it heads towards florida. we've seen many, heads towards florida. we've seen any heads towards florida. we've seen many, many residents trying to get out of its path already, clogging up the highways as they drive away from hurricane irma. president trump has said "this is a storm of absolutely

historic destructive potential. i ask everyone in the storm's path to be vigilant and heed all recommendations from government officials and law enforcement". that was donald trump calling hurricane irma a storm of absolutely historic destructive potential. a stark warning to people in florida in particular. let's focus more on what the british government are doing about hurricane irma. let's cross to our correspondent matthew thompson who's outside the cabinet office in whitehall. the prime minister underlining how important the british government to see this crisis as. absolutely. that cobra meeting we think is now over. we saw ministers such as priti patel leaving the cabinet office behind me. they were rather tight—lipped

but i think we can expect to hear from the prime minister in the next few moments, we will bring that to you as and when we can. that's the second cobra meeting in two days. yesterday's was chaired by michael fallon, this one by the prime minister which suggests an escalation. in the last hour with the foreign secretary borisjohnson has given a statement. he is in estonia but he said that the hurricane had caused great devastation in many of the british 0verseas territories, islands like anguilla, the british virgin islands and turks and caicos. he said the foreign office will be sending a tea m foreign office will be sending a team from the department for international development which was already on jamaica, barbados international development which was already onjamaica, barbados and anguilla assessing the damage. they are also assisting in the evacuation of antigua and barbuda in anticipation of hurricane jose of antigua and barbuda in anticipation of hurricanejose which is following closely on the heels of hurricane irma. it's worth pointing out the foreign office have told

british citizens in the part of hurricane irma that they should either follow local evacuation advice or in some cases stay in their hotel. they have set up a hotline for anyone who might be concerned about relatives all be affected by the hurricane. but phone number is 0207 008 0000. and you can keep up with all the latest on hurricane irma on our website — at bbc.co.uk/news. plenty of detailed information on hurricane irma and the other two hurricanes on our website. a review of the criminaljustice system in england and wales has found buyers and discrimination in its treatment of people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. the inquiry, commissioned

by the government and led by the labour mp david lammy, raises particular concerns about the treatment of young people. elaine dunkley reports. noel williams was 11 when he first got involved in gangs. by the age of 13, he was imprisoned for robberies and drug dealing. i was in and out of the system. went there three times. a lot of bullying goes on, and as we say, a lack of prison staff, so they don't really pick up on certain things. people are self harming. if they're not cutting their arm, they are trying to kill themselves. he has now turned his life around but believes race and ethnicity play a part in how you are treated and punished within the criminaljustice system. i feel it's unjust. of course, it's unjust. and if you look at the sort of sentences that we get, they are longer, harsher, and people are coming out not rehabilitated. sometimes they're coming out and reoffending at a more accelerated rate than their counterparts. the lammy review makes a number of key recommendations, which include allowing some prosecutions to be deferred and possibly dropped if a treatment programme for issues such as drug or alcohol problems

is successfully completed. removing identifying information about ethnicity when cases are passed from police to prosecutors so racial bias doesn't influence charging decisions. and not declaring criminal records for minor offences when applying forjobs. i am very concerned about the youth justice system, and that's the pipeline into our adult prison system, so it's very, very serious that the figures are quite as bad as they are. i'm very worried about our prison system, where i do think there are still prisons where it is clear that there is an overt discrimination going on, and some of the treatment is just unacceptable. the government says it will look very carefully at the review‘s findings. what struck me about the report too was the reality that very large numbers of british people from our black and ethnic minority communities lack confidence in the criminaljustice system. it's one of the largest reviews

of its kind and highlights that radical reform is urgently needed to bring fairness to the justice system. elaine dunkley, bbc news. at least 20 people have been killed after an earthquake, with a magnitude of eight, struck southern mexico. the quake — which the president described as the strongest to hit the country in the past 100 years — struckjust off the pacific coast, shaking buildings in the capital, mexico city, hundreds of miles away. the tremor is reported to have lasted about a minute. sarah campbell has this report. mexico is a country used to earthquakes, but not of this magnitude. this was a bowling alley in the southern state of chiapas. 600 miles away, in mexico city, the tremors lasted for up to a minute. some people left buildings, preferring to stay outside on the street.

many could still remember the last massive earthquake in 1985, which killed thousands. it was pretty violent. i was a child when this earthquake in 1985 happened, and this was the biggest one, and it was pretty violent. a lot of panic scenes on the street, and in my building also, so really, this earthquake was something huge. as pictures start to emerge from the worst hit areas, the death toll has continued to rise. the fear is, there may be more to come. translation: so far, there have been 65 after—shocks. the strongest was magnitude 6.1. however, it's possible that over the next 2a hours we could see a shock that is as strong as the earthquake. the epicentre was a0 miles down, just off the southern mexican coast. tsunami warnings have been issued

to surrounding countries. in mexico itself, as daylight arrives, the extent of the damage will become all too clear. sarah campbell, bbc news. president trump has posted a video on his facebook page urging residents to heed the warnings from local authorities in florida in particular. my fellow americans, as hurricane irma approaches, my administration is working closely with our state and local partners to help save lives, protect families and assist those in need. this is a storm of absolutely historic destructive potential. i ask every

in the storm's paths to be vigilant, and heed all recommendations from government officials and law enforcement. nothing is more important than the safety and security of our people. we are doing everything we can to help with disaster preparations, and when the time comes, we will restore, recover and rebuild together as americans. in times such as these, we see the strength and resolve of the american spirit, and we see the kindness and courage of our people. with gratitude for our first responders and prayers that those in the storm's path, america stands united. and i mean totally united. from texas to louisiana, from florida to puerto rico, and always the us virgin islands and everywhere in between, but has been affected by these terrible storms, we will injure and come back stronger than ever before. that was president trump ina ever before. that was president trump in a video message on his facebook page. talking about

hurricane irma as a storm of historic destructive potential and warning residents potentially in the path of may to heed the warnings from local authorities to prepare —— in the path of name —— in the path of irma. the un has called for urgent action to end the recent surge in violence in myanmar. the nobel laureate, malala yousafzai, says her fellow peace prize winner, aung san suu kyi, should do more to protect the rohingya muslims fleeing the ethnic violence in the region. the unhcr estimates that more than 250,000 people have sought refuge in neighbouring bangladesh in the past two weeks. the population of two refugee camps at cox's bazar, near the border with bangladesh, has more than doubled in a fortnight, with 70,000 people setting up camp there. sanjoy majumder is there and sent us this update. those are relief trucks bringing in aid for the rohingya refugees, mostly local volunteers, but some international groups as well — food, medicines, some have been distributing clothes.

and it is for those people here, the latest batch of refugees to come in. because there is no space anymore left in the camps, they're just sitting by the side of the road. if you come over here, you can see that they're even cooking a mealjust here in this temporary kitchen that they've set up. now, it's been raining overnight, so conditions are really, really difficult. there's so much mud and water everywhere, and you can see women and children just sitting here, absolutely no protection, just by the side of this busy road. now, over the last 2a hours, 18,000 new refugees have come in, and the situation is becoming close to a crisis point. i've been travelling up and down this road for the past seven days, and i've never seen it so crowded. it's getting to a point where bangladesh's prime

minister said yesterday, she wants pressure to be put on myanmar to take all these people back home, back to where they belong. sanjoy majumder on the myanmar—bangladesh border. west midlands police have arrested a fifth man, suspected of being a member of the proscribed group national action. the 24—year—old from northampton was also detained on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism under the terrorism act. he had originally been detained on tuesday by officers from the royal military police in cyprus. 0k, ok, it's 4. 30pm. time fora ok, it's 4. 30pm. time for a look at the weekend weather forecast. hi matt. good afternoon. i think the weather out there today's given us a taste of what to expect this weekend. there's been showers around, a bit of sunshine, odd rumble of thunder too. really that's how it goes all the way through to sunday in fact. 0ut there at the moment as we finish

the day, evening rush hour, heavy rain particularly along southern coastal counties of england, western scotland, northern ireland, through the isle of man into the north west of england in. between a few showers, sunshine too to end the day. central and eastern areas with the showers which fade away. longer rain into north west england, north—west midlands, large puddles here. a fresh start to saturday. especially with the breeze in the west. for saturday morning, a lot of you start dry and sunny. showers already on in the west. england and wales seeing them widespread through the day. rattling through quickly on the day. rattling through quickly on the breeze for southern most counties, slow moving in northern england and the midlands. some of them heavy with hail and thunder. scotla nd them heavy with hail and thunder. scotland and northern ireland, compared with today, drier and brighter. fewer showers around, compared with today, drier and brighter. fewershowers around, much feel a touch warmer. dry start, cloud and outbreaks of rain sunday, pushing eastwards. a strengthening wind which could touch gale—force. that's how it's looking, more in half an hour.

hello. this is bbc news. the headlines: hurricane irma continues its trail of destruction through the caribbean. 19 people have been killed and a million affected. the prime minister prepares to chair a cobra meeting, as raf flights are loaded to deliver water, rations and troops for the many british citizens trapped in the caribbean. a powerful earthquake has hit southern mexico and killed dozens of people. the country's president said the tremor was the strongest to hit mexico in a century. a review of the criminaljustice system in england and wales has concluded that people from black, asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are still facing bias and overt discrimination right let's catch up on the cricket

and all the other sports news of the day. hijohn. yes, we start at lord's. west indies have taken the key wicket of ben stokes on what's been a rain affected day day two of the third and final test at lords, with the match and the series in the balance. stokes become the first batsman in the match to pass 50 — having taken a career—best six for 22 with the ball yesterday before eventually falling for 60 off the bowling of shannon gabriel. things didn't get much better for the hosts as moeen ali, who made a big score in the last test, was dismissed for three, soon after. kemar roach, the pick of the west indian bowlers, taking five wickets today england eight wickets down, and with a slender lead of 44 runs. —— nine wickets down, with a slender but handy lead of 5a runs. staying with cricket the south african graham ford has been appointed as the new coach of ireland as the country prepares to play test cricket. having recently ended his second stint as head coach of sri lanka, he also had a spell with his native south africa and spent time

in english county cricket with surrey and kent. he takes over from new zealander john bracewell when his contract ends in december. jurgen klopp says there is no issue with midfielder phillipe coutinho after leaving him out of liverpool's squad to face manchester city tomorrow. he scored as brazil beat ecuador 2—0 in a world cup qualifier last week, but is still returning to full fitness following his back injury. he came in yesterday accepted 100% the situation, it was not that i even had to say something about. it it's just the situation. now, even had to say something about. it it'sjust the situation. now, i really think we all should use the situation, with a wonderful player in our squad who wants to get fit and play for this club. we know nobody how long he will play for the club. sometimes we want to send players away. sometimes players think about their future also, that's a normal situation, so it's absolutely no problem. i'm really com pletely absolutely no problem. i'm really completely fine with the situation.

fifa say they'll investigate the gesture made by tottenham midfielder dele alli on live tv during england's match against slovakia on monday. cameras caught him swearing during the 2—1 world cup qualifying victory at wembley. the 21—year—old said it was a "joke with good friend" kyle walker. andrew parsons has been elected the new president of the international paralympic committee. the brazilian beat three other candidates in a vote at the ipc general assembly. he succeeds philip craven, who ran the organisation since 2001. now all eyes will be on what's expected from him in this role and his priorities. here's our sports correspondent with more. it would appear andrew parsons has lots of backing from the ipc. 84 votes in the first round of voting, enough for a majority over his three opponents. he takes over from enough for a majority over his three opponents. he takes overfrom sir philip craven who was president for 16 years. a movement which has grown from strength to strength. there are pressing issues. on top of andrew

parsons in tray must be what to do with russia, especially with the winter olympics coming up. they were barred at the summer rio 0lympics. that ban is in place. the ipc seems to have softened its stance. some athletes can take part in qualifying events as neutral actions. if the sanctions are lifted, they will take part. the thorny subject facing the movement is classification, amid allegation that's some countries are working the system so that their athletes compete against opponents who have significantly more impaired. it will look at strengthening relations with the ioc. plenty for him to get on with. at least he has lots of support from within the ipc as he begins his term as president. england 185—9. that's a lead of 62. more sport in the next hour. more now on irma.

you've been talking to people in the region and also people here worried about people out there in the caribbean, who have been caught up in the whole wave of destruction caused by hurricane irm why. what are people saying? i managed to get in contact with a gentleman called alfred poiser and his wife tracey who live in turks and caicos, one of the areas quite badly hit. he was quite distressed at how badly hit it was, because i don't think any of them were expecting the damage that unfolded. he talked me through what he could see as he was driving around parts of the island. we're seeing roofs completely gone,

complete devastation of buildings, just crumbled in a heap where a building used to be. it's hard for people to really accept what has happened now. i don't think many people are looking forward or even thinking about that another one, the possibility of another one coming. that's how the damage is. so, alfred talking with his wife and he stopped and chatted to a few locals, including an emergency worker who was helping clear the roads and clear, and check some of the buildings for any survivors or anyone who may have been injured. he talked to us about what he could see as well. it's a disaster. i think we need a lot of help here. there's a lot of houses i already went through the blue harehills area, it seems to be like a disaster. every roof has been touched. many houses have been broken. badly, badly, badly. so we need help, please. we have been

speaking to members of families and friends over here who are really concerned about the whereabouts of their relatives and friends on the islands that have been hit. laura elliott lives on the british virgin islands, but she was travelling for work at the time and the hurricane hit her fiance and her two small children. she's onlyjust managed to get in contact with them. but she's really concerned about their whereabouts and how they're going to survive for the next couple of weeks. you know, the stories that trips are going to take two, three weeks to get there, that's not good enough. that's not fast enough. i mean, how can a ten—month—old baby survive for three weeks? when he doesn't have food or how can that be possible? my son is so little. you know, my daughter, she's nearly two. she needs things. i'm sure they have snacks available. but none of it is good enough. you don't know where

they are in the house. i don't know. that was laura elliott, clearly very distressed indeed. the foreign 0ffice distressed indeed. the foreign office are saying that they've got a number, a phone numberfor anyone who is concerned about relatives in the caribbean. yes they're trying to push out the message to those in the caribbean, if they can by any means of communication get in contact with friends and family over here to know that they are safe. those over here that they are safe. those over here that are worried or concerned about family and friends over there should ring: 0k, thank you very much indeed. the government is spending more than £30 million in the wake of this disaster. some of that aid is being loaded in gloucestershire and phil mackie, our

correspondent, is there to watch the aid effort. well, this is the huge hangar at an airfield in gloucestershire where the department for international development keeps all of its disaster relief equipment, so there's a vast amount of gear here including vehicles. there's boats, even a field hospital at the bottom there. but this is what's going out to the caribbean at the moment. steve works here. steve, do you want to explain what is going out? yeah, so we have the solar lanterns that are going out at the moment, obviously the solar panel on the top. they'll also charge mobile phones as well, to keep comms and light going. the other products going out is the bucket — it's notjust a simple bucket. i mean, there's a lot of testing gone into this, so there are the divots and everything taken from the bottom, so if you carry it on your head it doesn't hurt your head. it also has a very tight seal, so that if they do fall over the water doesn't fall out. and also with the limited pouring spout, if you are transferring water into other vessels, so you don't waste all your precious water as well.

and you've also got these? yeah, the water filtration tubes. this will filter freshwater, that you can get out of freshwater stream. you fill it up, it can fill up to five litres, then basically you pressurise the pump and out comes the filtered safe to drink water. so as simple as that, but a very life—saving kit? yeah, they are very much—needed. 0k, steve, thank you very much. so today what has been happening is they are loading up lorries with all of that equipment, and you can series going backward and forward. three of these we now know will be taken on chartered flights to the caribbean. the fourth lorry will be taken to gibraltar to be loaded onto hms 0cean. and we are hearing shelter kits out in the caribbean have already been delivered to anguilla. that's phil mackie reporting.

let's speak to our diplomatic correspondent, james landale. there's been some criticism from some quarters about the british government's aid effort. we were talking to one former advisor to the chief ministry in an gilla saying it's been too slow. they knew the hurricane was on the way. compared to the french the british effort is pretty tarredy. i believe there's a huge difference in resource here. the british government has hardly any military personnel permanently based in the caribbean. the french have thousands. the dutch have hundreds of troops there. this is partly a matter of politics and history. the french territories and dutch territories are more directly governed from the netherlands and france. whereas our overseas territories are much more self—governing. they have much more autonomy. therefore, the british government — there's less of an

automatic sense that you know you need to defend bordeaux as you do martinique. if the british want resources there, they have to send them across the atlantic. so the british government response is we send a ship there every year throughout the hurricane season and it's a ship that deliberately is designed to deal with these. rfa mounts bay is a landing craft. it's there to carry medical supplies, humanitarian aid. it's easy to deploy it. it's a landing ship. it's able to do these things. but ultimately it's a question of resource. if we want to be able to support these dependent territories, which if you remember are far more geographically spread out that the french ones and italian ones. what is the best way to do it? is the british government really going to say we are going to now commit to keep 500 troops in bermuda, in the

bahamas or wherever in comparison to the other defence cuts around the world. that's the issue here. and they're called dependent territories, what does that mean and how many people are we responsible for, ina how many people are we responsible for, in a sense, in those territories? there are 14 overseas territories? there are 14 overseas territories in the world. they are primarily former colonies, gibraltar, falklands, british antarctic territory, the islands here in the caribbean, there's the british overseas territory in the middle of the indian ocean and so on. they all have a certain degree of autonomy. there's no one pattern here. the bottom line is that the british government, based in london, is responsible for their defence and their security, whether that is from a foreign invader, such as the falkland islands, or from a foreign invader, such as the falkland islands, orfrom natural disasters, such as this. the british government has a duty to protect these islanders and, you know, that's laid down very specifically.

so therefore it has to treat these people — these people are british citizens like anybody else. the queen is their head of state. so therefore, i think when you hear people saying we don't feel we've been protected, if this island was called the falklands, would the attitude be different? that's where the thinking is coming from. yeah, which is why the prime minister has been chairing a meeting of cobra, the emergency committee. we can hear now from theresa may who has been speaking at the end of that meeting. yes, i've just chaired the government's emergency committee, cobra looking at the further support we can provide to the british overseas territories in the caribbean with these terrible hurricanes and the devastating impact they're having. i heard direct from governors in the region, including the governor of the british virgin islands, where hurricane irma, the eye of the hurricane irma, the eye of the hurricane ran directly through the capital of the british virgin islands. i heard about the work that

rfa mounts bay and the troops and military personnel on mounts bay have undertaken already and will be doing in the future in anguilla they have made the airfield serviceable. they have restored power to the hospital. they have rebuilt emergency shelters. our military personnel, our troops, emergency shelters. our military personnel, ourtroops, have been working around—the—clock there and we owe them a great debt of gratitude. those troops from rfa mounts bay are assisting the governor of the british virgin islands, who has declared a state of emergency there. they're working to ensure that the airfield there is serviceable, so that military aircraft can be flown in with further supplies. every effort is being made to ensure that what can being made to ensure that what can be done, as much as possible, can be donein be done, as much as possible, can be done in advance of hurricane jose, which is the next hurricane reaching that area. at the cobra i heard directly from our consul general in miami about the support being given to british nationals living in florida and also british tourists in

florida. we are working with the us authorities to ensure that every support is available and everything can be done before hurricane irma reaches florida. we're also working in the region, in the caribbean, internationally with other partners, with the french and with the dutch, we're responding it a french request that we provide british military support to their efforts. but i also know that many families are finding it very difficult to find information and hear from and contact loved ones in the region. the foreign office has set up a specific hot line that people can contact to get information and support. i would encourage anybody worried about families in the region to contact that foreign office hot line. some of the governors in the overseas territories, politicians there are saying their big concern is when the cameras are switched off and the hurricane moves on, you

won't be there to help longer term reconstruction. what commitment can you give them? i give them this commitment: i recognise that our immediate concern is ensuring the support is there and every effort is being made as these hurricanes are devastating these islands. at cobra today i also ensured that a piece of work was being put in place, already started, on long—term planning. what will be the reconstruction needs for these islands in the future? what support will they need and what can we give? we remain committed to ensure that long—term work is done and that reconstruction work is done and that reconstruction work is done and we provide the support necessary. that's the prime minister speaking a few minutes ago after a meeting of cobra, the government's emergency committee on hurricane irma and its devastating effects there and what the british government can do to help. in a moment we will look at the business stories of the week. before that, our latest headlines. hurricane irma continues

its trail of destruction through the caribbean. at least 19 people have been killed and a million affected. the prime minister has chaired a meeting of the government's cobra emergency committee this afternoon. raf flights have been loaded to deliver aid to the victims. a review of the criminaljustice system in england and wales finds discrimination in the treatment of people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. now a look at the big business stories of the week, and vishala is here to take us through them. a victory for insurers this week — they've managed to persuade the government to change the system used to work out compensation payments. yes, proposed change to the ogden rate. if you look at the way victims are compensated in the courts, they are compensated in the courts, they are awarded a lump sum of money in mind of the interest rates. the

higher that interest rate is the lower that compensation payment is. this report, which came out yesterday, looks to side the insurers so the interest rate will probably go up, so the compensation amount that insurers give to victims will be lower. victims less happy. insurers delighted. share prices increased significantly yesterday. good news for them. not so much for the pr company struck off the industry body list. they've not had a great week. media reports earlier this week that the staff were told that the company could go into administration. bell pottinger couldn't find a buyer. their asian unit is looking to relaunch under a different name. they‘ re unit is looking to relaunch under a different name. they're hoping to distance themselves. we saw them lose key clients after an investigation was launched into activities in south africa. finally, the pub, apparently we're not spending enough money in the pub, is

that right? i know, it's hard to believe. yes greene king, a big pub operator, they reported a slump in sales over the summer period and a bleak outlook because of consumer spending being slower because of higher inflation. inflation has shot up higher inflation. inflation has shot up this year. they say that's affecting their pockets. more on this with the investigation director at aberdeen asset management. thanks for joining at aberdeen asset management. thanks forjoining us. let's start with the ogden rate change. insurers are certainly happy about this. will this stick, do you think? well it's a peculiar set the tables. it's very important for the insurance companies, the raising of interest rates will mean insurance companies pay less to accident victims. the by product of that is that insurance premiums are likely to fall. insurance company shares were up a touch yesterday given the victory for the insurance sector. yes, and

it's pending government approval here. will it see premiums be lower as well? in theory it should. the payments made to accident victims have been higher than the insurance companies thought they should be. they thought the interest rate assumed was too low. it wasn't that they didn't want to pay out, but they didn't want to pay out, but they thought the rate was too low and the amount they were paying wasn't fair to other side. time will tell whether the new rates are fair and no doubt it will be changed if not. that should feed through to premiums for buyers of insurance. bell pottinger featured in the headlines this week. we heard today that it's asian —— its asian unit is ring—fencing saying that they're solvent and preparing to launk under a different name. do you think they'll be successful in doing so? in terms of reputational damage, that has taken its toll of the for a people business or any business, reputation is everything and in this

case, their reputation, to put it mildly, is in tatters. asian business, they feel is a stronger franchise. they've changed the name. doubts as you noted, are around the viability of the business as a whole. just shows you if you lose your reputation, the prfrgs body that they're part of shared that. their clients are voting with their feet also. i was going to ask why we aren't spending enough in the pub, but i don't have any time! and the markets: that's it from me. go and spend some money in the pub, maybe. it's friday! now then, let's tell you about a 13—year—old girl from somerset, whose organs were donated after her death. jemima layzell, from

somerset, died in 2012. she donated her heart, pancreas, kidneys, small bowel and liver. she also donated her lungs, and a little earlier i spoke to the young man who received them. speaking from our stoke studio a little earlier, now 19—year—old ewan smith — told me howjemima's donation has given him a second chance on life. i wasn't healthy when i had the transplant. i'm reasonably certain i would have died without a transplant. i wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her. when was the transplant, and how have you been since then? the transplant took place in march of 2012, and since the transplant my life has been changed so massively. it is really difficult i think to explain just how much it has changed, to someone who has not been through what i have been through. before the transplant

i struggled to breathe, i struggled to take part in most common physical sports, in playground activities and such, but after the transplant i could do all those things and more just so much better. and it is extraordinary thatjemima was able to help so many people. what were you told about her when you received her lungs? were you told much about who the donor was? i wasn't told that much, and i am sure that is standard for all transplant recipients. i knew she was a girl. i believe i was told her age as well. i didn't have a physical description of her, but that was really all i was told. do you think a lot about her and also the fact that she has you've competed in the british

transplant games in the 50m butterfly? it was the 50m backstroke and 50m breaststroke which i got a bronze in the breaststroke and a gold in the backstroke, but yes, i've always been a pretty good swimmer. it's just with i've always been a pretty good swimmer. it'sjust with my transplants i've been able to realise my potential as a swimmer in the transplant games every year. that is incredible, isn't it, i mean, how do you feel when you're swimming? you obviously feel strong, you feel good? yeah, i feel really good when i swim. it's very liberating. i mean i've always had a fondness for water and swimming, but now, i've been transplanted i can enjoy it more than just a sport activity to keep me healthy. an extraordinary story really. she

died five years ago and her organs helped save the lives or transform the lives of eight different patients and ewan one of them. that's it from me. let's look at the weather now. matt has the details. how's the weekend looking? decidedly mixed. it's a weekend where you'll need a jumper, even a water proof at times. finishing the day with heavy showers, odd rumble of thunder too across the country. the worst of those across the south—east, clear, but with longer spells of rain. pushing into northern england and north wales. north—west england we will see the wettest conditions overnight. central and eastern areas you'll get away with a largely dry night. a little on the cool side. for saturday, we've got the cool start, many start dry and bright, but showers already on the go in the west. developing quite widely across demraelz during the day. heavy with hailand demraelz during the day. heavy with hail and thunder. pushing through with a stiff breeze in the south.

slow move, midlands, northern england. a bit more sunshine particularly in the west and a touch warmer despite the overall cool feel. a chilly start to sunday. many start dry in the central and eastern areas. but cloud, outbreaks of rain pushing in from the west and then gales developing later. that's how it's looking in the uk. the latest on hurricane irma on the bbc news at 5pm next. today at 5pm: hurricane irma continues to cut a trail of destruction with a warning it will soon devastate florida. more than a million people have already been affected by the storm. it's one of the biggest ever to hit the caribbean. the storm is on course to hit florida by the weekend. 500,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes. this is a storm of absolutely historic, destructive potential. i ask everyone in the storm's path to be vigilant and to heed all

recommendations from government officials and law enforcement. raf planes are loaded with aid for victims. the prime minister has just finished chairing an emergency cobra meeting. we'll have the latest from the caribbean islands and florida. the other main stories on bbc news at 5pm: dozens of people are killed in mexico —